Thursday, December 7, 2006        Edition: #3425
Thanks For Being On Our Sheet List!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
THIS MORNING at 8:30 am PST nominees in some 108 categories for the 49th annual “Grammy Awards” will be announced by a gaggle of recording stars, including Mary J Blige, James Blunt, Chris Brown, Amy Lee, Ludacris, Rascal Flatts, Justin Timberlake & KT Tunstall (awards are FEBRUARY 11th in LA NET: http://www.grammy.com/) . . . TODAY on the Food Network, celeb chefs Emeril Lagasse & Bobby Flay will conduct 10-minute video phone calls during their shows with fans who had winning bids in an eBay charity auction . . . TODAY’s new issue of “TV Guide” comes with a collectible CD/DVD with a never-released Elvis Presley Christmas song (“It Won’t Seem Like Christmas Without You”) and a video clip of Elvis singing “Blue Christmas” . . . Despite the fact that they regularly swap spit on “Survivor: Cook Islands”, contestants Candice & Adam are ‘just friends’, she says, and ‘there’s nothing off the island’ (so she’s just a make-out slut then?) . . . Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood has been offered a cameo role on “CSI: Miami” after castmembers Emily Proctor & Adam Rodriguez attended his art exhibition in Hollywood and bought some of his paintings (ah, so it’s a barter deal then?) . . . Reps for actors Jennifer Aniston & Vince Vaughn have now confirmed that the couple has indeed called it quits (thank goodness, we’ll never have to talk about it again!) . . . 52-year-old Jackie Chan has injured his chest after being hit with a table while filming “Rush Hour 3” (time to hang up the stunts?) . . . Jerry Springer’s crowd-pleasing appearance on “Dancing with the Stars” (ABC) has led to several career opportunities, including filming a Bud Light commercial NEXT WEEK and a regular role on the “George Lopez” sitcom (ABC) . . . In the run-up hype for the DECEMBER 20th release of “Rocky Balboa” (the 6th “Rocky”), 60-year-old star Sylvester Stallone has donated his hat, boxing shorts, robe & a pair of boxing gloves used in previous films to the Smithsonian in Washington DC (next he’ll be donating turtles ‘Cuff’ & ‘Link’ to the National Zoo) . . . And in a new posting on her website, marriage vet Pamela Anderson offers some advice for people considering getting married while on vacation – don’t.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Beck – TONIGHT he guests on “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS).
• Christina Aguilera – She’s the latest signed to perform live in NYC’s Times Square during Dick Clark’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” (ABC), joining Rascal Flatts, Natasha Bedingfield & Fergie.
• Ciara – TONIGHT she does “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” (CBS).
• Franz Ferdinand – Frontman & former chef Alex Kapranos has written a book about being on tour, and its central focus is food not music. “Sound Bites: Eating On Tour With Franz Ferdinand” details unusual foods the band has come across during their travels, including crab sausage, bull testicles (ouch!) and the potentially fatal blowfish. It’s out JANUARY 2nd.
• Ludacris – TONIGHT he’s on the “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC).
• Madonna – In keeping with Kabbalah teachings, she wants to have adopted son David circumcised, however the boy’s birth father Yohane Banda says that’s ‘against Christian religion’ (huh?) and is not something ever considered in Africa. He’s urging her to think it over again.
• Razorlight – The British indie rockers have been in touch with medical experts after discovering the plane they returned home on from a gig in Moscow was contaminated with traces of polonium, the radioactive poison linked to the death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvineko. Just a single grain of dust from the stuff can provide a fatal dose of radiation.
• Rihanna – She’s signed a deal with Cover Girl cosmetics and will begin shooting ads THIS MONTH that will air NEXT SUMMER. Her mother was a makeup artist and she says she’s dreamed of being a Cover Girl since she was a little girl.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A selection of movies in the making …
• “Blades of Glory” – Will Ferrell (“Old School”) and Jon Heder (“Napoleon Dynamite”) are set to star as Olympic ice skating rivals in this sports comedy coming next MARCH. It’s being shot in Montréal and at the Los Angeles Sports Arena.
• “The Last Duel” – Director Martin Scorsese is developing this bigscreen adaptation of the historical novel “The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal and Trial by Combat in Medieval France”.
• “Miles Davis” – Oscar-nominated actor Don Cheadle (“Hotel Rwanda”) plans to direct and star in this upcoming bio-pic about the legendary jazz trumpeter.
• “Sweeney Todd” – Tim Burton is denying reports that he’s signed Sacha Baron Cohen for the role of villain ‘Adolfo Pirelli’ in the movie version of Stephen Sondheim’s hit Broadway musical. Burtin says talks are still in their early stages. Shooting starts in FEBRUARY.
• “White Jazz” – George Clooney will produce and play a corrupt police lieutenant in the bigscreen version of the last of author James Ellroy’s ‘LA Quartet’ of crime novels which includes “LA Confidential”, “The Big Nowhere”, and “The Black Dahlia”.

BAGGING IT:
The best way to lose weight at work is to brown-bag your lunch. A recent survey finds that 46% of employees have gained weight since starting their current job, with over 20% putting on more than 10 lbs. Researchers say those who bring their lunch to work rather than buying it are better able to control portion sizes and consume fewer calories. (Unless you bring in a bag of gravy.)
– “Best Life Magazine”

WIDE WORLD OF BS:
• In China, a factory manager in the city of Taizhou has been arrested for using grease from swill, sewage, pesticides and recycled industrial oil to make … lard for human consumption. To his credit, Ying Fuming was at least selling it at half-price. (It’s sort of a multi-purpose engine oil/bread spread/facial cream!)
• In Britain, schoolteachers at the Calcot Junior School in Berkshire have been told to say ‘Go home and ask your parents’ when students ask them if Santa Claus really exists. The new rule came into effect after a teacher broke the brutal news and the entire class went home in tears.
• In California, several San Francisco bus shelters have been modified so they give off the scent of freshly-baked cookies. It’s part of a new ad campaign by the California Milk Processor Board to stir up thirst for milk, which many consider the best accompaniment for cookies. The ad agency behind the gimmick believes it may be the first outdoor campaign to use ‘olfactory marketing‘. (In other words … smell.)
• In Norway, an Oslo court has ruled that customers in strip clubs do not have to pay a 25% value-added tax because the services offered are … ‘a form of art performed by artists’. (Who knew sitting in a lap was art?)

THE QUEEN’S ENGLISH:
Is Britain’s 80-year-old Queen Elizabeth II becoming a commoner? A new study by University of Munich phonetics professor Jonathan Harrington reveals that her accent is becoming less ‘posh’. By analyzing all her annual Christmas messages since they were first delivered in 1952, Harrington has discovered that her vowel sounds have shifted from the upper-class ‘Received Pronunciation’ to what’s known as ‘Estuary English’, a middle-class accent displaying working-class or cockney phonetic features. (It became obvious last year when the speech began: “Philly and I jes’ got back from slammin’ pints at the pub …”)
– AHN

IT’S A HARD-KNOCK LIFE:
Highlights of a new poll of hundreds of members of the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, an association of men who work as seasonal Santas …
• Nearly 90% of Santas surveyed say kids pull on their beard every day to see if it’s real.
• Over 75% of children tell Santa they’ve been good during the year.
• 75% of Santas say they have up to 10 children cry while sitting on their laps every day.
• 60% say they are sneezed or coughed upon up to 10 times each day.
• 50% of Santas say kids try to pull their glasses off every day.
– Reuters

McORIENT:
In China, McDonald’s tailors its fast-food menu to Asian tastes by coming up with new items in it’s ‘Forbidden Kitchen’ workshop. Among the newest items developed …
• ‘The Chicken Mushroom Pinwheel’, a 4-pointed pinwheel-shaped pastry with filling.
• ‘The McArabia’, featuring chicken patties on unleavened bread, garlic sauce, and onion.
• ‘The McPepper’, a black-pepper-sauce-seasoned double-patty burger.
• ‘The Mega Mac’, a Big Mac with 4 beef patties.
• ‘The New Quarter Pounder’, with spicy sauce, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
• ‘The Rice Burger’ with chicken or teriyaki beef between toasted patties of sticky rice.
For dessert there are fried pies that come with taro root, green bean & pineapple. And if all that has left you thirsty, you can wash it all down with a peppermint-flavored soft drink. Nummers!
– “Chicago Sun-Times”

BS AMAZING FACTS:
• More babies are conceived in DECEMBER than at any other time of the year.
• 40% of the world’s wealth is now owned by just 1% of population.

THE BULL SHEET 12.07.06

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1949 [57] Tom Waits, Pomona CA, contemporary folk singer-songwriter (“Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards”/soundtrack composer (“Domino”)/sometime actor (“Coffee & Cigarettes”)
 
1973 [33] Terrell Owens, Alexander City AL, controversial NFL WR (Dallas Cowboys, ex-Philadelphia Eagles, ex-San Francisco 49ers)

1974 [32] Nicole Appleton, Hamilton ON, pop singer (All Saints-“Never Ever”) who’s mother to Oasis singer Liam Gallagher’s child

1987 [19] Aaron Carter, Tampa FL, TV personality (“House of Carters”)/pseudo-singer (“Saturday Night”)/pseudo-actor (“Popstar”)/younger brother of washed-up pop singer Nick Carter (ex-Backstreet Boys)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Burning of the Devil” (“La Quema del Diablo”) in Guatemala and on the Caribbean island of Antigua, when thousands of locals watch while a large effigy of his nastiness is set ablaze, followed by smaller fires throughout the capital cities. (See BULL’S BITS.)
• “Christmas Lights Across Canada” are given the juice at 5:45 pm EST as the switch is flicked  in Ottawa on one of the nation’s most dazzling displays, continuing till January 7th. Launched in 1985 by the National Capital Commission, the program has grown to include displays at Canadian embassies worldwide & provincial legislatures across the country.
PHONER: 800.465.1867 (National Capital Commission)
NET: http://tinyurl.com/yes8v6
• “Christmas Pageant of Peace” opens for the 2006 holiday season in Washington DC. Highlights include the 83rd “Lighting of the National Christmas Tree” at 5 pm ET on the Ellipse near the White House. Performers for the ceremony include country singer John Conlee, jazz legend Eartha Kitt, Broadway’s “Peter Pan” Cathy Rigby, oldies singer BJ Thomas, and Tony-nominated actor Brad Oscar appearing as Santa Claus.
NET: http://www.nps.gov/whho/pageant.htm
• “International Civil Aviation Day”, established by the UN in 1994 to recognize the role of the   International Civil Aviation Organization in promoting the safety, efficiency and regularity of international air transport. Yeah, where’s that happen?
NET: http://www.icao.int/icao/en/aviation_day.htm
• “National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day”, observed on the anniversary of one of the defining moments in history, the 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii which caused the US to enter WW2.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/y43i
• “Xtreme Rat Challenge”, an annual event for more than 30 years at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln NE in which lab rats compete for grub and glory in a variety of events that include the long jump, rope climb, tightrope walk, 5-yard hurdles and weightlifting.

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1996 [10] Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart” hits #1 on and stays there until FEBRUARY

1998 [08] Britney Spears’ debut single “Baby One More Time” is certified a million-seller

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1935 [71] 1st ‘Western’ team to win the “Grey Cup” as Winnipeg edges Hamilton 18-12

1963 [43] 1st use of ‘Instant Replay’, in Army-Navy football game on CBS-TV (nowadays we get replay after replay from a half-dozen angles – above, opposite-side, underneath …)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1934 [72] University of Washington running back Byron Haines scores all the points in a game –  for both teams! (runs for a TD, then later is pushed back into his own end zone for a safety –  final score UW 6, USC 2)

COMING UP . . .
[Fri] Bad Hair Day
[Fri] Brownie Day
[Fri] Take it in the Ear Day
[Sat] International Peace Concert (Rome, Italy)
[Sun] Children’s Memorial Day
[Mon] 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Concert (Oslo, Norway)
This Week Is … Tolerance Week
This Month Is … Closed Caption TV Month

BULL’S BITS

BS EUPHEMISMS FOR THE DEVIL:
One of the following is NOT a nickname for Satan, but which one?
GAME #1 –
• ‘Old George’ [FAKE]
• ‘Old Dad’
• ‘Old Poker’
• ‘Old Scratch’

GAME #2 –
• ‘Lucifer’
• ‘El Nacho Libre’ [FAKE]
• ‘Mephistopheles’
• ‘Toast’

GAME #3 –
• ‘The Prince of Darkness’
• ‘The Ragman’
• ‘The Noseless One’
• ‘The Mick’ [FAKE]

GAME #4 –
• ‘Beelzebub’
• ‘Sam Hill’
• ‘Ace of Spades’ [FAKE]
• ‘The Deuce’

BS SONGS YOU CAN’T GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD:
5. “Tiny Bubbles” (Don Ho)
4. “Material Girl” (Madonna)
3. “It’s A Small World” (Disney)
2. “Yellow Submarine” (The Beatles)
1. “The Fishin’ Hole” (the whistled theme song to TV’s “The Andy Griffith Show”)
And how about “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms and, of course, Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”. Ask listeners to add to the list.
– PopCultureMadness.com

BS TRIVIA:
Q: Where would you hear the phrase ‘Mele Kalikimaka’ (pronounced ‘may-lay kah-LEE-key-MAH-kah’) this time of year?
A: It’s Hawaiian for ‘Merry Christmas’.

TOP YAHOO! SEARCHES IN CANADA IN 2006:
5. WWE
4. “Rock Star: Supernova”
3. “American Idol”
2. FIFA World Cup
1. NHL

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Do you realize that in about 40 years we’ll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos?

BS PHONE STARTER:
Should you automatically expect to get a Christmas bonus from your employer?

NAME THAT NOISE:
Bring in toys and/or gadgets that make noises. First caller to name ‘em wins ‘em. Makes for a great tie-in with a local retailer!

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: Odds are 1-in-5 you’ll marry the person you are seeing if you have THIS in common.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: You work together.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
A hug is a great gift … one size fits all, and it’s easy to exchange.