Tuesday, June 14, 2022 — Edition: #7251
100% Grade A Bull!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Amber Heard says she understands why a jury ruled against her in ex-husband Johnny Depp’s defamation trial – she sat and listened to the same testimony they did — and can’t “blame” them for their conclusion. In an interview with Savannah Guthrie of “Today”, Heard says: “How could they not come to that conclusion?” The “Today” show dropped a teaser on Monday, in which Heard divulges her point of view over the trial, saying Depp is “a beloved character and people feel they know him. He’s a fantastic actor.” Heard seemed to believe what her attorneys said after the verdict: that social media, heavily tilted in Depp’s favor, somehow influenced a jury that was instructed daily not to look at any of it. While the full interview will air Friday on “Dateline NBC”, portions will air Today and Wednesday on NBC’s “Today” show. LINK: https://youtu.be/V4Ub2D65Bww
-TheWrap, NYPost
★ “Squid Game” Season 2 is officially a go. Netflix announced the news with a characteristically creepy 10-second teaser that opens on an extreme close-up of the show’s “Red Light, Green Light” animatronic doll. The circle, square and triangle representing different designations of the Squid Game guards appears at the bottom of the screen as the number “2” takes the place of the robot’s eye. The streamer also treated fans to a sneak preview of the upcoming season from writer, director and executive producer Hwang Dong-Hyuk. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2jtxc8ms
-TheWrap
★ Tom Cruise has reportedly split from Hayley Atwell for the second time. The 2 first broke up last September, and they’ve now decided to call time on their romance once again, according to a source, who said: “They get on really well, and have fantastic chemistry, which is why they decided to quietly give the relationship another try earlier this year. But what was working behind closed doors didn’t work out so well when it was made public, and the fanfare around them as a couple exploded again.” The pair have apparently decided they are better as friends, according to The Sun newspaper.
-Bang
★ John Cena made time during a recent European trip to connect with a fan who fled Ukraine with his mom. According to a video posted to the WWE’s YouTube channel, Cena got word that Misha Rohozhyn, a non-verbal 19-year-old with Down syndrome, escaped the war-embattled nation with his mother, Liana, after their home in Mariupol was destroyed, and that Liana encouraged Misha throughout the journey by telling him they were on their way to see his hero, John Cena. Last weekend, Cena turned Liana’s fantasy into reality when he traveled to a residence near Amsterdam where the refugees were staying. Cena says they spent the “afternoon building blocks and eating cake,” and added “That’s a special afternoon when it comes to the new friends I was able to meet.” LINK: https://youtu.be/wUOM0Hhj87w
-HollywoodReporter
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): TBA
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Dakota Johnson, Adam Scott, Carrie Underwood
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Bonnie Raitt
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Miles Teller, Busy Philipps, Jana Schmieding, Jordyn Blakely
• ” The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Chrissy Teigen, Rose Byrne, Kat Radley
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Bowen Yang, Matt Rogers
• “The View” (ABC): Jeff Bridges, Amy Brenneman, guest co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin
• “The Talk” (CBS): Aasif Mandvi
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Bryan Cranston, James Brolin
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Best moments from Season 19, Scarlett Johansson, Bono, Mickey Guyton
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Faith Hill, Kelsey Asbille, Danielle Kartes
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Vanessa Hudgens (R)
• “America’s Got Talent” (NBC): Acts and contestants audition for the chance to win $1 million; the golden buzzer is back.
• “Holey Moley” (ABC): The mini golfers competing are seasoned musicians; Kermit the Frog calls some of the action.
• “The Chase” (ABC): James “The High Roller” Holzhauer returns as the featured chaser.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Roddy Ricch — was arrested on weapons charges Saturday in Queens NY, forcing him to miss his scheduled set at Governors Ball. Ricch, born Rodrick Moore, Jr., driver Carlos Collins, and bodyguard Michael Figueroa face charges including criminal possession of a weapon, possession of a large capacity ammo feeding device and unlawful possession of that device.
• Doja Cat – wants to try her hand at stand-up comedy. Even though she has established herself as a rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer, in an interview with ELLE magazine, she said comedy is her “hidden passion”. Quote: “It feels like it could be a natural, fun thing to do.”
• Amy Winehouse — will be the subject a major new biopic. Her parents Mitch and Janis, who were upset by Asif Kapadia’s 2015 documentary “Amy”, have given filmmakers their blessing to use her music. A hunt is underway for an actress to bring Amy to life.
• The Killers — paused their Manchester gig on Saturday so singer Brandon Flowers could check on a 67-year-old crowdsurfer who had been accidentally dropped by audience members. When he returned to the mic, Flowers told the crowd: “I said Billy what ya doin’? He told me ‘I’m enjoyin’ me self’.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3n5r9n5z
• Jimmy Eat World – After announcing a lengthy tour a few weeks ago, they’ve dropped their first new song since 2019. ‘Something Loud’ sees the Arizona band return to their powerful and accessible brand of rock. The band also has a new album on the way. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2kkvzp3b
• Toby Keith – shared with fans on Sunday that he’s been diagnosed with stomach cancer. He detailed the treatment he’s been undergoing since late 2021, and said he’s optimistic about his prognosis. Though he’s taking a step back from his career to attend to his health, Keith said he plans to be back performing for his fans as soon as he can. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4v9stjbt
• Lainey Wilson – is joining the cast of “Yellowstone” for season 5. She’ll appear in the popular Western production as a musician named ‘Abby’. TV’s #1 series will make its return November 13, on Paramount Network.
• Wynonna Judd – honored her late mother Naomi with surprise CMA Fest performance. She joined Carly Pearce on-stage Friday night for a soul-stirring duet of The Judds’ ‘Why Not Me’.
SHOOTING THE BULL
CHECK OUT THE NEW CHECKOUT:
You know the drill: You’re at the store, but the lines are crazy, so you head for the self-checkout. And that’s always an adventure, mostly because you spend more time searching for barcodes than you would have spent waiting in line. Well – good news! A new type of self-checkout is coming – and no scanning is required. A California company called “Mashgin” has spent the last 8 years creating a next-generation self-checkout machine that uses artificial intelligence to identify and ring up items automatically. They say that allows customers to check out in as little as 10 seconds—8 times faster than a regular self-checkout machine…and “Most of that time is spent fishing for a credit card,” according to the CEO (Abhinai Srivastava). He says that kind of efficiency means a retailer can purchase just one of its machines rather than 2 or 3 of the traditional kind. The company already has an order for 7,000 units, to be installed at Circle K locations over the next 3 years.
(I knew that would happen – just when I almost had the old ones figured out!)
(So, now that the big stores have managed to do away with both cashiers AND plastic bags…do you suppose the carts are next?)
-Forbes
MEDICAL MIRACLES:
⇒ For the first time, scientists have been able to grow humanlike skin on a robotic finger. Unlike artificial skin that is commonly used when building robots, this skin is alive, says lead study author Shoji Takeuchi of the Institute of Industrial Science at the University of Tokyo. In trials, the elastic human skin moved freely while the finger made different motions. The team put a collagen bandage on a part of the finger that had been inflicted with a wound to mend it, and the robot was able to move freely after the protein repaired the skin. The researchers hope making robots appear more human will help us relate to them more, so they can better communicate with us, serving in the medical, care, and service industries. There are plans make the skin self-sustaining by adding veins, and later hair, nails and sweat glands. (And soon after that, tattoos!)
⇒ Researchers say that within a decade, it may be possible for doctors to simply print a kidney, using cells from the patient, instead of having to find a donor match and hope the patient’s body doesn’t reject it. It could happen, thanks to 3D organ bioprinting, according to Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. Organ bioprinting is the use of 3D-printing technologies to assemble multiple cell types, growth factors and biomaterials in a layer-by-layer fashion to produce bioartificial organs that ideally imitate their natural counterparts. (And by “imitate”, they don’t mean “get bathed thoroughly in alcohol every Friday night”!)
-ScienceAlert, CNN
HAPPY PLANTS:
If a healthy house plant helps you relax, an unhealthy plant doesn’t really do anything right? Nope. Unhealthy or dying plants actually go the other way—they contribute to making us depressed. A study for the English Royal Horticultural Society found that dead or sickly houseplants are worse than having no plants at all, and should be removed. The study from the University of Reading asked participants to rate plants in various states of health for their appearance and perceived ability to clean the air. A neglected palm used in the study “was the least attractive, least preferred plant, and participants thought the appearance was unhealthy and depressing.” The authors concluded that aside from removing sick or dead plants, people with little experience looking after plants should avoid ones that are difficult to care for. Another conclusion was that people should avoid decorating the home or office with plants that feature the color brown, as a large number of participants said plants of that color made them feel “sad”.
(That last part says a lot about why I need to reassess my wardrobe!)
(No WONDER Cheech and Chong were always so upset when their houseplants weren’t doing well!)
-GoodNewsNetwork
SECRETS YOUR HOTEL CLERK WON’T TELL YOU:
➠ You can’t bargain with reservations: If you call the 1-800 number, you’ll be connected to a central office with no ability (or interest in) haggling. Calling the hotel directly will connect you with someone who has the authority to negotiate, believe it or not.
➠ They like it if you don’t use an online booking site: Hotels pay a commission of up to 30% to booking sites. That means if you call someone with the power to negotiate and offer them 20% less instead, there’s a good chance they’ll take it.
➠ Don’t rush housekeeping: If you show up before check-in time and your room isn’t ready, be patient. It takes as long as it takes to clean the rooms properly. (And you DO NOT want a hastily-cleaned room!)
➠ Request clean linens when you check in: The sheets are supposedly washed every day, but blankets and comforters? Maybe once a week. (Maybe never…)
➠ Ask for an upgrade in private: Don’t ask in front of other customers. In that case, the answer will almost always be “no”.
➠ Avoid the concierge if you want the real deal: They often give suggestions that result in a kickback for them from pricey tourist traps. The front desk clerk may give a more unbiased opinion. (But not if you just asked for an upgrade in front of other customers…)
➠ Take the soap: They have the hotel logo on them for a reason — and they’re cheap. They want you to take them. (You’ll notice the bathrobe and TV do NOT have logos. Leave those.)
➠ They might be lying to you: If you tell them the elevator is broken and they say “someone’s coming soon”, chances are that’s not exactly true. (They’ve been saying that for weeks!)
-DidYouKnowFacts
DID YOU KNOW?
NASA is putting a team together to study “unidentified aerial phenomena”, popularly known as UFOs. It will gather data on “events in the sky that cannot be identified as aircraft or known natural phenomena — from a scientific perspective,” the agency said. NASA said it is interested in UAPs from a security and safety perspective, and claims there is no evidence UAPs are extraterrestrial in origin. The study will begin this fall and is expected to take 9 months. (How long is that in “Mars time”? Asking for a “friend”…)
-CNN
BS CHRONOMETER 06.14.22
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Bourbon Day”, a day to raise a glass of the sweetened amber spirit to celebrate the splendor of this great American whiskey. Most recipes use about 70% corn, which gives it its nickname of ‘corn whiskey’. Although the origin of the name ‘bourbon’ is unclear, contenders include Bourbon County in Kentucky and Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
• “Family History Day”, a day to ‘share the folklore, legends and myths of your family tree’.
(This message brought to you by ancestory.com)
• “Strawberry Shortcake Day”, either on a shortcake biscuit or on a sponge cake, strawberry shortcake is an easy and delicious summertime dessert.
• “World Blood Donor Day”, dedicated to thanking and celebrating blood donors. It occurs on the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, who created the ABO blood group system, which is still used today. (Whenever I’m sad, I just read my blood donor ID. It says “B positive”!)
• “American Flag Day”, commemorating John Adams’ 1777 recommendation to Congress that the ‘Stars & Stripes’ be adopted as America’s flag.
• “Pop Goes the Weasel Day”, celebrating the rhyme you’ve known since childhood and the tune that sticks in your head every time it’s played by an ice cream truck . . . (The definition of anticipation? The look on a kid’s face while hearing that song and winding up a Jack in the Box)
• “International Bath Day”, on this date —one week before the start of summer—Archimedes, a Greek scientist and mathematician, was taking a bath when he noticed that the water level rose when he got in, and it occurred to him that the volume of an object could be measured by submerging it in water.
• “Call Your Doctor Day”, encouraging women to call their doctor and book an appointment for their annual ‘Well-Woman’ exam. According to a survey, 80% of us delay or forego preventative health care, and 93% of millennials do.
COMING UP . . .
[Wed] Lobster Day
[Wed] Smile Day
[Thurs] Fresh Veggies Day
[Fri] Ugliest Dog Day
This Week Is…National Email Week
This Month Is…Rose Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1946 [76] Donald Trump, NYC, politician (US President 2017-21)/reality TV show host (“Celebrity Apprentice” 2004-15)/real estate billionaire (Trump Tower)/author (“The Art of the Deal”)
1961 [61] Boy George [George O’Dowd], London England, pop singer (Culture Club – ‘Karma Chameleon’, ‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?’)
1968 [54] Yasmine Bleeth, NYC, TV actress (“Baywatch” 1993-97, “One Life to Live” 1991-93)
1987 [35] Tyler Johnston, New Westminster BC, TV actor (‘Stuart’ on “Letterkenny” since 2016)
1989 [33] Lucy Hale, Memphis TN, TV actress (‘Aria Montgomery’ on “Pretty Little Liars” 2010-17) COMING UP…“The Storied Life of A. J. FIkry”, 2022
1992 [30] Daryl Sabara, Torrance CA, movie actor (“Spy Kids” franchise, “The Polar Express”) married to Meghan Trainor since 2018
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1976 [46] “The Gong Show”, hosted by Chuck Barris, makes its TV premiere
2015 [07] “Jurassic World” becomes the first film to make $500 million worldwide in its opening weekend
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2002 [20] Mick Jagger is knighted by Prince Charles. (British press reports that the Queen avoided personally giving Sir Mick his knighthood because she thought he was an inappropriate candidate, so she scheduled knee surgery for the day before…)
2017 [05] The National Music Publishers Association gives Yoko Ono the Centennial Award for song of the century and adds her name to the songwriting credits of the winning song, ‘Imagine’. Lennon originally took sole credit, but later admitted he got the idea from Ono
TODAY IN SPORTS…
1994 [28] The New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup for the first time in 54 years, defeating the Vancouver Canucks 4 games to 3 in the final
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ A bolt of lightning is 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.
✓ Another term for nieces or nephews is “niblings”.
✓ The creator of Lego made a policy of no military sets because he didn’t want war to seem like child’s play.
✓ The “butterflies” you feel in your stomach when you see someone you like is actually a stress response called adrenaline.
✓ You are more likely to be killed by a champagne cork than a poisonous spider.
✓ The tongue-twister “She sells seashells by the seashore” was written about a female paleontologist in the 1800s, who sold dinosaur bones and fossilized shells.
-WhattheFFacts, Parade
Best of BS . . .
SHEET YOUR DAD SAYS:
• “Now you listen to ME, Buster!”
• “You call that a haircut?”
• “This will hurt me a lot more than it hurts you.”
• “I’ll tell you why. Because I said so. THAT’S why.”
• “What’s so funny? Wipe that smile off your face.”
• “If your friend jumped off a bridge would you do it too?”
• “You’re gonna like it, whether you like it or not!”
• “Don’t look at me in that tone of voice!”
• “Go ask your mother.”
-First published in BS in 2012
BS SIGNS IT’S ALMOST SUMMER:
• Eileen in accounting finally stops wearing wool socks with her Birkenstocks.
• You can cool the doghouse with the breeze from your spinning electricity meter.
• Bill Nye the Science Guy demonstrates how it is now possible to fry an egg on Howie Mandel’s head.
• Goth chicks actually have to start applying white make-up.
• Oil company CEOs are now lighting their cigars with $100-bills instead of the usual 20s.
• Annoying parking attendant switches from asking “Cold enough for ya?” to asking “Hot enough for ya?”
• Parenting Facebook groups display ticker counting down the days until school starts up again.
• Crooked politicians need to fan themselves more often than usual while in church.
-TopFive
BS WEB GOODIE: Making an awkward situation “unawkward” (sound up)”: https://tinyurl.com/mwvpxbkt
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Those who live life to the fullest live the longest. Caution: Results may vary.
BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s your go-to delicious “poor-man’s meal”?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: 17% of millennials say they’d rather give THIS up for a week than do without their cellphone for a week. What is it?
Answer: Their toothbrush
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Life’s biggest tragedy is that we grow old too soon and wise too late.
