Thursday, August 3, 2023 — Edition: #7530
The Sheet Hits the Fans!
BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
The Bull Sheet is headed off for its annual summer holiday next week, and will not be publishing Monday August 7 through Friday August 11. All subscribers will receive credit for non-service days. The Bull Sheet will resume publication on Monday August 14.
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ In A new message Jamie Foxx says he “would not be here” if not for his sister. In an Instagram post, Foxx shared a heartfelt message celebrating his sister Deidra Dixon’s birthday, and revealing that she saved his life. Alongside a slideshow of pics of his sis, he wrote: “Happy birthday to my beautiful …sister…you are magical you are beautiful you are the courageous lionesses.” He continued, saying “Had you not made the decisions that you made I would’ve lost my life…. I love you forever and ever happy birthday sis.” Foxx suffered a “medical complication” in April. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3rnjcz8n
-ETCanada
★ The driver in Treat Williams‘ fatal motorcycle accident has been charged. Vermont State Police have revealed that Ryan Koss has been charged with grossly negligent operation with death, following the June 12 crash. Koss was driving the Honda SUV that turned into the path of Williams’ motorcycle. Police previously said they believed Koss attempted to drive into a parking lot, stopping and signalling a left turn, before turning into the path of Williams’ motorcycle. Koss met with troopers on Tuesday evening, at which time he charged and released. He’s due to appear for arraignment on Sept. 25.
-ETCanada
★ “Yellowstone” star Kelly Reilly thinks the show’s conclusion will be bittersweet. Reilly, who portrays ‘Beth Dutton’ in the Western drama, gave her predictions on how the show will end in a recent behind-the-scenes clip. In a featurette that appears on the Blu-ray and DVD release of Yellowstone season 5, she says of the show’s ending: “Though it will probably be beautiful and epic, I’m not sure it will be happy.”
-Insider
★ Now you really can live the ‘Goop’ life. In a (paid) Instagram post, Gwyneth Paltrow announced that she was about to list the “beautiful little guest house” to her sprawling Montecito, California, home on Airbnb. In the vid, Paltrow walks viewers through the cozy abode — which includes a soaking tub, wood-burning fireplace, and vaulted ceilings. She also shows off a wine room, and says that Airbnb guests could join her and her husband, Brad Falchuk, there for dinner. She continues, saying: “While we may begin as strangers, I hope we’ll find connections and commonalities over a delicious meal.” And, of course: “You’ll have a bathroom stocked with my favorite @goop products.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/46fnb5uu
-NYPost
★ “Arrow” star Stephen Amell has ruffled some feathers with his comments criticizing the SAG-AFTRA strike — and now he’s clarifying his thoughts in a new statement. Saturday, he attended Raleigh’s GalaxyCon and expressed frustration over the strike, which has impacted the promotion of his Starz show, “Heels”. He said that while he supports his union, he does “not support the strike”. In the new statement, Amell now says his “off the cuff” comment is “contradictory to my true feelings.” He said he doesn’t “like striking,” but added “we have to do what we have to do.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/wvvbrz3t
-Yahoo
★ Seth MacFarlane has donated $1 million to the Entertainment Community Fund to assist industry workers impacted by the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, the organization said. Since May 1 — the day before the Writers Guild went on strike — the fund has raised more than $6.3 million from more than 7,500 donors, including MacFarlane, in support of film and TV workers. Organizers said: “Given the heightened rate of requests for emergency financial assistance…the Fund is distributing about $400,000-$500,000 per week, compared to an average of $75,000 per week in the first half of 2023.”
-Deadline
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): President Joe Biden, Jack Johnson (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Travis Kelce, Jay Hernandez, Samara Joy (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Jeff Daniels, Nate Burleson (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Jake Tapper, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Sohla El-Waylly (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Neil deGrasse Tyson
• “The Talk” (CBS): Kelly Ripa, Cristela Alonzo guest co-hosts (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Rose Byrne
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Luke Grimes, Wes Bentley, Walker Hayes (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Rob Lowe, John Owen Lowe (R)
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Seal (R)
• “The Prank Panel” (ABC): A mom is asked to watch a stranger’s child; an electrician gets revenge on his friends.
• “FBoy Island” (CW): Season 2 premiere
• “Botched” (E!): Season 8 premiere
• “Doomsday: The Trial of Lori Vallow Daybell” (ID): Following her arrest and trial after the 2019 disappearance and murder of her children, 7-year-old JJ Vallow, and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift – is sharing the millions in profits from her “Eras” tour, by giving her truckers a massive $100,000 bonus for moving her set pieces across the US. A source says there are about 50 truckers who haul equipment for the tour, which would amount to about $5million total. But she also gave “end of tour” bonuses to all band members, dancers, lighting and sound technicians and caterers.
• Lizzo — Three former backup dancers have filed a lawsuit against her. Lizzo, who embraces body positivity, is being accused of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. In the suit, the singer is accused of drawing attention to one dancer’s weight gain.
• Lady Gaga – has announced her return to Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas for her “Lady Gaga: Jazz & Piano” show. It’ll be back on Aug. 31 for the first of 12 shows between then and Oct. 5. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yvb3cy8h
• Semisonic – has previewed its first new album since 2001. Tuesday, the group premiered the video for ‘The Rope’, the first single from “Little Bit of Sun”, which drops Nov. 3. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2s4fe32d
• Lynyrd Skynyrd – is celebrating the band’s 50th anniversary with the career-spanning “Fyfty” box set, out Oct. 13. It’ll feature a 40-page booklet and 4 CDs, which will include 2 live unreleased songs: a 1976 rendition of ‘Free Bird’ and a 2022 performance of ‘Gimme Three Steps’ from late guitarist Gary Rossington’s final show.
• Led Zeppelin – If you’re rich, you could buy a 10% stake in the band. Helen Grant, daughter of the group’s late manager Peter Grant, is selling her share of Zeppelin’s recording and publishing rights, plus an interest in the band’s other business ventures, including merchandise.
• Jason Aldean – ‘Try That in a Small Town’, a publicity magnet for sure, has jumped from #12 to #2 on the Billboard Streaming Songs chart. It is also at #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart for a 2nd week, on the strength of 30.7 million US streams July 21-27.
• Carrie Underwood — will return to Sunday Night Football in 2023 to sing the opening theme for an 11th straight year. The new show opening will debut on NBC Sept. 10 before the Dallas Cowboys host the New York Giants (She’s a Cowboys fan). Underwood will once again perform an updated version of ‘Waiting All Day for Sunday Night’, based on Joan Jett’s ‘I Hate Myself for Loving You’.
• Dan + Shay – will drop the new song ‘Always Gonna Be” tonight at 11pm CT. The song will appear on the duo’s album “Bigger Houses”, arriving September 15. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3x6y9r3n
SHOOTING THE BULL
SIMULATION STIMULATION:
Some companies looking for a novel way to do some team building in the era of remote work are using “Top Gun” style simulations to rally their troops – and paying an army’s ransom to do so. Companies like
Nike, Pepsi and Bank of America, and any others, who “feel the need for speed,” can have their employees adopt call-signs like ‘Maverick’ or ‘Ice Man’ and engage in missions “to rescue your teammate and bring them home”. A company called Afterburner employs a team of former pilots, Navy SEALs and military commandos to train corporate execs to “execute with the same precision and accuracy as elite military aviators and special operations teams,” according to the company website. “Top Gun Experience” training starts at $10,000 for a small team and can climb to $100,000 for a larger one. Afterburner’s “experiential team building” exercises include a “fighter pilot simulation” designed to “help your team strengthen relationships, build trust, and improve communication.” After adopting their call-sign, team members take on roles such as “squadron commander”, and are thrust into challenging scenarios that sharpen their decision-making skills.
(It’s great — until you find out how few of your co-workers will take any sort of risk to save you…!)
(As if most remote workers aren’t playing video games all day, anyway!)
-NYPost
CHATGPT CHAT:
If you’ve been counting on AI to help with your homework or work assignments, you might find some comfort – or horror – in this. Experts at UCLA say that ChatGPT has evolved to the point that it now “performs about as well as college undergraduates” when it comes to “thinking out” questions that often show up on standardized testing. The language learning model has (ahem) “graduated” to higher education since late 2022, when its writing style was described as that of “a very smart 12th-grader”. ChatGPT-3 was used for the test, and scored around 80% correct on IQ questions, “well within the range of the highest human scores”. The average person scores about 60%. There is now an even more-advanced GPT-4 model available.
(I’d still take natural stupidity over artificial intelligence, any day!)
(This whole story may have been written by ChatGPT…or a college undergrad – we’ll never know!)
-NYPost
SCIENTISTS SAY:
⇒ You may have heard that you shouldn’t drink coffee on an empty stomach. But is it REALLY that bad for you? Nope, says gastroenterologist Dr. Sunana Sohi. Sohi points out that coffee has been used medicinally for centuries. It does, however, play around with stomach acid levels, and as a result, some people may experience indigestion from drinking it on an empty stomach. That, of course, can be easily solved by avoiding caffeine, or enjoying your cuppa alongside some food. (Like Homer said: “Donuts – Is there anything they CAN’T do?”)
⇒ As little as one or 2 minutes of vigorous exercise a day could lower your cancer risk, according to a new study. This activity can include power walking, climbing stairs, doing strenuous housework or playing with the kids, according to Dr. Emmanuel Stamatakis, lead author of the study published last week in the journal JAMA Oncology. In a study involving 22,000 adults, those who incorporated about 4½ minutes of vigorous activity in short 1–2-minute bouts had more than 30% lower incidence rates of cancer. (Great! Now I just have to decide which I don’t want to do more: Climb stairs for 2 minutes – or “strenuous housework”!)
⇒ A bit of walking each day can knock 16 years off your biological age. A 2022 study of more than 400,000 UK adults found that as little as 10 minutes’ brisk walking a day was associated with having longer telomeres (a part of your chromosomes associated with ageing). That correlated to having a biological age that appeared a whopping 16 years younger by the time people reached middle age. (I tried it. All I got was lost…)
⇒ A study says that 6 minutes of cycling per day is enough to put the brakes on brain ageing. Scientists at New Zealand’s University of Otago found that a brief burst of cycling at close to maximum effort can significantly raise levels of BDNF (a protein linked to your brain’s ability to grow and rewire itself). In fact, a short, sharp session had far more impact than 20 hours of fasting, and about 5 times the effect of slower, prolonged cardio workouts. (Oh, believe me – if I’m on a bike…I’m operating at maximum effort!)
-HuffPost, CNN, Stylist, MensHealth
“HEALTHY” FOODS THAT ARE ACTUALLY BAD FOR YOU:
❑ Flavored Yogurt: Common brands often contain 3 different added sugars – fruit juice concentrate, cane sugar and modified food starch – as well as the emulsifier carrageenan, which has been associated with increased gut inflammation.
❑ Granola: Although branded as being healthy, thanks to fiber and lack of refined sugar, this is often misleading. It can contain multiple forms of sugar, such as syrups, which can cause spikes in blood sugar.
❑ Vegan Meat: Plant-based meats, often made using pea or soy proteins to create vegan-friendly burgers or sausages, have been criticized by nutritionists for their lack of real nutritional value. A better option is to eat lentils and peas themselves, rather than the processed product.
❑ Sports Drinks: You must know by now that they usually contain a LOT of sugar. Regularly consuming hi-sugar drinks can harm your teeth and increase risk of obesity and diabetes. (Red Bull is MY sports drink – so I’m OK, right?)
❑ Instant Soups: LOTS of added salt, and it may also contain emulsifiers and other artificial chemicals that are bad for the gut, triggering inflammation. (I’m guessing that adding a dozen crackers isn’t gonna help?)
❑ Protein Bars: A classic example of ultra-processed foods, often with lots of sugar, flavorings, bulking agents, and emulsifiers. If it has more than 10 ingredients, avoid it.
❑ Green Juice: the veggie content is much lower than many people think. A juice that is fruit-based will spike your blood sugar and you’ll have an energy crash afterwards, stimulating hunger. (“But it wasn’t green yesterday…”)
(Also, anything left in the sun for more than 30 minutes. Or that I have cooked.)
-Telegraph
DID YOU KNOW?
“X”, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has a new motto, and it sounds like it belongs to an ’80s cover band. The app’s page in the Apple App Store now reads “Blaze your glory!”, a change from the former tagline of “Let’s talk.” The phrase is Elon Musk’s latest change as he rebrands Twitter to X. Musk tweeted the phrase on Monday with no further explanation. But, of course, the internet isn’t going to let a misquoted Bon Jovi lyric go by without some ridicule. One commenter tweeted…or, rather, “X’d”: “I’m trying @elonmusk …Why do you charge to talk?? I want my free speech back please!”
-Insider
BS CHRONOMETER 08.03.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Clean Your Floors Day”, dedicated to scrubbing, mopping, shampooing, and doing whatever else is necessary to get them clean. (Like hire someone?)
• “Grab Some Nuts Day”, because sometimes you feel like a nut!
• “Watermelon Day”, celebrating the summer treat that’s part of the pumpkin, squash, and gourd family. Watermelons originated in Africa, then spread to Egypt, India, China, and eventually around-the-world (and eventually also dripped down your arm…).
• “Airplane Crop Duster Day”, to all those who that play an integral part in the safe, abundant production of food and fiber throughout the world. Fly safe! (And watch out for the ‘other’ kind of crop-duster!)
• “Georgia Day”, recognizing the natural wonders and immense complexities of this bastion of Southern culture.
• “IPA Day”, India Pale Ale beers date back to the late 18th century, when they were brewed for British sailors making long sea voyages to India. Most beers didn’t keep well on-board ship, but London brewer George Hodgson developed a pale ale with a high hop content, which kept its taste better.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] International Beer Day
[Fri] Chocolate Chip Cookie Day
[Sat] Disc Golf Day
[Sun] Friendship Day
This Week is…World Breastfeeding Week
This Month is…Family Fun Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1940 [83] Martin Sheen (Ramón Estévez), Dayton OH, movie actor (“The Amazing Spider-Man”, “Apocalypse Now”)/TV actor (“Anger Management” 2012, “The West Wing” 1999-2006)
1941 [82] Martha Stewart, Jersey City, NJ, TV host (“Martha Stewart Living” 1993-2004), entrepreneur (“Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia”)
1963 [60] James Hetfield, Downey CA, heavy metal singer-guitarist (Metallica-‘Enter Sandman’, ‘Nothing Else Matters’)
1963 [60] Isaiah Washington, Houston TX, TV actor (“The 100” 2014-2018; “Grey’s Anatomy” 2005-2014)
1963 [60] Ed Roland, Stockbridge CA, rock singer (Collective Soul-‘Shine’, ‘The World I Know’)
1966 [57] Brent Butt, Tisdale SK, comedian (“The Brent Butt Comedy Special”)/TV actor (“Hiccups” 2010-11, “Corner Gas” 2004-09)/married to co-star Nancy Robertson since 2005
1976 [47] Jimmy De Martini, Atlanta GA, country violinist (Zac Brown Band-‘Knee Deep’, ‘Chicken Fried’)
1977 [46] Tom Brady, San Mateo CA, former NFL QB (New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)/7-time Super Bowl winner/5-time Super Bowl MVP/married to Gisele Bundchen 2009-2023
1979 [44] Evangeline Lilly, Fort Saskatchewan AB, TV actress (“Lost” 2004-10)/movie actress (“The Hurt Locker”, “Ant-Man and The Wasp”) COMING UP…”Happy Life”
1984 [39] Ryan Lochte, Rochester NY, competitive swimmer (12-time Olympic medalist, second-most decorated swimmer in Olympic history, behind Michael Phelps)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2008 [15] People publishes a 19-page photo-spread of Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie’s newborn twins, Vivienne & Knox (the bidding war for the first pics reportedly reached $14 million, most ever paid for celeb baby pics)
2021 [02] Kelly Clarkson divorces talent manager Brandon Blackstock after 7 years of marriage
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1996 [27] ‘La Macarena’ by Los Del Rio hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and stays there for 14 weeks)
2015 [08] Gwen Stefani files for divorce from Gavin Rossdale, her husband since 2002. She soon begins dating Blake Shelton, her fellow coach on “The Voice”.
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1949 [74] Basketball Association of America & National Basketball League merge to form the ‘NBA’
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2017 [06] Brazilian soccer forward Neymar transfers from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record transfer fee of €222M (US$243.5m), on a 5-year deal
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ A single human being’s DNA contains as much information as 50 novels.
✓ The average NASCAR driver loses 10 pounds (4.5kg) while racing.
✓ The salty taste of bacon isn’t natural. That flavor we all love comes from the curing and brining process.
✓ Garden snails have 14,000 teeth.
✓ Blue whales eat half a million calories in one mouthful.
✓ Dogs sniff good smells with their left nostril.
-WTFFacts, Facts
Best of BS . . .
BS QUESTIONS FOR ASTROPHYSICISTS:
• What is astroturf made of?
• Is “Dancing with the Stars” your favorite show?
• If Tatooine has two suns, why is Luke Skywalker still so incredibly pale?
• The vacuum in space….is it a Hoover or a Dyson?
• Why doesn’t my cat love me?
• Do you know if Will Robinson is still in danger ?
• What is the ‘matter’?
• How did you know you wanted to become an astrophysicist? Did you plan-et?
• What’s an astrophysicist?
• If I orbit a 7000 Solar Mass black hole to dilate time for one Earth year, will I still be a Scorpio when I return?
• Why aren’t hemorrhoids called assteroids?
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ MTV made its debut this week in 1981. The first video: ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’. (That’s a weird way to launch a music network. Kinda like launching the Food Network with a video called ‘Diabetes Killed the Pastry Chef’…)
➠ It’s rumored that Taylor Swift is dating Travis Kelce. (Maybe we can help her get a little jump on the creative process: Are there any words related to heartbreak that rhyme with “Kelce”?)
➠ James Hetfield of Metallica turns 60 today. (Fans will mark the occasion by wishing happy birthday to the Cowardly Lion…)
➠ Actor Liev Schreiber has secretly married his girlfriend. (And by ‘secret,’ I mean they only talked about it on Twitter, and not on Facebook!)
➠ A report says Portland OR is due for a major earthquake. (When reached for comment, everyone in Portland left the strawberry festival in their hybrids, sparked a joint, bought some macrobiotic peaches . . . then resumed angrily deflating the tires on an SUV…)
BS WEB GOODIE:
That worked out well: https://tinyurl.com/wam62x74
BS RANDOM JOKE:
I never realize how often I swear until I’m in a situation where I can’t.
BS PHONE STARTER:
What is your worst vacation disaster story?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: About 20% of kids know THIS about a parent. What is it?
Answer: Their phone passcode
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose is to give it away.