BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
The good news is, soul Singer Erykah Badu did NOT name her new baby daughter ‘Tweety Milk’ as first thought; the bad news (for the kid) is, she DID name her ‘Mars Merkaba’ (which is Latin for ‘my mother’s an idiot’) . . . Movie actress Kate Winslett (“Revolutionary Road”) reveals that her father handled the problem of having 3 teenage daughters constantly yakking on the phone by installing a payphone in their family home (brilliant!) . . . In a blockbuster deal that will realign the music industry’s balance of power, concert-promotion giant Live Nation and Ticketmaster Entertainment, the largest ticketing operation, are looking to merge (in fact, it may already have happened) . . . Jennifer Hudson’s lip-synched rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner”, which infamously aired before the Super Bowl, is now available on iTunes with proceeds going to the Hudson-King Foundation which aids families who’ve lost members to violent crime (at least one good thing has come from this tempest in a teapot) . . . And here’s a few signs that even big-time celebrities aren’t recession-proof: “Ugly Betty” star America Ferrera has put her Hollywood Hills home on the market in a bid to get down to just one house; Miley Cyrus has been spotted shopping – and buying – off a markdown rack in a clothing boutique; Britney Spears is driving a Mitsubishi; and – horror of horrors! – “Desperate Housewives” actress Eva Longoria has been spotted wearing the same outfit … twice!

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – British alt-rocker Morrissey promotes his upcoming 9th solo album, “Years Of Refusal”.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS) – Lil’ Wayne presents tonight’s ‘Top Ten List’.
• “Live With Regis & Kelly” (syndicated/CTV) – Country star Dierks Bentley promotes his new album, “Feel That Fire”.
• “30 Rock” (NBC) – Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”) guest-stars as the hottie new neighbor of ‘Liz Lemon’ (Tina Fey).
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC/A Channel) – Country singer Jamey Johnson (“In Color”) performs. He’ll be opening shows on the Willie Nelson tour beginning in March.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• AC/DC – They’ve been awarded ‘Major Tour Of the Year’ at the 20th Pollstar Concert Industry Awards in Los Angeles.
• Britney Spears – Her former ‘manager’ Sam Lutfi is facing foreclosure on his California home if a loan is not paid back by Tuesday. He’s also facing legal action over unpaid credit card debt. (No wonder he’s suing for defamation & breach of contract … he’s up to his eyeballs in hawk!)
• Coldplay – Pretentious actress Gwyneth Paltrow tells “Elle” magazine that her marriage to frontman Chris Martin is solid, despite constant rumors to the contrary. The reason they’re not often seen together, she claims, is … “It doesn’t behoove us to be a public couple.” (Oh shutup.)
• Elton John – He’s down to playing his final notes in Las Vegas. Promoters say his long-running Caesars Palace show, “The Red Piano”, will close April 22nd.
• 50 Cent – He’s putting the finishing touches on a male cosmetics line, including moisturizers, night creams, and health supplements. (Wow, what a gangsta!)
• Kelly Clarkson – The “My Life Would Suck Without You” singer tells PopEater.com that she’s accustomed to being asked if she’s secretly gay and the answer is no. Quote: “I wish I liked women like that because often times men are very hard for me, but I happen to like boys.”
• Madonna – Her new boytoy is 22-year-old Brazilian model Jesus Luz, whom she met at a Rio De Janeiro photo shoot in December. He’s 10 whole years older than her daughter, Lourdes.
• Rolling Stones – Now that guitarist Ronnie Wood’s hopes of reuniting The Faces has fallen through, “Daily Express” reports he’s trying to persuade his Stones bandmates to consider another tour, their first since 2006’s “A Bigger Bang”. (Guess who’s going through a mega-expensive divorce?)

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the works …
• “The Challenge” – Aaron Sorkin, creator of “The West Wing”, is scripting this upcoming courtroom drama for George Clooney’s production company, based on the trial of Osama bin Laden’s driver Salim Hamdan. Clooney may direct and is likely to play the US Navy lawyer who worked to ensure the Guantanamo Bay detainee received a fair trial. The film is pencilled in for a 2010 release.
• “Nightmare On Elm Street 9“ – Horror legend ‘Freddy Krueger’ is returning to the bigscreen as Brad Fuller, the producer behind recent “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” remakes, has been given the job of breathing life into the long-running franchise. Fuller says he’s been bombarded by calls from ‘major stars’ wanting to play the villain, a part that’s previously been played 8 times by 61-year-old actor Robert Englund. So why replace him with someone else?
• “Papa Hemingway” – A biography of iconic writer Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) is being adapted for the bigscreen. The movie will be based on the book, “Papa Hemingway: A Personal Memoir” by AE Hotchner, who was a close friend of the Nobel prize-winning novelist in the decade before his 1961 suicide. It’s surprising that a Hemingway bio-film has never been done before, no?
• “The Resident” – This upcoming suspense thriller will star Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank & Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the actor who’s been playing ‘Denny’ on “Grey’s Anatomy”, the ghost-boyfriend who’s been haunting ‘Izzie’ (guess that’s over with). Swank plays a young doctor who discovers that her landlord has a frightening obsession with her. Production begins this May for a 2010 release.
• “Tomb Raider 3“ – A 3rd adventure in the videogame-to-film series based on ‘Lara Croft’ is being planned. Though Angelina Jolie played the lead in “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” (2001) and “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life” (2003), a newcomer will be tapped to play the super-adventurer in this outing. In fact, the filmmakers plan to scrap whatever continuity was set up in those films and go back to the videogame for inspiration. No release date has been set.

PEOPLE WHO DESERVE IT:
A new website lists folks who deserve a punch in the face … for ‘socially responsible reasons’, mind you. Among them: ‘Slow Walker Sidewalk Blocker’; ‘Impatient Subway Boarder’; ‘Full Volume Headphone Guy’; ‘Express Checkout Cheater’. What’s really cool is the site also allows users to ‘Suggest a Punch’ by nominating ‘people who deserve it’. Who are you voting for?
NET: http://peoplewhodeserveit.com
PHONER: 804-267-0588 (Casey Rand, Richmond VA)
– Thanks to Aaron Rand, Q92 Montréal

MOOD MUSIC:
‘Colorsonic’ is a new MP3 player that uses color codes to play music based on specific moods. Music is loaded like on any ordinary MP3 but this gizmo then converts the songs to color associations chosen by the user. Colors are assigned individual emotional states and playlists relating to them can later be accessed by simply selecting their color. (“Coming up this hour, we have some brown, some green, some blues and, just before the news, we’re going to tickle you pink!”)
– DesignBoom.com

WOMEN SMELL LIKE ONIONS, MEN SMELL LIKE CHEESE:
A company in Geneva, Switzerland that researches flavors & smells for the food and perfume industries has found that men and women have specific and totally different smells when they sweat. Women release a compound containing sulphur that smells like onions when it mixes with underarm bacteria; men release high levels of a fatty acid that smells like cheese. A team of independent testers recruited by the scientists has also decided that the smell from women’s underarms is more unpleasant. It’s thought the study may be used to develop deodorants targeted specifically at men or women. (Together we smell like a quesadilla.)
– Telegraph.co.uk

FROM THE BS POLL VAULT:
A statistical breakdown of life by the numbers …
• 93% of women say manners are more important in a man than how much money he makes. (Like saying “you’re welcome” after he pays for stuff.)
• 70% of surveyed retirees say their biggest regret is ‘not getting enough’ back in the day. (There’s still time … look at Madonna!)
• 69% of workers say they deal with on-the-job stress by taking a coffee break. (The rest use a dartboard and a photo of the boss.)
• 55% of women admit that they swear in public. (That’s freakin’ unbelievable!)
• 30% of us will be giving a Valentines Day gift to more than one person. (Oh oh!)
• 17% of drivers admit that they’ve been guilty of dozing off behind the wheel. (On behalf of everyone else on the road this morning may we say … WAKE UP!!!!)

VEGETARIANS ARE SMALL-MINDED:
Oxford University scientists have discovered that people on a meat-free diet are 6 times more likely to suffer from brain shrinkage due to Vitamin B12 deficiency. Vegans and vegetarians are the most likely to be deficient because the best sources of the vitamin are meat, particularly liver, milk, and fish. B12 deficiency can also cause anemia and inflammation of the nervous system. Yeast extracts are one of the few vegetarian foods which provide good levels of the vitamin. (Let’s see, a great big ol’ burger for lunch or a yummy cup of yeast extract? Hmm.)
– “Times of India”

PAPER POTTERY FOR POTABLES:
Brand Image has set out to change the way we drink bottled water. In an effort to create a sustainable alternative to plastic bottles, designers have created the ‘360 Paper Bottle’. It’s the first 100% recyclable paper container and it’s made entirely from renewable resources. The thick, compacted paper packaging is food-safe and can hold a variety of liquids, making it an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional water containers. ([Co-host] is way ahead of the curve … he’s been drinking out of paper bags for years.)
– GreenDaily.com

GOOGLE EARTH GOES UNDER:
What Google Earth did for mapping the world it’s now doing for Earth’s oceans. This week Google unveiled ‘Google Ocean’, a new online application that allows users to navigate underwater without a snorkel, exploring shipwrecks and reefs, and confronting amazing marine life. Within the layers, users can check out multimedia features that combine data and maps with videos and other interactives. (Be careful you don’t get cyber-bends when you surface!)
NET: http://earth.google.com/ocean/
– “National Geographic”

BRANCHING OUT:
The next piece of art to adorn your living room wall could be drawn by … a tree. British artist Tim Knowles has developed a way of allowing nature to be an artist. His tree drawings are created by attaching various artists’ tools to the tips of branches. The artwork series records on paper the wind’s effects on trees, revealing the different characteristics of each. Knowles claims these differences are like ‘signatures’. (Talk about lazy … he doesn’t even hold the brush!)
– Neatorama.com

DID YOU KNOW?
• 1-in-10 people in the world live on an island.
• Half the world’s population is under 25 years of age.
– DidYouKnow.org

BS CHRONOMETER 02.05.09