Monday, August 14, 2023 — Edition: #7532
Can You Believe This Sheet?
BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
The Bull is back! As promised, all Bull Sheet subscribers have received account credits for non-service days during the BS Summer holiday.
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ “Barbie” and filmmaker Greta Gerwig continue to make history at the box office. Last week, the film surpassed “Frozen II”, making Gerwig the top-grossing female director of all time at the domestic box office, topping the mark previously held by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck. On Friday, Barbie became the 20th film to break $500 million domestically at the box office, dwarfing Frozen II, which took in $477.4 million in North America. In addition, on Friday, Barbie passed Captain Marvel’s worldwide gross of $1.13 billion, making Gerwig the top-grossing female director of a live-action movie at the global box office.
-TheMessenger
★ Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have announced that they will establish a Maui Fund in response to the deadly wildfires, and have dedicated $100 million to the cause. Sanchez wrote on Instagram: “We are thinking of all the families that have lost so much and a community that has been left devastated. The immediate needs are important, and so is the longer term rebuilding that will have to happen.” She said the money will help “Maui get back on its feet now and over the coming years as the continuing needs reveal themselves.”
-ETCanada
★ Jason Momoa continues to engage his social media following about the disaster on Maui. The Hawaii native has been sharing resources and thoughts on the wildfire devastation on the island, which now has a confirmed death toll of 94 people, with hundreds of buildings destroyed and thousands in emergency shelters. Momoa posted a video on Instagram, with the caption: “Maui is not the place to have your vacation right now. Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply. Mahalo to everyone who has donated and shown aloha to the community in this time of need.” The vid shows some of the devastation the island has experienced. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3e8yz9d4
-Deadline
★ The period film “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” capsized in its debut at the domestic box office amid the ongoing success of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” After opening softly on Friday, the Dracula movie was projected for a 5th-place debut and a mere $6.5 million gross for its 3-day opening weekend. “Barbie” added $31.4 million in its 4th weekend of release, while “Oppenheimer” added another projected $17.2 million for second place over the weekend.
-Variety
★ Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are continuing to exchange jabs, but not in the ring…yet. The billionaires went back-and-forth again, making opposing statements about the logistics of their highly-anticipated cage fight. Meta chief Zuckerberg warned in a Thread post Friday to take Musk’s comments with a pinch of salt, after he made fresh claims about details surrounding the fight. Zuckerberg promised he’ll make an official announcement himself — if his rival “ever agrees” on a fixed date to go head-to-head. (***UPDATE***) Zuckerberg wrote on Threads on Sunday afternoon: “I think we can all agree Elon isn’t serious and it’s time to move on.”
-BusinessInsider
★ Kevin Costner is asking a judge to financially sanction his estranged wife amid claims she is deliberately dragging out their divorce to challenge their premarital agreement. The new filing claims Christine Baumgartner has engaged in “gamesmanship of the worst sort” as she sought to delay a hearing on the prenup. Costner claims he served her with discovery requests in May so he could “elicit her contentions as to the validity” of the premarital agreement they entered into in 2004.
-TasteofCountry
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Beck (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Chris Evans, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Toosii (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Michelle Yeoh, Riley Keough (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Alan Cumming, Bobby Moynihan (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Cynthia Nixon (R)
• “The Talk” (CBS): Storme Warren, Billy Gardell (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Michelle Yeoh, Nicholas Braun, Marlon Wayans, Jordan Davis
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Helen Hunt, Jodie Turner-Smith (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Theresa Caputo (R)
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Vanessa Williams, Travis Bennett (R)
• “The Bachelorette” (ABC): In a night of confrontations, apologies and emotions, Charity reunites with 13 memorable men; an appearance from the golden bachelor.
• “Crime Scene Kitchen” (FOX): Season 2 finale
• “90 Day: The Last Resort” (TLC): Series premiere. Five couples arrive at a paradise retreat for intensive therapy.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Katy Perry – teased her upcoming 6th studio album during a recent Vegas residency show. Poking fun at sales of her past 2 albums, she said to the audience: “If you can’t love me at my Witness or Smile era, then you can’t love me at my KP6 era!” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/58zttk7h
• The 1975 — The organizer of Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival is seeking over $2 million in damages from the group after Matty Healy’s on-stage protest of the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws resulted in authorities canceling the event. The band has not commented.
• Katharine McPhee — the tragedy that caused her to abruptly return home from a tour in Asia was the death of a beloved employee that she and her husband, David Foster, “considered family”. Reports say that the nanny for the couple’s 2-year-old son, Rennie Foster, died. McPhee posted Friday that she was forced to miss concerts the couple had slated for Jakarta, Indonesia, on Friday and Saturday.
• U2 — Bono delivered an impromptu, a cappella rendition of Bob Marley’s ‘Redemption Song’ Friday at the Sarajevo Film Festival, where the doc “Kiss the Future” premiered. It tells the story of aid worker Bill Carter’s efforts to bring U2’s Zoo TV tour to then-war-torn Sarajevo.
• Duran Duran — guitarist Andy Taylor, who revealed his stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis in November, says he expects to live another 5 years, thanks to a new “nuclear medicine”. The 62-year-old said that scientists contacted him about the drug, called Lutetium-177. He has also announced a new solo album.
• Rolling Stones – Bronze statues of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were unveiled in a ceremony last week in Dartford, Kent, England. Both attended primary school in Dartford before meeting up again later a railway station in the town in 1961, and forming The Stones the next year. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4byndbby
• Morgan Wallen — had a big surprise for fans in Ohio on Friday night. He hit the stage sporting a red ball cap — and has lost his signature mullet! He said to the audience: “I didn’t like my long hair anymore, so I shaved it off.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3p4h9tfb
• Luke Bryan – Friday, he released the new song ‘Southern and Slow’. It’s the 3rd release from his forthcoming album, and according to him, the song reflects on “those picture-perfect moments like the sun setting behind a water tower, honey dripping off a spoon”. In Bryan’s mind, we should “slow it down southern style because this life seems to be moving faster than ever.”
• Blake Shelton – is one of several country stars who will appear on the newly-announced album “A Tribute to the Judds”. Reba McEntire, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Carly Pearce Megan Moroney, Ashley McBryde and others will make contributions on the record, out Oct. 27. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/33hkuyah
SHOOTING THE BULL
WEAK WORKWEEK:
If this fine Monday morning is just NOT doing it for you, you can take this info to the boss: Another study suggests that a 4-day work-week (or shorter work-days) might be the best way forward. Previous research on the benefits of this way of working, has showed lower levels of stress and burnout, and better work-life balance. But new research looked at the opposite: the negative impact of NOT reducing hours or days worked, and continuing to plod on with the standard 9-5, 5-days-a-week routine. Research from Texas A&M University found that our productivity dips towards the end of the day AND near the end of each week. It also determined that after lunchtime, our energy starts to diminish, and we’re more likely to make mistakes. And get this, boss: The worst time for workers, in terms of productivity and errors, is Friday afternoon.
(Also, Monday mornings. And Thursdays. Oh, and Monday afternoons. And days when there’s a meeting. And the first day back after holidays. And when the boss is away. Also, any day ending in “donuts”!)
(Yeah, but you’ve gotta admit – some of that is because we just don’t give a darn by Friday!)
-Stylist
A PENNY NOT SAVED:
A supermarket in Germany asked customers to pay a little more for some items last week. Now, with high inflation for the past few years, that, in itself, isn’t particularly noteworthy. But discount grocery store Penny charged more for things like meats and cheeses to reflect their “true cost” on the environment and people’s health. At all of its 2,150 branches, Penny’s has raised prices for 9 products, based on calculations from 2 German universities, taking into account costs related to climate, soil, health, and water use. One brand of cheese rose from US$2.74 to $5.33, a 94% increase. Scientists determined that maasdam cheese production costs 85 cents for emissions such as methane, 76 cents in soil damage from farming practices, 63 cents from pesticide use, and 10 cents from groundwater pollution. Mühlenhof wiener, a brand of sausage, increased from $3.51 to $6.62, an 88% increase. Other products spiked upwards of 60%. Some customers approved of the idea, while others called it a stunt directed at consumers, and not the unsustainable agriculture practices themselves.
(I wonder how Penny would have reacted if its suppliers decided to do the same!)
(You’ll notice they didn’t put a surcharge charge on sauerkraut. That’s because there is no accurate way to measure all the “emissions” that resulting from eating that stuff!)
-Insider
NEW GOOD NEWS:
➢ It sounds too good to be true, but a new treatment may finally “zap” away chronic pain for good. Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say their new non-invasive pain treatment called ‘scrambler therapy’ is capable of yielding significant relief for 80-90% of chronic pain patients. Scrambler therapy involves administering electrical stimulation through the skin using electrodes placed above and below the source of the chronic pain. The aim is to capture the nerve endings and replace signals from the area experiencing pain with signals coming from adjacent areas, which are experiencing no pain. (I hate to break it to them, but “feeling no pain” has been used as a treatment for as long as I can remember…!)
➢ What to do with all that plastic that we hear is accumulating in the ocean – and even in our bodies? Well, it turns out that polyethylene, one of the most common plastics used today, is actually very similar in chemical structure to the chief fatty acid in soap, and a scientist at Virginia Tech has discovered a way to convert one into the other. The compound, called a surfactant, may one day be used to upcycle polyethylene plastics into soap, detergents, and more. In other good plastics news, scientists in the Netherlands have shown that the issue of plastic pollution in our oceans is far smaller than believed. Their computer analysis shows that about 3.2 million tons of plastics have made it into the ocean over the last 20 years. That’s about one-tenth the 300 million tons that some projections have estimated. (Yet they all agree that even more plastic has found its way into Kardashian lips, boobs, and butts!)
-StudyFinds, GoodNewsNetwork
THE PERFECT TIME OF DAY TO DO STUFF:
Picking the optimum time to do things can make a real difference. Here’s when to do what, according to experts . . .
⇒ Clean house: If you hate cleaning, do it as early as possible and get it over with. And set a time limit for yourself, and do it quickly so it’s not eating too much of your day.
⇒ Write: Most writers agree that early morning is the best time to write a novel, when you have just woken up and are still close to the dream state. The unconscious and the imagination work best then. (In the early morning, it takes all my imagination just to figure out how to operate the coffee-maker!)
⇒ Have a difficult conversation: Sunday morning at breakfast. We are fresh, and we’ve got nice things to look forward to during the day. Think of them as “interesting” rather than “difficult” conversations, because it’s important not to frame things negatively. (It’s also important not to ruin my Sunday, Mom!)
⇒ See a therapist: 9am. Both you and your therapist are relatively fresh and you should still be able to remember your dreams. The therapist won’t yet be rubbed raw by other people’s problems, either. (Does my therapist need a therapist?)
⇒ Go on a date: Keep it light with a late-morning coffee date, a lunch or early afternoon walk in nature. Daytime dates tend to be shorter, so you can be flexible with how things develop.
⇒ Do homework: Come home, relax for half an hour, have a snack, and get it done before dinner time. Any later and it drags into the evening, becoming a dreaded task that you put off.
⇒ Watch a movie: There are 3 “best times” for going to the theater. For groups of 3 or more, it is after 9pm, following a meal together. For 2 people on a date – it’s 6pm and you eat afterwards and have something to talk about. Going on your own? Go in the daytime, avoiding the crowds.
⇒ Work out: Although a morning training session can be more productive and improve your mood for the day, energy and performance tends to improve later on. Try a session at around 6pm, when your hormones are at their optimum level.
(***Preview for content***) ⇒ Have sex: Morning. Why? Studies show your stress response improves with recent intercourse. Your energy levels are higher, and you’ll boost your oxytocin levels, increasing feelings of bonding, trust and relaxation, which is a pretty good way to start the day. (Great. Who’s babysitting?)
-Guardian
DID YOU KNOW?
Researchers say they have discovered a sea creature in the Southern Ocean of Antarctica that has 20 arms. While searching for a group of “cryptic” sea animals known as Promachocrinus, or Antarctic feather stars, they came across a new species: Promachocrinus fragarius, or the Antarctic strawberry feather star. Its 20 arms branch off its central “strawberry-like” body. It can range in color from “purplish” to “dark reddish.” Researchers did not provide measurements of the animal’s overall size. (Needless to say, they didn’t want to get that close!) PICS: https://tinyurl.com/2yuratt2
-MiamiHerald
BS CHRONOMETER 08.14.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “V-J Day”, also known as Victory Over Japan Day”, marking the 1945 anniversary of Japan’s unconditional surrender to the allies , ending WW II (also celebrated on August 15, depending on time zone, and on Sept. 2 in the US)
• “Navajo Code Talkers Day”. ‘Code talkers’, as they became known, used English code words that they translated into their language to send messages during World War II. The Japanese military could hear them, but couldn’t understand them because the Navajo language was not well known. They saved many lives and helped the allies win the war.
• “Creamsicle Day”, celebrating those ooey-gooey, orange or raspberry-flavored Popsicles with ice cream inside, an invention of Swede Alexander Frehse in 1923.
• “Financial Awareness Day”, a day to add up all your assets and all your debts in order to get a clear picture of where you stand. (…just before declaring bankruptcy!)
• “Tattoo Removal Day”, which came about in response to “Tattoo Day” (July 17). With thousands of people inking themselves up, came an annual uptick of regret. (What’s the most regrettable tattoo that you’ve ever seen?)
• “International Nagging Day”. If you have issues with someone, this is a good day to get them out of your system … over and over-and-over again.
• “Wiffle Ball Day”, the famous 8-holed plastic ball commonly used in the game was invented by David Mullany in 1953 when he designed a ball that curved easily for his 12-year-old son. It was named when his son and his friends would refer to a strikeout as a “whiff”.
• “World Lizard Day”, celebrating this specific type of reptile. The day also encourages us to show appreciation for lizards, and to learn more about them. Some Fun Facts about lizards:
– They are found on every continent except Antarctica.
– Most kinds of lizards absorb water from their food, so they have no need to be near water.
– Lizards are cold-blooded, which means they need sunshine in order to survive.
– A lizard has a tail that regenerates, which means it grows another one if it breaks off.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] Lemon Meringue Pie Day
[Tues] Relaxation Day
[Wed] Roller Coaster Day
[Thurs] Nonprofit Day
This Week Is…Elvis Week
This Month Is…Panini Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1945 [78] Steve Martin, Waco TX, comedian (“A Wild and Crazy Guy”)/movie actor (“Cheaper By the Dozen”, “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”)/banjo player (Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers)/2-time Academy Awards host/5 Grammy Awards
1947 [76] Danielle Steel, New York NY, romance novel author (“Rememberance”, “Zoya”, “Star, Daddy”)/ the bestselling living author, with over 800 million copies sold of her more than 190 books
1959 [64] Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Lansing MI, retired pro basketball player (5-time NBA champion, 3-time Finals MVP and 3-time NBA MVP, spent his entire 13-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers)
1959 [64] Marcia Gay Harden, San Diego CA, movie actress (“Pollock”, “The Mist”)/TV actress (“Code Black” 2015-18) COMING UP…”Knox Goes Away”, 2023
1987 [36] Tim Tebow, Makati Philippines, former pro football player (Broncos, Jets)/broadcaster (ESPN football analyst since 2017)/Heisman Trophy winner, 2007
1966 [57] Halle Berry, Cleveland OH, movie actress (Oscar-“Monster’s Ball”, “Catwoman”, “X-Men” movies) COMING UP…”The Mothership”, 2023
1983 [40] Mila Kunis, Chernivtsi Ukraine, movie actress (“Ted”, “Black Swan”)/TV actress (“That ’70s Show” 1998-2006, voice of ‘Meg’ on “Family Guy” since 1999)/married to Ashton Kutcher since 2015. COMING UP…”Goodrich”
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2010 [13] Actress-singer Hilary Duff marries retired NHLer Mike Comrie in Montecito CA (they would divorce in 2016)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1985 [38] Michael Jackson purchases the publishing rights to the majority of the Beatles’ catalogue for $47.5 million, outbidding Paul McCartney, and leaving their friendship in the dust (McCartney buys the catalogue from Sony after Jackson’s death for an estimated $1 billion)
2017 [06] Pantone announces a new color: a purple hue in honor of Prince, named after his famous symbol (“Love Symbol #2”)
2017 [06] Taylor Swift wins her lawsuit against a Denver radio DJ who was fired after Swift accused him of groping her at a photo session before her concert there in 2013
TODAY’S SPORTS EVENT . . .
1982 [41] Pete Rose of the Philadelphia Phillies sets the career MLB record for at-bats with number 12,365, passing Hank Aaron. Rose eventually retires with 14,053
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2003 [20] A massive power failure in eastern Canada and northeast USA leaves 50 million people without electricity for up to 2 days (Many neighbors meet each other for the first time at ‘community barbecues’ arranged to use up meat before it spoiled!)
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ If you’re 18 years old, you have about 3,300 weekends left in your lifetime
✓ 5% of people never experience a headache.
✓ WD-40 has never been patented because doing so would force the company to disclose its recipe.
✓ “Forty” is the only number in English that has its letters in alphabetical order.
✓ The entire Internet weighs the same as one large strawberry.
✓ Sitting on the toilet for 8 hours uses the same number of calories as one hour of jogging.
-WhattheFFacts
BS NEW NAMES FOR A HAMMOCK:
• The impossible chair
• Nuthin’ butt net
• Napster
• Somewhere else for me to suffer insomnia
• Dog trap
• Less comfy than they look
• Gigantic face mask
• Thong
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2021
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ Researchers tracking monkeys in Africa claim they boast about their sexual exploits. (The monkeys, that is. Shockingly, the researchers tracking monkey sex? Not much sex to brag about…)
➠ Facebook says it has taken steps to cut down on clickbait. (…and you won’t believe what happened next!)
➠ Judge Judy is not only one of the highest paid lawyers in the world, she is now the richest TV host in the world, says a report. (Evidently, screaming like a raving lunatic at someone who forgot to pick up their dog poop is a lucrative business…!)
➠ Did you know Cows have best friends? It’s true, in a study, scientists found that are social and even have best friends. (I think they call them BeeFF’s!)
➠ Fact of the Day: Falling in love has similar neurological effects as taking cocaine. (Except it’s more expensive.)
BS WEB GOODIE:
Sweet dreams: https://tinyurl.com/yvcpc4rr
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Adulting is a soup, and I am a fork…
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• What is the only food that does not go bad?
a) Dark chocolate
c) Honey [CORRECT]
c) Peanut butter
d) Aunt Bessie’s famous Christmas fruitcake
• Which is the most-visited tourist attraction in the world?
a) Eiffel Tower [CORRECT]
b) Statue of Liberty
c) Colosseum, Rome, Italy
d) World’s Biggest Ball of Paint, Alexandria, Indiana
• On average, how many seeds are located on the outside of a strawberry?
a) 100
b) 200 [CORRECT]
c) 400
d) 1
-TravelsWithElle
BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s the most expensive thing you’ve broken?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: The average person will eat 3,135 of THESE in their lifetime. What are they?
Answer: Bananas
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.
