BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Veteran actor Christopher Walken (71) has signed to play villainous ‘Captain Hook’ in the upcoming NBC-TV special “Peter Pan Live!”. The musical version of the JM Barrie children’s tale follows last year’s airing of “The Sound of Music Live!” starring Carrie Underwood. Walken, who began his career in musicals, says he’s looking forward to ‘putting on his tap shoes’ again. “Peter Pan Live!” airs in December. (Could be the only tap dancing ‘Captain Hook’ you’ll see.)
– WENN.com
★ Actress Katherine Heigl is in damage control mode ahead of her new TV show “State of Affairs”. Rumors that she’s difficult to work with have been rampant ever since her “Grey’s Anatomy” days (2005-10). Heigl says: “I certainly don’t see myself as being difficult. I would never intend to be difficult.” Heigl’s mother, Nancy Heigl, is executive producing the new show. When asked what her mother actually does on the set, the actress replies, “She makes us cookies.” (In Hollywood reputation is everything, and Heigl’s has suffered in recent years.)
– Variety.com
★ And 24-year-old “Pretty Little Liars” star Ashley Benson has won a 3-year restraining order against a former security guard on the Warner Brothers lot where the ABC Family drama is filmed. The 49-year-old was fired after he allegedly told studio officials he had feelings for Benson and believed ‘God instructed him to pursue her romantically’. He also reportedly told colleagues he ‘felt a special bond’ with Benson after she looked his way one day and was convinced she was silently sending him subliminal messages. A judge has now ruled he must stay at least 100 yards away from her for the next 3 years. (Creepy.)
– TMZ.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “America’s Got Talent” (NBC/CityTV) – The best auditions of the season, featuring the most amazing and memorable acts from the past 6 weeks.
• “Arsenio Hall” (syndicated) – Don Felder (ex-The Eagles). Rerun.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Jason Mraz & Travie McCoy (“Rough Water”); Kanye West (“Yeezus”). Rerun.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – St Paul & The Broken Bones (“Half the City”). Rerun.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Sir Sly (“Gold”). Rerun.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Trampled by Turtles (“Wild Animals”).
• “MLB Baseball All-Star Game” (FOX) – The 85th annual AL vs NL exhibition game from Minneapolis MN. Performers include Broadway star Idina Menzel (“Frozen”) singing the pre-game anthem; singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc; and country star Joe Nichols.
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Bleachers (“Strange Desire”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• AC/DC – It has been rumored that they are planning a 40th anniversary trek that would involve 40 concerts in 40 different venues, but that has not as yet been made official.
• Beyoncé/Jay Z – They’re reportedly undergoing marriage counseling sessions via Skype during their “On The Run World Tour”. A source says it’s all about maintenance rather than fixing anything. The weekly sessions are designed to ‘keep communication open’.
• Dave Matthews Band – Tonight they kick off a new series of daily live-streaming concerts presented by Yahoo and Live Nation. Other acts lined up for the new Live Nation Channel on Yahoo Screen: Airborne Toxic Event, The Fray, Gavin DeGraw, The Neighborhood, and Usher.
• Jason Mraz – His new album “Yes!” arrives today. His 5th studio release makes use of classical instruments, sitar, and vintage guitars. He’ll launch a world tour in August, with a series of intimate North American shows and surprise multi-show runs in select cities.
• KoRn – A deluxe reissue of their 2013 album “The Paradigm Shift” is out today, exclusively available at Best Buy stores in North America. The reissue is beefed up with 3 brand new tracks, a bevy of live tracks, and expanded artwork.
• Mumford & Sons – They’ve started work on their 3rd album, recording a handful of new songs at Eastcote Studios in Kensal Town, west London, the same studio where they recorded their 2009 debut album “Sigh No More”. They intend to release the new set in early 2015.
• Rise Against – Today their 7th studio album, “The Black Market”, is released. It includes the single “I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore”.
• Talking Heads – To celebrate the 30th anniversary of their concert film “Stop Making Sense”, t’s being re-released for a limited theatrical run in 27 markets beginning tonight. It’s scheduled to screen throughout the remainder of the Summer.

THIS WEEK’S VIDEO RELEASES:
Out today on DVD, Netflix, Google Play and/or other video providers …
• “Rio 2” ( G-Rated Animated Adventure ): It’s a jungle out there for ‘Blu’, ‘Jewel’ and their 3 kids after they’re hurtled from Rio to the Amazon wilds. As ‘Blu’ tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful ‘Nigel’, and the most fearsome adversary of all … his father-in-law. Voice cast includes Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Kristin Chenoweth, Andy Garcia.
• “Under the Skin” ( R-Rated Sci-Fi Thriller ): Scarlett Johansson (“Iron Man 2”) plays an alien on Earth. Disguised as the ‘perfect human woman’, she scours remote highways looking to use her greatest weapon to snare human prey … her voracious sexuality. The twist is that, over time, she becomes drawn to the human lifestyle.
• Also released today: “Black Dynamite: Season 1” (TV); “Cedar Cove: Season 1” (TV); “Hell on Wheels: The Complete 3rd Season” (TV); “How the West Was Won: The Complete 2nd Season” (Vintage TV); “Northern Light” (Documentary); and “Orphan Black: Season 2” (TV).

SHOP TILL YOU (LITERALLY) DROP:
Shopping can really tire you out, especially in one of the world’s largest IKEA stores. Of the 10 biggest IKEAs worldwide, 8 of them are in China to cater to the country’s growing middle class. IKEA stores in China are a bit different. They encourage shoppers to make their trip an all-day affair. One location in Beijing, for instance, is designed with extra room displays to encourage shoppers to try out the furniture … even take a nap! So it’s not unusual to see shoppers make themselves right at home, kick off their shoes, and doze off on a display room couch or under the covers of a comfy bed. Chinese shoppers seem especially keen on making the most of this ‘open bed policy’. (Would you want to buy a mattress that’s been demo-ed a dozen times?)
– “The Independent”

ANOTHER FAD DEBUNKED:
If you are feeling sluggish or bloated this bikini season, you might consider a juice cleanse. Don’t. The cleanse craze began in 2007 and while stars like Blake Lively, Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek, and Sarah Jessica Parker swear it, nutrition pros say juice cleanses are unnecessary, expensive, and often packed with sugar. A few facts …
• Experts say your body cleanses itself naturally. The kidney, colon, and liver are efficient in cleansing and eliminating toxins.
• The restriction of an all-juice fast distorts a normal balanced diet and may slow your metabolism long after you start retoxing.
• Juice cleanses can pack nearly 2,000 calories into a daily ration and as much as 7 times the recommended daily intake of sugar. It may be fructose and not refined sugar, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you.
• Fat is also a problem with some cleanses. A day on one cleanse diet in particular – which includes some food – will stuff 107 grams of fat into your body.
(Gwyneth Paltrow is arguably responsible for popularizing some of today’s most bogus health regimes.)
– Adapted from WomensHealthMag.com

FACE READING:
Scientists at the University of Illinois are working on technology that will predict how long you’re likely to live based on … how your face looks. Here’s how it works: A computer scans a photo of your face, analyzing each section for wrinkles, sagging muscles, age spots, and other markers of facial aging. It also factors in your gender, ethnicity, level of education, and smoking history – all of which affect your longevity – and compares you with everyone else in the database of the same age and characteristics. The technology is based on the simple truth that people who live longer generally look younger than other people their age. (Guess who’s already interested in using this? Life insurance companies.)
– AARP.org

TRADING LEFTOVERS:
Take my leftovers. Please. It seems like a good idea … an app that allows you to share your leftover food instead of throwing it away. Food-sharing apps and websites are cropping up all over. A few examples …
✓ Budapest-based app ‘Piqniq’ allows users to post what they are cooking and eating, and for others to share in those meals.
✓ Greece has ‘Cookisto’, described as a ‘community marketplace for homemade food’.
✓ Germany’s Foodsharing.de allows users to share surplus food throughout Germany, as well as Austria and Switzerland.
✓ Italian app ‘Ratatouille’ enables users to post their extra food for others to claim and helps arrange drop-off points.
✓ The USA’s ‘LeftoverSwap’ is described as a ‘Craigslist for leftovers’.
✓ England’s ‘Casserole Club’ requires members to take an online hygiene course and submit to a criminal record check before they are allowed to start cooking meals to share.
(Would you feel safe eating food prepared by strangers?)
– WashingtonPost.com

SAY YES TO THE (USED) DRESS:
Budget-conscious brides now have another option for ‘something borrowed’ … their wedding dress. Online bridal boutique Borrowing Magnolia lets financially savvy brides-to-be try on secondhand gowns they can then rent or buy. The site is aimed at the modern bride who is trying to cut costs and forgo some of the traditional wedding bells and whistles. Shoppers can look through used dresses to buy or borrow and select 3 to try on for $99. The gowns are then sent out to the brides-to-be, who have 5 days to check them out. Sites such as Nearly Newlywed and Rent the Runway offer similar services. (What happened to your wedding gown after the big day?)
NET: https://www.borrowingmagnolia.com
– NYDailyNews.com

BS AMAZING FACTS:
• The best way to prevent your headphones from tangling in your bag is to join the ends together, using a twist-tie, elastic, etc.
– “The Times”
• Eating an apple a day can boost sexual pleasure for healthy women.
– “Daily Telegraph”

BS CHRONOMETER 07.15.14

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1961 [53] Forest Whitaker, Longview TX, movie actor (“The Butler”, Oscar-“The Last King of Scotland”)/movie director (“First Daughter”, “Hope Floats”)  COMING UP: “Taken 3” in 2015.

1971 [43] Jim Rash, Charlotte NC, TV actor (‘Dean Pelton’ on “Community” since 2009)/screenwriter (“The Way Way Back”, “The Descendants”)

1972 [42] Scott Foley, Kansas City KS, TV actor (‘Capt. Jake Ballard’ on “Scandal” since 2013, “The Goodwin Games” 2013, “Grey’s Anatomy” 2010-11)/ex-Mr Jennifer Garner (2000-04)

1973 [41] Brian Austin Green, Van Nuys CA, TV actor (“Anger Management” since 2012, “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” 2008-09)/wed to actress Megan Fox since 2010

1977 [37] Ray Toro, Jersey City NJ, rock guitarist (My Chemical Romance [2001-13]-“Welcome To the Black Parade”, “Famous Last Words”)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Be a Dork Day”, an annual excuse to wear goofy clothing, don’t brush your teeth, eat yucky food, and trip over your own feet. (In other words, act normal.)

• “Gummi Worm Day”, celebrating the ooey-gooey candies that are always good for grossing out girls. They were first created by the German company Trolli in 1981.
NET: http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/gummi-worm-day

• “Pet Fire Safety Day”, a day to consider ways to keep your 4-legged friend(s) safe from house fires. A few tips …
– Extinguish all open flames before leaving your home. Pets are curious about fire.
– Keep collars and leashes at the ready in case you have to evacuate quickly.
– When leaving pets alone, keep them near entrances where firefighters can easily find them.
– Write down the number of pets in your house on a static cling and attach it to a front window.

• “Respect Canada Day” as declared by the US-based ‘Wellness Permission League’, a day to ‘show we know it’s not some strange northern province of America’.

• “St Swithun’s Day”, honoring the 7th-century Bishop of Winchester. According to legend, if it rains on St Swithun’s Day it will rain for the next 40 days. If it is clear, no rain will fall for 40 days. (Sort of a saintly Groundhog Day.)

• “Tapioca Day”, honoring that stuff you put in pudding that looks like fish eyes.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2011 [03] “Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2” (last in the series) opens in movie theaters (grosses $1.34 billion in worldwide box office)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1999 [15] The Rolling Stones report income of $337 million over the previous 2 years, a result of 147 concerts for close to 6 million fans

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2006 [08] Twitter is launched, becoming one of the largest social media platforms in the world

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2007 [07] 125-year-old Philadelphia Phillies become first Major League Baseball team to lose 10,000 games as St Louis Cardinals beat them 10-2 (Phillies established in 1883 as ‘Philadelphia Quakers’, later called the ‘Philadelphia Blue Jays’ in the mid-1940s)

COMING UP . . .
[Wed] Fresh Spinach Day
[Wed] Ride to Work Day 2014
[Thurs] Air Conditioning Day
[Fri] Faster Horses Festival begins (Brooklyn MI)
[Fri] Forecastle Festival begins (Louisville KY)
This Week Is … Baby Food Week
This Month Is … Child-Centered Divorce Month

BULL’S BITS

BS ACRONYMS FOR MOMS WHO TEXT:
AB46 – Awake before 6.
ARS – Acid reflux sucks.
BITO – Bun in the oven.
CIR – Child in room.
CIMC – Crying in my coffee.
CS – Colic sucks.
CTNM – Child texted, not me.
HOOT – Husband out of town.
IIBY – Is it bedtime yet?
INAN – I need a nap.
MTCS – Make the crying stop.
MBAL – My boobs are leaking.
NMC – Need more coffee.
PE – Poop everywhere.
POTFA – Pee on the floor again.
PTS – Potty training sucks.
SN – Still napping.
SOAL! – Stepped on a Lego!
TMI – Too many interruptions.
– PopSugar.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What’s your special nickname for a condom?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
My uncle finally quit smoking. It was a beautiful service.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: On average, you eat 46% more of THIS if it’s in a jar.
Answer: Candy.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Nothing written in fine print is ever good news.