April 4, 2014

Friday, April 4, 2014        Edition: #5195


The Sheet Hits the Fans!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Today, more than 4 years after her death at age 32, actress Brittany Murphy’s final film is making it into theaters. The thriller “Something Wicked” opens tonight in Eugene, Oregon where it was shot, and then expands to other cities in the Pacific Northwest in coming weeks. It is possible the film will get a wider release afterward if it does well. Murphy died following pneumonia and severe anemia in December 2009. Just 5 months later, her husband Simon Monjack also mysteriously died of the same thing.
– “New York Daily News”
★ Dissatisfied fans of “How I Met Your Mother” (CBS) are campaigning for a new ending after the series finalé aired to mixed reviews this Monday. Despite earning a series-high rating of 12.9 million viewers, the final episode proved to be polarizing and some devoted fans have started a petition on Change.org demanding that the producers re-write and re-shoot the episode. Close to 7,000 fans from around-the-world have signed. The theme of the petition: “You know it’s just wrong.”
– WENN.com.
★ ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America” is in a state of flux. News anchor Josh Elliott recently left his gig to head to NBC Sports, acknowledging, “It had nothing to do with money”. Amy Robach was quickly promoted, but she doesn’t get along with lifestyle host Lara Spencer, because she thinks the bubbly blonde is all fluff and no substance. Now there’s another big personality being added to the mix as Michael Strahan from “Live! With Kelly and Michael” has confirmed he’ll be a part-time host on “GMA”. Quote: “I don’t think I could do it every day, I have a lot going on.” That would include staying on “Live! With Kelly & Michael” and presumably returning as a panelist on “FOX NFL Sunday” this Fall. Busy, busy, busy.
– RadarOnline.com

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Academy of Country Music Awards” (CBS) – Sunday Blake Shelton & Luke Bryan co-host the 49th annual ACMs from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas NV. Nominations are led by Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw, with 7 apiece; followed by Keith Urban with 6. Performances by The Band Perry, Eric Church, Florida Georgia Line, George Strait, Jason Aldean, Justin Moore, Lady Antebellum w/Stevie Nicks, Shakira w/Blake Shelton, and Toby Keith among others.
NET: http://www.acmcountry.com
• “Arsenio Hall” (syndicated) – Tonight Naturally 7 (“Ready II Fly”).
• “Chelsea Lately” (E!) – Tonight Rick Ross (“Mastermind”). Rerun.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Today Dan + Shay (“Where It All Began).
• “Games of Thrones” (HBO) – Sunday is the much-anticipated Season 4 debut.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – London Grammar (“If You Wait”). Rerun.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Tonight Kaiser Chiefs (“Education, Education, Education & War”). Rerun.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Tonight Liv Warfield (“The Unexpected”).
• March Madness Festival (Dallas TX) – Tonight the free 3-day music fest coinciding with the 2014 NCAA Men’s Final Four tournament gets underway. The weekend’s performers include Bruce Springsteen, fun., Jason Aldean, The Killers, and Tim McGraw.
NET: http://www.ncaa.com/marchmadness/musicfest
• “Queen Latifah Show” (syndicated) – Today Justin Moore performs “Lettin’ the Night Roll”.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC/Global) – Host Anna Kendrick (“Pitch Perfect “) makes her hosting debut; musical guest Pharrell (“G-I-R-L”).
• “The Talk” (CBS) – Today Luke Bryan (“Spring Break 6 … Like We Ain’t Ever”).
• “Tavis Smiley” (PBS) – Tonight Amos Lee (“Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Tonight Sky Ferreira (“Night Time, My Time”).
• “TURN” (AMC) – Sunday the series debut of this new espionage thriller about ‘The Culper Ring’, an unlikely group of spies during the American Revolution. Stars Timothy Brooks.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Aerosmith – “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” was originally written for Celine Dion.
• Janelle Monáe – She has recorded a cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes” and filmed an interactive video for the track in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with numerous global soccer stars. The video will appear in a Pepsi Max FutbolNow commercial during the 2014 World Cup.
• Johnny Cash – He may have died 11 years ago, but his posthumous new album “Out Among the Stars” is a hot commodity, sitting at #1 on the new ‘Billboard Country Albums’ chart.
• Karmin – Tonight in Dallas TX they begin a new Spring leg of their “#PulsesTour”. The new shows run through May 8th in Salt Lake City UT.
•  Zac Brown Band – They’ve added a 2nd show at Boston’s Fenway Park after the first (June 28th) sold out within minutes. Another ZBB performance is now scheduled for the day before. Jason Aldean is the only other country act to play Fenway, selling out 2 shows last Summer.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Dom Hemingway” ( Crime Comedy ): After spending 12 years in prison for keeping his mouth shut, a notorious safe-cracker is back on the streets of London, England looking to collect what he’s owed. Stars Jude Law, Richard E Grant, Demian Bichir, Emilia Clarke. Writer/director Richard Shepard (“The Matador”).
NET: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/domhemingway
• “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar” ( G-Rated Family Adventure ): One of the world’s most curious primate species gets the IMAX treatment in this documentary that follows Dr Patricia C Wright’s mission to help lemurs, the highly evolved creatures who arrived on Madagascar millions of years ago as castaways but are now highly endangered.
NET: http://islandoflemurs.imax.com
• Opening in limited edition: “Afflicted” (Horror Thriller); “Alan Partridge” (Comedy); “Frankie & Alice” (Biographical Drama); “Nymphomaniac: Vol II” (Mystery Drama); “Under the Skin” (Sci-Fi); and “The Unknown Known” (Documentary).

TAKING IT OFF:
Wearable computing … the next big thing? Uh uh. A new Endeavor Partners poll has found that fully one-third of consumers who have owned a wearable product stopped using it within 6 months. What’s more, while 1-in-10 North American adults owns some form of fitness tracker, half of them no longer use it. Further evidence can be found on eBay, where hundreds of Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatches are listed at a fraction of their original cost, less than a year after their debut. So why isn’t the wearable tech market taking off? Those who’ve abandoned the gadgets cite a variety of reasons: ‘ugly’, ‘too geeky’, ‘too big’, ‘there’s no killer app that makes it useful’, and – the nail in the coffin – ‘got bored with the idea’. (Next?!?)
– “The Guardian”

EVER CREATIVE CHILDREN:
According to a recent poll of  parents of children aged 6-to-12, here are kids’ most common excuses for not brushing their teeth …
5. “I lost my toothbrush.” (12%)
4. “It’s boring.” (16%)
3. “It takes too much time.” (22%)
2. “I’m too tired.” (46%)
1. “I forgot.” (73%)
More inventive excuses include “My wrist hurts” and “The sink is out of water.” (In our house, it was “My older brother knocked them out!”)
– “Globe & Mail”

FOR THE RECORD:
They said it couldn’t be sold after lingering on the market since 2007. But a record-breaking deal has closed on the infamous Fleur de Lys mansion in Los Angeles. The price? $102 million. Though 3 billionaires were known to be part of a bidding war, the successful buyer remains a mystery. The garish 50,000-sq-ft French-style mansion contains 12 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, a 2-story library, a commercial kitchen, and a wine cellar. And, oh … word has it the transaction was handled … in cash.
– LATimes.com

BS AMAZING DENTAL FACTS:
• A shark can grow a new set of teeth in a week.
–  “Land O’ Useless Facts”
• The idea of whitening your teeth or curing ailments by swishing oil in your mouth is regaining popularity.
– AARP.org
• The Romans used to clean and whiten their teeth with urine. Apparently it works. Please don’t do it though.
– BuzzFeed.com

BS CHRONOMETER 04.04.14


TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1965 [49] Robert Downey Jr, NYC, movie star (“Iron Man” films, “Sherlock Holmes” films)

1970 [44] Barry Pepper, Campbell River BC, movie actor (“True Grit”, “Flags Of Our Fathers”)/TV actor (“The Kennedys”, “61*”)

1971 [43] Josh Todd, LA CA, rock singer (Buckcherry-“Sorry”, “Lit Up”)

1973 [41] David Blaine (White), Brooklyn NY, illusionist who’s been suspended over the River Thames for 44 days, buried alive, and frozen in a block of ice among other stunts

1979 [35] Natasha Lyonne, NYC, TV actress (‘Nicky Nichols’ on “Orange Is the New Black” 2013)/movie actress (“American Pie” movies)

SATURDAY –
Rock guitarist Mike McCready (Pearl Jam) is 48; Country singer Troy Gentry (Montgomery Gentry) is 47; Country singer Pat Green (“Let Me”) is 42; Rapper-singer-producer Pharrell Williams (“Happy”) is 41.

SUNDAY –
Country music legend Merle Haggard (“Okie From Muskogee”) is 77; Alt-rock singer-guitarist Black Francis (The Pixies) is 49; Movie actor Paul Rudd (“Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”) is 45; Movie director-actor Zach Braff (“Garden State”) is 39.

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Ballroom Dancing Day”, celebrated on the birth anniversary of Arthur Murray, the famous ballroom dancing instructor. It’s an activity that’s hot once again thanks to TV shows like “Dancing With the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance”.
• “Hospital Admitting Clerks Day”, an annual observance on the 1st Friday of April saluting those always smiling, always helpful frontline personnel at your local medical facility. (“Just wait over there until you hear your name called … about a month from now.”)
• “International Day for Landmine Awareness & Assistance”. (Unfortunately, participation in this can cost you an arm and a leg.)
• “International Firefighters’ Day”, first begun in Australia on the feast day of Saint Florian, patron saint of firefighters.
NET: http://www.firefightersday.org
• “Walk to Work Day”, observed annually on the 1st Friday of April. Whether or not it’s to work, the goal is to walk 30 minutes a day to ease stress and improve fitness.
• “World Rat Day”, the 12th annual recognizing the ‘dear, sweet animals which deserve greater recognition and admiration’, according to people who own them. It’s claimed their bad image only suffers from ignorance and unthinking prejudice. (Well that and the plague.)
NET: http://www.worldratday.com

SATURDAY –
• “Deep Dish Pizza Day”, celebrating the creation of Chicago’s Uno Chicago Grill, which opened in 1943. Why deep dish? Because you can’t possibly get enough fat-laden cheese and sausage onto a regular pie in order to cause immediate cardiac arrest.
• “Go For Broke Day”, a day to throw caution to the wind and go all out, give it all you’ve got, don’t hold back, give it all or nothing, start giving 110%, let ‘er rip, balls to the wall!
• “International Pillow Fight Day”, when massive pillow fights are scheduled in cities worldwide from Amsterdam to Zurich. A listing of cities hosting events here …
NET: http://www.pillowfightday.com

SUNDAY –
• “Drowsy Driver Awareness Day”, an annual initiative to encourage motorists to take notice of when they’re too sleepy to steer. According to a recent poll, more than 20% of drivers admit they’ve momentarily dozed while at the wheel.
• “Tartan Day”, the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, a sort of pseudo-holiday for ex-pat Scots. It’s also the day that kicks off Scotland’s tourist season.
NET: http://tartanday.org

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2008 [06] Director Martin Scorsese releases his Rolling Stones’ concert documentary “Shine A Light”

2013 [01] Movie critic/TV personality/screenwriter Roger Ebert dies of cancer at age 70 in Chicago IL

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2007 [07] Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones retracts a statement made to “New Musical Express” a few days earlier suggesting that he once snorted his father’s ashes (meant to say smoked?)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1982 [32] Hockey sensation Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers finishes the NHL season with 212 points to become 1st and only player to break the 200-point barrier (he goes on to do it 3 more times)

COMING UP . . .
[Mon] NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game (Arlington TX)
[Mon] International Beaver Day
[Mon] Metric System Day
[Mon] Beer Day
[Mon] No Housework Day
[Mon] World Health Organization Day
This Week Is … Week Of the Ocean
This Month Is … Emotional Overeating Awareness Month

BULL’S BITS


IF 99.9% IS GOOD ENOUGH, THEN …
• A typical day would be 24 hours long … give or take 86.4 seconds.
• 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents today.
• 114,500 mismatched pairs of shoes will be shipped every year.
• 18,322 pieces of mail will be mishandled every hour.
• 2.5 million books will be shipped with the wrong covers.
• 315 entries in “Webster’s Dictionary” will be misspelled.
• 20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions will be written this year.
• 880,000 credit cards will have incorrect cardholder information on their magnetic strips.
• 5.5 million cases of soft drinks produced will be flat.
• 291 pacemaker operations will be performed incorrectly.

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Beauty doesn’t count if 90% of it can be wiped off with some water.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What’s the most you’ve spent on a single item from a hotel room mini-bar? (In Toronto hotel minibars a can of nuts costs, on average, costs $18.23, according to TripAdvisor’s new Tripindex survey.)

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• Which can be a fire hazard, according to a recent study?
a. Bowling balls.
b. Titanium golf clubs. [CORRECT. Can throw off sparks if they hit rocks.]
c. Baseball catchers’ mitts.
– “Bleacher Report”

• Who was the first human to pee on the Moon?
a. Neil Armstrong.
b. Buzz Aldrin. [CORRECT. Not actually on the surface, but still one giant leak for mankind.]
c. ‘The Little Prince’.
– NationalGeographic.com

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Men who do THIS are described as ‘vulgar’ and ‘inauthentic’.
Answer: Wear Hawaiian shirts.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
They don’t hand out medals for the cleanest house.

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