BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ With the number of women accusing Bill Cosby of sexual assault already topping 50, the comedian is hitting back, at least against 7 of them. His lawyer is countersuing, accusing them of “willfully, maliciously, and falsely accusing Mr Cosby of multi-decade-old purported sexual misconduct” and “inducing both NBC and Netflix to postpone or cancel their contract with Mr Cosby.” All 7 women are from Massachusetts. By filing the claim, Cosby runs the risk of being forced to testify and answer some very tough questions and accusations under oath.
– Deadline.com
★ Singer Marc Anthony is standing by his troubled client Aroldis Chapman as he faces an investigation of domestic violence accusations. The 27-year-old baseball pitcher is Anthony’s first signing with his new Magnus Sports agency. But the LA Dodgers have already pulled out of a deal to sign Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds, and the Washington Nationals have declined to pursue a deal while the case is pending. Chapman’s girlfriend has told police Chapman “pushed” and “choked” her during a verbal altercation in October at their home in Florida.
– TMZ.com
★ And Australian actress/model Ruby Rose has ended her engagement to designer Phoebe Dahl. The “Orange Is the New Black” star (‘Stella Carlin’) and Dahl dated for 2 years before becoming engaged in 2014, but now they’ve axed wedding plans due to the strain of their long distance relationship. Rose, who’s previously admitted that Dahl had turned down her proposal 3 times before changing her mind, had originally planned to tie the knot in 2015 but she postponed the wedding after landing a role on Netflix’s hit prison drama.
– E! News

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Brian Setzer Orchestra (“Rockin’ Rudolph”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Gary Clark Jr (“The Story of Sonny Boy Slim”).
• “Late Late Show With James Corden” (CBS/M3) – Carly Rae Jepsen (“Emotion”).
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV) – Moon Taxi (“Daybreakers”).
• “Meredith Vieira” (syndicated) – Aretha Franklin (“This Christmas, Aretha”).
• “The Real” (syndicated) – Jadakiss (“Top 5 Dead or Alive”).
• “Survivor” (CBS/Global) – In the Season 21 finalé, a “Survivor” first occurs during tribal council; then the 3 finalists battle it out for the prize. The castaway reunion special follows.
• “The Talk” (CBS) – LeAnn Rimes (“Today is Christmas”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Twenty One Pilots (“Blurryface”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Ace of Base – They were big in the 1990s; apparently not so big anymore. Jenny Berggren, one of the singers from the Swedish pop band (“The Sign”), has had to cancel a charity concert planned for Thursday in Lund, Sweden … after just 12 tickets sold.
• Adele – She’s matched her own record for longest run atop the ‘Billboard Hot 100’. “Hello” has remained at #1 for 7 weeks, tying the record of “Rolling In the Deep” set in 2011.
• Cole Swindell – His new single “You Should Be Here” is about his dad William, who died tragically in Summer 2013 when a truck he was working on fell on him.
• Diplo – He’s the most Shazam-ed artist of 2015, with more than 40 million hits worldwide on the music app. That means users pulled out the app to identify more of the DJ’s songs than those of any other artist, thanks to his work with Major Lazer and his Jack U duo with Skrillex.
• Drake – Elle.com reports that designer Tom Ford’s latest lipstick shade, inspired by the “Hotline Bling” star, sold out at online fashion site Net-a-Porter just moments after it was listed on Monday.
• K’naan – He’s working on an HBO-TV series with filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow (“The Hurt Locker”). The Somali-Canadian rapper/singer is writing and directing the pilot episode of “The Recruiters”, which focuses on the recruitment of Islamic extremists in America.
• Luke Bryan – He’s searching for a new co-host for the “Academy Of Country Music Awards” following news his pal Blake Shelton has decided not to return for next year’s ceremony in April. “Taste of Country” is suggesting Dierks Bentley has already been tapped to replace Shelton.
• Nickelback – After cancelling over 60 concerts this Summer due to a cyst on lead singer Chad Kroeger’s vocal cords, they filed a $13 million-claim with their insurance company to cover losses. But Lloyd’s of London is now contending the policy is void because the cyst was a pre-existing condition kept secret.
• Rick Ross – The Florida rapper tells RollingStone.com he has penned a script inspired by his life experiences and is hoping to turn it into a film or TV series. He offers up few details about the project, except that it will revolve around gangsters.

MOST-PLAYED HOLIDAY SONGS IN RETAIL:
Everywhere you go this holiday shopping season Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is being played. There’s no escaping it. But for the first time in decades there’s another song you’ll hear more often. For the first year since Carey’s Christmas hit was released in 1994, it’s not in top spot when it comes to seasonal song play in stores. This year’s top 10 …
1. The Shins, “Wonderful Christmastime”
2. Mariah Carey, “All I Want for Christmas Is You”
3. Christina Aguilera, “Christmas Time”
4. Waitresses, “Christmas Wrapping”
5. Jack Johnson, “Someday at Christmas”
6. Kelly Clarkson, “Underneath the Tree”
7. Michael Bublé, “Holly Jolly Christmas”
8. Bing Crosby, “White Christmas”
9. Train, “What Christmas Means to Me”
10. Ella Fitzgerald, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
– PasteMagazine.com

THIS STINKS, REALLY STINKS:
Imagine the scent of “butt crack … with a hint of dead animal.” That’s how inventor Allen Wittman describes his creation, ‘Liquid ASS’, a smelly spray initially intended to be used for practical jokes. “Metro” describes the scent as “the most appalling smell known to humanity”, adding the product lets you “recreate the smell of festival toilets, a soiled diaper, or a burst sewer in the comfort of your own home.” Available for $10 on Amazon, it’s now used by the US military to harden medics to the smell of a torn intestine leaking waste. Yes, it’s that bad. It’s now flying off shelves along with Whitman’s other products: ‘BARFume’, ‘Tex-Ass’, and ‘Fake Dog Poop’. (Where’s the ‘Cat Pee’? Equal time, please!)
– OddityCentral.com

FROM THE BS POLL VAULT:
A statistical look at who we are and the things we do …
• 77% of Christmas shoppers have already bought a present for themselves.
• 71% of us say the #1 reason the holiday season causes us stress is shopping.
• 61% of women do NOT want lingerie for Christmas.
• 40% of us have ‘double dipped’ at a holiday party even though we know we shouldn’t.
• 30% of us secretly hope one specific family member doesn’t show up for Christmas.
• 5% of people admit to playing games on the phone … while driving.

SPEAKING ‘TUBE’:
Think people sound similar when speaking on YouTube? You’re right. American University linguistics professor Naomi Baron has broken down what’s being called ‘YouTube voice’ …
✓ In general, a ‘bouncy’ speaking style.
✓ Overstressed vowels, ie: saying “eh-xactly” instead of the usual, lazy pronunciation “exactly”.
✓ Added vowels, as in “terraping” instead of “trapping”.
✓ Elongated vowels, like turning “five” into “fiiiive”.
✓ Elongated consonants, so that “fascinatingly” becomes “fffascinatingly”.
What’s interesting, Baron says, is how similar people end up sounding, rather than sounding like themselves. In an attempt to sound special, they end up sounding like a whole genre of others. (Hmm, radio people. Can we think of another medium where this is often true?)
– TheAtlantic.com

BS BUZZWORDS:
Cutting-edge vocab …
• ‘Brag Map’ – A map used for bragging purposes, particularly a map that exaggerates the importance of a place, or that shows where one is from, or the places one has visited.
• ‘Condesplaining’ – Explaining in a condescending way, particularly from a point of view of power or privilege.
• ‘FOGO’ – Fear of Going Out, particularly if one is tired from previous socializing; or the desire to not attend a popular event that is over-hyped or over-commercialized.

MOONING THE HOLIDAY:
The last time there was a Full Moon on Christmas was 1977. It’s an event that won’t happen again until 2034, and then every 19 years after that for a few cycles. While it’s been 38 years since the last Christmas Day Full Moon, it came close in 2007 (Christmas Eve) and in 2004 (December 26th). This Moon has its own set of nicknames: Cold Moon; Long Nights Moon; and the Moon Before Yule. To catch a glimpse, you’ll have to get up early … it’s set to peak on Christmas Day at 6:11 am EST. As a bit of a cheat, Weather Channel recommends simply viewing it Christmas Eve, when it’ll essentially appear to be full. (A Full Moon on Xmas? The kids are gonna be extra rambunctious!)
– “The Independent”

2015’s PRICIEST CARS:
You think a $100,000 Tesla is expensive? Pshaw. That’s nothing compared to these Kelley Blue Book listings …
1. McLaren P1 ($1.2 million) … It can hit 217 mph.
2. Porsche 918 Spyder ($930,000) … Just 918 have been produced in the 2015 model year.
3. Lamborghini Aventador ($557,000) … The fuel will cost ya, too; it gets just 11 mpg in the city.
4. Rolls-Royce Phantom ($485,000) … Custom-built to a client’s specifications.
5. Ferrari F12berlinetta ( $328,000) … Goes from zero-to-60 mph in little more than 3 seconds.
– “24/7 Wall Street”

FOR THE RECORD:
The decimal points alone could buy a posh residence! An unknown buyer has paid $100.47 million for a Manhattan condo overlooking Central Park. The 11,000-square-foot penthouse is in the luxe One57 apartment tower. It’s not only the highest price ever paid for a Manhattan condo, it’s the first single-family home in NYC to sell for more than $100 million. The sale breaks the previous city mark of $88 million set a few years ago by a Russian mogul.
– TheRealDeal.com

DID YOU KNOW?
Employees who say they love following the rules are the ones who are most likely to be fired for breaking them.
– “New York Magazine”

BS CHRONOMETER 12.16.15

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1941 [74] Lesley Stahl, Lynn MA, extremely well-preserved (renovated?) TV journalist (“60 Minutes” since 1991)

1963 [52] Benjamin Bratt, San Francisco CA, TV actor (“Private Practice” 2011-13, “Law & Order” 1990-99)/movie actor (“Despicable Me 2”, “Miss Congeniality”)  UP NEXT: Co-stars in Lee Daniels’ as-yet-untitled FOX-TV music drama pilot.

1975 [40] Benjamin Kowalewicz, Montréal QC, rock singer (Billy Talent-“Stand Up and Run”, “Rusted From the Rain”)

1981 [34] Krysten Ritter, Bloomsburg PA, TV actress (“Jessica Jones” on Netflix 2015, “Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23” 2012-13)/movie actress (“Veronica Mars”, “Big Eyes”)

1984 [31] Theo James, Oxford UK, movie actor (“The Divergent Series”)  UP NEXT: “The Divergent Series: Allegiant” (2016).

1986 [29] Dave Rublin, Maplewood NJ, rock bassist-keyboardist (American Authors-“Best Day Of My Life”, “Believer”)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Chocolate Covered Anything Day”. What unusual food enveloped in chocolate have you eaten? Chocolate-covered coffee beans … mmm!

• “Las Posadas” begins, the traditional 9-day Mexican Christmas celebration that includes breaking open a piñata. Similarly, “Simbang Gabi” in the Philippines runs today through January 6th, said to be the world’s longest Christmas celebration.

• “Stupid Toy Day”, a half-hearted salute to some of the bad inventions marketed for kids. How about these real but really dumb ideas: ‘Inflatable 6-Foot Alien’, and … ‘Pick Your Nose Cups’.
NET: http://tinyurl.com/knmqz25

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2010 [05] “Larry King Live” ends after 25 years on CNN as the 77-year-old host retires

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2007 [08] Singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg (“Lonely in Love”, “Rhythm Of the Rain”) dies of prostate cancer in Deer Isle ME at age 56

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1998 [17] Kevin Cole of Carlsbad NM sets a new world record by blowing 7 inches of spaghetti out of his nose, beating the previous record of 5 inches (mom must be so proud)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Free Shipping Day
[Thurs] Re-Gifting Day
[Fri] “Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Road Chip”; “Sisters”; “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens” open in movie theaters
[Fri] Answer the Phone Like Buddy the Elf Day
[Fri] Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
[Sat] “John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert” (AMC)
This Week Is … Christmas Bird Count Week
This Month Is … Universal Human Rights Month

BULL’S BITS

BS THINGS THAT SMELL GOOD, BUT SHOULDN’T BE MADE INTO CANDLE SCENTS:
✗ Potato salad.
✗ Bean burritos.
✗ Baked ham.
✗ Cream of mushroom soup.
✗ Newly-washed hair.
✗ Freshly applied deodorant.
✗ Just-shaved Grandpa.
✗ Sleeping baby.
✗ Whiskey sour.
✗ First cigarette of the morning.
– Thanks to Ebony Adams

BS RANDOM JOKE:
After every 10 selfies your phone should shut down until you read a book.

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
What modern-day Christmas custom has been borrowed from ancient Rome’s New Year celebration?
a. Decorating a tree.
b. Displaying a wreath on the front door.
c. Hanging stockings by the fireplace.
d. Putting up mistletoe to make a ‘kissing bough’. [CORRECT]
– TriviaPark.com

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ Are you a risk taker? What is the biggest risk that you’ve ever taken?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Close to half of people polled say doing THIS makes them happier.
Answer: NOT logging onto Facebook every day.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Happiness is wanting what you have.