Running Numbers

A scholarly look at the digits that matter.

by Nick Norlen

339 Number of homicide victims in Philadelphia in the first 11 months of 2007, according to the Inquirer. Women affected by the murders are encouraged to join Mothers in Charge, a violence reduction organization of mothers, grandmothers, sisters and aunts who have lost children to violence. A free workshop will be held Dec. 27 at 5:30 p.m. at the United Way Building, 18th Street and Ben Franklin Parkway. Call 215-235-SAVE or e-mail momsforpeace@aol.com to RSVP.

$65 Entry fee for the 2008 "Set in Philadelphia" Screenwriting Competition, sponsored by Greater Philadelphia Filmmakers, which will accept entries through Jan. 3. Submissions must consist of original, feature-length screenplays set primarily in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area. The winner will receive $10,000, and a $2,500 prize will also be awarded for the best screenplay written by a greater Philadelphia resident. Visit film.org for details. And take advantage of the likely lack of competition, scab.

24 Number of table tennis players who will compete to represent the U.S. at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing during the United States Olympic & National Team Trials, hosted by Drexel University Jan. 10-13. The Jan. 10 qualifying event is free, but tickets for the rest of the weekend are available by calling 866-4-DREXEL or visiting the Drexel Athletics Ticket Office at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. Actually, if all goes to plan, it will be 25 players. Stay tuned, pong fans.

5 Number of explorers with Philadelphia connections who will be featured in "Undaunted: Five American Explorers 1760-2007," an exhibit that ends Dec. 28, 2008, at the American Philosophical Society Museum, 104 S. Fifth St. The explorers — David Rittenhouse, John James Audubon, Titian Ramsay Peale, Elisha Kent Kane and Ruth Patrick — were all APS members and will be profiled utilizing their exploratory effects, such as telescopes, maps, compasses and iPod Shuffles.

2 Number of Philadelphia hotels listed in Travel + Leisure's 500 "World's Best Hotels," namely the Rittenhouse Hotel and the Four Seasons. No Ritz-Carlton? Sounds like it's time to launch an Official Running Numbers Consumer Report, featuring thread count stats and an ice bucket review. Check back in a few weeks.