Monday, January 3, 2022 – Edition: #7137
The Bull is Back!
BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
Happy New Year! All Bull Sheet subscribers have received account credits for non-service days over the holiday season. We are all set for another great year of BS!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Following the death of Betty White Friday, her planned one-night-only 100th birthday special at movie theaters will still take place on January 17th, which would have been the beloved “Golden Girls” actress’ 100th birthday. Originally titled “Betty White: 100 Years Young”, the screening is now billed “Betty White: A Celebration”. In addition to a retrospective of her 8-decade career and tributes from celebrity friends and co-stars, Betty White: A Celebration also features the actress’ final interview.
-Yahoo
★ “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is on the path to becoming one of the Top 10 highest-grossing films in U.S. box office history. With no new releases on New Year’s weekend, the Christmas weekend box office trends continued to play out, with the latest Marvel film becoming its highest-grossing release ever, exceeding $600 million domestically. Globally, the film passed $1.3 billion, putting it in the top 15 all-time. In the coming days, it is set to pass the worldwide totals of “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
-TheWrap
★ “Jeopardy!” contestant Amy Schneider has broken the show’s record for the longest winning streak by a female player. The engineering manager earned her 21st consecutive win on Wednesday, surpassing Julia Collins’s record of 20, set in 2014. On Thursday, Schneider extended her run to 22. She admitted that instead of concentrating on the answers during the game, she was mainly thinking about whether she would beat Collins’s record. She now sits fourth overall behind Ken Jennings (74 wins), Matt Amodio (38) and James Holzhauer (32).
-Yahoo
★ Nicolas Cage knows it sounds “pretentious”, but he wants to be referred to as a “thespian.” The Oscar winner, known for his performances in “Leaving Las Vegas” and “Face/Off,” said that he’s not a fan of being called an “actor.” In a podcast interview, Cage said: “For me it always implies, ‘Oh, he’s a great actor, therefore he’s a great liar.” He says the word “thespian” works better for him “because thespian means you’re going into your heart, or you’re going into your imagination, or your memories or your dreams, and you’re bringing something back to communicate with the audience.” He currently stars in the film “Pig”. (Having seen “Deadfall”, I can only agree. He should NEVER be called an “actor”!)
-CNN
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Anthony Anderson, Adam Devine, Carly Pearce
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Utkarsh Ambudkar
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, David Byrne, Gustavo Di Dalva
• ” The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Sophia Bush, Aaron Sorkin, Japanese Breakfast
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Rayna Lindsey, Michelle Collins
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Ralph Macchio
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Ralph Macchio, Clayton Echard, Alejandra Costello
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): RuPaul, José Andrés, Jim & Sasha Allen
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Daniel Ranieri, Christina Perri
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil, Nate Burlesson (R)
• “The Bachelor” (ABC): Season 26 premiere
• “Kenan” (NBC): Season 2 premiere
• “That’s My Jam” (NBC): Celebrity guests Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Chance the Rapper, Alessia Cara and Josh Groban compete in a series of music, dance and trivia-based games and musical performances.
• “9-1-1: Lone Star” (FOX): Season 3 premiere
• The Cleaning Lady” (FOX): Series premiere. A doctor brings her ailing son to the US for medical treatment. When the system fails her, she is forced into hiding and becomes a cleaning lady for the mob.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Adele — is about to become the owner of Sylvester Stallone’s awesome estate in an exclusive gated Beverly Hills community. Reports say she has agreed to a $58 million price – which sounds like a lot, but Sly originally listed the 6 bedroom home featuring a gym, sauna, steam, infinity pool, art studio, and 2-story guest house for $110 mil. He calls it “The house that Rocky built.”
• Kanye West — raised eyebrows by announcing a surprise New Year’s Eve show in Miami. That just so happens to be the same town where Kim Kardashian’s new man, Pete Davidson, was hosting a TV special with Miley Cyrus. Ye made the announcement just hours before the private event took place.
• Disturbed – bassist David Draiman is among the rockers who perhaps surprisingly reacted on social media to the passing of Betty White, who died Friday weeks shy of her 100th birthday. He tweeted: “Everyone’s favorite golden girl will always stay golden in our hearts.” The Offspring guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman and Anthrax bassist Frank Bello also paid tribute.
• Foo Fighters – have released a pro-shot multi-camera recording of their summer concert at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Highlights include covers of the Bee Gees’ ‘You Should Be Dancing’, Queen’s ‘Somebody to Love’ and Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ – featuring Dave Chappelle on vocals. It is streaming on YouTube now for a limited time. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mtmk3yna
• Elton John – His frequent lyricist Bernie Taupin was among the music industry professionals recognized in the 2022 New Year Honours List, the annual U.K. tradition that bestows titles in the name of Queen Elizabeth II. Taupin received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Spice Girl Mel B received an MBE, making her a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
• Kane Brown — is officially a father of 2. He and his wife Katelyn welcomed their second child, daughter Kodi Jane Brown, on Dec. 30 in Nashville. The couple married in October 2018 and welcomed their first child, daughter Kingsley Rose, a year later.
• Sam Hunt, Zac Brown Band and Elle King – were all forced out of performing as part of CBS’ “New Year’s Eve: Nashville’s Big Bash”. Brown revealed on social media that he had tested positive for COVID-19 again, after battling the virus in Sept. Organizers said King and Hunt would not perform “due to unspecified COVID -19 protocols.” Lady A filled in for Hunt.
• Cassandra Peterson — wants Dolly Parton to play her in a movie. The 70-year-old, who is best known for playing ‘Elvira: Mistress of the Dark’, says a movie of her life is in the works, and Dolly would be perfect for the role, because she has “the right physical attributes.”
SHOOTING THE BULL
NOT-SO GREAT GOOGLY-MOOGLY:
Unbelievably, Google is no longer the most-visited website in the world. According to Cloudflare Radar’s popularity ranking, in late 2021, the search engine was officially been knocked off the top spot. The new champ is none other than video-sharing app TikTok. It first emerged as the most popular website on Feb. 17, but that only lasted for one day. It again rose to #1 in March and it stayed on top for a few more days. The same happened in May, and after Aug. 10, TikTok was the most popular domain most days – also passing fellow social media platforms such as Facebook. Cloudflare puts the top-10 websites in popularity for 2021 in this order, following TikTok, Google and Facebook: Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, YouTube, Netflix, WhatsApp and Instagram.
(It’s also definitely the #1 site for wasting time!)
(If my wife had anything to do with it, #1 would be Amazon all the way!)
-LADBible
THE PLAIN TOOTH:
Even with regular visits to the dentist, children from richer families are more likely to experience tooth decay, according to the first meta-analysis of its kind. The systematic review of 65 studies conducted in 30 countries suggests the corrosive effects of soda, juices, and energy drinks have eaten away at some of the privileges provided by wealth and education. Among adolescents who attend private school and whose parents have higher levels of education and income, tooth wear was discovered to be significantly worse. Dental researcher Khaled Ahmed of Griffith University in Australia says although this might sound counter-intuitive since teens from affluent families are more likely to have access to regular dental care, the truth is, “Fizzy drinks, energy drinks and packaged juices are in many countries available to the affluent” and these people “may be more frequently exposed” to sugar-based drinks and foods.
(And wouldn’t you know it, my kids are always trying to give the impression that they’re from a rich family…)
(Poor kids have nicer teeth because the rich kids with bad teeth went to the dentist, and became poor kids with nice teeth!!)
-ScienceAlert
NEW GOOD NEWS (feel-good stories of 2021):
➢ After hearing of a possible break-in, a co-owner of Savvy Barbershop in Montreal decided to check security footage, and discovered that the broken glass at his business occurred after a couple fell through while kissing. The shop’s owners said they’re willing to pay for a night’s stay in a hotel for the couple if they came forward and identified themselves. The shards of glass have since been framed inside the shop. Mike Rose says, however, that he thinks “there’s something romantic about never finding out who it is: “They just stay this mystery couple that’ll be part of our history forever. It’s kind of fun.” (Tell that to the dude with a ripped jacket and a girlfriend who’s mad at him for getting so drunk that night!)
➢ A Winnipeg, MB man has racked up millions of TikTok views by posting videos of him simply smiling for the camera. Borzah Yankey challenges anyone watching his videos to “try not to smile.” He says he receives messages from people all the time telling him their child couldn’t get through without smiling. He says he wants to spread his smile to cheer up others during the pandemic. His handle? @white.smile (As opposed to [***co-host***], who uses his TikTok account to make people STOP smiling…) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5ch4h3na
-CTV
WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND THESE:
Michigan’s Lake Superior State University has released its 2022 “List of Words Banished From the Queen’s English for Misuse, Overuse & General Uselessness”. Here is this year’s crop — and why they are no longer to be used, effective immediately…
✗ Wait, what? Usually found in text or on social media, this “response to a statement to express astonishment, misunderstanding, or disbelief” is banished for misuse and overuse. (I can guess your reaction. Spare me!)
✗ No worries: Also banished for misuse and overuse, this phrase incorrectly substitutes for “You’re welcome” when someone says “Thank you.” (Because it’s so hard to say “You’re welcome”?)
✗ At the end of the day: Although originally banished in 1999, it persists as an example of an overused synopsis of a conversation or debate, often by politicians and pundits. (But hey, it is what it is…)
✗ That being said: It has been referred to as verbal filler, redundant justification, and pompous posturing. You could simply say “however” or “but” —even “that said”. (So, at the end of the day, if you want to say “that being said” you should stop and think: “Wait, what?”)
✗ Asking for a friend: Banished for misuse and overuse through deceit—because the ‘friend’ is phoney. This cutesy phrase, often used in an attempt at deterring self-identification, isn’t fooling anyone. (It’s a joke, people!)
✗ Circle back: One of the most overused phrases in business, government and other organizations since “synergy”, which was banished in 2002. (So, going forward, no more ‘circling back’?)
✗ Deep dive: The only time to dive into something is when entering a body of water, not going more in-depth into a subject or book. (And wouldn’t ‘dive’ be sufficient? Who dives into something shallow?)
✗ New normal: Overused catch-all for the ways COVID-19 affects humankind. (It’s been 2 years. Is any of this new anymore?)
✗ You’re on mute: With virtual meetings becoming the norm, this unwitting deafening silence happens on both sides of the camera. Banished for overuse and uselessness. (“Hello? Hello?”)
✗ Supply chain: It has become a buzzword, and a scapegoat of everything that doesn’t happen or arrive on time. Banished for overuse. (There are no supply chain issues for overused and irritating words. What would you like to add to the list?)
-LSSU
DID YOU KNOW?
One of the world’s most famous clocks returned to service in time to ring in the new year. Big Ben last bonged regularly on August 21, 2017, before the Cumbria Clock Company took on the task of cleaning the clock’s face, chiming mechanism and approximately 1,000 parts over the past 4 years. Big Ben– which is inside Elizabeth Tower in London’s Houses of Parliament — has been keeping time in the UK capital since 1859. This is the biggest repair project in its history, coming with a price tag of £79.7 million (about $107 million). The clock weighs about 5 tons and is 7 feet, 2 inches tall.
-CNN
BS CHRONOMETER 01.03.22
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “J.R.R. Tolkien Day” (***Pron: Toll-KEEN***), recognizing the birth date of the author of “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit”. The Tolkien Society asks fans to honor his 1892 birth with a toast.
• “Thank God It’s Monday Day”, celebrating all the great things that happen on Mondays — like new jobs; new promotions; new week; new resolutions; and all those other things that give you reason to celebrate. (I’m celebrating the fact that after Mondays, the week usually doesn’t get worse!)
• “Weigh-In Day”, when many plan to kick off their resolution to lose weight on the first day back at work in the New Year.
• “Chocolate Covered Cherry Day”, celebrating the traditional dessert. Variations include cherry cordials with liquid fillings, often including cherry liqueur, chocolate-covered candied cherries and chocolate-covered dried cherries. (Go ahead…wasn’t one of your resolutions to eat more fruit??)
• “Drinking Straw Day”, celebrating its invention on this date in 1888. Drinking straws were hand-rolled until 1905. (How on earth were kids able to enjoy juice in their minivans before the invention of the straw?)
• “Festival of Sleep Day”, as declared by some anonymous walking zombie somewhere. Thanks to a combination of late hours, alcohol, rich foods, exposure to unfamiliar surroundings, and artificial light deep into the night over the holiday season, experts say most of us build up ‘sleep debt’, a condition which can affect how well we sleep for weeks afterward.
• “Humiliation Day” No, it is NOT a day to humiliate someone! Today, we recognize the negative effects that humiliation can have on people or groups of people (Or dogs forced to wear onesies…)
COMING UP . . .
[Tues] Trivia Day
[Tues] Spaghetti Day
[Wed] Bird Day
[Wed] Whipped Cream Day
This Week Is…Diet Resolution Week
This Month Is…Bath Safety Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1945 [77] Stephen Stills, Dallas TX, folk-rock singer/guitarist (Crosby, Stills & Nash-‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’, Buffalo Springfield-‘For What It’s Worth’)
1946 [76] John Paul Jones, Kent England, bassist/multi-instrumentalist/producer (Led Zeppelin – ‘Stairway to Heaven’, ‘Whole Lotta Love’)
1950 [72] Victoria Principal, Fukuoka Japan, TV actress (“Dallas” 1978-1991, “Titans” 2000-2001)
1956 [66] Mel Gibson, Peekskill NY, movie producer/director (“Braveheart”, “The Passion of the Christ”)/movie actor (“Lethal Weapon” series, “Mad Max” series) COMING UP…”Agent Game”, 2022
1969 [53] Michael Schumacher, Hürth West Germany, retired Formula One driver (7-time F1 champion who continues to receive private rehab after a 2013 traumatic brain injury suffered in a skiing accident)
1975 [47] Thomas Bangalter, Paris France, electronica musician (Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams-‘Get Lucky’, The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk-‘Starboy’)
1975 [47] Danica McKeller, San Diego CA, TV actress (“The Wonder Years” 1988-1993, “Inspector Mom” 2006-2007)
1981 [41] Eli Manning, New Orleans LA, retired NFL quarterback (2X Super Bowl Champ and MVP-NY Giants)/brother of retired QB Peyton Manning/son of NFL veteran Archie Manning
1996 [26] Florence Pugh, Oxford England, movie actress (“Midsommar”, “Little Women”
2003 [19] Greta Thunberg (***Pron: GRAY-tah TOON-bairyeh***), Stockholm Sweden, environmental activist (gained prominence for her work to halt climate change and global warming)/Time’s Person of the Year, 2019
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2013 [09] Actor Gerard Depardieu is granted citizenship by Russian president Vladimir Putin after he renounces his French citizenship due to the country’s high taxes
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1987 [35] The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducts its first female artist, Aretha Franklin. Also among those inducted: Roy Orbison, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and Carl Perkins
2002 [20] Liam & Noel Gallagher of Oasis top a poll on the celebrities that people would least like to live next to, with 40% of the vote
2004 [18] Britney Spears weds hometown pal Jason Alexander at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, and 55 hours later, has the union annulled
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1977 [45] Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs incorporate Apple Computer, Inc
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1992 [30] Bernard Moeller of Pennsylvania gets his 14,000th tattoo, leading to a Guinness record as the ‘Person with the Most Individual Tattoo Designs’
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ More couples separate or divorce in January than any other month of the year.
✓ Adult cats only meow at humans, not other cats.
✓ If a Polar Bear and a Grizzly Bear mate, their offspring is called a “Pizzy Bear”.
✓ During the entire run of the “Gilligan’s Island” TV show, it was never revealed if “Gilligan” was his first or last name.
✓ During your lifetime, you’ll eat about 60,000 pounds of food. That’s the weight of about 6 elephants.
✓ Attics were invented in Attica.
-RandomFactGenerator, TheFactSite
Best of BS . . .
BS REALISTIC NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS:
• Exercise regularly . . . for the first two weeks of January
• Wake up by noon every day
• Get out of the house at least twice
• Gain 20 pounds
• Make time to work on my procrastination
• Not to be that guy who says his New Year’s resolution is “not to make any New Year’s resolutions”
• Drink more wine
• Think about going to the gym 3-5 times per week
• Never leave a package of cookies unfinished
• Quit smoking at least 5 times
• Not to change a thing. Because whenever someone dies, people always say “Oh man, and just when he was starting to get his life together…”
• Be more realistic
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ WalletHub has ranked the worst credit card companies, and once again MasterCard tops the list. (When reached for a comment, a rep called the survey “ridiculous,” then placed us on hold for 6 hours so they could add on some hidden surcharges, while performing 10 unannounced credit checks.)
➠ The town of Elgin, South Carolina was shaken by a series of 5 earthquakes last week. (State officials estimate it caused $250,000 in improvements.)
➠ New data shows that teen marijuana use has dipped in Colorado since legalization. (Mainly because even pot seems lame once your mom and her friends get into it…)
➠ According to a report, over half of men and women between the ages of 18 and 24 have not had sex in the past year. (So, while college may not prepare you for a career, it can be great preparation for married life!)
➠ Fact of the Day: If you give a bee two tablespoons of honey, it’ll have enough energy/fuel to fly around the world. (But, if you give it the same amount of weed, it’ll lay on the couch for weeks watching the Discovery Channel…)
BS U-PICK TRIVIA (GOOD things that happened in 2021 edition):
• A new Mars rover landed on the red planet this year and has been making all sorts of fascinating discoveries, including evidence of an ancient lava flow. What is the name of the beloved contraption?
a) Endurance
b) Perseverance [CORRECT]
c) Venture
d) Rover
• Which billionaire donated $2.74 billion in June to organizations that focus on the arts and combating racial discrimination?
a) Bill Gates
b) Elon Musk
c) MacKenzie Scott [CORRECT]
d) Montgomery Burns
• This beloved music icon had quite a year in the spotlight advocating for vaccine access and social justice issues, and even had to discourage plans for a statue honoring them to be erected in the capital of their home state. Who is it?
a) Tim McGraw
b) Willie Nelson
c) Dolly Parton [CORRECT]
d) Kid Rock
-CNN
BS WEB GOODIE:
What gives you the impression that I’m not excited about 2022: https://tinyurl.com/whk8vncp
BS RANDOM JOKE:
An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.
BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s one thing you’re excited about that’s coming up in 2022?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: This occurs more often in the first week of the New Year than at any other time. What is it?
Answer: Firings/layoffs
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.
