• A Manayunk man was trapped beneath his vehicle early this morning after it rolled on top of him as he attempted to push it to safety. He is listed in critical condition with crushing chest injuries. [WPVI]
• It is like the Wild West around here. Another bank robbery occurred this morning at the M&T Bank branch located in Northeast Philadelphia. [WPVI]
• Chris Christie is not happy with how things are going at the Delaware River Port Authority. He's so unhappy that he drove all the way to Camden to hold a press conference about it. [KYW Newsradio]
• It looks like SEPTA is trying to save money by using a regenerative braking system on its subway cars. The change could save them $500,000 annually. Now, will they pass that savings onto their ridership? [NBC Philadelphia]
• Just what Philadelphia needs—another show portraying locals as assholes. Wreck Chasers will chart the competition between tow companies as they hurry around to find motorists to screw over. [FOX 29]
• J. Larry Jameson will be the new dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine as well as the vice-president of the Penn Health System next year. Jameson is currently the dean at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. [Philadelphia Inquirer]
• The U.S. Department of Justice has found merit in the claims by Asian students at South Philadelphia High School that they were not protected from harrassment. South Philadelphia High now has to come to an agreement with the Department on ways that they will reform. [Philadelphia Daily News]

Today is a great day for the numerically observant and the pop-culture savvy. Today, September 2, 2010, has come to be known as 90210 Day, the rare day on which the children of the '90s and watchers of SOAPnet everywhere are encouraged to gather together, fess up about their TV habits, and share their fondest memories of Beverly Hills, 90210 (they could probably also discuss the new 90210, but they probably won't). Anyone who's ever made a "Donna Martin Graduates" joke or wondered what exactly happened to Brenda after she "moved to London" knows today is a day worthy of nostalgic reflection and pop culture musing. And here at the Phillyist, we wouldn't want to be left out of all the fun.

But how are we going to be able to talk about Beverly Hills, 90210 in a way that's relevant to Philadelphia? Easy. By calling attention to the Philadelphia show that best encapsulates Beverly Hills, 90210's most important elements: a tightly-knit group of friends, the exploits of relatively attractive people, sexual intrigue, manipulation, and engagement with current affairs. This show does all these things will showcasing the people and city of Philadelphia.

And what show is this? What show does all these things at once and as well as Beverly Hills, 90210? Well, that's simple. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Granted, the gang from It's Always Sunny doesn't exactly have all the sparkle and drama that the gang that hung around the Peach Pit did, but once you peel back the superficial layers and make some minor adjustments in perspective, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia might just be the rightful East Coast successor to Beverly Hills, 90210.

Let's look at a few examples: Both 90210 and It's Always Sunny are topical; both shows have covered alcoholism, drug addiction, crime, and issues with not seeing eye-to-eye with one's parents. Yes, of course Dennis and Dee got addicted to crack sort of by accident, but the same could be said for Kelly's dark journey into cocaine addiction on Beverly Hills, 90210. On both shows, no one intended to end up needing to go to rehab; it just sort of happened. The differences are simply tonal.

Need more? Fancy cars? 90210 had them in spades, yes, but on It's Always Sunny, they only need Dennis's Land Rover (because no one's taking Dee's car anywhere). Philadelphia is a far less car-centric city anyway, but when the Paddy's gang needs a primary vehicle, they tend to prefer luxury. Romantic exploits? Sure you could have the whole cast quivering with sexual tension all the time like they did on Beverly Hills, 90210, or you could learn about the D.E.N.N.I.S. System and get pointers on how to write a musical for the woman you love in the hours that you're not stalking her. Think about how life would have been different for Brandon, Dylan, and even Steve if they had had a field-tested system for dealing with the ladies or sang about Nightman.

How about parental involvement? Here, clearly It's Always Sunny wins. While Jim and Cindy Walsh offered guidance during high school, they faded into the background when the kids went off to college in season five of 90210. At the advent of season five of It's Always Sunny, Frank Reynolds is still going strong with the gang. And heck, how more involved can a parent be when your son's friend tries to bang you for revenge?

Still not convinced? Let's look at the nature of friendship on these two shows. While highly attractive, motivated, somewhat successful people, the gang on Beverly Hills, 90210 had a lot of trouble expanding their social circle in meaningful ways. Outsiders often came into the group, but more often than not, they were plot devices used to introduce new topics, stir up trouble, and serve as romantic interests. At the end of the day, the gang hanging around the Peach Pit was an exclusive unit, even when it appeared that they didn't like each other very much. The same can be said for the gang at Paddy's Pub. While they've made friends with each other, they don't necessarily play well with others. If they did, they might not have been taken hostage by the McPoyles and Rickety Cricket might still be a priest.

The first Temple-Villanova game took place in 1908; the game ended in a 12-0 victory for Villanova, in what we're guessing (looking at the score) was a real nail-biter. It took twenty years for Temple to seek out their revenge—and even that game ended in a tie score of 0-0. Phillyist suspects the game was automatically declared a "tie" after both teams were too drunk to leave the pre-game tailgating lot. Yes, kids, this will be the thirty-first gridiron battle between the Owls and the Wildcats (currently leading the century-old series 16-12-2), and we guarantee it will be a good one.

The Villanova Wildcats (ranked number one in the FCS preseason polls) return to the field equipped with cross-city bragging rights from last year's triumphant Mayor's Cup victory, their ever-so-shiny FCS (Division I-AA for those who refuse to conform to nonsense) championship title, and Matt Szczur—Villanova's ninja-athlete-superhero, whose recent life accomplishments include getting drafted by the Chicago Cubs and saving the life of a small child.

The Temple Owls may not have a flashy championship title to commemorate their 2009 season, but they did manage to record one of the best seasons in school history. The Owls finished 9-4 overall, tied for first place in the Mid-American Conference East Division at 7-1, and even made their first bowl appearance since 1979. Temple is looking for respect and finally has the talent to carry them into another record-breaking season. Temple boasts twenty-one returning starters, including Heisman hopeful Bernard Pierce.

Honestly, Phillyist cannot think of a better way to spend a Friday night. The last two match-ups between these teams remains some of the best football this Phillyist has ever witnessed. In 2003, Villanova, who was losing 7-0 at halftime, somehow managed to win 23-20 in double overtime, after a 47-yard missed field goal attempt by Temple. And who can forget last year's 27-24 fourth-quarter comeback victory for Villanova?

So, this is one game you won't want to miss, so we want to see all of you at the game—this Phillyist will be dressed in red, but we like the blue team, too.

Mayor's Cup: Temple Owls v. Villanova Wildcats

Lincoln Financial Field

TONIGHT, Fri., 9/3/10
5:00 p.m.

Tickets: $18 – $45 (If you're going to the Phillies game tomorrow, you can show your ticket stub at the Linc and it will only cost $10 to view the city's pigskin death match.)

Believe Andy or not, this is still an important opportunity for players on the fringe of the Eagles roster. The game will be played exclusively by backups, as all starters have been given the night off. Tonight's game will be a showcase to not only the Eagles, but to the rest of the league. This might be some players' last chance to make a case to be on an NFL team this year.

There are going to be some interesting cuts in Eagleland before the season starts. The team must decide between keeping an extra wide receiver or an extra linebacker. This decision will leave a talented player in the cold, either on the practice squad or to free agency. With Riley Cooper's emergence, veterans Hank Baskett and Kelley Washington are battling for the fifth, and potentially final, wide receiver spot. Little-engine-that-could Chad Hall has impressed some, but he seems destined to be left off the final roster.

Some believe the Eagles will keep seven linebackers. The starters, Ernie Sims, Stewart Bradley, and Akeem Jordan, are in, as is versatile backup man Omar Gaither. Rookies Keenan Clayton and Jamar Chaney have impressed, and as linebackers make excellent special teamers: count on both making the cut. Chaney figures to be fighting for his spot with veterans Tracy White and Moise Fokou.

There is also some drama at the other so-called skill positions. Running backs LaSean McCoy, Mike Bell, and Leonard Weaver are in. This leaves coach's favorite Eldra Buckley, CFL-standout Martell Mallett, and journeyman J.J. Arrington at risk. At tight end, Brent Celek is the starter. The Eagles are likely to keep two tight ends on the final roster, which might mean the end of oft-injured Cornelius Ingram's time with the team. Clay Harbor has seen a lot of reps with the second team and is the likely backup.

Other potential cuts include the massive offensive lineman King Dunlap, starter from last year Macho Harris and all quarterbacks not named Kolb, Vick, or Kafka.

More at the Eagles website, CSN and Philly.com.

The Eagles play at Lincoln Financial Field tonight against the New York Jets at 7:30 p.m. The game is set to be televised locally on WPVI, but check local listings to confirm.

In the meantime, if you're a fan of local music and supporting Philly artists, follow @TheKeyXPN for in-depth coverage from people who know the scene.

Oh, and it doesn't hurt that they gave us a shout out in their link roundup yesterday afternoon, either.

We're on Twitter, too—just follow @Phillyist. Because we often choose featured users from amongst our followers, following us is a good way to make sure that you or your organization is in the running. And if you're on Twitter and we haven't found you yet, leave a link to your profile in the comments!

PAWS is in constant need of support, both personal and financial. Click through for information on volunteering, fostering, or making a donation.

And don't forget to vote for PAWS to win a $20,000 grant from Tom's of Maine!

Nina (ID# A10907274)

Nina is a ten- to twelve-month-old pitty mix whose owner could no longer care for her following a separation. She's currently in PAWS foster care, where she's shown herself to be quite the lovely girl. Nina gets along well with cats and other dogs, and absolutely loves people. She doesn't jump often, and she's not much of a barker. Nina would be best in a home without young children (under twelve), but should be fine with older kids.

If you'd like more information about Nina, e-mail her foster family at sunshinefosters@gmail.com.

Music: Nashville's Heypenny brings their funky indie pop to the M Room (15 W. Girard Ave.). Also performing: Kyle Andrews, Shannon Pelcher. 9:00 p.m., $8, 21+.

Drag: Philly's longest-running regular drag show is at Bob & Barbara's (1509 South St.). 11:00 p.m., $6, 21+.

Cheap Eats: It'll cost you only $35 for thirteen tapas plates (plenty for dinner for two) at Bar Ferdinand (1030 N. 2nd St.) tonight. An extra $25 will get you wine pairings to go with it.

Cheap Drinks: Sidecar's (2201 Christian St.) late-night happy hour features dollar-off drafts, $2.50 High Lifes and well drinks, and $3.50 you-call-its. Midnight – 2:00 a.m.

Quizzo: Get your quiz on at any of these fine establishments.

• The Abbaye (637 N. 3rd St.), starting at 10:00.
• Adobe Cafe (1919 E. Passyunk Ave.), starting at 9:00.
• Bards (2013 Walnut St.), starting at 10:00.
• The Draught Horse (1431 Cecil B. Moore Ave.), starting at 8:30.
• Fergie's (1214 Sansom St.), starting at 9:30.
• Roosevelt's (2222 Walnut St.), starting at 9:00.
• The Ugly American (1100 S. Front St.), starting at 7:30.

Any events tonight that you think Philadelphia should know about? Let us know and leave details in the comments. And if there's an upcoming event you think we should share in About Tonight, e-mail us or Tweet us @phillyist!

In short, the Delaware River Trail wants to do for that river what the Schuylkill River Trail did to the river to the west: make it a place people actually want to go. While the trail only stretches from the Walmart at Pier 70 (kind of a weird start/end point, more on that below) to Washington Avenue for now, the goal is to make it stretch for six miles, from South Philly up to Allegheny Avenue.

That's a fine goal and I can only hope the trail becomes a bit more exciting as work on it progresses. For the moment, though, it seems like a lot of hype and not much substance. Yes, it's wonderful to be able to walk near the river's edge in a part of the city that usually off limits. But there were many small reminders that the trail wasn't fully formed.

Such as the fact that part of the trail is two painted lines on a parking lot. Such as the fact that the way you get the trail is by walking or biking behind a Walmart. Such as the fact that the trail spits you out onto Columbus Boulevard, where it turns into a sidewalk and makes you wonder if you're supposed to actually ride your bike on the sidewalk, or hop into the bike lane on the street. And then there's the whole thing where that beautiful part next to the trail may one day turn into a casino.

I hate to be such a naysayer; I really do hope that the trail turns into something more useful sooner rather than later. It's just a little too unfinished for me to get terribly excited about right now.

Upcoming Events in Parks:

Concerts:

• Jeannie Brooks plays as part of Malcolm X Park's (map) Summer Jazz Heritage series. Tonight, 7:00 p.m.

For the Kids

• Kid's night at Jefferson Square (map). Thursdays, 6:00 p.m.
• Exploring Things With Wings in the Pennypack (map). Saturday, Sept. 4, 11:00 a.m.

Get Involved:

• Dickinson Square Park (map) Clean-Up. Saturdays, 9:00 a.m.

Farmer's Markets:

• Rittenhouse Square (map). Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Cliveden Park (map). Wednesdays, 2:00 – 6:00 p.m
• Schuylkill River Park (map). Wednesdays, 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Palmer Park (map). Thursdays, 2:00 &ndash 6:00 p.m.
• Clark Park (map). Thursdays 3:00 – 7:00 p.m.; Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Norris Square (map). Thursdays, 3:00 – 7:00 p.m.
• Fitler Square (map). Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

If you know of anything exciting happening in your local park in the near future, please e-mail amy@phillyist.com!

Two of our favorite organizations—PAWS and the Philadelphia Union—are in the midst of online competitions where they can each win substantial financial support for worthwhile community projects. Check out the details below, and then click through to help win endowments for some great causes.

• PAWS is one of forty-one finalists nationwide in a competition run by Tom's of Maine to win a $20,000 grant. Five great non-profit organizations will win a grant to help them carry out their great work, and we want PAWS to be one of those five. If PAWS receives a grant, they will put the funds towards providing veterinary care for the pets of low-income Philadelphians. Especially in these tough times (nearly a quarter of Philadelphians live below the poverty line), many animals end up in shelters because their owners can no longer afford to care for them, so this project will help both humans and animals.

  
  Click here to vote for PAWS! Voting is open until September 10, and you can vote once daily.







• The Philadelphia Union are part of MLS's campaign to give a $50,000 Pepsi Refresh grant for one of its team's communities. The Union's proposed project is to build a full-sized, natural grass pitch for the newly-formed Chester City United soccer program. The Chester City United program serves over 300 kids in the Chester area, and will be able to serve even more with a fully functioning field to use.

  
  Click here to vote for the Union's Chester City United project! Voting is open until September 20, and you can vote twenty-five times per day (so get to clickin').

Like to see your photo here? Submit it via the Phillyist Flickr Group!

Some refreshing links, guaranteed to satisfy.

• Privacy? What privacy? [Via]
• Leonardo DiCaprio struts his stuff in the strangest of places. [Via]
• The totally awesome, more-than-just-words video for for Cee-Lo's "Fuck You."
• The best generic product names and packaging you'll ever see. [Via]
• The origins of all thirty-two NFL teams' names.
• Philly needs one of these. Immediately. [Via]
• My advice to you ... is to start drinking heavily.
• Warning: Dangerously high levels of cute. [Via]

Need another glass? There are more links after the jump.

• Cinematical has an exclusive clip from Phillip Seymour Hoffman's directorial debut, Jack Goes Boating.
• You should probably leave that whole climbing down the chimney thing to Santa Claus.
• Ready to get groovy? Check out some new tracks from Underworld's forthcoming album.
• Coco will crush his enemies, see them driven before him, and hear the lamentation of the women.
• Everything you need to add to your Amazon shopping cart this month.
• A new way to Photoshop some nudity into ho-hum images.
• Kickin' back, Chewbacca-style. [Via]
• If we were going to pick up a hooker, we probably wouldn't take them here to complete the ... transaction.

It was Carlos Ruiz bobblehead night. There was magic in the air. This magic not-so-quickly transformed into a long sudden death match between two teams of angry, tired baseball players. It was Tuesday, August 24th, and the Phils game after midnight wasn't a rerun; this game was still going on.

The Phillies and Astros battled for sixteen innings (approximately 5.5 hours), tied at two. Things remained fairly normal until Ryan Howard went up to bat in the 14th. An appealed checked swing was called a strike-out by third base umpire Scott Barry. The remaining fans at the ballpark disagreed, as did Ryan Howard. He disagreed so much that we were able to tell (on live television) exactly which expletives he decided to use against the ump after the botched call. (What do you think, did his bat go all the way around?!)

Howard's ejection led to some shuffling of the line-up, Raul Ibanez at first, and semi-newbie Roy Oswalt in left field. Say what you will about a pitcher in left field, but Oswalt actually held down the fort out there. Unfortunately the Phils' desperate efforts weren't enough and they ended up losing the game.

By now you're thinking to yourself, "Why are they bringing this up again?" Never fear—there is a method to our madness. Last Tuesday also marked the most recent full moon. The full moon, and a day or two before, is a time for hippies to dance, psychics to feel hypersensitive, and werewolves to attempt to control themselves. Here in Philly, it is also a time for crazy shit to happen. This time around, some of it was nationally televised.

Also last Tuesday, a woman was allegedly attacked by a naked man on Frankford Avenue in Holmesburg in Northeast Philly. This event was, thankfully, not televised. According to philly.com, the woman reported that the nude man "jumped out of the woods" and attempted to sexually assault her near the Pennypack Trail. Luckily, a nearby cop heard the woman's cries for help and scared the naked assailant away. He fled back into the park, showing both the victim and the cop a full moon of his own. (Oh, come on! You know we had to make that joke.)

It is somewhat of a myth that during this sort-of-monthly (approximately every 29.5 days) lunar event, there are increased car accidents, crimes, hospitalizations, etc. Skeptics argue that there is no proof, or that the reason why it seems this way is simply because there is more light outside during the night, mixed with media influence and a little biased thinking sprinkled on top. The fact remains, though, we just do not see a Phillies game like that every day. To our knowledge naked naked men don't jump out of the woods nightly, either, but we're less sure about that one.

Okay, okay ... if you read about the full moon's influence on human behavior, you will discover that the "lunar effect" is scientifically impossible. It may be a coincidence, or it may be an influence on our behavior from the moon's position in the atmosphere. You decide. Meanwhile, Phillyist will continue to keep our eyes and ears open for any lunar-related happenings in our fine town and report them to you.

The next full moon will occur on September 23rd. We hope you see something strange—but not too strange!

So, needless to say, I didn't make it to most of what I projected I'd attend at the beginning of the summer. There were no trips to Atlantic City for me. Oh no! Instead of having fun, I went to Home Depot. Six or seven times. And I still haven't chosen a color to paint my office!

But I digress. Apart from the move, one trip to West Texas and Southern New Mexico and another (my first!) to Las Vegas, and a ton of time spent with my Phillyist co-editors preparing for this momentous relaunch, I did manage to rep Phillyist at quite a few events:

Look At Me, I'm Part of the Union
I always liked soccer. It was hard not to, growing up mere moments from Mexico (say that three times fast!). But this year, it's safe to say that I TRULY became a fan. I think Allison said it best at a recent match: apart from the Sons of Ben, Phillyist might just be the biggest organized supporters of the Philadelphia Union. For those of you who aren't soccer fans, we can only apologize for our Twitter feed during home games.

Translating American Slang
The Gaslight Anthem's first album was brilliant, and the second had a ton of potential. Unfortunately, the local-ish band's July 29 Penn's Landing show lacked the raw power and energy of their recordings. It wasn't a bad show, but an extended stretch of down-tempo tunes mid-set gave us plenty of time to wonder, on Twitter, which as-seen-on-Phillyist band is more guilty of verbal overuse: Gaslight with "tattoo" or The Decembrists with "parapet." Bonus: the Tweeter behind the best reply to that post will now be regularly featured on Phillyist.

Right Said, Fred!
We adore Fred Mascherino here at Phillyist. Not only is he the least obnoxious vegan we've ever met (sorry, vegans, you know you can be a bit over-the-top sometimes), but he's also one of the most humble, down-to-earth musicians I've come across during my time with Phillyist. So naturally, when his latest project, Terrible Things, was announced, we were pumped. And after a few listens to the group's new album, and a trip to First Unitarian to see them last week, let's just say we weren't disappointed. We guarantee you'll be hearing more of these guys in the future. Be sure to catch these guys opening for Mae at the World Cafe Live October 22, so you can say you knew them when.

Score.

You've heard the excuses: Healthy food is "too expensive," or "inaccessible." For many families, these are common—and even valid—reasons for unhealthy diets. Recently, a group of South Philadelphia community members have made it their mission to eliminate these reasons from their neighborhood, and formed the South Philly Food Co-op. If all goes as planned, South Philly will join the likes of Kensington, West Philadelphia, and Chestnut Hill with its very own co-op.

While the location of the store is yet to be determined, volunteers have set a target launch date of 2012. In the meantime, there are still some other important details to be worked out. For example, should the co-op be members only, or open to the public? Food cooperatives are community-driven businesses, and this means the SPFC needs the input of those who live in the neighborhood. If you live in South Philly and have a suggestion or a concern, organizers want to hear it.

For those interested in showing their support or becoming a member, visit the SPFC website. While you're there take the survey. Let's make this happen.

Philadelphia drew the wrath of local bloggers last week due to rumors of a blogger tax. The label is somewhat misleading, as the city is not taxing bloggers. Philly is applying an existing law forcing bloggers (the ones generating revenue, anyway) to register for a business license. The community's anger stems from the lack of a revenue minimum—meaning if you live in Philadelphia and make $5 from your blog this year, you have to pay $50 per year, or $300 for a lifetime business privilege license.

The city's Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy and the Department of Revenue are joining together to answer bloggers' questions. They will be hosting a happy hour next Wednesday at National Mechanics. If you are a blogger based in the city or just generally interested in Philadelphia business laws, the event is open to the public.

"Bloggergate" Happy Hour presented by the City of Philadelphia
National Mechanics (22 S. 3rd St.)
Wed, 9/08/10
5:00 p.m. &ndash 7:00 p.m.
FREE!

• More information on the DelCo fire we mentioned yesterday afternoon: three employees of the Scully Welding Supply Corp., where the blaze took place, were hospitalized—including one who was seriously injured. Collingdale Mayor Frank Kelly called this the worst fire in the town's history since 1969. [Philadelphia Inquirer]
• The Philadelphia Housing Board of Commissioners is seeking an interim replacement for director Carl Greene, who last week was suspended with pay pending the results of an investigation into four separate sexual harrassment cases in which he was allegedly involved. [KYW Newsradio]
• A Temple University researcher has released results of a study of traffic jams that says sometimes, they're our own damn fault. Hear that, drivers? Stop rubbernecking and drive. [NBC Philadelphia]
• A Bucks County contractor was arrested yesterday for allegedly cheating 28 homeowners of tens of thousands of dollars. Jack Joseph Lyons allegedly collected payment for work that he never performed, as well as accepting deposits for storage sheds that went undelivered. [CBS3]

• It's official: Chase Utley is back and, if not better than ever, certainly pretty darn good. The second-baseman, who has only been back fourteen games, hit three doubles last night and helped drive the Phils to a 5-1 victory over the Dodgers. [Philadelphia Inquirer]
• We're looking at a beautiful weekend, but first we have to get through today's high of 96°. Cooler tonight, low 71°. Those starting the weekend early and heading down the shore today should watch the video—it looks like you'll be getting wet. [AccuWeather]

If you grew up playing Monopoly, you probably felt pretty much at home your first time in Atlantic City. The Depression-era game is firmly rooted in AC, and Wikipedia will tell you that the most expensive spots on the board today—like the Boardwalk—were also the most expensive spots on the board when the game was first sold. Though conceived during tough times, the game in many ways reflects the wealth of the Jersey beach town during Prohibition.

Also repping Atlantic City's Prohibition days? New HBO drama series Boardwalk Empire by the same mind who brought you The Sopranos—with a pilot episode directed by non other than Martin Scorcese. The show premieres September 19, but if you can't wait that long for a taste of Atlantic City at its best (and also its worst), our pals at Harrah's have teamed with HBO to offer a Boardwalk Empire special deal. To celebrate the decade in which the series is set, 1,920 Atlantic City hotel rooms will be available for a mere $19.20 from September 16 – 30. You can book your rooms now (better hurry—it's first-come, first-served) online—and if you book for the night of the Boardwalk Empire premiere, you can also attend a viewing party and panel discussion at Caesar's Circus Maximus Theatre, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Not enticing enough? How about $19.20 prix fixe dinners all over AC—including at restaurants in all of the Harrah's properties? It's a deal that even the most hardened bootlegger would be bound to love.

• Penn State football players aren't the only ones associated with the program who cause trouble; the mascot has also found trouble with the law. Clint Gyory was issued an underage drinking summons on August 24. Earlier in the month, he was cited for being drunk in public and criminal mischief. [WPVI]
• This afternoon, a four-block evacuation was required in Delaware County after an explosion at Scully Welding Supply. The resulting fire was so large that it required a third alarm. Traffic along McDade Boulevard is clogged due to the emergency response. [KYW Newsradio]
• The New Jersey Education Association has accused Governor Chris Christie of "dragging his feet" regarding an application for $268 million in federal stimulus money that is up for grabs. New Jersey lost its chance at "Race to the Top" funding when former Education Commissioner Bret Schundler botched the application. [FOX 29]

• Building 661 at the Navy Yard is going to be converted into an energy-efficient site. With the help of $159 million in federal and state grants, Penn State University and various other partners plan to utilize the latest eco-friend technologies to make this happen. [Philadelphia Inquirer]
• Federal authorities are hunting for the man who robbed a University City TD Bank branch this morning at about 9:00 a.m. The robber is described as a black male in his late 20s or early 30s, 6-foot-2, two hundred pounds, with a moustache and short goatee. The man should be considered armed and dangerous. If you have information call the FBI at (215) 418-4000 or the Philadelphia Police Department. [Philadelphia Daily News]
• Planning on heading down the shore this weekend? Hurricane Earl may have other plans for you. The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management is reminding people to be aware of all watches and warnings that may be issued in the coming days. [CBS 3]

If you just can't get enough of them on Twitter (we know we can't!), stalk them out on Facebook. Something tells us they won't mind. They're no less engaged on Facebook, so if that's your venue of choice, hit the "like" button on their page to stay in the Union loop that way.

Of course, you could always see their next game if you get some of the remaining tickets. They're battling the Chivas de Guadalajara in a friendly tonight at 8:00 p.m. so get your seats now.

We're on Twitter, too—just follow @Phillyist. Because we often choose featured users from amongst our followers, following us is a good way to make sure that you or your organization is in the running. And if you're on Twitter and we haven't found you yet, leave a link to your profile in the comments!

Music: Get your pop-rock jazzed up with Buffalo's The Reign of Kindo, who will be celebrating the recent release of their latest album, This Is What Happens at the North Star (27th & Poplar). Also performing: Dinner and a Suit, A Great Big Pile of Leaves, Trevor Gordon Hall. 7:00 p.m., $10, all ages.

Bingo: It's not just for Grandma anymore. Check it out at PYT (1050 N. Hancock St.). 8:00 p.m., $2.

Open Mic: Did you know that your neighbor can write songs and sing? See for yourself at the Dive (947 E. Passyunk Ave.).

Cheap Eats: Queen Village's Bistrot La Minette (623 S. 6th St.) features "Bistrot Bites" food items with drink pairings for $10 per person. Available at La Minette's bar and on the sidewalk terrace.

Quizzo: Get your quiz on at any of these fine establishments.

• 12 Steps Down (831 Christian St.), starting at 7:30.
• The Black Sheep (247 S. 17th St.), starting at 8:00.
• Dirty Frank's (347 S. 13th St.), starting at 9:00.
• Dr. Watsons Pub (216 S. 11th St.), starting at 9:00.
• The Grey Lodge Pub (6235 Frankford Ave.), starting at 8:00.
• National Mechanics (22 S. 3rd St.), starting at 8:00.
• The Ugly Moose (443 Shurs Ln.), starting at 8:00.

Any events tonight that you think Philadelphia should know about? Let us know and leave details in the comments. And if there's an upcoming event you think we should share in About Tonight, e-mail us or Tweet us @phillyist!

As predicted, Keane and Ingrid Michaelson put on a feel-good show worthy of a gorgeous summer night sitting outside, listening to music at the Mann. Michaelson warmed up the crowd with an upbeat set—sometimes a girl and her piano solo, others rocking her ukulele with a full band behind her—the highlight of which was a cover of Britney Spears's "Toxic," complete with full choreography. (There's been lots of buzz over this choice. Click here for a taste.)

But once the time came for Keane to hit the stage, the venue was full. Hipsters young and old stood the moment Keane came on stage, lit with flood lights. Girls screamed. Boys screamed. The fresh-faced, high-energy boyish band made the Mann sound like the Ed Sullivan Theater during the Beatles appearance. Really, this group has a following of folks who don't sit down for concerts and whose energy is infectious. The show was FUN: no frills, just rock and lots of roll and engagement with an adoring audience, a great way to spend a night of summer vacation.

Phillyist returns just in time for the Live Arts and Fringe Festival. Woo. There are simply too many for us to list them all here, but stay tuned for reviews of a sampling of the festival's shows.

Opening

• Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe - Sept. 3 – 18. Tickets and Info
• Curtains - A musical whodunnit. Sept. 7 – Oct. 24. Tickets
• Iron - Prison's a literal and figurative place. Sept. 8 – Oct. 10. Tickets
• Everybody Loves Opal - A great argument against being a hoarder. Sept. 9 – Oct. 2 Tickets
• Twelve Angry Men - What're they so angry about? Sept. 9 – Oct. 9. Tickets
• Ghost-Writer - A novel written from the beyond. Sept. 9 – Nov. 7. Tickets
• 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - If you like to spell (and missed this show last season). Sept 9 – Oct 3. Tickets
• Last Rites - The story of a Camden bar. Sept. 10 – Oct 3. Tickets
• Lost in Yonkers - Perhaps they need a map. Sept. 10 – Oct. 2. Tickets

Continuing

• A Midsummer Night's Dream - True love continues to not run smoothly. Through Sept. 12. Tickets
• Chase Me, Comrade! - Ah, Communist Russia. It never stops being funny. Through Sept. 12. Tickets
• ComedySportz - Its name says it all. Open-ended run. Tickets
• The N Crowd - Philly style improv. Open-ended run. Tickets

Putting on a show? Send us an email or leave a note in the comments!

Like to see your photo here? Submit it via the Phillyist Flickr Group!

We wondered, who has the best, most partiest of parties? Who in American history really knew how to throw down? Who reigned? Who, in short, was The King?

Blue Suede Shoes, baby. We're having a Rockabilly Party. Greasers, bring out your brothel creepers, break out your Murray's Superior! We're going to be dancing, twirling, and stomping the night away with delicious, ambrosia-like drink specials at National Mechanics on Thursday September 30th.

Phillyist's favorite local rockabilly band, April Mae & the June Bugs is going to lead us through the revelry (Play that gee-tar, Catfish!). DJ Tom B promises to have everyone shakin' what their mommas gave 'em. And we're gonna be giving out door prizes like sweet, sweet candy thanks to: The Arden Theatre, Beggars Group, Reybee, Big Hassle, Helium Comedy Club, Epitaph, Harrah's , and more!

Whee-o, Daddy-o!

Phillyist's Rockabilly Comeback Party
National Mechanics (22 S. 3rd St.)
Thurs., 9/30/10
8:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
21+
FREE!

• Ever wonder what Luke and Leia would look like Star Wars was directed by Kurosawa? Wonder no more. [Via]
• Last week's Rolling Stone cover featured the naked, bloody cast of True Blood. This week's cover is the cast of Mad Men, who are, disappointingly, clothed and not bloody. They should at least have been bloody.
• A badass, retro-style Star Trek: First Contact poster will go on sale at MondoTees tomorrow.
• While we're on Star Trek, redshirt corset. It's okay, you can drool.
• Check out Matt & Kim's new single on their Facebook page. [Via]
• It's a good thing there are people in the world with way too much time on their hands. If there weren't, we wouldn't have things like matchstick models of Minas Tirith.
• The Frisky delivers ten random celebrity look-a-likes.
• This cat hates the Duck Hunt dog as much as we do.

More gooey, delicious, distracting links are after the jump!

• Someone who eats thirty-three tacos in under thirteen minutes—three times—should not be this skinny. [Via]
• A skull made of brains, from Philadelphia's own Mütter Museum.
• Three more actors have signed on to Disney's forthcoming John Carter of Mars film. [Via]

• Best mailbox ever. [Via]
• U can haz text from mah kitteh. [Via]
• Why yes, that is a Lego David Lee Roth. [Via]
• The BBC miniseries The Deep, about a research submarine team finding danger in ... the deep ... is getting awesomely bad reviews.

On August 27th, Phillyist stopped by Love Park to check out a demonstration of the Bike Share Philadelphia program. Passersby were invited to test-ride the equipment (on loan from the Denver, Colorado program) and take a look at a sample Bike Share station.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Bike Share initiative, its goal is to promote bicycling as an alternate method of transportation within Philadelphia city limits. Similar in structure to the ubiquitous car-share programs, the concept is simple: Stations are scattered throughout the city, averaging fifteen bicycles per station. To unlock a bike, customers simply swipe their credit cards or smartcards at a designated payment kiosk. To conclude the rental period, the customer returns the bike to the Bike Share Station most convenient to their end location.

The rental fees vary across the board for the cities currently sponsoring the program. But, as an example, in Washington, D.C., the first three hours of the rental are free, pending a refundable $550 security deposit and a $40 annual registration charge. To rent a bike for an entire day or week, a short-term "subscription" can be purchased. Customers also have the option of renting the equipment in monthly increments via a long-term "membership."

Despite the marked success of Bike Share programs in Paris, London, Washington, D.C., Denver and Minneapolis, Mayor Nutter has yet to approve the program for Philadelphia. If you want Philadelphia to instate a Bike Share, send a letter to the Mayor and display this free poster around your neighborhood and workplace! To learn more about the proposed Bike Share, download a copy of the Philadelphia Bikeshare Concept Study which speaks to the initiative's feasibility within Philadelphia.

Special thanks to the lovely folks at Geekadelphia for calling our attention to Paige and her harp.

Check out a bonus video after the jump!

A city as old as Philly is bound to have some choice haunted locations. Some report City Tavern, Eastern State Penitentiary, and St. Peter's Church Cemetery as choice spots ... and of course, wherever those poorly dressed tourists are being led around in Society Hill and Independence Park.

But what about the Philadelphia Zoo? After all, it is America's oldest zoo.

Discover the haunted history of the Zoo tonight during a new episode of the SyFy Network's Ghost Hunters, which was filmed back in April. The episode is expected to focus on the Solitude House (which predates the Zoo by nearly a century), the Penrose building, and the Shelly building.

There probably won't be any ghosts of animals, but we can understand why you might think that. The Philadelphia Zoo episode of Ghost Hunters airs at 9:00 p.m. on the SyFy Network.

So you find Katy Perry unbelievably obnoxious ... and irresistibly catchy. If only her [producers'] pop melodies weren't horribly marred by her utter lack of talent. You need pop music that makes you feel less ... vapid. If only you could put Katy Perry in a blender ... with, say, Regina Spektor and Kate Nash. All the satisfaction, none of the guilt. Okay, maybe just less of the guilt.

Well, you're in luck. We give you: Marina and the Diamonds [MySpace]. Marina (real name Marina Lambrini Diamandis, and in reality, there are no "Diamonds") has already taken Britain—where they really know and appreciate cheese-pop—by storm, and now has her eye set Stateside.

We gave a couple listens to Marina's debut album, The Family Jewels and, against our expectations, kind of love it. Marina's mass appeal is undeniable. We might not have said that a few years ago, but since Lady Gaga brought campy bizarreness—or is it bizarre campiness?—from the gay club scene to the Top 40 and the top of the Twitterverse, it seems a lot more realistic. Marina's vocals are a little more dramatic than those of the artists she draws the easiest comparisons to, Perry and Gaga. In fact, over-dramatic may be the better description of Marina's lilting staccato. Some will find it interesting and demonstrative of a level of talent lacking from the other female pop stars out there; others will find it "Damnit knock it off and just sing the song already!" annoying.

What we think sets Marina apart is that we get the sense that she might be in on the joke. We think she understands just how disposable this music is—but we're not totally sure of that. What we are sure of, though, is that we find her damn entertaining.

Marina and the Diamonds, with Young the Giant
World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut St.)
Fri., 9/3/10
8:00 p.m. (Doors 7:00 p.m.)
Tickets: $18 – $23

While we were away enjoying our hiatus, you may have heard that Philadelphia made some long-awaited improvements to its recycling program.

As of August 1st we can now recycle plastics labeled #3-7. Prior to that, plastics recycling was limited solely to #1 plastics (such as soda and water bottles) and #2 plastics (such as milk jugs, detergent containers, and shampoo bottles).

Recyclable plastic items are all labeled with a numbered symbol which allows for more efficient sorting for recycling. For all of you nerds out there, this is known as the SPI resin identification coding system.

This list should help you out a bit but should in no way be considered complete. Be sure to actually look at your plastic items before you toss them in the recycling bin or (God forbid) the trash.

#3: Rigid plastic containers and juice bottles
#4: Plastic tubs and lids from butter, margarine or similar products
#5: Yogurt containers and deli trays
#6: Plastic cups, plates and to-go containers
#7: Many mixed plastic containers and plastic products

While you're at it, you might as well sign up for the city's Recycling Rewards Program and reap some rewards from all that exhausting work involved turning over plastic items, checking their numbers, tossing them in the recycling bin, and carrying them out to the curb once a week.

Seriously though, this is an important step forward for Philadelphia, especially since it aims to be America's number one green city. But more importantly, it's just the right thing to do.

More information about recycling can be found on the Philadelphia Streets Department Web page.

• How inept is SEPTA? Do you really want to know? [Philadelphia Weekly]
• A fifteen-year-old Upper Darby High School football player died yesterday after injuries suffered in practice last week left him in a coma. [Philadelphia Inquirer]
• Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett is anti-taxes ... and pro-"fees." Wait a second, that doesn't make any sense. [Philadelphia Daily News]
• Ryan Howard hit his first home run since returning from injury to help power the Phillies over the Dodgers, 8-4. [CSN Philly]
• A man was seriously injured in the Kensington section of the city in a hit-and-run early this morning. Police are on the lookout for "a small compact car." [WPVI]

• The judge overseeing the Philadelphia newspapers' bankruptcy proceedings has pushed back the deadline for finalizing the sale of the papers by two weeks. The delay is to give the potential future owners more time to negotiate labor contracts. [KYW Newsradio]
• Today's forecast: A record-tying high of 97° today. Cooling to 75° tonight [AccuWeather]

Why hello there! Did you miss us like we missed you? We sure hope so.

We've been looking forward to today since we went on vacation on July 9. We were so excited to get back, in fact, that we bought ourselves a new outfit. What do you think, readers? Do we look good in yellow? That color's actually a derivative of the yellow that appears in the Philadelphia city flag. And speaking of Philadelphia, what do you think of our new logo? That was designed for us by the lovely and talented Allison Krumm.

But that's not the only change. If you scroll down the page a bit, you'll note a box that says "Phillyist Daily." That, dear readers, is exactly what it sounds like: a daily message, delivered straight to your inbox, that gives you the rundown on what went on on Phillyist that day. Those of you whose employers nonsensically placed Phillyist behind a firewall will now be able to see what you've been missing and get a feeling for the stories you positively must check out when you get home to your porn computer unrestricted internet connection.

And hey, if that's not enough change for you, how about this: over the coming weeks, you'll be introduced to over a dozen new Phillyist writers. Far from being jaded bloggers like the rest of us, our new pens will bring a fresh perspective, and a handful of recurring posts, to the content you've already come to know and love on the site. Plus, our papa-blog Gothamist is working on a really cool location-based tool for the site. We can't go into the details yet, but suffice it to say that it will soon be even easier to use Phillyist when looking for the stories most local to you, or even just planning a night (or afternoon!) out on the town.

That's it from us for now. So just sit back, relax, and enjoy the dawning of Phillyist 2.0.

Remember that first summer after college, when you realized that [gasp!] you didn't get the whole season off to sit around in your underwear and be lazy? It sucked didn't it? And, we're betting you miss it, don't you? We sure do.

And so after five years of regular posting, Phillyist is going to pretend we're back in college this summer. As of 5:00 this afternoon, Phillyist is going on summer vacation. That's right, folks: unless something totally earth-shattering happens over the next seven weeks, it will be all quiet on the Phillyist front.

If you'll miss us too much, you'll still be able to follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook, where we will be keeping you updated on our whereabouts while we take our posting hiatus. You can also sign up for our weekly(-ish) newsletter here.

And hey, before we relaunch—with a ton of changes—we'll be looking for some new writers to add to our ranks. If you'd like to join the Phillyist team, send an email with a writing sample and a little information about yourself to hireme(at)phillyist(dot)com and we'll be in touch.

Thanks for five great years, everyone. We're looking forward to being back in September, beer-bloated refreshed, relaxed, and ready to continue providing you with some of the best content in Philadelphia. Please feel free to post any ideas you might have for things you'd like to see on Phillyist's return in the comments section, below.

See you in the fall!

• It appears that both missing Hungarian tourists from the Duck Boat accident have been found. The female body found early this morning was confirmed to be the missing 16-year-old, and a male body (which has yet to be identified for certain, but is likely the 20-year-old man) was found shortly thereafter. Also, the wreckage of the Duck Boat was lifted from the bottom of the river. [Philadelphia Inquirer]
• Witnesses in the Stephen Liczbinski murder trial testified to the harrowing details of the officer's slaying today. [Philadelphia Daily News]
• Pharmaceutical giant Merck announced that it will lay off some 16,000 employees and close eight research facilities and eight manufacturing facilities worldwide. [Check Up, at philly.com]
• Atlantic City casinos are going to have to brace themselves. Revenue declined 11% for in June, and that was before Pennsylvania started rolling out table games, which should be fully up and running by the end of this month. [AP, via NJ.com]
• A 78-year-old Bethlehem man will spend three to six months in prison for sexually molesting three young girls. We wonder how long he'll last... [AP, via CBS 3]
• Coming off last night's extra-innings victory, let's see if the Phillies can reclaim some of their old swagger heading into the All-Star break. [Crossing Broad]

Set in 2024, Four Fingers tells the story of Montese Crandall, a writer looking for financial and emotional sustenance while dealing with his wife's grave illness. Crandall gets a job novelizing a remake of an old horror movie, and really runs with the idea, penning a a space mission to Mars, flesh-eating bacterium, and a human arm crash-landing on Earth.

Moody will be appearing at the Library alongside Larry Doyle, who wrote the book-turned-movie I Love You, Beth Cooper, and has also written for The Simpsons, Daria, and Beavis and Butt-Head. Doyle will be signing his latest novel, Go, Mutants! (Amazon)

Rick Moody and Larry Doyle
Philadelphia Free Library (1901 Vine Street)
July 29, 2010, 7:30 p.m.
FREE

But something is trying to rain on our parade. It's the big metaphorical cloud darkening our horizons. And it is the sun. What's up with you, sun? Now we find you've got something against plants? We thought you liked that photosynthesis stuff. We're sure of it. We did projects in 7th grade. Now, its all "I'm gonna kill the plants with my sunny laser death ray of plant wiltiness." While you're at it, lay off with all the predatory stuff. We don't want cancer, and we like our old people. They tell good stories and keep the kids off our lawns.

We want to go outside. Our interior apartment walls are not anywhere as exciting as ice cream or Tesla. And if we have to watch daytime TV over the weekend, we're gonna invent a Mr. Burns sun-blocker-evil-thingy. So, little miss sunshine, we just want you to know that you can't stop us. We still love Philly. You can't come between us so easy. Chill out, okay?