June 7 2018

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Thursday, June 7, 2018 – Edition: #6229

Sheet Happens!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Handbag maven Kate Spade’s suicide, which shocked the fashion world on Tuesday, is eerily similar to the 2014 death of fashion designer L’Wren Scott. 55 year-old Spade was found by a housekeeper hanging from a scarf on a doorknob inside her Upper East Side home. Scott’s body was found by her assistant in 2014, hanging from the neck by a scarf attached to a door in her Manhattan home. Unlike Scott, though, Spade left a note that may shed some light on her death. And in case you are wondering, she WAS related to actor David Spade. Kate Spade was married to Andy Spade, David’s brother.
-PageSix, Newsweek
★ Dane Cook was forced to relive an embarrassing family incident while watching Jeopardy this week. He posted a hilarious video on Twitter after his half-brother, who went to jail for embezzling millions of dollars from Cook, was used as the basis for a question on the game show. At the beginning of the video, Cook says, “I love Jeopardy, I can just watch it and get away from it all.” After the show excerpt, in which the contestant gives the correct response, “What is embezzlement?” Cook simply stares into the camera, looking crestfallen and betrayed.
-MSN
★ Reese Witherspoon is on her way back to court for a third “Legally Blonde” movie. She is reportedly close to signing on to reprise her role as the adorable Elle Woods. She will also serve as a producer. Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah, who adapted the Amanda Brown novel for the original 2001 film, have been named as writers on the project. Witherspoon is very busy these days – as well as reprising her role as Madeline Martha Mackenzie in HBO series “Big Little Lies”, she is also producing a documentary about tennis legend Martina Navratilova.
-Canoe
★ “The Office’s” Hugh Dane has died aged 75 after over three decades in showbiz. Dane, who played Hank the security guard in the hit American comedy, died on May 16, but the news wasn’t confirmed until this week when co-star Rainn Wilson tweeted, “He was one of the greats. So kind, funny, talented.” Dane also appeared in “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, “Friends”, “Boy Meets World”, and memorably as the man Melissa McCarthy vows to “climb like a tree” in “Bridesmaids”.
-Canoe, Vulture
★ It seems that Warner Bros. has confirmed it is working on a series of movies involving the DC comics villains. The entertainment company has reportedly been lining up a host of movies based around the iconic arch-nemesis’ of heroes such as Batman and Superman, including two films starring The Joker, as well as spin-off movies for Deathstroke and Harley Quinn.
-ContactMusic

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Keri Russell, Pamela Adlon, Maddie Poppe ( R )
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Sting & Shaggy ( R )
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Nick Offerman, Niecy Nash, Lykke Li
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Mindy Kaling, Ellie Kemper, Liz Garbus, Steven Wolf ( R )
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Shawn Mendes
• “Conan” (TBS/Comedy): Kate Mara, Sam Richardson, Hari Kondabolu
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Cameran Eubanks, Inbar Lavi ( R )
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Nancy Grace, Dan Abrams
• “The Talk” (CBS): Lisa Kudrow, guest co-host Chris Wragge
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Ricky Martin, Brian Kelly
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Anne Hathaway, Darren Criss, Cate Blanchett
• “The Four: Battle for Stardom” (FOX): Fergie also is back as host of the singing competition alongside judges Sean “Diddy” Combs, DJ Khaled and Meghan Trainor.
• “Stanley Cup Playoffs” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Washington vs. Las Vegas

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Justin Bieber – is about to steal even more hearts. He’ll star as the mythical winged god of love Cupid in an animated film. Aside from his voice role, Bieber will also executive-produce.
• Ariana Grande – A year after the suicide bombing that killed 22 and left many more injured at her Manchester concert, she says she has come to realize that she experienced post-traumatic stress after the incident. She says she has always had anxiety, but “When I got home from tour it was the most severe I think it’s ever been”.
• Ricky Martin – It took 14 years to happen, but William Hung joined him onstage to sing ‘She Bangs’ on Saturday in Vegas. Hung famously (and very badly) auditioned for American Idol with the song in 2004. He is now a motivational speaker.
• Mariah Carey – says she’s not a diva…but she does bathe in cold milk…because it helps her look youthful. Quote: ”I bathe in milk. Yes, sometimes I use milk as a beauty treatment. I don’t want to give away all my secrets…I guess if there’s no clean water and I had to use mineral water, maybe I would.”
• Prince – A rare copy of his disavowed “Black Album” has turned up online by a seller in Canada. The previously unknown vinyl copy is billed as “one of the rarest records in the world.” Price? US$27,500. Find it here:  Prince album
• Lynyrd Skynyrd – have announced a second leg of shows through Jan. 2 in their “Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour”. Guitarist Gary Rossington says: “This tour has already been the perfect end to an incredible run and we are not even halfway through…yet. There is still lots of road to go and lots of fans to see one last time.” (So much for that ‘final show’ Sept. 2 in their home town of Jacksonville…)
• Glenn Campbell – his widow Kim says that a biopic is in the works. James Keach, who directed the 2014 documentary “Glen Campbell … I’ll Be Me” may also handle this one. Kim Campbell says: “They’re working on it, you can say that.”
• Brantley Gilbert – His Spotify playlist shows that he is a fan of some pretty diverse music. It features the hard rock of AC/DC, Aerosmith and Marilyn Manson, the rap stylings of Post Malone and Machine Gun Kelly, and of course, some country from the likes of Luke Combs, Aaron Lewis and the Cadillac Three.

SPEAK!
Admit it. You talk to your dog in “baby speak”. That same cartoonish voice that you sometimes use to talk to, well, babies. When used on children, science calls it “infant-directed speech” and the thinking is that talking to babies this way helps them pick up language cues. So why do we talk to dogs the same way? Turns out, using DDS (dog-directed speech) is also beneficial to your canine friend. A study in Animal Cognition shows that speaking this way to your dog holds its attention longer and strengthens the bond between you. When certain words are used, you know, the ones your dog loves, like “walk” or “treat”, dogs are more likely to perk their ears and remain attentive than when normal speech patterns are used.
(It’s not a choice. I just grab those ears and smush that face…and baby-talk comes out!)
(I do talk that way to my dog…but not when he chews up the couch!)
(What I hate is when people talk that way to OTHER GROWN ADULTS!)
-NewYorkPost

DROPPING THEIR SWIMSUITS:
The Miss America pageant is scrapping the swimsuit competition. Gretchen Carlson, the chairwoman of the Miss America board of directors announced this week that the event will no longer feature a swimsuit portion, and will be more inclusive to women of all sizes. In place of the swimsuit contest, contestants will take part in a live interactive session with the judges, “where she will highlight her achievements and goals in life and how she will use her talents, passion, and ambition to perform the job of Miss America.” While the talent portion will remain, the evening gown competition will undergo changes as well, with competitors being allowed to wear “whatever they choose”. Carlson says that beginning with this year’s Miss America competition on September 9 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, “Miss America will be a competition, not a pageant, and the show will no longer judge candidates on their outward physical appearance. That’s huge.”
(That may have been an unfortunate choice of words…)
(Maybe they should start calling it “Ms. America”?)
(What if contestants “choose” to wear a swimsuit for the evening gown competition?)
-CNN

IT’LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THEY SPIN THIS STORY:
Sure, going to an indoor cycling class can be great for your legs, and it does wonders for your cardio, but your ears? Not so much. A study showed that the music played during spin classes held by many major exercise franchises consistently hovers over 100 decibels. That’s enough to violate the US Department of Labor standards for a safe noise environment, and to cause noise-induced hearing loss over the long term. In fact, a single 45-minute indoor cycling class was nine times the recommended noise exposure for an eight-hour workday. Health authorities recommend no more than 15 minutes exposure to noise at that level.
(I’ve heard the music they play. Noise is the right word!)
(They HAVE to play the music loud. Everyone there is deaf!)
(Now…Imagine being an instructor there for 5 or 6 hours a day!)
-Vox

HOW THESE U.S. CITIES GOT THEIR WEIRD NICKNAMES:
☞ New York “The Big Apple” – The earliest known use of ‘big apple’ appears in the book ‘The Wayfarer in New York’ (1909), in which author Edward S. Martin wrote: “Kansas is apt to see in New York a greedy city…. It inclines to think that the big apple gets a disproportionate share of the national sap.”
☞ Boston “Beantown” – That’s a tribute to its food. In colonial times, a favorite Boston food was beans baked in molasses. Sailors and traders began to look forward to the dish while in port, and dubbed the city “Beantown.”
☞ New Orleans “The Big Easy” – Known for its laid-back scene, its nickname is a tribute to that. In the 1960s, a columnist coined the name while comparing “the Big Easy” to “the Big Apple.” One city boasted simple living, while the other was rushed and overcrowded.
☞ Chicago “The Windy City” – The nickname did not first come about because it is a windy city. The earliest known use was an 1876 Cincinnati Enquirer article with the headline, “THAT WINDY CITY”. The article commented on local politicians who were full of wind and caused the city to be “windy”.
☞ Philadelphia “The City of Brotherly Love” – This is a literal translation of its actual name, which combines the Greek words for love (phileo) and brother (adelphos). It was named by its founder William Penn, who hoped his new city would live up to the high standard of its name.
☞ Denver “The Mile High City” – Known for world-class skiing and stunning mountain views, it kinda fits. Denver’s official elevation is one-mile above sea level, as defined by the elevation of a spot on the steps of the State Capitol building.
☞ Miami “The Magic City” – You might think it got its nickname because of its magical energy. Actually, it’s because of the city’s rapid development. In the late 1800s, the Miami area was mostly wilderness. Then a plantation owner decided the city should be reachable by railroad. Almost overnight—as if by magic—Miami’s population exploded and a city appeared. (Had you heard of this one?)
☞ Charleston, South Carolina “The Holy City” – It’s not just the quantity of religious institutions that gave this city its nickname. The steeples of all those churches served as landmarks for sailors. Captains could see the skyline from afar, and know exactly how to get to the Charleston ports. (Tell that to Jerusalem!)
-ReadersDigest

BS CHRONOMETER 06.07.18

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1940 [78] Tom Jones, Treforest, Wales, pop singer (‘It’s Not Unusual’, ‘What’s New Pussycat’, ‘Delilah’)

1952 [66] Liam Neeson, Ballymena, Northern Ireland, movie actor (“Taken” movies, “Schindler’s List”) COMING UP… “Widows” 2018

1956 [62] LA (Antonio) Reid, Cincinnati OH, record executive-producer (Avril Lavigne, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, P!nk, Rihanna, Usher, etc)/TV personality (“The X Factor” 2011-13)

1966 [52] Eric Kretz, San Jose CA, rock drummer (Stone Temple Pilots-‘Plush’, ‘Interstate Love Song’)

1967 [51] Dave Navarro, Santa Monica CA, rock guitarist (Jane’s Addiction-‘Been Caught Stealing’, Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Aeroplane’)

1974 [44] Bear Grylls, Donaghadee, Northern Ireland, TV personality (“Running Wild with Bear Grylls”, “Man vs Wild”)

1978 [40] Bill Hader, Tulsa OK, movie actor (“The Angry Birds Movie”, “Trainwreck”)/comedian (“Saturday Night Live” 2005-13)

1988 [30] Michael Cera, Brampton ON, movie actor (“Superbad”, “Juno”)/TV actor (“Arrested Development” 2003-06, 2013) COMING UP… “Gloria” 2018

1990 [28] Iggy Azalea, Sydney, Australia, rapper (w/Ariana Grande-‘Problem’, f/Charli XCX- ‘Fancy’)

1991 [28] Fetty Wap (Willie Maxwell II), Paterson NJ, rapper (f/Remy Boyz-‘679′, ‘Trap Queen’)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Chocolate Ice Cream Day”, celebrating one of the most popular flavors, but not THE most popular. That honor still goes to vanilla, favorite of 29%. Chocolate is runner-up at 9%.

• “VCR Day”, honoring the TV video recorder introduced on this day in 1975. Many homes still have one lurking in a closet. Many more still have VHS tapes … but nothing to play them on.

• “Daniel Boone Day”, On June 7, 1769, frontiersman Daniel Boone first saw the forests and valleys of present-day Kentucky. He is largely credited with exploration and settlement of that state. Contrary to the coonskin cap-wearing stereotype, Boone preferred a felt hat.

• “Moonshine Day”, Moonshine, white lightning, mountain dew, hooch, or Tennessee white whiskey is a high-proof distilled spirit, generally produced illicitly. The word is believed to come from the term “moonrakers” used for early English smugglers and the clandestine nature of the operations of illegal Appalachian distillers who produced and distributed whiskey.

COMING UP . . .
[Fri] Best Friends Day
[Fri] World Oceans Day
[Sat] Donald Duck Day
[Sat] World Gin Day

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2014 [04] Comedian Tracy Morgan is hospitalized in critical condition after his limo bus is hit by a speeding semi; fellow comedian James McNair does not survive

2015 [03] At the 69th Tony Awards, Helen Mirren wins ‘Best Leading Actress’ for “The Audience”; Alex Sharp wins ‘Best Leading Actor’ for “The Curious Incident Of the Dog In the Night-Time”

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1993 [25] Prince celebrates his 35th birthday by changing his name to a circle with a curved line below as a protest over his recording contract (for several years he is announced on radio as the ‘artist formerly known as Prince’)

2002 [16] Virgin Records announces it’s dropping Victoria Beckham after her debut solo album, which cost over $5 million to make, sells only 50,000 copies (financially, she managed to survive…)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1993 [25] The groundbreaking ceremony for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland OH is attended by Billy Joel, Chuck Berry, and The Who’s Pete Townshend, among others

BULL’S BITS

BS WACK FACTS:
✓ There are 177,147 ways to tie a tie, according to mathematicians.
✓ Rain contains vitamin B12.
✓ It snowed in the Sahara Desert in 1979.
✓ The first webcam was created in Cambridge to check the status of a coffee pot.
✓ Energy drinks still don’t have as much caffeine as a Starbucks coffee.
✓ Scientists can turn peanut butter into diamonds.
-FactSlides

BS SIGNS YOU STREAM TOO MUCH TV:
• You’re trying to enjoy a lazy Saturday afternoon until someone informs you that it’s Wednesday.
• You ask your wife what season your marriage is on.
• Netflix never even bothers to ask “Are you still watching?” anymore.
• You’ve run out of ‘Simpsons’ episodes that you haven’t seen three times.
• You’ve forgotten your favorite show’s theme song because you’ve skipped it so many times.
• Netflix actually sends someone over to see if you’re still watching.
• You knew who Meghan Markle was before the engagement.
• Forget streaming…your family says that you ‘river’ TV.
• You refer to your kids as your ‘originals’.
• Netflix asks YOU for recommendations.
• (Breaks bottle) I’ll tell YOU when I’ve streamed too much!
-Twitter

BS WAYS TO MAKE BASEBALL MORE EXCITING:
✓ Infield chatter must be in the form of a question, like on “Jeopardy!”. (“What is ‘Swing, batta, batta, batta’?”)
✓ Goodbye Gatorade, hello Johnny Walker Blue!
✓ Clothing-optional dugouts.
✓ Knock out a beer vendor with ball and you automatically win the game.
✓ Extra outs for every person on your team named ‘Chip’, ‘Peewee’, ‘Scooter’, ‘Sparky’ or any nickname that begins with ‘Big …’.
✓ Games do not start until players’ drugs have kicked in.
✓ If the catcher snags your pop foul, he gets to make out with your wife in the stands.
✓ Reach a base. Do a shot.
✓ No more keeping your eye on the ball.
-First published in BS in 2013

BS PHONE STARTER:
What drives you nuts about your co-workers? Some of the most-cited faux pas …
– Taking the last coffee without making more.
– Trying to sell you their kids’ fundraising items.
– Spending more time gabbing than working.
– Not cleaning up the microwave after using it.
– Letting the copier run out of paper.
– Not returning messages.

BS RANDOM JOKE:
While I agree its healthy to laugh at your own mistakes, if you are a plastic surgeon you should probably do it in private.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: Doing THIS elevates your heart rate as much as sky diving. What?
Answer: Going on blind date

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
When you think about quitting, think about why you started.

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