Short Takes: News From All Over: October 23, 2003

Staff Utne.com

Pay for Play at Tampa TV Station
By Staff, PR Watch
An NBC affiliate in Tampa is charging $2,500 for six minutes of interview time on a local morning show. While most networks and TV stations have rules against pay-for-play journalism, the producers at WFLA-TV have no qualms about making the booking of guests a moneyed transaction.
http://www.guerrillanews.com/media/doc3182.html

Easter Egg Hunting
By Kyle Cohen, Utne.com
You're not paranoid. There really are hidden messages in the things that you use everyday. Dubbed 'Easter Eggs,' these tidbits show up in movies, music, books, TV shows, and even classic works of art.
http://www.eeggs.com/

The Bus Stops Here
By Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow, The Nation
Harlem residents -- many of whom suffer from asthma -- are rallying against efforts to open bus depots in their neighborhoods, which they say are disproportionately polluting urban communities of color.
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20031103&s=tuhusdubrow

Finally, a Male Contraceptive that Works
By Staff, New Scientist
A male contraceptive has achieved a 100 percent success rate in an Australian study. With no undesirable side effects and the ability to be fully reversed, scientists hope to develop the research into a useable drug.
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994237

Little Solar Homes for You and Me
By Amanda Griscom, Grist
Habitat for Humanity recently paired up with public electricity supplier Tennessee Valley Authority and the U.S. Department of Energy to create an installation of zero-energy homes, reports Amanda Griscom. Does the TVA's involvement in the project mark a major shift in the notorious polluter's commitment to renewable energy?
http://www.gristmagazine.com/powers/powers100703.asp