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Thanks to the stinky corpse flower the Houston Museum of Natural Science is seeing an influx of museum goers and a whole lot of green. In the past two weeks alone, ticket sales have topped more than a quarter of a million dollars as an eager public awaits the flower’s odorous bloom.

The flower in discussion is known as Lois. The exhibit has been gaining lots of media attention because of her rarity. Mildly reminiscent of Little Shop of Horrors, except for that whole carnivorous plant issue, Lois has become one of the most notable plants around town. The flower is an Amorphophallus titanium or titan arum, which has only bloomed 29 times in the U.S. This is the second corpse flower to bloom in the state of Texas.

The titan arum is known as a carrion flower or better yet as the corpse flower, due to its intense odor that is evocative of decomposed mammal parts. The plant’s meaty fragrance attracts carrion beetles and flesh flies that help pollinate it. Some have compared her scent from everything such as musty laundry to rotten pumpkins to dead fish, but that has not stopped faithful followers from flocking to see her. The museum has left its doors open 24 hours a day so that interested Houstonians can gather, take a picture and a whiff.

Taken from her natural tropical rainforest habitat in Sumatra, Indonesia, the Houston humidity seems to be a great fit for the blossoming beauty. The museum has taken further steps by creating a sauna-like preserve to increase growth and induce blooming.

Lois’s ridiculously large flower and column-like pillar in-between spans some six feet high. Research indicates that with enough sunlight and space she can grow up to 20 feet high, 15 feet across and 170 pounds in weight! Researchers are expecting her petals to fully bloom up to four or five feet within the next three to four days.

Lois has been steadily watched for signs of blooming. She has acquired so much publicity for herself and the museum that she even has her own live web cam stream and Twitter account! Interested parties can follow her progress online before spending $7.00 to visit the exhibit. Lois-mania has grown as distributors began selling Lois clothing and accessories. T-shirts and buttons can be purchased online or at the museum’s gift shop.

Lois has clearly been working on her own time frame though. Museum officials initially thought she would begin to bloom almost two weeks ago. To nudge things along, Lois’s caretakers have tried everything from plastic bags to composted fruit.

This past weekend, a Houston couple even had the rare opportunity to include Lois in their wedding as the ceremony was held in the museum’s butterfly center.

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I became a Gleek this summer. It hit me just within the past month. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Gleeks, it’s the name given to fans of FOX’s hit show, Glee. The show focuses around a group of talented high school misfits who just want to fit in and go about doing so by participating in the school’s glee club. I was hooked from the first episode I watched. I had the entire first season finished within a matter of days. Not only is the show funny, touching and entertaining, I can also relate. I was a member of my high school’s show choir all four years, so some of the situations on the show are close to home for me.

Although show choirs are a big deal in the Midwest (where I’m from), their popularity hasn’t spread far beyond. But Glee seems to be changing the way people view the arts and the show choir. Art organizations and summer camps are springing up with their own Glee-centric programs.

Many kids unfamiliar with show choir and musical theater seem to be catching the bug because of the television show. One high school in Washington instated a choir class focused on the show choir elements of dance, acting and singing after many students approached the choir teacher and asked him why a class like that wasn’t available.

A poll conducted by the National Association for Musical Education showed that 43% of choir instructors believed Glee has had an impact on students’ interest in their programs. At a school in Kettering, Ohio (the state where Glee takes place), some of the students who auditioned for show choir were finally persuaded to do so because of the program.

One student, Caitlin Dybvad, told the Dayton Daily News: “I was about half and half whether I would try out. ‘Glee’ convinced me. I wanted to try and be like them and what they are doing.” Choir directors who had show choirs before Glee don’t claim to see a huge difference in those auditioning for their groups, but they do see a trend of show choirs cropping up at schools that previously didn’t have them.

In a world where tight school budgets often lead to arts programs being the first to go, it seems that Glee may be just the thing to bring some interest to dying music programs. The show also may break stereotypes about who joins choir. In the show, four of the school’s football players join even though they endure ridicule from their teammates. More students may be influenced by the show’s messages.

Only time will tell what kind of impact Glee will have. It’s just in its infancy with one season, but has already caused a huge sensation. I think it’s already succeeded, however if it gets a few more kids to get involved that wouldn’t have before. That’s what the show is truly all about; creating a place for students to belong.

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On one of my recent visits to PerezHilton.com (I know I know it’s rotten and shallow but I’m kind of addicted) I noticed a shocking video of Filipina pop sensation Charice Pempengco receiving Botox injections. The little lady with a big voice is just 18-years-old!

The singer who rose to fame via her YouTube videos and various performances on Ellen and Oprah was seen “freshening up” her look before her upcoming guest spot on FOX’s Glee. Charice, who first auditioned for her upcoming role on the show in June, will begin filming after an upcoming tour.

The singer reportedly also underwent another anti-aging procedure to tighten her skin to make her naturally round face appear narrower. The doctor in charge of Charice’s injections is shown explaining that by manipulating certain muscles her cheeks have an “apple look” that is “cute.” Despite the footage, Charice’s publicist claims that none of the procedures were done for cosmetic reasons. She attributes Charice’s Botox experience to muscle tension in the jaw, and the tightening process was not for anti-aging, it was just a cleaning on her face.

The video footage can be accessed on both Perezhilton.com and YouTube. The doctor who is seen injecting Charice was later revealed to be her godmother. She is shown explaining that Charice’s jaw had widened due to excessive gum chewing. Not sure if Botox should be used to fight that. Plus I’ve heard of many different treatments for TMJ, the most common jaw locking syndrome.

Charice’s manager is shown explaining that Charice has a ton of touring to do between now and her Glee appearance so this is a necessary adjustment so she looks fresher on camera. The girl is barely 18, she’s the freshest she’ll ever be! Why must me corrupt our youth?

Interestingly enough, Glee is probably the most exposure Charice will undergo in America since her singing career skyrocketed just three years ago. Although she has recently been receiving some negative attention for her Botox stint.

With her very busy schedule, Charice deserves some R&R and the girl needs a little something to make her feel good or even better, but cosmetic enhancements are not the answer. She’s a hardworking and hopefully down-to-earth young girl, but she is merely a girl. The American obsession with staying youthful is truly starting to leak through the cracks and fill the laugh lines of teens that can’t even begin to wrinkle.

Botox is a poison that kills nerve cells so you don’t have wrinkles. Do we really want to encourage our teenagers to poison themselves to look “fresh?”

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I’ve never been a skinny girl. My roommates jokingly call me a “wooty” after a song they heard (“wooty” means a white girl with a booty). I’ve never felt that I was overweight, just average. So I was little taken aback when I read an entry on a style blog a couple weeks ago. A writer had gone to the huge Forever 21 in Times Square. She wanted to buy jeans, but the sizes only went up to 10. When asked where she could find the next size up, the salesgirl directed her to the plus-size section.

The average woman in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is 164 pounds and 5 feet 3 inches tall. The average waist size is 37 inches, the equivalent of a size 18. Now I know some may argue there’s a problem with obesity and unhealthy living in this country, and I won’t disagree; a healthy lifestyle is important. But we also have a problem with being weight-obsessed, and our media has created the idea that a size 0 is the only size that qualifies as “beautiful.”

I can relate to the blogger. Stores that I thought were intended for teens and young adults seem to be skewing toward a much younger (and skinnier) demographic. While everyone else at my high school was flocking to Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister, I stayed away. Anywhere else, I would have been a medium, maybe a small, depending on the article of clothing. At one of those stores? I was lucky if I fit into a large or extra large. I doubt one of my arms could even fit into a small shirt. Even lately with American Eagle, a store I love for their jeans, I find it impossible to find a size 8 pair in the store (I’m also short so I need petite length).

Some clothing companies have turned to “vanity sizing.” As people have gotten larger, designers have changed what sizes used to be in order to make women (and men) feel better that they fit into a smaller size. So a woman may be a size 10, but depending on the store, she could be an 8 or even a 6. However, I’ve never seen this at stores for younger people. If anything, it’s the opposite where the sizes just keep getting smaller. I avoid American Eagle more and more because my 20-year-old self is always surrounded by girls who can’t even be out of middle school yet. I’m shopping at a store where the girls have barely hit puberty and are half my size.

If these stores want to continue to appeal to a younger demographic, they need to take into account that not every girl is a size 0 or 2, even if they are in middle or high school. At 20, I think I fit right in the young adult category so shouldn’t I still be able to fit into the clothes?

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There are questions in life that fuel the mind’s curiosity and have us mulling over life’s peculiarities in the ultimate quest for truth. Time is one of those quests that seem to continue without a definite interpretation.

A few days ago as I was browsing through my Netflix instant stream queue, and I came across a quirky little independent sci-fi love dramedy called TiMER. The plot of the movie revolves around these revolutionary bio-technological implanted soul mate wrist timers. The TiMER is an innovative device that counts down to the exact moment in which individuals will lay eyes on their soul mate, assuming that person also has an implant.

This all sounds ground-breaking and very profitable, but for Oona, the lovely protagonist who lives in a near future that’s not a super fantasy Gattaca-esque setting as you might suppose. The backdrop reads ordinary modern day, but the future is clearly evident. Oona is frustrated because her timer is blank. It was first implanted in her arm when she was 14, the legal age for implantation, and it has yet to ever click on, indicating that her soul mate has yet to receive a timer himself. Oona’s younger brother Jesse receives his implant and finds his mate within three days of implantation. I can barely decide what shoes I’m going to wear for the day let alone comprehend the meaning of my soul mate at 14! Just as frustrated with life is Oona’s stepsister, Steph whose timer reveals that she has a little shy of 15 years to wait for her mate.

It sounds a bit nutty, but the film got me thinking about love, dating and the uncertainty of it all. A huge theme in the film circles around having a timer and knowing that you’ll eventually meet Mr. or Mrs. Right. But what do you do until then?

The film was cute, poignant and the characters were real people. What I liked most however are the questions it brought forth. If you knew in advance the exact day you would meet your soul mate, would you be more likely to spend the intervening weeks or years remaining chaste for that future partner, or would you try to squeeze in as many one-night stands and random hook-ups that apparently mean nothing beforehand? What does everyone in-between you and the one mean? Which is worse, knowing that your soul mate is still many years in your future, or meeting him or her while you’re still in junior high? Is the timer real fate or is it just a self-fulfilling prophecy? Thank goodness it’s currently fiction, and I don’t need to have all the answers.

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There’s no doubt that the country has followed the Bristol Palin/Levi Johnston drama since the 2008 presidential race when Palin’s now infamous mom, Sarah, was up for the vice presidency, and Palin announced her pregnancy. Even more drama ensued after Palin and Johnston broke up. Johnston and Palin’s mom got into a media war, going back-and-forth with their comments and allegations. Now the two have shocked America once again by revealing to Us Weekly recently that they’re engaged!

This came as shock not only because it wasn’t really known that the couple was back together, but after the bashing between Johnston and Palin’s mother, it would seem the relationship was irreparable. Johnston said he apologized to Palin’s family privately and has issued a statement publicly.

According to Palin, the two reunited after discussing a custody plan for the couple’s son, Tripp. She told Us Weekly: “ When he left that night, we didn’t hug or kiss, but I was thinking how different it was. He texted me ‘I miss you. I love you. I want to be with you again.’…I was in shock.” Sources have said the couple only ended their relationship because of pressure from Palin’s parents. But is she making the right decision getting back together with a guy who left her a single parent while bashing her and her family?

Palin has already said her mother isn’t all for her engagement: “She’s apprehensive and concerned about this. She doesn’t want to see me get hurt again.” She added that her family has more concerns than well-wishes for her.

For many people, our family influences us in numerous aspects. They provide a foundation for who we will be. We grow up with some of the same ideals we were surrounded with as kids. I know this is true for me. People may come and go (and have) in my life, but my constant has always been my family. If a guy disrespected my parents or another member of my family, I’d be done with him.

My advice to Palin: don’t rush into anything. The two got engaged after being back together for only three months and plan to marry soon. Palin wants to be a family and have a father figure for her son, Tripp. However, Tripp will have a dad either way. Johnston was involved in his life before and still would be if they weren’t a couple. Although circumstances are different for everyone, I’ve known enough couples who have had a baby but aren’t together now. Nowadays, a family isn’t mom, dad and kids. It’s defined in so many ways, and children don’t lack anything as long as they have love.

I respect Palin for her decision to keep her child and go on as a single mom. If she and Johnston are for real, I wish them the best since it may be a long, bumpy road until their relationship, and impending marriage, is accepted.

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Unfortunately one of the world’s most heinous hairstyles ever to emerge and thrive has actually become a cultural phenomenon. I’m speaking of the “Business in the front, Party in the back” or “Tennessee Waterfall.” The mullet hairstyle has branched out from country music videos to professional wrestlers all the way to trailer park circles.

Now we may not always agree with Iran on politics, but I think they’ve got a winner this time. The Daily Telegraph reports that Iranian officials have released a strict style guide for Iranian men to abide by. The government has comprised a list that includes a catalog of acceptable hairstyles. Fashions deemed inappropriate consist of slicked-back ponytails, long hair lengths, exaggerated spikes, and yes, the mullet.

Personally I think it’s a great idea. No man should ever need or want a mullet. Sorry Billy Ray, but someone’s got to say it. It’s just flat out tacky.

The hair handbook was published and issued earlier this month in hopes of eliminating distasteful western styles. The proposed styles have been chosen and inspired by the Iranian culture, complexion, and religion. Pompadours, facial hair such as goatees, and side parts are OK, but excessive use of hair gel is frowned upon. Barbershops offering western hairstyles beware. They have been fined and penalized in the past and officials are not afraid to do so again. First-time offenders will receive an unbecoming short-back-and-sides cut, but successive delinquents face stiffer fines.

Iran’s hard-faced Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has given the project its necessary stamp of authorization. Officials hope that the introduction of this ban will create some sort of social identity. The catalog is supposed to be in full circulation by the reveal of the Modesty and Veil Festival, an event geared towards promoting the new dress codes.

Although I’m all for banning the mullet and we could probably throw those pesky Bump Its in there too, I’m not quite sure if this is just another example of Iran’s oppressive organization limiting civilian rights. Or is bad hair an entirely different topic that should simply be left out of government ordinance?

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I’ve always been an advocate for women’s body confidence. Too many girls and young women get sucked into eating disorders and other unhealthy practices striving to be what is believed to be “beautiful.” That’s why I also was a big fan of Crystal Renn, who I first saw in Glamour magazine. Renn is a successful “plus-sized” model who used to battle anorexia early in her career. She has been an even greater success after embracing a larger figure. She even published a book, Hungry, about her struggle with weight and the fashion industry.

I was shocked, however, when I read an article that Renn had lost a large amount of weight and was teetering on the edge of sickly-skinny again. Photos from a recent Fashion for Passion shoot seemed to be evidence of this change in her physique.

Then the truth came out. Renn’s photos had been dramatically altered to make her seem much skinnier. She had been airbrushed to look sizes smaller. In an interview with The Today Show’s Meredith Viera, Renn discussed her reaction to the photos.

“When I first saw the photos, I would have to say I was absolutely shocked…I’m a size 10, and that’s more like a size 2,” she said. She went on to say that in the fashion industry “plus” means “plus the norm.” Those who have seen Renn in person say she isn’t large at all. Although she has lost 25 pounds since beginning her career as a larger model, she attributes the difference to healthy exercise not purposeful weight loss.

I was even more shocked by the airbrushing when I found out what Fashion for Passion actually is. The nonprofit organization was founded in March of this year and is geared toward advocating for children’s arts and music programs across the U. S. Their Web site states that a few things the organization hopes to raise funds for are music lessons, art classes and supplies, creative spaces and arts summer camps. Mostly, it provides opportunities for children to grow with the arts.

Arts programs are meant to nurture and develop talent, but also are meant to instill students with confidence and self-esteem. I was never that into sports, and I found an amazing outlet in middle and high school by participating in show choir, dance and drama; I had fun and that feeling of being on stage is incomparable. In raising funds and awareness for these types of programs, the photos of Renn are essentially counterproductive to create confidence. They instead give the message that students still need to be a certain way instead of embracing who they truly are.

I commend Renn for her advocacy for a world where size isn’t an issue. It’s disheartening that Fashion for Passion allowed her photos to be edited in such a way. We can learn a thing or two from her about courage and confidence, a lesson that Fashion for Passion should heed.

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Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? The process of finding the ideal baby name is one that parents often take very seriously over the course of a pregnancy. Should it reflect a loved one passed, have religious or cultural significance, or be unique? With celebrity baby names like Apple, Diva Thin Muffin, and Pilot Inspektor floating around, it seems there’s no limit to how extreme a baby’s name can be. Yet for every wacky name we hear of, thousands more are being denied as official. Can limitations really be set on what you name your child?

In some nations, there are laws in place that stipulate names must be approved by certain parties before going on a birth certificate. In Finland, if you wish your child to be baptized, the name must be approved by a minister. If you want your child to be added into the national census, the name must be presented before a committee which will then deem the name acceptable or not. The Finnish laws consist of different factors from having no more than three first names, being gender-specific, no sibling can retain the same first name, and it must not be a curse word or derogatory term.

Particular countries set laws in order to preserve traditional names. In France, saint names are commonly used and encouraged in order to protect historical and religious figures from Marie (Mary) to Jean-Baptiste (John the Baptist). Heritage plays a predominant role in the naming process and it’s common to be named after parents or grandparents.

The 1982 naming law put in place in Sweden has allowed for names like Lego and Google to be approved while Superman, Metallica and even Elvis were denied. Parents have fought tooth-and-nail to try to uniquely name their children like the case of the Swedish family striving to call their baby son Q and New Zealand parents requesting the moniker 4 Real.

On a personal level, while I don’t think that off-the-wall baby names should be condemned, it’s important to consider the impact a name can have on a child. While wanting to represent your favorite movie character from Superman (referring to Kal-El, Nicolas Cage’s son) or controversial regime leaders (referring to a child named Adolf Hitler Campbell in Easton, PA.), please consider the long-term impact such a name could generate for the child in their daily lives.

So would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? Yes, of course. No name, despite how commonplace or outrageous, can alter one’s personality. Undoubtedly, little Apple, Diva Thin Muffin and even Adolf Hitler Campbell will grow up to be exceptional adults through the love and guidance of their parents. Though, if Apple was named Anna, Diva Thin Muffin was named Dina, and Adolf Hitler was named Andrew Henry, do you think it would make their lives easier? Only time will tell when these little tots can tell us how their name affected their lives.

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I hope I’m not alone when I say I’m a huge fan of the multiple Real Housewives series on Bravo. I tune in every season for the antics of the women from the different cities. Right now, I’m glued to the New Jersey housewives; it’s probably my favorite one. I just saw the explosive weave-pulling debacle and fight. Despite the drama, however, one part of the storyline this season has really stuck out to me. Caroline Manzo’s son, Albie, was told he could not return to his law school. When he appealed because of his learning disability, he was told that he should rethink his choice of career since he would not make a suitable lawyer with such a disability. Manzo’s struggle has sparked a lot of discussion.

Students with learning disabilities struggle and have to work much harder than the average student. Manzo said it would take him three times to read a paragraph before he fully understood it, so naturally it took him longer to get work accomplished. According to what he said on the show, he needed a 2.0 to stay in school; he received a 1.9, which is why he appealed to his school’s board. The school also allegedly knew that Manzo had a learning disability when he was admitted.

I couldn’t find numbers or research on law school students with disabilities; they seem to be an underrepresented population. But many schools do have resources for students with disabilities.

At my own university, we have the McBurney Disability Resource Center. This department exists solely to assist students with disabilities. Services range from note-taking to signing for hearing-impaired students to providing alternative testing times and sites. They also teach skills to students with learning disabilities to help them study and achieve success.

The center acts as a resource for UW Law School students. The law school itself has a Student-Faculty Committee on Disabilities which handles policy issues pertaining to students with disabilities and acts as an advocate on behalf of students. Another interesting program for law students is the Mentor Program for Law Students with Disabilities. This program is conducted by the American Bar Association and matches students with practicing lawyers who have a similar disability. It demonstrates that lawyers with disabilities can and do succeed.

The fact that there are resources like these makes me wonder why Manzo’s law school took such a negative attitude. Although the public doesn’t know all the details, I believe that schools should aid students in their quest for success, including helping students with learning disabilities. Some say this generation of young people has been deceived; our parents have told us we can do anything, and the reality is that we probably can’t. I don’t believe this. I applaud Albie Manzo and other students with learning disabilities. We are only daunted by what we allow to daunt us. We can all learn from Manzo to fight for what we want and never give up.

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