Hot off the Press: Brewers of the world unite!

There's a very interesting dilemma going on in China. The countryside is flooded with single men, and the cities are flooded with single women. However, despite intense pressure to marry and settle, the city girls don't want the country hicks: http://www.nrc.nl/international/Features/article2457263.ece/Millions_of_chinese_women_cannot_find_Mr._Right.

Here are two NYT op-ed pieces regarding the devastating earthquake in Haiti. This one gives a quick overview of Haiti's history and perspective about its hard situation made harder (though at the end there is a somewhat shameless plug for an organization the author works for; it seems like a good cause, but I just object to the way the author presented it): http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/opinion/14kidder.html. This is a good first person account of the aftermath: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/opinion/14bhatia.html.

Meet Mikey Hicks, an eight-year-old who unfortunately shares names with a suspected terrorist and must be aggressively screened at airports for security: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/nyregion/14watchlist.html?ref=us. This article is fucking precious.

Some believe the US obesity rate has plateaued (which, ironically, is a common term in the weight loss industry), while others say the data are inconclusive: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/health/14obese.html?ref=us.

The Den in downtown Iowa City started selling cigarettes individually four weeks ago. However, Iowa law requires cigs to be sold in packs of 20 or more, so The Den has stopped single sales: http://gazetteonline.com/top-story/2010/01/13/lights-out-for-single-cigarette-sales. I don't know why this is so quirky, but I wanted to post it anyway.

The justice department is requesting information from Monsanto, the developer of genetically modified corn and soybean, regarding the genes it uses for Roundup Ready seeds. The patent expires in 2014, but that's not why I'm posting this. Here's the reason:

"The company's patented genes are inserted into roughly 95 percent of all soybeans and 80 percent of all corn grown in the U.S."

Goddamn! That means only 5 percent of soybeans and 20 percent of corn in this country is organic: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100114/BUSINESS01/100114008/Monsanto-gets-Justice-Dept.-request-for-more-data.

A NYT "Op-Classic" review of Conan O'Brien's fledgling start on "Late Night"...written by Conan O'Brien: http://www.nytimes.com/ref/opinion/17opclassic_conan.html.

Speaking of Conan, here's a NYT article about NBC's long fall from grace: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/business/media/17nbc.html?ref=us.

Speaking of Conan, LAT columnist Gregory Rodriguez says "[t]here's nothing like real pain and suffering to make us realize that the stuff we tend to obsess about can be pretty meaningless.": http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-rodriguez18-2010jan18,0,6838851.column.

Even though classes are being cut and tuition raised to offset budget short-falls, the salaries of college presidents are still increasing: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/education/18college.html?hp. Interestingly, the presidents of Iowa and Iowa State, and a former president of Iowa (who I once interviewed), are among those who declined to take performance bonuses or salary increases. Good for them, but they still make too much money.

Two Iowa junk enthusiasts are the focus of 10-part series airing on the History Channel, "American Pickers": http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100118/LIFE/1180303/1039/Junkin-buddies-land-their-own-TV-show.

Workers at Belgian InBev! breweries are "striking," protesting planned job cuts (which everyone knew was coming; watch out, St. Louis). They have blocked the breweries so no materials go in and no beer comes out: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,672806,00.html.