Garbage Guts! In 1909 as the Jersey Devil began its reign of weirdness and cast a shadow over parts of Philly, another peculiar event took place that was rather more down to Earth in its strangeness, but still odd enough to baffle doctors. On the 21st of May, the Maryland Valley Register reported on an unusual eighteen-month-old baby who apparently had a cast iron stomach; the headline at the time was AN INFANT "HUMAN OSTRICH"......

Every weekday of December (except for December 25, that is), Phillyist will be counting down to 2008 with our highlights from the past year and our predictions for the next. If you have a list you'd like to submit, let us know! This year nary a week went by without some news item making us shake our heads and email a link to spread the incredulity and rage amongst the Inter-spheres. Here are the top......

A tall, icy glass of our favorite internet junk, just for you. LAist has more fun photos from the writers' strike, this time featuring fans and employees of Mutant Enemy Productions (Joss Whedon's production company), who all came together last Friday to support the strikers. Aw, look at Nicholas Brendon in his hat and glasses. And Summer Glau is so cute! Nintendo claims they are surprised by the Greenpeace report which we posted about earlier,......

Every weekday of December (except for December 25, that is), Phillyist will be counting down to 2008 with our highlights from the past year and our predictions for the next. If you have a list you'd like to submit, let us know! In honor of kicking off our new sex column (write in!), I wanted to share my top 10 songs for your La Perla pleasure. A quick glance at this list might make you......

A tall, icy glass of our favorite internet junk, just for you. Sci Fi Wire reveals that Billy Connolly, Amanda Peet and rapper Xzibit will be in X-Files 2, while The Movie Blog tells us who won't be in it: Lance Henriksen. GameSpot has decided to release a more in-depth series of responses to the controversy surrounding their firing of Jeff Gerstmann, and Joystiq has the run-down. Meanwhile, this whole thing has gotten everybody thinking......

UPDATE: Oops! I forgot links! I've added them now, and made a few other tweaks. What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer &c. (Tue, 8PM-9PM, CBS) - The extremely odd, but quite lovable, 1964 classic about the reindeer with the glowing red nose, the elf who really wants to be a dentist, a bunch of misfit toys, and the Abominable Snow Monster. CBS is also airing Frosty the Snowman and......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. MapQuest now has a function for mapping the best gas prices. And perhaps unsurprisingly, all the best prices in the Philadelphia area are in... New Jersey. (Via Allen) Supposedly the new Friday the 13th movie won't be a remake - instead, it'll be a story set between parts two and four (uh... wouldn't that be three?) that features "a leaner, meaner, faster Jason......

A tall, icy glass of our favorite internet junk, just for you. Do you want to see a music video for the Gilbert & Sullivan version of "Baby Got Back?" Of course you do. (Via Sarah) Wow - turns out officer Chuck Cassidy and his shooting are the subject of an urban legend/email forward that already made it onto Snopes. (Via Debbie) Harmonix will send you a replacement for your busted Rock Band guitar if......

innerpartysystem Ticket Giveaway
11.29.07 - 11.30.07 (ENDS AT NOON!)...

This week's quote comes from Eugene O'Neill, who said: "It is Mystery—the mystery any one man or woman can feel but not understand as the meaning of any event—or accident—in any life on earth ... [that] I want to realize in the theatre. The solution, if there ever be any, will probably have to be produced in a test tube and turn out to be discouragingly undramatic." Now, on with the listings! Greater Tuna -......

Let me just start off by saying that there is a lot of talent onstage during Being Alive. Let me follow that up by saying all the talent in the world can't save a bad show. It's not bad, I think, because Sondheim is some kind of holy, un-adaptable composer, whose music should never, never, ever be taken out of context, as some have suggested. In fact, more than a few revues have been built......

This week's quote is from Bertolt Brecht, the author of Mouther Courage and Her Children. It goes in full: "Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are." Now, on with the listings! 50 West 50 - You love her, but she loves him, and he loves somebody else... November 16-December 2. Tickets online. Baby with the Bathwater - Don't throw it out. November 16-December 1. Reservations online. Hate......

What's new and/or interesting in theaters this weekend. Most Likely to Rule: Gone Baby Gone - Ben Affleck's directorial debut is based on a novel by the guy who wrote Mystic River, and stars Ben's brother Casey as a private detective investigating a young girl's disappearance. As one might expect, nothing is what it appears to be and he must risk everything to find the girl. The film also stars Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, and......

Last night, I was at the Trocadero to see MGMT and what they’re all about. What I can tell you, amigos, is that these gangly dudes put out pure, unadulterated funk. The first song that I heard in its entirety was "Electric Feel." These are my thoughts, in retroactive real time, regarding what was going on in front of me: If only this band wasn’t plagued by the arbitrary assignment of ‘opener’…If only this crowd......

LAist began the month with a new food series exploring the popular and unknown late night eats around town. If a Top Chef winner opened up a late night spot in Los Angeles, denizens would flock it, yet the LA Times and other media might be wary. Turning to sports, the Dodger season was quite memorable in the way that it imploded and the LA County Sheriff's Department made some games of their own......

This week, Phillyist saw the waters of a landmark fountain run red for a Showtime marketing stunt, the Phils pull ahead, and some serious nostalgia. They also got a chance to review an awesome tribute album, reminded folks to see the King, and appreciated their beautiful skyline. Chicagoist knows what it's like to like the Cubs. But naming your kid Wrigley Fields? At least they can breathe a little easier now that Grossman's out......

Dear Rittenhouse Square: Thank you, thank you, thank you for the good times we've shared. Thank you for the picnics. Thank you for the people-watching. Thank you for the adorable dogs and even more adorable children. Thank you for serving as a frequent shortcut. I'm a big fan of any diagonal path that can get me there faster. Recently, while crossing the park, I saw two young men in t-shirts and baggy blue jeans carry......

Tonight’s the night. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia returns to FX at 10 pm. You know that space between what’s funny and what’s socially inappropriate/totally taboo? Always Sunny locates that space and settles in for the long haul. It’s a guilty pleasure in the literal sense: the more we laugh, the guiltier we feel, because the heartiest laughs on this show come from subjects we’re supposed to take seriously, like homelessness, neglect, environmental concerns,......

There was very little else for Londonist to be concerned with when the threat of a Tube strike became a very unpleasant reality. The inconvenience was extreme: there aren't many alternatives to the Tube in London despite the best efforts of the Londonist team to get everyone from A to B. Brighter news came in the form of the first ever female Yeoman Warder, or Beefeater as the position is more commonly known, and......

Shoot 'Em Up is quite aware of what it is, and isn't trying to hide it, either. Just look at the title. This is an action film that features men shooting each other, as well as the other things that action films tend to have: a hot woman, a terrible villain, a sex scene, and a tough hero protecting the innocent while uncovering and destroying an evil conspiracy. The film was written and directed by......

With unseasonable weather descending upon much of North America, schools getting ready to reconvene, and sports seasons getting exciting, it's a busy time of year for us here in the Ist-A-Verse. Luckily, even with all the things we have to do, we still managed to get together to let you know what we've all been up to. After cooling down from a hot weekend of many badass Sunset Junction Street Fair photo dispatches, LAist asked......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. If you are a crazy collector, you could win $20,000, just for being a freak and showing off your ridiculous collection. Go here to find out how it works. (Via Michelle) Speaking of contests, IKEA has one running now where you send in a video about your small business that's part of a unique, growing community. And Pennsylvania's own Media is currently winning!......

It's been a wretched, sticky summer as usual, but we've still managed to hit the pavement to see our overgrown baby mature. Within a month, the Comcast Center will have a completed glass exterior, but we'll still get to watch the development of the outdoor plaza along JFK Blvd, the atrium and entrance to Suburban Station, and best of all, the unveiling of the lighting scheme. (Don't confuse the construction lights seen so far......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Labyrinth - Woah! Here's a blast from the past. It's the 1986 classic wherein a young Jennifer Connelly has to travel into a weird fantasy world and face-off against a charming, well-hung, singing, dancing, evil David Bowie - not to mention a bunch of Jim Henson puppets - in order to save her kidnapped baby brother. Of course, it's ostensibly a kid's movie, so she has......

...Wow: Just watch the video embedded here and marvel at the intelligence of the interviewer. (Via The Superficial.) ...Say What? On the list of things we don't expect rappers to promote: doggie clothing. (Via E! Online. ...Recognition: Lindsay Lohan's face is on the cover of every major magazine in America. How can you get into an accident with her and not know it? (Via TMZ.) ...Charm and Grace: Some celebrities really know how to be......

The Decemberists. Wow. We all knew they would be good, but I wasn't expecting them to be that good. Last Sunday's concert was amazing (besides the humidity). They instantly jumped into this Phillyist's top-ten-best-concerts list. For the record, Phillyist has given The Decemberists nothing but positive reviews: "easily one of the best live shows we've ever seen," and another stated, "It was our first Decemberists show, and it won’t be our last." We agree......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Broken English - This romantic comedy by first-time writer/director Zoe Cassavetes, and starring Parker Posey and Gena Rowlands, already hit Philly a while back during the Film Festival; you can read our review right here. Trailer Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse Brooklyn Rules - The story of three life long friends set against the backdrop of mobster John Gotti's rise to power in the '80s.......

Paris Power Ballad ...Gay? Lindsay Lohan is... confused? (Via The Superficial.) ...Highs: Paris Hilton got high a week after her jail release? Shocking! (Also, we LOVE the expression "heirhead!") (Via What Would Tyler Durden Do?) ...Crazy: We'll bet her hair smells lovely, too. (Via Dailiy Mail.) ...Proposals: Given Charlie Sheen's history with women, we're not too optimistic about this one. (Via Xinhua.) ...Touchy, Touchy: Nick Lachey is a big baby. (Via My Fox NY, via......

We love Steve Martin. We love just about everything he's ever done – Cheaper by the Dozen notwithstanding. One of our favorite Steve Martin flicks? My Blue Heaven, also starring Rick "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" Moranis. Phillyist re-watched the movie recently and were struck by two things: (1) It's exactly as funny as we remembered it being. (2) Despite the funny, it's beginning to show its age. Case in point, a dialogue between Vinnie......

Friday night, the boy and I went out for dinner at a trendy little bistro with some friends of ours. When we arrived, the hostess asked us if we'd like to sit inside, outside, or at the first available table. It was a gorgeous night, and we really wanted outside, but we were starving, so we decided to go with first available. The hostess assured us that we shouldn't have to wait longer than half......