the jersey shore is dts. down to sing.

Oh, Jersey Shore. How does America obsess over thee?
Let me count the ways.
We obsess over Snooki poufs, thee Situation's abs and who next Pauly D will hump.
And when ye are not on MTV on Thursday night,
America freaks out from GTL deprivation and a lack of fist pump.

Yes, Americans are absolutely obsessed with the Jersey Shore. So what to do when it seems like we just can't get enough gym, tanning and laundry?

Make a musical.

A Jersey Shoresical, actually.

Remember this guy? From the movie Mean Girls with Lindsay Lohan? He was Lindsay Lohan's "too gay to function" friend. Perhaps, "You go, Glen Coco" rings a bell?

Well, the actor's name is Daniel Franzese. Born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Fort Lauderdale, FL, the actor is most famous for his role in Mean Girls as well as cameos in many TV series such as Party Down, The Comeback and Burn Notice.

Daniel and his partner in salacious shore crime, Hanna LoPatin, decided to take TV's biggest guilty pleasure and add music to create JERSEY SHOREsical: A FRICKIN' ROCK OPERA.

Featuring all your favorite train wrecks (JWOWW, Vinny, and the whole crew), the rock opera focuses on all the same plotlines and chaos as the show. But don't be deterred from attending if you're not a Jersey fan, as David Sheward stated in his review, "Luckily, you don't have to be a fan of the series to enjoy Jersey Shoresical: A passing knowledge of Snooki, Mike "The Situation", JWoww and their less-than-intellectual roommates is all that is necessary to appreciate Daniel Franzese and Hanna LoPatin's 'frickin'' rock opera."

Apart from writing the hysterical songs and "minimal book", Daniel and Hanna star in the musical (see cast photo above), which is currently at the Bleecker Theater as part of the New York International Fringe Festival.

Interested in learning more about the Jersey Shoresical? Check out the complete cast list and dates or read David Sheward's complete review here of the hellaciously hilarious parody that is sure to have you GTL* and fist pump all the way home.

*Get the laughs. Duh.

the dictionary should officially come with pictures.

Recently, the Oxford English Dictionary released a list of words that are being added to the 12th addition of the OED.

There are 400 words being added. Some of these words include "retweet", "noob", "cyberbullying" and "jeggings".

Oh yes. JEGGINGS.

For those of you gentlemen who are wondering what "jeggings" are and aren't just looking at the picture of the woman's ass, "jeggings" are jean-leggings. They came about in the late-2000's because there was a higher demand for an even tighter style of pant.

For all the females out there thinking "Seriously? What is the Oxford English Dictionary thinking?", well, ladies, we're all right there with you.

Except that's not even the most shocking word that made it in.

Oh no. They couldn't just stop at jean-leggings. They had to throw something really offensive in there.

Mankini.

If this picture doesn't help to jog your memory, perhaps you'll remember the movie Borat and Sacha Baron Cohen's lime, neon green banana hammock/thong combo.

Yep, that's it. (When you're finished gagging, I'll continue.)

Apparently, Telegraph UK is reporting that the OED is sticking behind their decision to add these words too, saying, "The new words were selected after being entered into a database of 2 billion words drawn from contemporary websites and texts to prove their ubiquity." Angus Stevenson, dictionary editor, continued, "We get as much evidence as we can so we know it's not just a small number of people using the word and it's not going to disappear."

Oh how we wish it would disappear.

But it looks like "jeggings" and "mankini" are here to stay.

why an east coast earthquake is funny.

No. The rubble, evacutations, devastation and sheer chaos are not what's funny. Obviously.

It was the absolute hilarity that ensued on Twitter as an aftershock to the "highly unusual" East Coast quake yesterday.

Time's technology, culture and society writer, Nick Carbone, compiled the 13 Best Tweets about the East Coast Earthquake soon after the 5.8 quake had subsided.

Talk about keeping a sunny side up. Take a look at some the best tweets:

For the entire list of ridiculously awesome tweets, check out Time's NewsFeed!

where has all the good food gone?

Once upon a time, a few months ago, Michelle Obama unveiled the new "food pyramid" as MyPlate; a simplified version of the old, boring way to make sure you're receiving the right nutrients, etc.

If you've been living under a rock, the "plate" (seen below beside the old food pyramid) was designed to be a "quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we’re eating,” Mrs. Obama explained.

The First Lady has been campaigning against obesity since the President came into office just under four years ago, developing programs such as "Let's Move!" as well as her devotion to the reconstruction of the nutrition guide.

My issue is not with Mrs. Obama's valiant efforts to fight the fat. Nor is it the accuracy and appeal of the new and improved "pyramid", MyPlate. And although the serious issue is obesity, that's actually not the real issue here either.

It's that itty bitty tip of the triangle that is unloved, unappreciated and has quite an awful reputation.

Allow me to preface by saying: Hi. I'm a sugar addict. I don't think I've ever been fully "sugar sober", hence this post and the reason for bringing up the following question:

WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD FOODS GONE?

The sugary goodness, used sparingly, that onced topped the pyramid is no longer a part of the "plate". And with obesity wreaking havoc across the country, some delicious treats have simply disappeared over time as well.

Take, for instance, Dunkaroos. The product became a HUGE hit in 1995 and now, they are almost impossible to find.

What about French Toast Crunch, Squeezits or Apple Newtons? Yes, all gone.

Obesity, known as America's Epidemic, really has been doing a number on us. School lunches are monitored, certain companies have banned vending machines, all trying to make a statement about the utter importance of our health.

But, coming from a repeat sugar-holic, is that any reason to punish the delicious treats of our past?

So, what exactly are kids nowadays missing out on? Check out the 20 Best Things in Your Lunch from the '90's. Memories have never tasted so good.

the greatest love affair.

And it's not Stamos and Saget.

It all began around 1969. Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets, had the idea to add a friendly duo to his newest TV creation, Sesame Street. Henson wanted to show his audience that people can be friends, regardless of how different they are.

Henson drew up (or scribbled) a simple design for the duo, which Don Sahlin actually built, and Bert and Ernie were born.

Ernie is chubby and orange while Bert is yellow and rather thin. It is thought that Henson was trying to mimic similarities seen in the great Abbott and Costello. When it comes to personalities, Ernie was more of the "happy-go-lucky" type while Bert was known for being somewhat mean, mature and often "boring".

The Sesame Street pilot, which originally aired to select families in 1969, did not do well. The only part of the pilot that received any recognition was a brief appearance by Bert and Ernie. This prompted Henson to decide that the muppets/puppets would be the stars of the show, often interacting with humans, which had not been done in the original pilot.

Since that glorious day, it has been a match made it puppet heaven. Bert and Ernie have lived in an apartment in the basement of 123 Sesame Street. Their skits have followed a similar pattern: Ernie would come up with some ridiculous idea in which Bert would have to calmly talk him out of it. The end result would be Bert losing his temper and Ernie continuing to stay completely oblivious to the ridiculousness of his own idea.

For 45 years, Bert and Ernie have been "together"; living in the same apartment, sleeping in separate beds (although they do sleep in the same room), hanging with their mutual pals like Big Bird and the crew. Their actual sexual orientation has been the subject for debate for decades.

45 YEARS! What is the law regarding common law marriage?

Well recently, a similar question has been asked, making the dynamic duo a topic for discussion for newspapers, blogs and, more specifically, Change.org.

Since gay marriage is now legal in the state of New York, one Chicago resident, Lair Scott, has been fighting for the two muppets to take the plunge and tie the knot with a recent petition.

"We are not asking

Sesame Street

to do anything crude or disrespectful," Scott told ABC News. "It can be done in a tasteful way. Let us teach tolerance of those that are different."

But as quickly as Scott's petition began, a rebuttal swiftly followed. Their "love affair" may be the longest and greatest of all we've seen, looks like it's a no to the nuptials.

Not only did a petition to stop Bert and Ernie from getting married pop up, but the Sesame Workshop President and CEO, Gary Knell, spoke as well stating, "Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves."

Knell continued by discussing the idea that Bert and Ernie are gay explaining, "Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics ... they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation. They do not exist below the waist."

Marriage or not, the idea of Bert and Ernie together sparks a great debate in a time when Henson's original intention of the duo, to show that "people can be friends, even though they're different" or the acceptance of differences, is an extremely important discussion in today's society.

For more information about the nuptials of our famous friends, visit The Washington Post.

teach me how to cuddle.

Yes, kind of like teach me how to dougie. Only cuter.

And with Stamos.

Lately, celebrities have been giving their charities a lot of lovin' with some serious PSA action.

Charities, projects and organizations such as "It Gets Better", "Rock the Vote 2012" and "End Hunger" have been a few of the front runners, having major names headlining their most recent public service annoucements.

These celebrity PSAs are touching (hello? Sarah MacLachlan and the ASPCA. Tears. Every. Time.) and inspiring (the amazing commerical by Google Chrome featuring all the celeb PSAs).

But there are two celebrity PSAs in particular that have been making news headlines in the past few weeks...

And it's because of pictures like these!

Yes. That is John Stamos and Bob Saget. Together. Holding each other ever so gently. And yes, they are teaching you how to cuddle.

Stamos, who is the Advisory Board President and National Spokesperson for "Project Cuddle", his nonprofit that works to save abandoned babies in the U.S. and Canada, created the PSA to raise awareness about the organization. Project Cuddle has saved 675+ babies from abandonment since it began 15 years ago.

The PSA (which can be viewed here) teaches you the proper cuddling techniques like the Stamos Spoonful or the Stamos Swaddler. There are even tips for more advanced cuddlers. Stamos and his snuggle buddy, Saget, also offer useful tips such as “Be careful not to let your arms get trapped beneath your special gal. This is worse than death.”

If John Stamos and Bob Saget getting cozy isn't enough for you, then you're in luck. There's more and there's nudity!

Kind of.

The second charity that's causing some (heat) waves is The Stiller Foundation. "Based on the idea that all children deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential" actor, writer, producer, and director, Ben Stiller created and launched the campaign in 2009. The foundation's primary focus is on education, specifically in countries such as Haiti, that have been destroyed by natural disasters.

But Stiller had some issues when it came time to actually name the charity.

Check out the video below to learn more.

Jennifer Aniston, naked?

Oh yeah.

To learn more about The Jennifer Aniston Foundation, visit http://www.seejenniferanistonnakedfoundation.com/.

For more information on Project Cuddle or The Stiller Foundation, or to volunteer, make a donation and more, visit http://www.projectcuddle.org/ or http://www.thestillerfoundation.org/.

the biggest comeback since britney spears.

So who is making the biggest comeback since Britney Spears bounced back from a shaved head and a serious mental breakdown?

Mister Rogers!

That's right! Our favorite sweater-wearing, creator of the Land of Make Believe wants you to be his neighbor, AGAIN!

However, this time, it's not our beloved Mister Rogers who will be taking off his jacket and shoes to welcome us. No, Mister Rogers is being reincarnated as Daniel Tiger!

Many of you will remember Daniel Striped Tiger as one of the main characters of the show; the one Mister Rogers was always teaching life lessons to. And as you can see, Daniel Tiger is getting a new look as a completely animated series. (But don't worry, there will still be plenty of multi-colored sweaters!)

Although it has been a decade since the original series stopped producing new episodes and eight years since the death of the beloved Fred Rogers, PBS has continued to pursue the show's revamping, which will now be called Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.

The Chief Operating Office and Executive Producer of the show, Kevin Morrison, stated that this project has been in the works for years, but since Rogers’ death in 2003, his Pittsburgh-based company “wanted his legacy to endure”.

"We weren't going to find someone like Fred Rogers and stick a sweater on him, but the company wanted very much to remain in public television as a producer for children,” he explained.

Still geared towards preschoolers, the newly animated series will feature common themes as the original show, such as patience and disappointment. Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood is due out in late 2012.