I get it, okay? I understand. Truly, I do. Life is hard right now. Times are tough. Belts are a’tightenin.’ Forty years after you first began as a weekly publication, you find yourself in one of the worst recessions since the Great Depression. You’re struggling to get by on a handful of writers – struggling to fill your pages with some meaningful content. It’s okay. Because I understand. I completely understand why you decided to include the “You’re Quite the Dish” feature in the Food section of the paper. A complete transcript of an imaginary, exclamation-point laden, oft-coy conversation with a personable dish? Brilliant. It accomplishes a multitude of recession-friendly goals.

Firstly, it saves on costs. Why send a talented, experienced food writer to review an entire restaurant when you can send out a fresh-out-of-college contributor to write about one dish. “You’re Quite the Dish” simply makes fiscal sense. One entrée, at most $20-30, compared to footing the bill, several times, for a variety of dishes. Lamb stew at Zahav. Wild Mushroom Arancini. On their own? A-f-f-o-r-d-a-b-l-e. Not to mention the feature itself is a convenient one-page space-filler for ads!

Secondly, “You’re Quite the Dish” enthusiastically showcases dishes from the most hoity-toity of restaurants to the people – inevitably prompting an increase in business. Simply put, the personification of dishes from Philadelphia humanizes the oft-complex ingredients celebrity chefs use to prove their superiority. And it’s also educational. For example, in the Jan. 12^th edition, “You’re Quite the Dish: Wild Mushroom Arancini,” the following conversation ensues:

Wow. Can you tell us in great detail and a seductive voice how the lardo is prepared?

Don’t get fresh. Chef Turney gets whole pigs, ranging from 150 to 175 pounds, from the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative. She saves the fat back, sears it in salt, herbs and black peppercorns before curing it for about a month. It’s then put in an oak house smoker, sliced very thin and warmed with a heating gun before being draped on top of me.

From this conversation, I learned that there is a tool called a ‘heating gun’ that warms up my pork before it comes to my table. ‘Wow,’ indeed. I feel a rather sudden emotional response to my food. I also learned that the pork is flirting with the interviewer. And on and on and on, proving once again that newspapers can continue to provide the public with education.

Thank you, Philadelphia Weekly. Thank you for bolstering the struggling restaurant industry in Philadelphia. Thank you for giving young journalists the chance to learn their chops on well… chops. Thank you for keeping alive a struggling publication through insightful, well-written articles that save you money and keep us informed.

Hungrily yours,

PG

“If I Were A Poor Black Kid, I’d Use All the Advantages I Have from Not Being a Poor Black Kid”

Obama. Obama. Obama.

I’m not a poor black kid living in West Philadelphia. But if I were, I would study really hard and go to a good school! But I’m not a poor black kid. But if I were,  I would take advantage of each and every opportunity I could. But I’m not. But if I were a poor black kid, I would take advantage of every resource out there. But I’m not. But if I were…. But I’m not… But if I were… But I’m not.

Obama. Obama. Obama.

The end.

Okay. Maybe he says it a little differently. Or does he? You tell me.

I have exposed the weird and right-wing ways of “gun-toting, gay-bashing, tea-partying” state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, uncovered landlords treating low-income Section 8 tenants like crap, revealed that ousted schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman used the District’s communications office as a personal propaganda machine.

I have shown how poor black and Latina mothers can have their children taken away because they smoke pot, and how horribly bad sex ed in Philly public schools is. I wrote about how one South Philly drug trafficker from an infamous mob family serving life without parole became a civil rights fighter against the drug war.

I have criticized local media outlets when they fell short, including the Inquirer’s baseless and extensive campaign to arm school cops and the Daily News‘ regurgitation of a bizarre conspiracy theory that loads of anarchists were being bused in from other cities to Occupy Philly. And I have used my new “Hostile Witness” column to take District Attorney Seth Williams to task for failing to ensure that people convicted of crimes are really guilty.

I have written about Philly for national publications like Salon, The Guardian and The Atlantic where we, the nation’s fifth largest city, almost never get any attention.

Thanks for your support. Vote here: http://www.philebrity.com/awards/

Best,

Daniel Denvir

So there you have it, kids. Head over to Philebrity and  vote away.

-Before the page of Contents, an ad from L’Oreal Paris for their new Pearl Perfect crème. “Pearl – like fairness,” states the copy, promising the user “flawless, fair skin.”

-p. 28: The Contributors page asks some of the feature writers about their “wish lists.” Two ask for iPads. Contributor Ahmad Rafay Alam, whose feature on Pakistani novelist Mohammad Hanif appears on p. 240 says of his piece, “I enjoyed the thought of getting paid to fly to Karachi for the weekend to chat with a friend and write about it.”

-p. 87: An ad for the Artize toilet – complete with photos of the gleaming throne.

-p. 104: The “Vogue Vibe,” a short-ish five-paragraph essay called “Hanging Out with the Dalai Lama” on Mala Baru’s two visits with the Dalai Lama (noting that at least one of the visits was “invitation only”). The writer concludes with, “It was an intimate experience and a rare glimpse into the personal, world of the Dalai Lama.”

-p. 107:  Another add for face cream: “Discover non-stop whitening from Clarins White Plus HP.”

-p. 112: A feature on American playwright Ravij Joseph by Anuvaj Pal. The writer notes that Joseph has “dashingly handsome features.” And goes on to write: ‘With dashingly ordinary features and trying to write plays in a noisy Bandra apt for an SM generation of apathetic Angry Bird players, I caught up with my good friend to find out the recipe to his delicious life.” Attempt to parse sentence = unsuccessful.

-p. 120: Full-page essay by Gaurav Bhatia on how society mavens in Mumbai can now wear sunglasses indoors. “Plus, conjuring up an image of cool detachment in any situation means you’re suddenly so much more powerful and so staggeringly intimidating. In sunglasses, the avoided eye contact can take you places without you having to pay a toll for them.”

-p. 122: Socialite Jemima Khan talks about her ordeal as the passenger in the Paul Mukonyi flight and how she finally overcomes the resulting trauma with the help of a class. (Taking the time, of course, to bash her ex-husband, cricketer Imran Khan, for his thoughtlessness during her hardship.) Across the story of her ordeal, a full-page shot of the socialite pouting at the camera with over-plucked eyebrows.

-p. 158 A page on Jimmy Choo designer Tamara Mellon on a new clutch purse specifically designed for Indian women. “India is special to us,” says Mellon, “We couldn’t be more grateful for the reception we got from Indian women.” I’m sure they are very grateful.

-p. 193: The actress on the cover, Nargis Fakhri, in an exclusive tell-all with the magazine whereupon the writer harps at length about the actress’s down-to-earth-ness. Says Fakhri: “There’s nothing in this world I can’t live without – except, of course, a lip plumper.”

-p. 240: Ahmad Rafay Alam interviews Pakistani novelist Mohammad Hanif. Feature photo shows Hanif relaxing on a cushiony chair with his iPad. Writes Alam: “I’ve just finished the manuscript of his new novel and have a series of questions lined up. But I feel stupid asking a writer what inspires him. So we discuss the craft instead.” Alam also notes in the article: “My wife was his publicist” and goes on to say “Lunch is very relaxed. It’s like being with family and old friends.” Facepalm. At the close of the article:“It’s time for me to go. Hanif and I have been talking for several hours, and I have to catch a flight…. We spend some time in his office, reading the Sunday paper, and then Hanif drops me off at a taxi stand.”

-p. 250-256: The Vogue “Beauty Report” features a variety of make-up tips – none for darker skin.

-p. 257: An ad from Delhi’s best plastic surgeon.

-p. 268: Vogue’s “Beauty Buzz” notes that Namita Jain’s book, “The Four-Week Countdown Diet” is available for release. Dieting seems to be a nationwide phenomenon.

-p. 269: An ad for URiage Edu Thermale suggests you blow away your skin problems.” These problems include “dark skin.”

-p. 279: Another ad for a toilet. “Couple prefers staying home in their new a bathroom.”

-p. 289 “Vogue Living” features the Indianized home of American songstress Cher, who says. “I’ve played around with Buddhism for years.” According to the article, Cher asked her interior designer for “something ethnic, spicy and romantic.”

-p. 302-306: Features the doughy faces of party-planners-for-the-elite and their ‘tips.’

-p. 302 The first woman, a children’s party planner, says, “Once I was working on the chief minister’s grandson’s party and I had no idea until the day of the event.” #humblebrag

-p. 305 : “Recently, when a seven-year-old toting a Burberry handpage walked into her office, Arora even suggested a Burberry theme.” #shudder

-p. 308: More rich-kid-party-planner-confessions: “One 12-year old told us she can’t eat cookies because she’s on a diet.”

It’s that time of year again! Most of you know that I’m involved with
SEWAA (Service and Education for Women Against Abuse).
SEWAA, in collaboration with NetIP Phildelphia, is having our
annual fundraising event:

4th ANNUAL SHANTI MARCH
Sunday, October 2nd, 2011
This is a walk for Peace in Protest of Domestic Violence.

Registration starts at 8:30 am. Event Begins at 10am.

It will be held at FDR (Franklin Delano Roosevelt) Park, We will be meeting in front of the boat house, across from the Swedish Museum.

Please join us in commemorating the International Day of Non
Violence, National Domestic Violence Month, and Gandhi Jayanthi (Gandhi’s Birthday) by participating in a 5k walk to help raise funds to provide better supports and services for South Asian women and their families who are victims of domestic violence.

To register to walk in this event is $25 per person. You can register the day of the event. But if you register early or contact me before the event you will get a FREE T-SHIRT! Ask your family members, friends, and co-workers to sponsor your walk. Sponsors can donate any amount they wish. Please bring your donations with you on the day of the event.  A PRIZE will go to the walker who raises the most money.

For pledge forms or any questions please email Anita Prabhakaran at agp1231@yahoo.com

Photo Credit: The Philadelphia Inquirer

Dear Editor Wischnowski,

I am writing today to thank you and the rest of The Philadelphia Inquirer team for your wonderful front-page coverage of the South Asian American community in the Sunday, July 3rd edition. The article titled “Indian population booming in Philadelphia area” certainly constitutes one of the finest pieces of research-driven feature-writing I have seen in quite some time. As one of the 477,586 Sunday readers of The Philadelphia Inquirer, I am thrilled to see that the third-oldest, eleventh-largest daily newspaper  the United States continues to maintain its reputation as the Pulitzer Prize winning publication of its yore.  With the advent of joke publications, such as The Onion, arriving in this town, it’s heartening to see some hard-hitting news in the Inquirer.

First and foremost, I would like to tip my hat to journalists Michael Matza and Joelle Farrell for their wonderful reporting. To echo the first quote in the article, “Stereotypes be damned.” Such breadth of interviewees! What segues! The software-developer. The dentist groom and the physician bride. The retired chemist. The civil engineer turned motel-owner. The managing partner. The real estate agent.  And lest we grow too comfortable in our community’s affluence, the additional video on your website featuring the taxi driver. A moment of silence for this lone unskilled Indian American man who aspires to achieve the American dream. And a hat tip to you guys for featuring him! I bow to your benevolent reporting. Nick Kristof could learn something from you people.

Thank you! I’m so grateful that mainstream media has finally covered my community. Confession: I’m not actually Indian-American. I’m a Pakistani-American from the Christian community in Philadelphia. But it’s okay. Vast history of secretarian violence aside, we’re all browns in Philadelphia. And on behalf of the Sri-Lankan Americans, Bangladeshi-Americans, Nepali-American and Afghani-Americans, I applaud your coverage. With simply one sentence, “dozens of new Indian restaurants and groceries; Sikh societies, Muslim mosques, Indian churches, and Hindu temples” you covered everybody. E-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y. (Well, the rest was mostly Gujurati Hindus. But that’s almost everybody!)

And in general, you featured everything that defines desi culture. Your paper is indeed correct. We often have ornate “marathon” weddings featuring overwrought brides “that want to try to marry in the culture.” We are professional. Fecund. Educated. Affluent. Skilled. Un-skilled. Legal. Not-quite-so-legal. Uncomplaining. Good at math. Entrepreneurs. And did I mentioned how much we love extravagant weddings? Well we do. Nothing like a good arranged marriage and a Slumdog song to get the blood flowing. (Also, thank you for the follow-up on our lovely couple’s wedding at http://www.philly.com/hindu. I love Bollywood dancing AND Hindus! Bride magazine and NYTimes Weddings section, eat your heart out!)

Naturally, as a South Asian American, I swoon over the numbers you quote in the piece after combing through the 2010 Cenus. What stats! It makes my math-loving heart thump hard. Exquisite research, really.

973 – the number of Indians that came to live in Upper Uwchlan, Chester County, in the last 10 years
600 – the couple’s wedding guests
400 – the number of wedding guests staying at the Lows on Market Street and directly bolstering the local economy
293 – the number of Indians that came to live in Mansfield, Burlington County
100 – the number of times the lovely bride had to kneel to greet the guests before she really felt it in her gams
74 – the number of complaints made by Indians to the Pennsylvania Human Rights Commission
30 – the mean age of the lovely couple
28 – the number of rooms in the Gujurati motel
18 – the number of Indian weddings hosted by an Upper Darby banquet facility
5 – the number of days during the typical Indian American wedding
4 – the venues needed for the wedding-planner-less bride for the requisite nuptial

Thanks to you and your article, I know now more about the strain of wedding planning Indian Americans than ever before.

Gratefully yours,

PG

Thank you, Philadelphia geek community. Thank you Eric Smith, Michaelangelo Ilagan and Tim Quirino of Geekadelphia. Thank you to the Academy (of Natural Sciences.) Thank you to our fellow nominees: StoryShuffle, SociallyInterrupted, PoemTalk and Cinedork.

Jon Hoffman and Chris Schmidt (L-R) from Socially Interrupted pose with us after the Philly Geek Awards.

Thank you to our designer, Kunjan Shah, for volunteering to create our website and to Becky Klimowicz for designing our logo. Thank you Philadelphia for believing in the work we do. Your passion and creativity inspires us. Thank you for sharing your stories. Thank you for following us on Twitter, supporting us on Facebook and downloading our episodes on iTunes. Thank you for your feedback and your encouragement. And finally, thank you for listening.

Photo Credit: Psychology Today

There’s not always a lot to enjoy about the actual law school experience. The stress. The rivalry.  The workload. That one sardonic professor who enjoys the Socratic method a little too much. But all the irksome parts of law school go out the door once you’re the real world and you’re able to actually affect someone’s quality of life in a significant way. At least that was my experience.The work done at the Legal Clinic for the Disabled, where I intern, changes lives. In the nine months that I’ve worked there, I’ve seen firsthand how lawyers at LCD fight for one of the most vulnerable populations in Philadelphia. Last week we learned that one of our most ardent supporters, AJ Nanayakkara, a spinal cord injury advocate has been nominated for the Second Annual Anapol Advocate Award. If he wins, the Legal Clinic for the Disabled receives $5,000. Please take a second and vote for AJ.  Please also pass on to family and friends.  (Caveat: The website sometimes shows an error sign when you try to vote. Just refresh and it should go through.) Voting ends May 31. Thank you in advance for your vote.

Learn more about AJ…

When a martial arts injury left him paralyzed at the age of twenty, AJ Nanayakkara fought his way back. Ten years later, AJ is a wheelchair athlete, mentor, and community leader. He is a certified SCUBA diver, wheelchair rugby player, and is training to become a pilot. AJ won a gold medal as a member of the US National Wheelchair Rugby Team at the 2005 World Wheelchair and Amputee Games in Rio de Janeiro.

He has developed adapted recreation programs across the country, and his many awards include being named a Philadelphia Hometown Hero and receiving the City Key. As the Wheelchair Sports Coordinator at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, AJ added dozens of new participants and programs including surfing, flying, racing, and water skiing. He serves on Philadelphia’s Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities and numerous Boards of agencies that address disability issues. He is a community advocate and business leader advising organizations on how to foster climates of inclusion. AJ mentors patients at Magee Rehabilitation, Moss Rehabilitation, Shriner’s Hospital for Children, and various nursing homes.

He teaches undergraduate and graduate students in Psychology, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Therapeutic Recreation and advises the Department of Defense on how to promote Inclusive Recreation for Wounded Warriors. AJ and his wife founded the Global Abilities Foundation to help people with disabilities in the developing world reintegrate into their communities. This summer, AJ and the Global Abilities team will travel to Sri Lanka to assess the needs of that countries disability community.

You can also find out more about him here and  here.

But when I sheepishly contacted Jeff to laugh with him about it, he wasn’t laughing. He really hadn’t been paid for work he had done three years ago for Metro Philly. Jeff sent me over a series of emails showing his efforts to contact Metro Philly and get compensated for his writing. No luck. According to Jeff, “I wrote a series of covers for them in 2008, they nominated them for a Keystone award, then stiffed me.”

Now I don’t exactly condone Jeff’s approach. Heck, we only became friends after we got into a not-so-friendly debate about the hipster grafter. But I do understand the frustration that comes with not being paid for work. Don’t get between a writer and their money. Just. Don’t. Newspaper writing ain’t no easy job. Do right by your freelancers, Metro Philly. Pay the writer.

If you think Metro Philly should pay their freelancers, you can contact city editor Brian X. McCrone here. Or just tweet at him.

Twenty plus episodes later, I’ve learned a few things. First of all, podcasting is a lot more work than the simple Q&As I usually write. Whereas an average profile would take me roughly 3-4 hours to compile (interview/transcribe/edit /write/re-write), one podcast episode can easily take twice that much time. So if you are planning to seriously commit to a podcast, kiss your social life away. Or just make your social life a part of your podcast, like we do.

Second of all, I really, really hate talking. I seem to have the lowest voice ever. I even have trouble hearing myself. I also get super nervous every time we’re about to record. So it’s probably good we’re doing this project, as it’s forced me to become a better interviewer because I’m more aware of what I’m asking. Third, podcasting is really, really fun. The only reason why Gino and I continue to produce a new episode week after week is because the people we interview are so fascinating, we simply HAVE to share their story. So here my top five favorite episodes. Enjoy!

5) Matthew Smith and the The Spaces Between Your Fingers Project

Who We Interviewed: Matthew Smith
Occupation: Writer/ Jack-of-all-trades
Age: 20ish
Why He’s Interesting: He traveled the country searching for wisdom in all the right places.
Why I Heart This Interview: Matt is a compelling, earnest storyteller whose tale is kinda hypnotizing.

4) Citypaper’s Drew Lazor Tells Us About Food

Who We Interviewed: Drew Lazor
Occupation: Columnist, Online Editor for Citypaper
Age: 20ish
Why He’s Interesting: He makes food fun. For everybody.
Why I Heart This Interview: Because Drew is really, really funny.

3) Ariel Ben-Amos on Goats for Urban Sustainability

Who We Interviewed: Ariel Ben-Amos
Occupation: City Planner
Age: 20ish
Why He’s Interesting: He’s exploring why or why not we should bring goats to farm the city. Amazingness.
Why I Heart This Interview: I had a pet goat as a child and I LOVE the idea of goats in the city.

2) Lushlife AKA Raj Haldar

Who We Interviewed: Raj Haldar aka Lushlife
Occupation: Rapper/Producer/Dilettante
Age: 20ish
Why He’s Interesting: His perfectionism translates to delicious, danceable music.
Why I Heart This Interview: Because Raj is one of the most talented musicians I’ve heard in Philadelphia and more people need to listen to his music.

1) Interviewing the Journalists

Who We Interviewed: Shruti Mathur, Joel Mathis
Occupation: Journalist and Freelance Writer
Age: 20ish, 30ish
Why She/He’s Interesting: They go around interviewing folks for a living. Imagine the stories they could tell.
Why I Heart This Interview: Because I’ve been a journalist and I’ve always secretly wanted to be interviewed, duh.