And Now Your Lead Of The Day

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) ― A nighttime romp in the Pennsylvania woods by a pilot and flight attendant ended badly after the pilot became separated from his clothes.

They are, for some reason, both facing criminal charges. Because if you somehow become separated from your clothes, you are going straight to jail.

Update: The Harrisburg Patriot-News has more on the charges of our pilot and flight attendant: “Bradford was arraigned before District Judge Michael Smith on charges of indecent exposure, open lewdness, public drunkenness, loitering and prowling at night, and disorderly conduct. Connor was arraigned on charges of theft from a motor vehicle, public drunkenness, and loitering and prowling at night.” I believe they are the Bonnie & Clyde of public drunkenness.

Pilot Found Nude After Romp In Pa. Woods [AP/CBS 3]

Breaking: Possible Scandal Involves Attractive Woman

Yowza! The newest political scandal involves two things I just can’t get enough of: Our lovable, Eagles-loving, William Howard Taft-sized governor, Ed Rendell, and a foxy hot blonde, Leslie Merrill McCombs!

McCombs is a former TV anchor for WPGH in Pittsburgh. You must, must, must go over to a website with voice-over samples she’s done. Not only does she ooze sex when talking about a chocolate cake or whatever, she later does pretty much the same thing about a hospital or something. Sorry, the words kinda went through my mind, I was just listening to the sound.

Anyway, McCombs is friends with the guv, but she also happens to be a lobbyist who appears in a Lionsgate TV show. (It’s on Spike, you haven’t seen it.) And, wouldn’t you know it, film companies got a $75 million tax break passed in the budget this year, and McCombs forgot to file paperwork or something. (She says she’s now in full compliance with the law.)

What makes this story better is Harrisburg Sen. Jeff Piccola, who instead of simply passing this on to whoever regulates lobbyists in Pennsylvania, decided to hire a private detective because there is a hot Desperate Housewife involved and, rrrwar, I bet the PI would work for free!

Rendell made some Vince Fumo joke about the last guy to hire a private detective getting indicted, but Piccola responded by saying he didn’t have any ex-girlfriends to spy on. Ha ha, loser.

Leslie Merrill McCombs [The Talent Guide]
Rendell Says Lobbying Flap Doesn’t Need An Investigator [KYW 1060]
Guv, the blonde and the lobbying law [Daily News]
Earlier today: Abridged ‘Daily News’ Columnists

Hot Wet Teen Virgins

A group of virgins got together near Harrisburg Saturday for an abstinence rally, but it rained so only 300 people showed up (instead of 2000) and the “Silver Ring Thing” presentation had to be canceled. A performance by Christian group Sonicflood, who has waterproof equipment for some reason, went on as scheduled.

As you can see from the above photo, the virgins in attendance were… uh… soaked? Or perhaps this is a dot painting by Seurat.

Although the group prayed, they apparently didn’t really want to see the Silver Ring Thing performance anyway.

But the skies opened about 3:15 p.m. Soon after 4 p.m., a group of Silver Ring Thing staff members, mostly young people in their late teens and early 20s, began to pray. They didn’t pray for sunshine or for the show to go on, though; “We were praying for peace and calmness,” staff member Krystle Sierras, 19, of Houston, said.

Rain shortens abstinence show [The Patriot-News]
[Photo via Patriot-News]

Leftovers: Buy, Eagles Fans, Buy

• The Eagles will be selling 1500 standing-room only tickets for each home game tomorrow morning, sending IT departments into a frenzy when they realize that every single person at the office is constantly refreshing the Eagles homepage. [Daily News]

• John Perzel has proposed a huge increase in police officers all over the state, including 1,300 new cops in Philly alone. Perzel: “We’re here today to send a clear message to the drug-dealing thugs, the illegal gun-pushers, and all those responsible for terrorizing our neighborhoods and communities - your days are numbered.” Drug-dealing thugs had a mixed reaction to the news. [Inquirer]

• Herb Denenberg answers the tough questions: “Question: Can an insurance company refuse to insure my dog?” [The Evening Bulletin]

• Is it any coincidence that when a Northeast Philadelphia native is in space, the astronauts lose a bolt into the abyss? I think not. [AP/CNN.com]

• Now you can get to Harrisburg in 90 minutes instead of two hours! Yay? Hurrah? Does anyone actually travel to Harrisburg? [AP/Philly.com]