It's maybe a little too obvious to equate this confetti-strewn aftermath to a hangover. But the keg's kicked and there are half-cups of stale beer everywhere. Those promises made as the hour got late may or may not withstand the light of morning.

One answer is to redefine gun control so that it's not something we inflict on good, law-abiding people, but rather, part of the package of punishments that we impose on those who have shown criminal and antisocial behavior.

Rural America's deep disaffection is in some ways more terrible than the pain of the inner city — because urbanites never harbored any illusions about the Republicans' deceptive rhetoric.

"As I write this note, I reach into my pocket: one set of keys, a wallet, my cell phone and three dog biscuits — you never know who you might pass in the hallway."

Two civic-minded groups did made one deal: to be the co-champions of City Paper's online Philly Madness tournament, rather than battle it out in the finals.

Residents in the district received three pieces of Dougherty campaign literature in the mail daily. The literature was clever, particularly one with the Philadelphia Flyers logo which appeared to suggest that the hockey team endorsed Dougherty.

"I'm much more subversive than Robert Mapplethorpe," insists world-renowned photographer Duane Michals.

While he was also the Harlem Globetrotters' promoter in the 1940s, Gottlieb expressed reservations about the NBA integrating in the 1950s. "Your players will be 75 percent black in five years," he warned the owner of the Knicks, "and you're not going to draw people."

All three stories concern love "and the inevitable blossoming of its opposites," all the destructive emotions that thwarted love inspires.

This all takes place somewhere in Central Europe where locals spend a lot of time folk dancing. The czardas and heel-stomping need to be seen in 19th-century context — the equivalent of today's ballet choreographers blending ballet with hip-hop.

A rhythmic-minimalist-techno-industrial soundtrack enhanced the ambience, though it was the sheer elegance of the dancers — whose bodies artfully bent and twisted while arms and legs unraveled and retracted in languid, fluid fashion — that made the work soar.

Ailey's troupe remains the gold standard, the originator, the inspiration for generations of African-American dancers who followed.

Kota Yamazaki's company, Fluid Hug-Hug, is so named because he believes a "person is a fluid and has to keep flowing and changing."

L'Egisto was first performed in 1643, but some things never go out of fashion — including sex and comedy.

Marina Wolf Ahmad's Big Moves troupe focuses on larger-than-thin performers.

Butoh dance and improvised music share a kinship in their inclination toward limitless experimentation.

Prom is what New Paradise Laboratories artistic director Whit MacLaughlin terms "a work of fake anthropology for young adults."

"On the positive side, they are more natural. On the negative side, they are less predictable."

In his autobiographical Look Mom, I'm Swell!, Tony Braithwaite does what he does best: plays the audience, a tightrope act that no one does better.

Justin Currie's solo trip has just two speeds: slow and slower.

Philly/New York foursome PRISM Quartetwill present a concert based entirely on music for baritone sax.

Jewels and Binoculars delve deep into Bob Dylan's catalog for material which they reconstruct as wide-open jazz expanses.

"Listening to GBV just reaffirms that if you write a great song, it will do the work for you."

1 Caramelized Pear | 2 Tootsie Rolls | 3 Truffle Stuff | 4 Bee Byproducts | 5 Hershey's Kisses

National Pretzel Day | CCRA Chili Challenge | 8 Days of Eats | Ben & Jerry's 30th Annual Free Cone Day | Vegan Cooking Class at Whole Foods

"The writing staff's a big part of this — we're a weird conglomerate like the Borg from Star Trek. We all know what we're thinking. One of the writers who plays 'Mankini' was the best man at my wedding. Known him since fifth grade."

As there's no Bill of Rights protecting the critters who frequently end up as our dinner, David Cantor and Brian Moyer are speaking up.

Why walk when you can dragon boat?

LinuBaby linens can be personalized with your little one's monogram. But perhaps most importantly, as stylish babies are still babies, they are incredibly durable and can be washed with abandon.

Philadelphia Cares About Fairmount Park Day | Spiral Q Parade Marshals | Colonial Theatre Organ Installation | Kensington Library Project | Women Build Benefit

The black-tie-optional event will feature plenty of penguin activities, including a penguin conga line, singing contest and fish diving.