Wednesday, December 21, 2005 Edition: #3185
Jingle Bull … Jingle Bull …
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
TONIGHT Martha Stewart chooses her protégé on the 2-hour season (and series) finalé of NBC-TV’s “The Apprentice: Martha Stewart” – either NYC chef Bethenny or Florida magazine publisher Dawna . . . TONIGHT Jamie Lee Curtis hosts the 7th annual “A Home For the Holidays” TV special on CBS to raise awareness for adoption, featuring Mary J Blige, Sheryl Crow, Goo Goo Dolls, Toni Braxton & others . . . TONIGHT Bravo-TV’s reality show “Being Bobby Brown” is coming back, but only for a half-hour holiday special titled “Christmas With the Browns” . . . Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has banned all Western music from the country’s radio & TV stations (music from the West – not C&W) . . . Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron has reportedly turned down the chance to play a ‘Bond girl’ in the upcoming movie “Casino Royale” (as Angelina Jolie & Scarlett Johansson also did), leaving producers just a month to find a female co-star (suggestions anyone?) . . . Britney Spears has filed a $20-million lawsuit against “Us Weekly” for allegedly fabricating a story about her & hubby K-Fed making an X-rated videotape, but get ready for a fight – a spokeswoman for the mag says they have a credible source and are standing by the story (at least until sales level off again) . . . Actresses Cameron Diaz & Kate Winslet are set to go backpacking in India in the new year, partly as research for their upcoming movie “Holiday”, and partly for fun . . . And who’s got more moolah to divvy up in the divorce, Jessica Simpson or Nick Lachey? When they wed in 2002, he was the successful one with the bigger bank balance due to his stint with 98 Degrees, but Jessica has since become enormously wealthy from her film & singing career and is now estimated to be worth about $54million – which would be split evenly under California law if there’s no pre-nup in place (ouch!).
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Avril Lavigne – She’s working on her first movie role, a small part in the Richard Gere-Claire Danes drama “The Flock”, now shooting in New Mexico.
• Elton John – TODAY he & 12-year partner David Furnish wed in Windsor UK, thanks to the new British law allowing ‘civil partnerships’. The small ceremony at the local Guildhall (where Prince Charles & Camilla wed) will include only their parents. However, the after-party promises to be lavish, with some 650 guests, but still private (they turned down a $10-million offer for video footage). Now here’s a point of etiquette – as Elton is knighted and carries the title ‘Sir’, what should Furnish be called after they wed? Traditionally, a knight’s partner is known by the title ‘Lady’.
• Jo Dee Messina – TODAY she guests on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show”.
• Moby – He’s set to become the first recording star to go into space, booking a $200,000 seat on one of Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space flights scheduled for sometime in 2010.
• Rob Thomas – TODAY he’s on NBC-TV’s “Today Show”.
• Van Halen – A bluegrass tribute to the classic rockers called “Strummin’ With the Devil” will be released in MARCH. Among the tracks: former lead singer David Lee Roth on new versions of “Jump” and “Jamie’s Cryin’” recorded with the John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band, as well as bluegrass versions of “Hot for Teacher” and “Runnin’ With the Devil”.
TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Cheaper by the Dozen 2″ ( PG Family Comedy ): Steve Martin & Bonnie Hunt return as heads of the ‘Baker’ family who, while on vacation, find themselves in competition with a rival family of 8 children, headed by Eugene Levy. Hilary Duff co-stars as one of the ‘Baker’ kids. A sequel to the 2003 film, and awfully similar to the remake of “Yours Mine & Ours” which just opened NOVEMBER 23rd. Some scenes shot in Toronto, Guelph, and Aurora ON.
NET: http://www.cheaperbythedozen2movie.com/
• “Fun With Dick & Jane” ( PG-13 Crime Comedy ): Jim Carrey & Téa Leoni play well-to-do married couple ‘Dick & Jane Harper’ who find themselves unemployed and in-the-red. In order to make ends meet, they resort to armed robbery. A remake of the 1977 film which starred George Segal & Jane Fonda. In this update, Cameron Diaz was set to play ‘Jane’, but bowed out shortly before production began.
NET: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/funwithdickandjane/
CUTTING EDGE VOCAB:
• ‘Domainer’ – A person who makes a living from Internet domain name speculation or by purchasing popular domain names and filling the sites with advertising.
• ‘Parkour’ – A new sport in which participants run, climb, and leap over urban structures. Competitors are known as ‘parkourists’ or ‘traceurs’.
• ‘Pinky’ – A new drug concoction heavily laced with methamphetamine that terrorist groups in Iraq are reportedly using to get psyched up for battle. It’s said to make users feel ‘invincible’.
BS AMAZING FACT:
Your hair grows slower in the winter than it does in the summer, thanks to hormones called androgens.
CHOCOLATE IS GOOD FOR YOU:
Now you have another excuse to indulge over the festive season: dark chocolate cuts the risk of heart disease, according to researchers at University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland. The study of male smokers, who are at greater risk of developing the disease, reveals that dark chocolate improves blood flow in the arteries. (As well as the mood of wives.)
– “Science”
HE SAID IT:
”Abstinence doesn’t require as much self-discipline anymore. We never had any serious groupies, anyway. Our generation got screwed.”
– Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo, telling “Blender” magazine why he’s gone 6 months beyond his 2-year vow of celibacy.
SHE SAID IT:
“I don’t [expletive] belong here! Why don’t you just put a gun to my head and shoot me! You’ve already taken my freedom! You might as well take my life too!”
– “Lost” actress Michelle Rodriguez after being pulled over in Hawaii for DUI earlier THIS MONTH. The arresting officer describes her as ‘very argumentative’ at the time.
HACK IN THE BOX:
Hackers claim to have cracked the software that’s loaded into the Xbox 360. A group called ‘Team PI Coder’ has posted details on how to extract the source files for the system on the Internet along with an ‘extractor tool’ that can be used to copy games. Microsoft has insisted that the console, which have caused a rampage in stores since its launch, is well-protected. (This kind of thing never happened back in the day when the hot game was “Clue”.)
– “GQ”
HOLIDAY HANGOVER HINTS:
• Drink lots of vegetable or fruit juice containing fructose, which speeds up the breakdown of alcohol.
– “Before You Call the Doctor”
• Place a cold compress on your forehead and put your feet in a tub of hot water.
– Cathy Rogers, Naturopathic Practitioner in Seattle WA.
• Take 2 tablets of activated charcoal before bedtime.
– UCLA Medical Research
BARBIE TORTURE COMMON:
Researchers at the UK’s University of Bath have found that young girls perceive ‘Barbie’ torture as a legitimate play activity. The types of mutilation are said to be varied and creative, ranging from removing hair to decapitation, burning, even microwaving. The study on the impact of brand names unexpectedly found that ‘Barbie’ provoked the strongest reaction. Part of the negativity seems to be that as girls age they perceive the doll as ‘babyish’, representing their childhood from which they feel they have grown. Destroying the dolls is seen as a sort of rite of passage. (When it comes to doll torture, girls have nothing on their brothers.)
– AP
MOST TRUSTWORTHY COMPANIES:
According to the newly-released ‘2005 Corporate Reputation Survey’ …
3. Google
2. Coca-Cola
1. Johnson & Johnson
LEAST TRUSTWORTHY COMPANIES:
3. MCI
2. Halliburton
1. Enron
– CNN Money
ANOTHER URBAN MYTH SHATTERED:
New AAA research suggests that, contrary to popular belief, men are just as likely as women to ask for driving directions. The study shows that men get lost and seek help at about the same rate as women and there is no real difference in either gender’s likelihood to get lost when traveling together. Stats show that men who are lost stop to ask for directions about 34% of the time and women around 37% of the time, figures that researchers say are too close to label as any real difference. And check this out – a related study finds that 78% of the time when couples travel together, men do the driving. (Is that chauvinism … or just safety?)
– “Business Wire”
DID YOU KNOW?
A British sleep expert has testified in court that as many as 2.5% of adults sleepwalk and of those that do, 4% carry out sexual acts in the process. (Yeah, I was married to her.)
IN SEARCH OF COMPETITION:
The Japanese government is spending over $800 million to create a search engine that will rival Google and Yahoo!. Over 20 companies including heavyweights Hitachi and Panasonic have already signed on to the 3-year-project which aims to develop the ultimate Web navigational tool. (Mainly due to the Japanese having difficulty saying the word Google.)
– “Wired”
POOREST STATES IN AMERICA:
(And the percentage of residents living below the poverty line …
5. Texas (16.2%)
4. West Virginia (16.3%)
3. New Mexico (17.7%)
2. Louisiana (18.1%)
1. Mississippi (18.3%)
Note: While technically not a state, the poverty rate in the District of Columbia is 17.5%.
– CNN
THE BULL SHEET 12.21.2K5
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1937 [68] Jane Fonda, NYC, movie actress (“Monster-in-Law”, “Fun With Dick & Jane” [1977])/ex-Mrs Ted Turner (1991-2001)
1948 [57] Samuel L Jackson, Washington DC, movie actor (“Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith”, “Coach Carter”) FACTOID: He’s one of the hardest working guys in Hollywood, with 6 films opening NEXT YEAR.
1955 [50] Jane Kaczmarek, Milwaukee WI, TV actress (‘Lois’, the mom on “Malcolm in the Middle” since 2000)/Mrs Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing’s” ‘Josh Lyman’) since 1992
1957 [48] Ray Romano, Queens NY, former TV sitcom actor (“Everybody Loves Raymond” 1996-2005)
1965 [40] Andy Dick, Charleston SC, TV actor/comedian (“The Reality Show”, “Andy Dick Show”)
1966 [39] Kiefer Sutherland, London UK, TV actor (‘Jack Bauer’ on “24″ since 2001)/movie actor (“A Few Good Men”)/actor Donald Sutherland’s son/grandson of the “Greatest Canadian”, former Saskatchewan premier and 1st federal NDP leader Tommy Douglas
1968 [37] Brad Warren, Tampa FL, country singer (Warren Bros-“She Wants to Rock”)
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Christmas Revels”, a fast-growing modern observance that includes a theatrical celebration of the solstice with traditional dance, carols and plays.
• “Flashlight Day” and “Look At The Bright Side Day”, tongue-in-cheek commemorations of the year’s longest night.
• “Humbug Day”, when 12 ‘humbugs’ are allowed to be uttered in order to vent the frustrations of preparing for the holidays.
• “Mumping Day” in England, traditionally when the poor go house-to-house begging for food.
• “Winter Solstice”, the shortest day of the year (except in the Southern Hemisphere, where summer begins – surf’s up in Australia!). Winter officially arrives at 1:35 pm ET.
• “Yule” in the Wicca religion, marking the death of the Sun-God and his rebirth from the Earth Goddess (the origin of the ‘Yule Log’).
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1937 [68] Disney’s “Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs” premieres, the first full-length animated movie
1985 [20] ‘Bugs Bunny’ is awarded a star on the “Hollywood Walk of Fame”
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1891 [114] Springfield MA YMCA instructor James Naismith invents ‘Basketball’ using 18 players, a soccer ball and 2 peach baskets (born Almonte ON)
1913 [92] 1st ‘Crossword Puzzle’, printed in “New York World” (Arthur Wynne devises what he calls a ‘Word-Cross’ for the Christmas edition, having no idea he would be starting a worldwide craze)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Abilities Day
[Fri] “Memoirs of a Geisha” (wide), “Munich” (limited), “Hoodwinked” & “The Ringer” open in movie theaters
[Sat] Christmas Eve
[Sat] Egg Nog Day
[Sun] Christmas Day
[Sun] “The Producers”, “Casanova”, “Wolf Creek” & “Rumor Has It …” open in movie theaters
[Mon] Boxing Day
[Mon-Jan 2] Hanukkah
[Mon-Jan 1] Kwanzaa
This Week Is … Halcyon Days
This Month Is … Stress-Free Family Holidays Month
BULL’S BITS
BS BLATANT JOKES:
• Two satellite TV dishes met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn’t much, but the reception was excellent!
• So this dyslexic man walks into a bra …
• In a proposed new movie, the ‘Invisible Man’ is married to an invisible woman. And their kids are nothing to look at either …
• As the election campaign drags on, I’m getting a feeling of deja moo … I’ve heard this bull before!
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: Take a look at the driver next to you; odds are you have THIS in common.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: You’re both speeding.
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
One thing you can’t recycle is wasted time.
