Japanese Penis Festival Celebrates Fertility • "Chia Obama" Deemed Inappropriate
• Yesterday, thousands gathered to celebrate the Steel Phallus festival in Kawasaki, Japan. The fertility festival traditionally falls on the first Sunday in April, and centers around a penis-venerating shrine. Sounds fun! •
• Playboy Enterprises has announced that their website is getting a conservative makeover to attract mainstream advertisers. • Broke consumers are eschewing traditional medicine in favor of vitamins in attempts to save a few bucks, the New York Times says. • Researchers believe that sex could be the cheap new way to cure hay fever. • Aw: 45 people volunteered several nights ago in New Haven, VT, to help carry salamanders, newts, and frogs across the road during their annual migration. These so-called “bucket brigades” are common throughout the Northeast. • Click here to see wax sculptures of Barack and Michelle Obama. • And if that doesn’t creep you out, here is a video of a Japanese robot that has been programmed to mimic baby behaviors. • A California man stabbed a woman in front of Toys ‘R’ Us, immediately laid down on the ground, and when confronted, claimed that “God made me do it.” • Indian men living in the U.S. are having a harder time finding brides willing to make the move to America since the economy has tanked. Many Indian women feel that it is safer to stay in India, where layoffs are not as widespread. • Annoyed by Madonna’s adoptions but unsure why? This article by Robin Givhan may help you figure it all out. • Not everyone loves April Fool’s pranks: the Taipei Times has received complains from the Taipei Zoo about their misleading “fake panda” story. • Now that Obama has lifted the ban on stem cell research, scientists are looking for donations of excess embryos to help them find cures for debilitating conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s. • Newsweek examines the gay love for Grey Gardens, and argues that gay icons may actually be kind of a bad thing. • Walgreens has pulled the “Chia Obama,” saying that the presidential house plant is not appropriate for sale. • New data shows that Nebraska is the “happiest” state, financially, with Iowa close behind. • And now for some truly terrible news: Researchers have identified a certain kind of yeast that can mutate rapidly, rendering anti-fungal medications ineffective. Ugh. • Atomic games is working on a new video game based on the Iraq war, currently titled “Six Days in Fallujah.” • More than 1 in 10 Britons say they would cheat if they could get away with it, according to a recent survey. • In India, soaps that focus on women’s issues are gaining in popularity, especially those about “girl child issues.” •