Friday, February 13, 2004        Edition: #2724
More Bull Soup For the Radio Personality’s Soul!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
TODAY the search for the next “Canadian Idol” begins with auditions in Ottawa, the first of 9 cities to be visited (http://www.idol.ctv.ca) . . . TONIGHT in the “South Park” season finalé on the Comedy Network, the boys return to Canada to confront the new Prime Minister because he’s decreed that all adopted kids must return to the land of their birth (and also return their cut from the Québec Advertising Scandal) . . . TONIGHT 56-year-old Elton John begins a 3-year gig reportedly worth more than $50 million at Vegas’ Caesars Palace in a show called “The Red Piano” which he’ll perform 5 times-a-week, 5 weeks-a-year as a reliever for The Colosseum’s regular star – Celine Dion (top ticket for EJ – $250) . . . SUNDAY Beyoncé performs during halftime of the “2004 NBA All-Star Game” at LA’s Staples Center (just to be safe, she’ll wear 3 bras and a chastity top) . . . SUNDAY Ben Affleck will serve as ‘Grand Marshal’ at the 46rth annual “Daytona 500″ in Daytona Beach, Florida where he’ll compete for attention with George W Bush (http://www.daytona500.com) . . . SUNDAY the “British Academy of Film & Television Arts Awards” (the BAFTAs) will be handed out in London, with the ‘Best Film’ nominees looking very familiar – “The Return of the King”, “Lost in Translation” “Big Fish”, “Cold Mountain” and “Master & Commander” . . . Actress Renee Zellweger has reportedly  been looking at diamond rings in London & LA jewelry stores and is planning to propose to White Stripes boyfriend Jack White . . . Pink is now claiming her romance with rocker Tommy Lee was only a brief fling and he never slept with her (she’s perhaps the only one left then) . . . Late night talker Conan O’Brien is about to wear another hat, as executive producer of a new TV sitcom about grown-up siblings who were once foster children, to be called “Foster Hall” and star none other than “Home Alone” actor Macaulay Culkin . . . And it seems fellow singers and recent losers at love, Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony are taking comfort in one another, reportedly spending 5 days holed up in an LA hotel recently, then spotted getting intimate while cruising the waters around Miami aboard a luxury boat (in related news, J-Lo’s fitness trainer is releasing a workout video, showing how you can lose weight by spending just 30 minutes a day planning weddings that never happen).

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “50 First Dates” (Romantic Comedy): “The Wedding Singer“ co-stars Adam Sandler & Drew Barrymore re-team for this new rom-com about a veterinarian who falls for a woman afflicted with short-term memory loss, meaning that every time they meet it’s like the first time she’s ever seen him. In other words – each date they have is a ’first date’. Both stars have a piece of this film as co-producers.
• “Highwaymen” (Crime Thriller): Jim Caviezel (‘Jesus’ in Mel Gibson’s upcoming “The Passion of Christ”) plays a young widower who drives the highways hunting for his wife’s killer, a rage-filled whacko who murders his victims using – a 1972 Cadillac Eldorado.

FRIDAY THE 13TH FACTS:
• Fear of Friday the 13th is officially known as ‘paraskevidekatriaphobia’.
• Superstition buffs say the origin of the fear of the number 13 is in the Bible – the ‘Last Supper’ for 13 people, before the crucifixion on a Friday.
• An old adage says that if 13 people sit down to dinner together, all will die within the year. It’s also said if you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil’s luck.
• The ancient Turks so disliked the number 13 that it was practically expunged from their vocabulary.
• And have you noticed? Most buildings lack a 13th floor, most airplanes lack a 13th row, many cities don’t have a 13th street or avenue. And – oooh scary! – there are 13 witches in a coven.
• One traffic study found that the number of hospital admissions due to vehicular accidents increases by as much as 52% on Friday the 13th as compared to other Fridays. (Most likely due to drivers distracted by paranoia over bad luck.)
• Is Friday the 13th really unlucky? Researchers say the idea may be self-perpetuating – people have been told it will be a bad day, so they selectively remember all the bad events that occur throughout the day. Oh by the way – if you were born on this day, then Friday the 13th is considered to be your lucky day!
               
VALENTINE HIJINKS:
• TOMORROW in Rome, Italy an attempt will be made to set a new record for the ‘Largest Group Kiss’ as some 5,000 couples are expected to pucker up. The stunt is to attract attention to an activist group that’s promoting marriage rights for same-sex couples.
• Ross Park Zoo in Binghamton NY is running a Valentine’s adoption program called ‘Give Your Beauty a Beast’. For 10 bucks, you can ‘adopt’ a bearded dragon, a black vulture, a bleeding heart dove, or a Madagascar hissing cockroach for your sweetheart. Each adoption comes with a fact sheet, a photo, and a zoo pass to go visit your little friend. (Hissing cockroaches have become an endangered species – most of them have been eaten on “Fear Factor”.)

THE BULL SHEET 02.13.2K4

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1944 [60] Jerry Springer, London UK, trash TV talk show host (“Jerry Springer Show” since 1991)

1944 [60] Stockard Channing (Susan Stockard), NYC, TV actress (First Lady ‘Abby Bartlet’-“The West Wing”)

1950 [54] Peter Gabriel, Woking UK, classic rock singer (“Sledgehammer”, “Big Time”)

1971 [33] Mats Sundin, Bromma SWE, NHL center (Toronto Maple Leafs)

1972 [32] Todd Harrell, Escatawpa MS, rock musician (3 Doors Down-“Here Without You”, “When I’m Gone”)

1974 [30] Robbie Williams, Stoke-on-Trent UK, arguably Britain’s #1 pop star who just can’t seem to crack the North American market (“Feel”, “Millennium”)

1997 [07] Prince Michael Jackson Jr, LA CA, Michael Jackson’s #1 son with ex-wife/baby carrier Debbie Rowe

SATURDAY’S BIRTHDAYS . . .
1948 [56] (Raymond) Teller, Philadelphia PA, magician (the shorter, less obnoxious one from the Vegas act Penn & Teller)  FACTOID: He legally reduced his name to one word and thus has one of the few US passports bearing a single name.

1972 [32] Rob Thomas, Landstuhl Military Base GER, rock singer (Matchbox 20-“Unwell”, “Bent”, “3 AM”, 3 Grammy Awards w/Santana-“Smooth”)

1972 [32] Drew Bledsoe, Ellensburg WA, NFL QB (Buffalo Bills)

1973 [31] Steve McNair, Mount Olive MS, NFL QB (Tennessee Titans)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
TODAY “National Condom Week” begins. A poll by the makers of Durex condoms finds there aren’t many virgins left over the age of 25 – only 2% of those polled!
BS CONDOM AD SLOGANS:
• “Don’t be a fool, vulcanize your tool!”
• “Don’t make a mistake, cover your snake!”
• “If you can’t shield your rocket, leave it in your pocket!”
• “Cover your stump before you hump!”
• “Don’t be silly, protect your willy!”
• “No glove, no love.”

TODAY is “Get A Different Name Day”, set aside to give us opportunity to pick one we’d really like. Find listeners with really odd names and ask them what nickname they’d like to be called. Or find them a cool new name at the ‘Baby Namer’ Website.
NET: http://pregnancy.about.com/library/names/blbabynamer.htm

TODAY is “International Read to Your Child Day”. (“You want to hear ‘Peanuts’, ‘Hi & Lois’ or ‘Adam @ Home’?”)

TOMORROW the 21st annual Yukon Quest, an 11 day, 1,000-mile sled dog race from Fairbanks AK to Whitehorse YT gets mushing with a purse of $125,000.
PHONER: 867.668.4711 (Stephen Reynolds, Event & Marketing Manager)
NET: http://www.yukonquest.org

TOMORROW is “Valentine’s Day”, the most widely celebrated unofficial holiday when about 1 billion cards are exchanged, making it the largest card-sending occasion next to Christmas. It’s also the 4th-biggest flower-selling occasion. Other interesting facts …
• The Catholic Church recognizes at least 3 DIFFERENT saints named Valentine, all of whom were martyred, one for performing secret weddings for young lovers. Pope Gelasius declared February 14th “St Valentine’s Day” around 498 AD, in part to replace the ancient Roman fertility festival “Lupercalia”.
• On “Valentines Day” it is customary in Japan for women to give chocolates to men – husbands, male family members and co-workers — but they expect a payback. On MARCH 14, a celebration known as “White Day” in Japan, those who received chocolates for Valentine’s are expected to return the favor. (Why not avoid the middle man – buy some chocolates and inhale ‘em yourself!)

TOMORROW is “World Marriage Day”. In the words of philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer – “To marry is to halve your rights and double your duties.”

SUNDAY through Wednesday the “2004 American International Toy Fair” plays at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in NYC, showcasing new toys from some 2 dozen countries. This is the exhibition famous for introducing some of the world’s most popular toys, including the ‘Barbie’ doll 45 years ago in 1959.
PHONER: 800.429.6966/212.675.1141
NET: http://www.toy-tma.org

10 YEARS AGO . . .
1994 David Letterman’s ‘Olympic Reporter’, his mom Dorothy, interviews US first lady Hillary Clinton at the Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway

5 YEARS AGO . . .
1999 67 years of tradition end as Toronto Maple Leafs play their last game at Maple Leaf Gardens a week before their move to the new Air Canada Centre

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1841 [163] 1st capital of ‘Canada’ (Kingston ON)

1947 [57] 1st major oil strike in Alberta (Leduc)

1988 [16] 1st-ever Winter Olympics in Canada open (Canada fails to win a single gold medal at 15th Winter Games in Calgary)

1635 [369] 1st ‘public school’ in America opens, the Boston Latin School (school cheer is ‘Ubi Sub Sububi’ [Always Wear Underwear])

1741 [263] 1st American magazine published (with the clever name “The American Magazine”)

1920 [84] ‘National Negro Baseball League’ is organized, home to many of the greatest players of all-time, such as Satchell Paige

1969 [35] 1st human egg fertilized in a test tube (a womb with a view)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Sun] NBA All-Star Game (LA CA)
[Sun] British Academy of Film & Television Arts Awards (BAFTAs)
[Sun] 2004 East Coast Music Awards (St John’s NL)
[Sun] National Flag of Canada Day
[Mon] Canadian Heritage Day
[Mon] Family Day (Alberta)
[Mon] Presidents’ Day (USA)
[Mon] Do A Grouch A Favor Day
[Tues] Brit Awards (music)
This Week Is . . . Random Acts of Kindness Week
This Month Is . . . Responsible Pet Owner Month / Vegetation Month

BULL’S BITS . . .
BS VALENTINE’S DAY CARDS FOR MEN:
• “You forgot another Valentine’s Day/But dear don’t take it hard/I sent myself some roses/And used your MasterCard!”
• “I tell you now the way I feel/My heart knows it is right/There’s nothing can keep me away from you /Except hockey on Saturday night.”
• “You can call me dearest/You can call me sweet/But if you call me ‘Jen’ again/Your things are on the street!”
• “Roses are red/And tulips are maroon/All you sent me last year/Was a cheap Mylar balloon.”

THE LANGUAGE OF ROSES:
Red . . . symbolizes love & passion.
White . . . innocence, purity, & sometimes death.
Yellow . . . friendship or jealousy.
Yellow & Red . . . represents happiness.
Deep Pink . . . gratitude & appreciation.
Pale Pink . . . conveys admiration.
Source: The Association of the Canadian Floral Industry

BS QUICK-PICK VALENTINE QUIZ:
• Why is it we love someone with all of our HEART? Why not our spleen?
a. It was widely believed in the Middle Ages that the heart was the center of human intelligence. [CORRECT]
b. According to Roman custom, it was fashionable for young lovers to always have a heart on.
c. According to ancient Greek mythology, Pitifulus cut out his own heart to present as a gift of unrequited love.

• Who was the son of Venus, Roman goddess of love?
a. Eros.
b. Cupid. [CORRECT]
c. Achilles.

• During the Middle Ages, young singles drew names from a bowl to see who their ‘Valentine’ would be. They’d then wear the names where?
a. On their foreheads.
b. On their sleeves. [CORRECT, the origin of the expression ‘wear your heart on your sleeve’.]
c. On their nether regions.

• On Valentine’s Day, children in old England went door-to-door collecting what?
a. Valentine’s buns. [CORRECT]
b. Kisses.
c. Leftover Halloween candy.

• According to an old wives’ tale, the first bird a maiden sees on Valentine’s Day will reveal her future mate. For example, if she sees a robin her future mate will be a sailor. What if she sees a woodpecker?
a. Her future marriage will splinter apart.
b. She’ll end up a spinster. [CORRECT]
c. Her future mate will be named ‘Wanda’.

BS PHONE STARTERS:
• “What’s the LEAST romantic thing your partner does?
• “First Nations groups are condemning Outkast singer Andre 3000’s performance of “Hey Ya” at the Grammy Awards, saying the faux Native American costuming and giant tepee was racial stereotyping. Was it bad taste or mindless fluff?”

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: According to a retail stats, 70% of THESE are purchased by men.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Roses.

BS DEEP THOUGHTS:
• If music be the food of love, put it in high rotation!
• Valentines are the campaign promises of the heart.

Happy Valentine’s Day For Sheet’s Sake!