January 15 2020

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Wednesday, January 15, 2020        Edition: #6612

Good Morning, Sheetheads!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Although Alex Trebek plans to continue as “Jeopardy” host for as long as he can, he has revealed who he would like to replace him when the time comes. Sort of. The 79-year-old, who was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March, says the perfect choice to succeed him would be — Betty White. Although the remark was made with tongue-partially-in-cheek, Trebek was serious when he said “It’s probably going to be a woman and she’ll have to be bright. She’ll have to have a good sense of humor.” He also told reporters that he doesn’t see his “30-second [goodbye] moment coming up in the near future.”
-CountryLiving
★ Queen Elizabeth has issued a statement supporting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to step back in their royal duties and live part-time in Canada. It says, in part: “Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family”, The statement comes on the heels of a family meeting held with Prince Charles and her grandsons Prince Harry and Prince William. The Queen called the meeting after Harry and wife Meghan Markle went public saying they plan to move out of the UK and become financially independent.
-TheBlast
★ Joaquin Phoenix kept his promise. On Sunday for the 2020 Critics’ Choice Awards, he rocked the same Stella McCartney tuxedo he wore to the Golden Globes. McCartney, the fashion designer behind Phoenix’s sustainably made custom suit, announced on Twitter last week that he would “rewear” the tux throughout the rest of awards season to “reduce waste.” Phoenix is an avid advocate for the environment.
-MSN
★ Showtime has renewed “Shameless” for an 11th and final season. The series, which is the longest-running in Showtime’s history, will finishing out its 10th season on Jan. 26, and the final season will air this summer. That means that 2020 will see the end of two major series for Showtime, with “Homeland” returning on Feb. 9 for its eighth and final season.
-TheWrap
★ The Oscars race is over for Adam Sandler but there’s at least one silver lining. On Monday, the Academy revealed its nominees for the 2020 Oscars, and many movie buffs were disappointed to see the thriller “Uncut Gems” completely snubbed in all categories. Reacting to the lack of nominations, Sandler tweeted the he can finally “stop wearing suits.” He added congratulations to his nominated friends, including his “Waterboy” co-star Kathy Bates.
-MSN

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Charlize Theron, Brian Cox, Todd Glass
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Robert Downey Jr., Aidy Bryant, Little Big Town
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Andrew Yang, Abby McEnany
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Billy Porter, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Caitlyn Smith
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): January Jones, John Cena, Raanan Hershberg
• “Lights Out with David Spade” (COMEDY): Greg Fitzsimmons, Jameela Jamil, Fortune Feimster
• “Conan” (TBS): Larry David
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Amber Tamblyn, Jackie Goldschneider
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Michael Bloomberg
• “The Talk” (CBS): Andy Grammer, guest co-host Brigitte Nielsen
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Renee Zellweger, Finn Wolfhard
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Chris Martin, Coldplay, Zach Woods
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Jerry Springer, Lauren Ash, Mirna Valerio
• “The CW Dog Honors: (CW): Commemorating talented pups, plus dog-loving celebrities along with their four-legged family members.
• “The Goldbergs” (ABC): The return of season 7
• “Schooled” (ABC): The return of season 2

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Selena Gomez – Her new album “Rare” has been getting rave reviews since its release last week, and Niall Horan agrees. When a fan on Twitter asked him: “Have ya listened to Selena’s new album yet ?”, Horan responded: “Yes and it’s brilliant,” without any further comment.
• Cardi B — took to Twitter on Sunday night to inform her followers about her latest interest. She wrote: “I think I want to be a politician” among a series of messages in opposition to recent happenings in the Middle East.
• Pearl Jam — will release their eleventh studio album, “Gigaton”, on March 27. They’ve also announced the first 16 dates of a North American tour, beginning March 18 in Toronto.
• Elton John – has scored an Oscar nom for ‘I’m Gonna Love Me Again’, the song he wrote with Bernie Taupin for the biopic “Rocketman”. The song, which is nominated in the Best Original Song category, is a duet with the movie’s star Taron Egerton, and plays over the closing credits. It’s the only time in the movie where John’s vocals are heard.
• Queen + Adam Lambert – have been officially announced as headliners for “Fight Fire Australia” on Feb 16 at Sydney’s 83,500-seat ANZ Stadium. Alice Cooper, k.d. lang, Olivia Newton-John and a slew of other Australian artists are also among the acts scheduled to perform at the concert to benefit Australia’s fire relief efforts.
• Foreigner — have announced they are hitting the road with Kansas and Europe for the “Juke Box Heroes 2020” tour. It will launch on July 9 in Albuquerque, NM and will conclude on September 13 in Austin, TX. Only one Canadian date is on the schedule – Aug. 8 at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage.
• The Charlie Daniels Band – will be hitting the road with the Marshall Tucker Band this year. The “Fire on the Mountain Tour” begins April 23 in Enid, OK and will run through Nov. 7 in Clearwater, FL. The Scooter Brown Band will join for select dates.
• Tim McGraw – has announced the “Here on Earth Tour”, with Midland and Ingrid Andress opening. The tour will kick off on July 10 in Syracuse, NY, and run through Sept. 26 in Chicago. Luke Combs will join the tour for two stadium shows.
• Little Big Town — Following the release of their new single, ‘Over Drinking’, they will drop their new album “Nightfall” on Jan. 17. The night before, they’ll perform the new album in its entirety at New York City’s historic Carnegie Hall.
• Dolly Parton – says she is doing her best to “think ahead” by creating music which will be released after she’s dead. In the last installment of her nine-episode podcast “Dolly Parton’s America”, she says she won’t consider retiring, because she loves her job too much.

SMALL CHANGE:
We’re halfway through January…how are those resolutions holding up? A new book says that the key to lasting change isn’t in thinking big…it’s actually all about thinking small. In “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change”, BJ Fogg writes that contrary to what always been told, motivation and willpower are NOT the keys to changing your habits. He claims that real change is a matter of making simple adjustments. His advice: “Start small and stay flexible”. That way you aren’t putting all your energy into a big goal that breaks down the minute you slip up. For example, your resolution might have been to start flossing regularly. He suggests you begin by flossing a few teeth, and then calling it a day. Put the floss right next to your toothbrush, so it’s top of mind. And work your way up to flossing your whole mouth, but don’t beat yourself up if you skip a few days. It’s a low-key, manageable way to ease into good new habits.
(Actually, if you start flossing your teeth and can’t be bothered to finish, I think you probably DO have a problem with motivation and willpower!)
(My resolution was not to read any useless self-help books!)
(***See “Signs Your Resolution has Failed”, below***)
-NYPost

SMALL TECH:
With smartphones seemingly getting larger every year, a new Kickstarter campaign has been launched for the Zanco tiny T2, which is being billed as the ‘world’s smallest smartphone’. At 2.4 inches x 1.2 inches x 0.65 inches (6.1 cm x 3 cm x 1.65 cm), the Chinese company advertises it as smaller than the size of your thumb. Although that’s a bit of a stretch, it’s still ridiculously small and also only weighs 31 grams. With its one-inch square screen and keypad, it kind of looks like a bite-sized BlackBerry. It has most of the features you’d expect on a modern smartphone, with the exception of music streaming. To compensate, it offers a tiny FM radio. The T2 will retail at US$130 but can be purchased now through Kickstarter with a $59 pledge plus shipping. You’ve got until Feb. 11. The campaign has a target of $10,000.
(I hope they don’t come up ‘short’!)
(I would imagine this is aimed at people who say they aren’t BIG on smartphones!)
(And you thought I lose my phone a lot NOW!)
-Canoe

BACK FORTY:
40 might be the new 30, but make sure you enjoy yourself for a few years after 40, because a study has determined that the precise age when middle age hits the hardest is…..47. Dartmouth College used data from 132 countries to determine the connection between well-being and age. Researchers concluded that every country has a U-shaped “happiness curve,” with the lowest point at 47.2 years old for developed countries. What exactly can you expect at age 47.2? Basically a midlife crisis: “despair; anxiety; loneliness; sadness, depression, bad nerves, phobias, panic…” There’s more, but you get the idea. The good news? It’s age 47 when things bottom out. After that, things generally get better.
(I’m going to buy a convertible now, just in case!)
(47 is also right about the time when work is a lot less fun and fun is a lot more work!)
(But it’s not all bad. I’m pretty sure 47 is also the age when you can yell at kids to “Get off my lawn!”
-NYPost

SAD TIME OF YEAR:
Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a kind of depression that appears at certain times of the year. It usually begins in the fall when the days get shorter and lasts through the winter in northern countries.  Here are some tips to Ease Winter SAD Symptoms:
⇒ Spend more time outdoors during the day.
⇒ Try to arrange the spaces you spend time in to maximize sunlight exposure
⇒ Keep curtains open during the day.
⇒ Build physical activity into your lifestyle preferably before SAD symptoms take hold.
⇒ Make a habit of taking a daily noon-hour walk, particularly if you commute to school or work in the dark hours of the day.
⇒ Try to resist the carbohydrate and sleep cravings that come with SAD.
⇒ When all else fails, try a winter vacation in sunny climates—if the pocketbook and work schedule allow. (Definitely a case of the cure NOT being worse than the disease!)
There are professional treatments for SAD as well, including light therapy, medication and counselling.
-CMHA, first published in BS in 2018

DID YOU KNOW:
A UK farmer’s Twitter status has gone viral after he suggested that customers’ licence plates be printed on fast food bags to stop the scourge of litter in the countryside. Tom Martin recommended the proposal in a tweet to McDonald’s. He said the technology is available for fast food giants to start printing plate numbers on takeaway packaging. One person replied that coffee shops should have to do the same thing.
-FarmingUK

BS CHRONOMETER 01.15.20

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1947 [73] Andrea Martin, Portland ME, movie actress (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”)/ TV actress (“SCTV” 1976-84, “Great News” 2017-18)

1968 [52] Chad Lowe, Dayton OH, TV actor (‘Byron Montgomery’ on “Pretty Little Liars” 2010-17)/movie actor (“Unfaithful”)/brother of actor Rob Lowe

1971 [49] Regina King, Los Angeles CA, movie actress (“If Beale Street Could Talk”, “Ray”)/TV actress (“American Crime” 2015-2017)

1979 [41] Drew Bees, Austin TX, football player (NFL quarterback who led the New Orleans Saints to victory in Super Bowl XLIV)

1981 [39] Pitbull (Armando Pérez), Miami FL, rapper (‘I Know You Want Me [Calle Ocho]’, feat. Kesha: ‘Timber’)

1988 [32] Skrillex (Sonny Moore), LA CA, electronic dance music DJ-producer (‘Bangarang’)

2004 [16] Grace VanderWaal, Lenexa KS, pop singer (‘I Don’t Know My Name’)/season 11 winner of “America’s Got Talent”)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Fresh Squeezed Juice Day”. So, what’s your preference … Orange? Grapefruit? Red Man Chaw?

• “Hat Day”, a day to dispel the boredom of mid-Winter by wearing the goofiest hat you can find. Always hilarious on radio.

• “Humanitarian Day”, encouraging people to work together enthusiastically to disrupt the vicious cycle of poverty, hunger, and neglect.

• “Bagel Day”, a food holiday celebrating the deli favorite that involves topping a fresh-baked bagel with a shmear of cream cheese.

• “Wikipedia Day”, today, many fans organize parties to discuss Wikipedia and share cake. Typical activities include editors sharing what they did in Wikipedia last year, talks from those proposing to share information in Wikipedia in the coming year, training for newcomers, and socializing (and cake!).

COMING UP . . .
[Thurs] Appreciate a Dragon Day
[Thurs] Book Publishers Day
[Fri] Ben Franklin Day
[Fri] Hot-Buttered Rum Day

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2005 [15] Spearheaded by actor George Clooney, celebrities from music, TV, and movies band together for “Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope”, a 2-hour telethon to benefit victims of the 2004 tsunami that devastated regions in Southeast Asia and Eastern Africa. Performers include Elton John, Sheryl Crow, Madonna, Roger Waters, Eric Clapton and Tim McGraw

2009 [11] Pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger makes a successful emergency landing in the Hudson River shortly after US Airways Flight 1549 takes from NYC’s LaGuardia Airport (leads to the 2016 Tom Hanks movie “Sully”)

TODAY IN MUSIC . . .
1972 [48] Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’ hits #1 in the US for the first of four weeks. The single runs 8:36 – you have to flip the 45 over to hear all of it

2018 [02] Cranberries lead singer Dolores O’Riordan dies in London at 46 (ruled as a result of accidental drowning in a bathtub due to sedation by alcohol intoxication)

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1967 [53] The first “Super Bowl” (although it isn’t called that until 2 years later), as 61,946 fans pay 10 bucks a ticket to watch legendary coach Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers beat the KC Chiefs 35-10 in Los Angeles (MVP is Packer QB Bart Starr)…30-second TV commercials cost $42,000

2001 [19] “Wikipedia”, the free online encyclopedia, goes online

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1983 [37] Tom Syles of Van Nuys, California sets a world record by keeping a single “Life Savers” candy intact in his mouth for 7 hours, 10 minutes

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ If you were to drive a car at 100 kilometers an hour, 24 hours a day, you would reach the sun in about 3 years.
✓ Men get hiccups more often than women.
✓ “The” is the most commonly-used word in the English language
✓ There are four times more orchid species than there are species of mammals.
✓ Surgeon scrubs are green to counteract eye stress from red blood (opposite colors).
✓ Morphine is named after “Morpheus”, the Greek god of dreams.
-Unknow.com

BS FAKE CEREAL FACTS:
• Franken Berry is made up of pieces of other cereal.
• Cap’n Crunch was dishonorably discharged in 1998.
• It’s best to put the milk into the bowl first.
• K-Pop is the latest cereal craze. (Wait…this could become true any minute…)
• Trix aren’t for kids, they’re for the man-child living in his parents basement at 40 and trolling strangers on the internet.
• Cheerios were invented by the British and used to throw at people rather than having to say “Cheerio”.
• iPhone chargers are called “Apple Jacks”.
• If you eat more than three bowls a day, you can be correctly referred to as a “cereal killer”.
• Cereal is no longer a thing since Saturday morning cartoons ended.
• Different colored Fruit Loops have different flavors.
• Mikey didn’t like it.
-Twitter

Best of BS . . .
BS SIGNS YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION HAS FAILED:

• You’ve already received a rejection letter from NASA on your proposal to blow up the Moon.
• You still set off smoke detectors just by walking into a room.
• You’ve received a citation for exceeding the load limit while walking over a suspension bridge.
• There are so many empties in the garage, you’ve slapped up a ‘Recycling Depot’ sign.
• You’re still a virgin.
• Your plan to “become financially independent” didn’t go over as well with the rest of the family as you’d hoped.
– Extrapolated from BBSpot.com, first published in BS in 2010

BS WEB GOODIE:
Welcome home, hooman:  https://tinyurl.com/v2fygmn

BS RANDOM JOKE:
If there is real estate, does that mean somewhere there is also fake estate?

BS PHONE STARTER:
What kid activity would you like to try as an adult?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:

Question:  75% of men say they feel more confident when they wear THIS. What is it?
Answer:  Facial hair.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:

Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no more smiles available.

 

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