BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Today comedian Amy Poehler is being honored with the 2,566th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Golden Globe-winner will unveil the coveted plaque during a ceremony in front of the Hollywood Wax Museum. Her former “Parks & Recreation” co-star Rashida Jones and the show’s creator Mike Schur are being been tapped to salute their friend at the Walk of Fame induction.
– Canoe.ca
★ The next round of online voting for the “People’s Choice Awards” closes today. More than 72 million votes have been cast to whittle down nominees in movies, TV, music, videogames, and social media for the fan-centric awards. So far, “Avengers: Age of Ultron”, Dwayne Johnson, The Weeknd, and “Grey’s Anatomy” have picked up multiple nominations. The awards show, honoring the most popular people and products in entertainment, airs live on CBS-TV January 6th when Jane Lynch hosts from Los Angeles.
– THR.com
★ Songwriter-producer David Foster and his model wife Yolanda are divorcing after 4 years of marriage. The music-maker and Gigi & Bella Hadid’s mother have been together for almost a decade, but released a statement this week confirming the split. Both have been married before: Yolanda has 3 kids from her marriage to Mohammed Hadid, while multiple Grammy Award-winner Foster has been married 4 times. The couple wed in November 2011.
– People.com
★ A new “Star Wars”-themed movie theater has opened in Omaha, Nebraska. The Alamo Drafthouse cinema chain’s newest movie house even includes a fully operational 10-foot ‘Death Star’ hanging in the lobby. Also among the features: Imperial ship-style light panels; the Emperor’s throne; a green superlaser; Imperial signage; and the concession stand is a space station. The company is hoping the permanent installation will help make the theater THE destination to see all the new “Star Wars” films.
– “Entertainment Weekly”
★ And fans of the beloved 1983 Bob Clark film “A Christmas Story” can now spend the holidays in the family home featured in the movie. Bidding has begun this week for the chance to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the ‘Parker’ home in Cleveland, Ohio with up to 3 guests. Proceeds from the auction benefit the Christmas Story House Foundation. The Parker Home & Museum is filled with props, costumes, and memorabilia from the film, which has become such a seasonal staple that it plays on a continuous loop December 24-25 on some cable networks.
– ContactMusic.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “CMA Country Christmas” (ABC) – Jennifer Nettles hosts the annual seasonal special, with performances by Darius Rucker, Jewel, Leann Rimes, Martina McBride, Pentatonix and more.
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Weezer (“Everything Will Be Alright In the End”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Tennis (“Ritual in Repeat”).
• “Late Late Show With James Corden” (CBS/M3) – One Direction (“Made In the AM”).
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV) – Seal (“7”); Arcade Fire drummer Jeremy Gara. Rerun.
• “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global) – CeeLo Green (“Heart Blanche”); Public Image Limited (“Metal Box”). Rerun.
• “Meredith Vieira” (syndicated) – LeAnn Rimes (“Today is Christmas”).
• “National Christmas Tree Lighting” (PBS) – Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon hosts the 93rd annual ceremony on the Ellipse in front of the White House in Washington DC. Slated to perform: Aloe Blacc, Andra Day, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Fall Out Boy, Kelsea Ballerini, Tori Kelly … and Miss Piggy. The event is being rerun on public TV throughout December.
• “The Real” (syndicated) – Ashanti (“BraveHeart”).
• “The Talk” (CBS) – Dolly Parton (“Blue Smoke”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Gwen Stefani (“Used to Love You”).
• “Wendy Williams” (syndicated) – Brandy Norwood (“Two Eleven”).
• “The Wiz Live!” (NBC) – Created in partnership with Cirque du Soleil, this live musical version of “The Wizard of Oz” stars Mary J Blige, Queen Latifah, and Stephanie Mills. Producers are hoping to transfer the show to Broadway for the 2016-17 season.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Amy Winehouse – Asif Kapadia’s biographical documentary “Amy” is one of 15 selected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for Oscar consideration.
• Chris Brown – His criminal record has cost him an Australian tour. His “One Hell Of a Night” shows in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, scheduled to begin next week, have all been axed due to a visa refusal by Australia’s Immigration Department. A December 18th date in Auckland, New Zealand has also been scrapped.
• Dierks Bentley – It’s been announced that he’ll play Europe for the 3rd time, with 4 shows in Dublin, Ireland; London and Manchester, England; and Glasgow, Scotland next April.
• Drake – He’s Spotify’s ‘Most Streamed Artist Of the Year’, with 1.8 billion plays throughout 2015. Rihanna is 2015’s ‘Most Streamed Female Artist’ despite not releasing a new album. She racked up just over 1 billion streams for the year.
• Miranda Lambert – In the January issue of “Cosmopolitan” she opens up about the emotional roller coaster she’s been on since her divorce from Blake Shelton. She doesn’t go into any sordid details but does admit that she’s been feeling all the feels. Quote: “Some of that might mean nights on my porch crying, drinking whiskey, and going, ‘Man this sucks right now’.”
• 1975 – The Brit band embarks on a North American tour tonight in Boston MA. Gigs are scheduled through December 20th in Seattle WA. The group is currently working on their sophomore album.
• One Direction – They’re taping a performance at the ‘Billboard Hollywood Party’ which will air during “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” (ABC). Carrie Underwood, Charlie Puth, Demi Lovato, Luke Bryan, and Wiz Khalifa will also help Seacrest countdown to the New Year in NYC’s Times Square.
• Snow Patrol – Former “Friends” star Courteney Cox has called off her 18-month-long engagement to guitarist Jonny McDaid, reports suggesting he’s left the family home and flown back to Britain. The pair met in 2013 and became engaged in Summer 2014.

BS COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Hello Again” – Audra McDonald & Martha Plimpton star in this adaptation of Michael John LaChiusa’s musical originally produced by Lincoln Center Theater in 1994. The story follows 10 lost souls from 10 different periods in NYC history, who slip in and out of one another’s lives. The ensemble cast also includes Rumer Willis and TR Knight. The film is currently shooting.
• “How It Ends” – This action thriller kicks off when a mysterious apocalyptic event turns highways into mayhem. The story follows a young father who will stop at nothing to get home to his pregnant wife on the other side of the country. David M Rosenthal has signed on to direct. His most recent film, “The Perfect Guy”, opened at #1 at the box office in September.
• “The Mummy” – Brendan Fraser starred in the 1999 version of the action adventure horror film, as well as its 2 sequels, “The Mummy Returns” and “The Mummy: Tomb Of the Dragon Emperor”. Tom Cruise is reportedly atop a shortlist to lead a 2017 reboot, as a big star is being sought to anchor the new movie. It’s set in the present day and features new characters.
• “Murder On the Orient Express” – Kenneth Branagh is set to direct and play Agatha Christie’s Belgian sleuth ‘Hercule Poirot’ in a new film version of her 1934 mystery. The most famous movie version was in 1974 with Albert Finney playing the detective and Lauren Bacall & Ingrid Bergman co-starring. ‘Hercule Poirot’ has also been played in several films by Peter Ustinov.
• “Tomb Raider” – After more than 5 years in development, the action adventure reboot has unearthed a director. Roar Uthaug, the director behind the Norwegian disaster drama “The Wave”, will helm the relaunch of the adventures of ‘Lara Croft’. One of the best-known videogame characters, she first appeared onscreen portrayed by Angelina Jolie in 2001.

MOST POPULAR BABY NAMES FOR 2015:
Girls …
1. Sophia
2. Emma
3. Olivia
4. Ava
5. Mia
Boys …
1. Jackson
2. Aiden
3. Liam
4. Lucas
5. Noah
– BabyCenter.com

BITE ME:
Narcissists can now bake cookies shaped like their own face (or their pet’s). There are a lot of cookie cutters out there to choose from but if you’re looking for something a little more personal Kriszti Bozzai of Etsy store Copypastry has just what you need. You can submit a picture of a person or animal, and Bozzai and her team will cookie cutter-fy it. To achieve your dream of eating your own face, you start by sending your photo in to the team of designers. They will create a silhouette and 3D-print you a plastic cookie cutter. (What are you gonna use for hair?)
– OddityMall.com

HOW YOU SLICE IT:
Guys will go to great lengths to impress a woman, that’s no surprise. But here’s a courting tactic we were previously unfamiliar with: Men eat more when women are around, a new study from Cornell University finds. Researchers stealthily observed people at an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet. Men who were dining with women ate 3 slices on average … nearly twice what the guys who were eating with other men consumed. It’s a form of showing off to the ladies, the researchers say … like a peacock’s feathers or a mating dance. (For more info, Google ‘grinding’.)
– “Men’s Health”

BS AMAZING FACT:
A 17th-century scientist planned to paint the bubonic plague onto hats in order to create a biological weapon.
– “New Scientist”

BS CHRONOMETER 12.03.15

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1948 [67] Ozzy (John) Osbourne, Birmingham UK, rock singer (“Let Me Hear You Scream”, Black Sabbath-“Paranoid”)/former reality TV star (“The Osbournes” 2002-05)

1960 [55] Julianne Moore, Fayetteville NC, movie actress (“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2”, “The Hours”)

1968 [47] Brendan Fraser, Indianapolis IN, movie actor (“The Mummy” films, “Crash”)

1982 [33] Dascha Polanco, Dominican Republic, TV actress (‘Dayanara Diaz’ on “Orange Is the New Black” since 2013)

1983 [32] Andy Grammar, LA CA, pop singer-songwriter (“Miss Me”, “Keep Your Head Up”)

1985 [30] Amanda Seyfried, Allentown PA, movie actress (“Love the Coopers”, “Mamma Mia!”)  UP NEXT: “Twin Peaks” TV series, now filming.

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “International Day of Persons With Disabilities”, sponsored by the United Nations.

• “Roof Over Your Head Day”, an annual observance to draw attention to the plight of the homeless.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1964 [51] 1st broadcast of the “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” TV special (wow, that claymation looks almost real, doesn’t it?)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1979 [36] 11 fans are killed in a stampede to get unreserved seats at a concert by The Who in Cincinnati, Ohio (next leg of “The Who Hits 50!” begins February 13th in London UK)

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
2005 [10] XCOR Aerospace makes the 1st manned rocket aircraft delivery of US Mail, in Kern County CA (“The mail’s here … incoming!”)

2010 [05] The ‘Leaf’, 1st mass market electric car, is launched by Nissan

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1984 [31] Oldest-known bridegroom (103-year-old cradle-robber Harry Stevens weds 83-year-old Thelma Lucas in Wisconsin)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] “A Very Murray Christmas” debuts (Netflix)
[Fri] Cookie Day
[Fri] World Wildlife Conservation Day
[Sat] Bartender Appreciation Day
[Sat] International Ninja Day
[Sun] St Nicholas Day
This Week Is … Older Driver Safety Awareness Week
This Month Is … Safe Toys & Gifts Month

BULL’S BITS

BS MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES FOR MILLENNIALS:
✓ “Better to have swiped right and lost than never to have swiped at all.”
✓ “Keep calm and carry condoms.”
✓ “Do one thing every day that scares your bank account.”
✓ “Be so good they can’t ignore your Linked-In request.”
✓ “You regret 100% of the shots you take after 2 am.”
✓ “Add to your Amazon cart like no one is watching.”
✓ “Where there’s wi-fi there’s a way.”
✓ “Life is 10% what you’re tagged in, and 90% how you react to it.”
✓ “Emojis speak louder than words.”
✓ “The best things in life are pizza.”
– Adapted from BuzzFeed.com

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
Where would you find the world’s ‘highest’ town?
a. Nepal.
b. Peru. [CORRECT. Cerro de Pasco has the honor with an altitude of about 14,000 feet or 4,300 meters.]
c. The Netherlands.
– “Coffee News”

BS RANDOM JOKE:
A good day is when you wake up without a chalk outline around your body.

BRITISH CULINARY SPECIALTY OR TWEE SLANG FOR STD SYMPTOM?
• Boilies [STD Symptom]
• Custardy Lumplots [STD Symptom]
• Rumbledethumps [Brit Cuisine]
• Bubble & Squeak [Brit Cuisine]
• Spotted Dick [Brit Cuisine]
• Salted Swamp Custard [STD Symptom]
• Black Bun [Brit Cuisine]
• Head Cheese [Brit Cuisine]
• Lumpety John [STD Symptom]
• Wee Spotties [STD Symptom]
– Thanks to Elise Wien

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ We’ve all heard of Hooters. If you were creating a restaurant for women where the male waiters wore skimpy outfits, what would it be called?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: The average household has 3 of THESE at any given time.
Answer: Unpaid bills.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Evil always triumphs over good … usually because good is stupid.