Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Edition: #3689
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BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Thanks to the ongoing writers’ strike, this TV season is quickly becoming the year of resurrected reality series: “The Mole” is returning, “Paradise Hotel 2” debuts soon, “The Bachelor 12” begins in MARCH, and now ABC-TV is prepping a 4th version of “The Bachelorette” for a possible Summer debut (it was so lame it was scrapped in ‘05) . . . Lauren Conrad’s & Whitney Port’s employment at “Teen Vogue”, which has been a large part of the storyline on “The Hills”, will end after the extended 3rd season as MTV will apparently be looking for another magazine partner . . . Kevin Federline hasn’t given up on the music biz despite his failed attempt at becoming a rapper; he’s now said to be actively producing & grooming new artists in his home studio, so he can be there for his kids whenever they need him . . . “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul insists she hasn’t given up on motherhood at age 45 and will adopt if she can’t get pregnant naturally with the help of restaurateur boyfriend JT Torregiani . . . 32-year-old “Desperate Housewives” actress Eva Longoria is reportedly getting pressure from her San Antonio Spurs star hubby Tony Parker to have kids soon, because he wants them to watch him play in the NBA and fears he’ll be too old to play it they wait too long . . . Meantime, Longoria is set to open a new Nexican restaurant in LA called ‘Beso’, where she jokes she’ll be bussing tables and preparing guacamole tableside . . . The season of lame awards shows continues: now it’s the “Grammy Awards” (FEBRUARY 10th) that may end up star-less as a growing list of artists are threatening to boycott in support of the WGA, including Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Bon Jovi, Fergie, Justin Timberlake, Kelly Clarkson, Nelly Furtado, Tim McGraw, and the White Stripes . . . And FOX-TV expects to soon sell the lone remaining ad slot for the “Super Bowl” (FEBRUARY 3rd), meaning all 63 commercial availabilities will have sold out at an average price of $2.7 million per 30-second spot (to save you the math, that totals a tad over $170 million!).
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Avril Lavigne – Her rep says that rumors the 23-year-old is expecting her 1st child with Sum 41 husband Deryck Whibley are simply not true.
• Buddy Holly – His widow is threatening to sue the woman whose name inspired the 1958 hit “Peggy Sue”. Peggy Sue Gerron has written a book called “Whatever Happened to Peggy Sue?” to mark the 50th anniversary of the song’s release which describes her friendship with the rock ‘n roll pioneer. But Maria Elena Holly claims her late hubby barely knew the woman.
• The Game – The rapper says his next album, “LAX” due in JUNE, will be his last. Apparently these days 3 albums makes a career.
• Rihanna – She’s among those who’ve designed their own T-shirts for retailer H&M’s “Fashion Against AIDS” charity which launches in FEBRUARY. Others participating include Good Charlotte and Timbaland.
• Steve Holy – Those 2 Dallas TX police officers recently accused of holding him & a friend at gunpoint during a game of foosball at his home have been fired and charged with ‘misdemeanor deadly conduct’. They could face a year in jail and a fine of $4,000.
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “American Idol 7” (FOX): The 2-hour season debut promises lots of really bad singing from hopeless wannabe contestants … the best part of the whole show, no?
• Anne Murray – The 62-year-old Canadian crooner releases “Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends”, featuring 17 different collaborations with the likes of Celine Dion, Emmylou Harris, Martina McBride, Nelly Furtado, Shania Twain, and the (very) late Dusty Springfield.
• KT Tunstall – The newly engaged Scots singer does “Live With Regis & Kelly” (syndicated/CTV).
• Maroon 5 – They’re on “Good Morning America” (ABC).
• “One Tree Hill” (CW): Kevin Federline begins a 3-episode guest-starring arc, playing a struggling musician that ‘Peyton’ (Hilarie Burton) discovers.
• Spice Girls – They release “Spice Girls: Greatest Hits” in 3 versions: CD, CD/DVD, and a goodie-laden gift box. Their reunion tour returns to North America JANUARY 31st in Boston.
TODAY’S VIDEO RELEASES:
• “Good Luck Chuck” ( Comedy ): Dane Cook plays a womanizer who’s wildly popular with single women after it’s discovered that every girl he beds ends up finding her ‘Mr Right’ next. That’s fine with ‘Chuck’, until he finds his soul-mate (Jessica Alba) who is the one person he can’t sleep with or he’ll risk losing her to some other guy. Shot in Edmonton & Vancouver.
• “Mr Woodcock” ( Comedy ): Seann William Scott plays a self-help author who returns home in an effort to stop his mom (Susan Sarandon) from marrying his old high school gym teacher (Billy Bob Thornton), the guy who made high school hell for generations of students. More than half the film was re-shot after test audiences panned the original.
• Also released TODAY: “An Affair to Remember”: 50th Anniversary Edition”; “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown: Remastered Deluxe Edition”; “In The Heat of the Night: 40th Anniversary Edition”; “The New Adventures of Old Christine: The Complete 1st Season”; “Two & a Half Men: The Complete Seasons 1&2 “; and “When Harry Met Sally: Collector’s Edition”.
DYING TO BE THIN:
A survey carried out by “Fitness” magazine has found that 23% of women would be willing to shave their heads or spend a week in jail in exchange for achieving their ideal weight. 83% of women claim they’d rather have an 11th toe than be 50 lbs heavier. And 21% of women suggest they’d be willing to take a full 10 years off their lives in order to reach their ideal weight. (Coincidentally that’s about what you’re gonna lose if you don’t.)
– “Curious Times”
HOW TO CUT THE CHEESE:
Australian scientists are working on a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by … modifying cow farts. No, really. Apparently kangaroos have bacteria in their stomachs which give them environmentally-friendly flatulence and researchers are hoping to transfer that bacteria to the guts of cows and sheep to eliminate methane. It’s hoped the technique will also make the animals’ digestive tracts more efficient, thereby saving farmers up to 15% on feed. A 400-page, $27-million UN study on animal farts has found that the world’s livestock releases 18% of total greenhouse gases, making them more destructive to the environment than all the world’s vehicles combined. (They’re also more difficult to ride to work.)
– “The Age”
FACE VALUE:
The attractiveness of the friends on your Facebook profile affects the way people perceive you, says researcher Joseph Walther of Michigan State University. His studies show that Facebook users who have public postings from attractive friends are considered to be significantly better-looking than people with postings from unattractive friends. (Which explains why I had to delete [co-host] from my list.)
– “NY Times”
REACH OUT & BEEP SOMEONE:
To the chagrin of telecom companies, the practice of ‘beeping’ – communicating by calling and hanging up before connection – is spreading worldwide. The idea is to get someone with more money or airtime to call the beeper back. It can also be used to send a pre-arranged signal, ie: ‘pick me up at school’; or just to say ‘I’m thinking of you’. It goes by many names: you can ‘flash’ a friend, or hit him with a ‘toque’ in Spanish or a ‘bipage’ in French. One estimate suggests that intentional beeps now amount to about 30% of all cellphone calls in India. (So why not save money and go back to a cheapo pager?)
– “Forbes”
TIPS ON TALKING TO TEENS:
• Let them know you are willing to just plain listen.
• Be accessible even at inconvenient times.
• Use questions sparingly.
• Try not to be defensive about critical remarks.
• Give straight-forward advice on important issues.
• Give lots of praise and positive feedback.
• Give them responsibilities with every privilege, as in real life.
• Teach them to make decisions and accept the consequences.
• Teach them to sort out and prioritize information.
• Make them earn what they want.
– National Parenting Center
CATS HAVE FEELINGS TOO:
Just like their human owners, cats can suffer from stress. The biggest source of feline anxiety is rivalry with another kitty. Other stressors include moving to a different home and dealing with a new human family member. (And don’t even think about changing tuna brands!)
– “Cosmopolitan”
WORD-OF-MOUTH ADS:
An agency has finally figured out how to make money off free advertising. Cabbies in London UK are being given free vacations by tourist boards in return for plugging the destinations to their passengers. Asher Moses, director of ‘Womad (Word of Mouth Advertising) Taxis’, says the unique advertising campaign will soon be expanded to include airlines as well. (Some bean-counter somewhere is now calculating the CPG … ‘cost per gab’.)
– “Times of London
PANTS HOLD-UP:
Men’s accessories company Kale Miles has unveiled a new belt that costs – whoa – $18,000! The reason for the pricy tag is its platinum buckle. With an ounce of platinum currently valued at nearly $1,560, the 7- to 8-ounce buckle easily prices the belt out of most people’s budget. The big buck belts are produced in Maine, where workers spend a week fashioning leather from a ‘special breed of cow’. (A cash cow which they’re apparently milking for all they can get!)
– “NY Post”
FOR THE RECORD:
Physics teacher Danielle Bilodeau’s Grade 6, 7 & 8 science class in LeRoy SK (a suburb of Bog End) has set a new record for the annual “BS” Egg Balancing Day (JANUARY 10th) … 93 eggs simultaneously standing up straight and proud. Hoo-haw, congratulations!
DID YOU KNOW?
• One minute of passionate kissing burns only 2 calories.
• In the 1940s the Canadian government advised moms to begin toilet training babies at 1-month-old.
• Disneyland CA and Disney World FL are both located in Orange County.
BS CHRONOMETER 01.15.08
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1947 [61] Andrea Martin, Portland ME, movie actress (“Black Christmas”, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”)/former TV comedian (Emmy Award-“SCTV”)
1971 [37] Regina King, Los Angeles CA, movie actress (“Ray”, “Daddy Day Care”)/TV actress (“24” 2007)
1978 [30] Eddie Cahill, NYC, TV actor (‘Detective Don Flack’ on “CSI: New York” since 2004)
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Fresh Squeezed Juice Day”. So what’s your preference … Orange? Grapefruit? Tomato? Red Man Chaw?
• “Hat Day”, a day to dispel the boredom of mid-winter by wearing the goofiest hat you can find. Always hilarious on radio.
• “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!
• “World Religion Day” … now there’s some fodder to start a war.
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1987 [21] 1st ad on a home video release appears on “Top Gun”, a 30-second Diet Pepsi spot (DVDs now come with oodles of commercials, a half-hour of trailers, and about 87 features on the making of the movie)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1994 [14] Pop singer Harry Nilsson (“Everybody’s Talkin’”, “Without You”) dies of a heart attack at age 53
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1892 [116] James Naismith’s ‘Rules of Basketball’ 1st published in the Springfield MA “Y Triangle” magazine
1907 [101] William Taggart 1st demonstrates ‘Gold Dental Inlays’ (tooth fillings)
1967 [41] 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 . . .
1983 [25] 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
1997 [11] Seattle Supersonics set an NBA record with 27 steals against the Toronto Raptors
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Hot & Spicy Food International Day
[Wed] Human Relations Day
[Wed] Elementary School Teachers Day
[Thurs-Jan 27] 2008 Sundance Film Festival
[Thurs] Get to Know Your Customer Day
[Fri] Winnie the Pooh Day
This Week Is … Canadian Financial Planning Week International Printing Week
This Month Is … Clean Up Your Computer Month
BULL’S BITS
BS SIGNS YOU’RE WORKING TOO MANY HOURS:
• You can’t recall the last time you drove your car in daylight.
• You consider the nightly cleaning crew your closest colleagues.
• Each morning you wish your spouse ‘Happy Birthday’ in case you’re not back for a few months.
• Your boss actually encourages you to sleep at your desk.
• All you meals are catered … by a vending machine.
• Britney Spears spends more time with her kids than you do.
– BBSpot
BS WEB GOODIE:
Predict the exact date & time when Britney Spears will die and a sicko new site will award you a PlayStation 3. Some 10,000 predictions have reportedly already been made, with many of them suggesting she’ll die from an overdose, suicide, or heart attack later THIS MONTH.
NET: http://whenisbritneygoingtodie.com/
FUNNIEST CANADIAN PLACENAMES:
This makes for a good argument starter. From East to West, we think these are best …
• Dildo NL
• Ecum Secum NS
• Crapaud PEI
• Poodiac NB
• Saint-Loius-du-Ha-Ha QC
• Bummers Roost ON
• Bacon Ridge MB
• Moose Jaw SK
• Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump AB
• Baldy Hughes BC
US STATES WITH THE MOST MILLIONAIRES:
According to a new Phoenix Affluent Marketing Service survey, here’s where you’ll find the most households with $1 million or more in assets …
5. Massachusetts
4. Hawaii
3. Connecticut
2. Maryland
1. New Jersey (1 of every 15 households)
Note that only liquid assets, such as stocks, bank accounts, and retirement accounts are counted, not real estate. Otherwise, California would likely move way up from #10.
– UPI
BS PHONE STARTER:
The Scout Association in England (where Robert Baden-Powell began the Scouting movement in 1907) has just announced the addition of 40 new badges, the most significant revamping of the awards system in a century. Among them: skateboarding, bike racing, and eating healthy foods. Given the opportunity, what would you create a new badge for?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: THIS is the most popular day of the year for most people to eat out.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: On their birthday.
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Visits always bring pleasure; if not the arrival, the departure.
