DAILY MAIL: This haunting image of doomed actor Heath Ledger shows him apparently drowning in a bath – in a bizarre tribute to the tragic British folk singer with whom he was obsessed. The picture comes from a film Ledger made about Nick Drake, the cult singer-songwriter whose death bore disturbing similarities to his own. Ledger made the dark, brooding film to accompany one of the last songs Drake recorded before killing himself with antidepressants in 1974, at the age of 26. Like Drake, Ledger, 28, was found dead in his bed after taking prescription antidepressants. In stills taken from […]
LAWYERED UP: Stephen A. Smith Gets Mad Even
“I put my life and all that I have into the Philadelphia Inquirer first as a reporter and then as a general columnist. I was raised to work hard and play by the rules. That is what I have done. I’ve worked hard and earned every single promotion and accolade that I received while at the Inquirer.No one did me any favors or gave me anything, nor did I expect them to. What’s fair is fair and what’s right is right. What they have done to me is malicious, intentional and vindictive. They want to ruin my reputation and all […]
Q&A: The Horrible Truth About Dan Deacon
[Photo by STEFANI LEVIN] WIKIPEDIA: Dan Deacon (born 1981) is a Baltimore, Maryland-based electronic music composer/performer. He attended the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College in Purchase, New York, where he played in many bands, including tuba for Langhorne Slim and guitar in the improvisational grindcore band Rated R, and completed his graduate studies in electro-acoustic and computer music composition. He studied under composer/conductor Joel Thome. Currently, he lives at Wham City in Baltimore, Maryland. Dan Deacon’s compositional style is best classified in the future shock genre along with Videohippos, Santa Dads, Blood Baby, Ecstatic Sunshine, Ponytail, and other bands […]
All Of This Happened While You Were Sleeping
5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE TEENAGERS AT MAKING TIME 1. It’s hard not to think that even the guys of The Teenagers can’t take themselves seriously as they perform half smirking, probably thinking ‘Holy shit! How did this even happen?’ Last night at Making Time the trio of French Teenagers were accompanied by two young British ladies under the names of Antonia and Rebecca. Antonia played drums while Rebecca played backing guitar. 2. About halfway through their set they began to experience some technical difficulties. The bass drum pedal on Antonia’s drum set decided to stop working, conveniently […]
FOLLOW THE MONEY: U Can Run But U Can’t Hide
http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/ This is an amazing tool for all those who like a little accountability with their democratic process. As you no doubt know, campaign law requires politicians to disclose the names of their contributors. However, there is no law that says it has to be easy to see those names, or compare them with who contributed what, etc. to other campaigns. Until now. Added bonus: All your favorite celebrities will be there! Click map to activate Internets.
SARAH SILVERMAN: I’m F*cking Matt Damon
Hysterical.
TONITE: 5 Things You Should Know About Teenagers
1. Just to be clear: when we say The Teenagers, we are talking about the super-hot French electroclashers, not the age group. Their super Euro-smash single is called “Starlett Johansson,” but it’s not like they are obsessed or anything. “We’re not like really obsessed with her or anything,” says Dorian Dumont of the hirsute Parisian trio, during a phone interview in advance of their appearance tonight at Making Time. “We just like saying her name… Johansson…and we think she’s pretty.” If that is a crime, let them be guilty. 2. The Teenagers are anxiously awaiting the release of Scarlett […]
Top 5 Reasons Why LUPE FIASCO Was Better Than Whatever Hip-Hop Show You Were At Last Night
U GO GO GADGET: Lupe Fiasco, The Fillmore, Last Night 1. Lupe turned the Fillmore into a walk down memory lane, beginning each song with a dream-like “Philly, do you remember that time when…?” No, Lupe, we don’t remember the time that we went grocery shopping with you for food and liquor and were jumping up and down in the aisles… but we’d love for you to refresh our memory. 2. I don’t know about everyone else, but I plan on purchasing a pair of the almost knee-high hi-tops that Mr. Fiasco was sporting as soon as possible. Only […]
CINEMA: A Honey Drippin’ Beehive
HONEYDRIPPER (2007, directed by John Sayles, 123 minutes, U.S.) BY DAN BUSKIRK FILM CRITIC After the recent long-winded political rants Silver City and Sunshine State, it’s a relief to see indie film Godfather John Sayles pursue this more conventional story, of Danny Glover’s struggle to keep his Alabama juke joint open in the year of 1950. At its best, blues fable Honeydripper reminds one of his early 90’s hit Passion Fish; both films transcend their conventional stories with perceptive performances and a smattering of Southern regionalism. Yet even with its de-politicized story, Sayles still winds up stepping in his own […]
NEWS CLUES: It’s Like Adderall For Your Eyeballs
NJ Nursing Home Aide Allegedly Beat 89-Year-Old Patient With Dirty Diaper An employee of a South Jersey retirement home was indicted this week on assault charges, accused of beating an 89-year-old Alzheimer’s patient with a dirty diaper, authorities said. Karen A. Long, 57, worked at the Woodbury Mews in Woodbury, a senior living facility that bills itself as “The Community That Treats You Like Family.” In the pre-dawn hours of Dec. 13, another employee at the home spotted Long striking a patient in the head with a soiled adult diaper, authorities said. The man was in the facility’s memory-impaired unit, […]
KILLADELPHIA: 4 Dead In 16 Hours
BY SAM WOOD FOR THE INQUIRER The new Philadelphia police commissioner has his work cut out for him. At least four people were brutally murdered in the 24-hour period that followed Wednesday’s unveiling of Charles H. Ramsey’s new crime-fighting plan. An autopsy scheduled for this morning will determine if a fifth person, found dead early Thursday inside a Kensington rowhouse, was a victim of a drug overdose or a vicious beating, police said. * The bloodshed began Wednesday evening when a Frankford man, Roberton Overton, was gunned down about 8:30 p.m. outside a city Kmart store. Five hours later, a […]
OBILLARY 08: It’s Getting Hot In Herre
[via GALLUP.COM] BLITZER: Would you consider an Obama/Clinton or Clinton/Obama ticket going down the road? OBAMA: Well, obviously there’s a big difference between those two… (LAUGHTER) […] (APPLAUSE) BLITZER: So, is the answer yes — it sounds like a yes, that she would be on your short list. OBAMA: I — you know, I’m sure Hillary would be on anybody’s short list. So. BLITZER: All right. What about, Senator Clinton, what do you think about a Clinton/Obama, Obama/Clinton ticket? CLINTON: Well, I have to agree with everything Barack just said. [via CNN.COM]
NEWS CLUES: It’s Like Adderall For Your Eyeballs
SUICIDE IS PAINLESS NOW: Army Suicides Up 20% Over Last Year WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) — As many as 121 U.S. soldiers may have committed suicide in 2007, a record number if confirmed, according to Army statistics released on Thursday. The Army reported 89 suicides and 32 suspected cases among active-duty soldiers in 2007. If the 32 cases are confirmed, the 121 suicides would be a nearly 20 percent increase over 2006, when 102 soldiers committed suicide. Army officials said relationship problems were the main cause of suicides among soldiers, but those problems were increasing due to repeated long deployments […]