DOUCHE OF THE DAY: NJ School Implements 'No Cursing' Rule But Only for Girls

Female students at a Catholic high school in northern New Jersey have taken a “no-cursing” pledge at the request of school administrators, though some question why no such demand was made of male students. Flynn says school officials want “ladies to act like ladies.” And Brother Larry Lavallee, the school's principal, says girls have the foulest language. Many girls said they would try to follow the pledge they took Friday morning, even though they believe it should apply to all students. Well there goes that first amendment of yours. Teachers said they hoped that if the girls focused on cleaning up their speech on campus for a month, their improved manners would take hold and rub off on the boys. They timed the initiative to Catholic Schools Week and the old-fashioned romance of Valentine's Day, promising lollipops as rewards and handing out pins showing a red slash through a pair of pink lips. [NBC]

Armstrong will not be prosecuted for doping: official

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong's public admission that he took performance-enhancing drugs will not change U.S. prosecutors' decision to spare him of criminal charges, an attorney who oversaw the federal investigation said on Tuesday. The statement by André Birotte, the U.S. attorney based in Los Angeles, follows Armstrong's confession in a televised interview last month. "We made a decision on that case a little over a year ago. Obviously, we've been well aware of the statements that have been made by Mr. Armstrong in other media reports. That does not change my view at this time," Birotte said at a news conference in Washington. The government will continue to look at the case, Birotte added, but Armstrong's admission "hasn't changed our view as I stand here today." In February 2012, Birotte said his office had closed its investigation into possible crimes by Armstrong. {Reuters}

Students Lose Fingers in Game of Tug of War

Can we file this under things we never though would happen in real life of the day??? A game of tug of war at a local high school turned tragic when two students had their fingers severed. The contest was part of the spirit week festivities at South El Monte High School.  About 40 students were participating in the game, which was held at lunchtime. The rope snapped, and when it did, it somehow severed fingers from the hands of a male and female student. This is not the first time there has been a serious injury involving tug of war. What happens is that people’s fingers or hands or arms get caught or wrapped around in the rope. The rope then gets pulled very tight, increasing the pressure enough to sever a finger or even a limb. YIKES. Well, if you’re playing tug a war next time, be careful. [KTLA]

Calif. Gas Prices Surge, Top $4 a Gallon in L.A.

Average California gasoline prices jumped 23 cents in the last week, passing $4 a gallon in Los Angeles, fuel surveys show. This surge follows a year in which the nation’s motorists spent a greater percentage of their annual income on gasoline than at any time in the last three decades, the Energy Department said. The average cost for a gallon of regular gasoline in California jumped to $3.914 on Monday, up 23.4 cents from a week earlier, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report.The Energy Department reported a similar increase for California of 22.8 cents a gallon, to $3.904, in its separate price survey. But California is not alone. In the Midwest, prices jumped 22.8 cents over the last week, according to the Energy Department. That helped drive the U.S. average for a gallon of regular to its highest average ever for this week, up 18.1 cents to $3.538 a gallon. [KTLA]

Sony set to stop making MiniDisc players

Sony has announced that it will stop making its MiniDisc players in March 2013. The Japanese electronics giant will cease production of the MiniDisc player next month, but it has said it will continue making the actual MiniDiscs, The news marks the end for the audio system, which was launched by Sony in 1992 as a high-quality digital alternative to the much lower-quality tape cassette. On their launch, MiniDisc players were seen as the future for audio equipment and Sony claimed the discs would be safe from risk of degradation for 30 years. As the players were recordable, they became popular with sound engineers and media professionals. However, with the advent of MP3 players such as Apple's iPod and cloud-based streaming services, the Minidisc has struggled to compete in the market and its demise has been on the cards for some time - Sony previously stopped making portable players in 2011. [NME]

TV, inactivity could have men down for the sperm count

Young men who watch a lot of TV or skimp on exercise have lower sperm counts, study finds. Healthy young men who watch a lot of TV and those who skimp on exercise have lower concentrations of sperm in their semen than guys who watch less and move more, a new study finds. The study is small and does not prove cause and effect. But it adds to evidence that modern lifestyles may be contributing to possible declines in sperm counts in developed countries. The findings also may offer some reassurance to active guys who have heard that exercise might decrease sperm counts, says Jorge Chavarro, an assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. The study found that Those who watched the most TV, more than 20 hours a week, had sperm counts 44% lower than those who watched none and those who exercised the most, more than 15 hours a week, had sperm counts 73% higher than those who exercised the least, less than five hours a week. [USA Today]