BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ NYC should brace for a shark attack because today “Sharknado 2: The Second One” begins filming. Ian Ziering & Tara Reid are reprising their roles as ‘Fin’ and ‘April’ in the eagerly awaited “Sharknado” sequel, in which a freak weather system unleashes a sharknado on the Big Apple. The original tongue-in-cheek disaster comedy blew up last Summer and turned into a kitschy pop culture icon. “Sharknado 2” is scheduled to premiere on Syfy channel in July. (See Bull’s Bits.)
★ Actor Bradley Cooper is returning to Broadway after 8 years to play “The Elephant Man”. The “American Hustle” star was last on Broadway in 2006 when he appeared opposite fellow 2014 Oscar nominee Julia Roberts in “Three Days of Rain”. He previously played the role of severely deformed ‘John Merrick’ 2 years ago at the Williamstown Theater Festival in Massachusetts. The new revival will hit the Great White Way this Fall. When “The Elephant Man” last played Broadway in 2002, it earned star Billy Crudup a Tony nomination. (A good omen for Coop.)
– WENN.com
★ The “Ellen DeGeneres Show” has become the 1st US talk show to become available in China, through the country’s leading online video service provider. Episodes from the current 11th season of the daytime gabfest are appearing with subtitles on Sohu.com 48 hours after their original airing, then remaining available for viewing on demand. There are an estimated 600 million Internet users in China, so breaking into the market is a major deal. (BS translation: Ellen’s gonna be buying Portia some new jewelry.)
– “Los Angeles Times”
★ And 29-year-old actress Keira Knightley has once again denied that she suffers from anorexia and says the accusations are hurtful as it’s something she doesn’t take lightly – her grandmother, great-grandmother, and several friends have battled with it. She credits her slim frame (5′-7″, 115 lbs) to good genes and a fast metabolism, and notes she doesn’t maintain a healthy diet or workout regularly. Quote: “The most exercise I get is turning on the TV.” (Now you can really hate her.)
– “Daily Express”

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “American Idol” (FOX/CTV) – Following more performances, the top semifinalists are announced.
• “Chelsea Lately” (E!) – Demi Lovato (“Demi”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Sage The Gemini (“Remember Me”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/NTV/Omni1) – Eagulls (“Eagulls”). Rerun.
• “Winter Olympics” (CBC/NBC) – Figure Skating; Freestyle Skiing; Speed Skating; Skeleton.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Kanye West – Tonight his “Yeezus Tour” begins 2-week run of the Northeast, beginning at Penn State in University Park PA. The tour is also set for a few dates in Canada before wrapping on February 23rd in Uniondale NY.
• Lou Reed – The life and times of the late rocker will be detailed in a biography that will be penned by “Rolling Stone” magazine writer Will Hermes. No publication date has been set, but a spokesman says it is about 2-to-3 years away.
• Rascal Flatts – An Ohio state senator has introduced a bill seeking to honor them as the state’s ‘Official Country Music Group’. Band members Jay DeMarcus and Gary LeVox hail from Ohio and have made it a point to get back to their home state for concerts and charity work.
• Weezer – Today their 2nd annual 5-day ‘Weezer Cruise’ embarks on the Carnival Fascination, sailing out of Jacksonville FL. The Bahamas voyage stops in Freeport and Nassau and features 3 performances by the band, including a beach concert on a private island.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Brooklyn Bridge” – ‘Harry Potter’ actor Daniel Radcliffe is set to play civil engineer Washington Roebling, who was instrumental in building what was the largest suspension bridge in the world when it opened in 1883. It took 14 years to build at a cost of $15 million and 20 lives, and was widely derided during the building phase. Filming is due to begin in August.
• “Get Santa” – Jim Broadbent is starring in the title role of this comedy now shooting in London and Yorkshire, England. The storyline follows a 9-year-old and his dad who team up to save Christmas when they discover Santa sleeping in their garage after crashing his sleigh while on the run from police. The holiday season pic is due to hit screens this December 5th.
• “The Dark Tower” – “Breaking Bad” alum Aaron Paul has confirmed he’s been in talks about playing the character ‘Eddie Dean’ for director Ron Howard in this screen adaptation of the Stephen King book series of the same name. The goal is to do 3 films, but also have a television element to it. That would be an interesting new twist that’s never yet been done.
• “Point Break” – Gerard Butler is in negotiations for the lead role in Ericson Core’s new take on the classic 1991 surf film, which originally starred the late Patrick Swayze. The new version has been adapted to the world of extreme sports rather than the Californian surf scene. Butler would play ‘Bodhi’, an expert extreme-sports athlete by day, and crime ring leader by night.

MORE OF WHAT THE WORLD EATS FOR BREAKFAST:
Part 2 of an occasional “BS” series …
• Brazil – Steaming warm, fresh-from-the-oven pao de queijos, round-shaped ‘cheese buns’, are a breakfast staplel. Fresh fruit or berries, such as the acai, are also common.
• Burma – A morning might start out with  ‘kaut nyin paung’, sticky fried rice topped with boiled yellow beans. This savory dish is sometimes served with fried fish and a cup of green tea.
• Finland – A hearty bowl of oat–based porridge, ‘puuro’, is a common breakfast, often served with milk, fresh or frozen berries, and a bit of butter.
• Sweden – A ‘smorgas’, or open-faced sandwich, is typical. Slices of buttered bread are topped with a combination of toppings that can include ham, cheese, lettuce, and hard-boiled egg.
• Switzerland – Muesli, the cereal blend of oat flakes, nuts, and raisins or other types of dried fruit is often eaten with yogurt.
• Venezuela – The soft corn flatbread arepa is eaten throughout the day, but it’s most commonly served in the morning stuffed with different fillings such as cheese, meat, or beans.
– TheDailyMeal.com

DITCH AT-WORK FRIENDS?
When starting a new job it is only natural to bond with people who share a similar background. But don’t get too comfortable: Sticking with your own kind can be a hindrance later in one’s career, a new business study suggests. The tendency to stick with people like yourself is known as ‘homophily’. It can initially prove helpful in getting ahead, the study says, but once an employee has moved up in the organization or demonstrated good work, staying with that first group of colleagues can hold them back. (So go for that promotion … loner.)
– CNN.com

BS SIGNS YOU’RE WATCHING A 1980s MOVIE:
• There’s equal representation for every high school stereotype … a brain, an athlete, a princess, a basket case.
• Whether you’re watching “Top Gun”, “The Big Chill”, or “Back To the Future”, the soundtrack is amazing.
• There’s a giant cellphone in the house! If you spot a humongous phone in the hands of a rich and/or hot character, you’re definitely watching an ’80s film.
• There’s gratuitous nudity. It’s like all ’80s movie executives asked, “What if someone got naked in this scene?”
• There’s a dancing montage.
• A character frequently breaks the ‘4th wall’, looks you dead in the eyes, and speaks as if they are off-camera.
• And, of course, there’s a jerk for a principal. Because authority figures were always out to get you back then.
– iVillage.ca

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT EXISTS:
With Valentines Day on the way, we wondered, “Is love at first sight real?” Well, according to science, the answer is ‘Yes’. Your brain can release love-related chemicals in a split second after you spy someone you love. A recent study also shows that new love really is like a drug. It sparks the same euphoric feeling as cocaine, and in the same part of the brain. (And makes you act just about as stupid.)
– “Journal of Sexual Medicine”

ROMANTIC RESTAURANTS:
After polling their readers on Twitter, editors of a crowd-sourced restaurant guide came up with a list of the most romantic restaurants in the world for Valentines Day. Here’s Zagat’s Valentines bucket list, chosen for food, ambiance, and ‘romance factor’ …
1. La Tour d’Argent, Paris
2. One if by Land, Two if by Sea, New York City
3. The French Laundry, Yountville, California
4. Le Chantecler, Nice, France
5. Carmen Aben Humeya, Granada, Spain
6. Manresa, Los Gatos, California
7. Faviken, Jarpen, Sweden
8. Per Se, New York
9. Next, Chicago
10. Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark
– RelaxNews.com

TEEN NOVEL RATINGS?
Popular teenage novels contain hundreds of swear words and the most popular characters are the most foul-mouthed, according to a Brigham Young University study of young adult books. Characters who swear are generally portrayed as rich, attractive, and more popular than those who do not. An average of 38 instances of profanity were detected per book, with 88% of all reviewed books containing at least one. Some of the books are targeted at children as young as 9. The researchers say their findings raise questions over whether books should be given age ratings similar to those used on films and videogames. (We say if kids will actually read something, leave ’em to it!)
– “Daily Telegraph”

DID YOU KNOW?
• Each of us generates about 5 pounds of garbage per day.
• Women are 10 times less likely than men to suffer from color blindness.
• Disney World is bigger than the world’s 5 smallest countries.
– AskMen.com

BS CHRONOMETER 02.13.14

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1944 [70] Jerry Springer, London UK, trash TV talk show host (“Jerry Springer Show” since 1991)

1950 [64] Peter Gabriel, Woking UK, classic rock singer (“Sledgehammer”, “Big Time”)

1972 [42] Todd Harrell, Escatawpa MS, rock musician (3 Doors Down-“Here Without You”, “When I’m Gone”)

1974 [40] Robbie Williams, Stoke-on-Trent UK, pop singer (“Candy”, “Angels”)/former member of pop group Take That

1976 [38] (Leslie) Feist, Amherst NS, pop singer (“1234”, “Mushaboom”)

1979 [35] Mena Suvari, Newport RI, movie actress (“American Beauty”, “American Pie” movies)

1997 [17] Prince Michael Jackson Jr, Beverly Hills CA, Michael Jackson’s #1 son with ex-wife/baby carrier Debbie Rowe

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Employee Legal Awareness Day”, a day  to make employees aware of the main legal duties involved in conducting their day-to-day activities and the main legal risks incurred by failure to fulfil those duties. (Also a good time to find out what your boss can and can’t do to you.)

• “Get a Different Name Day”, set aside to give us opportunity to pick one we’d really like. Find listeners with really odd names and ask them what nickname they’d like to be called. Or find them a cool new name at the ‘Baby Namer’ website …
NET: http://pregnancy.about.com/library/names/blbabynamer.htm

• “World Radio Day”, a UN observation adopted on November 3, 2011 by UNESCO’s 36th General Conference. It was originally proposed by Spain. (Shouldn’t we get the day off or something?)

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2008 [06] A California judge rules that actor Mel Gibson has successfully completed the terms of his no-contest plea to misdemeanor DUI (his career, however, never recovers)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1988 [26] Opening of 1st Winter Olympics hosted by Canada (Canada fails to win a single gold medal at the 15th Winter Games in Calgary)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1988 [26] Michael Jackson buys a ranch in Santa Ynez, California and names it ‘Neverland’ (it’s later renamed ‘the scene of the crime’)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2003 [11] Dan Price completes a 4,000-mile cross-country ride from Joseph, Oregon to Key West, Florida … on a tricycle (averages 50-to-60 miles a day, camps out at night)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Valentines Day
[Fri] “About Last Night”; “Endless Love”; “Vampire Academy”; “Winter’s Tale” open in movie theaters
[Fri] Full ‘Snow’ Moon
[Fri] Pet Theft Awareness Day
[Fri] Call In Single Day
[Sat] World Whale Day
[Sun] 63rd NBA All Star Game (New Orleans LA)
This Week Is … Jell-O Week
This Month Is … Bake for Family Fun Month

BULL’S BITS

‘Men’s Short Program’ event gets underway today at the Sochi Olympics, so here are some …
BS SIGNS YOU’RE WATCHING A BAD SKATING COMPETITION:
● Male figures competition is cancelled after Vladimir Putin objects to ‘crossovers’, ‘leg wraps’, ‘open strokes’, and ‘Walley jumps’.
● Biggest cheer occurs when the Zamboni runs down the Russian competitor.
● The highest marks for technical merit are then given to the Zamboni driver.
● The Japanese team equipment sponsor is ‘Acme Ass Pads’.
● First time you’ve seen points awarded for a ‘Triple Klutz’ and a ‘Triple Putz’.
● The mixed pairs competition degenerates into an all-out grope-fest.
● During ice dancing, some crazed toothless Canadian cross-checks couples into the boards.
● More butts hitting the ice than at the annual Ice Fishing Tournament.

BS MOVIES COMING SOON FROM THE MAKERS OF “SHARKNADO”:
✓ “Roophoon!” (a typhoon that rains kangaroos).
✓ “bLIZARD! ” (a Komodo dragon-laden snowstorm).
✓ “Monkeyfog!” (gorillas in the mist).

BS RANDOM JOKE:
The person not here is the one working on the problem.

BS WEB GOODIE:
You say no one listens to you? Try talking to ‘Eliza’ the chatbot.
NET: http://nlp-addiction.com/eliza/

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: In a survey about rude behavior, 30% of us admit to doing THIS.
Answer: Using the supermarket express lane when buying more than 10 items.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ If you could afford to buy a racehorse, what would you call it?

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The only time to be positive is when you are positive you are wrong.