Cook Calls For Man’s Execution During Football Broadcast

When a Philadelphia sports team has a nationally televised game, the broadcast always includes at least one camera shot of Pat’s and Geno’s. (This is either an FCC rule or sports producers are too lazy to come up with new ideas. Hmm, I think it might be the latter.)

CBS obliged during Sunday’s Eagles-Steelers tilt, and what did we see at Geno’s? That’s right: The famed official Daniel Faulkner shirt calling for Mumia Abu-Jamal’s execution. (For more fun, check out the whole selection of tacky gear available on the Daniel Faulkner Online Store. They even co-opted the “Never forget” slogan.)

I’m fairly certain this isn’t the first time I’ve seen this shirt on a football broadcast, at Geno’s. That shirt might even be the uniform. You do have to hand it to the cops (and, um, cheesesteak cooks). There aren’t too many people who are semi-regularly told they should die on national TV. I’m not sure if that bodes well for the Domelights/Geno’s/Michael Smerconish crowd, though: Nobody was all that successful in killing the other guy I can think of who got that kind of treatment (Osama Bin Laden).

Vandalism Running Wild Locally

A few incidents of recent vandalism are sure to have people angrily writing on messageboards and blogs. Let’s go over the recent attacks on inanimate objects and how they show the downfall of America, or something.

• The vandalized item: Daniel Faulkner’s memorial plaque at 13th and Locust. The time: Sometime between Saturday night and 10 a.m. Sunday. The damage: “Fuck him” written across the late officer Faulkner’s plaque. The culprit: Uh, Free Mumia people were in town over the weekend, so them. Or could it be a set-up attempting to demonize the innocent (but annoying) protesters? Yeah, I’vealready thought about this too much. The likelihood alcohol was involved: 100%.

• The vandalized item: About two dozen flags, part of a display of over 4,000, one for each solider killed in Iraq. The time: Sometime overnight. The damage: Two dozen broken flags, duh. The likely culprit: Unclear, but probably the Mumia people, or some right-wing warmongers. There’s also a chance it was a hard-up flag manufacturer. The likelihood alcohol was involved: 100%.

• The vandalized item: Mets fans’ dignity, as at least two fans of the New York National League club were arrested. The time: Saturday’s Phillies-Mets game. The damage: I’d say “clean arrest records,” but who knows if that’s true. Let’s say the price of a ticket and bail. The likely culprit: The Mets fans themselves, of course. Phillies fans are veritable saints. The likelihood alcohol was involved: 100%.

Wow, annoying people vandalizing heartfelt displays. Uhm, shocking.

Mumia People Angry, As Usual

Yesterday, in the wake of a court ruling upholding a new penalty phrase for Mumia Abu-Jamal, guess how supporters of ol’ Mumia reacted? Of course: They’re all irate!

Anything short of a ruling declaring Mumia president of America would make Mumia supporters irate, of course. The story was the lead on the French national news for some reason, and Pam Africa shouted “motherfucker” at someone a few hundred times, no doubt. And, guess what? Africa is holding a Mumia rally in Center City on April 26! And won’t that rally be exciting!

Oh, Michael Smerconish really wants blood, because he’s too lame to do his own killings and needs the state to carry the deed out for him.

Abu-Jamal’s defenders irate; detractors see mixed bag [Inquirer]

No Death For Mumia, For Now

OMGINTHENEWSAGAIN! Just when I thought we had heard the last of Wesley Cook, aka Mumia Abu-Jamal, aka the convicted killer of one Daniel Faulkner… WHAMMO! A federal appeals court refused to reinstate his death sentence today, which means Mumia will simply spend the rest of his life in jail or get a new sentencing hearing where he could get life or death.

Oh! There’s going to be another appeal — probably from both sides! — and so we’re going to hear about Mumia Abu-Jamal forever and ever and ever until he dies in prison of natural causes.

Mumia gets new sentencing hearing [Inquirer]

Mumia Inspires Eagles-Like Insanity

An editorial in the Northeast Times a few weeks ago opined about Mumia Abu-Jamal’s death sentence and how it hasn’t been carried out yet even though it was thrown out by a high court.

But ignoring that little piece of evidence wasn’t enough for the Times. No, the paper also decided to ignore the Constitution:

A sizable chunk of Philadelphia’s police force calls Northeast Philly home, and for these men and women in blue — and all law-abiding citizens everywhere — the time for Mumia Abu-Jamal to redeem his one-way ticket to hell cannot come too soon. When that great day comes, let’s hope he suffers a torturous death.

Yep. Forget that ban on “cruel and unusual” punishment. He should suffer! I haven’t seen somebody this excited about murdering since Bush got us into the Iraq war.

Kill him already! [Northeast Times]
Yesterday: Eagles’ Winning Streak Inducing Craziness

Crucial Details In Abu-Jamal Murder Case

Today, the Daily News has a big package on the 25th anniversary of the death of Daniel Faulkner, with no less than six articles and a timeline spanning several pages of the paper.

The best part is this story about William Singletary by Valerie Russ. Singletary originally fingered Mumia Abu-Jamal as the shooter, later saying that the police coerced him into singing the confession, that they ruined his businesses, that they made him leave town.

But the amount of important detail in this particular piece is awesome. To wit, before he saw/didn’t see Mumia Abu-Jamal shoot Daniel Faulkner, here’s the story:

In 1981, Singletary was a part-owner of the Bombay Lounge, a bar and hotel at 1504 Catharine St.

Singletary had driven from his bar to the Whispers night club, at 13th and Locust, some time after 3 a.m.

“Business at my place was slow,” he said.

“Everybody was leaving my bar and going to Whispers. I wanted to know what was going on there.” When he got to Whispers, Singletary said the person at the door wouldn’t let him in.

Singletary started walking south on 13th street toward his car when Cynthia White, the prostitute who would later testify against Abu-Jamal, approached and said, “Hey, how you doing? It’s cold out here.”

As he approached his car, “a brand-new Cadillac Eldorado, 1982 model,” White said, “Wow, that’s a great car!”

“Then she said, ‘You ain’t that bad-looking either. But I don’t date black guys.’ ”

Singletary said he returned: “And I don’t date prostitutes.”

It’s good to know that, 25 years later, there still are prostitutes at 13th and Locust. Well, not this Dec. 9. It’s too cold.

Witness: Abu-Jamal didn’t do it [Daily News]

Reason #12 To Love Philadelphia: At Least One Outgoing Congressman Knows How The Game Is Played

There’s only a few days of work left for the U.S. Representative who lost their seats in the November election. One of those congressman is Mike Fitzpatrick, the current rep from Bucks County and parts of Philly and Montco, who lost a close race to Iraq war vet Patrick Murphy.

Fitzpatrick says he’s working until the final hours of his congressional term, which is noble, considering if I lost a close race I’d probably spend my last month in office stealing everything that wasn’t nailed down. And probably about half the stuff that was. (”Hey! Where’d all the seats in the Capitol building go? And where’s President Bush’s dog?”)

And what, exactly, is Fitzpatrick working on during his final week?

Fitzpatrick said he expects a bill he introduced in May that condemns a French city for naming a street after a convicted cop killer will come to the House floor on Wednesday for debate and a vote. The bill is aimed at reversing a decision by the Paris suburb of St. Denis to name a street after Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was sentenced to death in 1982 for the shooting of 25-year-old Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. If the bill passes Wednesday, and Fitzpatrick said he believes it will easily, it will be the 10th bill that was introduced by the freshman congressman that passed the House.

Now these are the issues that affect our country. However, I think it’s pretty sly. Just wait until 2008, where a deep voice-over will be saying, “Patrick Murphy never voted for the bill condemning the French for naming a city after Mumia. He’s failed us. I’m Mike Fitzpatrick, and I approve this message.” Smooth move, Fitz. Smooth move indeed.

Congressman wraps up loose ends [Bucks County Courier Times]

Making Love To Mumia

The overwritten lead of the moment competition just keeps heating up recently. Today, Patty-Pat Kozlowski, occasional Daily News guest columnist, comes up with this lead for a column about Mumia Abu Jamal supporters:

THE BEST SONG to make love to is “I Only Have Eyes For You” by the Flamingos. Add some good red wine, candles not from the Dollar Store and those lyrics: “Are the stars out tonight? I don’t know if it’s cloudy or bright. I only have eyes for you.”

The best song for a passion-lacking sweat-fest is a tie: “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” by Meatloaf and “Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC. This makeout session usually occurs on a couch or in the back seat of a car, where the question, “Is that the seat belt or you?” can ruin the mood.

Both making love and making out are literally the same thing, in the end you get what you want - you just do it differently.

Same with protesting.

As you all know, there’s nothing classier than dollar store candles to make love to.

Song sung blue: Cops & Mumia cult [Daily News]

Blogicized: This is why we can’t have nice things

• Whoo! Pennsylvania legislators are all trying to ban gay marriage in the state constitution! Merry Christmas! And a gay-bashing new year! I just can’t wait for all the wife-cheatin’ politicians ramble on about the “sanctity of marriage.” [America's Hometown]

• One small side note to the Mumia-gets-an-appeal ruling that happened today: the people at Geno’s finally have something to complain about. [Philebrity]

• Apparently, SEPTA riders want nice things like token machines that work and on-time service and don’t care if the trains are ugly. Hmm, maybe. [Starting a Landslide in My Ego]

• Any excuse for Will Bunch to quote The Boss. It’s okay, man. I dig it. [Attytood]