BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Get ready to say goodbye to 68-year-old Diane Sawyer on “ABC World News” and hello to 40-year-old David Muir. Sawyer will be ‘stepping aside’ to lead ‘new programming tackling big issues and extraordinary interviews’, according to an official announcement. While Muir becomes the new “World News” anchor starting September 2nd, 53-year-old George Stephanopoulos (“Good Morning America”) has been promoted to ‘chief anchor’ of ABC News, handling special reports and breaking news. (BS translation: Dianne’s canned and the kid is in … unless it’s something really important.)
– AceShowBiz.com
★ Michael Jackson was so broke before he died that he had one of his bodyguards carry around 2 Oscar statuettes in a silver briefcase just in case he had to pay a big bill, according to a former security guard. The Oscars, which Michael bought in 1999 for $1.5 million, were from “Gone With the Wind”. Towards the end, as Jackson’s debts mounted to an estimated $500 million, his guards’ wages were stopped and they found themselves paying for gasoline out of their own pockets in order to drive him around. (Michael’s finances are in far better shape now than when he was alive.)
– “Daily Telegraph”
★ And best-selling author Judy Blume is set to release her 1st book in more than 10 years. The “Superfudge” writer, known for her popular young adult fiction, is now working on a new novel for grown-ups. While a title is yet to be revealed, the upcoming project won’t stray too far from the themes of her past work … family, friendships, love, betrayal. Blume, whose last release “Summer Sisters” came out in 1998, put writing on hold after being diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing a mastectomy. (Good timing! Her teenage fans are now pushing 30.)
– NYTimes.com

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “America’s Got Talent” (NBC/CityTV) – Sunday viewers determine which performer deserves the $1 million prize.
• “BET Awards” (BET) – Live from LA Sunday, hosted by Chris Rock. Beyoncé, Drake, and Jay Z lead 2014 nominations with 5 apiece. Performers include: John Legend, Lil Wayne, Lionel Richie, Nicki Minaj, Pharrell Williams, and Trey Songz.
NET: http://www.bet.com/shows/bet-awards.html
• BET Experience (LA CA) – The 3-day fan experience leading up to the BET Awards includes appearances by A$AP Rocky, Mary J Blige, Maxwell, Outkast, Rick Ross, and Trey Songz.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Today Ellie Goulding (“Halcyon”). Rerun.
• “Good Morning America” (ABC) – This morning Afrojack (“Forget the World”); Sting (“The Last Ship”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Tonight Brad Paisley (“Moonshine In the Trunk”, coming August 26th). Rerun.
• “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” (CBS) – Tonight Body Count (” Murder 4 Hire”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Tonight Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks (“Wig Out at Jagbags”). Rerun.
• “Today” (NBC) – Today Phillip Phillips (“Behind the Light”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Lana Del Rey – “Ultraviolence” has become her 1rst album to top the ‘Billboard 200’ all-genre albums chart, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It had the largest sales week for a female artist since Beyonce’s self-titled surprise release in December.
• Mumford & Sons – After headlining last year, they’re hosting their own area at Britain’s massive Glastonbury festival this weekend. The band appears at the Gentleman Of the Road Stage in the Fields Of Avalon on Saturday with other artists from their record label.
• One Direction – Niall Horan has tweeted fans, asking them to stop throwing things. He had major knee surgery in January which was apparently aggravated by something hurled onstage during a “Where We Are” tour stop this week in Amsterdam, Holland.
• Sam Smith – The Brit singer-songwriter’s album “In The Lonely Hour” has become the best-selling debut album by a solo UK male artist in SoundScan history.
• Trace Adkins – He’s been inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, joining fellow Louisiana natives Aaron Neville, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Louis Armstrong. Adkins was born and raised in Sarepta LA.
• Willie Nelson – At age 81 he isn’t slowing down. His new album “Band of Brothers” is #1 on the latest ‘Billboard Country Albums’ chart.
• Zac Brown Band – They play a pair of shows at Fenway Park in Boston MA, tonight and tomorrow. Jason Aldean is the only other country act to ever play Fenway, home of baseball’s Red Sox, selling out 2 shows last Summer.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Transformers: Age of Extinction” ( PG-13 Action Adventure ): Filmmaker Michael Bay has shuffled his cast and restyled the vehicles for this 4th instalment of the sci-fi juggernaut. New leading man Mark Wahlberg plays an auto mechanic who, alongside his daughter, makes a discovery that brings the ‘Autobots’ down on them. Co-stars Nicola Peltz, Stanley Tucci.
NET: http://www.transformersmovie.com
• Opening in limited release: “Begin Again” (Dramedy); “The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz” (Documentary); “Snowpiercer” (Sci-Fi Action); “They Came Together” (Comedy); “Whitey: United States of America v James J Bulger” (Documentary); and “Yves Saint Laurent” (Biography).

SMART DATING:
Here’s a genius idea! Match.com is pairing up with Mensa, the high-IQ membership organization, to offer online dating for really, really smart people. Only users who fulfill Mensa requirements by testing in the 98th percentile on an IQ test can sign up for the exclusive dating club. If you’re not in Mensa, you can take the practice test for $1 through July 6th to find out if you’re smart enough for this dating service. The so-called ‘Mensa Match’ members will also be linked up with regular Match.com members (aka dummies).
– USAToday.com

ALL-TIME BEST FILMS:
Who better to judge the best-ever movies than people who make them? Studio chiefs, Oscar-winners, and TV royalty were surveyed for this ranking. Among the panel members: “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan; directors Gary Ross, John Singleton, and Michael Bay; Disney boss Alan Horn; producer Frank Marshall; and top agent Robert Newman. The top 5 films …
5. “Pulp Fiction” (1994)
4. “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994)
3. “Citizen Kane” (1941)
2. “The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
1. “The Godfather” (1972)
Click for the entire list …
NET: http://tinyurl.com/q54djgv
(Nothing with “Transformers” in the title seems to be listed here anywhere. Let’s see, #99,999 … nope.)
– “Hollywood Reporter”

SKY HIGH:
California company SkyTran is hoping to revolutionize public transit. It’s building an elevated network in Tel Aviv, Israel to test out 2-person ‘sky cars’ that are suspended from magnetic tracks 6 meters (20 ft) above-ground. The plan is to allow passengers to order up a vehicle via smartphone for pickup at a specific station. It’s hoped the 500-meter test track at Israel Aerospace Industries will prove that the technology works, leading to a commercial version. The cars achieve speeds of up to 70 km/hr (43 mph) although the commercial rollout is expected to offer much faster vehicles. The demonstration system should be up and running by the end of 2015. (Didn’t Disney World have this like 20 years ago?)
– BBC News Technology

AIR CARE:
Just in time for the Summer sizzle, here are some quick BS tips on how to make your air conditioner more efficient …
✓ Clean or replace air filter once a month.
✓ Direct air vents upward (cool air falls).
✓ Start it well before the hottest part of the day.
✓ Weatherstrip doors and windows.
✓ Don’t use appliances that produce heat during  hottest part of the day (oven, dishwasher, etc)
– Yahoo.com

FACEBOOK IS STILL A THING:
Don’t write off Facebook with teens just yet. A new report by Forrester Research shows the world’s biggest social network is still by far the most popular among teens despite the rise of new apps and services like Snapchat and Tumblr. A survey of over 4,500 teens aged 12-to-17 finds that Facebook remains the young users’ favorite social network. Over 75% still use Facebook, twice as many as Pinterest or Tumblr or Snapchat, and more than Instagram and WhatApp combined. 28% are regulars, saying they use it ‘all the time’. (Hmm, wonder who funded this study?)
– RelaxNews.com

DID YOU KNOW?
Babies are born with no bacteria in their bodies.
– “1,339 QI Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop”

BS CHRONOMETER 06.27.14

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1966 [48] JJ (Jeffrey Jacob) Abrams, NYC, movie producer-director (“Star Trek” films, “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”)/TV writer-producer-director (“Fringe” 2008-13, “Lost” 2004-10)  UP NEXT: Now shooting “Star Wars: Episode VII” in England.

1975 [39] Tobey Maguire, Santa Monica CA, movie actor (“The Great Gatsby”, “Spider-Man” films)

1984 [30] Khloé Kardashian, Trona CA, reality TV personality (“Khloé & Lamar” 2011; “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” since 2007)/sister of Kourtney, Kim, and Robert Kardashian

1986 [28] Samuel Claflin, Ipswich UK, movie actor (‘Finnick Odair’ in “Hunger Games” films, “Pirates Of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”)

SATURDAY –
Movie actress Kathy Bates (“Misery”) is 66; Movie actor John Cusack (“The Butler”) is 48; Alt-rock bassist Tim Nordwind (OK Go) is 38; Pop-rock bassist Mark Stoermer (The Killers) is 37; Country singer Kellie Pickler (“Red High Hells”) is 28.

SUNDAY –
Pop singer/TV personality Nicole Scherzinger (ex-Pussycat Dolls) is 36; TV actor/comedy writer Colin Jost (“Saturday Night Live”) is 32.

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Decide to Be Married Day”, focusing on the joys of the ball-and-chain. Ask listeners for advantages to being married that you rarely hear about.
• “HIV Testing Day”, an annual campaign by the National Association of People with AIDS to encourage at-risk individuals to receive voluntary HIV counselling and testing.
• “Industrial Workers Of the World Day”, to draw attention to workers in manufacturing and their importance in producing the goods that we consume and rely on. (Thank-you, China.)

SATURDAY –
• “Backyard Campout Night”, great fun for kids of all ages. But not so much for the adults trying to sleep indoors who wake up to the door slamming each time the ‘campers’ need something.
NET: http://www.nwf.org/great-american-backyard-campout.aspx
• “Date Night”, as declared by “Glamour” magazine after noting that couples in relationships are letting regular nights out go by the wayside. All couples are encouraged to revive the romantic spark in their relationships by doing something special.
• “International Body Piercing Day”, promoting safety and education about the ramifications of body art that begins with a hole.
• “Ramadan” begins, the Islamic month of fasting for over a billion Muslims throughout the world. During daylight hours, adherents totally abstain from food, drink, smoking, and sex.
• “World War I Anniversary”, marking 100 years since the outbreak of ‘The Great War’, which at the time was nicknamed ‘The War to End All Wars’ (unfortunately far off the mark). It began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. An estimated 16 million died and more than 21 million were wounded during the conflict.

SUNDAY –
• “Log Cabin Day”, celebrated on the last Sunday of June to salute the simple structure that has become the symbol of both self-reliance and practicality.
• “Remote Control Day”, a favorite celebration of couch potatoes everywhere. The 1st remote was sold on this date 50 years ago (1964). Zenith Radio Corporation’s ‘Lazy Bones’ used a wire cable that ran from the TV set to the viewer.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2006 [08] “Superman Returns” opens in movie theaters, starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, and Kevin Spacey

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2002 [12] Bassist John Entwistle of The Who dies in Las Vegas at age 57 of a heart attack induced by cocaine

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1942 [72] ‘Ray-Ban Sunglasses’ make their debut

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2005 [09] At age 46, Julio Franco of the Atlanta Braves becomes ‘Oldest MLB Baseball Player to Hit a Grand Slam’ (vs Florida Marlins)

COMING UP . . .
[Mon] Descendants Day
[Mon] Please Take My Children to Work Day
[Mon] National Organization for Women Day
[Tues] Canada Day
[Tues] Monty Python residency begins (London UK)
[Tues] Second Half Of the Year Day
This Week Is … Assistant Principals Week
This Month Is … Gay & Lesbian Pride Month

BULL’S BITS

MORE BS QUESTIONS PLAGUING HUMANITY:
• If a husband speaks in the forest and there is no wife around to hear him, is he still wrong?
• If money doesn’t grow on trees then why do banks have branches?
• They say hard work never killed anybody but did you ever know anyone who rested to death?
• Why is it called ‘after dark’ when it’s really ‘after light’?
• How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
• Why is it that most nudists are people you don’t want to see naked?
• If there was a ‘Bi-Sexual Pride Parade’, would it go both ways?
• If you’re in hell with someone and you’re still mad at them, where do you tell them to go?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Sad news this morning. Our local cineplex manager has died. His funeral is next Tuesday at 2:30, 5:00, and 7:30.

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
Who was the first professional athlete to receive a $100,000 annual salary?
a. Mickey Mantle
b. Joe DiMaggio [CORRECT. 1949 New York Yankees.]
c. Magic Johnson
– “Fascinating Facts”

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What’s another term for ‘beat’ in sports? On our list – annihilate, blast, blitz, blow away, clobber, crush, flatten, hammer, knock out, lick, massacre, nail, scupper, shaft, shellac, slaughter, thump, thrash, wallop, whomp, and whip.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: The average teenage boy owns 3 of THESE.
Answer: Sports jerseys.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The old make up the rules. The young make up the exceptions.