BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
New stats suggest that filmmaker James Cameron will make a total of $350 million for “Avatar”, thanks in part to surprising DVD sales (13 years after he earned a reported $97 million for “Titanic”) . . . A Marvel Studios rep has confirmed actor Edward Norton won’t be reprising his role as ‘Bruce Banner’ and alter-ego ‘Incredible Hulk’ in the upcoming 2012 movie “The Avengers”, because he refuses work as part of a team (wow, some actual honesty instead of the usual ‘scheduling conflict’ lie) . . . Movie star Angelina Jolie (“Salt”), who already has an array of body art, has now had a heart inked on her inner thigh that she says is ‘for Brad’ (“Mommy, what’s that doodle thingy on your leg?”) . . . Actress Sandra Bullock’s philandering ex-, Jesse James, has reportedly paid just under $2 million for a 9-bedroom mansion in Austin TX, and is planning to relocate from California to be closer to Bullock and her adopted son Louis (how much was this guy getting to build choppers?) . . . A rep for actor Nicolas Cage says a reported bar fight following the NYC premiere of his new movie “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (opening tomorrow) was ‘a miscommunication with an acquaintance’ which ‘did not involve a physical altercation’ (BS translation: The guy was paid off before he could sell his story) . . . Soon-to-be prison inmate Lindsay Lohan has gotten herself a brand new lawyer (let’s see how long this one lasts) . . . And “Entertainment Tonight” reports that “Glee” (FOX) will dedicate an entire upcoming episode to the music of Britney Spears (can vuvuzelas be far behind?).

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/A Channel) – Justin Bieber (“My World 2.0”).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – The Morning Benders (“Big Echo”).
• “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/A Channel) – Kelis (“Flesh Tone”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS) – MIA (today she releases her new album titled “Maya”, which happens to be her first name).
• “Lopez Tonight” (TBS) – Clay Walker (“She Won’t Be Lonely Long”).
• “MLB All-Star Game” (FOX) – The 2010 edition is played in Anaheim, California. Amber Riley (‘Mercedes Jones’ on “Glee”) performs pre-game and sings the anthem.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Céline Dion – The 42-year-old’s official website has announced that she’s expecting twin boys, thanks to fertility treatments.
• Elton John – He’s set to release his first-ever album of covers, teaming up with legendary producer T-Bone Burnett to record new versions of classic tracks.
• Foo Fighters – Today guitarist Chris Shiflett releases his country-flavored side project, the self-titled album “Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants”.
• Lady Gaga – “People” reports she & former boyfriend, musician/bartender Luc Carl, have recently reconciled. A source says they split a few years ago but started dating again a couple of weeks back. They may be attracted because … they have the same nose.
• Melissa Etheridge – Her ex-, Tammy Lynn Michaels, who’s filed for full custody of their twins, alleges the singer left her with just $4. Etheridge’s camp denies that.
• Robert Plant – Today he kicks off a 12-city North American tour with his new Band of Joy in Memphis TN, previewing music from his upcoming album that’s tentatively titled “Rounder”.
• Robbie Williams – The 36-year-old Brit singer who quit the pop group Take That in 1995 is reportedly set to reunite with his band-mates for a new album and tour in 2011.
• Rush – A fan who flew to Chicago from NYC specifically to see them is suing after the concert was cancelled due to rain. The 42-year-old claims the event was billed as ‘rain or shine’ on tickets and promotional materials.

TODAY’S VIDEO RELEASES:
• “The Bounty Hunter” ( PG-13 Romantic Comedy ): A bounty hunter (Gerard Butler) learns that his next target is his ex-wife (Jennifer Aniston), a reporter working on a murder cover-up. Soon after their reunion, the always-at-odds duo find themselves on a run-for-their-lives adventure with a bunch of New Jersey heavies in pursuit.
• “Chloe” ( R-Rated Thriller ): Atom Egoyan’s remake of the French thriller “Nathalie” centers on a married woman (Julianne Moore) who hires a prostitute (Amanda Seyfried) to find out whether her husband (Liam Neeson) is cheating on her. This is the film Neeson was making when his actress-wife Natasha Richardson was killed in a freak ski accident.
• “The Greatest” ( R-Rated Drama ): Pierce Brosnan & Susan Sarandon play a grief-stricken couple trying to deal with the death of their son, just as a young woman (Carey Mulligan) shows up announcing that she’s pregnant with the husband’s child.
• “Greenberg” ( R-Rated Dramedy ): Ben Stiller stars as a 40ish single guy at a crossroads in his life who, while house-sitting for his more successful brother, finds himself connecting romantically with his sibling’s personal assistant (Greta Gerwig).
• “Our Family Wedding” ( PG-13 Comedy ): America Ferrera (“Ugly Betty”) & Lance Gross (“House of Payne”) play a young couple whose wedding plans are being hampered by their feuding fathers (Forest Whitaker, Carlos Mencia).
• Also released today: “Thomas & Friends: Creaky Cranky” (Animation); “The Film Noir Classic Collection: Volume 5” (Vintage); “The Lucy Show: The Official 2nd Season” (Classic TV); “Psych: The Complete 4th Season” (TV); “Saturday Night Live: The Best of Tracy Morgan” (TV); “Sesame Street: 20 Years … and Still Counting!” (TV); “Shark Week: Jaws of Steel Collection” (Documentary); and “White Collar: The Complete 1st Season” (TV).

HOW TO UNPLUG ON VACATION:
In a CNN poll, 24% of adults surveyed admit they regularly check work email and/or voicemail while on vacation. Some of us are just so wired, it’s tough to get disconnected. A few tips on how to really relax while taking a break …
• Ease things down in the last hours before you leave work so there’s a feeling of transition.
• Allow a little time after you stop working to unwind, to help change your focus and attitude.
• Shutting off the smart phone or leaving it at home may not work thanks to withdrawal feelings.
• Agree with travel companions exactly when during the vacation day you will check your inbox.
• Pick a vacation destination where cellphone data service doesn’t work.
• Focus on the present moment at all times, not letting your mind wander too far ahead or back.
• Do something different, such as a sport you’ve never tried, to stimulate and focus your brain.
• On your first day back on-the-job, don’t schedule anything within the first hour or two.
– Condensed from CNN.com

BACK SEAT RECORDER:
Intelligent cars fitted with aircraft-style black-boxes that can send video footage and info about driving behavior during accidents to the police and insurance companies are being developed by researchers at computer-chip giant Intel. The system will record information about the vehicle speed, steering, and braking along with video footage from inside and outside. This would be automatically sent to police and insurance companies in the event of an accident to make it easier to determine the cause of car crashes and identify the person responsible. (Also useful for parents with teen drivers to find out what really happened.)
– “Daily Telegraph”

ACTUAL ACCIDENT REPORTS:
The following are real statements from insurance forms in which drivers attempt to summarize accident details in as few words as possible …
• “Coming home I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree I don’t have.”
• “I collided with a stationary truck coming the other way.”
• “In my attempt to kill a fly, I drove into a telephone pole.”
• “I had been driving for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had an accident.”
• “My car was legally parked as it backed into the other vehicle.”
• “I saw a slow-moving, sad-faced old gentleman as he bounced off the hood of my car.”
• “I was thrown from my car as it left the road, and was later found in a ditch by some stray cows.”
• “A pedestrian hit me and went under my car.”
• “I thought my window was down, but I found out it was up when I put my head through it.”
• “A truck backed through my windshield into my wife’s face.”
– MissCellania.com

BRANDS THAT MAY DISAPPEAR:
A new prediction of brand names that will either be gone, will have been taken over, or will have filed for bankruptcy by the end of 2011 . . .
• BP – It may end up breaking into pieces for its own sake. This may be to put the liabilities for the Deepwater Horizon spill into a company that also holds escrow capital to cover the huge costs of clean-up and lawsuits.
• Blockbuster – It’s been the leader in the video rental business for nearly 2 decades but the business model of renting movies through physical locations has been destroyed by cable and satellite video on demand, DVDs via mail, and dispensing machines.
• Dollar-Thrifty Automotive Group – The car rental company is already for sale. Competitor Hertz is a potential buyer, as is Avis-Budget.
• Kia Motors Corp – One of the two car brands made by Hyundai of South Korea. These days in the auto biz, it’s expensive to maintain multiple brands. The parent company will likely take a page from several other global car companies and dump its weakest brand.
• Merrill Lynch – Now owned by Bank of America Corp, the name is likely to disappear as most parent companies in the financial sector want to put their own names on the door.
• Radio Shack – There have been rumors the company may be taken private via a leveraged buyout or purchased by Best Buy, probably for its locations.
• “Reader’s Digest” – Many magazines are struggling in the era of instantaneous Internet info. While editions in other countries may survive, the former flagship US edition will likely be gone.
– 247wallst.com

OVER THE TOP:
Dutch designers have found that female drivers are more comfortable positioning themselves – and their small cars – over something rather than within 2 defined lines. That’s why, in female-friendly parking lots in the Netherlands, you’ll find parking spaces outlined as boxes, rather than simply painted parallel lines. (“This is my box … get your fender out of it!”)
– “Wall Street Journal”

ALL-TIME HOTTEST HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES:
According to a new online poll …
5. Wesley Snipes … “Blade” films (1998-2004).
4. Gary Oldman … “Dracula” (1992).
3. Kiefer Sutherland … “The Lost Boys” (1987).
2. Robert Pattinson … “Twilight Saga” (2008-11).
1. Brad Pitt … “Interview With the Vampire” (1994).
– WENN.com

BS AMAZING FACT:
Up until the middle of the 18th century, the word ‘July’ in English rhymed with ‘truly’.
– “Daily Express”

BS CHRONOMETER 07.13.10

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TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1940 [70] Patrick Stewart, Mirfield UK, movie actor (“X-Men” films)/former TV actor (‘Cpt Jean-Luc Picard’ in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” 1987-94)

1942 [68] Harrison Ford, Chicago, IL, movie actor (“Indiana Jones” movies, “Star Wars”)

1957 [53] Cameron Crowe, Palm Springs CA, movie director/screenwriter (“Almost Famous”, “Jerry Maguire”)  COMING UP: An as-yet-untitled Pearl Jam retrospective movie.

1963 [47] Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook), Bromley UK, club DJ/pop musician (“Praise You”, “Funk Soul Brother”)

1974 [36] Deborah Cox, Toronto ON, club/dance/R&B singer (“Beautiful U R”, “A House Is Not a Home”)

1988 [22] Steven R McQueen, LA CA, TV actor (‘Jeremy Gilbert’ on “Vampire Diaries” since 2009)/grandson of legendary late actor Steve McQueen

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Embrace Your Geekness Day”, a great day to be a Geek … or to know a Geek. Some people view the term with a negative connotation. Are they jealous of your knowledge and skills, perhaps? Yeah, that’s it.

• “French Fries Day”. The ‘french’ has nothing to do with France, but the method of preparation. Food that’s chipped into pieces is said to be ‘frenched’. It’s thought that french fries most likely originated in Belgium.

• “Gruntled Workers Day”. We always hear about ‘disgruntled’ workers, but what about people who are happy with their jobs and can’t wait to go to work each day? Gruntled workers, this is your day … ya eager-beaver keeners.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1990 [20] The movie “Ghost” premieres, starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1985 [25] An estimated 2 billion worldwide watch or listen to “Live Aid” rock concerts in Philadelphia PA and London UK, donating more than $225 million to the cause of Ethiopian famine relief

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1930 [70] 1st ‘World Cup’ soccer competition begins in Montevideo, Uruguay with 14 countries participating (2 weeks later Uruguay takes the championship, defeating Argentina)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1991 [19] Timothy Badyana sets a Guinness World Record by running 10 km (6 mi) in 45 minutes, 37 seconds … backwards (Dayton, Ohio)

COMING UP . . .
[Wed] “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” opens in movie theaters
[Thurs] Gummi Worm Day
[Fri] “Inception” opens in movie theaters
[Fri] Hot Dog Night
[Fri] Cow Appreciation Day
This Week Is … Farriers Week
This Month Is … Family Reunion Month

BULL’S BITS

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FAMOUS BS LIES:
• “I’m from the government and I am here to help you.”
• “It’s only a cold sore.”
• “Trust me, I’ll take care of everything.”
• “Of course I love you.”
• “It’s not the money, it’s the principle of the thing.”
• “ … but we can still be good friends.”
• “Don’t worry, I can go another 20 miles when the gauge is on ‘empty’.”
• “Don’t worry, he’s never bitten anyone.”
• “I gave at the office.”
• “I’ll call you later.”
(Ask listeners for more!)

BS PHONE STARTER:
You’re planning the ‘perfect’ picnic. What’s on the menu?

BS WEB GOODIE:
Actor Mel Gibson’s infamous profanity and bigotry-laden phone call to his former girlfriend is now online. Warning: You’ll need to do a lot of bleeping if you want to use it on-air.
NET: http://bit.ly/dDtrWh

BS RANDOM JOKE:
If today were a fish … I’d throw it back in.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: The average woman keeps 6 of THESE.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Mementos from her last relationship.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Ever notice nothing draws a crowd … like a crowd?