The Fumo Theorem
What Philly loses — or gains — when it loses Vince.
by Tom Namako
The majority of politicians in this great state are, by definition, somewhere in the middle of the pack in terms of professional quality. Some are scrubs, incapable of really doing their jobs. And a few are stars: They take the game seriously and they've mastered it. For better or worse, for the past two decades, Vincent Fumo has been regarded as the imperator of this final category. »»

Drawing Dead
by Brian Howard
Kal cooked up renditions of Kerry and Gore and Palin and McCain. At one point he mentioned Barack Obama's name, and a round of oddly earnest applause circulated then quickly abated, as if its perpetrators, embarrassed, had forgotten this was a night for satire. People. This is not some college Obama rally. »»

What about Broad Street?
You can't talk about McCain's plans because they do not exist.
by David Faris
Republicans offer nothing to city dwellers other than to gut public transit, starve schools, strip-mine their tax bases and belittle their values. »»

The All-Spin Zone
A new documentary shines a light on Dick Clark and Philly's payola past.
by A.D. Amorosi
A congressional oversight subcommittee investigated payola in the early '60s, shining a light on Dick Clark's monetary investments in labels and music publishing, starting with his time in Philly. Though Clark was never charged with illegal activities, ABC made him divest his recording and publishing interests. He was shown to have been favoring his vested interests over other artists and pushing other radio guys to do the same. »»

Icepack
Amorosi on the news, nightlife, gossip and bitchiness beats.
by A.D. Amorosi
Wearing my finest tri-corner hat and Paul Smith pantaloons to the polls has always been an imperative. »»

It's Chinatown
Caught off guard, Chinatown activists rally to build opposition to a proposed casino.
by Isaiah Thompson
"Someone called me and said the mayor and the governor said a casino is going into Chinatown. My response was, 'How can the government have such an idea?'" »»

The Bell Curve
City Paper's Quality-o-Life-o-Meter
When news breaks in Philadelphia, we make jokes. »»

Best in Show
PSPCA's DogHaus lets animal-loving interior designers off the leash.
by Dominic Mercier
While DogHaus is a show house in its truest sense, their designers still find ways to incorporate sly nods to animals, whether through the liberal use of houndstooth or, in one case, the Chinese foo dogs in a display cabinet. »»

Bare Essentials
Robin Rice on Visual Art
by Robin Rice
It seems misleading to describe the painterly, crumbling-looking surfaces enriched with subtle streaks of color as photographs, although their photographic origin is clear. They are portraits, but unusual ones. »»

Last Chance
Catch it or Regret It
by Molly Eichel
Paperland | Pillow Talk — Antique Woven Yastiks of Anatolia | Cerulean Arts' Second Anniversary Exhibition »»

Just Do It
Interstices: New Photographic Works
by Joel Tannenbaum
Millner, whose work is pictured, is basically a collagist, mixing and matching segments of family snapshots and old postcards and then rephotographing them. »»

Sneaky Cinema
John Young screens classic movies at theme-appropriate venues. But you have to find them first.
by Shaun Brady
Each event is scheduled at a themed site — Meatballs at the Northbrook Canoe Company, Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic at a diving supply store, Caddyshack at a driving range. »»

Greendale
Neil Young, 2003
by Sam Adams
Our film critic Sam Adams contributed two essays to The B-List: The National Society of Film Critics on the Low-Budget Beauties, Genre-Bending Mavericks, and Cult Classics We Love, out now on Da Capo Press. »»

No Problems
Steph Hayes has been all over the map, but she's ready to tell the truth. Mostly.
by M.J. Fine
To make the most of her limited resources, Hayes made Mostly True Stories the cheapest and simplest way she knew how: in front of a live studio audience. »»

Kiss and Tell
M.J. Fine does it again
by M.J. Fine
It'd been four years since Jill Sobule's last disc, and more than three times as long since she had a hit with "I Kissed a Girl." Then Katy Perry owned the summer with her own love-it-or-hate-it single, and some were itching for a catfight between the two self-proclaimed girl kissers. »»

Reali-Tea
Kombucha: Magical cure-all or deadly blob?
by Felicia D'Ambrosio
Fans of the fermented beverage claim daily drinking bolsters well-being. But many established American medical authorities still won't recommend its consumption. »»

Feeding Frenzy
Restaurants opening, closing and pending
by Drew Lazor
Novità Bistro | Café L'Aube | Caffeination  »»

Dream Theater
Sleep talk with Mike Birbiglia
by Ptah Gabrie

CP: Your sleepwalking episodes are funny from the audience's point of view, but are you afraid that you might really hurt yourself?

MB: I try not to dwell on it, but I take it seriously. I go to a doctor now. When I tour, I have to make sure I stay in a hotel room on the first floor. »»

Just Do It
FaerieCon
by Greg Niedt
The whimsical convention caters to all sorts, from postmodernist fantasy mavens to those who just dig Tinkerbell. »»

For those of you who've seen the opening of Dexter and wondered, "What if America's favorite serial killer was a member of The Tribe?"
by Drew Lazor
5 hours ago
[Dessler - Jewish take on Dexter's morning routine.] »»

Magic Underwear Outlet Coming to North Broad Street
by rodney anonymous
20 hours ago
Sure, casual observers might see it as just another Mormon Temple, but cosmopolitan types like to think of it as the best little Mom & Mom & Mom & Pop »»

10-Track Mind: Nifty 50.
by Drew Lazor
20 hours ago
Every week, we have a staffer, freelancer or friend/enemy/frienemy of The Clog put their iTunes or iPod on shuffle and tell us about the first 10 songs »»

Game Two: Jim Eisenreich and James Beale are in the buildin
by James Beale
22 hours ago
We're back in the ballpark, we're still chilling by the leftfield foul poll and Inside Edition is still conspicuously absent, so I'm neighborless. Heartbreaking. »»

Romancing the Le Creuset lidded pot
by Felicia D'Ambrosio
22 hours ago
Working at a media outlet means laboring beneath a trembling avalanche of unsolicited information every day. Snowdrifts of faxes, endless e-mails, stolen »»

It's time to get Asian American up in here
by Molly Eichel
22 hours ago
Looking for something cool to do this weekend film-wise? Check out the First Annual Asian American Film Fest. One of many Asian American film fests around »»

Dreaming about the Phils
by James Beale
22 hours ago
Most of my writing about sports is done by gchat, email, or text messaging. Normally, that stuff doesn't make it on here because it's either irrelevant, »»