Writers

Streets Dept’s CONRAD BENNER: Blogger, Podcaster, Activist

April 12, 2021 Activist, Artist, Politics, Writers 1:02:50

Conrad Benner is the person and energy behind Streets Dept. Streets Dept is a “Best of” Philly podcast as well as widely popular street-art blog. The blog is celebrating its 10th year in existence in 2021. 

Born and raised in Fishtown, Conrad has always had an interest in the arts. We talked about the early days of Streets Dept and his decision to leave a stable job in marketing and pursue his blog full-time.

Conrad is the expert in Philly street art. He discusses Philly’s current art scene, the repurposing of classic Philly buildings, and how his blog has developed over the years. Conrad discusses the influence his parents have had on him as well as their support in his  coming out as a gay man. 

Conrad also has smart, progressive views on how this city can improve and he’s not shy about his disappointment in Mayor Jim Kenney. Will he eventually run for office in Philly? 

Benner is regularly listed as one of Philadelphia’s most influential people and it’s well-deserved recognition. We think you’ll enjoy this interview with one of Philly’s more interesting and passionate residents.

LINKS:
www/twitter/facebook/instagram

Allen Hornblum – Prison Experiments, Gangs, and other Philly Tales

March 26, 2021 Activist, Authors, History, Writers 1:07:00

Allen Hornblum is an activist, writer, lecturer, and investigative journalist who has tackled some of Philadelphia’s more intense stories.

As a worker in the Philly Prison systems, Allen noticed prisoners with bandages all over their skin. He inquired what was going on, which led him to uncover one of the more egregious experiments in Philadelphia history. Dermatologists at Penn conducted a variety of tests on unknowing prisoners at Holmesburg Prison. He later discovered the government was also involved in conducting experiments involving chemical warfare agents and other drugs. He wrote a book called Acres of Skin about the unethical experiments by one of the world’s leading dermatologists.

Hornblum also did an exhaustive study and investigation into the K&A Gang out of Kensington. The K&A Gang was basically Philly’s Irish Mafia, which focused on house burglaries around the Philly suburbs. They eventually became involved in drug dealing and helped make Philadelphia the meth capital of the country. 

Hornblum talked in depth about both of these books and moments in Philadelphia history. It’s a fascinating discussion.

Hornblum is a wild and intense guy who covers very serious Philly issues. You gotta hear these stories.

LINKS:

Allen Hornblum

Alex Tewfik – Inside Philly’s Food & Drink Scene

October 19, 2020 Food & Drink, Writers 49:47

Alex Tewfik is a restaurant veteran, who loves both restaurants and writing. He currently covers the Philly restaurant and drink scene for Philly Mag. He joins us to talk about his perspective and experiences in an industry that’s struggling to survive.

Ambience was always a major factor into the success of most restaurants. We discuss how restaurants are adapting now that most ambience consists of outdoor seating on a picnic table. Convenience and quality takeout has almost surpassed ambience. Alex touches on his fears that only restaurants with deep pockets will survive the pandemic. In a worst case scenario, only chains would survive.

Alex talked about his lessening expectations when he goes out for food. He is actively conscious that people are risking their lives to serve food. Expecting service at the levels before the pandemic just seems unreasonable.

What changes does Alex think remain in Philadelphia? Will streeteries continue? Does the PLCB allow to-go cocktails to continue? Will the restaurant model remain a tip-based industry for servers? Is Alex dining indoors these days?

In a hysterical Blunt Round, Alex details an injury suffered while performing a drunk dance move.

LINK:
Alex Tewfik: Instagram/Philly MagD

Greg Seltzer – The Man Behind Philly Music Fest

September 15, 2020 Authors, Entertainment, Music, Writers 00:39:35

He’s a CPA, mergers & acquisitions attorney, author, and founder of the Philly Music Fest. He is Greg Seltzer and he’s our guest on this episode of The Philly Blunt.

By day, Greg Seltzer is a major player in the world of mergers and acquisition law. By night, he’s an author of two books The 1965 Project: The Intersection of History and Music in 1965 and The 1968 Project: The Intersection of History and Music in 1968 and the man behind the annual Philly Music Fest.

Philly Music Fest is unlike any other music festival in the country in that it is a multi-day multi-venue festival exclusively featuring bands with Philadelphia connections. Local food and drink companies provide all the beverages and food during the festival. All the proceeds from the event go to local music-education programs throughout the Philly area.

The 2020 version of the Philly Music Fest will be live performances live-streamed from the Ardmore Music Hall on September 24th and 25th.

Greg sits with us to discuss how the Philly Music Fest came to fruition, the difficulties of organizing a music festival during a pandemic, his work in negotiating a lease between the NHL and Citizens Bank Park for the Winter Classic hockey game, his discovery of jazz in State College, and how historical events shape the music released in the years following.

During the Blunt Round, Greg discloses the amount of Phish shows he’s attended and it’s a pretty ridiculous number, as well as some local bands and artists that we all should be listening to these days.

LINKS:
Philly Music Fest: www/Facebook/Instagram/Twitter

Inga Saffron – Pulitzer Prize-Winning Architecture Critic

September 15, 2020 Authors, Entertainment, Writers 00:39:04

Inga Saffron came to Philadelphia in 1985 to work as the Philadelphia Inquirer as a Suburban Reporter. She spent five years as the Inquirer’s Eastern European correspondent and eventually became their architecture critic in 1999. Since then, she’s been writing about Philadelphia’s changing skyline and neighborhoods. In 2014 she won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism for her work at the Inquirer.

Inga sat with us just after the news broke of the 76ers submitting a development proposal for Penn’s Landing. She provides great insight on that proposal and what the future development of Penn’s Landing might and should look like. We discuss how the city can develop Penn’s Landing while keeping it a destination that the general public can continue to utilize.

Tax breaks are always in discussions when developers approach the city. Inga shares talks about the possibilities of tax breaks and whether or not the city still needs these tax breaks or abatements at this point.

She talks about the immediate and long-term effects that working from home has on center city life and businesses, her mellowing-out on the Philly Mural Arts Program, her hatred of large video screens around town, and whether or not streeteries and cafe dining is her to stay in the Philly.

Inga even shares with us her teenage crush and favorite city takeout joints during COVID-19 in the Blunt Round.

She has a new book out called Becoming Philadelphia that you can purchase HERE.

LINKS:
Twitter/Instagram/Inquirer

Dr. Stephen Klasko – The Most Honest Man in Healthcare

August 9, 2020 Authors, Business, Healers, Writers 01:18:51

Dr. Steven Klasko is the CEO of Jefferson Health, named the #2 Most Influential Person in Healthcare, and probably the most honest healthcare executive in the country. In this interview he spills the dirt on the issues of government, healthcare providers, insurance companies, and pharmaceuticals and how to make the country better and healthier for all citizens.

Dr. Klasko, born in South Philly, started his career out as Little Stevie Kent, a radio disc jockey on WYSP in Philadelphia. After being fired, a counselor told him to consider taking the MCATs. He went on to become an OB/GYN, delivering thousands of babies. He transitioned to the management side of healthcare after earning his MBA. On top of that, he’s an author having written numerous books on America’s healthcare industry.

He pulls no punches in discussing the impact of COVID-19 on Philadelphia or America’s healthcare crisis.

Dr. Klasko professes what we already know—healthcare in America is broken. He provides valuable insight into the absurdities that exist between insurance companies, the government and providers and how they often fail the American citizens.

The discrepancies in healthcare between the wealthy and the poor is a major concern on Dr. Klasko’s. He talks about how two zip codes in Philadelphia, a mere mile or two apart, can have a twenty year difference in life expectancy and steps that we, as a nation, can do to combat this.

Klasko thinks out of the box. He is changing the way medical schools select students and the training they receive. He wants to change the way healthcare is delivered, provide broadband to all citizens, and work with other health institutions in the city to make Philadelphia as healthy a city as possible.

This is easily the most honest and informative discussion over healthcare, government, and insurance you will hear from a true visionary in the industry.

LINKS:
Dr. Stephen Klasko

DAMON C. WILLIAMS – Philly’s First Rap Columnist

July 20, 2020 Authors, Writers 45:40

We sit down with Damon C. Williams. Damon is an award-winning journalist having written for the Daily News for a decade and then at Philadelphia Tribune. A bulk of his work focused on local politics. Damon has also released a memoir available on Amazon called Soul in Ink, the memoirs of a journalist. Maybe more importantly, while at the Daily News, Damon started a rap and hip-hop column in the 1990’s that focused on local artists in Philly. It was one of the first, if not first, columns in a major metropolitan newspaper of its kind.

Thanks to everyone out there who helped make us a Philly Mag Best of 2020 winner.

Shout out to our sponsors Shibe Vintage Sports where you can find unique vintage-style shirts and hats. There’s a story in every stitch at Shibe. Shibe Vintage Sports. Philly owned. Philly artists.

And Jawnville.com for the observations, rants, and ramblings of a Philly bloke. This bloke, in particular.

Check us out on instagram, twitter, and Facebook all as THe Philly Blunt.

Stay safe. Wash Your hands. Wear a mask and enjoy this interview with Damon C. WIlliams.

LINKS:
Damon C. Williams: Twitter/Soul In Ink: The Memoirs of a Journalist

BUTCH CORDORA – Philly LGBTQ Media Star & Poker Shark

June 26, 2020 Authors, Entertainment, TV/Radio, Writers 54:44

Philadelphia LGBTQ media star and poker shark Butch Cordora joins The Philly Blunt for a Live Bluntcast via Facebook Live. Butch created and starred in the cable interview show In Bed with Butch. He produced a line of annual calendars posing naked alongside straight naked guys called Straight & Butch, and he recently released a poker book called “The Gay Guyde To Poker: Use Your Minority as a Weapon.”

Butch came to Philly in 1987 from the Wilkes-Barre area to live as an openly gay man. He broke television ground by being an openly gay television host on his local cable show called In Bed with Butch, where he interviewed members of the gay community in their pajamas in a bed. He even had members of the Village People in his bed. Butch also broke down barriers with his calendar called Straight & Butch where he posed naked with straight naked men.

Butch followed his love of poker becoming a regular poker shark, who runs local poker games at clubs in Philly and New York City and recently published a poker book called A Gay Guyde to Poker.

He’s good dude and lots of fun. We hope you enjoy this interview about Butch’s endeavors and where Philly has come regarding the gay community from when he first arrived on the scene in 1987.

FABIOLA CINEAS – Vox Journalist

June 20, 2020 Politics, Writers 01:02:51

Former Sr. Editor at Philly Mag and currently a race reporter for Vox (dot) com, Fabiola Cineas, joined us for Bluntcast #19.

Fabiola wrote a great piece about the history of Juneteenth of Vox, which they published on Juneteenth (June 19th).

She discussed the history of the day and its celebrations, what the learned doing the research for the piece, and if she could have written that same article for Philly Mag.

We also touched on the lack of diversity at Philly Mag, both on the Board and in its content. She was recently vocal about the diversity issues in a recent twitter thread.

Fabiola also let us know what it was like to spend time one-on-one with Candace Owens and following her to speaking engagements on college campuses for an article and interview she did.

Fabiola is a fresh voice in journalism, insightful, and currently living in West Philly.

LINKS:
Fabiola Cineas: vox/twitter

 

FEMINISTA JONES RETURNS

June 17, 2020 Activist, Artist, Authors, Politics, Writers 1:13:35

Feminista Jones is one of the most unapologetically brilliant people in Philadelphia and we guarantee that you will leave this interview with a different perspective on the world than you went into it with. Hear her message to people who have just joined the movement, her thoughts on black gun ownership, and what her thoughts are on Dave Chappelle, Shaun King, and Candace Owens. And be sure to pick up her new book, Reclaiming Our Space…as soon as it’s back in stock. It’s currently sold out on Amazon. This is so good, y’all. For real. If you enjoy it, please share. A lot of things in here that people need to hear.

LINKS:
Feminista Jones: www/Instagram/Facebook/Twitter