Chris Brown has something to say, too.

Kevin Federline’s gone and knocked up another one.

Maybe Mariah should re-think this wardrobe choice…

There’s a big shoe sale happening and we want in.

Why is Obama so adorable?

Oh no! Blanche!

Having just “celebrated” banned books week in America, I started thinking about the importance of reading, the beauty of stories and how much books enrich all of our lives. And most of my thoughts came back to one single theme:

W.T.Eff?

Banning books? Seriously? First Obama gets attacked from those crazy moms who think he’s out to brainwash children by giving them talks on the importance of education and now reading is bad for children, too?

The whole thing is just absurd. Have people even read the books they’re trying to ban? How can a story about a pooh named Winnie who likes to eat honey and play in the woods with his other anthropomorphic friends possibly be bad? It seems like a book that is deemed “good” and “appropriate” these days is a book that will not inform your child of the existence of sex, racism, violence, homosexuality, the devil, bad language, and any other concept that will cause children to ask you awkward questions. The whole banned books thing will probably cause my AP Literature class to be renamed AP Literature That Will Morally Damage Your Soul.

Does this mean we should ban Pokemon as well, since the little animals “evolve,” which therefore enforces the idea of evolution and is therefore anti-Christian and therefore is Satanic? Winnie the Pooh may be the poster child for the obesity epidemic, his friend Eeyore for depression, and Kanga for single moms everywhere, but that doesn’t mean our younger siblings can’t read about them. I happen to like Tigger, even if he does have ADHD. And although Harry Potter may have “witchcraft and wizardry” and whatnot, it’s still one of the most significant contributions to literature in our lives, and as such, should be available to anyone who wants to read it.

So let’s take the attention and money away from banning books and focus on some more important things that should be eradicated from this planet. Because in 2009 there are so many things worse than kids in capes flying around on broomsticks or finding a lion in your closet. Read More »

When I heard this morning that Barack Obama had been awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, I was pretty much speechless.  I’m not entirely sure how to react to this announcement.

On one hand, I’m undeniably an Obama supporter—even if I don’t have a graphic tee with his face emblazoned on it like most of my friends do. I read Dreams from my Father, voted for him (twice), and watched the election results breathlessly last year while furiously checking FiveThirtyEight every ten seconds. I love his eloquence, his poise, and everything he represents: the return of intellectualism to the White House and the possibility of improved race relations across the country. Plus, he graduated from my alma mater, even if he hates talking about it. And his wife is pretty kickass.

On the other hand… when I saw this SNL sketch last week, I couldn’t laugh because I was too busy cringing. I agree with most of the points that the Saturday Night Live crew is making: Obama’s rhetoric has rarely been matched by decisive action. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are still dragging on, healthcare is still a mess, and the recession hasn’t exactly ended, despite what some media outlets are saying. (Also, the sketch itself was just horrifically unfunny. SNL kind of blows this season… but I digress.) Read More »

Look who's on top of the world now, Oprah!

The International Olympic Committee’s votes are in, and despite the best efforts of Americans—including Oprah and President Obama—Chicago will not be hosting the summer games in 2016. Instead, that honor is going to Rio de Janeiro.

Let me repeat that: the International Olympic Committee snubbed Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama, probably the two most powerful people in the United States—maybe even the world. Chi-town got knocked out in the very first round of voting. What the hell, IOC? Who turns down Oprahbama? (On the flip side – why didn’t Oprah give the entire committee “A NEW CARRRRR!!” to sway their votes?)  Unless Rio somehow hypnotized the judges by having a bevy of hot Brazilian models stun them into submission, I cry shenanigans on this whole thing.

Okay, maybe it’s a little ridiculous that the Olympics have never taken place in a South American city. And I guess it hasn’t been very long since the US last hosted an Olympics in 2002. But come on. Salt Lake City, home of approximately four zillion Mormons and not much else, gets the Winter Games, but Chicago, the third-largest city in the nation and the birthplace of life-changing inventions like softball and deep dish pizza, gets the shaft? And for Rio de Janeiro, land of perpetual Carnival? The athletes are going to be too hung over to even compete! Read More »

Class all year? FML.

[It's pretty obvious that the average CollegeCandy reader has some very strong opinions. Opinions that she likes to share with everyone on the site. We love a strong woman, so we thought we'd give her a real forum to discuss her thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. Every Friday I'll be featuring a hot topic (like what is cheating!) and leaving it up to you, the readers, to duke it out. So, read it and get your debate on in the comments section below!]

There’s been some debate recently about increasing the number of days public school kids have to spend in class, and while you may be thinking “man, I’m glad I’m not in high school anymore,” think again. Colleges, especially public ones, generally follow the patterns set up by lower levels of schooling, which means that if they cut back on summer, you could kiss it goodbye too.

I’ll give you a moment to go find a paper bag to breathe into.

Proponents of adding school days to the calendar – including President Obama and the Education Secretary – note that American kids go to school fewer days than other countries, the same countries that tend to do better in math and science than we do. And, they claim, adding days has proven effective in some places in the U.S.  Loathe though I am to say it, they do have a point. Test scores do rise in schools that have longer school days and years. Read More »

When no one else likes you, adopt a baby!

Vera Wang designs EVERYTHING now.

Jay-Z was a drug dealer. Moving on…

Which blonde is it, John Mayer?

Is your crush crushing someone else?

So what does Obama’s healthcare plan mean for students?

Rehab seems to be the IT place these days.

Bad news for Bachelorette, Jillian Harris.

Let Obama vacation in peace, people.

10 things you should know about the clitoris.

KFC goes totally healthy. Not.

Would you wear these leggings?

Why you should care about health care.

Heidi Montag prepares for Miss Universe.

NY pays students for high test scores.

Is Michael Jackson’s doctor a murderer?

Wanna make your man jealous?

Jon Gosselin is a “dirtbag.”

Our gal pal is now a mom!

Obama takes on the health care critics.

The world’s cutest photobombs.

Now that’s a wedding!

Jon Gosselin pisses off another Kate.

Is stress damaging your skin?

[There are some women out there that we just can’t get out of our minds. No, we aren’t switching teams - yet - but we do have some serious crushes on some pretty fierce females. These ladies are all special in their own right and we aren’t ashamed to tell the world we love them.]

Despite the fact that I have issues pronouncing her last name, I have a huge girl crush on Hayden Panettiere.

Hayden has been around for awhile – starring in commercials at 11 months old, stealing the show at 11-years-old in Remember the Titans, and making appearances on The Guiding Light and One Life to Live – but my crush developed while watching her as Clare on Heroes, one of the kick-ass female leads. While Hayden may not have the ability to heal herself or run through fire in real life, she has shown herself to be a pretty kick-ass lady.

Hayden is an active animal-rights advocate.  She’s been arrested in Japan for interfering with a dolphin hunt, proving she’s not all talk.  On top of her work for animals, Hayden was also vocal during the 2008 election.  She was a strong supporter of Obama, though she encouraged young people to get out and vote before all else.

Like many celebs these days, Hayden has dealt with a lot of gossip and criticism. Who doesn’t remember when,   shortly after her 18th birthday, Hayden and co-star Milo Ventimiglia (who’s last name I also cannot pronounce), came out as an item? Normally this would have been in the tabloids based on the fact they are co-workers, but Hayden took an even bigger blow seeing as Milo is also 12 years her senior.

But she didn’t care. She just kept on going. Read More »