Thursday, October 21, 2010        Edition: #4369
Bullseye!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
“Glee” stars Lea Michele (‘Rachel’) and Dianna Argon (‘Quinn’) have posed provocatively semi-attired for November’s “GQ” magazine (Lea sucking a lollipop and straddling a bench – in her underwear), alongside a fully-clothed ‘Finn’, Cory Monteith (now is that fair?) . . . 23-year-old actress/singer Hilary Duff is already planning to write a 2nd novel, despite only releasing her debut, “Elixir”, earlier this month (because no one’s asking her to act or sing anymore) . . . That 33-year-old Bronx man who rushed the field at NY’s Yankee Stadium on Monday night apparently wanted to confront Yankees star Alex Rodriguez about his relationship with actress Cameron Diaz (“NY Post” reports he was carrying a photo of A-Rod with a gun pointed at his head and the message: “You have to go bud, you’ve ruined too many of our white queens”) . . . 38-year-old actress Gwyneth Paltrow (“Iron Man” films) tells “Access Hollywood” there’s still a ‘casting couch culture’ in Hollywood and she fears many young women are being exploited as they attempt to carve out a show biz career (Quote: “It’s important to know who you are and how to tell someone to f– off”) . . . Now that Willow Smith’s video for “Whip My Hair” is out, the 9-year-old daughter of Will Smith has her sights set on a collaboration with Lady Gaga (yeah, like Lady G needs ya, kid) . . . 50-year-old action movie veteran Jean-Claude Van Damme is recuperating in his native Belgium after suffering a minor heart attack last week in New Orleans (production on his new movie “Weapon” is on hold) . . . 36-year-old Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank walked the red carpet at “Elle” magazine’s ‘Women in Hollywood Tribute’ in a glamorous gold dress, while showing off a non-camera-friendly thatch of underarm hair (she’s growing it for a role in “Rise Of the Apes”?) . . . And “Now” magazine reports that actress Jennifer Aniston’s 15-year-old dog ‘Norman’ is being treated by a dog therapist – for depression (because every time he finally gets a ‘daddy’ the guy disappears after a few months and ‘mommy’ ends up crying).

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “A Celebration of Paul Newman’s Hole In the Wall Camps” (NYC) – This  Lincoln Center salute to the late actor’s kids charity features performances by Emmylou Harris, John Mellencamp, Lyle Lovett, and Stevie Wonder, as well as by the campers themselves.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/2b934yr
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/A Channel) – Kellie Pickler (“Kellie Pickler”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Rod Stewart (“Fly Me To the Moon: The Great American Songbook Volume V”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Japandroids (“Post-Nothing”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni) – NERD (“Nothing”, coming November 2nd).
• “Live With Regis & Kelly” (syndicated/CTV) – Dierks Bentley (“Up On the Ridge”).
• “Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Concert for Autism Education” (Comedy Central/Comedy Network) – Jon Stewart hosts this pre-taped fundraiser for autism charities from NYC’s Beacon Theatre. Performers include Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, Ricky Gervais, Sacha Baron Cohen, Will Ferrell, and many others.
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC/A Channel) –  Tommy Lee (Motley Crue).
• “The View” (ABC/CTV) – Elton John, Leon Russell & T Bone Burnett (“The Union”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Elton John – His elderly mother, Sheila Farebrother, has auctioned off her collection of Elton memorabilia in order to downsize to a smaller home. Among the items sold: 100 Gold and Platinum discs, tour jackets, and backstage passes. Her total take … about $39,000. (That’s it?)
• Guns ‘N Roses – Their UK tour has been less than stellar. They’re already facing a $108,000-fine for breaking curfew at London’s O2 Arena last week; then this week they were booed in Manchester for showing up 90 minutes late. They were also forced offstage in Ireland recently after the irritated audience pelted them with bottles.
• Justin Timberlake – His annual charity golf tournament benefiting Shriners Hospitals tees off today through Sunday in Las Vegas.
• Katy Perry – She’s tweeted a request for ‘respect and privacy’ during her upcoming wedding to comedian/actor Russell Brand, thought to be taking place this Saturday in Jaipur, India. (You’ve been blathering about it for months … now you want ‘privacy’?)
• Kenny Chesney – His high school football documentary, “Boys of Fall”, will be released on DVD exclusively at Walmart stores on November 9th.
• Red Hot Chili Peppers – Drummer Chad Smith tells MusicRadar.com they’ve tracked about 20 songs already for their next album and there’s a few more left to do. Then they’ll whittle them down to make the best record possible. (An interesting insight into their methodology.)
• U2 – Manager Paul McGuinness tells the “Irish Times” that the band could put out a new studio album in early 2011 before the next US leg of the “U2 360” tour, which starts in May.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Cleopatra” – 56-year-old producer/director James Cameron (“Avatar”, “Titanic”) has been in discussions with Sony Pictures about making a 3-D movie about the legendary Egyptian ruler, with Angelina Jolie attached to star. The pic is still in development, although it’s tentatively scheduled to shoot in 2011. The 1963 version starring Elizabeth Taylor was a massive flop.
• “The Crow” – 39-year-old actor Mark Wahlberg is in negotiations to star in a remake of the 1994 fantasy thriller about a man who is brutally murdered and returns to life as an undead killer intent on avenging his death. The original film starred the late Brandon Lee. The remake is being directed by “Blade” filmmaker Stephen Norrington and written by musician Nick Cave.
• “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” – 25-year-old Rooney Mara, the actress playing computer hacker ‘Lisbeth Salander’ in the English-language version of Stieg Larsson’s novel, has changed her appearance dramatically for the role. Director David Fincher has had her bleach her eyebrows, dye her hair jet black, and even pierce her nipples for a topless scene. Ouch!
• “Goon” – Actor Liev Schreiber has signed on for this indie hockey comedy, playing tough guy ‘Ross Reardon’. He joins a cast that includes Seann William Scott (“American Pie” films) and Jay Baruchel (“Knocked Up”). The movie, loosely based on the book “Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey Into Minor League Hockey”, began shooting in Winnipeg MB this week.
• “Jackie” – Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz (“The Constant Gardener”) will play former US First Lady Jackie Kennedy in this bio-film set in the days after president John F Kennedy’s assassination. The film is being directed by Weisz’s real-life partner Darren Aronofsky. The target release date is sometime in 2012.

TOO STUPID FOR US TO MAKE UP:
• Israeli cops have caught a speeder after his friends posted a video on Facebook of him doing 160 mph (258 km/hr). It also showed his idiot pals encouraging him to go even faster. That’s why they were charged with … ‘encouraging a crime’.
– MSNBC.com
• A bank in Vietnam is giving free beer to customers who deposit money there. The country’s banks are fiercely competing for new deposits, giving away gifts ranging from European tours to cars, crash helmets, and … blood-pressure monitors.
– NYPost.com
• Professor Borut Povse of Slovenia’s University of Ljubljana is looking for volunteers in his robotics lab. He’s trying to teach bots to have empathy toward people, one lesson being the human threshold for pain. So he’s created a robot that does nothing but … punch people.
– Sci-Tech-Today.com
• Stephen Hirst of northern England suffered earaches for more 33 years and no one knew why until a nurse trying to clean out his ear recently found … a tooth inside. It’s a total mystery how it got there. Everyone has an eyetooth but this guy had an ‘ear tooth’!
– Mirror.co.uk

NOW ON TAP:
Something new is on the menu at a renovated Starbucks in Seattle WA … booze! The store that reopened this Monday is the first under the Starbucks brandname to offer alcohol. Craft beer and local wines now go on sale after 4 pm daily. The company says the idea is to offer drinks and a wider variety of savory foods that will attract customers after the morning espresso rush. (You want a mug of draft? That’d be a ‘Grande Blended Frappé Malt Refresher’ … for about 15 bucks.)
– Associated Press

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

DID YOU KNOW?
• 86 people have been accidentally killed by badly trained acupuncturists over the past 45 years, according to Britain’s leading expert on alternative medicine.
– TheGuardian.co.uk
• Germany’s laws on drinking and bicycling are tough! Last year a drunken student cycling home from a party was fined $700 and banned from riding on German streets … for 15 years.
– TheDailyBeast.com

BS CHRONOMETER 10.21.10

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1942 [68] Judy Sheindlin, Brooklyn NY, TV judge (“Judge Judy” since 1996)  BS FACTOID: “Judge Judy” defeated “Oprah” in the ratings last season to become the #1 daytime TV series.

1956 [54] Carrie Fisher, Beverly Hills CA, movie actress (‘Princess Leia’ in original “Star Wars” trilogy)/author (“Postcards From the Edge”)/screenwriter (“The Wedding Singer”)

1978 [32] Michael McMillian, Olathe KS, TV actor (Steve Newlin’ on “True Blood” since 2008)

1980 [30] Kim Kardashian, Los Angeles CA, socialite/apparel retailer/TV personality (“Keeping Up With the Kardashians” since 2007, “Dancing With the Stars” 2008)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Babbling Day”, a day of tolerance for those who run off at the mouth … unless they’re on-the-air. Radio rule #1: ‘Tis better to be brief than boring.

• “International Credit Union Day”, celebrating the banking alternative that’s attracted 186 million users worldwide. The idea of a credit union is that any earnings by the institution are returned to members in the form of dividends and/or better rates on loans and savings.
NET: http://www.cuna.org/finlit/icuday_index.html

• “International Day Of the Nacho”, celebrating the popular snack food that originated in Mexico. First created circa 1943 by Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Anaya while working at a restaurant called the Victory Club in Piedras Negras, the original nachos consisted of fried tortilla chips covered with melted cheese and jalapeno peppers.

• “Overseas Chinese Day”, an annual observation by Chinese ex-pats and those of Chinese descent when thousands return to their homeland for special celebrations. The country with the most overseas Chinese is Indonesia, with over 7.7 million; just ahead of Malaysia, with 7.6 million. The USA has 3.8 million; Canada 1.3 million.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1964 [46] Movie classic “My Fair Lady”, starring Audrey Hepburn & Rex Harrison, premieres at NYC’s Criterion Theater

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1992 [18] Elvis Presley’s grandson is born to Lisa Marie & Danny Keough (a month later they name him ‘Benjamin Storm’)

1997 [13] Elton John’s tribute to Princess Diana, “Candle In the Wind 1997”, is declared the ‘Largest-Selling Single Record’ of all-time by the “Guinness Book of Records” after it surpasses Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” by selling 31.8 million copies

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1849 [161] 1st ‘Tattooed Man’, James O’Connell, is put on exhibition at NYC’s Franklin Theater

1879 [131] 1st practical ‘Electric Light Bulb’ is demonstrated by Thomas Edison (before that, what appeared over peoples’ heads when they had an idea?)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1998 [12] NY Yankees set a Major League Baseball record of 125 victories for the regular and post season combined

COMING UP . . .
[Fri] Full ‘Hunters’ Moon
[Fri] CAPS LOCKS Day
[Fri] “Hereafter”; “Paranormal Activity 2” open in movie theaters
[Sat] “Back To the Future” re-release in theaters
[Sat] iPod Day
[Sun] United Nations Day
[Sun] Mother-in-Law Day
This Week Is … YMCA Teen Week
This Month Is … International Doll Collectors Month

BULL’S BITS

BS SIGNS YOU’RE A UNIVERSITY STUDENT:
• Your GPA is lower than your blood alcohol level.
• You’ve actually cooked mac & cheese on a radiator and made a grilled cheese sandwich with an iron.
• Your living room ‘coffee & end table set’ has matching Coors logos.
• Your phone is worth more than your car.
• Going to the library is a social event.
• You wear flip-flops in the shower to avoid the mysterious creeping crud.
• The best thing in your refrigerator is a week-old pizza and it’s starting to look really, really good.
• You’d rather eat off a piece of paper than wash your dirty dishes.
• You have a pile of dirty clothes, a pile of once-used but not quite dirty clothes, and a pile of clothes used more than once that could be worn a couple more times without smelling too bad.
• You’re planning on trick-or-treating … for food.

BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s the funniest-sounding word in the English language? (A few we like: banana, cockamamie, codswallop, hornswoggle, kerfuffle, nincompoop, snollygoster.)

BS RANDOM JOKE:
If it screams, it’s not food … yet.

TRUTH OR BS?
Some of the following statements are totally true, some are total BS. Which are which?
• A common housefly can process visual information 10 times faster than a human. [True, explaining why they’re so hard to swat.]
• In Sweden, its against the law to train a seal to balance a ball on its nose. [True. It’s considered an unnatural behavior.]
• The national bird of India is the Ruby Chested Yellow Parrot. [BS. It’s the peacock.]
• The world’s largest circulation newspaper is the “New York Times”. [BS. It’s the Japanese paper “Yomiuri Shimbun”, selling 15 million copies.]
• Tarantula spiders are edible. [True. But their little legs get stuck between your teeth.]
• If you walk twice as fast, you’ll burn more than twice as many calories. [True, but your dog will strangle!]

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: You may not realize that you’re doing it, but apparently the average person does THIS 5 times an hour.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Plays with their nose. (A University of California at Berkeley study has  found that the average person picks or plays with their nose that often, possibly as an evolutionary form of grooming or hygiene. You just scratched it … didn’t you?)

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
People should be measured in feats, not feet.