Chillin’ in Philly for July 4th? Though campus may be deserted, do remember that our nation’s Independence was declared in the Illadelph, making it a rather historical spot to celebrate the USA’s big birthday. Fortunately, it looks like 7/4/09 is shaping up to be not only historical, but also a lot of fun. What would Declaration signer and founder of Penn, Benjamin Franklin do if he were here to party? Here’s what we think:
Rock out with Philly icons The Roots and American icon Sheryl Crow at a free concert at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. With fireworks to follow. Show starts at 8:30 pm on Saturday.
Forget Capogiro and cool off at the Super-Scooper All You Can Eat Ice Cream Festival on Walnut Street and Columbus Boulevard on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon-5.
If you’re too indie for the old school stars and stripes action, check out Philebrity’s Sync Stage concert on Saturday from 2-9 p.m. at the Piazza on N. 2nd Street. Local bands you’ve never heard of will be aplenty.
Or, throw down seriously retro wth Earl Grey and crumpets at the Independence Hall Tea Party Saturday from 2-5 p.m. on 5th and Chestnut.
According to Daily Intel, Linguistics prof Mark Liberman has been trying to decode the statements of South Carolina’s scandal-ridden governor, Mark Sanford. Daily Intel writes: “For instance, Liberman suggests that when Sanford talked about ‘doing stupid,’ he may have been channeling the New International Version of the Bible — which refers to ‘doing good’ and ‘doing wrong’ — when he nominalized the adjective.”
We dug a little further and found that on Language Log, Liberman draws an interesting comparison between Sanford’s statement that “the biggest self of self is indeed self” and Gerard Manley Hopkins’ unfinished fragment On the Portrait of Two Beautiful Young People.
Here’s an excerpt: ”Man lives that list, that leaning in the will/ No wisdom can forecast by gauge or guess,/The selfless self of self, most strange, most still,/ Fast furled and all foredrawn to No or Yes.”
Liberman doubts Sanford is “familiar” with the fragment, but hey, it’s a cool parallel. And Linguistics professors teaching us how to excuse awkward syntax — that’s kinda cool too.
Check out The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation’s new ad campaign for our glorious city. This one is oh-so-cleverly addressed to World Champions (we like to be reminded of this fact again, and again, and again…) which we obviously love. The other ads are victims of the Goldilocks Paradox: some aim too big (Dear Great Big World) and others too small (Dear Powdered Wig Lovers), but this one is just right.
Once upon time Street employed an editor by the name of Stephen Morse. Morse was a ridiculous if entertaining character, even gaining 15 seconds of fame through his invention of the Assbrella in his post-Penn years. Morse was recently asked to donate to the Penn Fund. Absurdity ensued. Though these antics remind us of the spider e-mail of last fall, we enjoy the Penn twist.
Check out the entirety of the e-mail chain after the jump, because let’s be honest, your internship is boring the shit out of you this afternoon. (Note: clicking on the e-mails makes them life-sized and just that much more enjoyable to read.)
Last week the Blockley Pourhouse hosted a VIP invite-only soiree to celebrate its grand opening. Obviously Street snagged an invite because, well, we are very important after all. Even after enjoying the benefits of the open bar and live band, Koko Bongo’s inferior replacement (yes, inferior) did not live up to the hype. To express our outrage we’ve compiled a list of grievances. Here’s (not) to you, BP:
This morning we received an e-mail with a subject line that read: “LPS office closing early for Thanksgiving Break.” Sending an email five months in advance? Suspicious, we decided to actually read this one:
The College of Liberal and Professional Studies will close at 3:00 pm on Thursday, July 2 and will reopen at 8:30 am on Monday, July 6. All offices of the University of Pennsylvania will be closed on Friday, July 3 in observance of the Independence Day holiday.
Yes, you can eat turkey on Independence Day, but no LPS, you can NOT rename it. A correction e-mail followed about an hour later, but it still made us giggle.
Food trucks are a staple of Penn. As upperclassmen move off campus, they realize that a filling meal from a truck is cheaper and more satisfying than the slop they serve at Commons: thus, they ditch the meal plan and go wait in line for some economy-friendly eats.
While we all have our favorite truck, the undisputed king has to be Magic Carpet. The lines to get this vegetarian fare at 34th and Walnut are enormous, and the happy faces of customers as they eat are a testimony to how delicious everything is.
VendrTV agrees. That’s why they did a recent webisode profiling Magic Carpet and owner Dean Varvoutis (yes, the brains behind your Bella Donna). Personally, we’re loving the enthusiasm of the lady in the last testimonial. Kudos, Magic Carpet.
With all the talk of the #iranelection and #RIPmichaeljackson, we feel like we just about speak in hash marks and breathe through Twitter. The news frenzy of the last few days got us wondering what people were saying about our favorite topic, Penn, on Twitter. Although it’s not a trending topic, a search for “UPenn” did speak for itself. Check out our handpicked faves:
Let us guess…Wharton?
We feel the same way. Or…Wharton?
An art piece, LOL!
We hope the Crime Log picks up on this one. Also, ew.
Up until recently, Penn graduate Mark DeRosa may have only been a solid utility infielder known mostly by dudes who play in deep fantasy baseball leagues. But tonight, he did something Ben Franklin wishes from beyond the grave he could have accomplished (maybe even instead of the bifocal). Yes, Mr. DeRosa madeTwitter’s “Trending Topics” after being traded from Cleveland to St. Louis. See, there he is, right between “Micheal Jackson” [sic] and “BET Awards.”
Nothing proves that one is in the national consciousness quite like making Trending Topics and Mr. DeRosa, by our count, is the first Quaker to make the list. So it’s clear Mr. DeRosa must be celebrated and honored for this incredible achievement. It is with great pleasure that we announce our new campaign: Mark DeRosa for 2010 Penn Commencement Speaker. No one is more suited to share wisdom and knowledge with next year’s graduates than the one man who’s made it from Locust Walk to the center of the Twitterverse. Sign that petition, tweet until your fingers are numb, write to President Gutmann - whatever it takes, Mr. DeRosa must speak next May. LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN, GUYS.
This afternoon the Times published a piece about New York City valedictorians. We crossed our fingers that one of the highlighted almost-frosh would be going to Penn, and lo and behold, our wish came true! Queens native Adrienne Edwards is the valedictorian of Spence (you know, the tony prep school that Gossip Girl is allegedly based on), and headed to Penn come September. From her bio we know she got a 2160 on her SATs and wants to be a lawyer:
Outspoken and assertive, Adrienne commuted 90 minutes by bus and train to Spence, where she enrolled in 7th grade and was head of the hip-hop dance group and the multicultural awareness club. “I don’t think I’ll be able to function at my highest anywhere else but New York because I’ve met all my challenges and had all of my progressions here.”
We also learned she quoted Asher Roth in her valedictorian speech. Adrienne, we have a feeling you will indeed love college.
Bored of Smokes? Luckily for you Blockley Pourhouse, the University City gastropub that was scheduled to open in March, will finally open tonight. Located on 38th and Ludlow, the Blockley (which was formally an almshouse, city hospital, orphanage and insane asylum) will offer 24 draft beers and pubfare such as lobster pierogies and poutine (although why we need the staple fast food from Quebec, I’m not sure). Determined not to become just another Local 44, the Blockley will also feature local bands and DJs nightly, kicking off with DJ Sammy Slice on opening night.
Unless you’ve figured out how easy it is to sneak into the pool at the Sheraton on Chestnut St. the chances of you taking a dip in Philly this summer are slim. But worry not, my beached friends, because you are cordially invited to R5’s Pool Party!
What: Making Time, once featured in our very own Get Your Philly Phreak On as one of the city’s best dance nights. Except this time it will be during the day, poolside.
When: Tomorrow (Saturday, June 27th), 3:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Where: Here’s the best part. The party will take place at the Flying W Airport & Resort in Medford, NJ (20 minutes outside of the city.) Party guests will have access to an airplane shaped swimming pool, a tiki bar, a restaurant, a motel with 28 rooms, space for BBQing, and rides in airplanes and helicopters.
But How!?: Tickets can be purchased right here. General Admission is $12, but for an extra $5 you can hop on a shuttle that will take you from South Philly straight to the resort, and back!
Listen, if there’s one thing UTB loves, it’s sports. So of course there was no way we could just sit around our lavish headquarters, drinking our raspberry lemonades, dabbing our noses with sunscreen and enjoying our mudbaths when such important, Philadelphia-related basketball news came across our desks. Ladies and gentlemen: the 76ers have changed their uniforms.
This is a big deal! Uniform changes lead to championships. Look at the Denver Broncos. They were a joke of a franchise. And then in 1997, John Elway took to his sewing machine and was like, “Enough already, guys. I got this.” So he whipped up these little numbers and two years later, he was the proud owner of two Super Bowl rings, one Super Bowl MVP trophy, and a couple amazing weekends riding the teacups at Disney World.
Then in 2002 the Angels changed their uniforms and won a title. Last year, the Rays changedtheirs and…lost to the Phillies. Whatever, close enough. So many examples, not enough interest in researching more.
But trust us, the Sixers are basically guaranteed the title in 2010. Do you know what that means? Another crazy celebration! Hooray!
Tonight, just a short walk across the Walnut Bridge, the Schuylkill River Development Corporation will be showing Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for free. Just head to 25th and Walnut around dusk, then scuttle under the bridge and enjoy comparing Matthew Broderick now to Matthew Broderick then (see right). For more information, check out Philly Fun Guide.
Just hours before Penn students flood the brightened streets
What is the one thing in the world that you fear the most? If your answer is “animals that strongly resemble dinosaurs” or “compound eyes,” we empathize wholeheartedly but are sorry to say that we can offer no solace at this point in time. However, if your response is “West Philadelphia” and/or “the dark” we’ve got news that will brighten your day! (Note: This pun and those that follow, italicized for emphasis, unintended.)
Join the University City District (UCD) tonight at 5:30 on 50th and Baltimore for a dazzling celebration of a brilliant idea. According to ucityphila.org, 71 newly installed pedestrian street lights (that’s $1.1 million worth of illumination) from 45th to 50th on Baltimore will be dedicated at the ceremony. Lisa Wendell, Executive Director of the UCD, shed some light on the project:
“[It] demonstrates the results of a new level of collaboration between the major institutions in University City, Penn Dot, the City of Philadelphia Streets Department and PECO. It is part of a major effort to enhance public safety and create a more pedestrian-friendly environment throughout the University City District.”
It is safe to say that the street lights will beam with pride upon their dedication. It is also safe to say that directly after this evening’s festivities, the arrival of a new place to get a burrito in a flash, and the reduction of Mill Creek Tavern into a modern day Copa Banana are imminent.
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Listen, if there’s one thing UTB loves, it’s sports. So of course there was no way we could just sit around our lavish headquarters, drinking our raspberry lemonades, dabbing our noses with sunscreen and enjoying our mudbaths when such important, Philadelphia-related basketball news came across our desks. Ladies and gentlemen: 
