Tuesday, February 18, 2020 – Edition: #6636

The BS Press!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Russell Crowe has been essentially in hiding while he sheds weight, according to a new report. He’s been unrecognizable of late after bulking up for several roles, including his portrayal of ‘Roger Ailes’ in “The Loudest Voice.” He also packed on the pounds for the upcoming thriller “Unhinged.” A source says that Crowe is dieting after being “embarrassed by those photos of him with his belly out.” The source also pointed out that Crowe “likes to eat. He eats a lot of steaks and junk food. (So) It’s tough for him to switch gears into a healthier lifestyle.”
-MSN
★ Former “Gilmore Girls” star Lauren Graham is returning to the small screen for the TV version of “The Mighty Ducks”. She’ll star in the series, which is based on the 1990s hockey film trilogy, alongside “Boardwalk Empire” actor Brady Noon, who will play her son. Shooting on the 10-episode Disney+ project will begin later this month in Vancouver, and the show will premiere later this year.
-Canoe
★ Ewan McGregor has been added to the cast of Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” movie. He’s joined the likes of Tilda Swinton and David Bradley in committing himself to Netflix’s stop-motion animated film, which is slated for release in 2021. It’s not yet known what role McGregor will play.
-ContactMusic
★ A “Stranger Things” inspired pop-up bar will be held in multiple cities around the UK. Patrons will be able to enter a real life ‘UpsideDown’ which is, funnily enough, called “The UpsideDown Bar”, and it will be set in an immersive 1980s experience, where ‘Hunters’ will have the opportunity to see movies, arcade games and DJs spinning 80s music. The Stranger Things pop-up will appear in cities including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool between August and October.
-LADBible

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Renée Zellweger, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Caroline Polachek (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Robert Downey Jr., Aidy Bryant, Little Big Town (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): John Mulaney (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Claire Danes, Zach Woods, Gov. Gavin Newsom, drummer Elijah Wood (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Justin Bieber, Billy Crystal, Ben Schwartz
• “Conan” (TBS): Kevin Nealon (R)
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Dwyane Wade, Michelle Buteau
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Isaac Wright Jr.
• “The Talk” (CBS): Piers Morgan, guest co-host NeNe Leakes
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): The winner of the Daytona 500, Anya Taylor-Joy, “Points Guy” Brian Kelly
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Harrison Ford
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Dan Levy, Stephanie Beatriz, Kimora Lee Simmons
• “We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest” (HBO): School students participate in a public speaking competition where they perform poetry and speeches, both published and original, inspired by the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Adele — shocked guests at her best friend’s wedding with a singing performance to round out the happy occasion. On Saturday, she not only officiated the nuptials of Laura Dockrill, a close friend since her school days, and Hugo White at a pub in London, she also gave what has been described as “a flawless performance” of ‘Rolling in the Deep’.
• Justin Bieber – has shaved off the “Mustachio” (as he refers to it) that he has been sporting since early this month. He posted video of the occasion on Instagram Stories and hilariously used Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Since U Been Gone’ and Ray Charles’ ‘Hit the Road Jack’ as the soundtrack.
• Elton John – has apologized after being forced to abandon a show in Aukland, New Zealand after being diagnosed with walking pneumonia. He was performing ‘Daniel’ when he lost his voice and began crying on stage. Footage shows him being escorted from the stage while fans give him a standing ovation.
• Ozzy Osbourne – His wife/manager Sharon has revealed plans to turn their love story into a movie. Sharon says the couple is working on it in their ”own quiet way” and “It’s totally different to what anybody would think.”
• Rick James — An anonymous accuser has filed suit claiming that James raped her in 1979, when she was 15 years old. She is seeking $50 million in damages from James’ estate. James, who died in 2004, was found guilty of kidnapping, raping and torturing two women on separate occasions in the 1990s, and narrowly avoided life in prison.
• Aretha Franklin – Jennifer Hudson, who is playing her in the upcoming biopic “Respect”, has announced that production has just wrapped, and she is “overwhelmed” with emotion from portraying the Queen of Soul. The movie opens on Oct. 9.
• Alanis Morissette – The stage production of “Jagged Little Pill” was interrupted in the middle of its second act at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York on Saturday. A patron allegedly used a can of pepper spray, causing the theater to be evacuated. No injuries were reported.
• Tears For Fears – In celebration of this spring’s 35th anniversary of their ten million-selling album “Songs From The Big Chair”, they will release a limited picture disc version of the album and will reissue of the much sought after super deluxe 4CD/2DVD boxset, which collectors sells for hundreds of dollars.
• George Strait — continues to set new records with his Las Vegas residency. His two shows on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 grossed $4.2 million and sold 31,556 tickets, lifting his career-total ticket sales past 10 million tickets sold, for a total of 10,031,222. The only other country music artist to achieve more than 10 million is Kenny Chesney.
• Hank Williams — The new vice president of the Grand Ole Opry says that he will not be reinstated. Hank Williams III started the “Reinstate Hank” movement in 2003 in an effort to get the Opry to recognize his grandfather, who was kicked out for drunkenness and missing rehearsals in 1952.

THIS WEEK’S NETFLIX (Canada) RELEASES:
➢ February 19:
• “Chef Show: Volume 3” (Netflix original):  Director Jon Favreau and actual chef Roy Choi go to picturesque locations to cook delicious meals and hang out with celebrities, including celebrity chefs like Wolfgang Puck and Sam Raimi.
• “Vikings”:  Season 3
➢ February 21:
• “Babies” (Netflix documentary):  Exploring the miracle of the first full year of life through the pioneering work of leading scientists from across the globe. The series examines the epic journey every person embarks on, from helpless new-born to independent toddler.
• “Glitch Techs” (Netflix Family):  An action-comedy set against a world of video game fantasies come to life. Two teenage gamers have the best after-school job ever – capturing escaped video game “glitches”!
(Full list: https://www.macleans.ca/culture/netflix-canada-in-february-2020-whats-new-this-month/ For releases in other Netflix regions, click here: https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/whats-new/ )

AGE OF HAPPINESS:
At what age are people happiest? According to neuroscientist David Levitin, happiness peaks at age 82. But don’t worry, we do have happiness spikes well before that. In his research, Levitin found that generally, we begin to become less happy in our 30s, before things pick up again beginning at age 54. In his new book: “The Changing Mind”, he says that younger adults often set “too high expectations” for happiness, but as we age, we “realize that life is pretty good.” In addition to a positive outlook, he says that other factors influencing happiness include exercising, trying new experiences, maintaining loving relationships and getting rid of toxic ones. Levitin says his discovery of a sharp boost in happiness beginning in our 50s “holds true across 72 countries from Albania to Zimbabwe.”
(I’ll be happiest at whatever age I’ll be on Friday at 5:00!)
(I’m not sure what age is happiest, but I’m never sad when someone gives me birthday cake!)
-YahooStyle

THE MILITARY MIGHT:
In an effort at increasing female enrollment, the Canadian army is considering redesigning uniforms to shorten skirts and referring to medals as “bling”. The proposals are being floated to increase female enlistment by 25% by 2026. A team formed to address the issue of female recruitment reported that “systemic barriers remain in place, making the military a less than desirable choice for the majority of young Canadian women.” The group said that the Canadian Armed Forces Dress Committee, which determines standards for military clothing, is primarily male, and that has resulted in uniforms for female soldiers that are “uncomfortable and difficult to move in.”
(If they make those skirts short enough, they might also notice a big uptick in MALE enrollment!)
(If they start calling medals ‘bling’, I think they’ll have no choice but to refer to rations as “swag”!)
(I’m pretty sure that’s probably the only “dress committee” in the world that’s mostly male!)
-Newsweek

PRODUCTS THAT WILL BECOME “SMART” THIS YEAR:
➢ Clothing:  Wearable tech such as Jacquard by Google weaves sensors into garments to give you the ability to change the song on your smartphone by swiping right on your sleeve, or using a backpack strap to trigger a camera to snap a photo. (Are those the best things they can come up with for “smart clothing”?)
➢ Cars: One expert says self-driving cars will be available to the consumer this year. Well, not entirely self-driving, but certain self-driving features will be more readily available, such as collision prevention and self-parking. (To me, the smartest car would be the one that chips its own ice off the windshield…)
➢ Chargers:  While wireless charging pads are already a thing, contactless charging will become standard soon. That means that devices will be able to be charged completely wirelessly across the room using invisible rays of light. (And your teens will have to find something else to always be losing!)
➢ Baby monitors:  Not just with a camera app, but also the capability to share data about how the baby sleeps, and info about health, development and growth. It can also alert parents when something problematic occurs.
➢ Lights: Yup, lights. A smart desk lamp reduces eye strain by tailoring the amount of light to your activity, age, location, and time of day. The app’s algorithm uses your phone’s time and date as well as GPS data to determine the right amount and type of light to use. It also has preset modes for activities such as relaxing (warmer light) and completing tasks (brighter, cooler light). (How did I ever doze off at my desk before?)
➢ Toilets:  Yes, some already come with seat warmers, bidets and drying functions. But the next generation will be able to analyze and detect certain health issues based on what you…uh…leave in them. And emit odor-neutralizing fragrances. (Challenge accepted!)
-ReadersDigest

DID YOU KNOW?
A construction worker in south India is being compared to Olympic gold medallist sprinter Usain Bolt after a record-breaking win in a buffalo race. 28-year-old Srinivas Gowda was competing in Kambala, a sport where people sprint 142m through paddy fields with buffalo. He covered the distance in 13.62 seconds. Bolt holds the world 100m record of 9.58 seconds.
-BBC

BS CHRONOMETER 2.18.20

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1947 [73] Dennis DeYoung, Chicago IL, rock-pop singer (ex-Styx-‘Babe’, Mr. Roboto’)

1950 [70] Cybill Shepherd, Memphis TN, TV actress (“Moonlighting” 1985-89), “Cybill” 1995-98)

1954 [66] John Travolta, Englewood NJ, movie actor (“Grease”, “Saturday Night Fever”, “Pulp Fiction”)

1957 [63] Vanna White (Rosich), North Myrtle Beach SC, TV “letter turner” (“Wheel of Fortune” since 1982)

1964 [56] Matt Dillon, New Rochelle NY, movie actor (“Crash”, “There’s Something About Mary”)

1965 [55] Dr Dre (Andre Young), Compton CA, rapper (NWA-‘Straight Outta Compton’)/producer (Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, etc.)/headphone mogul who sold ‘Beats by Dre’ to Apple (his net worth is now about $820 million)

1968 [52] Molly Ringwald, Roseville CA, movie actress (“The Breakfast Club”, “Sixteen Candles”, Pretty in Pink”)

1970 [50] Raine Maida, Toronto ON, rock singer-songwriter (Our Lady Peace-‘Innocent’)

1974 [46] Jillian Michaels, Los Angeles CA, TV show host (“The Biggest Loser” 2005-14)

1977 [43] Ike Barinholtz, Chicago IL, TV actor (“The Mindy Project” 2012-17)/movie actor (“Suicide Squad”)

1991 [29] Jeremy Allen White, New York, TV actor (‘Lip’ on “Shameless” since 2011)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Battery Day”, observed on the birth date of Count Alessandro Volta (1745-1827), the Italian physicist credited with developing the first electric cell in 1800. His vital invention is now used everywhere from smoke alarms to phones and comes in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and power capacities. (But is rarely included when you buy stuff…)
• “Drink Wine Day”, to embrace the positive benefits of wine — such as new friends, reduced risk of heart disease, and the enhancement of food and life.
• “Thumb Appreciation Day”, a day devoted to the digit that helps make us human … the opposable thumb. Of course, that means a few other animals can celebrate as well, including koalas, opossums, and pandas; as well as chimps, gorillas, and orangutans, which have opposable thumbs … on all 4 limbs. Wow, we’ve got thumb envy!
• “Crab-Stuffed Flounder Day”, this one-of-kind dish is composed of a stuffing made with crab meat, bread crumbs, butter, and seasonings, which is stuffed into the whole flounder or rolled up into the fillets and baked.

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Tug-of-War Day
[Wed] Lash Day
[Thurs] Clean Out Your Bookcase Day
[Thurs] Love Your Pet Day

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1929 [91] Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announces winners of the first “Academy Awards” (‘Best Picture’ honor goes to the William Wellman WWI drama “Wings”)

1990 [30] The fictional character ‘Hulk’ is killed off in NBC’s TV movie “Death of Incredible Hulk”.

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2012 [08] ‘Call Me Maybe’, the catchy pop song from Canadian Idol alumna Carly Rae Jepsen, goes viral via a YouTube lip dub video by Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. The attention helps send the single to #1.

TODAY IN SPORTS . . .
2001 [19] 7-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champ Dale Earnhardt dies in an accident during the Daytona 500

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1979 [41] Snow falls in the Sahara Desert of southern Algeria for the first recorded time

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Sunshine can work as a natural antidepressant.
✓ Pulling an ‘all-nighter’ will cause your body to burn about 135 extra calories.
✓ Eating spicy foods can boost your metabolism and cause your body to burn more fat.
✓ In Finland, drivers are required to learn basic car maintenance and pass two tests: one in summer conditions and one in winter conditions.
✓ It takes just six minutes for alcohol to affect your brain.
✓ A 2018 study found that two-thirds of millennials sleep nude.
-UberFacts

BS THINGS TO SAY TO THE PARENTS OF AN UGLY BABY:
• Aw…he looks just like you!
• Now THERE’S a baby!
• No thanks, I don’t wanna hold her!
• Isn’t she sweet!
• What a unique-looking baby!
• Bless his heart!
• I hope you kept the receipt.
• Those are some nice shoes!
-Twitter

Best of BS . . .
BS ALL-PURPOSE EXCUSES:
You know, I’d love to but …
• The guy on TV told me to say tuned.
• I’m teaching my ferret to yodel.
• I have to check the freshness dates on my dairy products.
• I changed the lock on my door and now I can’t get out.
• I’m sandblasting my oven.
• My patent is pending.
• I never go out on days that end in ‘Y’.
• I’m trying to be less popular.
• I have to study for a urine test.
• I’m trying to see how long I can go without saying ‘yes’.
– Edited from saviodsilva.net, first published in BS in 2010

BS WEB GOODIE:
Impressing the ladies:  https://tinyurl.com/vczfnml

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I learned two important lessons today. I can’t remember the first one, but the second one is I have to start writing things down.

BS PHONE STARTER:
What is something new that you’ve learned in the past week?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:   48% of women purchase THIS when they are feeling down. What is it?
Answer:  Makeup

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
You can’t change the people around you, but you CAN change the people around you.