October 4, 2006

Wednesday, October 4, 2006        Edition: #3379
The Most Home Runs in Show Prep!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
TONIGHT the 3rd season of “Lost” premieres (ABC/CTV) with ‘Jack‘ (Matthew Fox), ‘Kate’ (Evangeline Lilly) and ‘Sawyer’ (Josh Holloway) at the mercy of ‘The Others’ (see BULL’S BITS) . . . TONIGHT the new John Lithgow-Jeffrey Tambor TV comedy “Twenty Good Years” debuts online at AOL a full week before it airs on NBC-TV (a media first) . . . TONIGHT at Ireland’s “Dublin Theatre Festival”, legendary singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen will be honored with “Came So Far For Beauty – An Evening of Leonard Cohen Songs”, featuring an international line-up of artists including Lou Reed and Nick Cave . . . Insiders say reps for Janet Jackson & Justin Timberlake are discussing a publicity stunt that would have them appear together for the first time since the infamous ‘wardrobe malfunction’ at the 2004 “Super Bowl” (word is it would be on a big, live show like the “Grammys” or “Oscars”) . . . Music industry insiders says a duet called “Crazy” on Kevin Federline’s debut album featuring wife Britney Spears could seriously hurt her career prospects if it’s released as a single (many cite the example of Whitney Houston, who dueted with Bobby Brown in 1993, just before her career tanked) . . . A Massachusetts judge has issued an arrest warrant for Bobby Brown after he failed to show up at a hearing over delinquent child support payments (the newly-single deadbeat dad is behind by 11-grand) . . . And here’s just one of the perks of being a celeb kid: 5-year-old Maddox Jolie-Pitt is showing some athletic ability at David Beckham’s Soccer Academy in LA, so now his adopted pop Brad Pitt is asking the soccer superstar himself to give the lad some private lessons one-on-one (we’re guessing Becks will be happy to provide … in exchange for a movie role for his limelight-addicted wife).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• The Beatles – A new album is being released NEXT MONTH called “Love”. It’s the soundtrack to the Cirque du Soleil show of the same name that features experimental mixes of their back catalogue.
• Bon Jovi – Jon Bon Jovi & Richie Sambora are the latest musicians to join the expanding collection of ‘music action figures’. Their likenesses will be distributed by McFarlane Toys. Tiny little bong extra.
• Chingy – TODAY he’s on “MuchOnDemand” (MuchMusic)
• Dashboard Confessional – Chris Carrabba served as ‘Guest Music Supervisor’ for TONIGHT’s episode of “Laguna Beach” (MTV), overseeing the complete music score.
• Dierks Bentley – TONIGHT he launches his new “Locked & Loaded” tour in Auburn AL.
• The Killers – They’re in the middle of a 3-night stand on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC), the first act to play multiple nights on the show.
• Neil Young – TONIGHT he’s a guest on “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS).
• Rod Stewart – TONIGHT he’s on the “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC/A Channel)
• Weezer – They’ve filed a lawsuit against Miller Brewing Company that alleges it used their name without permission in several ads that ran in “Rolling Stone” magazine in 2004. Just goes to show when you run out of hits, you need other revenue streams.

INFO SOURCES:
A new LexisNexis poll suggests that we tend to believe ‘traditional media’ (radio, TV, newspapers) more than emerging sources for news (Internet-only publications, blogs, podcasts). If a major news story were breaking, here’s where most people would go to find out about it …
1. Network TV (50%)
2. Radio (42%)
3. Daily Newspapers (37%)
4. Cable Networks (33%)
5. Broadcast/Print Media Websites (25%)
6. Internet User Groups/Blogs/Chatrooms (6%)
(1.7% would turn to “Friends” reruns.)
– “USA Today”

PICK YOUR ENDING:
A new downloadable indie film starring David Strathairn (“Good Night, and Good Luck”) may give us a glimpse of movies of the future. “The Onyx Project”, a political thriller about an unauthorized mission in Afghanistan, is the first ‘fully browseable motion picture’. A new technology called ‘Nav’ allows viewers to apply Internet functions such as hyperlinks, a history list, and back & forward buttons to the film’s 5 hours worth of footage. Viewers are encouraged to explore different characters, storylines and content by clicking links or using a shuffle function. That means there are literally millions of ways for the same story to unravel. “The Onyx Project” plays on any late model PC with Windows XP and QuickTime installed.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/gbzw2
– CBC Arts / “New York Times”

NEW TERMS LEAKING INTO THE LINGO:
• ‘Cot Potato’ – An infant or toddler who spends a great deal of time watching TV. (“Little Zack is a real cot potato; he and his dad do everything in front of the TV – eat, sleep, fill their diapers …”)
• ‘Delayering’ – A newer, more politically correct term for rightsizing, aka downsizing. (“The broadcasting company has embarked on a program of delayering by dismissing several vice-presidents, a few excess general managers and all of its consultants.”)
• ‘Templatized’ – Any work or job that’s had all the creativity sucked out of it and basically been reduced to filling in the blanks. (“I used to enjoy doing the local TV news but now it seems templatized with cutesy animals and other feel-good stories.”)

LOST HONEYMOON:
The OCTOBER/NOVEMBER issue of “Modern Bride” magazine is getting into the spirit of the “Lost” premiere with their guide to doing your honeymoon “Lost”-style. According to the mag, you can visit tons of different locations from the show in one fell swoop on the island of Oahu. Want to see where ‘Sayid‘ was imprisoned? The Sydney Police Station? Where the raft sailed off from? Or how about where the plane crashed? All those spots and more are right there in Oahu, Hawaii. (Personally we want to visit the hatch but since it blew up in the season 2 finalé, we’re guessing it’s not included on the tour.)
– TMZ.com

HAS A DOG EVER BEEN NAMED ‘FIDO’?
According to a just-released poll for Veterinary Pet Insurance, pet owners are continuing to show a preference for picking traditional human names for their pets. And the #1 name for both cats and dogs has remained the same for the 3rd year in-a-row …
TOP CAT NAMES 2006:
10. Simba
9. Oliver
8. Angel
7. Lucy
6. Shadow
5. Chloe
4. Tiger
3. Smokey
2. Tigger
1. Max
TOP DOG NAMES 2006:
10. Rocky
9. Jake
8. Bella
7. Daisy
6. Lucy
5. Maggie
4. Molly
3. Buddy
2. Bailey
1. Max
– McClatchy News Service / “Social Studies”

GOOD GIRLS READ:
Author Jo Aitchison has written a new book on manners called “Etiquette for Girls”, which outlines proper behavior for young ladies of the 21st-century. There are, for instance, correct and incorrect ways to conduct an office fling, have an affair, or gossip about celebrities. Other topics the book touches on are ‘how to smoke properly’, ‘how to behave on the way to work’ and ‘what to take to a music festival’. Among the books little nuggets of advice: “Avoid dark-alley gropery and unladylike fumbling in the back of a cab.” One should also “Discuss the necessaries to avoid planting any love children or disease.” (And the well-mannered girl should also never peel for YouTube.)
– AHN

HOT ‘N BOTHERED:
Women may have a reputation for demanding lengthy foreplay but they become aroused just as quickly as men, according to a new study that uses thermal imaging to measure increased blood flow. While watching erotic imagery, both genders reach peak arousal within 10 minutes, on average, according to researchers at McGill University Health Centre in Montréal. (Who seem to be on a surprisingly great streak of getting lucky lately.)
– “New Scientist”

MAYBE THEY COULD BLOW THEM ALL UP?
Britain’s Remote XT company has developed a system that locates lost or stolen cellphones … by making them scream. The system tracks the phone’s location and immediately activates a screaming alarm which can only be stopped by removing the battery. The technology is also capable of erasing data and deactivating the handset. The company predicts it can completely stamp out cellphone theft within 2 years by making phones unusable to anyone but the rightful owners. But you’ll have to pay for the security … slightly less than $15 a month.
– Sky News

THE BULL SHEET 10.04.06

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1944 [62] Tony LaRussa, Tampa FL, MLB manager (2006 NL Central Division Champion St Louis Cardinals)

1946 [60] Susan Sarandon (Tomalin), NYC, movie actress (Oscar-“Dead Man Walking”)/actor Tim Robbins’ partner since 1988

1960 [46] Gregg ‘Hobie’ Hubbard, Apopka FL, country musician (Sawyer Brown-“They Don’t Understand”, “Mission Temple Fireworks Stand”)

1965 [41] John Melendez, Massapequa NY, TV announcer (“The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” since 2004 … the cushiest job in show biz?)/former radio personality (Howard Stern)

1969 [37] Abraham Benrubi, Indianapolis IN, TV actor (‘Jerry Markovic’ on “ER” since 1994)
 
1970 [36] Heidi Newfield, Healdsburg CA, country singer (Trick Pony-“It’s a Heartache”, “On a Night Like This”)

1976 [30] Alicia Silverstone, San Francisco CA, movie actress (“Clueless”, “Batman & Robin”)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “National Golf Day”, an annual charitable event sponsored since 1952 by the PGA when the group’s 4,300-plus professional members are encouraged to play a round with contributors. Entry fees go towards a wide range of charitable causes.

• “Toot Your Flute Day”, to encourage the idea of selling yourself and telling others how good you are, while rejecting the idea that self-promotion is ‘bragging’.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2363 [-357] United Federation of Planets’ “Starship Enterprise” is commissioned (“Star Trek”)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1970 [36] Rock & blues singer Janis Joplin dies of a heroin overdose at age 27  FACTOID: Actress Zooey Deschanel will play her in the upcoming bio-film, “Gospel According to Janis”, due in 2008.

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1976 [30] 1st ‘Female TV Network News Anchor’ as Barbara Walters joins Harry Reasoner on “ABC Evening News” for a then-record $1 million per year

COMING UP . . .
[Thurs] Techies Day
[Thurs] World Teachers Day
[Fri] Chinese Moon Festival
[Fri] 12th National Denim Day
[Fri] “The Trailer Park Boys: The Movie”; “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning”; “Employee of the Month”; “The Departed” open in movie theaters.
[Sat] Diversity Day 
[Mon] Canadian Thanksgiving Day (no “BS” service)
This Week Is … Walk a Child to School Week
This Month Is … Celebrate Sun Dried Tomatoes Month
 
BULL’S BITS

“LOST” MEGA-FAN QUIZ:
Find yourself a “Lost” addict (there are lots of them) and ask them their predictions for the new season starting TONIGHT …
• Will ‘Walt’ and ‘Michael’ escape from the island on the boat?
• Will the captured islanders (‘Kate’, ‘Sawyer’ and ‘Jack’) escape?
• Did ‘Locke’ and ‘Desmond’ die?
• Will ‘Desmond’s girlfriend find the island?
• Will ‘Kate’ hook up with ‘Sawyer’?
• Will ‘Kate’ hook up with ‘Jack’?
• Are ‘The Others’ evil?
• Which cast member will be next to get busted for DUI?

BS HORRIBLECOPES:
Use ‘em all at once or one at a time as the zodiac reading of the day …
• Aries – Time to make a bold new fashion statement. After all, what’s the reason for matching socks anyway?
• Taurus – Good time to institute ‘Show and Tell’ at the office. Why should kids have all the fun? You could break the ice by bringing in your stamp collection, no?
• Gemini – Today you will find the word ‘impecunious’ popping into your mind at regular intervals for no reason. Eventually you will go look it up in the dictionary.
• Cancer – Excellent day for unfettered optimism. Tomorrow – fettered optimism.
• Leo – This week you’ll discover a trick to make those meetings seem more interesting. Imagine that everyone else has a ferret clinging to their head.
• Virgo – Good day to hold hands. If you don’t currently have a spouse or partner, you can probably find a fake severed hand at a Halloween costume store.
• Libra – Sometimes you need to take one step back to make two steps forward. In your case, you’ll need to go considerably further back.
• Scorpio – During a walk in the woods, you will spot Mick Jagger. He will be gathering moss. You will find that strangely disturbing.
• Sagittarius – You will meet someone who you haven’t seen in a long time and will barely recognize them. At least not without the spiked collar and the whip.
• Capricorn – You are at a turning point in your life. Turn left.
• Aquarius – Everyone will stare at you like deer in headlights this week at the office. You will
later decide that driving your car around inside the office may not be your best-ever idea.
• Pisces – Today someone will take you aside and gently explain that a ‘briefcase’ is not actually meant for underwear.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: Women over 45 are more likely to do THIS daily than younger women.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Make their beds.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
A ‘dangerous fanatic’ is someone who would be a ‘dedicated idealist’ if he happened to be on your side.

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