organizations 

If you are a currently unemployed professional and over 40 years old, check out  Forty Plus of Philadelphia  at  http://www.40plus.org This is a non-profit organization that offers a wide range of services, ranging from career counseling to the use of center city office facilities, strong networking, caring support and counseling, and valuable seminars.  They have an office in center city Philadelphia, and the organization has been helping professionals with jobhunting and career development since the late 1930's.  This is fee-based, but costs a fraction of the cost of traditional outplacement services.  This organization is tremendously helpful, caring, and professional.  It is not for everyone, but may very well be for you.  I strongly suggest that you call them (215-923-2074) and arrange to attend an orientation meeting (held each Monday) to see first-hand what "Forty Plus" is about.

If you're interested in the potential of hypertext, the Web, and "the new media", you might want to look into the  Philadelphia Area New Media Association at  http://www.panma.com

I am personally interested in applications of web technology to user interface design and database access, and PANMA looks like a great place for this old dog to learn new tricks.  They have a discussion list that you can check out even before you decide to join.   One warning -- I have been told that the market is very soft right now for web developers, but this situation is very likely to change as the economy improves.  Seems to me if you love this stuff, now is the time to prepare...