In honor of Women’s History Month, CollegeCandy has decided to spotlight some of the world’s most influential women. Last week we focused on the women from our generation and this week, we pay attention to some of the most spectacular thirty-somethings. These are the women that show us life really does get interesting in your 30s, whether you’re a famous movie star or activist. Anything can happen, and just like these women have done in their 30s, we can make a difference in the world at any age.

After seeing this headline on MSNBC.com this morning, we have three questions:

1. How slow of a news day is it if this is considered a “top story”?
2. Exactly who has the job of figuring this out?
3. Why did I plan that trip to Las Vegas for July??

]]> http://collegecandy.com/2010/02/26/wtf-friday-stinky-cities/feed/ 0 ccandystaff wtf smelly cities http://collegecandy.com/2010/01/05/who-wouldnt-mind-a-little-chuck-bass-in-3d/ http://collegecandy.com/2010/01/05/who-wouldnt-mind-a-little-chuck-bass-in-3d/#comments Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:00:42 +0000 Cristina-Michigan State University http://collegecandy.com/?p=50196 ]]>

TV is like real life, right?

First, every television set in America goes digital, and now TV is going 3D? Yes, people, the future is here. According to MSNBC, ESPN will be the first network to go 3D this June, dubbing their new station ESPN 3D (rather original) and fulfilling every sports fanatic’s wet dream for a decade.

One of the main purposes is to help take a step for all TV to become 3D. While we can all do without A&E’s Hoarders popping out of the TV and taking over our living rooms, I’m sure we can all agree that there is nothing more heavenly than being able to reach out and touch Dr. McDreamy’s fine looking bod. In fact, much like adding a little extra buttercream on top of a cupcake, shooting my favorite shows in 3D will only make them that much sweeter:

Sex and the City: Who wouldn’t wanna reach out and give Samantha a high five while she gets it on with one of her (many) hotties in 3D?

Hung: For those of you that don’t know, Hung is about a man who is, well, hung. Enough said.

Portuguese soccer: Okay, what would you do if Cristiano Ronaldo was in your TV room in 3D?  If your answer is “nothing” you’re a big, fat liar.

The Food Network: There is nothing I want more than to have Paula Deen in my living room. OK, so maybe in my kitchen. Cooking me something. With lots of butter. But I’ll take her Krispy Kreme Casserole in 3D any day.

Gossip Girl: Chanel bags, YSL heels, Chuck Bass and Dan Humphrey nose to nose with me?  I’m not leaving my couch ever again.

This is the strangest story I’ve heard all week.

Meghan McCain‘s got a nice rack.

Usher’s ex wife is out to get him.

Bad romantic comedies teach bad dating habits.

What are Lady Gaga and Beyonce planning?

You go, Taylor Swift!

Scientists these days must be bored out of their minds, because many of the health studies that have been cropping up lately are painfully uninteresting. The results are so obvious that they might as well skip the experiment and just use their common sense. These “duh” stories really make you question the direction in which science is headed. Don’t these scientists have more important (and more shocking) discoveries to make?

Obese Americans Spend Far More on Health Care
The New York Times
According to a recent study, obese Americans spend 42% more on health care than Americans of normal weight. Although this is a serious issue, did we really need a formal study to tell us this? Who needs one to see that obesity (and the many health problems that result from it) is costly?

As Speed Limits Rise, So Do Death Tolls
The New York Times
A study of highway fatality rates has found that road deaths increased 3% after 1995, following the federal government’s repeal of the 55 mile-per-hour speed limit. Higher speed limits = more highway fatalities? I never would’ve imagined that.

Prenuptial Cohabiting Can Spoil Marriage
LiveScience.com
This one is a bit subtler, but still obvious nonetheless: couples who live together before marriage are more likely to get divorced than those couples that don’t shack up together until marriage. It’s a no-brainer, really. The more time you spend with someone (and their disgusting living habits), the more that person gets on your nerves. Anyone who has endured summer camps and college roommates can attest to that.

Tanning beds can be as deadly as arsenic
MSNBC.com
According to this study, tanning beds now definitely cause cancer. Breaking news: Prom-bound teen girls and dudes from the Jersey shore are rioting outside of Hollywood Tans everywhere.

Does Mom’s drinking harm breastfed babies?
LiveScience.com
I really don’t know. Anyone want to test this out?

I thought I was watching Chicago, but instead I was tuned in to MSNBC. It’s a story that journalists are calling “jaw-dropping,” “shocking,” and “appalling.”

Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevic was arrested this morning by federal authorities on charges of corruption. He has allegedly been attempting to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s vacated US Senate seat to the highest bidder. The US Attorney’s office in Illinois released an affadavit this morning claiming that Gov. Blagojevic was overheard on wiretaps attempting to “sell or trade” the former senator’s seat in Congress for “personal” benefits. Both he and his Chief of Staff, John Harris, were indicted this morning and are expected back in federal court later this afternoon.

In addition to allegedly trying to sell Obama’s former Senate seat, Blagojevic is accused of witholding state aid from The Tribune Company (which filed for bankruptcy yesterday), until the Chicago Tribune agreed to fire staff members who had been critical of him in the past. Sha-dy.

Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald announced at a press conference that Gov. Blagojevic’s actions have begotten “a new low” in politics, and “[His] conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave.” Yeowza!

The allegations come on the heels of the aforementioned bankruptcy of one of the premeire media companies in the United States. As an ironic twist of fate, running against the famously corrupt image of Illinois politics was a prominent platform issue of Blagojevic when he was running for governor. If convicted, Blagojevic would be the second Illinois governor in two years (and fourth all-time) to be imprisoned for a crime, after former Governor George Ryan was sent to jail in 2006 for racketeering. In the meantime, several prominent Illinois politicians and authorities are calling for a special election to fill Obama’s Senate seat, so as to minimize the corruption of the position.

Bankruptcy, corruption, press, courts, Chicago, and all that jazz.

How could this happen, you ask?

Explanation after the jump.

She loves the peen!!!

As promised, I want to continue this series on why I find Jessica and Ashlee to be so insidious. As another esteemed blogger pointed out today, Papa Joe is up to something bad (again) with Ashlee and her overly eye-lined lover, Pete Wentz.

[On a side note: Pete, what, what, darling are you thinking? Didn’t you see what happened to Nick? I know you got a new deal with Nordstrom, and I guess that’s cool, but what’s making you so delusional? I mean, couldn’t you find another plasticized gal to replace Ashlee? I mean, it’s not Ashlee, it’s the fact that you’re marrying her dad, too! The guy is a creep, a class-A creep. Didn’t you watch the Newlyweds, or did the clan make you sign some contract, in which you agreed to NEVER pop it into your DVD machine?]

Let’s get back to the juicy stuff, and let Pete learn his own lesson. (I’ll be the first to express my sympathies to you, Mr. Wentz).

So, rumors abound in Hollyweird. Yes, there’s a whole lot of concern about Ashlee’s “bump.” (Hold on, I gotta go vomit. That overly used words makes me sick. Bump sightings here, there, everywhere – even guys have bumps these days!) There are so many friggin’ pregnancy rumors about Ashlee, you’d think the “rumor machine” would explode. If that’s the case, however, and Ashlee is pregnant, then let’s have a moment of silence. Why? Cuz’ Papa Joe is gonna appear at his vilest.

Let’s say this rumor is true, that Papa Joe is seeking a cool million buckaroos from PEEPS Mag for the putative baby pictures. Before all this pregnancy stuff started percolating, I was gonna discuss the way Papa Joe’s relationship to Ashlee is more disgusting, as it’s shadier, more under the radar than his practically incestuous relationship he has with her older sister. Case in point, I did an image search on Google for pictures of Papa Joe with Ashlee, and I couldn’t find one! (There is that creepy one, however, of Jessica’s neck wrapped around Papa Joe – she’s given him a juicy smack on his cheek. Ewwwww!)

Furthermore, I’m proud to say that I beat MSNBC’s gossip page, as I wrote the present piece 2 days BEFORE they posted this story about Papa Joe hopin’ to make money off of Ashlee’s baby products. (So, Haha, I’m not the only one making these suggestions!)

[Aaah . . . yes, here comes my Henry T’s burger, and it’s sizzlin’ hot. Hold on, I gotta take a bite and then sip a Free State beer. OK, I’m back, but if you’re ever in Lawrence, Kansas, check out Henry T’s and Free State Brewery – they’re awesome joints to just hang out, eat good bar food, and drink great beer!]

Come on, I’m a foodie!

So, anyways, as I was saying before I bit into my burger, it’s obvious that Papa Joe thought “cah-ching” the moment his two girls were born, and now he’s thinking it again, discussing it with Mephisto, and planning. I can hear him now, saying, “these girls need to prove their worth and become my baby factories! I need grandchildren, no, no, I need grandDAUGHTERS! Mephisto, snap, snap! I didn’t sign that contract for nothing!”

Let’s assume Ashlee gives birth to triplets, because twins in Hollywood are, like, so passé now. So, Ashlee and Petey got these three drooling triplets (scary, right?), and, thanks to modern science, they’re all girls. Since Papa Joe has been negotiating with PEEPS magazine – much to the chagrin of Petey – he’s now demanding MORE money, because it ain’t one baby, it ain’t two babies, it’s three, so PEEPS magazine has got themselves a spread of three tots AND their perfectly fashioned faux-pas punky parents! (I bemoan the death of authentic punk and I blame Papa Joe for that, too. Sid, dear, may you rest in peace.)

Some readers might have found my first piece lacking in content, perhaps some would suggest it was an argumentum ad hominem. That might be true, and maybe they’d say the same about this piece. But when a man is workin’ behind the scenes with Mephisto, it’s hard to get to the truth of the matter.

Papa Joe isn’t only vile, he’s elusive. When there appears to be no content, as in the case of his daughters’ vapid personalities (and that’s not JUST media spin), it’s hard to find the meat. The superficial surface is just too thin, which luckily for me is not the case with my Henry T’s burger! Rest assured readers, once Ashlee pops out three tots, the nastier, media-whoring attributes of Grandpa Joe will unfurl before our terrified eyes.

Also, what the hell happened to the mom? Did Papa Joe eat her? Or was her contract up, and she’s already been plucked from the earth?

Stay tuned . . .

“Things are very confusing, looks like we are heading for a civil war and total destruction, its a ticking time bomb, any thing can happen any time”

That quote comes from Raj, in Harare, Zimbabwe on the BBC’s comment page.

Zimbabwe’s election (held March 29th) still has no clear winner. The opposition, led by Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC) accused incumbent Robert Mugabe of “preparing for poll war”.

The opposition petitioned Zimbabwe’s High Court to demand the immediate release of the poll results.

The Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC) countered by questioning the courts jurisdiction over the issue.

On Saturday, moreover, police prevented the opposition lawyers from entering the court to give their arguments. Luckily they made it into the court on Sunday.

On Monday the High Court ruled that it does have jurisdiction. The judge heard the case Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party said it wanted to re-check the election results because it feared discrepancies…. Right.

Tsvangirai retorted, “It’s ridiculous and absurd to talk of a recount before you know what the result is”.

I predict that we will see one of the following scenarios within the coming week(s):

If the ZEC reveals that Mugabe has lost outright, then:

1. He steps down and Tsvangirai assumes the presidency amid brief mild riots by Mugabe supporters

2. He refuses to step down and major rioting ensues…

If the ZEC reveals that neither candidate has garnered 50% of the vote, meaning that a runoff election must take place between Tsvangirai and Mugabe. (Tsvangirai is predicted strongly to win any such runoff), then:

1. Mugabe rigs the election and wins—major rioting ensues…

2. Tsvangirai refuses to participate (MSNBC reported that his party has already said that they fear a runoff will in fact be a “run-over of Zimbabwe. People are going to be killed”)—Mugabe wins by default and major rioting ensues…

3. Tsvangirai wins the runoff and assumes the presidency amid brief mild riots by Mugabe supporters

If the ZEC reveals that Mugabe has won, then:

Massive Rioting… who knows how long it’ll last…

Did you notice how many of these scenarios ended in massive rioting (i.e. death and destruction)? Four out of six… 2/3rds… not great odds.

The maddening part of this whole debacle is that it’s unrolling slowly before our very eyes. Men, women, and children alive today in Zimbabwe may very well be dead in a few weeks as casualties of this political crisis.

Stay informed with the New York Times’ coverage and Zimbabwe: Election challenge on the BBC.

Fun Zimbabwean fact of the day! The first president of Zimbabwe was Canaan Banana, meaning that a news report in 1980 would have stated, “Today, President Banana addressed the United Nations…”

• For 3 hours this Saturday there are going to be a lot of angry fat kids. We should probably be a little nervous. (MSNBC)

• Who needs a masculine jock-y boyfriend when you can just drink man-flavored sweat soda? Mmmm. (Business Week)

• Penn State is bullying little kids out of using their logo. Cause you know, using a dangerous looking animal as a mascot is an original PSU idea. (Fredericksburg.com)

• Going to attempt to cram 50 dressed-up classmates into your dorm this Halloween? Of course you are! Here, we did a little shopping for you! (NerdApproved.com)