BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
MTV Games has announced that the library available for its “Rock Band” videogame franchise has now surpassed 1,000 songs by more than 390 bands (2 years ago, we’d never heard of it!) . . . Hollywood wild-child Lindsay Lohan is staying on as ‘artistic adviser’ at fashion house Emanuel Ungaro despite her debut collection being panned by critics as well as the company (because they got more coverage than ever before) . . . 35-year-old movie star Leonardo DiCaprio has apparently rekindled his relationship with 24-year-old Israeli-born model Bar Refaeli, a report saying they checked into an exclusive holiday resort in the Bahamas, where they shacked up in their own private villa (it must be the money talkin’ ‘cause she’s a lot prettier than him) . . . Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who owns over 20 restaurants worldwide, has been given a grace period to pay off outstanding tax debts owed by 2 of them in Britain (the bad news is, he’s hoping to borrow the money from Nicolas Cage) . . . And 23-year-old Brit actor Robert Pattinson tells JustJared.com that the teenage hysteria around him and his “Twilight” co-stars is like ‘Beatlemania’ in the 1960s (think Rob & Co will still be famous in 45 years?).
WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated) – Today Lady Gaga (“The Fame Monster”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC) – Tonight Carrie Underwood (“Play On”).
• “Live With Regis & Kelly” (syndicated) – This morning Uncle Kracker (“Happy Hour”).
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC) – Gerard Butler hosts; musical guest Shakira (“She Wolf”).
• “Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien” (NBC) – Tonight ‘70s rock band Chicago.
• “VH1 Storytellers” (VH1) – Tonight Foo Fighters share anecdotes between renditions of 13 of their songs. The final song, “Everlong”, appears on their new “Greatest Hits” album in both electric and acoustic forms. The show airs in 162 countries on various networks and will also stream online after it debuts on-air.
NET: http://www.vh1.com/shows/storytellers/series.jhtml
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Adam Lambert – He admits to the “Early Show” (CBS) that he got carried away with his sexually charged “American Music Awards” performance, but he’s offering no apology. Quote: “I’m not a babysitter. I’m a performer.”
• Coldplay – Bassist Guy Berryman has started a new side project called Apparatjik. He’s joined by Magne Furuholme of a-ha on guitar and Mew singer Jonas Bjerre. A new song, titled “Electric Eye”, has been released as a free MP3. An album follows next Tuesday.
• Eminem – His mother, Debbie Nelson, is apparently set to wed her agent, Neal Alpert, who launched a lawsuit against her last year demanding a cut of profits from her book, “My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem”. The case was eventually dismissed. Alpert is openly bisexual but claims he’s ‘dated more women than guys’.
• John Mayer – His new album, “Battle Studies”, has debuted at #1 with 286,000 units sold.
• Justin Bieber – The teen sensation’s 7-song EP, “My World”, has sold 137,000 copies in its first week.
• Lady Gaga – Tonight she opens her North American tour, “The Monster Ball”, in Montréal, Canada. It’s described as a multimedia artistic experience in the style of the first-ever ‘pop electro opera’. Kid Cudi is the opening act.
• Rihanna – She wanted to embrace her new edgy image by calling her new album “Such A F–ing Lady”, but the idea didn’t go down very well. Thus “Rated R” was settled on.
• Rolling Stones – They’re set to go on another world tour in 2010, according to Ronnie Wood’s 23-year-old cocktail waitress-girlfriend Ekaterina Ivanova. (And what more reliable source could you find?)
• Taylor Swift – She and Justin Bieber became Twitter pals before they ever met. Now they’re touring Britain together.
CSI BERNE:
A team of Swiss doctors is conducting about 100 autopsies a year without cutting open bodies, instead using hi-tech devices such as an optical 3-D scanner that can detect up to 80% of the causes of death. University of Berne professor Michael Thali and his colleagues have developed the system, called ‘virtopsy’, which has been used to examine all sudden deaths or those of unnatural causes in the Swiss capital since 2006. (Do they have to wear those ugly red & green glasses?)
– Reuters
WOODY BEANS:
Brazil’s coffee industry is engaged in a massive battle against rogue roasters who cut corners and costs by bulking up their ‘coffee’ products with corn, soy … even wood. Hard to believe, but so far the tainted products have apparently not caused an major health problems in consumers who drink them. Fortunately for us, most of Brazil’s exported coffee is shipped as raw beans, confining this problem to coffee sold domestically. (In Rio, the stir stick comes included.)
– “Globe & Mail”
CHOCOLATEY GOODNESS:
A small bar of dark chocolate a day can help keep stress at bay, according to a new study by German and Swiss researchers. In experiments, they’ve found that eating about an ounce-and-a-half of dark chocolate each day for 2 weeks reduces the levels of stress hormones in highly stressed people. Dark chocolate, which is rich in a variety of bio-active compounds, also partially corrects other imbalances in the body related to stress, making it a natural way to ease stress. (Perhaps not surprisingly, the study was conducted at the Nestle Research Center.)
– “Daily Mail”
CHEWING THE FAT:
Eating 30% less meat is not only good for health it’s good for the planet, says a team of British and Australian researchers. Their new study finds that a 30% lower intake of animal-source saturated fat by adults could reduce the number of premature deaths from heart disease by about 17%. Lower consumption would also mean lower production, thereby reducing carbon emissions. According to the UN Food & Agricultural Organization, 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions are due to ‘meat production’. (BS translation: cow farts.)
– “The Lancet”
THIS YEAR’S HOT TOY?
Move aside Barbie, drop that Wii. The hottest toy this Christmas is “Zhu Zhu Pets”, interactive hamsters that can drive cars, squeak happily when petted on the nose, and don’t break the bank for parents. These fuzzy, electronic toy hamsters are featured on many lists of the season’s top toys and are flying off the shelves at major outlets like Walmart and Toys R Us at about $8 each. But thanks to their popularity, they’re already fetching up to $100 on eBay.
NET: http://www.zhuzhupets.com
NET: http://www.wheretobuyzhuzhupets.com
– MoneyControl.com
TODAY’S FEEL-GOOD STORY:
A 70-something deaf widow in northeast Wales has her life saved by her pet dog … each and every night. Bernadetta Henry suffers from sleep apnea, which affects her airways and causes her to stop breathing several times a night. But her faithful bichon frise, Boris, listens out for her and puts his paw on her chest to wake her whenever her breathing stops. Boris has been her hearing dog since she became deaf as a result of a blood clot; the he became her nightly guardian angel after her husband died 5 years ago. (Gimme a Kleenex.)
– “Metro”
FOR THE RECORD:
50-year-old Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy has failed in his bid to become the first person to fly between continents … with a jet engine strapped to his back. He ran into trouble shortly after being launched above the Moroccan coast in a bid to reach Spain and crashed into the Strait of Gibraltar. Fortunately, he was unhurt. In 2008, Rossy successfully jetted across the English Channel.
– “Daily Mirror”
DID YOU KNOW?
• The price of garlic in China has nearly quadrupled, propelled by its very pungency to rank ahead of gold and stocks as the country’s best-performing asset this year.
– “China Daily”
• An estimated 33.4 million people worldwide are now infected with the AIDS virus, but more people are living longer due to the availability of drugs, according to a new UN report.
– TheStar.com
BS CHRONOMETER 11.27.09
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1957 [52] Caroline Kennedy-Schlossberg, NYC, only survivor of family of 4 that included JFK, Jackie O, and JFK Jr
1968 [41] Michael Vartan, Boulogne-Billancourt, France, TV actor (“Hawthorne” 2009-2010, “Alias” 2001-06)/movie actor (“Monster-in-Law”)
1973 [36] Samantha Harris, Hopkins MN, TV co-host (“Dancing With the Stars” since 2006)/TV correspondent (“The Insider” since 2008)
SATURDAY –
Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr is 80; Bandleader Paul Shaffer (“Late Show With David Letterman”) is 60; Movie actor Ed Harris (“A Beautiful Mind”) is 59; TV actress S Epatha Merkerson (“Law & Order”) is 57; Rock drummer Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam) is 47; Comedian Jon Stewart (“The Daily Show”) is 47; Pop musician apl.de.ap (Black Eyed Peas) is 35; Rapper Chamillionaire (“Get Up”) is 30.
SUNDAY –
Movie director Joel Coen (“No Country For Old Men”) is 55; TV personality Howie Mandel (“Deal or No Deal?”) is 54; Movie actor Don Cheadle (“Hotel Rwanda”) is 45; Pop singer Jonathan Knight (New Kids On the Block) is 41; TV actor Brian Baumgartner (“The Office”) is 37; Movie actress Anna Faris (“The House Bunny”) is 33; Rapper The Game (“Hate It or Love It”) is 30.
BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Black Friday”, the day after US Thanksgiving that’s touted as the biggest single shopping day of the year in America though that’s statistically untrue. The ‘black’ refers to retailers finally turning a profit after spending much of the year ‘in the red’.
• “Buy Nothing Day”, a 24 hour moratorium on holiday shopping (today in North America; tomorrow internationally), created as a protest against outlandish consumption and commercialism, particularly during the holiday season.
NET: http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd
• “Eid-Al-Adha” [eed al-ODD-dah’], the Muslim “Festival of Sacrifice”. The festivities last for 3 days or more, depending on the country.
• “Fish House Parade”, the 15th annual in Aitken MN that showcases fancy decorated fish huts used for ice fishing during the winter. Almost as smelly as the Yukon’s annual ‘Outhouse Parade’.
NET: http://www.aitkin.com/06thingstodo/tdd-community_eventsFHP.htm
• “Freckle Pride Day”, a day to stand up for your spots. Join ‘em all together and you’d have a tan. Or maybe if you connect them they make a picture?
• “National Day of Listening”, when we’re encouraged to record a conversation with someone important to us … an older relative, a friend, a teacher, or someone from the neighborhood. It’s part of “StoryCorps”, an oral history project that allows millions to listen to everyday people on public radio and online.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/ydvvebn
• “National Flossing Day”, a day that truly has ‘strings attached’.
• “Pins & Needles Day”, a celebration of the fine art of sewing, needlework, cross-stitching, etc.
• “Sinkie Day”, the 18th annual celebration of the time-honored tradition of eating a snack (or an entire meal) over the kitchen sink. People prone to the practice are known as ‘sinkies’.
NET: http://www.sinkie.com
SATURDAY –
• “Decorate Your Dog Day” to help your pooch get into the holiday spirit. (Tomorrow is ‘Get Back at the Master By Leaving a Present in her Slipper Day’.)
• “French Toast Day”. Either bread dipped in egg and fried … or perhaps a big ol’ glass of Champagne?
• “International Aura Awareness Day”, the 8th annual observed on the 4th Saturday of November, celebrating the human energy body, or aura, that purportedly surrounds each of us and which changes according to our health, mood, and character.
NET: http://realityshifters.com/pages/auraday.html
SUNDAY –
• “Banquet for Monkeys”, the 19th annual feast on the last Sunday of November for over 500 simians in Lop Buri, Thailand. The 80-table banquet of fruit barbecues is prepared by 5-star hotel chefs as payback to the critters for bringing the town tourism … not to mention aroma.
NET: http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/lopburi
• “Electronic Greetings Day”, another excuse to Tweet, Facebook, and junk up other people’s email, text messaging, voicemail, etc with useless chaff you’d never think of writing down on a piece of paper.
• “International Day of Solidarity With the Palestinian People”, a UN organized observance since 1977.
NET: http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/palestinian/index.html
• “Square Dance Day”, a chance to get out and ‘dosey-doe’ with your partner. So swing your partner ‘round and ‘round, pick ‘em on up and throw ‘em on the ground. Yee haw!
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1952 [57] 1st ‘3-D movie’ premieres, “Bwana Devil”, starring Robert Stack (almost 60 years later, you still gotta wear the goofy glasses to see in 3-D)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1969 [40] The Rolling Stones perform the first of 2 back-to-back concerts at NYC’s Madison Square Garden that yield the epochal “Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!”, their definitive live album (recently re-released as a box set)
1997 [12] Funeral for suicide victim Michael Hutchence, lead singer of INXS (Sydney, Australia)
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2005 [04] 1st partial human face transplant is completed in Amiens, France
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1966 [43] Highest-scoring NFL game (113 points: Washington Redskins 72, NY Giants 41)
COMING UP . . .
[Mon] Computer Security Day
[Mon] Cyber Monday
[Mon] Meth Awareness Day
[Mon] Stay Home Because You’re Well Day
This Week Is … Cookie Week
This Month Is … Pet Cancer Awareness Month
BULL’S BITS
MORE BS QUESTIONS PLAGUING HUMANITY:
• What do batteries run on?
• Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?
• How come toasters always have a setting that burns toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?
• How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?
• Do the “Alphabet Song” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” have the same tune?
• Will you be able to get that tune out of your head for the rest of the day?
BS WEB GOODIE:
Here’s one site pro broadcasters should bookmark for sure: Howjsay is a free online talking English pronunciation dictionary. You simply mouse over your entry to hear it pronounced correctly. Try ‘Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’, for example.
NET: http://www.howjsay.com
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Apparently 1-in-5 people in the world is Chinese. There are 6 people in my family, but I can’t figure out which one it is.
BS PHONE STARTER:
The Honolulu Police Department in Hawaii is posting mug shots of DUI suspects online, creating a virtual wall of shame before those charged get their day in court. Good idea or bad?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: The average woman has 5 of THESE; the average man has 12.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Hats.
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Optimist: Someone who doesn’t know all the facts yet.
