Today we have basketball, masturbation, and ancient, unrequited love. What more can we say? YOUNG FRIENDS PROGRAM: GREATEST HEARTBREAKS OF ANCIENT TIMES The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology knows how to kick it old school, especially around Valentine's Day. The most sacred of Hallmark holidays, Valentine's Day is a day which lonely people spend masturbating and couples spend, well, um, doing romantic stuff? Anyway, the Young Friends of Penn Museum are bringing......

The big story around these parts continues to be the arrest and imprisonment of CBS3 anchorwoman Alycia Lane. The Daily News has an article about the incident, focusing on Lane's call to the governor from prison, which she apparently made in order to "make sure he knew her side of the story because he is an opinion-maker and runs around in influential circles." A 4-year-old in Southwest Philadelphia shot himself once in the throat......

When a performer is a standard bearer and larger than life in his or her field, it's hard to escape knowing who that person is, even if you only have a passing interest in his or her art. This Phillyist isn't particularly interested in cinema or dramatic theater, for example, but still knows who Orson Welles and John Barrymore are, if only vaguely. Similarly, one cannot be familiar even in passing with modern dance and......

A West Deptford High School student jumped into the Delaware River Wednesday night to help three friends whose boat was stuck on an island off National Park. Sadly, authorities now believe he drowned, though searching will resume for him this morning. Divers will also resume searching the Delaware River, in this case off Chester, for another missing person this morning: Floyd Nelson, the father of NBA player and former St. Joseph's University star Jameer......

As part of an inspection for damage, some vaults have been opened - for the first time in a very long time - at Christ Church Burial Ground at Fifth and Arch Streets, "the resting place of more than 4,000 prominent Philadelphians, including Benjamin Franklin and four other signers of the Declaration of Independence." The vaults look quite a bit different than expected, and new sketches will have to be drawn. The PA budget......

Landon Donovan continued to put ’06 in the past with a stellar performance against Mexico last night. He capped off USA’s victory with a blistering charge through midfield, in which he shed two defenders before deftly turning to the left to avoid keeper Oswaldo Sanchez and slamming the ball home to make it 2-0 at the 90 minute mark. In his last two games he has 3 goals after going 18 international appearances without a......

Councilman Frank DiCicco is declaring war on the casinos. In related news, some folks who had been charged with disorderly conduct after protesting the casinos outside the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board's offices last month have been acquitted. Are we heading toward tougher gun control laws in Philly? The Police Commissioner and various gun control advocates are calling for them, after the release of a report that highlights two dozen cases around the country, and......

We'll grant you that paleontology probably hasn't been a "cool" career to get into since the Victorian era (and heaven knows Ross on "Friends" didn't do much for the dinosaur hunter's IQ rating), but as jobs with viability go, it's not extinct just yet. The University of Pennsylvania and Swarthmore College scientists have recently published a study saying there are way more bones lying about, just waiting to be unearthed, reassembled in a museum and......

Who says that artists can’t make a living? Not the folks at the Global Creative Economy Convergence Summit, who kicked off three days of art talk, business talk, food, drinks, fun and damn good cake yesterday at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia. Yesterday’s highlight – besides that excellent cake at lunch – was a presentation given by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the artists behind the 2005 Gates project in New York’s Central Park. Granted, they’re a......

There's a whole wide world out there, and here's the proof: DCist revels in The University of Maryland's basketball triumphs, marvels at Metro's security strategy, and applauds DC local Katie Couric's new gig. Phillyist is all about the Philadelphia Film Festival. OK, not all about -- they still have time for loitering, underage sex, and random wacky news. LAist would have to send a camera around the world to get shots as bizarre as Katie's......

The best thing about waiting till late in the afternoon to bring you Elite -ist? Even more stories to share! Gothamist: If you're a little sad about the closure of New York's Plaza hotel, no fear! Most of the hotel's furnishings, along with cozy bathrobes and slippers, and old bellman's uniforms (seen at the right), will be auctioned off at Christie's. Today was the last day to view the lots up for auction, but the......

This week, we’re trying something new out in our opinion pieces: the first person singular! Let us (and by us, I do mean Phillyist) know what you think! Dear Philadelphia Mice: A few years ago, I had a rude awakening. A friend was over watching television while I folded my clean laundry. I was almost done folding when he looked at me and asked what had happened to my clothing. “What do you mean?” I......

This weekend, if you're a spoilsport looking for something non-Halloween related to do, you might want to head down to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology for Treasures...From the Silk Road to the Sante Fe Trail - their first annual show and sale of 18th, 19th and 20th century art and textiles culled from the world over. Despite being called "Treasures," the show's itinerary is sadly bereft of pirates and maps where......

Frugal in Philly is a weekly celebration of all things Philly that are fun, frugal (costing $10 or less) or free! Stop here each week to see what Philly's got to offer for those of us who haven't quite mastered the art of becoming Independently Wealthy (although believe me, we're trying). Featured Pick of the Week: Really - What Good *IS* Sitting Alone in Your Room?: Phillyist has been surprised and delighted by the amount......