Monday, July 29, 2024 – Edition: #7764
Now You’re Fulla Sheet!
BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
The Bull Sheet is heading off for its annual summer holiday and will not be publishing Monday, August 5 through Friday, August 9. All subscribers will receive credit for the non-service days. The Bull Sheet will resume publication on Monday, August 12.
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as ‘Doctor Doom’ in a new “Avengers” movie titled “Avengers: Doomsday.” Directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo are set to helm 2 new “Avengers” movies: “Doomsday,” which will introduce Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom, and “Avengers: Secret Wars.” The brothers, who have directed Downey Jr. in 3 MCU films, introduced RDJ at Comic-Con, saying: “There is one very important character that is required” to do the new Avengers films justice, possibly “the most important character in all of the Marvel universe”, and for that, they “need the greatest actor in the world to play that character.” Downey Jr.’s comment was: “New mask, same task. What can I tell you?”
-TheWrap
★ “Deadpool & Wolverine” has proven to be the massive hit everyone expected, earning a spectacular $205 million domestically over the weekend, becoming the first R-rated film to score a $200 million-plus opening weekend, and notching a spot in the top 10 openings of all time. The third installment of Ryan Reynolds’ irreverent superhero series would is the 9th film — and 6th from Marvel — to cross the $200 million mark, and is looking at a global opening of over $438 million. Meanwhile, “Twisters” earned $36 million in its second weekend, and “Inside Out 2” made more box office history, passing “Incredibles 2” to become the highest grossing animated film ever in North America, netting $8.6 million, for a domestic total of $613 million, and putting it among the top 15 highest grossing films ever.
-TheWrap
★ Ben Affleck has purchased a new multi-million dollar L.A. estate, TMZ reports, which might all but officially mark the end of his marriage to Jennifer Lopez. Real estate sources say he closed escrow on the Pacific Palisades mansion for $20.5 million. The stunning residence has 5 beds and 6 baths with breakfast and dining areas, a separate family room, den, walk-in closets, media room, powder room, guest house, and so on… Ben and J-Lo tried quietly selling their Beverly Hills home in June, but there were no takers, so they put it on the market July 11 for $68 million.
-TMZ
★ Michael C. Hall is returning to the ‘Dexter’ universe to star in a new spinoff. Hall showed up at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, along with Patrick Gibson, who plays the younger version of Hall’s character in the prequel series “Dexter: Original Sin”. Hall serves as narrator of the 90s-set series, which will premiere in December. Additionally, it was announced that Hall will star in “Dexter: Resurrection”, a new series which is set in present day and is a follow up to the 2021 miniseries “Dexter: New Blood”. It will launch in summer 2025.
-Deadline
★ “Deadpool & Wolverine” star Ryan Reynolds confirmed the sex of his 4th child with Blake Lively in a conversation with Walking 4 Hope founder John Bell. Reynolds revealed that he and Lively now share a little boy, whom he recently announced is named Olin. This is the couple’s first son after having 3 girls: James, Inez, and Betty. The interview mentioning Olin was shared Saturday on Reynolds’ social media. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2s48sy8r
-Elle
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Martin Short guest hosts, Jane Lynch, Jelly Roll (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Seth Meyers, Omar Apollo (R)
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Bert Kreischer, Katherine Blanford, Rich Eisen (R)
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Capt. Sandy Yawn, Aesha Scott
• “The Daily Show” (COM): Host Jordan Klepper (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Rob Lowe, John Owen Lowe
• “The Talk” (CBS): Paula Newsome, Demetri Martin (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Hong Chau, Fitz and The Tantrums
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Tiffany Haddish, Freya Allan, Cleo Wade, Alec Benjamin (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Millie Bobby Brown (R)
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Jurnee Smollet, Daniel Ezra, Greta Onieogou, Michael Evans Behling, Monet Mazur, Samantha Logan and Bre-Z (R)
• “The Olympics” (NBC, CBC): Coverage of swimming finals, men’s gymnastics team final and men’s synchronized platform diving, women’s basketball, and beach volleyball.
• “The Bacherlorette” (CBS): Jenn and her men head to Auckland, New Zealand.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Halsey — has revealed how she convinced Britney Spears to let her sample her song ‘Lucky’ for Halsey’s latest single of the same name. Quote: “I wrote her the longest, sappiest, stan letter of all time and she was soooo nice.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2m37dprn
• Adele — refers to boyfriend, Rich Paul, as her “husband,” leading many to assume that they secretly got married. She hasn’t confirmed that, but there are new rumors that they’re officially engaged. People reports they were seen leaving a London hotspot, and Adele was wearing a large pear-shaped diamond ring on her left hand.
• Celine Dion – made her comeback to the live stage on Friday, belting out a powerful and flawless rendition of Edith Piaf’s classic ‘L’Hymne A l’Amour’, to close the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. Dion, who began her career singing in French, had not performed live since 2020, and announced her diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome in 2022.
• Bill Joel – was joined onstage by Axl Rose Thursday night, at the final show of his Madison Square Garden residency in New York. The Guns N’ Roses singer performed 3 songs with Joel: ‘You May Be Right’, and covers of Wings’ ‘Live and Let Die’ and AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’. Jimmy Fallon also appeared on stage to give Joel a banner commemorating the moment. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/bdz6apnk
• Sinéad O’Connor – The National Wax Museum in Dublin has withdrawn its likeness of her just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public. It was unveiled last week to coincide with the first anniversary of her death, but it soon sparked criticism because, as her brother told media, it “looked nothing like her.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2vzwx3d8
• Post Malone and Morgan Wallen – Their collab ‘I Had Some Help’ has joined Taylor Swift’s 2009 hit ‘Love Story’ as the only songs to top both the Billboard Pop and Country Airplay charts. It is Posty’s 6th Pop Airplay #1, and Wallen’s first.
• Jelly Roll and Machine Gun Kelly – have unleashed their collab ‘Lonely Road’. The single is based around the melody of John Denver’s classic ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’. The song’s video features Jelly and MGK as auto mechanics, plus their partners, Bunnie Xo and Megan Fox. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/89p9pnt4
• Kacey Musgraves – Aug. 2, she’ll release of “Deeper into the Well,” an expanded version of “Deeper Well”, will 7 additional songs, including ‘Irish Goodbye’, which is out now. The album will also include collabs with Leon Bridges on ‘Superbloom’, and Tiny Habits on ‘Perfection’.
SHOOTING THE BULL
STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS:
We often hear it said that we’re living in unprecedented times. And we are. But experts say if there is one constant throughout the ages, it is that people are ALWAYS living in unprecedented times. And while we might think that with wars, political upheaval, and the now ever-present effects of climate change, 2024 must be the craziest year on record. But according to a team assembled by Hamilton College, at least in the US, wars and presidential elections seem to generate a cascade of events, historically speaking. And important events also seem to create more important events to follow. If you’re trying to keep up with world events and the dizzying pace of the changes to the political scene in recent months, you might think that there has never been a year quite like 2024, but according to the experts, the years 1940, 1968, and 1973 all saw similar amounts of upheaval domestically and abroad. Here are a few of the major events in 1940, 1968, and 1973…
1940: Nazis invade European countries, Churchill elected in UK., France surrenders to Germany.
1968: President Johnson bows out of election, Robert F Kennedy is killed after winning California primary, Nixon elected, MLK Jr. is assassinated, Soviets move into Czechoslovakia.
1973: Watergate scandal in US, Ford assumes office, Roe v. Wade, Viet Nam war ends, Egypt and Syria invade Israel, Soviet oil embargo.
(But remember: 2024 is only half over!)
(For me, the craziest year was 2011, when my first kid was born. Things haven’t returned to normal since. For me, or for the rest of the world!)
-StudyFinds, TheConversation
TECH TALK:
❑ It is no secret that every moment you spend online is being tracked. Google, Facebook and Amazon are a few of the culprits. But WebXray, a new tool made by a former Google Engineer, is trying to help. WebXray is a new search engine that anyone can use to see how websites are tracking you. You can enter a text string, like “cancer” or “pregnancy,” then see which websites are giving info to Google AdSense. Tim Libert came up with the idea after leaving Google with big concerns about privacy on the web, much of which is now illegal, but is still being done by many companies. (All you have to do is click a box, giving his site permission to access your search history…Hey! Wait a minute!)
❑ An artificially intelligent, self-driving delivery vehicle is the latest in robotic technology that’ll soon be hitting streets near you. Vayu Robotics has developed a sky-blue colored, mini Volkswagen van-looking machine – which can drive up to 20mph while hauling 100 pounds of goods. A video demo of the self-driving device shows a store worker stocking it up as it follows her down the aisles — before sending groceries out to a customer’s home, navigating potholes, crosswalks, and other obstacles. Occasionally, a side door opens as Vayu One’s mechanical arm leaves the goods streetside. The bot also “is capable of navigating inside stores, on city streets, and unloading packages on driveways or porches.” (I’m guessing it can also accept tips?)
-Gizmodo, NYPost
NEW GOOD NEWS:
➢ An 11-year-old boy finally got his first ever haircut – and it was a doozy. After years of being asked “why he looks like a girl”, he had 38 inches (97cm) of his hair, which extended to his knees, chopped for charity. Aaron Gill started growing his hair after accompanying his big sister Julianna to oncology wards throughout their childhood. She has an autoimmune disorder called ITP, which causes low platelet levels. Young Aaron decided to donate his locks to The Little Princess Trust. It will be made into wigs for children undergoing cancer treatment. Aaron also raised more than £2,000 ($2,575), which will be split between 2 charities.
➢ Manu Solidaire isn’t an Olympic athlete, but he’s doing great things in Paris. The 33-year-old TikTok star spends hours preparing dozens of meals in his tiny kitchen — then hops on his bike and distributes the food to people living on the streets of Paris. He takes his more than 350,000 followers along every step of the way, and they in turn help crowdfund his efforts. Last year, Solidaire won TikTok’s L’award d’honneur for his work. And after seeing that people’s needs went beyond food, Solidaire expanded his efforts by distributing hygiene supplies, and even sometimes paying for hotel rooms.
-SWNS, CNN
NAP RAPPIN’:
It’s Monday. You were up late watching Olympics coverage. Sounds like a good excuse for a nice nap, right after work. Here are 4 types of naps, and how to choose which one is perfect for you…right…about…Zzzzz…
☞ “Power Nap.” For most, a classic “power nap” of 10-20 minutes in the early afternoon will help them shake off that post-lunch blahs, and feel OK for the rest of the day. This is great if you often feel lethargic for a few hours in the afternoon.
☞ “Coffee Nap”: If a short nap isn’t much help, try this. Drink a cup of coffee quickly, then lie down. It takes caffeine about 10 minutes to affect you, and about 45 minutes to reach peak concentration in your blood. That means you can get a power nap in, then wake up just as the caffeine hits, giving you an amplified sense of sharpness and clarity. (Which is great as you seek medical attention because you forced yourself to gulp down a scorching cup of coffee…)
☞ “Convenient Nap”: Scheduling a nap is great, but what if your schedule is all over the place? An imperfect nap is better than no nap at all. Nap when the baby is sleeping, while on public transit, or during your lunch hour. (This is why God created the “camera-off” button on Zoom!)
☞ “Performance Nap”: If you have a stressful or physically demanding task coming up, such as a presentation or a marathon, a short nap a few hours ahead of time can definitely boost your performance. (My wife always does this before a trip to the mall. Works, too!)
(There’s one more, which I was told about by the first morning show host I ever worked with. It’s when you’ve been up since 3:30am, but come home to an empty house. You close the curtains, plop you head on the pillow, and say to yourself: “This is gonna be good…!”)
-LifeHacker
DID YOU KNOW?
It’s OK for chicken wings advertised as “boneless” to have bones, Ohio Supreme Court has ruled. Michael Berkheimer claims he was dining with his wife and friends at a wing joint in Hamilton OH, when, having ordered his usual dish — boneless wings with parmesan garlic sauce — he felt a bite-size piece of meat go down the wrong way. Three days later, feverish and unable to keep food down, he went to the ER, and doctors discovered a long, thin bone that had torn his esophagus and caused an infection. He sued the restaurant and its supplier, claiming negligence, but a divided court didn’t agree. (They did agree, however, that chicken fingers should remain fingerless…)
-AP
BS CHRONOMETER 07.29.24
BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “International Lasagna Day”, celebrating the famous Italian dish that’s become a worldwide favorite. Almost all recipes for the “perfect lasagna” feature ricotta as the cheese of choice.
• “National Chicken Wing Day”, first proclaimed in 1977 by Buffalo NY mayor Stan Makowski. Legend has it that spicy “Buffalo Wings” were invented at the city’s Anchor Bar in 1964. (This is turning out to be the BEST DAY EVER!)
• “International Tiger Day”, to promote a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers, and to raise awareness and support for tiger conservation issues. BS FAST TIGER FACTS:
-They are the largest cats in the world.
-A tiger’s roar can be heard up to 3km (1.9m) away.
-Tigers’ canine teeth have pressure-sensing nerves, enabling it to know exactly where to deliver the killing bite to its prey.
• “Lipstick Day”. The first traces of lipstick are thought to date back to ancient times near the Sumerian city of Ur in Mesopotamia, where a queen colored her lips by crushing red rocks and putting them in a paste of white lead. Lip colorings then were also made from henna, clay rust, insects, and fruits. (Is now a good time to mention that 2 very common ingredients of lipstick today are pig fat . . . and fish scales?)
• “Rain Day” in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. It’s an annual festival that started when a local farmer noticed it always seems to rain on July 29th. They now claim it’s rained on this date in 118 of the 150 years since. (Do they have an alternate date in case of sun?) LINK: http://raindayfestival.com/
• “Cheese Sacrifice Purchase Day”. Originally, people would buy cheese on this day and “sacrifice” it by using it in mouse traps. Thanks to newer methods of pest control, we don’t need cheese to catch pests anymore. So some use the occasion to sacrifice cheese in other ways, such as in a recipe. Or, you could sacrifice money by buying some really expensive cheese…
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] Cheesecake Day
[Tues] Father-in-Law Day
[Wed] Mutt Day
[Thurs] Girlfriends Day
This Week is…Hepatitis Awareness Week
This Month is…Dry Eye Awareness Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1953 [71] Ken Burns, NYC, Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, documentary-maker (“The Dust Bowl”, “The Civil War”, “Baseball”, “Country Music”) COMING UP… “Leonardo da Vinci” 2024
1953 [71] Tim Gunn, Washington DC, fashion consultant/TV personality (“Project Runway” 2004-17), “Under the Gunn” 2014)/author (“A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style”)
1953 [71] Geddy Lee (Gary Lee Weinrib), Toronto ON, rock singer-bassist (Rush-‘Tom Sawyer’, ‘Closer to the Heart’)
1953 [71] Patti Scialfa, Deal NJ, rock singer (E Street Band-‘Born In the USA’, ‘Glory Days’)/married to Bruce Springsteen since 1991
1966 [58] Martina McBride, Medicine Lodge KS, country singer (‘Independence Day’, ‘This One’s for the Girls’)
1972 [52] Wil Wheaton, Burbank CA, TV actor (“Star Trek: The Next Generation” 1987-94, “The Big Bang Theory” 2009-19)/movie actor (“Stand By Me”)
1973 [51] Wanyá Morris, Philadelphia PA, pop-R&B singer (Boyz II Men-‘I’ll Make Love to You’, ‘End Of the Road’)
1974 [50] Josh Radnor, Columbus OH, TV actor (‘Ted Mosby’ on “How I Met Your Mother” 2005-14)
1977 [47] “Danger Mouse” (Brian Burton), White Plains NY, alternative-electronic-hip-hop musician-producer (Jay-Z, Gnarls Barkley, Black Keys)
1983 [41] Ashley McBryde, Waldron AR, country singer-songwriter (‘Girl Going Nowhere’, ‘One Night Standards’)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1981 [43] Prince Charles marries Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul’s Cathedral, London (they divorce in 1996)
2000 [24] Jennifer Aniston marries Brad Pitt in a private ceremony in Malibu, California (they divorce in 2005)
2006 [18] Pamela Anderson marries for the second time (after divorcing Tommy Lee), to Kid Rock, on a yacht off the French resort of St Tropez (they split after 4 months of marriage)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2005 [19] An anonymous bidder plays $1 million at auction for the original handwritten lyrics to The Beatles’ ‘All You Need Is Love’
2019 [05] The country-rap single ‘Old Town Road’ by Lil Nas X (remixed with Billy Ray Cyrus) sets the record for longest run at the top of US singles chart (17 weeks, and it stayed there for 2 more)
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2003 [21] Boston’s Bill Mueller becomes the first player in MLB history to hit grand slam home runs from both sides of the plate in a single game (Sox win 14-7 over Rangers)
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2013 [11] In one of the largest-ever jewelry heists, $136 million in diamonds and other jewels are stolen from the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel diamond show in Cannes, France
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK OLYMPIC FACTS:
✓ The 5 rings of the Olympic symbol represent the 5 inhabited continents of the world. (Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania/Australia)
✓ The Olympic torch is lit the old-fashioned way in a ceremony at the temple of Hera, in Greece: Actresses, wearing costumes of Greek priestesses, use a parabolic mirror and sun rays to kindle the torch, which then starts its relay to the host city.
✓ The first official Olympic mascot was Waldi, the dachshund, at the 1972 Games in Munich.
✓ From 1912-1948, artists participated in the Olympics: Painters, sculptors, architects, writers, and musicians competed for medals in their respective fields.
✓ During the 2012 London Games, the Olympic Village required 165,000 towels for a bit more than 2 weeks of activity.
✓ During the 1936 Berlin Games, 2 Japanese pole-vaulters tied for second place. Instead of competing again, they cut the silver and bronze medals in half and fused the 2 different halves together, so that each had a half-silver and half-bronze medal.
-EducationFirst
Best of BS . . .
BS THINGS NEVER SAID IN A QUENTIN TARANTINO MOVIE:
• “It’s just a flesh wound.”
• “We can’t include that because it would be historically inaccurate.”
• “I wonder if Tarantino is gonna do a cameo?”
• “Thank God no one got hurt.”
• “We can chit chat anytime! Let’s just enjoy the ride in silence.”
• “Hakuna Matata.”
• “What if we just had a rational conversation with Bill?”
• “We don’t need Samuel L. Jackson.”
• “And they all lived happily ever after.”
• “Frig.”
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ A report found that those who are divorced are about a quarter more likely to die early, compared to those who are married. (I’ll take those odds. Wait! …Did I say that out loud??)
➠ Ed Sheeran once said that he soiled himself onstage. (Even more shocking: Keith Richards says he once did not…!)
➠ National Clown Week begins on Thursday. (I love it when clowns throw a bucket of confetti on people. It’s one of 2 things in the world that never grows old. The other is Rob Lowe.)
➠ Arnold Schwarzenegger turns 77 tomorrow. (He’s not planning anything big; just a quiet dinner with his families…)
➠ Fact of the Day: By peeing in the shower, you can save about 1,160 gallons of water a year. (What kinda savings can I expect for peeing in the dishwasher? What? Only me?)
BS WEB GOODIE:
A new perspective: https://tinyurl.com/6t7uhfd9
BS RANDOM JOKE:
I try to take it one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once…
BS OLYMPIC TRIVIA:
• What prize was given to winners of the Olympics in ancient Greece?
Answer: An olive branch crown
• Question: What colors are the Olympic rings?
Answer: Blue, yellow, black, green and red
• Prior to 2024, in what year did Paris last host the Olympic Games?
Answer: 1924
• This event, making its debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics, is based on a style of dance introduced in New York City in the 1970s. What is it?
Answer: Breaking
• True or false: In Ancient Greek times, Olympic athletes competed naked.
Answer: True
-Today, Parade
BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What is something that you are embarrassed to say you realized when you were “today years old”?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
A new report found that the least happy workers are in retail – and the happiest industry to work in is THIS. What is it?
Answer: Construction
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
More is lost by indecision than wrong decision.
