Thursday, March 4, 2021 — Edition: #6931
Sweet Sheet!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Seth Rogen is becoming a “ganjapreneur”. The actor-writer-producer and proud weed proponent has announced the launch of his own marijuana company, “Houseplant”. He’ll also offer accessories like ashtrays, lighters… “and YES, even ceramics.” Anyone who follows Rogen on Twitter knows that his second favorite hobby during quarantine has become making ceramics. He tweeted that Houseplant’s weed will be “available in California next week!”
-Yahoo
★ The 73rd Emmy Awards has an airdate: CBS and the Television Academy have announced that this year’s Emmys will air live on Sunday, Sept. 19. Host(s), producers and a venue will be announced at a later date. The Television Academy also still has to decide how to handle this year’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards, and whether it will be held over multiple nights like last year, or return to the previous setup of taking place over two nights the weekend before the primetime ceremony.
-Yahoo
★ Peacock has picked up a new science series from Bill Nye and Seth MacFarlane. Hosted by the longtime TV scientist, “The End Is Nye” is billed as a “scientific blueprint for surviving anything that comes our way.” The series sends Nye “into the most epic global disasters imaginable – both natural and unnatural – and then demystifies them using science to show how we can survive, mitigate, and even prevent them.” Topics will range from “viruses to volcanoes, asteroids to authoritarianism, and climate change to chemical warfare.” No word on a premiere date.
-TheWrap
★ Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have made another very generous donation. The couple has pledged $250,000 to the Influence Mentoring Society, an organization that helps support Indigenous youth in pursuit of post-secondary education in Canada. Reynolds and Lively shared, “All too often, diverse groups are left behind in the things we take for granted. This program aims to rectify that imbalance.”
-MSN
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Sacha Baron Cohen, Wesley Snipes, Charlotte Lawrence
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Tracy Morgan, Sam Heughan, Pete Lee
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Ike Barinholtz, Lilly Singh
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Daisy Ridley, Caroline Polachek
• “Conan” (TBS): Paul Bettany
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Garcelle Beauvais, Kelly Rowland
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Brad Paisley
• “The Talk” (CBS): Mayim Bialik, Kevin Powell, Julie Gentry
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Stanley Tucci, Dale Talde
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Paul Bettany, Maluma
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Daisy Ridley, Gina Torres, Grace Potter
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Travis Barker, Kelly Marie Tran
• “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” (ABC): Season 1 finale. Rachael Leigh Cook, Sherri Shepherd, and Kevin Nealon
• “The Chase” (ABC): Season 1 finale
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• BTS — has joined the lineup for MusiCares’ Music on a Mission virtual event on March 12. It will feature never-before-seen performances — some live, some on tape — from Haim, H.E.R., Jhené Aiko and John Legend. Music on a Mission is replacing the traditional MusiCares’ Person of the Year gala, a mainstay of Grammy Week since 1991 that’s been canceled due to the pandemic.
• Justin Bieber – Paris Police were called after about 150 Beliebers gathered outside the hotel that he and wife Hailey Baldwin had checked into. The country has adopted a strict zero-tolerance stance on public gatherings as it struggles to keep case numbers under control.
• Billie Eilish – has announced the sale of a series of 3 original prints inspired by her Apple TV+ documentary “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry”. The $50 prints are said to “interpret” the documentary via the unique styles of the artists hand-picked by Eilish. They are available now on the NTWRK livestream shopping app.
• The Bee Gees — Barry Gibb says fans can expect the group’s long-awaited biopic within the next couple of years. It follows the 2020 documentary “The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart”. Quote: “There are a lot of things that nobody ever knew about.”
• Download Festival – The annual rock festival in has been cancelled for 2021 due to the pandemic. It had been set for June 4-6 with Kiss, System of a Down and Biffy Clyro headlining, but has been axed for a second year running due to COVID-19.
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Its 36th annual induction ceremony has been set for October 30 at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, which has been newly renovated “to prioritize health and safety.” This year’s nominees include Mary J. Blige, Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Iron Maiden, JAY-Z, Carole King, LL Cool J, Tina Turner and more. This year’s inductees will be announced in May.
• Bob Marley — Bunny Wailer, one of the last surviving members of the legendary group The Wailers, died Tuesday in his native Jamaica at age 73. Wailer, a baritone singer whose birth name is Neville Livingston, formed The Wailers in 1963 with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.
• Lindsay Ell – helped the Country Music Association Foundation give back to kids, by aiding the organization in celebrating Music in Our Schools Month. Ell, who is an artist ambassador for Unified Voices for Music Education, recently visited (virtually!) Nashville’s Mt. View Elementary School, and led a group of fourth grade music students through a songwriting workshop. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/seb4tncy
• Garth Brooks — sold out his Charlotte, N.C. Stadium Tour stop in 90 minutes, but it’s taking forever for the concert to happen. The show, most recently set for April 10, has been delayed again, pushing it back to Sept. 25. No reason was given, but his first 3 tries at playing the city were all derailed by the pandemic.
• CMA Fest — The Country Music Association has announced that its annual CMA Fest has been canceled for 2021 due to the pandemic, suffering the same fate as the 2020 event. CEO Sarah Trahern says that plans are going forward for CMA Fest in 2022, which is scheduled for June 9-12 of next year.
SHOOTING THE BULL
DROP WHAT YOU’RE READING:
A new drug that promises to help “people of a certain age” read without needing reading glasses has been submitted to Food and Drug Administration in the US for approval. The eye drops – called AGN-190584 – are a pilocarpine solution which doesn’t treat the symptoms of presbyopia, an age-related condition that causes gradual loss of the eyes’ ability to focus on nearby objects. They help treat its symptoms. Instead of targeting the lens, the drops make the eyes’ pupils smaller, creating a pinhole effect that increases depth of focus. AGN-190584 is expected to be approved by the end of this year, according to a statement from Allergan Eye Care.
(Great idea…but maybe they could come up with a catchier name?)
(So…do you need a prescription…or a subscription?)
(I’m going to wait until they come up with drops to replace my contacts!)
-USAToday
ARE YOU A NOMOPHOBE?
Smartphone addiction results in poor sleep, according to a new study by the Department of Obviousness. Scratch that. The study was conducted at King’s College London. In a survey of over 1,000 students between ages 18-30, nearly 40% qualified as “addicted”. And students who reported high use of cellphones also reported poor sleep quality. Researchers wrote “Later time of use was…significantly associated with smartphone addiction, with use after 1 a.m. conferring a 3-fold increased risk.” Prior studies have also found overuse of smartphones at night to be associated with trouble falling asleep, reduced sleep duration and daytime tiredness. That’s likely because use of smartphones close to bedtime has been shown to delay circadian rhythm, the body’s normal sleep-and-wake clock. By the way, cellphone addiction is also known as “nomophobia”. The ‘no-mo is short for “NO Mobile.”
(I’m not saying I’m addicted to my phone, but I forgot to bring it to the bathroom yesterday. We have 245 tiles…)
(Anyone want to bet me that this survey was carried out via an app?)
-CNN
UNCONVENTIONAL CONVENTION:
If you thought that, in the age of COVID-19, the only way to ‘sort-of’ hold an industry conference is through online meeting programs, such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, you’d be mistaken. Last month, the US Civil Air Patrol hosted its annual Cadet Programs Conference in a three-day event — held entirely on a Virtual Reality platform. How cool does that sound? The California Wing of the Civil Air Patrol normally holds its annual Cadet Programs Conference in San Luis Obispo, California, bringing in over 500 12–21-year-old for networking and professional development. When it became clear that hosting the 2021 conference in person wouldn’t be possible, the VR program “Virbela” was selected as an alternative to a traditional convention. Participants were able to create virtual avatars — complete with their choice of wardrobe items. They could interact in real-time with any of the hundreds of other virtual personas. The platform provided technology which created an immersive audio-visual experience, allowing attendees to walk or teleport between classrooms. And when their avatars bumped into each other, it became normal to say ‘sorry’ or ‘excuse me’, according to participants.
(I guess now they’re “cyberspace cadets”?)
(This is the best thing I’ve heard since…well, since the LAST time I heard of something that get me out of going to a conference!)
-Forbes
FUNNIEST TWEETS OF THE WEEK FROM WOMEN:
⇒ How dare Hasbro de-gender our most beloved traditional male archetype: the potato – Jessica Valenti
⇒ (***CAUTION: “tf”***) i ain’t victim-blaming, but why tf was an egg sitting on a wall — unintentionelle
⇒ me in a meeting: “this could’ve been an email” me receiving an email: “i’m going to hurl myself into the sun” – emily allen
⇒ I’m going to reveal the gender of a child every hour until my demands are met – molly, trash queen
⇒ i think my hot neighbor just saw me tell my plants to “have fun!!” as i put them outside to get some sun so that’s sick — kate
⇒ u think I’m annoying now? I did the morning announcements in high school – Ely Kreimendahl
…AND A FEW FROM CAT OWNERS:
⇒ If cats could talk they probably wouldn’t. Not to the likes of us anyway. – queenie
⇒ If you don’t tell your cat “big yawn” when they do a big yawn that’s neglect – Zack Budryk
⇒ I can’t believe people are STILL struggling with basic Zoom etiquette. Remember:
– MUTE yourself when not speaking
– USE “raise hand” to avoid interruption in groups
– Make sure your CAT is in view
– Don’t forget to tell me your cat’s NAME
– Please tell your cat I LOVE them – Celeste Labedz
-HuffPost
DID YOU KNOW?
A man has pinpointed the location of the famous Windows XP background. First, a bit of background: The iconic Windows XP default desktop wallpaper of a sloped green hill beneath a bright blue sky is one of the most viewed photos in the world, but its generic pleasantness has long stumped PC people in regards to its real-world location — with some believing it’s not even a real photo. Grant Marek recently set out to find the earthly location of the computer background and discovered it covered in wine grapes, across the street from an alpaca farm and Highway 12 in Sonoma, California. According to his research, Charles O’Rear uploaded the photo to a stock photo agency in 1996. When Microsoft discovered it, the company paid a reportedly six-figure sum for the rights and promptly plastered it across the globe as part of a $1 billion marketing campaign for Windows XP. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/dur7wza2
-NYPost
BS CHRONOMETER 03.04.21
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1954 [67] Catherine O’Hara, Toronto ON, movie actress (“Home Alone” films)/TV actress (“Schitt’s Creek” 2015-20)/Canada’s Walk of Fame (2007)
1958 [63] Patricia Heaton, Bay Village OH, TV actress (“The Middle” 2009-18, “Everybody Loves Raymond” 1996-2005)
1961 [60] Steven Weber, New York City NY, TV actor (“Wings” 1990-97, “NCIS” 2014-17)
1963 [58] Jason Newsted, Battle Creek MI, heavy-metal bassist (ex-Metallica-‘Enter Sandman’, Ozzy Osbourne)
1969 [52] Chaz Bono (born Chastity Bono), Los Angeles CA, reality star, musician, LGBT activist (“Dancing With the Stars”, 2011)/the only child of Cher and Sonny Bono
1969 [52] Patrick Roach, Lewisporte NL, TV actor (‘Randy’ on “Trailer Park Boys” 2001-18)
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “March Forth and Do Something Day!”, a day of motivation celebrated each March 4th. Today, you’re encouraged to do something new that enriches your life or the life of someone else.
• “Courageous Follower Day”, to dispel the myth that followers are passive or weak individuals. We often celebrate the concept of leadership, but all leaders require followers and, in fact, virtually all of us are followers at some times and leaders at others. (You follow?)
• “Grammar Day”, a day to celebrate clean, correct sentences and shun ungrammatical writing. (Sponsored by the Society for the Promotion of Good(er) Grammar) NET: http://nationalgrammarday.com
• “Poundcake Day”, honoring the hearty dessert that sits in your stomach like a lead anchor. (When’s ‘Pound Salt Day’?)
• “Scrapbooking Day”, More than just saving mementos, modern scrapbooking involves sorting, cropping, pasting, and writing captions for chosen pictures. Professional “scrapbooking kits” are available, and “scrappers” or “scrapbookers”, get together and scrapbook at each other’s homes, scrapbook stores, scrapbooking conventions, retreat centers, and even on cruises(!!).
• “Toy Soldier Day”, is actually intended to unite fans of various role-playing activities. Ranging from nurses to scouts (and yes, soldiers), one of the primary goals is to collaborate, compare and share costume ideas.
• “National Snack Day”, usually smaller than a meal and often eaten between them, they are sometimes even eaten late at night and called midnight snacks. The word “snack” derives from the Dutch word “snacken,” which means to bite. (What’s your “go-to” snack?)
COMING UP . . .
[Fri] Cinco de Marcho
[Fri] Multiple Personality Day
[Sat] Dentist’s Day
[Sat] Oreo Cookie Day
THIS DAY IN SHOWBIZ . . .
1994 [27] Actor John Candy (“SCTV”, “Uncle Buck”) dies from a heart attack at 43
2019 [02] Actor Luke Perry (“Beverly Hills 90210”, “Riverdale”) dies after a stroke at 52
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1966 [55] John Lennon makes the controversial statement: “We (the Beatles) are more popular than Jesus.”
2012 [09] Nielsen SoundScan reports that vinyl record sales increased 36% in 2011 compared to the previous year, and concludes that vinyl is making a big comeback
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1877 [144] The first ‘microphone’ is developed (thanks to Emile Berliner, I have a job!)
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1943 [78] Actress Greer Garson takes 5.5 minutes to accept her Academy Award for “Mrs. Miniver”, considered an Oscar acceptance speech record (becomes more and more exaggerated over the years)
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Over 90% of all fish caught are caught in the northern hemisphere.
✓ The longest-ever train was 7.35 kilometers (4.57 miles) long.
✓ People see better when they’re scared.
✓ Forensic scientists can determine a person’s sex, age, and race by examining a single strand of hair.
✓ It takes 7-21 days to make a jelly bean.
✓ The inventor of the lightbulb, Thomas Edison, was afraid of the dark!
-LearnSomethingEveryDay, RandomFactGenerator
Best of BS . . .
BS THINGS MY CHILDHOOD TAUGHT ME:
• When parents say “maybe,” they absolutely mean “no”.
• Mom knows everything. All of it. She sees it. She knows it. Mom knows.
• No one from any boy band will ever marry you. Ever. No matter how many posters of them you have on your wall.
• Pants aren’t always necessary.
• There’s no such thing as too much eyeliner.
• MTV is for music. (Hmmm…)
• Some of us eventually grow out of our weirdness.
• To a seven-year-old, Saturday morning cartoons are as close to heaven as you can get.
• Never mess with a big sister.
• Haircuts are temporary, but pictures are forever.
• Only I can prevent forest fires. And that’s a whole lot of pressure to put on a kid.
• I really should have enjoyed naps a whole lot more!
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
TODAY’S SLICE OF BS:
➠ A study found that cats don’t feel any emotional attachment to their owners. (That’s according to “The Obvious Department of Obviousness.”)
➠ Jon Bon Jovi just turned 59 years old. (If you don’t know what to get him, just take some time and “mullet” over. [Rim Shot!])
➠ Hilaria and Alec Baldwin just announced their 6th child together. (I’m not sure if they plan to have any more, but if they do, it’ll become an honorary Osmond!)
➠ Lou and Edith Bluefeld just celebrated their 80th year of marriage and are currently recognized as the oldest living married couple in Florida. (Big deal. My wife and I are only two days away from setting the record for World’s Longest Uncomfortable Silence…)
➠ (***CAUTION***) A judge in India has ordered a cock-fighting rooster to appear in court after killing its owner. (I wonder if this Cock will be Hung?)
BS WEB GOODIE:
Probably good at “cycling” ’round the basket: https://tinyurl.com/mj7mnsr6
BS RANDOM JOKE:
I made wine out of raisins so I wouldn’t have to wait for it to age.
BS PHONE STARTER:
A Luddite is someone who avoids changes and improvements in technology. Who’s the biggest Luddite you know? What won’t they do?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: In a survey ranking the most common ways people break their phones, 42% said they ruined theirs by doing THIS. What is it?
Answer: Accidentally putting it in the washing machine
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Ambition is like love, impatient both of delays and rivals.
