Tuesday, August 14, 2007        Edition: #3591
Here, Have Another Sheetload!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
TONIGHT *NSYNC alum Lance Bass joins the cast of “Hairspray” on Broadway, taking over the role of dance show host ‘Corny Collins’ (Broadway, the new home for has-beens) . . . Actors Jennifer Garner, Kevin Kline & Antonio Banderas are hoping to bring the French farce “Cyrano De Bergerac” to the Broadway stage, with Garner and Kline starring and Banderas investing (gotta do something with all that “Shrek” money!) . . . Former ABC correspondent John Miller (“20/20”), now assistant director of the FBI’s Office of Public Affairs, is behind “The FBI”, an upcoming new TV drama series based on actual FBI cases . . . Chris Noth will reprise his role as ‘Mr Big’ in the long-anticipated “Sex & the City” movie, rejoining former TV castmates Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon when shooting begins on the bigscreen rom-com in SEPTEMBER (‘Mr Big Wrinkles’ is now 50) . . . Kevin Federline was supposed to appear in Keanu Reeves’ new film “Watchmen” but it appears his role in a brief montage scene has been scrapped (he didn’t find out he was fired until he showed up for wardrobe call) . . . “Transformers” has become the 5th movie to earn over $600 million worldwide THIS YEAR (joining the sequels “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”, “Spider-Man 3”, “Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix”, and “Shrek the Third”) . . . And animal rights activists have launched a campaign to stop filming of the as-yet-untitled new ‘James Bond’ movie against the backdrop of the annual ‘Palio di Siena’, traditional horse races held in the central square of Siena, Italy which protestors call ‘a relic of medieval brutality’ to animals (the 246 humans shot to death in the scene are apparently no prob).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Beyoncé – She says she’s learned to be ‘photo-ready’ at all times. She always has 3 pairs of sunglasses and extra shoes on hand, in case she has to ‘elevate’ her outfit on short notice.
• Big & Rich – John Rich has listed his 2005 Corvette on eBay to raise money for Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville TN. Minimum bid: $50,000. The auction ends WEDNESDAY.
• Bob Marley – The late reggae star’s life and music will be the basis of a new stage musical that’s planned for debut in London’s West End.
• California Transit Authority – The rock-blues-jazz-fusion band that formed in 1967 and evolved into hit-making rock act Chicago is back, with the addition of some members from the Tower of Power. TODAY their new album “Full Circle” is released.
• Celine Dion – Timbaland, Ne-Yo, and R Kelly are said to be collaborating on writing and producing her next album.
• Dixie Chicks – Natalie Maines will play a prison nurse in the upcoming movie, “Stealing Cars”, which begins shooting in SEPTEMBER. She’s being tutored by her actor-husband Adrian Pasdar, who plays ‘Nathan Petrelli‘ on “Heroes” (NBC).
• Kenny Chesney – His recent concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough MA attracted just under 57,000 fans and grossed close to $4.5 million … huge numbers for a country act.
• Rolling Stones – The theatrical release of “Shine a Light”, Martin Scorsese’s documentary on the rock legends, has been pushed back 7 months to APRIL 2008. The film’s on schedule but more time was demanded for advance promotion.

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – The indie rockers do “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” (NBC).
• Def Leppard – They drop in on “Live With Regis & Kelly” (syndicated/CTV).
• “Dog the Bounty Hunter” – The 1-hour TV special “A Man Called Dog” (A&E) traces the tough life of Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman from prison inmate to legendary bounty hunter.
• Keane – The Brit band does the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CityTV).
• Mims – He’s the musical guest on the “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC/A Channel).
• Ne-Yo – He appears on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV).
• Satellite Party – Perry Farrell’s band is on “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC).
• Smashing Pumpkins – They perform on “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS).

TODAY’S VIDEO RELEASES:
• “Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters” ( Adult Animation ): Junk food trio ‘Frylock’, ‘Meatwad’ & ‘Master Shake’ use superpowers to battle an exercise machine that’s threatening the universe. Based on Cartoon Network’s “Adult Swim TV”, this is the movie promoted with the infamous ‘guerrilla marketing campaign’ involving blinking light devices that led to a major bomb threat security scare in Boston. The result: Cartoon Network’s chief resigned and a $2-million settlement was paid. Worst-named film of all-time?
• “Fracture” ( Crime Thriller ): Ryan Gosling (London/Cornwall ON) stars as an Assistant District Attorney locked in a battle of wits with a man who tried to kill his wife but was set free on a technicality. Co-stars Anthony Hopkins and David Strathairn (“Good Night, and Good Luck”).
• “The Lookout” ( Crime Thriller ): Joseph Gordon-Levitt portrays a once promising high school athlete whose sports career is ended by a tragic accident. He ends up taking a job as a bank janitor and gets caught up in a planned heist. Co-stars Jeff Daniels & Matthew Goode. Shot in Winnipeg & Hartney, Manitoba.
• “Vacancy” ( Horror Thriller ): Luke Wilson & Kate Beckinsale play a vacationing couple forced to check into a creepy motel room after their car breaks down. They soon discover they’re intended to become the unwitting stars of a soon-to-shoot slasher film.
• “Wild Hogs” ( Comedy Adventure ): Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence & John Travolta play a trio of middle-aged suburban wannabe bikers looking for adventure on the open road who encounter a real chapter of bikers called the ‘Del Fuegos’. The original script featured Hells Angels but was revised after the trademarked club sued Disney Co.
• Also out TODAY: “Charlie Chan Collection: Volume 3”; “Dynasty: The 2nd Season”; the documentary “Essential Directors: Martin Scorsese”; and “The Shakespeare Collection”.

AND WE REPEAT:
Ever hear of RAS syndrome (‘Redundant Acronym Syndrome’)? That describes the odd habit of following an acronym (such as ATM for ‘Automatic Teller Machine’) with one of the words that its initials stand for (as in ‘ATM machine’), a redundancy that’s becoming increasingly common in English usage. Other examples include the HIV virus (‘Human Immunodeficiency Virus virus’), PIN number (‘Personal Information Number number’), CNN network (‘Cable News Network network’) and ironically … RAS syndrome. (More info in tomorrow’s BS sheet.)
– “New Scientist“

BURIED IN MAIL:
1 in 3 office workers now suffers from ‘e-mail stress’, according to a new study at Glasgow University. In-boxes swamped with a never-ending stream of messages are causing employees to become less productive due to stress and frustration. Researchers admit e-mail can be an amazingly productive tool but say their study shows it’s simply gotten out of control. (Eliminate spam, stupid comments from co-workers, dumb memos and you’ll end up with … hey, none!)
– “GQ”

TOUGHEST RECORDS TO TOP:
Looking for a quick claim to fame? Try taking on one of the ‘Most Bizarre World Records’ …
5. ‘World’s Longest Fingernails’ (33 inches).
4. ‘World’s Longest Diary’ (35 million words).
3. ‘Most Body Piercings in One Sitting’ (1,016).
2. ‘World’s Largest Rubberband Ball’ (175,000 rubberbands weighing 4,594 lbs).
1. ‘World’s Longest Eyebrow’ (3.5 inches).
And if you’re really bored, try beating the record for typing out all the numbers from one to 1 million in words, which took the current record holder 16 years and 7 months to complete.
– Oddee.com

LATEST iPOD ACCESSORY:
New York University designer Andrew Schneider has just unveiled the ‘I-Bikini’, a swimsuit that charges your iPod using solar power. The bikini uses photovoltaic filmstrips sewn together with conductive thread. Just 2 hours of sunbathing is enough to charge an iPod shuffle. (We always get a charge out of a bikini!)
– “New York Times“

WINE WISDOM:
Wine expert Lettie Teague offers the following tips for reducing your wine bill in restaurants …
• Don’t drink the bubbly. Champagne is typically marked up more than any other wine.
• Order a half-bottle instead of a glass. Wines by the glass are the second-most-expensive category after Champagne. If you order a half-bottle, you’ll get more for your money.
• Pay attention to regions. Some excellent regional wines are currently undervalued. For instance, try white wine from Sardinia or Le Marche in Italy; Galicia or Rueda in Spain; or Loire or Gascogne in France. (Best way to save: BYOB … bring your own box.)
– “Food & Wine”

BS AMAZING FACTS:
• Not counting the ‘August break’ that he embarked upon last THURSDAY, President George W Bush has taken 418 vacation days. The late Ronald Reagan holds the record for the most vacation time taken by a president: 436 days. So, assuming he doesn’t cut his current vacation short, Bush will break Reagan’s record on this coming SUNDAY. (And he still has about 17 months to go in his presidency!)
– “Houston Chronicle”
• Czechs are not only the biggest beer drinkers in the world, they drink almost twice as much of it as bottled water: 157 liters of beer per person per year vs 87 liters of bottled water. (Canada ranks only 19th in beer consumption.)
– Earth Policy Institute
• As a baby name, ‘August’ ranks 618th in popularity. ‘April’ is 319th. ‘May’ hasn’t been in the top 1,000 since the 1950s or ‘June’ since the 1990s. (As a name, ‘February’ makes me shiver.)
– BabyNameWizard.com

SHE SAID IT:
 “When I get destructive I just need to spend time with my dad. Rehab is a cop-out.”
– Recently hospitalized Brit singer Amy Winehouse, who’s still saying “No, no, no” to rehab. In the meantime, she’s canceled THIS WEEK’s scheduled opening gig for the Rolling Stones in Germany.

HE SAID IT:
“We hope to be around, God willing, as long as the Eagles.”
– Backstreet Boys singer Howie Dorough. Is that some sort of threat?

BS CHRONOMETER 08.14.07

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1941 [66] David Crosby (Van Cortlandt), LA CA, classic rock musician (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young-“Woodstock”)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for the Byrds (1991) and Crosby, Stills & Nash (1997)/sperm-donor father of singer Melissa Etheridge’s 2 children  FACTOID: He’s canceled a performance set for THURSDAY at the Aspen Writers’ Foundation in Colorado due to health issues … an on-going problem for him of late.

1945 [62] Steve Martin, Waco TX, movie actor (“The Pink Panther”, “Cheaper by the Dozen”)/host who’s made the most appearances on “Saturday Night Live” (close to 30)/2-time Academy Awards emcee

1966 [41] Halle Berry, Cleveland OH, movie actress (“X-Men: The Last Stand”, 2002 Academy Award-Monster’s Ball”, 2000 Emmy Award-“Introducing Dorothy Dandridge”)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Creamsicle Day”, celebrating those ooey gooey, orange- or raspberry-flavored Popsicles with ice cream inside, an invention of Swedish-born entrepreneur Alexander Frehse in 1923.

• “Financial Awareness Day”, a day to add up all your assets and all your debts in order to get a clear picture of where you stand … just before declaring bankruptcy.

• “Husbands in Love Day”. You can bet it wasn’t a guy who thought this one up!

• “International Balloon Festival” through Sunday in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec. It’s Canada’s largest gathering of hot air balloons. Balloons are lit up during night flights, effectively turning them into giant Chinese lanterns.
NET: http://www.montgolfieres.com/en/index.asp

• “International Nagging Day”. If you have issues with someone, this is a good day to get them out of your system … over and over and over.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1981 [26] The BBC recording of “The Royal Wedding of Prince Charles & Lady Diana” reaches #1 on album charts in Britain (AUGUST 31st is the 10 anniversary of her death)

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1936 [71] 1st Olympic basketball game (USA defeats Canada 19-8 in Berlin, Germany)

1958 [49] 1st ‘Canadian Football League’ game is held in Winnipeg as the Blue Bombers defeat Edmonton Eskimos 29-21 (CFL is formed when ‘Canadian Football Council’ withdraws from ‘Canadian Rugby Union’ and renames itself)

1982 [25] Bill Neal becomes 1st to paddle a bathtub the 21 miles across the English Channel (in order to avoid being arrested by French authorities, he registers his tub with Lloyds of London as an ‘ocean-going craft’)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1976 [31] ‘Longest Softball Game’ begins in Monticello NY (Gager’s Diner eventually beats Bend’n Elbow Tavern 491-467 in 365 innings over 2 days in a charity fundraiser)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Relaxation Day
[Wed] Failures Day
[Thurs] 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death
[Fri] “High School Musical 2” airs (Disney Channel)
[Fri] Thriftshop Day
[Fri] “Death at a Funeral”; “The Invasion”; “The Last Legion”; Superbad” open in movie theaters
[Fri-Sept 3] Canadian National Exhibition (Toronto)
This Week Is … Smile Week
This Month Is … Get Ready for Kindergarten Month

BULL’S BITS

BS ‘BEAT THE TOASTER’:
Your contestant must come up with 10 words in 10 different categories beginning with the designated letter. Time’s up after 60 seconds, as announced by toaster SFX (NET: http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/soundfx/Household.shtml) …
CONTESTANT #1:
Using the initial letter ‘B’ name . . .
• A Breakfast Food
• Canadian Placename  • A Vacation Destination
• Something You Chew
• Summer Activity
• Girl’s Name
• Wild Animal
• Movie Title
• Something to Do with the Weather
• Article of Clothing
• A Rude Noise Your Body Makes

CONTESTANT #2:
Using the initial letter ‘T’ name . . .
• Something You Take Camping
• Famous Athlete
• Popsicle Flavor
• Excuse for Coming Home Late
• A Beach Accessory
• Kitchen Utensil
• Something That is Gooey
• Highlight of Your Vacation
• A Kind of Soup
• A Nasty Name You Call Someone

BS PHONE STARTER:
Which TV boss most closely resembles yours? In a new CareerBuilder.com poll, most respondents selected ‘Sam Malone’ from “Cheers” (‘fun’), followed by ‘Charlie’ from “Charlie’s Angels” (‘absentee’), “Judge Judy” (‘no nonsense’), “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell (‘judgmental’), and ‘Miranda Bailey’ of “Grey’s Anatomy” (‘tough but fair’) .

BS RANDOM JOKE:
The wife and I have a system for settling arguments … we just talk and talk until she’s right.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: A German researcher quoted in “Allure Magazine“ says he’s discovered that people with THIS trait get lucky more often.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Red hair.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Life’s too short for tight pants.