December 15 2017

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Friday, December 15, 2017 – Edition: #6020

Ah, the Sweet Smell of BS!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Mark Hamill admits he ”got really choked up” watching the late Carrie Fisher on screen in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ (out today) because she is ”still so alive” in his mind.  Hamill also says that despite his increased involvement in this film compared to ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, he was surprised the first time he saw the script.  Speaking at the European premiere of the new movie, Hamill said that, “They have come up with a Luke that when I read the script, I didn’t recognize.”
(We all get older, Mark…)
-ContactMusic’
★ George and Amal Clooney pulled off a veteran mom-and-pop move when they handed out some pretty exclusive noise-canceling headphones to first class passengers on a flight from Los Angeles to England.  Clooney passed out wireless headphones worth $350 featuring George’s ‘Casamigos Tequila’ logo on them.
-TMZ
★ John Stamos is going to be a dad. He announced in an interview that his fiancée, model Caitlin McHugh, is expecting their first child.  The two became engaged in October, but had been talking kids even before that. Stamos says he remembers a conversation in which McHugh said, “‘Maybe we should have a kid [before we get married]’ and when he said “Why?”,  McHugh jokingly responded, “Because you’re old.”
-People
★ Kirsten Dunst is pregnant. She and fiancé Jesse Plemons are expecting their first child. The pair started dating in 2016 while playing husband and wife on ‘Fargo’ and will wed in Austin next spring.
-MSN
★ The SAG Awards will feature only female presenters at the 2018 ceremony. Traditionally, a male and female pair hand out the awards. Executive producer Kathy Connell says the idea to feature all-female presenters arose from a conversation with her daughter after attending the Women’s March in January.  She says “So many of our women have been very, very brave, as have other women in other industries this year and we thought it was an opportunity to salute our women.”  The names of the presenters have yet to be announced.  As previously announced, Kristin Bell will serve as the first-ever host of the Jan. 21 ceremony.
-EW
★ Philip Seymour Hoffman’s partner is opening up about the late actor’s struggle with addiction. Mimi O’Donnell says that as soon as Hoffman started using heroin again, she was terrified.  She says she told him that he was going to die, and that every night when he went out, she wondered if she would see him again.  Hoffman died from a heroin overdose in February 2014 at the age of 46.   They had three children together.
-Yahoo

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Benicio Del Toro, Ruby Rose, Michael McDonald
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Jodie Foster
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Dax Shepard, Lily James, Max Brooks, Brooks Wackerman ( R )
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Josh Gad, Rachel Bloom, Michelle Dockery, Charlie Puth ( R )
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Nick Jonas, Darlene Love
• “The Talk” (CBS): Gina Rodriguez, guest co-host Hilary Duff
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Kate McKinnon, Hailee Steinfeld, Lance Ulanoff
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Hillary Clinton, Khalid
• “The 86th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade” (CW): Dr. Oz serves as grand marshal of the 86th annual Hollywood holiday procession featuring celebrity appearances, decorated floats and marching bands.
• “A December Bride” (HALLMARK): A holiday wedding brings no joy to the bride’s cousin, who was once engaged to the groom. However, she reluctantly accepts a date to the event, and gains a fake fiancé in the process.

SATURDAY-
• “I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown” (ABC): Linus and Lucy’s little brother, ReRun, tries to avoid the Van Pelt family’s holiday nuttiness by hanging with Snoopy and his own sibling, the desert-dwelling Spike.
• “UFC Fight Night: Lawler vs. dos Anjos” (FOX): Robbie Lawler faces Rafael dos Anjos in a welterweight bout in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
• “Christmas Next Door” (HALLMARK): An author of bachelor lifestyle books is left in charge of his young niece and nephew for the holidays.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Host Kevin Hart, with musical guest Foo Fighters

SUNDAY-
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Anderson Cooper, Kim Zolciak Biermann
• “A Christmas Story Live!” (FOX): A live musical adaptation of the iconic film and Broadway production about an American family during the Christmas season in the 1950s. Nine-year-old Ralphie Parker wants a Red Ryder Range Model Carbine Action BB Gun for Christmas.
• “Romance at Reindeer Lodge” (HALLMARK): A couple that’s sworn off holiday events is stranded at a Christmas-themed ranch until after Christmas.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Bon Jovi – lead the pack of inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame April 14.  Word from bandmembers and from ex-guitarist Richie Sambora is that an onstage reunion could happen.
• The Cars – although the band hasn’t talked about it yet, indications from singer Ric Ocasek and drummer David Robinson are that there is a good chance fans will get to see the band together onstage at least one more time at their Rock Hall induction.
• Dire Straits – band members are leaving their options open as to a Rock Hall reunion.  Keyboardist Alan Clark indicates they will take their cue from what singer/guitarist Mark Knopfler wants to do.  Although dormant since 1992, the band never officially broke up.
• Moody Blues – Frontman Justin Hayward plans to have the band play live at their Rock Hall induction.  Interestingly, they released a live album called ‘Hall of Fame’ in 2000.
• Smithereens — singer/guitarist Pat DiNizio died at 62 on Tuesday.  No cause of death has been given.  Where did the band get its name?  From a from the Yosemite Sam cartoon catchphrase: “Varmint, I’m a-gonna blow you to smithereens!”
• Allman Brothers – Just three weeks after announcing his retirement, former guitarist Dickey Betts has announced plans for a 2018 solo tour. He’s been off the road for about three years. He plans to play a select string of dates in 2018.  His manager calls it a “birthday present to himself.”  Betts turned 74 this week.
• Jethro Tull – will mark their 50th anniversary next year — and part of the celebration will include a deluxe 40th-anniversary reissue of the band’s 11th studio album, ‘Heavy Horses’.
• The Cure – have announced a massive 40th-anniversary show for Saturday, July 7th at BST Hyde Park in London.  They will headline a roster that includes Interpol, Goldfrapp, Slowdive, Ride, Editors, Twilight Sad and more acts to be revealed later.
• Imagine Dragons — will lead the countdown to the New Year in the Central Time Zone alongside Walk the Moon for ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’.  Both acts will perform in New Orleans.
• James Blunt – wants ”colorful socks” for Christmas.  He says he needs new hosiery because whenever he is on tour he loses his socks. In fact, just to be extra careful: “Maybe even with a long cord like those mittens so they can go up the trouser leg.”
• Frank Ocean – now has his own radio station in the video game ‘Grand Theft Auto’.  The game’s new update includes the new channel “Blonded Los Santos 97.8 FM” in the radio station options. Ocean can now be heard in the game alongside other contributors, including Tyler the Creator, Danny Brown, and Iggy Pop.
• Thomas Rhett – he went Christmas caroling with Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard, Russell Dickerson and their wives, and there’s video to prove it.  Songwriter Rodney Clawson was serenaded, and he posted a clip.  Tyler Hubbard’s wife, Hayley, also shared a nice group portrait of the country carolers.
• Sugarland – have been added to the lineup for this year’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve TV special. They will join Kane Brown, Nick Jonas, Camila Cabello, Ciara and more at the annual New Year’s Eve celebration in New York City’s Times Square.

OPENING TODAY IN MOVIE THEATERS:
• “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (PG-13, Action/Adventure):  Having taken her first steps into the Jedi world, Rey joins Luke Skywalker on an adventure with Leia, Finn and Poe that unlocks mysteries of the Force and secrets of the past. (Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher)
• “Ferdinand” (PG, Animation/Comedy):  After Ferdinand, a bull with a big heart, is mistaken for a dangerous beast, he is captured and torn from his home. Determined to return to his family, he rallies a misfit team on the ultimate adventure. (John Cena, Kate McKinnon, Bobby Cannavale)
• “Permanent” (PG-13, Comedy): It is about bad hair, adolescence, and socially awkward family members. It involves life-altering permanents and poorly-made toupees. Obstacles to daily survival ensue. (Patricia Arquette, Rainn Wilson, Kira McLean)
• “The Ballad of Lefty Brown” (R-Rated, Western): A story about loyalty, friendship, and the relentless pursuit of justice. (Bill Pullman, Peter Fonda, Joseph Lee Anderson)

SEWER TOUR:
Part of a monster ‘fatberg’ that clogged a London sewer is going to be put on display in a museum.  The Museum of London says it will put the only remaining chunk of the 143-ton mass of oil, fat, diapers and baby wipes on display early next year.  Workers spent weeks deslodging the smelly 820-foot-long blob by breaking it apart with high-powered hoses.  The museum’s shoebox-sized chunk is all that remains.  The rest was converted to biofuel.  Oh, and the smell?  The mini-fatberg has been air-dried to help with that.  And it will be displayed in a sealed case.
(I wish I could flush MY fat down the toilet!)
(This is kind of like when your surgeon lets you see your kidney stone!)
(If I only knew you could make fuel out of that stuff…)
-AP, BBC

LESS STRESS AT X-MAS:
Here are some ways to cut down on stress and enjoy yourself more, according to The Feng Shui Diva, Robin Bentley:
➠ Tap into your happy childhood:  Go through your childhood photos, a time when you were really excited about the holidays.  If you have old photos of expected holiday guests, have enlargements made, and put them on display for all to see.  (Um…because I’d really want someone to do that to me?)
➠ Watch the clutter:  Obstacles in your home can create obstacles in your life, so don’t create obstacles with your decorations.  If you have to step over it, duck under it, or squeeze by, its going to add more stress to your holiday.  A good cleaning and clutter-clearing before you decorate is a good idea.  (Great.  One more thing for the ‘to-do’ list…)
➠ Chuck the negative stuff:  Everything inside your home has a memory or meaning attached to it. When you look at something, it will either give you a positive emotional response, a neutral response or negative response. Get rid of all the negatives and surround yourself with positives. And don’t put up any decorations that create negative feelings.  (Which takes me back to those ugly childhood photos…)
➠ Anger:  The more stressed we are, the easier it is to become angry.  But, it is physiologically impossible to be angry when your muscles are relaxed.  If the holidays start getting to you, take an adult “time out” and go limp like a rag doll.  Relax your body without tensing one single muscle.  (“Now you kids behave while Mommy takes her ‘relaxing’ medicine…”)
➠ Get a good night’s dark: Melatonin is the hormone that controls our mood and our sleep.  It’s produced by the pineal gland at night, in the dark. Light makes the body think its daytime. You will be in a more positive mindset if you sleep in the dark.  No light, no TV, no streetlight coming through the bedroom window.  (Although your neighbor might not appreciate it when you stomp through his nativity scene to unplug the ‘Star of David’!!)
-FengShuiDiva

BS CHRONOMETER 12.15.17

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1933 [84] Tim Conway, Willoughby OH, TV actor (“The Carol Burnett Show” 1967-1978, “Hot In Cleveland” 2010-2013)

1949 [68] Don Johnson, Flat Creek MO, TV actor (“Blood & Oil” 2015, “Nash Bridges”
1996-2001, “Miami Vice” 1984-89)/movie actor (“Django Unchained”) COMING UP…Book Club, 2018

1979 [38] Adam Brody, San Diego CA, movie actor (“Scream 4″ , “The Ring”)/former TV actor (“The OC” 2003-07)

1981 [36] Michelle Dockery, London UK, (“Good Behavior” 2016, “Downton Abbey” 2010-15)

1983 [34] Camilla Luddington, Ascot UK, TV actress (‘Jo Wilson’ on “Grey’s Anatomy” since 2012)

1991 [26] Alana Haim, LA CA, pop-rock guitarist (Haim-‘The Wire’, ‘Don’t Save Me’)

SATURDAY-
1949 [68] Billy Gibbons, Houston TX, guitarist (ZZ Top-‘Sharp Dressed Man’, ‘Legs’)

1963 [54] Benjamin Bratt, San Francisco CA, TV actor (“Star” 2016, “Private Practice” 2011-13)/movie actor (“Doctor Strange”, “Miss Congeniality”)

1975 [42] Benjamin Kowalewicz, Montréal QC, rock singer (Billy Talent-‘Stand Up and Run’, ‘Rusted From the Rain’)

1981 [36] Krysten Ritter, Bloomsburg PA, TV actress (“Jessica Jones” since 2015, “Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23″ 2012-13)/movie actress (“Veronica Mars”, “Big Eyes”)

1984 [33] Theo James, Oxford UK, movie actor (“The Divergent Series”)

1986 [31] Dave Rublin, Maplewood NJ, rock bassist-keyboardist (American Authors-‘Best Day Of My Life’, ‘Believer’)

SUNDAY-
Pop-rock dummer Eddie Fisher (OneRepublic) is 44; TV actress Sarah Paulson (“American Horror Story”) is 43; Movie actress Milla Jovovich (“Resident Evil”) is 42; Rock drummer Neil Sanderson (Three Days Grace) is 39; Boxer Manny Pacquiao is 39; TV actress Shannon Woodward (“Westworld”) is 33; Rock guitarist Taylor York (Paramore) is 28.

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Cat Herders Day”, a day of sympathy for anyone who feels their job, or even their life, is like trying to herd cats.

• “Free Shipping Day”, an annual pre-Christmas shopping event when participating retailers offer free delivery with purchases.

• “International Tea Day”, observed annually since 2005 in tea producing countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Uganda, India, and Tanzania.

• “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.

• “Underdog Day”, the 41st annual on the 3rd Friday in December saluting the underdogs and the unsung heroes, the ‘Number Twos’ who contribute so much to the ‘Number Ones’ that we always hear about:  Sherlock Holmes’ Dr Watson, Captain Kirk’s Mr Spock, Garfunkel, etc.

SATURDAY-
• “Chocolate Covered Anything Day”. What unusual food enveloped in chocolate have you eaten? Chocolate-covered coffee beans … mmm!

• “Stupid Toy Day”, a half-hearted salute to some of the bad inventions marketed for kids.

• “Tea Party Day” in Boston MA, anniversary  of the original 1773 ‘Boston Tea Party’, a protest over taxation by American colonists.

SUNDAY-
• “Maple Syrup Day”, the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate this delicious North American treat. Canada makes more than 80% of the world’s supply, most of it coming from the province of Québec. The state of Vermont is the biggest producer in the USA.

• “Wright Brothers Day”, honors the Wright Brothers’ flight at Kitty Hawk NC December 17th, 1903. The first sustained motorized aircraft flight travelled a total of 850 ft. Orville Wright was the pilot, winning the honors in a coin toss. Wilbur got to run alongside.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1997 [20]  “Spice World” movie directed by Bob Spiers and starring girl group the Spice Girls premieres in the UK

2008 [09] Madonna pays former husband, film director Guy Ritchie, around £50 million (circa $65 million) as part of their divorce settlement

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1967 [50] 1967 The Beatles release ‘Christmas Time is Here Again’

2014 [03] Taylor Swift’s 5th album, “1989″, reaches #1 and goes on to become the best-selling album of 2014 (9.5 million copies worldwide)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2001 [16] Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after 11 years and $27 million are spent to fortify it, without fixing its famous lean (because that’s the tourist attraction)

BULL’S BITS

BS WACK FACTS:
✓ 38% of Americans think fruitcake is good and 52% think it’s gross.
✓ 42% of Americans don’t put anything in their Egg Nog, but among those who do, 22% prefer rum, 16% go for bourbon, and 7% pick brandy.
✓ Christmas accounts for 5.5% of annual household carbon dioxide emissions.
✓ The image of Santa’s red coat came from a 1930s ad for Coca-Cola.
✓ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was almost named ‘Reginald.’
✓ The real St. Nicholas was a wiry Greek-Turkish archbishop who lived on a sunny Mediterranean beach.
-UberFacts, GoodHousekeeping

BS QUESTIONS FOR STAR WARS FANS:
• When some exclaims” May the force be with you'”, am I to respond “And also with you”?
• Don’t you want to see more Jar Jar Binks?
• Can you not tweet spoilers, jerks ?
• A CT scan has Yoda ever gotten?
• Ok, if I watch ‘The Last Jedi’, will you watch Dirty Dancing?
• Can the Force also be used in football?? Sincerely, the Cleveland Browns
• Did Maury really say Darth was NOT the father?
• Have you ever seen C3 pee, yo?

-Twitter

BS QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE BUYING EGG NOG:
• “Am I feeling sufficiently noggy today?”
• “What’s the best egg-to-nog ratio?”
• “I have high cholesterol — is there egg white nog?”
• “What other disgusting egg-based beverages could I try?”
• “Has this egg nog been approved by the Nogmaster General?”
• “Is egg my best choice of nog?”
• “Which one’s the egg nog that all the rappers drink?”
• “Do I really feel like drinking this crap?”
• “What would Jesus drink?”
• “Which came first, the egg or the nog?”
-Neloo

BS RANDOM JOKE:
It’s probably my age that tricks people into thinking I’m an adult.

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ Will you ‘self-gift’ on Christmas by giving yourself a present? (In a poll, 26% said ‘Yes, if I see something I want’; 19% said ‘Yes, and I know what I want’

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
A study recently found that WHAT has an average bacterial reading of 3,785?
a. Cell phone.
b. Toilet seat.
c. Office teabag. [CORRECT] (the toilet seat reading averaged 220)
-TheIndependent

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  50% of us say we have not done this over the holidays. What is it?
Answer:  Kiss under the mistletoe

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Maybe the reason newborns always cry is that any discomfort is literally one of the worst things they have ever experienced.

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