Thursday, November 4, 2010        Edition: #4379
Wow, You Really Know Your Sheet!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
A rep for pop singer/TV star Demi Lovato confirms she’s left the current Jonas Bros tour ‘in order to seek medical treatment for emotional & physical issues she has dealt with for some time’, a source telling “People” those issues include eating disorders and ‘cutting’ (fame’s a load when you’re just 18) . . . TMZ reports that “Two-and-a-Half Men” actor Charlie Sheen is now acknowledging he has a substance abuse problem and has hired a ‘sober coach’ to live at his house and accompany him to work (he’s had similar help in the past – with mixed success) . . . Pop singer Katy Perry & actor Russell Brand’s honeymoon in the Maldives isn’t going very well as she’s been bitten by a spider and medication to treat it has made her too tired to, uh, ‘dance’ (or anything else) . . . 31-year-old Canadian-born actress Rachel McAdams (“Sherlock Holmes”) reveals she was once told by a tough female US Immigration official not to dye her hair pink again and not to make any more ‘stupid movies’ (everyone’s a critic) . . . In the new issue of “Glamour”, CBS News anchor Katie Couric interviews Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie, who talks about her former meth addiction and all the tabloid rumors she has to deal with (hey, is Couric looking for a new gig?) . . . 23-year-old tennis star Maria Sharapova’s engagement ring from 26-year-old Serbian-born basketball star Sasha Vujacic (LA Lakers) appears to be a cushion-cut diamond of approximately 7-to-8 carats on a split-shank platinum band worth about – $250,000 (wow, hope he’s got a return clause in the pre-nup!) . . . NBA superstar LeBron James is the latest to be linked to reality TV star Kim Kardashian, after she’s been spotted at a Miami Heat game (guess he’s getting sloppy 70ths) . . . And here’s a clue to the cause of the Billy Ray Cyrus-Tish Cyrus breakup – “Us Weekly” is reporting Miley’s mom had a couple of flings, including one with 47-year-old rocker Bret Michaels (thereby moving up from a one-hit-wonder all the way to a “Celebrity Apprentice” winner – wow, congrats!).

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• Billboard Touring Awards (NYC) – The 2010 awards for concert tours based on global box office revenues are handed out. Among those nominated to pick up prizes: AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, U2, and the Zac Brown Band.
• “Colbert Report” (Comedy Central/CTV) – Elvis Costello (“National Ransom”).
• “Good Morning America” (ABC) – Brad Paisley (“Hits Alive”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Paul Weller (“Wake Up the Nation”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Fanfarlo (“Reservoir”).
• “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/A Channel) – Duffy (“Endlessly”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni) – Steve Martin (“The Crow: New Songs For the 5-String Banjo”).
• “Live With Regis & Kelly” (syndicated/CTV) – Neon Trees (“Habits”).
• “Lopez Tonight” (TBS) – Good Charlotte (“Cardiology”).
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC/A Channel) – Aaron Neville (“Bring It on Home: The Soul Classics”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Alan Jackson – Tonight he embarks on a month-long Fall tour in Sacramento, California. Support acts are Chris Young and The Band Perry.
• Fantasia – Her 30-city, first-ever headlining tour, “Back To Me”, begins tonight in Richmond, Virginia.
• Lil Wayne – Today is his tentative release date from NYC’s Rikers Island prison. Cash Money Records says a post-prison celebration will most likely take place in Miami, Florida. However, Drake has insinuated that Weezy will show up at his concert in Las Vegas this Saturday.
• Michael Jackson – Ubisoft has announced that “Michael Jackson: The Experience” videogame will be out for the Nintendo Wii and Sony PSP November 23rd. Fans who pre-order the Wii edition will also potentially receive a limited edition replica of Jackson’s famous glove.
• Rihanna – She’s confirmed to MTV News that she’s been recording with Katy Perry, though the results are not on her new album “Loud”, out November 16th.
• Shinedown – Tonight they kick off their first-ever acoustic tour, titled “Anything & Everything”, in Tampa, Florida.
• Taylor Swift – Her new album “Speak Now” has sold more than 1 million units in its first week and will debut at #1 on the “Billboard 200” chart. The disc sold 1.047 million copies, making it the best-selling album since 50 Cent’s “The Massacre” with 1.141 million in 2005.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Bond 23” – The future of the ‘James Bond’ franchise appears to be secure following a landmark financial deal to save the MGM movie studio. Daniel Craig’s 3rd outing as the superspy in the 23rd ‘007’ picture was put on hold after the company fell into debt, but now it’s been announced it’s been saved by a debt-restructuring deal with Spyglass Entertainment.
• “The Great Gatsby” – Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann (“Moulin Rouge”) is working on an updated adaptation of the F Scott Fitzgerald classic novel, with actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire already attached. Among actresses being considered for the female lead: Amanda Seyfried, Blake Lively, Michelle Williams, and Natalie Portman.
• “Liberace” – Matt Damon says that Michael Douglas is still going to star in this Steven Soderbergh-directed biopic about the legendary Vegas entertainer. Damon says Douglas is ‘bang on schedule’ to play the outlandish pianist and they plan to shoot the film next Summer. Douglas recently completed treatment for throat cancer.
• “Snow White & The Huntsman” – Johnny Depp’s been offered the lead role in this story of the huntsman who defies orders to kill ‘Snow White’ in the woods and instead teaches her how to fight her evil step-mother. Charlize Theron is also attached to the film, to play the part of evil queen ‘Ravenna’. The film’s expected to be released in December 2012.

BABY GAMES:
The joy of a new baby starts wearing a tad thin when the little bundle of joy is still waking 3 or 4 times a night at 9 months of age. But a new study suggests that infants have the ability to sleep through the night at as little as 3 months of age, although breast-fed infants typically wake up more at night for feedings compared with bottle-fed infants. So what’s the deal with your 6-month-old wailing for a parent in the middle of the night? Researchers think your infant may just be toying with you.
– LATimes.com

DEFYING THE ODDS:
With practice, you can get ‘heads’ 68% of the time when tossing a coin. Here’s how to beat randomness …
– The probability of a coin landing as it started is 51%, already a bit of an edge.
– When possible, do the flipping. You need to know which side of the coin starts face-up, then you’ll be going for a specific number of spins to return it to that same side.
– The trick is to flip the coin the same way every time, with the same force behind your thumb.
• Too many spins makes it too difficult to repeat; too few makes it appear unfair. 3 or 4 rotations are ideal.
– Wired.com

NEW BS GIZMOS & GADGETS:
•  ‘Retroreflector Tie’ – Inventive designers Jasna Sokolovic & Noel O’Connell have come up with this striped necktie with built-in reflective strips in the stripes to make bicyclists more visible to drivers. But then, how many people wear a necktie while cycling?
NET: http://www.designindaba.com/news-snippet/safe-and-shiny
– OhGizmo.com
• ‘Prank Packs’ are gift boxes with ridiculously fake products printed on the outside. Give a gift in one of these and get ready for an awkward expression of gratitude. Among the odd fictional products: ‘The Motorized Rolling Pin’, ‘The Talking Coffee Cup’, ‘The Fishing Net Hat’, and ‘The Pet Petter’.
NET: http://www.prankpack.com
– Neatorama.com

GEEZER BEES GET LOST:
Scientists from Arizona State University and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences are examining how aging impacts the ability of honey bees to navigate. While bees are typically impressive navigators, able to wend their way home through complex landscapes after visits to flowers far removed from their hives, the study reveals that older bees have trouble finding their way to new hives as their memories fade and their ability to learn decreases.
– Telegraph.co.uk

CANDY CACHE:
85% of kids polled aged 5-to-15 say they’ll try to make Halloween candy last ‘as long as possible’. But just how long is long? Well …
• 18% say it’ll last 1-to-3 weeks.
• 36% predict 1-to-5 months.
• 6% think it will last 6-to-11 months.
• 14% say they’ll hoard it a year or more. (Ever find a candy stash in your kids closet crawling with ants … after they’ve moved away to college?)
– “Social Studies”

RENT-A-NARC:
A new service in Maryland is promising parents peace of mind by allowing them to rent a drug-sniffing dog, a highly trained canine that will come to their home and, within seconds, detect even the tiniest whiff of narcotics. The service, ‘Dogs Finding Drugs’, costs about $200 an hour. The canines can detect trace amounts of marijuana, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and prescription drugs, as well as guns and explosives.
– “Baltimore Sun”

DID YOU KNOW?
• The estimated value of California’s annual marijuana crop is $14 billion, per a recent state report. By comparison, California’s annual grape crop for wine is worth $2 billion.
– TTP
• 98% of people worldwide host microscopic mites in the follicles of their eyelashes, eyebrows, and nose hairs, where they feast on dead skin cells and oil.
– “Discover Magazine”
• Some 20-to-65% of children worldwide say they suffer from bullying, but the number may actually be higher because school violence is notoriously under-reported, according to a report from Plan International.
– BBC News

BS CHRONOMETER 11.04.10

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1946 [64] Laura (Welch) Bush, Midland TX, US First Lady 2001-09/Mrs George W Bush/mother of twins Jenna & Barbara

1960 [50] Kathy Griffin, Oak Park IL, comedian/TV personality (“Kathy Griffin: My Life On the D-List” since 2005)

1962 [48] Jeff Probst, Wichita KS, Emmy-winning TV reality show host (“Survivor” since 2000)

1969 [41] Matthew McConaughey, Uvalde TX, movie actor (“Fool’s Gold”, “A Time to Kill”)

1969 [41] Diddy (Sean Combs), Harlem NY, hip-hop artist (“Hello Good Morning”, “Shake Ya Tailfeather”)/recording mogul (Bad Boy Records)/fashion designer (Sean John)/TV producer (“Making the Band”)/sometime actor (“Raisin In the Sun”, Monster’s Ball”)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Children’s Goal-Setting Day”, to encourage parents to foster goal-setting habits in their children’s lives. Children need goals, because they spend altogether too much time goofin’ around – you know – acting like kids.

• “Men Make Dinner Day”, the 1 guaranteed meal cooked by the man-of-the-house each year. Sound a bit outdated? The ideal participant is now said to be the man who helps with household chores, has a sense of humor, is a great all-around guy … but never learned how to cook and is somewhat afraid of the idea.
NET: http://www.menmakedinnerday.com

• “Use Your Common Sense Day”, promoting the idea of using the knowledge and experience which most people allegedly have.

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1989 [21] George Strait hits #1 with “Ace In the Hole”, the last of 11 consecutive #1 country hits

1997 [13] Shania Twain releases smash album “Come On Over” (over 34 million copies sold worldwide)

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1920 [90] Canadian Marconi’s radio station CFCF Montréal broadcasts 1st commercial radio show (station began in December 1919, reputedly making it the oldest in the world)

1980 [30] Ronald Reagan defeats Jimmy Carter by a landslide to become 1st divorcé, 1st actor, and oldest US President

2008 [02] Barack Obama becomes the 1st African-American to be elected President of the United States

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2001 [09] Arizona Diamondbacks become Major League Baseball’s quickest expansion team to win the World Series by beating the NY Yankees in just their 4th season of existence

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Diwali (Hindu)
[Fri] Royal Winter Fair opens (Toronto)
[Fri] “Due Date”, “Fair Game”, “For Colored Girls”, “Megamind”, “127 Hours” open in movie theaters
[Sat] International Day for Preventing the Exploitation Of the Environment in War & Armed Conflict
[Sun] Daylight Saving Time ends (North America)
[Sun] Zero Tasking Day
[Sun] MTV Europe Music Awards (Madrid, Spain)
This Week Is . . . Fig Week
This Month Is . . . Runaway Prevention Month

BULL’S BITS

MORE BS QUESTIONS PLAGUING HUMANITY:
• Is the world full of smart people pretending, or imbeciles who mean it?
• Does an angel get its wings at the end of every round of boxing?
• If olive oil comes from olives, where does baby oil come from?
• How important must one be to get assassinated?
• Is a thespian an actress who likes other women?
• What makes Teflon stick to the pan?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
A company is working on a toilet seat that automatically will lower itself after use. The results so far during testing … 40 dogs have gotten their heads trapped.

Tonight on “The Office” (NBC), ‘Michael’ invites the entire office to celebrate the christening of ‘Pam’ & ‘Jim’s baby. Let’s see how big a fan you are; are the following names …
MINOR CHARACTERS ON “THE OFFICE” OR REAL-LIFE PAPER COMPANY CEOS?
• Jan Gottesman [President of Kelly Paper Company.]
• Mark Gardner [CEO of Sappi Fine Paper North America.]
• Devon White [Minor Character on “The Office”, who got fired instead of ‘Creed’.]
• Stan Hooker III [CEO of Midland Paper.]
• Charles Miner [Minor Character on “The Office”, a ‘Dunder Mifflin’ VP.]
• Josh Porter [Minor Character on “The Office”, boss of the Stamford branch.]
• Ed Truck [Minor Character on “The Office”, a former Regional Manager.]
• Thomas Howatt [President & CEO of Wausau Paper.]
• George Martin [President & CEO of NewPage Corporation.]
• Troy Undercook [Minor Character on “The Office”, who worked at company HQ in NYC.]
– Thanks to Jason English

BS PHONE STARTER:
For what sporting/concert/entertainment event would you buy tickets … regardless of the price?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: Women are twice as likely to make THIS embarrassing mistake.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Walking into the wrong public bathroom.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
It’s not what they say about you … it’s what they whisper.