BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Are the Clooneys set to become parents? George & Amal (Alamuddin) are said to be considering adopting an orphan from a war-torn country, according to a magazine story. A source claims the 53-year-old actor and 36-year-old human rights lawyer are hoping to use the adoption to highlight the plight of orphans in countries like Syria. The source adds that George sees some of his best friends, such as Matt Damon, Cindy Crawford, and Brangelina enjoying parenthood, and he wants the same for him and his new wife.
– “Woman’s Day”
★ Granny chic is apparently here! Previously the color thousands of women desperately dyed their hair to disguise, gray is now becoming a thing. Led by a host of A-list celebrities from Rihanna to Pink to Kylie Jenner, silver locks have become a new fashion statement. The youngest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan suffered through 12 hours at a hairdresser to get the look. “Orange Is the New Black” star Dascha Polanco and model Charlotte Free are also rocking the newest look. How long do you think it will last?
– Style.com
★ And the Robertsons are heading to Vegas. The family, famous for the A&E reality show “Duck Dynasty” is expanding their brand to a stage musical entitled “The Duck Commander Family Musical”. Actors will play the Louisiana family in a 90-minute show following their path to success. “Jersey Boys” producer Michael David is developing the project, based on the 2012 book by Willie & Korie Robertson, “The Duck Commander Family: How Faith, Family, and Ducks Built a Dynasty”. It’s hoped the show will be ready to open in February at the Rio Hotel & Casino.
– “New York Times”

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Hoodie Allen (“People Keep Talking).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Courtney Love (Hole).
• “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” (CBS/Omni 1) – Metallica continues a week-long residency.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Hiss Golden Messenger (“Lateness of Dancers”).
• Musicians on Call Gala (NYC) – The 15th annual honors Kelly Clarkson & Republic Records VP Charlie Walk, both of whom are involved with the nonprofit organization that brings music to the bedsides of hospital patients. Performers include Jessie J, Nick Jonas, and Shawn Mendes.
• “Tavis Smiley” (PBS) – Peter Yarrow & Noel ‘Paul’ Stookey of 1960s folk group Peter, Paul & Mary.
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – U2 frontman Bono is undergoing surgery after injuring his arm while riding his bicycle in NYC’s Central Park. That’s put the kibosh on this week’s planned U2 residency on the show. It’s postponed indefinitely.
• “The Voice” (NBC/CTV2) – Two artists go home, while 10 advance to the next stage; Brit singer Ella Henderson (“Chapter One”) performs.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Band Aid 30 – Their reworked version of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” has just gone on sale in Britain and is already bookmakers’ favorite to become the UK’s ‘Christmas #1’.
• Carrie Underwood – She tops the ‘Billboard Hot Country Songs’ chart for this week with “Something In the Water”. Carrie jumped from 5th to 1st, knocking Sam Hunt’s “Leave the Night On” out of top spot.
• Juvenile – He’s announced he’s returning to Cash Money Records, the New Orleans label where he launched his career. His 12th full-length album will be out sometime in 2015.
• Neil Young – He’s boycotting Starbucks over the company’s collaboration in a lawsuit in Vermont. Four food industry organizations have filed suit against the state over a new ruling that requires foods with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOS) to be labeled as such.
• One Direction – With their new album “Four” dropping this week, the boys are now getting their own holiday season TV special. “One Direction: The TV Special” airs December 23rd on NBC-TV.
• Paul McCartney – This week’s release, “The Art of McCartney”, is a special project celebrating McCartney as a songwriter. The line-up on the compilation album includes Barry Gibb (“When I’m 64”); BB King (“On the Way”); Billy Joel (“Maybe I’m Amazed”); Bob Dylan (“Things We Said Today”); Chrissie Hynde (“Let It Be) and many more. It’s available in a variety of formats including a 42-track deluxe set.
• S Club 7 – Spurred on by the success of their recent one-off reunion performance for the Children in Need charity, the 1990s Brit pop group has announced it will be touring arenas throughout the UK in 2015.

THIS WEEK’S VIDEO RELEASES:
Out today on DVD, Netflix, Google Play and/or other video providers …
• “If I Stay” ( PG-13 Drama ): Chloë Grace Moretz stars as a young woman whose life changes in an instant after a car accident puts her in a coma. During an out-of-body experience, she must decide whether or not to wake up and live a life far different than she had imagined. Co-stars Mireille Enos, Jamie Blackley. The film’s been compared to “The Fault in Our Stars”.
• “Into the Storm” ( PG-13 Action Thriller ): In the span of a single day, the fictional town of ‘Silverton’ is ravaged by an unprecedented onslaught of tornadoes, even as storm trackers predict the worst are yet to come. Stars Richard Armitage (“The Hobbit”), Sarah Wayne Callies (“The Walking Dead”), Matt Walsh, Max Deacon.
• “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” ( R-Rated Crime Thriller ): This sequel to the 2005 film weaves together 2 of Frank Miller’s graphic novels with new tales. Some of Sin City’s most hard-boiled citizens cross paths with a few of its more reviled inhabitants. Stars Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Co-directed by Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez.
• “22 Jump Street” ( R-Rated Crime Comedy ): After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers ‘Schmidt’ & ‘Jenko’ (Jonah Hill & Channing Tatum) when they go deep undercover at a local college. Co-stars Ice Cube, Nick Offerman. Sequel to the unexpected 2012 hit “21 Jump Street”.
• “The Wind Rises” ( PG-13 Animated Drama ): Nearsighted and unable to be a pilot, ‘Jiro’ joins a Japanese engineering company in 1927 and becomes one of the world’s most innovative and accomplished airplane designers. Impressive voice cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Martin Short, Stanley Tucci, Mandy Patinkin, and William H Macy.
• Also released today: “Alive Inside” (Documentary); “King Of the Hill: The Complete 7 & 8th Seasons (TV Animation); “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster” (Music Documentary); “Robot Chicken: Christmas Specials” (TV Animation); and “20,000 Days on Earth” (Documentary).

TOWEL TRAUMA:
Forget door handles and toilet seats, the most germ-infested objects in your home just may be … your towels. The main problem is that towels are used in the most germ-ridden areas of the house and they tend to retain moisture, allowing bacteria to breed. Researchers from the University of Arizona who analyzed tea towels for bacteria that causes food-poisoning detected sickness-causing bacteria in 89% of them and E coli in 26%. The experts warn that bacteria can also transfer from bathroom towels and diseases like athlete’s foot can be passed on to different family members. What to do? Washing towels in hot water is the easiest way to get rid of the germs. Unlaundered, used, moist towels produce the highest risk of infections. (Get out the bleach!)
– @MailOnline

WHAT SHOULD THE CATEGORY CODES BE?
It has come to the attention of the Swedish government that sometimes videogames do not promote gender equality. The Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems, Vinnova, is attempting to draw attention to this by developing a new rating system that will warn users about misogyny in videogames. The agency will work with a number of game developers to determine how Swedish videogames portray women. The new rating system is only in the early stages of development, but it’s being inspired by the ‘Bechdel Test’. (That’s the requirement that at least 2 women are featured, who talk to each other about something other than a man. The requirement that the women must be named is sometimes added.)
– DailyDot.com

FATHEAD FACTS:
After years of analysis of 1,000 soccer players from 32 countries who took part in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder have come up with some interesting discoveries. By measuring the distance between players’ cheekbones and diving it by the distance between the mid-brow and the upper lip, they’ve calculated each player’s facial-width-to-height ratio (FWHR). A few highlights of the study …
• Players with a high FWHR (wider faces) tend to score more goals.
• Players with a high FWHR also tend to commit more fouls.
• Increased FWHR is associated with increased aggressive behavior.
• It’s thought that a wider face shape indicates higher levels of testosterone.
As an example, Manchester United star Wayne Rooney, nicknamed ‘Shrek’ because of the wide shape of his head, will be awarded a Golden Cap at Wembley on Saturday to mark his 100th appearance for England. As well as being a top scorer, he’s also received 6 red cards (game ejections) in his career. (New recruiting method … size 10 hat.)
– TheNewsGazette.net

BY THE FLICKERING FIRELIGHT:
Prehistoric people gathered around campfires to keep warm and to make friends, which would have given them a survival advantage. And now anthropologists from the University of Alabama believe that modern day humans’ relaxing response to fire is a reflection of that; it’s evolutionary. It seems that staring at flickering firelight awakens our inner caveman. Like the ancients, sitting by the warmth of a fire makes us feel calmer and more sociable. Tests show it even causes our blood pressure to drop. Interestingly, the study shows that the longer we sit and stare at a fire, the more relaxed we … (ZZZZZzzzzz.)
– DailyMail.co.uk

TO STOOP OR NOT TO STOOP:
The age-old advice to ‘bend your knees and keep your back straight’ when you lift something is flawed, say scientists at Scotland’s University of Aberdeen. They’ve found that the way a person should best lift is determined by the shape of the spine. An individual’s curvature of the spine is unique, like a fingerprint, so a ‘one size fits all’ approach is not effective, the scientists say. In experiments, those with ‘curvy’ spines found it more comfortable to bend over or stoop when lifting; while people with straighter spines found bending the knees and squatting most comfortable and effective. (We find the most comfortable is … asking someone else to lift it.)
– Backcare.org.uk

BS AMAZING FACT:
Nearly half of people surveyed wrongly believe that their dogs are as smart as 3- to 5-year-old children. (Can Fido fingerpaint, then hang his artwork on the fridge with magnets? Uh uh.)
– TIME.com

BS CHRONOMETER 11.18.14

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1939 [75] Margaret Atwood, Ottawa ON, ‘dean of Canadian authors’ (“The Blind Assassin”, “The Handmaid’s Tale”)/Order of Canada (1981)/Canada’s Walk of Fame (2001)

1962 [52] Kirk Hammet, San Francisco CA, rock guitarist-singer (Metallica-“The Day That Never Comes”, “St Anger”)

1968 [46] Owen Wilson, Dallas TX, movie actor (“Midnight in Paris”, “Wedding Crashers”)/brother of actor Luke Wilson

1974 [40] Chloe Sevigny, Springfield MA, movie actress (“Lovelace”, “Boys Don’t Cry”)/TV actress (“Big Love” 2006-11)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Married To a Scorpio Support Day”, a day of remembrance to honor those who are married to Scorpios. Are they that bad? Any horror stories out there?

• “Mickey Mouse Day”, generally observed as his ‘birthday’ when he appeared in the cartoon short “Steamboat Willie” in 1928 (now making him a geezer mouse of 86). It was the first cartoon with synchronized sound.

• “Prematurity Awareness Day”, observed annually on the 3rd Tuesday of November to raise awareness of premature babies worldwide and their need for special care.
NET: http://www.marchofdimes.org

• “Vichyssoise Day” [vee-shee-SWAHZ], saluting the creamy potato & leek soup that is traditionally served chilled. Legend has it that a French chef, born in a town near Vichy, created the dish in 1917 at NYC’s Ritz-Carlton hotel.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2006 [08] Acting couple Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes (referred to as ‘TomKat’ by the media) are married in a Scientology ceremony at a 15th-century castle in Lake Bracciano, Italy

2011 [03] “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” opens in movie theaters (racks up $139.5 million over 3-day weekend)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1989 [25] “Love Shack” by The B-52s peaks at #3 on the pop singles chart

2005 [09] The acclaimed Johnny Cash biopic “Walk The Line” opens in movie theaters (her performance as June Carter Cash wins Reese Witherspoon an Oscar)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1994 [20] Rolling Stones become the 1st rock act to stream a live concert on the Internet, 20 minutes of a show in Dallas TX

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2003 [11] Barry Bonds is named National League’s ‘Most Valuable Player’ for a record 6th time

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Equal Opportunity Day
[Wed] International Men’s Day
[Thurs] 2014 Billboard Touring Awards (NYC)
[Thurs] Transgender Day of Remembrance
[Fri] “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” opens in movie theaters
This Week Is … Game & Puzzle Week
This Month Is … Banana Pudding Lovers Month

BULL’S BITS

HILARIOUSLY INAPPROPRIATE BOOK TITLES:
They may be a tad obscure, but these are real titles that were actually published …
• “Pooh Gets Stuck”, a Winnie the Pooh First Reader.
• “Still Stripping After 25 Years”, from the Quilt-In-a-Day Series.
• “Who Will Toss My Salad?”, a Little Golden Book.
• “Shag the Pony & Other Stories”, from the London Catholic Truth Society.
• “A Passion for Donkeys”, by Dr Elisabeth D Svendsen.
• “Drummer Dick’s Discharge”, by Beatrix M De Burgh.
• “Scouts In Bondage”, by Geoffrey Prout.
• “Old Tractors & The Men Who Love Them”, by Roger Welsch.
• “The Pocket Book of Boners”, an Omnibus of Schoolboy Howlers.
– Adapted from BuzzFeed.com

BS RANDOM JOKE:
“Wheel of Fortune’s” Vanna White is off sick this week. She hasn’t had a vowel movement since Thursday.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What invention are you shocked we don’t have yet?

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
Which of the following were working titles for what became Margaret Mitchell’s masterpiece novel, “Gone With the Wind”?
a.”Tomorrow is Another Day”
b. “Bugles Sang True”
c. “Tote the Weary Load”
[Trick question. The answer is all of them!]

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: In a recent poll, most people say photos are the #1 thing they hang onto as a keepsake from an old relationship; followed by THIS.
Answer: Ticket stubs.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Many people lose their tempers merely from seeing you keep yours.