BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ It turns out Preserve was no Goop. Actress Blake Lively has announced she’s shutting down her lifestyle website. Why is the e-commerce site closing its digital doors after just a year? Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop was a direct competitor to Preserve, and new celeb-launched sites, like Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James, have emerged within the past year. Preserve was launched before it was ready, Lively admits, and is “not making a difference in people’s lives, either superficially or in a meaningful way”. (Well that might be the problem … or perhaps the prices, such as the $900 diaper bag named after Blake’s daughter.)
– “Vogue Magazine”
★ NBC-TV has cancelled plans to develop a 1970s-set TV miniseries produced by “The Voice” judge Adam Levine. The Maroon 5 frontman stepped behind the camera to work on “The 1970s”, a series which looked back at the music biz through the eyes of executives and artists who helped create the most influential and memorable tracks from the decade. But the plug has now been pulled on the production as it is thought to be too expensive to complete. Producers are reportedly planning to shop the project around to other networks. (Would you want to watch a series about the disco era?)
– Deadline.com
★ And “Girls” creator Lena Dunham has reveled that she’s stopped using Twitter. While she no longer has Twitter on her phone, her account is still active. What she now does is compose her tweets and then send them to a colleague to post on her behalf. Her reason for stepping away from direct contact – a recent barrage of what she describes as verbal abuse, including backlash from Justin Bieber’s fanbase after she criticized the lyrics to his new single “What Do You Mean?”. (So basically, she still wants to use the social network to promote her projects but doesn’t want to face feedback. Fair deal?)
– ContactMusic.com

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• Austin City Limits (Austin TX) – The 1st weekend of 2 begins tonight, with Drake and Foo Fighters headlining both. The 8-stage annual festival in Zilker Park also features Alabama Shakes, Disclosure, Florence + The Machine, Of Monsters and Men, The Weeknd and more.
NET: http://austincitylimits.com
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Tonight Travis Scott (“Rodeo”). Rerun.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Tonight A Place to Bury Strangers (“Transfixiation”). Rerun.
• Louder Than Life (Louisville KY) – Saturday-Sunday the festival of “music, whiskey, and gourmet man food” features Breaking Benjamin, Godsmack, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rob Zombie, Slash, 3 Doors Down, ZZ Top and others.
NET: http://louderthanlifefestival.com
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC/Global) – Miley Cyrus returns as host for the 3rd time in the Season 41 premiere and also does double duty as musical guest.
• “Tavis Smiley” (PBS) – Tonight Ringo Starr (“Postcards From Paradise”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Tonight Chvrches (“Every Open Eye”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• The Beatles’ – This week their management contract with the late Brian Epstein has fetched £365,000 (circa $554,000) at auction. The document dated October 1, 1962 confirmed Epstein as the group’s permanent manager through 1977. Neither he nor the band lasted that long.
• Carly Rae Jepsen – She’s set to play beauty-school dropout ‘Frenchy’ in FOX-TV’s upcoming “Grease: Live” (January 31st). She joins Vanessa Hudgens as ‘Rizzo’. Jessie J kicks off the production with the theme song “Grease (Is The Word)”, first heard in the 1978 film version.
• Collective Soul – Today they release their 1st album in 6 years, “See What You Started By Continuing”. Frontman Ed Roland says the long break was unintentional but turned out to be a nice vacation from the biz. Their current tour runs through November 28th in Myrtle Beach SC.
• Don Henley – Tonight in Phoenix AZ The Eagles drummer launches a solo tour to support his new country album “Cass County”.  It’s his 1st solo release in 15 years, and it features collaborations with Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, Mick Jagger, and Miranda Lambert.
• Garbage – Today they’re out with a 20th anniversary edition of their debut, self-titled album. Multiple editions are available both physically and digitally; with demos, remixes, and unreleased tracks included. They begin their “20 Years Queer” tour October 6 in San Diego CA.
• Janet Jackson – “Unbreakable”, the pop singer’s 11th album and 1st in 7 years, is out today. Her “Unbreakable World Tour” next plays Las Vegas NV October 9th and 10th.
• Lady Antebellum – Charles Kelley is going solo but he’s not leaving the band. “Billboard” reports he’ll release a solo album in 2016 while Lady Antebellum is taking a break at the end of their current “Wheels Up Tour”.
• Paul McCartney – Today he reissues 2 of his solo albums, 1982’s “Tug of War” and 1983’s “Pipes of Peace”, as multi-disc sets with previously unreleased demos and outtakes. Along with the various CD and DVD versions, both albums will be reissued as two-LP sets on vinyl.
• Slipknot – Singer Corey Taylor provides the screaming voice for the villain in tonight’s episode of “Doctor Who” (BBC in the UK). Taylor recorded screams for the alien warlord known as ‘Fisher King’.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Freeheld” ( PG-13 Biographical Drama ): Based on a 2007 documentary short film of the same name, a New Jersey police lieutenant (Julianne Moore) diagnosed with terminal cancer fights for pension benefits for her domestic partner (Ellen Page). Co-stars Steve Carell. Based on the true story of Laurel Hester and her widow, Stacie Andree.
NET: http://www.freeheld.movie
• “The Martian” ( PG-13 Sci-Fi Adventure ): After a Mars mission goes awry, a stranded astronaut (Matt Damon) must fend for himself with only meager supplies and draw upon his ingenuity, wit, and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Co-stars Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig. Directed by Ridley Scott.
NET: http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/the-martian
• Opening in limited release: “Addicted to Fresno” (Comedy); “He Named Me Malala” (Documentary); “Partisan” (Thriller); and “Shanghai” (Mystery Thriller).

NEW ON FACEBOOK:
Coming soon to Facebook: Big changes to profiles. One of the new features: Instead of a static photograph, users can upload a short, looping video clip that plays when people visit their profile on Facebook. Users will also be able to temporarily change their profile picture while on vacation or for a major event and have it change back at a specified time. And Facebook is giving users new controls over what people can see when visiting their profile. Among other changes: Facebook is also making profile pictures and videos bigger and more prominent. The social network is rolling out the features to a small number of users on iOS in California and the UK before introducing the changes more broadly. The reason Facebook is focusing on profiles: It says people visit them 4 billion times a day. (What we really need id an embarrassing photo zapper that works on anyone’s page.)
– “USA Today”

TECHNOLOGIES THAT DESERVE TO DIE:
5. Land Mines
4. Incandescent Light Bulbs
3. Internal Combustion Engine
2. Coal-Based Power
1. Nuclear Weapons
– “Technology Review Magazine”

VINYL REVOLUTION?:
Is the hipster movement really strong enough to have catapulted sales of vinyl records ahead of revenues from music streaming services such as Spotify? In a word, no. While vinyl records have generated more revenue in the first half of the year than free-to-use streaming services, that’s not the full story. When paid subscription services are added in, digital musical still outstrips physical sales by a large margin. Despite the 52% growth in vinyl sales so far this year, they still account for just 8% of total music revenues. So it seems clear that the future of the music biz is digital. (One big bonus: It’s a lot easier to move when changing addresses.)
– “Daily Telegraph”

BS AMAZING BODY FACTS:
• The nostril is one of the most painful places on the body for a bee sting.
– “Business Insider”
• Lies are more convincing when the person telling them needs to urinate.
– Telegraph.co.uk
• Coffee drunk late at night resets the internal body clock and can give you jet lag.
– “The Scientist”

BS CHRONOMETER 10.02.15

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1948 [67] Donna Karan (Faske), Forest Hills NY, fashion house founder (DKNY)

1951 [64] Sting (Gordon Sumner), Newcastle-Upon-Tyne UK, rock musician (“The Last Ship”, Police-“Every Breath You Take”)/founder of the ‘Rainforest Foundation’ (1989)

1970 [45] Kelly Ripa, Stratford NJ, TV talk show co-host (“Live With Kelly & Michael” since 2001)

1974 [41] Sam Roberts, Montréal QC, indie rock singer-songwriter (“We’re All In This Together”, “I Feel You”)

1982 [33] Mike Rodden, Oklahoma City OK, rock bassist (Hinder-“Better Than Me”, “Lips Of an Angel”)

1988 [27] Brittany Howard, Athens GA, blues-rock singer (Alabama Shakes-“Don’t Wanna Fight”, “Hold On”)

SATURDAY –
Classic rock singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac) is 66; Rock drummer Tommy Lee (Motley Crue) is 53; Pop singer/TV personality Gwen Stefani (“The Voice”) is 46; Pop singer Kevin Richardson (Backstreet Boys) is 44; TV actress Lena Headey (“Game of Thrones”) is 42; Rock guitarist Josh Klinghoffer (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 36; Indie rock singer-songwriter Danny O’Donoghue (The Script) is 35; Rock guitarist Mark King (Hinder) is 33; Rapper A$AP Rocky (“Wild For the Night”) is 27.

SUNDAY –
Movie actress Susan Sarandon (“Dead Man Walking”) is 69; Movie actor Christoph Waltz (“Django Unchained”) is 59; TV/movie actor Liev Schreiber  (“Ray Donovan”) is 48; Indie folk singer-guitarist M Ward (She & Him) is 42; Alt-rock musician-composer Richard Reed Parry (Arcade Fire) is 38; Movie actress Dakota Johnson (“Fifty Shades of Grey”) is 26; Pop singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock (Little Mix) is 24.

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Custodial Workers Day”, honoring those who clean up after the rest of us. Nicer names for ‘Janitor’ include: ‘Caretaker’, ‘Maintenance Coordinator’, and ‘Sanitation Engineer’.
• “Diversity Day”, the 10th annual on the 1st Friday of October, celebrating who we are, no matter what race, religion, gender, age, nationality, or disability.
• “Name Your Car Day”. Polls show that about 15% of people have a pet name for their vehicle. Results of a recent survey on the topic …
NET: http://www.namely-yours.com/on-cars.php
• “International Day of Non-Violence”, observed on the birthday of Mohandas Gandhi. This day is referred to in India as “Gandhi Jayanti”.
• “World Farm Animal Day”, as declared by the ‘Farm Animal Reform Movement’ to memorialize the ‘needless suffering and death’ of billions of innocent farm animals each year. The celebration also honors the birthday of Gandhi, who was a champion of humane farming.
• “World Smile Day”, observed annually on the 1st Friday in October, when we’re encouraged to do an act of kindness … help one person smile.
NET: http://www.worldsmileday.com

SATURDAY –
• “German Unification Day”, celebrating the 1990 reuniting of East & West Germany to again become a single country after 45 years. It was a benchmark of the end of the ‘Cold War’.
• “International Frugal Fun Day”, celebrated annually on the 1st Saturday of October to find ways to have a good time without spending a lot of money. What can you do for free that’s truly fun?
NET: http://www.frugalfun.com
• “Look At the Leaves Day”, a day to admire the color changes of Autumn. (Now imagine the leaves a foot-and-half deep all over your backyard and a rake in your blistered hand …)

SUNDAY –
• “Cinnamon Bun Day”, or “Kanelbullens Dag” as it’s known in Sweden, the country of the yummy sweet-roll’s presumed origin. Good excuse to scarf one with your coffee this morning.
• “Intergenerational Day”, held annually on the 1st Sunday of October to help bridge the generation gap.
• “International Toot Your Flute Day”, to encourage the idea of selling yourself and telling others how good you are, while rejecting the idea that self-promotion is ‘bragging’.
• “Taco Day”, an annual celebration of the great taste of the traditional Mexican dish.
• “World Animal Day”, begun in Florence, Italy in 1931 to celebrate animal life in all forms. It derives from “St Francis of Assisi” feast day, celebrating the patron saint of animals. Today is also “World Pet Day”, and the annual “Blessing Of the Animals” in many places.
• “Vodka Day”, celebrating the versatile, virtually tasteless and odorless tipple that now accounts for about 25% of all spirits sold in North America.
NET: http://www.nationalvodkaday.com

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2013 [02] In the case of AEG Live v Michael Jackson Estate, the court determines that AEG is not guilty of negligence for hiring Michael Jackson’s physician Dr Conrad Murray

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2004 [11] 55-year-old Billy Joel causes a stir by marrying his 3rd wife, 22-year-old cooking student Katie Lee

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2008 [07] Almost 70 million viewers tune in to the TV debate between US vice presidential nominees Sarah Palin and Joe Biden, the largest audience for a VP debate in American history

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Mon] Child Health Day
[Mon] International Day of No Prostitution
[Mon] World Day of Architecture
[Mon] World Day of Bullying Prevention
[Tues] Mad Hatter Day
This Week Is … No Salt Week
This Month Is … Dryer Vent Safety Month

BULL’S BITS

BS HORRIBLESCOPES:
Use ’em all at once or one-at-a-time as the zodiac reading of the day …
• Aries – Bad hair day today. In fact, it’s quite likely that your hair will actually be arrested.
• Taurus – While cracking your knuckles today, you will be a bit startled to hear a ‘ping’ sound
rather than a ‘pop’.
• Gemini – You will develop a passion for Cajun cuisine and will refuse to eat anything that hasn’t been ‘blackened’, beginning with your toast for breakfast.
• Cancer – Yesterday’s bathtub mystery will be explained today. Still, you’ll have no idea what to feed the penguin.
• Leo – Today you will make the bold move from fidgeting to twiddling. Just please be careful!
• Virgo – Today you will learn to fear and loath the word ‘diaper’.
• Libra – You’ll get to know your town a little better over the next few weeks as you lose your job, get evicted, and wander the streets looking for food and shelter.
• Scorpio – They say that clothes make the man, but you and your understated suits are proof that this is simply not the case.
• Sagittarius – You’ll find to your delight that love at first sight is very real, and to your horror that revulsion and loathing on 5th sight is too.
• Capricorn – You’re in for a bit of an adjustment period for several weeks, following which you’ll be able to function just as well as a person whose legs aren’t on backward.
• Aquarius – This is your lucky day. You will catch the wreath at a funeral!
• Pisces – Don’t worry about your hair. It’s your breath that makes people look at you like that.

BS RANDOM JOKE:
When I die, I’m going to leave my body to science fiction.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ Who would you most like to see abducted by aliens and stranded on Mars all alone?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: In NYC, the average person doing THIS job makes almost $110,000 a year.
Answer: School custodian.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The trouble with trouble is it usually sounds like fun.