Recently in polls Category

Can you put the iPhone down without freaking out?

From the utterly obvious file: A study has found that most people get very, very stressed out when they don't have an Internet connection.

But it's more than that. The study -- from The Future Report and commissioned by British Internet service provider Virgin Media -- coins an acronym for people who are slightly hooked on their wifi mainline. Those who not only love their tech but experience great anxiety when they are disconnected are SOSOs. They "switch on to switch off" -- that is, they experience less stress as long as they see this:

More than 35 percent of those surveyed said they kinda freaked out if they were unable to stay in relatively constant contact with friends and family via email, Web sites or social networking services.

In addition, the SOSOs don't care if you find their anxiety ridiculous. The same percentage reported that they don't feel guilty about always having a computer or Web-activated cell phone within reach.

The numbers were higher for stay-at-home parents.

"An 'always on' lifestyle may not be for everyone but there is a significant number of people for whom always being connected actually increases peace of mind," says Mark Schweitzer, COO of Virgin Media.

How about you, Yanks? Do you get the shakes when you leave the bars, as it were?

In no way, shape or form is this not awesome.

Yes, it's an ad. So what? Ads this creative and innovative are a pleasure to look at, no matter what they're selling. It's well executed, clever, meticulous and a joy of stop-motion photography.

But wait just a second ... hasn't this already been done? And just a few weeks earlier right here on YouTube, to boot?

As it turns out, yes ...

So what on first glance was a tremendous effort at artistic advertising for the Olympus PEN camera - a largely European campaign - has quickly turned into a debate on the line between "homage" and pick-pocketing.

For those of you who hate to to fly - not from fear of crashing, but rather fear of lost or broken luggage - here's a story just for you. And it's even in music video format.

Dave Carroll, a Canadian musician traveling with his band, the Sons of Maxwell, in 2008 was making a connection at O'Hare on a flight from Halifax, Nova Scotia to a gig in Nebraska when he got rocked - no rolled - at the sight of his precious equipment being hurled around by United Airlines groundcrew. Not only were his axes smashed, but there would be the usual level of concern and assistance rendered for acts of baggagicide, which is to say none:

On March 31, 2008 Sons of Maxwell began our week-long-tour of Nebraska by flying United Airlines from Halifax to Omaha, by way of Chicago. On that first leg of the flight were seated at the rear of the aircraft and upon landing and waiting to deplane in order to make our connection a woman sitting behind me, not aware that we were musicians cried out: "My god they're throwing guitars out there". Our bass player Mike looked out the window in time to see his bass being heaved without regard by the United baggage handlers. My $3500 710 Taylor had been thrown before his.

I immediately tried to communicate this to the flight attendant who cut me off saying: "Don't talk to me. Talk to the lead agent outside". I found the person she pointed to and that lady was an "acting" lead agent but refused to talk to me and disappeared into the crowd saying "I'm not the lead agent". I spoke to a third employee at the gate and when I told her the baggage handlers were throwing expensive instruments outside she dismissed me saying "but hun, that's why we make you sign the waiver". I explained that I didn't sign a waiver and that no waiver would excuse what was happening outside. She said to take it up with the ground crew in Omaha.

Well, if you've ever admitted to wanting your mouth all over James Bond star Daniel Craig, now's your chance. And here's the weird thing: He tastes like blueberry.

Or pomegranate. Or cranberry. Those are the flavors of the new Daniel Craig popsicles, available this week in Britain from Del Monte Superfruit Smoothies. Why make a popsicle in the shape of 41-year-old hunk Daniel Craig, you ask? Why the hell not, we say. But here's the marketing answer: "'Daniel Craig topped our poll of Britain's coolest celebrities and thanks to our Del Monte lolly replica he is officially immortalised as super smooth and licensed to chill," said spokesman Matt O'Connor. Sigh. You knew that pun was coming.

The frozen treats are modeled after Craig's appearance fresh out of the ocean -- hubba -- in his first film as Bond, "Casino Royale" in 2006.

The others topping the poll of male celebs that British women would most like to see on the end of a stick? Jude Law was second, Hugh Grant was third, Steve Jones fourth and Tom Jones fifth. Hmm, what flavor should they have been?

The cliffhanger ending to season 5 of "Grey's Anatomy" last night put two of the show's main characters on hospital gurneys, flat-lining simultaneously.

Whether Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight's characters are saved for next season remains to be seen. But if the cold hand of dramatic death takes Izzie and George, they'll be joining a proud tradition of TV talent purging.

Killing off a character is a time-honored method for getting rid of an actor for a whole host of reasons - money, attitude, ratings or just plain old spite.

True, they don't always die off. Some ride into the sunset to pursue noble causes, like Noah Wylie's Dr. Carter on checking out of the "E.R." to become an aid worker in Africa. And sometimes, for the lucky ones, it's a trip off the show to be written into their own spinoff, like Kate Walsh's Addison Montgomery character leaving "Grey's Anatomy's" Seattle Grace to set up her own "Private Practice in Los Angeles.

But the most memorable TV character exits are the 6-feet-under variety - and maybe the most famous is the death of McLean Stevenson's Henry Blake on "M*A*S*H."

So here's the question: If you were a character on a show, how would you write yourself off? A heroic, blaze-of-glory death? A quiet evolution into another phase of life? A spinoff, starring vehicle?

Here's your chance to tell the world how your character would finish its final scene. Think of it as writing your own obit, but with better ratings and less finality.

Michelle Obama is a woman who has accomplished a lot in her life. From a humble upbringing on Chicago's South Side to successful lawyer and mother to her current job - first lady of the United States.

But here's a new line for the resume she may not have seen coming: making Maxim magazine's Top 100 list of beautiful women in the world.

Michelle becomes the first first lady to transcend the East Wing to the Hot Wing, clocking in at no. 93. No doubt powered to that finish on the strength of her keen fashion sense and well-documented killer arms.

You can get a look at the top 10 on Maxim's list here and here and a look at the full list of 100 here. And this is a list of the ladies Michelle beat out:

94. Yvonne Strahovski - heating up Cold War-style espionage on "Chuck"

95. Padma Lakshmi - hot in the kitchen on "Top Chef"

96. Olivia Munn - hotness under "Attack" (of "The Show)

97. Marisa Tomei - stripper-pole hot in "The Wrestler" and hot-and-bothered over her Oscar snub

98. Rebecca Mader - "Lost" in the hotness

99. Melissa Rycroft - hot on the dance floor and under the collar after rejection on "The Bachelor"

100. Deanna Russo - hot car enthusiast on "Knight Rider"

So maybe those aren't really jumbo jets after all?

Beginning today, United Airlines is going to start aggressively enforcing its obesity seating policy that requires passengers that need a second seat because of physical size to pay for that extra space. According to WBBM AM-780, at the airline's ticket counters at O'Hare International Airport, that means gate and ticket agents will be asked to size up their larger customers - deemed "seatmates of size" - for the potential fat fee.

If a passenger cannot fit into a single seat, buckle their seatbelt - even with a seatbelt extender - or put the seat's armrest down, the airline will ask that passenger to pay for an extra seat or stay behind.

The policy applies to tickets purchased on or after March 4, 2009 for travel on or after April 15 and United says they did it because of passenger complaints - though a spokesperson tells Lewis Lazare that they got only 700 gripes out of 80 million or so travelers last year - and the increased fuel costs brought on by the heavier payload obese passengers create.

Here's the big question, especially for gate agents: How do you determine who's too big to go in one seat? Are they supposed to pull people out of line who look a little too hefty? Will calipers and Body Mass Index charts be issued and hanging next to the luggage check scale? Are there measurements involved? How soon til the first discrimination lawsuit is filed? And will there be discounts for the svelte fliers?

Who's next on the target list? People who snore while sleeping are charged extra to be put in a seclusion zone? People flying with crying children charged extra for a blast of thorazine and noise dampeners? Where does it stop?

Of course United isn't the only airline dealing with this weighty issue. Southwest Airlines has been in the headlines for its handling of heavy folks, too, though they've backed off their policies of late and do offer a refund if a seat is pulled out from underneath a passenger.

What do you think? Is this fair?