Miscellaneous: July 2009 Archives

Lucky, lucky.

That's what Billy Joel had before he went on stage last night.

Bobby

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Our Fairmount Park series continues this week with a look at the Japanese House and Gardens, also known as Shofuso or the Pine Breeze Villa. The House and garden are located in Western Fairmount Park on the Horticulture Center grounds, just off Lansdowne Avenue. The Villa is only open from April through September. In order to tour the garden and house, you do have to pay an admission fee, but compared to other museums and such in this city, it is relatively cheap: $6 for adults, $3 for students/seniors, and free for members. And the price of admission is totally worth it.

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Phillyist is fairly sure that everyone has heard about the city's money troubles...and the state's money troubles...and the country's money troubles. We are all fairly certain, unless you live in a bubble at the bottom of the sea, that everyone knows budgets are being cut and belts are being tightened everywhere.

Dayjo (ID# A07703192)

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Don't grow up and become this guy:

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DCist went to the official launch of Google Moon and geeked out over astronauts while celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing.

Dear Philadelphia Regional Area:

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Sophie

This column needs to start with a correction, just in case you didn't see the amendment to last week's baby bargains.

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It probably goes without saying that Fairmount Park is a huge park. So, over the next few weeks Parking will focus on one section or part of Fairmount each week. And even then, we still won't get through the entire park, just a tiny bit over on the western side.

Johnny Zito has a cool t-shirt on; it's a three-quarter sleeve baseball jersey adorned by a weathered Liberty Bell with a lightning bolt instead of a crack. As a matter of fact, the last two times this Phillyist saw Zito, I commented on his cool t-shirts. His reply: "Oh, this is one of ours. Want me to order you one?" This pitch makes perfect sense for Zito and his roommate/business partner Tony Trovarello, the two hardest working men in South Philly showbiz. Whether its building sets for feature films, touring with local band The Swimmers, directing porn star Stoya in their 48 Hour Film Project, or designing t-shirts, Trov and Zito have learned to diversify their portfolio. In other words, they've mastered the art of the hustle.

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Chuck (ID# A07744072)

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Nobody ever said strippers had to be smart...

with Canadiana—arriving in New York City.

In yet another stunning display of blatant disregard for the economic plight of his constituents, the City of Philadelphia, and the state of Pennsylvania, Republican Minority Whip Frank Rizzo, Jr. (son of the ex-mayor depicted in the statue at right) is the lone City Council member intending to accept his cost of living raise this year. Other members—wiser, more informed, more considerate members—are planning to give the money back to the general fund, or to various city charities. They're primarily doing so in order to show solidarity with union workers who are shit out of luck being asked to decline pay raises for 4 years.

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Coco

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Mario Lanza park has been described as an "oasis" and I'd have to agree. Fences at either entrance mark it off from the rest of the street. Plenty of trees provide cover from the sun and the noise of the city. A dog run located on the southwestern edge of the park lets dogs run free while their owners socialize. The dog run seems to be the place to bring your canine friend in Queen Village. The playing puppies and chatting owners provide a pleasant background hum.

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Chairman Meow (ID# A07721734)

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When French peasants stormed the Bastille, they did it with guns. When Eastern State Penitentiary held its annual Bastille Day Festival this weekend, people came armed with cuteness.

This is a big week for bad behavior and well deserved bad press. As reported approximately, absolutely, everywhere, sixty-five children were booted from the pool at the Valley Club in Huntingdon Valley for the terrible crime of skin pigmentation. As they jumped into the pool, white children were called out of the pool by their Jim Crow throwback parents. One camper, Dymire Baylor, overheard one woman say, "Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?' She's like, 'I'm scared they might do something to my child."

I worried I was going to miss the thing entirely—"the thing" being a round-table interview with Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal, the director and screenwriter of the film The Hurt Locker. I'd left early, I'd taken the precautionary cab so as not to be made late by a half mile walk in high heels to the Four Seasons. But, my taxi was sitting at 17th and Market with no clear sign that movement would ever be possible. Eventually, finally, it moved and I made it.

Lucky

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After the unhappy revelation last week that Philly is slacking in sexual satisfaction, Phillyist thought we could take matters into our own hands (or phones) and help y'all out. Or at least get some more information from Trojan, the source of the survey. Plus, we were curious what the condom-makers are like. Are they hard-partying lampshade wearers? Lascivious Lady Godiva types?

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Can't decide which beach to go to? This article provides some useful info on the topic, from Sunset Beach to Higbee Beach.

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Walking down Catharine Street in Bella Vista, you might not even notice the small park tucked in next to the Fleisher Art Memorial. Palumbo Park is located smack in the middle of the block, with an iron fence setting it off from the rest of the street so that it does not appear at first to be a public park. Once inside the park, the air is peaceful and mostly silent. Birds chirped in the trees when I visited and traffic sounds from Catharine were hushed.

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Put your bathing suits on. This year, water temperatures are warmer than normal topping at nearly 70 degrees.

Eve (ID# A06998531)

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Living in a city full of history, it is easy to miss things that are full of historical value and interest. We're lucky enough to have a wealth of fascinating locations at our fingertips and so don't always notice that they are there. Take this week's park for example. Located off 2nd street between Walnut and Chestnut Street in Old City, Welcome Park tends not to stand out. I always just thought of it simply as the space in front of the Ritz East movie theater and not as an actual park, let alone an actual park with a neat story.

No wonder Philadelphians have a reputation for being surly. Turns out Brotherly Love is the only kind of lovin' we get. According to a survey conducted by Trojan Condoms, Philadelphians only have sex an average of 73 times a year. That ties us with Dallas and Chicago for the second-lowest rate of sexual activity in the country. To make matters worse, Philadelphians are only 64% satisfied with what action we do get.

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