December 12, 2016

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Monday, December 12, 2016 – Edition: #5870

Here’s More Bull Roar!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Niantic is advising Pokémon Go fans to keep an eye out on its social media channels today for details about more Generation 2 monsters. With the recent release of ‘Ditto’ to the massive mobile game, Niantic seems to be gearing up to release new targets for trainers to track down. The company is promising new experiences and in-game events as well as the addition of more Pokémon into Pokémon Go.
– “Entertainment Weekly”
★ Will Donald Trump remain executive producer of “Celebrity Apprentice”? According to the show’s new host, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the answer is ‘yes’. Trump stepped down from hosting when he took up the Republican presidential race but Arnie says he knew Trump was executive producer from the moment he took over. However, Trump has tweeted: “I have nothing to do with “The Apprentice” except for the fact that I conceived it with Mark [Burnett] & have a big stake in it.” BS translation: I’ll continue to make money on it for doing nothing.
– Variety.com
★ 32-year-old Khloé Kardashian & former NBA star Lamar Odom will be officially divorced as of December 17th. A judge approved the dissolution of the marriage at an LA courthouse on Friday, 3 years after Kardashian first filed for divorce. Khloé temporarily called off the divorce in 2015 when Lamar was rushed to hospital after a drug binge at a Nevada brothel. Documents say the pair’s joint company Khlomar is being dissolved and neither is receiving spousal support.
– “Page Six”
★ And Cobie Smulders has booked her Broadway debut. The “Avengers” star is set to appear in a revival of the Noel Coward play “Present Laughter”. The Vancouver actress will join Kevin Kline in the forthcoming production, a comedy partly based on Coward’s own life. Kline will star as the arrogant ‘Garry Essendine’, with Smulders taking on the role of his best friend’s wife. The show launches with a limited 16-week run on March 10th.
– “Hollywood Reporter”

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “BBC Music Awards” (BBC One) – Fearne Cotton & Claudia Winkleman host the 2016 gala at London’s ExCel Centre. Performances by Craig David, Emeli Sandé, John Legend, Kaiser Chiefs, Lukas Graham, The 1975, Robbie Williams, and Zara Larsson. Among the ‘Artist Of the Year’ nominees … the late David Bowie.
• “Billboard Women in Music Event” (Lifetime) – Hailee Steinfeld hosts and performs at this 11th annual salute. Shania Twain is presented the ‘Women in Music Icon Award’; Madonna is named ‘Woman Of the Year’; Kesha receives the ‘Trailblazer Award’; Alessia Cara is honored as this year’s ‘Rule Breaker’; Maren Morris is gets ‘Breakthrough Artist’; Meghan Trainor collects the ‘Chart Topper Award’; Halsey is this year’s ‘Women in Music Rising Star’. Recorded Friday.
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Ozzy & Jack Osbourne.
• “The Great Christmas Light Fight” (ABC) – Debut of the 4th season of this annual holiday decor competition. Tonight’s displays include a Magic Kingdom-inspired light show and a high-tech homemade light show.
• “Harry” (syndicated) – Aaron Neville (“Apache”).
• “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global) – Norah Jones (“Day Breaks”).
• “Once Upon a Murdoch Christmas” (CBC) – The 2nd annual stand-alone “Murdoch Mysteries” Christmas special.
• “The Real” (syndicated) – Gene Simmons (KISS).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – OneRepublic (“Oh My My”).
• “The Voice” (NBC/CTV2) – The final 4 contestants compete.
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo) – Sting (“57th & 9th”).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Bob Dylan – Saturday he graciously accepted his Nobel Prize for Literature, despite not attending the ceremony. His speech was read in Stockholm by the US ambassador to Sweden, Azita Raji. In it, Dylan called the prize “something I never could have imagined or seen coming”.
• Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Greg Lake, a pioneer of the 1970s prog rock sound as a member of ELP and King Crimson, has died of cancer at the age of 69. His former bandmate, Keith Emerson, passed away earlier in 2016.
• Katy Perry – An insider tells “People” magazine that she & actor-boyfriend Orlando Bloom are planning a getaway for the holidays. They are not engaged yet, the snitch says, but are “very serious”.
• Old Dominion – Their debut album “Meat and Candy” has just been certified Gold by the RIAA, just over a year after its release.
• One Direction – Louis Tomlinson gave an emotional performance of his debut solo single “Just Hold On” on “The X Factor UK” season finalé Saturday night, just 3 days after the death of his mom. Johannah Deakin died of leukemia on Wednesday at 43-years-old.
• Rolling Stones – They’ve scored their first #1 album of new material in the UK in 2 decades. Their 23rd studio album, “Blue & Lonesome”, is their first chart-topper since 2005’s “A Bigger Bang”. It’s Britain’s 2nd-highest opening album sales week of the year, behind David Bowie’s “Blackstar” in January.
• Taylor Swift & Zayn – Their new duet, “”I Don’t Wanna Live Forever”, is the first single from the soundtrack of the movie sequel “Fifty Shades Darker”. The song was co-written specifically for the film by Swift and Jack Antonoff (fun.). Both the soundtrack and the film are out February 10th.

MMM, SMELLS LIKE CHICKEN:
KFC New Zealand has made a candle so your entire house can smell like fried chicken all the time. Opening your front door and being greeted by the scent of fried chicken sounds like a great way to come home. But imagine hurrying to the kitchen to find that wonderful, intoxicating smell is authentic … but there’s no chicken to be eaten. That could leave you angry and hungry. The candles are part of a social media giveaway as part of a survey asking Instagram users to contribute their best ideas for other KFC merchandise. KFC sunscreen and nail polish already exist, but contributors are also recommending KFC-flavored butter, fried chicken toothpaste … and Wicked Wings Condoms. (Other product suggestions, anyone?)
–Refinery29.com

IT’S ANOTHER PISSING CONTEST:
New research suggests overeating may be more ego than desire … especially with men. According to the study, it makes men appear ‘strong and virile’. A Cornell University team researched how competition and observation affect eating behavior, looking for implications on social situations. The researchers led college-age participants in competitive chicken wing challenges, both with spectators and without. The competitors with spectators ate 30% more than those without. Women participants in the same eating competition, on the other hand, seem to eat less with spectators watching. So guys, you’re probably stuffing your face at holiday meals just to show off. Bottom line – overeating may say less about eating habits than ego habits. (Put down the pie, gentlemen.)
– “New York Daily News”

PHONE FEVER:
An uncontrollable drive to use smartphones is problematic for 1-in-5 young adults, according to a new study of 3.000 adults by the Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto ON. Among respondents aged 18-to-29, about 19% indicate moderate to severe problems associated with use of their devices, compared to just 2.2% of those age 30-plus. The problems include an uncontrollable need to use electronic devices, and frequent high anxiety or distress levels. To alleviate these issues, researchers suggest you ….
✓ Be aware of how you’re using devices and for what purpose.
✓ Take frequent breaks and set limits on use.
✓ Think about how you feel before and after using a device.
(And as we always recommend … please, just put down the phone.)
– CBC News

TOY STORY:
Quick. Can you name the Canadian toy company that’s growing faster than Mattel, Hasbro, and Lego? You likely can’t, but ask any kid between 3- and 9-years-old and they probably can. Toronto-based ‘Spin Master’ is the maker of this year’s impossible-to-find Christmas toy, ‘Hatchimals’, a furry little robot that hatches from an egg and responds to its owner’s cues. As it turns out, the product and its popularity can be linked to YouTube. Amateur reviews of the toy uploaded to the video-sharing website boosted demand worldwide, the company says. Now parents from London, England to Fayetteville GA to Corner Brook NL are scouring stores, desperate to find one with less than 2 weeks to go before Christmas. (The secret to making the hottest toy of the year is … making it hard to find.)
– CBC News

FOR THE RECORD:
Back in 2006, one of the world’s most reputable bed makers, Hästens of Sweden, launched the ‘Vividus’, a bed that took 160 hours to build and came with an astonishing price tag of $112,900. After a decade of research and work, it’s now being updated. The new ‘Vividus’ takes 320 hours to make and will set you back $149,000. The bed consists of a wooden frame made of slow-growth Swedish pine; a box spring of pure steel springs with layers of cotton, wool batting, and horsehair; and a mattress pad that has its own layers of cotton, wool, and horsehair, each braided by hand and then unwound to maximize bounce. Why horsehair? Its strands are hollow, so it naturally wicks away moisture. (Great if you wanna smell like a stable.)
– Bloomberg News

BS AMAZING FACT:
New York City is further south than Rome, Italy.
– BuzzFeed.com

BS CHRONOMETER 12.12.16

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1949 [67] Bill Nighy, Caterham, England (“Pirates Of the Caribbean” films, “Love Actually”)

1970 [46] Jennifer Connelly, Round Top NY, movie actress (“Noah”, “A Beautiful Mind”)/wed to actor Paul Bettany since 2003

1975 [41] Mayim Bialik, San Diego CA, TV actress (‘Amy Farrah Fowler’ on “Big Bang Theory” since 2010, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” 2005-07)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe”, one of Mexico’s major celebrations, observed since 1746 to honor the country’s patron saint, the ‘Dark Virgin of Guadalupe’ (also patron saint of Corona-with-lime).

• “Fresh Breath Day”, a gentle reminder to all of us to pay attention to oral hygiene. If you’re average, you have over 10 billion bacteria in your mouth right now. Some of them churn out truly stinky chemicals such as hydrogen sulphide, the same gas that gives rotten eggs their odor. Some germs release putrescine, another sulfurous compound that has the essence of rotting meat. Ask listeners for old folk remedies for bad breath like chewing cloves or scraping your tongue with a spoon.

• “Gingerbread House Day”, time to get at it if you want one in time for the holidays. Also known as “Eat Yourself Out of House and Home Day”.

• “Green Monday” is an online retail industry term similar to “Cyber Monday”. It was coined by eBay to describe its best sales day in December, usually the 2nd Monday of the month.

• “Mawlid al-Nabi” (“Muhammad’s Birthday”), the Islamic celebration of the birthday of the prophet. Surprisingly, Saudi Arabia is the only Muslim country in the world where there is no public holiday for “Mawlid”.

• “Poinsettia Day”, honoring Dr Joel Roberts Poinsett (1799-1851), the US diplomat who popularized the Central American plant named for him in 1828. Now a favorite decoration for the holiday season, about 60 million are now grown in North America each year.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2012 [04] The star-studded “12-12-12” benefit concert takes place at NYC’s Madison’s Square Garden, with proceeds going to Hurricane Sandy relief (performers include Alicia Keys, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Chris Martin, Eddie Vedder, Eric Clapton, Kanye West, Roger Waters, Rolling Stones, The Who)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2003 [13] Rolling Stones’ frontman (Sir) Mick Jagger is knighted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace in London (QEII didn’t wanna do it)

2007 [09] A copy of John Lennon’s book, “A Spaniard In the Works”, which contains a lock of Lennon’s hair, sells at auction for £24,000 ($48,000)

2014 [02] Jeremih, along with his entourage, is arrested for disorderly conduct at Newark NJ’s Liberty International Airport for forcing their way onto a flight after missing the final call

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2012 [04] Pope Benedict XVI sends out the 1st papal tweet through his personal Twitter account, using the handle @pontifex

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] St Lucy’s Day
[Tues] Cocoa Day
[Wed] “A Pentatonix Christmas Special” (NBC)
[Wed] Monkey Day
[Wed] Yoga Day
This Week Is … Human Rights Week
This Month Is … Worldwide Food Service Safety Month

BULL’S BITS

BEST OF BS:
Highlight bits culled from 23 years of “Bull Sheet” back issues …
BS TMZ-STYLE HOLIDAY HEADLINES:
“Oprah Reveals Her All Shortbread Diet!”
“Two-Headed Alien Baby Raised by Reindeer!”
“Rudolph Checks Into Betty Ford saying, I Wasn’t Born With Red Nose!”
“Santa Speaks Out: I’ve Been Giving For Years … Now It’s Payback Time!”
“P!nk to Give Birth to Santa’s Love Child!”
“Actress Halle Berry Tired of Being Nailed to Door”
“Angel Sues Christmas Tree For Sexual Abuse”
– First published in “BS” 1994.

UNBELIEVABLE FACTS ABOUT ALCOHOL YOU MAY NOT REALIZE ARE TRUE:
✓ A pint of beer, a glass of wine, and a shot of vodka all contain about the same amount of alcohol.
✓ Most vegetables and almost all fruits contain a small amount of alcohol in them.
✓ In some other countries, the legal drinking age is as low as 16. Many high school cafeterias in Europe serve alcohol to students who choose to drink.
✓ Research suggests that, at any given time, 0.7% of the world population is drunk. That means 50 million people are drunk right now.
✓ A bottle of champagne contains 90 pounds of pressure per square inch, 3 times that found in car tires. That’s why a popped champagne cork can travel as fast as 60 mph (97 km/h).
✓ The most prolific beer-drinking country in the world is the Czech Republic, with an incredible per capita beer consumption of almost 40 gallons a year.
✓ One of the most popular drinks in Cambodia is Tarantula Brandy; a delectable concoction that includes rice liquor and freshly dead tarantulas.
✓ Vodka is the world’s most popular liquor by a huge margin, with about 5 billion liters consumed every year.
– First published in “BS” 2014.

BS WEB GOODIE:
Here’s a map showing what every country in the world is the best at …
NET: http://bit.ly/2go7NHv

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I’m Frisbeetarian. I believe that when you die, your soul goes up the on the roof and gets stuck.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ If your partner wanted to be with someone else just one time and would never be unfaithful again, would you let him/her do it?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Experts say we do THIS half as much today as we did in 1976.
Answer: Cook (or eat) at home.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
An ‘expert’ is someone who knows more and more about less and less.

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