I'll let this one speak for itself.

(h/t jbudd75)

Hey, so the bigots and knuckle-draggers lost. This is good news. And hey, who knows, maybe after failing to get this thing through three times in the last four years, maybe the jagoffs behind this perpetual bit of legislative hatred will catch the hint. Or not. Of course, gay marriage is already banned here, but it's not in the constitution, so, you know … activist judges + two dudes doing it in the butt = the end of every single marriage in the Commonwealth!

Onward, Christian soldiers.

Photo | New World Order

Pennsylvania no likee.

So … the Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote on SB707 today, which would amend our state constitution to add a cute little part about marriage being defined as "between one man and one woman." Which is appalling.

But the weird thing is, Pa. has a ton of anti-gay marriage laws on the books already. We've got the 1996 Pennsylvania Marriage Statute, which defines marriage as one XX-er and one XY-er, only. Then of course there's the Defense of Marriage Act (thank you Clinton!). Add that to the aforementioned state marriage statute, which also ensures that no gays married in Vermont or D.C. or Mars will be recognized as such in our state, and you gotta wonder — is Pennsylvania in some sort of God Hates Fags-funded contest to become the most anti-gay state in the republic?

You know, I always thought the dudes at the700Level were too wordy (and too enthusiastic) to keep doing it low-profit style forever. But I was a little surprised to hear they'd entered a cushy financial arrangement with Comcast SportsNet. I mean, buying NBC is fairly Comcastic. But a local sports blog? Didn't see it coming. Quoth Michael Klein of the Inky:

Comcast SportsNet yesterday said it had acquired the five-year-old site and hired founder Enrico Campitelli Jr. and awarded contracts to contributors Matt "Matt P" Pesotski, Andrew Kulp, and Andrew Unterberger.

Of course I'm a little wary, but the bloggers did make this reassuring claim in their announcement post:

The700Level.com will retain editorial independence, while tapping into the unique access, technology, and resources of Comcast SportsNet in Philadelphia.

A little corp-speaky but okay. Take the money. Use the highlight reels. (And, if you can, find out why my remote is so slow.)

Christine Adkins here with your morning fix:

The tragic death of a two year old left locked in a sitter’s van for seven hours will be revisited this week in Bucks County, as a day-care center owner goes on trial. The focus is not on what happened, but why. The day care owner who left the boy in her car blames the incident on stress and lack of sleep.

Fearless Felix is back for his most daring plunge ever. The daredevil will jump from a helium balloon 120,000 ft above ground, hoping to claim the title of first skydiver to break the speed of sound.

Trade school that train for healthcare and computer sciences jobs are squeezing 30K a year from low-income students, and the results don’t equal the input for many.

Forget tenure! An L.A. school district panel is set to recommend that teachers be paid more (or less) based on students’ evaluations and test scores than whether or not a teacher is tenured.

James Sikes’ story doesn’t look promising. After days of testing a mock accelerator-sticking car, L.A. Toyota Motor Corps. announced Sikes’ story just didn’t match the facts of the tests.

Don’t feed those babies just to shut them up. A Penn State prof says the practice may increase the likelihood of your youngster becoming overweight or obese later in life.

Best bartenders in the city who know how to make good drinks and take care of good tippers?

 

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The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, the sharp and diligent folks charged with getting elected officials in Philly and the surrounding 8 counties (in PA and NJ) on the same page on planning matters, is asking for input on cycling issues. Their Shifting Gears: Regional Bicycle Outreach and Priority Setting project is looking for feedback from cyclists and non-cyclists in the form of a short survey.

Shifting Gears is an outreach program by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) to help determine bicycle issues and priorities for our region. Shifting Gears seeks the input from bicyclists and non-bicyclists like you through an online survey at www.dvrpc.org/shiftinggears.

The online survey only takes about 5-10 minutes and asks questions about bicycle use, facilities, policy, and information on what would best enhance the cycling environment.

Please go to www.dvrpc.org/shiftinggears and tell us what is on your mind. If you already took the survey, then forward this email to a friend, or five friends, do not keep it to yourself. Bicyclists of any level, as well as non-bicyclists are invited to participate.

Swing on over to dvrpc.org/shiftinggears and weigh in.

Lara Coleman here with your noonish fix:

Cyclone Tomas hit Fiji last Monday evening, and finally the damage reports are in. The Category 4 storm closed schools, banks, and blew away houses, leaving only the strongest structures standing.

California resident James Sikes claims that his Prius sped up to 90 miles an hour on the interstate and was unable to control the speed of the vehicle despite applying heavy pressure on the breaks. Safety tests are still underway.

A lottery ticket sold in Morris County won the Powerball jackpot of $211.7 million, making New Jersey the first state to sell jackpot winners in both major multi-state lotteries.

The new cellphone app Foursquare, which allows users to broadcast their location and let their friends (or creepy perverts) track their location, attracts at least 1.6 million check-ins per week.

Yesterday, two thieves stole up to $100,000 worth of diamonds from the Franklin Mills Mall, and after driving away in a Dodge minivan, they have not been found.

Two Americans, a consulate employee and her husband, were shot to death as they left Mexico. Their children were wounded, and as of now, officials are unsure of the motive, although they suspect the gunmen are tied to the Juarez drug cartel.

Cooking Classes Downtown?

I'm interested in taking some basic/intermediate cooking classes after work in the city, maybe on weekends too. Any recommendations?

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Friday: First Friday was last week so all of you've got your highbrow art out of the way. Now it's time to travel off the beaten path, like at the Liberty Bears Art Show, where those big and brawny fairies get an arty makeover. Or check out local comic artist Box Brown's show at Brave New Worlds, where he displays works from his new graphic novle Everybody Dies. Did you know he's also into celeb portraiture?

Saturday: Former Pattern is Movement guitarist Corey Duncan strikes out on his own with his new band, the excellently-named Oh! Pears. At tonight's record release party he'll show off his version of rock music the orchestral way. Or orchestral music the rock way. Then pay a visit to Mama's boy Billy Shakes, who's got two Philly productions on top: King Lear and Romeo and Juliet.

Sunday: Mama Omnibus ain't happy 'bout the monsoon rains hitting Philly so that's why I plan on hitting the back-to-back-to-back screenings of serial killer triptych the Red Riding trilogy at the Ritz at the Bourse. Three movies, one ticket price, lots of Anglo-cinema lovin'. I'm there. But the rotting core of '70s-'80s Yorkshire is heady stuff, so afterward Red Riding, get to the Brewer's Plate at the Penn Museum to drink those English blues (and hopefully the rain) away.

Lara Coleman here with your morning mid-afternoon fix:

Itawamba Agricultural High School of Fulton, Miss. is facing a lawsuit for canceling their prom instead of allowing a lesbian student, Constance McMillen, to attend with her girlfriend. The ACLU is backing McMillen, who says that this is no longer just about her, but the right for all students to have a prom.

Natalie Randolph, a former professional woman football player, will be making history as she is named the head varsity football coach for a high school in Washington D.C, today.

After winning an Oscar on Sunday for his documentary The Cove, Louis Psihoyos is using is new fame to argue against dolphin slaughter in Japan, calling the slaughter not only cruel to animals, but dangerous to human, as many humans who consume the dolphins in Japanese restaurants will also consume the high levels of mercury contained in the dolphin meat.

Sharif Mobley, a South Jersey native is thought to be an al Qaeda terrorist. The now-imprisoned Mobley is being called "Jihad Joe." Clever.

After the recent beer raid, Pennsylvania lawmakers are demanding explanations from State Police and bar owners in regards to the raids, the liquor system and the beer.

A new Research 2000 poll out today has Sen. Arlen Specter — the subject, of course, of this week's cover story — widening his leads against both Joe Sestak in the primary and Pat Toomey in the general. Caveat: This is a Daily Kos poll, which as Nate Silver at 538.com writes, has a decidedly Dem lean. Still, it supports the recent Q poll that came out and also has Specter ahead. Toomey, of course, has plenty of time to bridge the gap. Joe Sestak, Specter's primary opponent, does not. Being down 20 with two months to go — has anyone see Sestak on TV in Philly, the state's largest Dem base? I haven't — isn't a good omen for him.

You should. It's pretty amazing. I tried it yesterday, when it debuted, going from The Clog headquarters to Studio 34 — and by golly, it knew where bike lanes were and where the South Street Bridge wasn't and everything!

I bet Stu Bykofsky is drafting an anti-Google bike maps column as we speak.

How do I find a beer rep for a fundraiser?

I am having a fundraiser in spring for an animal rescue and wanted to contact a few beer representatives. I see Miller, Coors, Bud Light, Lager, etc. out at events, does anyone know the company they work for and the best way to contact them?

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The Inky reports that Rep. Robert Donatucci, chair of the House Liquor Control Committee, will hold hearings on whether the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board registration regulation — the thing that got our buddies over at Memphis Taproom, Local 44, Origlio Beverage and Resurrection Ale House in trouble — needs to be updated (der!). Also up for debate, apparently: "other parts" (all? please?) of the state's liquor code.

Thank you, backlash.