April 9, 2015

Thursday, April 9, 2015        Edition: #5426


Bull Works!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ “Arrested Development”, the cult sitcom about a wealthy dysfunctional family, is being given a new 17-episode order, according to exec producer Brian Grazer. The show, which stars Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jessica Walter, originally aired on FOX-TV 2003-06, then Netflix revived it in 2013 with a 15-episode 4th season. Though Netflix has issued no comment about the new episodes, its Chief Content Officer told “USA Today” last year he was “positive” there would be a 5th season of the show.
– “The BS Report”
★ Britain’s ITV is reportedly in talks to acquire the TV arm of the Weinstein Co for a reported $1 billion, with the goal of becoming one of the biggest TV production companies in both the US and UK. The Weinstein Co was formed by the formidable movie producing brothers Bob & Harvey Weinstein after they left Miramax. Its TV programs include “Project Runway” (Lifetime), “Myrtle Manor” (TLC), “Mob Wives” (VH1), and “Marco Polo” (Netflix). It’s also planning a “War & Peace” miniseries with the BBC.
– ContactMusic.com
★ And word has it 65-year-old reality star Bruce Jenner cried several times as he recorded a 2-hour tell-all interview with ABC News correspondent Diane Sawyer discussing his decision to transition to a woman. Insiders say the interview will see Jenner open up about why he waited until now to make the decision to transition, and he will confirm the name he plans to use when the process is complete. It was announced earlier this week that the interview will air as a “20/20” special on April 24th.
– HollywoodLife.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “The Comedians” (FX) – Debut of a new comedy based on a Swedish TV series. Veteran comic Billy Crystal & Josh Gad (“Frozen”) star as exaggerated versions of themselves co-hosting a late-night sketch show.
• Country Thunder (Florence AZ) – The annual 4-day weekend country fest includes performances by Blake Shelton, Brett Eldredge, Big & Rich, Dallas Smith, Joe Nichols, Luke Bryan and a slew of others.
NET: http://www.countrythunder.com
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Bette Midler (“It’s The Girls”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Awolnation (“Run”). Rerun.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Above & Beyond (“We Are All We Need”). Rerun.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Rhiannon Giddens (“Tomorrow is My Turn”). Rerun.
• “Live With Kelly & Michael” (syndicated/CTV) – Johnnyswim (“Diamonds”).
• The Masters (Augusta GA) – One of the most prestigious annual golf tourneys gets underway. Can Tiger Woods come back to win a 5th ‘green jacket’? Note: One Direction’s Niall Horan caddied for world #1 golfer Rory McIlroy at Wednesday’s exhibition Par 3 Contest.
• “The Real” (syndicated) – Nelly (“The Best of Nelly”). Rerun.
• “The Talk” (CBS) – Ludacris (“Ludaversal”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Madonna (“Rebel Heart”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Foo Fighters – Their HBO series “Sonic Highways” is out this week on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download. All 8 episodes include bonus footage and extended interviews.
• Hozier – He’s added a handful of dates to his current North American tour. The latest string of shows gets underway tonight in Las Vegas NV and runs through May 8th in Atlanta GA.
• Kelly Clarkson – Her new American Greetings greeting card line has become available at Walmart this week. The collection includes 2 cards featuring Kelly singing “Happy Birthday”.
• Lana Del Rey – She’s currently working with producer Mark Ronson (“Uptown Funk”) on music for her upcoming 3rd album, tentatively titled “Honeymoon”.
• Mariah Carey – She’s just been dumped by her publicist. Cindi Berger has confirmed she is “moving on” from the diva after representing her for more than 15 years.
• Maroon 5 – “Sugar” has become their 8th #1 song at Top 40 radio. It’s also the 2nd consecutive #1 from Maroon’s latest album, “V”.
• Marilyn Manson – He’s planning to press charges against a man who attacked him in a Lethbridge, Alberta diner over the weekend while he was posing for a photo with 2 females. Some reports suggest the brawl was sparked by Manson calling the man’s girlfriend “bitch”.
• The Replacements – Their first North American tour since 1991 hits clubs and theaters starting tonight in Seattle WA. The trek is scheduled through May 9th in Philadelphia PA.
• U2 – The Windmill Lane studio in Dublin, Ireland where they recorded their debut album “Boy” has been demolished after the property was bought by an investment firm which will develop residential, office, and retail units. The studio had also been used by Van Morrison.
• Vance Joy – Tonight he kicks off a North American headline tour before he hits the road opening for Taylor Swift. The trek begins in Seattle WA and includes festival appearances at Coachella, Hangout Fest, Boston Calling, and NYC’s Governors Ball Music Festival.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “Beyond Deceit” – Screenwriter Shintaro Shimosawa has scored an all-star line-up for his directorial debut. Josh Duhamel plays a lawyer who takes on a big case against a ruthless pharmaceutical company boss, played by Anthony Hopkins. The cast also includes Al Pacino, Alice Eve, Julia Styles, and Malin Akerman. Shooting is now under way in New Orleans LA.
• “Mallrats 2” – Filmmaker Kevin Smith has announced a sequel to his 1995 romantic comedy which starred Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Jeremy London, and Shannen Doherty. It was actually a prequel to his 1994 film “Clerks”. The films both flopped at the box office but have since achieved cult status. The follow-up film doesn’t go into production until May 2016.
• “Patriots’ Day” – Mark Wahlberg is set to produce and star in this feature film about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the city-wide manhunt that followed. Wahlberg plays Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, who supervised the search that led to the killing of one suspect and the arrest of another. The film will benefit from research done by Michael Radutzky, senior producer at “60 Minutes” (CBS), who aired a memorable segment right after the bombing.
• “Star Trek 3” – Brit actor Idris Elba is in talks for his biggest role to date, that of the yet-to-be-named villain in the new “Star Trek” installment, to be directed by Justin Lin. The primary cast of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, and Anton Yelchin are all confirmed to return. The film is slated to open July 8, 2016.
• “Where’d You Go Bernadette?” – “Boyhood” director Richard Linklater is in talks to helm an upcoming adaptation of this best-selling 2013 novel by Maria Semple. The story centers on an agoraphobic architect who goes missing before a family trip to Antarctica. The story is told from the point-of-view of her 15-year-old daughter. Casting details have yet to be released.

SUPERHUMANS:
Reaching a 100th birthday is always cause for celebration, but these days there are so many centenarians around that scientists don’t even bother trying to keep track of them all. Indeed, in 2012 the UN estimated that there were about 316,600 people over 100 living around-the-world. By 2050, that number – unbelievably – is expected to rise to over 3 million. A much more exclusive club, therefore, are the ‘supercentenarians’, people who live to 110 or older. The LA-based Gerontology Research Group maintains the go-to database for keeping track of the oldest among us. Until this month, there were 53 supercentenarians. Sadly, the death of the oldest, Misao Okawa of Japan, was announced on April 1st. She was 117. Even more rare … there are now just 4 living people – all women – who have lived in 3 different centuries. (Oddly, the 9th, 18th, and 21st.)
– BBC Future

‘TIS THE SNEEZIN’ SEASON:
The delayed allergy season in the Northern Hemisphere is making up for lost time as tree pollen ramps up in what’s predicted to be a harsh year for allergy sufferers, according to AccuWeather. The unusually cold Winter in many areas delayed the start of tree buds, but now as temperatures rise, causing flowers & trees to start blooming, it could be a rough year when pollen reaches its peak. In addition to temperature, the amount of Winter snow and rain can also affect the Spring pollen season, and extremely dry Winters tend to delay the start. The two other prime allergy seasons – grass in late Spring and early Summer, and ragweed in late Summer and Fall – are dependent on the amount of daylight, so they start and end around the same time each year. A few facts from the Asthma & Allergy Foundation …
✓ About 20% of the population suffers from some form of allergy.
✓ Pollen counts are usually highest between 5 am and 10 am.
✓ Allergies are the 5th-leading chronic disease and a major cause of work absenteeism.
– USAToday.com

WHAT YOUR COMFORT FOOD SAYS ABOUT YOU:
No matter what meal strikes you as comfort food, you likely love the dish based on a good relationship with the person you remember first preparing it. Researchers at New York’s University of Buffalo note that comfort foods are often the foods that our parents or care-givers gave us when we were children. As long we have a positive association with the person who made that food then there’s a good chance that we will sometimes be drawn to return to it. Previous research has shown that comfort food can reduce feelings of rejection and isolation. (Pass the chicken noodle soup.)
– Futurity.org

FOR THE RECORD:
A Japanese woman has become the 1st 100-year-old to complete a 1,500-m freestyle swim in a 25-m pool. Mieko Nagaoka, who only took up swimming at age 82, already holds the record for her age category in a 50-m pool. She completed her latest feat in just over 1 hour, 15 minutes using backstroke all the way. The achievement is expected to be recognized by Guinness World Records. Nagaoka says she intends to keep swimming … until she’s 105.
– BBC.co.uk

BS AMAZING THINGS THAT HAPPEN EVERY 5 SECONDS:
Every 5 seconds, the world population has a net gain of about 13 people.
Every 5 seconds, about 10 babies are born into poverty.
Every 5 seconds, 1.5 people die of starvation in the world.
– Adapted from BuzzFeed.com

BS CHRONOMETER 04.09.15


TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1926 [89] Hugh Hefner, Chicago IL, “Playboy” magazine founder/creepy old man who wed 26-year-old Crystal Harris on New Years Eve 2012

1954 [61] Dennis Quaid, Houston TX, movie actor (“GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra”, “Flight Of the Phoenix”)/TV actor (“Vegas” 2012-13)

1966 [49] Cynthia Nixon, NYC, movie actress (“Sex & The City” films)/TV actress (“Alpha House” 2013-14, “The Big C” 2010-11, “Sex & The City” 1998-2004)

1980 [35] Albert Hammond Jr, LA CA, indie rock guitarist (The Strokes-“Under Cover of Darkness”, “Juicebox”)

1982 [33] Jay Baruchel, Ottawa ON, movie actor (“How to Train Your Dragon” films, “Knocked Up”)

1986 [29] Leighton Meester, Fort Worth TX, TV actress (“Gossip Girl” 2007-12)/movie actress (“Country Strong”)/pop singer (Cobra Starship f/Leighton Meester-“Good Girls Go Bad”)

1990 [25] Kristen Stewart, LA CA, movie actress (“Snow White & The Huntsman”, “Twilight Saga” films)

1998 [17] Elle Fanning, Conyers GA, movie actress (“Maleficent”, “Super 8”)/younger sister of actress Dakota Fanning

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Cherish an Antique Day”, one of the few things that increases in value the older it gets.

• “Name Yourself Day”, a day for anybody with a name they hate to tag themselves with a brand new label. Ziggy perhaps?

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2005 [10] Britain’s Prince Charles & Camilla Parker Bowles are wed in Windsor, England

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2003 [12] Willie Nelson celebrates his 70th birthday at NYC’s Beacon Theatre, with performances by Eric Clapton, Leon Russell, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, Ray Price, and ZZ Top

2004 [11] Oldies singer Tom Jones’ manager – his son Mark – orders the 63-year-old former sex symbol to stop wearing tight leather pants onstage

2008 [07] Elton John’s benefit concert at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall raises $2.5 million for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2009 [06] Honda FCX Clarity, a 4-door sedan billed as the 1st hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicle, wins the ‘World Green Car Award’ at the New York Auto Show

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1992 [23] ‘Heaviest Chocolate Easter Egg’ weighs 10,483 lbs and measures over 23-feet-high (Ringwood, Australia)

COMING UP . . .
[Fri] “Ex Machina”; “The Longest Ride” open in movie theaters
[Fri] Farm Animals Day
[Fri] Siblings Day
[Sat] Baby Massage Day
[Sun] “Game of Thrones” season premiere (HBO)
[Sun] Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day
[Sun] Walk on Your Wild Side Day
This Week Is … Bat Appreciation Week
This Month Is … Amateur Radio Month

BULL’S BITS


BRUTALLY HONEST STATUS UPDATES:
Job status: Meme generator.
Education status: DIY enthusiast.
Social status: Dog whisperer.
Emotional status: “Dr Phil” reruns.
Financial status: Extreme couponing.
Dietary status: Kale smoothie.
Relationship status: Sports bra.
– Thanks to Caitlin Kelley

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I don’t hate my ex-wife. I worship the quicksand she walks on.

NAMES IN THE GAME:
Ask a  contestant how many of the most common last names in pro baseball from 1871-2009 they can guess. Here are the top 10 with a clue for each …
1. Smith [145] … clue: Ozzie
2. Johnson [104] … clue: Randy
3. Jones [95] … clue: Andruw
4. Miller [84] … clue: Damian
5. Brown [80] … clue: Mordecai
6. Williams [73] … clue: Ted’
7. Wilson [69]  … clue: Hack
8. Davis [63] … clue: Willie
9. Moore [49] … clue: Donnie
10. Taylor [47] … clue: Ben
– MentalFloss.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ Have you ever fallen for an Internet hoax? Which one?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: About 1-in-13 people do THIS when the go to the movies.
Answer: Stay and watch the credits.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Seek and you shall be disappointed.

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