Tuesday, December 21, 2021 – Edition: #7133

The BS Press!

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:
★ Lori Loughlin is back. She turned up on screen for the first time since she served time in prison for her role in the college admissions scandal, appearing on Saturday’s episode of the series “When Hope Calls”. She reprised the role of ‘Abigail’, which she originated on Hallmark’s “When Calls the Heart”. Loughlin starred in the series from 2014-19, when the network cut ties with her after she was indicted. Her character was written off in a May 2019 episode as she left town to take care of her sick mother.
-MSN
★ Due to the surge in COVID-19 cases and the rise of the omicron variant, production on “The Crown” is done for the year. Variety reports that the team wrapped 2021 production early, due to the fact that 8 crew members have reportedly tested positive. Production is expected to begin again in Jan. 2022.
-PopCulture
★ The cast members of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” weren’t the only ones at Bravo fighting COVID. Andy Cohen had the illness as well, and has just finished his 10-day quarantine. He tested positive for COVID-19 — his second bout with the disease — 2 weeks ago. Reportedly, he quarantined at home, and has since tested negative. Sources say Cohen is fully vaccinated, which helped to reduce his symptoms.
-TMZ
★ “The Batman” director Matt Reeves has revealed the inspiration behind his version of ‘Bruce Wayne’ — with Robert Pattinson playing the billionaire playboy by day, and the Caped Crusader by night. It was late Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain who inspired Pattinson’s look in the movie. And when you consider his grungy look, it does make sense. Reeves says this of his process behind figuring out a new take on the character: “When I write, I listen to music, and as I was writing the first act, I put on Nirvana’s ‘Something In The Way.'” The Batman is set for release March 4.
-TMZ

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Jon Bernthal, “Bachelorette” Michelle Young, Parker McCollum (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Nicole Kidman, Úrsula Corberó, Stromae (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Kumail Nanjiani, Jonathan Majors, Roy Mayorga (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Tamron Hall, Carla Hall, guest co-host Michele Tafoya (R)
• “The Talk” (CBS): Deborah Norville (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Fred Savage, Steve Patterson, Dr. Gail Saltz
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Max Greenfield, Cheyenne Jackson, Amanda Shires, guest host Leslie Jordan
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Lin-Manuel Miranda, Matt Iseman, Ana Gasteyer, Rachel Dratch, ENHYPEN (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Keanu Reeves
• “The Bachelorette” (FOX): Season 18 finale
• “The Christmas Ball” (LIFETIME): Clare visits her Aunt Bridget in England for the holidays and meets Liam, a handsome historian who is determined to prove Bridget’s manor is a historical landmark.
• “Song & Story: Amazing Grace” (OWN): A young artist and a store owner form an unlikely friendship. The 2 women find out their paths are intertwined by a surprising connection.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Cardi B – Her limited-edition doll has been cancelled. Pre-orders were taken in March and the doll was sold out within a day. Now, it’s been announced that the doll won’t be released “as a result of COVID-related…delays”, and because Cardi wasn’t happy with its quality. Refunds will be issued.
• Adele — has been nominated for 4 BRIT Awards. She’s up for Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Best pop/R&B, after releasing her new album “30” in November. The event will be staged at The O2 Arena in London on February 8.
• Evanescence — has ‘postponed’ the 5 remaining dates on their tour after “multiple” members of their party tested positive for coronavirus. The group initially announced their Cincinnati show would be delayed from Dec. 12 to Dec. 20, but now remaining dates of the tour have been scrapped.
• David Bowie — A rare, early demo he recorded as Davy Jones and the Lower Third sold at auction for almost £14,500 (US$19,200). The 7-inch vinyl acetate, featuring a 1965 recording of ‘I Want Your Love’, was expected to attract bids of up to £12,000 ($15,900).
• David Lee Roth — Wolfgang Van Halen says he doesn’t think his uncle Alex Van Halen will take part in David Lee Roth’s final concerts. Roth plans to retire after his Las Vegas residency Dec. 31-Jan. 22, and suggested the shows would involve a reunion with former bandmate.
• Pistol Annies — Ashley Monroe has completed chemotherapy for blood cancer. Wednesday, she wrote on Facebook: “Ring a ling a ling a ding dong ding…My last chemo is done!” As is customary with chemo patients, she rang a bell, signifying she had finished the treatment. She also thanked fans for praying for her, and wrote she is “Ready to Come back like never before in 2022!”
• Kane Brown – says new music is coming, and there will be a little bit of everything on his next release, including Motown vibes and “rock with heavy guitars”. He can’t say yet when he’s dropping his new album, but plans to release songs once a month leading up to its release.
• Lauren Alaina – literally collapsed with emotion on the Opry stage when Trisha Yearwood invited her to become a member on Saturday. Later, she said: “I felt like Bambi. My knees… all of a sudden, I [had] to get closer to the floor. Then it was, ’There’s a slit in my dress, stand back up.’” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2p9c7896

SHOOTING THE BULL

BROKEN-DOWN HEROES:
Sure, Spider-Man is impressing everyone these days — not only with his box-office numbers, but also with his incredible feats of athleticism, as he battles multiple villains on the big screen. But what kind of toll on the body will the exploits of Spidey and his superhero peers be dealing with in their golden years? A team of researchers in Australia decided to find out. They looked at the behavioral factors of 5 Marvel superheroes — Black Widow, Iron Man, Black Panther, Spider-Man and the Hulk – and found that their lifestyles will likely lead to chronic health issues in old age. They found these powerful characters are more prone to dementia, life-changing physical injuries, and disability because of their exposure to loud noises, air pollution, and head injuries. The good news for Spider-Man is that because he is strong, flexible, and agile, he is less likely to fall when he is old. But his nightly crime fighting means he is unlikely to be getting the 8-10 hours of sleep recommended for teenagers — making him more prone to mental health problems, obesity, and unintentional injuries. The good news is that superheroes get regular exercise, which is good for their long-term health. They also have many social connections, which reduces their risk of dementia. The researchers say their study is just a bit of fun, but it also shows how our health behaviors impact us later in life.
(I bet his Spidey-sense is tingling about THAT!)
(I’m sure Tobey Maguire is dealing with some of those issues right now!)
(Is that why they keep getting a younger Spider-Man?)
-StudyFinds, CNN

EAR BUDS:
If you listen to music while jogging, you may want to add some Beyoncé or Harry Styles to your playlist, and drop the Drake and Harry Styles tunes — if you want to run faster, that is. An informal study by women’s clothing retailer Pour Moi recorded data from a group of runners listening to a range of music artists. They found that listening to Beyoncé resulted in a 33 second per kilometer improvement in running times. Listening to Harry Styles saved runners 31 seconds per kilometre, and Britney Spears rounded out the top 3, hurrying runners by 28 seconds per kilometre. On the other hand, Drake’s music slowed runners by about 21 seconds per kilometer, BTS by 9 seconds, and Doja Cat by 5 seconds.
(It’s entirely possible that some of these people were subconsciously running away from the music!)
(Those listening to The Stones also posted dramatically faster times, but that’s because they could roll down the hills!)
-CTV

A “HOST” OF JOBS TO DO:
A study says that the average adult will spend 43 minutes PER DAY preparing for guests and cleaning up after them during the holiday period. And in fact, 3 in 10 say they will spend more time cleaning at Christmas than actually enjoying celebrations. Why? Well, of course we feel pressured to have a spotless home if we’re hosting over the holidays – 72% agree. In a poll of 2,000 Brits, here are the messy spots people said are most likely to judge their host for not cleaning:
1.  A dirty toilet
2.  Messy or dirty kitchen
3. Overflowing garbage
4. Messy bathroom (imagine having a sparkling bathroom with a disgusting toilet!)
5. Dirty shower/bath
6.  General clutter (Does no one else have kids?)
7. Sticky floors
8. Other surfaces that are messy or dirty, like tables and countertops
9. Dirty dishes
10. Pet smells (Hey – the pets live here – you don’t!)
(Thank goodness no one said anything about the track suit I’ve been wearing for 3 weeks!)
-SWNS

COLD WEATHER MYTHBUSTING:
(for the first day of Winter…)
✗ You lose most of your body heat from your head:  Nope. Heat loss is closely related to surface area, and the head has only about 9% of the body’s surface area. On the other hand, if the rest of you is all covered up and your head isn’t, then you DO lose most of your heat from your head… (I can, however, confirm that you lose most of your HAIR from your head…)
✗ To warm up, sip coffee or brandy:  Caffeine and alcohol hinder the body’s ability to produce heat. They can also cause your core temperature to drop. Instead, drink warm water, or something with sugar.  (Can I have brandy if I put sugar in it?)
✗ Cold weather can cause you to catch cold:  Can we put this to rest right now? You catch cold from a virus, not from cold temperatures. (Now stop listening to old wives!)
✗ Rub your fingers or toes to warm them:  Wiggle them instead. If exposed skin (including your face and ears) becomes cold, cover it with a warm hand until it feels better. Rubbing can cause tissue damage. (Pro tip: Masks help, too!)
✗ You should resist shivering:  Shivering means that your body is trying to warm up, and that’s good. In fact, shivering can triple your body’s heat production. (On the other hand, it can chip your teeth…)
✗ If I’m cold, you must be cold too:  Age, gender, fitness level and acclimatization all determine when you “feel” cold. And women generally feel cold before men do, possibly because they have less heat-generating ability. (Just ask me about my first wife!)
(Cold, hard facts…that aren’t facts!!)
-OldFarmersAlmanac, first published in BS in 2020

DID YOU KNOW?
Walking daily reduces your chances of suffering from depression, stress and anxiety. That’s probably not a surprise to you. But according to scientists at the University of Animal Health Technology in Tokyo, sharing a daily ramble with your dog provides even better benefits. They found that levels of stress hormones were much lower when owners took their dogs on a walk, as opposed to strolling alone. Meanwhile, levels of the calming ‘GABA chemical’ in the dog-walkers were found to be 40% higher. (Unless they forgot to being a poo-bag!)
-CountryLiving

BS CHRONOMETER 12.21.21

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1937 [84] Jane Fonda, NYC, movie actress (“The Butler”, “On Golden Pond”)/TV actress (“Grace & Frankie” since 2015)/star of 22 exercise videos which sold 17 million copies in the 80s and 90s

1948 [73] Samuel L Jackson, Washington DC, movie actor (“Pulp Fiction”, ‘Nick Fury’ in 11 Marvel films) COMING UP…”Argylle”, 2022

1950 [71] Kay Robertson, West Monroe LA, reality star (“Duck Dynasty” 2012-2017)

1957 [64] Ray Romano, Queens NY, movie actor (“Ice Age” movies)/TV actor (“Parenthood” 2012-15, “Everybody Loves Raymond” 1996-2005

1965 [56] Andy Dick, Charleston SC, TV actor (“2 Broke Girls” 2013-2016, “Newsradio” 1995-1999)

1966 [55] Kiefer Sutherland, London UK (raised in Toronto, ON), TV actor (“Designated Survivor” 2016-19), “24″ 2001-10)/movie actor (“The Lost Boys”)/son of Donald Sutherland and Shirley Douglas

1982 [39] Tom Payne, Essex England, TV actor (‘Jesus’ on “The Walking Dead” 2016-19)

1983 [37] Steven Yeun, Seoul South Korea, TV actor (‘Glenn Rhee’ on “The Walking Dead” 2010-2016)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Winter Solstice”, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, as Winter officially arrives at 10:59am EST. (***Also the “Summer Solstice” for our BS’ers in the Southern Hemisphere, when the path of the Sun in the sky is farthest south***) The winter solstice is celebrated in many ways …
– “Blue Christmas”, also called “Longest Night” in the Western Christian tradition, is a day in the Advent season marking the longest night of the year.
– “Flashlight Day”, a tongue-in-cheek commemoration of the year’s longest night.
– In the Wicca religion it’s “Yule”, marking the death of the Sun-God and his rebirth from the Earth Goddess. (The source of the ‘Yule log’)
– Iranians celebrate with “Yalda”, when fires and lights are lit and families stay up all night to help the Sun battle against darkness.
– The annual “Yukon International Storytellers Festival” features all-night music and stories in Whitehorse, Yukon. (Just 89 days until Spring!)
• “Short Girl Appreciation Day”, a salute to those of minimal stature on the shortest day of the year. At what height does a woman qualify as ‘short’? (Because it’s better to have loved a short girl and lost – than to never have loved a tall!)
• “Humbug Day”, when 12 ‘humbugs’ are allowed to be uttered in order to vent the frustrations of preparing for the holidays.
• “Crossword Puzzle Day”, celebrating the date in 1913 when the first ‘Crossword Puzzle’ was published in the “New York World”. Arthur Wynne devised what he called a “Word-Cross” for the Christmas edition, blissfully unaware he was starting a worldwide craze.
• “French Fried Shrimp Day”, celebrating the joys of battered prawns. Mmm! (I’ve just been offered a job as a shrimp chef, but I’m not sure if I’ll accept it. I’ll need to weigh the ‘frozen prawns’…)
• “Homeless Persons Remembrance Day”, observed since 1990 to bring attention to homelessness and to remember those who have paid the ultimate price for living on the street.

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Abilities Day
[Wed] Date Nut Bread Day
[Thurs] Festivus
[Thurs] Roots Day

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2012 [09] The world is supposedly scheduled to end, according to the much-cited ‘Mayan Calendar’, despite the fact that experts state there were no Maya prophecies foretelling the end of the world on the date (part of the hype was created by the 2009 movie “2012″)

2014 [07] “The Battle of the Five Armies”, the last film in “The Hobbit” series, exceeds box office expectations by grossing over $90 million in its first 5 days of release

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2012 [09] ‘Gangnam Style’ by South Korean musician Psy becomes the first YouTube video to reach 1 billion views (currently at 4.2 billion. ‘Baby Shark Dance’ is now #1 with 9.8 billion)

2014 [07] Elton John & David Furnish formally convert their civil partnership into a marriage, hosting a ceremony at their estate in Berkshire UK (guests include David & Victoria Beckham, Ed Sheeran, Sharon Stone…and Ozzy Osbourne)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1891 [130] The first game of basketball, based on rules created by Canadian-American James Naismith, is played by 18 students in Springfield MA, using peach baskets nailed to walls as goals

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ The South Pole is colder than the North Pole.
✓ ‘Tiny Tim’ in Charles Dickens’ classic story “A Christmas Carol” was almost named ‘Little Fred’.
✓ According to studies, men change their minds 2 to 3 times more often than women.
✓ Babies start dreaming even before they’re born.
✓ Gymnastics is from a Greek word meaning “to exercise naked”.
✓ Worldwide, about 20% of married couples are first cousins.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, RandomFactGenerator

Best of BS . . .
BS HOW TO GET YOUR HOLIDAY GUESTS TO LEAVE:
• Break out the non-alcoholic beer
• Ask someone to pull your finger
• Let the dog lick the plates and then put them away. (Plus, they’ll never come back!)
• Say, “Have Y’all read ‘Dianetics’?”
• Dance like nobody’s watching
• Put on your pajamas
• Announce that your snake has escaped his cage
• Don’t answer the door in the first place
• Nickelback
• Move
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018

TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ A poll of 2,000 UK travelers found that 44% are traveling an average of 885 miles for family Christmas gatherings. (And EXACTLY 3 of those miles will be argument free!)
➠ The number of children being injured by toppling TV sets and dressers is on the rise. (Even a well-secured TV can give kids brain damage. Especially If it’s tuned to “The Masked Singer.”)
➠ You can definitely tell it’s the holiday season. (Starbucks is now writing my name wrong on Eggnog Lattes.)
➠70% of people check their Twitter as soon as they wake up, which is a sign of addiction, says a report. (The other 30% didn’t go to sleep because they were too busy watching cat videos on Facebook…)
➠ Fact:  Pineapple Express was the first marijuana-themed comedy film to gross over $100 million. (And the first directly responsible for $1 billion in concession sales!)

BS WEB GOODIE:
I guess everyone feels a little stressed-out at this time of year:   https://tinyurl.com/468etvth

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I wish Santa would publish the naughty list. What a great way to meet people!

BS PHONE STARTER:
Time for some positivity — What’s the best thing that happened to you in 2021?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  If you gave THIS as a gift last Christmas, there’s a 20% chance it hasn’t been used. What is it?
Answer:  A gift card

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.