On the show tonight is Lego Master Builder Nathan Sawaya who will build a mosaic portrait of Biff Henderson using nothing but Legos. Some of Nathan’s past accomplishments with Legos was his creation of a life-size tyrannosaurus Rex, and a 7-foot replica of the Brooklyn Bridge. Tonight he will attempt to do a Biff Henderson portrait using over 2,000 lego pieces.

Other Biff images created on the show was: the Biff ice sculpture a few weeks ago and the guy who had a Biff tattoo etched into his thigh.

LATE SHOW WEEK IN REVIEW
- The NBA All-Star game was held last Sunday. An unusual message has been airing in New York City all week.

Announcer: “Congratulations to the following members of the New York Knicks who were named NBA All-Stars of 2005. . . . . . . . . .
(no names appear)
. . . . . Congratulations! And good luck the rest of the season.!”

- Did you watch any of the History Channel’s President’s Day programming on Monday? Here’s the promo they ran.

Announcer: “In honor of President’s Day, the History Channel proudly presents an episode of “UFO Files” about a suspected alien abduction, an episode of “Digging for the Truth” about a 5,000 year old Iceman, and an episode of “Deep Sea Detectives” about sunken World War II tanks. The History Channel – we have no idea what the hell we’re doing.”

Announcer: This holiday come out to Central Park for their President’s Day blowout! Get 50% off all really gay saffron-colored drapes. Central Park – Be There.”

- Everybody in New York has Christo Fever. Check out what they are doing across the street. We see a clip from inside Flashdancers. The naked gals are not working the pole but working one of Christo’s Gates. I apologize to you home viewers for the pixilation. We didn’t have that here at the show. Yowza! An impressed Dave says “There’s your artwork right there.”

- There’s a new magazine called “Cooking For Two” filled with recipes and serving suggestions for two-person meals. The March issue hit the newsstands this week. Something about the issue struck Dave as odd. He holds up the recent Celebrity issue. We see a photo of Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker on the cover of “Cooking for Two.” And there is a photo of Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen on the cover of “Cooking for Two.” And there’s a photo of Kirstie Alley on the cover of “Cooking for Two.”

Dave says about Kirstie: “I always liked Kirstie Alley and I don’t care if she’s 600 pounds, I think she’s still hot.”

- FOX has a new special entitled, Stars Without Makeup that aired yesterday. Dave was a little disappointed when he saw this commercial.

Announcer: “What do you favorite stars look like without the glitz and glamour of professional makeup, hair-styling, and designer clothes? You’d be shocked. Just look at Britney Spears.
(see Britney w/o makeup)
Goldie Hawn
(see Goldie w/o makeup)
And David Letterman.
(see really old guy w/o makeup)
‘Stars Without Makeup.’ This Thursday. Only on FOX.”

Alan (close up) voices his concern about the use of steroids, noting its dangers, harmful side effects, and unknown risks down the road. So kids, keep away from the Steroids. Camera widens to reveal Alan’s ectomorphic body supporting his enormously huge head. Sort of looked like Mark McGwire.

And that was The Week in Review.

WILL IT FLOAT? Tonight’s item: A Banjo. Hmmm. Paul says it will sink, whether it’s a 4-string or a 5-string banjo. Doesn’t matter. Dave, deferring to the leader of the CBS Orchestra, goes along with Paul and says it will sink. The models drop the item and it . . . . SINKS.

And what were we playing for tonight? A set of snow tires! Ah yes, a very appropriate item on this snow-filled day in New York.

TOP TEN: Revelations in the Secret Bush Tapes – Bush family pal and author Doug Wead revealed he secretly taped conversations with the then-Governor of Texas while preparing a book partly based on the George W. Bush’s life.

#5. Had no desire to be President until he saw the chicks Bubba was getting.
#2. In high school, Bush stole Osama’s girl and that’s when the trouble started.

RICKY GERVAIS: made famous from the BBC series, The Office. I didn’t get the BBC America but was lent the DVD set of the first season. And it was dang enjoyable. Unlike programs on American TV where it is believed louder is funnier, The Office was subtle but unmistakable. For instance, Dave asked Gervais what he thought of “The Gates” in Central Park. Ricky softly responded like a man bewildered, “It looked like a giant Buddhist’s laundry. $21 million?” “The Office” was similar in that manner. Your typical sitcom would be “IT LOOKED LIKE A GIANT BUDDHIST’S LAUNDRY!!!! $21 MILLION!!!???” Maybe I’m getting old, but I don’t like loud.

Dave mentions Rachael Ray of the Food Network is on later in the show. Does Ricky like food, does he have an appreciation for the art of food making? Ricky believes food appreciation comes with age. When younger, Ricky looked at food only as a means to coat the stomach before a night of drinking. Oh boy, did I enjoy that. Ricky says he recently was invited to dine at a very expensive restaurant. His wine selection is usually based on whatever’s the second cheapest on the list. When shown a bottle of wine, he is only interested in the percentage of alcohol. Anyway, at this restaurant there was a bottle of wine which sold for $50,000! Ricky couldn’t believe it. When the waiter came over, or is it a wine steward, Ricky pointed to the $50,000 items and asked, “Is this any good?”

Dave is/was a great fan of Ricky’s The Office. Ricky is currently shooting a show called, Extras about the life of people who word as extras in films. This sounds good, at least to me, since I spend most of my time watching the tertiary characters on the screen, whether it movies or TV. I’m always watching the security guard way in the background doing nothing or the diners at a restaurant not at the next table but at the table after that. It’s probably why I so much enjoy the Audience Show and Tell people who bring clips of their appearances in big time movies. Extras isn’t finished yet, but Ricky says the critics are already describing it as “the disappointing follow-up to ‘The Office.’”

Ricky has also written a children’s book entitled “Flanimals.” It has sold over 300,000 copies in England and was number one on both the children’s and humor bestseller lists. Ricky says he checked out the “Flanimals” reader comments on Amazon.com. 5 stars is the best. Overall, “Flanimals” received 4 and a half stars. He went through the reviews and they were all 5 stars. Not till he scrolled near the end did he find a guy who gave his children’s book 1 star. The review read, “I bought this book and it’s rubbish. It’s more of a kid’s book.” Ricky was so annoyed that this guy could be so stupid, and because he was so stupid it cost Ricky half a star. It just ain’t right.

ACT 5: Alan: “It’s time for Academy Awards predictions with Late Show costume designer Susan Hum.”
Susan: “No one told me I was going to have to make Academy Award predictions. I haven’t seen any of the films. How would I know who’s going to win? In the future it would be nice if they asked me ahead of time to do these things. Then maybe I’d have something to say.”
Alan: “Nice going, Susan! We’ll see on Sunday if you’re right.
This has been Academy Awards predictions with Late Show costume designer Susan Hum. Tell your friends.”

RACHAEL RAY: From the Food Network’s 30-Minute Meals, $40 a Day, and Inside Dish. She also has a new cookbook, her ninth, entitled Cooking ‘Round the Clock.

Rachael got her start while working in upstate New York working in a kitchen. Customers would but prepared food but Rachael couldn’t get them to buy more groceries. They said they didn’t have enough time to make their own. Rachael started holding demonstrations of 30-minutes meals that customers could easily make with simple ingredients. Te classes sold out immediately. A local news show did a feature on it and things went on from there.

Rachael admits to having her share of accidents in the kitchen, one time jamming a knife an inch deep into her finger. Another time having her hair catch fire. I once dropped a tray of parfaits, but that may have been due to my nipping a bit too heartily at the cooking sherry.

One of her programs on the Food Network is entitled $40 a Day where she travels to different cities and tries to survive by spending only $40 a day on food. My senior year in college, I think $40 lasted me through the fall semester. If I recall correctly, chicken dogs were a little more than a buck for ten. Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup was 25 cents a can. No-Name macaroni and cheese also about a quarter a box. Fridays I went to the local IGA and treated myself to frozen pizza, pickles, and Bon-Choy egg rolls. $40 a day? In college, I’d be in heaven with that. Of course, I would have spent $35 on beer.

To close up the show, we check out Nathan Sawaya to see his creation of Biff in Lego. WOW! That’s good! With Amanda Byne’s painting of Dave from the other night and now Nathan’s Lego creation of Biff, we may have to build a studio for the art, adding down the road a Paul and an Alan.

And that was our show for Friday February 25, 2005. Wahoo EXTRA!

I find it amusing that Rachael has a program on the Food Network called, $40 a Day. I was thinking of writing a book with the same title about my time at the LATE SHOW.

My girls are big fans of the American Idol. They got hooked on the American Juniors from a few years ago, which only led them to the harder, stronger stuff. I remember checking out the American Idol website last year for something and came away impressed with the show’s recapper. If I wrote for a magazine, I would call the column a “wry delight.” I don’t care if you skip the show, but check out the website. I’m amused.
http://www.idolonfox.com/recaps/index.htm

THIS DATE IN NHL HOCKEY HISTORY
February 25, 1981 – NHL’s most penalized game; Boston Bruins vs. the Minnesota North Stars – 84 penalties; 392 minutes.

For those keeping score at home, this season’s Survivor bartenders are Angie and Stephenie.

From Wahoo reader George Schmidt of Fairview, New Jersey:

“How does one get a cameo mention?”

PAYOLA, my friend, PAYOLA!