Friday, June 27, 2008        Edition: #3807
More From the Sheethouse!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
THIS WEEKEND “Get Smart” actress Anne Hathaway’s accused con-man ex-, Raffaello Follieri, was scheduled to party hardy for his 30th birthday but instead he’ll either be in the slammer or still in hospital, where he was taken after an ‘episode’ in court (a crisis of conscience?) . . . SATURDAY 29-year-old “American Idol 2” winner Ruben Studdard is getting hitched to 30-year-old GF Surata McCants in a lavish Birmingham AL ceremony that will include at 20 groomsmen (a wedding almost as big as he is!) . . . Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie have donated a cool $1 million to the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, which helps kids affected by the war in Iraq (just as her big new movie opens – savvy!) . . . Similarly, actor James Gandolfini has sold off 25 outfits from his “Sopranos” wardrobe at a Christie’s charity auction, raising about $188,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project (aids soldiers injured in Iraq & Afghanistan) . . . The producers of the new “Batman” movie franchise are trying to persuade 78-year-old Clint Eastwood to play the ‘Mayor of Gotham City’ in the next film (we’d love to hear his likely expletive-heavy reply) . . . TV actor-turned-“America’s Got Talent” judge David Hasselhoff claims the upcoming new incarnation of his vintage TV show “Knight Rider” (1982-86) is doomed to fail without his participation, because it’s like making “Indiana Jones” without ‘Indy’ (dude, it wasn’t much of a hit back in the day either) . . . Another explicit celeb videotape has surfaced, this time featuring actor Verne Troyer (‘Mini Me’) and a former (full-size) live-in GF (we’re guessing it’s just a short) . . . “Access Hollywood” reports that Denise Richards & Charlie Sheen’s daughters are now in psychological therapy at the already world-weary ages of 3- and 4-years-old (truly sad but not all that surprising) . . . And 64-year-old actor Ben Kingsley says 22-year-old co-star Mary Kate Olsen was ‘completely in charge’ of a steamy phone booth make-out scene between the two in the upcoming flick, “The Wackness” (we’re thinking a healthy snort of ammonia might help erase that horrific mental image from your mind).

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Eli Stone“ (ABC) – SATURDAY a rerun of the show’s George Michael-filled pilot is rerun.
• “46664 Concert Honoring Nelson Mandela at 90“ – TONIGHT a 3-hour evening concert in London’s Hyde Park salutes Mandela with performances by Amy Winehouse, Annie Lennox, Josh Groban, Leona Lewis, and Queen among others. Proceeds go toward an initiative to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. “4, double-6, 6-4” was Mandela’s prison number while incarcerated in South Africa for 27 years.
NET: http://www.46664.com/129/
• “Glastonbury Festival” – TODAY through SUNDAY in Somerset, England the largest annual greenfield music& performing arts festival in the world features performances by a diverse roster that includes Amy Winehouse, Crowded House, The Fratellis, Jay-Z, John Mayer, KT Tunstall, Leonard Cohen, Neil Diamond, Panic At the Disco!, and The Raconteurs.
NET: http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC/Global) – TOMORROW the long-running show’s inaugural 1975 episode is rerun as a tribute to its initial host, comedian George Carlin, who died SUNDAY at age 71.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• AC/DC – It’s been announced their as-yet-untitled new album will be released in AUGUST, exclusively through Wal-Mart Stores. It’s their first new material since ”Stiff Upper Lip” (2000).
• Coldplay – THIS MORNING the chart-toppers perform live in NYC’s Rockefeller Plaza for the “Today Show” (NBC).
• Fergie – THIS MORNING she’s on “Live With Regis & Kelly” (syndicated/CTV).
• Gavin DeGraw – TONIGHT the “In Love With a Girl” singer kicks off a 27-city headlining tour in Louisville KY, featuring fresh material from his new self-titled album.
• Josh Groban – THIS AFTERNOON he’s the musical guest on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CityTV).
• Kanye West – Looks like he’ll have to fork out over $600K to settle the mortgage on his late mother’s condo. Donda West died LAST YEAR with no will & an estate worth under $250,000.
• Maroon 5 – THIS MORNING they’re in concert on “Good Morning America” (ABC).
• The Raconteurs – TONIGHT they do “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” (NBC).
• Trace Adkins – TONIGHT the “You’re Gonna Miss This” country star performs on the “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC/A Channel). Adkins will serve as National Honorary Chair of the “2008 Walk for Food Allergy” which will be held in 26 cities THIS FALL, as well as online.
• Van Halen – Negotiations to stage a Labor Day weekend concert in Charlottetown PEI have been called off after the provincial share of funding reached $4 million and the Tourism Ministry backed out.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Finding Amanda” ( R-Rated Dramedy ): Matthew Broderick plays a TV producer with a fondness for drinking and gambling who is sent to Las Vegas to convince his trouble-prone niece (Brittany Snow) to enter rehab. Word has it Snow, who spent time getting to know ‘working girls’ while researching the role, steals the show.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/5mv2ma
• “WALL*E” ( G-Rated Animated Comedy ): Disney family fare about a trash-compacting robot (‘Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class’) who falls for a female droid named ‘EVE’ and sets out on an intergalactic journey to be with her. Sound designer Ben Burtt voices most characters and SFX. Support cast includes Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, and Sigourney Weaver.
NET: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/wall-e/
• “Wanted” ( R-Rated Action Thriller ): Angelina Jolie plays a gun-toting assassin who recruits a miserable account manager (James McAvoy) into the secret group of operatives to which his recently murdered father belonged. Morgan Freeman co-stars. Advance reviews have been so positive, there are reports a sequel is already in development.
NET: http://www.wantedmovie.com/http://www.wantedmovie.com/

WHEEL IN THE SKY:
Italian-based architect David Fisher has unveiled plans to build 80-story, revolving skyscrapers in both Dubai and Moscow that are capable of … shape-shifting. The ‘Dynamic Tower’ residences are being billed as the world’s first buildings in motion. They’ll feature a stationary central core with independent movable apartments slowly revolving around. Apartments are expected to sell for circa $3,000 per sq ft, meaning the price for a unit will range from $4 million-to-$40 million. The target completion date is 2010. Some are skeptical of Fisher’s plan, noting that he’s never built a skyscraper before … let alone one that’s constantly in motion. (Hope the windows open so you can heave!)
– CBC News

SOCIAL STUDIES:
• A recent Canadian study shows that caffeine ingested 30 minutes before a meal causes men to eat about 25% less food. The same effect, unfortunately, does not hold true for women.
• A University of Michigan study shows that if you work with a view of the outdoors you are likely to be more enthusiastic about your job, more patient, and generally more healthy.
• Research shows that honey can speed the healing of wounds, sometimes working better than antibiotics. For a mild burn or scrape, a thin coat of honey under a bandage will speed healing. (When you get the urge to lick your wounds, it also tastes better than Ozonol.)

A FACE EVEN A MOTHER BARELY LOVES:
A new study from the University of Alberta has found that parents treat cute kids with far more love and attention than less attractive children. The study secretly observed 400 families while they were shopping and ranked the kids on a scale of physical attractiveness from 1-to-10. The children rated most attractive were about 10 times more likely to be secured with a shopping cart seat belt. They were also far less likely to be allowed to wander away unsupervised. But they’ll likely grown up to be self-preening narcissistic wimps, so it all works out. ([Co-host] was so ugly as a child his parents had to tie pork chops to his ears so the dog would play with him.)
– MSNBC

BS AMAZING FACTS:
• The iPod is louder than other MP3 players because Apple CEO Steve Jobs has a hearing problem. (And thanks to him … so will an entire generation.)
– “Wired”
• The difference between ‘isolated’ and ‘scattered’ thunderstorms is probability. ‘Isolated’ means there’s less than a 30% chance of measurable precipitation, while ‘scattered’ indicates a 30%-to-50% chance. The term ‘likely’, meanwhile, suggests a 60% or greater chance. (When you reword the forecast, make sure you don’t change its meaning. That’s a big reason listeners get the idea the weather report is always wrong.)
– AskMen.com

BS CHRONOMETER 06.27.08

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1959 [49] Lorrie (Loretta Lynn) Morgan, Hendersonville TN, country singer (“Go Away”, “What Part of No”)/on-and-off Mrs Sammy Kershaw (her 5th husband)

1961 [47] Margo Timmins, Montréal QC, folk-rock singer (Cowboy Junkies-“The Trinity Session”)

1966 [42] JJ Abrams, NYC, TV writer/producer/director (“Lost” since 2004, “Alias” 2001-06)/movie producer/director (“Cloverfield”, “Mission Impossible III”)  UP NEXT: “Star Trek” (2009).

1975 [33] Tobey Maguire, Santa Monica CA, movie actor (“Spider-Man” films, “Seabiscuit”)

1976 [32] Leigh Bingham Nash, New Braunfels TX, pop singer (Sixpence None the Richer-“There She Goes”, “Kiss Me”)

1984 [24] Khloe Kardashian, LA CA, reality TV personality (“Keeping Up With the Kardashians”)/sister of Kourtney, Kim, and Robert Kardashian

1987 [21] Ed Westwick, Stevenage UK, TV actor (‘Chuck Bass’ on “Gossip Girl” since 2007)

SATURDAY –
Broadway-movie producer-director Mel Brooks (“The Producers”) is 82; Oscar-winning movie actress Kathy Bates (“Misery”) is 60; Movie actor John Cusack (“Runaway Jury”) is 42; Rock bassist Tim Nordwind (OK Go) is 32; Rock bassist Mark Stoermer (The Killers) is 31; Country singer Kellie Pickler (“Red High Hells”) is 22.

SUNDAY –
NFL analyst Dan Dierdorf (CBS-TV) is 59; Classic rock singer Colin Hay (Men at Work) is 55; TV actress Melora Hardin  (“The Office”) is 41; Rocker Matthew Good (“Haven’t Slept in Years”) is 37; Pop singer Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Dolls) is 30.
 
BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Canadian Multiculturalism Day”, an opportunity to celebrate our diversity and to appreciate the contributions of the various multicultural groups and communities to Canadian society.
NET: http://www.pch.gc.ca/special/canada/11/multi_e.cfm
• “Decide To Be Married Day”, focusing on the joys of the ball-and-chain. Ask listeners for advantages to being married that you rarely hear about.
• “HIV Testing Day”, an annual campaign by the National Association of People with AIDS to encourage at-risk individuals to receive voluntary HIV counselling and testing.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/5ajjxn
• “Special Recreation for Disabled Day”, to focus attention on the recreation rights, needs, aspirations, and abilities of people with disabilities. The idea of jogging might appeal to all of us more if we were disabled.
• “Sunglasses Day”, celebrated on the anniversary of the 1942 debut of ‘Ray-Ban Sunglasses’. Shades as we know them today are a 20th-century phenomenon. In the 1930s, the military commissioned glasses that would protect pilots from Sun glare. But they didn’t become a real fad until the 1960s when an ad campaign asked, “Who’s behind those Foster Grants?”.

SATURDAY –
• “Paul Bunyan Day”, celebrating the gigantic lumberjack of American folklore. According to the story, Bunyan and his blue ox ‘Babe’ traveled around countryside where he became known for his logging feats.
• “Tapioca Day”, honoring that stuff you put in pudding that looks like fish eyes.

SUNDAY –
• “Camera Day”, a celebration of the tradition of recording the moments of your life. These days that’s most often done on a cellphone.
• “Log Cabin Day”, celebrated annually on the last SUNDAY of JUNE as a salute to the humble but efficient dwellings erected by American pioneers.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2006 [02] “Superman Returns” opens in movie theaters, starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, and Kevin Spacey

2007 [01] “Live Free or Die Hard”, starring Bruce Willis opens in movie theaters

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1859 [149] The melody of the world’s most-sung song, “Happy Birthday to You”, is composed by Louisville KY school teacher Mildred J Hill (published in 1893 as “Good Morning To All” with lyrics written by her sister Patty Smith Hill). According to statistics, the song is sung somewhere in the world every minute of every day.

1980 [28] “O Canada” is unanimously accepted by House of Commons and Senate as Canada’s national anthem, with ‘special allowance for possible changes of words’ (originally written by Calixa Lavallee & Adolphe-Basile Routhier, it is officially proclaimed Canada’s national anthem a few days later on July 1, 1980)

1994 [14] Aerosmith’s “Head First” becomes the first online music release

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
2000 [08] 1st ever ‘Underwater Leg’ of an Olympic torch relay, through Australia’s Great Barrier Reef on the way to Sydney

2003 [05] On its 1st day of operation, almost three-quarters of a million people call the ‘United States National Do Not Call Registry’, formed to combat unwanted telemarketing calls (why don’t we have this here?)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1949 [59] ‘Largest Canadian Majority Government’ in history as Louis St Laurent’s Liberals win 191 seats to 41 for Conservatives, 13 for CCF, and 10 for Social Credit

COMING UP . . .
[Mon] Meteor Day
[Mon] Please Take My Children to Work Day
[Tues] Canada Day (no BS service)
[Wed] “Hancock” opens in movie theaters
[Fri] Independence Day (USA)
This Week Is … Assistant Principals Week
This Month Is … Fireworks Safety Month

BULL’S BITS

REJECTED BS TOOLS ON THE SWISS ARMY KNIFE:
There are new versions of the famous Swiss Army Knife that feature everything from an altimeter to bottle opener, can opener, cigar cutter, corkscrew, magnifying glass, and wire stripper. But so far, there are none that feature …
• Nose scoop.
• Brass knuckle.
• Miniature bong.
• Foldable hedge trimmer.
• Swizzle stick.
• Universal TV remote.
• Scab picker.

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I just finished another 12-step program and I STILL can’t dance.

BS TOP SWAPS:
The week’s most requested music files online …
5. Ne-Yo – “Closer”
4. Jordin Sparks f/Chris Brown – “No Air”
3. Rihanna – “Take a Bow”
2. Lil Wayne f/Static Major – “Lollipop”
1. Usher – “Love In This Club”
– Big Champagne online music measurement

BS PHONE STARTER:
If you could take a 1-month trip anywhere in the world and money were not a consideration, where would you go?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: On average, optimists have more of THIS than pessimists, according to a Duke University study.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Money saved for a ‘rainy day’.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
If you want to cheer up, cheer up someone.

Monthly Planning Calendar in Monday’s Edition of “The Bull Sheet”!