Friday, January 7, 2022 — Edition: #7141

Can You Believe This Sheet?

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Chris Noth has been removed from the upcoming finale of HBO Max’s “Sex and the City” sequel series “And Just Like That,” following sexual assault claims by several women. The series will stream its final episode of the season on Feb. 3. Noth’s character, ‘Mr. Big’, was killed off in the first episode after he suffered a heart attack while riding a Peloton. He was reportedly set to appear in the finale during a fantasy sequence where Sarah Jessica Parker’s ‘Carrie’ reunites with Big while scattering his ashes. But according to reports, the creative team behind the show that the footage of Noth intended for the season finale was not narratively significant enough to justify saving it from the cutting room floor. Following the allegations, which Noth denies, CBS also dropped him from his starring role on the crime series “The Equalizer.”
-Variety
The 64th annual Grammy Awards, scheduled for Jan. 31 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, have been officially postponed due to the omicron variant. A joint statement from the Recording Academy and CBS says: “Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31st simply contains too many risks. We look forward to celebrating Music’s Biggest Night on a future date, which will be announced soon.” Last year, the 63rd annual Grammy Awards were also postponed due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, and were eventually held on March 14.
-BlabberMouth
★ Hulu’s upcoming 8-part series “Pam & Tommy” tells the true story of how Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, early in their relationship, made a sex tape that no one was ever meant to see. In a new trailer, stars Lily James and Sebastian Stan are seen celebrating their newfound romance — until the release of the tape sends them down a darker path. Seth Rogen plays ‘Rand Gauthier’, the electrician who grabbed the tape, while Nick Offerman stars as the porn producer whom Gauthier partners with to profit off the video. The series launches Feb. 2. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2p9cv3uk
-Yahoo
★ Everyone’s favorite couch potatoes are back, and they look a little worse for wear. With a new “Beavis and Butt-Head” movie on the way later this year, creator Mike Judge teased the film Tuesday, sharing sketches of the updated, now-middle-aged cartoon characters. Judge promised a “brand new movie and more,” but joked that the characters “need some time to get back in shape.” The movie will be the second in the series, after 1996’s “Beavis and Butt-Head Do America”. LINK:  https://tinyurl.com/4pnkwvs6
-MSN

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Tom Hanks, June Diane Raphael (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Karamo Brown, Bobby Berk, Jonathan Van Ness, JB Smoove, Matthew Broussard
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Jennifer Lawrence, Dianne Wiest
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Karamo Brown, Bobby Berk, Jonathan Van Ness
• “The Talk” (CBS): Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Frank Olivieri, Chris Pacelli
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Brandy, Ana Gasteyer, Farnoosh Torabi
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Nicole Byer, guest host Stephen “tWitch” Boss
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Ciara Renée, Mayim Bialik, Meagan Good, Jay Leno, Cody Johnson
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Marie Osmond
• “Undercover Boss” (CBS): Season 11
• “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1): Season 14 premiere

SATURDAY-
• “BTK: Confession of a Serial Killer” (A&E): Dennis Rader seems like a regular guy, but what lies beneath is a sinister fantasy life he enacts under the guise of his alter ego, BTK, while terrorizing Wichita KS.
• “The Wedding Veil” (HALLMARK): After discovering a long-lost painting, museum curator Avery and new board member Peter investigate the artwork’s origins as they plan to unveil it at a gala.
• “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” (HBO): The world’s most lethal odd couple — bodyguard Michael Bryce and hit man Darius Kincaid — are in over their heads when a madman’s sinister plot threatens to leave Europe in total chaos.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Host Jonathan Majors, with musical guest Taylor Swift

SUNDAY-
• “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” (ABC): Celeb contestants Marcia Cross, Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Anderson.
• “Call Me Kat” (FOX): Season 2 premiere
• “Pivoting” (FOX): Series premiere. Three women make a series of life-changing decisions following the death of a childhood friend.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Adele — is on an incredible chart run, but The Weeknd’s new release might be the one to stop it. “30” has topped the Billboard 200 chart for 6 consecutive weeks. The Weeknd’s “Dawn FM” drops today, and features collaborations with Jim Carrey, Quincy Jones, Lil Wayne and Tyler, the Creator.
• Billie Eilish – will co-headline this year’s Coachella, according to a source. Swedish House Mafia is also scheduled to headline the festival this April in Indio, CA, with a third act yet to be announced.
• Ed Sheeran — is on track for a third non-consecutive week at #1 in the U.K. with “=”. All 5 of his studio albums have hit the top of that chart, which no other artist has accomplished.
• Aaliyah – Her posthumous album, the star-studded “Unstoppable” will be released later this month. The song ‘Poison,’ featuring The Weeknd, is already out.
• Hedley – Frontman Jacob Hoggard has once again seen his sexual assault trial postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. He was initially set to stand trial last Jan., but it has been pushed back twice since then. He was charged in 2018 in alleged incidents involving a woman and a teenager.
• Van Halen — in the new book “Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today”, Eddie Van Halen’s ex-wife, actress Valerie Bertinelli, says he was surrounded by loved ones – including their son Wolfgang, Van Halen’s wife Janie and his brother Alex – in the last days of his cancer battle. Quote: “‘I love you’ are the last words Ed says to Wolfie and me, and they are the last words we say to him.”
• The Beatles – Their last-ever concert, on the rooftop of Apple Corps’ headquarters on Jan. 30, 1969, will debut as a 60-minute feature on January 30. Select IMAX theaters will host screenings with a Q&A with director Peter Jackson. “The Beatles: Get Back–The Rooftop Concert,” will then run in theaters Feb. 11-13.
• Carrie Underwood — One of the biggest surprises of “Cobra Kai” Season 4 is her cameo. She performed ‘Moment of Truth’ during the All Valley Karate Tournament in Episode 9. Underwood says she’s been a fan of the story since 1984’s “The Karate Kid”, and “can’t believe I actually get to be a small part of the legacy that is The Karate Kid.”
• Keith Urban — enlisted the help of some unsuspecting fans to create the setlist for his upcoming tour. He posted a video Tuesday of him calling fans, and wrote: “working on the setlist for tour and decided to call a few friends for suggestions.” He also asked fans to come up with their own idea and post them in the comments. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mr3j3an6
• Luke Combs – Gave a pretty awesome end-of-tour gift to supporting act Ashley McBryde. She posted video on TikTok of her walking into a room backstage at T-Mobile Arena and is stunned to find not only Combs, but also a custom-made bar cart displaying her logo, framed by LED lights. In the caption, she says that her tearful reaction was “fully on-brand”. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yextwn9t

SHOOTING THE BULL

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “The 335” (PG-13, Action/Mystery): When a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, a wild card CIA agent joins forces with international agents on a mission to retrieve it, while staying a step ahead of a mysterious woman who’s tracking their every move. (Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Diane Kruger, Penélope Cruz)
• “See for Me” (Mystery/Thriller –limited): When blind former skier Sophie cat-sits in a secluded mansion, 3 thieves invade for the hidden safe. Army veteran Kelly helps Sophie defend. (Skyler Davenport, Kim Coates)

WHAT TO EAT, AND WHAT NOT TO EAT:
⇒ It’s a winning streak that just won’t quit. For the fifth year in a row, the Mediterranean diet has been named #1 in US News and World Report’s ranking of best diets. Each year, a number of diets are ranked on balance, maintainability, palatability, family-friendliness, sustainability and healthfulness. And once again, the Mediterranean diet, emphasizing simple, plant-based cooking, has checked the most boxes. Meals from the sunny Mediterranean have long been linked to stronger bones, a healthier heart, a lower risk of many diseases and longer life. Coming in a close second, in a tie: The DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and emphasizes reducing salt intake; and the Flexitarian diet, which encourages being a vegetarian most of the time — but is flexible enough to allow a burger once in a while. (What diet came in last? My teenager’s?)
⇒ KFC is joining the fast-food trend of brining meatless options to menus. On Monday, the chain will add Beyond Meat’s plant-based chicken to menus around the US. Beyond Meat and KFC worked together to create “Beyond Fried Chicken”, a chicken meat substitute that apparently tastes like whole muscle chicken instead of ground-up nuggets. Beyond Fried Chicken was introduced at Atlanta restaurants in 2019, and has been tested in other regions since. It will be available for a “limited time”. Notably, KFC is not marketing the product to vegans or vegetarians directly, since it will be made with the same equipment used for KFC’s regular fried chicken. (Hey! ‘Meatless Chicken’ was my nickname in high-school!)
-CNN, PopCulture

NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢ A cat was reunited with its family after being accidentally donated to a thrift store. Denver Animal Protection said personnel responded to the Arc Thrift Store when employees discovered a cat hiding inside a recliner chair that had been donated earlier in the day. Animal workers were able to extract the kitty from the chair. Meanwhile, the family that donated the chair had discovered their cat was missing and returned to the store to see if it might have stowed away with the seat. The store directed the family to Denver Animal Protection. The cat, named Montequlla, was not injured and was reunited with her family. (Is this why my wife keeps trying to get rid of MY favorite La-Z-Boy?)
➢ A team of scientists have taught goldfish to drive – on land. The researchers, working out of a university in Israel, built a “Fish Operated Vehicle” and taught 6 goldfish to “control a vehicle and use simple navigation strategies to successfully perform a task.” Their “FOV” for short, consists of a plexiglass water tank outfitted with 4 motorized wheels plus a camera to track the fishes’ movement, a computer, and technology to detect the FOV’s location. After becoming accustomed to their new ride, the fish individually learned to navigate towards a pink target in a 3X4 meter room, which would earn them a food pellet reward. The scientists say: “The fish became progressively more proficient on the task and by the last session exhibited control of the FOV and a high level of success.” The FOV travels at speeds of just over 1.5 km/h. (I wish I could say the same for the new driver in MY house…)
-UPI, CTV

DID YOU KNOW?
People who are obsessed with Hollywood gossip and A-list celebs just aren’t that bright, according to new Hungarian research. The study, published in BMC Psychology, concludes that “there is a direct association between celebrity worship and poorer performance on cognitive tests” measuring both literacy and numeracy. The researchers were unable to determine whether celebrity obsessives perform poorly on cognitive tests because they used their brainpower thinking about A-listers, or whether they were fixated on Hollywood gossip because they were already less intelligent to begin with. (It should be noted that I found this story on a website whose writers are obsessed with celeb gossip…)
-NYPost

BS CHRONOMETER 01.07.22

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Bobblehead Day”, an annual celebration of the dumb dolls with wobbly noggins that are often handed out as giveaways at sports events. (Then collect dust on a shelf for decades.)
• “I’m Not Going to Take It Anymore Day”, a day to stand up for your rights. (You can also show up late to work, but don’t say I told you it’s OK…)
• “International Programmers Day”, honoring the mythical creatures who somehow solve all the problems of we lesser mortals without having to move from their desks. (And they know that programming is like sex: One mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life!)
• “Orthodox Christmas” in many countries worldwide. Why? Both Eastern Orthodox Churches and Oriental Orthodox Churches still use the old Julian calendar.
• “Tempura Day”, celebrating the Japanese cooking tradition of dipping seafood or vegetables in a thin batter of flour and water, then frying them in oil. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/bfsagap
• “Harlem Globetrotter’s Day”, on the anniversary of the gag-team’s first game, in 1927 in Hinckley IL. At one point, they were so famous that they had their own cartoons, TV show, movies, and made appearances on “Scooby Doo” and “Gilligan’s Island”. (FUN FACT: Of the 10 honorary Harlem Globetrotters, two are Popes [Francis and John Paul II], and one is Whoopi Goldberg.

SATURDAY-
• “Bubble Bath Day”, a day to take the time to luxuriate in a super-foamy tubful of bubbles.
• “English Toffee Day”, celebrating the ooey-gooey treat that rips the fillings right out of your teeth.
• “Show & Tell Day at Work”, when adults can partake in the kindergarten ritual with co-workers. (***A good day to have your crew each bring in something that makes a unique sound***)
• “Argyle Day”, celebrating the pattern derived from the tartan of Clan Campbell, of Argyll in Scotland. The pattern has been used for kilts, plaids and the patterned socks (known as a tartan hose) worn by Scottish Highlanders since at least the 17th century. So, wear your argyle-patterned clothing today!
• “Joygerm Day”, to remind us that by being positive and treating people with kindness, we can influence those around us and pass that positive attitude on. (And when have you ever heard the words “joy” and “germ” used together before?)
• “Winter Skin Relief Day”, to remind us that our skin is susceptible to dryness and cracking due to the severe weather winter can bring. After bathing, pat your skin dry with a soft towel (rubbing can cause more irritation and inflammation). And with the door closed to keep the humidity in, add moisturizer.

SUNDAY-
• “Apricot Day”, saluting the fruit that inspired the name of a color. The word ‘apricot’ means “precious” in Latin. The apricot tree emerged in China more than 4,000 years ago.
• “International Choreographers Day”, observed on the birth date of George Balanchine, one of the world’s greatest choreographers, born in 1904 in St Petersburg, Russia. Altogether everybody: five, six, seven, eight ….”
• “Play God Day”. So, what would you do if you were the Big Guy/Big Gal for a day?
• “Static Electricity Day”. I guess you can count on this being a bad-hair day…
• “Word Nerd Day”. Word nerd fact, according to the Oxford Dictionary: “bookkeeper” is the only word in the English language 3 consecutive repeated letters (and no hyphens).

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1948 [74] Kenny Loggins, Everett WA, pop/rock singer (‘Danger Zone’, ‘Footloose’, Loggins & Messina-‘Your Mama Don’t Dance’

1957 [65] Katie Couric, Arlington VA, TV show host (“Today” 1991-2006, “CBS Evening News” 2006-11, “60 Minutes” 2006-11, “Katie” 2012-14, Global Anchor of “Yahoo! News” 2014-17)

1964 [58] Nicolas Cage [Coppola], Long Beach CA, movie actor (“National Treasure” films, “Leaving Las Vegas”)/nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola

1971 [51] Jeremy Renner, Modesto CA, movie actor (“The Bourne Legacy”, “The Hurt Locker”, “Avengers” films)

1974 [48] John Rich, Amarillo TX, country singer (Big & Rich-‘Save a Horse [Ride a Cowboy]’, ex-Lonestar-‘Amazed’)

1982 [40] Lauren Cohen, Philadelphia PA, TV actress (‘Maggie Greene’ on “The Walking Dead” since 2011, “The Vampire Diaries” 2010-12)

1983 [39] Brett Dalton, San Jose CA, TV actor (‘Grant Ward’ on “Marvel’s Agents of Shield” 2013-18)

1985 [37] Lewis Hamilton, Stevenage UK, race car driver (2008, 2014, 2015 Formula One World Champion)/first Brit driver to win consecutive F1 titles

2000 [22] Marcus Scribner, LA CA, TV actor (‘Andre Johnson Jr.’ on “black-ish” since 2014)

SATURDAY-Robby Krieger (The Doors) is 76; Mike Reno (Loverboy) is 67; R Kelly (‘I Believe I Can Fly’) is 55; Josh Meyers (“That 70’s Show”) is 46; Sarah Polley (“Away From Her”) is 43; Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un is 39 [or40…]; Noah Cyrus (‘Make Me [Cry]’) is 22

SUNDAY- Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) is 78; J.K. Simmons (“Spider-Man”) is 67; Dave Matthews (Dave Matthews Band) is 55; Sean Paul (‘Get Busy’) is 49; A.J. McLean (Backstreet Boys) is 44; Kate Middleton (Duchess of Cambridge) is 40; Nina Dobrev (“The Vampire Diaries”) is 33

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2006 [16] Pink marries her motocross racer-boyfriend Carey Hart on a beach in Costa Rica

2012 [10] Lady Antebellum singer Hillary Scott weds drummer Chris Tyrrell near Albany, New York

2020 [02] Rascal Flatts announce they are breaking up following a farewell tour slated for June. They don’t get the chance, as the tour is cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 [02] Rush drummer/lyricist Neil Peart dies of brain cancer at 67

TODAY IN TECH . . .
2021 [01] Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla, becomes the world’s richest man, worth $186 billion, overtaking Amazon founder Jeff Bezos

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
2009 [13] US president George W Bush invites president-elect Barack Obama and former chief execs Bill Clinton, George HW Bush, and Jimmy Carter for a 5-president luncheon at the White House (the first of gathering of its kind in 27 years)

2018 [04] It snows in the Sahara Desert – 15 inches reported in Aïn Séfra, Northwest Algeria

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ M&Ms were created in 1941 as a means for soldiers to enjoy chocolate without it melting.
✓ The technology behind smartphones relies on up to 250,000 separate patents.
✓ People develop first impressions of you in a tenth of a second.
✓ Scientists finally concluded that the chicken came first, not the egg, because the protein which makes egg shells is only produced by hens.
✓ The average number of readers of any given published scientific paper is said to be 0.6.
✓ Farmers in England are required by law to provide their pigs with toys.
-FactSlides, BathroomReadersInstitute

Best of BS . . .
BS MOTTOS FOR PROCRASTINATORS:
• Just Do It…tomorrow.
• Why do today what you could have done yesterday?
• It’s called a ‘due date’ because that’s the day you do it.
• I’m no hater for later.
• Happy belated birthday!
• Procrastination is great! You always have something to do tomorrow and nothing to do today!
• It’s called “Time Waste Management.”
• Some days, I don’t even get around to procrastinating.
• Seize tomorrow!
• Motto? Good idea. We should get on that.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2020

TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ According to a study, about 1 in 3 Americans have already begun their 2022 Christmas shopping. (The other 2 outta 3 are men!)
➠ Paul McCartney says he drank excessively after The Beatles split. (Finally . . . an explanation for ‘Ebony and Ivory’.)
➠ Miley Cyrus once said she was underpaid on “Hannah Montana”. (And I believe her. I mean, to this day, she can’t even afford to clothe herself!)
➠ Americans now spend an average of $2,600 per year on Cable TV. (And even though that seems like a lot, think about how much we save by not wasting money on worthless crap like health food and gym memberships…)
➠ Kenny Loggins is 74 today. (I’m not going to say he’s old, but these days ‘Welcome to Pooh Corner’ has a whole new meaning . . .)

BS WEB GOODIE:
Friday feels:  https://tinyurl.com/mryfbera

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Some men say they don’t wear their wedding band because it cuts off circulation. Well, that’s the point, isn’t it?

BS PHONE STARTER:
What was your all-time favorite family vacation?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  53% of people say THIS is the food they miss most when dieting. And it’s not Pizza. What is it?
Answer:  Chocolate

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.