It's News to Me

It may be just a few weeks into Barack Obama's administration, but that doesn't mean the media and pop culture frenzy surrounding the man show any signs of slowing down. Rather, he still graces the cover of magazines, flashing his megawatt smile, and Michelle Obama is well on her way to being declared a fashion icon (Seriously, though, she has a degree from Harvard Law. Paris Hilton she ain't.)

Given all this, it shouldn't surprise anyone that a serious-minded magazine like Newsweek threw its proverbial hat in the ring and created a photo gallery on its site titled "Casting the Obama Administration Movie."

And really, who can blame them? If you haven't yet thought about Will Smith playing the first black president, then clearly you've been ignoring all the awesome possibilities. And heck, Gabrielle Union would make a smokin' Michelle.

Though Newsweek's own entertainment critics and the Casting Society of America weighed in to offer ideas about who would play everyone from Hillary Clinton to Rohm Emmanuel, I can't say I see the wisdom all of their picks. For one thing, Harry J. Lennix looks nothing like Obama and Christopher Walken would make the creepiest Biden ever.

But hey, that's just me. I'm curious about any other ideas that you, the reader, have for casting the inevitable film version of the new administration.
Happy casting!

- Leslie

I have a confession to make -- I hate apostrophes.
Whether it be in stories or headlines, I despise them. Maybe it is because so many people use them wrong, or perhaps it has something to do with "St. James's Palace" being correct.
But, there is hope for me -- I can move to Birmingham, a city in Britain that has gotten rid of all apostrophes.
Since the 1950s, the city has slowly been removing apostrophes from its street signs, but just made the apostrophe ban official on Friday for all signs.
Apparently one of the concerns is the use of apostrophes in GPS devices, which the city claims confuses the machine making it hard to find destinations. This raises special concern when it comes to emergency personnel finding the correct address.
"Apostrophes denote possessions that are no longer accurate, and are not needed," Councilor Martin Mullaney said. "More importantly, they confuse people. If I want to go to a restaurant, I don't want to have an A-level (high school diploma) in English to find it."

Looks like the court system might have a case of "moose-taken" identity on its hands.

One year ago last week, Penn State Fayette student Amy Walters made international headlines after filing a lawsuit alleging that a moose head fell on her as she was taking an exam in the campus's Biomedical Technology Building in Feb. 2005.

"The force of this impact caused Ms. Walters to fall into a chair positioned behind her...at that time, the moose head, which had fallen off of the wall and struck her in the head near the right temple, fell into her lap," according to the lawsuit.

The suit alleges that Walters has continued to suffer from "severe headaches" since the accident occurred.

The story was picked up by news outlets including the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and even BBC News.

But now, it appears that the moose head might not have been a moose head after all.

Paula Congelio, director of finance and business at Penn State Fayette, said that the head actually belonged to a caribou. She also said that she believes the head has been placed in storage.

Don Wagner, unit manager of the Penn State Deer Research Center, said that antlers are the easiest way to tell the two species apart. Moose antlers are more flat and broad, whereas caribou antlers are thinner and have more individual tines, he said.

"They would be very easy to tell apart," he said. "There really shouldn't be any mistake between them."

Wagner said moose are also generally bigger. Moose males usually weigh between 1200 and 1600 pounds. Caribou males generally weigh just 350 to 400 pounds, he said.

Walters' attorney, Sean J. Carmody, didn't return multiple calls for comment over the past week. Penn State's legal counsel didn't return a call for comment either.

Walters' case continues to work its way through the Fayette County court system. Court documents indicate that a board of arbitrators awarded Walters $10,000 in June 2008, but her attorney appealed that award in July.

-Guest blog by Ryan Pfister

You know the economy is bad when it affects more than just humans. As money becomes scarce, some families are being forced to choose between providing for Marley and Mr. Bigglesworth or paying the mortgage on their homes. But who wouldn't give up their homes for "members of the family"?

Forty-nine (49) percent of pet-owning Americans say they would make personal sacrifices for their furry friends. For this near majority, providing for Fido is as important as putting food on the table for the rest of the family.

But it doesn't just stop at food. Many pet owners feel the need to provide their pets with the equivalent of plastic surgery. Take the Neuticle for example. The Neuticle (it is what it sounds like) costs close to a grand a pair (I hope you know what I'm talking about at this point).

In total, American households spend close to $41 billion on their pets. BILLION! The total is more than Americans commit toward entertainment, including movies ($10.8 billion), video games ($11.6 billion) and music ($10.6 billion) combined, according to Business Week. That's bailout money America!

-- Brandon

The little man has gotten more than 2,000 women pregnant.

Or so the story goes.

Well, really, the little man statue has.

Starting today the totem--a fertility statue - and its mate, will be on display for the month of February at the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum.

The two are imports from the Ivory Coast, but made their way to the U.S. in 1993. They were only supposed to be decorative, but those naughty nymphs drew many a wandering hand. And those who touched them soon after became pregnant. Within a couple months, 13 women conceived. Now this may not sound like a lot, but apparently some had been told they wouldn't be able to have children, others were on birth control, etc.

Well it was enough to get the right people talking and the statues were swept off on a whirlwind tour of the world. I'm talking three trips around the globe, millions of visitors, and apparently - 2,000 pregnancies.

They've certainly made a name for themselves.

And now, women can make a pilgrimage to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to lay a hand on these fertility wonders.

Whether or not coincidence and chance was involved - I know many skeptics out there were probably rolling their eyes after the first sentence - I think it's nice, in a world where women are dropping thousands of dollars on in vitro, and losing hope for having children, that there's something out there to hold on to. To say, 'hey, maybe it works.' That maybe it comes down to two hunks of wood and a little mystery.

Either way, I don't know about you, but just in case, I'm staying far, far away from South Carolina.

-- Brianna

Long known as a fertile ground for the nonsensical, England has once again proven itself true to its Monty Python-esque heritage. In this case, however, its nonsense is presumably unintentional.

Taking their arguments literally "to the streets," London atheists and religious groups are fighting their ideological battles on the sides of the city's famous double-decker buses.

According to Time.com, messages such as "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life" are being countered with "There definitely is a God, so join the Christian Party and enjoy your life."

Besides the sheer ridiculousness of trying to convert people from their strongly held ideologies with a passing advertisement, the bus messages are proving to be a grand example of zealous wastefulness.

In its attempt to promote an anti-God message, the British Humanist Association was proud to announce it raised more than more than $220,000 by the end of January to further its cause.

Really? When America's financial crisis has greatly strained the world economy and funds for necessary things are scarcer than ever, these groups are wasting hundreds and thousands of dollars trying to convince other people to think like them.

Whatever your faith, anyone who thinks this is a responsible use of money, time and resources needs a serious reality check. Maybe we can arrange to write said message on a taxi?

- Leslie

Let's go back ... back to when the Internet was in its infancy ... back to when newspapers didn't have online Web sites ... back to the days when newspapers flourished.
Enjoy!
~~Kat

"Long before anyone had heard of the Internet, early home computer users could read their morning newspapers online ... sort of. Steve Newman's 1981 story was broadcast on KRON San Francisco."

Yesterday, we laughed at the beginnings of today's modern media and those silly people who thought reading a newspaper on a computer was absurd (plus the guy who was labeled "Owns Home Computer"). But what about tomorrow's media?

One 26-year-old in California is attempting to revamp journalism to focus on the process more than the product -- leaving newspapers almost entirely behind. His site, Spot Us, encourages community members to submit story tips and then pledge money to fund an independent reporter to write the story.

As more and more journalists are losing their jobs in today's economy and industry, this innovative new business model is supposed to bring back the issues locals are interested in -- because they'll be paying for it. But no one donor can provide more than 20 percent of the story's total cost to help ensure that there is no bias or overly vested interest in each article.

I don't think anyone can be against the "community reporting" Spot Us advocates, but as consumers are more and more concerned with their specific interests (i.e. pink eye shadow or elephants that can do back flips), this will only fuel limited access.

International news seems to be the first victim. Statistics show that in 2006 only 39 percent of Americans said they follow international news regularly. Although journalism is a moneymaking business, it must maintain a business model that has reporters seeking the news and not falling prey to being told what is the news.

Spot Us has already finished and published more than five articles on its site, and is currently working on one about a local man killed by Bay Area Rapid Transit police and the impact that event has had on the community. More than 20 people donated to the cause and I'm sure dozens of others are anticipating its publication.

There's no denying journalism is currently evolving into a beast we may not even recognize in the decades to come and I think Spot Us is on to something: It's employing reporters, encouraging an active community and producing news that you know at least 20 people legitimately care about.

Who knows, in 25 years our floating head label could be: "Still reads hard copy newspapers".

-Mar

Marijuana. Grass. Pot. Weed. Mary Jane. Reefer. Testicle killers. Wacky Weed. Testicle killers?

According to a new study, marijuana has this new nickname. Apparently the drug causes increased cases of testicular cancer in males. Men are twice as likely to develop testicular cancer if they smoke on a weekly basis or have been exposed to the drug over an extended period of time. Other nasty things are common, including a decrease in testosterone levels and impotency.

While a small number of Americans smoke on a weekly basis, and an even smaller number on a daily basis (less than 1 percent), this should cause Mary J smoking men around the world to consider the consequences of their actions.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that there were over 8090 new cases of testicular cancer, with 380 deaths. It also brings into question whether the substance should be legalized, even for medicinal purposes.

On the bright side, Michael Phelps will almost definitely never mess with pot again. He'll have a lot more to lose than his Kellogg's endorsement.

--- Brandon

Don't have plans for Valentine's Day yet?

Well, there's this place offering quite the deal: champagne, hors d'oeuvres ... a guided tour to watch animals mating.

Yup that's right - according to an Associated Press article, the Michigan Zoo is hosting an "exotic and erotic afternoon" for lovers on Feb. 14.

For 50 bucks the lucky couples get wined and dined, then get a tour of the homes of snow leopards, giraffes, zebras and various primates and reptiles to get to see how the animals do the horizontal tango. They've dubbed it "Zoorotica." Other zoos have hosted similar events with such fun names as "Jungle Love" and "Woo at the Zoo."

For those thinking a Michigan trip is a little out of their price range (and please, we're too pretty to go to Michigan) the Philadelphia Zoo is also offering an *informative* tour on how its animals express their ardor. (Apparently tortoises nibble on each other's toes before bumping the uglies! How cute! Ever wonder how porcupines manage to get around those quills?)

However, if you're not 21 you're S.O.L. because these tours are only for consenting adults that can at least legally drink.

Thinking, who in the world would do this? Well apparently both zoos claim it's a popular event, and Michigan's even has a waitlist to the sold out tour.

You gotta love Valentine's Day!

--- Brianna

As it turns out, our on-campus group SpeakOut's annual KissOut is a concept worth repeating. According to The Associated Press, nearly 40,000 people locked lips in the center of Mexico City on Saturday to claim the record for the world's largest group kiss.

According to the city's tourism board, the Valentine's Day kiss was meant to show love at a time when a crackdown against drug traffickers has led to widespread violence across the country. At least 6,000 people died in drug-related conflicts in 2008, the AP reports.

Though I'm not usually one for PDA, I can't say I disapprove of either Penn State's KissOut or Mexico City's record-breaking public smooch. After all, if everyone around you is doing it, making out in public isn't such outrageous behavior.

Though different in scale, location and purpose, both public kissing fests harken back to two awesome things: love and the good old-fashioned liplock.

Plus, what better way to celebrate a holiday normally hijacked by cash-thirsty advertisers and guilt-induced gift giving than to break with tradition and make out with a stranger?

- Leslie

Today we have a guest column, or in this case, a guest story courtesy of one Ryan Pfister, investigative reporter.

----

By Ryan Pfister

Collegian Staff Writer | ryan@psu.edu

When A. J. Smith shows up, the girls go wild -- but not for him.

Smith, a driver for George's Flower Boutique, spends his day delivering flowers on behalf of other people.

Smith graduated from Penn State in December with a degree in kinesiology and is planning on attending graduate school for physical therapy. In the mean time, he's working part time delivering flowers around the State College area. He's held the job since his junior year.

Usually, he said, he works about 20 hours a week, but around Valentine's day he works at least 40. On Feb. 13, he was working from 8 a.m. until past 6 p.m., and he said he planned to be at work early the next day as well.

Some people get "a little crazy" when he delivers the flowers, he said, but the best flower delivery story he's heard comes from one of his fellow drivers: when the driver tried to drop off the flowers, the girl answered the door -- naked. She still accepted the flowers, he said.

Smith said one trend in recent years has been an increase in the number of guys receiving flowers. He said he probably did three or four deliveries to guys on Feb. 13.

Smith said some girls refuse to accept the flowers -- it's happened to him multiple times at dorms, where he calls from the front desk and the girl refuses to come down. He said he's required to deliver the flowers somehow, so he usually leaves them at the commons desk.

"It's kind of funny that guys send these like $100 flowers and girls don't want them," he said.

As for Smith's own Valentine's Day plans, he's had a girlfriend for almost two and a half years. Since he had to work late on Valentine's Day, the two made plans to do something this week.

As for the fact that he spends hours delivering flowers to other people on Valentine's Day, he said, "she doesn't really mind." After all, she gets to benefit from one of his job's perks: he can take home any leftover flowers after work.

The bride didn't wear white. In fact, the bride didn't wear anything at all.

It might not have been the strangest marriage ever (hello, David and Liza) but it's close up there: The groom was an infant, and the bride was a dog.

According to a Reuters article, an infant boy in a village in India was married to a neighbor's dog so as to avoid being attacked by tigers and other wild animals.

About 150 tribespeople, because the boy grew a tooth on his upper gum (seen by the Munda tribe as a bad omen that makes them prone to attacks by tigers), performed the ritual spiritually marrying the boy to the dog. By doing such, the tribal god will apparently bless the child and ward off evil spirits.

"We performed the marriage because it will overcome any curse that might fall on the child as well on us," the boy's father, Sanarumala Munda, was quoted as saying by a local newspaper.

Indian law does not recognize the marriage between a dog and a human, so once the boy has grown he will be able to pick a bride without filing for divorce.

I think this would be an easy story to write off as odd news, or make a joke about and move on. But I also think it highlights an interesting idea, that we live in a world of diverse cultures and beliefs. Sometimes I feel like I am constantly told by the talking heads that the world is becoming Americanized. That it is growing smaller, country's identities are being swept clean with the power of technology and international trade.
But here, here is an example of a traditional community that has held on to a belief that to some Americans might seem absurd. They married a child to a dog to ward off evil. That is a part of their ideology. And I think it's important to acknowledge every once in a while, that the world is bigger than we think it is. That it is full of diverse peoples and cultures and traditions.

This seems an obvious thing to say, it's not very enlightening or perceptive. But I'm going to keep this article in mind for the next time I hear someone prostilitize (yup, that's right) about globalization.

Celebrate the uniqueness in the world.

-- Brianna

We're no stranger to student protests here at Penn State -- United Students Against Sweatshops is on the Collegian's front page today after holding a sit-in inside Penn State President Graham Spanier's office to protest the university's contract with Russell Athletic.

But besides an Old Main sit-in in April that led to 31 students being charged with defiant criminal trespass, we don't generally see protests like the NYU demonstration that's wrapping up as I write this post.

In my two semesters as a campus reporter, I saw a few sit-ins, a lot of press conferences on the steps of Old Main, and several megaphone-fueled trips to Graham Spanier's office. But our collegiate neighbors to the north in New York City tend to take things a bit farther.

Besides last year's hunger strike at Columbia University, the protest going on now at New York University -- a student group's occupation of an on-campus dining hall -- is by far my favorite student protest story ever.

It has everything -- barricades, police, furious administrators, passionate students, and the most disconnected set of demands I've ever read. Among other things, the students of Take Back NYU, who have literally barricaded themselves inside NYU's Kimmel dining hall for the past three days, are demanding everything from full disclosure of the university's budget to scholarships for 13 Palestinian students to a committee to "investigate war profiteers." Good luck with that one, kids.

Hundreds of students have gathered outside the dining hall over the past few days, either to express their solidarity with the students inside or to protest the protest itself. (My favorite sign so far: "Protesting: You're Doing It Wrong.")

Apparently, about half of the students involved don't even go to NYU; many are from New School, where students staged a similar protest a few months ago over their university president. Those students will likely be arrested for trespassing. An NYU spokesman issued a statement earlier today that the NYU students involved in the protest will be suspended. As I'm writing this, all but four of the protesters have left the building.

In some respects, it's kind of admirable that students are showing this much concern and passion in how their school is run. For the most part, though, I think the NYU protesters' biggest mistake -- besides risking arrest and expulsion for occupying a university building -- lies in their list of demands.

Protest rising tuition costs; protest the situation in the Gaza Strip. But lumping everything you're angry about into a giant list of demands and then expecting an administration to try to parse through the whole thing -- all while you're fighting with security guards and barricading yourselves in a dining hall -- is not going to lead to any sort of coherent discussion. Debate, dissent and freedom of speech are intrinsic and necessary rights. But when the importance of your message is lost in the chaos of your protest, no one benefits.

No word yet on where this is all going to lead, or whether NYU's administration will consider the group's demands. For now, I'm just having fun following the story.

- Aubrey.

D.C. residents may need to get their license plates changed if a bill passes giving the Nation's Capital its first-ever House of Representatives seat. While D.C. does is technically represented in the House, it is by a non-voting delegate. The new bill will change the requirement to allow a seat in the House to be filled where D.C. can have voting representation.

Currently, it is very common to see D.C. license plates with a 'Taxation Without Representation' on the bottom of the plate. The first plates were issued in 2000 and President Clinton even had the plates put on his presidential limousine -- though Bush took them off when he got into office.
Reaching back into fifth grade U.S. History, you may remember hearing the term, "Taxation Without Representation" -- it was one of the primary grievances the colonists had with their British counterparts.
D.C. has come a long way -- residents weren't even allowed to vote in a presidential election until 1964. Hopefully it will soon gain the Congressional representation it deserves.
~ Kat

Today, ABC News published a heartwarming story about dying children and their last wishes. Wishes included feeding the homeless, riding a boat and ... getting married.

One 9-year-old girl, who was diagnosed with leukemia and is only expected to live a few more weeks, wanted to have a wedding while she could. The photos are cute and according to the bride, so is her groom, a 7-year-old who also has leukemia.

Dying wishes are nothing to joke about and can actually provide very keen insight into America's youth. I have to wonder about a culture that obviously glorifies the act of getting married to the extent that a 9-year-old, with a lot on her mind, needs to experience it before she dies.

This is nothing against the child who wished for a wedding, but a critique of a society that makes young girls think they have be married to have a full life. While the number of people getting married peaked in the 1940s and '50s, it has been steadily declining in recent years. Reasons as to why, you can speculate on your own.

Now, I am not anti-love, in fact I am very pro-love and would have given this girl a wedding if she were my own child. I am simply weary of our way of making love so institutionalized. How can dreams of a wedding come before dreams of finding someone to love? And when you find that person, do you really a need a ring and a gown to prove it?

Now Jennifer Aniston and other characters of He's Just Not That Into You and Bride Wars will likely disagree, but I think 9-year-olds should be dreaming about trips to the moon and riding elephants.

-mar

The United Kingdom is plagued with a serial killer.

He's claimed 9 victims.

His method of murder? Poison. More specifically, anti-freeze.

There's a big cash reward for any information about him.

But his victims aren't people -- they're cats.

According to a Sky news article, there is a criminal on the loose wreaking havoc on a small English town, taking out the poor innocent kitties that live there. Apparently, this isn't the first time it's happened either. The attacks are frighteningly similar to a rash of cat murders from last April to August, which claimed 19 cats. Is it a copycat killer? Or is it the same delinquent?

This shouldn't just be worrisome to only loving cat owners. PETA's Suzanne Barnard, in the article, claimed that animals were often the perfect "practice" victims for violent people.

"Research in psychology and criminology shows that people who commit acts of cruelty to animals often go on to commit violent acts against their fellow humans. As long as the perpetrators of this crime are at large, other animals in the area - and human residents - might also be in danger. Animal abusers are cowards. They take their issues out on the most defenseless beings available to them," Barnard said.

Now I myself am more of a dog person, but I can't imagine some one out there poisoning cats. I think it's a heinous crime and I hope the person is caught before he elevates his target to the most dangerous game.

-- Brianna

While waiting for a computer in the HUB-Robeson Center, I was bombarded by two women holding signs (or really, I watched them bombard passersby).

Now those of you who have ever even walked through the HUB during lunch time (or anytime) you know this is not an unusual occurrence.

But this time I actually paid attention. They were asking everyone walking by to write in bold markers on a poster what they loved about their bodies; because they said it was National Love Your Body day. There was a variety of answers including "my eyes" to "my face".

One woman walked by and said there was nothing she liked, and the persistent sign holder wouldn't take that as an answer. The woman ended up writing "my hair," and walked away with a smile on her face.

I think this is a wonderful positive day. When women and men constantly have to face a stream of images and messages telling them their bodies are not good enough, it is awesome that there is a celebration of our bodies, no matter how small the movement.

--Brianna