BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ It’s the natural progression in politics: City Councilor, Mayor, Governor, Vice Presidential candidate, Fox News talking head … reality-TV judge. That’s right, Sarah Palin – despite lacking a law degree or any sort of legal experience – is going all “Judge Judy” on us. The former Alaska governor signed a production deal in February and will soon be meeting with networks and shooting a pilot for a syndicated reality courtroom show. The executive that gave both “Judge Judy” and “Judge Joe Brown” their start is involved, and the untitled show is likely to debut in Fall 2017. (She can see justice from her house.)
– People.com
★ Barry Diller loves his dog, Shannon, so much that he & fashion designer-wife Diane von Furstenberg cloned it … twice. The IAC/Expedia chairman and the fashion designer have paid an estimated $100,000 for each cloning of their Jack Russell terrier who sleeps in a custom-made ‘neoclassical doghouse’. The clones are said to be so much like the original it’s ‘unreal’. Former media executive Diller is responsible for the creation of Fox Broadcasting and USA network and is a member of the Television Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 1994. (And obviously has more money than he knows what to do with.)
– PageSix.com
★ Québec-born actor Bruce Greenwood has been cast as Abigail Breslin’s father in the upcoming “Dirty Dancing” TV revamp. The “Star Trek” star will play heart surgeon ‘Dr Jake Houseman’, who was portrayed in the original 1987 film by late actor Jerry Orbach. Greenwood joins a star-studded cast that also includes Nicole Scherzinger, Sarah Hyland, and Debra Messing. A premiere date for the project has yet to be announced
– ContactMusic.com
★ And 36-year-old multimillionaire comedian Kevin Hart is set to write a motivational memoir based on his life experience … from growing up with a drug-addicted father in Philadelphia PA, to achieving huge success in standup comedy. Now also a bonafide movie star in the “Ride Along” film franchise with Ice Cube, his book titled “From the Hart” is scheduled to be released next year by Atria Book’s imprint 37 Ink. Hart certainly has the star power to ensure a bestseller. He routinely sells out 50,000-seat shows and has grossed $100 million worldwide on his comedy tours.
– WENN.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “American Idol” (FOX) – The 4 remaining contestants perform for the judges.
• “The Catch” (ABC/CTV) – Yet another new series produced by Shonda Rhimes, this one about a woman seeking payback after being conned out of millions. Stars Mireille Enos, Sonya Walger, Alimi Ballard.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Andra Day (“Cheers To the Fall”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Fifth Harmony (“Reflection”).
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV) – Joywave (“How Do You Feel Now?”).
• “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global) – Father John Misty (“I Love You, Honeybear”). Rerun.
• “The Real” (syndicated) – Kellie Pickler (“The Woman I Am”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Zayn (“Mind of Mine”, out Friday).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• David Bowie – A giant mural of the rocker which has become a shrine since his death has been given protected status by officials in Brixton area of London. The massive artwork on the wall of a department store in the south London borough where Bowie was born was created by Australian artist Jimmy C in 2013. Bowie died of cancer in January at age 69.
• Elton John – He’s joined forces with LA band Red Hot Chili Peppers and will appear on their new album, according to “Daily Mirror”. The band is currently recording their 11th studio album with producer Danger Mouse; it’s expected to be released later in 2016.
• Justin Bieber – He’s had a lot of criticism for the way he acts around fans during scheduled meet-and-greet sessions ahead of his “Purpose World Tour”. He’s accused of being listless, unsmiling, and not at all sociable. So it’ll come to no surprise that he’s now cancelled further sessions due to ‘depression’. Last night he finished up his 3-night residency at LA’s Staples Center.
• Kanye West – The 38-year-old is boasting about the success of his ‘Pablo Pop-Up’ shop in NYC. The temporary clothing outlet operated March 18th-20th only. Quote: “They called me crazy and pointed fingers, but there is no other brand that could sell $1 million of clothing in 2 days from 1 location!!!”
• Will.i.am – The Black Eyed Peas rapper/producer reveals his laptop has folders full of unfinished demos and collaborations with singers past and present (Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, and Britney Spears, etc), the majority of which have never seen the light of day. He’s offering access to one contestant on “The Voice UK”, on which he is a coach.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “I, Tonya” – “Wolf of Wall Street” actress Margot Robbie will transform into disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding for this upcoming bio-film. Harding was a champion skater before her downfall after a scheme to take out rival Nancy Kerrigan ahead of the 1994 Olympics. No director nor actress to play Kerrigan has yet been named.
• “Letters From Rosemary” – Emma Stone is being tapped to play the mentally-disabled sister of US president John F Kennedy, and senators Robert F Kennedy and Ted Kennedy. The film will delve into Rosemary’s ongoing behavioral problems and the early signs of a mental disability which the iconic political family kept secret.
• “Snowden” – Filmmaker Oliver Stone has moved his Edward Snowden bio-film outside the US because he fears government interference. Based on Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena’s novel, “Time Of the Octopus”, it’s the story of a former CIA employee charged with espionage after leaking secret information. Filmed in Germany, the movie opens in September.
• “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” – Frances McDormand stars as a distraught mother who wages war on the local police, accusing them of focusing their efforts on hounding and torturing African-Americans instead of solving her daughter’s murder. The new crime drama co-stars Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell. Filming begins in North Carolina in April.
• “Valentino” – Robert Folk is set to produce and score a film about Rudolph Valentino, the heartthrob of Hollywood’s early silent film era, starring Franco Nero and Isabella Rossellini. Timed to coincide with the 90th anniversary of Valentino’s death in 1926, the feature will incorporate material from a recent film short. A theatrical release is planned by November.

WORLD’S BEST JOB?
Want to get paid to travel and drink beer all Summer? Of course you do, and World of Beer could make it happen. The tavern chain based in Tampa FL is looking for 3 interns to send around-the-world for 4 months to explore beer for themselves and share their stories. The gig even comes with an impressive salary: $12,000 plus travel, food, and lodging expenses. World of Beer is particularly looking for strong writers (their work will be published in “Draft Magazine”) and people with large followings on social media. Even beer novices will be considered, but make it snappy: Applications will only be accepted until Saturday. 10 finalists will be chosen the first week of April. (“So what’s your job?” “Bar-hopper”.)
– Vice.com

NEW STUDY PROVES BLONDES AREN’T DUMB:
Blonde women have similar IQ results as those with red, brown, black, or any other color of hair says new Ohio State University analysis. Researchers analyzing data collected from a study of over 10,000 young people in the 1980s have found that both blonde women and men are not any less intelligent on average than those with other hair colors and, in fact, may even be slightly smarter. However, the percentage difference isn’t statistically significant, researchers admit. One caveat with the new findings: It appears that roughly 3% of the women who described themselves as ‘naturally blonde’ may not have been. (Why are blonde jokes so short? So men can remember them.)
– “Economics Bulletin”

HIGHEST SALARIES OF WORLD LEADERS:
Singapore pays the most, by a wide margin, according to this new ranking …
1. Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore, $1.76 million
2. Leung Chun-ying, Hong Kong, $576,000
3. Johann N Schneider-Ammann, Switzerland, $460,000
4. Barack Obama, US, $400,000
5. Malcolm Turnbull, Australia, $396,000
6. Werner Faymann, Austria, $343,000
7. Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg, $255,000
8. Justin Trudeau, Canada, $253,000
9. Angela Merkel, Germany, $244,000
10. Charles Michel, Belgium, $239,000
– 24/7WallSt.com

SMART PEOPLE HAPPIER WHEN NOT SOCIALIZING:
A new study delving into the well-being of young people has come up with 2 main findings: People who live in more densely populated areas tend to be less happy, and the more socializing one does with close friends, the more satisfied that person says he or she is. But there’s one dissenting group … people with higher IQs. They don’t seem as bothered by living in crowded areas as their counterparts, and they are actually less happy the more time they spend with pals. So how to account for the intelligentsia anomaly? A Brookings Institution researcher says it could simply be that higher-IQ individuals may be ‘focused on some other longer term objective’. (Like finding a partner who’s attracted to geeks.)
– “Washington Post”

FOR THE RECORD:
Brit comedian/movie actor Eddie Izzard has completed 27 marathons in as many days for Sport Relief. The numbers are astonishing. In 27 days, Izzard ran or walked 707.4 miles (1,138 km) around South Africa, often in extreme heat, at the age of 54. On the last day, because of earlier disruption, he did a double marathon to ensure he reached his target. His exertions have raised more than £1.35 million for the charity.
– BBC News Magazine

DID YOU KNOW?
Llamas are certified therapy animals in Portland, Oregon. (So can you bring one to work?)
– CNN.com

BS CHRONOMETER 03.24.16

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1951 [65] Tommy Hilfiger, Elmira NY, fashion designer (‘Tommy Girl’) who’s name on anything jacks the price about 200%

1973 [43] Jim Parsons, Houston TX, TV actor (‘Sheldon Cooper’ on “The Big Bang Theory” since 2007)

1974 [42] Alyson Hannigan, Washington DC, TV actress (“How I Met Your Mother” 2005-14, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” 1997-2003)/movie actress (“American Pie” series)

1976 [40] Peyton Manning, New Orleans LA, retired NFL QB (Denver Broncos 2012-15)/2 Super Bowls with 2 teams)/5-time NFL MVP/14-time Pro Bowl selection

1977 [39] Jessica Chastain, Sacramento CA, movie actress (“Interstellar”, “Zero Dark Thirty”)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Chocolate Covered Raisins Day” … but not the kind you find in your kid’s bunny cage.

• “Inspect Your Cat’s Tongue Day”. You know you’ve always wanted to see what makes your cat’s tongue feel like sandpaper … today’s the day to find out!

• “Purim” begins at sundown, the Jewish celebration of survival with costumes, noisemakers, food baskets (called ‘Mishloach Manot’ or ‘Shlach Manos’), hamantashen cookies (also called ‘Oznay Haman’), a festive meal (called ‘Seudat Purim’), and carnivals.

• “World Tuberculosis Day”, to build public awareness that tuberculosis remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of about 1.6 million people each year, mostly in Third World nations.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2002 [14] Halle Berry (“Monster’s Ball”) & Denzel Washington (“Training Day”) take home the top acting Oscars at the Academy Awards

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2000 [16] Elton John’s “Aida” opens on Broadway (21 days to write the music, 5 years to develop the stage production)

2001 [15] The segment of Highway 19 that runs through Macon GA is renamed “Duane Allman Boulevard”, in remembrance of the Allman Bros guitarist who died in a motorcycle crash near there 3 decades earlier

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2002 [14] After a record 15 nominations, Randy Newman wins his 1st Oscar for ‘Best Song’, the “Monsters Inc” composition “If I Didn’t Have You”

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2015 [01] HJ Heinz Co and Kraft Foods Group merge to form the 3rd-largest global food company, Kraft Heinz Co

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] International Day of Solidarity with Detained & Missing Staff Members
[Fri] Pecan Day
[Fri] World Marbles Day
[Sat] International Sister Cities Day
[Sat] Spinach Day
[Sun] Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day
This Week Is … Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Week
This Month Is … Mad for Plaid Month

BULL’S BITS

BS THINGS THAT ARE WAY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THEY SHOULD BE:
✗ Rubber flooring for gyms. Sells for about a third of the price when you buy it as ‘horse stall matting’.
✗ Anything in an airport. Thanks to a captive market and high real estate prices.
✗ Weddings – As soon as you mention they’re for a wedding, the price for any goods or services shoot up.
✗ Appliance parts. Often it’s cheaper to just get a new one. Or wait until 3D printers become ubiquitous.
✗ Flying in Canada. It’s often cheaper for Canadians to fly to Europe than in-country, thanks airport fees and lack of competition.
✗ Gillette razors. They charge more because they can, due to brand loyalty.
✗ Greeting cards. It’s a piece of paper with words on it. Words you could just say yourself.
✗ Printer cartridges. The printer is relatively cheap … so the company can lock you in to their overly expensive cartridges.
✗ Luxury water. That Fiji water you’re buying? There have been legitimate studies showing that tap water in many places is more ‘pristine’.
✗ Videogames. You bought the console so you don’t really have a choice with the games.
✗ Everything in movie theaters. It’s because they don’t actually make much off your ticket.
✗ Airline baggage fees. Why don’t they charge passengers according to their weight?
✗ Funerals. In order to make things easier when you’re emotionally distraught, they soak you bigtime.
✗ Eyeglasses. For various reasons (including monopolies and price gouging), the price isn’t anywhere near the cost of production.
✗ Anything with an Apple logo. It does look spiffy though, huh?
– List25.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ Who’s the toughest action hero in movie history?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Nostalgia just isn’t what it used to be.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: The average woman waits 2½ months before doing THIS in front of her partner.
Answer: Going without makeup.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
We can’t all be heroes because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.