BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
“American Idol” judge Simon Cowell has announced he’s planning to have his body preserved in liquid nitrogen after he dies, in the hope that scientists can someday find a way to bring him back to life (a chill-out he claims would be an ‘invaluable service’ to humanity) . . . Meantime, it looks like the heat is back on between Simon & longtime girlfriend Terri Seymour, the twosome sitting beside each other for dinner & partying together at Elton John’s weekend bash . . . Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has agreed on a 3-book deal with Crown Publishers, starting with a memoir about her years in the Bush administration that’s planned for publication in 2011 (ironically, Crown also published Barack Obama’s “The Audacity of Hope”) . . . South Carolina’s “Hard Rock Park” has been saved from bankruptcy & liquidation as a new ownership group has stepped in to buy the shuttered year-old amusement park for $25 million (the Shake, Rattle & Roller Coaster will ride the rails again!) . . . Authorities in Mumbai, India have announced the city’s tourism figures have jumped by 25% since the release of the 8-Oscar-winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire” (in case you’re interested in slumming it) . . . Grieving parents John Travolta & Kelly Preston have launched a charity foundation in memory of their late son Jett, to provide relief to kids with physical, medical, emotional & educational needs (their 16-year-old died of a seizure at the family’s home in the Bahamas last month) . . . According to Hollywood insiders, Micky Rourke (“The Wrestler”) is on a very shortlist for a lead role in “Iron Man 2”, perhaps less to do with his new-found quirky appeal than the little-known fact that he trains with a martial arts master . . . And Jamaica’s broadcast commission is moving to ban all songs or music videos from the island nation’s airwaves that depict sexual acts, or glorify gun violence, murder, rape or arson (so much for every reggae/dancehall song ever recorded – might as well turn the radio transmitters off!).

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Covered, A Revolution in Sound: Warner Bros Records“ – A new compilation released today featuring artists from WB’s current roster covering classic tunes from the label’s back catalogue. Among the new artists included: Against Me!, Disturbed, and The Used.
• “Heroes” – A unique new album of cover versions by artists such as Duffy, The Kooks, Lily Allen, and TV On the Radio is released to benefit War Child, the humanitarian organization that provides relief to children in some of the worst war-ravaged parts of the globe.
• Jimmy Buffett – Parrotheads will be thrilled he’s kicking off his 2009 “Summerzcool” tour at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului, Hawaii.
• “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” (CBS) – Brit singer Adele is the musical guest.
• “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” (NBC/A Channel) – Rockers the Black Crowes appear in a rerun show.
• “Live With Regis & Kelly” (syndicated/CTV) – Latin crooner Enrique Iglesias is a guest.
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC/A Channel) – Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am performs.
• “The View” (ABC/CTV) – 68-year-old Welsh pop singer Tom Jones is interviewed.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Alexisonfire – The Canadian rockers have just entered a Vancouver studio to begin recording their 4th album, titled “Young Cardinals”. It’s due out this Summer.
• Bruce Springsteen – It’s been confirmed he’ll headline this year’s “Glastonbury Festival”, one of Britain’s largest Summer music events (June 27th).
• Carrie Underwood – She was spotted at a recent Ottawa/Nashville NHL game cheering on her boyfriend, Senators center Mike Fisher. Seems the “All-American Girl” has found herself an all-Canadian boy.
• Darius Rucker – His country album, “Learn To Live”, has just been certified Gold.
• Good Charlotte – Joel Madden has announced on the band’s website that his partner Nicole Richie is pregnant with their 2nd child. Their daughter Harlow was born in January 2008.
• The Killers – They’re suing former manager Braden Merrick over alleged incompetence they claim cost them millions. The legal action comes 3 years after Merrick sued the band for breach of contract, claiming he’s owed more than $16 million in royalties. Kids, play nice!
• Lady Gaga – She’s refused an offer to pose for “Playboy” but suggests they ask her again … when she has a new album to plug.
• T-Pain – He’s cancelled a concert in the South American country of Guyana after receiving what are described as ‘credible death and kidnapping threats’.
• U2 – Oops! Universal Music Australia inadvertently made the anticipated new album “No Line On the Horizon” available digitally more than a week before release (March 3). No big deal, however, as the error was quickly corrected. But the leak is likely a prime reason it was decided to begin streaming the album on U2’s MySpace page.

TODAY’S VIDEO RELEASES:
• “The Haunting of Molly Hartley” ( Horror Thriller ): Haley Bennett plays a high schooler looking to put her troubles behind her with a fresh start at a new school where she hits it off with a popular student (“Gossip Girl’s” Chace Crawford). Then she learns the horrific truth about what awaits her once she turns 18. Oh oh!
• “Sex Drive” ( Comedy ): In this teen road movie, a high school senior (Josh Zuckerman) drives cross-country with his best friends in order to hook up with a babe he met online (Langley BC’s Amanda Crew). The trek is complicated by all manner of woes – car trouble, a stint in the slammer, and a buggy tow from an Amish farmer (Seth Green). Available in a ‘2-Disc Special Edition’.
• “What Just Happened” ( Comedy ): Barry Levinson’s saga of 2 weeks in the life of a fading Hollywood producer who’s having a rough time getting his new picture made never made it into wide release despite numerous film festival screenings and a big-name cast that includes Robert De Niro, Bruce Willis, Stanley Tucci, and John Turturro. Art imitating life?
• Also released today: “Canterbury’s Law: The Complete Series” (TV); “Just Shoot Me!: The Complete 3rd Season” (classic TV); and “NFL: Super Bowl XLIII Champions – Pittsburgh Steelers” (sports documentary).

ANOTHER REASON TO SKIP CLASS:
New research by psychologists at the State University of New York-Fredonia suggests that university students who download a podcast lecture achieve substantially higher exam results than those who attend the lecture in person. Why? Podcasted lectures offer students the chance to replay difficult parts of a lecture and therefore take better notes, says lead researcher Dani McKinney. (On the other hand, keggers are more fun if you attend in person.)
– “New Scientist”

REALLY, REALLY FLAT SCREEN:
Toshiba Corp is developing organically produced ‘television wallpaper’. The latest development in what’s called ‘Organic Electroluminescence Technology’ could screen movies, TV programs and ‘lifestyle’ footage, thereby transforming your living room into an island paradise, a rainforest or an underwater lair, depending on your whim. Toshiba claims the material will consume a fraction of the energy of an LCD or plasma TV as its breakthrough design allows much more of the light to escape, enhancing the screen’s efficiency. The project is still in the research stage and is likely several years away from commercial production. (Someday you’ll be able to paper your ceiling and never have to haul ass out of bed again!)
– “GQ”

HOW TO LOOK YOUNGER:
A new research study at  Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland offers up a surprising take on how to maintain your youthful look … put on a few pounds! Why’s that? As you age, a little bit of fat can significantly smooth out wrinkles and give you a younger-looking face, says a team of plastic surgeons. The study has found that after the age of 40, an increase in Body Mass Index (BMI) makes most people appear significantly younger. The bad news is … for people under 40, the opposite is true. (You just look porky.)
– “TIME Magazine”

TOP GROSSING MOVIES OF ALL-TIME:
“The Dark Knight” has now edged over the $1-billion mark, jacking it up to #4 all-time in worldwide box office gross. The new standings …
1. “Titanic” (1997) …. $1.84 billion.
2. “The Lord Of the Rings: The Return Of the King” (2003) … $1.12 billion.
3. “Pirates Of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (2006) … $1.07 billion.
4. “The Dark Knight” (2008) … $1 billion.
5. “Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone” (2001) …$975 million.
– “Box Office Mojo”

THERE IS NO DARK NIGHT:
The United Nations has proclaimed 2009 the “International Year of Astronomy”, marking the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s invention of the telescope. In doing so, it has also officially declared war on light pollution as the prime enemy of astronomers. How bad is nighttime light pollution in this era of 24/7 artificial light? Experts say that, under today’s conditions, the famed Italian astronomer might as well have thrown away his telescope because it would have been useless. (How far away do you have to travel to actually see a sky-ful of stars?)
– “Der Spiegel”

I’M GOING TO DUBAILAND!
Among many other construction projects, Dubai in the United Arb Emirates is developing plans for a theme park called ‘Dubailand’ which – if completed – will be twice the size of Walt Disney World. The 3-billion-square-foot amusement park’s planned attractions include ‘City of Arabia’, with the world’s largest shopping mall; ‘Sports City’, with 4 huge arenas; ‘The Great Dubai Wheel’, world’s 2nd-highest Ferris wheel; and the ‘Snow Dome’, an indoor Winter sports palace. However, financial constraints have put the plans on hold, at least for now. (Even cash-drenched Dubai is starting to feel the pinch!)
– Neatorama.com

HOW BIG IS A MILLION?
• If you stacked 1 million US $1-bills in a single pile, it would reach 361-ft-high (110 m) and weigh exactly 1 ton.
• 1 million dollars-worth of $100-bills weighs only 22 lb (10kg).
• 1 million dollars-worth of 1-cent coins (100 million pennies) would weigh 246 tons (223,000 kg).
– DidYouKnow.org

BS CHRONOMETER 02.24.09

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TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1955 [54] Steve Jobs, San Francisco CA, Pixar Animation founder (“Wall-E”)/Apple Computer CEO & co-founder with Steve Wozniak (1977)/currently on a leave of absence from Apple due to health issues

1983 [26] Matt McGinley, Geneva NY, rock drummer (Gym Class Heroes-“Cupid’s Chokehold”)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Flag Day” in Mexico (“El Día de la Bandera”), celebrating ‘La Bandera Mexicana’ created in 1821 when the country gained independence.

• “Mardi Gras”/”Fat Tuesday”/”Shrove Tuesday”/”Pancake Day”/”Carnaval”, always 46 days before Easter and traditionally the final chance to indulge before the austerity of Lent. In Latin, ‘carne vale’ means ‘farewell to meat’. The day is marked by masked balls, lavish costumes, floats, parades, torchlight processions, dancing, fireworks, and feasting on all sorts of foods. Some of the biggest celebrations are in New Orleans, Louisiana; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Nice, France. Many of the traditions go back to the 14th Century.

• “Spay Day USA”, the 15th annual observance when we’re encouraged to have at least one cat or dog spayed or neutered to help resolve the problem of pet overpopulation (do NOT attempt this in your home!). A half-million animals have been ‘altered’ on this day since the Doris Day Animal Foundation began the campaign in 1995. (Hide Puffball, hide!)
NET: http://tinyurl.com/2sfofk

• “Tortilla Chip Day”. Well, that certainly makes planning tonight’s dinner a lot easier, doesn’t it?

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1998 [11] (Sir) Elton John is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1914 [95] Clarence Crane invents “Life Savers”, what he calls ‘a hole encased in candy’

2008 [01] Ailing 82-year-old Fidel Castro retires as President of Cuba after nearly 50 years and turns the reins of power over to his brother Raul (a sprightly 77-year-old)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1988 [21] Acclaimed tenor Luciano Pavarotti is said to have received 165 curtain calls lasting a total of 1 hour, 7 minutes after an opera performance in Berlin, Germany

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Ash Wednesday
[Thurs] For Pete’s Sake Day
[Fri] Polar Bear Day
[Sat] Repetitive Strain Injuries Awareness Day
[Sat] Tooth Fairy Day
[Sat] Floral Design Day
[Sun] East Coast Music Awards (Cornerbrook NL)
[Mon] Jimmy Fallon replaces Conan O’Brien on “Late Night” (NBC)
This Week Is … International Friendship Week
This Month Is … Canned Food Month

BULL’S BITS

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BS WHYZITS:
• Whyzit that time softens some people and hardens others?
• Whyzit we call the timepiece on our wrist a ‘watch’. Shouldn’t it be a ‘glance’?
• Whyzit the word ‘phonetic’ isn’t spelled the way it sounds?
• Whyzit ‘fat chance’ and ‘slim chance’ mean the same thing?
• If time heals all wounds, whyzit belly buttons don’t fill in?BS PHONE STARTER:
Aside from pancake syrup, what’s the absolute best thing to put on top of a pancake?

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• In a poll of office employees, 37% of women say they have NEVER done this at work.
a. Used the restroom. [CORRECT]
b. Flirted with the boss.
c. Stolen office supplies.
d. Stopped gossiping.

• You suffer from ‘pnigophobia’ (nye-go-FOE-bee-ah). What are you afraid of?
a. You’re scared of shadows.
b. You’re desperately afraid of choking. [CORRECT]
c. You have a fear of shoes.
d. You’re paranoid about being shut in a room with strangers.

• Which lake contains the world’s only ‘freshwater sharks’?
a. Lake Erie in Ontario/Ohio/Pennsylvania.
b. Lake Nicaragua in Central America. [CORRECT]
c. Lake Worth in Florida.

BS APTONYMS:
Ask listeners to contribute real people they’ve come across with names that are unusually appropriate to their jobs. A few primers …
• Amy Freeze … Fox News chief meteorologist.
• Dr Richard Payne … Physician who’s an internationally-know expert on pain relief.
• Reggie Corner … NFL player for the Buffalo Bills whose position is – cornerback.
• Les Plack … San Francisco CA dentist.
• Young & Polite … Pediatric dentists, Charlotte NC.
• Will Wynn … Mayor of Austin TX whose election signs proved true.
• Alan Heavens … University of Edinburgh astronomer.
• Jaime Lachica Cardinal Sin … Former archbishop of Manila, Philippines.
• Jamie Maw … Food critic, “Vancouver” magazine.
• [Discretion] Dr Harry Beaver … Retired Fairfax VA gynecologist.
• Ann Greathouse … Pittsburgh PA real estate agent.
• John C Chicken … Author, “The Philosophy of Risk”.
• [Discretion] Dr Dick Chopp … Austin TX urologist.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: The average size of one of THESE has increased 63% in the last 30 years.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Homes. (“National Geographic”)

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Is ‘tired old cliche’ one?