Monday, December 23, 2024 – Edition: #7682
Jingle Bull, Jingle Bull . . .
BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
The Bull Sheet will not be publishing during the period December 25, 2024 – January 1, 2025, to allow staff an opportunity to enjoy the holidays. All subscribers will receive account credits for non-service days. Following Tuesday, December 24, the next Bull Sheet edition will be for Thursday, January 2nd . Thanks for being here for The Bull in 2024, and Happy Holidays, all!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Tom Hanks opened the 2024 finale of “Saturday Night Live” and could barely get a “hello” out of his mouth before the audience went wild with excitement. Sitting in a leather chair and wearing his Five-Timers Club jacket, he said, “In December 1990, I created the SNL Five-Timers Club, an ingeniously lazy way to avoid writing a monologue. It has grown into one of the most exclusive clubs in the industry. And tonight, we are here to induct our newest member.” Fellow 5-timer Paul Rudd joined him, said: “We should we let him inside, he’s been staying out there for 20 minutes!” That’s when they threw open the onstage door to welcome Martin Short, who said: “Wow, oh my goodness! What a surprise that I’ve known about all week!” They were soon joined be other members of the 5-timers club, including Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Scarlett Johansson, Kristin Wiig, Emma Stone, and Melissa McCarthy.
-Variety
★ Blake Lively is suing her “It Ends with Us” co-star/director Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment. Months after rumors of behind-the-scenes discord on the set, Lively claims in the suit that Baldoni’s alleged behavior caused her “severe emotional distress.” TMZ reports that Lively’s filing refers to a meeting held during shooting to address her concerns. Those included “no more showing nude videos or images of women to Blake, no more mention of Baldoni’s alleged ‘pornography addiction,’ no more discussions about sexual conquests in front of Blake and others, no further mentions of cast and crew’s genitalia, no more inquiries about Blake’s weight, and no further mention of Blake’s dead father.” Baldoni, whose lawyer called the suit “full of false allegations”, has since been dropped from the entertainment agency WME.
-People
★ “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” ran around on top of the box office, collecting an estimated $62 million domestically in its opening weekend. That’s just below the $72.1 million domestic start that “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” earned in April 2022. And, even better, Sonic has a few weeks ahead where kids are out of school and parents are eager for outside family activities. Meanwhile, “Mufasa: The Lion King” landed in a distant second place, with an estimated weekend haul of $35 million, well short of its expected $50 million opening.
-Variety, Deadline
★ Sean “Diddy” Combs has been accused of rape, again, by 2 different women who filed separate lawsuits on Friday. In one case, he is accused of drugging, then raping the woman just moments before the 1991 New York City College stampede. The Second lawsuit is from a woman who says she won a radio station contest to travel to New York City and attend Comb’s Oct. 2006 “White Party.” After drinking a beverage handed out by wait staff, she woke in hospital hours later with a torn shirt and no underwear, with her money missing, and “no memory…on how she ended up at the hospital.”
-TheWrap
★ By the power of Grayskull, Jared Leto will become a jacked-up, cranially exposed supervillain! The Oscar-winning star of “Dallas Buyers Club” star is joining the upcoming film “Masters of the Universe” as ‘Skeletor’, the skull-faced archenemy of ‘He-Man’, played by Nicholas Galitzine. Director Travis Knight has previously announced that Alison Brie will play Skeletor’s lieutenant ‘Evil-Lyn’, Camila Mendes will appear as ‘Teela’ and Idris Elba as Teela’s father ‘Man-at-Arms’. The film is scheduled to open June 5, 2026.
-Variety
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Denzel Washington, Phillipa Soo, Dwight Yoakam (R)
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): John Mulaney, Linda Cardellini, Julien Baker & TORRES (R)
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Timothée Chalamet, Sabrina Carpenter (R)
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Nathan Lane, Rosemarie DeWitt, Amelia Dimoldenberg (R)
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Josh Thomas, Brandon Kyle Goodman, Suzi Barrett (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Cynthia Erivo; the cast of “Annie” performs
• “GMA3” (ABC): Michelle Singletary with tips for saving money at the grocery store; ABC News correspondent Elizabeth Schulze, Tori Dunlap
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Mary J. Blige; The Booklyn Youth Chorus and Rob Thomas
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): 50 Cent, Suki Waterhouse (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Mariah Carey (R)
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Snoop Dogg, Cori Broadus (R)
• “NFL Football” (ABC/ESPN/TSN): New Orleans Saints @ Green Bay Packers
• “A Saturday Night Live Christmas” (NBC): A star-studded collection of Christmas-themed sketches from the show’s 50 seasons.
• “Christmas at Graceland (NBC): Music’s biggest stars celebrate Elvis Presley, his music and his favorite time of year, live from the Graceland Estate.
• “The Holiday Junkie” (Life): Facing her first Christmas without her mother, a woman develops a budding romance with a handsome man who has holiday secrets.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Katy Perry – dropped an early gift for Katy Cats’ trees on Friday. She released a surprise deluxe edition of her “143 album”, renamed “1432”. It features the previously unreleased tune ‘OK’, plus 3 others, all produced by Dr. Luke. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3mvy8tan
• Billie Eilish – In a new episode of “Celebrity Substitute”, she and Finneas drop by a first grade class in LA to teach songwriting basics to the kids, and to write a song with them and perform it for their teacher. The students elected to help write about a “heartbroken polar bear” and end up crafting a hilarious song called ‘I’m Just a Polar Bear’, reminiscent of Ryan Gosling’s Barbie hit, “I’m Just Ken.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5n6c97md
• BTS — Peppa Pig has brought the BTS anthem ‘Dynamite’ to the preschool crowd, releasing a cover of the K-poppers’ hit and a music video. It is available now on streaming services. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yck5hxnd
• Avicii — The first official trailer for the Netflix documentary “Avicii – I’m Tim” has been released. The 2-minute preview of the film, out Dec. 31, opens with an image of Avicii posted up in front of a massive festival crowd, as towering pyro flames fill the frame and the audience shouts “AVICII! AVICII!” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/w5p2dwms
• Paul McCartney – was joined onstage by his old Beatle buddy Ringo Starr for the last performance of his “Got Back” tour on Thursday at London’s O2 Arena. The drummer guested on ‘Helter Skelter’ and ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood joined Sir Paul for a rendition of ‘Get Back’.
• Alice Cooper – teamed up with Judas Priest screamer Rob Halford on a new charity Christmas single. Money raised by the song ‘My Christmas List’ will benefit Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers. In the tune, Cooper and Halford inform Santa that their Christmas lists include things like “a rocket balloon that can fly to the moon” and a “12-string can I can play in a band”. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yevzm2kp
• Jelly Roll – His son Noah has something in common with Snoop Dogg. Both are big fans of the game Fortnite. After learning this, the rapper gave the 8-year-old the ultimate Christmas gift: 50,000 V-bucks. Jelly posted video of the 2 meeting up, where Snoop is asked to sign Noah’s cast, and he is seen writing his name as “Big Snoop Fortnite Dogg.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2fh6cv3h
• Morgan Wallen — A Nashville man is selling what he claims to be dirt from the site of Wallen’s former home. The man, who calls himself “Dirt Man,” is packaging and selling small bags of dirt, and marketing it as a collectible. The stuff is available on several online platforms, with prices ranging from $10-$200. The Nashville house has been torn down since Wallen rented it when he was getting started.
• Riley Green – is all over the internet and TV in his underwear, as an ambassador for Gildan Underwear. In a recent interview, he was asked how his life has changed since becoming an underwear model. His answer: “Well, every interview is the same now. We talk about underwear modeling.”
SHOOTING THE BULL
CALL GPT:
I’m not sure if it is “due to overwhelming demand”, but nonetheless, last week, OpenAI introduced a new way to access its chatbot – and it’s a bit old-school. By dialing 1-800-CHATGPT, those in the US can access what the company calls an “easy, convenient, and low-cost way to try it out through familiar channels.” To begin with, callers will get 15 minutes free per month, their chance to have a voice conversation with the AI bot over a regular phone, no account needed. CHATGPT is also taking texts through WhatsApp. OpenAI said it’s useful for people who don’t have consistent access to high-speed data. A CNN reporter tried the system out, and reported that the female-sounding voice on the other end provided a recipe for chocolate chip cookies and summarized the Civil War. But it wasn’t up for getting too personal, saying: “I don’t have feelings, but I do find my job pretty interesting.”
(That’s exactly what my ex said about me!)
(The irony is that this is perfect for my grandparents, who have a smartphone – but only know how to use the “phone” part!)
-CNBC, CNN
BATTERY CHARGE:
A new type of EV battery could power vehicles for up to 8 million km (5 million miles). Electric vehicle manufacturers are using the Canadian Light Source synchrotron in Saskatoon to develop batteries with a lifespan roughly 25 times the average life of currently-used batteries. It’s a long, boring explanation of the tech used to make it, but researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (with some funding from Tesla Canada) were able to take a microscopic look at the inner workings of a regular lithium-ion battery, and develop the new “single-crystal electrode” battery, which is able to sidestep the natural degradation experienced by regular EV batteries. One senior professor involved in the project said the team “charged and discharged” the new battery “24/7 for about 6 years”, and “saw absolutely no signs of degradation.”
(Is this what one would call a “re-volting” development?)
(Yeah, but how much do they ‘charge’? I’ll see myself out…)
-CBC
MOM’S THE BOSS:
As if there was ever any doubt, science has now confirmed that Mom really is the head of the household. A new study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family seems to confirm what many mothers have long known: They oversee an outsized share of what researchers call the “cognitive household labor” or “mental load” of running a family. Researchers from the University of Bath and the University of Melbourne analyzed a diverse sample of American parents for the study, and concluded that mothers handle a whopping 71% of all household mental load tasks, while fathers are good for just 45%. What’s more, it was found that moms handle, on average, 79% of “daily” cognitive tasks — more than twice what fathers do. Those consist of things like overseeing of children’s schedules, meal planning, and monitoring of household supplies. Dads? They tend to take on more “episodic” mental work, such as maintenance and finances – but mothers still handle a significant portion of these tasks as well. The researchers caution that this imbalance “can lead to stress, burnout and even impact women’s careers…and resentment can build, creating strain between couples.”
(Maybe so, but in my defense, that oil wasn’t going to check itself!)
(So, guys, it’s probably smart not to tell her that you binge-watched that show you guys love, while she was cooking dinner and helping the kids with their homework!)
-StudyFinds
GIFT-WRAPPING HACKS FOUND ON TIKTOK:
► How to wrap odd-shaped gifts: The key is strategic scissor-work, tissue paper and some pretty ribbon. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mspvkmkv
►How to wrap a stuffed animal: Create simple paper pouches to wrap stuffed animals, plush toys and other soft gifts. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/wbahkneb
► How to wrap gift cards: Use a photo frame to create a convenient and pretty holder to dress up gift cards for any holiday celebration. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/bdzmdkht
► How to wrap a cylindrical gift: Paper folds provide an elegant closure to the wrapping, and even though it looks gorgeous, it’s easy. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4xrjx634
► How to wrap a Stanley cup with a handle: Instead of simply putting it in a bag, it can be wrapped so the receiver has no idea what’s coming (except for the inevitable product recall!) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/ht3u32w8
-Care
GREATEST CHRISTMAS SONGS OF ALL-TIME:
1. ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ — Mariah Carey
2. ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ — Brenda Lee
3. ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ – Bobby Helms
4. ‘The Christmas Song’ — Nat “King” Cole
5. ‘A Holly Jolly Christmas’ — Burl Ives
6. ‘Feliz Navidad’ — Jose Feliciano
7. ‘It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year’ — Andy Williams
8. ‘Last Christmas’ – Wham!
9. ‘Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!’ — Dean Martin
10. ‘White Christmas’ — Bing Crosby
(What say you? And what seasonal song would you prefer to never hear again (besides ‘Wonderful Christmastime’…)?
-Billboard
DID YOU KNOW?
A popular Memphis restaurant claims to have been frying burgers in the same grease for over 100 years. Elmer “Doc” Dyer founded his now-famous burger joint in in 1912, betting on his secret mix of seasonings to make the patties irresistible. Current owner Kendall Robertson claims that the next day, someone came in, had a burger, and said “That’s the best burger I’ve ever had in my life.” As a result, that skillet of grease has never been changed, so all the burgers are still cooked in the original grease that made the restaurant famous more than a century ago. Robertson says customers know about the secret, century-old ingredient, and are not only fine with it — some actually ask for their entire burger — bun and all — to be dunked into the flavorful grease. (Grease is the word?)
-OddityCentral
BS CHRONOMETER 12.23.24
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Festivus”, created in 1966, but little-known until it was mentioned in a “Seinfeld” episode in 1997. It’s dedicated to celebrating the season without the pressure and commercialism of traditional holidays. (Can we start with the airing of grievances?) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/y83s2osr
• “HumanLight”. A Humanist holiday celebrated annually on December 23rd. Like “Kwanzaa”, it’s a modern invention, celebrating a positive approach to the coming new year.
• “Noche de Rabano” (Night of the Radishes) in Oaxaca (‘wah-HAH-kah’), Mexico, when figurines are cleverly carved … from radishes. How festive! LINK: https://tinyurl.com/y6wfhezz
• “Pfeffernüsse Day”, a salute to the tiny spice cookies that are popular as a holiday treat in Denmark, Germany, and The Netherlands, as well as among Mennonites in North America.
• “Roots Day”, a day to celebrate your heritage. Many of us are returning to our roots as we head home for Christmas, bringing us a cozy, comfortable feeling, and a sense of belonging.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] Christmas Eve
[Tues] Eggnog Day
[Wed] Christmas Day
[Thurs] Boxing Day
This Week is…Halcyon Days
This Month is…Safe Toys and Gifts Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1943 [81] Harry Shearer, LA CA, TV voice actor (voices of ‘Mr. Burns’, ‘Smithers’, ‘Ned Flanders’, ‘Principal Skinner’ and others on “The Simpsons” since 1989)/movie actor (“This Is Spinal Tap”) COMING UP… “Spinal Tap 2”, 2025
1946 [78] Susan Lucci, TV actress, Scarsdale NY (‘Erica Kane’ on “All My Children” 1970-2011)/1 Daytime Emmy Award. COMING UP… “Outcome”
1949 [75] (Steven) Adrian Belew, Covington KY, rock guitarist (Frank Zappa; David Bowie; King Crimson, Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Paul Simon, Nine Inch Nails, Primus, William Shatner)
1964 [60] Eddie Vedder (Edward Severson III), Evanston IL, rock singer (Pearl Jam-‘Jeremy’, ‘Daughter’, solo-‘Hard Sun’)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2017. (***Here’s a bonus BS “Eddie Web Goodie”: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMFn84Mda/ ***)
1978 [46] Estella Warren, Peterborough ON, movie actress (“Beauty and the Beast” 2009, “Planet of the Apes” 2001), model (Sports Illustrated, Victoria’s Secret), former synchronized swimmer (3 Canadian national titles)
1979 [45] Holly Madison (Hollin Cullen), Astoria OR, model/reality TV star (“The Girls Next Door” 2005-09)/movie actress (“Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!”)
2002 [22] Finn Wolfhard, Vancouver BC, TV actor (‘Mike Wheeler’ on “Stranger Things” since 2016)/movie actor (“It” movies, “Ghostbusters” movies) COMING UP…“The Legend of Ochi” 2025
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2007 [17] Katherine Heigl and singer-songwriter Josh Kelley are married in Park City, Utah.
2018 [05] Miley Cyrus marries Liam Hemsworth. They split up 8 months later.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS. . .
2015 [09] ’80s hitmaker Richard Marx marries model and TV host Daisy Fuentes.
2020 [04] Mountain singer-guitarist Leslie West dies of cardiac arrest at age 75.
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2007 [17] Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant (aged 29 years, 122 days) surpasses Wilt Chamberlain to become the youngest NBA player to reach 20,000 career points (LeBron James has since broken the record, at 28 years, 17 days).
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK CHRISTMAS FACTS:
✓ An average of 14,700 people visit hospital emergency rooms each holiday season because of decorating accidents.
✓ “Black Friday” is not the busiest shopping day of the year. The 2 days before Christmas are.
✓ Early illustrations of St. Nicholas make him out to be a stern symbol of discipline rather than the jolly, overweight elf that children know today.
✓ Good King Wenceslas was not a king. He was a Duke.
✓ The first song played in space was ‘Jingle Bells’ in 1965.
✓ Some zoos accept donated Christmas trees as food for their animals. (Gee, thanks for the leftovers…)
-OfficeHolidays, List25
Best of BS . . .
BS TOP SIGNS YOU’RE SICK OF THE HOLIDAYS:
• You’ve got red and green bags under your eyes.
• You’re serving reindeer pot pie.
• When you hear, “Sleigh bells ring, are you listenin’?” you scream, “No! I’m not listening!”
• You climb on your roof and start hosing down Christmas carolers.
• You think you hear your Christmas tree taunting you.
• You’re busted for running through town wearing nothing but mistletoe.
• You’ve got eggnog coming out of your ears.
• Your standard response, “Happy freakin’ holidays to you too”.
• You opt to stay in bed until April.
-Neloo, first published in BS in 2017
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ Man, you can definitely tell we’re into the thick of the holiday season. (These days, Starbucks is spelling my name wrong on Eggnog Lattes, instead of mocha grande whatever whatevers…)
➠ Report: About 40% of us will spend Christmas with extended family. (The other 60% will get to enjoy themselves…)
➠ Christmas is 2 days away, and this year, Hanukkah begins on the same day. A lot of people don’t know much about Hanukkah. All I know is that Adam Sandler wrote a song about it back when he was funny. (Kidding. Adam Sandler was never funny…)
➠ Fact of the Day: Laughter has been proven as a way to lose weight. (Hey, I’ve seen myself step out of the shower for 48 years and it’s NEVER worked for me!)
➠ Researchers are suggesting that having sex is actually very good for your health. (In other words, I could be dead by morning.)
BS WEB GOODIE:
What? Too much? https://tinyurl.com/uz2s7yx
BS RANDOM JOKE:
If you think Christmas shopping on December 23rd is “last-minute”, clearly, you’re an amateur.
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
These words are all used in the lyrics to popular seasonal songs. But what do they mean?
• ‘Low’:
a) To announce
b) To fall into a deep sleep
c) To make a deep sound (CORRECT]
d) The oven setting you should have been using for your turkey for the past 3 hours.
• ‘Mirth’:
a) Merry laughter [CORRECT]
b) A fragrant resin used as a perfume
c) Wine seasoned with spices
d) That feeling you get when your spouse bought an awesome gift for everyone they know – but forgot about you
• ‘Swathed’:
a) Frosty
b) Coated in icing
c) Wrapped in fabric [CORRECT]
d) Hammered
• ‘Auld lang syne’:
a) Good fortune
b) Times long ago [CORRECT]
c) Passing of the old year
d) Latin for “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
-ReadersDigest
☎ BS PHONE STARTER:
What unexpected food is a part of your family’s Christmas celebration?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
A survey said that alcohol is the worst gift you can give your kid’s teacher. What came in second?
Answer: Homemade food
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The WAY you spend Christmas is far more important than how MUCH you spend.