BuzzFeed Discovers Beloved Philly Dog Who Was “Sentenced” to Jail
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 5/16/2013
Comments 0
And when I say "discover," I mean it in the same way that I might say Christoper Columbus discovered America. BuzzFeed, meet Pep. Pep, you're unfortunately not around to meet BuzzFeed. Pep was the dog that Governor Gifford Pinchot sentenced to life in prison, on August 12th, 1924, for murdering the cat of his wife. Though he was actually sent there to boost prisoner morale, Pep did die of old age in the Eastern State Penitentiary in 1930, according to a 1994 Inquirer article.
[BuzzFeed]
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Scribbled A Note Explaining Motives Inside the Watertown Boat
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 5/16/2013
Comments 0
When he was trapped inside of the Slip Away II in Watertown three weeks ago, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev scrawled a note on the cabin wall. Explaining his and his brothers' motives, he wrote that his victims were "collateral damage," just as U.S. wars in the Middle East had killed innocent Muslims. "When you attack one Muslim, you attack all Muslims," Tsarnaev wrote. He also wrote that he didn't mourn the death of his older brother Tamerlan, a "martyr" whom he'd soon be joining in heaven. [CBS News]
It’s Breaking Bad on the Schuylkill as Warlock Meth Head Shoots Girlfriend
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 5/16/2013
Comments 0
Legend has it, a 31-year-old member of the Warlocks motorcycle club, in the span of a few minutes Tuesday: A. snorted meth, B. smoked weed, C. tattooed himself, D. shot his girlfriend in the head, E. told her he loved her. He claims it was an accident; police say it was not. Either way, says outspoken Upper Darby Police Chief Michael Chitwood, "He won't be riding his motorcycle for a while." Michael DeLuca's girlfriend, 19, is in critical condition. [Daily News]
L&I, Police Show Up at Post Brothers’ Goldtex VIP Party
By Victor Fiorillo 5/16/2013
Comments 5
The Pestronk brothers enjoy self-promotion at the expense of the truth. That clap-trap apartment building is nowhere near ready for occupancy, that's why they've only been showing the model apartment under the cover of darkness, so potential renters won't see the true, unfinished condition of the building. They're nine months to a year from completion. This sham "Preview Party" is a desperate attempt to lure suckers into putting deposits down because the company is having major cash flow problems. The Pestronks aren't what they appear to be and neither are these chintzy, half-finished apartments.
PHILADELPHIA DEPARTMENT OF LICENSES & INSPECTIONS SHUTS DOWN POST BROS. PLANNED ROOFTOP "VIP PARTY" AT ITS GOLDTEX APARTMENT COMPLEX AT 12TH & VINE; POST BROS. CITED FOR HAVING NO CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, NO FIRE ALARM, OTHER VIOLATIONSPHILADELPHIA, PA. -- Post Brothers LLC, the controversial, out-of-town development firm that has been at odds with the member unions of the Philadelphia Building Trades for nearly two years, had attempted to host a "VIP Party" tonight on the rooftop of its still-under-construction Goldtex Apartments site at 12th & Vine, the epicenter of union protests over Post Brother's anti-union position and tactics. Then the Philadelphia Department of Licenses (L & I) showed up and shut it down.L & I cited Post Brothers for havinf no Certificate of occupancy (required to allow persons into the building), having no fire alarm in place, and other violations. Far from being "ready to rent," the Goldtex apartments are months away from completion. The Pestronk Brothers and their guests were forced to move the scaled-down party to the ground fllor courtyard. It continues tonight until 11 pm."The Pestronk brothers enjoy self-promotion at the expense of the truth," said Building Trades Business Manager Pat Gillespie. "That clap-trap apartment building is nowhere near ready for occupancy, that's why they've only been showing the model apartment under the cover of darkness, so potential renters won't see the true, unfinished condition of the building. They're nine months to a year from completion. Tonight's sham 'VIP Preview Party' is a desperate attempt to lure suckers into putting deposits down because the company is having major cash flow problems. The Pestronks aren't what they appear to be and neither are these chintzy, half-finished apartments."L & I officials and police officers remain on-site to ensure that the Pestronk brothers do not attempt to enter the building again.
Committee of 70 Makes Worst Argument Ever for Why You Should Vote
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 5/16/2013
Comments 0
There's an election next Tuesday, and The Committee of 70 wants you to participate. It's supposed to feature some historically low turnout, on account of there only being one truly contentious race taking place--the three-way City Controller melee. So, our trusty watchdogs have provided a list of five reasons why we should head to the ballot box. Most of them are arguments for good civic behavior ("You can send a signal," etc.). But one in particular actually makes a pretty compelling case that your vote is all but useless:
In other words: We should get rid of the whole court because it's a horribly corrupt institution and actually we have no idea whom you should vote for because they're all unqualified anyways. So...vote!
You can fill the last open seats on the embattled Philadelphia Traffic Court. It's too late for the primary but the PA General Assembly is moving ahead on a bill that would remove the three open seats on the ticket-scandal-plagued Traffic Court from the November 2013 ballot. For May 21, since the Bar Associations don't endorse Traffic Court candidates (because they aren't lawyers), it's a real crapshoot who among the 27 candidates--25 Democrats, two Republicans--will come out on top anyways. (Emphasis mine)
Penn State Officially Has a Bed Bug Problem
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 5/16/2013
Comments 1
Just in time to greet a busload full of high school students, an army of bed bugs has invaded Penn State.
Not bad, writer of the article. Not bad. The bed bugs in question, PSU confirms, have infested three dorm rooms in Curtin Hall, in the East Hall complex of the University Park campus. Not surprisingly, several students reported bites. Thank heavens our friend the Nittany Lion is immune; he was just wrapped up this week for renovations. [WJAC]
Hundreds of kids flock to Penn State's main campus every summer for science camp, but this year some of those children got an extra lesson on entomology after they found bed bugs crawling around their sheets.
Bill Green Basically Calls His Job a Waste of Time
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 5/16/2013
Comments 0
According to the Daily News's math beat reporter, at-large Councilman Bill Green has missed 15 of 16 budget hearings in the last two months. Brian O'Neill and Marian Tasco came in "second" and "third" in the absentee wars. Green's rationale?
Combine this with his weird "no" vote on Jim Kenney's gay rights bill, it appears Green is trying to pull a "Costanza," in which doing the least popular thing possible nets him the most popular support. The man might be running for mayor, after all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUlHKKNH4HI
[Daily News]
"The entire idea of waiting four hours and asking 15 minutes of questions is just not a good use of anybody's time."
Video: Baby in Stroller Falls Onto SEPTA Tracks
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 5/16/2013
Comments 1
A 14-month-old baby fell into the tracks at the 56th Street Station on the Market-Frankford Line yesterday afternoon, after her stroller, which was not in a locked position, rolled away from the platform. (Her mother, 28, had become distracted.) Within a few moments, her mother jumped into the tracks and lifted her out. The infant suffered minor facial injuries and was brought to CHOP.
19 seconds after a bystander hit the SEPTA emergency call button, an incoming train from 60th Street was halted. Absent that, it might have arrived within a minute. [Daily News]
Diane Sawyer Profiling One of Philly’s “Most Dangerous” Schools Tonight on ABC News
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 5/16/2013
Comments 0
With so much attention on underserved or struggling Philadelphia schools that are being shuttered, it can be easy to forget the persistently troubled schools that are staying open. The next episode in Diane Sawyer's ABC's documentary series "Hidden America"--a nod to Michael Harrington's famous 1962 book The Other America--will feature Strawberry Mansion High School. Here's how ABC is promoting the report, which airs this evening.
You can see how this might get a little sensationalized. And by the end of the report, we'll inevitably be greeted with an forced dose of camera-ready optimism and resolve. For a more comprehensive look at violence in Philly public schools, circle back to the Inky's 2011 Pulitzer-winning series "Assault on Learning."
435 high school students beginning the year. 94 cameras. 6 school police officers. 2 metal detectors. Welcome to Strawberry Mansion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – considered one of the most dangerous high schools in the country for the last five years.
Eagles’ Evan Mathis Pisses on the IRS (Literally)
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 5/16/2013
Comments 1
Long before news broke this week that our federally appointed taxmen were monitoring tea party groups extra close, the Internal Revenue Service has always been America's least favorite government agency. Remember that guy who flew his plane into an IRS. building in Texas three years ago?
Now Eagles Offensive Lineman Evan Mathis has left his own, ahem, mark on the storied history of IRS-bashing. Not to mention the IRS itself. As he so succinctly put it, "Audit this."
Before Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless debate this controversy for the next week, let me point out that there is no evidence anything fluid actually graced the property of the United States government. The symbolic value, however, can't be beat. I bet I know where Mathis stands on Mayor Nutter's booze tax proposal ...
Philly Teacher Killed in Dominican Republic
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 5/16/2013
Comments 0
A 24-year-old Philadelphia woman living and teaching in the Dominican Republic was killed in a car accident on Tuesday. Deeply religious, Megan Garven graduated from Cairn University in Langhorne, and had gone on missions in New Orleans, New Mexico, Peru, Mexico and Brazil. She graduated from Council Rock High School North, in Newtown, in 2007. [Philly.com]
Regulators Approve Sugarhouse Casino Expansion
By Joel Mathis 5/15/2013
Comments 0
CBS Philly reports:
The expansion is expected to generate up to 450 new casino jobs.
Sugarhouse casino officials say constructionshould take about two years now that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has approved a revised plan to expand their waterfront casino.
Sugarhouse’s original plan was approved even before it opened, but the expansion was held up for years by litigation.The original plan called for a ten-story parking garage, but Sugarhouse general manager Wendy Hamilton says the casino now will build a seven-story parking tower instead.
Sixers’ Nick Young Sued For Sexual Assault
By Joel Mathis 5/15/2013
Comments 0
TMZ:
Young joined the Sixers just ahead of the 2012-13 season.
A woman is suing Philadelphia 76ers star Nick Young for sexual assault -- claiming he roofied her back in 2011 ... then raped her vaginally and anally.The woman filed the lawsuit anonymously under the name Jane Doe, claiming she ran into Young at Crown Bar in West Hollywood ... and he bought her and her friend champagne.According to the suit, the woman's recollection of the evening ceased shortly after she downed the drink ... and she believes it's because Young had slipped the date rape drug gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) into it.
Oh Look. Penn State Fans Are Bashing A Journalist. There’s A Surprise.
By Joel Mathis 5/15/2013
Comments 9
Believe it or not, here's a story about sports journalism and Penn State football fans that has nothing to do with Joe Paterno and Jerry Sandusky. Doesn't matter. There's still obnoxiousness involved.
Sports Illustrated writer David Epstein has written a story questioning whether Penn State athletics still have too much power at the university. The focus this time isn't Sandusky's problems, but rather—as PennLive.com notes—"takes a critical look at the medical care operation of the PSU football program, the recent reshuffling of the medical staff and head trainer Tim Bream, who was investigated by an outside law firm in January."
Epstein's story suggests that in an era of diminished resources, Penn State cut back on player care. "O'Brien hired Penn State alum Tim Bream, who worked with Joyner at the '92 Olympics, as athletic trainer in February 2012. Sources involved in health care for Penn State athletics who spoke with SI on the condition of anonymity say they saw Bream, who does not have a medical degree, engage in practices normally reserved for doctors, such as giving players anti-inflammatory drugs without a prescription and lancing a boil on a player's neck. University medical sources also said that Bream told physicians to stop talking with the parents of players and that doctors should not spend as much time with the team."
Penn State denies the allegations: ""To characterize the medical care Penn State provides our student-athletes as anything other than the highest quality is erroneous. Access to urgent and quality care for our athletes is no less than where it was at any point in the past 20 years."
And in any case, Penn State football fans are behaving pretty much as you've come to expect: By taking to Twitter and ripping David Epstein a new one.
And my favorite:
Hey, THON is a great charity. It's weird how Penn State fans use it as a shield and a cudgel against any and all criticism of the university, though. What does it have to do with Epstein's story?
In any case, Epstein's story seems concerned with the welfare of the players still at Penn State. Instead of reflexively defending the institution, you'd think real football fans would want to ensure their favorite players are treated well. That they choose to lash out, instead, is, well interesting.
@sidavidepstein haters gonna hate, and morons gonna moron.or something like that. #keepkeepinon
— Henry Heisler (@endurants) May 15, 2013
@sidavidepstein enjoy ur 2mins of fame.. Hacks like you r out of sight in a few anyway..
— the Happy Ninja (@HapiNinja) May 15, 2013
@sidavidepstein what is so predictable is writing articles specifically intended to slander the Penn State name further without facts #jokes
— Austin Paradis (@SliceOfParadis) May 15, 2013
Pretty sad that @sidavidepstein or anyone at @sinow isn't embarrassed by that "article". Real journalism is dead. #LazyMedia
— Dan Mealing (@SpiderCat79) May 15, 2013
@sidavidepstein Didn’t get chance to read your article in upcoming SI, but have you ever heard of @thon ? Lrgst student-run charity in world
— Mike Wilson (@MikeWil_son) May 14, 2013
Star Wars And Doctor Who Fans Rumble at UK Convention
By Joel Mathis 5/15/2013
Comments 0
My wife and I are raising our 4-year-old son in a multi-faith household: He loves Doctor Who, Star Wars, and Star Trek. Why on earth would he want to choose? Why would we want him to?
Nonetheless, some people take the divisions pretty seriously. BBC reports that trouble flared Sunday at the fourth Norwich Sci-Fi and Film Convention at the University of East Anglia, as Doctor Who and Star Wars fans actually required police intervention:
Thank god soccer wasn't involved, or probably there would've been multiple injuries. Instead, the whole thing played like an episode of Community.
True story: The guy dressed as Judge Dredd waited outside instead of getting involved. The two clubs are going to try to work things out, because the best thing for all us sci-fi-loving folk to do is get along, live long, and prosper.
Jim Poole, treasurer of Norwich Sci-Fi Club, said there was a history of rivalry and disputes between the two clubs, which both hold their own conventions in the city.He said he had attended Sunday's event with another club member to get the autographs of actors Graham Cole and Jeremy Bullock for a Doctor Who diary to be auctioned for charity.Mr Poole said he was wearing a club top and his fellow member was dressed as the fifth Doctor, as played by Peter Davison.He said once inside the hall, he received verbal abuse from a member of the rival club and called the police.
Forecast: Three Hurricanes To Hit U.S. This Season
By Joel Mathis 5/15/2013
Comments 0
Uh-oh:
If a storm does duplicate Sandy's path, he said, the devastation will be difficult to deal with, since much of the region is still dealing the cleanup created by last year's storm.
AccuWeather.com's long-range team predicts 16 named tropical storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes for the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season. Of these, three are predicted to make landfall in the United States.Concern is high for the East because of the remaining devastation as a result of the October 2012 landfall of Superstorm Sandy."It would be very difficult for a storm to hit right where Sandy hit," (AccuWeather meteorologist) Dan Kottlowski said. However, impacts such as storm surge, strong winds and heavy rain are possible as far as a few hundred miles from a storm, he explained.
Mayor Nutter’s New School Aid Plan Will Make Drinking, Smoking More Expensive
By Joel Mathis 5/15/2013
Comments 1
CBS Philly reports:
"And fun!" the mayor probably thought. "I want a 100 percent tax on fun!"
Mayor Michael Nutter today announced a funding package that will give the School District of Philadelphia an additional $95 million in the next fiscal year, even more than the $60 million the school district had requested from the city to fill its latest budget hole (see related story).The mayor says the package includes an increase in the liquor-by-the-drink tax from 10 percent to 15 percent, effective July 1st. That is expected to raise $22 million.In addition, the city is adding an additional tax of $2 per pack of cigarettes, over and above the city and state taxes currently placed on tobacco products. From the time it would go into effect on January 1st of next year until the end of the school district’s fiscal year in July 2014, the new cigarette tax is expected to raise $45 million for the city’s public schools.
Flyers Goalie Bryzgalov Doesn’t Like Philly, Does Like Stalin
By Joel Mathis 5/15/2013
Comments 1
Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear:
The comments came in an interview with Russian sports site Championat. The praise of Stalin may actually go over worse than the hate for Philly. NESN reports:
But the Philly stuff isn't good either:
So. The offseason's off to a good start, no?
Ilya Bryzgalov can see the “logic” in Joseph Stalin’s actions and thought the former leader of the Soviet Union did what needed to be done to rebuild a country that was overrun with spies and criminals with guns.Also, the Flyers’ goalie doesn’t like the oldness of Philadelphia — he likes “newer, cleaner” cities like Boston, Vancouver, and Dallas — though he does enjoy the cheesesteaks.And he thinks there are too many people in America on welfare that don’t want to work.
“I see logic in his action,” said Bryzgalov, according to a translation by Yahoo!’s Dmitry Chesnokov. “Not without going too far, of course. But he came to power in a country that had just lived through a revolution. There were so many spies, enemies, traitors there. A lot of people still had guns after the civil war. The country was in ruins, [people] needed to survive somehow. The country needed to be rebuilt, and in order to do that it needed to be held in iron hands. “… He knew what he was doing. He is described as a ‘bloody tyrant.’ But at the time it couldn’t be any other way. Yes, there were innocent people who were victims of repression. But it happens.”
“I have lived in Philadelphia and a half months before we bought the house,” Bryzgalov said. “I do not really like that sort of town. Me and New York do not like. A big, bustling city with a grim gateways. Philadelphia is the same. But Boston, Vancouver and Dallas – are quite different. These newer, cleaner – there I like. I do not like old age.”The ghetto, however, Bryzgalov is not particularly fond of.“There are enough of them. This is not a small part of the city,” Bryzgalov said. “Too many do not work, live on welfare and get food stamps for. They just do not want to work. Their principle is: “Why should I work when I can live, let them raise taxes on the rich, which are injected. I’ll sit on the dole, the year I will get it here, then move to another state – start getting there. ... There will come a new candidate who has promised us all us such a lot of on the dole, we vote for him, and raise taxes on the rich. ” It’s not even my opinion, and many Americans, with whom I spoke on this topic."
Philly’s “Real World House” to Become Gourmet Food Store
By Joel Mathis 5/15/2013
Comments 0
Liz Spikol, our colleague at the Property blog, has the latest on what's become of the "Real World House" at 3rd and Arch, where the reality TV show filmed years ago and has left a sour taste of neighborhood residents ever since.
Perhaps a new use for the building will banish bad memories. A few days ago, DAS Architects’ David Schultz went before the Historic Commission to present plans that would convert what is now a two-story space into a three-story space for a gourmet food store. From PlanPhilly:The effort includes installing a small roof deck on the northern half of the building, set some 70 feet back from the facade; altering the sidewalk from concrete to bluestone; adding a chiller to the roof; and adding a new elevator and ramp to meet accessibility requirements.The Commission approved the changes, paving the way for the building to return to its original purpose, when, in the early 20th century, it was an integral part of a thriving wholesale food marketplace. Pun intended, of course.
Philly’s Olympics Hopes Are Gathering Steam
By Joel Mathis 5/15/2013
Comments 0
Oh, so we're actually serious about pursuing the the 2024 Olympics for Philadelphia? Appatently so: The Philadelphia Business Journal reports that Sen. Bob Casey has sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee in favor of the city's bid.
The Inky reports:lll
“Philadelphia is a world-class city that would be an ideal fit for the 2024 Olympic games,” Casey said in a news release. “Playing the Olympic games in Philadelphia would have a major impact on job creation and economic growth in Southeastern Pennsylvania and across the state.”Casey’s letter to Larry Probst, III, chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee, played up Philly’s population (fifth most populous in the U.S.), its eight professional sports teams and its history of hosting the Penn Relays and Dad Vail Regatta.“Aside from its sheer size, Philadelphia played a unique and central role in the birth of our nation, has successfully hosted world-class events in the past, and features the facility and infrastructure foundations needed to host the Olympic games,” Casey wrote.
