100% Grade A Bull!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ A Los Angeles billboard promoting Bradley Cooper’s “American Sniper” has been taken down after it was daubed with red graffiti which spelled out “Murder!” in large red letters next to an image of Cooper. The Oscar-nominated picture, which features Cooper as real-life crack-shot soldier Chris Kyle, has become a hot topic in recent days as Hollywood stars and the public at large take sides, some saying it reflects patriotic heroism, others dubbing it jingoistic war-mongering. Despite the fallout, “American Sniper” has become a massive box office hit.
– WENN.com
★ 45-year-old singer/actress Jennifer Lopez says she’s not a fan of the term ‘cougar’ as applied to older women on the prowl for younger men. She’s angry that the label has been attached to her ever since she had a relationship with 20-something dancer Casper Smart. Lopez insists she is NOT a cougar and that she is NOT dating 27-year-old Ryan Guzman, her co-star in the new movie “The Boy Next Door” (opening Friday). She says the term is an example of gender imbalance. Quote: “What’s the name for an older guy who’s after younger girls?” Um, lech?
– ContactMusic.com
★ Singer LeAnn Rimes & actor-husband Eddie Cibrian’s VH1 reality show “LeAnn & Eddie” has been axed after just 1 season. The couple’s relationship has been well documented since they hit headlines in 2009 when they had an affair while playing onscreen lovers in the TV movie “Northern Lights”. They eventually split from their respective partners and wed in 2011. The reality series that followed their relationship and careers premiered last July and ran for just 8 episodes.
– WENN.com
★ And the former NHL hockey superstar known as ‘The Great One’ has apparently become the ‘Great Grandpa’ as Wayne Gretzky’s oldest daughter has given birth to her first child. 26-year-old Paulina Gretzky, who is engaged to 30-year-old PGA Tour veteran Dustin Johnson, reportedly gave birth to a baby boy on Monday. The couple announced the pregnancy on Instagram in September, but then tried to stay out of the spotlight. This is Wayne’s first grandchild. He has 5 kids.
– TMZ.com
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “American Idol” (FOX) – Auditions continue as more vocalists try to impress judges and make it to the next level.
• “Backstrom” (FOX) – Series debut of a new crime drama starring Rainn Wilson (“The Office”) as a renowned yet quirky police detective, who takes on daunting cases.
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Rae Sremmurd (“StremmLife”).
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Sam Hunt (“Montevallo”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – The Decemberists (“What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Dum Dum Girls (“Too True”); Meatbodies (“Meatbodies”). Rerun.
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/Omni1) – Nicole Atkins (“Slow Phaser”). Rerun.
• “Nightwatch” (A&E) – Debut of a new hour-long docu-series from show-runner Dick Wolf (“Law & Order” franchise) that follows emergency teams working the intense graveyard shift in New Orleans LA, one of the world’s most notorious night cities.
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Blake Shelton (“Bringing Back the Sunshine”); Mötley Crüe (“Saints of Los Angeles”).
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Chris Young / Lee Brice –Tonight they join forces for a co-headlining tour beginning in Syracuse NY, which then heads across the west all the way to Hawaii. They toured together last year as openers for Brad Paisley and decided they’d like to repeat the experience.
• Iggy Azalea – The 24-year-old Australian tells “GQ” magazine she’s hoping for a long career and hopes to still be ”gyrating in a leotard” at the ripe old age of … 35.
• Justin Bieber – He’s set to get the celebrity roast treatment; the Comedy Central special will tape in March and air at an undetermined date later in 2015.
• Madonna – The lineup of collaborators on her new album “Rebel Heart” includes Nas, Nicki Minaj, Chance the Rapper, and – huh?!? – Mike Tyson. “Rebel Heart” is scheduled for release March 10th.
• Meghan Trainor – She says Brit singer-songwriter Sam Smith is one of her ‘besties’. After meeting for the first time recently, they got along so well they exchanged phone numbers and she already considers him one of her best friends.
• Miley Cyrus – Her California home has been put up for sale following a series of burglaries of the property. The mansion in Toluca Lake has been targeted by thieves several times over the last few years.
• Pharrell Williams – At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland he’s announced he’ll gather music artists from around-the-world to perform in a 2nd series of Live Earth concerts on June 18th. Live Earth was launched in 2007 as a global movement aimed at solving the most critical environmental issues of our time.
• Rihanna – She’s gearing for the release of her 8th studio album and is reportedly in talks to perform an enormous show which could shut down one of NYC’s busiest neighborhoods. The “NBA All-Star Weekend” (February 10-13) event is being organized by Jay Z’s Roc Nation.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
A BS selection of movies in the making …
• “American Drug Lord” – Former “Sons of Anarchy” actor Charlie Hunnam is set to star in this real-life crime drama based on a 2011 “Rolling Stone” article. Hunnam plays drug cartel leader Edgar Valdez, a Mexican/American born and raised in Laredo TX who became the first US citizen to lead his own drug cartel, moving narcotics from a base in Acapulco, Mexico.
• “GI Joe 3” – DJ Caruso (“Disturbia”, “Eagle Eye”) is in talks to direct the 3rd installment in the franchise. It’s unclear which actors from the previous movie might return other than Dwayne Johnson, who’s confirmed to reprise his role as ‘Roadblock’. “GI Joe: Retaliation” (2013) grossed $376 million worldwide; the original “GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra” (2009) $303 million.
• “The Huntsman” – “Into the Woods” actress Emily Blunt is in talks to play Charlize Theron’s evil sister ‘The Snow Queen’ in this 2016 sequel to “Snow White & The Huntsman”. Theron is set to reprise her role as villainous ‘Ravenna’ and Chris Hemsworth will return as huntsman ‘Eric’. The sequel finds him on a quest to find the stolen magic mirror.
• “Random Acts of Violence” – Actor Jay Baruchel is making his directorial debut with this adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name. He says he’s so keen to avoid drama off-camera that he’s cast personal friends Emily Van Camp & David Krumholtz in the lead roles. The “crazy, weird, little art horror movie” is set to shoot in Northern Ontario later this year.
• “13 Hours” – John Krasinski is in talks to star in this Michael Bay film based on the true story of the attack on the American compound in Benghazi, Libya on the 11th anniversary of 9/11 in 2012. Krasinski would play a Navy SEAL, one of the lead roles. The film’s based on Mitchell Zuckoff’s book “13 Hours: A Firsthand Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi”.
UNLIKELY SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES:
Too lazy to shop? There’s a subscription solution for almost every lifestyle demand you can think of that promises to delivery the goods right to your door. Among them …
• Bacon – Cure & Simple offers ‘artisan bacon through your door’ every week, every 2 weeks, or monthly … so you can properly pig out.
• Beauty Products – For a monthly fee, you get a box of surprises from lip gloss to nail polish. Soon your bathroom cabinet will be overflowing with sample-sized ointments you never use.
• Cake – The web-based Cake Slice Club delivers a single piece of cake to your door. Yup, one slice. Once again, the Internet has solved a problem no one had.
• Condoms – If you’re too embarrassed to buy them in a pharmacy, there are a rash of subscription condom services with names like Sir Richard’s Collection.
• Dog Turf – If you’re an urban dweller and your dog turns up his nose at concrete, you can buy a $27 square of sod as a place for poochie to ‘go’. Seriously. Fresh Patch is delivered weekly.
• Records – ‘Vinyl Me, Please’ is a service that delivers an album to your door each month. It also offers limited-edition art prints and a weekly music magazine.
• Socks – You can avoid having oddly-matched socks ever again by signing up for a sock service that sends you up to 3 pairs a month.
• Tampons – A monthly Pink Parcel includes not only a box of tampons, but also sachets of tea, small bars of chocolate, and beauty samples.
(And what would YOU like delivered?)
– Condensed from TheGuardian.com
FEARLESS FACTOR:
A spice commonly used in curry could help banish bad memories, according to a new City University of New York study. Curcumin, a bright-yellow compound found in the root of the Indian spice turmeric, seems to prevent new fear memories from being stored in the brain. It also helps remove pre-existing fear memories. It is not yet fully understood how curcumin impairs fear memories while sparing other types, but it is known that different types of memory systems encode different types of memories. So, the memory of the event could still be there, but with the frightening aspect removed. The scientists hope their findings will contribute to the development of treatments for psychological conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. (If this is all true, shouldn’t Indians be totally fearless?)
– @MailOnline
THINGS MOM WAS RIGHT ABOUT:
A few health clichés that actually turn out to be true …
✓ An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, at least it helps reduce the risk of heart attack by as much as 12% according to recent Oxford University studies.
✓ Bundle up in Winter! Just this month Yale University researchers announced that they’ve found that a cold nose provides a better habitat for the virus that causes the common cold.
✓ Morning sickness predicts a baby girl. University of Washington has found that pregnant women hospitalized for extreme nausea for 3 days or more are 80% more likely to have a girl.
✓ Count sheep to help you sleep. The trick is not to count up to 100 as that makes the mind work too hard. Instead boringly count the same 2 or 3 sheep going in and out of a gate.
✓ Cloves stop toothache. Clove oil contain eugenol, which has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, and anaesthetic properties. It’s a good alternative for temporary relief.
✓ Carrots improve vision. Well partly, at least. Beta-carotene from carrots is converted into vitamin A, which is a requirement for good night vision.
✓ Chicken soup makes you feel better. A compound found in chicken, carnosine, has been proven to help the body’s immune system fight off early stages of flu.
✓ Don’t swallow your gum! Swallowing the occasional piece of chewing gum is unlikely to cause problems, but if you do it regularly it could cause a painful blockage known as a bezoar.
– Adapted from DailyMail.co.uk
DID YOU KNOW?
Shakespeare made up the name ‘Jessica’ for his play “The Merchant of Venice”.
– List25.com
BS CHRONOMETER 01.22.15
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1949 [66] Steve Perry, Hanford CA, classic rock singer (“Oh Sherry”, Journey-“Open Arms”)
1952 [63] Teddy Gentry, Ft Payne AL, semi-retired country singer (Alabama-“Reckless”, “Jukebox in My Mind”)/a record 21 consecutive #1 country hits
1965 [50] Diane Lane, NYC, movie actress (“Under the Tuscan Sun”, “Unfaithful”)
1985 [30] Orianthi (Panagaris), Adelaide, Australia, pop-rock singer-songwriter/guitarist (“According to You”)
1996 [19] Sami Gayle, FL, TV actress (‘Nicky Reagan-Boyle’ on “Blue Bloods” since 2010)
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day”, a day to concentrate on your feline and answer the questions you think it’s asking. People often consider cats unaffectionate, not true companions. But the truth is, they only talk to humans. Studies show they rarely ‘meow’ at other cats.
• “Celebration of Life Day”, a day to honor the gift of children and grandchildren.
• “St Vincent of Saragossa Day”, honoring the patron saint of wine growers. Tradition says: ‘Sunshine on St Vincent’s Day means the year’s wine will be more plentiful than water’. Let’s drink to that!
• “Women’s Healthy Weight Day”, honoring women of all sizes and confirming that beauty, talent, and love cannot be weighed. It’s a highlight of “Healthy Weight Week” as declared by the ‘National Council Against Health Fraud’.
NET: http://www.healthyweightnetwork.com/hww.htm
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2008 [07] Australian actor Heath Ledger (Oscar-“The Dark Knight”) dies in NYC of pharmaceutical overdose at age 29
2010 [05] Conan O’Brien hosts his final “Tonight Show” on NBC-TV
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1992 [23] Canada’s 1st female astronaut, Roberta Bondar, lifts off in space shuttle ‘Discovery’
TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
1943 [72] Temperature rises by 49 degrees F (30 C) in 2 minutes in Spearfish, South Dakota
2006 [09] LA Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant scores 81 points against the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center, 2nd-most points in a single NBA game in history behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 in 1962
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] “Black Sea”; “The Boy Next Door”; “Cake”; Mortdecai” open in movie theaters
[Fri] Handwriting Day
[Sat] Belly Laugh Day
[Sat] Peanut Butter Day
[Sun] SAG Awards (LA)
[Sun] Robbie Burns Day
This Week Is … Sugar Awareness Week
This Month Is … Volunteer Blood Donor Month
BULL’S BITS
BS HORRIBLESCOPES:
Use ’em all at once or one-at-a-time as the zodiac reading of the day …
• Aries – Thinking and doing are two separate things. However, thinking about what you’re doing is always a good idea.
• Taurus – You will be in a somewhat ornery mood when you go out to an Italian restaurant tonight and INSIST on chopsticks.
• Gemini – Good day to bring doughnuts to a meeting. Later, ask people how their diets are going.
• Cancer – Today you will watch something like a hawk. Basically, you do that by having unblinking beady little eyes and a brain the size of a pea.
• Leo – You will soon be judged by a jury of your peers, which is a good thing as people who weren’t also self-centered drunken asses would probably want you dead.
• Virgo – Today will be mostly OK except that you’ll learn to pay more attention in the future to the warning, “Be careful, filling is hot!”
• Libra – You’ll get a free beverage refill when ordering a large order of fries. That’s going to be the big positive in your life this month.
• Scorpio – It’s been a hectic and stressful week, but it’ll all be worth it by Friday when the pope excommunicates you for the coolest reason ever.
• Sagittarius – The blessed arrival of a baby in your life would be greeted with a lot more joy if you could figure out who mailed it to you.
• Capricorn – Your ravenous hunger for human flesh will be quashed when you find out how it’s made and how much artificial crap is in it.
• Aquarius – All your hard work will finally pay off this week but not, of course, for you.
• Pisces – You’ll become embroiled in a steamy office romance next week, which would be better if you weren’t the trusty in charge of bringing the warden his meals.
BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What do you wish you had known BEFORE your wedding day?
BS RANDOM JOKE:
It’s hard to be fit as a fiddle when you’re shaped like a cello.
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Couples do THIS a total of 4 hours during the month of January, more than any other month.
Answer: Argue.
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Do good, feel good.