Photo credit: sniderscion Torontoist spent its week uncovering who was behind mysterious ads for a drug called "Obay" that popped up across the country (Scientology? Frank Shepard Fairey?), first tracing them to an advocacy group called Colleges Ontario and then confirming their suspicions a few days later.Phillyist learned how to put on a puppet show – it's not as easy as you might think!Shanghaiist discovers that the average starting monthly pay for fresh graduates......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY The N Crowd: Weekly improve comedy show at The Actors Center (257 N. 3rd), 8PM. $10 Andrew Gregory: Andrew Gregory (CD release party), John Francis, and Ian Thomas at Tin Angel (20 S. 2nd), 10:30PM. $10 Leslie and the Ly’s: Leslie and the Ly’s, MC Digga and Sgt. Sass at North Star Bar (2639 Poplar), 9PM. $10 Intertwine: Opening reception for Intertwine, with work by Brooke Hine,......

Happy New Year! Image Credit: Flickr user Phil~......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Money Folders II: Second installment of series featuring the Philadelphyinz, DJ Gravity, and more at the Arts Garage (1535 Ridge Avenue), 10PM-3AM. $10 (women free before 10:30PM) Sing, Sing a Song: Choral Concert with Organ presented by the Delius Society at St. Mark’s Church (1625 Locust), 7:30. Free Art Is Primary: Opening reception for Red Yellow Blue, a solo show of artist Vincent McLoughlin, at AXD Gallery......

Even if it wasn’t one of your New Year’s resolutions, moving around is never a bad idea. One of the big problems we have is gym memberships can be expensive, and frankly we have such issues with commitment that getting locked into anything for a year is a frightening prospect. So we thought we’d look around for some cheap, noncommittal ways to get active; free is best, but the occasional class shouldn’t break the bank.......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Friday: Art Opening: Opening reception for Evidence, an exhibit of local photographers Natalie McDonald, Ellen Rosenberg, and Rachelle Lee Smith, at the William Way Community Center (1315 Spruce), 6-8PM. Free Leave the Glass House at Home: Marc Silver and The Stonethrowers bring their acoustic bluegrass and roots music to Tin Angel (20 S. 2nd), 7PM. $10 Geraldine Brooks: Pulitzer Prize Winning Author Geraldine Brooks reads from her new......

A whole slew of new listings now that the new year has begun. We couldn't fit them all here, so be sure you follow the jump to see what else is opening in the Greater Philadelphia region. Now, on with the listings! Extremities - You know: like your hands, feet, and the length you'd go to for Hannah Montana Tickets. Through January 20. Tickets online. Here on the Flight Path - It's very noisy? January......

Holy crap, people! It's 2008! Take a moment. Process. Okay? Good. According to the Gregorian Calendar, the new year begins on the first day of January. According to several arts purveyors in Philadelphia, First Friday happens on, well, the first Friday of every month. Which happens to be today. So, if you're planning on partaking of the first First Friday activities of 2008, here are a few stops we'd suggest. The old Real World Philadelphia......

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Rev. Joseph F. Sica of Scranton, a Catholic priest and longtime confidant of casino owner Louis A. DeNaples, was charged yesterday with lying to a grand jury about his relationship with a mob boss. At least one of those New Year's arrests that we posted about yesterday was a complete disaster. Not only was it police gunfire that injured a 9-year-old boy at the scene, the cops arrested the wrong man and let the......

It's that time of year folks, when we all lay down plans for the new year before promptly "forgetting" about them a month later. I'm hoping that making mine public will force me to stick to them... but check back with me in February. Get more active: I know, I know, isn’t this everyone’s resolution, even if it is most often tacked with the perennial favorite, “lose weight?” But I already have the daily gym......

Rev. Charles Newman, the disgraced former Archbishop Ryan High School president accused of stealing $900,000 from the school and his religious order, had his preliminary hearing, scheduled for New Year's Eve, postponed until March. Meanwhile, an alumni group expressed their complete confidence in the administration of the school. A man outside at a New Year's party in East Germantown, confronted by police for firing his gun into the air, turned the gun on the officers,......

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......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. College Football Bowl Games (Mon, 7:30PM-11:30PM, ESPN; Tue, 5PM-9PM, ABC; Tue, 8:30PM-12:30AM, Fox; Wed, 8:15PM-12:15AM, Fox; Thu, 8:15PM-12:15AM, Fox; Sun, 8PM-12AM, ESPN) - The Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Auburn vs. Clemson, The Rose Bowl: Illinois vs. Southern California, The Sugar Bowl: Hawaii vs. Georgia, The Fiesta Bowl: West Virginia vs. Oklahoma, The Orange Bowl: Kansas vs. Virginia Tech, and The GMAC Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Tulsa. Dick Clark's New......

SFist saw Christmas Day turn tragic after a Siberian tiger escaped from her pen at the San Francisco Zoo, killing a visitor and mauling two others. Phillyist counted down the top ten items on Philadelphia's New Year's wish list. Gothamist looked at the wooden bikes being offered for NYC's first bike share program on Governors Island. LAist received a Christmas present in the form of a drunk Santa Claus in a g-string. Bostonist launched......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY New Year's Special: Improv comedy with the N Crowd at the Actors Center (257 N. 3rd), 8PM. $10 Caterpillar: Caterpillar, Photon Band, and The Trolleyvox at Johnny Brenda's (1201 Frankford), 9PM. $8 SATURDAY Show Some Love: Dance for a good cause at the Community Education Center and Meeting House Theatre (3500 Lancaster) fundraiser featuring DJ Mr. Cisum, 8PM-1AM. $10 More Spice Than Sugar: Sugartown featuring Lesbians on......

Every weekday of December (except for December 25, that is), Phillyist will be counting down to 2008 with our highlights from the past year and our predictions for the next. If you have a list you'd like to submit, let us know! Y'all have a Merry Christmas? Good. I'm glad. Mine was nice, too. But I'm kind of glad it's over – just like I am every year. Because, you see, while I like Christmas......

No new productions being mounted until after the new year, so it seemed appropriate to quote "Auld Lang Syne" in this week's listings title. Now, on with the listings! A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant - We hear TomKat may make an appearance with Suri. Through December 30. Tickets online. The World Goes 'Round - And round, and round, and round. Through December 30. Tickets online. Holiday Show at the Swing Club - Not......

Congrats to Flickr user axiotheia for submitting the winning lolpet to our first-ever holiday lolpet competition. You'll see her sporting a sexy Phillyist shirt around town in the new year. Thanks to all who entered!......

With New Year's Eve less than two weeks away, dinner reservations at local restaurants are going fast. Many bars and restaurants across the city will be open for business during regular hours; others will keep their kitchens open late to accommodate the gastronomical needs of New Year's revelers. And then there are the select restaurants with special prix fixe menus for the holiday. Some sound far more delicious to us than others, but if we......

Dear Philadelphia Winter: The fact that I've started putting on a scarf for my walk to work means you're right around the corner, and there's no stopping you. For a significant portion of my life, I considered you a necessary evil. After all, without you, there would be no Thanksgiving, no Christmannakkanzaa, no New Year, right? But about three years ago, I decided that was a ridiculous idea. After all, people in, say, San Diego......

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,......

The Graduate lead singer, Corey Warning...

About ten days ago, I was able to live out a fantasy of mine (not that kind, you perv): I had the perfect Sex and the City brunch. That is to say, the company was straight from SATC, not the food. (I was with three girlfriends: a "Miranda," a "Samantha," and a "Charlotte." I'm happy being the "Carrie," so long as I don't have to grow SJP's nose to play the role.) We got......

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As we reported yesterday, Milton Street got arrested! Will this deter him from continuing his run for mayor? We're betting not. Our favorite parts of this story are the details: the cops found him outside a 7-Eleven near his Moorestown, NJ home, arrested him because of two traffic tickets that led to contempt citations, and he ended up in jail because he couldn't pay the combined fine of $3,250. (Btw, non-imprisoned mayoral candidate Chaka......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. The Italian - A Russian film - originally released there in 2005 but apparently only just now getting to screens in America - about a six-year-old orphan named Vanya living in a children's home run by a corrupt headmaster. An affluent Italian family is interested in adopting him, but he wants to find his birth mother, so he teaches himself to read, tracks down his mother's......

Besides offering a concise and appropriate representation of the times, some quotes are so incisive that they make a step back from the clarity of the moment nearly impossible. “The Iranian government should remember what is happening in China. Nearly 30 thousand people are currently employed to control Chinese weblogs."      - Iranian blogger's response to new laws requiring websites and blogs to be registered with the government When the people in Tehran think you're worse......

You probably heard by now that some important nominations got announced this morning: the Razzies! We like that they nominated Hilary Duff and Haylie Duff together, as one entity, for Worst Actress in Material Girls. We're kind of sad that Kristanna Loken got nominated in that category, too, though, because we went to her movie premiere party in Philly and interviewed her and took a picture of her and everything. Lady in the Water, which......