Phillyist Weekly Favorites

Jill's PLAF Diary for Wednesday, September 3

Performances: Disco Descending (Karen Getz) (future performances)

After the performative train wreck that was Everyone, I was really looking forward to seeing another show. Any other show. But I figured that even though Karen Getz had been a reason for much pain and suffering during Everyone, her own Live Arts contribution would probably serve as great medicine.

Disco Descending
I loved Karen Getz's Suburban Love Songs so much that I saw it twice. Naturally, I assumed that its follow-up, Disco Descending, which featured most of the original cast, would be a home-run. Sadly, although a really enjoyable show, it was more like a double. The choreography is no less fun, and the use of comedic actors (Mary Carpenter, Jen Childs, Dawn Falato, Mario Fraboni, Dave Jadico, Pete Pryor, and Fred Siegel join Getz onstage) rather than trained dancers works to great effect. But Disco Descending felt like it was trying just a little bit too hard: it had a plot. Not the basic "bored adults at a party" plot of Suburban Love Songs, but a real, bona fide, classical plot: Orpheus and Eurydice. It's a story we know well. Probably too well, and I for one don't like the ending, which in this case, despite some hopeful evidence to the contrary, remains faithful to the source text. The set changes between our world and Hades were a bit distracting, too (Suburban Love Songs had plenty of furniture swapping, but the lights never had to be taken to black to create a new scene), and during them, I spent time pondering whether the characters in Disco Descending were supposed to be the same as those in Suburban Love Songs, or whether Getz just really likes the pairing of Jadico and Childs as husband and wife. That may, ultimately, have been the flaw of Disco Descending: it spends a little too much time making you think, and not enough time making you laugh. It's a good time, to be sure, but if I had my pick of the two, I'd take Suburban Love Songs any day.

Foodsday Tuesday: An Apple a Day (Soaked in Alcohol)

Labor Day typically signifies the end of summer, but while the weather's still hot (high today in the 80s, and my iPhone tells me that Thursday could be as high as 93°!), I'm going to enjoy my summery drinks, goddammit. Bring on the margaritas. Why yes, I will have another mojito. And did you say sangria? Hot damn!

So for all of you who share my mindset and aren't ready to switch to hot toddys and Irish coffee just yet, I present to you the sangria recipe that I recently threw together at an office party. Cheers!

WHITE SUMMER SANGRIA
You'll need:

5 large bottles sauvignon blanc
2 pounds apples
1 quart fresh strawberries, plus 1 bag frozen whole strawberries
1 pound red grapes
1 pound peaches
4 large oranges
3-4 each, lemons and limes

Decant wine and pour into a large canister. Squeeze juice from all four oranges into wine, then add juice from lemons and limes to taste. Wine should now be sour enough to balance the sweetness of the fruit you'll be adding, but not so sour that it makes your eyes water when you taste it. Halve grapes and dice apples, fresh strawberries, and peaches into bite-sized pieces. Add to wine mixture and allow to sit overnight so that the flavors mix and the fruit absorbs the alcohol from the wine. Before serving, add frozen strawberries to sangria instead of ice.

For once, a photo of the recipe actually being presented, taken by the author.

Jill's PLAF Diary for Saturday, August 30–Tuesday, September 2

Performances: Etiquette by Rotozaza (Rotozaza) (future performances sold out); Car (Kate Watson-Wallace / Anonymous Bodies) (future performances); Sweet By-and-By (Pig Iron Theatre Company + Teater Sláva) (future performances); Everyone (Miguel Gutierrez and the Powerful People) (no future performances); 7 Veils (Malleable Dance Theater) (future performances)

We're only about five days into the 2008 Philadelphia Live Arts and Philly Fringe Festivals (PLAF, as we call it around here), but I think I may have already seen the best and worst that the two concurrent festivals have to offer. If I'm proven wrong on that, I hope it's because I find a better "best" and not a worse "worst." I don't think I could stomach it. Because not only was the show I'm calling the worst most likely the worst piece in the festival (a Live Arts selection, no less!), it might actually have been the worst piece of performance I've ever seen. But you'll have to keep reading to see what, exactly, that piece was.

Etiquette
The title of Etiquette, British theatre collective Rotozaza's contribution to this year's Live Arts festival, is a bit of a misnomer. It is neither a comedy of manners, nor does it dwell on how to handle interpersonal interaction. While it does take place in a public space, and focus on a chance encounter between strangers, there is never a question of who opens the door for whom, or on what side of the plate one should place a fork when setting the table. Instead, Etiquette takes two everyday people (you and a friend), gives them a collection of props and a set of headphones, and feeds them a script and stage directions on a DVD. Once I got over giggling at my guest, and he at me, we settled in to follow the instructions given us through the headphones. We were told to imagine a stage, and, for the next thirty minutes, we became actors, either performing ourselves or waiting in the wings for our next scene, as we watched the other actors—in the form of two miniature sculpted dolls—perform. The text was mostly, but not entirely, harvested from other sources, ranging from Ibsen to Godard, and therein, I think, lied the problem. The script seemed clichéd at times, obvious at others. (Of course, immediately after talking about Ibsen, we'd see a scene from A Doll's House!) Etiquette was at its best when it was unexpected, when it moved quickly, but its original premise couldn't always hold up to its unoriginal script.Car
I still remember, two years later, how breathtaking I found Kate Watson-Wallace's House. It was a little voyeuristic, incredibly poignant, and breathtakingly beautiful to watch. Her follow-up, Car, has been two seasons in the making (excerpts of it previewed at last year's Festival), and though it lacks the emotional poignancy of House, Wallace has managed to one-up herself on thrills. Performed for four ticketholders at a time in the parking lot adjoining University City's FreshGrocer, Car takes place in and around first one car, then two vehicles: a silver Jetta sporting an Obama sticker, and a purple PhillyCarShare hybrid hatchback. (The two vehicles left little room for doubt as to the dancers' political views; I'd say that might make some in the audience uncomfortable, but realistically, the majority of the Fringe audience shares these views.) Because of the close quarters of the "theatre" in which the show is set, Car is at times jarring—dancers perform atop and inside the car while you're still seated—but in some ways, this only serves to make the show more impressive and more effective. It's the kind of show you don't soon forget, nor would you want to. (A word to the wise, though: if you get motion sick easily, sit on the far left or far right of the backseat in the Jetta. Trust me.)

Sweet By-and-By
I'm beginning to suspect that I like the idea of Pig Iron Theatre Company more than the actuality of it. Because although I often say how much I like Pig Iron, I'm often disappointed, if not flat-out unimpressed, by their work. And so it was with their Live Arts contribution this year, which they conceived, wrote, and produced in collaboration with Daniel Rudholm of Sweden's Teater Sláva. Rudholm is the only actor who appears onstage, and he's a talented one: charming and affable, he sings Joe Hill's music with great gusto and moves about the stage as if he owns it. The set, although minimalist, is effective, with a wall of pinned-together envelopes serving as a video screen for the multimedia films that accompany the play. But despite all of this, I was left bored with the show, wondering why, exactly, I was supposed to care about Rudholm's (great-?) grandfather who carried an envelope of Joe Hill's ashes everywhere he went until he died. The show was not, as the program promised, about the protest singer and union organizer—which would have been far more interesting—but rather used his biography to tell the story of an immigrant. The immigrant's story was not especially extraordinary, nor was it especially different from the many immigrant stories that we've heard in the past. Even with all of Rudholm's talent, Sweet By-and-By ultimately fails to impress.

Everyone
Let me just say, bluntly, that the only good thing I have to say about Everyone is that its run is over, and none of the rest of you will have to suffer through it like I did. Although advertised as a dance program, the piece contained no skill, no technique, and the only talent required was the ability to count to very high numbers in order for the, err, "dancers" to figure out exactly which of two hundred identical cymbal beats they were supposed to enter the stage on. Everyone's 75 minutes stretched on and on as I watched a motley group of hipsters run around and dry hump on stage, looking and sounding much more like recess at the psych ward than a dance performance, and between the fact that the audience was seated onstage and that Karen Getz was in the audience, literally sitting at my feet and blocking the one exit route I might have taken (I love her in everything she does, but really, if the show had gone on much longer, I can't say I wouldn't have shoved her aside and let the "dancers" sort everything out), I was beginning to feel claustrophobic. And ever so slightly homicidal. I'm a big fan of modern dance, of performances that reek just a little bit of pretension and leave the audience members scratching their heads, but this production was so bad that afterward, I had to find a bar in which I could try to drink myself into forgetfulness. It didn't work, but thanks muchly to the staff at Jack's Firehouse in Fairmount for helping me try.

7 Veils
Although I'm not seeing Karen Getz's 2008 Live Arts contribution, Disco Descending until this evening, she gets her second mention in this diary here, and this time not because I briefly contemplated hurling her into a dry-humping group of hipsters pretending to be dancers. No, rather, I feel that I should mention her here because the pre-show component of 7 Veils, in which one of the show's two dancers gleefully hangs laundry and lays out pairs of shoes, all the while moving in time with the greatest pop hits of the early sixties (Dave Clark Five, anyone?). This charming bit of nostalgia was right up Getz's alley, if a bit less perverse than some of the action in Suburban Love Songs. The performance gets off to a charming start this way, and also helps to ensure that the scene will be set when the pre-show is over and the second dancer takes the stage. At that point, the tone shifts, as we see the second dancer (unfortunately, the program doesn't indicate which of the dancers—Sarah e. Jacobs [sic] and Erin Malley—is which), over the next forty minutes or so, take on the personnas of the people whose clothes and shoes are first carefully placed on, then indelicately strewn about, the stage. This isn't a straightforward dance performance by any means: the second dancer doesn't only dance, but she also performs monologues pieced together from text sources as diverse as Chuck Pahlaniuk, lonleygirl15, Margaret Atwood, and Craigslist personal ad posters. She takes the characters on with full physicality, and the first dancer joins her onstage, sometimes as a secondary character, sometimes as an onstage prop mistress, but always as a compliment to the action. Regrettably, it takes some time for the audience (all ten of us in attendance last night) to get into the feel of the piece, and by the point we find ourselves immersed, the piece is over. There's much promise in 7 Veils, but forty-five minutes wasn't enough time to allow the audience to see the performance at its full potential.

Red Bull Gives You... Wheels?

Hey, you know those Red Bull commercials where they show the people racing down a hill in crazy DIY carts and it looks like a ton of fun? Well that's happening in Manayunk this Saturday! It's called the Red Bull Soapbox Race. 40 teams of up to four members each craft zany human-powered driving machines and then race to the finish. The hill they'll be racing down in this case is the infamous Wall. But teams are not judged on speed alone: creativity and showmanship are also taken into consideration. Admission is free, and the race will happen rain or shine, so bring an umbrella, or plan to get wet. Pits open at 11AM with the first race starting at 1pm.

The Red Bull Soapbox Race
The Wall (Lyceum Ave), Manayunk
Sat, 9/6/08
Pits open 11AM, first race 1PM
Free

Photo of a promotional Red Bull racer taken by Jill Ivey on Market St. between 2nd and 3rd

Fringe Reviews for Shows I'd Like to See in the Fringe

Puppy Macbeth
I am a big fan of Shakespearean plays that are deconstructed and reimagined. So imagine my surprise when I walked into the Arden Theater and saw the cutest Macbeth ever! A stage of laid down newspaper is easily transformed into the Scottish heath and Dunsinane. Pepper's interpretation of Macbeth is both harrowing and adorable, while Mitzie's Lady Macbeth is snuggly and a revelation ("Out damn spot!" takes on a whole new meaning here). The other puppies are unbelievably cute and believably effective as the Scottish thanes. I especially liked the casting of three Siamese cats as the witches. Type-casting? Maybe, but brilliant. Don't miss this!

TV in Your Living Room
One of the most original pieces this year. From Prague comes Art-enstein, a group commissioned to put on a new piece in this year's festival and they do not disappoint. The show takes place in your living room, of all places, on your own couch. You start off by turning on and watching TV. As time wears on, you become engrossed in whatever it is you are watching, eventually forgetting that you are in a Fringe show. That's when the brilliance of the piece hits you: you are art without ever leaving your home! Tickets are $25.

If Trees Could Talk Would Anyone Listen?
Capitalizing on last year's hit "If Trees Could Dance Would Anyone Watch Them on a Reality Show?" Splinter and Shade Arts Collective returns to the Fringe with their most audacious piece yet, a debate between a pro-choice Oak Tree and an Ikea designer who may or may not be Hitler. It's a fascinating peek into the world of trees, the Holocaust and furniture design. Insightful and well written, it leaves you "pining" for more.

Smells
The renowned olfactory designer, George Whoyaknow, makes his Philly Fringe debut with "Smells." The audience gathers in the back room of an Italian Market butcher shop and spends the next hour inhaling the aroma of rotting offal, sweat and chicken poop. It's quite a nauseating experience. This production is currently Sold Out.

Dance Show
From New York comes Dance Company's production of "Dance Show." In this show, people, men and women, dance. For about an hour. Sometimes they dance as a group, sometimes individually. Sometimes only 2 or 3 at a time. They dance both to music and without music. Their bodies are amazing. The night I saw it, the audience loved it. So did I.

Gimmik!
From Switzerland comes Switzer-kind, a group of Swiss Art School students with the most amazing show ever! "Gimmik" is just that, a gimmick. In fact it's a new gimmick every performance. When I attended, the gimmick was the performers watched the audience, the night before they interviewed a car, I heard they once did the whole show naked! You never know what you're going to get but you can be sure it'll always be "Gimmik!"

Sonata for a Slam Dance in Seattle
From Karen Getz comes her newest comedic ballet featuring some of Philly's best actors and slam dancers. Follow Jen Childs and Mitch "Asshole" Kelly as they guide us through the exciting and sometimes frightening Seattle of the '90s. Dave Jadico steals the show as a Kurt Cobain figure who just wants to sing and make art, while Bethany "Punchy" Berkowitz shines as his Courtney Love, a lover/mother/dealer/pool cleaner figure. The crowd surfing section is one of the most amazing moments in the show, just try not to laugh and cry at the same time. Karen's next show "Bollywood Blood Brawl" is already gathering buzz for next year's Fringe. Don't miss this show!

Original photo by Flickr user cloneofsnake

Proofreading Philly

Proofreading Philly tries to capture typos, wordos, and all other kinds of grammatical mistakes that we see around the city. But we need your help! Email photos to us from your computer or your phone, and show the city that you care about good grammar.

Reader Brian C. Cooke writes: "Here is one I just captured outside New York Chicken & Seafood on Germantown Ave. in Mt. Airy. I can't decide which is worse: the fact that the misspelled word is in the name of the establishment(!), or that it is spelled correctly on the reverse side of the SAME SIGN!"

We couldn't've said it better ourselves.

Asshole of the Week

Have a nominee for Asshole of the Week? Send it to us!

One of the most fun things about the quadrennial circuses that are the Democratic and Republican National Conventions is the protesters. They're frequently a rich source of both important social discourse and absolute hilarity. Pick a subject, any subject, and somewhere in America—especially at convention time—someone is protesting it. Someone out there is protesting kittens as you read this.

We're all for protesters, as long as they're not being violent (and as long as they're not protesting kittens). And what seems like too often, police officers unfairly subdue, oppress, and generally take their anger management issues out on protesters—and bystanders and journalists who happen to be in the protest zone. We appreciate the right (and in fact, the duty) of law enforcement to intervene when an event ceases being a protest and starts being a riot. But it seems like police indiscriminately exert force on everyone around the event, regardless of individual behavior. It's a less extreme version of the old "Kill them all, and let God sort them out" philosophy, and it's not cool. And during this week's Republican National Convention, it happened to Philadelphia AP photographer Matt Rourke.

Rourke was taking pictures of some protesters when, seemingly out of nowhere, he had his legs taken out from under him by a member of the St. Paul police. The police proceeded to seize Rourke's camera and arrest him, nevermind the fact that he had press credentials and tried to reason with them that he was a journalist and not a protester. The police also arrested some producers and the host of Democracy Now! (And we don't care that Democracy Now! tends to express left-of-center viewpoints. We'd call bullshit if they did the same thing to someone from Townhall. Well, maybe not—we wouldn't mind seeing Amanda Carpenter in handcuffs at all, but that's another matter entirely.)

When it comes to protests, police should be keeping the peace, not igniting the violence. Especially not against a journalist or photographer, and especially not one from Philly. So, in a display of some brotherly love for our hometown media member, Matt Rourke, we're naming the St. Paul police our Assholes of the Week.

Image Credit: Flickr user Andrew Ciskel

Photoist

Click to see full version

Title: falling cars
Photographer: tgbusill
Camera: Nikon D50

Like to see your photo here? Submit it!

Week Around the Ists

Photo of Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty waving the American flag toward the end of Obama's speech by DCist's Sommer Mathis

DCist reported live from the Democratic National Convention.
Bostonist tasted the best heirloom tomatoes in the city.
Torontoist featured some of their favorite photos of an extraordinary summer for the city's weather, with huge storm clouds, apocalyptic sunsets, double rainbows, and stunning lightning strikes the norm rather than the exception.
Shanghaiist was amused by the news of the 'iPhone Girl' who has become the world's latest Internet superstar.
Phillyist discussed an athlete its city loves to hate.
Chicagoist, while Gustav inches its way to the US coastline, noted the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
LAist posted the photos of a guy who got roughed up by security at the Hollywood Bowl Radiohead concert.
Londonist enjoyed the sights of the Notting Hill Carnival.
Seattlest got ready for Bumbershoot and the Penny Arcade Expo.
SFist captured all of the tragic glamor and NSFW-ness as Trannyshack, San Francisco's longest-running midnight drag show, came to an end.
Gothamist looked at restrictions of different kinds, interviewing Graffiti Research Lab founder James Powderly, who was detained in Beijing, and hearing from a reader who was ultimately ejected from Yankee Stadium for attempting to use the bathroom during God Bless America.

Happy Labor Day!

As you may have already noticed, Phillyist is celebrating the holiday by not posting today. Here's hoping you're not doing anything too strenuous, either.

Yo, Philly in the News

Four people were killed in the area over the Labor Day weekend, and this morning two more men were found slain in a second floor apartment over an electronics store in North Philadelphia. But good things also happened this Labor Day weekend, like a nice Labor Day parade, and Pennsylvania State Sen. Anthony H. Williams' annual street party in West Philadelphia where more than 2,500 people got free meals of hot dogs and turkey burgers.

A 3-year-old boy was in critical condition after being struck by a car while holding hands with his mother as he crossed a street in Olney Sunday night. The driver stopped at the scene and was not charged.

Republican presidential nominee-to-be John McCain arrived in Philadelphia yesterday for a series of barely publicized events.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin this morning for the two Philadelphia morticians charged in the multi-state body parts scheme.

The story of the selfless heroes of the Conshohocken fire.

Teachers in Montgomery County's Souderton Area School District are on strike this morning after contract negotiations ended with no agreement.

Evening and overnight lane closures are scheduled this week on the Schuylkill Expressway in Montgomery County; construction resumes today on Route 100 between West Chester and Exton; and lane restrictions are scheduled this week on northbound and southbound I-95 in Philadelphia.

The Ben Franklin Bridge will have blue and green lighting this month in order to support Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Image Credit: Flickr user AndWat

Tuesday Ticket Update

Every Tuesday and Thursday, we'll be posting events that are going on sale during the current week. This Tuesday post only collects the early announcements, so definitely check back on Thursday for the latest ticket news.

Goldrush featuring Santogold
The TLA
Tue, 9/23/08, 8PM
$23
On sale: Today, 10AM, Ticketmaster

Innerpartysystem
Trocadero
Tue, 9/9/08, 7PM
$10
On sale: Today, 12PM, Ticketmaster

Ours with Plain Jane Automobile
North Star Bar
Fri, 11/21/08, 9PM
On sale: Today, 12PM, TicketWeb

Paul Green School of Rock Best of Season
Trocadero
Sun, 10/12/08, 6PM
$12
On sale: Wed, 12PM, Ticketmaster

The Medic Droid
Trocadero
Tue, 11/25/08, 6PM
$10
On sale: Thu, 1PM, Ticketmaster

Dragonforce with Turisas and Powerglove
Electric Factory
Sun, 11/30/08, 8PM
$25 ($27 day of show)
On sale: Fri, 10AM, Live Nation

Matisyahu
Electric Factory
Thu, 10/30/08, 8PM
$28.50
On sale: Fri, 10AM, Ticketmaster

HIP HOP LIVE featuring Talib Kweli, David Banner, and B.O.B.
Trocadero
Tue, 10/21/08, 8PM
$26
On sale: Fri, 12PM, Ticketmaster

Amy Grant
Tower Theater, Upper Darby
Sat, 11/22/08, 8PM
$35-$75
On sale: Sat, 10AM, Live Nation

Staind
Sovereign Center, Reading
Fri, 11/14/08, 7PM
$35-$39.50
On sale: Sat, 10AM, Ticketmaster

Bob Weir & RatDog
Tower Theater, Upper Darby
Fri, 11/14/08, 8PM; Sat, 11/15/08, 8PM
$39.50
On sale: Sat, 10AM, Ticketmaster (11/14, 11/15)

Australian Pink Floyd
Tower Theater, Upper Darby
Fri, 10/10/08, 8PM
$39.50-$49.50
On sale: Mon, 10AM, Ticketmaster

We don't claim that these are all the shows going on sale this week. If there's an event missing that you think should be here, either post it in the comments, or let us know via email.

Image Credit: Flickr user bill shouldis

Frugal Fun Alert: Tuesday

Fun around town, for $10 or less:

The Play About the Coach: Presented by Rocketship Productions/Paden Fallis as part of Philly Fringe at Black Lodge (1508 Brandywine), 8PM. $10

Comedy in Crisis: "World Crisis," a night of sketch comedy by The Sixth Borough as part of Philly Fringe at the Second Stage at the Adrienne (2030 Sansom), 8:30PM. $10

The New Music Series: Active Denial, APE, JeNell and the Yets, LP Stiles, and Danger!Von James! at North Star Bar (2629 Poplar), 8PM. $5

Zero: A Zero Complex, Deaf Not Dead, Flux Capacitor, and The Record at M Room (15 W Girard), 9PM. $8

Got a frugal tip? Don't be stingy! Send it here and share the wealth!

Never Smile at a Crocodile

Unless it's a West African dwarf crocodile baby at the Philadelphia Zoo. In that case, you're probably safe. (And isn't he precious for a reptile?)

Whiz of the Web: Tuesday Torpedoes

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you.

Jess at Apropos of Something did a comparison between John McCain and his running mate, and a couple of folks on a certain sci-fi show, and found some distressing similarities...

Esquire picked the 20 best steaks in America, and Philly's own Pat's cheesesteak made the list! On the one hand we're rather proud, but on the other... Pat's? Really? And also, they do know that a cheesesteak isn't really a steak with cheese on it, right? (Via Ross)

Cracked offers five tips for healthy living from Batman and the Joker. A wonderful concept, hilariously executed. And the opening montage is priceless. (Via)

Sad news: The Brothers Bloom, writer-director Rian Johnson's follow-up to Brick, has been bumped back from October 24th to a limited release on December 19th, followed by a wide release on January 16th of 2009.

Moviefone readers pick their favorite guilty pleasure films. (Via)

During an appearance on a radio show, Johnny Depp responded to rumors that he would play the Riddler in the sequel to The Dark Knight by essentially saying that they're false, but that it sounds like it would be fun.

Cinematical offers an in-depth recap of the 2008 summer movie season, while Underwire takes a look at the summer box office numbers.

We always love Trailer Park, but the one that really caught our eye this time was Sukiyaki Western Django. It's insane Japanese director Takashi Miike's homage to Spaghetti Westerns, featuring a supporting role for Quentin Tarantino, and we can't wait to see it.

Another pic from Me and Orson Welles, this one featuring Claire Danes.

PAX went down this past weekend, and inspired posts of various kinds all around the internet. Joystiq has coverage of the sex and violence in video games panel, screenshots from the next episode of Penny Arcade Adventures, and statistics on the incredible number of participants, plus some details on the plans for next year. Oh, and hey, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets rocked the joint! They also now have a song on Rock Band. Game|Life got a look at the second episode of Strong Bad's Game at PAX, and took lots of photos.

Michael Phelps may like all those gold medals, but the greatest gift of all will be receiving the very first copy of Call of Duty: World at War that comes off the production line.

You can now download Command & Conquer: Red Alert for free.

Remember that story about the guy who hacked a copy of Bejeweled so as to include a proposal to his girlfriend? Well, their marriage was this weekend and Joystiq got some of the details.

A short look at Aliens: Colonial Marines.

Google's launching its own browser today called Chrome. Meanwhile, some pics of a handset that features Google's Android mobile operating system have leaked onto the net.

Download Squad provides us with a handy list of 35 places to download free, legal MP3s.

Ladies and gentlemen, the R2-D2 mini fridge.

The guy who made The House of Sand and Fog (Vadim Perelman) could be the director of the new Poltergeist. Huh.

A game developer has put forward a gamer's bill of rights, which consists of a set of guidelines that game developers could follow to improve the quality of life for beleaguered gamers. (Via)

The documentary No End in Sight, which claims to "examine the American policies that sent Iraq spiraling into a civil war," started screening yesterday in its entirety on YouTube, and will continue to be available for viewing through the 2008 presidential election. Check it out here.

Two new images from Dragonball, and this time they're not scanned in from a magazine!

Some very cool custom Hellboy LEGO figures.

Dude made a snail car that shoots flames. That rules.

It's important that you all take the Monster Self-Defense Test. You know, just in case.

Labor Day is already over, sadly, but we're sure you could still find a use for Nintendo Wii Fanboy's list of the top five games to play on your day off.

Image Credit: Flickr user D'Arcy Norman

The Silver Linings Playbook: Book Giveaway

Just in time for fall football season, local author Matthew M. Quick offers up some good old fashioned Eagles mania as expressed by the characters in his forthcoming novel The Silver Linings Playbook. Though do not be misled—this is not a football book. Rather, it is a tale of a man's struggle with his own madness, and of course the madness caused by being a rabid, lifelong Eagles fan. As anyone from the Philadelphia area knows, eternal optimism is required to be a long-standing Philadelphia fan. And main character Pat Peoples has just that—an eternal optimism which he divines from the shapes of the clouds in the sky. We follow Pat after his release from a neural health facility and watch as he regains his place in his family, in society, and in his own mind.

Early reviews for the book are solid:

"...immensely likable debut novel... Deftly timed surprises stimulate crucial revelations, and the full truth of both Pat’s sufferings and his own egregious contributions to them expand the novel’s basically simple comic-domestic texture into something far more disturbing, complex and, eventually, quite moving. ...[I]ts judicious blending of pop-culture experience with richly persuasive characterizations... make the book a winner. A first novel that doggedly does its own thing (we’re reminded of Frederick Exley’s A Fan’s Notes). Most readers will find Pat just about irresistible." -Kirkus Reviews

"You don't have to be a Philadelphia Eagles' fan (or even from Philadelphia) to appreciate talented newcomer Matthew Quick's page-turning paean to the power of hope over experience—the belief that this will all work out somehow, despite the long odds that life deals us. Tender, soulful, hilarious, and true, The Silver Linings Playbook is a wonderful debut." -Justin Cronin, PEN/Hemingway Award-winning author

The book is officially released September 9th, 2008, but five Phillyist readers have a chance to win a copy in advance. Simply fill out the form below and cross your fingers. Contest runs through this Friday, so enter now and get ready to chant along: "E!-A!-G!-L!-E!-S! EAGLES!"

Note: If you win, a notification will be sent to you at the email address you provide in the contest form, usually a day or so after the contest ends. So please keep an eye on your inbox and junk mail folder for a message from us. Thanks.

PAWS Cat of the Week

The PAWS shelter is still at critical mass. PAWS is especially in need of foster parents for the many kittens who are at the shelter. Every animal is at risk of being put down due to lack of space, so if you've been considering fostering or welcoming a pet into your home, now is the time!

Ellie (ID# A04403004)

Ellie is an adult girl who's been soaking up a lot of sun, and a lot of attention, at the PAWS Adoption Center in Old City. She's 4 to 6 years old, and loves human affection. Her favorite thing to do is sit in the window watching all the action on Arch Street. She gets along with other cats; as with all "new cat" situations, if you have a cat currently, expect there to be a period of adjustment, but things should go smoothly soon. Ellie's been with PAWS since April, and it's high time she got herself a new windowsill for her sunbathing—in a forever home with lots of love.

If you'd like to save Ellie, e-mail alamond@phillypaws.org. The adoption fee for a PAWS cat is $40. The fee includes spaying/neutering, which will be performed before your new companion comes home with you, and microchipping. Also, make note of Ellie's ID number above, and bring it with you when you go to the PAWS adoption center, which is located at 100 N. 2nd Street (the corner of 2nd and Arch).

Image via PAWS.

Photoist

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Title: trolley tracks 2
Photographer: serlingrod
Location: Baltimore Avenue, West Philly
Camera: HP PhotoSmart M415

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PAWS Dog of the Week

JS (ID# A05813474)

JS is a big ol' Pitty mix, but he's about the most mellow, laid-back dog you could find. He's gentle and seems to love everyone. JS's disposition makes him a good fit for a home where he can just be a good, calm companion dog, as he's an adult who's outgrown those high-maintenance, high-energy puppy years. He doesn't really get along with other dogs, but he'll make a great addition to a home that's looking for a dog who will thrive as an only pet. If this sounds like your situation, then JS may just be the right dog for you.

If you'd like to save JS, e-mail natalie@phillypaws.org. The adoption fee for a PAWS dog is $40, plus an $8 city license fee if you live in Philadelphia. The fee includes spaying/neutering, which will be performed before your new companion comes home with you, and microchipping. Also, make note of JS's ID number above, and bring it with you when you go to the PAWS shelter, which is located at 111 West Hunting Park Ave (map).

Image via PAWS.

Frugal Fun Alert: Wednesday

Fun around town, for $10 or less:

Among Criminals: Among Criminals, Bare Foot Truth, and Tsunami Rising at Upstairs at World Café Live (3025 Walnut), 8PM. $6

Summer’s Really Over: Concluding performance of Philadelphia Weekly's Concerts in the Park with The Hustle and Black Landlord at Rittenhouse Square (18th and Walnut), 7PM. Free

Like Butter: Drink Up Buttercup and The Major Leagues at Silk City (5th and Spring Garden), 9PM. $5 (21+)

Quizzo Mania: Get your Quizzo on at 12 Steps Down (831 Christian), 9PM; The Black Sheep (247 S. 17th), 8PM; Dirty Frank’s (13th and Pine), 9PM; Dr. Watson's (216 S. 11th), 9PM; Grey Lodge (6235 Frankford), 7PM; National Mechanics (22 S. 3rd), 8PM; and Manny Brown’s (512 South), 9PM. Free

Got a frugal tip? Don't be stingy! Send it here and share the wealth!

Frugal Fun Alert: Thursday

Fun around town, for $10 or less:

Comedy in Crisis: "World Crisis," a night of sketch comedy by The Sixth Borough as part of Philly Fringe at the Adrienne (2030 Sansom), 10PM. $10.

Cheap Art: Fall Opening Reception of four new exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Art (118 S 36th), 6PM. Free

Jazzy: Philly guitarist Monnette Sudler performs tonight as part of the Summer Heritage Jazz Series in Malcolm X Park (52nd and Pine), 7-9PM. Free

Transport: Like Trains & Taxis, Do You Need the Service?, Sounds From Atlantis, and Red Ink at The Fire (412 W Girard), 9PM. $7

Multicultural Polyrhythmic Sound: Edable Gray and Spanish Blue at Upstairs at World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut), 8PM. $9

Got a frugal tip? Don't be stingy! Send it here and share the wealth!

Frugal Fun Alert: Weekend

Fun around town, for $10 or less:

FRIDAY
The Shoebox Tour: Michael Karas and Tempei Arakawa explore the limits of juggling (and what can be juggled) at Greg Kennedy Studio (6122 Greene), 7:30 & 9PM. $10

SATURDAY
Doggie!: Carnivale of the Dogs at Rittenhouse Square (18th and Walnut), 10AM. Free

Empty Orchestra: Opening reception for "Empty Orchestra: Art Meets Karaoke" at Yo! Darkroom (113 N 23rd), 8PM. Free

Grand Prix: Sprint Motorola UYRS Grand Prix of Philadelphia, the only major sanctioned and sponsored motor sports event in Philly, at Broad and Washington Ave, 11AM. Free

SUNDAY
Greenfest 2008: The largest green event in the area returns to South Street Head House (2nd and Lombard), 11AM. Free

Borscht: Russian Mosaic Festival at the Great Plaza on Penn’s Landing (Chestnut and Columbus Blvd), 12PM. Free

Got a frugal tip? Don't be stingy! Send it here and share the wealth!

PW Roundup

Blogging's not too bad either: G.W. Miller explains why you want to get into journalism.

Remember Baker Bowl or Connie Mack Stadium? We didn't either, but this still makes us nostalgic.

Yeah, we're definitely losers; not only are we not journalists, we're not raking in the big green ones like Troy Wragg. Knew we should have gone to Temple…

Getting back a stolen bike? Yeah, that can happen. Apparently.

If you need to know what’s going on at the RNC, but don't have the stomach to watch, you can catch up here.

Their take on Azul: good on the liquor, food still needs work. You're probably better off making some summer rolls and staying home—after stocking up on supplies, of course.

Get ready for the last PW concert of the summer.

And don't forget the style, music, art, lit, and movie p/reviews…

Whiz of the Web: Wednesday Whiz-Up

The best of the internet, squirted out in flavorful neon globules, just for you.

This ad for The Powerpuff Girls is also a brilliant and hilarious parody of Super Friends. Enjoy! (Via)

Obama has many famous supporters—even emo! (Via Jill)

PW tracks the sad decline of Nic Cage by listing six films in which he just didn't give a flying... well, you know. (Via Sarah)

Well, you can forget about the Tarzan reboot being a good movie; they gave it to Stephen Sommers. Ugh.

Hey, that looks like... what is she... Oh, my. (Via Sarah)

There was apparently some question as to whether Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler might have been given the closing spot at the Venice Film Festival because there were problems with the film, but apparently it was just because Aronofsky was awaiting a completed song from Bruce Springsteen for the end of the film. Supposedly the song is very appropriate and moving. In other Springsteen movie news, he's been written into a very brief scene in Judd Apatow's Funny People as someone "who attempts to deliver some spiritual guidance." No word yet on whether he's actually accepted the role, though.

You definitely need to watch the hilarious red band trailer for Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Seriously, click through, right now.

Tim Roth is apparently going to play a magical angel who gets nursed back to health by a kid who feeds him Chinese food and beer. Nice work if you can get it!

Mark Millar recently talked to some folks about the sequel to Wanted, and his ideas for an epic Superman trilogy. Click through for text and a video.

The legal battles over Watchmen are continuing, and could lead to a trial in April or June of next year. If the release of the film is held up until the trial is over, we might not see the movie until 2010. But wtf is this all about anyway? The Movie Blog has the info.

The rumor that Russell Crowe was going to play Dr. Watson in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes was debunked by Ritchie himself. Ah, well.

Sadly, Don LaFontaine, a man whose voice we all know well from many a movie trailer, has passed away at the age of 68. Cinematical has a pretty great video profile of the man.

Rock Band 2 has a party-friendly "No Fail" option that allows you to play through an entire song without getting failed out part way through due to your complete inability to hit that one button after hitting that other button. Guitar Hero: World Tour will have no such option. Which either means it's more hardcore, or it's not as cool.

Even more from PAX 2008! Joystiq describes their hands-on experience with Spore at the convention, and offers a look at the entire Fallout 3 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide, Pocket Reference Edition. Game|Life has the audio from the game criticism panel, and a gallery of the 10 things you should've bought at PAX. There's also video of the Thickets playing PAX, video of their song in Rock Band, and the details on how they ended up in the game.

The Smashing Pumpkins will be debuting a new single as part of a downloadable Smashing Pumpkins track pack for Guitar Hero: World Tour.

Watch as Gremlins invade a DVR, and a bunch of famous movies. (The weird video errors that happen early on are on purpose.) (Via)

Lee Mathews of Download Squad offers his first impressions of Google's new Chrome internet browser.

Download Squad also offers us ten essential web apps for bloggers.

Underwire gives us the latest on Dr. Horrible, including the news that the soundtrack is now available from iTunes; fans will be able to submit their own video applications for The Evil League of Evil, three of which will be included on the forthcoming DVD; and more web comics are on the way.

Game|Life's latest video is a WiiWare Buyer's Guide, which is something we have actively been looking for, so we're pretty excited. There's also a hands-on report about upcoming WiiWare release Gradius Rebirth.

There's an award for the best Tweets now: The Twitties.

One-of-a-kind comics collectibles are being auctioned off to save the house where Jerry Siegel came up with the idea for Superman. You can find the auction at Ordinary People Change the World.

Nintendo Wii Fanboy picks its five favorite modded Wii consoles.

Japanese researchers have found a way to use focused ultrasonic waves to produce virtual objects in mid-air. The idea is that the process might be integrated into video games in the future. Awesome. (Via Sarah)

Image Credit: Flickr user Carla216

Philadelphia Weirdness

The Bleeding Statue

Eight miles southwest of Philadelphia, on Highway 291, sits Eddystone. Here lies the Church of St. Luke, a holy shrine that once harbored a very enigmatic symbol. For one whole year, from 1975 to 1976, it was alleged that a statue of Jesus Christ, positioned twelve-feet above the altar, bled continuously. This amazing case of stigmata appeared to be no hoax, but ceased as miraculously as it had begun.

The statue was proven to have shed human blood from its palms. The figure, standing just over two feet in height, provoked thorough examination. In fact, inspections were so severe that limbs were removed in suspicion of finding tube-like objects which the blood must surely have come from. The statue was even X-rayed, but once again, the bleeding effigy defied its critics.

Doctors and priests visited the church and agreed that the oozing liquid, dark red in color, was indeed real blood and coming from some unknown source, and then, even more bizarre, the following year, the owner of the statue, a Mrs. Anne Poore, a resident of Lynwood, also began to bleed from her hands. How long this bleeding went on remains unknown.

Why the mysterious bleeding began and ended at that specific time is anyone's guess, but with regards to stigmata in general, we never seem any closer to uncovering the peculiar truth behind these alleged holy acts.

Image Credit: Flickr user Darren Copley

Source:
Haunted Places by Dennis William Hauck (Penguin 1994)

City Paper Run Down

It's Book Quarterly time! They got fiction, non, and some excerpts.

Politics get under their skin, and may keep someone from coming home again. Meanwhile, the PA delegates to the RNC had quite a trek from bed to boardroom.

As if Chester didn't have enough issues, now they got the Bloods and Crips running around.

Frankly, Philly has enough to worry about without nursing homes, so we tend to agree: get out of the business.

It really is inevitable: Joel Tannenbaum brings you a history of The Sixth Borough Independence War.

We find happiness in dough, but ours is green. But good on lawyers-turned-bakers.

The second coming of a cool cantina is a nosh-spot to watch.

And yeah, we totally missed that Cereality is no more. We should keep up on local food blogs and such misses wouldn't happen.

Don’t miss the p/reviews: Movies (don’t forget the rep), art, music, etc.