Friday, April 1, 2022 — Edition: #7201

Happy “Bull Day”, We’re 29-Years-Old Today – No Foolin’!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ “Bridgerton” Season 2 has pushed the show to the #1 spot on Netflix’s worldwide Top 10 list for English language shows, becoming the streamer’s most-viewed English TV title in its premiere weekend. According Netflix, viewers watched more than 193 million hours of the show’s second season, which has just 8 episodes, and it only began streaming last Friday.
-Yahoo
★ Hilaria Baldwin is expecting — for the seventh time. She announced the happy news on her Instagram with a video of her breaking the news to the rest of the family. She wrote: “After many ups and downs over the past few years, we have an exciting up, and a huge surprise: another Baldwinito is coming this fall.” She went on to write they she and Alec were “pretty sure” their family was complete, but are “beyond happy with this surprise”. They share 6 kids between the ages of 13 months and 8 years.
-MSN
★ Wednesday was a big day in Westeros with new photos from the “Game of Thrones prequel “House of the Dragon,” and an official release date. HBO announced that the series will premiere on Aug. 21. They also released new teaser images from the series, including some of the never-before-seen characters. House of the Dragon will have an ensemble cast as big and intricately-woven as its predecessor.
-PopCulture
★ Paul Herman, best known for appearances in mob movies as well as “The Sopranos,” has died. He was 76. Sopranos costar Michael Imperioli announced Herman’s death Tuesday on Instagram, writing: “Paulie was just a great dude. A first-class storyteller and raconteur and one hell of an actor. ‘Goodfellas,’ ‘Once Upon a Time in America,’ ‘The Irishman’ and of course ‘The Sopranos’ are some highlights.” Herman first appeared on The Sopranos in 2000 as Peter ‘Beansie’ Gaeta, a club owner and former drug dealer.
-TheWrap

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Red Hot Chili Peppers
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Hugh Jackman
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Billie Eilish, Eric Adams, Stevie Nistor (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Johnny Knoxville, Nick Offerman, Tolliver (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Stephen Merchant, guest co-host Chelsea Clinton
• “The Talk” (CBS): Josh Lucas, Michelle Hord, guest co-host Paula Abdul
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Ethan Hawke, Dr. Michael Breus
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Allison Russell, guest host Brandi Carlile
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Tyler Perry, Parker Young (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Judd Apatow, Bridget Moynahan
• “John and the Hole” (SHOWTIME): A desperate game of survival unfolds after 13-year-old John traps his family in a hole in the ground.

SATURDAY-
• “NCAA Basketball Tournament” (TBS, TSN): Final Four action: Kansas vs. Villanova, Duke vs. North Carolina
• “Whitney, A look Back” (CBS): Lost performances and rare moments with Houston, featuring new details about the days leading up to and following her death.
• “Just One Kiss” (HALLMARK): Sparks fly between a professor and a lounge singer after their mothers hatch a scheme to set them up.
• “Fallen Angels Murder Club: Friends to Die For” (LIFETIME): An ex-convict and aspiring lawyer becomes the subject of police scrutiny when a member of her book club is murdered.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Host Jerrod Carmichael, with musical guest Gunna

SUNDAY-
• “American Idol” (ABC): Fan favorites form dynamic duos and hit the stage for the duets challenge.
• “The 64th Annual Grammy Awards” (CBS): Trevor Noah hosts what we’re hoping will be spring’s first “slap-free” awards show. Performers include Silk Sonic, J Balvin, Brothers Osborne, BTS, Brandi Carlile, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow, Olivia Rodrigo and Carrie Underwood.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Katy Perry – will narrate a podcast about Elizabeth Taylor. “Elizabeth The First” is a 10-episode series about Taylor as “the original influencer”. The podcast will also discuss how Taylor used her celebrity to call attention to HIV/AIDS and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, with rare stories from people who knew her. It’ll debut this spring.
• Silk Sonic – has been tapped to perform at the 2022 Grammy Awards this Sunday. The duo, featuring Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak will open the show. Also added to the bill: John Legend, Carrie Underwood, and J Balvin with Maria Becerra. A tribute to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins is also in the works. The Foo Fighters were scheduled to perform on the show before he passed away.
• Kelly Clarkson – has officially changed her name to Kelly Brianne. The move comes 3 weeks after she finalized her divorce from Brandon Blackstock. In her filing, she stated: “my new name more fully reflects who I am.”
• The Wanted – singer Tom Parker has died at 33. His wife, Kelsey Hardwick, announced the news on Wednesday. Parker first announced his diagnosis of an inoperable brain tumor in a 2020 Instagram post.
• Rick Springfield, Men at Work and John Waite — are teaming up for a summer tour. An 18-city US trek kicks off Aug. 5 in St. Augustine FL, and runs through Sept. 3 in Las Vegas. Springfield will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of his “Working Class Dog” album, which featured his signature hit ‘Jessie’s Girl’. LINK: http://rickspringfield.com/concerts/
• Sex Pistols – A new compilation is being released as a companion to the Disney+ series “Pistol”. In celebration of Danny Boyle’s 6-episode limited series, the notorious punkers will release a collection of 20 recordings from 1976-78 on “The Sex Pistols: The Original Recordings”, out May 27. The show premieres on FX, Disney+ and Hulu on May 31.
• Jimmy Buffett – His Margaritaville at Sea Cruise Line is set to sail. His latest venture will take on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian for Caribbean sailings from Florida when it makes its maiden voyage this month. Margaritaville Paradise features 10 passenger decks and 658 cabins.
• Miranda Lambert – The Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year is headed for Vegas. She announced a headlining Vegas residency at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The show — “Velvet Rodeo: The Las Vegas Residency” — kicks off on Sept. 23.
• Eric Church — canceled a huge concert set for Saturday so he can watch his beloved NC Tar Heels play Duke in the Final Four. After canceling his show at the AT&T Center in San Antonio TX, some fans were not impressed. Several stormed his Facebook page showing their frustration, with one calling him a “clown,” and others saying they’d boycott his concerts.
• Brooks & Dunn – will star in the debut of a new series headed to CMT. The network announced it has revived VH1’s famous series into “CMT Storytellers”, with the first episode set to air April 13. In addition, season 2 of “CMT Campfire Sessions” will feature Little Big Town when it premieres on April 12.

SHOOTING THE BULL

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Morbius” (PG-13, Fantasy/Action): Biochemist Michael Morbius tries to cure himself of a rare blood disease, but inadvertently infects himself with a form of vampirism instead. (Jared Leto, Michael Keaton, Matt Smith)
• “The Contractor” (R-Rated, Action/Mystery): A discharged U.S. Special Forces sergeant risks everything for his family when he joins a private contracting organization. (Gillian Jacobs, Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Kiefer Sutherland)
• “You Won’t Be Alone” (R-Rated, Horror/Drama): In an isolated mountain village in 19th century Macedonia, a young girl is kidnapped and transformed into a witch through an ancient spirit. (Noomi Rapace, Alice Englert)

UNSUPERVISOR:
Are you feeling the love from your boss? A new survey says that 63% workers feel unappreciated by their employer on a daily basis. In the poll of 2,000 Americans, all of whom are either employed or searching for a new job, 65% said they’d likely stay at a job with an unappreciative manager if their co-workers still recognized their work. But 59% said they’ve NEVER has a boss who truly appreciated what they do for the company. How important is it to feel appreciated? 20% claim they’d give up a week’s worth of pay for more employer recognition. Other findings in the survey, done by OnePoll:
• 46% have left a job because they felt unappreciated.
• 35% would prefer recognition from their employer in the form of perks, bonuses or a recognition program.
(Our boss said we DO have a recognition program: It’s called ‘Your paycheck’!)
(We all love to be appreciated. But give up a week’s pay? Give it to me, and I’ll pay the boss half to give you an “attaboy”!)
-StudyFinds

NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢ Parents of students at an Indiana elementary school say they received some unexpectedly hilarious photos after green screens were used for school picture day — on St. Patrick’s Day. Amanda Snow, whose son, Oliver, attends Sugar Grove Elementary School, sent her son, Oliver, to school for picture day wearing a dark green shirt. Oliver also wore a hoodie that is partially green, and she says: “so he turned into the fence. He had lime green shorts on, so I guess the darker the shirt, the more transparent the background comes through. And he had a green mohawk, but that is completely gone.” After posting about it in a Facebook mom’s group, other parents shared photos of their children’s torsos similarly disappearing into the background due to their green clothing. LINK: https://youtu.be/dFH8kvVnZns  (On the plus side, most of the kids have been offered a placement at [***local hack community cable station***]!)
➢ A man has been living in the Beijing International Airport for 14 years so he can smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol without his family nagging him. It’s a story with shades of the Tom Hanks movie “The Terminal”, except this guy has been living in an airport of his own free will. After losing his job, Wei Jianguo says he simply spent his days drinking and smoking. His family eventually told him he had to give up his 2 biggest pleasures if he wanted to continue living in the family home. That wasn’t an option, so he simply moved into the airport. As he told a reporter, “My family told me if I wanted to stay, I had to quit smoking and drinking (and) give them my monthly government allowance. But then how would I buy my cigarettes and alcohol?” (Apparently, this guy has better luck finding a smoking section at an airport than I ever have!)
-UPI, OddityCentral

DID YOU KNOW?
Dancing is good for a guy’s masculinity, according to a new study. Researchers in in Finland set out to discover what impact dancing during childhood has on men in adulthood. According to those they interviewed, dancing was a good way of expressing themselves physically and made them more positive about their bodies. It also helped them grow more confident in discussing life’s important questions. In Finland, the dance scene began emphasizing the masculinity of male dancers in the 1950s, and dancers were compared to top athletes, performing martial arts moves as part of their routines.
-StudyFinds

BS CHRONOMETER 04.01.22

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “April Fool’s Day”. The custom of playing practical jokes today originated with the reform of the calendar when “New Year’s Day” was moved from April 1 to January 1. Those who clung to the old “New Year’s Day” were scoffed at as ‘fools’ and sent fake party invitations and prank gifts. That tradition began in France around 1564, where an ‘April Fool’ is called a ‘poisson d’avril’ (April fish).
• “St Stupid’s Day”, a celebration on April 1st in San Francisco since 1980, when a wacky parade is held. The occasion’s dim-witted activities include the ‘high four’ handshake (hand up, palm towards partner, fold thumb across palm, slap high four, say “Ouch!”).
• “International Tatting Day”, NOT what you’re thinking! This celebrates the technique of handcrafting lace by using a series of knots and loops. (You can never have too many doilies, right?)
• “One Cent Day”, celebrating the world’s most useless currency … the penny. It now costs 2.41 cents to manufacture a penny in the U.S. The US Mint (finally) announced last year that it will mint its last batch of pennies on April 1, 2023 (unless that’s an early April Fool’s joke…). Other countries that no longer use the penny (or its equivalent) include Australia, Canada, Finland, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden.
• “Boomer Bonus Day”, a day where Baby Boomers (people born 1946-64) get a special price on their purchases. (It’s a nice way of saying “Senior’s prices.”)
• Fun at Work Day”, because experts say when we enjoy our work, we are more productive. Here are a few suggestions . . .
✓ Find out where your boss shops and buy the same exact outfits. Always wear them one day after your boss does. (Especially effective if your boss is a different gender.)
✓ Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that.
✓ Include a piece of your kid’s artwork as a cover page for all reports you write.
✓ When answering your phone, talk in a fake British accent.
✓ Make up nicknames for all your co-workers and refer to them only by these names. (“That’s a good point, Sparky.”)
✓ Take a picture of your boss, have it framed and display it prominently on your desk. (Or a pic of his wife!)
✓ Leave the photocopy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17-inch paper, 99 copies.
✓ Send e-mail to the rest of the company telling them EXACTLY what you’re doing. (“If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the bathroom.”)
✓ Pretend your computer mouse is a CB radio mic. Talk to it.

SATURDAY-
• “Ferret Day”, celebrating those cute & cuddly little pets that are the domesticated form of the European polecat, a mammal belonging to the weasel genus. (Don’t you just love it when they crawl up your pant leg?)
• “International Children’s Book Day”, celebrated on the birthday of one of the most famous children’s authors, Hans Christian Andersen, born in Denmark on this day in 1805. He wrote 168 fairytales in all, including “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and “The Little Mermaid”.
BS LEAST RECOMMENDED CHILDREN’S BOOKS:
– “The Little Sissy Who Snitched”
– “Whining, Kicking & Crying to Get Your Way”
– “Places Where Mommy & Daddy Hide Neat Things”
– “The Mouse, the Motorcycle, And the Organ Donor Card”
– “How to Write Your Name in the Snow”
• “Peanut Butter & Jelly Day”, celebrating what may be the world’s most popular sandwich. But what else have you sandwiched with peanut butter? We like PB & tuna. Nummers!
• “Love Your Produce Manager Day”, a day to appreciate the person who orders and stocks fresh fruits and vegetables at groceries and supermarkets. (So, go ahead … squeeze his melons!)
• “Reconciliation Day”, a day to write a letter or make a phone call in order to mend a broken relationship. (“Dear Boss: Sorry about that April Fool’s Day whoopee cushion …”)
• “World Autism Day”, a UN observance since 2007 to raise awareness of this disorder of neural development. Approximately 1 in 54 children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

SUNDAY-
• “Don’t Go to Work Unless It’s Fun Day”, an annual observance encouraging us to lighten up at the office and actually enjoy work, not just endure it. (Of course, lately, it’s been just “Don’t Go to Work Day”…)
• “National Chocolate Mousse Day”, recognizing the decadent dessert that gained popularity in France in the 1800s (good training for Easter!)
• “Find a Rainbow Day”, although I’m sure you would rather find the pots o’gold at the ends!
• “American Circus Day”, Englishman John Bill Ricketts promised the opening of a circus in the newly formed United States, and on April 3, 1793 he produced the first performance in Philadelphia. This early circus emphasized equestrian feats and was geared toward adults.
• “Pony Express Day”, celebrating those brave souls who made up the unique mail delivery system of the same name. In wild west, there was no Fed Ex, no Postal Service that ran that far west, no planes, and deliveries by ship were likely to take months — if they got there at all.

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1944 [78] Jimmy Cliff [James Chambers], St James Jamaica, reggae singer (‘I Can See Clearly Now’, ‘Reggae Night’)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 2010

1961 [61] Susan Boyle, Blackburn Scotland, pop singer (‘Wild Horses’)/TV talent show contestant (“Britain’s Got Talent” 2009)

1973 [49] Rachel Maddow, Castro Valley CA, TV host/political commentator (“The Rachel Maddow Show” since 2008)

1980 [42] Bijou Phillips, Greenwich CT, TV actress (‘Lucy’ on “Raising Hope” 2010-13)/movie actress (“Almost Famous”, “Hostel: Part II”)/married to Danny Masterson since 2011

1982 [40] Taran Killam, Culver City CA, TV actor (“Saturday Night Live” 2010-16, “Single Parents” 2018-20)

1986 [36] Hillary Scott, Nashville TN, country singer (Lady A-‘Need You Now’, ‘What if I Never Get Over You’)

1995 [27] Logan Paul, Westlake OH, internet personality (more than 23 million YouTube subscribers)/actor/singer/hack boxer/promotor

SATURDAY- Linda Hunt (“NCIS: Los Angeles”) is 77; Emmylou Harris (‘Blue Kentucky Girl’) is 75; Christopher Meloni (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”) is 61; Adam F. Goldberg (“The Goldbergs”) is 46; Michael Fassbender (“12 Years a Slave”) is 45; Jesse Carmichael (Maroon 5) is 43; Jesse Plemons (“Friday Night Lights”) is 34

SUNDAY- Zoolgist Jane Goodall is 88; Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock”) is 64; Eddie Murphy (“Beverly Hills Cop”) is 61; Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) is 54; Jennie Garth (“Beverly Hills, 90210”) is 50; Adam Scott (“Parks and Recreation”) is 48; Cobie Smulders (“How I Met Your Mother”) is 40; Leona Lewis (‘Bleeding Love’) is 37; Amanda Bynes (“She’s the Man) is 36; Paris Jackson (Michael’s daughter) is 24

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1979 [43] ‘Bart Simpson’ is “born” (according to several sources), but he’s perennially aged 10, according to “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2008 [14] YouTube tricks users with the popular bait-and-switch prank ‘Rickrolling,’ by featuring video links that actually lead to Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ music video. Several other websites have the same idea, creating an unintentional, internet-wide April Fools’ joke

2012 [10] Taylor Swift wins her second consecutive ‘Entertainer of the Year’ award at the 47th Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas

2014 [08] Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, Kiss, Nirvana, Linda Ronstadt and Cat Stevens are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1976 [46] Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne found “Apple Computer” in the garage of Jobs’ parents’ house in Cupertino, California

2001 [21] Netherlands becomes the first country in the world to make same-sex marriage legal

2004 [18] Google introduces “gmail” to the public (at the time, many think it is an April Fools joke)

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ There are only 2 countries with names that officially begin with “The” (The Gambia and The Bahamas).
✓ Facebook has more users than the populations of the U.S., China, Russia, Mexico and Brazil combined.
✓ The verb “unfriend” first appeared in 1659.
✓ The word “dude” originated in the 1800s as an insult to men overly concerned with the latest fashion trends.
✓ People who are currently alive represent about 7% of the total number of people who have ever lived.
✓ Humans invented booze before we invented the wheel.
-BestLife, MentalFloss

Best of BS . . .
BS SIGNS YOU WERE PRANKED LAST APRIL FOOL’S DAY:
• To thwart the office jokester this year, you’ve already Jell-O-molded your stapler.
• You still have a chipped tooth from trying to roll up the rim on your travel mug.
• You ended up married to Ashton Kutcher.
• There’s no way you’re falling for that “don’t worry it’s free parking downtown” joke again!
• You’re still trying to pick up that quarter that’s glued to the lunchroom floor.
• You’re pretty sure you’ll never, ever forget the taste of Nutella and Ex-lax.
• Pants-optional bus service sounded totally believable!
-First published in BS in 2019

BS NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ARTICLES IN THE YEAR 2030:
• Hey, Remember Forests? I Miss Forests
• These Striking Photographs Show the Best On-Fire Lakes from Around the World
• Did Lemurs Have Personalities? If So, Were They Bummed Out When They Became Extinct?
• 95 Degrees Fahrenheit in December — Is This the Coldest Winter in Years?
• Biden Says Something Off-Script, World Leaders Shudder – Even Though He’s No Longer President
• This Photojournalist Spent a Week Following the Band of Violent Bikers Who Now Rule Us, But He Was Killed, So We Don’t Have Any Photos from Him
• Recycling: Get Caught and This Illegal Activity Will Get You Thrown in Jail
• Seven Stunning Natural Wonders That Are Now Trump Hotels
• Help Us Caption This Photo of Underwater New York City
• We Have The Latest Memes About the Will Smith/Chris Rock Slapping Incident
• Photo of the Day: The Last Ice Cube on Earth
-First published in BS in 2017

BS WEB GOODIE:
Weekend vibes (sound up):  https://tinyurl.com/ysd6e8ff

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Before a man speaks, it is always safe to assume that he is a fool. After he speaks, it is seldom necessary to assume it.

BS PHONE STARTERS:
What is the best prank that you’ve been the victim of?
What April Fools joke have you attempted — that failed miserably?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  A survey of parents with kids under the age of 14 say THIS is their biggest challenge each day. What is it?
Answer:  Getting them out of bed

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
You can educate a fool, but you cannot make him think.