BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
According to “Billboard” data, those naked pics of recording artists Cassie and Rihanna that leaked earlier this month may have caused big buzz online but had no effect on sales of their music (seems nude photos don’t sell CDs) . . . “National Enquirer” reports squeaky-clean pop stars the Jonas Bros were left embarrassed when a gang of girls showed up where the lads were shooting their new TV show, holding a large sign reading ‘Take Us … We’re Yours!’, which they promptly dropped to reveal – they were topless (poor Nick experienced impure thoughts) . . . 30-year-old “Ghost Whisperer” actress Jennifer Love Hewitt was warned her relationship with former fiancé Ross McCall wouldn’t last by psychic James Van Praagh, who works as an adviser on the TV show (they have a ghost advisor?) . . . “Angels & Demons” has raked in an impressive total of $104.3 million in worldwide box office during its opening weekend (not as big as its predecessor “The Da Vinci Code” but enough to knock “Star Trek” out of top spot) . . . “Sex & The City” actress Cynthia Nixon has announced she’s engaged to wed Christine Marinoni, her partner since splitting from her husband Danny Mozes in 2003 (they should write that story into a sequel!) . . . Actress/reality TV star Denise Richards (“Denise Richards: It’s Complicated”) has been forced to slash a whopping $450,000 off the listing for her Hidden Hills CA mansion, dropping the asking price to a paltry $3.8 million in a bid to attract a buyer (aw, poor little rich girl) . . . And an insider tells the “Daily Star” tabloid that actor Jamie Foxx is being considered to play late ‘Rat Pack’ crooner Frank Sinatra in director Martin Scorsese’s upcoming bio-film (the ‘insider’ is likely Foxx trolling for the role, which seems just a tad unlikely, no?).

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “American Idol” (FOX/CTV) – The 2-part season finalé decides the winner between finalists Adam Lambert & Kris Allen; Carrie Underwood returns to perform this year’s ‘farewell’ song, “Home Sweet Home”.
• “CMT Music Awards Nominee Special” (CMT) – Kellie Pickler & CMT’s Lance Smith co-host a 30-minute special revealing the 4 finalists in all categories for 2009 except ‘Video Of the Year’. Finalists for that honor will be announced at the beginning of the live broadcast June 16th.
• “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC/A Channel) – Previously eliminated couples perform; then the season 8 winner is selected in the 3-hour season finalé.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/A Channel) – No Doubt performs.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Eminem continues a 3-night mini-residency, celebrating today’s release of his new album “Relapse” with a free concert in the Detroit area.
• Joey Ramone Birthday Bash – Tonight’s 9th annual posthumous celebration at the Fillmore New York honors what would have been the punk icon’s 58th birthday. Several acts perform tributes & never-before-heard recordings will be played. Ramone died of lymphoma in 2001.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS) – Country superstar Kenny Chesney promotes his just-released new compilation, “Greatest Hits Two”. His first “Greatest Hits” album came out in 2000.
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC/A Channel) – The reunited Blink-182 performs music from their “Greatest Hits” album for a 2nd consecutive night.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• AC/DC – Their weekend gig in Munich, Germany drew over 100 noise complaints from irate residents, some of them in a suburb 20 km (12 miles) from the stadium where the band played.
• Elton John – He’s been presented with a ‘Distinguished Achievement Award’ at the annual “Drama League Awards” in NYC for his contributions to musical theater, which include “Aida”, “The Lion King”, and “Billy Elliot: The Musical”. He’s also received the ‘Outstanding Music Award’ at the annual “Drama Desk Awards” for his work on “Billy Elliott”.
• Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood – Today they release a 2-disc CD/DVD from their 3-night stand at NYC’s Madison Square Garden last year. The limited-edition set includes a documentary featuring interviews with both artists, as well as rare footage & photos.
• Michael Jackson – Spokesperson Dr Tohme Tohme insists a weekend report suggesting Jackson is suffering from skin cancer is untrue, telling “New York Daily News” the 50-year-old is ‘in perfect health’ and ‘doesn’t have any diseases whatsoever’.
• Pink – She’s confirmed on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” that she has reconciled with her husband, motocross racer Carey Hart. They split in February 2008 after 2 years of marriage, but neither filed divorce papers so they won’t have to bother getting remarried.
• Radiohead – Bassist Colin Greenwood has revealed the band has begun work on their 8th studio album, the follow-up to 2007’s “In Rainbows”.

TODAY’S VIDEO RELEASES:
• ”My Bloody Valentine 3-D” ( Horror Thriller ): In this follow-up to 1981’s “My Bloody Valentine”, ‘Tom’ (Jensen Ackles) returns to his hometown on the 10th anniversary of the Valentine’s night massacre that claimed 22 lives. When another horrific event occurs, he finds himself the prime suspect. Co-stars Jaime King. Available in a ‘2-Disc Special Edition’.
• “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” ( Crime Comedy ): Stand-up comedian Kevin James (TV’s long-time “King of Queens”) plays a mild-mannered shopping center security guard who’s forced to save the day when his mall is overtaken by a gang of organized crooks. Shot in the Burlington Mall in Burlington, Massachusetts. An unexpected box office hit.
• “Valkyrie” ( War Drama ): Tom Cruise plays Claus von Stauffenberg, who led a group of fellow German army colonels in an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler toward the end of WW2. Directed by Bryan Singer (“Usual Suspects”). Co-stars Kenneth Branagh & Bill Nighy. The 2nd release from Cruise’s United Artists studio. Also comes in a ‘2-Disc Special Edition’.
• Also released today: “El Dorado” (vintage Western); “Friday Night Lights: The 3rd Season” (TV); “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” (vintage Western); “Russell Brand in New York City” (comedy); “True Blood: The Complete 1st Season” (TV); and “24: Season 7” (TV).

IT’S A RED LETTER DAY:
Psychologist Cliff Arnall of the University of Cardiff in Wales has used a scientific formula to calculate that today is the ‘Best Day of the Year to Make a New Start in Life’. His calculations involve 6 factors: Outdoor activity; nature; social interaction; childhood summers & positive memories; temperature; holidays & vacation times. His formula has previously determined the ‘Most Depressing Day of the Year’ (January 24) and the ‘Happiest Day of the Year’ (June 20).
– Telegraph.co.uk

MYTHS ABOUT SLEEP:
A few commonly accepted beliefs that simply are not true …
• You Need 8 Hours – A recent study has found that those who sleep 7 hours a night live 12% longer than 8-hour sleepers.
• Never Eat Before Bedtime – Certain foods eaten right before bed can actually help you sleep. Dairy foods, in particular, are proven to make one drowsy.
• You Can Catch Up on Weekends – Sleeping until noon on Saturday in order to make up for missed sleep on previous days messes up your circadian rhythm, making you even more tired.
• Firm Beds Are Best – A UK study has found the exact opposite. When patients with chronic back pain swapped firm mattresses for softer ones, they had a 75% increase in sleep.
– “Men’s Journal”

ROLL OVER, GOLDIE:
Researchers at Oxford University have discovered that fish may be more intelligent than dogs. Dr Theresa Burt de Perera, who acknowledges that the common public perception is that fish are pea-brained numbskulls that can’t remember things for more than a few seconds, claims recent memory testing has revealed they are in fact capable of learning a wide range of mental skills and able to retain them for many months. The research also shows that fish are able to complete complex mental tasks which routinely stump hamsters and dogs. It’s thought that some fish can recognize their owners and go into a sulk when someone else tries to feed them.
– “Daily Telegraph”

BEST CITIES TO LIVE IN 2009:
The most liveable places on Earth as ranked by a variety of factors including culture, dating & sex, entertainment, fashion, health, power & money, and the ‘good life’ …
10. Paris, France
9. Copenhagen, Denmark
8. Hong Kong, China
7. Berlin, Germany
6. New York City, USA
5. Sydney, Australia
4. London, UK
3. San Francisco, USA
2. Barcelona, Spain
1. Chicago, USA
– AskMen.com

TOO STUPID FOR US TO MAKE UP:
• A 17-year-old has been arrested for attempting to hold up a North Carolina computer café … with a banana. After cops were called, the perp promptly ate his ‘weapon’ before they arrived. Not to be deterred, investigators managed to recover the banana peel and took photos as evidence. The genius perp has now been charged with attempted armed robbery.
– “Winston-Salem Journal”
• Chinese authorities have called in bulldozers to demolish what would have been the country’s first … sex theme park. ‘Love Land’ had been set to open in October in Chongqing but nationwide publicity about its over-sized statues of naked genitalia caused too much attention, particularly at the government level. Among the first displays to be leveled was the park’s rotating entrance sign, straddled by a giant pair of women’s legs topped by a red thong.
– Ananova News
• Cops in Warren, Michigan have managed to subdue a huge wildcat with Tasers shortly after receiving a 9-1-1 call about a 150-pound cougar spotted lurking in a drain pipe. After putting the beast down with a series of zaps the crack team of investigators made the embarrassing discovery … it was only a stuffed toy.
– “NY Post”
• An avid “Star Trek” fan in Hinckley, England has transformed his entire apartment into a replica of a starship. 56-year-old Tony Alleyne has spent 8 years building a life-size copy of the ‘Star Trek Voyager’, including the spaceship’s command console which controls the lights & sound effects in his 1-bedroom pad. He says the project started as a therapeutic hobby following a divorce. (More likely causing a divorce.)
– “Daily Telegraph”

DID YOU KNOW?
The Odeon cinema chains are named after their British founder Oscar Deutsch. The theaters’ name is an acronym standing for ‘Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation’.
– “Daily Mail”

BS CHRONOMETER 05.19.09

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TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1934 [75] Jim Lehrer, Wichita KS, PBS news anchor (“The News Hour With Jim Lehrer” since 1975)

1945 [64] Pete Townshend, Chiswick UK, dinosaur rock guitarist/singer (The Who-“Who Are You” [“CSI”], “Won’t Get Fooled Again” [“CSI: Miami”])/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1990)

1949 [60] Dusty Hill, Dallas TX, classic rock bassist/singer (ZZ Top-“Legs”, “Tush”)

1954 [55] Phil Rudd, Melbourne, Australia, rock drummer (AC/DC-“Stiff Upper Lip”, “Moneytalks”)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Plant Something Day”, which many people would if they could only be assured the plant would grow. What’s the most foolproof plant you can stick in your garden?

• “May Ray Day”, an annual celebration of Spring sunshine and people named ‘Ray’. (OK, it’s lame, but hey … any excuse for a party!)

• “Moving Month”, saluting May as the month in which most people relocate. According to a survey by BoxBundles.com, the average family leaves behind 1,500 lbs of garbage when they move … about 25% of the total household belongings. (A quarter of what we live with is trash?)

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2004 [05] “Shrek 2“ becomes the 1st movie to open in more than 4,000 theaters in North America

2005 [04] “Star Wars Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” opens in movie theaters at 12:01 am and grosses a then record $50 million in a single day

2005 [04] Quentin Tarantino directs the “CSI” season finalé (CBS) in which ‘Nick Stokes’ (George Eads) is buried alive

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1994 [15] 1st ‘Genetically-Engineered Tomato’ approved for marketing (‘Frankenfood’)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1995 [14] Balamurali Ambati graduates from NYC’s Mount Sinai Medical School to become world’s youngest doctor … at age 17

COMING UP . . .
[Wed] Eliza Doolittle Day
[Wed] Weights & Measures Day
[Wed] Employee Health & Fitness Day
[Thurs] Wait Staff Day
[Thurs] “Terminator Salvation” opens in movie theaters
[Fri] “Dance Flick”; “Night At the Museum: Battle Of the Smithsonian” opens in movie theaters
This Week Is … Backyard Games Week
This Month Is … Food Drive for Homeless Animals Month

BULL’S BITS

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WHAT GUYS ARE READING THIS MONTH:
• “Up For the Downstroke: How to Dress For the Recession” – GQ
• “Signs You Have A Cheating Wife” – AskMen.com
• “The Look – and Smell – She Can’t Resist” – Men’s Fitness
• “What’s Pink, Swarthy, and Greek All Over?” – Maxim
• “The Best Dive Bars in America” – Details
• “How to Take Dirty Pictures of Your Girlfriend” – “Esquire”

WHAT WOMEN ARE READING THIS MONTH:
• “What’s Your Passion Personality?” – Cosmopolitan
• “Flirting Moves That Work!” – Glamour
• “The Beach Body Meal Plan” – Chatelaine
• “Look Good in Shorts” – Ladies’ Home Journal
• “Getting Back To Your Wedding Bod’” – Redbook
• “Get Bikini Ready!” – Woman’s Day

WHICH LIVES LONGER?
• The average dog OR the average Canada goose? (Dog 22 years/Canada goose 33 years)
• A carp OR a cow? (100 years/22 years)
• Gerbil OR goat? (5 years/15 years)
• Giant tortoise OR parrot (152 years/80 years)
• Hippo OR human? (45 years/70-80 years)
– MyUniversalFacts.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
If you were asked to deliver a commencement speech that was only one sentence long, what would it be?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
He had an IQ test and the results came back negative.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: From the time you are born until the very end the size of THIS never changes.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Your eyes.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
It’s a small world. So you gotta use your elbows a lot.