Owen, approaching mid-career, is feeling sober. In part, he means he's becoming a wiser, less self-conscious designer, more receptive to the nuances of a market already filled with smart objects. But this doesn't mean he's getting conservative. He's gained clarity, he says, a willingness to engage in a process that allows practical concerns like economics and manufacturing technology to inform design.

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.

Scalpers don't specialize. There aren't sports scalpers and music scalpers. In Philly, nearly all events — be it your Flyers game, your Jonas Brothers concert or your Disney on Ice — are worked by the same group of guys. If there is a crowd, they will be there.

When Zoë Lukas showed up to the City Paper offices with two boxes of cupcakes, we knew this year's Choice Awards were going to be sweet.

Citing Ron Blount's legal situation, the Philadelphia Parking Authority has refused to meet with him, even though he's been elected president of the Taxi Workers Alliance. Blount, meanwhile, has maintained his innocence, though he's come to question whether he's doing his cause more harm than good. His supporters think he was set up.

By the time we decide to have a catch, I've had two or three beers, and I'd be willing to bet Jake and Scott have each had at least ten, so our passes are not all that accurate. We hit parked cars, knock over a few tables of food, beam one or two guys in the back, but no one cares, because we are Eagles fans in Eagles jerseys who are ready and willing to cheer on the Birds.

Usually we sit around the art meeting talking about upcoming issues and trying to come up with a couple of striking images that might work on our cover. This time we had a million of 'em. That's Fringe for you.