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[Photo by KEVIN FRACE] BY JAMES DOOLITTLE SUNDAY 10:30 AM / I’ve finally fallen in love with Twitter, at least the idea of using Twitter at a hashmarkian event such as this. It’s one thing to comment freely with your friends from choice seats, but another to experience the intimacy of a dozen strangers spread out about a concert hall, echoing both your internalized sentiments and the re-tweets of others. Throughout the weekend, #matador21’s running commentary answered many a question (how pissed is Spiral Stairs right now?), confirmed a few secret perks (open bar at 4AM?!?), fueled laughs (Perfume Genius […]

BLOG CRITICS: With her second solo album, Foul Deeds, singer-songwriter Pegi Young may be about to break away from the long shadow cast by her more famous husband, rock legend Neil Young. Not literally of course. Despite the many songs expressing themes of heartbreak and loss heard on Foul Deeds, Pegi has assured us that she and Neil are doing just fine, thank you very much. However, Foul Deeds does represent a bold enough progression from her self-titled 2007 solo debut, that Pegi Young seems to be poised for an artistic breakthrough of her own. With a mix of strong […]

ALTERNET: A few short months ago, California’s Proposition 19, the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, seemed likely to fade away in a puff of smoke. After more than three decades on the front lines of the disastrous “war on drugs,” I feared this best-hope-to-date chapter in the battle for sane drug laws was a lost cause. But something has changed in the public’s consciousness, and in its resolve. On September 30 the Public Policy Institute of California published the results of its new poll. It shows Proposition 19 winning, by a resounding 52-41 margin. Other polls are […]

OUTLOOK: Between June 3 and June 9, in interviews spread over 34 hours, David Coleman Headley, a former Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) member and a key architect of the 26/11 attack on Mumbai, opened up to investigators from India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA), sent specially to the US to grill him. This was a key moment in India’s war against terrorism. Here was a man who had served at close quarters with the LeT, Al Qaeda and the newly-formed ‘Karachi Set-up’ for almost a decade. His revelations gave Indian security officials major insights into a terror network that has become virtually an […]

INQUIRER: Two Philadelphia police officers have been arrested and charged with robbing an undercover investigator posing as a drug dealer, authorities said today. Officers Sean Alivera, 31, and Christopher Luciano, 23, allegedly stole 20 pounds of marijuana and $3,000 in cash. MORE

BY MATTHEW HENGEVELD As a huge hip-hopper, I know Bilal best from his guest MC appearances on other people’s albums. Perhaps his most proflic guest appearance was on the Jigga man’s American Gangster, on the track “Fallin’.” He has been a frequent guest on Common’s albums, during J Dilla & ?uestlove’s short-lived fascination with neo-soul at the turn of the millennium (See: The Soulquarians).  But Bilal is so much more than a guy rappers call when they need a hook. It took me a long-ass time to understand neo-soul. If it weren’t for Bilal being a Philly-native, I probably wouldn’t […]

THE PHILADELPHIA INITIATIVE FOR JOURNALISTIC INNOVATION: Got multimedia? A cottage industry has emerged around the understanding that journalists need to diversify their skills. Journalism schools are racing to prepare students to report across platforms. But then what? Where are the jobs? Where is the love? Who is producing web-first content in Philadelphia? Is there a shortage of web-first multimedia reporting? And does that represent hopelessness, or opportunity? We will address these questions at Temple University next Tuesday as we convene the Philadelphia Initiative for Journalistic Innovation, or PhiJI. First, PhIJI program coordinator Jim MacMillan will take a look at the […]

This is the song playing during those new iPod Touch ads. More on them HERE.

PHILADELPHIA BUSINESS JOURNAL: SugarHouse Casino had $4.7 million in slots revenue in its first week of operation, state gaming regulators said Monday. SugarHouse, which opened on the Philadelphia waterfront on Sept. 23, has 1,600 slot machines and 40 live table games. MORE PHAWKER: We can’t help but wonder what would happen if those slot jockeys pumped $5 million dollars a week into the local economy.