Friday, July 4, 2008        Edition: #3812
Nuthin’ Like a Bull in Your Radio Shop!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Just a year after having their first child, “US Magazine” reports that acting couple Naomi Watts (“Eastern Promises”) and BF Liev Schreiber (“Sum Of All Fears”) are expecting their 2nd (maybe this will cause him to develop a 2nd facial expression?) . . . Jessica Gibson, actor Rob Lowe’s ex-nanny, is denying all allegations about her behavior that the star & his wife have been slinging around (this is getting real ugly – only their lawyers are enjoying it) . . . TV talk show host-Food Channel chef Rachel Ray is said to be working on her memoirs, tracing how her life evolved from early days as a candy sales clerk (we’re guessing it’ll be a ‘20-Minute Read’) . . . Online company Rhapsody has joined the likes of Napster and Amazon in launching online MP3 stores to challenge iTunes’ 70% market share of digital music sales (Rhapsody will act as the music store for both MTV and Facebook’s iLike application) . . . Actress Nicollette Sheridan is returning to “Desperate Housewives” (ABC) in her byatch-y role of ‘Edie Britt‘ after being written out of the show at the end of the 4th season, and word has it she’ll have a new romantic interest (if you’re truly trying to turn our collective stomach, why not make it real-life BF Michael Bolton?) . . . And check it – pistol-hot, Brit-based music producer Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Christina Aguilera, Nas) has been shocked to have an offer to work with pseudo-singer David Hasselhoff turned down, ‘The Hoff’ claiming he’s simply ‘too busy’ (until “America’s Got Talent” winds down and he’s back to crawling the carpet in Vegas hotel rooms).

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular” (CBS) – TONIGHT Rascal Flatts performs with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra just before the big bangers go boom.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CityTV) – Recent-wed Mariah Carey is a guest.
• “Essence Music Festival” – TONIGHT through Sunday in New Orleans LA. The 2008 headliners include Chris Rock, Kanye West, and Mary J Blige.
• “Greek” (CTV) – TONIGHT the season premiere of this new comedy introduces us to the frat house/sorority world of ‘Cyprus-Rhodes University’ as experienced by a brother & sister (Jacob Zachar & Spencer Grammer).
• Jonas Bros – TONIGHT they kick off their aptly named “Burning Up” summer tour in Toronto. It’s the “Camp Rock” stars’ first trek as part of a recent deal with Live Nation.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – “I Kissed a Girl” singer Katy Perry is on.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC/Global) – Foo Fighters perform on a rerun show hosted by Jon Bon Jovi.
• Ted Nugent – TONIGHT he plays his landmark 6,000th concert, in his hometown of Detroit MI. It’s part of his 50th career tour.
• “Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic” – TODAY his annual Independence Day celebration is staged at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Selma TX, featuring David Alan Coe, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Gym Class Heroes – Frontman Travis McCoy has been charged with 3rd-degree assault in St Louis for breaking his microphone over the head of a male concert-goer who’d been baiting him with abusive language. (Who does he think he is, Amy Winehouse?)
• Hall & Oates – John Oates, the mustachio-ed half of the ‘70s-‘80s pop-singing duo (“Kiss On My List”) will star as himself in a new TV cartoon. A 10-minute pilot for the program, currently titled “J-Stache”, will be completed within the next couple of months.
• Incubus – They’re planning a break to pursue a variety of endeavors. On AUGUST 23rd, for instance, guitarist Mike Einziger will unveil an orchestral piece in concert at Royce Hall on the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles.
• John Mayer – He & GF Jennifer Aniston appear to be making it work. Both recently spent time in Amsterdam where he played a set onstage, then waited around while she finished promoting her new film, “Marley & Me”.
• Prince – Unless all copies are destroyed, he’s threatening legal action against a group of Norwegian musicians who put together a cover-song tribute collection in honor of his 50th birthday. The 5,000-copy, 5-disc box set reportedly made no profit whatsoever.
• Rolling Stones – 61-year-old guitarist Ronnie Wood recently checked himself into rehab (again) after taking part in a wine-tasting session because he didn’t want to fall off the wagon and miss his daughter’s wedding. He didn’t, drying out in time to make it. (She must be proud.)

FAKING IT:
Tired of checking under rocks trying to find ‘Mr Right’? Increasingly, women who are tired of looking for the perfect guy are ordering up virtual boyfriends online. It seems being wooed by a cybersweetie provides far fewer hassles. Hottie avatar ‘Sergio’, for instance, promises a hot chat on a lonely night, a friend to stand by you, and someone you can tell all your troubles. What’s kinda creepy is … he remembers everything you tell him. (But, unlike a real guy, he never forgets to put the seat down … or for that matter even puts it up.)
NET: http://sergioboyfriend.com
– CosmoDaily

BEST EMCEE ON TV:
Here’s a good argument starter … who’s currently the most adept TV game show host? Based on likable personality, flaw-free delivery, and keeping the action moving without hogging the spotlight, we rank them this way …
5. Drew Carey, “The Price Is Right Million Dollar Spectacular”.
4. Ryan Seacrest, “American Idol”.
3. Regis Philin, “Million Dollar Password”.
2. Bill Bellamy, “Last Comic Standing”.
1. Cat Deeley, “So You Think You Can Dance”.
Among those we’d like to give a smack upside the head: Ben Mulroney, “Canadian Idol”; Billy Ray Cyrus, “Nashville Star”; Mark L Walberg, “Moment of Truth”; Jerry Springer, “America’s Got Talent”; and Al Roker, “Celebrity Family Feud“.
– BS original

BEEHIVE OF CONCERN:
Could strawberry ice cream disappear from our lives? The folks at Haagen-Dazs are worried enough that they and others are mounting a campaign to halt the shocking decline of bees, the pollinators of strawberry plants and about 90% of the rest of terrestrial plant life. The company says more than 40% of its flavors are derived from fruits and nuts which depend on honeybees to exist. Honeybees mysteriously began to abandon their colonies in 2006, since destroying more than a third of US hives. (We found them! Whenever we try to eat out on the patio, we keep getting buzzed.)
– “San Francisco Chronicle”

BULLY FOR YOU:
Summer’s here and it’s time for kids to hit the playground. Problem is, the same meanies who do the bullying in schoolyards are also there, and they tend to up the ante because they know they’re unlikely to get caught. Jodee Blanco, author of 2 books on bullying, offers the following advice …
• Don’t tell children to ignore bullies. They may take the message literally and think you don’t consider it important, so they shouldn’t either.
• Encourage your child to look the bully in the eye. Your child should firmly tell the bully, “Stop, you’re hurting me.”
• Have your child walk away from hostile situations, saying “See you later.”
– “Milwaukee Journal Sentinel”

BS AMAZING FACTS:
• Every year in North America people toss out more than $80-million-worth of metals, including gold, copper, and platinum, when they discard their old cellphones.
– “Toronto Star”
• During this July 4th holiday weekend in America, an estimated 150 million hot dogs will be consumed. And it’s estimated $2.5 billion in total will be spent on food & booze for “Independence Day” celebrations.
– Fox News

BS CHRONOMETER 07.04.08
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1930 [78] George Steinbrenner, Rocky River OH, NY Yankees owner since 1973/shipping magnate (American Ship Building Company)

1938 [70] Bill Withers, Slab Fork WV, oldies singer (“Ain’t No Sunshine”, “Lean on Me”)

1958 [50] Kirk Pengilly, Kew, Australia, rock guitarist (INXS-“Pretty Vegas”, “Need You Tonight”)/reality TV personality (“Rock Star: INXS” 2005)

SATURDAY –
Classic rock musician Robbie Robertson (The Band) is 65; Oldies singer Huey Lewis (“I Want a New Drug”) is 58; Pop singer Marc Cohn  (“Walking In Memphis”) is 49; TV actress Edie Falco (“The Sopranos”) is 45; TV actress Kathryn Erbe (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent”) is 43; Rock singer-guitarist Jason Wade (Lifehouse) is 28; Country singer-guitarist Dave Haywood (Lady Antebellum) is 26; Rock bassist Nick O’Malley (Arctic Monkeys) is 23.

SUNDAY –
Former US First Lady Nancy Reagan is 87; US President George W Bush is 62; Movie actor Sylvester Stallone (“Rocky”) is 62; CBC-TV news anchor Peter Mansbridge (“The National”) is 60; Movie actor Geoffrey Rush (“Pirates Of the Caribbean” films) is 57; Rapper 50 Cent (“Candy Shop”) is 32.

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Barbecue Day”, celebrating the time-honored tradition of roasting flesh over an open flame. Interestingly, ‘barbecue’ in Canada is either the implement (“It’s time you cleaned that caked-on grease off the barbecue”) or the process (“I’m gonna barbecue some venison steaks, thanks to Uncle Gordie bagging that buck last fall”). But in the US, ‘barbecue’ is the food (“Hoo-ey! Smoky Joe serves up the most lip-smackin’ barbecue!”).
• “Calgary Stampede”, the 96th annual rodeo and 10-day festival through JULY 13th in Calgary AB. Patsy Rodgers, the Stampede’s inaugural queen in 1946, will be the 2008 Parade Marshal, joined by over 100 former queens & princesses. THIS YEAR’s performers include Hedley,
James Taylor, the Judds, Jully Black, Kid Rock, Natasha Bedingfield, Puddle of Mud, and Sugarland.
NET: http://calgarystampede.com
• “Country Music Day”, celebrating the roots music movement that began in America some 80 years ago with the advent of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. Country is actually a mishmash of several other music styles, including traditional folk, Celtic, blues, gospel, hokum, and old-time music. (How come there aren’t any ‘All Hokum All the Time’ radio stations?)
• “Running Of the Nudes” in Pamplona, Spain, the 7th annual protest of bullfighting organized by PETA ahead of the famous annual “Running Of the Bulls”. Upwards of a thousand animal activists are expected to run totally starkers. The motto: ‘Out With the Old, In With the Nude!’
NET: http://www.runningofthenudes.com/
• “US Independence Day”, celebrating the country’s declaration of nationhood in 1776. Among the more unusual “4th of July” festivals: “International Cherry Pit Spitting Contest” in Eau Claire MI; “World’s Greatest Lizard Race” in Lovington NM; and the annual “Sidewalk Egg-Frying Challenge” in Oatman AZ. It’s also the excuse for the vegan observance “Independence from Meat Day”.

SATURDAY –
• “Tour de France”, the 95th running of the world’s most prestigious cycling race through the countryside of France. It will be made up of 21 stages covering a total distance of 3,500 km, culminating in Paris JULY 27th. (Whew, that’s gonna take a lot of steroids … er, peddling.)
NET: http://www.letour.fr/us/homepage_horscourseTDF.html
• “Workaholics Day”. Let’s face it, if you choose to work on a beautiful summer Saturday, you truly are obsessed. Keep your nose to the grindstone long enough and you’ll end up with a bloody nose!
• “World Wife Carrying Championships”, the 13th annual in Sonkajarvi, Finland in which men from around-the-world tote their wives (or a female friend) around an 830-ft obstacle course in hope of winning her weight in beer. The current record is 55.5 seconds.
NET: http://www.sonkajarvi.fi/?deptid=15136

SUNDAY –
• ”Fried Chicken Day”, celebrating the tradition of boiling force-fed, caged-raised poultry in liquid trans fat. Don’t know who started it; don’t know why. But then … who cares? Nummers!
• “Running Of the Bulls”, an infamous daily highlight of the annual “Fiesta de San Fermin” through JULY 14th in Pamplona, Spain. The tradition of revellers running before charging bulls being herded through narrow streets was made legendary by Ernest Hemingway in his novel “The Sun Also Rises”.
NET: http://spainforvisitors.com/sections/sanfermin.htm

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1970 [38] Radio personality Casey Kasem begins counting down the hits as “American Top 40” debuts on a Los Angeles radio station

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2002 [06] Elvis Presley’s remixed “A Little Less Conversation” hits #1, 25 years after his death

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1939 [69] NY Yankees ‘retire’ 1st baseball uniform (Lou Gehrig’s #4)

2000 [08] Russian inventor Roman Kunikov tests his ‘Gasoline-Powered Boots’, which allow the wearer to cover as much as 13 feet-per-stride at a speed of up to 25 mph

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1993 [15] Some 2,000 naked participants attend the “Nude Chili Cookoff” in Devore CA

COMING UP . . .
[Mon] Father-Daughter Take a Walk Together Day
[Mon] Caricom Day (aka Caribbean Day)
[Tues] Video Games Day
[Wed] Intern Appreciation Day
[Thurs] Orangemen’s Day
[Thurs] 26th Just For Laughs Comedy Festival begins (Montréal)
This Week Is … Canned Luncheon Meat Week
This Month Is … Horseradish Month

BULL’S BITS
BS PICKUP LINES TO USE WHILE MOVING:
• “Nice shoes. Wanna put them in that box over there?”
• “Is that a mirror in your pocket? Because the movers are going to be here soon, so we should put it in bubble wrap.”
• “Your father must have been a thief, because I can’t find the duct tape.”
• “The word of the day is ‘tarp’. What do you say we go back to my place and spread the word?”
• “Mind if I put my junk in your trunk?”
• “If this bed’s not rockin’ … maybe it’s not worth taking to the new place?”
– Thanks to Alison Rosen

BS TOP SWAPS:
The week’s most requested music files online …
5. Jordin Sparks f/Chris Brown – “No Air”
4. Lil Wayne – “A Milli”
3. Lil Wayne f/Static Major – “Lollipop”
2. Rihanna – “Take a Bow”
1. Usher – “Love In This Club”
– BigChampagne online music measurement

BS PHONE STARTER:
If you had to choose a TV personality to be president of the United States, who would you pick?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: Researchers have discovered that the more children a woman has, the fewer of THESE she’s likely to have.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Teeth.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The longer you keep your temper, the better it will get.