The Early Bird

Still haven’t scored that PlayStation 3? Well, get over it. Time to move on. Here’s what’s happening this week:

Monday: The county’s newly elected officials take their oaths before God and everybody at the Strathmore Music Center, Bethesda. The inauguration ceremony goes down at 11:00 a.m. Later, outgoing county exec Doug Duncan throws a sold-out party to benefit arts and humanities programs.

Monday: The Maryland Court of Appeals--the state’s highest court--hears arguments on whether same-sex couples can marry (left). The case revolves around whether a 1973 state law defining marriage strictly as a heterosexual union is constitutional.

Wednesday: Montgomery College, Silver Spring/Takoma Park, hosts a salon-style discussion on the separation of church and state. The deal goes down at 2:30 p.m. Call (301) 650-1385 to register.

Wednesday: Photojournalist Mohammed Omer talks about the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip at Taste of Jerusalem (8123 Georgia Ave). The pro-Palestinian talk is free. The shwarma on your plate isn’t.

Thursday: The county planning board meets behind closed doors to discuss a pending contract for the development of Silver Place. Proposed designs for the mixed-use project on Georgia Avenue and Spring Street were revealed in October. The winning design hasn't been announced.

Thanks to CNN for the image.