BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Jennifer Lawrence is the highest-paid 2016 Oscar nominee. The 25-year-old, who is up for ‘Best Actress’ for “Joy”, earned an estimated $52 million from June 2014-June 2015. That puts her well ahead of ‘Best Actor’ nominees Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Revenant”) at $29 million; and Matt Damon (“The Martian”) at  $25 million. The 3 stars are the only Oscar nominees to make a new ranking of the year’s highest-paid actors.
– Forbes.com
★ Mariah Carey’s wedding plans may have been revealed. She & Australian billionaire James Packer became engaged in January (the deal sealed with a $7 million+, 35-carat engagement ring) and now it seems they’re considering exchanging vows on the Polynesian island of Tahiti. The nuptials are likely to involve Packer’s iconic super-yacht as he’s sailed around Tahiti in the 287-foot monster craft before. Mariah’s representative has not confirmed the report, saying any wedding details are “definitely all rumors” at this stage.
– “New York Post”
★ “Creed” director Ryan Coogler is holding a fundraiser for contaminated water-troubled Flint MI on Oscars night, Sunday. Dubbed #JusticeForFlint, the event is being hosted by comedian Hannibal Buress and presented by Blackout for Human Rights, Coogler’s activist collective devoted to addressing human rights violations in America. Singer Janelle Monae, “Grey’s Anatomy” actor Jesse Williams, and “Selma” director Ava DuVernay will be among celebs in attendance. The free event is being live-streamed from Flint’s Whiting Auditorium.
– BuzzFeed News
★ And Viola Davis says she’s going to have to take a break from sex scenes after … throwing her back out. The 50-year-old actress has been seen in her fair share of raunchy encounters while playing ‘Annalise Keating’ on ABC-TV’s “How to Get Away with Murder”, a lot of them involving co-star Billy Brown, who plays ‘Nate Lahey’. It was apparently during one such scene that Viola suffered an injury. Quote: “He threw me up against a wall. All I can say is I was totally committed to the scene.”
– WENN.com

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Today Carly Rae Jepsen (“Emotion”).
• “Fuller House” (Netflix) – Today the “Full House” reunion finally arrives. ‘DJ Tanner-Fuller’ (Candace Cameron Bure) is widowed, and most of the ‘Tanner’ gang moves in with her to help take care of her 3 kids. You asked for it, you got it, right?
• “In Performance At the White House” (PBS) – Tonight interpretations of the music of Ray Charles by contemporary artists. Among them: The Band Perry, Brittany Howard (Alabama Shakes), Demi Lovato, and Usher.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Tonight Jason Derulo (“Everything Is 4”). Rerun.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Tonight Lower Dens (“Escape from Evil”). Rerun.
• “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global) – Tonight Charles Kelley (“The Driver”).
• The Oscars (ABC/CTV) – Sunday the 88th Academy Awards are handed out. The highlight may be how emcee Chris Rock handles the ongoing diversity controversy in Hollywood. Up for ‘Best Original Song’ are Lady Gaga (“Til It Happens To You” from “The Hunting Ground”); Sam Smith (“Writing’s On The Wall” from “Spectre”); The Weeknd (“Earned It” from “Fifty Shades of Grey”). Other musical performances by Common, Dave Grohl, John Legend, and Pharrell Williams. Other music-related nominations include the Amy Winehouse movie “Amy” for ‘Best Documentary’, and the NWA biopic “Straight Outta Compton” for ‘Best Original Screenplay’.
• “The Talk” (CBS) – Today Elton John (“Wonderful Crazy Night”).
• “Tavis Smiley” (PBS) – Tonight Roger Waters (“Amused to Death”). Rerun.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Charli XCX – Today she unleashes the 4-song “Vroom Vroom” EP, which is being released through her new ‘experimental pop’ record label Vroom Vroom Recordings.
• George Harrison – Last year’s tribute concert is being released today. “George Fest: A Night to Celebrate the Music of George Harrison” is out on CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, vinyl, and digital download. The event features Conan O’Brien, Brian Wilson (Beach Boys), Brandon Flowers (The Killers), even Weird Al Yankovic.
• Kesha – She’s axed tonight’s scheduled concert at Loyola University in Chicago IL due to ‘personal reasons’. It’s been exactly a week since she lost her bid to get out of her Sony contract.
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made” is out today, the follow-up to their breakthrough album “The Heist”.
• Michael Jackson – His Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara CA is up for sale. The larger-than-life property includes a 6-bedroom Tudor-style main house; a home movie theater, complete with stage and concession stand; and of course, a dance studio. All this comes with a large price. $100 million to be exact. Jackson purchased the ranch for $28 million in 1988.
• Rihanna – Due to her recent diagnosis of bronchitis, she’s postponed the first 8 dates of her “Anti World Tour”. Originally slated to begin tonight in San Diego CA, the trek will now kick off in Jacksonville FL on March 12th. Postponed shows are being rescheduled for March and May.
• Sting – He & wife Trudie have taken in $4 million from their recent moving sale. They sold their London mansion last year for $26 million; then put 150 items from their old home up for auction this week. Included were several pieces of fine art.
• Trick Pony – Today their new EP “Pony Up” arrives. Comprised of Heidi Newfield and Keith Burns, the country act reformed in 2013. This new project features 5 songs, including the lead single “Everybody Wanna Be Us”.
• Willie Nelson – He was feted at a star-studded Washington DC gala in November as the 1st country artist to receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Today he releases a tribute album to iconic songwriters George & Ira Gershwin, entitled “Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin”.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny” (  PG-13 Action Adventure ): This sequel to the 2000 film is being released on Netflix at the same time as in theaters. Donnie Yen, Michelle Yeoh, Harry Shum Jr, and  Jason Scott Lee star in a story of lost love, young love, a legendary sword, and one last opportunity at redemption.
NET: https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/80039717
• “Eddie the Eagle” (  PG-13 Sports Biography ): The story of Eddie Edwards, the notoriously tenacious British underdog ski jumper who charmed the world at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary AB. Stars Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken, Jo Hartley. It seems “Cool Runnings”, about the Jamaican bobsled team, now has a companion movie.
NET: http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/eddie-the-eagle
• “Gods of Egypt” (  PG-13 Fantasy Adventure ): Mortal hero ‘Bek’ teams with the god ‘Horus’ in an alliance against ‘Set’, the merciless god of darkness who has usurped Egypt’s throne, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict. Stars Brenton Thwaites, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Gerard Butler, Chadwick Boseman.
NET: http://www.godsofegypt.movie/home
• “Triple 9” ( R-Rated Crime Thriller ): A gang of criminals and corrupt cops plan the murder of a police officer as a distraction in order to pull off their biggest heist yet on the other side of town. Stars Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul. Director John Hillcoat’s follow-up to “Lawless”.
NET: http://triple9movie.com
• Opening in limited release: “The Last Man On the Moon” (Documentary).

WORDS TURNING 40 IN 2016:
If you were born in 1976 you’re the same age as the following terms, according to the “Oxford English Dictionary” …
• Beer Gut – While ‘beer belly’ has been around since 1942, ‘beer gut’ didn’t roll in until 40 years ago.
• Bollywood – This blend of Bombay + Hollywood that refers to the Indian film industry, was first used in a 1976 ‘Inspector Ghote’ mystery novel by author HRF Keating.
• Boomer – While we already had Baby Boom and Baby Boomers, it wasn’t until 1976 that the generational label was shortened.
• Dog Doo – We’ve come up with plenty of things to call it: Dog Dirt (1543), Dog Muck (1804), Dog Mess (1927), Dog Crap (1942), Dog Shit (1944), and Dog Poop (1972). We first stepped in this one 40 years ago.
• Download – Used as a verb meaning to copy data from one computer to another device, it is first attested in a 40-year-old article from the journal “Science”.
• Going Forward – It seems like relatively recent annoying management-speak, but it was actually hatched as a substitute for ‘in the future’ 40 years ago.
• PIN – The acronym for Personal Identification Number was just starting to be used in drive-thru banks in 1976.
• PMS – First used as an abbreviation for ‘premenstrual syndrome’ in a 1976 article in the Brit medical journal “The Lancet”.
• Startup – The use of the term to describe a business enterprise in the process of starting up is credited to a 1976 “Forbes” magazine article.
• Trekkie – The first citation for the use of the term to describe an admirer of sci-fi TV show “Star Trek” is a 1976 edition of “New Yorker” magazine.
– Condensed from MentalFloss.com

FOR THE RECORD:
NYC has been dethroned as ‘Billionaire Capital Of the World’. Beijing, China now has more. As of January 15th, there were 100 in the Chinese capital, compared to 95 in NYC. The figures are courtesy of Hurun, a Shanghai firm that releases annual rankings of the world’s richest people.  Beijing has gained 32 billionaires over the past year; New York just 4. Next up on the billionaire city list: Moscow (66); Hong Kong (64); and Shanghai (50). There are now a total of 2,188 billionaires on the planet. China would have even more had the Chinese stock market not fallen 40% over the past 6 months. (Scary!)
– CNNMoney.com

BS AMAZING FOOD FACTS:
• Due to the lack of an ‘r’ sound in Japanese, ‘Ronald McDonald’ is called ‘Donald McDonald’.
• If the radius of a pizza is ‘Z’ and its thickness is ‘A’, then its volume is Pi-ZZA.
– List25.com

BS CHRONOMETER 02.26.16

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1968 [48] Tim Commerford, Irvine CA, rock bassist (Rage Against the Machine-“Guerrilla Radio”, Audioslave-“Be Yourself”)

1971 [45] Erykah Badu (Wright), Dallas TX, R&B singer (“Love of My Life”, “Bag Lady”)/mother to Puma, Seven, and Mars

1979 [37] Chris Culos, Rockville MD, rock drummer (OAR-“Shattered [Turn the Car Around”])

1979 [37] Corinne Bailey Rae, Leeds UK, pop singer (“Trouble Sleeping”, “Put Your Records On”)

1982 [34] Nate Ruess, Iowa City IA, indie pop singer (fun.-“Some Nights”, “We Are Young”)

SATURDAY –
Pop singer Rozonda ‘Chilli’ Thomas (TLC) is 45; Operatic singer Josh Groban (“Stages”) is 35; Indie rock drummer Jared Champion (Cage the Elephant) is 33; TV actress Kate Mara (“House of Cards”) is 33.

SUNDAY –
Comedian/actor Gilbert Gottfried (“A Million Ways to Die In the West”) is 61; Movie actor John Turturro (“Transformers: Dark Of the Moon”) is 59; Pop singer Pat Monahan (Train) is 47; Country singer Jason Aldean (“Burnin’ It Down”) is 39.

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “For Pete’s Sake Day”, which asks the pressing question, ‘Just who the heck is Pete, anyway, and why would we do anything for his sake?’
• “Levi Strauss’ Birthday” (1829-1902), the man who created the first Levi’s blue jeans for California’s gold miners in 1850. Without him, many of us wouldn’t have a wardrobe.
• “Personal Chefs Day”, an annual reminder to consider hiring a private chef for a day, a unique way to entertain friends and business guests in your home. It’s not as costly as you might think.
NET: http://www.personalchef.com
• “Tell a Fairytale Day”. Yeah, inflict some of the most violent stories ever written onto your innocent, unsuspecting child. (What’s the scariest of all-time? “Fee, fi, foe, fum …”)
• “World Pistachio Day”, apparently honoring people with pink dye all over their lips. Betcha can’t eat just one!

SATURDAY –
• “International Polar Bear Day”, as declared by conservation group Polar Bears International to heighten awareness of the declining population of the big white guys of the Far North.
• “International Sword Swallowers Day”, a day of recognition for practitioners of the ancient art. Demonstrations are scheduled at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museums worldwide.
• “Open That Bottle Night” … you know, the one that’s gathering dust in your wine cellar, or maybe that 20-year-old bottle of Scotch you were given as a gift. What are you saving it for?

SUNDAY –
• “International Floral Design Day”, focusing on the art of flower arranging, both as a profession and as a hobby.
• “Tooth Fairy Day”, honoring the devious dental donor who leaves money under kids’ pillows for lost teeth. No one knows the origin for sure but there was a fairytale In 18th-century France about a ‘tooth mouse’ who hides under pillows.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2009 [07] NFL quarterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and supermodel Gisele Bundchen tie the knot in a twilight wedding at St Monica’s Church in Santa Monica, California

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2006 [10] Avril Lavigne and Ricky Martin are among the artists who perform at the closing ceremony of the 20th Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2012 [04] Rain forces the postponement of the Daytona 500 auto race for the first time in the event’s 53-year history

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1983 [33] Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album reaches #1, then spends a total of 37 weeks there

COMING UP . . .
[Mon] Leap Year Day
[Mon] Bachelors Day
[Mon] International Underlings Day
[Mon] Rare Diseases Day
This Week is … Secondhand Wardrobe Week
This Month Is … International Expect Success Month

BULL’S BITS

HILARIOUS KID QUOTES:
Single dad Matthew Carroll has collected real quotes from toddlers in his new book “Can I Sit On Your Lap While You’re Pooping?” Here are some of the funniest and most philosophical …
• “Have you ever been to the butt store?”
• “I checked the computer and it said you were dancing wrong.”
• “It’s a good idea to pee in the swimming pool because you can’t see it.”
• “What if you threw up on the whole world?”
• “I want to drink out of an udder.”
• “Is a sandwich a vegetable?”
• “Fairies like to fart, you know.”
• “The wind tastes like candy.”
• “I don’t know how to say goodbye.”
• “It is going to take me a long time to grow up.”

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ If you could offer a newborn child only 1 piece of advice, what would it be?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I bought my friend an elephant for her room. She said: “Thank-you.” I said: “Don’t mention it.”

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Average women do THIS 150 times a year; average men about 10 times.
Answer: Check their horoscope.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
If good things come in small packages, then more good things can come in large packages.