ISSUE 2 / JULY 2013
$5 SUPPORTS LOCAL INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING
BADMASH is an independent lifetyle zine produced in Philadelphia by
Vinti Singh. 3/ recipe 4/ travel 6/ fitness 8/ humor 10/ essay 12/ music 14/ photo 18/ fashion
5 & Back Cover by Mark Price Markpriceisafactory.net 8, 11 & 13 graphics by HoneyChrome honeychrome.net For exclusive online extras visit:
www.badmashmag.com Interested contributors contact:
vinsin87@gmail.com
ON THE COVER
Aleicia Phulwani is modeling clothes thrifted from Philly AIDS Thrift, a nonprofit thrift shop on S. 5th Street. Proceeds from sales go to local organizations involved in fighting HIV/ AIDS. In “Night Visions,� on page 14, Aleicia is posing with a Philly AIDS Thrift mannequins in their records/ CDs/ videos room. One hundred percent of the purchase price of any copy of BADMASH bought in store at Philly AIDS Thrift will go directly to its supported causes.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To poach eggs: fill a large saucepan with 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water. Add in the vinegar and heat over medium high heat until just starting to boil. Reduce to a simmer before putting the eggs in. One by one, crack eggs into a bowl and carefully pour each egg into the simmering water. Cook for 3 minutes for runny yolk, and 4-5 minutes for a yolk that is more set. Tip: If you have never poached eggs before, have extra eggs on hand if you break yolks, or the eggs do not come out right. It is a delicate process, so do not feel bad if you do not get it right the first time! While the water is heating to poach the eggs, heat another
FOOD
large pan on medium heat, and add the oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the sausage and cook until done, about 5 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the grease out of the pan. Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute more. Slowly add the milk to the pan and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with the salt, red pepper flakes and lots of pepper. Once the oven is preheated, place the halved muffins in the oven and toast until lightly browned. To assemble: Place two halves of the corn muffin on each plate. Top each half with a poached egg, a slice of cheese, and a scoop of the sausage gravy. Serve with fruit or hash browns, and enjoy!
Southern Eggs Benedict By Sarah Kowalyk
This tasty twist on Eggs Benedict will soon become a breakfast or brunch favorite! Serve with fruit or hash browns for a complete meal. Serves 4 Ingredients: 4 Corn Muffins, halved 8 eggs 1 T white vinegar 1 T Canola Oil 1/2 lb. spicy sausage 2 T flour 2 cups milk 4 slices sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 t red pepper flakes Salt and pepper
PHOTO ANTHONY’S ANIMAL ADVENTURE My friend Anthony Karge moved to Cambodia earlier this year because he wanted to (boss), and immediately scored a communications job with a major non-profit there (super boss). He has so generously provided this beastly photo dispatch for us to delight in. Captions are his own.
I prefer beach stray dogs to city stray dogs. They are much quieter. - In Kep, Kampot
I heard hundreds thousands - of bats squeaking from within the cracks of this temple. This cat investigated.
Almost accidently grabbed this gaurdian of the gaurdrail. - at Preah Vihear Temple
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FITNESSPHILLY BIKING T By Belinda Stas
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1) RACE ELECTRIC BIKES
2) TRY THE NEW TRAIL
Philadelphia resident Lance Portnoff wants to popularize the sport of electric biking on the east coast. Through his company Design Logic Bikes, he designs specialty bikes such as “DaBomb,” “Da-Hitch,” and “Da-Trailer.” Portnoff launched his business after he built “Da-Bomb” to race at the Motor Assisted Bike Death Race in Tuscon Ariz., where he came in ninth place. He patented the design which is of a heavy-duty cargo bike with a built-in motor. The sport of electric bike racing is more popular out west. “My goal is to promote this new sport which is not very well-known,” on the east coast he said. Portnoff is gauging interest in putting together an electric bike racing team or organizing a race. “It is on the ground level right now, but [the idea is coming together] little by little,” he said. “I would like to participate in any future racing, getting sponsors, building up ideas.” Portnoff noted it has gotten easier to get locals into biking in recent years. “People start biking more when the gas prices go up,” he said. Portnoff also expressed appreciation for the conventional bicycle, something he has ridden since a kid. “I ride mostly a pedal bike [everyday],” he said. “The electric bike is a novelty option, but I’ve ridden bikes and motorcycles forever.” For more information on Portnoff, visit www.designlogicbikes.com.
The Tacony Creek trail, which connects the existing trail at Roosevelt Boulevard through Tacony Creek Park to the Juniata Park Neighborhood, was dedicated April 27, just in time for the summer months. The one-mile stretch of road is surrounded by now green trees and plentiful nature. The trail was funded by the William Penn Foundation and is a part of the Regional Trails Program, which aims to develop trails for a “truly connected regional network of multi-use trails with Philadelphia and Camden as its hubs.”
G TO-DO LIST 3) TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES Ever felt like releasing your inner exhibitionist? The Philly Naked Bike Ride is an annual “bare as you dare” bike ride in Center City. The 2013 ride on Aug. 25 will mark the fourth year of the risque event. Last year, more than 2,500 people paticipated. “Clothing” ranged from body paint, to tutus, to superhero costumes, to cpmpletely bare. The purpose of the ride is to raise awareness about fuel consumption and positive body image, according to organizers. In 2012, a just-married couple posed for pictures in full wedding dress; laughing as hundreds of naked bikers whooped behind them. The couple said they would like to stop by the race again this year with their new baby.
HUMOR
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Yelp Reviews my Life
By Chris Duray
(four stars) Fast service and conveniently located but left me wanting more
(four stars) You know what you’re getting with Chris Duray; nothing fancy but that’s not a bad thing. Good for a lazy Sunday. (four stars) i don’t like redheads but my friend tom does and he says this one is pretty good so if you like redheads i guess he is okay, i did not like him tho (three starts) More of a novelty, but good enough. Not really for families, considering the incessant ‘Robocop’ quotations. (three stars) Fun, but NOISY! Could have done without the feverish ranting about how Harry Potter is an allegory supporting institutional racism, but pobody’s nerfect! (one star) Classy at first glance with very mellow atmosphere. Night took a turn when Chris Duray dropped a pint glass of sake into a Big Gulp of Heineken and accused me of being a member of One Direction. When I told him I wasn’t, it only made him angrier. Would only recommend to alcoholics or members of One Direction. (three stars) Chris Drury is pretty okay! I would not stand in line for him, but good for like a lazy Sunday (go sweatpants! lol) (five stars) HOW DO I TWITTER GOOGLE??? WEB GOOGLE MY NIECE’S NEW DAUGHTER, PLEASE (three star) Chris Duray is too expensive for me, but generally okay if you don’t mind spending a little extra money on a lawyer after he files ten separate civil suits accusing you of being the devil Lucifer. A good ‘Lazy Sunday’ choice. (two star) Every Thursday for the last seven years Mr. Duray has dumped garbage on my lawn and yelled until I watch him shape it into a crude Pokemon statue. I have confronted him about this behavior but he insists it will help him to solve cybercrime. Two stars because his bathroom is clean.
(one star) Chris Duray gave me food poisoning. Otherwise, a decent option for a slow Sunday.
Blood Money Illustration and Text by Kitty Caparella
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ART The henchman was no art critic. The screen print he was looking at, titled “Blood Money,” depicted onetime mob consigliere George Borgesi waving a bloody hand against a background of hundred dollar bills. Borgesi’s emissary smirked at the artwork and left DaVinci Art Alliance, leaving the manager of the gallery on Catharine Street near 7th, scratching his head. The next day, two women showed up, took one look and grumbled. The art patrons could have only been sent by Borgesi himself, who was sitting in a federal prison wondering why I had sent him an invitation, with a photo of the print, to an art show that he could not attend. Our history goes way back during my nearly 20 year-plus career covering organized crime. Borgesi wasn’t too happy with my reporting, which he viewed as unfavorable, during the 1997 retrial of five mobsters charged with killing “Frankie Flowers” D’Alfonso, whose skull was fractured with a baseball bat. Borgesi slipped into a bench beside me and said: “A person who writes like you could get themselves killed.” A thinly veiled threat.I immediately reported his words to the Philadelphia organized crime cops standing in the hall and they immediately warned him to knock it off or he’d be arrested. A week or so later, it became ap-
parent that the witnesses had faulty memories since the first murder trial nine years earlier. I figured the defendants would be acquitted and mentioned it to Borgesi during a break in the trial. When the jury returned with a not guilty verdict, pandemonium erupted. Suddenly, Borgesi kissed me on the cheek, shocking me more than he had with his threat. Months later, Borgesi and I stood at the corner of 12th and Annin, talking about the trial, the threat and the verdict - and parted amicably. So when I entered “Blood Money” in a Warhol-inspired art show last year, I wasn’t sure how he’d respond when he received the invitation with a photo of the art work. By then, I had retired, after 38 years at the Philadelphia Daily News. And he had served most of his 14-year sentence from a 2001 federal trial for racketeering, and was awaiting another federal racketeering trial. Borgesi himself produced the ingredients for the artwork. Surveillance cops took his photo waving at them while he stood on the steps of one of his South Philly hangouts, Malone’s Bar. The money that was copied came from the illegal sports gambling ring that he rang. Both his photo and copies of the money were entered into evidence against him during his 2001 racketeering trial. They became part of the public record. Too bad he didn’t recognize himself.
MUSIC
Dripping Chaos
I interviewed my good friend, who works under the creative title of HoneyChrome, on GChat while he was on a Greyhound bus bound to Brooklyn from Philadelphia. HoneyChrome recently released his first song, “O kkk,” on iTunes. HoneyChrome: Omg there is a cute guy on the bus. V: What kind of vibes are you getting from him? HC: tank top, he is reading, lol V: That is not a vibe. You have a thing for boys on public transportation HC: I guess it’s the place, other 12
than a bar, where having no context is something you can have in common. A blank slate. V: Deep. Does he seem like the kind of person who would listen to O kkk? HC: hmmmmm. There is a girl between us. V: What kind of person would listen to O kkk? HC: A person who enjoys being pumped up. Now I think my best bet is to follow him off da bus. Alright moving on. He hasn’t looked in 30 mins. V: Why are you anonymous? HC: So the persona can be flexible and not attached to one human being. The honeychrome is a collective. It just happens to be one person right now. Although it just became 2. It started as my creative company umbrella, a name for my web design. V: That second person was ME. What was it like bringing a second person into production? Someone who didn’t aid at all in the technical aspect. HC: It was 100x more enjoyable than I expected. It wasn’t a choice It was just the flow. There was no, “hmm, should I do this? It was, “we’ve been doing this for 30 minutes already.” We rolled along for hours, for two days. V: Are you going to experiment by collabing with other people? HC: I won’t seek it out. That’s all
I’ve done and it doesn’t get me anywhere. It’s time to sit still and attract bees to the hive. Especially since bees are endangered. V: I know. It’s all the pesticides we use. Has the boy looked at you recently? HC: Idk. I’l put a big message on the side of my screen that says ‘TAP ME IF YOU READ THIS AND R GAY” V: What if the girl taps you? What if it is her major coming out moment? And then you have to be all excited and supportive and the cute boy gets away? HC: boo. Wrong scenario. V: Describe achieving creative flow. You said you’ve been diligently producing for hours a day. HC: It was the moment I was caught up on rent, with time to spare. The realization that I was “as good” as successful producers and already had all the equipment I needed. I let myself be at peace with learning more and completely immersed myself into my craft and my community. V: Describe the EDM lifestyle. HC: It is the beginning of humans forming tribes again and relying on each other with no judgement. All music can affect the body, but electronic can be higher, lower and more precise than acoustics. I am into mainstream EDM, easily consumable and leaving you want to listen again.
V: How does the setting of Brooklyn have an effect on your art? HC: It is a place where you are welcome for being yourself. V: What EDM producers do you look up to? HC: I love EDM producrers, but pop producers are what drive me to be different. Penguin Prison, aka Chris Glover, was the first producer turned pop/ rock star that clicked with me. V: Last question. What is your current mantra? HC: Watch that honey chrome drip out the kaos V: Love it. You’re the best. (A number of inside jokes ensue) HoneyChrome followed the boy on the bus off of the bus for a number of blocks, then questioned himself what he was doing, and headed off to an EDM release party. Instagram: honeychromemusic SoundCloud: Honeychrome
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Model: Aleicia Phulwani Photographer: Steve Celestin (www.fableengine.com) Outfit thrifted from Philly AIDS Thrift
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FASHION
love after wxr
Chanelle Corbin and Bridgette Adekoya, both 21-yearold recent Temple University grads, make up the symbiotic team behind Wreckless and Responsible, which they define as a lifestyle brand. Corbin, the CEO, takes care of business. Adekoya is the visionary. The two met through a mutual friend on the way to a party about two years ago. They started WXR as an experimental creative venture. “We have so many skills,” Corbin said. “We’re just trying to use them all.” They draw inspiration from streetwear in the nineties, and they are accustomed to standing out. It’s not unusual for them for people to peek out from behind their iPhones as they walk to class, Adekoya said. “We don’t want to be robots and drones wearing the same stuff as everyone else,” Adekoya said. “When we go to parties too, the bitches hate, but it’s like, you could just be down with us.” The women get the materials for their clothing from New York City and use a heat press to create the prints. Corbin’s father is a designer behind the Newark based clothing and lifestyle brand Poor Kings, so she will sometimes borrow the equipment in his shop to manufacture their items. Repulsed by the mass production model of major retail brands, Corbin and Adekoya produce only about six of each piece in their collection, and eventually hope to make only one of a kind pieces. The customers to their online storefront site come from as far away as Japan. Although they expect WXR to grow as a brand, don’t expect them to stay in Philadelphia for any longer than a year. “We’ve been here for four years, and I think I speak for both of us when I say it’s not that we get bored quickly, but we know when our time is up in a place and I feel like we got out what we were supposed to get out of Temple. So lets move on. The world is so much bigger than Philadelphia.”
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photographed by deren thach Chanelle and Bridgette are pictured in iterms from their collection, which is available for sale at store.loveafterwxr.com. for badmash readers: enter code wxr13 for 10 percent off. Instagram: thewxrhdz Twitter: @wxrhdz
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