Immigration attorneys deal with all classes of people, including the desperate.

It's time to announce the deal with this year's writing contest — our 21st, believe it or not — and here's the good news: You may already have your entry tucked away in a desk drawer somewhere.

As an old joke goes, put three Jews in a room, and you'll get four opinions. But I've only heard one opinion from fellow Jews about a feature in November's Philadelphia magazine which tries to lay bare the infighting between secular Jews and their more observant, orthodox brethren on the Main Line.

Zoo Buffoon Though I recognize the importance of fostering children's innate empathy for animals, contrary to what zoos would have you believe, seeing elephants in

The most amusing thing about James Galanos — the legendary Philadelphia-born couturier who'll be inducted to the city's Fashion Council Hall of Fame on Nov.

Last Friday night, a city Department of Licenses and Inspections van and a police cruiser pulled up in front of Whiskey Dix Saloon in Northern

0ne day, an unapologetic piece of white trash looked around the hovel where he lived with his pregnant girlfriend and decided that he wanted a change. So he set out on a journey through dance studios and the Hills of Beverly.

P hilly Republican ward leaders rarely defy the endorsed ticket on Election Day. Democrats, on the other hand, are notorious for cutting candidates off sample

Hot tea With the temperature dropping, there's nothing like a lovely cup of hot tea. To get the full British experience you should buy an

In Northern Liberties, the Philadelphia Glass Works, co-owned by Nathan Purcell and Ian Kerr, is the only glass studio in Philadelphia specializing in lampworking. Lampworking

Joan Myers Brown, Philadanco's founder, artistic director and presiding genius, is having what she calls her "awards month." Just back from Jamaica, where she was

Koresh Dance Company does not hold back. Bare feet pounding the stage, this small troupe give themselves completely to artistic director Ronen Koresh's eclectic mix

There's plenty to enjoy in the Opera Company's new mounting of Rossini's delightful 1817 Cinderella (La Cenerentola). The musical performance, under music director Corrado Rovaris,

gallery Vox Populi member John Lorenzini's latest exhibit, Webcams, is an exploration fit for the photo fetishes of today's so-called MySpace Nation. Dames are draped

dance When Myra Bazell decided to raise funds for her sister Heidi, who is fighting cancer and needs financial assistance to help pay bills, she

opera Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann is a terrific vehicle for Temple University's opera department, which has done some of its best work over the

reading Keep the presses rolling — for another 50 years, we hope. Cartoonist Jules Feiffer ended his long-running syndicated strip in 2000, but he's still

dance You can't necessarily judge a dance company by its name. Take Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal. That "Ballets" part may evoke preconceived notions,

Thu., Nov. 16, 5:30 p.m., free, Giovanni's Room, 345 S. 12th St., 215-923-2960, www.giovannisroom.com Joe Kennedy famously warned his sons: "Never write anything down you

Betrayed: Violence Against Women Sat., Nov. 18, 1 p.m., free, Broad Street Ministry, 320 S. Broad St., 215-735-9600 The National Organization for Women estimates that

Thu.-Sat., Nov. 16-18, 8 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 19, 2 p.m., $10, Mandell Theater, Drexel University, 33rd and Chestnut sts., 215-895-2787 Matthew Shepard was murdered on

Sat. Nov. 18, 8 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 19, 2 p.m., $20, Community Education Center, 3500 Lancaster Ave., 215-438-2744 If a poll were taken asking respondents

And so the Eschenbach era in Philadelphia is over. Late last month he announced his plan to step down as music director following the 2007/2008

It might seem counterintuitive to start with the quirkiest track on Joanna Newsom's aggressively quirky Ys (Drag City), a five-song suite that embellishes Newsom's plucky

jazz When it comes to jazz vocalists, it's an unusual sight for the name in the songwriting credits to match the one on the cover;

hip-hop The hip-hop scene in Philly is overdosed with artists and producers (but jonesing for fans, perhaps?). So, it's a good thing that the Beats

classical The current generation of classical music composers grew up in a rock 'n' roll world, so it is not surprising to occasionally hear that

rock/pop/farewell This is the town where, if you want to, you can get to know your bookers like you know your bartenders. It's not 'cause

From The Saloon to the cheesesteak, Radicchio to Termini Bros. Bakery: Why is there so much Italian food in Philly? Philadelphia Italian Market Cookbook author

Annual Gingerbread House Competition Runs Nov. 17-Jan 3 Each year, Peddler's Village features sweet sculptors competing for the title of the top gingerbread constructor in

1 Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake with Blackberry Sauvignon Sorbet and Jackson-Triggs Vidal Icewine Moshulu, 401 S. Columbus Blvd., 215-923-2500 The perfect mix of creamy and tangy,

118 S. 16th St., 215-963-9311 Behind the Happy Rooster's stained-glass door, there's a row of Brazilian rosewood booths, a long, low-lit bar ... and more

Global warming: bad for the environment, great for fall weekends. Here are three trips beyond city borders that make excellent last gasps—alone, in pairs or

Fri., Nov. 17, 9 p.m., $20, The TLA, 334 South St., 215-922-1011 The Reverend Horton Heat has been spreading its brand of manic Texan punka-psycho-rockabilly

Fri., Nov. 17, noon, Rago Arts and Auction Center, 333 N. Main St., Lambertville, N.J., 609-397-9374, www.ragoarts.com In 1939, a gentleman purchased Lalique's Tresor de

Enchanted Forest Family Party Sun., Nov. 19, 6-9 p.m., $40-$85, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th St. and the Parkway, 215-235-7469 If you're a fan of

Thu., Nov. 16, 5-8 p.m., free, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 3260 South St., 215-898-4000, www.winwithwords.com If you've ever wondered just who

WHAT: Saturday Night Movies at the Wooden Shoe WHO: James Generic, organizer WHEN: Every first and third Saturday, 7:30 p.m., free (Nov. 18 screening is

Sat., Nov. 18, 7-10 p.m., free (donations encouraged), Trinity Art Gallery, 158 N. Third St., 215-868-9407, www.pinupsforpitbulls.com Vicious pit bulls lose their scariness when they're

Butter Butterfly Sculpting Fri., Nov. 17, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., free, Shops at Liberty Place, 1625 Chestnut St., 215-851-9055; Sun., Nov. 19, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., free

Sex toys make notoriously bad holiday gifts.