Friday, March 12, 2020 — Edition: #6943
We’ve Got Our Sheet Together!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Justin Bieber’s love for the Toronto Maple Leafs has been well-documented over the years, and now the Canadian superstar has funnelled his lifelong fandom into a new Leafs-themed video to accompany his latest hit single ‘Hold On (Maple Leafs Love Letter)’. He released the video, which he’s calling “a love letter to the Maple Leafs”, on Wednesday. It features game highlights, behind-the-scenes footage of the team in action, and shots of Bieber’s friendship with some of the Leafs’ biggest stars, including Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/ywus93jp
-Sportsnet
★ This news ought to put “Superstore” fans on Cloud 9: America Ferrera is returning to the NBC comedy for its March 25 series finale. Ferrera played the lead role, ‘Amy’, for the first 5 of the sitcom’s 6-season run. She was also an executive producer on the show before exiting. “Superstore” will conclude with a one-hour series finale on March 25.
-TheWrap
★ The “Downton Abbey” sequel is set to be filmed this summer. Shooting will begin as soon as coronavirus rules allow, with hopes for a Christmas release. All the main cast members are reportedly on board for the project and Highclere Castle in Berkshire – which doubles for the Downton estate in Yorkshire – is available for filming in early summer, before it opens to the public for eight weeks beginning in July.
-ContactMusic
★ Meghan Markle’s frozen yogurt shop shoutout is bringing a business boom to her first employer … and now she’s being honored with her own special flavor. Markle mentioned her first job during her interview with Oprah, saying that she served froyo at Humphrey Yogart in Los Angeles when she was 13. The shop served more than 200 people the day after Meghan’s interview aired, about 4 times the number of customers it would normally see on a Monday. While the store owners admit they don’t even remember Meghan working for them, they’re still honoring her and Prince Harry with the limited-edition flavor “Banana Royale.”
-TMZ
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Sacha Baron Cohen, Wesley Snipes, Charlotte Lawrence (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Nick Offerman, Hailey Bieber, Freddie Gibbs
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Dr. Anthony Fauci
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): David Spade, Jason Mantzoukas, Raghav Mehrotra (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Salma Hayek, Owen Wilson, the Weeknd (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Soleil Moon Frye
• “The Talk” (CBS): Rashad Jennings
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Kelsea Ballerini, Dr. Jennifer Jellison
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Hilary Duff, guest host Brooke Baldwin
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jason Biggs (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Eddie Murphy
SATURDAY-
• “A House on Fire” (LIFETIME): True story of brilliant doctor Deborah Green, who had a picture-perfect life that takes a terrible turn, leaving her family and marriage in ruin.
• “Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2021” (NICKELODEON): Children choose their favorites from film, television, music, pop culture, animation and more; Kenan Thompson hosts virtually, traveling to outer space, Bikini Bottom and into celebrities’ homes.
SUNDAY-
• “63rd Annual Grammy Awards” (CBS): Festivities at the Staples Center in Los Angeles honor excellence in the recording industry; Trevor Noah hosts. Performers include Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Post Malone, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert and Maren Morris.
• “American Idol” (NBC): The final auditions in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ojai, Calif.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Bruno Mars – Silk Sonic, his new music project with Anderson .Paak, has joined the list of Grammy performers for the ceremony this Sunday night. This will be the 6th Grammy telecast on which Mars has performed, the second for .Paak.
• (***Caution***) Zayn – Soon after he posted: “F— the Grammys…Unless you shake hands and send gifts, there’s no nomination considerations,” he returned to Twitter, writing that his comments were “not personal,” but about the “need for inclusion and the lack of transparency of the nomination process…” He has never been nominated for a Grammy, either as part of One Direction or for his solo work.
• Billie Eilish – is among the performers announced for the Life is Beautiful arts and music festival, marking a return of large events to Las Vegas after they were canceled last year. Green Day, Tame Impala and A$AP Rocky are also set headline the list of more than 60 artists booked for the Sept. 17-19 event.
• Britney Spears — The “Free Britney” movement is gaining some serious momentum as US Congress is now taking a look into the matter. Following the “Framing Britney Spears” doc, 2 U.S. Representatives have requested that the committee hold a hearing on court-appointed conservatorship.
• Pink Floyd – On April 30, they will release the audio from their historic 1990 Knebworth concert for the first time ever. “Pink Floyd Live at Knebworth 1990” will be available on CD, double vinyl, and digital platforms.
• Rod Stewart – will ‘surprise’ America’s Cup yacht race teams with a “dock out” serenade of his hit ‘Sailing’. He’ll perform the song from London, with the recorded performance beamed onto the big screen in Auckland’s America’s Cup Village on Saturday.
• Luke Combs — received a Juno Award (Canada’s Grammys) nomination for International Album of the Year for “What You See Ain’t Always What You Get.” Taylor Swift’s “folklore” also was nominated. The 2021 Juno Awards will be broadcast live Sunday, May 16.
• Maren Morris – John Mayer will join her for her Grammy performance on Sunday. While it’s not clear what song the pair will perform, a picture posted to her Instagram Stories confirms the collab. Her song ‘The Bones’ is nominated in the Best Country Song category.
• Carrie Underwood — celebrated her 38th birthday on Wed., and as a gift to fans, she released another song from her upcoming gospel album “My Savior”. She premiered ‘Nothing But the Blood of Jesus’, featuring harmonies from NEEDTOBREATHE frontman Bear Rinehart. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/c2tmnksn
SHOOTING THE BULL
STUDENT ALONE:
A California university is paying students not to go away for spring break. Students at the University of California, Davis, can earn a $75 grant if they agree to stay in town. A UC Davis spokesperson said that the purpose of the grant is to encourage students not to travel during spring break and provide them with alternative activities to take part in. The grants can be redeemed at select Davis businesses during the university’s spring break from March 22-26. The incentive from UC Davis comes as colleges around the US are scaling back spring break or canceling it entirely to discourage partying that could spread the coronavirus and raise infection rates back on campus. By the way, for those wondering, University of California, Davis is located near Davis, California, in “Yolo” County. Serious.
(This is really stirring up some old ghosts for me, because when I was in college, my friends paid me to GO AWAY for spring break…)
(Alternative activities”? I’m pretty sure the students who stay on campus are going to be doing the exact same things as the ones who head for the beaches…except for the beaches part!)
(Plus, they can tell their parents they got a scholarship!)
-Fox
NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢ Yes, dogs are descendants of wolves, but they are not the same – unless, apparently, you’re a zookeeper in central China. Visitors to the Xiangwushan Zoo in China, were confused this week when they found a rottweiler in the wolf enclosure. A visitor’s video went viral after he filmed the dog while saying: “Woof! Are you a wolf?” He says staff told him there had been a wolf, but it died of old age. The zoo has since been told to take down the “wolf” sign. (Wolf…woof…you can understand the confusion!)
➢ If totalling your car and barely surviving a serious crash while trying to avoid a flying couch wasn’t bad enough, things got even worse for a Washington, D.C. couple. After being transported to hospital in Fort Pierce, Fla. following the rollover of their Toyota Corolla. Jake Singer and his girlfriend were presented with a $166 ticket for “failing to drive in a single lane.” The couple was returning home after visiting family in Florida when the sofa fell off a truck in front of them. To avoid it, the woman, who didn’t want to be identified, swerved and collided with the median, causing their car to roll over. (The GOOD news is they found 3 bucks in loose change near the couch…)
-NYPost, Canoe
A BRIEF HISTORY OF DAYLIGHT-SAVING TIME:
As of 2 am Sunday, clocks across most of North America “spring forward” an hour. So why do we do this?
✓ The idea of ‘Daylight Saving Time’ was 1st proposed in 1895 by New Zealand entomologist George Vernon Hudson, and although people were interested, it never caught on.
✓ In 1905, William Willett came up with the same idea in London. Why? He was an avid golfer who hated cutting short his Summer rounds on the links. Again, the idea failed to catch on.
✓ The Germans and their allies were the first to implement Daylight Saving Time as a way of conserving coal during WW1. Britain and many other European countries followed.
✓ The US adopted DST in 1918, but it wasn’t until 1966 that the whole country observed it (except Hawaii and most of Arizona). All Canadian provinces were on DST by the 1970s, except most of Saskatchewan. More recently, Canada’s Yukon Territory has moved to remain on DST year-round, and many Canadian provinces and US states are considering similar moves. (Or non-moves…)
– CBC
DID YOU KNOW?
Lou Ottens, the man who put music-lovers on a path toward playlists and mixtapes by inventing the cassette tape, has died at age 94 in Belgium. Ottens was an influential engineer at Philips, where he also helped develop consumer CDs. The cassette was his answer to the large reel-to-reel tapes that provided high-quality sound but were seen as too clunky and expensive. In 1963, the first cassette tape was presented at an electronics fair with the slogan “smaller than a pack of cigarettes!” (For those attending the funeral, please be aware that at the halfway point of the service, he will be turned over…)
-NPR
BS CHRONOMETER 03.12.21
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1946 [75] Liza Minnelli, Hollywood CA, singer/stage & movie actress (Oscar-“Cabaret”)/youngest Tony Award winner (19)/daughter of legendary singer-actress Judy Garland
1948 [73] James Taylor, Boston MA, pop-folk singer (‘Fire & Rain’, ‘You’ve Got a Friend’)
1960 [61] Jason Beghe, NYC, TV actor (‘Sergeant Hank Voight’ on “Chicago PD” since 2014)
1962 [59] Darryl Strawberry, Los Angeles CA, retired baseball right fielder (Mets, Dodgers, Yankees) 8-time All-Star, 4-time World Series champ
1968 [53] Aaron Eckhart, Cupertino CA, movie actor (“The Rum Diary”, ‘Two-Face’ in “The Dark Knight”) COMING UP…”Ambush”
1984 [37] Jaimie Alexander, Greenville SC, movie actress (‘Sif’ in “Thor” films)/TV actress (“Blindspot” 2015-20, “Kyle XY” 2007-09)
SATURDAY- William H Macy (“Shameless”) is 71; Dana Delaney (“Desperate Housewives”) is 65; Adam Clayton (U2) is 61; Common [Lonnie Lynn] (“Hell on Wheels”) is 49; Danny Masterson (“That 70’s Show”) is 45; Emile Hirsch (“Into the Wild”) is 36
SUNDAY- (Sir) Michael Caine (“Kingsman: The Secret Service”) is 88; Music producer Quincy Jones is 88; Billy Crystal (“When Harry Met Sally”) is 73; Disc jockey “Rick” Dees is 70; Jamie Bell (“Fantastic Four”) is 35; Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors) is 33; Este Haim (Haim) is 35; Ansel Elgort (“Baby Driver”) is 27
TODAY’S BS REASON TO PARTY . . .
• “World Day Against Cyber Censorship”, initiated by Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International in 2008. The idea is to rally everyone in support of a single internet that is unrestricted and accessible to all, and to try to keep governments from controlling it.
• “Alfred Hitchcock Day”, his prolific film-making career spanned half a century – from 1921 to his last film, “Family Plot”, in 1976. His unique cinematic style in the genres of psychological thrillers and suspense movies earned him the title ‘Master of Suspense’.
• “Girl Scout Day”, celebrating the creation of the first Girl Scout group (originally ‘Girl Guides’) on March 12, 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah GA, who gathered together a troop of 18 girls and taught them how to milk a cow, tie up a burglar, and the complicated art of boiling water. (So, grab a cookie [or 12] and to celebrate!)
• “Plant a Flower Day”, a day to get a little dirt under your fingernails. Take a few minutes and plant a petunia today (or at least blow the dust off the fake ones)
• “Baked Scallops Day”, there are two fleshy parts of the scallop that are usually sold at the market for human consumption. The adductor muscle is the white medallion of meat which is rich and sweet. This is the piece that is the “scallop” we see on a menu.
SATURDAY-
• “Good Samaritan Day”, on this date in 1964, Queens NY bar manager Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death while 38 people looked the other way, claiming they didn’t want to get involved. Since then, at least 5 states, including Massachusetts, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Vermont & New Jersey, have introduced ‘Good Samaritan’ laws, making it a punishable offense to witness a violent crime and not report it to the police ASAP.
• “Donald Duck Day”, marking the cartoon character’s debut on this day in 1934, as a bit player in the Walt Disney cartoon “The Little Wise Hen”. Donald Duck is the most published comic book character in the world outside of the superhero genre. LINK: https://www.wikihow-fun.com/Talk-Like-Donald-Duck
• “Earmuffs Day”, celebrating the first ‘Earmuffs’ patent by Chester Greenwood of Farmington, Maine on this day in 1877.
• “K-9 Veterans Day”, honoring all dogs who have served in the military. The US Army launched its ‘K-9 Corps’ 79 years ago today (1942).
• “Open an Umbrella Indoors Day”, when celebrants are encouraged to challenge the old superstition and note whether any bad luck befalls them. The superstition can be traced to the 11th century BC.
• “Ken Day”, celebrating the “Ken” doll, whose full name is Kenneth Carson. He was named after Ken Handler, the son of Ruth and Elliot Handler, who were two of the founders of Mattel. It was Ruth who invented the Barbie Doll. Barbie was named after the Handler’s daughter Barbara (Barbie Day was March 9).
SUNDAY-
• “Daylight Saving Time” in North America begins at 2 am. The annual ‘Spring Forward’ is now programmed right into computers, phones, and other electronic devices. The semi-annual clock reset is also touted as a good excuse for “Check Your Batteries Day”, when you test and/or replace smoke alarm batteries. (And remember, it’s ‘Daylight Saving Time’, not ‘Savings’!)
• “International Ask a Question Day”, an annual observance with the goal of improving our knowledge and lives by asking more and better questions. Such as …
– If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?
– If an ambulance is on its way to save someone and it runs over someone else, does it stop to help?
– What do you say when someone says you’re in denial, but you’re not?
– How do you handcuff a one-armed man?
• “Potato Chip Day”, honoring North America’s favorite snack food. It was invented by chef George Crum on this day in 1853 at a resort in Saratoga Springs NY after an uppity diner complained the potato slices were too thick. (That’s right – his name was ‘Crum’!)
• “World Pi Day”, as in March 14 or 3/14 or 3.14 … get it? It honors the magic number for circles that expresses the ratio between radius and circumference.
• “Genius Day”, celebrated annually on the anniversary of the 1879 birth of Albert Einstein. It was Einstein who said, “The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.”
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2012 [09] The movie “Hunger Games” starring Jennifer Lawrence premieres in Los Angeles
2019 [02] Dozens of people are charged in the US college admission scandal, including Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1988 [33] Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ hits #1 in the US. The video, which shows Astley singing his way around London, does well, but really takes off two decades later with the ‘Rickrolling’ trend
2007 [14] Van Halen is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Eddie Van Halen misses the ceremony due to a stint in rehab). Also inducted: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Patti Smith, R.E.M. and The Ronettes
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1894 [127] Coca-Cola is sold in bottles for the first time (Vicksburg, Mississippi)
1948 [73] (***Caution***) First chapter of Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club forms, founded by a breakaway group of the “Pissed Off Bastards” (no BS!) in San Bernardino, California
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2009 [12] Financier Bernard Madoff pleads guilty in NYC to scamming $18 billion, the largest in Wall Street history
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Six-pack abs indicate nothing about your strength, your flexibility, your stamina, your speed, or your overall level of health.
✓ Not only does hot water make a different sound than cold water when poured, 96% of people can correctly guess which it is, based on sound alone.
✓ A ‘second’ is called a second because it is the second division of the hour by 60, the first division being a minute.
✓ Monkeys sometimes floss their teeth with things like bird feathers and blades of grass.
✓ “The Price Is Right” and “Grand Theft Auto” use the same font in their logos.
✓ Not once in the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme does it mention that he’s an egg.
-BuzzFeed
Best of BS . . .
(March is “Caffeine Awareness Month”. With that in mind, here are…)
BS SIGNS YOU’RE DRINKING WAY TOO MUCH COFFEE:
• Your eyes stay open when you sneeze.
• You jam a fork into the waiter’s hand when he tries to refill your regular coffee with decaf.
• When a Starbucks commercial comes on, you actually lick the TV screen.
• You grind your own coffee beans … in your mouth.
• Neighbors call 9-1-1 to complain about the noise of your chattering teeth.
• You’re passing everybody on the freeway when suddenly you realize – you’re not in a car.
• You finish your 60-minute presentation before everyone is seated.
• Your doc needs a calculator to take your pulse.
• You answer the door before people knock.
-First published in BS 1999
TODAY’S SLICE OF BS:
➠ In Florida, a man was arrested after stripping completely naked and bouncing on a neighbor’s trampoline. (Police describe the man as co-operative, but ‘a bit jumpy’!)
➠ A New York couple just got married at the age of 94. (Even more amazing? The bride’s father had to pay for everything!)
➠ Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday. (No word yet on how Instagram users will be able to cram 24 hours of surfing into a 23 hour time-frame…)
➠ An Amazon delivery driver accused of urinating on packages has been charged with vandalism. (He’ll serve jail-time, or be forced to continue working at Amazon, whichever the judge decides is worse…)
➠ (***CAUTION-‘a-hole***) Saint Paddy’s Day is just around the corner [Wed]. (I can’t celebrate this year because of my house arrest for smashing a Guinness across the forehead of some a-hole who falsely accused me of having an Irish temper…)
BS WEB GOODIE:
Approach with extreme caution: https://tinyurl.com/tnvlcwa
BS PHONE STARTER:
What happens in real life but is rarely portrayed in movies?
BS RANDOM JOKE:
No weekend…all weakened.
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 16% of people say they would have no problem buying a used one of THESE. What is it?
Answer: An electric toothbrush
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven’t done anything today.