01.29.09

SHOW PREP JANUARY 29, 2009

 

HOLLYWOOD 411 . . .

 

How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders is clearly ringing in the New Year in style: with a baby due this spring and some new hardware adorning her left hand.  Asked by PEOPLE if it is, in fact, an engagement ring, the actress, 26, flashed a smile as dazzling as her new sparkler and said, “Yes, it is.” Smulders, who plays the single Robin Scherbatsky on the hit CBS sitcom, says that her boyfriend, actor Taran Killam, popped the question over the holidays. Regarding wedding plans, “We’re focused on the baby right now,” Smulders said while attending the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences evening with HIMYM, “and when we actually have a second, then we’ll start thinking about that.” As for how Killam proposed, “That’s personal,” Smulders insisted, “but it was very romantic, I’ll tell you that much.” (People)

 

A quirky Austrian businessman says he’s taking “Desperate Housewives” star Nicollette Sheridan to Vienna’s flashy Opera Ball next month. Richard Lugner is a 76-year-old real estate and construction mogul who loves the limelight. Each year, he invites a different female celebrity to accompany him to the annual bash in the State Opera, which attracts both socialites and dignitaries. Sheridan, who was born in Britain, plays Edie Britt on the popular series set in suburban America. Lugner’s past guests include Dita Von Teese, Paris Hilton and Carmen Electra. This year’s Opera Ball will take place Feb. 19. Lugner announced his choice Wednesday amid much media attention. (Daily Record)

 

Jennifer Aniston might turn 40 alone on Feb. 11. Sources told Us that the actress has once again split with John Mayer, 31, because he “needed time to himself.” “She’s a control freak, and he can be very incommunicative,” a source told the magazine. “Plus, she feels he plays games with her head.” The couple already broke up/took a two-month hiatus once last August. Will this one stick? “I would not go so far as to call this a breakup,” said a source close to Mayer. “They have different needs, and it’s hard making it work.” (Scoop)

 

Hollywood star Catherine Zeta-Jones has revealed her home-grown beauty secrets. Catherine Zeta-Jones has revealed the secrets to her beauty. Although she’s the face of premium beauty brand Elizabeth Arden, the good news is copying her techniques won’t cost the earth, a quick trip to the supermarket will provide all you need. “I rub a mixture of honey and salt all over my body to moisturize and exfoliate,” she tells the Daily Mail. “You wash it off and your skin is gorgeous. Also, I love to eat an apple after a meal, just to cleanse my teeth – they always look polished afterwards.” And the tips don’t stop there. “The juice or pulp of strawberries contains malic acid which serves as an astringent and can lighten surface stains,” she reveals. “Pineapples work the same way. And I do condition my hair with honey and beer. I smell like the bottom of a beer barrel for days afterwards but it’s very good for the hair.” Before explaining that despite her home-grown regime she can’t look great every hour of the day.  “There are people who expect me to look the way I do on-screen, where I have a great director of photography and fantastic lighting,” she points out. “I’m sorry to disappoint people, but I don’t look like that all the time – no actress does.” (Handbag)

 

Celeb’s royal couple David and Victoria Beckham are said to be at odds over a permanent move to Milan. David and Victoria Beckham are arguing over a full-time move to Milan sources close to the couple claim. David, currently on loan at AC Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy, is keen to remain with the club to further his chances of representing England at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but Posh is said to be not keen on a move to the Italian fashion capital. “David is loving his soccer again. He’s like a new man now he’s back with a top European side. He’s the happiest he’s been for ages and is very keen to make his loan permanent,” an insider told The Sun. “In many ways this will be the biggest test of David and Victoria’s relationship. Does the family make the sacrifice for David so he can end his career in real style? Or does he have to accept they’ve moved around enough to follow his career? The boys have lots of friends in Los Angeles and are happy at school. She was never really happy when he played for Real Madrid and fears Milan will be similar.” (Handbag)

 

As we mentioned earlier, Us Weekly is reporting in their new issue that Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer had broken up again.However, it seems they were misinformed. Star Magazine is squashing those reports with proof that the two lovebirds are still together. Mayer and his Man were spotted at Jen’s home in West Hollywood on Monday night, after Us Weekly went to print and closed its issue. His car and Jen’s were also spotted parked outside her home all night long. And, according to the mag, Jen will be taking Mayer as her guest to the upcoming Oscars. Let’s see if they’re still together by then! (Perez Hilton)

 

Jennifer Love Hewitt is a firm believer in the afterlife – the actress is convinced her grandmother has spoken to her from beyond the grave. The 29-year-old stars in spooky TV show Ghost Whisperer, in which she plays a woman who can see and communicate with ghosts. And it was a chance encounter with the show’s producer, James Van Praagh, who is also a psychic, that put Hewitt in touch with her late relative. She tells Britain’s Ok! magazine, “We had an evening with James where he kind of did this thing, and my grandmother came through. “She just wanted to say hello and tell me that she was looking out for me. It was really nice.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Hollywood actor Billy Bob Thornton has talked of his desire to work with ex-wife Angelina Jolie again. Billy Bob Thornton has admitted he’d love to work with ex-wife Angelina Jolie again. The couple met and married while working on the 1999 film Pushing Tin but divorced in 2003 shortly after adopting Jolie’s son, since legally adopted by Brad Pitt, Maddox but Thornton insists they still get on famously. “Jessica Biel for one reason and Cate Blanchett for another. I’ve worked with Cate twice, and I’d say she’s probably the best actress out there. I’d like to do another movie with Angie, too, one of these days,” he told country music site theboot.com when asked which actresses he’d like to work with. “We talk all the time. She and I keep looking for something to do together; we just have to find the right thing.” (Handbag)

 

Lost star Josh Holloway has said he wouldn’t wish fame on anyone. Josh Holloway has become the latest celeb to moan about fame saying he wouldn’t wish his fame and sex symbol tag on anyone. “The whole sex symbol thing is really strange. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody. I appreciate the opportunity to work, the cash it gives you, and other things it provides are wonderful,” Josh, who TV Guide reported in 2006 was paid £65,000 per episode of Lost, told Company magazine. “But the celebrity thing… I don’t like attention. Like anybody, it’s impossible not to feel self-conscious if someone’s looking at you all the time, everywhere you go.” Boo hoo. (Handbag)

 

Pete Wentz finds fame so stressful, he’s often tempted to ditch his music career and disappear with his wife Ashlee Simpson and their baby son Bronx. The Fall Out Boy star admits he’d even consider following in the footsteps of Simpson’s sister Jessica – and sign up for a Newlyweds-style reality show, just so he could make enough money to retire. He tells Blender magazine, “Sometimes I think Ashlee and I should do Newlyweds 2, take that f**k-you money and move to an island somewhere. Just disappear.” But Wentz admits he could never disappear for real “partly because I’d be f**king over a lot of people (and) I’d probably miss the lights too much.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Former Take That star Robbie Williams left the UK after fame made him ‘feel like a prisoner.’ Fame made Robbie Williams feel like a prisoner his sister Sally Symonds has told Hello magazine. “Last time he lived in England he was so high-profile he couldn’t get any peace. He was living in London and resorted to buying a flat on the 15th floor. It was like Alcatraz,” she explained of his move to the US before discussing his plans to return to living in the UK. “This time he hopes he can get some kind of private life. I’m not sure the house will be private enough but if he feels pressured he’ll be straight back on a plane. When you have an addictive nature, you need to nurture yourself. You have to put yourself in safe places. If you’re stressed, it’s easy to fall off. My hope is he can keep himself together.” (Handbag)

 

Singer Ashlee Simpson has leapt to the defence of her elder sister Jessica, branding reports criticizing her weight “embarrassing and belittling”. The Dukes Of Hazzard star has been pictured with a fuller figure of late, prompting some media outlets to speculate she is expecting a baby with American footballer boyfriend Tony Romo. But sister Ashlee has taken offence to the reports – because she is sick of celebrities’ weight dominating the news agenda while Americans celebrate their new President Barack Obama. She writes on her blog, “I am completely disgusted by the headlines concerning my sister’s weight. A week after the inauguration and with such a feeling of hope in the air for our country, I find it completely embarrassing and belittling to all women to read about a woman’s weight or figure as a headline on Fox News. “All women come in different shapes, sizes, and forms and just because you’re a celebrity, there shouldn’t be a different standard. Is this something you would say to your wife, daughter, mother, grandmother, or even a friend? I seriously doubt it. “How can we expect teenage girls to love and respect themselves in an environment where we criticize a size 2 figure? Now can we focus on the things that really matter.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Gap-toothed Lauren Hutton seems to have taken a page out of Naomi Campbell‘s book on dealing with the help. Yesterday morning, the actress/model was spotted yelling at a subordinate who was schlepping cases of Fiji Water back to her apartment on Lafayette Street. “She was standing there, red in the face, hands on hips, demanding that the woman carrying up tons of water ‘hurry up,’ ” snitches a source. “Not very nice.” (Page Six)

 

Hip-hop star 50 Cent‘s manager, Chris Lighty, has joined the red-faced ranks of Bernie Madoff victims. Lighty’s loss in the alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme came to light as a rep for Fitty squelched false rumors that the rap star himself had lost millions of dollars. But Lighty wouldn’t say how much he’d lost himself. “Nothing to talk about. It’s not life-threaten ing,” Lighty, 36, told The Post’s Kati Cornell. “Not worth the ink you would waste.” Named on Crain’s “Forty under 40″ list for 2008, Lighty is the founder of Violator and has attracted a stable of hip-hop’s biggest stars, including Diddy and LL Cool J. (Page Six)

 

Oh poor Jessica Simpson! Things are simply not going her way these days! Rumor has it that her Sunday boyfriend, Tony Romo, cheated on the country singer…in her own bed! Star magazine is reporting that earlier this month, on the very night JSimpleson flew out of Los Angeles, Romo had himself a night out on the town, inviting everyone over to Jess’s house for an after party. And one lady even received the VIP treatment from Romo. Amid Jessica’s gold albums, the party raged on downstairs. But on the second floor, Tony was enjoying his own private party — with a long haired, olive-skinned cutie. “Everyone was talking about it downstairs,” dishes the source. “The girls were saying it was so wrong and shady of Tony to cheat on Jessica — especially in her place! I just can’t believe he would hook up with another woman at his own girlfriend’s house.” Maybe this has something to do with Tony’s wandering heart? Just sayin’! (Perez Hilton)

 

The scandals of Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester aren’t relegated to just the TV show! We told you before about Leighton’s ex-convict mother and family of drug dealers. Well, it seems like her brother is no angel as well! Leighton’s older brother, Douglas, was involved in a high profile sexual assault case while he was a sophomore in the Air Force. He was accused of raping and sodomizing (yikes!) a female, but their extreme intoxication at the time muddied the circumstances, with the victim even saying that she “knew for a fact that he probably thought what we were doing was consensual.” The rape charge was dropped in exchange for a guilty plea to “conduct unbecoming of an officer, dereliction of duty, and committing an indecent act.” He was fined $2000 and received a written reprimand. (Perez Hilton)

 

Guy Ritchie‘s shit-talking father, John, tells the new issues of In Touch that he’s glad his son is no longer with Madonna, and that the divorce could not have proceeded anymore favorably. In fact, he even went so far as to say, “The worst thing would be if they reconciled” and is glad that Her Madgesty has “lots of boyfriends” because “she won’t be looking for him.” We think that John Ritchie sounds a little delusional because, honestly, it will be a cold day in hell when Madonna tries to get back together with Guy. Fortunately, according to Daddy Ritchie, “There are no big arguments between them. All they discuss is the children” and both parties are content with the custodial arrangement. (Perez Hilton)

 

The Office creator Ricky Gervais has said he’s perfectly happy with his “normal size” genitals. Ricky Gervais has insisted he’s happy with his “normal size” wedding tackle. “I’m not worried about it, if you saw me naked you wouldn’t go, ‘Jesus that’s the smallest penis I’ve ever seen’, you wouldn’t have to squint,” he told Inside The Actor’s Studio host James Lipton. “You’d say there’s a normal bloke, he’s 5ft 8ins and he’s got a normal size penis, everything in proportion. Testicles are on the large size though! I’d look weird with a foot long k**b wouldn’t I? It’d be ridiculous, also I’d faint if I got an erection as all the blood would be in there, its fine, its fine, really its average.” (Handbag)

 

Debbie Matenopoulos is denying her estranged husband’s claims that she “pays for nothing” while living in their multimillion-dollar Los Angeles home. Jay Faires, a music executive, is seeking spousal support from the E! host to help pay the mortgage. “I am incredibly offended by these gross accusations and false claims that have no merit,” Matenopoulos tells PEOPLE in an exclusive statement. “I am very proud to say, not only do I currently pay my own expenses, I also did so for the entire duration of our marriage.” Faires, 45, who filed for divorce from Matenopoulos on Nov. 12 after five years of marriage, also claimed in the Jan. 14 court papers that the former couple have “continuously lived beyond our means during our marriage.”  Matenopoulos added: “As far as living above our means goes, as my husband has stated, if Jay is anything at all he is a shrewd businessman and has started three companies from the ground up. He knows a thing or two about balancing a budget and would never be so irresponsible.”  As for their increasingly hostile split, Matenopoulos claims her ex’s actions “are an obvious attempt to hurt me. The fact that I am even having to discuss this stuff publicly is ludicrous.” The former couple face a hearing on Feb. 23. (People)

 

A keyboardist for the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd has died at his northeast Florida home. Orange Park Police Lt. Mark Cornett says 56-year-old keyboard player Billy Powell called 911 about 12:55 a.m. Wednesday saying he was having trouble breathing. Rescue crews performed CPR, but he was pronounced dead at 1:52 a.m. Cornett says no foul play is suspected and an autopsy will not be performed. He says Powell missed a Tuesday appointment with his doctor for a cardiac evaluation. A heart attack is suspected. Powell was one of two surviving band members who were with the group before a 1977 plane crash that killed three of its members. (Daily Record)

 

Kim Manners, the veteran TV producer-director who helmed dozens of episodes of The X-Files and Supermatural, died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from lung cancer. He was 59. Hailing from a showbiz family, Manners first broke into the TV business in the 1970s as a production manager and director on Charlie’s Angels. He went on to work on such series as Star Trek: The Next Generation, 21 Jump Street and Baywatch until he got the call for The X-Files. It was on Chris Carter‘s hit sci-fi mystery series where Manners made his mark, scoring four Emmy nominations for his work. All told he directed 52 episodes of The X-Files. (Eonline)

 

 

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

 

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is the latest celebrity to issue a special invitation to U.S President Barack Obama’s daughters – offering up a personal tour of the magical film set. Miley Cyrus and The Jonas Brothers have already offered entertainment to big fans Malia, 10, and Sasha, seven, as their dad prepared for his inauguration into office on 20 January. And the British-born star is keen to follow suit, telling the Daily Beast website: “(Obama) is a symbol of progress which is what we dig about this country. What you love about England is all the old buildings and such. The traditions. I love that, too. But this is what we want from you. “I’d like to take this opportunity to issue a public invitation to the Obamas that if their daughters would like a private tour of the Harry Potter set, I would be honoured to be their personal tour guide.” But the humble actor admits he’d understand if the first daughters would rather hang out with another teen idol, Twilight star Robert Pattinson. He adds, “(Pattinson) is much prettier and can be much more charming. And he can do that thing of being sultry and sexy.  “Rob can just sort of stand there and look at something and start to smoulder. And I just can’t do that. I’m a natural fidget.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Bad news for Prince William: His girlfriend Kate Middleton is unlikely to be joining him in the saddle on his favorite ponies.  Middleton, 27, is allergic to horses, she revealed to a fellow polo fan. Australian author Kathy Lette, who says that she approached the royal girlfriend at a polo match last summer, told Readers Digest that she spotted Middleton alone in a tent, watching the game with keen interest. “I’ve got to pay attention to every second,” Middleton told Lette when asked why she didn’t come over and join the main party. “I’ll be discussing the game in minute detail later on.” Lette also inquired why she didn’t play polo herself. Middleton’s reply? ‘I’m allergic to horses.” William, 26, and Middleton have been dating since 2002, but are often separated by work commitments. The Prince is currently undergoing training to be a search and rescue pilot, while Middleton is working at her parents’ company, Party Pieces. Saturday, it was revealed that William’s brother Harry, 24, had split from his on-again girlfriend Chelsy Davy, 23. (People)

 

TV presenter Eamonn Holmes has said he’d slap Rihanna if she were his daughter. Eamonn Holmes said that he’d “slap” Rihanna if she were his daughter due to her diva demands. “I find the entourages that some people come with, especially the Americans, really pathetic,” Holmes told Star magazine. “Rihanna, for example, is a beautiful girl, but if she was your daughter, you’d give her a slap and tell her to wise up. She is surrounded by people who treat her like a little flower.” Before adding his dream interview would be Prince Williams’s girlfriend. “I’d love to interview Kate Middleton, I think that would be very interesting,” he said. “She’s a very attractive girl!” (Handbag)

 

We just obtained a copy of Michael Crichton’s will…and let’s put it this way…you wish you were a relative. The author of “Jurassic Park” and “ER” exec producer had a prenup with his wife, according to the doc. As for everything else Crichton had when he died last November, it remains in the John Michael Crichton Living Trust, which he created before he died. Now, the beneficiaries of that trust … we won’t mention their names, but they’re his brother, sister-in-law, sister, brother-in-law, niece, niece, friend, friend, friend, niece, nephew-in-law, grand-nephew, grand-nephew, friend, friend, friend, friend, friend, friend and John’s foundation. Crichton was a cash register during his lifetime, reportedly at one point earning $100 million a year. (TMZ)

 

Listen up wrestlin’ fans: actor Mickey Rourke says he’s ready to rumble with WWE superstar Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania 25 in Reliant Stadium on April 5. Rourke portrays professional wrestler Randy the Ram in the acclaimed movie “The Wrestler.” He’s signed to wrestle Jericho, for real. He made a surprise announcement Sunday night on the red carpet before the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles. He said he was pleased by the acceptance of the movie by all the WWE wrestlers – except Jericho. Then Rourke said he was going to toss Jericho “around the ring like tossed salad.” Meanwhile, Jericho, appearing on WWE television, said, Rourke was out of line and that he was offended by Rourke’s comments. He said Rourke made “a mistake.” Stay tuned. (Daily Record)

 

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is always happy to meet his male admirers – because he feels “flattered” when gay fans have a crush on him. The actor has appeared naked onstage in both the West End and Broadway in the play Equus – a role he admits has won him a large following in the gay community. And he insists the male supporters are a welcome change from his hordes of screaming female fans. He tells the Daily Beast website: “For a lot of straight guys – and I know I’m guilty of it sometimes – when you know a gay guy has a crush on you, it is the most flattering thing.” But the 19-year-old has always been comfortable around homosexual men, crediting his showbusiness upbringing for teaching him tolerance towards other lifestyles. He adds: “My mum was a casting director and my dad was a literary agent and I was surrounded by gay men from a very young age. “And I was the only boy in my class at school who had that kind of relationship with gay men. Most of my friends had parents who had proper jobs in banks and law firms so none of them had been exposed to homosexuality in the way I had – as a normal course of things. So they had a rather different attitude toward it than I.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

After five years of dating, what caused Prince Harry and girlfriend Chelsy Davy to finally call it quits last week? Those close to the prince believe time and distance may have pulled the 24-year-old royal and the Zimbabwean-born beauty apart, PEOPLE reports in its upcoming issue, on sale Friday. Chelsy, 23, is set to graduate from Leeds University this spring and is homesick for Africa, while Harry seems more committed than ever to army life. When they split was announced, a royal source told PEOPLE the pair felt their relationship “had run its course.” Still, the news came as a shock to some of Harry’s friends. “I don’t see this as long-term,” a friend says of the couple, who broke up briefly in 2007.  Another pal, however, believes it’s for real. “It came right out of the blue,” he tells PEOPLE. “But I don’t think if he was madly in love with her, he would have knocked it on the head. I think it is a case of, ‘Let’s call it a day; we had some fun.’ “(People)

 

Bourne trilogy star Matt Damon has slammed his spy rival James Bond. Hollywood star Matt Damon, famous for his portrayal of CIA maverick Jason Bourne, has described his film spy rival James Bond as “repulsive”. The actor, who has appeared in several spy movies including three as discarded CIA super assassin Jason Bourne, poured scorn on comparisons between the two action heroes. “’They could never make a James Bond movie like any of the Bourne films,” Damon told the Miami Herald. “Because Bond is an imperialist, misogynist sociopath who goes around bedding women and swilling martinis and killing people. He’s repulsive. Steve [Soderbergh, who produced another of Damon's spy movies, Syriana] told me that years ago he was offered a Bond movie. He told them he’d do it if they gave him creative control. Absolutely not, they said. They have a formula, they stick to it, and it makes them a lot of money. They know what they’re doing, and they’re going to keep doing it.” Miaow! (Handbag)

 

Marla Bartiromo scored the first post-axing interview with booted Merrill Lynch chief John Thain Monday – but CNBC’s “Money Honey” kept viewers in the dark about the little business arrangement that may have helped it happen. Turns out she and Thain both pay public relations guru Ken Sunshine to represent them, and he apparently helped set up the exclusive. “It’s a huge conflict of interest. It’s incredible she didn’t disclose this over the air, but she thinks she’s above it all,” one broadcast insider told Page Six. “And she was really kissing Thain’s ass during the interview.” Sunshine admitted to us he represents both Bartiromo and Thain, the latter having hired him just recently. “The relationship between John and Maria long precedes our relationship with him,” Sunshine insisted. But he had no comment on whether he had a hand in lining up the interview. CNBC didn’t get back to us. (Page Six)

 

Olivia Palermo is using MTV‘s “The City” to learn how to be a “serious actress.” The fauxcialite was at the opening of the new W Hotel in Atlanta, where, according to our spy, “Olivia was talking about how she wants to be a serious actress but that acting is so much harder than she thought it would be.” Palermo also confessed, “I’m shooting ‘The City’ to get used to being in front of the camera.” We hear she’ll have one more year of practice – the low-rated show has inexplicably been picked up by MTV for a second season. (Page Six)

 

Kevin Costner signed on to host a glitzy Super Bowl party this year, but the truth is he doesn’t really like parties all that much. Too much glad-handing, picture-taking and standing around. The 54-year-old Hollywood star would much rather be up on stage with his band, Modern West, grinding out original tunes in a dark club somewhere, showing people how serious he really is about the music. So if you really want to get Costner to appear somewhere, invite the band, too. Playing live in the middle of the biggest weekend in sports is why he’s coming to Tampa.

“It’s clearly not the need for attention. I’ve had enough of that for a lifetime,” Costner chuckles during a telephone interview. “It’s no fun being a celebrity. I’d rather be a performer. I’d rather sing for my supper.” But attention is clearly the point for many of the celebrities who stage one of the glitzy, see-and-be-seen happenings that have become as much a part of Super Bowl week as the game itself. The Hollywood types are here, along with the hip-hop guys, dozens of current and former NFL stars, plenty of scantily clad models, prize fighters and assorted Kardashian sisters. Ashton Kutcher and Lindsay Lohan are scheduled to be here. So is Snoop Dogg. Mike Ditka says he’s bringing 100 former NFL stars with him. The lousy economy this year led some regular party sponsors to cut back or pull out of the Super Bowl scene – Playboy and Sports Illustrated both bagged their annual affairs – but there’s still enough going on in Tampa to keep the paparazzi busy all weekend. Costner’s bash – he’s co-hosting with ex-New York Giant Michael Strahan – is going head-to-head on Saturday night with gigs by hip-hop artist T-Pain and rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, along with an affair crawling with Playboy hotties called “Models and Bottles,” and an event at a science museum hosted by boxer Antonio Tarver and rapper Nelly.

The night before is the Maxim magazine party, which has become one of the more exclusive celebrity bashes of Super Bowl weekend. Models from the lads magazine will be competing for attention that night with those over at a party thrown by ESPN the Magazine, another at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino hosted by Kevin Dillon of “Entourage” fame, and a get-together featuring the unlikely duo of NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson and pop-music star Nick Lachey. The annual “Leather and Laces” party is also Friday, hosted by Jenny McCarthy, Carmen Electra and Kim Kardashian. Promoters of all the parties are promising plenty of famous people and professional athletes. Electra, who hosted a party with McCarthy at the Super Bowl last year in Phoenix, says it’s a unique atmosphere, even for someone like her who doesn’t care who wins the game or, for that matter, even who’s playing. “I think sports fans are very enthusiastic, so during the Super Bowl there’s a lot of energy, a lot of people,” says the model and sometime actress. “It makes for a much more fun, lively party. …It’s going to be sexy and fun, and it’s always going to be crazy at the Super Bowl.” Some of the parties are so exclusive that regular folk don’t have a chance of getting inside. Sports agent Leigh Steinberg, for instance, is staging his annual invitation-only gig at the Tampa city zoo. Other events are benefiting charities and selling tickets to the public for a few hundred dollars or more. Some of the proceeds of Costner’s party are going to several good causes via a foundation set up by Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Matt Bryant to honor his 3-month-old son, who died suddenly in September. Costner says the charity aspect was part of the attraction. While between Hollywood projects, Costner is touring with his band, playing clubs and theaters in places like Omaha, Neb., Des Moines, Iowa, and Columbia, Mo. The roots rock/country outfit released its first CD last fall. He hopes people will come because he’s Kevin Costner and leave as new fans of Modern West. “We’re playing original music, so the difficulty in that is inherent with any performer playing songs that (people) can’t tap their toe to because they’ve never heard it,” he says. “I kind of like the challenge of everything that probably goes with being me, the curiosity factor and everything else, and doing songs that they’ve never heard and holding that audience.” Oh, and the game? Costner likes the Steelers. (Daily Record)

 

Jordan, aka Katie Price, will be taking part in a celebrity polo match at the British Open Show Jumping Championships in April. The model, a long-term fan of horse-riding, will captain a team of three, dubbed Team KP Equestrian, against another celebrity threesome. Katie said: “I’m really excited about being part of the British Open’s celebrity arena polo match this April. I’ve played polo before and really enjoyed it so I’m definitely looking forward to going head-to-head with another celebrity and hopefully scoring a few goals!” The star, who was famously refused entry to the Cartier International Polo last year, added: “Unlike some polo matches I could mention, this one is open to anyone who wants to buy a ticket!” (TMZ)

 

Bart Simpson is officially cheating on Reverend Lovejoy’s church — with the one created by L. Ron Hubbard. Nancy Cartwright — voice of Bart and a multi-million dollar donor to Scientology — has recorded a Scientology robocall in which she uses her famous character’s name and voice to push an upcoming L. Ron Hubbard hoedown in L.A. We called the phone number for the event that Nancy gives out, and the person who answered was surprised a non-Scientologist got the message — thanks, YouTube. (TMZ)

 

One woman’s trailer trash is another woman’s treasure. A source close to Pamela Anderson, 41, told Us magazine the star met her latest love interest in the Malibu trailer park where she’s been staying while work is done on her home. Scuba diver Jamie Padgett, 42, picked Anderson up — in his golf cart — and offered her a ride to the beach. “She is more in love than I have ever seen her before,” the source told Us. “He’s a totally moral, nice, normal guy.” (Scoop)

 

Michael Lohan‘s alleged truce with daughter Lindsay is out the window! He took to his blog today, Wednesday, and wrote all about La Lohan’s troubling weight loss, which he totally, of course, blames on saMAN Ronson. We’re sure his daughter won’t be pleased with this latest rant! Here are Mikey’s newly penned words.  Enjoy! Like I said in the past, “if I see or hear of anyone or anything causing harm or is seen as a threat to my children,” I will speak about it, and do anything I can to try to intervene regardless of the repercussions on me. With that said, after seeing promise and thanking God for Lindsay’s freedom from SaMANtha’s bondage, I see now, that since SaMANtha has once again, weaseled her way back into Lindsay’s life, things have taken a dark turn.  While I was enthused that Ali was with Lindsay, rather than SaMANtha, I am torn to see that SaMANtha has once again manipulated Lindsay into leaving her little sister in LA, only to join SaMANtha on another DJ gig in Boston.  Was this again, a means for SaMANtha to earn more money through Lindsay’s presence? Did SaMANtha’s fee drop so much and so quickly when word got out that they parted ways? Are we so blind? Is Lindsay so blind? I know Dina and my kids aren’t because they tell me so. But then again, why does Dina tell me one thing and do another?! When a mother or father sees their child in turmoil (losing weight, not working, and purportedly cutting herself) are we supposed to stand by, remain silent and pretend it isn’t happening? Or are we suppose to step to the plate and not care what people think, and do something about it? Well, as you can see, I’m not going to sit back and let it slide. I am asking everyone out their to intervene in every way possible to help Lindsay, and quite possibly, save her life. Help this wonderful, good hearted and gifted young lady to see what SaMANtha is doing to her and how she is destroying her life. Help her to see that ever since SaMANtha came into her life, nothing good has come of it. As a matter of fact, Lindsay hasn’t used her gifts like she did before meeting SaMANtha. Just LOOK! The proof is there! These aren’t just words, but FACTS! PLEASE HELP! Come on, Sam. Fight back! U know that’s what he wants – and so do we! (Perez Hilton)

 

We previously mentioned how earlier this month actor turned “rapper” Joaquin Phoenix gave a shiteous performance at a nightclub in Las Vegas. We also mentioned how Phoenix had been acting like a total diva, bitching at people and even storming off while working on his documentary with Casey Affleck. Both times we thought, and hoped, he was joking. And, now, as expected, we find out it really might all be a hoax. Entertainment Weekly is reporting that two of Phoenix’s friends have come forward to explain the situation.  Says one source who recently worked with Joaquin, “He said, ‘It’s a put-on. I’m going to pretend to have a meltdown and change careers, and Casey is going to film it.” Though he won’t admit to any of it right now. Says a source, “It’s an art project for him. He’s going full out. He probably has told his reps that he’s quit acting. Joaquin is very smart. This is very conscious. He has a huge degree of control.” This art project sure is lame! (Perez Hilton)

 

Remember that Thriller musical we told you about yesterday? Seems Michael Jackson already has a sequel in the works. This one will be playing out not on Broadway, however, but in a Los Angeles courtroom. John Landis, the filmmaker whose credits include Animal House, The Blues Brothers and Trading Places, is suing over another of his best known hits—Jackson’s “Thriller” video. Landis says Jackson owes him big bucks in royalties for the classic 14-minute clip. Per the complaint, filed in L.A. Superior Court last week and obtained by E! News, the 58-year-old filmmaker accuses the 50-year-old Moonwalker of “fraudulent, malicious and oppressive conduct” for failing to fork over a check. Landis says he’s due 50 percent of the net profits from the groundbreaking video, which cowrote and directed, as well as an hourlong “making of” documentary. The suit doesn’t specify the exact amount Landis is owed but it’s thought to be around $1 million. In any case, the legal action comes at a fortuitous time considering Jackson just sold the rights to the “Thriller” video to theatrical wizards Nederlander Organization to stage a Broadway musical based on the horror spoof. Jackson’s rep, Dr. Tohme Tohme, was not immediately available for comment. Speaking to the entertainment site The Wrap, Landis attorney Martin Feldman said the lawsuit was a last resort. “I can’t understand what they are doing to John Landis’ company. It is such a straight ahead thing,” he said. “It makes no sense at all to me.” As if the life of Michael Jackson ever made sense to any of us. (Daily Record)

 

The former sales manager for the Philadelphia Soul arena football team is suing club owner Jon Bon Jovi and his partners for nearly $125,000 he says he’s owed. Joseph Krause of Jenkintown alleges that rock singer Bon Jovi and other team officials told employees they would receive two weeks of severance pay. The Arena Football League is canceling the 2009 season as it creates a better business model for tough economic times. Krause says he is owed commissions of more than $83,000 for the 2008 season and more than $41,000 for the canceled 2009 season. Interim general manager Paul Korzilius, when reached by KYW-AM, declined to comment because of the pending lawsuit. Bon Jovi and the others named in the suit didn’t respond to requests for comment. (Daily Record)

 

A former Bahamas senator was granted bail Wednesday on charges she conspired to help extort $25 million from actor John Travolta after his son died from a seizure at a family vacation home. Pleasant Bridgewater is accused of plotting with an ambulance driver to demand the money in exchange for suppressing a document related to the treatment of the celebrity’s son. She was not required to enter a plea at the arraignment. The document would have released emergency responders from liability if the family refused an ambulance, but it did not come into play in 16-year-old Jett Travolta’s case, according to Senior Assistant Police Commissioner Marvin Dames. Celebrity news Web site TMZ.com has reported that Travolta, an avid pilot, considered flying his chronically ill son to Florida before he was driven to the hospital on Grand Bahama island. It is unclear why the pair allegedly believed the Travolta’s would pay to keep the document from being released. Bail was set at $50,000 for Bridgewater, an attorney from Grand Bahama who resigned her Senate seat following her arrest last week on charges of abetment to extort and conspiracy to extort. Her next court date was set for Feb. 11. The other suspect, paramedic Tarino Lightbourne, was among those who tried to revive Jett after he collapsed Jan. 2. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to extort and conspiracy to extort from the movie star. The actor and his wife, Kelly Preston, returned home to Florida with the ashes of their son shortly after his death. (Daily Record)

 

Former Sen. Pleasant Bridgewater has just pled not guilty to two charges in the Jett Travolta extortion case. Bridgewater was officially charged in court yesterday with “abetment to extort and conspiracy to extort” — they’re the same charges EMT Tarino Lightbourne faces. Bridgewater, who resigned her seat after her arrest, was released on $40K bail. (TMZ)

 

 

MUSIC . . .

 

Britney Spears‘s Circus topped the charts – with a lot of hard work – and now she’s promising to do the same in her upcoming world tour.  In an exclusive rehearsal photo posted to Spears’s Web site, Britney claps to the beat in simple, comfortable dance gear.  Jamie King, who choreographed her 2000 tour, is back on duty, and the singer, 27, looks svelte and toned in a tank top showing off her arms, and even the mom-of-two’s tummy!  The arena tour, her first in five years, kicks off in New Orleans March 3 with special guests The Pussycat Dolls. (People)

 

Kelly Clarkson will make history on this week’s Billboard Hot 100, to be posted tomorrow (Jan. 29) on Billboard.com, with the largest leap to No. 1 in the chart’s 50-year history. Her new single, “My Life Would Suck Without You,” is set to rocket 97-1 after selling 280,000 digital downloads in its first week of availability. The song is also faring well at radio, jumping 58-38 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart and 27-18 on the Mainstream Top 40 list. “My Life” introduces Clarkson’s March 17 RCA album “All I Ever Wanted.” This is the second time the artist has set the record for largest jump to No. 1. She took her “American Idol” victory song, “A Moment Like This,” 52-1 on the chart dated October 5, 2002. That mark lasted nearly five years until Maroon 5 soared 64-1 with “Makes Me Wonder” in May 2007 and had been broken four more times since, most recently by Britney Spears’ “Womanizer” (96-1). “My Life” is Clarkson’s first No. 1 since her debut single, though she has placed six other songs in the top 10 during this time, including the No. 2-peaking “Since U Been Gone” in April 2005 “Never Again”, the first single from her last set, the relatively poor performing “My December,” opened at No. 8 on the Hot 100 in the May 5, 2007, issue, starting with 107,000 downloads, and spending a total of two weeks in the top 10. (Billboard)

 

Taylor Swift continues her reign on The Billboard 200 as “Fearless” starts an eighth week at No. 1. The Big Machine effort moved 63,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, a mere 1% slip from sales last week. This is likely the album’s last week on top, however, as Bruce Springsteen’s “Working on a Dream” (Columbia) is projected to debut in the summit next week. Four other efforts in the top 10 hold are unmoved from last week: Beyonce’s “I Am… Sasha Fierce” (Music World/Columbia) at No. 2 with 51,000 (+3%); Nickelback’s “Dark Horse” (Roadrunner) at No. 3 with 45,000 (-3%); Britney Spears’ “Circus” (Jive) at No. 7 with 31,000 (-9%); and Jamie Foxx’s “Intuition” (Fox/Bad Boy) at No. 8 with 30,000 (-4%). On a 1% decrease to 39,000, Kanye West’s “808s and Heartbreak” (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam) ascends 5-4, while the Chop Shop/Atlantic soundtrack to “Twilight” takes an 8% hit to 33,000 and climbs 6-5. Keyshia Cole’s “A Different Me” (Geffen) leaps 9-6 with flat sales at 31,000. “Notorious,” the Bad Boy soundtrack to the film of the same name, falls 4-9 with a 32% decrease in sales to 29,000. Mariah Carey’s “Ballads” (Columbia/Legacy) compilation is the chart’s highest debut at No. 10 with 29,000. It’s the fourth best-of set that Carey has charted, following “#1′s” (No. 4 in 1998), “Greatest Hits” (No. 52 in 2001) and “The Remixes” (No. 26 in 2003). Andrew Bird notches his best sales and charting week ever with the Fat Possum album “Noble Beast,” which debuts at No. 12 with 26,000. Bird had never reached The Billboard 200 before 2007′s “Armchair Apocrypha,” which debuted and peaked at No. 76 with 11,000. Also scoring career-best numbers is Animal Collective with the Domino album “Merriweather Post Pavilion.” The project lands at No. 13 with 25,000; it debuted at No. 38 two weeks ago on the Top Independent Albums chart purely on vinyl sales. “Blood Bank,” an EP from Jagjaguwar artist Bon Iver, starts at No. 16 with 23,000, both career bests. The artist’s 2008 debut, “For Emma, Forever Ago,” was one of the most critically acclaimed albums of last year and has been on a sales roll for several weeks. It entered The Billboard 200 at No. 198 in December after 10 months of release and is No. 85 this week. Frank Sinatra’ “Seduction: Sinatra Sings of Love” (Rhino) climbs on at No. 23 with 17,000, just in time for the Feb. 14 Valentine’s Day holiday. At 6.43 million units, sales are up 9.1% compared to the same total last week and off by 12% compared to the same week in 2008. (Billboard)

 

David Archuleta is headed for the spring break of his life. The 17-year-old American Idol star, one of the more beloved runner-ups in the show’s history, has announced plans for his first solo tour. The 20-city road trip kicks off Feb. 24 in Virginia Beach, Va., and will keep Archuleta’s pipes engaged at theaters and other midsize venues such as the storied House of Blues until March 21. Jive Records labelmate Lesley Roy will open for him. In the meantime, fans who love Archuleta for more than his precocious voice can catch his guest appearance on Nickelodeon’s iCarly on Feb. 7. (Daily Record)

 

Kelly Rowland says she will always be a part of Beyonce’s family, but she no longer will be managed by the superstar’s father. Rowland and Matthew Knowles announced Wednesday that he is bowing out as her manager. He’s guided her career since she was kid, when he put her in Destiny’s Child along with Beyonce. He even helped raise her. Both Rowland and Knowles – who still manages daughter Beyonce – called the split amicable. Both say they will always be family. Rowland has sold millions of records as part of Destiny’s Child, but her solo career hasn’t matched that success. Rowland – who turns 27 next month – did not say who her new manager will be. (Daily Record)

 

Bogdan Roscic has been appointed president, Sony Music Classical by Sony CEO Rolf Scmidt-Holtz. Effective April 6, the newly created role gives Roscic responsibility for all of Sony’s Classical operations. He will report directly to Schmidt-Holtz. Sony could not confirm where he will be based at this stage; however it is expected to be in Europe. “Classical music not only remains a vital part of our company’s DNA but also this is a business we are determined to grow and promote again,” said Mr. Schmidt-Holtz. “While genres like classical remain under tremendous pressure in the marketplace, we believe it has enduring appeal with consumers and we plan to harness it with a renewed commitment to strong leadership, a rich catalog and a world-class roster.” Most recently, Roscic was managing director at Decca Music Group in London. Prior to this, he was VP of A&R for Deutsche Grammophon in Hamburg, managing director of Universal Music Austria and managing director of a nationwide radio program of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation in Vienna. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Harlem’s iconic Apollo Theater will celebrate its 75th anniversary season this year with a slew of activities, including the national launch of a new touring version of musical “Dreamgirls,” a fall TV special and a concert series featuring John Legend, among others. Also, a documentary to be directed by Stanley Nelson and co-produced by Charles Hobson of Vanguard Documentaries is scheduled to hit movie theaters nationwide in early 2011. The plans for the 75th anniversary of the theater and its signature “Amateur Night at the Apollo” show were unveiled Tuesday by Apollo Theater Foundation chairman Richard Parsons, the former Time Warner chairman who was recently named chairman of Citigroup, and president and CEO Jonelle Procope. The anniversary season will combine looks into the past — which helped launch the careers of such performers as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Michael Jackson, Lauryn Hill and Alicia Keys — and into the future, organizers said. “We have and will continue to push the boundaries of new art forms in American popular culture,” said Parsons. “Amateur Night” will return under the leadership of new producer Marion Caffey. Its Wednesday season kickoff edition will feature rapper Ron Browz and surprise visits from alumni.  Besides stage shows, September will see a two-hour TV special, to be produced by Ron Weisner, about the Apollo. The foundation didn’t immediately say on which network it will air. And in November, the new touring version of Tony Award-winning “Dreamgirls” will start off at the Apollo.  The not-for-profit foundation that operates the venerable theater is in the midst of a $96 million capital campaign, more than half of which has already been raised. The funds will be used to upgrade and expand the theater’s facilities and support future programming. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Slayer, Marilyn Manson and Bullet For My Valentine lead the bill for the second annual Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, which begins July 10 at the Sleep Train Amphitheater in Sacramento, Calif., and wraps Aug. 18 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in San Antonio. Jagermeister is sponsoring one of two second stages, on which Trivium, All That Remains, God Forbid and the liquor company’s “battle of the bands” winner will perform. On the Hot Topic side stage, Cannibal Corpse, Job For A Cowboy, Behemoth, Black Dahlia Murder and Whitechapel will round out the bill. Tickets for the 27-date North American shed tour go on sale April 24 via mayhemfest.com and livenation.com. Last year’s inaugural Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival featured Slipknot, Disturbed, Airbourne, Five Finger Death Punch, 36 Crazyfists, Machine Head, Black Tide, Suicide Silence, the Red Chord and Wall Of Jericho. The trek attracted nearly 340,000 concertgoers, according to organizers. Rockstar Mayhem is produced by Warped founder Kevin Lyman, his partner on the Rockstar Taste Of Chaos tour John Reese, CAA’s Darryl Eaton, and Jason Garner, CEO of global music at Live Nation. Following a model of tapping sponsors in unique and interactive ways, Mayhem was a finalist for the 2008 Concert Marketing & Promotion Awards “After last year’s very successful package, we felt we needed to raise the bar higher and put together a package that hard music fans would love, and we feel like we have done that,” Reese tells Billboard.com. “It also looks like I will be picking up a second job this summer as the lead bartender at the absinthe-laced parties for Manson and Slayer.” (Billboard)

 

The Comedy Central TV channel says Paul McCartney is going to drop in on Stephen Colbert. McCartney will be a guest on Wednesday’s “The Colbert Report,” talking up his latest album, “Electric Arguments.” The work represents a collaboration between the former Beatle and producer-musician Youth, and was released under the band name the Fireman. “The Colbert Report” airs at 11:30 p.m. EST weeknights. (Launch)

 

It’s been 50 years since a single-engine plane crashed into a snow-covered Iowa field, instantly killing three men whose names would become enshrined in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. The passing decades haven’t diminished fascination with that night on Feb. 2, 1959, when 22-year-old Buddy Holly, 28-year-old J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and 17-year-old Ritchie Valens performed in Clear Lake and then boarded the plane for a planned 300-mile flight that lasted only minutes. “It was really like the first rock ‘n’ roll landmark; the first death,” said rock historian Jim Dawson, who has written several books about music of that era. “They say these things come in threes. Well, all three happened at the same time.” Starting Wednesday, thousands of people are expected to gather in the small northern Iowa town where the rock pioneers gave their last performance. They’ll come to the Surf Ballroom for symposiums with the three musicians’ relatives, sold-out concerts and a ceremony as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame designates the building as its ninth national landmark. And they’ll discuss why after so many years, so many people still care about what songwriter Don McLean so famously called “the day the music died.” “It was the locus point for that last performance by these great artists,” said Terry Stewart, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. “It warrants being fixed in time.” Clear Lake is an unlikely spot for a rock ‘n’ roll pilgrimage — especially in winter. The resort town of about 8,000 borders its namesake lake, and on winter days the cold and wind make the community 100 miles north of Des Moines anything but a tourist destination. The crash site is on private property, a five-mile drive from Clear Lake and half-mile walk off the road. Corn grows high in adjacent fields during the summer, but in winter the fields are covered with snow and a path to the small memorial is often thick with ice. The memorial features a small cross and thin metal guitar and records, all of which are draped in flowers during the summer. “It’s a much nicer trip in the summer,” said Jeff Nicholas, a longtime Clear Lake resident who heads the Surf Ballroom’s board of directors. “But in the winter, you get more of a feel of what it was like.” No one tracks the number of visitors, but fans stop by throughout the year and on some summer days visitors to the crash site can create the oddity of a corn field traffic jam. Stewart said the deaths still resonate because they occurred at a time when rock ‘n’ roll was going through a transition, of sorts. The sound of Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Holly was making way for the British Invasion of the mid-1960s. “The music was shifting and changing at that point,” he said. “The crash put a punctuation point on the change.” All three musicians influenced rock and roll in their own way. Holly’s career was short, but his hiccup-vocal style, guitar play and songwriting talents had tremendous influence on later performers. The Beatles, who formed about the time of the crash, were among his early fans and fashioned their name after Holly’s band, The Crickets. Holly’s hit songs include “That’ll Be The Day,” “Peggy Sue” and “Maybe Baby.” Richardson, “The Big Bopper,” is often credited with creating the first music video with his recorded performance of “Chantilly Lace” in 1958, decades before MTV. And Valens was one of the first musicians to apply a Mexican influence to rock ‘n’ roll. He recorded his huge hit “La Bamba” only months before the accident. The plane left the airport in nearby Mason City about 1 a.m., headed for Moorhead, Minn., with the musicians looking for a break from a tiring, cold bus trip through the Upper Midwest. It wasn’t until hours later that the demolished plane was found, crumpled against a wire fence. Investigators believe the pilot, who also died, became confused amid the dark, snowy conditions and rammed the plane into the ground. The crash set off a wave of mourning among their passionate, mostly young fans across the country. Then 12 years later the crash was immortalized as “the day the music died” in McLean’s 1971 song, “American Pie.” Vonnie Amosson, who manages the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Clear Lake, said that ever since the plane crash, the community has embraced the tragedy. It’s a continues stream of tourism dollars, and the town’s chamber of commerce estimates that this year’s events, dubbed “50s in February,” will generate more than $4 million for Clear Lake’s economy. “It’s kind of sad that that is what we are known for,” Amosson said. “But on the other part of it, I think the whole ’50′s in February’ weekend is a huge memorial and it’s an honor to them.” In part because of its role in rock history, the Surf Ballroom has retained its vintage look, with a 6,000-square-foot dance floor, ceiling painted to resemble a sky, and original cloud machines on either side of the room. Ten Buddy Holly banners line the wall opposite the stage. The 2,100-capacity ballroom still hosts many national and regional performers, most of whom add their names to a backstage wall that is now crowded with drawings and signatures. “It’s quite a special place,” said Nicholas, the Surf board member. “This place looks just like it did in 1959.” (Launch)

 

A Slipknot fan has died after suffering a heart attack at one of the metal band’s gigs in Iowa. Corey Nickels, 29, collapsed on the concourse level of the Mid-America Center at 10:30pm (CST) on Sunday night (January 25) after watching the band, suffering cardiac arrest as rescue staff attended to him, reports Nonpareilonline.com.  (Daily Record)

 

 

MOVIE . . .

 

The ballots are in the mail for the 5,810 members of Hollywood’s elite who get to vote on the Academy Awards. Wednesday’s final ballots include nominees in 19 categories, among them best picture, director and the four acting prizes. Ballots in five other categories – feature-length and short documentaries, foreign-language film, animated shorts and live-action shorts – are available only after academy members verify that they attended screenings of the nominees. The deadline is Feb. 17 for Oscar voters to return ballots to the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. The big show itself comes five days later. (Daily Record)

 

Singer/actress Hilary Duff has landed her most challenging acting job to date – she is to take over the role made famous by Faye Dunaway in a new version of Bonnie And Clyde. Duff will take on the role of Bonnie in a new adaptation of the legendary story and will be starring opposite Air Bud actor Kevin Zegers. The new movie, titled The Story of Bonnie and Clyde, will be directed by Tonya S. Holly, who has stressed it will be an entirely new movie, rather than a remake of the 1967 classic, which also starred Warren Beatty. Duff shot to fame in Disney TV series Lizzie Maguire, which was taken to the big screen in 2003. Her most recent movie roles include last year’s War, Inc alongside John Cusack. The star has also landed the lead in upcoming sitcom Barely Legal. (Teen Hollywood)

 

Megan Fox is the replace Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft if media reports are anything to go by. The Jolie-look-alike and Transformers star is said to be a “strong candidate” for the gaming film which has starred Angelina Jolie in the last two installments. Last year, Angie hinted that she would be doing fewer movies so that she could concentrate on her expanding family and homelife. “Maybe it’ll be once a year and maybe it’ll be once every three years and just naturally – I like being home a lot these days,” the Oscar-nominated actress said. (British Glamour)

 

Universal has found its director for international thriller “The Sigma Protocol”: Berlin prize winner Jose Padilha. The studio is in negotiations with the helmer of “Elite Squad,” the action movie that won the Golden Bear at last year’s Berlin International Film Festival, to direct the Robert Ludlum vehicle. The studio is planning a summer shoot with European locations. Jeffrey Weiner of Ludlum Entertainment as well as Strike Entertainment are producing; Scott Bernstein and Franklin Leonard are overseeing for Universal. “Sigma” is based on Ludlum’s final completed novel, published after the prolific author’s death in 2001. Like the Jason Bourne franchise, another big Uni property, the story involves a man on the run in Europe from assassins and agents.  The two plots differ sharply, though, with the latter using a World War II conspiracy and Nazis as a plot hook. The movie will update the novel, use the current economic climate and make the protagonist a Wall Street type who specializes in the economy of catastrophic events, known as “black swan events.” “Iron Man” co-writers Matt Holloway and Art Marcum are penning the script. Paul Sandberg and Strike’s Marc Abraham and Eric Newman are producing.  “Elite,” which IFC released stateside, centers on a battle between police and drug dealers in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. The Gersh-repped director also is attached to direct the thriller “The Willing Patriot” for Warner Bros. and the drug tale “Marching Powder” for Plan B. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Shine Pictures, the newly created joint venture between U.K. Film and TV production banner Shine Group’s Kudos Pictures and Arnon Milchan’s New Regency has hired William Nicholson (“Gladiator”) to write a big screen version of the epic, era-defining battle in 1066 between King Harold and William the Conqueror for the throne of England. The project, “1066” is being “fast tracked” at the company and is expected to go into production later this year marking the first under the new joint venture set up last July (HR 7/24). Shine’s Paul Webster will produce “1066″ with Stephen Garrett and will work closely with New Regency’s co-chairmen Bob Harper and Hutch Parker and Shine Group’s Elisabeth Murdoch on the project, the parties said. Nicholson said the script focuses on the fraught relationship between the two greatest warriors of the age King Harold of England and William The Conqueror. Starting as comrades, they became bitter enemies destined to fight to the death at the climactic Battle of Hastings. New Regency is 20% owned by Fox, with which it inked a 15-year distribution deal in 1998. Fox will have worldwide distribution on the picture through the deal. Webster said the movie would be “an intimate portrait of two men told on an epic scale.” No budget details are being disclosed but it has two massive battles, a naval exchange and is a full-scale costume drama and fits in with New Regency’s stated ambition to make big, commercial movies. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Michael Fassbender, Dominic West and Olga Kurylenko have signed to star in Neil Marshall’s British-set sword-and-sandals thriller “Centurion,” for “Slumdog Millionaire” producer Christian Colson of Celador Films. The movie, billed as a thriller set during the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 117, tells the story of Quintus Dias, sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier fort, who marches north with General Virilus’ legendary Ninth Legion, under orders to wipe the Picts from the face of the Earth and destroy their leader, Gorlacon. Colson will produce for Pathe Distribution, the French-owned U.K.-based company, which is enjoying box-office success here with its rollout of “Slumdog.” Marshall, who also wrote “Centurion,” has a good relationship with Pathe and Celador having made “The Descent” for the pair. Pathe International will kick start sales at next month’s European Film Market, which runs during the Berlin International Film Festival. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

 

TV . . .

 

One visit to Beyonce’s dressing room was all it took for Justin Timberlake to ease her concerns about a “Saturday Night Live” skit featuring the two of them. When Beyonce told him she was having second thoughts about a sketch where Timberlake was to “audition” for a video, he showed up at her dressing room in a robe covering a leotard. He dropped the robe and stood there, staring into space. Beyonce’s reply: “I can’t look anywhere but your face right now,” Timberlake told CBS’ Katie Couric in an interview for next week’s pre-Grammy special. Timberlake also said another, more infamous “SNL” skit where he offered a piece of his anatomy as a gift got a thumbs up from his mom. She thought it was funny. “You gotta meet my mom,” he said. “She’s a pretty edgy chick!” (Daily Record)

 

The Comedy Central TV channel says Paul McCartney is going to drop in on Stephen Colbert. McCartney will be a guest on Wednesday’s “The Colbert Report,” talking up his latest album, “Electric Arguments.” The work represents a collaboration between the former Beatle and producer-musician Youth, and was released under the band name the Fireman. “The Colbert Report” airs at 11:30 p.m. EST weeknights. (Daily Record)

 

In the middle of winter, TV adventurer Leon Logothetis relied on the kindness of Sommer for the first leg of his unlikely trip to the Super Bowl. Logothetis, star of “Amazing Adventures of a Nobody” on the Fox Reality and National Geographic Adventure networks, is promoting his show by trying to travel from Atlanta to Tampa, Fla., site of the Super Bowl, in five days on $5 a day. He started Tuesday. Producers stripped him of his wallet, credit cards and mobile phone and left him in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park. Logothetis found a taxi driver willing to take him to Tampa, but the cabbie drove off after finding out that his rider only had $5 for a ride that would probably cost a few hundred. Logothetis struck up a conversation on a park bench with Sommer Williams, a laid-off interior decorator now working in a hotel. She bought him a pizza lunch and drove him to her family’s house in Macon, Ga., nearly 100 miles away. The family took him out for dinner at a Mexican restaurant and invited him to spend the night on a bed in their basement. He used his $5 to kick in for gas. His series is one of several action-adventure shows popular on cable, such as “Deadliest Catch” or “Man vs. Wild,” that appeal to a sense of wanderlust among people who usually don’t go further than their sofa. Logothetis was a broker in London until he read “The Motorcycle Diaries” and hit upon the idea of documenting low-cost travel. His first two seasons were about traveling in England and the United States. The season that premiered Sunday on Fox Reality has him trying to get from Paris to Moscow on 5 euros a day. “I have to rely entirely on the kindness of strangers,” said Logothetis on Wednesday, speaking from the Williams’ family phone in Macon. It’s not easy: More than a dozen people said they wouldn’t help him before he met Williams. Williams’ brother and his friends volunteered to drive Logothetis to Valdosta, Ga., on Wednesday on the next leg of his trip. Assuming he can make it to Tampa, he’ll face his biggest challenge in trying to get into the game. Ticket prices for the Super Bowl range from $500 to $1,000 a seat. Does he really think he has a chance? “That’s a very good question,” Logothetis said. “I just have faith that it will work out. If I don’t (get in), it’s the journey that’s the most important thing, the people I meet along the way.” (Daily Record)

 

As we previously mentioned, Fox is butchering making an American version of beloved British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, the gay classic telling the sordid tales of Patsy and Edina. Well, now Variety is reporting that Kristen Johnston is close to signing on to star in the show. Is that a good thing or a bad thing???? The actress has won Emmys for her role on ’90s sitcom 3rd Rock From the Sun. Johnston table-read for the Fox execs on Friday. Shortly after they decided to pick up the American AbFab for a pilot. That doesn’t guarantee the show will make it to the air or that Kristen will be in it. Oh, yeah, and we buried the lead! Johnston would be playing the part of Edina (Jennifer Saunders’ character). Thoughts????? Whom would U like to see playing those iconic roles????? We vote for Megan Mulally (Edie) and Faye Dunaway (Pats)!!!!!!! (Perez Hilton)

 

Bonnie Sommerville has been tapped to co-star in NBC’s comedy pilot “Off Duty,” and Jesse Tyler Ferguson has joined ABC’s comedy pilot “An American Family.” “Off Duty,” from Universal Media Studios and Upright Citizens Brigade’s Jason Mantzoukas, centers on a once-legendary police detective (Bradley Whitford) on his way down who complicates the life of his new partner (Romany Malco) — a straight shooter on his way up — both on duty and off.  Sommerville will play Malco’s wife. Also cast in the pilot is Capethia Jenkins as the crusty police district chief. Sommerville, who recently starred on ABC’s “Cashmere Mafia,” will next be seen in the feature “The Ugly Truth.” She is repped by ICM and McKeon-Myones Management. Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd’s docu-style single-camera comedy “Family,” from 20th TV, revolves around three families: one comprised of a working dad, stay-at-home mom and two kids; another that includes a 60-year-old man who becomes a stepfather after marrying a Latina who is 30 years his junior; and the third, a gay couple who have just adopted a Vietnamese baby. Ferguson will play one of the gay dads. The actor, who co-starred on “The Class” and “Do Not Disturb,” is repped by Endeavor and Authentic. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

A packed Academy of Television Arts & Sciences theater brimmed with laughter Tuesday night as the cast of CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother” discussed the series’ inside jokes, upcoming story lines and the cast’s love affair with one another. Now in its fourth season, the multicamera comedy has found its footing in the ratings, averaging 9.7 million viewers and consistently ranking in the top 10 in the 18-49 demographic. “Kudos to CBS for keeping us on Monday and for sticking with us and not moving us to Friday night at 10,” said Neil Patrick Harris, who plays womanizer Barney Stinson. Added co-star Jason Segel (Marshall Eriksen): “In this world of reality TV, you need a real sense of stick-to-it-ness (from the network) for people to catch on.” Now with 80 episodes and a recent contract extension under its belt, the cast can reflect on the show’s early uncertainty and laugh. Harris recalled a conversation he and Alyson Hannigan (Lily Aldrin) had during filming the pilot. “When we filmed the pilot, Aly said, ‘This show is never going to go because we’re all having so much fun,’ ” he said.  Josh Radnor (Ted Mosby) agreed. “It did feel a little too good to be true,” he said. “The five of us sitting around the booth is just so fun and interesting.” Radnor said he sees evidence of the show’s quirkiness all the time, including on a trip to Ohio where a fan approached him and said he was doing “Naked Guy” that night — referring to an episode where Ted and Barney surprise their dates.  Co-creator/executive producer Carter Bays said the “Naked Guy” story line came out of the writers’ room and an experience that happened to someone involved with the show. “The stuff that comes out of writers sitting around that’s really happened is always the funniest,” he said. “We’ll mention something like the goat and then come back to it.” Bays and co-creator/exec producer Craig Thomas said they devote a lot of time to the show’s Web presence and what bloggers are saying about it and denied the intentional use of a prop that appears in a scene with Stella (Sarah Chalke) and Ted that also appears in the series’ opening flash forwards with Ted’s eventual kids. “It was a complete coincidence,” Bays said. “We try to adhere to continuity.” “It’s like an episode of ‘Lost’ sometimes,” Harris joked about fans’ speculation about who Ted will wind up with. “Will you stop posting that please,” a very pregnant Hannigan deadpanned. Cobie Smulders (Robin Scherbatsky), who joked that her Canadian character has slept with just about everyone on the show — “Lily is Season 7″ –, said there’s a lot to explore between Robin and Barney.  “I like the idea that we did it backward,” she said of Barney’s pursuit coming after they had sex. Bays said that pairing Robin and Barney was always a “break glass in case of emergency” situation, and after the writers’ strike, “it was an emergency.” Up next, Ted’s college girlfriend Karen (to be played by Laura Prepon, “That ’70s Show”) will surface and fans will get a taste of the woman who helped turn Ted into a “pretentious douche,” Radnor said.  Viewers also will get to meet Barney’s mother — to be played by Frances Conroy (“Six Feet Under”). “It’s a blessing and a curse to have such a deep bench of guest stars,” Bays said. One thing that isn’t in the series’ immediate future, however, are children for Marshall and Lily. “Jason and little babies don’t mix but toddlers love him,” Hannigan said. “There’s so many jokes there,” Segel shot back. As for if viewers will see more of ’80s child star Robin Sparkles making a musical return to the show, Bays said the challenge is “trying to figure out a way to have her hidden videos come out. It might be a prequel; how did Robin become a singer.” As for other returning characters, Thomas warned, “We’ve shot the season finale, and the goat does appear.” (Hollywood Reporter)

 

It’s official — British viewers are staying in and watching more television as the recession hits home — according to new figures published Wednesday. Research from marketing body Thinkbox and ratings agency BARB said record viewing figures for 2008 showed U.K. viewers watched more than 26 hours of TV per week, an average of 48 minutes more per week than in 2007 and viewed a record average of 42 advertisements. Top performers were the glossy variety competitions such as “Britain’s Got Talent” and “The X Factor.” Thinkbox, which represents commercial operators including ITV, Channel 4 and Five, said downloads were also popular, with 78% of online TV viewing — on the BBC’s iPlayer, the ITV Player and Channel 4’s 4oD — coming as viewers caught up with programs from the main terrestrial networks. “These figures show that people rely on channels and schedules to help them find the TV they want to watch,” said Thinkbox chief executive Tess Alps. “The broadcast audience may not always be watching the same program at the same time as it did when there were only a handful of channels… but viewers haven’t gone anywhere.” (Hollywood Reporter)

 

The chief U.N. nuclear inspector has canceled a BBC interview to protest the network’s refusal to air an appeal for Gaza. Mohamed ElBaradei’s office said Wednesday that not broadcasting it “violates the rules of basic human decency which are there to help vulnerable people irrespective of who is right or wrong.” The British Broadcasting Corp. and Sky News decided not to air the appeal from the Disasters Emergency Committee, an umbrella group of non-governmental humanitarian agencies. BBC officials have said carrying the appeal would have damaged the network’s impartiality in coverage of the conflict. The BBC says it regrets the decision by the Egyptian-born head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and hopes he will do an interview at another time. (Daily Record)

 

Cable television ratings for week of Jan. 19-25: Rankings for the top 15 programs on cable networks as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of Jan. 19-25. Day and start time (EST) are in parentheses: (Daily Record)

1. “President Obama’s Inaugural Oath and Speech” (Tuesday, 12:05 p.m.), CNN, 5.7 million homes, 8.6 million viewers.

2. “Inauguration of Obama” (Tuesday, 12 p.m.), CNN, 5.15 million homes, 7.79 million viewers.

3. “Inauguration of Obama” (Tuesday, 11 a.m.), CNN, 4.69 million homes, 6.73 million viewers.

4. “Obama Inaugural Address” (Tuesday, 12:07 p.m.), Fox News Channel, 4.2 million homes, 5.57 million viewers.

5. “Inauguration 2009″ (Tuesday, 12 p.m.), Fox News Channel, 4.09 million homes, 5.29 million viewers.

6. “WWE Raw” (Monday, 10 p.m.), USA, 4.014 million homes, 6.16 million viewers.

7. “Inauguration of Obama” (Tuesday, 1 p.m.), CNN, 4.01 million homes, 6 million viewers.

8. “Situation Room” (Tuesday, 6 p.m.), CNN, 3.98 million homes, 5.67 million viewers.

9. “Situation Room” (Tuesday, 5 p.m.), CNN, 3.97 million homes, 5.72 million viewers.

10. “Burn Notice” (Thursday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.828 million homes, 5.12 million viewers.

10. “Inauguration 2009″ (Tuesday, 12:28 p.m.), Fox News Channel, 3.82 million homes, 4.95 million viewers.

12. “Anderson Cooper 360″ (Tuesday, 9 p.m.), CNN, 3.71 million homes, 5.09 million viewers.

13. “Inauguration of Obama” (Tuesday, 3 p.m.), CNN, 3.589 million homes, 5.27 million viewers.

14. “WWE Raw” (Monday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.587 million homes, 5.17 million viewers.

15. “Monk” (Friday, 9 p.m.), USA, 3.584 million homes, 4.96 million viewers.

 

 

TODAY’S IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION . . . (Mike Butts Creative)

 

Q.  The average one of THESE has wheels and travels about 8 miles a year?

            A.  Your office chair

 

 

TODAY’S QUOTE  (By James G. Huneker)

 

“ALL MEN OF ACTION ARE DREAMERS.”

 

 

MIND BOGGLERS . . . (QuickTrivia)

 

Q.  Before becoming Elvis Presley’s home, what was the primary use of the estate known as Graceland?

            A.  Church

 

Q.  Which of the following is the name of a popular snack food?

            A) Sand Dollars  ****

            B) Manatees

            C) Goldfish

            D) Seahorses

 

Q.  Which of these popular fast-food items has the same name as a term meaning “big lie”?

            A) Whopper  ****

            B) McNugget

            C) Chulupa

            D) Frosty

 

Q.  What is actor Tom Cruise’s original surname?

            A.  Mapother

 

Q.  Pablo Picasso and what other artist are widely considered to have led the movement known as “Cubism”?

            A.  Georges Braque

 

Q.  According to U.S. government rules, passengers are expressly prohibited from doing what on most U.S. domestic flights?

            A.  Smoking

 

 

BIRTHDAYS . . .

 

—1737  Statesman/Author Thomas Paine  (d. 6-8-1809)

—1843  25^th President William McKinley  (d. 9-14-1901)

—1860  Playwright/Author Anton Pvlovich Chekhov  (d. 7-15-1904))

—1915  Actor Victor Mature  (Samson & Delilah) (d.)

—1918  Actor John Forsythe  (Dynasty)

—1935  Actor Noel Harrison  (The Girl From UNCLE)

—1942  Actress Claudine Longet 

—1943  Actress Katharine Ross  (The Colbys)

—1943  Disc Jockey Tony Blackburn

—1945  Actor Tom Selleck  (Las Vegas)

—1947  Musician David Byron (Uriah Heep) (“Easy Livin”)

—1951  Actress Ann Jillian  (It’s A Living)

—1952  Musician Tommy Ramone (Thomas Erdelyi) (The Ramones)

—1954  Actress/TV Host Oprah Winfrey

—1954  Musician Handsome Dick Manitoba  (The Dictators)

—1958  Actress Judy Norton-Taylor  (The Waltons)

—1960  Baseball’s Steve Sax

¾1960  Actor/Olympic Gold Medal Diver Gregory Efthimios Louganis

—1961  Musician Eddie Jackson  (Queensryche)

¾1962  Actor Nick Turturro  (NYPD Blue)

—1962  Musician Marcus Vere  (Living In A Box)

—1964  Musician Roddy Frame  (Aztec Camera)

¾1967  Basketball’s Ronald Stacey King

¾1968  Actress Bobbie Phillips  (Red Shoe Diaries)

¾1968  Actor Ed Burns (The Brothers McMullen)

¾1970  Actress Heather Graham  (Lost in Space)

—1975  Actress Sara Gilbert  (“Darlene” Roseanne)

¾1979  Actor Andrew Keegan  (Independence Day)

 

 

THIS DAY IN HISTORY . . .

 

Today is FREETHINKER’S DAY. 

—1845  Edgar Alan Poe’s best-known poem “The Raven” was first published. (Quote the raven, “Nevermore…”)

—1861  Kansas became the 34^th state; It’s admission day in the Sunflower State.

—1900  The American Baseball League was organized.

—1919  The 18^th amendment to the Constitution was ratified; “Prohibition” went into effect the following January.

—1936  Fans established the Baseball Hall Of Fame at Cooperstown, New York.

—1958  The Champs release “Tequila,” later featured in “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.”

—1962  Warner Bros. signs Peter, Paul, & Mary.

—1967  London’s Marquee Club is the site of a battle of the bands pitting Jimi Hendrix against the Who.  The event is part of a tribute to the late Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein.

—1971  George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” tops the British album chart, the first three Lp set to do so.

—1971  Allen Klein, former manager of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, is convicted on ten charges of failing to file Federal Income Tax returns.

—1975  “Stardust”, the film that did for British rock what “Dreamgirls” did for Motown, has its US premiere in Boston. Despite the presence of Keith Moon, Dave Edmunds, David Essex, Adam Faith, Marty Wilde, and Larry Hagman in the genesis of his “Dallas” role, it disappears here as quickly as its 50s predecessor, “That’ll be the Day.”

—1978  Former Deep Purple singer David Coverdale announces he is forming Whitesnake, the title of his then current album.

—1979  San Diego teenager Brenda Spencer starts shooting schoolmates, later saying “I Don’t Like Mondays,” inspiring the Boomtown Rats song.

—1979  Emerson, Lake, & Palmer break up.

—1980  Canada’s Foreign Minister revealed that six American diplomats had been spirited out of Iran, where Canadian Ambassador Kenneth Taylor had hidden them in his embassy for six months.

—1981  37-year-old Barry Kramer, publisher of Creem Magazine, is found dead in his Birmingham, Michigan apartment.

—1983  Men At Work’s “Down Under” is the top single in Britain and the US, and the “Business As Usual” album tops both album charts.

—1983  Stevie Nicks weds Kim Anderson outside her LA home at sunset.

—1985  Two of Prince’s bodyguards are arrested for assault after attacking paparazzi outside L.A.’s Carlos & Charlie’s.

—1986  Brian Setzer (Stray Cats) releases his solo album, “The Knife Feels Like Justice.”

—1987  Sly Stone helps launch California’s “Fight For Literacy” Day.  Kurtis Blow tapes a federally funded anti-drug video in DC at the performing arts high school.

—1989  Paul McCartney tells the UK press he hopes to see several unreleased Beatles records unveiled from the Apple Records vault.  Included is John Lennon’s “Leave My Kitten Alone.”

¾2008  Margaret Truman the only child of former President Harry S. Truman died on this date in Chicago.  She was 83 years old.  Margaret was once quoted as saying, “the only thing I ever missed about the White House was having a car and driver.” She was a junior in college when her dad was elected.

 

 

RADIO ONLINE® DAILY SHOW PREP™ . . .

 

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1904, the University of Chicago football team became the first athletes to receive letters. Until that time, no one knew what to call letterman’s jackets.

In 1920, Walt Disney started his first job as an artist. He learned quickly that it was pretty much a “Mickey Mouse” operation… and, the rest is history.

On this date in 1924, the first ice cream cone rolling machine was invented. Of course, eventually college students used it for something else.

In 1963 The Football Hall Of Fame opens in Canton, Ohio. Yes, it started out as a hall and then eventually, they added some rooms, but the name stuck.

TODAY IS

Heather Graham turns 39 today. What big eyes she has! She was in “Austin Powers, the Spy Who Shagged Me” and also starred in a season of “Scrubs.” She was also in “The Spy Who Scrubbed Me.”

Diver/Swimmer Gregory Louganis turns 49 today. Still not married… can’t figure that one out.

Tom Selleck turns 64 today. What a career — from Marlboro Man, to Monica’s boyfriend on “Friends.” Oh, that “Magnum PI” thing for a while. Nice when you can work in Hawaii.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

·         Billy Powell, a keyboardist for Lynyrd Skynyrd, died at his northeast Florida home on Wednesday. He was 56. Powell was one of two surviving band members who were with the group before a 1977 plane crash that killed three of its members.

·         Author John Updike has passed away, after a short battle with cancer, at age 76. He gave us “Witches of Eastwick.”

·         David Archuleta will appear on Nickelodeon’s iCarly on February 7.

·         Director John Landis is suing Michael Jackson, saying he didn’t receive his share of the profits from the 1983 video, “Thriller.”

·         The postmaster general asked Congress on Wednesday to lift the requirement that USPS deliver mail six days a week. If the change happens, Tuesday or Saturdays are likely to be eliminated for delivery of mail.

·         Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will take the stage at the Super Bowl on Sunday, and then hit the road on a concert tour April 1.

·         What you won’t read in Candace Smith’s bio as a contestant in the latest round of “Survivor” is that she was once named in a sex tape scandal suit by Colin Farrell.

·         Next Monday will be the 50th anniversary of “The Day The Music Died.”

·         Penelope Cruz was staying at Selma Hayek’s house and was planning to sleep through the Oscar nominations… but her host woke her up and made sure she heard her nomination.

·         Jennifer Lopez is giving serious thought to starring in a Broadway musical.

·         Amy Winehouse says she’s going to visit her husband in jail to try and talk him out of filing for divorce.

·         The former sales manager for the Philadelphia Soul arena football team is suing club owner Jon Bon Jovi and his partners for nearly $125,000.

·         Argentina‘s president had invited Elton John to get together… but when she postponed their meeting by 5 hours, Elton said, “Forget it” and flew out of the country.

·         Just back from their honeymoon, Fergie and new hubby Josh Duhamel say they plan to adopt a child as soon as possible.

·         In Denver, a woman gave birth to her baby in a public library.

·         Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, has ticked off the creator of the Simpsons because she’s using Bart’s voice to promote a Scientology event with a pre-recorded, automated call.

·         American Idol Runner-up Katharine McPhee was dropped by her record label, but then resigned by another.

·         Wow, Meg Ryan’s latest movie, “The Deal”… is going direct to DVD. Ouch!

·         Now investigators says that Olivia Newton-John’s ex-boyfriend staged his own death four years ago and is living on a boat somewhere.

·         Sorry to say that a big craze in Hollywood is vandalizing the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Taggers wrote “Old” and “Fur Hag” on Sharon Stone’s star the other night.

·         American Idol contestant Melinda Doolittle’s gospel album comes out next month.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

 

Men’s Health asked men about breaking up, here are the results:

·         Who ended your last relationship? The man, 39%; The woman, 61%

·         Have you ever lied about getting dumped? Yes, 25%; No, 75%

·         Do you find another girl before dumping one? Yes, 20%; No, 80%

·         Would you dump someone for lying to you? Yes, 55%; No, 45%

·         Would you dump someone for cheating on you? Yes, 96%; No, 4%

·         Would you dump someone for being bad in bed? Yes, 32%; No, 68%

·         Would you dump someone for not wanting sex often enough? Yes, 35%; No, 65%

·         Would you dump someone for someone better looking? Yes, 40%; No, 60%

·         Would you dump someone for someone younger? Yes, 20%; No, 80%

MensHealth.com and Glamour did a recent web survey of more than 5000 women to learn about what goes on when a woman breaks up with a man. Here are the reasons women gave for breaking up:

·         Too many arguments and conflicts, 26%

·         No chemistry, 18%

·         Found a better guy,14%

·         He cheated, 11%.

·         He couldn’t commit, 11%

·         Not husband material, 9%

·         I wouldn’t commit, 8%

·         Lousy sex, 3%

It’s that time of year when the Girl Scouts are asking you to buy Girl Scout cookies. But this year, if you order that box of Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos, Tagalongs or Lemon Chalet Creme cookies, you may be in a for a big surprise. They’ve been downsized. AOL’s WalletPop.com reports that a representative for the Girl Scouts blames it on flour prices, which are up 30%, and cocoa prices, which have soared 20%.

 

Believe it or not, we spend 70% less time at work than our ancestors did a century ago, but our leisure time hasn’t increased at all, says a recent National Bureau of Economic Research study. As it turns out, we’re devoting more “free” time to education, and we’ve also upped our housework hours. You might think the advent of appliances and technology would make for fewer hours scrubbing and scouring, but it seems we’ve gone and raised our spick-and-span standards in reaction, say the study’s authors.

 

Prolonged use of your cell phone can render you unable to hear consonants like “s,” “f,” “t,” and “z.” A study of more than 100 cell phone addicts discovered that those who yak on the device for more than 60 minutes a day can expect to experience hearing loss and, perhaps, become unable to follow conversations. Signs to watch out for include ear warmth and fullness and ringing in the ears. Using ear phones, rather than holding the phone up to your ear, may provide some protection.

 

And if that’s not enough, Cosmopolitan reports dialing a handheld device while driving increase the risk of a crash or near crash by nearly three times.

 

PHONE TOPICS

·         How cold is TOO cold?

·         What cereal do you eat every morning?

·         Do you have a will? At what age should you have one?

·         Anyone have their credit card number stolen?

·         Strangest place you have a TV.

·         The farthest you’ve traveled in one day.

·         How many trophies do you still have from when you were a kid?

·         What did your parents throw away from your childhood that you still hold against them?

·         How many cell phones have you gone through already? We’re looking for the “best way I’ve trashed my cell phone” story.

·         What do you think that airports or airlines should change to make flying more convenient? Tell us your travel horror stories.

·         The hardest you’ve ever laughed?

·         Embarrassing moments caused by your children?

·         Do you live in a historic building?

·         Do you have a disaster kit? What’s in it?

·         Name some of the songs that were themes of your high school dances.

Have you ever given money to a panhandler? I always feel bad when I see someone on the corner with a sign that says, “Veteran needs food,” or something like that. Sometimes I’ve given. But should we give? I read an article about the city of Edmonton. In Edmonton there’s a guy who panhandles and he makes about $400 a day. Have we been suckered all these years?

 

Are you getting enough sleep? Do you take naps on a daily basis? I think anyone who gets up at 4am needs a nap. Usually I take mine around 1pm. If you do nap, it is supposed to boost your mood and your intelligence according to a new study. A nap of 60 minutes improves alertness for up to 10 hours according to the research. Naps also enhance work performance by 34% and overall alertness by 54%. Phoner: How long is your perfect nap?

 

In Rockport, Massachusetts, postal mail carriers are being harassed. And not by dogs, but by Turkeys. Nearly every day over the last five months, an average of 10 turkeys — led by a pair of male “ring leaders” — have been chasing and attempting to peck a postal worker on his route outside of Boston. We talked about this and then about our experiences with being attacked by a strange animal. My cohost was once attacked by a parrot, and a gorilla once rushed toward me at the zoo (luckily I had bars between me and the ape).

 

Who listening right now has given birth to the most kids? It’s probably not eight like the woman in California that just had octuplets, but see how close you get to the record!

 

As if Congress doesn’t have enough issues to deal with, one congressman is trying to pass a bill that would require cameraphones to make a sound “audible within a reasonable radius of the phone whenever a photograph is taken with the camera in such phone.” It’s to prevent peeping toms with cameras from hiding. Do you think this is a silly bill? Aren’t there more pressing issues facing the U.S.?

 

According to a recent survey, Young drivers (ages 18 to 24) reported having engaged most often in distracting activity while driving. Here’s what they’ve been up to while driving:

·         62% eating

·         71% cell phone calls

·         24% sending text messages

·         8% applying makeup

·         8% changing clothes

Changing clothes? That’s nuts. What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen someone do while driving?

 

How greedy are you? When faced with the question, “Which would you rather have: More sex or more money?,” Americans choose the money hands down. Two thirds of those polled picked the cash, according to a recent poll for The Rich Dad Company.

 

We took calls one morning about the weirdest way or place you met your significant other. There’s always some entertaining stories with that. Our best came from a woman who said her brother met his wife at a gay bar while playing in a dart league. He called a little while later to try and explain it and got all flustered when we teased him about the ‘ol “dart league excuse” for being in a gay bar.

 

Who is more likely to re-marry, men or woman? A recent study says 80% of divorced men can look forward to new nuptials, especially around 42. It seems men have fewer requirements than women, putting looks and compatibility at the top of the list. Also, men are miserable when single. Woman build a network of friends, men rely on their mate for fun.

 

According to Men’s Health, 55% of women, think that men lack fashion sense and the way they dress needs major help. The magazine says that most of men spend less than 2 minutes picking out what they’re going to wear. Phoner: Ladies, is your man a fashion nightmare? Does he care? Do you care?

 

How much will you be spending on your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day? Why not try to give each other the gift of good health? Yes, I know, it’s not as tasty as good old chocolate. Do you and your spouse want to lose weight? Recent research has shown that being a good role model can help make your spouse healthier, too. Has anyone gotten their spouse out of a bad habit just by changing theirs?

 

According to a recent study, a majority of U.S. high school students say they get bored in class every day. Yes, it’s true. Here’s what they said:

·         50% of the students surveyed said they had skipped school without a valid excuse at least once.

·         66% of high school students complain of boredom, usually because the subject matter was irrelevant or their teachers didn’t seem to care about them.

·         20% has considered dropping out of school.

Phoner: Does anyone feel “used” about the spin that’s put on everyone and everything just to make us buy or support the LIE that is someone’s life and persona? We are being jobbed by everyone and many say, every ad campaign! It’s just a clever phrase or false benefit to encourage you to buy a product you probably don’t really need or want.

 

Is it okay for a boyfriend/husband to go into a women’s purse? What if they needed to grab some cash and weren’t snooping? We had lots of phones, some women said absolutely no way would they let a man get into their purse.

 

Have you ever cried to get something you wanted? There were people who cried to get football tickets, to get a rental car, etc. We had lots of phones from both women and men crying.

 

A couple of female friends of mine (one with a big butt and one with a small one) kept bugging me to find out once and for all which type men prefer. We got a few good calls out of it, but pretty much agreed that it’s not so much whether it’s big or small but how it’s shaped. As one guy put it, a strong, confident woman with a big butt can be sexier than a small, mousey woman.

 

Would you ever lie about the number of partners you’ve had? My cohost says that she always cuts her number at least by half. Do all women do this? A new survey says that if you’re in your 30′s your more likely to lie about that number. The older you are, the less likely you are to lie about it.

 

WEIRD NEWS

 

We’ll Do Anything For Money!
Showbiz Promotions in Jacksonville, Florida must live by the motto: We’ll do anything for money! What else could possibly explain their decision to create and market the “Caylee Sunshine” doll — named for and modeled after that poor murdered little girl, Caylee Anthony. The Caylee Sunshine doll carried a price tag of $29.99 although company president Jaime Salcedo said he planned to donate some of the proceeds to a charity. But public outrage was overwhelming and the company’s web site has announced they are suspending sales of the doll. The story of Caylee Anthony has repeatedly made national headlines. Her body was found by a utility worker in December in the woods near Orlando where she lived with her mother and grandparents. She was reported missing in July. Her mother, Casey Anthony is being charged with her daughter’s murder. (Palm Beach Post)

 

The Nod Seen ’round the World?
This is just ridiculous. Firefighter John Coleman is also a Drum Major that led the Cleveland Firefighter’s Memorial Pipes & Drums band during the inaugural parade for President Barack Obama. Apparently Mr. Coleman was caught on video and broadcast on CNN giving a nod along with a fleeting wave to the president as they marched past him. This, it seems, is a big no-no and band leader, Pipe Major Mike Engle, said the firefighter from Cleveland Heights violated the proper decorum required in a military parade and that members were warned not to make such gestures. Coleman says Obama smiled and waved at him first, and that he was just acknowledging the president. Nevertheless, the pipe and drum band gave him a six-month suspension from his role as Drum Major over the offense. So Coleman he quit. He has been with the band for 17 years and first led the band in the 1993 St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This year’s will be the first in 17 years without him in the lead. Just insane. Just stupid. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

 

We Love You Boss. We’ll Work For Free!
Dave Barham must be the best boss in the world. The owner of Mr. B’s Pancake House in Muskegon, Michigan, has come on some challenging times as business has declined due to the economic recession. So to help out, lead server Mary VanDam asked co-workers if they might be willing to work one shift without pay to help Dave out. All 17 servers, cooks, busboys, dishwashers, cashiers and hostesses agreed and worked the day shift on January 18 for only tips from customers. VanDam said, “This is a wonderful business. We want to see it succeed.” When customers heard about the workers’ effort, they tipped a little more. The workers divided the tips equally and each took home $51. VanDam said Barham met his payroll more than once by dipping into his own pockets. (Muskegon Chronicle)

 

Got Any Good Books On Childbirth?
At the Denver Public Library, unfortunately there was no time to look up any good books on childbirth. A woman who had just gotten off a city bus and walked into the library was well into labor and ended up giving birth just inside the library entrance. Staffers and security guards helped until paramedics arrived and took the mother and her newborn baby girl to Denver Health Medical Center. Hospital spokeswoman Betty Rueda said the mother was in good condition but declined to release information on either, citing privacy rules. (myway.com)

 

3 Dog Bites and 2 Taser Zaps To Get This Guy!
In Elko, Nevada, a 19-year-old burglary suspect may not be the best criminal in the world, but he’s one tough cookie! Sheriff’s deputies said the teen had to be zapped with a Taser twice and bitten by a police dog three times before he finally stopped struggling with officers during his arrest. Police responded to a 911 call about a prowler at 3am when they spotted footprints in the snow by the home’s doors, windows and even on the top of an air conditioning unit. So they brought out Besmo, the police dog, who caught the scent and led them to the suspect who was sitting in his vehicle and appeared intoxicated. When the guy refused to remove his hands from his sweat shirt pocket and exit the vehicle, the dog was ordered to jump through an open window and help extract him. Deputies pulled him to the ground but he still wouldn’t comply so the dog was ordered to bite him again. Still unfazed, the suspect was zapped with a Taser but still wouldn’t give up. A third attack by the dog and another blast from the stun gun finally did the trick. He’s been charged with attempted burglary, obstructing an officer and destruction of private property. (myway.com)

 

Our Pathetic Lawsuit Happy World
Can our society become any more pathetic? Brittany Noffke was a cheerleader at Holmen High School in Madison, Wisconsin, when she fell and injured her head during warmups before a basketball game back in 2004. So she actually filed a lawsuit against the male teammate who dropped her along with the school district and their insurance company. But the Wisconsin Supreme Court has stepped in and said — no way! They say Noffke has no case because Wisconsin law prevents participants in contact sports, including cheerleading, from suing each other for unintentional injuries. That overturns a lower court’s decision. The court also upheld a decision that the school district can’t be sued for the coach’s lack of supervision. (The FDL Reporter)

 

Improve Your Eyesight: Get Out and Play!
Want to help your kids prevent the risk of developing nearsightedness? Then tell ‘em to get outside and play. A new study from Duke University’s Medical Center’s Department of Ophthalmology says the chance of kids developing Myopia, or nearsightedness, is greatly reduced for kids that spend at least 2 hours a day outside. The outside time doesn’t have to be sports. Both active and passive outdoor activities equally protected the child’s vision, according to the report. Duke professor Terri Young said Myopia is the worldwide leading eye disability, and a “significant global public health concern.” Donal Mutti, a guest editor for the study, said that a child’s chances of becoming nearsighted, if he or she has two nearsighted parents, are about 6 in 10 for children who spend 0-5 hours outside a week, but the risk drops to 2 in 10 when outdoor time exceeds 14 hours a week. The study can be found in the January issue of Optometry and Vision Science. (AHN News)

 

HOLE IN THE HEADLINE

·         “Mistrial After Defendant Smears ____s On Lawyer!” (Feces)

·         “Woman Denied Job As Bikini Barmaid ____s!” (Sues)

·         “Boy Pleads Innocent To Impersonating ____!” (Cop)

·         “Mexican Chefs Make World’s Biggest ____-cake!” (Cheese)

·         “Looking For ____, Workers Find $100,000!” (Trash)

·         “____ Recovers $78,000 Diamond Ring!” (Plumber)

·         “Turnout For Record ____ Fight Proves Tepid!” (Snowball)

·         “Landlord Fined For Taking Tenant’s ____!” (Toilet)

·         “Pet Groomer Charged With ____ing Kittens!” (Piercing)

·         “Too Much ____ing Makes Man, 83, Miss Bus!” (Dancing)

·         “Man Spared Jail For Abandoning 280 ____s!” (Rats)

·         “Man Considered Bank Error ‘Gift From ____’!” (God)

MAKING UP FOR THAT BAD SHOW

 

Having a bad show? Send stunt boy out to clean your listener’s houses. It’s your way of saying you’re sorry and asking forgiveness. You might even take it one step further the next time someone calls to complain about your show. Ask the complainer what it would take to win them back as a listener, then do it!

 

DRIVE-BY DOUGHNUTS

 

Very funny bit. Go out to a good size parking lot, get listeners to come by and give them a wireless mic, have them about 100 yards away and you on another mic. Get them to drive by you at about 15-20 mph, and as they drive by you throw a doughnut at the car. If it goes in the side window they win. You might want to have them roll down their window. Key is to not make

it in the car, but hit the car.

 

TOP FIVE SIGNS YOUR CO-WORKER IS FIGHTING A NASTY COLD

1.      Asks if it’s OK to sip your coffee

2.      What’s that cologne? Oh, yes Vicks!

3.      Trash can looks like box of Kleenex exploded

4.      Nose so red, Santa asked if he’d lead his sleigh tonight

5.      He’s reading a copy of Nasty Cold Magazine

HUNTER’S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

 

In Washington State, lawmakers are suggesting the idea of a 4-day school week. Where were these guys when I was growing up?

 

Rod Blagojevich says you can’t imagine what it is like to be Governor of Illinois these days… however, if you make an offer, he’ll see what he can do.

 

Director John Landis is suing Michael Jackson, saying he didn’t receive his share of the profits from the 1983 video, “Thriller.” Michael says he doesn’t know why John’s nose is so out of joint. John said, “Back at ya!”

 

Hidden in the Democratic drawn-up economic recovery bill: $335 million for sexually transmitted disease prevention. I guess this is to help hookers get off their feet and back on their backs again.

 

SLOGAN OFF

 

Classic Edition

·         “Only the best tomatoes grow up to be _____” (Hunts)

·         “Cats know the difference” (Whiskas)

·         “Let the good times roll” (Kawasaki)

·         “Fashion that ticks” (Swatch)

·         “The daily diary of the American dream” (Wall Street Journal)

Modern Edition

·         “High Definition: it’s in ________ DNA” (Sony)

·         “Das Auto” (Volkswagen)

·         “Hand-made, home-baked.” (Papa Murphy’s Pizza)

·         “Are you gellin’?” (Dr. Scholl’s)

·         “The world’s largest hotel chain” (Best Western)

WASH THE MICROPHONE

 

Go to a listener’s house with a wireless microphone encased in a waterproof bag. Put the microphone in the dishwasher and put it through the heaviest cycle possible. As an alternate bit, it might be fun to have someone put their cordless phone through the cycle. Have them put the phone in there (without encasing it in plastic or waterproofing it) and pay them $100 for every minute they stay on the line before the water short circuits the phone.

 

ELOPE ON THE SLOPE

 

Qualify like 10-20 brides. You get them on skis dressed in their wedding dresses and lift them to the top of the mountain. Then they race. First one down who plants a big one on her waiting groom wins a huge prize package that you’ve assembled. You’ll get TV big time for this one.

 

THINGS GUYS WISH WOMEN KNEW ABOUT MEN

 

Shaunti Feldhahn, a syndicated newspaper columnist and author of “For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men,” offers these ten things guys wish women knew about men:

1.      Men would rather feel unloved than inadequate and disrespected

2.      A man’s anger is often a response to feeling disrespected by his wife

3.      Men are insecure

4.      Men feel the burden of being the provider for their family

5.      Men want more sex (duh!)

6.      Sex means more than sex

7.      Men struggle with visual temptation

8.      Men enjoy romance, but doubt their skills to be romantic

9.      Men care about their wife’s appearance

10.  Men want their wives to know how much they love them

JOKE HOLDOVER

 

The time delayed joke. You tell the joke at like 6:35 and tell them that you’ll give them the punchline at about 7:10. It hold them for a while.

 

SELL ME WHAT YOU GOT

 

Sell me what you got. Have listeners call and try to sell you stuff. Whatever they do for a living. They try to sell it to you.

 

TRIVIA

·         Why did President Barack Obama retake the oath of office the day after his inauguration? (Chief Justice John Roberts got the words to the oath a little off when he originally did it)

·         India‘s film industry is celebrating the 10 Oscar nominations for “Slumdog Millionaire,” but some Indians have protested against the film. Some say the title is insulting and calls poor people this. (dogs)

·         Veteran quarterback Kurt Warner helped lead the Arizona Cardinals to a win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC championship game and into the Super Bowl. Which team did Warner twice help guide to the Super Bowl? (St. Louis Rams)

·         Why did a famed classical music quartet decide to use a previously recorded audiotape of themselves, rather than their live performance, for the broadcast of Barack Obama’s inaugural ceremonies? (The weather was too cold for their instruments to stay in tune)

·         More than 31 million pounds of this has been recalled in the United States due to salmonella contamination. (Peanut Butter)

·         George W. Bush’s twin daughters offered advice in a letter for Obama’s girls. However they did NOT advise to put this under their dad’s seat. (a whoopee cushion)

·         A woman was accused of trying to sell “gothic kittens” on eBay. What had she allegedly done to them? (gave them piercings)

·         Having this in your home will add five months to your life span. (air cleaner)

·         China is feeling the pinch of the economy as celebrations of the year of which animal are being toned down? (Ox)

·         Job seekers may be on the move as Forbes tells them that what U.S. city in the best place to find a job? (Madison, Wis.)

·         What is the mascot of the E.H.S. basketball team in “High School Musical”? (Wildcats)

·         What was the northernmost territory ever controlled by France? (Quebec Canada)

·         Journey, the rock band, was formed in what city/state? (San Francisco, CA)

·         What was the profession of Charlie Brown’s father? (barber)

·         What is the name of the poem that later became the “Star Spangled Banner”? (Defense of Fort McHenry)

·         Which is the only, year sign, in the Chinese Calendar which is not a real animal? (The Dragon)

·         Who is on the corner of the Beatles’ Penny Lane? (“a banker with a motorcar”)

·         Carrie Underwood was born in what city? (Muskogee, Oklahoma)

·         What does the military nickname “G.I.” stand for? (galvanized iron)

·         What was the name of Britain’s first adhesive stamp, which sold for one penny? (Penny Black)

SUPER BLOW

 

Have a listener take 2 eggs and label one the NFC, the other the AFC. Put both uncooked eggs in the microwave. Set timer and start microwave. The eggs will explode. The first egg to explode loses. The winner of the “Super Blow” is the remaining egg. Thus predicting the outcome of the game. (If the person has never put an uncooked egg in the micro before don’t tell them what to expect. They’re shocked screams turning to disgust make great radio!)

 

DVD BOWL

 

Give away football movie rentals. Here are some favorite football movies:

·         “The Longest Yard,” Burt Reynolds and the Mean Machine take it to the prison guards in this behind bars gridiron classic.

·         “North Dallas Forty,” this was the movie that the NFL didn’t want anybody to see.

·         “Brian’s Song,” who says guys aren’t sensitive?

·         “Rudy,” this movie was for all those scrubs in football.

·         “The Program,” this was college football at it’s best portrayal.

·         “Jim Thorpe: All American Hero,” now you’ll know why he made Madden’s Millenium Team.

·         “The Waterboy,” Adam Sandler did football like Happy Gilmore did golf.

·         “Varsity Blues,” high school football at it’s best! One out of three high school players had a coach like Jon Voight.

·         “Lucas,” Corey Haim in a role that you actually felt sorry for him.

·         “48 Hours To Glory,” this TNT Documentry followed the Vikings, and the Cowboys in 1997 for one whole weekend. Great behind the scenes footage.

·         “Wildcats,” Goldie Hawn as a coach, Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as hungry actors.

·         “Jerry Mcguire,” Drew Bledsoe was in this movie, and he did not throw one interception.

·         “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” “Laces Out!” Jim Carrey and Dan Marino search for the Dolphins missing mascot.

·         “Necessary Roughness,” Scott Bakula plays a middle aged college QB leading a team of misfits to glory.

·         “Little Giants,” every NFL team should have the Annexation of Puerto Rico in their playbooks.

·         “The Best Of Times,” Kurt Russell and Robin Williams provide many laughs in this story.

·         “All The Right Moves,” that Tom Cruise… Boy, the 80′s were good to him.

·         “Black Sunday,” Super Bowl Sunday! Terrorists! And a Goodyear blimp filled with machine gun rounds.

·         “Gus,” Disney’s Wonder Kicking Mule. I’ll send a special shout out to anyone who knows the secret password for Gus to kick.

·         “Heaven Can Wait,” Warren Beatty as a QB? What’s next, a chicken eatin, rapping, wannabe Senator?

·         “The Last Boy Scout,” “Tae Bo” Billy Blanks shows how a .45 can be a helpful assist when scoring a touchdown during the opening scene.

·         “Any Given Sunday,” Oliver Stone’s ‘reality version’ of the ‘game’.

TOP 5 WAYS THE SUPER BOWL WOULD BE MORE APPEALING TO WOMEN

1.      All cheerleaders required to have fat thighs and bad hair.

2.      Fewer split ends, more tight ends.

3.      15-yard penalty for crotch grabbing, spitting, or nose blowing during extreme closeup shots.

4.      Tear-away pants!

5.      One word… Showercam!

COSMO’S GUYS YOU THINK YOU SHOULD DATE… BUT SHOULDN’T

·         Adrenaline Junkie — This dude skydives, surfs, runs with the bulls anything for the rush. And he has the sick abs and chiseled arms to prove it. But to keep him happy, you need to be in perpetual motion, too. This guy does not like to sit on his ass and he doesn’t like for you to sit on yours either. And it isn’t just a phase. In his late 30s, he’ll get into marathons, and they’ll lead to triathlons and eventually to the Ironman competition. Yeah, that means a trip to Hawaii but instead of chilling on the beach, you’ll be cheering him on from the sidelines. Having fun yet?

·         Nice Guy With a Chip on His Shoulder — He’ll ridicule the “tools who are trying too hard” with bold clothing choices to seem down-to-earth, but here’s his dirty little secret: He spends just as much time picking out his outfit as his more fashion-conscious counterparts do. Under the casual exterior is a calculating killjoy with mom issues. He’ll stand at the bar, thinking ‘Why is that girl going for that dude over there? One day, she’ll come to her senses and get with a nice guy like me!’ The truth is, he’s so preoccupied with being overlooked that he’d be totally oblivious to your attention.

·         Smooth Operator — He’s the type that rolls up to the club in an Escalade and holds court in the VIP section, ordering bottle service all night. Though he got Ds in high school, he now scores A, B, and C cups with entertaining small talk and name-dropping. Yeah, he’s a Casanova in a skull cap, it replaced his trucker hat about a year ago. But this lid spells trouble. It takes confidence to pull it off with a straight face, too much confidence. There “is” such a thing. He’ll shower you with attention, but beware: You may not be the only chick in that shower.

·         Workaholic Hotshot — This guy is always dressed to the nines, because he’s loaded. Simmer down the cash flow comes at a price. He toils until the wee hours, then loosens his tie and parties like there’s no tomorrow. Unfortunately, there is tomorrow, and it starts in like three hours. What little time he has for you will be shared with his BlackBerry. The ugly truth: Money is the love of his life, and you’re just a mistress or second mistress, since he’s probably crunching more than numbers with his secretary. (Cosmopolitan)

SWEETHEART ATTACK PACKS

 

Next week, we’re going to give away “Sweetheart Attack Packs.” They include a dozen roses, a heart-shaped pizza, dinner for two, a love songs CD plus each winner qualifies for a trip for two to Las Vegas and jewelry. We’ve been getting stupid with cupid and come up with several sweetheart games, like “Name That Sweetheart.” We give you 1/2 of the team you give us the significant other.

·         Herman Munster (Lily)

·         Gomez Addams (Morticia)

·         Chandler Bing (Monica)

·         Tim Taylor (Jill)

·         Rob Petrie (Laura)

·         Fred G. Sanford (Elizabeth)

THE BITTER BALL

 

This is a great idea for Valentine’s Day. A dance for people who are bitter about the love thing. Divorced or recently broke up people who need to purge and have some fun. Have them bring old pictures and notes so that you can burn them or even shoot them with paint ball guns. There’s a lot of fun to be had with this.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

01.28.09

 SHOW PREP JANUARY 28, 2009

 

HOLLYWOOD 411 . . .

 

Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney is planning to marry his American girlfriend Nancy Shevell. Sir Paul and daughter MarySir Paul McCartney is to marry his American girlfriend Nancy Shevell sources have told the Mirror. McCartney met Shevell 30 years ago when the pair used to holiday with their respective families on America’s East Coast and now the couple are to marry insiders claim. “Nancy and Sir Paul are totally natural together and feel blessed to have found happiness,” a source explained before saying the former Beatle had also gained the blessing of his children. “Unlike Heather Mills, Nancy is a multi-millionaire in her own right and therefore could never be portrayed as being interested in Sir Paul for his money. She is calm, measured and mature, whereas Heather is fiery and impulsive. Getting Stella’s seal of approval was very important for Paul. All Paul’s children had massive reservations about Heather – but it was Stella who was the most vociferous.” (Handbag)

 

A rep for the former Beatle is smacking down a pair of newspaper stories that he is looking to get hitched with lady love Nancy Shevell now that her divorce has become official. “[There's] no truth to it,” says publicist Paul Freundlich. Both the Sunday Mirror and Sunday Telegraph reported that McCartney sought and received the all-clear from his four adult children, including fashion designer Stella, to marry the New York native. The newspapers claimed that the New York State Supreme Court had granted Shevell a divorce from Bruce Blakeman on Dec. 9, ending a 23-year union. However, neither publication cited any public legal documents, and none have surfaced so far. (Launch)

 

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell has confirmed her engagement to Italian shipping tycoon Fabrizio Politi. Geri Halliwell has confirmed she is engaged to her boyfriend of just over a month, Italian shipping tycoon, Fabrizio Politi. The pair met in December at the opening of the world’s first Cavalli club in Florence and have recently just returned from a romantic break in the Maldives. “We are delighted to announce the engagement of Geri Halliwell and Fabrizio Politi,” a statement from the former Spice Girls’ management read. “As a token of their commitment to each other Fabrizio presented Geri with an engagement ring over the festive season. There are no immediate plans for marriage as the couple are enjoying their engagement.” Friends have told the Daily Mail though they believe this is the real thing. “They spent as much time as possible with each other over Christmas and the New year,” a source claimed. “It’s definitely the real deal. Geri can’t believe how well they get on. Fabrizio is great with her daughter.” (Handbag)

 

Multi-award winner Kate Winslet has explained how she’s managed to look so great on the red carpet this award season. Kate Winslet has revealed how she’s managed to look great on the red carpets during this year’s awards season. The favorite for this year’s Best Actress Oscar told People magazine that nerves and no dieting have kept her looking her best. “To be honest with you, I’m more nervous through this award season than I have ever been before in my life,” she explained on the red carpet of the SAG awards, where she took home an award for her role in The Reader. “I’m still not used to it at all. I’m not exercising at all, and I’m eating whatever I like. Pressure? Gone! That’s how I’m going to get through it.” (Handbag)

 

Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes refuse to fly together because they are so worried of dying in an accident and leaving their two children orphaned. According to a friend the pair’s fear is founded on a number of aviation near-misses. Sam Mendes was originally booked on American Airlines flight 77 on September 11, 2001; the plane which was hijacked by terrorists and crashed into the Pentagon. Meanwhile, one month later, the Golden Globe actress was on a flight to Dallas when a passenger announced he was a terrorist, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing. “Where possible, Kate and Sam do prefer to travel in separate planes. It is not always possible but, for obvious reasons regarding the children, they do travel separately when they can,” a spokesperson for the pair explained. The pair have one son together, Joe, while Winslet has a daughter from her first marriage to Jim Threapleton. (British Glamour)

 

Madonna has resumed her “affair of the heart” with Alex Rodriguez. Madge spent last weekend with the Yankee slugger – and Joe Torre target – at the East Hampton home of Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld, sources said. But the downtime did little to calm the recently divorced pop star’s nerves. She’s fuming over unflattering photos from her album cover shoot that were leaked online. A snitch said, “Madonna called up the label screaming when the photos got out.” Madonna’s rep didn’t return e-mails. (Page Six)

 

Lindsay Lohan looks teeny-tiny in recent photos, but her rep insists she’s not heading back to her scary- skinny period. Responding to rumors we heard that Lohan is “surviving on candy and Red Bull” and “completely stressed out” by her rocky relationship with Samantha Ronson, her flack insisted she’s fine: “Lindsay is aware that she’s lost some weight due to stress, but we recently did a photo shoot and she ate two full meals.” (Page Six)

 

Could Jennifer Lopez be trying to restart her acting career by hitting Broadway? Insiders say Lopez is interested in starring in “In the Heights,” the musical about Washington Heights. She went to the show twice last week and accompanied the producer, Meryl Poster, to dinner Friday evening at Nobu 57, where they discussed roles. Another insider said Lopez might be more interested in a movie version, as Broadway shows are exhausting and time consuming, and Poster also produced the screen version of “Chicago.” A rep for Lopez said, “She loves the play but is not Broadway bound.” (Page Six)

 

The Jolie-Pitt clan has landed in Japan. Two days after walking the red carpet at Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were spotted — with all six of their kids — at Narita International Airport in Tokyo on Tuesday. Jolie was photographed carrying 6-month-old twin Viv, while Pitt held Knox. Maddox, 7, Zahara, 4, Pax, 5, Shiloh, 2 — who walked alongside their parents — don’t mind all the globetrotting, Jolie recently said. “Our kids are always packing,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “They like to pack; it’s a game in our house.” It can get very hard trying to find 20 minutes to close your eyes if you’ve been up since four in the morning,” Jolie said. “We travel so much, we never have to adjust. We change school time to four in the afternoon if we have to!” The family is expected to settle in New York’s Long Island in March as Jolie shoots the spy thriller Edwin A. Salt. (US Weekly)

 

Jennifer Aniston says just because she’s a celebrity doesn’t mean she necessarily has more luck in the love department. “I think it’s just hard to date,” said the actress, 39, who recently discussed dating with her He’s Just Not That Into You costars on Extra. “It’s not like we’re kids. We’re not dating.” Added actress Ginnifer Goodwin (who recently split with actor Chris Klein): “I love dates.” But Aniston said dating is better “once you’ve met someone” and have gone out a couple of times. Scarlett Johansson — who wed Ryan Reynolds last year — agreed. “Dating to me is like you’re with somebody and you’re committed to them. And you have date night, and it’s romantic,” she said.  Is the art of dating dying? “Not for me. I like dinner. I like to be asked on a date,” their costar Drew Barrymore said. “I like tradition.” Joked Aniston, “I’ll ask you on a date! I will take you to dinner, and I will call you on your phone.” He’s Just Not That Into You opens Feb. 6. (US Weekly)

 

17-year old Emma Roberts tells USA Today she is getting ready for college. “I just sent out all my applications,” says the Hotel for Dogs star, who is currently home-schooled. “I only applied to three schools because I figure if I don’t get into my top choice, I’ll defer and apply again. I want to study photography, literature and writing.” But she doesn’t want to give up acting. She’d even like to win an Oscar, but she has a few other things she wants to accomplish first. “I’d love to have a really nice boyfriend. I would love to have been to Paris. I’ve never been. I’d love to have my own photography coffee-table book,” she says. “And I’d love to get my license. It’s been a catastrophe,” she goes on. “I got my permit the first try and went to get my license and failed. Then my permit expired. I just got my permit again a couple of weeks ago, so hopefully I’ll get my license soon.” But don’t expect Emma — whose mom, Kelly Cunningham, split from her dad, Eric Roberts, shortly after Emma was born – to ask her Oscar-winning Aunt Julia for help. She says the most annoying question she gets about Julia is “probably what advice she gives me. “At the end of the day, she’s my aunt, not Julia Roberts,” Emma says. “I don’t go to her for advice about things. I’m seeing her after this, and I’m just going to go say hi and play with the kids and hang out. It’s so much fun.” (US Weekly)

 

Jessica Alba has taken to her blog to defend herself over accusations made by Bill O’Reilly and TMZ.com that she is “dumb.” When a TMZ.com reporter approached her at an inauguration event last week, she tried to turn the tables on him by asking him what Barack Obama‘s greatest characteristic was. When the reporter said he felt uncomfortable answering because he is a journalist, Alba replied, “be neutral – be Sweden about it.” TMZ.com later called her a “ditz” and an “arrogant buffoon” for saying Sweden instead of Switzerland when referring to the neutral country during WWII. O’Reilly – whom Alba had called an “a-hole” at the same event – also called her “dumb” for mixing up the countries. But on her blog, Alba writes, “I find it depressing that, in the midst of perhaps the most salient time in our country’s history, individuals are taking it upon themselves to encourage negativity and stupidity. “Last week, Mr. Bill O’Reilly and some really classy sites (i.e. TMZ) insinuated I was dumb by claiming Sweden was a neutral country. I appreciate the fact that he is a news anchor and that gossip sites are inundated with intelligent reporting, but seriously people… it’s so sad to me that you think the only neutral country during WWII was Switzerland.” She then linked to a Wikipedia article to prove Sweden was also a neutral country. Added Alba, “I appreciate the name calling and the accurate reporting. Keep it up!!” Before signing off, she posted a video of her trip to the inauguration. (US Weekly)

 

Rapper-turned-actress Queen Latifah will share her tips for happiness in a new life-coaching book, aimed at inspiring her fans. The Chicago star, born Dana Owens, has signed a deal with Grand Central Publishing, which will see her release a tome next year. Jamie Raab, Grand Central’s Executive Vice President and Publisher, tells Aol’s BlackVoices.com, “We are delighted to be publishing Queen Latifah’s new book. “Throughout her career, she has consistently taken on new challenges, and, through her vision, hard work and great talent, has achieved success in so many arenas. What she has accomplished in every facet of her life is extraordinary, and makes for a book of life lessons that I know readers will find deeply inspirational.” Editor Karen Thomas adds, “We are delighted that Queen Latifah will share her powerful presence with readers from all walks of life. She is an incredible role model for young women and I look forward to working with her.” The book is Latifah’s second; she released her memoir Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman in 1999. (Teen Hollywood)

 

Strictly Come Dancing winner Alesha Dixon has claimed men are too scared to chat her up. Alesha Dixon has said that men are ‘too scared’ to talk to her. The singer claims she’s now got a reputation for being demanding after moaning about lazy men on her last single The Boy Does Nothing. “I think it’s put men off me – they probably think that I expect them to wash up and clean up after me,” she told Digital Spy. “They probably think, ‘Oh God, I better stay away from her!’ It’s not really helping with my single status at the moment!” Alesha, who split with ex-husband MC Harvey over his alleged affair with fellow singer Javine Hylton, also added that she would never consider flirting with someone who already had a partner. “I don’t have the tendency to look at guys who have girlfriends. If I know someone’s in a relationship I just don’t look at them like that out of principle.” (Handbag)

 

Former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne has revealed her daughter Kelly is back in rehab. Kelly Osbourne has gone back to into a rehab facility her mum Sharon has revealed. “Yeah, Kelly’s in rehab,” Sharon told radaronline.com. “What else can we say? She knew that it was the right thing to do at this point, and we’re proud that she did it. The family is all standing behind her. Kelly knew that she needed help, and she’s getting it. Kelly will tell you herself when she gets out. We just pray that everything’s going to be okay. This is one of the absolute worst things that a parent can face, for their child to go through rehab. And not once, but twice.” Kelly’s previous rehab stay was for a painkiller addiction in 2004. (Handbag)

 

As we’ve already mentioned, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen‘s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been vandalized. Anti-fur activists scribbled “Fur Hags” on their star. Even Aretha Franklin‘s star got vandalized as well. And, now we’ve found out that Sharon Stone‘s star was also tagged up. How many other stars were targeted??? This isn’t the answer to get these celebs to stop wearing fur. Somehow we think PETA is smarter than this, so we wouldn’t be surprised if it were just some random vandals putting graffiti on the stars. Hopefully PETA will release a statement soon, discouraging these illegal acts. (Perez Hilton)

 

Olivia Newton-John’s onetime boyfriend, who disappeared in 2005 and was presumed to have drowned at sea, may be alive after having faked his own vanishing act, according to a private investigator hired by Dateline NBC. Former cameraman Patrick McDermott apparently slipped out of sight to escape debts and let his son cash in a $100,000 life-insurance policy, believes investigator Philip Klein.  Though devastated at the time, Newton-John did move on after McDermott was presumed to be permanently gone. In summer 2008 she married natural-health businessman John Easterling. But, Klein told the NBC news program, the singer regularly logs onto the PI’s Web site for updates on McDermott, who has been sighted nearly 20 times along the Mexican and South American coastline. (People)

 

Best-selling author John Updike has died at age 75 after battling lung cancer, his publicist said. (CNN)

 

 

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

 

George Clooney traded jokes with his father, veteran journalist Nick Clooney, before a screening Monday night of the actor’s 2005 film “Good Night and Good Luck.” The 47-year-old actor wrote and directed the film about legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow, which his father is now using to teach journalism students at American University. Both Clooneys appeared at a screening of the film for students, alumni and others at the Newseum, a museum about the news. Nick Clooney said it’s important to him that college students can learn from his son’s work. “I don’t care for that,” George snapped back. “Never cared for this kid! His sister’s great,” the elder Clooney quipped. “I always wanted to be adopted, couldn’t find anyone,” the son said, drawing laughs. The younger Clooney said he grew up hearing about Murrow, and their family took pride in how journalists held the government accountable during the paranoia of the 1950s communist threat. Clooney said he wanted to make a movie to let people hear some “really well-written words about the fourth estate again.” Clooney, a vocal critic of the Iraq war, said he felt pressure to get the movie right because of criticism at the time that Hollywood actors were becoming too politically active. “I realized if I was going to do a movie like this, I was going to have to get everything right,” he said. Part of Clooney’s film portrayed Murrow’s struggle to maintain support from CBS executives for critical reporting on Sen. Joseph McCarthy. “You will get precisely the news you deserve if you accept mediocrity,” Nick Clooney told his journalism students. The Clooneys are from Kentucky, where Nick Clooney worked as a TV news anchor before moving to stations in Cincinnati, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. He also wrote a newspaper column in Cincinnati. Former TV news executive Bill Small, who was president of NBC News and a CBS Washington bureau chief, joined the Clooneys to critique the film. “It’s kind of nice to see these pleasant looking actors and actresses pretending to be the people I knew,” he said. (Daily Record)

 

And so the Michael Jackson comeback begins…on Broadway. Finally making good on years of promises about his showbiz return, the erstwhile King of Pop today announced that he is working on a stage musical based on his 1982 masterpiece, Thriller, with the theatrical overlords in the Nederlander Organization. “The Nederlanders and Michael Jackson represent live theater and musical excellence, so the let music begin,” said Jackson’s rep, Dr. Tohme Tohme. The Moonwalker plans to oversee “every aspect of the creative process,” and will provide songs from Thriller (including the title cut, “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and “P.Y.T.”) as well as tracks from his 1979 multiplatinum solo smash, Off The Wall, which featured “Rock With You,” “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “She’s Out of My Life.” The plot will presumably follow that of his groundbreaking 14-minute “Thriller” video. Directed by John Landis (Animal House, An American Werewolf in London), the horror-spoofing story focused on Jackson and his date chased by some booty-shaking zombies. “I love the idea of making Thriller a musical. Girl meets boy, they fall in love, boy has big secret,” quipped producer James L. Nederlander, whose company runs nine Broadway theaters. Last month, Thome shot down reports that the 50-year-old entertainer was battling a life-threatening lung condition. Instead, the rep insisted, Jackson had all kinds of big plans for 2009. “Mr. Jackson is in fine health, and finalizing negotiations with a major entertainment company and television network for both a world tour and a series of specials and appearances,” said Tohme. No word yet when Thriller the Musical will make its debut on the Great White Way. (Launch)

 

The creator of “Star Trek” and his wife will spend eternity together in space. Celestis Inc., a company that specializes in “memorial spaceflights,” said Monday that it will ship the remains of Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barrett Roddenberry into space next year. The couple’s cremated remains will be sealed into specially made capsules designed to withstand the rigors of space travel. A rocket-launched spacecraft will carry the capsules, along with digitized tributes from fans. The Roddenberrys’ remains – and the spacecraft – will travel ever deeper into space and will not return to earth, company spokeswoman Susan Schonfeld said. After Gene Roddenberry died in 1991, his wife commissioned Celestis to launch a part of his remains into space in 1997. She died Dec. 18, 2008. (Daily Record)

 

Matt Damon campaigned aggressively for Barack Obama last year. So why wasn’t he in Washington D.C. last week for the historic inauguration? “[My wife] Luciana and I decided we wanted to go,” he tells the Miami Herald. “But when I called my contacts from the campaign, they just started laughing: ‘We worked on the campaign for 2 1/2 years, and we’re not going. Forget it.’ “But then they called me back the next day and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got two tickets for you, in the bleachers, and you’ll actually be able to see Obama take the oath. Just $25,000 apiece.’” It was then that Damon (who lives with his wife and three daughters in Miami Beach) knew, “I’m going to watch. From my couch.” Damon — whose latest Untitled Jason Bourne Project is now in production for a 2010 release — also spoke out about how his famous assassin character is nothing like James Bond. “They could never make a James Bond movie like any of the Bourne films,” Damon said. “Because Bond is an imperialist, misogynist sociopath who goes around bedding women and swilling martinis and killing people. He’s repulsive. “Steve [Soderbergh, who produced Damon's 2005 spy movie, Syriana] told me that years ago he was offered a Bond movie,” the actor went on. “He told them he’d do it if they gave him creative control. “‘Absolutely not,’ they said. They have a formula, they stick to it, and it makes them a lot of money. They know what they’re doing, and they’re going to keep doing it.” When he does a Bourne film, Damon later added, he never feels like he’s “slumming.” (US Weekly)

 

Gabriela Montero says she and the other members of the Obama inauguration quartet were not trying to fool anybody by having recorded music played in the biting cold. Shaken by comparisons to lip-syncers Milli Vanilli, the pianist insists she and fellow musicians Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman and Anthony McGill “did the right thing.” “What is upsetting me these days is the fact that we put so much love into this, with a very profound desire to make it so beautiful,” the Venezuelan-American pianist said Tuesday in a telephone interview from Boston. “My only regret is that, unfortunately, some people have chosen to focus on the wrong thing.” Just before Obama was sworn in on Jan. 20 with temperatures in the 20s, the quartet appeared to play “Air and Simple Gifts,” a short work composed for the occasion by John Williams. Montero said the quartet actually did play, but the music was drowned out by the amplified music. The group recorded the work two days earlier but still intended to play it live, she said. A day before the inauguration, about half a dozen keys on the Steinway were sticking, and the piano was not projecting enough sound, Montero said. “We decided that it would have been a disaster if we went out there with that cold, with the wind, and played our instruments out of tune,” she said. “Can you imagine what kind of tone it would have set? … It would absolutely have been a pathetic way to lead a president into his oath and the moment that this country was waiting for so eagerly.” Would she do anything different? “I thought, `Should there have been an announcement?’ But there wasn’t the right time to announce something like that,” Montero said. “We were so excited and so happy, and we still are,” she said. “We’re very sure we did the right thing as professional musicians.” (Daily Record)

 

AJ McLean is a recovering alcoholic — so it was heartbreaking to see the Backstreet Boy stumbling out of the Key Club last night, appearing to be wasted out of his mind. As McLean nearly falls into the street, one of his friends calls him out — right out in the middle of Hollywood — emotionally confronting the guy who went rehab for alcohol and cocaine abuse in 2001… and again 2002. Witnesses inside the Key Club say they saw McLean taking shots and drinking beers during the show. After the confrontation, McLean’s friends forced him into a cab and sent him home. McLean was reportedly six years sober in 2008. Calls to McLean’s rep have not yet been returned. (TMZ)

 

Depending on the way you look at it… if you buy Dylan McDermott’s home right now, you’ll either be saving $2 mil or losing $9 mil. McDermott has chopped off almost 20% of the $11 million price tag his Brentwood (L.A.) pad boasted back in August — it was listed last week at a smidgen under $9 mil, according to Realtor.com. We’re guessing that pesky divorce from wife Shiva Rose may have something to do with it. Fun Facts: The house — which is one block from where OJ’s infamous Brentwood home used to be — was sold to Dylan in ’99 by Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas … who bought it in ’97 from Michelle Pfeiffer. (TMZ)

 

Getting a reservation at one of Mario Batali‘s eateries is now even more impossible if your name is Gordon Ramsay. The beefy “Iron Chef” has prohibited the star of Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen,” who runs a fancy place at the London NYC Hotel, from entering any of Batali’s dining spots, including the Spotted Pig and Babbo, after Ramsay began calling him “Fanta Pants” to make fun of the orange shorts Batali sometimes wears. The effeminate moniker is a nod to the popular brand of orange soda. “I’ve banned him from my restaurants,” Batali sniffed to London’s Guardian. “Ramsay’s people call, trying to book tables, and I say no. I won’t have him in there.” The feud goes back 18 months to when loudmouth Batali labeled rival Ramsay’s culinary fare dull and outdated and said he didn’t get New York. Batali says Ramsay retaliated by making up the nickname, which he sneakily spread behind his back. “Gordon bugs me . . . Now he goes about town calling me Fanta Pants,” Batali fumed. He notes the ban could be lifted, “If [Gordon] called me himself and said, ‘Let’s sit down for a drink.’ I’m sure it would be fine. We’d be cool. But right now it’s not cool.” Ramsay’s rep tried to make light of the simmering dispute, telling Page Six the two egomaniacal chefs will “get together someday and have a good laugh about it all.”

Meanwhile, in another kitchen drama, the divorce proceedings between London legend Marco Pierre White and his wife are getting expensive. Mati White has handed a $335,000 ring to her lawyers after running up nearly $1.4 million in legal bills, Britain’s Daily Mail reports. The ring is a flawless, 6-carat diamond set in an Art Deco platinum band. Friends said she turned down a lucrative settlement from the thrice-married, Michelin-starred chef before Christmas. Her lawyer, Marcus Dearle, didn’t get back to us but told the Mail he had no comment. (Page Six)

 

Trite as it might be, having Jennifer Aniston on the same red carpet and under the same roof as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie the night of the Oscars would be good for ratings. That’s probably why Aniston’s name is surfacing as a possible Oscar presenter for the Feb. 22 ceremony. The presenters are being kept under wraps for now, but even just having Pitt’s ex-wife on the red carpet might give ratings a boost. It’s customary for actors currently promoting films to make a red-carpet appearance at the show anyway. Aniston’s next film, “He’s Just Not That Into You,” opens Feb. 6. (Scoop)

 

Let’s lift a leg in tribute to Leona Helmsley. The late hotel queen topped the annual Slate list of 60 largest charitable donors for bequeathing a whopping $5.2 billion to support the welfare of homeless dogs. Also on the list is Revlon czar Ron Perelman, who donated $63.5 million to the Weill Medical Center for cancer research, education and patient care, in memory of his ex-wife, former Page Six editor Claudia Cohen, who died in 2007. (Page Six)

 

We have a feeling this won’t sell well! Out-of-touch designer Tom Ford just put up $990 jeans for sale. You may be wondering, what makes them worth all that dough? Well, it’s made from Japanese selvedge denim that feels and looks raw but has been pre-washed and pre-shrunken so the indigo doesn’t rub off on your clothes. The button is plated with 18-karat gold, and the pockets are silk lined. Even rich people are broke these days, Tom. Good luck with selling your overpriced jeans! (Perez Hilton)

 

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences is on the warpath against scalpers charging an astronomical amount for tickets to the Oscars. In a lawsuit filed Monday in Federal District Court, the Academy claims McMurry Inc. and the individuals who run it are trying to sell packages to the Oscars at $175,000 a pop. The Academy says unsuspecting people may be buying the packages, not realizing the tickets are non-transferable and the guests would in fact be trespassers. And get this …the Academy claims the defendants are aware of the high security at the awards so the scalpers are doing their own screening for “celebrity stalkers and terrorists.” The packages — offered on the McMurry website and its magazine “6″ — include a seven-day stay in L.A., luxury hotel accommodations, a sightseeing trip and tickets to the Academy Awards. The Academy is asking a judge for an injunction to put the brakes on McMurry. It also wants compensatory and punitive damages. (TMZ)

 

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has hit out at the British monarchy, insisting the royal family epitomizes what is “wrong” with the U.K. The London-born star doesn’t understand his native country’s admiration for the reigning Queen Elizabeth II and her heirs because he doesn’t believe the upper classes should be celebrated. And though he recognizes he is above working class, he is adamant the royals should not be put on a pedestal. He tells the Daily Beast website, “I am not a royalist. Not at all… I just don’t see the use of the monarchy – though I’m (a) fierce patriot. I’m proud proud proud of being English, but I think the monarchy symbolizes a lot of what was wrong with the country. Not that they’re doing anything wrong – but that symbol of class division is not something I particularly like – and I am a very upper-middle-class kid.” And Radcliffe has weighed in on the Queen’s grandson Prince Harry’s recent race row, in which he was caught on camera referring to a Pakistani Army colleague as a “P*ki”. He adds: “I have nothing against the royals as people. I’ve never met them. But in terms of that particular comment about Pakistanis, Prince Harry said a very stupid thing. He was probably very young at the time. I hope he has learned since not to say such a thing or at least learned not to be filmed saying it. The big deal to me was his wearing a Nazi uniform at that costume party.” The young royal caused outrage last month in 2005 when he was photographed at a friend’s fancy dress party wearing a Nazi soldier uniform. (Teen Hollywood)

 

Comedian Russell Brand has claimed he sleeps with three women a day. Russell Brand has said that he sleeps with up to three women a day and claims to have bedded a 61-year-old in his youth. “Work out how many days and, here’s a simple rule, triple it,” he told GQ magazine when asked for his monthly average. “I love it. I’ve a very addictive personality, and it’s very easy for me to get compulsive about anything sensual. “Sometimes I think, ‘Come on, have a day off’.” Hands up who believes him. (Handbag)

 

Michael Kors will resort to stealing from the dead — according to a new lawsuit. TMZ has obtained a Federal lawsuit filed Monday by a famous designer’s company, claiming the “Project Runway” judge brazenly ripped off designs for a clothing line. Here’s what’s interesting — the company was owned by acclaimed designer Tony Duquette, who died in 1999. According to the suit, last year Kors unveiled his Resort Collection, which allegedly is a direct rip on Duquette’s work. Even worse, the suit claims Kors had the audacity to also publicly refer to the Collection as the “Duquette Collection.” The suit seeks all sorts of damages from Kors. (TMZ)

 

John Travolta has officially been named as a witness in the extortion case being prosecuted by the Bahamian attorney general, E! News has exclusively learned. The court docket filed by prosecutors late Monday at Magistrate’s Court in New Providence lists 14 witnesses, among them Travolta; his Bahamian lawyer, Allyson Maynard; and his U.S.-based lawyers, Michael Ossi and Michael McDermott. Because Gibson has been called as a witness she cannot represent Travolta. Instead, another lawyer from her firm, Damian Gomez, will represent the actor. “The matter is between the Crown and whoever is accused. Mr. Travolta has an interest in the process as virtual complainant and to the extent that he is interested in this litigation I will be acting on his behalf,” Gomez tells E! News. While he will not be assisting prosecutors, Gomez said he will be ensuring that the Travoltas are “protected.” “The Travoltas are merely protecting whatever privacy rights they have and we are advising them on how to do that,” he said, adding, “They have made a criminal complaint.” Paramedic Tarino Lightbourne pleaded not guilty earlier Monday to attempted extortion and conspiracy to extort. His lawyer, Sen. Pleasant Bridgewater, was charged with conspiracy to extort. She has resigned her political post and will be arraigned Wednesday. She has denied the charges. Travolta pal and M.P. Obie Wilchcombe, who was detained for questioning on Friday, is not currently listed as a witness. The witnesses “are expected to give evidence against Lightbourn and Bridgewater in court. They would not actually have to do anything until the trial starts,” a court insider tells E! News. “The presence of their names on the dockets just means the prosecution plans to call them as witnesses, and, barring any extenuating circumstances, they will be.” The Travolta camp announced a week ago that the grieving family had been targeted in a $25 million extortion scheme involving their late son, Jett. As E! News reported yesterday, the FBI has been brought in to assist local authorities with the evidence. (Eonline)

 

Fabolous went from “Nothin’ to Somethin’” on his last album, but at an Atlanta restaurant, his credit is back to nothing. The rapper showed up at the hot Eros World Tapas Bar on Saturday with an entourage of more than 20, a source said. They requested “the usual excess of champagne and alcohol, so the manager asked for a credit card to start a tab.” Unfortunately, Fabolous’ credit cards were all declined. “By the fifth credit card, the entourage member designated to take care of his tab goes outside,” our source said, “only to start a fight with the outside bouncer. He tripped and fell, hitting his head on the concrete and started bleeding. The manager called an ambulance. But as soon as the entourage member also saw the police, he began running away, blood oozing down his face.” Fabolous and his posse stayed and ordered champagne but paid cash. Reps for the restaurant and the rapper declined to comment. (Page Six)

 

Music producer Phil Spector’s second jury will tour his Alhambra mansion where actress Lana Clarkson died of a gunshot wound, just as the first jury did, despite prosecution objections. Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler rejected the objections Monday, but laid down strict rules. The final phases of Spector’s second murder trial will continue Tuesday. The judge said Spector’s young wife Rachelle can’t be present in sight of the jurors during the tour and a burbling fountain in the courtyard may have to be turned off. Prosecutors complained that during the first jury’s tour, Spector tried to manipulate the fountain to suggest a chauffeur could not have heard him clearly when he allegedly said, “I think I killed somebody.” Deputy district attorneys Alan Jackson and Truc Do gave the judge e-mail exchanges they obtained between Spector and his first defense team in which a jury consultant suggested “the fountain be on full bore.” During the first jury’s tour, the panelists asked to have the fountain turned on and off so they could hear the ambient noise from it. Fidler agreed to consider having the fountain on if it is found that there is only an on-off switch and no way to manipulate the sound. Defense attorney Doron Weinberg wants to duplicate the scene on Feb. 3, 2003, when Clarkson came there with Spector. A time for the tour was not immediately set but was expected to take place next week. The prosecutors also gave the judge an e-mail from Spector to the lawyers in his first trial threatening in expletive-punctuated statements to create a scene if prosecutors tried to stage manage the situation at his home. “You better take control of the situation or I will,” he wrote. “… I have a big mouth.” Spector, 68, the eccentric rock ‘n’ roll legend renowned for his “Wall of Sound” recording technique, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Clarkson, 40, a blonde beauty who became a 1980s cult figure following her starring role in the film “Barbarian Queen.” The new jury must decide the same question that ultimately stumped the first: Did Spector, a man known for threatening people with guns, shoot Clarkson, or did the actress, down on her luck and despondent about her future, turn a gun on herself? The first jury heard five months of testimony and deadlocked 10-2 with the majority favoring conviction. The current trial has been under way for nine weeks. Weinberg opened his defense case with testimony from the Los Angeles County medical examiner. He questioned why a “psychological autopsy” was not performed on Clarkson, exploring her emotional condition to determine if she might have committed suicide. (Daily Record)

 

 

MUSIC . . .

 

Jane’s Addiction front man Perry Farrell gave patrons of the Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel a free show last weekend, declaring it “Open Mike Night,” whipping out his guitar and singing old hits while Moldy Peaches founder Adam Green, the Libertines’ Carl Barat, Bravery front man Sam Endicott and Mac Guy Justin Long joined in. (Page Six)

 

Oasis has been nominated in seven categories at the NME Awards, including rather bizarrely Best and Worst Band. Noel Gallagher has picked up a nod for Hero Of The Year and Best Dressed Man. “Seven nominations, you say? Is that all? I always knew my time would come in the best dressed man in the world category,” the singer said. Noel has Barack Obama to contend with in the Hero Of The Year category, while John McCain and Gordon Brown are both up for Villain Of The Year, won for the past four years by George Bush. The ceremony takes place on 25 February. (British Glamour)

 

Not too long ago, Chrissie Hynde was still touring behind the same hits that have made her husky, vibrato-steeped voice one of the most memorable in rock ‘n’ roll. Now the Pretenders’ frontwoman is revving up to launch a U.S. tour Thursday in support of “Break Up the Concrete,” the group’s first studio album in six years. While she may sing classics like “Brass in Pocket,” newer tunes will fill the bulk of her repertoire. “We’ll be doing about eight or nine songs from the album. There’s the chance of people going to the bar when you launch into a new song, but I can’t do that greatest hits stuff anymore. We can play practically the whole album, and some of the rockers,” Hynde, 57, said in a phone interview from London, her main home since the 1970s. The Pretenders’ new album, released last fall, is an Americana ode to love, loneliness and Hynde’s hometown of Akron, Ohio, where the longtime animal rights activist opened a vegan restaurant and bar in 2007. It was recorded for movie producer Steve Bing’s fledgling label Shangri-La Music. Bing swept in during a down time for the band, when the group was label-less. He and Hynde connected during a Pretenders tour with ZZ Top. “I said to Steve, ‘We don’t have a record deal and we don’t have a producer,’” said Hynde. “Steve said, ‘You’ve been doing this for 25 years, you don’t need a producer.’ No one had ever told me that before. I thought, ‘Let’s get this going!’” Later, he pulled in legendary session drummer Jim Keltner – whose credits include playing with John Lennon – to work on the record (regular drummer Martin Chambers returns for the tour). Though the album was recorded in 12 days in Los Angeles, much of it is informed by Akron. She acquired an apartment there to be closer to her aging parents and rediscovered the city after years away, from brisk autumn weather to local animal sanctuaries and her old record collection. The title song, a jumping rockabilly tune, refers to the “red brick road where I grew up on” in Akron being “gone gone gone.” Numbers such as “Don’t Lose Faith In Me” have a country-ballad twang, filled with vulnerability: “The artist on the cover/ Is a phony and a crook/ I’m looking for you lover/ Show me where to look.” “I’m referring to myself in that line,” Hynde said. “I get sometimes angry with myself. Sometimes I find myself saying, ‘You … phony.’ It goes like that until you crack it. It can be a torturous process.” Hynde said her songwriting process after decades of music is much the same. “It’s me alone with the guitar and a notebook. I don’t use too many gadgets. My methods haven’t changed,” she said. As for the future, Hynde remains thankful that “I’m doing what I want to do.” “Some people can get all their realizations in one place, being in the same town,” she said. “Some people have to move all the time. I feel more comfortable moving all the time. I wish I could stay still. But that’s how bands usually are.” (Daily Record)

 

As expected, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band will tour North America this spring in support of their new album, “Working on a Dream,” out today (Jan. 27) on Columbia. The trek begins April in San Jose, Calif. North American dates are set through May 23 in East Rutherford, N.J. A European tour then begins a week later at Holland’s Pink Pop festival and concludes June 10 in Bergen, Norway. That timing would line up with a long-rumored Springsteen appearance at the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tenn., that weekend. After a break, the European leg resumes July 2 in Munich. Springsteen’s 2007-2008 tour in support of the album “Magic” was the most successful of his career, grossing about $232 million worldwide, according to Billboard Boxscore. The tour unofficially begins this Sunday (Feb. 1) when Springsteen and company will headline the Super Bowl XLIII halftime show in Tampa, Fla. Here are Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s tour dates:
April 1: San Jose, Calif. (HP Pavilion at San Jose)
April 3: Glendale, Calif. (Jobing.com Center)
April 5: Austin, Texas (Frank Erwin Center)
April 7: Tulsa, Okla. (BOK Center)
April 8: Houston, Texas (Toyota Center)
April 10: Denver (Pepsi Arena)
April 15: Los Angeles (LA Memorial Sports Arena)
April 21-22: Boston (TD Banknorth Garden)
April 24: Hartford, Conn. (XL Center)
April 26: Atlanta (Philips Arena)
April 28-29: Philadelphia (Wachovia Spectrum)
May 2: Greensboro, N.C. (Greensboro Coliseum)
May 4: Hempstead, N.Y. (Nassau Veterans Mem. Col.)
May 5: Charlottesville, Va. (John Paul Jones Arena)
May 7: Toronto (Air Canada Centre)
May 8: University Park, Pa. (Bryce Jordan Center)
May 11: St. Paul, Minn. (Xcel Energy Center)
May 12: Chicago (United Center)
May 14: Albany, N.Y. (Times Union Center)
May 15: Hershey, Pa. (Hersheypark Stadium)
May 18: Washington, D.C. (Verizon Center)
May 19: Pittsburgh (Mellon Arena)
May 21, 23: E. Rutherford, N.J. (Izod Center)
May 30: Landgraaf, Holland (Pink Pop Festival)
June 2: Tampere, Finland (Ratinan Stadion)
June 4-5, 7: Stockholm, Sweden (Stockholm Stadium)
June 9-10: Bergen, Norway (Koengen)
July 2: Munich, Germany (Olympiastadion)
July 3: Frankfurt, Germany (Commerzbank Arena)
July 5: Vienna (Ernst Happel Stadion)
July 8: Herning, Denmark (Herning MCH)
July 11: Dublin (RDS)
July 16: Carhaix, France (Festival des Vielles Charrues)
July 19: Rome, Italy (Stadio Olimpico)
July 21: Turino, Italy (Olimpico di Torino)
July 23: Udine, Italy (Stadio Friuli)
July 26: Bilbao, Spain (San Mames Stadium)
July 28: Benidorm, Spain (Estadio Municipal de Foietes)
July 30: Sevilla, Spain (La Cartuja Olympic Stadium)
Aug. 1: Valladolid, Spain (Estadio Jose Zorrilla)
Aug. 2: Santiago, Spain (Monte Del Gozo)  (Billboard)

 

Although Miami producers Infamous and Drew Correa got their first major placement as a collective when their track “Mr. Carter” appeared on Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter III” album last year, the pair didn’t think they’d have the same luck when they presented Wayne with their latest collaborative effort, “Prom Queen.” “Wayne hit me up one night and wanted us to come through the studio to make some tracks with him live. When the track came together the next morning everyone thought it was the sh*t and [Wayne] told us it would be a single,” 24-year old Correa tells Billboard.com about “Queen,” which introduces Wayne’s April 7 rock-tinged album “Rebirth.” “We thought he was joking,” Correa adds. “We thought he was just saying that to be nice. But a couple of days later we were signing paperwork and it was actually happening.” Infamous admits he was wary about how “rock” the album would turn out to be. “There were rumors Wayne was working on a rock album, but I assumed it was just 808 drums with guitars on it. But that night when we worked on the track, [Wayne] said he wanted lots of drums, bass and guitars,” says Infamous, 28. “Drew started to add organs, and [Wayne] said no. That’s when I realized it was actually going to be a real rock album.” The duo wound up with three tracks on “Rebirth” and say Wayne deserves credit for shifting gears. “He’s done everything he can with hip-hop and has proven himself,” says Infamous. “Now he’s about to prove himself as a rocker and we’re excited to be a part of it.” Correa and Infamous got their start in music separately — Correa as an engineer for Lil Wayne in the early ’00s and Infamous as a DJ and as part of a now-defunct group once singed to Columbia. In 2007, they both quit their day jobs to pursue production full time. They later met through mutual friends. That year, Infamous worked on more than a dozen tracks for Wayne that were slated to appear on “Tha Carter III,” including “She’s A Ryda,” all of which leaked. “Ryda” eventually appeared on Wayne’s digital album, “The Leak.” It wasn’t until Correa put in a call to Infamous, after he’d “dreamt with the hook” to what was later released as “Mr. Carter,” that the two finally landed the major placement they were hoping for. In the future, Infamous and Correa plan to continue working together when the job calls for it as well as individually. Correa is currently working with Birdman and Lupe Fiasco, while Infamous is in the studio with Kid Cudi, Leona Lewis and Rihanna, among others. Together, they are scheduled to work with Kid Sister and Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes. In addition to Infamous and Correa, producers Cool and Dre and Develop also have tracks on “Rebirth.” (Billboard)

 

Former “American Idol” star Katharine McPhee has signed a new deal with Verve, Billboard.com can reveal. The artist is recording her label debut, due before the end of the year. McPhee released a lone self-titled album for RCA in late 2006, which has sold 375,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Since then she’s dabbled in acting, including a role in the 2008 comedy “The House Bunny.” “The album she is working on will show many new sides to her talents as an interpreter and a songwriter, and show everyone just how special she is,” Verve Music Group president/CEO Bruce Resnikoff says. (Billboard)

 

It’s been 50 years since a single-engine plane crashed into a snow-covered Iowa field, instantly killing three men whose names would become enshrined in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. The passing decades haven’t diminished fascination with that night on Feb. 2, 1959, when 22-year-old Buddy Holly, 28-year-old J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and 17-year-old Ritchie Valens performed in Clear Lake and then boarded the plane for a planned 300-mile flight that lasted only minutes. “It was really like the first rock ‘n’ roll landmark; the first death,” said rock historian Jim Dawson, who has written several books about music of that era. “They say these things come in threes. Well, all three happened at the same time.” Starting Wednesday, thousands of people are expected to gather in the small northern Iowa town where the rock pioneers gave their last performance. They’ll come to the Surf Ballroom for symposiums with the three musicians’ relatives, sold-out concerts and a ceremony as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame designates the building as its ninth national landmark. And they’ll discuss why after so many years, so many people still care about what songwriter Don McLean so famously called “the day the music died.” “It was the locus point for that last performance by these great artists,” said Terry Stewart, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. “It warrants being fixed in time.” Clear Lake is an unlikely spot for a rock ‘n’ roll pilgrimage – especially in winter. The resort town of about 8,000 borders its namesake lake, and on winter days the cold and wind make the community 100 miles north of Des Moines anything but a tourist destination. The crash site is on private property, a five-mile drive from Clear Lake and half-mile walk off the road. Corn grows high in adjacent fields during the summer, but in winter the fields are covered with snow and a path to the small memorial is often thick with ice. The memorial features a small cross and thin metal guitar and records, all of which are draped in flowers during the summer. “It’s a much nicer trip in the summer,” said Jeff Nicholas, a longtime Clear Lake resident who heads the Surf Ballroom’s board of directors. “But in the winter, you get more of a feel of what it was like.” No one tracks the number of visitors, but fans stop by throughout the year and on some summer days visitors to the crash site can create the oddity of a corn field traffic jam. Stewart said the deaths still resonate because they occurred at a time when rock ‘n’ roll was going through a transition, of sorts. The sound of Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Holly was making way for the British Invasion of the mid-1960s. “The music was shifting and changing at that point,” he said. “The crash put a punctuation point on the change.” All three musicians influenced rock and roll in their own way. Holly’s career was short, but his hiccup-vocal style, guitar play and songwriting talents had tremendous influence on later performers. The Beatles, who formed about the time of the crash, were among his early fans and fashioned their name after Holly’s band, The Crickets. Holly’s hit songs include “That’ll Be The Day,” “Peggy Sue” and “Maybe Baby.” Richardson, “The Big Bopper,” is often credited with creating the first music video with his recorded performance of “Chantilly Lace” in 1958, decades before MTV. And Valens was one of the first musicians to apply a Mexican influence to rock ‘n’ roll. He recorded his huge hit “La Bamba” only months before the accident. The plane left the airport in nearby Mason City about 1 a.m., headed for Moorhead, Minn., with the musicians looking for a break from a tiring, cold bus trip through the Upper Midwest. It wasn’t until hours later that the demolished plane was found, crumpled against a wire fence. Investigators believe the pilot, who also died, became confused amid the dark, snowy conditions and rammed the plane into the ground. The crash set off a wave of mourning among their passionate, mostly young fans across the country. Then 12 years later the crash was immortalized as “the day the music died” in McLean’s 1971 song, “American Pie.” Vonnie Amosson, who manages the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Clear Lake, said that ever since the plane crash, the community has embraced the tragedy. It’s a continues stream of tourism dollars, and the town’s chamber of commerce estimates that this year’s events, dubbed “50s in February,” will generate more than $4 million for Clear Lake’s economy. “It’s kind of sad that that is what we are known for,” Amosson said. “But on the other part of it, I think the whole ’50′s in February’ weekend is a huge memorial and it’s an honor to them.” In part because of its role in rock history, the Surf Ballroom has retained its vintage look, with a 6,000-square-foot dance floor, ceiling painted to resemble a sky, and original cloud machines on either side of the room. Ten Buddy Holly banners line the wall opposite the stage. The 2,100-capacity ballroom still hosts many national and regional performers, most of whom add their names to a backstage wall that is now crowded with drawings and signatures. “It’s quite a special place,” said Nicholas, the Surf board member. “This place looks just like it did in 1959.” (Daily Record)

 

 

Music Review: The Bird & the Bee still buzz-worthy:  (Daily Record)

The Bird & The Bee, “Ray Guns are Not Just The Future” (Blue Note Records)

On the follow-up to their delightful, self-titled debut, the Bird & the Bee increase the funk quotient a bit, but otherwise pretty much stick to their musical blueprint, a psychedelic -sounding mixture of pop and jazz that has become their trademark.

And for that, we are thankful.

Because while the Bird & the Bee – the duo otherwise known as Inara George and Greg Kurstin – may have kept the same formula, there’s never been anything formulaic about the engaging group. George’s demure, syrupy-sweet vocals sound more playful than ever against an even more eclectic (if possible) musical backdrop by Kurstin. “Love Letter To Japan” sounds a bit more contemporary than the ’60s-style jazzy instrumental that he’s served up before. “Witch” has more of retro rock sound.

The music has always been only part of what makes the Bird & the Bee so appealing. Besides George’s pure-as-snow vocals and Kurstin’s music, the snarky-sweet lyrical combination makes them truly irresistible. Listeners will be hanging on every word: “Baby” is especially engaging with the oddly compelling opening line: “You broke some bones when we were young, I can remember how you moaned, so I carried you home, like a baby.”

The Bird & the Bee remain one of the most buzz-worthy acts around.

 

 

MOVIE . . .

 

He may routinely save the world as James Bond, but Daniel Craig is stepping into his bad-guy uniform, to play the evil seaman Red Rackham in the upcoming Steven Spielberg screen adaptation of The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn. The movie – in which Craig’s Defiance costar Jamie Bell (best known as Billy Elliot in the 2000 film of the same name) plays the fearless young reporter Tintin – is already in production, in 3-D, say reports. Due for release in 2011, this Tintin is expected to be the first in a screen trilogy. Lord of the Rings Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson is set to direct the sequel. (People)

 

The story of Bonnie and Clyde is getting a retelling, with Hilary Duff and Kevin Zegers in negotiations to play the infamous 1930s bank robbers. Tonya S. Holly is directing “The Story of Bonnie and Clyde” and producing the indie drama with Tom Rogers via her Cypress Moon Studios. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were Depression-era lovers and outlaws whose exploits captured the public’s imagination. Their story has hit the big screen several times, with 1967′s “Bonnie and Clyde,” starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, considered a classic. The makers are stressing that the new film is not a remake and are promising to showcase times in the couple’s lives not seen onscreen before. Holly first became interested in the story of the fugitive lovers after finding old newspaper articles about their exploits in an abandoned house on her family’s property. Holly most recently wrote, produced and directed the family film “When I Find the Ocean,” which stars Lee Majors, Diane Ladd and Graham Greene.  “Bonnie” is scheduled to shoot in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.  Zegers’ credits include “The Stone Angel,” “The Jane Austen Book Club” and “Transamerica.” The actor, repped by CAA and Untitled Entertainment, most recently starred with Ben Kingsley and Jim Sturgess in “Fifty Dead Men Walking.” Duff, whose most recent feature role was “War Inc.,” is repped by WMA and Curtis Talent Management. She just signed to star in the NBC comedy “Barely Legal” under her development deal with the network. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Thanks to a string of strong domestic releases India’s box-office appears off to fine start in 2009, two months on Tuesday since a three-day terrorist attack shut cinemas and shook all walks of life in India’s commercial and film capital Mumbai.  With all the attention being paid to “Slumdog Millionaire,” Indian film industry executives note, not without a hint of pride, that though British director Danny Boyle’s film set in the Mumbai slums has earned 10-Oscar nominations, the ongoing recovery at the Indian box-office began back in December and is standing on the shoulders of homegrown heroes. With cinemas shuttered, then reopening slowly after the Nov. 26-28 attacks, the shadow truly began to lift when superstar Shah Rukh Khan brightened screens in mid-December in the romantic comedy “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi” (God Made This Couple) from veteran Bollywood banner Yash Raj Films.  Though there is no independent source for box-office figures in India, industry estimates show that since its release five weeks ago “Jodi” has grossed about 1 billion rupees ($22 million). “Jodi” was followed by an even bigger local hit in suspense caper “Ghajini,” starring Aamir Khan, which estimates show has grossed a over $32.6 million in the three weeks since its release in early January. Amitabh Vardhan, CEO of PVR Cinemas, India’s No. 2 theater chain with 108 screens nationwide, said business had bounced back “in about two weeks following the Mumbai attacks.” Amid the success of local fare, Warner Bros’ debut Bollywood offering “Chandni Chowk To China” has performed below expectations since its Jan. 16 release, despite advance buzz and a hefty budget.  Warner said “China” collected an opening weekend gross of $6.8 million in India but failed to pick up steam in the following weeks after mostly negative reviews of the caper starring comedian Akshay Kumar. “Had ‘China’ not bitten the dust, the industry would’ve continued its winning streak,” said Mumbai-based trade analyst Taran Adarsh. “We enjoyed the starters (‘Jodi’), we enjoyed the meal (‘Ghajini’) but the dessert (‘China’) left a bitter taste,” he said. Regardless, January has been special for Hollywood in India, with a rare three releases in a single month: “China,” then “Slumdog” on Jan. 22, then, the same weekend, the thriller “Raaz 2: The Mystery Continues,” a co-production from Sony BMG India and Bollywood banner Vishesh Films.  Mumbai-based Sony Pictures Releasing India had high hopes for “Raaz” over the weekend, given that Monday was a national holiday to celebrate India’s 60th Republic Day.  While the newly established Fox Star Studios has yet to issue official figures, industry estimates reckon that both the English and Hindi dubbed versions of “Slumdog” have collected about $ 1.9 million in ticket sales. Sony’s “Raaz,” meanwhile, is said to have collected about $2.6 million.  Vardhan said that there has been a “healthy response to both films which maintained average occupancy levels of between 60-65 percent over the weekend.”  The New Delhi-based said he feels that India’s 2009 box-office run “is on track to at least maintain the same levels as last year.” Next up, the coming weekend sees two major releases. First, for cricket-mad India, there’s the cricket caper “Victory,” featuring actor Harman Baweja with guest cricket stars from around the world. Next there’s “Luck By Chance,” starring Farhan Akhtar as a newcomer in Bollywood, co-produced by Big Pictures, a unit of Reliance Big Entertainment, Stephen Spielberg’s newest partner. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Minnie Driver has joined Hilary Swank in “Betty Anne Waters,” a legal drama that Tony Goldwyn is directing for Omega Entertainment. The film is based on the true story of Waters (Swank), an unemployed single mother who saw her brother convicted for a murder-robbery in 1983 and sentenced to life in prison. Convinced of his innocence, she spent the next decade earning a law degree and working on her brother’s case, challenging the conviction with DNA evidence. Richard LaGravenese wrote the most recent draft; Pamela Gray penned the original script. Driver plays Abra, Swank’s law school friend with a wild-party past who helps her with the brother’s case.  Omega is financing. Andrew Sugerman, Andrew Karsch and Goldwyn are producing, and Swank is exec producing. The movie shoots next month.  Driver, repped by CAA and Untitled, most recently appeared in FX’s “The Riches,” for which she was Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated. She stars with Uma Thurman and Anthony Edwards in “Motherhood,” a comedy that premiered at Sundance. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Movies by Iranian and Peruvian directors will compete for the Berlin film festival’s top prize this year alongside new offerings starring Renee Zellweger, Tommy Lee Jones, Michelle Pfeiffer, Judi Dench and others, organizers said Tuesday. The Berlin event, the first of the year’s major European film festivals, runs from Feb. 5-15. Eighteen films will compete for the main Golden Bear prize, while another eight will show out of competition, including the Oscar-nominated Holocaust-themed drama “The Reader,” starring Kate Winslet. Festival director Dieter Kosslick said many films this year reflect the impact of globalization on people’s lives. He argued that the global economic crisis has given new relevance to films such as Tom Tykwer’s “The International,” starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts, which opens the festival next week and traces financial transactions that fuel war and terrorism. “Many films suddenly reflect reality better than anything else,” Kosslick said at a news conference. “Reality has caught up with fiction this year.” The festival program has a typically diverse geographical reach, including films by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi’s “About Elly,” “The Milk of Sorrow” by Peruvian-born Claudia Llosa, and Chinese director Chen Kaige’s “Forever Enthralled.” The latest movie by Stephen Frears, the British director of “The Queen,” is set to make its debut. “Cheri,” a romantic drama set in 1920s France, stars Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates. France’s Bertrand Tavernier is bringing a new U.S.-set drama, “In The Electric Mist,” starring Jones, to the festival. Another Frenchman, Francois Ozon, is competing with “Ricky” and veteran Polish director Andrzej Wajda contributes his latest film, “Tatarak.” Dench stars alongside Jude Law and Steve Buscemi in Sally Potter’s “Rage.” Zellweger plays a 1950s divorcee embarking on a road trip in search of a wealthy husband in Richard Loncraine’s “My One And Only.” Other U.S. entries in the competition come from Oren Moverman – “The Messenger,” starring Woody Harrelson – and Mitchell Lichtenstein. He contributes “Happy Tears,” starring Demi Moore. Director Kosslick said he did not expect the global economic crisis to have any direct effect on the festival, which has not seen any sponsors depart. The winner will be chosen by a seven-person international jury under British actress Tilda Swinton. Last year’s Golden Bear went to “Elite Squad” by Brazilian director Jose Padilha. (Daily Record)

 

Shareholders of an ill-fated Stan Lee venture are seeking more than $750 million in profits from films based on Marvel comic characters such as “Spider-Man,” “X-Men” and “Iron Man.” The lawsuit was filed Monday in a Manhattan federal court on behalf of four shareholders of Stan Lee Media, Inc. Defendants include Lee, his wife, New York-based Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and former Marvel CEO Avi Arad. The lawsuit claims profits from Lee’s comic creations belong to the company, which emerged from bankruptcy in 2006. The suit claims Lee and others ignored the company and shareholder’s interests. Lee could not immediately be reached for comment. Marvel said through a spokesman that the lawsuit is filled with “ridiculous claims.” (Daily Record)

 

 

TV . . .

 

Donny Osmond has let slip that he is about to step into his sister Marie’s shoes – her dancing shoes. While next season’s stars have yet to be announced for the ABC hit Dancing with the Stars, Donny appeared with Marie for a Monday taping of the syndicated The Bonnie Hunt Show for an episode scheduled to air Tuesday. Asked by his TV hostess if, like his sister, he’d ever consider doing Dancing, the former teen idol, 51, flashed his trademark smile and said, “Well, I guess I am making an announcement. I’ll say I am seriously considering doing it, let’s put it that way.” Never one for a poker face, Osmond added with a laugh, “I guess I just let the cat out of the bag.” On Dancing‘s fifth season, Marie, 49, was paired with pro dancer Jonathan Roberts. Not that hers was an easy contest. She passed out after a samba the fifth week, family patriarch George Osmond died the seventh week and her scores from the judges as the season wound down resembled a roller-coaster track. Won’t Be Upstaged Even so, her older sibling told Hunt, “I can’t let my sister upstage me. Besides, who do you think taught her how to dance?”  “That not fair!” snapped back Marie. “The men do half the work.” “That’s why I’m doing it, baby,” Donny teased. “It is going to be very difficult because I am going to be doing [the Osmonds' Las Vegas show] on top of doing Dancing with the Stars.” Like a referee, Hunt said, “I think it is going to be fabulous to watch you on the show, Donny. We’re gonna love it. You are a natural-born performer.” Interjected Marie: “I just want to see him in stretchy pants.” (People)

 

Zak George is a big dog in the world of dog trainers. And he could soon get even bigger, thanks to a TV series that cable’s Animal Planet has in the works. Tentatively titled “Fetch Me a Beer,” the new show will invite dog owners to propose tricks that George can help them teach their pets. Can a dog play baseball or pinball? Serve as “wingman” to help her dateless owner meet women? Square dance? Or, in the case of a bulldog named Rufus in the pilot episode, fetch a brew from the fridge for his master, Evan, who’s relaxing on the sofa? Almost any task or stunt seems possible when a pooch gets the right step-by-step instruction and encouragement. But at the moment of truth, will the dog-and-human duo be able to demonstrate the trick? A 30-year-old Atlanta native, George glimpsed the learning capacity of canines in his border collie Venus when she was a pup. “But I realized that if I was going to bring out her potential, I was going to need to dedicate a lot more time to her,” he recalls. That was five years ago. He ditched the job he had had since his teens – selling real estate – and switched to full-time dog training. “That was a step backward in many people’s eyes,” George acknowledges. “But it didn’t take long to bring them around.” Since then, George and Venus have won numerous competitions, made TV guest appearances (including “Late Show With David Letterman”), and won fans on a popular YouTube site. Now his show is in production, with initial casting calls seeking owners who have tricks in mind for their dogs in Boston and South Florida. The 20-episode series is scheduled to premiere in July. (Daily Record)

 

NBC pulled the plug on a PETA pro-veggie commercial planned for the Super Bowl because it “depicts a level of sexuality exceeding our standards,” according to NBC Universal’s advertising standards executive, Victoria Morgan. The ad, which carries the tagline, “Studies Show Vegetarians Have Better Sex,” shows lingerie-clad stunners getting “intimate” with vegetables. One shot depicts an actress “rubbing [her] pelvic region with pumpkin.” Says a PETA rep: “PETA’s veggie ads are locked out, while ads for fried chicken and burgers are allowed, even though these foods make Americans fat, sick and boring in bed.” (Page Six)

 

For the third year running, ABC leads nominees for awards from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The network earned six nominations for the 20th annual GLAAD Media Awards, with “Brothers & Sisters,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Ugly Betty” among its contenders. The awards recognize fair and inclusive portrayals of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and issues affecting them. “How our lives are portrayed in the media doesn’t make a bit of difference, it makes all the difference,” said GLAAD president Neil G. Giuliano. The organization announced its 185 nominees in 41 categories Tuesday. CBS earned four nominations and NBC nabbed two. Nominees for feature film in wide release include “Brideshead Revisited,” “Milk,” “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” “RocknRolla” and “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” “The nominees this year prove that the stories of LGBT Americans are interesting, compelling and will touch not only LGBT audiences, but broader audiences as well,” Giuliano said. Special prizes will be presented to Tyra Banks and Suze Orman. Banks will receive the Excellence in Media award, and Orman will receive the Vito Russo award. The GLAAD Media Awards – which also recognize magazine and newspaper content, theater performances, advertising and Spanish programming – will be presented at three separate ceremonies: in New York on March 28, in Los Angeles on April 19 and in San Francisco on May 9. (Daily Record)

 

ABC announced the creation of a new Thursday night comedy block and scheduling of two of its three remaining midseason comedies. Starting March 26, the network will plant single-mom comedy “In the Motherhood” into Thursdays at 8 p.m., while moving “Samantha Who?” from Mondays to Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. Usual time period occupant “Ugly Betty” will take a rare hiatus, then will return to the slot later in the season after “Motherhood” and “Who” finish their short-order runs. ABC also has scheduled the office sitcom “Better Off Ted,” airing Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. starting March 18, paired in the hour with “Scrubs.” The Thursday move puts ABC’s comedy block head-to-head against NBC’s “My Name Is Earl” and “Kath & Kim,” which have slipped in the ratings in recent months. ABC is not the first competitor to see an opportunity in the hour. Just last week Fox moved medical drama “Bones” into the same slot and won first place. The move also represents one of the first hints that ABC might be getting frustrated with the performance of “Betty,” which has served as a dependable, yet relatively modest, lead-in for top-rated “Grey’s Anatomy.” ABC will forgo airing “Betty” repeats in order to squeeze in the two comedies. Still not scheduled: Mike Judge’s animated comedy “The Goode Family,” which is considered a challenge because ABC does not have other animated shows to pair it with. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

China’s State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT) vice minister Tian Jin will lead a high-powered Chinese industry delegation at a series of “Focus on China” events and private receptions to be held during this year’s MIPTV. Tian Jin said despite the global economic crisis, “China’s economy remains relatively vibrant.” He said the aim of attending MIPTV “is to develop television program exchanges and co-operation with other countries, to promote mutual understanding and friendship between China and the world.” SARFT said it plans to use MIPTV to encourage international players to embark on more and wider factual co-productions with Chinese organizations at a dedicated seminar entitled “Cooperation between China and Other Countries in Television Programs.” MIPTV runs March 30 through April 3 in Cannes, France. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

UTV Software Communications posted a 29% rise in quarterly net profit on Tuesday, led by gains in television content and gaming, but its broadcast division continued to make losses, pressuring margins. The company, with interests in broadcasting, television content, gaming and new media, reported net profit of 299 million rupees ($6.1 million) for the group, compared with $4.73 million a year ago while net sales rose by a tenth to $27.6 million. According to a poll of analysts, UTV Software’s profit was expected to more than halve to $2.1 million while net sales was projected at $30.3 million rupees. The gaming division grew by a fifth compared with the previous quarter, mainly on contribution from operations in India, a fast growing market for mobile gaming, UTV said. Broadcasting made a loss of $2.3 million while the television content division’s profit remained stable, it said in a press release. The firm had said in November its loss in broadcasting for the third and fourth quarters of 2008/09 will not exceed  $3.1 million. It hopes to break even in fiscal first quarter of 2010/11, the company said on Tuesday. UTV Software Communications in November also consolidated operations for four television channels – Bindass, Bindass Movies, UTV Movies and World Movies – by phasing out its Delhi operations. Its motion pictures division had two successful small budget film releases – “Oye Lucky Lucky Oye” and “Fashion” – in the quarter. “The growth as well as the success of our movies has not corresponded with the bottom line thus far, primarily because revenue exploitation has been back-ended and the cycle extended,” CEO Ronnie Screwvala said in the statement. However, the company, which has invested $84 million into motion pictures, expects the benefits of a strong movie library, including Hollywood ones, to accrue in coming quarters. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Talentless rich kids from coast to coast! The New York version of Lauren Conrad, Whitney Port, just scored herself another few months of work. MTV has picked up WhitWhit’s ‘reality’ show, The City, for a second season. Are y’all really watching that shiz? MTV needs to change its name to R (‘Reality’) TV! (Perez Hilton)

 

 

TODAY’S IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION . . . (Mike Butts Creative)

 

Q.  On average if we are looking we will see eleven of them?

            A.  Rainbows

 

 

TODAY’S QUOTE (By John Updike)

 

“DREAMS COME TRUE; WITHOUT THAT POSSIBILITY, NATURE WOULD NOT INCITE US TO HAVE THEM.”

 

 

MIND BOGGLERS . . .

 

Q.  What was the name of Richard Nixon’s cocker spaniel that he mentioned in one of his most famous speeches?

            A.  Checkers

 

Q.  By tradition we can expect six more weeks of winter if on Groundhog Day, February 2, the groundhog:?

            A.  Sees its Shadow

 

Q.  Humphrey Bogart’s on- and off-screen costar, the smart and sultry actress born Betty Jane Perske, adopted what name for Hollywood?

            A.  Lauren Bacall

 

Q.  Which 20th-century actor, dancer, and singer, best known for her work in musical films, changed her given name of Frances Gumm?

            A.  Judy Garland

 

Q.  Who is the month of January named for?

            A.  Janus, the Roman god of doors and gateways

 

Q.  In which year did the National Weather Service first use male names as well as female names to identify hurricanes?

            A. 1979

 

 

BIRTHDAYS . . .

 

—1457  King Henry VII  (d.)

—1822  Former Canadian Prime Minister Alexander MacKenzie  (d. 4-17-1892)

—1884  Scientist/Explorer Auguste Piccard  (d. 3-24-1962)

—1884  Scientist/Explorer Jean Felix Piccard  (d. 1-28-1963)

—1929  Musician Aker Bilk (“Stranger On The Shore”)

—1935  Actor Nicholas Pryor  (Risky Business)

—1936  Actor Alan Alda  (Betsy’s Wedding)

—1943  Actress Susan Howard  (Dallas)

¾1943  Actor John Beck  (Nichols)

—1943  Singer Jean Knight

—1943  Drummer Brian Keenan (Chamber Brothers) (“Time Has Come Today”) (d. 10-5-1985)

—1950  Actress/Model Barbi Benton

¾1957  Actress Harley Jane Kozak  (When Harry Met Sally)

—1959  Musician Dave Sharp  (Alarm)

¾1968  Singer Sarah McLachlan

¾1969  Actress Kathryn Morris (Cold Case)

¾1977  Singer Joey Fatone  (N Sync)

¾1980  Singer Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys)

¾1981  Actor Elijah Wood  (The Good Son)

 

 

THIS DAY IN HISTORY . . .

 

—1547  Britain’s King Henry VII died.

¾1782  Congress resolved that the secretary of the Congress should “keep the public seal, and cause the same to be affixed to every act, ordinance or paper, which Congress shall direct.”  Although the seal did not exist yet, Congress recognized the need for it.

—1807  The world’s first street lamps — gas powered — lit up the night on London’s Pall Mall.

—1878  The world’s first commercial telephone exchange went into service in New Haven.

—1886  Engineer Karl Benz of Mannheim, Germany, patented his three-wheeled, gasoline-powered vehicle, the world’s first automobile.

—1915  Congress created the U.S. Coast Guard.

—1956  Elvis Presley makes his television debut singing “Heartbreak Hotel” on the “Dorsey Brothers Show.”

—1965  The Who’s first appearance on “Ready Steady Go!”

—1970  Jimi Hendrix headlines the Vietnam Moratorium Committee’s Winter Festival for Peace at Madison Square Garden.  Also on the bill are the Rascals, Peter, Paul and Mary, Harry Belafonte, Judy Collins and Dave Brubeck.

¾1973  “Barnaby Jones” premieres on CBS TV.  This drama about a private eye who comes out of retirement following his son’s murder starred Buddy Ebsen.

—1976  Gary Glitter announces his retirement from live performances at the age of 31. He begins performing again a few years later to pay off a tax debt.

—1977  Comedian Freddie Prinze commits suicide.

¾1978  “Fantasy Island” premieres on TV.

—1978  The Doobie Bros. appear as themselves in a two-part episode of “What’s Happening.”

—1984  “Thriller” by Michael Jackson is number one on the US and UK album charts. The Smiths’ first three singles are the top three records on the British independent chart.

—1985  A few dozen of the biggest rock stars in the world arrived at an L.A. studio to record the song “We Are The World.” A partial list of the performers included Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Dionne Warwick, Smokey Robinson, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Harry Belafonte, Ray Charles, Huey Lewis, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson. The taping went all night ’til 7 the next morning, when most of them went out for chicken and waffles and to reflect on Rock & Roll’s finest moment. The recording was to benefit famine relief efforts.

—1985  Simple Minds release “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” from the soundtrack to the “Breakfast Club.”  David Lee Roth releases his “Crazy From The Heat” EP.

—1986  Space Shuttle Challenger exploded at 11:39 a.m., 73 seconds after launch. Seven astronauts died: Christa McAuliffe, Frances Scobee, Michael Smith, Judith Resnik, Ellison Onizuka, Ronald McNair and Gregory Jarvis.

—1987  Jerry Lee Lewis III is born in Memphis.

—1988  Sammy Hagar announces that Van Halen, the Scorpions, Metallica, and Dokken will participate in a “Monsters Of Rock” summer tour of the US.

—1989  Ringo Starr’s children’s series, “Shining Time Station” begins airing on PBS.

¾2001  Baltimore Ravens beat the New York Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV

 

 

RADIO ONLINE® DAILY SHOW PREP™ . . .

 

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1547, England’s King Henry VIII died and was succeeded by his 9-year-old son Edward VI. One of the new king’s first acts was to extend the royal bedtime past 8 o’clock.

In 1807, London lit its first street using gas. The annoying part was the guy on the street corner, constantly saying, “Pull my finger! Pull my finger!”

On this date in 1861, Kansas became a state. Up until then, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz had no idea where she wasn’t.

In 1920, Walt Disney started working as an artist for $20 a week. Eventually, he quit that Mickey Mouse job and the rest is history.

TODAY IS

Couple of former “boy toys” have birthdays today. Joey Fatone 32, Nick Carter 29… and that score is a final.

Former baseball player Steve Sax turns 49 today. Every night before the game, his teammates would always avoid him. They said it was the manager’s rule: no Sax before a big game!

Oprah Winfrey celebrates #55 today. Oh, I’m sorry… Senator Oprah Winfrey. Alan Alda turns 73. One of the most famous “Hawkeyes” never to attend the University of Iowa.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

·         A federal appeals court has ordered Taco Bell to pay $42 million to the creators of the little Chihuahua who made the phrase “!Yo quiero Taco Bell!” popular.

·         Matt Lauer will have the first sit-down interview with President Obama since he took office… and you’ll see that in the Super Bowl pre-game show.

·         To trim your waistline and tone your abs, just play with a hula hoop! Personal trainer Lorrie Henry of Phoenix, Arizona says the still-popular toy is becoming a staple in many fitness and exercise routines.

·         Notice how the TV stations have been yelling “February 17th is coming!” for a while now. Now it appears congress believes America is not ready to make the switch to digital TV quite yet… and are planning on delaying the deadline four months or so.

·         How about this new celebrity couple: Kirsten Dunst and Josh Hartnett?

·         Rapper Kanye West now wants to be known as Martin Louis the King, Jr., incorporating his love of the French designer Louis Vuittone with a tribute to U.S. civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

·         Marie’s done it… now, Donny Osmond is said to be interested in “Dancing with the Stars.”

·         The ashes of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and his wife will both be shot into space some time next year.

·         Madonna tops Pollstar‘s top 20 concert tours with $5.153,252 in receipts and an average ticket price of $142.38.

·         Hope you didn’t have your fingers crossed for any more “Fantastic Four” movies. That franchise appears to be dead.

·         Spice Girl Geri Halliwell is engaged to wed Italian yacht-company owner Fabrizio Politi.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

 

Men’s Health asked readers what they fear:

·         64% do not fear public speaking

·         63% do not fear growing older

·         65% do not fear death

·         88% do not fear air travel

·         57% do not fear a poor sexual performance

95% of women are most likely to pay attention to the vehicle’s cleanliness both inside and out on their date’s car, according to survey by Ford Motor Co. 58% said that the condition of their date’s vehicle would at least somewhat impact their attraction to the person.

 

Having a romantic relationship makes both men and women happier, and the stronger the relationship’s commitment, the greater the happiness and sense of well-being of its partners, according to a recent study from Cornell University and Pennsylvania State University. Interestingly, both husbands and wives have a far greater sense of well-being, compared to singles or co-habitators, even if the marriage is not a particularly happy one.

 

75% of teens online use Instant Messaging for about 40 minutes per day, compared with 42% of adults. Some 20% of teens have used IM to ask someone out and to break up as well. Almost a third of teens admit to saying something in an Instant Message that they wouldn’t have said in person.

 

Glamour reports about women and their living space:

·         36% say their biggest decorating splurge was their bed

·         The average young single woman pays $456 a month in rent

·         35% of women younger than 45 own their own home

·         85% say they clean their home once a week or more

·         67% tackle their own project around the house

·         37% would rather garden or paint their place than go shopping

·         45% say they most often eat dinner on their couch

·         47% of women ages 18-24 still live at home with their parents

·         9% of women age 25-34 still live at home with their parents

·         77% of women described their decorating style as cozy and casual

·         39% of people do not decorate for the holidays

If you love hip hop music, chances are you have fared better in the bedroom than your friends who prefer country music. Hip hop fans are likely to have had more sexual partners in the last five years than fans of other types of music, according to a study from Britain’s University of Leicester.

 

According to Women’s Health, the average person loses 49 minutes of sleep each night when they share a bed with a snorer. And the mag estimates that 30% of women snore with some regularity.

 

Couples who smooch just for the heck of it have eight times less stress and depression than those who pucker up only when they have sex, a Berman Center Study found.

 

Teenagers, texting, and driving: Three words you never want to hear in a sentence. These days text messaging has taken over a quick phone call and even a conversation that could take 15 minutes, especially with our teens. California is trying to pass a law that does not allow teenagers to text while driving. The argument could be: should anyone be texting while driving. Is this safe? Is it safe for a young teenager or young adult to drive and text, or better yet at any age? We did a poll on our web page and be of people said that all electronic devices should be banned, be the drivers kids or adults.

 

PHONE TOPICS

·         What’s the funniest Super Bowl commercials that you can remember seeing?

·         OK, who do YOU blame for our current economic situation?

·         What’s the #1 thing the government can do to make a difference in your life?

·         Favorite, “As seen on TV,” product.

·         How many dates before you can “hook up?”

·         What’s the largest number of kid your house has ever had for a sleepover?

·         What’s the perfect “first car” for a teen?

·         Ever OD’d on coffee?

·         What do you buy too much of?

·         Which conspiracy theories do you buy into, and why? Do you think that the government is hiding anything from the general public?

·         What unexpected bills did your parents get because of you? What bills have your kids given you?

·         If you could wake up one morning and be someone else, who would it be?

·         What one candy reminds you of being a kid?

·         Where’s the best tropical vacation spot?

·         What 1960s TV show should they remake?

What would you be willing to do for a ticket to the Super Bowl? One Pennsylvania woman says she’ll put advertisements on almost any part of her body to score Super Bowl tickets. If you decided to put an ad somewhere on your body, which sport tickets or concert tickets would you be willing to do it for?

 

Even though the economy is not doing well. Cosmetic surgeons are! Especially in Britain. More than 34,000 procedures were performed last year – a leap of more than five per cent over 2007. Just breast implant surgeries alone rose 30%. What are some luxuries in life that you’ll never cut back on, even if you’re down and out financially?

 

Are you a fan of William L. Peterson like I am? If so, you probably didn’t like the show without him. In fact, now that he’s off the show, viewership is down. “CSI: Crime Scene

Investigation,” last week scored big audiences for star Petersen’s finale after 8 1/2 seasons. But now with Laurence Fishburne as Petersen’s replacement, it tumbled 11% compared with its prior season average. Phoner: Which of your favorite TV shows couldn’t live without it’s top star?

 

Some people will never learn. Paul McCartney was seen recently on a Mexican beach with “gal pal” Nancy Shevell, who’s 49. Now British newspapers are saying they Paul has plans to make a third trip down the aisle now that Shevell is officially divorced. McCartney has been dating his new squeeze for more than a year. We asked our listeners, “how long you should wait before getting married again?” A few people called up and said that you shouldn’t be able to get married 3 times, just 2…max! Interesting viewpoints.

 

Have you ever almost fallen asleep at the wheel? I don’t think there’s a person with a license that hasn’t almost fell asleep, do you? Now Mercedes is coming out with a new anti-drowsy defense system. It’s the new Mercedes 2010 E-class. It will offer a feature that senses when the driver gets drowsy and alerts them with a chime and a flashing light. More safety systems will warn the driver about vehicles in the car’s blind spots when it begins to wander out of its lane.

 

What is something that no one tells you before marriage? We had lots of great calls from listeners. We primed them with this list from Redbook: “8 Things No One Tells You About Marriage”:

1.      You will look at the person lying next to you and wonder, Is this it? Forever?

2.      You’ll work harder than you ever imagined.

3.      You will sometimes go to bed mad (and maybe even wake up madder).

4.      You will go without sex — sometimes for a long time — and that’s okay.

5.      Getting your way is usually not as important as finding a way to work together.

6.      A great marriage doesn’t mean no conflict; it simply means a couple keeps trying to get it right.

7.      You’ll realize that you can only change yourself.

8.      As you face your fears and insecurities, you will find out what you’re really made of.

My wife has a friend who always complains. Usually at fast food places she’ll say no ketchup and when she gets her food she opens it up right there (no matter how many people are in line) and if they mess up she complains and always gets another for free next visit. She’ll call when she gets home to complain. Phoner: Tell us about your friend who’s always complaining?

 

Try this sometime. Ask your listeners if they know the address of the White House. Wow! We had just about every address you can imagine, except the right one. Funny stuff. Edit the calls together. Drives the right wing conservatives nuts! (It’s 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue by the way)

 

Was there something your parents made you learn, as a kid that you hated then, but boy aren’t you glad you know it now? If you could own your “dream car” what would it be?

 

We got calls talking about women wearing glasses and whether that’s sexy. I maintain it is, depending of course on the glasses and the woman, but my partner disagreed. A number of women called to say they’ve experienced it themselves, including one whose husband gets all sorts of frisky when she has hers on and another who said her waitressing tips go up about 30 percent when she’s wearing her glasses.

 

Have you noticed people don’t dress up when going out in public like they used to? For example: the movies, dinner date, airplane flights, and several other places. This opens up the discussion, are people getting too casual or is everyone just tired of dressing up?

 

10 funny flirting facts (from the book Man with Farm Seeks Woman with Tractor: The Best and Worst Personal Ads of All Time)

1.      Flirting is good for you. Studies show that people who flirt have higher white blood-cell counts, which boost their immunity and keep them healthy.

2.      Think it ends at a little eye batting? Hardly — all told, scientists say there are 52 “flirting signals” used by humans. Of these, the hair flip is the most common.

3.      In some places, flirting is illegal. In Little Rock, AR, an antiquated law is still on the books warning that engaging in playful banter may result in a 30-day jail term. In New York City, another outdated law mandates that men may be fined $25 for gazing lasciviously at a female; a second conviction stipulates the offender wear a pair of blinders whenever he goes out for a walk.

4.      Why wait for Happy Hour? Lots of people get their flirt on during their morning commute. A full 62 percent of drivers have flirted with someone in a different vehicle while on the go, and 31 percent of those flirtations, it turns out, resulted in a date.

5.      Flirting need not occur face to face. According to Pew Research, 40 percent of people who look for love online say they can easily flirt with someone via email or IM.

6.      In the Victorian era, fans were the ultimate playful prop that could communicate all sorts of messages. A fan placed near the heart meant, You have won my love. A half-opened fan pressed to the lips suggested, You may kiss me.

7.      These days, cell phones do the flirting. In one survey, half of all mobile phone users have texted suggestive messages to keep things interesting while away from their amour.

8.      Watch out, you can overdo it. According to the Social Issues Research Centre, the most common mistake people make when flirting is maintaining too much eye contact.

9.      Sometimes, flirty gestures aren’t what they seem. Research has shown that men tend to routinely mistake friendly behavior for flirting.

10.  Flirting is universal. A woman living in New York City and one in rural Cambodia may not have much in common, but when it comes to attracting a little attention, they both employ the very same move: smiling, arching their eyebrows, then averting their gaze and giggling.

What’s your best flirting “tactic”?

 

A recent study shows that people lie about 25% of the time in a social interaction that lasts more than 10 minutes. Another expert says people lie three to five times a day. Phoner: Are you a big fat liar?

 

I forget how we got on the subject, but we got a number of calls on the way people play little games with themselves to save money. For instance, a bartender friend of mine pockets any bills she gets for tips, but takes coin tips home. She says the loose change pays for her vacation each summer.

 

What was your favorite ethnic food when you traveled overseas? What would America’s favorite food be? Burgers? Pizza? See if you could come up with your area’s own top 5 list.

 

We asked listeners to call with their drivers license stories? One woman called to say that her picture makes her look like she has chest hair because her hair was sticking through her shirt.

Another lady called to say on her husband’s license, he’s listed as a female. We had some very funny calls.

 

Want to start a “recession-proof” business? You might want to start mailing out DVDs to your friends and family for a membership fee. I heard that Netflix fourth-quarter profit climbed 45 percent. I guess more and more people are staying at home more often and saving more of their money. What things are you doing to save a “buck or two” in today’s rough economic climate?

 

WEIRD NEWS

 

Careful What You Donate To Goodwill
Hey — careful what you donate to Goodwill — it might be worth more than you think! In Tennessee, someone turned in an old painting to Goodwill — a painting that turned out to be a 100-year-old Ellsworth Woodward work that Goodwill auctioned off for $8,100 bucks! Goodwill of Middle Tennessee spokeswoman Suzanne Kay-Pittman says a Boston bidder bought the painting on Goodwill’s online auction Web site. Goodwill worker Susan McCullen says she was sifting through the charity’s warehouse when she spotted its gold frame sticking out of a bin. The water color depicts a wooden ship at an Italian port. An attached letter says it was first bought for $75 at the San Francisco Fair. Woodward was a Massachusetts native born in 1861 who moved to New Orleans and became an important advocate for Southern arts and crafts. More importantly — who knew Goodwill had an auction site??? (myway.com)

 

No More Penguin Sandwiches in Antarctica!
Sorry Antarctica residents — there will be no more fresh seal brains, penguin eggs or grilled cormorant. Once considered “delicacies of the Antarctic,” these items are now off the menu at research bases where chefs rely on imported and often frozen food. This is all due to somebody finally deciding to enforce the 1959 Antarctic Treaty that sets aside the continent as a nature reserve devoted to peace and science and bases. Some researchers said young grilled penguins are actually quite tasty — kind of like a fishy version of fish. Yum! (Reuters)

 

Senator Oprah Winfrey?
Need more proof Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich needs a check up from the neck up? We have now learned that Blagojevich once considered offering the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by President Barack Obama to talk show star Oprah Winfrey. Blagojevich revealed all this on an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America” and said, “She seemed to be someone who had helped Obama in a significant way become president. She was obviously someone with a much broader bully pulpit than other senators.” But he ultimately decided Oprah would probably turn the offer down. (Reuters)

 

I’m Proud of My 100–0 Victory!
Micah Grimes is now the former girl’s basketball coach of Covenant School in Texas — because he’s proud of his big victory over Dallas Academy. Under Coach Grimes, Covenant beat Dallas 100 to zero in a game that became a national controversy with many claiming the coach and the team were very un-sportsman like. To ease the aftermath school officials publicly apologized but then Coach Grimes posted a message on a youth basketball Web site saying he disagreed with school’s apology. In a statement posted on http://www.flightbasketball.com, Grimes said, “I respectfully disagree with the apology, especially the notion that the Covenant School girl’s basketball team should feel ‘embarrassed’ or ‘ashamed’. We played the game as it was meant to be played and would not intentionally run up the score on any opponent. Although a wide-margin victory is never evidence of compassion, my girls played with honor and integrity and showed respect to Dallas Academy.” Kyle Queal, Covenant’s head of school would not say whether the firing was a direct result of the posting and declined to answer any questions. Grimes was in his fourth season as girls basketball coach, having built the program from a 2-19 record his first season to a state championship contender last season. (Dallas Morning News)

That’s a Lot of Diapers
For only the second time in the U.S. a mother from Bellflower, California has given birth to Octuplets — six girls and two boys! Dr. Karen Maples of the Kaiser Permanante hospital in Bellflower did not identify the mother but said all the babies are in stable condition and are doing well. The babies weighed from 1.8 pounds to 3.4 pounds when they came out from 10:43 a.m. to 10:48am. Back in 1998, a Nigerian mother gave birth to octuplets in Texas, but one of the babies died a week later. The surviving octuplets, five girls and two boys, are now 10 years old. (AHN News)

 

Broke America Goes To the Library
It seems during these tough economic times, America has rediscovered the public library. Libraries across the country are reporting a surge in visitors due in part to unemployed folks taking advantage of free computer use and Internet at public libraries to job hunt. Others are enjoying borrowing books, CDs and DVDs that they currently might otherwise not be able to afford. In San Francisco alone, requests for library cards have risen 27% over the last year. (AHN News)

 

How Much Is That Doggie Wig in the Window?
As kids, sisters Jenny and Crissy Slaughter from Santa Barbara, California used to love to dress up their family pets. They’ve now turned that childhood passion into a business — Total Diva Pets — that offer wigs and a range of hairpieces especially designed for animals. This all came about after winning a 2007 doggy parade fashion show by dressing up their dog as a Playboy bunny. The crowd reaction was so positive they realized there might be a business idea in it. The company now offers eight pet wig designs, in five sizes, from Chihuahua to Great Dane. The $30 wigs have designs ranging from an Afro to a green spiky punk wig. (Ananova)

 

Let’s Make It a Fun Funeral
For those looking for something a little different when being laid to rest, Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life from Monty Python has been named the top alternative funeral song. The song got a fifth of the vote in a recent survey and beat off competition from The Jam’s Going Underground and The Animals’ We Gotta Get Out Of This Place. Another popular choice was Cabaret by Liza Minnelli which got 16% of the vote. Funeral director Lorraine Groves says, “Funerals have changed a lot in the past few years and more people are planning ahead to make their funerals personal and reflective of themselves.” (Daily Telegraph)

Phoner: What’s the strangest song you’ve heard at a funeral? Anybody else plan to have an unusual or fun song at their funeral?

 

MATCH THE MOUTH

 

“I appreciate the opportunity to work, the cash it gives you, and other things it provides are wonderful. But the celebrity thing … I don’t like attention.”

·         Harrison Ford

·         Josh Holloway (Sawyer on “Lost”) ***

·         Kevin James

·         Donny Osmond

·         Sting

“I think all awards are important, if they take themselves seriously”

·         Calista Flockhart

·         Rosie O’Donnell

·         Ellen DeGeneres

·         James Earl Jones ***

·         Robert Redford

“I sent the president and first lady a note and said, “Thank you for making me famous all over again.” I call them the black Rob and Laura.”

·         Jack Black

·         Brad Pitt

·         Dick Van Dyke (after hearing that one of Michelle Obama’s all-time favorite TV shows was the old “Dick Van Dyke Show”) ***

·         Rob Schneider

·         Bonnie Hunt

JUNK DROP

 

We sent street guy up to the top of our building (about 40 feet) and had him drop a selection of breakable items. Included were a watermelon, a old walkman radio, which was still operating at the time, until it met the pavement. The game involved the listener, they had to figure out what he was tossing out of the bucket. A different spin on the “Secret Sound” game.

 

TOP FIVE AWARDS MOST HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITIES DON’T WANT TO WIN

1.      The Herpes

2.      The Police Academy Awards

3.      The Emmy-Gration Awards

4.      The Oscar Mayers

5.      The “People were drunk when they made their choice” Awards

HUNTER’S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

 

Al Gore was supposed to testify in front of congress today about the dangers of global warming … but a huge snowstorm may keep him away. I believe that is called “global irony.”

 

Home Depot has joined the companies announcing layoffs. Now, you really can do it: they can’t help!

 

Oprah Winfrey says she has absolutely no interest in becoming a U.S. Senator. Think about it: why would she a pay cut?

 

Chefs in Mexico spent 60 hours and created a 2-ton strawberry cheesecake. You can almost feel your jeans get tighter just reading about it.

 

A woman in California has given birth to octuplets. Kids today are just too afraid to come out by themselves.

 

A WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN’

 

Experts say the way you shake hands can make or break the kind of impression you project. check out the variety of handshakes below and choose the one that reflects your own personal style. Then read what your hand is telling people.

·         Lazy — A handshake with no oomph is considered a sign of weakness or insecurity. Your lack of enthusiasm indicates a total disinterest.

·         Two hands — Glad-handing can convey warmth and sincerity, but it may also put off strangers as assuming too much intimacy.

·         Bone crusher — You can be proud of your buff bod with-out hurting others. Lighten up before you put someone in the ER.

·         Pull — Pulling someone closer while you shake makes others think you’re bossy. Try not to come across as so overbearing.

·         Firm — Shaking with your full hand while maintaining eye contact is a winner. You’re making a statement of confidence and self-esteem.

·         Underhand — If you grip with an underhanded move that twists the other person’s wrist, you are a total control freak.

·         Finger snag — Shaking or squeezing the four fingers of your acquaintance denotes domination — and it’s creepy too.

WHO KNOWS THE BOSS BEST?

 

Time to play “Who Knows The Boss Best?” Pit a secretary against a spouse and see who can match the boss’s answers. The winner gets prizes and awards for knowing the boss best. It’s fun. We ask questions like “When was the boss was late for work the last time,” “Who the last person was the boss fired,” “What the boss wore to work the day before,” “What celebrity the boss thinks he/she looks like,” etc.

 

POP QUIZ

 

We came up with a new contest to reward loyal listeners. Too often, trivia buffs and fast fingers get away with the loot, but today we made sure you had to listen on a regular basis to win the race tickets. We called it “(Morning Show)’s Pop Quiz,” and asked the contestants a number of questions about ourselves (our pets’ names, favorite artists, etc.). Lots of fun! We decided to throw it in once a week at different times so everyone gets a chance to win.

 

YOUR CRAVINGS DECODED

 

(Glamour) Dying for Oreos or chips? Your body may be trying to tell you something about your diet, says Keri Glassman, R.D., a New York City nutritionist. Tune in and avoid packing on the pounds when you crave:

·         Salty or greasy food — It could mean you’re slightly dehydrated. “Salt holds water in,” says Glassman. “Your body may be trying to hang onto the fluids it’s got.” Aim for eight glasses of water a day.

·         Candy or chocolate — It could mean you need protein. Without its slow releasing energy, your body will try to get a quick fix to boost blood sugar. Try a cup of yogurt it has 24 percent of your daily protein total.

·         Bread or pasta — It could mean you don’t eat enough. Starches are already partially broken down, so your body knows carbs will give it energy fast. Be sure to eat at least 1,200 calories a day.

BIRTHDAY GAME

 

Get a listener on the phone and have them guess what year you were born. If the first person gets it correct they get double the prize. After the first person just a single prize. It will become a high/low after that. You can also do anniversaries, etc.

 

HEADLINE TRUTH OR TRASH

 

“Government Hires Witch To Haunt Debtors”
Truth! The government of Lithuania that is who has hired who has hired the country’s top witch, Vilija Lobaciuviene, to hunt down companies and individuals who have defaulted on their debts. Vilija, who calls herself “Lithuania’s leading witch,” is well known in the former Soviet republic for providing such magical services as predicting the future and casting spells. And apparently nobody wants to mess with her.

 

“Al Gore Catches Cold During Global Warming!”
Trash! Global warming had nothing to do with it. He blames Bush.

 

“Two Retirement Home Residents Fight To the Death!”
Truth! Sadly, in Fort Myers, Florida, 72-year-old Christano Beltran has died after getting into a fight with 87-year-old Kenneth Knauf — both residents of the Alzheimer’s wing of the Hidden Oaks Retirement Center. Hidden Oaks Executive Director Randy Reber said he’s not sure exactly what took place but did say he’s never seen anything like it in 30 years as an administrator.

 

“Unemployment Office Lays Off Employees!”
Trash! The ones laid off would just have to get in line, it would get too busy and they’d have to rehire them.

 

“Crook Run Over By Moving Van He Was Hiding Under”
Truth! The guy who ran away from a traffic stop in Phoenix made the huge mistake of ducking underneath a parked moving van. All was well until the moving van pulled away and ran over the guy. Police found him after hearing his moans of pain. Turns out he ran because he had a suspended driver’s license and outstanding warrants for DUI and leaving an accident scene.

 

“Kirstey Alley to Compete on Dancing with the Stars!”
Trash! But she tried to enter as her own couple.

 

“Infant Gets Dad Arrested By Dialing 911!”
Truth! In White Rock, British Columbia a 29-year old Canadian man was arrested by police after his 11-month old son accidentally pressed 911 on a mobile phone he gave his baby to play with. After hearing no one on the other end, 911 operators traced the call and sent police. When officers made a routine inspection of the house they found dad’s 500 marijuana plants inside.

 

“Beanie Baby Company to offer Refried Beanie Babies!”

Trash! That’s just dumb.

“Police Claim Man Turns Into Goat While Being Arrested”
Truth! At least according to the Daily Vanguard– one of Nigeria’s biggest daily newspapers. According to the report, police came upon two guys trying to steal a car. While one got away, the other allegedly transformed himself into a goat just as police caught up with him. Officers then paraded the goat before journalists, and published a picture of the animal.

 

DID SOMEONE SAY COMMITMENT?

 

According to our friends at Glamour:

·         35% of women had their first committed relationship before they turned 18

·         28 is the median age at which men marry today

·         26 is the median age at which women marry today

·         48% of women say they would not commit to a smoker

·         26% of women admit they’ve cheated while in a serious relationship

·         65% of single women say they aren’t looking for a serious relationship

·         80% of women think “emotional” cheating is worse than sexual infidelity

·         24% of women admit to “emotional” cheating while committed to someone else

·         More than 50% of women live with their first husbands before marriage

·         40% of couples break up within five years of moving in together

·         67% of women would commit to the right guy even if they didn’t like his friends.

·         22% of women say it’s OK to wait as long as it takes for a proposal

·         44% of woman admit saying “I love you” it’s the number one sign they’re in a serious relationship

·         33% of women say they wouldn’t want to commit to a man who isn’t good in bed

GORSEFEATHERS by Patrick Gorse

 

The stage manager for the cancelled NBC series “Lipstick Jungle” has been arrested for stealing $30, 000 worth of cosmetics and other designer items and selling them on eBay. This disproves the rumor that nothing on NBC is worth anything.

 

A man in Japan has been arrested for stealing 44 sticks of deodorant.. They said the guy looked nervous, but when they asked him to put up his hands, no perspiration stains!

 

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has emerged after a long public absence. Reporters at the scene said Kim came out of a hole at a weapons production facility, and saw his shadow melt against a wall as he predicted sixteen years of nuclear winter.

 

On “Meet the Press” Sunday, speaking of the economic stimulus package, moderator David Gregory quoted Obama adviser Lawrence Summers as saying, “doing too little poses a greater threat than doing too much.” To which Amy Winehouse replied, “That’s what I always say about crack!”

 

In an op-ed printed in Thursday’s New York Times, Libyan leader Muammar Qadaffi announced a plan for Mideast peace that would combine Israel and the Hamas-led Palestine into a single state called “Isratine.” That wasn’t his first choice, but his favorite, Ham-Srael, just wasn’t kosher.

 

President Barack Obama has appointed former Senator George Mitchell as his special peace envoy to the Mideast. People who don’t think Mitchell can handle a problem this big don’t remember the size of Barry Bonds’ head before Senator Mitchell got steroids out of baseball.

 

If the California State Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger don’t reach a budget compromise in the next five days, Gov. Schwarzenegger says he’ll be offering IOU’s to Californians expecting an income tax refund. Instead of, “I’ll be back,” Arnold will be saying, “I’ll be paying you back!” “I’ll be back-dating checks!”

 

President Obama met with Republicans today to try and sell his economic stimulus package, and they told him they don’t like his ideas. After the eight years of the GOP strategies that got us into this terrible mess, isn’t their disapproval a good thing? Obama must be on the right track.

 

Citigroup is under fire for ordering a $50 million dollar, ultra-luxury, corporate jet, after they received a $45 billion dollar taxpayer bailout. This jet is so high tech, it has protective bird shield covering the engines that converts geese into goose pate.

 

The government of Iceland collapsed on Monday. Sadly, George Bailey, who was visiting Iceland at the time, jumped in to save the government, and lost the hearing in his other ear.

Are you used to 2009 yet? Even Barack Obama is still writing “Secret Muslim” on his checks.

 

Al Qaeda is hurling a list of insults at President Barack Obama, calling him a “House Negro,” a “Hypocrite,” a “Killer of Innocents,” and an “Enemy of Muslims.” Sarah Palin said, “Put me down for A., B., and C.

 

Even though Rush Limbaugh has said about President Barack Obama, “I hope he fails,” sources are suggesting Obama is still willing to meet with the 230-pound talk-radio host. Although Obama did say, “I hope he showers.”

 

It’s sad, but Rush Limbaugh’s halcyon days are numbered. His 20 million-strong senior citizen-audience who think it’s funny to play the theme from “The Jefferson’s” every time a black man does well, won’t be around forever. Scoreboard: Obama, 62.98 million votes…Limbaugh, 20 million dinosaurs…

 

Speaking about the Obama administration’s decision to allow states to restrict greenhouse gas emissions, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was ecstatic saying “for too long Washington has been asleep at the wheel,” and then adding, “Let me again be clear.” Wait a minute…when has Arnold Schwarzenegger ever been clear? And what was that part about a sheep in his meal?

 

STUDIO BOWL

 

Have people e-mail and pick two contestants to come in the studio and play a video football game. The winner gets a party on Super Bowl Sunday at their home for 25 people, plus two recliners and a new television. Lots of fun too in the studio. They get to bring friends and family in to cheer them on while they play.

 

TOP FIVE SIGNS A SCALPER SOLD YOU PHONY SUPER BOWL TICKETS

1.      “Super” was spelled with two O’s

2.      They were on the 51-yard line

3.      They said the game is between the Mariners and Pirates

4.      They’re printed in crayon

5.      The tickets were made of bologna

HOW LONG IS THE SUPER BOWL!

 

A lot gets made each year about the ridiculous amount of time it takes to actually get through the Super Bowl with the pre-game and everything. Another Super Bowl promotion we’ve done in the past was having listeners guess exactly how long these guys spend playing football. That is running actual plays and doing work. Not walking back to the huddle, lining up, etc. You have to get someone to actually sit with a stop watch and time each play from the snap of the ball until the ref blew the whistle. In the past I just had the morning crew over to the house for a Super Bowl party and each member had to take a quarter. We got hundreds of e-mails and faxes.

 

TOP FIVE SIGNS YOU REALLY NEED TO CLEANUP BEFORE THE BIG SUPER BOWL PARTY

1.      People keep slipping on the pumpkin remnants on the porch

2.      There’s a dust bunny for every song on your iPod

3.      Something inside the refrigerator just growled

4.      Not one needle left on the Christmas tree

5.      “Kerry 2004″ is written in dust on your coffee table

INSANE SITUATIONS

 

Anyone listening who…

·         Has ever been in a situation where “the jaws of life” were used to save them?

·         Has ever been pulled from a burning building by a fireman?

·         Has ever been caught on a security camera doing something they shouldn’t be doing?

·         Has or had a family member pose nude in a magazine?

·         Has caught or injured someone breaking into their house?

·         Has breast implants but has not told their husband or boyfriend?

·         Feels like they’re overpaid for what they do at work?

JUMP INTO MARRIAGE

 

For Valentine’s Day, call a local skydiving company and get a couple to get married on the way up in the plane and jump with best man preacher best man right after they say I do. Kiss takes place on the way down. Mike everyone in the plane so it’s on the air. Should get good TV with this.

 

VALENTINE VIDEO

 

We played a little game we like to call “Valentine Video.” Callers had to identify a scene from a romantic film. Male callers had to identify scenes from chic flicks (“The English Patient,” “Hope Floats,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” etc.) while the female callers had to identify scenes from male-oriented romance movies (“Dirty Harry,” “Patton,” “Terminator,” “Die Hard,” etc.).

 

VALENTINE PROMOTION

 

We are gearing up for Valentine’s Day next week when we take a certain Valentine topic and find the three best stories from that day’s topic. The three stories that were qualified we posted them on our website so people could vote on their favorite story. The next day we announce the winner and then the winner is then qualified for the big prize pack staying 3 nights at a resort, with wine, gondola ride, and nice dinners.

The topics we chose each day were:

·         What is the most Romantic thing someone has done for you?

·         Are you in the dog house, how did you get there?

·         Who has the best proposal?

·         Give us your best love poem under 30 seconds.

·         What is the worst Valentine gift you gave someone or someone gave you?

This promotion was unbelievable and kept us so busy this week. Everyday the phones were unbelievable.OM)

Blogged with the Flock Browser

01.27.09

 SHOW PREP JANUARY 26, 2009

 

HOLLYWOOD 411 . . .

 

We’re assuming Molly Ringwald thinks blue is just as pretty as pink. The Breakfast Club princess is expecting twins—a boy and a girl—in August with hubby Panio Gianopoulos, People reports. The new additions will give the couple their first son and a second daughter. They’re also parents to 5-year-old Mathilda Ereni. According to a rep for ABC Family, Ringwald’s pregnancy will be written into the plot of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, in which the former Brat Packer plays the put-upon mom of an expectant teen. (Eonline)

 

No joke: Saturday Night Live‘s Fred Armisen is getting married. He and Mad Men star Elisabeth Moss are engaged, her rep confirms to Usmagazine.com. “It happened just a few days ago,” Moss, 26, first told usaweekend.com on Thursday. “It’s private, so I don’t want to share the details of how it happened, but I will say it was perfect.” The two have been spotted together a lot recently. They hit a Vanity Fair party for Mad Men earlier this month at Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont. The New York Post reported that they “canoodled in a corner.” (US Weekly)

 

Actress Anne Hathaway has championed Scarlett Johansson and Beyonce Knowles for their curvy figures, praising the pair as good role models for youngsters. The Devil Wears Prada star has recently been lambasted for being too skinny, although the 27-year-old is adamant she is a “normal shape”. And Hathaway has hailed Johansson, Knowles, and fellow actress Reese Witherspoon for projecting healthy body images in a world where super-slim is often seen as an ideal. She says, “I don’t think it’s just Hollywood that gives out that message. As a society we put out these unrealistic body images to young women. “But I’m a normal shape and Scarlett Johansson is not a skinny, skinny girl. Beyonce Knowles looks after herself and has a beautiful body. Reese Witherspoon looks great.”  (Teen Hollywood)

 

Madonna is rumored to be dating a 21-year-old Brazilian model. Do you think this relationship is real? Because I’ve read reports that he’s just using her to gain fame and stardom.  —Abe from Yuma, Arizona How sad, manipulating a poor, press-shy lady who never ever dated anyone for publicity and who only takes her clothes off for art. It’s a crime, I tell you, a crime. I explain fully in the new podcast (above), wherein I obliterate your questions about how Hollywood works. Hit play to listen, and be sure to subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode. (Eonline)

 

American Idol judge Paula Abdul is taking the credit for inspiring modern pop stars including Rihanna and Beyonce. The singer rose to fame in the 1980s, selling over 23 million records worldwide and topping the American charts six times before taking a musical hiatus in 2000. She subsequently relaunched her career as a judge on the hit TV talent show and returned to the pop charts in 2008. And Abdul is convinced her long running career and her forward thinking music videos have paved the way for the music stars of today. She says, “My videos stand the test of time. They are like the almanac for every performer. Even Rhianna has come up to me and said ‘I hope you don’t mind.’ And Beyonce. You can see the influence of what I’ve done. It’s really fun to see that I’ve left a mark. It was my idea to create an animated character. It takes a lot of focus, a lot time, and a lot of money.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

The maker of Beanie Babies can forget about getting a fist bump from the first lady. Michelle Obama has issued a statement about Ty’s newest dolls for their TyGirlz Collection, Sweet Sasha and Marvelous Malia. The plush pair are named after her and President Barack Obama‘s daughters, Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10. “We believe it is inappropriate to use young, private citizens for marketing purposes,” said Michelle’s spokeswoman in a statement. Guess that’s one purchase the trendsetting first family won’t be making… (Eonline)

 

Celeb designer Lisa Kline’s husband died in a freak accident early Friday morning — and sources say it may have been due to a sleepwalking incident. Sources close to the situation tell TMZ Lisa was woken up around 1:30 AM when she heard a loud crashing sound outside of her house. When she got up to investigate, it appeared her husband, Robert Bryson, had fallen off the upper level balcony and struck a fence. Kline rushed down and tried to resuscitate him, but attempts were unsuccessful. We’re told the couple had gone to sleep in the same bed together several hours before the tragedy. Kline’s rep released the following statement: “Lisa Kline and her family suffered a tremendous tragedy when her husband, Robert Bryson, accidentally fell to his death at the family’s home on Thursday. Lisa and her family are thankful for the outpouring of support they have received, and ask for privacy at this difficult time.”(TMZ)

 

 

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

 

Katie Stam of Indiana was crowned Miss America on Saturday night, fighting off a throat infection, laryngitis and 51 other contestants to win the 88-year-old pageant. The 22-year-old University of Indianapolis student became the first Miss America winner from the Hoosier State. She drew loud applause for her rendition of “Via Dolorosa” during the talent portion of the beauty pageant at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Stam said she had trouble sleeping one night this week while she took prescription medicine to fight the infection, but got her voice back by Thursday. “I was feeling like myself again – I will never take my health for granted,” she said. The Seymour native also strutted onstage in a black bikini and an off-the-shoulder, white lace evening gown. During the interview portion of the competition she decried the use of performance-enhancing drugs among professional athletes and discussed the definition of glamour. “That beauty that you feel on the inside, it’s that confidence, that radiance inside of you, that’s what glamour is,” Stam said. Stam won a $50,000 scholarship and hopes to obtain a bachelor’s degree in communications and become a television news anchor. She began competing in pageants at age 15. Stam was crowned by reigning Miss America Kirsten Haglund of Michigan and will soon embark on a year of travel and public appearances. She said she had one semester left in school – but didn’t know when she would finish – and already was graduating debt-free without the $50,000 prize. Stam said she might use the money for graduate school. The first runner-up was Miss Georgia Chasity Hardman, who took home a $25,000 scholarship.

The 52 young women took to the stage in blue jeans, bikinis and ballgowns following a mini-reality series on pageant prep work and a week of preliminary competition. After an opening dance number and the traditional parade of states, judges and fans immediately trimmed the field to 15 finalists. Five more were trimmed based on swimsuit and evening gown competitions, while the remaining 10 went on to showcase their dancing, singing and other skills during the talent portion. “This gown nearly blinds people,” Miss Arkansas Ashlen Batson said in a video clip played as she walked onstage in a silver dress with beading. Batson was eliminated before she could play her flute in the talent competition. Miss Hawaii Nicole Fox drew cheers as she performed a traditional Tahitian dance, wearing a huge white feathered headdress and skirt to match. After she exited, part of her skirt remained on the stage. In a new twist, viewers of a lead-in reality show, “Miss America: Countdown to the Crown” voted in four of the 15 finalists, while the judges announced the other 11 during a live TLC television broadcast. The four finalists chosen by viewers were Stam, the eventual winner, and Hardman, the first runner-up, as well as Miss South Dakota Alexandra Hoffman and Miss Alabama Amanda Tapley. The other 11 women remaining after the opening number were: Batson, Fox, Miss Michigan Ashlee Baracy, Miss Delaware Galen Giaccone, Miss District of Columbia Kate Marie Grinold, Miss Iowa Olivia Myers, Miss New York Leigh-Taylor Smith, Miss California Jackie Geist, Miss Florida Sierra Minott, Miss Kentucky Emily Cox and Miss Tennessee Ellen Carrington. The viewer interaction to name four contestants as “America’s choice” was Discovery-owned TLC’s attempt to stoke interest in this year’s contestants. Once an American icon, the shine on Miss America’s crown has been dimmed by slipping ratings and the popularity of more salacious reality shows. The pageant was dropped from network television after the 2004 pageant drew a record low viewership. It found a home in Las Vegas after moving from its longtime location in Atlantic City, N.J., but it has struggled to get its footing on cable. In its second year on TLC, Mario Lopez, of “Extra,” hosted with an assist from Clinton Kelly of TLC’s “What Not to Wear.” Judges include actress Laura Bell Bundy, Miss America 1999 Nicole Johnson, hairstylist Ken Paves and Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones. As always, the women competed in swimsuit, evening gown and talent competitions, as well as a short “interview,” in which they were asked their thoughts on a current event or hot topic. TLC has tried to dash the days of answers that declared that “children are the future.” Questions came from average people and were intended to put the contestants on the spot. TLC also had some fun with the clichés of pageants past. For example, in its scorecard for home viewers posted online, it asked viewers to count the number of mentions of world peace and to name the contestant with best spray tan. (Daily Record)

 

Katie Stam always dreamed of becoming Miss America, but she bypassed the kiddie pageants and waited until she was more mature and sure of herself. Her view of Miss America changed in that time too, and made her want her new title even more. A day after Stam was crowned Miss America 2009, she told The Associated Press that as a little girl, she considered Miss America more of a figure than a full-fledged job. “I literally saw this girl who’s living out her wildest dream,” Stam said, but that view changed as she aged. “As soon as I found out the job description of Miss America, it only attracted me further.” The platform for the 22-year-old University of Indiana student is community service, and she says she’s eager to start in that role. She planned to fly to New York later Sunday for a series of media interviews about her win. “It starts right away,” Stam said. “Miss America – being the goodwill ambassador for the Children’s Miracle Network – that job, that position was laid in my hands the moment they put the crown on my head.” Reigning Miss Americas become a spokeswoman for various causes and charities, including the Children’s Miracle Network, a partner to the pageant. Of those responsibilities, Stam said, “I can’t wait to get started.” Stam overcame 51 other contestants, a throat infection and laryngitis Saturday night to win the crown. She’s the first winner from Indiana in the 88-year pageant. “My state deserves it,” said Stam, whose hometown is Seymour. She said she wasn’t a lifelong pageant contestant, entering her first at age 15. “I wanted to make sure that I knew who I was and knew what I had to offer, so I was a freshman in high school,” Stam said. “I didn’t do any of the kiddie pageants because, like I said, I wanted to wait.” Stam rose to the top of the field after strutting in a black bikini and an off-the-shoulder, white lace evening gown, then singing “Via Dolorosa” and denouncing the use of performance-enhancing drugs among professional athletes. Along with the title, Stam won a $50,000 scholarship. First runner-up Miss Georgia Chasity Hardman took home a $25,000 scholarship. Stam said she still hopes to pursue another childhood dream – becoming a television news anchor – after her one-year reign as Miss America ends. She was one semester away from finishing her bachelor’s degree in communications, but didn’t know exactly when she would graduate because of her new duties, she said.

“Who knows what kind of opportunities will be ahead of me after my year as Miss America, but I can’t wait,” Stam said. “It’s a dream and a goal of mine that I’ve had for a long time, and I can’t wait to pursue that.” (Daily Record)

 

To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, here we go again. The revelation that millions of people who saw the inauguration of President Barack Obama were actually listening to recorded music instead of the actual performance of the Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman-led quartet has led to comparisons of lip-synching (though, in this case, might the correct term be hand-synching?) and drawn comparisons to other infamous cases, including Ashlee Simpson’s “Saturday Night Live” debacle and perhaps music’s most famous pantomimes, Milli Vanilli. But Carole Florman, a spokeswoman for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, says she doesn’t understand what the fuss is all about. “I think this is a whole lot of nothin’,” she said on Friday. “These are world-class performers who are playing in 19 degree weather and the technical requirements of their instruments made it impossible for them to have their music amplified and know that it would be in tune. So they made, what I think, was probably a difficult decision to play to tape.” A representative for Perlman echoed her comments Friday with the following statement: “Mr. Perlman was deeply honored to be a part of the inauguration ceremony. The brutal cold created the distinct possibility of broken or out of tune instruments and, in order to avoid a weather related issue detracting from the majesty of the day, a decision was reached to play along to the recording that the quartet had made earlier in the week.” Cellist Ma, violinist Perlman, pianist Gabriela Montero and Metropolitan Opera clarinet player Anthony McGill performed “Air and Simple Gifts,” a piece arranged by Oscar-winning composer John Williams. Montero was wearing gloves, but the rest of the quartet played their instruments barehanded in the frigid 28-degree weather. Florman said they were indeed playing their instruments and not miming their moves. But those who saw the event did not hear that, but the recorded track. Don Mischer of Don Mischer Productions, which produced the pre-Inauguration “We Are One” concert, the last few Super Bowl halftime  performances as well as two Olympics, says some kind of recorded music is often used at major events, especially when there are poor weather conditions. “The main thing is that you want the music to sound good, and there are some conditions in which the music will not sound good,” he said. Florman said everyone performing at the inauguration, from Aretha Franklin to the U.S. Marine Band, recorded a version of their performance as a precautionary measure, typical for such events. But Franklin sang “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” live, and the band also performed live. Florman said when Obama made his request for the quartet, because of the delicacy of the instruments and the size of the grand piano, there was some consideration given to having the quartet play at the Capitol and have their performance beamed to the world. “Everyone agreed that they needed to perform someplace so (Obama) could actually watch the performance,” she said. “But obviously the drawback is that they’re out in the elements.” Kent Webb, manager of technical services and support for the famous Steinway & Sons piano maker, said its instruments are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature and the extreme cold would not only have made the instrument out of tune, but would have made the keys susceptible to sticking. “The playability and the amount of finesse that one can extract from a performance are very compromised,” Kent said. The idea that the quartet’s music was not heard live may be heresy to some in classical music – the late Luciano Pavarotti caused a stir when it was discovered he lip-synched on one occasion. But while it may not be as widely publicized as when a pop star lip-synchs, it does happen, says Mischer (though he added the hope is to “always go live.”) He produced the opening ceremonies at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, in which the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performed. He said the ensemble did so to recorded music. “There was no way that we could in fact mike the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and make them sound good on a show that was going to be seen by 80 percent of the planet,” he said. He also recalled his production of the opening ceremonies at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, which featured Ma in a performance with Sting. While Sting’s vocals were live, what viewers heard was a recorded performance by the cellist. “Yo-Yo has got a Stradivarius cello that’s worth … $2 million or $3 million,” he said. “We had snow falling that night, we had 17 degree temperature, we had the wind blowing as high as 20 mph, and that’s a very very risky environment in which to play an instrument like that and expect it to sound good. And it’s not like someone else played the music, Yo-Yo played the music.” Mischer said during the torrential downpour during Prince’s 2007 Super Bowl performance, the rocker sang live and even played his wireless guitars live, but the percussion was piped in because of the rain. But even in good conditions, getting good sound in an open-air stadium, or sometimes even a domed arena, is difficult. Some artists choose to lip-synch – Whitney Houston’s memorable performance of the national anthem in 1991 at the Super Bowl was sung to a track. “There are artists who absolutely want to go with prerecorded tracks because they worked hard to create a sound, and they want it to sound good,” said Mischer. But for this year’s Super Bowl, which features Bruce Springsteen as the halftime performer, don’t expect any lip-synching from the Boss. “Bruce Springsteen is going to go 100 percent live,” he said. “That’s the way Bruce wants it.” (Daily Record)

 

The classical music played for millions of people watching President Barack Obama’s inauguration was not the live performance it appeared to be. Unless you were one of the fortunate few sitting within earshot of the celebrated performers, what you heard was a recording made two days earlier. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriella Montero and clarinetist Anthony McGill made the decision a day before Tuesday’s inauguration to use a previously recorded audio tape for the broadcast of the ceremonies. Carole Florman, a spokeswoman for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, said the weather was too cold for the instruments to stay in tune. “They were very insistent on playing live until it became clear that it would be too cold,” said Florman in a telephone interview Thursday night. People sitting nearby could hear the musicians play “Air and Simple Gifts”, written for the inauguration by John Williams, but their instruments were not amplified. “It would have been a disaster if we had done it any other way,” Perlman told The New York Times, which first reported that the music was taped on its Web site Thursday. “This occasion’s got to be perfect. You can’t have any slip-ups.” The Marine Band, the youth choruses and the Navy Band Sea Chanters performed live, Florman said, although Aretha Franklin was accompanied by taped music and voices. Florman said all the acts “laid down tape” before Tuesday’s inauguration. When they did their sound checks on Monday, all but the quartet made the decision to have their live performances broadcast. The temperature hovered around 30 for the ceremony on the Capitol steps, too cold for McGill’s clarinet, Ma’s cello or Perlman’s violin to offer true pitch. But the cold played havoc with the piano, which can’t hold tune below 55 degrees for more than two hours, Florman said. The group played at 11:43 a.m., and guests seated near them could hear them as well as the tape made two days earlier. Guests seated farther away, the crowds that thronged the National Mall, and the millions who watched around the world heard the taped version of Williams’ piece. “This isn’t Milli Vanilli,” Florman insisted, referring to the late 1980s group stripped of a Grammy for lip-syncing. “They had to perform in such cold weather, the instruments couldn’t possibly be in tune. They were able to play in sync with the tape. It’s not unusual.” (Daily Record)

 

Some of the Britain’s brightest minds have resolved one of the country’s biggest cinematic cliffhangers: How the robbers could have got away with the gold at the end of “The Italian Job.” The 1969 heist film ends with the robbers’ gold-laden bus teetering over the edge of an Alpine road, with their loot – and their lives – in doubt. On Friday the Royal Society of Chemistry offered fans a little closure, announcing the winner of a competition to find a scientific solution to their predicament. “Like many people, I watched the film from when I was a young boy,” said John Godwin, the winner. “It’s one of those classic British films, with great actors – Michael Caine, Noel Coward, Benny Hill – and a great car chase, and at the end of the day they’ve done all the hard work and it seemed a waste to leave them hanging on that mountainside.” “The Italian Job” follows Charlie Croker, played by Caine, as he assembles a crack team of likable crooks to pull off a complex plan to steal a stash of gold in the Italian city of Turin. The ensuing car chase – which cuts across the rooftop test track of Fiat’s Lingotto building and down the steps of Turin’s Gran Madre di Dio church – ranks among the most gripping in movie history. But things end badly when the gang’s getaway bus slides halfway off a mountain road on its way to Switzerland. The bus seesaws precariously, with the men gathered at the front and the gold weighing down the back, which is hanging over the cliff. A wrong move could send the bus tumbling into the chasm below, but Croker says: “Hang on a minute lads – I’ve got a great idea.” Then the credits roll. Royal Society of Chemistry Chief Executive Richard Pike said the competition to find an ending to the movie that preserves both the gold and the men was aimed at “promoting science and chemistry to a wider audience in an entertaining way,” adding that some 2,000 people had tried their hand at extricating Croker’s gang. Some of the more novel solutions including burning the asphalt to glue the bus to the road or dissolving the gold with acid, he said. Godwin said his fix took him an afternoon to work out: -Break the windows at the back to reduce weight. -Break two windows at the front, hold one gang member upside down out of the window to deflate the front tires and stabilize the vehicle. -Drain the rear fuel tank through an access panel at the bottom of the bus. -Gang members leave one by one from the front, collecting stones to replace their weight. -Keep adding stones until someone can safely go to the rear to retrieve the gold. Godwin said gathering the data he needed for his equations, like the fuel efficiency of a 1964 Bedford VAL14, the weight of a window or the price of gold in 1968 – needed to establish the weight of the haul – was fairly easy. “The Internet’s a great place,” he said. He isn’t the first to suggest a solution. Caine himself proposed a much simpler idea in a British Broadcasting Corp. documentary six years ago – albeit one that leaves the hapless gang short of their precious haul. “The next thing that happens is you turn the engine on,” Caine said. “You all sit exactly where you are till all the petrol has run out, which changes the equilibrium. We all jump out and the gold goes over the cliff.” (Daily Record)

 

A judge says Slash and his wife can pursue a lawsuit against the brokers who sold them what they thought was a party-worthy Hollywood Hills home. The former Guns N’ Roses guitarist claims real estate agent Gregory Holcomb and Sotheby’s International Realty misrepresented the house they bought in 2006 and later sold. They wanted enough size and parking for parties, but say the home was smaller than advertised and on a public street with parking restrictions. They seek more than $1 million and punitive damages. A judge refused to dismiss the 2007 claims Friday, but will allow Sotheby’s to dispute punitive damages. Defendants’ attorney Fredric Trester says he’s confident they’ll win at trial. Slash did not speak at Friday’s hearing. (Daily Record)

 

A gang member has been convicted of murdering a teen actress and a man during a two-day shooting spree in 2005. Damien Watts was found guilty Friday on two counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder in Los Angeles Superior Court. The 23-year-old was arrested after he fired at a group of people outside an Inglewood apartment complex on Oct. 21, 2005. Sixteen-year-old Tara Correa-McMullen was killed and two men were injured. Correa-McMullen appeared in the movie “Rebound” and had a role on the TV show “Judging Amy.” Her real name was Shalvah McMullen. Watts also was convicted of killing 31-year-old Thomas Sanders, who was shot as he loaded laundry into a car. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. (Daily Record)

 

A man suspected of involvement in a jewellery raid on Paris Hilton’s home has been arrested and charged with two burglaries. Troy Thomas, 45, is alleged to have masterminded more than 150 thefts in three years in the Los Angeles area, targeting celebrities including Hilton, Duran Duran guitarist John Taylor, and several movie studio bosses. The Simple Life star’s Sherwood Oaks home was hit last month and an intruder made off with an estimated $2 million worth of gems. Rocker Taylor’s L.A. property was raided in April 2007 and a safe was taken from the home. Thomas denies two charges of burglary.  (Teen Hollywood)

 

 

LAST WEEK:

 

Just a few months after giving birth, Jaime Pressly gave herself a 30th birthday present that she’s quite proud of – a fit body and some toned abs. “Lately I love my stomach,” says the actress, who debuts her post-baby body on the March cover of Shape. “After growing a human being inside me, there is nothing more incredible or sexy!” Pressly joins Madonna, Halle Berry and Cameron Diaz on Shape‘s list of Sexiest Bodies in Hollywood. To get the figure she wanted, Pressly focused on eating a healthy diet and following a workout regimen that included running on the treadmill and lifting weights. Pressly, who welcomed son Dezi James in May 2007, had set a goal to shed the 42 lbs. she gained during the pregnancy. “That’s a lot of weight for mama!” says the My Name Is Earl star, 31. “Sure, I wanted to lose my baby weight, but I didn’t want to lose my butt! I think it’s sexy when women have shapely bodies.” As for her relationship with ex-fiancé Eric Cubiche, “We’re going through a rough patch,” says Pressly, who announced they were separating in November. “There are no bad feelings there.” “We didn’t plan a wedding, we planned a child,” she adds. “[Dezi James] is the greatest thing that’s happened to either one of us.” (People)

 

Patrick Swayze is planning to write a memoir with his wife Lisa, according to a source close to the actor. Despite reports, the source says that Swayze, who is battling pancreatic cancer, will not write an inspirational book. Instead, The Beast star will focus on his life’s journey, including his current fight against cancer. No word yet on when the book will be published. Swayze, 56, and Lisa, 52, have an incredibly strong bond and are “each other’s rocks,” Beast co-creator Bill Rotko, told PEOPLE last week. (People)

 

Kelly Osbourne has entered rehab, PEOPLE has confirmed. The 24-year-old daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne is reported to have checked into an unnamed center in Los Angeles for 30 days. Her rep in London says in a statement to PEOPLE, “Kelly Osbourne has voluntarily entered a medical facility to address some personal issues. Her family stands by and supports her.” No further details were provided. Late Thursday, Osbourne’s mother Sharon was quoted on RadarOnline.com as saying, “Yeah, Kelly’s in rehab. What else can we say? She knew that it was the right thing to do at this point and we’re proud that she did it. The family is all standing behind her. Kelly knew that she needed help and she’s getting it.” The matriarch added, “We just pray that everything’s going to be okay.” Previous Treatment Nearly five years ago, at the time of her family’s reality series The Osbournes, Kelly Osbourne checked into a treatment facility in order to deal with a painkiller addiction. This week, on Monday it was reported that Osbourne had been arrested for allegedly slapping a gossip columnist last summer. She is scheduled to return to see authorities in March. (People)

 

The calls began to flood Luke Song’s hat shop not long after Aretha Franklin finished belting out “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” at President Barack Obama’s inauguration. Franklin, who wore a gray felt custom-designed hat from Mr. Song Millinery, has inadvertently caused an economic boom for the South Korean immigrant’s store. Song said he wasn’t prepared for the hundreds of calls requesting the hat with a Swarovski rhinestone-bordered bow. “We even have a lot of men calling to get it for their wives, mothers and grandmothers,” Song said. The hat worn by the “Queen of Soul” was hand-molded and would cost upward of $500 – if it were for sale, the 36-year-old designer said. Customers instead were offered a satin ribbon version for $179. “They want the same hat, but they understand it’s for the ‘Queen’ only,” he said. “Ninety-nine percent said, ‘That’s fine. I’ll get the next best thing.’” The family millinery has been in Detroit for about 25 years, and Franklin has been a customer for about 20 of those years. The store also sells to about 500 boutiques across the country. “We always make hats for her for high-profile events, so for us, the inauguration really was no big deal,” Song told The Associated Press on Thursday. The design for Franklin’s hat came from two different hats at the store. “She walked through the shop and said ‘I want that bow (put) on that hat,’” he said. “She had the coat already, but she needed the hat to set it off.” (Daily Record)

 

Heath Ledger‘s family gathered at an Australian beach to remember the actor, who died a year ago and is now being honored with an Oscar nomination for The Dark Knight. “We are still all nursing broken hearts,” older sister Kate Ledger said Friday in Perth. “Like anyone who loses a family member, it has opened our eyes to the intense suffering and painful journey that is death.” Kate and two half-sisters, Ashleigh Bell and Olivia Ledger, stood under clear blue skies at the Indiana Tea Room on Cottesloe Beach, one of Ledger’s favorite spots and the site of his wake after his funeral. Ledger’s father, Kim, and mother, Sally Bell, were also in attendance but did not speak to the media. Ledger, 28, died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. He left behind his 3-year-old daughter, Matilda, with actress Michelle Williams. “Michelle is doing an amazing job with ‘our girl’ and together we will cherish every moment of her steps through life,” Kate Ledger said. The actor’s younger sister, Ashleigh, acknowledged his Oscar nomination Thursday for his wicked portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight, noting that “in Heath’s words, he had ‘the time of his life.’” “Although we would love to have him here with us, we are so proud and so excited on his behalf,” Ashleigh said. “We will take this opportunity today to honor his wonderful life and take comfort in knowing Heath will continue to touch future generations through this amazing art form.” She added: “What an unbelievable legacy he has left for Matilda and our family.” The family enjoyed a commemorative lunch in the Indiana Tea Room after speaking with the media. (People)

 

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has called her Oscar nomination “a priviledge”. Oscar winner Angelina Jolie has called her most recent Academy Awards nomination “a privilege beyond any expectation.” Angelina is nominated in the Best Actress category for her role in Clint Eastwood’s Changeling, going up against Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married); Melissa Leo (Frozen River); Meryl Streep (Doubt); and Kate Winslet (The Reader). “Working with Clint Eastwood was a reward in itself that will last me a lifetime,” she told the Huffington Post. “It has been an exceptional year for acting, and I am honored to be in the company of these talented actors whose performances all deserve this recognition. I am also happy that Kung Fu Panda was noticed by the Academy and proud to be a part of a film my entire family loves so much.” (Handbag)

 

Rapper Kanye West has said he’s “open” to appearing in a bisexual pornography scene. Kanye West has admitted he’s up for appearing in a bisexual porno film. “I know people will find that as another thing to hate me on, but f**k it. I’m open to doing porn,” He told King magazine. “Hell, I’ll even do bisexual scenes – myself, another man and a woman, or just me and two women. I know people will find that as some weird S**t, but I am who I am. I’m an artist. Artist expand; they don’t contract. What do I look like staying confined in one space with all my talent? I’m an icon.” (Handbag)

 

Transient super couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are schlepping their armies of children, nannies and assorted minions to Malibu Namibia New Orleans France Long Island and temporarily settling down in this $60 million 48-acre mansion. Located on Suffolk County’s North Shore, the estate features two helipads, a private dock and an ELEVEN bedroom staff house. The Oscar nominated lovebirds are renting the property while Angie shoots her latest film in the area. No word if local schools will be able to handle the overcrowding. (TMZ)

 

She may be back in Alaska, but Sarah Palin has a high-powered connection in Washington: the same lawyer who represented Barack Obama and both the Clintons when it came to their book deals. D.C. attorney Robert Barnett has been retained by the former GOP vice-presidential candidate, 44, to represent her as she tries to sell her own book, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Some news sources say Palin is seeking an $11 million advance. By comparison, Laura Bush reportedly received $2 million for her highly anticipated White House memoir. Hillary Clinton’s 2003 bestseller, Living History, generated an $8 million advance. TV Deal in the Works? Barnett – who has also brokered TV deals for Brian Williams, Lesley Stahl, Neil Cavuto, Christiane Amanpour and Dr. Sanjay Gupta – had no comment. Immediately after the election, stories swirled that the telegenic Palin might be considering a TV career. In the meantime, Palin, who is halfway through her first term as Alaska’s governor, kicked off her State of the State Address Thursday night in Juneau by congratulating President Obama and saying that he is in her prayers. Noting that the newly inaugurated chief executive has his work cut out for him, Palin said that if he “governs with the skill, grace and greatness of which he is capable, Alaska’s going to be just fine.” (People)

 

Angelina Jolie’s former bodyguard is reportedly planning a tell-all book about the actress and her partner Brad Pitt. Mickey Brett’s tome is thought to expose how the actress got together with Pitt while he was still married to Jennifer Aniston and include details of the couple’s sex life. “He (Brett) knows everything about Angelina. It’s going to be one of the most explosive books ever written,” a publishing insider told In Touch magazine. Brett headed up the couple’s security when the couple went into hiding in Namibia before the birth of their daughter Shiloh in 2006, but was allegedly fired by Pitt last year. The source said that Brett never signed a confidentiality agreement with the couple and that “It (the book) will include all the sordid details of how they (Pitt and Jolie) got together while Brad was still married to Jennifer Aniston.” The pair have always claimed that they only started a relationship once Pitt split from the Friends star. (British Glamour)

 

Gwyneth Paltrow will give her fans a rare flash of her boob in her latest film, Two Lovers. The actress is seen tenderly fondling her nibble as she tries to seduce Joaquin Phoenix’s character in the movie. Gwyneth has stripped before, including in Shakespeare in Love which won her an Oscar for her performance as Viola. (British Glamour)

 

Her inadvertent stardom in a John McCain ad and subsequent rebuttal spoof may have been Paris Hilton’s biggest moments of 2008, but the heiress spent inauguration weekend getting into trouble at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. An insider told Us Weekly that Hilton was slapped with a $1,000 fine on Jan. 16 when hotel employees detected pungent smoke wafting from her room. A source close to Hilton made the unlikely claim, “The hotel is just using her to get press.” After watching Hilton’s friendship with Nicole Richie run its natural, unedited course on “The Simple Life,” it’s disheartening to learn that aspiring rocker Brittany Flickinger was recently crowned the heiress’s BFF on MTV in name only. “Paris told friends she only hung with Brittany because she was obligated to,” a source told Us. Come next season, “she said they’re going to have a fight that ends the ‘friendship.’” (Scoop)

 

Sarah Jessica Parker‘s marriage to Matthew Broderick is doing just fine (according to the actress, of course). Following reports of a marital rift along with months of stepping out separately, the couple hit the opening night of The American Plan on Broadway last night. “We don’t even bother to address them,” SJP said of the split rumors. But when asked what the best part of being married was, all she offered was “being married.” Couldn’t she come up with a better answer? As for the Sex and the City sequel that all the girls have supposedly signed on for, Sarah also played coy, telling People, “I wouldn’t say that is the most official thing you’ll ever read.” (Eonline)

 

A judge just ruled Kelly Rutherford can take her kid to NYC while she films “Gossip Girl.” The judge said Kelly can go on Sunday and her estranged hubby Daniel Giersch is free to travel there as well. He had argued he needed to stay in L.A. to do his business, but the judge begged to differ. Daniel told the court he will travel to New York. Rutherford filed for divorce on December 30. She is also pregnant. Giersch was awarded two overnight visits per week for the month of February and three per week for March. They all need to come back to L.A. for a minimum of four days, at least twice. During the L.A. stays, Hermes will alternate between the two parents. The judge also ruled 2-year-old Hermes will bounce between NYC and L.A. for the next two months while the feuding couple tries to hash out a long-term custody arrangement. Good luck. (TMZ)

 

Demi Moore has just shown up at the Santa Monica Courthouse with one of her daughters. Demi and one of the girls are in line at Juvenile Traffic Court — yes, there is such a thing. Someone in line is cackling, “Hey, there’s G.I. Jane!” In this court, a parent must accompany a minor child. Demi looks hot with sunglasses on her head. She’s wearing a black top and showing some cleavage — which should help the case. Fun Fact — If Demi thought this was a good day to slip into court, she didn’t know there’s an epic custody case going on there today involving Kelly Rutherford.  UPDATE: Court is now in session and everyone inside — including Demi — is being forced to watch a 30-minute video on reckless driving — which is still better than watching “Striptease.” UPDATE: Demi and her daughter have just left the courthouse and gotten into a Mercedes. We’re told they left in the middle of the video. We don’t know the dispo of the case. (TMZ)

 

There are stories floating out there that someone has been busted for the Paris Hilton break-in, but cops tell us it’s not true — the thief is still on the loose. According to the reports, Troy Thomas is a suspect in the $2 mil jewelry heist at Paris’ pad. He’s the guy who was busted for a string of other burglaries, including the homes of Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. But people in the LAPD Special Burglary Unit tell us Thomas is not a suspect and they’re still very much on the hunt. (TMZ)

 

Add Larry King to the ever-lengthening list of people who lost money with Ponz scum Bernie Madoff. A perfectly placed source said the host of CNN’s “Larry King Live” lost “over $1 million with Madoff. It was a lot of money.” King’s spokesman, Howard Rubenstein, declined to comment. The personal loss would explain why the usually garrulous King, 75, has been so quiet about the Madoff scandal – even when it was announced that celebrities like Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick were among those who lost their life savings with the Ponzi-scheme mastermind. It wouldn’t be the first time King has faced financial fallout. In 1978, he declared bankruptcy. Page Six reported two years ago that King owed money to creditors in Miami Beach. Joann Biondi, author of “Miami Beach Memories,” said, “Some locals snarl at just the mention of his name.” In 2006, King sued the Maryland-based Meltzer Group, claiming the insurance brokerage cheated him in connection with $15 million in personal life-insurance policies. While losing a million bucks to Madoff is “severe,” our source said, King makes $7 million a year from CNN under a contract through 2010. He just has to stay healthy enough to keep working. He has suffered a heart attack and in 2007 underwent heart surgery for a carotid endarterectomy. And his wife, Shawn, mother of their sons, Chase and Cannon, recently went through rehab for addiction to painkillers. Meanwhile, King’s not the only one in queasy health. Several sources have told Page Six that Madoff himself has serious health issues. Some have even said the former money manager has pancreatic cancer. Madoff’s lawyers declined to comment. (Page Six)

 

Aretha Franklin did more than sing “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” at President Barack Obama’s inauguration. She also came bearing gifts. Her spokeswoman, Gwendolyn Quinn, says Franklin gave Obama a collection of 17 sermons by her late father, prominent Detroit minister the Rev. C.L. Franklin. Quinn says the 66-year-old singer also gave Obama a biography of her father and a Bible “engraved with a personal message.” Franklin gave first lady Michelle Obama a gold brooch with diamonds. Franklin’s 15-year-old grandson, Jordan Franklin, gave Obama daughters Malia and Sasha a collection of gospel/Christian hip-hop music. (Daily Record)

 

Heather Mills, who lives in the West Village, says Manhattan men are always chasing her. “I’ve got so many stunning girlfriends who can’t get a boyfriend,” the one-legged ex-wife of Paul McCartney tells Page Six Magazine in this Sunday’s Post. “But when I go out here, I get asked out all the time, and my girlfriends – who are better looking than me – say, ‘How the hell does that happen?!’ Maybe it’s because I’m comfortable with myself.” Her $50 million divorce settlement probably doesn’t hurt, either. (Page Six)

 

Lizzie Grubman gave birth Thursday to a son, Jack Alexander Stern, two months early. Mother and child are doing well and expected home with dad Chris Stern and brother Harry by Monday. (Page Six)

 

Trudie Styler drew a stellar crowd at the Sundance Film Festival to the dinner celebrating her documentary “Crude” (as in oil) thrown by Self magazine editrix Lucy Danziger. Such guests as Sting, Pierce Brosnan, Kevin Bacon, Tessa Benson and Emma Roberts were surprised by “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush, who tried to crash the bash but was escorted across the street by his pal, NBC Entertainment chief Ben Silverman. Sting stayed close to the deejay booth and danced until the wee hours. (Page Six)

 

Maybe the NY Giants should consider a little Kevlar in their units: Plaxico Burress’ backup just got shot. Yes, in the leg. No, not by his own gun. Cops in Decatur, Ga. say Taye Biddle, who joined the Jints from the practice squad when Plax was suspended, was outside a house in Decatur, Ga. when he was shot twice, in the leg and in the hand. A friend tells the Decatur Daily, “He ought to be fine.” No arrests have been made, and cops don’t think Biddle caused or provoked the shooting. (TMZ)

 

Newsweek gathered up some nominees for their 13th annual Oscar roundtable. The group therapy session included Best Actor nominees Brad Pitt, Frank Langella, Mickey Rourke, Best Supporting Actor nom Robert Downey Jr., Anne Hathaway, who is up for Best Actress, and Golden Globe winner Sally Hawkins from Happy-Go-Lucky, who was just there to chill. One of our favorite questions posed to the actors: “Do any of you guys ever Google yourself?” Brad Pitt immediately replied, “Dear God. No. Never. First of all, I don’t really know how to operate a computer.” We’re inclined to believe him—it’s probably impossible to get any computer time with Maddox on there Googling weapons all the time. Almost everyone else—Hathaway, Hawkins, Langella—also chimed in with their own no ways. Rourke said nothing. But leave it to RDJ to fess up to the truth: “Oh, I love all that s–t, personally. Sorry. I love just it. Because it’s a hoot. Some people overstate their support, like they know you. Other people are busy doing something else and just want to go on this chat site and say some despicable character assassination, which I honestly think they kind of nailed it. I do have that shortcoming. It’s really fun.” This inspired Anne to stop pretending she was above a little self-Googling and admit: “OK, I have a confession. I lied before when you asked if I Googled myself. I do. I’m embarrassed by it because I know how terrible it is…For a while, it cracked me up. I found a ton of humor in it. But recently it’s changed. There’s a big difference now where information is being reported as news. And I’m very uncomfortable with that. And what you were saying, Brad—and God knows you deal with it worse than anyone—the idea that you blink your eyes and it’s all over the Internet? It’s a strange thing to be part of.” From there, the discussion went on to the publicity machine that Hollywood has become and how annoying it is to deal with. But since this really is Obama‘s week, let’s see what the gang had to say about that… (Eonline)

 

Sorry, Brittany Flickinger, but you won’t be Paris Hilton‘s best friend much longer. The attention hound is being welcomed back to MTV for round two of “Paris Hilton’s My New BFF,” which is holding a casting call for desperate fame seekers all week. Good luck to the winner. One source recently told Page Six that “Paris treats her BFF like an unpaid assistant.” (Page Six)

 

Some divas cling to their high-maintenance ways even at moments of historic national import. Mariah Carey, who performed at the Neighborhood Ball for President and Michelle Obama, was “furious” when she found out where she’d be seated for the inauguration. A spy said, “Mariah was in the VIP area, where every celebrity, like Jon Bon Jovi, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and Bruce Springsteen, was seated. But somehow she thought she’d be up with the Obama family. When she realized she wasn’t, she bailed.” Meanwhile, Carey ex Sean Combs is said to be upset that he wasn’t invited to perform at official events and disappointed that Jay-Z had a bigger presence. A rep for Carey declined to comment. Combs’ rep said, “It was one of the greatest moments of his life. Sean was invited to the inauguration and was seated third row, with Jay-Z, at the ceremony.” (Page Six)

 

Marisa Tomei might have an unusual thank-you to make if she ends up winning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her work as an aging stripper in “The Wrestler.” “I didn’t know how to do any pole work, and I had one month to figure it out,” she tells V magazine. Thankfully, Misty, an exotic dancer she met while doing research at clubs, showed her some moves. “I ended up not using all of them,” Tomei says. “I guess you can say I still have some tricks up my sleeve.” (Page Six)

 

All is well in splitsville for Madonna and Guy Ritchie. Divorce proceedings between the two were said to be amicable and all was going well with splitting up the time between the kids. Lourdes is said to live with Madonna in the US and 3-year-old David will be dividing his time between the US and Britain. However, when it comes down to their 8-year-old son Rocco, Madonna and Guy’s only biological child, the couple can’t come to agreements on which parent he should live with. Obviously, Madge wants him in the US with her, and Ritchie wants him to live and go to school in England. Madonna and Ritchie have each hired some of the top rated family lawyers to settle the child custody issue.  Whatever happens, let’s hope it’s in the best interest of the kids. (Perez Hilton)

 

John Travolta has become involved in an extortion plot over a photograph taken of his dying son Jett sources have told the Daily Mail. John’s 16-year-old son died at the Travolta’s Bahamas home on 2 January after suffering a seizure. Sources claim the actor was contacted by two men who demanded “millions of dollars” in exchange for not selling the photograph to the media. Local police have confirmed they are investigating the plot, with a spokesman saying: “The investigation is at an early stage. Mr. Travolta is co-operating fully.” John Travolta’s legal team refused to give the Mail details of the plot but said, “Regrettably in a time of such terrible grief there are often a few individuals who attempt to make false claims in hopes of making millions of dollars.” Before adding, “We will never let that happen.” (Handbag)

 

Pop sensation Miley Cyrus has blasted critics who branded her a “poser” for wearing heavy metal T-shirts, insisting she is a true Iron Maiden fan. The Hannah Montana star has been spotted donning an assortment of rock shirts in recent months, including an Iron Maiden tee on Saturday. But the star is adamant she is actually a follower of the British metal band – and isn’t just wearing the garment to look cool. In a video posted on clip-sharing website YouTube.com, Cyrus says, “I’m sure you all have seen me rocking an Iron Maiden shirt lately and I know there’s been some people saying, ‘Oh, she’s a poser,’ and ‘The only reason she’s wearing Iron Maiden is because she wants to be a rock star.’ “So, Iron Maiden – Run To The Hills, Fear of the Dark, Running Free, (all) good song(s), check it out. So thank you, guys. I actually do like Iron Maiden.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Singer Lily Allen’s dad Keith has advised his daughter to “shut up”. Actor Keith Allen has advised his daughter Lily to “shut up” “I don’t mind saying this, because I’ve told her already: she needs to know when to f*****g shut up,” he told Spin magazine. “As a man, I could drink, snort [drugs], and f**k to my heart’s content without any detriment to my career. A girl cannot do that. The tabloids are shameless in trying to create a race-to-rehab between any girl and out there who has a drink. Lily’s learning what daddy learned long ago: fame is a pain in the f*****g arse.” (Handbag)

 

The world is getting a musical present for Felix Mendelssohn’s 200th birthday – the first performances of 13 long-lost works of the German composer. The compositions were among 270 Mendelssohn pieces hidden in libraries or in private collections around the world, according to Stephen Somary, a conductor and musical sleuth who spent more than a decade hunting the composer’s forgotten works. The 13 compositions – for voice, string quartet, piano and violin – are being performed at New York’s Museum of Jewish Heritage on Wednesday, six days before Mendelssohn’s birthday on Feb. 3. “This concert to me is an extraordinary event at putting together works that really cross his entire lifetime,” Somary said. “It’s unprecedented.” The performance comes seven years after Somary’s Mendelssohn Project premiered the composer’s revised version of the beloved “Italian” symphony. It’s about eight minutes longer than the well-known one given to the publisher by Mendelssohn’s wife after his death. “There are so many examples like that, where incorrect versions were published or only half-finished,” Somary said. Not everybody thinks these newly found works deserve much attention. Leon Botstein, music director of the American Symphony Orchestra and president of Bard College, said Mendelssohn was among the most self-critical of composers. “I would be very, very skeptical,” Botstein said. “If the composer leaves it unfinished or kept it out from publication, you have to respect the composer’s wishes. What needs to be honored in Mendelssohn is the music that has been known for (more than) 100 years, much of it published shortly after his death, that isn’t played.” The composer was the grandson of the German-Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. When Felix was a child, his parents converted the family to Christianity and adopted the last name Bartholdy. Some of his greatest works – the string Octet and incidental music to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” – were written before he turned 18. His string quartets, last three symphonies, E Major violin concerto, oratorio “Elijah” and what became the Christmas carol “Hark! The Herald Angel Sings” are also among his masterpieces. Somary, a New Yorker who worked in Germany in the 1990s, had such a love for Mendelssohn that he set out to record the composer’s entire catalog – then believed to number 350 to 400 works. “I had no idea what I was walking into when I started this,” said Somary, a former aide to Leonard Bernstein. Because of the composer’s Jewish background, his works were banned in Germany by the Nazis. During the Hitler era, hundreds of compositions, manuscripts, letters and even artworks Mendelssohn painted were smuggled to Warsaw and Krakow, then dispersed around the world after Germany occupied Poland. Consulting with musicologists and poring through 9,000 unpublished letters, Somary was able to track down the lost pieces. Wednesday’s program – to be performed by the Shanghai Quartet and others – includes works recovered in Poland, Hungary, Germany, Russia, France and England. “Once I first went to the Prussian State Library in the former East Berlin and started reading some of the letters that had never been published and started seeing references to four or five different operas that no one had ever heard about,” Somary said. “Another symphony, a children’s symphony, chamber music lieder, artworks. An entire world opened up for me. … It was so stunning.” Mendelssohn died at 38 in 1847, just before nationalist revolutions swept Europe. Among the German nationalists was the anti-Semitic composer Richard Wagner, who wrote the screed “Judaism in Music” in 1850, condemning works by Jews. “What issues from the Jews’ attempts at making art must necessarily therefore bear attributes of coldness and indifference, even to triviality and absurdity,” Wagner wrote. Somary said that within six years of that publication, Mendelssohn’s music went from by far the most performed in Central Europe to not performed at all. Wagner and his sympathizers plotted “to posthumously assassinate” Mendelssohn, Somary said. He hopes the concert and the project will elevate Mendelssohn’s stature. “There was something incomplete about him, something incomplete about the public’s perception,” Somary said. “His music was so extraordinary but yet it was never given the same attention as others of the same quality.” (Daily Record)

 

Kelly Rutherford and her estranged husband Daniel Giersch sparred over the actress’s work demands as they both testified Thursday in a bitter custody dispute over 2-year-old son, Hermes. The pregnant Gossip Girl star, 40, who has filed for divorce from Giersch, 34, is seeking to take Hermes to New York, where the show is filmed, until the end of March. Giersch strongly objects, calling her job detrimental to their son. After almost two hours of testimony, no ruling was made and the hearing will resume Friday morning. Giersh, a German entrepreneur, testified that Rutherford’s “being on call in New York, working 20-hour days, her being told to go here, go there, jump into this car, go to this event,” contributed to their failed marriage. “Hermes doesn’t feel comfortable in New York,” he said. “He’s in constant fear, not knowing what’s going on. It’s not easy there, it’s not safe, and it’s noisy. As a father you see whether a child is comfortable or not.” Giersch described how he’s been physically with his son “90 percent of the time,” taking him to the playground, zoo, museums, and more, while Rutherford was working on Gossip Girl. “I don’t see any reason to give a child to a caretaker when there’s a better option, and that’s the parent,” he said. Giersch added that Rutherford “has never allowed me to have overnights alone with Hermes. There are certain issues that she needs to [have] control.” Choosing Her Career or Her Son Rutherford, wearing a black sweater, matching pants and gold earrings with her hair pulled back, took the stand next. “If I’m being asked to choose my career over my son, I choose my son,” she said. “[But] I need this job to pay my bills, legal bills, and Daniel has offered no support.” She denied that she was against overnights for Giersch, as long as a schedule was worked out first. “We can continue to co-parent as we have,” she said. Rutherford also took issue with Giersch pointing out her preoccupation with shopping, manicures and pedicures, saying, “It’s not just me, I mean, he gets his eyebrows waxed.” Her testimony was cut short and the hearing will resume at 9 a.m. The Best for the Family Outside of court, a smiling Rutherford said, “Ultimately I want the best for Daniel, and I want the best for our family.”  Asked what keeps her going through an acrimonious divorce while carrying their daughter, she replied, “I think about the great love I have for this child. I try to not think [about the divorce] and instead think about my kids and my future … and how lucky I am to be a mother at 40.” Giersch made no comment following the hearing. (People)

 

The daughter of late gospel singer-songwriter Joyce “Dottie” Rambo, who was killed in a bus crash in May, has sued the driver of the bus and the company that leased it to the entertainer. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in circuit court in Nashville on behalf of Reba Rambo-McGuire. It asks for a jury trial and compensatory damages as determined by the jury, but in excess of $25,000. The lawsuit names the bus driver, James Meadows; Nashville-based Pyramid Coach Inc., which the suit says was dissolved about a month after the accident; and DC Investments Leasing, a Vicksburg, Miss.-based subsidiary of Pyramid Coach. No phone number was listed for DC Investments Leasing, and the number for Pyramid Coach Inc. was disconnected. Meadow’s phone number wasn’t immediately available. Dottie Rambo died May 11 when the bus she was in ran off a road in southwest Missouri and struck an embankment. She was 74. Seven other people were injured in the accident, which happened about 2:20 a.m. while Rambo was on her way to a Mother’s Day performance in Texas. The lawsuit contends that Meadows was speeding and negligent and that Pyramid/DC Investments Leasing are liable for his negligence. Rambo was inducted to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007. She has had more than 2,500 published songs, including gospel classics such as “He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need” and the 1982 Gospel Music Association Song of the Year, “We Shall Behold Him.” Her songs have been recorded by Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, Crystal Gale and the Oak Ridge Boys. (Daily Record)

 

News organizations that cover the White House sparred with the Obama administration on Thursday over access issues for photographers and rules for briefings. Representatives from Obama’s press office held a conference call with photo editors, who are concerned that the administration prefers distributing photos taken by a White House photographer in cases where photojournalists have been permitted access in the past. It was unclear whether the two sides had reached any accommodation. The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse refused to distribute photos taken by the White House of the new president on his first day in the Oval Office because of the dispute. Still photographers were also not given access to Obama’s do-over oath of office administered Wednesday night by Chief Justice John Roberts and an economics meeting on Thursday. Television network bureau chiefs also protested the exclusion of video cameras from the second oath of office. “We’re in an awkward phase and there will be bumps in the road,” said Christopher Isham, CBS News Washington bureau chief. “Hopefully they will be speed bumps rather than obstacles.” Four reporters witnessed the oath of office and shared their observations with others, and a White House photo was released. “We think it was done in a way that was upfront and transparent,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in a briefing when questioned why video cameras were not present. Pressed on the matter, Gibbs said, “we would have had to get a bigger room.” The Associated Press also questioned on Thursday why reporters were not allowed to use the names of administration officials giving a background briefing on issues regarding the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba. Background briefings are hardly new in Washington, and were frequently conducted during the Bush and Clinton administrations. But the AP wanted to establish early with the administration that it’s important to get information on the record as often as possible, said Michael Oreskes, managing editor for U.S. news. “Information is a lot more valuable to the public if you know where it’s coming from,” Oreskes said. “So we try very hard in all source situations to identify sources as fully as we can.” Gibbs did not directly address the issue when asked about it later, saying that “I hope that you all found the exercise that we did the morning helpful.” (Daily Record)

 

The Screen Actors Guild has lost the support of a majority of its board to proceed with a strike vote after a hardline faction within the union and the guild’s president on Thursday backed a plan to suspend the vote. A group of Hollywood actors, led by guild president Alan Rosenberg, said Thursday it is also recommending sending the movie studios’ final three-year contract offer directly to its 120,000 members for a vote. The group’s statement follows months of preparations for a strike vote that would have given the guild the power to shut down production of major-studio movies and prime-time TV shows. The last contract expired in June. Although the guild has not acted officially to revoke its Oct. 19 plan to call a strike vote if mediation failed, the Hollywood group known as Membership First was the last major bloc still supporting that plan. Its reversal now means chances of a walkout are extremely slim. Along with the 25 national board members who backed Thursday’s statement and the 14 board members from the New York division who came out last month against the strike vote, more than half of the 71 board members have now come out publicly in support of suspending or scrapping plans for a strike vote. Thursday’s statement came after a contentious 30-hour meeting last week at which Membership First filibustered and fended off a motion by upset board members to fire the guild’s lead negotiator, National Executive Director Doug Allen. Allen later backtracked on calls for a strike vote and suggested instead sending the producers’ offer to actors for a vote. “Reaching the obligatory 75 percent (support) of the SAG membership would be hard to achieve,” the Hollywood group said in a statement. “We … support the compromise presented by Doug Allen to the national board to suspend the strike authorization and to send the (studios’) final offer out to the membership.” The guild said it had not yet acted on Allen’s proposal, which included holding a last round of talks with studios to see if they were willing to improve their final offer. “SAG’s national board of directors has not suspended the strike authorization referendum and the board’s Oct. 19 resolution is the last national board decision on this matter,” it said in a statement. The guild’s board had voted overwhelmingly in October to hold a strike vote if last-ditch mediation with the studios failed. Despite those talks quickly falling apart, support for a strike vote waned as the economy worsened, and a date for the vote was delayed several times. Technically, the guild said, it could conduct a strike vote with no further board action. Jonathan Handel, an entertainment lawyer who has been following the contract dispute, said the guild has struggled to find a clear strategy in the face of the studios’ refusal to budge from its final offer made last June. “These guys are flailing, they’ve been flailing for quite some time actually,” Handel said. “They’ve been struggling and bouncing from strategy to strategy with no clear focus. I think this just emphasizes that.” Ned Vaughn, the leader of a group on the board called Unite for Strength, which broke Membership First’s majority in elections in September, said its majority coalition is still pressing for a shake-up at the guild. “Our resolve to make those changes remains firm,” he said in a statement. “We also remain firm in our belief that SAG members deserve to vote on a TV/theatrical contract that the national board recommends ratifying.” The studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, declined to comment. The guild’s board must meet to send out the contract offer and it remains unclear if it will reach consensus on whether to support it. A simple majority, or more than 50 percent of voting members, are required to ratify the contract. The Hollywood group maintains that the offer is still unacceptable because it fails to guarantee guild coverage in productions made for the Internet, fails to make residual payments on made-for-Internet content that is rerun online, and doesn’t protect actor benefits in unforeseen work stoppages. (Daily Record)

 

 

MUSIC . . .

 

She’s got a friend. James Taylor said he will give a California woman a brand new music player loaded with his songs to replace the one she said she had to give up to a taxi driver when her credit card was declined after a trip to the airport last month. Natalie Lenhart, 20, said officers at John F. Kennedy International Airport made her give the $140 iPod nano to the driver as payment for the $49 ride from Manhattan on Dec. 8. The driver said he’d return her iPod for the fare. Lenhart’s red iPod was loaded with oldies, including songs by the folk singer. Taylor has written classics such as “You’ve Got a Friend” and “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).” Taylor said he might upgrade Lenhart’s device to an iPhone. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the agency responsible for police at the airport, said it is investigating. (Daily Record)

 

The two women members of 1970s hit group ABBA have rejected long-standing rumors that they are bitter enemies. In a rare joint interview published Friday, Agnetha Faltskog, 58, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, 63, took a chance to set the record straight. “A lot has been written about how Agnetha and I fought and quarreled with each other. There is absolutely no truth in that,” Lyngstad was quoted as saying by tabloid Aftonbladet. “Of course we competed, but to good effect.” Lyngstad and Faltskog formed ABBA together with male members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. The band has sold more than 370 million records and is famous for hits like “Waterloo,” “Dancing Queen” and “Money, Money, Money.” After ABBA split in 1982, rumors of fights between Lyngstad and Faltskog swirled in articles and books about the band. “No, we didn’t fight. But we have to live (through) a whole lot of such misinterpretations,” Faltskog said. The two women came together Thursday to accept Aftonbladet’s lifetime achievement award. The four former ABBA members are rarely seen together in public, but were reunited in 2008 for the Swedish premiere of “Mamma Mia!” a film based on their hits. (Daily Record)

 

Paris Hilton is keen to end reports of a feud with Trans-Atlantic chart-topper Lady Gaga – by recording a new tune with the Just Dance hitmaker. Internet reports have suggested tracks on Lady GaGa’s new album The Fame have upset her former Convent of the Sacred Heart schoolmate – because the heiress thinks the pop star is having a subtle dig at her in lyrics about how anyone can “feel famous”. A pal of Hilton’s recently told Ok! magazine, “She’s livid that she’s been singled out on the internet as an object of derision over Lady GaGa’s Cd.”

But Paris insists there is no feud – and she’s keen to work with Lady GaGa, whose real name is Joanne Stefani Germanotta. What’s more she’s thrilled that GaGa has publicly revealed that she’s a big fan of Hilton and her sister Nicky – after the hitmaker recently said, “It’s impressive to be that perfect all the time. In commercial terms, they’ve been quite an influence on me!” Paris tells HollyScoop.com, “I just read about Lady GaGa’s comments and I love her. I think she is an incredible artist. I love her style. I love her music. I listen to her all the time. “I would love to work with her. She seems so cool. She is a very smart girl… (I’d) love to get in touch with Lady GaGa and go to one of her shows.”  (Teen Hollywood)

 

One of the “amateur” contestants on this season’s “American Idol” has not only recorded a song for a major movie soundtrack — the damn thing was just covered by Britney Spears. Before Joanna Pacitti got the gold ticket on last night’s episode — she struck gold with her song “Out from Under” — featured on the “Bratz” soundtrack in 2007 … before it was covered on Britney’s new album, Circus. (TMZ)

 

Britney Spears is so clever — too clever in fact — and her lyrics are keeping her off the air in some of the biggest radio markets. Brit’s latest single, “If U Seek Amy,” has to be cleaned up, says NYC’s Z100, if it wants to get airtime. For those who aren’t aware, if you say the song’s chorus real fast, it sounds like — well here’s an explanation. “We plan to play an edited, super-clean version,” says an exec from Z100. Unclear what the new “Amy” will sound like, but Jive Records says it’s got a scrubbed version ready. Some stations around the country have already played “If U Seek Amy” in its unaltered form. (TMZ)

 

Scott Weiland, former front man for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, is launching a clothing line. Weiland has partnered with Christopher Wicks, designer and owner of Rock & Roll Religion, for a line of contemporary men’s clothing that will be known as Weiland for English Laundry. Wicks designs and owns other music related clothing lines such as Fender: The Clothing Collection and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. “From early on, I was inspired by rock icons like David Bowie and Keith Richards who helped in molding my personal sense of style,” Weiland said. The collection will consist of vests, t-shirts, pants, hats, ties and scarves based on vintage fabrics from the late 60′s and 70s and will retail for between $40 and $120. The line will be unveiled at Magic Las Vegas on Feb. 17. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

While there’s no official word from the label group, it has been learned that five employees of Sony Nashville have been laid off. Those affected include RCA Nashville director of media Lori Genes; Columbia Nashville associate director of media Jensen Sussman; Sony Nashville media assistant Michelle Lorge; BNA Records director of artist development and marketing Dan Anderson; and RCA Nashville director of artist development and marketing Rachel Fontenot. The Sony Nashville group includes Arista Nashville, BNA Records, Columbia Nashville, and RCA Nashville. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Chris Hicks has been named executive vice president at Def Jam Records. Hicks was previously senior VP of A&R for Warner Music Group and Warner Chappell Music. Hicks, a Richmond, California native-cum-Atlanta resident, began in the music industry with his independent entertainment company, Noontime, home to songwriters Johnta Austin and Bryan-Michael Cox. He’s also co-managed Usher and Mary J. Blige. Hicks will report directly to Island Def Jam chairman and CEO Antonio “L.A.” Reid. Hicks will be replacing Def Jam’s previous senior VP, Shakir Stewart, who committed suicide in November. The post has remained vacant though Island Def Jam promoted Jeff Straughn to senior VP of strategic marketing in November, and many speculated that Straughn would be Stewart’s replacement. Straughn most recently brokered the company’s partnership with Tag Body Spray to collectively promote artists through product branding. Before Stewart, Jay-Z served as the Def Jam President for three years and he is still signed to IDJ as an artist though the MC departed Def Jam as an executive in 2007. He is currently taking his time recording his final album for IDJ, “Blueprint 3,” and no release date has been announced. In May 2008, Jay-Z signed a $150 million “360″ deal over 10 years with Live Nation. Island Def Jam had no comment at press time. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

With digital sales still robust for her two breakthrough singles, Katy Perry will launch her first headlining tour Jan. 23 at the Showbox in Seattle. She’ll make a brief detour to perform Feb. 8 at the Grammy Awards as part of the My Grammy Moment promotion, where a fan will get to perform alongside her during the telecast. The tour will hit theaters with 1,000- to 2,000-seat capacities; there will also be an 11-date European run, including several U.K. performances, and stops in Japan. “Our philosophy has always been to sell places out,” says Creative Artists Agency’s Mitch Rose, who worked Perry’s tour. “We set the ticket price at $18-$20 for most markets, because we wanted to ensure a sellout. We could have charged more and we know we’re leaving money on the table, but making sure the rooms were packed was our first priority.” But just because the rooms are small doesn’t mean Perry will keep her show simple. “I have the guy who creates stages for Madonna working on this tour,” she tells Billboard. “I’m indulging my obsession with fruit and cats and designing all different outfits.” This quirkiness is leading her to other opportunities. Perry says she’d like to develop a clothing line at some point, but she’s in no hurry. “It would take two years to do it right,” she says. “I don’t want to do something rushed and sloppy. I look at something like Gwen Stefani’s line, L.A.M.B., and that took forever to do.” Stefani is a role model of Perry’s, not just for her sense of style but her long career. Perry believes interacting with her fans is key; she’s constantly blogging and responding to MySpace messages, as well as putting in time after every show to chat and sign autographs. “All the big pop girls come across as being so scared and so distant,” Perry says. “I understand diva-ness, but I cultivate an image as the pop star next door. You need to have some mystery and some privacy, and there are parts of me that I hold back. But at the same time, I love meeting people and e-mailing with them and blogging about funny things.” (Billboard)

 

The Raconteurs’ feverish Bonnaroo 2008 set, which is now streaming on Bonnaroo.com, will be the first of a host of content to go live on the site in the weeks to come under the mantle Bonnaroo 365. “The vision of where we can take the template and application I think is going to be 10 times beyond what we’re seeing now,” says Jonathan Mayers, president of Bonnaroo co-producer Superfly Presents. “We’re really excited to launch this program with the Raconteurs. This is really ‘phase one’ of where we think we can go.” All footage for Bonnaroo 365 will be taken directly from the festival’s master tapes, and the audio is remixed from soundboard recordings. The goal is to have a large archive of performances on the Bonnaroo site that can be accessed through a wide range of distribution channels, ultimately including user-generated content. “We have over 300 full sets that are line cut, iso-cammed, beautifully shot, and lots more audio multi-track,” says Mayers. “Last year we filmed about 70 full performances.” Over the years, Bonnaroo has offered a variety of different audio/video programs including Webcasts, broadcasts and physical product, and Mayers says they’re all “opt-in” programs. “We’ve been fortunate that a lot of artists want to participate,” he says. “At the end of the day we need artist, publisher [and] label permission to do any of these programs. All of this is about relationships, and we really have a give-and-take there. We’re really open with artists as to their usage of it, because ultimately it benefits us.” Financial arrangements for future Bonnaroo 365 incarnations are still being determined, but right now the value to artists comes through the exposure. Bonnaroo has an e-mail list of more than 500,000 names to tap into. “We feel we could become a marketing platform for artists, not just at the event but 365,” Mayers says. “We want our Web site to become ’365,’ so it’s not just a festival Web site, but it becomes this platform with an editorial voice, expanding the brand. We view ourselves as a media company, not just a festival.” Bonnaroo ’09 is set for June 11-14 in Manchester, Tenn., with a lineup announcement due Feb. 3. (Billboard)

 

Justin Timberlake, Lil’ Wayne, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift will join Katie Couric for her “All Access Grammy Special,” to air Feb. 4 on CBS. The Jonas Brothers, Carrie Underwood, Metallica, Ne-Yo, John Legend, Rascal Flatts, Duffy, Adele, Kid Rock, Jazmine Sullivan, Jordin Sparks and T-Pain will also appear on the program. CBS is also the home for the 51st annual Grammys, to be held Feb. 8 at Los Angeles’ Staples Center. Lil’ Wayne, Perry, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Coldplay, the Jonas Brothers and Kenny Chesney will all perform. (Billboard)

 

 

MOVIE . . .

 

“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” wasn’t ready to turn over his box-office badge this weekend as the film about a bumbling shopping center security guard earned $21.5 million to nab No. 1 for a second week in a row. The comedy, starring Kevin James as the guard who tries to protect the mall where he works from criminals, has now grossed $64.8 million in its two weeks of release and appears on its way to surpass $100 million. “It’s just a very funny film,” said Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for Sony. “It’s not only a great family film, it really is a film that everyone loves.” The third installment of the “Underworld” series fared well in its opening weekend. “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans,” a prequel that looks at the roots of a feud between vampires and werewolves, made $20.7 million. Its two predecessors – “Underworld” and “Underworld: Evolution” – earned $21.7 million and $26.8 million, respectively, in their opening weekends. The fantasy adventure “Inkheart” was unable to cast a spell over movie-goers, earning only $7.7 million in its debut. The movie, taken from the best-selling novel by Cornelia Funke, features Brendan Fraser playing a bookbinder with the ability to read characters right out of books and into real life. “Unfortunately, families didn’t come out in larger numbers,” said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.’ executive vice president of distribution. Films that received Academy Award nominations this past week had a strong showing at the box office as studios expanded their release.

“Slumdog Millionaire,” the drama about a game-show contestant from the slums of Mumbai, earned $10.6 million this weekend as the movie appeared in more than 1,400 theaters. Studio executives said the film, which has now made nearly $56 million, has been boosted by its recent haul of awards, including top honors from the Producers Guild of America on Saturday. “I think the word of mouth has been very strong since we opened in November, but with the Golden Globes and the Academy Award nominations as well as the PGA, it’s the must-see movie before the Academy Awards in February,” said Sheila DeLoach, senior vice president of distribution at Fox Searchlight. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” re-entered the Top 10, earning $6 million to boost its total to $111 million. The film, starring Brad Pitt as a man aging backward toward infancy, landed 13 Oscar nominations, including best actor for Pitt. “The Wrestler” and “Frost/Nixon” also drew big crowds this weekend. “This group has gotten the biggest (Oscar) bump collectively that I’ve ever seen,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box-office tracker Media by Numbers. “This lays to rest the argument that Oscar nominations can’t help out your box-office numbers.” Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday. (Daily Record)

1. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” $21.5 million.

2. “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans,” $20.7 million.

3. “Gran Torino,” $16 million.

4. “Hotel for Dogs,” $12.4 million.

5. “Slumdog Millionaire,” $10.6 million.

6. “My Bloody Valentine 3-D,” $10.1 million.

7. “Inkheart,” $7.7 million.

8. “Bride Wars,” $7 million.

9. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” $6 million.

10. “Notorious,” $5.7 million.

 

“Slumdog Millionaire” scored the top award from the Producers Guild of America on Saturday, building more momentum for the rags-to-riches drama in the Oscar race for best picture. The film, a gritty yet heartwarming drama about a game-show contestant from the slums of Mumbai, beat out “Milk,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight” and “Frost/Nixon.” Producer Christian Colson was honored with the Darryl F. Zanuck producer of the year award at the ceremony, held at the Hollywood Palladium, the latest Hollywood kudofest in the run-up to the Academy Awards next month. “Slumdog Millionaire” swept up four Golden Globe awards earlier this month. Directed by Briton Danny Boyle and starring a cast of unknowns, the film is a leading contender for the Academy Award’s best picture. It also snared Oscar nominations for best director and adapted screenplay. In television, HBO series “John Adams” snagged the David L. Wolper producer of the year award for long-form TV while AMC’s “Mad Men” took the prize for drama. Two shows were repeat winners from last year. In the comedy TV category, “30 Rock” was honored, while “The Colbert Report” was lauded in live entertainment/competition TV. In other categories, “Wall-E” won in animated motion pictures, “Man on Wire” in documentaries and CBS’ “60 Minutes” in nonfiction television. Career achievement awards were bestowed on producer Brian Grazer, actor/director/producer Ron Howard, actor/producer Michael Douglas and “The Sopranos” producer David Chase. The Screen Actors Guild is set to bestow its awards in a televised show Sunday night. (Daily Record)

 

Mariah Carey can finally put Glitter behind her. Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire, starring Mariah, Paula Patton (wife of R&B singer Robin Thicke), newcomer Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’nique, took home the top prize for U.S. dramas at the annual Sundance Film Festival last night in Park City, Utah. Set in 1980s Harlem and focused on the struggles of an abused teenaged girl, Push also received the audience award while Mo’nique was recognized for her performance as the abusive mother. In U.S. documentaries, We Live in Public about Internet pioneer Josh Harris won the grand jury prize. The audience award went to The Cove, an exposé on the controversial killing of dolphins in Japan. A hybrid documentary-improv comedy featuring Juno‘s Michael Cera took home the Waldo Salt screenwriting award. Paper Heart, about a quest to understand love, was written by Nicholas Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi, best known for her small role as a pothead girlfriend in Knocked Up. (Eonline)

 

50 Cent’s first big screen project under his new film production banner will team the rapper up with action movie veteran Nicolas Cage. The rap star has written, directed and stars in a biopic DVD, which will accompany his new album Before I Self Destruct and become Cheetah Vision’s first release – but his first big screen movie will be a prison drama with Cage. 50, real name Curtis Jackson, will play a boxer who is sent to prison in action-drama The Dance. Cage will co-star, according to HollyScoop.com. (Teen Hollywood)

 

Dakota Fanning may not be saying much about joining the cast of the Twilight sequel, but over the weekend she did confirm she’s in talks to play Jane! As I exclusively reported last week, the 14-year-old child star has been offered the role of the young killer bloodsucker in the movie adaptation of New Moon, the second book in Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling teenage vampire series. “It’s definitely possible. I really hope it works out,” Fanning told Hitfix.com while promoting her latest flick Push. “It would be a really fantastic experience I’m sure.” (Eonline)

 

Kevin Kline and Paul Dano  had a lot to talk about at Swifty’s the other day. The two start filming “The Extra Man” here next month with Katie Holmes. In the comedy, based on a novel by Jonathan Ames, Kline plays a failed playwright who makes his living as an escort for rich Upper East Side widows. He teaches his ways to Dano, a confused and aspiring playwright. John C. Reilly is also in the cast. There were probably some real-life willing widows at neighboring tables. (Page Six)

 

Back in November, Fox Searchlight signed a deal to make cult TV show Arrested Development into a big screen movie. But, in a recent interview, Michael “George Michael Bluth” Cera insisted that the project is still in a very early stage. Cera described the Arrestedmovie as “more hypothetical than people think”. Uhm, it doesn’t sound very hypothetical to us! “There’s no script or anything, so the movie, I think, is more hypothetical than people think,” said the rising film star to MTV. And when asked if he was “holding out” on committing to reprise his TV role for the movie, he responded, “I’d possibly play, I’d possibly put the script in my shredder. I may buy a shredder. People have asked me about it more than I’ve heard about it [in an official capacity] but I’d be very interested to see what the story is with it.” We’d be more worried for the movie if Jason Bateman was pulling this asshole-y shiz! An Arrested film can be made without Cera, right???? (Perez Hilton)

 

A legendary bandit will battle it out with a forgotten painter for France’s top film honors the Cesar Awards with Jean-Francois Richet’s “Mesrine” and Martin Provost’s “Seraphine” leading the list of nominees, announced Friday in Paris. The two biopics will compete for the title of best French film of the year alongside Remi Bezancon’s “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life,” Arnaud Desplechin’s “A Christmas Tale,” Cedric Klapisch’s “Paris” and Laurent Cantet’s Oscar for best foreign-language film contender “The Class.” Desplechin, Richet, Provost, Cantet and Bezancon will compete for the title of best director. “Mesrine,” a two-part biopic about France’s infamous 1970s public enemy No. 1, starring Vincent Cassel, scored 10 nominations. “Seraphine” followed with nine, just ahead of “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life” and “A Christmas Tale” with eight nominations each. Philippe Claudel’s “I’ve Loved You So Long” held its own with five nominations, including best actress and best supporting actress nominations for Kristin Scott Thomas and Elsa Zyberstein respectively. Thomas will compete with Tilda Swinton (“Julia”), Catherine Frot (“Le Crime est Notre Affaire”), Yolande Moreau (“Seraphine”) and Sylvie Testud (“Sagan”) for the title of best actress of the year.  The French Academy didn’t give a very warm welcome to “Welcome to the Sticks” with Dany Boon’s comedy notably absent from the nominees list other than one for best original screenplay, despite the film’s record-breaking 20 million ticket box-office coup. Recently deceased actor Guillaume Depardieu received a posthumous nomination for best actor for his role in Pierre Schoeller’s “Versailles.” Depardieu previously won the most promising actor prize in 1995 for his role in Pierre Salvadori’s “Les Apprentis.” Other best actor nominees include Albert Dupontel (“2 Days to Kill”), Francois-Xavier Demaison (“Coluche”), Vincent Cassel (“Mesrine”) and Jacques Gamblin (“First Day”).  Seven films, instead of the traditional five, are in the running for best foreign film of the year including Matteo Garrone’s “Gomorra,” Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s “Lorna’s Silence,” Ari Folman’s “Waltz with Bashir,” Bouli Lanners’ “Eldorado” and U.S. titles James Gray’s “Two Lovers,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood” and Sean Penn’s “Into the Wild.”  Actor Antoine de Caunes will host the 34th annual Cesar Awards ceremony Feb. 27 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris featuring actress Charlotte Gainsbourg as the event’s honorary president. The red carpet event will be broadcast live on Canal Plus. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

This is how tight industry purse strings have become: You can deliver a $100 million-plus critical success that secures a baker’s dozen Oscar nominations, and your next green light is still no sure thing. So it is with Oscar-nominated director David Fincher and “Torso,” a project Paramount has had on its docket since January 2006 that has drawn interest from stars Matt Damon and Casey Affleck. But even with the success of Fincher’s recent “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” the studio allowed the rights option on “Torso’s” underlying graphic novel to lapse, leaving the project in limbo.  The “Torso” graphic novel was written by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Andreyko. It’s a crime thriller that tells the true story of Treasury Department agent Eliot Ness’ time after his Al Capone days. The comic was first optioned by “Spawn” creator Todd McFarlane, who had Bendis and Andreyko pen their own script at Dimension. Later, producer Don Murphy came on board and went to producer Bill Mechanic and his Pandemonium shingle, which brought in Fincher, who made “Fight Club” when Mechanic was head of Fox. In early 2006, they took the package to Paramount, which hired Ehren Kruger to adapt it. Last month, Paramount’s ability to extend the rights option as part of the original deal expired, which would have then required the studio to purchase the rights outright to retain them — a price the studio apparently was unwilling to shell out. While the studio still owns Kruger’s screenplay, it is in discussions potentially to strike a new option agreement with the comic’s writers, to whom the rights reverted. (Fincher and the producers remain attached.) Given the Ness story line’s basis in reality, one could argue that a public-domain version of it could be developed using similar material. But in the age of the industry-shaking legal tussle between Warner Bros. and Fox over “Watchmen,” it’s unlikely that Paramount would take that type of risk. One source indicated that Fincher has been keen on making the project and expressed confusion as to why Paramount would dither. But given the projects and personnel that the belt-tightening Brad Grey-run studio shed last year, it’s not surprising that it would balk at committing to another big-budget production at year’s end. Fincher’s reputation as aperfection-driven director often has ruffled studio feathers, and he’s not one to roll cameras for eight-digit budgets. (“Button” rang up a $150 million-$175 million tab.)  Just the same, Paramount is unlikely to let the project slip through its fingers. In addition to “Button,” it also made “Zodiac” with Fincher. But if it did, any number of studios likely would jump at the chance to get in the Fincher business. “It’s a weird and odd situation,” Bendis said. “We heard it was green lit one day, then the next we heard it wasn’t. Hopefully, it’ll have a happy ending.” (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Paramount said Thursday it will offer qualifying exhibitors payments for playing its films on digital screens. Theater operators in the U.S. and Canada will get payments amounting to a “virtual print fee” every time they play a Par pic, provided they haven’t dipped into d-cinema funding through studio-funded consortiums. Additionally, the exhibitor must have converted half of its screens to digital or boast at least one 3-D digital auditorium, Par exec VP distribution Mark Christiansen explained. “There’s no upfront money involved,” he said. “We’re not offering to buy the equipment. But if the exhibitor goes out and acquires the equipment on their own, we will pay them for playing Paramount films over a proscribed 10-year period.” The distribution exec said he hopes other studios follow Par’s lead. “Paramount is getting out front on this critical industry transition, and we applaud them,” said John Fithian, CEO of the National Association of Theater Owners. “For some of our members, it could make the difference in surviving and thriving in the digital era, and it certainly enables some exhibitors to get wired much faster — and that means more 3-D screens sooner. We urge all studios to give this creative option a fair chance.” Separately, Par has signed nine d-cinema integration deals, including domestic agreements with Cinedigm, Kodak, Sony Electronics and Digital Cinema Implementation Partners. Its three European deals involve integrators XDC, Arts Alliance Media and Ymagis, and two pacts in Asia were struck with DCK and GDC. The global credit crunch has dampened the digital rollout in recent months, and a related 3-D push also has been affected. To date, some 5,800 digital screens domestically and more than 2,100 internationally are in place. There are a 1,605 digital 3-D screens in the U.S. and Canada and another 650 abroad. The 3-D numbers are considered especially paltry. A dozen 3-D films scheduled for release this year include the animated feature “Monsters vs. Aliens” from DreamWorks Animation and Paramount, set to open March 27 domestically. Under the new Paramount plan, payments for showing pics on 3-D screens will be slightly higher than for playing pics on conventional digital screens. “It’s a real big breakthrough, and I am counting on the other distributors to follow through on this, too,” DWA chief Jeffrey Katzenberg said. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for a number of exhibitors who have not had access to the kind of funding that now will be provided on a theater by theater basis, as well as for larger exhibitors who have been frozen out of the market because of the credit crunch.” The Par move should boost momentum on the industry’s 3-D rollout, Katzenberg added. By the time “Monsters vs. Aliens” unspools, 3-D installations should climb to 2,200 domestic screens and 1,300 international screens, he estimated.  (Hollywood Reporter)

 

List of 2009 Sundance Film Festival awards winners: (Daily Record)

The Sundance Film Festival’s 2009 audience and jury awards, presented Saturday in Park City, Utah:

- Grand jury, U.S. drama: “Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire”

- Audience, U.S. drama: “Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire”

- Grand jury, U.S. documentary: “We Live in Public”

- Audience, U.S. documentary: “The Cove”

- Grand jury, world cinema drama: “The Maid (La Nana)”

- Audience, world cinema drama: “An Education”

- Grand jury, world cinema documentary: “Rough Aunties”

- Audience, world cinema documentary: “Afghan Star”

- Waldo Salt screenwriting award: Nicholas Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi, “Paper Heart”

- Directing, U.S. drama: Cary Joji Fukunaga, “Sin Nombre”

- Directing, U.S. documentary: Natalia Almada, “El General”

- Directing, world cinema drama: Oliver Hirschbiegel, “Five Minutes of Heaven”

- Directing, world cinema documentary: Havana Marking, “Afghan Star”

- Screenwriting, world cinema drama: Guy Hibbert, “Five Minutes of Heaven”

- Editing, U.S. documentary: Karen Schmeer, “Sergio”

- Editing, world cinema documentary: Janus Billeskov Jansen and Thomas Papapetros, “Burma VJ”

- Cinematography, U.S. drama: Adriano Goldman, “Sin Nombre”

- Cinematography, U.S. documentary: Bob Richman, “The September Issue”

- Cinematography, world cinema drama: John De Borman, “An Education”

- Cinematography, world cinema documentary: John Maringouin, “Big River Man”

- Special jury prize for originality, world cinema drama: “Louise-Michel,” directed by Benoit Delepine and Gustave de Kervern

- Special jury prize, world cinema documentary: “Tibet in Song,” Ngawang Choephel, director

- Special jury prize for acting, world cinema: Catalina Saavedra, “The Maid (La Nana)”

- Special jury prize, U.S. documentary: “Good Hair,” Jeff Stilson, director

- Special jury prize for spirit of independence: “Humpday”

- Special jury prize for acting: Mo’Nique, “Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire”

- Jury prize, U.S. short filmmaking: “Short Term 12,” Destin Daniel Cretton, director

- Jury prize, international short filmmaking: “Lies,” Jonas Odell, director

- Alfred P. Sloan prize: “Adam,” Max Mayer, director

 

 

TV . . .

 

NBC is serious about finding a successor to departing medical drama “ER.”A day after the network green lighted “Mercy,” an hour-long pilot about the lives of three nurses, it handed out a director-contingent pilot order to another medical drama, “Trauma.” Written by Dario Scardapane (“Faceless”), “Trauma” is described as a high-octane emergency medical procedural that takes place out in the field. Universal Media Studios is producing with Peter Berg’s Film 44. Berg and Scardapane are executive producing. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Unionized health-care workers at a Motion Picture & Television Fund hospital slated for closure staged a protest Thursday at the MPTF’s retirement campus in Woodland Hills. Sponsored by United Healthcare Workers West, the rally attracted several dozen hospital employees, patients’ families and campus residents. On Jan. 15, the MPTF said it would close its hospital and a long-term care unit on the campus by year’s end, eliminating 290 jobs. The moves were prompted by cost overruns, but the MPTF also stressed it would be expanding health-care offerings provided through its network of community clinics and home-based services. The 86-year-old organization offers health-care, financial and other services to Hollywood retirees and the indigent. On Thursday, MPTF spokeswoman Jennifer Fagen said the organization understands the shifts are not without their emotional toll. “The MPTF Board members and senior management understand this is a heart-wrenching situation,” Fagen said. “The decision to close the hospital and relocate patients was only reached after a great deal of analysis and discussion. It was determined that this course of action was the only one that would preserve the long-term health and viability of MPTF. Our doctors, nurses, social workers and staff are committed to working with families to find the best possible long-term care facilities and creating a transition process that will cause the least amount of disruption.” The MPTF spokeswoman added that “community care teams” will continue to work with patients after their relocation to other area facilities. “We regret the number of jobs affected by this closure and the distress it has caused our employees,” Fagen said. “We are doing everything possible to help them find future employment.” (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Nine days after a group of SAG moderates failed to oust national executive director Doug Allen, the guild’s hard-line faction MembershipFirst has issued a statement supporting Allen and called for the AMPTP’s offer for a new TV and film contract to be sent to members for a straight up-or-down vote. It would be the first time in memory that SAG sent a contract to its members with a neutral or negative recommendation. Despite the unprecedented nature, the move would be in keeping with the unique, at times bizarre, behavior of the guild during the past year or so. MembershipFirst, which includes president Alan Rosenberg, first vp Anne-Marie Johnson, a vast majority of the Hollywood board and nine out of 13 members of the negotiating committee, has campaigned against the offer since it was issued nearly seven months ago. They object to several terms, including the ones governing jurisdiction and compensation in content made originally for the Web. After a 28-hour board meeting failed to force Allen from his job, he issued a compromise to the moderates: suspend the strike-authorization vote and send the producers’ offer to members. That was rejected by the moderates.  Sam Freed, SAG’s second national vp and president of the New York board, said last week: “It is irresponsible and cynical at best to suggest that the guild could send out a contract referendum to the members with a neutral recommendation. The guild, under the direction of Doug Allen, has spent the last eight months and hundreds of thousands of dollars of members’ money criticizing the contract in an effort to manipulate the membership.” On Monday, Todd Hissong, a moderate and president of the Chicago board, sent Allen a letter demanding his resignation. It soon was followed by an e-mail to members from “the National Board Majority.” Without directly calling for Allen’s resignation, it stated that the guild needed a “new course and a new captain.” MembershipFirst, which has dominated the Hollywood board for most of the decade and had control of the national board until September’s elections, re-staked a claim to the word “majority” in the most recent letter by dint of its ownership of 37 of 55 Hollywood seats.  “We, the majority of the Screen Actors Guild Hollywood Division Board,” the letter began, “representing over 70,000 SAG members, responsible for over 65% of the work covered by the TV/theatrical contract, support our national executive director/chief negotiator Doug Allen in his tireless efforts. … We … also support the compromise presented by Doug Allen to the national board to suspend the strike authorization and to send the AMPTP’s final offer out to the membership.” The letter, which never uses the term “MembershipFirst,” also states that the Hollywood majority does not believe a strike-authorization vote would pass.  “Although many believe in sending out the strike authorization, we have come to the realization that through questionable tactics used by the AMPTP, AMPTP operatives, industry CEOs, industry-dependent media, high-profile producer/actors and certain members of the board, reaching the obligatory 75% of the SAG membership would be hard to achieve. We believe the compromise suggested by Doug Allen, supported by president Alan Rosenberg, secretary/treasurer Connie Stevens, first vp Anne-Marie Johnson and the overwhelming majority of the Hollywood board, is the right path to take considering the circumstances.” (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Chat show king Jonathan Ross apologized for his part in the John Sachs scandal on his return to television. Jonathan Ross has apologized again for his role in the John Sachs scandal as he taped his first chat show since completing his three month suspension. “So where were we?” Ross said during the show’s opening monologue before poking fun at former US president George Bush, reported Sky News. “What kind of idiot would say stuff like that, knowing it would be broadcast? Seriously, I would like to apologize. We have got a great responsibility, what we do is a privilege and I will be more aware in future.” (Handbag)

 

 

TODAY’S IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION . . . (Mike Butts Creative)

 

Q.  According to a survey people in THIS profession average less than 6 hours of sleep a day and admit to being “drowsy” on the job?

            A.  School teachers

 

 

TODAY’S QUOTE (By Peter Brock)

 

“NEVER STOP. ONE STOPS AS SOON AS SOMETHING IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.”

 

 

MIND BOGGLERS . . . (QuickTrivia)

 

Q.  Architect/engineer Richard Buckminster Fuller is famous for designing the:

            A.  Geodesic Dome

 

Q.  Conan the Barbarian, Doc Savage, and the Shadow are all heroes who first appeared in:

            A.  Pulp magazines

 

Q.  How did the legendary coach Knute Rockne die?

            A.  Plane Crash

 

Q.  Desi Arnaz is to Lucille Ball as George Burns is to:

            A.  Gracie Allen

 

Q.  Type of robot dinosaur the Yellow Power Ranger controls?

            A.  Saber-Toothed tiger

 

Q.  According to Mattel, her manufacturer, Barbie’s last name is:

            A.  Roberts

 

 

BIRTHDAYS . . .

 

—1826  Former First Lady Julia Dent Grant (d. 12-14-1902)

—1880  General Douglas MacArthur (d. 4-5-1964)

—1913  Songwriter Jimmy Van Heusen (d. 2-7-1990)

—1925  Actor Paul Newman (Cool Hand Luke) (d. 9-26-2008)

—1928  Director Roger Vadim (Barbarella)

—1929  Playwright/Cartoonist Jules Feiffer

—1932  Civil Rights Leader Father George Harold Clements

¾1934  Singer Huey “Piano” Smith

—1935  Actor/Sportscaster Bob Uecker

—1942  Actor Scott Glenn (Urban Cowboy)

—1942  Singer Dave Rowland (Dave & Sugar)

¾1943  Singer Jean Knight (“Mr Big Stuff”)

—1946  Movie Critic Gene Siskel (d. 2-20-99)

—1948  Musician Corky Laing

¾1950  Actor David Strathairn (LA Confidential)

—1951  Musician David Briggs (Little River Band)

¾1951  Actor Walt Willey (“Jack” All My Children)

—1955  Musician Eddie Van Halen

—1958  Singer Anita Baker

—1958  Musician Norman Hassan (UB40)

¾1958  Comedian/Actress/Talk Show Host Ellen DeGeneres

—1961  Hockey’s Wayne Gretzky

—1963  Musician Andrew Ridgeley

¾1978  Actress Sara Rue (Less Than Perfect)

 

 

THIS DAY IN HISTORY . . .

 

MOON PHASE: NEW MOON (2:55 am EST). Today begins CHINESE NEW YEAR …THE YEAR OF THE OX (born in 1901, 1913, 1925. 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 you are an OX)

—1695  Captain William Kidd started up the first workmen’s compensation plan, when he decreed that one – fourth of all captured booty was to be distributed among his crew, and that if any man lost an arm or a leg “in said service, he should receive 600 pieces of eight, or six able slaves.”

—1784  In a letter to his daughter, Benjamin Franklin expressed his disappointment over the selection of the eagle as our national bird, instead of his choice, the turkey.

—1802  The Library of Congress was established in a single room of the Capitol Building.

—1837  Michigan was admitted as the 26^th state; it’s Admission Day in the Wolverine State.

—1837  Tennessee passed the nation’s first statewide alcohol prohibition law. (And gave birth to the nation’s first state-wide moonshining business.)

¾1875  George F. Green, of Kalamazoo, MI, patented the electric dental drill.

—1956  Buddy Holly makes his first commercial recordings in Nashville.

—1962  The Buffalo, NY Catholic Diocese officially bans dancing, listening to, or singing the “Twist.”

—1968  American Debut of the Bee Gees at the Anaheim Convention Center.

—1970  John Lennon writes, records, and produces “Instant Karma” in one day, with the help of Phil Spector.

—1970  Australia’s first Rock festival, called the “Ourimbah Rock Festival” draws 11,000 fans.

—1972  A stewardess was blown out of an airliner and survived a 33,000 ft fall without a parachute. The 23-year-old hostess was in a coma for about a month, and had to stay in the hospital another 15 months after waking up.

—1977  Peter Green, former leader of Fleetwood Mac, is committed to a mental hospital after appearing in court on a charge of acting in a threatening manner with a rifle. He had threatened a courier who was attempting to deliver a royalty check.

—1979  Jackson Browne and Graham Nash headline the first of three anti-nuclear benefit concerts.

—1979  Elvis Costello’s “Oliver’s Army,” Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” and Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out Of Hell” are released.

—1980  Guitarist Gary Moore leaves Thin Lizzy and is replaced by Snowy White.

—1981  The Supreme Court approved television in courtrooms.

—1982  The Allman Bros. make what was to have been their last appearance together, on “Saturday Night  Live.” The band did reunite in 1989 for a box set album and tour.      

¾1984  “Mike Hammer” premieres on TV.  This show was revived by CBS with actor Stacy Keach, but had to stop production in 1984 when Keach was imprisoned on drug charges.  The series returned in 1986.

—1985  Bruce Springsteen plays his first stadium show at the Carrierdome in Syracuse. Springsteen purists complain the show has lost its intimacy. He returns to indoor arenas three years later.

—1987  The 14^th Annual American Music Awards: Whitney Houston wins five. Lionel Richie gets four. Madonna premieres her Marilyn Monroe look.

—1989  Bobby Brown is arrested in Columbus, GA for violating an anti-lewdness law by dancing with a woman from the audience. He pays a fine and finishes the show an hour later.

—1994  Joined on stage by original member Cindy Wilson, the B-52′s play at a 20^th anniversary party for the legendary New York City club, CBGB.

¾2008  Christian Brando (son of the late Marlon Brando) died on this date in Los Angeles.  He was 49 years old, born on May 11, 1958.

 

 

RADIO ONLINE® DAILY SHOW PREP™ . . .

 

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1784, Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to his daughter, saying he regretted the choice of the eagle as our country’s national symbol… and said the turkey would have been a much better choice. Makes you wonder, if things had been different, if we would be eating eagle on Thanksgiving.

Rufus H. Gilbert was born way back in 1832. It was Mr. Gilbert came up with the idea of elevated trains… which suffered a serious set-back when the first one came to a tunnel.

On this date in 1871, income tax in America was repealed by Congress. The following day, the tax was put back into place and a ban on drinking during session was put into place.

In 1875, a patent was issued for the first electric dental grill. Those old diesel models use to really stink up the office and leave a coat of smoke residue on the magazines.

Television was first demonstrated by John Logie Baird in London in 1926. He was the Scottish inventor who obtained the world’s first real television picture in his laboratory in October, 1925. The image obtained was a small 30-line vertically-scanned red and black image, but it was real television. The following were also real television… shows. What kind were they?

·         “Doc Corkle” (NBC) Comedy ***, Medical drama or Western.

·         “Hot Shots” (CBS) Comedy, Drama *** or Game show.

·         “Men” (ABC) Drama ***, Comedy or Game show.

·         “Otherworld” (CBS) Comedy, Documentary or Science fiction ***.

·         “13 East” (NBC) Crime drama, Comedy *** or Medical drama.

·         “Paris” (CBS) Travel show, Comedy or Police drama ***.

·         “How Did They Get That Way” (ABC) Discussion ***, Comedy or Documentary.

·         “Makin’ It” (ABC) Comedy, Adventure *** or Craft show.

·         “Nakia” (ABC) Comedy, Musical variety or Police drama ***.

·         “The Sixth Sense” (ABC) Occult ***, Game show or Comedy.

On this date in 1954, ground was broken on a new construction project. A place called Disneyland. It was the happiest groundbreaking on earth.

We gave away a special Disney prize package to the first person who could answer all ten of our Disney trivia questions:

1.      In Aladdin, what is the name of Jasmine’s pet tiger? (Rajah)

2.      In Toy Story, what game does the slinky play? (Checkers)

3.      What is the name of Donald Duck’s sister (Also the mother of Huey Dewey & Louie)? (Dumbella)

4.      In Alice in Wonderland, what is the name of Alice’s kitten? (Dinah)

5.      What nickname does Peter Pan give to Captain Hook? (Codfish)

6.      Of the four princesses, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Ariel, which is the only one with brown eyes? (Snow White)

7.      What popular comedian/actor used to work at the Magic Shop in Disneyland when he was younger? (Steve Martin)

8.      Which catchy Disney tune does Tom Hanks sing to himself in the movie “Splash?” (Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah)

9.      In Bambi, what is the name of Flower’s girlfriend? (Miss Skunk)

10.  In Finding Nemo, what medical problem does the young seahorse claim to have? (H2O Intolerance)

On this date in 1984, the 1-minute ice cream eating record was set when a guy downed 3-pounds 6-ounces of ice cream in just 60 seconds. He still has a headache.

 

TODAY IS

Hard to believe we’re exactly 11 months away from the After-Christmas Sales.

Andrew Ridgeley turns 46 today. In the group, Wham, he was the other guy. The first question people ask him today when they meet him is, “Who?”

Ellen DeGeneres turns 51 today. I used to then follow it with the joke, “And still not married”… but now she is… I think.

 

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

·         The Miss America pageant was held over the weekend. Who knew? It was shown on TLC.

·         Jennifer Love Hewitt’s fiance, Ross McCall, is dismissing reports the couple has split — insisting they are “working it out.”

·         Luke Song’s hat shop in Detroit was responsible for that hat Aretha Franklin wore at the inauguration. Their phone has been ringing off the hook with women who want one.

·         Pope Benedict XVI joined U.S. President Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II on Friday by launching his own YouTube channel.

·         The newest Jenny Craig spokesperson? Phylicia Rashad.

·         When Kate Winslet was a young teenager, she had a crush on “Dirty Dancing” star Patrick Swayze and thought he was sexiest person she had ever laid eyes on.

·         The folks that make Beanie Babies have come out with some dolls named after the first daughters: “Sweet Sasha” and “Marvelous Malia.”

·         Miley Cyrus can’t stop texting — even when it’s inappropriate. Star magazine reports that Miley was caught texting her boyfriend in church, and the pastor gave her a good talking-to so she won’t do it again.

·         That classical music you hear performed by Yo-Yo Ma and others at the inauguration? Pre-recorded. They decided it was too cold to perform the music live and have the instruments stay in tune.

·         In Japan, it’s popular to use Barack Obama’s book and CD to learn the English language.

·         Playboy reports Americans discard 426,000 mobile phones every day.

·         Alanis Morissette was in Brazil last week, exploring the Amazon, playing with monkeys and swimming with dolphins.

·         Don’t ask Shia Lebeouf for a ride. After his accident last year, he’s had his drivers license suspended for a year.

·         One Texas high school girls’ basketball team has apologized to another after being them 100-0 in a game this past week.

·         Michael’s lost love, Holly Flax, may be making a return soon to “The Office.”

·         Sure, they divorced last year… but now we near that Pink and Carey Hart are trying a second go at it.

·         88% of Cosmopolitan readers have been creeped out by a guy who has a crush on them.

·         So you know, there is a rumor out there that Cindy McCain has expressed interest in appearing on the next season of “Dancing with the Stars.”

CONVERSATION STARTERS

 

The best city if you love to read is a tie between Minneapolis, MN and Seattle, WA, according to an annual ranking conducted this year by the Center for Public Policy and Social Research at Central Connecticut State University. The ranking was based on local newspaper and magazine circulation, library data, online news readership, book purchases, Internet resources and educational achievement in cities with a population of 250,000 or more. Here’s the top ten cities for literacy:

1.      Minneapolis

2.      Seattle

3.      Washington, DC

4.      St. Paul, MN

5.      San Francisco

6.      Atlanta

7.      Denver

8.      Boston

9.      St. Louis

10.  Cincinnati, Portland (tie)

The literate U.S. cities are: Anaheim, CA (67), Bakersfield, CA (68), Corpus Christi, TX (69), Stockton, CA (70) and El Paso, TX (71).

Being in debt is more frightening than the threat of a terrorist attack to most Americans. This according to a recent poll by the Center for American Progress, which found that money woes were the most vexing for about half of those questioned while a terrorist attack was a major concern for only one-third. For the first time since the Great Depression in 1933, Americans overall have negative savings, while overall credit-card debt has soared to a $813 billion.

Self magazine reports for every one hour spent watching television translated into 144 fewer steps walked that day for participants in a recent study by Harvard University.

When a Harris Poll survey for Adecco USA was conducted to determine who most scares office workers, 34% said it’s the boss. Here’s the top five people who scare us most at work:

·         Boss (34%)

·         President or CEO of the company(28%)

·         Co-worker (25%)

·         HR representative (9%)

·         Front desk receptionist (5%)

When we don’t schmooze, we lose. In a CareerBuilder survey, 35% of women suspected they earned less than male colleagues, not due to gender bias but because they often skipped networking events.

 

Self magazine reports 30% of men and women say their sweetie’s cheeks and neck are parts they deem most kissable, according to a recent survey by Cetaphil. Most miscible part to kiss? Feet! 25% pass on scratchy soles.

 

Has anyone ever told you how much you and your mate look alike? Chances are, it’s because you really do. Researchers from the University of Liverpool, in conjunction with the University of Durham and the University of St. Andrews, have determined that the longer we’re with someone, the more we grow alike in appearance. Even more interesting, they found out that we tend to choose someone in the first place whose looks resemble ours. Why? Partners who are genetically similar to each other tend to have happier marriages, and similarities in personalities and physical features might be one way to measure genetic similarity.

 

PHONE TOPICS

·         Taxes: have ‘em done or do it yourself?

·         Have you ever been audited?

·         What’s your “When I win the lottery” plan?

·         Did your house ever catch fire?

·         Which airline serves the best food?

·         Tell your air travel in-flight nightmare.

·         Have you ever met a president or candidate?

·         Who is the best comedian of all time?

·         Best reunion tour you’ve ever seen.

·         What was your worst, self-inflicted grooming mistake?

·         Have you ever had a psychic tell you something that came true?

·         Do you have a superstitious ritual? Tell us what it is?

·         Who’s going to the coolest Superbowl party?

·         How many parking tickets have you received in your life? Driving?

·         What’s the home improvement project looming at your house?

Got into a great phoner about love at first sight stories. We started talking about how all the stories these people were telling us all started with “and our eyes met in a crowded room.” Play sappy music when you do this one.

 

I’ve always used an air cleaner in my condo and I love it. I spent a good buck on it (about $300), but it really does the job. Anyone else use an air cleaner religiously? My cohost told me that I’m going to live longer too. Maybe by 5 years. There’s new research that says, cleaner air over the past two decades has added nearly five months to average life expectancy in the United States, according to a federally funded study. Researchers said it is the first study to show that reducing air pollution translates into longer lives. Wohoo.

 

Have you ever taken part in an eating contest? There’s a contest in Denver that challenges you to eat a 7lb burrito. It’s all courtesy of the Travel Channel’s new “Extreme Places to Pig-Out” show. If you could pig out on one food, which one would it be?

 

You married a guy years ago, and his parents still hate you! You weren’t their choice, how do they still remind you of that fact?

 

My cohost’s daughter is selling Girl Scout cookies and I bought a bunch! I actually freeze a bunch because you can’t buy them but once a year. I read that they’re fewer cookies packaged into Thin Mints, Do-si-dos and Tagalongs boxes this year, and the Lemon Chalet Crème cookies were resized to make up for the rising cost of baking stuff. A box of cookies costs $3.50. Phoner: Do you think $3.50 a box is too much, or would you rather pay more to get bigger portions?

 

Who’s kid sold the most Girl Scout cookies this year? Here are some cool cookie history facts:

·         The earliest record of Girl Scouts selling cookies was of a 1917 service project by the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Okla.

·         In 1933, 44 Girl Scout cookies cost a mere 23 cents.

·         The words “Girl Scout Cookies” first appeared on a box of cookies in 1935, for the Girl Scout Federation of Greater New York.

·         Thin Mints, or Chocolate Mints as they were called then, officially made the scene in 1951, along with sandwich and shortbread cookies.

·         Girl Scout cookies free of trans-fatty acids went on sale in 2007.

Source: Girl Scouts of the USA

 

A friend of mine asked me the other day if he should use the company’s email address for personal use. I thought he was kidding. I never use mine. Knowing what I know about computers, your company almost always can read every e-mail you send and receive through their accounts. Do you know anyone that got fired because of using company email inappropriately?

 

A recent study says there’s been an increase in women taking the last name of their husband. Then we asked for women who wanted their husbands to take their last names. We actually received a couple phone calls of men who were asked and refused.

 

Some people have a certain technique to picking people up. We had one woman who carried around a sock puppet and made it talk to people. One woman used to go to the hospital waiting room and talk to people and she ended up meeting her boyfriend she has been with for 2 years.

 

Human beings are remarkably resilient, but new research shows that it’s not always possible to ‘get over it’ when something bad happens. What’s the one thing in general you’ve never been able to get over? A death? A lost love? What’s the best way to help yourself “get over” something?

 

According to a recent survey, 12% of men and 7% of women who work from home work naked. The majority of telecommuters do actually get dressed when they work, but 39% said they wear sweats or pajamas. Everybody in the survey revealed they were more relaxed about their personal habits when working at home. For example, 44% of women surveyed said they showered while only 30% of men bothered to wash. Slightly more men (33%) were likely to shave. Phoner: Okay, spill the beans, if you work form home, do you let yourself go.

 

Anyone listening that’s working at home and is naked?

 

Some guys really do dig bookworms and brainiacs. According to a recent article I read, the sexiest girl is…

·         One who has the same interests as me, 52%

·         A rebel. A girl who doesn’t fit into any category, 20%

·         An artsy chick, 11%

·         A girl who’s just like mom, 7%

·         A jock, 5%

·         A bookworm/brainiac, 5%

Ladies, how young of a guy would you date? With men, it’s a badge of honor to date someone half your age, but as with many things, ladies seem to take the higher ground. Still, you’ll get lots of older women saying, “Hey, if you can snag a young one, go for it.” It pretty much degenerated into a man-bashing fest as many of the women concluded age didn’t matter since you have to mother ‘em no matter what age they are.

 

A pet peeve of mine that got the phones going was the whole “zero tolerance” madness that has swept our schools. There are plenty of examples of kids getting booted ‘cuz they had an Advil or a one-inch plastic gun from a GI Joe. We got to talking on the widespread use of out of school suspension and how it’s ineffective because to the kid who’s supposedly being punished, it’s more like an unexpected vacation.

 

Stupid things involving your car? Lots of calls from married couples who hate driving each other’s vehicles. The best was a guy who needed to go to the emergency room but wouldn’t let his wife drive his car. She had to get a neighbor to drive him.

 

My sister watched the last season of “24″ in one weekend. Ask your listeners about the TV season they watched in its entirety? Are TV show more entertaining or easier to watch since they’re starting to come out on DVD? TiVo or regular TV, which is better?

 

Have you ever served jury duty with someone famous or a local celebrity? Did they get any special treatment because of their celebrity status?

 

YES OR B.S.

·         Curacao is a Liquor made of Oranges. (Yes)

·         Blue sky laws deal with the airlines. (B.S., Stocks and Bonds)

·         In craps, if your first roll is a two, three or fifteen you lose. (B.S., not fifteen, but twelve)

·         The most popular casino table game is Poker. (B.S., Blackjack)

·         Bennett Cerf is an important name in American Politics. (B.S., publishing)

·         “Vodka” mean “Breakfast” in Russian. (B.S., “Little Water”)

·         Roy Rogers’ horse was named Trigger. (Yes)

·         The average dinosaur lived to be over 100 years old. (Yes)

·         Dale Evans’ horse was named Joey. (B.S., Buttermilk)

·         The British title of nobility that is the “highest” is Duke. (Yes)

·         Though not an artist, Helga Testorf is famous in the art world as a model. (Yes)

·         If we refer to some as freestone and others as clingstone, we are talking about Grapes. (B.S., Peaches)

·         Geico insurance company claims you’re in good hands with them. (B.S., Allstate does)

·         If lovers are said to be “star-crossed,” their relationship is Doomed. (Yes)

·         The group known as PETA is against the abuse of Alcohol. (B.S., Animals)

·         Young and Rubicam is the world’s largest Advertising firm in the industry. (Yes)

·         The term “Impressionism” was prompted by an 1872 painting by Ben Franklin. (B.S., Claude Monet)

·         Tycoon Rupert Murdoch founded the FOX television network. (Yes)

·         Aaron, Art, Charles and Cyril are the Oakridge brothers. (B.S., Neville brothers)

·         Serotonin is a powerful vasoconstrictor found in blood serum. (Yes)

THE MOST IN A MINUTE

 

Challenge listeners to come up with a list of great things about your show. The person who can run off the most inside a minute wins. Good for a one-time giveaway.

 

THE WINNING COMBINATION

 

For music-intensive morning shows: Invite listeners to call in when they hear a specific combination of three songs. Reveal each day’s winning combination of songs during the 6am hour. Give daily winners nice but inexpensive prizes and enter them for a drawing through which one individual will win the combination to a safe containing a valuable mystery prize.

 

TOP FIVE WORST THINGS YOU COULD BRING TO A SUPERBOWL PARTY

1.      Last year’s leftovers

2.      Organic Tofu Wings

3.      Ginseng Beer

4.      Weight Watchers ANYTHING

5.      Broccoli Delights

HUNTER’S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

 

Brad Pitt’s movie, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” picked up 13 Oscar nominations. The night of the awards, Brad plans to recreate the movie, going from 13 nominations to walking away empty-handed.

 

Hillary has been sworn-in as our country’s new Secretary of State. Party at Bill’s house.

 

Now we hear that Caroline Kennedy withdrew from consideration for Hillary’s Senate Seat because of an assortment of skeletons in her closet. If you just arrived on this planet, that’s very rare for a Kennedy.

 

Heath Ledger’s relatives say that they’re excited the late actor earned an Oscar nominated and thrilled that, should he win, they’d have something else to fight over.

 

Kelly Osbourne has checked into rehab. Boy, who could have seen THAT coming?

 

THE WRONG GAME

 

Round 1

·         What’s the opposite of cold?

·         What’s the capitol of California?

·         What do moths eat?

·         In which sport do they use tennis balls?

·         What are rubber bands made out of?

Round 2

·         Which fruit grows on banana trees?

·         Where do you apply lipstick?

·         In which state would you find the Colorado River?

·         How many T’s in the word, battle?

·         Name either of Barack Obama’s daughters.

Round 3

·         Name a fruit that begins with a “B.”

·         What’s that thing called that you wear when jumping out of a plane?

·         How many wings on an airplane?

·         On which corner of a letter do you attach a postage stamp?

·         On what is pepperoni used as a popular topping?

THE HELPING HANDS AWARD

 

Invite listeners to e-mail the name of someone who has done a good deed. Each weekday select an entry and award prizes to the person mentioned. Good way for your show to build community goodwill and a positive image.

 

MORNINGS ON THE MOVE

 

Broadcast the morning show from a transit bus. Talk to passengers and pick up tabs for some of them. Can also stop at sponsor locations for breakfast, etc.

 

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

 

(Sun) Did you know that what you typically put on your plate speaks volumes about your personality? Discover what your choices mean by completing this quiz and find out more about you:

 

Your typical breakfast is:

a.       Hot cereal with blueberries.

b.      An English muffin.

c.       Eggs and toast.

Your favorite sauce over pasta is:

a.       Garlic and olive oil.

b.      Alfredo.

c.       Marinara.

You eat most of your food:

a.       At lunchtime.

b.      At night.

c.       By munching throughout the day.

When you’re nervous, you tend to eat:

a.       Nuts, chips or fruit.

b.      Candy, cake or cookies.

c.       Ice cream.

Analysis

Mostly “a” – You’re a practical person who opts for good nutrition that tastes delicious, too. You’re also quite confident in the kitchen your favorite room in the house where you prepare innovative recipes for family and friends.

Mostly “b” – You’re so energetic and open to new things that your food choices are an eclectic mix. You’re more concerned with enjoying yourself than worrying about consequences. You figure pleasing your palate is worth some extra exercise.

Mostly “c” – You’re wise enough to eat nutritious foods while feeling no guilt over an occasional indulgence. Being so conscious of what it takes to stay healthy makes you a happy person who’s less likely to ever become overweight.

 

PIE IN THE SKY

 

Create a pie complete with lots of money in it. Put it in a box and attach it to helium balloons. Send them on their way and whoever gets the pie when it lands, wins the money and pie (every month/week). Or, have two teams compete to try and throw a pie over a high bar and if they catch it without spilling any, they qualify for the money.

 

MOST ANNOYING VOICE

 

Ask listeners to call and nominate themselves or someone they know for “Most Annoying Voice.” Usually they’ll say a friend or family member. Conference them and see for yourself! Calls ranged from a guy saying his mother-in-law to Wal-Mart employees saying the all-page lady was horrible. We called Wal-Mart and asked them to page our call letters. A bad voice, but good publicity.

 

THE AVERAGE AMERICAN

 

For all Americans who want to be above average, all you have to do is exercise for more than 17 minutes a day, or devote more than 24 minutes to daily grooming, or buy more than one bottle of wine. Those are just some of the statistics that define Mr. or Ms. Average American, according to a new Time magazine study. Here’s what they found about the “Average American”:

·         Spends an average of 8 hours and 38 minutes a night sleeping

·         About 30 percent of Americans suffer from insomnia

·         40 percent snore

·         85 percent have nightmares

·         Spends 18 to 36 minutes a day eating breakfast

·         25 minutes commuting to work

·         38 hours each year in traffic jams

·         26 gallons of gas are wasted annually when trapped in traffic

·         Watches an average of 3 hours of TV a day that is based on averaging the 4 hours and 38 minutes men stare at the boob tube with the 1 hour and 28 minutes of TV time women rack up.

·         The average U.S. household has more TVs (2.73) than people (2.6)

·         83 percent of Americans don’t exercise at all

·         Fitness fanatics sweat enough to make us all look good with an overall average of exercising 17 minutes a day.

·         Purchases 7 bottles of liquor a year

·         Purchases 12 bottles of wine

·         Purchases 230 glasses of beer

·         The total tab spent on booze in the U.S. is $155 billion a year

·         On an average day, we purchase 160,968 bottles of Absolut Vodka

·         On an average day, we purchase 93,000 jars of Ragu tomato sauce

·         On an average day, we purchase 60 million fresh eggs

·         On an average day, we purchase 443,650 large orders of Burger King fries

·         On an average day, we purchase half-million Titleist golf balls

·         On the job, the happiest workers are priests, firefighters, and reservation and ticket agents.

·         The most miserable workers are gas station attendants, roofers and other construction workers.

DID YOU KNOW?

 

People who eat a diet rich in dairy foods are able to eat more food and consume more calories without gaining weight because those dairy foods burn more fat, according to researchers at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. How much dairy do you have to consume to burn the most fat? Three daily servings is optimal. The study, which was funded by the National Dairy Council, showed that people who eat three servings of dairy foods a day, such as low-fat yogurt and skim milk, are able to consume more calories without gaining weight, compared with people who eat less than one dairy serving a day.

 

If you can’t wait until spring, you’re in luck. It will arrive about two days earlier than it should, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and Harvard

University. HealthDay News reports that not only have average worldwide temperatures been rising for the last 50 years, but the hottest day of the year has shifted to almost two days earlier. And it’s not just global warming that is to blame. Human activity is also the culprit in the shift in seasons. “We see 100 years where there is a very natural pattern of variability, and then we see a large departure from that pattern at the same time as global mean temperatures start increasing, which makes us suspect that there’s a human role here,” said Alexander R. Stine, a graduate student in UC Berkeley’s department of earth and planetary science and first author of the report.

 

Buffets can be a diet disaster, but a pre-meal scan may keep your waistline slim. 71% of normal weight diners browsed a smorgasbord before digging in, yet only 33% of obese diners did so, research in Obesity reveals.

 

Oh no! The worst time to wake up is before 5am. And it’s best for your heart health to sleep in until 7am or 8am — every day. Researchers from several universities and hospitals in the Japanese city of Kyoto, have concluded that early-risers have a higher risk of developing heart problems than their friends who sleep in later. The team found that people who habitually rise before 5am have a 1.7 times greater risk of high blood pressure and are twice as likely to develop hardening of the arteries as those who get up at 7am or 8am.

 

Sleeping with a lover has a powerful and negative effect on one part of a man’s anatomy: his brain. Men, sharing your bed all night long can actually make you stupid, sapping your brain power — at least temporarily. That’s the conclusion by scientists from the University of Vienna in Austria, reports New Scientist. In fact, both men and women had more disturbed sleep, but in men it affected their ability to perform on cognitive tests the next day.

 

Women who get breast implants have a lower than average chance of dying from breast cancer, heart disease and a slew of other major diseases, but face a much great risk of suicide. A recent study shows that women who get cosmetic implants are 73% more likely to take their own lives than those in the general population. Previous studies pointed toward possible lower self-esteem, higher rates of depression and other psychiatric disorders.

 

It pays to share a laugh with co-workers, as long as it’s not at anyone’s expense, say researchers from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. Snarkiness can raise anxiety and decrease productivity, but positive humor makes employees happier.

 

GORSEFEATHERS by Patrick Gorse

 

Actors Mickey Rourke and Robert Downey Jr. have both received Oscar nominations. Man… 10 years ago… if you had suggested that Mickey Rourke and Robert Downey Jr. would be nominated for Academy Awards, you would have probably been as wasted as Mickey Rourke and Robert Downey Jr.

 

Brad Pitt was photographed in public in France last week with his Levis fly unbuttoned. With all the kids Angelina wants, Brad’s probably just trying to save time. “Extra TV” made the best funny. They called it “The Curious Case of Benjamin Un-Buttoned.”

 

Shopping malls are in severe financial doldrums with business way down and store mangers laying off workers. In fact, the only shopping center employee with any job security… Paul Blart, mall cop.

 

According to her London publicist, Kelly Osbourne has checked into a rehab facility… which is kind of cool because now the whole family gets to spend quality time together.

 

Kelly Osbourne said she knew it was time to check into rehab when she found herself biting the heads off imaginary bats.

 

The thief suspected in stealing $2 million dollars worth of jewels from Paris Hilton’s home has been arrested. The man was caught when he showed up at a Hollywood emergency room suffering from all the seven rashes Paris Hilton is suffering from.

 

New York Governor David Paterson has selected Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand to fill Hillary Clinton’s former Senate seat. The choice for the senatorial appointment went from someone who couldn’t stop saying “you know,” to someone about whom you can’t stop saying “you don’t know.”

 

Wal-Mart has acquired one of the largest food retailers in South America. Now, when immigration finds illegal workers at Wal-Mart, they can claim that they’re just here on a work-exchange program.

 

Hawaii business entrepreneurs are trying to capitalize on being the birthplace of Barack Obama by coming up with a brew of coffee named after the new president called “Barack O Blend.” And beer manufactures aren’t far behind. They’ve developed a new brew called “Bock Obama.”

 

Sources are reporting that singer Mariah Carey was furious and bailed from Tuesday’s Inauguration festivities after finding out she would not be allowed to sit with the Obama family during the ceremony. Mariah was angry because actor Jim Carey was allowed to sit with the Bush family at the 2004 Inauguration, but that was conditional upon Jim Carey doing his Fire Marshal Bill imitation.

 

Newly confirmed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last week that “defense, diplomacy and development” are the “three legs to the stool of American foreign policy,” and that the State Department is “responsible for two of the three legs.” And if there’s anyone who’s an expert on things with three legs, it’s the wife of Bill Clinton.

 

Former Vice President Dick Cheney last wek expressed his displeasure that George Bush did not grant a presidential pardon to Cheney’s good friend and hunting partner, Scooter Libby. Without the pardon, Scooter can’t get his lawyer’s license back, making it no fun at all to shoot Libby in the face.

 

In an op-ed printed in last Thursday’s New York Times, Libyan leader Muammar Qadaffi announced a plan for Mideast peace that would combine Israel and Palestine into a single state called “Isratine.” Qadaffi says if that works, he’d also like to combine Yonkers, Nevada, Ensenada and Grenada into a place called “Yada, Yada Yada.”

 

Microsoft, the “MS” in MSNBC, is reporting big financial losses and cutting 5,000 jobs. They may even end their relationship with MSNBC. But don’t worry; Keith Olbermann says they may be able to keep the “MS” in the network’s name because he’s working out a deal with Malia and Sasha.

 

Newly confirmed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was welcomed like a hero at the State Department on Thursday. But there may already be tension between her and President Obama. Hillary said at the ceremony, “There is nothing I welcome more than a good debate.” To which Obama replied, “Hell no, Hillary! I’m done with those for awhile.”

 

In her remarks at the State Department, Hillary Clinton said she welcomed “a good debate” and a “dialogue.” Hillary started her campaign saying, “Let the conversation begin.” Debate? Dialogue? Conversation? All women want to do is talk!

 

Bill O’Reilly reported last Thursday night that the reason Caroline Kennedy pulled out of contention for the New York Senate seat once held by Hillary Clinton is because she’s having a sleazy affair with the publisher of the New York Times. Most people doubt the story though because Bill O’Reilly reports that the publisher of the New York Times is a sleaze-bag every night.

 

Forbes Magazine has identified a new form of suicide motivated by multi-million dollar financial losses that they’ve labeled “econocides.” An econocide is when you do away with yourself because you’ve lost at least a few million dollars, you’ve bilked a bunch of investors, and you’ve left behind several absolutely worthless suicide notes.

 

Sociologists agree that the worldwide economic catastrophe is causing a shared emotional depression among large scale money managers who are taking their lives in what Forbes Magazine is calling “econocides.” Econocides? That sounds like when you buy the rope or the razors at the Goodwill store.

 

Did you hear about the billionaire German money manager who lost lots of people’s money and threw himself under a train? That’s a horrible way to go! I’m sure there were plenty of people who would have been willing to shoot him.

 

During questions about failing to pay over $34,000 in taxes at his hearings to become Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner used the word “error” 11 times, the word “mistake” 41 times—and Geithner said he was “responsible” for the oversight. Of course, Geithner still feels he should be confirmed because he doesn’t want Congress to hold him responsible for the oversight.

 

TOP FIVE SIGNS YOU’RE NEVER GOING TO BECOME A SAINT

1.      That silly restriction of leading a pious life

2.      Every time someone writes your name on the application, it bursts into flames

3.      Church not currently looking for patron saint of beer

4.      The Vatican confirms you’re on the list, but the entire population of the earth is ahead of you

5.      Your insistence on using your nickname, “St. Party Dude”

TOP FIVE MOST USELESS THINGS TO HAVE WHILE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND

1.      A Frisbee

2.      A Walky-Talky

3.      A Twister Game

4.      A Starbucks Franchise

5.      A Super Bowl Ticket

NAME THAT YEAR

 

(1979)

·         President Carter formally welcomes Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping to the White House, following the establishment of diplomatic relations.

·         Pope John Paul II begins his first overseas trip as pontiff, traveling to the Dominican Republic.

·         The Pittsburgh Steelers become the first team to win three Super Bowls, when they defeat the Dallas Cowboys, 35-31, in Super Bowl XIII.

·         Former U.S. vice-president Nelson A. Rockefeller dies at age 70.

·         “Too Much Heaven” by the Bee Gees hits #1 on the U.S. top 40 chart and stayed there for 2 weeks.

(1963)

·         Frank Sinatra Jr. is kidnapped, then released a few days later when $240,000 ransom is paid.

·         In South Bend, IN, the Studebaker automobile plant shuts down.

·         The Roman Catholic Church approves the use of some English in the Mass where Latin had been spoken before.

·         6-year-old Donnie Osmond makes his debut on “The Andy Williams Show.”

(1991)

·         President Bush announces the start of Operation Desert Storm, a massive air-strike in conjuction with 28 allied countries to drive Iraqi forces out of Kuwait.

·         The New York Giants beat the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV, 20-19.

·         Pete Rose leaves an Illinois federal prison camp and checked into a halfway house in Cincinnati to complete his sentence for cheating on his taxes.

·         Financially strapped Eastern Airlines shuts down after 62 years in business.

·         “Someday” by Mariah Carey and “All This Time” by Sting both enter the U.S. top 40 chart.

(1959)

·         It’s the first movie to open simultaneously in major cities on the same day. The end of the world saga, “On The Beach.”

·         Louisiana Halfback Billy Cannon wins the Heisman Trophy.

·         Twelve nations agree on scientific peaceful use of Antarctica.

·         Guy Mitchell has a #1 hit with “Heartaches By The Number.”

(1980)

·         The Soviet Union vetos a U.N. Security Council resolution protesting the Soviet military intervention of Afghanistan.

·         Gold rises past the $700 per ounce mark.

·         A freeze damages 90% of Florida’s citrus crops.

·         Larry Williams (“Dizzy Miss Lizzy,” “Bony Moronie”) is found shot to death.

·         “Please Don’t Go” by K.C. & The Sunshine Band is #1 on the U.S. top 40 chart.

(1971)

·         At the movies, Dustin Hoffman starred as “Little Big Man,” and lines were long for Ali McGraw and Ryan O’Neal in “Love Story.”

·         Television audiences were shocked at first, and laughed a lot second, as America met “Archie Bunker” in “All In The Family” on CBS-TV.

·         Cigarette ads are officially banned on televison.

·         Gladys Knight scores her second top ten for Motown with “If I Were Your Woman.”

(1984)

·         In a Voice of America radio address, President Reagan tells Cubans they were being systematically denied access to the truth about their country.

·         The first test tube quadruplets are born in Australia.

·         The U.S. Supreme Court rules, 5-4, that the private use of home VCRs to tape TV programs does not violate federal copyright laws.

·         The personal Apple Macintosh Computer is introduced.

·         “Wrapped Around Your Finger” by Police enters the U.S. top 40 chart.

(1967)

·         A flash fire aboard Apollo I takes the lives of astronauts Grissom, White, and Chaffee.

·         Through the “miracle” of videotape, the Supremes appear on TV’s “Ed Sullivan Show” and the “Andy Williams Show” on the same night.

·         On ABC-TV, Batman’s new villainess “Pussycat” is played by Leslie Gore.

·         Buick begins offering car stereo eight track tape players in new cars.

(1996)

·         President Clinton paid a visit to American forces in Bosnia, praising the troops as “warriors for peace.”

·         The FDA approves Olestra, a zero-calorie artificial fat.

·         First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton testifies in secret to a grand jury investigating her link to the Whitewater probe.

·         O.J. Simpson testifies for the first time since the killings of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend, Ronald Goldman, as he gave a videotaped deposition for a wrongful death lawsuit.

·         Mariah Carey and Alanis Morissette topped the list of nominees, with six each, for the 38th annual Grammy Awards.

(1964)

·         Lockheed’s spy plane, the SR71 sets a new speed record, 3530 kph.

·         Shocking news out of California as superstar Sam Cooke loses his life.

·         Dr. Martin Luther King is announced as the youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

·         The Supremes have a hit with “Come See About Me.”

FREE DOLLAR DAY

 

Get about 200 singles (one dollar bills) and just announce that instead of giving away 200 bucks to one listener you’re going to give 200 listeners a buck and then just air responses.

 

RAG ON THE BOSS

 

We had listeners call in about their bosses and we “disguised” their voices so they could hash on the big guy! HIlarious calls and the best were from folks who worked for family! We awarded movies tickets to the best story.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

01.23.09

 SHOW PREP JANUARY 23, 2009

 

HOLLYWOOD 411 . . .

 

Isn’t it ironic? Feisty rocker Alanis Morissette is communing with the dolphins and wild monkeys in Brazil. The 34-year-old Canadian singer of such fiery hits as “You Oughta Know” and “Right Through You” is relaxing in the Amazon before a tour of Latin America’s biggest country. Folha de S. Paulo newspaper said Wednesday she swam with river dolphins in the jungle city of Manaus and sang to an Amazon tribe this week. Morissette also fed wild monkeys in Manaus, the site of the first of 11 shows in the country. Her 1995 breakthrough album “Jagged Little Pill,” which sold 30 million copies and won four Grammys, included the hit “Ironic.” (Daily Record)

 

Lindsay Lohan burst into tears after a fan praised her movie career – because she never hears any compliments about her work. The Mean Girls star was attending the opening of the luxurious Atlantis Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, last year when one of the event’s organisers began talking to her about her acting abilities. And Lohan admits she was overwhelmed because she so rarely hears any positive feedback about her movies. She tells Interview magazine, “I was with this guy Jerry Inzerillo recently, who was running the whole Atlantis (event) in Dubai. “And when I saw him, he started complimenting me, telling me how I reminded him of these other actresses. I literally just sat there… He was just saying these really nice things to me that people don’t really ever say, and I started crying. “I was like, “Oh, my God, I’m so sorry that I’m crying!” But I was just so emotional about it.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Former Friends star Jennifer Aniston has claimed she would make a good therapist. Jennifer Aniston has claimed she has given so much relationship advice she could have made a career out of it. “I’ve always tried to be supportive to the people who are close to me and I like to think that I give good advice. I think I’d have made a good therapist if I hadn’t become an actress,” the actress told More magazine before adding that she tries to keep her own life under wraps. “I’m a private person and even though I’ve enjoyed a lot of success, I still feel I have a right to some basic privacy. My career is going where I want it to go, and I’m working. I’d rather not have my personal relationships receive so much attention, but that’s not going to stop me from falling in love.” (Handbag)

I Kissed A Girl star Katy Perry has said she’s taken a vow of celibacy. Katy Perry has claimed her cat is the only thing she’ll be kissing this year after taking a vow of celibacy. The singer, who recently split from Gym Class Heroes singer Travis McCoy, also insisted she has no interest in sex. “I’ve actually taken a vow of celibacy this year. No kissing,” she explained to TV Guide magazine. “No kissing anyone. Just my cat, Kitty Purry.” (Handbag)

 

With reports that he’s moved back in with P!nk, Carey Hart planted a wet one on his estranged pop star wife in Santa Monica on Wednesday. The couple married three years ago, separated last year and appear to be back together. The thought of giving your spouse half of everything makes the heart grow fonder. (TMZ)

 

Tom Brady is finally ready to open to the media up about his life … with one major catch — you bring up Gisele, he’s unleashing hell. Last night, Brady finally agreed to give his first radio interview since busting up his knee, but sources at ESPN claim the Patriots QB warned the Toronto station “certain topics — including girlfriend Gisele Bundchen — were off limits.” As far as the actual interview, Brady blathered on about a bunch of meaningless nonsense … like his knee, and his rehab, and the Patriot’s ownership situation … and other things of the non-supermodel related ilk. But if you care, he says his rehab is going “really well.” (TMZ)

 

She gave birth seven months ago and now Tori Spelling is almost down to her baby’s weight. The shrinking 35-year-old mother of two must be getting ready to appear with the other waifs on the new “90210.” (TMZ)

 

Even though everyone in the civilized world has reported Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady are engaged, G is still insisting she and T are not getting hitched. Or, to be exact, she told Brazilian paper Caras, “Nao fiquei noiva mas vou casar com o Tom,” which, roughly translated, means she is not engaged to Tom, but wants to get married some day. Interestingly, GB doesn’t deny she was on a jet with Tom with champagne on December 24 for their engagement, as we first reported. As for the latest rumor, that she and Tom were engaged last Friday, she says they weren’t even together. (TMZ)

 

Michelle Obama better watch her back. “I’m in love with Barack Obama . . . I wanna get married – like, I wanna have his kids,” raspy-voiced songstress Macy Gray says on an episode of Starz’s upcoming series “Head Case.” She continues: “Why am I not Michelle, you know what I mean? Who the [bleep] is she? You know, why can’t I be her?” Probably because you say things like that, Macy. (Page Six)

 

Must be nice to be so rich that you can actually buy a beach (!!!!) while you’re drunk. Singer, and nutcase, Lily Allen, has admitted to buying her very own beach. She recently spoke about the incident on a UK radio station. Says the “reformed” drug user, “I bought a beach! It’s in Jamaica, I’m not gonna tell you the road. I’m happy I bought the beach, best drunken buy ever!” We bet it’s probably just a few feet of land, though.  That’s what you get for drunk shopping! As for her other business plans, Lily says she intends to open a clothing shop with the girlfriend of her little brother.  She said, “I’ve got a really good idea. Me and Jaime Winstone, we’re going to open up a fancy dress shop called Lucy in Disguise.” Adding that it’ll not only be a “fancy dress clothes but going out clothes as well.” Boring! (Perez Hilton)

 

Kelly Brook, the chick Simon Cowell fired from reality competition show Britain’s Got Talent, will walk away with her full pay, even though she was given the boot only six days into her gig. A show insider said, “It seems Cowell is embarrassed by the whole affair and wants it to go away, hence why he’s giving Kelly the cash.” Officially, the show insists a fourth judge alongside Cowell and the other two didn’t work. It supposedly messed up the flow. Other sources have also claimed that bosses knew a fourth judge wouldn’t work and unsuccessfully tried to talk Simon out of hiring Kelly. $279K would make our hurt feelings go away! (Perez Hilton)

 

Some of the students at Harvard got a big surprise on Wednesday! None other than Lindsay Lohan was spotted on campus yesterday!!!! We DOUBT she’s going to be taking classes there! Sources reveal exclusively to PerezHilton.com that Lindz was touring the famed school with  Caroline Kennedy‘s daughter, Rose Kennedy Schlossberg, who currently attends the university. Rose and LezLo (and saMAN was there too) turned heads when they walked into the Widener Library and toured the Loker Reading Room upstairs for a few minutes before. Lohan and Ronson were in town to “host” and DJ at The Estate nightclub in Boston last night. One bothered partygoer says the club advertised all night that Lohan would be hosting. Instead, Lindsay just “hid behind the curtain” for most of the night, wearing some hoodie and “never once looked at the crowd.” As for Ronson, we’re told she only DJ’d for about an hour and a half and then the two slipped out. What a waste of everyone’s time! (Perez Hilton)

 

Popstar Lily Allen has moaned that she makes no money from her music career. Lily Allen has said she’s “angry” at the lack of money she earns from selling records. “I don’t make any money out of record sales at all. I make money out of touring and syncs, publishing,” she told Q Radio. “My songs being put on Grey’s Anatomy, things like that. I don’t make any money at all from selling an album, which is probably why I feel so angry about doing all this promotion because I am not earning any money out of it, someone else is and they don’t have to live with the lasting effects.” (Handbag)

 

Lindsay Lohan has blamed the paparazzi for causing a series of car crashes that eventually landed the actress in jail for driving under the influence (Dui) in 2007. The Mean Girls star has been involved in a number of minor motor collisions, including one incident in 2007 when, following a crash, cops found a “usable” amount of cocaine in her car and she was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. And Lohan points the finger of blame for her accidents squarely at the paparazzi, who constantly tail her in the hope of getting a picture. She tells Interview magazine, “My car accident that I got into, where I got my first charge, I wouldn’t have been speeding up like I was if I didn’t have people shoving cameras in my windows. I was running away from the paparazzi. “Especially late at night, when you’re trying to turn a corner, and then somebody else is speeding up alongside you. So, you know, it’s okay for someone to chase me and then try to cut me off so I ram my car into a tree… I mean, I know this guy was trying to do his job, but his ‘job’ almost landed me half-dead. “Not only that, but they all stand to make a lot more money at it if they’ve got pictures of you in a car crashed into a tree.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Documents show entertainment mogul Sumner Redstone has finalized the divorce from his wife of five years. Redstone, executive chairman of CBS and Viacom, filed for divorce in October, citing “irreconcilable differences” with wife Paula Fortunato Redstone. A judge signed off on the couple’s confidential agreement earlier this month and the judgment was entered Wednesday. The pair had already negotiated a settlement and opted for an uncontested divorce. According to court records, the couple married in April 2003 and have no children. Redstone, whose wealth was calculated at $7.6 billion in 2007, has been hit hard by the faltering economy. Last year he sold his majority stake in Midway Games and sold $233 million of his CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc. stock as he struggled to restructure $1.6 billion in debt. (Daily Record)

 

David “Fathead” Newman, a jazz musician who played with the Ray Charles Band and won fame as a tenor sax soloist, has died at age 75. Newman played and recorded with a wide range of jazz and soul luminaries, such as Herbie Mann, Aretha Franklin and Aaron Neville. He also led a successful solo career. He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1990 for his work with Art Blakey and Dr. John. Manager Karen Nemman says the jazz musician died Tuesday of pancreatic cancer in a Kingston, N.Y., hospital. According to his Web site, Newman spent 12 years with the Ray Charles Band beginning in 1954. He began as the baritone sax player and became the star tenor sax soloist. (Daily Record)

 

 

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

 

“Confessions of a Shopaholic,” a cute movie starring Isla Fisher, opens on February 13th. The film is a great mix of shopping addiction and dating that is just in time for valentines day. But why wait until then? We found a cool new Facebook app to help you show off your shopaholic skills now! The “Confessions of a Shopaholic” Facebook App blends together shopping, friends, movies games and more. Check out all the virtual gifts for your friends, or play a real “shopaholic” against your friends with the virtual closet. Love Facebook? Love Shopping? Then this Facebook app is for you! http://apps.facebook.com/shopaholicmagazine. Send virtual gifts to friends and get entered in a sweepstakes to win REAL prizes on Bluefly.com. (Teen Hollywood)

 

Rumors of Cindy McCain vying for a slot on Dancing With the Stars may or may not be true, but it’s the Obamas who would probably have a better shot at taking home the disco ball trophy. So says DWTS veteran pro Karina Smirnoff. I caught up with Karina earlier today on the DTWS tour bus to get her thoughts on President Obama and first lady Michelle’s first dance to Beyoncé’s rendition of Etta James‘ “At Last.” While Karina calls the Obamas’ slow dance “magical,” she does think their footwork needs some practice. “They were fairy-tale-like, but a little stiff,” she says. “Good news, though—he has four years to loosen up. The fastest way to loosen up is a couple shots of tequila!! But if they are willing and have the time, do DWTS and turn pro.” We know that’s not going to happen. Even so, Karina coos, “This season of the presidency promises to be the most exciting yet. Alas, we have a contender for the trophy.” Sure, the coveted disco ball would be perfect for the Oval Office. And what world leader wouldn’t automatically relax once they got a gander at the mirrored masterpiece? (Launch)

 

Carnegie Hall is cutting its 2009-10 schedule by 10 percent because of the recession, instituting a hiring freeze and slashing $4 million from the budget for its current season to keep it balanced. Carnegie executive and artistic director Clive Gillinson says next season’s budget would be even lower than the revised $76 million for this season. Carnegie announced a schedule of 180 concerts, down from about 200 in recent seasons. Susan Brady, the hall’s director of development, says individual giving for this season was down 17 to 18 percent to $11 million. She says corporate donations had remained steady and that overall giving was about $30 million. (Daily Record)

 

The boldfaces were not always on their best behavior before and after Barack Obama‘s presidential inauguration. Jessica Alba called Bill O’Reilly “kind of an a – - hole” at Sunday night’s “Declare Yourself” party. Then, on Monday, during the sardine-packed Huffington Post ball, MSNBC‘s Chris Matthews was “complaining in disbelief” because he had to wait on line, while “Ed Harris patiently waited on the same line without complaining,” said a source. At the same party, Sharon Stone threw a fit when she found out D.L. Hughley was replacing Larry King during a live CNN segment in which she was supposed to take part. “Sharon was barking out questions about where Larry King was,” said our spy. When she was told Hughley was doing the interview, “Sharon turned cold, snapped, ‘I’m not doing this,’ and went to the VIP room. D.L. did the party coverage on his own.” On inauguration night, Halle Berry was spotted on her way to the Western Ball, “looking lost and confused in the crowd,” according to our witness. “She stepped onto the escalator and the long train of her dress got caught, causing a scene of panic.” The source said Berry was “frantically screaming” and “security had to hit the emergency brake.” The distressed beauty eventually yanked her dress out of the escalator and went to the party. Earlier that day, while the entire city seemed to be packed into the National Mall, Usher and his wife, Tameka Foster, were at Barneys in Georgetown. Our source said, “The [shopping] mall was practically empty, and a young girl went up and asked Usher for a photo. His bodyguard very meanly refused, and Tameka laughed in the girl’s face. After they left, the little girl was crying.” His rep said: “Usher took as many photos as possible while in DC. He was there to witness a great moment in history. It’s absurd that people would try to ruin it.” (Page Six)

 

A year to the day after Heath Ledger died in his SoHo apartment, the pad is still empty and shows no signs of being rented. After it was offered for $26K/month just a few months after his death, the loft was yanked off the market and no listings are available for 421 Broome. One source tells the NY Post, “It’s completely empty. Nobody is allowed up there.” Heath’s death was ruled an accidental overdose. As expected, he was just nominated for an Oscar for his performance in “The Dark Knight.” (TMZ)

 

She may be better known now as “American Idol’s” easy-to-please judge, but Paula Abdul believes she made her real mark in the music videos from her pop heyday. “My videos stand the test of time,” Abdul boasted in a quote published in Showbiz Spy. “They are like the almanac for every performer. Even Rihanna has come up to me and said ‘I hope you don’t mind.’ And Beyonce. You can see the influence of what I’ve done.” In particular, Abdul points to her “Opposites Attract” video, which featured a cartoon twirl with MC Skat Kat, as having the biggest pop culture punch. “It’s really fun to see that I’ve left a mark,” she said. “It was my idea to create an animated character. It takes a lot of focus, a lot time, and a lot of money.” Not to mention a lot of copycatting from another famous performance. After all, Abdul at least owed an “I hope you don’t mind” to Gene Kelly and Jerry the mouse (of “Tom and Jerry” fame) for their original dancing duet in 1945’s “Anchors Aweigh.” (Scoop)

 

Reality TV star Katie Price has revealed her views on crime and punishment. Katie Price has revealed that given the power she’d take a hard line on crime. “The way I see it is an eye for an eye. So if someone rapes a girl he should be bent over and the same thing done to him,” she tells The Sun. “I’m sorry that’s just the way I feel. I’m very strict. If someone is done for drink-driving they should have their license taken away for life. And if someone steals they should have to wear a dye on their skin, like a tattoo on their ear or somewhere it can be seen – like across their face! That would stop people stealing.” (Handbag)

 

Looks like we know just how close Oprah Winfrey’s going to be with the Obamas. She didn’t have the big bash everybody (except us) said she was going to do, but O did get a chance to party with the Os at the White House, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. After the Prez and First Lady ditched the last Inauguration ball at 12:45 a.m., they went back to their new house for a spot of champagne with a very exclusive group — including Ms. Winfrey. AS for why O.W. didn’t have this rumored party, Gayle King says it was because there was too much other stuff going on. (TMZ)

 

How horrible! Apparently the Travolta extortion scheme revolves around a cell phone picture taken of son Jett as he lay dying in the ambulance. It is believed that the photo was taken by one of the paramedics entrusted to help save Jett’s life. The other person involved in the scheme is a local politician in the Bahamas, where the teen passed away. How sleazy! The men are threatening to sell the photo to the highest bidder if Travolta doesn’t pay their million dollar ransom. Investigations and negotiations are underway. What an awful thing to have to deal with! (Perez Hilton)

 

Ever since Sirius radio host Alexis Stewart posted before-and-after pictures of her breast-lift on her blog last spring, fans have been wondering who performed the gravity-defying miracle. Now we’re told by reliable sources the plastic surgeon who worked on Martha Stewart‘s daughter is the Upper East Side’s Dr. Robert Freund. When we reached out to him, the response was, “The doctor doesn’t discuss his hush-hush nips and tucks.” (Page Six)

 

Donald Trump‘s Atlantic City finance guys better figure out a way to pay his casinos’ debt fast! Back in early December, we mentioned that The Apprentice host’s casino company didn’t have the money to pay the $50+ he owed on a loan payment. They were then actually granted permission to skip the mega payment for the month and given some time to work out a new way to pay the casinos’ debts. Well, in two weeks, Trump’s people need to tell their lenders how they’re going to pay back the larger outstanding debt of $1.2 billion. Analysts say that if the debt is not restructured to give the company more breathing room, it will have to seek protection in bankruptcy court. If things head in that direction, it would be the Trump casinos’ THRID go-around in bankruptcy court. The Donald’s getting hit hard by this shit economy! (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Heads swiveled at Le Cirque on Tuesday night as patrons checked out the unusual double date going on in the middle of the dining room. Ivanka Trump and her boyfriend of over a year, New York Observer owner Jared Kushner, were sharing a cozy table for four with former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey and his “significant other,” Australian money manager Mark O’Donnell. Restaurateur Sirio Maccioni wistfully remarked, “Ivanka is a very intelligent young woman. I wish she’d marry one of my sons.” (Page Six)

 

Hugh Hefner may be old, but his Playboy Enterprises is taking a new approach to ease the ache of the crumbling magazine market. “Playboy is combining its Web site and magazine staff into one editorial organization,” said our source. The move includes a lot of changes, including replacing the magazine’s editorial director, Chris Napolitano, with current online director Jimmy Jellinek, and moving the whole team to Playboy’s hometown of Chicago. “Playboy is closing its New York office and moving all edit operations to Chicago,” said our snitch. Playboy had no comment. (Page Six)

 

There are two new Beanie Babies on the block: “Sweet Sasha” and “Marvelous Malia.” But Ty Inc. spokeswoman Tania Lundeen insists the 12-inch dolls are not named after the first daughters. They picked the monikers because “they are beautiful names,” Lundeen tells The Associated Press. The Sasha doll features pigtails and wears a white and pink dress with hearts; the Malia doll has a side ponytail and a long-sleeve shirt with capri pants. “There’s nothing on the dolls that refers to the Obama girls,” says Lundeen. “It would not be fair to say they are exact replications of these girls. They are not.” The dolls — which are part of the company’s “TyGirlz Collection” — were introduced in early January and a limited supply has been shipped to retailers, the AP reports.  There is another doll on Ty’s Web site named Jenna. Sadly, there is no doll named Barbara. (US Weekly)

 

Talk about irony. George Carlin spent decades pushing the bounds of free speech by saying the seven words you can never say on television, but not one of them made it into an FBI file on him. Among the 12 pages in a file recently released by Carlin’s family are a couple of letters from outraged citizens who complained that the comedian had made fun of the FBI and its director, J. Edgar Hoover, during TV appearances in 1969 and 1970. There’s also a letter from Hoover himself thanking one of Carlin’s critics for defending his honor, and an internal FBI memo that quotes the director as asking: “What do we know of Carlin?” Not much, as it turned out. The memo notes the FBI has “no data concerning Carlin” other than the two letters from his critics. “Which kind of disappoints me,” laughed Carlin’s daughter, Kelly Carlin McCall, who provided the file to The Associated Press. “It doesn’t really cover any of his more radical 1970s stuff.” Carlin was arrested following a performance in Milwaukee in 1972 for saying the seven words (none of which can be reprinted here). The following year the Federal Communications Commission reprimanded New York radio station WBAI for airing his “filthy words” routine, triggering a legal battle that resulted in a landmark 1978 Supreme Court ruling upholding the government’s right to determine  indecency. Carlin, who died of a heart attack last June at 71, obtained the file years ago through a Freedom of Information Act request, McCall said. Richard Belzer read from some of it when Carlin was posthumously awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in a ceremony that will be broadcast on PBS stations Feb. 4. After Carlin’s death, the FBI answered FOIA requests from the AP with a form letter saying the bureau had no file on him. FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said this week she was checking on the contradiction. The two FBI memos Carlin’s daughter provided both stated the bureau’s files “contain no information identifiable with Carlin.” They also indicate that investigators didn’t find the comedian particularly amusing. One, dated Feb. 12, 1969, refers to Carlin as an “alleged comedian” after he made fun of the bureau during an appearance on “The Jackie Gleason Show.” “His treatment was in very poor taste and it was obvious that he was using the prestige of the bureau and Mr. Hoover to enhance his performance,” the memo says. It also quotes one segment during which Carlin says he is Hoover and is on a stakeout at the attorney general’s house. The memo recommends the people who pointed out the performance be sent thank-you letters. The second memo, dated May 5, 1970, was triggered by a similar complaint, this time for a Carlin appearance on “The Carol Burnett Show.” That time Hoover himself apparently sent the thank-you note, saying: “It’s always good to know we have the support of such staunch friends as you.” (Daily Record)

 

Peter Falk’s wife of 32 years is opposing a bid by the Emmy-winning actor’s daughter to place him under a conservatorship, court documents show. Falk entrusted his wife, Shera Falk, to manage his affairs and care before his health deteriorated, according to documents filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. Catherine Falk applied to be named conservator over her father’s affairs in December, stating that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The former “Columbo” star’s wife contends that Falk is receiving adequate care and does not have a close relationship with his daughter. Her filing includes declarations from the couple’s accountant, housekeeper and numerous friends, including an ex-wife of Johnny Carson and actor Joe Mantegna. Shera Falk’s filing does not address whether her husband has Alzheimer’s and does not include a declaration from Falk’s doctors. But the filing does dispute three “factual inaccuracies” in Catherine Falk’s petition; the Alzheimer’s claim is not among them. The filing also says the actor is cared for around-the-clock by a nursing staff in a guest house at their Beverly Hills home, which was converted into an art studio and was easier for Falk to navigate after undergoing hip surgery in June. A hearing on whether the conservatorship is necessary is scheduled for next week. Falk won four Emmys for his starring role in “Columbo.” He also received Academy Award nominations for movie roles in 1959 and 1960. (Daily Record)

 

 

MUSIC . . .

 

John Legend has gotten the green light from the NBA to sing at its annual all-star game. Latin rock star Juanes will join Legend at the Feb. 15 All-Star event in Phoenix. They will sing “If You’re Out There,” an anthem about leadership, from Legend’s recent album, “Evolver.” The game will air live on TNT. The National Basketball Association says Legend and Juanes were chosen because of their dedication to community service, a theme that will be highlighted during their performance as they spotlight the NBA Cares program. Legend’s latest hit is the song “Green Light” with Andre 3000. (Daily Record)

 

After dropping out of the public eye following her family murder tragedy, Jennifer Hudson now has the strength and the will to give three high-profile performances next month, a source close to her tells PEOPLE. “So much has happened, but she’s ready,” the source says. “It’s a new year; she’s excited about performing again. She knew it was time.” Hudson, 27, will deliver the National Anthem at the Super Bowl on Feb. 1, then sing at the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala Feb. 6 and at the Grammys two days later. The performances will be the first since her mother; brother and nephew were murdered in the fall. Her estranged brother-in-law has pleaded innocent to the killings. The source close to the Grammy-nominated Hudson says “there wasn’t really a moment” that she decided to perform again, but, that “fans can expect the Jennifer they’ve come to love. She just really loves to perform; it’s who she is, it’s what she does.” The source adds: “I just admire her strength. Not many people could go through all that’s happened and shown the strength she has.” (People)

 

The guys want to do more than dance with Julianne Hough. They want to rock out with her, too! The two-time Dancing With the Stars champ, who opted not to appear on the hit show’s upcoming eighth season in order to pursue her dreams of country-singing glory, will be joining bonafide Nashville star Toby Keith on a couple of tour dates next month. Per USA Today, Hough will open for Keith Feb. 6 in Louisville, Kt., and Feb. 22 in Des Moines, Iowa. The 20-year-old songbird will also serve as one of the opening acts for George Strait’s summer tour, kicking off May 15 in Charlotte, N.C. “I’m definitely going to focus on the music,” Hough blogged on Fancast in explaining her decision to skip the next season of Dancing. “My first album was a learning experience, and I can’t wait for the next one. I feel like the writing and producing will be even better, really awesome.” (Launch)

 

The Faces have reportedly finished writing their first album since 1973′s Ooh La La–with some celebrity help. Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart announced they were reforming in November and have confirmed Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea will be joining the reunited band. Ronnie Wood revealed that the album was written during a trip abroad he and Rod Stewart took over Christmas. (Launch)

 

Mariah Carey is keeping it all in the family. E! News has learned the R&B diva is lending her pipes to promote the new album from Reuben Cannon, aka the younger brother of Mr. Mariah, Nick Cannon. “Reuben and Mariah are doing a duet together for Reuben’s first album,” an industry source tells us. “They are meeting at the end of the month with Mariah’s record label, Universal Music Group, to seal the deal, and Reuben is thrilled.” Reuben Cannon was recently signed with Lavert Entertainment and is halfway through recording his album, slated for release later this year. There was no comment on the collaboration from the Carey and Cannon camps, but a Reuben rep wasn’t beyond teasing, saying, “Reuben Cannon is working on some really amazing things right now.” (Launch)

 

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have named their new album, which the band say is due out in the spring. A cartoon post on the band’s MySpace.com/yeahyeahyeahs reveals that the follow up to 2006′s Show Your Bones will be called It’s Blitz. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs revealed the title with a hand-made collage of some baby chicks asking the question, “What’s the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs record called?” while a raccoon answers “It’s Blitz!”  (Launch)

 

Bruce Springsteen would like to think that music played a small part in helping Barack Obama become president. Springsteen performed during the weekend inaugural festivities, and was a big Obama booster during the campaign. He tells Rolling Stone magazine he doesn’t think rockers have a whole lot of influence, but can create a vision of the world as it should be. Bob Dylan’s classic album “Highway 61 Revisited” did it for him, and Springsteen says he hopes that in some way, his music may have had the same effect. Springsteen says the world he envisioned for years in his songs was realized when Obama was elected. Says the 59-year-old singer: “It’s not just something I dreamed up. It can exist.” His latest CD, “Working on a Dream,” will be released Tuesday. (Daily Record)

 

Good news for alterna-rockers who are stuck in the ’90s – No Doubt is getting back together for a 2009 summer tour. Gwen Stefani, who rose to fame with songs like “Just a Girl” when she sported braces and spiky pink hair, is rejoining her former band mates after a two-album solo stint. On the band’s Web site, Stefani posted: “The whole reason for going on this tour was to have fun, try on all our favorite songs again and to get inspired to make new music.” Paramore will join the tour. (Page Six)

 

“Slumdog Millionaire” and “Wall-E” are atop the field of music-related Oscar nominees, with both films nominated for best original score. The “Slumdog” score was penned by A.R. Rahman, while Thomas Newman wrote the score for “WALL-E.” The two films are the only contenders in the best original song category, with “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (performed by Peter Gabriel) up against the “Slumdog” songs “Jai Ho” (performed by Gulzar) and “O Saya” (performed by M.I.A.). The other best original score nominees are Alexandre Desplat for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” James Newton Howard for “Defiance” and Danny Elfman for “Milk.” The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” leads the nominations with 13. That’s one short of the all-time Oscar nomination, 14, which is held by “All About Eve” and “Titanic.” Besides “Button,” the other nominees for best picture are “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “The Reader,” and “Slumdog Millionaire.” The 81st Academy Awards ceremony will air live on ABC on Feb. 22 from the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, and will be hosted by Hugh Jackman. (Billboard)

 

The Billboard Latin Music Awards will air live April 23 on the Telemundo network, both in the U.S. and internationally. The Latin music industry’s most prestigious award show returns to Telemundo following the extension of Billboard’s multiyear relationship with the network. Renowned producer Tony Mojena, who has long put the show together, will continue as its executive producer. The new agreement between Telemundo Communications Group and Billboard grants Telemundo expanded rights across multiple platforms, including television, online and mobile, and reaffirms Billboard’s commitment to the Latin music industry. This year’s Billboard Latin Music Awards celebrate the 11th year Telemundo broadcasts the show. As is customary, the Billboard Latin Music Awards are the culmination of the Billboard Latin Music Conference, the largest gathering of Latin music professionals in the world, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary. The conference takes place April 19-23 at the Eden Roc in Miami Beach. “We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with Telemundo as it allows us to significantly extend Billboard’s Latin music coverage and enhance our presence in the Latin music market with a world-class organization,” Billboard publisher Howard Appelbaum said. As part of its expanded agreement, Telemundo will present award-related programs, including “La Alfombra Roja de los Premios Billboard” (the Billboard Awards Red Carpet), “Reventon Billboard,” which features behind-the-scenes coverage of the awards and awards-related events, including the Billboard Bash; and “mun2 Premios Billboard All Access,” which airs on the Telemundo-owned mun2 network. The new deal also makes Telemundo.com the official Web site of the Billboard Latin Music Awards. The site will offer ongoing, interactive coverage of the awards. “The Billboard Latin Music Awards is one of Telemundo” most successful franchises, with last year’s show proving to be a ratings hit,” Telemundo president Don Browne said. “The Billboard Latin Music Awards are an iconic event, starring the hottest talent in Latin music and I look forward to taking the show to new heights,” executive producer Mojena said. For more information on the Billboard Latin Music Conference & Awards, please visit www.billboardlatinconference.com. (Hollywood Reporter) Hollywood’s biggest battle will pit a time-challenged hero, a political war of wits, a gay activist icon, a woman with a Nazi past and a rags-to-riches survivor.  With The Curious Case of Benjamin Button vying for Best Picture along with Frost/Nixon, Milk, The Reader and Slumdog Millionaire, the 81st annual Academy Award nominations were announced Thursday morning – two days later than usual, on account of a little historical pageant that occurred in Washington, D.C., Tuesday. Benjamin Button led the field, with a total of 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Supporting Actress, Director and Screenplay. It was followed by Slumdog Millionaire, with 10. Brad Pitt received his second-ever nomination, Best Actor for Benjamin Button. He was previously cited for his supporting role in 1995′s Twelve Monkeys, but the Oscar went to Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects. The other leading men singled out this year were previous Oscar winner Sean Penn for Milk, and Golden Globe winner Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler). The Visitor‘s Richard Jenkins and Frost/Nixon‘s Frank Langella round out the list. Meryl, Again Perennial nominee Meryl Streep, a two-time Oscar winner who already holds the record for most nominations of any actor or actress – this is her 15th time up at bat – was nominated as Best Actress in Doubt.  Her sister contenders are Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married; Angelina Jolie in Changeling; Melissa Leo in Frozen River and Golden Globe double winner Kate Winslet in The Reader.  The Ledger Facto. One high-profile nominee, in the Best Supporting Actor category, is the late Heath Ledger, who played the psychotic Joker in Dark Knight, a role that has already won him a Golden Globe.  The native Australian, whose death from an accidental prescription drug overdose took place exactly a year ago, is also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award, whose ceremony Sunday could portend the ultimate Oscar winners. Ledger’s fellow nominees in that category are Josh Brolin in Milk; Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder; Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt; and Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road. Supporting Actress and Those Ignored Supporting Actress nominees are Amy Adams in Doubt; Penelope Cruz in Vicky Christina Barcelona; Viola Davis in Doubt; Taraji P. Henson in Benjamin Button; and Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler.  In the category of those overlooked, Oscar snubbed the seemingly likely nominees Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino; Leonardo DiCaprio in Revolutionary Road; Cate Blanchett in Benjamin Button; and Dev Patel and Anil Kapoor, as the hero and noxious TV host in Slumdog Millionaire, respectively.  The Dark Knight surprisingly also did not pick up nods for Best Picture or for its director, Christopher Nolan.  To be emceed by PEOPLE’s reigning Sexiest Man Alive, Hugh Jackman, the 81st Academy Awards will be broadcast live on Sunday, Feb. 22, from Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. For a complete list of nominations, go here. (People)

 

For Kim Kardashian, it’s great just to be nominated – even if it’s for a Razzie. “I’m having a really good laugh,” the actress writes on her blog. “I had so much fun filming Disaster Movie and giggled the entire time during the shoot.”  The reality star, 28, adds, “There is steep competition in my ‘worst supporting actress’ category, I have to admit … including my fantastic co-star Carmen Electra (you go girl!) Leelee Sobieski (what a surprise!), Jenny McCarthy (really?) and Paris Hilton (who could technically sweep this year’s awards with a whopping three nominations).” She ends her post with an emphatic “LOL!” (People)

 

Big news, Sex addicts! Us Weekly reports in its newest issue that Sarah Jessica Parker, 43, Kim Cattrall, 52, Cynthia Nixon, 42, and Kristin Davis, 43, have agreed to appear in the sequel to Sex and the City: The Movie. “Not all the contracts are signed, but everyone is on board,” a source tells Us. “It just happened.” Another insider notes that all the leads are getting hefty raises this time around. (Cattrall reportedly held out from doing the first movie for years because of Parker’s higher paycheck.) The news is hardly a shocker: The 2008 comedy grossed $150 million — immediately prompting follow-up talk. In September, Parker told Us she wasn’t against the idea. “It’s all about the story,” she said. “If we can’t tell a story that’s really worthy of an audience, then we won’t do it. “We’ve been really lucky at this point,” she continued. “We’ve been in people’s good graces for a long time, and we take that very seriously. So that’s the biggest challenge, the story.” Nixon told Us she has a few ideas for her character, feisty lawyer Miranda Hobbes. “I would love to see her and Carrie and Charlotte and Samantha all go off on some wild mad cap adventure somewhere,” she said. Warner Bros. couldn’t be reached for comment. (US Weekly)

 

Looks like Twilight will be getting some more star power. According to reports, set to play Volturi vampire Jane, opposite of hottie Robert Pattinson in the upcoming sequel, will be Dakota Fanning. The soon-to-be 15 year-old is said to be in talks to play an Italian vampire in New Moon. A source reveals that “There were no auditions. They just offered it to her outright, and now they’re in negotiations.” Really? Do the execs even have enough money to offer Dakota the role?  New Moon is expected to start filming in Italy later this March. The flick should be released in theaters this November. What do U think? Should Fanning take the role as vampire Jane? Or does no one really care as long as Pattinson is in the movie? (Perez Hilton)

 

Ving Rhames is taking on the lead role in the big-screen adaptation of Athol Fugard’s 1982 play “Master Harold … and the Boys,” a role Danny Glover made his own in the original Broadway production. The movie, shooting on location in South Africa, is being helmed by Emmy-winning director Lonny Price in his feature film debut. Price played opposite Glover in the Broadway play under Fugard’s direction and also directed the 2003 revival. Rhames takes on the lead role of Sam, a dignified, noble waiter who is a father figure to Hally (Freddie Highmore). South African actor Patrick Mofokeng, winner of a 2007 Golden Horn award for best actor in a TV series for his role in “The Good Provider” rounds out the lead cast as Willie, a younger and more light-hearted waiter preparing for a ballroom dancing competition. The screen adaptation of “Master Harold” is penned by multihyphenate Nicky Rebelo with the script extending the original play to take in more action and expand the setting. “Master Harold” is produced by Zaheer Goodman-Bhyat and Michael Auret for Cape-based Spier Films together with veteran producer David Pupkewitz of U.K.-based production banner Focus Films. Also on board is Broadway producer Nelle Nugent. Morris Ruskin of Shoreline Entertainment is handling worldwide sales on the film through its Watermark art house label. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Best actress nominee Angelina Jolie said of the recognition she earned for “Changeling”: “Working with Clint Eastwood was a reward in itself that will last me a lifetime. To receive a nomination from the Academy on top of that is a privilege beyond any expectation. It has been an exceptional year for acting, and I am honored to be in the company of these talented actors whose performances all deserve this recognition. I am also happy that ‘Kung Fu Panda’ also was noticed by the Academy and proud to be a part of a film my entire family loves so much.” Nominated for his supporting role as county supervisor Dan White in the Harvey Milk biopic “Milk,” Josh Brolin — who also played President Bush in the 2008 release “W.” — said he was pleased to be recognized for his work on the “important” film. ” ‘W.’ was probably the most difficult job in film that I’ve ever done because you carry his age from a young age through (his presidency). ‘Milk’ was different,” he said. “When I read it, I was so emotional and taken with the story that I just wanted to do this story. It’s a timely story, and as timely as it can be with Prop. 8. So obviously, it’s an important movie and a very visceral film at that.” Brolin acknowledged that Oscar nominations can help an actor attract offers for future meaty roles. “There’s more confidence that I can pull off more complicated roles, and luckily, because of the nature of the role of Dan White, we’re getting offered really, really interesting roles.” Brolin’s next film — Warner Bros. comics-spawned “Josh Hex,” which he calls “a throwback to spaghetti Westerns” — begins shooting in March. Nominated for best actor for playing a widowed professor who befriends two immigrants in New York, veteran actor Richard Jenkins said: “This nomination is such an unexpected honor, and I am grateful to the Academy for the recognition. I’ve been awed by the work of my fellow nominees this year and am truly humbled to be in their company. Having been an actor for many years now, I am moved by the fact that something like this can happen at this point in my career, particularly for a film that has meant so much to me.” Viola Davis, nominated for her brief supporting performance in “Doubt,” did a lot of screaming to express her excitement on Oscar nomination morning, which she spent at the Four Seasons Hotel. “I screamed in my husband’s ear. He was sitting next to me,” Davis said. The same was true when she called her mother back in Rhode Island and left voicemails for her sister and messages on some friends’ answering machines. Davis lauded the ensemble effort that brought “Doubt” to life. “You are only as good as your partners,” she said about the slew of acting nominations the film earned. And she has no time and reason for feeling competitive with fellow “Doubt” star Amy Adams, who also earned a nom. “I love her too much and respect her too much,” Davis said. “She is so wonderfully nuanced, and I am just happy we both got nominated.” What’s her next project? “If you know anybody who can get me a job …,” Davis quipped, adding she is looking for another challenging opportunity. “I am trying to be picky,” she said. She would love to work with Meryl Streep again or get a chance to play opposite her longtime inspiration Cicely Tyson. Mike Leigh said he was excited about his screenplay nomination for “Happy-Go-Lucky.” “This is the fourth time I’ve been nominated for best original screenplay, and once again I’m honored and delighted that the quality of writing I and my actors work so hard to achieve has been recognized and respected by my fellow Writers in the Academy,” he said. Producer Eric Fellner took note of the timing of the best picture nomination for “Frost/Nixon.” “It’s interesting in the week when you get the antithesis of Richard Nixon gets sworn into office that a film like this gets honored,” he said. “It’s interesting to remember how the office of the president can be in one generation lowered to be virtually valueless and in another, like now, be elevated to that of potential savior.” He also said it was fascinating for him to watch the peaceful transfer of power and change in political direction in the U.S. this week and fully appreciated it for the first time. “You have a guy sitting there who’s president and then somebody swears in another guy, and literally the power just moves,” he said. “And then suddenly, bang, everything that this last man stood for is now irrelevant.” Fellner also lauded the great team behind “Frost/Nixon” for driving its critical success, adding that it could help with commercial success as well. The film goes wide in the U.S. and opens in the U.K. on Friday. “It helps in terms of giving it a larger profile,” he said about the best picture nomination. Fellner added that he regularly talks to David Frost and that he is “over the moon, thrilled with this” film. Elliott Graham, the film editor on “Milk,” who has been residing in Seattle of late, is impressed with the continued public buzz over the film. “I’ve been walking by and hearing people talking about it, and I never experienced anything like that before,” Graham said. A first-time nominee, he was quite stoked over receiving news of his nomination in the film-editing category. “It feels amazing, and it feels all the more amazing — if that’s possible — because it’s part of this film.” Danny Glicker, the Los Angeles-based costume designer on “Milk,” a first-time Oscar nominee, said: “I’m so thrilled. It’s really special, because it’s one of the most important projects that I’ve ever been involved with and a project that I care so much about personally.” Now living in Copenhagen, “Man on Wire” director James Marsh was surprised Thursday afternoon with a call from the BBC asking for comment for his Academy Award nomination for best documentary feature. “I didn’t quite believe it,” Marsh said. It wasn’t until he got a call from his publicist in Los Angeles that he realized it was true. The film is about the high-wire walk that Philippe Petit took between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. Marsh said that in reconstructing the event he was aiming to make a movie, not just a documentary. “I realized it should be an adventure story, a heist film, if you like,” he said. What’s not in it is any mention of Sept. 11. That’s by design, Marsh said. He was looking to “reposition” the audience’s view of the buildings without denying or denigrating what happened there. “Everyone who sees the film is very aware of the future, and you can respond to it on a personal level if you want,” Marsh said. When the Oscar news came out before dawn, nominee Irene Taylor Brodsky was already up nursing her 4-week-old son. Taylor Brodsky, the director of the documentary short subject “The Final Inch” — about the fight to eradicate polio in rural India — found out about her nom by checking Oscar.com. The Emmy and Sundance winner then got a phone call from HBO’s Sheila Nevins. The “Final Inch” tracks the resurgence of the deadly disease, which had been eradicated in the U.S. She said that like many Americans, she didn’t know much about polio when called to do the documentary by philanthropist Dr. Lawrence Brilliant. She said she hopes the nomination for “Final Inch” draws help for the people who are still suffering from the disease. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

 

MOVIE . . .

 

Hollywood’s biggest battle will pit a time-challenged hero, a political war of wits, a gay activist icon, a woman with a Nazi past and a rags-to-riches survivor.  With The Curious Case of Benjamin Button vying for Best Picture along with Frost/Nixon, Milk, The Reader and Slumdog Millionaire, the 81st annual Academy Award nominations were announced Thursday morning – two days later than usual, on account of a little historical pageant that occurred in Washington, D.C., Tuesday. Benjamin Button led the field, with a total of 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Supporting Actress, Director and Screenplay. It was followed by Slumdog Millionaire, with 10. Brad Pitt received his second-ever nomination, Best Actor for Benjamin Button. He was previously cited for his supporting role in 1995′s Twelve Monkeys, but the Oscar went to Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects. The other leading men singled out this year were previous Oscar winner Sean Penn for Milk, and Golden Globe winner Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler). The Visitor‘s Richard Jenkins and Frost/Nixon‘s Frank Langella round out the list. Meryl, Again Perennial nominee Meryl Streep, a two-time Oscar winner who already holds the record for most nominations of any actor or actress – this is her 15th time up at bat – was nominated as Best Actress in Doubt.  Her sister contenders are Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married; Angelina Jolie in Changeling; Melissa Leo in Frozen River and Golden Globe double winner Kate Winslet in The Reader.  The Ledger Facto. One high-profile nominee, in the Best Supporting Actor category, is the late Heath Ledger, who played the psychotic Joker in Dark Knight, a role that has already won him a Golden Globe.  The native Australian, whose death from an accidental prescription drug overdose took place exactly a year ago, is also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award, whose ceremony Sunday could portend the ultimate Oscar winners. Ledger’s fellow nominees in that category are Josh Brolin in Milk; Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder; Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt; and Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road. Supporting Actress and Those Ignored Supporting Actress nominees are Amy Adams in Doubt; Penelope Cruz in Vicky Christina Barcelona; Viola Davis in Doubt; Taraji P. Henson in Benjamin Button; and Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler.  In the category of those overlooked, Oscar snubbed the seemingly likely nominees Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino; Leonardo DiCaprio in Revolutionary Road; Cate Blanchett in Benjamin Button; and Dev Patel and Anil Kapoor, as the hero and noxious TV host in Slumdog Millionaire, respectively.  The Dark Knight surprisingly also did not pick up nods for Best Picture or for its director, Christopher Nolan.  To be emceed by PEOPLE’s reigning Sexiest Man Alive, Hugh Jackman, the 81st Academy Awards will be broadcast live on Sunday, Feb. 22, from Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. For a complete list of nominations, go here. (People)

 

For Kim Kardashian, it’s great just to be nominated – even if it’s for a Razzie. “I’m having a really good laugh,” the actress writes on her blog. “I had so much fun filming Disaster Movie and giggled the entire time during the shoot.”  The reality star, 28, adds, “There is steep competition in my ‘worst supporting actress’ category, I have to admit … including my fantastic co-star Carmen Electra (you go girl!) Leelee Sobieski (what a surprise!), Jenny McCarthy (really?) and Paris Hilton (who could technically sweep this year’s awards with a whopping three nominations).” She ends her post with an emphatic “LOL!” (People)

 

Big news, Sex addicts! Us Weekly reports in its newest issue that Sarah Jessica Parker, 43, Kim Cattrall, 52, Cynthia Nixon, 42, and Kristin Davis, 43, have agreed to appear in the sequel to Sex and the City: The Movie. “Not all the contracts are signed, but everyone is on board,” a source tells Us. “It just happened.” Another insider notes that all the leads are getting hefty raises this time around. (Cattrall reportedly held out from doing the first movie for years because of Parker’s higher paycheck.) The news is hardly a shocker: The 2008 comedy grossed $150 million — immediately prompting follow-up talk. In September, Parker told Us she wasn’t against the idea. “It’s all about the story,” she said. “If we can’t tell a story that’s really worthy of an audience, then we won’t do it. “We’ve been really lucky at this point,” she continued. “We’ve been in people’s good graces for a long time, and we take that very seriously. So that’s the biggest challenge, the story.” Nixon told Us she has a few ideas for her character, feisty lawyer Miranda Hobbes. “I would love to see her and Carrie and Charlotte and Samantha all go off on some wild mad cap adventure somewhere,” she said. Warner Bros. couldn’t be reached for comment. (US Weekly)

 

Looks like Twilight will be getting some more star power. According to reports, set to play Volturi vampire Jane, opposite of hottie Robert Pattinson in the upcoming sequel, will be Dakota Fanning. The soon-to-be 15 year-old is said to be in talks to play an Italian vampire in New Moon. A source reveals that “There were no auditions. They just offered it to her outright, and now they’re in negotiations.” Really? Do the execs even have enough money to offer Dakota the role?  New Moon is expected to start filming in Italy later this March. The flick should be released in theaters this November. What do U think? Should Fanning take the role as vampire Jane? Or does no one really care as long as Pattinson is in the movie? (Perez Hilton)

 

Ving Rhames is taking on the lead role in the big-screen adaptation of Athol Fugard’s 1982 play “Master Harold … and the Boys,” a role Danny Glover made his own in the original Broadway production. The movie, shooting on location in South Africa, is being helmed by Emmy-winning director Lonny Price in his feature film debut. Price played opposite Glover in the Broadway play under Fugard’s direction and also directed the 2003 revival. Rhames takes on the lead role of Sam, a dignified, noble waiter who is a father figure to Hally (Freddie Highmore). South African actor Patrick Mofokeng, winner of a 2007 Golden Horn award for best actor in a TV series for his role in “The Good Provider” rounds out the lead cast as Willie, a younger and more light-hearted waiter preparing for a ballroom dancing competition. The screen adaptation of “Master Harold” is penned by multihyphenate Nicky Rebelo with the script extending the original play to take in more action and expand the setting. “Master Harold” is produced by Zaheer Goodman-Bhyat and Michael Auret for Cape-based Spier Films together with veteran producer David Pupkewitz of U.K.-based production banner Focus Films. Also on board is Broadway producer Nelle Nugent. Morris Ruskin of Shoreline Entertainment is handling worldwide sales on the film through its Watermark art house label. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Best actress nominee Angelina Jolie said of the recognition she earned for “Changeling”: “Working with Clint Eastwood was a reward in itself that will last me a lifetime. To receive a nomination from the Academy on top of that is a privilege beyond any expectation. It has been an exceptional year for acting, and I am honored to be in the company of these talented actors whose performances all deserve this recognition. I am also happy that ‘Kung Fu Panda’ also was noticed by the Academy and proud to be a part of a film my entire family loves so much.” Nominated for his supporting role as county supervisor Dan White in the Harvey Milk biopic “Milk,” Josh Brolin — who also played President Bush in the 2008 release “W.” — said he was pleased to be recognized for his work on the “important” film. ” ‘W.’ was probably the most difficult job in film that I’ve ever done because you carry his age from a young age through (his presidency). ‘Milk’ was different,” he said. “When I read it, I was so emotional and taken with the story that I just wanted to do this story. It’s a timely story, and as timely as it can be with Prop. 8. So obviously, it’s an important movie and a very visceral film at that.” Brolin acknowledged that Oscar nominations can help an actor attract offers for future meaty roles. “There’s more confidence that I can pull off more complicated roles, and luckily, because of the nature of the role of Dan White, we’re getting offered really, really interesting roles.” Brolin’s next film — Warner Bros. comics-spawned “Josh Hex,” which he calls “a throwback to spaghetti Westerns” — begins shooting in March. Nominated for best actor for playing a widowed professor who befriends two immigrants in New York, veteran actor Richard Jenkins said: “This nomination is such an unexpected honor, and I am grateful to the Academy for the recognition. I’ve been awed by the work of my fellow nominees this year and am truly humbled to be in their company. Having been an actor for many years now, I am moved by the fact that something like this can happen at this point in my career, particularly for a film that has meant so much to me.” Viola Davis, nominated for her brief supporting performance in “Doubt,” did a lot of screaming to express her excitement on Oscar nomination morning, which she spent at the Four Seasons Hotel. “I screamed in my husband’s ear. He was sitting next to me,” Davis said. The same was true when she called her mother back in Rhode Island and left voicemails for her sister and messages on some friends’ answering machines. Davis lauded the ensemble effort that brought “Doubt” to life. “You are only as good as your partners,” she said about the slew of acting nominations the film earned. And she has no time and reason for feeling competitive with fellow “Doubt” star Amy Adams, who also earned a nom. “I love her too much and respect her too much,” Davis said. “She is so wonderfully nuanced, and I am just happy we both got nominated.” What’s her next project? “If you know anybody who can get me a job …,” Davis quipped, adding she is looking for another challenging opportunity. “I am trying to be picky,” she said. She would love to work with Meryl Streep again or get a chance to play opposite her longtime inspiration Cicely Tyson. Mike Leigh said he was excited about his screenplay nomination for “Happy-Go-Lucky.” “This is the fourth time I’ve been nominated for best original screenplay, and once again I’m honored and delighted that the quality of writing I and my actors work so hard to achieve has been recognized and respected by my fellow Writers in the Academy,” he said. Producer Eric Fellner took note of the timing of the best picture nomination for “Frost/Nixon.” “It’s interesting in the week when you get the antithesis of Richard Nixon gets sworn into office that a film like this gets honored,” he said. “It’s interesting to remember how the office of the president can be in one generation lowered to be virtually valueless and in another, like now, be elevated to that of potential savior.” He also said it was fascinating for him to watch the peaceful transfer of power and change in political direction in the U.S. this week and fully appreciated it for the first time. “You have a guy sitting there who’s president and then somebody swears in another guy, and literally the power just moves,” he said. “And then suddenly, bang, everything that this last man stood for is now irrelevant.” Fellner also lauded the great team behind “Frost/Nixon” for driving its critical success, adding that it could help with commercial success as well. The film goes wide in the U.S. and opens in the U.K. on Friday. “It helps in terms of giving it a larger profile,” he said about the best picture nomination. Fellner added that he regularly talks to David Frost and that he is “over the moon, thrilled with this” film. Elliott Graham, the film editor on “Milk,” who has been residing in Seattle of late, is impressed with the continued public buzz over the film. “I’ve been walking by and hearing people talking about it, and I never experienced anything like that before,” Graham said. A first-time nominee, he was quite stoked over receiving news of his nomination in the film-editing category. “It feels amazing, and it feels all the more amazing — if that’s possible — because it’s part of this film.” Danny Glicker, the Los Angeles-based costume designer on “Milk,” a first-time Oscar nominee, said: “I’m so thrilled. It’s really special, because it’s one of the most important projects that I’ve ever been involved with and a project that I care so much about personally.” Now living in Copenhagen, “Man on Wire” director James Marsh was surprised Thursday afternoon with a call from the BBC asking for comment for his Academy Award nomination for best documentary feature. “I didn’t quite believe it,” Marsh said. It wasn’t until he got a call from his publicist in Los Angeles that he realized it was true. The film is about the high-wire walk that Philippe Petit took between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. Marsh said that in reconstructing the event he was aiming to make a movie, not just a documentary. “I realized it should be an adventure story, a heist film, if you like,” he said. What’s not in it is any mention of Sept. 11. That’s by design, Marsh said. He was looking to “reposition” the audience’s view of the buildings without denying or denigrating what happened there. “Everyone who sees the film is very aware of the future, and you can respond to it on a personal level if you want,” Marsh said. When the Oscar news came out before dawn, nominee Irene Taylor Brodsky was already up nursing her 4-week-old son. Taylor Brodsky, the director of the documentary short subject “The Final Inch” — about the fight to eradicate polio in rural India — found out about her nom by checking Oscar.com. The Emmy and Sundance winner then got a phone call from HBO’s Sheila Nevins. The “Final Inch” tracks the resurgence of the deadly disease, which had been eradicated in the U.S. She said that like many Americans, she didn’t know much about polio when called to do the documentary by philanthropist Dr. Lawrence Brilliant. She said she hopes the nomination for “Final Inch” draws help for the people who are still suffering from the disease. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Several dozen Mumbai slum residents protested the award-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire” on Thursday, calling the film’s title insulting. The protest came amid mounting excitement in India – where the movie is set and home to many of its actors – ahead of Academy Award nominations later Thursday. The film, a rags-to-riches romance set in Mumbai’s notorious slums, has been tapped a favorite for several Oscar nominations after it swept its four categories at the Golden Globes, including the prize for best drama. But not all of Mumbai’s slum residents were happy. “I am poor, but don’t call me slumdog,” said Rekha Dhamji, 18, one of about two dozen slum residents who protested outside the home of one of the movie’s actors, Anil Kapoor. “I don’t want to be referred to as a dog,” she said. Other protesters held up banners reading “Poverty For Sale,” and “I am not a dog.” One of them carried a puppy. Nicholas Almeida, a social activist who organized the protest, said he planned to file a lawsuit on Friday to get the name changed. The film, which tells the story of Jamal Malik, a poor youth who becomes the champion of India’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” television program as he searches for his lost love, has also been criticized for focusing on India’s poverty. On Wednesday the cast and director spoke to the media in New Delhi about the film, and the controversy it has sparked. “The film is going to be a terrific inspiration to kids around India. It’s a feel-good film, a film of hope,” said Kapoor, who grew up in a Mumbai slum. He dismissed claims that the word “slumdog” was offensive. “Children from the slums are actually called much worse names.” Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy said people should not read too much into the word. “I just made up the word. I liked the idea. I didn’t mean to offend anyone,” he said. Despite the protests, the film was also generating a lot of excitement in India ahead of the nominations and its official release in the country set for Friday. The Times Now news channel broadcast a special program called “Oscars Here We Come” as part of wall-to-wall coverage of the Academy Awards buildup. “We’re all so happy, we’re beaming just to see our people walk down the red carpet and get the recognition we should get,” actress Amrita Arora told Times Now. (Daily Record)

 

Box office for 5 best-picture Oscar nominees: (Daily Record)

North American box-office performance as of Monday for Oscar best-picture nominees:

- “Frost/Nixon,” Universal, five nominations, $8.8 million, released Dec. 5.

- “Milk,” Focus, eight nominations, $20.5 million, released Nov. 26.

- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Paramount, 13 nominations, $103.6 million, released Dec. 25.

- “The Reader,” Weinstein Co., five nominations, $7.8 million, released Dec. 10.

- “Slumdog Millionaire,” Fox Searchlight, 10 nominations, $43.9 million, released Nov. 12.

 

List of 81st annual Oscar nominations is announced: (Daily Record)

Complete list of 81st annual Academy Award nominations announced Thursday:

1. Best Picture: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “The Reader,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”

2. Actor: Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”; Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”; Sean Penn, “Milk”; Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler.”

3. Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”; Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”; Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”; Meryl Streep, “Doubt”; Kate Winslet, “The Reader.”

4. Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, “Milk”; Robert Downey Jr., “Tropic Thunder”; Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”; Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”; Michael Shannon, “Revolutionary Road.”

5. Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, “Doubt”; Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”; Viola Davis, “Doubt”; Taraji P. Henson, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Marisa Tomei, “The Wrestler.”

6. Director: David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Ron Howard, “Frost/Nixon”; Gus Van Sant, “Milk”; Stephen Daldry, “The Reader”; Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire.”

7. Foreign Film: “The Baader Meinhof Complex,” Germany; “The Class,” France; “Departures,” Japan; “Revanche,” Austria; “Waltz With Bashir,” Israel.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; John Patrick Shanley, “Doubt”; Peter Morgan, “Frost/Nixon”; David Hare, “The Reader”; Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire.”

9. Original Screenplay: Courtney Hunt, “Frozen River”; Mike Leigh, “Happy-Go-Lucky”; Martin McDonagh, “In Bruges”; Dustin Lance Black, “Milk”; Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter, “WALL-E.”

10. Animated Feature Film: “Bolt”; “Kung Fu Panda”; “WALL-E.”

11. Art Direction: “Changeling,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Duchess,” “Revolutionary Road.”

12. Cinematography: “Changeling,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Reader,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”

13. Sound Mixing: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “WALL-E,” “Wanted.”

14. Sound Editing: “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “WALL-E,” “Wanted.”

15. Original Score: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Alexandre Desplat; “Defiance,” James Newton Howard; “Milk,” Danny Elfman; “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman; “WALL-E,” Thomas Newman.

16. Original Song: “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E,” Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman; “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman and Gulzar; “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam.

17. Costume: “Australia,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Duchess,” “Milk,” “Revolutionary Road.”

18. Documentary Feature: “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon),” “Encounters at the End of the World,” “The Garden,” “Man on Wire,” “Trouble the Water.”

19. Documentary (short subject): “The Conscience of Nhem En,” “The Final Inch,” “Smile Pinki,” “The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 306.”

20. Film Editing: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”

21. Makeup: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army.”

22. Animated Short Film: “La Maison en Petits Cubes,” “Lavatory – Lovestory,” “Oktapodi,” “Presto,” “This Way Up.”

23. Live Action Short Film: “Auf der Strecke (On the Line),” “Manon on the Asphalt,” “New Boy,” “The Pig,” “Spielzeugland (Toyland).”

24. Visual Effects: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man.”

—

Academy Award winners previously announced this year:

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (Oscar statuette): Jerry Lewis

Gordon E. Sawyer Award (Oscar statuette): Pixar Animation co-founder Ed Catmull

 

 

TV . . .

 

Hey E.R. fans, your wildest dream is coming true! Not only is George “Dr. Doug Ross” Clooney coming back to the show for its finale, but also another original series member, Julianna “Nurse Carol Hathaway” Margulies, will be reunited on the small screen with him before the series meets its end in April. Like George, Julianna will be filming her ER scenes before the end of the week. A show insider tells Life & Style , “They are the last two of the original cast to make one last appearance,” the insider says. “It’s part of an effort to wrap up all of the original characters’ story lines.”  The George/Julianna episode will tentatively air in late February during sweeps week. Set your DVRs! (Perez Hilton)

 

A woman whose company sells sex toys through home parties will star in her own reality TV show. Cable television’s TLC says “Mother Knows Sex” chronicles the struggles faced by Patty Brisben and her family as she runs her business. Brisben founded Pure Romance in 1993; the company’s Web site says it has grown into a multimillion-dollar business with 80 full-time employees. Pure Romance relies on a sales force of independent consultants who organize in-home parties where the products are sold. TLC plans to broadcast the one-hour program at 10 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 1. It will be repeated three times in early February. (Daily Record)

 

Producer Robert Halmi Sr., who celebrates his 85th birthday today, is getting a belated gift. On Sunday, his latest big-budget miniseries, “The Last Templar,” premieres on NBC, marking his return to the Big Three broadcast networks after a three-year absence. The year 2009 is special in another way: It’s been 30 years since his first TV movie, “My Old Man,” premiered on CBS. But instead of planning a celebration, Halmi — the Hungarian-born former photographer who emigrated to the U.S. in 1950 with $5 in his pocket and a still camera around his neck — is busy ramping up a slate of miniseries.  It includes three projects for Sci Fi Channel that have been green lighted for production: “The Phantom,” “Riverworld” and “Alice,” a contemporary retelling of “Alice in Wonderland.” Halmi also has a couple of minis in development at ABC, including “Planet Earth Conspiracy,” a globe-spanning drama tackling climate change, and a possible adaptation of “The Grapes of Wrath.”  As for “Templar,” if it does well, NBC is mulling a potential sequel or primetime series. Halmi already has a script ready for a sequel set in India, something that could fulfill his dream of filming in that country. “I’m very proud of ‘Last Templar’ — it’s entertaining, it combines faith, religion, adventure and love,” Halmi said. At the same time, he is concerned about the state of the broadcast networks, which in their 1990s heyday splurged on big-event, effects-heavy movies and minis like his “Gulliver’s Travels,” “The Odyssey” and “Merlin” on NBC. “The networks cannot afford to make good things anymore as they have become the bottom line of giant parent companies,” he said. But with creative deal making, even in today’s environment, there’s a way to make larger-scope minis, he added. On “Templar,” Halmi and his producing partner, son Robert Halmi Jr., agreed to a low license fee in exchange for retaining international rights and getting an early DVD release and a second window for the mini on the Ion network, where the Halmis’ publicly traded RHI Entertainment has an exclusive programming deal.  At Sci Fi, “The Phantom” is based on Lee Falk’s adventure comic strip about a costumed crime fighter operating from the African jungle. “Templar” helmer Paolo Barzman is set to direct the mini, slated to begin filming in Montreal in late winter/early spring. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

BSkyB’s Sky1 channel has picked up U.K. rights to Fox drama show “Lie to Me,” starring Tim Roth as a crime-fighting deception expert who can read clues embedded in the human face.  BSkyB has picked up free TV and pay TV rights as well as the non-exclusive rights for VOD and download-to-own, and will also broadcast the show in High Definition.  The deal was brokered by David Smyth, head of acquisitions, Sky1, Sky2 and Sky3 and will begin airing in the U.K. later this spring. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

International broadcasters Turner and Viacom and their Indian partners may soon echo the global success of the British movie “Slumdog Millionaire” with a raft of reality and contest TV programming set for launch two new Hindi channels. An Indian version of “Poker Face” offering 10 million rupees in TV quiz show prize money, will launch the Hindi entertainment channel REAL, owners Turner International and Alva Brothers Entertainment of Mumbai said on Thursday. Targeting India’s 83 million cable and satellite homes — where general entertainment channels command  35% of the total viewership — REAL’s “Poker Face” and its prize worth $217,390, will compete with Colors, the Hindi channel the joint-venture Viacom18 launched last summer. Colors on Thursday said it soon would premiere “India’s Got Talent,” the first Asian version of the FremantleMedia international reality show conceived by Simon Cowell. Auditions start in February. The cash prize? Another 10 million rupees. And the show will be made by the production house responsible for the Indian version of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,” Synergy Adlabs, a unit of Mumbai-based Reliance Big Entertainment, funder for $550 million of DreamWorks’ recent exit from Paramount. Since its launch, Colors has enjoyed a string of top-rated shows, such as Indian versions of “Fear Factor” and “Big Brother” that, along with homegrown fiction programming, has made the channel a leader in the increasingly competitive world of Hindi general entertainment. While Turner has been active in India via its kids channels, Cartoon Network and Pogo, and through its news broadcasting joint venture CNN-IBN, REAL marks the group’s first foray into entertainment. “Given the market’s strong growth, extremely young population, penchant for media consumption and improving distribution delivery systems, India is one of our biggest growth opportunities,” said Steve Marcopoto, president of Turner Broadcasting Systems Asia Pacific.  Launching in March, REAL is tailor-made for “Neo-Indians” and will offer a mix of fiction and reality shows, said its creator Real Global Broadcasting, the joint venture Turner formed in 2007 with Alva Brothers, an offshoot of brothers Niret and Nikhil Alva’s New Delhi-based production company Miditech. “Poker Face” will be followed by “Sarkaar Ki Duniya” (The World of the Ruler) — where 18 Indians must transform a remote island under the scrutiny of an autocratic ruler — and the drama “Hindi Hai Hum” (We Are Hindi), targeting young viewers. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

As hundreds of millions of Chinese celebrate the dawn of the year of the Ox this Sunday, the China Central Television Spring Festival Gala — arguably the single most-watched annual TV event anywhere in the world — is facing fresh-faced competition online. Touting his alternative China “Shanzhai (copycat) Spring Festival Gala Party” on his Web site, China Countryside Television (www.ccstv.cn), Beijing wedding photographer Shi Mengqi told state media his show, featuring mostly folk art performers, would stream online for free from a resort outside the capital for three hours The often-longer state television gala has been, for 27 years, a focal point of the start of the weeklong national holiday celebrating the Lunar New Year, drawing families together to watch celebrity entertainment and expensive TV advertising.  This year the CCTV show, titled “Reunion of the Chinese People,” will feature guest appearances by the members of China’s first space mission, its Olympic gold medalists, and the Irish troupe “River Dance.”  It will likely also remind China of the pain of the Sichuan earthquake last May, and of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic, upcoming in October. In keeping with China’s recent push to internationalize its state media, CCTV says it expects to draw more than 60 million viewers overseas. But for 36-year-old Shi, the son of peasants from Sichuan Province, the Spring Festival is a grass roots celebration and not about state accomplishments.  It’s about individuals and will feature more than performers from around China, including amateur singers dancing monks and a man who pedals a bicycle with his hands. Shi told The Wall Street Journal his show’s message was: “If you can do it, then I can as well.” Shi, who could not be reached for comment, has promoted plans for the program online for a year.  He will bring it off with handheld cameras and computers sponsored by friends, individuals and organizations interested in his idea, the China Daily reported. He has not yet accepted any offers by TV stations to broadcast his show, but he has partnered with Tencent, China’s biggest online instant messaging provider. An online survey conducted by popular Chinese Web portal Tianya showed that more than three-quarters of its 62,835 respondents were looking forward to the CCSTV show. Meanwhile, CCTV appears unfazed. Qin Xinmin, chief planner for the network’s spring festival gala, told Chinese media in December: “They can go ahead and do it if they want. So many people want to use CCTV to become famous…. We won’t bother responding every time.” (Hollywood Reporter)

 

 

TODAY’S IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION . . . (Mike Butts Creative)

 

Q.  The average Alaskan eats twice as much of THIS as you and I do?

            A.  Ice cream

 

 

TODAY’S QUOTE  (By Vic Braden)

 

“THE MOMENT OF ENLIGHTENMENT IS WHEN A PERSON’S DREAMS OF POSSIBILITIES BECOME IMAGES OF PROBABILITIES.”

 

 

MIND BOGGLERS . . .

 

Q.  What is curacao?

            A.  Liqueur made of oranges

 

Q.  Blue sky laws deal with?

            A.  Stocks and bonds

 

Q.  In craps, if your first roll is a two, three or _______ you lose?

            A.  Twelve

 

Q.  The most popular casino table game is?

            A.  Blackjack

 

Q.  Bennett Cerf is an important name in American?

            A.  Publishing

 

Q.  What does “vodka” mean in Russian?

            A.  Little water

 

 

BIRTHDAYS . . .

 

January 23^rd:

—1730  Declaration of Independence Signer Joseph Hewes  (d. 11-10-1779)

—1737  Declaration of Independence Signer John Hancock  (d. 10-8-1793)

—1783  Author Marie Henri (Stendahl) Beyle  (d. 3-23-1842)

—1899  Actor Humphrey Bogart  (d. 1957)

—1907  Actor Dan Duryea (d. 6-7-1968)

—1910  Jazz Guitarist Django Reinhardt

—1928  Actress Jeanne Moreau (Viva Maria)

—1933  Actress/Dancer Chita Rivera (The Rink)

—1940  Musician Johnny Russell

¾1940  Singer Joe Dowell (“Wooden Heart”)

—1943  Actor Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers In the 21st Century)

—1944  Actor Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner)

—1948  Singer Anita Pointer (The Pointer Sisters) (“He’s So Shy”)

—1950  Musician Danny Federici (The E. Street Band) (d. 4-17-2008)

—1950  Actor Richard Dean Anderson (MacGyver)

—1950  Musician Patrick Simmons (The Doobie Brothers) (“Listen To The Music”)

—1950  Musician Bill Cunningham (The Box Tops) (“Cry Like A Baby”)

—1953  Sportscaster/Former Football’s Pat Haden

—1953  Musician Robin Zander (Cheap Trick)

—1957  Princess Caroline of Monaco

—1959  Musician Earl Falconer (UB40)

—1963  Actress Gail O’Grady (Desperate Housewives)

¾1964  Actress Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order SVU)

—1974  Actress Tiffani-Amber Thiessen  (Beverly Hills 90210)

 

January 24^th:

—1862  Author Edith Wharton (The Age of Innocence) (d. 8-11-1937)

—1880  Editor/Author Elisabeth Achelis (d. 2-11-1973)

¾1915  Producer and creator of TV game shows Mark Goodson  (d. 12-18-1992)

—1916  Radio/TV Sports Announcer Jack Brickhouse (d. 8-6-1998)

—1917  Actor Ernest Borgnine (McHales’ Navy)

—1918  Evangelist Oral Roberts

¾1933  Singer Zeke Carey (The Flamingos) (“I Only Have Eyes For You”) (d. 12-24-1999)

—1936  Musician Doug Kershaw

—1939  Musician/Comedian Ray Stevens (“The Streak”)

—1941  Musician Neil Diamond (“Song Sung Blue”)

—1941  Musician/Singer Aaron Neville (“Tell It Like It Is”)

—1946  Actor Michael Ontkean (Twin Peaks)

—1947  Musician Warren Zevon (“Werewolves Of London”) (d. 9-7-2003)

—1948  Musician Patrick Moraz (Moody Blues, Yes)

—1949  Actor/Comedian John Belushi (vocalist for the Blues Brothers) (“Soul Man”)  (d. 3-5-1982)

—1951  Comedian Yakov Smirnoff

—1958  Musician Jools Holland (ex-Squeeze)

—1960  Actress Nastassia Kinski (Cat People)

—1964  Baseball’s Robert Keith Dibble

—1968  Musician Michael Kiski (Helloween)

—1968  Gymnast Mary Lou Retton

¾1970  Actor Matthew Lillard (Scream)

¾1986  Actress Mischa Barton (The O.C.)

 

January 25^th:

—1627  Physicist/Author Robert Boyle (d. 12-30-1691)

—1759  Poet Robert Burns (d. 7-21-1796)

—1860  31^st Vice-President Charles Curtis (d. 2-8-1936)

—1882  Author/Critic Virginia Woolf (d. 3-28-1941)

—1931  Actor Dean Jones (Herbie, The Love Bug)

—1934  Actress/Singer Elizabeth Allen (The Paul Lynde Show)

—1938  Singer Etta James (“At Last”)

—1945  Actress Leigh Taylor-Young  (Secret Admirer)

—1950  Musician Michael Cotten  (The Tubes)

—1954  Musician Richard Finch (KC & The Sunshine Band)

¾1957  Actress Jennifer Lewis (The Preachers Wife)

—1958  Musician Gary Tibbs  (Roxy Music, Adam & The Ants)

¾1958  Actress Dinah Manoff  (Empty Nest)

—1959  Football’s Mark “Super” Duper

—1960  Musician Andy Cox (Fine Young Cannibals)

—1962  Musician Peter Coyle (The Lotus Eaters)

¾1962  Hockey’s Chris Chelios

—1969  Singer Heidi Wolfgramm (The Jets)

—1971  MTV Fill-In VeeJay China Slick Kantner

¾1974  Singer/Guitarist Matt Odmark (Jars Of Clay)

¾1981  Singer Alica Keyes

 

 

THIS DAY IN HISTORY . . .

 

January 23^rd:

Today is NATIONAL HANDWRITING DAY

—1849  Elizabeth Blackwell got her medical degree, and became the first female physician in the U.S.

—1942  NBC broadcast the first educational television program, a training film for WW II air raid wardens around NYC.

—1964  Dr. James Hardy completed the first heart transplant on a human — giving an elderly man the heart of a chimpanzee, but the patient died within a few hours.

—1965  Petula Clark’s “Downtown” is the top single in the U.S.

—1968  North Korean sailors boarded and captured the U.S.S. Pueblo in international waters.  The crew wasn’t released until December 22 of that year.

—1969  Cream releases its final album, “Goodbye Cream.”

—1973  President Nixon announced that the U.S. and North Vietnam had reached an agreement to end the war, at the Paris peace talks.

—1973  Neil Young has to wait ten minutes for the crowd at a NY show to stop cheering when he announces he’s just received a message that a cease-fire has been declared in the Vietnam War.

—1975  “Barney Miller” premieres on ABC.  A sitcom about a New York precinct captain.

—1976  “Donny and Marie” premieres on ABC TV.  This show was hosted by the brother-sister act Donny and Marie Osmond (b. 10-13-1959).

—1977  Pink Floyd releases the “Animals” Lp.

—1977  Patti Smith breaks some bones in her neck when she falls off the stage at the Curtis Hixon Hall in Tampa, where she is opening for Bob Seger.

—1979  Brian Wilson divorces his wife of 15 years, Marilyn Rovell, who was 16 when she married Wilson.

—1982  A World Airways DC-10 skidded off a Logan Airport runway into Boston Harbor, killing two passengers.

—1985  As a protest against overdubbing, Joe Jackson begins the first of five live recording session/concerts at NY’s Roundabout Theater.

—1987  Eric Clapton’s “August” album is at the top of the album charts.

—1988  Johnny Hates Jazz top the British album chart with “Turn Back The Clock.”

—1989  James Brown pleads guilty to seven misdemeanor charges stemming from a chase by police in two states.  He is sentenced to six years in jail and fined $1,000 in the state of Georgia, with the sentence to run concurrently with his six-year prison sentence in South Carolina, stemming from the same incident in September 1988.

 

January 24^th:

Today is BELLY LAUGH DAY, NATIONAL COMPLIMENT DAY

—1848  While building a sawmill near what is now Placerville (PLASS-erville), California, James Marshall, an employee of John Sutter, noticed something sparkling in the riverbed. The news leaked out and soon the Great Gold Rush was on.

—1885  Canadian Pacific Railways completed the first Atlantic-to-Pacific telegraph line in Canada.

—1899  Humphrey O’Sullivan patented rubber heels for shoes.

—1908  British Army General Sir Robert Baden-Powell organized the first Boy Scout troop.

—1922  The world’s first chocolate-covered ice cream bar on a stick got its patent — happy birthday to the Eskimo Pie!

—1924  The Soviet Union renamed the city of Petrograd, calling it Leningrad in honor of the late revolutionary leader.

—1935  The first canned beer in America went on sale.

—1962  Brian Epstein signs on as the Beatles’ manager.

—1967  Cat Stevens’ first album is released.

—1969  Jethro Tull plays its first US show, opening for Led Zeppelin in NY.

—1970  Robert Moog introduces the mini-moog synthesizer, which is suitable for concert stages. The American Federation of Musicians considers banning the new synthesizer. The union fears the music simulator will put live musicians out of business.

—1979  After a thirty-year absence, Coca-Cola went on sale in mainland China. They call it “Ke Kou Ke Lo.”

—1981  The Clash’s “I Fought The Law” becomes their first single to be released in the U.S.

—1984  Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon tour Liverpool, visiting Beatles landmarks.

—1984  Linda McCartney is fined 75 pounds for attempting to smuggle marijuana into England.

—1986  Ozzy Osbourne releases “The Ultimate Sin” album.

—1988  Virgin Music President Richard Branson flies to Russia to arrange cross-distribution for Soviet and Western acts.

—1989  Bruce Cockburn releases his 18th album, “Big Circumstance.”

—1989  After spending ten years on death row and being the subject of a television movie and five books, Ted Bundy was executed in Florida for murdering two college coeds and a 12-year-old girl.  Bundy was suspected of at least 30 other murders, and confessed to several of them in his last hours.

 

January 25^th:

Today is A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN DAY

—1533  Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn, in hopes she would bear him a son. She gave birth to a daughter instead, and was executed three years later. (The daughter turned out to be Elizabeth I.)

—1900  Congress refused to seat Representative-elect Brigham H. Roberts of Utah — because he had three wives.

—1915  Alexander Graham Bell spoke into a replica of his original 1876 telephone in New York and said, “Mr. Watson, come here — I want you!” Mr. Watson replied “That would take me four days by fast train!”, for he was in San Francisco… and thus was transcontinental phone service inaugurated in the U.S.

—1932  Canada also got coast-to-coast telephoning, with the Governor General calling the Lieutenant Governors of each of the nine provinces.

¾1947  Gangster Alphonse “Scarface” Capone, who dominated organized crime in Chicago throughout prohibition, died at age 48 at Miami after suffering from syphilis.  Capone was born January 17, 1899.

—1954  Founding NME writer Les Perrin launches his own PR firm. The Rolling Stones will be one of his clients.

—1958  Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock” becomes the first single to ever enter the British chart at number one, selling almost 500,000 copies in the first week.

¾1959  American Airlines opened the jet age in the US with the first scheduled transcontinental flight on a Boeing 707 nonstop from California to New York.

¾1961  Beginning a tradition that survives to this day, John F. Kennedy held the first televised presidential news conference five days after being inaugurated as the 35th president of the United States.

—1962  Sam Cooke’s “Twistin’ The Night Away” is released.

—1969  Creedence Clearwater Revival releases “Proud Mary.”

—1970  John Lennon & Yoko Ono shave their heads and declare 1970 “Year One for Peace.”

—1971  Charles Manson and three members of his “Family” are found guilty on various counts of murder, and sentenced to life in prison.

—1971  Grace Slick gives birth to China, the daughter of Paul Kanter, in San Francisco.

—1978  Bob Dylan heads an all-star benefit in Houston for boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter. Also at the Astrodome show are Stevie Wonder, Issac Hayes, Carlos Santana, Stephen Stills, and Ringo Starr.

—1981  America’s Iranian hostages arrived back in the US.

—1985  George Thorogood & The Destroyers release their “Maverick” album.

—1986  Albert Grossman, manager of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary and the late Janis Joplin, is found dead on an airplane enroute from the U.S. to England at age 59.  The cause of death is not disclosed.

—1987  Club Nouveau’s “Lean On Me” becomes a single and goes #1 CHR.

—1987  Levis premieres its British ads featuring “Stand By Me” and “When A Man Loves A Woman” for 501s.

—1987  IRS Records’ No Speak label issues its first four releases, including records by Pete Haycock, Wishbone Ash, Stewart Copeland, and William Orbit.

—1994  Michael Jackson pays millions in an out-of-court settlement to a 14-year old boy who accused him of child molestation.

¾2001  Singer Celine Dion gave birth to a son Rene Charles.  He was born in Florida and weighed in at 6 lbs. 8 ozs. 

¾2003  Actress Melina Kanakaredes (Providence) gave birth to her second daughter Karina Elani.  Husband Peter Constantinides was by her side. 

 

 

RADIO ONLINE® DAILY SHOW PREP™ . . .

 

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1789, Georgetown University was established. Just think: if there had never been a Georgetown, where would “The Exorcist” have been set?

In 1845, Congress decided that all national elections should be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The idea was the first good one after the last bad one in January.

On this date in 1916, Montana set a record for most drastic temperature change in 24 hours. It went from 44 degrees above to 56 below zero. That remained the biggest swing on record until Anne Heche.

In 1947, NBC broadcast the very first educational program. I think the name of it was, “That’ll teach ya!”

On this date in 1960, the world’s deepest ocean dive ever took place… going 35,820 feet into the depth of the ocean. The even better news: the captain got his sunglasses back!

TODAY IS

Tiffani-Amber Thiessen is 35 today. She gave us those unforgettable characters in “Saved by the Bell” and “Beverly Hills 90210.” Who could forget her as… uh… .. uh… it’ll come to me… uh…

Richard Dean Anderson turns 59 today. That means, next year, MacGyver will be trying to get out of turning 60, using only a hair brush and a paperclip.

Measure Your Feet Day — If you want to know what someone is really like, take a look at their feet, according to Dr. Nancy Sax, the world’s leading personality on feet analysis.

·         Second toe larger than the others: You’re the dependable, conservative type who always keeps your emotions in check. These types fare very well in the fields of medicine, banking and science. They’re good providers, but don’t expect any excitement or fireworks.

·         Big third toe: Look out! These unpredictable types have hot-and-cold personalities, they’re totally charming one moment then erupt in a volcanic fit of anger the next.

·         Big baby toe: These people spread sunshine wherever they go.

·         Long toes: The sign of great intellectual capacity – these are the thinkers of the world. Authors, philosophers and great world leaders often have very long toes.

·         Little toes: These folks don’t like to make a scene. But their little toes don’t mean you can walk all over them! When backed up against the wall, they’ll stand up and fight.

·         Wide feet: These folks are the backbone of society, the hard workers who have strong family values and dedication to their church, family and community.

·         Narrow feet: The shy, quiet type who don’t like to draw attention to themselves. Beneath the shy exteriors is a relaxed, well-balanced person.

·         Webbed toes: A fun person who won’t duck a good time! These extroverts are the life-of-the party types and make great salesmen and entertainers.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

·         So first, there was the stumble taking the presidential oath. Then, to cover the bases, President Obama and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court did a re-do in the White House… and now it’s being pointed out that, at the second swearing in, no Bible was used.

·         Katy Perry, the 24-year-old singer known for her hit “I Kissed a Girl,” has taken a vow of celibacy for one year.

·         Askmen.com asked its readers who the world most desirable woman was and the answer? Eva Mendes was #1, Meagan Fox came in second.

·         As expected, late Australian actor Heath Ledger was nominated for his supporting role as the Joker in “The Dark Knight.”

·         Recognize the opening act at Toby Keith’s concert? Yep, that’s “Dancing With The Stars” pro, Julianne Hough, doing the singing thing these days.

·         Police in the Bahamas have launched an investigation surrounding an attempt to extort money from John Travolta.

·         Steve Martin’s hosting SNL this weekend. That’s his 15th time back!

·         George Clooney will be on one of the final episodes of “E.R.” He’s filming the scenes this week.

·         Hall of Fame receiver Micahel Irvin is launching a reality TV show in which 12 football wannabees will compete for a spot on the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp roster.

·         “Twilight” will come out on DVD March 21st.

·         Will Ferrell’s one-man show, “A final night with George Bush,” opened on Broadway this week for an 8-week run. Almost sold out.

·         We wonder if Maureen Dowd knows that Tom Hanks came to her Inaugural Day party, was outside, but it was so crowded that he couldn’t get in, so he just left!

·         If you don’t want to wait, you can always pre-order season 5 of “Lost” right now on Amazon.com.

·         The American Kennel Club says that, for the 18th year in a row, the Labrador retriever is America’s most popular breed of dog?

·         Web developer George Huger says he turned $5 into $35,000 when he bought the expired Internet domain name for former President George W. Bush’s presidential library and then sold it back.

·         After a five-year break, Gwen Stefani WILL be back with no doubt for this summer’s big concert tour.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

 

A recent survey by ShopSmart magazine finds that 76% of American women enjoy shopping, but one-third say the most stressful part is waiting in checkout lines, followed by 29% stressed by interacting with salespeople. The average woman, says the report, spends 385 hours annually shopping. The ShopSmart Opinion Poll found that:

·         87% of the female shoppers agreed that getting the best price was the most important thing to them

·         25% would rather save time than save money

·         The most popular common non-grocery product purchased over the past three months by 95% of women was clothing (77%), shoes (58%), cosmetics (56%) and vitamins or supplements (52%).

·         57% of American women find the best bargains at discount department stores like Wal-Mart and Target, while only 17% felt that the best deals were to be had on the web.

·         56% of the shoppers said that price is least important when purchasing lingerie

·         55% said sporting goods, 53% said auto repair and vitamins or supplements,

·         51% thought that price was least important for cosmetics.

·         However, 72% of women said that price is key when purchasing clothing/groceries, 70% said travel, and 69% said house wares/small appliances.

Shoppers relied mostly on friends and family (45%) as trusted sources for shopping and products to avoid buyer’s remorse, while the least trusted sources of shopping advice were sales people (39%), and advertising (31%).

One in five women say they’ve either had an affair with their manager or have thought about it. That’s the word from a recent Lifetime Women’s Pulse Poll on the state of the workplace. 5% admit they have crossed that line and slept with the boss, while 12% have just thought about it.

When men look at pornography, what effect does that have on the women who love them? Well, 47% of women and 33% of men believe porn harms relationships. Even so, a recent online Harris Poll finds that when it comes to the dirty little secret of pornography, we’re not sure what should be done about it. Women are generally much more critical of pornography than men. As a result, a small majority of women, but not of men, favors government regulation of pornography on the Internet. About half of all adults believe that pornography raises men’s expectation of how women should look and that it changes men’s expectations of how women should behave.

Most women would give up sex for a new wardrobe. That’s the word from a survey of 1000 women in ten U.S. cities by Unilever. Women on average say they would be willing to give up sex for 15 months for a closet full of new apparel. Two% said they would become celibate for three years in exchange for all those new clothes. Want more?

·         61% said it would be worse to lose their favorite article of clothing than give up sex for a month.

·         The average woman between 18-54 has kept her favorite article of clothing for 12.5 years, which is one year longer than she has stayed in her longest love relationship.

·         70% said they believed in love at first sight — that is, when it comes to finding the perfect article of clothing. This compares to 54% who say they are that confident in spotting Mr. Right at first sight.

·         48% said their favorite article of clothing was more reliable than their man when it comes to giving them confidence and making them feel sexy.

If your lover is sending e-mails or instant messages late at night and revealing intimate details about love, life and work, chances are he or she is betraying you. That’s the word from psychologists at Scotland’s Glamorgan University. They discovered that the top indicator of a virtual affair is sending those type of messages late at night.

When it comes to their hair, more than two-thirds of women prefer it to be straight rather than curly reports Britain’s Daily Mail of a poll of 2,500 women. The recent poll also found that the hair color most women prefer is brunette (43%) followed by blonde (33%) and red (12%). And get this, the average woman plunks down almost $70,000 in her lifetime on hair products, styling and coloring, as well as just under two years of her life washing, styling, cutting, coloring, crimping and straightening her hair at home and in salons. In a single day, the typical woman spends about 40 minutes on her hair.

 

PHONE TOPICS

·         What’s the first web site you visit every morning?

·         What’s the word you’re using too much these days? (amazing?)

·         What is the best breed of dog?

·         Ever find something you had lost for a long time?

·         Doing the Facebook thing? Which long-lost friend have you reconnected with?

·         Ever taken part in a protest?

·         If you were going to do a commercial for a product, which one?

·         Ever Googled your name? Find anything interesting?

·         What local TV star would you like to see naked? Who would you definitely not want to see naked?

·         Who is the most trustworthy person on TV?

·         What’s the worst lie you’ve ever told a member of the opposite sex?

·         What’s the one song you never get sick of?

·         Are you marrying the wrong person?

·         What’s the strangest gift you ever got?

·         Do you have one-way conversations with any inanimate objects?

·         If you could be talented in only one area, what area would it be?

·         If your love life was a candy bar, which one would it be?

·         What do you do with all those digital pictures you take?

Anyone marry the same person more than once? Twice? Three times? How about Five? One couple got married five times in a year. Romantic Simonne and Ryan Feeney have celebrated their fifth marriage to each other in less than a year. They first tied the knot in March at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. Since then, Mr. Feeney, 36, and his 31-year-old bride have wed in Turkey, Britain, the US and finally in Australia.

 

What’s the strangest name for a child you’ve ever heard of? Would you ever consider naming your kid a letter of the alphabet? Which one would you choose? Parents of a boy in northwestern Sweden have been told they cannot name their son Q, following a ruling by the administrative court of appeal. The appeals court didn’t buy the parents’ argument that everyone calls their child “Q” already, finding that Q is a letter of the alphabet which is not typically used as a first name.

 

One of our local TV weather guys stopped by and we got into the topic of how often for that kind of career, (storm chasing tornados and being that interested in the weather), something significant often has happened early in life that caused a desire to pursue that line of work. Great calls!

 

My co-host found an ATM card in the machine this past weekend. He was forced to make a decision on what he should do. He did the right thing and actually returned the card and also went that extra step of looking the person up in the phonebook. What would you do if you found an ATM card? Have you ever been in this similar situation where you found something that could be worth a lot of money? Do you do the right thing and return it or enjoy the blessing. Some listeners thought “Finders keepers, losers weepers.”

 

What gimmicks have you done to sell your home? Listeners were calling in with the craziest ways they have sold their home. Some people will do anything.

 

Ever wonder what ex-Presidents are costing us every year? (from KHQ.com) Today taxpayers are supporting our former presidents to the tune of more than $2.9 million. Their yearly salary pension is $191,000. Aside from that, each gets a staff; that staff costs you, the taxpayer, $96,000 per president. Among the amenities we pay for is rent for their office space – President Clinton’s rent in Harlem is $516,000 a year, while the first President Bush spends $69,000 a year on “equipment” and want all the details?

·         We are paying for President Bush’s (Bush 41) subscription to the Wall Street Journal which costs $242 a year.

·         Bush 41 also spends money on office furniture at Brookstone. His total for supplies in just January of 2006 alone was $7,538.

·         Former President Bill Clinton seems to spend the most across the board. His phone bill from the records KHQ received from 2006 cost taxpayers $104,000.

·         We also pay for the satellite TV in his office, complete with eight separate receivers and all the movie channels that come with the “entertainment package”. Your cost? $1,800 per year.

Is it okay to punish someone else’s kid? What do you do when your children’s friends come over to play and they misbehave? Would you be mad if someone else tried to punish your kid?

 

Now if you spank your kids you can be turned in to Social Services. Do you still spank or when is the last time you saw a child get spanked in public?

 

Have you ever tried to adopt a pet? My co-host tried to this week, and it turned out to be a big pain. He finally got a dog, but he had to go through two different agencies to get it. It seems that it could be easier to adopt a child. Have you ever done this? Have any horror stories?

 

The other day a friend of mine was talking about how disgusted she is by the clothing companies. She had been shopping and noticed thong underwear for 10 year old girls. So I brought it up on air and all of the callers agreed. However, someone must be buying this stuff or it wouldn’t be out there. The funny thing is that all the ladies said thongs aren’t sexy like guys think they are. They’re practical…just a very uncomfortable way to avoid panty lines. As one caller put it, little girls shouldn’t be rushed into walking around with wedgies.

 

When do you brush your teeth in the morning? I got relentless grief one morning when I got toothpaste on my shirt and my co-workers acted shocked that I brushed after I got dressed. Are there rules?

 

Line up a phone full of women who are married or dating regularly. Don’t tell ‘em what you’re going to ask until they’re on the air. Then, ask this: “What’s the last romantic thing your significant other did for you?” Even better, what’s the last thing that your significant other did for you that he thought was romantic, but wasn’t?

 

There are lots of phoners that you can do now that the Oscar nominations are out. Are you going to watch this year’s awards? Do you agree with the nominees? Here are some other cool phoners:

 

What’s the biggest surprise?

·         “The Reader” for best picture

·         Robert Downey Jr.’s nod

·         Michael Shannon’s nod

·         Winslet’s best actress nod for “Reader”

What was the biggest snub?

·         No nod for Leo DiCaprio

·         “Dark Knight” not nominated for picture or director

·         No Clint Eastwood love

·         Only 1 nod for Kate Winslet

It’s been about a year since the passing of actor Heath Ledger. What would the most fitting tribute to Heath Ledger be, a year after his death? An Oscar win? A special tribute at the Oscars? A biopic documenting his life? And, should Heath win, who should accept his award? Michelle and Matilda? “Dark Knight” director Chris Nolan, Batman’s Christian Bale, or his parents?

 

We weren’t sure how many people would want to confess these stories; but we wanted to find out about family quarrels over the dreaded will. We were overrun with them. We were afraid they would all be serious, but we had some funny tales, like the lady whose family fought over a cookie jar. I guess it’s always funny when it’s not your family, eh?

 

Juicy things you’ve overheard? This one made us nervous about using our cell phone. Those things are NOT private. One lady even had a message on her phone between a mother and daughter. The mother worked at a funeral home and the daughter had driven off in a call with a body in the back. Both were freaking out.

 

We brought up the topic of talking in your sleep, but all the calls seemed to include walking in your sleep, too. One woman found her husband in the hallway with his arms outstretched, yelling “let my people go.” Talk about your Charlton Heston moments. Another woman described how her young daughter had trouble finding the bathroom and night and she once found her sitting on the open oven door, peeing.

 

How old does a kid need to be before they are allowed to talk on the phone without parental permission? Should parents even monitor their kids on the phone? We got a letter from a parent with a first grader that wants to start talking to her friends, but the parents say no.

 

WEIRD NEWS

 

Dog Gone It!
The search for a lost dog turned into also losing a car for a man in Port Huron Township, Michigan. The unidentified man apparently drove his ’94 Buick onto the frozen Black River in St. Clair County and got out to look for the dog. Unfortunately he locked himself out of the idling vehicle, then watched in horror as heat from the Buick’s exhaust pipe melted the ice beneath it. Ultimately the ice broke and the car submerged. Even worse — the car was a loaner as the guy’s own vehicle was being repaired at a body shop. (myway.com)

 

Wrong Place To Hide
In Phoenix, a man who ran away from a traffic stop chose the wrong place to hide. He ducked underneath a parked moving van– and then was run over when the driver pulled away. The Arizona Department of Public Safety said an officer stopped a 26-year-old man in west Phoenix after he ran a red light. The man gave the officer his license, then ran away and disappeared behind a convenience store. Fortunately for our friend, he wasn’t killed but did complain of severe back pain. So why’d he run? Turns out he had a suspended driver license and outstanding warrants for DUI and leaving an accident scene. (myway.com)

 

Interesting Way To Win the Lottery
For one hockey fan, it’s a game he’ll never forget. Even though the Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Minnesota Wild on Monday, one Blackhawk fan considers it the best game ever. Right wing Martin Havlat scored Chicago’s lone goal exactly at the 10:00 mark of the second period. Thanks to a special contest from the Illinois State Lottery, doing exactly that means one random audience member wins $1 million bucks! The winner happened to be sitting in the lucky seat that was selected at random during the first period. The lucky fan’s name hasn’t been released. (myway.com)

 

iPod Fare?
20-year-old Natalie Lenhart of Sacramento was visiting New York when she took a cab to the airport for her flight home. Unfortunately, when she went to pay the driver, her credit card was declined. So the cab driver called 911 and the Port Authority police arrived. Natalie says she was told she had to give the driver some kind of compensation and suggested her iPod. She did — but said later she felt she was forced to do so. A spokeswoman for the Port Authority said the incident was being investigated by the internal affairs office. (New York Post)

 

Stabbing at My Bloody Valentine 3D!
In Nassau, Bahamas, a showing of the gory slasher movie “My Bloody Valentine 3D” turned into a case of life imitating art when a security guard stabbed a 16-year-old moviegoer in the stomach! The movie, which tells the tale of a vengeful, pickax-toting man in a miner’s mask, had ended and the security guard was ushering patrons out of the theater. The teenaged boy refused to leave the theater, saying he wanted to wait inside until his ride showed up. An argument ensued which led to a shoving match until the guard, 24-year-old Ricardo Singh, removed a folding knife from his jacket pocket and stabbed the victim in the upper stomach area. The teen was taken to the hospital where he received six stitches. Singh was arrested and charged with second-degree assault. And we suspect his security guard days are over. (Newsday)

 

The Upside To Bad Oral Hygiene!
In Winchester, Indiana, 57-year-old Penny L. Huston is facing felony charges over allegations she bit her infant granddaughter’s shoulder. Penny blamed the family dog for the bite and says there’s no way she could have done it — because she doesn’t have enough teeth! However, a Winchester police officer who examined and photographed Huston’s mouth reported the gaps caused by several missing teeth “could very possibly” match up with the child’s bite wound. The baby’s mother said the grandmother gave her conflicting explanations for the wound, at various times confessing to the attack, blaming the teeth marks on a family dog and suggesting the child had bitten herself. While all this gets sorted out, Grandma Penny sits in jail. The Class C felony carries a standard four-year prison term if she’s convicted. (Star Press)

 

Don’t Let Kid’s Play With Cell Phones
Never a good idea to let your baby play with your cell phone. You might end up in jail! In White Rock, British Columbia a 29-year old Canadian man was arrested by police after his 11-month old son accidentally pressed 911 on a mobile phone he gave his baby to play with. After the 911 operator failed to talk to the caller police were sent to the location where the call originated. The officers then made a routine inspection of the house and were surprised to discover 500 marijuana plants inside. The dad was immediately arrested and the baby was turned over to his mother who had a different residence and was unaware of her ex-husband’s unusual gardening habits. (AHN News)

 

World’s Largest Pavement Art!
More than 2,000 children worked side by side in Romania to create the world’s biggest piece of pavement art! The youngsters drew a 7,000-yard-long train using 10,000 boxes of chalk. The drawing started as a school game but gradually grew as teachers and other pupils started to join in. They’re waiting for final confirmation from the fine folks at the Guinness Book of World Records. Said one teacher, “We didn’t mean to break a record. We just kept going until we ran out of pavement. Thank goodness it didn’t rain!” (Ananova)

 

SPY THE LIE

 

My Bloody Valentine 3D is in theaters… all of the following are real movies with the word Valentine in the title except for one: Spy the lie!

·         The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (1967)

·         Shirley Valentine (1989)

·         The Caveman’s Valentine (2001)

·         Won’t you be my Valentine ***

·         The Sinful Nuns of St. Valentine (1974)

All of the following are terms used in the sport of Cricket except for one: Spy the lie!

·         Country (another way of saying outfield)

·         Nummer ***

·         Duck (zero individual score)

·         Googly (pitch thrown with reverse spin)

·         Seamer (pitch thrown with the seams straight)

All of the following are true bits of trivia about our new president except for one: Spy the lie!

·         He was known as “O’Bomber” at high school for his skill at basketball

·         His favorite meal is wife Michelle’s shrimp linguini

·         As a young child, he once swallowed a Tinker Toy ***

·         He has read every Harry Potter book

THE GUY PRIZE

 

This is great. If you have a great prize, a guy prize, give it away by making guys dress in lingerie, like Britney Spears, or whatever. First guy to e-mail picture wins. We actually made a guy go to Wal-Mart and try on lingerie to win tickets. Very funny when he locked himself out of changing room with stuff on and had to go search the store for help.

 

TOP FIVE LIST OF WEEKEND PROJECTS, SINCE THERE’S NO FOOTBALL

1.      Sit. Stare. Wait. Need football.

2.      Put water in lawn mower gas tank

3.      Go out to garage and nap, while playing “Working in Garage” Sound Effects CD

4.      Try the Cricket channel and see if I can get into it

5.      Be cryogenically frozen until the Superbowl pre-game show begins

HUNTER’S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

 

Former French president Jacques Chirac had to be rushed to the hospital after being mauled by his own “clinically depressed” white Maltese dog. How do you get mauled by a Maltese?

 

Caroline Kennedy announced she was no longer interested in Hillary Clinton’s seat. Oh, wait… no, that was Bill Clinton.

 

President Bush is said to have left a note on the desk for the new president, Barack Obama. Obama didn’t reveal the content of the note, other than to say it was some of the best writing he’d even seen using a crayon.

 

I watched the season premiere of “Lost”. It was my first time watching the show. I can see why they call it that.

 

WHAT WOMEN WANT IN THEIR MEN

 

From a Cargo magazine survey of 866 women asking for their opinions of men’s fashion and hygiene:

What is the sexiest outfit a man can wear?

·         58% – jeans and t-shirt

·         19% – pants and a hip shirt

·         17% – suit and tie

What kind of underwear should a man wear?

·         48% – boxer briefs

·         46% – briefs

·         2% – none

What should men do with their chest hair?

·         40% – trim it

·         28% – keep it hairy

·         22% – get rid of all of it

What should men do with their back hair?

·         55% – remove any that sticks out of a shirt

·         35% – get rid of all of it

What should men do with facial hair?

·         42% – shave regularly

·         31% – maintain a five o’clock shadow

What should men do with pubic hair?

·         63% – trim it

·         22% – leave it alone

Other interesting results?

·         77% say too many men use too much cologne

·         58% say men shouldn’t wear sandals

·         56% say men should wear traditional swim trunks at the beach

·         3% say men should wear bikini suits at the beach

SALES SLEAZE SURVIVOR

 

Put all of your sales people in the conference room with one of the people on your show. Each half hour they all get together and vote one of their own out until just one is left. He or she gets to do a free spot for a different client live everyday the week after. They can talk about any client or all of them for 60 seconds each day.

 

FAX IDOL

 

Office personnel fax in to the station their particular “talent” on office letterhead. Morning team selects participants every morning and calls that person at the office so they can do their talent on the air. Winners receive a catered lunch for office, etc.

 

WHAT DOES YOUR PET’S NAME REVEAL ABOUT YOU?

 

(Sun) Did you know that the name you chose for your pet is a reflection of your personality? Experts say it reveals a treasure trove of information about both you and your relationship with your furry or feathered friend. Choose the category that fits you and your pet, and see learn more about the real you:

·         Human name — You’re a warm, nurturing person who considers your pet a member of the family. Just like with your other loved ones, you’re attentive to his or her needs, and you lavish your pet with affection.

·         Name to match appearance — You’re an easy going person with a practical outlook. So it figures you’d find a name like Shaggy or Spot that reflects your pet’s looks and personality. After all, he or she is as individual as anyone else in your circle of family and friends.

·         Famous name — You’re a self assured type who loves flaunting your knowledge of pop culture, including naming your animal after a famous person. Your confident air also attracts people with the same flair.

·         Old fashioned name — Although your pal’s moniker may be Fido, you can’t deny that you have a terrific imagination. In fact, using a name that’s no longer popular emphasizes your creative side along with your infectious sense of humor.

·         Unique name — You’re an extrovert who loves to be the center of attention and giving your pet an offbeat name is a sure way to gain the spotlight. People are so intrigued, you find yourself in spontaneous conversations wherever you go.

PET OF THE WEEK

 

We have been very successful with our “Pet of the Week” feature. Adoption rates at the local shelters is up, and people are calling after each segment to find out about the pet we just presented. It’s a good feeling knowing that some of the pets we feature will find happy homes, instead of the inside of the gas chamber. We post the animals picture on the web site, and it’s created an upsurge in the number of hits we receive each week.

 

LOUSY MORNING LOOK CONTEST

 

Listeners send in photos of what they look like in the mornings. Post the pics on your web site and have listeners vote. People who look the worst win prizes, like make-up hair dryers haircuts, etc.

 

OFFICE NUTS

·         The Brown Noser — Laughs at all the boss’ jokes.

·         The Hall Monitor — Always in the hall watching for who’s doing what where.

·         Stinky Steve — Hygiene is not his middle name.

·         Bathroom Hog — The door is closed again.

·         Copy Cat — She’s always at the copy machine. She loves collating.

·         The Chronic Whiner — Complains and moans constantly. Won’t look for another job. Has been there 20 years.

·         Fashion Police — Critical of others apparel (behind their backs).

·         The One Upper — No matter what you tell him, he’s got an even better story.

·         Helpless in Seattle — Can’t do anything. Must be shown again and again.

·         The Perfume Polluter — She comes to work wearing half a bottle of perfume.

·         The Neat Freak — This person wouldn’t have a hair out of place in a tornado and cleans off his desk with ammonia-based spay every day.

·         Sloppy Sam. He’s the opposite of the neat freak. It’s impossible to see his desk under all the clutter.

·         The Coffee Culprit — This creep drinks the last cup of coffee and never makes another pot. (Most sales people meet this description.)

·         Loudmouth Larry — Even if he’s talking on the phone, you can hear him a half block away.

·         The Belcher — He rattles windows with his burps and never says “Excuse Me.”

·         The Gossip — This person knows more about your life than you do and makes sure everyone else does too.

·         The Nutrition Cop — This person peers at your lunch, then grimaces and says: “Don’t you know that stuff will kill you.”

·         The Junk Food Junkie — The opposite of the Nutrition Cop. He sticks a candy bar under your nose and tempts you to eat it.

·         The Temperature Tamperer — This person sneaks up to the thermostat and cranks it up or down, but never asks anyone else if they are comfortable.

GORSEFEATHERS by Patrick Gorse

 

Usher, and his wife Tameka Foster, drove a young fan to tears when they refused to give her an autograph. Foster and Usher claimed they’d taken pictures with fans, and that was enough. Well, there’s a reason their initials are “F.U.”

 

News stands across the U.S.A. report that on Inauguration Day, they sold more papers than they sold all year. In fact, if you add up all the sales from all the news stands in America, it amounted to nearly one hundred newspapers sold.

 

During his Saturday radio address, Barack Obama said that he wanted to use the Internet to help “rebuild America.” Today President Obama added, “If you’ve been watching porn on the Internet, please wash your hands before you begin rebuilding America.”

 

Chief Justice John Roberts re-administered the presidential oath of office to Barack Obama on Wednesday, because Roberts flubbed it on Tuesday. Fox News suggested Tuesday’s oath put Obama’s legitimacy as president in question, and they’re still going to feel that way, because this time Obama swore the oath on his Kenyan birth certificate.

 

Some said the oath Chief Justice John Roberts recited was illegitimate because he got the wording out of order. At first, Roberts was indignant. He said, “I’m out of order? I’M out of order?? You’re out of order! This whole administration is out of order!!!”

 

Right-wing talk radio hosts reported that it was Obama who messed up the oath. Two million witnesses were there in person, millions and millions watched all over the world, and yet they’ve got the cajones to lie about what happened. If right-wing talk radio was around in 1963, they would have reported that Oswald shot Jack Ruby… but only after the New York Times reported the story as Ozzie shooting Harriet.

 

President Obama has dropped the Oval Office dress code requirement for men that suit jackets must be worn at all times. Obama is concerned about image. These days, no one wants to be mistaken for a banker.

 

Hillary Clinton was confirmed as Secretary of State Wednesday, with David Vitter being one of two senators who said “nay.” Usually, Vitter only says “neigh” when he’s paying his whores to ride him like a jockey.

 

Hillary Clinton swore her oath of Secretary of State as former President Bill Clinton held the Bible. There was a problem when the first two Bible’s burst into flames. The third time there was no flames because they used the Book of Mormon.

 

Caroline Kennedy has pulled out of contention for the New York Senate-seat appointment. Kennedy came to the conclusion that the appointment was not in the cards when she realized that New York Gov. David Paterson could only hear her and not see her.

 

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attended a multi-cultural, multi-denominational church service Wednesday morning. It was so uplifting and light-hearted, at one point Jesus and Allah playfully arm-wrestled while Moses refereed.

 

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill also attended that multi-denominational church service with the Obama’s. The President prayed that Americans’ hearts would open up… and Vice President Biden prayed that his wife’s mouth would shut up.

 

Rush Limbaugh is taking a lot of flak for saying he hopes the Obama presidency fails. This could be good news for President Obama, because nothing Rush Limbaugh has wished for has come true since George Bush was re-elected in 2004.

 

Bank of America’s stock has decreased in value by 82 percent in one year. To increase investor confidence in B of A, they’re changing their name to Bank of South America.

 

The Centers for Disease Control says the salmonella crisis involving peanut products does not include peanut butter, just products that use peanut paste. Former President Bush said, “Thank goodness I only eat paste-paste.”

 

President Barack Obama has signed an executive order calling for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility within a year. Democrats say this fulfills Obama’s pledge to hit the ground running… Although Rush Limbaugh calls it hitting the ground running away from fighting terrorists.

 

PLUGAPALOOZA DAY

 

Give listeners with small businesses 30 seconds each to plug themselves.

 

DAY OFF WITH PAY

 

What could be more inviting than a day off with pay? We’re doing just that, tying in with a job seekers web site. Listeners are invited to e-mail or fax and explain why they deserve a “Day Off With Pay.” We choose a new winner each Monday from those who registered on the web site to win $XXX.

 

SNEAKY WAYS TO READ YOUR BOSS

 

(Men’s Health) Marc Salem is a mentalist by trade. That is, he makes a living toiling in minds. We know what you’re thinking: “Cool, I’d love to be able to read thoughts.” Who wouldn’t? Then you’d know what your boss really thinks of you. Then you’d have advance warning that your girlfriend is going to dump you — so you could beat her to the punch. Well, it can be done based on a sound principle of nature: The subconscious always rats out the conscious. By understanding how the brain and body react in certain situations, you can train yourself to decode the nonverbal messages people unwittingly transmit. As Yogi Berra once said, “You can observe a lot just by watching.” Look for…

·         Mismatched gestures — If your boss’s hand motions don’t match what he’s saying, he could be trying to cover something. For example, he says, “I think you’re doing a good job,” but he points at you after he says it.

·         Tone shifts — Most people speak steadily. Pitch changes quickly corrected signal truth-stretching. Same goes for voice cracks or changes in rhythm.

·         Avoidance or overfriendliness — You know your boss… that’s the baseline. If he becomes uncharacteristically aloof or buddy-buddy. You can bet that changes are afoot.

·         False smiles — These are easy to spot: Remember, the insincere smile vanishes quickly; the legitimate one appears and fades slowly.

·         Eye darts — Separate parts of the brain control real memories and fabrications. How his eyes move will clue you in.

TOP FIVE SIGNS THE LIBRARIAN IS A LITTLE OFF HER ROCKER

1.      Hands out exploding book marks

2.      Likes to scream, then shoosh herself

3.      Files the “C” authors between the A’s and B’s

4.      She claims to have a book allergy

5.      Ask her a question and she’ll let you choose the answer in fiction or non-fiction

Blogged with the Flock Browser

01.22.09

 SHOW PREP JANUARY 22, 2009

 

HOLLYWOOD 411 . . .

 

James Taylor wore a hat and sunglasses during his performance at the Lincoln Memorial concert Sunday – not due to the cold and sunshine, but because of an accident. The official story is Sweet Baby James “fell during rehearsal and cut his forehead on a guitar.” The singer was rushed to a hospital where he received 50 stitches. The un-official story is even more bizarre. “It involved a wooden parrot in his hotel room,” a source said. (Page Six)

 

Hollywood star Brad Pitt has said he has no fear of getting old. Brad Pitt has revealed growing old doesn’t scare him. “I’m not so afraid of getting old, I’m more afraid of how I’ll go,” Brad told a Berlin press conference for his new film The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. “Fire and tight spaces don’t appeal. A shark would be interesting.” When asked if the film made him cry, Brad said: “I don’t cry, I’m as hard as nails.” (Handbag)

 

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham warned photographers not to take pictures of her bum at a recent shoot. Victoria Beckham warned Armani photographers against taking pictures of her bottom at a recent underwear shoot sources have told the Daily Express. Posh recently posed in a black polka dot bra and thong and black high heels for her intimate Emporio Armani underwear shoot. “Victoria’s bum is a no-go area. She made it clear to those working on the shoot that her bottom is not to be highlighted,” an insider explained. “She also joked that only husband David and her know what her stomach is really like, with its stretchmarks and loose skin… and she plans to keep it that way! She adores the pics but she is extremely critical of her body and finds fault with everything. She says her stomach has been reworked with make-up and lighting and she is grateful for that. She is also very worried about her posture at the moment and is doing a lot of stretching and realigning to try to look less round-shouldered.” (Handbag)

 

Renee Zellweger, who hasn’t been romantically linked to anyone since she divorced country singer Kenny Chesney, had a date Saturday night with MSNBC legal correspondent Dan Abrams, who has a thing for actresses. The two were spotted at a cozy table for two at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor. Abrams has previously dated Elisabeth Rohm of “Law & Order,” Jaime Murray of “Dexter” and Elle Macpherson, who once had a three-picture deal with Miramax. (Page Six)

 

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson have taken their relationship to the next level – by reportedly setting up a joint bank account. The Mean Girls star has been dating the DJ since last year but the couple has been plagued by rumors they are on the brink of a split for several months. But now Lohan has shown her commitment to the relationship by allegedly ploughing some of her wages into an account for the pair. A source tells Britain’s Daily Express, “Lindsay was reportedly earning GBP122,000 per episode for her stint on Ugly Betty last year and she’s stashed that into a joint bank account to show Sam how much she loves her.” Ronson, who is said to earn as much as $23,460 for a disc-spinning performance, has always been fiercely keen to keep her financial independence – and constantly splashes the cash on her actress girlfriend. The insider adds, “Sam’s very generous to Lindsay. She pays for everything when they go away together and Lindsay wants to show her gratitude by doing this. Sam is completely disinterested in shopping and things, whereas Lindsay loves to spend and always says she wants to be as rich as possible. Having a joint account with Sam is a huge step for her.”  (Teen Hollywood)

 

Even though Akon has a birth certificate, he says his age is still a mystery – and he’d rather keep it that way. “All it’s going to do is depress me,” he told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “I don’t want to know I’m getting older. Then I’ll start to think about getting checkups and insurance. I don’t want that.” Numerous reports have put his age between 25 to 35 years old. In 2006, he gave his age as 25. But now, he claims his birth certificate shows he was born on April 16, 1977, which would make him 31. Some have accused Akon of trying to push back his age. But the singer, who was born in the United States but spent his early life in Senegal, where his family is from, says he never knew it. “In Africa … age is not important over there. They don’t care. People only focus on it here (America) and in Europe.” Akon says when people ask, he just gives him a figure that comes to mind. “I feel like I’m 21 right now,” he says. “And I’ll be 21 for the next 10 years.” Akon went multiplatinum with his 2006 CD “Konvicted,” which included hits such as “Smack That” with Eminem and “Don’t Matter.” His most recent album, “Freedom,” was released in December. (Daily Record)

 

For those of you concerned with the well-being of Jude Law, you’ll be glad to know he’s just fine. Spies had spotted Law around Manhattan sporting a neck brace, and last week he even hit up downtown lounge The Box in his protective collar. At first we thought he might be sore from turning around to check out so many hot women, but Law’s rep assures us it’s not a serious injury: “He tweaked his neck working out and only had a brace on for a few days. He is fine now.” (Page Six)

 

Britney’s not gonna like this. K-Fed and his new girlfriend, Victoria Prince, took Sean Preston and Jayden James out for dinner at a Japanese restaurant in Fresno this weekend — where Prince played the role of interim mom. We gotta give it to her, Victoria looks like she’s pretty good with them. (TMZ)

 

Oh boy, here we go again! The Incredible Expanding-And-Shrinking Woman – also known as Janet Jackson – has once again ballooned to epic proportions and epic fashion disasters. At first glance, we thought it was the Hunchback of Notre Dame, but it’s only Miss Jackson (because we’re nasty!). Janet was spotted leaving London club Mahiki on Tuesday night. We’re not sure how she does it, but we’re pretty sure it can’t be good for her weight to constantly yo-yo. Maybe it’s the vertigo! (Perez Hilton)

 

Nobody saw “Into the Blue” to hear her speak — and the other day in D.C., Jessica Alba once again proved she’s better on mute. At the same event she called Bill O’Reilly an “A-hole,” Alba tried to school a reporter — but ended up looking like an arrogant buffoon. Enjoy her confusing Switzerland with Sweden — and her hubby finally getting her to shut up. (TMZ)

 

Actor Shia Labeouf has been banned from driving for a year, following the Hollywood car crash last July that left him with a crushed wrist. The Indiana Jones actor was cleared of driving under the influence (Dui) by the Los Angeles County District Attorney in September, but has been handed the punishment because he refused to undergo “chemical tests” at the scene of the crash, reports Access Hollywood. His license was suspended on 17 January. LaBeouf was so badly hurt in the collision, shooting on Transformers 2 was interrupted and he still wears a brace on his left hand. (Teen Hollywood)

 

The guy who’s playing the Notorious B.I.G. in that hip-hop biopic is facing a rap of his own — for allegedly assaulting his wife. Court records show Jamal Woolard was arrested and charged back on September 14 with misdemeanor assault, menacing, and harassment after an alleged altercation with his wife, Trina Younger. Woolard is due to appear in court on the charges January 29 — and his mom-in-law, who lives with the couple, says the alleged incident is “impossible.” Before he became the faux-torious Biggie, Woolard was best known for being shot in the butt outside Hot 97 in New York. (TMZ)

 

 

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

 

Popstar Britney Spears has been offered £10m for her autobiography. Britney Spears is on the verge of signing a £10million deal to write her autobiography sources have told The Mirror. “There have been numerous unofficial biographies printed about Britney, but she’s never agreed to pen her own tome – until now,” an insider explained. “And some of the stories she’s got are absolute dynamite. She’s kept diaries so there’s nothing she’ll leave out unless she wants to.” (Handbag)

 

That Marc Anthony sure knows how to end his set. The crooner completed his inaugural performance by bringing “my wife,” Jennifer Lopez, on to the stage with him, for a duet. This thrilled the crowd at the Inauguration’s Western Ball, held in the largest ballroom of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, where the guests also included Angela Bassett and Harold & Kumar and House star Kal Penn, reports The Washington Post. The 10:25 p.m. appearance of Lopez also further put to rest rumors of a marital rift between the couple. Earlier in the evening, Anthony had said, “I wrote this next song about Jennifer. I must have been psychic.” The song was his decade-old “You Sang to Me.” “She didn’t get the point, but eventually it worked,” said Anthony, the Associated Press reports. The couple ended their duet with a kiss. “Man, she’s cute,” Anthony said after Lopez exited the stage. (People)

 

The Lion King, move over. The brand new, 44th President of the United States has inspired a brand new musical. March will bring Obama On My Mind to London – to Islington’s Hen and Chickens Theatre, to be exact, reports Playbill.com. Press materials for the show, whose libretto and “pop, gospel, jazz and soft rock” score are the work of American crime writer and filmmaker Teddy Hayes, describe what’s to come as “a humorous look at the weird and wonderful world behind the scenes of a small Obama campaign office and the larger than life characters who make the wheels turn, the cogs whirr and bring in the votes.” The limited engagement starts March 5 and runs through March 21. No word yet on casting. (People)

 

It’s only fitting that James Earl Jones is about to be honored by the Screen Actors Guild. Jones isn’t just an exemplary actor, or just a versatile, commanding presence on TV, the stage and movie screens for the past half-century. Something else justifies the Life Achievement Award he’ll receive on “The 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards” (simulcast live on TNT and TBS, Sunday at 8 p.m. EST). An actor’s actor, he has long been recognized as the epitome of the acting experience. Chatting recently about an actor’s life, Jones, who turned 78 last week, serves as his own case history. But it’s not all about him. The larger truths of acting are what claim his attention. He radiates wonder at being a part of it. “What fascinates me is that every actor is given a charge, a task,” says Jones, thinking out loud in his rich bass timbre – “no matter what your motive was in taking the role, even if it’s just to pay the bills. “You’re the only person who will be able to present to an audience what that character is all about! You’re the public face of all the other work that’s gone into it. Your job is to create a performance that NO ONE else would have thought of. “And that,” Jones sums up with a boyish grin, “is FUN!” But Jones has done more than have fun all these years. In SAG’s view, he has earned its special kudos for “fostering the finest ideals of the acting profession.” This puts Jones in marked contrast to, say, fellow thespian Jeremy Piven, who is up for SAG awards in two categories for the HBO comedy “Entourage.” Piven, of course, sparked outrage and ridicule for ditching the Broadway revival of “Speed-the-Plow” last month. His excuse for ducking out: mercury poisoning from eating too much sushi. The producers have since filed a grievance against the 43-year-old actor, whose fishy excuse is already part of show-biz lore. Jones has built a different sort of legacy. He was born in rural Mississippi and was infused, early on, with a love of reading (his great-great grandparents had secretly learned to read when they were slaves and indentured servants). He has given voice to Darth Vader and declared authoritatively, “This is CNN,” but as a youth he had a stutter that he conquered by delivering speeches to his English class in high school. After studying drama at the University of Michigan, he came to New York in the early 1950s with an ambitious goal: to be a career actor. And he found work, sometimes piecemeal among the many theaters off Broadway’s beaten path: “I would do the first act of one play and the third act of another play across town.” In 1959, he hooked up with the New York Shakespeare Festival, where he culminated in 1963 as the lead in “Othello.” Besides continuing his stage performances, he has appeared in television plays and starred in series, made films, done commercials and voice work. He savors the great roles, but seems to find pleasure in whatever job he lands. “To be a film actor alone, or a stage actor alone, is to be an actor who walks with one leg,” he contends, “while to be both is to be a two-legged actor. I like to be a centipede.” This has led to a distinguished if crazy-quilt roster of credits: “The Hunt for Red October,” “The Lion King,” “Dr. Kildare,” “King Lear,” a guest shot on “Two and a Half Men.” “Very little of my life and career was chosen,” says Jones. “It happened.” But his 1968 Broadway triumph didn’t just happen. He trained and fought to portray the tragic boxing champ Jack Johnson in “The Great White Hope” (then starred in the 1970 film version). And this career milestone fulfilled Jones’ dream: to be an actor unencumbered by some other line of work to help make ends meet. “Before ‘The Great White Hope,’ I did consider some vocational guidance,” he recalls. “I took some tests to see what else I might be good at.” What alternative skill did the testing bring to light? “Architecture,” he reports. “They said I had aptitude as an architect. So I enrolled at Pratt and at Parsons. I got accepted at Parsons.” He never got around to taking those classes. As recently as last season, Jones was starring in a Broadway revival of “Cat on a Hat Tin Roof” alongside Phylicia Rashad and Terrence Howard. “A WHOLE lot of fun,” chuckles Jones. “Every-night fun!” And after Sunday and the warm acceptance speech he has in mind, he’ll be as game as ever for more of that fun. “I consider myself a novice, really,” says Jones, who continues to embody the best self of an actor. “I really love doing it. That means I’m ready to learn more.”  (Daily Record)

 

On their first night in the White House, Malia and Sasha Obama quickly learned the perks of being first daughters.  While their parents were making their rounds at the inaugural balls, the girls entertained new pals from the Sidwell Friends school – and had a surprise visit from the Jonas Brothers, according to ABC News.  Before the pop star pop-in, the group watched Bolt and High School Musical 3, then participated in a White House scavenger hunt.  The hunt was designed to help Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, get familiar with the White House, and what they discovered at the end was certainly all-American: Kevin, Joe, and Nick hiding behind a door.  It wasn’t the first time the Obamas had met the trio. On Monday night, the brothers performed for the girls and their mother (and 14,000 fans) at the Kids Inaugural concert. (People)

 

Leonardo DiCaprio rolled into town with his best friend, Tobey Maguire, Maguire’s wife, Jen Meyer, and their baby daughter, Ruby. They all headed to the Neighborhood Ball at the Convention Center, where Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige and Alicia Keys played for the packed crowd. Outside, late arrivals – including Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony – had issues getting in when the will-call booth shut down after President Obama arrived at 8 p.m. Lopez and Anthony had to make their way through screaming and furious crowds of people who were denied entry because “it’s on lockdown. The president is here,” according to a security guard. (Page Six)

 

The cookbook writer whose life was saved by “Top Chef” judge and restaurateur Tom Colicchio has told her story for the first time to The Post’s Don Kaplan. Colicchio used the Heim lich maneuver on Joan Nathan after she choked at a charity benefit at her home in DC. The culprit was a Persian chicken kebob prepared by Iranian cuisine master Najmieh Bat manglij. “I don’t usually take such big bites,” Nathan tells Kaplan. “It was the first thing I had eaten and it was so delicious, I guess I just schlurped it down – that’s just never happened to me before.” Nathan recalls: “I started thinking, ‘Oh, my God.’ I couldn’t talk, I sort of leaned over and heard people asking if I could talk, and then all of a sudden he [Colicchio] got to me and the chicken shot out.” Colicchio modestly said of his heroics, “I just happened to be nearby.” (Page Six)

 

Style icon Sarah Jessica Parker tells Usmagazine.com she loved the one-shouldered full-length white Jason Wu gown Michelle Obama wore to the 10 balls Tuesday evening. “She’s perfection,” Parker tells Us. “I am a great admirer of her support of American designers. I think she will be great for the business of American fashion and fashion designers “But she will do extraordinary work for Americans in general,” Parker goes on. “They are exceptional people and just happen to both be beautiful. What a wonderful combination.” Us consulted other designers for their take on the First Lady’s fashion choice: “Michelle looked incredibly chic. The gown made her look gorgeous. The dress was very Hollywood. You could see Cameron Diaz or Kate Winslet in that gown. It was very Jackie O. It took her to a new level. She is a fashion icon.”–Stylist Philip Bloch “Michelle’s dress was an unexpected modern change for her, which appropriately mirrors the message which won Barrack this presidency!” –Stylist Marni Senofonte (Mary J. Blige, Cassie, Diddy)  “I think she looked radiant! The color choice was perfect and not too aggressive. The silhouette of the dress was very complimenting and effortless. Overall, she was glowing and looked very confidant and comfortable.” –Stylist Mariel Haenn (Rihanna) “Loved that she wore Jason Wu! I think there is something wonderful about the fact that she chose to showcase under-the-radar talent. Love that she wore white – so classic, timeless, and elegant. MUCH better than a bright red or royal blue. Love that she showed off her fantastic arms. Just worried that the VERY full skirt will make it hard for her to dance at ALL 10 balls!” –What Not to Wear‘s Stacy London “Michelle Obama’s gown was fairytale and dreamlike. It was a lovely nod to the history and traditions of former first ladies but given a more modern spin. What I loved is the accuracy of her choice of designers and catapulting a lesser known designer into an overnight star.” –Stylist Robert Verdi (Eva Longoria Parker) “Michelle Obama looked absolutely amazing in Jason Wu. She has already proven herself over the past months at striking the perfect mix of fashion and appropriateness; this gown took it to another level. “I am so glad to see Mrs. Obama supporting young American designers; this will be a big boost to the U.S. fashion industry, as the eyes of the world will be focused on her choices. “I have met Jason Wu on several occasions, and he is an incredibly sophisticated and talented young designer. I am so happy to see his work featured on such an esteemed level.” –Stylist Lee Harris “The one-shouldered dress was a confident and bold choice for the First Lady. The cream dress was a mix of old Hollywood glamour with a youthful ease that people of all ages could connect to. Choosing a young fresh designer signifies the change they want to bring to this country. It was perfectly elegant.” –Stylist Tom Soluri (Leighton Meester) “Wearing white chiffon was a daring choice, but Michelle Obama pulled it off! When she was dancing with the president, they looked like a dream — and then you remembered it was really a dream come true!” –Stylist Vincent Boucher (Blake Lively) “I LOVE that she’s instantly made sweet and talented designer Jason Wu a household name.” –Stylist George Kostiopoulis (Freida Pinto) “Michelle Obama’s stunning inaugural dress was reminiscent of the class and elegance Jackie Kennedy displayed while she was First Lady. It gives me hope that style and grace will be front and center in Washington over the next four years.” –Stylist Casey Ashby (Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus) (US Weekly)

 

According to Larry King, it’s a Black president now… and “a lesbian” later. Ryan Seacrest called Larry King yesterday to get his opinion on crowning a Black president, when King blurted out: “In 10 years we’ll have a what, a lesbian.” A lesbian president in 10 years? Maybe 8… (TMZ)

 

Ewan McGregor – who was well-received at the Sundance Film Festival as Jim Carrey‘s gay boyfriend in “I Love You Phillip Morris” – doesn’t love his publicist, Stephen Huvane. Defamer.com reports that after McGregor left the screening after-party, he fired Huvane, who toils at the giant PMK-HBH flackery. Huvane didn’t return our calls or e-mails. (Page Six)

 

Did Paris Hilton really take 30 bags of free stuff from a swag suite at Sundance? Does anyone say no at Sundance!? People do say no. In fact, during a recent sweep through the peppy-sounding Island Def Jam House of Hype, Zooey Deschanel refused all handouts. “She thinks it takes away from the festival,” says Eileen Colavita, whose company, Spin Shoppe Canvas Media Group, organized the house.  Yes, there was plenty of swag to be had, including a whole bunch of Nivea products, real live adoptable pets via Best Friends, and tasty treats courtesy of the Philadelphia film community. Christie Brinkley, for one, came through and took a lot of stuff. But not so Michael Cera, Colavita tells me. “He really came through to say hi to his friends. He played the Wii a little bit and took nothing.” Lastly: About Paris…According to Reuters, she did indeed take all those bags.  (Eonline)

 

Walk the Line” star Joaquin Phoenix isn’t off to a great start with his new career. The actor-turned-rapper threw a fit before performing at Lavo in Las Vegas Friday night. “He was waiting for Casey Affleck” – who’s directing a documentary about Phoenix’s venture – “and when the film crew arrived late, Joaquin flipped out,” said our insider. The spy said Phoenix yelled at the crew, “Thanks for being late and [bleep]ing everything up.” He then threw a CD on the floor and stormed out. “He came back five minutes later and did the sound check,” said the source, who added, “Nobody can tell if he is for real or if this is all a big joke.” (page Six)

 

Police in the Bahamas are investigating an alleged attempt to extort money from John Travolta. Details of the plot have not been released but a local newspaper reports that two people have been arrested, one of which is thought to be a politician. Lawyers for the star confirmed that an extortion attempt had been made on the actor and his family and that it concerned the recent death of Travolta’s 16-year-old son Jett. “Regrettably, in a time of such terrible grief, there are often a few individuals who attempt to make false claims in hopes of making millions of dollars. We will never let that happen,” the lawyers said in a statement to the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union. (British Glamour)

 

While Wesley Snipes braces for his three-year jail sentence for tax evasion, he’s loading up on tax-free swag. Snipes was at Kari Feinstein‘s Style Lounge at the Sundance Film Festival the other day scooping up “Reebok NFL gear, boots for his whole family, a Bang & Olufsen headset and a year’s subscription to Netflix,” according to our spy. “He passed on a number of free goodies, but he didn’t ask the value of any thing he left with.” The previous night, Snipes was spotted at Greenhouse for the “Brooklyn’s Finest” after-party, where we’re told “he showed no sign that his pending jail time bothered him.” (Page Six)

 

Matt Dillon has pleaded not guilty to a Dec. 30 speeding charge in which police say they spotted the actor doing 106 miles per hour on an interstate highway in Vermont. Lawyer Mark Kaplan, who entered the plea for Dillon, said he hoped the case could be resolved without a trial. The 44-year-old actor didn’t appear in court Wednesday. Court documents say Dillon was cooperative and apologetic after being stopped by police in Newbury. He was charged with careless and negligent operation for driving more than 30 miles per hour above the 65-mph speed limit posted on Interstate 91. If convicted, he could get up to a year in jail and be fined $1,000. Dillon’s screen credits include “Crash” and “There’s Something About Mary.” (Daily Record)

 

Mitch Winehouse has criticized his daughter Amy’s recent holiday romance. Mitch Winehouse has said he was angry to see pictures of his daughter Amy enjoying a holiday fling with actor Josh Bowman while her husband Blake is locked up in prison. “I had to call Amy before she heard about it [Blake issuing divorce proceedings] from someone else. She asked me, ‘Daddy, why does he want to divorce me?’ I said, ‘You know I don’t like him, but I have to admit that your behavior with another man is not what marriage is all about,’” Mitch explains in new documentary Saving Amy before saying that his daughter ignored his pleas saying, “While he’s locked away, I’m still going to have a good time. He can’t do anything about it.” (Handbag)

 

 

MUSIC . . .

 

50 Cent has credited Jam Master Jay with his successful career, insisting it was the late hip-hop DJ who showed him how to make music. The In Da Club hitmaker is currently promoting his documentary The Life And Death Of Jam Master Jay, about the Run Dmc star, which is one of the first projects produced by his new production company Cheetah Vision. And the star – real name Curtis Jackson – maintains he wouldn’t have been able to launch the new film venture if Jam Master Jay, who was shot to death in 2002, hadn’t taught him his trade. 50 Cent initially struggled to land a record deal because album labels were intimidated by his past as a drug dealer – but Jay, real name Jason William Mizell, signed him to his own label and taught him to “count bars, write choruses (and about) song structure”. He tells the New York Daily News, “Jay was a mentor. He’s the first person I went into the studio with (having) the intention of producing a song for an album, which was never released because Jay’s touring schedule was so hectic he wasn’t able to focus on it. “After Jay, I went to Columbia Records, but that didn’t work… Columbia Records was too scared to even talk to me. (Teen Hollywood)

 

John Farnham clocked up so many sold-out shows at the Rod Laver Arena they named a room after him backstage. But they may have to rename the whole place for the apparently unstoppable phenomenon that is American pop star Pink. Pink will today announce a record 12th show at the venue for Tuesday, July 14. She will now play to more than 150,000 Melburnians and more than 430,000 Australians on her Funhouse tour. The shows are named after her recently released blockbuster-selling album. Her first show on the local leg of the Funhouse tour is May 22, and she does not finish her Australian commitments until August 11, almost three months later. The success of the tour, which now boasts an incredible 43 show dates, flies in the face of the talk of economic downturns and the depreciating Australian dollar. The feisty star has delivered huge album and concert ticket sales thanks to her highly appealing mix of rock and pop. Her last tour of Australia, in 2007, sold a then unthinkably huge 300,000 tickets. The Funhouse album is at No.2 on the ARIA charts and sold an impressive 10,118 copies last week. Since its release in October, it has racked up 454,778 sales. It was the second-biggest selling album of the year, behind Kings of Leon. Her single, Sober, was the most played song on Australian commercial radio last week, receiving 146 spins on Nova’s national network. Australia is by far Pink’s biggest market. Tellingly, she is yet to announce US tour dates, where her album has not reached 1 million copies sold. In November 2003, Farnham performed nine shows at Rod Laver Arena, announcing a further three shows, which were held the following June. Pink is edging closer to a venue record in Sydney and has smashed her own ticket sales record in Brisbane. (The Age)

 

Cassidy Podell – better known as DJ Cassidy – can add Barack Obama to his roster of high-profile clients. The well-known DJ, who also handled Beyoncé and Jay Z’s top-secret nuptials, was tapped for yet another ultra-confidential feat: to come up with a play list for Tuesday’s Mid-Atlantic Ball, to mark the inauguration of the 44th President. Cassidy, 27, was recommended to the Obamas by none other than Oprah Winfrey, who hired him to DJ the opening of her girls’ school in South Africa. In addition to spinning a selection of tunes to get the ball rolling, Cassidy also provided a CD to be played at each of the nine other official balls. Below are some of the songs he played for the big event, as well as his explanations to PEOPLE of why he picked each tune. • “Signed Sealed Delivered I’m Yours,” Stevie Wonder The song that played throughout Obama’s campaign will surely get the party started. • “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now,” McFadden & Whitehead The title says it all. • “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell There was simply no mountain high enough to keep change from coming. • “I’m Coming Out,” Diana Ross The ideal introduction for a new leader and a new day. • “Wanna Be Startin’ Something,” Michael Jackson The perfect song for a new beginning. • “Love Train,” The O’Jays We are one! “People all over the world, join hands!” • “Pride (In The Name Of Love),” U2  A song written about Martin Luther King, Jr., couldn’t be more fitting. • “We Are Family,” Sister Sledge The classic dance-floor anthem for coming together. • “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher,” Jackie Wilson A true song of hope. (People)

 

Sheryl Crow is the hardest-working woman in Washington. She played three different private parties before getting ready for the MTV gala at the Hilton. But before she left for that, she had an awkward run-in with her ex, Kid Rock, in the lobby of Donovan House. The two dated for several years before he dumped her for Pamela Anderson in 2007. At the time, Crow was devastated – but she kept her cool yesterday. Crow “calmly reintroduced him to her parents and then walked away,” our spy said. (Page Six)

 

Duffy and Coldplay have four Brit Award nominations each, including Best Album and Best Single. Adele, Elbow, Girls Aloud, Estelle and Ting Tings also appeared on the list, which Fearne Cotton announced yesterday at a launch party in Camden. It was also revealed that U2, Kings Of Leon, Duffy, Girls Aloud, Coldplay and Take That, who won Best Live Act last year, will perform at the event, due to take place on 18 February. The Best British Single is decided by a public vote on the night, while the remained eight Brits are voted for by 1,000 music industry insiders and critics. (British Glamour)

 

Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” (Big Machine) begins a seventh week at No. 1 on The Billboard 200, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since Usher’s “Confessions” spent nine at the top in 2004. “Fearless” sold 63,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, an 11% decline from the week prior. Beyonce’s “I Am … Sasha Fierce” (Music World/Columbia) climbs 4-2 with 49,000, about 150 copies less than last week. Nickelback’s Roadrunner album “Dark Horse” moves 46,000 (-12%), slipping 2-3. This week’s top debut is the Bad Boy soundtrack to “Notorious,” the Notorious B.I.G. biopic, which bows at No. 4 with 43,000. It’s the fifth soundtrack to debut in the top five of the chart over the past year. The soundtrack includes some of the rapper’s best-known work, plus B.I.G.’s first demo tape, two new tracks from Jay-Z, songs from Santogold, Jadakiss, Faith Evans and a “One More Chance” remix featuring B.I.G.’s son, CJ Wallace. On a 22% decrease to 40,000, Kanye West’s “808s and Heartbreak” (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam) descends 3-5. The Chop Shop/Atlantic soundtrack to “Twilight” takes a 16% hit to 36,000 and slides 5-6. Falling 6-7 is Britney Spears’ “Circus” (Jive) with 34,000 (-16%), and Jamie Foxx’s “Intuition” stays put at No. 8 with only a few dozen fewer copies sold (-7%). Keyshia Cole’s Geffen album “A Different Me” slips 7-9 with 31,000 (-15%). Meanwhile, David Cook’s 19 Recordings/RCA self-titled debut experiences a 58% sales surge to 31,000, bumping it up 18-10. Reigning “American Idol” champ Cook’s “A Daily Anthem” was featured in “Idol” debut week programming last week. The Interscope soundtrack to “Slumdog Millionaire” vaults 55-16 with 20,000 (116%) after the parent film won four Golden Globes on Jan. 11, including best original score for composer A.R. Rahman. Three other albums debut inside of the top 50 of The Billboard 200 this week. Just in time for the storied label’s 50th anniversary, “NOW That’s What I Call Motown” starts at No. 13 with 23,000. The Derek Trucks Band enters at No. 19 with “Already Free” (Columbia), the group’s highest chart performance to date. Its previous best came with the No. 164 peak of “Songlines” in 2006. R&B/gospel singer Heather Headley’s “Audience of One” (EMI Gospel) starts at No. 27 with 15,000. Indie rock outfit Fleet Foxes enjoys a 32% burst to 10,000 copies and a 67-46 jump on the chart for its self-titled Sub Pop debut, after its Jan. 17 performance on “Saturday Night Live.”  At 5.89 million units, sales are down 5.7% compared to the same total last week and off by 15.4% compared to the same week in 2008. (Billboard)

 

Former “American Idol” champ Taylor Hicks returns March 10 with a new album, “The Distance,” the follow-up to his lone major-label release. The album is preceded Jan. 27 by the digital single “What’s Right Is Right” and will be released on Hicks’ own Modern Whomp Records, with distribution from independent artist services company Artist to Market. Hicks enlisted Eric Clapton producer Simon Climie for “The Distance,” and longtime Clapton collaborators Doyle Bramhall II and Nathan East play on the album. Paul McCartney drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. mans the kit. Hicks left J following his 2006 self-titled debut for the label, which sold 703,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Here is the track list for “The Distance”:
“Wedding Day Blues,”
“Seven Mile Breakdown,”
“What’s Right Is Right”
“Woman’s Gotta Have It”
“New Found Freedom”
“The Distance”
“Nineteen”
“I Live on a Battlefield”
“Maybe You Should”
“Once Upon a Lover of Mine”
“Keepin’ It Real” (Billboard)

 

British pop star Lily Allen has no confidence in her ability as a singer-songwriter, and is “convinced” she’ll be found out as a fraud. Allen’s debut album All right, Still sold 2.6 million copies, earned her a Grammy Award nomination and its producer, Mark Ronson, a Grammy win. But the singer insists she suffers crippling self-doubt. Allen says, “I convinced I’m not talented at all, and I’m sure people are just about to figure it out. “I’m not very good, am I? I don’t think what I do is any good. I think I’m awful. I’m not a musician. I don’t play an instrument. I write nursery rhymes” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Music Review: Boss’ sweet melodies, hollow words: (Daily Record)

Bruce Springsteen, “Working On A Dream” (Columbia) For “Working On A Dream,” Bruce Springsteen whistles, sings the blues, plays the glockenspiel and drops an f-bomb, as if desperate to disguise the album’s lyrical deficiencies. Springsteen says he wrote these songs quickly, and it shows. The rich characters who populate his best work are largely missing, and instead he rocks out to simple sentiments built on first- and second-person pronouns. “With you I have been blessed,” he sings. And, “You’re my lucky day.” And, “Let me show you what love can do.” “Surprise, Surprise” ranks among the lamest songs Springsteen ever released, thanks in part to this observation: “When the sun comes out tomorrow, it’ll be the start of a brand new day.” While too many lines ring hollow, and the E-Street Band arrangements tend toward a “Hungry Heart”-style sameness, the Boss does at least crank out the kind of fetching melodies that filled his last album, “Magic.” Some of the biggest hooks save the bizarre “Queen Of The Supermarket,” which finds our hero stalking a woman (girl?) at the checkout counter to accompaniment worthy of Meat Loaf. It’s bloated, dumb and creepy – quality rock ‘n’ roll, in other words. The strongest candidate for Springsteen’s Super Bowl playlist is “My Lucky Day,” which rides a groove carved out by Garry Tallent’s niftiest bass line ever. Even better are the encores, always a Springsteen strength. He pulls out his acoustic guitar for the final two cuts: “The Last Carnival” pays eloquent tribute to his band’s late keyboardist, Danny Federici, and “The Wrestler” is a heart-tugging ballad from the Mickey Rourke movie.

 

 

MOVIE . . .

 

Lord Of The Rings star Dominic Monaghan is convinced he will be returning to the magical franchise for upcoming prequel The Hobbit along with co-stars Elijah Wood, Sean Astin and Billy Boyd. The actors played a band of mythical Hobbits in the trilogy but none are featured in Jrr Tolkien’s prequel novel, which will be adapted for the big screen and directed by Guillermo del Toro. However, Monaghan is adamant that producers of the epic picture will want to bring back their characters – because they were such a hit with fans. He tells MTV.com, “They really want us to come back, and I think there’s a really strong chance that we might be back. “We’re not in The Hobbit, no, but I think the idea in (the producers’) heads is that the trilogy of the Lord Of The Rings films was so beloved by the fans that they’re really keen to try to say thank you for the support that they gave to the Lord Of The Rings movies and possibly bring back some of those characters that they know and love.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Hugh Jackman  has e-mailed fans to assure them the stalled production of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” is not in trouble. “[I'm] sending this note from freezing Vancouver,” writes Jackman in a note posted on aintitcoolnews.com. “I wanted to reach out and let you know that due to scheduling conflicts with certain cast members and location/weather considerations, we had to wait until now to shoot a couple of scenes. Please rest assured that ‘Wolverine’ will be badass and hopefully meet all of your expectations.” The “X-Men” spinoff hits theaters this spring. (Page Six)

 

Ralph Macchio – the original Karate Kid – does not approve of the Will and son Jayden Smith remake. Macchio is pretty sure the flick will flop because he says that the public is sick and tired of studios making crappy remakes. In a new interview, Ralph says, “From my personal view, filling the void of what Mr. Miyagi was – and the magic of that character – is going to be the toughest task. I don’t know where the romantic story-arc goes [with Jayden Smith] at that age.” (Perez Hilton)

 

As we mentioned last week, Katie Holmes was spotted recently auditioning for another Broadway show, Finding Neverland – a musical! Guess Mrs. Cruise wants to stay in NYC. But, now we find out she actually managed to get another gig. Katie is set to star in the The Extra Man, a comedy flick. The movie starts production in February in New York and will also star Kevin Kline, Paul Dano, and John C. Reilly. The film is based on a novel by Jonathan Ames with Kline playing a failed playwright who decides to work as an escort for wealthy widows. He then develops a sort of mentor relationship with a troubled and aspiring playwright, played by Dano. It doesn’t get warm in NYC until around April. Hopefully they’ll put a damn coat on Suri these remaining months! (Perez Hilton)

 

Voters for 2008′s worst movies love Mike Myers. They really love him. Myers’ comedy flop “The Love Guru” led the field Wednesday for the Razzies with seven nominations, among them worst picture and worst-acting slots for Myers, Jessica Alba, Verne Troyer and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley. The number of nominations for “Love Guru” was appropriate given what a personal project it was for Myers, who not only starred but also co-wrote and produced the movie, said John Wilson, founder of the Razzies, an Oscar spoof that dishes out “dis-honors” for the lousiest stuff Hollywood dredged up the previous year. “This is one of those auteur-of-the-awful situations,” Wilson said. “I think people are tired of him in general. He hasn’t really made a good movie in quite some time.” The other worst-picture contenders were “Disaster Movie” and “Meet the Spartans,” Hollywood spoofs that shared a nomination for a “badly beaten dead horse of a concept”; the fright flick “The Happening”; Paris Hilton’s romantic comedy bomb “The Hottie & the Nottie”; and the sword-and-sorcery fantasy “In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale.” Razzie “winners” will be announced Feb. 21, the day before the Oscars. Hilton had three nominations, worst actress and worst screen couple alongside her co-stars in “The Hottie & the Nottie,” plus worst supporting actress for “Repo! The Genetic Opera.” Eddie Murphy, named worst actor, supporting actor and supporting actress last year for multiple roles in “Norbit,” has two nominations this time, as worst actor and screen couple alongside himself for dual roles in his sci-fi comedy dud “Meet Dave.” Cameron Diaz also picked up two Razzie nominations for the romance “What Happens in Vegas,” as worst actress and worst screen couple alongside co-star Ashton Kutcher. Along with Kingsley, Oscar winner Al Pacino had a worst-actor nomination for his crime thrillers “88 Minutes” and “Righteous Kill.” The stars of the remake “The Women” – Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith and Meg Ryan – shared a worst-actress nomination. Joining them, Alba, Diaz and Hilton in the worst-actress category was Kate Hudson for “Fool’s Gold” and “My Best Friend’s Girl.” Besides Murphy, Myers and Pacino, worst-actor nominees were Larry the Cable Guy for “Witless Protection” and Mark Wahlberg for “The Happening” and “Max Payne.” “In the Name of the King” filmmaker Uwe Boll had three nominations for 2008 movies, worst director for that flick and “1968: Tunnel Rats” and “Postal,” supporting actor for playing himself in “Postal” and screen couple alongside “any actor, camera or screenplay.” Boll – whose movies include such horror or action tales as “Bloodrayne,” “Alone in the Dark” and “House of the Dead” – also was selected by Razzies voters to receive a special prize for worst career achievement as “Germany’s answer to Ed Wood,” the legendary bad filmmaker responsible for “Plan 9 From Outer Space.” “It’s pretty insulting to Ed Wood. Although Wood didn’t understand how to splice two frames together, there was a joy of incompetence in his work,” Wilson said. “Uwe Boll’s like our Meryl Streep. As long as he continues to work, he will get nominated, just like Meryl Streep does with those other awards.” (Daily Record)

 

More entertainment lawyers at the Dreier Llp. law firm have found new homes. Days after high-profile talent litigator Stanton “Larry” Stein announced his move to Liner Yankelevitz, Stein’s former partners Michael Plonsker, Mark Passin and Yakub Hazzard are decamping to Robbins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi. The trio will bring three associates and form a Los Angeles-based entertainment practice group for the Minneapolis-based firm. They begin work Monday. The L.A. outpost of Dreier, whose owner Mark Dreier is in a New York jail on charges of financial fraud, is set to close by month’s end. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford are moving to “The Cabin in the Woods.” Jenkins is on board and Whitford is in final negotiations to star in the mystery-shrouded MGM/UA horror project written by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, who also is directing. Whedon is producing. Much like “Cloverfield,” which Goddard scripted, the “Cabin” story line provides a new twist on a classic scenario — in this case the young-people-stranded-in-the-woods horror trope. “It’s really just your basic typecasting: When you need two actors to run through the woods in low-cut nighties, you immediately think of Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford,” Goddard joked.  Whedon said the casting signals what kind of movie they are hoping to make. “They’re the first proof that though ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ is a classic horror film, it isn’t one you’ve seen before.” While the studio and filmmakers were loath to provide character details, it is understood that Jenkins and Whitford will play white-collar co-workers with a mysterious connection to the cabin.  The UA production is prepping for a spring shoot and will open wide Feb. 5, 2010, with MGM distributing.  MGM, which Worldwide Motion Picture Group chairman Mary Parent spent much of 2008 rebuilding, has a lot riding on Whedon and Goddard’s genre effort. It will be — after the planned September opening of the studio’s “Fame” revamp — only the second homegrown production of the recharged Parent regime. Gersh-repped Jenkins is riding high on his SAG and Film Independent Spirit awards noms for “The Visitor.” He most recently was seen in “Burn After Reading” and “Step Brothers.” He is additionally repped by Bill Treusch. Whitford, repped by Endeavor and Greenlight Management, most recently appeared in “Bottle Shock” and “An American Crime.” (Hollywood Reporter)

 

South Korean kimchi western “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” on Wednesday drew the most nominations — eight — for the 3rd Asian Film Awards, an event organizers at the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society hope will grow to become the Oscars of Asia. Films from Japan and China otherwise dominated the event’s 13 categories, with 16 Japanese productions and two co-productions, and 13 Chinese productions and four co-productions drawing AFA nominations. Actress Michelle Yeoh will lead the jury selecting the winners, due to be announced in Hong Kong in a March 23 ceremony televised across Asia. The awards gala will open the Entertainment Expo Hong Kong, which also includes the Hong Kong International Film Festival, the Hong Kong and Asia Film Financing Forum and the Hong Kong Filmart. Director Kim Jee-woon’s “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” drew nominations in four major AFA categories, including best film and best director, best actor, for Song Kang-ho, and best supporting actor, for Jung Woo-sung. Films that each drew three nominations were China’s “Red Cliff,” by John Woo, and “Forever Enthralled,” by Chen Kaige;  Japan’s animated “Ponyo on the Cliff,” from Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli, and the Japanese films “The Magic Hour” and “Paco and the Magical Book”; South Korea’s “The Chaser,” and Filipino director Brillante Mendoza’s “Service.” Despite its short history, the AFA, already has weathered a few storms. Operational hiccups marred last year’s ceremony and taught the organizers a few lessons. This year, a best newcomer award was added and the ceremony will be faster paced.  By delaying the broadcast, organizers can add simultaneous subtitles for presenters and award-winners speaking different languages, instead translating their words live on stage. “The new team is now running smoothly,” said Wilfred Wong, chairman of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society. “the operation is more mature.  We have learned from experience.”  The society’s new executive director, Soo-wei Shaw, has set high standards for the team to make AFA a regional event. Improving the event is about “targeting new audience,” said Shaw, who comes from a media marketing background.   “We are using many different platforms to promote this event, including online and digital platforms,” she said. Wong says the plan to mould the AFA into Asia’s Oscars is ambitious, but notes with patience that “History played a big part in making the Oscars what it is today. It wasn’t built in one day.” Through its Arts Development Council, the Hong Kong government subsidizes the awards and its sister financing forum to the tune of HK$10 million ($1.29 million), Wong said. “We have to persevere and the Hong Kong government has to continue its support,” he said.   Despite the financial downturn, the subsidy rose this year by more than HK$1 million — a good thing considering that finding sponsorships proved more difficult, Wong said, noting that targets finally were met. AFA nominations, 2009 Best Film
“Forever Enthralled,” China
“The Good, the Bad, the Weird,” South Korea
“Ponyo on the Cliff,” Japan
“The Rainbow Troops,” Indonesia
“Red Cliff,” China
“Tokyo Sonata,” Japan/The Netherlands/ Hong Kong
Best Director
FENG Xiao-gang, “If You Are the One,” China
KIM Jee-woon, “The Good, the Bad, the Weird,” South Korea
KOREEDA Hirokazu, “Still Walking,” Japan
Brillante MENDOZA, “Service” The Philippines
MIYAZAKI Hayao/Frank MARSHALL, “Ponyo on the Cliff,” Japan
John WOO, “Red Cliff,” China
Best Actor
GE You, “If You Are the One,” China
HA Jung-woo, “The Chaser,” South Korea
Akshay KUMAR, “Singh is Kinng, India
MATSUYAMA Kenich, “Detroit Metal City,” Japan
MOTOKI Masahiro, “Departures,” Japan
SONG Kang-ho, “The Good, the Bad, the Weird,” South Korea
Best Actress
FUKATSU Eri, “The Ma