December 23 2021

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Thursday, December 23, 2021 – Edition: #7135

Jingle Bull, Jingle Bull . . .

 

BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
The Bull Sheet will be shutting down next week for the holidays, and will not be publishing Monday, December 27 – Friday Dec. 31. All subscribers will receive account credits for non-service days. Thanks for a very successful year of BS and Happy Holidays, all!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ The Disney movies “Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Encanto” lead all films in nominations for the 49th Annie Awards, honoring the best in animated entertainment. Disney dominated the film nominations with 21 noms, plus 8 more for its sister animation studio, Pixar. The Annie Awards are scheduled to take place at on Feb. 26, at UCLA.
-TheWrap
★ Sarah Jessica Parker says she damaged her feet from wearing heels so often during “Sex and the City.” She played shoe-obsessed columnist ‘Carrie Bradshaw’ in the hit 1990s comedy series, as well as its new sequel “And Just Like That”, and has revealed that she, QUOTE: “created a new bone” in her foot after wearing high-heels on set for up to 18 hours a day.
-ContactMusic
★ Jeff Garlin’s sudden departure from “The Goldbergs” over multiple misconduct allegations has left the show in an unusual bind. How should Garlin’s character, Murray Goldberg, be dealt with on the show, given that Season 9 of “The Goldbergs” is in full swing and his sudden disappearance would be noticeable? The plan for now is that Garlin will indeed appear in the rest of the season – through the use of off-camera dialogue pulled from earlier episodes and unused takes, as well as the use of previously shot images of Garlin.
-Variety
★ Being mistaken for Ben Affleck doesn’t seem to faze Ryan Reynolds. In fact, the actor has embraced it. Reynolds says workers at an East Village pizzeria in New York City that he has been going to for years often mistake him for Affleck. He added that while there, he is often asked how Jennifer Lopez is doing, and just plays along.
-MSN

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Ben Affleck, Jay Ellis, the Record Company (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Matthew McConaughey, Alana Haim, Niko Moon (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Peter Dinklage, Lee Jung-Jae, Aaron & Bryce Dessner (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Michael Che, Rep. Adam Schiff, Jon Epcar (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Nicholas Hoult, Aisling Bea, BTS (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Kathy Griffin (R)
• “The Talk” (CBS): Cheryl Hines, Katie Lowes (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell (R)
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Neil Patrick Harris, Leon Howard, guest host Stephen “tWitch” Boss
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Machine Gun Kelly, Nikki Glaser, Alessia Cara (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Ron Howard, Clint Howard, Amy Sedaris, David Sedaris (R)
• “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (ABC): A mailman (the voice of Fred Astaire) explains why Santa has whiskers, lives at the North Pole and brings presents once a year.
• “Fantasy Island” (FOX): Holiday episode. A businesswoman’s fantasy of a perfect Christmas tests Roarke in unexpected ways; Mr. Jones faces his past; a new Secret Santa tradition has Ruby and Javier looking to the future.
• “Silent Night: A Song for the World” (CW): The creation and cultural impact of the world’s most famous Christmas carol, composed in 1818 in Salzburg; Hugh Bonneville narrates.

BS MUSIC NOTES:

• Dua Lipa – She’s fronting the sporting brand PUMA’s “Flutur” campaign, featuring a butterfly style logo on 90s-inspired apparel and footwear, and says: “Flutur, is the Albanian word for butterfly. I chose it to pay homage to my heritage while also celebrating this new beginning with PUMA.”
• Beyoncé — A vacant lot next to one of her childhood homes is up for sale in Houston, and of COURSE the sellers are making it all about Bey to unload the property. There is a huge sign on the tiny lot reading: “Build On Beyonce’s Old Block.” List price: $315k.
• Mariah Carey – The hit just keeps on comin’. Her 1994 Christmas hit ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’, in hitting #1 this week on the Billboard Hot 100, has become the first song in history to have three separate runs in the top spot. It also hit #1 in 2019 and 2020.
• Alanis Morissette – “Jagged Little Pill”, the Broadway musical featuring her songs, will not reopen at the Broadhurst Theater following its current COVID suspension. That makes the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical the first Broadway casualty of this month’s Omicron surge in New York City.
• Green Day – Frontman Billy Joe Armstrong is one of many performers added to “Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party” on NBC. Brandi Carlile, Saweetie, Anitta, Jack Harlow, 24kGoldn and Kitty Ca$h will also be on hand, with “more surprises to come”. Miley Cyrus and Pete Davidson will host.
• ZZ Top – has sold its “entire music interests” including publishing catalogue and income from music and performance to BMG and investment firm KKR for an estimated $50 million.
• Ringo Starr – Feb. 14, he’ll release the coffee-table book “Lifted – Fab Images and Memories in My Life With the Beatles From Across the Universe”. Sales will benefit the Lotus Foundation, and it will be available exclusively online at Julien’s Auctions. The “collector’s edition” is $59. “Signature edition” copies, signed by Starr, will cost $495 and are limited to 500.
• Walker Hayes – is booked to perform on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rocking’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2022”. He’ll take the stage live from LA, and it’s a safe bet he’ll sing his smash hit ‘Fancy Like’.
• Kelsea Ballerini — Dolly Parton has recruited her for a part in her new audiobook “RUN, ROSE, RUN.” Parton will headline the cast of the Nashville-based thriller she co-wrote with author James Patterson. Parton plays ‘Ruthanna Ryder’, a beloved country icon, and Ballerini will read the part of ‘AnnieLee’, Parton’s character’s protégé. RUN, ROSE, RUN” will be released March 7.
• Chris Young — is a huge fan of Christmas – and it’s little wonder. Young says it’s his favorite holiday because of a gift he received as a boy that changed the course of his life – his first guitar.

SHOOTING THE BULL

PREGAMING:
To an athlete, their pre-game ritual is an essential part of making themselves ready to perform. Think of LeBron James’ powder throw and Ray Lewis’ animated dance out of the tunnel. But does a pre-performance routine (PPR) actually help an athlete play better? As it turns out – yes. Researchers at the University of Vienna’s Department of Sport Science pulled data from studies of 800 athletes across 15 sports, and found that regardless of the athletes’ ages, genders, and ability levels, the kind of routine, and how long it took to master the routine, the players’ performance increased dramatically when they performed some kind of a PPR. In addition, those that used a PPR fared better than those who didn’t. Peter Gröpel, the senior author of the study, said: “Routines…can strengthen concentration and help to dive into optimal mental state for performance.”
(I’m just imagining what a horrendous golfer I’d be if I DIDN’T have a pre-shot ritual!)
(And THAT, honey, is why me and the team meets for beers before bowling!)
-StudyFinds

GIVING BETTER GIFTS:
For those of you who will be joining me in some spirited last-minute Christmas shopping, here are a few things to keep in mind as you hunt for the perfect gift among whatever is left over on the store shelves. Michael Norton, a professor at Harvard Business School, has conducted studies which have concluded that has spending money on others gives us greater happiness than spending on ourselves. How? Gift giving cultivates a stronger relationship between you and the recipient, showing you care and understand them. So, with that in mind, here is how to deliver those ‘feel-good’ gifts:
1. Choose gifting experiences over stuff: Gifts such as concert tickets, an exercise class, or hosting a loved one for dinner make the recipient feel closer to the giver, not just when they’re unwrapping their present, but when they’re enjoying it later.
2. Think long-term satisfaction:  Don’t shy away from buying a practical gift. That coffee machine or those headphones you received and use every day are going to keep reminding you of the person who gave it to you. (Kinda puts the kibosh on #1, doesn’t it?)
3. Don’t make it a burden:  Make your gift convenient and easy to use. No one wants a present that creates extra work for them. (A treadmill, for example…)
4. Follow instructions:  If the person you’re shopping for handed you a wish list, don’t go don’t go rogue. The closer you are to the recipient, the more likely you are to think you should find something else to show the person just how thoughtful you are. Bad idea.
5. Don’t Feel Pressure to Splurge:  A study showed that across the board, givers thought expensive gifts would be appreciated more, but receivers didn’t care about price. Spend what’s reasonable for your budget. (I spent what’s reasonable for MY budget just getting to the mall!)
-EverydayHealth

REAR OF THE YEAR:
Each year, Yahoo Finance selects a ‘Company of the Year’ based on its performance and achievements. This year, the honor went to Microsoft. But that’s not what we’re here to talk about. Yahoo Finance also picks an annual ‘Worst Company of the Year’, which is much more interesting. The worst company is selected based on a poll, of its audience, asking which company upset them the most. And who “peed” people off the most? Facebook, of course…yes, the company that received such bad press that it changed its name to Meta. It received 50% more votes than the second-place finisher, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. Other dishonorable mentions went to AT&T, Nikola, Tesla and Citadel Securities. Admittedly, a large portion of voters made their decisions on stock market and share price factors, but still…)
(Well, I’m at least happy to see we live in a world where the phone company can still make you mad!)
(What company upset YOU the most in 2021…or at least what company that doesn’t own this station upset you the most?)
(What company do you have nothing but GOOD things to say about it?)
-Yahoo

THINGS FROM 2021 THAT WE ACTUALLY WANT TO KEEP:
⇒ The option to work from home:  While not everyone had the luxury of working remotely, hopefully more employers will see the continued benefits of a largely hybrid or remote workforce. (The biggest irony for a radio person is that, in a job where we always did “remotes”, we hardly ever get to do them these days!)
⇒ Acceptance of staying home:  Finally, even extroverts seem to understand that sometimes, what you need after a busy workweek is a night to decompress and treat yourself however you see fit. (Food delivery, a long bath and a murder doc on a Friday night? Bring. It. On.)
⇒ normalization of mental health days:  In addition to sick days, vacation and personal days, some companies are offering employees mental health days. That kind of support benefits both the company and the worker.
⇒ A friend circle that’s about quality, not quantity:  Maybe it feels like you have fewer friends these days. But chances are, the ones who’ve stuck by you are people you’ve actively worked to keep in your life (and vice versa) and it’s likely that the pandemic only strengthened your bond.
⇒ A de-emphasis on looking picture-perfect all the time:  For many of us who used to spend 45 minutes putting on a full face of makeup before heading into the office, the switch to remote work might mean that we didn’t feel compelled to do that whole routine anymore. (I perfected looking schlumpy loooong before 2021…)
⇒ Personal space:  Finally, can we all agree to keep 6 feet apart forever? Great, thanks so much.
(How about you? Got any more “keepers” from 2021?)
-HuffPost

DID YOU KNOW?
The first-ever literal millipede has been…uh…unearthed. Despite a name derived from the Latin for thousand (mille) and feet (pes), no millipede has ever been found with more than 750 legs — until now.
A millipede with 1,306 legs — the most of any living creature on Earth — was found living 60 meters (200 feet) below ground in Western Australia. The eyeless invertebrate — 3.7 inches (9.5 cm) long and 0.04 inch (1 mm) wide — has 330 body segments, antennae, a beak for feeding and a cone-shaped head.
-CNN

BS CHRONOMETER 12.23.21

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1943 [78] Harry Shearer, LA CA, TV voice actor (voices of ‘Mr. Burns’, ‘Smithers’, ‘Ned Flanders’, ‘Principal Skinner’ and others on “The Simpsons” since 1989)/movie actor (“This Is Spinal Tap”)

1946 [75] Susan Lucci, TV actress, Scarsdale NY (‘Erica Kane’ on “All My Children” 1970-2011)

1949 [72] [Steven] Adrian Belew, Covington KY, rock guitarist (Frank Zappa; David Bowie; King Crimson, Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Paul Simon, Nine Inch Nails, Primus, William Shatner)

1964 [57] Eddie Vedder [Edward Severson III], Evanston IL, alt-rock singer (Pearl Jam-‘Jeremy’, ‘Daughter’, solo-‘Hard Sun’)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2017

1978 [43] Estella Warren, Peterborough ON, movie actress (“Beauty and the Beast” 2009, “Planet of the Apes” 2001), model (Sports Illustrated, Victoria’s Secret), former synchronized swimmer (3X Canadian national title winner)

1979 [42] Holly Madison, Astoria OR, model (“The Girls of the Playboy Mansion” 2005-09)

2002 [19] Finn Wolfhard, Vancouver BC, TV actor (‘Mike Wheeler’ on “Stranger Things” since 2016)/movie actor (“It”) COMING UP…”Pinocchio”, 2022

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Festivus”, created in 1966 but little-known until it was mentioned in a “Seinfeld” episode in 1997. It’s dedicated to celebrating the season without the pressure and commercialism of traditional holidays. (Can we start with the airing of grievances?) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/y83s2osr
• “HumanLight”, a Humanist holiday celebrated annually on December 23rd. Like “Kwanzaa”, it’s a modern invention, celebrating a positive approach to the coming new year.
• “Noche de Rabano” (Night of the Radishes) in Oaxaca (‘wah-HAH-kah’), Mexico, when figurines are cleverly carved … from radishes. How festive! LINK: https://tinyurl.com/y6wfhezz
• “Pfeffernuesse Day”, a salute to the tiny spice cookies that are popular as a holiday treat in Denmark, Germany, and The Netherlands, as well as among Mennonites in North America.
• “Roots Day”, a day to celebrate your heritage. Many of us are returning to our roots as we head home for Christmas, bringing us a cozy, comfortable feeling and a sense of belonging.
• “Regifting Day”, held each year on the Thursday before Christmas. Many office holiday parties are held on this day, and research shows that 40% of office party gifts are regifted.

COMING UP . . .
[Fri] Christmas Eve
[Fri] Egg Nog Day
[Sat] Christmas Day
[Sat] No “L” Day

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2007 [14] Katherine Heigl weds singer-songwriter Josh Kelley in Park City, Utah

2018 [03] Miley Cyrus marries Liam Hemsworth. They split up 8 months later

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS. . .
2007 [14] World renowned jazz pianist Oscar Peterson dies in Mississauga, Ontario at age 82

2015 [06] ’80s hitmaker Richard Marx marries model and TV host Daisy Fuentes

TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
2007 [14] Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (aged 29 years, 122 days) surpasses Wilt Chamberlain to become the youngest player in NBA history to reach 20,000 career points

2014 [07] The Dow Jones average hits a record 18,024 after taking less than 6 months to climb from 17,000 points (today, it’s above 35,000)

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ If they were laid end to end, all of the blood vessels in your body would circle the Earth 4 times.
✓ By age 50, your eyes let in 20% less light than they did in your 20s.
✓ Humans are the only animals with chins.
✓ Belly buttons grow special hairs to catch lint.
✓ Right-handed men tend to put on their pants ‘right-leg first’ (and vice-versa).
✓ Drunk men smile more often than drunk women.
-MentalFloss, WhattheFFacts

BS WHACK CHRISTMAS FACTS:
✓ Good King Wenceslas was not a king. He was a Duke.
✓ “Black Friday” is not the busiest shopping day of the year. The 2 days before Christmas are.
✓ The first song played in space was ‘Jingle Bells’ in 1965.
✓ Telling scary ghost stories is an old Christmas Eve tradition that has died out in the past century.
✓ An average of 14,700 people visit hospital emergency rooms each holiday season because of decorating accidents.
✓ Some zoos accept donated Christmas trees as food for their animals. (Gee, thanks for the Christmas leftovers…)
-OfficeHolidays, List25

Best of BS . . .
BS SIGNS YOUR KIDS DON’T LIKE THEIR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS:

• They spend Christmas morning making up games involving wrapping paper.
• There’s something half-hearted about the way they say, “Oh wow — Q-Tips…”
• You see them trying to shove everything back up the chimney.
• Spelled out in Legos on the front lawn are the words “You Are Cheap”.
• Moments after they unwrap their gifts, you see them up for sale on ‘Facebook Marketplace’.
• Your son simply refuses to understand why you couldn’t get him a date with Margot Robbie.
• They cite your gifts as a major factor in their decision to convert to Judaism.
• You wake up and find the head of Baby Yoda in your bed.
• They ask, “OK, now where are the REAL gifts?”
-Neloo, first published in BS in 2017

TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ Walmart has been forced to apologize and pay a woman $2.1 million after falsely accusing her of stealing Xmas lights. (Now, if only they’d apologize for playing Christmas Music since Labor Day…)
➠ Researchers say that driving in traffic is the most stressful thing most people do all day. (Although I’d like to see you tell that to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s publicist…)
➠ It’s Christmas time, even though Hanukkah wrapped up over 2 weeks ago. A lot of people don’t know much about Hanukkah. All I know is that Adam Sandler wrote a song about it back when he was funny. (Kidding. Adam Sandler was never funny.)
➠ The average person spends 23 minutes a day eating. (Yet another way my family is waaaay above average!)
➠ Fact of the Day:  Laughter has been proven as a way to lose weight. (Hey, I’ve seen myself step out of the shower for 48 years and it’s NEVER worked for me!)

BS WEB GOODIE:
Too real?  https://tinyurl.com/43r935rm

BS RANDOM JOKE:
If you think Christmas shopping on December 23rd is “last-minute”, clearly you’re an amateur.

BS PHONE STARTER:
Is Christmas your favorite day of the year? If not, then what is?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  A study found that THIS happens for most people at 2:13pm on December 26th. What is it?
Answer:  We hit our family limit!

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.

 

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