Penguins on parade

Enough of this "march of the penguins" talk. I was happy to see the Penguins ride today.

The victorious Pittsburgh Penguins waved at their fans from the back of pickup trucks at the team's parade Downtown.

The parade began on Grant Street at noon and proceeded down the Boulevard of the Allies and onto Stanwix Street, where the team showed off the Stanley Cup and thanked their supporters.

For those of you who were trapped at work, out of town or want to relive the excitement, I made a slideshow from the parade. Some highlights of the parade were seeing game-seven-hero Maxime Talbot clean shaven and joking around, a few local high school bands with black and gold colors, Marc-Andre Fleury next to Sidney Crosby and the Stanley Cup and, of course, Vladimir and Natalia Malkin. Unfortunately, I wasn't close enough to see Evgeni Malkin holding the Conn Smythe Trophy dressed up in a penguin (not Penguins) hat.

And here's a video of the MVP himself, Malkin. The crowd chants his nickname, Geno, as rides with the Conn Smythe Trophy.



Hopefully, we'll get to see the Penguins ride again soon.

Couples looking alike: The Sarkozy case

Though opposites attract, there's evidence that people tend to choose long-term partners with qualities that match theirs. These similarities sometimes translate into physical features. For example, men and women who have more testosterone in their bodies exhibit more masculine physical qualities (have larger muscles, pronounced chins and high foreheads). Here's a story that explains the biological reasons behind the whimsy.

While some couples start off looking like each other...

Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake in 2001

others tend to look more alike as they grow older...



Because of the similar-physical-features-similar-personality-traits complex, couples that look like each other tend to last longer -- ignoring the Spears-Timberlake example, of course.

Now, is it improper for me to point out that President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have kindred qualities? They are both tall, slender, intelligent individuals who know how to command a crowd. With their winning smiles, President Obama and his wife might be the most similar looking first family; though they have stiff competition.

First Lady Martha Washington and President George Washington

When the Obamas met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Cara Bruni earlier this month, the Associated Press captured a revealing moment for Sarkozy. The president, who has been divorced twice, might not look like his singer and former model wife, but that doesn't mean that he's not trying. ;)

(Notice Sarkozy's feet )
Palais Rohan in Strasbourg, France, Friday, April 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)