Tuesday, March 17, 2020 – Edition: #6656

Happy St Paddy’s Day for Sheet’s Sake!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Emilia Clarke has admitted that even she was unhappy with the conclusion of “Game of Thrones”. In an interview, Clarke said that she was annoyed by the fact that her lover/uncle on the show, ‘Jon Show’ literally got away with the murder of her character ‘Daenerys Targaryen’. She went on to say that workers on the show “felt rushed” during the final few seasons, saying, “We could have spun it out for a little longer.”
-YahooMovies
★ The coronavirus infected the North American box office on the weekend, with revenue estimated at below $55 million for the worst weekend performance in more than two decades. Even the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 didn’t affect audience turnout as badly. More than 100 movie theaters in the U.S. have already shut down to respond to the crisis, including venues in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington state.
-TheWrap
★ Vin Diesel stopped by “The Late Late Show With James Corden” last week to promote his new movie “Bloodshot” and dropped the bombshell that he’s recording an album. When Corden asked if a Vin Diesel LP was on its way, Diesel jumped up from the couch, pumped his fists and shouted, “Yes, there is!” (Is there a Vin Diesel “Carpool Karaoke” coming?)
-MSN
★ The end of the run for “Modern Family” was also the end of the road for one of the show’s beloved stars. Beatrice, the French bulldog who played Jay Pritchett’s prized pooch ‘Stella’, died about a week ago, just days after the cast finished taping the final episode of the ABC series. It’s currently unclear what led to Beatrice’s sudden death.
-TheBlast

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Kevin Bacon, Tan France, Taylor Tomlinson (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): John Oliver, Alex Ebert (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Nick Jonas, Travis Kelce, Finesse Mitchell, Michel’Le Baptiste (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Aaron Paul, Will Arnett, the Jonas Brothers (R)
• “Conan” (TBS): Dax Shepard (R)
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Best of “Vanderpump Rules”
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Day of Hot Topics
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Sebastian Maniscalco, Saoirse Ronan, Caitriona Balfe, Jerry O’Connell
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Melissa McCarthy, KJ Apa (R)
• “Tosh.O” (COMEDY): Season 12 premiere

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Lady Gaga – Collaborator Ryan Tedder says that she is going to “give people what they want” on her forthcoming album “Chromatica”. The album is set to come out on April 10, and Tedder, who has worked on a number of songs on the album, calls it “the coolest (stuff) to drop in 2020”.
• Ariana Grande — On Sunday, she posted a PSA encouraging those who haven’t been taking precautions against the coronavirus to do so. It reads, in part: “The ‘we will be fine because we’re young’ mindset is putting people who aren’t young and/or healthy in a lot of danger. You sound stupid and privileged and you need to care more about others. like now.”
• (Childish Gambino) Donald Glover — gave his fans a pleasant surprise when he released his new album, “Donald Glover Presents” on Sunday. But what isn’t clear is whether the title means the rapper is making good on his promise to retire his famous alter ego. Fans can stream his 12 new songs at his website, including collaborations with 21 Savage and Ariana Grande.
• Abba – Although they recorded their comeback music in 2018, it still hasn’t been released. Bjorn Ulvaeus says that they’re excited to allow their fans to hear the new material, and are now aiming for a September release.
• David Lee Roth — The final six shows of his Las Vegas residency at the House of BLues have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. They were called off after the Nevada governor issued a declaration of emergency. Roth tweeted: “@HOBLasVegas postponed. And now a word from Dave ‘Somebody get me a Doctor’, just kidding…‘Take your Whiskey home, not kidding..’ Love Dave”
• Mötley Crüe — Nikki Sixx is the latest musician to stress the importance of international solidarity to combat the coronavirus. On Friday, he posted on Instagram: “Wouldn’t it be great to see people stop self promoting right now and turn towards friends & family instead? Reach out to people around you who might be scared or need help.”
• David Crosby – says he may lose his home if the coronavirus pandemic leads to the cancellation of his summer tour dates. Quote: “You know they don’t pay us for records anymore, right? So touring is all we got. That’s really the only thing that we can do to make any money. And to lose it is just awful.”
• The ACM Awards — have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The annual Academy of Country Music Awards were to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 5, and be hosted by Keith Urban. The plan now is to hold the ceremony in September.
• Carrie Underwood – Her new lifestyle book “Find Your Path” has landed on the New York Times bestseller list. The book also reached the top position on Amazon during its first week of release, and currently sits at #3.

THIS WEEK’S NETFLIX (Canada) RELEASES:
➢ March 17:
• “Bert Kreischer: Hey Big Boy” (Netflix comedy special):  Bert Kreischer is back, and shirtless once again, in his second Netflix Original comedy special. He shares hilarious stories about his daughter’s period party, a pushy arms dealer, and an inside joke with a Starbucks barista.
• “Shaun the Sheep: Adventures from Mossy Bottom” (Animation):  Clever sheep Shaun, loyal dog Bitzer and the rest of the Mossy Bottom gang cook up fun and mischief on the farm.
➢ March 19:
• “Altered Carbon: Resleeved” (Netflix Anime):  Dai Sato, the creative mind behind “Cowboy Bebop,” further explores and expands upon the “Altered Carbon” universe in this anime adaptation.
➢ March 20:
• “Dare Me” (Netflix Original):  Mystery, drama, and danger hit a high school cheerleading squad ruled by brash Beth and her loyal BFF Addy when a new coach arrives in their small town.
(Full list: https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/netflix-canada-march-2020_ca_5e4db18dc5b6db259021ef12 For releases in other Netflix regions, click here: https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/coming-soon/)

DRINKERS GONNA DRINK:
The coronavirus is going to have an impact on a lot of things. And it has already brought about something new – now known as the “virtual happy hour”. Some bosses, aware of current “social distancing” guidelines, and the fact that many people are working from home, and thus unable to “join the gang” at the local watering hole for some shop talk and socializing after work, are inviting their employees to join them via videoconference for a virtual happy hour. That’s right – they turn on the computer or device cameras, pour a drink, and party with their co-workers remotely. The thinking is that people still need that social link to their co-workers, and for some, being isolated can cause emotional problems over time. So it’s not surprising that some think that it’s smart to arrange to do the thing that keeps them happy and connected using the tools that they have.
(I’m worried that there are no half-priced drinks when I’m getting them from my own fridge…)
(The problem is that if you’re working from home, you can’t claim to your spouse that you “just stopped by for one drink…”)
-Forbes

HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM:
As the number of coronavirus cases continues to grow, here are some things that just might help you to avoid it:
➢ Take care of yourself:  Practice good sleep hygiene, exercise, mediate. Meditation can help to reduce stress on your immune system.
➢ Take supplements:  Start with vitamin D. Although it hasn’t been proven to beat coronavirus, it does slow the progression of viruses in general. Also suggested: Vitamin C, zinc, elderberry.
➢ Load up on fruits and vegetables:  They are known to enhance your immune response. Put a bunch together in a smoothie if you like. (I’m guessing we should be really washing our produce well these days too…!)
➢ Get the flu shot:  That way, if you do feel ill, you’ll know it’s probably not the flu. (And wouldn’t it suck to be the first person ever to catch the flu and coronavirus at the same time?)
-Today

DID YOU KNOW?
Hand-washing is THE hot topic right now, but how does soap actually work? There are two essential ingredients in most soap: vegetable or animal fat – and lye, also known as sodium hydroxide. Soap doesn’t kill germs, but removes them from our hands. Germs stick to the oil and grease on our skin. Water alone won’t get rid of that oil, because they don’t mix – but soap molecules have one end that wants to bind with water, and another end that wants to bind with oil – so they can get in between and bind with both at the same time. In other words, soap sticks to the oil molecules where all the germs are, and allows the water to wash them off.
-LiveScience

IRISH SUPERSTITIONS:
➢ If you trip and fall in a graveyard, you will most likely die by the end of the year. (Especially if when you fall, you are running from a knife-wielding psychopath!)
➢ To counteract the bad luck from black cat crossing your path, make a triangle shape with your thumbs and forefingers and spit at the cat through the hole. This also works when you accidentally walk under a ladder. (In this case, spit at the ladder, not the cat!)
➢ If you find a horseshoe and nail it to the door, it will bring good luck. This will not work if the shoe is bought or given as a gift by someone else. (In fact, let’s just say “This will not work!”)
➢ Handing someone a knife is bad luck. Always put it on the table in front of them, never in their hand. (Although it is better to have someone hand you a knife, than to have them throw it to you…)
➢ If the palm of your hand itches you’re going to come into some money.
➢ If your elbow itches, you will be changing beds.
➢ If it’s your nose that’s itchy, you are going to have a fight with the person nearest to you. To remedy this, punch them in the arm and shake them by the hand.
➢ If your ear feels hot, someone is talking about you.
➢ Never ask a man who is going fishing where he is going. (But if I know he’s going fishing, why would I ask?)
➢ If you get your shirt wet while you’re washing the dishes, you will marry a drunk. (And if that’s the case, get used to washing glasses!)
-IrishCentral

2-STEP GREEN BEER (NO BS!):
Makes: 1 pint
• 2 drops green food coloring
• 1 bottle light-colored beer (your choice)

1. Drop food coloring into the bottom of a chilled pint glass.
2. Top with your favorite light-colored beer. Enjoy!
(So easy, I could do it even after a few pints of normal-colored beer!)
-GoodHousekeeping

BS CHRONOMETER 03.17.20

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1951 [69] Kurt Russell, Springfield MA, movie actor (“Escape from L.A.”, “Guardians Of the Galaxy 2”)/actress Goldie Hawn’s partner since 1983. COMING UP…”The Christmas Chronicles 2″, 2020

1955 [65] Gary Sinise, Blue Island IL, TV actor (“Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” 2016, “CSI: NY” 2004-13)/movie actor (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, “Forrest Gump”) COMING UP…”Good Joe Bell”, 2020

1964 [56] Rob Lowe, Charlottesville VA, TV actor (“9-1-1: Lone Star” since 2020, “Parks & Recreation” 2010-15)/movie actor (“St. Elmo’s Fire”, ‘Austin Powers’ films)

1967 [53] Billy Corgan, Chicago IL, rock singer-guitarist (Smashing Pumpkins-‘1979’, ‘Bullet with Butterfly Wings’)

1973 [47] Keifer Thompson, Miami OK, country singer (Thompson Square-‘If I Didn’t Have You’, ‘Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not?’)

1978 [42] Geoff Sprung, Harrisonburg VA, country musician (Old Dominion-‘Snapback’, ‘Break Up with Him’)

1988 [32] Grimes (Claire Boucher), Vancouver BC, electronica singer-songwriter-producer (‘Venus Fly’ f/Janelle Monáe, ‘Flesh Without Blood’)

1990 [30] Hozier (Andrew Hozier-Byrne), Bray Ireland, singer-songwriter ‘Take Me to Church’, ‘From Eden’)

1992 [28] John Boyega, London UK, movie actor (‘Finn’ in ‘Star Wars’ films, “Pacific Rim: Uprising”)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “St Patrick’s Day”, the Irish national holiday that began as a ‘solemn religious observance’ to honor St Patrick (389-461 AD), patron saint of Ireland. It’s a public holiday in Ireland, Montserrat, and the Canadian province of Newfoundland & Labrador. Some fast facts …
– It’s been an Irish holiday for 1,500 years.
– The world’s largest “St Patrick’s Parade” is in NYC where over a million spectators and 100,000 participants usually turn out. A tradition since 1762, the parade lasts about 6 hours. (but is currently listed as “postponed”)
– It was first celebrated in Canada in 1765 in Québec City QC.
– Since 1965, the Chicago River has been dyed green for the “Chicago St Patrick’s Parade”, an idea conceived when a plumber was observed using green dye to trace leaks from a building.
– Green is associated with “St Patrick’s Day” because it’s the color of Spring, Ireland, and the shamrock.

• “Corned Beef & Cabbage Day”, you may think that corned beef and boiled cabbage is a traditional Irish dish for St. Patrick’s Day, actually it is not. It is an Irish-American invention, occurring after Irish immigrants discovered that beef was cheaper than pork in America at the time.

• “Submarine Day”, to commemorate this date in 1898, when Irish-born engineer John Philip Holland demonstrated a submarine he designed, the Holland VI, for the U.S. Navy Department. During the demonstration, the vessel was submerged for 1 hour and 40 minutes. (That seemed to “go down” well…)

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Awkward Moments Day
[Wed] Sloppy Joe Day
[Thurs] Spring arrives [Northern Hemisphere]
[Thurs] Client’s Day
[Thurs] Poultry Day

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2003 [17] On the very first episode of MTV’s practical joke show “Punk’d”, host Ashton Kutcher stages a prank involving the IRS that makes Justin Timberlake cry

2014 [06] Model, fashion designer, and long-time Mick Jagger girlfriend L’Wren Scott dies at age 49 in NYC, the victim of suicide

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2008 [12] Heather Mills is awarded £23.7 million (about $47 million) in her divorce from Paul McCartney, substantially more than McCartney was offering

2012 [08] After being pelted with cans and other trash at their SXSW performance, A$AP Rocky and the rest of A$AP Mob launch into the crowd, punching fans and igniting a brawl

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2000 [20] Julia Roberts becomes the first actress ever to command $20 million for a movie, with the release of “Erin Brockovich”

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2018 [02] At their St. Patrick’s Day concert in Brussels, The Script buy everyone in the audience of 8,000 a drink, setting a Guinness World Record for “world’s biggest round”

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK O’FACTS:
✓ St. Patrick wasn’t Irish. He was actually British, born to Roman parents in Wales.
✓ Historians say that St. Patrick’s color was blue, not green. The use of green started in the 1600s.
✓ The original Guinness Brewery in Dublin, Ireland has a 6,000-year lease.
✓ Holy trinity aside, later interpretations of the meaning of a clover’s leaves were that they represent hope, love, and faith. If there’s a fourth leaf, it symbolizes luck, which is why we consider four-leaf clovers to be lucky.
✓ Boston’s famous St. Pat’s Day parade is usually about 3 miles long. Hot Springs, Arkansas’? 98 feet long.
✓ Until the 1970s, St. Patrick’s Day was considered a religious holiday in Ireland, meaning all the pubs in the country were closed.
-GoodHousekeeping

BS STUPID STOCK MARKET QUESTIONS:
• Is it like golf where it’s good to have fewer points?
• Why is the person who’s supposed to help me make money called a ‘broker’?
• How can I “sell high” if I’m out of weed?
• So, that bell means it’s break time, right?
• Can I buy both beef and chicken stock? I’m making soup.
• If I have a Hedge Fund, do I get free shrubbery?
• How can I market the TP that I stocked up on?
• Is the Bond market shaken or stirred?
• Is it too late to ask for my money back?
• How low can you go?
-Twitter

Best of BS . . .
BS ST PATRICK’S DAY TOASTS:
• “May your 18 children learn to use contraceptives.”
• “May you never remember the night before.”
• “May the wind at your back not be the result of the corned beef & cabbage you had for lunch.”
• “Here’s to getting shille-laid!”
• “Here’s green beer in your eye!”
• “Hey! You! Wake up and drink this!”
• “Awww … not on my shoes!”
-First published in BS in 2000

BS WEB GOODIE:
’Tis the season:  https://tinyurl.com/qwao7n4

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I have a lot of fond St. Patrick’s Day memories. Vague, but fond.

BS PHONE STARTER:
Aside from beer, what have you consumed on St Patrick’s Day that was green (and usually isn’t)?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  Among those celebrating today, 83% will have THIS in common. What is it?
Answer:  They’ll be wearing something green.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
A good friend is like a four-leaf clover; hard to find and lucky to have.