Tuesday, October 16, 2007        Edition: #3634
Deja Moo!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Former “American Idol” contestant Corey Clark (the one who claimed he slept with Paula Abdul) has pleaded guilty to violating a court order by harassing his father-in-law, and now faces up to 2 years in prison & a $150,000-fine (soon he’ll be ‘Cellblock Idol’) . . . 68-year-old actor Ian McKellen says he’d be disappointed if he wasn’t asked to play ‘Gandalf’ in the upcoming film adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s novel “The Hobbit” as he did in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, even though Peter Jackson will not be directing (he originally threatened to back out without the “LOTR” director – then checked his bank account) . . . Movie actor Will Smith is developing a half-hour TV comedy series based on the movie “Hitch”, his 2005 matchmaking romantic comedy, which he’d produce but not star in . . . Actress Anne Heche says she’s never visited Alaska where “Men In Trees” is set, because the show is shot in Vancouver (which is exactly the same except for no snow, no sled dogs, no oil wells, and no cheap property) . . . 21-year-old Lindsay Lohan is reportedly broke after blowing over $7 million on her party lifestyle over the last few years (3 shots at rehab don’t come cheap either) . . . 76-year-old Regis Philbin will host an updated version of the classic TV game show “Password” (CBS), his first primetime gig since he hosted the 1st season of “America’s Got Talent” a year ago . . . And NEXT WEEK Jimmy Kimmel is going bicoastal – continuing to host his late-night “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in LA (ABC) while also subbing for vacationing Regis Philbin on “Live with Regis & Kelly” in NYC (syndicated/CTV), requiring a return cross-country flight every day for the week (by Wednesday, this guy’s gonna be babbling incoherently).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Bryan Adams – He’s been forced to scrap his “One Voice” peace concerts scheduled for THURSDAY in Israel that were designed to promote a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The official reason for cancellation: a ‘number of security alerts’. (Translation: nobody bought tickets.)
• Garth Brooks – Wife Trisha Yearwood will open for him at his upcoming 9 SRO shows in Kansas City that will draw circa 150,000 fans. Word is the NOVEMBER 14th concert will be taped for screening in some 300 theaters.
• Keith Urban – He’s in the recording studio putting the finishing touches on his greatest hits CD that’s due NOVEMBER 20th.
• Paul McCartney – He tells the “Observer” he didn’t want to be the bass player in The Beatles because he thought it was ‘the loser role’ in the group. The bassist, he claims, is usually ‘the fat guy who stands at the back’. (Mike Dirnt, Geddy Lee, and Flea are gonna be steamed!)
• The Police – Sting’s throat infection has caused 2 more show cancellations in Manchester UK THIS WEEK. Tour promoter LiveNation hopes to have a rescheduling announcement shortly.
• Red Hot Chili Peppers — Frontman Anthony Kiedis & his model girlfriend Heather Christie have named their first child ‘Everly Bear’. Why? Kiedis tells “People” magazine the Everly Brothers were one of his favorite recording acts.
• Rolling Stones – In a new memoir, Ron Wood says that at one point he was doing so much freebase coke that Keith Richards ‘turned into Mr Drug Enforcement Administration’ and pulled a .44 on him to make him quit. (Whoa, when Keith gets on your case, you KNOW you’ve been partying too much!)

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• AC/DC – “Plug Me In”, the ultimate career-spanning DVD box set of live performances is released TODAY. The double-DVD features 5 hours of concert & TV performances; a limited-edition version adds a third DVD with 21 extra live performances.
• Amy Grant – Mrs Vince Gill is a guest on “The View” (ABC/CTV).
• Angie Stone – The R&B singer/movie actress does both the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV) and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC) to promote her new album, “The Art of Love & War”, released TODAY.
• Aretha Franklin – TODAY the 2-disc “Aretha Franklin Collection” is released, featuring the Queen of Soul singing rarities, unreleased demos, out-takes, and B-sides.
• Neil Young – His new album “Chrome Dreams II” is released, featuring 7 new songs & 3 oldies. The disc’s title comes from the intended name of a 30-year-old shelved album, which was scrapped in 1977 for unknown reasons. Select retailers will offer a bonus CD, “Live at the Riverboat”, one of his first-ever recordings from a week’s-worth of concerts in Toronto, shortly after Buffalo Springfield split.
• PJ Harvey – The Brit singer-songwriter performs on the “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC).
• Ricky Martin – The Latin/pop singer & wannabe activist gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Coincidentally he’s releasing the new CD/DVD “Ricky Martin Live – Black & White Tour” NOVEMBER 6th.

TODAY’S VIDEO RELEASES:
• “Believers” ( Straight-to-DVD Horror Thriller ): Two doctors responding to an emergency call find themselves kidnapped by a religious sect whose great obsession is to stop the end of the world by committing suicide and killing people. No-name cast.
• “The Hoax” ( Drama ): Richard Gere stars as real-life author Clifford Irving, who sold a bogus biography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes to a top publishing house in the early 1970s. Eventual exposure of the hoax caused a fantastic media frenzy.
• “The Invisible” ( Mystery Thriller ): Nanaimo BC-born actor Justin Chatwin stars as an average, ordinary teen who is brutally attacked by a mysterious assailant and left for dead. With his soul caught between the afterlife and the living world, he must solve the mystery of what happened before he becomes fully deceased. Filmed in Vancouver & Burnaby BC.
• “A Mighty Heart” ( Drama ): Based on the true story of “Wall Street Journal” reporter Daniel Pearl, who was abducted by terrorists in Karachi, Pakistan in 2002. Angelina Jolie stars as his wife Mariane, who rushes overseas to find him when she hears the news. Alas, she never does. Co-stars Dan Futterman & Irfan Khan. Shot in Pakistan, France, and India.
• “Return to House on Haunted Hill” ( Straight-to-DVD Horror Thriller ): Several people try to last a night in a haunted house in order to retrieve the cursed statue of ‘Baphomet’, a relic worth millions. No-name cast. Shot entirely in Bulgaria.
• “Transformers” ( Action Adventure ): A live-action adaptation of the ’80s cartoon show about duelling groups of robots (the heroic ‘Autobots’ and the evil ‘Decepticons’) with the power to transform into cars, jets, helicopters, motorcycles, etc. Stars Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson & a bunch of really big machines. Packaged as a ‘Two-Disc Special Edition’.
• Also released TODAY: “Absolutely Fabulous: White Box”; “Amityville Collection Triple Feature”; “The Jazz Singer (80th Anniversary Collector’s Edition)“; “MacGyver: The Complete Series”; “Medium: Seasons 1-3“; and “Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip: The Complete Series”.

NEW BS GADGETS & GIZMOS:
• For the “Star Wars” geek who has almost everything, a Japanese company has created an ‘R2-D2′ pepper mill. Simply twist the dome which is the cute little robot’s head and freshly-ground pepper comes out of his bottom. The cost … about $19. But where’s the C-3PO salt shaker?
• The new “Diet Fork” is designed to make it so cumbersome to ingest food that you will eat less and automatically lose weight. The utensil’s shorter, dulled tines stop you from spearing large pieces of food. It also has a smaller surface area forcing you to eat smaller bites, and it’s cleverly designed with an uncomfortable grip which compels you to put it down between bites. Wow! Only $8.95
NET: http://dietfork.com/

BOY, AM I HUNGRY!
Women pregnant with boys tend to eat 10% more calories a day than those carrying girls. But a recent study published in the “British Medical Journal” suggests that the amount of weight those mothers gain during pregnancy doesn’t differ significantly. Why? There may be a chemical communication between mother and fetus so males can grow faster than females. (“Urgent! Urgent! Send more ice cream and pickles down the tube!”)
– PA News

FROM THE BS POLL VAULT:
A statistical breakdown of life by the numbers …
• 72% of consumers are less likely to buy a car if they don’t like its name.
• 70% of women like to hold hands with their mate in public … but only 20% of guys.
• 67% of men say they’d be willing to take a male contraceptive pill if they had access to one.
• 27% of female lottery winners say that when they found out they won, they hid their ticket in their bra.
• 10% of us have bought a new outfit, fully planning to return it after wearing it only once.
• 3% of superstitious football fans believe that if they DON’T watch the game, their team will win.

THE BENEFITS OF GETTING LUCKY:
A review of scientific studies from around-the-world finds there are many other benefits to sex besides the fact that it feels good. Among them ….
• Weight loss, overall fitness.
• Reduced depression.
• Pain relief.
• Less frequent colds and flu.
• Better bladder control.
• Improved sense of smell.
• Reduced risk of heart disease.
• Reduced chances of prostate cancer.
– “Forbes Magazine”

BS AMAZING FACT:
Most atoms were made a few minutes after the birth of the universe. 1% of the hiss you hear on the radio when it’s not locked on a station is the echo of the ‘Big Bang’.
– “Focus Magazine”

BS CHRONOMETER 10.16.07

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1941 [66] Tim McCarver, Memphis TN, FOX-TV Major League Baseball analyst (Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Indians ALCS)/ex-MLB catcher (played in the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70s & ‘80s)

1947 [60] Bob Weir, San Francisco CA, classic rock guitarist (Grateful Dead-“Touch of Grey”)

1958 [49] Tim Robbins, West Covina CA, movie actor (2004 Oscar-“Mystic River”, “Shawshank Redemption”)/movie director (“Dead Man Walking”)/Susan Sarandon’s partner since 1988

1962 [45] Flea (Michael Balzary), Melbourne, Australia, rock bassist (Red Hot Chili Peppers-“Dani California”, “Californication”)  FACTOID: He got his nickname because he shaved his head in high school, making him ‘bald as a flea’.

1974 [33] Paul Kariya, Vancouver BC, NHL winger (St Louis Blues)

1977 [30] John Mayer, Bridgeport CT, pop singer/songwriter (“Waiting On the World to Change”, 2003 Grammy Award-“Your Body Is A Wonderland”)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Bosses Day”, an observance since 1958 in which employees are encouraged to ‘honor the boss with a small gift or greeting card’ (aka ‘Brown Nosers Day’). What makes a good boss? Attributes most people select in a recent poll: fair, honest, understanding, approachable, a good communicator. Among employees who consider their bosses to be ‘abusive’, 30% confess to having ‘slowed down or purposely made errors’ on the job, according to another new poll.

• “Dictionary Day”, celebrating the 1758 birth of Noah Webster, one of the most famous of lexicographers, who 1st published “Webster’s Dictionary” in 1828.

• “World Food Day”, declared annually by the United Nations. This year’s theme: ‘he Right to Food’.
NET: http://www.fao.org/wfd2007/index_wfd2007.html

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1846 [161] 1st public demonstration of ‘Surgical Anesthesia’ (early anesthetics include ether, hashish, opium, and alcohol)

1916 [91] 1st ‘Birth Control Clinic’ in America is opened by Margaret Sanger in Brooklyn NY

1921 [86] 1st (and only) mid-game NFL coaching change (Rock Island Independents fire Frank Coughlin at half-time)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1968 [39] Toronto Maple Leaf Jim Dorey sets 2 NHL penalty records (48 minutes in a game, 44 minutes in a period)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Gaudy Day
[Wed] London Film Festival opens
[Thurs] Persons Day (Canada)
[Thurs] No Beard Day
[Thurs] Ozzy Osbourne-Rob Zombie tour begins (Seattle)
[Fri] Evaluate Your Life Day
[Fri] “Search for the Next Great American Band“ debuts (FOX)
This Week Is . . . Teen Read Week
This Month Is . . . Pasta Month

BULL’S BITS

MORE BS QUESTIONS PLAGUING HUMANITY:
• If white wine goes with fish, do white grapes go with sushi?
• Just before someone gets nervous, do they experience cocoons in their stomach?
• When your pet bird sees you reading the newspaper, does it wonder why you’re just sitting there, staring at the carpeting?
• If you jog backwards do you gain weight?
• If you lick the air, does it get wet?

BS PHONE STARTER:
It used to be mostly car dealers who took the rap for shady dealing and tacking on all kinds of extra charges to the final price. But nowadays, lots of businesses are run that way. What have you purchased lately that ticked you off when you got to the bottom line? (Vacation package? Cellphone service? Escort service?)

BS “DICTIONARY DAY” QUIZ:
Your phone contestant must guess which definition best describes the following words …
• Your ‘tragus’ [‘TRAY-guss’] is extremely itchy. What is it?
a. A rare breed of hairless cat.
b. The inside of your eyelid.
c. That hard little bump of skin between your face and your ear opening. [CORRECT]

• While travelling, you hear a local exclaim ‘unco’! [‘UNG-ko’]. What’s up?
a. An Irishman thinks he’s been ripped off in a shady deal.
b. A Scotsman has noticed something remarkable. [CORRECT]
c. An Australian is cheering on his favorite Aussie Rules Football team.

• You’ve witnessed a ‘punaluan’ [‘pun-al-YOU-un’]. What happened?
a. A number of sisters wed a number of brothers in the same ceremony. [CORRECT]
b. A fishing derby where the participants competed barehanded.
c. A herd of elephants has stampeded.

TRUTH OR BS:
Are the following statements true or just a load of hooey?
• The original inspiration for ‘Barbie’ dolls came from dolls developed by German propagandists in the late 1930s to impress young girls with the ideal notions of Aryan features. [BS]
• When baseball was first played, teams had a second catcher behind the regular catcher whose job was to field foul balls. [TRUE]
• The world’s smartest pig, owned by a math teacher in Madison WI, memorized the multiplication tables up to 12. [BS]
• The band Pearl Jam is named for lead singer Eddie Vedder’s grandmother. [TRUE]
• The name ‘bobsledding’ comes from the early belief that if the sledders bobbed their heads back and forth, it would help increase their speed. [Dumb … but TRUE.]

BS RANDOM JOKE:
The world is divided up into 2 groups of people … those who think the world is divided up into 2 groups of people and those who do not.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: The first-ever ready mix food was THIS.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Pancakes.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
In our struggle to understand physics, the microwave oven is a consolation prize.