Monday, June 17, 2024 — Edition: #7735
Get a Load of This Sheet!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ The Princess of Wales made a triumphant return to public life for the first time in 6 months on Saturday, attending Trooping of the Colour to celebrate the King’s birthday. Kate appeared in high spirits, joking with Charles and supported by her husband and 3 children on the Buckingham Palace balcony. From the first glimpses of the princess emerging from her car, she was full of smiles and waves. She is undergoing preventative chemotherapy, following treatment for cancer earlier this year.
-TheIndependent
★ Don’t be afraid to catch feelings. Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” scored the biggest box office opening day of the year so far, earning a spectacular $62 million domestically. It also had no trouble blasting past the $82.5 million debut weekend earned by “Dune: Part Two”, to become the biggest domestic opening of 2024. With a projected weekend take of $155 million, it’ll also be the first release to open above $100 million in North America since “Barbie” last summer.
-Variety
★ “Deadpool & Wolverine” looks set to be a major box-office superhero when it opens next month. Film tracking site The Quorum has forecast that the third outing for Ryan Reynolds’ anti-hero will have an opening above $200 million. That would be the best opening for an R-rated movie ever, exceeding the record currently held by the first “Deadpool”, which nabbed a $132 million opening in 2016. For recent comparisons, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” opened to $187 million, while “Spider-Man: No Way Home” did $260 million.
-DigitalSpy
★ Gordon Ramsay says he’s lucky to be alive after a scary bicycle accident. The “Kitchen Nightmares” star took to Instagram on Saturday and implored his more than 17 million followers to “wear a helmet!” when cycling. The famed chef shared that he badly bruised his body after “a really bad accident” while riding in Connecticut. He says he’s doing OK now, with no broken bones, but he did lift his white chef’s jacket to reveal the massive bruise covering his torso. He stressed that the incident “really shook” him, and thanked the “surgeons, doctors and nurses” who looked after him. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/bdeyz4a8
-ET
★ “Deadliest Catch” star Nick Mavar has died at age 59. Police in Naknek, Alaska say the Croatia native suffered a medical emergency at a boatyard on Thursday. The F/V Northwestern deckhand was transported to hospital where he later died of natural causes. Mavar rose to fame in the Discovery Channel series, which chronicles the lives of commercial crab fishermen, between 2005-21. He also starred in the “Deadliest Catch: Siberian Winter” and “Deadliest Catch: The Bait” spinoffs. He is survived by his wife, Julie Mavar.
-PageSix
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Austin Butler, Lionel Boyce, Madison Beer
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Eddie Murphy, Matty Matheson, Diljit Dosanjh
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Dr. Anthony Fauci, Callum Turner, Trombone Shorty
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Sherry Cola, Solomon Georgio, Debra DiGiovanni
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Ayo Edebiri, Luke Wilson, Michael Marcagi, Mario Duplantier
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Aesha Scott, Elena Dubaich
• “The Daily Show” (COM): Host Jon Stewart
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Kevin Costner
• “The Talk” (CBS): Taraji P. Henson, Auli’i Cravalho
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Howie Mandel
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Kenny Chesney, Chip and Joanna Gaines
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Angela Deem
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Mike and Kyra Epps
• “U.S. Olympic Trials” (Check local listings): Swimming; Diving
• Name That Tune” (Fox): Clinical Finish
• “The Great American Recipe” (PBS): Season 3 premiere
• “NBA Finals” (Check local listings): Dallas Mavericks @ Boston Celtics
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Jack Harlow — After making his acting debut in last year’s remake of “White Men Can’t Jump”, he’ll star alongside Matt Damon and Casey Affleck in the Apple TV+ crime comedy film “The Instigators”, coming Aug. 9. The trailer is out now. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4y46cz3
• Taylor Swift – Her “Eras Tour” will come to a close in December. She made the announcement in Liverpool while performing the 100th date of the tour, which began in March 2023. Industry experts believe the total gross will surpass $2 billion by the time it wraps up in December, far and away the highest-grossing tour in music history.
• Ice Spice – has been added as a performer for the 2024 BET Awards, as have Ms. Lauryn Hill & YG Marley, and Tyla. Previously announced performers include GloRilla, Latto, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey and Victoria Monét. Taraji P. Henson will host live from the Peacock Theater in LA on June 30.
• Mariah Carey – Friday, she dropped an expanded edition of her “Rainbow” album in honor of its 25th anniversary. Along with a series of new remixes of hits like ‘Heartbreaker’ and ‘Thank God I Found You’. It features the new song ‘Rainbow’s End’. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2emvmef3
• Metallica – will be featured in the game Fortnight’s next concert, called “Metallica: Fuel Fire Fury.” Players can check out the virtual show this Sat. and Sun. It’s the latest in a line of in-game concerts that have previously featured Eminem, Ariana Grande, Travis Scott, and Marshmello. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mr4b7edp
• U2 — has released the next installment in their digital series “U2 To Love and Only Love – Deep Dives and B-Sides”. This one is dedicated to the song ‘Mofo’, from the album “Pop”. This 6th collection includes 5 Mofo remixes: ‘Phunk Phorce Mix’, ‘Mother’s Mix’, ‘Black Hole Dub’, ‘House Flavour’ and ‘Romin Mix.’ LINK: https://u2.lnk.to/MofoRemixes
• Kenny Chesney – has notched his record-padding 33rd #1 hit on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with ‘Take Her Home’. Since the chart was launched in 1990, Tim McGraw ranks second with 29 #1s, and Blake Shelton is 3rd, with 28.
• Billy Currington – pays homage to small-town life with his new song ‘Everything Is Changing’. His upcoming album “#1’s Vol. 1” drops July 5.
• Jelly Roll – makes no secret of his criminal past, but that doesn’t mean he was good at it. Howard Stern recently asked him about his run-ins with the law as a teen, inquiring: “How did you get caught so much?” Jelly told the story of “when the police pulled us over, I was like, ‘I’m just gonna run…I was so fat…I…got 2 steps. The cop was standing there watching me, and I fell, and he just laid on top of me.”
SHOOTING THE BULL
CHEEKY INVENTION:
It only took a few hundred years, but someone claims to have invented a comfortable bicycle seat. Australian engineer Robin Macan came up with the “VabsRider”, the ‘world’s first virtual axis bicycle seat.’ The what-now? It’s an innovative new design where the bicycle saddle features 2 sides that move independently as you pedal, distributing the load more evenly, for a more comfortable ride. That’s right – half the seat moves with your cheeks, as you pedal the bike. Macan says that the flaw of the common bicycle seat is obvious: “no amount of cushioning can compensate for the inherent pain points on the human body.” He claims his new design results in a pain-free ride. After a 2-year process of working with an engineering firm, he says the VabsRider split-seat bicycle saddle is ready to offer users the most comfortable bike ride of their lives. LINK: https://youtu.be/f3UaHAyUI4Q
(…no ifs, ands…or sore butts!)
(Pain free? This guy obviously has knees that are in much better shape than mine!)
-OddityCentral
PLANE RUDE:
When traveling on an airplane, there are some behaviors that are definitely unacceptable, such as cutting one’s toenails, and others that are up for debate, such as reclining the seat. Perhaps in an effort at settling the debate on some of these, the polling site YouGov recently asked people about what airplane behaviors they consider OK…and which ones are simply rude. The results:
• The absolute worst thing you can do while aboard a plane is to let your kids play in the aisle. 86% agreed this is unacceptable. (The other 14% are probably parents who let their kids play in the aisle!)
• 82% also said it is unacceptable to get drunk. (Also unaffordable!)
• 74% consider it unacceptable to use both armrests when someone is sitting next to you.
• 65% feel it is unacceptable to exit the plane before those in the row in front of you.
• 72% said it is perfectly acceptable to wake up a seatmate to use the bathroom. (Definitely better than the alternative!)
• 51% feel it is acceptable to ask to switch seats with another passenger.
• …and if you can believe it, 52% said they think it is OK to put small items like a purse or jacket in the overhead compartment on a full flight!
(I’ve seen a guy airing out his shorts underneath the airflow vent. After that, NOTHING phases me!)
(What somewhat-common behavior aboard a plane do you find objectionable?)
-MorningBlend, YouGov
NEW GOOD NEWS:
➢ Today, many are concerned about the risks involved in the use of AI, and probably rightly so. But that doesn’t mean that it can’t be used for good. A new AI tool – Rapid-RO – could help people avoid unnecessary hospital stays, by rapidly ruling out heart attacks in people who visit the emergency room. In a study, the tool successfully ruled out heart attacks in 36%, compared to 27% for the current standard test. Another new AI tool was found to be able to predict who is at risk of developing heart failure by identifying tell-tale patterns in a person’s medical records. Spotting people at high risk would enable them to begin treatments earlier, when heart failure symptoms can be managed more effectively. Researchers hope the algorithm could be available to GPs in as few as 3 years. And it was recently reported that in Denmark, radiologists have been able to use AI to improve breast cancer screening performance, and reduce the rate of false-positives.
➢ A paralyzed puppy is able to walk again – after his spine was fixed with 3D-printed screws. Arthur, a 6-month-old Cockapoo, was unable to move after his limbs suddenly became weak and he collapsed. His person, Natalie Jones, rushed him to a vet in England, where scans showed a section of Arthur’s spine was not connected together properly, causing a loss of function in his limbs. The puppy had a 4-hour operation, where surgeons placed bespoke 3D-printed spinal screws and surgical cement into his spine. Now, 3 months later, Arthur is slowly walking and Jones says “it is the best feeling to watch him be a puppy again”.
-GoodNewsNetwork, PositiveNews, SWNS
PHRASES NOT TO SAY AT WORK:
And why bosses don’t like them…
☞ “Think outside the box”: It is so overused that it hardly carries meaning anymore. Try explaining exactly what type of innovative approach you’re suggesting…or just say “be creative”. (On Mondays, I can’t even think “inside the box”!)
☞ “Synergy”: It’s short on specifics regarding what is being “synergized”, and how people are supposed to create synergy. Try using more specific language, like “collaboration,” or “team effort”.
☞ “Leverage”: It originated as a way to describe strategic use of resources to maximize outcomes, but now it has become an unspecific catch-all term. Try “utilize” or “capitalize on”.
☞ “Circle back”: It is so common that now it can sound dismissive, insincere, or unclear. Consider: “follow up,” “revisit,” or “check back in”. (Or, you know… “Discuss later.”)
☞ “Low-hanging fruit”: It’s an awkward metaphor that can sound glib. Also, it’s overused. Maybe go with “easy wins”, or “readily attainable goals.” (I cringe every time this phrase is used. Which means I cringe at every meeting!)
☞ “Move the needle”: Another vague and overused term. Try “make an impact,” “drive progress,” or “advance our goals.”
(The problem is that it’s the boss who uses these phrases the most…!)
-StudyFinds
DID YOU KNOW?
Do we really learn from our mistakes? Urm…maybe not, according to new research. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology has revealed that our optimistic view of failure (evidenced in sayings like “Each failure is a stepping stone!” and “Fail your way to success!”) might be misleading. A team at Northwestern University discovered that people significantly overestimate the likelihood of success following failures, such as passing a test after initially failing, or improving their health after a medical crisis. The study’s lead author said: “People expect success to follow failure much more often than it actually does.” (So…we fail to learn from our failures?)
-StudyFinds
BS CHRONOMETER 06.17.24
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Eat Your Vegetables Day”, an observance likely begun by somebody’s Mother somewhere. (Yesterday was “Fresh Veggies Day”, so today we should eat ’em from a can?)
• “World Day to Combat Desertification & Drought”, to promote awareness of international efforts to combat it. (I’m a waaay bigger fan of the much less well-known “Dessertification and Draught” day, which I celebrate every Saturday…)
• “Apple Strudel Day”, the oldest known recipe for apple strudel (Apfelstrudel) is from Austria. It was handwritten in 1696.
• “Global Garbage Man Day”, actually it was re-branded in 2019 as “Waste & Recycling Workers Week”. Whether they are “Garbage Men”, “Sanitation Specialists” or “Waste Management Professionals”, thank them today (after all, they’re the ones who know about all the empty bottles you hide at the bottom of your recycle bin…)
• “World Croc Day” (the reptile, not the shoe), part of a global awareness campaign to highlight the plight of endangered crocodiles and alligators around the world.
• “Take Your Cat to Work Day”, because you’ve needed to clear everything off your desk for months…
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] Autistic Pride Day
[Tues] Go Fishing Day
[Wed] Juneteenth
[Thurs] Summer arrives (in Northern Hemisphere – at 4:51pm EDT)
This Week Is…Play Catch Week
This Month Is…Soul Food Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1943 [81] Barry Manilow, Brooklyn NY, pop(?) singer (‘Mandy’, ‘Copacabana’, ‘I Write the Songs’)
1960 [64] Thomas Haden Church, Woodland CA, movie actor (“Spider-Man 3”, “Sideways”)/TV actor (“Wings” 1990-95) COMING UP…”The Happy Worker”
1963 [61] Greg Kinnear, Logansport IN, movie actor (“Anchorman 2”, “Little Miss Sunshine”) COMING UP…”You Gotta Believe”, 2024
1966 [58] Jason Patric, Queens NY, movie actor (“The Lost Boys”, “Speed 2”)/grandson of Jackie Gleason. COMING UP…”Armored”, 2024
1970 [54] Will Forte, Alameda CA, TV actor (“The Last Man on Earth” 2015-18, “Saturday Night Live” 2002-12)/voice actor (“The Lego Movie” films) COMING UP…”Kinda Pregnant”
1980 [44] Venus Williams, Lynwood CA, pro tennis player (49 singles titles, $42.6 million in career winnings/former #1-rank, currently #487/older sister of Serena Williams
1982 [42] Jodie Whittaker, Huddersfield England, TV actress (“Dr. Who” 2017-2022)
1983 [41] Mickey Guyton, Arlington TX, country singer (‘Better Than You Left Me’, w/Dean Brody-‘Boys’)
1987 [37] Kendrick Lamar, Compton CA, rapper-songwriter (‘Not Like Us’, ‘Humble’)
1997 [27] KJ [Keneti James] Apa, Auckland New Zealand, TV actor (‘Archie Andrews’ on ‘Riverdale” 2017-2023)/movie actor (“Dead Reckoning”)
TODAY IN SHOWBIZ . . .
2018 [06] “The Incredibles 2” sets a domestic box office record for an animated release, earning $180 million in its opening weekend (exceeded in 2019 by “The Lion King”)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2005 [19] Coldplay’s “X&Y” album achieves #1 status in 22 countries
2008 [16] Katy Perry’s major-label debut album, “One of the Boys”, is released, featuring the hit single ‘I Kissed a Girl’. It’s not her first album — in 2001 she released a gospel record under her real name, Katy Hudson
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2011 [11] The first condemnation of discrimination against gays, lesbians, and transgender people is issued by the United Nations Human Rights Council
TODAY’S CHASE . . .
1994 [30] After O.J. Simpson doesn’t turn himself in on murder charges, LA cops chase his Ford Bronco for 1½ hours. He eventually gives up (as seen live on TV…)
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ There are more stars in space than there are grains of sand on every beach in the world.
✓ Beeping alarm clocks have been known to cause heart attacks.
✓ Shopping releases endorphins that temporarily reduce stress, boost self-esteem, and moderate pain.
✓ During the Cold War, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev agreed to set aside their differences if the world was ever invaded by aliens.
✓ During WWII, novelty toilet paper was printed with images of Hitler, Hirohito and Mussolini.
✓ Pope Francis used to be a nightclub bouncer.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, WhattheFFacts
Best of BS . . .
BS BAD THINGS TO HEAR OVER A P.A. SYSTEM:
• “Please fasten your seatbelts. I want to try something.”
• “Will the owner of a white Maserati, or possibly a white Lamborghini, please come to the front door to identify your car?”
• (***Caution***) “Yes, baby, just like that…”
• “Customer needs assistance with hemorrhoid cream…”
• (mumbling) “I hate all these people so I’m going to skip the tornado announcement.”
• “Joe, please report to the office so we can discuss something that rhymes with ‘hire’, but means the exact opposite.”
• “May the Hunger Games begin!”
• “Clean up in aisle…ummm…clean up in ALL the aisles!”
• “And today’s cafeteria special is…pineapple pizza.”
• “This is not a drill.”
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
BS POOR CAR CLEANING TIPS:
• For an excellent finish, park under a Maple tree.
• You know that guy who stands at the corner with a squeegee? He’ll do your whole car if you stay for an extra red light.
• Cover any soiled areas inside with some of those fast-food wrappers under the seat.
• Leave your car out in the rain for a quick and easy rinse.
• Leave it unlocked with the windows down and someone else will clean it out for you.
• Instead of “wax on, wax off”, skip steps one and two.
• Sand paper makes a handy scouring pad to get rid of bird droppings.
• Stop making car payments and it will soon become someone else’s job to clean it.
• Just hang a minty air freshener and be done with it.
• Put kids in it.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
BS WEB GOODIE:
Very convincing: https://tinyurl.com/59h5v7e6
BS RANDOM JOKE:
At home, they treat me like God. I’m generally ignored until someone wants something…
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• A Blue Whale has a heart roughly the size of a what?
a) Human’s heart
b) Basketball
c) VW Beetle [CORRECT]
d) Triceratops
• What colour skin does a polar bear have?
a) Black [CORRECT]
b) White
c) Pink
d) Polar
• What type of creature would you find in an apiary?
a) Birds
b) Bees [CORRECT]
c) Rabbits
d) Apes
-QuizWitz, JetPunk
BS PHONE STARTER:
What, to you, is worth standing in line for?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
A survey asked: “What do you wish had never been invented?” THIS was the #1 answer. What is it?
Answer: Karaoke
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
What lies behind you, and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.
