Monday, July 8, 2013        Edition: #5019

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
✳ The UK’s BBC, often on the cutting edge of media advancement, has announced it is suspending all 3-D programming at the end of this year due to … ‘lack of public appetite’. The ‘Beeb’ began a 2-year trial of 3-D in 2011, broadcasting several shows and events in 3-D, including the 2012 Olympic Games. But a spokesperson now says the technology has not taken off, apparently because audiences find it ‘quite hassle-y’. (BS translation: We won’t wear those goofy glasses, even when we’re home alone.)
– BBC Entertainment & Arts
✳ 38-year-old actress Eva Longoria (ex-“Desperate Housewives”) has been single since divorcing NBA star Tony Parker in 2010 after 3 years of marriage. But now it seems she’s found new love as she’s been gushing on Twitter about her boyfriend, 34-year-old Miami entrepreneur Ernesto Arguello. The twosome met on the dating reality show that Longoria produced, “Looking For Love”, after which their friendship blossomed into romance. (The show only lasted 3 weeks before getting axed; let’s hope the relationship fares better.)
– People.com
✳ In a new magazine interview, 31-year-old “Hart of Dixie” actress Rachel Bilson reveals her feelings about “The Bling Ring”, the movie based on the real-life crimes of a group of teenagers who burglarized her home as well as those of other Hollywood celebs. Among the items she lost were designer clothes worth thousands-of-dollars and many sentimental belongings, including her mom’s engagement ring. She says she thinks it’s – quote – “weird to glorify something that was so upsetting for a lot of people.” (In other words, quit profiting from my loss!)
– August UK “Cosmopolitan”
✳ It’s a dirty job and somebody’s gotta do it, but that somebody is not Kanye West. Since welcoming baby daughter North with girlfriend Kim Kardashian on June 15th, Kanye has not changed one single dirty diaper. A source close to the Kardashian family says he’s totally in love with his new little girl, but he’s not so keen on dealing with her messes. (When it comes to sheet … he won’t touch it, but he sure talks it!)
– UsWeekly.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Chelsea Lately” (E!) – Ciara (“Ciara”, out tomorrow). Rerun.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Shakira (“The Voice”). Rerun.
• “Get Me Out Alive with Bear Grylls” (NBC) – Debut of a new reality competition series hosted by UK adventurer/survivalist/TV personality Edward ‘Bear’ Grylls. 10 teams of 2 compete to survive in the wilds of New Zealand while performing various tasks. Last team remaining wins $500,000.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Rhye (“Woman”).
• “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC/CTV2) – Lionel Richie (“Tuskegee”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Adele – London wax museum Madame Tussauds has unveiled a new figure of her, said to be a direct result of high demand from museum patrons. The wax replica, in a black gown similar to the one she wore at the Oscars, joins the museum’s permanent collection later this month.
• Amy Winehouse – Her mother Janis Winehouse says she ‘wasn’t surprised’ when Amy died of alcohol poisoning in 2011 at age 27 because she could never imagine her as an older person. Quote: “She was this young girl who exploded into the world like a firecracker and then it was, ‘OK, I’m done … I’m off’. Amy was never meant to be 30.”
• The Doors – Surviving members guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore will reunite for a show in tribute to keyboardist Ray Manzarek, who died in May of cancer. The concert will mark the healing of a rift between the two which started in 2002 over rights to the band’s name and songs.
• Elton John – He tells BBC Radio 4 he’ll cut back on his hectic touring schedule when his sons start school so they can have a more normal home life. 2-year-old Zachary and 6-month-old Elijah currently travel the world with him as he performs around 120 concerts a year.
• Garth Brooks – He’s being sued by an ex-employee who calls him ‘paranoid, angry, and deceitful’. Lisa Sanderson, who worked for the country star for 20 years, is alleging that he owes her $425,000 in unpaid bonuses and salary, as well as punitive damages.
• Justin Timberlake – As of mid-year, “The 20/20 Experience” is the biggest-selling album of 2013, selling a total of 5.6 million copies.
• Lady Gaga – She’s reportedly bought actor-boyfriend Taylor Kinney (“Chicago Fire”) a $55,000 crocodile-skin bag designed by artist Damien Hirst. Only 12 of the unique backpacks were made, each covered in mini-versions of Hirst’s ‘spot paintings’, rows of random colored circles. The gift is for Kinney’s 32nd birthday next Monday, July 15th. (So much for that surprise.)
• Wale – He’s atop the new album sales chart, according to Nielsen SoundScan. “The Gifted” is his first #1 album. It’s the followup to 2011’s “Ambition”.

RATTLED ROBOT:
Honda Corp’s robot ‘Asimo’ has been in development since 1996 and for the next 4 weeks it’s working as a museum guide at the Miraikan Science Museum in Tokyo as a trial. The ‘bot has been popular with patrons but is struggling to identify human gestures. For instance, it can’t differentiate between museum-goers raising their hands to ask questions and those raising their hands to take photos. It can recognize a child waving to it but doesn’t comprehend the meaning of the waving. It’s thought that human-robot interaction is the key to working these kinks out. (“Apologies, patron. Asimo does not compute the meaning of your middle digit …”)
– Sourced from AP

HI-TECH PET CARE:
New ways to watch and/or care for cats and dogs via remote control …
• ‘iPet Companion’ – An online site where you can play with abandoned cats living in animal shelters from your desktop.
NET: http://www.ipetcompanion.com
• ‘Pintofeed’ – A remote feeding system controlled using your smartphone.
NET: http://www.pintofeed.com
• ‘Petcube’ – A new app to be launched via a Kickstarter campaign in August that will let you play with your pets (and talk to them) on your smartphone from wherever you are in the world.
NET: http://petcube.net
• ‘Rover.com’ – Online service that helps you book pet-sitters who will care for your dog in their own homes while you’re away. Owners receive daily photos and updates on their pets.
NET: http://www.rover.com
• ‘Snapcat’ – An Android app which lets your kitty take ‘selfies’, photos of themselves, by themselves.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/nt95w7n
• ‘Swifto’ – A NYC service which lets you book dog-walkers online and then track your pet’s walk using GPS.
NET: https://swifto.com
• ‘Whistle’ – A collar-attached activity-tracker that records your pet’s movements and flags any unusual behavior that might indicate illness.
NET: http://www.whistle.com
– Condensed from BBC Technology

HOW TO DELETE YOUR DATA:
It’s always exciting buying a new computer. Of course, it often creates the problem: What do you do with your old computer? And how do you get rid of all the confidential stuff that’s on it? Here are 3 ways to get rid of your sensitive info for good …
1. Wipe the drive completely. ‘Microsoft Windows’ has an option for removing everything and then reinstalling ‘Windows’.
2. Delete only your sensitive files. Grab a program like ‘Eraser for Windows’ or ‘Permanent Eraser for Mac’. They will only delete personal data, leaving installed programs alone.
3. Destroy the hard drive. Everyone has that moment where you want to smash your computer. Well, this is your chance! The method doesn’t really matter. Power drill, belt sander, hammer …
– Komando.com

FICTIONAL PRODUCTS FROM MOVIES THAT BECAME REALITY:
✓ Bubba Gump Shrimp – Invented for the movie “Forrest Gump” (1994), the copycat real-life Bubba Gump Shrimp Co chain now has more than 30 restaurants in 7 countries.
✓ Computer Tablet – Computer pads shown in “Star Trek” (1966-69) were startlingly similar to today’s Apple iPad … white plastic-trimmed, with a touchscreen in the middle.
✓ GPS – In the ‘James Bond’ movie, “Goldfinger” (1964), the technology was introduced as an upgrade to the super-spy’s car.
✓ Online Newspapers – Reading the news online seems normal these days but not so back when Arthur C Clarke’s book became the classic sci-fi movie “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968).
✓ Underwater Camera – ‘James Bond’ could be seen using one in “Thunderball” (1965). He was actually using a Belgian prototype of what became commonly available in 1969.
– Sourced from AllWomensTalk.com

DID YOU KNOW?
Time doesn’t really fly when we’re having fun. We just remember a lot more detail than normal after enjoying something so we think that it went by quickly.
– “Daily Mail”

BS CHRONOMETER 07.08.13

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1944 [69] Jeffrey Tambor, San Francisco CA, TV actor (‘George Bluth Sr’/’Oscar Bluth’ on “Arrested Development” 2003-06, 2013)/movie actor (“Hangover” films, “Monsters vs Aliens”)

1951 [62] Anjelica Huston, Santa Monica CA, TV actress (‘Eileen Rand’ on “Smash” 2012-13)/movie actress (“Prizzi’s Honor”, “The Addams Family”)

1958 [55] Kevin Bacon, Philadelphia PA, TV actor (‘Ryan Hardy’ on “The Following” 2013)/movie actor (“Frost/Nixon”, “Footloose”)/Hollywood Walk of Fame (2003)

1961 [52] Toby Keith, Clinton OK, country singer (“Made in America”, “I Love This Bar”)/sometime movie actor (“Beer For My Horses”, “Broken Bridges”)

1970 [43] Beck (Hansen), LA CA, alt-rock singer (“Girl”, “E-Pro”)

1976 [37] David Kennedy, Poway CA, rock guitarist (Angels & Airwaves-“Everything’s Magic”, “The Adventure”)

1985 [28] Jamie Cook, Sheffield UK, indie rock guitarist-songwriter (Arctic Monkeys-“Do I Wanna Know?”, “I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor”)

1998 [15] Jaden Smith, Malibu CA, bad movie actor (“After Earth”, “The Karate Kid”)/son of actors Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Be a Kid Day”, when we’re encouraged to participate in activities we enjoyed as a child and introduce them to a kid we know. (“OK Zachary, this is know as ‘playing outdoors’ …”)

• “Eat a Vegetable You’ve Never Tried Before Day”. Bok choy? Rapini? Bamboo? Kudzu?

• “Ice Cream Sundae Day”, a day to create you own sundae from all your favorite toppings.

• “International Town Criers Day”, observed annually on the 2nd Monday of July to honor the news announcers of yesteryear, who wandered throughout towns proclaiming the latest events, announcements, and even the weather. (You can incorporate the observance into your show: “7 o’clock and all’s well!”; “Hear ye, citizens. Mostly sunny and hot today …”)

• “Videogames Day”, a day for kids to appreciate both the games … and the parents who buy them. Actually, one of the fastest growing segments of the videogame market is now adult women.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1990 [23] 1st TV broadcast to generate 1 billion viewers worldwide (FIFA World Cup, hosted by Italy)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2003 [10] A tooth from the mouth of Elvis Presley, along with a lock of his hair and a gold record, fetches over $100,000 in an eBay auction

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1881 [132] ‘Ice Cream Sundae’ is invented (Edward Berner, Two Rivers WI)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1977 [36] Sabra Starr finishes ‘Longest Recorded Belly Dance’ … 100 hrs (wow, that’s a navel destroyer!)

COMING UP . . .
[Tues] Sugar Cookie Day
[Tues] Ramadan begins (Muslim)
[Wed] “Camp” debuts (NBC)
[Wed] Don’t Step On a Bee Day
[Wed] Piña Colada Day
[Wed] Hot Dog Night

THIS WEEK IS . . .
Be Nice to New Jersey Week / Creative Maladjustment Week / Farriers Week / Nude Recreation Week

BULL’S BITS

BEST OF BS:
Highlight bits culled from 20 years of “Bull Sheet” back issues …
MORE BS QUESTIONS PLAGUING HUMANITY:
• Where does the sky begin? Are tall people walking around in it?
• Is the sun considered a carcinogen?
• If rugs could talk, would they just lie?
• If you eat soup in the rain, how do you know when you’re done?
• If you have to push a button, is it really automatic?
• Do masochists enjoy dying?
• If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to?
– First published in “BS” 2004.

LOVE, LUST, OR MARRIAGE?
Love … When your eyes meet across a crowded room.
Lust … When your tongues meet across a crowded room.
Marriage … When your belt won’t meet around your waist and you don’t care.
Love … When sex is called ‘making love’.
Lust … All other times.
Marriage … What’s sex?
Love … When you share everything you own.
Lust … When you think twice about giving your partner cab fare.
Marriage … When the bank owns everything.
Love … When you are proud to be seen in public with your partner.
Lust  … When you only see each other in the bedroom.
Marriage … When you never see each other awake.
– First published in “BS” 1997.
NET: http://www.FreeRadioPrep.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What’s the worst summer job you ever had?

BS WEB GOODIE:
Not sure how Robert Downey Jr pin-ups became a thing. But it’s an (ugly-ass) thing all right.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/l99nb6y

BS RANDOM JOKE:
The only thing worse than being unemployed is … having a job.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: About three-quarters of homes have THIS but it only gets used 4 times a year on average.
Answer: Dining room table.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Never use a big word when a diminutive one will suffice.

NOW ON OUR SHEET LIST:
Mbachi Nkhata @ Rock 96.5 Lusaka, Zambia; Mellissa Roberts @ UJFM 95.4 University of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa; Juelz Jarry @ 93.5 Star FM Dubbo NSW Australia; Ed Evans @ 92.7 Kiss FM [WKQR] Mullens WV; and Derek Beck @ Big Country 97.7 [KMTY] Holdrege NE.