Philly Has a Whole Lot of Love

With the conclusion of the major winter holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Years, many individuals are already prepping for the year’s next big holiday: Valentine’s Day. This year, Philadelphia residents can spare their date the boredom and repetitiveness of another mushy Valentine’s Day card and instead, take their date on a virtual tour through Philadelphia’s most heartfelt love notes in a tour of Philadelphia’s latest mural project, Love Letter.
Love Letter contains a series of murals designed as if they were love letters featured on 45th to 63rd streets along the Market Street corridor. The murals contain heartfelt messages such as “Miss you too often not to love you”, “1 Goal Love People, Sometimes it Hurts, Sometimes it Doesn’t”, and the simple, “I love you”. The murals were designed this past summer by a series of Philadelphia artists lead by the legendary graffiti artist, Stephen Powers. As you and your date stroll through the city to view these murals, you will be reminded about the over-powering emotion of love as you see the emotions of love pouring out onto each individual mural. The murals will capture the pain, joy, and pleasure that can be summed up through the roller coaster ride of love.
Tours featuring the 50 mural displays are offered every Saturday from 10-11:30am. Guests are asked to meet at Love Park for the tour and to call to make reservations in advance. Make sure to reserve your spot in time for Valentine’s Day! A tour of 50 heartfelt love notes, and a picnic in Love Park, surrounded by the fresh city atmosphere. What could be more romantic?

Philadelphia: Home of a Legendary Writer

This past October marked what would have been the Edgar Allan Poe’s 200th birthday. While you may be a few months late wishing him a happy birthday, it is never too late to appreciate the writings that came from this literary genius. One of the greatest ways to show your appreciation for the author who is known as being the father of the detective story is by visiting the house he lived in and wrote a majority of his classic stories in.
American Horror Literature fanatics will be in awe as they view rare editions of Poe’s works along with copies of his personal letters. A wall inside the home contains several letters Poe wrote for the numerous women in his life, allowing fans of Poe to see a more personal, romantic side of the estranged writer. Poe fanatics will also be able to expand their biographical knowledge of the writer as they watch a short documentary on the writer. Tour guides will also be available to answer any questions that tourist may have.
Even if you are more interested in contemporary horror literature, such as works by Stephen King, you will find a great sense of appreciation and interest in The Edgar Allan Poe House. This exhibit includes several examples of how Poe influenced King among other horror writers such as Alfred Hitchcock. Poe’s chilling writing style created a new genre of American literature that helped launch the careers of these writers.
The Edgar Allan Poe house is a national landmark that will give fans of Poe and even greater appreciation of his works. Seeing the house that Poe grew up in and wrote a majority of his classic stories, such as The Raven in is a bone-chilling experience. On your visit, you may even get lucky and run into the ghost of Poe himself.
The Edgar Allan Poe house is located on 532 North 7th Street in Philadelphia, PA. It is run by the National Park Service and the cost is free of charge. The house is opened from Wednesday-Sunday from 9am-5pm and is free of charge.

Valencia: Philadelphia’s Next Big Band

When it comes to music, Philadelphia is no stranger to talent. Some of America’s most famous musicians were raised in and around the Philadelphia area, such as Pink, Taylor Swift, and The Startling Line. Valencia is another band that hails from the Philadelphia area. At the moment, Valencia does not have as big of as a crowd following as Pink, Taylor Swift, or the Startling Line do, but they are quickly working their way up the ladder of success. This past summer Valencia opened up for the popular pop-punk band, Blink-182 on a handful of their reunion tour dates. More recently, Valencia opened up for The Starting Line in a sold-out concert at The Theatre of Living Arts. Currently, the band is taking a break from touring to work on their third album.
Valencia’s music has an all-natural, powerful effect on its listeners. As Valencia works to grow a fan base, their music will quickly catch on, making Valencia a household name across America. A majority of Valencia’s music is upbeat, but at the same time, it contains heart-wrenching lyrics about getting over a breakup with a long time lover. Many of their songs can be compared to bands such as Yellowcard, or their previous tour partners, The Starting Line. Their song, The Space Between is especially similar to Yellowcard’s, Ocean Avenue, except whereas Yellowcard wrote about the California city that they grew up in, Valencia wrote about spending time with a lover by the Delaware River. Valencia continued to write about their home state in the heart-felt, semi-acoustic song, Pennsylvania Holiday. In this song, the band reminiscences back on their childhood Christmases spent in Pennsylvania and how good it felt to come back home to their beloved state for the holidays. Valencia’s song lyrics encourage listeners to appreciate the small treasurers in life, which, for Valencia, includes their hometown of Philadelphia.
Valencia does not currently have any shows scheduled, but once the band completes their new album, more shows will be scheduled. In the meantime, the band has offered their hit song, Pennsylvania Holiday, to be downloaded free of charge as a holiday gift. Music lovers should make sure to take advantage of this free download now, so that they can be one of the first to tell their friends all about Valencia before they draw even more attention and bigger crowds in the new year!

News of Divorce Triggered Charlie Sheen to Attack Wife

Perezhilton.com is reporting that Charlie Sheen's Christmas day aggression towards wife, Brooke Mueller, which lead him a stint behind bars was triggered by the news that his wife requested a divorce from the actor.

Apparently, Sheen and Mueller's marriage have been on the brink for quite some time, and the Mueller's desire for a divorce, which was announced over several drinks during a Christmas Eve dinner, only made the couples relationship worst. Sheen did not hold a knife to his wife's throat as previously reported, but he still reportedly threatened his wife with another sharp object.

Sheen was released from prison on bail later on Christmas night. His wife is currently in the process of obtaining a restraining order against him. No word yet on when Sheen will be required to appear in court, or whether his charges will all remain or be dropped.

Tyra Banks to end Popular Talk Show

First Oprah, now Tyra. Today, on her popular talk show, The Tyra Banks Show, Banks announced that this current season will be the last. Bank's have had her own talk show for 6 consecutive years. Banks show often promoted positive self images and encouraged its viewers to be comfortable in their own skin. Some ways that Banks have worked to achieve this positive sense of self is by un-weaving her hair and wearing her hair naturally this past season. Banks has also been a huge advocate for gay rights, which she speaks openly about.

In addition to her talk show, Banks is also the host of America's Top Model and True Beauty.

Why do you think Banks has chosen to end her talk show? Do you think it was so she could concentrate on her other projects, or do you think it had something to do with Oprah's announcement to cancel her show? Will you be sad to see Banks' show go off air?