We bring you the buzz in the 215 blogs this week. Philebrity pondered the meta nature of blogs and social networking while enjoying publicist Paige Wolf's performance of her song Online Social Network. Ooh, does this mean we're even more meta? Is that possible? Brooke Hogan sets women back 100 years. So says NightlifeGay, and we're inclined to agree... except who really listens to Brooke Hogan anyway? It's all about the Olympics at A List......

The best of the internet, squirted out in flavorful neon globules, just for you. Computerworld takes a look at how CAPTCHA was cracked, and the consequences of that event. (Via Slashdot, via Jill) Babble picks the 26 most disturbing kid movies ever. (Via Sarah) Justin Theroux will write the sequel to Iron Man, and Marvel is close to a deal that will bring back director Jon Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr. The plan is......

In the wake of last month's devastating earthquake in China, a group of Widener University professors is using video-conferencing to train faculty at East China Normal University in Shanghai to teach psychological first aid. State Rep. Darryl Metcalfe refused to apologize for the comments he made on the floor of the House on Wednesday, wherein he suggested that he was opposing recognizing a Muslim religious organization's convention because "Muslims do not recognize Jesus Christ as......

While I think it is about time that, as a country, we begin to seriously consider our consumption and its impact on the Earth, part of the problem I have with the environmental movement as a whole is that some supporters have surpassed a moderate interest and are hovering around in fanatic territory. (You should see some of the outlandish emails I get being on PETA's email list!) When extreme attitudes are expressed in an......

Michael's been in office for a little over four months now, which apparently means it's time to start fund-raising for his reelection campaign. Michael appointed former Daily News columnist Mark Alan Hughes as the city's "sustainability director," charged with overseeing environmental initiatives. Michael's proposed budget easily cruised through a City Council committee, clearing the way for approval by the whole Council, which should come next week. Some people are accusing Michael of inappropriately excusing the......

Pretty much every media outlet we rely on, mainstream or otherwise, constantly bombards us with "green" topics. Many retailers and manufacturers are moving towards greening their products (though whether they are successful or whether sometimes it is just greenwashing is debatable). These days it is pretty hard to avoid the issue, but sometimes there is just such an overwhelming amount of information, including both scare tactics and sound advice, that we might find ourselves using......

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.......

UPDATE: A seven alarm warehouse fire on the 1300 block of Adams Avenue in the Frankford section of the city was declared under control at 7:30 this morning, but nearby residents were evacuated, 160 homes are without power, and various road closures have created a traffic headache for many. "The 14-year-old accused of stabbing his older brother to death during a fight over a video game last July is back in court today for a......

Local writer/director/producer Michael Gleason recently sent us a link to his short comic news piece called "Arrgh! Taxes!" which we were planning on profiling today given that it is April 15th. However, one of his other pieces struck a chord with us about a topic near and dear to this column's heart: environmentalism. In his clip "Eco-tistical," he defines being eco-tistical as "someone who is more concerned about looking like they are concerned about the......

This week, take some time to think about how much unnecessary paper we are using up each day. When you see your fifteenth movie of the Philadelphia Film Festival, don't pick up yet another copy of the film guide. Don't print out that third recipe for macaroni and cheese from your favorite food blog, complete with nine extra pages of reader comments. Don't print out the Juno screenplay and re-read again, shaking your head and......

A tall, icy glass of our favorite internet junk, just for you. Looks like Paramount Pictures wants Sam Raimi to spearhead a revival of the Jack Ryan franchise. Clint Eastwood is going to direct and star in a film called Gran Torino. Details are being kept under wraps, but the rumor is the film might be a new entry in the Dirty Harry series. Feeling lucky, punk?! We're not a huge fan of the work......

The closure of I-95 has taken a toll on some, but the road did indeed reopen this morning around 6:30AM, and it's expected to remain open during the more permanent repair of the cracked column that will soon follow, and which should take about a month. After that comes the really major work: "Replacing the whole elevated stretch of I-95 between Spring Garden Street and Cottman Avenue." A split three-member panel of the Philadelphia......

Beginning late Sunday night, a 30-year-old University of Pennsylvania dental student was held captive by three thieves who ransacked his apartment and then sat around for a while watching reruns of American Gladiator and old movies on his TV. After they finally left 11:30AM yesterday, they went on a shopping spree, buying sneakers, clothes, and gift cards using the man's credit cards and cash from his ATM accounts. Police caught one of the thieves last......

An Associated Press investigation has shown that "a vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans." That includes the drinking water supplies here in Philly, where testing uncovered "56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts in treated drinking water, including medicines for pain, infection, high cholesterol, asthma, epilepsy, mental illness and heart problems. Sixty-three pharmaceuticals or byproducts......

Contrary to what perceptions might be, environmentalism does not always equal extremism. Being environmentally conscious does not mean forsaking your interests and living in a shack in the woods. It is important, though, to be increasingly aware of the impact that you and your actions are making. Yesterday morning, XPN made mention of Jack Johnson's initiatives for "Tour Greening." Jack Johnson is concerned for the environment. But that doesn't mean that he's going to give......

Climate change has rapidly become part of our national discourse. As early as four or five years ago, the issue was treated by many as a paranoid conspiracy. Now, political figures from governors to presidential candidates to George W. Bush himself seem unable to avoid the fact that not only is our planet becoming warmer, but it is also losing the ability to produce key resources such as oil and clean water. Here’s a look......

Scary fact: There are 17,000 petrochemicals available for home use, but only 30% of them have been tested for exposure to human health and the environment. Nobody likes scrubbing the bathroom – that in itself is scary enough. But if you stop and think for a minute, you really won't want to do another second of cleaning when you realize the potential damage you could be doing with the products that you've selected. So step......

SEPTA will announce its "Go Green Go SEPTA" initiative this afternoon at Market East Station. (We've already seen the ads up there; they're posters with real moss or grass glued to them.) The idea is to increase ridership to reduce emissions that contribute to global warming, and they've timed it for the Philadelphia Flower Show, which runs March 2-9 at the Convention Center and is typically a time of increased ridership. General manager Joseph......

A column about how we Philadelphians can start thinking about controlling consumption and protecting our world in small increments. One of the more frightening things heard recently -- more frightening than the prospect of another Clinton presidency -- is the fact that there is a vortex of trash twice the size of Texas swirling and growing in the Pacific Ocean. It sounds like something from a science fiction movie called When Trash Attacks!, but sadly,......