BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Alec Baldwin has tried to defend himself in a candid blog after being accused of using homophobic language during (another) clash with a photographer last week. Baldwin claims the paparazzo got too close to his wife Hilaria and baby daughter Carmen, but is adamant he didn’t use a homophobic slur during his outburst. He may have trouble watching his mouth in public, but MSNBC is doing the job on-air by suspending his “Up Late” talk show for 2 weeks.
– WENN.com
★ Gwen Stefani doesn’t want her pregnancy to stop her working. The No Doubt singer is expecting her 3rd child with husband Gavin Rossdale but rather than take things easy, she’s continuing on with life as normal. An insider says she’s determined to be the ultimate low maintenance mom, going to social functions as if she isn’t pregnant at all, and refusing long conversations with friends about it. After previous pregnancies with sons Kingston (7) and Zuma (5), it seems she’s breezing through this one.
– RadarOnline.com
★ Following a successful stint covering for regular host Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show”, Brit comedian John Oliver is leaving Comedy Central to host a new Sunday night news show on HBO beginning next year. Oliver, who joined “The Daily Show” as a writer in 2006, stood in for Stewart for 3 months this past Summer while Stewart was directing a movie. He says he’s ‘incredibly excited’ about the new opportunity because … he’ll likely now get free HBO.
– BBC.co.uk
★ And Justin Bieber may finally be smartening up. The 19-year-old hosted a bash for around 100 friends on the weekend but only allowed them to enter on condition they signed a binding agreement which, if broken, would result in a $3-million penalty. An obtained copy of the paperwork shows that both guests and workers were prohibited from posting on social media, texting, or using phones during the event, or discussing in any way what went on behind the closed doors of his Calabasas, California mansion.
– TMZ.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Album Release Party with Lady Gaga” (CW) – A half-hour special hosted by Ryan Seacrest that celebrates the release of the new Lady Gaga album “ARTPOP”.
• “Arsenio Hall” (syndicated) – Flo Rida (“The Perfect 10″).
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Jason Mraz & Travie McCoy (“Rough Water”); Kanye West (“Yeezus”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Daughtry (“Baptized”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Capital Cities (“In a Tidal Wave of Mystery”); Nightmare & The Cat (“Simple”).
• “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Cut/Copy (“Free Your Mind”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/NTV/Omni1) – The Neighbourhood (“I Love You”).
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC/CTV2) – Ben Harper w/Charlie Musselwhite (“Get Up!”).
• “The View” (ABC/CTV) – Guest co-host Demi Lovato (“Demi”).
• “The Voice” (NBC/CTV) – The artists face elimination.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• AWOLNATION – Today a 2-CD ‘Deluxe Edition’ of “Megalithic Symphony” is out, containing  32 tracks in all, including remixes plus new songs.
• Beck – He’s revealed in a new interview with Argentina’s “Pagina/12″ newspaper column that a severe spinal injury has forced him to scale back his music output in recent years. The 43-year-old says the ailment has hindered work on his follow-up to 2008’s “Modern Guilt” album.
• “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Soundtrack” – In addition to Coldplay’s “Atlas”, the eclectic soundtrack features new songs from Christina Aguilera, Imagine Dragons, Lorde, The Lumineers, The National, Of Monsters and Men, Patti Smith, Santigold, Sia, and The Weeknd. The movie arrives in theaters Friday.
• Jack White – He’s the subject of a quirky tribute album out today. “Rockin’ Legends Pay Tribute to Jack White” includes covers of his tunes by such diverse acts as Bobby Vee, Gary US Bonds, Los Straitjackets, Sonny Burgess & The Legendary Pacers, and Wanda Jackson.
• Kendrick Lamar – Here’s an odd feud … he and his record label Top Dawg Entertainment are ticked at “GQ” magazine for their portrayal of him as ‘surprisingly disciplined’ and not sidetracked by booze and drugs. The piece has somehow been taken as an offence and resulted in Lamar skipping his scheduled performance at the ‘GQ Men Of the Year’ gala.
• Motley Crue – Nikki Sixx’s ex-wife Brandi Brandt has been extradited from LA to Australia to face drug trafficking charges. Prosecutors allege the 45-year-old former “Playboy” playmate was part of a syndicate that smuggled $130,000 worth of cocaine onto Qantas and United Airlines planes flying between California and Sydney in 2007.
• Nickelback – Today’s release, “The Best of Nickelback Volume 1”features 19 tracks, including the mega-hits “How You Remind Me”, “Photograph”, and “Rockstar”.
• A Perfect Circle – Their new greatest hits set “Three Sixty”, out today, includes their first original studio recording in a decade, “By and Down”.
• Tim McGraw – He and wife Faith Hill have slammed ongoing reports suggesting they are on the verge of a divorce. They wed in 1996 and have 3 children together. Faith Hill quote: “Happy is good. I don’t know why happy can’t be a story.”

TODAY’S VIDEO RELEASES:
• “Paranoia” ( PG-13 Thriller ): An entry-level employee at a powerful corporation finds himself occupying a corner office, but at a dangerous price … he must spy on his boss’ old mentor in order to secure him a multi-billion dollar advantage. Stars Liam Hemsworth, Gary Oldman, Amber Heard, Harrison Ford.
• “Planes” ( PG Animated Adventure ): Disney’s new kin to “Cars” centers on ‘Dusty’, a crop-dusting plane who dreams of competing in a famous aerial race. Unfortunately, he’s hopelessly afraid of heights. With the support of his mentor ‘Skipper’ he sets off to make his dreams come true. Voice cast includes Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett.
• “Rush: Clockwork Angels Tour” ( NR Concert ): This 3-hour live show includes the band’s rock classics plus newly reworked arrangements filmed last November at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas. The DVD includes a 25-minute tour documentary, behind the scenes footage, and a rare recorded soundcheck performance. Also available as an audio CD.
• “The To Do List” ( R-Rated Romantic Comedy ): “Parks & Recreation” actress Aubrey Plaza (‘April Ludgate’) stars as a high school grad who makes a list of things to accomplish before going off to college, one item being to become more sexually experienced. Directed by Maggie Carey (“Funny or Die Presents …”), who also wrote the screenplay.
• “2 Guns” ( R-Rated Action Comedy ): Denzel Washington & Mark Wahlberg star as a DEA agent and a naval intelligence officer who find themselves on the run after a botched attempt to infiltrate a drug cartel. While fleeing, they learn the secret of their shaky alliance: Neither knew that the other was an undercover agent.
• “We’re the Millers” ( R-Rated Crime Comedy ): A veteran pot dealer creates a fake family as part of his plan to move a huge shipment of weed into the USA from Mexico. Stars Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Emma Roberts, Ed Helms. Soundtrack includes tunes by Aerosmith, Beck, Rick Ross, TLC, ZZ Ward.
• “The World’s End” ( R-Rated Sci-Fi Comedy ): “Shaun Of the Dead” & “Hot Fuzz” collaborators Simon Pegg & Nick Frost are back with this story of 5 friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier. They unwittingly become humanity’s only hope for survival. Co-stars Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike.
• Also released today: “BAM150” (Documentary); “Drew: The Man Behind the Poster” (Documentary); “George Thorogood & The Destroyers: Live at Montreux 2013” (Music); “The Mod Squad: The Complete Collection” (Vintage TV); “Vivian Leigh Anniversary Collection” (Film Compilation); and “WWE: History Of the WWE” (Documentary).

MAMA’S BOYS:
Italian men are well-known for their love of mama. But just how much has been revealed by official Italian figures, which show that more than half of all Italian men still live with their moms. Figures show that 52% of Italian men aged between 25-and-34 are still living at home. In contrast, just 35% of women are doing the same. A lack of jobs in the economically struggling nation is one reason why men are more reluctant to venture beyond the family home. Another reason is that many Italians are staying in school longer, thus not earning any income. The trend is causing Italian men to increasingly put off marriage and raising a family until later in life. (Those who are still a little close to the apron strings are dubbed ‘mammoni’.)
– “The Local”

VENGEANCE:
Detroit, Michigan legend Alan Markovitz, who owns 3 area strip clubs, has bought the house next door to his ex in the wealthy suburban enclave of Bloomfield Hills, then installed a mammoth bronze sculpture on the property of a hand … flipping the bird. The digital ‘artwork’ is positioned so a full view can be enjoyed from his ex-wife’s ritzy estate next door. To achieve maximum visibility after dark, the bronze creation is being lit by spotlight. (He obviously still has feelings for his ex.)
NET: http://tinyurl.com/lu9hegp
– NYDailyNews.com

EXTENDING LIFE:
A few ways to get your phone/tablet battery to last longer …
• Take the time to go through your settings and turn off anything you aren’t using or just don’t want, ie: Bluetooth, notifications, location or GPS services, widgets, wi-fi, etc.
• Dim down the screen, the biggest drain on your phone’s battery. You can also reduce the amount of time the screen stays on when you aren’t using the phone.
• Something most people don’t know … it takes more power for your phone to vibrate than it does for it to ring. Unless you need those silent notifications, turn vibrations off.
• Skip animated wallpapers. While they might look cool, they drain your battery a lot quicker than a still image.
• Buy the upgrade. If there’s an app with advertisements you use often, consider upgrading to a paid, ad-free version. It takes power to download and display all those ads.
• Stop automatic app updates. If your device is configured to automatically upgrade apps, it’s regularly burning power checking for updates and downloading them.
– “Tech Now”

BS FACIAL HAIR FACTS:
✓ The average male has 5 million hair follicles … 3 times as many as gorillas.
✓ Most men have about 25,000 whiskers.
✓ Shaving uses up 5 months of a man’s life if he starts at age 14.
✓ Clean-shaven men shave about 20,000 times over a lifetime.
✓ Moustaches grow 0.4 millimeters per day, speedy compared to eyebrows (.15 mm) and scalp hair (.35 mm).
– US News & World Report

BS CHRONOMETER 11.19.13

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1942 [71] Calvin Klein, Bronx NY, fashion designer (Calvin Klein Jeans, CK One, CK Be)

1959 [54] Allison Janney, Dayton OH, 6-ft movie actress (“The Help”, “Juno”)/TV actress (“Mr Sunshine” 2011, “The West Wing” 1999-2006)

1960 [53] Matt Sorum, Mission Viejo CA, rock drummer (Velvet Revolver-“Fall to Pieces”, Guns N’ Roses 1990-97)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2012

1961 [52] Meg Ryan (Margaret Hyra), Fairfield CT, movie actress (“Sleepless in Seattle”, “When Harry Met Sally”)

1962 [51] Jodie (Alicia) Foster, LA CA, movie actress (2 Oscars-“The Accused”, “Silence Of the Lambs”)

1973 [40] Billy Currington, Savannah GA, country singer (“Hey Girl”, “Let Me Down Easy”)

1976 [37] Jack Dorsey, St Louis MO, billionaire businessman/web developer (co-creator of Twitter.com)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Have a Bad Day Day”, for all the grouches who can’t stand being constantly told to ‘Have a good day’.

• “International Men’s Day”, now celebrated in over 60 countries (including Trinidad & Tobago where it began in 1999, as well as Australia, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, UK, and USA). It is an occasion to highlight discrimination against men & boys and to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular to community, family, marriage, and childcare.

• “World Toilet Day”, to encourage toilet hygiene. The Singapore-based World Toilet Organization promotes better design, ventilation, and sanitation for the device that is still a luxury in many parts of the developing world.
NET: http://www.worldtoiletday.org/whatis.php

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2003 [10] An arrest warrant is issued for Michael Jackson in connection with charges of child molestation (he’s acquitted 2 years later of each criminal count on which he is eventually tried)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2007 [06] Queen guitarist Brian May is named chancellor of Liverpool’s John Moores University

2007 [06] At Caroline Kennedy’s 50th birthday party, guest performer Neil Diamond reveals his 1970 hit “Sweet Caroline” was actually written about her

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1863 [150] Abraham Lincoln delivers the famous ‘Gettysburg Address’  BS FACTOID: Filmmaker Ken Burns has assembled all the living US presidents to recite the iconic speech. A video is posted on a new website, just in time for today’s 150th anniversary …
NET: http://www.learntheaddress.org

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1997 [16] Iowa’s Bobbi McCaughey gives birth to the world’s only known set of living ‘septuplets’, 4 boys and 3 girls

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Name Your PC Day
[Wed] Peanut Butter Fudge Day
[Wed] Universal Children’s Day
[Thurs] Beaujolais Nouveau Day
[Thurs] Use Less Stuff Day
This Week Is … Better Conversation Week
This Month Is … Movember

BULL’S BITS

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT:
The book “How to Speak Fluent Lovey-Dovey In 11 Languages” reveals cutesy names that lovers in other countries call one another, and translates them to English. A small sampling …
• France – ‘my flea’ or ‘my little cabbage’.
• Russia – ‘my poppyseed’.
• Germany – ‘sugar snail’ or ‘magic mouse’.
• Czech Republic – ‘nice tame pet’.
• El Salvador – ‘fatty’.
– PA News

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ Which cancelled TV show would you like to see revived on Netflix?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
She’s so dim she couldn’t operate a revolving door.

BS 5-IN-10 GAME:
Contestant gets 10 seconds to list 5 items that fall into each category …
• Things that are crowdsourced.
• Things that appear on a child’s preschool application.
• Things that were adapted from comic books.
• Things that stay in Vegas.
• Things that are chill.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: According to a new poll, ‘fishnet stockings’ are #1 on the list of things people think are sexy but aren’t, followed by ‘bright red lipstick’ and THIS.
Answer: Blowing in someone’s ear.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The penalty for success is to be bored by the people who used to snub you.