Our billboard, who art on I-95… August 9, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Philadelphia, Random Rubbish.Tags: Humor, Religion
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There’s a holy battle happening in the eyes of motorists on I-95.
For months, a billboard read “Don’t believe in God? You’re not alone.”
Now, that’s been replaced with the one above. There is no attribution, no Web site, no company listed on this one. But the Inquirer got to the bottom of it (and it’s not the archdiocese, either).
Advertising is a funny business. And rebuttal advertising is a lot more fun, isn’t it?
Keep your eyes out. Next, you might be able to stick your hand out for holy water while driving by.
Photo courtesy of the Inquirer.
The best bad news? August 5, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Philadelphia.Tags: Murder, Philadelphia
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I remember vividly the day before Thanksgiving in 2003. A surgeon diagnosed me with Hodgkin’s lymphoma but said since it was caught in its early stages, this was the “best bad news” I could have gotten.
This memory came back to me after I read a headline from the Inquirer on Monday:
Man, 19, shot; 1st Phila. homicide in nearly a week.
And then I began thinking to myself — In all of my scouring of Philly.com in the past week, I didn’t read one “shooting” article. Amazing how it got by me — I would’ve assumed it’d be out of the ordinary had I not seen one.
But the headline also implies that something better is happening, I suppose. This death of William Wilson is the city’s 188th homicide this year. One year ago at this time, there were 248.
That drop of 24 percent should mean something, I guess. But it still comes with 188 prices to pay.
Temple isn’t as diverse July 28, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Clips & Videos, Temple University.Tags: Temple University, Princeton Review, Diversity
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Original post from The Temple News.
CHRIS STOVER
The Temple News
Temple has been dethroned.
According to the Princeton Review’s annual list of the nation’s best colleges, Temple has dropped from No. 1 to No. 5 in the most diverse student body category.
The nation’s most diverse school is now Baruch College of the City University of New York.
Diverse population is the only category of 62 in which Temple placed. The Princeton Review lists the top 20 schools in each category.
Meanwhile, Penn State University in University Park, Pa., ranked No. 3 in terms of party schools, with the University of Florida and the University of Mississippi taking Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.
Other local colleges ranked, but not necessarily for positive reasons. Drexel University fared well in poor categories, like least beautiful campus (No. 3), long lines and red tape (No. 7), poor professors (No. 13) and least accessible professors (No. 15).
The University of Pennsylvania ranked 14th in best college newspaper and 20th in strained town-grown relations. On the other hand, they made the list of colleges with a conscience.
The book, which hits stores tomorrow, surveys 120,000 students from 368 colleges – two more than last year – on everything from financial aid and admissions to intramural sports and job placement.
Chris Stover can be reached at stover@temple.edu.
Reserve space at the Art Museum July 27, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Philadelphia, Random Rubbish.Tags: Jon Bon Jovi, Philadelphia Soul, Philadelphia Sports
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The Philadelphia Soul are the champions of ArenaBowl XXII!
What does this mean for us?
No, not that Philly’s drought of 100 championship-less seasons is over. That only counts for the Phils, Eagles, Flyers and Sixers.
This is why you must love journalists. During an interview a few weeks ago, Jon Bon Jovi himself promised that should the Soul win ArenaBowl, he would perform a free concert in Philadelphia, like he did in NYC recently.
He was “on the record” when he said it. So should this concert not happen, expect uproar.
The columnists respond… July 24, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Journalism, Philadelphia.Tags: Alycia Lane, Larry Mendte, Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer
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It wouldn’t be Philadelphia without angry journalists. So these angry journalists have called out a fellow one.
First, Inquirer columnist Daniel Rubin gave an interesting view of a day in the life of Larry Mendte. Perhaps his title — “The obsession of Larry Mendte” — is a double entendre. His obsession with Alycia Lane, our obsession with him?
The second comes from my new fave Jill Porter. She’s followed up her Alycia Lane column with a Larry Mendte column, simply asking, “What more could he want?” And she hits each question that every one of us has in the back of our minds. Answers, however, are hard to come by.
Just passing them along. Feel free to share your thoughts!
Photo courtesy DN.
The media respond July 21, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Journalism, Philadelphia.Tags: Alycia Lane, CBS3, Larry Mendte
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Chris May could barely finish his introduction as his co-anchor, Susan Barnett, informed CBS3 viewers about Larry Mendte’s felony charge at 11 p.m. Walt Hunter had the story.
Same happened over at NBC10, Mendte’s former place of employment before he “made the switch” in 2003.
6ABC waited until after the weather. Commendable.
CNN jumped on the story once the AP got a hold of it. Mendte made their list of top stories.
Isn’t that why Lane got fired, too? Because she, a reporter of the news, made the news herself?
And what about Fox 29? Anchoring the Fox 10 O’Clock News is Dawn Stensland, Mendte’s wife. She was absent from air today, but Kerri-Lee Halkett did release this statement after a package:
Mendte’s wife, Dawn Stensland, anchors right here at Fox 29, doing the News at 10. News management has decided that Dawn will not take part in the reporting or coverage of this story. This hopefully avoids any problems and keeps the process transparent.
Mendte snooped into former co-anchor Alycia Lane’s e-mail at least 537 times between Jan. 1, 2008 and May 28, 2008. But he’s been doing it since 2006, and overall, prosecutors say he has checked her e-mail between 7,000 and 8,000 times.
Reports are saying he had been doing this to ruin Lane’s career.
The Philadelphia media (and beyond) haven’t been the nicest to Lane. She’s made the cover of the New York Post a few times for unflattering stories. These could have been little blips in the radar, but perhaps Mendte made them bigger. What was in it for him, we probably won’t know. Maybe it was for a solo anchor gig, thus more money. But it doesn’t seem worth it now.
Daily News columnist Jill Porter wrote an article about Lane I linked to a few weeks ago, and it seems even more relevant now.
And though she may never have the career she once had, at least she might be able to find some closure.
Mendte may face jail time July 21, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Journalism, Philadelphia.Tags: Alycia Lane, CBS3, Crime, Larry Mendte
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It’s so big, even CNN picked it up.
Fired CBS3 anchor Larry Mendte has been charged with one felony count of intentionally accessing a protected computer without autorization and thereby obtaining information in furtherance of a tortious act.
In other words, he allegedly snooped in Alycia Lane’s e-mail accounts (Yahoo! and .mac) and divulged private information — especially privileged communication between her and her lawyer — to an unnamed Philadelphia Daily News reporter (although, one…er, many names are swirling).
Regardless, that DN reporter won’t get charged. Only Mendte will.
A source says that Mendte is expected to plead guilty at his arraignment in the coming weeks. Snooping can get him zero to six months in prison, though according to a philly.com poll, most think he’ll just get a “slap on the wrist.”
The Information given by the district court in United States of America v. Lawrence Mendte lists every time Mendte accessed Lane’s e-mail account since Jan. 1, 2008. It lists from where he accessed it — usually from KYW, his Chestnut Hill home or his “vacation residence” — multiple times per day.
Since Jan. 1, he’s accessed it about 537 times until May 28, when his computers were confiscated.
The information (linked below) really is an entertaining read and gives those unfamiliar with the case (I know, laughable) can get caught up, stemming from Alycia Lane’s initial arrest in December 2007. Fun stuff, right?
As of 5:50 p.m. Monday, all the major stations in Philly except 6ABC have reported it. NBC10’s All That and More dedicated its call-in topic to it: “Is snooping e-mail the same as snooping snail mail.” They’re probably just trying to cover up their own anchor troubles.
Take a hike. No, really. July 21, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Out & About, Philadelphia, Random Rubbish.Tags: Philadelphia, Walking
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Philly has been named as the fifth most walkable city in the United States.
It’s so exciting that they made up the word “walkable” (at least, according to Microsoft Word). Nice, isn’t it? At least it gives us something good to brag about.
At one point, we were fat. And apparently still, we’re ugly, as The Temple News reported. And now, we can walk places.
Check out this link to see where your Philadelphia neighborhood ranks. Or, go here for the overall rankings, and see how San Francisco, New York, Boston and Chicago beat us.
Still eating actions and burgers July 18, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Cut to the Chase, Philadelphia.Tags: Gossip, NBC10, Vince DeMentri, Dan Gross, Ryan Howard
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Vince DeMentri is in high demand. At least in the Internet world. Probably not the real world, I’d imagine.
So…here’s an update: there is none. NBC10 still hasn’t released anything about the future of its temperamental anchor as his bio remains on nbc10.com.
In keeping with an old post on a similar topic…
Ryan Howard must have taken buddy Pat Burrell’s advice. With an unknown female companion, Mr. MVP 2006 was seen at Rouge on Rittenhouse Square partaking in a hamburger (allegedly, no cheese like the left fielder). He also consumed a cheese platter and a key lime martini. Mmm.
Not to be outdone by CBS3 July 10, 2008
Posted by Chris Stover in Journalism, Philadelphia.Tags: Alycia Lane, CBS3, Journalism, Larry Mendte, NBC10, Vince DeMentri
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First, it was not to be outdone by Alycia. And now, it’s this.
Apparently, NBC10 anchor Vince DeMentri was jealous of the press CBS3’s talent has been getting. So he decided to get some of his own.
Eternal newser Dan Gross reports that DeMentri may have allegedly vandalized cohort (and possibly former companion?) Lori Delgado’s car in the NBC10 parking lot. The DA has called it a “non-issue.”
DeMentri wasn’t on the air last Thursday and Friday (after an apparent argument with the station manager) and has been off the air this week for a planned Jamaican vacation, though he apparently never left the country.
As I’ve said before, I don’t like to comment on these situations publicly. But I will say this. I want a job in the future. A job where I can be credible. But I’ve got a few more years. So please, while there’s still a little bit of time left, let’s maintain some sort of credibility in Philadelphia!? Please!?
