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

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

Funny-looking mushroom with serious flavor.
October 3, 2005... Byline: Jim Coleman and Candace Hagan Q: Recently I attended the Mushroom Festival in Philadelphia with my family. We had a wonderful time and ate a lot of good mushroom dishes. It was also interesting to see how they grow. But we saw a...

Coming this month: Franz Ferdinand, Cream reunion and more.
October 3, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Takiff Start making your holiday shopping list, as a major offering of CDs and DVDs hits stores this month. ___ OCT. 4: Rock and a Cool Place: Glascow rockers Franz Ferdinand ask "Do You Want To" (Epic) _...

Go back to the future with 3-D.
October 3, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Takiff THE GIZMOS: Digital cinemas go 3-D; MusicGiants classes up music downloads. REINVENTING THE SCREEN: Is it time for the movie industry to reinvent itself yet again? Silent movies gave way to the "talkies,"...

Should he commit to a snoop?
October 4, 2005... Byline: Steve and Mia Q: I've been dating several women over the past six months. I've never told any of them that we were exclusive, but I also haven't advertised to any of them that there were others on the scene. Last week one of them,...

Earthlink to build city's wireless net.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Michael Hinkelman Oct. 4--Philadelphia's plan to become one giant wireless hotspot inched closer to reality yesterday when Wireless Philadelphia tapped Atlanta-based Internet service provider Earthlink to build the network. ...

State grabs oil company, gas station data in gouging probe.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Ramona Smith Oct. 4--The Pennsylvania attorney general's office is subpoenaing records from major oil companies and local gas stations in its probe of alleged price gouging at the pump. More than 1,500 people -- most from the...

Trump, Croce eye slots for Budd Co. property.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Chris Brennan Oct. 4--The franchise for enthusiastic self-promotion in business has long been held on the national level by Donald Trump and here in Philadelphia by Pat Croce. Now that pair joins together to put their names in...

TWU threatens strike over health care benefits.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Dan Geringer Oct. 4--Vowing that SEPTA's 4,600 Transport Workers Union members will strike on Oct. 31 if they don't get a new contract, Local 234 president Jeff Brooks yesterday angrily declared, SEPTA "can't gut our health care."...

City gambling on gas prices.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Mark McDonald Oct. 4--With gasoline prices wildly fluctuating because of hurricanes and increasing worldwide demand, the city of Philadelphia has decided to roll the dice. The Street administration has entered the spot market...

Pluck breeds honor for these biz owners.
October 4, 2005... Byline: Donna Williams Vance Oct. 4--"Stick with it, no matter what," advises Denise Gause, owner of Denise's Delicacies. That belief has worked for Gause, who says she "robbed Peter to pay Paul" to get her now-successful baking business...

Philadelphia Daily News John M. Baer column.
October 5, 2005... Byline: John M. Baer Oct. 5--There are those who think Election Day next month could mark the start of a revolution. What if they're right? What if voters, irked by high gas prices, failed fixes for Social Security, health care...

Iverson eventually must pass baton to Iguodala.
October 5, 2005... Byline: John Smallwood PHILADELPHIA _ As a franchise, the 76ers have never done well in the transition from superstar to superstar. A year removed from the 1967 NBA championship, the Sixers decided they wanted to get younger and faster...

Earthlink exec is sky-high on Philly.
October 5, 2005... Byline: Michael Hinkelman Oct. 5--Donald B. Berryman has big dreams for Wireless Philadelphia. He sees a city where people can jump onto the Internet, anywhere, free in some spots and for a low price elsewhere -- using a variety of...

Chicago's vision opening eyes.
October 5, 2005... Byline: Michael Hinkelman Oct. 5--Sometimes it takes a trip -- in this case, to Chicago -- to see more clearly what should be done in Philadelphia. Late last month, 73 business, political, nonprofit and academic leaders went to the...

For the Flyers, Forsberg is Mr. Now.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Sam Donnellon PHILADELPHIA _ He has never been booed. Not by his own fans, anyway. Peter Forsberg has lived, by his own admission, a charmed NHL life, one in which he only had to play hockey and not lead, dominate or rescue a...

We'd be `Lost' without possibility of life after network TV.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Ellen Gray Once upon a time, most quickly canceled TV shows didn't just die. They faded away. Yes, boys and girls, series that failed to reach the magic number of episodes for syndication _ usually 100, sometimes fewer _...

Texas continues chase against Oklahoma.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Mike Kern PHILADELPHIA _ Forget last month's trip to Ohio State. This is the game Texas fans have been waiting for longer than they care to remember. It's Oklahoma week, the 100th meeting of the Red River Shootout, in Dallas....

Philadelphia Daily News Plugged In column.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Takiff Oct. 6--How many advanced features do you use on your mobile phone or digital camera? Truth is, most consumers buy fancy, feature-ladened products but barely get past the basic operational elements of taking a...

Where, o where, will our slots parlor go?
October 6, 2005... Byline: Chris Brennan Oct. 6--The Penn's Landing Corp. yesterday spelled out in detail what it expects from anyone wishing to build a slot- machine parlor on the former city incinerator site. The nonprofit group, established by the...

Center City site touted as 'safe bet'.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Chris Brennan Oct. 6--As the former city incinerator site surges in popularity for a slot-machine parlor, the Board of City Trusts is making an unusual argument for its Center City site as a "safe bet." Learn a lesson from...

Philly culture gets boost from roving ticket booth.
October 6, 2005... Byline: Michael Hinkelman Oct. 6--Watch out for the "Culturemobile." It could be coming to a Center City street corner near you over the next three weeks. The roving ticket booth is a spruced-up van that will be meandering through...

Buying this `Cadillac' could be risky Fantasy business.
October 7, 2005... Byline: Ed Barkowitz PHILADELPHIA _ This was how Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden _ in colleague Paul Domowitch's NFL notes column last Friday _ responded to the question on whether rookie running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams was...

Transplanted King Webber has reason to smile with Cheeks, 76ers.
October 9, 2005... Byline: Phil Jasner DURHAM, N.C. _ The group interview with Chris Webber was rapidly turning into a curiosity, with the Philadelphia 76ers forward steadily moving backward, as if Cameron Indoor Stadium were a cruise ship sliding along a...

Eagles, McNabb get two weeks to regroup.
October 10, 2005... Byline: John Smallwood IRVING, Texas _ And after the fifth game, Donovan McNabb gets to rest. Not that his assortment of ailments had much to do with Sunday's 33-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, because it was an all-around shabby...

Bells & whistles overload.
October 10, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Takiff How many advanced features do you use on your mobile phone or digital camera? Truth is, most consumers buy fancy, feature-ladened products but barely get past the basic operational elements of taking a call or...

You won't know unless you ask.
October 11, 2005... Byline: Steve and Mia Q: I'm in my late teens and hope you can help. For the past year, I've had a crush on a girl. She knows I like her a lot. Her friends know I have strong feelings for her. However, she had a boyfriend. A few weeks ago...

Penn mourns death of football player who commits suicide.
October 11, 2005... Byline: Ted Silary PHILADELPHIA _ Gil Brooks said he was feeling numb and physically ill. He knew he was not alone, and that the disturbing sensations would linger for himself and so many others. Brooks is the highly successful...

Condo-buying shows no letup.
October 11, 2005... Byline: Earni Young Oct. 11--It's opening day at Liberties West, a condo conversion project at 7th and Fairmount, and the joint's jumping. What was supposed to be an invitation-only opening of the former 156-unit garden apartment...

PGW chief: Gas prices could ease by January.
October 12, 2005... Byline: Emily Catalano Oct. 12--The head of the Philadelphia Gas Works told a City Council hearing yesterday that high prices for natural gas could ease up in mid-winter. "It is very likely that by January, February, March, we'll see...

Penn tries to cope with death of player.
October 12, 2005... Byline: Mike Kern PHILADELPHIA _ Unfortunately, there's no handbook that tells people how they should handle tragedy. On Monday night, the Penn football team lost a member of its family when senior running back Kyle Ambrogi took his...

Rand Corporation gives Edison schools high marks.
October 12, 2005... Byline: Mensah M. Dean Oct. 12--Edison Schools Inc., the controversial education company, gets better with time, according to a study released yesterday. Most schools managed by the for-profit company for at least four to five years...

Americans must take responsibility for `sin of torture'.
October 12, 2005... Byline: Carol Towarnicky On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, Jews recite 10 times a confession of failings called al Cheit _ "For the sin (we committed)." This year, an organization called Rabbis for Human Rights-North America offers...

Hype is hot for USC-Notre Dame.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Mike Kern PHILADELPHIA _ College football is about moments, dates on the schedule that transform into epic events. Saturday is shaping up as another one of those times. Top-ranked, two-time defending national champion...

Posluszny puts pop back into linebacker position at Penn State.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Bernard Fernandez PHILADELPHIA _ In baseball, hitters study pitchers because, well, it's in their best interest to do so. But great hitters, like the late Ted Williams, enjoy watching other great hitters at work. Different uniforms...

Lewis not caught in a draft, but he's starting now.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Paul Domowitch PHILADELPHIA _ Ask Greg Lewis about the 2003 NFL draft and the Eagles wide receiver will quickly sum it up for you in three words: "It really (sucked)." It really sucked because 262 players were drafted that...

In the NFL, the holdout is dead.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Rich Hofmann PHILADELPHIA _ In honor of his last media ally, Terrell Owens tugged on a Dallas Cowboys No. 88 jersey with the name "IRVIN" on the back. He did this in Texas Stadium but, because still photographers are barred from...

TV producer Bruckheimer's women actors have strength, smarts.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Ellen Gray For a man whose name is synonymous with testosterone-fueled flicks like "Armageddon" and "The Rock," and who's turned CBS into his own well-policed kingdom, producer Jerry Bruckheimer sure has put a lot of women to work....

Philadelphia Daily News Plugged In column.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Takiff Oct. 13--THE GIZMOS: RCA Rip & Go Digital Music Studio (RS2052); Panasonic SC-PM71 SD Micro System. EASY DOES IT: Do you like the idea of loading your favorite songs on a super-small, solid-state digital music...

Campus pals create EatNow.com.
October 13, 2005... Byline: April Lisante Oct. 13--NAT TURNER has been running businesses since he was 10 years old, dabbling in everything from snake breeding to Web site design to trading card sales, and earning national media attention for his ventures....

Street wants fund to help some pay utilities.
October 13, 2005... Byline: Mark McDonald Oct. 13--In what appears to be a first for city government, Mayor Street yesterday said he'll seek City Council approval to set up a multi-million-dollar emergency fund to help some Philadelphians pay their utility...

Penn State expects tough challenge from Michigan.
October 14, 2005... Byline: Bernard Fernandez ANN ARBOR, Mich. _ Minnesota had just beaten Michigan on the Wolverines' home field, winning the Little Brown Jug for the first time since 1986 and only the third time in the last 36 meetings. Maybe it was the...

Phillies' Pratt serious about his Fantasy players.
October 14, 2005... Byline: Ed Barkowitz PHILADELPHIA _ You'd think Todd Pratt would have a TV dilemma on Sunday. His viewing choices are Game 4 of the National League Championship Series or yet another week in the grinding NFL regular season. But is...

Vikings could be real-life version of the `Playmakers'.
October 14, 2005... Byline: Paul Domowitch PHILADELPHIA _ Remember the NFL's nonstop indignation two years ago over "Playmakers," the short-lived ESPN series about a fictional football team in a fictional league that loved sex and booze and drugs almost as...

U.S. Olympic basketball about the players, not the coaches.
October 14, 2005... Byline: John Smallwood PHILADELPHIA _ So, it looks as if Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is going to be named head coach of the 2008 men's U.S. Olympic basketball team. And considering his resume of success, there's no arguing that Coach K...

The Chef's Table.
October 17, 2005... Byline: Jim Coleman and Candace Hagan Q: I am curious to know the difference between unsalted and salted butter, and if using one or the other makes a difference in a recipe. I am looking for a good baked pear recipe, and would like to know...

`West Wing' candidates to do live `debate'.
October 17, 2005... Byline: Ellen Gray There's something almost quaint about hearing "West Wing" stars Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits discuss their upcoming live "debate" on the NBC drama, where their characters are vying to replace Martin Sheen's President...

New digital players load a lot of music.
October 17, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Takiff THE GIZMOS: RCA Rip & Go Digital Music Studio (RS2052); Panasonic SC-PM71 SD Micro System. EASY DOES IT: Do you like the idea of loading your favorite songs on a super-small, solid-state digital music player...

College game provides a cardiac afternoon.
October 17, 2005... Byline: Bill Conlin PHILADELPHIA _ First, permit me to apologize to whatever blithering TV network idiots scheduled both Penn State at Michigan and Southern Cal at Notre Dame for 3:30 p.m. Saturday. This was like booking the Rolling...

Iverson, Reebok proved to be quite a match.
October 18, 2005... Byline: John Smallwood NEW YORK _ It was a high-risk gamble in the high-stakes game of sneaker endorsements. This was Allen Iverson, not Michael Jordan or Grant Hill or Kobe Bryant. In 1996, Iverson was as counterculture as you...

A tough cross to bear.
October 18, 2005... Byline: Steve and Mia Q: I am a Jewish man who has been dating a very nice _ and hot _ born-again Christian woman. We realize we'll never marry due to our cultural differences, but we are having a good time just the same. We haven't had...

Suburban transit workers join TWU in announcing strike deadline vs. SEPTA.
October 18, 2005... Byline: Dan Geringer Oct. 18--Unless SEPTA negotiates new contracts with all its city and suburban transit workers by midnight Oct. 31, the only thing that will be running come morning will be Regional Rail. Yesterday, the United...

CORRECTION: Suburban transit workers join TWU in announcing strike deadline.
October 18, 2005... Byline: Dan Geringer Oct. 18--The story slugged PD-TRANSIT-STRIKE, filed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News for Oct. 18, included incorrect information in the first and second paragraphs. Unless they negotiate a new contract with...

Philadelphia's Gibbs building himself in the mold of Hopkins.
October 19, 2005... Byline: Bernard Fernandez PHILADELPHIA _ You'd have to figure that Willie Gibbs eventually would evolve into a middleweight contender. He is, after all, related to longtime 160-pound champion Bernard Hopkins. Well, sort of. "My...

Penn State's Robinson trying to forget the pain.
October 19, 2005... Byline: Bernard Fernandez PHILADELPHIA _ If there is one thing quarterback Michael Robinson has learned during his five years at Penn State, it's that whatever happened on the field the previous week is ancient history. That is the...

NFC East appears to be a tough fight to the finish.
October 19, 2005... Byline: Paul Domowitch PHILADELPHIA _ What have we learned from these first six weeks of the NFL season? Well, let's see: We've learned that it's a good time to be a divorce lawyer in Minneapolis and a bad time to be Mike Tice. We've...

Dress code doesn't suit Iverson.
October 19, 2005... Byline: Phil Jasner PHILADELPHIA _ He came into the NBA at 21, and couldn't fathom why people almost immediately wanted him to act, speak and dress as if he were 30. He said so even then, and some people reacted as if he were somehow being...

Phillies' Wagner eyeing free agency.
October 19, 2005... Byline: Marcus Hayes PHILADELPHIA _ Now, they're talking. Billy Wagner received the Phillies' latest, best offer Wednesday when agent Bean Stringfellow drove from Richmond to visit Wagner's alpaca farm outside Charlottesville, Va. ...

Nasdaq welcomes move by Tasty Baking.
October 19, 2005... Byline: Joseph R. Daughen Oct. 19--Tasty Baking Co. is voluntarily ending its association with the New York Stock Exchange and will begin trading its shares on the Nasdaq national market starting Friday. Tasty, the Philadelphia-based...

College football, leading with contenders and pretenders.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Mike Kern Just past the halfway hump of the season, time for a few of those ever-popular "upon further reviews." . . . SURPRISE, SURPRISE _Alabama: The schedule gets much rougher, but 6-0 is 6-0, especially when you were...

Round the clock TV: Too much in demand?
October 20, 2005... Byline: Ellen Gray I've been bending people's ears for months now about the wonders of "On Demand," the digital-cable service that's let me watch Showtime's "Weeds," or HBO's "Entourage" or the Sundance Channel's riveting documentary...

Chargers' Tomlinson spinning some records.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Kevin Mulligan PHILADELPHIA _ The best thing LaDainian Tomlinson could have done when asked about Lenny Moore is `fess up to knowing practically squat about the Baltimore Colts Hall of Famer. Like many modern-era superstars,...

Owners look to sell Philadelphia hardware store.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Scott Flander Oct. 20--All John Leatherberry wanted from Mike's Hardware in West Philly the other day was a package of glazier's points. But he got some bad news as well. The Mazer family -- owners of the store on Lancaster...

It's time to get ready for winter's chill.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Alysha Brennan Oct. 20--Remember the nuclear fallout? It's time to get out the duct tape and plastic. Following the recent fury of rising home-heating costs, Gov. Rendell announced yesterday the creation of Stay Warm PA, which,...

Philadelphi Gas Work's LNG deal is dead.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Ramona Smith Oct. 20--City Councilman Frank DiCicco has raised major doubts about the future of a plan to ship hazardous liquefied natural gas through Philadelphia, telling residents flatly that the most likely developer has pulled...

Keeping warm in winter, despite rising gas costs.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Damon C. Williams Oct. 20--In the face of rapidly rising gas costs and a typically cold Philadelphia winter, many city-dwellers have plans to make it safely and economically through the winter. Here's what several had to say: ...

No warmth in utility's service.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Dan Geringer Oct. 20--Like thousands of impoverished Philadelphians, 65-year-old Bessie Archer is facing a winter without home heating because the Philadelphia Gas Works has shut off her service. She feels the chill creeping...

Philadelphia Daily News Stu Bykofsky column.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Stu Bykofsky Oct. 20--STU VS. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES: I used to think American society was too litigious. That was before I got blown off by a Major American Corporation. Despite using my nicest possible manners and tone while...

CORRECTION: It's time to get ready for winter's chill.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Alysha Brennan Oct. 20--The Philadelphia Daily News has moved a correction for the story slugged PD-HOME-HEATING-COSTS-20051020 filed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News for Oct. 20. The new version subs the 7th graf to correct...

CORRECTION: Philadelphia Gas Work's LNG deal is dead.
October 20, 2005... Byline: Ramona Smith Oct. 20--The Philadelphia Daily News has moved a correction for the story slugged PD-LIQUID-NATURAL-GAS-DEAL-20051020 filed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News for Oct. 20. The new version subs the 4th graf to say...

Biggio, Bagwell are the heart of Astros.
October 21, 2005... Byline: Paul Hagen CHICAGO _ Craig Biggio has played in 2,564 games for the Houston Astros. Until now, none led to the World Series. The Astros' second baseman will be 40 when Opening Day rolls around next April. Jeff Bagwell has...

Tomlinson a Fantasy player's dream.
October 21, 2005... Byline: Ed Barkowitz PHILADELPHIA _ LaDainian Tomlinson's talents running and receiving the ball made him the consensus No. 1 pick in fantasy leagues this year. But now he's giving owners a special treat. Tomlinson has thrown two...

Saints' place of residence a major source of contention.
October 21, 2005... Byline: Paul Domowitch PHILADELPHIA _ It's starting to become a lot clearer now why NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue made those disparaging comments about San Antonio last month. They apparently were a warning shot fired in the...

Gore wants his network on Comcast.
October 21, 2005... Byline: Emily Catalano Oct. 21--Al Gore was in Philadelphia yesterday in an attempt to persuade Comcast Corp. to offer his youth-oriented television network, Current TV, throughout its system. Gore hosted a free concert in Dilworth...

Cynthia DeLores Tucker remembered as political siren.
October 22, 2005... Byline: Damon C. Williams Oct. 22--PHILADELPHIA -- You know someone's made a huge difference in the world when the Rev. Jesse Jackson gives her eulogy, and Al Gore is on hand to call her a "four-star general in the army of the righteous."...

City councilman evaluated for possible suicide attempt.
October 22, 2005... Byline: Chris Brennan Oct. 22--PHILADELPHIA -- City Councilman Rick Mariano, anticipating a looming federal indictment, learned Thursday afternoon that his trusted defense attorney would no longer be by his side in the fight of his life....

The Chef's Table.
October 24, 2005... Byline: Jim Coleman and Candace Hagan Q: Is there any way you can still cook a freezer-burned piece of meat? Is there a special technique, like marinade, or do you have a recipe that would make cooking it worthwhile? _Sherrie B. ...

New devices challenge traditional TV viewing.
October 24, 2005... Byline: Jonathan Takiff Even 200-plus channels of cable or satellite TV won't appease some videophiles. These picky viewers yearn to break free of their big-screen sets and set-top cable boxes. They want to watch TV on their own schedules,...

Some cities lag behind pre-lockout attendance marks.
October 24, 2005... Byline: Ed Moran When the the NHL lockout ended, the players union and NHL executives conceded it would take at least a full season, and possibly two, to judge whether the collective bargaining agreement would produce a healthier league...

`Housewives' can survive the backlash.
October 25, 2005... Byline: Ellen Gray With this week's Entertainment Weekly _ Charlize Theron on the cover, "PLUS What's Wrong with `Desperate Housewives' " _ the "DH" backlash has officially begun. Right on time. Yes, folks, it's the second season...

Reid, McNabb need to be honest with each other.
October 25, 2005... Byline: Rich Hofmann PHILADELPHIA _ The histories and fates of Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb are tied tighter than in most coach-player relationships. They started together and built together, succeeded together and suffered together. They...

Beau wants more lovin'.
October 25, 2005... Byline: Steve and Mia Q: My girlfriend and I are both 21 and have been dating for four years. We have a great relationship, but I am desperately trying to get her to spice things up in the bedroom. We have sex only once or twice a month....

Earthlink, Philadelphia forging contract.
October 25, 2005... Byline: Michael Hinkelman Oct. 25--Now that Earthlink has won the deal to build the city's wireless Internet network, the parties are getting down to the nitty-gritty of hammering out a contract. And they have some big issues to...

SEPTA, TWU talk face-to-face.
October 25, 2005... Byline: Dan Geringer Oct. 25--With only a week left to derail a Halloween transit strike that would paralyze the city, SEPTA and its largest union -- deadlocked for months on the issue of who will pay for workers' health care -- moved into...

Philadelphia Daily News Elmer Smith column.
October 25, 2005... Byline: Elmer Smith Oct. 25--PAY-TO-PLAY: THE ODD CARD DEAL: Right in time for the Christmas shopping rush, a new pay-to-play home game is being test-marketed in the Korean community. Korean immigrants who haven't been in town long...