Thursday, May 31, 2007        Edition: #3543
Monthly Planning Calendar in Today’s BS!  

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
TODAY Christie’s auction house in London sells off a collection of works depicting 33-year-old Brit fashion icon Kate Moss, including an unpublished photo at age 16 (2 years into her career); a pair of nude portraits by Irving Penn; and a set of 6 prints of the supermodel without any makeup (agghhh!) . . . TONIGHT (on the 7th anniversary of “Survivor’s” debut) “Pirate Masters” premieres (CBS/CTV), yet another Mark Burnett-created reality competition, this one involving 16 wannabe buccaneers sailing the Caribbean for 33 days in search of a $1-million treasure (it’s “Survivor in a Ship”, minus Jeff Probst) . . . Interesting to note that 2005 “Survivor: Palau” winner, former NYC firefighter Tom Westman, is now working as an insurance rep, selling group life & disability insurance (seems a million doesn’t last long these days) . . . Barbra Streisand has solved the problem of Italian consumer groups protesting high ticket prices for her Euro-tour kickoff in Rome by – cancelling the show & rescheduling it for JUNE 18 in Zurich, Switzerland (talk about a slapdown) . . . NBC-TV has until FRIDAY to decide whether to pick up “The Apprentice 7” which host Donald Trump, who recently ‘quit’ the show thinks it will likely do, thereby again giving him gainful employment . . . DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg says the studio will produce 2 more “Shrek” movies before shutting down the franchise . . . Whitney Houston’s loser ex-, Bobby Brown, is dating again just a month after the divorce was finalized, a new lady friend he met ‘in the music industry’ by the name of Alicia Etheridge (wow, the lucky girl – hope she hides her money!) . . . And retro TV game show fans may be interested to know that the entire 2,500 sq-ft set from “Family Feud” (1976-1995) is now for sale on eBay with bidding starting at just 1 buck – however, the winning bidder will be responsible for circa $5,000 in shipping fees (original host Richard Dawson not included … yep, he’s still alive at 74!).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Aretha Franklin – The ‘Queen of Soul’ is trying out the Jenny Craig Diet in an effort to slim down before her wedding NEXT MONTH. She’s limiting herself to just 1,750 calories-a-day.
• Brad Paisley – His new video “Cooler Online” features appearances by his tour mates Taylor Swift & Kellie Pickler, plus former “Seinfeld” actor Jason Alexander masquerading as Brad.
• Foo Fighters – They’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of their “The Color & The Shape” album by re-releasing the disc NEXT MONTH with a bonus CD of B-sides and cover versions.
• George Michael – The Brit pop star has donated John Lennon’s “Imagine” piano to the Virginia Tech massacre relief fund. The piano, which he bought at auction, is valued at almost $3 million.
• Marilyn Manson – Director Tim Burton is interested in making a bio-film about the rocker and his ex-wife Dita Von Teese. It’d be expensive – makeup alone would balloon the budget.
• Melinda Doolittle – TODAY the “American Idol” finalist is on “Live With Regis & Kelly” (syndicated/CTV).
• Miranda Lambert – TONIGHT the “Nashville Star” alum performs “Famous In a Small Town” on “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” (CBS).
• Ozzy Osbourne – He says he backed out of the “American Idol” finalé after he found out he’d be performing with Sanjaya Malakar, whom he refers to as a ‘hairstyle-challenged idiot’.
• Rodney Atkins – The “These Are My People” country singer is on the cover of the JUNE issue of “Guideposts” magazine.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A “BS” selection of movies getting made …
• “Ashes to Ashes” – Longtime Hollywood couple Goldie Hawn & Kurt Russell are teaming up for this comedy about a woman who travels to Kathmandu to scatter her husband’s ashes, but loses them along the way. Hawn will also direct. The couple first hooked up while co-starring in “Swing Shift” (1984), then also worked together on “Overboard” (1987). That was the last time.
• “Night Watch” – This upcoming thriller starring Keanu Reeves and Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker has just added a new cast member, none other than Britney Spears’ ex-, Kevin Federline, who’ll have a ‘small but notable’ role. The film is due to debut in 2008.
• “The Proposal” – Sandra Bullock is set to star in this romantic comedy as a demanding boss who talks her young male assistant into a sham marriage. It’s a devious ploy to remain stateside when she suddenly faces deportation to Canada.
• “21” – Actor Kevin Spacey is producing this fact-based drama about 6 MIT students who trained to count cards and subsequently took Las Vegas casinos for millions … until they were busted. Spacey says the team of cheaters, who are now banned from Vegas gambling tables but are consulting on the film, recently helped him clean up $42,000 at blackjack.
• “The Untouchables 2” – Nicolas Cage has now dropped out of talks to star in director Brian De Palma’s planned prequel to his award-winning 1987 crime drama. Cage was in negotiations to play a young Al Capone. In the original, Robert De Niro played the notorious 1920s gangster.

BABY BOOTIES ARE BAD?
Just about every reputable retailer, shoemaker, podiatrist, and pediatrician will tell you that barefoot is best for baby, even when the little tyke starts walking. That’s because toes and soles need a free range of motion for a baby to learn how to grip and balance. The American Podiatric Medical Association notes that the foot and its muscles develop al the way through the pre-teen years and they do it best without restrictions … like shoes. (Trouble is … you end up with splayed feet that look like scuba flippers.)
– “Chicago Tribune”

MIDDLE-AGED MEN REJOICE!
If you’ve always wanted one of those classy British sports cars but can’t afford a refurbished vintage model, you’re in luck. THIS WEEK the first MG sports car rolled off the newly-restored Longbridge production plant in Birmingham, England to the sound of marching bands and a ticker-tape parade, as the company celebrated the relaunch of one of Britain’s most iconic car brands. The reopening of the plant has created 130 new jobs and heralds the welcome return of auto manufacturing to the area. (Now if they could just bring back the Triumph Spitfire.)
– “GQ”

GOOFY NEW BS GIZMOS & GADGETS:
• Is this the key to a creamy complexion? French food giant Danone has launched ‘Essensis’, which it touts as the world’s first ‘cosmetic yogurt’. Cleopatra reputedly used asses’ milk to keep her skin soft & supple. Danone claims eating its yogurt will do the same. Or just spread it on.
• Young entrepreneurs in Paraguay say they have a new weapon against pesky & potentially dangerous mosquitos … cotton shirts soaked in lemon-scented citronella oil. Pombero shirts can be washed up to 40 times before losing their power to repel mosquitos and other critters, such as fleas. They cost about $50 apiece. A great deal if you don’t mind smelling like ‘Pledge’.
• Sharp Corp is set to market a new optical-drive player which it claims is the smallest in the world. The multi-functional device will play CDs, DVDs, HD-DVDs, and Blu-ray hi-def discs. And it’s expected to sell for less than $100 when it becomes available in mid-JUNE. We’re betting there’s a required connecting cord that costs 700 bucks.

HOW TO P-O DEER:
If you’re a gardener who lives near the wilds, you’re likely regularly faced with the problem of how to prevent deer & other beasts from eating your flowers. A few suggestions on how to keep the critters out …
• There are several commercial wild animal repellent products on the market that promise to safeguard your plants, including the oddly named ‘Liquid Fence’ and ‘Deer Scram’.
• You can hang ordinary bars of soap from strings, spaced 10-to-15 feet apart.
• Hard to believe, but human hair clippings work. Get a bag of hair from your local salon … or your shower drain.
• Pee on your plants! Yep, the scent is near guaranteed to repel deer. Just do it in the dark, okay? We don’t want to watch.
– Thanks to “BS” subscriber Ken O’Neil @ Q104 Kenora/Dryden/Vermilion Bay/Clearwater Bay/Keewatin/Longbow Lake/Sioux Lookout/Dogtooth Lake/Redditt/Minaki ON. We wanna hear those station jingles!

TOO STUPID FOR US TO MAKE UP:
• When they catch this guy, hopefully he’ll be sentenced to what he wants. Police in Guelph ON are on the lookout for a weirdo in his early 20s who approaches women and asks them to … kick him in the groin. The man has accosted 3 women in the past 2 months, and while none have been injured, and the odd request is not actually a crime, police are worried the bizarre behavior could be a precursor to assault. (Ask me, buddy. I’ll help you out … over and over …)
• Talk about out-sourcing! Because it can’t afford local reporters to cover city council meetings, a small community news website in Pasadena CA has hired 2 journalists … in India. They watch streaming broadcasts of the sessions online then file their news copy from halfway round the world. Editor James MacPherson claims that to get the news these days, it doesn’t matter whether you’re at a desk in Pasadena or in Mumbai. (Now let’s check traffic with Deepak …)

BEST OF BRITISH CUISINE:
Highlights of a new poll in the UK on what Brits think are the ‘Most  Influential British Foods‘ …
5. Black Pudding … a dark dessert pudding made with flour, baking soda, eggs & molasses.
4. Clotted Cream … a thick cream made by heating milk until a layer of cream forms on top.
3. Yorkshire Pudding … a pop-over-like quick-bread served with roast beef.
2. Cheddar Cheese … originally made in the English village of Cheddar, circa 1170 AD.
1. Worcestershire Sauce [‘WUSS-ta-shur’] … a favorite fermented condiment ever since it was first introduced in 1838. (The ketchup of the UK.)
– Reuters

FOR THE RECORD:
Ashrita Furman of Jamaica NY holds the current record for the most “Guinness World Records” … no fewer than 144. His latest is underwater hula-hooping, which he managed to perform for 2 minutes, 20 seconds. Previous accomplishments include somersaulting the entire 12-mile length of Paul Revere’s ride, and ascending Japan’s Mount Fuji … on a pogo-stick.
– “The Independent”

AND WE QUOTE:
“I have a lot of sleepless nights because I am in so much pain.”
– “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul whining in THIS WEEK’s “OK! Magazine” about her health problems. She claims she suffers from something called ‘Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy’ as a result of 14 surgeries and the installation of 4 titanium plates in her neck. In order to withstand the pain, the poor dear endures massage therapy and painkillers. (Now THAT we believe.)

BS CHRONOMETER 05.31.07

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1930 [77] Clint Eastwood, San Francisco CA, movie director (“Flags of Our Fathers”, “Letters from Iwo Jima”)/movie actor (“The Bridges of Madison County”)/2 directing Oscars (“Million Dollar Baby”, “Unforgiven”)/1995 Irving G Thalberg Memorial Academy Award)/1996 American Film Institute Life Achievement Award

1962 [45] Corey Hart, Montréal QC, CanCon oldies singer (“Never Surrender”, “Sunglasses at Night”)

1965 [42] Brooke Shields, NYC, model/movie actress (“The Blue Lagoon”)/author (“Down Came the Rain”)/former TV actress (“Suddenly Susan” 1996-2000)/ex-Mrs Andre Agassi

1976 [31] Colin Farrell, Dublin, Ireland, movie actor (“Miami Vice”, “Alexander”)

1980 [27] Andy Hurley, Milwaukee WI, rock drummer (Fall Out Boy-“Hum Hallelujah”, “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race”)

TODAY’S REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Macaroon Day”, honoring those ooey-gooey, flourless coconut cookies that stick to your fillings. A red letter day for dentists everywhere!
• “Save Your Hearing Day”. I SAID, TODAY IS “SAVE YOUR HEARING DAY” … if you’d turn down your iPod you’d be able to … oh, never mind.
• “World No-Tobacco Day”, as declared by the UN’s World Health Organization to encourage people to butt out.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1990 [17] TV sitcom “Seinfeld” debuts (NBC) as a summer replacement show (returns in January, 1991 to become a full-blown hit through 1998)

2000 [07] “Survivor” TV reality series debuts as a 3-month summer show on CBS-TV (Richard, Rudy, Susan, Sean, Colleen, Kelly, Greg & Gervase quickly become household names as do the tribes ‘Tagi’ and ‘Pagong’)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1884 [123] 1st ‘Flaked Cereal’ patented, by Dr John Harvey Kellogg (before that … gruel!)

1997 [10] 13-km ‘Confederation Bridge’ from Cape Tormentine NB to Borden PEI officially opens, finally joining Prince Edward Island to the mainland (making “Bud the Spud’s” deliveries much easier)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1976 [31] Guinness Record ‘Loudest Concert’ as The Who put out a total of 76,000 watts of power at 120 decibels (no wonder it’s “Save Your Hearing Day” … Pete Townshend should be poster boy!)

BS MONTHLY PLANNING CALENDAR . . .
[June 1] Stand for Children Day / Trails Day / “Gracie”; “Knocked Up”; “Mr Brooks” open in movie theaters
[June 2] Rocky Road Ice Cream Day / Cancer Survivors Day / “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” 40th anniversary / Guns ‘N Roses 2007 world tour begins (Monterrey, Mexico)
[June 3] 2007 MTV Movie Awards / International Mothers Peace Day / Repeat Day / Doughnut Day
[June 4] Old Maid’s Day
[June 5] Canadian Idol season premiere (CTV) / 34th Daytime Emmy Awards (CBS) / Personal Computer Day / UN World Environment Day / Paris Hilton goes to jail
[June 6] Tim McGraw-Faith Hill Soul2Soul Tour 2007 begins (Omaha NE) / Couple Appreciation Day
[June 7] 2007  Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala (NYC) / 35th AFI Life Achievement Award (Los Angeles) / 12th World Wife Carrying Championships (Sonkajarvi, Finland) / Chocolate Ice Cream Day / Attitude Day / Family Day
[June 7-10] 36th CMA Music Festival
[June 8] Name Your Poison Day / Take a Kid Fishing Weekend / “Hostel: Part II”; “Ocean’s Thirteen”; “Surf’s Up” open in movie theaters
[June 9] Kenny Chesney’s Flip Flop Summer Tour begins (Pittsburgh PA) / George Michael performs 1st concert at the new Wembley Stadium (London) / Canada’s Walk of Fame 2007 Induction Gala / 2007 Belmont Stakes / Betty Picnic Day / Donald Duck Day
[June 10] 61st Tony Awards (NYC) / Yo-Yo Day / Children’s Sunday
[June 10-13] 2007 Banff World Television Festival
[June 12] Machine Day / Taco Day / Kitchen Klutzes Day
[June 13] Juggling Day
[June 14] Family History Day / Nursing Assistants Day
[June 14-17] 7th Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (Manchester TN)
[June 15] Smile Power Day / “DOA: Dead or Alive”; “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”; “Fido”; “Nancy Drew” open in movie theaters
[June 17] 18th MuchMusic Video Awards / Fathers Day / Eat Your Vegetables Day / International Violin Day
[June 18] International Picnic Day / Splurge Day
[June 19] World Sauntering Day
[June 20] World Refugee Day
[June 21] Summer begins (2:06 pm EDT) /Canadian Aboriginal Day / Baby Boomers Recognition Day / Vegan World Day
[June 22] Take Your Dog to Work Day / “1408″; “Captivity”; “Evan Almighty”; A Mighty Heart”; “September Dawn” open in movie theaters
[June 23] Pink Day / Let It Go Day
[June 24] St-Jean-Baptiste Day (QC)  / Gay Pride Day (varies city-to-city)
[June 25] Discovery Day (NL) / Log Cabin Day
[June 26] 2007 BET Awards
[June 27] Special Recreation for Disabled Day / Decide to be Married Day / HIV Testing Day / “Live Free or Die Hard” opens in movie theaters
[June 28] Handshake Day / Paul Bunyan Day / Columnists Day
[June 28-July 8] 28th Montréal Jazz Festival
[June 29] Camera Day / “Death at a Funeral”; “Ratatouille”; “Sicko” open in movie theaters
[June 30] Meteor Day
[July 1] Canada Day / Concert for Diana (London UK)
[July 4] Independence Day (USA)
[July 7] New Seven Wonders of the World announced

[June 1] Stand for Children Day / Trails Day / “Gracie”; “Knocked Up”; “Mr Brooks” open in movie theaters
[June 2] Rocky Road Ice Cream Day / Cancer Survivors Day / “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” 40th anniversary / Guns ‘N Roses 2007 world tour begins (Monterrey, Mexico)
[June 3] 2007 MTV Movie Awards / International Mothers Peace Day / Repeat Day / Doughnut Day
[June 4] Old Maid’s Day
[June 5] 34th Daytime Emmy Awards (CBS) / Personal Computer Day / UN World Environment Day / Paris Hilton goes to jail
[June 6] Tim McGraw-Faith Hill Soul2Soul Tour 2007 begins (Omaha NE) / Couple Appreciation Day
[June 7] 2007  Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala (NYC) / 35th AFI Life Achievement Award (Los Angeles) / 12th World Wife Carrying Championships (Sonkajarvi, Finland) / Chocolate Ice Cream Day / Attitude Day / Family Day
[June 7-10] 36th CMA Music Festival
[June 8] Name Your Poison Day / Take a Kid Fishing Weekend / “Hostel: Part II”; “Ocean’s Thirteen”; “Surf’s Up” open in movie theaters
[June 9] Kenny Chesney’s Flip Flop Summer Tour begins (Pittsburgh PA) / George Michael performs 1st concert at the new Wembley Stadium (London) / 2007 Belmont Stakes / Betty Picnic Day / Donald Duck Day
[June 10] National Puerto Rican Day / 61st Tony Awards (NYC) / Yo-Yo Day / Children’s Sunday
[June 12] Machine Day / Taco Day / Kitchen Klutzes Day
[June 13] Juggling Day
[June 14] Family History Day / Nursing Assistants Day
[June 14-17] 7th Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (Manchester TN)
[June 15] Smile Power Day / “DOA: Dead or Alive”; “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”; “Fido”; “Nancy Drew” open in movie theaters
[June 17] Fathers Day / Eat Your Vegetables Day / International Violin Day
[June 18] International Panic Day / Splurge Day
[June 19] World Sauntering Day
[June 20] World Refugee Day
[June 21] Summer begins (2:06 pm EDT) /Canadian Aboriginal Day / Baby Boomers Recognition Day
[June 22] Take Your Dog to Work Day / “1408”; “Captivity”; “Evan Almighty”; A Mighty Heart”; “September Dawn” open in movie theaters
[June 23] Pink Day / Let It Go Day
[June 24] Gay Pride Day (varies city-to-city)
[June 25] Log Cabin Day
[June 26] 2007 BET Awards
[June 27] Special Recreation for Disabled Day / Decide to be Married Day / HIV Testing Day / “Live Free or Die Hard” opens in movie theaters
[June 28] Handshake Day / Paul Bunyan Day / Columnists Day
[June 29] Camera Day / “Death at a Funeral”; “Ratatouille”; “Sicko” open in movie theaters
[June 30] Meteor Day
[July 1] Canada Day / Concert for Diana (London UK)
[July 4] US Independence Day
[July 7] New Seven Wonders of the World announced

BULL’S BITS

BS PHONE STARTER:
Is inept “On the Lot” host Adrianna Costa ruining what would otherwise be a really entertaining show? Or is it the stilted script ripped off from “American Idol”?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Junk food is cheap until you factor in medical expenses.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: According to Roto-Rooter, the most common item women drop down the old porcelain receptacle is jewelry. Men, on the other hand, most often accidentally lose THIS.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Their wallets.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Moving fast is not the same as going somewhere.