Tuesday, January 11, 2022 – Edition: #7143

Never Accept a Generic – Ask For Pure “BS”!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Oprah Winfrey is behind an upcoming a documentary about Sidney Poitier. She’s executive producing the project about the late actor – which she has been working on for over a year. Poitier’s family are involved with the doc, about the first Black winner of the Best Actor Oscar for his work on “Lilies of the Field”. Poitier away at age 94 last week, and Winfrey, who considered him a friend and mentor, paid tribute to him on Instagram, writing that she “treasured” and “adored” him.
-ContactMusic
★ Josh Duhamel and Audra Mari are engaged. The “Transformers” star, who has been dating Mari since 2019, announced the happy news Saturday on Instagram with a photo of the couple posing by the beach. Duhamel was famously married to Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie for 8 years before they split in 2017. They have one son together.  In the comments section of his post, Fergie wrote: “Congrats!!!”, followed by 6 green heart emojis. (Green?)
-People
★ Unfortunately for fans of “The Voice”, the show will not be returning to TV this January. In fact, it may be some time before you get to see the coaches in action again. The show typically airs 2 cycles per year. In other words, there are usually 2 full seasons of The Voice that air during the course of a year, one in the spring and the other in the fall. But now, the network is changing things up. In May, NBC revealed that were moving The Voice to one cycle per year. As a result, season 22 of The Voice isn’t expected to premiere until September.
-PopCulture
★ January 17 was supposed to be a magical day for America’s favorite senior citizen, when legendary actress Betty White was set to celebrate her 100th birthday. So, fans are rallying to honor her by supporting one of her biggest passions: animal welfare. Since the first week of the year, the #BettyWhiteChallenge has become a trending hashtag throughout social media. The challenge is simple: donate to any local or national animal shelter, rescue or agency in White’s name leading up to or on Jan. 17.
-Yahoo

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Jim Gaffigan, Ann Dowd, Ryan Hurd
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jacob Elordi, Joshua Ray Walker
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Bradley Cooper, Robert Finley with Dan Auerbach
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): John Cena, Ana Gasteyer, Hanya Yanagihara, Bianca Richardson
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Andrew Garfield, Jamie Dornan, Laurie Kilmartin (R)
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Lala Kent, James Kennedy
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Greg Kinnear
• “The Talk” (CBS): Margaret Cho
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Jamie Dornan, Maggie Q, Dr. Melina Jampolis
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): John Cena, Parquet Courts
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Leslie Jones, Chris Martin, Melissa McCarthy, Deon Cole, Jimmy Fallon, Max Greenfield, Bowen Yang
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Jenna Ortega, Fred Savage, Elisha “EJ” Williams
• “Superman & Lois” (CW): Season 2 premiere
• “Naomi” (CW): Series premiere. Naomi’s friends join her to help find who or what is behind the unexpected event that has their small military town buzzing and left her with strange fainting spells.
• “I Am Shauna Rae” (TLC): Series premiere. Shauna tries to live like a normal 22-year-old, but at 3’10”, she’s stuck in the body of an 8-year-old; from dating to drinking, she faces surprising obstacles.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Olivia Rodrigo – Saturday, she celebrated the one-year anniversary of the release of her breakthrough hit ‘Drivers License’ by posting a throwback clip. On IG, she wrote: “happy first birthday to the little song that changed my whole life. I made this video a day or two after I wrote drivers license (with a very squeaky sustain pedal lol). crazy to think how quickly life changes.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3mrzadn7
• Pussycat Dolls — Nicole Scherzinger apparently didn’t tell the rest of the group that their long-awaited reunion tour has been cancelled. She announced the cancellation Friday on her Instagram Story, citing the recent surge in the Omicron variant. Fellow group members issued a statement saying they are “disappointed” that they weren’t officially informed of the cancellation before the rest of the world was.
• Avril Lavigne – Her new album, out in Feb., will feature “the most” collaborations she’s ever had. She told fans the pandemic worked in her favor because so many musicians were stuck in LA, so it was easier to get them into the studio. Lavigne calls the as-yet untitled album as a “love letter to women and self-empowerment”.
• John Legend – While many artists in their golden years have been selling the rights to their music catalogs lately, including Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks and Neil Young, Legend has become one of the younger artists to do so. With just 7 albums under his belt, BMG and global investment firm KKR has acquired the 43-year-old’s portfolio of songs for an undisclosed amount.
• Bob Dylan – His lawyers say sexual abuse allegations against him are “untrue,” “absurd” and an extortion attempt. He’s accused of grooming and abusing a woman in 1965 when she was 12, and Dylan’s team call the lawsuit as a “fantastical and fictitious story being exploited for financial gain.”
• Judas Priest – Rob Halford says the group have no plans to stop making albums. Quote: “Look at the Stones, look at Aerosmith, look at Elton – you know, it’s what defines us.” No word on when we may see the follow-up to 2018’s “Firepower”, but he says it’s coming at “some point”.
• Walker Hayes – says he owes the success of ‘Fancy Like’ to God and Smoothie King. He told an interviewer that he was an was an alcoholic working at Costco when he first met songwriter/producer Shane McAnally in a Smoothie King, and it changed his life. Hayes believes “the Lord anointed a silly song” and that the moment McAnally was born, God knew the men would meet at Smoothie King.
• Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram and Jon Randall – Their “The Marfa Tapes” documentary will premiere on Paramount+ on Jan. 20. It offers a glimpse inside the making of the 2021 album of the same name, which was recently nominated for the Best Country Album Grammy. It features live performances set against the backdrop of West Texas, plus candid interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.
• Shania Twain — congratulated Taylor Swift on dethroning her as the female artist with the most weeks at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart. Swift’s albums have now spent a total of 99 weeks in the top spot, surpassing Twain’s 97-week record. Twain tweeted: “Let’s Go Girls!!!! Proud of you @taylorswift13. Historical records are meant to be made and then broken.”

SHOOTING THE BULL

“THE ONE” FOR THE RECORD BOOKS:
A “mega-mansion” in Los Angeles could become the most expensive property ever sold in the US. The 105,000-square-foot mansion in Bel Air, named “The One,” is expected to sell for somewhere in the neighborhood of $295 million. The hillside property, spanning over 3.8 acres, was officially listed on Friday for that $295 million price, with an online sale set to be held February 7-10. The home boasts 360-degree ocean and alpine views, as well as a view of downtown Los Angeles. Its new owners will be able to enjoy a nightclub, salon, spa, 10,000-square-foot sky deck, private running track, movie theater, bowling alley and 10,000-bottle wine cellar. And because “why not?”, there’s even a moat: an infinity pool stretching around 3 sides of the residence. Oh, and at 5,500 square feet, the master bedroom alone is more than double the size of the average American house.
(Wow! Imagine what it’d be worth if Kanye didn’t live nearby!)
(I couldn’t even afford the taxes on that place. Aw, who am I kidding? I can’t afford the taxes on MY place!)
-CNN

EXTRA-CUSTODIAL:
Here’s a little something to keep in the back of your mind for the next time your kids are complaining about their homework. At a Minnesota high school, janitors are being replaced by students because of a shortage of custodians. The Anoka-Hennepin School District is 18 short of its usual 220 employees, meaning some buildings are not being cleaned as efficiently as possible. After brainstorming a fix, the district came up with the student janitor program at Blaine High School. Students are paid $15.30 per hour, the same as substitute janitors, to carry out duties such as a cleaning classrooms, sweeping, vacuuming and taking out the trash. The students do their custodial duties after regular school hours, and can take the school activity bus home. So far, the initiative has been “extremely successful”, and it may soon be rolled out to other schools in the area.
(Now THOSE are some high-maintenance kids!)
(Anything to avoid having to go home and clean their room…)
-Unilad

CORONAUPDATE:
➢ A new study says N95 respirators can be safely reused up to 25 times. The medical-grade masks, commonly used in hospitals to protect health-care workers from infectious pathogens, can maintain their function and effectiveness through those 25 cycles of reuse upon decontamination. And even after 25 decontamination cycles, researchers found no changes in respiratory integrity or filtration efficiency. The study, published in American Journal of Infection Control, involved the use of vaporized hydrogen peroxide, a common disinfectant, to decontaminate them. The information could be beneficial to health-care facilities with limited access to personal protective equipment. (They mean used 25 times by the same person, right?)
➢ As the pandemic drags on, a new technique is being used to detect positive cases at large-scale concerts — and it comes on all fours. Musicians have taken to recruiting trained dogs to sniff out the coronavirus in crew members, or anyone else backstage. Bio Detection K9, which oversees the training program and outsources the dogs, says that with 6 weeks of training, the dogs learn to sit down when they detect the virus on someone’s hands or feet. Currently, 12 dogs are in service, and the program has now been tweaked so that dogs can detect the highly transmissible Omicron variant by sniffing an individual’s mask. Artists such as Metallica, Tool, Ashley McBryde and Eric Church have used the services of the dogs in an effort at minimizing odds of the virus shutting down their tour plans. And not only are the dogs more effective than the usual testing policies, they’re cheaper, costing around $2 a person. (Friendlier, too!)
-CTV, UltimateClassicRock

SURPRISING THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU CAN EAT:
☞ Watermelon rinds:  They can be used as an alternative to cabbage in coleslaw, or added to salsa. Pickled rinds are also popular in South Africa.
☞ Crab shell:  Wha?? Not any old crab shell, but soft shell crabs’ exterior are fine to eat. They’re crabs which are harvested just after they’ve shed their hard exoskeleton, while the new one is still soft. Deep fry ‘em!
☞ Banana skin:  There are many ways you can cook with them, and it’s a fairly common ingredient in many parts of the world. It just needs to be broken down in a food processor or by cooking. Try banana peel chutney, spiced with chillies and garlic. (I can’t even eat the stringy things, let alone the peel!)
☞ Flowers:  Edible flowers just waiting to brighten up a salad, soup or dessert include: borage, day lily, hibiscus, hollyhocks, scented geraniums and viola. Just make sure they aren’t sprayed with chemicals.
☞ Strawberry tops:  If you love fresh fruit smoothies, stop cutting the tops off your strawberries They are full of goodness and you won’t even notice them. Strawberry tops also add flavor to water, spirits or balsamic vinegar.
☞ Apple cores:  Just slice or chomp through the entire fruit (minus the stem and seeds, of course). Most of us don’t eat the middle because that’s what we’ve been taught, but it’s completely edible.
☞ Ornge peel:  Steep in vodka, gin or limoncello for a few days to make delicious citrus-infused spirits, or add to mulled wine. Candied orange peels are delicious alone, dipped in chocolate or used to garnish cakes and desserts.
☞ Dandelions:  Why not? In medieval times, dandelions were collected to make sweet wine-like liqueur. Young leaves can be used in salads, for dandelion tea. Avoid anything that’s been sprayed with chemicals. (Or by the dog!)
☞ Avocado stones:  It’s an acquired taste but you can eat it. Dehydrate it in the oven, peel off the skin, then slice and grind the seed into a powder. It’s bitter, so best added to smoothies. (Fine. But liver? Still can’t do it.)
-LoveFood

DID YOU KNOW?
Teens who don’t get enough sleep consume more junk food, according to a new study. US researchers analyzed the sleeping and eating patterns of 93 teenagers for 5 days. In one group, teens slept for around 6.5 hours. The other group got 9.5 hours of sleep. They found that while both groups consumed a similar number of calories, those who got less sleep ate more foods that are high in sugar and carbs while consuming fewer fruits and vegetables. The researchers suspect that tired teens looking for quick bursts of energy seek out foods that are high in carbs and added sugars.
-CTV

BS CHRONOMETER 01.11.22

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Hot Toddy Day”, saluting the traditional drink taken before retiring for the night, or in wet or cold weather. It’s typically a mixture of liquor and water with honey (or, in some recipes, sugar), herbs (such as tea) and spices, and served piping hot. Some believe it relieves the symptoms of cold and flu…or at least makes you forget them.
• “International Thank-You Day”, a chance to thank someone from your past who did something nice for you. (I’d like to take a moment to say thank you to those who have lent me money…I’ll never be able to repay you!)
• “Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day”, in case you want to embrace a technology that has pretty much disappeared. Dash-dot-dot-dot … dot-dot-dash … dot-dash-dot-dot …
• “Human Trafficking Awareness Day”, drawing attention to efforts to eradicate modern-day slavery around the world.
• “Cigarettes are Hazardous to Your Health Day”. Did we really need a day to tell us this?
• “Secret Pal Day”, almost everyone has special friend who they trust with their deepest secrets. Secret pals provide relief from our emotional baggage and mental stress. Because keeping secrets is detrimental to our health, a secret pal is therefore a preventive health measure.

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Kiss a Ginger Day
[Wed] Stick To Your New Year’s Resolution Day
[Thurs] Rubber Ducky Day
[Thurs] Sticker Day

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1946 [76] (Diana) Naomi Judd, Ashland KY, country singer (The Judds-‘Mama, He’s Crazy’, ‘Grandpa [Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days]’)/mother of Wynonna and Ashley Judd

1956 [66] Phyllis Logan, Paisley Scotland, TV actress (“Downton Abbey” 2010-15)

1968 [54] Tom Dumont, LA CA, rock guitarist (No Doubt-‘It’s My Life’, ‘Don’t Speak’)

1971 [51] Mary J. Blige, Bronx NY, R&B-pop singer (‘Family Affair’, ‘Be Without You’)

1972 [50] Amanda Peet, NYC, movie actress (“Identity Thief”, “The Whole Nine Yards”)

1985 [37] Aja Naomi King, LA CA, TV actress (‘Michaela Pratt’ on “How to Get Away With Murder” 2014-20)

1997 [25] Cody Simpson, Gold Coast Australia, pop singer (‘On My Mind’, f/Flo Rida-‘iYiYi’)

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2010 [12] Simon Cowell leaves “American Idol” to launch “The X Factor” (US version) His replacement? Steven Tyler

2013 [09] Re/Create, a charity event to aid victims of 2012s Hurricane Sandy, holds a celebrity clothing auction that includes an autographed pair of Yeezy II sunglasses from Kanye West, a jacket Skrillex wore to the 2012 Grammys, and a Mugler bag donated by Lady Gaga

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1992 [30] Nirvana’s “Nevermind” album hits #1 in America, unseating Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous”.

2013 [09] Destiny’s Child announce they will reunite at the 2013 Super Bowl, 7 years after their split

2016 [06] The day after David Bowie’s death, his music videos are viewed 51 million times, shattering the previous record of 36 million held by Adele after she released ‘Hello’. Most of the views are for Bowie’s new videos ‘Lazarus’ and ‘Blackstar’, which foretell his death

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2020 [02] The giant 100-year-old tortoise ‘Diego’ retires to the Galapagos islands after his high libido is credited with saving his species

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ The first people to wear t-shirts were sailors in the US Navy.
✓ The ancient Romans thought unibrows were sexy.
✓ You mostly breathe from only one nostril at a time.
✓ If you were to stretch a Slinky out until it’s flat, it would measure 87 feet long.
✓ The praying mantis is the only insect that can turn its head.
✓ Gorillas burp when they are happy.
-Livin3, BathroomReadersInstitute

Best of BS . . .
BS PONDERABLES:
• If vampires can’t see their reflections, why is their hair always so neat?
• Why do they call the little candy bars “fun size”. Wouldn’t it be more fun to eat a big one?
• If a mime is arrested, do they tell him he has a right to talk?
• When does it stop being partly cloudy and start being partly sunny?
• Since bread is square, then why is sandwich meat round?
• Is it still illegal to park next to a fire hydrant, even if your car is on fire?
-CrazyThoughts, first published in BS in 1998

TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ The Lego Group has been ranked the world’s most powerful brand. In fact, by some estimates, there are more Lego minifigures than there are people on Earth. (And at 2am in my bare-feet while half asleep . . . I’ve stepped on all of them!)
➠ The virtual Consumer Electronics Show wrapped up over the weekend. CES is crammed with awesome things that you really want to take home, but can’t. (It’s like an electronic strip club!)
➠ A recent study found that the average American consumes 4 alcoholic beverages a week. (Sweet! I totally hit the average. To be clear, there are 365 weeks in a year, right?)
➠ Did You Know: “Groaking” is a word for staring at someone while they are eating, in hopes they will share. (Or, as my dog calls it, “A day ending in “Y”)
➠ Fact of the Day:  Your tongue is germ-free only if it is pink. If it is white, there is a thin film of bacteria on it. (And if your tongue is touching Pete Davidson’s tongue . . . it means your father didn’t hug you enough . . .)

BS WEB GOODIE:  
Me and my brothers:   https://tinyurl.com/486ua8v3

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I’ve decided my 2022 will start on February 1st. January is a free trial month.

BS PHONE STARTER:
When you’re having a bad day, what’s your go-to plan to make yourself feel better?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  Stats show the average person will go through 2 bottles of THIS every year. What is it?
Answer:  Ketchup

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
People do not decide their future. They decide their habits, and their habits decide their future.