BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ CBS-TV swapped out episodes of 2 prime-time series on Monday night because of sensitivity concerns following the deadly Paris attacks. The network replaced an episode of the new series “Supergirl” that was supposed to deal with a bombing and instead aired an early Thanksgiving episode. An episode of “NCIS: Los Angeles” about recruitment of young women by Islamic State was also shelved in favor of an episode concerning a missing woman.
– Associated Press
★ The odds are out for the 88th Academy Awards and it seems to be all about the bio-pics with 4 of them topping the odds for ‘Best Picture’; the same ones leading the ‘Best Director’ category. Favorites include: “Spotlight”, starring Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, and Rachel McAdams; “The Revenant” with Leonardo DiCaprio; the lesbian love story “Carol” with Cate Blanchett; and “Steve Jobs”, directed by Danny Boyle. Other ‘Best Picture’ possibles are Ridley Scott’s “The Martian”; Steven Spielberg’s “Bridge Of Spies”; and “Inside Out”; which also has a good shot at ‘Best Animated Feature’. The 88th Academy Awards take place February 28th.
– ContactMusic.com
★ And the husband of a police officer has returned an award from “Glamour Magazine” after Caitlyn Jenner has also been honored. Moira Smith was posthumously given ‘Woman Of the Year’ in 2001 after she was killed rescuing civilians during 9/11. Her husband James has now given it back and criticized the magazine for honoring Jenner this year. Quote: “I find it insulting to Moira Smith’s memory, and the memory of other heroic women who have earned this award. Was there no woman in America or the rest of the world more deserving than this man?”
– “New York Post”

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Daily Show” (Comedy Central/CTV) – Timbaland (“Opera Noir’).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Walk the Moon (“Talking Is Hard”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Houndmouth (“Little Neon Limelight”).
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV) – Dead Sara (“Pleasure to Meet You”).
• “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global) – CeeLo Green (“Heart Blanche”); Public Image Limited (“Metal Box”).
• “The Real” (syndicated) – Jeezy (“Church in These Streets”).
• “The Talk” (CBS) – Seal (“7”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Justin Bieber (“Purpose”).
• “The Voice” (NBC/CTV2) – The artists face elimination; R City performs with Adam Levine.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Adele – Tonight she tapes a low-key fan-only show at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall to be used for an hour-long primetime NBC-TV special airing December 14th. It’s her first North American concert since 2011.
• Chris Stapleton – This week he’s again atop the ‘Billboard Top 200’ chart with “Traveller”, the result of him winning 3 CMA awards earlier this month.
• The Deftones – They’ve cancelled shows scheduled for Paris in the wake of the weekend terror attacks. Other bands scrapping French gigs include Motorhead and Five Finger Death Punch.
• Ellie Goulding – The Brit singer-songwriter has scored this week’s top new entry on the ‘Billboard 200′ with her latest album “Delirium” at #3. It’s her highest charting album so far.
• Oak Ridge Boys – Tonight their 26th annual “Christmas Night Out Tour” starts in Branson, Missouri. Shows run through December 23rd in Nashville.
• One Direction – Liam Payne is such a massive “Harry Potter’ fan he’s paid a small fortune for a flying Ford Anglia which featured in the film franchise. The 22-year-old has revealed he now owns the ‘Weasley’ family car from “Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets”.

THIS WEEK’S VIDEO RELEASES:
Out today on DVD, Netflix, Google Play and/or other video providers …
• “The Man From UNCLE” ( PG-13 Action Adventure ): In the early 1960s, CIA agent ‘Napoleon Solo’ (Henry Cavill) and KGB operative ‘Illya Kuryakin’ (Armie Hammer) participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization that’s working to proliferate nuclear weapons. Director Guy Ritchie. Co-stars Alicia Vikander. Based on the 1964-68 TV series.
• “We Are Your Friends” ( R-Rated Romantic Drama ): The story follows aspiring DJ ‘Cole Carter’ (Zac Efron) and his pals as they try to shape their future with a killer music track. In the process though, things get messy as a love triangle starts to form between him, his mentor (Wes Bentley), and his mentor’s girlfriend (Emily Ratajkowski).
• Also released today: “Dark Film Mysteries” (Film Noir Classics Compilation); “Gene Autry Movie Collection” (Vintage Western Compilation); “The Hobbit Trilogy Extended Edition” (Special Edition Re-release); “McHale’s Navy: The Complete Series” (Vintage TV); and “Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration” (Biographical Documentary).

THE DOWNSIDE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING:
A new study by Happiness Research Institute suggests that staying off Facebook can make you feel better. Half a Danish sample group, average age 33, carried on with Facebook use as usual while the other half stopped using social media entirely. After a week 88% of those not on Facebook reported feeling happy, compared to 81% still on Facebook. 84% of non-users confirmed they appreciated their lives, compared to 75% still using social networks. Based on those numbers we’re not really sold, but then there’s this: Facebook users were 55% more likely to feel stressed, and people who went off the grid reported having a better social life and less trouble concentrating. (But what to do with all that extra time?)
– HuffingtonPost.com

WILL YOU WED?
University of Illinois experts think they can guess if you’ll get married, based on what kind of couple you are. A new study at University of Illinois identifies 4 types of relationships …
● Dramatic – Making up 34% of those surveyed, dramatic couples experience lots of ups and downs in their relationship and tend not to spend too much time together.
● Partner-Focused – Partner-focused couples put their partner above all else. These types of couples made up 30% of those studied.
● Socially-Influenced – You know who they are. The couple that spends as much time interacting on social media as they do in real life. These folks make up 19% of the study.
● Conflict-Ridden – These couples (12% of the total) have the most fights, but their underlying relationship is actually pretty strong.
The results: Partner-focused couples are most likely to get married because they show high levels of positive interaction. Dramatic couples are the most likely to break up. (Conflict ridden are most likely to keep the neighbors awake late at night.)
– Metro.co.uk

HERE COMES SUMMERLAND:
London UK may be getting a new Summer festival … in mid-Winter. If crowdfunding proves successful the plan is to launch the event from December 12th next year until January 8, 2017. The idea is to build a tropical-themed space in an inner-London venue. It would feature a sandy beach, an animated cloud-free skyline, plus an indoor waterfall and pool. The event would be aimed at families during daytime before turning into a Caribbean-style pool party each night (complete with DJs, live music, and stage-side hot tubs). Attendees would leave their phones and winterwear at the door (aka ‘departure lounge’) before embarking on ‘a holiday in a day’. (We need this here!)
NET: http://tinyurl.com/q5cuvyg
– MixMag.net

BAD NEWS IF MOM LIKES YOU BEST:
Children favored by mothers are more likely to suffer depression as adults, according to new Purdue University research. The study is based on data collected from over 700 adults, average age 49, and analyzed to quantify their levels of emotional closeness, conflict, pride, and disappointment. Researchers think the results may reflect higher tension experienced by adult children who have greater feelings of responsibility for the emotional care of their older mothers. Previous research from the University of California shows 65% of mothers prefer one of their children over others, and 70% of fathers do. (“So you’re Eddie? Are you in the family?”)
– “The Independent”

KIDS SAY THE FUNNIEST THINGS:
Sourced from an Instagram page where an anonymous NYC kindergarten teacher shares the wisdom of her young pupils …
• “The first thing I do when I graduate college is buy a recliner.”
• “One time I sneezed on Grandpa. He didn’t even know.”
• “I want a pizza drink.”
• “Your voice is making my ears angry!”
• “I have an ouch on my heart.”
• “Swings are so fun … and you just need to sit down.”
• “I’m buying a dog just so he can eat my homework.”
• “Milk is cold because cows are naked.”
• “When I am 100-years-old I will get fit.”
• “I fart in my Dad’s coffee when he isn’t looking.”
– “Snack Time!”

TEENS UP, ADULTS DOWN:
Happiness levels are on the rise in adolescents, new research finds, but adults over age 30 are becoming less happy over time. Though people used to report greater happiness with age, that correlation has diminished since 2010, say University of California researchers. Stats show that, while teens of today are happier than those of previous decades, and 18 to 29-year-olds have fairly stable happiness rates, adults 30+ have been getting steadily unhappier since the 1970s, particularly since 2000. Researchers conclude that our current culture may be giving teens what they need, but not mature adults. And while expectations have grown, reality has stayed about the same. (The future’s great! Today sucks.)
– LiveScience.com

DID YOU KNOW?
Non-religious children are more generous.
– Forbes.com

BS CHRONOMETER 11.17.15

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1942 [73] Martin Scorsese, Queens NY, movie director (“Shutter Island”, “GoodFellas”)/2007 Academy Award (“The Departed”)/TV producer (“Boardwalk Empire”)

1944 [71] Danny DeVito, Asbury Park NJ, 5′-1″ TV actor (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” since 2006)/movie actor (“Get Shorty”)/movie producer (“Pulp Fiction”)

1944 [71] Lorne Michaels (Lipowitz), Toronto ON, TV producer (“Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” since 2014, “Late Night with Seth Meyers” since 2014, “Saturday Night Live” since 1975)/movie producer (“Mean Girls”)/Canada’s Walk of Fame (2003)

1977 [38] Aaron Lines, Fort McMurray AB, country singer (“Cheaper to Keep Her”, “You Can’t Hide Beautiful”)

1978 [37] Rachel McAdams, London ON, movie actress (“Midnight in Paris”, “Sherlock Holmes” movies)/Canada’s Walk of Fame (2014)

1988 [27] Reid Perry, Ridgeland MS, country bassist (The Band Perry-“Better Dig Two”, “If I Die Young”)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Baklava Day”, celebrating the Greek/Turkish dessert treat that’s made from phyllo pastry, honey, nuts, and other yummy ingredients. (Can we get this delivered? Now?)

• “Farm Joke Day”, a day to have a chuckle about the rural lifestyle.

• “Homemade Bread Day”, when we’re all encouraged to bake a loaf from scratch. It’s a good day to get a bun in the oven! Mmm … can you smell that?

• “Leonid Meteor Shower”, an annual sky show when you can see ‘shooting stars’. It peaks before dawn Wednesday morning.
NET: http://stardate.org/nightsky/meteors/

• “Take a Hike Day”. Instead of taking your walk today along city streets or in a mall or gym, find a park or place in the country where you can hike. Hiking is great exercise, and even more importantly … a great stress reliever.

• “Unfriend Day”, an idea instigated by late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel in 2010, because you really don’t need to still be Facebook friends with people you went to camp with in Middle School. Or your former co-worker’s boyfriend’s roommate. Kimmel explains his thinking here …
NET: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdrpTqw3SGE

• “World Prematurity Awareness Day”, observed on the 3rd Tuesday of November with the goal of improving the health of babies and striving to prevent premature birth, the #1 cause of  infant mortality.
NET: http://www.marchofdimes.org

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2013 [02] On the first day of its release, Sony’s PlayStation 4 sells 1 million units in the US and Canada

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2002 [13] Michael Jackson briefly dangles baby son Prince Michael II (aka ‘Blanket’) over a Berlin, Germany hotel balcony for fans waiting outside (the world quivers)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2014 [01] Church of England announces that it has changed its rules to allow female bishops

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2003 [12] Two weeks before her 22nd birthday, Britney Spears becomes the youngest singer to ever get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

COMING UP . . .
[Wed] Married To a Scorpio Support Day
[Wed] Apple Cider Day
[Thurs] International Men’s Day
[Thurs] Use Less Stuff Day
This Week Is …  International Fraud Awareness Week
This Month Is … Diabetic Eye Disease Month

BULL’S BITS

FOOLPROOF WAYS TO GET YOUR TODDLER TO WEAR SOCKS:
✓ Tell your toddler the story of the ‘Foot Monster’, a frightening creature with a foot for a head, who hunts for children with bare feet so he can eat them.
✓ Purchase a powerful, permanent adhesive from a local hardware store. Convince a local doctor to write you a prescription for a sedative.
✓ Approach your toddler with a large bag of Skittles and a pair of socks. Explain that for every second she is willing to wear socks, you will give her one Skittle.
✓ Have your toddler’s favorite parent move to an undisclosed location. Tell your toddler that his favorite parent has been kidnapped by ‘Sir Socks-A-Lot’ and will only be allowed to return if socks stay on his feet for at least 2 weeks.
✓ Post signs at a nearby playground advertising for a child interested in a new family, and willing to wear socks.
✓ Attach an iPhone to the top of each sock. With the help of an electrician, rig the iPhones so they will play cartoons … but only when the socks are on your toddler’s feet.
✓ Tell your toddler that he is not allowed to wear socks ever again.
– Adapted from McSweeneys.net

BS RANDOM JOKE:
This just in: They’ve invented a substance that can eat through anything, but they can’t find a place to store it.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What nervous habit have you encountered that drove you nuts? (Westchester Center for Behaviour Therapy has determined that most people have at least one nervous habit.)

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Two-thirds of surveyed women say it’s better to get THIS from another woman.
Answer: A compliment.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Truth may walk through the world unarmed.