Thursday, May 8, 2008        Edition: #3771
Bull Works!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Paul McCartney’s fashion designer daughter Stella McCartney says she’s hoping to be asked to design the wedding gown for the upcoming nuptials of Scarlett Johansson & Ryan Reynolds, telling “People” she’s considering something in – black latex (she’s joking, isn’t she?) . . . A Court of Appeal ruling in favor of “Harry Potter” author JK Rowling has set the stage for a trial on whether publication of photos taken of her now 5-year-old son violated his privacy (these days she’s spending more time in court than writing) . . . Jessica Simpson is vehemently denying allegations she blew some $16,000 having her personal make-up & hair teams flown in when she visited the US military in Kuwait THIS MARCH, claiming she actually ‘roughed it like a soldier’ – even wearing flip-flops in the shower (ohmygawd, how totally neanderthal!) . . . Teen sensation Miley Cyrus is now saying she prefers to ‘cover up’ when it comes to fashion,  layering on clothes to keep herself looking ‘modest and cute’ (what PR flak wrote this bunkum?) . . . Show biz twosome Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon have now officially confirmed that they are newlyweds (they just celebrated their 1-week anniversary – defying a lot of predictions) . . . And 17-year-old soon-to-birth Jamie Lynn Spears tells “OK!” magazine her big sister Britney has given her advice on – wait for it – motherhood (hopefully it was sort of a parenting version of “What Not to Wear”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• The Beatles – Liverpool City Council has granted Paul McCartney’s production company $3.4 million to stage a concert celebrating the city being named 2008’s ‘Capital of Culture’. Buzz has it Paul may include a special performance with his former bandmate, Ringo Starr. (‘Fab Two’?)
• John Mellencamp – “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County”, a musical he’s writing with horror author Stephen King has been delayed. Originally scheduled to open in Atlanta NEXT APRIL, with a view toward a Broadway run, it’s now not expected until the 2009-10 theater season.
• Jonas Brothers – They’ll star in their own 3-D concert film in theaters in 2009, featuring footage from their upcoming “Burning Up” concert tour which kicks off in Toronto JULY 4th.
• Kellie Pickler – YESTERDAY she sang “My Angel”on the west lawn of the US Capitol in Washington DC as part of the AARP’s “GrandRally”, an event saluting grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. Pickler was raised by hers from the age of 2.
• Madonna – She’s reportedly planning to put her 8-bedroom English country home in Wiltshire on the market. She bought it in 2001 with her then new hubbie Guy Ritchie for $18 million. The new asking price is said to be $24 million.
• Oasis – Their management company says it’s working to remove 3 songs that have been leaked onto YouTube, months before their new album is scheduled for release. (Yeah right, it’s more likely they LEAKED the material to try and create some interest in the old gaffers.)
• The Police – The final gig in their worldwide reunion tour will be in NYC sometime THIS SUMMER. The band has already committed $1 million to a tree-planting initiative in the city and announced the last show will benefit arts programming on public television.
• Rihanna – She says she’s sick of the show biz lifestyle, always being forced to put on a happy face when she’s on the road. (If you wanna smile at the bank, you smile in public, hon’.)
• Trisha Yearwood – The country star’s new cookbook, “Georgia Cooking In an Oklahoma Kitchen”, is on the “NY Times” bestseller list … and she’s as surprised about it as anybody.

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “CSI” (CBS/CTV) – The team investigates the death of a diva sitcom star who suddenly kicks while filming her show in Las Vegas. The episode was written by Chuck Lorre & Lee Aronsohn, executive producers/writers of “Two & a Half Men”.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CityTV) – Gavin DeGraw performs; then TONIGHT he’s on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS) – Panic! At The Disco is onstage.
• “One Life to Live” (ABC/A Channel) – Snoop Dogg performs 2 songs off of his latest album at the ‘Ultra Violet Club’ in a 2-episode cameo on the soap opera TODAY & TOMORROW. The episodes will also feature Snoop’s re-mix of the show’s theme song.
• “Oprah Winfrey Show” (syndicated/CTV) – In an oldies-but-goodies episode, 68-year-old soon-to-tour Tina Turner & 61-year-old new Vegas attraction Cher are the guests.
• “Scrubs” (NBC/A Channel) – The ‘Sacred Heart’ gang says goodbye to NBC-TV with a big “Princess Bride”-inspired episode directed by series star Zach Braff. NEXT SEASON the show moves to ABC-TV, where it’s been produced all along.
• “Some Kinda Legacy Benefit Concert” – Sting & Trudie Styler’s Rainforest Foundation Fund stages its 15th benefit at NYC’s Carnegie Hall, featuring performances by Billy Joel, Brian Wilson, Feist, and James Taylor, among others.
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno (NBC/A Channel) – Country chart-topper Trace Adkins (“You’re Gonna Miss This”) is the musical guest.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS review of select movies in the making …
• “Anchorman 2“ – Will Ferrell is set to return as the smart-ass 1970s TV newsman in a sequel to the 2004 hit comedy “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”. Director Adam McKay says the only thing that will scupper the plan is failure to bring the original cast back together, which included Christina Applegate & Steve Carell. There’s no production schedule yet … but things are percolating.
• Dusty Springfield Biopic – 40-year-old Nicole Kidman is set to produce and star as the late pop singer in this as-yet-unnamed biopic. Another Springfield biopic is also in the works, starring Kristin Chenoweth (“Pushing Daisies”, “The West Wing”). Springfield’s husky voice was an integral part of the 1960s British invasion. She died of cancer in 1999.
• Oscar Wilde Biopic – British actor Rupert Everett (“Shrek’s” ‘Prince Charming‘) is attempting to drum up $24 million to make a biographical film about the legendary Irish playwright (1854-1900), which has already been done a couple of times previously but never with much success. Everett has written the script which focuses on the last 3 years of Wilde’s life. He also hopes to direct and star in the production.
• “Repossession Mambo” – This upcoming sci-fi thriller will star Jude Law, and for the first time onscreen, his 11-year-old son Rafferty, who’ll play the younger version of the same character.
The story is set in the near future when artificial organs can be bought on credit, and revolves around a heart recipient struggling to make payments. It debuts NEXT YEAR.
• “Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins” – Rapper Common has a role in the upcoming 4th installment of the series, playing a freedom fighter who is defending the human race against a machine that aims to destroy it. “Batman” actor Christian Bale plays the lead character, ‘John Connor’. The film is scheduled to hit theaters in MAY 2009.

ALL-TIME WORST FILMS SET IN SIN CITY:
Some say the new Ashton Kutcher/Cameron Diaz film “What Happens In Vegas” (opening TOMORROW) is a likely candidate to join this group of the worst pics ever set in Vegas …
5. “Pay It Forward” (2000): A sappy drama starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Haley Joel Osment.
4. “Over the Top” (1987)” An aptly-named film with Sylvester Stallone heading to Vegas for an arm-wrestling tournament.
3. “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid” (1992): The horrific sequel to 1989’s cute “Honey, I Shrunk The Kids”, starring Rick Moranis.
2. “Cool World” (1992): A animated/live-action pic starring Kim Basinger as a comic strip vamp (‘Holli Would’) who tries to seduce her cartoonist creator in order to cross over to the real world.
1. “Showgirls” (1995): Elizabeth Berkley’s portrayal of a dancer (make that stripper) attempting to become a top Vegas showgirl was the brunt of jokes for years.
– Adapted from StarPulse.com

THIS SOUNDS FISHY:
A California man has trained his pet goldfish to play soccer and basketball and even limbo under a bar. ‘Comet’ the goldfish can also fetch a hoop and slalom around a series of poles. 41-year-old Dean Pomerleau of Los Angeles says he used positive reinforcement to train the 2-year-old goldfish to learn the behaviors. He contends there is mounting evidence that fish are more intelligent than they’re given credit for. (Yeah, their attention span is actually THREE seconds.)
– Ananova News

ZONING IN ON ZUNE:
NBC Universal, which stopped selling TV shows on Apple’s iTunes Store when Apple refused to allow it to set prices, has made a deal with Microsoft in which it will sell shows that can be viewed on Microsoft’s Zune portable video player for $1.99. Shows from NBC’s sibling cable networks will also be offered for download onto the Zune, including Comedy Central’s “South Park” and MTV’s “The Hills”. The Zune has been trying to make a dent in the portable media market dominated by Apple’s iPod and iPhone, but without much success. (That’s because even a buck-99 is still expensive compared to what LimeWire charges … nada.)
– ContactMusic.com

SIGNS SHE REALLY IS INTO YOU:
Body-language expert Marc Salem outlines a couple of signs to watch for that indicate a lady is interested in you …
• The Head Fake – This is when she glances at you from across the room, then leaves her head pointed in your direction while she returns to her conversation. If she really wants to send a message, she’ll let you catch her peeking.
• The Head Cock – Like a puppy, she’ll lean her head toward her shoulder, putting her neck in a vulnerable position. That means she trusts you. She may seem attentive, but this is one sign that confirms she’s really interested in what you’re saying.
• Eye Lights – A real smile shows in the eyes as well as on the cheeks.
– “Men’s Health”

A BETTER MAN:
It seems the Patrick Dempsey movie “Maid of Honor” has some basis in fact. In Britain, the Alliance of Wedding Planners says that many ceremonies now involve 2 or 3 ‘Best Men’ and when a groom thinks his best and closest friend is female, he now often opts for a ‘Best Woman’ instead of a ‘Best Man’. Men have also served as ‘Chief Bridesmaid’ in some ceremonies. (As the groom, wouldn’t you hope that YOU are the ‘best man’.?)
– “London Observer”

DID YOU KNOW?
• A 30-second spot during the next “Super Bowl” game will cost $3 million, according to the “Wall Street Journal”.
• The term ‘superhero’ was jointly trademarked by DC Comics and Marvel Comics.
• The alcohol content of a can of beer and a shot of whisky are virtually identical.

BS CHRONOMETER 05.08.08

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1944 [64] Gary Glitter (Paul Gadd), Banbury UK, 1970s glam-rock singer (“Rock & Roll Part II”) now serving time for pedophilia in Cambodia

1953 [55] Alex Van Halen, Nijmegen, Netherlands, classic rock drummer (Van Halen-“Jump”, “Why Can’t This Be Love”)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2007)/the more sober brother of guitarist Eddie Van Halen

1957 [51] Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh PA, TV football analyst (“NFL Today on CBS”)/retired NFL coach (Pittsburgh Steelers 1992-2007)/Super Bowl XL winner (2006)

1968 [40] Del Gray, Hamilton OH, country musician (Little Texas-“MY Love”, “What Might Have Been”)

1972 [36] Darren Hayes, Brisbane, Australia, pop singer (ex-Savage Garden-“I Knew I Loved You”, “Truly Madly Deeply”)

1975 [33] Enrique Iglesias (Preysler), Madrid, Spain, pop/Latin singer (“Donde Estan Corazon?”, “Hero”)/son of sappy crooner Julio Iglesias/sometime BF of former tennis player Anna Kournikova

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Israel Independence Day” (Yom Ha’Atzma’Ut), commemorating the 60th anniversary of the formation of Israel in 1948. Although David Ben Gurion’s declaration of independence was made on MAY 14th, the country marks the date according to the Hebrew calendar. It’s a public holiday, when Israelis attend picnics and barbecues, the traditional mode of celebration. The official 60th anniversary celebrations over the next week include an attempt at a Guinness World Record for most people singing a national anthem and voting for Israel’s national bird. A major conference of world leaders will be hosted by president Shimon Peres.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/5z7er9

• “No Socks Day”, when we’re encouraged to avoid wearing socks to feel less encumbered and help the environment by creating less laundry. While washing your feet prior to participating in the festivities is a requirement, painting your toenails is completely optional.

• “World Red Cross Day”, celebrating the 1828 birth of International Red Cross Movement founder Jean Henri Dunant in Geneva, Switzerland.

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1642 [366] Paul de Chomedy de Maisonneuve founds ‘Ville-Marie’ (Montréal)

1794 [214] US Post Office established (the next day a disgruntled worker ‘goes postal’ and offs his boss with a musket)

1886 [122] Atlanta pharmacist Dr John Pemberton introduces ‘Coca-Cola’, a cough syrup designed to relieve headaches  FACTOID: The original mixture called “Pemberton’s French Wine Coca” was little more than wine & cocaine, but when Georgia introduced prohibition laws, Pemberton removed the wine and added African kola nuts (which have a high caffeine content) for flavor. Nowadays there’s no more coke in Coke – he removed the blow in 1903.

1987 [21] Canada’s 1-dollar coin is introduced (‘looney’, ‘loonie’ or ‘loony’ … how do YOU spell it?)

2005 [03] The Canadian War Museum opens in Ottawa, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of ’V-E Day’

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] “Tim McGraw ‘Live Your Voice Tour” begins (Tampa FL)
[Fri] Lost Sock Memorial Day
[Fri] Child Care Provider Appreciation Day
[Fri] Small Business Day
[Fri] “Speed Racer”; and “What Happens in Vegas” open in movie theaters
[Sat] Clean Up Your Room Day
[Sun] Mothers Day
[Sun] “Survivor: Fans Vs Favorites” 2-hour finalé (CBS)
This Week Is … Small Business Week
This Month Is … Hope Chest Month

BULL’S BITS

ALL-TIME BOX OFFICE:
Here’s what “Iron Man” has to shoot for, the all-time worldwide box office leaders (figures rounded off) …
5. “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” ($961 million)
4. “Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone” ($977 million)
3. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” ($1.06 billion)
2. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” ($1.12 billion)
1. “Titanic” ($1.85 billion)

MOTHERS DAY QUIZ:
• Who is known as ‘The Mother of All Mothers’? [There are 3 possible answers. Eve, the Virgin Mary, and Mother Nature which have each received that designation from various sources.]
• What animal has been called ‘The Mother of All Fathers’, due to its care for its young? [Emperor penguin males, who starve for 4 months while they huddle to protect their eggs from Antarctica’s minus 40-degree winter temps.]

BS PHONE STARTER:
What smells, aromas, scents remind you of mom?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
There’s a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: 1 million of THESE are consumed worldwide each hour.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Aspirin.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
What we should really be afraid of is ‘Unidentified Landing Objects’.