From PR pros wearing dunce caps to the top tweets of the year, in case you missed it, here’s a sampling of information shared this week by the gang at NST:

Here’s a list all PR professionals should avoid being on: http://bit.ly/e95rc8

Facebook’s Boy Wonder got Time magazine’s Person of the Year, but this little ditty says Twitter still has the marketing power: http://read.bi/gL7WJj

Maybe this is one of the reasons Zuckerberg’s college experiment can’t carry Twitter’s gym bag: http://bit.ly/eSPpQ9

This perspective on Wikileaks says it’s less about social media and more about encrypting information: http://bit.ly/ihj4y0

Peter Shankman, the keynote speaker of our second upcoming San Diego Social Media Symposium, shows us how to use fear to create awesomeness: http://bit.ly/fD2iIF

Today Show anchor Ann Curry’s plea on Twitter to let doctors land in Haiti heads the class of top 2010 tweets: http://on.today.com/eNIRv2

Musings from a messy desk:

• What’s the over-under on Wikileaks covering editor and founder Julian Assange’s London court proceedings on rape accusations?  “Our goal is to bring important news and information to the public.”  Interesting to see the online portal of anonymous news claims to have been founded on the principles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Wonder if the prosecution will have a field day with that little nugget.

• Are those recalled eggs on senators’ faces after passing a food safety bill that’s unconstitutional?

• We’re getting uncomfortably close to the day when there won’t be any surviving vets of Pearl Harbor or WWII.  The history books just don’t capture the heroism of hearing these stories from the mouths of grandfathers.

• What’s better than watching a trash-talking loudmouth get spanked? When it’s on national TV and it’s your team rolling over his 45-3.  How’s that crow pie, Rex Ryan?

• Went to my first and last Raiders game.  John Walsh could’ve easily found his America’s Most Wanted fugitives at Qualcomm.  Did Rex coach the Chargers for that game?  They didn’t show up either.  Tailgating is fun; been there, done that, but why park your living room outside the stadium, replete with flat-screen TV tethered to a generator – and never intend to go inside to watch the game?  The beer is better and colder at home, and I like my private, indoor john.

• Wonder if the FDA cleared the path for the obesity pill before or after lunch on junk food row? Maybe we’ll see more sin tax over a fatty-and-snifter summit at Shelly’s Back Room.

• Thanks to Jed Hoyer, Red Sox Nation will witness the purest hitter in Adrian Gonzalez since Junior Griffey first displayed his graceful stroke a couple decades ago.  Sad, but true: Big Papi’s days are numbered; there’s a new idol in town.  Padres fans are surely bummed, but Jed’s no dummy.  He knew the talent first hand in the Gonzo trade, and we’ll likely see the San Diego nine lighting up Petco – just not as soon as the faithful hope.

• I’ve lived in the San Diego area for a dozen years this month and can’t say I’ve been too excited about much on the sporting scene, until this past week when SDSU’s football and men’s hoops achieved simultaneous national acclaim.

• Had a fun Twitter exchange yesterday with @diprofio24 and @PRProSanDiego, lamenting about the decay of writing standards in the PR industry, and it reminded me of a rant from a year back.  From @PRProSanDiego: “Good writing is like good form in athletics, the foundation for success. No substitute for it. People notice.”  Be on the lookout for a piece by @diprofio24 on advice for those looking to get into PR.

• Cam Newton will win the Heisman Trophy, but the annual accolade for college football’s best player will be rendered worthless if he ends up returning it a la Reggie Bush style.  Character doesn’t seem to account for much.

• RIP Elizabeth Edwards.  May you always be remembered for your courage and strength, not for the disgrace and angst John wrought.