Barack Obama Refuses 'Boxers or Briefs' Question

Leave it to US Magazine to ask the really important questions. Read Barack's answers.

Facebook

Yes, we're hip. We're on the cutting edge. WVPE now has a Facebook group. It's in the baby stages, but that doesn't mean you can't join!

Stuff White People Like

If you missed it, Talk of the Nation featured a hot new blog called Stuff White People Like.

Since I didn't see a concise list, I made one.

#1 Coffee
#2 Religions that their parents don’t belong to
#3 Film Festivals
#4 Assists
#5 Farmers Markets
#6 Organic Food
#7 Diversity
#8 Barack Obama
#9 Making you feel bad about not going outside
#10 Wes Anderson movies
#11 Asian Girls
#12 Non-Profit Organizations
#13 Tea
#14 Having Black Friends
#15 Yoga
#16 “Gifted” Children
#17 Hating their parents
#18 Awareness
#19 Traveling
#20 Being an expert on YOUR culture
#21 Writer’s Workshops
#22 Having Two Last Names
#23 Microbreweries
#24 Wine
#25 David Sedaris
#26 Manhattan (now Brooklyn too!)
#27 Marathons
#28 Not Having a TV
#29 80s Night
#30 Wrigley Field
#31 Snowboarding
#32 Vegan/Vegetarianism
#33 Marijuana
#34 Architecture
#35 The Daily Show/Colbert Report
#36 Breakfast Places
#37 Renovations
#38 Arrested Development
#39 Netflix
#40 Apple Products
#41 Indie Music
#42 Sushi
#43 Plays
#44 Public Radio
#45 Asian Fusion Food
#46 The Sunday New York Times
#48 Whole Foods and Grocery Co-ops
#49 Vintage
#50 Irony
#51 Living by the water
#52 Sarah Silverman
#53 Dogs
#54 Kitchen Gadgets
#55 Apologies
#56 Lawyers
#57 Juno
#58 Japan
#59 Natural Medicine
#60 Toyota Prius
#61 Bicycles
#62 Knowing what’s best for poor people
#63 Expensive Sandwiches
#64 Recycling
#65 Co-Ed Sports
#66 Divorce
#67 Standing Still at Concerts
#68 Michel Gondry
#69 Mos Def
#70 Difficult Breakups
#71 Being the only white person around
#72 Study Abroad
#73 Gentrification
#74 Oscar Parties
#75 Threatening to Move to Canada
#76 Bottles of Water

How white are you? 48 out of 76 entries describe me.

Lane Bryant honors those lost

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Lane Bryant has announced the establishment of The Lane Bryant Tinley Park Memorial Fund to honor the lives and memories of the five women who lost their lives on February 2, 2008 in Tinley Park. The Memorial Fund is being administered through Harris Bank, and is intended to provide financial assistance to the immediate families of the victims.

Read the rest of the story here.

Detective Munch

I knew Richard Blezer's character appeared on a few different Law and Order series, but I didn't realize he went into Arrested Development and X-Files territory. If you missed his interview on Morning Edition, like I did, check it out here.

Choo-choo!

Especially in this period of high gas prices and small global footprints, I generally travel by South Shore when I make my regular pilgrimages to Chicago. There have been plans to update the line and shorten the trip for 'Benders, but it looks like things might take a little longer. Check out the full story.

Re-Oscars

The star-studded red-carpet event of the year (in my eyes) happens this Sunday. That's right, the strike is over and the Oscars will be on like Donkey Kong (which reminds me, you should see the documentary The King of Kong). Certainly, we don't always agree with the Academy's choice for winners. Time has an article revisiting the 1998 Oscars. Should Titanic have won eleven?

Stacked deck

Sometimes when I'm in the middle of an intellectual conversation about current events, I step outside myself and think, "Really, Kelly, you actually know this information?" Before I became a devout WVPE listener (yes, this was before I became a WVPE employee), I would just smile and nod when people were getting into detailed discussion about today's news. I can always go on about what's happening to the newest tragic Hollywood starlet, but politics was never a strong point. Now, as I entertain myself listening to 88.1, I'm also getting an education.

Here's an example: Last night at the eucher table, I was sharing information from Terry Gross' interview with NYT reporter David Kirkpatrick about the McCain's runningmate quandry and how Huckabee's race may be influencing it. (It's quite interesting, you should listen.) Boy, did I feel like a smartie.

When's the last time you've said "I heard on WVPE...."?

Six Word Memoir

This is a busy blog day...

Write your own six-word memoir! This was a very cool TOTN segment. The ones on the TOTN site are so juicy, I can't pick my favorite. SO, I've written my own:

Renaissance feminist not lacking in confidence.

What is yours? We wanna know!

The strike is almost over, right?

I am one of those film lovers praying that the Writes Guild of America strike ends quickly and in the writers' favor. And before the Oscars on February 24. I've seen an obscene amount of movies released in 2007 (87 to be exact) and I love watching to see if my favorites are going to take home the golden guy.

There has been plenty of buzz about the recent talks between the producers and the writers predicting that the show will go on. Without an agreement, the writers won't support the Oscars and actors won't cross picket lines. Basically, we'll end up with a lame press conference like the Golden Globes.

Joss Whedon, the writer/producer/director behind all things Buffy, has written an inspiring letter to his fellow strikers. Unfortunately for red-carpet followers like me, he denounces the importance of one awards show. Yeah, yeah, yeah, what he says is good and all, but I still have my fingers crossed and my at-home ballet ready.

FEMA Flood Relief

This morning Michael Linville reported that the St. Joe River is nearly four feet above flood stage in South Bend and about a foot and a half above flood stage in Elkhart, with the river expected to crest in both areas tomorrow or early Saturday. The Elkhart River in Goshen already crested three and a half feet above flood stage yesterday.

The Red Cross has set up local shelters for resident's displaced by flooding. The Goshen shelter is at Goshen City Church at 203 North 5th Street. In Elkhart the shelter is at the Red Cross building at 721 Riverview Drive.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is touring Elkhart County today. Funds may be available for residents who have suffered sever damage from the January 7th storms. Assistance requests can be made online at www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 between 8 a.m and 6 p.m. today.

Middle Monday

There was an upset at the Superbowl last night. If you missed it, here is a recap.




If you are more interested in the commercials. You can find the top five here.



The South Bend Tribune is looking for community members to talk about politics between now and the campaign. Send an e-mail highlighting your political views and a little about your life to Tribune Staff Writer Ed Ronco at eronco@sbtinfo.com.

One of the women killed at a Chicago-area Lane Bryant was from South Bend. Read an updated story here.