BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
✳ Movie stars Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt are said to be involved in a housing dispute as both want to stay in the same mansion while shooting movies in the UK this year. Both have previously rented the property in Surrey and loved it as their families felt comfortable there and liked the privacy it offers. Those in the know say the house is so huge that it could easily accommodate both families at the same time. Like that’s gonna happen. Slap fight?
– TheSun.co.uk
✳ 40-year-old actress Gabrielle Union (“Cradle 2 the Grave”, “Bad Boys II”) is the star of TV net BET’s first original drama series, “Being Mary Jane”. It debuted last night as a 2-hour special before it becomes a weekly 1-hour series. The show delves into the life of a single, hardworking talk show host who is also devoted to her family. The full 8-episode-long 1st season is due to premiere early next year. Another strong female role. A trend?
– ContactMusic.com
✳ 57-year-old movie actress Geena Davis is leading a new UN Gender in Media study to examine how the portrayal of women on TV and film impacts female identity. The global report will analyze productions from Australia, China, India, Japan, the UK, the USA and elsewhere in an attempt to identify how the body shapes depicted affect girls and women. Davis quote: “Media images have an enormous impact on children’s self-esteem and aspirations.”
– Scoop.co.nz
✳ 30-year-old “Man of Steel” star Henry Cavill has split from martial arts actress Gina Carano (“Fast & Furious 6”) and is pursuing a relationship with “Big Bang Theory” actress Kaley Cuoco, according to reports. The new ‘Superman’ parted ways with Carano in May after dating for less than a year. Cuoco has previously dated her TV co-star Johnny Galecki, was briefly engaged to addiction specialist Josh Resnik, and was most recently linked to Pepper rocker Bret Bollinger. As mom used to say … she gets around.
– UsMagazine.com
✳ And it seems Simon Cowell didn’t snub former “X Factor” judge Cheryl Cole’s 30th birthday party after all … at least that’s what he’s saying. He’s taken to Twitter to claim he was unable to attend the 2-city weekend bash in Malibu CA and Las Vegas NV due to filming commitments, and he insists they are ‘close friends’ again. He’s certainly put his money where his mouth is, by gifting her with – whoa! – an estate in Fife, Scotland that comes with a title. So it’s now ‘Lady’ Cheryl Cole, if you please.
– Mirror.co.uk

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “America’s Got Talent” (NBC/CityTV) – More hopefuls perform for the judges.
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Beth Hart (“Seesaw”). Rerun.
• “Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (Comedy Central/CTV) – Questlove (The Roots). Rerun.
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – ZZ Ward (“Til the Casket Drops”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Niki & The Dove (“Instinct”). Rerun.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/NTV/Omni1) – Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls (“Tape Deck Heart”). Rerun.
• “The Talk” (CBS) – The Wanted (“I Found You”). Rerun.
• “Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC/CTV2) – Matthew Morrison (“Glee”). Rerun.
• “The View” (ABC/CTV) – Guest co-host Ne-Yo (“R.E.D.”). Rerun.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Jay-Z – The track “BBC” from his new “Magna Carta Holy Grail” album (out tomorrow on Samsung phones) is a collaboration with no less than 6 artists: Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Nas, Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beatz, and Timbaland.
• Lil Wayne – He’s facing legal action from a teenage prodigy he signed 2 years ago to his Young Money Entertainment label. Now 15-year-old Torion Sellers claims Weezy has reneged on a promise to release a debut album by Spring 2012. The young artist wants to be released from his contract so he can pursue other opportunities.
• Luke Bryan – Tonight he headlines the massive “Summerfest” in Milwaukee WI. Also on tonight’s bill: Florida Georgia Line, Thompson Square. A total of 800 acts are playing on 11 permanent stages during the 11-day annual festival.
• Mariah Carey – She’s being accused of lip-synching her performance at the “BET Awards” Sunday night after online analysis of her performance shows she appears to be out of sync with the audio track. Almost everybody does it … so what’s the big deal?
• Megadeth – Tonight the “Gigantour” touring festival, founded in 2005 by Dave Mustaine, kicks off in Gilford NH. The multi-artist bill also features Black Label Society, Device, Hellyeah, Newsted, and Death Division. The North American trek runs through August 11th in Toronto.
• Rihanna – She refused to hang up her microphone even during a night off from her “Diamonds World Tour” in Cologne, Germany. She and her entourage headed to a karaoke bar where RiRi to took the stage to perform a mumbled version of No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” before belting out “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon.
• Rod Stewart – The 68-year-old tells “Radio Times” magazine that he’s baffled about why he hasn’t been knighted like (Sir) Mick Jagger and (Sir) Tom Jones, although he admits it may be because he left Britain for LA in the 1970s to avoid paying exorbitant income taxes.
• Rolling Stones – Today British auction house Bonhams is selling off locks of Mick Jagger’s hair, cut from his head in the early 1960s by his then-girlfriend Chrissie Shrimpton. It’s thought the strands will fetch $3,000 or more.
• Ruben Studdard – The portly former “American Idol” winner (2003) has signed up to star in the upcoming 15th season of “The Biggest Loser” (NBC). The 34-year-old will make his debut on the show this Autumn.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Despicable Me 2” ( PG Animated Family Comedy ): In this sequel to the runaway worldwide hit 2010 film, ‘Gru’ is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help deal with a powerful new super criminal. Voice cast includes Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove. The film’s ‘Minions’ have their own spin-off movie slated for 2014.
NET: http://despicableme.com
• “The Lone Ranger” (  PG-13 Western Adventure ): Native American warrior ‘Tonto’ (Johnny Depp) recounts the untold tales that transformed ‘John Reid’, a man of the law, into a legend of justice known as the ‘Lone Ranger’ (Armie Hammer). But will movie audiences accept thoroughly Caucasian Depp playing a Native American … with a dead bird on his head?
NET: http://disney.go.com/the-lone-ranger

FROM THE BS POLL VAULT:
A statistical look at who we are and the things we do …
• 75% of us always install a fresh roll of bathroom tissue before company comes over.
• 72% of us store bills in our wallets according to denomination, in ascending order.
• 57% of adults do not observe the recommended 20 seconds when washing their hands.
• 50% of us snack at least 3 times a day.
• 40% of women say they’ve decreased or stopped using social media, mostly because it’s starting to bore them.
• 16% of women have the same job or career as their mother.

GEEKS VS NERDS:
To many of us, ‘geek’ and ‘nerd’ are synonyms, but in fact they are distinctly different. Both are dedicated to their subjects and sometimes socially awkward, but according to one blogger …
> Geek: An enthusiast of a particular topic or field. Geeks are ‘collection’ oriented, gathering facts and mementos related to their subject of interest. They are obsessed with the newest, coolest, trendiest things that their subject has to offer.
> Nerd: A studious intellectual, again specialized in a particular topic or field. Nerds are ‘achievement’ oriented, and focus their efforts on acquiring knowledge and skill rather than collecting trivia and memorabilia. The distinction is that geeks are fans of their subjects, while nerds are practitioners of them. (Now about dweebs …)
– “Social Studies”

BS BUZZWORDS:
New cutting-edge vocab …
✓ ‘Ghosting’ – The theft of the identity of someone who has died. The good news here is that the surviving family is ultimately not responsible for debts run up by the thief, but ghosting can still cause plenty of angst. (Ever received a bill addressed to a long-deceased family member?)
✓ ‘Litter Vigilante’ – A person who takes it upon themselves to pick up litter in public places, not to receive money or recognition, but simply because they care. Also referred to in Britain as a ‘picker’. (Why not offer random rewards for local pickers spotted by your promo people?)
✓ ‘Threenager’ – A 3-year-old who displays the moodiness and attitude of a teenager. She or he is typically a drama queen or king at times and tends to ask ‘Why?’ dozens of times each day. (In other words … a normal kid.)

GREAT GREAT GRANDSON OF iPHONE:
Is the ‘iPhone 5S’ coming on September 20th? That’s the rumor. In fact, it’s said that this year Apple will break from tradition and release 2 new iPhone models for the very first time … the 6th-generation ‘iPhone 5S’ and a completely new low-cost iPhone model aimed at emerging markets, to be called either ‘iPhone Light’ or ‘iPhone 6’. Leaked photos of the new mini-phone suggest that it will come in vibrantly bright colors such as lime, lemon and cerise. (It may be the most edible Apple.)
– “International Business Times”

FRANKENSTEIN LIVES!
Head transplants are now possible. Dr Sergio Canavero, a member of Italy’s Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group, says that the technical barriers to grafting one person’s head onto another person’s body can now be overcome, thanks to recent medical advancements in the re-connection of severed spinal cords. In order for the process to work, both the donor and recipient must be in the same operating room, and the donated head must be cooled. Then, surgeons must rapidly remove both heads at the exact same time, reconnecting the new head to the recipient’s body and circulatory system within 1 hour. (Cool, we can’t wait to talk to Walt Disney and Ted Williams!)
– “Quartz”

DID YOU KNOW?
Adults use maths skills 14 times daily on average and literacy skills 23 times a day.
– Learndirect.co.uk

BS CHRONOMETER 07.03.13

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1962 [51] Tom Cruise (Thomas Mapother IV ), Syracuse NY, movie star (“Rock of Ages”, “Mission Impossible” films)/wed to actress Katie Holmes (2006-12)/wed to Nicole Kidman (1990-2001)  UP NEXT: “All You Need Is Kill” (2014).

1962 [51] Thomas Gibson, Charleston SC, TV actor (‘Aaron Hotchner’ on “Criminal Minds” since 2005)

1964 [49] Yeardley Smith, Paris, France, TV voice actress (‘Lisa Simpson’ on “The Simpsons” since 1989)

1969 [44] Kevin Hearn, Grimsby ON, pop musician (Barenaked Ladies-“Pinch Me”, “One Week”)

1971 [42] Julian Assange, Townsville, Australia, journalist/publisher/activist/founder of WikiLeaks  BS FACTOID: Since June 19th, 2012 he’s been living at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he’s been granted political asylum.

1980 [32] Olivia Munn, Oklahoma City OK, movie actress (“Magic Mike”, “Iron Man 2”)/TV actress (‘Sloan’ on “The Newsroom” since 2012, “The Daily Show” 2010-11)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Compliment Your Mirror Day”. Participation consists of complimenting your mirror on having such a wonderful owner and keeping track of whether other mirrors you meet during the day smile at you. (This is much more fun if you have a prescription for medical marijuana.)

• “Dog Days of Summer” through August 11th, traditionally the hottest 40 days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The name comes from the ancients, who would sacrifice a brown dog at this time to appease Sirius, the Dog Star, believing that star was the cause of the hot, sultry weather. “Air Conditioning Appreciation Days” run simultaneously, and today is also “Stay Out Of the Sun Day”.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2007 [06] Action-adventure “Transformers” opens in movie theaters, starring Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, and Josh Duhamel (spawns 3 sequels after topping $700 million in worldwide box office)

2012 [01] “The Amazing Spider-Man”, starring Andrew Garfield & Emma Stone, opens in movie theaters (goes on to gross over $750 million worldwide)

2012 [01] Longtime TV favorite Andy Griffith (“Matloack”, “Andy Griffith Show”) dies in Manteo NC at age 86. Is there anyone left who can still whistle the “Andy Griffith Show” theme song?
NET: http://tinyurl.com/mk9b3mp

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2002 [11] Elton John becomes the 1st performer to be granted an honorary doctorate from England’s Royal Academy of Music

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1988 [25] Rocky Kenover sets a world record by skydiving 403 times within 24 hours, averaging  1 jump every 3 minutes using 7 planes, 10 pilots, and 50 parachute packers

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Independence Day (USA)
[Thurs] “Music Independence Day” (MTV/CMT/VH1)
[Thurs] Independence From Meat Day
[Fri] Bikini Day
[Sat] Oklahoma Twister Relief Concert (Norman OK)
[Sat] Rolling Stones play Hyde Park (London)
[Sat] International Cherry Pit Spitting Day
This Week Is … Canned Luncheon Meat Week
This Month Is … Tahiti Awareness Month

BULL’S BITS

BS SIGNS YOU’RE NOT ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE:
• You’re 50-years-old and you still share a bunk bed with your brother
• You: “Happy Birthday, Mom!” Your mom: “Do I know you?”
• You’ve read the self-help book “Getting In Touch With Your Inner Wuss”.
• Your ‘yes man’ co-workers accuse you of being an ‘OK man’.
• You’re listed in “Who’s Not Who”.
• On “Forbes” list of ‘Most Influential People 2013’, Tom Arnold ranks ahead of you.

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• Which is the ‘monkey wrench’ named after?
a. Its shape.
b. Its use.
c. Its inventor. [CORRECT. Charles Moncky.]
– Wikipedia.org

• Women say they overeat when they’re lonely, sad, or angry. When do men tend to overeat?
a. When they’re sad.
b. When they’re happy. [CORRECT, especially in groups.]
c. When they’re worried.
– DailyMail.co.uk

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Honk if you love peace and quiet.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ Like most countries, China faces increasing difficulty in caring for its aging population. A new Chinese law that came into effect this week forces children to visit or at least keep in touch with their elderly parents … or risk being sued. Good idea or bad?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: THIS was the #1 answer in a poll of women that asked the most attractive hobby a man can have.
Answer: Photography.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
If you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.