After the jump, our resident Andy Rooney tells you about his day at the airport. Saturday, to be specific.

We’ve been getting cryptic emails from Philly’s newly minted Ukulele Orchestra for a few weeks now, and when we came across this video of them playing at the Big Mess Orchestra holiday shows over the weekend, our hunch was true: We love these guys, and want them to follow us wherever we go. More video [...]

How’s that for timing? The City of Philadelphia just published its new list of top business tax deliquents, adding some new offenders and updating info on those still in the weeds. New to the list: The partners behind Katmandu, who owe $252,120.21, and mac-n-cheese guru/Oprah fave Delilah Winder — between herself and her various spots, [...]

Around about 1991 or so, Drexel University‘s public access station aired a holiday special called Bright Hopes for the Holidays, featuring an assortment of special-needs folks singing holiday favorites and standards. It is sweet and it is wonderful and, through the looking glass, it is also a little strange. Like all things do, the show [...]

An astute (and most likely Jesuit-educated) reader notes the name of the LLC behind Mac and Sweet Dee’s purchase of Skinner’s in Old City: AMDG Partners. That would be short for Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam, also known as the Jesuit motto. Loosely translates, it’s “for the greater glory of God,” or: “Don’t look at me [...]

Well, that sure was beautiful and awesome and now kind of a total mess. Here’s director/producer Jamie Moffett — you might know him from the doc Return to El Salvador — with his fairly gorgeous take on how the Storm of the Century (at least for now) looked in Kensington.

FRIDAY: >>> We realized something just now, while digging around for Weekend Picks: This is one of those weekends out of the year that’s so loaded with holiday parties for family and friends that if you truly are using this post to navigate your weekend, we feel bad for you. What are you doing? Re-connect [...]

RECOMMENDED: What, you thought we were gonna go with Avatar? What are you, 14, son? (OK, fair enough: It’s a popcorn movie. Do your thing.) At any rate, we can’t act like The Young Victoria isn’t the kind of sleepy English costume drama you can take The Olds to see over the holidays, and maybe [...]

All though the dealing earlier this week that eventually nabbed ace pitcher Roy Halladay for the Phillies, there had been a persistent rumor that super-popular/totally-awesome Phils pitcher Cliff Lee was in play on the trade primarily because he wasn’t comfortable with signing an extension with the Phils. Lee wanted to capitalize on his thriller late [...]

At 1PM, the new Cell Phone Waiting Lot was opened at Philadelphia International Airport. Providing spaces for 150 vehicles and just a one-minute drive to the baggage claim areas, it’s a place you can go whether you’re waiting for your Cell Phone to return from a long trip, or to quietly contemplate the nature of [...]

OMG WE HOPE SO! ReadyNotify’s hilariously ALL CAPS STORM WARNING after the jump.

Hey everybody! Our old pal Darren Finizio just wrote in, and he’s got two things to share: One, a broken heart (don’t we all, buddy, don’t we all) and two, a totally boss raga that we are totally serious about when we tell you it’s totally boss. Dig: Dear Philebrity, I just recorded this for [...]

Bucks County native son Tom Quinn is gonna have a pretty merry Christmas, we’re guessing — and an even happier new year. (Get it? Wonh-wah.) Quinn’s indie drama The New Year Parade, set in Mummer-heavy Philadelphia against the backdrop of a family that’s falling apart, has been screened at festivals far and wide this year, [...]

>>> Lissy Trullie is back in town, at Kung Fu Necktie; she’s a Chrissie Hynde for people too young to even know who that is. (Shame on you, young people.) >>> And Weston reunites and plays the Khyber, which means something to some people, but if you weren’t there, you don’t know, because what they [...]

For the man who has everything, we recommend Light: On The South Side from the Numero Group. This hardback photo book and accompanying double album chronicles in music and pictures the underground Chicago blues scene in the mid/late 1970s. It was a world of “Wine Drinking Contests,” “Bad Hobo Contests” and lots of Schlitz and [...]

This just in from hizzoner: MAYOR NUTTER, CONGRESSMAN BRADY: DAD VAIL 2010 WILL BE IN PHILADELPHIA Philadelphia, December 17 – Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Congressman Robert A. Brady, and organizers of the Dad Vail Regatta announced today that the 2010 Dad Vail Regatta will be held in Philadelphia. The announcement was made following a meeting [...]

SEPTA has announced plans to make wireless internet available in some form come the year 2010. They did not reveal details much beyond that; they did not say in what services it would be available or even if it will be a free. According to this article in today’s Metro, SEPTA’s primary concern is making [...]

It was official before, but it’s really official now: Philadelphia is finally getting its own Apple Store. According to this Metro piece and Technically Philly’s extensive sleuthing, the not-so-surprising location will be at 1607 Walnut St (pictured right, facade-to-be, and now). It has since been given the OK by the Art Commission (the board which [...]

Play it for someone you love.

A sporty red carpet rolled through the Wachovia Center last night as the Sixers hosted the Cavaliers. Not only was the court crowded with household names — Shaq, Lebron James, and A.I. — but even Philadelphia sports stars were reppin’ in full force. Ryan Howard, Flyers goalie Ray Emery, forward Mike Richards, and Eagles wide [...]