Jockstrip: The world as we know it

Police surround movie in progress

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla., March 28 (UPI) -- Police in a Florida town, thinking they were dealing with a hostage-taking, surrounded a post office where high school students were making a film.

The standoff began when someone called police to report seeing a man carrying what appeared to be an assault rifle into the post office, the Fernandina Beach News-Leader reported.

An hour into the standoff, word came over the police radio -- "a possible movie-making in progress."

The moviemakers were students from Fernandina Beach High School making the film for Spanish class. They were shooting in the post office basement with the blessing of Postmaster Ronald Steedley, who was, in fact, observing them.

Brian Ferreira, one of the students, told the newspaper that when he was confronted by officers wielding assault weapons as he left the building, his first thought was, "Now I've got a story for government class."

Lawmakers reach out to Colbert for votes

BOSTON, March 28 (UPI) -- U.S. House members are lining up to be publicly humiliated by Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert in the name of attracting young voters.

The representatives even admit their interviews on "The Colbert Report" are diced and spliced to make them look even more absurd, but they're willing to take the plunge in the name of comedy and votes in an election that could mean control of the chamber, the Boston Globe reported.

Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., says he is encouraging his fellow Republicans to sit opposite Colbert for his snarky segment, "Better Know a District."

"When people who are 25 who have never voted for you think you are funny because you did the show, that's instant validity," he said.

Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., was not so amused by his experience with Colbert.

The comic asked Frank what it was like to live as an "openly left-handed" American and asked the gay lawmaker whether his wife cared that he was "a little overweight."

Frank told the Globe he had not seen the show when he agreed to be a guest, has kept up that policy and did not even watch his own segment.

Interstate bridge features Virgin Mary

MOLINE, Ill., March 28 (UPI) -- A pillar supporting an interstate highway bridge in Moline, Ill., is the latest sighting of an image of the Virgin Mary.

Andrea Handel said her 5-year-old son first spotted the image last week while the family was walking along the banks of the Rock River, WQAD-TV, Moline, reported.

As word spread locally hundreds of people came to the Interstate 74 bridge west of Chicago during the weekend to look at the outline on one of the pillars.

Handel said it is visible during daylight, but is best viewed at night.

One of the faithful who agreed she could see Mary on the bridge said she understood perfectly why it was there.

"Too many things are happening, people are losing faith, that's why she's appearing -- for people to get their faith back," said Maria Ruiz.

Flying Spaghetti Monster being published

PHOENIX, March 28 (UPI) -- Pastafarianism is hitting the big time with a book on the Flying Spaghetti Monster ready to take its place in U.S. bookstores next to the Bible.

Bobby Henderson, who recently moved from Oregon to Arizona, created the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster last year during the height of arguments before the Kansas Board of Education over whether intelligent design should be taught as an alternative theory to evolution in schools.

The gospel includes the explanation that the Flying Spaghetti Monster made a few mistakes during the creation of the universe because he imbibed a bit much from heaven's beer volcano. And instead of amen, adherents say r'amen -- after the noodle dish.

"I wrote the letter (to the Kansas school board) for my own amusement as much as anything. And it totally snowballed. Some people say I'm going to hell," he told USA Today.

The gospels come out Tuesday in paperback.