Archive: March, 2010

And the futbol era in Chester Philly has begun

POSTED: Friday, March 26, 2010, 4:40 PM

Filed Under: Philadelphia Union | Sporting Life

Photo | Philadelphia Union

Not going to pretend to analyze last night's match between the brand-new Philadelphia Union (in their franchise debut) and second-year Seattle Sounders FC on what is apparently called the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field in Seattle.

The game ended 2-nil, and with Philadelphia playing a man down thanks to Toni Ståhl's red card (the Union collected five in all!). From what my novice soccer-watching eyes told me, Philly a team that is, as reinforced ad nauseam by the announcers, very, very young played sloppy (granted, the field was soaked by a steady rain), and the score was only as close as it was thanks to a few blown chances by the Sounders.

Still, it was all kind of mesmerizing, and more than a little fascinating to watch this new crop of pro athletes repping the 215 (is Chester in the 215?), including:

A guy named just "Fred"
Congolese first-round (first overall) pick Danny Mwanga
17-year-old (first round, 7th overall) American Jack McInerney who allegedly has a "nose for goal."
Frenchman and Sounders cast-off Sébastien Le Toux (pictured)
Finnish card-collector, the aforementioned Ståhl
Chris Seitz, our goalkeeper, who we traded for with Real Salt Lake (who'd "loaned" him to two USL teams last year)
Cagey Venezuelan veteran and three-time MLS Cup winner Alejandro Moreno

The Union open their home schedule on April 10, not in Chester but at Lincoln Financial Field in South Philly. Tickets are still available and some are in a section with the following warning/enticement: "**THIS SECTION WILL BE STANDING/SINGING ENTIRE MATCH**"

Soccer is so weird.

Posted by Brian Howard @ 4:40 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Askadelphia. Where can I find a room to rent in the city for $400 by the 1st of April?

POSTED: Friday, March 26, 2010, 3:59 PM

Filed Under: Askadelphia.

drzook07 asks:

Where can I find a room to rent in the city for $400 by the 1st of April.

Hi. Just getting out of a lease and a relationship. I'm looking for a rent to rent for $400 to move in. This si all I can afford right now. I have no children and no pets. For work I am a tax preparer for Jackson Hewitt. I have found a room and passed the background check, but I'm keeeping my options open. Does anyone know anything that can help me out? Thanks

Click Here to Answer

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Posted by Marc Steel @ 3:59 PM Permalink | Post a comment

DID YOU KNOW? The Philadelphia Union kicks off its season tonight

POSTED: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 11:08 PM

Filed Under: Philadelphia Union | Sporting Life

See what I did there? Chester Philadelphia's entry in Major League Soccer, The Union, kick's off the league's schedule tonight in Seattle against Sounders FC and will be broadcast on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN360.com at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Are you watching? Are you pumped? Did you know that the players' union almost went on strike last week? (And did you know that the MLS Players Union head is named Bob Foose, which reminds us of foosball, which amuses us to no end?)

I know what you're thinking, but just because Isaiah Thompson wrote a cover story questioning the financing of the team's fancy new Chester stadium (PPL Park!) doesn't mean we can't get excited by The Beautiful Game. Home opener's on April 10 against DC United at Lincoln Financial Field. Are you going? Anyone know of bars having soccer specials?

thelevel.com

Your 2010 Philadelphia Union

Posted by Brian Howard @ 11:08 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Courteous (not Critical) Mass to hit the streets on April 10

POSTED: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 6:47 PM

Filed Under: Bikes | Sporting Life

Photo | Courtesy of Biking Buck

Critical Mass is fun and all, but it's kinda intense. This is a nice alternative:

Courteous Mass is an effort to change the tone of recent debates about bicycling and bicyclists in Philadelphia. Bicyclists who join this ride are asked obey the rules of the road. Courteous Mass provides an opportunity for all bicyclists to demonstrate that sharing the road is a two way street requiring action on the part of all road users.

The first (as far as we know?) Philadelphia Courteous Mass will take place on Sat., April 10 at 10 a.m., meeting where Locust Street crosses the Schuylkill River Trail. RSVP here, and bring your helmets and hand signals.

Posted by Holly Otterbein @ 6:47 PM Permalink | Post a comment

What We've Found: opium crop fields, Gitmo, protected sharks, etc.

POSTED: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 5:16 PM

Filed Under: What We've Found

Lara Coleman here with your morning OK-it's-always-noontime-now fix:

Will McNabb go to St. Louis? Thats the question facing Eagles managers a question Philly fans are anxious to learn the answer to.

What a world: Catholic officials seem to be de facto supporting a priest (by not defrocking him) on trial for molesting over 200 deaf boys. Seriously, is 2012 here yet?

For the first time in a looooong time three decades to be specific Social Security recipients wont get an increase in their benefits come next year.

US Marines find themselves in a difficult situation: If they destroy opium crop fields, they may very well likely lose the support of Afghanis. Awkward.

The U.N. agrees to protect one type of shark while allowing others to be hunted freely, mainly by the Japanese for shark fin soup.

Obama is the next Bush?! The new administration is rethinking everything from Gitmo to trial detainees.

Tweets that mention What Weve Found: opium crop fields, Gitmo, protected sharks, etc. :: The Clog :: Blog Archive :: Staff Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-03-25 20:49:14

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by philly news now, Yancey @YanceyG. Yancey @YanceyG said: What Weve Found: opium crop fields, Gitmo, protected sharks, etc.: Lara Coleman here with your morning OK-its-al... http://bit.ly/cLx0z1 [...]

Posted by Lara Coleman @ 5:16 PM Permalink | Post a comment

CP Fiction/Poetry reading next Wednesday @ Tin Angel

POSTED: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 4:12 PM

Filed Under: Arts | Get Lit

City Papers annual writing contest was a smashing success like three months ago. And, back then, we were all excited to put on a big ol reading with the winners and the judges and then... yeah, there were all these blizzards. So, let's try this again. Next Wednesday at the Tin Angel, you and me are gonna have words.

Heres the line-up:

Fiction Winner Jessica Penzias, Death By Oboe
Poetry Winner Sean Webb, The Bridge
Fiction Judge Elise Juska, author of One for Sorrow, Two for Joy
Poetry Judge Thomas Devaney, critic and author of A Series of Small Boxes
and me, your host

Wednesday, March 31, 7:30 p.m., FREE!, at The Tin Angel at Serrano, 20 S. Second St, 215-928-0978, tinangel.com.

Posted by Patrick Rapa @ 4:12 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Askadelphia. Good Psychic Reading?

POSTED: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 12:00 AM

Filed Under: Askadelphia.

mnb0687 asks:

Best place or places in the city to get a good psychic reading? Any recommendations?

I thought it might be fun to get a psychic reading. Anyone know of any good spots to go? They got have a good rep as well.

Click Here to Answer

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Tweets that mention Askadelphia. Good Psychic Reading? :: The Clog :: Blog Archive :: Staff Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-03-25 01:22:24

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Yancey @YanceyG, Psychic Girl. Psychic Girl said: http://bit.ly/2FivxQ Askadelphia. Good Psychic Reading? :: The Clog :: Blog Archive ...: Best ... http://bit.ly/9HeqvE http://bit.ly/apSntu [...]

Posted by Askadelphia. @ 12:00 AM Permalink | Post a comment

Anti-soda tax protesters gather outside of City Hall

POSTED: Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 10:24 PM

Filed Under: Budget | Protest

Photo | Lara Coleman

Coca-Cola employees, restaurant owners, and even Councilpersons Brian ONeill and Frank Rizzo Jr. gathered today at noon at City Hall to protest Mayor Nutter's proposed 2-cent-per-ounce soda tax.

Since the tax was revealed earlier this month, Mayor Nutter has been arguing that it will not only generate revenue, but also promote better health and lower obesity rates for Philadelphia residents. Protesters, however, question why the city is only targeting soda as a perpetrator of obesity.

"What about McDonalds or Tastycakes?" asks Frank Berthcsi, an employee of Coca-Cola for 35 years. (More than 50 Coca-Cola employees attended the rally.) Its unjust the way theyre singling out soda companies.

"If the Mayor taxed cheesesteaks he'd be out of office in a day," adds Ed Doile, a Coca-Cola production employee.

"I coach high school football," he continues. "The kids drink soda every day." Haasz also argues that soda drinkers are often healthy, citing his two sons as avid soda drinkers who have never been overweight.

Coca-Cola employees claim the tax will cause as many as 2,000 employees to lose their jobs, starting with those in management.

"I'd like to retire from Coca-Cola, but I won't if this goes through," says John Ilisco, a manager at Coca-Cola. "Managers are first to go."

Coca-Cola and Pepsi employees, along with the American Beverage Association, organized the event.

Stu Strumwasser

Posted 2010-03-25 16:12:44

I woke up today unable to contain my frustration about the misleading information I am seeing in regard to the proposed soda tax and also the disproportionate focus some are trying to put on to the consumption of sugar alone.

Sugar has calories. Yes, we know that. But lets be clear: lots of healthy foods (like say, fruit) contain sugar and also, if you consumed NO calories, well, you wouldnt do very well. Of course there is a major obesity problem in this country. There is also a general health crisis in this country. However, trying to somehow place the blame entirely on sugar or on beverages like soda that are sweetened with sugar, is myopic at best, and misleading at worst.

For instance, a lot was made recently in the press about a study released that concluded that there is a link between regular consumption of traditional soft drinks and pancreatic cancer. My dad just recovered from pancreatic cancer which nearly killed him a year ago. I am particularly sensitive to severity and risks of this illness. If you look at the anecdotal information passed around in the popular press on this study you will find that they claim that people who consumed soda regularly over prolonged periods of time were, according to that study, 87% more likely to contract pancreatic cancer. However, in that same study, they point out that people who consumed juice had no greater incidence of pancreatic cancer. Juice typically has an even higher sugar content and calorie count than even traditional soda. (Granted, the sugar is naturally occurring and was not addedbut nevertheless, it is THERE.) So, people who drank soda got pancreatic cancer, but people who drank juice (with MORE sugar and calories) did not. Conclusion (according to that study): it was the SUGAR in soda that got people sick. I have not seen anyone in the press call them on this. I still cant figure out why. In addition, did anyone ever stop to think that people who drink traditional soda everyday may also be more likely to have other unhealthy habits that are contributing factors (such as smoking or lack of exercise)?? Heres my favorite part: what about the OTHER ingredients in traditional soda?? They often contain artificial sweeteners, preservatives like potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate, and many other artificial ingredients. Is there any chance that any of those chemicals might contribute to a greater incidence in cancer? Not according to that studyits the sugar. Just the sugar, everyone. Calories kill. I guess we all need to stop eating.

At Snow Beverages we pride ourselves on making healthy products. I have been a vegetarian since 1980 (when I was 14) and I am committed to never making a product that contains any ingredient that is unhealthy. Is sugar unhealthy? No. Is TOO MUCH sugar unhealthy? Of course. However, as I stated earlier, orange juice has substantially more calories than our soda. Is orange juice unhealthy?.

Traditional soda contains unhealthy ingredients. We simply dont use them. Diet soda contains many ingredients that I would never let me family consume. I have two five year old twin sons. I have absolutely no problem with them drinking a little Snow Natural Soda + Vitamins. I would never let them drink traditional diet soda. Rather than have our children misled and pushed into drinking diet soda (with its chemical artificial sweeteners and its preservatives that some claim are low-level carcinogens) why not teach them to look at health from an overarching and global perspective? Lets be responsible and teach them to be as well. They should eat balanced and healthy diets. They should try and avoid chemical ingredients. They need to exercise regularly. If they do this, they will not become obese. Taxing soda wont save them. It will temporarily put some money in the depleted state coffers and then it may have a myriad of other negative long-term economic effects (such as layoffs at local soda manufacturers, a strain on already-strapped low income families, etc.) but this band-aid attempt to raise revenue that is posing as some sort of quick-fix for the health and obesity problems in our state and our world, is really nothing more than an ill-founded and misrepresented lie.

The Alliance for a Healthier NY has a website. According to my two-minute search for the domain name on Go Daddy it appears to have been registered as recently as February 4th of 2010. There is no way I could find to contact them. I would be interested to know who is funding them. On their site, there are a plethora of FAQs addressing many of the major questions related to this issue. I find them to be extremely biased, one-sided and in fact, in many cases, rather misleading. Below are a few examples, along with my comments below their answers:

Q. What are sugar-sweetened beverages?

AHNYN Answer: For the proposed tax, sugar-sweetened beverages are soft drinks that contain more that 10 calories per 8 ounces. They include sweetened water, soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, colas, sweetened bottled coffee or tea, and sweetened fruit or vegetable drinks containing less than 70% natural fruit or vegetable juice. Milk, milk products, milk substitutes, dietary aids, and infant formula are exempt.

Stus Comment: So, for some reason if it is juice or milk-based the amount of calories is suddenly unimportant?? This seems arbitrary and absurd, and purely politically-minded.

Q. Why tax only sugar-sweetened beverages? Other foods, like Twinkies and Ding Dongs, provide empty calories.

AHNYN Answer: There is significant evidence linking sugar-sweetened beverage consumption with obesity and other health problems. Studies that follow people for a long time show that people who consume more sugar-sweetened beverages gain more weight. One article that reviewed many studies found that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages had the strongest link with overweight and obesity, more than any other food-related behavior. When people drink a sugar-sweetened beverage, they do not compensate (i.e., reduce their concomitant or subsequent caloric intake) for the additional calories from the drink. So the calories from the drink become extra calories.

Stus Comment: Do I even need to respond? I guess they are claiming that soda is the worst and they just sort of skip over the question about Ding Dongs. If they actually care about health and/or obesity, why not tax Ding Dongs too? [By the way, out of respect for the Ding Dong people I would like to point out that I didnt reference their brandthey did]

Q. Shouldnt all sodas be taxed, diet and non-diet? Diet sodas are not good for people, either.

AHNYN Answer: While drinking diet soda is not recommended, the evidence linking its consumption with poor health outcomes and/or obesity is weaker than the evidence for sugar-sweetened sodas. The most healthful drinks are water and low-fat or fat-free milk.

Stus Comment: What study done by independent researchers concluded that taxing soda will force people to give it up, avoid diet soda, and somehow switch to milk (waitonly low-fat milk, since regular milk isnt being taxed either) and water??? Clearly this has nothing to really do with health or diet soda, which is, in my opinion, dramatically more unhealthy than consuming some natural cane sugar, would be taxed doubly. In addition, I guess they missed the studies that claim that diet soda confuses the sweetness receptors in the brain and leads to the bodys mismanagement of sugar and insulin levels. Some claim that diet soda actually ends up backfiring and causing more obesity than it prevents. There is all sorts of data saying that people who drink diet soda are more likely to be obese. I wouldnt quote those sources because I think that is also confusing, but lets not pretend that diet soda is some kind of magic cure for obesity.

Q. Wont taxing non-diet soda just encourage people to drink diet soda, which is not really a healthier alternative?

AHNYN Answer: With increased public awareness surrounding the tax, we expect people to switch to healthier beverages like water and low-fat milk.

Stus Comment: Why? The assumptions here are unbridled.

Q. Arent people opposed to a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages?

AHNYN Answer: A majority of New York adults support a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. In a poll conducted by the Healthcare Education Project in January of 2010, 78% of the people polled supported a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages if the revenue raised was to be used to prevent healthcare cuts.

Stus Comment: So. I guess they are certain that the people of the state of NY arent actually concerned about those health care cuts they reference in passing and completely (in my humble opinion) twist out of context.

The fact is, people should eat and drink healthy and natural products. Taxing any beverage that has sugar in it (even natural cane sugar) will not solve any widespread health problem or any obesity problem. It may cause more economic damage than it provides in tax revenues. Furthermore, it detracts from a comprehensive and responsible dialogue on these important and timely issues or their actual solutions. Dont be fooled.

Stu Strumwasser

CEO of Refreshiliciousness

Snow Beverages, Inc.

Tweets that mention Anti-soda tax protesters gather outside of City Hall :: The Clog :: Blog Archive :: Staff Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-03-25 00:23:02

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by philly news now, Yancey @YanceyG. Yancey @YanceyG said: Anti-soda tax protesters gather outside of City Hall: Photo | Lara Coleman Coca-Cola employees, restaurant ... http://bit.ly/dCBwgG [...]

Concerned Citizen

Posted 2010-03-24 18:12:21

I'm glad to see this protest covered.  Great job!

400 killed, 10000 injured as earthquake hits Tibet : Tibet … | Quake Focus

Posted 2010-04-15 08:22:24

[...] Anti-soda tax protesters gather outside of City Hall :: The Clog … [...]

Beach Real Estate - Property tax protesters beaten by police.flv

Posted 2010-05-17 22:57:16

[...] Anti-soda tax protesters gather outside &#959f City Hall :: T&#1211&#1077 Clog … [...]

Posted by Lara Coleman @ 10:24 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Dept. of Short Memories: The "flash mobs" go back further than this

POSTED: Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 6:35 PM

Filed Under: Media | News

Yesterday, my colleagues at Philebrity posted a Tweet, presumably from some Philly teenager, declaring that the spot this weekend wouldn't be South Street a la this past weekend's "flash mob" but 40th street.

Which reminded me of an article I wrote last summer, about a few incidents of teenage "mobs" gathering along 40th street in West Philly.

Here's what I wrote then:

So why is this happening?

Ask the high-schoolers who come out to 40th on weekends, and the answers are straightforward enough:

"Girls," says Ockbar Suvan, 17, who's been coming to the intersection since last year. "It's getting better," he added.

"It's the chill spot," affirms a friend sitting next to Suvan. "If this isn't crowded, South Street's crowded."

Charles Cieri

Posted 2010-03-25 23:50:45

Interesting phenomenon, although i def think Isaiah nailed it last summer. Seems it is 99 percent traditional teenagerness, 1 percent (possibly) game changing media.

Everything else I've read seems pretty panicked. I like the less hysterical approach and would also recommend- The True Believer, Thoughts on the nature of mass movements by Eric Hoffer- a book from the 50's that explains what flash mobs have in common with the Russian Revolution and what they don't.

Larry

Posted 2010-03-25 11:08:41

No, you're right; just doing a simple Twitter Search would stop it dead in its tracks.

Pete D

Posted 2010-03-24 21:35:45

I can't help finding it funny that we'll find the kids' parents' liable for them participating in flash mobs, but not them cutting school, selling drugs, having guns, etc.

Call me a sap but I wish these kids would realize from these gatherings that YES, they DO have power...but they need to use it in more productive ways.

Watching these kids videos from Saturday night, I just hope these kids find something better to do..."Team Bizzarre" aint going to take them very far...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oas5A6DfNQ

Tweets that mention Dept. of Short Memories: The flash mobs go back further than this :: The Clog :: Blog Archive :: Staff Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-03-24 18:06:40

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Philly City Paper and philly news now, Yancey @YanceyG. Yancey @YanceyG said: Dept. of short memories: The flash mobs go back further than this: Yesterday, my colleagues at Philebrity posted... http://bit.ly/ceHYk3 [...]

aLex

Posted 2010-03-24 14:59:25

What a scoop.

Isaiah Thompson

Posted 2010-03-24 15:29:31

Please aLex - There's no need to lavish praise on me. 

For the proverbial record, this wasn't intended as any kind of  told-you-so - just a connection I found kind of interesting.  

By the way, (and a nod to Philebrity here), anybody notice the big press announcement today that the city was going to deploy strike forces and undercover detectives to stop flash mobs? 

Seems to me one detective, doing what Philebrity did - that is, just trolling the web and looking for stuff posted by Philly teenagers - would go a lot farther. 

Any thoughts, anyone? Perhaps aLex has a drop of insight left that wasn't squeezed out in his last post?

- Isaiah

Posted by Isaiah Thompson @ 6:35 PM Permalink | Post a comment

What We've Found: a big fucking deal, flash mobbers' moms, Oskar Schindler's list, etc.

POSTED: Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 5:11 PM

Filed Under: What We've Found

Lara Coleman here with your morning noontime fix:

Joe Biden is really excited about the health care reform legislation success. In fact, he thinks it's a BFD.

Philadelphians voice their grievances about the new parking kiosks, but since they were replaced last summer, the agency that makes them claims that they've only received "200 complaints." Right.

Theresa Guyton, a mother of a convicted teenage flash mobber, was also arrested for her public outburst that was in response to a Family Court judge slapping her son with two felonies and two misdemeanors.

Oskar Schindler's privately owned list, which details the Jews he helped rescue from the Nazis, is now for sale. The 13-page list is priced at $2.2 million.

The U.N. voted not to protect three species of fish, including the bluefish tuna, yet agreed to expand protections on the porbeagle, an overfished species used in a prize-winning soup in China. Phew.

The Obama administration now believes that the cyber attacks on Google and other companies can be traced back to the Chinese government. So that's why I couldn't Google shit last week? Screw Communism.

Tweets that mention What Weve Found: a big fucking deal, flash mobbers moms, Oskar Schindlers list, etc. :: The Clog :: Blog Archive :: Staff Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-03-25 18:34:35

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Yancey @YanceyG. Yancey @YanceyG said: What Weve Found: a big fucking deal, flash mobbers moms, Oskar Schindlers list, etc.: Lara Coleman here with yo... http://bit.ly/cHlCfZ [...]

Posted by Lara Coleman @ 5:11 PM Permalink | Post a comment

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Massive student walkout shuts down North Broad Street
Second-class citizens to second-class shooting victims.
Hey, there's an election tomorrow!
Preschool wants to ban 'super hero play'
Media leaves Philly after Gosnell sentence. Poverty remains.
PHILAPHILIA Dead-Ass Proposal of the Week: Tun Tavern Reconstruction
Philly Mag cover: Whites should criticize blacks
So about that alleged Butkovitz ethics probe ...
Some committee people support Mandel. Bobby Henon says maybe there's a 'brown bag' of cash in it for them
Goldtex takes 'sex sells' to icky new heights

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Here at The Naked City, you'll find breaking news, analysis, gossip and surprises about everything from crime and politics to the beating pulse of city life itself. We're good listeners, too:

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