SOUL SURFER

Carrie Underwood carries on in Hawaii

Hours after singing the National Anthem at yesterday's Super Bowl, Carrie Underwood was to head for Oahu to make her acting debut in “;Soul Surfer,”; the inspiring story of Kauai surfer Bethany Hamilton, who resumed surfing months after her arm was severed by a shark. Underwood will play Sarah Hill, a youth counselor at Hamilton's church. “;Sarah has been my best friend since I was very young,”; Hamilton told People magazine. “;After my shark attack, she always knew what to say to push me on.”;

RAININ' IN MY HEART

Did we mention there's a drought?

This is usually the rainy season—also known as winter—in Hawaii, but the past few months have been less rainy than usual, disappointing farmers who rely on the precipitation to grow their plants and cleanse them of bugs and diseases. Some farms have been hit with major blight. Overall, it's been drier than usual for about five years, according to cattle ranchers, who in response have been culling their herds to adjust. Almost makes you nostalgic for those 40 days of rain we had back in 2006. Almost.

SHATTERPROOF

Is it real or is it a brawl in an English pub?

Really now, has it come to this?

Apparently it has, and the Brits are leading the way.

Shatterproof beer glasses.

In an effort to stem the problem of glass-slashing injuries due to bar-room brawling, officials in London have unveiled shatterproof pint glasses. Evidently, those English pubs are prime stomping grounds—yes, pun intended—for some 87,000 alcohol-related glass attacks each year, with many resulting in hospital visits, says one top official. The British government estimates that such alcohol-related problems cost the National Health Service about $4.3 billion—yes, billion—per year.

Two types of shatterproof technologies are touted; both are difficult to break and keep shards together if the glasses do fracture.

Innovative. Social problems aside, cheers to the new technology. Clink. Clink. CLINK.