Library goes mad for Madden

Ewa Beach Public & School Library hosts a "Madden 2011 NFL Video Game Tournament" on Feb. 2 and 9. The PlayStation 3 video game tournament begins at 2 p.m. Eight two-player teams will compete in two rounds each day. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis at the information desk. Participants must be at least 12 years old. The library is on the campus of James Campbell High School at 91-950 North Road. Call 689-1204.

PEOPLE

Garofalo’s luck brings her a new best friend

Janeane Garofalo got more than a starring role when she was cast as Beth Griffith on the new CBS series "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior." She got a new dog.

"We were shooting downtown at Lacy’s Studios, and right across the street is the Lacy shelter, the downtown animal shelter. I was just going to make a donation," Garofalo says. Instead she adopted a dog.

The dog’s a lab-pit mix that Garofalo describes as being like "a little baby seal. He’s very, very cute."

The dog might be cute but Garofalo has tried to get other cast members to take him because she’s living in a hotel during filming.

Garofalo jokes, "He has his own room at the hotel and he takes his meals. It’s quite expensive, but he’s a wonderful, wonderful dog."

The actress had no trouble naming her new pet. In honor of the TV role, the dog is called Unsub (Unknown Subject of an Investigation).

Sorkin ready to give cable news his take

LOS ANGELES » Writer Aaron Sorkin says he’s going to give the world of cable news the "West Wing" treatment.

In a BBC interview, Sorkin says he’s written a pilot episode for HBO that takes place behind the scenes at a nightly cable show. The series is being cast.

After spending time observing at CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC, Sorkin hopes to give viewers an appreciation of the fascinating work being done.

He says he wants to bring to cable news the same sense of idealism that made government appealing on "The West Wing."

HBO declined comment on the project.

Sorkin received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay for "The Social Network."

Student graduates with degree in Beatles

LONDON » A former Miss Canada finalist has become the first graduate of a Liverpool university’s groundbreaking degree program based on analyzing the Beatles’ music and their impact on Western culture.

Liverpool Hope University officials believe the master’s program offers the first advanced degree based on the life and times of the Fab Four.

Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy joined the program when it started in 2009 and graduated Wednesday. She is one of 12 full-time students of the program — "The Beatles, Popular Music and Society."

Zahalan-Kennedy, a singer and actress, said the course provided insight into the wide-ranging influence of the Beatles.

Ferrell picks up role in ‘Office’ story line

NEW YORK » Will Ferrell is coming to "The Office."

Ferrell will play a visiting branch manager over an arc of several episodes. NBC announced the casting Wednesday with the promise that Ferrell’s character will be "just as inappropriate" as Steve Carell‘s Michael Scott.

Carell’s farewell is expected four episodes before the season finale of "The Office." In preparation of his exit, NBC is bringing in high-profile guests, including "The Office" creator Ricky Gervais, reprising his role as David Brent.