Last Friday & the weekend: Michael probably doesn't know it, but he got a shout-out from Hot Hot Heat frontman Michael Bays at last week's FREEZEtival before the band played "Bandages." What the connection between the song and our mayor is, we have no idea. And in real news, Michael named his appointees to the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority board. Monday: Michael joined a record-setting number of volunteers at this year's MLK Day of Service,......

Remember when people used to go out to meet other people?......

In a very Dan Brown-like turn of events, investigators working on a Cold Case in the DC area came to Philadelphia to meet with members of the Vidocq Society, a group of "forensic professionals and motivated private citizens who, as a public service, donate deductive, scientific and other talents for the common good" and gather once every month for "Cuisine & Crime-Solving." Delicious!......

Raise your hand if you enjoy live music festivals. *Phillyist raises hand* Now, raise your hand if you’re an un-American communist who doesn’t like the idea of live music in a beautiful Philadelphia park (or cute little kids raising their hands, like at left). *Select members of the Fairmount Park Commission raise their hands* Yesterday, the Fairmount Park Commission voted to table a multi-day, multi-stage festival in Fairmount Park and your help is needed. As......

How much weed do you have to smoke to decide this is the best way to get a message across?......

No matter where you stand on the abortion debate, you probably don't want to come face-to-face with graphic photographs of aborted fetuses just after you've had breakfast. (In fact, we feel so strongly about that that we've included an extra dose of cute, above.) So we're just providing you with the friendly public service announcement that there's a smattering of abortion protesters, big signs in hand, standing around City Hall and preaching that only......

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment. Just how creepy and weird is Alan Moore, famous comic book author and part-time wizard? Allow his friend Neil Gaiman to explain, in comic form. It appears to be official: James McAvoy will play Scotty in the new Star Trek movie. Which we think means we've got a real Russian playing Chekhov and a real Scotsman playing Scotty. What is Star......

Friday this Phillyist was sipping Strongbow in her new 'hood, enjoying the fact that everyone else had left for the shore and there was plenty of elbow room at the bar. Filed under Captain Obvious was how satisfying it must be to drop a deuce at Deuce. We laughed with our friend and made it the running joke of the night every time one of us got up to break the seal. We really do......

After missing one too many trains as a result of crowded escalators en route to the platform, we have decided to offer up, as a public service, a basic escalator riding tutorial that will be an education to some and a refresher to others. Plus, we want you to get out of the way when we are trying to catch the train! There are twelve steps to riding an escalator and none of them involve......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. The Morning News has an important public service announcement for you regarding a terrible infestation you could already be experiencing without realizing it: hipsters! (Via) LOL Trek. It's "The Trouble with Tribbles" summarized in a series of screen grabs from the show captioned in lolcat fashion. Hi-larious. Many of these images are ripe for being turned into personal icons. WE IN UR STATION......

At the POPPED! opening night party this Monday, I got the pleasure of visiting the upstairs ladies' room at Johnny Brenda's. This may be one of the prettiest bathrooms I've seen in town. Yup, that's right: the decor in this restroom is simplistically beautiful. The sign outside of the door is made of red glass and has black writing. It always makes me feel like I've magically left the country and stumbled upon the only......

Last Saturday, a couple Phillyists and I hit up the 90s Party upstairs at Sal's on 12th. When I enter a bar to the theme song from Clarissa Explains It All, I know I'm going to have fun. I'm intuitive, what can I say? Similarly, when I approach an employees' bathroom and it takes concerted effort to open the door without ripping it in half, I feel justified assuming I'm in trouble. Now, to be......

This Monday morning, I was at the ticket counter in Market East, preparing for some quality Regional Rail time. There's a Men’s bathroom to the left of the ticket window. Now, I did not enter this restroom, but I can tell you that it had just been cleaned, as there were two station employees walking out of it with garbage bags and cleaning supplies. I can also tell you that if you're ever in stall......

Do you know what's really cool about airplane bathrooms? Neither do I. I associate them with long flights, questionable sanitation, and an inexplicable fear of getting suctioned to the toilet seat if it flushes while I'm on it (that's how my brain processes technology). Stephen Starr, however, clearly doesn't feel this way, as the restrooms at Pod are, well, airline bathrooms that will never see flight. Unless, of course, by the time he opened Pod,......

Some bathrooms seem more like lounges: candles, rich tapestries, plush sofas, all sorts of amenities inviting you to linger a while. Other bathrooms are strictly utilitarian. Not spacious, strictly functional – get in, get out. The bathroom at Grace Tavern is most certainly a member of the latter group. I was given a heads-up that I feel I must share: when you open the door to the bathroom, you are IN it. The entrance looks......

Tomorrow afternoon from 3pm to 6pm there's going to be an unveiling of sorts down at the Independence Seaport Museum on Penn's Landing. This is no ordinary unveiling, though. It will be the first public presenation of the Central Delaware Waterfront Planning Process' (whew, we could barely say that out loud) ideas for revamping the riverfront. It is not a stretch to say that our stretch of the Delaware River is one of the city's......

This Wednesday evening, after learning that Tria had a 70 minute wait, a friend and I headed over to Mantra. Neither of us had been before, but we were both very happy with our wine and food. Especially our desserts. I am henceforth married to the concept of grilled pound cake (this was the first time I’d ever had it), and my friend loved her chocolate bombe (specifically because she saw it as a worthy......

In the past month, the only place besides work, home and L2 that I've actually incorporated into my life is Ten Stone. The place is adorable, their fondue brings tears to my eyes and they always have Woodchuck. These factors alone are enough to make me up and marry the establishment, but after discovering that even their bathroom is decorated in happy-Katie-fashion last night, I'm now trying to determine how to propose to a......

For many at-risk youths, getting arrested for the first time is no piece of cake. In fact, it’s a brief stay in jail with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But what starts out as a frightening experience could turn into a constructive and hopeful opportunity. That’s typically the case for first-time juvenile offenders who, after admitting to their mistakes, are diverted from juvenile court and offered a chance to sit in front of......

Yes, that's right. I went a whole one place this week that didn't have to do with retail or Vagabond. That was Monday, this is Friday; my life is boring. You know what's not boring? Catching a full glimpse of your bare keister in a public restroom. That's just downright shocking. And horrifying, when this sighting coincides with the realization that your stall's door doesn't lock. Now this bathroom was at the TLA, and I......

Some bathrooms are of dubious cleanliness. Others are so obviously clean you can't help but notice - because your eyes are on fire. The bathroom at Chaucer's Tabard Inn is of the latter camp. Perhaps it was freshly cleaned during my visit, or perhaps one always walks into that ladies' room there and thinks their whites just got whiter. Bleachy air aside, it's pretty much your standard bathroom. Two stalls, virtually non-existent decor. You should......

Earlier this week, I celebrated Restaurant Week by hitting up Astral Plane with some Phillyists. My food was wonderful, and the dining room’s décor was comfy and adorable. But, trust you me, if there is one room in that place that truly reflects the restaurant’s name, the dining room it ain’t. The entrance to the bathroom is right off the dining room. The door has a big glass pane in it, but they’ve considerately......

It usually takes a lot to bother me. Complaining is something that I always felt was left for other people. And when you’re complaining about SEPTA, the unquestioned juggernaut of Philadelphia transportation, it’s pretty damn pointless. But, returning late from lunch yesterday, something positive happened. Usually when running for a bus about to pull away from a stop, the driver will look at you and keep going as if you weren’t even there. But yesterday,......

I'm currently working on a show at L2 Restaurant and Bar. I'm not writing about the show (I know a flagrant conflict of interest when I see one), but I am writing about the upstairs womens ("L2ettes") bathroom there. This bathroom, like the entire place, is beautiful. The walls are painted with gorgeous gold tones, and match nicely with the floral tapestries covering chairs to sit on as you wait for your friends (because, no,......

A little while back, I was getting ready to go out for drinks when Latoya puked all over my apartment. The friend I was heading out with looked horrified as I explained that I couldn’t clean it up immediately, because I was entirely out of paper towels (and running low on toilet paper. And all but one of my dish towels was already crammed into my laundry basket. This was not my finest hour.). Then,......

The last time I got into a cab, I realized that I had enough money to pay for my ride, but not enough to last me for the rest of the night. I asked my driver if I could pay with a credit card. He said “No, reader’s broken.” I asked why every cab in town seemed to have a broken credit card reader (because multiple people I know have been told this, and......

Surprisingly, its not the usual bouquet of aged urine, fecal matter, and assorted garbage left to ferment. The Subway actually smells nice. In the last week and a half, I've seen crews at work at 30th, 11th, and 8th street stations actually mopping. Other times I've come across a slowly drying non-urine film accompanied by yellow signs telling me "Caution Wet Floor" and something or other in Spanish. Yes, they were mopping the subway.......

A ferocious head cold is slowly attacking everyone I know, and this Wednesday evening, I accepted that I, too, am sick. And then I accepted that I wanted soup and I wanted it now. On my way home from a rehearsal, I stopped by Szechuan Hunan Chinese Restaurant to pick up as much Wonton Soup as I could carry. While I was awaiting my food, I went in search of the bathroom. I initially......

A Note from Editor Jim: Please welcome our newest author, Sarah Gormley! She's smart, sassy, and just generally a force to be reckoned with - and I'm not just saying that because she's my wife. Look out for posts from her in the future about volunteer opportunities around the city, as well as about various arts and entertainment topics, one of which she tackles below. Used to be you could make it until the week......

No doubt about it, Philly's got a lot to offer: a thriving theatre scene (don't forget, Fringe is just around the corner), fabulous museums, loads of live music and more historical hoopla than you can shake a stick at. However, there are some hotspot trends in places far, far away that look cool too, and Phillyist is wondering why local entreupenuers aren't jumping all over them. Dammit! We want them too! Private room karaoke: It's......