BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ David Letterman’s long-time cue card guy has been axed after an argument with the “Late Show” host and an altercation with a staff writer. Tony Mendez, who’s often been seen on-camera holding cue cards, apparently snapped at Lettermen: “You’re the one who has the sour disposition, motherf—.” The next day he grabbed writer Bill Scheft by the shirt and threw him up against a wall. Despite the antics and subsequent heave-ho, he’ll reportedly continue to receive his salary and benefits until Letterman retires sometime next year.
– “New York Post”
★ A plan is afoot to revive the doggy movie drama “Marley & Me” into a small-screen sequel. NBC-TV is working with the film’s director, David Frankel, to create a follow-up to the 2008 feature film which starred Owen Wilson & Jennifer Aniston. The new version is said to follow the same family as they encounter a new dog a few years after the movie’s end. The film was based on the best-selling 2005 autobiographical novel of the same name by John Grogan.
– Deadline.com
★ UK’s Prince William & wife Catherine, Duchess Of Cambridge, are set for a double celebration in April as their new baby is due around the time of their 4th wedding anniversary. The Duchess is currently expecting the couple’s 2nd child, and they have now revealed the new addition is due almost exactly 4 years after they exchanged vows in a lavish ceremony in London in front of a global audience. They wed on 29 April, 2011.
– ContactMusic.com
★ And horror film fans are being given the chance to pitch their ideas for a movie thriller directly to famed filmmaker Quentin Tarantino and director Eli Roth (“Hostel”) as part of a new Halloween-related online contest. Devotees of spooky cinema have just 6 seconds to scare a panel of judges, which also includes Elijah Wood, Kid Cudi, Rob Lowe, and Vanessa Hudgens. The submission judged the best entry will be developed into a new film project by Roth.
NET: http://www.fearthecrypt.com/6SecondScare
– ContactMusic.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Brisbane, Australia-based rock band Sheppard (“Bombs Away”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Jack Black & Kyle Gass (Tenacious D).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Hellogoodbye (“Everything Is Debatable”). Rerun.
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV) – Walk the Moon (“Tightrope”). Rerun.
• “Live With Kelly & Michael” (syndicated/CTV) – Calgary AB singer-songwriter Kiesza (“Sound Of a Woman”).
• “Meredith Vieira Show” (syndicated) – Nico & Vinz (“Black Star Elephant”).
• “The Talk” (CBS) – 1990s R&B band Boyz II Men.
• “Tavis Smiley” (PBS) – Grand Ole Opry veteran Marty Stuart.
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Barbra Streisand (“Partners”). Rerun.
• “The Voice” (NBC/CTV2) – Stevie Nicks, Little Big Town, Alicia Keys, and Gavin Rossdale (Bush) again make appearances as the battle rounds continue.
• “World Series” (FOX) – Kansas City Royals host San Francisco Giants in Game 1 of the 2014 MLB final series. In a KansasCity.com poll, homegrown opera star Joyce DiDonato tops the choice for pre-game anthem performer, drawing 32% of the vote.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Allman Bros Band – Tonight their rescheduled dates at NYC’s Beacon Theatre that were postponed in March get underway. They’ll do 4 shows through Saturday, and then their final shows ever on October 27th and 28th. The band has played the venue a total of 232 times.
• Bob Dylan – “Rolling Stone” magazine has unearthed the interesting info that several Swedish scientists compete to hide the most Dylan lyrics in their scholarly papers. (“How many ions …”)
• Carrie Underwood – “Before He Cheats” is the top country music video of the past decade, according to CMT.com’s new poll of country music fans.
• Christina Aguilera – After taking a break from “The Voice” (NBC) for 2 seasons, she’ll return for Season 8. During her absence from the show, she gave birth to daughter Summer Rain Rutler. (Is she maybe feeling threatened by fill-in Gwen Stefani?)
• Jessie J – The Brit pop star’s new album “Sweet Talker” is out today. It includes cameos by Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, and 2 Chainz.
• Meghan Trainor – The 20-year-old’s “All About That Bass” is the 1st to reach the top of the chart on streams alone, without selling a single physical copy. She’s been writing songs since she was 11, and was signed as a songwriter in 2011 just after she turned 18.
• Ozzy Osbourne – Today’s release, “Memoirs Of a Madman”, is touted as ‘the ultimate collection from Ozzy’s distinguished solo career’. This from the guy who has to use a TelePrompTer to remember the words to “Paranoid”.
• Primus – On today’s new album, “Primus & The Chocolate Factory”, they’ve re-imagined music from the 1971 film “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Facxtory”. Tomorrow in Upper Darby PA, they kick off a tour that frontman Les Claypool calls a ‘pretty abstract stage production’.
NET: http://primusville.com/splash
• Slipknot – Rising from the ashes after the 2010 death of founding bassist Paul Gray and the subsequent loss of drummer Joey Jordison, the nu-metal band’s 5th album, “The Gray Chapter”, is out today.
• TI – His Columbia Records debut, “Paperwork”, is being released today. The album has been available for streaming on iTunes for a full week prior to today’s worldwide release.

THIS WEEK’S VIDEO RELEASES:
Out today on DVD, Netflix, Google Play and/or other video providers …
• “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.
• “Sex Tape” ( R-Rated Comedy ): Jason Segel & Cameron Diaz (who previously co-starred in 2011 s “Bad Teacher”) play a married couple that wakes up to discover 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.
• Also released today: “Annie Oakley: The Complete TV Series” (Vintage TV); “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” (Music Biography); “Downton Abbey: Seasons 1-4” (TV); “Duck Dynasty: Season 4-6” (Reality TV); “The Red Skelton Show: The Early Years 1951-55” (Vintage TV); and “The Soul Man: The Complete 2nd Season” (TV).

EATING AT YOUR DESK IS KILLING YOU:
Tucking in at the office is a fast-track to obesity, say British researchers. Newly-released research has found that those who eat at work are not only more likely to be fat, but also more likely to lack vitamins and suffer from high cholesterol. The findings are the result of a 5-year study of more than 8,000 people that looked at the link between health and the number of meals eaten away from home. The most shocking finding: Those who eat at their desks 6 or more times a week are more likely to be obese or overweight. The effect is found to be more pronounced in women and in adults over age 50. (If nothing else … stand up, walk around, and go have lunch somewhere else!)
– “Sunday Times”

KING MUTT:
With strong features cast in burnished gold, ancient Egyptian King Tutankhamun’s burial mask projects an image of majestic beauty and royal power. But Albert Zink of Italy’s Institute for Mummies & The Iceman has deciphered the truth about the famed pharaoh by studying more than 2,000 computer scans as well as DNA from the royal family. His ‘virtual autopsy’ has revealed that Tut’s parents were brother & sister, and that Tut had girlish hips, a club foot, and … buck teeth. And rather than being a boy king with a love of chariot racing, Tut relied on walking sticks to get around during his 14th-century BC rule. The revelations are made in the BBC 1 documentary, “Tutankhamun: The Truth Uncovered”, which airs this coming Sunday. (No word on whether tests confirmed that he was ‘buried with a donkey’.)
– “Daily Mail”

GROCERIES.COM:
The online grocery start-up Webvan is rising from the dead, in the form of an online grocery business called Amazon Fresh. The move is part of Amazon.com’s slow build-out of its ‘Fresh’ program, targeting one of the largest retail sectors yet to be upended by online commerce … grocery shopping. The AmazonFresh program offers same-day or next-day delivery on more than 500,000 items including fresh and frozen foods. The service is now rolling out in Brooklyn NY after debuting in Seattle WA, as well as LA and San Francisco CA. (Now if they could only deliver your tomatoes via drone as they’ve been promising, you’d never have to bother hauling your lard-ass off the sofa again.)
– Reuters.com

MAKE BABIES WITH STEAK & BEER:
The just-completed Reproductive Medicine Conference in Honolulu HI has heard that a pint of beer a day can double men’s fertility. In fact, researchers say the biggest drinkers show a far better chance of conceiving than the lightest drinkers. On the other hand, coffee consumption has the opposite effect. Just 2 cups of java a day can diminish men’s chances of fathering a child by 2-thirds. And being vegetarian also seems to cut the odds of conceiving. Vegetarian and vegan diets have been connected to much lower sperm counts. Soy products eaten as meat and dairy substitutes could be the problem. (Clearly ‘beer goggles’ have a practical use.)
– Telegraph.co.uk

BS AMAZING INTERNATIONAL FACTS:
• There are more bicycles in Copenhagen, Denmark than people.
– BBC News
• The USA employs more private security guards than high-school teachers.
– “The Guardian”
• Maple leaves dipped in batter and deep fried are a popular snack in parts of Japan.
– Buzzfeed.com

BS CHRONOMETER 10.21.14

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1942 [72] Judy Sheindlin, Brooklyn NY, TV judge (“Judge Judy” since 1996)

1949 [65] Benjamin Netanyahu, Tel Aviv, Israel, 9th Israeli Prime Minister (2009-present, 1996-99)

1956 [58] Carrie Fisher, Beverly Hills CA, movie actress (‘Princess Leia’ in original “Star Wars” trilogy)/author (“Postcards From the Edge”)/screenwriter (“The Wedding Singer”)

1978 [36] Michael McMillian, Olathe KS, TV actor (‘Steve Newlin’ on “True Blood” 2008-14)

1980 [34] Kim Kardashian, Los Angeles CA, socialite/apparel retailer/TV personality (“Keeping Up With the Kardashians” since 2007)/Mrs Kanye West since May

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Babbling Day”, a day of tolerance for those who run off at the mouth … unless they’re on-the-air. Broadcasting rule #1: ‘Tis better to be brief than boring.

• “Garbanzo Bean Day”, celebrating the legume also known as the chickpea. They can be eaten cold in salads, cooked in stews, ground into flour, and shaped in balls and fried as falafel. They’re also the basis of the popular dip hummus, which is the Arabic word for chickpeas. (Or drywall filler.)

• “Information Overload Day”, the 6th annual workplace observance that calls attention to the problem of info overload and how it impacts both individuals and organizations. Seems we’re all suffering from TMI (Too Much Information).

• “International Day Of the Nacho”, celebrating the popular snack food that originated in Mexico. First created circa 1943 by Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Anaya while working at a restaurant called the Victory Club in Piedras Negras, the original nachos consisted of fried tortilla chips covered with melted cheese and jalapeño peppers.

• “Overseas Chinese Day”, an annual observation by Chinese ex-pats and those of Chinese descent when thousands return to their homeland for special celebrations. The country with the most overseas Chinese is Indonesia, with over 7.7 million; just ahead of Malaysia, with 7.6 million. The USA has 3.8 million; Canada 1.3 million.

• “Pumpkin Cheesecake Day”, a seasonal dish traditionally made with a graham cracker crust and a pumpkin purée cheesecake filling. Did you know that cheesecakes were popular in Greece as early as 2,000 BC? Today there are hundreds of variations all over the world.

• “Reptile Awareness Day”, to raise awareness that habitat-loss and the threat of extinction are significant concerns in the world of reptilian life.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2011 [03] The end of the world fails to materialize despite the prediction of 89-year-old radio preacher Harold Camping (his 4th attempt)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1994 [20] Pop singer Neil Diamond announces he’s divorcing longtime 2nd wife Marcia Murphey (the estimated $150-million cost is likely the biggest reason the 73-year-old is releasing yet another album today, entitled “Melody Road”)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1879 [135] 1st practical ‘Electric Light Bulb’ is demonstrated by Thomas Edison (before that, what appeared over peoples’ heads when they had an idea?)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1998 [16] NY Yankees set a Major League Baseball record of 125 victories for the regular and post season combined

COMING UP . . .
[Wed] International Stuttering Awareness Day
[Wed] Medical Assistants Recognition Day
[Wed] Nut Day
[Thurs] TV Talk Show Host Day
[Thurs] Diwali (Hindu)
This Week Is … Massage Therapy Week
This  Month Is … Caffeine Addiction Recovery Month

BULL’S BITS

BS HORRIBLESCOPES:
Use ’em all at once or one-at-a-time as the zodiac reading of the day …
• Aries – The future holds many fantastic and wonderful things. Unfortunately, many if not all of them, exclude you in their plans.
• Taurus – In time you will come to realize the futility of trying to scratch your name on your refrigerator using a rubber band.
• Gemini – Putty may be an important object for you today, as well as a ball of string, and a small ball-peen hammer.
• Cancer – Today you will lose all self-control. You’ll find it again tomorrow though … it just rolled under the couch.
• Leo – Any time you feel restless this week, try to imagine what it would be like to take Viagra and Ritalin at the same time.
• Virgo – The screaming of multiplication tables during love-making may help you pace yourself but is likely to alienate your partner, who will assume that your heart really isn’t in it.
• Libra – Complete the sentence: “My day will be really crappy today because my boss will find out that I’m on Facebook for [blank] hours daily.”
• Scorpio – Bits and pieces of the day will flash before your eyes before you’ve actually experienced them. This is due to your excitement over a newfound love … your love of drinking methanol.
• Sagittarius – Good day to count your blessings. Both of them.
• Capricorn – Your ability to speak may be impaired today as you attempt to swallow half of a live hedgehog.
• Aquarius – Dandruff and bad breath are not the best way to ward off unwanted advances. Although, assuming that is your intention, you are definitely going about it the right way.
• Pisces – Be forewarned that some La-Z-Boy reclining chairs can become dangerous if soaked in lime juice.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ A particular class? A long airport layover? A dreadful conversation? When you think back on all the times you’ve been really bored, what stands out?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
We Capricorns don’t believe in horoscopes …

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: The majority of people have a favorite one of THESE.
Answer: Coffee mug.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The only reason you think ‘they don’t make them like they used to’ is because you don’t see all the trashy cheap stuff that didn’t survive.