BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Seems onetime country superstar Garth Brooks is not going to play Dublin, Ireland after all. Aiken Promotions has announced that all 5 SRO shows for “The Garth Brooks Comeback Special Event” scheduled to begin July 25th have been canceled due to permit issues. More than 400,000 tickets had been sold. Meantime, Brooks has announced a live-streamed press conference for today at noon EDT. (It’s thought he’ll address the canceled shows and may announce an upcoming tour.)
NET: http://garthbrooks.com
– CountryWeekly.com
★ ‘Harry Potter’ is married in a new 1,500-word JK Rowling story attributed to gossip correspondent ‘Rita Skeeter’. Posted this week on the author’s ‘Pottermore’ website, the story describes an adult ‘Harry’ at age 34 with ‘threads of silver’ in his hair attending the Quidditch World Cup. It mentions a 16-year-old godson described as a ‘lanky werewolf’. The final novel in the series, “Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows”, was published in 2007 and Rowling has said she will not write another installment. (Seems this story is just a bit of fun for old time’s sake.)
– Telegraph.co.uk
★ And this ain’t your mother’s Katie Holmes. The squeaky-clean 35-year-old actress lets loose a little for “Glamour” magazine’s latest issue, going topless (while discreetly posed) and revealing her favorite swear word … which begins with ‘s’. Holmes, who is celebrating 2 years of divorce from actor Tom Cruise this month, also reveals her favorite holiday is her birthday, her guilty pleasure is chocolate cake with chocolate icing, and her pet peeve is people who pick their noses while driving. (OK, that’s a little bit TMI, thank-you.)
– USAToday.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Arsenio Hall” (syndicated) – TGT (“Three Kings”). Rerun.
• British Summer Time (London UK) – The 2nd of 2 long weekends includes performers Tim Minchin, Nina Conti, and Milton Jones tonight; Neil Young & Crazy Horse, The National, and Tom Odell on Saturday; Tom Jones, Boyzone, and Little Mix on Sunday.
NET: http://www.bst-hydepark.com
• Craven Country Jamboree (Craven SK) – The 2014 edition of the massive annual 4-day country music festival gets underway with a lineup that’s headlined by Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, and Luke Bryan.
NET: http://www.cravencountryjamboree.com
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Wild Cub (“Youth”). Rerun.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – The Killers (“Direct Hits”). Rerun.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Tech N9ne (“Strangeulation”). Rerun.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – The Crystal Method (“The Crystal Method”). Rerun.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Kiesza (“Hideaway”).
• “Live With Kelly & Michael” (syndicated/CTV) – Lyle Lovett (“Joshua Judges Ruth”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Magic! (“Don’t Kill the Magic”).
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo) – John Legend (“Love In the Future”).
• “Welcome to Sweden” (NBC) – Debut of a new comedy centered around a NYC accountant who moves to Sweden after falling in love with a Swedish girl. Stars Greg Poehler (younger brother of Amy Poehler), Lena Olin. Premiered on TV4 in Sweden this March.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Aerosmith – Tonight their  20-stop tour “Let Rock Rule” begins in Wantagh NY, with special guest Slash. The band just ended its 2-year “Global Warming Tour” on June 28th in London UK. Steve Tyler says that, after 44 years they still perform for 2 hours ‘at the same velocity’.
• Bad Company / Lynyrd Skynyrd – The classic rock bands are teaming up for 10 co-headline shows this Summer, starting tonight in Bangor ME. The tour runs until July 25th in Clarkston MI.
• Beyoncé – The University of Victoria in British Columbia is set to offer a course called “Beyoncé Knowles (The Living Legend and Woman Extraordinaire)” starting next year. The course will follow her rise to stardom and study her role in society.
• Miranda Lambert – Tonight she launches her new “Platinum” tour in Fort Loramie OH. The trek concludes in Honolulu HI in late September.
• Sara Bareilles – Her headlining “Little Black Dress” tour opens tonight in Chicago IL. The tour, which continues to support her acclaimed 3rd album “The Blessed Unrest”, is scheduled through August 14th in Berkeley CA.
• Taylor Swift – In a new op-ed piece for the “Wall Street Journal”, she says autographs have become obsolete, thanks to the invention of ‘selfies’. And she predicts that in future artists will get record deals because they have fans (on social media) … not the other way around.
• Usher – He’s dropped a new song from his upcoming 8th album, which is due sometime later this year. The new track called “She Came to Give it to You” (f/Nicki Minaj) features funky, disco production from Pharrell Williams. Usher’s album will reportedly include a number of other guests, reports “Rolling Stone”, including Diplo, Skrillex, Chris Brown, and Juicy J.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Blood Father” – Mel Gibson has the lead in this upcoming thriller about an ex-convict who reunites with his estranged daughter (Erin Moriarty) and tries to protect her from a gang of drug dealers. William H Macy (“Shameless”) and Elisabeth Rohm (“American Hustle”) have also joined the cast. It’s being directed by French filmmaker Jean-Francois Richet.
• “International Incident” – Steve Carell is in talks to produce this road trip comedy, with “The Hangover” star Ken Jeong in the lead role. The story follows 5 United Nations delegates on a journey to find one of their lost loves. Carell is also likely to make a cameo appearance in the new film.
• “The Janson Directive” – Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is in early talks to star in the latest screen adaptation of a book by Robert Ludlum, author of the ‘Jason Bourne’ novels. The book was published a year after Ludlum’s death in 2001 and tells the story of an ex-Navy Seal who now works as a security consultant. Universal is eyeing the project as a potential franchise.
• “Seven Wonders” – There are plans for a movie version of Ben Mezrich’s upcoming book centered on the ‘Seven Wonders Of the World’. The story is about a man determined to find out why his reclusive brother was murdered. His mission takes him around-the-world as he unravels a mystery that links the Seven Wonders. The book is due out on September 2nd.

WOMEN-OWNED:
Would you be more likely to buy woman-made products? Walmart is banking on it. The retailer has announced it will start labeling products made by companies that are owned by women. You see labels on clothing or food items that are ‘fair trade’ or ‘certified organic’, now you’ll see similar labels on products from a woman-owned brand. Studies show that female consumers believe products that are so-labeled have higher quality, practicality, and function. Retail experts suggest that choosing to label women-owned products is a marketing strategy first, but also socially conscious. The initiative is set to roll out in September. (Will this sway your buy?)
– “Bloomberg Business”

BEST JOB EVER?
Netflix wants to pay you to watch Netflix all day. It’s not a joke, it’s a real job posting on Netfix’s site for a ‘tagger’, someone to watch Netflix content and then deconstruct the films and programs using category tags such as ‘Comedy’, ‘Quirky’, or even ‘Emotional Independent Dramas for Hopeless Romantics’. And the perks? Besides getting paid to do what you spend your weekends doing anyway, you’ll get to see stuff before everybody else, plus enjoy flexible hours working from home. Unfortunately the job is only available in the UK. (Sounds like a pretty good deal to us!)
– USAToday.com

BS SOCIAL STUDIES:
● A study in Switzerland shows that most women prefer men with body odors unlike their own. Researchers asked females to sniff T-shirts that men had slept in for 2 days. The study’s  results make survival sense. By picking a mate that has a scent different than her own, a woman passes a broader immune protection to her children.
● A 10-year study of more than 9,000 professionals shows that detail-oriented perfectionists make more mistakes than non-sticklers and are also less productive. “Redbook” magazine reports that perfectionists get sidetracked by little things and are unable to set priorities.
● “Men’s Health” has published a study that says most men during their lifetime will lose an average of 1.4 inches in height. Most of the causes can be found in the back: Loss of fluid in the spinal discs, weakening of the muscles that support the spine, and just plain poor posture.

REMOTE-CONTROL CONTRACEPTION:
A start-up in Massachusetts has come up with the ultimate upgrade to birth control … a remote-controlled chip that lasts for 16 years. The wireless chip would automatically release contraceptive hormones into a patient’s body unless it’s turned off, which can also be done via remote. The gizmo would make remembering a daily pill or the countless annoyances that come along with other methods of birth control outmoded. The hormones could be deactivated without visiting a doctor, unlike current long-term birth control methods. The project has the backing of the Gates Foundation, and if pre-clinical tests go well it could be on the market as soon as 2018. (The scary part is that these kinds of devices can be susceptible to hacking.)
– TheVerge.com

IS THERE RACISM AGAINST PETS?
‘Black Dog Syndrome’ is the name animal shelter workers have given the tendency of dark-furred pups to languish in kennels while their lighter-furred brethren get adopted. It is true that black dogs stay in pounds longer and get euthanized at higher rates than light-colored dogs. Animal welfare experts believe the discrimination arises from a pack of factors …
• The mythology around black dogs is grim; they’re often portrayed as evil.
• Studies show people find black dogs to be scarier, less friendly, and more intimidating.
• Black dogs tend to also be big dogs such as Rottweilers, Dobermans, some pit bull mixes.
• Would-be owners worry that a black dog will shed too noticeably on household furniture.
• And black dogs strike some people as being just plain boring.
Some dismiss ‘Black Dog Syndrome’ as nothing more than an urban legend, but the perception that they are less popular persists. (A hero dog with an ebony coat on a TV show or in a movie could change all this.)
– NationalPost.com

BS AMAZING FACT:
Only 1-in-20 fathers now avoids being in the delivery room when his baby is being born, according to a new survey by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service.
– “Daily Telegraph”

BS CHRONOMETER 07.10.14

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1931 [83] Alice Munro, Wingham ON, renowned short-story author (“Dear Life”, “Runaway”)/2013 Nobel Prize for Literature

1952 [62] Kim Mitchell, Sarnia ON, classic rock singer (“Patio Lanterns”, Max Webster-“Let Go the Line”)/afternoon drive personality @ Q107 [CILQ] Toronto

1970 [44] Gary LeVox, Columbus OH, country singer (Rascal Flatts-“Rewind”, “Banjo”)

1972 [42] Sofia Vergara, Barranquilla, Colombia, TV actress (‘Gloria Pritchett’ on “Modern Family” since 2009)/movie actress (“Machete Kills”, “New Year’s Eve”)

1976 [38] Adrian Grenier, Santa Fe NM, TV actor (“Entourage” 2004-11)/movie actor (“The Devil Wears Prada”)  COMING UP: “Entourage” the movie, due in 2015.

1977 [37] Chiwetel Ejiofor, London UK, movie actor (Academy Award nomination-“12 Years a Slave”, “Salt”)

1980 [34] Jessica Simpson, Abilene TX, fashion designer (“Jessica Simpson Collection”)/sometime movie actress (“Dukes of Hazzard”)/TV personality (“Fashion Star” 2012, “Newlyweds” 2003-05)

1993 [21] Perrie Edwards, South Shields UK, pop singer (Little Mix-“Little Me”, “Cannonball”)/engaged to One Direction’s Zayn Malik (August 2013)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Beatles Day”, celebrated since 2008 in Liverpool UK and Hamburg, Germany. It marks The Beatles’ triumphant return to Britain from their US tour 50 years ago (1964), just in time for the premiere of their film “A Hard Day’s Night”. It’s considered a landmark date in the Fab Four’s rise to fame.

• “Don’t Step On a Bee Day”, a warning to kids and grown-ups that now is the time when going barefoot can mean getting stung by a bee. And with the recent disappearance of millions of the crop-pollinating critters, we need to save every one we can!

• “Piña Colada Day”, saluting the refreshing tropical cocktail that originated in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The name means ‘strained pineapple’ in Spanish, which makes perfect sense as the traditional recipe calls for pineapple juice, light rum, and coconut cream poured over crushed ice. Mmm! Don’t forget the mini umbrella!

• “Teddy Bear Picnic Day”, an excuse to spend the lunch hour on a blanket under a shade tree with your favorite plush bear (just before your appointment with the shrink).

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1989 [25] Prolific voice actor Mel Blanc (‘Barney Rubble’, ‘Bugs Bunny’, ‘Daffy Duck’, ‘Elmer Fudd’, ‘Porky Pig’, ‘Yosemite Sam’ etc) dies of heart disease in Los Angeles at age 81

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1996 [18] 1st fashion house to debut its collection simultaneously on a Paris catwalk and online (Yves Saint Laurent)

TODAY’s MUSIC EVENT . . .
1989 [25] All four of The Monkees reunite for the first time as the 1960s pop group receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1999 [15] ‘Largest Crowd to Attend a Women’s Sporting Event’ as 90,185 fill the Rose Bowl in Pasadena CA to watch the US women’s soccer team defeat China to win their 2nd Women’s World Cup

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] “Dawn Of the Planet Of the Apes” opens in movie theaters
[Fri] Cheer Up the Lonely Day
[Sat] Full ‘Buck’ Moon
[Sat] Bald Is In Day
[Sun] “Masters Of Sex” season debut (Showtime)
This Week Is … Laundry Workers Week
This Month Is … Parks & Recreation Month

BULL’S BITS

MORE BS QUESTIONS PLAGUING HUMANITY:
• How come a lot of World Cup players seem to prefer Kim Jong Un haircuts?
• Can an orphan eat at a ‘family restaurant’?
• If you’re only as old as you feel, how could I be alive at 150?
• If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the ‘terminal’?
• Aren’t the ‘good things that come to those who wait’ really just leftovers from people who got there first?
• If at first you don’t succeed, shouldn’t you try doing it like your wife told you to?

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
What takes 40,000 muscles to operate?
a. An elephants trunk. [CORRECT]
b. A human frown.
c. The winch to raise a circus big top.
– Yahoo! Trivia

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What BS ‘achievement’ do we need to stop taking seriously? Getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Placing first on a TV talent show?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Never argue with your wife. Just dicker.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: THIS costs about 8¢ per square inch on average.
Answer: A pizza.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The average person thinks he isn’t.