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! With apologies to those readers who don't celebrate Christmas, I'm going to indulge myself a bit here. I love just about everything about Christmas. I actually enjoy Christmas shopping, stressful though it may......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. All-Star Holiday Spirit (Mon, 9PM-10PM, Food Network) - The Food Network stars - including food nerd Alton Brown, freakish bird-woman Giada De Laurentiis, the hated Rachael Ray, Ina Garten, Tyler Florence, and obsessive lush Sandra Lee - prepare holiday party dishes. Should be a good time! Charlie Brown Christmas (Tue, 8PM-9PM, ABC) - The 1965 classic, accompanied by a behind-the-scenes making-of special hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, and......

What's creepy and interesting on TV this week. Horror Movies (All week, various channels) - If you're looking for something scary to watch to get you in the holiday spirit, AMC has you covered; they're playing classic and contemporary horror movies pretty much all day, every day, Monday through Wednesday. The Sci-Fi Channel is joining in with similar fare most of Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, and TCM and FX have some good stuff......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. He's a Bully, Charlie Brown (Mon; 8:30PM; ABC) - How is there a new Peanuts TV special out, six years after the death of creator Charles Shulz? Easy - this was created based on his last original script. This time the Peanuts group is at a summer camp and is getting pestered by a bully who also happens to be a champion marbles player. Charlie challenges him......

This week’s quote comes from the song “Happiness” from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. There is actually a litany of things that happiness is in that song, but our favorite lyric is: HAPPINESS IS TWO KINDS OF ICE CREAM. KNOWING A SECRET. CLIMBING A TREE. HAPPINESS IS FIVE DIFFERENT CRAYONS. CATCHING A FIREFLY. SETTING HIM FREE. Now, on with the listings! The Phantom of the Opera - In sleep he sang to me…. November......

Somehow, GMail said that Elite -ist had almost 2000 unread messages. It's not unlikely, really. Today, we selected them ALL and marked them as read. And goddamn does it feel good. Austinist: We want to celebrate Halloween in Austin! Parisist: Will they have to change the name of that Baryshnikov movie now? Bostonist: Where's Charlie Brown when you need him? SFist: Man...now we want to go skiing. Chicagoist: We are never moving to Chicago. Seattlest:......

We probably don’t need to explain that quote, but if we do, just know it’s from our first play in the listings. And hey, Philly theatre is back in full swing, now that PLAF is winding down. Now, on with the listings! Schoolhouse Rock Live! - Just knowing this play exists is making us remember how to make a bill. September 14-30. Tickets online. A Prayer for Owen Meany - Baseball…and death! September 14-October 15.......

Has Philadelphia dropped the cheesesteaks and picked up the barbells? That's what the latest issue of Men's Fitness claims, reporting that Philly is now America's "23rd fittest" city. Sounds mediocre, but that's quite a climb from 1999, when we were ranked the most obese city in America. That's a lot of uneaten scrapple!! And who's to credit for our Charlie Brown-esque rise to 23rd place? None other than Mayor John Street, of course. Besides......

Dear Philadelphia: Just when I decide I like you enough to stick around for another couple of years, you decide to go and punish me for all the less-than-nice things I’ve said about you. It rained on Monday during my (outdoor) commencement, the taxis were all on strike on Tuesday when my family needed to get to the airport, and apartments I’ve been interested in have been let seconds before I met with the leasing......