It's a tough sport to play and Philly is a tough town in which to play it. But Eagles guard Shawn Andrews, who has two Pro Bowls under his belt, has bigger problems on his plate than the mere pressure of playing in a city whose sports crowd is notoriously self-loathing. He failed to show at training camp recently and, according to the Daily News, Andrews is struggling with depression . We tend to be......

PHILLY CAR SHARE PRESENTS: BBC's PLANET EARTH / THE PRINCESS BRIDE So what if they lost the city contract to a competitor? Any company that brings in live music, local artisans and The Princess Bride is okay in our book. Sit on some of that green grass (actual condition of grass at location may vary). You'll all be very glad to know that the movie version of everyone's favorite tale of "true love and high......

Oh boy, just look at all the articles about the Larry Mendte case. Apparently Mendte hacked into the email of Alycia Lane 537 times in 146 days, and did so wherever he was around the clock, from home, his desk at work, his Shore home in Ocean City, and even the Union League. He then passed on the information he obtained to a Philadelphia Daily News gossip columnist, in order to undermine Lane's ongoing......

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment. There's nothing at the URL as of this writing, but PR people tell us that some time early this week, code.google.com/radiohead will host a clip of a video for "House Of Cards" created using two crazy technologies called Geometric Informatics and Velodyne Lidar. Not used in creating the video were cameras of any kind. Those crazy Radiohead peoples. Great moments in......

The Inquirer covers yesterday's early school closings due to heat, and points out that we'll see more of the same today. They also talk about the help and charity inspired by an article about a family struggling without air conditioning in the heat. A while back, state legislators increased pay for injured police officers and made it easier for them to resist returning to work. Now on any given day, roughly 250 Philadelphia police......

The Daily News has a profile of the new Recreation Department commissioner, Sue Slawson, and is also talking about what Slawson and the Department of Human Services, amongst other organizations, are trying to do to boost programs and security in order to halt violence at the city's rec centers and neighborhood parks. Every year when the University of Pennsylvania's students go home for the summer, they leave a shocking amount and variety of appliances,......

While an undergraduate psychology minor, I learned about any number of behavioral studies involving children that went something like this: Researcher: Johnny, I'm going to leave the room for just a minute. While I'm gone, don't eat any of the delicious-looking candies on the table in front of you.Researcher leaves; Johnny shoves two handfuls of M&Ms into his mouth. And like this: Researcher: Billy, I'm going to leave the room for just a minute. While......

We already know that you like to put your money where your mouth is and support food-based fundraising efforts. Fortunately for you, summertime means there are plenty of opportunities to stuff your face and ease your conscience all at the same time. One of these, Fox Chase Cancer Center's 16th Annual Plain & Fancy: A Taste of the Greater Delaware Valley (a mouthful in and of itself!), happens next weekend. For a mere thirty-five bucks......

Philadelphia may not be perfect, but on the whole, we're a city full of big-hearted people willing to open their hearts—and, sometimes, their pocketbooks—to those in need. The latest group to benefit from this philanthropic city of ours is the family of the late Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski, who, you might recall, was killed while on duty just a few weeks ago. And funds will be raised in Phillyist's favorite fashion: through our stomachs. Several......

Phillyist likes supporting good causes, and you can’t get a better cause than breasts. Our lip service pales in comparison, though, to the efforts of five local women, who are raising money to participate in 2008 Philadelphia Breast Cancer 3-Day this October. Each walker must raise $2,200 to take part in the 60-mile trek, and the women, collectively known as Team Bosom Babes, are turning to a time-honored Philly tradition to meet their goal: the......

The Inquirer takes a look at local folks and aid organizations trying to send help to China in the wake of the earthquake. All U.S. and Pennsylvania flags at state facilities will be flown at half-staff today for Peace Officers Memorial Day. And since it was Governor Rendell who gave the order there shouldn't be any complaints... "The Philadelphia Orchestra leaves Monday for a three-week tour of China, Japan and Korea." Eric DeShawn Floyd......

There is a debate on the best way to combat HIV/AIDS. Researchers are developing new treatments and possibly an HIV vaccine. What about those of us who gave up on our chemistry doctorate degrees after eleventh grade? Should we focus our efforts on better awareness campaigns? More accessible testing? Stronger policies? Why not fight HIV with a fork? You read right. Go out for dinner on May 1st. We know, it’s a Thursday night; you......

Another totally insane day. Crazy day. A day so busy and hopelessly intense that it can be referred to by one name only: Thursday. CHINUA ACHEBE: THINGS FALL APART When Achebe set out to rewrite the systematic literary misappropriation of his Nigerian culture and cultures like it, he was probably not aware of the power and lifespan of the impact this book would have. Things Fall Apart was first written in 1958 and remains......

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment. Fantasy/humor author Terry Pratchett recently donated over a million dollars for research into the causes and cures of Alzheimer's Disease, and now an effort to match his donation has started. It's appropriately called Match It for Pratchett, and fellow fantasy author George R.R. Martin has details on how you can participate on his Not a Blog. You might want to consider......

When we think about Tuesday, we probably don't consider its root in the Nordic god of war, but the fact is that Tuesday is as good a day for a warrior as any. It follows the beating Monday usually inflicts on us, and it precedes the fiery but all-too-distant hope that the hump day brings us. Yes, Tuesday, we hear your courageous call to arms, and we sigh forlornly at your heartbreaking distance from......

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment. Defective Yeti has collected together a lot of the best tributes to Gary Gygax on the web, including his own. Wired also had a cool D&D logo redesign contest in honor of Gygax. So remember how there was that guy whose one-of-a-kind signed Xbox 360 was ruined by Microsoft's repair technicians, and Bungie said they were going to help him out?......

Oprah’s said it. The helpful Victoria Secret clerks say it. Our great-aunt Holly used to say it all the time: a well-fitting bra makes the woman. Today you can acquire said well-fitting brassiere and help raise money for breast cancer research at the same time at Fit for the Cure. Wacoal certified fitters will be on hand in the lingerie department at Macy’s Center City today from 11AM-5PM; for every woman who participates in a......

There are lots of reasons why drinking heavily on Valentine’s Day is probably a good idea, but here’s a new one: University City Kiwanis Club is sponsoring A Shot for Love, a fundraiser at McFadden’s Restaurant and Saloon tonight from 9PM-12AM. As you head in, let the nice person at the door know that you are there for the Kiwanis Club gathering, and your $5 cover will be donated to the Second Chance Support Group,......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Small Changes: Smells Like Teen Spirit and Building a Broken Mousetrap, two films by Jem Cohen, presented by the Small Changes film screening series at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 7PM. $7 Solstice Film Series 07: Third installment of the Solstice Film Series, a showcase for short independent films, at National Mechanics (22 S. 3rd), 8PM. Free Single Mingle: Perfect Pairings Tasting Event, benefiting Philly PAWS (the Philadelphia......

Yesterday Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey unveiled his plan for getting Philly out of its "crime emergency." The plan includes deploying 200 more officers to dangerous parts of the city, and it will hopefully help Ramsey fulfill his pledge to reduce homicide in Philadelphia by 25 percent. Of the plan, Ramsey said: "There is nothing fancy about it. It's fundamental, it's basic. This is not Batman and Robin coming out of a cave somewhere." That's......

Even though our Birds let us down this year, we’re still really psyched for the Super Bowl this weekend. In true Philly fashion we are rooting for the Giants, not because we like them that much (although the Q-back is our husband’s little brother), but because we’d love to see the Pats fail. Ahem. Anyways, this Saturday 24 current and former NFL players will offer up proof of their culinary prowess at “Taste of the......

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment. Guillermo del Toro is in talks to direct both Hobbit movies. Woo hoo! Awards season continues! Cinematical was liveblogging as Sundance gave out their awards. The SAG and DGA awards also were announced, and the results seem to suggest that the Coen brothers' film No Country for Old Men is a shoe-in for an armload of Oscars. The Top 20 Geek......

Even though our weather is wacky, and even though it is supposed to be in the 60s next week, yesterday and this morning were harsh reminders that yes, in fact, it is winter and goddamn can it get cold. So it seems a good time to mention Greater Philadelphia Cares’ 12th Annual Coat drive, going on now through January 21. Simply take your new or gently used winter coat to one of the listed drop-off......

We've told you some ways to make the season brighter for local kids. Now here's an opportunity to help out an entire family in one go: Greater Philadelphia Cares is sponsoring Adopt-A-Family. They will match you with a local family in need and provide a wish list. You'll go out and gather some goodies, and drop it all off at a local agency, which will then get it all to the family in question. Easy--......

Phillyist loves us some grub, and we love the Restaurant Weeks about town. We just heard about another: Kid's Table. Through Sunday, December 16, participating restaurants will be donating a portion of their proceeds to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to fund research and medical treatment. The list of places is on the short side, but hopefully this is an event that will grow with time. Besides, we've always wanted to try Ristorante Panorama, and......

The holidays kind of snuck up on us this year. Perhaps because Thanksgiving was so early. After Turkey Day was over, it was still too early to get into the Christmannakkanzaa spirit. (This Phillyist adheres to a strict "No Christmas music before December 1" rule.) And then we got caught up with other things, and we didn't really notice that, yep, we're in holiday season. It took Thursday night's WXPN Musicians On Call benefit concert......

It's the holiday season, so many of us are in a charitable mood. Certainly, there are good feelings to be had from performing acts of selflessness, and we at Phillyist encourage you to donate your time, money, or a toy this holiday season. Sometimes you get the opportunity to contribute to a good cause and have a lot of fun at the same time. Thursday night, you'll get one such opportunity. WXPN is presenting a......

Phillyist likes shopping for toys. We don’t know why. Perhaps biology is rearing its ugly head, reminding us that even savvy (read: nerdy) urbanites can and indeed should procreate. In any event, when this Phillyist used to be a good Catholic, we’d love the week after Thanksgiving when the Christmas tree would go up in the back of the church, decorated with cardboard stars on which the details of a child in need of......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. As we did in our news post, let's get all the holiday-related stuff out of the way first: just in time for Thanksgiving, Cinematical finally announced the winners of their Halloween costume contest (definitely not our favorites, but we never got around to voting, so we guess it's our own fault). They also have a list of Seven Movie Characters They'd Hate to......

Ah, Turkey Day. The official kick-off of six weeks of too much eating, too much drinking, and probably a little too much carousing. If you're like Phillyist, part of this weekend will be devoted to making sure all the Thanksgiving fixings are squared away in the pantry (or else, trying to find someone who will feed you that day). In the rush of the holidays, though, it's easy to forget those that can't stock up......