The Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, PA) articles from January 2005

The Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, PA) archives from January 2005

Be a joiner, meet women.
January 4, 2005... Byline: Steve and Mia Q: I have a strange request: I need to improve my social skills. I'm not very good at conversation, especially with girls. I'm 36 and divorced for three years with a 9-year-old daughter. I go out to bars on the...

Comcast to get new Philadelphia headquarters.
January 4, 2005... Byline: Mark McDonald Jan. 4--When Brian Roberts, the Comcast chairman, started negotiating with officials at AT&T for what became a mega deal at the end of 2002, the telephone brass had a suggestion. AT&T would be more inclined to...

He won't be a party to the inaugural balls.
January 5, 2005... Byline: John Baer I'm not going to any of the NINE inaugural balls in Washington this month. Not going to the "Chairman's Brunch" the day before, or the "Celebration of Freedom" on the White House Ellipse. Not going to the...

Comcast's new Philadelphia offices chosen in part for train station access.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Myung Oak Kim Jan. 5--It's no coincidence that the city's tallest building and headquarters for Comcast Corp. will be built next to a mass-transit hub. The 17th and JFK site was one of the few available parcels of land in the...

Clear Channel Radio, group design new plan to save theater.
January 5, 2005... Jan. 5--The Goldenberg Group and Clear Channel Radio have re-engineered their proposed restoration of the old Boyd Theater at 19th and Chestnut streets, and this time the deal works without any state or city money. A Commerce Department...

Pennsylvania House leader 'willing to help' transit system.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Dan Geringer Jan. 5--The first ray of hope for SEPTA riders broke through the storm clouds of partisan bickering in Harrisburg yesterday when House Majority Leader Sam Smith, R-Punxsutawney, told the Daily News that he wanted to...

Pennsylvania representative is tenacious on behalf of transit system.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Dan Geringer Jan. 5--As SEPTA prepares to strangle itself and its riders by charging the country's highest fares and by slashing service to pay off its massive debt, a battle-scarred 25-year veteran of Harrisburg's viciously...

Philadelphia chamber chief lobbies lawmakers to fix city's transit crisis.
January 6, 2005... Byline: Julie Knipe Jan. 6--During THE time that Mark Schweiker was lieutenant-governor and later, governor, state support for SEPTA remained stagnant. For the past two years, as president and chief executive of the Greater...

Red Alert: 49ers' coaching vacancy is one to avoid.
January 7, 2005... Byline: Paul Domowitch PHILADELPHIA _ Brad Childress is a pretty smart guy and really doesn't need any career advice from somebody with half his IQ and 1/15th his annual salary. But I'm going to give him some, anyway. Brad, if your...

Super Pressure builds for Manning and McNabb.
January 7, 2005... Byline: John Smallwood PHILADELPHIA _ Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer gets it. Now, doing something about it is an entirely different story. "It defines a team and a quarterback," said Plummer, who will lead the Broncos against...

Some industry experts say US Airways' time is almost up.
January 7, 2005... Byline: Michael Hinkelman Jan. 7--US Airways is certainly no stranger to death watches. After all, many experts predicted the airline's demise in the aftermath of 9/11 and its first bankruptcy in 2002-03, yet it survived. But this time...

The Chef's Table: Sweet potato or yam _ both make great pies.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Jim Coleman and Candace Hagan Q: Could you do me a favor, please? I'm looking for a delicious sweet-potato-pie recipe. I recall my mom making this wonderful pie and she would sprinkle freshly grated coconut on the top. _ Jay K. ...

Vikings take the good and the bad with Moss.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Rich Hofmann GREEN BAY, Wis. _ The almanac said the new moon would rise Monday morning, along with the latest Randy Moss controversy. It will be the product of equal parts stupidity and self-centeredness, as most Moss things...

Philadelphia Daily News John M. Baer column.
January 10, 2005... Byline: John M. Baer Jan. 10--On one hand there's Gov. Ed, tanned and rested from a week in Florida, determined to find a fast fix for SEPTA. On the other there's GOP lawmakers, winter-white and still red-assed over stuff like, oh, not...

Are rappers sending a mixed message?
January 11, 2005... Byline: Damon C. Williams What would Jesus do with a mike and mixing board? Preposterous as it may sound, thanks to releases by Kanye West, the returning Mase and others, the Word is finding its way into mainstream hip-hop culture. But...

She's jealous of his ex.
January 11, 2005... Byline: Steve and Mia Q: I'm in a relationship with a very nice man. We're both in our early 80s and go out dancing three times a week. The problem is he keeps in touch with his first wife. He says they're just good friends, she's 2,000...

Philadelphia Daily News John M. Baer column.
January 11, 2005... Byline: John M. Baer Jan. 11--SHOW EXPLAINS OUR RURAL STATE OF MIND: OK, kids, time for your annual Farm Show dose of what Pennsylvania's really like. This is my yearly reminder of why we have the down-home politics we do, why we tend...

Philadelphia to lay off 200 municipal workers.
January 11, 2005... Byline: Mark McDonald Jan. 11--The Street administration yesterday sent layoff notices to 200 city employees in 20 city departments, from Fairmount Park and the Free Library to police, fire and health, in an effort to pare $32 million from...

Philadelphia nonprofit trust considers involvement in gambling business.
January 11, 2005... Byline: Bob Warner Jan. 11--The board of directors of City Trusts, a nonprofit agency run by some of the city's most powerful political figures, is getting more serious about a role in the gambling business. The board is talking to two...

State legislators air views on Philadelphia transit system, but no resolve.
January 11, 2005... Byline: Chris Brennan Jan. 11--HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Once, it was billed as a possible end of the line in the SEPTA funding debate. But when key state lawmakers finally arrived at the Governor's Mansion last night for a long-awaited...

Philadelphia labor leader aims to see troubled transit system survive.
January 11, 2005... Byline: Dan Geringer Jan. 11--Alarmed by SEPTA's deadly descent into deep debt and its threats of ridership-killing fare hikes and service cuts, labor leader Patrick Eiding has built a powerful coalition of unlikely allies to fight for...

Philadelphia's proposed water rate boost draws complaints.
January 11, 2005... Byline: Mark McDonald Jan. 11--Though few city residents testified yesterday on the city's plan to raise water rates by 15.5 percent on Feb. 1, their fears about living on fixed incomes while facing rising costs echoed throughout the rate...

Las Vegas electronics show features new ways to take entertainment everywhere.
January 11, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Takiff Jan. 11--We're impatient, and we want it now. Our appetite for entertainment and information knows no bounds. We want to stay connected wherever we travel. These are messages we took away from the Consumer...

One of these six teams will win national championship.
January 12, 2005... Byline: Dick Jerardi PHILADELPHIA _ As the major conferences continue into their second week of league play and almost all of the non-conference games are in the rearview mirror, everybody has seen enough to draw some conclusions about who...

E! plans to re-enact Jacko's trial.
January 12, 2005... Byline: Ellen Gray UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. _ E! Entertainment Television plans to air daily re-enactments of testimony in the Michael Jackson child-molestation trial, E! president Ted Harbert told TV critics Tuesday in what could be...

Philadelphia transit coalition starts campaign.
January 12, 2005... Byline: Dan Geringer Jan. 12--Frustrated by state legislators' doing nothing while debt-riddled SEPTA gets ready to slash service and boost fares, a powerful coalition of labor, big- business and citizen groups hits the ground running...

For Eagles' Sheppard, a sad, early trip to Jacksonville.
January 13, 2005... Byline: Marcus Hayes PHILADELPHIA _ Lito Sheppard's words hardly could have been more prophetic; terrifyingly, tragically prophetic for the man who was raised as his big brother. "Jacksonville is a crazy place," Sheppard, the Eagles'...

State lawmaker knows Philadelphia transit system's woes.
January 13, 2005... Byline: Joseph R. Daughen Jan. 13--State Sen. Robert J. Thompson, a Republican from Chester County, has been in perhaps a unique position to examine the importance of SEPTA to the region from virtually every angle. First, as chairman...

State lawmaker sees fix for Philadelphia transit system in higher transfer tax.
January 13, 2005... Byline: Dan Geringer Jan. 13--Like Mr. Fantastic, the elastic-armed leader of the Fantastic Four, state Sen. Vince Fumo, D-Phila., reached out from his Florida vacation home to Harrisburg yesterday and introduced a bill that would fund...

Four years later, Colts' Wayne rises above Eagles' Mitchell.
January 14, 2005... Byline: Paul Domowitch PHILADELPHIA _ As Tom Modrak watched the Indianapolis Colts annihilate the Denver Broncos last weekend, he thought about Eagles wide receiver Freddie Mitchell. He thought about him because he still was the...

Eagles should throw like Kobe fires up shots.
January 14, 2005... Byline: John Smallwood PHILADELPHIA _ I hope Andy Reid has learned his lessons. I hope the sting of losing the last three NFC Championship Games has made the Eagles' coach a bit more flexible and adaptable. I'm not suggesting that the...

Philadelphia Daily News Dan Geringer column.
January 14, 2005... Byline: Dan Geringer Jan. 14--CITY ADVOCATE STILL ON YOUR SIDE OF REASON: Multiple choice test: Throughout the most frightening financial crisis in SEPTA's hand-to-mouth history, Lance Haver has been: A. The fly in the ointment, the...

Philadelphia mayor draws subpoena for corruption trial.
January 14, 2005... Jan. 14--Mayor Street has given two inaugural addresses and four budget addresses, but no mayoral speech will be listened to as closely as the one he may deliver from the witness stand in federal court later this month. Street confirmed...

Pittsburgh, like Philadelphia, is dealing with transit funding problems.
January 14, 2005... Byline: Ramona Smith Jan. 14--The transit honchos are planning to cut back on buses to "Overbrook" and "Spring Garden." They say they'll raise fares not just once, but twice in the same year. And they're begging state lawmakers for...

A&E shows swing between serious & not-so-serious.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Ellen Gray UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. _ Will the real A&E please stand up? For U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., it's still the Arts & Entertainment channel, the basic-cable network that last season cast Tom Selleck as Dwight D....

For great fish and chips, copy the Brits.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jim Coleman and Candace Hagan Question: I have tried different recipes for traditional fish and chips, but I haven't been very successful. Either the fish is underdone when the coating is brown, or it comes out oily. Is there a...

Coming this month: New releases for Valentine's Day.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Takiff After a post-holiday breather, the music industry and this writer are gearing up for a healthy 2005 of CD and DVD music releases. Here's what's popped up (slowly) on disc in the first three weeks of the new year,...

Electronics show offers new ways to take entertainment everywhere.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Takiff We're impatient, and we want it now. Our appetite for entertainment and information knows no bounds. We want to stay connected wherever we travel. These are messages we took away from the Consumer Electronics...

Format wars update from the Consumer Electronics Show.
January 17, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Takiff THE GIZMO: Format wars (and peace?) at CES. Nothing concerns electronics lovers more than the issue of incompatibility _ products that aren't interchangeable because of their hard media or software coding. ...

Fourth time may be the charm for Eagles' Super Bowl hopes.
January 18, 2005... Byline: Rich Hofmann PHILADELPHIA _ At some point in the next few days, with the Atlanta Falcons now on the docket, all of us will flip back through our personal scrapbooks-in-memory. For sights: an assistant coach sadly walking out...

An age-old problem: Where can I meet guys?
January 18, 2005... Byline: Steve and Mia Q: I'm a 55-year-old divorced woman who has decided it's time to settle down after 20 years of being single. The problem is, where do I go to meet men between the ages of 48 and 58? I often get asked out by men 10...

Pennsylvania governor holds funds for convention center expansion.
January 18, 2005... Byline: Joseph R. Daughen Jan. 18--Funds for expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center are to be released if an understanding between Gov. Rendell and Convention Center authorities on management issues holds up. Rendell is...

Philadelphia Daily News Plugged In column.
January 18, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Takiff Jan. 18--THE GIZMO: Format wars (and peace?) at CES. Nothing concerns electronics lovers more than the issue of incompatibility -- products that aren't interchangeable because of their hard media or software...

Pennsylvania governor delays call for legislative session on transit crisis.
January 18, 2005... Jan. 18--Gov. Rendell will not call the Legislature into special session today to solve the mass-transit funding crisis that has SEPTA threatening severe fare hikes and service cuts to erase its $62 million deficit. Rendell said he...

Trial begins in FBI probe of Philadelphia mayoral election, city contracts.
January 18, 2005... Byline: Erin Einhorn Jan. 18--The FBI bug found in Mayor Street's office in 2003 rocked a tumultuous political campaign, enraged local partisans and singed City Hall with the heat of scandal. But the questions and accusations that flew...

Philadelphia merchants bank on a Super Bowl win.
January 18, 2005... Jan. 18--We're so close we can taste it. Despite our powerful loser complex, the city was high as a kite yesterday, finally starting to believe the Eagles actually could make it to the Super Bowl. Around the city people were wearing...

U.S. panel heads to Philadelphia as oil spill cleanup continues.
January 18, 2005... Byline: Ramona Smith Jan. 18--It's one of the most prolonged and intensive cleanups in the Philadelphia area's history. Struggling against deepening winter, workers along the Delaware River are still trying to conquer the 265,000...

Boxing officials recall tragic time in Thailand.
January 18, 2005... Byline: Bernard Fernandez PHILADELPHIA _ He still has a company to run and fighters to promote, but Gary Shaw's perspective on the meaning of life, and what really is and is not important, was forever changed by the horror of what he...

`Amazing Race' proclaims zero tolerance on abuse.
January 19, 2005... Byline: Ellen Gray UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. _ It's too late to punish Jonathan Baker for his contemptible behavior on "The Amazing Race 6," in which he's been shown hitting wife and teammate Victoria Fuller, because that ship has, as they...

Reforms will just drive cheaters to find new methods.
January 19, 2005... Byline: Dick Jerardi PHILADELPHIA _ Who could argue with the proposed academic reforms that came out of last week's NCAA convention? Me, actually. The NCAA proposes to take away some scholarships (10 percent cap) from schools whose...

Philadelphia convention center board eyes expansion funds from governor.
January 19, 2005... Byline: Joseph R. Daughen Jan. 19--The Pennsylvania Convention Center board meets today to discuss management changes sought by Gov. Rendell before Rendell releases state funds to pay to expand the facility. Although the General...

Transit rate hike irks Philadelphia students already struggling with bus costs.
January 19, 2005... Byline: Julie Knipe Jan. 19--Rosa Sanchez takes the 57 bus to the 60 bus to get to Mastbaum High School every day. After school, she hops on the El and then transfers to the 56 bus to get to her job tutoring second-graders at 5th and Erie....

Philadelphia official says city struggles to define security measures.
January 19, 2005... Byline: Mark McDonald Jan. 19--More than three years after 9/11, Philadelphia doesn't really know what its homeland security costs are because it hasn't precisely defined what those activities are, City Controller Jonathan Saidel says. ...

Feuding law firms in Philadelphia reach an agreement.
January 19, 2005... Byline: Joseph R. Daughen Jan. 19--Two prominent personal-injury law firms have agreed to a confidential settlement of a dispute between them, with each side apologizing to the other. Among other things, the settlement allows attorney...

U.S. Coast Guard investigates cause of Delaware River oil tanker accident.
January 19, 2005... Byline: Ramona Smith Jan. 19--They may have to put these guys in a lineup. Two more suspects -- a gigantic anchor and a slab of concrete -- suddenly surfaced yesterday in the slashing of the tanker Athos I, which spewed 265,000 gallons...

Sheppard, Brown supercharge Eagles' defense.
January 20, 2005... Byline: Dana Pennett O'Neil PHILADELPHIA _ Lito Sheppard is trying desperately to defend himself. He's trying to explain why it's OK to pop wheelies on his motorcycle, zip around at breakneck speeds and basically risk his neck, his...

Dunn looks to write a new ending to his Philadelphia story.
January 20, 2005... Byline: John Smallwood ATLANTA _ Outside of the guys wearing midnight green, Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn might have the biggest mental hurdle to clear going into Sunday's NFC Championship Game. Three times, Dunn has come...

Math adds up to zero for `Numb3rs' star.
January 20, 2005... Byline: Ellen Gray UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. _ David Krumholtz has already proven what some of us have long suspected: No matter what our teachers told us, not everyone needs algebra. "I was actually terrible at math as a student," said...

Some city drivers to get car insurance rate cuts.
January 20, 2005... Byline: Mark McDonald Jan. 20--State Insurance Commissioner M. Diane Koken announced yesterday that the city's motorists who maintain full-tort coverage can soon expect 3 to 7 percent reductions in their sky-high car insurance premiums....

Philadelphia's convention center board bows to governor.
January 20, 2005... Byline: Joseph R. Daughen Jan. 20--It may increase the cost of paying its top management by almost 100 percent, but the Pennsylvania Convention Center has voted to hire a consultant to help market and operate the facility. Reacting to...

Street quietly collects cost-of-living pay.
January 20, 2005... Byline: Mark McDonald Jan. 20--Though he's been willing to pay top dollar to hire key staffers, Mayor Street with few exceptions has given no raises to his senior civil servants since assuming office in 2000. But last February, Street...

'Howie's Place' draws heavy opposition.
January 20, 2005... Byline: Earni Young Jan. 20--State Sen. Vince Fumo is opposing the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's plan to lease an old convent on his street as a hotel for the families of transplant patients. Fumo is using his considerable clout to...

$5 million plan would help victims of Philadelphia transit project.
January 20, 2005... Byline: Dan Geringer Jan. 20--A ray of hope broke through the falling snow yesterday for mom-and-pop stores hit hard by street closures and heavy equipment blocking their entrances during SEPTA's Market Street El reconstruction in West...

Mets' big spending habits all about television.
January 21, 2005... Byline: Paul Hagen PHILADELPHIA _ Pedro Martinez, as wonderful as he's been for the last decade, is now widely regarded as a five-inning pitcher with an ego as fragile as a Ming vase. That didn't stop the New York Mets from blowing all...

Eagles haunted by a dubious past that could repeat.
January 21, 2005... Byline: Les Bowen PHILADELPHIA _ Three hundred and seventy-one days later, the Eagles finally will get the chance to change the subject. The subject, since last Jan. 18, has been "why can't you guys win the NFC Championship Game?" ...

Eagles remember Jurevicius, but they can't chase ghosts.
January 21, 2005... Byline: Rich Hofmann PHILADELPHIA _ You will know that the Oprahization of the world is complete if you ever hear Jeremiah Trotter talk about a quest for closure. And that isn't what this is _ not for him, not for the Eagles. Not exactly....

Cosby postpones appearances as he deals with abuse allegations.
January 22, 2005... Byline: Nicole Weisensee Egan PHILADELPHIA _ Comedian Bill Cosby postponed three scheduled appearances in Florida this weekend, in the wake of groping allegations made against him by a former Temple University employee. He had already...

The Chef's Table: 'Dirty rice' defined.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Jim Coleman and Candace Hagan Q: I would like to know what real "Dirty Rice" is, and how to make it. I have searched and can't seem to find a true recipe or example of how it is made. Thanks for helping. _ Bonnie C. A: Sounds...

Johnny Carson always knew how to leave us wanting more.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Ellen Gray UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. _ If Johnny Carson's death came as a shock Sunday, it was probably because the retired "Tonight Show" host always knew how to leave an audience wanting more. Though hardly a recluse, Carson...

`Idol,' `Model' aside, who'll be president?
January 24, 2005... Byline: Ellen Gray UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. _ While Fox launches its search for yet another "American Idol" and UPN for "America's Next Top Model," producer John Wells is on the lookout for the next president of the United States. ...

Old-school TVs still alive and kicking.
January 24, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Takiff THE GIZMO: 2005 CRT TVs. Don't count out old-school, glass-tube TVs yet. True, much of the media's attention at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was on high-fashion, flat-panel plasma and...

What really happens on `Desperate Housewives'.
January 25, 2005... Byline: Ellen Gray UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. _ Desperate for answers about ABC's "Desperate Housewives"? I may not be able to tell you exactly what Mike Delfino (Jamie Denton) is up to or who _ if anyone _ killed Dana, but after a lively...

Want Super preparation? Reid knows his Eagles.
January 25, 2005... Byline: Rich Hofmann PHILADELPHIA _ You have to believe it is the last of the notebooks Andy Reid brought from Green Bay. We all know the stories, about information culled from every experience (and, in one case, salvaged from a garbage...

Penny-pinching for the Super Bowl.
January 25, 2005... Byline: Paul Domowitch PHILADELPHIA _ The NFL is a money machine. Yet the league has seen fit to cut and slash its Super Bowl budget, which was one of the many reasons the league's longtime coordinator of the event, Jim Steeg, handed in...

He's a shy guy _ how does he ask a woman out?
January 25, 2005... Byline: Steve and Mia Q: I'm a 24-year-old male who is shy when it comes to asking a female for a date. Could you guys give advice on how to break the ice? Steve: Forget the date. First get to know her. Have casual conversation. Do...

A status quo budget with lots of if's.
January 25, 2005... Byline: Mark McDonald Jan. 25--Mayor Street today will propose a $3.5 billion spending plan for the city in a "status quo" budget that shouldn't require more painful layoffs or service reductions. But there are some big "ifs" in the...

Street to name his gaming panel next week.
January 25, 2005... Byline: Chris Brennan Jan. 25--As the state's Gaming Control Board gathers today for its second monthly meeting in Harrisburg, Mayor Street is pulling together his own panel to deal with legalized gambling in the city. The two groups...

City plans to cut hours in half at 20 libraries.
January 25, 2005... Byline: Gloria Campisi Jan. 25--Twenty of the city's struggling libraries will go to half days as part of a pared-down budget to be introduced today by Mayor Street to City Council. Critics said yesterday that the trimmed hours comes...

Philadelphia Daily News Plugged In column.
January 25, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Takiff Jan. 25--THE GIZMO: 2005 CRT TVs. Don't count out old-school, glass-tube TVs yet. True, much of the media's attention at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was on high-fashion, flat-panel...

You can still get to Super Bowl game, but it'll cost you.
January 25, 2005... Byline: David Gambacarda Jan. 25--Eagles fans have spent the last three Super Bowls in the land of what-if, mourning their team and cursing the travel packages they had optimistically purchased in advance. With the Birds finally over...

Rendell wants 'movement' on transit.
January 25, 2005... Byline: Dan Geringer Jan. 25--Gov. Rendell met last night with Southeast Pennsylvania elected officials and business leaders in Harrisburg, trying to melt the legislative logjam on funding mass transit. In a letter to the invitees,...

Best of times . . . but Lurie and Banner have known worst of times.
January 25, 2005... Byline: Paul Domowitch PHILADELPHIA _ Two moments in time separated by more than a decade: The first, a celebrity home-run hitting contest at Veterans Stadium before a Phillies game in July 1994, just 2 months after Jeffrey Lurie had...

Mayor's top aide testifies in probe trial.
January 25, 2005... Byline: Erin Einhorn Jan. 25--Mayor Street's top aide testified yesterday that he was not discussing campaign contributions when he was heard on an FBI wiretap complaining that a certain banker "can't give us any money." Addressing...

All doubts about Belichick's status have been erased.
January 25, 2005... Byline: John Smallwood PITTSBURGH _ I'm not sure whether Bill Belichick is a genius. I'm not sure what qualifies a coach for that status or what the statute of limitations on it is. Mike Holmgren was considered a genius until he left...