BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Filmmaker Ron Howard (“A Beautiful Mind”, “The Da Vinci Code”) is directing a concert documentary on The Beatles that’s expected to arrive in movie theaters next year. The film will focus on tour performances, from their early-60s beginnings in Liverpool to their final show in San Francisco CA in 1966. The band’s surviving members, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are contributing to the project, as are Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison. It will make use of sound-board recordings and never-before-seen concert footage, some of which was taken on fans’ cameras.
– Variety.com
★ The Muppets are poised to make their Broadway debut in a new musical. Disney reps are reportedly in talks with a NYC theater company about bringing the beloved puppets to the Great White Way in a new stage show. Word has it the entertainment juggernaut is poised to strike a deal with the Jujamcyn Theaters Group, which is currently hosting the mega-hit productions “The Book of Mormon” and “Jersey Boys”. But don’t go Googling for Muppets tickets just yet … the musical is said to be several years away from hitting the stage.
– NYPost.com
★ And Lana Del Rey’s recent bizarre behavior seems to be continuing. Just weeks after she accused a British journalist of manipulating an interview in “The Guardian” during which she announced she wished she was dead, the “Summertime Sadness” singer has stunned a “Rolling Stone” reporter by insisting she isn’t worthy of being a cover girl on the iconic music magazine. Ironically, Del Rey is perfect for the cover of the “Rolling Stone”, recently performing as part of the Kim & Kanye wedding celebration, and topping charts around-the-world with her new album “Ultraviolence”.
– WENN.com

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Arsenio Hall” (syndicated) – Tonight Biz Markie (“The Biz Never Sleeps”). Rerun.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Today Keith Urban (“Fuse”). Rerun.
• Faster Horses Festival (Brooklyn MI) – On tap for the 2nd annual 3-day country music fest: Brett Eldredge, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, and Tim McGraw.
• Forecastle Festival (Louisville KY) – Scheduled for this 12th annual 3-day rock bash: Beck, Jack White, Outkast, The Replacements, Spoon, Twenty One Pilots and dozens more.
• “FOX & Friends” (FOX) – This morning the 6th annual All-American Summer Concert Series continues with a performance from Bret Michaels (“A Beautiful Soul”).
• “Good Morning America” (ABC) – This morning Zedd (“Clarity”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Tonight Bleachers (“Strange Desire”). Rerun.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Tonight Semi Precious Weapons (“Aviation”). Rerun.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Tonight Phish (“Fuego”). Rerun.
• TCA Awards (LA CA) – Saturday is the 30th annual Television Critics Association Awards gala at the Beverly Hilton. Nominated for ‘Program Of the Year’: “Breaking Bad” (AMC), “Game of Thrones” (HBO), “The Good Wife” (CBS/Global), “Orange Is the New Black” (Netflix), and “True Detective” (HBO).
• “Today Show” (NBC) – Today Jason Mraz (“Yes!”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Tonight Nick Thune (“Thick Noon”).
• “Wendy Williams” (syndicated) – Today Lil Jon (“Crunkest Hits”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Johnny Winter – The iconic blues guitarist and singer, known for his virtuoso slide-guitar solos and raspy vocals, has been found dead in a hotel room outside Zurich, Switzerland. An autopsy has been ordered as the cause of death is unclear. He was 70.
• Miranda Lambert – She’s joining Jason Aldean on his 2014 “Burn It Down Tour”, playing baseball stadiums in Cleveland OH tonight and Cincinnati OH on Saturday.
• Nine Inch Nails /Soundgarden – Tonight their co-headlining Summer tour kicks off in Pemberton BC, then moves to Las Vegas NV on Saturday. The 28-stop tour wraps August 30th in Auburn WA.
• Panic! At the Disco – Tonight they take their “Gospel Tour” show on the road, starting in Magna UT. The trek runs through August 28th in San Jose CA. Special guests Walk the Moon open all dates.
• Sia – The singer-songwriter has scored her first-ever #1 album on the new ‘Billboard 200’ chart with “1,000 Forms of Fear”.
• Tool – Guitarist Adam Jones and drummer Danny Carey tell “Rolling Stone” the reason it is taking years to create a new album is a complex series of ongoing lawsuits over artwork created for the band.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Planes: Fire & Rescue” ( PG Animated Adventure ): In this follow-up to Disney’s 2013 “Cars” spin-off, “Planes”, ‘Dusty’ joins forces with fire & rescue helicopter ‘Blade Ranger’ and his team ‘The Smokejumpers’ to battle a massive wildfire. Voice cast includes: Dane Cook, Ed Harris, Julie Bowen, Hal Holbrook, Teri Hatcher.
NET: http://movies.disney.com/planes-fire-and-rescue
• “The Purge: Anarchy” ( R-Rated Horror Thriller ): In this sequel to last year’s “The Purge”, 5 people meet up as they attempt to survive another ‘purge’ (night of legalized crime), including a couple whose car runs out of gas, a man who’s out to get revenge, and a mother & daughter running away from home. Stars Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez.
NET: http://blumhouse.com/film/thepurgeanarchy
• “Sex Tape” ( R-Rated Comedy ): Jason Segel & Cameron Diaz (who previously co-starred in 2011’s “Bad Teacher”) play a married couple who wakes up to discover that the sex tape they made the evening before has gone missing, leading to a frantic search for its whereabouts. Also in the cast: Rob Corddry, Ellie Kemper.
NET: http://sextape-movie.tumblr.com
• Opening in limited release: “Alive Inside” (Documentary); “I Origins” (Sci-Fi); “Mood Indigo” (Fantasy Romance); “Persecuted” (Mystery Thriller); and “Wish I Was Here” (Dramedy).

ONE GIANT STEP TO EMPTYING YOUR WALLET:
This Sunday marks the 45th anniversary of the 1969 Moon landing. To commemorate the occasion, GE has partnered with boutique shoe company Android Homme to release a sick pair of high-top sneakers inspired by the space boots worn by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin as they set foot on the Moon that day. 100 pairs of the shoes will be available for sale online Sunday at 4:18 pm ET – the precise time the landing occurred. Sneakerheads can pick up a pair at JackThreads.com for – whoa! – $196.90. See them here …
NET: http://tinyurl.com/moahd4g
– TheVerge.com

HOW TO KEEP YOUR COOL:
Wondering how to stay cool as a cucumber this Summer? Here are 5 heat-blasting and hydrating foods to add to your menu …
✓ Blueberries – Add them to smoothies, salads, and yogurt. Or just eat them on their own.
✓ Cilantro – You can add it to soups, stir-fries, quesadillas, and tacos for a cooling effect.
✓ Cucumber – Naturally hydrating as it’s 96% water. Add cukes to sandwiches or salads.
✓ Mint – Lemon mint tea has amazing cooling effects. Mint also peps up a potato salad.
✓ Watermelon – Thirst-quenching on it’s own, or add it to salads and chilled soups.
– Sourced from HuffingtonPost.ca

HOOKAH ON THE RISE:
According to a new University of Michigan study nearly 1-in-5 students have used a hookah within the last year, making the device – essentially a water pipe that uses charcoal to heat up tobacco – among the hottest high school trends. Hookah-use among high-school seniors has risen 21% in the past year. The fad is fueled by the smooth taste of the flavored tobacco called ‘shisha’ and the mistaken belief that it is less harmful than cigarettes. According to the Mayo Clinic the exact opposite is true, as the water pipe doesn’t filter poisons and users get more exposure to toxic chemicals than from cigarette smoking. In other words, it’s one of the most toxic things you can do to your body in the span of 60 minutes. (Also hard to slip one in your pocket to carry around.)
– MedicalNewsToday.com

TOP TEAMS:
According to a new ranking, these are the 10 most valuable sports in the world …
10. New York Giants (NFL) worth US$1.55 billion.
9. Washington Redskins (NFL) worth $1.7 billion.
8. New England Patriots (NFL) worth $1.8 billion.
7. Bayern Munich (soccer) worth $1.85 billion.
6. Los Angeles Dodgers (baseball) worth $2 billion.
5. Dallas Cowboys (NFL) worth $2.3 billion.
4. New York Yankees (baseball) worth $2.5 billion.
3. Manchester United (soccer) worth $2.81 billion.
2. Barcelona (soccer) worth $3.2 billion.
1. Real Madrid (soccer) worth $3.44 billion.
(Only NHL team in the top 50 is Toronto Maple Leafs, ranking #26 at $1.15 billion; and despite being in the process of selling for $2 billion, the NBA’s LA Clippers do not make the list.)
– Forbes.com

SAFEST SUGAR SUBSTITUTES:
Trying to cut back on your sugar consumption and lower your blood sugar? Experts recommend these replacements …
• Black Strap Molasses – The dark, viscous goo remaining after the extraction of sugar from raw sugar cane contains vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, iron, and manganese. 1 tablespoon provides up to 20% of the recommended daily intake of each of these nutrients.
• Honey – The darker the better, meaning dark honey (ie: buckwheat) has more nutrients. Honey contains fructose but also has antioxidants.
• Stevia (ie: Truvia) – This is probably the safest of all the substitutes. It is 200-to-300 times sweeter than sugar and consists of leaves of the stevia plant. It doesn’t cause blood sugar spikes and tends to be best in beverages.
• Maple Syrup – Sucrose is the most prevalent sugar in maple syrup. It may cost a lot more than honey but it also has more nutrients. And the taste? Mmm!
– Adapted from WebMD.com

DID YOU KNOW?
Albert Einstein claimed that his 2nd-best-idea was to boil his eggs in his soup, thereby saving effort in cleaning up pots.
– “QI”

BS CHRONOMETER 07.18.14

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1950 [64] Richard Branson, London UK, entrepreneur (CEO of Virgin Group since 1966)/founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways, Virgin Galactic, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Records, etc/UK’s 4th-richest with £3 billion ($4.6 billion)

1967 [47] Vin Diesel (Mark Vincent), NYC, movie actor (“Fast & Furious” films, “The Chronicles of Riddick”)

1980 [34] Kristen Bell, Huntington Woods MI, movie actress ( “Frozen”, “Veronica Mars”)/TV actress (“House of Lies” since 2012, “Veronica Mars” 2004-07)

SATURDAY –
Classic rock guitarist Brian May (Queen) is 67; Indie-rock drummer Jason McGerr (Death Cab for Cutie) is 40; Movie/TV actor Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Hobbit”) is 38; TV actor Jared Padalecki (“Supernatural”) is 32.

SUNDAY –
Guitarist Carlos Santana (Santana) is 67; Rock singer Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) is 50; Rock guitarist Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam) is 48; TV/movie actress Sandra Oh (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 43; Fashion model Gisele Bundchen is 34; Rock guitarist Mike Kennerty (All-American Rejects) is 34; Dancer/singer/movie actress Julianne Hough (“Rock of Ages”) is 26.

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Caviar Day”, saluting the mega-expensive roe (eggs) of the sturgeon fish, proving that we’ll eat just about anything if it is given an attractive name and costs a lot of money.
• “Nelson Mandela International Day”, the 5th annual as initiated by the UN in honor of the late civil rights leader and former South African president. Celebrated on his birth date (1918-2013).
• “World Listening Day”, to celebrate the practice of listening as it relates to the world around us, environmental awareness, and acoustic ecology. A joint effort of the World Soundscape Project, World Listening Project, and World Forum for Acoustic Ecology.
NET: http://www.worldlisteningproject.org

SATURDAY –
• “Hot Dog Day”, celebrating the tube sandwich that no cookout or baseball game would be complete without. (Read how wieners are made and you’ll never eat one again.)
• “Stick Your Tongue Out Day”, for some long-forgotten reason. But now that you have it out, try rolling it into a cylinder … only 1-in-14 of us can do that.
• “World Snail Racing Championships” in Congham, England. The racetrack has 2 concentric circles. Snails race from the inner to the outer circle, a whopping distance of 13 inches (33 cm).
NET: http://www.snailracing.net
• “Woodie Wagon Day”, observed annually on the 3rd Saturday of July to salute the vintage car body style (especially a station wagon) where the rear bodywork is constructed of wood framework with in-fill panels of wood or woodgrain-painted metal.

SUNDAY –
• “Ice Cream Sunday”, celebrated annually on the 3rd Sunday of July, “Ice Cream Month”. Based on ice cream consumption figures, the top flavors are vanilla (30%), chocolate (10%), butter pecan (4%), strawberry (3.7%), and chocolate chip mint (3.2%).
• “International Chess Day”, an annual observation since 1966 honoring the game that generates challenge, intellectual stimulation, and enjoyment for people of all ages.
NET: http://www.worlds-holidays.com/international/chess_day/
• “Lollipop Day”, celebrating the 1908 invention of candy on a stick. Pieces of hard candy were put on the ends of pencils for kids to nibble earlier than that, but that treat had no name.
• “Ugly Truck Day”. Sure a brand new, shiny truck with all the gadgets working is a great thing, but an old ugly truck is something to cherish with pride! Or maybe that’s just a guy thing?

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2008 [06] ‘Batman’ sequel “The Dark Knight” opens in movie theaters, setting a record of $158 million with its opening weekend domestic box office (eventually wins Heath Ledger a posthumous Oscar for his portrayal of ‘The Joker’)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1994 [20] Crayola announces the introduction of ‘Magic Scents Crayons’ (but as the yummy aromas of Cherry, Chocolate, Blueberry, etc cause children to eat them, food scents are later retired in favor of non-food scents, ie: Lumber, New Car, Shampoo)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2013 [01] The government of Detroit MI, $20 billion in debt, files for the largest municipal bankruptcy in USA history

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Mon] AP Music Awards (Cleveland OH)
[Mon] Global Hug Your Kid Day
[Mon] Get Out Of the Doghouse Day
[Mon] No Pet Store Puppies Day
[Tues] Rat Catchers Day
This Week Is … Independent Retailers Week
This Month Is … Blueberries Month

BULL’S BITS

BS PARENTISMS:
A poll of kids reveals the things they most hate to hear from their parents. Among the most disliked …
• “Is your room clean?”
• “Because I said so.”
• “Turn down the music!”
• “Go ask your father.”/”Go ask your mother.”
• “Get off the phone.”
• “Eat it, it’s good for you.”
• “Money doesn’t grow on trees.”
• “We’ll see.”
(Ask kids to call in more.)

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Age is just a number and mine is unlisted.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ You’d be hard-pressed to find a video store anywhere these days. What other retail establishments do you predict will become outmoded and disappear in the next 20 years?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: In a new poll most guys admit they’ve done THIS after being a bit careless, and it happens about 4 times a year.
Answer: Cut themselves shaving.
– “Men’s Health”

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.