Photo credit: sniderscion Torontoist spent its week uncovering who was behind mysterious ads for a drug called "Obay" that popped up across the country (Scientology? Frank Shepard Fairey?), first tracing them to an advocacy group called Colleges Ontario and then confirming their suspicions a few days later.Phillyist learned how to put on a puppet show – it's not as easy as you might think!Shanghaiist discovers that the average starting monthly pay for fresh graduates......

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Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY The N Crowd: Weekly improve comedy show at The Actors Center (257 N. 3rd), 8PM. $10 Andrew Gregory: Andrew Gregory (CD release party), John Francis, and Ian Thomas at Tin Angel (20 S. 2nd), 10:30PM. $10 Leslie and the Ly’s: Leslie and the Ly’s, MC Digga and Sgt. Sass at North Star Bar (2639 Poplar), 9PM. $10 Intertwine: Opening reception for Intertwine, with work by Brooke Hine,......

Happy New Year! Image Credit: Flickr user Phil~......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Money Folders II: Second installment of series featuring the Philadelphyinz, DJ Gravity, and more at the Arts Garage (1535 Ridge Avenue), 10PM-3AM. $10 (women free before 10:30PM) Sing, Sing a Song: Choral Concert with Organ presented by the Delius Society at St. Mark’s Church (1625 Locust), 7:30. Free Art Is Primary: Opening reception for Red Yellow Blue, a solo show of artist Vincent McLoughlin, at AXD Gallery......

About ten days ago, I was able to live out a fantasy of mine (not that kind, you perv): I had the perfect Sex and the City brunch. That is to say, the company was straight from SATC, not the food. (I was with three girlfriends: a "Miranda," a "Samantha," and a "Charlotte." I'm happy being the "Carrie," so long as I don't have to grow SJP's nose to play the role.) We got......

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As we reported yesterday, Milton Street got arrested! Will this deter him from continuing his run for mayor? We're betting not. Our favorite parts of this story are the details: the cops found him outside a 7-Eleven near his Moorestown, NJ home, arrested him because of two traffic tickets that led to contempt citations, and he ended up in jail because he couldn't pay the combined fine of $3,250. (Btw, non-imprisoned mayoral candidate Chaka......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. The Italian - A Russian film - originally released there in 2005 but apparently only just now getting to screens in America - about a six-year-old orphan named Vanya living in a children's home run by a corrupt headmaster. An affluent Italian family is interested in adopting him, but he wants to find his birth mother, so he teaches himself to read, tracks down his mother's......

Besides offering a concise and appropriate representation of the times, some quotes are so incisive that they make a step back from the clarity of the moment nearly impossible. “The Iranian government should remember what is happening in China. Nearly 30 thousand people are currently employed to control Chinese weblogs."      - Iranian blogger's response to new laws requiring websites and blogs to be registered with the government When the people in Tehran think you're worse......

We don't know about you, but it's friggin cold out there. Well, not for some of you. It seems as though places that are supposed to be cold are warm and places that are supposed to be warm are cold. Or maybe that's just us. Either way, we're freezing. Austinist said goodbye to their co-editor (sell-out) and played rumor monger on the SXSW lineup. And when dozens of dead birds littered downtown Austin, it's......

The Chinese New Year starts Sunday - and this year is the Year of the Dog. Celebrations will be taking place all over the city starting this weekend and running through mid-February, including: Friday: 5th Annual Chinese New Year Celebration at International House (3701 Chestnut Street): Food, crafts and performances begin at 6PM, followed by the Philadelphia premiere of Jia Zhangke’s The World at 8PM. Tickets are $7 for either the celebration or the film;......