Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check

State politics:

There are already laws on the books punishing those who text while driving, but some states are now targeting texting while walking.
   It's become part of our social behavior: Texting while walking, with sometimes unfortunate results. People walking into other people, people walking into walls or falling into fountains, like that woman last week in a Pennsylvania mall. And walking right into traffic and getting hit by a motorist.
   Now, lawmakers in Arkansas and New York are considering new laws to crack down on distracted walkers and joggers (ear-budded into their iPods --Maiman).

Going Geek-dot-com /Caught in the Web:

Looks like the Pope is on board with Facebook!
   Even though His Holiness doesn't have his own Facebook account (so you can't "friend" him), POPE BENEDICT issued a message yesterday discussing the virtues --and drawbacks-- of social networking.
   In his edict, the Pope said social networks like Facebook offered "a great opportunity," but also warned that "virtual contact cannot and must not take the place of direct human contact with people at every level of our lives."

How much money does Facebook rake in? Try $4 billion-with-a-B dollars a year.
   While we're on that front, you should know Facebook is far and away the most popular site when it comes to social networking. In contrast, Twitter will make about $150 million --about triple last year's income-- while MySpace revenue is projected to fall from around $288 million last year to $184 million this year.

London tabloids:

Warning: note drug content.
   Are you in the market for a slightly-used bong? Lucky you --the smoking device infamously touched by MILEY CYRUS' lips is up for grabs! The British tabloid the London Sun reports a mystery buyer is dropping a cool sixty-nine-thousand-bucks on the water pipe, which made the news when the teen super star smoked salvia --a halucinogenic herb. (Lee)

Reality Round-Up:

Bad news for fans of MTV's controversial new drama, "Skins" --the series' second show on Monday night dropped around HALF of the viewers it had for the premiere episode.

Broadcast, cable and video news:

More ratings news: Monday's show on which OPRAH WINFREY revealed that she had a half-sister she never knew pulled in ginormous ratings --the most since Oprah's post-Oscar party in 2005, nearly six years ago.

That "Dallas" reboot is still in the works at TNT, and TV Guide magazine says they've been able to corral [a cattle joke! Ha!] former "Dallas" bigwig, LARRY HAGMAN, who played J-R Ewing on the original series. Larry, who's pushing 80 now, told the mag "I haven't signed any contract yet but I gave them my commitment verbally."

Grace notes:

Get ready for a double dose of JUSTIN BIEBER next week. He'll sit for an interview Monday night on the "Late Show With David Letterman," then come back on Friday to do the Top 10 List. Justin's biopic, "Never Say Never" will be in theaters on February 11th, then he'll be on the Grammy Awards on the 13th. Finally, Justin will make his second appearance on "CSI" on February 17th. Can you handle that much Bieber? (Marino)

Chocolate, Caffeine, Alcohol:

A new study out of Germany shows that tobacco marketing works on teenagers.
   Of the 2100 public school students in Germany surveyed, 277 young people who had never smoked before took up the habit after viewing tobacco advertising. Those who saw the most ads were 46% more likely to try cigarettes than those who saw no tobacco ads, according to the research. (Kaye)