BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Former “Cosby Show” actress Phylicia Rashad is convinced the sexual abuse allegations against Bill Cosby have been ‘orchestrated’ to ‘ruin his legacy’. The 66-year-old, who starred as Cosby’s onscreen wife in the TV sitcom from 1984-92, is adamant she never witnessed any behavior to suggest there is truth in the barrage of allegations the comedian has faced in recent months. Rashad’s support comes just days after her co-star Keshia Knight Pulliam insisted the version of Cosby described in the abuse claims is ‘not the man I know’.
– Showbiz411.com
★ Rapper-actor Ludacris has apparently one of the shortest-ever Christmas engagements. He reportedly wed fiancée Eudoxie Agnan just a few hours after asking her to be his wife. The “Fast & Furious” star proposed Christmas Eve by having the words “Eudoxie, will you marry me?” written in a field in his native Georgia as they flew over in a private jet. After a celebration dinner they returned home, where Agnan found a wedding dress draped over a piece of furniture and a handful of friends & family on hand to witness the impromptu nuptials. This is all according to a snitch; Ludacris has yet to confirm that he’s a married man.
– TMZ.com
★ And 23-year-old former “Teen Mom” reality star-turned porn actress Farrah Abraham has posted bizarre photos of a lip enhancement procedure gone horribly wrong on her Twitter account. One pic shows her with swollen lips while lying in bed recovering; the other is a profile shot with her puffy upper lip actually jutting out past her chin. She later posted a shot of herself with big-lipped, one-eyed cartoon character ‘Leela’ from “Futurama”, captioning the photo “Gotta love my new look.”
NET: http://tinyurl.com/n4cjzus
NET: http://tinyurl.com/lzjtotq
– QMI Agency

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “American Idol” (FOX) – Hopefuls try to impress the judges as auditions continue.
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Aloe Blacc (“Lift Your Spirit”).
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Harry Connick Jr (“American Idol”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Frankie Ballard (“Sunshine & Whiskey”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Franz Ferdinand (“Live 2014”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Foxygen (“… And Star Power”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Ghostface Killah w/The Revelations f/AZ and Kool G Rap (“36 Seasons”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Akon – It’s been 7 years since his last album, “Freedom”, but the long hiatus has yielded a load of new music. He’s now planning to release a 5-part project: “Stadium: Euro”; “Stadium: Pop”; “Stadium: Urban”; “Stadium: Island”; and “Stadium: World”. No release dates for the 5-album series has yet been announced.
• Alan Jackson – Tonight he launches his “25th Anniversary Keepin’ It Country Tour”, starting in Estero, Florida. The trek runs through May 17th at the Red Rocks Amphitheater near Denver, Colorado.
• Blake Shelton – The country star and coach on “The Voice” (NBC) will make his “Saturday Night Live” debut on the January 24th episode, serving as both host and musical guest.
• Elvis Presley – The first record he ever made is being sold at auction today, on what would have been his 80th birthday. As an 18-year-old he recorded “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin” onto acetate in June 1953. He paid $4 for the session at Memphis Recording Service. It’s one of 68 lots being sold off today at his former Graceland home.
• Kanye West – Singer/producer Ty Dolla $ign says he and West recorded 9 tracks together for Kanye’s next album, including “Only One” on which he sings background vocals. Ty says another track featuring ‘Ye, Paul McCartney, and Rihanna is “gonna drop soon”.
• Lady Antebellum – They’ve announced “The Wheels Up 2015” tour, which kicks off February 28th with a European trek through Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Scotland, and the UK. The North American leg begins May 1st in Lubbock TX.
• Lana Del Rey – She tells “Billboard” she has 9 songs written for her next album, which will be titled “Honeymoon”. There’s no release date announced as yet.
• Radiohead – Thom Yorke has made circa $24 million from his 2nd solo album, “Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes”. It was released through online sharing network BitTorrent’s ‘Bundles’ feature, which allows artists to both sell and give away material. The ‘paid for’ portion – 7 songs for $6 – has been downloaded 4.4 million times. BitTorrent gives 90% of revenues back to the artist.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Gambit” – The “X-Men” spin-off starring Channing Tatum now has an opening date: October 7, 2016. First introduced in the comic “Uncanny X-Men” in 1990, ‘Gambit’ (aka ‘Remy LeBeau’) is a mutant with the ability to create, control, and manipulate kinetic energy to his every desire. It will be the 8th “X-Men” movie overall. “X-Men: Apocalypse” debuts on May 27, 2016.
• “Ghost In the Shell” – 30-year-old actress Scarlett Johansson is getting $10 million to star in this live-action adaptation of the hugely popular Japanese anime series. The story follows a member of a covert ops unit of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission, which tries to fight technology-related crime.
• “Gremlins” – It’s confirmed that Chris Columbus, writer of the original 1984 movie, is working on a big-budget, 3-D reboot with original exec producer Steven Spielberg. Zach Galligan, who starred in both “Gremlins” and “Gremlins 2: The New Batch” (1990), is hoping he gets to battle the mischievous monsters for a 3rd time. No further details about the project are available.
• “Rambo: Last Blood” – 68-year-old Sylvester Stallone is ready to put the headband back on. The upcoming 5th film in his ‘Rambo’ franchise refers back to 1982’s “First Blood”, which launched the character. Stallone wrote the script and is also set to direct. The last film featuring ‘Rambo’ was 2008’s concisely titled “Rambo”, which grossed $113 million worldwide.
• “Thank You for This Moment” – The story of French president Francois Hollande’s affair and messy breakup is headed for the bigscreen, based on the book “Merci Pour Ce Moment” by France’s former first lady Valérie Trierweiler. The affair was exposed by gossip magazine “Closer”, which documented his secret, late-night rendezvous with actress Julie Gayet.

BS BUZZWORDS:
New terms leaking into our lingo …
• ‘Denim Breaker’ – A person who breaks in a pair of jeans for someone else to wear.
• ‘Glanceability’ – A quality that enables something to be read or understood with just a glance.
• ‘Mansplaining’ – When a man condescendingly ‘explains’ something to a woman. One of many words just added to the “Oxford English Dictionary”, along with ‘amazeballs’ and ‘e-cig’.

WHEN MINDLESS CHATTER IS GOOD:
Scientists think that cooing at a baby is a vital part of teaching it to speak. According to a study of nearly 8,000 9-month-old infants by Limerick University, absent-minded conversation is fully 4 times better at improving children’s communication skills than bedtime reading. The study also found that simply chatting to children is 3 times better at improving their problem-solving skills than reading. Just last year, another group of ‘experts’ suggested that reading to children has such a huge impact on their academic success that parents should make it a regular activity from birth onwards. The Irish researchers admit these new results ‘have surprised’ them. (BS translation: We may have screwed up.)
– @MailOnline

ESSENTIAL TEXTING ACRONYMS EVERY PARENT MUST KNOW:
Some of these meanings are very direct and a little shocking. If you spot them, your kid may have something to hide.
• AMEZRU: I Am Easy, Are You?
• IWSN: I Want Sex Now
• CD9: Short for Code 9, which means parents are around.
• P911: Parent Alert
• PAL: Parents Are Listening
• PAW: Parents Are Watching
• PIR: Parent In Room
• POS: Parent Over Shoulder
• RUH: Are You Horny?
• TDTM: Talk Dirty To Me
You can look up the latest acronyms on a continually updated list here …
NET: http://www.netlingo.com
– USAToday.com

THE NEW POLYGRAPH:
Police have relied on the lie detector to help convict criminals for almost 100 years even though its reliability has often been questioned. The polygraph, created in 1921 by policeman John Larson, records changes in pulse, blood pressure, sweating, and breathing to ascertain whether a subject is lying. But the device may soon be defunct as researchers in Britain and The Netherlands have made a breakthrough, developing a method with a success rate of over 70%. The basic premise is that liars fidget more, so the use of an all-body motion suit – the kind used in movie-making to create computer-generated characters – will pick this up. The suit contains 17 sensors that register movement up to 120 times-per-second in 3-D. One drawback is the expense … all-body suits can cost $45,000-plus. (And they’re dry-clean only, dammit!)
– Guardian.com

BS AMAZING HEALTH FACTS:
• If you can’t stand on one foot for 20 seconds, you may be at risk for stroke or cognitive decline.
• Only 1-in-10 of us eat nuts at least once a day, even though they’re a powerful health food.
– AARP.org

BS CHRONOMETER 01.08.15

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1935 [80] Elvis Presley, Tupelo MS, ‘King of Rock & Roll’ who died in 1977 at age 42 (what was his all-time most essential hit?)

1947 [68] David Bowie (Jones), London UK, classic rock singer (“Fame”, “Space Oddity”)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1996)/Hollywood Walk of Fame (1997)

1967 [48] R (Robert) Kelly, Chicago IL, R&B singer (“Step In the Name of Love”, “Ignition”)

1973 [42] Sean Paul (Henriques), Kingston, Jamaica, pop-dancehall-reggae singer (“Temperature”, “Baby Boy”)

1979 [36] Sarah Polley, Toronto ON, movie director (“Take This Waltz”, “Away From Her”)/movie actress (“The Sweet Hereafter”)  UP NEXT: Writes & directs “Alias Grace”, a movie adaptation of the Margaret Atwood novel.

1983 [32] Disashi Lumumbo-Kasongo, Geneva NY, hip hop-rock guitarist (Gym Class Heroes-“Cupid’s Chokehold”)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Bubble Bath Day”, a day to take the time to luxuriate in a super-foamy tubful of bubbles.

• “Eat Something Raw Day”, designed to stimulate our interest in consuming fruits and vegetables. Spud, anyone?

• “English Toffee Day”, celebrating the ooey-gooey treat that rips the fillings right out of your teeth.

• “Learn to Ski & Snowboard Day”, a day to strap on the old boards and … fall on your ass.

• “Show & Tell Day at Work”, when adults can partake in the kindergarten ritual with co-workers. A good day to have your crew each bring in something that makes a unique sound.
NET: http://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/show-tell-day-at-work-day/

• “Women’s Day” (or “Midwives Day”) in Greece, when women spend the day in cafés while men do housework and look after children. Traditionally, men caught outside are stripped and doused with cold water.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2004 [11] Donald Trump-hosted reality TV series “The Apprentice” makes its debut on NBC

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2004 [11] Former Beatle George Harrison’s estate sues Dr Gilbert Lederman of Staten Island University Hospital for $10 million, alleging he forced a dying Harrison to sign souvenirs for him

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2000 [15] 1st-ever NFL playoff game in Nashville TN ends in what is dubbed the ‘Music City Miracle’ as Titans’ Kevin Dyson returns a lateral on a kickoff 75 yards for a TD with 3 seconds left (Tennessee stuns Buffalo 22-16 and advances to AFC Divisional Playoffs)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2004 [11] Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II christens the largest and most expensive passenger ship built to date, the billion-dollar ‘Queen Mary 2’ (Southampton, England)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] “Taken 3” opens in movie theaters
[Fri] AFI Awards (LA)
[Fri] Static Electricity Day
[Sat] Cut Your Energy Costs Day
[Sun] “Golden Globe Awards” (ABC)
[Sun] Human Trafficking Awareness Day
[Sun] No Pants Subway Ride Day
This Week Is … Home Office Safety & Security Week
This Month Is … Volunteer Blood Donor Month

BULL’S BITS

BS WHYZITS:
• Whyzit anything good in life is either illegal, immoral, or fattening?
• Whyzit we spell the names of planets with a capital, but most of the time we spell ‘Earth’ with a lower case ‘e’?
• Whyzit people who know the least seem to know it the loudest?
• Whyzit you ‘fill in’ a form by ‘filling it out’ and an alarm clock ‘goes off’ by ‘going on’?
• Whyzit the things most people want to know about are usually none of their business?
• Whyzit there is no canned broccoli?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
It would save us a lot of time if the supermarket had an aisle marked ‘Unhealthy Crap’.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ When was the last time you received something really exciting and unexpected in the mail? Not something you purchased for yourself.

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• In the 1820s, an American hotel first offered an innovation that is now standard in all hotels. Which is it?
a. Room service.
b. Locks on guest room doors. [CORRECT]
c. Little tiny bars of soap.

• Doing this 100 times is equivalent to 15 minutes of exercise on a stationary bike. Which is it?
a. Laughing. [CORRECT]
b. Hiccuping.
c. Sneezing.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: The average person does THIS about 6 times a week.
Answer: Recites a line from a movie.
MOST MEMORABLE MOVIE LINES:
According to a ranking by American Film Institute …
5. “Here’s looking at you, kid.” (“Casablanca”, 1942)
4. “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” (“The Wizard of Oz”, 1939)
3. “I coulda been a contender.” (“On the Waterfront”, 1954)
2. “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” (“The Godfather”, 1972)
1. “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” (“Gone With the Wind”, 1939)

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
No sense being pessimistic, it probably won’t work anyway.