November 11, 2008

Tuesday, November 11, 2008        Edition: #3898
Deja Moo!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
NBA star Kobe Bryant, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, skateboard king Tony Hawk, and NY Yankee Alex Rodriguez will perform Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock & Roll” in an upcoming “Guitar Hero” ad (all of them dancing in their underwear, we’re expecting) . . . NBC-TV has ordered up a full 2nd season of its crime drama “Life” (Damian Lewis & Adam Arkin avoid the unemployment line a bit longer) . . . Wannabe country singer Jessica Simpson tells “People” magazine that Nashville beats Hollywood in many ways, including talent, shopping, dining and privacy — because there are no paparazzi (yeah, but the beaches aren’t so hot) . . . 22-year-old once-in-a-while actress Lindsay Lohan has confirmed in a “Harper’s Bazaar” interview that she’s ‘bi’ – sorta (Quote: “Maybe. Yeah.”) . . . Miley Cyrus says an attempt to disguise herself in a wig so she could go out in public anonymously failed when – the wig caught on fire (you should never try welding while wearing extensions) . . . Apple has wrapped its fiscal year with a 34% jump in sales of music-related products & services (what recession?) . . . And “The Hills” star Lauren Conrad reportedly pitched a fit at NYC’s JFK airport the other day when an airline attendant paged her to pick up a standby ticket; the reality ‘star’ ranting about how the loss of privacy would cause her to be mobbed by fans, but as it turned out – no one paid any attention (ouch!).

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• BMI Country Awards – 59-year-old Hank Williams Jr is honored as a ‘BMI Icon’ at the annual country music awards in Nashville.
• Christina Aguilera – She releases her hits compilation, “Keeps Gettin’ Better – A Decade of Hits”, exclusively through Target stores in the US.
• Colbie Caillat – Her debut album “CoCo” is re-released with 8 new tunes tacked on, including her contribution to the 2008 Olympics, “Somethin’ Special”.
• Coldplay – They release the ‘digital EP’ “Lost”.
• “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC/CTV) – Country star Brad Paisley performs “Ticks” and “Let the Good Times Roll” on this week’s results show.
• Kevin Costner & Modern West – The movie star and his backup band release a debut country album entitled “Untold Truths”.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS) – Brit band Kaiser Chiefs perform.
• “Live With Regis & Kelly” (syndicated/CTV) – Pop singer Seal (Mr Heidi Klum) is on.
• Taylor Swift – Her sophomore CD “Fearless” is released. Target stores’ edition comes with a bonus DVD.
• “Today Show” (NBC) – “American Idol” runner-up David Archuleta promotes his just-released self-titled debut album.
• “Tonight Show” (NBC/A Channel) – The now-simply-Senator John McCain emerges from the post-election shadows to honor “Veterans Day” despite the fact that the last time he was on the show he got grilled for not remembering how many houses he owns.
• “The View” (ABC/CTV) – Elton John is the guest.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Coldplay – They’ve been crowned ‘World’s Best-Selling Recording Act’ at the recent 2008 “World Music Awards” in Monaco.
• Elton John – He’s resigned as ‘life president’ of his favorite UK soccer club, Watford, because he’s unhappy with the way the club is being run. He was given the honorary title in recognition of his long association with the club. He took over as chairman in 1976 and guided it to the top division of the Premier League.
• Joss Stone – Her 4th album, as yet untitled, is being released in February. She says the appeal of this one is its spontaneity, because she wrote and recorded most of it in a week. (Gee, nice effort.)
• Journey – Their 1981 power ballad “Don’t Stop Believin’” has become the biggest-selling digital catalogue track ever. According to Soundscan, it’s the first catalogue tune to sell over 2 million downloads, achieving double-platinum status. (A ‘catalogue’ track is a song originally released before MP3s were invented.)
• Rick Astley – The kitschy 1980s singer was named ‘Best Act Ever’ at the recent “MTV Europe Music Awards”. (We’re being ‘Rick-rolled’ again!)
• Taylor Swift – The 18-year-old country star says it’s difficult to buy underwear now that she’s famous because other shoppers are too interested in her purchases.

TODAY’S VIDEO RELEASES:
• “Beer For My Horses” ( Comedy Adventure ): Country star Toby Keith’s follow-up to his 2006 debut film, “Broken Bridges”, is a road comedy about a pair of small-town deputies (him & comedian Rodney Carrington). Co-stars Willie Nelson, Ted Nugent, and Gina Gershon. The title comes from the hit 2003 duet he recorded with Nelson.
• “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” ( Action Adventure ): When a demonic despot plans to take over Earth, ‘Hellboy’ (Ron Perlman) is called in to save the planet with a little help from his team at the ‘Bureau for Paranormal Research & Defense’. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the Mexican director who’ll next make “The Hobbit”. Co-stars Selma Blair (“Kath & Kim”). Available in a ’3-Disc Special Edition’ and in a ‘Collector’s Set’.
• “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” ( Animated Sci-Fi Adventure ): This 3-D tale chronicles the on-going battle between the Republic and the Trade Federation. No-name voice cast other than Samuel L Jackson. A setup for the upcoming “Clone Wars” TV show (Cartoon Network/TNT). Also comes in a ‘2-Disc Special Edition’.
• “The Perfect Holiday” ( Family Comedy ): Queen Latifah narrates this story of a young girl who turns to a department store Santa for assistance in finding a new husband for her divorced mom. Stars Gabrielle Union, Morris Chestnut, and Terrence Howard.
• “This Christmas” ( Seasonal Drama ): When the ‘Whitfields’ gather to celebrate the holidays together for the first time in 4 years, deep secrets are revealed that threaten to tear the family apart. Stars Delroy Lindo (“Kidnapped”), Regina King (“24″), and R&B singer Chris Brown.
• Also released TODAY: “The Cosby Show: The Complete Series” (vintage TV); “Hollywood Musicals Collection”; “If All Goes Wrong” (Smashing Pumpkins music compilation); “JFK – 3-Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition”; “Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy World Tour” (Keith Urban concert); “Scrubs: The Complete 7th Season” (TV); “7th Heaven: The 7th Season” (TV); and “The Sopranos – The Complete Series” (10-lb, 30-disc box set priced at $399.99).

NO-GROW ZONE:
During times of stress, the hair cycle shuts down and hair stops growing, says Benjamin Yu, a dermatologist and hair-loss researcher at the University of California at San Diego. It’s usually not a permanent loss, he says, adding that the phenomenon is sometimes experienced by college kids around exam time. Not to worry. Young people have a higher capacity to regrow hair than older folks. (Bruce Willis must be really, really stressed.)
– “San Diego Union-Tribune”

LIFE BY THE NUMBERS:
A BS snapshot of who we are and what we do …
• 53% of women have experience insomnia at least once per month.
• 69% of guys aged 18-to-34 say they couldn’t live without the Internet.
• 40% of us will lie about our  favorite sports team in a social setting.
• 37% of women get their haircut before they get their driver license photo taken.
• 22% of men regularly fantasize about a co-worker. So do 7% of women.
• 2% of us cry after a kiss.

IMAGINING IS THE SAME AS DOING:
A new study suggests we can experience things in other ways besides a real-life event. Researchers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands compared the brain activity of volunteers who tasted an unpleasant drink with others who only watched someone taste the drink, and also with people who just read about the unpleasant taste of the drink. The same areas of the brain lit up in each case. (Now THAT’s good writing!)
– “Focus Magazine”

STICK THIS:
The National Toy Hall of Fame has chosen a new inductee … the stick. Yup, the lowly stick, a universal plaything powered by a child’s imagination joins ‘Baby Doll’ and the skateboard as this year’s additions. Previous inductees have ranged from the bicycle and Mr Potato Head to Crayola crayons and … the cardboard box. Curators at the Rochester NY museum say the stick is a special addition due to its all-purpose, all-natural, no-cost qualities and its ability to serve either as raw material or an appendage transformed by imagination into something else. (Next year … the rock.)
– “Post-Standard”

IF YOU CAN’T REMEMBER, TEACH:
Your risk of dementia decreases by 34% if your job requires you to mingle with others, according to new research. Perhaps surprisingly, teachers hold onto their marbles the longest, closely followed by nurses, doctors, farmers, and office workers. (Living with 23 cats does NOT count as mingling.)
– “Men’s Health”

BACTERIA ON HAND:
A study at the University of Colorado has found that women have a greater variety of bacteria on their hands than men. And we all have more types of bacteria than researchers expected. Scientists are not sure why women harbor a greater variety of germs, but it may have something to do with the acidity of the skin. Biochemistry experiments show that men generally have more acidic skin than women. (Spilt beer?)
– AP

DID YOU KNOW?
• The credit crunch has apparently hit the real economy. Cocaine dealers in the Soho district of London UK have reportedly started selling by the half-gram.
– PopBitch.com
• Research by the Guinness Brewing Co has found that, on average, mustachioed drinkers of the foamy, dark brew lose 1.75 pints of it to the hair on their upper lips every year. Drinkers with full beards can lose almost twice that much.
– BBC.co.uk

BS CHRONOMETER 11.11.08
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1925 [83] Jonathan Winters, Dayton OH, improv comic who has influenced many of today’s comedians

1960 [48] Stanley Tucci, Peekskill NY, TV actor (‘Dr Kevin Moretti’ on “ER” 2007-08)/movie actor (“The Devil Wears Prada”, “Road to Perdition”)  UP NEXT: “The Lovely Bones” (2009).

1962 [46] Demi (Demetria) Moore, Roswell NM, movie actress (“Indecent Proposal”, “Ghost”)/Mrs Ashton Kutcher since 2005/ex-Mrs Bruce Willis 1987-2000

1964 [44] Calista Flockhart, Freeport IL, TV actress (‘Kitty Walker’ on “Brothers & Sisters” 2006-09, “Ally McBeal” 1997-2002)/Harrison Ford’s long-time companion

1969 [39] Carson Kressley, Allentown PA, TV personality (“How to Look Good Naked” 2008, “Queer Eye” 2003-07)

1972 [36] Adam Beach, Ashern MB, TV actor (‘Chester Lake’ on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since 2007)/movie actor (“Flags Of Our Fathers”, “Windtalkers”)

1974 [34] Leonardo DiCaprio, Hollywood CA, movie actor (“Body of Lies”, “Titanic”)

BS OBSERVANCES . . .
• “Remembrance Day”, commemorating the end of WWI at 11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. It’s observed in Canada, Britain, the USA (renamed Veterans Day in 1954), Belgium & France (Armistice Day).
– French Army clerk Henri Deledicq finished typing the peace treaty that would end WWI at 5 am 11/11/18. Apparently tired, he put the carbon paper in backwards and later in a railroad car in France, military leaders signed copies of an armistice that were completely unreadable.
– The Remembrance Day poppy program run by the Canadian Legion raises over $5 million each year for veterans’ causes.
– The original tradition is to observe TWO minutes silence at 11 am.

• “Martinmas”, when they’ll stage the annual “Martinmas Goose Celebration” in front of the town hall of Sursee, Switzerland. Blindfolded participants try to cut down a suspended goose with a single sword stroke. The warm weather that often occurs around this time is called ‘St Martin’s Summer’ in Europe, ‘Indian Summer’ in North America.

• “Veterans’ Day”, the 89th annual observance. Originally called “Armistice Day”, then renamed in 1954, it commemorates the end of WWI at 11 am on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. The day now honors all military veterans.
– Observed as “Remembrance Day” in Australia, Canada & Britain; “Armistice Day” in Belgium, France & New Zealand.
– French Army clerk Henri Deledicq finished typing the peace treaty that would end WW I at 5 am 11/11/18. Apparently tired, he put the carbon paper in backwards and later in a railroad car in France, military leaders signed copies of an armistice that were completely unreadable.
– President Warren G Harding dedicated the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” at Arlington National Cemetery 87 years ago today (1921).
– Kate Smith sang the Irving Berlin song “God Bless America” in public for the first time during an “Armistice Day” radio broadcast 69 years ago today (1939).
– America’s participation in the Vietnam War officially ended 36 years ago today (1972).
– President Ronald Reagan dedicated the US Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington 24 years ago today (1984).

• “Young Readers Day”, observed annually on the 2nd Tuesday of November. Encourage kids to read and they’ll have a friend for life … books.
NET: http://www.bookitprogram.com/teachers/nyrd.asp

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1959 [49] 1st episode of “Rocky & His Friends” on TV, featuring ‘Bullwinkle the Moose’

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT:
1958 [50] Hank Ballard & the Midnighters record “The Twist” at King Studios in Cincinnati OH (Chubby Checker’s chart-topping later version is not the original)

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1790 [218] ‘Chrysanthemums’ from China are 1st introduced to the Western world (spelling bee judges are thrilled!)

1940 [68] 1st ‘Jeep’ is made by the Willys Company, the name coming from the initials ‘G-P’ for ‘General Purpose Vehicle’ (made for military use, NOT for going to the mall)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1988 [20] ‘Loudest Measured Scream’ by a human – 128 decibels (some guy in a zipper accident?)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] 42nd CMA Awards (ABC)
[Wed] Prince of Wales’s 60th Birthday Celebration (London)
[Thurs] Guinness World Record Day 2008
[Thurs] 9th Latin Grammy Awards (Houston)
[Thurs] Mix It Up at Lunch Day
[Thurs] World Kindness Day
[Fri] Educational Support Personnel Day
[Fri] Operating Room Nurse Day
This Week Is … Split Pea Soup Week
This Month Is … Healthy Skin Month

BULL’S BITS
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Occasionally, an innocent man is sent to the legislature.

BS ‘HIGH-LOW GAME’:
Are the following stats too high or too low?
• Snails can zoom along at 2 mph. High or low? (High. An average snail has a speed of .005 mph.)
• About 15% of babies are born on the predicted ‘due date’. (High. Only about 4%.)
• A common crow can live as long as 25 years. (Low. Up to 80 years.)
• There are 10 bones in the human skull. (Low. There are actually 22.)
• Campbell’s ‘Alphabet Soup’ contains 3 times more ‘E’s than ‘Q’s. (High. Campbell’s says it contains an equal number of all letters of the alphabet but then … who’s gonna check?)
• When you sneeze, air travels from your nose at about 250 mph. (High. Sneezes travel at about 100 mph.)

BS PHONE STARTER:
You can have a robot perform any single chore you wish … so what’ll it be?

BS WEB GOODIE:
Slap this up on your station website for fun … it’s ‘Puppycam’! Awwwww.
NET: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/shiba-inu-puppy-cam

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: THIS is the most common item left behind in hotel rooms.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: A phone charger.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Real women don’t have hot flashes, they have power surges.

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