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ISSUE . January 10th, 2008

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Rolling Holy

Can you find God in a North Philly skate hall?

by J.F. Pirro

In the early '90s, Lloyd told Temple: "No deal." When Korean investors offered him cash for the building, he didn't even ask why they were interested. Then, when drug dealers shot at his door, he declared war. He set their office — a couch on a corner opposite the rink — on fire.

Opinion

Editor's Letter:

Hail to the Nerd

It's a four-letter word, but only technically

by Duane Swierczynski

My apologies, Ma'am. But I actually meant it as the highest form of respect. Nerds do their homework. Nerds are ridiculously dependable. Nerds pay attention to details. Nerds are obsessed with getting it right.

Slant:

Tech Overload

It's not about you wanting an iPhone; it's about the iPhone wanting you.

by David Dritsas

These days, there's almost nothing that can limit how, when or where content is delivered. Want to access your local cable channels while on vacation? Hook up a Slingbox to your laptop! Can't miss Dr. Phil while driving the kids to soccer practice? A new device from Pioneer will let you watch it in the car.

Loose Canon:

Hello, Friskadelphia

"If I want to stop that problem, I'll dress like a cop or a businessman, and carry my gun in a briefcase."

by Bruce Schimmel

In my experience, being patted down for a weapon is no big deal. Everyone gets a quick frisk each time they enter a store in Israel, where they do security right.

Feedback:

Letters to the Editor

What You Say

The exit interview with John Street shows him to be the same rude, ignorant, small-minded little man he's always been. | There is example upon example across the country of white racist gangs who have attacked people of color that never get reported or became "a national scandal." | ow could Bonté be left off the list of everything we Philadelphians love about Belgium?

Naked City

Lost and Found:

Home Free

Interview with Isaiah Kuch, of the Lost Boys of Sudan.

by Patrick Rapa

"I will always believe one day I will go back to Sudan and make it my home again," he says soberly. That's a common sentiment among his fellow refugees. They want to return to the site of their most difficult times, where they lost their parents and siblings, to help the place build and develop.

Icepack

Amorosi on the news, nightlife, gossip and bitchiness beats.

by A.D. Amorosi

Dito van Reigersberg will star in Mauckingbird Theatre Co. 's debut: an all-boy production of Molière's The Misanthrope starting Jan. 10 at the Adrienne's 2nd Stage. Hmm? All men? Artistic director Peter Reynolds and managing director Lindsay Mauck, y'all making Maucking Philly's first all gay-themed theater? "I'm fortunate to be able to share a lot of musical stories, but I'm interested in telling other stories, as well; stories that I'm passionate about, particularly gay stories and classic texts," says Reynolds, director of musical theater at Temple. "The Misanthrope's a wonderful blend of both." You, go!

Running Numbers

A scholarly look at the digits that matter.

by Nick Norlen

The salute to the legacy of the university's founder will include a discussion with Penn professor David Grazian about his new book, On the Make: The Hustle of Urban Nightlife, which details the ongoing cons, hustles and games of Philadelphia's downtown night scene. Tickets are $5, but you can probably talk your way in.

News

Underworld:

Gossiped Girls

Despite an apparent mob fetish, Alycia isn't the only local TV gal to (allegedly) go wild.

by Gabriele Valentine

"Tell Alycia, welcome to the criminal enterprise. She doesn't want to cover us; she wants to be one of us," says Ruth Ann Seccio, former mistress of mob-boss-turned-rat Ralph Natale. In fact, Seccio thinks more highly of Lane since she was arrested last month for allegedly slugging a female New York City police officer.

The Bell Curve

City Paper's Quality-o-Life-o-Meter

New police commissioner Charles Ramsey has less than a month to develop a strategy addressing Mayor Nutter's declared "crime emergency." "I've got a plan right now," says Ramsey, holding up the double DVD set of 28 Days Later with deleted scenes and bonus features. "But I gotta warn you, things are going to get worse before they get better." Plus 1

Coffee Clash

by Kishwer Vikaas

At 3 p.m. Friday, Annie DiAntonio entered the Philadelphia Zoning Board's meeting room. She was a half-hour early for the hearing about her plan to

Who's Watching the Watchers?

A police-oversight agency is shuttered.

by Tom Namako

Edwin Pace, deputy director of the city's most powerful law enforcement watchdog, is used to sorting through stacks of police documents, using that information to author reports that exceed hundreds of pages.

Philly Blunt:

Gimme More Negativity

All's well when Britney brings rock bottom to Philadelphia.

by Brian Hickey

First, I was going to hit the state store across the street and grabsome plastic-bottle vodka along with a couple cans of Red Bull. Then,it was off to Rite Aid to pick up Vicodin, Ritalin, Zantac, NyQuil andthe best over-the-counter sleeping and diet pills that company moneycould buy.

Political Notebook:

Meeting the New Boss

by Mary F. Patel

A high-level VIP donor party was held earlier in the evening at Urban Outfitters, near the Terminal. According to guests who attended, and who did not want to be named for obvious reasons, it was a disaster with long lines for drinks, little food and very loud music that did not impress the 500 or so attendees who complained as they drifted in the main reception.

Rock Bottom

The lowest of Philly's low.

Arts

Art:

Ship Rock

Why James Sugg returned to The Sea.

by Dominic Mercier

Armed with his trusty squeezebox, Sugg took to the Wilma Theater's stage for his rock opera The Sea, and somehow persuaded entire audiences to join him in lusty choruses of "Bring that hooker home!"

Re-View:

Pushing Buttons

Robin Rice on Visual Art

by Robin Rice

This makes for an engaging show but few generalizations. The two I can make about the street-savvy nine are that each seems cognizant of historical, visual culture and each is notably sensitive to texture.

Arts Picks:

Open to Interpretation

"Open to Interpretation: The Art and Science of the Inkblot," reception Wed., Jan. 16, 5-7 p.m., through Feb. 8, Leonard Pearlstein Gallery at Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St., 215-895-2548.

by Lori Hill

visual art (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION) "If you show me your inkblots I will show you mine." Sounds kinky, right?

New Edge Mix

Fri.-Sat., Jan. 11-12, 8 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 13, 3 p.m.; $10-$12, Community Education Center, 3500 Lancaster Ave., 215-387-1911, cecarts.org.

by Deni Kasrel

The latest edition of the Community Education Center's New Edge Mix features five choreographers striving to create a personal aesthetic.

Arts Agenda

Last Chance

Catch it or Regret It

by Holly Otterbein

With their flamboyant colors and extravagant furnishings, Jane Irish's paintings of French interiors seem merely romantic. But the sculptures, chandeliers and mirrors are veils for a darker subject. | four painters and one sculptor reveal the importance of size in abstract art. | Fuhrman finds inspiration in natural materials and equilibrium; Miyamori's space, meanwhile, incorporates man-made objects like typewriters and maps.

Arts Agenda Picks:

Just Do It

Random Thoughts: Opening reception Thu., Jan. 10, 6-9 p.m., exhibit runs through Feb. 7, Kelly & Weber Fine Art, Crane Arts Building, 1400 N. American St., 215-236-2872.

by Rachel Frankford

Bound hands, a row of chairs, a slavering dog: Ira Upin combines images like these in his mysteriously linked panel paintings.

Day Tripper

Sea Turtles: Older Than Dinosaurs!

by Drew Lazor

Jan. 12-April 27, Reading Public Museum, 500 Museum Road, Reading, 610-371-5850, readingpublicmuseum.org

Galleries

Galleries are usually open Tuesdays through Saturdays; please call the gallery for exact days and hours. Receptions are denoted with Reception 201 GALLERY , 1400

Museums/Exhibits

Museums and exhibits have varying schedules;please call for exact days, hours and prices. 30TH STREET STATION , 30th & Market Sts. THE FACES OF CHRONIC

Performing Arts

Please call the phone number listed with the venue for specific dates, times and ticket information. dance NEW EDGE MIX This evening of dance covers

Readings/Book Signings

ANTHONY LEWIS The two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner reads from his latest book, "Freedom for the Thought That We Hate," in which he argues that the right

Movies

Old Haunts

The Orphanage lacks originality and scares.

by Shaun Brady

Bayona fails to emerge from underneath del Toro's mentorship with his own identity, instead pilfering ideas and set pieces from a variety of sources.

Screen Picks

Adams on flim.

by Sam Adams

Star Spangled to Death (Thu., Jan. 10, 6 p.m., free, Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., armcinema25.com) A tattered crazy quilt stitched together from found footage, news

Repertory Film

Your weekly guide to local film events, festivals and under-the-radar screenings.

Send repertory film listings to tami.fertig@citypaper.net.

Music

Bound for Glory

Paying tribute to unforgettable forgotten blues/gospel star Sister Rosetta Tharpe

by Mary Armstrong

The energetic singing and guitar playing of Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915-1973) broke ground not only for gospel music, but provided much of the inspiration for rock 'n' roll. She deserves better than an unmarked grave in East Germantown's Northwood Cemetery.

The Unsung Singer

The Antfarm Quartet doesn't pander to its vocal minority.

by Shaun Brady

Jazz In jazz, the second a singer enters the picture, the picture itself tends to change. Landscape becomes portrait, with the vocalist front and center,

Suite Spot:

Bernstein Bears

Peter Burwasser on Classical

by Peter Burwasser

Leonard Bernstein's enormous success tended to raise suspicions in the perverse logic of the cultural elite of his time. It was granted, begrudgedly, that he was a pretty good educator and writer, with his landmark Young People's Concerts at the heart of this legacy.

Music Picks:

Steve Lehman Quintet

Sat., Jan. 12, 8 p.m., $12, Philadelphia Art Alliance, 251 S. 18th St., arsnovaworkshop.com.

by Shaun Brady

In order to fully grasp the complexity of the music on his latest disc, it might help to be, as alto saxophonist Steve Lehman is, a doctoral candidate in composition at Columbia University.

Network for New Music

Network for New Music: The Poetry Project, Wed., Jan. 16, 8 p.m., $15-$25, Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999, kimmelcenter.org.

by Peter Burwasser

There are few more primal and universally accessible musical activities than singing. Banging a stick on a rock, perhaps.

Jaimie Branch Trio

Sun., Jan. 13, 8 p.m., $10, Philadelphia Art Alliance, 251 S. 18th St., arsnovaworkshop.com.

by Shaun Brady

It's easy for anyone to get lost in Chicago's competitive free-jazz scene, so at a mere 24 years old and female in a notoriously boys-club environment, it says something that recent arrival Jaimie Branch is already staking a claim for attention.

Richie Havens

Sat., Jan. 12, 7:30 p.m., $39-$33, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com.

by Nicole Pensiero

Back in '69, Richie Havens made history by opening Woodstock with a set that went on for hours with countless ovations. "Nobody else was ready to play so I just kept on going," the 66-year-old recalls.

Food

Cult of Seasonality

Philly's "locavore" pedigree sets an example for the rest of the country.

by David Snyder

You've surely heard by now — The New Oxford American Dictionary's 2007 word of the year was "locavore," referring to those who seek out locally grown food.

Feeding Frenzy

Restaurants opening, closing and pending

by Drew Lazor

Stogie Joe's 1801 E. Passyunk Ave.: The no-sign-to-speak-of Passyunk Tavern, which has been open for the better part of three decades, is in the very, very early stages of an overhaul | Kujaku 1700 Ben Franklin Parkway: This new project, slated to open early next week, is backed by Bo Choi, who owns Old City's well-regarded Uzu Sushi

Positively Fourth Street

Café Estelle is easy to miss, until you've eaten there.

by Trey Popp

I didn't even need to open my mouth to be convinced. All it took was bringing one of Marshall Green's little flatbread pizzas to my nose.

Top 5:

Swanky Coffee Splurges

Green Beans

by Kelly White

1 Jamaican Blue Mountain | 2 Single Cup Brew | 3 Designer Beans | 4 Reserve Coffee | 5 Mate Dulce Latte

What's Cooking:

The Week In Eats

Get Out!

by Felicia D'Ambrosio

Free Chowder Day at Legal Sea Foods: In honor of National Soup Month, Boston-based Legal Sea Foods is offering free cups of its famed New England clam chowder. | Wine Dinner at Doc Magrogan's Oyster House | Seasonal Citrus Cooking Class at Williams-Sonoma | Tequila Dinner at Mission Grill

Agenda

Agenda Lead:

Food Fight

Michael Pollan on Defense

by A.D. Amorosi

Michael Pollan: There's nothing wrong with meat. But our grandparents didn't eat it three times a day or eat 200 pounds of it every year as we do. For them, meat was special-occasion — and often seasonal — food, as it should still be.

Agenda Picks:

Just Do It

Bike Share Philadelphia Forum: Thu., Jan. 17, 6:30-9 p.m., free (registration required), Academy of Natural Sciences, 19th Street and Ben Franklin Parkway, bikesharephilly.org

by Rachel Frankford

Even if our president's idea of alternative transportation is his treadmill on board Air Force One, plenty of us are looking for ways to get away from fossil fuels.

On The DL

Solidarity Knows No Borders

by Dana Henry

Local activist Justin Vitiello describes a nightmarish scene in the manufacturing towns of northern Mexico: At a distance, children play in lakes outside their homes, but a closer look reveals that the house is built over a garbage dump and the "lake" is made of carcinogenic runoff.

What We Heart

Sublime Stitching Kits: $3-$30, at Art Star, 1030 N. Second St., 215-238-1557, sublimestitching.com

by Monica Weymouth

Don't let any DIY devotee tell you differently — knitting is damn hard. It takes time, talent and a patient grandmother before you can knock off a lumpy scarf.

In The Event That...

The Dewey Decimal System Turns You On

by Rachel Frankford

Dance Dance Library Revolution: Bibliodiscothèque Philadelphia Sat., Jan. 12, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., free, National Mechanics Bar, 22 S. Third St., 215-701-4883, myspace.com/thedeskset

Accidental Tourist

Mirah

by A.D. Amorosi

Where Bala Cynwyd native Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn is going is as important as where she's been.

Just Do It

A Genius Generation Lost to HIV/AIDS: Sun., Jan. 13, 4-6 p.m., $5 suggested donation, Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St., 215-446-3027, myspace.com/liliesandjade

by Monica Weymouth

More than 25 years after the first HIV/AIDS diagnosis, Zane Booker and the local arts community are as devastated as ever.