BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” leads nominations for this year’s “MTV Movie Awards”. The record-breaking box office smash has received a staggering 11 nominations, including acting nods for its young stars John Boyega and Daisy Ridley. Having been snubbed at the Oscars, the more irreverent and pop culture-oriented MTV awards may bring the film better luck. The 25th annual ceremony happens April 10th, hosted by Dwayne Johnson & Kevin Hart.
– ContactMusic.com
★ Tonight Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, will be the toast of official Washington at a state dinner hosted by president Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, at the White House. It’s the first state dinner given for a Canadian prime minister since Bill Clinton gave Jean Chretien that honor in 1997. And it’s only the 9th state dinner given by Obama since he became president in 2008.
– Canoe.com
★ Actor Wilmer Valderrama is heading to the hospital for a multi-episode arc on “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC-TV). The former “That ’70s Show” star has been cast as a character called ‘Kyle Diaz’, but further details on his role have yet to be revealed. He’ll appear in a number of episodes for the medical drama’s current 12th season, with his first set to air in April. Valderrama is currently on hiatus from director Robert Rodriguez’s horror series “From Dusk Till Dawn”, which has been renewed for a 3rd season.
– Variety.com
★ JK Rowling has more magic on the way. The “Harry Potter” author is launching a series called “Magic in North America”, a 4-part back-story for this Fall’s film adaptation of the ‘Potter’ prequel “Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them”. The series will run in installments Tuesday-Friday on Pottermore.com. Rowling has taken on numerous projects lately, from the stage production “Harry Potter & The Cursed Child” to her detective novels written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
– AP
★ And film director Lilly Wachowski (“The Matrix” films) has come out as a transgender woman years after her sibling Lana. The 48-year-old, who was born Andrew Wachowski, was intending to keep her transition quiet but feared her new identity would be uncovered by the press. Lilly is part of a dynamic sibling directing team with Lana (formerly Larry), who also came out as transgender in 2012. So it seems the famous filmmaking Wachowski Brothers … are now sisters.
– E Online

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “American Idol” (FOX) – The 6 finalists perform.
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Kaleo (“Glasshouse”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – The Suffers (“The Suffers”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Day Wave (“Head Case”). Rerun.
• “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global) – Brian Fallon (The Gaslight Anthem).
• “Live With Kelly & Michael” (syndicated/CTV) – Rachel Platten (“Wildfire”).
• “Nightly Show” (Comedy Central) – Peaches (“Rub”).
• “Tavis Smiley” (PBS) – Taj Mahal (“Maestro”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Flo Rida (“My House”). Rerun.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Blake Shelton – “Came Here to Forget”  is the first new song he’s released since his break-up with Miranda Lambert. It’s the lead single from his next album, “If I’m Honest”, due out on May 20th.
• Janet Jackson – She’s now postponed her overseas tour just weeks before it was set to begin on March 26th in Dubai UAE. It was slated to run through early May. The “Unbreakable World Tour” has been plagued by cancellations since doctors ordered her to rest her vocal cords.
• Kanye West – He’s in Sweden this week where he’s toured Ikea headquarters in Almhult. He’s tweeted about the experience: “Super-inspired by my visit to Ikea today, really amazing company … my mind is racing with the possibilities.”
• Kenny Chesney – He’s back in the studio recording new music but there’s no firm date for any release. Quote: “You have to take time to live and breathe, to fill up your tanks to be creative. Otherwise, you’re just on a treadmill churning out what you’ve already done.”
• Kesha – The embattled singer will soon have another $1.45 million to add to her legal war chest after selling off her Nashville TN home. She bought the secluded property in 2010 for $1.4 million, then placed it on the market last year with an asking price of $1.55 million.
• Paul Mccartney – He’s paid an emotional tribute on his official website to his ‘second father’ George Martin after the famed Beatles producer passed away this week at age 90. Interestingly, many “Game of Thrones” fans mistakenly believed it was author George RR Martin who had died. It took several hours for social media to correct that rumor.
• Randy Houser – He has this week’s top song on the ‘Billboard Country Airplay’ chart with his tersely titled “We Went”. The song made its debut 40 weeks back.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Hidden Figures” – Singer Janelle Monáe has landed a leading role in this space drama that stars Taraji P Henson (“Empire”), Octavia Spencer, and Kevin Costner. The film is based on the true story of 3 African-American women who helped astronaut John Glenn become the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. Monáe plays one of the trio of mathematicians.
• “Nine Eleven” – Charlie Sheen has landed his first role since announcing he’s HIV positive. This indie action-drama also stars Whoopi Goldberg. It’s the story of 5 people trapped in an elevator at the World Trade Center during the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. The film has begun shooting this week in Los Angeles.
• “A Star is Born” – Beyoncé has reportedly caused Bradley Cooper’s remake of the 1937 film classic to stall because … she wants too much money. The singer was said to be taking the lead role in Bradley’s directorial debut but the entire project is now on hold. Aside from Bey’s salary demands the production’s overall budget is also said to be an issue with the studio.
• “Tuff Juice: My Journey From the Streets To the NBA” – Actor/producer Mark Wahlberg is developing this bio-pic about Sacramento Kings basketball player Caron Butler, based on the NBA star’s memoir. Wahlberg says Caron is a perfect example to all the young kids growing up in tough neighborhoods to never give up on dreams. Caron turned his life around after becoming a drug dealer at 11-years-old. A timeline for the project has yet to be revealed.
• “Vengeance: A Love Story” – 52-year-old “National Treasure” actor Nicolas Cage is starring in the bigscreen adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’ bittersweet novel “Rape: A Love Story” and has now signed on to replace filmmaker Harold Becker as director. Cage is playing a detective investigating the rape of a single mother by 4 drug addicts.

THE SURPRISING KEY TO PREVENTING PEANUT ALLERGY:
A new study has bolstered the case that the best way to prevent peanut and several other allergies in kids is to expose them to the allergen. National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases has released proposed guidelines based on the finding that recommend kids at high risk of allergies be fed peanuts starting between 4-and-6 months. Researchers have found that kids’ tolerance of peanuts remains even if they stop eating peanuts for a year. It’s thought that early introduction of other commonly allergenic foods – such as eggs, yogurt, sesame, whitefish, and wheat – may also prevent allergies. A related study last year found that babies who are fed ‘peanut butter mush’ are 80% less likely to develop a peanut allergy by age 5. (Great news! Maybe someday we’ll be able to snack on peanuts on airliners again.)
– NPR.org

WORK WISHES:
Most of us have daydreamed at one time or another about having a different, killer job. What is it you’d really like to be doing? A few fantasy jobs dreamed of by guys …
• Trapeze Artist
• Brew Master
• Concert Promoter
• Rock Star
• Mad Scientist
• Photographer
• Chocolatier
• Freelance Writer
• Lion Trainer
• Bar Owner
– Guyism.com

BS AMAZING FACT:
Mount Everest was originally calculated to be exactly 29,000 feet high but its height was first published as 29,002 feet so that people wouldn’t think it had just been rounded off.
– List25.com

BS CHRONOMETER 03.10.16

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1949 [67] Barbara Corcoran, Edgewater NJ, businesswoman/TV personality (“Shark Tank” since 2009)

1963 [53] Rick Rubin, Long Beach NY, iconic music producer (AC/DC, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Jay Z, Josh Groban, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Metallica, etc)

1963 [53] Jeff Ament, Havre MT, rock bassist (Pearl Jam-“The Fixer”, “Jeremy”)

1964 [52] Prince Edward (Edward Antony Richard Louis Windsor), London UK, QEII’s #3 son/Earl of Wessex & Viscount Severn/wed to Sophie Rhys-Jones

1971 [45] Jon Hamm, St Louis MO, TV actor (‘Don Draper’ on “Mad Men” 2007-15)/movie actor (“Minions”, “The Town”)

1972 [44] Timbaland (Timothy Mosley), Norfolk VA, rapper (“Give It to Me”, “Apologize”)/music producer (Jay Z, Justin Timberlake, Lenny Kravitz, Madonna, Missy Elliott, Nelly Furtado, Rihanna, Usher, etc)

1975 [41] Jerry Horton, Charleston SC, alt-rock guitarist (Papa Roach-“Kick In the Teeth”, “Lifeline”)

1977 [39] Robin Thicke, LA CA, R&B-soul singer (“Blurred Lines”, “Sex Therapy”)

1983 [33] Carrie Underwood, Muskogee OK, country singer (“Something In the Water”, “Before He Cheats”)/”American Idol 4″ winner (2005)

1984 [32] Olivia Wilde, NYC, movie actress (“Love the Coopers”, “Cowboys & Aliens”)/TV actress (“House MD” 2007-12)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “International Bagpipe Day”,  to celebrate the world’s many bagpipes and piping traditions.
NET: http://www.internationalbagpipeorganisation.com

• “International Day of Awesomeness”, a day to recognize that people are awesome every day, frequently don’t realize it, and their awesomeness is rarely recognized. On this special day you’re encouraged to both perform and celebrate feats of awesomeness.
NET: http://dayofawesomeness.com

• “Mario Day”, saluting anyone with that name because the abbreviated date (MAR-10) sort of spells ‘Mario’. Famous Marios include TV chef Mario Batali, NHL Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux, TV personality Mario Lopez, and Super Mario Bros of videogame fame.

• “Popcorn Lovers’ Day”, an annual observance on the 2nd Thursday in March saluting the snack that’s good for you when eaten plain; not so healthy when loaded up with salt and butter.

• “World Kidney Day”, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of our kidneys to our overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.
NET: http://www.worldkidneyday.org

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1997 [19] The fledgling WB TV network airs the inaugural episode of what will become its first bona-fide hit show, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2007 [09] 75 days after his death, legendary soul singer James Brown is finally laid to rest as ‘The Godfather of Soul’ is entombed at an undisclosed location (the body had been kept in a temperature-controlled room at his home in South Carolina)

2010 [06] Pink Floyd wins a court battle with EMI Records that prevents the company from selling single downloads and ringtones on the Internet from the group’s albums

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1876 [140] 1st ‘Telephone Call’ as Alexander Graham Bell says to Thomas Watson in the next room: “Mr  Watson, come here. I want you.” (setting off all kinds of rumors)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2014 [02] World’s largest banana company is created as Irish fruit firm Fyffes merges with US company Chiquita to form ‘ChiquitaFyffes’

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] South by Southwest Film Festival begins (Austin TX)
[Fri] “Flaked” series premiere (Netflix)
[Fri] “The Brothers Grimsby”; “The Perfect Match”; “10 Cloverfield Lane” open in movie theaters
[Sat] “Kids’ Choice Awards” (Nickelodeon)
[Sun] Canadian Screen Awards (Toronto ON)
This Month Is … Cheerleading Safety Month
This Week Is … Procrastination Week
THE BS PROCRASTINATOR’S CREED:
• I believe that if anything is worth doing, it would have been done already.
• If at first I don’t succeed, there’s always next year.
• I shall never move quickly, except to avoid more work or find excuses.
• I will never put off until tomorrow, what I can forget about forever.

BULL’S BITS

WOMEN YOU MEET IN THE SAUNA:
✓ “The Unilateralist” – Having decided on everyone’s behalf that the sauna is too hot, she attempts to let in some cool air by wedging her sneaker in the door.
✓ “Venus” – She is unashamed of her nude form and casually maintains an ‘annual exam’ pose.
✓ “The Slatherer” – Her continual, liberal application of lotion generates moist smacking sounds.
✓ “The Fugitive” – Fully-clothed and killing time on her phone, she seems to be using the sauna for cover. Is she avoiding a confrontation? Or her workout?
✓ “Mi Casa es Su Casa” – She graciously allows others to sauna in her personal towel-warming chamber while she uses the pool.
✓ “Chatty Cathy” – She misreads everyone’s terse responses as an invitation to discuss the unique challenges presented by today’s Zumba class.
✓ “The Secret Misanthrope” – She appears placid but is silently judging all. And perhaps planning a list of “Women You Meet In the Sauna”.
– Thanks to Carolyn Swiszcz

BS TERRIBLY TOUGH TRIVIA:
• Which lasts longer: a firefly or the lightbulb in your refrigerator? [Fireflies only live 3 weeks.]
– “Weird Fact of the Day”
• In English, what is the only digit that has the same number of letters as its value? [Four.]
– “Land O’ Useless Facts”
• What type of headache can be inherited? [Migraine.]
– “Trivia Quest”

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ Would you break the law to save a loved one?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
To any truly impartial person, it would be obvious that I am always right.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: According to a new poll, coffee is the most recognizable smell and THIS is #2.
Answer: Peanut butter.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
A picture may be worth a thousand words … but try saying that with a picture.