How old is Wayne Newton? What’s the reproduction cycle of an elephant? What was “Saved by the Bell” called when it originally aired with Hayley Mills as teacher? Mere seconds after Wikipedia went black in protest of SOPA on Wednesday, I (like many others) was forced to surf blindly for new sources to answer all of life’s most important trivial questions. Makes you wonder what the world would do without its beloved, yet often discredited online encyclopedia—a question this infographic attempts to answer.

From blackout on the Web to blacklisting pajama pants: Commissioner Michael Williams of Caddo Parish District 3 in Louisiana is pushing an ordinance that would prohibit sleepwear from being worn in public. Are pajama jeans still allowed?

And while there are numerous words prohibited from being said on television, it wasn’t against the rules for a contestant on the U.K.’s popular Channel 4 game show “Countdown” to spell one.



Elsewhere in Britain, cinema-goers have demanded their money back after seeing—but not hearing—the critically acclaimed homage to silent film, “The Artist.” They should just be glad it wasn’t “Joyful Noise.”

Forever 21 might have to fork over some dough after five employees filed a class-action lawsuit against the retailer for claims they were forced to work through breaks and kept late to have their bags checked for stolen merchandise.

Even though the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) didn’t make the list of “Best Places to Work,” I can’t imagine it needs to worry about employees filing suit against it. Well, unless they weren’t invited to the party. The FDLE reportedly spent $330 on Jim Bean whiskey, Doritos, and other alcohol in October, hosting 15 members of its staff to test the accuracy of a new Breathalyzer.

Oprah’s bodyguards were also tested, though not in such an intoxicatingly fun way as the FDLE employees. The security team found itself in a scuffle with local news reporters while the media mogul was visiting India on Thursday.

Speaking of India, Starbucks is supposedly close to a deal with Tata Coffee that would bring the Seattle-based company into the country by the end of 2012.

The Oprah scuffle is great fodder for Fox News, a media outlet known not only for its “fair and balanced” news, but also its PR executive Irena Briganti, who’s “known for her insulting, condescending emails to reporters,” writes Jim Romenesko. Reporters shared their experiences with Briganti.

Romenesko’s story explains that the “C” word (that’s conservative) will set off alarm bells in the Fox News PR department. A word that’s causing a stir elsewhere, “Autism,” or, more accurately, it’s new definition. A study shows that the first major revisions to the disorder’s description in 17 years would not only greatly reduce the rate at which it’s diagnosed, but could also make it difficult for people who no longer meet the new criteria to get assistance.

Baskin-Robbins is looking for some assistance from “Mad Men” star Christina Hendricks, hoping the actress’ sultry voice will heat up its ice cream sales this winter. You can see the new work on Advertising Age.

Inventors hope to see their new work stocked on the shelves of Walmart as part of a new contest the retailer recently launched. Called “Get on the Shelf,” the challenge is the latest announcement from @WalmartLabs, allowing contestants to create videos for any new product that would fit under one of the store’s current product categories.

Now off to enjoy life’s great invention—the weekend. Catch you next week.