This Week In -ist: Elsewhere in the Gothamist Network

Celebrate Ben Franklin's 300th birthday with the Bikini Bandits and Phillyist! (NSFW). Speaking of Mr. Franklin, send in a picture of Ben (or Ed Rendell) with a red tongue and win a free t-shirt. And they might have the next YearlyKos in Philly.

You know who's going to be upset about those Bikini Bandits? The Houston school system. Houstonist also reports on some redevelopment shenanigans over a landmark theater.

LAist's sex advice column on keeping your threeways safe. Also, some lovely photos of the Summer Junction street fair, and why reporter Daniel Hernandez left the LA Times for the LA Weekly.

Bostonist picks songs for Patriots touchdowns, plans for the next terror drill, and drinks the most out of all the -Ists! Love that dirty water!

Austinist might be getting a new MTV reality show -- about their local water park. Meet local artist Michelle O'Marah, and celebrate 20 years of the Don't Mess With Texas slogan.

Chicagoist checks out new alt-grocery store Sunflower (pictured at right), discusses Starbucks's plans to open 250 new stores in the area, and sympathizes with a guy thrown off a commuter train in Indiana 150 miles from home, just for bringing on a bike.

Speaking of Starbucks in Chicago, Seattlest notes that one is unionizing. In other Starbucks news, if you saw that notice about coupons not being honored after "email abuse" while getting your venti latte the other day too, here's the lowdown. In non-caffeine news, Seattle is proud to have punked the media with a fake EBay sale of a Britney Spears corndog.

SFist spent most of the week freaked out about the guy running over pedestrians in his SUV. In happier news, they did also go check out the penguin parade at the zoo.

Gothamist goes through the Columbia tunnels, wonders whether you'd pay $5 billion for 10 East Village city blocks, and checks in on everyone's favorite Whole Foods employee, Bill. Also -- has anyone seen Dinosaur Jr.'s stage gear? (We'd blame Lou Barlow, except his stuff was stolen too.)

Shanghaiist reports on this crazy, possibly fake Sex and Shanghai blog, which has gotten a number of Chinese men worked up about insults to their national character. And hey, Jay Z might be coming to town.

Londonist stops by the British Library, notices that the New York Times has blocked articles about the alleged London bomb plot from publication in the UK, and relates the ongoing saga of Spongebob the kidnapped monkey. So cute!

Torontoist reports on their own version of that guy on the Upper East Side who blew up his house so his wife couldn't get it, in Mississauga. Cool orange signs in Koreatown, and Absolut graffitis up the Toronto sidewalks.

And DCist finds the DC Punk Rock Tour! DC also wants another Trader Joe's. Finally, we always find the Overhead in DCs entertaining.

Your -ist compiler: SFist Rita. Pics (from top to bottom) by: Caroline Clough, Tony Pierce, SFist Emily, the BBC