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Home and Design '07
; "Cover Story :: Home and Design '07")
Take care of Mother Earth or she'll summon El Nińo to flood your basement.
by Brian Hickey
Version 2.007 of City Paper's Home and Design issue is all about green building. No, it's not like walls of lettuce (that'd get pretty gnarly come the end of July). More like how local home buyers, sellers, builders and providers not only accept the fact that they need to incorporate environmentally friendly steps into creating shelters, but are actually doing so.
Green It Yourself
It's actually easy to be enviro-friendly. Here are some tips to get you started.
by Francesca Heintz
You need to find designers, builders and contractors who have experience working with sustainable development. "It's important to use certification," says Liz Robinson. "A lot of people try and use shortcuts."
Welcome to the Big Green Building
If Philadelphia is going to be the country's Next Great City, it needs to start acting like it.
by Francesca Heintz
The partnership's Big Green Building, to be completed by 2008, will be located at the intersection of South and Broad streets.
LEEDing the Way
A Fairmount project could prove ground-breaking in more ways than one.
by Natalie Hope McDonald
Should Ari Barkan's plans to renovate an old Fairmount pharmacy into the city's first LEED-certified home come to fruition, he'll have no use for electric or water from the outside world.
The Greening of the Dog
Judy Wicks shows restaurateurs how environmental consciousness is done.
by A.D. Amorosi
The first thing to know about Judy Wicks — Philadelphia's first lady of green — is that she's always walked the walk that is her talk.
Inside HOME's Project
With some big-name support, sustainability comes to North Philly.
by Patrick Temple-West
The houses are being built by rock 'n' roll, but they feature enough eco-friendly amenities to humble Captain Planet.
Make the Most of Compost
A little story about worms.
by Mary Armstrong
Mark Highland says what he does isn't all that different from raising other kinds of livestock. In his case, though, the livestock is happy to live in a 14- by 22-inch bin in the garage or down in the basement.
Show Us Your Hits
TV shows to help make your DIY dreams a reality.
by Amanda McKenna
citypaper.net exclusive: Easy ways to be greener.
by Jessica Loughery
Editor's Letter:
Character Study
Pete Dexter wasn't a passive observer. He routinely mixed it up with his subjects, often at the peril of his own life.
by Duane Swierczynski
Last week, on the Frankford El (Hey, don't look at me. I don't know why I end up in the crazy car so often.) I overheard a conversation that convinced me I was living in Dexterville.
Slant:
Lesbian Crusader
An appreciation of Barbara Gittings.
by Lewis Whittington
Gay Americans, sexual minorities and all Americans who cherish liberty should pause in memoriam at the passing of gay civil rights pioneer Barbara Gittings.
Loose Canon:
Prizes for Losers
The only interesting question was who came in second.
by Bruce Schimmel
The hot ticket on the Parkway last week was not a slot for King Tut, but for a seat for the mayoral strut.
Feedback:
Mix and MatchH Clothier takes a collective approach to fashion.
by Amanda McKenna
Nestled in a small jungle of potted plants are two sewing machines. They sit in the center of the boutique H Clothier surrounded by bolts of fabrics, a bubbling fishtank and a wall filled with clothing that's locally designed and sewn.
Running NumbersA scholarly look at the digits that matter.
by Nick Norlen
Forget tomorrow's premiere of The Number 23. Today is 2/22 — Dr. J's birthday — and the following facts are far freakier than anything you'll see in the movies.
IcepackAmorosi on the news, nightlife, gossip and bitchiness beats.
by A.D. Amorosi
Don't go getting hepped up about Britney shaving her head being the final sign of 19th-nervous-breakdown-dom. Not that it ain't. All I'm saying is that in my weariest, stickiest bedhead-finger-gumming moments, I've damned near sheared my pate and gone moonie.
Fine Print:
What's the Big Idea?
Penn students present their "second-best" concepts.
by Amy Strauss
Last Friday afternoon, in a crowded upper level of Penn's techno-hub Weiss Tech House, 10 teams of aspiring entrepreneurs ages 18 to 23 awaited nervously to pitch their "next great idea" at the 2nd Best Idea Slam.
Diminished ReturnsCan our mayoral election be considered fair if the winner pulls only 90,000 votes?
by Doron Taussig
The number of people who will actually vote on May 15 comes down to about 365,000. Since there are five candidates running, it's very possible that the winner will garner something like 25 percent of the vote — about 90,000 people, which is less than the population of a single City Council district.
The Bell CurveCity Paper's Quality-o-Life-o-Meter
When news breaks in Philadelphia, we make jokes.
The City Paper/YPP Project:
The Ward Emergency
The City Paper/YPP Project
by Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg
Ward leaders: For many young activists, the term does not conjure civic pride. Instead, it brings up vague images of back rooms, decisions made by insiders for insiders, and a party structure that wants to keep pesky newcomers on the outside looking in.
Philly Blunt:
Miltie's Believe It or Not
Why I signed Milton Street's petition.
by Brian Hickey
This being Philadelphia, and the man being T. Milton Street Sr., things weren't destined to go smoothly. If they had, you'd have heard the carnival music as soon as the paperwork was filed.
Political Notebook:
Shots from the Sheriff
John Green vs. Michael Untermeyer.
by Mary F. Patel
Green, who is running for his fifth term, is claiming Untermeyer tried to extort him for a job as undersheriff. Untermeyer denies ever asking Green for a job.
The Insider:
Message in a Battle
The message is what voters take into the booth with them.
Candidates have to take their natural strengths and try to appeal their message to voters, which can be tricky. An interesting way to look at these messages and how they're crafted is to consider whom they are trying to target.
Cocktails With...:
Dwight Evans
Ask A CandidateState representative, 203rd District; mayoral candidate; Democrat
by Brian Hickey
I f anything, Dwight Evans can pick a stage. In this instance, it's Ogontz Grill on the 7100 block of Ogontz Avenue in West Oak Lane. It's an off-the-beaten-urban-path enclave that could serve as a case study in civic reclamation.
Richard Panichelli has a question for Michael Nutter. Nutter has an answer.
The city is owed hundreds of millions of dollars in outstanding real-estate taxes, and tens of millions of dollars in outstanding unpaid parking tickets. What will you do to collect the money that hasn't been paid? And, should we look into whether the top offenders, resident or business, have made donations to any of the candidates?
Art:
Bugs in the System
Multimedia artist Ted Knighton investigates everyday mysteries.
by Shaun Brady
The walls at International House are crawling with insects. Fortunately, these bugs are the two-dimensional sort.
Culture Shock:
Things That Matter To People Who Matter
What Not to Wear; The Land Line Telephone; Reading Again; Lenni Lenapi Culture
Singer-guitarist, Live Not On Evil; Lili Anel, Singer-songwriter; Rob Windfelder,Molly Russakoff, Owner, Molly's Café & Bookstore; John James Pron, Professor of architecture, Temple University; architect of design, Hospitality Design Group
Book Review:
Split in Twain
Jon Clinch's tale of Huck Finn's father.
by Justin Bauer
It's a testament to Clinch's skill, both in force of style and subtle characterization, that he so quickly shakes off Twain's specter.
Art:
In With the New
Mark Blavat, Syd Carpenter, Quentin Morris and David Stephens at Art Around Gallery
by Robin Rice
Max Maddox and Theresa Rose make an outstanding curatorial debut with a four-artist show at Art Around Gallery.
Theater Review:
Weathering Stormy
Five little words nearly save the day in the Prince Music Theater's Stormy Weather.
by David Anthony Fox
When the dazzling, better-than-ever Leslie Uggams steps to center stage in a canny impersonation of the legendary Lena Horne, we get two great entertainers for the price of one.
Theater:
More Morrie
Still Singel
Best By Far
Did the world really need a play version of Tuesdays With Morrie?
by Mark Cofta
Prolific playwright Jeffrey Hatcher, an experienced adaptor, makes Albom's recollections of weekly visits to his Brandeis University sociology professor an effective play.
Still Singel
There I was at a play called The Wedding Consultant, surrounded by couples who are forbidden by law to marry.
by Mark Cofta
Playwright/performer Eric Singel's interconnected monologues make their point indirectly, and with much humor, showing a gay wedding from five points of view with no mention of legality.
Best By Far
Some people like their theater clear; some like it murky. If you're among the former, keep your distance from Far Away.
by Mark Cofta
Caryl Churchill's one-act, wisely presented without companion pieces despite being just 45 minutes long, doesn't tell a coherent story, but adds up (if one is willing to do the mental and emotional work) to a powerful, provocative message in three concise scenes.
Arts Picks:
Michael Eric Dyson
Rubberbandance Group
Annie
Vanessa
Twelfth Night
Wed., Feb. 28, noon, free, Penn Bookstore, 3601 Walnut St.
by Monica Weymouth
Not many are brave enough to take on the women of The View. Michael Eric Dyson appeared before Barbara, Rosie et al, talked smack on Condoleezza Rice, and lived to write about it.
Rubberbandance Group
Tue. and Wed., Feb. 27 and 28, 7:30 p.m., $32-$44, Zellerbach Theatre, Annenberg Center, 3690 Walnut St.
by Janet Anderson
Hip-hop and ballet form the unlikely cornerstone of Victor Quijada's Montreal-based Rubberbandance Group, which makes its local debut as part of the Annenberg's Dance Celebration series.
Annie
Thu.-Sun., March 1-4, $25-$100, Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.
by David Anthony Fox
Suddenly, cold and slushy Broad Street feels a little warmer.
Vanessa
Runs Feb. 23-March 3, $28-$48, Helen Corning Warden Theater, 1920 Spruce St.
by David Shengold
Just as the Opera Company wraps up Porgy and Bess, a clear contender for the title of Great American Opera, AVA unfurls Samuel Barber's Vanessa.
citypaper.net exclusive: Feb. 22-March 3, City Theater Company, Baby Grand Theater, 800 N. Market St., Wilmington
by Mark Cofta
Theater Directors can have a ball with Shakespeare's comedies, and since fun is what Wilmington's City Theater Company is all about, I predict a raucous rendition of Twelfth Night.
Last ChanceCatch It or Regret It
by Lydia Navatsyk
Big Room Now: Ryan Trecartin and Lizzie Fitch's nine-part narrative installation epitomizes art's ability to entertain; Recycled: The 10 artists on exhibit here give discarded things new purpose; Al Gury: Gury creates a series of forest paintings that are anything but tired landscapes.
Arts Agenda Picks:
Day Tripper
On The DL
Word On The Street
Galleries"The Gun Show"
by Amy Strauss
Runs through March 23, The Shore Institute of the Contemporary Arts, 20 Third Ave., Long Branch, N.J.
On The DL
The Twin Poets
by Mary Wilson
Mon., Feb. 26, 7 p.m., free, Free Library of Philadelphia, 19th and Vine sts.
Word On The Street
Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs
by Erin Brodbeck
"I like that they showed a CAT scan of the mummy since the actual tomb wasn't there. I [also] liked how they had his liver displayed inside a jar."
201 GALLERY , 1400 N. American St., Suite 201, 215-236-2872. RECORDS OF DISREGARD, Features the photography of Johanna Inman. Runs through Feb. 25. 222 GALLERY
Museums/Exhibits
ABINGTON ART CENTER , 515 Meetinghouse Rd., Jenkintown, 215-887-4882. JOSEPHINE ALCOOT: TOPOGRAPHICAL PATTERN PAINTINGS, Features landscapes incorporating earth-based pigments such as mica, henna and powdered
Performing Arts
dance ASH CONTEMPORARY DANCE The company (and ASH II, an offshoot program for young talents) performs works such as "Ghost of Things to Come," "Marching
Readings/Book Signings
BEN YAGODA The author signs and reads from his new book, "When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It: The Parts of Speech, for Better and/or
Old Wine, New BottlesDays of Glory and The Lives of Others refit familiar genres to tell unfamiliar stories.
by Sam Adams
If it weren't for the identity of their central characters, it's doubtful that either Days of Glory or The Lives of Others would have attracted much attention, let alone a nomination for the foreign language Oscar.
Space Case
Billy Bob Thornton takes a rocket to the moon.
by Cindy Fuchs
Charles Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton) has a space suit. During his first appearance in The Astronaut Farmer, he's wearing his silver outfit and riding his horse.
Screen Picks
Adams on Film.
by Sam Adams
Ghosts of Abu Ghraib; Half-Cocked/Radiation; Academy Award Shorts; KZ
Cold Open
Just another face in the crowd.
Seeing Daddy's Little Girls & Ghost Rider with the commoners.
Repertory Film
Send repertory film listings to tami.fertig@citypaper.net.
Opening ActAcoustic Philly blazes a trail for its ambitious up-and-comers.
by Bob Finkelstein
Unknown bands and solo acts struggling to break into the live music scene in Philadelphia often find that the road to some of the city's best-known small stages can be a discouraging one.
Rare/Import
Gene Coleman and The Tabadol Project outlast bombs, bad luck and bad weather and finally make it to Philly.
by Shaun Brady
The Tabadol Project was originally scheduled for last July, but the outbreak of hostilities with Israel scrapped musicians' travel plans at the last minute.
Hang The DJ:
This Ain't a Scene
J. Edward Keyes on Shuffle
by J. Edward Keyes
Fall Out Boy's Infinity on High manages to be both surprisingly charming and predictably overcooked. !!!'s Myth Takes is all about rhythm and movement.
Under The Rock:
Particle Acceleration
The Photon Band is a band.
by Michael Pelusi
When the time came for a follow-up to Lonely Planet, Di Furia was ready for a change. "I got so sick of hearing playbacks of just 16 tracks of me.",
Music Picks:
Orchestra 2001
Mixel Pixel/Rahim
DJ Scratch
Fri., Feb. 23, 8 p.m., $20-$30, Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College; Sun., Feb. 25, 3 p.m., $20-$30, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St.
by Peter Burwasser
One of the most remarkable features of composer György Ligeti's career, which is being celebrated all this season by Orchestra 2001, is his mastery of a huge range of styles.
Mixel Pixel/Rahim
Fri., Feb. 23, 9 p.m., $8, with Papertrigger and A Study in Her, The Khyber, 56 S. Second St.
by A.D. Amorosi
Brooklyn's Mixel Pixel manages to do some unthinkable things. Like utilize a Stephin Merritt-orious deadpan on a bunch of Atari-infused tunes that take from shiny '80s electro-pop and neo-psychedelic '60s folk with equal aplomb.
DJ Scratch
Fri., Feb. 23, 10 p.m., $5—$8, with DJ Scratch, DJ Ultraviolet, Fluid, 613 S. Fourth St.
by Deesha Dyer
Back in the golden era of hip-hop, the DJ was just as vital as the emcee. That's where DJ Scratch is coming from.
Home At LastBack Home Café gives diners a decent meal — and its employees a second chance.
by Zach Pontz
Nearly two years ago, Keith Grant was evicted from Section 8 housing in Upper Darby for not paying back rent. He eventually found himself homeless and living on the street. Now, he's pulled his life together and paid off his debts, thanks in no small part to Back Home Café.
Forked Tongue:
Urasenke La Salle
Feeding FrenzyMastering chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony, takes at least 16 years.
by Sam Tremble
I felt like a very rude giant. Save the entrance, every door was at least a foot shorter than usual and the staircase in front of me was narrow and steep.
Restaurants opening, closing and pending
by Drew Lazor
NOW SEATING: Zot, 122 Lombard St.; Elixir Café, 944 N. Second St.; Spruce Rana Gourmet Deli and Market, 1034 Spruce St.
What's Cooking:
The Week In Eats
Max McCalman, Victory Chili Challenge, Philly Craft Beer Festival and more.
by Elisabeth Holm
Max McCalman Discussion; Home Brewer Club Tasting; Victory Chili Challenge; Philly Craft Beer Festival; Mixology Education and Vodka Tasting
Top 5:
Cheesemongers
Rindhouse
by Tara Mataraza Desmond
1) Zeke Ferguson, Di Bruno Brothers; 2) Jack Morgan, Downtown Cheese; 3) Melanie Fortino, Salumeria; 4) Adam Serfass, Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop; 5) Sal Auriemma Jr., Claudio King of Cheese
Watering Hole:
Sit On It Bar
It's Where We Drink
by Will Dean
The sign for South Philly's Sit On It Bar features a large yellow hand giving the thumbs-up symbol. Relatively innocuous, or risque insult?
Agenda Lead:
Seven Year Itch
The Simpsons writer returns to the stage
by Ben Kharakh
"I don't so much drop jokes as I forget them," says comedian and former Simpsons writer Dana Gould. "People quote something, and I'll go, 'Yeah, what ever happened to that? I'll do it tonight.'"
Agenda Picks:
Phillyanthropy
Just Do It
In The Event That...
On The DL
Just Do It
Just Do It
On The DL
Been There/Done That
Get Up, Get Out, Get Involved
by Lisa Tauber
East Coast Roller Derby Extravaganza Sat., March 17, noon-mid.; Sun., March 18, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Just Do It
A Night at the Monkey Bar
by Kelly White
Sat., Feb. 24, 8:30 p.m., $20, Bridget Foy's, 200 South St., 347-423-3560, www.bridgetfoys.com
In The Event That...
You Do As the Romans Do
by Erin Brodbeck
"Philadelphia: Athens of America" Tue., Feb. 27, 6 p.m., $25-$30, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust St., 215-925-2918
On The DL
Purim Schpiel
by Tami Fertig
Wed., Feb. 28, 7 p.m., free, Fergie's Pub, 1214 Sansom St., secon floor, www.thecollaborative.org
Just Do It
Miss Gay Pennsylvania Pageant
by Natalie Hope McDonald
Sat., Feb. 24, 6 p.m., $55-$70, Eagle Firehouse Ballroom, Sugan Road at Route 202, New Hope, 609-397-5685, www.missgaypausofa.com
Just Do It
St. David's Day Celebration
by Mickey Jou
Sat., Feb. 24, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., free with admission, Longwood Gardens, Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org
On The DL
Oscar Party
by Megan M. Erwin
Sun., Feb. 25, 6 p.m., free with a bottle of wine or beer, Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville, 610-917-1228, reservations required.
Been There/Done That
Bollywood Dance Class
by Lydia Navatsyk
Every Sun., 3 p.m., $12, Archana Dance Academy, Middletown Community Center, 2140 Trenton Rd., Levittown, 267-994-7285.
Paper Doll:
Calendar Boy
Gay TV host Butch Cordora wants hot, naked men. (Homos need not apply.)
by Ashlea Halpern
Push, breathe, push, breathe, God damn it, breathe. It's a tender gesture — albeit a futile one. After nearly 25 minutes, Barton's hamstrings tremble under the strain. Snap, snap, snap — lights flash everywhere. Then, silence. "OK, thank you! That's a wrap!"
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