The Entertation Index: October 15

Apprentice, Celebrity — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, investigating from a tidbit from TMZ, has announced that the next season of The Celebrity Apprentice has been cast, and that the proceedings will feature  Jose Canseco, Lil’ Jon, Richard Hatch, Star Jones, LaToya Jackson, Mark McGrath and Niki Taylor. The contestants, it goes without saying, will use their own prior business acumen to compete for an opportunity to run Donald Trump’s empire directly into the ground.

Link: Atlanta’s Lil’ Jon Joining Celebrity Apprentice (AJC)

Brubeck, Dave — 89 year-old jazz legend Dave Brubeck was admitted to a Connecticut hospital earlier this week after suffering from fatigue and dizziness, fitted with a pacemaker during a Wednesday procedure, and is reportedly currently in fair condition — though reps say he still plans to continuing to tour in November after recuperation. Best wishes to Brubeck and his family — dude’s freaking amazing.

Link:  Dave Brubeck Undergoes Pacemaker Surgery ( MSNBC)

Galifianakis, Zach — For your Friday perusal: the great Zach Galifianakis (who, by the way, continues to do his best work under the radar as he continues a mainstream film career) interviewing the great Bruce Willis on Galifianakis’ FunnyOrDie web series Between Two Ferns. So if you’re ever wondering if Willis ever worried, while making The Whole Ten Yards, that the movie might be “too good,” you have your answer.

Link: Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis and Bruce Willis (FunnyOrDie)

Smith, Patti — The legendary singer-songwriter, punk priestess and visual artist has been nominated to receive the National Book Award for her nonfiction memoir based around her youth and relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe. I haven’t read the book, but if Smith writes like she sounds, I have to think that the editor should be up for an award for this as well, since I assume he or she is the one charged with taking out all the hugely excess “a’s”, “i’s” and “e’s” from Smith’s words.

Link: National Book Award Finalists Announced (LA Times)

Symphony Orchestra, Detroit — In the midst of a current employment strike over recent cuts over pay and benefits, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra will attempt to raise some money for their efforts (and to support the musicians) during an upcoming televised concert on a local television station in Michigan. The concert will feature a performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Brahms’ Symphony Number 2, and a vicious freestyle rap battle between the woodwind and strings sections.

Link: Detroit Symphony Orchestra Concert to be Broadcast (NY Times)

T.I. — TMZ reports that rapper T.I., after hearing on the radio of a man threatening to jump off an Atlanta building, drove to the scene and aided police by recording a video message for the would-be jumper, which convinced the man to come down off the ledge and talk through things with the rapper in the building’s lobby. Allegedly, the man was upset that his big shit wasn’t poppin’ but, after some support from the musician, it’s reported that his big shit’s poppin’ resumed.

Link: Rapper Talks Suicidal Jumper Off the Ledge (TMZ)