As frequent Southwest Airlines fliers, we are shocked to hear that in the past two years, 60,000 flights were operated in old planes with long overdue inspections. In response to this neglect, the FAA is threatening to slap the airline with its largest-ever fine: $10.2 million. Southwest’s blog tells anxious customers: “We assure you that this issue never compromised the safety of our fleet. Southwest has an excellent maintenance program, with more Boeing 737......

Dear Philadelphia: I have lived here now for nearly six years. I made it through four and a half without buying pepper spray, and only acquired one from a friend when a string of sexual assaults last fall were a little too close to home. It remains attached to my keychain, except for when it isn't: before shows at the Electric Factory or TLA, I make sure to detach it and leave it somewhere......

As you all know, journalists love their booze. Just ask Hemingway. So it's only fitting that Jen Dionisio, an established local writer whose name you might recognize from the Metro or the Chestnut Hill Local, would make her first post on Phillyist one about beer. Bottoms up, Jen, and welcome aboard! Put down the Pabst, folks, Philly Beer Week has officially begun. Beer enthusiasts and general tipplers alike can treat their palates to city-wide specials......

Update: Digg this, please! As the second most famous person who has slept with Jessica Simpson once said, “Fathers be good to your daughters / daughters will live like you do / girls become lovers who turn into mothers / so mothers be good to your daughters too” Somewhere along the way, a father was not good to a daughter. It’s well-established that as a father your number one job is to keep your little......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend Witnesses or Svjedoci Set in a small town in Croatia during the civil war of the early '90s, this film adaptation of the novel Plaster Sheep tells the story of the investigation into the murder of a Serbian smuggler and loan shark. The story is told from multiple perspectives and only slowly does the reason for the murder become clear. Sounds interesting, and the majority of......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: There Goes That Spielberg Again: “Sharks, Spaceships and Spectacles: The Films of Steven Spielberg,” a presentation by Dr. Lester Friedman, with hors d’oeuvres and drinks, at the Prince Music Theater Independence Black Box (1412 Chestnut), 6PM. $10 As We Look Forward: Author Mitch Nathanson discusses his new book The Fall of the 1977 Phillies: How a Baseball Team's Collapse Sank a City's Spirit at the Penn Bookstore (3601......

D'oh! We up and forgot to celebrate Pennsylvania Day yesterday! While we were forgetting, Pennsylvania was earning the national average grade of B-minus in the Pew Center on the States scorecard on the effectiveness of state government, which just happened to get released yesterday. PA "was praised for creating a plan to respond to its alarming backlog of bridges in need of repairs and furnishing meaningful information about programs funded with state money." Meanwhile,......

Climate change has rapidly become part of our national discourse. As early as four or five years ago, the issue was treated by many as a paranoid conspiracy. Now, political figures from governors to presidential candidates to George W. Bush himself seem unable to avoid the fact that not only is our planet becoming warmer, but it is also losing the ability to produce key resources such as oil and clean water. Here’s a look......

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment. MoviesOnline has a ton of clips up from the upcoming Neil Marshall film, Doomsday. (Via) The next group in Hollywood we have to worry about striking is the actors. They're represented by the Screen Actors' Guild, who for some reason don't even want to start negotiating with producers until April. So another union, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists,......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Mon, 8PM-10PM, Fox) Terminator is finishing up its first season already (boo!) with a special two-hour episode, featuring John and Derek disagreeing over whether they can trust Cameron; Cromartie still tracking John; and Ellison finding out he has an enemy inside the FBI. Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood (Mon, 9:30PM-10:45PM, TCM) This brand new documentary explores the......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Most Likely to Rule: Penelope We should have a review of this Christina Ricci/James McAvoy fantasy romantic comedy a little later on today. Trailer - Freshness Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse City of Men A kind of follow-up to City of God from producer Fernando Meirelles features two teenagers who become fast friends growing up in a culture of violence and street gangs. As their......

Entering the empty stage, David Ford began to shake his maracas into the microphone. He stepped away and lowered the maracas, but, as if it was somehow coming from behind the scenes, the sound continued to echo. He then briefly vocalized into the mic and -- same as the maracas -- after the vocalization was over, it eerily continued. At this point, hushed murmurs throughout the crowd could be heard: "What is he doing?" "How......

Our very own state could actually be of key importance in the Democratic presidential primary, so the campaigns for both Clinton and Obama will be opening offices in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in the coming days, and expanding their staff by recruiting local pros. The Inquirer takes a look at the battle going on over a proposed state-wide ban on smoking in Pennsylvania. A woman leaped from her third-floor apartment window on South Street near 2nd......

Today is not a snow day for us here at Phillyist. We are still working hard to bring you the best the city has to offer. Well, maybe not that hard. But we're still busier than ever today, so here comes your first lean helping of Can't Miss This, Lite! Lite as in brief, but also Lite as in, all about drinking! As for the children, well, word on the street is that you......

Bon Iver is the lyrics and music of Justin Vernon. As last night's opening act for Black Mountain, Vernon and his band set an introspective tone. The first thing I thought of when they started playing was, Dude meditates or spends a lot of time alone and quiet, or he could never write such insightful, unembellished lyrics, or create exquisite music stripped down to its barest, most natural, yet beautiful state. It's like he was......

'Twas the Sunday after Valentine's Day and all through the World Cafe Live, folks were stirring about, probably even mice. A familiar face graced the stage to prepare the audience for the night's headlining act. It was none other than Dawn Landes. Her weapon of choice varies (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano). Her songs, though, remain the same. At times upbeat and hopeful; at times, introspective and hopeless. She's touring the country in support of......

It was a strange morning for jogger Charles S., who'd taken to the crisp air at 5:00 am on July 15th 1967. As he inhaled the fresh air into his lungs, two men suddenly joined him, the trio happily bounding along the pathway. Charles noticed that the men had very blonde hair and eyes that seemed to be set close together, and rather eerily they said nothing to him. As Charles slowed to a......

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you. Some cool stuff is coming out of the NY Toy Fair, including pics of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull LEGO figures; some news and behind-the-scenes footage about upcoming movies like Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, G.I. Joe, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars; and Mattel Speed Racer toys. Apparently there's going to be a total......

Around 2AM yesterday, Joseph Kelly Sr. was driving along the Vine Street Expressway when he saw a homeless man in a wheelchair marooned on the median. He pulled over and crossed three lanes on foot to try to help the man across the street. As one car slowed down to let them pass, another struck that vehicle and then ran into Kelly and the other man, killing them both. A 17-year-old male knocked on the......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Academy Award Nominated Animated Shorts Academy Award Nominated Live-Action Shorts Wow, this is totally cool: the Ritz at the Bourse is actually screening all the animated and live-action short films that have been nominated for Oscars this year. These films are usually quite difficult to see, so this is a really neat opportunity. Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse George Romero's Diary of the Dead It's......

The sun is out and, although it looks pretty, it isn't doing us much good. It's still colder than a Phillyist's, uh, hand, in a, um, brass, hm, glove? Politically correct humor is an oxymoron. Since it's Valentine's Day, we'll offer something angry for the loners, something romantic for the lovers and something educational for the learners to do in the city that is suddenly too cold for murderers. At least there's something good......

There are lots of reasons why drinking heavily on Valentine’s Day is probably a good idea, but here’s a new one: University City Kiwanis Club is sponsoring A Shot for Love, a fundraiser at McFadden’s Restaurant and Saloon tonight from 9PM-12AM. As you head in, let the nice person at the door know that you are there for the Kiwanis Club gathering, and your $5 cover will be donated to the Second Chance Support Group,......

Well, here we are. Another Monday. Highs in the mid 20s. It's a cold world, especially today, especially in Philly. As the week sinks its teeth into our souls, let's see if there's anything we can do to keep our spirits up. CURTIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: ALAN GILBERT, CONDUCTOR We know you're cultured, and you know you're cultured. But does anybody else know you're cultured? A good way to show them is to spend your......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Some Art for the Wall: 5th Annual Emerging Artists and Emerging Leaders Art Auction, with entertainment by local guitarist Marisol Rampolla and an open bar, at Drexel University - Paul Peck Alumni Center (32nd and Market), 7PM. $10 There Are Some Who Aren’t?: Local author Lynn Hoffman reads from his novel bangBANG, the story of “a feisty Philly waitress,” at Molly’s Bookstore (1010 S. 9th), 7:30PM. Free......

Mayor Nutter has cut taxpayer-funded nonprofit Philadelphia Safe and Sound's funding by $21 million, and City Council's majority leader said she would call today for hearings to look into how Safe and Sound conducts its business. The funding cuts will result in the closing of ten school-based community centers; the termination of a parent-truancy program; and the elimination of many after-school programs. As the head of one after-school program put it, "It's a fiasco."......

The weekend is still barely visible over the horizon, but that doesn't mean you can't have some weekendly fun upon this unseasonably warm eve. Here are a few things to do so you can tell your friends how immersed you are in city life. A BOB MARLEY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION! Bob Marley was a class act from the start, and identification with the marijuana counter-culture did nothing to dampen his image as one of the most......

Dear La Petite Mort, I think my game is broken. I haven't been out on multiple dates in years. I'll admit, I'm sort of a particular guy. If I want to see There Will Be Blood and she wants to see 27 Dresses, done. If I want to talk about Obama and all she can say is, Oh Britney! she's finished. It might seem picky, but I never want to settle. If she's too short,......

The Inquirer takes a look at the political landscape on the morning of Super Tuesday. If you're from New Jersey or Delaware, remember to vote! As long as you've done your research, and you care at all. If neither of those things are true then please, don't vote. A federal lawsuit filed in December says that President Bush's housing czar, Alphonso Jackson, pressured the Philadelphia Housing Authority to transfer land worth $2 million to Kenny......

Let it be said, first, that I am glad this little drama exists and look forward to seeing more. Mite We? is a testament to community theatre's ability to make art that directly confronts local issues. In it, members of the Puppet Uprising theatre group attempted to confront white flight, gentrification, and general liberal angst right here in West Philly to adults and children of all races in a span of 90 minutes using puppets.......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Caramel This romantic comedy set in a Beirut beauty salon follows the lives, conversations, love affairs, and drama of the women customers, ultimately revealing that people are the same all over. Could be fun; anyway the critics seem to enjoy it. Trailer - Freshness Showing at: Ritz Five Most Likely to Rule: Honeydripper The latest film from critically acclaimed American independent filmmaker John Sayles is a......