Friday, February 8, 2008 Edition: #3707
We’ve Got Our Sheet Together!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Could it be over? Both East- and West-Coast branches of the Writer’s Guild of America have called an informational meeting for members on SATURDAY . . . Another day, another celeb in rehab, this time 25-year-old movie actress Kirsten Dunst (“Spider-Man“), who joins actress Eva Mendez at the Cirque Lodge in Utah (they’ll soon have enough actors to shoot a movie there!) . . . THIS WEEKEND Paris Hilton is planning to celebrate her birthday by hosting an ‘80s-theme party at LA nightclub Area and by performing with the Pussycat Dolls in Las Vegas (she turns 27 FEBRUARY 17th) . . . Britney Spears’ parents are accusing UCLA hospital officials of putting their daughter’s life at risk by releasing her back into the wild (who’s got today’s date in the dead pool?) . . . Meantime, word has it Brit’s pop Jamie has moved in with her to take care of her (or at least her money) . . . Actress Angelina Jolie has slammed people who idolize super-thin celebs, urging fans NOT to compliment women who are underweight (just as she bloats up with twins) . . . YESTERDAY Jolie brought her star power to Baghdad to highlight the plight of Iraqi refugees in her role as a UN Goodwill Ambassador . . . Actor Val Kilmer has been signed as the voice of ‘KITT’ the car in the upcoming NBC-TV remake of “Knight Rider”, which debuts FEBRUARY 17th (Canadian actor Will Arnett had the gig but was asked to step aside because ‘KITT’ is a Ford Mustang and he voices GM ads) . . . And just 2 weeks after actor Heath Ledger’s lifeless body was found in a 421 Broome St apartment in NYC’s SoHo area, the pad is on the market again (before he’s even in the ground!) for a whopping $25,000 per month, that ‘stale aroma ambience’ apparently jacking the rent by 3-grand (“Ew, who died in here?”).
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Billy Joel – He’ll be the last artist to play NYC’s Shea Stadium with a JULY 16th concert billed as “The Last Play at Shea, From the Beatles to Billy”. The NY Mets move into their new home at Citi Field in 2009.
• The Game – He’s decided to reverse his earlier decision and plead guilty to felony gun charges in an effort to save the expense of a lengthy trial that could put him behind bars for 5 years. As a result, he’ll likely end up serving a few months in the slammer.
• Led Zeppelin – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss will play the 3-day “Bonnaroo Festival” in Tennessee this JUNE but not Led Zeppelin as reported by some. That’s likely due to confusion with all-girl tribute band ‘Lez Zeppelin’ who ARE scheduled. Others on the bill include Allman Bros, BB King, Death Cab for Cutie, Jack Johnson, Kanye West, Metallica, and Pearl Jam.
• Missy Elliott – She’s offering fans the chance to name her new album by entering at her official website. The grand prize winner will receive their name in the credits of the album packaging.
WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Annie Awards” – TONIGHT is the 35th annual salute to the best animation in film, TV, ads, video games, and shorts. Disney’s “Ratatouille” leads nominations with 13, followed by “Surf’s Up” (10), and “Bee Movie” (5).
• Aretha Franklin – TONIGHT the soul legend receives the ‘Person of the Year’ award from MusiCares, a Recording Academy charity supporting music education.
• “BAFTA Awards” – SUNDAY the British Academy of Film & Television Arts Awards are handed out in London. “Atonement” leads movie nominations with 14, followed by “No Country For Old Men” and “There Will Be Blood” with 9 apiece.
• “Canadian Idol” – SATURDAY & SUNDAY auditions move to Vancouver, setting up at the Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby.
• East Coast Music Awards – SUNDAY the 20th annual Music Awards Gala is at the Aitken Centre on the UNB campus in Fredericton. Performers include Jimmy Rankin, Samantha Robichaud, Thom Swift, and The Trews.
NET: http://www.ecma.ca
• “Grammy Awards” (CBS/Global) – SUNDAY the 50th annual music awards are handed out at Staples Center in LA. Kanye West tops nominations with 8; Amy Winehouse has 6; Foo Fighters, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, T-Pain, and Timbaland, 5 apiece. Performances include Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Feist, Fergie, Josh Groban, and 68-year-old Tina Turner in her 1st live performance in 8 years, a duet with Beyoncé. ‘Lifetime Achievement Awards‘ go to songwriter Burt Bacharach, The Band, and bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs.
NET: http://www.grammy.com
• “Hockey Day in Canada” (CBC) – SATURDAY Ron MacLean hosts an afternoon of activities from Winkler, Manitoba leading up to a triple header of NHL games involving all 6 Canadian-based teams. It’s the 9th time the CBC has staged the mid-winter special.
NET: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/hdic2008/
• Michael Jackson – THIS WEEKEND his 14-minute long “Thriller” video is being shown as an added feature in movie theaters across Britain to mark its 25th anniversary.
• NFL Pro Bowl (FOX) – SUNDAY the annual NFL all-star game is played in Honolulu HI, which has become more of a vacation perk for players than a competitive game.
• “Writers Guild Awards” – SATURDAY the 60th annual awards for outstanding film, TV & radio writing are handed out in LA and NYC. Will writers be able to cross the picket line to attend?
TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Fool’s Gold” ( PG-13 Romantic Comedy ): Matthew McConaughey & Kate Hudson play married treasure hunters on the brink of divorce who believe they can stay together if they find one last big haul. It’s their first movie pairing since “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” (2003). Shot entirely in Australia.
NET: http://foolsgoldmovie.warnerbros.com/
• “The Hottie & the Nottie” ( PG-13 Comedy ): Joel Moore, Paris Hilton & Christine Lakin star in this story of a guy who tracks down his dream girl, only to discover she’s inseparable from her not-so-hot best friend. In a bid to set the plain-Jane friend up with her own guy, he arranges an extreme makeover for her and discovers … she’s extremely attractive. “She’s All That 2”?
NET: http://www.thehottieandthenottie.com/
• “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins” ( PG-13 Comedy ): Martin Lawrence plays a TV talk show host who returns to his Southern hometown for his parents’ 50th anniversary, but the locals are unimpressed with his fame & fortune and deride him for having a swelled head. Joy Bryant co-stars as a friend & former “Survivor” contestant who sets him straight.
NET: http://www.roscoejenkins.com/
WHERE TO TAKE YOUR HAREM:
The British government has changed its laws to allow husbands living with multiple wives to receive state benefits for each of their partners. Despite the fact that bigamy is illegal in Britain and punishable by up to 7 years in prison, the government has now ruled that if the polygamous marriage took place in a country where it is legal, the state will pay up to £10,000 a year in income support. (In related news, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is relocating …)
– “Daily Mail”
NO NEED FOR HD-DVD?
Relatively few consumers are planning to make the transition from DVDs to high-definition HD DVD or Blu-ray, according to a new survey by NPD Group. Among owners of HDTV sets, 70% say they see no need to purchase high-def players, saying they’re satisfied with the quality of their current players. Analysts say one of the main challenges for the next-generation format is the perception that the previous technology is still pretty good. (Dudes, you can only force us to upgrade equipment so many times before we get wise to the scam.)
– “Bloomberg News”
WORST MOVIE SEQUELS EVER MADE:
Compared to the originals, these rank as the worst follow-up films ever made according to a new ranking …
5. “Next Friday” (2000)
4. “Speed 2: Cruise Control” (1997)
3. “Batman & Robin” (1997)
2. “Matrix Revolutions” (2003)
1. “Caddyshack 2” (1988)
– Starpulse.com
SISTERS ARE MORE SAVVY THAN THEY THINK:
A new analysis of dozens of international studies by University College London researcher Adrian Furnham shows that men & women are fairly equal in average IQ but women tend to sell their smarts short while men tend to overinflate theirs. On average, women worldwide underestimate their IQ scores by about 5 points, while men overestimate by a similar margin. Surprisingly, both men & women perceive males as being smarter, including their fathers compared to their mothers. (You don’t see mom loafing in a La-Z-Boy in her underwear, do ya?)
– “Newsweek”
SECRET NEW LINGO:
Young cellphone users are inventing a new verbal language based on a text message function. When texting you use the keypad to spell words, but the 2-through-9 keys have 3 letters on each, so it’s possible to spell multiple words with the same key combination. That’s when the ‘predictive text’ feature kicks in, listing the most likely word and any other possibilities which can be selected. But now kids are substituting one of the alternative words to mean what was originally intended. For instance, the words ‘cool’ and ‘book’ require the same key entries, so the word ‘book’ is now being used to mean ‘cool’. Other words include ‘zonino!’ (for ‘woohoo!’) and ‘lips’ (for ‘kiss’). Bangor University linguistics expert David Crystal says the new language is known as ‘textonyms’. (This will be really ‘book’ for about a week.)
– “Telegraph”
FAT GENES:
New research has identified the genes that make people fat. The study of some 5,000 sets of twins has found that genetics influence weight more than diet, exercise, or upbringing. Before you go blaming your parents though, researchers note that the so-called ‘fat genes’ don’t inevitably make you obese, they simply mean you have to work a little harder to stay trim. ([Co-host] grew up thinking ‘husky jeans’ were a brand name.)
– “GQ”
DID YOU KNOW?
Worldwide, the average person spends a total of 1.1 hours per day traveling.
BS CHRONOMETER 02.08.08
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1941 [67] Nick Nolte, Omaha NE, movie actor (“Hotel Rwanda”, “Affliction”) who was pictured in some of the most horrific-looking Hollywood mug shots of all-time (2002)
1955 [53] John Grisham, Jonesboro AR, lawyer-turned-novelist (“The Broker”, “The Firm”)
1961 [47] Vince Neil (Wharton), Hollywood CA, rock vocalist (Motley Crue-“If I Die Tomorrow”, “Girls Girls Girls”)
1977 [31] (David) ‘Phoenix’ Farrell, Plymouth MA, rock musician (Linkin Park-“Numb/Encore”, “In the End”)
SATURDAY –
Iconic Canadian singer Stompin’ Tom Connors (“The Hockey Song”) is 72; Oldies singer Carole King (“It’s Too Late”) is 66; Movie actor Joe Pesci (“Goodfellas”) is 65; Movie actress Mia Farrow (“Rosemary’s Baby”) is 63; Country singer Travis Tritt (“Best of Intentions”) is 45; Movie actress Ziyi Zhang (“Memoirs of a Geisha“) is 29.
SUNDAY –
Golf great Greg Norman (‘Great White Shark’) is 53; Political analyst George Stephanopoulos (ABC News) is 47; Movie actress Laura Dern (“Jurassic Park”) is 41; Movie actress Elizabeth Banks (“40 Year Old Virgin”) is 34.
BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Boy Scouts of America Founding Anniversary”, celebrating its 1910 organization by William Boyce. America’s Boy Scouts are based on the work of Sir Robert Baden-Powell who earlier founded the original Boy Scout Association in the UK.
NET: http://www.scouting.org/
• “Calgary Winterfest”, an annual celebration of the season through February 18th whose highlight has to be the ‘Human Curling Championships’, in which people are used as rocks.
NET: http://www.calgarywinterfest.com
SATURDAY –
• “Develop Alternative Vices”, a day to change your habits and improve yourself.
• “St Apollonia’s Day”, honoring the patron saint of dentists and those suffering from toothaches. For that reason, the day is sometimes referred to as “Toothache Day”.
SUNDAY –
• “For the Birds Day”, a highlight of “Wild Bird Feeding Month”. (So check your cookbook for some yummy wild game recipes.)
• “Umbrella Day” (‘ella ella eh eh eh’) , in honor of one of the world’s most invaluable inventions. In written records, the oldest reference to a collapsible umbrella dates to the year 21 AD in China. Although sun shades were used by the Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans, their umbrellas and parasols did not feature mechanical levers to make them collapse.
• “World Marriage Day”, celebrated annually on the 2nd SUNDAY of FEBRUARY to honor all spouses as head of the family, the basic unit of society.
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1926 [82] Walt Disney Studios formed (“The Mouse House”)
1994 [14] In one of the most famous fits of road rage, movie star Jack Nicholson uses a golf club to bash in the windshield of a Mercedes that cut him off (reportedly a 3-iron)
1999 [09] Televangelist Rev Jerry Falwell tries to ‘out’ “Tinky Winky”, suggesting the purple, purse-toting “Teletubbies” character is gay (how silly, everyone knows it’s ‘Laa-Laa’ who’s lesbian)
2007 [01] 39-year-old wannabe actress, model, and million-heir Anna Nicole Smith is found dead in room #607 of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood FL
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2002 [06] Sting, Dixie Chicks, LeAnn Rimes & Robbie Robertson share the stage with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at the opening ceremony of the “Salt Lake City Winter Olympics”
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1816 [192] 1st ‘Police Dog’ used to make an arrest (a Bull Terrier in Britain)
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1998 [10] 1st Olympic ‘Women’s Hockey Game’ (Fins beat Swedes in Nagano, Japan)
COMING UP . . .
[Mon] Pro Sports Wives Day
[Mon] Random Acts of Kindness Week
[Mon] Inventors Day
[Mon] Satisfied Staying Single Day
[Tues] 25th Anniversary Edition of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” released
[Wed] Get A Different Name Day
[Thurs] Valentines Day
This Week Is … Consumer Protection Week
This Month Is … Black History Month
BULL’S BITS
SAVING ON CEREMONY:
FEBRUARY is “Weddings Month“, when many of those JUNE nuptials get planned. A few suggested ways to save money when putting together your wedding …
• When shopping for bridesmaid dresses, check out local department stores’ evening wear and prom gown section. You’ll spend a fraction of what you’d pay in a bridal store.
• Make your own birdseed packets for throwing. Buy a 10-lb bag of wild birdseed at a grocery store, and several yards of tulle in one of your wedding colors at a craft store.
• Instead of renting flatware at 50 cents a piece, purchase large sets of flatware from a discount store. You can save hundreds.
• Bargain shop for champagne by the case. Imported sweet Italian bubbly can be downright cheap.
• Bargain shop with photographers. Instead of purchasing a package with an album for $1,500 or more, pay for hourly work and purchase the proofs. Then print your own pics.
– Gomestic.com
BS PHONE STARTER:
Have you ever been your spouse’s boss (or vice versa)? What happened?
BS TOP SWAPS:
The week’s most requested music files online …
5. Colbie Caillat – “Bubbly”
4. Britney Spears – “Piece Of Me”
3. Fergie – “Clumsy”
2. Alicia Keys – “No One”
1. Flo Rida f/T-Pain – “Low”
– Big Champagne online music measurement.
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: Studies suggest that if a woman wants a guy to change his mind, she’s best to talk to him when he’s doing THIS.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Lying down.
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
If you don’t like the news, go out and make some.
