Wednesday, May 4, 2016 Edition: #5723
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Today “Silence Of the Lambs” actress Jodie Foster gets her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The former child star-turned-Oscar winner is being saluted by her “Panic Room” castmate Kristen Stewart. Jodie’s star in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX will be the 2,580th that the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has approved.
– WENN.com
★ “Star Wars: Episode VIII” is ‘halfway through’ filming. That’s according to the director, Rian Johnson. Filming started in February in Ireland. “Star Wars Episode VIII” premieres in December 2017. It’s expected the movie will begin right where “Episode VII: The Force Awakens” ended.
– “Newsbeat”
★ A new musical about Pope John Paul II opens in Poland next year, the first to be produced in the late pontiff’s home country. Hundreds of tickets have already been sold for “Karol”, which premieres in Krakow in February. Born Karol Wojtyla, he was archbishop of the city for over a decade prior to being elected Pope in 1978. The production uses pop-rock songs and contemporary dance to tell his life story.
– #NewsFromElsewhere
★ And Marjorie ‘Bo’ Gilbert is the first 100-year-old woman to appear in “Vogue” magazine. As part of an ad campaign for UK department store Harvey Nichols, Gilbert appears in the June issue, sporting Valentino eyeglasses, a Victoria Beckham blouse, and a Dries Van Noten coat. Stylish ‘Bo’ says she only dresses for herself, not for ‘boys’.
– “Business Insider”
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “The Aliens” (Space) – This British sci-fi drama is set in the present day, but supposedly 40 years after aliens crash-landed in the UK.
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – The Heavy (“Hurt & The Merciless”).
• “Criminal Minds” (CBS/CTV) – Season 11 finalé.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – P!nk (“Alice Through the Looking Glass”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Florida Georgia Line (“Dig Your Roots”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Garfunkel & Oates (“All Over Your Face”).
• “Late Late Show With James Corden” (CBS/M3) – Gwen Stefani (“This Is What the Truth Feels Like”).
• “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global) – Maxwell (“blackSUMMERS’night”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Grimes (“Art Angels”).
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Beyoncé – Each of the 12 tracks on “Lemonade” have charted on the ‘Billboard Hot 100’ countdown, led by “Formation” at #10 and “Sorry” at #11. The feat surpasses Taylor Swift’s mark of 11 tracks on the chart in the same week, a milestone she achieved in 2010 with the digital release of the songs from her “Speak Now” album.
• Britney Spears – She’s set to become only the 3rd-ever recipient of the prestigious ‘Millennium Award’ for outstanding career achievement at this year’s “Billboard Music Awards” on May 22nd in Las Vegas NV. The previous winners are Whitney Houston and Beyoncé.
• Kanye West – His criminal record has been wiped clean. After pleading no contest to misdemeanor battery in 2014 for allegedly punching a paparazzo at LAX, he was placed on probation for 2 years, ordered to serve 250 hours of community service, and attend anger management classes. Now that he’s completed his sentence, TMZ reports his request to have his record expunged has been granted.
• Prince – 7 of his tracks are now in the ‘Billboard Digital Songs’ chart’s top 10, led by “Purple Rain” and “When Doves Cry”. That mark surpasses Michael Jackson’s record of 6, following his death in 2009. Also this week 3 of Prince’s albums are in the top 5 on the ‘Billboard 200’.
• Stone Temple Pilots – Former Creed singer Scott Stapp has hinted he might be the new STP frontman. The role was left open following late Scott Weiland’s exit in 2013; soon after, Chester Bennington was hired as a temporary replacement. However, STP has tweeted: “Despite recent comments, Scott Stapp is not, nor has he ever been considered as the singer for STP.”
• Tupac Shakur – His mother, Afeni Shakur Davis, has died at age 69 of possible cardiac arrest at her home in Sausalito CA. Afeni, who was executor of Tupac’s estate, finally approved a biopic on the late rapper, “All Eyez on Me”, that’s due out November 11th. Actress Danai Gurira (‘Michonne’ on “The Walking Dead”) is playing Afeni onscreen.
BS BUZZWORDS:
Cutting-edge vocab …
• ‘Manologue’ – A long-winded oration or harangue given by a man, according to “New York TImes”. (Similar to ‘mansplaining’.)
• ‘People-Bots’ – People who use jargon and buzzwords unthinkingly. (“The takeaway from this is that at the end of the day it’s a win-win …”)
• ‘Sturgeon Face’ – A facial expression characterized by exaggeratedly turned-down lips, used to signal respect or grudging admiration. (Add in a simultaneous nod of the head for the full effect.)
ARE SMARTPHONES OVER?
After nearly 10 years of exponential growth, the smartphone market is showing signs of saturation as global sales have either been flat or declined for the first time in the 1st quarter of 2016. Strategy Analytics says shipments are down 3%, a landmark event that reflects a growing ‘phone fatigue’ in most markets. Apple, for instance, has reported its first-ever iPhone sales decline since Steve Jobs unveiled the iconic device in 2007. One analyst suggests we may be entering the latter stages of growth in the smartphone market. (Maybe because we’re all suffering from chronic kink in the neck?)
– TheStar.com
FROM THE BS POLL VAULT:
A statistical look at who we are and the things we do …
• 75% of Canadians but just 57% of Americans will admit to having gone ‘skinny dipping’ at least once.
• 74% of women say they are happier in their relationship when they get time to spend with their girlfriends on weekends.
• 63% of players say they pray before they gamble.
• 33% of women say they would love to change their laugh.
• 20% of us admit that we sometimes fake a phone call to avoid a ‘real life’ conversation.
• 14% of adults still keep cash in a piggy bank.
FANTASYLAND WEDDINGS:
Brides can be a Disney Princess for a day with Disney World’s new ‘Fairytale Wedding Experience’. The Florida theme park is being opened to couples who would like to get married at the end of Main Street in the East Plaza Garden, where there’s a clear view of Cinderella’s castle. Brides can even arrive on the scene in Cinderella’s coach. The park also offers other ceremony and reception locations. Packages start at $2,500. However, if you want a custom ceremony and reception for 100 in the Magic Kingdom, expect to pay at least $75,000 for your big day. (A year later when you divorce, you’ll realize it cost you over $200 a day to be married.)
– BuzzFeed News
FOR THE RECORD:
What is the most expensive object on Earth? According to Greenpeace, it will be a new nuclear power station in the southwest of the UK. The environmental group claims building the proposed plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset could surpass $35 billion. This figure includes a ballpark estimate for paying interest on borrowed money. Even if you stick with the expense of construction alone, the price is still high. The main contractor puts it at $26 billion. Compare that with the $1.5 billion it cost to construct the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa in Dubai UAE. Last month Greenpeace launched a petition against the reactor project. (Why not feed the world for a hundred years instead?)
– BBC News
BS AMAZING FACT:
People with more friends have higher pain tolerance.
– Oxford University
AND WE QUOTE:
“Women can be anything. Whatever I feel like wearing that day, it doesn’t define me. It defines what mood I’m in. That applies to all women.”
– Ariana Grande in UK’s “Style” magazine.
BS CHRONOMETER 05.04.16
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1956 [60] Sharon Jones, Augusta GA, R&B/soul singer (Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings-“Give the People What They Want”)
1959 [57] Randy Travis (Traywick), Marshville NC, country singer (“Forever & Ever Amen”)
1970 [46] Will Arnett, Toronto ON, TV actor (“Arrested Development” 2003-06, 2013)/voice actor (“Despicable Me”) COMING UP: “The Lego Batman Movie” (2017).
1972 [44] Mike Dirnt (Pritchard), Rodeo CA, rock bassist (Green Day-“Boulevard Of Broken Dreams”)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2015
1979 [37] Lance Bass, Laurel MS, former boy-band star (*NSYNC-“It’s Gonna Be Me”)
1986 [30] Nate Novarro, Newnan GA, pop-rock drummer (Cobra Starship f/Sabi-“You Make Me Feel …”)
1994 [22] RaeLynn (Racheal Lynn Woodward Davis), Baytown TX, country singer (“God Made Girls”)/reality TV contestant (“The Voice” 2012)
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Bike to School Day”, the 4th annual in coordination with National Bike Month. Don your helmets, everyone!
• “Day to Prevent Teen & Unplanned Pregnancy”, when teens are encouraged to visit the website StayTeen.org to participate in a quiz that challenges them to think carefully about what they might do ‘in the moment’ through a series of interactive scenarios.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/hk9x6va
• “Intergalactic Star Wars Day”, an unofficial holiday which celebrates the “Star Wars” franchise created by George Lucas. Why today? The date was chosen for the painful pun: “May the 4th be with you” (ouch!).
• “International Firefighters’ Day”, to recognize the efforts of those brave hearts who risk their lives to keep us safe. (And what women consistently pick in polls as ‘Sexiest Profession’.)
NET: http://www.firefightersday.org
• “Petite & Proud Day”, for all people under 5′-4″ who are tired of derogatory comments about their size. It’s all about celebrating your lack of height and the advantages it brings. Famous names 5′-4″ and under include: Amy Poehler, Eva Longoria, Natalie Portman, Michael J Fox, Reese Witherspoon.
• “Relationship Renewal Day”, a day to forget the old problems and celebrate the relationship making it through yet another year. Couples are encouraged to congratulate one another … and each other.
• “Respect For Chickens Day”, promoting compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl. Advocacy group United Poultry Concerns argues that we should celebrate the beauty and dignity of chickens and protest the bleakness of their lives in farming operations.
NET: http://www.upc-online.org
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2013 [03] Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, launches a lawsuit claiming a literary agent tricked her into giving up the copyright to her world-famous book (she dies in 2016 at age 86)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2012 [04] Adam Yauch, the gravelly-voiced rapper who helped make the Beastie Boys one of the seminal groups in hip-hop, dies in NYC of cancer at age 47
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2010 [06] An auction at Christie’s in NYC sets a record for the most expensive work of art sold at auction as Pablo Picasso’s “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” goes for $106 million
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Cartoonists Day
[Thurs] International Day Of the Midwife
[Thurs] International Roller Derby Day
[Thurs] Totally Chipotle Day
[Thurs] World Password Day
[Fri] Child Care Provider Day
[Fri] Military Spouse Appreciation Day
[Fri] No Diet Day
This Week Is … Choose Privacy Week
This Month Is … World Lyme Disease Awareness Month
BULL’S BITS
OFFICE COFFEE PERSONALITIES:
• The Addict – Scurries in and out of the break room every 5 minutes to see if coffee has been made yet.
• The Avoider – Sees an empty pot, sets it on top of the coffee-maker to say, “Hey, someone needs to make coffee.” Walks off.
• The Boor – So unparticular he’ll drink the mostly-evaporated sludge at the bottom of the pot.
• The Creamer – Only uses coffee as an excuse to feed a hopeless half-and-half habit.
• The Escape Artist – Will discreetly duck into the restroom or wait 5 minutes in a far cubicle for someone else to make a pot.
• The Perfectionist – Will dump out a half-pot because it ‘looks old’.
• The Purist – Scolds anyone who attempts to pour from the pot early or uses the machine’s hot water tap while coffee is brewing.
• The Stinker – Brews overpowering flavored coffee that taints every pot brewed for the remainder of the day, as well as smelling up the air in 5,000 sq ft of office space.
• The Trickster – Sends coffee drinkers into a panic when lining up for the last cup of coffee, only to use the hot water spout to make a cuppa tea.
– Adapted from YouMightBe.com
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
A recent survey finds that the average person does which 16 times a day?
a. Yawn.
b. Swear. [CORRECT]
c. Belch.
BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What is the best age to be? When did everything fall into place in just the right way?
BS MOTHER OF A QUIZ:
Just in time for Mom’s Day!
• According to the old proverb, what is the ‘Mother of Invention’? [Necessity]
• What was the collection of children’s stories published in 1697 by French poet Charles Perrault called? [“Tales of Mother Goose”]
• What’s the maternal name for a loose, unbelted dress? [‘Mother Hubbard’]
• What country is affectionately called ‘Mother’ by its citizens? [Russia]
• What’s the proper name for a mother sheep? [A female sheep is a ‘ewe’, a mommy is a ‘dam’.]
• What do you call the main circuit board in a computer? [The ‘motherboard’.]
BS RANDOM JOKE:
I had amnesia once … mmm, maybe twice.
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: This year about 2,000 bicyclists will be injured when they do THIS.
Answer: Run into an open car door.
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Don’t worry about what others think of you. They’re usually too worried about what you think of them.
