yourdon, Flickr

When you talk on the phone, do you hold it up to your right ear or your left? Scientists say your preference could reveal a lot about you.

A new study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit found a strong link between brain dominance and the ear used to listen to a call. More than 70 percent of us hold our phones up to the ear on the same side as our dominant hand — in other words, right-handed people use their right ear, and vice versa.

Left-brain dominant people (whose speech and language center is on the left side of the brain) are more likely to be right-handed and to use their right ear for phone calls, even though the hearing there was found to be no better. The opposite is also true — right-brain dominant people tend to use their left hand to hold the phone in their left ear.

“Our findings have several implications, especially for mapping the language center of the brain,” says Dr. Michael Seidman, director of the division of otologic and neurotologic surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery at Henry Ford.

He added that his work also adds to a growing body of evidence that finds no link between cell phone use and cancer — otherwise, he said, since most people are right-handed and tend to use their right ears for cell calls, tumors would almost always occur on the right side of the head or neck.

[Science Daily]

andjohan, Flickr

For job interviews, it used to be enough to just show up in a nice suit, answer some perfunctory questions and be on your way.

But these days, some companies have changed the interview process so much that candidates wind up feeling as though they’re trying out for a reality TV show instead of simply vying for a 9-5 paycheck.

The Los Angeles Times calls the trend “extreme interviewing,” and cites the example of one company that made internship hopefuls write 13 different 140-character messages on Twitter to illustrate why they should be chosen for the gig.

In addition, other interviewees are now often asked questions for which there is no right answer, like, “If Germans were the tallest people in the world, how would you prove it?” or “On a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you?”

The popular Pinkberry chain even asks potential hires to act out fake commercials and come up with marketing plans for hypothetical new products — and that’s just for a job scooping frozen yogurt. In a statement, the company said such exercises “allow us to see immediate impact on team connectedness, demonstrate service and leadership skills and unveil entrepreneurial spirit.”

Bottom line: the next time you have an interview, keep in mind that while you probably won’t have to eat anything icky in ‘Fear Factor’ style, you may very well have to prove your worth in a variety of bizarre ways.

[Time]

Daniel Barry, Getty Images

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says wireless resources are not infinite.

In fact, the smartphones to which we’re all so addicted are gobbling so much bandwidth that as early as next year, we could be paying more for our service — not to mention seeing slower data speeds and an increase in dropped calls.

The FCC calls the issue “spectrum crunch” and officials there are worried it could be a very real problem, with one saying, “Network traffic is increasing … [Carriers] can manage it for the next couple years, but demand is inevitably going to exceed the available spectrum.”

Rory Altman, director of technology consultancy Altman Vilandrie & Co., added, “We got into this principally because technology and demand exploded at a rate that nobody had anticipated.”

The current wireless spectrum is distributed among companies and entities unevenly, with some having more than they need and others having too little. In early March, Congress is expected to vote on an FCC plan to hold incentive auctions that would help balance things out, something FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski says would not only help to free up spectrum resources but would also greatly benefit the US Treasury.

[CNN Money]

My Fox Atlanta

At Atlanta pizzeria is receiving both cheers — and jeers — for the notice it recently printed on its menus asking parents of noisy children to take their kids outside.

After Donnie Parmer, co-owner of Grant Central Pizza, got an abundance of complaints (both in person and on the review site Yelp) about screaming or unruly children in his restaurant, he added the following notice to the bottom of his menus:

Dear all present and future patrons: GCP is proud of its reputation as a family restaurant, a title that we will work to keep. Unfortunately a number of our diners have posted unpleasant experiences because of crying and unsupervised children. To ensure that all diners have an enjoyable lunch or dinner with us we respectfully ask that parents tend to their crying tots outside.”

Parmer says that while he likes kids and Grant Central Pizza is a family establishment, it’s not fair for little ones to disrupt the entire dining room. He cites an incident in which a child hit an adult patron in the head with a toy as the last straw that made him print the public notice.

While some parents are offended, saying “noise is just part of the experience in a family restaurant,” other customers applauded the gesture and said it’ll make them more likely to visit the restaurant.

[My Fox Atlanta]

consumerist, Flickr

Does your job make the world a better or worse place? That’s what 30,000 workers were asked last year — and their answers have given researchers a lot to talk about.

Salary comparison site PayScale conducted the survey in which people were asked the question and told to choose from the answer options of “very much so,” “yes,” “a little,” “no” and “My job may make the world a worse place.”

While only one percent picked the last answer, the New York Times was curious about what types of jobs those people had, so PayScale investigated further. Here are the top 10 occupations that had the highest shares of workers saying they thought their jobs made the world a worse place:

• Fast-Food Worker: 42.3 percent
• Bartender: 5.8 percent
• Senior Attorney: 4.9 percent
• Fashion Designer: 4.1 percent
• Associate – Investment Banking: 3.8 percent
• Legal Assistant: 3.6 percent
• Account Executive, Advertising: 3.4 percent
• Claims Adjuster / Examiner / Investigator: 3.3 percent
• Personal Banker: 3.2 percent
• Petroleum Engineer: 3.1 percent

Although a lot of people would take issue with bartenders thinking they don’t make the world a better place, analysts noted two of the 10 spots were banking professions — possibly a reflection of the economic downturn that happened largely at the hands of Wall Street executives.

Sorted by industry, here are the top 10 fields in which employees said their jobs make the world a worse place (the number one slot isn’t a terrible surprise):

• Tobacco Manufacturing: 15.9 percent
• Gambling Industries: 5 percent
• Gasoline Stations: 4.4 percent
• Limited-Service Eating Places (e.g., Fast-Food Restaurants): 2.8 percent
• Beer, Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers: 2.1 percent
• Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers: 1.9 percent
• Legal Services: 1.8 percent
• Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing: 1.7 percent
• Jewelry, Luggage and Leather Goods Stores: 1.7 percent
• Advertising and Related Services: 1.6 percent

[The New York Times]

tpauly, Flickr

Despite what many a working stiff might think, men do not wear neckties to facilitate strangulation when their bosses are less than pleased with their work.

So, why do men wear this variable, often quite fashionable, and utterly useless piece of business attire?

The answer lies in history, and Europe’s Thirty Years’ War. The logistics of that 17^th century conflict are messy, to say the least, and the various alliances hard to follow. What is worth note here was the extensive use of Croatian mercenaries. Croatian soldiers, fashion innovators that they were, wore scarves around their necks as part of their uniforms, which were called kravatas.

French soldiers must have thought the Croats looked pretty smashing in their rustic scarves. Military personnel brought the idea of wearing neckties back to France, where King Louis XIV quickly introduced ‘la cravate’ to high society. Neckties soon became all the rage. Wearing a cravate allowed you to show off your individual style, by altering the size and length of the tie, as well as the colors and patterns swimming across the cloth.

The word ‘cravat,’ which owes its origins to ‘Croatian,’ eventually became ‘tie’ in English. While the design and manner of wearing a tie have evolved over the years, the ubiquity and cross-cultural relevance of this little strip of fabric simply prove that ties are here to stay.

[Time]

TedCruz.org

On Wednesday’s edition of Lubbock’s First News, U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz talked with Chad Hasty and Rex Andrew about his run for senate and other hot-button issues in politics.

Concerning recent poll numbers, Cruz said he is “surging” in the senate race, and that the race has effectively become a two-man race between him and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst.

“If the election were held today, according to the latest poll numbers, there’d be a run-off between me and David Dewhurst, and that presents a clear, straightforward choice…between a timid career politician in David Dewhurst, or a strong conservative fighter.”

Cruz said that people want a strong conservative who can take on President Barrack Obama, and compared his own campaign to that of Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum.

Chad Hasty also asked Ted Cruz about his views of U.S. Senator John Cornyn in connection with a Dallas Morning News story from today that is headlined: Cruz Surprises Senate Analysts by Hesitating to Back Cornyn for Top Post. Cruz disagreed with the Morning News reporter’s interpretation of his comments, “John Cornyn is a good man, he’s my friend and I like and respect him. What I told the (Dallas Morning News) reporter was very simple. Which is that I think it would be presumptuous for me to talk about who I’m going to support in (Senate) leadership until I’m elected. I’ve got a primary to win and then an (general) election.”

Cruz continued, “What I told the reporter is look- the decision of leadership in the Senate, is the decision for the conference to make, and I’m not committing to any leadership votes because I’m trying to win a primary.”

Cruz also shared his views on the payroll tax, Social Security benefits and affirmative action.

For more on Ted Cruz and his campaign for U.S. Senate, visit his website at tedcruz.org.

KFYO’s Robert Snyder contributed to this report

Here’s a look at this year’s nominees in the major categories. Let your voice be heard and tell us who you think will win!

‘Hugo’ leads the way with 11 nominations. Will it end the evening with the most wins? You tell us:

Paramount/DreamWorks/DreamWorks

Frazer Harrison/Kevin Winter/Kevin Winter, Getty Images

Kevin Winter/Carlos Alvarez/Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

Frazer Harrison/Jason Merritt/Jason Merritt, Getty Images

Jason Merritt/Frazer Harrison/Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

Gareth Cattermole/Valerie Macon/Jamie McCarthy, Getty Images

DreamWorks/DreamWorks/Blind Wink Productions

Pascal Le Segretain, Getty Images/Jemal Countess, Getty Images/YouTube

With Oscars season upon us, it’s anyone’s guess who will take home the gold. Each year, some newcomers crash the party among veteran actors who command the red carpet at the Academy Awards. The annual event draws Hollywood’s biggest stars, and millions more around the world. The press always puts together some basic information about this year’s nominees, but how much do you actually know about the Oscars ceremony? Here’s a list of fun facts and trivia you can use to impress your friends this awards season.

Why’s it called Oscar?

Nobody knows for sure. The most commonly cited origin dates back to actress Bette Davis, who said that the backside of the statuette looked like her first husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson. According to another theory, the name came from Academy secretary Margaret Herrick who claimed it looked like her Uncle Oscar. However it came to be, the Oscar officially got its name in 1939, 10 years after the annual ceremony began. The official name of the Oscar is the Academy Award of Merit.

What are the statues made of?

Originally, they were gold-plated solid bronze. Then they moved over to Britannia metal, a pewter-like alloy that was then covered with copper, nickel silver, and 24-carat gold. But when WWII hit, and a metal shortage followed, the Academy had to make do with what materials they had available. So they resorted to painted plaster for three years. After the war ended, recipients were invited to exchange the plaster awards for gold-plated metal ones. Fun fact: Oscar statuette weighs 8 1/2 pounds and is 13 1/2 inches tall. (Watch a video on the making of an Oscar below.)

Hardly anyone attended the first Academy Awards

With what the awards have turned into today, it’s hard to imagine Hollywood’s humble beginnings. But that was the case for the first Academy Awards in May 1929, which was a small dinner held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel for 270 guests. It cost $5 a head, and the guests dined on broiled chicken.

Oscars.org

There have only been a few sweeps of the top categories

‘Hugo’ leads this year’s Best Picture crop with 11 nominations, but only three films in the history of the awards have ever won all five of the top categories (Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role, Actress in a Leading Role, Directing, Writing). They are: ‘It Happened One Night’ (1934), ’One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ (1975) and ‘Silence of the Lambs’ (1991). 37 other films have been nominated in all of the “Big Five” categories, but have fallen short of ultimate Oscars glory.

Vince Bucci, Getty Images

A sound mixer is the biggest loser in Oscars history

Sound mixer Kevin O’Connell has 20 nominations yet still no wins, making him “the unluckiest nominee in the history of the Academy Awards,” according to The Guardian. Basically O’Connell is the Susan Lucci of the Oscars, with nods spanning from ‘Terms of Endearment’ to ’Transformers.’ “If I ever did get an opportunity to make a speech, one of the things I’d say is to all you nominees, don’t consider yourselves losers. You guys are winners and don’t let anyone tell you differently,” he told Entertainment Weekly. O’Connell can take solace in his recognition from the Academy in other ways — he sits on the Board of Governors, representing the sound branch. (Watch an interview with O’Connell below.)

A toothbrush is Billy Crystal’s good luck charm

Expect this year’s host Billy Crystal to be armed with a toothbrush in his tuxedo pocket, but not because of a fear of bad breath. As a kid, Crystal would pretend to make an Oscar speech using his toothbrush as a microphone, and each of the eight times he’s taken the stage as the show’s host, he’s brought along his toothbrush to help ease his nerves.

Selling Oscar trophies is forbidden

Fame is fleeting, and so are Oscars apparently. Many celebrities have given their Oscars way or lost them over the years. But according to Moviefone, they can’t hock them at the pawn shop — the Academy banned the sale of the statuettes in 1950. Heirs to the statuettes must, according to the established rule, sell the trophies back to the Academy for $1. Pre-1950 Academy Awards have sold for millions.

Jemal Countess, Getty Images

Someone streaked the Oscars

During the 1974 Academy Awards, while actor David Niven was calling up Elizabeth Taylor to present the Oscar for Best Picture, a streaker emerged from the back of the stage and interrupted the festivities. Niven ad-libbed, ”Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was almost bound to happen. But isn’t it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?” The streaker was Robert Opel, a photographer and art gallery owner who had snuck backstage posing as a journalist. You can thank him for the delay imposed on the televised broadcast. Watch the famous moment below.

Marlon Brando turned down an award

When Marlon Brando won Best Actor in a Leading Role for ‘The Godfather’ in 1972, he declined to accept the award and instead sent Native American actress Sacheen Littlefeather to represent him on the stage. Littlefeather explained that Brando didn’t appreciate the way that Native Americans were portrayed in the movies. While some didn’t like Brando’s political statement, others believe that Brando’s stand helped improve the treatment of Native Americans in Hollywood. The Academy subsequently banned the use of proxies to speak on anyone’s behalf at the ceremony.

Oscar wins raise the divorce rate

A recent study found that women who were nominated for Best Actress were more likely to get divorced sometime after their Academy Award nods. Many recent winners – including Kate Winslet, Reese Witherspoon, and Sandra Bullock – feel prey to the curse. (See a recent list of actresses here.) “Winning an Oscar can be construed as a big jump in professional status that an actor or actress has in their world and in the eyes of the broader audience…You are never the same after you’ve secured an Oscar for Best actor or Best Actress,” explained one of the scientists.

Pascal Le Segretain, Getty Images

Source: TheFW.com

Steve Powell, Getty Images

Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history:

1819 – By the Adams-Onís Treaty, Spain sells Florida to the United States for $5 million (More info)

1879 – In Utica, New York, Frank Woolworth opens the first of many of five-and-dime Woolworth stores (More info)

1924 – President Calvin Coolidge becomes the first commander-in-chief to deliver a radio broadcast from the White House (More info)

1980 – In what would come to be called the Miracle on Ice, the US men’s hockey team beats the heavily-favored Soviet Union team 4-3 at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York (More info)

2006 – At least six men stage Britain’s largest robbery in history, stealing $92.5 million from a Securitas depot in Kent (More info)

Frazer Harrison / David Livingston, Getty Images

Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today:

Jeri Ryan
Age: 44
Occupation: Actress
Known For: Playing the liberated (“de-assimilated”) Borg, Seven of Nine, on ‘Star Trek: Voyager,’ roles on other shows like ‘Leverage,’ ‘Boston Public,’ ‘Dark Skies’ and ‘Shark,’ and her current role as Dr. Kate Murphy on the ABC drama ‘Body of Proof’

Drew Barrymore
Age: 37
Occupation: Actress, Producer and Director
Known For: Her star-making childhood role in ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,’ two stays in rehab by the time she was 14, rebounding nicely with adult roles in ‘Boys on the Side,’ ‘The Wedding Singer,’ ’50 First Dates’ and the ‘Charlie’s Angels’ film franchise, co-founding the prolific Flower Films production company, her recent engagement to art consultant Will Kopelman, and just being all-around adorable

Kyle MacLachlan
Age: 53
Occupation: Actor
Known For: His roles in the cult films ‘Blue Velvet,’ ‘Showgirls,’ ‘Dune’ and ‘The Doors,’ work on the TV shows ‘Twin Peaks,’ ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘Desperate Housewives,’ and a lengthy relationship in the 1990s with supermodel Linda Evangelista

Rachel Dratch
Age: 46
Occupation: Actress and Comedienne
Known For: Being a cast member of ‘Saturday Night Live’ from 1999 to 2006, appearing in movies including ‘Down with Love,’ ‘Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star’ and ‘I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry,’ and her enviably close friendship with Tina Fey

James Blunt
Age: 38
Occupation: Singer, Songwriter and Musician
Known For: Singles including ‘You’re Beautiful’ and ‘Goodbye My Lover,’ being nominated for five Grammys, selling 18 million albums, and having a long string of model girlfriends

Joe Raedle, Getty Images

The North Texas man accused of raping and torturing his neighbor on a deer-skinning device has been found guilty on three counts. Jeffery Allan Maxwell was found guilty of aggravated kidnapping and two counts of aggravated sexual assault during his trial Tuesday. DNA evidence was used to support the victim’s claims that Maxwell kidnapped and raped her at his home in Corsicana.  Prosecutors said Maxwell’s actions were unspeakable during closing statements Tuesday. He now faces up to life in prison.

Thomas Cooper, Getty Images

A small plane crash in West Texas has left two people bound for Oklahoma dead. The single-engine Piper Comanche went missing after leaving Abilene Monday night. It was bound for Norman, Oklahoma.

Wreckage of the plane was found Tuesday morning on a ranch near Albany. Two deaths were confirmed; however the victims have not been identified. The FAA says the ground lost contact with the aircraft at around 7:30pm Monday night. The plane was registered to Baga Air Inc. of Wilmington Delaware.

Virgin Galactic

Last month Virgin Galactic announced it would begin offering commercial space flights later this year.

The two-and-a-half hour trip just cracks the space barrier and offers about five minutes of weightlessness. It also comes with a fairly prohibitive price tag of $200,000 a pop.

But let’s say money was no object. Would you want to be among the first commercial space travelers?

Poll Position asked 1,145 adults that very question and found that only 23 percent thought the thrill of the great beyond outweighed the risks. Fifty-two percent said they would not be willing to take such a flight and 26 percent had no opinion.

[Poll Position]

Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

Facing huge budget shortfalls, the United States Postal Service has proposed solutions including closing hundreds of post offices and eliminating Saturday deliveries. Now it may be considering jacking up the price of stamps, too.

The popularity of internet services like online bill pay have led in part to a 1.7 percent decline in mail volume, causing the USPS to anticipate losing $14.1 billion in 2012 — with bigger losses expected in the years to come.

In response, postal officials sent a letter to Congress last Thursday in which they recommended several changes, including the possibility of increasing the price of a stamp from its current 45 cents up to 50 cents. While stamp prices have gone up four times since 2006, chief financial officer Joe Corbett said, “Clearly, we’re [still] underpriced [and] would like the ability to move that price up.”

The USPS says the extra nickel, which would likely be added in one or two-cent increments until 2015, would raise revenues by $1 billion annually. Although taxpayers don’t foot the bill to keep the postal service running, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe told Congress that failing to help the organization limit its losses would result in a “long-term burden to the American taxpayer.”

[Time]

20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox/Columbia Pictures/United Artists/United Artists

For every role that can be considered “Oscar bait,” there are the roles that are completely out of the norm for the Academy Awards.  The actors on our list all gave performances that have transcended Oscars and are more well-known for their contributions to pop culture.

While the Academy tends to ignore genre movies in favor of stuffy period pieces and weepy dramas, occasionally they honor an offbeat character beloved by moviegoers. Whether it’s a tough-as-nails alien fighter, a telekinetic kid or a Jedi master, these are 10 iconic characters from movie history that were surprisingly nominated for an Oscar.

Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi, ‘The Karate Kid’

Columbia Pictures

‘The Karate Kid’ is an ’80s staple that launched three sequels (plus a Jackie Chan reboot) and a bonafide kids classic. Much of the film’s success was due to Pat Morita’s portrayal of wise sensei Mr. Miyagi. Morita, who gained notoriety on ‘Happy Days,’ received his first and only Oscar nomination for the role, losing to Haing S. Ngor for ‘The Killing Fields.’  (It’s also not the only surprising Oscar nomination to come from the ‘Karate Kid’ cast– William Zabka (aka “Sweep the leg Johnny” ) was nominated for Best Short Film, Live Action in 2004.)

Anne Ramsey as Mrs. Lift, ‘Throw Momma From the Train’

Orion Pictures

Anne Ramsey had a long career dating back to 1971 before she became famous for her role as the nasty Mrs. Fratelli in ‘The Goonies.’  It was that role that led Danny De Vito to cast Ramsey as another nasty mama in ‘Throw Momma From the Train.’  While the film otherwise didn’t make much of an impact with critics or audiences, Ramsey was singled out for her performance and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.  Though she may have looked much older, Ramsey died just a few months later, at the age of just 59.

Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil, ‘The Exorcist’

Warner Bros.

‘The Exorcist’ is remembered for a lot of things: pea soup showers, spinning heads, spider walks. But many people forget that Linda Blair, the 13-year-old actress who played possessed schoolgirl Regan MacNeil, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. The film received a total of 10 total Oscar nominations (including two for stars Ellen Burstyn and Jason Miller) but it was Blair’s that was the most surprising. She was, at the time, one of the youngest actors nominated for an Oscar. Coincidentally, Blair lost that year to 10-year-old Tatum O’Neal (‘Paper Moon’) who still holds the record for the youngest Academy Award winner.

Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, ‘Aliens’

20th Century Fox

Few action heroes are nominated for Oscars. Very few action heroes in sequels are nominated for Oscars.  Very, very few female action heroes in sequels are nominated for Oscars. That’s why Sigourney Weaver’s nomination in James Cameron’s ‘Aliens’ was so remarkable. As remarkable as it was, though, few people remember it happened, likely because the next year, Weaver was nominated for two Oscars in the same year (for ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ and ‘Working Girl’).

Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, ‘Rocky’

United Artists

‘Rocky’ launched the super-stardom of Sylvester Stallone who went on to become one of the biggest stars in the world. He eventually drove ‘Rocky’ into the ground (see: 1990′s ‘Rocky V’) and the franchise devolved into self-parody, but in the beginning, the underdog boxing film was a hit at the Oscars. Stallone was nominated for Best Actor and, perhaps most surprising, for Best Original Screenplay. Sly has yet to be nominated for an Oscar since, though he does hold the record for the most amount of Razzie nominations. (He can thank ‘Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot’ for that.)

Sir Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi, ‘Star Wars’

20th Century Fox/Lucasfilm

Though Sir Alec Guinness was a widely respected actor prior to ‘Star Wars’ (he won an Oscar previously for ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’), his Oscar-nominated turn as Obi-Wan Kenobi was no doubt his most memorable. With all the ‘Star Wars’ lore, it’s easily forgotten and perhaps Guinness would’ve wanted it that way.  Though the role made him very rich, he hated the fame that came along with the success and, moreso, disliked the films themselves. Guinness told a reporter in 1999 that he suggested to George Lucas that Obi-Wan should die because he “just couldn’t go on speaking those bloody awful, banal lines.”

Sissy Spacek as Carrie White, ‘Carrie’

United Artists

Sissy Spacek’s nomination as Best Actress for ‘Carrie’ is easily forgotten because a) it’s a horror film and b) Spacek went on rack up an impressive six Oscar nominations over her career (winning in 1981 for ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’).  Like comedy and sci-fi, horror films are rarely honored by the Oscars. ‘Carrie’ was rewarded with nominations for both Spacek and her on-screen mother Piper Laurie.

Madeline Kahn as Lili von Shtupp, ‘Blazing Saddles’

Warner Bros.

Despite the Academy doing the right thing and nominating Melissa McCarthy for ‘Bridesmaids,’ comedic performances (particularly ones given by women) rarely get Oscar love. But stage-trained actress Madeline Kahn had already been nominated (1973′s ‘Paper Moon’) before her first collaboration with writer/director Mel Brooks. Her performance in ‘Blazing Saddles’ stood out amongst a cast of comedy heavyweights and may still hold the record for the funniest character name ever nominated for an Oscar.

Gary Busey as Buddy Holly, ‘The Buddy Holly Story’

Columbia Pictures

When you watch ‘The Buddy Holly Story,’ it’s not surprising to think that Gary Busey’s performance would be nominated for an Oscar. But when you watch Gary Busey in everything since then, it’s very surprising to think that the actor — currently best known for ‘Celebrity Rehab’ and otherwise just being a little crazy — was ever nominated for anything. But there was a time when Busey was a talented actor and parlayed his former career as a musician into a powerful performance.

Al Pacino as Alphonse “Big Boy” Caprice, ‘Dick Tracy’

Touchstone Pictures

Over his legendary career, Al Pacino has scored eight Oscar nominations, delivering iconic performances in movies like ‘The Godfather’, ‘Dog Day Afternoon’, ‘Serpico’ and ‘Scent of a Woman’. So it’s a little surprising to see, among those nominations, his performance as mob boss Alphonse “Big Boy” Caprice in the cartoonish ‘Dick Tracy.’ Pacino wore heavy makeup and chewed the scenery (as he is wont to do) as the foil to Warren Beatty’s square-jawed detective. It probably won’t go down as one of his best performances, but for one year, the Academy saw fit to recognize Pacino’s work underneath a rubber nose.

Source: TheFW.com

Thinkstock

A new Nielsen poll finds smartphones are becoming less of a luxury and more of a so-called necessity — at least for younger people.

Nielsen gathered data to learn more about the age, income and demographics of the typical US smartphone user. Specifically, the firm wanted to know if lower prices are making the devices more popular among those who earn less money.

Turns out more than half of people between 18 and 24 who make less than $15,000 per year are smartphone owners, compared to 43 percent of those aged 25 to 34 and just 31 percent of folks between 35 and 44 years old.

While researchers don’t know if the people surveyed, especially those in the younger group, have outside financial help (parents, spouses, etc.), it’s clear that even the respondents on limited budgets are making room for smartphone ownership.

But what researchers found most interesting is that although the younger set deems the devices a necessity, older people consider them more of a luxury — which is valuable information for developers, publishers and advertisers.

[TechCrunch]

Paul Morigi, Getty Images

State lawmakers in Indiana were recently presented with a resolution to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts organization and honor the positive influence the group has had on American women. Representative Bob Morris, a Republican from Fort Wayne, was the only representative to refuse to sign, citing a belief that the Girl Scouts is a “radicalized organization.”

The Indiana lawmaker sent a letter to his colleagues saying he plans to pull his daughters from their Girl Scout troop after he found information online claiming that the group “sexualizes” girls and promotes homosexuality. One source he cited was a conservative “news” website called World Net Daily.

In his letter, he claimed to have found allegations that the Girl Scouts are actually a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood that encourages the girls to have sex. He continued to say that the people who the Girl Scouts consider to be role models are all “feminists, lesbians, or Communists.”

He also mentioned an allegation that the organization allows transgender females to join. This misstatement of the facts was most likely based on a situation that arose last fall when a transgender male child was refused membership in a Colorado troop, but then allowed to join by the national organization, which encourages inclusiveness.

The scouts have received criticism for this inclusiveness and many groups and websites have been working very hard to “expose” them. Diane Tipton, president of the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital said in response, “Misinformation is passing as fact. The Girl Scout organization does not take a position on abortion or birth control, and these topics are not part of the Girl Scout program or our materials. We believe these matters are best discussed by girls with their families.”

At this time, the Girl Scouts are not planning any changes in policy, but they have released a statement explaining where they stand on sensitive issues.

[via Huffington Post]

Valerie Everett, Flickr

If someone has you ‘over a barrel,’ it’s never a good sign. This phrase means you’re in an extremely vulnerable position, and another human being (most likely not a friend) is taking advantage of that vulnerability.

Imagine, for example, you ‘borrowed’ some money from the petty cash account at work and ‘accidentally’ forgot to pay it back. Could happen to anyone, right? But then one of your colleagues finds out and threatens to tell the boss, unless you type up his or her reports for the next six months.

In other words, when you’re over a barrel, you’re a prime target for blackmail.

There are two possible explanations about the origins of this phrase. The first comes from the penitentiary system, where misbehaving prisoners were, back in the day, routinely fastened to barrels and flogged.

The second explanation stems from the practice of tossing a person who has almost drowned over a barrel to help clear water from the lungs. Regardless of the barrel in question, you undoubtedly wouldn’t want to linger in either position for any extended period of time.

If, during the course of your life, you find that others are often putting you over a barrel, you might want to rethink how you conduct your affairs, and please, stop associating with the criminally minded.

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This morning, the Texas Tribune released a new poll in conjunction with the University of Texas- Austin concerning the Republican primary race for U.S. Senate.

In the poll, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst scored the highest with 38%. Ted Cruz came in second with 27% and Craig James and Tom Leppert both scored 7%. 19% of the poll’s respondents stated they would like to see another Republican run in the race for U.S. Senate.

In a previous Texas Tribune poll from last October, Dewhurst scored 22% and Cruz 10%.

“David Dewhurst is roughly splitting the extremely conservative primary voters with Ted Cruz,” said poll co-director Jim Henson, who teaches government at the University of Texas at Austin and runs the Texas Politics Project. “That’s not a sign of failure or defeat, but it is a yellow flag.”

During this current round of polling, the Texas Tribune also polled likely Democrat voters for the upcoming primary. Of the actual candidates named, Sean Hubbard scored the highest with 12% of the vote.  However, the majority of the Democrat poll’s respondents, 55%, wanted another Democrat to jump into the race for Senate.

The Texas primaries are expected to take place in April or May of this year.