Friday, March 21, 2008        Edition: #3737
Nothin’ Like a Bull in Your Radio Shop!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
THIS WEEK “Girls Gone Wild” founder Joe Francis rescinded a $1-million offer to Ashley Dupre, the 22-year-old call-girl linked to former NY governor Eliot Spitzer, to appear in his new magazine because (he gloated) he already has explicit video footage of her on file, but now her lawyer says the oft-jailed Francis may be in hot water because Dupre was underage – just 17 – when the video was shot (it’s tough to decide who’s the biggest sleazebag in this whole ordeal) . . . Oprah Winfrey’s rep says the media mogul is confident she’ll prevail in an ongoing legal battle with a Boston woman who claims she came up with the idea for the TV show “Oprah’s Big Give” and passed it along 3 years ago (Darlene Tracy is apparently hoping for the ‘Big Receive’) . . . Some 250 pieces of original Disney animation art that wound up lying in a janitor’s closet at Chiba University in Japan for nearly a half-century are going to be returned to the Walt Disney Co in  return for hi-res digital copies and a $1 million gift to be used to further studies in animation art . . . “Randy Jackson’s Music Club: Vol 1” debuts at #50 on the “Billboard” album chart, having managed to sell only a puny 13,000 copies (thanks in no small part to Paula Abdul’s less-than-scintillating single, “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow”) . . . And thanks to a big money deal, Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony’s new baby twins have finally gone public in photos appearing in THIS WEEK’s issue of “People”, likely in part due to the $2.5 million Anthony has been dinged for back taxes, interest, and penalties (even rich folk have debts).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Amy Winehouse – She’s posed for “Easy Living” magazine in-the-buff as part of a campaign to raise breast cancer awareness among young women. But the black & white photo reveals little, thanks to a strategically placed guitar and 2 pieces of duct tape. (Removal must have ouched!)
• Britney Spears – In order to help get her finances back in order, her conservators have been granted permission to sell off some of her cars. It’s hoped that reducing her fleet of SEVEN vehicles will save big bucks on insurance, maintenance & storage. (And a million or 2 for gas.)
• Clint Black – The country singer has signed on for the new reality TV show, “Secret Talents of the Stars” (CBS), in which celebs showcase their lesser-known talents. Clint’s secret ability? Standup comedy. The show debuts APRIL 8th.
• Queen – The band’s reincarnation (with Paul Rodgers out front) has announced a 28-date arena tour that will take in 14 countries in just 7 weeks. It kicks off mid-SEPTEMBER in Moscow.

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Afghan Star” – TONIGHT a winner in Afghanistan’s version of “American Idol” is picked. The finalists are  21-year-old Hameed Sakhizada from the Hazara tribe and 19-year-old Rafi Naabzada, an ethnic Tajik. The winner gets circa $5,000, a colossal amount in Afghanistan.
• Arthur C Clarke – SATURDAY the famous sci-fi writer (“2001: A Space Odyssey”) who died THIS WEEK at age 90 will be buried in his adopted country of Sri Lanka in a secular funeral according to his wishes.
• Backstreet Boys – SUNDAY AJ McLean takes a tentative step toward a solo career with the first of a pair of low-key concerts in California.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CityTV) – TODAY Erykah Badu is Ellen’s musical guest.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC) – TONIGHT Mary J Blige is on.
• “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (CBS) – TONIGHT Lupe Fiasco is a guest.
• “Saturday Night Live” – Carrie Underwood is the musical guest as “SNL” alum Tina Fey (“30 Rock”) hosts.
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno (NBC) – TONIGHT the Black Crowes perform.
• “The View (ABC/CTV) – THIS MORNING Natasha Bedingfield faces the panel.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Drillbit Taylor“ ( PG-13 Comedy ): A pair of nerdy high-school freshmen hire a low-rent soldier-of-fortune (Owen Wilson) to protect them from a sadistic bully in school. They soon become aware that he is anything but skilled in the art of protection and more interested in a hot teacher. Co-stars Alex Frost, Josh Peck, and Leslie Mann.
NET: http://www.drillbittaylor.com/
• “Meet the Browns” ( PG-13 Comedy ): Angela Basset plays a struggling single mom in Chicago who packs up her kids and heads to Georgia for the funeral of the father she never met. There she gets to know her crazy extended family and, just maybe, Mr Right. Adapted by Tyler Perry from his popular stage play.
NET: http://www.meetthebrownsfilm.com/
• “Shutter” ( PG-13 Horror Thriller ): Joshua Jackson & Rachael Taylor star as newlyweds honeymooning in Tokyo. Like all good tourists, they end up taking a lot of pictures of the city. The weird thing is … their images include ghosts in them. A remake of a 2004 horror hit from Thailand, shot entirely in Japan.
NET: http://www.shutter-movie.com/

BETTER SEATING SELECTION PLANNED:
Chinese officials have confirmed that extensive restroom renovations are underway at 2008 Summer Olympics venues after testers complained about the … Asian-style squat toilets. As a result, massive do-overs to install Western-style sit-down commodes have begun. A spokesman says the proportion of ‘squats’ to ‘sit-downs’ will vary from venue-to-venue. (Now about that bathroom tissue made from bamboo twigs …)
– BBC News

HOTTEST-EVER TV SCENES:
A new ranking of the all-time steamiest moments on TV …
5. ‘Maddie’ (Cybill Shepherd) & ‘David’ (Bruce Willis) finally give in to their urges on “Moonlighting” (1987).
4. ‘Father Ralph’ (Richard Chamberlain) & ‘Meggie’ (Rachel Ward) do some sinning and scorch the beach in “The Thorn Birds” (1983).
3. ‘Meredith’ (Ellen Pompeo) loses her black panties after she & ‘Derek’ (Patrick Dempsey) get it on in an exam room on “Grey’s Anatomy” (2006).
2. ‘Kate’ (Evangeline Lilly) & ‘Sawyer’ (Josh Holloway) make love in his cage on a steamy “Lost” episode (2006).
1. ‘Buffy’ (Sarah Michelle Gellar) & ‘Spike’ (James Marsters) beat the hell out of each other before doing the deed on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer“ (2001).
– “TV Guide”

CANINE CARDIGANS:
Newcastle, England couple Brian & Beth Willis say they are fortunate to remember their deceased dogs by what they left behind … sweaters knitted from their fur. Beth Willis knit her first 100% dog-fur sweater in 1990 from the hair of ‘Kara’, a white Samoyed which later died in 1996. She was in the process of creating a sweater from the fur of another pooch, a Swedish Lapphund named ‘Penny’, when it died 6 years ago. Fortunately, she already had enough fur to finish the garment, as well as sufficient leftovers for a 3rd pet pullover. (Hate to think what she’ll create after her hubby kicks!)
– “Daily Mail”

DRIVING YOU TO THE POORHOUSE:
Recent stats from the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission show that 16-year-old girls are becoming almost as bad a risk as 16-year-old boys when it comes to driving. Teenage girls are driving more, and the youngest are involved in an increasing number of accidents. As a result, insurance companies have begun to close the gap on premiums between young males and females. (Now’s the time to offer new roller blades!)
– AP

DID YOU KNOW?
• Before special machines were installed in 1954, it took 27 hours to make one Peeps marshmallow chick. Today it takes 6 minutes.
– MarshmallowPeeps.com
• The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (aka “March Madness”) is expected to cost US employers $1.7 billion dollars in lost productivity.
– “Radar Magazine”
• According to the new ‘Religious Landscape Survey’, 44% of American adults have left the religion or denomination in which they were raised. Some have found new faiths, some remain religious but have no affiliation, and others have abandoned religious belief as well as practice.
– “Contra Costa Times”

BS CHRONOMETER 03.21.08

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1958 [50] Gary Oldman, London UK, movie bad guy (“Batman Begins”, ‘Sirius Black’ in “Harry Potter” films)

1962 [46] Matthew Broderick, NYC, Broadway actor (Tony Award-“The Producers”)/movie actor (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”)/Mr Sarah Jessica Parker since 1997

1962 [46] Rosie O’Donnell, Commack NY, TV talk show host (“The View” 2005-07, “Rosie O’Donnell Show” 1996-2002)/sometime movie actress (“A League of Their Own”)

1978 [30] Kevin Federline, Fresno CA, Mr Britney Spears (2004-07)/sometime TV actor (“One Tree Hill”, “CSI”)/failed hip-hop artist/former dancer

1980 [28] Deryck Whibley, Scarborough ON, rock guitarist/singer (Sum 41-“Pieces”, “Still Waiting”)/married to pop singer Avril Lavigne since 2006

SATURDAY –
Movie/TV actor William Shatner (“Boston Legal”) is 77; CNN news anchor Wolf Blitzer (“The Situation Room”) is 60; Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (“Phantom Of the Opera”) is 60; NBC sportscaster Bob Costas (“Football Night in America”) is 56; Movie/TV actor Matthew Modine (“Weeds”) is 49; Movie actress Reese Witherspoon (“Walk the Line”) is 32; Rapper Mims (“This Is Why I’m Hot“) is 27.

SUNDAY –
Classic rock musician Ric Ocasek (The Cars) is 59; R&B singer Chaka Khan (“I’m Every Woman”) is 55; Canadian country singer George Fox (“I Give You My Word”) is 48; Movie/TV actress Keri Russell (“Mission: Impossible III“) is 32; Movie/TV actress Michelle Monaghan (“The Bourne Supremacy“) is 32.

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Children’s Poetry Day”. Have a kid read some rap lyrics with lush music in the background.
• “Fragrance Day”, which either has to do with perfume or [co-host] after a workout.
• “Good Friday”, the Christian observance on the Friday before Easter of the crucifixion of Jesus. Some scholars believe the ‘good’ is a corruption of the word ‘God’s’ while others speculate that ‘good’ was used to denote ‘holy’. In Eastern Orthodox churches, the observance is known as ‘Great Friday’. It’s a statutory holiday in Canada, except in Quebec where Easter Monday is statutory. (Interesting that it’s a holiday in multi-creed Canada but NOT in the USA.)
• “Purim” begins at sundown, a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jews from the king of Persia’s plot to annihilate them. Traditions include sending food gifts to friends, giving charity to the poor, and eating a festive meal.

SATURDAY –
• “As Young As You Feel Day”, a day to quit wallowing in worry about your chronological age and start feeling peppy! Remember, age isn’t important unless you’re a cheese.
• “Holi”, the beginning of the annual 2-day Hindu celebration of spring.
• “International Goof-Off Day”, a day to do anything and everything … except what you’re supposed to be doing.
• “World Water Day”, an annual UN observance highlighting the importance of access to safe drinking water.

SUNDAY –
• “Chip & Dip Day”. While North Americans might pick ‘Sour Cream & Onion’ or ‘Salt & Vinegar’ chips, the top flavors for ‘crisps’ in the UK include ‘Roast Beef & Mustard’ and ‘Smoked Ham & Pickle’. The Swiss like ‘Paprika’, while Thais choose ‘Prawn’, and in Egypt ‘Kebab’ is popular. The best dip? ‘Hot Bean with Jalapenos’ … or is it?
• “Easter”, the most important religious observance in the Christian liturgical year. The moveable feast is celebrated on the first Sunday after the Full Moon that is on or after the Vernal Equinox. March 22nd is the earliest date on which “Easter Sunday” can fall; April 25th the latest.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1980 [28] The so-called ‘Cliffhanger’ is introduced to TV, a season-ending stunt in which ‘JR’ is shot on “Dallas” (fans are then forced to spend the entire summer pondering ‘Who shot JR?’)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1952 [56] 25,000 attend the 1st-ever ‘Rock ‘n Roll Concert’, hosted by pioneering DJ Alan Freed at the Cleveland Arena

2000 [08] *NSYNC’s “No Strings Attached” sets an all-time benchmark for ‘Single-Day Album Sales’ at 1.1 million units

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1985 [23] Wheelchair-bound Rick Hansen launches his “Man in Motion” world tour in Vancouver (the 2-year, 40,000 km trek through 34 countries on 4 continents raises $26 million for spinal cord research)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1977 [31] Mrs James Duck of Memphis TN becomes ‘World’s Fastest Mother’ as her triplets  are born naturally … in under 2 minutes

COMING UP . . .
[Mon] “CSI: Miami” (CBS) new post-strike episode
[Tues] American Diabetes Alert Day
[Wed] Make Up Your Own Holiday Day
[Wed] Legal Assistants Day
[Thurs] National Joe Day
[Thurs] Photography Day
[Thurs] Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day
This Week Is … Massage Safety Week
This Month Is … Mental Retardation Awareness Month

BULL’S BITS

LEAST IMPRESSIVE GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS:
• ‘Greatest Distance Thrown in a Car Accident’ (118 feet)
• ‘Largest Collection of Traffic Cones’ (137)
• ‘Greatest Distance Moonwalked in 1 Hour’ (5.255 km/3.265 miles)
• ‘Longest Trading Card Marathon’ (128 hours)
• ‘Most Functional Folding Knife’ (87 tools/141 functions)
• ‘Most Snails on Face For 10 Seconds’ (8)
• ‘Longest Handshake’ (9 hours)
• ‘Gluing the Most Rhinestones to the Body’ (31,680)
• ‘Wearing Most Socks On One Foot’ (70)
• ‘Oldest Male Stripper’ (67)
– Cracked.com

BS ‘TOP SWAPS’:
The week’s most requested music files online …
5. OneRepublic – “Apologize”
4. Alicia Keys – “No One”
3. Fergie – “Clumsy”
2. Chris Brown – “With You”
1. Flo Rida (f/T-Pain) – “Low”
– Big Champagne Online Media Measurement

BS PHONE STARTER:
Do you think “American Idol” really bases eliminations on fan voting? (For the 3rd week in-a-row, a contestant with online rumors of a controversial past has been eliminated: Amanda Overmyer, whose 2006 DUI arrest was revealed. Just LAST YEAR, Britain’s BBC admitted to changing results of phone/online polls to fit its own agenda.)

BS RANDOM JOKES:
• A married couple visits a wishing well. The husband leans over, throws in a penny, and makes a wish. The wife goes to do the same but leans over too far, falls in, and drowns. The husband’s response? “Wow, it really does work!”
• The only time a woman wishes that she were a year older is when she is expecting a baby.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: Sales of THESE doubled last year and they’re expected to double again this year.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: GPS navigators.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Say nothing and they think you’re stupid; talk and they know for sure.