Thursday, October 18, 2007                       Edition: #3636
When You Can’t Dazzle Them with Brilliance, Baffle Them with Bull!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Movie actress Cate Blanchett has hit the ground running after being named co-artistic director of the Sydney Theater Company in her native Australia beginning NEXT YEAR, already lining up designer Giorgio Armani as its official patron and planning to star in a unique 8-hour adaptation of William Shakespeare’s plays . . . Donald Trump’s 58-year-old ex-wife Ivana is marrying for the 3rd time, this time she’ll tie the knot with 35-year-old dancer/model Rossano Rubicondi at Trump’s Maro-Largo estate in Palm Beach FL . . . 53-year-old “Back to You” (FOX) star Kelsey Grammar tells “Ladies’ Home Journal” he’s grateful to get another chance to be a good dad to his young family (6-year-old daughter, 3-year-old son), because he was robbed of the joys of fatherhood the first time round by divorce (not to mention a whole wack of white powder) . . . Producer/director George Lucas has confirmed he’s planning a live-action “Star Wars” TV series, but it will deal with lesser known characters from the movie franchise . . . Former “American Idol” runner-up Clay Aiken is joining the cast of “Spamalot”, playing ‘Sir Robin’ in the Broadway production beginning JANUARY 18th . . . Actress Jorja Fox, who’s played ‘Sara Sidle’ on “CSI” since 2000, says she’s leaving the show because she wants to do other things, her final appearance coming in an episode airing NEXT MONTH . . . Rapper-turned-perennial convict Foxy Brown has pleaded not guilty to charges that she threw a cellphone at a neighbor who complained about the volume of her car radio . . . The Oscar won by Orson Welles for his 1941 film “Citizen Kane” is expected to sell for circa $1 million when it goes up for auction DECEMBER 11th . . . And 26-year-old Paris Hilton has dumped her 20-year-old bf, Alex Vaggo, a Swedish backpacker working as a pizza delivery boy, because he’s ‘too shy and quiet for her’ (and he always ‘delivered’ in under 30 minutes).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Amy Winehouse – Here’s a match-up made in AA. She’s traveled to a studio close to the latest rehab clinic that’s home to Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty. The two of them are working on recording a ‘ska-type’ single.
• Christina Milian – She’s campaigning for the role of ‘Wonder Woman’ in the upcoming “Justice League of America” superhero movie. The competition is said to be stiff.
• 50 Cent – Word from the set of the new movie “Righteous Kill” is Fiddy didn’t take kindly to criticism from actor Frank John Hughes about failure to learn his lines. The rapper took the actor to the ground and administered a pummeling, requiring paramedics to be called in.
• Kid Rock – He’s parted ways with longtime Detroit-based manager, Ed ‘Punch’ Andrews, and signed with Nashville’s Vector Management.
• Led Zeppelin – Guitarist Jimmy Page has hinted the band could begin working on new material following their one-off reunion show NEXT MONTH.
• Madonna – Her new recording/touring/merchandising/film deal with Live Nation is said to be worth about $120 million over 10 years. She’ll also become a stockholder in the company. She says she was drawn to the deal because the music business has ‘shifted’.
• Spice Girls – “Spice Girls: Greatest Hits” will be exclusively available via Victoria’s Secret stores and website beginning NOVEMBER 13th. They’ll perform on TV for the first time since reuniting on the “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show” (CBS) DECEMBER 4th.
• Vanessa Carlton – She & Third Eye Blind frontman Stephan Jenkins broke up after 4 years together while she was recording her new “Heroes & Thieves” album, but he co-wrote 5 of the songs anyway and also helped produce.

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• Evanescence – They perform on the “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC).
• Ozzy Osbourne/Rob Zombie – Their joint headlining North American tour kicks off in Seattle WA.
• “Pygmalion” – Movie actress Claire Danes makes her Broadway debut as ‘Eliza Doolittle’ in a new revival of George Bernard Shaw’s famous play, opening TONIGHT at the American Airlines Theatre.
• Spoon – The Austin TX indie rockers are on “Late Night With Conan O’ Brien” (NBC).
• They Might Be Giants – The ‘90s alt-rockers are back on “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” (CBS).
• Western Canadian Music Awards & Conference – The 5th annual gets underway in Moose Jaw SK, the first time it’s been held outside a major city. The highlight is SUNDAY’s handing out of the hardware at the Snowbirds Hangar 6.
NET: http://www.westerncanadianmusicawards.ca/

FUTURE FLICKS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “The Karate Kid” – Remember “Wax on, wax off!”? The cult 1984 movie that starred Ralph Macchio & Pat Morita is getting a remake by Will Smith, with his 9-year-old son Jaden slotted for the lead role. Jackie Chan is set to play guru ‘Mr Miyagi’ in the redux.
• “The Late Bloomer’s Revolution” – Sarah Jessica Parker has signed on to star in the bigscreen adaptation of Amy Cohen’s best-selling novel about a single woman who reconnects with her father who’s back on the dating scene following the death of her mother. “Gilmore Girls” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino will make her directing debut on this chick flick.
• “Love Ranch” – Oscar-winner Helen Mirren (“The Queen”) will star opposite Joe Pesci (“Goodfellas”) in this tale about Nevada’s first legal brothel. And she’ll be directed by her husband, Taylor Hackford (“Ray”), for the first time in more than 20 years (they last worked together on “White Nights” in 1985). Production begins in New Mexico in JANUARY.
• “Star Trek“ – More & more of the cast is being filled in for JJ Abrams’ upcoming prequel, the 11th film in the series. Little-known Chris Pine (“Smokin’ Aces”) will play a young ‘Captain Kirk’. ‘Scotty’ will be played by Simon Pegg (“Hot Fuzz“); ‘Sulu’ by John Cho (“Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle”). Eric Bana (“Munich”) will play villain “Nero”. The film is due for release in DECEMBER 2008.
• “Untitled Moon Project“ – Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal (“Brokeback Mountain”) has been signed to follow in astronaut Neil Armstrong’s footsteps in this story about a private expedition to the Moon. So they’ve got a star; next thing they need is a title.

MEET ME UNDER THE TABLE:
For the first time ever, a scientific study has compared the drinking ability of men vs women. Surprise! Men are far less capable of retaining self-control when they’ve been drinking. In fact, men’s loss of inhibition is more than 3 times as great as that of women with the same concentration of alcohol in the blood. Lead psychologist Dr Mark Fillmore says the study disproves the commonly held theory that women don’t hold their liquor very well. Bottom line: men get high more quickly and become more uninhibited. (To confirm the study answer this … guys, when was the last time an old girlfriend came banging on your door at 3 am, then peed on your porch when you wouldn’t answer?)
– “Addiction Magazine”

WHAT KIND OF SLEEPER ARE YOU?
According to a new study by Simon Williams of Britain’s University of Warwick, sleepers fall into 8 categories …
• Socially Attentive … Easily aroused, such as parents with infants.
• Intolerant … Prioritize their own sleep to the detriment of others.
• Selfish … Snorers, fathers who hear the baby crying and just turn over.
• Anarchic … Fail to conform to conventions regarding proper time and place for sleep.
• Snoozers … Includes commuters on trains who can sleep without missing their stop.
• Sleep Feigners … Fakers tend to be women.
• Nappers … Anytime, anywhere, give ‘em a cozy spot and they’re out.
• Deviants … People who do not sleep at night..
– “The Independent”

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR MOVE:
A consumer guide from the Association of Movers says the stress of moving, thought to be the 3rd-worst after marriage and divorce, can be eased if you do it on the right day. You should avoid Fridays at all costs, according to the guide, and Mondays aren’t good either. The best day? Tuesday, apparently the quietest day for movers that also offers the least problems. (If you’re behind on your rent, pick any day … but make it at 4 am.)
– AP

WORST JOBS IN SCIENCE:
Think you got a crappy job? Well, check these out …
5. ‘Coursework Carcass Preparer’ … They kill, pickle & bottle the critters that school kids cut up.
4. ‘Garbologist’ … Think ‘Indiana Jones’ – in a Dumpster.
3. ‘Elephant Vasectomist’ … When your patient is Earth’s largest land animal, sterilization is a big job.
2. ‘Oceanographer’ … Pollution, extinct animals, climate change. Nothing but bad news, day in and day out.
1. ‘Hazmat Diver’ … They swim in sewage. Enough said.
– “Popular Science”

DID YOU KNOW?
In just the past year, the number of households watching TV shows online has doubled and now accounts for 16% of families with Internet, according to market analyst the Conference Board. Most online viewers cite ‘convenience’ as the primary reason for their online viewing, but a significant percentage – over a third – say they watch online in order ‘to skip commercials’.
– ContactMusic.com

BS CHRONOMETER 10.18.07

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1926 [81] Chuck Berry, St Louis MO, rock ‘n roll pioneer (“Johnny B Goode”, but his only #1 was the 1972 novelty song “My Ding-A-Ling”)/Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award (1984)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1986)

1960 [47] Jean-Claude Van Damme (Van Varenberg), Brussels, Belgium, movie actor (“Double Impact”) whose career has pretty much tanked

1980 [27] Josh Gracin, Westland MI, country singer (“I Want to Live”, “Nothin’ to Lose”)/”American Idol” finalist (2003)

1987 [20] Zac Efron, San Luis Obispo CA, movie actor (‘Troy Bolton’ in “High School Musical”, ‘Link Larkin’ in “Hairspray”)  UP NEXT: “High School Musical 3”, due in 2008.

1989 [18] Joy Lauren, Atlanta GA, TV actress (‘Danielle Van De Kamp’ on “Desperate Housewives” since 2004)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Alaska Day”, commemorating the formal transfer of Alaska from Russian to US control on this date in 1867 – one of the sneakiest real estate deals ever! The US paid $7.2 million, or less than 2 cents an acre. Nowadays, millions of dollars worth of oil is piped out of Alaska EVERY DAY.

• “Confucius’ Birthday”, a Chinese observance on the 27th day of the 8th lunar month. One of China’s most influential philosophers and teachers, Confucius was born in 551 BC.
NET: http://www.whatsonwhen.com/events/~13638.jml
BS THINGS CONFUCIUS DID NOT SAY:
– Confucius did not say, mechanic who go to bed without bathing wake up oily in the morning.
– Confucius did not say, man who run in front of car get tired.
– Confucius did not say, man who eat many prunes get good run for money.
– Confucius did not say, man who drive like hell bound to get there.
– Confucius did not say, man who lives in glass house should change clothes in basement.
– Confucius did not say, man who fishes in other man’s well often catches crabs.
– Confucius did not say, man who lose key to apartment not get new key.

• “No Beard Day”, an observance likely started by some guy’s extremely chapped partner.

• “Persons Day”, commemorating the anniversary of the 1929 ruling that declared women to be ‘persons’ in Canada (shouldn’t that be ‘people’?). Previously, under English common law, women were persons in matters of pains and penalties, but were not persons in matters of rights and privileges.

• “Watch a Squirrel Day”. Huh? Nuts to you!

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1954 [53] Comic strip “Hi & Lois” 1st appears in newspapers, created by “Beetle Bailey” cartoonist Mort Walker (now a collaboration of Brian & Greg Walker and artist Chance Browne, it appears in more than 1,100 newspapers in 37 countries in 10 languages)

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1776 [231] 1st ‘Cocktail’ served when the back of a NYC bar is decorated with bird tail feathers and a customer jokingly asks for ‘a glass of those cock tails’

1898 [109] Puerto Rico 1st becomes a US colony

1977 [30] Canada’s House of Commons is televised for the 1st time (are they supposed to have their heads down on the desks like that?)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1989 [18] ‘World’s Largest Cake’ weighs in at 128,238 lbs (Fort Payne AL, in celebration of its 100th birthday)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Evaluate Your Life Day
[Fri] “Search for the Next Great American Band“ debuts (FOX)
[Fri] “The Comebacks”; “Gone Baby Gone”; “Rendition”; “Sarah Landon & the Paranormal Hour”; “The Ten Commandments”; “Things We Lost in the Fire”; and “30 Days of Night” open in movie theaters
[Sat] Sweetest Day
[Sun] Babbling Day
[Sun] Reptile Day
This Week Is … Freedom From Bullies At Work Week (including the boss!)
This Month Is … Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month (unless you’re Ellen DeGeneres)

BULL’S BITS

MOST HORRIFYING FILMS:
Here’s a great little argument starter. Just in time for Halloween, a new ranking of the scariest movies ever made …
10. “28 Days Later” (2002)
9. “American Psycho” (2000)
8. “High Tension” (2003)
7. “Audition “(1999)
6. “Oldboy“ (2003)
5. “The Bad Seed“ (1956)
4. “Jacob’s Ladder “ (1990)
3. “What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?” (1962)
2. “Rosemary’s Baby“ (1968)
1. “The Shining“ (1980)
– Starpulse.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
If you could be married anywhere in the world, where would the wedding take place?

BS DILEMMAS:
• You’ve been looking for a personal Mp3 Player. On the street someone offers to sell you a new one for $10. Do you buy it?
• In a parking lot, you accidentally dent someone’s car door. Do you leave a note taking responsibility?
• You want to quit a job without notice but you need a good reference from your employer. Do you invent a family health emergency?
• You’re divorcing and must split your assets with your ex- who doesn’t know the true extent of your wealth. Do you disclose it?

BS WEB GOODIE:
Launched in 1995, QuitNet is the web’s original quit smoking site. It now uses the latest hi-tech to help smokers quit by providing them with encouraging messages on their cellphones, social networking sites, and other electronic devices.
NET: http://quitnet.com/

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Ya know, if you took an IQ test, the results would be negative.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: Women influence 80% of all new purchases of THESE.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Cars & trucks.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
You’re only young once, but you can be immature forever.