BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ TV showrunner Lee Daniels says there will definitely be an “Empire” prequel spin-off at some point. Quote: “There’s so much ripe story that we’ve talked about already – about Cookie’s family, what makes her her.” There’s no question ‘Cookie Lyon’ (Taraji P Henson) is the breakout character from FOX-TV’s smash hit after its 1st season. She’ll be back when Season 2 premieres on September 23rd, but there may be another, earlier version of ‘Cookie’ coming somewhere down the line.
– TVLine.com
★ Late Motown star Marvin Gaye’s son, Marvin Gaye III, is planning to sue “Empire” creator Lee Daniels and FOX-TV for stealing the idea for the hit series. He claims to have registered a treatment for a show called “Diamonds & Ballads” (aka “Those Sons of Riches!”) with the Writers Guild of America in 2010, a drama pitched as a music-based ‘black’ and ‘hip’ version of “Dynasty” with a little of “The Sopranos” mixed in. Daniel’s reportedly did say last year that the idea behind “Empire” was to make a black “Dynasty”. Earlier this year the Gaye family successfully sued Pharell Williams and Robin Thicke over their hit song “Blurred Lines”.
– TMZ.com
★ Will ‘Lord & Lady Grantham’ be facing hard times in the final season of “Downton Abbey”? According to reports, the ‘Crawley’ family will be forced to make some drastic changes to their lavish lifestyle and massively downsize during the show’s upcoming Season 6. It’s said the ‘Earl of Grantham’ (Hugh Bonneville) forces the ‘Crawleys’ to learn to take care of themselves as he lets go of their servants in an effort to cut costs. Gareth Neame, the show’s executive producer, confirms the final season is focused on ‘the end of an era’. It seems it’s going to be a harsh goodbye for the formerly posh-living family.
– “Daily Mirror”

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “America’s Got Talent” (NBC/CityTV) – 12 acts perform in hope of winning audience votes.
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Alabama Shakes (“Sound & Color”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Rick Springfield (“Ricki & The Flash”); Tyler the Creator (“Cherry Bomb”). Rerun.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Halsey (“Ghost”). Rerun.
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Yolanda Adams (“Becoming”).
• “The View” (ABC/CTV) – Lee Ann Womack (“The Way I’m Livin'”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Coldplay – They’re in discussions about ways to help save Treehouse, a north London center that provides education and therapeutic support for vulnerable children. Chris Martin & estranged wife Gwyneth Paltrow were big supporters of the effort when it opened in 2009.
• FKA twigs – The 27-year-old Brit singer, who’s rumored to be engaged to actor-boyfriend Robert Pattinson, admits she’s never seen any of the “The Twilight Saga” movie series that made him a star.
• Michael Bublé – He’ll duet with Elvis Presley on one track of a new greatest hits collection, “If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra”, to be released October 30th. The project celebrates the 80th anniversary of the music icon’s birth.
• Michael Jackson – His nephews have landed a new reality TV series. “The Jacksons: Next Generation” will center on Tito Jackson’s children, TJ, Taryll, and Taj, as they deal with “rumors, stalkers, and frauds who all want a piece of anything related to the legacy”. (Among these despicable people would be …. his family.)
• Tyler, The Creator – He’s now cancelled his Australian tour following protests from women’s rights group Collective Shout. Last month he acknowledged he was having trouble securing a visa for the September dates due to the activists protesting his controversial lyrics.

THIS WEEK’S VIDEO RELEASES:
Out today on DVD, Netflix, Google Play and/or other video providers …
• “Hot Pursuit” ( PG-13 Action Comedy ): Reese Witherspoon plays an uptight and by-the-book cop who’s trying to protect a deceased drug boss’s widow (Sofia Vergara) as they race through Texas pursued by crooked cops and murderous gunmen. Oddly, the film was released 28 years to the day after a 1987 John Cusack film with the same title but totally different storyline.
• “Match” ( R-Rated Dramedy ): Patrick Stewart stars as a Juilliard professor who is interviewed by a Seattle WA woman for her dissertation on the history of dance in 1960s NYC. It becomes increasingly clear that there are ulterior motives to the woman’s visit. Writer/director Stephen Belber. Co-stars Carla Gugino, Matthew Lillard.
• “Unfriended” ( R-Rated Horror Thriller ): Originally titled “Cybernatural”, this teen-targeted fright-flick centers on a group of online chat room participants who find themselves haunted by a mysterious, supernatural force using the account of their dead friend. Stars Heather Sossaman, Matthew Bohrer, Courtney Halverson, Shelley Hennig.
• Also released today: “Dig: Season 1” (TV); “Hell on Wheels: The Complete 4th Season” (TV); “I Am Big Bird: The Carroll Spinney Story” (Documentary); “Kendra on Top: Season 3” (TV); “Last Days of the Nazis” (Documentary); “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit – The 16th Year 2014-15” (TV); “Mythbusters Collection 13” (TV); “Person of Interest: The Complete 4th Season” (TV); “Shark Week: Dominating the Deep” (TV Documentary); and “2 Broke Girls: The Complete 4th Season” (TV).

NUKE YOUR PIT:
Well here’s an odd idea, women are now being encouraged to ‘microwave’ their armpits to deal with hair and sweat. The ‘miraSmooth/miraDry System’ is touted as a one-of-a-kind technology for helping underarms look smoother than a baby’s butt. It uses precisely controlled microwave energy to permanently reduce underarm hair of all colors, as well as excessive underarm perspiration. Unlike regular lasers, the microwaves are essentially ‘color blind’, which means they can be used on all skin tones. Temporary markings on the armpit are used to help guide the treatment. Local anesthesia is applied to minimize pain. (So, how would you like that cooked?)
NET: http://miradry.com
– Prime-Journal.com

CUTTING EDGE TUNES:
Music in the operating room can be a distraction, a new UK study by Imperial College London suggests. Analysis of video footage shot in several ORs has found it’s usually the senior doctor on a team who makes the decision about background music. When pop or dance music with heavy drum and bass are selected, it’s often cranked up loud, which makes talking difficult. Often surgeons have to repeat themselves to be heard … when requesting a surgical instrument, for example. Researchers conclude that music can be helpful in operating theaters as it can improve concentration, but it’s recommended there should be pre-op discussion about the type of music and the volume. (What would be the worst song to play in the OR? A few suggestions below.)
– BBC News

WORST OPERATING ROOM SONGS:
✗ “Live Like You Were Dying” – Tim McGraw
✗ “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” – The Bee Gees
✗ “Like a Surgeon” – Weird Al Yankovic
✗ “Everybody Hurts” – REM
✗ “Knives Out” – Radiohead
✗ “Scar Tissue” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
✗ “The First Cut Is the Deepest” –  Sheryl Crow
✗ “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” – Bob Dylan
✗ “The Final Countdown” – Europe
✗ “Another One Bites The Dust” – Queen

WALK OF SHAME:
Police in one Chinese city have come up with a novel way of tackling jaywalkers … making them wear green hats while helping direct traffic for a half-hour. Cops in Shenzhen began the new initiative this month to try to cut the number of pedestrians who dodge through traffic on the city’s busy streets. But they’ve been facing some resistance to the color of the headgear because in Chinese culture the expression ‘wearing a green hat’ signifies that a man’s wife or girlfriend has cheated on him. The cops insist the hats are just meant to protect offenders from the sun, and they match the green safety vests which are also provided. However, the embarrassment is simply too much for some, as around a third of offenders opt to pay a fine instead. (It ain’t easy wearing green.)
– #NewsfromElsewhere

WHAT RUNNERS CONTEMPLATE:
Non-runners may think those who choose to pound the pavement mile-after-mile must enter some kind of Zen-like state where thoughts and worries disappear. But a new first-of-its kind study that asks runners to record their thoughts while on-the-road finds that’s not true. Results show that long-distance runners spend 40% of their time thinking about pace and distance, 32% thinking about the pain and discomfort they’re in, and the rest of the time thinking about the running environment. A sampling of the thoughts recorded …
• “My hips are a little tight. I’m stiff, my feet, my ankles, just killing me this morning.”
• “Hill, you’re a bitch!”
• “It’s long and hot … godammit mother f—er.”
• “That sucked but it’s going to be an awesome run on the way back.”
Overall, runners tend to complain about discomfort near the start of the run, but complaints taper off as the miles go by.
(Less often recorded thought: “Should not have had that breakfast burrito.”)
– Newser.com

BS WORDS THAT SHOULD BE IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE:
• ‘Disconfect’ – A kid’s way of sterilizing a piece of candy dropped on the floor by blowing on it.
• ‘Burgacide’ – When a grilled hamburger just can’t take any more torture and hurls itself into the coals.
• ‘Lactomangulation’ – Mangling the ‘open’ spout on a milk carton so badly you have to resort to opening the ‘illegal’ side.
• ‘Circumtreeviation’ – The tendency of your dog to always try to walk on the opposite side of a tree from you when it’s on a leash.
• ‘Elecelleration’ – The mistaken notion that the more you press an elevator button the faster it will arrive.
• ‘Petrophobic’ – Someone who is embarrassed to undress in front of their pet.
– Unwords.com

BS AMAZING FACT:
Women suffer more than men during relationship break-ups, but they recover better.
– “Fusion”

BS CHRONOMETER 08.11.15

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1950 [65] Steve Wozniak, San Jose CA, Apple Computer co-founder (with Steve Jobs in 1976)/Inventors Hall of Fame (2000)/philanthropist

1967 [48] Joe Rogan, Newark NJ, TV personality (“Ultimate Fighting Championship” since 2002, “Fear Factor” 2001-06, 2014)/stand-up comedian (“The Joe Rogan Experience”)

1968 [47] Anna Gunn, Santa Fe NM, TV actress (“Breaking Bad” 2008-13)

1976 [39] Ben Gibbard, Bremerton WA, rock singer (Death Cab for Cutie-“Black Sun”, “You Are a Tourist”)

1983 [32] Chris Hemsworth, Melbourne, Australia, movie actor (“The Avengers”, “Thor” movies)  UP NEXT: “Ghostbusters”; “The Huntsman” (2016)

1984 [31] Heath Fogg, Athens AL, blues-rock guitarist (Alabama Shakes-“Don’t Wanna Fight”, “Hold On”)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Dog Days of Summer” end, traditionally the hottest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Ahhh.

• “Perseid Meteor Shower”, when Earth passes through a broad stream of debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle. The best time to observe is early this morning, and overnight tonight and tomorrow.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/mkjmeoh

• “Play In the Sand Day”, which seemed like a harmless fun activity … until some fear-monger researcher warned a couple of years back that there may be health and safety implications.

• “Son & Daughter Day”, a day to pay special tribute to offspring by giving them the gift of your time together. If they are teenagers they’ll no doubt respond: “Yeah right … whatever.”

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2014 [01] Comedian/actor Robin Williams dies at home in Paradise Cay CA, the victim of suicide at age 63

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1973 [42] ‘Hip hop’ is born at a birthday party in the rec room of an apartment building in the Bronx NY when the birthday girl’s brother, Clive Campbell (aka DJ Kool Herc) uses 2 turntables alternately to create what is now known as the ‘break beat’

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2003 [12] NATO takes over command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its 1st major operation outside of Europe in its 54-year-history (well, that went well)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2012 [03] 25-year-old Jamaican runner Usain Bolt wins his 3rd gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, raising his total to 6 Olympic golds

COMING UP . . .
[Wed] International Youth Day
[Wed] Vinyl Record Day
[Thurs] International Lefthanders Day
[Sat] Best Friends Day
[Sat] International Homeless Animals Day
This Week Is … Recreational Scuba Diving Week
This Month Is … Psoriasis Awareness Month

BULL’S BITS

BS SIGNS YOU LIKE CATS MORE THAN PEOPLE:
✓ Your phone contains more cat selfies than anything else.
✓ You have conversations with your cat and reply to their meows as if you know exactly what they’re saying.
✓ You share food with your cat.
✓ You spend more time/money/effort finding presents for them than for your family and friends.
✓ You get more worried about leaving your cat while on vacation than leaving your house.
✓ You sign off birthday/Christmas cards with their signature paw-o-graph.
✓ You have to stop yourself from talking about them at every opportunity.
✓ Nothing makes you smile more than coming home from work to see them sitting at the window waiting for you.
✓ You instantly dislike anyone who doesn’t share the same love of cats as you.
✓ You think at least 10 times a day that life would be so much easier if you were a cat too.
– Adapted from “Metro”

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What’s the most embarrassing poster to ever adorn your bedroom wall?

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
Ancient Romans are thought to be first to adopt which wedding custom?
a. Carrying the bride over the threshold.
b. Wearing a wedding ring. [CORRECT]
c. Tying tin cans to the wedding chariot.
– Wikipedia.org

BS WEB GOODIE:
As a way to promote the NWA movie “Straight Outta Compton” (opening Friday), Beats by Dre has given the Internet a nifty meme generator that lets users fill in their own hometowns …
NET: http://www.straightouttasomewhere.com

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I used to be a lifeguard, but some blue kid got me fired.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: More than half of wives have never shown their husbands THIS.
Answer: Their natural hair color.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
All generalizations are false, including this one.