Good Morning, Sheetheads!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Today actress Anne Hathaway (“Valentine’s Day”, opening February 12th) is honored as ‘Woman Of the Year’ by Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding drama club, a tradition that usually involves a roast and mock-parade for the honoree (Justin Timberlake gets ‘Man Of the Year’ next week) . . . 47-year-old former “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul has reportedly been offered a $1 million to appear on ABC-TV’s “Dancing With the Stars” during the next season, premiering March 22nd (it’s not yet known whether the deal is to dance – or just be a ditz) . . . Michael Lynche (aka ‘Big Mike’) has reportedly been told to pack his bags and leave “American Idol” (FOX) after his proud pop blabbed to his local Florida paper, “St Petersburg Times”, that this son had made the top 24 – a blatant violation of the show’s rules that require singers and their families to keep the ‘Hollywood Week’ results under wraps (think there’s gonna be a family feud in this household?) . . . “Radar Online” is reporting Tiger Woods’ wife Elin has called off the divorce – at least for now – after spending last week visiting her humbled hubby in rehab (aka “Sexual Healing”) . . . Warner Bros has announced it will release the 2-part “Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows” in 3-D (part 1 opens November 19th) . . . Michael Jackson & Lisa Marie Presley’s 1994 marriage certificate has sold for $70,800 at auction (they wed in the Dominican Republic in a ceremony lasting 15 minutes – about the same as the marriage) . . . And the “LA Times” reports that actor Pernell Roberts, the last surviving member of the cast of TV Western “Bonanza” (1959-73), has died at age 81 (he joins ‘Pa’, ‘Hoss’ & ‘Little Joe’ in Big Sky country).
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/A Channel) – Corinne Bailey Rae (“The Sea”).
• “The Hour” (CBC) – Rosanne Cash (“The List”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Lily Allen (“It’s Not Me, It’s You”).
• “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” (CBS) – Wilco (“Wilco”).
• “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/A Channel) – Ringo Starr (“Y Not”)
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS) – The Hot Rats (“Turn Ons”).
• “Lopez Tonight” (TBS) – Ludacris (“Ludaversal”).
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• AC/DC – They’ll rock the soundtrack to “Iron Man 2”, the sequel to the 2008 blockbuster film that’s opening May 7th. To coincide with the movie, 15 of their classic hits will be collected on the album “AC/DC: Iron Man 2”, out April 19th.
• Adam Lambert – The 27-year-old “American Idol” runner-up is denying an “Entertainment Weekly” suggestion that he had a ‘make-under’ for the video of his 2nd single, “Whataya Want From Me?”. He says he only toned things down because the song is ‘emotional, vulnerable and more sensitive’. A glittery suit and fancy eye makeup just wouldn’t work.
• Black Eyed Peas – will.i.am tells “Billboard” he was commissioned to remix The Who’s 1965 hit “My Generation”, which will air during the Super Bowl. The lyrics were altered to fit today’s generation and the new recording features Slash.
• Bon Jovi – Jon Bon Jovi is set for a guest appearance on “30 Rock” in which he’ll play a former boyfriend of Tina Fey’s character. The Valentines week episode is being filmed this week at NBC-TV studios in NYC.
• Carrie Underwood – She’s hinting that a certain hockey player (fiancé Mike Fisher) may be on her arm when she hits the red carpet for the “Grammy Awards” this Sunday. The twosome made their first public appearance together earlier this week in Gatineau QC.
• Finger Eleven – They’re in the studio working on the follow-up to 2007’s “Them Vs You Vs Me”. The Burlington ON “Paralyzed” alt-rockers began recording the as-yet-untitled new album earlier this month in NYC.
• Franz Ferdinand – After they complained their music is being used in a McDonald’s ad, Authentik Artists CEO Scott Austin responded, “The second you signed a contract with any company who was willing to take the great financial risk of working with your self-indulgent, guitar-noodling band, you made a deal to trade your ‘artistic credo’ for some cold hard cash and a shot at becoming a bona fide rock star.” Ouch!
• LeAnn Rimes – Vince Gill is set to produce her next album, a collection of country love songs that were initially hits for male artists. Recording begins next month; no release date is yet set.
• Muse – They’ve announced plans to make a documentary that will show what life on the road is really like for a touring rock band.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A selection of movies in the making …
• “Bel Ami” – In this latest bigscreen version of the Guy de Maupassant novel, 23-year-old Brit actor Robert Pattinson (“The Twilight Saga”) plays journalist ‘Georges Duroy’, who climbs the social ladder by sleeping with a series of prominent women. Among the older actresses playing characters he beds: Christina Ricci (29), Uma Thurman (39) and Kristin Scott Thomas (49). The drama is scheduled for release in 2011.
• “Dracula Year Zero” – Sam Worthington (“Avatar”) is in negotiations to star in this period vampire epic which explores the origin of ‘Dracula’, weaving vampire mythology with the true history of Prince Vlad the Impaler. It seeks to depict the bloodsucker as ‘a flawed hero in a tragic love story set in a dark age of magic and war’. The project is still in development.
• “G-String Mother” – 60-year-old Sigourney Weaver (“Avatar”) will play iconic stripper Gypsy Rose Lee in this upcoming HBO film. Set in the 1950s, the famed burlesque artist is at the tail end of her career and decides she’ll maintain her extravagant lifestyle by becoming a bestselling author and getting her life story turned into a musical (“Gypsy”).
• “Mortal Kombat” – Warner Bros is rebooting the 1995 fantasy adventure film based on Midway’s popular early ‘90s videogame. The franchise follows the best fighters from around-the-globe who are summoned to an island to compete in a tournament whose outcome will determine the fate of the entire planet. The remake is tentatively set to shoot later this year.
WAR GAMES:
Research by the US Office of Naval Research’s Warfighter Performance Department suggests that videogame training is having surprising results in helping military personnel adapt to the challenges of fighting terrorists. Program Officer Ray Perez says they’ve so far discovered that videogame players perform at a 10-to-20% higher level in perceptual and cognitive tests than non-game players. It’s thought the increased perception and short-term memory is a result of gamers’ expanded field of vision and ability to focus longer. (Soon, instead of the elite ‘Delta Force’, they’ll be sending in the ‘Mario Bros’.)
– GamePolitics.com
FEW GIRL GEEKS:
What causes the scarcity of women in the field of computer science? While some have pointed out that girls aren’t attracted to math and science in high school, a new University of Washington study suggests there’s another reason – they’re repulsed by geeks! Researchers say when people think of computer science, the image that immediately pops into many minds is of the computer geek surrounded by videogames, sci-fi memorabilia, and junk food. It’s thought that stereotype doesn’t appeal to many women. (As a job … OR a date.)
– LiveScience.com
MALE MATH MYTH:
Little girls may learn to fear math from the women who are their earliest teachers. Despite gains in recent years, women still trail men in many areas of math achievement, and the question of why has provoked controversy. Some say the male mind is more geared to math. But now, a new University of Chicago psychology study of 1st- and 2nd-graders suggests what may be part of the answer: Female elementary school teachers who are concerned about their own math skills may be passing their lack of confidence on to the little girls they teach. (Be fearless with fractions, females!)
– AP Science
WHAT’S IN A NAME:
In a new paper just published in the journal “Social Psychology & Personality Science”, a team of researchers analyzes the names that parents have given their children over the past 130 years. The bottom line is, the percentage of parents who gave their child a relatively common name has declined dramatically over the years. (That why there are lots of ‘Tristans’ these days but hardly any ‘Howards’.)
– Miller-McCune.com
2010 BABY NAME TRENDS:
Names like ‘Addison’, ‘Ella’, and ‘Isabelle’ will likely grow in popularity this year for girls. ‘Jackson’, ‘Mason’, and ‘Grayson’ will likely follow suit from proud parents of baby boys. Don’t be surprised to see unique names like ‘Asher’, ‘Rhys’, ‘Emmett’, and ‘Jude’ gaining momentum this year for boys, while ‘Stella’, ‘Esme’, ‘Ruby’, and ‘Scarlett’ gain on the most popular monikers for girls that have been holding steady the last couple of years. (‘Asher’ is from an olde English word meaning, ‘please beat me up in the schoolyard’.)
– BabyHold.com
FAVORITE FILM STARS:
According to a new Harris Poll, these are currently our all-time favorite screen actors …
5. Tom Hanks
4. Sandra Bullock
3. Denzel Washington
2. Johnny Depp
1. Clint Eastwood
The late John Wayne (#7) is the only actor – living or dead – to have appeared on the list every year since its inception in 1994.
– HollywoodReporter.com
PARTS DEPARTMENT:
More than 770,000 hip and knee replacements are performed each year in the United States. Now another aging joint is fast becoming a candidate for replacement. This year it’s estimated that some 4,400 patients are expected to undergo surgery to replace arthritic or injured ankles with artificial joints made of metal alloys and lightweight plastic. (You know what this means? Maybe Brett Favre can play forever!)
– NYTimes.com
DID YOU KNOW?
Before the fur trade started in Canada in the 16th century, it’s estimated there were more than 6 million beavers.
– GreatFacts.com
BS CHRONOMETER 01.28.10
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1968 [42] Sarah McLachlan, Halifax NS, pop singer (“U Want Me 2”, “Angel”)
1969 [41] Kathryn Morris, Cincinnati OH, TV actress (‘Lilly Rush’ on “Cold Case” since 2003)
1973 [37] Brandon Bush, Atlanta GA, pop musician (Train-“Calling All Angels”, “Drops of Jupiter [Tell Me]”)
1977 [33] Joey Fatone, Brooklyn NY, TV personality (“Dancing With the Stars” 2007, “The Singing Bee” 2007)/former pop singer (*NSYNC-“Pop”)/movie actor (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”)
1980 [30] Nick Carter, Jamestown NY, pop singer (Backstreet Boys-“As Long As You Love Me”)/reality show personality (“House of Carters”)/one-time Paris Hilton boy-toy
1981 [29] Elijah Wood, Cedar Rapids IA, bug-eyed movie actor (“Sin City”, “The Lord Of the Rings” trilogy)
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Data Privacy Day”, to raise awareness about the importance of protecting the privacy of personal information online. It is currently observed in Canada, the USA, and 27 European countries.
NET: http://dataprivacyday2010.org
• “International Make Your Point Day.” So what is the gist of what you’re trying to say, anyway?
• “Kazoo Day”, celebrated annually on the last Thursday of January. The simple-to-play musical instrument first went into commercial production in 1912.
NET: http://www.nationalkazooday.com
Really bad kazoo band clip here …
NET: http://bit.ly/dw3di9
• “Up-Helly-Aa”, the annual staging of an ancient Norse tradition in Lerwick, in Scotland’s Shetland Islands, when a fiery ship is sent out to sea as a sacrifice to the Sun.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1985 [25] 45 top recording artists attend an all-night recording session in LA to produce the charity record “We Are the World” in aid of African famine relief (among those participating: Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, Sting, Diana Ross, Paul Simon & many others)
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1934 [76] 1st ‘Rope Tow’ for skiing opens in Woodstock VT (before that, a helluva lot of uphill walking!)
1999 [11] 1st ‘Live Sex Change Operation’ performed on the Internet (hmm, was it a download or an upload?)
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1984 [26] Glynn Wolfe weds for a non-bigamous record 26th time (Las Vegas)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Freethinkers Day
[Fri] World Leprosy Day
[Fri] “Edge of Darkness”; “When in Rome” open in movie theaters
[Sat] Full ‘Wolf’ Moon
[Sat] Inane Voicemail Message Day
[Sun] 52nd Grammy Awards (Los Angeles)
This Week Is … Cross Country Skiing Week
This Month Is … Thyroid Awareness Month
BULL’S BITS
UNLIKELY FEATURES OF THE NEW APPLE TABLET:
• Biometric ass print scanner security system.
• Free lifetime subscription to “Farmer’s Digest” online edition.
• Folds down into an iPhone.
• Can be linked together to form a giant robot.
• Buy one, get a Kindle free.
• Clipboard on the back for taking notes.
• Ability to sync with Windows Media Player.
• Costs less than a non-Apple laptop.
– Adapted from BBSpot.com
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Hell hath no fury like the lawyer of a woman scorned.
WORLD LEADER OR NFL PLACEKICKER?
Which are past-or-present pro kickers and which are past-or-present world leaders?
• Ray Wersching [Placekicker. Formerly with San Diego Chargers & San Francisco 49ers.]
• Bjorn Nittmo [Placekicker in 1989 with the NY Giants.]
• Lars Korvald [World Leader. Prime Minister of Norway 1972-73.]
• Oscar von Sydow [World Leader. Prime Minister of Sweden 1921.]
• Uwe von Schamann [Placekicker. Miami Dolphins 1979-84.]
• Rafael Reyes [World Leader. President of Colombia from 1904-09.]
• Erik Eriksen [World Leader. Prime Minister of Denmark 1950-53.]
• Gunnar Thoroddsen [World Leader. Prime Minister of Iceland 1980-83.]
• Neil O’Donoghue [Placekicker. Kicked for the Buffalo, Tampa Bay, and St Louis 1977-85.]
• Raul Allegre [Placekicker. Played 9 seasons for 3 different teams 1983-91.]
– Condensed from “Mental Floss Magazine”
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: You will make 221 decisions today based on THIS.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Food.
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
It’s almost impossible to overestimate the unimportance of most things.
