WEEKEND BLOG BS:
• The 8-year-old child stars of Oscar-nominated movie “Slumdog Millionaire” will not be traveling to the Oscars in LA because their Indian parents have refused permission. The film’s producers, who were offering them the chance to attend the ceremony Sunday, say the parents turned down the offer, asking if they could have the money instead.
– ContactMusic.com
• Wannabe-movie-star/pseudo-singer Mandy Moore is considering asking her ex-, Adam
Goldstein (aka DJ AM), to do the music at her upcoming wedding. Moore announced her engagement to singer Ryan Adams last week and she’s now working on details for her big day.
– StarPulse.com
• Jimmy Fallon says he’s now actually sat in the “Late Night” chair as preparations are underway for him to take over for Conan O’Brien March 2nd. Fallon is mum about the debut show’s guest lineup but promises ‘it’s gonna be good’. O’Brien, meantime, is getting ready to head to Los Angeles to replace Jay Leno as “Tonight Show” host in June.
– AP
• Clan Brangelina is reportedly set to swell yet again with Angelina Jolie setting her sights on adopting a baby from troubled Myanmar (aka Burma). Jolie has confirmed she wants more kids, both adopted and homegrown. So, one more added to the 3 they’ve adopted plus the 3 they’ve manufactured … and that would make “Se7en”, Brad.
– “News Of the World”
• A new report claims stars Eva Longoria & Teri Hatcher are set to lock lips during an upcoming episode of “Desperate Housewives” (ABC). When asked for comment, reps for the show refuse to confirm or deny the report but a network source says almost anything is possible right now if it keeps people interested in the show. Oh … is it still on?
– Celebuzz.com
• 56-year-old actor Patrick Swayze has been pictured puffing away on a cigarette … despite the fact he’s battling pancreatic cancer. A new report says he looked alarmingly frail and gaunt while visiting a clinic in Beverly Hills CA. Only last weekend he made a plea for more US government funding to help cancer patients.
– “The Sun”

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Puddle Of Mudd is the musical guest.
• “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” (CBS) – Zac Brown Band (“Chicken Fried”) guests.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS) – Asleep At the Wheel performs with Willie Nelson.
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC) – Brit pop singer Lily Allen (“The Fear”) is on. In her latest incident of ill-advised blathering, she’s told a Dutch magazine that parents should encourage their children to take drugs in order to discover the consequences themselves.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Amy Winehouse – She’s been released from a medical facility on the Caribbean island of St Lucia after collapsing Friday night. A rep claims the incident occurred after Amy ‘ran out of medication’ that she’d been using in her ongoing battle against drugs.
• Janet Jackson – She’s become the latest to sign an all-encompassing deal with concert promoter Live Nation. She parted ways with Island Records in September due to disappointing sales of her last album “Discipline” and has been label-less since.
• Kelly Clarkson – She tells “Attitude” magazine she had no idea fellow “American Idol” contestant Clay Aiken was gay, insisting the news caught her completely off-guard. Quote: “I have zero Gaydar.”
• Kenny Chesney – He’s finally broken his silence on why ex-wife, actress Renée Zellweger, cited ‘fraud’ when filing for divorce in 2005. It was the only way they could get the marriage officially annulled. Chesney tells “Playboy” he’s spent the past 4 years dismissing suggestions that the ‘fraud’ Zellweger discovered was that he is gay. For the record, he says he is not.
• MIA – The “Paper Planes” hit-maker confirms on MySpace that her new baby son was born Wednesday after ‘early stage labor’ kicked in. No name is yet announced.
• Rihanna – Her dad Ronald Fenty has confirmed she’s back home in Barbados recovering from the incident that put an end to her relationship with Chris Brown. Her pop says she definitely suffered some bruising but he thinks she’s going to be all right.
• Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – The 5-Grammy-winning duo is back in the studio to record a follow-up to “Raising Sand”. Producer T Bone Burnett tells “Rolling Stone” the one thing they can’t do is try to repeat the hit album’s sound. The new project will head in different directions.
• Sex Pistols – The classic punk rock band’s John Lydon has apparently helped revive sales of ‘Country Life’ butter in the UK. Since he’s been appearing in TV ads, sales have risen by 83%.
• U2 – They’ll perform an unprecedented 5 nights in-a-row on “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS) beginning March 2. They release their 12th album, “No Line On the Horizon”, March 3.

MARRIAGES THAT WORK:
University of Washington researcher Dr John Gottman, who’s spent 25 years studying married couples, says there are basically 3 types of marriages that last …
• ‘Avoiders’ – A couple that routinely avoids conflict. They listen to each other but do not try to persuade each other. Such marriages may be unemotional and distant but tend to endure.
• ‘Arguers’ – Like lawyers in a courtroom, they argue at the drop of a hat. Such marriages tend to last even though there are frequent and impassioned arguments.
• ‘Validators’ – They listen to each other, respect each other’s opinion, and only occasionally argue. They pick the issues they fight about.
Gottman suggests that marriages with spouses from different categories are the ones that seem to most often run into trouble.
– BS original

SCIENTISTS SAY:
A BS compendium of recent ‘discoveries’ …
• Scientists say … men’s brains generally shrink between the ages of 25 and 80. Women’s brains, on the other hand, remain about the same size. (There isn’t a wife alive who’s surprised by this discovery.)
• Scientists say … we can use chickens to fight cancer. UK researchers have developed genetically-modified hens which lay eggs containing the proteins needed to produce cancer-fighting drugs. (An omelette a day keeps the Big C away … who woulda thought?)
• Scientists say … antisocial traits such as being argumentative, bullying and lying are often inherited. A recent study finds that couples who fight a lot may genetically pass the trait on to their children. (For more information, Google ‘trailer trash’.)

FLAPS DOWN, BOTTOMS UP:
A new cocktail has become popular in NYC over the past month. ‘The Sully’ is named after airline pilot Captain Chesley B ‘Sully’ Sullenberger, the heroic flyer who safely landed his plane in the co-called ‘Miracle On the Hudson’ after the engines were damaged by birds. The cocktail is cleverly made from 2 shots of Grey Goose … and a splash of water.
– PopBitch.com

LIFE BY THE NUMBERS:
A BS breakdown at who we are and what we do …
• 80% of women admit to being guilty of hanging up on someone on the phone.
• 68% of men say they wouldn’t be caught dead at a bridal show.
• 52% of us say we’ve been on a blind date, 46% haven’t. 2% aren’t sure?
• 33% of women say they went on their first diet between the ages of 11-and-13.
• 17% of bosses say they’ve driven to the home of an employee who claimed to be sick.
• 5% of separating couples are thoughtful enough to explain to their kids what’s going on.

MOST SUCCESSFUL POTHEADS ON THE PLANET:
With Michael Phelps, the most successful Olympic athlete of all-time, now forever linked to the ‘magic herb’, here’s a new listing of other famous folks who’ve been known to indulge …
• Sir Richard Branson – The Virgin empire multi-billionaire claims that if pot was legal he would sell it.
• Aaron Sorkin – The multiple Emmy Award-winning writer/producer of “The West Wing” and numerous other movies and TV shows.
• Rick Steves – World traveler, TV host, and author of 27 best-selling travel guides.
• Ted Turner – Creator of CNN and the largest private land owner in America.
• Steven King – Author of 50 novels which have sold over 500 million copies worldwide.
• Arnold Schwarzeneggar – The California governor who radically liberalized the state’s medical marijuana laws.
• Barack Obama – The US president wrote about his stoner past in his book and once told an interviewer “When I was a kid I inhaled frequently … that was the point.”
– CoEdMagazine.com

BS AMAZING FACTS:
• Naked hiking is legal in Switzerland.
• There is an ‘Apostrophe Protection Society’.
• Cows who are given names produce more milk.
– BBC News Magazine Monitor

AND WE QUOTE:
“I’m anti-Valentine’s Day. I don’t believe – and this goes for anybody – your man shouldn’t love you for one day out of 365. He should love you 365 days out of the year. I want Valentine’s Day every day.”
– Country singer Carrie Underwood, as reported by World Entertainment News Network.

BS CHRONOMETER 02.16.09

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TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1958 [51] Ice T (Tracy Morrow), Newark NJ, TV actor (‘Detective Fin Tutuola’ on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since 2000)/former rapper (“Cop Killer”)

1959 [50] John McEnroe, Wiesbaden Air Force Base, Germany, TV tennis analyst/Hall of Fame player ranked #1 during the 1980s

1961 [48] Andy Taylor, Newcastle UK, classic rock guitarist (Duran Duran-“Hungry Like the Wolf”, “The Reflex”)

1972 [37] Taylor Hawkins, Ft Worth TX, rock drummer (Foo Fighters since 1997-“No Way Back”, “Times Like These”)/drummer for Alanis Morissette 1995-96

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Do a Grouch a Favor Day”, a day to perform an unexpected good deed to cheer up someone who’s sulky.

• “Family Day”, an official Canadian holiday in Alberta on the 3rd Monday of February since 1990. Saskatchewan adopted the idea in 2007 and Ontario added the mid-winter break in 2008. Manitoba celebrates the holiday as ”Louis Riel Day”.

• “Presidents’ Day” in America, observed annually on the 3rd Monday in February, originally to celebrate the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln & George Washington but now honoring all former US Presidents. Officially, the federal holiday is still known as “Washington’s Birthday”.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1990 [19] 1st issue of “Entertainment Weekly” magazine (singer kd lang on the cover)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1994 [15] Apple introduces 1st ‘Digital Camera’ that allows uploads to computer

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1980 [29] ‘World’s Longest Traffic Jam’ extends 180 km (109 mi) from Paris to Lyons, France

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] US TV signals go digital
[Wed] 2009 BRIT Awards (London)
[Wed] Thumb Appreciation Day
[Wed] 2nd CFTPA Canadian Indie Awards (Ottawa)
[Sat] 9th Hockey Day in Canada (CBC)
[Sat] 2009 Razzie Awards
[Sat] Spirit Awards (Los Angeles)
[Sun] 81st Academy Awards

THIS WEEK IS . . .
Build A Better Trade Show Image Week / Celebration of Love Week / Children of Alcoholics Week / Condom Week / Engineers Week / International Friendship Week / Junior Achievement Week / Love a Mench Week / Nestbox Week

BULL’S BITS

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WHAT YOUR CELLPHONE SAYS ABOUT YOU:
According to Leatrice Eiseman’s book “Color: Messages & Meanings”, here’s what your choice of phone hue may say about your personality …
• Black – Dignified and impressive without being showy. These people want to give the appearance of mystery, but their preference may also indicate a suppression of desires and worldly aims, suggesting hidden depths and inner longings.
• Blue – Dependable and vibrant. Deep blues like navy are classic, introspective and professional looking.
• Brown – Tan is viewed as rugged and rustic, like leather, while deeper browns are seen as rich, robust and warm.
• Gold – Prestigious and rare. Well-established associations with earthly wealth and luxury give gold possessions an air of richness and rarity. As such, they reflect a desire for prestige.
• Orange – Optimistic and attention-getting. You’re likely to be gregarious, energetic and optimistic. You could also be overly loud and frivolous.
• Pink – Playful and innocent. Bright pink, on the other hand, is a flirtatious shade that can be considered gaudy.
• Red – Sumptuous and temperamental. Red is the symbolic color of the heart, strong willed and expressing strong emotions.
• Silver/Gray – The color of caution and compromise. Dapper without being showy. Grays often have good business ability and tend to work too much.
• White – Can be interpreted as cold and sterile, but also has positive connotations of purity, clarity and simplicity. When combined with another color, white becomes far more friendly and approachable.
• Yellow – Lively and familiar. Much like orange, bright yellow signifies liveliness, friendliness and intellectual curiosity. Softer shades of yellow evoke thoughts of relaxation and comfort.
– Forbes.com

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Insanity is my only means of relaxation.

TRUTH OR BS?
Some of the following statements are true, some total hooey. Which are which?
• Looking at the Sun can trigger a sneeze. [True]
• 7-out-of-every-10 hockey-playing Canadians will lose a tooth during a game. For Canadians who don’t play hockey, that figure drops to 4-out-of-10. [BS]
• Coal ash is more radioactive than nuclear waste. [True]
• Identical twins’ genes are not identical. [True]
• Every Labrador retriever dreams about bananas. [BS]
• Mosquitoes mate in about 10 seconds. [True]
• In the weightlessness of space a frozen pea will explode if it comes in contact with Pepsi. [BS]
• In ancient Greece, children of wealthy families were dipped in olive oil at birth to keep them hairless throughout their lives. [BS]
• The Earth has more than one North Pole. [True]
• Polar bears can eat as many as 18 penguins in a single sitting. [BS]
– BBC News / “Scientific American” / TopFive.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
Even in this tough economy, what is the one treat/luxury that you refuse to give up? (In one recent survey, 48% of respondents say they are not willing to give up their gym membership.)

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: Kissing any part of THIS could make you sick.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Your pet.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:

Color is only a pigment of your imagination.