The Phillies have had a real boring off-season. And that's actually sort of nice.

No longer would content and services be favored solely for their merit or popularity.

Having dirty tap water is an insult to our culture, which leaped forward when we began to provide pure water for all.

"To this day, his poems give me chills." | "Make no mistake, sir, my tuition pays your salary!" | "I have always seen the struggle for media reform like a struggle for the commons."

Round Three is in full swing through Sunday night. Let the IM bracketology commence.

"That goofball never got this. People who got it don't talk about it. Never."

Oliver Stone for Obama | Who's on First | This and That |

"In the best black oratory, style is not juxtaposed to argument; in fact, style becomes a vehicle of substance. Paying attention to how you say what you say doesn't mean you have nothing to say."

The Fleshtones | 10th Street Laundromat | Ruth Naomi Floyd | Message boards at urbanbaby.com

Beneath a bashful facade, McFarland's work was brawny in its linguistic mastery.

Today, many people seek a way through colonial cultural artifacts and the illusion of contemporary cosmopolitanism overlaid on a wounded society. This is Kentridge's primary subject. Our maps are out-of-date.

Golijov is like a master cook; his stew contains many ingredients, but they come together organically.

"I love the queer community — the bars are friendly and mixed and down-to-earth ... and the drinks are cheap."

Part of the Emerging Artists Series, the Light of Unity Festival promotes aspiring artists.

Sat., March 29, 1 p.m., free, Wagner Free Institute of Science, 1700 W. Montgomery Ave., 215-763-6529, wagnerfreeinstitute.org

Sat., April 5, 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., $145 (full trip), $55 (New York portion), depart from First Person Arts, One S. Broad St., 267-402-2056, firstpersonarts.org.

Artist's talk with Armelle Le Roux, Fri., March 28, 4 p.m., exhibit runs through June 15, Arthur Ross Gallery, 220 S. 34th St., 215-898-2083, upenn.edu/ARG

Accelerate's opening triptych is flawless, and everything that follows is nearly as good, a collection of brisk, bracing songs that detonate before they even have a chance to bore.

Rather than fill every space with noise, they overwhelm and then pull back, leaving you alone with the thoughts you were trying to escape in the first place.

The 72-year-old wizard lands in Philly this week with a new work, a triple concerto for two guitars and violin, to be premièred by the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.

You could call her the classical music world's "mezzo of the moment" — except that her winning, incisive artistry, in person and on recordings, is not of the flash-in-the pan variety but instead proves a lasting contribution.

Tony Malaby possesses a brawny sax tone that can muscle its way through surrounding sound with broad shoulders, while capable of sudden turns to delicate emotion like a weeping construction worker.

The tunes draw from many sources: funk, jazz, even a nod to flamenco.

1 Gulab Jammun | 2 Thai Bubble Tea | 3 Arancini Oi Riso | 4 Seaweed and Fish Ball Soup | 5 Grilled Meatballs

Oyster Tasting and Tutorial at Legal Sea Foods | Bourgogne Wine Dinner at Georges' | Chocolate Tasting for Animals | Yoga, Wine & Books | Single Malt Scotch Whisky 101

Doubling as a fundraiser for Vox, the Philadelphia Record Fair will feature nearly 30 dealers and their extensive vinyl collections.

Bitchy Bridesmaids GayBINGOSat., March 29, 7 p.m., $15-$20, Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St., 215-731-9255, aidsfundphilly.org

$39, at Foster's Homeware, 399 Market St., 215-925-0950, shopfosters.com

Tue.-Fri., 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m., 741 S. Fourth St., 877-792-9455, revzilla.com