Info 2 Go 2/28/06

Four things teens should know about life and all that other stuff:

Video game gets attention

A debate is raging between some gamers and law enforcement over "25 to Life," a video game released Jan. 17 that involves cop-killing as part of the plot. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund wants it out of all U.S. stores -- the organization has collected more than 100,000 signatures so far supporting a ban. But video game store owners say such a move constitutes censorship. What do you think? Share your opinion by e-mailing cmiller@semissourian.com (from Al's Morning Meeting).

Teens choose parents over peers

A girl's best friend? It may be her mom, according to a study by Energy BBDO of teenagers around the globe. The Gen World Teen Study asked teenagers in 13 countries to rank the importance of their relationships. The results show that teens consider parental relationships more important than peer relationships. Teens involved in the study also said it was more important to spend time with Mom than anyone else in their life (including friends, boyfriends/girlfriends), though Dad was a distant second (from PR Newswire).

Crow delays tour due to cancer

Sheryl Crow recently underwent surgery for breast cancer, she revealed on her Web site Friday. The post on SherylCrow.com said doctors expect her to make a full recovery from Wednesday's "minimally invasive" procedure, but that she will receive radiation treatment as a precaution. Meanwhile, the singer's North American tour, slated for March and April, has been put on hold. Her Web site said Crow plans to reschedule as soon as possible (from MTV news).

Smoking could equal root canal

If the discolored teeth, ashtray smell and threat of emphysema and lung cancer aren't incentive enough to stop smoking cigarettes, here's one more: If you smoke, there's nearly double the risk of having a root canal than if you don't. Those odds, reported during a briefing on oral health sponsored Thursday in New York by the American Dental and American Medical associations, are based on research at Boston's VA Healthcare System that tracked the dental health of more than 800 men over almost 30 years (from Scripps Howard News Service).