Tuesday, March 16, 2021 – Edition: #6945
Good Morning, Sheetheads!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ “Avatar” is once again the highest-grossing film of all time. Over the weekend, James Cameron’s sci-fi epic was rereleased in China and garnered enough in ticket sales to overtake “Avengers: Endgame” for the all-time record. “Avatar” first became #1 box-office champ in 2010 when it overtook Cameron’s “Titanic.” In 2019, “Avengers: Endgame” won the title with a $2.797 billion box office haul. But on the weekend, “Avatar’s” box office gross surpassed $2.81 billion, allowing it to earn back the crown. The directors of “Endgame,” Joe and Anthony Russo, took to social media to congratulate Cameron, writing: “Passing the gauntlet back to you.”
-CNBC
★ “The Batman” director Matt Reeves revealed that he has just wrapped up its tumultuous production. He shared a memento from the set of the hotly-anticipated flick, posting a photo of a clapperboard wrapped in plastic, which was probably used in shooting the last scene from the production. The clapperboard was put in a box along with other items, indicating they may later be sold or displayed somewhere as memorabilia. The film, starring Robert Pattinson, has walked a long and winding road of production, largely due to the obstacles presented by the pandemic.
-Leftoye
★ It’s a Funko Festivus… for the rest of us. The premiere company for pop culture collectibles is launching a new line of “Seinfeld” products based on Jerry Seinfeld’s beloved TV comedy. Available on June 1, Funko’s Seinfeld program includes their world-famous vinyl Pop! figures, as well as T-shirts, backpacks, wallets, glassware and the new Funko Games party-starter, “The Party Game About Nothing”. They’ll be based on the show’s main four characters: Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer.
-Yahoo
★ A Michigan hospital system has launched an investigation into an alleged ‘The Price is Right”-style game being carried out during operations. Although no one is shouting, “Come on down!” to start the game, social media photos have been posted of doctors playing a game segment called “Guess the Weight.” In one of them, an account run by residents training at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, shows an organ removed in an operation, with the words: “The other game we play in the OR is ‘guess that weight’. It applies to much more than just babies…‘Price is Right’ rules apply, so if you go over, then you’re out!”
-Deadline
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Michelle Obama, Brittany Howard
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Benedict Cumberbatch, Madelaine Petsch, Rosé
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Freeman
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Joel McHale, Yara Shahidi, Mark Harris
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sam Smith
• “Conan” (TBS): Louie Anderson
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Ira Madison III, Sasha Morfaw, Ben Mandelker, Ronnie Karam
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Rebecca Jarvis
• “The Talk” (CBS): Carly Pearce
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Mark Cuban, Monica Mangin
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Michelle Obama
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Jennifer Garner, Nico Hiraga, Max featuring Lil’ Mosey and Olivia O’Brien
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Anthony Anderson, Soleil Moon Frye
• “To Tell the Truth” (ABC): Celebrity panelists Ron Funches, Tom Lennon and Rick Fox
• “Holmes Family Effect” (FOX): Premiere. Mike, Sherry and Michael Holmes help to save a school’s skilled trades program; the family works to overhaul an entrepreneurial co-op
• “The Blended Bunch” (TLC): Premiere. In a small town in Utah, widow Erica, widower Spencer and their 11 children have formed a modern-day Brady Bunch
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber – both took home awards at Saturday night’s Kids’ Choice Awards hosted by Kenan Thompson. They won for favorite female and male recording artist, respectively, while their joint hit ‘Stuck With U’ won for favorite collaboration. Bieber also performed virtually.
• Rihanna — Is she launching a new haircare line? She reportedly filed a trademark application for Fenty Hair last week. The docs show the potential line would include products like haircare preparation, hair color, hair styling, straightening or relaxing, and dandruff shampoo.
• Tame Impala — A cover of their song ‘Elephant’ by kid’s band The Wiggles has resulted in it hitting #1 on Billboard’s LyricFind chart. The LyricFind charts ranks the hottest songs in lyric-search queries.
• Kings Of Leon – Nathan Followill says the pandemic allowed them to perfect the songs on their new album, “When You See Yourself”. As for writing, he says there is no special formula. The band just “goes with the flow” of what the “pulse of the band” feels like at the time.
• Judas Priest – As part of their 50-year anniversary celebration, this summer they are releasing a career-spanning 42-CD (!!) box set containing bonus tracks and a 132-page book with photos and memorabilia.
• Queen — KnuckleBonz is selling limited-edition Queen collectible statues. Rock Iconz statues of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon will be “hand-crafted in our fine arts process”. Each is hand-painted, numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity on the base, and are available for pre-order now at a “special” price of $558(!!) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4putbxrf
• Kelsea Ballerini – once splurged on a very expensive bottle of wine for Shania Twain – even though she couldn’t afford it. On “Live With Kelly and Ryan”, Ballerini said: “She invited me to sing with her when she headlined Stagecoach (Festival) like, 4 years ago and I was brand new and still super broke. I knew she loved wine so I splurged and bought her a bottle of Opus One…as a thank you.”
• Granger Smith – He and his wife Amber are expecting a baby boy who’s due just over 2 years after the death of their 3-year-old son. The couple’s third child, River, died in a drowning accident at their home in Texas in June, 2019.
• Larry Gatlin – The country legend of Gatlin Brothers fame has tested positive for COVID-19. According to a press release, the 72-year-old tested positive just days after receiving his second vaccination, but is doing well. Quote: “I feel like I have a cold, and not even a bad cold at that.”
SHOOTING THE BULL
BRINGING HELICOPTER PARENTS BACK TO EARTH:
Sometimes, you just have to let your kids be. That’s the takeaway of a new study on parenting which found that micromanaging children can do far more harm than good. In a Stanford School of Education study, researchers found that especially during more emotional tasks, if parents were very involved — asking questions, making suggestions, corrections, offering further instruction — children had more trouble with the tasks and more behavioral issues. The researchers point out that their finding comes at a time when the conversation around parenting is increasingly critical of “helicopter” and “snowplow” parenting which, despite its often good intentions, can end up being counterproductive to kids’ development.
(I’m not going to say my Mom was a ‘helicopter parent’ , let’s just say her voice sounded like she was giving a highway traffic report and leave it at that…)
(MY Mom? I’m not sure. I’ll ask her when she comes by with my lunch!)
(I was going to point out that micromanaging is also harmful in the workplace, but my boss already knows…because he read this story in my email!)
-NYPost
FINALLY! SOME GOOD NEWS:
Scientists in Sweden say they have discovered a way to prevent or reverse conditions such as diabetes and obesity while patients continue to eat a high-fat diet. In their studies, researchers from the Rolf Luft Research Center found the health-damaging effects of a fatty diet can be completely offset by the use of “antisense” (ASO) treatment. The treatment lowers the body’s levels of apolipoprotein CIII, a key regulator of fat metabolism (whatever that means). Mice who developed diabetes, fatty liver disease, and obesity after consuming a high-fat diet completely reverted to normal health after treatment. And mice receiving treatment before being fed any fatty foods didn’t develop health problems in the first place.
(Can they make that stuff available as part of a “meal deal”)
(Also having the same effect: Exercise. But we don’t want to get TOO crazy, do we?)
(OK, we also received good news when the vaccine became available. But this might be even better!)
-StudyFinds
DRIVING RECORD:
A 50-year-old man has set an embarrassing record by failing in his attempt to get a driver’s license for a 192nd time. The unnamed man in Poland has reportedly been trying to pass his test for 17 years. Fortunately, his miserable attempts to get a license haven’t occurred on the road. In Poland, a person must pass a theory test before taking their actual driving test. Not only has retaking these tests cost him hundreds of hours of time, he’s also had to fork out the equivalent of US$1,565.
(And he owes his buddy at least that much for all the rides to the DMV!)
(I could pass a license test with my eyes closed. Which is apparently what this guy tried to do!)
(Maybe he needs reading lessons more than he needs driving lessons…)
-Unilad
PHRASES NOT TO USE ON YOUR RESUME:
According to a study by the New College of Humanities, these are the phrases that are most likely to sink a potential candidate’s chances of landing a gig . . .
1. “I know how to work hard”
2. “I work well under pressure”
3. “I work independently”
4. “I am effective at solving problems”
5. “I know how to work in a team”
6. “I am proactive”
7. “I am a good communicator”
8. “I’m good at listening”
9. “My writing skills are excellent”
10. “I’m enthusiastic”
(I’ve never been able to use ANY of these phrases. Which also could be a problem . . .)
-Ladders
BENEFITS OF APPLE CIDER VINEGAR:
Some call it a cure-all…here is what science says it can…and can’t do-
⇒ Lower blood sugar: No vinegar has been shown to significantly alter or prevent diabetes, but acetic acid can be used as one tool in helping lower blood sugar.
⇒ Cough and sore throat: Bad idea. It could irritate the throat even more, and because it is an acid, could even ‘burn’ the lungs a little.
⇒ Heart disease and cancer: Studies show it can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol in rodents, but full-blown studies have not been conducted in humans. It has also been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells in mice. No word on that for humans yet, either.
⇒ Weight loss: There is some evidence it can help. In a study, people lost an average of 2-4 pounds per month over a placebo. (More if they put it on their donuts…)
⇒ Teeth cleaning & whitening: Don’t go there. You’re putting acid on your teeth, thus wearing down the enamel, and causing cavities.
⇒ Mosquito bites: It helps. If you have a lot of bites, put two cups in a full tub of water and soak.
⇒ All-purpose cleaner: The acid is effective against mold, but so are salt, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil and baking soda, and they smell better. Apple cider is great against alkaline grime such as hard water and mineral deposits, as well as soap scum, but it won’t cut grease.
-CNN
DID YOU KNOW?
An American judge has ruled that a lawsuit accusing Google of tracking users even while they were using “incognito mode”, can proceed. Google had motioned to have the suit dismissed. It accuses the search giant of collecting data when users were using Chrome’s private browsing mode, and that, in some instances, other websites that used Google Analytics or Ad Manager sent “a secrete, separate message to Google’s servers in California”. Google claims users are given enough information about how their activity might be tracked while using the private browsing mode. (It seems you just can’t trust anyone when you’re being sneaky!)
-BusinessInsider
BS CHRONOMETER 03.16.21
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1949 [72] Victor Garber, London ON, movie actor (“Argo”, “Milk”)/TV actor (“Alias” 2001-06)/Broadway actor (“Damn Yankees”)
1949 [72] Erik Estrada, New York City NY, TV actor (Officer ‘Frank “Ponch” Poncherello’ on “CHiPs” 1977-1983)
1954 [67] Nancy Wilson, San Francisco CA, classic rock guitarist (Heart-‘Barracuda’, ‘Who Will You Run To’)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2013
1959 [62] Favor Flav (William Drayton Jr.), Long Island NY, rapper (Public Enemy-‘Fight The Power’)
1963 [58] Jerome Flynn, London UK, TV actor (‘Bronn’ on “Game of Thrones” 2011-19)
1967 [54] Lauren Graham, Honolulu HI, TV actress (“Parenthood” 2010-15, “Gilmore Girls” 2000-07 and the Netflix reboot in 2016)
1991 [30] Wolfgang Van Halen, Santa Monica CA, rock bassist (Mammoth WVH-‘Distance’, Van Halen 2006-15, Tremonti)/son of Eddie Van Halen & Valerie Bertinelli
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Everything You Do is Right Day”, a day to avoid second-guessing yourself. As long as your decisions are well thought through, just carry them out and let them go. You’ll likely find it saves you a lot of stress. (Great. Now tell my boss…)
• “Freedom of Information Day”, celebrating the importance of an open government with access to info by the public.
• “Lips Appreciation Day”, when we’re encouraged to do something nice for our lips … kiss somebody. (As long as the other person’s lips think it’s nice too…)
• “No Selfies Day”, celebrated ironically on the birthday of Philippe Kahn, inventor of the cellphone camera, and the first person to snap a pic with his phone … although it wasn’t a selfie. (So, we have him to blame for ‘duck face’?)
• “St Urho’s Day”, celebrating the (tongue-in-cheek) saint who supposedly ‘cleared the grasshoppers out of Finland’. The mock holiday is observed in parts of Canada and the USA.
• “Panda Day”, drawing attention to one of the world’s unique bears. Pandas, also known as Giant Pandas, are also one of the world’s most endangered and adored animals.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] St. Patrick’s Day
[Wed] Corned Beef and Cabbage Day
[Thurs] Awkward Moments Day
[Thurs] Forgive Mom and Dad Day
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2005 [16] After a 3-month trial, a jury acquits Robert Blake, star of 1970s TV detective show “Baretta”, of the murder of his wife Bonny Lee Bakley
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2017 [04] Ray Davies, frontman of The Kinks, is knighted for services to the arts by the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.
2017 [04] Ed Sheeran launches his ÷ (“Divide”) tour in Turin, Italy. The trek lasts two-and-a-half years and breaks U2’s record for highest-grossing tour (2009-11), raking in $776.2 million in 255 dates
2019 [02] ‘Old Town Road’ by rapper Lil Nas X makes the Country chart, but is removed the following week when Billboard declares it ineligible. That leads to a remix with Billy Ray Cyrus that goes to #1 on the (all-format) Hot 100
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2020 [01] Chris Martin performs a virtual concert on Instagram in support of the World Health Organization as the coronavirus pandemic takes hold. It’s the first of a series of “Together At Home” concerts done by a number of artists
TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
1999 [22] The RIAA gives the first-ever ‘Diamond Award’ certification, honoring “The Eagles’ Greatest Hits 1971-75” for 10 million units sold
2003 [18] The “Largest Coordinated Worldwide Vigil” takes place, a global protest against the Iraq War
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Studies show your favorite foods are likely those your mother ate while pregnant with you.
✓ All the planets of the solar system could fit between Earth and the moon.
✓ It is estimated that 16 million tons of rain falls to earth every second.
✓ The sap of the Venezuelan cow tree’s sap looks, feels and tastes like cow’s milk.
✓ It would take a snail 220 hours to crawl one mile (1.6km).
✓ The scientific name for the gorilla is “Gorilla, gorilla, gorilla”.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, Buzzfeed
Best of BS . . .
BS UNLIKELY SPOUSE COMPLAINTS:
• “You barely snored at all last night.”
• “I wanted to scoop the cat litter. How could you?”
• “We don’t spend enough time with your parents.”
• “Can you text back with ‘K’ more often?”
• “Why must I always come home to a freshly cooked meal?”
• “This closet is too big for my shoes.”
• “If you’re gonna check someone out, can you at least do it in front of me?”
• “Did you wipe down the toilet again today?”
• “Why do you always get to be Wario?”
• “Why doesn’t your side-chick like me?”
• (***CAUTION: ‘DAMN’***) “You make too damn much money.”
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2020
TODAY’S SLICE OF BS:
➠ Instagram is coming out with a ‘light’ version of their App. (No worries though, it’ll steal your identity just like the full version.
➠ This year marks the 36th anniversary of the minivan. (Married men everywhere celebrated the occasion by driving their Toyota Siennas to a Linens ‘N Things towel sale and sadly wondering where it all went wrong…)
➠ Elton John has lost over 40 lbs since the beginning of lockdown. (Or, as they call it in the Biz: “One Angelina Jolie.”)
➠ Carnival cruise line is offering free upgrades and 40% off to attract new business amidst the Pandemic. (It’s starting to seem like Carnival ships are run by actual carnies!)
➠ Happy Birthday to Rapper Flava Flav, who turns 62 today. (If you want to get him a gift, you can’t go wrong with a nice, reasonably-sized wristwatch…)
BS WEB GOODIE:
Lint-free area: https://tinyurl.com/yk75y99p
BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s something you’d like to learn more about?
BS RANDOM JOKE:
There aren’t many things I miss about being young, but the ability to sneeze without injuring myself is a big one.
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: An estimated 75% of households with one of THESE never use them. What are they?
Answer: A pool table
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The definition of frustration is not having anyone to blame but yourself.
