BY JONATHAN VALANIA A long time ago, in a Clinton campaign far, far away, James Carville famously declared that Pennsylvania is Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and Alabama in between. Aw, yeah: Pennsyltucky. We know thee well. It’s sort of like watching the Dukes Of Hazzard after smoking too much kielbasa. Like sweat socks with a Sunday suit. Like the Deer Hunter costumed by Wal-Mart. It’s the long dark Chicken Dance of the national soul. Lord help us all. Anyway, with the national press are already converging on the Keystone state to get some local color on their laptops, we feel an […]
JUST IN: Flaming Lips To Headline ‘Jam On The River’
[Photo by JONATHAN VALANIA] INQUIRER: This year, The Jam is presenting two days of psychedelic sounds on the Delaware River with three nights of after-party concerts at area venues. Flaming Lips — the nation’s reigning weirdy-beardies — top the May 24 lineup at the Great Plaza on the waterfront. Also on the Saturday billet are Josh Ritter, RJD2 and Bassnectar. Disco Biscuits — Philadelphia’s celebrated noodles-with-jam band — top the May 25 music menu, which also includes Deadmau5, Avett Brothers, Lotus, and American Babies. MORE
MEDIA: Kia Gregory Is Movin’ On Up!
INQUIRER: We’re very pleased to announce that Kia Gregory, a columnist and reporter for the Philadelphia Weekly, will be joining The Inquirer as a City Desk reporter on April 4. Kia grew up in Philadelphia, graduated from Dobbins Vocational Technical High School, at 22nd and Lehigh, and worked for seven years as an accountant before the journalism addiction got her as a night student at Temple University. There, Kia’s gift for writing and her dedication to the craft became immediately apparent to all who came in contact with her. One of her professors, our own Howie Shapiro, remembers giving Kia […]
TODAY I SAW: The Tao Of BB
[Photo by JUSTIN ROMAN] BY JEFF DEENEY On the corner of 57th and Arch, there’s a stuffed Tweety bird lashed to a tree. Large, black letters, “RIP BB,” are written in marker across the the bird’s oversized yellow forehead. Across the street is a dumpy Chinese takeout joint with a crew of corner boys posted up in front of it. It’s a warm, sunny late winter day and there’s a lot of foot traffic on the block. When the camera comes out and we start to shoot the curbside memorial the corner boys point at us, waving to each other […]
NEWS CLUES: ‘So Local It Hurts’ Edition
WANTED: 1,000 Cheese Steak-Chomping Fat Guys To Say Dumb Shit On Camera Stephen Colbert is headed back out on the campaign trail. No, he assured viewers of “The Colbert Report” last night, he is not reviving his presidential campaign. That was snuffed out last fall when Democratic officials in South Carolina voted him off the state’s primary ballot (and just before the television writers went on strike). Mr. Colbert said he is going to Philadelphia to report on the Pennsylvania primary for a few days in mid-April before the April 22 vote. He’ll be broadcasting his nightly comedy show from […]
ROAD KILL: I-95 Not Safe At Any Speed
INQUIRER: Interstate 95 through Philadelphia will be shut down for at least two days as contractors rush to repair a crumbling support column. A jagged crack, about 8-feet long and two inches wide, was discovered on a concrete pillar late Monday night as an inspection crew traveled under the highway near Cambria Avenue in the city’s Port Richmond section. For the next two days, both northbound and southbound Interstate traffic will be detoured onto city streets creating nightmares for commuters and neighborhood residents.Work was scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. to build a support structure that will take the weight […]
FORECAST: Fightin’ Irish
For those about to drink green beer until the juice runs down their leg, we salute you. But could you please NOT pee on our front door. Just this once? Please? We don’t ask for much.
KILLADELPHIA: One More Dead Since U Went To Bed
INQUIRER: A 62-year-old man was killed this morning in the Stenton section of Philadelphia and a 35-year-old woman has been arrested for the slaying, police said. The homicide was reported shortly after 6 a.m. in the 7900 block of Pickering Avenue, police said. Unspecified weapons were recovered at the scene. The woman turned herself in, police said.
EYES WIDE SHUT: McGreevey Aide Claims Three-Way With The Governor & His Wife, Over And Over Again
NEW YORK POST: In an explosive interview with The Post, the McGreeveys’ longtime man-in-the-middle, Teddy Pedersen, recounted explicit details of alleged, titillating, three-way sex romps he had with the now-divorcing duo, starting during their courtship and continuing into the marriage. Pedersen — who said he has already spilled the beans on the steamy ménage a trios arrangement under oath in a deposition for the couple’s divorce battle — hinted that he thinks his presence was required to get Jim’s motor running for Dina. Matos McGreevey’s basic claim in her divorce war with the former Garden State gov is her argument […]
TONITE: Get Your Thinking Machine On
BY MICHAEL DONOVAN Thinking Machines are an indie-rock trio based in the 215. To date they have released three full-length albums: their self-titled debut in 2001, Dream In Lo-Fi, released in 2002 and most recently, A Complete Record of Urban Archaeology, released in January, 2008. Though only a three-piece, Thinking Machines sounds much larger — thanks in no small part to the expansive guitar and bass work. On the TM’s third album, elements of post-punk and indie rock are mixed together for an end result akin to the soon-to-hit-Philly Les Savy Fav (but not as weird) and Minus the Bear. […]
STUDY: 85% Of Philly Parking Tickets Are Totally Bogus
CBS 3: Several years ago, [Philadelphia attorney] Pascal challenged hundreds of parking tickets issued in western Pennsylvania because the meters weren’t certified as required by state law. A judge agreed and threw the tickets out! “It’s a consumer protection issue that says that people are going to get what they paid for, just like they should get the amount of gasoline they pay for at the pump and the amount of meat they get at the grocery store,” said Pascal. In Philadelphia, while the Parking Authority collects the revenue and issues tickets, the City’s Licenses and Inspections Department is actually […]
KILLADELPHIA: One More Since U Went To Work
INQUIRER: Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a 26-year-old man in North Philadelphia early this afternoon. Authorities said the victim, whose name has not been released, was shot in the back and leg about 12:30 p.m. while in the 1500 block of North Myrtlewood Street. He was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after the shooting.
ENDGAME: Fumo Acknowledges Reality
INQUIRER: State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo announced today that he was dropping out of the race for re-election, ending a more than 30-year political career. Fumo cited the ‘cloud’ of indictment as the main reason for his decision to leave office once his term ends in January. He suffered a heart attack March 2 that sent him to the hospital for a week. He was released on Sunday. Flanked by his family and Gov. Rendell, Fumo made his announcement at a 25-minute press conference at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. “I did not make the decision to retire because of health […]