BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Starting Saturday, Netflix begins streaming the (lame) Seth Rogen-James Franco movie “The Interview” in Canada and the USA. The controversial comedy is thought to have instigated the massive security breach of Sony Pictures, attributed to North Korea’s dissatisfaction with the film’s portrayal of its leader. The $44-million film has received scathing reviews, and made only about $6 million in limited release in theaters. However, Sony claims it’s generated $40 million in consumer sales and has been rented or purchased online more than 5.8 million times. (Would you even bother watching it for free?)
– CNET.com
★ George Lucas has revealed he’d already been planning to make a 7th “Star Wars” film before he sold his company Lucasfilm to Disney. When he handed over his iconic franchise he also gave the studio his storyline for “Episode 7”. Disney, however, decided not to use any of the 70-year-old filmmaker’s ideas. In a new interview, Lucas also says he initially wanted to direct “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, which will kick off the 3rd trilogy in the sci-fi franchise when it bows in December. But one of the reasons he decided not to was to spend more time with his 17-month-old daughter Everest. (Well that and … nobody asked him.)
– CinemaBlend.com
★ And Lindsay Lohan has been hospitalized with Chikungunya, a rare virus transmitted by mosquito bites, which she apparently picked up in Bora Bora while vacationing there over the holiday season. The virus causes fever, joint pain, and fatigue. According to the World Health Organization there’s no cure but most patients make a full recovery. Lohan appeared to have bounced back from the illness after returning from her trip, but it appears it’s still playing havoc with her health and she’s been treated at London’s King Edward VII Hospital this week after complaining of high fever. She’s subsequently been released. (This is some of the best acting she’s ever done!)
– WENN.com

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• BET Honors (Atlanta GA) – Saturday Kanye West receives the ‘Visionary Award’ in recognition of being a ‘multifaceted trailblazer and pioneer’. Others being honored include Usher (‘Musical Arts Award’), and actress Phylicia Rashad (‘Theatrical Arts Award’). The gala is being recorded for airing on February 23rd.
• “Christina Milian Turned Up” (E!) – Sunday the series premiere of a ‘docu-soap’ centered on  the day-to-day lives of the singer, her Mom Carmen, and her 2 sisters.
• Country Music Awards of Australia (Tamworth NSW) – Saturday at the 43rd annual ‘Golden Guitars’ ceremony, Keith Urban is up for ‘Single Of the Year’ and ‘Video Clip Of the Year’. Other main contenders are Kasey Chambers and Luke O’Shea, with 6 nominations each.
NET: http://www.country.com.au
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Today George Ezra (“Wanted on Voyage”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Tonight Heart (“Heart & Friends”). Rerun.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Tonight Hellogoodbye (“Everything Is Debatable”). Rerun.
• “Late Late Show” (CBS/Omni 1) – Tonight Ryan Adams (“Ryan Adams”).
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV) – Tonight Mali Music (“The 2econd Coming”). Rerun.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Tonight  Foo Fighters wi/Ann & Nancy Wilson (“Sonic Highways”). Rerun.
• “Live With Kelly & Michael” (syndicated/CTV) – Today Fall Out Boy (“American Beauty/American Psycho”).
• “Meredith Vieira Show” (syndicated) – Today Jill Scott (“Crates”).
• “Miss Universe Pageant” – Sunday Natalie Morales & Thomas Roberts host the 63rd annual beauty pageant, from the FIU Arena in Miami FL.
• “NHL All-Star Game” (CBC/NBCSN) – Sunday the 60th annual, played at Nationwide Arena in Columbus OH. Country singer Jo Dee Messina performs the pre-game anthem; additional performances by Fall Out Boy and OAR.
• “SAG Awards” (TBS/TNT) – Sunday “Birdman” leads nominations for the 21st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards with 4, followed by “Boyhood”, “The Imitation Game”, and “The Theory of Everything” with 3 each. About 80% of SAG winners in the individual acting categories have gone on to win Oscars. On the TV side, “Modern Family” has 4 nominations, followed by “Boardwalk Empire”, “Game of Thrones”, “Homeland”, and “House of Cards” with 3 apiece. In her 7th decade in the biz, actress Debbie Reynolds receives a ‘Lifetime Achievement Honor’.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC/Global) – Blake Shelton (“Bringing Back the Sunshine”) makes his “SNL” debut serving as both host and musical guest.
• “Storytellers” (VH1) – Saturday the series returns with a new episode featuring Ed Sheeran speaking about the inspirations behind his songs and performing at the 400-seat Whelan’s pub in Dublin, Ireland.
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Tonight Maddie & Tae (“Girl In a Country Song”).
• “Top Gear” (BBC2) – Ed Sheeran hasn’t let his lack of a driver’s licence hold him back as the latest celebrity to test-drive a car, an automatic transmission Vauxhall Astra. The results are screened during the 1st episode of the new season on Sunday.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Billy Idol – His North American tour in support of “Kings & Queens Of the Underground” is now planned to kick off Saturday in Philadelphia PA. Due to a chest infection, shows scheduled for Wednesday in New Orleans LA and Thursday in Atlanta GA had to be rescheduled.
• Katy Perry – She rocked plenty of charts last year, including the one that measured the most-watched channels on YouTube. She came in 3rd in total but 1st among musicians, collecting just under 2.4 billion views in 2014.
• Linkin Park – The remaining 15 dates of the “Hunting Party Tour”, which kicked off in Orlando FL on January 15th, have been cancelled after singer Chester Bennington suffered a leg injury.
Details have not been released, but it was reported that he hurt his ankle during a concert in Frankfurt, Germany back in November.
• Luke Bryan – He’s announced he’ll launch his “Kick the Dust Up Tour” on May 8th in Grand Forks ND. “Kick the Dust Up” will be a song on his next album, although no release date has been revealed. The tour will hit 7 stadiums and do multiple dates in several markets.
• Meghan Trainor – On the strength of her smash hit “All About That Bass”, her new album “Title” debuts atop the new ‘Billboard 200’ chart. It’s the biggest debut from a female artist in over 5 years, and the biggest debut album’s 1st week for a solo act in the last 3 years.
• New Kids On the Block – They’re hitting the road this Summer with TLC and Nelly in what is being dubbed “The Main Event tour”. The trek kicks off May 1st in Las Vegas NV and stops in over 30 cities across North America.
• The Weeknd – If you can’t wait 21 days to see Dakota Johnson get tied up by Jamie Dornan in “Fifty Shades of Grey”, the new video for The Weeknd’s “Earned It” from the soundtrack should tide you over. In it, Johnson descends onto a stage in full bondage with her hands tied above her head just like ‘Anastasia Steele’, her character in the movie.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Black Sea” ( R-Rated  Adventure Thriller ): In order to make good with his former employers, a submarine captain takes a job with a shadowy backer to search the depths of the Black Sea for a submarine rumored to be loaded with gold. Stars Jude Law, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, David Threlfall.
NET: http://www.focusfeatures.com/black_sea
• “The Boy Next Door” ( R-Rated Thriller ): Jennifer Lopez stars as a woman who, shortly after finalizing her divorce, falls for a younger man who has just moved in across the street. Things get complicated when their torrid affair takes an obsessive, dangerous turn. Co-stars Ryan Guzman, Kristin Chenoweth, John Corbett.
NET: http://www.theboynextdoorfilm.com/#all
• “Mortdecai” ( R-Rated Action Comedy ): Johnny Depp stars as debonair art dealer ‘Charlie Mortdecai’. While racing to recover a stolen painting rumored to contain a code that leads to lost Nazi gold, he finds himself simultaneously juggling angry Russians, Britain’s Mi5, and an international terrorist. Co-stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Munn.
NET: http://mortdecaithemovie.com
• “Strange Magic” ( PG Animated Fantasy ): Gary Rydstrom directs this story by George Lucas in which goblins, elves, fairies and imps attempt to deal with misadventures sparked by the battle over a powerful potion. Voice cast includes Evan Rachel Wood, Elijah Kelley, Kristin Chenoweth, Maya Rudolph.
NET: http://strangemagic-thefilm.com
• Opening in limited release: “Cake” (Drama); “The Duke of Burgundy” (Drama); “Mommy” (Drama); “Red Army” (Documentary); and “Song One” (Drama).

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO:
Seems time really IS a healer! According to a new study from Monmouth University in New Jersey published in “Journal of Positive Psychology”, 71% of participants who split up in the last 6 months report feeling better after 11 weeks. Most who made it through the initial 3 months after a breakup are described as having left ‘the recovery zone’, the period of painful adjustment and healing. That’s when they start feeling better about themselves and developing coping strategies. All is not rosy in the world of the newly-single however; a separate study suggests that divorce takes far longer to get over … an average of 18 months. (Divorce is like espresso, expensive and bitter.)
– APA.org

THE 5 ASPECTS OF FITNESS:
According to the book “Sod Seventy! The Guide To Living Well” by Muir Gray …
✓ Stamina … how long you can keep up a physical activity.
✓ Suppleness … how flexible you are.
✓ Strength … how strong your muscles are.
✓ Skill in Balancing … how steady on your feet you are.
✓ Psychology … how positive your outlook is.
– @MailOnline

THE SPLIT-SECOND TRICK THAT WILL HELP YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING:
Close your eyes, crack open your memory. That’s the word from researchers at Britain’s University of Surrey who recently found that simply shutting your eyes super-charges your recall. In experiments people who kept their eyes open answered 48% of questions correctly on average, whereas those who closed their eyes answered 71% correctly. How does it work? When we try to remember things, often there are lots of other things happening around us that distract us and compete for our attention. Giving your peepers a rest helps block out all that visual noise. The closed-eye trick may work especially well if you’re trying to remember something visual, like an address that you wrote down. (Try not to do this while driving.)
– MensHealth.com

BS AMAZING FACT:
Britain’s Oxford University is older than the Aztec Empire.
– List25.com

BS CHRONOMETER 01.23.15

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1964 [51] Mariska Hargitay, Santa Monica CA, TV actress/producer (‘Detective Olivia Benson’ on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since 1999)

1975 [40] Nick Harmer, Landstuhl, Germany, rock bassist (Death Cab For Cutie-“I Will Possess Your Heart”, “Soul Meets Body”)

SATURDAY –
Oldies singer Neil Diamond (“Melody Road”) is 74; Country musician Keech Rainwater (Lonestar) is 52; Movie/TV actor Ed Helms (“The Office”) is 41; TV actor Justin Baldoni (“Jane the Virgin”) is 31; Movie/TV actress Mischa Barton (“The OC”) is 29.

SUNDAY –
Pop singer Alicia Keys (“Girl On Fire”) is 34; TV actor Michael Trevino (“Vampire Diaries”) is 30; Pop singer Calum Hood (5 Seconds to Summer) is 19.

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Handwriting Day”, a day set aside to recognize ‘graphology’ (handwriting analysis) and to encourage more legible handwriting.
• “Measure Your Feet Day”, a good excuse to conduct a poll to find the listener with the largest.
• “Pie Day”, celebrating the pie as an ‘art form’. Isn’t it better as a weapon?
• “Snowplow Mailbox Hockey Day”, when snowplow drivers are encouraged to take out as many mailboxes as possible. High score wins! Hey, any excuse to have fewer bills delivered.
NET: http://www.wellcat.com/january/snow_plow_mailbox_hockey_day.htm

SATURDAY –
• “Beer Can Appreciation Day”, observed on the anniversary of the 1st canned beer, marketed by Kruegar Brewing of Richmond, Virginia on this day 80 years ago in 1935.
• “Compliment Day”, when we’re encouraged to say something nice to at least 5 people.
• “Global Belly Laugh Day”, a day to experience the health & happiness benefits of taking a moment to laugh out loud. To that end, we’re all encouraged to throw our arms in the air and laugh heartily at precisely 1:24 pm local time.
NET: http://www.bellylaughday.com
• “Peanut Butter Day”, unless someone in the house is at risk of anaphylactic shock from an allergy. Originally called ‘nutmeal’, peanut butter has only been around for about 120 years but it’s a staple in 85% of homes and we eat about 3 lbs per person per year.
NET: http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/national-peanut-butter-day
• “Seed Swap Day”, observed annually on the last Saturday in January to encourage gardeners to share resources with other gardeners and thereby reduce the need to buy expensive seeds from commercial suppliers. (After last year’s failures, we’re about ready to throw in the trowel.)
• “Talk Like a Grizzled Prospector Day”, a tongue-in-cheek salute to the beginning of the 1848 gold rush in California. (“Well, consarn it! A whole ‘nuther year’s done skedaddled right past an’ we’re celerbating this agin!”)

SUNDAY –
• “Irish Coffee Day”, because it might just be the perfect cocktail – a combination of caffeine, spirits, sugar, and cream. It’s guaranteed to put a warm glow on your Winter day!
• “Opposite Day”, a day to do everything backwards (ie: eat left-handed or eat dessert first) as a fun way to get out of your tedious run-of-the-mill rut.
• “Robbie Burns Day” (aka “Burns Night”), party time for Scots everywhere! It honors Scotland’s national poet who was born January 25, 1759 and whose most famous composition was “Auld Lang Syne”.
• “World Leprosy Day”, an annual observance on the last Sunday of January to increase public awareness about leprosy and to further leprosy eradication. (It’s not just biblical!)

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2005 [10] Late night icon Johnny Carson, host of NBC-TV’s “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson” for 30 years, dies at age 79 from emphysema

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2000 [15] Heart’s Nancy Wilson & her writer/filmmaker husband Cameron Crowe become proud parents of their first and only children, twins named William & Curtis

2010 [05] Britain’s Culture Ministry declares The Beatles’ Abbey Road Studios an historic site

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1915 [100] 1st transcontinental phone call as Alexander Graham Bell in NYC calls his assistant, Thomas Watson, in San Francisco CA (and asks him, “Tommy … what are you wearing?”)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Mon] Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day
[Mon] Peanut Brittle Day
[Tues] National Geographic Day
[Tues] Thomas Crapper Day
[Wed] Data Privacy Day
[Wed] Kazoo Day
This Week Is … Hunt For Happiness Week
This Month Is … Self-Love Month

BULL’S BITS

BS ‘SCOTS OR NOT?’
A mirthful way to celebrate “Robbie Burns Day”. Which of the following were born in Scotland?
• “Mortdecai” actor Ewan McGregor. (Aye, he’s a Scot. Born in Crieff in 1971.)
• Classic rocker Rod Stewart. (Och, he’s not! Born in the Highgate area of London.)
• Tennis star Andy Murray. (Scot. Born in Glasgow in 1987.)
• “300” movie actor Gerard Butler. (Scot, born in Paisley in 1969.)
• AC/DC guitarist Angus Young. (Scot, born in Glasgow in 1955.)
• Author JK Rowling (Not. English-born but “Harry Potter” was written in Edinburgh, her adopted home.)
• Comedian and “Whose Line Is It?” star Colin Mochrie. (Scot, born in Kilmarnock; moved to Canada at age 7.)
• TV chef Gordon Ramsay. (Aye, a Scot. Born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland.)
• Designer Tommy Hilfiger. (Not, but claims direct descent from Robert Burns on his mother’s side.)
• Movie actor Liam Neeson. (Not. He might have played famed Scot “Rob Roy” but he’s Irish.)
– Sourced from FamousBirthdays.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ Would you consider cosmetic surgery (ie: liposuction, excess skin removal, etc) in order to lose weight? (According to a recent poll, 1-in-5 of us would.)

BS RANDOM JOKE:
What’s the difference between a lawn mower and a bagpipe? You can tune a lawn mower.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: The average person will touch fewer than 100 of THESE in a lifetime.
Answer: 100-dollar bills.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
You can choose what you do; you can’t choose what you like to do.