Monday, March 14, 2022 – Edition: #7187

Sheet Happens!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
***UPDATE*** ★ William Hurt, the Oscar-winning actor known for his roles in movies like “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and “Broadcast News,” died on Sunday at 71. The actor’s son, Will, said in a statement: “He died peacefully, among family, of natural causes.” William Hurt disclosed in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer which had spread to the bone, although at the time he credited an alternative form of chemotherapy with saving his life. He won the Oscar for his portrayal of a homosexual man who shared a prison cell with a political prisoner in “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”
-Global
★ Hailey Bieber was reportedly involved in a serious medical emergency, and was hospitalized with a brain condition. Shortly after the news broke Thursday, Bieber herself took to social media to share that she was taken to the hospital after experiencing “stroke like symptoms.” Medical personnel ran a number of tests, attempting to determine whether it had anything to do with COVID-19, particularly as her husband, Justin Bieber, battled the illness in February. According to Hailey’s post, it was eventually determined that she suffered from a “very small blot clot” in her brain. She wrote that her body passed the clot on its own and that she “recovered completely within a few hours.”
-PopCulture
★ Jussie Smollett began his 150-day jail sentence for staging a hate crime against himself in protective custody, separated from other detainees and watched by security cameras and an officer. Judge James Linn sentenced him to 30 months of felony probation — starting with a 5-month term in jail — for lying to police that he had been the target of a racist and homophobic attack. Smollett loudly maintained his innocence and suggested he could be killed in jail.
-CTV
★ “Deadpool 3” has been in development for years, but the superhero film has finally taken a major step forward with the announcement that Shawn Levy will be directing. This choice in director is significant given that star Ryan Reynolds has worked with Levy on last year’s hit comedy “Free Guy” and “The Adam Project”. The Deadpool films are the top-grossing X-Men films of all time, with the original earning $783 million, and the sequel bringing in $786 million. Deadpool 2 came out in 2018, with Reynolds starring alongside Zazie Beetz and Josh Brolin. No release date for Deadpool 3 yet.
-Collider
★ Singer Traci Braxton, who appeared on the reality series “Braxton Family Values” with her sisters, including Grammy-winner Toni, died Saturday at 50 of esophageal cancer. Toni Braxton posted on Instagram: “She was a bright light, a wonderful daughter, an amazing sister, a loving mother, wife, grandmother and a respected performer.” “Braxton Family Values” began in 2011 on WE TV. Traci Braxton also appeared on “Marriage Boot Camp” with her husband, Kevin Surratt.
-CTV, TMZ

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brian Cox, Sebastián Yatra
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Marisa Tomei, Mae Muller
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Holly Hunter, Patti Harrison, Larnell Lewis
• ” The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Venus Williams, Zach Braff, Akeem Woods
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Evan Rachel Wood, guest co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin
• “The Talk” (CBS): Seann William Scott
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Kim Raver, Patric Richardson
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Melissa McCarthy (R)
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Dolly Parton, James Patterson, Regina Hall, Brittany Snow, Ludo Lefebvre, Claire Sulmers, Brooke Ligertwood
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Adam Scott, Donna Richardson, Laverne Richardson
• “America’s Got Talent: Extreme” (NBC): Season 1 finale
• “The Cleaning Lady” (FOX): Season 1 finale
• “The Julia Child Challenge” (FOOD): Series premiere. Eight home cooks and Julia Child superfans kick off the competition with a challenge from judge Antonia Lofaso to take inspiration from the meal that changed Julia’s life, then make the dish that changed their own lives.
• “Secrets of the Chippendales Murders” (A&E): Series premiere. In the 1980s, Chippendales was a worldwide phenomenon; at the center of its meteoric growth is Steve Banerjee, who left India to live the American dream.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Drake – According to a report from Chart Data, he is the most-streamed artist in the US so far in 2022, with 1.4 billion streams. The rest of the top-5, in order: YoungBoy Never Broke Again (1.3B), Taylor Swift (1.2B), The Weeknd (1.1B), and Juice WRLD (1.1B). Drake also topped the 2021 year-end chart.
• Katy Perry – has set the record straight. She posted a video from “American Idol” to Instagram, where she corrects Luke Bryan for singing the chorus to ‘Firework’ wrong. As she playfully put it, “It’s not ‘up, up, up,’ and it’s not ‘ahh, ahh, ahh.’ “It’s ‘awe, awe, awe,’ everybody. Get it right!” And while we’re at it, “it is FIREWORK not FIREWORKSSS.” LINK: https://www.instagram.com/p/CaydeFlrtDS/
• Cher — left fans concerned on Friday when she revealed why she had been quiet on social media for almost a week. She tweeted: “Sorry I’ve Been MIA. Been having personal problems.” Later, she reassured fans that she was feeling “better” and that she needed to “regroup and reboot.”
• Bryan Adams – He and sometime songwriting partner Jim Vallance have been named to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. They will be honored at a gala set for Sept. 24 at Toronto’s Massey Hall. Additional inductees will be announced in the coming months. His new album “So Happy it Hurts” dropped on Friday.
• Pink Floyd — have announced that all their songs released since 1987 will be wiped from “all digital music providers” in Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine. Guitarist David Gilmour, who has family in Ukraine, has also announced all of his solo works will be taken down.
• Billy Joel – A biopic is in the works. “Piano Man” will follow his early years, seeing him discovered by his first manager at the age of 16, his performances with a Long Island cover band in the 1960s and the breakthrough performance in 1972 that captured the attention of legendary producer Clive Davis. But Joel’s rep says he will not be involved, and no rights to his music, name or likeness will be granted.
• Randy House – has released his first new music since 2019. About the single ‘Note to Self’, he says: “it really paints a picture of the reflective mindset many of us have been in recently.” This spring, he’ll join Jamey Johnson for their co-headlining “Country Cadillac Tour Part 2.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/msjmhmj6
• Maddie & Tae — Taylor Kerr and husband Josh have finally been able to bring their daughter, Leighton Grace, home from the hospital. The long-awaited homecoming of their newborn comes after 53 days in ICU. The couple shared the good news on social media on Friday, posting pics of their new addition, and thanking those who prayed for her health. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/ye25wbbj
• Dolly Parton – says “never say never” about the thought of selling the rights to her music catalogue. Parton, who already owns her own publishing company, told BBC: “All I would do then is to take that money and do whatever for my family or other businesses, and start a whole new publishing company.”

SHOOTING THE BULL 

SHRINKFLATION:
It’s happening again. The changes are subtle…and sneaky, but discerning shoppers have probably noticed lately that some products are shrinking in size or quantity – or both. Record inflation means we’re paying more for everyday purchases like paper products, shampoos as well as food and beverages. Companies can raise prices, and many are, but some decide to go this route: Charge customers the same price while offering less. Product downsizing, also known as “shrinkflation” happens during times of high inflation because companies are also paying more for raw materials, production and delivery costs, according to Edgar Dworsky of ConsumerWorld.org. He says shrinkflation is becoming increasingly prevalent these days, and his organization has noticed it in toilet paper (shorter rolls), cookies (smaller), Gatorade (smaller) and conditioner (new squeeze tube containing less). Experts say that companies do this because raising prices is a last resort, as it is very noticeable to consumers and can influence demand.
(On the plus side, it’s no longer considered a “cry for help” when you eat all the ice cream straight from the container!)
(I’ll tell you this: If you’re sent to the store for “a pound of bacon”, you going to have to come home with 4 packages!)
(I’m pretty sure someone has also ‘shrinkflated’ my gas tank . . . cause I can only put a few gallons [liters] in there at a time these days!)
-CNN

PAYING A VISIT:
I love the way these guys think.  A Canadian company is attracting attention for its new policy, where it pays candidates for a job interview. Non-profit organization FoodShare Toronto says that since March 1, it has been paying job applicants $75 per interview conducted with the company. Foodshare says it is recognizing the fact that people sometimes have to take time off their current job to go to an interview, there are travel costs, perhaps childcare expenses, and “employers should be paying for that.” CEO Paul Taylor believes “employers have gotten off scott-free for far too long” in expecting job candidates to bear the costs of auditioning for a job. The company also pays candidates, at the rate of pay for the job they’re applying to, if they’re required to do any presentation or assignment as part of the interview process.
(Well, they’ll definitely get a lot of applications now!)
(I guess it would be a bad idea to try to negotiate for a “job interview raise” right off the top?)
(Do you get another $75 if they call you back for a second interview?)
-CTV

NEW GOOD NEWS (celeb edition):
➢ Birthday boy Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors orchestrated an awesome fan surprise. Ten-year-old PJ O’Byrne was devastated to the point of tears last Monday when she attended a Warriors game and found out Curry, her favorite player, wouldn’t be playing. She had waited months to see him, and even brought along her own homemade sign. The moment was captured on camera and circulated on social media, and the Warriors were kind enough to provide her with tickets to another game a few days later. There, courtside, Curry surprised her by stopping by for a round of hugs and photos, during which she cried again — this time out of joy. Curry said: “Our fans are everything”, and proceeded to lead his team to victory in front of young PJ, scoring 34 points for good measure. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4282bnwh
➢ A week after paying for everyone’s orders at Starbucks, actress Jennifer Garner continued her “random acts of kindness” streak by handing out bags of essential items to people in need. Wednesday, she posted a video explaining an easy way to do good using Ziploc bags. It shows Garner filling a bag with essential items, then giving them to people experiencing homelessness in the community. She wrote on Instagram: “Random act of kindness . . . keep them in your car to give away when you see someone in need . . . A pair of thick socks. Kleenex. Hand wipes. Disposable toothbrushes. Chapstick. A couple of granola bars. I forgot this time, but like to add feminine hygiene products, too. Add $5, $10, $20 and a smile.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2hjtjkww
-CNN, SunnySkyz

DID YOU KNOW?
How do you feel about breakfast for dinner? In a poll of 2,000 Americans, 65% said that traditional breakfast foods like fried eggs, waffles, cereal or bagels taste even better when enjoyed for dinner, or “brinner.” And two-thirds (65%) also admitted to making dinner leftovers into their next-day breakfast. Monday ranks as the most-common day for breakfast-eating, and Sunday the least likely day to eat breakfast. When asked which one breakfast food they’d be willing to eat for the rest of their lives, the #1 choice was pancakes (11%).
-StudyFinds

BS CHRONOMETER 03.14.22

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “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?
• “Commonwealth Day”, observed on the 2nd Monday in March, to honor the loose association of 54 countries in the British Commonwealth (the one-time British Empire). It now entails some 2.5 billion people or about 30% of the world’s population.
• “Potato Chip Day”, honoring North America’s favorite snack food. It was invented by chef George Crum (yup, ‘Crum’!) on this day in 1853 at a resort in Saratoga Springs NY after an uppity diner complained the potato slices were too thick. (What’s the best flavored potato chip? Worst?)
• “Save a Spider Day”, a day to appreciate arachnids and the webs they weave.
• “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. (3 years ago today, on ‘Pi Day’, Google announced employee Emma Haruka Iwao had broken the world record for calculating pi, to 31.4 trillion digits, using Google Cloud).
• “Genius Day”, celebrated on the anniversary of the 1879 birth of Albert Einstein. It was him who said, “The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.”
• “Workplace Napping Day”, observed since 1999 on the Monday after we lose an hour of sleep to Daylight Saving Time in North America. Setting the clock ahead an hour can mess with our brains, causing fatigue and general air-headedness. A study of traffic accidents on the day following the ‘Spring Forward’ found an 8% increase.

COMING UP . . .
[Tues] Dumbstruck Day
[Tues] Everything You Think is Wrong Day
[Wed] Lips Appreciation Day
[Wed] Everything You Do is Right Day
This Week Is…Brain Awareness Week
This Month Is…Caffeine Awareness Month

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1933 [89] (Sir) Michael Caine [Maurice Micklewhite], London England, movie actor (‘Nigel Powers’ in  “Austin Powers in Goldmember”, “Kingsman: The Secret Service”, “The Dark Knight” trilogy) COMING UP…”Medieval”, 2022

1933 [89] Quincy Jones, Chicago IL, music producer (Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and “Bad”)/Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2013)/father of Rashida Jones

1948 [74] Billy Crystal, Long Beach NY, movie actor (“When Harry Met Sally,”, “City Slickers”)/9-time Academy Awards host/stand-up comedian

1951 [71] Rigdon “Rick” Dees, Jacksonville, FL, radio disc jockey (“The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown”)/voice artist/actor/recording artist (‘Disco Duck’)

1958 [64] Prince Albert II of Monaco [Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre de Matignon-Grimaldi], Monte Carlo Monaco, Monaco’s 32nd ruler

1970 [52] Kristian Bush, Knoxville TN, country singer-guitarist-mandolin player (Sugarland-‘Stuck Like Glue’, ‘It Happens’)

1986 [36] Jamie Bell, Billingham UK, TV actor (“TURN: Washington’s Spies” 2014-2017)/movie actor (“Fantastic Four”, “Billy Elliot”)

1988 [34] [Wardell] Steph (Stephen) Curry, Akron OH, NBA player (Golden State Warriors – 2-time MVP, 3-time champion, 8-time all-star, 2-time scoring champ, 2015 AP Athlete of the year)

1986 [36] Este Haim, LA CA, rock bassist-guitarist (Haim-‘If I Could Change Your Mind’, ‘The Wire’)

1994 [28] Ansel Elgort, NYC, movie actor (“Baby Driver”, “The Fault in Our Stars”)

ON THIS DAY . . .
2018 [04] Physicist Stephen Hawking (“A Brief History of Time”) dies at 76

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2011 [11] Neil Diamond is finally inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, along with Alice Cooper, Tom Waits, Dr John, Darlene Love, and Leon Russell

2021 [01] At the Grammys, Taylor Swift wins Album Of The Year for “Folklore”, and Beyoncé takes 4 awards, making her the most-awarded woman in Grammy history with 28, one more than Alison Krauss

TODAY’S SPORTING EVENT . . .
1997 [25] 68-year-old Gordie Howe signs an AHL contract with Syracuse Crunch

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2017 [05] The world’s oldest golf club, Scotland’s “Muirfield” votes to admit women as members for the first time in its 273-year history

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2020 [02] The longest-ever passenger flight by distance, by Air Tahiti Nui, from French Polynesia to mainland France (9,765miles, 15,715 km), due to COVID-19. And it was a domestic flight!

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ From birth to toilet training, a baby goes through an average of 8000 diaper changes.
✓ The space between the eyebrows is called the “glabella,” derived from the Latin word “glabellus,” meaning “smooth.”
✓ The word “porcupine” means “spiny pig” in French.
✓ The average English-speaker has about 50,000 words in their mind and finds the right one in 600 milliseconds.
✓ Women have more taste buds than men.
✓ Ancient Romans left graffiti on Egyptian pyramids saying things like: “I didn’t like anything but the sarcophagus,” and “I can’t read the hieroglyphs.”
-FactSlides, FactRetriever

Best of BS . . .
BS BAD SIGNS AT SPRING TRAINING:
• Fully one-third of the team accidentally brought golf clubs instead of a baseball bat.
• You find a copy of ‘Baseball For Dummies’ in the locker room.
• Someone replaced gum and chewing tobacco with Tide pods.
• Your cup was made by ‘Dixie’.
• Every fan in the lineup asking for their breast to be autographed is a man.
• Your team has more DUIs than RBIs.
• ‘Jobu’ isn’t helping you hit the curve.
• Your star slugger struck out on an intentional walk.
• You’re an Oriole.
• There’s a lot of crying.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018

BS CHEAP WINE NAMES:
• MerLOW on Cash
• Off-White Zinfandel
• Mommy Juice Box
• Maybe You’re Worth it, Maybe You’re Not
• Two-Buck Upchuck
• 10W30
• Nasty Spumante
• Freesling
• Red Dye and Water
• Cup-a-Wine
-Twitter, first published in Bs in 2019

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• What was the working title for the movie “Titanic”?
a) Planet Ice [CORRECT, used so rival studios wouldn’t steal the idea]
b) Rose’s Turn
c) You Don’t Know Jack
d) Titanic 1

• What was the working title for “The Breakfast Club”?
a) Permanent Detention
b) Don’t You (Forget About Me)
c) Library Revolution [CORRECT, Director John Hughes also considered “The Lunch Bunch”]
d) Juvenile Detention

• What was the working title for “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”?
a) The Inner Darkness
b) Incident on 57th Street [CORRECT, the top-secret project was disguised with the bogus name, which is also a Bruce Springsteen song]
c) JK Rowling in the Deep
d) Puberty: An Allegory
-ReadersDigest

BS WEB GOODIE:
My co-workers when I pick up something good for lunch:  https://tinyurl.com/yxtuuxnj

BS RANDOM JOKE:
You’re only young once. After that you have to think up some other excuse.

BS PHONE STARTER:
What is the most surprising thing that you have ever overheard about yourself?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  24% of us admit we have actually cried over THIS. What is it?
Answer:  A bad haircut

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.