Some of you have off today. Others, not so much. In fairness, we will restrict today's list of things you should do to convince yourself that you are engaged and in tune with your city, if not the rest of your life, to things that fall into the "after work" category. LOST BOYS OF SUDAN STORYTELLING AT THE WHITE DOG CAFE Sudan's "Lost Boys" - children forced to become soldiers in the humanitarian nightmare......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Some Art for the Wall: 5th Annual Emerging Artists and Emerging Leaders Art Auction, with entertainment by local guitarist Marisol Rampolla and an open bar, at Drexel University - Paul Peck Alumni Center (32nd and Market), 7PM. $10 There Are Some Who Aren’t?: Local author Lynn Hoffman reads from his novel bangBANG, the story of “a feisty Philly waitress,” at Molly’s Bookstore (1010 S. 9th), 7:30PM. Free......

Ah, love. Though we may not have an overflow of the brotherly variety, Philly is offering plenty of options for those happy couples looking to sanctify said happiness with boxes of chocolates and a night on the town. We’ll tackle the latter here; we've given you some chocolate-related goodness already. If you forget to get a card and all the Rite Aid has left are American Idol Valentines, take heart: you can make your own......

PATCO and SEPTA are thinking about working together to extend PATCO's service along Columbus Boulevard and perhaps to City Hall. The project would involve "reopening the long-closed Franklin Square station beneath Sixth and Race Streets to serve as the hub of the expanded service." This new service, however, would cost at least $1 billion, would thus require financial help, and would take eight to ten years to complete. Another wrinkle in the federal investigation into......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: New Year’s Eve: Last Chance: It’s the last day of free admission to the Perelman Building, so make the most of it. Perelman Building (Fairmount and Pennsylvania Avenues), 10AM-5PM. Free Pants!: Secret Pants presents Manifest Destiny 2008 with Rowan & Hastings, Chris Casey, and DJ Sparkle Groove at the Manhattan Room (15 W. Girard), $10 (21+) Who Better to Spend a Holiday With: The Loved Ones, Weston, Hey......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: X-mas Eve Holiday Light Show: The famous light show at Macy's (1300 Market), every hour on the hour from 10AM to 6PM. Free (p.s. it will always be the Wanamaker's light show to us) And While You're There: Visit the Dickens Village on the third floor of Macy's (1300 Market), 10AM-6PM. Free See the Choo-choos: Holiday railroad display at the Reading Terminal Market (12th and Market), 8AM-6PM. Free......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Free in the Plaza: La Vita Williams Guitar Duo on the Commonwealth Plaza Stage at the Kimmel Center (260 S Broad), 6:30PM. Free Movie Night: Reelblack and Sister’s Keeper at the I-House (3701 Chestnut), 7PM. $7 ($5 Student/Senior) Leslie Scalapino: Reading and discussion with writer Leslie Scalapino at the Kelly Writers House (3805 Locust Walk), 6:30PM. Free Can I Borrow That?: Company Corvette with guests at Tritone (1508......

Tuesday Pianist Gary Graffman turned a right hand injury around into a brilliant career performing repertoire written for the left hand alone. Hear him play works by Bach, Brahms, Scirabin, Corigliano, and more. Perelman Theater (Kimmel Center); 8 PM; $22.50 Thursday Crossroads Music presents Kalman Balogh, accomplished player of the cimbalom, a difficult 36-stringed Central European hammered dulcimer. Calvary Center for Culture and Community (48th and Baltimore); 7:30pm; $10-$20 The new chief conductor of......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Magnificent Voyage of Christopher Columbus & Columbus: The Lost Voyage (Mon, 9PM-11PM, PBS [WHYY & WLVT]; Mon, 9PM-11PM, History Channel) - Celebrate Columbus Day the way he'd have wanted you to: by watching TV! PBS has a film edited from a seven-part BBC series which covers Columbus' first Atlantic crossing, and even features a recreation of the voyage with replicas of the three famous ships. Meanwhile, at......

Those who routinely fly in and out of Philadelphia International may have noticed some recent changes in both the arrival and departure flight paths. An exhaustive list of documents on the motivations and effects of possible flight path changes, part of a redesign of the larger NY/NJ/PHL airspace, is given on the FAA website. Basically, the FAA is trying to reduce noise impacts on the region while improving arrival and departure capacity of the......

Tonight at the Festival Pier, catch Ben Kweller with Guster. We love his latest self-titled album, and can't resist the video for "Penny on a Track," which features his "Bubbie" dancing her heart out to the song. Above is a video called "Sundress," which we thought was appropriate given the gorgeousness of today. This Phillyist has a special place in her heart for Kweller, whose last CD, specifically the song "My Apartment," got her......

What's new and/or interesting on television this week. Victoria Beckham: Coming to America (Mon, 8PM-9PM, NBC10) - It's the British invasion all over again in this reality show-type special which follows Posh Spice as she moves from London to LA. Secret Life Of... (Mon, 8:30PM-9PM, Food Network) - This time they're taking a look at superstitions surrounding foods - so, stuff about New Year's Day foods, spinach, garlic, and carrots. Cities of the Underworld (Mon,......

Black Curtain Screening is offering MySpace members a free screening of Ratatouille, two weeks prior to its release. The free screening is at UA Riverview Plaza Stadium 17 on 1400 S. Columbus Blvd at 7:30 this evening, June 11th. All you need to do is add the Black Curtain Screenings as your friend for access and bring a printout of your profile for free admittance. One profile per person and it is on a first......

CBS 3 Eyewitness News anchor Larry Mendte...

The Blue Cross RiverRink is hosting Skate With Sinatra this Sunday from 12:30-2:30 pm. Skaters on the ice will be treated to Ol' Blue Eyes' oevure pumped through the loudspeakers; for those, like Phillyist, who aren't crazy about being cold for long periods of time, the (heated) pavillion will offer some Frankie on the big screen, plus Sinatra Karaoke. Put on a suit and hat, drop by, and do your version of "My Way."......

How about a couple of heartwarming holiday stories, huh? The Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Red Cross is throwing its eighth annual Children's Holiday Party at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel tonight. About 500 children who have lost their homes in various disasters will get to have fun and act like kids, and their parents will get to relax and enjoy it. Also, recently the students from Central Bucks West High School organized their Washington Project......

I've never read Crime and Punishment, so that makes the second show at the Arden this season adapted from a book I haven't read. Dostoyevsky's 700-plus page tome always looked more like a doorstop than a work of literature to me. Maybe if I'd liked Russian literature a little more, I would have made more of an effort. I know people who read, and genuinely liked, Crime and Punishment. But it just seemed too......

We got the heads-up a while back that a flash mob would be forming at Geno's on Saturday, 9/9 to order steaks in languages other than English, in protest of the infamous "English ONLY" sign. We debated whether to post about it here or not, fearing the news might get to the staff of Geno's before the big day, and ruin the surprise. By the time we were done debating, the event had already occurred.......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Friday Acoustic Philly: An evening of acoustic music (and puppets) from a variety of acts, courtesy of Acoustic Philly at The Rotunda (4014 Walnut Street). 7:30 PM - 1AM. $5 bowerbird presents: Normal Love, Snacks & Drums Like Machineguns, Clown Food & Mincemeat or Tenspeed at Lava (4134 Lancaster Ave) 8PM. $5 Kill Your Idols: Robert Drake is hosting a free midnight screening of the coming-soon-to-DVD post-punk......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Here There Be Pirates: Independence Seaport Museum (211 S. Columbus Boulevard) presents an outdoor screening of Crimson Pirate (starring Burt Lancaster). Doors open at 8:15, the movie starts at 9:00. Tickets are $4. Concerts in the Park: The first of four free weekly concerts in Rittenhouse Square. This week, Carol Riddick & Unlikely Cowboy. 7-9PM. Headhouse Square Movie: Get your tissues ready; there's a free screening of......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Local Music at the Angel: Betsy Spivak and Todd Young play the Tin Angel (20 S. 2nd Street) at 8:30 PM. $8 Pennypack Park Festival: Rolling Stones tribute band, HOT ROCKS with Southern Rock tributers, Tuesday's Gone at Pennypack Park from 7 - 9:30 PM. Free Center City Sips: "$4 cocktails, $3 wine and $2 beers with free appetizers" at numerous Center City bars and restaurants. Arrgh Movies!:......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Pirates on the Waterfront: Enjoy an outdoor screening of Captain Kidd (complete with tasty Pirate's Booty) on the waterfront for $4. 8:15 PM at the Independence Seaport Museum (211 South Columbus Boulevard). These United States: At the M-Room (2nd and Girard): These United States with local talent Adam Arcuragi. $7 Pennypack Park Festival: This week's free show: Mike LeCompt's Tribute to the Who. Festival information here. Starving Artists......

Bring your potential backstabbing (18 and over) self down to Penn's Landing this Friday if you want to take your shot on soap opera network, SOAPnet's, upcoming season of I Wanna Be a Soap Star. The network will be invading the Walnut Plaza (Walnut Street & Columbus Boulevard) from 10AM to 5:30. Soap star wanna-bes should come down between 10 am and noon to register for an audition - and camera shy devotees of their......

Wow, that whole Mariano trial is over already! That was quick. And the guy was found guilty on 18 counts (and was cleared on 4)! He could face up to almost 10 years in jail. Right now he's being held without bail, due to fears that he might do himself injury if allowed to go free (the judge was thinking of that weird incident back in October when Mariano climbed up to the roof......

Frugal in Philly is a weekly celebration of all things Philly that are fun, frugal (costing $10 or less) or free! Stop here each week to see what Philly's got to offer for those of us who haven't quite mastered the art of becoming Independently Wealthy (although believe us, we're trying). Featured Pick of the Week: Blue Cross RiverRink - Stockings for Kids Campaign Well, there's one reason to be happy the cold weather has......

Frugal in Philly is a weekly celebration of all things Philly that are fun, frugal (costing $10 or less) or free! Stop here each week to see what Philly's got to offer for those of us who haven't quite mastered the art of becoming Independently Wealthy (although believe me, we're trying). Featured Pick of the Week - Fashion! (Turn to the Left, Turn to the Right): This week, Phillyist gets by with a little help......

Frugal in Philly is a weekly celebration of all things Philly that are fun, frugal (costing $10 or less) or free! Stop here each week to see what Philly's got to offer for those of us who haven't quite mastered the art of becoming Independently Wealthy (although believe me, we're trying).Phillyist's dust-collecting, liberal arts education is itching to be acknowledged this week, and so Phillyist feels the need to feature two picks this week which......

Frugal in Philly is a weekly celebration of all things Philly that are fun, frugal (costing $10 or less) or free! Stop here each week to see what Philly's got to offer for those of us who haven't quite mastered the art of becoming Independently Wealthy (although believe me, we're trying). Featured Pick of the Week: Punk Rock Double Feature at International House: On Saturday, August 27th, IHouse is offering two counter-culture classics for the......

Looking to get your groove on this weekend, all weekend long? Then you're in luck, as Phillyist has scoped out *two* weekend-long music events to take you from today through Sunday: The 20th Anniversary Season Concert Weekend Celebration: Penn's Landing Corporation celebrates their 20th year of events at The Great Plaza (on Columbus Blvd in between Market and Walnut Streets) with free concerts this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The bill includes (among others) Peter Nero......

The Greek Picnic, which brings in thousands of students nationwide from nine college fraternities and sororities, happened Saturday. Even if you weren't there, you probably were affected by it. Police officers lined the streets in packs with nothing really to do. We saw groups of officers enjoying themselves and purchasing sodas on the relatively quiet Washington Ave. On Columbus Boulevard, though, officers weren't allowing any north-bound traffic onto I-95. Perhaps the only things more annoying......