A tall, icy glass of our favorite internet junk, just for you. Beware, you Mr. Pinks out there who have been stiffing the wait staff! There is in fact an online database of lousy tippers at LousyTippers.com. (Via Sarah) Friends, you might want to swing by your local Dunkin Donuts and/or McDonalds today; apparently, they're both giving away free samples. (Via Sarah) This Phillyist doesn't care for reality TV, but we have to admit MTV's......

I like to read. I also like facts. I also like to feel superior. Imagine how superior I felt reading all the facts in A.J. Jacobs' The Know-It-All : One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World. Answer: very superior! It's a good book. I stole it. Anywho, there is an entry called "The Etruscan Language." Apparently the Etruscans (from Etruscanzania) came up with a way of writing where they interchanged......

A tall, icy glass of our favorite internet junk, just for you. Check out the trailer for Global Metal. Metal's taking over the world! Beware! Tom Cruise is in talks with Paramount to star in a fourth Mission: Impossible movie. For some reason, they're making yet another film adaptation of Jane Eyre, and this time it looks like Ellen Page will star as the titular character. Moviesonline has more new pics from The Mummy: Tomb......

Though Maurice Sendak may be best known for writing and illustrating the beloved children’s book Where the Wild Things Are, many of his now grown-up fans may be surprised to hear his alternate universe of monsters and scrappy kids exploring dark forests and city streets has been featured in over a hundred books, along with television shows and stage plays. Fans young and old alike have the opportunity to peruse the highlights of his vast......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Robert On Robbery: Drexel prof and author Robert Zaller discusses his latest book Theft of the Century: Who's Trying to Steal the Barnes, and Why It Won't Work at Robin’s Bookstore (108 S 13th), 6PM. Free Knitty: Knitting circle every Wednesday at Vagabond (37 N 3rd), 6-8PM. Free Spinny: The Spinning Leaves, Birdie Busch, and Cowmuddy at Upstairs at World Café Live (3025 Walnut), 8PM. $9 Quizzo Mania:......

"No - no words. No words to describe it. Poetry! They should've sent a poet. So beautiful. So beautiful..." - Ellie Arroway, talking about the amazing spring day we have here in Philadelphia. OPEN STAGE NIGHT AT COMEDY CABARET You know the deal. Show up and pound a few so you can convince yourself that people want to see you try to sing or be funny or do that weird thing where you put......

The best of the internet, squirted out in flavorful neon globules, just for you. Check out The Roots on Letterman. (Via Rowdy) An interesting split-screen video with the trailer for Dark Knight on the bottom and footage from the 1989 Batman on the top. You can also see a bootleg video of the new Dark Knight trailer, and a bootleg video of the trailer defaced by the Joker. And while we're talking bootleg trailers, here's......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: The Mogul: Author Rich Westcott signs copies of his book The Mogul, chronicling the life and work of Eddie Gottlieb of Philadelphia Warriors fame at the Central Branch of the Free Library (1901 Vine), 7PM. Free Warm Up: Center City Residents' Association present their Chili Challenge, part community potluck and part chili cook-off, featuring beer from the Philadelphia Brewing Company, at the Philadelphia Ethical Society (1906 Rittenhouse Sq),......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. It's finally official: Guillermo del Toro will indeed be directing the movies based on The Hobbit. Hoorah! (Via Ross) America, prepare to be stimulated even earlier than you expected! Btw, we hear the government is considering following up the free money with some free bread and circuses. (Via Sarah) Warren Ellis has the normal collection of weird, interesting, and mind-blowing stories today. We......

This week's New York Times Magazine features an article entitled "Why Bother?" by Michael Pollan (the author of must-reads The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto). In "Why Bother," Pollan states that the bleakest part of watching An Inconvenient Truth for him was "during the closing credits, when we are asked to . . . change our light bulbs. That’s when it got really depressing.......

Today is the day. And the image says it all. We know how great Philadelphians are, how proud and patriotic we can be. And we also know how much every true Philadelphian loves to complain. Sports, weather (guilty as charged) and politics, among other things. Well, the fact is that if you don't vote, your complaints are merely worthless and meaningless strings of words, thrown together by someone with no legitimate right to complain.......

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you. Ultimate crossover! Some screenshots from the upcoming Wrath of the Lich King expansion to World of Warcraft have leaked online. Activision chairman and CEO Bobby Kotick says future installments of Guitar Hero will feature a lot of other instruments and vocals. They will also be called Rock Band. OK, probably not, but still. Joystiq has a bit more......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Center City District Gallery Night: Special exhibitions and complimentary cocktail receptions at participating galleries, 5-8:30PM. Free Not a Crock, Nor a Croc: Local poet Peter Krok reads and signs copies of his new collection Looking for an Eye at the Grey Lodge Pub (6235 Frankford), 6-8PM. Free The Terror!: Welcome to the Terrordome, a night of local comedy featuring Animosity Pierre, Meg and Rob, and Secret Pants......

A tall, icy glass of our favorite internet junk, just for you. After it came out that seven recipes listed on John McCain's campaign website as being "Cindy's Recipes" had actually been copied verbatim from the Food Network, the campaign blamed an intern, saying he'd "been dealt with" and that "we took away his zero pay." Heh heh heh. Meanwhile, a disturbing practice called microtargeting tries to connect consumer habits, like how people eat, with......

Local music, a film screening with the director and an open casting call for a scary new reality show with a devilish prize. Tuesday is no longer the plain-Jane it has been wont to, uh, be, in the past. And the price tag is pretty nice, too. FOOLING APRIL AND WMMR AT DOC WATSON'S PUB We mentioned Fooling April in our Countdown to 2008 because they're an incredible local band. And the bar tends......

It's Monday. And there isn't much to do but work. MOVIE MONDAY AT THE TROC PRESENTS: JUNO We already told you how good we thought this movie was, and now we're telling you that it will be even better at the Troc. The folks over there have Monday night on a veritable lockdown. And you just can't beat the price. WHO: 21+ WHERE: Upstairs @ The Trocadero, 10th and Arch Streets (map) WHEN: Doors......

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment. Editor Jill recently discovered a site called NewsGroper, where the blogs are not real. Their faux Christopher Walken writes hilariously on the subject of presidential candidates' hand gestures, and expressing people in terms of pseudo-code. (Via Jill) Congrats to former Phillyist Jen Miller for getting her guide to the Jersey Shore published! Head over to her blog to enter to win......

You know that state just across the river? The one you sometimes go to for concerts, or to visit Cape May or Sea Isle City in the summer? Well, it seems that New Jersey is having a bit of inner turmoil. Yes, you heard it right. New Jersey is debating over the dividing line between North Jersey and South Jersey, and which region is better. Kind of like the New York/Philly debate, but nastier. Filmmaker......

Photo credit: Mat Honan Shanghaiist covered anti-China Olympic torch relay protests in London, Paris and San Francisco.Gothamist marveled as the NY State Assembly killed NYC's controversial congestion pricing plan without even holding a vote.SFist reported live on the only U.S. leg of the Olympic torch relay, which was a disaster for Mayor Gavin Newsom. DCist was tickled to see that Heroes star Hayden Panettiere filmed a short PSA to support voting rights and statehood......

We're all out of new ways to praise Friday. It's been a long week and we're just glad we survived. THE ORIGINAL 23RD STREET ARMORY ANTIQUES SHOW We sent the ladies over to the Armory last week, but this one is for everyone who likes a quality antique. This event will end at 6 but if you work in the vicinity of 23rd and Market, you should leave work early because you deserve it.......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. Amazon is holding a cool Harry Potter-themed writing contest, and the prize is to get some (almost) alone time with one of the only seven existing copies of J.K. Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which she personally hand-wrote and illustrated. (Via Sarah) Want to know what a Whopper looks like with 15 extra orders of bacon on it? Those annoyed by......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Kevin Bacon Not Involved: Screening of Zero Degrees of Separation, which looks at the Israeli/Palestinian conflict through the eyes of young gay couples, at the William Way Community Center (1315 Spruce), 7-9PM. $5 Anarchy in the USA: Cindy Milstein of the Institute for Anarchist Studies talks about the relationship anarchists have with the upcoming presidential election at Wooden Shoe Books (508 S 5th), 7PM. Free (donations appreciated) Doggie!:......

The best of the internet, squirted out in flavorful neon globules, just for you. Photographs of real places with video game characters added. We like! (Via) Wired takes a closer look at the world's most powerful laser, recently built and turned on at the University of Texas at Austin. It's 2,000 times more powerful than all the power plants in the United States and the builders hope to use it to recreate astronomical phenomena like......

Chapter 1 The Demon grinned in the darkness. His transparent eyes twinkled as they gazed upon the destruction he had wrought. His joy dampened only by the fact that he could not be seen. That he could not look into the faces of the family and let his visage add to their fear and confusion. How much longer would this last? The Maker had promised to remove the spell once chaos ruled and the......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Free Funny: Helium (2031 Sansom) presents 20 up-and-coming comics at their Open Mic Extravaganza, 8-10PM. Free Local Shots Live: Stellabelly, Papa Midnight, Montoj, and Stillicide at Doc Watson’s (216 S 11th), 8PM. $5 RIP: Fred Is Dead, A Zero Complex, David Janes, The Greyjacks, and Sweetheart Parade at North Star Bar (2639 Poplar), 8PM. $5 Good Fences…: Author Brian Hall reads from his new novel Fall of Frost,......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. We still say Hellboy was a very disappointing film. But this new, longer trailer for Hellboy II along with these new pics from the film are starting to make us feel like the sequel is not going to be disappointing at all. It looks like it's a Pan's Labyrinth/Hellboy crossover movie, actually. We can't wait. Check out this totally mesmerizing stop-motion animated film.......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Come With Suggestions: Local improv Tongue and Groove try out a new format at the Shubin Theatre (407 Bainbridge), 8PM. $10 These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things: PAWS fundraiser Wines, Canines, and Felines, a wine tasting you can bring your pets to, at Pinot (227 Market), 6-9PM. Free (10% discount on Pinot accessories, with all proceeds benefiting PAWS) While You’re Over There: Smak Parlour (219......

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you. It is, if you hadn't noticed, the first day of April, which is a day on which it is traditional to prank people, lie to them, and just generally wage war on them psychologically and physically. We promise not to do any of these things to you, less because we respect you too much as people, and more......

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment. Dolph Lundgren is writing and directing a film called Command Performance, which he describes as "Die Hard at a rock concert." He stars as an ex-Marine drummer for the warm-up band of a big American performer giving a concert for the Russian premier. Bad guys break up the show and the drummer goes into action. Apparently Lundgren got the idea from......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. This is truly beautiful news: icanhascheezburger.com is teaming up with Jones Soda to create lolcat soda. There's even a contest to create more lolcat images specifically for the soda bottle labels. (Via Sarah) Some photos apparently taken by a spy on the Star Trek set have made their way online (via). They give us a look at a uniform and a shuttlecraft. For......