Monday, January 15, 2024 — Edition: #7634

New Week – New Sheet!

 

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ A new “Top Gun” movie is in the works. Puck News says the sequel to 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick”, with star Tom Cruise set to return, is in development at Paramount. “Maverick” co-writer Ehren Kruger is said to be currently penning the draft, and director Joe Kosinski is also expected to return. Hollywood Reporter is saying the plan for the new installment is to reunite stars Miles Teller and Glen Powell with Cruise. Top Gun: Maverick is most lucrative film of Cruise’s career, grossing nearly $1.5 billion worldwide. The movie also earned 6 Oscar nominations, winning one.
-Messenger
★ Joyce Randolph, the last surviving cast member of “The Honeymooners”, has died. She was 99. On The Honeymooners, Randolph played ‘Trixie Norton’, the wife of Art Carney’s ‘Ed Norton’. The sitcom, which ran from 1955-56, followed the day-to-day life of 2 working class couples in New York: ‘Ralph Kramden’ (Jackie Gleason) and his wife ‘Alice’ (Audrey Meadows), and Trixie and Ed. While it was only on for one season, The Honeymooners became a classic comedy and has been revisited in spinoffs and reboots, including in a 2005 movie starring Cedric the Entertainer, Gabrielle Union, Mike Epps and Regina Hall. Randolph also appeared in “The Ed Sullivan Show”, and “The Jackie Gleason Show”.
-TVLine
★ Martin Luther King Jr. weekend didn’t bring any monster openings to the box office, but the musical adaptation of “Mean Girls” had a solid opening of an estimated #31 million over 4 days. In second is “The Beekeeper,” the new Jason Statham action film, with a projected $18 million. And mixed results for “The Book of Clarence” which opened to a weekend estimate of just $3 million, barely cracking the top 10.
-TheWrap
★ On Friday, “Spider-Man” star Tom Holland clarified his relationship status with co-star Zendaya, telling reporters that they have “absolutely not” split up. Zendaya unfollowed Holland on Instagram along with a number of other people. It’s unclear why she unfollowed Holland, but it apparently has nothing to do with their relationship — she is currently following zero people. She and Holland met on the set of the ‘Spider-Man’ films, where they played love interests ‘Peter Parker’ and ‘MJ’. Rumors of an off-screen relationship began in 2017, but were not confirmed until 2021.
-Elle
★ Bill Hayes, who played the colorful ‘Doug Williams’ on “Days of Our Lives” has died at age 98. Hayes originated the role in 1970 and played the part on and off through 2023. A statement from the show also points out: “He and his wife, Susan Seaforth-Hayes, remained the foundation of the Williams-Horton family spanning more than 50 years.” Seaforth-Hayes plays ‘Julie Williams’ on the show. The duo was awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Daytime Emmys in 2018.
-Deadline

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Robert Downey Jr., Ayo Edebiri, Fridayy (R)
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Tina Fey, LaKeith Stanfield, Mitchell Tenpenny (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Gayle King, Charles Barkley, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Nate Bargatze, Andrew Rannells, Jesmyn Ward
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Luka Brunton, Jack Luby
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Colman Domingo, a performance from Broadway’s “The Wiz” with Nichelle Lewis
• “The Talk” (CBS): Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Ruth Wilson
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Cynthia Erivo, Aml Ameen, Kings Return
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Lamorne Morris, Tony Dokoupil, Nate Burleson and Vlad Duthiers
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Kaley Cuoco
• “75th Primetime Emmy Awards” (Fox): Celebrating and honoring television’s best, live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles; Anthony Anderson hosts.
• “America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League” (NBC): The qualifiers continue: one act is given a golden buzzer and earns a spot in the finals; the audience sends 5 acts through to the semifinals.
• “NFL Football” (Check local listings): NFC Wild-card: Philadelphia Eagles @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers; AFC Wild-card: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bills (rescheduled from Sunday)

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• The Weeknd – ‘Blinding Lights’ has become the first song to pass 4 billion streams on Spotify. It has also been announced that he is making a “large donation” to School on Wheels in LA. His money will be used to fund literacy programs, as well as buy laptops for over 1,000 schoolchildren.
• Ariana Grande – has sold her Hollywood Hills home to Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican rapper paid $8.3 million for the 1,600-square-foot cottage, $600,000 less than Grande paid for it in 2021. Last year, she bought another Hollywood Hills house from Cameron Diaz for $5M. Her new single, out last week, is ‘yes, and?’. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/29s7y7hu
• Disturbed & Heart’s Ann Wilson – Disturbed frontman David Draiman says this of their new duet ‘Don’t Tell Me’: “In my humble opinion, she’s the greatest female rock voice of all time. I think she’s untouchable.” LINK: http://tinyurl.com/4xe57y64
• Rush – Late drummer Neil Peart’s final book “Silver Surfers” will be released May 7. Insight Editions describes it as “one last love letter to his beloved classic car collection.” During his lifetime, Peart published 7 nonfiction books, and several fiction stories.
(***Caution – language***) • The Black Crowes – have released ‘Wanting and Waiting’, their first new song in 15 years, and announced the new album “Happiness Bastards”, out March 15. It will feature a Lainey Wilson collab called ‘Wilted Rose’. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/4996u5w2
• HARDY – dropped the new single ‘Quit!’ on Friday, and announced a spring/summer tour. Kip Moore, Travis Denning, Ella Langley and Stephen Wilson Jr. will split shows in an opening role for the 15 dates on the US East Coast, with a few in the Midwest. Tickets go on sale this Friday. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/4rtfhf5h
• Dylan Scott — It was so cold when he filmed his upcoming episode of “CMT Campfire Sessions” that he could see his breath, and was worried he couldn’t keep the chill-induced quiver out of his voice. Quote: “It’s hard to sing. It’s hard to play guitar. My fingers were frozen. Your body starts shivering and stuff. I think we sat there for about 4 hours.” The full episode goes up Feb. 7, and his version of Keith Whitley’s ‘Don’t Close Your Eyes’ is on YouTube now. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/2v3z8ubs
• Jelly Roll — appeared before US Congress on Thursday, giving powerful testimony on the devastating impact of fentanyl. He is open about his past conviction for drug dealing and now advocates for victims of the heroin and fentanyl epidemics. Quote: “I was a part of the problem. I am here now standing as a man that wants to be a part of solution.”

SHOOTING THE BULL

BLUE MONDAY:
(***See “Reasons to Party”, below***) It’s a tough day today. It’s “Blue Monday”, which is, according to legend, the most depressing day of the year. But here’s an interesting question: Is it possible to eat your way out of the “winter blues?” Maybe. If you’re feeling especially listless these days, take look at what’s on your plate. Dr. Robert Levitan, chair in depression studies at University of Toronto, says one of the main problems is the amount of sugar and fat we crave. And he points out that this could be related to Seasonal Affective Disorder, “since there’s a relationship between the lack of light and craving carbohydrates.” So, what should we do? For one, make sure you’re getting enough lean protein throughout the day, because that helps you feel full, and helps you avoid a ‘sugar crash’. These days, a lot of research is being done about the Mediterranean diet (based on fruits, veggies, unprocessed cereals, legumes and olive oil), because the feeling is that it could be as good for your mental health as it is for your body.
(Yeah, but you have to eat fruits, veggies, legumes and olive oil!)
(Is there a chance I can get my hands on some Mediterranean cake and ice cream?)
-TorStar

HOME WORK:
Companies have tried just about everything in their efforts to lure work-from-home employees back to the office – but this just might do it: withholding promotions. New stats show that fully remote workers were promoted 31% less often than their in-person peers in 2023. A Live Data Technologies analysis of 2 million white-collar workers found that 5.6% of employees who were going into the office at least part of the time received a promotion last year, compared to 3.9% of fully remote workers. In addition, roughly 90% of CEOs surveyed said they’d be more likely to give in-person employees raises, promotions, or better assignments. Studies regarding whether employees are more or less productive at home have gone both ways, but we do know this: Fully remote workers are a lot happier and more likely to stick with their jobs. Half of fully on-site employees plan to job-hunt this year, compared to just one-third of those who work from home.
(The other two-thirds? They’ll be job-hunting whether they like it or not, if they don’t get their butts to work, apparently!)
(I loved working from home – but once when a client asked to speak to my superior, I instinctively handed the phone to my wife!)
-Insider

NEW GOOD NEWS:
➢ A dog saved a quiet Philadelphia neighborhood from exploding into flames days before Christmas. The potentially disastrous gas leak was detected underground by Kobe, a 4-year-old husky owned by Chanell Bell. She noticed Kobe was digging in the same spot in the yard hour after hour. As the hole became larger, Bell, who had dealt with a gas leak in her house earlier in December, was inspired to bring out her gas detection device. Immediately, it detected a potentially cataclysmic amount of gas. She alerted authorities, who informed her that if Kobe hadn’t picked up on the leak when he did on December 21, the consequences could have been fatal, not only to those who inhaled the gas, but it could also have caused a devastating explosion. Bell said that first responders “were so impressed with Kobe and mentioned what a good dog he was”. (And all dogs in the neighborhood now have carte blanche to dig anywhere, anytime!)
➢ Scientists said this week that a new, simple blood test that can identify 18 early-stage cancers will be a medical “gamechanger”. Early detection is key to driving down death rates for cancer, which kills around one in 6 people globally. In a study, the new test identified 93% of stage one cancers in men and 84% in women. The test’s maker, Novelna, said it represents a “major leap in cancer screening”, and the findings “pave the way for a cost-effective, highly accurate, multi-cancer screening test that can be implemented on a population-wide scale.”. Existing blood tests can detect cancer, but often only one type — and with limited reliability.
-GoodNewsNetwork, PositiveNews

SUPPLEMENTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY WORTH IT:
If one of your goals for 2024 is to hit the gym and become more fit, you may be thinking of what supplements you should be taking in order to help. Supplements aren’t necessary if you’re already getting all the nutrients you need through food, but these are the ones you should invest in if you need them…
❑ Whey protein: Protein is a macronutrient required for everyone, no matter if they have a fitness goal or not. It is effective for muscle recovery and for building muscle.
❑ Creatine monohydrate: Creatine is one of the few powdered supplements that have been thoroughly researched and proven to work. It’s known to help improve strength, power, and muscle mass in health and exercise performance.
❑ Caffeine: Besides giving you an energy boost, caffeine also helps improve your workout performance. If you’re healthy, 400 milligrams is the daily safe maximum limit. A typical caffeine dose is around 200 milligrams, preworkout. (I prefer to get mine the natural way: By eating a few K-cups!)
❑ L-citrulline: Citrulline is a nonessential amino acid created by the body, which helps provide energy, and helps with recovery. It’s also good for your blood pressure.
❑ Beta-alanine: It’s a nonessential amino acid produced by our bodies that also helps aid in the production of carnosine. Carnosine helps the muscles work harder and longer before they become fatigued, by reducing lactic acid.
(Wow…all these important supplements, and no one mentioned Ozempic once!)
-CNET

DID YOU KNOW?
Some junior hockey players in Ontario are causing a stir for their preferred sports drinks. Glass jars of Bick’s sliced pickles and full-size bottles of French’s classic yellow mustard can be spotted along the Windsor Spitfires bench these days. The salty, vinegary condiments are said to help with leg muscle cramps, say the 20-year-old players who use them. Former teammate Oliver Peer swears by the recuperative powers of pickles, claiming he goes through 2 jars each game. He drinks all the juice and even chomps on a few pickles on the bench. Defenceman Roberto Mancini has been pouring mustard down his gullet during games for about 4 years, and says it has even become a superstition for him and other players.
-CBC

BS CHRONOMETER 01.15.24

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Blue Monday”. The third Monday of January has been awarded this gloomy title due to a combination of post-Christmas blues, cold, dark nights, and the arrival of unpaid credit card bills. Though we may say we hate Mondays, an Australian study found the day that scores lowest for most employees’ morale is actually Wednesday. (If you can imagine hating “Hump Day”!)
• “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day”, in the US, honoring the legacy and celebrating the birthday of the iconic civil rights leader. King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination. He was assassinated in 1968.
• “Humanitarian Day”, encouraging people to work together to disrupt the vicious cycle of poverty, hunger, and neglect.
• “Elementary School Teacher Day”, dedicated to all the teachers who help mold young minds during their formative years. Today, we thank retired and current elementary school teachers for all they have done to help students. (Thanks! And sorry my kid gave you a cold!)
• “Fresh Squeezed Juice Day”. So, what’s your preference … Orange? Grapefruit? Red Man Chaw?
• “Hat Day”, to dispel the boredom of mid-Winter by wearing the goofiest hat you can find. (Always hilarious on radio…)
• “Bagel Day”, a food holiday celebrating the deli favorite that involves topping a fresh-baked bagel with a shmear of cream cheese.
• “Wikipedia Day”, celebrating 23 years since its debut. On this day, some fans organize parties to discuss Wikipedia and share cake. Typical activities include editors sharing what they did in Wikipedia last year, talks from those proposing to share information in Wikipedia in the coming year, training for newcomers, and socializing (and cake!).
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] Hot and Spicy Food Day
[Tues] Nothing Day
[Wed] Ditch New Years Resolutions Day
[Thurs] Thesaurus Day
This Week is…Home Office Safety and Security Week
This Month is…Mentoring Month

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1947 [77] Andrea Martin, Portland ME, movie actress (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” films)/TV actress (“SCTV” 1976-84), “Great News” 2017-18)

1951 [73] Charo (María Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza), Murcia Spain, comedienne-TV actress (“Chico and the Man”, “The Love Boat”, “Hollywood Squares”…)/movie actress (“Sharknado 5: Global Swarming”)/flamenco guitarist

1968 [56] Chad Lowe, Dayton OH, TV actor (‘Byron Montgomery’ on “Pretty Little Liars” 2010-17)/movie actor (“Unfaithful”)/brother of Rob Lowe

1971 [53] Regina King, Los Angeles CA, movie actress (“If Beale Street Could Talk”, “Ray”)/TV actress (“American Crime” 2015-2017) COMING UP… “Shirley” 2024

1979 [45] Drew Bees, Austin TX, retired pro football QB (MVP in the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl 44 victory/2-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year/13-time Pro Bowl)

1981 [43] Pitbull (Armando Pérez), Miami FL, rapper (‘I Know You Want Me [Calle Ocho]’, feat. Kesha: ‘Timber’)

1988 [36] Skrillex (Sonny Moore), LA CA, electronic dance music DJ-producer (‘Bangarang’, ‘Ruffneck [Full Flex]’)

1996 [28] Dove Cameron (Chloe Hosterman), Seattle WA, TV actress (“Liv and Maddie” 2013-17, “History of the World, Part II” since 2023)/pop singer (‘Boyfriend’)

2004 [20] Grace VanderWaal, Lenexa KS, pop singer (‘I Don’t Know My Name’)/season 11 winner of “America’s Got Talent”) COMING UP… “Megalopolis” movie

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1974 [50] The legendary sitcom “Happy Days” created by Garry Marshall and starring Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Marion Ross, and Tom Bosley, debuts, beginning its 11-year run on ABC

2009 [15] Pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger makes a successful emergency landing on the Hudson River shortly after US Airways Flight 1549 takes from NYC’s LaGuardia Airport (leads to the 2016 Tom Hanks movie “Sully”)

TODAY IN MUSIC . . .
1972 [52] Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’ hits #1 in the US for the first of 4 weeks. The single runs 8:36 – you have to flip the 45 over to hear all of it

2018 [06] Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan dies in London at 46 (ruled an accidental drowning in a bathtub, due to sedation by alcohol intoxication)

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1967 [57] The first “Super Bowl” (although it isn’t called that until 2 years later) is played, as 61,946 fans pay 10 bucks to watch legendary coach Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers beat the KC Chiefs 35-10 in Los Angeles (MVP is Packer QB Bart Starr) …30-second TV commercials cost $42,000

2001 [23] “Wikipedia”, the free online encyclopedia, goes online

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1983 [41] Tom Syles of Van Nuys, California sets a world record by keeping a single “Life Savers” candy intact in his mouth for 7 hours, 10 minutes (A world record for what? “Loneliest person”?)

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ If you were to drive a car at 100 kilometers an hour, 24 hours a day, you would reach the sun in about 3 years.
✓ Men get hiccups more often than women.
✓ The least common PIN number is 8068.
✓ Anteaters prefer termites to ants.
✓ Surgeon scrubs are green to counteract eye stress from red blood (opposite colors).
✓ The average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by the he/she graduates from high school.
-Unknow, RandomFactGenerator

Best of BS . . .
BS WORST MENU TYPOS:
• Pee Soup
• Filet Minion
• Chicken Pox Pie
• Southern Fried Children
• Crap Dip
• Bottomless Covefe
• Sandwich With Your Choice of Beard
• Beef on a Bum
• Fricken Soup
• (***CAUTION***) Milfshake
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019

BS FAKE CEREAL FACTS:
• Franken Berry is made up of pieces of other cereal.
• Cap’n Crunch was dishonorably discharged in 1998.
• It’s best to put the milk into the bowl first.
• K-Pop is the latest cereal craze. (Wait…this could become true any minute…)
• Trix aren’t for kids, they’re for the man-child living in his parents basement at 40 and trolling strangers on the internet.
• Cheerios were invented by the British and used to throw at people — rather than having to say “Cheerio”.
• iPhone chargers are called “Apple Jacks”.
• If you eat more than 3 bowls a day, you can be correctly referred to as a “cereal killer”.
• Cereal is no longer a thing since Saturday morning cartoons ended.
• Different colored Fruit Loops have different flavors.
• Mikey didn’t like it.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2020

BS WEB GOODIE:
It finally happened:  http://tinyurl.com/y4474mvb

BS RANDOM JOKE:
On Mondays, my face usually wakes up about 2 hours after I do…

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• What was the original name of Mickey Mouse?
a) Mortimer Mouse [CORRECT]
b) Marvin Mouse
c) Martin Mouse
d) Goofy

• What are the names of Cinderella’s evil stepsisters?
a) Gizelle and Anabelle
b) Florence and Marge
c) Anastasia and Drizella [CORRECT]
d) Laverne and Shirley

• Who played the Genie in the 2019 live-action adaptation of “Aladdin”?
a) Will Smith [CORRECT]
b) Chris Rock
c) Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
d) Gene “The Genie” Simmons
-FunTrivia, SplashLearn

BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever done while on “auto-pilot”?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  13% of couples who sleep in separate bedrooms do this because of THIS. What is it?
Answer:  One of them steals the covers

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Those at the top of the mountain didn’t fall there.