Tuesday, December 4, 2007        Edition: #3669
Sheet Happens!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Movie actress Brittany Snow, and singers Ashlee Simpson and Fergie are among the celebs who’ve signed a new “Seventeen” magazine ‘Body Peace Project Treaty’, a year-long project aimed at changing the way young girls view their body image (any celebs over 100 lbs involved?) . . . 15-year-old “Hannah Montana” teen sensation Miley Cyrus has confirmed she’s dating tour partner Nick Jonas, youngest of the Jonas Brothers sibling trio, since the start of  their current sold-out tour (and yes, Billy Ray reportedly approves) . . . Oscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins has unveiled plans to embark on a major world tour beginning in Melbourne, Australia to showcase his talent as – a concert pianist (will he be wearing the leather mask on-stage?) . . . Jay Leno is getting some griping from laid-off “Tonight Show” staffers for not picking up the payroll tab like his late-night TV peers David Letterman and Conan O’Brien (Jay makes an estimated $27 million-a-year) . . . Drug-addled Brit rocker Pete Doherty has been visited by animal welfare authorities after reports he forced his pet cat to smoke crack (as if you can get a cat to do anything) . . . And just 78 of 3,500 high-profile users of private jets have agreed to a proposal to share their luxury aircraft with other passengers in order to help the environment; with Madonna, Simon Cowell, Kate Moss – and climate change campaigner Al Gore himself – among those rejecting the plan (proving we’re into the ecology … but only if it doesn’t cramp our style).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Chris Cornell – A private investigator hired by his ex-wife has been charged for breaking into his LA home. He was actually caught on security cameras … with his pants down while using a washroom.
• Garth Brooks – The 85,000-plus tickets for his JANUARY five-concert series in Los Angeles to raise money for victims of recent wildfires has sold out in less than 1 hour. He last appeared in LA in 2001.
• John Mellencamp – He claims he’s going to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame even though official word isn’t expected for a month. The inductions are scheduled for MARCH 10th in NYC.
• Kellie Pickler – She’s off to the Persian Gulf to perform for US service personnel in her first-ever USO entertainment tour.
• Toby Keith – His next movie, “Beer For My Horses”, comes out NEXT YEAR.
• Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – The NFL has announced they’ll be the halftime entertainment for the Super Bowl, FEBRUARY 3rd in Phoenix. The last few Super Bowls have all featured classic rockers: Prince, the Rolling Stones, and Paul McCartney.
• Velvet Revolver – They’ve just postponed an Australian tour, citing unexplained ‘health issues’ and offering fans a refund. The tour had been scheduled to begin TONIGHT in Brisbane.

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• Jodie Foster – She receives the ‘Sherry Lansing Leadership Award’ at the 16th annual Women in Entertainment breakfast sponsored by the “Hollywood Reporter”.
• “Live Earth Concert” – A new CD/DVD package features highlights of performances by 150 acts at the JULY 7 climate change awareness concerts worldwide.
• Nelly Furtado – Her “Loose The Concert” CD/DVD packed is released, recorded during her 2007 “Get Loose World Tour”.
• Pink Floyd – The classic rockers release a 17-disc compilation with every studio recording and a special DVD, packaged in a box set that’s limited to 10,000 copies worldwide.
• Sue Grafton – The best-selling author’s latest, “T Is for Trespass” is published, her 20th novel in the ‘Kinsey Millhone’ series as the titles progress down the alphabet all the way from “A is for Alibi” (1982). (But what happens when she runs out of letters? “/ Is for Slash”? “# Is for #27”?)
• “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show” (CBS) – Among  the scantily-clad stunners in this annual lingerie show are Heidi Klum, Adriana Lima, Karolina Kurkova, and Selita Eubanks.
• Trace Adkins – He releases his new “American Man” CD featuring the single “I Got My Game On”.

TODAY’S VIDEO RELEASES:
• “The Nanny Diaries” ( Comedy ): Scarlett Johansson stars as a nanny from the wrong side of the tracks (New Jersey) who lands a job with a snooty but dysfunctional uptown Manhattan family. Based on the best-seller by real-life former nannies Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus. Co-stars Alicia Keys, Laura Linney & Paul Giamatti. Partially shot in Toronto.
• “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” ( Action Adventure ): In the 3rd and final instalment of the Disney franchise (maybe) ‘Captain Barbossa’, ‘Will Turner’ & ‘Elizabeth Swann’ (Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom & Keira Knightley) sail off the edge of the map, navigate treachery and betrayal, and make their final alliances for one last decisive battle. Chow Yun-Fat joins the cast as ‘Captain Sao Feng’ and the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards does a cameo turn as ‘Jack’s’ father ‘Captain Teague’. Also available in a “2-Disc Limited Edition”.
• “Superbad” ( Comedy ): ‘Seth’ and ‘Evan’ (Jonah Hill, Michael Cera) are best friends about to graduate from high school. For one final blowout party, the pair of nerds try to buy booze get some girls drunk in order to hopefully score for the first time. Vancouver-born writers Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg (who cooperated on “Da Ali G Show” & the hit movie comedy “Knocked Up”) started this script when they were just 14-years-old … just to see if they could write a movie. Also available in a “Special Edition, Unrated, Extended Cut” version.
• Also released TODAY: “Fiddler on the Roof” (1971); “The Graduate” (1967); “Law & Order: SVU – The 4th Year; “Mad Max” (1979); “Rocky: The Complete Saga“; “24: Season 6”; and “West Side Story” (1961).

TWIN ORBS:
The planet Venus used to be much like Earth and could have harbored life until runaway global warming dried out the planet, new research suggests. Data collected by the ‘Venus Express’ space probe has convinced scientists that the planets were once more similar than first realized. (Maybe women really ARE from Venus?)
– “Nature”

HOW TO GET TO SLEEP:
Ever laid awake, unable to switch off the thoughts running through your head? Just repeating the word “the” could be the solution. It’s known as ‘blocking strategy’. The aim is to stop your mind from racing. In fact, repeating any simple word at irregular intervals will block other thoughts coming into your head. Professor Kevin Morgan at the UK’s Loughborough University says the technique causes you to monitor what you are saying and forget everything else. (That’s why that “gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme …” song always puts me to sleep.)
– “BBC News Magazine”

FROM THE BS POLL VAULT:
A snapshot of who we are and what we do …
• 83% of couples who cook together say their marriages are ‘excellent’.
• 80% of adults haven’t been to a library in over 10 years.
• 77% of us say we have a ‘lucky number’.
• 43% of people say they Google their date’s name before going out on a first date.
• 32% of adults who send Christmas cards think it’s important to send a card to the boss.
• 20% of us are chronically late.

MEN VS WOMEN:
While some sex differences are still up for debate, one that’s hard to argue away is men’s greater fondness of looking at nudity. Neuro-biologist & anthropologist Michael Platt of Duke University is studying differences in how the genders respond to pictures in general. On average, his research shows, men will pay to see images of women. But you have to pay women to look at images of men. (Unless it’s Brad Pitt.)
– “Philadelphia Inquirer”

BS OFFICE PARTY DOS & DON’TS:
“The About Work Guide to Office Party Etiquette” advises you should remember that the annual office holiday party is still a business function and act accordingly. ‘YAPA’, an Internet-based organization for young professionals, warns of the following common office party faux pas …
• Blowing off and not even going to an office party that is a ‘must-attend’ event. (You say you have nothing to wear? Next week they’ll give you a pink slip.)
• Forgetting the boss is watching. (You don’t remember table-dancing or attempting to get the boss’s husband to limbo? She will!)
• Inappropriate dress. (Skip the plunging neckline and heavy cologne … especially if you’re a guy.)
• Bringing up salary or other personal issues not appropriate at social events. (Or, for that matter, bringing up.)
• What was once called ‘hanky-panky’. (And is now called a ‘sexual harassment suit’.)
• And the biggest mistake at office parties? Drinking too much. The experts advise no more than 2 alcoholic beverages or, better yet, none at all. (Thereby making it feel like the longest 4 hours of your life.)
– Reuters

EARLY BIRD TRAITS:
Psychologists reckon they’ve figured out the personality traits that make a morning person. A new survey from Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain suggests that people who can clean the house before most of us have switched on the coffee-maker are logical, conservative and respectful of authority. They also have an attention to detail and trust experience over intuition and feelings. (Um, is there ANYONE on this show that’s ‘logical, conservative and respectful of authority’?)
– “Focus Magazine“

DID YOU KNOW?
• McDonalds wants to move full steam ahead into the growing market for specialty coffees with cappuccinos and other espresso drinks. McMocha, anyone?
– “Cosmo Daily”
• As a baby name, ‘Santa’ peaked in the 1920s at #847. In the same decade, ‘Rudolph’ peaked at #136.
– BabyNameWizard.com
• 1-in-5 students at New York University would give up their vote in the next US presidential election in exchange for an iPod.
– “Magazine Monitor”

BS CHRONOMETER 12.04.07

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1940 [67] (Lady) Barbara Amiel, Watford UK, sometime newspaper & magazine columnist (“National Post”, “Macleans”)/wife of Conrad Black since 1992 (he’s due to be sentenced DECEMBER 10th)

1949 [58] Jeff Bridges, LA CA, movie actor (“Stick It”, “Seabiscuit”)/son of late actor Lloyd Bridges/brother of actor Beau Bridges

1955 [52] Brian Prout, Troy NY, country drummer (Diamond Rio-“I Believe”, “Beautiful Mess”)

1964 [43] Marisa Tomei, Brooklyn NY, film actress (“Wild Hogs”, 1992 Oscar-“My Cousin Vinny”)

1969 [38] Jay-Z (Shawn Carter), Brooklyn NY, rap artist/producer/composer (“Show Me What You Got”, “Excuse Me Miss”) who’s worked with Beyoncé,  Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige, Missy Elliott, Pharrell and many others/Beyoncé fiancé

1970 [37] Kevin Sussman, NYC, TV actor (‘Walter on “Ugly Betty” since 2006)

1973 [34] Tyra Banks, LA CA, TV personality (“America’s Next Top Model” since 2003, “The Tyra Banks Show” since 2005)/fashion model (“Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show”)/sometime movie actress (“Halloween: Resurrection”, “Coyote Ugly”)

1981 [26] Lila McCann, Steilacoom WA, country singer (“I Wanna Fall in Love”, “With You”)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Cookie Day”, celebrating the yummiest treat of all. As poet Edgar Guest once wrote: “I’m sorry for people, whoever they are, who live in a house where there’s no cookie jar.” What’s the best kind of all? Chocolate chip? Oatmeal and raisin? Peanut butter with macadamia nuts?

• “Extraordinary Work Team Recognition Day”, a day for bosses to generously pass out ‘attaboys’ … thereby saving on Christmas bonuses.

• “Hanukkah” begins at sundown, the annual 8-day Jewish celebration (aka “Festival of Lights”, “Feast of Dedication”, “Feast of the Maccabees”) which commemorates the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem in 165 BC. It’s a joyful family festival during which gifts are exchanged, parties are given, children play games, and latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (doughnuts) are served.

• “St Barbara’s Day”, patron saint of firemen, architects, mathematicians, fireworks, miners, sailors, and against lightning, fire, explosions, and sudden death (whew!). Tradition has it that girls should place a cherry tree twig in a glass of water on this day. According to the old custom, if it blooms by Christmas Eve, they’ll marry in the next year. BTW, the drugs collectively known as ‘barbiturates’ were named after this saint because barbituric acid was discovered on this day.

• “Wear Brown Shoes Day” for some unknown reason. To get the full effect, make sure you wear ‘em with something black.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2006 [01] CTV airs the made-for-TV movie “Shades of Black”, telling the story of Conrad Black (played by Albert Schultz)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1980 [27] Rock supergroup Led Zeppelin disbands (they reunite DECEMBER 10th in London)

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1909 [98] 1st “Grey Cup” game (University of Toronto 26, Parkdale Canoe Club 6)

1920 [87] 1st American professional football playoff game (Buffalo 7, Canton 3)

1982 [25] 1st human killed by a bowling ball (Hernia? Swallowing? Were other victims ‘spared’?)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] International Volunteer Day
[Wed] Bathtub Party Day
[Thurs] St Nicholas Day
[Thurs] Grammy Awards nominees announced
[Thurs] Christmas Lights Across Canada 2007
[Thurs] 2007 Christmas Pageant of Peace opening (Washington DC)
[Fri] Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
[Fri] “The Golden Compass” opens in movie theaters
This Week Is … Cookie Cutter Week
This Month Is … Choose A Summer Camp Month

BULL’S BITS

BS ‘FINISH LINES’:
Contestant must complete [the next line] to these popular holiday season songs …
GAME #1 –
• “Have a holly jolly Christmas, it’s the best time of the year …” [“I don’t know if there’ll be snow but have a cup of cheer.”]
• “Oh what a laugh it would have been, if Daddy had only seen …” [“Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night.”]
• “I’ll be home for Christmas, you can count on me …” [“Please have snow and mistletoe, and presents ’neath the tree.”]
• “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, with every Christmas card I write …” [“May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white.”]
• “Come they told me …” [“Pa rum pum pum pum.”]

GAME #2 –
• “Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus right down Santa Claus lane …” [“Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeer pullin’ on the reins.”]
• “Gee if I could only have my two front teeth …” [“Then I could wish you Merry Chrithmath!”]
• “You’re a mean one Mr Grinch, you really are a heel …” [“You’re as cuddly as a cactus, you’re as charming as an eel.”]
• “Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh …” [“Through the fields we go, laughing all the way.”]
• “Oh, the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful …” [“And since we’ve no place to go, Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.”]

BS RANDOM JOKE:
It’s nice to know a word like tendentious, but then you have to find other people who do.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: The average couple does THIS 182 times a year.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Argues.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Be happy, if only to spite your parents.