Monday, December 8, 2008     Edition: #3917
Deja Moo!

WEEKEND BLOG BS:
• Heath Ledger was posthumously honored by the Australian Film Institute (AFI) on Saturday with the ‘Best Actor’ award for his role as ‘The Joker’ in “The Dark Knight”. The late actor’s family picked up the prestigious prize on his behalf in Melbourne, where the audience gave him a standing O. Aussie actress Cate Blanchett won the AFI’s award for ‘Best Actress’ for her turn in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”.
– ContactMusic.com.
• The first episode of the upcoming MTV reality dating show, “A Double Shot at Love”, will be dedicated to a contestant who was killed in a car crash. Kandice Hutchinson died instantly when her vehicle was rear-ended in October. She’d been kicked off the show just days before. Her family is allowing MTV to air the episodes she appears in. Rather than the infamous Tila Tequila, the new incarnation of “A Double Shot at Love” features bisexual twin sisters searching for the perfect partner.
– TMZ.com
• A new report is claiming that former “Jackass” star Steve-O is being tapped to compete on the next season of “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC). S-O (Stephen Glover) was transferred from a rehab center to a psychiatric hospital last July in a bid to kick his drug addiction. There’s no official word from the show as yet to confirm the story.
– World Entertainment News Network
• Fashion model Gisele Bundchen is making plans to wed her NFL star BF Tom Brady in the Spring, according to a report. The couple’s been dating since Brady split with actress Bridget Moynihan in 2006 and now they’re planning on taking it to the next level. One ‘insider’ says there will be no engagement, just a small wedding in mid-March. And the source claims the secret ceremony will take place in Costa Rica, where the Brazilian model has a vacation home.
– “In Touch”
• Wannabe singer Jessica Simpson has sparked rumors she’s set to move in with BF Tony Romo after unpacking her bags at his new home in an upscale Dallas TX suburb during a visit. A friend says she also ‘really took the reins’ when it came to decorating the house. The pair has been dating since November 2007.
– “Us Weekly”
• Movie actor Shia LaBeouf has been forced to pull out of a planned film after doctors reportedly advised him to undergo more surgery to his smashed hand. He was scheduled to begin shooting “Dark Fields” this Fall after a delay due to his car accident in July. But new reports suggest he may need to go under the knife again and has withdrawn completely from the project. One source claims the hand is totally shattered, much worse than thought.
– Fox News
• Madonna’s reportedly reached a $44.8-million divorce settlement with ex-husband Guy Ritchie so he can buy homes in London and NYC in order to be close to their kids. Ritchie will also reportedly keep the former couple’s country estate in Wiltshire, England worth circa $30 million as well as his London pub, The Punchbowl, worth $4.4 million.
– “News Of the World”
• Oprah Winfrey tops the “Hollywood Reporter’s” annual ranking of the ‘Most Influential Women in the Entertainment Industry’, selected based on her ‘dizzying array of Oprah-branded media and her immense cultural influence’. The “Reporter” also ranks the industry’s highest-paid actresses each year. Angelina Jolie is this year’s #1, commanding over $15 million a flick, followed by Julia Roberts, and last year’s top earner, Reese Witherspoon.
– StarPulse.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Gavin DeGraw (“In Love With a Girl”) is the musical guest.
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC/A Channel) – T-Pain (“Can’t Believe It”) performs.
• “Storytellers” (CMT) – Kid Rock performs in Franklin TN and shares the stories behind some of his songs. He’s recently hit out at animal rights advocates PETA, saying its campaigns will never stop him from wearing fur.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Big & Rich – John Rich wed former model-GF Joan Bush in an intimate ceremony in Nashville TN Saturday, attended by a couple dozen family members. A larger reception for friends was held afterward.
• Clint Black – He’s participating in the new season of “Celebrity Apprentice”, debuting March 1st (NBC). Country colleague Trace Adkins was runner-up last season.
• Coldplay – 52-year-old rock guitarist Joe Satriani is claiming the song “Viva La Vida” incorporates ‘substantial original portions’ of his 2004 instrumental “If I Could Fly”. He’s filed a copyright infringement suit seeking ‘any and all profits’.
• Jonas Brothers – They’ve assured fans they have no plans to split, despite tabloid reports saying that Kevin Jonas is itching to go solo.
• Nine Inch Nails – Trent Reznor has abandoned plans for a 3-D concert film which would have documented the band’s current tour. He blames record label Interscope for dragging its heels on the project and then turning down his funding request.
• Shania Twain – Rumor has it she’s dating the husband of the woman her ex- is alleged to have had an affair with. Huh? A mystery man escorting her around NYC has been identified as Patrick Thiebaud. He’s the estranged husband of Marie-Anne Thiebaud, the secretary reported to have had an affair with Twain’s ex-, Mutt Lang.
• Toby Keith – He’s donated $500,000 to a children’s hospital at Oklahoma University Medical Center in Oklahoma City to update an oncology division. The proceeds were raised by Ally’s House, a charity he helped launch in memory of his friend’s daughter, who died of cancer.

HOW TO DRESS 10 LBS SLIMMER:
Experts offer some ways to look your best while overindulging during the holiday season …
• Wear suits rather than dresses. The more lines and seams you have, the less attention is drawn to your not-so-perfect areas.
• Choose dresses with high empire waists as they are more forgiving to trouble spots like the hips and waist.
• Wear skinny diagonal stripes. The skinnier the stripe, the thinner you will appear.
• Look for knits with a small textured pattern. Tiny designs are the best camouflage.
• Don’t wear pleats – they instantly add 5 lbs.
• Don’t rely on brown and navy to have the same slimming effect as black – they don’t.
• Don’t wear Lycra or other stretchy fabrics – they aren’t at all forgiving.
– “Marie Claire”

BEWARE OF KOOBFACE:
Facebook’s 120 million users are being targeted by a virus dubbed ‘Koobface’ that uses social networking sites to infect PCs, then tries to gather credit card details and other sensitive info. Facebook says only a very small percentage of users have been affected by the virus. It spreads by sending messages to friends of someone whose PC has been affected, with subjects like, “You look just awesome in this new movie”. The users, recognizing their friend and believing the note to be genuine, are directed to a website and instructed to download what is claimed to be ‘an update of the Adobe Flash Player’ in order to view the footage, but is in fact the virus.
– Reuters

SO YOUNG, SO RICH!
A new ranking of the wealthiest stars under 30 based on current net worth …
10. Retailers Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen … $15 million.
9. Teen phenom Miley Cyrus … $25.1 million.
8. “Harry Potter” actor Daniel Radcliffe … $25.1 million.
7. Tennis player Maria Sharapova … $26.1 million.
6. Movie actress Keira Knightley … $32.2 million.
5. Tennis player Roger Federer … $35.2 million.
4. NBA player LeBron James … $38 million.
3. NBA player Kobe Bryant … $39 million.
2. Pop singer Justin Timberlake … $43 million.
1. Singer Beyoncé Knowles … $80 million.
– “Forbes Magazine”

ARE YOU TALKIN’ TO YOU?
Researchers say as many as 96% of us talk to ourselves aloud, and deaf people have been observed signing to themselves while answering test questions. Related research suggests that talking to yourself is actually good for the brain and mental well-being. It helps children perform better at motor skills; it helps adults raise their spirits; and it ranks among the top methods of coping with daily commuting … along with singing and humming. (It’s also one way of ensuring at least one person is listening to you.)
– Condensed from “Social Studies”.

FOR THE RECORD:
The world’s oldest living reptile has been identified as ‘Jonathan’ the tortoise after a photograph of him was discovered among a collection of Boer War scenes, munching grass with a prisoner of war in the background. Jonathan is believed to be 178-years-old (a sprightly 70 when the snapshot was taken) and is a celebrity on the island of St Helena in the South Atlantic where he lives. It is thought the ancient reptile was brought to the island from the Seychelles as an adult in 1882. (But then, of course, there’s not a single living person that could vouch for the fact.)
– “GQ”

BS AMAZING WINTER FACTS:
• The coldest temperature ever recorded was on July 21, 1883 in Antarctica when it was -89 C (-160 F). That’s about -75 C (-135 F) colder than a freezer.
• The world’s largest snowman was made in Japan in 1995. It took 10 days to build and was over 5 times taller than a giraffe.
• When a large iceberg melts, it makes enough water to fill about 10,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.
• Snowflakes can be as big as 10 cm (4 inches) across … longer than your finger.
NET: http://unaccompaniedminors.warnerbros.com/

BS CHRONOMETER 12.08.08
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1936 [72] David Carradine, Hollywood CA, movie actor (“Kill Bill: Vol 1 & 2”)

1953 [55] Kim Basinger, Athens GA, movie actress (Academy Award-“LA Confidential”)/ex-Mrs Alec Baldwin (1993-2002)

1964 [44] Teri Hatcher, Sunnyvale CA, TV actress (‘Susan Mayer’ on “Desperate Housewives” since 2004)

1976 [32] Dominic Monaghan, Berlin, Germany, TV actor (‘Charlie Pace’ on “Lost” since 2004)/movie actor (‘Merry’ in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy)

1978 [30] Vernon Wells, Shreveport LA, MLB player (Toronto Blue Jays)

1981 [27] Philip Rivers, Athens AL, NFL QB (San Diego Chargers since 2004)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Bad Hair Day”. So if you’ve got it, flaunt it!
• “Bodhi Day”, the Buddhist holiday commemorating ‘Buddha’s Enlightenment’.
• “Brownie Day”, celebrating the chewy chocolate in a pan that you can’t quit eating.
• “Inane Answering Machine Message Day”. What’s yours say? Time to spice it up?
• “Take It In the Ear Day”, a day to learn how to accept criticism graciously.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1959 [49] For the first time, a movie features ‘Aromarama’, in which smells are piped in through ceiling vents to accompany the on-screen action of “Behind the Great Wall” (critics were right when they said, “This movie really stinks!”)

MOVIES YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO SEE IN ‘AROMARAMA’:
• “Kung Fu Panda”
• “Thank You for Smoking”
• “King Kong”
• “101 Dalmatians”

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1958 [50] Novelty seasonal tune “The Chipmunk Song” by the Chipmunks is released

1980 [28] John Lennon is shot and killed by Mark David Chapman on the sidewalk outside NYC’s Dakota apartment building

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1915 [93] Canadian MD John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields” is 1st published, in “Punch” magazine

1996 [12] 1st time a 2nd-year expansion team makes the NFL playoffs as Carolina Panthers beat San Francisco 30-24 (Jacksonville later becomes 2nd team to accomplish this feat)

TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
1940 [68] Record ‘Lopsided Professional Football Game’ as Chicago Bears slaughter NY Giants 73-0 in NFL championship game

1990 [18] ‘World’s Largest Pizza’ measures 122 feet, 8 inches long and a total of 11,816 square feet (Norwood, South Africa)

COMING UP . . .
[Tues] “Motown: The Complete #1s” released
[Tues] “The Dark Knight”; “Dr Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!” released on DVD
[Tues] Pastry Day
[Tues] Eid al-adha (Muslim)
[Wed] International Human Rights Day
[Wed] Dewey Decimal Day
[Wed] Children’s Memorial Day
[Thurs] Nobel Peace Concert (Oslo, Norway)
[Fri] Poinsettia Day / Ding-A-Ling Day
[Fri] “The Day the Earth Stood Still”; “Delgo”; “Nothing Like the Holidays” open in movie theaters
[Fri] Full ‘Cold’ Moon

THIS WEEK IS . . .
Handwashing Awareness Week / Human Rights Week

BULL’S BITS
BEST OF BS:
A highlight bit culled from 15 years of “Bull Sheet” back issues …

FEATURES OF THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS TREE:
• Comes pre-wired.
• No matter how hard you bang it on the wall, no needles fall off.
• Needs water about as often as your pet cactus.
• Has a straight trunk so the star isn’t pointing at the window.
• Stands 6 feet tall, weighs 2 pounds, costs 4 dollars.

BS MONDAY MORNING BRAIN BUSTER:
Q: What word becomes shorter when you add 2 letters to it?
A: Short.

BS PHONE STARTER:
What is the largest gift you’ve ever received in terms of size?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Before you find your handsome prince, you’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: We hear about it all the time but only about 9% of us have ever actually done THIS during the holiday season.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Roasted chestnuts on an open fire.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty.