Wednesday, December 16, 2020 – Edition: #6873
Thanks a Sheetload for Choosing “BS”!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Forbes has revealed the 2020 edition of its annual “The World’s Highest-Paid Celebrities” list. Topping the list by a wide margin is Kylie Jenner, who earned approximately $590 million this year. Kanye West came in at # 2 with $170 million, thanks to his Yeezy sneakers deal with Adidas. Rounding out the top-5, in order, are Roger Federer, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson came in at #10 with earnings of $87.5 million.
-MSN
★ABC has unveiled the contestant list for “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune”, which premieres Jan. 7th. Stars include: Grey’s Anatomy’s Chandra Wilson, This Is Us’ Chrissy Metz, Community alums Joel McHale and Yvette Nicole Brown, plus ‘Pee-wee Herman’ Paul Reubens, Saturday Night Live vets Kevin Nealon, Leslie Jones and Rob Riggle, Teri Hatcher of Desperate Housewives, Beverly Hills 90210’s Jennie Garth and Bachelor host Chris Harrison, plus others. Wheel of Fortune duo Pat Sajak and Vanna White will host the spinoff, where the celebs compete for the chance to win $1 million for the charity of their choice.
-Yahoo
★ According to Rosie O’Donnell, the official start to the Christmas season is when she gets her holiday gift from Tom Cruise. For about a decade, Cruise has gifted friends, co-stars and TV hosts a signature item: a White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake from Doan’s Bakery, a small, family-run business in Woodland Hills, Calif. Those who are on his gift list, including Jimmy Fallon, Kirsten Dunst, Henry Cavill and Barbara Walters, all seem to rave about it. Cruise has said he doesn’t consume sugar when he’s training for his high-profile movie roles, which is pretty much all the time, so, he says: “I send [cakes to everyone… and I wait for the calls.”
-Yahoo
★ Chris Hemsworth and Ryan Reynolds have been “feuding” as part of their fantasy football league, in which they play against other superhero actors for charity. It seems Reynolds and Hemsworth’s teams were playing each other last week and Reynolds enlisted his mom, Tammy, to talk a little trash about the Avengers actor. Before going into a very explicit diss, Tammy said: “Normally I would not talk to my friends like this, but he insisted.” She followed her blue diatribe by saying: “Chris Hemsworth is everyone’s least favorite Australian.” Then, confusing Chris Hemsworth for Chris Pine, she also said: “I loved you in Wonder Woman!”
-MSN
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Kawhi Leonard, Lewis Capaldi
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Tina Fey, Patty Jenkins, Marcus King
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Tom Hanks, Leslie Odom Jr.
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Stacey Abrams, Holland Taylor
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington
• “Conan” (TBS): Christopher Walken
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Michelle Buteau, Jen Shah
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Greg Kinnear
• “The Talk” (CBS): Matthew McConaughey, Chris Sullivan
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Peyton Manning, guest co-host Anderson Cooper
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Brad Paisley, Jurnee Smollett (R)
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Brett Eldredge, Kyle Chandler, Meghan Trainor
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Joe Manganiello, Raegan Revord, Ross Mathews, Marissa Mullen
• “The Great Christmas Light Fight” (ABC): Holiday displays in Egg Harbor Township, N.J.; Lehi, Utah; East Peoria, Ill.; Glendale, Ariz.; San Jose, Calif.; Hamilton, N.J.; Lake Mary, Fla.; and Las Vegas.
• “The Amazing Race” (CBS): Season 32 finale
• “The Masked Singer” (FOX): Season 4 finale
• “Devils” (CW): season 1 finale
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Cody Simpson — is making a splash in the swimming world. He has qualified for Olympic trials in the aquatic sport. Olympian Michael Phelps was among those who congratulated Simpson after he posted the announcement. If he qualifies, Simpson will represent his native Australia.
• Justin Bieber — has partnered with the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir for a new charity version of his single ‘Holy’. This comes 5 years after Bieber tweeted his support for the Choir’s successful bid to become the UK’s Christmas #1 with ‘A Bridge Over You’ instead of his own hit ‘Love Yourself’.
• Billie Eilish – is among those who will share a holiday message in “Hope for the Holidays”, a virtual concert for patients, families and frontline caregivers. Also appearing: Dolly Parton, Kelly Clarkson, and Shawn Mendes, with performances by Leslie Odom Jr., Meghan Trainor, Josh Groban, JP Saxe, HAIM and Pentatonix. Highlights will be shared on Musicians on Call’s social media through tomorrow.
• Eddie Van Halen – His death has been confirmed as a stroke, brought on by pneumonia and multiple cancers, according to his recently-released death certificate. Underlying causes included a bone marrow disorder and lung and skin cancer, as well as an irregular heart rate.
• Tom Cochrane & Red Rider – will play their sole concert of 2020 on Friday at the Empire Theatre in Belleville, ON. The live in-person event will host 50 VIPs and will be recorded for a “livestream presentation.”
• Foo Fighters — will close out Amazon Music’s “Holiday Plays” concert series today by playing “a career-spanning set of classics from the band’s 25-year career”. There will also be a special treat for fans, a cover of Chuck Berry’s 1958 classic, ‘Run Rudolph Run’.
• Neil Young – His vast online music archive is free to listen to for the rest of 2020. He’s given fans the gift of his entire career’s work this Christmas to provide some comfort listening amid the Covid-19 pandemic. LINK: https://neilyoungarchives.com/
• The White Stripes — have made “Live at The 40 Watt” available for download on Bandcamp until Dec. 20 at midnight. The 11-track collection was recorded in 1999 at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia. All Bandcamp proceeds will go to Fair Fight Action, a voter participation advocacy group.
• Carrie Underwood – says she asked her husband Mike Fisher for some cows for Christmas — and he delivered. She says her 5-year-old son Isaiah: “named them Brownie and Oreo because one’s brown and one is black and white.”
• Charley Pride — will be honored with a new CMT special, airing tonight. “CMT Remembers Charley Pride” ‘is a celebration honoring the extraordinary life and legacy of one of the most influential, decorated and impactful country artists in the history of the genre’. He died on Saturday at 86.
• Dolly Parton — is releasing a perfume as part of a collection with Edge Beauty in 2021. The 74-year-old also recently joked that she must be “ambulance-ready at all times”, because she can’t leave the house without her hair and make-up done.
BODY OF WATER:
What’s the key to happiness? While there is certainly something to be said for love, family, security and peace of mind, the true answer just may be ‘staying hydrated’. A poll of 2,000 people found that those who drink at least 6 glasses of water daily are most likely (41%) to agree with the statement “I’m very happy”. Only 12% of those who drink less than one glass of water per day say the same. The survey also found that 40% of those who drink more than 6 glasses of water consider themselves to be optimistic, compared to just 10% of those who drink less than one glass per day. Other findings: 56% won’t drink water unless it’s cold, and those who drink lots of water were found to be less likely to wake up feeling tired.
(I guess the big thing we’ve learned here is that some people are “very happy” in the bathroom!)
(No wonder people who drink all that water are so happy – they’re recycling!)
(So if there isn’t enough water where you are, get ‘well’ soon!)
-StudyFinds
WEATHER NOT PERMITTING:
A farmer in New Jersey has invented a giant cannon that he says he can use to control the weather and ward off hailstorms that would damage his crops. After residents of the town of Hammonton began flooding 911 with calls about massive ‘booming’ sounds, Rob Butkowski came forward and revealed the source: The unit he designed and built to fire shockwaves that can travel 300,000 feet, and, according to him, “split clouds apart”. He says he uses a combination of gases in a propane tank to create a condensed explosion that’s ejected from the cannon. Why? Butkowski says he was “bored from all this COVID (stuff)”. While some people have asked the police to step in, Butkowski says there aren’t any laws that expressly prohibit the device.
(I don’t know if this thing works, but some heavy metal band should hire this guy for their stage show!)
(They say everyone complains about the weather but nobody does anything about it. Well, this guy did!)
(Yes, you’re right. It was Trump’s idea. He once suggested “nuking” hurricanes!)
-BroBible
THINGS SCIENCE MAY ACHIEVE IN 2021:
(Educated guesses from people who are a lot more educated than I . . .)
➢ Finding an actual habitable planet: Thanks to improved observation techniques, scientists are getting closer. NASA has identified nearly 1,000 promising planets. That could point us in the direction of extraterrestrial life, and could prove useful in the far future, when humans may want to settle on planets outside our solar system. (Or just try to make this one habitable again?)
➢ Flying cars: By the end of 2021, there is a chance that they will be routinely zipping through the skies. With new technology, including lighter batteries and more durable, less expensive materials, many entrepreneurs are focused on the air taxi market. (Up next: air-Ubers!)
➢ A.I. will become even I’er: A.I. can help augment our own problem-solving abilities, and it can take on tasks, freeing up human minds to tackle other problems, like information security, collapsing biodiversity, and climate change. (Plus some pretty awesome video games, probably…)
➢ Feeding the planet will receive a boost: Continued work with genetically-modified organisms could be essential. While climate change continues to change things like rainfall and soil composition, developing hardier crops could prove to be a vital issue.
➢ Making us more serious about public health: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of public health and epidemiology, or the study of how disease spreads within a community. Computer modeling could help predict the next big epidemic, and not only help us gain a better understanding of disease, but also how to prevent deadly outbreaks before they happen.
(Wow! Talk about ambitious New Year’s resolutions…)
-Grunge
DID YOU KNOW?
A scientist says he has come up with a formula that allows us to see Earth (and the other planets in our solar system) in terms of monetary value. Greg Laughlin, an assistant astronomy and astrophysicist professor at the University of California, calculated that the Earth is worth around $5 quadrillion. That’s the number five with 15 zeros following it, which makes the United States’ federal debt of over $20 trillion look like nothing. Laughlin came up with the figure by calculating the sum of the planet’s age, size, temperature, mass, and other vital statistics, and Earth came out as the most expensive planet. What are the others worth? Well, not so much. He figures that Mars costs around $16,000 while Venus is only worth one single cent.
-BroBible
BS CHRONOMETER 12.16.20
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1941 [79] Lesley Stahl, Lynn MA, TV journalist (“60 Minutes” since 1991, “48 Hours” 2002-04)
1946 [74] (Göran) Benny Andersson, Stockholm Sweden, pop musician-songwriter (ABBA-‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Take a Chance on Me’/co-composer of the musicals “Chess” and “Mamma Mia!”)
1949 [71] Billy Gibbons, Houston TX, classic rock guitarist/singer (ZZ Top-‘Legs’, ‘Tush’)
1963 [57] Benjamin Bratt, San Francisco CA, TV actor (“Star” 2016, “Private Practice” 2011-13)/movie actor (“Doctor Strange”, “Miss Congeniality”)
1975 [45] Benjamin Kowalewicz, Montréal QC, rock singer (Billy Talent-‘Stand Up and Run’, ‘Rusted From the Rain’)
1981 [39] Krysten Ritter, Bloomsburg PA, TV actress (“Jessica Jones” 2015-15, “Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23” 2012-13)/movie actress (“Veronica Mars”, “Big Eyes”)
1984 [36] Theo James, Oxford UK, movie actor (“The Divergent” series)
1986 [34] Dave Rublin, Maplewood NJ, rock bassist-keyboardist (American Authors-‘Best Day Of My Life’, ‘Believer’)
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Chocolate Covered Anything Day”. What unusual ‘food enveloped in chocolate’ have you eaten? Chocolate-covered coffee beans … mmm! (And don’t knock chocolate-covered bacon ‘til you try it!)
• “Las Posadas” begins, the traditional 9-day Mexican Christmas celebration that includes breaking open a piñata. Similarly, “Simbang Gabi” in the Philippines runs today through January 6th, said to be the world’s longest Christmas celebration.
• “Stupid Toy Day”, a half-hearted salute to some of the bad inventions marketed for kids. Here are a few toys that have been pretty popular over the years, that just might be considered stupid:
– Slinky
– Weebles
– Pet Rock
– Tamagotchies
– Furbys
• “Tea Party Day” in Boston MA, anniversary of the original 1773 ‘Boston Tea Party’, when an entire shipment of tea was dumped into Boston Harbor in a protest over taxation. The episode escalated into the American Revolution. (You gotta fight for your right to pour tea!)
• “Barbie and Barney Backlash Day”, Barbie and Barney (the dinosaur) have long been favorite characters for children, but parents often see them as annoying. Today, parents can tell their children what they really think of them, and can let them know that the characters aren’t even real. (But that earworm “I love you, you love me” will STILL be stuck in your head!)
COMING UP . . .
[Thurs] Wright Brothers Day
[Thurs] Maple Syrup Day
[Fri] Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
[Fri] Bake Cookies Day
[Fri] Flake Appreciation Day
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2005 [15] Singers and stars of “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica” Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson divorce due to irreconcilable differences
2010 [10] “Larry King Live” ends after 25 years on CNN as the then-77-year-old host “retires.” (He currently hosts “Politicking with Larry King” on Hulu and RT America)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2003 [17] Shania Twain becomes the first woman with three Diamond albums when her fourth album, “Up!” is certified with 10 million in sales. Her second and third albums, “The Woman in Me” (1995) and “Come On Over” (1997) also went Diamond.
2013 [07] “Heat” magazine reports that Miley Cyrus has insured her infamous tongue for $1 million
2019 [01] Mariah Carey’s single ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ finally reaches #1, 25 years after release
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2011 [09] The Swedish House Mafia plays the first-ever EDM event at NYC’s Madison Square Garden
TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
1998 [22] Kevin Cole of Carlsbad NM sets a new world record by blowing 7 inches of spaghetti out of his nose, beating the previous record of 5 inches (Mom must be so proud)
2019 [01] Drew Brees breaks Peyton Manning’s NFL record for career touchdown passes (539)
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ A typical thunderstorm measures 15 miles (24 km) in diameter and lasts about 30 minutes.
✓ The call of a humpback whale can be heard 500 miles (800 km) away.
✓ The bones of a pigeon weigh less than its feathers.
✓ The frequency of twin births has almost doubled since 1980.
✓ Kenny G’s real last name is “Gorelick”.
✓ According to a 2005 Bristol University study, birds prefer to “leave their droppings” on white cars.
-BathroomReadersInstitute
Best of BS . . .
BS HOLIDAY SPECIALS YOU WON’T SEE:
• Silent Night of the Lambs
• Grandma Got Made Over by a Reindeer
• Home But Not Alone
• Rudolph the Brown-Nosed Reindeer
• Jersey Shore on Ice
• Bill Cosby presents ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’
• There’s Something About Mary’s Boy Child
• Ho Ho Homocide
• Anything on the Hallmark Channel with a sad ending.
• Anything with Lori Loughlin
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
TODAY’S SLICE OF BS:
➠ The 78th Golden Globe Awards have pushed back their typical January air date due to the Pandemic. This year’s show will air February 28th. (Winning a Golden Globe is a good indicator of who will win an Oscar. Just like winning “American Idol” is a good indicator of who will be singing at a boat show…)
➠ Just over 50% of Americans say they have ‘not too much’ or ‘no confidence at all’ in the media. (Or, as the media reports it… Americans have 100% confidence in the media!)
➠ Quentin Tarantino says he wants to retire at the top of his game. (So, he built a time machine and is traveling back to 1994…)
➠ I just read that Koalas sleep for 22 hours a day. (“Game On!” barked teenagers everywhere…)
➠ Fact of the Day: When men listen to women’s voices, it activates the same part of the brain that processes the sound of music. (For me, it’s Kenny G music…)
BS WEB GOODIE:
Thank goodness I haven’t got around to it yet: https://tinyurl.com/y2pcc9l7
BS FRACTURED SEASONAL SONGS:
Name the carol described in each riddle …
• Decorate the entryways. [‘Deck the Halls’]
• Cup-shaped instruments fashioned of a whitish metallic element. [‘Silver Bells’]
• Boulder of the tinkling metal spheres. [‘Jingle Bell Rock’]
• Wanted in December: top forward incisors. [‘All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth’]
• The apartment of two psychiatrists. [‘The Nutcracker Suite’]
• The lad is a diminutive percussionist. [‘Little Drummer Boy’]
• I beheld a trio of nautical vessels moving in this direction. [‘I Saw Three Ships’]
• Do you perceive the same vibrations which stimulate my auditory sense organ? [‘Do You Hear What I Hear?’]
• My parent was observed osculating a red-coated unshaven teamster. [‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus’]
-First published in BS in 2016
BS RANDOM JOKE:
It’s probably my age that tricks people into thinking I’m an adult.
BS PHONE STARTER:
What is your favorite holiday treat?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 52% of people will regift something this year. According to a survey, THIS is the #1 regifting item. What is it?
Answer: Socks
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
It’s more important to grow your income than cut your expenses, because it’s more important to grow your spirit than cut your dreams.
