RELATED: Talisman Terry, the “friendly Fracosaurus” star of a coloring book published by Talisman Energy, will no longer explain the natural gas drilling process to youngsters after the company announced plans today to stop distribution of the controversial children’s book. “Talisman Terry’s Energy Adventure” was a 24-page booklet that explained natural gas drilling in kid-friendly fashion and could be downloaded from the Calgary-based energy company’s website. It had been distributed at community fairs in northeastern Pennsylvania through the company’s Good Neighbor program. Talisman Terry’s message is overt and unapologetic: drilling for natural gas in formations like the Marcellus Shale is […]

[Artwork by SSOOSAY] NEW YORK TIMES: Earlier Sunday, the British police took Ms. Brooks, 43, into custody after she arrived at a London police station by appointment. The timing, two days before a separate parliamentary inquiry into the crisis, drew a skeptical response from opposition lawmakers who said the arrest might inhibit Ms. Brooks’s ability or readiness to testify before the panel while she is the subject of police inquiries. David Wilson, a lawyer representing Ms. Brooks, said she “maintains her innocence, absolutely.” It was the latest twist in a series of events that has transformed Mr. Murdoch from a […]

HUFFINGTON POST: Wall Street Journal report on Friday that Obama was not expected to nominate Elizabeth Warren, who was instrumental in setting up the agency but faced stalwart opposition from Republicans. Elizabeth Warren confirmed the news of Cordray’s nomination in a statement to The Huffington Post. “Rich has always had my strong support because he is tough and he is smart-and that’s exactly the combination this new agency needs,” she said. “He was one of the first senior leaders I recruited for the agency, and his work and commitment have made it clear that he will make a stellar director.” […]

BY MIKE WOLVERTON In a parallel universe, A Perfect Circle would be Rock-and-Roll Gods, appealing in equal measure to metal meatheads, pretentious art-rockers and even the ladies. But in this universe, A Perfect Circle has a problem. Their dynamic singer, Maynard James Keenan, is also the frontman for a much bigger band (Tool), which is his top priority. That means that while Tool is recording or touring, A Perfect Circle is stuck in a holding pattern, working around Keenan’s availability. The excellent debut album (2000’s Mer de Noms) was followed in 2003 by the fantastic Thirteenth Step. A year later […]

[Photo by BRADLEY MAULE] FOOBOOZ: Once one of Philadelphia’s most talked about restaurateurs, Neil Stein has spent his time rather quietly since his January 2007 release from SCI Schuylkill, where he served a yearlong sentence for tax evasion and wrote about the prison food. But now the man who was at the helm of a restaurant revolution and brought us the concept of outdoor dining is ready for his comeback. This morning, Stein confirmed that he plans to open a restaurant at 1801 JFK, a space currently occupied City Garden, the Chinese restaurant. MORE RELATED: There’s an old saying: You […]

As you may have heard, a new music venue called Union Transfer will be opening at 1026 Spring Garden St. (in the former Spaghetti Warehouse building) come September. According to a press release, the venue will be a “big dramatic space with sweeping arches, stained glass, vintage chandeliers and […] the best and biggest PA/sound system in Philadelphia, plus parking for 200 cars and lock-up posts for more than 200 bicycles.” They just announced their fall line up, and it is quite impressive: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (9/21), Mogwai (9/29), Shellac (9/29), RJD2 (10/14), Wild Flag, Gillian Welch(10/20), Dum […]

CNN: Rupert Murdoch plans to apologize Saturday amid a burgeoning phone-hacking scandal in the United Kingdom that led to the resignation Friday of Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of Murdoch’s News International. “We are sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred,” Murdoch will say in an ad that is to appear in newspapers on Saturday. “We are deeply sorry for the hurt suffered by the individuals affected.” Police in the United Kingdom have identified almost 4,000 potential targets of phone hacking. There were also allegations that reporters may have bribed law enforcement officers. MORE REBEKAH BROOKS: At News International we pride […]

[Photo by CHICAGOKRISTI]  BY JONATHAN VALANIA Because some bands have greatness thrust upon them and other bands thrust greatness upon themselves. Because U2 knew that if they had it both ways, they could be bigger than Jesus. Because in the early ’80s, if you listened closely, you could actually hear Bono’s mullet. Because the Edge figured out early on that with the right ratios of pinging echo to pealing delay, the electric guitar could build cathedrals of sound that are holier than thou. Because Bozo-haired bassist Adam Clayton and pretty boy drummer Larry Mullen Jr. could make rock do what […]

Happy 99th, Mr. Guthrie, wherever you are. WIKIPEDIA: “This Land Is Your Land” is one of the United States‘ most famous folk songs. Its lyrics were written by Woody Guthrie in 1940 based on an existing melody, in response to Irving Berlin‘s “God Bless America“, which Guthrie considered unrealistic and complacent. Tired of hearing Kate Smith sing it on the radio, he wrote a response originally called “God Blessed America for Me”.[1] Guthrie varied the lyrics over time, sometimes including more overtly political verses in line with his sympathetic views of communism,[2] than appear in recordings or publications.