Thursday, December 6, 2007        Edition: #3671
Get Sheet-Faced Every Morning!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
“Desperate Housewives” actress Teri Hatcher is being sued for $2.4 million by skin-care products company Hydroderm for allegedly breaking an exclusive agreement not to promote rival lip-gloss products (a lot of money for slapping on some Chapstick) . . . Expectant parents Joel Madden & Nicole Richie have donated $200,000-worth of baby clothes, cribs, strollers and toys to the Los Angeles Free Clinic and held a private shower for disadvantaged mothers there as the first effort of their newly-formed Richie-Madden Children’s Foundation (oh no, now we have to like them) . . . “Nightmare Before Christmas” filmmaker Tim Burton likes to bring a touch of Halloween to the holiday season, by decorating his Christmas tree with fake dead babies and slime balls (how festive) . . . For the first year since DVDs came on the market a decade ago, studios & retailers are expecting a sales decline for the format THIS YEAR, down a billion to around $23 billion in total sales . . . Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen are downsizing, moving out of their $5 million Bel-Air hovel and into a new $1.6-million Spanish-style villa in LA’s trendy Larchmont Village (they’re 21-years-old – why do they still live together?) . . . The organizers of Tennessee’s annual “Bonnaroo Festival” have quashed Internet rumors that Led Zeppelin and Metallica will headline the 2008 summer event (they could only wish) . . . 23-year-old actress Scarlett Johansson is threatening to sue “Us Weekly” magazine over its report that she was a fan of plastic surgery and has had work done on her nose, insisting there is no truth to the story (about here nose, that is) . . . And illusionist David Blaine has announced his next trick will be to stay awake for as long as possible, a dangerous feat that he says has caused others who’ve tried it, for up to 11 days, to suffer permanent brain damage (kind of explains our radio show).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Big & Rich – Big Kenny Alphin is the DECEMBER ‘Darfur Hero’ as proclaimed by the Save Darfur Coalition in Washington DC. Big Kenny has been an outspoken advocate for the people of Darfur since early 2006.
• Britney Spears – She tops Yahoo’s list of the ‘Most-Searched Troubled Stars’ of 2007, beating out Paris Hilton, Anna Nicole Smith, Vanessa Hudgens, Nicole Richie, and Amy Winehouse. Spears also tops the overall search list for the 6th time.
• Bryan Adams – He’s become the latest celebrity to take aim at fast-food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken, urging the Canadian division of the company to ‘stop torturing chickens’.
• Led Zeppelin – Guitarist Jimmy Page has revealed that their MONDAY reunion concert at London’s O2 Arena will run close to 2 hours, far longer than the 40-minute set they were asked to perform.
• Rolling Stones – Mick Jagger is denying reports he’s adopted a fertility boosting diet in a bid to father a child with his girlfriend L’Wren Scott. He’s already paying for enough ankle-biters.
• U2 – Bono says their most recent collaboration with famed producer Brian Eno in an African recording studio has resulted in a new ‘trance’-inspired album unlike anything they’ve done before. He says the album will also feature some very hardcore guitar from The Edge.

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Grammy Awards” – Nominations for the 50th annual music awards are announced in LA by  Akon, Quincy Jones, Linkin Park, and Taylor Swift . The awards are handed out in Los Angeles FEBRUARY 10th.
• Gym Class Heroes – They’re the musical guest on “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC).
• “Heroes: An All-Star Tribute “ – CNN’s first-ever awards show recognizes ordinary people for doing extraordinary things. Presenters include Glenn Close, Harry Connick Jr, and LL Cool J. Performers include Mary J Blige, Norah Jones, Sheryl Crowe, and Wyclef Jean.
• Toby Keith – This afternoon he guests on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CityTV).

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of upcoming movies …
• “Broadway Joe” – 26-year-old Jake Gyllenhaal will play NFL Hall of Famer Joe Namath in an upcoming biopic about the former NY Jets quarterback. The film tells the story of Namath’s rise to fame from his childhood days in the steel town of Beaver Falls PA to the 1960s showboat hero who was the toast of Manhattan.
• “The Factory” – John Cusack has signed on to star in this psychological thriller, playing an obsessed cop on the trail of a serial killer menacing the streets of Buffalo NY. When his teenage daughter disappears, the cop drops all professional restraint and resorts to any measure necessary to get his man.
• “Seventeen” – Matthew Perry (“Friends”) & Zac Efron (“High School Musical“) will play the same person in this comedy about an adult man who suddenly becomes a 17-year-old high school student again, thereby living out every adult’s fantasy of going back to ‘then’ knowing what they know now.
• “Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins” – Welsh actor Christian Bale (“3:10 to Yuma”, “Batman Begins”) has reportedly been cast in the McG-directed reboot of the action franchise. The story continues with ‘John Connor’ and soon-to-be wife ‘Kate Brewster’ creating a resistance organization. The film’s due to hit screens in JUNE 2009.

ALL-TIME PREGNANT HOTTIES:
According to a new poll, here are the best-looking celeb moms-to-be ever …
5. Singer Gwen Stefani.
4. Model/TV personality Brooke Burke.
3. “Project Runway” host/“Victoria’s Secret” model Heidi Klum.
2. Singer Christina Aguilera.
1. 41-year-old movie actress Halle Berry.
– “Maxim Magazine”

WORLD’S GREATEST HUGGERS:
While the Swedish have a reputation of being reserved, a new study shows they’ll hug just about anyone … except their boss. According to research by the Swedish Red Cross, 90% of Swedes embrace somebody at least once a week, with women aged 30-44 being the most active huggers. (It’s -45 degrees … they’re just trying to get warm!)
– Associated Press

BLOODY RARE:
The oldest and most common blood type is ‘O’. Types ‘A’ and ‘B’ evolved later and ‘A-B’ is the newest and rarest, being just 500-to-1,000 years old. Less than 3% of the population is type ‘A-B’. But that’s not the rarest blood type by any means. A type known as ‘Bombay blood’ (subtype ‘h-h’) has been found in just 3 people in the world. (Good luck getting a transfusion!)
– “Focus Magazine”

OLD AGE IS ODOR FREE:
A new San Diego State University study of 2,500 people over age 53 suggests that, as we age, we increasingly lose our sense of smell (a condition known as ‘anosmia’ or ‘anosphrasia’). Of those in the study, the proportion of those with impaired smell increases from 6% of those aged 53-59 all the way up to 63% of 81 to 90-year-olds. Over all, 25% could not detect common odors. (My Grampa Hank must be the exception. He’s 95 and he really smells!)
– UPI

TOP-EARNING SUPERSTARS UNDER 25:
Based on earnings over the past year …
5. Acting twins Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen ($17 million apiece)
4. Pro golfer Michelle Wie ($19 million)
3. Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova ($23 million)
2. New Orleans Saints RB Reggie Bush ($24 million)
1. NBA star Lebron James ($27 million)
(With $3.5 million, up and comer Miley Cyrus ranks only 19th … but just wait till next year!)
— “Forbes”

LIVING LARGE:
• Britain’s Marks & Spencer is now selling silver-lined pyjamas designed to protect against the hospital superbug MRSA. Made of a fabric that has 2% silver woven into it, the nightwear is priced at about $90. At the moment, they’re only available for men.
– BBC News
• Japan’s Yamazaki Educational Systems has unveiled the ‘My Baby 2′ robotic baby at the “International Robot Exhibition” in Tokyo. The robotic babies are designed to teach parenting skills and require feeding, diaper changes, burping, and sleeping. They also record data on how their human parents treat them.
– “China Daily”
• Serving ‘Pellegrino’ bottled water at a dinner party no longer has the cachet it once did now that there’s ‘Bling H20′. With its Swarovski crystal-studded bottle and $80 price tag, it’s the latest uber-premium designer water. Just think, you’ll be paying up to 100,000 times the going rate for something you can have free from a tap.
– “Observer Magazine“

DID YOU KNOW?
• Most people move about 40 times in their sleep during the night.
– “Christian Science Monitor”
• More than 1,500 different holiday songs have been played on radio stations across the USA since “Thanksgiving Day”, according to the American Society Of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP).
– Broadcast News
• The healthiest city for women in America is San Francisco. Runners-up include San Jose CA, Honolulu HI, and Burlington VT.
– “Cosmopolitan”

BS CHRONOMETER 12.06.07

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1955 [52] Steven Wright, NYC, droll stand-up comedian
WRIGHT ORIGINALS:
• “I bought a million lottery tickets. I won a dollar.”
• “I stayed up all night playing poker with tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died.”
• “I wrote a song but I can’t read music. Every time I hear a new song on the radio I think, ‘Hey, maybe I wrote that.’”
• “I was reading the dictionary the other day. I thought it was a poem about everything.”
• “Yeah, it’s a small world, but I wouldn’t want to paint it!”

1956 [51] Peter Buck, Oakland CA, classic rock guitarist (REM-“Losing My Religion”, “Everybody Hurts”).

TODAY’S BS OBSERVANCES . . .
• “Christmas Lights Across Canada” are given the juice at 5:45 pm EST as the switch is flicked  in Ottawa on one of the nation’s most dazzling displays, continuing till January 6th. Launched in 1985 by the National Capital Commission, the program has grown to include displays at Canadian embassies worldwide & provincial legislatures across the country.
PHONER: 800.465.1867 (National Capital Commission)
NET: http://tinyurl.com/yes8v6

• “Christmas Pageant of Peace” opens for the 2007 holiday season in Washington DC. Highlights include the 84th “Lighting of the National Christmas Tree” at 5 pm ET on the Ellipse near the White House. Performers for the ceremony include country singer Sara Evans, 14-year-old classical artist Holly Stell, 12-year-old Broadway actor Julian Ivey (“The Lion King”), and the US Air Force Band with the St Albans & National Cathedral Schools Choir.
NET: http://www.nps.gov/whho/national_christmas_tree_program.htm

• “Day of Remembrance & Action on Violence Against Women”, established by Parliament in 1991 to recognize and denounce violence against women in our society. The day coincides with the anniversary of the 1989 ‘Montréal Massacre’ when 14 young women were tragically killed at l’École Polytechnique.

• “Gazpacho Day”, in celebration of the spicy but cold Spanish soup. To look like a real rube, order some in a restaurant and then blow on it to cool it down.

• “Pawnbrokers Day”, celebrated on “St Nicholas Day”, the saint who, among other things, is the patron saint of pawnbroking.

• “St Nicholas Day”, commemorating the 4th-century bishop who died December 6, 342 AD and from whom the traditions of ‘Santa Claus’ and exchanging gifts were derived. No wonder he’s the patron saint of both children and merchants! Many European kids awake today to find candy and oranges in their shoes, or if they’ve been bad – a piece of coal. The name ‘Santa Claus’ evolved from St Nicholas via the Dutch form of the name – ‘Sinte Klaas’ or ‘Sinterklaas’. According to Dutch tradition, naughty children are whisked away to Spain by St Nick’s helper, ‘Black Pete’. Hey buddy, pick me!

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1988 [19] Legendary singer Roy Orbison dies of a massive heart attack at age 52

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1960 [47] 1st ‘Domino’s Pizza’ opens (Detroit MI)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1983 [24] World record for ‘Continuous Whistling’ set at 45 hours, 20 minutes

COMING UP . . .
[Fri] International Civil Aviation Day
[Fri] “The Golden Compass” opens in movie theaters
[Fri] Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
[Sat] Bad Hair Day
[Sun] Pastry Day
[Tues] Nobel Peace Concert (Oslo, Norway)
This Week Is … Human Rights Week
This Month Is … Identity Theft Prevention & Awareness Month

BULL’S BITS

TALKIN’ CANUCK:
Canadian expressions others will never understand …
• Washroom, as opposed to bathroom, toilet or loo.
• Chocolate bar, rather than candy bar as in the US.
• Pop, instead of soda.
• Keener, a real go-getter.
• Mickey, a small bottle of booze.
• Two-Four, a case of beer.
• Double-double as a coffee preference.
• Loonie, a buck
• Toonie, 2 bucks.
• Eh, as a question.
– AskMen.com

AMERICA’S BEST CITIES FOR SINGLES:
The 7th annual ranking based on culture, nightlife, job growth, the cost of living alone, online dating, the number of other singles, and that ever-elusive quality, ‘cool’ …
5. Chicago
4. Atlanta
3. Los Angeles
2. New York
1. San Francisco-Oakland
– “Forbes”

BS RANDOM JOKE:
When you dial 9 to call out of your home, there’s a chance you may be working too much.

BS GOOD OR BAD?
You run down the list while a crew member/guest/phone caller ranks each item as simply ‘good’ or ‘bad’ …
• Christmas trees in pots, which you can plant later. Good or bad?
• Watching TV on your computer. Good or bad?
• Computerized Christmas lights that twinkle on & off in time to music. Good or bad?
• Imitation bacon bits. Good or bad?
• ‘Secret Santa’ gift exchanges at work. Good or bad?
• All-inclusive vacations. Good or bad?
• Office Christmas parties. Good or bad?
• Giving gift cards for store shopping.
• Soy beverage milk substitute. Good or bad?
• Rating things as simply good or bad. Good or bad?

BS QUICK-PICKS:
• Which is NOT another name for ‘Santa Claus’ somewhere in the world?
a. ‘Papa Noel’.
b. ‘Father North’.
c. ‘Grandfather Frost’.
[Santa is known as ‘Papa Noel’ in Peru and Brazil while Russians refer to the big guy as ‘Grandfather Frost’, but there’s no ‘Father North’.]

• Which animal has the largest heart in proportion to its body size?
a. Blue whale.
b. Giraffe.
c. The boss at Christmas bonus time.
[It’s the giraffe.]

BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s the funniest thing that has ever happened to you … in 10 words or less?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: The average person only has 2 of THESE.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Close friends.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Chocolate is especially good on chocolate.