BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Actress Stacey Dash is planning to sue the owners of a Los Angeles strip club, accusing them of using her image on flyers without permission. The one-time “Clueless” star, who is now an in-demand political and cultural commentator for Fox News channel, claims the Deja Vu venue has used an image from her 2006 “Playboy” shoot to promote a birthday party for one of its employees. She insists the flyer is damaging her reputation and image, and suggests she is a stripper … something she has vehemently denied.
– TMZ.com
★ Singer John Legend is set to co-produce an off-Broadway show. The “All of Me” singer is among the brains behind comedian Neal Brennan’s upcoming solo show at NYC’s Lynn Redgrave Theater. Brennan was a co-creator of comedian Dave Chappelle’s cult sketch TV program “Chappelle’s Show”. His off-Broadway run in “3 Mics” begins February 23rd. During the show, Brennan demonstrates how to craft the perfect joke.
– ContactMusic.com
★ It’s now confirmed the original cast is returning for a “Gilmore Girls” revival on Netflix. That means stars Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel will be back, along with Scott Patterson, Kelly Bishop, Sean Gunn, et al. However, Melissa McCarthy, who featured in the show as ‘Sookie St James’, is unlikely to be returning as she’s too bust making movies these days.  The original series ran on the WB/CW from 2000-07. The reboot is expected by next year.
– WENN.com
★ And  celebrity chef Mario Batali (“Iron Chef America: The Series”) has been ordered to pay $5.25 million for skimming tips from his restaurant help. The settlement covers workers at his restaurants from 2004 to now. Employees have claimed they’ve been stiffed, being forced to share tips with others who aren’t entitled to them. Two-thirds of what may be the biggest settlement of its kind will be shared by 1,100 workers – from bartenders to busboys – at Batali’s swanky Manhattan eateries. The rest goes to the lawyers who took on Batali and his business partner when the workers filed suit.
– @NYDailyNews

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Sia (“This is Acting”).
• “Fresh Off the Boat” (ABC) – Returns for the second half of its 2nd season.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Heartless Bastards (“The Mountain”). Rerun.
• “Late Late Show With James Corden” (CBS/M3) – Chris Martin (Coldplay).
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV) – Glenn Kotche (Wilco).
• “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global) –  M Ward (“More Rain”, out March 4th).
• “The Muppets” (ABC) – Makes a midseason return after a break.
• “The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story” (FX) – Season debut of the anthology series centered around some of history’s most famous criminals. The new season deals with OJ Simpson’s trial for the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
• “Super Bowl’s Greatest Commercials 2016” (CBS) – Boomer Esiason & Katharine McPhee host a countdown of the best-ever Super Bowl ads.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Black Sabbath – They’ve been forced to postpone Canadian dates of “The End Tour” shows in Edmonton AB Saturday and Calgary AB last night due to Ozzy Osbourne suffering a sinus infection. The farewell tour is expected to resume tomorrow night in Vancouver BC.
• Creed – Carolina Panthers have started a new fad called ‘Creedbombing’, surprising someone by loudly singing a Creed song in your best impersonation of Creed’s growly lead singer Scott Stapp. That’s made Stapp a fan of the Super Bowl-bound team. He’s offering to meet the players and film a ‘Creedbombing’ video.
• Electric Light Orchestra – They’ve been added to the Glastonbury line-up for next Summer in the ‘Legends’ slot, which has previously been filled by the likes of Dolly Parton and Lionel Ritchie. The UK’s largest annual music festival hits the Worthy Farm in Somerset in June.
• Ellie Goulding – The 29-year-old, who’s currently traveling the globe on her “Delirium World Tour”, admits the pressures of her full schedule have left her close to a nervous breakdown at times. She tells “Red Magazine”: “The music industry isn’t like other industries. There are no rules about working hours, or taking breaks.”
• Justin Bieber – Actress Rebel Wilson says she and TV personality Kelly Osbourne recently met him in Vegas at Jennifer Lopez’s Planet Hollywood residency and asked out. The Biebs apparently said yes but said he needed to take a shower first. Then he was a no-show.
• Reba McEntire – She’s cast alongside Damon Wayans Jr in the animated film “The Land Before Time: Journey Of the Brave”. Reba voices the part of a pre-historic, winged, dinosaur and sings “Look For the Light” in the film. It’s being released digitally and on DVD today.
• Rick Ross – He’s celebrated his 40th birthday in style at his sprawling Georgia estate which was previously owned by boxer Evander Holyfield. More than 250 guests, including Ludacris and Cee Lo Green – walked away with goodie bags worth $20,000 after downing magnum-sized bottles of Luc Belaire champagne. And the DJ was Jermaine Dupri.

THIS WEEK’S VIDEO RELEASES:
Out today on DVD, Netflix, Google Play and/or other video providers …
• “Bridge of Spies” ( PG-13 Historical Thriller ): Director Steven Spielberg and actor Tom Hanks reunite for this drama about an American lawyer who is recruited by the CIA during the Cold War to help rescue a pilot detained in the Soviet Union. Co-stars Mark Rylance, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan. Shot in Germany.
• “Freeheld” ( PG-13 Biographical Drama ): Based on a 2007 documentary short film of the same name, a New Jersey police lieutenant (Julianne Moore) diagnosed with terminal cancer fights for pension benefits for her domestic partner (Ellen Page). Co-stars Steve Carell. Based on the true story of Laurel Hester and her widow, Stacie Andree.
• “The Last Witch Hunter” ( PG-13 Action Adventure ): If you believe the studio hype, this is designed to become a new franchise for star Vin Diesel. He plays ‘Kaulder’, who has spent centuries hunting down rogue witches, thereby becoming the only thing that stands between humanity and their combined forces. Co-stars Rose Leslie, Elijah Wood.
• “Our Brand is Crisis” ( R-Rated Dramedy ): Sandra Bullock stars as a political-campaign strategist who is sent to a war-torn land in South America to help install a new leader. Co-stars Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie, Joaquim de Almeida. Based on Rachel Boynton’s 2005 documentary film of the same name.
• “Rock the Kasbah” ( R-Rated Musical Comedy ): Bill Murray stars as a down-on-his-luck music manager who discovers a teenage girl with an extraordinary voice while on a music tour in Afghanistan. He ends up taking her to Kabul to compete on the popular TV show “Afghan Star”. Co-stars Leem Lubany, Zooey Deschanel, Bruce Willis.
• “Truth” ( R-Rated Biographical Drama ): Newsroom drama detailing the 2004 CBS-TV “60 Minutes” report investigating then-president George W Bush’s military service, and the subsequent firestorm of criticism that cost anchor Dan Rather and producer Mary Mapes their careers. Stars Cate Blanchett, Robert Redford, Dennis Quaid.
• Also released today: “Elmo’s World: Elmo Wonders” (Kids); “For Better or For Worse” (Hallmark Channel Romance); “From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series – The Complete Season 2” (TV); “The Lizzie Borden Chronicles” (TV); “The Man From UNCLE: The Complete 2nd Season (Vintage TV); “My Boyfriends’ Dogs” (TV); and “Noah’s Ark” (TV).

KID COUTURE:
Balmain’s new kids clothing collection features a black embroidered dress that costs – whoa! – $5,950. The high fashion label is shrinking its military-inspired looks for pint-sized recruits with prices ranging from a whopping $250 for a T-shirt. The new line is said to be inspired by Kim Kardashian & Kanye West’s 2-year-old daughter North West, for whom the designer has created custom looks. The 55-piece kids collection is designed for ages 6-to-14 and features fancy fur coats, embroidered band jackets, and double-breasted blazers. For girls, expect plenty of tulle tutus and leather jackets and skinny jeans for boys. (It’s not cheap to enlist your kids in the Balmain army!)
– Fashionista.com

ODD JOBS:
• Amanda George usually wears gloves and opens car doors with care. She eats with plastic utensils, applies hand lotion and cuticle oil regularly, and avoids bright nail polish that might stain. That’s because as a hand model, George can use her perfectly thin-fingered, spotless, size-7 hands to earn big money modeling jewelry, watches, nail polish, handy wipes, and toilet paper. It’s a small but lucrative market. Top hands make around $75,000 a year, while the most elite pull in $10,000 a day.
– VOA News
• Phil Duncan is a man who’s traveling the globe for one very important reason … to eat pizza. It all started back when Phil was 5 and enjoyed a pizza baguette at Disneyland Paris and he fell in love. He’s since traveled to over 30 countries across 5 continents tp enjoy the best pizza each location has to offer. From the world’s largest cities to tiny remote islands, Phil’s been there to sample and blog about the local pie. The best he’s had depends on what variety one likes, he says, but the worst is definitely in Argentina.
– “Elite Daily”

BS AMAZING FACTS:
• People with a pub they call their ‘local’ are significantly happier, according to a UK poll.
– “Metro”
• 62 people now own as much wealth as half of the world’s population.
– BuzzFeed UK

BS CHRONOMETER 02.02.16

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1966 [50] Robert DeLeo, Glen Ridge NJ, rock bassist (Stone Temple Pilots-“Between the Lines”, “Lady Picture Show”)

1977 [39] Shakira (Ripoll), Barranquilla, Columbia, pop singer (f/Wyclef Jean-“Hips Don’t Lie”, “Whenever, Wherever”)  BS FACTOID: Shakira is Arabic for ‘full of grace’.

1988 [28] Zosia Mamet, Randolph VT, TV actress (‘Shoshanna Shapiro’ on “Girls” since 2012)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Crêpe Day” (aka “La Chandeleur”) in France, when the traditional thin pancakes are served, filled with either sweet or savory goodies. On this day it’s customary to hold a coin in one hand and the crêpe pan in the other as you flip the crêpe into the air. If you manage to catch it in the pan, it’s said that your family will be prosperous for the rest of the year.

• “Groundhog Day”, a 129-year tradition that perpetuates the hogwash that a hibernating groundhog prodded from its burrow can forecast 6 more weeks of Winter by seeing its shadow. This annual oddity stems from the Christian celebration of “Candlemas”. An old Scottish poem proclaims, “If Candlemas is fair and clear, there’ll be two winters in the year.” In Mexico, today is known as “Dia de la Candelaria”, a big day for bullfights and festivals.
– Canada’s best known groundhog prognosticator is ‘Wiarton Willie’.
NET: http://www.wiartonwilliefestival.com
– ‘Punxsutawney Phil’ is America’s original forecaster and most famous hog.
NET: http://www.groundhog.org

• “Sled Dog Day”, honoring those tenacious teams of canines that pull together to provide transportation in the snowy North. (A good day to enjoy some ‘mush’!)

• “World Play Your Ukulele Day”, offering uke players a chance to ‘change the world 4 strings at a time’ by playing, sharing, and teaching others to play a mini-guitar. The uke has experienced a surge in popularity of late thanks to several recording artists, including Eddie Vedder and Meghan Trainor.

• “World Wetlands Day”, observed annually since 1997 to raise awareness among governments, non-governmental organizations, and the public at large of the ecological value and benefit of the world’s wetlands. (Formerly known as ‘swamps’.)

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2000 [16] Oprah Winfrey’s new female-targeted ‘Oxygen’ TV network debuts (her cable network OWN [Oprah Winfrey Network] debuts in 2011)

2014 [02] Movie actor Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Capote”, “Hunger Games” series) dies of an accidental heroin overdose at age 46 in NYC

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2008 [08] Blaming “family & personal commitments” the Spice Girls announce they’ll end their world tour early in Toronto ON February 26th, axing shows in Beijing, Sydney, Cape Town, and Buenos Aires (another reunion tour is now in the works, minus Victoria Beckham)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2014 [02] At Super Bowl 48 in East Rutherford NJ, Seattle Seahawks beat Denver Broncos 43-8, the 1st NFL championship for the Seahawks in their 40-year history

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2004 [12] Swiss tennis player Roger Federer becomes the world’s #1 ranked men’s singles player, a position he will hold for a record 237 weeks

COMING UP . . .
[Wed] “Madoff” miniseries debut (ABC)
[Wed] Girls & Women in Sports Day
[Thurs] Facebook Day
[Fri] “Hail, Caesar!”; “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” open in movie theaters
[Fri] “Sleepy Hollow” season debut (FOX)
[Fri] World Nutella Day
This Week Is … Children’s Authors & Illustrators Week
This Month Is … Jobs in Golf Month

BULL’S BITS

OLDIES HITS UPDATED FOR THE 21ST CENTURY:
• “Appropriate That Funky Music, White Boy”
• “I’ve Been Through the Rapidly Desertifying Grasslands On a Horse With No Name”
• “I Shot the Sheriff, and Somehow It Was Totally Legal Because I Live in Texas”
• “Consciously Uncoupling is Hard to Do”
• “You’re So Vain, You Probably Just Wrote a Smug Blog Post Titled ‘No, Carly Simon, I Don’t Think This Song is About Me.'”
• “I Fought the Law, and the Law Was Rewritten to My Lobbyists’ Specifications”
• “(You’re) Having My Baby, So Please Sign This Gestational Surrogacy Agreement”
• “Take This Job and Shove Its Responsibilities Into That Lady’s Job Description, But Keep Paying Her the Same”
• “Scenes From a Gluten-Free Italian Restaurant”
• “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Ole’ Oak Tree If Your Kids Haven’t Been Vaccinated So the Rest of Us Know”
• “Escape (The Quinoa Frittata Song)”
• “Teach Your Children Well, Then Test Them Until They Cry Themselves to Sleep”
• “Swiping Through Tinder Profiles By the Dashboard Light”
– Thanks to Justin Warner

BS RANDOM JOKE:
So this skeleton goes into a bar and asks for a beer and a mop …

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• An average person can survive nearly 2 months without which of the following?
a. Eating. [CORRECT]
b. Drinking.
c. Their smartphone.

• Which increases every year by 3 months?
a. The average person’s education.
b. The average person’s life expectancy. [CORRECT]
c. The average number of payments for a new car.
– List25.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What’s the strangest thing about where you grew up?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: The average woman complains about THIS twice a day.
Answer: Men.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Life is mind over matter. If you don’t mind it doesn’t matter.