Sheet For Brains!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
46-year-old actor Brad Pitt has forked out $1.1 million to buy the house next door to his huge Los Feliz property in Los Angeles, which already has 4 other houses on the compound (now he has his pick of 5 garages to hang out in after an argument) . . . Actor Bradley Cooper (“The Hangover”) has just purchased himself a $5-million house in Pacific Palisades CA (can you tell “The Hangover 2” is in the works?) . . . “High School Musical” actor Zac Efron says he’d love a role in “The Hangover” sequel (as would every other struggling actor in Hollywood) . . . Online men’s magazine AskMen.com has picked 32-year-old actress Emmanuelle Chriqui ‘Most Desirable Woman of 2010′ ‘precisely because we don’t know her’ (the Montréal native plays ‘Sloan’ on “Entourage”) . . . 48-year-old actor George Clooney tells “Reveal” magazine he doesn’t want to get married again because he is a ‘lousy’ husband, always working and involved in so many interests outside of acting that he doesn’t understand how he even manages to get girlfriends (yeah, right) . . . 39-year-old actress Uma Thurman has reportedly rekindled her romance with her ex-fiancé, French financier Arpad Busson (because … he’s a French financier of course!) . . . Simon Cowell has reportedly signed a $500-million, 2-year contract with music giant Sony, which is expected to push his fortune close to the $1-billion mark (why not splurge on some new T-shirts?) . . . And 23-year-old reality TV fame-seeker Heidi Montag is said to be looking for a new cosmetic surgeon because Dr Frank Ryan, who carried out 10 procedures in a single day on “The Hills” star, is now refusing to nip-and-tuck her any further (she already has hideous size ‘F’ breasts but has told pals she wants to go to … ‘H’ for ‘Heidi’).
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/A Channel) – Orianthi (“Believe”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS) – Rock icon Lou Reed.
• “Lopez Tonight” (TBS) – Omarion (“Ollusion”).
• “Sundance Film Festival” – Tonight the indie film fest founded by Robert Redford opens and reels through January 31st in Park City UT and area. More than 50,000 movie buffs will attend some 200 screenings. The 26th edition opens in Salt Lake City with director Aaron Schneider’s “Get Low”.
NET: http://festival.sundance.org/2010/
• “Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien” (NBC/A Channel) – Barry Manilow (“The Greatest Love Songs Of all Time”).
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• John Mayer – He tells “Rolling Stone” magazine he’s never gotten over his relationship with actress Jennifer Aniston. He claims it was him that called it off because it wasn’t his ‘ideal destiny’ and he didn’t see it lasting the rest of his life. (Yeah whatever … tell us about the Taylor Swift rumors.)
• Tim McGraw – Tonight he kicks off the 8th season of the PBS-TV music series “Soundstage”. The new season also includes performances by Lynyrd Skynyrd and Willie Nelson.
• Wyclef Jean – He’s cancelled his upcoming shows in Australia so he can concentrate on helping survivors of the Haiti earthquake.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Conan” – Kellan Lutz (‘Emmett Cullen‘ in “Twilight” films) is the frontrunner to land the lead in a remake of the 1982 Arnold Schwarzenegger fantasy adventure “Conan The Barbarian” (the film that made him a star). He says he’s auditioned and hopes he’ll be chosen so he gets the chance to ‘bulk up’. “Stargate: Atlantis” actor Jason Momoa is also said to be up for the role.
• “Ghostbusters 3” – Director Ivan Reitman has confirmed he’ll be returning to co-produce and direct this action comedy sequel when shooting begins later this year for a 2012 release. Original stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd & Harold Ramis are also back, 21 years after “Ghostbusters II” hit cinemas (1989).
• “Happy Feet 2” – Brad Pitt & Matt Damon have signed to voice characters in the sequel to the 2006 animated family film, according to Movieline. Robin Williams & Elijah Wood will reprise their roles in the penguin adventure, set for release in 2011. It is not known whether late actress Brittany Murphy’s character ‘Gloria’ will be recast or simply cut from the sequel.
• “Yellow Submarine” – Director Robert Zemeckis is remaking the 1968 movie using 3-D performance-capture technology. British actors Cary Elwes (George Harrison), Dean Lennox Kelly (John Lennon), Peter Serafinowicz (Paul McCartney) and Adam Campbell (Ringo Starr) are in negotiations to portray The Beatles. The redo is due in 2012.
FUTURE GIGS:
Forget the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker – in 20 years some of the most popular jobs may include ‘vertical farmer’, ‘space pilot’, ‘nano medic’, ‘quarantine enforcer’, ‘climate change reversal specialist’ and ‘body part maker’, according to a UK government-commissioned report titled “The Shape of Jobs to Come”. Body part maker? Futurists predict some of the most exciting developments are expected in medicine, where the study predicts the creation of new limbs and organs will become a reality, meaning body part makers will be in demand. (Cool, new parts! Trouble is … they’ll cost you an arm and a leg.)
– “The Guardian”
HOW TO BE THE LIFE OF THE PARTY:
• Take the Prime Position: When you arrive, grab one or two of your friends and head straight for the middle of the room. You’ll appear to be the center of attention.
• Show Your Shoulders: The more skin you show in Winter, the more you will stand out in a crowd. Wear a strapless dress that maximizes the amount of shoulder you show off.
• Perfect Your Smile: Instead of a fake ‘perma-smile’, don a close-lipped smirk, like you have a secret you’re just dying to tell.
• Don’t Be Afraid to Touch: When you’re chatting with someone, casually place a hand on his or her arm. Touch triggers good feelings and signals special treatment.
• Hands Off Your Hair: Messing with your tresses sends a message to both men and women that you’re insecure or nervous, which makes them suddenly get the urge to refill their drink.
• Get Moving: As the party gets packed, change your locale every 10-to-15 minutes. Each time you move you’ll be seen from a new angle, making you seem more dynamic.
– Excerpted from “Cosmopolitan”
IN THE FACE OF DISASTER:
Should cruise ships still be taking tourists to Haiti? As the world races to help the devastated island, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has decided to continue to stop off with vacationers at its private beach at Labadee on the island’s north coast, an ‘exclusive destination with pristine beaches, breathtaking scenery and spectacular water activities’. The company’s ‘Independence Of the Seas’ was the first to return last Friday, just 3 days after the earthquake struck the capital Port-au-Prince. Three more ships are scheduled to stop at Labadee this week. (If nothing else, an extremely poor PR decision, no?)
– Reuters Life
TRADE SECRETS YOUR WAITER WON’T TELL YOU:
• In most restaurants, after 8 pm or so all the coffee is decaf because nobody wants to clean 2
different coffeepots. You may have ordered regular … but you’re likely getting decaf.
• If you’re a vegetarian and you ask if we use vegetable stock, I’m going to say yes, even if we don’t. You’ll never know the difference.
• At a lot of restaurants, the ‘special’ is whatever needs to be sold before it goes bad. If it contains fish or if it’s some kind of ‘gumbo’, it’s probably the stuff we’re trying to get rid of.
• Never ask for a lemon slice. Everybody touches them. Nobody washes them. We just peel the stickers off, cut them up, and throw them in your drink.
• Some places buy salad dressing in jumbo-sized jars, then add a few ingredients like a blue cheese crumble or fresh herbs, and call it ‘homemade’ on the menu.
• Even at the best breakfast buffet in the world, 99 times out of 100, the big pan of scrambled eggs is made from a powder.
• Avoid special occasions like “Mother’s Day” and “Valentine’s Day”. It’s crazy busy so service is poor, and the ‘special menu’ for the day is overpriced.
• Once you’re recognized as a regular, good things start to happen. You’ll find your wineglass gets filled without being put on your bill, or the chef might bring you a sample.
– Condensed from “Reader’s Digest”
MENTAL EXERCISE WASTED?
The popular fad of ‘brain training’ can improve individual cognitive skills but not sufficiently to improve overall mental fitness, according to a new study. Scientists from the University of Connecticut and Brown University have conducted a series of trials to analyze the value of the practice. They’ve concluded that exercises that involve specific skills, such as finding symbols quickly, can effectively improve reaction capacity. However, that doesn’t translate to improved practical skills such as the ability to remember names. (But look … there’s an octagon!)
– “China Daily”
DAIRY RABBITS:
In the Netherlands, genetically-modified herds of rabbits are being reared to help treat heart patients with their milk. Scientists at the biotech company Pharming Group have genetically modified the rabbits, called ‘dairy rabbits’, to include a human gene and C1 inhibitor protein in their milk. Initial tests have shown a range of possible uses. If approved, the milk could become available in the market through the commercial milking of dairy rabbits. (To do this you need a pair of tweezers and a teeny, tiny stool.)
– “Globe & Mail”
BS AMAZING FACT:
On average, a person will spend about 5 years eating during their lifetime.
– GreatFacts.com
BS CHRONOMETER 01.21.10
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1950 [60] Billy Ocean, Fyzabad, Trinidad, oldies singer (“Caribbean Queen”, “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car”)
1956 [54] (Virginia) Geena Davis, Wareham MA, 6-ft movie actress (“Thelma & Louise”, Oscar-“The Accidental Tourist”)
1973 [37] Chris Kilmore, Dillsburg PA, alt-rock keyboardist/DJ (Incubus-“Oil & Water”, “Anna-Molly”)
1976 [34] Emma Bunton, London UK, pop singer (ex-Spice Girls-“Say You’ll Be There”, “Wannabe”)
1977 [33] Rick Ross (William Leonard Roberts II), Coahoma County MS, rapper (“Magnificent”, “The Boss”)
BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Flag Day” in Québec, celebrating the designation of the blue & white fleur-de-lis standard known as the ‘Fleurdelisé’ as an official emblem on January 21st, 1948. The ancient symbol of the French monarchy first arrived in the Gaspésie in 1534 with Jacques Cartier’s first voyage.
• “Hugging Day”, a day to hug anyone who will accept a hug and to see how many you can hug before the day is over. (First, make sure you have a lawyer on retainer.)
• “Squirrel Appreciation Day”. So take a moment today and think about the squirrels. (Huh?)
• “St Agnes’ Day”, the patron saint of virgins … and Girl Scouts.
• “Women’s Healthy Weight Day”, the 17th annual observance honoring size diversity, particularly in advertising and the media. It confirms that beauty, health and strength come in all sizes, and that talent and compassion cannot be weighed. The day is an annual feature of “Healthy Weight Week”.
NET: http://www.healthyweightnetwork.com/hww.htm#women
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1978 [32] The Bee Gees’ “Saturday Night Fever” album hits #1, and stays there for 24 weeks
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1915 [95] ‘Kiwanis International’ is founded in Detroit MI (now has over 300,000 members in more than 8,000 clubs in some 79 countries)
1967 [43] 1st ‘Microwave Oven’ is marketed for the home as Amana offers a $495 counter-top unit FACTOID: The microwave was invented by accident in 1946, when Raytheon Corp engineer Percy Spencer noticed a candy bar in his pocket melted during tests of a new vacuum tube called a ‘magnetron’.
TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
2002 [08] Canadian dollar sets all-time low against the US dollar at .6179 (it’s now hovering around .95)
2008 [02] ‘Black Monday’ in worldwide stock markets as Britain’s FTSE (footsy) has its biggest-ever one-day points fall and Asian stocks drop 15% (the pattern spreads to North America, leading to the global economic turndown)
COMING UP . . .
[Fri] George Strait-Reba McEntire tour begins (Baltimore MD)
[Fri] Answer Your Cats Questions Day
[Fri] “Extraordinary Measures”; “Legion”; “Tooth Fairy” open in movie theaters
[Sat] 16th Screen Actor’s Guild Awards (Los Angeles)
[Sat] Country Music Association of Australia Awards (Tamworth NSW)
This Week Is … Activity Professional Week
This Month Is … Volunteer Blood Donor Month
BULL’S BITS
BS WHYZITS:
• Whyzit there isn’t a special name for the tops of your feet?
• Whyzit so many animals are named after cars?
• Whyzit fluffy kitties are so often used in toilet paper ads? Are they saying if you run out, you can always use a cat?
• Whyzit the ‘middle of the night’ comes after the ‘end of the night’?
• Whyzit you can wear a bikini in public but not underwear?
BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s your secret to beating the ‘Winter Blahs’?
ARE YOU A GUY OR A MAN?
• Men know what they want to be doing 5 years down the road. Guys aren’t sure what they want to be doing later tonight.
• Men wear ties with stripes, shirts with buttons, and shoes with laces. Guys wear high school T-shirts they’ve actually owned since high school.
• Men balance their bank accounts. Guys balance their loans so that they never hit up the same buddy twice in-a-row.
• Men order wine based on more than the price. Guys bring their own beer.
• Men think perfume (yours) is a turn-on. Guys think sweat (theirs) is a turn-on.
BS RANDOM JOKE:
So this duck goes into a drugstore and says to the pharmacist, “Gimme some chapstick and put it on my bill.”
BS WEB GOODIE:
Seems simple. Record what a guy says in his sleep and share it online. But “The Sleep Talkin’ Man” webpage has become something of a phenomenon, attracting over a million hits last week alone. What’s so fascinating? Audio recordings of 36-year-old London ad exec Adam Lennard uttering gibberish in his sleep about ‘vampiric penguins’, ‘zombie guinea pigs’, ’fish with big floppy lips’ and … ‘custard in his pants’.
NET: http://sleeptalkinman.blogspot.com
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: According to the latest study, the average person that does THIS is 35, fat, and depressed.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Plays videogames. (MSN)
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Keep your eyes open before marriage, half shut afterward.
