BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Today the movie “Midnight Rider”, based on Gregg Allman’s bestselling biography “My Cross To Bear”, officially begins filming. It features William Hurt and Tyson Ritter as the older and younger Gregg Allman, and Wyatt Russell as his brother Duane. Production begins under sad circumstances as an accident late last week claimed the life of a camera operator’s assistant. The female crew member was killed and 7 others were injured when an unexpected train traveled down tracks in Wayne County, Georgia while the crew was carrying out camera tests.
– WENN.com
★ Justin Bieber has been offered a plea deal to avoid jail time for the DUI charge levied in Miami, Florida in January. The Florida State Attorney has offered Bieber the chance to plead no contest to reckless driving, and in return he must complete 40 hours of community service and attend an alcohol education class. As part of the deal, Bieber will also reportedly have to submit to random drug testing. It is not known if the pop star plans to accept the deal.
– TMZ.com
★ Jennifer Lopez is set to star in the new NBC-TV drama “Shades of Blue”. A 13-episode series is slated to begin production at the start of 2015. J-Lo will play a single mom-turned-dirty cop who is recruited by the FBI’s Anti-Corruption Task Force to work undercover. The new show is produced by Lopez and her “American Idol” cohort Ryan Seacrest. It’s his first venture into TV drama, though he’s helmed several reality shows.
– ContactMusic.com.
★ And 6 men have been charged with fraud after allegedly conning $1.8 million out of investors who handed over cash to fund a non-existent movie. The owners of Mutual Entertainment were arrested amid allegations they convinced more than 60 investors to pour funds into a new WW2 film, purportedly called “The Smuggler” and starring Donald Sutherland and Jean-Claude Van Damme. But the project was bogus and the money diverted to personal bank accounts.
– AP

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “BET Honors” (BET) – Performers include Janelle Monaé, Jennifer Hudson, and Mariah Carey at this annual event that celebrates the achievements of African Americans. This year’s honorees are Aretha Franklin, Ice Cube, and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. The gala was pre-recorded in Washington DC earlier this month.
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – The John Butler Trio (“Flesh & Blood”).
• “Dallas” (TNT) – The 3rd season debut.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Josh Grobin (“All That Echoes”).
• “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” (CBS) – Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire (“Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire”).
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV2) – Tonight Meyers takes over hosting duties from the new “Tonight Show” star Jimmy Fallon. His old ‘SNL Weekend Update’ pal Amy Poehler is his 1st guest. He isn’t looking to reinvent the show’s format, however there will now be 2 or 3 comedy bits before guests come out. Tonight’s musical guest is A Great Big World (“Is There Anybody Out There?”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/NTV/Omni1) – The Fray (“Helios”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Rick Ross (“Mastermind”, out March 4th).
• “The Voice” (NBC) – Shakira is back as a coach as the vocal competition returns for its 6th season and vocalists compete in blind auditions.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Blake Shelton – His “Ten Times Crazier Tour 2014” will include shows at NYC’s Madison Square Garden and LA’s Hollywood Bowl. The tour kicks off June 20th in Austin TX.
• Cole Swindell – He’s scored his first #1 hit this week as “Chillin’ It” has made it to the top of the ‘Billboard Country Songs’ chart.
• Eric Church – Tonight he begins another mini-tour of Europe, starting at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. He released “The Outsiders” earlier this month and his 4th album has become his 2nd to top the country chart.
• Miguel – He’s hard at work on the follow-up to his 2012 album “Kaleidoscope Dream”. He tells “Billboard” magazine: “I have a very clear goal. I know what I want, and I’m getting there.”
• Motörhead – The rockers are launching their very own rock cruise this Fall, aptly titled ‘MotörBoat’. The exact dates and band roster are still to be announced.
• Pharrell Williams – He’s offering his famous Vivienne Westwood hat worn at the Grammys to benefit the non-profit organization From One Hand to Another. Bidding has already topped $10,000. It closes on March 2nd.
NET: http://bit.ly/1fe5NvD
• P!nk – The Grammy Award-winning singer will make an appearance on the Oscars, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres on Sunday. Vevo has just announced her “Just Give Me A Reason” (f/Nate Ruess) was the most shared video last year worldwide.
• Rolling Stones – They rocked Abu Dhabi Friday night as they kicked off their first-ever Middle Eastern tour.

YOU HAVE 3 OPTIONS:
Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, co-author of “Zoobiquity: What Animals Can Teach Us About Health & The Science of Healing” says that many animals from Rottweilers and Chihuahuas to canaries have been observed fainting from fear. It turns out that the perception of danger causes these animals’ heart rates to plummet – particularly the young ones – and that really super-slow heart rate keeps them still, a form of protection from predators. So it turns out that animals and humans are equipped not with 2, but 3 responses … fight, flight … or faint. (You rarely see this in an action movie.)
– NPR.org

THE BUZZ ON BEES:
Think coffee’s only the drug of choice for humans looking to stay alert? Scientists have some eye-opening news for you: Bees also get a buzz when they drink nectar laced with a little caffeine, and it supercharges their long-term memory. In lab experiments honeybees have proven roughly 3 times more likely to remember a floral scent a day later if the nectar contains  a minuscule amount of caffeine. They are also twice as likely to remember a caffeine-laced scent a full 3 days later. That’s pretty impressive for an insect that only lives a few weeks. (Is it really a good idea to feed caffeine to something that is already buzzing?)
– “Los Angeles Times”

TOWARD HEALTHIER KIDS:
Exercise physiologist Melinda Sothern, co-author of “Trim Kids”, offers these suggestions for parents who want to improve the eating and exercise habits of their children …
• When kids are thirsty, give them water, not high-sugar soft drinks.
• For treat foods, provide healthy fruits & snacks such as grapes, raisins, and string cheese.
• Consume food & drinks only at the kitchen or dining room table or other designated areas.
• Have children eat a healthy breakfast.
• Reduce eating fast-food to less than once a week.
• At the grocery store, have children select 1 fruit or vegetable to try each week and skip the candy, cookie, and soft drink aisles.
• Provide opportunities for young children to safely climb, run, and jump to encourage the development of muscular strength and endurance.
• Let your children try a variety of activities such as sports, dance, martial arts, or swimming in a safe and encouraging program.
• Limit screen time to less than 2 hours a day.
– Excerpted from USAToday.com

WE’RE ALL POSTIES:
There’s a theory that the sport of long-distance walking has its roots in information delivery. The only method of bringing news to others for early humans was to walk. It’s thought the average mail carrier today walks about 8-to-12 miles daily, which, according to some anthropologists, is about the same range we humans evolved to cover per day before we gave it up in favor of gas-powered mobility. So essentially, we all evolved to become mail carriers, to walk long distances every day in conveying information. (Then along came smartphones.)
– “The Smart Set”

SAT-NAV FOR SENIORS:
A walking stick with built-in GPS has been developed by Japanese technology giant Fujitsu. The ‘Next Generation Cane’ is designed to help the elderly find their way, as well as monitor health data such as heart rate and temperature. The hi-tech gizmo is equipped with various connection technologies such as GPS, 4G, and Wi-Fi, and has an LED display on top of the handle. It can be monitored online and is capable of sending email alerts if it thinks the user may have fallen. (And as with all canes for seniors, it’s also extremely useful for pointing at stuff.)
– BBC News

FLYING FAUX PAS:
Just as you’re getting ready for Spring Break, here are 10 fails that make flying the worst …
• Taking someone else’s luggage by accident.
• Not realizing your gate was changed and missing your flight.
• Forgetting snacks, thereby limiting you to the awfulness that is the airplane menu.
• Wearing high-laced boots at the security checkpoint.
• Buying water pre-security.
• Bringing liquid 0.1 oz over the limit.
• Seatmates from hell. Extremely fat or extremely chatty … or both.
• Forgetting to bring headphones.
• Luggage not fitting in the overhead bins.
• Having an electric toothbrush or razor that goes off inside your luggage.
– BuzzFeed.com

DID YOU KNOW?
• “American Pie” actor Jason Biggs’ wife took to Twitter after giving birth: “Sid Biggs. Full head of hair, huge penis, 10k twitter followers. #babybiggs.” (Modern parenting.)
• According to new stats, 93 million people played ‘Candy Crush Saga’ every day in December. (3 words for these people: Get. A. Life.)
– PopBitch.com

BS CHRONOMETER 02.24.14

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1958 [56] Sammy Kershaw, Kaplan LA, country singer (“Cadillac Style”)

1965 [49] Kristin Davis, Boulder CO, TV-movie actress (“Sex & The City”)

1966 [48] Billy Zane, Chicago IL, movie actor (“Zoolander”, “Titanic”)

1983 [31] Matt McGinley, Geneva NY, rock drummer (Gym Class Heroes-“Cupid’s Chokehold”)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Basking Day”, a day to get outdoors and bask. Why bask? Don’t ask.

• “Cupcake Day”, saluting those fabulous little cakes that don’t count as cheating on your diet ’cause they’re just small … right?

• “Tortilla Chip Day”, saluting the invention of Rebecca Webb Carranza of Los Angeles during the 1940s. Rather than tossing misshaped tortillas that came out of an automated tortilla machine into the trash, she decided to cut them into triangles, fry them, and sell them for a dime a bag. They were an immediate hit!
NET: http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/national-tortilla-chip-day

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1998 [16] (Sir) Elton John is knighted by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1994 [20] A 17-year-old McDonald’s employee in Orangeville, Ontario forces 1st-ever vote to unionize a restaurant (and loses)

2008 [06] Ailing 82-year-old Fidel Castro retires as President of Cuba after nearly 50 years and turns the reins of power over to his brother Raul (at the time a sprightly 77-year-old)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1982 [32] NHL superstar Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) scores his 77th goal of the season, breaking a record held by Phil Esposito that many thought unbeatable (Esposito is there to present a commemorative puck after the game in Buffalo, during which Gretzky also scores his 78th and 79th goals)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] “Glee” midseason premiere (FOX)
[Tues] World Spay Day
[Wed] “Mixology” series debut (ABC)
[Wed] “Nashville” Spring premiere (ABC)
[Wed] Personal Chefs Day
[Thurs] Chili Day

THIS WEEK IS . . .
Bird Health Awareness Week / Cowboy Poetry Week / Eating Disorders Awareness Week / Peace Corps Week / Read Me Week / Secondhand Wardrobe Week

BULL’S BITS

BEST OF BS:
Highlight bits culled from 20 years of “Bull Sheet” back issues …
MORE BS MALE LANGUAGE TRANSLATIONS:
What guys say [and what they really mean].
• “Oh, don’t fuss. I just cut myself. It’s no big deal.” [“I have actually severed a limb, but will bleed to death before I admit I’m hurt.”]
• “Take a break, honey, you’re working too hard.” [“I can’t hear the damn game over the vacuum cleaner!”]
• “That’s interesting, dear.” [“Are you still talking?”]
• “You really look terrific in that outfit!” [“Please don’t try on another outfit. I’m starving!”]
• “I brought you a present.” [“It was ‘free ice scraper night’ at the hockey game.”]
• “I missed you.” [“I can’t find my socks, the kids are hungry and we’re out of toilet paper.”]
– First published in “BS” 2003.

BS WHYZITS:
• Whyzit the only time the world beats a path to your door is when you’re in the bathroom?
• Whyzit people who work in health food stores always look so unhealthy?
• Whyzit as soon as you put away a tool, you’re certain to need it immediately?
• Whyzit on medicine commercials they say ‘Tell your doctor if you have any medical
problems’? They’re doctors, shouldn’t they know and be telling you?
• Whyzit there isn’t a better way to start a day than waking up in the morning?
– First published in “BS” 2003.
NET: http://www.FreeRadioPrep.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ Which TV character would you most like to date?

BS WEB GOODIE:
Ever wanted your own ‘augmented reality tarantula’? There’s an app for that …
NET: http://virtually-free.com/phobia-free/

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
Which one of Snow White’s 7 dwarfs is beardless?
a. ‘Dopey’. [CORRECT]
b. ‘Doc’.
c. ‘Dippy’.
– Walt Disney Co

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I’m leaving a bit early today. I need to catch up on my drinking.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Stats show 1-in-5 women and 2-in-5 men have one of THESE in the home.
Answer: An apron.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
You are never too old to learn and never too young to know it all.

WELCOME NEWBIES:
Terry Cuff @ Cruisin’ Oldies 950 [KRWZ] Denver CO; Pat Kelly @ Rock 96 [KDAL] Duluth MN; Michael Gomez @ Power 103.3 [KJQY] Colorado Springs CO; Leo Payumo @ COOL FM 92.7 [KMOY] Dededo, Guam; and Tim Hawkins @ The Rock St Louis [rockstlouis.com] St Louis MO.