Tuesday, November 2, 2021 — Edition: #7098

Sheet for Brains!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ It might not be smooth sailing for Mark Zuckerberg in his quest to change Facebook’s identity, because someone beat him to the punch when it comes to registering the “Meta” trademark — but they’re willing to give it up for a steep price. In August, the founders of a company called “Meta PC” filed to trademark the word ‘Meta’ for computers, laptops, tablets, software and more items relating to tech — so, right in Facebook’s wheelhouse. While Meta PC’s trademark petition hasn’t yet been granted, they still have a lead on Zuckerberg if he tries to claim it for his rebranded company. The company’s founders say they’re willing to give up their trademark application if Zuckerberg will pay for it — to the tune of $20 MILLION. (You’d almost think he would have looked into this ahead of time…)
-TMZ
★ Matthew Perry is opening up like never before. He’s working on a memoir, which, according to his publicist, will tell behind-the-scenes stories from his time on “Friends”, and detail his personal struggles. Quote: “We need humor, we need catharsis, and we need to agree on something…Matthew’s book has unrivalled potential to bring people together, which feels especially galvanizing right now, a time of isolation and division.” The untitled memoir will be published next Fall.
-MSN
★ Those who follow actor Kal Penn know that he’s an accomplished TV and film actor known for his roles in “House”, “Designated Survivor”, and the “Harold and Kumar” films, and that he spent 2 years working in the White House for the Obama administration. What most do not know is that Penn has been in a relationship with his partner Josh for 11 years and the couple is engaged. In his new book “You Can’t Be Serious”, he shares the story of how he and Josh met and fell in love when Penn was living in Washington. He says he wanted to be transparent and truthful in his book, without compromising the privacy of his loved ones.
-Yahoo
★ “A Quiet Place” is expanding beyond film. Games publisher Saber Interactive and developer iLLOGIKA have unveiled plans for an upcoming video game set in the same universe as the Paramount horror films directed by John Krasinski. According to the announcement from Saber, it “will deliver an original story and gameplay that captures the compelling suspense, emotion and drama for which the series is famous.” The game will be released sometime next year.
-Deadline

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Tom Hanks, Matthew Stafford
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Kumail Nanjiani, Fred Armisen, Lucy Dacus
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Michael C. Hall, Michael Eric Dyson
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Willie Geist, Steve Schirripa, Michael Imperioli, Roy Mayorga
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Anna Kendrick, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Atsuko Okatsuka
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Andy Cohen, guest co-host Michele Tafoya
• “The Talk” (CBS): Justine Bateman
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Andy Cohen, Annaleigh Ashford
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Kumail Nanjiani, Anderson East
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Phoebe Robinson, D-Smoke, Jane Lynch, Kate Flannery
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Pilar Valdes, Alex Cooper
• “DC’s Stargirl” (CW): Season 2 finale
• “2021 World Series” (FOX, SN): Game 6, Atlanta Braves @ Houston Astros
• “The Curse of Oak Island” (HISTORY): Season 9 premiere
• “The Bachelorette” (ABC): “Top Gun: Maverick” stars Glen Powell and Jay Ellis push the guys out of their comfort zone and into the danger zone; a suitor makes the most of his one-on-one time, baring it all in his attempt to woo Michelle.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Camila Cabello – says she took a more relaxed approach to making her third album “Familia”. She says she wanted to allow herself to write songs at her own pace and give herself time to find inspiration, after discovering during lockdown how tired she really was. Familia is due out later this year.
• Ed Sheeran – says he once thought he might be gay. He shared the revelation during an appearance on the “Man Man Man” podcast. Quote: “I’m not a hugely masculine person. I have a definite feminine side to the point where, when I was a kid, I thought I was gay for a bit.”
• Missy Elliott –will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Nov. 8. Ciara and Lizzo, alongside Elliott’s longtime manager Mona Scott-Young, will help unveil the star.
• Bryan Adams — pulled out of Saturday’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony after testing positive for COVID-19. He was scheduled to perform a medley with Christina Aguilera, Mickey Guyton and H.E.R. to pay tribute to Tina Turner. Keith Urban took his place at the last minute.
• Jon Bon Jovi — tested positive for COVID-19 Saturday, prompting the cancellation of a Miami concert. He was scheduled to take part in “an Intimate Acoustic Storyteller Performance Q&A” as part of a Halloween weekend celebration. His publicist says he is “fully vaccinated and feeling fine.”
• Rush — guitarist Alex Lifeson has shared the previously unreleased instrumental ‘Cherry Lopez Lullaby’. He says the song “was written during the mix session of [RUSH’s] “Clockwork Angels” [album]…I did an interview with High Times and the interviewer brought along a friend, an esteemed grower who provided a sample of his creation named ‘Cherry Lopez’. LINK: https://youtu.be/x2FDDVvsClo
• The Rolling Stones — collaborated with Boston Dynamics to recreate the band’s ‘Start Me Up’ music video using the tech company’s robot dogs. Dubbed “Spot Me Up,” the vid features robots named “Spot” mimicking the movements of band members in the original 1981 clip, and even lip synching. LINK: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/entertainment-arts-59101408
• Trace Adkins — The first trailer for his upcoming country music-based TV drama “Monarch” has arrived. A press release from Fox calls it “a Texas-sized, multi-generational musical drama about America’s first family of country music.” Besides Adkins, it also stars Susan Sarandon and Anna Friel. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/36dk8mjb
• Travis Denning – proposed to his girlfriend — now fiancé — Madison Montgomery on the weekend. During a trip to New York, he popped the question in Central Park, and she said “Yes!” The happy couple has been dating for 2 years, and Madison, who is the daughter of John Michael Montgomery, made a guest appearance in Denning’s “ABBY” music video this year.
• Loretta Lynn – Kevin Costner dropped in to visit her while he was in Nashville recently, and she couldn’t have been more thrilled. She shared the news on Facebook, writing: “Well, I felt like I was in a field of dreams this week when Kevin Costner came by to hang out with me for part of the day. He’s always been one of my favorites and I’m a huge fan.”

SHOOTING THE BULL

LEFTOVERS?
So, do your kids have any Halloween candy left in their stash? According to a OnePoll survey, 81% of kids end up eating their entire candy haul within the first week. And 1 in 4 kids’ candy stocks won’t even make it through to today. Another poll, conducted in 2019, found that two-thirds of parents admit to stealing some of their kids’ Halloween haul. And we’re not talking about just a few pieces of candy, either. Among those who helped themselves, the average parent ate a full THIRD of their child’s Halloween candy.
(They have to sleep at SOME point!)
(Guilty. Aaaaand loving it!)
(Yeah…I got to help myself to all the crappy stuff that my kids wouldn’t eat…)
-StudyFinds

WANT:
A Japanese start-up has unveiled its single-rider “hoverbike”, with a video showing the airborne vehicle circling a racetrack. The XTURISMO Limited Edition Model was taken for a test drive at the Fuji Speedway Racing Course in Oyama, and video of the flight was posted to the company’s YouTube account. The hoverbike features a combustion engine and 4 battery-powered motors that allow it to move at speeds of up to 60 mph (97 kph). According to the company, it is already available in Japan – for $680,000. LINK: https://youtu.be/ngs1-13yTKE
(They’ve been working on this for a while, but just couldn’t get it off the ground!)
(Congratulations on making an even MORE dangerous motorcycle!)
(Why show it off at a racetrack? Wouldn’t an airport runway make more sense?)
-UPI

CORONAUPDATE:
➢ A soprano has created a mask designed specially for singers. Early on in the pandemic, Ottawa ON vocalist and choir director Joan Fearnley searched in vain online for a mask that would allow her to safely sing in public. So, she decided to design her own. Eventually, she came up with a workable model using 3 layers of cotton, a polypropylene filtration layer on the inside, and zip ties to keep it from drooping. She set up a Facebook page and posted how-to videos on YouTube, and soon heard from choirs, sewers and even scientists from around the world who were either making the masks or suggesting design improvements. Hundreds of thousands of masks have now been made by choral groups and theatrical companies across North America, Europe and Asia, and recently she’s heard from choirs in New Zealand. (My family’s been wanting to mask me every time I sing for years!)
➢ COVID-19 conspiracy theorists are more likely to contract the virus, according to a new study. The paper, published in Psychological Medicine, found that devotion to a COVID conspiracy (such as those that theorize COVID-19 is a bioweapon, a ploy to take away citizens’ rights, or a hoax invented for financial gain) can affect and predict people’s behavior and have long-term ramifications in their lives. As well as being more likely to test positive, people who believed in the theories were more likely to violate COVID restrictions and experience worse economic and social outcomes, and worsened general wellbeing. (I’m sure they designed the study to tell us that…)
-CBC, IFLScience

MORNING MISTAKES:
Habits to avoid first thing in the morning…
☞ Hitting the snooze button:  The extra minutes you eke out at that point aren’t actually restorative, even if they feel good at the time. Plus, frequent interruptions to the natural sleep cycle have been linked to both mental effects (cognitive issues, depression) and physical ones (metabolic problems). (Still, like I just said, it feels soooo good!)
☞ Grabbing your phone first:  If you check your cell before doing anything else, you’re giving your mind inputs that are effectively decided by someone else…whether it’s a bad news story you see, or an email from your boss. Take a few breaths first, and say hello to the family…
☞ Filling up on sugar right away:  Sugar and ultra-processed foods can cause a hormonal shift in the body, and put you on a roller coaster of hunger, being moody and maybe having a sugar crash. (Or, as I call it, Monday…)
☞ Not washing your face properly or using SPF:  One study found our pillows have as many microbes as a toilet seat. So, wash your face in the morning. And do you still need to be told to apply SPF?
☞ Overlooking your mental well-being:  Let in some natural light, stretch, meditate, write in a gratitude journal, or connect with a loved one. Whatever works for you, do it. It’ll set up your day in a positive way. (I don’t have time. I hit ‘snooze’ too many times!)
-HuffPost

DID YOU KNOW?
If the Houston Astros win the 2021 World Series, no one will be happier about it than Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale. The flamboyant Houston furniture store owner is not only a huge Astros fan, he’ll also win $38.9 million if his bets pay off. He wagered $3.35 million in June that the Astros would win it all. Why? To cover another gamble of sorts — customers who bought certain mattresses that cost over $3,000 will get their money back if the Astros win. McIngvale spread out his bets between 4 different sports betting companies — including a $2 million wager with Caesars Sportsbook that will pay out $22 million if the Astros win — the largest single payout in US sports betting history.
-CNN

BS CHRONOMETER 11.02.21

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1957 [64] Carter Beauford, Charlottesville VA, rock drummer (Dave Matthews Band-‘Crash Into Me’, ‘Don’t Drink the Water’)

1961 [60] k.d. [Katherine Dawn] lang, Consort AB, country-pop singer (‘Constant Craving’, ‘Crying’)

1963 [58] Bobby Dall [Robert Kuykendall], Mechanicsburg, PA, rock bassist (Poison-‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn’, ‘Talk Dirty to Me’)

1966 [55] David Schwimmer, Astoria NY, TV actor (“Friends” 1994-2004)/movie actor (“Madagascar” films)

1973 [48] Marisol Nichols, Chicago IL, TV actress (‘Hermoine Lodge’ on “Riverdale” since 2017, ‘Zoe Keates’ on “NCIS” 2015-2016

1974 [47] Nelly [Cornell Haynes Jr.], Austin TX, rapper (‘Hot in Herre’, ‘Over and Over’ w/Tim McGraw)/movie actor (“The Longest Yard”)

1980 [41] Karamo Brown, Houston TX, TV star (“Queer Eye” 2018-19, contestant on “Dancing With the Stars” 2019)

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “All Souls’ Day”, the excuse for an annual “Kite Festival” in Santiago, Guatemala, when natives send massive, extremely colorful kites to the heavens in an effort to communicate with the dead. In Mexico, it’s the second day of the “Day of the Dead” (‘El Dia de los Muertos’) celebration.
• “Deviled Egg Day”, saluting the dish that entails hard-boiled eggs cut in half and filled with the egg’s yolk mixed with mayonnaise & mustard.
• “Plan Your Epitaph Day”, dedicated to the proposition that a forgettable gravestone is a fate worse than death. Some actual tombstone epitaphs:
☞ “Pardon me for not getting up.”
☞ “I was hoping for a pyramid.”
☞ “She always said her feet were killing her, but no one believed her.”
☞ “Well, this sucks.”
☞ “I told you I was sick.”
• “Cookie Monster Day”, a celebration of the birthday of everyone’s favorite blue monster with a voracious appetite. Jim Henson created the original version for a General Foods commercial in 1966, and the beloved character appeared in the very first episode of “Sesame Street” in 1969. (All together now: “C is for cookie…”)
• “Practice Being Psychic Day”, I saw two psychics meet on the street yesterday. One said to the other “You are fine. How am I?”
• “Look for Circles Day”, simply follow the instructions of the date. Circles are everywhere. The wheels of cars, bubbles in the bathroom, and mysterious crop circles are only some examples. If you try, you’ll probably find a lot more circles than you may expect. (I’ll be in the lunch room to see if anyone brought donuts…)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Cliché Day
[Wed] Housewife Day
[Thurs] King Tut Day
[Thurs] Candy Day

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2018 [03] The Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody”, starring Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, opens in theaters. It wins 4 Oscars, including Best Actor for Malek

2003 [18] Cult favorite TV show “Arrested Development” premieres on Fox

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1995 [26] Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders guest stars on the “Friends” episode ‘The One with the Baby on the Bus’.  She sings ‘Angel of the Morning’ and learns ‘Smelly Cat’ from Phoebe

2020 [01] Thanks to a swell of views from children home during the pandemic, ‘Baby Shark’ overtakes ‘Despacito’ as the most-viewed video in YouTube history, with over 7 billion views

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
2000 [21] The International Space Station becomes permanently staffed

2013 [08] In Wisconsin, 2 planes carrying 9 skydivers collide in midair, but amazingly there are no casualties, as the skydivers parachute clear of debris and the pilots survive with minor injuries

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Every year about 7 people are killed by sharp objects in the dishwasher.
✓ Just as some people talk in their sleep, sign language speakers have been known to sign in their sleep.
✓ Injured fingernails grow faster than uninjured ones.
✓ CDs were created to hold 74 minutes of music because that is the duration of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
✓ In Greece, you can lose your driver’s license for being “poorly dressed” or “unbathed”.
✓ Barbie’s parents are named George and Margaret.
-UnnecessaryKnowledge, BathroomReadersInstitute

Best of BS:
THINGS YOU CAN SAY TO BOTH YOUR TODDLER AND YOUR DRUNKEN FRIEND:
• You can’t nap here. You need to go to your bed.
• We never touch our private parts in public.
• Chew with your mouth closed.
• Keep your fingers out of your nose.
• I am not playing that song again. We have heard it 15 times. Put on your pants.
• I know, couch is a funny word.
• We need to use our “inside” voice.
• Don’t point, it’s rude.
• Yes, those are boobies, but we don’t touch those.
• Please go back and wash your hands.
• Do you really think whining will get you what you want?
• I don’t have any more money. Please stop asking.
• I am not going to ask you to sit down again. SIT DOWN.
• I need you to use nice words.
• Why are you holding yourself? Do you need to pee?
• I told you to sit here. Why did you leave? You have to tell me when you’re going somewhere.
-HuffPost, first published in BS in 2017

TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ Jon Bon Jovi tested positive for COVID, then cancelled a concert in Miami Beach just as fans were rolling into the stadium. (Although he says he is vaccinated, my guess is this: Bad Medicine.)
➠ Charlize Theron says she once invited President Obama to a strip club. (Of course, he politely declined. But only because the strip club was nowhere near a golf course…)
➠ Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend. (Since it always starts and ends on a Sunday . . . you have no idea what time not to go to church…)
➠ Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend. That’s when we ‘fall back’, and get an extra hour of sleep.  (Which means the Jacksonville Jaguars will be well-rested for Sunday’s loss…)
➠ FACT: The average pot smoker spends over $600 a year on weed. (And $6,000 on Funyuns…)

BS WEB GOODIE:
Break time:  https://tinyurl.com/s7pcdcwx

BS RANDOM JOKE:
This morning, I accidentally changed my GPS voice to ‘male’. Now, it just says, “It’s around here somewhere…Keep driving.”

BS PHONE STARTER:
What movie have you seen hundreds of times but still enjoy watching it?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  49% of couples do THIS together before getting married. What is it?
Answer:  Get a pet

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.