BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Even with Academy Awards and the title of highest paid female in Hollywood to her name, it seems what 25-year-old actress Jennifer Lawrence really wants to do is direct. J-Law has signed on to make her directorial debut with an upcoming film under the working title “Project Delirium”. The film is described as a dark comedy based on a 2012 “the New Yorker” article about military doctors running experiments on soldiers during the Cold War in the 1960s. Quote: “I’ve wanted to direct since I was 16.”
– “Entertainment Weekly”
★ “NCIS” star Michael Weatherly has been charged with 2 counts of DUI. We’re just now hearing that the 47-year-old actor’s car was pulled over by LAPD earlier this month and he subsequently failed a breath test. He was arrested and taken into custody, where he spent almost 15 hours in a jail cell. The actor, who was previously engaged to Hollywood star Jessica Alba, has played ‘Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo on “NCIS” and its spinoff series “NCIS: New Orleans” and “NCIS: Los Angeles”.
– TMZ.com
★ And the Eagles Of Death Metal say they intend to return to Paris to reopen the Bataclan concert venue. The Californian rockers came home to California in the aftermath of the terrorist atrocity, and have since broken their silence in a somber magazine interview, detailing the November the 13th carnage from the moment they were aware of what was going on. EODM have now confirmed that they would like to be the first act to perform at the Bataclan when it reopens. There’s no word yet when and if that will happen.
– “Vice”

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Chopped Canada Teen Tournament” (Food) – Saturday Brad Smith (“The Bachelor Canada”) hosts the debut of a new series in which 16 of the best teen chefs battle over 5 episodes.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Today Selena Gomez (“Revival”).
• “Great Performances” (PBS) – Tonight tenor Andrea Bocelli pays tribute to songs from the movies; with David Foster.
• “HALO Awards” (Nickelodeon/TV Land/CMT) – Sunday Nick Cannon (“America’s Got Talent”) hosts a concert event honoring young community leaders who are ‘Helping And Leading Others’ (HALO). Appearances by DNCE (w/Joe Jonas), Flo Rida, Fifth Harmony, Justin Bieber, Tori Kelly, Walk the Moon.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Tonight a rerun of a ‘Mash-Up Monday’ with ‘Jewel & The Gang’ (Jewel + Kool & The Gang).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Tonight Jewel again (“Picking Up the Pieces”).
• “Late Late Show With James Corden” (CBS/M3) – Tonight Big Sean (“Dark Sky Paradise”).
• “Live With Kelly & Michael” (syndicated/CTV) – Today Carly Simon (“Boys In the Trees: A Memoir”); Joss Stone (“Water For Your Soul”).
• “Master P’s Family Empire” (Reelz) – Saturday the premiere of a new reality show starring rapper/music mogul Master P, that focuses on his family of 5 kids.
• “Soul Train Awards” (BET/Centric) – Sunday Erykah Badu hosts the annual gala, pre-taped at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas NV. Mark Ronson w/Bruno Mars and The Weeknd lead nominations with 5 apiece; Babyface receives the ‘Legend Award’; Jill Scott the ‘Lady of Soul Award’.
• “The Ties that Bind” (HBO) – Tonight the premiere of a new Thom Zimny documentary that uses archival footage and recent interviews to showcase Bruce Springsteen’s first-person take on the creation of his landmark double album “The River” (1980).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Tonight Talib Kweli (“Reflection Eternal”). Rerun.
• “Unforgettable” (A&E) – Tonight the Season 4 debut on a new channel features back-to-back episodes starring Poppy Montgomery as a detective with hyperthymesia (which means she can remember everything).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Adele – UK sales of “25” have now surpassed the 695,761 copy record held by Oasis’ 3rd album “Be Here Now”. It had held the record for ‘fastest-selling album’ since its release in 1997.
• Charli XCX – She has made a documentary on feminism and the music business, titled “Charli XCX: The F-Word and Me”. The 40-minute film was produced for BBC Three in the UK and features MS MR, Marina & The Diamonds, and Jack Antonoff of fun.
• Lady Antebellum – Saturday in Cleveland OH Charles Kelley kicks off “The Driver Tour” in support of his first solo project. Dates are booked through January 28th in Las Vegas NV. Meantime, bandmate Hillary Scott has been in the studio recording a gospel album with her family.
• Pearl Jam – Saturday their 2015 tour of Latin America wraps up in Mexico City. The rockers have played 8 shows throughout November, including 5 in Brazil.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “The Danish Girl” ( R-Rated Biographical Drama ): The remarkable love story inspired by the lives of artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda’s marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili’s groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer. Stars Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Amber Heard, Ben Whishaw.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/pbphjz6
• “Janis: Little Girl Blue” ( NR Music Documentary ): Musician Cat Power narrates director Amy Berg’s documentary on the legendary blues singer’s life, based on letters that Joplin wrote over the years. In the late 1960s-early ’70s she was music’s fastest-streaking female singer-songwriter, garnering as much attention for her life off-stage as on.
NET: http://www.jigsawprods.com/janis-little-girl-blue
• “Killing Them Safely” ( NR Documentary ): In the early 2000s, brothers Rick & Tom Smith found tremendous success when they began selling a device touted as ‘the biggest revolution in law enforcement since the radio’ … the Taser. But as their company grew, they made decisions that would have lasting impact on the public and their increasingly skeptical customer base.
NET: https://www.facebook.com/KillingThemSafely

ANATOMY OF A SNEEZE:
For the first time researchers at the American Physical Society’s Division of Fluid Dynamics in Boston MA have mapped out the exact sequence of shifting shapes found in … the fluid we eject when sneezing. High-speed video footage has been used to discover precisely how the stream of mucus and saliva breaks up into drops. They say the process is important to understand because it determines the various sizes of the final droplets, a critical factor in how a sneeze spreads germs. Their analysis reveals that a sneeze moves in a progression from sheets, to bag bursts, to beaded strings, which then destabilize into droplets. Modeling and helping to control that spread is the ultimate aim of the research. (Mmm, breakfast anyone?)
– BBC Science & Environment

MOST LIVABLE CITIES 2015:
Each year the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) publishes its ‘Livability Ranking’, evaluating some 140 major world cities based on a variety of factors, such as stability, infrastructure. education, healthcare, and culture. This year’s top 10 and their livability score out of 100 …
10. Helsinki, Finland (95.6)
9. Auckland, New Zealand (95.7)
8. Perth, Australia (95.9)
7. Sydney, Australia (96.1)
6. Calgary, Canada (96.6)
5. Adelaide, Australia (96.6)
4. Toronto, Canada (97.2)
3. Vancouver, Canada (97.3)
2. Vienna, Austria (97.4)
1. Melbourne, Australia (97.5)
– Condensed from List 25.com

NEW FOOD MASH-UP:
There’s a crazy dessert trend this year called ‘Piecaken’ (sort of the dessert version of ‘turducken’). To make one you simply bake a pie … inside of a cake. You pick the flavors, whatever turns your crank. You can thank Zac Young, executive pastry chef at David Burke NY, for the novel idea. Sure, it’s a borderline gross concept, but people on Twitter can’t seem to stop talking about it! (What kind of pie would you put in YOUR cake?)
NET: http://tinyurl.com/p3clg93
– BuzzFeed.com

BIGGEST BOX OFFICE TURKEYS OF 2015:
The year’s biggest box office bombs, based on what they made as a percentage of their cost …
1. “Rock the Kasbah” (Bill Murray) … $2.87 million (19%).
2. “The Gunman” (Sean Penn) … $10.7 m (27%).
3. “Blackhat” (Chris Hemsworth) … $19.4 m (28%).
4. “Unfinished Business” (Vince Vaughn) … $14.4 m (41%).
5. “Jem & The Holograms” (Aubrey Peeples) … $2.3 m (46%).
6. “Self/Less” (Ryan Reynolds) … $12.3m (47.31%).
7. “American Ultra” (Jesse Eisenberg & Kristen Stewart) … $15.4 m (55%).
8. “We Are Your Friends” (Zac Efron) … ($3.6 m (60%).
9. “Aloha” … (Bradley Cooper & Emma Stone ) … $26.3 m (71%).
10. “Mortdecai” (Johnny Depp) … $47.3 m (79%).
– Forbes.com

FOR THE RECORD:
Global average temperatures in 2015 are likely to be the warmest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Data until the end of October show that this year’s temps are running ‘well above’ any previous 12 month period. The researchers say the 5-year period from 2011-to-2015 is also the warmest on record. The rise, they claim, is due to a combination of a strong El Niño effect and human-induced global warming. The WMO says the preliminary estimate shows that the global average surface temperature for 2015 has been 0.73 degrees C above the 1961-1990 average. (Bottom line: This is all bad news for the planet.)
– CBC.ca

BS AMAZING FACT:
Bilingual people are twice as likely to recover from a stroke compared with people who speak just one language. (C’est si bon!)
– “Daily Telegraph”

BS CHRONOMETER 11.27.15

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1951 [64] Kathryn Bigelow, San Carlos CA, movie director-producer-writer (“Zero Dark Thirty”, Academy Award-“The Hurt Locker”)/wed to fellow director James Cameron 1989-91

1957 [58] Caroline Kennedy-Schlossberg, NYC, 29th US Ambassador to Japan since 2013/author/attorney/only survivor of family of 4 that included JFK, Jackie O, and JFK Jr

1969 [46] Myles Kennedy (Bass), Boston MA, rock singer-songwriter-guitarist (Alter Bridge-“Addicted to Pain”, “Isolation”)

1962 [53] Mike Bordin, San Francisco CA, rock drummer (Faith No More-“Sol Invictus”)

1993 [22] Aubrey Peeples, Lake Mary FL, TV actress (‘Layla Grant’ on “Nashville” since 2013)

SATURDAY –
Musician Paul Shaffer (ex-“Late Show With David Letterman”) is 66; Movie actor Ed Harris (“National Treasure: Book of Secrets”) is 65; Rock drummer Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam/Soundgarden) is 53; TV personality Jon Stewart (ex-“Daily Show”) is 53; Pop musician apl.de.ap (Black Eyed Peas) is 41; Indie rock keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij (Vampire Weekend) is 32; Rock singer-keyboardist Tyler Glenn (Neon Trees) is 32; Rapper-singer Trey Songz (“Bottoms Up”) is 31.

SUNDAY –
Filmmaker/TV producer Joel Coen (“Fargo”) is 61; Comedian/TV personality Howie Mandel (“America’s Got Talent”) is 60; Movie/TV actor Don Cheadle (“Iron Man”) is 51; Pop singer Jonathan Knight (New Kids On the Block) is 47; TV/movie actress Anna Faris (“Mom”) is 39; Rapper The Game (“My Life”) is 36.

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Bavarian Cream Pie Day”, an annual salute to the delicious, chilled dessert made with cooked egg custard layered with whipped cream and toppings in a pie shell.
• “Freckle Pride Day”, a day to stand up for your spots. Join ’em all together and you’d have a tan. Or maybe if you connect them they make a picture?
• “Black Friday”, the day after Thanksgiving that’s touted as the biggest single shopping day of the year in America though that’s statistically untrue. The ‘black’ refers to retailers finally turning a profit after spending much of the year ‘in the red’.
• “Buy Nothing Day”, a 24 hour moratorium on holiday shopping (today in North America; tomorrow internationally), created as a protest against outlandish consumption and commercialism, particularly during the holiday season.
NET: http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd
• “Flossing Day”, a day that truly has ‘strings attached’.
NET: http://www.flossing.org
• “Record Store Day Black Friday”, bringing with it a slew of exclusive and limited-edition releases to independent record retailers. Among them: The vinyl Nine Inch Nails box set “Halo I-IV”, Stone Sour’s new covers EP “Straight Outta Burbank”.
NET: http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home
• “Sinkie Day”, the 24th annual salute to the time-honored tradition of eating a snack (or an entire meal) over the kitchen sink. People prone to the practice are known as ‘sinkies’.
NET: http://www.sinkie.com

SATURDAY –
• “Small Business Saturday”, an annual reminder to support the little mom & pop operations as well as the big malls and chains during the holiday season buying frenzy.

SUNDAY –
• “Banquet for Monkeys”, the 25th annual feast on the last Sunday of November for over 500 simians in Lop Buri, Thailand. The 80-table banquet of fruit barbecues is prepared by 5-star hotel chefs as payback to the critters for bringing the town tourism. (Not to mention aroma.)
NET: http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/lopburi
• “Electronic Greetings Day”, great for all of us who seem to remember special days only at the very last minute. Nothing says ‘I forgot’ like an e-card, right?
• “Grey Cup” in Winnipeg MB, the 103rd Canadian football championship, pitting the Edmonton Eskimos vs the Ottawa Red-Blacks. It’s an excuse for a nationwide party.
NET: http://103greycupfestival.ca
• “International Day of Solidarity With the Palestinian People”, sponsored by the United Nations.
• “Sofa Sunday”, the Sunday after the US Thanksgiving holiday, when people relax at home and purchase goods online.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2009 [06] Golf superstar Tiger Woods is taken to hospital following a single-car accident near his Florida home (Highway Patrol says he pulled out of his driveway at 2:25 am, hit a fire hydrant, and then drove into a tree on a neighbor’s property)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1995 [20] The Beatles’ “Anthology I” sets a (then) first-week sales record of 1.2 million copies

2005 [10] Aerosmith and 50 Cent headline a $10-million bar mitzvah in NYC

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2005 [10] 1st partial human face transplant is completed in Amiens, France

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1966 [49] Highest-scoring NFL game (113 points: Washington Redskins 72, NY Giants 41)

COMING UP . . .
[Mon] Cyber Monday
[Mon] Computer Security Day
[Mon] Meth Awareness Day
[Mon] Stay Home Because You’re Well Day
This Week Is … Cookie Week
This Month Is … Pet Cancer Awareness Month

BULL’S BITS

BS WHYZITS:
• Whyzit when you see someone with their mouth open singing or yelling, you don’t yawn … only if they’re yawning?
• Whyzit people with loud car sound systems never listen to good music?
• Whyzit if you read a lot of books you are considered ‘well read’, but if you watch a lot of TV you’re not considered ‘well viewed’?
• Whyzit if you run into a man that smiles all the time he’s probably selling something … something that doesn’t work?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
When the sun comes up, I have morals again.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What weird thing do you do to stay warm during Winter?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Almost ¾ of people surveyed say THIS gets them into the holiday spirit.
Answer: Shopping.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
It’s not so much how busy you are but why you’re busy. The bee is praised; the mosquito is swatted.