BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
“Parks & Recreation” actress Rashida Jones has apologized for urging John Travolta to ‘come out’ in a recent media interview, now saying nobody’s personal life is her business (we’re guessing somebody’s lawyer called) . . . USA Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, who won 2 gold medals at London 2012, has signed on for his first acting role, playing himself in a guest appearance on the CW’s “90210” this October (seems he’s getting a full half-hour of fame) . . . The 1981 Harrison Ford movie classic “Raiders Of the Lost Ark” is getting a 1-week re-release on giant IMAX screens beginning September 7th, just ahead of its debut on Blu-ray (that boulder ‘Indy’ runs from in the opening scene is about to get even bigger!) . . . Mel Gibson has ruled out starring in another “Lethal Weapon” movie, predicting the original films will eventually get a remake instead (Mel is unlikely to star in much of anything anymore unless he’s paying for it) . . . “The Richard Burton Diaries” are due to be published in October, extracts from the late actor’s personal writings about his innermost feelings for screen siren Elizabeth Taylor (no doubt full of overwrought musings like “Our love is so furious that we burn each other out”) . . . It’s been confirmed the late Whitney Houston’s ex, Bobby Brown, is currently in rehab in a bid to ‘beat his addiction issues once and for all’ (for the 37th time) . . . And you know you’ve arrived when – you get your own coloring book – as heartthrob actor Ryan Gosling now has (you’ll need plenty of ‘Piggy Pink’ Crayolas, girls, because some of the templates are shirtless!).

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Colbert Report” (Comedy Central/CTV) – Flaming Lips (“The Flaming Lips & Heady Fwends”).
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Coldplay (“Mylo Xyloto”). Rerun.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CHCH) – The Fixx (“Beautiful Friction”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Portugal. The Man (“In the Mountain In the Cloud”). Rerun.
• “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Neon Hitch (“Beg, Borrow, and Steal”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/NTV/Omni1) – Ben Howard (“Every Kingdom”).
• “Simon & Garfunkel: Songs of America” (PBS) – Archival footage spotlights the duo on stage, in the studio, and on tour in 1969.
• “The Talk” (CBS) – 1980s rocker Pat Benatar w/Neil Giraldo.
• “Today Show” (NBC) – The ‘Summer Concert Series’ continues with Lionel Richie (“Tuskegee”).
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC/CTV2) – Regina Spektor (“What We Saw From the Cheap Seats”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Avril Lavigne – After originally denying that he’d slept with her by saying “She’s Canadian, I wouldn’t do that”, shock rocker Marilyn Manson now says the rumors they’d hooked up were actually true. Icky.
• Christina Aguilera – She’s revealed that she’s working on a new album, on which she’s ‘very involved’ in all aspects of production and creative. The lead single from the as-yet-unnamed project will be called “Your Body”.
• Creed – Singer Scott Stapp will release a tell-all memoir called “Sinner’s Creed” on October 2nd. The book will detail his struggles with fame, substance abuse, and depression, as well as his purported redemption and renewed faith.
• George Jones – After over 50 years of touring, the 80-year-old country legend has announced he’s hitting the road one last time for “The Grand Tour” in 2013. He says he’s decided he’s ready to slow down and spend more time with his wife, children, and grandchildren.
• “Pepsi NFL Anthems” – A new promotional partnership will feature originally created anthems about participating recording artists’ hometown NFL teams. Those involved so far include Travie McCoy (Gym Class Heroes), Kelly Clarkson, Kid Rock w/Ice Cube, and Wiz Khalifa.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Grace of Monaco” – Nicole Kidman is set to play-actress-turned princess Grace Kelly opposite Tim Roth as Monaco’s Prince Rainier III in this upcoming bio-film. The story picks up on the former Oscar-winner’s life when she’s a mother of 2 who’s already spent 6 years as wife of the monarch of the European nation.
• “The Huntsman” – Movie studio Universal has decided to shelve its planned “Snow White & The Huntsman” sequel and is instead developing a spin-off focusing on Chris Hemsworth’s character. Kristen Stewart will not be invited to return if the follow-up goes forward. It’s unclear whether (cheating) director Rupert Sanders will return, though one inside source says he will.
• “Justice League” – DC Comics is preparing to release its answer to Marvel Comics’ multi-hero “The Avengers”. And it looks as though Ben Affleck is the top choice for director after Christopher Nolan (“The Dark Knight Rises”) declined. The film would see the likes of ‘Batman’, ‘Superman’, and ‘Green Lantern’ all join forces.
• “Nymphomaniac” – Actor Shia LaBeouf is in talks to star in Lars von Trier’s erotic drama opposite Charlotte Gainsbourg. The movie follows the erotic adventures of a woman from her youth to age 50, as recounted by her husband (played by Stellan Skarsgard). Nicole Kidman and Willem Dafoe are also expected to join the cast when shooting begins in September.
• “Queen Of the Desert” – Robert Pattinson has just joined the cast of Werner Herzog’s indie adventure which will star Naomi Watts as English writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer, and political attaché Gertrude Bell. Pattinson is attached to play TE Lawrence, the British Army officer whose writing earned him international fame as ‘Lawrence of Arabia’.

TOWARD PERFECT PARENTING:
Parental involvement has a long and rich history of being studied. Decades of research, much by Diana Baumrind, a clinical & developmental psychologist at the University of California at Berkeley, have found that the optimal parent is one who is involved and responsive, who sets high expectations but respects a children’s right to have their own lives. These ‘authoritative parents’ appear to hit the sweet spot of parental involvement and generally raise children who do better academically, psychologically, and socially than those whose parents are either permissive and less involved, or controlling and more involved. (Sometimes good parenting is a matter of picking the right time to say … nothing.)
– “New York Times”

WHY WE SNEEZE:
Sure, they blast out germs and other unwanted intruders, but sneezes have another, just discovered purpose, a new University of Pennsylvania study says. When we breathe in foreign particles, sensors in our noses and sinuses detect the objects. The sensors signal the cilia (tiny, hairlike paddles that line our nostrils and sinuses) to move to expel the irritants. The burst of air produced by a sneeze not only clears nasal passages but also triggers the cilia sensors to kick the paddles into high gear for an extended period of time, thereby ‘resetting the system’ … much like keying Control-Alt-Delete on a PC. (Oh no, you mean our noses are powered by Microsoft Windows, too?)
– Excerpted from “National Geographic”

REASONS WHY YOU’RE NOT GETTING PROMOTED:
You come into work 15 minutes early every day, you do everything that’s asked of you, and you’re a team player. So why haven’t you gotten that promotion? It might be because …
✗ You take care of others first. Consider how much you help co-workers each week. You may be losing valuable time for your own tasks.
✗ You never say ‘no’ to new projects, even when you’re overloaded. Giving every task your all will pay greater dividends than a portfolio of numerous, but average, projects.
✗ You phrase your opinions as questions. To avoid confrontation, you may turn statements into questions. The problem with that is that when you ask a question, it softens the message.
✗ You apologize too often. Not only does apologizing make you look at fault when you’re not, it also damages your self-esteem.
✗ You share too much personal info. If it gets back to your boss, he or she may fear you’re too emotionally fragile or busy with your personal life to take on new assignments.
✗ You gossip. Engaging in office gossip can make you seem untrustworthy to both colleagues and superiors. And that could rule you out for assignments which require discretion.
– Condensed from “Woman’s Day”

CAN YOU SPELL ‘CHEAT’?
A top Scrabble player has been booted out of the National Scrabble Championship in Orlando, Florida after being caught hiding tiles. John Williams, head of the National Scrabble Association, says the unnamed player was ejected in round 24 of the 28-round event after a player at a nearby table spotted him concealing a pair of ‘wild card’ blank tiles by dropping them on the floor. Williams, who’s served as executive director for 25 years, says it’s the first incident of cheating at a venue this big. Quote: “The Scrabble world is abuzz. The internet is abuzz.” (BTW, ‘abuzz’ would be a great Scrabble word, worth 75 points on a Triple Word square! Wait a sec, cheater … where’d you get a second ‘Z’?)
– “The Guardian”

DID YOU KNOW?
Over the last decade, India has reduced cases of HIV by 56%.
– IBNlive.in.com

BS CHRONOMETER 08.16.12

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1953 [59] Kathie Lee Gifford, Paris, France, TV personality (“Today” since 2008; “Live With Regis & Kathie Lee” 1988-2000)/husband-former sportscaster Frank Gifford is 82 today

1954 [58] James Cameron, Kapuskasing ON, movie director-producer-writer (all-time box office champs “Avatar” $2.78 billion; and “Titanic” $2.19 billion)/3 Academy Awards (“Titanic”)

1958 [54] Madonna (Ciccone), Bay City MI, pop singer (“Hung Up”, “Take a Bow”)/movie director (“WE”)/film actress (“Die Another Day”)/Mrs Guy Ritchie 2000-08; Mrs Sean Penn (1985-89)

1962 [50] Steve Carell, Concord MA, movie actor (“Hope Springs”, “The 40 Year Old Virgin”)/TV actor (“The Office” 2005-11)

1972 [40] Emily Robison (Erwin), Pittsfield MA, country singer (Court Yard Hounds-“The Coast”; Dixie Chicks-“Wide Open Spaces”)

1972 [40] George Stroumboulopoulos, Mississauga ON, TV personality (“George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight” since 2005, former MuchMusic VJ 2000-04)

1980 [32] Vanessa Carlton, Milford PA, pop singer (“A Thousand Miles”, “Ordinary Day”)

1980 [32] Robert Hardy, Dewsbury UK, rock bassist (Franz Ferdinand-“No You Girls”, “Take Me Out”)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Elvis Memorial Day”, the 35th anniversary (1977) of Elvis Presley being found dead at age 42, lying on the floor of a bathroom in his Graceland mansion, after suffering cardiac arrhythmia.  BS FACTOID: Over 70,000 fans have flocked to Memphis to commemorate the anniversary, marked with a 2-hour candlelight vigil last night at Graceland’s gates.

• “Little League Baseball World Series”, as the 66th annual championship for young ball players begins today in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Championship Game airs August 26th on ABC-TV.
NET: http://www.littleleague.org/worldseries/index.html

• “Remember What Your Spouse Wore the First Time You Met Day”. Uh, good luck with that.

• “Roller Coaster Day”, celebrating every amusement park’s fast-track to fun. The idea for the roller coaster was first patented by LaMarcus Adna Thompson on this date in 1885.

• “Stay Home With Your Kids Day”, initiated in 1996 to encourage and support those parents who have chosen to be home with their children. For those who haven’t, it’s the perfect opportunity to take a vacation day and give serious thought to making the change.

• “Tell-A-Joke Day”, a good day to have people call in with really rotten jokes, then tutor them on how to make them funnier. The day commemorates British comic actor Josias Miller, a popular favorite in London who died on this date in 1738.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1999 [13] “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” debuts (ABC/CTV) as a Summer fill-in special hosted by Regis Philbin, but quickly goes on to become TV’s #1 show (lasts until 2002; the original British version is still running)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1962 [50] The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein informs drummer Pete Best that he’s fired and being replaced by Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr)

1985 [27] Madonna marries actor Sean Penn in Malibu, California (she wears a leather teddy; he wears boxing gloves)

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1920 [92] Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman is struck in the temple by a ball pitched by Carl Mays of the NY Yankees and dies 12 hours later, the 1st & only death as the result of a pitched ball in Major League Baseball history

2002 [10] Scientists at the University of Glasgow in Scotland publish the 1st research validating the so-called ‘beer goggles effect’, whereby faces appear more attractive after consumption of alcohol

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1984 [28] Janet Harris sets a world record in Selsey, England by eating 7,175 green peas in an hour … one at a time … using chopsticks

COMING UP . . .
[Fri] “The Expendables 2”; “ParaNorman”; “Sparkle” open in movie theaters
[Fri] Thrift Shop Day
[Fri] Men’s Grooming Day
[Fri] Hug Your Boss Day
[Fri] Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival begins (Kansas City MO)
This Week Is … Reduce the Clutter Week
This Month Is … Panini Month

BULL’S BITS

BS SIGNS YOU’RE ON A BAD CRUISE SHIP:
• As you board, a personal injury lawyer hands you his business card.
• The shuffleboard puck looks suspiciously like a urinal cake.
• The good news – there’s a Tequila Shots Championship. The bad news – the captain’s the defending champ.
• Complimentary Polo shirt is yours to keep … after you make a 10 dozen more just like it at the Guatemala port-of-call.
• Your ‘cabin’ seems to be a cargo container full of spare oil rig parts.
• You’re invited to sit at the captain’s table but the only seat left is his lap.

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Think you’ve got influence? Try commanding someone else’s dog.

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
Put the following sports in order in regard to the size of their playing surface from smallest to largest …
Baseball
Boxing
Hockey (on ice not field)
Tennis
[ANSWER: Boxing, Tennis, Hockey, Baseball.]
– “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?”

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ Is the man or woman in the mirror each morning a true reflection of how you see yourself? Or does the internal picture you have of your self-image differ?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 80% of parents do THIS during family vacations.
Answer: Let the kids stay up past their normal bedtime.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Knowledge becomes wisdom only after it has been put to practical use.