A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. A gallery of photos of San Fran's annual "Altered Barbie" exhibition. Some could theoretically be considered NSFW, but c'mon, it's just a doll. (Via Sarah) Three men have scheduled a press conference this afternoon in Palo Alto, California where they say they'll reveal the details of their discovery of what they claim is a dead Bigfoot. But apparently even other Bigfoot hunters doubt......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. Apparently McDonalds franchisees have been complaining about having to advertise for the dollar menu, their point being that it makes little sense to pay extra to publicize something that brings in less revenue. So McDonalds is considering changing things, starting with the double cheeseburger. Specifically, they're thinking about either making it more expensive, or taking the cheese off. If they go with the......

When it comes to dieting, I really kind of suck. Unless it's imposed by my circumstances (the Unemployment Diet) or my religion (the "real" God Diet), I'm likely to fall off the wagon within a week. Maybe two. But still, I at least try to eat right. No fried foods. (Well, French fries once in a while.) Poultry and fish. (Except for when I really want beef, which happened twice last week.) Coke Zero.......

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......

Well, here we are. Another Monday. Highs in the mid 20s. It's a cold world, especially today, especially in Philly. As the week sinks its teeth into our souls, let's see if there's anything we can do to keep our spirits up. CURTIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: ALAN GILBERT, CONDUCTOR We know you're cultured, and you know you're cultured. But does anybody else know you're cultured? A good way to show them is to spend your......

Investigators are still trying to work out how a woman's vehicle ran over both of her legs while she was in the drive-thru lane at a McDonald's in Phoenixville this past Friday. (Via JReedNet, via our contribute page) A whole array of services are now being offered to college students nationwide - as well as right here in the Philadelphia area - with names like DormAid, DormMom, CollegeBellhop and Soapy Joe's. They do things......

A tall, icy glass of our favorite internet junk, just for you. Dude, car cake! It even has a cake engine under the cake hood and everything. You definitely need to click through and watch the commercial, which is essentially a making-of video. (Via Sarah) Heh. Heh heh. That's so wrong. How many people have recorded themselves playing the theme to Legend of Zelda and uploaded it to YouTube? Who knows? But Music Thing found......

With two big-deal festivals—POPPED! and the Philadelphia Film Festival—in Philly right now, Phillyist staffers have been running around like so many proverbial headless chickens: madly moving from place-to-place so fast they seem out of control. Also, headless chickens, from what we hear, have a little bit of trouble eating. (Of course, for them, it's physiological: for us, it's a matter of scheduling.) Between the God-imposed Passover diet and back-to-back screenings, this Phillyist has found it......

If you're hiking, consider charging up your iPod, as Seattlest finds out that a man lost during a hike was found by the glow of his iPod. That cleverness seems to be devoid in cops who were using police cruiser instant messaging clients - although we imagine IMs "so are you nakie" to be included in cop shows, just for realism. If only the cops were busting the Hummer-driving jerk who made a poor......

...Because that about sums it up for us. Austinist: Funny. We don't remember Texas on that list of places Dean was going to win primaries in. SFist: Based on the video alone? We'd vote for her. Bostonist: We kinda wish we'd had this idea at Penn. Seattlest: Is that even safe? Chicagoist: Yeah... Oprah is a much better name. Shanghaiist: Mmmm... Tobacco-flavored sushi. Yum. Houstonist: We love missed connections that aren't. Torontoist: The Canadians are......

Torontoist visits the site of a new Frank Gehry structure, stalks "the elusive Bahamas streetcar", and watches Tom Green get surgery. Phillyist rejoices in the Phillies' wild card chances, mourns the injuries sustained by Eagles defensive end Jevon Kearse, and goes pirate on our asses. SFist notes that Guns and Roses were in town, that San Franciscans are taking over reality TV, and that the San Francisco Chronicle's skills of original nomenclature could use some......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: ALL WEEKEND LONG: Free music all weekend at Penn's Landing, including Mary Chapin Carpenter, Buckweat Zydeco and (someone alert all our local McDonald's restaurants) Ashlee Simpson, among others. More info on the Penn's Landing Corporation's website. FRIDAY: Beach Party (sans beach): This month's Sex Dwarf is all about the beach. Go in your "best retro beachwear" and dance the New Wave night away. At Fluid Nightclub (614 S.......

Elite -ist is having some trouble compiling and editing itself right now because being homeless temporarily displaced means that there's no reliable internet connection. Well, there wasn't. But now there is. And so we bring you stuff our sister sites have been doing since last we met. Londonist: Best. Ad campaign. Ever. Torontoist: If Phillyist ever began a career in exotic dancing, that's precisely the music we'd want to dance to, too! Miamist: The Floridian......

Either Phillyist isn't reading very thoroughly, or most of our sister -ists are having a bit of a slow day. Here's what we decided to bring to you: Gothamist: People can be so mean to animals. Londonist: If you were going to make a sandwich that cost nearly $150(US), would you really give it a name that it could share with a fast food establishment where you can get a sandwich for barely $2(US)? Austinist......

How'd the first day of the SEPTA strike go? Well, it depends on who you talk to. Phillyist staffers had a mix of reactions. Our own Cranky Cocktail-er, Mike VanHelder, added a little light exercise to his daily regime in the form of walking an extra 46 blocks, and it looks like that's the way it's going to be for the duration of the strike. Assistant Editor Star Foster managed to find a ride with......

This week, Return to Sender and Phillial team up to give the men of Philadelphia the hand they so desperately need. To the men of Philadelphia: We do not want to date you. It isn't because we have a crush on that cute boy we've been hanging out with, even though we don't think he wants us to date you either. It's because you, the collective men of Philadelphia, appall us. We like to have......

From The Phillyist 'What We Would Have Posted Had We Existed A Few Years Ago' Files: So while we're busy hanging around ACME late at night, waiting for the deli people to discount their sandwiches to a buck apiece, it seems that people across the nation are hitting up some fast food place called Jack in the Box. Jack in the Box isn't well-known crappy food like McDonald's. Instead, it's not quite as well-known crappy......