BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Last night’s airing of Syfy’s “Sharknado 2: The Second One” and Discovery Channel’s upcoming 27th annual “Shark Week” (August 10th) have put some real teeth into the retail market. In fact, there’s been a feeding frenzy of product tie-ins, including …
– Entertainment Earth’s vinyl collectible “Sharknado” figurines … $9.99 apiece
– The new book, “How to Survive a Sharknado”, by Andrew Shaffer … $14.99
– Wal-Mart’s 6-pack of “Sharknado” glass ball holiday season ornaments … $70.99
– Urban Outfitters is selling “Sharknado” pint beer glasses … 2 for $10
– Nordstrom has a “Sharknado” coffee mug … $8
– There’s an Animal Planet shark costume – for dogs … $17.25
– Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics has limited-edition ‘Shark Fin Soap’ … $5.95
– “The Shark Week Lunch Box” is available at Toys ‘R’ Us … $10.99
(Seems there’s – ahem – a veritable sea of options.)
– USAToday.com
★ Michael Cohl & Jeremiah Harris, producers of Broadway’s “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark”, are now developing 2 animated films for the stage … “Rio” and “Alvin & The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked”. It’s hoped that “Rio”, based on the 2011 film, will be ready in time for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. As for “Chipwrecked”, a live stage musical is being developed to tour theaters across North America next Spring. Cohl & Harris have also revealed they’ve nixed plans to take “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” to Las Vegas, and are instead focusing on an arena tour for late 2015 or early 2016. (They’ll make money on this turkey yet.)
– NYTimes.com
★ And 41-year-old “Playboy” model-turned-actress-turned TV personality Jenny McCarthy (“The View”) has blasted a report alleging she’s criticized her cousin Melissa McCarthy’s weight. An online story claimed Jenny once told Melissa she needed to lose a ton of weight if she was going to make it in show biz. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” Jenny says. In fact, she hired Melissa as a production assistant on her short-lived TV series “The Jenny McCarthy Show” back in 1997. She says everything Melissa’s accomplished since (“Bridesmaids”, “Mike & Molly”, etc) is due to her hard work, perseverance, and extraordinary talent. (Wait a sec … Jenny and Melissa are cousins? Who knew?)
– “People Magazine”

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Arsenio Hall” (syndicated) – Afrojack (“Forget the World”). Rerun.
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Twin Shadow (“Confess”). Rerun.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – – Harry Connick Jr, Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban (“American Idol”); Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (“Give the People What they Want”). Rerun.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Tom Petty (“Hypnotic Eye”, out August 3rd).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – The Preatures (“Is This How You Feel”). Rerun.
• “Last Comic Standing” (NBC) – Jay Leno mentors the top 4 remaining comics.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – David Gray (“Mutineers”).
• “Live With Kelly & Michael” (syndicated/CTV) – Dan + Shay (“Where It All Began”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Kings Of Leon – Tonight the 3rd leg to their “Mechanical Bull Tour” gets underway in St Louis MO. Joining them on select dates of the amphitheater trek are Young the Giant and Kongos.
• Mariah Carey – She & Nick Cannon have reportedly put their Bel Air CA mansion back on the market after a buyer backed out on Monday. They bought the house for $7 million in 2009, and the buyer had negotiated a deal for $3 million less than the original asking price. Carey & Canon are planning to be permanently based in NYC from now on.
• Muse – Frontman Matt Bellamy says writing & recording their new album is going well and they hope to have it ready for next Summer. They began working on the follow up to 2012’s “The 2nd Law” right after their headlining appearance at this year’s Coachella festival.
• Pharrell Williams – Andreas Kronthaler, Vivienne Westwood’s co-designer and partner, says Pharrell has worn the designer’s Buffalo hat ‘to death’. At the height of its popularity after the Grammys, the hat had its own Twitter account. Pharrell owns 5 of them, in various colors.
• Tim McGraw – His upcoming new album, “Sundown Heaven Town” (out September 16th), will be available in a deluxe version with 5 extra tracks, a total of 18. One is a duet with Kid Rock.
• TV On the Radio – Their new album “Seeds” will be out this Fall. Vocalist Tunde Adebimpe says the record is “1,000 percent” the best thing they’ve ever done.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Adam Jones” – Actor Bradley Cooper has been learning to flip burgers and getting advice from celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay while shooting this movie about a chef attempting to create the best restaurant ever. Directed by John Wells, the comedy co-starring Emma Thompson, Sienna Miller, and Uma Thurman is being filmed in London UK through September 26th.
• “Champion” – Jamie Foxx will play former boxing champ Mike Tyson in this new biopic with the help of technology used in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”. CGI effects will transform 46-year-old Foxx into a 20-year-old version of Tyson, when he became the youngest heavyweight champion ever. Foxx has reportedly asked Tyson to train him for the role.
• “The Hateful Eight” – After threatening to scrap the project when the screenplay was leaked, Quentin Tarantino has now confirmed he’ll make this film about bounty hunters in post-Civil War Wyoming. Earlier this year, a live reading of the script in LA featured Kurt Russell, Samuel L Jackson, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Bruce Dern. The film is expected in December 2015.
• “The Jungle Book” – Christopher Walken and former “Breaking Bad” bad-guy Giancarlo Esposito have been added to the voice cast of Jon Favreau’s fresh take on the Rudyard Kipling tale, joining previously announced Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o, and Scarlett Johansson. 10-year-old newcomer Neel Sethi will be the only live actor to appear onscreen, as ‘Mowgli’.

SLEEP SNOOP:
A new hi-tech system that monitors sleep has raised $1 million on Kickstarter in just 4 days. The ‘Sense’ sleep monitoring system records not only how you sleep, but everything else that’s going on in your bedroom. A sensor that sits on the bedside table listens for noises and monitors air and light quality. A 2nd sensor clipped to your pillow monitors your movements in bed. The gizmo takes into account all of the sensor data and variables that it monitors to generate a ‘Sleep Score’ out of 100 for your previous night’s sleep. The accompanying ‘Sense’ phone app identifies patterns and gives you a breakdown to help fix whatever is preventing sound sleep. (Well, let’s see … problem #1 is getting up at 4 am for this show.)
– @MailOnline

GRASS STATS:
Highlights of the new “World Drug Report” by the UN on marijuana use worldwide …
✓ Australia, Canada, Nigeria, and the USA rank highest in usage with more than 10% of their populations aged 15-to-64 admitting to using the drug.
✓ Countries with the lowest rates include Ecuador, Paraguay, Romania, and Turkey.
✓ Surprisingly, Mexico’s usage is comparatively low despite it’s reputation as a prime supplier.
✓ While cannabis is grown in almost every country, production of cannabis resin is confined to only a few countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and South-West Asia.
✓ When comparing prices worldwide, cannabis herb is found to be cheapest in Africa and South Asia and most expensive in East and South-East Asia.
✓ Up to 4.9% of the world’s population uses cannabis in a given year.
✓ Uruguay and the US states of Washington and Colorado have recently made marijuana legal, costing drug cartels an estimated $3 billion in lost sales.
– Reuters.com

MORNING SICKNESS IS GOOD NEWS?
A new study from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto ON has revealed that mothers who experience nausea during pregnancy actually seem to benefit from the malady. The research suggests the ensuing baby will be healthier, more intelligent, and the infant’s development in the long-term may also be better. And moms who experience so-called ‘morning sickness’ also have fewer miscarriages than those who are completely healthy during pregnancy. In particular, pregnant women 35 and over seem to benefit from these ‘protective effects’. Morning sickness affects about 85% of all expectant moms. (Two recent first-time moms who suffered acute morning sickness: Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge; and singer Kelly Clarkson.)
– “Wall Street Journal”

BS AMAZING FACT:
People are more likely to spend money when they feel nostalgic.
– BBC News Magazine

BS CHRONOMETER 07.31.14

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1962 [52] Wesley Snipes, Orlando FL, once incarcerated tax evader/movie actor (“Blade” films, “US Marshals”)/Hollywood Walk of Fame (1998)  UP NEXT: “The Expendables 3”, August 15th.

1965 [49] JK (Joanne) Rowling, Yate UK, mega-selling author (“Cormoran Strike” novels, “Harry Potter” books)

1978 [36] Zac Brown, Cumming GA, country singer (Zac Brown Band-“Knee Deep”, “Chicken Fried”)

1978 [36] Will Champion, Southampton UK, rock drummer (Coldplay-“Paradise”, “Viva La Vida”)

1979 [35] BJ (Benjamin Joseph) Novak, Newton MA, TV actor (“The Office” 2005-13)/movie actor (“The Amazing Spider-Man 2”, “Inglourious Basterds”)

1998 [16] Rico Rodriguez, College Station TX, TV actor (‘Manny Delgado’ on “Modern Family” since 2009)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Chili Dog Day”, observed annually on the last Thursday of July to celebrate the gooey goodness of layering spicy chili-con-carne atop a hot dog.

• “Invite the Neighbors Over Day”, an initiative to encourage us to get to know those who live nearby. (And ask them to bring along their frickin’ dog that never quits yap-yap-yapping and that sputtering lawnmower they insist on using at 6 am on a Saturday and …)

• “Make Homemade Ice Cream Day”, because you’re looking way too skinny of late. As well as a good recipe, you’ll need some ice, some salt to melt the ice, and whole lot of elbow grease (or an electric ice cream maker).

• “Mutts Day”, honoring all dogs of mixed breeds. Purebred owners often view them as lesser in many ways but mutt owners know better!

• “Uncommon Instruments Awareness Day”, an annual celebration of strange musical instruments such as the bubble organ, laser harp, clackamore, fluba, dulcimer, or double violin. Check the ’12-Neck Guitar’ and other oddities here …
NET: http://www.oddee.com/item_98118.aspx
And how about the ever-tasteful Vegetable Orchestra …
NET: http://www.vegetableorchestra.org

• “World Ranger Day”, initiated by the 54 member associations of the International Ranger Federation to celebrate the work rangers do to protect the world’s natural & cultural treasures.
NET: http://internationalrangers.org/world-ranger-day

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1995 [19] Walt Disney Co acquires ABC-TV in a $19-billion deal

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1964 [50] ‘Ranger 7’, an unmanned NASA probe, takes the first close-up images of the Moon

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2012 [02] US swimmer Michael Phelps breaks the record for ‘Greatest Number of Medals Won at the Olympics’ by increasing his total to 22

BS MONTHLY PLANNING CALENDAR . . .
[Aug 1] “Get on Up”; “Guardians Of the Galaxy” open in movie theaters / Lollapalooza begins (Chicago IL) / Watershed Music Festival begins (Quincy WA) / Big Valley Jamboree begins (Camrose AB) / Osheaga Festival begins (Montréal QC) / Girlfriend’s Day / Respect For Parents Day / Rounds Resounding Day / Spider-Man Day / Twins Day / World Lung Cancer Day / International Beer Day
[Aug 2] International Hangover Day / Mustard Day
[Aug 3] Doll Day / Kids Day / Sisters Day / Watermelon Day
[Aug 4] Civic Holiday (Canada) / Psychic Day / Chocolate Chip Day / Assistance Dog Day
[Aug 5] National Night Out / Oyster Day / Underwear Day
[Aug 6] Fresh Breath Day / Root Beer Float Day
[Aug 7] Lighthouse Day / Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day / Professional Speakers Day
[Aug 8] “Deepsea Challenge 3D”; “The Hundred-Foot Journey”; “Into the Storm”; “Step Up All In”; “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” open in movie theaters / Outside Lands Festival begins (San Francisco CA) / Cat Day / Kool-Aid Day / Date to Create / Happiness Happens Day / Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Night / Worldwide Art Day
[Aug 9] Book Lovers Day / Bowling Day / International Day Of the World’s Indigenous People / Garage Sale Day
[Aug 10] Full ‘Sturgeon’ Moon / “Teen Choice Awards” (FOX) / “Shark Week” begins (Discovery Channel) / Skyscraper Appreciation Day / Smithsonian Day / S’mores Day
[Aug 11] Perseids Meteor Shower begins
[Aug 12] International Youth Day / Middle Child Day / Sewing Machine Day / Vinyl Record Day / World Elephant Day
[Aug 13] “Let’s Be Cops” opens in movie theaters / International Lefthanders Day
[Aug 14] Creamsicle Day / Financial Awareness Day / International Nagging Day
[Aug 15] “The Expendables 3”; “The Giver” open in movie theaters / Canadian National Exhibition begins (Toronto ON) / Best Friends Day / Men’s Grooming Day / Relaxation Day
[Aug 16] International Geocaching Day / International Homeless Animals Day / World Honey Bee Day
[Aug 17] Black Cat Appreciation Day / Thrift Shop Day
[Aug 18] Bad Poetry Day / Cupcake Day
[Aug 19] Aviation Day / World Humanitarian Day
[Aug 20] Medical Dosimetrist Day / Radio Day
[Aug 21] “The Simpsons” marathon begins (FXX) / Spumoni Day / Poets Day / Senior Citizens Day
[Aug 22] “Frank Miller’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For”; “If I Stay”; “When the Game Stands Tall” open in movie theaters / Reading & Leeds Festivals begin (UK) / Hug Your Boss Day / Southern Hemisphere Hoodie Hoo Day / Take Your Cat To the Vet Day
[Aug 23] Day For the Remembrance Of the Slave Trade & Its Abolition
[Aug 24] “MTV Video Music Awards” (MTV) / Go Topless Day / Knife Day / Waffle Iron Day
[Aug 25] “Emmy Awards” (NBC) / Kiss & Make Up Day / Secondhand Wardrobe Day / Whiskey Sour Day
[Aug 26] Women’s Equality Day
[Aug 27] “The November Man” opens in movie theaters / La Tomatina (Buñol, Spain) / Tug-of-War Day
[Aug 28] Radio Commercials Day / Crackers Over the Keyboard Day
[Aug 29] “As Above, So Below” opens in movie theaters / Ganesh Chaturthi (Hindu) / According to Hoyle Day / Individual Rights Day / International Bat Night / International Day Against Nuclear Tests / More Herbs, Less Salt Day
[Aug 30] Made In America festivals begin (Philadelphia PA/LA CA) / Bumbershoot Festival begins (Seattle WA) / Bacon Day / International Whale Shark Day / Holistic Pet Day / Buffalo Chicken Wings Day / Toasted Marshmallow Day / Franchise Appreciation Day
[Aug 31] International Overdose Awareness Day / Love Litigating Lawyers Day

BULL’S BITS

WHAT YOUR PET IS ACTUALLY THINKING WHILE DUMBLY STARING AT YOU:
• Dog: “Why do you keep putting the lid down on the big water-bowl?”
• Parrot: “Tease, tease, tease! But do you greedy clowns ever really give me a cracker? Hell no!”
• Hamster: “Enough with the treadmill already. How ’bout a roller coaster, you cheap bastard?”
• Goldfish: “Oh, tap-tap-tap! There’s a new one! Yeah, that’s hilarious.”
• Canary: “If you ever leave the door to the cage open by accident, I’m gonna crap all over the kitchen.”
• Cat: “What are you people doing in my house?”

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What was your favorite toy or TV show or movie or song when you were just 6-years-old?

BS WEB GOODIE:
Here’s a pic to post on your website, to be headlined “Who Is This Man?”. It’s a rendering by hair transplant surgeon Asim Shahmalak of what Britain’s Prince Harry will look like in 20 years at age 50. Kinda creepy, no?
NET: http://tinyurl.com/qxo7tc8
Here’s his brother Prince William, heir to the throne, who’s a little more recognizable at 50…
NET: http://tinyurl.com/q32jwbd

BS RANDOM JOKE:
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. An onion a day should take care of everyone else.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: The first of THESE was 9-inches-long and weighed  2½ pounds.
Answer: Cellphone.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.