Monday, September 10, 2007         Edition: #3609
Deja Moo!

WEEKEND TABLOID & BLOG BS:
• Actor Owen Wilson’s ex, actress Kate Hudson, is reportedly currently snuggling up to 2nd-rate comic Dax Shepard, who made his name doing “Punk’d” with Ashton Kutcher. So what’s the attraction? Well, word has it Dax is known for being er … ‘gifted like a grandfather clock’. Let’s hope no one’s told Owen about all this.
– PopBitch.com
• “High School Musical” star Vanessa Hudgens says she’s embarrassed by the nude photo of her currently circulating online. The 18-year-old’s candid mirror-image shots were intended for her actor-boyfriend Zac Efron’s eyes only, but an unknown third party stole the pictures and posted one online. These days if you don’t want the world to see ‘em … don’t make ‘em!
– StarPulse News Blog
• 39-year-old TV actress Jeri Ryan is pregnant with her 2nd child. The “Shark” star, who has a 12-year-old son from a previous relationship, wed French chef Christophe Emé in France’s Loire Valley in JUNE. Rich famous, a mom, and a French chef making dinner for you … life’s tough!
– People.com
• Paris Hilton is supposedly getting in shape to have children through a regime of Pilates and canyon climbing. The heiress hopes to be pregnant within the next year. Just one question: Who will be the father?
– “Cosmo Daily”
• TV actress Jenna Fischer (‘Pam’ on “The Office”) has separated from her husband James Gunn after almost 7 years of marriage. According to a joint statement on her MySpace page, the parting is amicable, and family & friends are asked not to take sides. (But speaking for male fans of all girl-next-door types, we say “Yippee!”
– “Star Magazine”
• It seems the end is nigh for the love shack once shared by Britney Spears & Kevin Federline. The former couple’s 9,200 sq-ft Malibu CA home hasn’t faired well on the market, and prospective buyers want to demolish the place. Seems the modifications Brit & K-Fed made to the joint, including a recording studio and a relocated pool, just didn’t add to the curb appeal.
– “OK! Magazine”
• 23–year-old Brit singer Amy Winehouse & her 25-year-old hubby Blake Fielder-Civil reportedly ‘threw all their efforts’ into trying to make a baby on their recent Caribbean vacation. A friend claims Amy already thinks she might be pregnant, and really wants a baby because she it might help get her life back on track. There are about 8 gazillion couples who could refute the wisdom of that line of thinking!
– “News of the World”

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Beach Boys – TONIGHT Brian Wilson unveils a new musical suite during a 6-night stand at London’s Royal Festival Hall that includes a new piece called “That Lucky Old Sun (A Narrative)”. The work was commissioned by Britain’s Southbank Centre for the Performing Arts.
• Fergie – She’s auctioning off her gas-guzzling 2005 Hummer H2 SUV on eBay and promising to donate all proceeds to the Global Green organization. Deadline for bidding is SATURDAY; it’s already well over $50,000.
• Foxy Brown – The 31-year-old rapper has been sentenced to a year in jail by a NYC judge after violating her probation by lying to police, and allegedly attacking her neighbor with a Blackberry.  She’s 3-months-pregnant, so if she serves out her sentence (doubtful for anyone famous these days), she’d give birth in the slammer.
• Joss Stone – TONIGHT she guests on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC).
• Kanye West – TONIGHT he’s on “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS).
• Willie Nelson – He’s remained in NYC following “Farm Aid” for TODAY’s ‘Ambassadors of Rock’ event at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square to promote the use of biodiesel fuel.

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• Brian Mulroney – The former Prime Minister’s new book, “Brian Mulroney: Memoirs 1939-1993” hits bookstores.
• “Canadian Idol” (CTV) – Finalists Jaydee Bixby (Drumheller AB) & Brian Melo (Hamilton ON) spent the last few days in New Jersey getting pointers from Bon Jovi. So, for TONIGHT’s final performance episode, they should be experts on big hair, power ballads, and dating Hollywood starlets.
• “CCMA Awards” (CBC/CMT) – TONIGHT Canada’s annual country awards are handed out in Regina. George Canyon & newcomer Shane Yellowbird lead nominations with 5 apiece; Emerson Drive, Paul Brandt, Doc Walker, Brad Johner & Carolyn Dawn Johnson each have 4.
• David Letterman – TODAY he tapes a rare appearance on daytime TV as a guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”.
• “The View” (ABC/CTV) – 40-year-old actress Sherri Shepherd (“Who’s Your Caddy”) will be introduced as the ‘secret’ new cast member, a logical move as she’s already guest-hosted the show more than a dozen times.

YOU COULDN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP:
• Unemployed British mom Sarah Jane Lee had only the equivalent of about $13 in her bank account until a recent transfer error deposited $270,000. So what did she do? Blew it! Every last penny … er pence. She’s now facing a jail sentence for theft after filling her home with luxury loot, booking a Florida vacation, and going on a $66,000 shopping spree … in an adult toy store. (Well thank goodness she didn’t blow it on stupid stuff.)
– Ananova News
• A wealthy Russian has tried to buy a B-52 bomber from a group of American pilots at an air show near Moscow. An astounded member of the US delegation said the bomber was not for sale and it would cost at least $500 million anyway. So the unidentified Russian, wearing sunglasses and surrounded by bodyguards, replies, “That is not problem. It is such a cool machine.” Needless to say, the bomber wasn’t sold. (Once an oligarch always an oligarch.)
– Reuters
• A traditional medicine man in Tanzania found out the hard way you can’t commune with the spirit world if you can’t breathe. Nyasio Alfonso told his village he would dive to the bottom of the river, receive revelations from ancestral spirits, then resurface after 3 days. The villagers gathered round as he dove in, chanting and drumming for his spirit journey. But 4 days later, the party was over when police found his corpse floating downstream. (Apparently the spirits wanted company.)
– AFP
• 33-year-old Alexander Kuzmin, the mayor of Siberian oil town Megion, has told his bureaucrats there are 27 things they must not say to him. They include: “I don’t know.” “I can’t.” “What can we do?” “It’s not my job.” “It’s impossible.” “There is no money.” “I was away/sick/on vacation.” “I’m having lunch.” (I think I once worked for this guy!)
– Associated Press

SAFETY PUMPS:
The Aphrodite Project art group has created GPS-enabled, platform safety shoes for sex workers. The 4-inch heel of the shoes contain a GPS receiver, an emergency button which relays the pro’s location, a silent alarm to emergency services, as well as an audible alarm system which emits a piercing noise to scare off attackers. They were originally designed as part of the “In Her Shoes Redux” art exhibition at a NJ gallery, but now they’re also on sale due to public demand.
– “Curious Times”

GENERATION THROWBACK:
Today’s young professionals may turn out to be the most rebellious generation of all … but in a different way. These are the so-called ‘New Victorians’. They don’t wear corsets or submit to confinement while pregnant, but they’ve turned against the sexual revolution, yearning for tradition in their lives. They’re getting married and having babies and, unlike their parents, putting away childish things at an early age. The ‘New Vics’ throw dinner parties, tend to pedigreed pets, practise earnest monogamy, and affect an air of complacent careerism. (Yawn. Oh … pardon me.)
– “Albany Times Union”

HOW TO SURVIVE DOOMSDAY:
French scientists at the International Space University are spearheading a project to create a sanctuary for human culture & technology … on the Moon. The ‘ARC Project’ (‘Alliance to Rescue Civilization’) calls for a permanent lunar outpost which will house a biological and historical archive of our species’ scientific and cultural achievements. Robotic missions will begin the work, but a human-staffed facility is eventually envisioned. According to one of the ARC founders, the chance of human extinction thanks to an asteroid or some other calamity calls for the creation of a space age Noah’s ark. (Someone’s likely already writing a movie script.)
– “National Geographic”
    
AMAZON TO LAUNCH E-BOOK GADGET:
Online retailer Amazon is convinced the reason the public haven’t taken to reading e-books so far is because the right gadget hasn’t existed. So starting in OCTOBER, Amazon will unveil the ‘Kindle’, an electronic book reader that wirelessly connects to Amazon’s website where users will be able to instantly download whatever they want … for a fee, of course. (The best thing about e-books is when you hit 50-years-old, you crank up the font size to 96.)
– “New York Times”

U-TUBE:
Terror leader Usama bin Laden plans to address Americans on the 6th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in a new video, according to a terror monitoring group. SITE Intelligence Group says an Internet announcement of the plan included a photo of the al-Qaeda leader from the upcoming video. His beard, which in previous messages had been streaked with gray, is now reportedly entirely dark. (Ratings starved NBC is already talking to his people about an ongoing series.)
– FOX News

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
Just in time for “World Suicide Prevention Day”, a website is posting odds on who’ll be the next celeb to pull the plug and pack it in. The current leaderboard includes …
1. Amy Winehouse (5/4)
2. Owen Wilson (2/1)
3. Pete Doherty (4/1)
4. Britney Spears (6/1)
5. Lindsay Lohan (8/1)
Others being handicapped: Robbie Williams, Kirsten Dunst, Steven Segal, Sylvester Stallone, and – who knows why? – Patrick Swayze.
NET: http://www.popbet.com

A CHIP IN THE OLD BLOCK:
The USA’s Department of Defense has awarded a $1.6 million grant to the Center for Bioelectronics, Biosensors & Biochips (C3B) to create a microchip that can be implanted into … soldiers’ brains. While they claim the chips will be a benign tool for monitoring the health status of troops, not surprisingly the web is rife with more sinister scenarios which may result from the implanted chips. The C3B hopes the microchip will be ready in about 5 years. (We’re unsure if we’re for or against it …. will it change TV channels?)
– ScienceDaily.com

BS SHOCKING FACT:
We eat up to 50% more of a snack if it’s labeled ‘low fat’, according to Cornell University research.
– “Cosmopolitan”

BS CHRONOMETER 09.10.07

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1950 [57] Joe Perry, Lawrence MA, rock guitarist (Aerosmith-“I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing”, “Dream On”)

1960 [47] Colin Firth, Grayshott UK, movie actor (“Bridget Jones’ Diary”, “Shakespeare in Love”)  UP NEXT: Now filming “Mamma Mia!” for release in 2008.

1968 [39] Guy Ritchie, Hatfield UK, movie director (“Snatch”, “Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels”)/2003 ‘Worst Director’ & ‘Worst Picture’ Razzie Awards (“Swept Away”)/Mr Madonna since 2000/birth-father of 6-year-old Rocco

1974 [33] Ryan Phillippe (FIL-uh-pee), New Castle DE, movie actor (“Flags of Our Fathers”, “Crash”)/ex-Mr Reese Witherspoon (1999-2007)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Swap Ideas Day”, set aside to encourage us to collaborate on creative thinking and new solutions to old problems. (So your co-workers can take all the credit.)

• “World Suicide Prevention Day”, the 3rd annual as declared by the International Association for Suicide Prevention. The idea is to raise awareness of one of our biggest killers. (And here’s the 3rd-ever ‘Happy Suicide Prevention Day’ Hallmark greeting card – “Razors pain you; Rivers are damp; Acids stain you; And drugs cause cramp. Guns aren’t lawful; Nooses give; Gas smells awful; You might as well live!” … thank you.)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1964 [43] Rod Stewart’s 1st (less-than-successful) recording. “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl”, is released (if he released that nowadays, he’d get arrested!)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1897 [110] 1st convicted ‘Drunk Driver’ rams a taxi-cab into a building (George Smith, London UK)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1858 [149] John Holden hits baseball’s 1st recorded ‘Home Run’, for Brooklyn vs NY

1967 [40] Denver Broncos gain a total of minus-5 yards against the Oakland Raiders, a pro football record for futility

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] 9/11 Remembrance Day
[Tues] I Want to Start My Own Business Day
[Tues] No News is Good News Day
[Tues] Boss-Employee Exchange Day
[Wed] Video Game Day
[Thurs] Rosh Hashanah (Jewish)
[Thurs] Ramadan begins (Muslim)
[Thurs] Computer Programmers Day

THIS WEEK IS . . .
Fall Hat Week / Housekeepers Week / Mind Mapping For Project Management Week / Substitute Teacher Appreciation Week

BULL’S BITS

DID YOU EVER WONDER?
• Whyzit ‘bra’ is singular and ‘panties’ plural?
• Whyzit kids aren’t taught how do divide up a bill for a Chinese meal 12 ways at school?
• Whyzit the word ‘little’ is twice as large as the word ‘big’?
• Whyzit nothing is as easy as it looks?
• Whyzit we call it ‘common’ sense when hardly anyone uses it?

BS PHONE STARTER:
Boomers may be getting older but research shows they don’t like the term ‘seniors’. So what should we call them?

BS PICK-YOUR-OWN FRUIT QUIZ:
• Which is the largest fruit crop on Earth …
a. Bananas.
b. Grapes. [CORRECT. Followed by bananas.]
c. Garlic.
• Which part of the strawberry plant is the true fruit …
a. The green stem.
b. The red pulp.
c. The seeds. [CORRECT. The part that we like to eat is actually the swollen end of the stem called a ‘drupe’.]
• Which name is shared by a citrus fruit and the citizens of an African capital …
a. Lemon.
b. Tangerine. [CORRECT. Tangiers is the summer capital of Morocco.]
c. Grapefruit.

BS RANDOM JOKE:
[Co-host] thinks that animal testing is terrible, because they might get nervous and give wrong answers.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: Doing THIS will dramatically reduce a woman’s stress level.
Answer to Give Out Tomorrow: Holding her hand.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Well done is better than well said.