January 15, 2004        Edition: #2703
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BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Acid-tongued “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell has had a glass of water dumped on his head by a disgruntled contestant during a taping for the new series which begins MONDAY . . . Britain’s BBC is going to broadcast a live radio performance of an orchestra playing 4-and-a-half minutes of silence (only 4-and-a-half? I’ve beaten that!) . . . Ratings for “The Crocodile Hunter” on Animal Planet jumped nearly 20% after host Steve Irwin gained worldwide notoriety for dangling his baby son in front of a man-eating crocodile . . . Justin Timberlake was punched in the face by a fan as he entered a club in London following the last concert date of his British tour . . . Avril Lavigne has recruited Ben Moody, who quit Evanescence in OCTOBER, to work on her new album . . . Radiohead are back in their Oxford UK studio working on tunes for their 7th album . . . R&B babe Ashanti reportedly had to be rushed backstage during a concert in Nigeria after male fans tried to storm the stage . . . Enrique Iglesias has been spotted wearing a huge silver ring – on his wedding finger . . . Meantime, Enrique’s grandfather, Madrid gynecologist Dr Julio Iglesias Puga, is going to be a father again – at age 87 . . . Despite rumors that Britney Spears gave her ex-hubby a Porsche & cash in exchange for an uncontested annulment, a friend says Jason Alexander’s been paid anything . . . Britney’s calling her upcoming concerts “The Onyx Hotel Tour”, which comes as a big surprise to a real-life hotel with that name that’s opening in Boston THIS SPRING . . . The next stop for Kelsey Grammar when “Frasier” ends this season may be Broadway – buzz is he’s in negotiations to take over Nathan Lane’s role of ‘Max Bialystock’ in “The Producers”.

MOVIES IN THE MAKIN’:
A new film version of the mega-hit Broadway musical, “The Producers”, will begin shooting early NEXT YEAR with Nathan Lane & Matthew Broderick reprising their stage roles (it was originally a movie in 1968) . . . Orlando Bloom is set to star in the romantic epic, “Kingdom of Heaven“, about a 12th century knight who saves a kingdom & falls in love with a princess . . . Bloom is also being courted by director Cameron Crowe to replace Ashton Kutcher in the ensemble comedy, “Elizabethtown”, after Kutcher dropped out due to ‘scheduling conflicts’ (translation: he was told he can’t act) . . . Andy Serkis, who plays ‘Gollum’ in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, will next co-star with Jennifer Garner in “13 Going on 30” as a stressed-out fashion magazine editor who thinks everyone’s stealing his ideas . . . “Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s” Michelle Trachtenberg is set to star in “Ice Princess”, a Disney comedy about a brainy girl who becomes a champion figure skater . . . And space cadet Jessica Simpson has been cast in the upcoming bio-film, “Walk On”, as the high school sweetheart of a Major League Baseball player, a role that the producers say will surprise a lot of people (we bet).

SENILE SWIMMER:
A pet goldfish in Bradninch, England is believed to be the world’s oldest in captivity. Its 70-year-old owners, Tom & Pauline Evans, think ‘Goldie’ has surpassed the official record set by a fish named ‘Tish’, which died in 1999 at age 43. ‘Goldie’ was one of 3 fish won at a fairground in 1960, but only ‘Goldie’ has survived to age 44. There’s just one hitch – “Guinness Book of Records” says it needs proof before any record can be made official. (I think I ate a fish older than this at a restaurant Saturday night.)

THE PRICE OF HAPPINESS:
It seems money may be able to buy happiness after all – but it costs nearly $5 million, according to a poll for Yahoo! Personal Finance. That’s the amount the average person would need to buy their dream home and vehicle, and have the vacations and lifestyle they aspire to. But don’t hold your breath – stats show It would take someone with an average income about 94 years to earn this amount. (Wanna be happy? Shoot low – an apartment with heat … a car that starts … clean underwear.)

LATEST GEEKWEAR:
A company called ScotteVest has unveiled the ‘solar-powered gadget jacket’, a garment that charges cell phones, PDAs, Game Boys, MP3 players and most any other mobile device its wearer slides into its inside pockets. The jacket has 2 small solar panels that snap onto its shoulders to convert the sun’s rays into energy, which is then fed to a hidden battery pack about the size of a deck of cards. The batteries are wired to all the pockets, which can have almost any mobile devices plugged into them. When it hits the market THIS SPRING, it will retail for about $300. (No thanks, we’re waiting for electric pants.)

COLLISION COLORS:
A study of over 1,000 vehicles by New Zealand’s University of Auckland finds that drivers of silver cars are 50% less likely to suffer serious injury in an auto accident compared to those in white, yellow, grey, red or blue cars. On the other hand, drivers of black, brown or green vehicles are twice as likely to suffer a serious injury. Researchers aren’t sure why silver cars appear safer, but say it may be a combination of the light color and high reflectivity. (Duh! What about the fact that silver is the most prevalent car color?)
Source: “New Scientist”

LUCKY CHARMS AREN’T:
Psychologists at Britain’s University of Hertfordshire say lucky charms may work – but only in the minds of those who carry them. The first-ever study on the topic found that carrying a charm has absolutely no effect on the chances of choosing winning lottery numbers, for instance, but 30% of those tested FELT their luck had improved. Bottom line – a lucky charm can make a real difference in its owner’s confidence. (That’s why I wear my lucky underwear during every show.)

MOST UNDERPAID JOBS:
The worst-paid jobs for the work involved, in no particular order …
• Restaurant Dishwasher
• Loan Collector
• Pest Controller
• Meat Packer
• Police Officer
• Substance Abuse Counselor
• Medical Resident
• Funeral Home Attendant
• EMS Technician/Paramedic
• Preschool Teacher/Daycare Worker
Source: Salary.com

BS CONSUMER NEWS:
• The Eastman Kodak Co has announced it will stop selling traditional film cameras in the USA, Canada and western Europe, instead marketing only disposable cameras. (It’s like Ford no longer making cars!)
• Fueled by the popularity of low-carb diets, THIS WEEK Burger King became the latest fast-food chain to offer bunless burgers. Bunless Whoppers come in plastic salad bowls, served with a knife & fork.

THE BULL SHEET 01.15.2K4

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1947 [57] Andrea Martin, Portland ME, movie actress (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, “Wag the Dog”)/former TV comedian (Emmy Award-“SCTV”)

1975 [29] Mary Pierce, Montréal QC, pro tennis player now based in France (current WTA ranking: 34)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
TODAY the “2004 Sundance Film Festival” begins, an annual 11-day movie party founded by actor Robert Redford and staged in Park City, Utah. Kevin Bacon and Courtney Cox are among actors whose films are entered.
NET: http://www.sundance.org/

TODAY is “Hat Day”, a day to dispel the boredom of mid-winter by wearing the goofiest hat you can find. (Always hilarious on radio.)

TODAY is “Hug Your Cat Day”, a day to disclaim the common belief that cats don’t like affection. So ignore the hisses and pet your puss! (Be sure to keep lots of band-aids handy.)

TODAY is “National Fresh Squeezed Juice Day”. So what’s your preference … Orange? Grapefruit? Tomato? Red Man Chaw?

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1987 [17] 1st ad on a home video release appears on “Top Gun”, a 30-second Diet Pepsi ad
(DVDs now come with oodles of commercials, a half-hour of trailers, and about 87 features on the making of the movie)

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1892 [112] James Naismith’s ‘Rules of Basketball’ 1st published (in the Springfield MA “Y Triangle” magazine)

1907 [97] William Taggart 1st demonstrates ‘gold dental inlays’ (teeth fillings)

1967 [37] 1st ‘Super Bowl’ (although it isn’t called that until 2 years later) as 61,946 fans pay 10 bucks a ticket to watch legendary coach Vince Lombardi‘s Green Bay Packers beat the KC Chiefs 35-10 in LA (MVP is Packer QB Bart Starr)

TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
1943 [61] ‘World’s largest office building’ is completed – the Pentagon with a floor area of 6.5 million square feet covering 34 acres, including 17 miles of corridors (Arlington VA)

1983 [21] Tom Syles of Van Nuys CA sets world record by keeping a single Life Saver in tact in his mouth for 7 hours, 10 minutes

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Hot & Spicy Food International Day
[Sat] Get to Know Your Customer Day
[Sun] Winnie the Pooh Day
[Mon] Martin Luther King Jr Day
[Tues] Human Relations Day
This Week Is . . . Let Men Be Our Heroes Week (as opposed to Hobbits, Elvin, etc?) / Canadian Financial Planning Week
This Month Is . . . Chilly Month / National Egg Month

BULL’S BITS . . .
BS QUICK-PICK TRIVIA:
1. Which was NOT the name of a nephew of cartoon character ‘Popeye’?
a. ‘Peepeye’
b. ‘Plopeye’ [CORRECT]
c. ‘Poopeye’

2. What the heck are ‘Botts dots’?
a. The first visible sign of measles.
b. Three consecutive dots in a sentence … indicating a pause.
c. Those little raised reflectors in the middle of highways. [CORRECT]

3. In a fast-food industry study of drive-thru restaurants, which chain had the worst speaker clarity?
a. McDonald’s
b. Wendy’s
c. White Castle [CORRECT]

4. Which one of these jobs was never held by Brad Pitt?
a. Doorman at a topless bar.
b. Refrigerator repairman. [CORRECT]
c. Driver for bachelor party strippers.

5. Which of these dudes has NOT appeared in a ‘Bazooka Joe’ bubble gum comic?
a. Johnny Depp
b. Justin Timberlake [CORRECT]
c. William Shakespeare

BS ‘DOUBLE C GAME’:
Each of the 2-word answers to the following begin with the letter ‘C’ …
• She’s in the cast of “Friends”. [Courteney Cox]
• It’s a brand of whiskey you might order in a bar. [Canadian Club]
• He’s the Hollywood director who’s famous for the movie “Almost Famous”. [Cameron Crowe]
• This is the common name for a 3-colored feline. [Calico Cat]
• This is a slang term for something that’s exactly the same as another. [Carbon Copy]
• He’s in the FOX-TV booth with Joe Buck & Troy Aikman for NFL games. [Cris Collinsworth]
• It’s the original hidden camera reality TV show. [“Candid Camera”]
• This band’s version of “Big Yellow Taxi” was used in the movie “Two Weeks Notice”. [Counting Crows]
• It’s a building where you might find a confession booth. [Catholic Church]
• It’s what you’re likely suffering from if you’ve been sneezing & wheezing. [Common Cold]

BS WEB GOODIE:
The “Paranormal Olympics” are coming! When? If you don’t know, you aren’t qualified to compete. Are you the most psychic person in the world? Take the preliminary test right here …
NET: http://www.worldofalternatives.com/paranormal-olympics.htm
 
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: In order to avoid the likelihood of an accident, stats show THIS is the safest hour of the week to be driving.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Thursday morning at 4am.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Success is a journey, not a destination.