Monday, September 11, 2023 — Edition: #7551
You Really Know Your Sheet!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunos released a statement to publicly apologize for the letters they wrote in support of Danny Masterson in his rape trial. In a video shared on Instagram, Kutcher, appearing alongside his wife, says: “We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson.” Kunis continues, saying: “We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future.” Kutcher explained that the couple was approached by Masterson’s family to write character letters so “the judge could take that into full consideration relative to the sentencing”, not “to undermine the testimony of the victims,” adding, “We would never want to do that. And we’re sorry if that has taken place.”
-Deadline
★ Multiple people who currently work at “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” have come forward to defend the show’s host after his character was called into question. Four TV producers spoke to the Daily Mail Friday, praising Jimmy Fallon as a “supportive” and “collaborative” leader who makes many of them feel like “family.” One producer is quoted as saying: “I have seen him stick to his guns but [give] respect to other people who disagree with him.” The unnamed person also said: I cannot say enough good things about him, about how he is an empathetic person, how he hears other people’s opinions [and] how he’s open to being flexible.”
-PageSix
★ “The Nun II” kicked off the fall box office, scaring up a solid $32 million estimated opening weekend domestically. The first “Nun” was released in 2018 as a spinoff of the “Conjuring” horror series, and is the highest grossing film in the franchise with a $53 million domestic opening and $365 million globally. In second place over the weekend was “The Equalizer 3,” with an estimated $13 million second weekend, equal to a big 63% drop from its $34.6 million opening.
-TheWrap
★ Paul Reubens’ official cause of death has been revealed, a little more than a month after the ‘Pee-wee Herman’ actor died at 70. Reubens’ immediate cause of death was recorded as acute hypoxic respiratory failure, which occurs when the lungs cannot release enough oxygen into the blood, according to a death certificate obtained by PEOPLE. It also says Reubens battled 2 types of cancer at the time of his death: cancer of the blood and bone marrow, which was listed as an underlying cause, and metastatic lung cancer. He kept his diagnoses private until after his death.
-EW
★ A new biography of Elon Musk confirms that the Tesla CEO had a previously unreported third child with his ex-partner, Canadian musician Grimes. The child, whose age has not been revealed, is named Techno Mechanicus and goes by the nickname Tau. Journalist Walter Isaacson, whose biography of Musk comes out this week, is the first to confirm the couple has a third child. Isaacson was given unprecedented access to Musk over the last 2years. Musk now has 10 known biological kids with 3 women.
-Insider
★ A famous piece of “Star Wars” history, thought for decades to be completely lost, is going under the hammer next month and is expected to fetch a staggering price. An original 20-inch model of an X-wing starfighter used in the climatic space battle in the 1977 classic — believed to be what fans term the elusive “missing X-wing” — is set to be sold on Oct. 14-15 in Dallas, with bidding starting at $400,000.
-Messenger
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Lukas and Micah Nelson (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Sylvester Stallone, Linda Cardellini, Louis Tomlinson (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Neil deGrasse Tyson, Phil Rosenthal (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Catherine Zeta-Jones, Hong Chau (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Jason Momoa; Lorde (R)
• “The Talk” (CBS): Drew Carey, Corey Feldman (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Rachel Bloom, LaChanze
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Sam Smith, Jacob Anderson (R)
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Julie Bowen, Method Man and Larenz Tate, Jason Ladanye (R)
• “American Ninja Warrior” (NBC): Season 15 finale. The remaining ninjas compete, and a $1 million winner is crowned the next American Ninja Warrior.
• “Son of a Critch” (CW): Mark and Mike bond over Mark’s role in a school play; Pop turns to Mary for help after the tax office learns he’s been collecting his dead wife’s pension checks.
• “NFL Football” (ABC): The first Monday Night Football game of the 2023 season: Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Drake & The Weeknd — The head of the Recording Academy has changed his tune, now saying that the ‘Heart on My Sleeve’, Ghostwriter’s hit viral AI-generated recording mimicking the 2 stars, will not be eligible for a Grammy because “the vocals were not legally obtained.”
• Lil Nas X — The Saturday night world premiere of “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero” at the Toronto Film Festival was delayed by a bomb threat. Sources say the threat had a homophobic intent, aimed at the rapper for being Black and gay. After it was determined to be a hoax, Nas appeared on the red carpet, and the screening at Roy Thompson Hall began about 30 minutes late.
• AC/DC – are seemingly replacing drummer Phil Rudd for next month’s Power Trip festival in California. They posted a snippet of rehearsal audio, with the words: “PWR UP for Power Trip!…rehearsal of the boys powering up with Cliff Williams, who’s coming out of retirement for the festival, and Matt Laug on drums.” Lang has played with Alice Cooper, Alanis, and Slash. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/bdd6ae4s
• Elvis Presley – NBC has announced the holiday special “Christmas at Graceland”, executive produced by his granddaughter Riley Keough, airing Nov. 29. It’ll “feature music’s biggest stars celebrating the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, his music and his favorite time of year, in an unprecedented holiday special live from his iconic home, Graceland”, according to the network. Performers will be announced later.
• Jimmy Buffet — Prior to passing on Sept. 1, he had been working on a new album, which is now scheduled for release Nov. 3. “Equal Strain on All Parts is now being marketed as a posthumous tribute to the “Mayor of Margaritaville.” Three songs have been released, including ‘My Gummie Just Kicked In’, ft. Paul McCartney on bass. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/35rzb93m
• Zach Bryan – footage of his arrest for obstructing an investigation in Oklahoma on Thursday has now been released. The arrest occurred after his friend was stopped by police. Perhaps unfortunately for him, it shows Bryan challenging the officers and hinting at influential connections that might come back to haunt them. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mrye8jzh
• Maren Morris – It seems she isn’t nearly ready to make nice with Jason Aldean. In what looks like a tease from a new video, she posted images on Instagram from what could be a new song that takes aim at the divisive ‘Try That in a Small Town’. Her response song just might be called ‘Welcome to Our Perfect Small Town’. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4bkn7vhd
• Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, and Morgan Wallen – have been announced as 2024 Stagecoach headliners. Set for April 2-28, it will also feature Post Malone (performing a set of country covers), plus Jelly Roll, HARDY, Willie Nelson & Family, Megan Moroney, Bailey Zimmerman, Leon Bridges, Diplo, Dwight Yoakam, Wiz Khalifa, The Beach Boys, Elle King, and more. Tickets go on sale Sept. 15.
SHOOTING THE BULL
SKIMPFLATION:
By now, we’re all familiar with “shrinkflation” – because we’ve been living it for 3 years. That’s when a company reduces package sizes while charging the same price. Well now, welcome to the world of “skimpflation”. If you’ve noticed a drop in quality or change in taste in some supermarket products, skimpflation” may be the culprit. Food experts say it’s possible some of the ingredients in your favorite food products may have been swapped for cheaper alternatives. And because companies don’t have to advertise these changes, shoppers often never realize the difference – at least at first. It’s difficult to tell what effect they may have on the body over the long term, if a formula is suddenly changed to inferior ingredients in order to cut costs. One way to largely avoid becoming a victim of shrinkflation is to stick to less processed foods like meat, vegetables, and dairy…because these products have fewer ingredients in them that can be “skimped” on.
(Yeah, but I’m avoiding those ones – because of INflation!)
(Before today, I would have bet a million dollars that I’d never, ever read a story containing the words ‘skimp’ and ‘flation’ — without also using the word ‘Kardashian’!)
-TorStar
BOOZE NEWS:
☞ A company in London is working on a type of synthetic alcohol called ‘Alcarelle’ which reportedly provides the relaxing effects of alcohol — without hangovers, or any of its other negative side effects. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter that blocks certain signals in the brain, producing a calming effect. When alcohol reaches the brain, it binds to GABA receptors and produces the same relaxing effects. The problem with alcohol is that it also has some negative side effects, like hangovers, movement difficulties, and speaking and thinking problems. GABA Labs says its synthetic alcohol could provide all the positive effects of alcohol consumption, but none of the bad ones. (But – to be clear, I’ll still be devastatingly charming – and a fantastic dancer?)
☞ A dietician says the cure for a hangover is sitting right there in your grocery store. And it’s not a greasy bag of chips and a Red Bull. Lucy Kerrison says kombucha and kimchi are key to getting rid of the pounding headaches and the stomach-churning the morning after hitting the town. The fermented products promote better gut health due to their probiotic content. Quote: “We know the liver is responsible for alcohol metabolism, so looking after your gut health and liver can have a positive impact.” She says the salt content helps with water retention, and fermented foods such as kimchi also contain live bacteria which can have a positive impact on our gut microbiome, something which can be damaged with excess alcohol consumption. Fermented drinks such as kombucha are also believed to help control blood sugar and soothe symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. (It was fermented drinks that made me feel like this in the first place!)
-OddityCentral, DailyMail
NEW GOOD NEWS:
➢ The world’s first piloted flight of an electric aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen has taken place. The Germany-based developer H2FLY announced it successfully carried out 4 flights from Slovenia, powered by liquid hydrogen, as part of its flight test campaign, including one that lasted for over 3 hours. The company says the flights lay the foundation for long-range, emissions-free flying. It is now working on scaling up its technology for regional aircraft and other applications, “beginning the critical mission of decarbonizing commercial aviation.”
➢ A 92-year-old Iowa resident had a 70-year dream fulfilled after a message she wrote on an egg at a packing plant has finally been responded to. Mary Foss and a few other girls that worked at the Forest City plant decided to sign eggs with their name and hometown on them and send them off in different boxes that were going out that day. She wrote: “Whoever gets this egg, please write me”, including her name, address and the date, April 2, 1951. Eventually the story became a memory, but unbeknownst to Mary, her egg was found by a man who kept it for decades in his home and watched it petrify amid his collection of antiques. That is, until neighbor John Amilfitano came across the egg while helping Richardson find something in his collection. When Richardson died the egg languished for a further 10 years in Amilfitano’s China cabinet before the internet entered the picture. In a group called “Weird (and Wonderful) Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared,” Amalfitano posted pics and his story, writing: “Wonder if she might still be alive!…I keep the egg safe in a pretty, art deco, English, Egg cozy.” The comment section exploded, and within a day, someone had found one of Mary’s nieces, who arranged a telephone chat between the egg author and Amilfitano. Mary says she has finally found a pen pal from New York (Amalfitano lives on Staten Island). LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3jpkssah
-GoodNewsNetwork
FUNNIEST CITY NAMES:
From Bat Cave, North Carolina, to Dollarbeg, Scotland, from a place called Normal to one called Odd, and from Why to Whynot, these place names are from car rental site www.VroomVroomVroom.com’s list of the World’s Top 120 Cities with Funny Names…
❑ Batman, Turkey (The mayor once tried to sue the director of “Batman Begins”.)
❑ Bee Lick, Kentucky
❑ Beer Bottle Crossing, Idaho (I’ve crossed a few beer bottles in my day, too!)
❑ Berry Head, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada (Bury head? What are you? An ostrich?)
❑ Bigfoot, Texas
❑ Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania (Definitely worth two in the bush!)
❑ Blowhard, Australia (The home of many famous politicians!)
❑ Boring, Oregon (Stop me if I’m boring you…)
❑ Brainy Borough, New Jersey (No politician ever came from here…)
❑ Bugscuffle Tennessee
❑ Cheesequake, New Jersey (We don’t know what could cause one, but it sure sounds tasty!)
❑ Chicken, Alaska (Definitely NOT named after a native species!)
❑ Christmas Pie, England
❑ Condom, France (***We’re sure you can come up with your own joke for this one!***)
(More later…)
-VroomVroomVroom
DID YOU KNOW?
A Pennsylvania man saw 777 movies in theaters over the past year, setting a new Guinness World Record. To raise awareness for autism and suicide prevention, 32-year-old Zach Swope began his movie journey on July 5, 2022, watching “Minions: The Rise of Gru.” The film fanatic, who has Asperger’s syndrome, watched approximately 3 movies during each week, still working his full-time job early in the day. Weekends were all-day endeavors. Swope watched “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” as the last movie of his year-long binge on July 5. His most-watched film over the year was “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” which he viewed 47 times. His least favorite movie? The sci-fi horror “The Devil Conspiracy,” which he only saw once, and calls “a movie I’d rather forget.”
-NYPost
BS CHRONOMETER 09.11.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “9/11 Remembrance Day” (Patriot Day in the US), 22 years ago at 8:46 am EDT, terrorists began the attack on NYC’s World Trade Center using hijacked airliners. The Pentagon in Arlington VA was subsequently targeted, and an attempt by passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 to retake control of their hijacked plane caused it to crash in a Pennsylvania field, killing all 64 people on board. Patriot Day is in memory of those killed in the attacks.
• “Emergency Number Day”, saluting the direct-dial 9-1-1 emergency system. (In the UK it’s 9-9-9; in Australia 0-0-0, in New Zealand 1-1-1, in much of Europe 1-1-2)
• “I’m On Top of It Day”, “to celebrate and reward busy families for “being on top of at least one organizational chore that gives them forehead wrinkles”. Pick one thing, and look after it. (I’m up – what else do you want?)
• Boss/Employee Exchange Day”, “To help bosses and employees appreciate each other by sharing each other’s point of view for a day.” (Darn! I thought we were supposed to exchange paychecks!) LINK: http://www.giftypedia.com/National_Boss/Employee_Exchange_Day
• “Hot Cross Buns Day”, a sweet, spiced bun made with currants or raisins and leavened with yeast. As the name suggests, these baked goodies are marked with a cross on the top, which is supposed to symbolize the crucifixion. (Now? I thought they were an ‘Easter’ thing??)
• “Make Your Bed Day”, many of us don’t make our beds every morning. Today, start the good habit of making your bed. It will make you feel better, and it is also good for your sleep. (Plus, if your spouse is still in there, it’ll drive him/her nuts!)
• “No News is Good News Day”, a day to take a break from all the bad news about catastrophes, disasters, crisis and sorrow. It’s a good opportunity to turn off the news for a while, enjoy the silence and stop thinking about all the bad things. (Turn off the news? This public service message NOT brought to you by this station!!)
• “I Want to Start My Own Business Day”, if you really want to start your own business, your first step is to write down your goal. (After that? Uh…I don’t have a clue…)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] Video Games Day
[Tues] Chocolate Milkshake Day
[Wed] Bald is Beautiful Day
[Thurs] Parents Day Off
This Week is…Chef Appreciation Week
This Month is…Happy Cat Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1953 [70] Tommy Shaw, Montgomery, AL, rock guitarist-singer (Styx-‘Renegade’, Damn Yankees-‘High Enough’)
1965 [58] Moby (Richard Hall), New York NY, pop singer-DJ (‘Porcelain’, ‘Natural Blues’), producer, photographer, animal rights activist
1967 [56] Harry Connick Jr, New Orleans LA, TV personality (“Harry” 2016-18, “American Idol” 2010-2016)/singer-composer (‘Every Man Should Know’)/movie actor (“P.S. I Love You″)/TV actor (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” 2012)
1970 [53] Taraji P Henson, Washington DC, TV actress (‘Cookie Lyon’ on “Empire” 2015-20)/movie actress (“Hidden Figures”, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) COMING UP… “The Color Purple” 2023
1971 [52] Richard Ashcroft, Wigan England, rock singer-guitarist (The Verve-‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’)
1977 [46] Jonny Buckland, London England, rock guitarist (Coldplay-‘Yellow’, ‘Viva la Vida’)
1977 [46] Ludacris (Christopher Bridges), Champaign IL, rapper (ft. Shawnna-‘Stand Up’, ft. Pharrell-‘Money Maker’)/movie actor (“Fast & Furious″ franchise)
1981 [42] Charles Kelley, Augusta GA, country singer/guitarist (Lady A-‘Need You Now’, ‘Just a Kiss’)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2003 [20] John Ritter (“8 Simple Rules”, “Three’s Company”) dies at age 54 of complications due to an aortic dissection
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1962 [61] Drummer Ringo Starr replaces Pete Best of the Beatles (A later Pete Best solo album was titled “Best of the Beatles”)
1977 [46] Appearing on Bing Crosby’s “Merrie Olde Christmas special”, David Bowie refuses to sing ‘Little Drummer Boy’ with Crosby, so his part is rewritten as ‘Peace on Earth’. Crosby dies a month later, and the duet becomes a Christmas classic after airing later that year
2002 [21] James Brown’s daughters Deanna & Yamma sue their dad for royalties from songs they supposedly helped write, including 1976’s ‘Get Up Offa That Thing’, which they would have co-written…at ages 3 and 6
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1977 [46] The Atari 2600, originally known as the Atari Video Computer System, is released, revolutionizing the video game industry
1999 [24] 17-year-old emerging tennis phenom Serena Williams wins her first US Open women’s title and first Grand Slam singles’ tournament, beating top-seeded Martina Hingis
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2013 [10] A 400-km (240 mile) long human chain called “Catalan Way” is organized by the Assemblea Nacional Catalana to promote the independence of Catalonia from Spain
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ With enough training, an elephant can throw a baseball faster than a man can.
✓ The average adult spends more time on the toilet than exercising.
✓ The only 2 infectious diseases that have been completely eradicated are smallpox and rinderpest.
✓ The CIA once called an assassination team the “Health Alteration Committee.”
✓ If you have metal fillings, chewing aluminum foil can generate up to two volts of electric current.
✓ In 2015, a teenager named Bud Weisser was arrested for trespassing at a Budweiser Brewery in St. Louis.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, Facts
Best of BS . . .
BS WEIRD FOOTBALL PENALTIES:
• Unnecessary buffness
• Too many players in the friend zone
• Touchdown celebration looks too much like the pee-pee dance
• Illegal use of an orange peel for a mouth guard
• Being a Chicago Bear: automatic loss of game
• 12 men in the cuddle
• 2 minutes for high-sticking
• Sportsmanship
• Being too ‘handsy’ with the other team
• Deflating the ball . . .Oh, wait – apparently that’s OK
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ The City of Los Angeles was founded 242 years ago this week. (To me, she doesn’t look a day over 160. Cuz, …You know…Botox!)
➠ A study claims that the antioxidant resveratrol (found in red wine and chocolate) doesn’t actually help you live longer, after all. (The study was, of course, performed by the National Buzzkill Institute.)
➠ Research shows marijuana smokers tend to be skinnier. (The study has a margin of error of “plus or minus Seth Rogen”…)
➠ Football season is underway. (I fully expect my team to finish first. . . In the 2024 draft.)
➠ The NFL season is underway. Nearly 70% of NFL fans would rather watch games at home, says a report. And I don’t blame them. Going to the games, you can get mugged, stabbed, shot or raped. (Unless you stay away from the player’s entrance…)
BS WEB GOODIE:
The more you watch it, the funnier it gets (sound up): https://tinyurl.com/4suxxyrm
BS RANDOM JOKE:
If there’s a “heavens no” and a “hell yes”, why isn’t there a “purgatory maybe”?
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• Which movie features this quote: “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”
a) Good Will Hunting
b) Dead Poets Society [CORRECT]
c) Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
d) Dude, Where’s My Car?
• In the Pixar film “Cars”, who voices the character ‘Lightning McQueen’?
a) Tom Hanks
b) Owen Wilson [CORRECT]
c) Luke Wilson
d) Steve McQueen
• What food do the Avengers go out to eat after the Battle of New York in the first Avengers film — at Tony Stark’s suggestion?
a) Shawarma [CORRECT]
b) Burgers
c) Ice Cream
d) Some fava beans and a nice Chianti
-AhaSlides
BS PHONE STARTER:
You wake up and you’re the last person on earth. What’s the first thing you do (crying isn’t an option)?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: The most common recurring dreams include: #1 – falling, and #2 – being chased. What is # 3?
Answer: Being back in school as an adult
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen.
