Fun around town, for $10 or less: Philly Music on the Parkway: Local songwriters perform original works; hosted by Dan Collins at the Central Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library (1901 Vine), 7PM. Free A Streetcar Named Desire: Staged reading of the classic Tennessee Williams play with reception following at the Ethical Society of Philadelphia (1906 S. Rittenhouse Sq), 7:30PM. $8 Open Mic: Free at The Fire (412 W. Girard). Sign up at 8:30PM. (21+)......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: The Shame of a City: Inside the Filmmaker’s Studio, a film screening and discussion series showcasing local artists and benefiting Gtown Radio, shows The Shame of a City at the Video Library (7141 Germantown Ave), 7PM. $5 Brassy: Chestnut Brass Company performs works by Krzwycki and Higdon at the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia (1906 S. Rittenhouse Sq), 8PM. Free Honky: Full reading of Honky by Greg Kalleres,......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: What?: Discussion of What is the What, led by Elizabeth Adler, at the Walnut Street West Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library (201 S. 40th), 5:30PM. Free Open Mic: Free at The Fire (412 W. Girard). Sign up at 8:30PM. (21+) Sing Your Life!: Karaoke With DJ Sara Sherr Mondays upstairs at the Khyber (56 S. Second), 9PM - 2 AM. Free (21+) Got a frugal tip? Don't......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Local Shots Live: Shannon Cole, Your Best Friend, and Desoto Jones at Doc Watson’s (215 S. 11th), 8PM. $5 Open Mic: Free at The Fire (412 W. Girard). Sign up at 8:30PM. (21+) Sing Your Life!: Karaoke With DJ Sara Sherr Mondays upstairs at the Khyber (56 S. Second), 9PM - 2 AM. Free (21+) Got a frugal tip? Don't be stingy! Send it here and share the......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Stealing Klimt: Showing of the documentary Stealing Klimt, part of the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival, at the Gershman Y (401 S. Broad), 7PM. $10 Does That Mean… Nevermind: Animal Style, Porktamer, and Joe Not Joe at Tritone (1508 South), 10PM. $5 Movie Monday at the Troc: Bring your balls to polish and come to the 10th anniversary party for The Big Lebowski at The Troc (1003 Arch), 7:30PM.......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Really, It’s Comedy: Die Actor Die hosted by Don Montrey and Juliette Pryor at the Khyber (56 S. 2nd), 8PM. $5 Double Feature: Two Hands and Beethoven’s Hair, part of the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival, at the Gershman Y (401 S. Broad), 7PM. $10 Fitting Tribute: The Philadelphia Orchestra, with the Philadelphia All City Choir, perform at Martin Luther King Jr. High School (6100 Stenton Ave), 7PM. Free......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Support the Young Ones: Philadelphia Young Playwrights presents staged readings of two plays, both winners of its 2007 Annual Playwriting Festival, written by William Penn Charter students at the Philadelphia Art Alliance (251 S. 18th), 7:30PM. Free Movie Monday at the Troc: Eagle Vs. Shark DVD release and costume party (come dressed as your favorite animal and get a free drink), 7:30PM. The Troc is located at 1003......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: You've Heard of Her Now: Judy Toll: The Funniest Woman You've Never Heard Of, presented by the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival, at the Gershman Y (401 S. Broad), 7PM. $10 CD Release Party: Nicole Reynolds performs from her new CD at Tin Angel (20 S. 2nd), 7PM. $10 Suddenly Last Summer: As part of a reading series of Tennessee Williams, Lantern Theater presents Suddenly Last Summer at the......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Movie Monday at The Troc: A holiday screening this week: Elf. The Troc is located at 1003 Arch Street. Doors open at 6PM, feature begins at 7:30PM. $3 admission is applicable towards concessions. (21+) Open Mic: Free at The Fire (412 W. Girard). Sign up at 8:30PM. (21+) Sing Your Life!: Karaoke With DJ Sara Sherr Mondays upstairs at the Khyber (56 S. Second), 9PM - 2 AM.......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Allen M. Hornblum: Allen M. Hornblum reads from his latest book, "Sentenced to Science: One Black Man's Story of Imprisonment in America," sponsored by Robin's Bookstore at The Broad Street Ministry (320 S. Broad), 7PM. Free Movie Monday at The Troc: Superbad DVD release screening. The Troc is located at 1003 Arch Street. Doors open at 6PM, feature begins at 7:30PM. $3 admission is applicable towards concessions. (21+)......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. How to Cook Your Life - A documentary about a combination chef-Zen Buddhist priest (Edward Espe Brown) who's trying to school viewers in the joys of organic cooking. We can't say that sounds particularly exciting to us, but we could see how it might be fun. Trailer Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse Most Likely to Suck: Revolver - If you feel like this Guy Ritchie......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Movie Monday at The Troc: Donnie Darko. The Troc is located at 1003 Arch Street. Doors open at 6PM, feature begins at 7:30PM. $3 admission is applicable towards concessions. (21+) Open Mic: Free at The Fire (412 W. Girard). Sign up at 8:30PM. (21+) Sing Your Life!: Karaoke With DJ Sara Sherr Mondays upstairs at the Khyber (56 S. Second), 9PM - 2 AM. Free (21+) Got a......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Play Reading: Philadelphia Theatre Company reading of Map of Heaven by Michele Lowe at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard), 7PM. Free, but RSVP (215-985-1400 x311) Dysfunctional Family Night: Board games, music, crafts, drinks: It's the holiday all over again (sans drama) at the Manhattan Room (15 W. Girard), 7PM. Free Movie Monday at The Troc: The Simpsons Movie. The Troc is located at 1003 Arch Street.......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Robbin Hayward: Robbin Hayward with Anthea Caddy and Newton Armstrong at the Community Education Center (3500 Lancaster Ave), 8PM. $5-$10 Like Us After a Weeknight out Drinking: Slo and Shakey at Tritone (1508 South), 10PM. $5 Die Actor Die: Comedy show Die Actor Die featuring Pat Barker, Mike Berkowitz, Fred Siegel, Kate Bambi, Doogie Horner, Meg and Rob; hosted by Don Montrey at the Khyber (56 S 2nd),......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: The Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival: Happy Hour with the Bard at the Rotunda at The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia (10 S. Broad), 5:30-7:30PM. Though there’s a cash bar, admission is free. Bunny Grunt: Bunny Grunt, Art DiFuria, the Besties, and Scary Monster at the Khyber (56 S. Second), 8PM. $8 Movie Monday at The Troc: Transformers. The Troc is located at 1003 Arch Street. Doors open at 6PM, feature begins at......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Did He Say Hamster?: As part of the American Playwright Series, award winning playwright and disability rights activist Mike Ervin will read his new play Hamster in the Jungle at the Playground at the Adrienne (2030 Sansom). 7PM. Free. It’s a Good Night For Free Play Readings: The Philadelphia Art Alliance (251 S. 18th) presents The Tempus Project, featuring professional actors reading from “potential” new works. 7:30PM. Free.......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Open Mic: Free at The Fire (412 W. Girard). Sign up at 8:30PM. (21+) Sing Your Life!: Karaoke With DJ Sara Sherr Mondays upstairs at the Khyber (56 S. Second), 9PM - 2AM. Free (21+) Dan DeChellis: Dan DeChellis Trio at Chris’s Jazz Café (1421 Sansom), 8PM-12AM. $8 cover ($5 student) Figurines: Figurines, with Dappled Cities and The Dead Trees at Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford), 9 PM.......

WHYY-TV first got on air as the second educational television station in Pennsylvania (WQED in Pittsburgh was the first two years before) in September of 1957, broadcasting locally produced educational programs from the old WCAU studios. However, they weren’t on channel 12. The station started off on channel 35, which meant they didn’t have a lot of viewers, since they were a UHF station and most televisions of the era had no UHF tuners.......