BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
“The Bull Sheet” will be shutting down for the holidays from December 24th-January 2nd inclusive. All subscribers will be awarded account credits for missed service days. If you’ve received a renewal notice, be sure to re-subscribe to ensure service in 2013. Happy Holidays!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Upstate New York brewery Ommegang has formed a partnership with HBO to release an exclusive series of “Game of Thrones”-themed beers to coincide with Season 3, which debuts March 31st (the first, ‘Iron Throne’, is a potent 6.5% alcohol) . . . “Homeland” star Claire Danes & Brit actor-hubby Hugh Dancy have named their newborn son Cyrus Michael Christopher Dancy (CMCD – is that some sort of secret code?) . . . NFL QB Tim Tebow (NY Jets) & actress Camilla Belle have split, an insider saying it just didn’t work out (Joe Jonas is also on her dumped list – seems she likes the virgins) . . . Famous person Kim Kardashian, one of Instagram’s most prominent users with over 5.7 million followers, is said to be considering deleting her account unless the company revises its new policy about ownership of images (gee, what a loss that would be) . . . In Lee Child’s books, ‘Jack Reacher’ is 6’-5” tall, perhaps one reason the director of the movie adaptation, Chris McQuarrie, recently said “I never expected Tom Cruise to be ‘Jack Reacher’” (until the diminutive Cruise snapped up movie rights) . . . Music mogul Simon Cowell has confirmed he’s dating Carmen Electra following months of speculation about their relationship (the latest notch on her bedpost, joining former NBA star Dennis Rodman, Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, and Filter rocker Rob Patterson) . . . And actor-director Ben Affleck has responded to CBS News speculation that he’s considering running for US Senate (should senator John Kerry become Secretary of State and his seat become vacant) by saying: “One never knows” (BS translation: There may already be enough bad actors in Congress).

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “American Masters” (PBS) – Tonight a look at John Lennon’s life with his family in NYC. Rerun.
• “Blake Shelton’s Not So Family Christmas” (NBC) – Tonight another rerun of the country star’s December 3rd holiday season special, featuring Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Jay Leno, Larry the Cable Guy, Reba McEntire, and his wife Miranda Lambert.
• “Christmas in Washington” (TNT) – Tonight Conan O’Brien hosts a lineup that includes Chris Mann (“The Voice”), Diana Ross, Megan Hilty (“Smash”), Demi Lovato (“X Factor”), PSY, and Scotty McCreery (“American Idol”). President Obama & the First Lady attended this pre-taped  benefit concert.
• “CMA Country Christmas Special” (ABC) – Saturday a rerun of Thursday’s holiday special hosted by Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland), featuring performances by The Band Perry, Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, and Scotty McCreery.
• “Ellen DeGeneres Show” (syndicated/CTV2) – Today Justin Bieber (“Believe”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Tonight 2 Chainz (“Based On A TRU Story”). Rerun.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Tonight Family Of the Year (“Loma Vista”).
• “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Tonight Rod Stewart (“Merry Christmas, Baby”).
• “Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS/NTV/Omni1) – Tonight Darlene Love brings down the house with her annual rendition of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”.
• “Michael Bublé: Home For the Holidays” (NBC/CityTV) – Tonight a rerun of the December 10th special featuring Christmas classics performed by Bublé and guests Blake Shelton (“Cheers, It’ Christmas”); Carly Rae Jepson (“Kiss”); and Rod Stewart (“Merry Christmas, Baby”).
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC/Global) – Bruno Mars (“Unorthodox Jukebox”) hosts and performs.
• “Tavis Smiley” (PBS) – Tonight classic rocker Gregg Allman; veteran singer-songwriter Carole King.
• “WWE Tribute To the Troops” (NBC) – Saturday this 10th annual holiday special features performances by Flo Rida, Kid Rock and more.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Christina Aguilera – She’ll be presented with the ‘People’s Voice Award’ at the “2013 People’s Choice Awards” in LA on January 9th. It’s a salute to her 13 years in the music biz.
• Elton John – He & partner David Furnish were personally on-hand to help the Starkey Hearing Foundation provide more than 400 hearing aids to needy children and adults in Manila, The Philippines, allowing many to hear for the first time. Elton is a long-time supporter of the cause.
• John Mayer – He’s teamed up with Genero.tv to find a talented amateur filmmaker to make the video for his new track “Something Like Olivia”. He’ll pick the best video after the contest closes January 5th. The winner receives a $5,000 prize. Cheap way to make a video, no?
• One Direction – Harry Styles has a new tattoo which may have been inspired by new girlfriend Taylor Swift. The tat is of an old fashioned ship, very much like the one sported by the guy in Swift’s latest video, “I Knew You Were Trouble”.
• PSY – He tells “Hollywood Reporter” that president Barack Obama told him he’s good at “Gangnam Style” but ‘the ladies at his house’ are embarrassed when he dances so he’s not doing it. Meantime, PSY has just bought a $1.25-million condo in Los Angeles, which he paid for … in cash.
• The Rascals – They’ve returned to the stage for the first time in more than 40 years as part of a series of benefit shows organized by E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt. A second flight of the ‘Once Upon a Dream’ shows is being held this weekend in Port Chester, New York.
• Taylor Swift – Her smash album “Red” has now stayed atop the ‘Billboard 200 Albums Chart’ for 5 non-consecutive weeks.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away 3-D” ( G-Rated Fantasy ): Québec’s world-renowned Cirque du Soleil is back on the bigscreen in spectacular 3-D supervised by James Cameron’s tech team. New Zealander Andrew Adamson directs this visual spectacular that tells the story of 2 lovers searching for one another in Cirque’s dreamlike world.
NET: http://www.worldsaway3d.com
• “Jack Reacher” ( PG-13 Crime Drama ): Tom Cruise plays the title character in this crime thriller about an investigator who goes beyond the obvious in a serial murder case involving a military-trained sniper. Seems there are deadly secrets to expose here. Quality actors Rosamund Pike and Richard Jenkins co-star.
NET: http://www.jackreachermovie.com
• “This Is 40” ( R-Rated Comedy ): In a comedy that creator-director Judd Apatow is calling an unfiltered look inside American family life, Paul Rudd & Leslie Mann reprise their support roles from “Knocked Up” (2007). They are now a husband-and-wife team approaching a milestone meltdown at 40. Co-stars John Lithgow, Megan Fox, Jason Segel, Albert Brooks.
NET: http://www.thisis40movie.com

TODAY’S VIDEO RELEASES:
• “Arbitrage” ( R-Rated Suspense Thriller ): Richard Gere is Golden Globe-nominated for his portrayal of a hedge-fund magnate who appears the portrait of success, but is way over his head in both financial and marital difficulties. Co-stars Susan Sarandon, Brit Marling.
• “Killer Joe” ( Dramedy ): Emile Hirsch plays 22-year-old drug dealer who has his stash stolen by his mother. He turns to hitman ‘Killer Joe’ (Matthew McConaughey) when he finds out that his mother’s life insurance policy is worth $50,000. Co-stars Juno Temple, Gina Gershon.
• “Premium Rush” ( PG-13 Action Thriller ): In Manhattan, a bike messenger picks up an envelope that attracts the interest of a dirty cop, who pursues the cyclist throughout the city. Stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon.
• “Resident Evil: Retribution” ( R-Rated Sci-Fi Thriller ): In Paul WS Anderson’s 5th instalment to the franchise, ‘Alice’ fights alongside a resistance movement in the continuing battle against the ‘Umbrella Corporation’ and the undead. Stars Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez.
• “Trouble With the Curve” ( PG-13 Drama ): Clint Eastwood stars as an ailing baseball scout in his twilight years who takes his daughter (Amy Adams) along for one last recruiting trip. Co-stars John Goodman, Justin Timberlake, Matthew Lillard. Filmed in Atlanta, Georgia.

IS 21 AN UNLUCKY NUMBER?
Today is the date on which the Mayans’ 1,872,000-day ‘long count’ calendar is set to roll over, finishing its 5,125-year cycle. Despite the fact that lots of academics, as well as present-day Mayans and other sane people, say there’s nothing meaningful about the event, many still believe a monumental event will change the Earth as we know it today. Some think it will involve a positive spiritual transformation; others believe it’ll be some sort of cosmic cataclysm that will devastate life on our planet. There have been oodles of other doomsday predictors over the years, including …
✗ Baptist preacher William Miller, who, seeing through the Bible darkly, convinced 50,000 New Englanders that the rapture would happen by March 21, 1844.
✗ Heaven’s Gate, a cult founded by Marshall Applewhite, who believed that Earth was going to be ‘wiped clean’ by aliens, and that a UFO riding the tail of the Hale-Bopp comet would transport their souls to the next life in 1997 … so they committed mass suicide.
✗ Evangelical broadcaster Harold Camping, who announced the Bible predicted the end of the world on May 21, 2011. When that failed to occur, he revised the date to October. Still a no-go.
Odds are the Mayan calendar ended simply because they ran out of space. (We just bought a 2013 Mayan calendar … 12 sheets of blank paper stapled together.)
– Sourced from “Discover Magazine”

FALLEN FROM GRACE:
Some of the top celebrity meltdowns of 2012 …
• Edward Furlong – The former “Terminator” actor got mugged in LA’s seedy Skid Row; was arrested for domestic violence; and can no longer spend unsupervised time with his son, since the 6-year-old tested positive for cocaine.
• Michael Madsen – Once a hot commodity in Hollywood (“Thelma & Louise”), the actor was charged with DUI; and then child endangerment and cruelty to a child after he brawled with one of his sons at his Malibu, California home.
• Katt Williams – The comedian was questioned by cops in relation to a gun crime; is reportedly facing a multi-million-dollar lawsuit from a former assistant for assault; and was arrested for battery after brawling in a sports bar. Also accused of hitting people in his audience … twice.
• Billie Joe Armstrong – The Green Day frontman suffered an onstage meltdown at the “iHeartRadio” music festival in September and got himself whisked away to rehab. It must be serious … he’s still there.
• Lindsay Lohan – There’s been car crime, brawling, losing her possessions after failing to pay for storage, falling out with her family, failing to pay taxes, then failing to thank Charlie Sheen after he gave her $100,000 to pay off her taxes … basically, just another typical year for LiLo.
• Demi Moore – Since she was unceremoniously cheated on by toy-boy Ashton Kutcher, her behavior has become increasingly bizarre, landing her in rehab for a stint and in a brief relationship with a 26-year-old (that’s just 2 years older than her eldest daughter).
• Amanda Bynes – Most of us had forgotten all about her until she piled up a hit-and-run charge, instances of DUI, and weird episodes of behavior in public places like locking herself in a store’s changing room for hours and, er …pinching a paparazzi photographer.
– Adapted from ContactMusic.com

NEW APPS FOR THAT:
✓ A smartphone that can be transformed into a lab with the ability to detect food allergens is the latest in add-on technology. The ‘iTube’ converts smartphones into colorimeters that are able to detect minute amounts of allergens, such as peanuts, in food. It’s designed for use at home or in public, such as at a restaurant. So far, the device has only been developed as a prototype.
– NBCNews.com
✓ Forget the thermometer and the doctor’s visit, someday we will simply breathe into our cellphones to find out if we have the flu. IBM is working on a smartphone app that uses a computerized nose to ‘smell’ if we are sick. It’s expected to be available for public use within 5 years.
– “Los Angeles Times”

NOTABLE NUPTIALS:
Some of the top celebrity weddings of 2012 …
5. Natalie Portman & Benjamin Millepied.
4. Ryan Reynolds & Blake Lively.
3. Cynthia Nixon & Christine Marinoni.
2. Dick Van Dyke (86) & Arlene Silver (40).
1. Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel.
(Honorable mention: Matthew McConaughey & Camila Alves; Drew Barrymore & Will Kopelman; Alec Baldwin & Hilaria Thomas.)
– Condensed from ContactMusic.com

BS AMAZING FACT:
Climbing stairs one at a time burns more calories than leaping up multiple steps.
– “Belfast Telegraph”

BS CHRONOMETER 12.21.12

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1948 [64] Samuel L Jackson, Washington DC, movie actor (“Iron Man” movies, “Pulp Fiction”)  UP NEXT: “Django Unchained”, opening Christmas Day.

1957 [55] Ray Romano, Queens NY, movie actor (“Ice Age” movies)/TV actor (“Men Of a Certain Age” 2009-11, “Everybody Loves Raymond” 1996-2005)

1966 [46] Kiefer Sutherland, London UK, TV actor (“Touch” 2012, “24” 2001-10)/movie actor (“The Wild”, “A Few Good Men”)

1982 [30] Anna Bulbrook, LA CA, alt-rock musician (Airborne Toxic Event-“Changing”, “Sometime Around Midnight”)

1983 [29] Steven Yeun, Seoul, South Korea, TV actor (‘Glenn Rhee’ on “The Walking Dead” since 2010)

SATURDAY –
TV anchor Diane Sawyer (“ABC World News”) is 67; Movie actor Ralph Fiennes (“Skyfall”) is 50; Pop singer Jordin Sparks (“No Air”) is 23.

SUNDAY –
TV actor-comedian Harry Shearer (“The Simpsons”) is 69; TV actress Susan Lucci (“All My Children”) is 66; Rock guitarist Dave Murray (Iron Maiden) is 56; Rock singer Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) is 48.

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Crossword Puzzle Day”, celebrating the date in 1913 when the first ‘Crossword Puzzle’ was published in the “New York World”. Arthur Wynne devised what he called a ‘Word-Cross’ for the Christmas edition, having no idea he would be starting a worldwide craze.
• “Homeless Persons Memorial Day”, observed since 1990 to bring attention to the tragedy of homelessness and to remember those who have paid the ultimate price for living on the street.
NET: http://www.nationalhomeless.org/projects/memorial/index.html
• “Humbug Day”, when 12 ‘humbugs’ are allowed to be uttered in order to vent the frustrations of preparing for the holidays.
• “Winter Solstice” as Winter officially arrives at 6:12 am EST (earliest Winter since 1896). That makes today the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
• “Underdog Day”, the 36th annual on the 3rd Friday in December saluting all underdogs and unsung heroes, the ‘Number Twos’ who contribute so much to the ‘Number Ones’ that we always hear about: Sherlock Holmes’ Dr Watson, Robinson Crusoe’s Friday, etc.

SATURDAY –
• “Capricorn the Goat” astrology sign begins. People born under the sign are said to be practical, disciplined, methodical, organized, cautious, and careful.
• “Haiku Poetry Day”, celebrating the unrhymed Japanese style of verse that’s written in 17 syllables divided into 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. A sampling for the season: Twelfth Day of Christmas / Shouldn’t have had all that nog / Drums are way too loud!

SUNDAY –
• “Noche de Rabano” (“Night Of the Radishes”) in Oaxaca (‘wah-HAH-kah’), Mexico, when figurines are cleverly carved … from radishes. How festive!
NET: http://academictoursoaxaca.com/4main_radish.htm
• “Pfeffernuesse Day”, a day to make those spicy cookies that are a Christmas tradition in Europe. Don’t forget to add the Puderzucker. They’re just not Pfeffernuesses without the Puderzucker.
• “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.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2001 [11] “A Beautiful Mind”, starring Russell Crowe, opens in movie theaters (eventually wins 4 Academy Awards)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1937 [75] 1st full-length animated movie opens in theaters, Disney’s “Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs”

COMING UP . . .
[Mon] Christmas Eve
[Tues] Christmas Day
[Tues] “Django Unchained”; “Les Misérables”; “Parental Guidance” open in movie theaters
[Wed] Boxing Day
[Wed] Thank-you Note Day
[Wed] Whiners Day
This Week Is … Halcyon Days
This Month Is … Colorectal Cancer Education & Awareness Month

BULL’S BITS

NAME THE COUNTRY QUIZ:
• In what country did the real St Nicholas live … Sweden, Latvia, or Turkey? [He was bishop of the Turkish town of Myra in the early 4th century.]
• Which country celebrates Christmas with fireworks … China, Taiwan, or Brazil? [Brazil.]
• What country was “Good King Wenceslas” from … Scotland, Czech Republic, or Germany? [He was a 10th century duke who later became the patron saint of Czechoslovakia. He was not a king, however, but became famous for his good deeds.]
• In which country would it be bad etiquette to send red Christmas cards … New Zealand, Japan, or Cuba? [Japan, since funeral notices there are customarily printed in red.]
• In which country do kids anxiously await “Grandfather Frost”, who shows up with Christmas goodies on January 1st … Russia, Sweden, or Iceland? [Russia, where Santa is known as D’yed Moroz.]

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Let’s organize this thing and take all the fun out of it …

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: New research says that 14% of us will do THIS on Christmas Eve.
Answer: Shop.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
A misty morning does not signify a cloudy day.