BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Actress Cate Blanchett is probably going to win a ‘Best Actress’ Oscar on Sunday night for her performance in “Blue Jasmine”. That’s an enviable position to be in. Or maybe not. She’ll have to make an acceptance speech and people will be hanging on her every word. Will she praise the film’s director Woody Allen? She’s already won more than 20 awards for the role but the landscape changed dramatically after the Golden Globes and the renewed controversy over Woody Allen’s family ‘history’.
– QMI
★ Lena Dunham’s “Girls” co-star Adam Driver is said to be closing in on a deal to play the villain in JJ Abrams’ next instalment of the venerable “Star Wars” sci-fi franchise. Details on the substance of the role are scarce, but the character is said to be in the vein of iconic “Star Wars” villain ‘Darth Vader’. Filming on “Star Wars: Episode VII” is set to begin this Spring and will continue until September. The finished product will hit theaters December 18, 2015.
– Variety.com
★ In praise of older women: Designer Marc Jacobs has chosen 64-year-old actress Jessica Lange to be the face of his new ad campaign. Seems mature models are having a moment: Nars has just announced 68-year-old Brit actress Charlotte Rampling will be fronting its new cosmetic ads; American Apparel recently unveiled a lingerie campaign featuring a 62-year-old model; 68-year-old Diane Keaton stars in a new L’Oreal ad; and 70-year-old French actress Catherine Deneuve features in Louis Vuitton’s latest campaign.
– Bang Showbiz

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Academy Awards” (ABC/CTV) – Sunday Ellen DeGeneres hosts the 86th Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences gala live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA. Con-men caper “American Hustle” and space thriller “Gravity” lead nominations with 10 each. Musical performances by P!nk, Pharrell Williams, and others. Wolfgang Puck’s Oscars After-Party Menu 2014 includes Baileys shots, sushi, and lobster claws.
NET: https://www.oscars.org
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Today Sara Bareilles (“The Blessed Unrest”). Rerun.
• “Independent Spirit Awards” (IFC) – Saturday “12 Years a Slave” leads nominations for the annual pre-Oscars movie awards. Steve McQueen’s hard-hitting historical drama has been shortlisted for 7 awards, one more than Alexander Payne’s road movie “Nebraska”. The event honors independent and arthouse films made for less than $20 million.
NET: http://www.spiritawards.com
• “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” (CBS) – Tonight Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire (“Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire”).
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC/Global) – Host Jim Parsons (“Big Bang Theory”); musical guest Beck (“Morning Phase”).
• “The Voice” (NBC/CTV) – Sunday vocalists compete in blind auditions. Rerun.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Allman Bros – Production has been suspended indefinitely on the set of the Greg Allman biopic, “Midnight Rider”, after a member of the film crew was fatally injured by a train last Thursday. A memorial is due to take place this Sunday in Atlanta GA.
• “Frozen” – After collecting its 5th non-consecutive week at #1, it’s now earned the most weeks atop the album chart for a soundtrack since “Titanic” racked up 16 weeks in 1998.
• Katy Perry – She played midwife on Wednesday when she helped her friend give birth. Seems she was at a pregnant friend’s home when the woman went into labor and ended up having the baby in her living room with Perry’s assistance.
• Mary Chapin Carpenter – Tonight and Saturday the country veteran makes her New York Philharmonic debut in a retrospective program featuring songs from throughout her career. The special shows take place at the Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall.
• Pharrell Williams – Sunday eBay bidding ends on his famous Vivienne Westwood hat worn at this year’s Grammys. Bids are over $15,000 so far. Proceeds benefit a charity.
NET: http://bit.ly/1fe5NvD

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Non-Stop” ( PG-13 Action Thriller ): Liam Neeson plays an air marshal who springs into action during a transatlantic flight after receiving a series of text messages that put his fellow passengers at risk unless the airline transfers $150 million into an off-shore account. Co-stars
Julianne Moore, Lupita Nyong’o, Anson Mount.
NET: http://www.nonstopthefilm.com
• “Son of God” ( PG-13 Drama ): Prolific producer Mark Burnett (“Survivor”) put this film together in the wake of the success of his Emmy-nominated mini-series “The Bible”. The 10-hour mini-series has been edited down to a 2-hour film. Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado plays the title role, supported by Amber Rose Revah, Sebastian Knapp, Paul Knops.
NET: http://www.lightworkersmedia.com
• Opening in limited release: “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” (Re-release); “The Lunchbox” (Romantic Drama); “Repentance” (Horror Thriller); and “Stalingrad” (War Drama).

MOST IMPORTANT YEARS OF YOUR LIFE?
University of New Hampshire researchers have found those character-building formative years (circa 17-to-24) tend to stand out most in our memory, even if they included difficult or tragic events. That’s because the ups-and-downs of early adulthood – as seen on HBO’s “Girls”, for example – generally turn into positive memories. Even though study participants report a variety of memories from ages 30-to-70, they don’t recall as many and not in such clear detail as those from young-adulthood. Scientists call this phenomenon a ‘reminiscence bump’. (As Bryan Adams once sang, “Those were the best days of my life.”)
– “The Journal Memory”

THE MARCH OF TROPICAL HEAT:
Soot may be responsible for the tropics expanding north, according to an analysis involving multiple computer models of the climate. By absorbing sunlight and trapping extra heat in the atmosphere, the tiny, black particles may be helping the poleward march of tropical conditions. The tropics – the belt of land around the equator characterized by abundant rainfall and torrid temperatures – have been expanding for at least 40 years. In fact, the tropics have widened by roughly 0.7 degrees of latitude in recent years, more than 2 degrees since 1979. (By 2032 you’ll be summering in Lapland.)
– “Scientific American”

SLEEP BY THE NUMBERS:
Highlights of a new study by international bedding brand Dormeo ….
• 85% are most comfortable sleeping in cotton. Uh, sexy?
• 80% are happiest to wake up next to their partner; 11% would prefer their dog; and 9% wouldn’t mind saying good morning to a celebrity crush.
• 73% say their go-to sleep position is their side, which happens to be the healthiest position for sleep and best for your spine according to experts. 16% sleep on their backs; just 11% on their stomachs
• 33% wake up to an alarm clock buzzer; 25% prefer the music setting.
• And the primary sleep disruption appears to be overheating. About 32% say covering up disrupts their REM cycle.
– @iVillageCanada

BRAVE NEW WORLD:
A 21-year-old graduating from university this Spring has at least a 45-year working life ahead of them. A lot can happen in 45 years. For example, 45 years ago the Internet was just an idea from science fiction; Apple, Google, and Microsoft had yet to be founded. Before too long, many of today’s grads will be doing jobs we don’t have names for yet, for companies that don’t yet exist, using technology that hasn’t yet been invented. It’ll happen within the next 5 years for some. (Possible jobs of the future: Biometricologist, Digital Life Eraser, Plastic Bag Recycler.)
– “New Scientist”

DID YOU KNOW?
Hydrangea plants contain hallucinogenic and euphoria-inducing properties.
– Guardian.co.uk

BS CHRONOMETER 02.28.14

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1955 [59] Gilbert Gottfried, Brooklyn NY, comedian whose distinctive whiny voice has made him a living as a voice-over artist (“The Super Hero Squad Show: Green Goblin”, “Aladdin”)

1957 [57] John Turturro, Brooklyn NY, movie actor (“Transformers” films, “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3”).

1969 [45] Pat Monahan, Erie PA, pop singer (Train-“Hey, Soul Sister”, “Drops Of Jupiter”)

1976 [38] Ali Larter, Cherry Hill NJ, movie actress (“Resident Evil” films, “Final Destination” films)/TV actress (“Heroes” 2006-10)

1977 [37] Jason Aldean, Macon GA, country singer (“My Kinda Party”, “She’s Country”)

SATURDAY –
Classic rock singer Roger Daltrey (The Who) is 70; Movie director Ron Howard (“The Da Vinci Code”) is 60; TV actor Bryan Batt (“Mad Men”) is 51; TV actor George Eads (“CSI”) is 47; Movie actor Javier Bardem (“Skyfall”) 45; Pop-rock guitarist Ryan Peake (Nickelback) is 41; Pop singer Ke$ha (“Timber”) is 27; Movie actress Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave”) is 21; Pop singer Justin Bieber (“Baby”) is 20.

SUNDAY –
Pop-rock singer Jon Bon Jovi (Bon Jovi) is 51; Movie actor Daniel Craig (“Skyfall”) is 45; Pop-rock singer Chris Martin (Coldplay) is 36; NFL QB Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) is 31.

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Carnival” season begins in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; New Orleans LA; Nice, France and everywhere else people party down before Lent. Most carnivals culminate in parades & parties on “Mardi Gras” (Fat Tuesday). In Rio the most famous ball in the series, the Champion`s Parade at Sambadrome, is on Saturday, March 8th.
• “International Floral Design Day”, focusing on the art of flower arranging, both as a profession and as a hobby.
• “Rare Disease Day”, established in 2008 as an annual observance on the last day of February to raise awareness for rare diseases and improve access to treatment. A disease is defined as ‘rare’ in Europe when it affects less than 1-in-2000; and in the USA if it affects fewer than 200,000 in total.
NET: http://www.rarediseaseday.org
• “Tooth Fairy Day”, honoring the devious dental donor who leaves money under kids’ pillows for lost teeth. No one knows the origin for sure but there was a fairytale in 18th-century France about a ‘tooth mouse’ who hides under pillows. While average kids now get paid over $2 for prime enamel, 10% of children who tuck a tooth beneath their bolster get … nothing.

SATURDAY –
• “Chalanda Marz” in Switzerland, when they drive away Winter by ringing bells and cracking whips. Let’s try that and see if it works! [SFX].
•  “Horse Protection Day”, to raise awareness about the abuse, neglect, homelessness, and slaughter of horses and to promote adoption events to help unwanted horses find a home.
NET: http://www.horseprotectionday.com
• “Peanut Butter Lovers’ Day”, a good day to have phone contestants try a tongue twister with a mouthful of smooth or crunchy.
• “Pig Day”, honoring the ‘most intelligent and useful of domesticated animals’. Studies show pigs are much smarter than horses (… but harder to ride).
• “Plan a Solo Vacation Day”, to inspire singles to spice up their lives by checking out solo travel options. What’s the biggest thing that would dissuade you from traveling on your own?
NET: http://www.solotravelportal.com
• “St David’s Day” in Wales. The Welsh celebrate their patron saint by taking a leek … and wearing it.

SUNDAY –
• “Dr Seuss Day”, celebrating the 1904 birth of Theodor Seuss Geisel in Springfield MA, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of children’s books that include “The Cat In the Hat,” “How The Grinch Stole Christmas!” and many other classics. He died in 1991.
• “Iditarod Sled Dog Race”, the 42nd running of ‘The Last Great Race on Earth’ that treks 1,150 miles through Alaskan wilderness from Anchorage to Nome. Sixty 16-dog teams compete.
NET: http://www.iditarod.com
• “Namesake Day”, kicking off “Celebrate Your Name Week”, a day to research the origin of your name and reflect on whomever you may be named after.
NET: http://www.namesuniverse.com
• “Old Stuff Day”, either a celebration of antiques or perhaps … dating a cougar?

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1983 [31] 106 million watch the 2.5-hour final episode of the Korean War comedy “M*A*S*H”, the most viewers ever for a single episode of a TV series (77% of the North American TV audience) which will likely never be topped due to the proliferation of cable, satellite, and online channels (with 11 seasons, the series lasts 8 years longer than the actual Korean War)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1998 [16] Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” hits #1 on the singles chart & sticks for 2 weeks

BS MONTHLY PLANNING CALENDAR . . .
[Mar 3] Fun Facts About Names Day / I Want You To Be Happy Day / World Wildlife Day
[Mar 4] Mardi Gras / Pancake Day / Shrovetide / Courageous Follower Day / March Forth-Do Something Day / Grammar Day / Unique Names Day
[Mar 5] Ash Wednesday / Discover What Your Name Means Day
[Mar 6] Day Of the Dude / Oreo Cookie Day / World Book Day
[Mar 7] Cereal Day / Employee Appreciation Day / Middle Name Pride Day / Dress in Blue Day / Be Heard Day / Doodle Day / Day of Unplugging
[Mar 8] International Women’s Day / Genealogy Day / Girls Write Now Day / Fanny Pack Day / Proofreading Day
[Mar 9] “Once Upon a Time” Spring premiere (ABC) / “Resurrection” season debut (ABC) / “Revenge” Spring premiere (ABC) / Panic Day / Barbie Day / Check Your Batteries Day / Daylight Saving Time Begins (North America) / Get Over It Day
[Mar 10] Fill Our Staplers Day / International Day of Awesomeness / Mario Day / Napping Day
[Mar 11] “Mind Games” season debut (ABC) / Organize Your Home Office Day / World Plumbing Day
[Mar 12] SXSW 2014 begins (Austin TX) / Registered Dietitian Day / World Maths Day
[Mar 13] Woodie Awards (Austin TX) / K-9 Veterans Day / Open an Umbrella Indoors Day / Smart & Sexy Day / World Kidney Day
[Mar 14] International Ask a Question Day / Potato Chip Day / World Sleep Day
[Mar 15] Ides of March / International Sports Car Racing Day / International Day of Action Against Canadian Seal Slaughter / Quilting Day / True Confessions Day / World Consumer Rights Day / Corn Dog Day
[Mar 16] Full ‘Sap’ Moon / Freedom of Information Day / Lips Appreciation Day / St Urho’s Day
[Mar 17] St Patricks Day / Irish Coffee Day / Well-Elderly Day
[Mar 18] Awkward Moments Day / Forgive Mom & Dad Day / Biodiesel Day
[Mar 19] Kick Butts Day
[Mar 20] Spring arrives (Northern Hemisphere) / Absolutely Incredible Kid Day / Alien Abduction Day / Atheist Pride Day / Companies That Care Day / Great American Meat Out Day / International Astrology Day / French Language Day / Kiss Your Fiancée Day / Proposal Day / Now Ruz (Persian New Year) / Snowman Burning Day / World Storytelling Day / World Day of Theatre For Children & Young People
[Mar 21] World Poetry Day / Brain Injury Awareness Day / International Day For the Elimination of Racial Discrimination / International Day of Forests & The Tree / Memory Day / Common Courtesy Day / Day of Action On Syringe Exchange / Puppy Day / Single Parent Day / World Down Syndrome Day
[Mar 22] As Young As You Feel Day / International Day Of the Seal / International Goof-off Day / World Day for Water
[Mar 23] World Meteorological Day
[Mar 24] Chocolate-Covered Raisins Day / World Tuberculosis Day
[Mar 25] International Day of Remembrance Of the Victims of Slavery / Pecan Day / Tolkien Reading Day / Waffle Day
[Mar 26] International Sister Cities Day / Legal Assistants Day / Make Up Your Own Holiday Day / Manatee Appreciation Day / Purple Day / Spinach Day
[Mar 27] Celebrate Exchange Day / Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day
[Mar 28] Weed Appreciation Day
[Mar 29] Lollapalooza Chile begins (Santiago) / Earth Hour / Mom & Pop Business Owners Day
[Mar 30] Juno Awards (Winnipeg MB) / “Call the Midwife” season debut (PBS) / “Mr Selfridge” season debut (PBS) / International #TableTopDay / Doctors Day
[Mar 31] Bunsen Burner Day / She’s Funny That Way Day
[Apr 1] “The Mindy Project” Spring debut (FOX)

BULL’S BITS

STANDARD HOUSEHOLD MEASURES FOR YOUNG SINGLES:
A heap of cake.
A stack of brownies.
A brick of ramen.
A spoon of peanut butter.
A mug of wine.
A sleeve of cookies.
A fist of jellybeans.
A shirt-bowl of popcorn.
A whole thing of ice cream.
– Thanks to John Sherman

BS RANDOM JOKE:
When you DO give a rat’s ass, nobody really appreciates that either.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ A recent poll asks which service personnel do the poorest job. Supermarket check-out clerks top the list, followed by airline check-in people, and flight attendants. (What about civil ‘servants’, especially at the license bureau?)

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Since the 1980s, wages for THIS job have risen at 9 times the rate of inflation and the average starting salary is now $12-an-hour.
Answer: Babysitting.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Due to recent budget cuts and downsizing, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.