Dan McQuade of Philadelphia Will Do (maybe you've seen us mention him) has been assigned the enviable task of getting paid (by Vanity Fair!) to watch television for the next two weeks—specifically, the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, which kick off tonight on various NBC networks. You can check out his blog, chronicling as much of the 3,600 hours of coverage as he can stand, right here.......

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......

A tall, icy glass of our favorite internet junk, just for you. It's funny because it's true. Present company excluded, of course. (Via Sarah) Speaking of internet truths, we're sure you already know that for every incredibly odd and unlikely pass-time you can imagine, there is a website for it. Case in point: Hats of Meat, which celebrates making and wearing hats made out of raw meat. Why does this happen? We can't even begin......

This Phillyist was bummed when hometown actor, improviser and restaurateur Adam Gertler lost The Next Food Network Star to Camden’s Aaron McCargo, Jr. Aaron is a great cook and deserved to win, but you always root for the home team (unless you work in City Hall). Turns out when Adam lost, he really won. While he didn’t get a six-episode try-out of his own cooking show like Aaron did with Big Daddy’s House, he did......

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)......

Watch out Rachael Ray. A local resident may give you a run for your EVOO. Aaron McCargo Jr. from Camden was the winner of the fourth season of the Food Network's Next Food Network Star. McCargo, along with ten other finalists, went through weeks of crazy missions including a throwdown with Bobby Flay to prove he was the next star. McCargo's prize? His own show called "Big Daddy's Kitchen," which premieres in early August. Adam......

What’s new and/or interesting in TV this week. Ocean of Fear: Worst Shark Attack Ever (Tue, 8PM-9PM, Discovery) It’s Shark Week on Discovery Channel, meaning that you can expect a lot of shows based upon people getting killed or nearly killed by Great White sharks. If this is your sort of thing, and you can only catch one show, this would have to be it. Remember in Jaws where the old sea captain tells the......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. This Chicago Sun-Times article explains the Christian Bale assault incident in a way that sounds very believable, and also makes us feel okay about liking Bale again. Apparently he's had a long-standing feud with his Mom, and just shoved her out of his suite after he realized she and his sister had only come looking for cash. (Via Sarah) Get Your War On,......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Chris and Don. A Love Story A documentary examining the romantic relationship between writer Christopher Isherwood and painter Don Bachardy. Interviews with Don himself are included, as are personal documents belonging to Isherwood. Critics are giving the film great reviews; they say it's touching and fascinating. Trailer - Freshness Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse CSNY Déjà Vu This documentary takes a look at Crosby, Stills,......

A tall, icy glass of our favorite internet junk, just for you. The world's oldest Bible is going online! All we want to know is, how are they going to jam those fragile old pages down the tubes of the internets without ruining them? (Via Jill) Sounds like NBC is doing a not-so-good job at selling their new programs to TV critics. (Via Jill) It's Comic-Con time! Cinematical has a preliminary post, then coverage of......

The best of the internet, squirted out in flavorful neon globules, just for you. We're really hoping Christian Bale didn't actually beat up his mom and his sister, because then we'd have to be really disappointed in him. Batman does not beat up old ladies! Unless they're super villains, of course (via Ross). Meanwhile, Warren Ellis points out that Hollywood stars used to be capable of more impressive bad behavior. Check out Cinematical's Comic-Con preview.......

Golden Girl, Estelle Getty, died today of Lewy Body Dementia, a progressive brain disease. She was 84. She would have been 85 on Friday and 86 a year from then. Her longtime caregiver Paul Chapdelaine wrote on her website: Estelle, we love you and will miss you dearly. We pray that you are met at the Pearly Gate with open arms and a warm welcome by all who have passed before you. If there's a......

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you. Cracked presents The 7 Most Bizarre Fast Food Industry Lawsuits. (Via Sarah) At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper will soon no longer have Ebert or Roeper. Ebert is leaving over a dispute with Disney (which owns the show); he and Siskel's widow own the trademark for the thumbs-up/ thumbs-down film verdict, and they could not come to......

Well, sort of at least. (Also, is the director the same Fred Savage we think it is?)......

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. The Center City District is running a pretty cool contest: submit your best photos from Center City Sips and you could win $200 worth of Center City restaurant gift certificates. (Via RJ) The AV Club takes a look at 20 cases of The Darrin Effect, that being, when a character is recast and the result is jarring. (Via) The estimates say......

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......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. XPN's 885 countdown this year will list the quintessential XPN songs. We're not even sure what that means, but you can go and vote right here. So what's next now that E3 is over? Comic-Con! EW has your photo gallery preview of the event (via). And check out the sweet Star Trek character poster! Amazon has launched a video streaming service called Amazon......

The high-speed car chase and wreck on Roosevelt Boulevard that led to the death of a 17-year-old boy appears to have come out of a dispute over a 14-month-old baby—a baby who died early yesterday morning from injuries sustained in the crash. Philadelphia photographer, founder of phillyskyline.com, and friend of Phillyist Brad Maule has sued The Colbert Report, and the Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer for using his photographs without permission. He is seeking......

A tall, icy glass of our favorite internet junk, just for you. A couple has amassed a huge collection of board games (including many rare and vintage examples), video games, and video game hardware, and you can buy the stuff at their website: 1st in Games. (Via Sarah) Check out the very cool teaser trailer for Terminator Salvation. Seth McFarlane is still talking about a Family Guy movie. Somebody found a 40-year-old screenplay for a......

Come on... can you blame the guy?......

A rear-end collision took place around 1AM this morning on southbound Roosevelt Boulevard near Adams Avenue. It tied up traffic for hours, killed a 17-year-old male, and critically injured at least two people, including an infant and a man. The crash apparently followed an argument and a chase, and is being investigated as a homicide. The Inquirer discusses the Dalai Lama's one-day visit to Philadelphia today. A City Planning Commission hearing was held yesterday on......

A week's worth of local Craigslist highjinks. Living in the burbs isn't the best idea when you want to meet fellow metalheads and rockers, as this guy is discovering. Stock up on some smokes and shred some guitars and give him a call. Of course anything can be a fetish, but diapers? Really? Hopefully this man isn't the only one out there needing some pampering of the "true and sincere" variety. Service workers, commence eyelash......

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......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Food Origin Shows (Mon, 9PM-10PM, Food Network) Food Network is airing two shows in a row exploring the origins of similar foods. First up is Unwrapped with a look at how goat cheese, cheesecake, and Cheez-It crackers are made. Then it's How'd That Get on My Plate? which explores milk and what it goes through to end up in the various different forms of ice cream, string......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. We're a bit torn about the Spinmallow. On the one hand, how lazy do you have to be to need a spinning stick to toast your marshmallow? But on the other hand... ooh, spinning stick! (Via Jill) In honor of the release of Journey to the Center of the Earth, Cinematical picks seven other movies they'd like to see in 3D. Upcoming Japanese......

Former Rep. Mike Veon, the No. 2 Democrat in the state House, 10 former and current legislative aides, and one sitting lawmaker were all charged, in varying degrees, with theft and conflict of interest for running a massive political campaign machine out of government offices. According to prosecutors, they were paying staffers, with taxpayers' dollars, to work on political campaigns while on the government clock. More charges are expected. In one particular case, Michael......

Former Phillyist and newly-published author Jen A. Miller was on TV yesterday talking about one of our favorite parts of going down the shore: all the junk food. Note: you'll have to view the video on the NBC10 website. Click the image for the video!......

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......