the scoop

the scoop

let’s hear it for no. 44

Each member of the Harlem Globetrotters will wear special No. 44 jerseys during their games on Tuesday to honor the incoming President-elect (and noted basketball fan) Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, on his inauguration day in Washington, D.C.

Every Globetrotter player will wear the team’s iconic red, white and blue jerseys, all bearing the number 44, during the team’s tour stops in Reno, Nev., and Terre Haute, Ind., to honor the historic occasion of the first African-American presidency in the nation’s history.

“This inauguration marks a landmark moment in our nation’s cultural history, and we felt compelled to honor the historic occasion in our own small way,” said Globetrotters CEO Kurt Schneider. The Globetrotters will be at Youngstown’s Chevrolet Centre on Jan. 31.

working in harmony

Are you interested in history? Do you like working with the public? Old Economy Village in Ambridge, Pa., needs you! Help to preserve the past by telling the story of the Harmonists who lived in Economy over 100 years ago. Students (14 years or older) who want to lend a hand any weekday or weekend are invited to a volunteer open house from 7-8:30 p.m. March 11.

Learn what positions are available to Old Economy Village volunteers. No prior experience or special skills are necessary. Pre-registration is required to attend the open house. Call (724) 266-4500 ext. 115.

save those snowballs

The snow has arrived, and there’s a good reason to celebrate — free admission to Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh! Anyone who makes a snowball this winter and saves it in their freezer will receive a free general admission to the Science Center on the summer solstice, June 21.

Every person who brings a snowball to Carnegie Science Center that day, the first day of summer, will receive a free general admission and have the opportunity to launch his snowball into the Ohio River via a giant slingshot or air cannon from aboard the USS Requin attack submarine.

Hundreds of snowballs survived the spring of 2008 in freezers throughout the region and beyond, making their way to Carnegie Science Center on the Summer Solstice and redeemed for free admission. To learn more, go to CarnegieScienceCenter.org.

he’s a guitar hero

Bruce Springsteen will make his video game debut on Jan. 27, with two downloadable songs available exclusively in Activision’s Guitar Hero World Tour.

Coinciding with the release of his new album, “Working on a Dream” (Columbia Records), the two-song Track Pack will be available for download simultaneously with the album’s release on Jan. 27.

The Track Pack, which features the iconic Springsteen song “Born to Run” and “My Lucky Day,” a brand-new track off his new album, will be free to download during the first week of the album’s release.

youth inaugural ball

MTV will be broadcasting from President-elect Barack Obama’s “Youth Inaugural Ball” on Jan. 20, the cable network said.

Obama is scheduled to speak at the event, one of 10 official inaugural balls. The Presidential Inaugural Committee has said the ball for people ages 18-35 will celebrate “the role young Americans can play to serve their communities.” Tickets cost $75, half the price of most inaugural ball tickets.

MTV said the program will also include performances by “top recording artists.”

gaming mag folds

The global economic meltdown is finally taking its toll on the video-game industry. Over the last few months, thousands of employees have been laid off, with everyone from big publishers to small studios cutting costs. One loss may be felt more keenly than all the rest: The demise of the venerable magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly.

Ziff Davis Media, EGM’s owner, pulled the plug on the print magazine and sold its associated Web sites, including 1up.com, to the Hearst Corp.’s UGO Entertainment. Ziff Davis has been shifting its focus to Internet-only publishing, so the move wasn’t a big surprise. For 20 years, EGM was the most trustworthy magazine covering video games.

wii the people

Further proof that Barack Obama could be our first geek president: He has a Nintendo Wii. According to The New York Times, he’s been using it to practice bowling with his daughters Malia and Sasha — and he says his virtual game is a lot better than the 37 he threw in a Pennsylvania bowling alley last March.