CNN is reporting that a former Army infantryman and National Guard helicopter pilot, Erich Scherfen, and his wife are on an unspecified government that limits or bans their air travel—and may result in the end of his career as a pilot with Colgan Air, Incorporated. The Schuylkill Haven couple may have been targeted because Scherfen converted to Islam when he married his Pakistani wife, Rubina. They sell books and DVDs about a pretty standard, harmless... [continue]

Sometimes, though, we do miss it. But not today! THE HUSH SOUND AT THE TLA Join The Hush Sound, The Cab, Steel Train, and The Morning Light tonight at the Theater of the Living Arts for their Dance Across the Country Tour. Sure, the tour name is über-lame, but the bands promise a decent live show. With an 8:00pm start time, the show will let you get the rock out and still leave you some... [continue]

Little Girl Lost is based on a real-life incident that involves a row house fire, the disappearance of newborn Delimar Vera, and a mother's six-year nightmare, spent believing her daughter had died in the blaze, as city officials told her. The all-star cast includes actors from Scrubs, The Shield, 24 and General Hospital, not to mention Ugly Betty star (and daughter of a former Philadelphia City Councilman) Ana Ortiz. This Lifetime Original Movie premieres Sunday,... [continue]

When someone offers you the chance to watch a television show and spit out your opinions on it, they probably hope that you enjoy what they're throwing at you. Well, suffice it to say that Parking Wars: Best of Season 1 falls into the category of "fun to watch because it ain't me!" True Phillyists all over the city know the Philadelphia Parking Authority means business. The PPA raked in over $70 million last year.... [continue]

It's hardly newsworthy, but leave it to the Daily News to put a blurb out there that we just can't pass up. Jimmy Rollins was a guest on The Best Damn Sports Show Period when he was quoted as saying, of Philadelphia sports fans, "When you're doing good, they're on your side. When you're doing bad, they're completely against you." The DN writer who posted the story seemed to be fishing for an undercurrent of... [continue]

Happy birthday Social Security! Here's to another 73 years—or at least until we retire. NEIGHBORHOOD HEARTS AND HANDS: A CHILDREN’S PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT The children of the Goodlands Community Arts Program live in some of the roughest areas of the city. But that doesn't mean they can't do their part to empower themselves and their neighbors. As a project of the grassroots community-building organization Centro Nueva Creacion, Goodlands is focused on bringing the power of art... [continue]

Happy birthday Casey Affleck. We're sorry you have to share a birthday with Muqtada al-Sadr, but it also happens to be the IBM Personal Computer's birthday, too. So call it even? WPRB & FREE YR RADIO PRESENT SECRET MACHINES AND DJ DAVE P We post many a musical romp over here, but some might say we're not covering enough of the all-ages action. Well, you don't need to serve alcohol to throw a killer show.... [continue]

As the Lebanon Daily News reports, the Philadelphia Historical Commission has added the once-magnificent but now-defunct Boyd movie theater, located on Chestnut Street between 19th and 20th Streets, to its list of historical buildings that may not be "demolished or altered." That's music to the ears of the Friends of the Boyd and anyone else interested in the preservation of the remnants of a bygone Philadelphia. Considering the National Trust for Historic Preservation has listed... [continue]

As we reported yesterday, the NRA has allegedly been employing spies to gather information on the operations of several gun control advocacy organizations. A Congressman from New Jersey, Frank Lautenberg, has demanded, in no uncertain terms, that the NRA come clean on its purported spy program and cease its use of "underhanded tactics." The gun-rights lobby has been silent on the allegations so far and Lautenberg's move places a great deal of pressure on them... [continue]

Happy birthday Mulder, uh, we mean David! GEEKS AND TOYS AT NATIONAL MECHANICS The Hacktory (cohosts of May's Battlestar Gallatica Party) is presenting a range of projects tonight, from the visually stunning to the robotically inclined. Oh, and it's at a bar. We like geeks, we like tech, and we like bars. So, a bar full of tech geeks is really kind of a no-brainer. There will be live chiptune music by Animal Style. Also,... [continue]

It's a tough sport to play and Philly is a tough town in which to play it. But Eagles guard Shawn Andrews, who has two Pro Bowls under his belt, has bigger problems on his plate than the mere pressure of playing in a city whose sports crowd is notoriously self-loathing. He failed to show at training camp recently and, according to the Daily News, Andrews is struggling with depression . We tend to be... [continue]

Maybe you forgot about it in the wake of the DHS mess, but let us remind you. Keystroke Logger: A keylogger, sometimes called a keystroke logger, key logger, or system monitor, is a hardware device or small program that monitors each keystroke a user types on a specific computer's keyboard. ~Search Security Anchorman: A broadcaster (as on a news program) who introduces reports by other broadcasters and usually reads the news. ~Merriam-Webster Online The definitions... [continue]

Once again, you just can't make this stuff up. According to Time.com, Mary Lou McFate (aka Mary McFate, aka Mary Lou Sapone), who has had previous incarnations as a flight attendant and a sex counselor (odd resume, Ms. McFate...) may have been working for the National Rifle Association even as she served on the board at organizations like CeasefirePA and States United to Prevent Gun Violence. Mother Jones Magazine broke the story. CeasefirePA will vote... [continue]

Happy birthday Andy Warhol! SUMMER TWILIGHT TOURS AT EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY Yes, an abandoned prison is scary any time of day or night. But the folks over at Eastern State Penitentiary are hoping a Twilight Tour will provide the perfect ambiance for an evening behind bars. The "Left Behind" tour features replicas of the minutiae that once littered the prison: photos, crafts and other paraphernalia that prisoners and guards would have used during the prison's... [continue]

Lehigh University issued a press release today outlining their research into the synaptic creation of some hormones, specifically estrogen. Until very recently, hormone production was thought to occur only in the testicles and the ovaries (tee hee hee...). Research like that being performed by LU's Colin Saldanha and his team of students and doctoral candidates is revealing some intriguing information on memory and the way synaptic estrogen regulates brain function. Of course, the physiology of... [continue]

Happy Birthday Funkmaster Flex! PHILLY GEEK DINNER AT NATIONAL MECHANICS Tonight you can celebrate geekdom with fellow geeks and scarf some quality eats at the same time. Head to National Mechanics and join local geeks for the inaugural Philly Geek Dinner meetup. Don't bring your "I-know-what- venture-capital-is-and-how-to-beg-for-it" slide show, though. Good food will satisfy your analog hungers and the drink selection will help the shy ones start geeking it up with the group. There will... [continue]

Head to Northern Liberties tonight to eat at any of the many establishments that will be donating 50% of tonight's business to Living Beyond Breast Cancer. Participating eateries will apparently be serving "breast-inspired foods", so check out the details and fill up for First Friday. The launch party already started (4pm to 6pm) at North 3rd (801 N 3rd St) so get going!... [continue]

This is just one of those stories that you simply can't make up. According to an NBC 10 article, a Lansdale couple is under investigation for (and have openly admitted to perpetrating) an "18-month egging spree." Seeking revenge on unnamed friends for unnamed damages inflicted upon them, the man and his girlfriend spent over a year slinging non-viable chicken embryos at more than 400 homes, allegedly causing over $7,000 in damage. According to the national... [continue]

PHILLY CAR SHARE PRESENTS: BBC's PLANET EARTH / THE PRINCESS BRIDE So what if they lost the city contract to a competitor? Any company that brings in live music, local artisans and The Princess Bride is okay in our book. Sit on some of that green grass (actual condition of grass at location may vary). You'll all be very glad to know that the movie version of everyone's favorite tale of "true love and high... [continue]

INDEPENDENTS HALL PRESENTS: ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS WORKSHOP Are you an award-winning Director of Photography? A class-act when it comes to scouting the perfect location and convincing an all-star cast to sign on for your world-changing project? Can you slice and dice hours and hours of footage into the ultimate three minute YouTube masterpiece? Whether one or all of these applies to you, or if you're just addicted to familiarizing yourself with all the software ever... [continue]