BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Embattled 77-year-old comedian Bill Cosby is refusing to let his ongoing sex assault scandal derail his first stand-up gigs of 2015. His reps have declared ‘he has every intent’ of honoring his Canadian commitments in Kitchener, London, and Hamilton, Ontario tonight through Friday. Cosby has faced backlash from fans and critics alike since more than 20 women have come forward with stories of inappropriate behavior, including allegations of drugging and rape. Women’s rights protesters are planning to demonstrate outside the venues this week, as they have at previous shows on the Cosby tour.
– ContactMusic.com
★ Before Season 4 even begins (this Sunday), HBO has renewed Lena Dunham’s hit comedy “Girls” for a 5th season. The 4th season is arguably the most anticipated yet, with the likes of Natasha Lyonne, Gillian Jacobs, Zachary Quinto, and director Spike Jonze all set to make cameos. The re-up comes as little surprise given the critical acclaim the show has garnered over the past couple of years. Despite modest ratings, “Girls” has accrued numerous Emmy nominations as well as Golden Globe wins for ‘Best Series’ and ‘Best Actress’.
– “Hollywood Reporter”
★ Acting couple Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds reportedly welcomed their first child together just before the New Year. The baby arrived earlier than expected but is said to be healthy and doing well. Why are we just now hearing about it? They’ve been keeping a low profile at their home in Bedford NY. An insider says the couple wants their little one to have a ‘normal childhood’ away from Hollywood. The 27-year-old former “Gossip Girl” actress married the 38-year-old “Proposal” actor in September 2012.
– “New York Post”
★ And Blake Lively, along with Ellen Page, Emma Stone, Emma Watson, Keira Knightley, Rooney Mara, and Zac Efron have all been named on the new “Forbes” magazine ’30 Under 30′ list, honoring young achievers in show biz. According to “Forbes”, 16% of those who made the new ranking either dropped out of or never attended college; 19% are immigrants to America; and 83% have a middle-class or low-income background. And interestingly, the average age when those on the latest list knew exactly what they wanted to be was … 14.
– BangShowbiz.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “American Idol” (FOX) – In the 14th season debut, hopefuls from Nashville TN audition for judges Harry Connick Jr, Jennifer Lopez, and Keith Urban.
• “The Book of Negroes” (CBC) – Debut of a new 6-part mini-series based on Canadian author Lawrence Hill’s award-winning 2007 novel about a kidnapped African woman’s long road from slavery to freedom. Stars Aunjanue Ellis, Ben Chaplin, Cuba Gooding Jr.
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Sir Sly (“You Haunt Me”).
• “Empire” (FOX) – Premiere of a new hip-hop drama starring Terrence Howard as ‘Luscious Lyon’, a former drug dealer-turned-rap mogul, the CEO of ‘Empire Entertainment’.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – The Lone Bellow (“The Lone Bellow”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Lemaitre (“Singularity”).
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV) –  Jhene Aiko (“Souled Out”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Catfish & The Bottlemen (“Balcony”).
• “People’s Choice Awards” (CBS/Global) – Anna Faris & Allison Janney host the annual fan-voted pop culture awards for TV, film, and music at LA’s Nokia Theater. Music nominees up for multiple awards include Beyoncé, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Iggy Azalea, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift.
NET: http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca
• “Tavis Smiley” (PBS) – Nas (“Illmatic XX”). Rerun.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Eminem – He’s being sued for $8 million. The 42-year-old rapper and his record label are the subject of legal action from Raymond Jones, an MC from the group Hotstylz, who claims Em’s tune “Rap God” sampled the Jones’ track “Lookin Boy” without permission.
• Good Charlotte – Benji Madden (35) & actress Cameron Diaz (42) wed in a small ceremony at her Beverly Hills CA home Monday night. They became engaged in December after dating 7 months. Wedding guests included Drew Barrymore, Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon.
• Little Jimmy Dickens – Today a public visitation is being held in Nashville TN for the late country singer ahead of tomorrow’s celebration of life service at the Grand Ole Opry. The Country Music Hall of Famer died at age 94 on Friday after suffering a stroke in December.
• Mariah Carey – She’s reportedly in talks to become the latest big name to set up in Sin City for a lucrative Las Vegas residency. She’s said to be close to signing with Caesars Palace, where she would take over from Celine Dion in a 2-year deal worth a reported $30 million.
• Ozzy Osbourne – He’s planning a one-off Halloween show in Las Vegas this October. It’s thought that the stand-alone “Hellgate” gig is an attempt by his manager-wife Sharon Osbourne to set him up for a potential future residency.
• Rihanna – She’s reportedly in negotiations to buy a $10-million home in her native Barbados. She’s said to have placed an offer on the luxury property after renting it last month. An inside source says it’s likely her mother Monica Braithwaite will also live there if the sale goes ahead.
• Rita Ora – The 24-year-old, currently a judge on BBC-TV’s “The Voice UK”, has announced plans to release her next single in March. The unidentified track is from her much-anticipated 2nd studio album that’s due later in the Spring.
• Shakira – She’s recruited Australian rapper Iggy Azalea for a collaboration on her upcoming album, according to reports. Her 11th studio release will also include collaborations with Mexican rock band Mana and Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz.
• Sting – His decision to take to the stage in his musical “The Last Ship” has failed to shore up ticket sales and the Broadway production will close at the end of January. He replaced actor-singer Jimmy Nail in the show in December in an attempt to save the sinking show.

NEW GIZMOS & GADGETS FOR 2015:
✓ Bluetooth Gloves – You know how people make a ‘call me’ gesture using a pinky finger and thumb held up to the ear? Now it’s for real. These wooly gloves wirelessly sync to your smartphone, using a speaker hidden in the thumb and a microphone in the little finger. A control panel on the wrist cuff lets you accept and end calls.
✓ Robo-Mop – Like the robo-vacuum … only wet. The Scooba 450 floor-scrubbing robot mop uses sensors to stop it from bashing into furniture or falling downstairs. It has a scrub brush on its undercarriage to wash floors, then dries the floor and returns to its docking station for a re-charge. All you have to do is empty the dirty water from the tank.
✓ Wake Up & Smell the iPong – This egg-shaped scent diffuser (smaller than the palm of your hand) plugs straight into your phone and allows you to pre-program 5 scents: lavender, strawberry, rosemary, rose, or coffee. Download the app, and you can pre-set a smell to be diffused when your alarm goes off, or whenever an email arrives.
✓ Pet Monitor – The Motorola Scout 83 spies on what little Fifi does while you’re at work. It also alerts you to sound, movement, or temperature changes. Use your phone or computer to switch camera angles or zoom in. You can even use the 2-way audio feature to talk to your critter.
✓ Purse Flask – Pop this designer-looking handbag over your arm, and nobody will guess that it’s made of cardboard and contains only wine. When you need a refill, you turn a small tap on the side and it provides an instant top-up. Now … where to put your car keys and sunglasses?
– Firebox.com

FAST FOOD PLANT:
Tomatoes & potatoes go together like, well, ketchup & fries … so why not grow them together? A hybrid plant known as the ‘TomTato’ or, yes, ‘Ketchup ‘n Fries’, allows you to do just that. The plant combines a vine growing cherry tomatoes with roots growing white potatoes, but it’s not genetically engineered. Rather, it’s created by grafting, in which the tomatoes are spliced onto potato rootstock. The process works well for maters and taters because they are closely related. Purchasers of 2.5-inch pots of the grafted veggies can expect to harvest some 500 red cherry tomatoes and 4.5 lbs of spuds from each plant. Up until now the hybrid plants were only available in the UK, where they went on the market in 2013. (What combo plant would you like to see?)
– Newser.com

HAPPIEST COUNTRY ON EARTH:
The Pacific island country of Fiji is the happiest place in the world, according to an end-of-year survey of people in 65 countries. Fully 93% of Fijians say they feel happy with their lives. Least happiest country in the poll is Iraq, where only 31% of the population claims happiness. The information comes from an annual Gallup survey of happiness around-the-world which has found that, overall, the world was a happier place in 2014. Worldwide, 70% of people say they are happy with their lives – up from 60% a year previously. Most of us seem to be optimistic about the future too. 53% of respondents think 2015 will be better than last year. The number who think 2015 will be worse is just 15%. The survey has also found that Nigeria is the most positive country, and Lebanon the most pessimistic. (Fijians are extremely polite. If someone asks if their happy, they’re bound to say ‘yes’ in order not to disappoint.)
– Metro.co.uk

FROM THE BS POLL VAULT:
A statistical look at who we are and the things we do …
• 90% of us wish co-workers would stay home when they’re sick. (Hear that, Sneezy?)
• 45% of us admit we dangerously plugged too many things into 1 electrical outlet during the holidays. (We’re all ‘Griswolds’ in the making.)
• 40% of us have a secret email account. (Where we send all the spam?)
• 13% of people say they are always the first ones to dance at a party. (Mostly women.)
• 8% of us claim we were able to keep last year’s New Year’s Resolutions. (Coincidentally 8% of us lie compulsively.)
• 1% of homes in North America have their Christmas lights up all year. (Lazy asses.)

DID YOU KNOW?
Eating a menu composed of dishes cooked with alcohol in them can push you over the legal drunk driving limit.
– “New Scientist”

BS CHRONOMETER 01.07.15

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1957 [58] Katie Couric, Arlington VA, journalist (Global News Anchor for Yahoo! News since 2014)/former TV talk show host (“Katie” 2012-14)/former TV news anchor (“CBS Evening News” 2007-11, NBC-TV’s “Today Show” 1991-2007)

1964 [51] Nicolas Cage (Coppola), Long Beach CA, movie actor (“National Treasure” films, “Leaving Las Vegas”)/movie director Francis Ford Coppola’s nephew

1971 [44] Jeremy Renner, Modesto CA, movie actor (“The Bourne Legacy”, “The Hurt Locker”)

1974 [41] John Rich, Amarillo TX, country singer (“Shuttin’ Detroit Down”, Big & Rich-“Lost In this Moment”, ex-Lonestar-“Amazed”)

1979 [36] Aloe Blacc (Egbert Dawkins III), Laguna Hills CA, rapper-singer (“I Need a Dollar”, w/Avicii-“Wake Me Up”)

1982 [33] Lauren Cohen, Philadelphia PA, TV actress (‘Maggie Greene’ on “The Walking Dead” since 2011, “The Vampire Diaries” 2010-12)

1983 [32] Brett Dalton, San Jose CA, TV actor (‘Grant Ward’ on “Marvel’s Agents of Shield” since 2013)

1985 [30] Lewis Hamilton, Stevenage UK, race car driver (2008 & 2014 Formula One World Champion)/sometime boyfriend of Nicole Scherzinger (ex-Pussycat Dolls)

2000 [15] Marcus Scribner, LA CA, TV actor (‘Andre Johnson Jr’ on “black-ish” since 2014)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “I’m Not Going to Take It Anymore Day”, a day to stand up for your rights.

• “International Programmers Day”, honoring the geeks behind many of today’s technological conveniences, pastimes, and work tools.

• “Orthodox Christmas” in many countries worldwide. Why? Both Eastern Orthodox Churches and Oriental Orthodox Churches still use the old Julian calendar.

• “Tempura Day”, celebrating the Japanese cooking tradition of dipping seafood or vegetables in a thin batter of flour and water, then frying them in oil.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/bfsagap

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2005 [10] Actor Brad Pitt & actress Jennifer Aniston announce they are separating after 4 years of marriage (it’s all that hussy Angie’s fault)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1999 [16] Rod Stewart & model Rachel Hunter publicly announce the dissolution of their 8-year marriage

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1990 [25] Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa is closed to tourists after leaning too far and becoming structurally unsafe (after 11 years of construction work, it reopens in 2001)

COMING UP . . .
[Thurs] Bubble Bath Day
[Thurs] Midwives Day
[Thurs] Show & Tell Day at Work
[Fri] “Taken 3” opens in movie theaters
[Sun] “Golden Globe Awards” (ABC)
This Week Is … Bowling Week
This Month Is … Learn to Ski & Snowboard Month

BULL’S BITS

TINY WAYS TO HAVE A HAPPIER YEAR:
✓ Wake up 20 minutes earlier to accomplish little tasks you’ve felt guilty about putting off.
✓ Eat one extra serving of veggies or fruit each day.
✓ Add 15 extra minutes to your morning walk in order to get lots of fresh air.
✓ Spend more time around the friends that make you feel full of life, and less time around the ones who make you feel drained.
✓ Be kind to yourself when you make a mistake.
✓ Think about the topics that make your face light up when you talk about them, and spend more time on those things.
✓ Find whatever joy you can in the simple things, because they’re often what we miss most later on.
✓ Find random excuses to celebrate.
✓ Cook more often.
✓ Be as present in the moment as you possibly can.
– TheFrisky.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What’s the best fortune cookie message you’ve ever received?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
‘I am’ is said to be the shortest sentence in the world. The longest sentence is ‘I do’.

REALLY SATISFYING OR REALLY GROSS?
There are 2 kinds of people in the world … those who really enjoy squeamish activities and those who don’t. We’re betting some of the latter are secretly part of the former. So who’s got the cojones to honestly rank the following as totally satisfying or totally gross?
• Squeezing a pimple.
• Smelling your own B-O.
• Picking your nose and getting a massive booger.
• Peeing in the shower.
• Tweezing an ingrown hair.
• Unleashing a massive fart and basking in your own smell.
• Chewing your cuticles.
• Cracking your knuckles.
• Popping a blister with a pin.
• Peeling sunburned skin.
– Adapted from BuzzFeed.com

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: People who do THIS regularly weigh 7 lbs less on average and have a lower BMI than people who don’t.
Answer: Use public transportation.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Don’t worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.