Monday, February 20, 2023 – Edition: #7421
Our Sheet Don’t Stink!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
[***UPDATE***] ★ Richard Belzer, original cast member of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” has died at the age of 78. He played NYPD ‘Det. John Munch’ from 1999 to 2013, a sardonic investigator whose dry wit was guided by the actor’s years of stand-up comedy experience. He had previously played the character for 7 seasons on the NBC drama “Homicide: Life on the Street,” during which Munch was a homicide detective that served as a mentor to his younger partner ‘Det. Beau Felton’, played by Daniel Baldwin. No word on a couse of death.
-The Wrap
★ Tom Sizemore, the actor best known for his roles in “Saving Private Ryan” and “Black Hawk Down” has been hospitalized and is in critical condition after suffering a brain aneurysm. The 61-year-old reportedly collapsed around 2 AM Saturday and was rushed to hospital, where he remains in the ICU. There hasn’t been an official update on his condition, but his rep did say that Sizemore is “in a bad way” and his chances for recovery are “uncertain”.
-TheWrap
★ It was a Marky Markdown. Mark Wahlberg has sold his Beverly Hills mansion for $55 million — $32.5 million less than its initial listing of $87.5 million last April. The sprawling 30,500-square-foot home features 12 bedrooms and 20 bathrooms on 6 acres in an exclusive gated community. The “Ted” star took the property off the market in October before re-listing it in November at $79.5 million. The buyer has not been identified. Wahlberg purchased the land in 2009 for a measly $8.25 million, putting in at least 5 years of renovation efforts. He and his family have relocated to the Las Vegas area.
-NYPost
★ Marvel Studios kicked the box office into high gear again over the weekend. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” landed the largest opening day of 2023 so far, with a staggering $63.5 million, according to IMDB’s Box Office Mojo. That figure that includes $17.5 million from Thursday preview screenings. That marks the third-highest February opening day in history, behind “Black Panther” and “Deadpool”. Industry estimates give “Quantumania” a 3-day opening north of $100 million, and about $130 million over the 4-day Presidents’ Day holiday weekend.
-Variety
★ Richard Gere was hospitalized in Mexico with pneumonia. It’s unclear when he was admitted last week, but according to reports, he is currently in recovery. Gere was on vacation with his family, celebrating his wife Alejandra Silva’s 40th birthday near Nuevo Vallarta when he became ill. The 73-year-old reportedly had a bad cough leading up to their trip, which got worse while in Mexico, and he checked into hospital, where he learned he had pneumonia. Late last week on Instagram, Silva thanked those who wished her a happy birthday, and wrote: “after almost 3 weeks of everyone being sick in our family today finally I feel much better!”
-TheWrap
★ The haunting theme song of “The White Lotus,” which has become an unexpected viral sensation in night clubs, now has an official dance remix. Friday, Dutch DJ Tiësto dropped his EDM remix of ‘Renaissance’, the theme song of HBO’s hit show, on digital and streaming platforms. The Grammy-award winner, who has been a fan of the Mike White-created series since season one, has recently been playing his spin on the theme during performances, and says fans “absolutely love it”. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mr34myfu
-CNN
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Katie Holmes, Danielle Deadwyler, Anuel AA (R)
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Milo Ventimiglia, Charles Barkley, Paramore
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Sen. Bernie Sanders, Little Simz
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Jordan Peele, Melissa Rauch, Maya Stepansky (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Beth Behrs, Justin Long, Avril Lavigne & Yungblud (R)
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Kyle Cooke, Mya Allen
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Elizabeth Banks, Madelyn Cline, a performance from Broadway’s Some Like It Hot
• “The Talk”(CBS): Alfre Woodard, Marcus Scribner
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Benjamin Bratt, Madelyn Cline, Maria Loi
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Tig Notaro
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Chelsea Handler, Nico Parker
• “The Bachelor” (ABC): Zach and the women head to London for another week of adventure; Zach is in a never-before-seen scenario which could drastically alter the journey ahead.
• “America’s Got Talent: All-Stars” (NBC): Final performances: The best of the best showcase their talent.
• “The Last of Us” (HBO): New. Joel and Ellie must survive ruthless killers and monsters on a trek across America after an outbreak.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Demi Lovato – On TikTok Thursday, she gave fans a taste of ‘Still Alive’ her new single from the “Scream VI” soundtrack. The song drops March 3. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2hhphthf
• Pink – Friday, she released her new album, “Trustfall”, including the previously released ‘Never Gonna Not Dance Again’ and a ballad dedicated to her late father ‘When I Get There’. She also revealed that during the pandemic, she underwent hip surgery and double disc replacement in her neck. Also, she gained 36 pounds, because “All I did was make sourdough and then eat the sourdough.”
• Nirvana – Skateboarder Tony Hawk is using today, which would have been Kurt Cobain’s 56th birthday, to raise mental health awareness by auctioning Cobain’s skateboard from 1985. It is decorated with Cobain’s painting of Iron Maiden. Hawk bought the board last year, an original Jeff Phillips model, a skateboarder who died by suicide in 1993, 3 months before Cobain. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/ycah4wkv
• The Kinks — Dave Davies has appealed to Elon Musk, because posts from the band are being automatically flagged with a “sensitive content” warning, due to the name of the group. Davies tweeted: “Dear Elon Musk, would Twitter please stop putting warnings on everything from ‘The Kinks.’ We are just trying to promote our Kinks music.” The group has kicked off a 60th anniversary celebration of reissues.
LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5bs5frnb
• Van Halen — will releasing the first-ever vinyl edition of “Live: Right Here, Right Now” on April 22 for Record Store Day. The remastered edition of the 1993 live album will be the first of a series of reissues from the Sammy Hagar-era of the band.
• George Strait – made a surprise appearance at Austin’s Moody Center on Thursday, to act as MC for Bruce Springsteen’s concert. Wearing his signature jeans and cowboy hat, Strait strolled on stage where the 2 superstars hugged, then Strait said to the crowd: “Austin, Texas, it’s my honor tonight to introduce to you a band that really needs no introduction, right? Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band!”
• Kellie Pickler – Her husband Kyle Jacobs, a country producer and songwriter, who co-starred with her in the CMT docuseries “I Love Kellie Pickler”, has died at 49, of apparent suicide. He had worked with artists including Garth Brooks, Kelly Clarkson, Darius Rucker and Tim McGraw.
• Kelsea Ballerini – will make her “Saturday Night Live” debut on March 4. She’ll appear as musical guest on an episode hosted by Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl winning tight end Travis Kelce.
SHOOTING THE BULL
THE TOOTH HURTS:
As a parent, you become accustomed to sometimes having to tell your kids “No!” in order to make sure they don’t eat too much junk food…or do any of a number of other things that may not be good for them. But grandparents…not so much. Researchers with the American Dental Association surveyed mothers, and found that more than two-thirds feel that grandparents spoil their young children with too many sugary foods and drinks. Examples of sugary food items (as you might expect) include sodas, juices, baked goods, and candy. And perhaps oddly, while 72% say their children’s grandparents spoil them with sugary treats, only just over half (51%) have ever addressed the topic with the grandparents.
(Actually, this would be more newsworthy if they found that grandparents DON’T overload their grandkids with treats!)
(I think we need to launch a full-scale investigation aimed at identifying these grandparents – and finding out whether they’re interested in adopting!)
-StudyFinds
EMOJIS IN MOTION:
Alright! New ways to communicate without using words are on the way! Apple has revealed the 31 new emoji (that’s the technically-correct plural of emoji) that will soon be available. The new emoji designs have arrived as part of the first iOS 16.4 beta, and include the highly anticipated pink heart. The new emoji also include: light blue heart, shaking head, gray heart, donkey, moose, goose, wing, jellyfish, black bird, hyacinth, pea pod, ginger, folding hand fan, hair pick, flute, maracas, khanda and wireless. There will also be a rightward pushing hand and a leftward pushing hand in a variety of skin tones. No official word yet on when the new emoticons will be available to all iOS users, but they are expected to be released in the coming months.
(I cannot tell you how many times I’ve wished I could send a “hyacinth” emoji. Kidding. I don’t even know what a hyacinth is!)
(What do I care? All I ever use is the laughing face – and the poo!)
-NYPost
NEW GOOD NEWS:
➢ Elvis is the king — of making foster cats feel purrfectly at home. Nine years ago, Beverly Pack, a volunteer with Open Arms Animal Shelter in Louisa KY, took in Elvis, his sister Priscilla, and other kittens in their litter. When she learned that Elvis and Priscilla both have cerebellar hypoplasia, also known as “wobbly cat syndrome,” she decided to adopt them. This condition affects their balance and motor skills, but it doesn’t stop Elvis from fully embracing every new foster kitten that comes to their house. Since 2013, Pack has taken in over 100 fosters, and Elvis “insists” he be allowed to “groom and bathe” each one. He follows his new friends around during the day, then “snuggles with them at bedtime.” This attention helps the kittens with their socialization, making it easier for them to get adopted. And Elvis’ kindness has been rewarded — he was recently named a winner of Arm & Hammer’s Feline Generous Happily Furever After contest, and a donation was made to the animal shelter.
➢ A girl who became the world’s youngest published author at age 5 is making history again – by releasing her second book – at age 6. Bella-Jay Dark of Weymouth UK will become the youngest female author to publish a series of books after following up on her debut. Last year she set the Guinness World Record for the youngest published author after selling more than 2,000 copies of “The Lost Cat”. Her second book, “Snowy’s Birthday Party,” is out now (available on Amazon and through publisher Ginger Fyre Press). She’ll need to sell 1,000 copies to surpass the official current record for the youngest author of a book series. Her mom Chelsie thought that when Bella-Jay announced she was going to write a book, it was just ‘one of those things’ children say. But she was stunned when her daughter turned her dream into a reality with her first book, which features a feline who goes on adventures and learns an important lesson. With her second book on the shelves now, she has already started work on her third. (She’s writing them faster than I could read them!)
-TheWeek, Talker
THE SONGS MOST-OFTEN USED IN MOVIES:
1. MC Hammer – ‘U Can’t Touch This’ (used in 15 feature films)
2. Queen and David Bowie – ‘Under Pressure’ (14)
3. Salt-N-Pepa – ‘Push It’ (13)
4. Norman Greenbaum – ‘Spirit in the Sky’ (13)
5. Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock – ‘It Takes Two’ (13)
6. Young MC – ‘Bust a Move’ (12)
7. Earth, Wind & Fire – ‘September’ (12)
8. The Turtles – ‘Happy Together’ (12)
9. Spandau Ballet – ‘True’ (12)
10. AC/DC – ‘Back in Black’ (11)
11. Wang Chung – ‘Dance Hall Days’ (11)
12. Tears for Fears – ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ (11)
13. Survivor – ‘Eye of the Tiger’ (11)
14. Booker T. & The M.G.’s – ‘Green Onions’ (11)
15. House Of Pain – ‘Jump Around’ (11)
16. Marvin Gaye – ‘Let’s Get It On’ (11)
17. The Temptations – ‘My Girl’ (11)
18. Billy Squier – ‘The Stroke’ (11)
19. The Isley Brothers – ‘It’s Your Thing’ (11)
20. C+C Music Factory – ‘Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)’ (11)
(What song have you noticed is often featured in movies or shows?)
-FarOut
BEST ROCK BANDS OF ALL TIME:
According to 10 “expert” websites…
1. The Beatles (What’d you expect?)
2. The Rolling Stones
3. Queen
4. Led Zeppelin
5. Pink Floyd
(OK, let’s argue! Who did they miss? Why is your fav group better than one of these?)
-StudyFinds
DID YOU KNOW?
The short-term consequences of not enough good sleep are noticeable — trouble concentrating, being short-tempered with loved ones, etc. But a new study published last week in the Journal of the American Heart Association says poor-quality sleeping patterns could increase your risk for developing cardiovascular disease. The researchers found those with irregular sleep durations – varying by 90 minutes to more than 2 hours within a week — were about 1.4 times more likely to have higher buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries. (Up ‘til now, I thought my biggest sleep-related risk of having a heart attack came from the alarm going off at 3:30!)
-CNN
BS CHRONOMETER 02.20.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Family Day”, observed in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. In Manitoba, it’s “Louis Riel Day”; “Heritage Day” in Nova Scotia; and “Islander Day” in Prince Edward Island. Family Day celebrates the importance of families and family life to people and their communities.
• “Presidents’ Day”, also known as Washington’s Birthday, a holiday to honor the first US president, George Washington, who was born Feb. 22, 1732. Depending on the state, the day may also officially celebrate Lincoln and Jefferson. It’s also an occasion to remember all presidents (or at least the ones you WANT to remember…).
• “Cherry Pie Day”, honoring the 2nd-most-popular fruit pie, behind only apple pie.
• “World Day of Social Justice”, the 15th annual, initiated by the UN to promote solutions to global issues such as poverty, exclusion, and unemployment. This year’s theme: “Overcoming Barriers and Unleashing Opportunities for Social Justice”.
• “Day of Solidarity with Muslim, Arab, and South Asian Immigrants”, observed annually on February 20th since 2002.
• “Love Your Pet Day”, as if you needed some kind of excuse…
• “Northern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day”, when you’re encouraged to go outdoors at noon and yell “Hoodie-Hoo!” at the top of your lungs, to relieve Winter blahs and encourage the arrival of Spring, which is one month away…whether you yell “Hoodie-Hoo” or not…
• “Clean Out Your Bookcases Day”, how about giving away the books that no longer interest you? By donating your old books, you could enrich the lives of others. Today, go to one of your bookcases at work or home and get organized! (BookcasES? How many do they think I have?)
• “Handcuff Day”, on this day in 1912, a patent was granted to George A. Carney, for a swinging arm type of adjustable, ratcheting handcuff. (Fun in the sheets, but not on the streets!)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] Pancake Tuesday
[Tues] Mardi Gras
[Wed] Be Humble Day
[Thurs] Curling is Cool Day
This Week is…Engineers Week
This Month is…Goat Yoga Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1941 [82] Buffy Sainte-Marie, Qu’Appelle Valley SK, pop singer-songwriter (‘Universal Soldier’, Oscar-‘Up Where We Belong’)/TV actress (“Sesame Street” 1976-81)/Order of Canada, 1997
1963 [60] Charles Barkley (“The Round Mound of Rebound”), Leeds AL, retired NBA player (11-time All-Star, 1993 MVP as a member of the Suns)/basketball TV analyst on TNT since 2000
1966 [57] Cindy Crawford, DeKalb IL, fashion model (600+ magazine covers)/TC host (“MTV’s House of Style” 1989–1995/married to Rande Gerber since 1998
1975 [48] Brian Littrell, Lexington KY, pop singer (Backstreet Boys-‘Quit Playing Games With My Heart’, ‘I Want It That Way’)/cousin of BSB’s Kevin Richardson
1978 [45] Chelsea Peretti, Contra Costa CA, TV actress (‘Gina Linetti’ on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” 2013-21)/comedian/TV writer (“Parks and Recreation”, “Saturday Night Live”)
1978 [45] (Javier) “Jay” Hernandez, Montebello CA, TV actor (“Magnum P.I.” since 2018) movie actor (“Crazy/Beautiful”, Friday Night Lights”, “Suicide Squad”)/fashion model
1979 [44] Coy Bowles, Carrollton GA, country guitarist-keyboardist (Zac Brown Band-‘Beautiful Drug’, ‘Chicken Fried’)/children’s book author
1984 [39] Trevor Noah, Johannesburg South Africa, TV host (“The Daily Show” 2015-22)/3-time Grammy host, host of 2022 White House Correspondents Dinner
1988 [35] Rihanna (Robin Rihanna Fenty), Saint Michael Barbados, pop singer (‘Shut Up and Drive’, ‘Umbrella’ ft Jay-Z)/entrepreneur (cosmetics brand “Fenty Beauty”, fashion house “Fenty”)
1989 [34] Jack Falahee, Ann Arbor MI, TV actor (‘Connor Walsh’ on “How to Get Away With Murder” 2014-20, “Mercy Street” 2016-17)
2003 [20] Olivia Rodrigo, Murrieta CA, pop singer (‘Drivers License’, ‘Good 4 U’)/TV actress (“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” 2019-22)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2009 [14] Conan O’Brien hosts his final “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” show on NBC (he briefly replaces Jay Leno on “The Tonight Show”, then gets pushed out and moves to TBS). Coincidentally, musical guest The White Stripes play what turns out to be their final performance on the same show
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1993 [30] Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’, from the soundtrack to “The Bodyguard”, tops the Billboard’s Hot 100 for a then-record 13th week (stays there for 1 more)
2003 [20] During a Great White concert in West Warwick RI, a pyrotechnics display sets the club ablaze, killing 100 and injuring over 300 fans
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1937 [86] The first ‘flying car’, combination auto/airplane, is tested (‘Aeromobile’ in Santa Monica CA)
2013 [10] Estonia becomes the first country in the world to establish a national electric car charging network, capable of a full charge within 30 minutes
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2011 [12] At age 20, rookie driver Trevor Bayne becomes the youngest winner in the 53-year history of the Daytona 500
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ The creator of the Nike Swoosh symbol was paid only $35 for the design.
✓ People tend to read as much as 10% slower from a screen than from paper.
✓ “The Lion King” was originally named “King of the Jungle” until producers realized that lions don’t actually live in jungles.
✓ Eating a banana can help to form a lining that prevents heartburn from getting worse.
✓ If you unfolded your brain, it would cover an ironing board.
✓ Iceland has a dating app that stops you from hooking up with your cousin.
-RandomFactGenerator
Best of BS . . .
BS ODD JOB INTERVIEW RESPONSES:
• “My strengths? I once walked away from a plate of nachos with extra guacamole.”
• “It’s not a felony in most states.”
• “I know you are, but what am I?”
• “What can I bring to this company? Donuts every Friday.”
• “I work well with others — as long as they’re not idiots.”
• “You look so different with your clothes on.”
• “I’d like to speak to my lawyer before I answer any questions.”
• “What do I see myself doing in 5 years? Ten to Twenty.”
• “I always quit before they can fire me.”
• “Convicted? No, never convicted…”
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
BS WHEN DOGS TEXT:
• BOL – Bark Out Loud
• OMDT – Over My Dead Toy
• HAW – Humans Are Watching
• IMFO – In My Furry Opinion
• OMD – Oh My Dog
• TTTP – Talk To The Paw
• ROFB – Rolling On The Floor Barking
• BMTO – Barking My Tail Off
• MBDT – Must Be Dinner Time
• SMB – Smell My Butt
-PAWS, first published in BS in 2020
BS WEB GOODIE:
My Monday so far: https://tinyurl.com/4xx8dn92
BS RANDOM JOKE:
I wouldn’t say anything about [***co-host***] unless I could say something good. And, oh MAN, is this good…
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• What company makes the Xperia model of smartphone?
a) Samsung
b) Sony [CORRECT]
c) Nokia
d) ColecoVision
• Which of the following is NOT a fruit?
a) Rhubarb [CORRECT]
b) Tomato
c) Avocado
d) Orange
• Where was tea invented?
a) England
b) USA
c) China [CORRECT]
d) Anteagua
• What is the longest-running Broadway show ever?
a) Les Misérables
b) The Phantom of the Opera [CORRECT]
c) The Lion King
d) Moose Murders
-Mentimeter
BS PHONE STARTER:
What are you really good at — but hate doing?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Oddly, 2% of people put ketchup on THIS. What is it?
Answer: Pancakes
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else.
