BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, and Pharrell Williams are returning as coaches on Season 9 of “The Voice”. Levine and Shelton have been aboard since Season 1, while Stefani and Williams joined the program in Season 7. Stefani was brought on to replace Christina Aguilera, who is reportedly ‘focusing on motherhood and other projects’. The NBC-TV  reality competition premiered in 2011, and will return for its 9th season this Fall.
– UPI.com
★ “Thor” star Chris Hemsworth has been cast as the receptionist in director Paul Feig’s all-female “Ghostbusters” movie, confirming speculation that the role made famous by Annie Potts in the original 1984 film would be subject to a gender reversal. He joins a cast that already includes comedy stalwarts Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig, as well as Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. The “Ghostbusters” reboot is emerging as one of the bigger releases of 2016.
– Variety.com
★ Raven-Symone has been named the new co-host of ABC-TV daytime talk show “The View”. The former child star, best-known from Disney Channel’s “That’s So Raven”, has been a regular guest-host, appearing 37 times. She replaces Rosie O’Donnell, who quit the syndicated show again after splitting with her 2nd wife, Michelle Rounds. Raven-Symone joins the panel that includes moderator Whoopi Goldberg, and co-hosts Nicolle Wallace and Rosie Perez.
– People.com
★ And Broadway musical “The Visit”, which entered the 2015 Tony Awards with 5 nominations but walked away empty-handed, is closing down. The dark musical has struggled at the box office since it opened; and mixed reviews didn’t give it much of a boost. “The Visit” is based on a 1956 Swiss play about the world’s wealthiest woman returning to her destitute hometown. It stars 82-year-old Broadway favorite Chita Rivera. The show shutters on Sunday.
– Variety.com

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “America’s Got Talent” (NBC/CityTV) – Tonight a rerun of this week’s auditions.
• Download Festival (Donington Park UK) – The annual 3-day rock fest at the Derby raceway features Faith No More, Judas Priest, KISS, Mötley Crüe, Muse, and Slipknot.
• “Good Morning America” (ABC): Today Jason Derulo (“Everything Is 4”) performs live.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Tonight Wiz Khalifa (“Blacc Hollywood”). Rerun.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Tonight Waters (“What’s Real”). Rerun.
• “Late Late Show With James Corden” (CBS) – Tonight Mark Ronson (“Uptown Funk”). Rerun.
• “Orange Is the New Black” (Netflix) – Today the streaming service releases the entire Season 3 of its popular prison drama starring Taylor Schilling as ‘Piper Chapman’. A new inmate named ‘Stella’ (played by Ruby Rose) joins the gang at ‘Litchfield Penitentiary’.
• “Queen Latifah” (syndicated) – Today Jamie Foxx (“Hollywood: A Story Of a Dozen Roses”). Rerun.
• Shanghai International Film Festival (Shanghai, China) – The country gets its first-ever screening of all 6 “Star Wars” movies during the festival, which reels Saturday-to-June 21st. The idea is to generate interest for the December release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.
• Sound of Music Festival (Burlington ON) – Tomorrow, the 1st Saturday of the 2-weekend waterfront event, features Collective Soul, Finger Eleven, Our Lady Peace, and Weezer.
• Spring Awakening (Chicago IL) – This 4th annual 3-day EDM fest at the Soldier Field stadium is headlined by Afrojack, Diplo, Hardwell, Tiësto, and Zedd.
• Taste of Country Music Festival (Hunter NY) – Headliners for the 3rd annual 3-day country bash at Hunter Mountain Resort in the Catskills are Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, and Toby Keith.
• “Tavis Smiley” (PBS) – Tonight legendary bluesman Dr John (“In the Right Place”).
• “TFI Friday” [Thank F— It’s Friday] – Tonight the once Friday night staple (1996-2000) returns to UK’s Channel 4 with a 20th anniversary special hosted by ex-BBC DJ Chris Evans. Guests include a one-off ‘super-group’ of Liam Gallagher (ex-Oasis), Roger Daltry (The Who), and Ringo Starr’s son Zak Starkey. Also appearing: Blur, Stone Roses, and Years & Years.
• “Today” (NBC) – Fall Out Boy (“American Beauty/American Psycho”) performs live.
• “The View” (ABC/CTV) – Today TI & Tiny (“The Family Hustle”).
• “Yukon for Sale” (CMT Canada) – Saturday the debut of a new real estate show with a twist. Yukon home-buyers don’t go for typical luxuries; they seek views of the Northern Lights, acres for hunting & fishing, and of course … the perfect outhouse. Narrated by George Canyon.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Jurassic World” ( PG-13 Sci-Fi Adventure ): 22 years after the events of “Jurassic Park” (1993), this 4th movie in the series takes us back to a world of rampaging dinosaurs and mad science at a cloned-dinosaur theme park. The ensemble cast includes Chris Pratt, Judy Greer, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Vincent D’Onofrio. Steven Spielberg is executive producer.
NET: http://www.jurassicworld.com
• Opening in limited release: “The 11th Hour” (Drama); “Me & Earl and The Dying Girl” (Drama); “Set Fire To the Stars” (Bio-Drama); “Soaked in Bleach” (Documentary); and “The Wolfpack” (Documentary).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Big Sean – He promised to build the students at his Detroit MI alma mater, Cass Technical High School, their very own recording studio if they achieved high scores on exams. They did, and this week the rapper returned home to unveil the new facility.
• Ed Sheeran – He thinks he’s responsible for ‘ginger’ guys having more sex. The red-headed star says he doesn’t mind when guys who share his hair color pretend to be him in order to get attention from girls. Quote: “You know what, we’re finally getting laid! This is a good thing.”
• The Game – A pick-up basketball game participant has filed a lawsuit accusing the rapper of punching him on the court at LA’s Hollywood High School in March. Onyebuchi Awaji would like $12 million to make up for his ‘physical and emotional pain’.
• Iggy Azalea – She’s cancelled her performance at Saturday’s ‘Pittsburgh Pride Parade’ after LGBT backlash online. She’s accused of making questionable comments on social media, which some have interpreted as homophobic and racist. Nick Jonas is filling Iggy’s slot.
• Katy Perry – She’s the new face of fashion house Moschino. The 30-year-old made the announcement on social media by posting a pic from the brand’s Fall 2015 campaign shoot, in which she wears a gold bra and short dark wig.
• Lorde – The 18-year-old New Zealand singer-songwriter has announced via Twitter she’s been hanging out and working on new music with UK-based garage-house duo Disclosure, who previously cooperated with Sam Smith on the hit “Latch”.
• Peter Frampton – The classic rocker is backing a crowdfunding campaign for AxCent Tuning Systems’ device that allows guitarists to change tuning in seconds without having to switch instruments. A $400-version has been available for years but a move is afoot to produce and market a cheaper version for the wider public.

TAKE A YEAR:
Richard Branson, the Brit billionaire who controls the Virgin Group, is attempting to reshape family leave policy by offering year-long parental leave for some employees. The program allows both mothers & fathers to take up to a year of paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of a child. The policy applies only to Virgin Management in the UK and Geneva, Switzerland. The new perk expands on a new UK government program that allows working parents to share leave in turns during the 1st year after a birth or adoption. Virgin employees will be paid based on length of service; those with 4 years or more receiving 100%. (This boss is amazing … last year he announced unlimited vacation time.)
– “USA Today”

MORE ORIGINS OF SLANG:
A BS look at where some common sayings came from …
✓ “Between a rock and a hard place” – 1st showed up in reference to the 1907 Bankers’ Panic, in which American miners were forced to choose between dangerous, underpaid work or unemployment and poverty.
✓ “The birds and the bees” – Cole Porter’s 1928 song “Let’s Do It” seems to reference it as common speak. “And that’s why birds do it, bees do it … Let’s do it, let’s fall in love.”
✓ “Buck” – Dates back to 1856, likely by abbreviating ‘buckskin’. The skin of a buck (male deer) was an item often traded between Native Americans and Europeans.
✓ “Groovy” – Dates back to 1930s jazz. When somebody was really feeling the music and playing on point, it was said they were playing in the groove, referring to the groove of records.
✓ “Jazz” – The musical style we know as jazz first got its name in 1915, attributed to the word’s prior meanings of ‘nonsense’ or ‘energy and excitement’.
✓ “Legit” – In the late 19th century, theater groups began using it to refer to ‘legitimate drama’, meaning a well-written piece.
✓ “Skid row” – In early Seattle, Washington it was generally the road next to the skids (used to move lumber) where unemployed loggers would hang out in hopes of finding work.
– Adapted from List25.com

HEALTHY SIGNS:
As well as your zodiac sign, your birth month may reveal your risk of disease. A new Columbia University study has found there are at least 55 diseases that are significantly dependent on your month of birth. People born in May have the lowest risk of disease overall; those born in October-November have the highest. The research also shows that people born in March have the highest risk of heart disease; those with September-October birthdays have a higher risk of respiratory disease; and early Winter babies have a higher risk of reproductive and neurological diseases. Researchers note, however, that risks related to birth month are relatively minor when compared to more influential variables like diet and exercise. (“You’re a Cancer? Oh, I’m a Stroke.”)
– TIME.com

BS AMAZING FACT:
Dolphins are the lifeguards of nature! There are several confirmed reports of dolphins rescuing drowning or injured humans.
– BuzzFeed.com

BS CHRONOMETER 06.12.15

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1924 [91] George HW Bush, Milton MA, 41st US President (1989-93)  BS FACTOID: He celebrated his 80th birthday by … skydiving.

1979 [36] Robyn (Carlsson), Stockholm, Sweden, pop singer (“Indestructible”, “Dancing on My Own”)

1981 [34] Adriana Lima, Salvador, Brazil, fashion model (“Elle”, “GQ”, “Vogue”)/estimated earnings of $8 million in 2014

1985 [30] Chris Young, Murfreesboro TN, country singer (“I’m Comin’ Over”, “Tomorrow”)

SATURDAY –
TV actor/comedian Tim Allen (“Last Man Standing”) is 62; Alt-rock singer Rivers Cuomo (Weezer) is 45; Movie actor Chris Evans (“The Avengers” films) is 34; TV actress Kat Dennings (“2 Broke Girls”) is 29; TV actresses-turned-fashion moguls Ashley & Mary Kate Olsen are 29.

SUNDAY –
Billionaire TV personality Donald Trump (“Celebrity Apprentice”) is 69; TV actor Kevin McHale (“Glee”) is 27; TV actress Lucy Hale (“Pretty Little Liars”) is 26; Pop singer Jesy Nelson (Little Mix) is 24.

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Automotive Service Professionals Day”, begun in 2005 by National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence to salute auto mechanics and others involved in vehicle maintenance.
• “Crowded Nest Awareness Day”, recognizing the condition ‘Crowded Nest Syndrome’, the series of problems that occur when children who’ve moved out of the house move back in.
NET: http://www.giftypedia.com/Crowded_Nest_Awareness_Day
• “Jerky Day”, the 4th annual observance celebrating the rich history, immense popularity, and nutritional benefits of dried meat snacks. In one poll, men pick jerky as ‘Best Road Snack’.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/c44hxoh
• “Peanut Butter Cookie Day”, a good time to dig out Grandma’s famous recipe and bake up a dozen. The treat first became a favorite in the early 1900s.
NET: http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/national-peanut-butter-cookie-day
• “Red Rose Day”, an annual celebration of the most popular cut flower. Also one of the most expensive!
• “Superman Celebration”, the annual festival weekend of ‘super’ events in Metropolis, Illinois.
NET: http://www.supermancelebration.net
• “World Day Against Child Labor”, an International Labor Organization-sanctioned holiday first launched in 2002 to foster the worldwide movement against child labor in any of its forms.

SATURDAY –
• “Kitchen Klutzes Day”, celebrating not-so-accomplished cooks by encouraging them to prepare a recipe that contains no more than 4 ingredients, not including water, salt & pepper.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/6ttlxts
• “Missing Mutts Awareness Day”, created to raise awareness of missing family pets and to help raise funds to enable families to advertise and bring their pets home.
NET: http://www.missingmuttsawareness.com
• “Trooping the Colour” (aka “Queen’s Birthday Parade”), the annual official celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday in London on a Saturday in June. Her actual birthday is in April.
• “World Naked Bike Ride”, the 11th annual clothing-optional bike ride in which participants ride together en masse. Affiliated events are now held in 70 countries.
NET: http://www.worldnakedbikeride.org
• “World Gin Day”, the excuse for the 7th annual “Ginstock” celebration in London UK.
NET: http://worldginday.com
• “Worldwide Knit in Public Day”, observed since 2005 on the 2nd Saturday of June and said to be the largest knitting event in the world. And who’s to argue with that?

SUNDAY –
• “Canadian Rivers Day”, a yearly salute on the 2nd Sunday of June to the source of what is arguably Canada’s greatest resource … freshwater. Canada has 20% of the world’s supply.
• “Children’s Sunday”, an annual celebration of wee folk, annually on the 2nd Sunday in June.
• “Pig Callers Day”, a great excuse for an on-air competition. Hog-calling contests have long been common at country fairs and festivals.
• “World Blood Donor Day”, the 10th annual dedicated to thanking and celebrating voluntary blood donors worldwide. It occurs on the birth date of Karl Landsteiner, creator of the A-B-O blood grouping system, for which he won the Nobel Prize in 1930.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2003 [12] Movie actor Gregory Peck, star of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, dies at age 87

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
2007 [08] Delcambre, Louisiana approves an ordinance setting a maximum penalty of 6 months in jail and a $500-fine for being caught … in saggy pants

2011 [04] Dallas Mavericks win their 1st NBA title, beating  Miami Heat 4 games-to-2

2014 [01] World Cup begins in Sao Paulo, Brazil as the home team wins the opening game against Croatia 3-1 (then is humiliated for the remainder of the tournament)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Mon] “Making of the Mob: New York” premieres (AMC)
[Mon] Nature Photography Day
[Mon] Ride to Work on Your Motorcycle Day
[Mon] World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
[Tues] “Rizzoli & Isles” season debut (TNT)
This Week Is … Credit Awareness Week
This Month Is … Dairy Alternative Month

BULL’S BITS

LEAST POPULAR BS RESTAURANTS:
● ‘Angry Joe’s Saliva Jamboree’
● ‘Baby Kangaroo Steak House’
● ‘The Muzak Café’
● ‘Flatliners’
● ‘Cyber-Geek’s Food Emporium’
● ‘The School Lunch-A-Teria’
● ‘TGI Mondays’
● ‘Pukees’

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What’s the weirdest thing you’ve done while driving to work?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
The last thing I want to do is insult you … but it IS on the list.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: According to a recent poll asking about the little pleasures that make life worth living, THIS ranks #1.
Answer: Sleeping on clean sheets. (Sssnnniiiffff … mmm!)

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Never underestimate a woman … unless you’re discussing her age or weight.