Lucifer

PIGEON-CONTROL PROGRAM TAKES WING IN NEW YORK The '60s are over and hallucinogens are out. So some intrepid New Yorkers are trying a new way to control Bryant Park's out-of-control pigeon population: Planned pigeonhood. "It's a totally voluntary program. Only pigeons who voluntarily eat pigeon birth-control food are participating. No one is force-feeding them," joked Bruce Cohen, a spokesman for the Bryant Park Restoration Corp. But seriously, the powers that be at Bryant Park did try other methods, including sprinkling hallucinogens in the flower beds, hoping freaked-out birdbrains would scare away their more laid-back feathered brethren.

A Northeast Philadelphia man was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison for issuing video death threats to U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor (R., Va.). Norman LeBoon, 38, threatened the lives of Cantor and his family in several rants posted to YouTube. In March 2010, LeBoon posted a video in which he addressed "my congressman, Eric Cantor, and you and your cupcake evil wife. . . . Remember, Eric, our judgment time, the final Yom Kippur, has been given. You are a liar. You're a Lucifer. You're a pig. . . . You're an abomination.

A Northeast Philadelphia man was charged Thursday with making death threats to a U.S. congressman, federal authorities said. Norman LeBoon, 38, allegedly threatened the life of U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor (R., Va) and the lives of Cantor's family in several rants posted to the Internet video sharing site YouTube. LeBoon - who has a history of mental illness, according to his brother, Peter - was arrested by the FBI on March 27. In an affidavit issued for his capture, authorities quote LeBoon as saying: "Remember Eric . . . our judgment time, the final Yom Kippur has been given.

A Northeast Philadelphia man was charged today with making death threats to a U.S. congressman, federal authorities said. Norman LeBoon, 38, allegedly threatened the life of U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor (R. Va) and the lives of Cantor's family in several rants posted to the video sharing site, YouTube. LeBoon - who has a history of mental illness, according to his brother, Peter - was arrested by the FBI on Mar. 27. In an affidavit issued for his capture, authorities quote LeBoon as saying: "Remember Eric . . . our judgment time, the final Yom Kippur has been given.

When a regional theater company reaches out to help develop local talent, it's a win-win situation. That's just the case with the Montgomery Theater Project, which tonight and tomorrow night presents Eighth Day, written by 17-year-old Jesse Bernstein of Hatfield, a senior at North Penn High School. The play, staged in three one-act scenes, is Bernstein's view of what a fictitious Garden of Eden would be like in the '90s. The work was among eight winners at the 1995 Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival.

Saw 3D debuted as the weekend's No. 1 movie, but it still couldn't top sequel standards for the franchise. Although it generated $24.2 million - that's $10 million more than last year's Saw VI - the second, third, fourth, and fifth films in the series all topped $30 million over their opening weekends. Our theory: Nothing could be scarier than what we see on TV every day: political ads. Or . . . people are tired of Saw , for heaven's sake! It's a trust thing We know it's still early on a Monday, so we'll try to keep this latest addition to the Mel/Oksana marathon simple.

L.A. Banks' story of Damali Richards, the spoken-word artist who splatters sulfuric vampire guts in Philadelphia alleys and Los Angeles nightclubs, was supposed to be one book, Minion (2003). That's all. But Banks' publishing house, St. Martin's Press, split the coming-of-age novel about the vampire slayer Damali and her drug dealer-turned-vampire lover, Carlos Rivera, in two: The second book was called The Awakening (2004). Readers demanded more. So the West Philadelphia author continued on with her fast-paced saga, writing two 400-plus-page paperbacks a year.

The vision of hell in Little Nicky, the latest Adam Sandler knuckleheader, is straight out of Hieronymus Bosch: vicious human-size birds pecking and pillaging; lava-spewing grottoes populated by freaks and geeks; tormented citizens being poked with pitchforks; and, oh yeah, Harvey Keitel. OK, so Keitel wasn't in any of those ancient Boschian tableaus. He is, however, prominent in this, er, hellish endeavor - playing the devil, Satan, Evil Guy. He wears a goatee. He has cute little horns protruding from his forehead.

THE DISCOVERY OF HEAVEN BY HARRY MULISCH TRANSLATED BY PAUL VINCENT VIKING. 730 PP. $34.95 When Haarlem was in vogue, Dutch explorers and merchants flaunted their sea power and Dutch thinkers and artists relished their perch at the top of Western culture. Dutch painting flourished, thanks to Vermeer and Frans Hals. Dutch philosophy intimidated, as Spinoza bestowed rational pantheism on the world. Erasmus and Hugo Grotius looked down from eternity and watched their eclectic humanism alter European consciousness.

Novelist Jonathan Franzen , 51, who last month was declared by the New York media the greatest wordsmith who has ever lived, or will ever live, has been given the greatest imprimatur imaginable. Oprah Winfrey has picked Franzen's latest masterwork, Freedom , for her lil' book club. So claim three booksellers, who tell the Associated Press on condition of anonymity that Oprah is poised to announce her pick. Sound familiar? Well, nine years ago Franzen grievously insulted and injured The Big O when he turned his nose up at her when she picked The Corrections for the club.

A Northeast Philadelphia man was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison for issuing video death threats to U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor (R., Va.). Norman LeBoon, 38, threatened the lives of Cantor and his family in several rants posted to YouTube. In March 2010, LeBoon posted a video in which he addressed "my congressman, Eric Cantor, and you and your cupcake evil wife. . . . Remember, Eric, our judgment time, the final Yom Kippur, has been given. You are a liar. You're a Lucifer. You're a pig. . . . You're an abomination.

Saw 3D debuted as the weekend's No. 1 movie, but it still couldn't top sequel standards for the franchise. Although it generated $24.2 million - that's $10 million more than last year's Saw VI - the second, third, fourth, and fifth films in the series all topped $30 million over their opening weekends. Our theory: Nothing could be scarier than what we see on TV every day: political ads. Or . . . people are tired of Saw , for heaven's sake! It's a trust thing We know it's still early on a Monday, so we'll try to keep this latest addition to the Mel/Oksana marathon simple.

A Northeast Philadelphia man was charged Thursday with making death threats to a U.S. congressman, federal authorities said. Norman LeBoon, 38, allegedly threatened the life of U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor (R., Va) and the lives of Cantor's family in several rants posted to the Internet video sharing site YouTube. LeBoon - who has a history of mental illness, according to his brother, Peter - was arrested by the FBI on March 27. In an affidavit issued for his capture, authorities quote LeBoon as saying: "Remember Eric . . . our judgment time, the final Yom Kippur has been given.

A Northeast Philadelphia man was charged today with making death threats to a U.S. congressman, federal authorities said. Norman LeBoon, 38, allegedly threatened the life of U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor (R. Va) and the lives of Cantor's family in several rants posted to the video sharing site, YouTube. LeBoon - who has a history of mental illness, according to his brother, Peter - was arrested by the FBI on Mar. 27. In an affidavit issued for his capture, authorities quote LeBoon as saying: "Remember Eric . . . our judgment time, the final Yom Kippur has been given.

Novelist Jonathan Franzen , 51, who last month was declared by the New York media the greatest wordsmith who has ever lived, or will ever live, has been given the greatest imprimatur imaginable. Oprah Winfrey has picked Franzen's latest masterwork, Freedom , for her lil' book club. So claim three booksellers, who tell the Associated Press on condition of anonymity that Oprah is poised to announce her pick. Sound familiar? Well, nine years ago Franzen grievously insulted and injured The Big O when he turned his nose up at her when she picked The Corrections for the club.

L.A. Banks' story of Damali Richards, the spoken-word artist who splatters sulfuric vampire guts in Philadelphia alleys and Los Angeles nightclubs, was supposed to be one book, Minion (2003). That's all. But Banks' publishing house, St. Martin's Press, split the coming-of-age novel about the vampire slayer Damali and her drug dealer-turned-vampire lover, Carlos Rivera, in two: The second book was called The Awakening (2004). Readers demanded more. So the West Philadelphia author continued on with her fast-paced saga, writing two 400-plus-page paperbacks a year.

The vision of hell in Little Nicky, the latest Adam Sandler knuckleheader, is straight out of Hieronymus Bosch: vicious human-size birds pecking and pillaging; lava-spewing grottoes populated by freaks and geeks; tormented citizens being poked with pitchforks; and, oh yeah, Harvey Keitel. OK, so Keitel wasn't in any of those ancient Boschian tableaus. He is, however, prominent in this, er, hellish endeavor - playing the devil, Satan, Evil Guy. He wears a goatee. He has cute little horns protruding from his forehead.

THE DISCOVERY OF HEAVEN BY HARRY MULISCH TRANSLATED BY PAUL VINCENT VIKING. 730 PP. $34.95 When Haarlem was in vogue, Dutch explorers and merchants flaunted their sea power and Dutch thinkers and artists relished their perch at the top of Western culture. Dutch painting flourished, thanks to Vermeer and Frans Hals. Dutch philosophy intimidated, as Spinoza bestowed rational pantheism on the world. Erasmus and Hugo Grotius looked down from eternity and watched their eclectic humanism alter European consciousness.

When a regional theater company reaches out to help develop local talent, it's a win-win situation. That's just the case with the Montgomery Theater Project, which tonight and tomorrow night presents Eighth Day, written by 17-year-old Jesse Bernstein of Hatfield, a senior at North Penn High School. The play, staged in three one-act scenes, is Bernstein's view of what a fictitious Garden of Eden would be like in the '90s. The work was among eight winners at the 1995 Philadelphia Young Playwrights Festival.

PIGEON-CONTROL PROGRAM TAKES WING IN NEW YORK The '60s are over and hallucinogens are out. So some intrepid New Yorkers are trying a new way to control Bryant Park's out-of-control pigeon population: Planned pigeonhood. "It's a totally voluntary program. Only pigeons who voluntarily eat pigeon birth-control food are participating. No one is force-feeding them," joked Bruce Cohen, a spokesman for the Bryant Park Restoration Corp. But seriously, the powers that be at Bryant Park did try other methods, including sprinkling hallucinogens in the flower beds, hoping freaked-out birdbrains would scare away their more laid-back feathered brethren.