BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Actress Scarlett Johansson’s new project is a family affair, as her older sister Vanessa has directed her in narrating the audiobook for “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, out today. Vanessa, who is an accomplished voice actress, says the siblings jumped at the chance to work together on the project. The process of recording the story for online audiobook store Audible.com came easily to the sisters, they say, as they’ve played around doing funny voices since they were little.
– People.com
★ “Live from Cairo … it’s Saturday Night!” An Arabic version of “Saturday Night Live” is now airing across the Arab world for the first time, offering a Middle Eastern twist on the veteran comedy show. In a newly renovated theater in the Egyptian capital, episode 2 is shooting today. All the elements of “SNL” are there – a celebrity guest, music performances, live sketches, videos, and parody news. But when it comes to politics … they’re playing it safe. One writer notes you can’t make a decent political joke without offending someone. Egypt is the Arab world’s biggest market with 90 million people, and is known across the region for its sense of humor.
– AP
★ Who’s done the best/worst after winning an Oscar?. A new analysis of all the ‘Best Actor’ and ‘Best Actress’ winners since 1970 tracks how many films they made after their win and how well those movies performed. It’s fairly easy to declare a winner: Tom Hanks won back-to-back Oscars and since then has cranked out 16 films that have rated at 90% or above on website RottenTomatoes.com. 31 of the Academy Award-winning actors and actresses in the data set didn’t even make 16 movies after receiving their Oscar, let alone 16 that rate above 90%. On the female side, Cate Blanchett seems unstoppable. She’s made a movie, on average, every 3.3 months since her Oscar win in 2013. Very few have been duds.
– FiveThirtyEight.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Legendary doo-wop musician Dion, whose new album is “New York is My Home”.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Miguel w/Travis Scott (“Rodeo”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Yo Gotti f/Travis Barker (“The Art of Hustle”).
• “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global) – Violent Femmes (“We Can Do Anything”, out March 4th).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Kygo (“Cloud Nine”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Adam Lambert – Tonight he kicks off his 22-date “The Original High” tour in Huntington NY. The tour is set to wrap in Los Angeles April 2nd. He says the 90-minute show will feature music from his latest album with ‘some old favorites as well’.
• Adele – “25” is back on top of today’s new ‘Billboard 200′ album chart, despite her unfortunate performance at the Grammy Awards last week. The album has now been #1 for 9 non-consecutive weeks.
• Ariana Grande – She & Demi Lovato had a ghoulish girls’ night out on the weekend when they took a midnight hike to the former LA home of Leno & Rosemary LaBianca, who were killed by Charles Manson and members of his infamous The Family cult in the late 1960s.
• The Beatles – A lock of John Lennon’s hair that he cut off for a film role has sold for $35,000 at auction. Heritage Auctions in Dallas TX says the 4-inch hank of hair has been bought by a UK-based collector.
• Drake – He’s revealed that, being half-Jewish, he celebrated his coming of age with a bar mitzvah as a teen. And where was it held? In an Italian restaurant.
• Fetty Wap – The rapper’s ex-girlfriend is demanding he take a paternity test to prove he’s the father of their baby. Masika Kalysha announced she was 6-months pregnant with his child in December. However, it’s been speculated that she’s just courting publicity for her upcoming reality TV show titled “Pregnant in Pumps”.
• Paramore – Frontwoman Hayley Williams has wed New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert in Nashville TN. The couple had been dating for nearly 8 years and became engaged over a year ago.
• Taylor Swift – She’s donated $250,000 to fellow singer Kesha to help support her ongoing battle to free herself from a contract with producer and alleged abuser Dr Luke. A New York Supreme Court has just ruled that the contract is binding.

THIS WEEK’S VIDEO RELEASES:
Out today on DVD, Netflix, Google Play and/or other video providers …
• “The Good Dinosaur” ( PG Animated Adventure ): Disney’s epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named ‘Arlo’ makes an unlikely human friend. Voice cast is led by Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Maleah Nipay-Padilla, Ryan Teeple. Soundtrack includes “Crystals” by Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men.
• “My All American” ( PG Sports Biography ): College football player Freddie Joe Steinmark, an underdog on the gridiron, faces the toughest challenge of his life after leading his University of Texas team to a championship season. Stars Aaron Eckhart, Finn Wittrock, Robin Tunney, Sarah Bolger. From the writer of the sports movies “Rudy” and “Hoosiers”.
• “Secret in Their Eyes” ( PG-13 Mystery Thriller): Nicole Kidman stepped in to replace Gwyneth Paltrow in this English-language remake of an Argentine thriller. The film pairs Kidman with Julia Roberts for the first time, alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years a Slave”). The original Spanish-language movie won the Oscar for ‘Best Foreign-Language Film’ in 2010.
• “Spotlight” ( R-Rated Drama ): The gripping true story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation by “Boston Globe” reporters that uncovered child abuse among Catholic priests.
Stars Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, Billy Crudup, Stanley Tucci. Nominated for 6 Oscars.
• Also released today: “Fargo: Year 2” (TV); “Kung Fu Trailers of Fury” (Movie Trailer Compilation); “Racing Extinction” (Documentary); and “Shaun the Sheep: Season 2” (TV).

POT PROGRESSION:
Remember in olden days when they used to say marijuana was a ‘gateway drug’? Well, turns out it may be … to booze. New research suggests pot users are 5-to-6 times more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder. These researchers have also looked at other drug use disorders and nicotine dependence; and they say the likelihood proves higher for pot smokers in both cases. But a psychology professor and legalization advocate says he’s sceptical about the new findings. In 40 years of clinical experience, he says, he’s seen no evidence of this ‘pot-to-other-drugs’ gateway theory. (Pot to pizza, however, is provable.)
– HealthDay.com

IT’S THE JOURNEY NOT THE DESTINATION:
Vacations are a chance to take a break from work, see the world and enjoy time with family, but do they make you happier? Researchers in The Netherlands have set out to measure the effect vacations have on overall happiness and how long it lasts. The study shows that the largest boost in happiness comes from the simple act of planning a vacation. The effect of vacation anticipation boosts happiness for about 8 weeks. (Returning home with photos you can’t identify, a 3rd-degree sunburn, and sand in your shorts boosts happiness for about 4 minutes.)
– NYTimes.com

FAMOUS VOICES DISGUISED:
Whose voice is that? You may not realize that these stars are behind some of your favorite animated movie characters …
• Amy Poehler … ‘Joy’ in “Inside Out”.
• Aziz Ansari … ‘Squint’ in “Ice Age: Continental Drift”.
• Beyoncé … ‘Queen Tara’ in “Epic”.
• Bruno Mars … ‘Roberto’ in “Rio 2”.
• Emma Stone … ‘Eep’ in “The Croods”.
• Katy Perry … ‘Smurfette’ in “The Smurfs”.
• Nicki Minaj … ‘Steffie’ in “Ice Age: Continental Drift”.
• P!nk … ‘Gloria’ in “Happy Feet 2”.
• Reese Witherspoon … ‘Ginormica’ in “Monsters vs Aliens”.
• Rihanna … ‘Gratuity Tucci’ in “Home”.
• Ryan Reynolds … ‘Turbo’ in “Turbo”.
• Taylor Swift … ‘Audrey’ in “The Lorax”.
– TIME.com

FACEBOOK FRIEND ETIQUETTE:
How do you tell someone you don’t want to ‘friend’ them on Facebook? In the workplace, the consequences of offending someone by ignoring their request can be a big deal. A few tips from the experts …
• Suggest to the colleague that you instead wish to connect on LinkedIn, the social network for professional relationships.
• Offer thanks for the invitation but inform them you’re restricting your Facebook to family and personal friends.
• Accept the invitation, then use Facebook’s privacy settings to limit the flow of info between you and your new ‘friend’.
– “Globe & Mail”

BS AMAZING ANIMAL FACTS:
• Horses can tell when you’re angry.
– BBC News
• Dogs can recognize a range of human emotions. (So can cats but they don’t give a crap.)
– “Daily Telegraph”

BS CHRONOMETER 02.23.16

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1952 [64] Brad Whitford, Winchester MA, rock guitarist (Aerosmith-“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”, “Crazy”)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2001)

1965 [51] Michael Dell, Houston TX, founder & CEO of Dell Computer/net worth $20.1 billion as of 2016

1972 [44] Steve Holy, Dallas TX, country singer (“Brand New Girlfriend”, “Good Morning Beautiful”)

1981 [35] Josh Gad, Hollywood FL, movie actor (‘Olaf’ in “Frozen”, ”Jobs”)/Broadway actor (“The Book of Mormon”)  COMING UP: “The Angry Birds Movie”, opening May 20th.

1983 [33] Emily Blunt, London UK, movie actress (“Into the Woods”, “The Devil Wears Prada”)/Mrs John Krasinski since 2010  UP NEXT: “The Girl On the Train”, now shooting.

1983 [33] Aziz Ansari, Columbia SC, TV actor (“Parks & Recreation” 2009-15)/standup comedian (“Live at Madison Square Garden”)

1994 [22] Dakota Fanning, Conyers GA, movie actress (“Twilight Saga” films, “The Runaways”)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Curling is Cool Day”, celebrating the Winter sport of curling … basically a drinking game with some housecleaning interspersed. Curling is one sport in which participants are able to laugh at themselves …
NET: http://icing.org/humour/2liners/2liners.htm

• “Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day”. A recent poll of pet owners finds that fully 34% have eaten dog food at one time or another, most likely just to see what it tastes like.

• “Single Tasking Day”, a day to focus on one project at a time. Studies show you’ll likely end up accomplishing more.

• “World Spay Day”, an annual campaign on the last Tuesday of February by Humane Society International to inspire people to save animal lives by spaying or neutering pets and feral cats.
NET: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/spay_day

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2014 [02] The Sochi Winter Olympics end (on this last day of competition, Canada beats Sweden in men’s hockey to remain the reigning gold medalist in 2 consecutive Winter Games)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2000 [16] Carlos Santana ties Grammy Awards record by picking up 8 trophies for his multi-platinum album “Supernatural” and its first #1 single “Smooth”

2010 [06] Britain’s Culture Ministry declares The Beatles’ Abbey Road studio in London an historic site

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1997 [19] Scientists in Scotland announce the 1st successful cloning of an adult mammal, ‘Dolly’ the sheep

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1992 [24] Residents of Auckland, New Zealand complete the tallest tower made entirely of LEGO blocks … 65 feet, 2 inches (19.9 m)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] 2016 Brit Awards (London UK)
[Wed] Inconvenience Yourself Day
[Thurs] Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day
[Fri] “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny”; “Eddie the Eagle”; “Gods of Egypt”; “Triple 9” open in movie theaters
[Fri] “Fuller House” released (Netflix)
This Week Is … Eating Disorders Awareness Week
This Month Is … Hot Breakfast Month

BULL’S BITS

BS THINGS YOU’VE FORGOTTEN YOU USED TO DO:
• Pushing a button 7 times just to get the character you wanted while composing a text. Then missing it and having to start over.
• Having to download an app for a flashlight.
• Accidentally hitting the ‘Internet’ button on your flip-phone and running up charges.
• Changing the TV to channel 3 in order to watch the VCR.
• Having to clean your mouse ball.
• Telling everyone to call you after 9 so you don’t use up all your cellphone minutes.
• Carrying around a cellphone AND an MP3 player.
• Having to get up to switch the videotape for part 2 of “Titanic”.
• Typing ‘WWW’ before every website.
• When Netflix only came in envelopes … DVDs by mail.
• Waiting all day to get home to your laptop so you could see who was writing on your Facebook wall.
• And remember when you had to use a TV to watch TV?
– Adapted from BuzzFeed.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What’s your little trick to calm a crying baby?

TRUTH OR BS?
Run down the following rapid-fire while your contestant tries to determine whether they are actual facts or total BS …
• A ‘butt’ was a medieval unit of measure for wine. [True]
• Kohlrabi was originally grown as a prank by drunk farmers. [BS]
• Farts have been clocked at speeds of up to 16 km/h (10 mph). [True]
• In the Arabic version of “The Simpsons”, ‘Homer’ is called ‘Omar Shamshoom’. [True]
• By law, all globes in Australia must be displayed upside down. [BS]
• As well as defining gravity, Sir Isaac Newton also invented the game ‘Hopscotch’. [BS]
• Nobody knows who invented the 1st fire hydrant because its patent was burned in a fire.
[True]
• After extensive study of the Shroud of Turin, it has now been theorized that Jesus had muttonchops. [BS]

BS RANDOM JOKE:
A Mexican magician tells the audience he will disappear within the count of 3. He says: “Uno … dos … Then poof! He disappears without a tres.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: About half of adults admit they’ll lie to you if you ask them THIS.
Answer: How much chocolate they eat.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Quantum mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of.