Texting Her Way To Gold

Ahh, yes, the Olympic Trials for gymnastics (held at our own Wachovia Center) are over. Or maybe not. I think they are. The gymnastics trials are the only one where you’ll find its competitors texting immediately before their performance. I think, at least. Okay, maybe rhythmic gymnastics, whatever that is.

Johnson, Liukin claim first two spots on gymnastics team [Inquirer]

Leftovers: Fast Eddie To Speed Off Into Sunset

• Ed Rendell says his current campaign for governor will be his last. Then he’ll be put out to stud, churning out little Rendells while being fed a healthy diet of cheesesteaks and scrapple. [Inquirer]

• The newest, hippest addiction that all the kids are into nowadays? Blackberries. And — even better — one of the co-authors of the study (a Rutgers prof, so you know she’s credible!) says that employers may “face legal liability” for said addictions. I smell a new idea for Christina Alisio! [The Trouble With Spikol]

• Seattle alt-weekly The Stranger lets you know how to get free shit from Focus on the Family and, in essence, legally steal money out of its gay-hatin’ pockets. So, y’know, you’d be fucking James Dobson in the ass. [The Stranger via Wonkette]

• A gay couple living in Kensington involved in some sort of land dispute says they’re being harassed by their neighbors, including an incident where someone stole the steering wheel from their van, among more heinous things. [Philadelphia Gay News]

• Hal Levison, would you please explain planets to us: “They are worlds. Each one has a personality and some really weird things.” Faye Flam also assures us that Pluto will be “fine” despite the demotion. [Inky]

Getting political, for the good of Philadelphia

Here’s the deal: I don’t really know what to think of this whole tax reform thing. Okay, I don’t have too many opinions on politics other than “which politician is funniest,” so that’s not all that weird.

But, anyway, to the story: Philadelphia Forward is an organization that sends approximately 745 emails a day with some sort of new reason for getting rid of the Business Privilege Tax. (They’ve gotten me with cute puppies before.) And somebody leaked Forward director Brett Mandel the address the email account on John Street’s Blackberry.

And, naturally, Forward’s latest tactic is allowing people to send emails to John Street’s Blackberry.

While I don’t know where I stand on tax reform, I do know where I stand on being able to annoy politicians — and that’s strongly in the ‘PRO’ category. (The site lets you send whatever letter you want, so you could also ask John Street what’s up with that hair.)

Does anyone have John Perzel’s Blackberry email? Or, for that matter, Rick Santorum?

Email The Mayor’s Blackberry: Sign The Tax Reform Bill! [Philadelphia Forward]
Nov. 29: Philadelphia Forward knows just what buttons to push