1. ABC has just released their first promo for the Oscars, hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway, and it's pretty funny! The clip also co-stars Jeremy Scott for Adidas gold-winged sneakers on Hathaway! (Thanks to our eagle-eyed Facebook commenters Matt and Mayra for the tips.)

2.  Brooklyn senator Carl Kruger wants to ban the use of iPods, cellphones and other distracting electronic devices in crosswalks.  [Brooklyn Vegan]

3. Patti Smith is writing a Sherlock Holmes-esque detective novel set in London. [Guardian]

4. The Huffington Post has a beautiful and spooky slide show of abandoned, decrepit buildings in Detroit.

5. A Harvard professor has created a machine called the Le Whaf that lets users breathe in their food instead of eating it. It also apparently works for alcohol too. [Daily Mail] 

6. Nooo! To cut production costs, the Girl Scouts have scaled back their cookie lineup this year to include just six flavors (down from 12). Don't worry, longtime staples Thin Mints and Samoas are safe. Casualties, however, include Thank U Berry Munch and Dulce de Leche. [WSJ]

7. The American Kennel Club recognized three new breeds of dogs yesterday: Xoloitzcuintles, hairless dogs that give off heat, Norwegian Lundehunds, which have six toes per paw, and Entlebucher Mountain Dogs, who are just cute. [Jezebel]

8. Finally, this is all over the Internet today and we'd be remiss not to include it: Why is this dude running through a snow storm holding an ice cream cone? [Buzzfeed] Follow up question: where is his coat?