HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICH WOLFE

Rich was surprised at his surprise party last week.

COMCASTIC COMCAST IS TRYING OUT THEIR NEW LIGHT SYSTEM oh and not so comcastic design in the snow

And I am impressed. If these new lights can block out the light pollution that I see everynight, I will be one happy guy. See the blue light about midway down the building? I think that's part of of their 4% art. What do you think? You know I have a love/hate relationship with the Comcast Building. The new lights give me hope, I like the plaza, I hate the boring top of the building and now I hate the cantilevered overhang above the plaza. Last week during our brief snow ice storm I came across this mess...

I know people aren't going to be hanging on the plaza in climate weather, and that this is a universal problem with tall buildings, but could they have done something different to avoid ice falling on our heads while walking on the plaza towards the front door? Couldn't they make the overhang solid?

4TH ANNUAL FLAVORS OF PHILADELPHIA - A Benefit for the American Liver Association

The American Liver Foundation’s 4th annual Flavors of Philadelphia was a hot ticket last night, as the city hails the culinary soirée of the year. Two dozen “prep kitchens” rolled into the elegant Crystal Tea Room to provide each of the local celebrity chefs a private space to prepare their outstanding, gourmet four-course meal for their very own of table of twelve lucky guests. Flavors of Philadelphia patrons were treated like royalty as they began their culinary adventure with exquisite hors d’ oeuvres before sitting down for a personally prepared, specially designed menu, complete with wine pairings.
I am so lame, in the 17 years I have lived in Philadelphia I had never been to the Crystal Tea Room; but I feel like Susan Lucci and the streak is over!! Each restaurant accentuated their tables in their own unique style with gift bags donated by the sponsor of that table. Here's the City of Hope table for Chef Joseph Tucker for Joe Pesce http://www.joepesce.net/ Chef Joseph Tucker and his wife CharityStanford P. Burke Jr. of the Crystal Tea Room inspects the placement of a plate of food, sorta like a dress rehearsal I guess.
Chef Roberta Adamo from Penne Restaurant and Wine Bar and guest chef WOGL's Frank Lewis, in the kitchen Chef Daniel Stern represented both his restaurants Gayle and Rae and actually had two cooking stations, and two tables to represent both of them. He spent a lot of time running back and forth between them.

Where Magazine Publisher Laura Burkhardt gets serviced by Chef Andrew Masciangello of Savonna (Check out Where Magazine Feb 2008 for my photos of the G Lounge)
Oceanaire Seafood Room prepares the stripe bass to serve. OMG I had some and it was awesome!! http://www.theoceanaire.com/
XIX Philadelphia, loved the ambiance here and at the Park Hyatt on Broad Street
I heard that the evening concluded with an over-the-top dessert reception which was my cue to leave. How am I ever going to meet my New Year's Lenten Resolutions if I continue to go to these exciting and delicious events. Oh but I guess someone has to bring you the most up to date exciting happenings in our fair City. (This shot made Michael Klein's INQlings) Playing with fire, April Margera (left), mother of "Jackass" star Bam Margera, finishes creme brulees forthe Flavors of Philadelphia. With her at the Tuesday benefit was Marian Rothstein, Bam's mother-in-law.

(Philadelphia Inquirer 3/2/08)I hope to see you at the 5th Annual Flavors of the City in 2009. The proceeds from Flavors of Philadelphia support the critical activities of the ALF, including nationwide research program, region-wide educational programming for patients, providers and the general public, and local and national advocacy initiatives. www.liverfoundation.org/chapters/delvalley/about/

MARIE OSMOND MAKES THE INQUIRER & other media

Sometimes when I have a shot that might be published, I have to hold it back until it hits the newstands. This shot appeared in two different forms of media. Yesterday it was in the Sunday Inquirer in INQlings, on pg 2b with this story...Bill Schieber of Langhorne won't be washing his neck for the rest of his life.

That's what he told Marie Osmond when she granted his wish and signed the back of his neck, just as she signs her line of porcelain dolls. The singer and actress appeared at the Oxford Valley Mall last weekend. (I knew I had the shot and left the press pen to interview Mr. Schieber; then I left for the day)
And then the photos appear on this site, but the story that is attached is a woosie. http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/osmond%20shocked%20by%20daughters%20internet%20sex%20talk_24_05_2006

I FORGOT ABOUT THE ECLIPSE WEDNESDAY NIGHT

I remembered, but then I got on the phone at 9:50PM to chat with a friend and I forgot. BUT on 11/8/2003 I did see this eclipse and shot it from my balcony.I didn't have a blog then so only friends on my email list "Picture of the Day" got to see it. I still have that email list, but now that I have a blog it's like picture every other day. I guess they'll get this recycled picture with this explanation.

NOW THAT TAKES TALENT, BUT WHAT DOES IT SAY AND HOW MANY HOURS IN THE DORM DID IT TAKE TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE WILL WRITE THE LETTERS UPSIDE DOWN?

TEAM DEREK TOTALLY SCREWED UP MISPLACED EMAIL

Ahh would be so nice if I could get organized. Like any good artist I am not so good on the business side. I have a good story to tell about tonight but it will have to wait because I shot the photo I was going to use tonight in the RAW format and well I didn't learn how to do the raw shots yet, in fact I still have a lot of shots from last summers Montana trip left in the RAW. So since I don't have that shot yet, and I am now thinking about the trip I took last summer I thought I would feature a photo from that trip. PS Team Derek send me an email, I know I have that large piece of paper somewhere around here, but that quickly I can't remember where I put it. I told myself, when I took it out, I am putting it here so I dont forget it, and I forgot where I put it.

RACHAEL RAY COULD LEARN A FEW THINGS FROM MARIE OSMOND

Who were these folks waiting for on Saturday at a mall 20 miles north of Philadelphia in Langhorne, PA If I said she was a living doll, and recently on TV danced as a living doll could you guess
she's a little bit country (and has an interesting black dot next to her left eye, could you explain that?)her PR sign needs to be updated too, she's about 30lbs lighter than this photo Here's Marie Osmond and her "twin" assistant Susie greeting some of the folks who waited up to 6 hrs to get their Marie Osmond dolls signed at the Boscov's at the Oxford Valley Mall
The crowd awaits their turn, men, women and children waited patientlyAlthough I held back some of the best shots for media publication, here's a nice side shot of Marie who at 48 is hot, I mean a really hot cougar, a mama of EIGHT and sincerely a nice women. She told me honey, if you want a better shot why don't you come up on stage with me and take a few. I didn't have to be asked twice!!Marie said she lost about 30lbs doing Dancing with the Stars and highly recomends itI think this guy was confused and thought she was doing a DOG Signing. Marie insisted at standing and signing her dolls, she even posed with every single fan who wanted to. Can I tell you that is not something many celebrities will do at a signing, it was really amazing. Have I ever mentioned what a bitch Rachel Ray was/is. http://hughe2030.blogspot.com/2006/12/celebrity-sightings-continue-in.html . RR in Philly would only pose with a few kids (like they really watch her show and buy cookbooks, I'm not bitter, ok maybe a little). OK back to Marie Osmond, a real CLASS ACT!! Marie have you thought about writing a cook book?

Oh yeah, and you know what, Susie's job was to take the fan's camera and shoot their photos with Marie, and then Marie would stand up and pose for them too!!

VANGO RESTUARANT AND NIGHTCLUB

I always wondered what a Vango was like when I often stopped by Sue's for some produce. Last Tuesday I found out as I attended a social event aboce the orange sign.

The event was held upstairs in the lounge. I thought the entrance way was cool with the wallpaper of vodka bottles
and the orange glow of the unique chandelier on the lounge level you can still sit down and have a bite to eat
and at the bar you can smoke? I asked someone why and they said because their liquor sales were higher than their food sales. Hmm sounds funny to me. I had a few nibblings and the food seemed good, people seemed happy with their drinks, but I guess if what you are looking for is a cool place to drink and smoke, Vango's might just be the spot. I hear they have a cool deck where you can lie on a bed and look at the stars in the warmer weather.

REDTETTEMER'S EDGIER VALENTINE'S WISH FOR PHILADELPHIA

I was a bad, bad boy. A friend of mine that surfs philly flicker, sent me a link to the flicker account of those crazy folks over at Red Tettemer; I'm a little obsessed with them as they are in the same building I work in and some crazy shit (IE OBJECTS, BIG RED BALL) in all of their lobbies, but that will be a post on another day. I couldn't download the photos as they were protected so I did the livewriter thing, yes I lifted them and if the Redtettemer folks want me to remove them I will. (ie email with redtettemer tail)

but it looks like they were attempting to do a Redtettemer's Valentines Love letter on their website, I think. These are the outtakes, but I think they are hysterical and I thought you would want to see them.

I can't help but think of the show "Get Christy Love" from the 70s here while looking at these; if you are under 30 you should Google the show or check out the DVD. It's all very mod Squad meets Johnny Holmes with that shirt and those pants.

Or Maybe

it's the fabulous early 90s

during the Madonna Sex Book era;

The shot they decided to use on the website really encapsulated the story, I really like it. It's edgy, clever, hip and charming. I don't completely get it as I am nearing OMG middle age - LOL, but I can tell it's a young, fresh and hip take on the advertising scene. What do you think?

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

www.redtettemer.com

OK it's Official Michael Klein's INQlings is Read by More People Than Any Other News/Blog/Media Outlet than I have been in

In the last 7 days the NY Daily News did a story taken directly from my Confessions of a Paparazzi website, giving me credit and mentioning the site (see 2/4/08 entry), I have a Hillary Clinton photo published in Us Weekly and on Sunday, I was in the Inquirer. INQlings picked up the byline I wrote to explain my Katie Lee Joel shot, which I took in NYC last week. And I got lots of 15 minutes of fame... talk about getting a big head, if one more person recognizes me and my name from the Inky publishing and I am going to have to get an PR person. She's got a whey
Philly paparazzo HughE Dillon, in New York for Fashion Week, caught up with Katie Lee Joel, wife of Billy Joel, who joined the piano man for his stay surrounding the recent Academy Ball. She enjoyed her visit, Dillon reports: "She said the people were very friendly, the streets were surprisingly cleaner than she imagined, the orchestra was lovely, and Geno's cheesesteaks were their favorite. She said she had the 'liquidy cheese sauce.' I told her that's Cheez Whiz."

NOT ENOUGH TIME today

so check out www.PhillyGossip.com, www.PhillySkyline.com , my favorite Philebrity , Amazing Photos from John Taggert Dragonballyee - His site is informative Philly City Paper - The Clog Philly Weekly Blog The Daily Examiner - Philly Mag Blog and the blog I did update today:
www.confessionsofapaparazzi.com for another one of my Fashion Week Stories.

LIL KIM SURE LOOKS SUPER A YEAR AFTER HER RELEASE FROM PRISON IN PHILLY

I photographed her last Friday night attending a private screening at the Tribeca Grand in NYC. What's that on her left hand, does she have carpel tunnel from making all those license plates in the slammer? all these photos were ones i took: http://socialitelife.buzznet.com/2008/02/01/lil_kim_is_a_vision_in_green.php

BAD TO WORSE FOR THE PNB BUILDING soon to be known as the WACHOVIA BUILDING, could they at least put a damn ATM machine in the building!

Remember back in November when I posted about the "Zoning Signs" going up on the PNB building and mentioning that the new wording would be "Wachovia" on two sides of the tower top, and the Wachovia logo on the other two sides, well I was wrong or they changed their minds. (See http://phillyskyline.com/archive_0710.htm on the issue with much better graphics that I could ever do)

Well rumor has it that things have changed drastically since that entry, and it has gone from bad to worse.They are going to wrap the bell tower part of the building like a SEPTA bus. Now instead of replacing the PNB letters with "Wachovia" and it's logo on all four sides, the tower structure will be "wrapped" in the "Wachovia" logo with a SKRIM. Folks you will no longer be able to see the Founder's Bell, which is the world's largest ringing bell. You will still be able to hear the bell, as the material is pourous. I thought how can this be, isn't the building designated historic. I found out that according to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places: (2000) only the Founders Memorial Bell is designated as Historic, not the building. (This Photo: tsmyther )

Since they aren't touching the bell maybe that's why they think it's ok to just wrap the bell tower in an advertisement. What are they thinking? Now the Wachovia sign will be placed below the tower on a ledge. At night only the Wachovia sign will be lit. The PNB lettering will be removed at a huge cost, in the Spring. That's the reason for the two year delay since the first "Zoning Notice" was put up in 2005; without getting into specifics, it had to be determined who owned the sign and who was going to foot the enormous bill to remove it. There was a verdict, but I don't know if the info is priviledge or not so I am not going to divulge that information. And to make matters even worse I hear they are just trashing the letters, I guess someone needs to get the scrap mental funds, but couldn't they just offer the 26 ft high, 13 foot wide letters to anyone? How about a "P" can't anyone use a "P"?

This is my last entry for the week as I will be in NYC photographing celebrities at Fashion Week. http://www.confessionsofapaparazzi.com/ follow along.