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......

Lehigh University issued a press release today outlining their research into the synaptic creation of some hormones, specifically estrogen. Until very recently, hormone production was thought to occur only in the testicles and the ovaries (tee hee hee...). Research like that being performed by LU's Colin Saldanha and his team of students and doctoral candidates is revealing some intriguing information on memory and the way synaptic estrogen regulates brain function. Of course, the physiology of......

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment. Disney has optioned a new graphic novel called Monster Attack Network, about a group of tough first responders who battle the sea monsters that are constantly attacking the otherwise perfect South Pacific island of Lapuatu. Sounds like fun. Kevin Smith dropped some interesting tidbits in a recent interview about his struggles with the MPAA over Zack and Miri Make a Porno,......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Next World (Wed, 8PM-9PM, Discovery Channel) A look at new technologies like floating cities and cars that can travel underwater. MythBusters (Wed, 9PM-10PM, Discovery Channel) The seventh season opening episode of one of our favorite shows on TV features the boys examining fan-requested myths, including whether steak can be tenderized with explosives and if driving while angry changes a car's exhaust emissions. MonsterQuest (Wed, 9PM-10PM, History Channel)......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Wanna Bet (Mon, 9PM-10PM, ABC) A changing panel of celebrity judges bet on whether ordinary people can perform wild stunts. If they win the bet, the money goes to charity. In the first episode, the judges are Tom Green, Sherri Shepherd, George Takei, and Harland Williams, and the stunts include hula-hooping a 50 pound truck tire for 45 seconds, identifying music groups by licking their CDs, and......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Elsa & Fred Two aging Spanish widowers find their fading passion for romance unexpectedly rekindled during a visit to Rome's Trevi Fountain. That doesn't sound like our cup of tea, and the mixed reviews aren't exactly thrilling us. We'll stay away. Trailer - Freshness Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse The Wackness The Mystery Film from this year's Philadelphia Film Festival finally hits theaters "for real"......

A tall, icy glass of our favorite internet junk, just for you. Rock the Vote and MySpace have gotten together to create a little contest called DemROCKracy. The band with a MySpace page that registers the most voters through Rock the Vote’s voter registration tool on MySpace will win prizes including Gibson guitars and the chance to perform on a major concert stage. (Via Julia) The rumors are true: Robert Downey Jr. will play Sherlock......

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you. The secret process for making chocolate covered bacon. (Via Bob) Even more low quality scans of photos from the Dragonball set! Oh joy! (Via) Interesting spy photos from the set of Bruce Willis' latest, a sci-fi thriller called The Surrogates. (Via) The director of An Inconvenient Truth, Davis Guggenheim, is reportedly working on a film about Senator Barack......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Elvis Mitchell: Under the Influence (Mon, 8PM-8:30PM, TCM) Film critic and author Mitchell talks to actor and director Sydney Pollack, who died shortly after filming. Pollack discusses performers, filmmakers, and movies that have affected his life and career. Unwrapped (Mon, 9PM-9:30PM, Food Network) Chips! We like chips. Chips of all kinds are explored, including pickle chips, Sun Chips, and chocolate-covered potato chips. Modern Marvels (Thu, 9PM-10PM, History......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. 46664: A Concert for Nelson Mandela (Mon, 9PM-10:30PM, VH1) Highlights of a concert held in London's Hyde Park to honor Nelson Mandela as he turns 90, and to benefit his charity, 46664 (named after Mandela's prison number). The concert's hosted by Philly's own Will Smith, and includes performances by Amy Winehouse, Queen and Paul Rodgers, Annie Lennox, Simple Minds, and a variety of African artists, including the......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. Mmm! Bacon floss! (Via Amy) You can download Girl Talk's new album, Feed the Animals, for any price you choose. Although if you pick 0.00, you will have to explain yourself. (Via D-Mac) The next episode of Cinematic Titantic is now available! This time the MST3K alums are making fun of a lame sci-fi flick called The Doomsday Machine. You can download it......

The best of the internet, squirted out in flavorful neon globules, just for you. Yay! Sulu's getting married! (Via Jill) A new study reveals that diet and exercise don't just make you slimmer and healthier: they actually drastically change you at the genetic level. That's almost scary. Of course, if this means we can go on a diet and become Wolverine... well, just tell us what to eat! (Via Sarah) Nintendo of Europe's Laurent Fischer,......

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you. The latest Wallace and Gromit movie is the source for this great YouTube music video for "Hocus Pocus" by Focus. (Via) Scientists are experimenting with bacteria that eat agricultural waste and excrete crude oil. Sounds too good to be true. As usual, Scott Adams puts a hilarious spin on the story. Batwoman is back and she's a lesbian!......

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment. If you, like this Phillyist, went to see The Incredible Hulk this weekend and were completely unable to spot the Captain America cameo, even after staying through the entire end credits sequence, well... there's something you should know: the director recently revealed that the cameo scene he'd promised us in a previous interview had to be cut out because it was......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. How Life Began (Mon, 9PM-11PM, History Channel) This is a new special about... well, it's about how life began, actually. It includes an examination of how life is defined, the catalyst for life, and whether it can be recreated in a lab. AFI's 10 Top 10 (Tue, 8PM-11PM, CBS) Another AFI countdown, this time of the top ten American films from ten different film genres, including animation,......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. If you, like this Phillyist, own a PATCO Freedom card, you can head over to PATCO's official site and enter to win tickets to upcoming shows at the Susquehanna Bank Center. (Via Sarah) The Atlantic asks, is Google making us stupid? (Via Laura) Ooh! Details on Beck's new album, Modern Guilt, which will be released on July 8th in America. The MTV Movies......

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you. That scene in Iron Man where Tony Stark goes to Burger King wasn't just a glaringly obvious product placement—it was based on a true story! In fact, Burger King saved Robert Downey Jr.'s life. (Via Sarah) If you hadn't heard yet, the big info from Apple yesterday is that the iPhone is now better and cheaper! There are......

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment. The villain in the next Iron Man film just might be The Mandarin; director Jon Favreau had some interesting things to say about the character. (Via Ross) The New York City Opera has commissioned Charles Wuorinen to compose an opera based on "Brokeback Mountain," the short story that has already famously been adapted into a movie. The opera is scheduled to......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Modern Marvels (Mon, 8PM-9PM, History Channel) An examination of things at extremely high temperatures. A life-sized mannequin is exposed to temperatures above 1000 degrees, and scientists take a look at lava samples from a volcano and heat plasma to over 200 million degrees. We also get to see malfunctioning blow dryers and coffee makers melt! Woo hoo! Mars: The Quest for Life (Wed, 10PM-11PM, Discovery Channel) The......

The best of the internet, squirted out in flavorful neon globules, just for you. "Astronomers have sighted the smallest extrasolar planet yet orbiting a normal star—a distant world just three times the size of our own." (Via Sarah) Won't somebody please think of the ninjas? Warren Ellis is on a roll lately. He's got links to a couple of fascinating articles, one about new evidence that suggests that Machu Picchu was actually discovered forty years......

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you. A very silly trailer. Mel Brooks will produce and co-write a horror film called Pizzaman. Is he a man made of pizza who eats himself to death? New pics from Lost Boys 2:The Tribe. Watch this new trailer for The Incredible Hulk quickly, because it could be pulled down any second. We'd heard the movie was influenced very......

A tall, icy glass of our favorite internet junk, just for you. Sony Electronics Inc. and the National Cable and Telecommunications Association have signed an agreement with a group of cable providers (including Comcast) that will allow viewers to get rid of their set-top boxes, but still receive advanced "two-way" cable services (like pay-per-view movies). Awesome. We hate those damn boxes. (Via Sarah) Did you know that there is a World Superhero Registry, listing all......

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you. We love bacon and all, but the scratch 'n sniff bacon tuxedo takes things a couple dozen steps too far. (Via Sarah) Geeks, your list is here: the 11 Most Scorching-Hot Female Cosplayers Ever. (Via) Another casting call for Transformers 2 will be taking place this Saturday at Bullies Bar at the Spectrum. It's another "one photo a......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. We usually try to avoid plugging our -ist brethren here, because it makes us feel dirty, but we really enjoyed this survey of how much various items cost per gallon from Chicagoist, and Gothamist's article about the crazy Telectroscope thing supposedly connecting London to New York. Flickr user tommitude spent two days in April 2006 walking the length of Philadelphia snapping a picture......

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......

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment. The Smithsonian Magazine has an interesting article about a museum of bogus artwork in Italy. (Via Jill) A pic of Goku from the Dragonball Z movie. It's been recorded rather poorly, but this Dark Knight TV spot is still pretty cool. Check out Nerd World's hilarious burger-centric deleted scenes from Iron Man, then take a look at this screenshot from the......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Sex: The Revolution (Mon, 10PM-11PM, VH1) Part one of a four-part series on sex! Hooray! This episode covers the repression of the early '50s, the publication of the Kinsey report, the launch of Playboy magazine, and the approval of oral contraceptives. The next episodes follow on succeeding nights, also at 10PM, with the last one airing Thursday night. 1000 Ways to Die (Wed, 11PM-11:30PM, Spike) This is......

Eric DeShawn Floyd, the third suspect in the murder of police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, was arrested last night when he was found sleeping in a boarded up rowhouse in Southwest Philadelphia at 11:10PM. He was unarmed and offered no resistance. Philadelphia police thus met their goal of capturing Floyd before Liczbinski's funeral. Meanwhile, the leadership of the Germantown Masjid has refused to conduct funeral services for Howard Cain, the bank robber who actually killed Liczbinski.......

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you. Babble, a site for modern parents, presents the Top 10 Most Invisible Kids in TV History and the Top 50 Best Sesame Street Moments. HorrorMovies.ca managed to snag itself a bunch of images from Bruce Campbell's latest flick, helpfully titled My Name Is Bruce (via). Meanwhile, MoviesOnline has a pic from Kiefer Sutherland's upcoming movie, Mirrors, which sounds......

"Police removed a large suitcase filled with human remains from a rowhouse in South Philadelphia yesterday." The case has not been ruled a homicide. The older man living in the rowhouse is being cooperative and is apparently not connected to the suitcase. The suspicion is that the remains may be those of a baby reported missing in Baltimore several months ago. An autopsy will be performed today. "State Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille......