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BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
17-year-old Miley Cyrus tops nominees for the upcoming annual “Kids Choice Awards” (March 27th), with nominations in 4 categories (including ‘Most Likely to Make You Stab Your Ears With Knitting Needles’) . . . An online report says Lady Gaga, Green Day, and the reunited Soundgarden are expected to headline the 2010 “Lollapalooza Festival” in Chicago August 6-8th (an official announcement is still a ways off) . . . Actor Leonardo DiCaprio (“Shutter Island”, opening Friday) says his attempts to quit smoking haven’t worked out so well because nicotine patches cause him to have creepy nightmares about murder (what a co-inky-dink – that’s what the movie is about) . . . TMZ reports that actor Charlie Sheen’s long-suffering wife Brooke Mueller has entered rehab at The Canyon facility in Malibu CA (not hard to believe he drove her to drink) . . . Apple Inc is celebrating its 10-billionth song download with a $10,000 iTunes gift card for whoever makes the landmark transaction, expected later this month (the big event will coincide with the 200-billionth illegal download) . . . Microsoft Corp has announced cellphones featuring its new ‘Windows Phone 7′ operating system will be in stores by this Christmas (the first security patch will likely be out in January) . . . And 24-year-old “Twilight Saga” actor Kellan Lutz says he was ‘completely at ease’ stripping down to his tightie-whities for the new Calvin Klein underwear ads because the designer gotchies ‘hold everything in’ (not to mention the fact the pockets of his recently shed pants have been well-lined with loot).

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “American Idol” (FOX/CTV) – The top 24 semifinalists are announced.
• “The Hour” (CBC) – Tegan & Sara (“Sainthood”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Brad Paisley (“American Saturday Night”) does an outdoor performance. The song is his 12th consecutive #1 hit.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS) – Mumford & Sons (“Sigh No More”).
• “Lopez Tonight” (TBS) – Snoop Dogg (“Malice N Wonderland”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Aerosmith – Along with Rage Against the Machine, they’ve been announced as headliners for this year’s “Download Festival” at Britain’s Donington Park June 11-13th. But the big news is, they’re being billed as Aerosmith WITH Steven Tyler.
• Avril Lavigne – Word has it she’s moving on from her failed marriage to Sum 41 rocker Deryck Whibley by quietly hooking up with reality TV star Brody Jenner (“Bromance”, “The Hills”).
• The Beatles – Music giant EMI has put their iconic Abbey Road recording studio up for sale, “The Financial Times” reporting the business is worth an estimated $20 million.
• Celine Dion – She’s signed to begin a new 3-year Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace in 2011 that will include a Hollywood movie tribute. Her 2003-07 “A New Day” show grossed over $400 million.
• Feist – Tonight she performs in Vancouver as part of a series of musical events around the 2010 Winter Olympics.
• Genesis – It seems unlikely Peter Gabriel will reunite with his old band for their Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction March 15th, as he’s in the midst of rehearsing for his own European tour. Genesis will be inducted along with The Stooges, ABBA, Jimmy Cliff, and The Hollies.
• Ke$ha’s – “TiK ToK” remains #1 on “Billboard’s” ‘Hot 100′ for the 8th straight week, making her the 1st female to accomplish that since Debby Boone with “You Light Up My Life” in 1977.
• Led Zeppelin –  Robert Plant is in the midst of recording a new solo album in Nashville entitled “It’s Rude to Say No”. The project will be released later this year.
• U2 – Drummer Larry Mullen Jr will voice both an animated mobster character and an Elvis impersonator in an upcoming episode of “The Cleveland Show” (FOX). He reportedly asked for the opportunity.
• Whitney Houston – Her only New Zealand concert this year, scheduled for March 6th at the TSB Bowl in Taranaki, has been axed due to ‘a dispute between the tour promoter and the venue’. (BS translation: Nobody bought a ticket.)

FROM MACRO TO MICRO:
A new study finds that young Internet users are losing interest in blogging and switching to shorter, more mobile forms of communication. The number of 12-to-17 year-olds who blog has halved to 14% since 2006, according to a Pew survey. The data suggests they now prefer short postings and status updates on social networks. As the tools and technology embedded in social networking sites change, the young appear to be dumping ‘macro-blogging’ for ‘micro-blogging’. (So how to we get rid of the 10 billion dead blogs choking the cybersphere?)
– “Globe & Mail”

BS CUTTING-EDGE VOCAB:
New terms leaking into the lingo …
• ‘Body Dysmorphic Disorder’ – An obsession with one or more bodily features, normally in the face, which leads some to seek multiple plastic surgeries. 1-to-2% of the population is thought to suffer from ‘BDD’. (Much-modified Heidi Montag, perhaps?)
• ‘Elationship’ – An online relationship with someone who doesn’t want to meet in person, only to e-mail, text, Tweet, IM, or write on your Facebook wall indefinitely. Seems some aren’t looking for match-ups, they just like to collect ‘cyberharems’. (Less chance of getting caught by a spouse?)
• ‘Exam Cheat Equipment’ – Electronic communication devices surreptitiously used to access the Internet or stored info. Such devices, including concealed earpieces, can now be bought online. In retaliation, schools are buying hi-tech detection equipment. (Create a problem, sell a solution … it’s an old business model.)
• ‘Spoofing’ – A mobile phone app that allows users to change or ‘spoof’ their caller ID to show any desired number on a recipient’s caller ID display. Some spoofing apps allow pranksters to mask or change their voice as well as fake texts and e-mail. Who uses this? One company has found 80% of its users are women trying to catch their partner cheating. (‘The Tiger Trap’.)

ANOTHER REASON TO LOAF:
It’s estimated that 1-in-5 of us has inherited ‘unfitness genes’, meaning no matter how long we pound the treadmill, we’ll still be out of shape. After tracking 600 subjects in a study group, researchers from 14 institutions around-the-world have come to believe that our DNA may affect our ability to burn off fat through exercise. The researchers have applied for a patent for a blood test that would pinpoint those carrying the ‘unfitness genes’. (Similar to ‘Loose Fit Jeans’.)
– “Daily Mail”

HOW TO BE HAPPY:
According to “The Rough Guide to Happiness” by therapist Nick Baylis, being happier is easily achievable by making a few simple healthy lifestyle choices. Some quick tips on how to improve your mood and overall well-being …
• Eat more whole foods.
• Get more sleep.
• Spend time outdoors.
• Make contact with others.
• Exercise.
– Condensed from BestHealthMag.ca

HI-TECH PAIN:
All the newfangled gadgets we’re increasingly obsessed with are hurting our backs, shoulders, arms, and hands. Kids are suffering from ‘Text Thumb’ while their parents are getting ‘BlackBerry Neck’. Orthopedists and others who specialize in muscle and joint injuries say there’s no question that the surge of handheld technology is leading to a new wave of aches and pains. Doctors say they now struggle to keep up with the latest equipment and what it might mean for patients. (‘iPad Fingertip’?)
– “San Francisco Chronicle”

BS AMAZING FACTS:
• Half of the world’s 7,000 languages are in danger of disappearing, according to author K David Harrison in his upcoming book “The Last Speakers: The Quest to Uncover the World’s Most Endangered Languages.”
– Magazine Monitor
• Most cats love water and are fascinating by the motion and sound it makes. The myth that cats hate water most likely stems from the fact that water is often used to deter a kitten from doing something it ought not to do – either by having a bucket of water tossed at it, or a squirt from the garden hose.
– Listverse.com

BS CHRONOMETER 02.17.10

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TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1954 [56] Rene Russo, Burbank CA, movie actress (“Yours, Mine & Ours”, “Get Shorty”)

1957 [53] Loreena McKennitt, Morden MB, Celtic/New Age singer (“The Mummers’ Dance”, “The Lady of Shalott”)

1963 [47] Larry the Cable Guy (Daniel Whitney), Pawnee City NE, comedian/TV personality (“Blue Collar TV”)/sometime movie actor (“Delta Farce”, “Witless Protection”)

1965 [45] Michael Bay, LA CA, film director (“Transformers” films, “Armageddon”)

1971 [39] Denise Richards, Downers Grove IL, reality TV personality (“Denise Richards: It’s Complicated”)/movie actress (“The World Is Not Enough”)/ex-wife of actor Charlie Sheen

1972 [38] Taylor Hawkins, Ft Worth TX, rock drummer (Foo Fighters since 1997-“No Way Back”, “Times Like These”)/drummer for Alanis Morissette 1995-96

1972 [38] Billie Joe Armstrong, Oakland CA, rock singer/guitarist (Green Day-“American Idiot”, “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams”)

1981 [29] Paris Hilton, NYC, media personality/reality TV star (“Paris Hilton’s My New BFF”, “The Simple Life”)/sometime movie actress (“Repo! The Genetic Opera”, “House of Wax”)/great-granddaughter of hotel magnate Conrad Hilton

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Ash Wednesday”, the beginning of “Lent” that includes the 40 weekdays and 6 Sundays leading up to “Easter”.
THINGS YOU CAN GIVE UP FOR LENT TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT:
• Plastic (and Paper) Bags
• Conventional Detergents
• Clothes Dryer
• Bottled Water
• Conventional Toilet Paper/Paper Towels
• 2 Degrees On the Thermostat
– TheDailyGreen.com

• “PTA Founders’ Day”, commemorating the parent-teacher association’s 1897 founding. It was originally known as the ‘National Congress of Mothers’.

• “Random Acts of Kindness Day”, a highlight of “Random Acts of Kindness Week”, when we’re encouraged to perform good deeds without prompting. Why? It makes both the giver and the receiver feel good.

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1976 [34] The Eagles album “Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975” is released (according to RIAA, 2nd only to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” as all-time best-seller at over 29 million units)

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2003 [07] Reality TV reaches a new low as some 40 million viewers watch fake “Joe Millionaire” (in reality, 28-year old heavy equipment operator Evan Marriott) select a potential bride from 20 ‘contestants‘ (model Zora Andrich) on FOX-TV

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2003 [07] Tauranga NZ man is sentenced to 200 hours of community service for speeding … without a license or registration … on a motorized barstool … semi-naked … while intoxicated … with his butt on fire

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Battery Day
[Thurs] Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day
[Fri] “Shutter Island” opens in movie theaters
[Sat] Love Your Pet Day
[Sat] Clam Chowder Day
[Sun] BAFTA Awards (London)
This Week Is … Kraut & Frankfurter Week
This Month Is … Celebration of Chocolate Month

BULL’S BITS

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WHAT WOMEN ARE READING THIS MONTH:
• ‘Have 200% More Fun in Bed … Tonight!’ – “Redbook”
• ‘10 Ways to Seduce Your Man in Seconds’ – “Glamour”
• ‘Is Splitting the Bill Hurting Your Romance?’ – “Cosmopolitan”
• ‘Could He Be Cheating?’ – “Ladies’ Home Journal”
• ‘15 Tips to Avoid Nagging’ – “Woman’s Day”

WHAT MEN ARE READING THIS MONTH:
• ‘31 Things to Do With Beer’ – “Men’s Health”
• ‘The Secret to No-Fail Sex’ – “Maxim”
• ‘Should You Get a Sex Coach?’ – “Details”
• ‘The Words She Really Wants to Hear’ – “Esquire”
• ‘Why Are Men So Bad at Apologizing?’ – “GQ”

BS RANDOM JOKE:
What’s the difference between a dog and a fox? About 5 drinks.

MARIJUANA OR ROLLER COASTER?
Which of the following are amusement park rides and which are nicknames for various breeds of weed? Oh, and just to make things even more interesting … some are both!
• ‘Tennessee Twister’ [Marijuana.]
• ‘Deja Vu’ [Both. Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia CA.]
• ‘Cincinnati Cyclone’ [Marijuana.]
• ‘Afterburn’ [Roller coaster. Carowinds, Charlotte NC.]
• ‘Pineapple Express’ [Marijuana.]
• ‘Dragon Fire’ [Roller coaster, Canada’s Wonderland, Vaughan ON.]
• ‘California Screaming’ [Both. Disney’s California Adventure, Anaheim CA.]
• ‘Brain Teaser’ [Both. Darien Lake, Darien NY.]
• ‘Blazing Fury’ [Roller coaster. Dollywood, Pigeon Forge TN.]
• ‘Flashback’ [Roller coaster. Six Flags New England, Springfield MA.]
• ‘Humbolt Scorcher’ [Marijuana.]
• ‘Great White’ [Roller coaster. Sea World San Antonio, TX.]
• ‘Invertigo’ [Roller coaster. California’s Great America, Santa Clara CA.]
• ‘Woodstock’s Express’ [Both. Dorney Park, Allentown PA.]
• ‘Bug Out’ [Both. Wild Adventures, Valdosta GA.]
– Thanks to Lockie Hunter

BS WEB GOODIE:
You’ve heard of ‘Twitter’ and may be familiar with Google’s new ‘Buzz’ but have you heard of ‘Blippy’? It’s a new online service that allows users to broadcast every single purchase they make. For instance: “dunn44 spent $0 at iTunes”. Can you stand the excitement?
NET: http://blippy.com
– “Business Insider”

BS PHONE STARTER:
Which celebrity would you definitely NOT want to date? (Snoop Dogg? Tila Tequila? John Mayer? Lindsay Lohan?)

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: A recent insurance survey has found that fewer than half of us do THIS.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Lock the door. (“New York Times”)

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
All people smile in the same language.