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Though Mike Young died two years ago at age 38 from a benign, yet aggressive, brain tumor, his memory lives on each year in August with the Laughtastic Sketchopalooza 2008 tribute show. This time around it will be Sunday, August 24, 2008, at World Café Live. All proceeds go to the Mike Young Fund at Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience.

Laughtastic is once again headlined by the many talented friends and performers Mike influenced over the years. As Artistic Director of ComedySports Philadelphia from 1992 until the birth of his son Baxter in 2004, Mike trained over 10 classes of ComedySportz Rookies in the art of saying “yes” and building a scene through meaningful relationships on stage. All who worked with him knew Mike as a gifted and selfless comedic performer and a joyful and challenging director.

Throughout this time, Mike influenced the comedic stylings of the many performers who trained under his direction, several of whom have gone on to create their own comedic niches - in everything from musical comedy to improv and sketch.

Mike wrote for and performed in various sketch and musical comedy groups such as Bad Hair and the Holiday Burger King of Kings. His number one rule of comedy? Leave them wanting more. And so he did. 2008 marks the Third Annual Laughtastic Sketchopalooza. If you’d love to be there but can’t make it, your tax-deductible donation to the Mike Young Fund will always be greatly appreciated. You can send a check, payable to The Mike Young Fund, to Jefferson Foundation, Jefferson University Hospital, 925 Chestnut Street, Suite 110, Philadelphia, PA 19107.

You can get more information on Mike Young and this year’s Laughtastic performance here . The show gets underway at 7:30 pm at World Café Live - Downstairs Live and tickets are $15.

Are you literally beating your head against the wall trying to think of three, and only three, things to do with the kids this week besides ship them off to work in the salt mines of Upper Mongolia? Stop! Don’t buy that one way ticket for them yet. I’ve got a lickety split quick hit and run trio of kids activities right here in Philadelphia you might want to sit down a spell and ponder. Upper Mongolia is so far away and you might miss the little tykes every so often. Probably not around bath or meal times though.

Enough. Focus here, because we’re going to go fast.

What Floats Your Boat?
This hands-on interactive exhibit lets kids experience the science, art, history, and thrill of boat building up close and personal. They’ll test models in water and wind, plank a wooden boat, put together a boat frame, and then get to climb aboard a real 22-foot wooden boat to see the process come to life. This activity is ongoing daily at the Independence Seaport Museum, located at 211 South Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19106.

Jellybean Kids
Yes, they do actually make kids out of jellybeans at the National Liberty Museum and they are much quieter than the average human child. No, they do not accept trade-ins. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the little guys and gals to see the museum’s life-size Jellybean Kids display made entirely of, you guessed it, jellybeans. It’s a sweet way to teach them true life lessons about diversity and acceptance of everybody no matter what their skin color, even purple or fluorescent green. Visit the National Liberty Museum website or call 215.925.2800 for more information. The Jellybean Kids display is daily and the museum is located at 321 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Sports Challenge
These super-interactive devices and virtual reality experiences bring some pretty neat stuff to the table for kids to enjoy. Let them balance on a surfboard that simulates hanging ten on the Banzai Pipeline, mashing the gas to test your reaction time in a top fuel car, climbing a rock wall, or even putting their own size-whatever foot down beside that of Shaquille O’Neal’s size 22 shoe. Activities daily at The Franklin Institute located at 222 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

Get the kids out of the house and try any or all of these activities this week. If you don’t, I’m going to have to ask you to slap yourself upside the head right now to try and knock some sense back into you. Come on, it’s cheaper than that one-way ticket to the other side of the world.

If you are one of those people who announce loudly and often in public places that there would never be such a thing as a festival devoted entirely to beads, well, you may now consider yourself wrong. Only twenty minutes from Philadelphia, Bead Fest Philadelphia, the East Coast’s largest bead and jewelry show, takes place at the Valley Forge Convention Center from August 21-24, 2008. Classes begin on the 21st and the Expo swings into action the following day.

Oh, the fun you could have when you register in advance or at the festival itself for any of the more than 170 classes taught by bead and jewelry experts from around the country on such diverse topics as bead crocheting, bead stitching, bead stringing, jewelry business, chain maille, clay, design, kiln fusing, lampworking, metal clay, metalsmithing, wire and beads, wire and metal, wire knitting, wire weaving, wire wrapping, and live squirrel molding, where you take a freshly caught squirrel, a handful of colorful beads, pry their toes apart, taking care not to get bitten…never mind. I’m just joking about that last one, but the others are all true.

You may have noticed that class topics drift well beyond basic beading. That’s because there are so many ultra-cool things to learn they couldn’t help but throw them in. Better for you. Classes provide hands-on instruction for all experience levels. Perhaps the word is over-used but this bead and jewelry EXTRAVAGANZA also offers an opportunity for you to purchase professionally created jewelry or supplies if don’t need no stinkin’ classes or badges either.

Even better, if you count yourself as a member of the general public, then you are cordially invited to attend Bead Fest, which features more than 275 booths. Show hours are Friday (noon – 7 pm), Saturday (10 am – 6 pm), and Sunday (11 am – 5 pm). General admission is $10 for one day, $12 for two days, and $14 for all three days of the festival. Umm, maybe it’s just me but it seems like the three day option is a pretty damn good deal. You can learn more about Bead Fest here.

The Valley Forge Convention Center is located at 1160 First Avenue, King of Prussia, PA 19406. If you need more information or have lost all your beads and need to ask someone where they are, try 610.354.8212 or simply look under the couch.

17 years ago, Ukraine broke away from the Soviet Union and became its own country in every sense of the word. Now it’s time to start watching your back.

In 2004, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered these reassuring words about Russo-Ukrainian relations: “I am convinced that on the basis of mutual understanding and compromise on unresolved issues we can reach the level of true strategic partnership, a fundamental principle recorded in the treaty of friendship, cooperation, and partnership.”

In light of recent Russian adventures in the Republic of Georgia, another Soviet Union breakaway, I offer this translation of Putin’s message: “Don’t try anything silly or we’ll beat you like a stray dog.”

Enough of that. The 17th Annual Ukrainian Folk Festival will STILL be celebrated at the Ukrainian American Sport Center Sunday, August 24, 2008, beginning at noon. We’re pretty sure that here in the Philadelphia region the risk of incursion by Russian tanks and war planes should be minimal.

And what a party it’s going to be! The festival stage show swings into high gear at 1:30 pm with these headliners: Syzokryli Ukrainian Folk Dance Ensemble, Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, The Luna Band and Eastern European women’s Vocal Ensemble. At 4:30 pm a public dance, called a Zabava, follows the stage show, and you’ll have your chance to chow down on honest-to-goodness authentic and delicious Ukrainian foods like pyrohy, holuptsi, and kowbasa, plus baked goods, picnic fixings, and cool refreshments.

An arts and crafts bazaar and children’s fun area will be open all day. The Ukrainian American Sport Center is located at Lower State and County Line Roads, Horsham, PA 19044.

I don’t know about you but watching those colorful costumes and feet kicking and flying in the air makes me want to become a Ukrainian dancer when I grow up. Whether you’re Ukrainian or not, you’ll be welcome at the festival. Try it. You might like it.

The Memphis Taproom is tapping 33 beers in 3 days and there’s nothing you can do about it except drop by and help them drink it. This is not just for fun and profit, oh no, nothing as mundane as that. They’re tapping all those beers over the course of their three day Mystery Beer Weekend.

Sure, there will be clues. Every good mystery has clues.

Starting at 5 pm on August 29th, Memphis Taproom will tap 3 beers each of 11 different styles. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to taste them all and tell them what you’re drinking without passing out in the middle of the floor, ‘cause that’s just not cool. Style categories will be announced in advance. Look for beers from Russian River, Bear Republic, Stone, Unibroue, Nodding Head, and many others. Ahem…remember what we said about clues? You’ve got to be paying attention at all times to maintain your reputation as Beerlock Holmes.

And even if you’re terrible at guessing beers, you can damn straight still enjoy them with the weekend long special, mixed flights of 3 beers for $10.

But here’s how the mystery solving will go…

Mystery ballots will be available at the bar and on the Memphis Taproom website beginning August 25, 2008. Ballots must be turned in by 4:00 pm on Sunday, August 31st. If your ballot has the most correct beers filled in, you will win a beer-filled prize package, bar wide fame, and possibly be paraded around the room on the shoulders of slightly inebriated friends.

Still have questions? Call 215-425-4460 for more details or to shout random beer names as guesses before the mystery even starts. The Memphis Taproom is located at 2331 East Cumberland Street, Philadelphia PA 19125.

Thirty years and counting. That’s how long WDAS FM’s world famous Unity Day has been going on, making it a part of Philadelphia history now. This year there will be more unity than you can shake a stick at when the event expands to two days, August 23 AND 24, 2008, from noon to 7:00 pm each day.

How do you like them apples?

Unity Weekend assumes a slot on the 2008 Summer Season calendar when it moves to a new location this year, on the waterfront at The Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing. There have already been so many spectacular festivals there this year, why not have another? In fact, “Thank you, sir, may I have another?”.

This keystone Philadelphia event celebrates family values, pride, and empowerment in the best way they could think of: filling The Great Plaza with delicious food, vendors, children’s activities, performances, and making everything free as the day is long. Yep, like all the other festivals you’ve attended this year, admission is free at Penn’s Landing. Spectators can enjoy various themed pavilions while they stroll. Try free samples of your favorite foods, read nutritional information that you might prefer to not be aware of regarding your favorite foods, and then get a blood pressure screening to let you know the exact toll your favorite foods are taking on your health.

Did I mention the Kid Zone? If you’ve got young ‘uns, you won’t want to pass this by. Moon bounces, face painters, clowns with balloon art, as well as shows on McDonald’s Stage are just part of the fun in store there.

The Seniors Pavilion returns this year with a seminar on Bungee Jumping Past 70 (just kidding). Actually, there will be speakers on retirement finances, personal safety, volunteerism, and health. Community Row hosts a variety of nonprofit organizations with information and resources that might come in handy some time.

Unity Day was born in 1978 on Belmont Plateau and has since become the nation’s largest outdoor radio event. WDAS will broadcast live from Unity Weekend on the Waterfront with Steve Harvey and Michael Baisden.

In the event you can’t find the event, and find yourself wandering lost and confused, The Great Plaza is located at Columbus and Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. The Penn’s Landing website has plenty of other information about Unity Weekend at the Waterfront and other activities. Check it out if you’re so inclined.

Just because it’s summer leftover season in Philadelphia doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get out and see a show. This week has a decidedly southern fried taste to it. Kid Rock headlines with what’s left of Lynyrd Skynyrd, while what’s left of the Allman Brothers Band tours with what’s left of The Grateful Dead. Doesn’t matter though. The songs remain the same and that’s what you fell in love with in the first place. Smaller venue selections abound but we’ll get to those in a minute.

I simply can’t move on until I give you chance to learn about when Kid Pebble slapped Toothpick Boy. Read all about it here.

Kid Rock (Susquehanna Bank Center, 8/22/2008 @ 6:30 pm)
Not just the trashy white kid who stood in line to marry Pamela Anderson, Detroit’s Second Favorite Son (The Nuge is not ready to kick the bucket just yet) has proved he has staying power in the music biz. It’s not easy to categorize Kid Rock, due to his tendency to blur genres with his musical gumbo approach but, damn, the guy is hard to ignore and I’ve tried for a long time. Truly original and worth a listen if you like to rock. Shares the bill this time around with southern legends (or what’s left of them) Lynyrd Skynyrd and few others. Bonus treat – you never know when Pamela’s ex-ex-husband, Tommy Lee, is going to show up to get his face pummeled by The Kid.

Allman Brothers Band (Susquehanna Bank Center, 8/23/2008 @ 7:00 pm)
The Allman Brothers Band receive more than a few “Hallelujah!” votes when it’s time to tally up just who started southern rock in the first place. Don’t guess it matters. The Allmans were right there in the beginning and they’re still kicking out the jams, this time around with Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist Bob Weir’s band RatDog. Wonder if there’s going to be any chronic at the show? I’m just askin’…

Here are some lesser known (and less expensive) shows that are still gonna be workin’ hard for your entertainment dollar. Give them a try. You might like it. By the way, Squeeze at the Keswick? I’m afraid so – THAT Squeeze. See ya!

The Faint (The Trocadero, 8/17/2008)

The Coke Dares (M Room, 8/18/2008)

Squeeze (Keswick Theatre, 8/22/2008)

The Derelict Franchise (North Star Bar, 8/19/2008)

Boys Like Girls (Festival Pier, 8/20/2008)

Nebula (Khyber, 8/22/2008)