October 26, 2012

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Friday, October 26, 2012        Edition: #4855

Sheet Rocks!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Screen legend Elizabeth Taylor has surpassed Michael Jackson as ‘Highest-Earning Dead Celebrity’ in the latest “Forbes” ranking, pulling in $210 million in the past year, much of it from the auction of her jewelry (by comparison, that’s about 4 times what Elvis made) . . . A headline this week on pop culture website Gawker.com reads: “As Details Leak, It Becomes Apparent Jessica Biel Was Merely a Guest at Justin Timberlake’s Wedding to Himself” (anyone surprised?) . . . The late Whitney Houston’s ex, Bobby Brown, has been busted for DUI – again (nice to see rehab worked – for almost 2 months) . . . Jessica Simpson’s parents have just announced they’re getting a divorce as rumors circulate that 54-year-old papa Joe Simpson recently dropped the bomb on his unsuspecting family that he’s gay (buzz has it the former youth pastor and Baptist minister has a 20-something boy-toy) . . . “30 Rock” star Alec Baldwin’s accused stalker, Canadian actress Genevieve Sabourin, is refusing to lie low now that the actor is married, insisting she can prove she had a relationship with him with details like ‘a scar on his bikini line that is round’ (he wears a bikini?) . . . Who knows why but Lindsay Lohan live-tweeted this week’s presidential debate (and PBS didn’t carry that?!?!?) . . . And 70-year-old Hollywood veteran Harrison Ford has confirmed he’s undergone surgery to have a small non-cancerous lump removed from his nose (ew, well thanks for sharing that – and how’s the ol’ boil doing?).

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “All Access Nashville With Katie Couric – A Special Edition of 20/20” (ABC) – Tonight Taylor Swift (“Red”).
• “Katie” (syndicated) – Today Taylor Swift yet again.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Tonight Kimbra (“Vows”). Rerun.
• “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Tonight The XX (“XX”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/NTV/Omni1) – Tonight Diamond Rings (“Free Dimensional”).
• “Live With Kelly & Michael” (syndicated/CTV) – Today “X Factor” judge Adam Levine (Maroon 5).
• “Mockingbird Lane” (NBC) – Tonight the series premiere of a re-imagined, more drama-based version of vintage sitcom “The Munsters” (1964-66). Stars Portia de Rossi, Jerry O’Connell. In the opening episode, the ‘Munsters’ move into a Victorian mansion at 1313 Mockingbird Lane.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC/Global) – Rerun of the season opener with Seth MacFarlane (“Family Guy”) hosting; musical guest Frank Ocean (“Channel Orange”).
• “The Talk” (CBS) – Today Johnny Gill (“Still Winning”).
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC/CTV2) – Tonight Lyle Lovett (“Release Me”).
• “Voodoo Music Experience” (New Orleans) – The annual 3 day rock bash is headlinded by Jack White, Metallica (taking over from Green Day), Neil Young & Crazy Horse, and Skrillex.
NET: http://thevoodooexperience.com
• “World Series” (FOX) – Saturday Game 3 from Comerica Park in Detroit. Demi Lovato (“The X Factor”) sings the pre-game anthem. Sunday at Game 4, “New Girl” star Zooey Deschanel does the honors.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Amy Winehouse – “Amy”, a play based on the late singer’s life, is set to open in Copenhagen, Denmark in January. Written by a consortium of 11 Danes, it will depict her troubles with drugs and alcohol, and her marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil.
• Jason Aldean – His 5th studio album, “Night Train”, has debuted at #1 on the ‘Billboard 200’ chart, selling over 400,000 copies in its first week. It’s his first chart-topping album.
• Lady Gaga – Duke University botanists have named a new genus of fern after her, according to “NY Times”. The plant is found in Arizona, Texas, and Mexico, as well as Central & South America.
• Rod Stewart – He’s recorded a rock album for the first time since 2006, and says a Spring 2013 release is planned. His holiday album, “Merry Christmas, Baby”, is out October 30th.
• Rolling Stones – Today general admission tickets go on sale for their 50th anniversary concerts in Newark NJ December 13th and 15th. They’ll likely last only minutes … single-digit minutes. Word has it that guests like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck may participate in shows.
• Taylor Swift – With her first-week sales of “Red”, she’s on target to become the 1st female artist in Nielsen SoundScan history (post 1991) to have 2 albums sell more than a million units in a single week. “Speak Now” achieved that feat in 2010.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Chasing Mavericks” ( PG Sports Drama ): When young surfer Jay Moriarty discovers that the mythic ‘Mavericks’ surf break, one of the biggest waves on Earth, exists just miles from his California home, he enlists the help of a local legend to train him to survive it. Stars Jonny Weston, Gerard Butler, Elisabeth Shue. Based on a true story.
NET: http://www.livelikejay.com
• “Cloud Atlas” ( R-Rated Sci-Fi Mystery ): Hugh Grant plays a killer, Susan Sarandon plays a man, and Tom Hanks makes his most engaging starring-role choice in years in this exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present, and future. A bigscreen adaptation of David Mitchell’s celebrated science-fiction novel.
NET: http://cloudatlas.warnerbros.com
• “Fun Size” ( PG-13 Comedy ): A teenager’s Halloween plans go awry when she’s made to babysit her brother, who disappears into a sea of trick-or-treaters. With the help of her best friend, she needs to find him before her mom finds out he’s missing. Stars Victoria Justice, Johnny Knoxville, Chelsea Handler. Directed by “Gossip Girl” creator Josh Schwartz.
NET: http://www.paramount.com/funsize
• “Silent Hill: Revelation 3-D” ( R-Rated Horror Thriller ): When her father disappears, a teenage girl is drawn into a strange and terrifying alternate reality that holds answers to the horrific nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. Stars Sean Bean, Radha Mitchell, Carrie-Anne Moss. Sequel to the 2006 film based on a videogame.
NET: http://www.silenthill3d.com
• Opening in limited release: “The Loneliest Planet” (Thriller); “Pusher” (Crime Thriller); “The Zen of Bennett” (Music Documentary). Opening in UK theaters: the 23rd ‘Bond’ film, “Skyfall”.

CAT PREJUDICE?
University of California at Berkeley psychology researchers have surveyed close to 200 people to see if a cat’s appearance influences their judgement of its personality. Some of the results …
• Black Cats – Perhaps surprisingly, no traits stood out as being more commonly applied to them. They’re most often thought to be normal and average.
• Orange Cats – Respondents are more likely to attribute friendliness to them than other colors.
• Tortoiseshell Cats – Perceived as aloof and intolerant.
• White Cats – More likely than others to be seen as aloof, calm, and shy.
So why do we believe these things? It may be from media images; it may come from the experiences of cat owners. But researchers note that these perceptions actually matter to kitties’ well-being, since they could influence whether people adopt cats from shelters.
– Buzzfeed.com

WHY CAN’T WE BE FRIENDS?
Can heterosexual men and women ever be ‘just friends’? Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire say that – although men and women live, work, and play side-by-side, and generally seem to be able to avoid spontaneously sleeping together – this platonic co-existence may be a subconscious facade, an elaborate cover-up of sexual impulses bubbling just beneath the surface. A related study finds that it may depend on gender. Although women seem to be genuine in their belief that opposite-sex friendships are platonic, men seem unable to turn off their desire for something more.
– ScientificAmerican.com

TOO STUPID FOR US TO MAKE UP:
• Upton-by-Chester UK – Dutch biologist-turned-leadership-expert Patrick van Veen is using the Chester Zoo as the site of his new business management course. While squiring business people around the zoo, he points out primitive behaviors among monkeys and apes that he claims will help them understand their colleagues better. Van Veen says the idea was inspired by a previous boss … who reminded him of a gorilla.
– BBC News
• Syracuse NY – A 28-year-old bank robber is in jail, charged with grand larceny after he entered a bank, walked up to a teller, and demanded $20,000 in cash. As soon as the stick-up man left, the bank called 9-1-1 and police were dispatched. Solving the crime proved fairly easy. Shortly after he bolted, the perp discovered the teller had not given him the full amount, so he returned to the scene of the crime to demand the difference … just as officers were responding.
– Syracuse.com
• Vienna, Austria – Back in 1993, bank manager Otto Neuman hired a pair of thugs to steal $242,000 in cash, gold bars, and gold coins from his own branch. By the time cops caught up with them only $82,000 was left, which has been sitting at the Austrian Justice Ministry ever since. The bank doesn’t want it as its been fully reimbursed by insurance. So now, after 19 years, the money has been returned to Neuman … the very guy who arranged the heist.
– Orange.co.uk

BS AMAZING FACT:
There are 1,368 different wine grapes used commercially around-the-world.
– “Financial Times”

BS CHRONOMETER 10.26.12


TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1946 [66] Pat Sajak, Chicago IL, TV game show host (“Wheel of Fortune” since 1981)

1947 [65] Hillary Rodham Clinton, Park Ridge IL, US Secretary of State since 2009/US Senator (2001-08)/former First Lady (1992-2000)/Mrs Bill Clinton since 1975

1954 [58] James Pickens Jr, Cleveland OH, TV actor (‘Dr Richard Webber’ on “Grey’s Anatomy” since 2005)

1967 [45] Keith Urban, Whangarei, New Zealand, country singer (“Long Hot Summer”, You Look Good in My Shirt”)/wed to actress Nicole Kidman since 2006

1973 [39] Seth McFarlane, Kent CT, TV show runner-writer-actor (“Family Guy” since 1999, “American Dad!” since 2005, “The Cleveland Show” since 2009)/2013 Academy Awards host

SATURDAY –
Movie actor-comedian John Cleese (“Monty Python”) is 73; Rock bassist Garry Tallent (Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band) is 63; Oldies singer Simon LeBon (Duran Duran) is 54; Rock singer Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots) is 45; TV personality Kelly Osbourne (“Fashion Police”) is 28.

SUNDAY –
Microsoft billionaire/philanthropist Bill Gates is 57; Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is 56; TV personality Sheryl Underwood (“The Talk”) is 49; TV personality Andy Richter (“Conan”) is 46; Movie actress Julia Roberts (“Erin Brockovich”) is 45; Country singer Brad Paisley (“Remind Me”) is 40; Movie actor Joaquin Phoenix (“Walk the Line”) is 38; Pop-rock guitarist Dave Tirio (Plain White T’s) is 33; TV actor Nolan Gould (“Modern Family”) is 14.

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Bring Your Jack-o-Lantern to Work Day”, a day to show the boss what a punkin’ head you really are!
• “Eid al-Adha” (aka “Festival of Sacrifice” or “Greater Eid”) begins at sundown, an important 3-day religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide.
• “Frankenstein Friday”, honoring the ‘mother’ and ‘father’ of “Frankenstein” – spooky author Mary Shelly and creepy actor Boris Karloff. Darmstadt, Germany is home to the annual “Frankenstein Festival” this weekend. It’s the site of the actual ‘Frankenstein Castle’ that inspired Mary Shelley’s famous horror novel.
• “International Bandanna Day”, when we’re encouraged to wear a bandanna to show people living with cancer that they are supported and not alone. In many areas bandanas will be sold as a fundraiser. The initiative originated in Australia.
NET: http://www.canteen.org.au
• “International Red Cross Day”, in honor of its founding on this date in 1863 in Geneva, Switzerland.
• “Mincemeat Day”. Odds are you either love it or you can’t stand the stuff. Mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits, spices, and sometimes beef suet. Originally, mincemeat always contained meat; many modern recipes use vegetable shortening in its place.

SATURDAY –
• “Potato Day”, honoring the humble spud. What’s the best way to cook ‘em? Fries? Mashed? Baked? Au Gratin with Gruyere and Creme Fraiche?

SUNDAY –
• “Mother-In-Law Day”, the 10th annual salute to the old battle ax that’s celebrated on the 4th Sunday in October.
• “Plush Animal Lover’s Day”, a day to celebrate your stuffed animal collection. ‘Plush’ sounds so much more humane, no? Ask listeners what animals they have saved from their childhood, where they keep them … and what they do with them.

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2002 [10] Pop singer Jessica Simpson weds boy-band singer Nick Lachey (leading to MTV show “Newlyweds” and more fame & money than either deserves)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1975 [37] ‘Heimlich Maneuver’ 1st approved as aid for people choking on food (named for its developer, Dr Henry Heimlich)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1990 [22] 1st NHL hockey player to reach 2,000 career points (Wayne Gretzky, while playing for LA Kings)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Mon] Lung Health Day
[Mon] Cat Day
[Mon] Full ‘Hunters’ Moon
[Mon] Visit a Cemetery Day
[Tues] Create a Great Funeral Day
[Wed] Halloween
This Week Is … Prescription Errors Education & Awareness Week
This Month Is … Depression Education & Awareness Month

BULL’S BITS


BS THINGS EVERY MAN SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO:
According to one online list, every guy should be able to …
• Change a diaper so that the baby is cleaner and you are no dirtier than when you started.
• Cook one signature dish.
• Innocently flirt with a woman at least twice your age, without being disrespectful.
• Comfort a child when he/she is scared or hurting.
• Give a great compliment. Be specific, be sincere.
• Tell a joke that is clean and funny.
• Push-start a car with a manual transmission.
• Wash a load of white clothes without turning everything pink.
• Get a prostate exam without crying.
• Grow food. Because when the zombie apocalypse happens, you’re going to be hungry.
– Adapted from Patheos.com

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Eye of newt, toe of frog, and a side of fries, please.

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
Which is the cause of half of all diving accidents?
a. Slippery diving board.
b. Drinking and diving. [CORRECT]
c. No water in the pool.
– National Spa & Pool Institute

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ OMG, the Halloween party is tomorrow night! What’s your best tip for a last-minute costume?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 1-in-4 women have THIS in their purse right now.
Answer: Mints from a restaurant.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Ours is a world where people don’t know what they want and are willing to go through hell to get it.

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