Monday, December 20, 2021 – Edition: #7132

Sheet For Brains!

BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
The Bull Sheet will be shutting down next week for the holidays, and will not be publishing Monday, December 27 – Friday Dec. 31. All subscribers will receive account credits for non-service days. Thanks for a very successful year of BS and Happy Holidays, all!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ “Spider-Man: No Way Home” spun a record breaking opening weekend at the US box office, bringing in an estimated $253 million. That’s the third highest opening weekend in box office history and the highest opening weekend ever for the month of December. Spider-Man swung past its original projections by $123 million. Only 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” and 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War” opened to larger numbers. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” also charted the second-best opening day in the history of the US box office, netting $121.5 million on Friday, about $35 million shy of “Avengers: Endgame’s” opening day in 2019.
-Deadline, CNN
★ Paul Rudd’s 5th time hosting “SNL” turned into a patched-together show with almost none of the regular cast, and 2 big guests. Multiple Saturday Night Live staffers had tested positive for COVID-19, so producer Lorne Michaels decided to pull the live audience and most of the cast, including scheduled musical guest Charlie XCX. Tom Hanks and Tina Fey opened the show, with an explanation of what was going on, then did what they were really there to do — induct Rudd into the “5-timers club”. Most of the show was a ‘best of’ previous holiday episodes with a few new bits that were pre-recorded earlier in the week. Fey also did “Weekend Update” with Michael Che, immediately addressing Colin Jost’s absence saying, “It’s not what you think. He’s getting some work done.”
-TMZ
★ Peloton has pulled its recent ad featuring “Sex and the City” star Chris Noth from social media, amid sexual assault allegations made against him. The commercial is a nod to Noth’s reprised role as ‘John “Mr. Big” Prescott’ in the Sex and the City sequel series “And Just Like That…”, in which his character suffered a fatal heart attack after a work-out on a Peloton bike. A Peloton rep said: “As we seek to learn more, we have stopped promoting this video and archived related social posts.”
-LADBible
★ Betty White is about to turn 100 and she’ll celebrate in a big way. White, the former “Golden Girl” and national treasure, turns 100 on January 17 and is inviting fans to celebrate with her in a special movie event called “Betty White: 100 Years Young — A Birthday Celebration.” It will follow White in her day-to-day life, including behind-the-scenes on sets, working with her office staff, entertaining at home, and lending her voice as an animal advocate — and will take viewers to her actual birthday party.
-CNN

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Black Pumas (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): President Joe Biden, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rick Ross featuring Jazmine Sullivan (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Javier Bardem, Gang of Youths (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Keri Russell, Joe Pera, Jake Wesley Rogers, Roy Mayorga (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Pete Buttigieg, guest co-host Condoleezza Rice (R)
• “The Talk” (CBS): Lena Waithe (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Jason Biggs, Kristin Chenoweth, Monica Mangin
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Melanie C, Preacher Lawson, guest host Howie Mandel
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Christina Perri
• “One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga” (CBS): The duo honor their shared love of the Great American Songbook at Radio City Music Hall, to celebrate Bennett’s 95th birthday.
• “Annie Live!” (NBC): A live performance of the beloved, 7-time Tony Award-winning musical, telling the story of an extraordinary orphan who overcomes obstacles with inspirational hope and optimism.
• “Dynasty” (CW): Season 5 premiere
• “Candy Cane Candidate” (LIFETIME): Julia returns to her hometown after a stunning defeat in her campaign for city council. While drowning her sorrows, she finds herself facing off with an old rival when the town holds an emergency election.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Harry Styles — will release his new album early next year. His last album was 2019’s “Fine Line” and since then he has filmed the movies “Don’t Worry Darling” and “My Policeman”, along with a post-credits scene for Marvel’s “Eternals”.
• Beyoncé – not only does she now have a TikTok account, but she has 535k followers before her first post. Friday, fans woke up to discover @beyonce had been created. No bio. No posts. No images. Just @beyonce. Sony Music later confirmed that it is, in fact her account, leading some fans to predict new music is on the way.
• Barenaked Ladies – are holding their first ever hometown residency at Toronto’s CAA Theatre. “Hometown Holidays with Barenaked Ladies” runs through Thursday, featuring live performances of their greatest hits, and some holiday favorites.
• Pink Floyd – will release a restored and re-edited version of the concert film “P.U.L.S.E.” on Feb 18. It will reintroduce the iconic pulsating light, which was on the packaging of the original 1995 CD. Deluxe versions will feature music videos, documentaries, rehearsal footage and a 60-page booklet.
• Eric Clapton – won a court battle against a German woman selling a bootleg live CD for $11. It was purchased by her late husband at a department store more than 30 years ago. She listed it on eBay in July, after which Clapton sent the court an affidavit. She’ll have to pay court costs for both herself and Clapton, totaling almost $4,000.
• Queen – Guitarist Brian May has tested positive for COVID-19. He wrote on Instagram: “Yep. The shocking day finally came for me…And yes – definitely NO sympathy please – it has been a truly horrible few days, but I’m OK. And I will tell the tale.” He also asked followers to “take extra care out there” because “this thing is incredibly transmissible.”
•Vince Gill and Mickey Guyton – have recorded a song together for the movie “American Underdog”, out Christmas day. The pair cut ‘Love Changes Everything’ for the film, which is the inspirational story of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback, 2-time MVP and Super Bowl Champ Kurt Warner. It stars Zachary Levi Anna Paquin and Dennis Quaid.
• Brett Eldredge – revealed Thursday that he has COVID-19, and was forced to cancel weekend shows of his holiday tour this weekend. He posted that he decided to get checked before flying to Chicago for his “favorite show of the entire year, the Glow Show in Chicago,” and hopes to reschedule the dates for Dec. 29 and 30.
• Reba McEntire – Her former home is going to be the site of a 5-star luxury resort. The 13,000-square-foot “Estate at Cherokee Dock” on 83 acres in Lebanon TN sold in 2017 for $5 million. It has undergone extensive renovations and additions, and will now be used for “corporate events, retreats, charity galas, weddings, concerts and ticketed events”, according to current owner, Nashville Infinity.

SHOOTING THE BULL

TIKTOK TALK:
⇒ TikTok is getting into the restaurant business. Friday, the video-sharing platform announced a partnership with Virtual Dining Concepts to launch delivery-only TikTok Kitchen locations across the US, starting in March. Food and recipe videos have become a key part of the site’s programming, with clips racking up millions of views. About 300 TikTok restaurants are planned for the launch, with more than 1,000 expected by the end of 2022. (They couldn’t have named them “Tok With Your Mouth Full”?)
⇒ Jack & Beyond Christmas Cakes conducted a study to determine what Christmas recipes are winning over users on TikTok this holiday season. The sweets company cross-referenced a list of popular holiday recipes with TikTok hashtags. They then analyzed the total number of views associated with the hashtags to determine each recipe’s popularity ranking. Here are the top 5:
1. Roast Potato Christmas Trees – 2.8 million views https://tinyurl.com/2p8kdrur
2. Christmas Bark – 1.4 million views https://tinyurl.com/2p8nts8u
3. Grinch Brownies – 1 million views https://tinyurl.com/2p88v4yj
4. Oreo and Reese’s Chocolate Baubles – 654,000 views https://tinyurl.com/yezuvntm
5. Christmas Tree Breadsticks – 323,000 views https://tinyurl.com/48jd3jrw
-Bloomberg, Fox

NEW GOOD NEWS:
➢ Since deadly tornadoes devastated his community last week, Mayfield, KY resident Shawn Triplett has been working with friends, neighbors and donors to help get Christmas toys to the children of families affected by the storm. Triplett, a former Marine who served 3 tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, organized a donation drive through social media, and has since moved the project to GoFundMe. He and other volunteers will wrap and distribute the toys to any child or family in need. His first trip to a nearby Walmart filled carts to the brim, with $2,000 spent on toys for children. The next day, thanks to the generosity of friends and strangers alike, he went back for more. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4w7ad339
➢ When 7-year-old Blake wrote his letter to Santa last week, he didn’t expect his words to be read by thousands. But it struck such a nerve with his mom, that that the domestic violence shelter they are staying at in Texas posted it on their Facebook page. The heart-wrenching reads, in part:
“Dear Santa, We had to leave our house. Dad was mad….Mom said it was time to leave and she would take us to a safer place where we don’t have to be scared. I’m still nervous…Are you going to come this Christmas?…Can you bring some chapter books, a dictionary, and a compass and a watch? I also want a very very very good dad. Can you do that too? Love, Blake.”
His letter went viral, touching hearts around the country. And since the shelter posted it, it has received loads of donations of holiday presents for kids staying there — including everything Blake asked for! (We’re still trying to confirm whether he has a new dad, but as you know, Santa is pretty awesome, so…)
-CNN, Today

MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN:
☞ Most people gain a full size during the holidays: MYTH. A study found that females gain about one pound and males 1.5 in the 6 weeks leading up to the New Year. That’s far less than the 7-10 pounds often cited for this time of year. (Speak for yourselves…)
☞ Bloating isn’t the same as fat weight: FACT. One reason you may feel like you’ve packed on more weight is because many holiday foods trigger bloating and water retention. The main culprit? Carbs. And sodium. (And pecan pie. And mashed potatoes with gravy. And shortbread cookies…)
☞ Exercise staves off holiday pounds: MYTH. More than one study has found that those who work out around the holidays gain the same amount of weight as those who don’t. But remember, there are many other benefits to exercise, including stress reduction and improved sleep. (On the other hand, if I’m working out, I’m not drinking eggnog — usually!)
☞ I’ll lose it in January: MYTH. Studies show most of us never lose our holiday padding, probably because after giving up on New Year’s resolutions, we tend to gain back any weight we’ve lost. (Hoping to get pajama pants for Christmas…again…)
☞ It’s not too late to avoid gaining weight this holiday season: FACT: Commit to 2 simple goals: budget your carbs and drink more water. Both can help you avoid having to make that annual New Year’s resolution to lose weight. (Well, as we’ve learned, at least I don’t have to bother resolving to work out!)
-Health

DID YOU KNOW?
For the first time ever, a manmade craft has “touched” the sun. The Parker Solar Probe successfully flew through the sun’s corona, or upper atmosphere, to sample particles and our star’s magnetic fields. And yes, it IS as hot as you would imagine. The sun’s corona is about 1.8 million degrees Fahrenheit, while the surface — which is surprisingly much cooler — is only around 10,340 degrees. The probe’s feat is exciting because getting more insight into our sun and its evolution will give scientists clues to understand other stars in the universe. (Plus, you know, we touched the sun!)
-CNN

BS CHRONOMETER 12.20.21

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1948 [73] Alan Parsons, London England, rock singer/songwriter (Alan Parsons Project-‘Games People Play’, ‘Eye in the Sky’), recording engineer (Pink Floyd-“The Dark Side of the Moon”, The Beatles-“Abbey Road, “Let it Be”)

1945 [76] Peter Criss, Brooklyn, NY (retired rock drummer/sometime vocalist (Kiss-‘Beth’, ‘Hard Luck Woman’)

1966 [55] Chris Robinson, Marietta GA, rock singer (The Black Crowes-‘Hard To Handle’, ‘She Talks to Angels’)

1982 [39] David Cook, Houston TX, pop singer (‘The Time of My Life’, ‘Light On’)/2008 “American Idol” winner

1983 [38] Jonah Hill, Mill Valley CA, movie actor (“The Wolf of Wall Street”, “21 Jump Street”)

1990 [31] JoJo [Joanna Levesque], Brattleboro VT, pop singer (‘Leave [Get Out]’, ‘Baby It’s You’)/at age 13, the youngest solo artist to have a #1 hit

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Go Caroling Day”, a day to get together and sing out with friends, family, or a singing group. Nursing homes, hospitals and other places often welcome carolers if you call ahead.
• “Dot Your i’s Day”, don’t be a poor penmanship perpetrator. Stop the neglect and give i’s their dots. (I’m fine with dotting my i’s, but crossing my t’s? That’s where I draw the line…)
• “International Human Solidarity Day”, a UN observance since 2005 to remind us of the importance of solidarity and the spirit of sharing in combatting poverty worldwide.
• “Sangria Day”, put a little “olé” in your life with the traditional fruity wine punch named for the Spanish word ‘sangre’, which means ‘blood’.
• “Games Day”, When was the last time you sat down with friends or family for an evening of carefree fun? If you can’t remember, it’s time to do just that, and Games Day is the perfect occasion. The best-selling board game of all-time? ‘Monopoly’, with over 250 million sold in 80 countries and 26 languages since 1935.

COMING UP . . .
[Tues] The First Day of Winter/Winter Solstice
[Tues] Humbug Day
[Wed] Abilities Day
[Wed] Cookie Exchange Day
This Week Is…Saturnalia
This Month Is…Worldwide Food Service Safety Month

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1946 [75] The Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” film premieres in New York, directed by Frank Capra, starring James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore

2005 [16] Renee Zellweger annuls her marriage to Kenny Chesney, citing fraud after 4 months of marriage

2009 [12] 32-year-old Brittany Murphy (“8 Mile”, “Clueless”) collapses and dies in her Hollywood Hills, California home after cardiac arrest

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1980 [41] ‘(Just Like) Starting Over’ becomes John Lennon’s first #1 single as a solo artist in the UK, 12 days after his murder

2012 [09] Adele is named Billboard magazine’s ‘Top Artist of 2012’; and “21” is named ‘Album of the Year’

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1980 [41] The first (and only) NFL telecast with NO announcers occurs (as a stunt, NBC-TV uses only sounds and graphics for a meaningless NY Jets-Miami Dolphins game)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2007 [14] Queen Elizabeth II becomes Britain’s oldest-ever monarch, surpassing Queen Victoria’s lifespan of 81 years, 7 months, 29 days (and in 2015, she overtakes Victoria as longest-serving British monarch)

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ A fruitcake, properly prepared and stored, will last for 25 years.
✓ Norwegians pay half the usual amount of tax in November, so everyone has more money for Christmas.
✓ Many Denny’s restaurants were built without locks, which became a problem when they decided to close for Christmas.
✓ Until a Coca-Cola ad gave him his red and white suit, Santa Claus wore green, purple or blue.
✓ At first, the 1965 TV special “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was rejected by CBS because they didn’t like that children were doing the voices, they didn’t like the “anti-consumerism” theme — and they didn’t like the music(!!).
✓ Before adopting turkey, the traditional Christmas meal in England was a pig’s head covered with mustard.
-Parenting, Playbuzz

Best of BS . . .
BS LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS ABOUT MRS. CLAUS:
• She met Santa on an online dating site called “OK Cupid, Comet, Donner & Blitzen”.
• Santa’s outfit was originally white, until she left a red stocking in the wash.
• She once worked as a ‘North Pole’ dancer.
• She keeps an actual Elf on the shelf.
• Loves listening to ‘Wrap’ music.
• She, too, was once run over by a reindeer.
• She is a strong woman who doesn’t consider herself a ‘subordinate Claus’.
• She can always tell what Santa got her for Christmas because she can feel his presents.
• She’s really busy one night a year, too…
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018

TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ About 40% of us will spend Christmas with extended family. (The other 60% will get to enjoy themselves…)
➠ Scientists say 30-40 minutes of running 5 days a week can reduce cellular aging by 9 years. (Unless you’re running through downtown Chicago…)
➠ According to a study, Twitter causes insomnia. Research says it has become the most common sleep distraction in the world. (“Game On!” said Pornhub.)
➠ 57% of New Year’s resolutions to lose weight are successful, says a report. (Which explains why my wife got me a t-shirt that says “I AM the 43%…”)
➠ Keith Richards turned 78 on Saturday. (But remember, he has the body of a 178-year-old.)

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• The image of Santa Claus flying in a sleigh was dreamt up by the same guy who created:
a) The Easter Bunny
b) The Headless Horseman [CORRECT–Washington Irving]
c) Mary Poppins
d) The Batmobile

• In the 19th century, what were the first “artificial Christmas trees” made from?
a) Wax
b) Feathers [CORRECT. Dyed goose & turkey feathers were attached to wire branches]
c) Wood
d) Polyurethane

• 40% of our yearly consumption of which food item occurs between November and January?
a) Nuts [CORRECT. Close to 100% of eggnog consumption falls during that time.]
b) Eggnog
c) Fruitcake
d) Rum
-XmasTraditions, ET

BS WEB GOODIE:
Alarm clock designed especially for Mondays (sound up): https://tinyurl.com/2p9xc6cp

BS RANDOM JOKE:
One thing I learned from drinking is that if you ever go Christmas caroling, you should go with a group of people. And also go in December.

BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s the best day of the week for Christmas to fall on? This year’s Saturday holiday is very handy for some, but could make last-minute preparations even more harried near the end of the workweek. What works best for you?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  When it comes to gift giving, 55% of moms admit they have done THIS. What is it?
Answer:  Forgotten where they hid them

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.