April 29, 2015

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Wednesday, April 29, 2015        Edition: #5440


Monthly Planning Calendar in Tomorrow’s “BS”!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ ‘Carrie Mathison’ ist Berlinerin! Season 5 of the hit Showtime series “Homeland” will shoot on location in Berlin, Germany. Production begins in early June, making it – if this distinction matters at all – the 1st US series to shoot entirely in Deutschland. The new season picks up 2 years after ‘Carrie’s unfortunate stint as station chief in Islamabad. She’s left the CIA and now works for a private security firm, hence the new location. The new season premieres this Fall.
– USAToday.com
★ Yahoo is teaming with Simon Cowell on a new music competition called “Ultimate DJ”, which features up-and-coming EDM DJs battling for a Sony Music contract and a headline spot at a major music festival. Executive Producer Cowell, who created “The X Factor” and was a longtime judge on “American Idol”, obviously knows his music competition shows, making him a potent partner for the project. The web-based show will have a tie-in with Tumblr, which will allow viewers to vote for competitors live.
– Variety.com
★ And a reboot of former MTV reality show “The Osbournes” (2002-05) has been axed before it even came before cameras. Sister channel VH1 was planning to revive the docu-series featuring rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his eccentric family 10 years after the original series came to an end, but a rep has now announced that the concept is now a no-go. Quote: “We are no longer talking to the Osbournes about a series that’s not going to happen.” OMG, thank-you!
– “Hollywood Reporter”

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “American Idol” (FOX) – The top 4 finalists are announced and perform.
• “The Casual Vacancy” (HBO) – Debut of a 3-part miniseries based on JK Rowling’s first ‘adult’ novel.
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Shawn Mendes (“Handwritten”).
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Shawn Mendes again.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Modest Mouse (“Strangers to Ourselves”).
• “Late Late Show With James Corden” (CBS/Omni 1) – Kodaline (“In a Perfect World”).
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV) – Shakey Graves (“Nobody’s Fool”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – John Popper (Blues Traveler).
• “Live With Kelly & Michael” (syndicated/CTV) – Josh Groban (“Stages”).
• “Queen Latifah” (syndicated) – R&B legend Gladys Knight. Rerun.
• SunFest (West Palm Beach FL) – More than 175,000 visitors annually flock to this 5-day arts & music festival on the waterfront. This year’s performers include Fall Out Boy, Hozier, Lenny Kravitz, Paramore, The Pixies.
NET: http://www.sunfest.com
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Josh Groban again.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Kenny Chesney – After embarking on his “Big Revival 2015 Tour” last month, he’s merging with Jason Aldean’s “Burn It Down Tour” this Saturday to kick off a dozen co-headlining shows, starting at the San Francisco 49ers’ brand new Levi’s Stadium. It’s the new venue’s 1st concert.
• “Nashville” – Tonight several cast-members from ABC-TV’s country music drama series hit the road for an 8-city Spring concert tour. The trek launches in NYC.
• Santana – Today Carlos Santana delivers the keynote speech at the 26th annual Billboard Latin Music Conference in Miami, Florida. He’ll also be part of a Q&A session, discussing his 40-plus years in the music biz.
• Smashing Pumpkins – Billy Corgan is getting into the wrestling business. He’s joined TNA Wrestling as Senior Producer, Creative & Talent Development effective immediately. His duties are to develop characters and create storylines for TNA’s flagship program, “Impact Wrestling”.

ALAS, NO MORE FUNERAL STRIPPERS:
Chinese authorities say they will push to end the rural practice of having strippers perform at funerals. The Culture Ministry has put out a statement condemning the tradition of inviting exotic dancers to induce more people to attend a funeral, calling it ‘uncivilized’. The ministry cites 2 recent examples where strippers were invited to stage ‘obscene performances’, and notes that both the organizers and performers have been punished in each case. Strippers are used to boost funeral attendance because large crowds are seen as a mark of honor for the deceased. Authorities have previously tried to crack down on the custom without success, but say they’re undeterred and determined to end the practice. (We see a whole new premise for another “Magic Mike” sequel here!)
– #NewsfromElsewhere

BS BUZZWORDS:
Cutting-edge vocab …
• ‘Deliverbot’ – A driverless vehicle or unpiloted drone that delivers packages and other cargo. (Future traffic report: “And we have a backup at 1st & 4th where a couple of deliverbots collided …”)
• ‘Sweatworking’ – Combining a business meeting with physical exercise. (Like in the movies when mob bosses meet in a steambath?)
• ‘Whistlecar’ – A driverless vehicle that delivers itself for use as a car or taxi when summoned using a smartphone app or similar technology. (Future traffic report: “And we have a backup at 1st and 4th where a couple of whistlecars collided …”)

MEASLY LITTLE PATCH:
A small, wearable patch is in development that could change the landscape of vaccinations. Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology are in the process of creating a micro-needle patch that could provide a simpler, safer alternative to standard measles shots. The patches are about 1-cm square and can be applied like a sticker. On the underside of each patch are 100 conical micro-needles made of polymer, sugar, and the vaccine. The needles are just a fraction of a millimeter long and dissolve within minutes after the patch is applied. The patch can then be discarded. Human clinical trials could begin as early as 2017. (Let the ‘Anti-Patch Movement’ begin!)
– TheVerge.com

WORLD’S HAPPIEST COUNTRIES 2015:
The land of clocks & chocolates is the world’s happiest country, according to the 3rd annual World Happiness Index from Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), an initiative of the UN. The rankings take into account numerous variables such as GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, corruption levels, social freedoms, etc. And the top 5 happiest nations are …
1. Switzerland
2. Iceland
3. Denmark
4. Norway
5. Canada
(Least happiest is Togo … behind even war-torn Syria.)
– BBC Business

E-CIGS MAKE IT HARDER, NOT EASIER:
Despite popular thinking, a new study from University of California at San Diego suggests that e-cigarettes actually make it harder to quit smoking, not easier. The study shows that smokers who use e-cigs are 49% less likely to cut down on their regular cigarette use and 59% less likely to quit entirely. Researchers say they need further studies to answer why this is true. One hypothesis is that smokers are receiving an increase in nicotine dosage by using e-cigarettes. The year-long study also found that women and daily smokers are the 2 groups most likely to try electronic cigarettes. Critics of e-cigs have been calling for stronger regulations to curb sales to minors and limit the marketing of vaporizers. (Whether it’s tobacco or vapor, the ‘pacifier’ effect is the same.)
– UPI.com

LIFE BY THE NUMBERS:
A BS breakdown of who we are and what we do …
• 75% of pet-owners say their critters can make them smile … even on a bad day.
• 70% of women have gone on a diet within the last 3 years.
• 66% of married women houseclean even after their husbands have already done so.
• 42% of us think you should wait until age 25 to sign up for a credit card.
• 40% of us have decided not to attend a wedding because we didn’t want to spend the money.
• 14% of women admit they’ve said ‘yes’ to a date in order to get a free meal.

BS AMAZING GREETING FACTS:
✓ The Arctic – The common greeting among Inuit people is a ‘kunik’. Place your nose and upper lip against the other person’s cheek or forehead, then slowly inhale their scent.
✓ Niger – When among the Kanouri people, shake your fist at eye level and exclaim ‘wooshay, wooshay’, a greeting that translates to ‘hi, hi!’.
✓ Tibet – Upon first meeting someone, quickly extend and retract your tongue. But make sure that it’s pink … a black tongue indicates you have an evil spirit.
✓ Saudi Arabia – Begin the greeting with a handshake, always using the right hand. Between men, this often leads to an embrace, an elbow clasp, or up to 3 kisses on the cheek.
– Condensed from “Mental Floss Magazine”

BS CHRONOMETER 04.29.15


TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1954 [61] Jerry Seinfeld, Brooklyn NY, retired TV actor (“Seinfeld” 1990-98)/comedian (web series “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” since 2012)

1955 [60] Kate Mulgrew, Dubuque IA, TV actress (‘Red’ on “Orange Is the New Black” since 2013, “Star Trek: Voyager” 1995-2001)

1957 [58] Daniel Day-Lewis, London UK, movie actor (2012 Oscar-“Lincoln”, 2008 Oscar-“There Will Be Blood”, 1989 Oscar-“My Left Foot”)

1958 [57] Michelle Pfeiffer, Santa Ana CA, TV actress (“American Horror Story: Hotel” 2015)/movie actress (“Dangerous Liaisons”)

1970 [45] Uma Thurman, Boston MA, 6-ft movie actress (“Kill Bill” movies, “Pulp Fiction”)/spokesmodel (Virgin Media, Louis Vuitton)

1986 [29] Amy Heidemann, Seward NE, pop singer (Karmin- “Brokenhearted”, “Hello”)

1989 [26] Foxes (Louisa Rose Allen), Southampton UK, pop singer-songwriter (“Let Go for Tonight”, “Youth”)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Canadian Film Day”, the 2nd annual initiated by non-profit organization Reel Canada to salute cinema that’s by and about Canadians (as opposed to the oodles of Hollywood movies shot in the Great White North).
NET: http://www.canadianfilmday.ca

• “Day of Remembrance for Victims of Chemical Warfare”, an annual event that also reaffirms the commitment of the Organization For the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to end the threat.

• “International Dance Day”, introduced in 1982 by UNESCO to increase awareness of the importance of dance in societies, as well as to persuade governments worldwide to provide a proper place for dance in all systems of education, from primary to higher.

• “International Guide Dogs Day”, observed annually on the last Wednesday of April to acknowledge the vital service guide dogs provide to people who are vision-impaired.

• “Shrimp Scampi Day”, celebrating the tasty dish that mixes sautéed shrimp with garlic, shallots, parsley and oregano; drenches it all with wine & brandy, then lights ‘er up. Bring it on!

• “Walk@Lunch Day”, an annual encouragement for mid-day activity on the last Wednesday of April, initiated by Blue Cross/Blue Shield (in order to lower medical insurance claims, no doubt).

• “Zipper Day” celebrating the 1913 date when Swedish-American inventor Gideon Sundback patented the ‘Separable Fastener’, the 1st all-purpose zipper.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2011 [04] Wedding of Britain’s Prince William & Kate Middleton (it’s their Flower Anniversary)

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1990 [25] Wrecking cranes being tearing down the Berlin Wall, the Cold War-era division between East & West Berlin

2003 [12] Apple Computer launches its iTunes Music Store

TODAY’S LAST . . .
2004 [11] GM builds the last ‘Oldsmobile’ car, ending 107 years of production

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1995 [20] ‘World’s Longest Sausage’ measures 28.77 miles (46.3 km) in Kitchener, Ontario

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
[Thurs] Bugs Bunny Day
[Thurs] International Jazz Day
[Thurs] Animal Advocacy Day
[Thurs] CRA Income Tax Deadline (Canada)
[Thurs] Honesty Day
[Thurs] Spank Out Day
This Week Is … Air Quality Awareness Week
This Month Is … Worldwide Bereaved Spouses Awareness Month

BULL’S BITS


VERY REAL AND VERY FUNNY SIGNS:
• Public Washroom: “Toilet out of order. Please use floor below.”
• Laundromat: “Automatic washing machines. Please remove all your clothes when the light goes out.”
• Department Store: “Bargain Basement Upstairs”
• Secondhand Shop: “We exchange anything – bicycles, washing machines, etc. Why not bring your wife along and get a wonderful bargain?”
• Dry Cleaner: “Anyone leaving their garments here for more than 30 days will be disposed of.”
• Health Food Shop: “Closed due to illness.”
• Safari Park: “Elephants Please Stay In Your Car.”
• Farm: “The farmer allows walkers to cross the field for free, but the bull charges.”
(Discretion: “Greek Library. Please use rear entrance.”)
– FunnyLists.net

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Teach your child to be polite and courteous, and when she grows up she’ll never be able to edge her car onto a freeway.

ARCHITECT OR SUPERSTAR DJ?
• Alvar Aalto [Finnish architect, whose designs include the Helsinki University of Technology.]
• Sebastian Ingrosso [Swedish EDM producer, who was formerly part of Swedish House Mafia.]
• Ummet Ozcan [Turkish DJ/producer, who’s now part of the American EDM movement.]
• Santiago Calatrava [Spanish architect, who designed the Montjuïc Communications Tower.]
• Andrea Palladio [16th century architect working in Venice, Italy.]
• Sander van Doorn [Dutch EDM producer, whose tracks include “Bling Bling” and “Drink to Get Drunk”.]
• Ludwig Mies van der Rohe [German-American who is considered one of the masters of modern architecture.]
• Wolfgang Gartner [American house DJ, who released “Wolfgang’s 5th Symphony” in 2009.]
• Markus Schulz [German DJ who has worked with Depeche Mode and Madonna.]
• Enric Miralles [Spanish architect who co-designed the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh.]
– Adapted from “Daily Telegraph”

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What’s the weirdest item you’ve been marketed via spam?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Aside from being animals, horses and sharks have THIS in common.
Answer: They’re ticklish. (“LiveScience”)

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
If you can’t convince them, confuse them.

Leave a comment