September 24, 2014

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Wednesday, September 24, 2014        Edition: #5312


Can You Believe This Sheet?

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Marvel is killing off one of its most iconic characters … ‘Wolverine’. The century-old ‘X-Man’ whose mutant healing capabilities make him virtually un-killable will meet his end in the 4-issue Marvel Comics miniseries, “Death of Wolverine”. The Canadian hero made his first appearance 40 years ago in “The Incredible Hulk #180”, then was introduced to the “X-Men” universe in 1975. ‘Wolverine’ meets his maker in issue #4, out today. (Permanent? Not likely.)
– “Entertainment Weekly”
★ George Clooney has asked an Italian journalist and former mayor of Rome to officiate at his upcoming wedding to fiancée Amal Alamuddin. The twosome will reportedly exchange vows in Venice, Italy this weekend and the actor has asked his pal Walter Veltroni to preside over the nuptials. Veltroni has been close friends with Clooney for years, but that’s not his only Hollywood connection. He was also a guest at Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes’ Italian wedding in 2006. (Perhaps not a good omen.)
– People.com
★ Apple is denying a published report saying it plans to shut down streaming service Music Beats. Several employees at Apple and Beats told TechCrunch.com that Apple planned to discontinue the service. But an Apple spokesman now says simply: “It’s not true.” An insider suggests consumers should expect Apple to make some changes to the service. That could mean the brand is going away although the service is not. Apple bought the service started by Jimmy Iovine and Dr Dre in May for $3 billion.
– USAToday.com
★ Joan Rivers’ BFF Kathy Griffin is reportedly being tapped to become ‘chief cop’ on “Fashion Police” (E!) when it returns in January. Show insiders say that Joan’s daughter Melissa Rivers has agreed to continue to produce her late mother’s show and has given her blessing to Griffin as someone her mother would have approved of as a replacement. Word has it a deal is now being negotiated with the popular redhead. Griffin has always said that it was Joan Rivers who paved the way for women in comedy.
–@MailOnline
★ And actor Charlie Sheen has reached out to “Two-and-a-Half Men” in an effort to land a return appearance on the show for the series finalé. The “Anger Management” star was fired from the sitcom in 2011 following a public feud with exec producer Chuck Lorre, but Sheen has now presented an idea for a final guest appearance … even though his character was killed off. “Two-and-a-Half Men” will wrap for good after its current 12th season ends later this year. (After the vitriol he’s spewed about his former employers, they ought to tell him to take a hike.)
– “TV Guide Magazine”

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – George Harrison salute week continues with his son’s band Dhani Harrison & Friends.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Kiesza (“Hideaway”).
• “The iHeartradio Album Release Party With Maroon 5” (CW) – Repeat of the 1-hour special that launched the group’s album “V” (released August 29th). Includes performances and Q&A sessions with Adam Levine and the rest of the band.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Jeezy (“Seen It All: The Autobiography”).
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV) – Sam Hunt (“Montevallo”, out October 27th).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Paloma Faith (“Perfect Contradiction”).
• “Survivor” (CBS/Global) – Premiere of the castaway show’s 29th season, titled “Survivor: San Juan Del Sur – Blood vs Water”. It’s the 2nd season in which each contestant is paired with a loved one. The new lineup includes controversial former baseball player John Rocker; and former “Amazing Race” duo Nadiya & Natalie.
• “The Talk” (CBS) – Train (“Bulletproof Picasso”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Kenny Chesney (“The Big Revival”).
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo) – Jennifer Hudson (“JHUD”).
• “Wendy Williams” (syndicated) – Lenny Kravitz (“Strut”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Ed Sheeran – He’s hinted that his song “Don’t” was inspired by an ex who cheated with One Direction singer Niall Horan … while they were all staying in the same hotel. And just who is the girl in question? Rumor has it that it was singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding.
• Kanye West – He’s turned college lecturer as part of his 250-hour community service sentence for attacking a photographer. He’s made a 4th appearance at Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC) to speak to 40 students in the digital communications department as well as troubled youths who are participating in a project to encourage education.
• Madonna – In addition to Diplo, the list of collaborators on her next album continues to grow. She’s posted an Instagram of DJ Dahi and Blood Diamonds working on the recording. The results are expected in 2015.
• Miley Cyrus – The 2 burglars who broke into her home in June, stealing her Maserati, purses, clothing and  jewelry, are going to jail. The pair both pleaded guilty in LA court this week. One has been sentenced to 1 year, the other to 4 years in the slammer.
• Rita Ora – The 23-year-old pop singer has been announced as a new addition for Season 4 of “The Voice UK” (BBC 1), replacing Kylie Minogue on the coaching panel in 2015. Ora’s also been acting in “Fifty Shades of Grey”, which has been shooting in Vancouver BC. The movie opens February 13th.
• Sam Smith – He’s scored 4 nominations for Britain’s annual Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards, including a nod in the ‘Best Song’ category for “Stay With Me”. The winners will be announced at London’s Wembley Arena on October 22nd.
• Tim McGraw / Faith Hill – The country couple are set to be honored as 2014 recipients of the Nashville Symphony’s ‘Harmony Award’ in recognition of their efforts to promote music in the country music Mecca’s local community. They will be feted at the 30th annual Symphony Ball in December.

FROM THE BS POLL VAULT:
A statistical look at who we are and the things we do …
• 66% of women use anti-aging products.
• 44% of us re-use aluminum foil.
• 41% of women wish they looked younger.
• 25% of employees admit they’ve slept with the boss and regretted it.
• 20% of women worry about their age … every day.
• 6% of us make the bed on a daily basis.

WHO NEEDS WAVES?
A new electric ‘surfboard’ lets you glide along the water at speeds of up to 30 mph (46 km/hr). The Swedish-designed ‘Radinn’ board from Radical Innovation features a jet propulsion system that’s powered by lithium batteries, meaning users don’t need a boat (or surf) to get up to speed. Battery life is currently around 30 minutes when traveling at full speed, but work is underway to improve that. The 64-lb (29-kg) board is made of  lightweight carbon fiber and uses a wireless control to vary speeds. It is currently undergoing further testing before pre-orders begin later this year. Want one? It’s expected to retail for about $20,000 in early 2015. (Wear a helmet!!!)
– DailyMail.co.uk

BS BUZZWORDS:
New cutting-edge vocab …
• ‘Overconnectedness’ – The state or condition of having an over-abundance of connections to other people and to online resources. (BS translation: Multi-tasking with tech gadgets. Please, put down the phone.)
• ‘Third Workplace’ – A (temporary) place to work other than an office or home office. Also called ‘co-working space’, this drop-in desk set-up combines the amenities and technology of a traditional office with the lower expense of a home office. (Downside: You have to bring your own plants.)
• ‘Typochondriac’ – A person who repeatedly proofreads writing because they are paranoid about publishing work that contains typos or other errors. (Exactly the kind of person who should be working in journalism or publishing.)

HUG IT OUT:
Apps like Tinder and Grindr have created a ‘hook-up’ culture, but sometimes you may not want sex, or even a relationship; sometimes you just want a cuddle. Enter ‘Cuddlr’, a new app that matches up strangers looking for ‘no-pressure intimacy’. To request a hug from a specific person, you just tap their photo. Each request can be sent with an identifying message, such as “I’m wearing green”. Those who actually meet up can choose to swap contact details or, alternatively, they can block and report users who are inappropriate. The app encourages the hugging of any age or gender, regardless of whether you find them attractive or not. It’s currently only available for iOS, but an Android version is in the works for next year. (Embracing a complete stranger at random … gee, what could possibly go wrong?)
– MailOnline

ALL-TIME BEST DANCE TUNES:
A new listing of songs guaranteed to make you leap to your feet and strut your stuff, whether you’re at Auntie Jen’s wedding or at home by the kitchen radio …
5: “Sweet Caroline”, Neil Diamond (1971).
4: “He’s the Greatest Dancer”, Sister Sledge (1979).
3: “Night Fever”, The Bee Gees (1977).
2: “Dancing In the Street”, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas (1964).
1: “Crazy in Love”, Beyoncé w/Jay Z (2003).
Honorable mention: “Groove Is In the Heart”, Deee-Lite (1990).
(And what’s on your list?)
– Telegraph.co.uk

TRIO OF FAKES:
A Florida massage therapist claims she has paid $20,000 in order to have … a 3rd breast installed. 21-year-old Jasmine Tridevil tells Real Radio 104.1 Orlando FL that her desire to repel the opposite sex with her updated anatomy wasn’t her only motivation for the surgery … she also wants to have her own MTV reality show. She’s documented her post-surgery life through photos and videos posted to YouTube, Facebook, and other social media sites. She purportedly contacted more than 50 doctors before finding a surgeon willing to perform the operation. (Think it’s a hoax … or just plain stupid?)
– QMI

DID YOU KNOW?
People make more than 200 decisions about food every day.
– “USA Today”

BS CHRONOMETER 09.24.14


TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1959 [55] Steve Whitmire, Atlanta GA, Muppet voice actor (since Jim Henson died in 1990, voice of ‘Ernie’, ‘Kermit the Frog’, ‘Rizzo the Rat’, ‘Beaker’, ‘Bean Bunny’, ‘Doozer’, etc)

1962 [52] Nia Vardalos, Winnipeg MB, movie actress/screenwriter (“My Life in Ruins”, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”)

1969 [45] Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan, Des Moines IA, metal rock percussionist/vocalist (Slipknot-“Dead Memories”, “Duality”)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Banned Website Awareness Day”, observed annually during “Banned Books Week” to promote awareness of how overly-restrictive Internet filtering affects student learning.

• “Cherries Jubilee Day”, celebrating the decadent dessert that’s always served flambée. Wanna make a home version easily? All you need is a can of cherry pie filling, some cognac (or brandy), vanilla ice cream, and … a match.

• “Do Impressions of Famous People Around the Office Day”, to encourage a little levity in the workplace.

• “Punctuation” Day!”, the 10th annual celebrating the traffic signs of written language. (Wow! Eh?)

• “Rosh Hashanah” (‘Head Of the Year’) begins at sundown, the 2-day celebration of the Jewish New Year. Traditional Jewish foods that accompany the observance include challah bread and  apples dipped in honey. The 10-day period from “Rosh Hashanah” to “Yom Kippur” forms the Jewish ‘High Holy Days’.

• “Women’s Health & Fitness Day”, observed on the last Wednesday of September to focus attention on the importance of regular physical activity and health awareness for women.
NET: http://www.fitnessday.com/women/

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2005 [09] Hollywood couple Ashton Kutcher (27) & Demi Moore (42) wed in a secret ceremony at a private residence in Beverly Hills CA (divorce 2013)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2007 [07] Aerosmith cancels the biggest concert ever scheduled for Maui, Hawaii because their equipment purportedly can’t be transported from Chicago in time (leads to a class action lawsuit that later results in 2 free concerts)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1979 [35] CompuServe portal opens, the 1st ‘Online Service’ (later absorbed by AOL)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1984 [30] ‘Longest Recorded Kiss’ sets “Guinness Record” at 17 days, 10.5 hours (Eddie Levin & Delphine Crha in Chicago IL)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] “Grey’s Anatomy”; “How to Get Away With Murder”; “Scandal” season debuts (ABC)
[Thurs] One-Hit Wonder Day
[Thurs] World Pharmacists Day
[Fri] “The Boxtrolls”; “The Equalizer” open in movie theaters
[Fri] Hug a Vegetarian Day
[Fri] World Contraception Day
This Week Is … Banned Books Week
This Month Is … Baby Safety Month

BULL’S BITS


THINGS YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO DO FOR 3 YEARS AFTER HAVING CHILDREN:
• Floss.
• Canoe.
• Wake up to your alarm.
• Go antiquing.
• Like your hair.
• Use a hot tub.
• Iron something.
• Say no to pizza.
• Take more than 8 minutes to eat a meal.
– Adapted from JasonGood.net

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I hate cooking so much, I don’t even butter my bread.

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
Its residents may have voted against becoming an independent country, but Scotland still has a ‘National Animal’. Which is it?
a. The Red Deer.
b. The Clay-Colored Thrush.
c. The Unicorn. [CORRECT]
–BuzzFeed.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ We toss about one-quarter of all the food we buy. What’s the last straw that makes you throw out food? (In a related poll 47% say ‘mold’, ‘bad color’, or ‘changed texture’. Surprisingly, only 17% say ‘smells bad’.)

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: It takes more than 500 of THESE to make THIS.
Answer: Peanuts to make one 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
– “Land O’ Useless Facts”

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The best way to get ahead is to use the one you’ve got.

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