Thursday, July 10, 2008        Edition: #3816
Thanks For Being On Our Sheet List!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Retailers are taking notice that TV teen soap “Gossip Girl” (CW) is having a huge influence on how young femmes shop for clothes, some even bringing magazine photos of the show’s stars into stores for comparison (co-host uses pictures from “Family Guy”) . . . NBC-TV is resurrecting its chime signature which first aired on NBC Radio in 1929, using the 3-note stinger to tag all promos for network shows (the notes played – G,E, and C – stand for General Electric Corporation, the network’s majority owner) . . . Actor George Clooney’s kicked-to-the-curb ex-GF Sarah Larson says she’s still friends with the movie star and they’ve talked on the phone as recently as a few days ago (he called to demand she stop telling people they’re still friends) . . . Paris Hilton is hoping Britney Spears & Lindsay Lohan will join her for a TV special in which A-listers talk about the difficulty of living life in front of cameras (uh, shouldn’t she invite some A-listers, then?) . . . The house guests on the upcoming 10th season of “Big Brother” (debuts SUNDAY on CBS) will include a 75-year-old great-grandpa (fortunately the house’s latest reno included installation of a defibrillator) . . . Hollywood’s bitchiest divorcée Denise Richards has reportedly put her $4.2 million Hidden Hills CA home on the market because neighbors keep complaining about constant filming for her reality TV show “It’s Complicated” (E!) and also about her ever-growing menagerie of pets (wouldn’t 14 dogs qualify as a zoo?) . . . Reality TV producer Mark Burnett is being sued for $70 million by former business partner & best friend Conrad Riggs, who alleges he’s been cheated out of revenues from projects they jointly developed, including “Survivor” & “The Apprentice” (he was kicked off the island) . . . And according to Nielsen Media Research, the average TV viewer now spends 127:15 hours-a-month in front of a TV set, but even more interestingly – 2:19 hours watching video online and 3:15 hours watching it on tiny cellphone screens (in related news, where’d I put my bifocals?).

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Just For Laughs Festival” – The 26th annual edition of the world’s largest comedy event, through JULY 20th in Montréal. Some highlights …
– Headlining stand-up comics include Joan Rivers; Kathy Griffin (“My Life On the D List”); Craig Ferguson (“Late Late Show”); Jeremy Piven (“Entourage”); and future “Late Night” host Jimmy Fallon.
– The comedy movie portion includes Judd Apatow & Seth Rogen’s “Pineapple Express”; Dany Book’s “Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis”, France’s most successful domestic film ever; and “The Rocker”, starring Rainn Wilson (“The Office”) as a has-been drummer trying to revive his career.
NET: http://www.hahaha.com/en/festival/10/
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Chart-topper Lil Wayne (“Tha Carter III”) is onstage.
• “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” (Bravo) – Kathy hangs with Rosie O’Donnell, Megan Mullally, and Molly Shannon in NYC.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Rapper The Game promotes the upcoming (much delayed) album release of “LAX” (out AUGUST 26th).
• “Late Late Show” (CBS) – Brit R&B singer Estelle (“American Boy”) is on.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS) – Panic! At The Disco (“I Write Sins Not Tragedies”) performs.
• “Live With Regis & Kelly” (syndicated/CTV) – “Bubbly” singer Colbie Caillat is a guest.
• “Rock & Pop Memorabilia Auction” – The scribbled lyrics to “Give Peace a Chance” which John Lennon handed a teenage fan during his famous 8-day ‘bed-in’ with Yoko Ono in Montréal in 1969 are the highlight of this Christie’s sale in London. Owner Gail Renard says Lennon told her to hang onto the piece of scrap paper because it would ‘be worth something someday’. It’s expected to fetch as much as … $600,000.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/567t5e
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC) – Country legend Willie Nelson makes an appearance.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• B-52s – A number of websites claim to have a pic of 60-year-old singer Kate Pierson posing starkers on a bed. Perez Hilton claims the shot was snapped by a former lover who purposely leaked the photos online. (Thank goodness the Internet is used to enrich our lives.)
• Britney Spears – THIS WEEK she’s shooting that video montage to be used in Madonna’s upcoming tour. The set on a soundstage in Hollywood features an elevator, in, around, and on which Britney dances.
• Missy Elliott – Her 37th birthday party in NYC got cut short when her makeup artist was arrested for allegedly starting a brawl by assaulting a waitress. It seems the server attempted to get close to a party guest … one Busta Rhymes.
• Tim McGraw – His just-concluded “Live Your Voice” tour played to almost a half-million fans and grossed close to $20 million.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Cherrybomb” – 19-year-old “Harry Potter” actor Rupert Grint (‘Ron Weasley‘) will star in this Belfast-set teen drama about 2 friends whose furious competition for a beautiful but manipulative girl has tragic consequences. 22-year-old English actress Kimberley Nixon plays the girl, with emerging Irish actor Robert Sheehan as the love rival. The film’s due out in 2009.
• “The Ivy Chronicles” – “Sex & The City” star Sarah Jessica Parker stars in this dramedy about a single gal making her way in Manhattan. If that sounds a wee bit familiar, this time she’ll play a newly-divorced mom trying to forge a new life for herself & 2 daughters after losing her husband, apartment, and high-powered Wall Street job. The film’s scheduled for a 2010 opening.
• “Lake City” – Oscar-winner Sissy Spacek plays the matriarch of a tragedy-struck family in this drama rooted in the US South. The support cast is full of notables, including Rebecca Romijn (“Ugly Betty”), Drea de Matteo (“The Sopranos”), Keith Carradine (“Nashville”), and some guy billed as David Matthews (Dave Matthews Band). Opens in limited release in NOVEMBER.
• “Planet 51” – This CG-animated adventure centers around an astronaut who lands on an alien planet thinking he’s the first to set foot on it. To his surprise, he discovers it’s inhabited by little green people who live in a white picket-fenced world reminiscent of 1950s America. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson & Jessica Biel voice the main characters. (Is there an easier way for an actor to make money?)

COOKIE’S FORTUNE:
TODAY in New Orleans LA, the finals of the ‘Double Stuf Oreo Lick Race’ will be held at Isidore Newman High School, where NFL quarterbacks Eli Manning & Peyton Manning began their football careers. The long-bomb-hurling brothers are spokesmen for the ‘Double Stuf Racing League’, a competition to see who’s fastest to twist, lick, and dunk an Oreo cookie. 10 finalists will compete, including a 74-year-old Ohio granny. The lick-racing winner bags $10,000. (Nice to see the back-to-back Super Bowl-winning sibs haven’t sold out.)
NET: http://www.nabiscoworld.com/oreo/dsrl/home.aspx
– UPI

WAYS TO SAVE MONEY:
When times are tough, the tough cut back. Here are a few simple ideas to help you keep more of your money in your own pocket …
• Switch to a prepaid cellphone plan if you use less than 200 minutes-a-month.
• Before you replace your cellphone, shop the web for a discounted or used one.
• Phone add-ons like caller ID, call waiting, 3-way calling, and voice mail all cost extra. Do you really need them?
• Combine your satellite/cable TV, phone, long distance, and Internet service into a ‘bundle’ with one company and it will cost you less than paying for each service separately.
• Buy a prepaid long distance card and cancel your long distance service.
• Save thousands in interest by shopping for the shortest-term mortgage you can afford.
• Cut back your premium TV package to the basic package. Most people only watch about 7 channels.
• Make credit card payments as soon as you receive the bill. You will reduce the daily balance for more days in the cycle and pay less interest.
• Pay your bills online and save money on postage.
– Gomestic.com

DOLLARS DOUBLE DOWN:
Here’s a freaky animal-kingdom fact: sand-dollar larvae can clone themselves when in danger. Researchers believe this is so they have twice the chance of survival if one gets eaten. (This would be really cool if it worked with REAL dollars.)
– “Cosmopolitan”

MEANEST DOGS:
Which dog breed is the most aggressive? Nope, not the pit bull, or Rottweiler, or Doberman. It’s the dachshund. New research has found that 1-in-5 of the so-called wiener dogs has bitten or tried to bite strangers; a similar number have attacked other dogs; and 1-in-12 have snapped at their owners. The Chihuahua ranks 2nd-most-hostile, followed by the Jack Russell. (Just like humans … the little guys snap back at you.)
– “Sunday Telegraph”

HOTNESS HELPS:
Good news for men with very attractive partners … you’re probably getting it more often than other guys, according to a new psychology study at Florida Atlantic University. That’s not overly surprising but the reason might be. You’re not doing it because your partner turns you on, but merely to ‘mark your territory’ and hold onto someone who’s more likely to be pursued by other guys. (Just try mentioning the marking your territory idea and see how often you get lucky.)
– Canwest News Service

JAVA & JOGGING:
The combo of drinking coffee and exercising may actually reduce your risk of skin cancer, reports Rutgers University. The duo reportedly increases destruction of precancerous cells, thereby lowering risk. But a UK expert warns that coffee is not a good substitute for sensible Sun protection. The best way to reduce risk of skin cancer is still said to be …
• Spend time in the shade between 11 am and 3 pm.
• Make sure you never burn.
• Cover up with a t-shirt, hat and sunglasses.
• Use factor 15 sunscreen or higher.
• Remember to take extra care with children.
– BBC News

THE FUNGUS AMONG US:
A new Johns Hopkins research study shows that the previously discovered beneficial spiritual effects of psilocybin, the substance in magic mushrooms, appear to last more than a year. According to research published in the “Journal of Psychopharmacology”, some 3 dozen volunteers report the hallucinogenic experience has increased their sense of well-being for 14 months after taking the substance. (Bet this ‘volunteer work’ has a waiting list.)
– AHN

DID YOU KNOW?
• The world’s biggest per-capita consumers of music are the British, who account for over 7% of global sales.
• Among American men, those with the highest incomes are the most likely to be overweight; but among American women, those with the lowest incomes are most likely to be overweight.
• 1-in-10 hospital patients will contract a disease or infection while in the hospital.
– “Uncle John’s 20th Anniversary Bathroom Reader”

BS AMAZING FACT:
The planet Saturn has a density lower than water. So if there was a bathtub large enough to hold it (which would be pretty weird to begin with), Saturn would float!
– “New Science”

AND WE QUOTE:
“People make a big fuss over names. There’s nothing weird about calling your baby ‘Chewbacca’ if that’s what you want to call your baby. It’s no stranger than ‘Sarah’.”
– Coldplay’s Chris Martin, apparently telling “Blender” magazine that cruelty to kids is okay.

BS CHRONOMETER 07.10.08
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1931 [77] Alice Munro, Wingham ON, short-story author (“Runaway”, “The Love Of a Good Woman”) who’s won 3 “Governor General’s Awards” & 2 “Giller Prizes”

1946 [62] Roger Abbott, Birkenhead UK, TV comic (CBC’s “Royal Canadian Air Farce” 1973-2007)

1952 [56] Kim Mitchell, Sarnia ON, oldies singer (“Patio Lanterns”, Max Webster-“Let Go the Line”)/currently afternoon drive jock @ Q107 [CILQ] Toronto

1953 [55] Rik Emmett, Toronto ON, oldies singer/guitarist (“When a Heart Breaks”, Triumph-“Rocky Mountain Way”)

1970 [38] Gary LeVox, Columbus OH, country singer (Rascal Flatts-“Take Me There“, “Stand”)

1971 [37] Adam Foote, Toronto ON, NHL defenceman (Colorado Avalanche)/Team Canada member (1996/2004 World Cup of Hockey, 1998/2002/2006 Winter Olympics)

1976 [32] Adrian Grenier, born on a New Mexico commune, TV actor (‘Vincent Chase’ on HBO’s “Entourage” since 2004)/movie actor (“The Devil Wears Prada”)  FACTOID: His management has been shopping his birthday party, asking clubs in the Hamptons on Long Island NY for $50,000 for ‘the honor’ of hosting it.

1980 [28] Jessica Simpson, Abilene TX, wannabe country singer (“Come on Over”)/wannabe movie actress (“Employee Of the Month”, “Dukes of Hazzard”)/ex-Mrs Nick Lachey (2002-05)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Don’t Step On a Bee Day”, a warning to kids and grown-ups that now is the time when going barefoot can mean getting stung by a bee. And with the recent disappearance of millions of the crop-pollinating critters, we need to save every one we can!

• “Pina Colada Day”, the one day of the year you can play Rupert Holmes’ cheesy oldie “The Pina Colada Song” … as long as you blow it up real good after a couple of bars.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1946 [62] 1st ‘Drive-In Theater’ in Canada opens in Hamilton ON

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1965 [43] 1st #1 hit for the Rolling Stones, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1996 [12] 1st fashion house to debut its collection simultaneously on a Paris catwalk and online (Yves Saint Laurent)

1999 [09] US women’s soccer team wins “FIFA Women’s World Cup” at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena CA

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Cheer Up the Lonely Day
[Fri] Pet Photo Day
[Fri] UN World Population Day
[Fri] International Town Criers Day
[Fri] Gruntled Workers Day
[Fri] Apple’s 2nd generation iPhone 3G goes on sale (8 am)
[Fri] Hippiefest tour kicks off (Phoenix)
[Fri] Martina McBride tour kicks off (Detroit)
[Fri] “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” opens in movie theaters
[Sun] National Ice Cream Day
[Sun] Embrace Your Geekness Day
This Week Is … Laundry Workers’ Week
This Month Is … Recreation & Parks Month

BULL’S BITS
ACTUAL HOMELESS SIGNS:
They say humor sells; a fact even street people seem to understand …
• “Help Me – I Am a Disabled Clone War Vet”
• “I’ll Bet You $1 You’ll Read This Sign”
• “Time Traveler. Help! Need $ for New Flux Capacitor.”
• “Homeless Jedi”
• “Need Money to Get Drunk So That 2 Women Can Take Me Home and Molest Me”
• “Wife Has Been Kidnapped. I’m Short 98 Cents for Ransom”
• “Will Code HTML for Food”
• “Need Cash for Alcohol Research”
– Oddee.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
Should families with unruly children be barred from airline flights? (Southwest Airlines is offering a full refund to a family kicked off a flight in Phoenix AZ due to disruptive children. What made them reconsider: one of the kids suffers from autism, the other cerebral palsy.)

BS RANDOM JOKE:
If at first you don’t succeed … try second base or shortstop.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: People under hypnosis do THIS 50% of the time.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: They lie.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Some people are educated beyond their intelligence.