Thursday, May 5, 2016 Edition: #5724

Bullseye!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ More details now on the ‘Desert Trip Festival’, the one-off event coming October 7-to-9 featuring an old school rock line-up. The 6 headliners are all pioneering legends of the 60s and 70s who will perform over the course of the 3-day event from sundown. They are: Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan & His Band (Friday), Paul McCartney, Neil Young + Promise Of the Real (Saturday), Roger Waters and The Who (Sunday). The concert takes place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio CA, a venue familiar as the home of the annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival as well as the Stagecoach Country Music Festival. “Forbes” estimates that the event is likely to gross in excess of $50 million. 3-day admission tickets cost $399. They go on sale Monday, May 9th.
– ContactMusic.com
★ Actor Dwayne Johnson has launched a free mobile app to help you organize your day. The ‘Rock Clock’ gives users the ability to set alarms for tasks that they need to complete. The app also offers access to motivational messages and videos from The Rock’s personal phone. Another feature allows users to operate on ‘Rock Time’, which sounds an alarm early in the morning when the 44-year-old movie star wakes up. But it doesn’t come with a snooze button because – quote – “life has no snooze button”.
– WENN.com
★ Mega-hit musical “Hamilton” has grabbed a record-breaking 16 Tony Award nominations, the biggest haul in Broadway history and another notch in the show’s march into theatrical history. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip hop-flavored biographical production has surpassed the 15-nomination record co-held by “The Producers” and “Billy Elliot”. James Corden hosts the Tony Awards June 12th from the Beacon Theatre in NYC.
– “New York Times”
★ After dragging back his old “Ghostbusters” movie for a reboot (July 15th), Dan Aykroyd is now working to adapt “The Blues Brothers” as an animated TV series. Aykroyd and the late John Belushi came up with the ‘Blues Brothers’ sketch during their 1970s stint on NBC-TV’s “Saturday Night Live”. It was later developed as a 1980 comedy film. The new show will follow their characters ‘Jake’ and ‘Elwood Blues’ as they embark on musical adventures. “The Blues Brothers” animated series is being produced by Bento Box Entertainment, the same company behind the animated FOX-TV show “Bob’s Burgers”.
– TheWrap.com
★ And from the Hollywood-meet-sports file: “Sports Illustrated” model Kate Upton (23) is engaged to Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander (33). She’s revealed that Verlander proposed before the start of Major League Baseball season with an engagement ring that he designed himself. And actress Olivia Munn (“X-Men: Apocalypse”, out May 27th) and NFL QB Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) have a new family member … a pound-puppy named ‘Frankie’. The couple has been dating almost 2 years and previously took in a young rescue dog named ‘Chance’.
– E! News / “Entertainment Tonight”

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals (“Lifeline”).
• “Daily Show” (Comedy Central/CTV) – The Heavy (“Hurt & The Merciless”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Bebe Rexha (“I Don’t Wanna Grow Up”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – GRiZ (“Say It Loud”).
• “Late Late Show With James Corden” (CBS/M3) – Travis Scott (“Rodeo”).
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV) – Cyndi Lauper (“Detour”, out Friday).
• “Live With Kelly & Michael” (syndicated/CTV) – Jason Derulo (“Everything is 4”).
• “Marseille” (Netflix) – Debut of the first original French production for Netflix. Gerard Depardieu stars as the mayor of Marseille, France, who wants a new casino for his town.
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Chance the Rapper (“Chance 3”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Chris Brown – Today he’s releasing the (as yet unidentified) first single from his upcoming 8th album, “Heartbreak On a Full Moon”.
• Drake – He’s replaced 50 Cent as the 5th-richest rapper in a new “Forbes” magazine ranking, with a net worth estimated at $60 million . The other top-earning hip hop stars in ‘The Forbes Five’: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs ($750 million); Dr Dre ($710 million); Jay Z ($610 million); Cash Money Records mogul Bryan ‘Birdman’ Williams ($110 million).
• Justin Bieber – He’s being sued … again. This time for allegedly smashing a man’s cellphone to pieces at a club in Houston TX. According to the $100,000 lawsuit, the phone’s SIM card was never returned. It’s said to contain business contacts and irreplaceable family photos.
• Keith Urban – Tonight he kick-starts the release of his new album “Ripcord” with an hour-long “AT&T Live” event from NYC’s iHeartRadio Theater. The 12-track album, which has already produced his 19th and 20th #1 songs (“John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” and “Break On Me”), features guests Carrie Underwood and Pitbull. It’s being released tomorrow.
• Maren Morris – The “My Church” country singer is recovering from a tonsillectomy on Monday.
• Red Hot Chili Peppers – Today they release a new single titled “Dark Necessities”. They’ve been working on a new album for a long time and are expected to release it in the near future.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Churchill” – “Bourne Identity” actor Brian Cox plays Britain’s iconic WW2 prime minister Winston Churchill in this new bio-pic; “Mad Men” actor John Slattery is playing General Dwight D Eisenhower. The movie centers around Churchill’s leadership in the tense period leading up to D-Day in 1944. Production is set to begin this month.
• “Rebel In the Rye” – Actress Sarah Paulson is switching one real-life character for another after signing up for this JD Salinger biopic. The 41-year-old won rave reviews for her portrayal of prosecutor Marcia Clark in “The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story”, and now she’s onboard to play reclusive author Salinger’s loyal publishing agent, Dorothy Olding.
• “Space Jam 2” – Director Justin Lin (“Fast & Furious” franchise) has agreed to produce and perhaps direct a sequel to the cult basketball comedy, this time starring Lebron James. Lin will also co-write the script. The original 1996 film starred Michael Jordan. Cleveland Cavaliers star James displayed his comic timing on the bigscreen in Amy Schumer’s “Trainwreck” last year.
• “Tomb Raider” – Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl”) will play ‘Lara Croft’ in the latest bigscreen adaptation of the long-popular PlayStation videogame series. Angelina Jolie starred in the first 2 adaptations more than a decade ago (2001, 2003). The new film is expected to debut toward the end of 2017.
• “Voyage of Time” – Terrence Malick’s documentary will be released later this year, 3 decades after the project began. It’s a follow-up to his provocative 2011 film “The Tree of Life”, which starred Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, and Jessica Chastain. Two versions are being released: Brad Pitt narrates a 40-minute IMAX version; Cate Blanchett lends her voice to a 35 mm feature edition.

WHY YOU MAY BE CRANKY WHEN FLYING:
Limited leg room is harder to bear when passengers know others are comfortably sipping bubbly nearby. That’s the conclusion from a new University of Toronto study that has examined 1,500 ‘air rage’ incidents. It’s been found that the disturbances increase on flights with a 1st-class cabin, particularly if economy passengers have to walk through the area to get to their seats. Air rage incidents, including emotional outbursts or aggressive behavior, typically occur 1.58 times per 1,000 flights in economy class. Researchers say when the curtains are closed between the cabins and economy passengers are reminded not to go into the forward cabin it reminds them that they’ve paid a lot of money yet are still deprived of certain services and comforts, causing a sort of ‘first-class envy’. (Naw … it’s all about that entitled attitude you get from up front.)
– ABC News

MOST POWERFUL MOMS:
Just in time for Mothers Day, Beyoncé and Adele top a new listing of the ’50 Most Powerful Mothers’. The singers are celebrated in “Working Mother” magazine, alongside the likes of country star Carrie Underwood, “How to Get Away With Murder” actress Viola Davis, and Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett among others. Beyoncé, mother to 4-year-old Blue, is celebrated for her savvy as a businesswoman; earning an estimated $250 million in 2015. And Adele, mother to 3-year-old Angelo, is singled out for her mega-hit album “25”, which has solely been credited with boosting global music biz revenues for the first time in almost 20 years. “Working Mother’s” full list of the ’50 Most Powerful Moms’ is out tomorrow. (Who else should be on it?)
– People.com

HOW MANY FRIENDS DO YOU HAVE?
Odds are the answer is 4 … or maybe 5. To come up with those numbers researchers have accessed phone records to analyze cellphone calls made by 35 million people in 2007, intentionally chosen to predate widespread use of Facebook and smartphones. The team has found that most people on average have 4 BFFs, 11 close friends, 30 acquaintances, and 129 ‘others’ in their social circle. Those are ballpark figures as the researchers are unable to sort out the exact nature of each relationship, so it’s possible that the 4 main contacts the typical person calls most might include, for instance, one’s parents. However, the clustering pattern does seem to show that we all have layers of friendship from innermost to outermost . (Friendship is like an onion … it sometime makes you cry.)
– “MIT Technology Review”

BS TRUE COLOR FACTS:
• The Sun is actually white when viewed from space. Earth’s atmosphere makes it appear to be yellow.
• The color ‘orange’ was named after the fruit. Before its name change, it was known in English as ‘geoluhread’.
• A matador’s cape doesn’t actually need to be red because bulls are color blind. It’s said that the cape is red in order to hide blood splatter from the audience when the bull is finally killed.
– List25.com

BS CHRONOMETER 05.05.16

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .

1959 [57] Brian Williams, Elmira NY, demoted TV news anchor (“NBC Nightly News” 2004-15)

1983 [33] Henry Cavill, Saint Saviour, Jersey, Channel Islands, movie actor (“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”, “The Man from UNCLE”)

1988 [28] Adele (Adkins), Enfield UK, soul singer-songwriter (“Hello”, “Rolling In the Deep”)

1989 [27] Chris Brown, Tappahannock VA, R&B/hip-hop singer (“Loyal”, “Run It”)/former Rihanna abuser

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Cartoonists Day”, kicking off “Cartoon Art Appreciation Week”, to create greater public awareness of and appreciation for the cartoon. Why today? “The Yellow Kid”, the first newspaper comic strip, was initially published on this day 121 years ago (1895).

• “Cinco de Mayo”, a Mexican holiday commemorating the 1862 victory over French troops at the Battle of Puebla. Mexicans everywhere celebrate with parades and fiestas. That’s likely the reason today is also called “Totally Chipotle Day”, a celebration of the smoked jalapeño pepper.

• “Hoagie Day”, celebrating the super-sized sandwich also known as a sub, grinder, hero, Italian sandwich, po’ boy, wedge, zeppelin, or torpedo. What’s the best combo?

• “International Midwives Day”, observed since 1991 in over 50 nations worldwide to recognize and honor these healthcare professionals who are experts in women’s reproductive health.
NET: http://mana.org/IntMidDay.html

• “International Roller Derby Day”, an unofficial worldwide holiday celebrating the unique sport.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/hr6xra6

• “Oyster Day”, celebrating the mollusk delicacy enjoyed by many. (What brave soul could have first decided to eat one of these things?)

• “World Password Day”, promoting digital security by using common sense rules when choosing passwords, such as …
– Make them long and strong.
– Don’t share them with others.
– Change them often.
– Do not use something obvious, like a pet’s name.
– Use unique passwords for each account.
– Store them in a ‘password locker’.
NET: https://passwordday.org

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2006 [10] “Mission: Impossible III”, starring Tom Cruise and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as the bad guy, opens in movie theaters

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1999 [17] Garth Brooks is named ‘Artist Of the Decade’ at the “Academy of Country Music Awards” (“The Garth Brooks World Tour w/Trisha Yearwood” continues, playing Fargo ND tonight through Sunday)

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
2002 [14] “Spider-Man” becomes the 1st movie to top $100 million in its opening weekend

2013 [02] The world’s 1st plastic gun is produced by Defense Distributed in Austin TX using a 3-D printer (security officials fear plastic weapons cannot be detected in airport screenings)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2004 [12] Picasso’s 1905 painting “Boy With a Pipe” sells for $104 million at Sotheby’s in NYC, setting a record-to-date for an auctioned painting

COMING UP . . .
[Fri] “Captain America: Civil War” opens in movie theaters
[Fri] No Diet Day
[Fri] No Homework Day
[Sat] Kentucky Derby (Louisville KY)
[Sat] Babysitters Day
[Sat] World Naked Gardening Day
[Sun] Mothers Day
This Week Is … Life Coach Recognition Week
This Month Is … Motorcycle Safety Month

BULL’S BITS

FASCINATING (AND DISTURBING) MOTHERS DAY FACTS:
• $62,985: Annual salary you would have to pay someone in 2015 to perform the tasks mothers do at home, according to a calculation by Insure.com.
• 14: Hours per week the average mom spends cooking.
• 2 billion: Number of mothers in the world.
• $4.2 billion: Amount consumers plan to spend on jewelry for Mothers Day gifts, according to the National Retail Federation.
• $4.1 billion: Estimated tab for special Mothers Day outings, like dinner or brunch.
• $2.4 billion: Amount expected to be spent on flowers.
• $133: The amount the average male spends on Mothers Day, compared with the $214 that the average female spends.
• 7,300: Average number of diaper changes a mom does by a baby’s 2nd birthday.
• 26.3: Average age at which a mother had her first child in 2014, up from 24.9 in 2000.
• 4.3: Babies born every second worldwide.
• 69: Highest recorded number of children born to one mother.
• 72 years: Oldest recorded age for a mother to give birth.
• 22 pounds, 8 ounces: Heaviest recorded birth-weight for a baby.
– CNBC.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What’s the creepiest urban legend you’ve ever heard?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Money isn’t everything … as long as you have enough.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: In an attempt to improve their appearance, more than ¼ of men have done THIS. Answer: Shaved their chests.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
There is no problem so bad that you cannot make it worse.