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Today is International Men’s Day! A day for men to rejoice in their man-ness; to chest bump, beer drink, and barbecue to their heart’s content. Apparently the IMD website has other ideas about what International Men’s Day should be about, BUT they do have informative links about the “Development of Manhood” (don’t tell me you didn’t giggle when you saw that. You did.)

Really though, men are super awesome, and so handy! I would probably have eaten only a third of the pickles in my lifetime if it hadn’t been for some of the men in my life. (Sidenote: is it really necessary to vacuum seal those jars to the point of nearly cracking in on themselves from the pressure?)

However, if you don’t think helping ladies who lack in upper body strength is what being a man is all about, there is… Movember! Ah, the month of mustache and a socially acceptable excuse to look uber creepy/sleazy for an entire month. And hey, you’re raising money for prostate cancer, so if anyone gives you flack about your ‘mo you get to make them look like a total jerk.

And since we’re on the subject of awesomely hairy men, I leave you with this wonderful Rotten Tomatoes Show ditty, Ode to Chest Hair.

-Danielle

Got plans for tonight? Of course, you do–you’re tuning into The Thursday Night Block Party on Current, right?

Tonight, Current is kicking off a brand-new season of SuperNews! at 11/10c. This season will include the return of fan favorites including technology obsessed office workers Craig and Darren, the beleaguered Obama administration, the self-obsessed hipsters and continued scathing satires of today’s political, pop-culture, and infamous figures.

But that’s not all. The Thursday Night Block Party kicks off at 10/9c with a brand-new infoMania. This week, Sarah Haskins takes a look at home security in Target Women, so tune in to see her and the rest of the infoMania crew’s take on the week in news and entertainment. Missed an episode? Check out previous infoMania episodes on Current.com.

Then att 10:30/9:30c, tune in for a new episode of The Rotten Tomatoes Show. This week Brett and Ellen take on “Precious,” “The Men Who Stare At Goats” and “A Christmas Carol.” Watch previous episodes or leave a webcam with your review at The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current.com.

Finally, at 11/10c,  the new season of SuperNews! premieres.  Check out a sneak peek, or get a SuperNews primer on the SuperNews page.

Steph

If you’ve been staying on top of the news lately, it hasn’t been a very fun past few days. Aside from the events at Fort Hood, we’ve seen reports of a second shooting incident in Orlando, an Assistant Principal held hostage at a school in New York, and (albeit more locally) the ongoing perils of a the daily commute through the SF Bay Bridge s-curve.

This is seriously heavy stuff. Thankfully, there are a few bright spots amongst the gloom. Depending upon which side of the fence you fall on, recent developments with the health care reform bill could be seen as a bright spot. But that is largely dependent upon your personal perspective. What about news we can all agree on?

Well, lucky for you I have a few good news-related gems to consider:

• >> Feed 18,000 Needy People? A Five-Year-Old Could Do It — This is a great story about Phoebe Russell, a five-year-old student who raised money for the San Francisco Food Bank as part of a community service project, despite being told by her teacher that it “might be a bit ambitious for a five-year-old.”
• >> The Yes Men Fix an Interview — In an interview with Tonic.com, The Yes Men discuss their politically-charged antics as well as their new film, The Yes Men Fix the World.



• >> eBay WTF of the Day – Cat Eye Glasses for Jerks — Ok, this isn’t really news, but it’s funny. I’m not sure which is more absurd, the fact that these glasses exist, or that someone is actually attempting to sell them on eBay. Only one way to one-up this one, someone purchase these ASAP.

Astronomy nerds rejoice! 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy (yes, I’m kind of late on this one, but pjacobs51 was all over this, and in a timely manner, thanks for posting that video! and JanforGore linked to some phenomenal pictures too) commemorating “the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s use of a telescope to study the skies” along with a few other neat events.

Not doing a fist pump for this fun fact? Well, on the 17th the Leonid Meteor Shower should be a fun treat for those with clear skies (sorry Northwest, better luck never) and the word “doozie” was thrown around to describe this year’s shooting star display. That’s right, doozie. For those living in the US, the peak of the shower is expected to be at roughly 12:30 AM PST. And on November 17th at 12:30 AM I will be on my street corner in a bathrobe, popcorn in hand, staring up at the sky. (Don’t worry, I live in San Francisco, I’ll blend right it.)

Still being a hard to please grouch and don’t think the meteor shower is cool either? Well, there are plans to open a space hotel by 2012, guests would pay $4.4 million for a 3 night stay, no big deal. I could make some snarky comment about this, but really, as outrageous as this idea is, I think we can all agree it would be pretty awesome.

And hey, if you’re still not excited about all this cool astronomy stuff, at the very least you could use IYA as an excuse to drink- “Oh, why am I having this delicious beer at 2pm? I’m just celebrating International Year of Astronomy.” See? Totally legit. You just went from the person drinking during the day to the person drinking during the day with fun facts.

-Danielle

Maj. Nidal Malik is awake and talking. Sen. Joe Lieberman vows to investigate the events leading up Fort Hood, specifically seeking any evidence that the Army missed cues that Malik was showing signs of becoming an Islamic radical. Had said signs existed, then this could have led to Malik’s discharge, ergo preventing last week’s horrible events from ever transpiring.

Lieberman’s approach is sure to raise eyebrows, especially in light of some of the testimonies from those living in Fort Hood. JonRaymond pointed us to a story on MSNBC in which a woman shares her relationship with Malik under the protection of anonymity:

“Everyone else just sat down there and drunk their beer and looked at him and giggled at him,” the woman said, starting to cry. “They just would laugh at him when he walked down with his Muslim clothes. . . . He was mistreated. He didn’t have nobody. He was all alone. He went to his apartment there and was all alone.”

This is where things get sticky. Was the Fort Hood shooting the result of an Islamic radical enacting a master plan, or was it backlash against religious persecution within in a small concentrated environment? It would seem that Lieberman is suggesting the former, but if it turns out that the latter is actually the case this poses complications when considering the very reasons for founding the United States of America back in 1776.

This is where we’re at on Monday, and the Developing Stories approach to our coverage on Current.com is the vehicle which brought us here. Our community has acted as the driver, by pitching and scooping stories as they develop. If you’re interested, read details about participating in the Developing Stories process on the Current.com blog.

It will be interesting to see where this story will take us next.

There’s something about winter that makes it so tempting to spend a day inside, curled up with a blanket, a cup of tea, and a good book. So it’s a good thing that today is National Book Lovers Day–it’s the perfect excuse! Of course, if you’re not sure what to read Current is here to help.

Head on over to Booked for the latest literary news and check out what others on Current are talking about.

Ever wondered what to do with a book instead of reading it? Here are some tips! (I think this could be really useful for outdated reference books–I’m pretty sure I have a dictionary from 1995 sitting around somewhere–or old textbooks. Unless there’s a bustling market for outdated organic chemistry textbooks I don’t know about…)

If that’s not your thing, why not get some ideas about what to read next. How about a look at the story behind the upcoming movie, “Men Who Stare at Goats”? Or  a Hedge Fund manager’s look at the collapse of Wall Street? Maybe business is your thing–why not peruse a list of 101 business books. For a tasty look, why not flip through a cookbook chronicling a  year in cakes. (That one’s totally going on my reading list. Cake! Books! NPR! What’s not to love?)

And if none of that speaks to you–you can always pretend to be a literary elite. Max and Jason tell you how in Books by the Foot:

So whether you’re reading, or just impressing your guests will a wall of unread classics, enjoy National Book Day! And tell us what you’re reading.

Steph

It should come as no surprise that as someone whose job is to trawl Current.com, I’ve come across some pretty weird, icky and just plain odd stuff on the site. Luckily, my cringing, eep-ing and outbursts of profanity as a result of this seems to amuse those who work near me.

Today was no exception. I came across “Germany’s bald bears: Fur disease afflicts Dolores and baffles vets” that Trypnotik posted, and promptly choked on my coffee. I seriously thought it was a picture from some new movie with a horrible, scary killer animal thing. Upon closer inspection I learned that it was a bear that had lost all it’s hair. The nice, compassionate reaction would have been something like, “Oh, that’s terrible. Poor bear.” Mine was “Ah! Groooooss!” Not wanting to be the only one freaked out, I made the rest of the Online Community Team look at too. That does NOT look like a bear. It’s all leathery, wrinkled skin, horn-like ears, bulgey eyes and ginormous claws. I’m sorry bear, that really sucks, but EW.

This got us talking about what other animals would look really odd without hair. Naturally, we Googled it. Whoa man, let it be known that it’s not big, round eyes or floppy ears or little tails that make animals cute, it’s fur. Trust.

So for your twisted curiosity I’ve included some pictures of normally-hairy-hairless-animals. You’re welcome…and I’m sorry.

Ashes the Hairless Chimp

Hairless Rabbits

Xoloitzcuintle

Ok, fine, this one is featherless:

Featherless Chickens

-Danielle

Recently popularized in America by the big screen adaptation of Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s V for Vendetta, the opening sequence of this poem originated as part of an annual religious sermon to English royal subjects as a reminder of The Gunpowder Plot, and that treason would never be tolerated.

The sermon, originally entitled ‘Please to Remember the 5th of November’ is commonly read as:

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of* no reason

Why the Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent

To blow up the King and Parli’ment.

Three-score barrels of powder below

To prove old England’s overthrow;

By God’s providence he was catch’d (or by God’s mercy*)

With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring. (Holla*)

Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

The story goes that in the spring of 1604, Thomas Percy, resentful of England’s position towards Catholicism, plotted with a league of conspirators to detonate kegs of Gunpowder underneath the House of Lords for the purpose of killing King James and other prominent members of the Church of England, which would ultimately incite a revolt culminating in Catholic reformation across England.  Historical revue maintains that while the gunpowder had actually degraded to a state of uselessness, the full force of the blast would have been devastating:  complete demolition of the house of lords and residual impact to neighboring structures within a 1 km radius.

As the man chiefly responsible for ensuring the positioning and detonation of the powder kegs, Guy Fawkes has received considerable notoriety for his role in this event.  Specifically, the evening of November 5th is commonly referred to as “Guy Fawkes Night” and his image burned in effigy during bonfires while children ask for a ‘penny for the guy’.  These proceeds are used to purchase fireworks and candy.  Just as the Sun once never set on the English empire, this event is remembered among many of England’s most prominent colonies including New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa.

As mentioned earlier, Alan Moore used this event and Guy Fawkes as a plot device in his 10-issue comic book run V for Vendetta.  However, Mr. Moore reconsiders the significance of this event with startling insight.  Instead of using the Gunpowder plot as a means of inspiring loyalty to governance, Mr. Moore suggests government should always be mindful of the power of its citizens when united in common cause.

Yesterday we introduced a new experiment on Current.com called Developing Stories. As expected, there has been some confusion around the concept, but we’re working to clear things up as we go, after all it’s an experiment. Ed. Note — If you’ve already read our intro post, please re-read it as it’s been updated with information about pitching stories for consideration as Developing Stories. Thanks!

Our first ever Developing Story came from current89 titled, “House Dems set for health care vote: AARP to endorse bill.”

This morning, we have our first scoop. WakeUpPeople posted a story titled, “Bachmann calls on protestors to use scare tactics against Congress.” This was considered a scoop because it’s a new development in the health care reform bill story, so current89’s story has been removed from featuring on the Current.com homepage, removed from the Current Developing Stories group, and placed in the Developing Stories Archives. Also note, both of these stories have been connected via links in their comments.

It will be interesting to see how this develops going forward. Kudos to both current89 and WakeUpPeople for getting Developing Stories off and running!

Got a scoop? Want to suggest a story for development? Here’s how!

If you want to get your story on our radar for consideration, please tag it with “Current Developing Stories” when you submit to Current.com. PLEASE NOTE: Tagging is not the same as adding to a group. The “Current Developing Stories” is a CLOSED group managed by the editors, so you will not be able to add stories there. Tagging, however, will allow you to be seen by our editors we will monitor that tag for potential stories to develop.

Hello Current blog readers!  By now most of you are getting used to the new release and the updates to the Current.com submission tool.  There’s a lot of new ways to do things (check Mario’s blog post for a really good overview of the new goods), so today I’m gonna give a quick rundown of what I have hastily named ‘multi-clipping’ (if you have a better name for it please email me at bdorries@current.com).

What is multi-clipping?

Multi-clipping occurs when you to add multiple sources to the description field of your story. Instead of only getting to choose media from one source, you now get to browse all the media from each available source.  All you have to do is copy/paste the URL of your sources (as many as you want) into the bottom of your description text and the submission tool will do the rest.

Why so many sources?

Submitting multiple sources has two (that we’ve discovered so far) really beneficial and distinct applications.

1. Keep us updated. Let’s say a story breaks at 10:00 AM about jellyfish capsizing a Japanese fishing boat. It’s a really awesome story, it gets featured on the homepage and lots of people are commenting on it.  Two hours later at 12:00 PM another source reports that it wasn’t a Jellyfish at all but a Giant Squid – this is when you need to multi-clip.  Instead of going through all the trouble of changing the source article and finding an appropriate image, simply post the URL of the updated story in the description field.  After that just add some text updating your readers about the break in the story – and boom goes the dynamite – we’re up to date.
2. Let us know what you’re thinking (my favorite). Just like before, a jellyfish has capsized a Japanese fishing boat.  This reminds you of an article you read a couple years ago about a killer jellyfish population explosion as well as an article that gave some insight into possible causes and effects of the jellyfish population explosion. It’s time for multi-clipping.  Copy/paste the sources, choose your media and let us know what you’re thinking!

Those are just two possible applications for multi-clipping, if you find any more please let me know about them.  And as always please let us know how it’s going on our Get Satisfaction page.  We’ll have plenty more tips and tricks about the submission tool and other updates coming up in days to come – so check back often!

Thanks,

-Ben

bdorries@current.com

P.S. Here’s a great example of multi-clipping from Current online-producer Andrew Fitzgerald :

http://current.com/items/91327125_honduras-reaches-deal-zelaya-returning-to-power.htm