Thursday, February 28, 2008 Edition: #3721
Wow, You Really Know Your Sheet!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
48-year-old music mogul & “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell has spent a jaw-dropping $80 million on a new UK home, a London heritage property that will include an underground addition with swimming pool, spa, and 6-vehicle parking garage (he can afford it: it’s been revealed he pays over $42 million yearly – in income tax!) . . . Anna Nicole Smith’s baby-daddy Larry Birkhead has just had daughter Dannielynn’s strabismus (wandering eye) corrected through surgery (amazingly, no photos or videos of the procedure are up for sale – yet) . . . Jailed college co-ed videographer Joe Francis has finally announced a launch date for a magazine based on his “Girls Gone Wild” adventures – this APRIL (because those prison cigarettes can drain your cash stash real quick) . . . Superbod’ Naomi Campbell has been hospitalized in Sao Paulo, Brazil where she’s had a cyst removed (the festering, fluid-filled growth was sliced from her … oh sorry, too much information?) . . . ABC-TV has announced it’s making programs available for free via video-on-demand services, however there’s one catch – you won’t be able to fast-forward through commercials (we’ll wait for the DVD compilations, thanks) . . . Pamela Anderson doesn’t want a divorce from her 3rd husband of 4 whole months, Rick Salomon, she wants him totally expunged from the record through an annulment (the grounds cited for the legal petition: “We were hammered!”) . . . The producer of the “Dawn Of the Dead” horror movies (1978/2004) is threatening legal action against Japanese electronics firm Capcom for allegedly stealing elements of the films for its XBox 360 game “Dead Rising”, but the game-maker claims humans battling zombies in a shopping mall is not a unique concept that can be protected (hell, happens every weekend!) . . . Howie Mandel’s “Deal or No Deal” (NBC/Global) is about to embark on a world tour, visiting other versions of the game show in some of the 50 countries where it airs, including Estonia, the Philippines, and South Africa (before this thing hit, Howie was taking roles like ‘The Sandman’ in “Hansel & Gretel” – he’s gotta be pinching himself every morning!) . . . And although the last ‘all new’ episode of “Las Vegas” (NBC) ended with the words ‘To Be Continued’ it won’t be – the series has been axed immediately, apparently the first victim of the writers’ strike (Fergie is now looking for a new celebrity boyfriend … who has a job).
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Black Crowes – They’ve rejected an apology from “Maxim” for fabricating a review of their new album which is yet to be released. Meantime, rapper Nas is also accusing the magazine of grading his new album … and it isn’t even finished yet.
• John Mellencamp – He’s teaming with author Stephen King on a new stage musical entitled “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County”. The show will debut at Atlanta’s Alliance Theater in 2009, with the goal of honing it for a Broadway run.
• Madonna – Her final album for Warner Bros, entitled “Hard Candy”, will be released APRIL 29th.
• Michael Jackson – His 2,500-acre Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos CA may be sold at a MARCH 19th public auction unless he comes up with $24-million-plus he owes on the estate.
• Paul McCartney – MARCH 17th is now ‘D-Day’, divorce settlement day, when a British judge will rule on how many millions he must hand over to former wife Heather Mills since the estranged twosome failed to reach an agreement. If either disputes the decision, the case could go to the Court of Appeal, where all hearings will be held in open court and the details revealed.
• Miley Cyrus – She & dad Billy Ray Cyrus have been announced as co-hosts of the “2008 CMT Music Awards” in Nashville APRIL 14th.
• Radiohead – Frontman Thom Yorke is promoting ‘The Big Ask’ campaign, a European plan to reduce emissions responsible for climate change by 30% by 2020, and 90% by 2050.
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “American Idol” (FOX/CTV) – It’s the 2nd dreaded results night when 2 more guys & 2 more girls get the ax. (Make that 3 more girls … if Danny Noriega goes.)
• “Harry Potter” – A 33-year-old British fan who began collecting the JK Rowling books in 2002 is selling off all of his 533 first-edition volumes in 63 languages. London-based Bloomsbury Auctions expects the books to fetch circa $80,000. (Wouldn’t that be close to the cover price?)
• “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” (NBC) – “You’re Beautiful” singer James Blunt is a guest.
• “Live With Regis & Kelly (syndicated/CTV) – Singer/songwriter Josh Kelly appears, up till now best known for marrying “Grey’s Anatomy” star Katherine Heigl. He also appears on TONIGHT’s edition of “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC). BTW, Heigl has announced she plans to get “Knocked Up” for real by THIS SUMMER.
• Mischa Barton – The former “OC” star will be arraigned in LA court on 4 misdemeanor charges stemming from her DECEMBER 27th arrest for DUI in West Hollywood. She won’t appear and her lawyer will likely plead guilty or plea bargain in order to keep the case from going to trial.
• “One Night Live” – Bryan Adams, Jann Arden, Josh Groban, and Sarah McLachlan perform at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre in a fundraising project for the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
NET: http://www.onenightlive.ca/
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Akira“ – The landmark anime classic will be transformed into 2 live-action movies. The story will be set in post-apocalyptic ‘New Manhattan’, a city spawned by Japanese money and raised from the ashes of NYC which has been destroyed in a nuclear attack. The first movie instalment is fast-tracked for Summer 2009. Leonardo DiCaprio is listed as a co-producer, but no casting announcements have yet been made.
• “The Open Road” – In this story about the fictional Corpus Christi Hooks minor league baseball team, Justin Timberlake will play the son of a baseball legend (Jeff Bridges) who, together with his girlfriend (Kate Mara), embarks on a road trip with his estranged father. How does JT keep landing movie roles? Did no one see “Alpha Dog“ or “Edison” or “Black Snake Moan”? Oh, right … no one did.
• “Shutter Island“ – Leonardo DiCaprio & Mark Ruffalo will play a pair of US marshals who travel to an island off Massachusetts seeking the truth behind the disappearance of a woman from a mental facility. Ben Kingsley & Michelle Williams co-star. Director Martin Scorsese begins shooting the drama NEXT WEEK for a 2009 release.
• “Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins” – The 4th film in the series hasn’t begun shooting yet, but it already has a release date … May 22, 2009. Filming on the project, starring Christian Bale, is due to begin in New Mexico MAY 5th. Though the storyline is being kept under wraps, the film is meant to serve as Part 1 of a new trilogy that begins after most of humanity has been wiped out in a nuclear holocaust. What’s with all the post-apocalyptic bleakness lately?
APPLE HAS A BIGGER SLICE OF THE PIE:
Apple’s iTunes is now the 2nd-largest music retailer in America behind Wal-Mart, with legal music downloads now accounting for around 10% of all music sales. However, the increase in downloads has failed to offset the decline in physical CD sales. According to tracking firm NPD, around 1 million consumers stopped buying CDs in 2007. (Could it be about the 10 ‘filler’ tracks surrounding the 2 hits?)
– Reuters
A DIET YOU’LL LOVE:
Brain fitness can be enhanced by a combination of consuming dark chocolate and getting sufficient sleep. Those are among recommendations from the Neurological Foundation to maintain a healthy brain. Why? Dark chocolate activates brain systems which assist it to learn better and retain more knowledge in memory. Plenty of sleep helps the brain effectively store new info in its long-term memory. The foundation also recommends incorporating fish into the diet and doing brain-busting activities to improve the organ’s function. (Video games maybe?)
– “New Science”
CHUBBY CHICKENS:
A US study has found that today’s chickens have up to 5 times more abdominal fat than those raised 50 years ago. The fat content has zoomed because chickens are being bred to grow faster, and the faster-growing birds seem to eat more than they need. Penn State University researchers are studying ways to change that, because producers don’t want to waste feed and fat chickens don’t lay as many eggs. It’s also thought that studying the barnyard birds may provide insight into what causes human obesity. (Um, it couldn’t be that we’re eating chickens with FIVE TIMES MORE FAT, could it?!?!?)
– “Philadelphia Inquirer”
LA H2O #1:
Los Angeles has won an international competition to find the world’s tastiest tap water. Judges at the 18th annual “Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting” competition have awarded LA 1st prize in the category for ‘Best Municipal Water in 2008′. Judging is based on odor, taste, aftertaste, and something known as ‘mouth-feel’. (Stuff floating in your tap water can be a real turn-off, no?)
– Fox News
VIRTUAL SERVER:
Restaurants in the US, Europe, and Japan are currently testing a new technology that allows restaurant diners to order meals directly from a screen at their table instead of depending on a fellow human to note their choices (sometimes grumpily or erroneously). Besides cutting costs, the developers of the ‘e-menu’ argue that the bytes-for-bites approach has a novelty value that can lure younger customers and boost revenues as tantalizing onscreen photos of succulent steaks and gooey desserts tempt diners to order more. (There’s also no tipping!)
– AFP
FOR THE RECORD:
Nobody was seriously hurt and no damage was done on the ground. But the crash of a B-2 Stealth bomber THIS MONTH on the Pacific island of Guam – the first involving this type of aircraft – was the world’s worst-ever air disaster in terms of … money. The cost of each of the 22 B-2s ever produced approaches $2 billion. (So much for tax cuts.)
– “Independent”
DID YOU KNOW?
• It takes about 600 grapes to make a bottle of wine. (And a bottle, of course.)
• The Quecha language of Peru has about 1,000 words pertaining to potatoes. (2008 is officially the UN’s ‘Year of the Potato’.)
BS CHRONOMETER 02.28.08
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1955 [53] Gilbert Gottfried, Brooklyn NY, comedian whose distinctive whiny voice has made him big bucks as a voice-over artist (“Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events”, “Aladdin”)
1957 [51] Cindy Wilson, Athens GA, classic rock singer (B-52’s-“Love Shack”)
1961 [47] Rae Dawn Chong, Edmonton AB, TV actress (“Zoe Busiek: Wild Card” 2003-04, “Mysterious Ways” 2000-02)/movie actress (“Commando”, “The Color Purple”)/actor-comedian Tommy Chong’s daughter
1969 [39] Pat Monahan, Erie PA, pop singer (Train-“Calling All Angels”, “Drops Of Jupiter”)
1969 [39] Robert Sean Leonard, Westwood NJ, TV actor (‘Dr James Wilson’ on “House MD” since 2004)/Broadway actor (Tony Award-“The Invention of Love”)
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “International Floral Design Day”, focusing on the art of flower arranging, both as a profession and as a hobby.
• “Public Sleeping Day”, saluting the luxurious treat of catching 20 winks on a subway, park bench, commuter train, on the beach or … on-the-job.
• “Tooth Fairy Day”, honoring the tradition of bartering molars for moolah. Where’s it come from? No one knows for sure but there was a fairy tale In 18th-century France about a ‘tooth mouse’ who hides under a pillow. The tooth fairy as we now know her didn’t make an appearance until the early 1900s, as a generalized ‘good fairy’ with a professional specialization. So how much is she paying for prime enamel these days? FACTOID: Dwayne Johnson (formerly known as ‘The Rock’) will play the title role in the new movie comedy, “The Tooth Fairy”, set to begin shooting in AUGUST.
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1983 [25] 106 million watch the 2.5-hour final episode of the Korean War comedy “M*A*S*H”, the most viewers ever for a single episode of a TV series which will likely never be topped due to the proliferation of cable & satellite channels (with 11 seasons, the series lasts 8 years longer than the actual Korean War)
2003 [05] FOX-TV special “Baywatch: Hawaii Wedding” reunites the 1989-2001 show’s original cast, including David Hasselhoff & Pamela Anderson
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1996 [12] “Jagged Little Pill” by Alanis Morissette wins “Grammy Award” as ‘Album of the Year’
1998 [10] Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” hits #1 on the singles chart & sticks for 2 weeks
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1977 [31] Canada’s federal government announces creation of new, publicly-owned passenger railway to be called ‘Via Rail’ (then starts tearing up railway tracks all across the country)
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1940 [68] 1st ‘Televised Basketball Game’ (Fordham vs Pittsburgh at NYC’s MSG)
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1854 [154] ‘Republican Party’ founded in Ripon WI (‘The Bush League’)
1940 [68] 1st ‘Televised Basketball Game’ (Fordham vs Pittsburgh at NYC’s MSG)
COMING UP . . .
[Fri] “The Other Boleyn Girl” and “Semi-Pro” open in movie theaters
[Fri] RSP deadline for tax year 2007
[Sat] “Juno” star Ellen Page hosts “Saturday Night Live”
[Sat] International Day of the Seal
[Sat] “Canadian Idol” auditions (Hamilton ON)
[Sat] 5th Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala (Toronto)
[Sat] Pig Day
[Sat] Share a Smile Day
[Sat] Peanut Butter Lovers Day
[Sat] St David’s Day (Wales)
[Sun] “Oprah’s Big Give” debuts (ABC)
This Week Is … Read Me Week
This Month Is … Fiber Focus Month
BULL’S BITS
BS OLD WIVES’ TALES TO DISCOVER BABY GENDER:
If you’re pregnant and don’t want ultrasound or MRI to confirm whether it’s a boy or girl, there are oodles of traditional ways to predict it. A sampling of oddball ways to do-it-yourself …
• Acne – If you have acne during pregnancy, it is said that you are carrying a girl.
• Ask a Child – Many believe that kids under 3-years-old are intuitive and can predict correctly.
• Carry a Baby – Tradition has it that an infant likes to be carried by a mother pregnant with the opposite of its own gender.
• Food Cravings – If you crave food with sour taste, you are carrying a boy. If you have a sweet tooth, you are carrying a girl.
• Foot Temperature – It’s said that you are carrying a boy if your feet are cold. And vice versa.
• Heartbeat – If your baby has a heart rate of 140 or more, it’s more likely to be a girl.
• Make-Up – If you’re pregnant with a boy, you tend to dislike wearing makeup and dressing up.
• Mayan Prediction – The ancient Mayans believed if you add the mother’s age at conception and the year of conception and it turns out to be an even number, it’s a girl.
• Nose – If your nose widens during pregnancy, it is said that you are having a boy.
• Ring – Hang a ring on a chain & place it over your palm. If it twirls in a circular motion, it’s a girl. If it cris-crosses, it’s a boy.
• Shape – You’re having a boy if your belly is round and out to the front. If your belly is wide to the sides, it’s a girl.
Disclaimer: None of these methods has any scientific basis whatsoever. Fun though!
– Adapted from gomestic.com
BS WEB GOODIE:
“The Official 2008 Butt Crack Calendar” has a lovely photo of a different butt crack for every month of the year priced @ $13.89. But seeing as it’s almost MARCH, we think it’s a bum deal.
NET: http://prankplace.com/buttcrack.htm?KBID=2274
BS RANDOM JOKE:
I can’t imagine working without a ‘Net.
BS INTERVIEW:
TOMORROW is “Leap Year Day”. If you’re a ‘29er’, someone born on a leap year’s extra day, you can celebrate at a birthday bash in Anthony TX, the self-proclaimed ‘Leap Year Capital of the World’. TOMORROW-Sunday is their “Worldwide Leap Year Festival”.
PHONER: 915-886-2540 (Mary Ann Brown, Founder)
NET: http://www.leapyearcapital.com/
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: 1-in-3 men will do THIS in their lifetime. The average age they do it is 31.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Get divorced.
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
War is one game where you want to forego home field advantage.
