Tuesday, January 2, 2024 – Edition: #7625

New Year . . . Same ol’ BS!

 

BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
Happy New Year!  All Bull Sheet subscribers have received account credits for non-service days over the holiday season. We are all set to go with another great year of BS!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Ian Ziering defaulted to “Sharnado” mode on New Year’s Eve, after being attacked by some bikers in Hollywood. In a TMZ video, Ziering can be seen approaching the bikers and mini-bikes that swarmed into traffic. The “90210” alum seems to have exited his own vehicle, but things quickly escalate, with Ziering confronting one of the bikers and violence quickly starts. Ziering fights back for a moment before more bikers arrive and start to beat on him. Then he flees, but later returned to his vehicle, and was seen comforting his young daughter.
-PopCulture
★ Nigel Lythgoe is addressing Paula Abdul’s accusations of sexual assault. The “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” producer released a statement, saying: “For more than 2 decades, Paula and I have interacted as dear — and entirely platonic — friends and colleagues.” He went on to address Abdul’s lawsuit, saying, “Yesterday, however, out of the blue, I learned of these claims in the press and I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for.” Lythgoe says he’ll “fight” these allegations “with everything I have”.
-PopCulture
★ “Wonka” led the weekend box office, grabbing an estimated $23.7 million domestically in its third weekend, rising to $32 million when New Year’s Day estimates are included. That’s enough to push annual box office totals past the $9 billion mark, about 22% ahead of the $7.36 billion grossed in 2022.
Sometime this week, “Wonka” will pass $150 million domestic and $400 million worldwide. “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” came second over the weekend with a $26.3 million 4-day total.
-TheWrap
★ Nearly a year after Jeremy Renner‘s snowplow accident, he stopped by the hospital where he was treated to show his appreciation for the staff. Renner took to Instagram to share a photo of him riding in a RennerVation Foundation firetruck, writing that he recently went “rollin through Reno, NV with joy, blessings, and [pizza emoji].” He added in the caption that he also went to the Renown Regional Medical Center to “see kids/superheroes, first responders, and doctors, nurses and staff…Paying my respects and celebrating love, life and the blessings it brings to us all.” LINK: http://tinyurl.com/yc4684f4
★ Prince Harry’s relationship with Prince William remains seriously strained — but he and wife Meghan Markle are looking to make amends with King Charles, according to a royal author. Ingrid Seward claims the Sussexes are making a resolution to reunite with the monarch in the New Year. Seward, who has written more than a dozen books on the royal family — told GB News: “Obviously King Charles wants to see his son and his grandchildren, and last summer he apparently invited them to Balmoral, which they turned down”, but she believes Harry and Markle will make a more concerted effort with the King in 2024.
-NYPost

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Carey Mulligan, Alan Ritchson, Sleater-Kinney (R)
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell, Joel Kinnaman, chef Mario Carbone (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Nicki Minaj, Liam Neeson (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Hilary Duff, Ben Marshall, John Higgins and Martin Herlihy (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr.
• “The Talk” (CBS): Abigail Spencer, Jay Hernandez
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV):  Tamron Hall, Wendy Bazilian
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Mario Lopez, Shane McAnally, The cast of “Shucked” performs (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Julia Fox (R)
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Kumail Nanjiani, Teddy Swims
• “Celebrity Jeopardy!” (ABC): Semifinal #1: Utkarsh Ambudkar, Mira Sorvino and Lisa Ann Walter
• “Night Court” (NBC): Dan helps Roz with an investigation that goes awry as they find themselves pleading their case in front of Abby; Gurgs regales the court with stories of her London adventures.
• “Only Murders in the Building” (ABC): Series premiere. Three Upper West Side neighbors bond over a shared love of true crime; when a fellow resident dies, they decide to solve the mystery.
• “Name That Tune” (Fox): Celeb contestants Lisa Loeb, Jesse McCartney, Corbin Bleu and Craig Ferguson
• “2024 World Junior Hockey Championship” (TSN, NHL): 4 quarter-final matchups, teams TBD. From Gothenburg, Sweden (all games during daytime ET).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Charlie XCS and Britney Spears – have reportedly been working together as Spears gears up for a 2024 comeback to mark the 25th anniversary of her debut album. The Sun Charlie was recording last year under Spears guidance, resulting in a powerful song expected to feature prominently on a new album.
• Miley Cyrus — has shared a live cover of the 1983 Journey hit ‘Faithfully’, recorded before an audience of family and friends at the Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles. In her take on the song, shared on her social media channels Saturday, Cyrus jokes “Dave Grohl is coming out of the Christmas tree (to play) drums”. He didn’t. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/2nu7v9ex
• Dave Grohl — raised more than $14,000 for good causes with hand-drawn instructions for making a beer funnel and a sneaky device for smuggling hash into gigs. He had been asked to create unique pieces of art for a charity auction hosted by New Jersey’s Sea.Hear.Now festival – and of course, left it to the last minute. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/4yuahkkj
• Imagine Dragons – A Ukrainian teen whose home was destroyed in the war against Russia has had it rebuilt after he was featured in the band’s ‘Crushed’ video. The clip, which shows the wreckage of Sasha’s village after it was under occupation for 5 months, came to the attention of United24, an organization that decided to rebuild his home. LINK: http://tinyurl.com/nn4a24hb
• Zac Brown – He and his wife Kelly Yazdi announced on Friday that they are divorcing after 4 months of marriage. A statement says: “Our mutual respect for one another remains. We wish each other the best and will always appreciate our time together.” He’s 45, she is 32.
• Jason Aldean – made 2 of Google’s most-searched lists for 2023. In the “Year in Search” recap, he was named the most-Googled musician in the US, and his hit ‘Try That in a Small Town’ was the most-searched songs in the US.
• Lainey Wilson – Her hit ‘Watermelon Moonshine’ topped country music website The Boot’s list of the top 40 country songs of 2023, based on airplay, sales, streaming, and rankings by staff and readers. The rest of the top-5, in order: ‘Need a Favor’ – Jelly Roll, ‘Next Thing You Know’ – Jordan Davis, ‘The Painter’ – Cody Johnson, and ‘Save Me’ – Jelly Roll (Feat. Lainey Wilson). LINK: http://tinyurl.com/ymjxfcxk

SHOOTING THE BULL

HANGXIETY:
So, how did New Year’s Day morning go? Aside from a pounding headache and maybe a topsy-turvey stomach, were you also suffering from the effects of “hangxiety”? That’s the newish term being applied to the experience of feeling embarrassed after a night of intoxicated celebration – but not for any reason in particular. Yes, it’s a mash-up of the words ‘hangover’ and ‘anxiety’, and it’s the current pop-cultural buzzword for feeling extremely anxious while hungover. On TikTok, #hangxiety has over 180 million views. Most of the videos show younger adults cringing or making fun of what they said or did the night before — from drunk texting an ex to forgetting how they got home. The common thread is that they are worried (or ‘hanxious’) about how they might have embarrassed themselves. But fear not, hanxiety sufferers: Experts say that even though you might have the feeling that everyone is talking about how embarrassing and weird you were, they’re probably not. And one of the effects of alcohol is an increase in anxiety the next day.
(Also this: Your friends were so wasted, they probably don’t even remember that you were there!)
(Hey! I don’t need to get drunk to spend the entire next day cringing about whatever it was that I did!)
-CBC

PIGGING OUT:
Some people are trying to lose weight the old-fashioned way – through diet and exercise, and these scientists are living in…2024. They say a much more effective way to drop pounds is through . . . vibrating pills. MIT researchers say they wanted to come up with a non-invasive method for treating obesity, thereby reducing associated risks and costs. Lead author Shriya Srinivasan explains that as the stomach expands, receptors there send a signal to the brain to tell it to stop eating, due to a sense of fullness. So, his team came up with a small, ingestible capsule that would vibrate receptors in the stomach, giving the perception that the entire stomach has been expanded. The pill was given to a group of pigs 20 minutes before mealtime. Vibrations lasted for 30 minutes, and after 108 meals, it was determined that the pigs had reduced their food intake by 40%, leading to weight loss without any side effects. The scientists say they are working to “take this technology” forward for possible use on humans.
(Non invasive? Great! No side-effects? Great! Cheap? Great! Plus, you still have room for dessert!)
(I was impressed that [***Afternoon guy***] managed to lose 4 pounds over the Christmas break. Of course, you can only have your back waxed so often…!)
-Newsweek

NEW YEAR’S REVELATIONS:
So . . . it’s day #2 of the New Year – how are those resolutions going? Or is making New Year’s resolutions even still a thing? Not really, according to a survey. 55% of adults say it’s time to ditch the idea – and it’s millennials, in particular (66%), who feel especially done with the classic resolution. On the other hand, while respondents said they tend to find resolutions unrealistic, the OnePoll survey also found that 52% of people are still interested in setting goals for themselves in 2024. And what ones are hardest to keep? Gen Zers (46%) and millennials (52%) have the most difficulty with money-related resolutions, while Gen Xers (47%) and baby boomers (46%) struggle most with sticking to food-related resolutions.
(My resolution is to stay fat and out of shape. I’m hoping I won’t be able to keep this one, either!)
(I plan to stop making resolutions, too. Just as soon as I get over this crippling addiction to self-improvement!)
-StudyFinds

THINGS WE LEARNED ABOUT OUR PETS AND ANIMALS IN 2023:
⇒ Cats have 276 distinct facial expressions. (…and most of them are disdainful…)
⇒ Rats probably have an imagination.
⇒ A new drug might be able to extend your dog’s life.
⇒ Some female frogs may fake death to avoid unwanted advances. (“I’m feeling unwell, dear. Really, really unwell…”)
⇒ Chinstrap penguins nap over 10,000 times a day. (They’ve since been renamed “Me, after dinner”.)
⇒ Kids who live with cats or dogs tend to have fewer food allergies. (Also, their snacks sometimes go missing…)
⇒ Seagulls decide what to eat by watching people. (Prepare to start hearing about an epidemic of seagull obesity…!)
⇒ Humans can correctly understand the meaning of chimp and bonobo gestures.
⇒ Given unlimited access to the outdoors, your pet cat would eat 2,084 different species of animals and insects…including cows, if they came across a dead one.
⇒ Roosters can recognize their own reflection in a mirror – meaning they are probably self-aware. (Thank goodness THAT’S settled. Now, how are we doing on war, famine and pestilence?)
-HuffPost

DID YOU KNOW?
A Minnesota woman is suing a dentist who she says performed 32 procedures on her in one sitting.   Kathleen Wilson of Minneapolis says Dr. Kevin Molldrem administered to her almost twice the legal limit for anesthesia, and performed a battery of procedures, including 8 dental crowns, 4 root canals and 20 fillings — which she says left her disfigured. Dr. Avrum Goldstein, a Florida dentist who reviewed Wilson’s case, said that Molldrem performed dental procedures involving 28 teeth in a single session, which is “impossible…if… done properly.” (Plus, who can afford it?)
-NationalPost

BS CHRONOMETER 01.02.24

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Swiss Cheese Day”, like all cheeses, Swiss cheese is made using particular bacteria cultures. During the aging process, this bacterium gives off carbon dioxide, which forms gas bubbles inside the cheese. Eventually these gas bubbles leave holes in the cheese, which cheesemakers call “eyes.”
• “Cream Puff Day”, honoring the baked puff pastry shells stuffed with a sweet and rich filling. They originated in Europe in the 1540s when they were created for France’s Henry II.
• “Happy Mew Year For Cats Day”, because cats insist on holidays all their own.
• “Introvert Day”, to foster understanding of and appreciation for introverts. Today was chosen because it is when introverts likely breathe a sigh of relief because the holiday season is over and they can recede from social engagements. (And then someone had to go and come up with a special day to draw even more attention to them…)
• “Motivation & Inspiration Day”. You’re going to need some in order to keep that New Year’s resolution!
• “Personal Trainer Awareness Day”, honoring the folks who make it easier to achieve the most common New Year’s resolution … to lose weight and maintain a permanent healthy lifestyle.
• “Science Fiction Day”, to promote the science fiction genre, celebrate its creators and history, and commemorate the birthday of renowned science author Isaac Asimov, on this date in 1920.
• “Buffet Day”, Well! This should put an end to a lot of New Year’s resolutions! A buffet of buffet facts:
➢ The concept arose in mid-17th century France, when gentleman callers would arrive unexpectedly at the homes of ladies they wanted to woo.
➢ It was during the expansion of railroads throughout Europe that the smorgasbord buffet increased in popularity.
➢ The all-you-can-eat buffet made its restaurant debut in 1946, when it was introduced by Vegas hotel manager Herb MacDonald.
➢ By the mid-1960s, virtually every casino in Las Vegas sported its own variation.
➢ Today the casino buffet costs a bit more than the average $1.50 price of the 1960s, but continue to be one of the best deals in Vegas.

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Festival of Sleep Day
[Wed] J.R.R. Tolkien Day
[Thurs] Trivia Day
[Fri] Keto Day
This Week is…Celebration of Life Week
This Month is…Adopt-a-Rescued-Bird Month

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1967 [57] (Althea) “Tia” Carrere, Honolulu HI, movie actress (“Wayne’s World” movies, “True Lies”)/TV actress (“General Hospital” 1985-86) COMING UP… “Lilo & Stitch” movie

1968 [56] Cuba Gooding Jr, NYC, movie actor (“The Butler”, Oscar-“Jerry Maguire”)/TV actor (“American Crime Story: The People v. OJ Simpson”, “American Horror Story: Roanoke”) COMING UP… “Skeletons in the Closet”

1971 [53] (Scott) “Taye” Diggs, Newark NJ, TV actor (“Empire” 2016-2017, “Private Practice” 2007-13)/movie actor (“Chicago”, “River Runs Red”)/Broadway actor (“Rent”)

1975 [49] Dax Shepard, Milford MI, TV actor (“Parenthood” 2010-15, “Punk’d” 2003-12)/movie actor (“Knocked Up”, “CHiPS”)/entrepreneur (co-founder of diaper and baby product company Hello Bello)/married to Kristen Bell since 2013

1975 [49] Doug Robb, Agoura Hills CA, rock singer (Hoobastank-‘The Reason’)

1978 [46] Karina Smirnoff (Smirnova), Kharkiv Ukraine, ballroom dancer (winner of the 13th season of “Dancing with the Stars” alongside JR Martinez, 5-time US National ballroom dancing champ

1983 [41] Kate Bosworth, Los Angeles CA, movie actress (“Superman Returns”, “Blue Crush”)/TV actress (“The Art of More” 2015-16)

1991 [33] Ben Hardy, Bournemouth England, movie actor (‘Roger Taylor’ in “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “X-Men: Apocalypse”)/TV actor (“EastEnders” 2013-15)

1993 [31] Bryson Tiller, Louisville KY, R&B/hip hop singer-rapper (‘Don’t’, w/DJ Khaled and Rihanna-‘Wild Thoughts’)

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2017 [07] Arnold Schwarzenegger sends off Carnie Wilson on the first episode of “The New Celebrity Apprentice”, introducing his new firing line: “You’re terminated. Hasta La Vista, Baby.”

2019 [05] Bob Einstein, (“Super Dave Osborne”), and “Mean” Gene Okerlund, the WWF and WCW wrestling announcer and television host, both die at 76

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1993 [31] With ‘The Last Song’ hitting #24, Elton John logs his 24th consecutive year with a song in the US Top 40, breaking Elvis Presley’s record. The streak would stretch to 26 years with 1995’s ‘Believe’

2010 [14] Kesha’s first single ‘TiK ToK’ hits #1, where it stays for 9 weeks (longest-running chart-topper of the year)

THIS DAY IN SPORTS . . .
2023 [01] 2023 Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapses in cardiac arrest and is revived by CPR while on the field during an NFL game against the Bengals in Cincinnati

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1906 [118] Willis Carrier receives a US patent for the world’s first air conditioner

TODAY’S SECOND FIRST . . .
2008 [16] Oil reaches $100 US per barrel for the first time (today, it’s about $77)

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Earth is closest to the sun in January.
✓ The Southern Hemisphere typically has milder winters than the Northern Hemisphere because it has less land and a more maritime climate.
✓ You do not need a driver’s license to be a NASCAR driver.
✓ No two cornflakes are identical.
✓ Reincarnation is forbidden in China without government permission.
✓ There are about 20 obscene words in English. Latin had about 800.
-FactSlides, FactRetriever

Best of BS . . .
BS REALISTIC NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS:
• To forget past mistakes and move forward to even greater mistakes.
• To lose weight again. And when I say “again”, I mean I RESOLVE to lose weight again, not to lose weight again…because I never lost weight in the first place.
• To do less laundry and wear more deodorant.
• Not to die. So far, so good.
• To attain a fat bank account and a thin body. And not get those two mixed up again.
• To quit putting my foot in my mouth. I bet yours is to lose weight, huh?
• To just wing it and see what happens.
• To drink more wine and wear less pants.
• To be less sarcastic. Like THAT will ever happen.
-CelebrationJoy, Pinterest, first published in BS in 2018

MORE BS QUESTIONS PLAGUING HUMANITY:
• Isn’t the most difficult thing in the world knowing how to do something, but watching someone do it wrong without commenting?
• You know how most packages say ‘Open Here’? What is the protocol if the package says, ‘Open Somewhere Else’?
• Is air travel nature’s way of making you look like your passport photo?
• When someone tells you to ‘reboot’ your computer, does that mean kicking it again?
• Why isn’t ‘palindrome’ spelled the same way backwards?
• Aren’t the only people who really listen to an argument the neighbors?
• Are people getting more stupid or do we just notice it more as we age?
• Isn’t a desk just a trash can with drawers?
(***Caution***) • When they make ‘Extra Virgin Olive Oil’, do they use the really ugly olives?
-First published in BS in 2020

BS WEB GOODIE:
Slightly lowered expectations:  http://tinyurl.com/mr3tzxnv

BS RANDOM JOKE:
May your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions.

BS PHONE STARTER:
For you, what was the song of the year for 2023?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  Stats show that 15% of us will do THIS during the month of January. What is it?
Answer:  Suffer an exercise-related injury

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.