Friday, March 16, 2018 – Edition: #6178

Good Morning, Sheetheads!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ An HBO exec has shared some details of the ‘Game of Thrones’ finale and she says multiple characters will die. Francesca Orsi, HBO’s senior vice president of drama, revealed while on a panel at a TV conference that during a table read of the last six scripts of the show, everyone involved stood and clapped for 15 or 20 minutes. According to her, “It was amazing. By the very end, everyone looked down and looked up and tears were in their eyes.”  But she also had some good news: She confirmed that there are spinoffs planned….as many as five of them.
-Cosmopolitan, Variety
★ Eddie Redmayne says he owes a lot to Stephen Hawking. In 2015, Redmayne earned his first Oscar for his portrayal of Hawking in the biopic ‘The Theory of Everything’. Following news of Hawking’s death this week, Redmayne released a heartfelt statement, expressing his adoration for the 76-year-old theoretical physicist and bestselling author, and offering his condolences. He wrote that “We have lost a truly beautiful mind, an astonishing scientist and the funniest man I have ever had the pleasure to meet. My love and thoughts are with his extraordinary family.”
-MSN
★ Emily Blunt and John Krasinski have asked fans to join them on a double date to raise money for charity. In a bid to increase donations to the Malala Fund, a charity led by Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, Blunt and Krasinski are offering two lucky winners a chance to join them at the premiere of their new horror film ‘A Quiet Place’, to walk the red carpet and be among the first to see the movie. The two have been married since 2010.
-Canoe
★ Tom Hardy says he still respects Shia LaBeouf seven years after being knocked out by him on set. LeBeouf famously drank moonshine by the gallon to get into character for their 2012 film together, ‘ Lawless’, which apparently led to LeBeouf punching Hardy out.
-DailyMail

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Aaron Paul, Karlie Kloss, Jacqueline Novak
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Donald Glover, Omarosa Manigault-Newman, Ibeyi ( R )
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Joel Edgerton, Don Lemon, J.J. Totah ( R )
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Gary Oldman, Greta Gerwig, Bruno Major ( R )
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Sen. Tina Smith, guest co-host Ana Navarro
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Josh Radnor, Josh Groban
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show: (NBC/CTV): Jennifer Garner, RuPaul

SATURDAY-
• “Roseanne: The Return” (ABC): The “Roseanne” cast, including Roseanne Barr, John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf, share behind-the-scenes moments, memories, and what to expect from the iconic sitcom’s revival. They also discuss the show’s legacy and reflect on starring on the No. 1 show.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Hosted by Bill Hader, with musical guest Arcade Fire.

SUNDAY-
• “American Idol” (ABC): The auditions continue.
• “Genius Junior” (NBC): Neil Patrick Harris hosts a new game show with child contestants.
• “Guy’s Grocery Games” (FOOD): Guy Fieri’s favorite chefs from “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” compete in a four-episode tournament.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Justin Timberlake – At the opening stop of his ‘Man of the Woods’ tour in Toronto on Wednesday, he distributed shots to his band and some lucky fans near the stage. As he served it up, he said from the stage: “Sorry we had to do this — this is our first night. Here’s to the wonderful city I always have a blast in.” He also gave a shout-out to Drake.
• Pitball – will write and perform a song to be featured in the upcoming ‘UglyDolls’ movie, based on the plush dolls of the same name. The movie is set to come out in the Summer of 2019.
• Miley Cyrus – is reportedly being sued for $300 million over her chart topping hit ‘We Can’t Stop’. She is accused of stealing the track from a Jamaican musician known as ‘Flourgon’, who is seeking to stop all further performances and sales.
• Madonna – will direct the new Michaela DePrince biopic ‘Taking Flight’. The movie, based on the ballerina’s memoir ‘Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina’ – follows DePrince’s life as an orphan in Sierra Leone and her journey to being a world-renowned dancer.
• Elton John – CBS will air the GRAMMY tribute to him on April 10. ‘Elton John: I’m Still Standing-A GRAMMY Salute’ features performances by Miley Cyrus, Ed Sheeran, Alessia Cara, Shawn Mendes, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town and more, as well as Elton himself.
• Paul McCartney – a 1967 Lamborghini 400GT that he once owned is up for auction. The red rocket is expected to go for up to $700,000. Bidding closes Sunday.
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – is releasing four years worth of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on a four-DVD or two-Blu-ray set. ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: In Concert, 2014-2017′ is set to arrive April 24. On the same day, the Hall will put out five digital albums consisting of induction ceremony highlights from 2010-17, including Paul McCartney playing with Ringo Starr, and sets by Journey, Rush, Pearl Jam, Chicago, Cheap Trick and more.
• Darius Rucker – his old band, Hootie & the Blowfish will reunite for one night only to open a Jason Aldean show at Suntrust Park in Atlanta on July 21. Luke Combs will also open.
• Alison Krauss – she, Elvis Costello, Sturgill Simpson and others are set to join Willie Nelson on his third traveling Outlaw Music Festival this summer, performing across the US in nine different cities and seven different states. Tickets go on sale this weekend.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Tomb Raider” (PG-13, Action/Adventure): Lara Croft, the fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer, must push herself beyond her limits when she finds herself on the island where her father disappeared. (Alicia Vikander, Dominic West)
• “Love, Simon” (PG-13, Drama): Simon Spier keeps a huge secret from his family, his friends, and all of his classmates: he’s gay. When that secret is leaked, Simon must face everyone and come to terms with his identity. (Nick Robinson, Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Garner)
• “I Can Only Imagine” (PG, Drama): The inspiring and unknown true story behind MercyMe’s beloved, chart topping song that brings ultimate hope to so many is a gripping reminder of the power of true forgiveness. (J. Michael Finley, Brody Rose, Dennis Quaid, Cloris Leachman)
• “Josie” (R-Rated, Drama/Mystery): Hank, a solitary man living a dull existence in a sleepy, southern town raises eyebrows when he develops a questionable relationship with Josie, a recently transplanted high school student. (Sophie Turner, Dylan McDermott)

PIZZA: IS THERE ANYTHING IT CAN’T DO?
What does it take to get some work done around here? Pizza. A recent study claims that pizza is a bigger motivator than cash – and it can make people more productive at work when used as a stimulus. Psychologist Dan Ariely writes about it in his book ‘Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations’. His experiment offered rewards for increased productivity to four groups of employees at a factory. One group was offered a bonus of about $30, another was offered pizza, another a compliment from their boss, and the last group was offered nothing. He found that pizza was the biggest motivator. Yup. The promise of pizza increased productivity by 6.7 percent on the first day. That means that employees dreaming of gooey, saucy pizza worked 6.7 percent harder. But even pizza has its limits, it seems. Over the course of the weeklong study, the success of the pizza group dropped off and the most successful group ended up being the group that received compliments.
(Hey! You guys are looking mighty sharp with no pizza sauce on your lips!)
(Pizza stopped working because the workers had stockpiled leftovers!)
(They should have gone to fried chicken by day 3!)
-NYDailyNews

HAPPY FRIDAY:
In anticipation of World Happiness Day on March 20, The World Happiness Report was released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations. Here, in order, are the happiest countries in the world:
1. Finland (#5 last year)
2. Norway (#1)
3. Denmark (#2)
4. Iceland (#3)
5. Switzerland (#4)
6. Netherlands (#6)
7. Canada (#7)
8. New Zealand (#8)
9. Sweden (#10)
10. Australia (#9)
And because you want to know, the U.S. dropped from #14 last year to #18 this year.
(Can we agree that at least for tomorrow, #1 will be Ireland?)
(Reindeer jerky, anyone?)
-CNN, HuffingtonPost

IRISH SUPERSTITIONS:
➢ If you trip and fall in a graveyard, you will most likely die by the end of the year. (Especially if when you fall, you are running from a knife-wielding psychopath!)
➢ To counteract the bad luck from black cat crossing your path, make a triangle shape with your thumbs and forefingers and spit at the cat through the hole. This also works when you accidentally walk under a ladder. (In this case, spit at the ladder, not the cat!)
➢ If you find a horseshoe and nail it to the door it will bring good luck. This will not work if the shoe is bought or given as a gift by someone else. (In fact, let’s just say “This will not work!”)
➢ Handing someone a knife is bad luck. Always put it on the table in front of them, never in their hand. (Although it is better to have someone hand you a knife, than to have them throw it to you…)
➢ If the palm of your hand itches you’re going to come into some money.
➢ If your elbow itches, you will be changing beds.
➢ If it’s your nose that’s itchy, you are going to have a fight with the person nearest to you. To remedy this, punch them in the arm and shake them by the hand.
➢ If your ear feels hot, someone is talking about you.
➢ Never ask a man who is going fishing where he is going. (But if I know he’s going fishing, why would I ask?)
➢ If you get your shirt wet while you’re washing the dishes, you will marry a drunk. (And if that’s the case, get used to washing glasses!)
-IrishCentral

2 STEP GREEN BEER (NO BS!):
MAKES: 1 pint
•2 drops green food coloring
•1 bottle light-colored beer (your choice)

1. Drop food coloring into the bottom of a chilled pint glass.
2. Top with your favorite light-colored beer. Enjoy!
(So easy, I could do it even after a few pints of normal-colored beer!)
-GoodHousekeeping

BS CHRONOMETER 03.16.18

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1949 [69] Victor Garber, London ON, movie actor (“Argo”, “Milk”)/TV actor (“Alias” 2001-06)/Broadway actor (“Damn Yankees”)

1949 [69] Erik Estrada, New York City, NY, TV actor (rode to fame as ‘Officer Poncherello’ on “CHiPs” 1977-1983)

1954 [64] Nancy Wilson, San Francisco CA, classic rock guitarist (Heart-‘Barracuda’, ‘Who Will You Run To’)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2013

1963 [55] Jerome Flynn, London UK, TV actor (‘Bronn’ on “Game of Thrones” since 2011)

1967 [51] Lauren Graham, Honolulu HI, TV actress (“Parenthood” 2010-15, “Gilmore Girls” 2000-07 and the Netflix reboot)

1991 [27] Wolfgang Van Halen, Santa Monica CA, rock bassist (Van Halen since 2006)/son of Eddie Van Halen & Valerie Bertinelli

SATURDAY-
1951 [67] Kurt Russell, Springfield MA, movie actor (“Escape From New York”, “Guardians Of the Galaxy 2”)/actress Goldie Hawn’s partner since 1983

1955 [63] Gary Sinise, Blue Island IL, TV actor (“Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” 2016, “CSI: NY” 2004-13)/movie actor (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, “Forrest Gump”)

1964 [54] Rob Lowe, Charlottesville VA, TV actor (“The Grinder” 2015-16, “Parks & Recreation” 2010-15)/movie actor (“The Interview”, “Austin Powers” films)

1967 [51] Billy Corgan, Chicago IL, rock singer-guitarist (Smashing Pumpkins-‘1979′, ‘Ava Adore’)

1978 [40] Geoff Sprung, Harrisonburg VA, country musician (Old Dominion-‘Snapback’, ‘Break Up with Him’)

1992 [26] John Boyega, London UK, movie actor (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”)

SUNDAY –
TV actress Queen Latifah (“Star”) is 48; Country singer Philip Sweet (Little Big Town) is 44; Pop singer Adam Levine (Maroon 5) is 39; Movie actress Lily Collins (“The Blind Side”) is 29.

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. (Go ahead, pick someone at random and see how big the ensuing lawsuit is.)

• “No Selfies Day”, celebrated ironically on the birthday of Philippe Kahn, inventor of the cellphone camera and 1st person to snap a pic with his phone … although it wasn’t a selfie.
(So we have him to blame for the ‘duck face’?)

• “St Urho’s Day”, celebrating the (tongue-in-cheek) saint who allegedly ‘cleared the grasshoppers out of Finland’. The mock holiday is observed in parts of Canada and the USA.

SATURDAY-
• “St Patrick’s Day”, the Irish national holiday that began as a ‘solemn religious observance’ to honor St Patrick (389-461 AD), patron saint of Ireland. It’s a public holiday in Ireland, Montserrat, and the Canadian province of Newfoundland & Labrador. Some fast facts …
– It’s been an Irish holiday for 1,500 years.
– The world’s largest “St Patrick’s Parade” is in NYC where over a million spectators and 100,000 participants are expected. A tradition since 1762, the 2-mile parade lasts about 6 hours.
– It was first celebrated in Canada in 1765 in Québec City QC.
– Since 1965, the Chicago River has been dyed green for the “Chicago St Patrick’s Parade”, an idea conceived when a plumber was observed using green dye to trace leaks from a building.
– Green is associated with “St Patrick’s Day” because it’s the color of Spring, Ireland, and the shamrock (and ‘Irish Spring’ soap?).

• “Corned Beef & Cabbage Day”, you may think that corned beef and boiled cabbage is a traditional Irish dish for St. Patrick’s Day, actually it is not. It is an Irish-American invention, occurring after Irish immigrants discovered that beef was cheaper than pork in America at the time.

• “Submarine Day”, celebrating the sandwich made with a long roll of bread and filled with meats, vegetables, and spreads. This popular lunch dish is also called by other names like hero, hoagie, grinder, and sub.

SUNDAY-
• “Awkward Moments Day”, a day to celebrate the humor in life’s uncomfortable and embarrassing situations … which we normally fail to see until years later.

• “Biodiesel Day”, in honor of the clean-burning fuel that can be used in any diesel engine with no conversion whatsoever. It is derived from 100% renewable resources like soybeans, canola, mustard seed, even recycled cooking oil.

• “Forgive Mom & Dad Day”. No matter how lousy they were as parents, it’s time to let it go and get on with your life.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2005 [13] After a 3-month criminal trial in LA Superior Court, 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 . . .
2011 [07] Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine collapses backstage at a concert in Russia due to extreme pain from kidney stones but insists on performing 6 songs before going to the hospital

2017 [01] Ray Davies, frontman of The Kinks, is knighted for services to the arts by the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
2013 [05] Pope Francis delivers his 1st message at the Vatican, telling journalists he wants “a poor church, for the poor”

2014 [04] Crimea votes in a controversial referendum to secede from Ukraine and join Russia

TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
1999 [19] The RIAA gives the first-ever ‘Diamond Award’ certification, honoring “The Eagles’ Greatest Hits 1971-75” for 10 million units sold

2003 [15] Largest Coordinated Worldwide Vigil takes place, a global protest against Iraq War

BULL’S BITS

BS WACK O’FACTS:
✓ St. Patrick wasn’t Irish. He was actually British, born to Roman parents in Wales.
✓ Historians say that St. Patrick’s color was blue, not green. The use of green started in the 1600s.
✓ Holy trinity aside, later interpretations of the meaning of a clover’s leaves were that they represent hope, love, and faith. If there’s a fourth leaf, it symbolizes luck, which is why we consider four-leaf clovers to be lucky.
✓ Boston’s famous St. Pat’s Day parade is usually about 3 miles long. Hot Springs, Arkansas’? 98 feet long.
✓ Until the 1970s, St. Patrick’s Day was considered a religious holiday in Ireland, meaning all the pubs in the country were closed.
✓ Americans who go to a bar on March 17 spend an average of $37.92.
-GoodHousekeeping

Just in time for St Patrick’s Day …
BS IRISH EUPHEMISMS FOR SEX:
• Peeling the potato.
• Mowing the clover.
• Watching the soda bread rise.
• Getting shille-laid.
• Cleaning the bagpipes.
• Tenderizing the corned beef.
• Flying Aer Lingus.
• O’Humping.
-First published in BS in 2017

BS ST PATRICK’S DAY TOASTS:
• “May your 18 children learn to use contraceptives.”
• “May you never remember the night before.”
• “May the wind at your back not be the result of the corned beef & cabbage you had for lunch.”
• “Here’s to getting shille-laid!”
• “Here’s green beer in your eye!”
• “Hey! You! Wake up and drink this!”
• “Awww … not on my shoes!”

BS PHONE STARTER:
What would it say if the last text message you sent was written on your headstone?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I have a lot of fond St. Patrick’s Day memories. Vague, but fond.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: There are 39.6 million of these in America….but there will be many more tomorrow. What?
Answer: People who claim to be Irish

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Being Irish, no matter where you go, you’ll find family.