---

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
• Today a portrait of embattled filmmaker Roman Polanski and late actress Sharon Tate embracing while nude goes up for auction in NYC. The oversized print, taken in 1969 by photographer David Bailey, shows the director and his then-wife intertwined just months before she was murdered by the Charles Manson cult in Los Angeles. Polanski is currently under house arrest in Switzerland, awaiting a ruling on his deportation to the US.
– ContactMusic.com
• Former World Wrestling Entertainment star Umaga (real name Edward Fatu) has died at age 36 following a heart attack at his Houston TX home. His career ended abruptly in 2003 when he was fired for his involvement in a bar fight. A subsequent return in 2005 ended in a 2nd firing this past June for violating drug-testing policy. Umaga is the latest in a long line of pro wrestlers who’ve checked out at an early age.
– CNN.com
• 45-year-old actor Nicolas Cage, who is a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador on Drugs & Crime, has been presented with the UN Correspondents Association’s ‘Global Citizen Of the Year’ award at a special dinner to recognize those involved with humanitarian causes. (He’s also into helping the homeless … himself.)
– SkyNews.com
• Two more seasons of HBO’s “Entourage” and then a movie? That seems to be the plan, according to the show’s executive producer Mark Wahlberg. Asked about the future of the comedy series, which was recently picked up for a 7th cycle coming off one of its strongest seasons, Wahlberg says he thinks there are 2 more seasons left in the show.
– “Hollywood Reporter”
• Morgan Freeman has treated himself to an early Christmas present … his own private plane. The 72-year-old actor, who did a stint in the US Air Force as a young adult, began learning to fly again in 2002 and quickly went on to earn his pilot’s license. (Seems he’s checking off a “Bucket List” in real life.)
– USAToday.com
• A 22-year-old Chicago film fan is facing 3 years behind bars after taping 3 minutes of “Twlight Saga: New Moon” during her sister’s birthday celebration. Samantha Tumpach captured a pivotal segment of the film on her video camera while taping part of her sister’s surprise party at a cinema in Rosemont IL. Theater security contacted cops and Tumpach was arrested as she left. She’s spent 2 days in jail and now faces piracy charges. (Justified or too tough?)
– SunTimes.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special” (FOX) – Her 2-hour variety special features guests Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, and fellow “American Idol” winner David Cook.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/A Channel) – Rihanna (“Rated R”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Wolfmother (“Cosmic Egg”).
• “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” (CBS) – Shirley Manson (“Absolute Garbage”).
• “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/A Channel) – 50 Cent (“Before I Self Destruct”).
• “Lopez Tonight” (TBS) – Sean Paul (“Imperial Blaze”).
• “Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien” (NBC/A Channel) – Michael McDonald (“Soulspeak”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Billy Joel – 23-year-old Alexa Ray Joel, his daughter via former model-wife Christie Brinkley, has been hospitalized in NYC after suffering a suspected drug overdose.
• Chris Brown – He’s blaming his public relations team for the disastrous video apology he posted online following his attack on ex-girlfriend Rihanna. He admitted on ABC-TV’s “20/20″ that the entire incident was a ‘PR mess’.
• Creed – The concert film “Creed Live”, recorded in September in Houston TX, plays in select theaters tonight before getting a DVD release tomorrow.
• Jacksoul – Tonight late singer Haydain Neale is remembered with a special tribute concert at Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre, featuring Divine Brown, Keshia Chante, K-OS, and Nelly Furtado.
• LeAnn Rimes – The 27-year-old country singer has been involved in yet another auto accident, just months after escaping charges over an alleged hit & run. Fortunately, Friday’s incident was a minor one … she apparently backed into a security golf cart at a California shopping center. There were no injuries and the matter is being dealt with privately.
• Paula Anka – The veteran singer/songwriter has filed for divorce from wife Anna Yeager just hours after she called cops to report a domestic dispute. Reports say the couple became embroiled in a heated argument outside their home over … the firing of a family maid. (As you know, it’s so hard to get good help.)
• Taylor Swift – Her 4X Platinum album “Fearless” has rebounded yet again to the top of “Billboard” magazine’s ‘Country Albums Chart’, dethroning Carrie Underwood’s “Play On”, which held the #1 spot for the past 3 weeks.

HOMEMADE VS STORE BOUGHT:
Are you skipping the crowds this holiday shopping season by making your own presents? A recent poll suggests 58% of us will make at least some gifts this season. Perhaps surprisingly, the survey also notes that recipients think store-bought items are better. For instance, 61% of respondents feel that a $10 gift certificate makes a better present for a teacher than homemade cookies. (Especially those hardened lumps of goo made in an Easy-Bake Oven.)
– “Ladies’ Home Journal”

MOST VIEWED TV SHOWS OF THE DECADE:
A new ranking of the most watched TV episodes of the last 10 years …
5. “American Idol” 2007 6th-season premiere …. 38.1 million viewers.
4. “ER” 2000 ‘All In the Family’ episode … 39.4 million.
3. “Joe Millionaire” season finalé 2003 … 40 million.
2. “Survivor: Borneo” 2000 season finalé … 51.7 million.
1 “Friends” 2004 series finalé … 52.5 million.
– StarPulse.com

WHAT YOUR FEET SAY ABOUT YOU:
Psychologist Geoffrey Beattie claims that, while our faces and the rest of our bodies can be controlled, it is our feet which truly reveal our character, how we feel, and who we desire. For instance …
• A woman whose feet are crossed or tucked under her body is expressing sexual indifference toward the person she is speaking to.
• On the other hand, if she moves her feet while laughing to adopt a more wide-legged stance, she is attracted to her suitor.
• Another sign of attraction, according to new findings, is that a person’s feet move instinctively closer to the object of desire.
• A sure sign of those not telling the truth is that they keep their feet completely motionless.
• A person tapping a foot on the ground is uncomfortable with the situation in which he finds himself.
– “The Independent”

EARLY MORNING Zs:
A Stanford University study on the science of sleep deprivation suggests that early-morning sleep is more restful than sleep in the middle-of-the-night. Researchers think that may be because most of us are programmed to be ‘night owls’ rather than early-rising ‘morning larks’. The study shows early-morning sleepers fall asleep more easily, spend more of their sleep time actually asleep, and score higher on wakefulness tests. (This study goes a long way to explaining this program.)
– “Science”

TOO STUPID FOR US TO MAKE UP:
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – A 38-year-old former Miss Argentina has died from complications after undergoing cosmetic surgery … on her buttocks. Solange Magnano, who won the crown in 1994, has died after 3 days in critical condition following a gluteoplasty. A close friend laments that a woman who had everything has lost her life for the sake of a slightly firmer behind.
– AP
• LA CA – Would you pay $65 to get shot with a water pistol by a kid in South Central Los Angeles? A new 2-hour tour of the neighborhood considered to be the birthplace of American gang culture will include that option, as well as a shirt that reads, ‘I Got Shot in South Central’.
– NYPost.com
• Evington UK – A 26-year-old plumber in England is so obsessed with potato chips that he changed his name from Chris Hunt to ‘Mr Monster Munch’ after a brand of the snack food. Now he’s demanding to be called either ‘Monster’ or ‘Mr Munch’.
– Telegraph.co.uk

BEST OF THE NOUGHTIES:
New rankings of the tops in entertainment so far this century …
Best Movies of the Decade …
1. “The Lord Of the Rings” trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003)
2. “Brokeback Mountain” (2005)
3. “Gladiator” (2000)
Best TV Shows of the Decade …
1. “The Sopranos” (1999-2007)
2. “Lost” (2004-present)
3. “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (1996-2009)
Best Albums of the Decade …
1. Kanye West’s “The College Dropout” (2004)
2. Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint” (2001)
3. Radiohead’s “Kid A” (2000)
– “Entertainment Weekly”

EARLY TO PUFF:
Smoking first thing in the morning is worse for you than at other times of the day regardless of the number of cigarettes smoked, according to new research. The finding shows early-morning smokers absorb higher levels of cotinine, a by-product of nicotine. Waiting until you eat breakfast before smoking significantly reduces the amount of the chemical in your system. The Penn State College of Medicine study suggests that, because of this factor, earlier smokers may need more help to quit.
– “HealthDay News”

BS AMAZING FACT:
• More babies are conceived in December than any other month.
• Pubs in England pull about 10 million extra pints when the country’s national soccer team plays in the World Cup … as they will next June in South Africa.
• The feet of the Blue-Footed Booby, a bird which is native to the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador, get brighter in color the less sex it has.
– “Magazine Monitor”

BS CHRONOMETER 12.07.09

---

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1949 [60] Tom Waits, Pomona CA, contemporary folk singer-songwriter (“Glitter & Doom Live”)/sometime actor (“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”, “Coffee & Cigarettes”)

1977 [32] Dominic Howard, Stockport UK, rock drummer (Muse-“Uprising”, “Supermassive Black Hole”)

1979 [30] Sara Bareilles, Eureka CA, pop singer (“Bottle It Up”, “Love Song”)

1987 [22] Aaron Carter, Tampa FL, TV personality (“Dancing With the Stars” 2009, “House of Carters” 2006)/pseudo-singer (“Crush On You”)/younger brother of pop singer Nick Carter (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. (Ah, the holiday spirit!)

• “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

• “Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day”, observed on the anniversary of one of the defining moments in American history, the 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii which caused the US to enter WW2.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/y43i

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1979 [30] “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” opens in movie theaters, kicking off the canceled TV show’s cinematic franchise

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1998 [11] Britney Spears’ debut single “Baby One More Time” is certified a million-seller

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1935 [74] 1st ‘Western’ team to win the “Grey Cup” as Winnipeg edges Hamilton 18-12

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1934 [75] University of Washington running back Byron Haines scores all the points in a football game – for both teams – as he runs for a TD, then is later is pushed back into his own end zone for a safety (final score UW 6, USC 2)

COMING UP . . .
[Tues] Brownie Day
[Tues] Take it in the Ear Day
[Wed] Christmas Card Day
[Wed] Pastry Day
[Wed] International Anti-Corruption Day
[Thurs] Nobel Prize Day
This Week Is … Human Rights Week
This Month Is … Colorectal Cancer Education & Awareness Month

BULL’S BITS

---

BEST OF BS:
A highlight bit culled from 16 years of “Bull Sheet” back issues …
BS WAYS TO MAKE BASKETBALL MORE EXCITING:
• In case of technical foul, player loses possession … and pants.
• Shot worth 5 points if bounced off opponent’s head.
• Players ride around court on angry llamas.
• Anything thrown from the stands that goes in the basket counts.
• Players must constantly shout name of shoe company they endorse.
• No air in the ball.
NET: http://www.FreeRadioPrep.com

BS RANDOM JOKE:
If athletes get athlete’s foot, do astronauts get mistletoe?

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• In what country would you be if the ‘Christmas goat’ brought gifts?
a. Germany
b. Swaziland
c. Denmark [CORRECT. ‘Jule-Buken’ is ridden by the mischievous elf ‘Jule-Nissen’.]

• In the 19th century, what were the first artificial Christmas trees made from?
a. Feathers [CORRECT. Dyed goose and turkey feathers attached to wire branches.]
b. Glass
c. Wood

BS PHONE STARTER:
What single thing most contributes to your quality of life?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: On average, 13 new ones are created per day. What?
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Toys.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Things are more like they are today than they ever were before.