The “killer” whale, Tilikum at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, has made for an interesting headline these days. The whale was put on suspension immediately after the shocking event in which his trainer fell into his tank and was killed.

Will putting a whale on suspension really change what happened? This incident will surely rekindle debates about whether killer whales, or any other wild animal, should be used as entertainment in theme parks.

Three days ago, Tilikum performed for the first time since the death of his trainer among thousands of employees and audience members.

Maybe it is time to consider the facts. Performing stunts for audiences is clearly not in a killer whale’s nature. Animals should not be showcased in captivity. After all, a six-ton whale is not meant to be domesticated.

Trainers are oddly surprised that wild animals are, in fact, dangerous. Although their animals are trained, amusement parks operate under the constant risk of animal attacks. This should be expected, as animals are known to thrash out if abused.

SeaWorld is a blatant example of animal abuse. Wild animals should in no way be forced to perform circus acts of any sort. Surely, people can find other methods of entertainment – hence things like amusement rides, sports parks and other public attractions.

Although these shows are seen as awe-inspiring by young and old alike, they are traumatizing experiences for the animals. Many marine mammal activists believe the stress of killer whales is very easily caused by being in small tanks without the safety of their closely knit pods.

Naomi Rose, a senior scientist for the Humane Society of the United States, argues killer whales are “moody,” and holding them in captivity renders them “demented.”

In the case of Tilikum and his trainer, SeaWorld is foolishly overlooking the abuse, as well as the danger of keeping whales in small tanks.

Overall, the ethics of SeaWorld and other amusement parks showcasing wild animals need to be seriously questioned. People who support SeaWorld’s programs are also supporting animal abuse.

I sometimes enjoy finding the wackier news pieces.  And if I can find loosely related wacky news stories, all the better.  Last week I read about the Pennsylvania high school student who was spied on by his school.

This week, it’s the two Canadian high school teachers whom have been suspended for lap dancing in the middle of a gym packed with students and faculty.

What we have here are two different representations of high school – one in which the school acts as a big brother type, looking for juvenile miscreants, the other in which the school hires sexually depraved teachers.

Personally, I find the lap dancing teachers quite funny. I’d say a verbal reprimand is in order, not a suspension. Students should not be allowed to have all the fun. Let the teachers hang loose every once in awhile too.

On the other hand, distributing laptops to students so you can spy on them strikes me, at best, as odd. That was probably not the original intention of the program, but that is what Michael and Holly Robbins are alleging in their lawsuit.

Their son did not steal his laptop, which is the only time the school is supposed to operate their special remote webcam access. Yet somehow he was cited as engaging in “improper behavior” from his own home. The only way high school faculty should know what activities a student engages in at home is by asking the student or the parents. Electronic spying is a strict no-no.

Think back to your own high school and the values it promoted. Did your teachers and principals masquerade as virtuous dictators? Or did they get freaky on the dance floor? Both cases seem a little out of place with what I’ve been told a high school should be. But once again, I’d rather see the faculty have fun than know they see me while I sleep.

The showing of Collision, a film of a debate between Christopher Hitchens and pastor Doug Wilson on the goodness of Christianity was met with eager questions on February 10th. There were inquiries towards the WSU Atheist Agnostic Student Group as well as pastor Doug Wilson.

However, the majority of the questions seemed to be for pastor. These questions ranged from asking Doug Wilson if slavery was morally acceptable in Christianity to the historical accuracy of the Bible.

The fact that the majority of the questions were based on questioning the validity of Christianity, the Bible, and Doug Wilson’s beliefs is a sign that there are those that are willing to voice their opinions and question authorities with the background such that Doug Wilson has.

While the numbers of open atheists pale in comparison to the number of members of a religious affiliation on the WSU campus, events like the showing of Collision allow people with questions critical of belief systems to come forward and ask, compare and analyze those who hold authority in them like pastor Doug Wilson.

Atheists make up the smallest demographic of people in the United States. Atheists who are open about their lack of belief are at an even smaller number. Because of religion’s enormous influence and reign over so many aspects of life, it has been hard in the past for those with counter beliefs to let themselves be heard or accepted.

It is an incredible privilege to be able to go to events such as the showing of Collision, and even more so to have the option to glean information directly from sources such as Doug Wilson and Christopher Hitchens who appeared at WSU last year.

It has been taboo and even illegal to question religion and its convictions in the past. While it may still be a frightening aspect to do so, you must be able to question your beliefs in order to understand their validity, religious or atheist.

A recent article on the ESPN Web site named Pullman the worst Pac-10 town, and San Francisco the best. I expect readers are saying, “But San Francisco does not have a Pac-10 college.” Those people are correct – San Francisco has multiple universities, but none of them play in the Pac-10. That does not change the fact that San Francisco is superior to Pullman in almost every way.

San Francisco won despite the lack of a Pac-10 college because of two nearby universities. University of California-Berkeley and Stanford University exist in neighboring Berkeley and Palo Alto. The 50 sports writers responsible for compiling this list found San Francisco to be a logical middle-ground between these two successful universities.

This article took into account what each college town has to offer its residents and visitors. That is why neither Berkeley nor Palo Alto deserved to win, because while both towns are pleasant, they pale in comparison to San Francisco. San Francisco is a melting pot of creativity, while Berkeley and Palo Alto are nothing.

If the article was solely based upon school spirit and fan support, I am sure Pullman would have earned more respect. However, compared to San Francisco, Pullman has very little to offer its residents or visitors. If you were to take away WSU, all Pullman would have are wheat fields and a lentil festival. I am not exactly sure what lentils are, but I will admit they are something San Francisco does not have.

On the other hand, a short list of San Francisco attractions includes Lombard Street, the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Pier 39 and Haight-Ashbury.

San Francisco has more to see and do and does so in a bigger and better way. For example, the recent WSU protest over the tuition crisis was a travesty. I did not see a single person walking around on stilts. Sorry, San Francisco-insider joke there. And if a typical Pullman drunk ever stepped foot on Market Street, the downtown crazies would show him or her how to really act like a public nuisance. You guys got nothing on San Francisco drunks.

If you want a small-town experience, just get in your car and drive any direction out of San Francisco. You will find towns like Sausalito, Mill Valley, Orinda and the aforementioned Berkeley and Palo Alto.

San Francisco is like the USC Trojans football team, kicking butt and taking names, whereas Pullman is more like its football team, hopelessly flawed. I cannot say whether Pullman deserves to be ranked the worst Pac-10 college town, but having lived in both locations, I can fairly state San Francisco has much more to offer. Even if it technically does not have a Pac-10 college.

Deal with it.

Video game developers produce games that cause an incredible range of emotions. Behind the plastic shrink wrap and the 1s and 0s are stories that tug on the heart. They have the power to make grown men weep, children laugh and make some so frustrated all they want to do is throw the game disc out of the nearest window, discus style.

Developers also have a nasty habit of making consumers wait an extremely long time for their products. Announcing a game three years in advance of the actual release date is just cruel. Even worse is announcing a game that is nowhere near ready. The game then falls into the perpetual cycle of delays and an ever-changing release date.

This is just a small list of games that have been announced years before they will ever see the light of store shelves.

• Black Mesa – Originally announced in November 2004.
• Half-Life 2: Episode Three – Originally announced in May 2006
• Starcraft 2 – Originally announced in May 2007
• Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode 3 & 4 – Originally scheduled for release in Spring 2009
• Star Wars: The Old Republic – Originally announced 2008
• And of course, Duke Nukem Forever – Originally announced 1997

When games are announced so far in advance, fan excitement burns out within a few months and is replaced with apathy and cynicism. I would prefer to be left in the dark until a few months before release. At least then I would not have to wait years on end for the games.

So to all those current and future developers, please release your games in a timely matter. Leaving your customers in limbo is not a good business strategy. It’s just plain frustrating.

For me, watching football is an annual occurrence that takes place on the first Sunday of February – also known as the Super Bowl.

Since I don’t follow any particular team throughout the season, it’s difficult for me to have a preference as to who I want to win. Thus, I root for “Team Commercials,” which is really the only reason I watch the beloved game in the first place.

This year, as always, beer commercials stood out the most. However, I definitely did have my non-alcoholic favorites:

1. Parisian Love, Google Commercial

This commercial has all the elements of an effective ad – a snapshot of a young person’s life, while he uses the simplistic features Google has to offer. It also doesn’t hurt that Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, so the love story that occurs throughout the commercial touched the hearts of Americans and Google users everywhere. Touché Google

2. Betty White Down, Snickers Commercial

Despite the avid “Golden Girl” watcher in me, I can’t help but love this commercial. I don’t particularly enjoy watching Betty White, or any octogenarian for that matter, being taken out by football players, but this was quite hilarious. I wish I turned into Betty White every time I failed to eat a Snickers.

Will.i.am “My Generation”, FLO TV Commercial

This ad for FLO TV represents American history, displaying the times when the United States was in high spirits, as well as the more shameful aspects of our past. It uses a remix of The Who’s “My Generation,” done by The Black Eyed Peas member, will.i.am. On top of it all, a Spokane company produced it, and being from Spokane, I am automatically partial to the commercial.

So there you have it. We’ve covered the cute, the comical and the cultural, all falling under the category of my top picks for the most entertaining moments of one of the most watched events in the world.