December 23-29, 2004	[2004 issue index]
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"Oh, You Shouldn't Have…" But we did. Here are City Paper's gift suggestions for local celebs, pols, teams, neighborhoods, companies, institutions and everyone else in dire need this holiday season. by Duane Swierczynski

news

Cork and Battle: The fight over a North Philly liquor store will hit court next week.—Doron Taussig

The Bell Curve: City Paper's weekly gauge of Philly's Quality of Life

columns:

Political Notebook:Ho! Ho! Ho!—Mary F. Patel

Cityspace:1700 S. Dorrance St.: Point Breeze neighbors build on a bright idea.—Mike Newall

Cityspace:CHAD, Hanging—Doron Taussig

opinion

Loose Canon by Bruce Schimmel
Stealth Attack

Slant by Christine M. Flowers
Bad Move

Slant by Duane Swierczynski
Give It To Me, Baby

Letters to the Editor: by the readers

special section

arts

High Holidays: Jewish celebrations get the Plotz treatment.—A.D. Amorosi

artsquicks—Lori Hill

Theater:Gin and Chronic (Pain)—Toby Zinman

artspicks

movies

Found in Translation: Wes Anderson defends the power of fakery.—Sam Adams

Up in the Air: The Aviator is driven less by biography than wishful thinking.—Cindy Fuchs

Screen Picks—Sam Adams

music

Best Classical CDs of 2004—Peter Burwasser

Best Jazz CDs of 2004—Kyle Parker

Best Roots CDs of 2004—Mary Armstrong

Best Dance/Electronic CDs of 2004—Sean O'Neal

DJ Nights—Sean O'Neal

musicpicks

naked city

Germination: A new Fishtown bookstore wants to bug your brain.—A.D. Amorosi

fineprint: Where's the Pork? A Commuter Defends the PATCO Subsidy—Dan Keashen

website of the week—Cory Frolik

how they'll lose: Week 15 vs. St. Louis—Brian Hickey

Icepack—A.D. Amorosi

mixpicks

Yiddish Yuletide—Tami Fertig

Winter Walkabout—Lou Perseghin

Secret Santa—A.D. Amorosi

food

Chard Core: Former punk vegan Mark McKinney's Italian cuisine meets meat halfway.—A.D. Amorosi

Smoked Portobello Mushroom Steak with Gorgonzola Polenta—Recipe by Mark McKinney, Vesuvio Restaurant