TopFinds: From Australia's Penis Painter to the Brits' Fat Jesus

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An artist who paints portraits with his penis. Google going for the gonads in competition with Microsoft. And government agency staffers who snooped on others' privates. These are just some of the saucy stories making headlines around the world.

Technology & Internet

With the DVD format war fallout comes a charming epilogue: a Japanese store will let owners of HD DVD players trade their obsolete machines for Blu-ray players, as cgull reported. And if the Blu-ray unit is less expensive than the HD DVD model, customers will get reimbursed the difference. Now that's customer service early adopters can admire.

What other tech and Internet stories made the news cycle? An email scam involving hired killers is spreading across the Web, jxtra informed us; Pakistan blacked out YouTube for two hours due to "religious reasons," Planet Janet wrote; Facebook will soon unveil a major redesign, Sarawanan Ravindran discovered; a Philips "light canvas" filled with 1,420 LED lights is supposed to ease stress for hospital patients, Nathalie C found; and Google (ever the entrepreneur) launched a new service that builds websites with just a few clicks. Google Sites is a direct blow to Microsoft, who created similar software called SharePoint.

Politics

The U.S. race for party nominations is attracting a lot of eyeballs, but is anyone talking about the daughters of the candidates? Can Tran did in a recent article looking at the daughters of Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Mike Huckabee. These youth "have been very important in fighting against voter apathy, which is something that campaigns must be wary of."

Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the French Republic. - Photo courtesy of sarkozy.fr image:35449:2::0

Several other political articles got readers talking: are headlines about Hillary Clinton's demise premature? Susan Duclos asked; French President Nicolas Sarkozy got miffed at a bystander, and the captured video became an instant YouTube hit, cgull said; Senator Kerry is neck-deep in another political race, as he battles with a former Air Force officer for his seat in the Senate, LewWaters discovered; respected Conservative commentator William F. Buckley passed away at 82, pbrite grimly told us; and the consumer advocate that won't go away, Ralph Nader, is planning a run for the White House, momentsintime reported. Comment of the thread goes to karateblossom:

I'm amused when a politician actually believes in a society where we all live on the same income and those who make more pay more so it is all equal. That's a joke.

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Arts & Entertainment

A new play in London called Fat Jesus postered the transit system with images of an overweight actor strapped to a crucifix. It looks like transit officials don't want their saviours fat or on display, because the posters were taken down immediately, lensman67 wrote. He also added a dash of scathing criticism: "The 'politically correct' decision by the Transit Authority officials fails to take into consideration the fact that someone can find something to be offended by in almost any situation provided they are willing to work hard enough."

If you want to stay updated on arts and entertainment news, just read the next few stories: Jay Leno will soon become a "free agent" and his next project is still subject to swirling rumours, jxtra wrote; reality TV's latest offspring, Moment of Truth, was thoroughly reviewed by ajzeller1979; HBO launched a YouTube channel offering full-length shows, cgull told us; and a war museum director discovered that Adolf Hitler liked to draw Disney characters in his spare time, particularly from Snow White, Planet Janet wrote. Too bad he didn't focus on that hobby instead of his other passion.

TopFinds Awards

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Don't look at my privates! Well. Don't look at my private information, I mean, which has become more of an issue than a polite request. And according to the TopOpEd Award winner, companies are increasingly snooping into our personal details. Mike Tippitt did an excellent job in reporting on the Milwaukee-based WE Energies and the staff's tendency to access databases of financial information. Mike looked beyond this case, and even the U.S., chronicling an incident in Australia where 790 security breaches occurred at a government agency. He also raised several important questions that gave Citizen Journalists food for thought.

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User-generated content will continue to make news, but several mainstream media institutions are uneasy about the trend's popularity. Kudos to Bob Ewing for bringing this issue to light, and an additional kudos for taking home the TopInternet Award. Bob not only outlined the anxiety some media feel about UGC, but also highlighted the cost-benefits of this growing concept. Undoubtedly, this won't be the last we hear about citizen media.

And Bob deserves a bonus congrats for snapping some original and stunning photos of a recent snowstorm that affected his neighbourhood. Somehow, we all felt warmer seeing those snow-covered landscapes.

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For an Australian, Wanderlaugh knows an awful lot about U.S. politics, and his article on the Democrats and super delegates should earn him respect -- and it also earns him the TopPolitics Award. He zeroed in on how super delegates could hurt the Dems this year, and how any clumsy mistake from the Democrats could ultimately help the Republicans win the election. Also, he nicely provided two scenarios if Obama wins or loses, and it's hard to argue with his logic. And it's also hard to argue with one of his comments:

My hope is that all this starry-eyed stuff will get down to some hard facts, and that somebody will finally start dealing with America's issues.

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Canada's Harper government is under fire for degrading the land around Alberta's Tar Sands, and a report accused the feds of a "conspiracy of silence." For revealing this tragic eco-disaster, mirrorwarp wins the TopEnvironment Award. He outlined how the recent report detailed the government's environmental unfriendliness, while providing background to the uninitiated reader. You can hear the frustration in mirrorwarp's voice as he criticized the feds for this massive error in judgment.

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It's common to read everyday reports on Israel and Gaza, but one article this week compiled all the heavy news into a single fantastic report. A hearty pat on the back is given to Knight Shield for taking home the TopWorld Award for his feature on the growing tensions between Israel and Gaza. He explained how both sides feel mounting pressure in the conflict, and deduced how a Gaza invasion could be extremely costly. The 1,200-word article kept the momentum chugging by including key quotes from politicians, Palestinian advisers, Israel residents, and military officials. What could've been a ho-hum feature became an informative and intriguing article on the dangers continuing to afflict the Middle East.

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Usually, a headline using the word "analyzing" could lead to a sleepy article on scientific data. In fact, Navin Vaswani takes an almost scientific approach to analyzing hockey news, which is why he once again is honoured with the TopSports Award. His look into the trade moves made by the Toronto Maple Leafs was peppered with his trademark wit and expert insight. He even went beyond the headline's imperative by offering opinions into almost every major NHL trade. Can someone get this guy some Gatorade, he must be tired.

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What would a week in the news be like without a story about genitalia? Limp (drum tap). DigitalJournal.com citizen journalist Carolyn E. Price ensured this week's news was not flaccid and for that we're giving her this week's TopSex Award. Covering a story on an Australian artist named "Pricasso" (perhaps the most genius name ever), Price showed how Tim Patch paints with his penis. The artist, who uses his bum when his tool gets tired (seriously), is entering one of his doodle's doodles for an Archibald Prize, one of Australia's most "extraordinary events" for portrait paintings. The article is nothing short of hilarious, and you might be surprised to find out that this guy can actually paint. As Price joked in the comment thread of her article:

If my mother reads this (which, God help me she probably will) I'll be getting a lecture of the use of oils versus acrylics and the use of proper color palates! Oy ....

Well, we're here to make sure your mother doesn't miss it. Here's a shiny, pretty badge.