Wednesday, June 27, 2007        Edition: #3562
More From the Sheethouse!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
TODAY memorabilia from the defunct Sam the Record Man outlet on Toronto’s Yonge Street goes under the hammer, although the city recently designated the former flagship store as a heritage building, thereby protecting the landmark giant disc signs from being sold (NET: http://benacosales.com/samspicpage.htm) . . . TONIGHT Paris Hilton does her first boo-hoo post-prison interview on “Larry King Live” (CNN), appearing in-studio for the entire hour . . . A new online venture called HollywoodStarTrash combs through celeb garbage to offer artifacts for auction on eBay, such as an empty can of Party Animal organic gourmet dog food from Paris Hilton’s garbage with a starting bid of $40 (NET: http://hollywoodstartrash.com/) . . . PETA says “Sicko” fimmaker Michael Moore is a hypocrite for criticizing the US healthcare system in his new documentary while continuing to jeopardize his health by eating meat (and pretty much everything else seemingly) . . . According to lead actress Willa Ford, Anna Nicole Smith’s trailer-trash mama Virgie Arthur will NOT appear in the upcoming biopic about her late daughter because ‘Anna wouldn’t want her to’ (nice to see other people are still running her life even after she’s dead)  . . . Lindsay Lohan has agreed to an ‘extended program’ of rehab at Malibu’s Promises clinic but will be sprung to spend her 21st birthday with family on MONDAY . . . Meantime, an exceedingly wise Nassau County Family Court judge has ordered Lindsay’s estranged parents, Dina & Michael Lohan into family therapy before Michael will be allowed to visit his 2 younger children . . . New stats show Nintendo ‘Wii’ sales are outstripping Sony’s PlayStation3 by a ratio of 5-1 (the cheaper price helps!) . . . Actress Portia de Rossi is set to shoot a 9-episode guest arc for “Nip/Tuck” (FX) in JULY, playing the role of a lesbian mother (that’ll take some acting – portraying a mother) . . . And former Death Row Records kingpin Marion ‘Suge’ Knight’s Malibu CA estate has been put up for sale as part of his Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with an asking price of $6.2 million (for an 8,000 sq-ft Mediterranean-style mansion on 9 acres overlooking the Pacific – it’s a steal!).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Akon – He says he launched a career in music because no one would hire him after he was released from prison in 2004. Seemed to work out for the best … he’s on 4 current hits.
• Christina Aguilera – The 26-year-old says she’s poring over scripts in search of the exact right role to launch a movie acting career.
• 50 Cent – He’s in final negotiations to join Robert De Niro & Al Pacino in the movie “Righteous Kill”, a crime thriller that starts shooting in SEPTEMBER. They’ll be playing cops; Fiddy a drug dealer.
• Justin Timberlake – After a group of teens recently began taunting him outside his Gothenburg, Sweden hotel window, he allegedly pelted them with a variety of bizarre objects including ping-pong balls, bottled water, pieces of fruit and … yuck, spit.
• Kelly Rowland – TONIGHT the Destiny’s Child alum guests on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV).
• Neil Young – The first volume of his long-awaited “Archives” series has been delayed until early 2008. It’s expected to feature 8 audio CDs and 4 DVDs of previously unheard material.
• Paul McCartney – THIS EVENING he’ll play a ‘surprise’ concert at Hollywood’s Amoeba Records as part of a mini-promotional tour for his new album “Memory Almost Full”.
• Ryan Adams – TONIGHT the alt-country/rock singer/songwriter performs on “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS).

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENING:
“Live Free or Die Hard” ( PG-13 Action Thriller ): In his return to the signature character he originated in 1988’s “Die Hard” and continued in two ’90s sequels, Bruce Willis again plays never-quit cop ‘John McClane’, and this time he’s up against a wise-cracking hacker (Justin Long) and a mysterious online organization threatening ‘virtual terrorism’ that will shut down the entire USA. In a throwback to traditional Hollywood, almost all of the dozens of stunts are performed old school with no CGI animation. The 3 previous films in the series grossed over $700 million worldwide. There’s a cool ‘Soundboard’ on the website where you can download movie lines and music samples with a single click …
NET: http://www.livefreeordiehard.com/

BS BUZZWORDS:
New terms leaking into the lingo …
• ‘Bolder Giving Initiative’ – A philanthropic movement that encourages the affluent to share the wealth. The organization has a ‘50 Per Cent League’ honoring those who’ve given away half of their money … or more. (Wow, rich people you can actually admire!)
NET: http://www.boldergiving.org/
• ‘Exergaming’ – An activity that combines exercise with video game play (NeoRacer, PlayMotion, Nintendo Wii, Fisher-Price Smart Cycle, etc). For instance, you might need to maintain a specific speed on a stationary bike in order to continue playing your favorite video game. (If this catches on, most 12-year-old boys will be in Olympic-caliber shape.)
• ‘Hummer House’ – Taking it’s name from the oversized SUV, this is a huge and architecturally inappropriate house built in an existing neighborhood, thereby destroying the aesthetic integrity of its surroundings. (Like that idiotic 3-story monster that’s now destroying our water view … oh, did I say that out loud … sorry.)

ONLINE HOOKUP:
Remember this guy? In APRIL, Ryan Fitzgerald posted his cellphone number on YouTube in a quest to ‘be there’ for people around-the-world. He chatted with tens-of-thousands of strangers about everything from the meaning of life to what they should eat for lunch. Now the 20-year-old is engaged to one of those strangers, one Kara Lael Fraim. Their first conversation lasted 9 hours, then a few days later, Fitzgerald boarded a bus to visit her. Fitzgerald insists that he posted his phone number because he wanted to help people, not as a ploy to meet women.
– “Cosmopolitan”

MAKE SURE YOUR RAY-BANS BAN UV:
Vision experts warn that buying fashionable sunglasses that offer little or no protection from harmful UV rays can damage your eyes and increase the risk of cataracts. A new poll by the College of Optometrists finds that 63% of consumers are far more influenced by how sunglasses look and how much they cost than by the protection they offer. That figure zooms to 80% in the under-25 age group.
– “Daily Mail”

LIFE BY THE NUMBERS:
A snapshot of who we are and what we do …
• 85% of us say that if we saw someone in trouble we would NOT perform mouth-to-mouth CPR.
• 58% of us admit we’ve had at least one fling with a fellow employee.
• 40% of us say we’d use genetic engineering to upgrade our future children mentally and physically if possible.
• 30% of online daters who present themselves as single are actually married or living with a
significant other.
• 29% of men report having 15 or more sexual partners in their lifetime, while only 9% of women say they’ve reached that lofty benchmark.
• 9% of women admit they’re planning to be unfaithful to their spouses in the next year.
     
FACEBOOK VS MYSPACE:
A new University of California study suggests that the populations of the 2 main online social networking sites are divided on a ‘class’ basis. After interviewing users over a 9-month period, researchers say a significant socio-economic trend has been revealed. The typical Facebook user tends to come from families who emphasize higher education. MySpace, on the other hand, is home to ‘those who don’t play into the dominant high school popularity paradigm’. The class divide could, however, lie in the origins of the sites. Facebook was originally only open to college students whereas MySpace has always allowed anyone to join.
– “GQ”

SKIN-TO-GO:
British research company Intercytex Group says its development of a new artificial skin is a clinical breakthrough in regenerative medicine. The lab-made living human skin can be fully and consistently integrated into the human body. Previous skin substitutes, used to heal wounds, biodegraded after only a few weeks. The researchers hope the new product might provide an alternative to skin grafts, which are often used for victims of serious burns and wounds.
– Reuters

BS AMAZING FACTS:
• Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is fairly techno-savvy for an 81-year-old. She has a cellphone, an iPod, and even her own e-mail address. But unlike the riffraff, she doesn’t actually write her own emails … she dictates them.
– “Daily Telegraph”
• New StatsCan figures show that adult contemporary music remains the top choice of Canadians on radio. Women 65+ continue to be the most ardent radio listeners, tuning in for an average 22.7 hours per week while listening among other age groups continues to fragment due to ever increasing media choices.
– eTalk Daily
• In California, infants can start working in the film industry when they are just 15-days-old, provided that they have a note from a physician attesting that they were not born prematurely and are of normal birth weight.
– “Slate Magazine”

BS CHRONOMETER 06.27.07

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1959 [48] Lorrie (Loretta Lynn) Morgan, Hendersonville TN, country singer (“Go Away”, “What Part of No”)/Mrs Sammy Kershaw (her 5th husband)

1975 [32] Tobey Maguire, Santa Monica CA, movie actor (“Spider-Man”, “Seabiscuit”)

1976 [31] Leigh Bingham Nash, New Braunfels TX, pop singer (Sixpence None the Richer-“There She Goes”, “Kiss Me”)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Canadian Multiculturalism Day”, an opportunity to celebrate our diversity and to appreciate the contributions of the various multicultural groups and communities to Canadian society.
NET: http://www.pch.gc.ca/special/canada/11/multi_e.cfm

• “Decide To Be Married Day”, focusing on the joys of the ball-and-chain. Ask listeners for advantages to being married that you rarely hear about.

• “National HIV Testing Day”, an annual campaign by the National Association of People with AIDS to encourage at-risk individuals to receive voluntary HIV counselling and testing.
NET: http://www.napwa.org/hivtestinfo/

• “Special Recreation for Disabled Day”, to focus attention on the recreation rights, needs, aspirations, and abilities of people with disabilities. Jogging would appeal to all of us more if we were disabled.

• “Sunglasses Day”, celebrated on the anniversary of the 1942 debut of ‘Ray-Ban Sunglasses’. Shades as we know them today are a 20th-century phenomenon. In the 1930s, the military commissioned glasses that would protect pilots from sun glare. But they didn’t become a real fad until the 1960s when an ad campaign asked, “Who’s Behind those Foster Grants?”.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2006 [01] “Superman Returns” opens in movie theaters, starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth & Kevin Spacey

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1859 [148] The melody of the world’s most-sung song, “Happy Birthday to You”, is composed by Louisville KY school teacher Mildred J Hill (published in 1893 as “Good Morning To All” with lyrics written by her sister Patty Smith Hill).  According to statistics, the song is sung somewhere in the world every minute of every day.

1980 [27] “O Canada” is unanimously accepted by House of Commons and Senate as Canada’s national anthem, with ‘special allowance for possible changes of words’ (written by Calixa Lavallee & Adolphe-Basile Routhier, it was officially proclaimed Canada’s national anthem a few days later on July 1, 1980)

1994 [13] Aerosmith’s “Head First” becomes the first online music release

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2000 [07] 1st ever ‘Underwater Leg’ of an Olympic torch relay, through Australia’s Great Barrier Reef on the way to Sydney

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1949 [58] ‘Largest Canadian Majority Government’ in history as Louis St Laurent’s Liberals win 191 seats to 41 for Conservatives, 13 for CCF and 10 for Social Credit

COMING UP . . .
[Thurs] Handshake Day
[Thurs] Columnists Day
[Thurs -July 8] 28th Montréal Jazz Festival
[Thurs] Paul Bunyan Day
[Fri] Camera Day
[Fri] Apple iPhone release
[Fri] “Evening”; “Ratatouille”; “Sicko” open in movie theaters
[Sun] Canada Day
[Sun] Concert for Diana (London UK)
[Mon] Canada Day statutory holiday (no BS service)
This Week Is … Assistant Principals Week
This Month Is … Fireworks Safety Month

BULL’S BITS

WORLD’S MOST BIZARRE BEERS:
Ah summer! The time for sippin’ suds. But have you tried these wacky brands?
• ‘Bilk’ – Short for beer-plus-milk. Made by a brewery in Hokkaido, Japan, it’s actually one-third milk and has a fruity flavor that goes well with sweets. It’s hoped it will be popular with women.
• ‘Champagne Beer’ – Yep, a combination of beer & Champagne, defying the convention that ‘hops & grapes’ should never be mixed. It retails for about $12 … per beer-size bottle.
• ‘Duff Beer’ – Homer Simpson’s favorite is a reality thanks to Jalisco, Mexico entrepreneur Rodrigo Contreras Díaz. The limited-edition lager only sells online at $20 for 12 … plus shipping.
• ‘Kidsbeer’ – A nonalcoholic beverage targeted at underage drinkers by a Japanese company looks just like the real thing. They’re shipping out 75,000 bottles a month. Their slogan: “Even kids cannot stand life unless they have a drink.”
• ‘Kwispelbier’ – A brewery in the Netherlands has launched a non-alcoholic beer for dogs made from beef extract & malt. It’s fit for human consumption but costs 4 times as much as a Heineken. ‘Kwispel’ is a Dutch word for ‘wagging tail’.
• ‘Samuel Adams Utopias’ – The world’s strongest commercially brewed beer tops out at 25% alcohol, 5 times more powerful than a normal beer. Cheap buzz, right? Uh uh. Unfortunately, the Boston Beer Company’s limited edition brew is also among the world’s most expensive … $110 a bottle!
• ‘Stampede Beer’ – The first vitamin-enhanced beer contains added vitamin B, folic acid and other essential vitamins & minerals. But the Texas brewer is frustrated it can’t list them on the label because that would technically be an ‘implied health claim’.
• ‘Uerige’ – One of the world’s finest beers, made in Dusseldorf, Germany, now comes with a Braille label. Thus, Uerige has created the first … beer for the blind.
– oddee.com

BS RANDOM JOKE:
If you really want to be depressed, weigh yourself in grams.

FAILED BEN & JERRY’S ICE CREAM FLAVORS:
Some of their newest flavors include ‘Stephen Colbert’s AmeriCone Dream’, ‘Cinnamon Buns’, and ‘Willie Nelson’s Country Peach Cobbler’. But, alas, these flavors didn’t quite make it …
• Raspberry Rash
• Heavenly Hashish
• Vap-O-Rub
• Bus Depot Fudge Chunk
• Peppermint Thai Stick
• Alice Scooper
• Coffee Annan
• Cookies ‘N Hemp
• Hitler Ripple
• Stuff Found in Ben & Jerry’s Pockets

BS PHONE STARTERS:
• What’s the first movie you remember seeing in a theater?
• Which do you think will be THE summer song of 2007? (Some contenders might be Rihanna’s “Umbrella”, Ne-Yo’s “Because of You”, or maybe Maroon 5’s “Makes Me Wonder”.)

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: 51% of children’s food products have THIS on the label but it’s not inside.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Fruit.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Being single is better than being unhappy.