BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Heath Ledger’s sister is saying the late actor’s final film, “The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus”, is ‘amazing’ (so amazing it’s having trouble finding a North American distributor) . . . Acting couple Megan Fox (“Transformers”) & Brian Austin Green (“The Sarah Connor Chronicles”) have called off their engagement after 2 years, a decision that’s said to be ‘mutual’ (BS translation: She finally realized his hotness is nowhere near the same realm as her hotness) . . . Britney’s ex-BF Adnan Ghalib is facing felony charges after allegedly smashing his car into a man serving a restraining order to him (he’s charged with assault with a deadly Mercedes!) . . . Now that she’s got her Oscar, Kate Winslet has been offered her own “Playboy” pictorial (hasn’t everyone seen her naked by now?) . . . “My Life On the D-List” (Bravo) comedian Kathy Griffin has signed a $2-million deal to write her memoirs (titled “My Face On the Awful Plastic Surgery List”?) . . . “The Hills” (MTV) star Audrina Patridge has had her house burglarized, but she’s already uploaded security camera footage online looking for tips on the perps (should have saved it for a real ‘unscripted’ episode) . . . A newly-released Nielsen report says the average American increased TV viewing in 2008 to 151 hours monthly from 145 hours a year before (hey move over Porky and gimme some room on the couch!) . . . A 3rd installment to the “Twilight” vampire movie series has been given a release date of June 30, 2010 (the stars haven’t even reported to set for the 2nd film yet!) . . . Meantime, “Twilight” star Robert Pattinson has been spotted hanging with actress Natalie Portman, the pair apparently first meeting while Oscar presenters (‘Edward Cullen’ & ‘Princess Amidala’ in “Twilight 3” – whatcha think?) . . . And in case you were worried after their November split-up, 21-year-old actress Evan Rachel Wood (“The Wrestler”) & 40-year-old shock-rocker Marilyn Manson are back on again, an insider confirming they didn’t stop talking, they just took a break (then she ran out of mascara).

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “American Idol” (FOX/CTV) – 3 more finalists are chosen in an episode delayed by President Obama’s Tuesday night speech.
• “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” (NBC/A Channel) – ‘80s singer Boz Scaggs performs on a rerun show.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS) – Actor-turned-rapper Joaquin Phoenix is on.
• “Live With Regis & Kelly” (syndicated/CTV) – 3 Doors Down is the musical guest.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• AC/DC – Converse is releasing a new line of footwear this Fall featuring the band’s logo. Metallica will also get a shoe salute.
• Barenaked Ladies – Singer Steven Page has left the band ‘by mutual agreement’ to pursue solo projects. Page was charged with drug possession in upstate New York last July, only weeks after the band had released a children’s album.
• Chris Brown – His management has reportedly convinced him to enrol in anger management. An insider says he isn’t required to go by law but it’s thought it will make him look better to the public. He plans to get in a few classes before March 5, his court date.
• Cowboy Junkies – 2 years after their last studio effort, “At the End of Paths Taken”, Michael Timmins says the Canadian band is hoping to have a new album out in late 2009 or early 2010.
• Guns N’ Roses – Former drummer Steven Adler has a role in “Dahmer vs Gacy”, an upcoming horror comedy about mass murderers Jeffrey Dahmer & John Wayne Gacy battling it out. Adler plays a guy Dahmer picks up in a bar and later murders … by sticking a drill into his head.
• Lil Wayne – Fresh from winning ‘Best Rap Album’ at the “Grammy Awards”, he’ll face criminal gun possession charges at a trial scheduled to begin April 20, a NYC judge has ruled.
• Toby Keith – The “God Love Her” singer has a role in the new movie “Provinces of Night”, currently in production in Wilmington NC. Hillary Duff (“Cheaper By the Dozen”) stars.
• U2 – “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark”, the stage musical with music & lyrics by Bono and The Edge, will open on Broadway February 18, 2010. Preview performances start January 16.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Ghostbusters 3“ – 56-year-old actor Dan Aykroyd has confirmed yet another sequel is being produced as an addendum to the 1984 & 1989 films. Aykroyd and Harold Ramis wrote and starred in the previous movies alongside Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver. Why drag up this old saw after so long? “Ghostbusters: The Video Game” has just been completed; what better way to promote it? Production could start as early as this Fall.
• “How Do You Know?” – Comic actors Owen Wilson & Paul Rudd are in discussions to star alongside Reese Witherspoon in this upcoming romantic comedy from James L Brooks (“Spanglish”, “As Good As It Gets”). Rudd would play the part of a businessman vying for Witherspoon’s affections, while Wilson is pencilled in for the role of a professional baseball pitcher out to steal her heart. Shooting is scheduled to start in the Summer.
• “Little Fockers” – In a seemingly ill-advised fit of dead-horse flogging Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Robert De Niro are set to re-team for a sequel to “Meet The Fockers”, which was a sequel to “Meet The Parents”. Why? Most likely because the first 2 films grossed a tidy take of over $800 million worldwide. The new movie will center around the children of Stiller’s character and his comedic attempts to appease his disapproving father-in-law, played by De Niro. Filming is scheduled to start later this year.
• Untitled Woody Allen film – Penelope Cruz’s Oscar win for Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” has excited the Hollywood troops about lining up for his next project. Already onboard: 24-year-old “Slumdog Millionaire” star Freida Pinto, Aussie actress Naomi Watts, Oscar nominee Josh Brolin, and the UK’s Anthony Hopkins. The movie, which is believed to concern love and intrigue, begins production in London this Summer.

HEALTHY VISION & NUTRITION:
What you put on your plate now may help you see your plate later. New research reveals foods that help protect against 3 leading age-related vision thieves …
• Adults who regularly drink orange juice and also include C-rich foods such as red & green bell peppers, tomatoes, and broccoli in their daily diet are 45% less likely to develop cataracts, according to new research from Australia.
• Eating oatmeal, high-fiber cereals, and whole-grain breads cuts the risk of macular degeneration by about 39%, because complex carbs prevent blood sugar swings that can damage delicate cells in the center of the retina.
• Just 1 serving a month of kale or collard greens, or more than 2 servings of carrots a week reduce the risk of glaucoma by more than 60%, according to a recent UCLA study. (Carrots! Mom was right!)
– “Reader’s Digest”

IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD:
Mental fatigue impairs physical performance in humans. Researchers at Bangor University in Wales have discovered that people who are tired-out mentally reach the point of physical exhaustion sooner when they exercise than when they’re mentally fresh. It’s not that muscles perform any differently, but rather the brain’s perception that the physical activity is tougher. While it appears it’s better to exercise when rested, the scientists don’t advise skipping your regular trip to the gym after work. (Dammit!)
– AHN

WIDE WORLD OF BS:
• Superstitious Indian villagers still aren’t ready to let go of the ancient tradition of marrying children off to animals in order to ward off evil spirits. This time it’s an infant boy in a village near Jaipur who has been married to a dog after he began growing a tooth on his upper gum, a sure sign that he’d be prone to attacks by tigers and other wild animals. Fortunately the ceremony is strictly symbolic and the boy will be able to marry a human bride someday without having to file for a doggy divorce. (It’s “Slumdog Newlywed”!)
– Reuters
• The first tourist to set foot in Iraq since 2003 has been put on a plane and sent home. Somehow the 33-year-old Italian man acquired a visa for Iraq in Turkey and managed to travel 200 miles overland to arrive at Baghdad’s Coral Palace hotel. The shocked manager called military police for advice on how to handle a Western tourist. After making sure he wasn’t some crazy terrorist, they allowed him to take a brief tour of Baghdad and Fallujah before hustling him aboard the next flight back to Italy. (Next year he’s planning an all inclusive vacation in Kabul.)
– “International Herald Tribune”
• Waste collection crews in several areas of Britain are testing out computers featuring GPS technology that allow authorities to amass info about individual rubbish disposal, including whether homeowners are failing to properly recycle. The ‘Waste Collector Live‘ system feeds trash collectors up-to-the-minute info about houses they visit and may result in automated fines to residents who fail to obey garbage disposal regulations. (Now they’re ‘going through your garbage like a pack of hounds’ …. with laptops.)
– “Telegraph”
• Staying married is better for the planet because divorce leads to the newly single living more wasteful lifestyles, an Australian lawmaker claims. Senator Steve Fielding has told a Senate hearing in the Australian capital Canberra that when couples separate, they need more rooms, more electricity, and more water. This increases their carbon footprint and results in what Fielding calls a ‘resource-inefficient lifestyle’. (You’re not only lonely … you’re killing the planet! Hope you’re proud.)
– Australian Associated Press

ANOTHER HAZARD OF GAMING:
Gamers beware: Keeping too tight a grip on the console and furiously pushing buttons can cause a newly identified skin disorder marked by painful lumps on the palms. Swiss scientists  at the University Hospitals & Medical School of Geneva have labeled the syndrome ‘PlayStation palmar hidradentitis’. It can cause painful lesions on the palms similar to patches found on the soles of feet after heavy physical activity. The cause is thought to be trauma caused by the combination of tight and continuous grasping with repeated pushing of buttons. (If your game console isn’t from Sony, you may have ‘Wii Warts’.)
– Yahoo! News

FOR THE RECORD:
Elaine Davidson of Edinburgh, Scotland, who set the world record for most piercings with 462 in 2000, has recently crossed a new threshold with her 6,005th piercing. Funny thing is, she says she doesn’t enjoy getting pierced. (There are so many things wrong with this woman.)
– “NY Post”

DID YOU KNOW?
75% of wild birds die before they are 6-months-old. (Note to self: Buy birdseed on the way home from work.)
– Stunning-Stuff.com

BS CHRONOMETER 02.26.09

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TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1928 [81] Fats (Antoine) Domino, New Orleans LA, oldies singer (“Ain’t That a Shame”, “Blueberry Hill”)/among the first inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1986)/Hurricane Katrina survivor

1953 [56] Michael Bolton (Bolotin), New Haven CT, overwrought pop singer (“When a Man Loves a Woman”, “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You”)/ex-fiancé of actress Nicollette Sheridan (“Desperate Housewives”)

1968 [41] Tim Commerford, Irvine CA, rock bassist (Rage Against the Machine-“Guerrilla Radio”, Audioslave-“Be Yourself”)

1971 [38] Erykah Badu (Wright), Dallas TX, R&B singer (“Love of My Life”, “Bag Lady”)/mother to Puma, Seven, and Mars

1979 [30] Chris Culos, Rockville MD, rock drummer (OAR-“Shattered [Turn the Car Around”])

1979 [30] Corinne Bailey Rae, Leeds UK, pop singer (“Trouble Sleeping”, “Put Your Records On”)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “For Pete’s Sake Day”, which asks the pressing question, ‘Just who the hell is Pete, anyway, and why would we do anything for his sake?’

• “Levi Strauss’ Birthday” (1829-1902), the man who created the first Levi’s blue jeans for California’s gold miners in 1850. Without him, many of us wouldn’t have a wardrobe.

• “Pistachio Day”, apparently honoring people addicted to having pink dye all over their mouths. Bet you can’t eat just one!

• “Tell a Fairy Tale Day”. Yeah, inflict some of the most violent stories ever written onto your innocent, unsuspecting child. (“Fee, fi, foe, fum …”)

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1909 [100] 1st ‘cartoon’ shown in a movie theater (nowadays instead of cartoons before the main feature, you get 27 preview trailers and ads for TV shows and the snack bar)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1983 [26] Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album reaches #1, then spends a total of 37 weeks there

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1882 [127] 1st commercially manufactured breakfast cereal … ‘Shredded Wheat’

2003 [06] Generally acknowledged as the starting date of the war in Darfur

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Polar Bear Day
[Sat] Tooth Fairy Day
[Sat] Repetitive Strain Injuries Awareness Day
[Sun] East Coast Music Awards (Cornerbrook NL)
[Mon] Jimmy Fallon replaces Conan O’Brien on “Late Night” (NBC)
[Mon] U2 begins 5-night stand on “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS)
This Week Is … Eating Disorders Awareness Week
This Month Is … Spunky Old Broads Month

BULL’S BITS

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MORE HANDY BS TIPS TO MAKE LIFE EASIER:
• Keep store-bought candles in a cool, dark place. Light can cause colors to fade, and heat can cause candles to warp.
• Are your shoes scuffed? Dab the spot with a small dollop of Vaseline and blend into the entire shoe for instant shine. Or, polish the shoes with a little hand cream poured onto a paper towel.
• Baking powder will remove tea or coffee stains from china pots or cups.
• Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it home, then can’t digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so but it works and you don’t have to worry about pets or small children eating the stuff and being harmed.
• To keep squirrels from eating your Spring plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. It doesn’t hurt the plant and the squirrels won’t come near it.
– “The Abacus”

BS PHONE STARTER:
The ‘farewell email’, the last piece of correspondence to send to your co-workers when you are leaving a company, is usually a utilitarian method of letting people know how to contact you. But for some, it has evolved into a megaphone to voice their rant or their creativity. So what’s the most unusual farewell email you’ve ever read … or written?

BS ‘WHAT’S IT’:
What does the term ‘graupel’ refer to?
a. Fist-sized rocks used in the construction of highway road beds.
b. Ice-coated snowflakes.
c. Any breakfast cereal made with nuts & grains.
[They are small pellets of ice made when supercooled water droplets coat a snowflake. The pellets are cloudy or white, not clear like sleet. They are often mistaken for hail.]

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I think we should fill driver’s side air bags with ketchup … you know, just for fun.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: Though the overall economic forecast remains gloomy, sales of this seasonal product are up by 20% this year.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Gardening seeds. (“TIME Magazine”)

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
What’s good for you depends largely on who sponsors the study.