Thursday, May 7, 2020        Edition: #6692

Sheet for Brains!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ The Obamas are set to make thousands of students’ dreams come true by delivering commencement addresses at an upcoming virtual graduation ceremony. YouTube has announced their “Dear Class of 2020” project, with former president Barack Obama and wife Michelle among a star-studded lineup. BTS, Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Kelly Rowland, and Zendaya will also be among those making appearances. The star-studded, multi-hour event premieres Saturday, June 6.
-MSN
★ Daniel Radcliffe returned to the world of ‘Harry Potter’ to read the first chapter of “Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone”. Radcliffe has recorded himself reading ‘Chapter One: The Boy Who Lived’ from the book, which was released in 1997, for author J.K. Rowling’s new “Harry Potter At Home” website. The aim is to provide some entertainment for children and parents during the coronavirus pandemic. Other narrators include Dakota Fanning and the star of the spin-off films “Fantastic Beasts”, Eddie Redmayne.
-ContactMusic
★ Amanda Bynes is no longer pregnant, almost two months after she announced she was expecting her first child. Her lawyer has confirmed Bynes is no longer pregnant and says she is not currently in a facility — and is sheltered in place at home in Los Angeles. Sources say people close to her are relieved the situation is behind the actress so she can focus on her own mental health. If she did have a child with fiancé Paul Micheal, the custody of the child would have been immediately taken from her and the issues would have been taken up by the court.
-TheBlast
★ Tom Cruise is preparing for liftoff. He’s plotting an out of this world adventure movie with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and NASA that will be the first fictional film to shoot in space. The storyline is in the early stages, but it won’t feature in either of Cruise’s upcoming “Mission: Impossible” sequels. Those films are currently on hold after the coronavirus pandemic shutdown shooting on the seventh and eighth instalments of the long-running franchise in February.
-Canoe

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Courteney Cox
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Queen Latifah, Pete Davidson, Judd Apatow, James Taylor
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Christine Baranski, Tame Impala
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Kelly Clarkson, Rep. Ayanna Pressley
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Laura Linney, Ellie Goulding
• “Conan” (TBS): Lizzy Caplan
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Kristin Chenoweth, Tinsley Mortimer
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Sean Penn
• “The Talk” (CBS): George Wallace
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Hilarie Burton Morgan
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Courteney Cox
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Daniel Radcliffe, Jane Krakowski, Chris Harrison
• “Blindspot” (NBC): Season 5 premiere.
• “Celebrity Watch Party” (FOX): Series premiere. Celebrities and their families watch and react to the week’s most interesting television shows in the comfort of their own homes.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Selena Gomez – will star in a new unscripted cooking show on HBO Max. The 10-episode series will show her trying her hand at cooking while stuck at home in quarantine, with the help of lessons from master chefs over video chat. It’ll debut this summer.
• Lady Gaga — will appear at a virtual graduation ceremony hosted by YouTube, after coronavirus forced the cancellation of events across the US. YouTube’s “Dear Class of 2020” event will take place on June 6, with a mixture of traditional commencement-style speeches and performances from an all-star line-up of guests. Also among those set to make appearances: BTS and Barack and Michelle Obama.
• Grimes – Her newborn baby with Elon Musk has been named…but we have no idea what the name means or how to pronounce it. Musk confirmed the birth by telling fans that “mom and baby” were doing good and sharing a few photos of his new bundle of joy. The name begins with an ‘X’, followed by a symbol known as ‘ash’ and then ‘A-12’. (X Æ A-12).
• Kelly Clarkson — has postponed her Las Vegas residency “Invincible” until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was originally scheduled to begin at the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on April 1 and run through Sept. 2020.
• Michael Bublé – says he became a ”hypochondriac” after his 6-year-old son Noah’s liver cancer diagnosis three years ago. While Noah is now in remission, Michael says he even got an MRI after using a sledgehammer on ‘Celebrity IOU’ with the Property Brothers: “I thought, ‘Oh my god, oh my god, I’m dying,’ because there was literally like, a bump. It turns out that I’m just out of shape and I’m a wimp and the sledgehammer was too much for me.”
• Ozzy Osbourne – His son Jack says that while there are plans for an Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne biopic, no studio is currently involved with the film. Quote: “I think in the next few months, you’ll probably see something coming up about it. But we haven’t landed [at a studio] yet. So, fingers crossed.”
• Bob Dylan — A 1966 manuscript, on which he typed and wrote lyrics for the classic ‘Most Likely You Go Your Way’ and another song he later abandoned, is on sale at Sotheby’s auction house. The manuscript is valued at $15,000 -$19,000 and will be open to bidding online until May 12.
• Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani — will perform for the Grand Old Opry’s weekly broadcast on Saturday, along with Trace Adkins and Dustin Lynch. Shelton and Stefani will perform from Shelton’s ranch in Oklahoma while Adkins and Lynch will be on stage at Opry House in Nashville. It will be Stefani’s Opry debut.
• Clint Black — has announced he’ll release his 23rd studio album “Out of Sane” on June 19. He has already unveiled the first single, ‘America (Still in Love With You)’.
• Abby Anderson –is officially engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Tyler. 23-year-old Anderson revealed the news on Twitter, sharing a collection of photos from the couple’s engagement moment with the words: “TURNS OUT MY MAN CATCHES MORE THAN FISH”. (We don’t know his last name either!)

THE BARE(foot) FACTS:
With the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of people are spending their days at home. That means the daily look probably consists of sweatpants, no shoes, and being barefoot or wearing slippers for most, if not, the entire day. But is that good for your feet? Yes and no – depending on a variety of factors. First off, when it comes to exercise, the current research suggests that “running bare”(foot) is not a good idea, but there are many other exercises where it makes sense to skip the footwear, such as Yoga, Pilates, barre and Tai chi. When it comes to walking around your home, as long as you’re confident that you won’t drop something on your feet or stub your toes or step on a sharp foreign object, have at ’er! But if you are walking around a lot, remember that there is a chance that you could experience soft tissue or bone issues due to the lack of support. Outside, it’s another ballgame. You could expose your feet to bacteria and other infections, such as athlete’s foot, plantar warts or staph infection, depending on where you are walking. So, bottom line, limit where and when you go barefoot, especially if you already have foot pain.
(This isn’t fair. You’re telling me that I can’t go outside in bare feet, and my FAMILY says I can’t walk around INSIDE in bare feet!)
(And of course, if you have “LEGO-age” children, you already know the answer about walking in bare feet inside…)
(Now, what about walking outside…in sock feet?)
-TheHealthy

CORONAUPDATE:
➢ The workplace you return to as pandemic restrictions are lifted might barely resemble the one you left. With so much telecommuting occurring over the past several weeks, many of us can expect the line between work and home to be blurred forever. Some of us might only need to make the trip in to the office once a week. And for those who are required to show up on site every day, David Zweig, an associate professor of organizational behaviour and human resource management at the University of Toronto, says you might come across new Plexiglas barriers, revamped heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems, boot sanitizing trays, hand sanitizer dispensers for both employees and customers, and enforced hand washing, plus outdoor meeting protocols. (Do I still have to share a cubicle?)
➢ If you weren’t managing your money well before the pandemic, you might be doing so now – because you have to. Here are some financial habits that are worth hanging on to even after the worst of it has passed:
• Paying closer attention to your banking and credit card transactions: You might be fascinated by how much you’re saving while in quarantine, or you may be monitoring the timing of money coming in so you can meet your basic financial obligations. Keep that up. (It’s not like I’ve had anything else to do…)
• Invest money long-term:  A slump in the investment market has investors eager to get serious about socking away money for the long term; lower investment prices means greater value. (What that market crashed, ALL my investments became long-term investments!)
• Greater focus on the need for emergency savings and insurance:  Now, they’re more important than ever. Statistically speaking, emergencies happen every seven years. You should have 3 month’s worth of essential costs in a savings account, apart from your market investments. (And a good sense of humour, apparently!)
• Spend based on what gives you the greatest value and joy:  When cuts have to be made, it forces you to prioritize what matters most to you. Why not continue to live frugally? Trim expenses that don’t bring you joy or contribute to a healthy way of living. (The first to go? That 3 months’ worth of savings! Who am I kidding? It was never there!)
-TheStar

MOTHER’S DAY UNDER QUARANTINE:
How to celebrate Mom even though you can’t take her out for brunch…
⇒ Stay connected:  This is the most important point. A phone call or video chat works, but a handwritten letter delivered to her is a more personal touch that she won’t forget. Or drop in for a physical-distancing visit. (I’ve seen the forecast—tell Mom to put on her snowsuit!)
⇒ Gift ideas:  Shop online for Mom, and maybe get her something for lounging at home, like an embroidered sleeping robe and matching silk sleeping mask. Or a teapot set or plant. And jewellery always works.
⇒ Activities:  While Mom might have to skip the hair salon for now, she can attend a virtual hair or fashion style appointment from home for beauty and style tips she can do herself.
⇒ If you live with her:  The best thing might be to give her the day off. Clean the house, do the laundry — make the day hers and do everything for her, including cooking a family dinner, having a game night or watching her favorite film.
(It looks to me like this year won’t be any different from any other for my Mom – gift card!)
-CTV

DID YOU KNOW?
News of the arrival of “Murder hornets” to North America caused some nervous ripples this week, but B.C.’s top bee experts say the nickname is sensationalistic, unless perhaps you are a bee. Provincial apiculturist Paul van Westendorp says not to expect swarms of Asian giant hornets this summer, and believes the threat is minimal and no reason to stay inside. According to him, “They are very fierce but very few. They are not overrunning the landscape out here. That is simply not going to happen.” He suggests people leave the hornets alone.
-CBC

BS CHRONOMETER 05.07.20

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1946 [74] Bill Kreutzmann, Palo Alto CA, rock drummer (Grateful Dead-‘Touch of Grey’)/author (“Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs With the Grateful Dead”)/currently a member of “Dead and Company” with other former members of The Grateful Dead)

1968 [52] Eagle-Eye Cherry (yup, that’s his real name), Skane Sweden, rock singer (‘Save Tonight’)/half-brother of Neneh Cherry (BS FAST FACT: His middle name is ‘Lanoo’)

1986 [34] Matt Helders, Sheffield UK, indie rock drummer (Arctic Monkeys-‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’, ‘Do I Wanna Know?’)

1987 [33] Aidy Bryant, Phoenix AZ, comedian (“Saturday Night Live” since 2012)

1992 [28] Alexander Ludwig, Vancouver BC, TV actor (‘Björn Ironside’ on “Vikings” since 2013)/movie actor (“The Hunger Games”, “Race to Witch Mountain”)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day”, shines a spotlight on the importance of caring for every child’s mental health and reinforces that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development.

• “National Cosmopolitan Day”, typically made with vodka, lime and cranberry juices, today there are many delicious variations of the Cosmo.

• “National Tourism Day”, part of “Travel & Tourism Week”. For municipalities and tourism to promote their area or region. Municipalities and entertainment venues big and small, use today to let people know about activities and events in their areas. (By the way, “World Tourism Day” happens every September.)

• “National Day of Prayer”, designated by the United States Congress, asks people “to turn to God in prayer and meditation.” The modern law formalizing the annual National Day of Prayer observance was enacted in 1952, and each year since, the President of the United States has signed a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day.

• “National Day of Reason”, a secular celebration for humanists, atheists, and other secularists and freethinkers in response to the National Day of Prayer.

COMING UP . . .
[Fri] Free Trade Day
[Fri] No Socks Day
[Sat] Hurray for Buttons Day
[Sat] National Train Day

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2010 [10] “Iron Man 2” opens in movie theaters and eventually grosses $624 million worldwide (unlike most film series, the ‘threequel’ proves an even bigger hit in 2013)

2017 [03] MTV Video Music Awards becomes the first major awards show to adopt gender-neutral categories – Emma Watson wins ‘Best film actor’, Millie Bobby Brown wins ‘Best TV actor’.

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2016 [04] Axl Rose takes over as lead singer for AC/DC, filling in for Brian Johnson at a show in Lisbon after Johnson is told that continuing the tour could result in permanent hearing loss. Rose fills in on the remaining dates as a guest vocalist.

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
2000 [20] Vladimir Putin is inaugurated president of Russia (the first time). This date in 2018, he is sworn in for his fourth term.

2006 [14] Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash becomes the first point guard to be named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in consecutive seasons since LA Lakers’ Magic Johnson 1989-90

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2000 [20] Skydiver Mike Hennessy of West Springfield, Massachusetts celebrates his 50th birthday by jumping out of an airplane … 50 times

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ The Pentagon has a plan for combating a zombie apocalypse.
✓ Iran arrested 14 squirrels for spying in 2007.
✓ ‘Synovial fluid’, the fluid that eases joint movement, is the most slippery substance known to man.
✓ The word “nice” originally meant ‘foolish’ or ‘stupid’.
✓ A human-on-human bite will almost always become infected.
✓ Grumpy Cat’s real name is Tarder Sauce.
-UnbelievableFacts

Sunday is “Mothers Day”, so here a some …
BS REASONS TO REMAIN CHILDLESS:
• Think of the time you’ll save not having to post 12 pics of your kid to Instagram every day.
• So you can sit in the bathtub without impaling your butt on a ‘Transformer’.
• Because children cost money and Nike won’t hire your kid for at least 3 or 4 years!
• Because you’re married to Alec Baldwin.
• So you can save your passenger-side airbag for bumping off your short mother-in-law.
• So you don’t have to put a childproof cap on the bottle of Wild Turkey.
• They give you drugs to get through childbirth, but not to get through Motherhood.
-First published in BS in 2016

TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ Social media star and beauty mogul Kylie Jenner has added to her real estate holdings with the purchase of a knockout home for $36.5 million. (I’m not sure about you, but I’m so happy she’s finally rewarded herself for all those selfless hours and long days of hard work…)
➠ Michael Bloomberg’s failed presidential campaign cost him over a  billion dollars. (So, take THAT, all the idiots who accuse him of having more money than he knows what to do with!)
➠ Teacher Appreciation Week continues. . . (Just thinking about teaching exhausts me. Actually, just thinking exhausts me. I’m not smart…)
➠ Fact of the Day: Live lobsters are sold in vending machines in Japan. (My luck, I’d want the big one, but instead I’d “pull a mussel”!)
➠ Fact of the Day: Johnny Depp and Queen Elizabeth are 20th cousins. (They could not be more different either. One is a feminine aging figure with a stoic accent and taste for wine. The other is Queen Elizabeth.)

BS WEB GOODIE:
Keeping the kids entertained:  https://tinyurl.com/ycmny4p9

BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s a really great word that you like to drop into conversation whenever you get the chance?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
First rule of Introvert Club: there is no Introvert Club. Thank goodness.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  Believe it or not, 11% of mothers say they craved THIS when they were pregnant.
Answer:  Soap

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Without the element of uncertainty, even the greatest triumph would be dull, routine and eminently unsatisfying.