Bob Brady Getting Everyone A Job

It’s been a while since I’ve written about Bob Brady, who around this time last year was a daily Philadelphia Will Do post. And, hey, there were two recent Bob Brady stories in the news! So let’s link them here:

• Phillymag’s Steve Volk writes how Mayor Nutter quashed any chances of anybody running against Brady for U.S. Rep. And, ha ha, Nutter basically got the guy who was going to run against Brady a job advising none other than Mayor Nutter! Welcome to politics.

• Inga Saffron of the Inquirer reports on her blog that Brady got a contract to a local company to light the Capitol. It’s the same company that installed the lights on City Hall that make the building look like an evil rich family’s mansion!

So there’s Bob Brady, being, um, a politician. In an unrelated note, Philadelphia Will Do provides five-star consulting services on lighting at one-star prices.

Comcast, Senator Team Up To Screw You

Hey, guess, what, fellas? Will Bunch has quite the scoop! Turns out Arlen Specter doesn’t really care about you, or the Eagles, at all! Yes, apparently he only cares about people who give him money, making him a politician.

As you may have read earlier, Specter wants to investigate the NFL for Spygate because he just loves fair sports so much and there hasn’t been much else going on in Washington. Ha ha, that’s just what ol’ Arlen said, though, and I hope you knew it wasn’t true since a politician said it.

Bunch writes that two of Specter’s biggest donors are Comcast and lobbying firm Blank Rome, who lobbies for Comcast. Comcast, as you know, is in a war with the NFL over the NFL Network. (Isn’t it cute when multi-million dollar corporations fight?) This is probably why Arlen Specter is angry about the NFL’s exclusive deal with DirecTV, yet silent on Comcast SportsNet’s refusal to sell the channel to satellite systems.

Basically, all it means is a politician is screwing you over. But you already knew that.

Arlen’s tangled Comcastic mess: It’s worse than you think [Attytood]

Wilson Goode: You’re Full Of Crap

Hey, is this the new “brothers and sisters are running the city”? Let’s hope not. But I do really enjoy Wilson Goode Jr’s recent comments, where he just comes out and says he wants this construction project to hire black people. Geeze, if only all politicians made it this simple:

Convention Center officials originally promised to set aside at least one-quarter of the construction work for minority and female-owned companies. Councilman Wilson Goode last week described that as “crap.” Now, the Convention Center is promising to work toward 50 percent minority and female participation. Goode said that’s realistic only if the Center is willing to hire minority firms from other parts of the country:

“If you don’t do it on this, the largest public works project in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, then you’re still full of crap.” Goode wants a certain percentage set aside specifically for African-American contractors.

See? Simple as that.

Hiring Plans for Pa. Convention Ctr. Expansion Still in Limbo [KYW 1060]

The Press Releases I Get In My Inbox, Vol. 1

Sometimes I get a press release in my inbox for an event or product or feature that I do want to write about, but can’t figure out how to stretch it into a whole post. (And I’m great at stretching pointless things into a whole post!) With that in mind, introducing the occasional feature “The Press Releases I Get In My Inbox,” about, uh, the press releases I get in my inbox.

• Tonight, there’s a reading at the Khyber to benefit Lois Murphy. Murphy is running against Jim Gerlach for the 6th Congressional District in the ‘burbs. (Gerlach is the suburban congressman who isn’t nearly as hilarious as Curt Weldon.) But putting aside politics, here’s the lineup for this shebang: Jennifer Weiner, Buzz Bissinger (Friday Night Lights, A Prayer for the City), Ken Kalfus (A Disorder Peculiar to the Country), Lise Funderburg, Elise Juska and Curtis Sittenfeld (Prep). And: Duncan “Atrios” Black! Seriously, even if this thing was supporting the poaching of babies, I’d consider going. You can buy tickets at the door. (And, for good measure, here’s the PW writeup.)

• The GMTPC — just yesterday! — launched Sound About Philly, a podcast “insider” tour of Philadelphia. The episode I listened to was one of the few podcasts I’ve ever been able to get through (Jon Solomon’s is another one) and so, for that, it deserves some props. Plus, it allows people to make their own ‘casts and has an RSS feed. Impressive work.

• Sam (nee Matt) Schwartz is collecting American Apparel ads from the Kids’ issue of Vice: “While reading the issue, I had to apologize to the man sitting next to me on the plane and explain to him that VICE was not pornography. We settled our conversation by agreeing that magazines were all about the money, then ripping off the back cover and throwing it away with our peanut wrappers.” The address he wants you to send them to is Sam Schwartz, P.O. Box 63770, Philadelphia, PA 19147. Why am I posting this? Uhh, hello, have you seen the back cover of today’s PW? Y’know, me posting this is ironic or funny or something. Or, well, not.

• And, from down the shore: “Cowboy’s, gangster’s and bad boy’s –- oh my! It’s all about the ladies on Saturday nights at Planet Rose with the addition of The Men of the Cave. Planet Rose Karaoke Lounge at the Tropicana Casino and Resort, Home of The Quarter, announced The Men of the Cave will perform every Saturday night beginning September 23, 2006…. The show runs just over one hour and will feature a rotating cast of six from the 18 Philadelphia cast members. The show features different segments of men throughout the ages, including the 1800’s Cowboy, 1930’s Gangster, 1950’s Bad Boy, 1980’s Breakdancers, and the men of the future. ” Put in the [sic] where appropriate.

Leftovers: Grin And Bear It

• Bears live in New Jersey. Some biologists tag them. Money quote: “If people are going to live here where the bears are, they should not fear the bears, but learn about them and learn to respect them.” [Inquirer]

• A storm front is moving in from the west, says the front page of 6 ABC’s website. All clear, says the radar. Still: Everybody run to the cellar! Quick! Bring the bread and milk! [6 ABC]

• Barbaro had a “potentially dangerous setback.” Oh no! Say a prayer for his family if you get the chance today. [Daily News]

• The president of Poland has appointed his identical twin prime minister. We seriously need more identical twins running for office in the U.S. Think of all the fun! [AP/Yahoo!]

Blogicized: Workers Of The World, Unite

• Ed Rendell ups the salaries of minimum wage earners to a cool seven-fifteen an hour, which still isn’t all that much. But, hey, it’s something, and, hey, the state legislature passed a law that people might actually like. Hip, hip and so forth. [A Smoke-Filled Room]

• Hey, Bunchy’s back! And, hey, he’s working on a self-fulfilling prophecy about Michelle Malkin or some random commenters on blogs! That’s the kind of stuff we live for. [Attytood]

• Got a spare, oh, I don’t know, 10 minutes or so? Here’s an enjoyable way to spend it, I suppose. [Whiskey Bar]

State Rep. Mark Cohen Is The Angel Of Life

I touched on this earlier today, but let’s go back to John Baer’s column on State Rep. Mark B. Cohen in today’s Daily News.

Cohen has been a representative for 32 years, is the third highest-ranking Democrat and loves his stipends: $46K in per diems, $28K for books and magazines. (And he didn’t even review AOL For Dummies for us!) But, he defends his record and says he’s proud of pushing organ donor awareness in the 1990s:

“All over the country, people live longer lives because of me,” Cohen says.

Strangely, Cohen did not mention “humility” as one of his accomplishments while in office.

John Baer | Rep. Cohen: Unopposed, unrestrained, unapologetic [Daily News]
Earlier today: Abridged ‘Daily News’ Columnists

Leftovers: West Phila. Speed Racers

• Get this: a bunch of kids from West Philadelphia High School are currently in first in some sort of alternative fuel vehicles competition and race. I don’t know if this is a big thing. Still: Go, Speed Racer, Go. [Inquirer]

• Hey, apparently this “Google” company makes popular products. Hm. Google? I don’t think that’ll be successful. [Business 2.0]

• William DeWeese, the democratic leader in the state house, spent $6,140 on ceramic desk coasters. Let Ceramic Desk Coastergate begin! [Bucks County Courier Times]

• The ‘Lead of the Day’ award goes to the Daily News. Reporter Christine Olley (we don’t know who this is, either): “Usually kids get tucked into bed at night with stuffed animals and blankets.¶ Yesterday, however, at about 7 a.m., a 13-year-old was found asleep on the floor of his home in the city’s Frankford section with a .45-caliber pistol as police busted open his front door.” [DN]

• Arlen Specter wants the phone companies explain why they wispered our calling secrets behind our backs. Come on, dudes. Real true friends don’t gossip about each other. But, uh, what am I going to do, give up my Verizon phone? No way. [Inquirer]

• Your uncle Peter Gammons says the Phillies are really coming together (subscription req., sorry). Also: Aug 14-17, CBP. Phillies-Mets; it’s the last time they play all year. Which is kind of weird. [ESPN Insider]

Blogicized: Every Breath You Take

• It’s okay that the NSA is surveying every call in the world. As one blogger notes, “Bush isn’t spying on normal everyday Americans. Normal everyday Americans don’t need to make calls to Afganistan and Iraq, savy? What could you possibly need there? What could you possibly justify a $30.00 phone call to the middle of the Mideastern desert? Unless you own a camel or a sarape, I can’t imagine either!” Geeze, people. Don’t you know you can only call the people the President has already okayed? [The American Checkup]

• Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania ACLU is — surprise! — against the domestic surveillance. Dude, do you own any camels? Then don’t worry. [Speaking Freely]

• MyDD’s Chris Bowers decides to run for Democratic State Committee just a scant few days before the May 16 election. Fortunately for him, there’s only one other person running for the six seats. [MyDD]

• Second photo, guy in the bottom left hand corner. Ha. [Johnny Goodtimes]

Leftovers: Hamels Called Up; Phillies Fans Prep For Disappointment

• Lefty 22-year-old Cole Hamels is going to make his first start Friday against the Reds. They were going to take it slow with him, but after three starts in a row where he allowed one run total and struck out 36, well, it was time. Let’s hope he’s the real deal. [Phillies.com]

• New Jersey: First it’s gay unions, now it’s medical marijuana. Hmm. Be careful Jerz, people are going to start confusing you with California any day now. Wait, no they won’t. [Philly Future]

• Beer makers are focusing on making beer look more upscale and marketing to more affluent consumers. This will change the time-tested tradition of beer ads where working class men get together and, say, build a barn. Ads featuring scantily-clad women are expected to stay. [AP/Yahoo!]

• Young Philly Politics asks: Is Larry Farnese secretly a communist?!?! Erhm, wait, wrong decade. I meant to say, “Is Larry Farnese secretly not a progressive?!?!” Currently, I’m pondering a similar question: Which district do I live in? [Young Philly Politics]