HOLLYWOOD DIRT OVERFLOW (01-26-11)

THE OSCAR NOMINEES
"The King's Speech" Leads This Year's Oscar Nominees:

Nominees for the "83rd Annual Academy Awards" were announced yesterday. --The most love went to "The King's Speech" . . . starring COLIN FIRTH as King George the 6th of Britain. It got 12 nominations. --"True Grit" followed with 10 nominations . . . while "The Social Network" and "Inception" had eight each. --All four of those movies will compete for Best Picture, along with "Black Swan", "The Fighter", "The Kids Are All Right", "127 Hours", "Toy Story 3" and "Winter's Bone". (--Remember, they nominate 10 films for Best Picture now. They do it so that the 99.99% of Americans who haven't seen "The King's Speech" can tune in to root for "Toy Story 3".) --Several "Golden Globe" winners will have a chance to add an Oscar to their trophy cases. NATALIE PORTMAN is up for Best Actress for "Black Swan" . . . as is ANNETTE BENING for "The Kids Are All Right". --And CHRISTIAN BALE and MELISSA LEO are up for Best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively, for "The Fighter". --JAMES FRANCO . . . who's co-hosting the ceremony with ANNE HATHAWAY . . . is up for Best Actor for "127 Hours". But among his competition is JEFF BRIDGES, who won last year for "Crazy Heart". (--He's up this year for "True Grit".) --Jeff's "True Grit" co-star, the amazing HAILEE STEINFELD, is one of the youngest Supporting Actress nominees at 14. (--The youngest Oscar nominee EVER is Justin Henry. He was eight when he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the 1979 drama "Kramer vs. Kramer".) (--The youngest WINNER was TATUM O'NEAL, who was 10 when she won Best Supporting Actress for "Paper Moon" in 1974.) (--Hailee has a high-powered supporter in Justin Bieber. After hearing of her nomination, he Tweeted, quote, "Met at the Globes and she is super talented. CONGRATS to Hailee Steinfeld for being 14 and getting nominated for an OSCAR for TRUE GRIT!") (--The Oscars air on Sunday, February 27th at 8:00 P.M. Eastern . . . on ABC. . . .)

Best Picture:

--"The King's Speech"
--"Inception"
--"Black Swan"
--"True Grit"
--"The Fighter"
--"127 Hours"
--"Toy Story 3"
--"The Social Network"
--"The Kids Are All Right"
--"Winter's Bone"



Best Actor:

--Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"
--Jeff Bridges, "True Grit"
--James Franco, "127 Hours"
--Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network"
--Javier Bardem, "Biutiful" . . . which is also up for Best Foreign Film



Best Actress:

--Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"
--Nicole Kidman, "Rabbit Hole"
--Michelle Williams, "Blue Valentine"
--Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right"
--Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone"



Best Supporting Actor:

--Geoffrey Rush, "The King's Speech"
--Christian Bale, "The Fighter"
--Jeremy Renner, "The Town"
--Mark Ruffalo, "The Kids Are All Right"
--John Hawkes, "Winter's Bone"



Best Supporting Actress:

--Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit"
--Helena Bonham Carter, "The King's Speech"
--Amy Adams, "The Fighter"
--Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"
--Jacki Weaver, "Animal Kingdom"



Best Director:

--Tom Hooper, "The King's Speech"
--The Coen Brothers, "True Grit"
--Darren Aronofsky, "Black Swan"
--David O. Russell, "The Fighter"
--David Fincher, "The Social Network"


Best Adapted Screenplay:

--"True Grit"
--"127 Hours"
--"The Social Network"
--"Toy Story 3"
--"Winter's Bone"



Best Original Screenplay:

--"Inception"
--"The King's Speech"
--"The Fighter"
--"The Kids Are All Right"
--"Another Year"



Best Original Song:

--"Coming Home" . . . which Gwyneth Paltrow performed in "Country Strong"
--"I See the Light" . . . performed by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi in "Tangled"
--"If I Rise" . . . a Dido song, which is the main song in "127 Hours"
--"We Belong Together" . . . a Randy Newman song from "Toy Story 3"



Best Original Score:

--"How to Train Your Dragon" . . . composed by John Powell
--"Inception" . . . composed by Hans Zimmer
--"The King's Speech" . . . composed by Alexandre Desplat
--"127 Hours" . . . composed by A.R. Rahman
--"The Social Network" . . . composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross


Best Animated Film:

--"How to Train Your Dragon"
--"The Illusionist"
--"Toy Story 3"



Best Documentary Feature:

--"Inside Job" . . . a documentary about the global financial crisis.
--"Restrepo" . . . it's about soldiers in Afghanistan defending an outpost.
--"Gasland" . . . a documentary about Americans impacted by natural gas drilling.
--"Waste Land" . . . it's about an artist who uses his art to help Brazilian trash pickers.
--"Exit Through the Gift Shop" . . . a documentary about a French street artist in L.A.



Best Documentary (Short Subject):

--"Killing in the Name" . . . a documentary about radical Islamic terrorism.
--"Poster Girl" . . . it's about a former cheerleader who fought in Iraq.
--"Strangers No More" . . . about a school in Tel Aviv with students from 48 countries.
--"Sun Come Up" . . . a documentary about environmental refugees from New Guinea.
--"The Warriors of Qiugang" . . . it's about a group of Chinese villagers who fought the poisoning of the land and water from a nearby chemical factory.


And Here Are A Few Technical Categories You May Or May Not Care About . . .

Best Costume:

--"Alice in Wonderland"
--"True Grit"
--"The King's Speech"
--"The Tempest"
--"I Am Love"



Best Makeup:

--"The Wolfman"
--"The Way Back"
--"Barney's Version"



Best Visual Effects:

--"Alice in Wonderland"
--"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1"
--"Inception"
--"Iron Man 2"
--"Hereafter"



Best Cinematography:

--"Black Swan"
--"Inception"
--"The King's Speech"
--"The Social Network"
--"True Grit"

(--You'll find the rest of the less-exciting nominees at the official site for the Oscars, here. That way you can clean up in your office pool when it comes to "Best Achievement in Sound Mixing.") (???)


Who Got Snubbed by the Academy?

More people seem to be talking about the SNUBS this year than the nominees. The consensus seems to be that the biggest snub was CHRISTOPHER NOLAN being left out of the Best Director category for "Inception". --Here are some other perceived snubs people are talking about . . .

--MARK WAHLBERG, Best Actor, "The Fighter" (--His co-stars CHRISTIAN BALE, AMY ADAMS and MELISSA LEO all got nominated.)

--ANDREW GARFIELD, Best Actor, "The Social Network" (--Some people think JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE should have gotten one, too. JESSE EISENBERG did get recognized in the Best Actor category.)

--"Burlesque", in any music categories

--MILA KUNIS, Best Supporting Actress, "Black Swan"

--LEONARDO DICAPRIO, Best Actor, "Inception" or "Shutter Island"

--"Despicable Me", Best Animated Feature

--RYAN GOSLING, Best Actor, "Blue Valentine"

--JULIANNE MOORE, Best Actress, "The Kids Are All Right"


Penelope Cruz Had Her Baby Yesterday:

"Us Weekly" is reporting that PENELOPE CRUZ had her baby yesterday. There's no word yet on the name or whether it's a boy or a girl. --This is the first child for Penelope and boyfriend JAVIER BARDEM . . . who was nominated yesterday for the Best Actor Oscar for "Biutiful". (--Penelope is 36 . . . Javier is 41.)



Sophie Monk Is Engaged to a 50-Year-Old Guy:

Model (slash) actress SOPHIE MONK is engaged to a 50-YEAR-OLD DUDE. -His name is Jimmy Esebag, and he's loaded, not surprisingly. He's the chairman of United Licensing Group, which owns the rights to the "Playboy" brand . . . and is also tied in with the Elite Modeling Agency. Sophie is 31. -Sophie . . . who was born in England but grew up in Australia . . . says, quote, "He's a keeper . . . It feels right. I think you know when you know." --Sophie got engaged to BENJI MADDEN of GOOD CHARLOTTE in 2006, but they broke up in 2008. She's also been linked to "Entourage" star KEVIN CONNOLLY and RYAN SEACREST.


Jennifer Love Hewitt Has Three Engagement Rings Picked Out . . . But No Fiancé:

Is this ingenious . . . or pathetic? --JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT has three engagement rings picked out . . . but no fiancé. --On yesterday's "Ellen DeGeneres Show", Jennifer said, quote, "I actually have three because I feel like I'm doing the guy a favor. --"Women are very confusing. We never know what we want and we're not very good at nailing that down for them. I feel like I don't want to be upset if he picks a bad ring." --She adds, quote, "If it gets to that conversation, if marriage comes up, I'm like, 'You know what's so weird. There is this store [Tiffany's] and there are three rings in it. --"'And if you chose one of these three, I'm going to be really excited. And if you go off on your own, we can have an awful, awkward moment. So why would you want to do that?'" (--Jennifer has been dating unknown actor Alex Beh for about seven months.)


Troy Aikman and His Wife Are Getting Divorced:

NFL legend TROY AIKMAN and his wife Rhonda are breaking up after 10 years together. --Troy issued a statement saying, quote, "This has been a difficult decision for Rhonda and me, but after 10 years of marriage we have decided to separate. --"We remain deeply committed to our children and respectfully ask that you honor our family's privacy during this period of adjustment." --Troy and Rhonda have two daughters, ages 8 and 9. Rhonda also has a daughter from a previous marriage. --This was Troy's first marriage. In the '90s, he dated country singer LORRIE MORGAN . . . and may have also tapped SANDRA BULLOCK and JANINE TURNER. --Aikman quarterbacked the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 2000 . . . winning three Super Bowls along the way. --These days, he calls games for Fox.


MICHAEL JACKSON MADNESS

Dr. Conrad Murray Pleaded Not Guilty Yesterday:

DR. CONRAD MURRAY pleaded NOT GUILTY yesterday to one count of involuntary manslaughter, for allegedly causing the death of MICHAEL JACKSON. --Asked for his plea, Murray said, quote, "Your honor, I am an innocent man. I therefore plead not guilty." (--Here's video.) --Outside the courthouse, his attorney told reporters, quote, "Dr. Murray is looking forward to telling his side of the story. Dr. Murray's been waiting 22 months for the opportunity to do this, and this is the first chance we have to force the issue." --Murray could get four years if convicted. His medical license was suspended in California . . . but he's still allowed to practice in Texas and Las Vegas. --KATHERINE JACKSON was at yesterday's hearing, even though she told ABC News, quote, "When I'm in that courtroom I can't stand to look at that man. And I go because I love my son, and I just feel I have to be there." (--Here's video.) --Jury selection is scheduled for March 28th. The judge has not yet decided whether to allow cameras in the courtroom. --For what it's worth, a homeless man was found dead on a park bench near the courthouse before the hearing. Dr. Murray's alibi is pretty airtight, though.


Kentucky Fried Idiots - #1: Did Spencer Pratt Record a Rap for KFC?

A rap song that SPENCER PRATT recorded last year has hit the web . . . and it's pretty bad. --It's called "Ain't No Thing But a Chicken Wing", and it includes such lyrics as, quote, "Money ain't a thing / Nothing but a chicken wing / Call me Mr. KFC / S dot P in the flesh." (--You can listen to it here.) --Spencer says his goal was to pitch it to KFC for a commercial. But he never got that far, because he had a falling out with the producers. He doesn't know who leaked the track, but he's not happy about it. --He says, quote, "This is an attempt to sabotage my credibility and reputation."


Kentucky Fried Idiots - #2: Is the Imagery at Flavor Flav's New Fried Chicken Restaurant Racist?

As you may have heard, FLAVOR FLAV recently opened a fried chicken restaurant called Flav's Fried Chicken in Clinton, Iowa. --Some people are already wondering if Flav is bolstering black stereotypes by opening a fried chicken joint. And now, TMZ is suggesting that Flav's image on the restaurant sign and the menus might be kind of racist and minstrel-y. (--You can see the supposedly offensive imagery in this photo gallery. What do you think? Check out numbers 3, 5, 7, 10, 11 and 13, especially.)


Was Betty White Knocking Back Grey Goose During Her Birthday Party?

BETTY WHITE turned 89 last week. And you better believe she partied. --She celebrated her birthday at a restaurant called Le Cirque in New York City. Guests included VALERIE BERTINELLI, SHERRI SHEPHERD and JACK MCBRAYER from "30 Rock". --A source says, quote, "She was eating hot dogs and throwing back vodka . . . Grey Goose, rocks, lime rim. She was amazing." --But Betty is still a lady. And thus, she would NOT dance on any tables. The source says, quote, "We were all trying to get her to table dance. We were chanting 'Betty! Betty!' and trying to get her up there all night. --"And that was after a very busy day. She was laughing at all of it. We thought maybe she would, but she was shaking her head and saying, 'Oh no! No.'"


There Might Be Another Linda Lovelace Movie in the Works . . . Starring Kate Hudson and James Franco:

There may now be TWO movies about "Deep Throat" star LINDA LOVELACE in the works. --There's "Inferno" . . . the one that LINDSAY LOHAN was attached to for much of last year. (--MALIN AKERMAN has since taken her place.) --And now, there's a SECOND one in the hopper. This one might star KATE HUDSON as Linda, and JAMES FRANCO as her abusive scumbag husband Chuck Traynor.


John Travolta Might Play Mobster John Gotti:

The World Wide Web of Movie Gossip says that JOHN TRAVOLTA might play New York mobster JOHN GOTTI in an upcoming flick. And JAMES FRANCO has been approached about playing John Gotti Jr. (--Keep in mind this is all FAR from confirmed.) --Gotti was the boss of the Gambino crime family. He was known as the Dapper Don, for his style . . . and as the Teflon Don, because the feds had so much trouble making charges stick. --Until 1992, when they got convictions against him for multiple murders, racketeering, obstruction of justice, illegal gambling, extortion, tax evasion and loansharking. He was sentenced to life in prison, where he died of throat cancer in 2002.


The Fourth Season of "Jersey Shore" Will Take Place in Italy:

MTV has ordered a fourth season of "Jersey Shore". That isn't at all surprising, considering its ratings this season. (--Last Thursday's episode drew a series-high 8.9 million viewers.) --But what IS surprising is the news that Season Four will take place in ITALY. --An MTV exec said, quote, "The cast is headed to the birthplace of the culture they love and live by. We can't wait to see what erupts as a result." --Naturally, UNICO National . . . the Italian-American organization that has been slamming "Jersey Shore" from Day One . . . is NOT happy about this. --A rep from UNICO says, quote, "People used to go to the circus to see the freak show . . . that is what this will be. It will not only hurt Italians but all Americans . . . their outrageous, reprehensible behavior will make us look like buffoons and bimbos." --For what it's worth, "Jersey Shore" does air in Italy, and MTV Italy's website refers to the cast as, quote, "the world's most favorite Italian-Americans." (--Not that an MTV website would be biased or anything.) --Production on Season Four will begin this spring. There's no premiere date yet . . . but MTV says it'll start "later this year." (--Let's hope it's MUCH "later this year." There's still plenty of Season Three left. We're only four episodes in.)
Oprah Winfrey's Sister-Revealing Episode Drew Big Ratings:

OPRAH WINFREY might be hoping that she has some other family members she doesn't know about, because Monday's episode . . . where she revealed her long-lost sister . . . was a ratings bonanza. --The exact number of viewers hasn't been revealed yet, but according to the "Hollywood Reporter", the preliminary data shows that it was her highest-rated episode in SIX YEARS. (--By the way, Oprah's dad VERNON WINFREY tells RadarOnline.com that he didn't know about Oprah's new half-sister Patricia until he saw the episode.) (--But remember, Oprah and Patricia share a mom. Vernon is not Patricia's father. You can read Vernon's thoughts on all this at RadarOnline.com, here.)


The Second Episode of "Skins" Dropped in the Ratings:

MTV's oh-so-"controversial" show, "Skins", did NOT benefit from all the hysterics about its "dangerous" content. (--That being teens engaging in sex and drugs.) --The second episode only attracted 1.6 million viewers. Last week's premiere attracted more than twice that much: 3.3 million viewers.


The NFL Playoffs Had Twice As Many Viewers As the Return of "American Idol":

54.9 million people watched the Pittsburgh Steelers advance to the Super Bowl by beating the Jets in Sunday's "AFC Championship" game. It was the week's #1 show, and the most-watched AFC championship game in history. (--The NFC Championship game between the Packers and the Bears attracted 51.9 million viewers, but since it was an afternoon game, those numbers aren't reflected in the primetime ratings.) -Football completely overshadowed last week's return of "American Idol". Wednesday's 10th season premiere was watched by just over 26 million people, while 23 million tuned in to Thursday's episode. (--You can take another look at the season premiere ratings for all 10 seasons of "American Idol", here.)

Here's a quick look at last week's Top shows . . .

1.) Sunday's "AFC Championship" game between the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, CBS, 54.9 million viewers (--The Steelers beat the Jets, 24-19.)

2.) The "AFC Championship Postgame" show, CBS, 31.5 million viewers

3.) The 10th season premiere of "American Idol", Fox, 26.2 million viewers


Gloria Allred Is Getting Her Own "Judge Judy"-Type Courtroom Show:

Attention-starved and celebrity-obsessed attorney GLORIA ALLRED has landed her own "Judge Judy"-type courtroom show. It'll be called "We the People with Gloria Allred", and it'll premiere this fall. She'll be serving as the judge, of course.


"Glee" Creator Ryan Murphy Has Unloaded on Kings of Leon:

"Glee" creator Ryan Murphy is apparently still ticked off at KINGS OF LEON for turning the show down last year . . . because he just UNLOADED on them. --In a new interview with the "Hollywood Reporter", Murphy said, quote, "(Eff) you, Kings of Leon. They're self-centered (A-holes), and they missed the big picture. --"They missed that a 7-year-old kid can see someone close to their age singing a Kings of Leon song, which will maybe make them want to join a glee club or pick up a musical instrument. It's like, OK, hate on arts education. --"You can make fun of 'Glee' all you want, but at its heart, what we really do is turn kids on to music." --But maybe Murphy is overreacting a bit. Yes, Kings of Leon turned down an offer to have their music redone on "Glee". But it doesn't sound like they "made fun" of the show at all. --Back in November, the band said that they didn't realize it was a big deal when they turned "Glee" down, because they'd never seen the show, and didn't know what it was about --Then . . . talking in general about the offers to put their music in shows, movies and commercials . . . they added, quote, "I mean, you're not gonna say yes to everything. --"So there's a balance between the cool stuff and the not-cool stuff, and hopefully that's not taken the wrong way." --Kings of Leon singer Caleb Followill seemed STUNNED at Murphy's latest statements. He responded, quote, "This whole 'Glee' thing is a shock to us. It's gotten out of hand. At the time of the request, we hadn't even seen the show. --"It came at the end of that record cycle, and we were over promoting ['Use Somebody']. This was never meant as a slap in the face to 'Glee' or to music education or to fans of the show. We're not sure where the anger is coming from."


TV REMINDERS

Wednesday TV Reminders: (--Check your local listings.)

--"American Idol" [Auditions Show] . . . 8:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Fox.

--"Live to Dance" [Performance Show] . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on CBS.

--"Dog the Bounty Hunter" [Retrospective] . . . 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. on A&E. (--The best episodes of past seasons are highlighted in anticipation of the 200th episode.)

--"Dog the Bounty Hunter" [200th Episode] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on A&E. (--Dog helps a fellow bondsman find his fugitive to keep him from losing his business.)

--"Criminal Minds" . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on CBS. (--"Friday Night Lights" minx Adrianne Palicki guest stars as a psychopathic killer on an interstate killing spree.)

--"Sons of Guns" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 9:00 to 10:00 P.M. on Discovery Channel. (--A show about a business that buys, sells, trades, builds and customizes weapons.)

--"Clean House" . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Style. (--Former "Cosby" kid Tempestt Bledsoe takes over as host. It was formerly hosted by Niecy Nash.)

--"Face Off" [SERIES Premiere] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on Syfy. (--Special-effects make-up artists compete against each other in various challenges.)

--"Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" [Reunion Show] . . . 10:00 to 11:00 P.M. on VH1.

--"Hot in Cleveland" . . . 10:00 to 10:30 P.M. on TV Land. (--Valerie Bertinelli meets her boyfriend's mother, who's played by her former "One Day at a Time" mom Bonnie Franklin. And his brother is being played by John Schneider.)

--"Retired at 35" . . . 10:30 to 11:00 P.M. on TV Land. (--Shelley Long guest stars as Alan's love interest, who he meets while strolling the retirement community's grounds.)


Kesha's Former Management Company Is Suing Her, and They Want the Judicial System to Work Quickly . . . While Kesha Still Has a Career:

This is pretty amusing. --The management firm that used to represent KE$HA is suing her for $14 million. They're claiming that she breached her written contract with them when she suddenly dumped them for a new manager in 2008. --But here's the fun part. The management company is asking the courts to act QUICKLY on this case . . . because they're worried that Kesha's career might not last much longer, and they want to make sure they get paid. (--In other words, they want to secure a judgment against her NOW before she bottoms out, and the only money she has to her name is . . . well . . . the dollar sign that's IN her name.) --The firm claims Kesha's defense has been stalling . . . quote, "Their legal maneuver was to try and delay everything and we defeated every one of those motions." --Now, they want a judge to speed things up . . . because, quote, "Ke$ha is a very young and inexperienced artist whose 'star' may not continue to rise. --"Although she has made an incredible amount of money in a very short period of time, in large part due to [our] efforts on her behalf, she could just as easily lose money if not properly guided." (--Ke$ha has not commented.)
It's NOT Happening . . . There Is No American Superstars of Thrash Tour, It's Just *One* Show:

It was a False alarm. --There will NOT be a Superstars of Thrash Tour in America . . . at least not yet. --This morning, "The Big Four" . . . METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX were supposedly going to be announcing a long-awaited U.S. tour . . . but instead, they just announced ONE show. --The concert will be held Saturday, April 23rd in Indio, California . . . at the site of the Coachella music festival, which will be happening the weekend before. --According to the press release, quote, "this is indeed the only scheduled stop in America this go around." (--Lame. This is an EPIC event. Why couldn't they at least schedule a half-dozen shows scattered throughout the U.S.?) --Tickets for the concert go on sale this Friday at 7:00 A.M. Eastern. General admission tickets will run you $99. (--For more info hit up TheBig4Festival.com.)


SHOWBIZ EXTRAS

GARY VALENTINE . . . the older brother of KEVIN JAMES . . . is suing a woman for $500,000 because she accused him of sexual assault after a night of what HE claims was consensual oral sex. (--Gary played Cousin Danny on "King of Queens".) (Full Story)


Check out ASHTON KUTCHER and stepdaughter SCOUT WILLIS singing a ridiculous song about coffee. (Video)


JESSE VENTURA is suing the TSA and the Department of Homeland Security. He accuses security screeners of, quote, "warrantless, non-suspicion-based offensive touching, gripping and rubbing of the genital and other sensitive areas of his body." (Full Story)


For some reason, the "New York Daily News" posted a photo gallery of celebrities sweating. (Photos)


KIM KARDASHIAN gives 10% of all her money to charity. Most of it's going to Haiti right now. (Full Story) She also admits that the most extravagant thing she's ever bought for herself was a $115,000 watch. (Full Story)


The CW has a new ad campaign urging viewers to "Catch VD". "VD" meaning "VAMPIRE DIARIES", of course. (Full Story)


On its first night without KEITH OLBERMANN, MSNBC actually saw its ratings INCREASE. (Full Story)


JUSTIN BIEBER will appear on this Sunday's episode of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" . . . to shed light on the issue of TEXTING AND DRIVING. (Full Story)


Animal Planet's "Puppy Bowl" may be the most adorable thing in the history of TV. It airs Super Bowl Sunday at 3:00 P.M. Overdose on cuteness by watching all the preview videos. (Official Site)

NAZZY’S RANDOM STUFF

A Man Wins a MINI Cooper In a German Radio Contest . . . By Having the Word "MINI" Tattooed On His Manhood:

--39-year-old Andreas Muller of Sachsen Anhalt, Germany won a $32,000 MINI Cooper from a radio station contest by . . . having the word "MINI" tattooed on his junk. That's right. His manhood is now permanently branded as "mini." --The station was giving away the car to the person who did the, quote, "craziest, most idiotic stunt." (--Apparently, there's no such thing as a MASSIVE LAWSUIT in Germany. Our lawyers would've shut this down before we finished saying the word "craziest.") --Andreas says that the tattoo was insanely painful but, quote, "Once I'm sitting in the car, it won't matter anymore. Then the pain will be gone and it'll be alright." --There's no word on whether or not Andreas has a wife or girlfriend. (Metro) (--You can see a video from the 89.0 RTL morning show where Andreas was tattooed here. Warning: It's all in German. AND GRAPHIC.)


A New Survey Proves Your Boss Is Judging You Because of the Mess On Your Desk:

As you let a mountain of papers, supplies, and empty Red Bull cans pile up on your desk at work, just know this . . . they're judging you. They're all judging you. -According to a new survey by OfficeMax, having a messy desk could actually be holding back your career.

--53% of people surveyed say they think negative things about coworkers who have messy desks. 40% . . . including managers and bosses . . . say that they think a messy desk is a sign that the person is lacking in other aspects of their job too.

--13% of people say they have a lower overall opinion of their messy coworker AS A HUMAN BEING. 4% say it's a sign you're really bad at your job. And 3% think a messy desk is a sign that you're NOT SMART.

--46% of the people surveyed said that they're planning to try to keep their work space cleaner this year than they did last year.

--77% say that when things are messy or cluttered, it hurts their productivity. And 9% say that being surrounded by a mess makes them GAIN WEIGHT. (PR Newswire)


Two Out of Five Young Couples Have Different Opinions On How Exclusive Their Relationship Is:

The generation that watched BILL CLINTON change the definition of cheating has grown up . . . and they seem pretty confused on what really DOES constitute cheating. --In a new survey of couples where both people are 18 to 25 years old, 40% had different opinions about how exclusive and monogamous their relationship actually is. --Almost half of those couples disagreed as to whether they were seeing each other exclusively. --And a lot of them disagreed on monogamy . . . one person might be monogamous, but the other wasn't as strict about it. Married couples were no more likely than dating couples to be monogamous. --About 30% of the people surveyed said they've cheated on their boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife. --Jocelyn Warren at Oregon State University led the study. She says, quote, "Monogamy comes up quite a bit as a way to protect against STDs. But you can see that agreement on monogamy is fraught with issues." (LiveScience)


One Out of Seven Americans Say That If It Came Down To Picking Their Significant Other or Their Pet . . . They'd Go with the Pet:

At this point, we all know how much people are OBSESSED with their pets, so it takes a lot to shock us. But this comes pretty close. --A new survey by the Associated Press and Petside.com found that one out of seven pet owners in the U.S. say that if it came down to staying with their significant other or staying with their pet . . . they'd go with the pet. --84% of people say they'd stay with the human. --People who are in relationships but aren't married are more likely to choose their pet than married people. 25% of unmarried people say they'd choose their pet over their boyfriend or girlfriend . . . versus 8% of married people. --There was no difference in the genders when it came to making the choice. But women were more likely to say it's a TOUGH decision . . . 40% of women say it would be a tough call, versus 26% of men. --There was also no difference between dog and cat owners. --57% of people say they've had to give up or put down a pet in their lifetime. The most common reason was that the pet was too sick. (Yahoo News)
Men Have More Trouble Remembering the News When the Anchorwoman Is Hot:

According to a new study, believe it or not, men are still distracted by hot women showing cleavage. I know. Groundbreaking stuff. --Two researchers at Indiana University wanted to see how an anchorwoman's looks and clothing style would affect the news. So they had two groups of men watch two different newscasts, featuring the exact same news and the exact same anchor. --The only difference? One group saw the anchorwoman in tight-fitting clothes and red lipstick, showing off her curves and some cleavage. The other group saw her in a shapeless and loose-fitting jacket with no makeup. --Afterward, the men took a quiz on the news. And the men who had the sexed-up anchor remembered, quote, "significantly [less] information than [the men] watching the unsexualized anchor." --The researchers ran the same experiment with women and found the opposite was true . . . women remembered MORE of the info from the sexed up version than the sexless version. --They didn't offer a theory on why women retained more info when the anchorwoman looked more attractive. (--Could it be because women are socially trained to respect attractive women more than ugly ones?) (Miller McCune)


Cookies Are Still the Most Popular Homemade Dessert In the U.S. . . . But Pies Are Making Strong Moves At Restaurants:

And now, some very important news on DESSERT TRENDS. Which, in a way, are the only trends we're ALL interested in. --According to a new survey, as usual, COOKIES are still the most popular homemade dessert in the country. But there are other desserts making strong moves too.

--82% of people surveyed said they baked cookies last year.

--Cakes are the second-most popular, at 74% . . . that's up 17% since the same survey in 2008.

--Brownies are third-most popular, at 73% . . . up 18% from 2008.

--And cupcakes are fourth-most popular, at 52% . . . up 15% from 2008.

--But the big winner might be pie. 41% of people baked a pie at home last year, which is fifth place . . . but Americans ordered 12 million more slices of pie at restaurants in 2010 than we did in 2009.

--Pastries are the least-popular homemade dessert . . . only 17% of people surveyed baked them last year. (PR Newswire / Walletpop)


If Cities Want Less Traffic, The Answer Is . . . Make It Impossible To Park:

In theory, it would be good for us to drive less. We'd cut down on emissions, get more exercise, cut our dependence on foreign oil, get into fewer accidents, waste less time in rush hour traffic jams . . . and basically live healthier, safer, cleaner lives. --But we're Americans, and we love our cars . . . so NONE of that seems to get us to drive less. A new study figured out a strategy that actually COULD make people get out of their cars . . . without having to jack up gas prices into the $5-and-over range. --The study found that people drive less if it's impossible to park. In ten different European cities, cutting down on the number of public parking spots caused a significant cut in the number of drivers. --In Amsterdam, it had the biggest effect . . . cutting parking led to a 20% drop in traffic. -So could this happen in the U.S.? There aren't any plans to put it in place right now . . . but according to an urban planning professor at UCLA, cutting spots or raising parking prices would lead to a change in traffic here, too. (Time)


Website of the Day: Squabbler.com:

There's a new website called Squabbler.com that lets you settle your arguments in a very YouTube-era way: By uploading videos and letting complete strangers decide your fate. -Both people in the argument upload a 30-second webcam video explaining their side. Then you watch both videos and vote. And whoever gets more votes wins the argument.
Bergen County, New Jersey Can't Afford To Salt the Roads Anymore, So They've Switched To Covering the Roads With Pickle Juice:

It's been a rough winter, and Bergen County, New Jersey has already used up most of its snow budget. And that's a problem, because the snow doesn't look like it's going away any time soon. --So they needed an alternative to help melt the snow. And they found it . . . in PICKLE JUICE. The county has been buying a salt-and-water brine that resembles pickle juice, and is using it to keep their roads salted. --It costs almost four times less to buy the brine than it does to buy salt, so they're spraying it everywhere . . . sidewalks, roads, parking lots, and even on some of the county buildings. --There's no word on how effective it is compared to traditional salt . . . or if it's making the county smell like pickle juice. (--But if I know New Jersey, that would actually IMPROVE the smell. WHOA! Am I right? Hello? Anyone?) (CBS 2 - New York)


MEATBALL CRIMINALS

A Man Tells a Judge "Suck My [Appendage]" . . . Right Before He Gets a 107-Year Sentence:

24-year-old Zaire Paige of Brooklyn, New York was probably going to get the maximum sentence for murder no matter what. But his mouth DEFINITELY didn't help him get any last-minute sympathy from the judge. --On Monday, Paige was being sentenced for murdering a man and injuring four others when he opened fire inside of a hair salon back in 2008. --And before the judge could sentence him, Paige had an opportunity to speak, and said to the judge, quote, "With all due respect and from the bottom of my heart, suck my [appendage]." --The judge was Vincent Del Giudice, and he instantly responded, quote, "I respectfully decline your offer. You are a danger to all civilized members of society." And he gave Paige the maximum sentence . . . 107 YEARS in prison. --Back in October of 2008, Paige and another man, named Robert Crawford, teamed up to kill a 20-year-old named Lethania Garcia . . . who apparently killed one of their friends in 2006. --They tracked Garcia down at a salon in Fort Greene, New York and started shooting at him. They killed him, and injured four other people, one of whom was an off duty cop. Crawford was sentenced to 53 years in prison last month. --Before Paige killed Garcia, he actually had a role in the movie "Brooklyn's Finest" and . . . SPOILER ALERT . . . he actually kills ETHAN HAWKE'S character. Paige didn't have any formal acting training when he was cast in the role. (New York Daily News)


RANDOM NEWS EXTRAS


God isn't safe from foreclosure either. Since 2008, more than 200 churches have been foreclosed on, up from eight in the previous two years. (Full Story)


An elderly British couple took advice from their GPS in Germany . . . and crashed into a 100-year-old church, causing $37,000 in damages. (Full Story)


Is your kid impulsive, easily frustrated, restless, and unable to think in the long term? Then he's more likely to have a criminal record, drug and alcohol addictions, poor health, and financial problems. (Full Story)


Indiana issues a statewide ban on smoking, except in casinos, bars . . . and nursing homes? (Full Story)


A New York State Senator had proposed a ban on talking on your phone or wearing headphones while crossing the street. (Full Story)
NAZZY’S SILLY VIDEOS OF THE DAY

#1.) Footage of the Moscow Bombing Has Been Released . . . Along With Graphic Footage of the Aftermath:

Security footage of Monday's Moscow airport bombing has made its way onto YouTube. It's pretty low-quality and doesn't have sound, but you can clearly see the bomb explode in the top right corner of the screen. -And there's also a second, more-graphic video that someone shot with their cell phone right after the bomb went off. In the second video, the person walks around the scene, and you can see bodies on the ground. (--WARNING: These videos are somewhat graphic in nature.)
(--Search for "CCTV Moscow bomb" and "Raw Footage Moscow Bombing Scene." In the first video, the bomb goes off at :15. In the second video, it shows the bodies around :30.)


#2.) A Grand Piano Showed Up on a Sandbar in Florida . . . And No One's Sure How It Got There:

A 650-pound grand piano showed up on a sandbar south of Miami last week, about 500 feet from shore . . . and no one's sure how it got there. --According to unconfirmed reports, someone put it there for a music video shoot, then left it. But as of right now, authorities say it's not posing a risk to anyone, so they're just planning to leave it. (--Search for "Mystery Piano Biscayne Bay." At :38 they pull back, and you can see the sand bar from further away, and the ocean around it.)


Yahoo's List of the Four Most Satisfying Jobs:

If you're thinking of changing careers, Yahoo.com has a list of the four most satisfying jobs in the United States, based on opportunity, salary, flexibility, and how easy it is to advance your career. Here's the list.

#1.) Freelance Graphic Designer. It's creative, and you can work from home. And according to the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the average freelance graphic designer makes around $55,000 a year.

#2.) Critical Care Nurse. According to a survey done by the University of Chicago, jobs that involve helping other people rate highest in job satisfaction. And according to the Department of Labor, the average critical care nurse made around $66,000 in 2009.

#3.) Quality Assurance Managers for Software Companies. According to a 2010 poll, 45% of them have flexible work schedules. And after five years, the average salary is around $85,000.

#4.) Hospital Administrator. The Department of Labor predicts steady growth in the healthcare industry through at least 2018. And health care managers make $90,000 a year on average, with the top ten percent making more than $140,000. (Yahoo)