AltWeeklies Wire
Is Poker Illegal in Pennsylvania? It Dependsnew

According to a couple of recent court rulings, it may depend on where you play and what the appellate court eventually decides.
Pittsburgh City Paper |
Charlie Deitch |
02-20-2009 |
Policy Issues
Tags: Pennsylvania, politics, gambling, poker, government, Act 71, legality, poker players alliance, PPA, precedence
Looking for 'Slow Cinema' at the Berlin International Film Festivalnew
If this year's Berlinale was dominated and ultimately defined by polyglot international coproductions that, as one British colleague joked, might have been rated "G" for globalization, the festival's most memorable offerings came from filmmakers who looked no farther than their own backyards for inspiration.
L.A. Weekly |
Scott Foundas |
02-20-2009 |
Movies
A Southwest Missouri Hamlet is Leading the Latest Fight to Legalize Medical Marijuananew
Cliff Village has become the second Missouri city to legalize marijuana for medical use. But with a population in the double-digits and a local sheriff who vows to lock up any pot smoker he can find, the town's 30-year-old mayor, Joe Blundell, concedes that the move is "symbolism, pure and simple."
Riverfront Times |
Keegan Hamilton |
02-20-2009 |
Drugs
Rep. Eric Swafford's Bid to Make Tennessee a Laughingstocknew
Swafford has proudly become America's first state legislator to join the wacky legal action challenging Barack Obama's status as a U.S. citizen, an issue that's become an obsession of the far-right fringe.
Nashville Scene |
Jeff Woods |
02-20-2009 |
Politics
A Month of Terror with Nashville's Most Brazen Stick-Up Crewnew
Pam Carpenter can't sleep at night with three suspects still at large.
Nashville Scene |
Caleb Hannan |
02-20-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Think Blink: Paris Hilton and Rihanna's Eyelash Master, Ja'Maal Busternew
The eye spy can spot the good fakes from the bad in an instant.
L.A. Weekly |
Gendy Alimurung |
02-20-2009 |
Fashion
Enslaved in Suburbia: Two Women, Two Fractured American Dreamsnew
Inside the world of trafficked indentured servants and the visa violators who care for our old.
L.A. Weekly |
Gendy Alimurung |
02-20-2009 |
Business & Labor
Balloonatics: Hey Kid, Wanna See My Balloon Dog?new

Once a month Thad James and about twenty other twisters gather for a balloon jam. They have been doing this for years, teaching each other new figures, trading strategies for dealing with bratty children and practicing their stage patter.
Riverfront Times |
Aimee Levitt |
02-20-2009 |
Culture
Is the King of Pop's Neverland Booty Our Folly Too?new

Life is hard, and economists searching for a symbol to the End of an Era need look no farther than Neverland Ranch, Michael Jackson's 2,800-acre Valhalla outside Santa Barbara.
L.A. Weekly |
Randall Roberts |
02-20-2009 |
Music
Is There a Cancer Cluster at UC San Diego?new

An elevator in literature building is cited as a potential cause; faculty wants more action from administration.
San Diego CityBeat |
Amanda Ripley |
02-20-2009 |
Science
'Grandma's Hands' Exhibit Examines the Quilt of Lifenew
"Grandma's Hands: Celebrating the Underground Raildroad Quilt Code" exhibition highlights a little known avenue used by escaped slaves to find their way to freedom.
Jackson Free Press |
Katy Rivlin |
02-19-2009 |
Art
Oklahoma Wild Game Can Provide Recession-Proof Rationsnew
With the economy shrinking and the price of protein rising, a growing number of Oklahomans are starting to embrace small-game hunting -- or at least argue with those who find the practice distasteful.
Oklahoma Gazette |
Greg Elwell |
02-19-2009 |
Comedy
Ted Gioia's 'Delta Blues' Catalogs the Bluesnew
Delta Blues rambles from Mississippi to Memphis, from Chicago to New York and across Europe, just like the musicians it documents.
Jackson Free Press |
Walter Biggins |
02-19-2009 |
Nonfiction
On Taco Night and 'Guaca-Salsa'new
These days, my husband and I make tacos with lots of homemade salsa. He is the self-proclaimed meat lover, and I'm the veggie queen, so between us, we usually manage to come up with a balanced meal. With recipes for Meaty Vegetable Tacos and Guaca-Salsa.
Jackson Free Press |
Sarah Christine Bolton |
02-19-2009 |
Food+Drink
Fixing the Economic Mess Starts at Homenew
The country's economic mess is a reflection of our personal priorities. To fix it, look no further than the back yard.
Jackson Free Press |
Ronni Mott |
02-19-2009 |
Commentary
Tags: economic issues