Claire Stapleton
ARTICLES
Word on the Street
Everyone knows that change sucks, but does everyone know that not changing sucks?
Nearing the end of my senior year, I've recently thought a lot about Luddites - the band of men in the 1800s who were so distressed by the advent of technology that they waged war on machinery all over the English countryside in the name of their lord and savior King Ludd.
Music
Booty Rock
Featuring nothing but the gyrations of a particularly impressive female behind, the video for "Backyard Betty," Spank Rock's debut single, has a clear purpose: to get them asses shakin'. But the music is far from standard club hip-hop fare; in fact, the MC at the helm, 24-year-old Naeem Juwan, would rather avoid classification altogether.
YoYoYoYoYo, Spank Rock's first full-length album, is a detailed collaborative effort: Naeem raps over beats ranging from Baltimore house to Hendrix, artfully layered by his childhood friend and producer, Alex "Armani XXXChange" Epton.
Naeem attributes the eclecticism of the music to his move from Baltimore to Philly to become a Drexel student (and one-time Penn partygoer). "We come from Baltimore," he says, "and the cultures don't really mix up too much." Though early exposure to traditional hip-hop and the ecstatic phenomenon of 'B-more' club house continue to be profoundly influential on the pair, it primed Naeem for a musical awakening.
"I really didn't know much about rock or punk or '80s, so when I went to Philly, things were a lot more diverse.
Ego
Daniel Vosovic
Project Runway's 2006 runner-up and fan-favorite, Daniel Vosovic, took some time out of his schedule to talk to Ego about the show, his future aspirations and Tim Gunn.
Music
The Grateful Dead meets Picasso
Originally J. Leto and his brother's side project, 30 Seconds to Mars has recently gained a reputation in its own right.
Lowbrow
Word on the street: Star Struck
When I reflect upon the train-wreck that is Lindsay Lohan, I can't help but feel a tinge of pity. What ever happened to our little girl, that innocent, inhumanly freckled Parent Trap star?
A Paranormal Presence
As a work-study student in the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Wharton senior Greg Bryda had never given ghosts much thought before the time of his first "encounter."
One day in November, 2004, Greg was given high-security access to the subbasement, where the museum's unused artifacts are kept.
Lowbrow
Word on the Street: Size doesn't matter
In response to the Penn application essay question, "Why do you want to go here?" I theorized that by default, Philadelphia is the best city for a university ("DC is corrupted by politics, NY by crime and Boston by college students and rats"). Now that I'm a couple of semesters of college closer to not being in college, I'll very soon be picking another city.
Ego
Reviving the lost art of the dinner party
With summer ending and the back-to-school high wearing off, the season can start to lend itself more to social anxiety than an endless flow of good vibes.
Ain't nothin' but a g-fling
Whether you're hosting your drunken colleagues or looking for some alternative mid-day munchies, easy snacks are the way to everyone's heart, including your own.
They used to like us
A lot of people talked about getting the hell out of the U.S. of A in the most recent time of political turmoil, but Ben Franklin actually did.
It must have been the figs
Everyone knows that alcohol and cannabis are two sure-fire ways to get people in the mood for loving, but there's a whole store of mood-setting foods that have been putting the SEX in sexy since the dawn of man.
Lowbrow
Word on the street: Ted turner, i've got your number
I am a product of several formative TV sitcoms and am subsequently a victim of low self-esteem. I'm not alone in hoping my grown-up life would be a hybrid of witticisms, caustic detachment and the kind of eloquent self-introspection that not only generates successful romances, but also elicits hero-worship from my girl friends.
Un-American Gladiators
Hello world! Ellis Island aside, we all speak English here and claim some sort of American identity.
I'm gonna bag me a yuppie
Pros
1. Limitless martinis. Sorry baby, there aren't enough hours in the day to be both wined and dined, but if you have a taste for Zima, Cosmopolitans or cappucinos and/or you like your men in pleated pants and a Banana Republic button-down, then you may have found your type.
How to live boho (or at least seem to at dinner)
1. Artsy:
Chances are, you don't live in a garret or make your living as a starving artist, but in the spirit of 19th century France, built-in creative outlets are necessary for the non-traditional lifestyle.
What about figs in the military?
An underground anti-fig movement, anchored at www.godhatesfigs.com, is gaining a following somewhere outside our mainstream consciousness.
Slow Food Nation
There's no need to descend into a jaded, Philly-gritty Sunday morning 'tude with the prospect of Morning Glory brunch.
Ego
Dave does deutschland
Insomniac with Dave Attell has been exploring the after-hours occupations of the world's insomniacs and promoting wanton alcoholism to late-night viewers since 2001.
Ben Franklin gone wild
City Tavern
138 S. 2nd St.
Mid-day fare at 11:30 a.m., Dinner starting at 4 p.m., 3 p.m. on Sundays.
(215)413-1443
Back in 1774, City Tavern was the center of the world.
Brad Pitt or Sylvie Stallone?
The Legendary Blue Horizon
1314 N. Broad St.
Fight Times Vary
(215) 629-3239
www.thelegendarybluehorizon.com
The Blue Horizon is legendary, but not because the Rocky films1-4 were filmed there.
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