Friday, December 20, 2019 – Edition: #6599

Sheet For Brains!

BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
The Bull Sheet will be shutting down for the holidays Tuesday Dec. 24 – Friday Dec. 27, and also will not be publishing Wednesday Jan. 1 to observe New Year’s Day. All subscribers will receive account credits for missed service days. Thanks for a successful year of BS and Happy Holidays, all!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Jussie Smollett’s potential return to “Empire” for the finale of the show is “being discussed,” according to the program’s showrunner. The series will be coming to an end after the sixth and final season concludes next year, and producer Brett Mahoney said that Smollett could be making a comeback as the show draws to an end. Smollett played ‘Jamal Lyon’ on the show but was written out of the final two episodes of season five after being arrested amid claims he filed a false police report alleging he was the victim of a hate crime.
-Canoe
★ Lori Loughlin and her husband put all the blame of the College Admission Scandal on mastermind Rick Singer, and maintain that evidence will prove their innocence, according to PEOPLE. A source says that Loughlin was tricked by Singer and she only did what she believed countless parents did. The source went on to say: “She was convinced that she was making a donation, just like parents have been doing for years.”
-TheBlast
★ Sylvester Stallone surprised a group of students visiting the famous “Rocky” statue. The group of about thirty were admiring the statue when the star suddenly appeared on the famous steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He met with the students and later shared a clip on his Instagram account, writing: ”It’s good to be home, here.” The statue was placed in 1983 in honour of the famous movie scene, which saw Rocky run up the steps and dubbing them the ‘Rocky Steps’.
-ContactMusic
★ Rejoice, cartoon fans. “The Far Side” is no longer quite so far out of reach. Though he’s previously resisted efforts to have his beloved comic strip — famed for its deadpan humor —available online, cartoonist Gary Larson has come out of retirement to launch a new website, TheFarSide.com, which is devoted to his archives as well as some new material. The website also features a “Daily Dose” selection of past work as well as themed round-ups and drawings from Larson’s sketchbook.
-Yahoo

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Eddie Murphy, Greta Gerwig, Orlando Leyba
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Quentin Tarantino, Aisling Bea, Michael Lewis, Coady Willis (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Julie Andrews, Kristen Bell, Gary Clark Jr. (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt, Darlene Love
• “The Talk” (CBS): Carnie & Wendy Wilson, a performance by the Broadway cast of “Frozen”, guest co-host Vanessa Williams
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Julia Stiles, Scott Wolf
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): The Best of Ellen
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Sterling K. Brown, Karen Gillan, Brynn Cartelli
• “Celebrating Marvel’s Stan Lee” (ABC): Stars of the Marvel Universe — including Tom Hiddleston, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill — assemble to celebrate the life and legacy of the legendary comic creator.
• “I Love Lucy Christmas Special” (CBS): Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel reminisce as they trim the tree on Christmas Eve; the Ricardos and the Mertzes arrive in Paris, where Lucy encounters a sidewalk artist and a con man.

SATURDAY-
• “Double Holiday” (HALLMARK): Rebecca must throw the company holiday party with her office rival, Chris. It coincides with Hanukkah, so she must juggle her work, family traditions, and nemesis to make the party a success.
• “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (AMC): The Griswolds spend the holiday in a garish way, especially when a country cousin pulls up in an RV.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Host Eddie Murphy, with musical guest Lizzo

SUNDAY-
• “The Price Is Right at Night: A Holiday Extravaganza With the Cast of SEAL Team” (CBS): David Boreanaz and additional cast members from “SEAL Team” welcome an audience full of active duty military and veterans.
• “A Home for the Holidays With Idina Menzel” (CBS): Inspirational stories of lives changed through adoption; performers include Menzel, Adam Lambert, Ne-Yo and Kelly Rowland.
• “The Year: 2019” (ABC): A look back at historic and memorable moments from 2019; interviews with personalities of the year; hosted by Robin Roberts.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Harry Styles — Mark Hamill has hinted that he has a secret cameo in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (out today). Hamill tweeted that of all the celebs who have made cameo appearances in the series as Stormtroopers, none has been a singer. He followed that by writing: “all the clues point in one direction: #Stylestrooper.”
• Billie Eilish – says that one of the best pieces of advice she ever received was from the Spice Girls’ Mel C, who once told her to appreciate and savor the exact moment that you’re in. It’s something that Eilish now tries to do all the time.
• Guns N’ Roses – Ex-drummer Matt Sorum has announced that his memoir will be published on April 7 under the title “Double Talkin’ Jive: True Rock ‘N’ Roll Stories From the Drummer of Guns N’ Roses, the Cult and Velvet Revolver.” He says it will also detail his early experiences as a drug smuggler.
• Poison — Frontman Brett Michaels has teamed up with The Paradise Fund to help 200 families in need in on Abaco island, which is one of the places devastated by Hurricane Dorian. Michaels will fly his own plane to the island to personally deliver Christmas gifts and supplies.
• Tom Petty – His widow and his two daughters have announced that they have resolved their differences and dismissed all litigation that had been filed related to his estate. Each member of the family will have equal standing in Tom Petty Legacy, LLC and will work together on all future endeavors.
• Blake Shelton — says his partner Gwen Stefani has ”fallen in love with country music”. He insists that her new appreciation of his genre is ”nothing to do with him” and joked that she faced ”country music abuse” by her parents growing up. He says that now, country is “all that she listens to, it’s all that’s on in her car.”
• Justin Moore – says that his 10-year-old daughter has an odd gift request for Christmas: Crutches. And it’s not like she needs them. Moore says: It’s just the strangest thing I’ve ever heard of. It’s bizarre, right?

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (PG-13, Action/Adventure):  The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once more in the final chapter of the Skywalker saga. (Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, Billie Lourd)
• “Cats” (PG, Comedy/Drama):  A tribe of cats called the Jellicles must decide yearly which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life. (Taylor Swift, Francesca Hayward, Idris Elba, Judi Dench)
• “Bombshell” (R-Rated, Drama):  A group of women decide to take on Fox News head Roger Ailes and the toxic atmosphere he presided over at the network. (Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie)

OFFICE OUTLOOK:
You probably didn’t expect to hear this, but apparently, flirting can help make work a better place. A new study from Washington State University found that “casual flirting”, such as light-hearted jokes and banter among peers, when enjoyed, it can make people feel good about themselves, which can then protect them from stressors in their lives. The researchers say because of this, companies should reconsider zero-tolerance policies toward workplace sexual behavior. They did point out that people should clearly identify the difference between casual flirting and sexual harassment. Unwelcome sexual behavior can cause or increase stress and is an issue that needs to be addressed.
(I’d be the guy stressing because nobody wants to flirt with me!)
(But remember: If you work at the same place as your spouse….that flirting with the receptionist just might create a little extra stress at home…!)
-MedicalDaily

NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢  An electric eel in Chattanooga, TN is sparking a little holiday cheer. Every time ‘Miguel Wattson’ the electric eel releases a jolt of electricity, a festively-decorated Christmas tree next to his tank at the Tennessee Aquarium flickers and glows. The slippery guy has a sensor in his exhibit that picks up when he produces electricity. The aquarium had already connected the sensor to a soundboard and a light board to correspond with Wattson’s bursts, so it wasn’t a huge leap to connect his sensors to a Christmas tree, for a seasonal spin on the display. (Eel be there until Christmas. Sorry.)
➢ A porch pirate in St. Paul, MN was at least courteous enough to leave a thank you note. A woman returned home at the end of the day and discovered that her expected package was missing, and in its place was a note which read: “A quick little thank you for leaving me the opportunity of stealing your package. Very nice of you. Thank you.” It was signed: “The new owner of your package.” No charges have been laid. (The worst part is what was inside the package: A doorbell cam!)
-InsideEdition, TorontoSun

DID YOU KNOW?
As if you needed another reason to pour yourself a glass of wine…especially at this time of year…now we’re finding out that it can keep you from getting sick. A study found that red wine is better at killing salmonella bacteria than a disinfecting solution containing the same alcohol concentration and acidity level. Wine has also been found to be a fantastic disinfectant for other mouth germs. So, the next time you feel a sore throat coming on…go ahead a pour yourself a glass of vino!
(That’s way different from when I was 17, and wine was the REASON I got sick!)
-AwesomeJelly

BS CHRONOMETER 12.20.19

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1945 [74] Peter Criss, Brooklyn, NY (retired rock drummer/sometime vocalist (Kiss-‘Beth’, ‘Hard Luck Woman’)

1966 [53] Chris Robinson, Marietta GA, rock singer (The Black Crowes-‘Hard To Handle’, ‘She Talks to Angels’)

1982 [37] David Cook, Houston TX, pop singer (‘The Time of My Life’, ‘Light On’)/2008 “American Idol” winner

1983 [36] Jonah Hill, Mill Valley CA, movie actor (“The Wolf of Wall Street”, “21 Jump Street”)

1990 [29] JoJo (Joanna Noëlle Blagden Levesque), Brattleboro VT, pop singer (‘Leave [Get Out]’, ‘Baby It’s You’)/youngest solo artist to have a #1 hit (age 13)

SATURDAY- Jane Fonda (“Grace & Frankie”) is 82; Samuel L Jackson (“Pulp Fiction”) is 71; Kay Robertson (“Duck Dynasty”) is 69;  Ray Romano (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) is 62; Andy Dick (“Newsradio”)is 54;  Kiefer Sutherland (“24”) is 53; Steven Yeun (“The Walking Dead”) is 35

SUNDAY- Diane Sawyer (“Good Morning America”) is 74; Ralph Feinnes (“Harry Potter” movies) is 57; Jordin Sparks (‘Tattoo’) is 30; Meghan Trainor (‘All About That Bass’) is 26

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Dot Your i’s Day”, don’t be a poor penmanship perpetrator. Stop the neglect and give I’s their dots.

• “Go Caroling Day”, a day to get together and sing out with friends, family, or a singing group. Nursing homes, hospitals and other places often welcome carolers if you call ahead. (***See ‘Today’s Phone Starter’, below***)

• “International Human Solidarity Day”, a UN observance since 2005 to remind us of the importance of solidarity and the spirit of sharing in combatting poverty worldwide.

• “Sangria Day”, put a little “olé” in your life with the traditional fruity wine punch named for the Spanish word ‘sangre’, which means ‘blood’.

• “Games Day”. The best-selling board game of all-time? ‘Monopoly’, with over 250 million games sold in 80 countries and in 26 languages since 1935. In fact, an estimated 500 million people around-the-world have played ‘Monopoly’ since its inception (and half of those games are still going on…) New version for 2019: ‘Monopoly Longest Game Ever’ edition

• “Ugly Christmas Sweater Day”, an annual event on the 3rd Friday of December celebrating the seasonal fad that’s now become so commercialized that thrift stores are charging top prices for them and other retailers are selling kits to make them.

SATURDAY-
• “Winter Solstice”, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, as Winter officially arrives at 11:19pm EST.
• “Crossword Puzzle Day”, celebrating the date in 1913 when the first ‘Crossword Puzzle’ was published in the “New York World”. Arthur Wynne devised what he called a ‘Word-Cross’ for the Christmas edition, blissfully unaware he was starting a worldwide craze.
• “French Fried Shrimp Day”, celebrating the joys of battered prawns. Mmm!
• “Homeless Persons Remembrance Day”, observed since 1990 to bring attention to the tragedy of homelessness and to remember those who have paid the ultimate price for living on the street.
• “Humbug Day”, when 12 ‘humbugs’ are allowed to be uttered in order to vent the frustrations of preparing for the holidays.
• “Short Girl Appreciation Day”, a salute to those of minimal stature on the shortest day of the year. At what height does a woman qualify as ‘short’?

SUNDAY-
• “Abilities Day”, honoring disabled people and their care-givers. It is also a time to recognize that we all have abilities and disabilities of various kinds.
• “Date Nut Bread Day”, celebrating the rich loaf that is moist and delicious and great toasted for breakfast. Sort of like Christmas cake, only with half the weight.
• “National Cookie Exchange Day”, cookie exchanges/swaps/parties are loads of fun and pretty simple to put together. Save the date, invite your guests and whip up a batch or two of your favorite tried-and-true homemade cookie recipes or try that brand-new recipe you’ve been eyeing and share/trade with your guests.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1946 [73] The Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” film premieres in New York, directed by Frank Capra, starring James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore

2005 [14] Actress Renee Zellweger annuls her marriage to singer Kenny Chesney, citing fraud after 4 months of marriage

2009 [10] 32-year-old movie actress Brittany Murphy (“8 Mile”, “Clueless”) collapses and dies in her Hollywood Hills, California home after cardiac arrest

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1980 [39] “(Just Like) Starting Over” becomes John Lennon’s first #1 single as a solo artist in the UK, 12 days after his murder

2012 [07] Adele is named “Billboard” magazine’s ‘Top Artist of 2012; her hit recording “21″ is ‘Album of the Year’

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1980 [39] 1st (and only) NFL telecast with NO announcers (as a stunt, NBC-TV uses only sounds and graphics for a meaningless NY Jets-Miami Dolphins game)

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2007 [12] Queen Elizabeth II becomes Britain’s oldest-ever monarch, surpassing Queen Victoria’s lifespan of 81 years, 7 months, 29 days (on September 11, 2015 she overtakes Victoria as longest-serving British monarch)

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Worldwide, toilet flushing accounts for only 10% of water usage. Agriculture uses 70%.
✓ A greyhound (dog) can go from 0 to 40mph in 1.5 seconds. A Ferrari F50 takes 2.5 seconds.
✓ Coral only spawns in the week after a full moon.
✓ The names of Barbie’s five sisters are: Skipper, Tutti, Stacie, Kelly and Krissy.
✓ The inventor of the water bed chose water over Jell-O because Jell-O “tends to decompose”.
✓ Saddam Hussein used Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ as his campaign song in 2002. He won 100% of the vote…
-BathroomReadersInstitute

Best of BS . . .
BS LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS ABOUT MRS. CLAUS:
• She met Santa on an online dating site called “OK Cupid, Comet, Donner & Blitzen”.
• Santa’s outfit was originally white, until she left a red stocking in the wash.
• She once worked as a ‘North Pole’ dancer.
• She keeps an actual Elf on the shelf.
• Loves listening to ‘Wrap’ music.
• She was also once run over by a reindeer.
• She is a strong woman who doesn’t consider herself a subordinate Claus.
• She could always tell what Santa got her for Christmas because she could feel his presents.
• She’s really busy one night a year, too…
-Twitter

BS IF THE GRINCH WERE CANADIAN:
• Rather than two sizes too small, his heart would be enlarged from eating back bacon
• He would convince The Whos to share their gifts with the less fortunate
• He’d do everything the usual Grinch did, but on a more modest scale
• He’d need a thicker green coat to survive
• He’d leave an apology notes after stealing Christmas
• The quote would be, “It came without ribbons, it came without bows, it came without packages, boxes or hockey bags…”
• Instead of a sleigh, he’d come charging in on a Zamboni
• His little dog Max would be a Newfoundland
• Canadian children would affectionately refer to the mean version of him as ‘Bobby Clarke’
• Tim Horton would hear the Whos
• He was played by Jim Carrey, so technically, he IS Canadian
-Twitter, first published in ‘BS’ in 2018

TRUTH OR BS?
Are the following statements true or just a load of hooey?
• ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ was created for Montgomery Ward department stores. [TRUE]
• Two of Santa’s reindeer were originally named ‘Dunder’ and ‘Blixem’, not ‘Donner’ and ‘Blitzen’. [TRUE]
• Poinsettia plants are poisonous to humans. [BS]
• Christmas cards date back to 1743. [BS. 1843]
• Power companies have been known to fine customers for keeping their holiday lights up too long. [BS]
• In Canada, Santa’s postal code is H0H 0H0. [TRUE]
– Snopes.com

BS WEB GOODIE:
Stressing about Christmas?  https://tinyurl.com/vaa5lbu

BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s your favorite Christmas song? What one can you absolutely not stand?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
When you stop believing in Santa is when you start getting clothes for Christmas.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  Only 15% of polled people say they will do THIS during the holiday season.
Answer:  Give their boss a gift.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.