It's good to aim high

Brad Pitt says his favorite film role was his small part in "Being John Malkovich."

His role in the Spike Jonze's film, in which he plays himself, was uncredited, reports OK! magazine.

But when asked what role he's most proud of he said: "I like them all for different reasons. Actually, I like my one-second part in 'Being John Malkovich.'

"I think that's the best I've done."

Source: www.ananova.com

Oh, we're impressed

Scientists say they have located the parts of the brain that comprehend sarcasm.

Source: www.oregonlive.com/edge/

You just can't dig out of some depths

"I think that the film 'Clueless' was very deep. I think it was deep in the way that it was very light. I think lightness has to come from a very deep place if it's true lightness."

Alicia Silverstone, actress

Source: www.goodquotes.com

Your daily ration of useless factoids

• Fish scales are an ingredient in most lipsticks.

• Frank Baum, the writer of "The Wizard of OZ," looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N, and O-Z, hence "Oz."

• The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper.

• On average, every chocolate bar contains at least three insect legs.

• Up until the early 20th century, New Jersey and Wisconsin had laws allowing the castration of epileptics.

• "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson was the first video to air on MTV by a black artist.

• "Canada" is an Indian word meaning "Big Village."

• "Conservationalists" & "Conversationalists" (18 letters) are the longest non-scientific transposals (word formed from another by changing its letters).

• "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt."

• "Duff" is the decaying organic matter found on a forest floor.

• "Fickleheaded" and "fiddledeedee" are the longest words consisting only of letters in the first half of the alphabet.

• Flushable toilets were in use in ancient Rome.

• "Fortnight" is a contraction of "fourteen nights." In the United States, "two weeks" is more commonly used.

• "Four" is the only number whose number of letters in the name equals the number.

www.greatfacts.com

To contact The Rail, send an e-mail to features reporter Tom Pantera at tpantera@forumcomm.com and he'll forward it to the writers.

Today's best bet

2005 Special Olympics State Summer Games opening ceremonies, 4:30 p.m.

Dacotah Field, North Dakota State University