Bullseye!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
2004 “American Idol” winner Fantasia Barrino is in stable condition at a North Carolina hospital after taking an overdose of aspirin and a sleep aid, just days after being named in court for having an affair with a married man (and taping it) . . . The boss at Lionsgate Entertainment has partially blamed the ‘underperformance’ of Ashton Kutcher’s & Katherine Heigl’s action comedy “Killers” for driving down the movie distributor’s profits (with no real hits, why does Kutcher continue to get films?) . . . 35-year-old actress Angelina Jolie tells “Stylist” magazine her family makes fun of her because of her hectic personality, but she manages to find peace in her busy life by playing with her children (6 kids – peace?) . . . 22-year-old Zac Efron got up from his seat while watching 21-year-old girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens do a striptease during a recent performance of the musical “Rent” at the Hollywood Bowl and tipped her 20 bucks (cheapo – he reportedly dropped $2,000 a while back at NYC’s Flashdancers Gentlemen’s Club) . . . 31-year-old Italian beauty Elisabetta Canalis tells “Entertainment Tonight” that dating actor George Clooney is ‘better than plastic surgery’ because he makes her feel so young (it’s less leaky as well) . . . And security had to step in to separate reality TV star Kim Kardashian and ex-boyfriend Reggie Bush when they got into a drunken argument at the recent wedding of Bush’s New Orleans Saints teammate Bobby McCray (they were the reportedly then sent home in separate cabs – how classy!).
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (Comedy Central/CTV) – Arcade Fire (“The Suburbs”).
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/A Channel) – Daughtry (“Leave This Town”).
• “Good Morning America” (ABC) – Blake Shelton talks about the release of his 2nd ‘six-pack’, “All About Tonight”.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Buckcherry (“All Night Long”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Never Shout Never (“What Is Love”).
• “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/A Channel) – The Walkmen (“Lisbon”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS) – The Dead Weather (“Sea of Cowards”).
• “So You Think You Can Dance” (FOX/CTV) – Performances by Black Gold, Quest Crew, Charlie Bruce, the Manzari Brothers; then the winner is announced.
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC/A Channel) – The Whigs (“In the Dark”).
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Alanis Morissette – She’s announced she’s expecting a baby, with full details due in the upcoming issue of “Us Weekly” magazine. She wed rapper MC Souleye in May.
• Britney Spears – It’s been confirmed she’ll make a cameo appearance on “Glee” (FOX) when the Britney-dedicated episode is filmed for the upcoming season.
• Kanye West – He’s reportedly set to perform at this year’s “MTV Video Music Awards”, a year after disgracing himself by storming the stage and ruining Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech. The VMA’s air live Sunday, September 12th.
• Rihanna – She’s now appeared on the pop chart for the past 50 weeks straight, starting with her appearance last Fall on Jay-Z’s “Run This Town”.
• Robbie Williams – The Brit pop singer’s 8 dogs were ‘bridesmaids’ at his recent wedding. Doesn’t say much fro bride Ayda Field, does it?
• Snoop Dogg – His request for a cameo on TV vampire drama “True Blood” (HBO) is apparently being rebuffed, the show’s star Sam Trammell suggesting the series doesn’t need to resort to stunt-casting to get people to watch.
• Tears For Fears – Tonight they kick off a North American tour in Detroit MI.
• Zac Brown Band – They’ve collaborated with both Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett on their upcoming album, “You Get What You Give”, to be released September 21st.
FUTURE FLICKS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Bernie” – Jack Black is set to re-team with “School of Rock” director Richard Linklater for a dark new comedy set in the small town of Carthage, Texas. The story centers around a community leader and mortician who befriends a wealthy but demanding widow (played by Shirley MacLaine), whom he accidentally kills. Shooting is set to start in October.
• “Mad Max 4: Fury Road” – In the next installment of this sci-fi adventure series, the part made famous by Mel Gibson in the 1980s will be played by “Inception” star Tom Hardy. Elvis Presley’s 21-year-old granddaughter Riley Keough is set to co-star, playing one of the ‘Five Wives’, a group of women ‘Max’ must save. Production is set to begin in Australia next year.
• “On The Road” – Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams, Kirsten Dunst, and Kristen Stewart have all joined the cast of this bigscreen adaptation of the 1957 Jack Kerouac novel. The story focuses on ‘Sal Paradise’ (Sam Riley), who leaves his aunt’s house in NYC to go on a road trip across the USA. The film is scheduled for a 2011 release.
• ‘Peggy Lee Film’ – Reese Witherspoon has secured the rights to make an as-yet-untitled bio-film about the accomplished jazz singer, songwriter, actress, and Grammy Award winner (1920-2002). Witherspoon will co-produce and play the lead role. Nora Ephron (“Julie & Julia”) will write and direct. The project will chart the ups and downs of Lee’s incredible career and personal life.
• “Vampires Suck” – Matt Lanter (“90210”) will mimic Robert Pattinson in this spoof of vampire films and TV shows, playing a ‘cheesy’ version of Pattinson’s fang-sporting character ‘Edward Cullen’. Lanter has some experience in the genre, starring in the 2008 parody film. “Disaster Movie”.
BOT PAL:
Researchers at Britain’s Hertfordshire University have developed the first robot capable of showing human emotions. The bot, called ‘Nao’, has been modeled on a young child. It hunches its shoulders when sad and raises its arms when happy. It can already mimic the emotional skills of a 1-year-old child and, using video cameras and sensors, determine how friendly and how emotionally close a person is. Scientists think robots may someday become companions to humans and provide support for the sick and elderly. (Not to mention girlfriends.)
– TheSun.co.uk
TOUGHEST RACES:
• ‘Antarctic 100K’ – A few hundred miles from the South Pole, runners compete at an altitude of 3,000 ft (914 m), under a Sun that doesn’t set, and in severe weather conditions with an average wind chill of -4F (-20C).
• ‘Badwater Ultra Marathon’ – A 135-mile (217-k) trot from below sea level in Death Valley, California up to the base of Mount Whitney that puts runners through unbearable heat along a rugged uphill road … with traffic. 75 runners participate, by invitation only.
• ‘Canadian Death Race’ – 78 mi (125 k) of hiking & running around Grande Cache, Alberta in 24 hours. The course begins and ends on a 4,200-ft (1,300 m) plateau, passes over 3 mountain summits, includes 17,000 feet (5,200 m) of elevation change and a major river crossing.
• ‘Tevis Cup’ – A 100-mile (161-k) horseback endurance ride that takes place in one day over the Sierra Nevada mountains in Placer County, California. Not nearly as crappy for the rider as it is for the horse.
– Adapted from TheToiletPaper.com
FAT PANTS:
Remember ‘husky-sized’ jeans when you were a kid? Well, Levi’s is launching a new ‘curve-friendly’ collection of jeans later this Summer, which feature 3 customized fits: ‘Slight’, ‘Demi’, and ‘Bold’. The Curve ID denim line was developed after research found that shape is more important than style or size to most female consumers when choosing jeans. Levi’s is also working on a 4th shape to add to the collection later in the year. (‘Porky’?)
– ContactMusic.com
WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP:
• Take a Nap – Experts say you can boost job performance by 34% simply by taking a 25-minute nap.
• Work Out – Exercise reduces the time it takes to get to sleep by 12 minutes and increases total sleep time by 42 minutes on average.
• Avoid Scary Novels – No one sleeps when they’re expecting something from under the bed to grab them. Kids aren’t the only ones afraid of monsters.
• Write Down Worries – Keep a ‘worry journal’ beside your bed. Jot down everything you’re worrying about and potential solutions. Close the book and go to sleep.
• Have a ‘Quickie’ – The ‘Big O’ is still one of the most sleep-inducing agents around. Enjoy!
– Condensed from BestHealthMag.ca
YOU BETCHA:
A new website called ‘Ultrinsic’ allows students at 37 colleges to gamble on their grades in each of the classes they take. The student hands over money to Ultrinsic – as well as access to his or her official school records – as a wager that they will attain a certain grade. If they make it, Ultrinsic pays out on a sliding scale. A pilot scheme at U Penn and NYU over the last academic year had a few takers, including one guy who won $150, although the serious money is to be made by high schoolers as they head off to university. Then, if you bet $20 on getting a 4.0 grade point average, you walk away with $2,000 should you succeed. (It’s like scholarships … only fun.)
NET: http://www.ultrinsic.com
– FastCompany.com
BS LAW & DISORDER:
• A Portland, Oregon man just released from jail for stealing a ladder, caught by the guy he stole it from, has just been arrested again … for unwittingly trying to sell a stolen ladder to the same guy who turned him in. The perp remains in jail this time, with bail set at $100,000.
– MSNBC.com
• A British motorist stopped by cops for speeding at over 160 km an hour (96 mph) has claimed he can’t understand his speedometer because … he’s dyslexic. The driver was spotted weaving in and out of traffic, smoking a cigarette, and gesturing at other drivers.
– Telegraph.co.uk
• A landlord in Charlotte, North Carolina has found an excellent way to get back at tenants who owe him 2-months’ back rent. He’s painted the words ‘Deadbeat Tenants’ on the house. The renters called the cops but they declined to charge the landlord, saying spray-painting one’s own property is no crime.
– NYPost.com
FOR THE RECORD:
A total of 102 thrill-seekers at an amusement park east of London, England have broken the record for the number of people riding a roller coaster … naked. A local charity benefitted from the stunt aboard the ‘Green Scream’ in Southend, Essex to the tune of about $35,000.
– “The Sun”
BS AMAZING FACT:
100% of the male winners in the “World Sauna Championships” have been Finnish since the competition began in 1999. Saunas are incredibly popular in Finland. It’s estimated there are 1.6 million of them in the country of roughly 5.3 million people.
– “Moscow Times”
BS CHRONOMETER 08.12.10
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1949 [61] Mark Knopfler, Glasgow, Scotland, classic rock singer/guitarist (Dire Straits-“Money For Nothing”, “Sultans of Swing”)
1956 [54] Bruce Greenwood, Noranda QC, movie actor (“Dinner for Schmucks”, ‘Captain Christopher Pike’ in “Star Trek”)
1965 [45] Peter Krause, Alexandria MN, TV actor (‘Adam Braverman‘ on “Parenthood” 2010, “Dirty Sexy Money” 2007-09, “Six Feet Under” 2001-05)
1975 [35] Casey Affleck, Falmouth MA, movie actor (“Gone Baby Gone”, “Ocean’s” movies)/film director (“I’m Still Here”, a documentary about Joaquin Phoenix’s attempt to become a rap star, due in September)/currently fighting 2 sexual harassment lawsuits
1978 [32] Hayley Wickenheiser, Shaunavon SK, women’s hockey player (4-time Olympian, 3 gold medals & 1 silver, 2-time Olympic tournament MVP)
1979 [31] Cindy Klassen, Winnipeg MB, speed skater (record 6 Olympic medals, first female speed skater to win 5 medals in single Olympiad – 2006)/featured on the Canadian quarter released January 5, 2010
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “International Youth Day”, a United Nations observance since 1999 to draw attention to youth issues worldwide. (Acne?)
• “Middle Children’s Day”, a salute to middle-born children whose childhood activities were limited by always being ‘too young’ or ‘too old’. (Aw, ya whiners!)
• “PC Day”, marking IBM’s introduction of the ‘personal computer’ on August 12, 1981.
• “Perseid Meteor Shower”, when an alignment of planets in the sunset sky will kick off the finest meteor shower of 2010.
NET: http://bit.ly/aMcXBm
• “Vinyl Record Day”, celebrated annually on the earliest of several possible dates in 1877 on which Thomas Edison may have invented the phonograph. The purpose is to encourage the preservation of the recordings, the cover art, and the cultural influence of vinyl records. Do they really sound ‘warmer’ as aficionados claim?
NET: http://vinylrecordday.org
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1970 [40] Legendary blues/rock singer Janis Joplin performs her final concert, at Harvard University
2009 [01] Electric guitar pioneer and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honoree Les Paul dies at age 94 in White Plains NY (among his innovations: the solid-body electric guitar, overdubbing, phasing, multitrack recording)
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1954 [56] 1st issue of “Sports Illustrated” (the ‘Wool Swimsuit-to-Your-Ankles Edition’)
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1978 [32] Arron Marshall completes record ‘Longest Shower’ … 336 hours!
COMING UP . . .
[Fri] Friday the 13th (only one in 2010)
[Fri] Blame Someone Else Day
[Fri] International Left-Handers Day
[Fri] Kool-Aid Days
[Sat] Garage Sale Day
[Sat] Sandcastle & Sculpture Day
[Sun] Best Friends Day
This Week Is … Resurrect Romance Week
This Month Is … Get Ready For Kindergarten Month
BULL’S BITS
PICKUP TIPS FROM THE “JERSEY SHORE” GUYS:
• If at first you don’t succeed, try again, and again, and again, and again.
• Dress the part.
• Just dance.
• Always stay fresh.
• Always have a wingman.
• Pickup lines are for amateurs.
• Be bold, be yourself, and be confident.
– AskMen.com
BS RANDOM JOKE:
If you explain something so clearly that nobody can misunderstand, somebody will.
BS PHONE STARTER:
We don’t hear them much anymore, but what’s the best all-time TV show theme song? (A new poll by research firm PRS is topped by the theme from “The Flintstones”. The show is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.)
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: For over half of domestic cats, THIS is true.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: They’re overweight.
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The caterpillar does all the work, but the butterfly gets all the publicity.
