December 23 2020

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Wednesday, December 23, 2020 – Edition: #6878

Jingle Bull, Jingle Bull …

BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
The Bull Sheet will be shutting down for the holidays Friday Dec. 25-Friday Jan. 1 inclusive. Following the Dec. 24 edition, the next Bull Sheet will be published for Monday Jan 4, 2021. All subscribers will receive account credits for missed service days. Thanks for an awesome year of BS, and Happy Holidays, all!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Chadwick Boseman will posthumously make a number of appearances as his “Black Panther” character ‘T’Challa’ in Disney’s “What If…?”. Marvel boss Kevin Feige has revealed the late actor, who passed away in August following a secret battle with colon cancer, recorded “numerous episodes” of the Disney+ show, and says, in hindsight, they are “very moving”. Boseman played an animated version of his iconic character in the anthology series, which is due to drop on the streaming service next year.
-ContactMusic
★ Peter Jackson has given fans a sneak preview of the upcoming film “The Beatles: Get Back”. The documentary, culled from 56-hours of never-before-seen footage of the iconic band, is set to hit cinemas Aug. 21, 2021. Ahead of its release, which was pushed back from this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the director has shared a five-minute taste of the movie, which he says will “take audiences back in time to The Beatles’ intimate recording sessions during a pivotal moment in music history”.
LINK: https://youtu.be/UocEGvQ10OE
-Canoe
★ On Monday, Elliot Page took to Instagram for the first time since coming out as transgender to thank fans for supporting him during his transition. Page wrote: “From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Your love and support has been the greatest gift. Stay safe. Be there for each other.” He also asked fans to consider donating to two transgender-focused charities.
-MSN
★ You never forget your kindergarten teacher… especially when that teacher was Arnold Schwarzenegger. Thirty years ago, he starred in “Kindergarten Cop”, a high-concept comedy about an L.A. police officer whose latest assignment requires him to go undercover as a small-town Oregon kindergarten teacher. Flash-forward three decades, and Schwarzenegger Zoom-bombed a half-dozen of those now-grown kids in a 30th anniversary Kindergarten Cop virtual reunion organized by Yahoo Entertainment. ‘Mr. Kimble’ told his former pupils: “Without any doubt, it was the performance of you kids that really made this movie.” (Then he said, “It’s STILL not a tumor!”)
-Yahoo

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Emily Blunt, Kyle Chandler, Sturgill Simpson (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Gal Gadot, Ricky Martin, Lana Del Rey (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Meryl Streep, Chris Stapleton (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Kaley Cuoco, Cazzie David, Valerie Franco (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Kevin Bacon, Jamie Oliver (R)
• “Conan” (TBS): Nicolle Wallace (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Nicholas Pinnock (R)
• “The Talk” (CBS): D.L. Hughley, Rickey Smiley (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Jimmy Kimmel, Kal Penn, Farnoosh Torabi
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Josh Duhamel, Olivia Munn (R)
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Terry Bradshaw, Iain Armitage, Alex & Elizabeth Smith (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Michael Strahan, Jamie Oliver, Leslie Osborne (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.
• “A Holly Dolly Christmas” (CBS): Dolly Parton presents personal Christmas stories and performs hymns and light-hearted holiday classics.
• “The Great Christmas Light Fight” (ABC): Season 8 finale
• “Christmas at the Castle” (LIFETIME): Sparks fly between a New York perfumer and a Scottish aristocrat as she tries to learn his secret formula for a rare fragrance.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Ed Sheeran — Early Monday, he released his new song, ‘Afterglow’, along with a performance video. Filmed in one continuous shot, the video finds him crooning about love on his first release since welcoming his baby girl, Lyra Antarctica, with wife Cherry Seaborn in August. LINK: https://youtu.be/_NGQfFCFUn4
• Twenty One Pilots – have broken the Guinness record for longest music video. In June, they invited fans to be part of what was supposed to be a never-ending video for their quarantine-inspired single ‘Level Of Concern’. After 178 days of continuous play, Josh Dun literally pulled the plug in a social media video. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/y9adtboo
• Bono, Halsey and Pharrell Williams — will be lending their vocal talents to the animated film “Sing 2.” They’ve joined a voice cast that includes returning stars Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly and Nick Kroll, who will reprise their roles from 2016’s “Sing.” Sing 2 is scheduled for release next December.
• Bon Jovi — Richie Sambora says he has “no regrets” about his 2013 decision to leave the band. He says it was about putting his relationship with his daughter, Ava, now 23, ahead of everything else. Quote: “That was a time of psychological maintenance for the family…I realized Ava needed me to be around at that point in time. Family had to come first, and that’s what happened.”
• Iggy Pop — The travesty that was 2020 inspired his new single ‘Dirty Little Virus’, which was released Monday. According to him, “I was moved to write a direct lyric, not something too emotional or deep. More like journalism: ‘who, what, when where?’ I left out the ‘why’ because that gets too complex.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/y7jyf4y9
• Granger Smith – have given away his truck. In a 22-minute YouTube video, he documented his contest to gift the Chev Silverado 4X4 to a lucky fan. At his farm, 5 qualifiers were challenged to be the last to remove their hand from his truck throughout 24 hours of cold, rain, and enticing offers, including a free vacation. “Mark from Wisconsin” was the eventual victor. LINK: https://youtu.be/Chnk6aK18uI
• K.T. Oslin – died on Monday at the age of 78. The Grammy, ACM, and CMA-winner was best known for songs including ‘80s Ladies’ and ‘Do Ya’ but had many other hits during the late 1980s and early ’90s. Her official cause of death has not been revealed, but reports say that both COVID-19 and Parkinson’s disease played a role.
• Brett Eldredge – has finally met his duet partner, Kelly Clarkson. While the 2 recently made musical magic with the release of their holiday duet ‘Under the Mistletoe’, which was recorded remotely, they had never been the same room together until he recently guested on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” Of course, they performed the song, backed by the show’s house band.

LONG RANGE FORECAST:
Better times are ahead, and after suffering through the pandemic and the economic woes it has created, we definitely deserve it. In his new book “Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live”, Yale professor and social epidemiologist Dr Nicholas Christakis writes that what’s happening in the world may seem very alien and unnatural, but plagues are not a new thing. In his observations of disease over millennia, he says we should remember this: plagues and pandemics end. They ended even before we had vaccines to respond to them. And what happens after that? Often there is a period in which people seek out extensive social interaction, which Christakis predicts will be like a second “roaring 20s” just as after the 1918 flu pandemic”. He says, “In 2024, all of those [pandemic trends] will be reversed. People will relentlessly seek out social interactions. That could include “sexual licentiousness”, liberal spending” and even a reversal of the increases in religiosity, which many cultures have seen. His vision of 2024 and beyond is filled with the experiences we’ve pined for while in isolation: packed stadiums, crowded nightclubs and flourishing arts.
(…At least for those of us who aren’t lucky enough to be involved in that “sexual licentiousness” thing!)
(Whoa. What about those of us who don’t LIKE people? Asking for an enemy…)
-TheGuardian

A NOVEL NOVEL CORONAVIRUS TEST:
A research team in California has come up with a way to detect the novel coronavirus using an ordinary cell phone camera. Using a special device attached to a regular smartphone, researchers say they can accurately test nasal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19. The University of California-Berkeley scientists were working on creating a rapid HIV test, but shifted their focus after seeing the need for coronavirus testing during the pandemic. Their long-term goal is to have it be part of a widescale testing system used around the world, not just for COVID-19, but for viruses such as the common cold and flu as well.
(Wow. A picture of a nasal swab will the SECOND grossest shot on my camera roll…)
(What virus do I have when it gives me dog ears and makes me stick out my tongue?)
(THEN let’s see my kid fake a cold to stay home from school!)
-StudyFinds

NORWEGIANS WOULD:
Here’s a little something to keep in mind if you’re still having trouble accepting that it’s officially winter: While many of us are planning to hibernate indoors for the next 3-4 months, according to Norwegians, that’s the opposite of what we should do. In Norway, people are encouraged to bundle up, head outside, and embrace the cherished Scandinavian concept of “friluftsliv”. Friluftsliv is described as a “way of life” in which people embed themselves in nature. Han Vincent, an outdoor educator who studied the concept while attending university there, says friluftsliv isn’t about snapping the perfect sunset photo or conquering a mountain, but rather a cultural philosophy of being connected to nature. 90% of Norwegians participate in it each year during every season, including winter. It can mean skiing, skating, or just going outside for a stroll. Beyond the obvious physical benefits, friluftsliv is also good for your mental health, which is particularly important this time of year…and particularly this year. And if voluntarily spending time outdoors in winter sounds WAY out of your comfort zone (pun intended), remember what anyone who enjoys friluftslic will tell you: “There is no bad weather, only bad clothes.”
(And [***co-host***], you know a thing or two about bad clothes, don’t you?)
(Maybe so, but I get MY mental health benefits by NOT going outside when it’s cold!)
(Well, I don’t see having problems staying socially-distant…outside…in January…)
-CTV

FUNNIEST TWEETS ABOUT CHRISTMAS:
⇒ I never understood how the little drummer boy’s parents could just send him outside alone at night to play his drum until my daughter brought a recorder home from school. – Simon Holland
⇒ Die Hard isn’t a Christmas movie. He sneaks around a tower at night avoiding Alan Rickman. It’s a Harry Potter movie. – Jesse McLaren
⇒ One of my nephews just brought me wine and said, “Here’s your Christmas juice,” and now he’s the one I’m leaving everything to. – Kendra Alvey
⇒ It doesn’t feel like I’m truly home for the holidays until I’ve taken my parents’ phones and said “Here let me show you” at least 25 times. – Ari Scott
⇒ to the people who put antlers & a nose on their car for xmas: u can’t trick me…I know it’s a car – Luis Vercetti
⇒ for the 12th year in a row, Rick Astley is refusing to give his wife her favorite Pixar movie for Christmas – dan mentos
⇒ This whole year has been the nightmare before Christmas — Jessie
⇒ The older you get the more holidays become about keeping your father off a ladder – mike ginn
-BuzzFeed, BoredPanda

DID YOU KNOW?
In the US, there are 4 places named Santa Claus, as well as 89 Christmases, 29 Noels, 110 Holidays, 8 Icicles and a Poinsettia Park. There are also 48 Comets, 42 Donners, 33 Rudolphs, 13 Vixens, 8 Blitzens, 8 Dashers, 6 Dancers, and 1 Cupid … Cupid Lake MN. (Sorry Prancer … no takers!)
– Wiki.answers

BS CHRONOMETER 12.23.20

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1943 [77] 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 [74] Susan Lucci, TV actress, Scarsdale NY (‘Erica Kane’ on “All My Children” 1970-2011)

1964 [56] Eddie Vedder (Edward Louis Severson III), Evanston IL, alt-rock singer (Pearl Jam-‘Jeremy’, ‘Daughter’, solo-‘Hard Sun’)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2017

1979 [41] Holly Madison, Astoria OR, model (“The Girls of the Playboy Mansion” 2005-09)

2002 [18] Finn Wolfhard, Vancouver BC, TV actor (‘Mike Wheeler’ on “Stranger Things” since 2016)/movie actor (“It”) COMING UP…”Ghostbusters: Afterlife”, 2021

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! NET: 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.

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

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2007 [13] Katherine Heigl weds singer-songwriter Josh Kelley in Park City, Utah

2018 [02] Miley Cyrus marries Liam Hemsworth. They split up eight months later

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS. . .
2007 [13] World renowned jazz pianist Oscar Peterson dies in Mississauga, Ontario at age 82

2015 [05] ’80s hitmaker Richard Marx marries model and TV host Daisy Fuentes

TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
2007 [13] 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 [06] Dow Jones average hits a record 18,024 after taking less than 6 months to climb from 17,000 points (today it’s above 30,000)

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK CHRISTMAS FACTS:
✓ Good King Wenceslas was not a king. He was a Duke.
✓ 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.
✓ Google Trends data reveals that spiral-cut ham is a more popular Christmas table choice than turkey.
✓ 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:

• There’s something half-hearted about the way they say, “Oh wow — Q-Tips”
• They spend Christmas morning making up games involving wrapping paper
• 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

Best of BS . . .
BS WAYS DOGS CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS:
• By leaving Santa a glass of milk and a mutilated squirrel.
• Decorating the tree with slobber-soaked tennis balls.
• Laying by the fire with a nice brandy, licking themselves.
• Gingerbread-flavored worm pills.
• Attending a candlelight vigil to remember neutered brothers.
• Praying for peace on Earth and a slightly larger hole in the fence to the collie’s yard next door.
• Drinking eggnog out of the toilet bowl.
-First published in BS in 2016

TODAY’S SLICE OF BS:
➠ I just read that researchers found that your social media habits could be making you self-righteous, unhappy, angry or depressed. (Oh, come on! That’s TOTAL B.S.!!! And I’d ABSOLUTELY feel crushed-to-pieces if my followers don’t agree!)
➠ A Port Dover, Ontario man who lost his wallet 54 years ago had it returned to him after it was found it in an old couch. (The wallet’s contents were still intact: driver’s license, an old check, a dog tag and 11 holes . . .  in a lone condom.)
➠ I just read a report that claims over 60% of men know EXACTLY what a woman wants in bed.  (Sadly for you, though, the answer is Ryan Gosling!)
➠ 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!)
➠ Fact of the Day:  70% of people check Twitter when they wake up, which is a sign of addiction. (The other 30% never slept because they were too busy watching cat videos on Facebook…)

BS WEB GOODIE:
Animal jerks of the year: https://tinyurl.com/yb5jaq98

BS U-PICK CHRISTMAS TRIVIA:
• What is the name of the Grinch’s dog in the movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”?
a) Pete
b) Max [CORRECT]
c) Sam
d) Fluffy

• What is the name of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s dad?
a) Donner [CORRECT]
b) Vixen
c) Dasher
d) Father Christmas

• What Christmas food is made from “marsh-whorts”:
a) Stuffing
b) Sweet potatoes
c) Cranberry sauce [CORRECT]
d) Candy canes
-ChristmasTrivia

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:  In a survey, 35% of millennials said they are worried the Christmas dinner table conversation will turn into THIS. What is it?
Answer:  Questions about their relationship

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
We are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime

 

Leave a comment