Yo, Philly in the News

• Governor Rendell is opposed to direct shipments of wine to residents of Pennsylvania. Instead, he wants all wine to go through the state system, so the Liquor Control Board can keep its profits and alcohol doesn't get into the hands of minors (because you know that's how minors are always getting their liquor - by direct-ordering it, and not at all by getting fake IDs or asking their older brothers to get it for them). Which means consumers will have to get used to the current system, where they have the right to special-order out-of-state wines, but then have to pay an 18% state tax, a 6% sales tax, a $4.50 handling fee, and go pick up the wine at a state liquor store. Sucktastic.
• This past Friday, a West Philadelphia man got so tired of the noise going on in the apartment above him that he went upstairs and shot the woman who lived up there in the face. Luckily, her cheek was just grazed by the bullet and she's going to be okay. The man turned himself in two hours later. Obviously he got carried away, but anybody who's lived in a thin-walled apartment in Philly (or anywhere else, for that matter) can't help feeling at least a little sympathy for this guy.
• Pretty soon Philadelphians, like other residents of the state, will be able to view their city's criminal records on the internet. No more waiting in long lines and going through metal detectors in the Criminal Justice Center; now you can find out all about that guy next door to you's drunk and disorderly arrest in 1982 just by plugging his name into a state website! Good idea or bad idea? Phillyist is going to go with "questionable" for now, and see how this plays out.
• Weird goings-on at the Philly airport Friday morning. During a random patdown of a guy in the security line, an employee discovered a weird bulge around the passenger's knee. The guy at first claimed it was a leg brace, but when the employee found a rubber band around his knee, the passenger admitted it was "something I am not supposed to have" and took off running. He had taken his shoes off while being checked, so he ran about 100 yards barefoot with a white powder pouring out of his pants before security personnel caught him at baggage claim, injuring his foot slightly.
  
  So, he had some drugs, right? Wrong! That's the weird part. It was foot powder! WTF, dude? Phillyist figures there are three possibilities here: a) dude is a little crazy, got paranoid, and freaked out; b) he really thought he had drugs, but somebody tricked him and is laughing his ass off right now; or c) he really thought he had drugs, but somebody along the smuggling chain made a really dumb mistake and he ended up with foot powder instead. Regardless...that's pretty funny.

Image Credit: André M. Winter