Thursday, August 30, 2007        Edition: #3603
Monthly Planning Calendar in Tomorrow’s BS!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
TONIGHT a docu-drama called “My Way” airs on Britain’s Channel 4 network, directed by 49-year-old James Hewitt, the former lover of Princess Di (an attempt to restore his reputation on the eve of the 10th anniversary of her death) . . . Following his hospitalization after a reported suicide attempt SUNDAY, actor Owen Wilson has dropped out of the now-shooting Ben Stiller-directed film “Tropic Thunder” (the movie’s due in theaters NEXT SUMMER) . . . In the latest attempt to turn their talking head into a ‘correspondent’, the “CBS Evening News” has sent anchor Katie Couric to Iraq & Syria, her first time ever in a war zone (hope she doesn’t get her hair mussed up) . . . 20-year-old former “Laguna Beach” bad-boy Jason Wahler is engaged to his 19-year-old tennis player girlfriend Katja Decker-Sadowski after popping the question in front of a group of friends that included his ex-gf Lauren Conrad (he guests on “The Hills” SEPTEMBER 10th) . . . NASA has agreed to jettison ‘Luke Sykwalker’s original ‘Jedi’ light saber into space as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations for “Star Wars” (it’s scheduled to be aboard the shuttle Discovery during an OCTOBER mission) . . . “Friends” actor Matt LeBlanc is being sued for breach of contract by former manager Camille Cerio, who claims he owes her circa $1 million because she hasn’t been getting her 15% cut of his earnings – since 2000 (it took her 7 years to notice?) . . . THIS WEEK Lindsay Lohan is meeting her estranged father Michael in rehab, an attempt by counselors to encourage the dysfunctional duo to find some closure in their tempestuous relationship (mommy Dina even lifted the restraining order to allow this) . . . And in the new edition of “Harper’s Bazaar” magazine, Courtney Love is pictured draped over a sofa naked, covered only by a strategically-placed necklace (just a warning to save you the unsavory experience of throwing up in your mouth).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Amy Winehouse – She continues to trash her own rep. Word is she’s skipped out on a scheduled film shoot THIS WEEK in NYC in order to vacation with her hubby on the Caribbean island of St Lucia.
• Britney Spears – Producer Tricky Stewart claims she was given first option on the mega-hit song “Umbrella” … but she turned it down (Rihanna’s likely still thanking her). Meantime, Britney has hired Madonna’s former choreographer RJ Durell in an attempt to make her much-hyped “MTV Video Music Awards” performance a real showstopper. We’ll find out SEPTEMBER 9th.
• Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band – They’ll launch a fall tour of North America & Europe OCTOBER 2nd in Hartford CT, coinciding with the release of the new album “Magic”.
• Jimi Hendrix Experience – Former bandmates Billy Cox & Mitch Mitchell have recruited guitarists Buddy Guy, Robert Randolph & Jonny Lang for the upcoming “Experience Hendrix” tour, which begins in Washington DC this OCTOBER.
• Mariah Carey – The 38-year-old diva claims she helps to maintain her spectacular singing voice by sleeping … 15 hours a day.
• Rolling Stones – 63-year-old Keith Richards is demanding an apology from Swedish newspapers for their scathing reviews of the group’s performance in Goteborg earlier THIS MONTH. One reviewer insists Richards was ‘superdrunk’ onstage; another claims he could hardly handle the riff to “Brown Sugar”. Meantime, Ronnie Wood has dismissed rumors the Stones have retired following their “Bigger Bang” tour. Quote: “We need a rest but of course we will tour again … we’ll never stop!” (Some sort of threat?)

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• Alan Jackson – The country star finds out if he can attract “A Woman’s Love” from the all-female panel on “The View” (ABC/CTV).
• “CMA Awards” – Sara Evans announces the top nominees on “Good Morning America” (ABC) around 8:30 am ET. Taylor Swift & Montgomery Gentry reveal the remaining nominees on “CMT Insider” at 10 am ET (CMT). The hardware’s handed out NOVEMBER 7th in Nashville.
• Enrique Iglesias – The Latin chart-topper (“Do You Know? [The Ping Pong Song]”) is on “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC).
• Kenny Chesney – He performs “Never Wanted Nothing More” on “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS). Willie Nelson also makes an appearance.
• Wilco – The Chicago-based alt-rockers perform on the “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC).
• Yung Joc – The “Buy U a Drank [Shawty Snappin’]” rapper does “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC).

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies getting made …
• “Chariots of Fire 2’ – A long-awaited sequel to the 1982 Academy Award-winner is finally in the works, continuing the true story of runners Eric Liddell & Harold Abrahams, who battled anti-Semitism following his Olympic gold win in 1924. It’s hoped that trailers for the new film will be ready in time for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
• “Dark Shadows” – Johnny Depp will produce and likely star in a feature film based on the vintage daytime drama (1966-71). The supernatural soap dealt with a New England family’s involvement with ghosts, witches, werewolves, vampires, and other fearsome creatures.
• “The Day the Earth Stood Still” – Keanu Reeves has signed on to star in a remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic, playing a humanoid alien who arrives on Earth to warn world leaders that their warring ways will lead to annihilation by their neighbors from outer space.
• “My Lai” – Filmmaker Oliver Stone has signed Bruce Willis to star in his upcoming film about the infamous Vietnam War massacre. He’ll play William R Peers, the real-life Army general who investigated the murders of somewhere between 350-and-500 civilians by US soldiers.
• “The Soloist” – Jamie Foxx is returning to the genre that won him an Oscar. The “Ray” star will next play the lead in this musical biopic about a homeless musician with schizophrenia who dreams of playing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

ANOTHER EXCUSE FOR CRADLE-ROBBING:
A new study at the University of Vienna has revealed that men who look for younger women are simply obeying the innate pull of natural selection. Researchers have found that parents tend to have more children when the father is a few years older than the mother, with men being the most reproductively successful when they are 6 years senior. (An old adage says a man should half his age and add 7 to find the age of his perfect wife. Should you keep doing that as you grow older?)
– “The Times”

THE REASON SAD SONGS SAY SO MUCH:
According to a new psychology study at Boston College, humans are more able to remember bad times than good. Experiments using MRI imaging show that our brains seem to retain memories of events that carry negative emotional burden and there just may be an evolutionary reason behind that – researchers think the heightened memories of negative experiences help us avoid similar situations in future. (So how come we always forget that morning-after vow: I’m never gonna drink again?)
– ANI Science & Health

IT MAKES SPIDEY SENSE:
The ability of ‘Spider-Man’ to cast webs and climb walls may soon become a reality. Italian researchers have managed to replicate the microscopic hairs that allow insects to maneuver on walls and ceilings on a scale strong enough to support human weight. Professor Nichola Pugno at the Polytechnic of Torino claims it may not be long before we see people climbing the Empire State Building with nothing but sticky shoes and gloves. (Creating yet another problem for Homeland Security.)
– “ Daily Telegraph”

WHAT GUYS SHOULD EAT DAILY:
What’s the prescription for better men’s health? Dr Mehmet Oz & Dr Michael Roizen offer these suggestions for what should be included in the male diet each day – or at least nearly every day – in order to keep things running smoothly …
• About 5 handfuls of fruits & vegetables.
• 25 grams of fiber, which can come from whole grains or other foods such as artichokes, lima beans & soybeans.
• Spinach or other leafy green vegetables, which are rich in cancer-suppressing folate.
• Tomato, which decrease the risk of arterial aging, heart disease, stroke, memory loss, impotence & skin wrinkling (10 tbsp of tomato sauce a week is equal to 165 raw tomatoes).
• Walnuts and/or hazelnuts, excellent sources of heart-healthy omega-3s.
• Men over 35 should take 2 baby aspirin per day. It can reduce arterial aging by 36%.
• 8 glasses of fluid (about 64 oz) to keep you regular, hydrated, and to help prevent wrinkles.
• A glass of red wine, which contains the chemical rezveritrol, an antioxidant shown to be heart-healthy.
• Coffee, which is actually good for you in reasonable amounts (about 24 ounces a day). It helps  reduce the risk of liver cancer, and the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
• A glass of milk or fortified orange juice, to reap the benefits of calcium and cancer-fighting vitamin D.
– Oprah.com

TREND-SPOTTING:
Long-time pollster and chief strategist for Hillary Clinton, Mark Penn, is the author of the newly-published book, “Microtrends”, which suggests that even tiny shifts in taste and behavior can have a huge impact down the road. He claims that by the time a trend hits 1% of the population, it’s primed to spawn a hit movie, bestselling book, or even a new political movement. A few recent trends he’s noted …
• Men are becoming husbands & fathers at a later age, meaning they’re more likely to pass on a love of wine rather than beer to their offspring; to prefer safe cars to speedy ones; and to foster a more conservative outlook in their kids.
• The lonely, spotty ‘techno-geek’ stereotype is a myth. According to a poll, 60% of the most enthusiastic tech users are actually out-going extroverts.
• The number of male births in America has steadily decreased over the past 30 years. And US gay men outnumber lesbians by about 2-to-1. So for heterosexual women, the dating pool is quickly shrinking.
• Most terrorists are well-educated; contrary to conventional wisdom, poorer people may be ‘too smart’ to blow themselves up.
– “Globe & Mail”

FOR THE RECORD:
• 18-year-old Jordan Pearce has hugged 765 people in less than an hour in an attempt to get into the “Guinness Book of World Records”. The event, which took months of planning, went down in Provo, Utah.
• Joel King, an IT worker from Brighton UK, has set a new speed record for skateboards, topping out at just under 110 mph on his $15,000 jet-powered board. That beats the previous record by 12 mph.

DID YOU KNOW?
There’s an International Society for Gesture Studies whose sole mandate is to investigate the various movements we make while speaking. They even have their own scientific journal, aptly named “Gesture”.
– “Washington Post”

BS CHRONOMETER 08.30.07

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1930 [77] Warren Buffett, Omaha NE, investor (Berkshire Hathaway)/world’s 2nd-wealthiest with $52 billion (after Bill Gates’ $54 billion)/philanthropist who’s announced he’ll give 85% of his fortune to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

1948 [59] Lewis Black, Silver Spring MD, incensed & sarcastic political commentator often featured on Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show”
NET: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mCDZMWVWuc

1963 [44] Michael Chiklis, Lowell MA, TV actor (‘Detective Vic Mackey’ on “The Shield” since 2002)/movie actor (‘The Thing’ in “Rise of the Silver Surfer”, “Fantastic Four”)

1972 [35] Cameron Diaz, San Diego CA, movie actress (“Shrek the Third”, “Charlie’s Angels”)/Justin Timberlake’s ex-girlfriend  UP NEXT: The TV holiday special “Shrek the Halls”; and the now-filming comedy “What Happens in Vegas”, co-starring Ashton Kutcher.

1982 [25] Andy Roddick, Omaha NE, currently the #5-ranked men’s tennis pro

1986 [21] Ryan Ross, Summerlin NV, rock guitarist/vocalist (Panic! At the Disco-“I Write Sins Not Tragedies”)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Day of Disagreement”, considered by some relationship experts to be the day of the year on which couples are most likely to bicker and have needless arguments. Why? Triggers might include post-vacation depression, domestic chaos getting ready for back-to-school, and financial strain after blowing the bank account over the summer.

• “Toasted Marshmallow Day”, celebrating that great summer treat on a stick. So how do you like yours done?

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1993 [14] Debut of “Late Show With David Lettermen” on CBS-TV attracts 23 million viewers (first guest is Bill Murray; musical guest is Billy Joel)

2001 [06] Final episode of kids’ TV show “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood” (debuted in 1966)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2001 [06] NYC funeral for singer/actress Aaliyah, killed in plane crash

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1988 [19] 1st swimmer to conquer all 5 Great Lakes (Kingston ON’s Vicki Keith)

1990 [17] 1st father & son to play in an MLB game on same team (Ken Griffey & Ken Griffey Jr-Seattle Mariners)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1987 [20] Canada’s Ben Johnson runs 100 meters in world record time of 9.83 secs in Italy (and for once his urine sample doesn’t glow in the dark)

1987 [20] Yves Pol of France runs complete marathon BACKWARDS in 3:57:57

COMING UP . . .
[Fri] Trail Mix Day
[Fri] Love Litigating Lawyers Day
[Fri] 10th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death
[Fri] “Death Sentence”; “Halloween” open in movie theaters
This Week Is … Be Kind To Humankind Week
This Month Is … Children’s Vision & Learning Month

BULL’S BITS

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• To what does the word ‘poop’ in the nautical term ‘poop deck’ refer?
a. A ship’s upstairs deck.
b. A ship’s rear section. [CORRECT. It comes from the Latin ‘puppis’, meaning ‘stern’.]
c. A ship’s head.

• What’s considered the ‘most complex & orderly arrangement of matter known in the universe’?
a. A beehive.
b. A human brain. [CORRECT. The 3-pound human computer is a marvel of complexity.]
c. A black hole.

• What is the origin of the word ‘good-bye’?
a. It was first used in medieval times to wish someone a good journey by-and-by.
b. It originated as the common way to close a deal as both parties agreed on a ‘good buy’.
c. It’s short for ‘God be with ye’. [CORRECT. It’s a contraction of the 16th-century phrase.]

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I got stung by a bee yesterday. $6 for a jar of honey? Outrageous!

BS PHONE STARTER:
If you could alter one physical characteristic of your mate, what would you change?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: A recent study has found that doing THIS stimulates the same pleasure centers in the brain as eating good food or making love.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Giving to charity.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
When talking nonsense try not to be serious.