Wednesday - 2/22/12 

Springsteen talks about 'Wrecking Ball'.  Ron Wood hints at Stones tour. 2012 a busy year for Heart. Songwriter's Hall of Fame. Do you suffer from nomophobia? Most women ignore half their bras. Our phones make us jerks. Supportive spouse eases work stress.  Reasons big boobs are awesome. 10 reasons why big boobs are not so awesome.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

Bruce Springsteen met the press in Paris on Friday to talk about his upcoming album, Wrecking Ball, set for release on March 6th. The album, which features an almost hip hop Celtic flavor, doesn't shy away from social issues across the album's songs. Springsteen said about the tone of the new material, "You can never go wrong in rock n' roll when you're pissed off! My work has always been about judging the distance between American reality and the 'American dream' (and) how far (apart they are) at any given moment."

Springsteen explained where his music fits in the national conversation: "There is a feeling of patriotism underneath. . . in my best music, but at the same time, it's a very critical, questioning, often angry sort of patriotism. That's not something that I'm prepared to give up for fear that someone might simplify what I'm saying. . . My work has always been about judging the distance between American reality and the American dream. How far is that at any given moment?"

RON WOOD

Ron Wood is hinting that the Rolling Stones are slowly gearing up for their rumored 50th anniversary tour. Wood spoke to Radio Times and was asked about the prospect of the band regrouping this year for some live work, to which the Stones guitarist responded, "'Be lovely, wouldn't it? That's what we're on the verge of. I dunno what the hell is gonna happen yet but we all feel we owe it to ourselves and to the people to do something. Well, they're still in the talking mode. And I don't know, each week brings a new development. Basically, get the boys feeling comfortable with each other, 'cause we're all ready to go individually. It's just a matter of tying up loose ends and coming together as a unit."

Wood feels that he was actually born a Rolling Stone, and it simply took until 1975 for him to actually become part of the group: "I was born with those songs in my mouth, anyway. Y'know, you can name any song of their. . . And I was with it, y'know, I didn't have to learn it. When I joined the band back in, '74, or whenever and I had to learn 160 songs, or something -- that was my initiation down in Woodstock -- I ended up teaching them to the band! I mean, I knew the songs. I'd never played them before, but I just knew them."

HEART

2012 is proving to be yet another ambitious year for Heart. Gibson.com posted that the sisters, Ann and Nancy Wilson, are currently working on a band biography, a career-spanning box set, and a string of live dates. Unfortunately getting inducted into the Rock Hall will have to wait for another year. Despite making the shortlist for the 2012 class along with Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Donna Summer, and others, the Wilson sisters just missed the final cut.

On March 15th, the Wilsons will appear at Austin's South By Southwest Music and Media Conference and Festival as featured speakers at the Austin Convention Center.

Nancy Wilson said that Heart has been caught in a strange place throughout the years, with management and record labels pushing the band to not develop as artists: "They tell you not to reinvent yourself. They tell you that your fans have an identity that they know, that is familiar to them, that they don't want to change. It's interesting. But in our case, I mean, we've been able to change a lot, but we've had to fight to be able to change a lot (laugh)."

SONGWRITER'S HALL OF FAME

Bob Seger, Gordon Lightfoot, Meat Loaf composer Jim Steinman, country music's Don Schlitz, and Broadway's Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones will all be inducted into the Songwriter's Hall Of Fame on June 14th at New York City's Marriott Marquis. The six beat out the shortlisted competition, which included such heavyweights as Pete Townshend, Elvis Costello, Steve Miller, Dion, Yusuf Islam (a.k.a. Cat Stevens), Tom Waits, Blondie's Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, The Eurythimics' Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, and George Michael.

Songwriter Hall of Fame chairman -- and legendary songwriter in his own right -- Jimmy Webb said of the 2012 inductees: "Each of our 2012 inductees has created a unique range of extraordinary contributions, a body of work that has resonated with audiences around the world, and greatly enriched our global culture. We are looking forward to celebrating their craft and careers at our Annual Awards Gala."

66% OF PEOPLE SUFFER FROM NOMOPHOBIA

 Nomophobia -- the fear of being out of mobile phone contact -- is on the rise. Apparently, a recent survey discovered 66 percent of people are terrified of being without their phone. And -- 41percent even have a spare mobile at home just in case they lose the first one. (Daily Mail)

MOST WOMEN IGNORE HALF THEIR BRAS

Almost half of women have purchased bras they have never even worn. A poll of 2,000 women conducted by specialist retailer Sweatshop found that the average female has a total of nine bras, but more than half of these are unused. The most popular reason for the rejected undergarments was their lack of comfort, with a third of women saying they keep bras that are the wrong size. Other women said their bras were unflattering, unfashionable or made their breasts look funny under certain clothes. Perhaps surprisingly, 74 percent of women do not try on bras before buying them because they are too embarrassed to get their breasts measured properly and over a quarter said they were currently wearing a bra that did not fit them properly. (Sweatshop)

OUR PHONES MAKE US JERKS

 According to a study from the University of Maryland, after people used their phones for even a short period, they were less likely to engage in "prosocial" behavior than a control group was. That means that they were less likely to volunteer and weren't as diligent about trying to complete a word problem even though they were aware that their answers would provide money for charity. And it turns out you don't even need to talk on your phone -- you only need to think about it. Researchers observed the same drop in prosocial behavior after a group of study participants was asked to draw a picture of their cell phone and think about using it. (Time)

SUPPORTIVE SPOUSE EASES WORK STRESS

 A major ingredient to taking the pain out of a stressful day at work is a supportive partner at home, a new study has confirmed. Professor Wayne Hochwarter, author of the study, found that highly stressed employees had a 25 percent higher level of concentration levels if they had a harmonious home life. They were also 33 percent more likely to have positive relationships with colleagues, and a 20 percent higher level of job satisfaction. However, it's not all easy. Professor Hochwarter said uninformed attempts to identify with a partner's stress, or comfort them with tales of even more stressful situations, was likely to backfire and make things worse. The take-away? Ignore the work day and focus on your relationship! (Daily Mail)

REASONS BIG BOOBS ARE AWESOME (TheFrisky.com)

• Breasts are really beautiful. They're soft and pillowy and feminine. They're pretty shades of pink and brown. Who wouldn't want more of that gorgeous goodness?
• Guys are into them. It's fun to look at curvy figures throughout history-from paintings of Greek goddesses to 50s pin-up girls-and see a bit of yourself in these classic beauties.
• Effortless cleavage. You never have to pass up a great dress because you couldn't fill out the bustline.
• They're fun to play with. Big boobs look amazing in tight dresses and sweet cardigans (see: everything Christina Hendricks wears).
• The simple act of pressing your boobs together can make a big impact. You know the phrase, 'Leave something to the imagination'? When you cover up big boobs, you leave a lot to the imagination. It's a very alluring situation.
• Large breasts are almost like an accessory in and of themselves. Who needs a statement necklace when you've got two big, beautiful orbs peeking out of every outfit?

...And 10 Reasons Big Boobs Are Not So Awesome

• Large breasts attract a ton of attention, whether you want it or not.
• Finding a sports bra that's comfortable, supportive, and doesn't make you hunch you over like Quasimodo is an epic challenge. Honestly, running a marathon is a piece of cake compared to finding a bra to wear while you do it.
• It's hard to find regular bras that are sexy and youthful. Large cup sizes tend to look like nursing bras.
• When you have big boobs, simple activities like running through a rainy parking lot or doing jumping jacks at the gym make you look like an extra from 'The Man Show.' And jumping on a trampoline? Forget about it!
• On a packed subway train, the part of your body most likely to graze a stranger is your breasts. Awkward.
• Contrary to popular belief, big boobs aren't usually very perky. I guess it's because of this thing called gravity, but most people don't seem to have heard of it.
• You can pretty much never go without a bra. Well, I guess you can, but again, with that whole gravity thing working against you, it's a risky proposition.
• Cleavage isn't always appropriate, but unless your wardrobe is comprised exclusively of turtlenecks, it's difficult to avoid.
• You know those stick-on bra cups? Totally useless. You might as well put a little hat on your areola.
• Clothes that look effortless and elegant on small-breasted women look totally sexed-up on large-breasted women. Examples: strapless dresses, slinky evening gowns, button-up shirts (hello gaping buttons!), and anything sheer.

Thanks for listening to The Eagle while you work. Keep it fabulous, Houston!

xoxo,

Jennifer Tyler

Fabulous Mid-Day Diva