Thursday, January 9, 2020 – Edition #6608

You’re Up to Your Eyeballs in Sheet!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Jennifer Lopez’s production company is being sued for $40 million by the real-life stripper who inspired her ‘Ramona’ character in “Hustlers.” In the lawsuit, Samantha Barbash explains “Hustlers” is based on a 2015 New York magazine article “The Hustlers at Scores” which was based her real-life experiences. In 2017, she pled guilty to conspiracy, assault, and grand larceny in exchange for five years’ probation. She claims the film producers approached her before production to “obtain a consent and waiver” for their portrayal of her. She says she refused to sign.
-TheBlast
★ While Pat Sajak is off after a health scare, Vanna White has been filling in. But that means the position of letter turner has been left open. Until now. Sajak’s daughter, Maggie, has stepped in this week as her father continues to rest. In early November, Sajak was admitted to hospital to undergo emergency surgery for a blocked intestine. At the top of Monday’s episode, Pat confirmed in a pre-recorded message that he’ll return to host the show next week.
-MSN
★ “Breaking Bad” fans who don’t have a Netflix subscription will finally be able to see the follow-up film, “El Camino.” AMC has set the TV premiere for the film for Feb. 16. The film, which originally premiered on Netflix and in theaters on Oct. 11, will air as part of a “Breaking Bad” marathon that begins on Sunday, Jan. 19. The marathon leads into the fifth season premiere of “Better Call Saul,” which is set for Feb. 23.
-TheWrap
★ The rumors are true. Colin Farrell will star opposite Robert Pattinson as the villainous ‘Penguin’ in the upcoming DC Comics flick, “The Batman”. On Monday, director Matt Reeves took to Twitter to confirm that he has joined the cast. The Batman is scheduled to be released in June 2021.
-Canoe
★ Burt Ward, who played ‘Robin’ on the “Batman” television series, will be honored with the 2,683rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today. His star will be next to the star of television’s Batman, Adam West, and one the creators of the Batman character, Bob Kane.
-WalkofFame

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Michael B. Jordan, January Jones, Cigarettes After Sex
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Will Smith, Patti Smith
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Larry David, Caitlin Kalafus
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Adam DeVine, Kieran Culkin, Ismo (R)
• “Lights Out with David Spade” (COMEDY): Tig Notaro, Nikki Glaser, Tony Rock
• “Conan” (TBS): Willem Dafoe, Emily Catalano (R)
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Tiffany Haddish, Salma Hayek
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Michael B. Jordan
• “The Talk” (CBS): Tim Allen
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Billy Porter, Dr. Taz Bhatia
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Jamie Foxx, Liv Tyler, Dua Lipa
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Reed Newman, Ben Feldman, Ryan Michelle Bathe, Danny Seo, Bob Harper, Erica Lugo
• “Truth and Lies: Jeffrey Epstein” (ABC): A look at his life, including details about how he made his money; his relationships with notable individuals; his decades of alleged sexual abuse; and the federal sex trafficking charges he faced before he died.
• “Superstore” (NBC): Return of season 5
• “Will & Grace” (NBC): Return of season 3
• “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (NBC): Return of season 21

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift – will receive the Vanguard Award at the 2020 GLAAD Media Awards on April 16. GLAAD (the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) will present her with their top honor for her continued efforts in promoting LGBTQ acceptance. Last year, Swift used the music video for ‘You Need To Calm Down’ to champion for equality by casting LGBTQ stars.
• Ariana Grande — is being sued for a second time by a man who accuses her of once again stealing his work. Michael Barbera says he took a photo of Grande, which she used on social media to promote her fashion brand. In July, Grande settled a separate $50,000 lawsuit brought by Barbera after her accused her of using another of his photos to promote her album “Sweetener.”
• Ozzy Osbourne – His wife Sharon revealed on “The Talk” this week that he collaborated with Elton John on a song which is expected to appear on Ozzy’s upcoming studio album “Ordinary Man”.
• Elton John – has pledged $1 million to help the victims of the Australian bushfires. He says he’s been left heartbroken by the catastrophic effects of the blazes on communities, homes, businesses and animals across Australia.
• Queen + Adam Lambert — are rumored to be headlining the “Fire Fight Australia” bushfire benefit concert taking place Feb. 16 at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney on February 16. No official confirmation yet, but the group has another show set for Sydney on Feb. 15.
• Bob Dylan — Timothee Chalamet will play him in a new biopic. The feature, reportedly titled “Going Electric”, will focus on the period where he was poised to become folk music’s most seminal figure, and his controversial decision in 1965 to embrace the electric guitar.
• Rod Stewart – will tour North America this summer with Cheap Trick in support. 21 shows have been announced, beginning July 21 in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. Tickets go on sale this week. The lone Canadian date is July 24 in Toronto.
• Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – are among several country acts announced for this year’s Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, which runs for two weekends in June in Manchester, YN. Morgan Wallen, Billy Strings and Yola will also appear, and the Grand Old Opry will stage a performance.
• Sam Hunt — will play the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium as part of the NHL Stadium Series on Feb. 15. Hunt will play during the first intermission of the game between the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings.

BEAT A PATH TO HIS DOOR:
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the company may implement a feature that prevents drivers from “dooring” cyclists. Tesla could launch a software update that keeps the car doors sealed shut if external cameras spot a cyclist approaching. If it goes ahead with the initiative, it could serve as a major improvement in cyclist safety, as dooring accidents are a common occurrence in city traffic. It would be relatively simple for Tesla to send out a software patch that keeps doors locked until a cyclist passes, or it could be set up so alarm would sound if a someone tries to open a car door when it’s not safe to do so.
(I’m guessing this would make it difficult to park near a bike rack!)
(Just a thought, but maybe we should have something like this for when ANYTHING is closely approaching…)
-Futurism

FIRE UP THE DeLOREAN:
An astrophysicist says that he has figured out how to build a time machine. Professor Ron Mallett from the University of Connecticut claims to have written a scientific equation that could be used to create a device that takes people back in time. He even told CNN that he has already built a prototype to show how it could work. His machine is based on Einstein’s theory of special relativity, which says that time accelerates or decelerates according to the speed at which an object is moving. That’s as scientific as we’re going to get in explaining it, but he believes he’s on to something. His peers, however, aren’t convinced.
(SURE, he built a time machine. He built it 20 years from now…)
(It should be available some time last year…)
(We were originally going to present this story to you in five years, but it’s just become available…)
-NYPost

CES 2020:
Highlights from the biggest tech trade show of the year, the Consumer Electronics Show, running this week in Las Vegas …
➢ Samsung’s Neon project:  Basically video chatbots that behave like humans. The goal is to have the realistic digital humans act in roles such as teachers, health care advisers and assistants. They will continually learn and adapt to become unique companions. (Computer programmers won’t be happy until their creations replace every job except those of computer programmers!)
➢ Black Shark 2 Pro gaming phone:  It’s ridiculously tricked out. Xiaomi’s new brainchild comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus processor with a CPU clock speed of up to 2.96GHz, a direct touch multilayer liquid cooling system to keep the processor cool, and a 6.39-inch AMOLED Samsung screen with a 60Hz refresh rate. (And if you’re interested in buying a smartphone specifically for gaming, those numbers probably mean something to you!)
➢ Inupathy dog harness:  It lets your dog tell you how he’s feeling. The harness can measure your pet’s heart rate and uses that information to let you know if your dog is relaxed, excited, happy, interested or stressed out by changing colors. An app lets you track your pet’s mood. (I don’t need an app to tell me that my dog is all of the above…plus hungry!)
➢Charmin Rollbot:  When you’re, umm, indisposed and realize too late you’re out of toilet paper, Charmin is ready to help. With your phone, you can request that Charmin’s bear-faced toilet roll robot fetch you a roll and bring it to you in the loo. (Hi-end tech for your bottom-end!)
➢ Opte inkjet printer for your face:  Searches for dark spots on your skin and deposits tiny droplets of a facial serum with pigment to treat or cover them. A tiny camera scans your face, looking for dark spots, then 120 thermal inkjet nozzles dispense a precise amount of pigment to cover it.
➢ Impossible Pork:  Following up on the success of last year’s Impossible Burger 2.0, Impossible Foods is rolling out  plant-based Impossible Pork. The main protein is soy, with sunflower and coconut oils serving as fat sources. Those who have tried it say it does, in fact, taste like pork. (Fake pork at an electronics show? It had better toast its own buns!)
➢ The Wall MicroLED TV:  This year’s suitably named TV from Samsung covers 292 inches (over 24 feet), making it the largest TV ever at CES (Last year’s was 219 inches). How much? We don’t know yet, but you can’t afford it. You may have to “settle” for the $100,000 Q900.
(Currently searching Facebook Marketplace for a used one…)
(It’s great to know what I’ll be buying 5-10 years from now when the prices come down!)
-CNET, CNBC

DID YOU KNOW?
With his appearance in Saturday night’s game for the Atlanta Hawks against the Indiana Pacers, Vince Carter became the first NBA player in history to play in four different decades. The 42-year-old had already set a record for longevity when he re-signed last summer with Atlanta for his 22nd NBA season.
-NBCSports

BS CHRONOMETER 01.09.20

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1944 [76] Jimmy Page, Heston UK, classic rock guitarist (Led Zeppelin-‘Stairway to Heaven’, ‘Whole Lotta Love’)/Rock & Roll Hall of Famer (1992-Yardbirds, 1995-Led Zeppelin)

1955 [65] J.K. Simmons, Grosse Pointe MI, movie actor (“La La Land”, “Spider-Man” movies) COMING UP…”Palm Springs”, 2020

1967 [53] Dave Matthews, Johannesburg, South Africa, alt-rock singer (Dave Matthews Band-‘What Would You Say’, ‘Don’t Drink the Water’)/Farm Aid Board of Directors/currently at #1 in fan voting for Rock Hall of Fame 2020

1973 [47] Sean Paul, Kingston, Jamaica, rapper, singer, producer (‘Get Busy’, w/Sia-‘Cheap Thrills’)

1978 [42] A.J. (Alexander James) McLean, West Palm Beach FL, pop singer (Backstreet Boys-‘Quit Playing Games [With My Heart]’, ‘I Want It That Way’)

1982 [38] Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton), Reading, UK, wife of Britain’s Prince William/mother of George and Charlotte/expected to be “Queen Consort”

1989 [31] Nina Dobrev, Sofia Bulgaria [raised Toronto ON], TV actress (“The Vampire Diaries” 2009-15, “Degrassi: The Next Generation” 2006-09) COMING UP…”Sick Girl”

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “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 without any hyphens with three consecutive repeated letters.

COMING UP . . .
[Fri] Houseplant Appreciation Day
[Fri] Bittersweet Chocolate Day
[Sat] National Milk Day
[Sat] Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2000 [20] Sitcom “Malcolm In the Middle”, starring Frankie Muniz & future “Breaking Bad” actor Bryan Cranston, premieres on FOX-TV

2008 [12] Spice Girl (and ironically, future fashion designer) Victoria Beckham is named “Worst Dressed Celebrity” in an annual list of fashion disasters by critic Mr. Blackwell

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2002 [18] Michael Jackson receives the ‘Artist of the Century’ award at the American Music Awards

2014 [06] “Rolling Stone” magazine ranks “The 10 Greatest Double Albums of All-Time” …
5. Led Zeppelin – “Physical Graffiti”
4. Bruce Springsteen – “The River”
3. Rolling Stones – “Exile on Main Street”
2. Pink Floyd – “The Wall”
1. The Beatles – “The White Album”

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2007 [13] Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils the ‘iPhone’ at the Macworld convention in San Francisco CA (within days, people stop looking up)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2011 [09] “Chaser” the border collie is reported to have learned 1,022 words at Wofford College in North Carolina and can act in accordance with each of them

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Overpaying for something activates the part of the brain associated with guilt and pain.
✓ Every year, the world’s deserts produce about 1.7 billion metric tons of dust.
✓ It takes a drug-sniffing dog an average of six minutes to completely check a car.
✓ Two-thirds of the world’s lawyers live in the United States.
✓ Until 1997, “The Joy of Cooking” included recipes for armadillo and stuffed boar’s head.
✓ Only 14% of American men are over 6 feet tall, but 58% of Fortune 500 CEOs are.
-BathroomReadersInstitute

Best of BS . . .
BS FAKE WORKOUT FACTS:
• If your name is Jim, you get 10% off of your membership.
• It only works if you take a selfie before you start.
• More people have died using a treadmill than have died because they didn’t use a treadmill.
• If you get a personal trainer, you will seem more interesting at a party.
• The first rule of CrossFit: Always talk about CrossFit!
• Men never notice a woman’s yoga pants.
• Planet Fitness replaced Pluto as the ninth planet in the solar system.
• Wearing workout clothes all day is equivalent to a 1 hour workout.
• It doesn’t count unless you grunt.
• I do it all the time.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018

BS INCORRECT ABBREVIATIONS:
• WTF:  Where’s the Fries
• TMI: Too Many Idiots
• IMHO: Is My Hearing-aid On?
• ASAP: Add Salt And Pepper
• IKR: I Know Ralph
• FUBAR: Feeling Uneasy But Accepting Reality
• YOLO: You Overthink Life Obsessively
• ADHD: Americans Don’t Hate Donuts
• STFU: Selling This Fast Unicycle
• MILF: Man I Love Friday
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019

BS WEB GOODIE:
Hey man, nice shot:  https://tinyurl.com/yeebhyxk

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I wonder if my vet’s receptionist realizes how many people’s passwords she knows?

BS PHONE STARTER:
If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  40% of people have never bothered to do THIS for their partner. What is it?
Answer:  Made breakfast in bed

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
You can’t go back and start a new beginning, but you can start today and make a new ending.