Taking the Local out of Local Reporting A Pasadena, CA website is now outsourcing their local news reporting to India. Apparently saving money by having people report from half a world away will raise the quality of their journalism?

Password: MONKEY We're number six!!!!

Nickelback Recycles Why write new songs when you can just keep re-releasing the same one? WARNING: Flash and audio (kind of the point of the post, but just sayin'...) via.

411, now brought to you by Google Call 'em for free directory information (USA only, currently). You can even have the listing texted to your mobile phone when you're done.

I hurt myself today... It's not easy being green. Also, audio.

Free Land for the Taking ... in Anderson, Alaska. An interesting plan to increase economic development, devised by the local high school students (all 16 of 'em).

OMFG... "I snorted my father."

A Little Love for the Lefties Tired of smudging when you write? Someone's finally come up with an answer for you! via.

Kwik-E-Marts made real As a tie-in with the upcoming Simpsons Movie, eleven 7-11 stores are going to rebrand themselves as Kwik-E-Marts, complete with KrustyOs and Buzz cola. No word on the availability of Duff Beer or how many people named Apu will be needed. via.

CyberBullied Off Line Kathy Sierra, blogger of Creating Passionate Users, has been harassed and stalked online via posts to her and others' blogs to the point that she is too afraid to leave her house and attend the workshops she normally leads, much less lead her daily life.

Bong Hits 4 Jesus

Protecting Splenda Johnson & Johnson and Tate & Lyle, developers of sucralose, or as it's known commercially, Splenda, have spent a bunch of money and effort buying up any domain name that might possibly show their product in a negative light including www.splendakills.com, .org, .biz and .info. Apparently this is some sort of preemptive strike for when publicity eventually turns against them? via.

R2-D2 Mailboxes ...to celebrate George Lucas and 30 years of Star Wars, the US Postal Service will be dressing up mailboxes like the lovable droid.

Hypocrisy in politics? Whodathunkit? While perseprosecuting Bill Clinton for his Lewinsky affair, Newt Gingrich was stepping out on his missus. Do as I say, not as I do, mm?

Snickers' Super Homophobia For their contribution to SuperBowl advertising yesterday, Snickers ran an spot where two mechanics start eating a Snickers bar from opposite ends until they end up kissing, a la "Lady and the Tramp." Then, to prove how not gay they really are, they have to "do something manly" to compensate. The SuperBowl version has the men ripping out their chest hair as their proof of manliness, but other versions of the ad have the guys swilling motor oil or attacking each other violently in response. As if this wasn't explicitly disapproving enough for probably the most-viewed gay kiss ever on US TV, there is also an accompanying site which shows the ads and various football players being appalled by the kiss. I guess the only thing that satisfies more than Snickers is not being gay? via.

Moonites Paralyze Boston A marketing stunt for cable channel TBS's Aqua Teen Hunger Force backfired hideously because the geniuses behind the stunt forgot to notify the Boston Police Department. They are very sorry, however. Bugmenot login/pass for boston.com

That's so Book! In an interesting technical flavor to linguistics, T9 predictive text on mobile phones is now starting to have an effect on language. For example, 'book' now means 'cool' because when either is entered (2665) into a T9 predictive phone, 'book' is offered before 'cool,' and is now used in place of the latter. via.

Becks to play Stateside $250 mil to be the new Pele?

Thinning the herd. No, it wasn't Jackass he was imitating...

Virgin Dragon Prepares to Give Birth A festive story with holiday spirit.