Monday, December 2, 2024 – Edition: #7847
Can You Believe This Sheet?
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ James Van Der Beek is feeling the financial strain of medical treatments after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The 47-year-old actor asked his followers on Instagram to order a football jersey from his 1999 hit movie, “Varsity Blues,” that he promises to have signed in time for Christmas. Van Der Beek appeared in the promotional images wearing the sports shirt, which had the last name of his backup quarterback character, ‘Jonathan “Mox” Moxon’, written on it. He wrote: “100% of my net proceeds will go to families recovering from the financial burden of cancer (including my own)”, and included the hashtag “#cancerisexpensive.” Last month, the “Dawson’s Creek” actor disclosed he was battling the disease after being forced to go public because an unnamed tabloid had been threatening to release the news.
-PageSix
★ Arnold Schwarzenegger’s LA home was swarmed by police on Thanksgiving Day after someone claimed a bomb had been placed in his mailbox. LAPD rushed to the “Terminator” star’s mansion, but upon inspection of the mailbox and surrounding area, no bomb was found. Cops spoke with Schwarzenegger’s security team, who said it would be “virtually impossible” to plant a bomb at his home, given his extensive camera surveillance and 24 hour protection. Police are treating the incident as “swatting” – the practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to an address. The actor was not home at the time of the incident.
-DailyMail
★ It was a Black Friday for the ages. Led by the opening of “Moana 2” and supported by an incredible second weekend for “Wicked,” the box office soared to an estimated overall domestic gross of $108 million, the 4th highest in history, the biggest Black Friday of all time. Moana 2 set a 5-day opening and Thanksgiving record of about $220 million, and Wicked became the highest grossing movie based on a Broadway musical, with a 5-day take of $118 million, and a running total of $263 million. The only bigger days ever at the box office than Friday were the first 2 days of release for “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019, and the day after Christmas in 2015, when “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was on its way to becoming the highest grossing film in domestic box office history.
-TheWrap, Deadline
★ Former “Harry Potter” film actor Rupert Grint needs to conjure up $2.3 million after losing a legal battle with tax authorities. Grint, who played ‘Ron Weasley’ in the magical film franchise, was ordered to pay the money in 2019 after the UK tax agency investigated his return from 7 years earlier. H.M. Revenue and Customs said Grint wrongly classed 4.5 million pounds in residuals from the movies — money from DVD sales, TV syndication, streaming rights, etc. — as a capital asset rather than income, which is subject to a much higher tax rate. Grint’ lawyers appealed, but a judge ruled against the actor last week.
-AP
★ Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen are engaged! On Friday, the “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and the Buffalo Bills quarterback announced that they’ll be tying the knot after getting engaged last week. They shared a romantic photo on Instagram together of Allen on one knee in front of Steinfeld, with both surrounded by an arch of pink and red roses in front of a body of water. They captioned the post with just a simple date: Nov. 22. The NFL reposted the picture on X to congratulate the pair. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yv7b2ne3
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Jamie Lee Curtis, Hannah Einbinder, Ava Max
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Lin-Manuel Miranda, Shailene Woodley, Nathy Peluso
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Daniel Craig, Auli’i Cravalho
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Kurt Braunohler, Opey Olagbaju, Mamrie Hart
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Hugh Grant, Jonathan Bailey (R)
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Stephanie Hsu, Ralph Fiennes
• “The Daily Show” (COM): Host Jon Stewart
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Jim Gaffigan
• “The Talk” (CBS): Joel Kim Booster; Camilla Luddington guest co-hosts
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle James
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm and Ali Larter; Jack Huston, Jennifer Love Hewitt.
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Zachary Quinto, Danny Seo, Kristina Zias
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Snoop Dogg and his daughter Cori Broadus
• “The Voice” (NBC): Live Semi-Final Performances
• “NCIS” (CBS): Torres receives intel from an informant regarding top secret naval information that’s at risk of being sold.
• “TMZ’s Merry Elfin’ Christmas” (Fox): Harvey Levin and the team, along with guests Nick Cannon, Jay Leno, Flavor Flav, Lisa Vanderpump and Daymond John, look back at the year’s top stories.
• “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” (ABC): Chance the Rapper, Dionne Warwick, and Lil Jon
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• The Weeknd – Jan. 24, he’ll drop the new album “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” The next day, he’ll serve up the debut live performance of his work with a one-night-only show at the Rose Bowl, where the stage will cover the entire stadium floor. The record is the last part of a trilogy that that includes his previous albums “After Hours” and “Dawn FM.”
• Taylor Swift – Swifties are begging the NFL to change the time of Travis Kelce’s game on Friday so he is able to make it to the last stop of her “Eras Tour” in Vancouver. He and the Chiefs are set to play the LA Chargers in Kansas City, at 7:20. One fan posted: “Remember when the whole world was ‘will Taylor make it to the superbowl?’ Same energy, commish – make it happen – flex the game.”
• My Chemical Romance — Former drummer Bob Bryar was found dead in his Tennessee home last Tuesday. He was 44. Bryar, the band’s longest-tenured drummer, was last seen alive on November 4, TMZ reported. Authorities don’t suspect foul play and his cause of death is not immediately known.
• Aerosmith — Drummer Joey Kramer is closing down his Rockin’ & Roastin’ organic coffee line. On social media, he wrote that the decision was made “after the years of working to recover from the devastation to our business from the impact of Covid”, plus inflation and “the tragic, painful loss of my wife, Linda”.
• Eric Clapton — A handwritten letter in which John Lennon asks Clapton to form a new band together is going up for auction on Thursday. The 8-page letter, written in 1971, is a draft of the final version which was sent to Clapton, and is expected to go for up to $157,000. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/854v7rf7
• Sting – has been recruited by Snoop Dogg to appear on his new song ‘Another Part of Me’, a reworking of The Police’s 1979 hit ‘Message in a Bottle’. The song appears on Snoop’s upcoming “Missionary” album, which also includes a cover of ‘Mary Jane’s Last Dance’ with vocals from Jelly Roll and the late Tom Petty. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4cj7kahc
• Cody Johnson — If you’re a fan of classic crooners, you won’t want to miss his performance on CMA Country Christmas tomorrow night on ABC. He’ll be singing ‘White Christmas’ and ‘I’ll Be Home For Christmas’, and said the show gives him a chance to show “a little bit more of a Frank Sinatra [and] Dean Martin side of myself that you don’t normally see when you come to one of my live shows.”
• Luke Bryan—has a surprise cross-genre collab coming. He has announced that he’s teaming with pop singer Teddy Swims and rapper Quavo on the home-state song ‘Georgia Ways’, out Dec. 6. All 3 artists are Georgia natives. Bryan’s announcement included a snippet of the new song, which includes the chorus: “That’s just how I was raised/ Stuck in my Georgia ways/ Don’t care about what you say/ Some (stuff) won’t never change.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3bh3hc5a
• Runaway June – Friday, they released the breakup song ‘He Ain’t My Problem’. Bandmember Stevie Woodward quote: “The 3 of us were sitting in a hotel room…having a venting session, as ladies do. Jen says, ‘He ain’t my problem no more,’ and we’re, like, ‘Oh, snap. We’ve gotta write that one.’” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mr44t47x
SHOOTING THE BULL
HOLIDAY MIXER:
So, it’s December now, and I believe that means the season of pumpkin spice is officially over. So, what’s next? If the deep thinkers at Pepsi are to be believed, you definitely want to get your hands on their new festive flavor, which tastes like “the holiday season in a can”. The new Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread blends notes of brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and molasses. According to AllRecipes, Pepsi Zero Sugar Gingerbread gives a “dirty soda vibe” that starts sweet and “almost chocolatey in flavor” and finishes warm and spicy with an “almost creamy mouthfeel.” The new soda flavor, out this week, will only be available on Pepsi’s website via a special giveaway and on TikTok. It’s the first holiday release for Pepsi since Pepsi Holiday Spice, which was released in 2004 and discontinued 2 years later.
(…and with reviewers using words like “dirty soda”, this one won’t even last THAT long!)
(Sorry, Pepsi – for me, the title of “holiday season in a can” is already taken – by Cranberry jelly . . . and Budweiser!)
-NYPost
CHRISTMAS CASH:
The holiday shopping season is definitely underway, and with the average shopper (in the US) planning to spend more than $1,000 on gifts alone this year, many must be concerned about overspending. Today, consumers have a ton of option when it comes to how to pay for your seasonal expenditures: Do you swipe your credit card and pick up “free” miles? Do you use buy-now-pay-later and spread the payments out over time? Do you use a debit card to avoid going into debt? According to an expert, if you’re worried about spending too much, you should go old-school, and pay with cash. Business school professor Jay L. Zagorsky of Boston University points out that committing to using paper money gives you an automatic method of budgeting. When you’re out of cash, you’re done shopping. In addition, you’re likely to spend less when paying with cash, thanks to the psychological “pain of paying”, which isn’t as apparent when using a credit card. Thirdly, in the long run, paying cash for things is cheaper because you don’t have to pay interest on your purchases. One caveat: Prof. Zagorsky doesn’t recommend putting all of your money into your wallet at once. Instead, bring just a portion of your budgeted cash when going shopping. If you need to bring it all — split the money up and keep some separate.
(Sorry, pal. I simply can’t get my hands on enough cash to fulfil my holiday tradition of buying “one for someone else – then one for me”!)
(Good points. This is also very handy for those who feel their kids are running out of things to make fun of them about!)
-TheConversation
MOUTHPIECE:
If you’ve ever felt the need to turn your smartphone into a playable flute, violin, or any of a number of other musical instruments, I’ve got just the thing for you. The “Zefiro” is a clever little MIDI controller that plugs into the charge port of your smartphone. Developed by Italian startup ARTNoise, the colorful mouthpiece (which kinda looks like a vape) is equipped with lip sensors and an air pressure sensor, and sends breath power data directly to its app, which is then used to adjust the volume, length, and harmonics of the sound. Keys, or ‘air holes,’ are displayed on the screen of the smartphone, so you can effectively play the instrument with your fingers, as you blow into the mouthpiece. It can be used not only to create sounds and music that sound like they were played by a flute, trumpet, recorder, violin, or synthesized instrument, but a number of other “fantasy sounds” can be selected as well. The Zefiro smart mouthpiece is expected to become available early next year, for around $44. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/57pjnruv
(This is GREAT! Finally, it’ll be easy for me not be able to play an instrument wherever I go!)
(…and if you ever also feel the need to look like you have your own personal breathalyzer, it’s perfect for that, too!)
-OddityCentral
BIZARRE FACTS ABOUT CELEBS:
☆ Brie Larson’s full name is Brianne Desaulniers. She chose her stage name Larson because of her love for the “American Girl” Doll Kirsten Larson.
☆ Margot Robbie can hold her breath underwater for 5 minutes.
☆ As a child, Jenna Ortega used to perform “autopsies” on dead lizards she found in her backyard.
☆ Geena Davis is so good at archery that she almost qualified for the 2000 US Olympic team, at age 44.
☆ Before fame, Madonna worked at Dunkin’ Donuts. She claims she got fired after a week because she got caught playing with the jelly squirter machine.
☆ Before becoming the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle was a professional calligraphist. She wrote Robin Thicke and Paula Patton’s wedding invitations.
☆ James Corden’s middle name is Kimberley.
☆ Macaulay Culkin legally changed his name to Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin.
☆ Ashton Kutcher gave himself pancreatitis and was hospitalized twice while preparing to play Steve Jobs in “Jobs”, after replicating the visionary’s diet of mainly fruit.
☆ Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson might be half-brothers. McConaughey’s mother believes they may share the same father, famous hitman Charles Harrelson.
☆ Whoopi Goldberg’s real name Caryn Johnson. She gave herself the name Whoopi because she happens to be a gassy person.
-BuzzFeed
DID YOU KNOW?
There’s a new “World’s Largest Building”. For 80 years, the US Pentagon held that title, but the newly-opened Surat Diamond Bourse in Gujarat, India, a massive diamond-cutting and trading hub, exceeds the Pentagon’s area of over 6.5 million square feet ft by almost 55,000. It is a is a massive office complex made up of 9 rectangular buildings interconnected through a central “spine”. The sprawling 15-story complex covers more than 35 acres of land and features over 4,700 office spaces and workshops, as well as 131 large elevators. Interestingly, creating a building that surpassed the Pentagon was never the plan; Indian architecture firm Morphogenesis simply struggled to meet the huge demand for space. (I heard it takes half the workday just to get to the cafeteria!)
LINK: https://youtu.be/5Lyif8bXGuU
-OddityCentral
BS CHRONOMETER 12.02.24
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Cyber Monday”, also known as “Blue Monday”, it happens on the Monday after US Thanksgiving. It was created by retailers to encourage people to shop online (and get a great deal on something that yesterday, you didn’t even know you wanted!) [and yes, you CAN shop online – locally!]
• “International Day For the Abolition of Slavery”, a UN observance begun in 1949. An estimated 40.3 million people are victims of modern slavery. LINK: https://www.un.org/en/observances/slavery-abolition-day
• “Walt Disney Day”, held on the first Monday of December in remembrance and honor of Walt Disney, who was born December 5, 1901. (FUN FACT: His signature did not resemble the “stylized” version used in the Disney logo.)
• “Fritters Day”, honoring the yummy treat made by frying up small cakes of dough in butter or oil. (Yum! Really good for you, too!)
• “Play Basketball Day”. This day honors the founder of basketball, James Naismith, born in Almonte, Ontario on this date in 1861. He moved to the US to teach Phys-ed at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he invented the game.
• “Mutt Day”, saluting all dogs that are cross-breeds, no-breeds, or all-breeds. (And what do you get if you neuter your dog? Nixed mutts!)
• “Special Education Day”, initiated in 1975 to promote access to education for all children, including those with disabilities.
• “Business of Popping Corn Day”, honoring this day in 1885 when Charles Cretors founded C. Cretors & Company, which invented the first large-scale commercial oil popcorn popper. (Perhaps “Toothpick Day” should be celebrated today, too?)
• “United Arab Emirates National Day”, celebrating the anniversary of independence of the federation of 7 Persian Gulf states from Britain in 1971.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] Giving Tuesday
[Tues] International Day of Persons With Disabilities
[Wed] Santa’s List Day
[Thurs] Blue Jeans Day
This Week is…Cookie Cutter Week
This Month is…AIDS Awareness Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1960 [64] Rick Savage, Sheffield, England, rock bassist (Def Leppard-‘Hysteria’, ‘Rock of Ages’)
1968 [56] Lucy Liu, Queens NY, TV actress (“Ally McBeal 1998-2002, ‘Joan Watson’ on “Elementary” 2012-19/movie actress (“Kung Fu Panda” movies, “Charlie’s Angels” movies”)
1968 [56] Nate Mendel, Richmond WA, rock bassist (Foo Fighters-‘Learn to Fly’, ‘Best of You’)
1978 [46] Nelly Furtado, Victoria BC, pop singer (‘I’m Like a Bird’, ‘Promiscuous’)/10 Juno Awards, 1 Grammy, Canada’s Walk of Fame 2010
1981 [43] Britney Spears, McComb MS, pop singer (‘Baby, One More Time’, ‘Oops!… I Did It Again’)
1983 [41] Jana Kramer, Rochester Hills MI, country singer (‘Why Ya Wanna’, I Got the Boy’)/actress (“One Tree Hill” 2009-12), multiple Lifetime network movies/reality star (“Dancing With the Stars” 2016)
1983 [41] Aaron Rodgers, Chico CA, NFL quarterback (NY Jets)/Super Bowl winner with Green Bay 2010; Super Bowl MVP 2010; 4-time NFL MVP; 10-time Pro Bowl
1983 [41] Daniela Ruah, Boston MA, TV actress (‘Kensi Blye’ on “NCIS: Los Angeles” 2009-23)
1988 [36] Alfred Enoch, Westminster England, movie actor (“Harry Potter” franchise)/TV actor (“How to Get Away with Murder” 2014-20)
1991 [32] Charlie Puth, Rumson NJ, pop singer (‘See You Again’ w/Wiz Khalifa, ‘We Don’t Talk Anymore’ w/Selena Gomez)/TV personality (advisor on “The Voice” 2016-22)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2003 [21] The reality show “The Simple Life”, with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, premieres on Fox.
2012 [12] Blues legend Buddy Guy, Dustin Hoffman, David Letterman, and the surviving members of Led Zeppelin receive Kennedy Center Honors for contributions to culture.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1983 [41] Michael Jackson’s 14-minute ‘Thriller’ video debuts on MTV.
2023 [01] At Madison Square Garden in New York, Kiss play the final show of their “End of the Road” farewell tour — in physical form, at least. At the end of the set, they play a video introducing their avatars, which are expected to be utilized for “live” shows in the future.
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2009 [15] Adam Barta of Girard, OH throws 191 bowling strikes in an hour, breaking the previous record by 15.
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries.
✓ The average woman has 17 square feet of skin. It stretches to 18½ square feet during pregnancy.
✓ On Jupiter, it rains diamonds.
✓ Statistically, the safest form of travel (miles travelled versus number of deaths) is the elevator.
✓ The owner of Segway was killed by a Segway.
✓ Barry White’s music has been used by marine biologists to encourage sharks to mate.
-ReadersDigest, BathroomReadersInstitute
Best of BS . . .
BS ODD CYBER MONDAY BUYS:
• BOGO Thanksgiving leftovers
• A used scratch card
• A vowel
• A tent used to sleep in the Best Buy parking lot on Black Friday
• Those stupid Christmas lights for your beard
• Halloween decorations
• The book: “How To Stop Shopping On Corporate-Made Holidays”
• Romaine lettuce
• Anything that you actually need
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ It’s Cyber Monday! (This is my favorite shopping holiday. I was so excited about it that I slept in a tent outside my computer room since last Wednesday…)
➠ I hope you were able to score lots of great deals on Black Friday. (However, I don’t think it’s healthy how the holiday sales start JUST AFTER Thanksgiving. You shouldn’t spend Thanksgiving weekend in stores fighting with strangers. You should be at home, fighting with your family.
➠ Starbucks has submitted an application for licencing to sell alcohol at multiple locations. (Apparently, they’re having trouble finding sober people who are willing to pay 9 bucks for a cup of coffee!)
➠ A study says that radiation from Wi-Fi is hurting trees. (Environmentalists are calling it the worst assault on trees since Chelsea Handler became an author…)
➠ Macy’s has hired over 35,000 seasonal employees for the holiday rush. (SO . . . the busiest shopping time of the year is being run by people who have had exactly one day of training!)
BS WEB GOODIE:
Go ahead – try not to laugh: https://tinyurl.com/296upjb3
BS RANDOM JOKE:
I went to the store to buy some candleholders, but they didn’t have any, so I bought a cake instead.
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
These words are all used in the lyrics to popular seasonal songs. But what do they mean?
• Sugar plum:
a) A small, round candy [CORRECT]
b) A plum sweetened with syrup
c) A rosy cheek
d) The name of a very popular wrestler in Victorian times
• Tidings:
a) Months
b) Ocean currents
c) News [CORRECT]
d) Laundry detergents
• Hark:
a) To feel surprised
b) Worship
c) Listen [CORRECT]
d) To spit
-ReadersDigest
BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What phrase makes you roll your eyes every time you hear it?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
If you’re average, you have about 24 of THESE in your home. What are they?
Answer: Gift bags
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.
