Recently by Emily Marotta

I cannot wait to get back to Cleveland, Ohio.

People say it's the Mistake on the Lake, but really, it's just home. When it comes to comparing Kansas and Ohio, at this point in time I don't see much of a difference. But I'd take Cleveland over Lawrence/Kansas City any day.

A wise man once said, "Cleveland rocks!" and he's not far from the truth. The longer I am away from home, the more I appreciate it. I've been fortunate in my last nineteen years and have had many opportunities to travel to cities around the US and in other countries. I'm sure in my next three years here in Lawrence I will discover more of its quirks and unique offerings. But so far, Cleveland has yet to be topped when it comes to quirks and uniqueness.

In Cleveland, national championships are hard to come by. Yet in our athletic hardships, Browns and Indians fans are one of a kind and arguably the most loyal in the NFL and MLB, respectively.

When it comes to basketball, all anyone has to say is LeBron and they know what's up. In Cleveland, we say his name a little differently. It's something like "LEBRAAAAAAWWWWWWNNNNNNN!!!"

Our river caught on fire. The best part about that fact is listening to a non-Clevelander try to pronounce our river. Cuyahoga (pronounced Ki-uh-HOE-guh).

Our newspaper is published at a 6th grade reading level. There are no bragging rights in that, it's just interesting.

Lake-effect snow trumps global warming. We have snow days in late April and you can wear t-shirts, shorts and sandals in February.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is one of a kind. And we have it.

We have one windmill in Cleveland. I hardly ever see it in motion.

The West Side of Cleveland, or the Wesside if you will, is completely different from the city's East Side, or the Easside. The city is divided by the Cuyahoga. I'm from the Easside and it practically feels like you need a passport to cross the river. Everyone from the Wesside looks, talks and dresses the same. And no person under the age of 24 knows what a non-religious affiliated private school is. No one.

Forget Vermont, the best maple syrup comes from University School, in Hunting Valley. (Nota Bene: University School is actually a high school. A private one. On the Easside. Wessiders have no chance in understanding.)

The best place to party in Cleveland is not actually in the city, or its suburbs. It's out on the lake. If you're ever in the area in the summer check out Put-In-Bay. And bring your mardi gras beads.

People on TV with are trained to talk with Cleveland accents. Cool, right?

Ask anyone in Cleveland why Pittsburgh or Baltimore is awful. You get unifying answers. I have never before seen one city in such agreement over one issue.

You know Hank Aaron, and Cy Young? Cleveland does.

How about Mushroomhead, Nine Inch Nails, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Filter? Yeah, Cleveland does.

Twenty minutes in a car in one direction and you hit Tower City. Twenty minutes in the opposite direction and you can go cow tipping, if that's your kind of thing.

Cleveland has a little bit of everybody: the rich, the poor, the black the white, the Italian gangsters and walleye fishermen. There are the corn growers and the heart surgeons, Grady Sizemore and me, the inventor of Mr. Coffee and a host for Who's Line, all in the same little town.

I like Lawrence enough, but it has yet to stack up. I look forward to the fall and the next school year, but until then, I can't wait to be home...

The Jake, Cedar Point, the Lake, Little Italy, the Grog Shop, the Falls and some action in the Flats...it'll sure to be a good time.

I love how everyone wants to become a one-hit-youtube-wonder these days. Here's the latest and greatest from Oliver Hall.

I hate to say it, but it's actually really funny.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2UVtCXO_dUY

I find television programming today frustrating. Reality TV (whatever that is) has taken local and cable networks by storm. The news and sports have their respective places and I feel like the rest of air time is clogged up with reruns. Don't get me wrong, I can always go for a rerun of Friends, or Home Improvement, but until recently I have lacked a fresh TV show to really call my own.

Enter, The Big Bang Theory.

It's fresh, it's funny, and it's smart (okay, it's nerdy). Producer Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men) has put together a brand new cast of characters. Big Bang's plot revolves around four geniuses (two Cal Tech physicists, an engineer and another scientist that also work for the University) and a pretty, free-spirited girl, Penny, who lives across the hall from the two physicists in their apartment. As you can imagine, the dialog between the geniuses is witty and oh-so-nerdy. Each guy has his quirks that make him unique and funny, and the four continually try to impress the lovely Penny.

If you don't have to to keep up with a show, no worries. Much unlike Lost, you don't have to watch every second of every episode IN ORDER to understand what the heck is going on. The show airs on Monday nights at 8:00pm est. and CBS posts the episodes after their air on their Web site. There are usually the last 4 or 5 episodes on the Web site. Next week will be the 15th episode, so if you'd like to catch up, the last 4 are up right now.

I suggest you guys check it out.
"Math, science, history, unraveling the mystery, it all started with the big bang. BANG!"

There is a group on Facebook called Chase+1 that was created by Chase credit cards. Every day there is different multiple choice question for group members to answer in 15 seconds or less.

If you know, or guess, the correct answer you are awarded a "Karma Point." Basically, a karma point is equal to one dollar. As you play, you accumulate these karma points and once you have enough, about 8 or 9, you can start using them in the Chase Store. You can purchase (basically for free) CDs, DVDs, camera memory disks, video games, wine glasses, bottle openers, and a whole lot more. It's a neat concept.

Not to mention, you do not need a Chase credit card to play along. If you do have one, you can register your credit card and I believe you get more rewards and bonuses.

You guys should check it out, it's pretty neat.

And the answer to todays question is Armadillos.

I can't figure out how to post a video, but I found this on CNN.com and thought it was super interesting.

It's about the polygamist ranch in Texas. Apparently children were taken by US authorities from the ranch because few women that have escaped have spoken out about the ranch being unsafe.

Children as young as 8 and old (yet still young) as 16 are forced into marriages with older men (about 30-40 years old). It has also been documented that the men beat their wives, and have the children beat or assist in the beating of the wives.

The few people and organizations that are fighting the battle of child safety in the polygamist cult in Arizona and Utah have run up against polygamist leaders that continually pull the "freedom of religion" card.

...and somehow that still overrides the safety and well being of children and young men and woman in their teens.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2008/04/14/cooper.kathleen.int.cnn

I'm sure you will appreciate this this article from MSNBC as I did.

Bernie Peng is a computer programmer. He wanted to ask his girlfriend to marry him, so he spent a month reprogramming his girlfriend's favorite video game, Bejeweled, so that when she reached a certain score a wedding ring and "the question" would pop up on the screen.

She reached that score, and she said yes.

What's crazier!, is that the company that designed Bejeweled, PopCap, is flying the couple to Seattle as part of their honeymoon. And paying for copies of Bejeweled for every guest at the Peng wedding.

By the way, my boyfriend sent me this article. I hope he doesn't get all his romantic ideas from Bernie :)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24126242/from/ET/

The whole world is never going to agree on every economic, political, and social issue there is. There are too many people and nations with different ethical, moral, and religious beliefs to make total agreement possible. But I'd like to think that there can be at least one thing, one event, that (most) everyone can enjoy together, that being the Olympic games. Heck, not everyone has to agree all the time either with the Olympics, they only come around once every 4 years and they do not stick around for to long either.

The Olympic games is a time when each country represented can take pride in its citizen athletes and its nation. The Olympics is a time where people sitting at home can marvel at the TV screen, watching the best of the best.

Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is calling the Bush administration to skip the Olympic opening ceremonies in China. I suppose she has a justified reason being that she does not want to make it seem as if the United States supports the Chinese support of the Sundanese government in Darfur. But I don't think by our nation's President skipping the Olympic opening ceremonies will have an impact like Sen. Clinton wants.

For the full story, click this link:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/07/clinton.olympics/index.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrxmpihCjqw&feature=bz303

Happy April Fools, everyone.

Yahoo Health recently published an article informing consumers of an over-the-counter paternity test, Identigene. The kit itself costs $30 and contains a swab for collecting a sample of saliva. The swab is then sent to the Identigene DNA testing laboratories, processed for an additional $119 and the results of the paternity test are then mailed, or emailed to the consumer, or located on a secured Web site within 3 to 5 business days.

4,363 Rite Aid drug stores carry this new over-the-counter paternity test. New York is the only state that does not carry Identigene. "The paternity test kit is already a hit in California, Washington and Oregon states, where they have been selling on a trial basis since November, Identigene said." Identigene is popular with women who want to know their child, or children's father and folks seeking their biological parents.

This particular DNA test will not hold up as evidence in a court of law.

This idea is strange to me at first, but I think Identigene will make a lot of money off its product and this this DIY DNA test is just a look into our future of medicine and health care.

For more information visit http://health.yahoo.com/news/afp/ushealthdna_080326224747.html or go to your local Rite Aid and see your parents really are who they say they are :)