Wednesday, May 1, 2024 — Edition: #7703
The Bull is Back!
BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
The Bull is back to work (and slightly sunburned)! All subscribers have received account credits for non-service days during the Bull Sheet staff’s Spring Break.
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Jim Parsons is teasing the reprisal of his ‘Sheldon Cooper’ character from “The Big Bang Theory” ahead of the “Young Sheldon” series finale. In a TikTok video, Iain Armitage is seen trying a new filter, explaining that it “shows you what it looks like when you grow up.” That’s when Parsons appears in his place, saying: “Hmm, I’m not sure about this. Oh! It changes your voice, too… I don’t like it!” Parsons will appear alongside Mayim Bialik in the Young Sheldon series finale, set to air May 16th. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/47d33j6r
-Deadline
★ “Hell’s Kitchen”, the Alicia Keyes bio-musical, and David Adjmi’s “Stereophonic”, which bears a striking resemblance to Fleetwood Mac and the recording of the classic “Rumours” album, each took 13 Tony nominations for the 2023-24 Broadway season. Coming in third was “The Outsiders” with 12, followed by “Cabaret” with 9, and “Appropriate”, with 8 nods. The 77th Tony Awards will be held June 16 at the David H. Koch Theater in New York.
-Deadline
★ ‘Austin Powers’ may be awakening from a cryogenic deep-freeze once again. Mike Myers teased the possibility of another installment in the spy spoof film series in a recent interview. When asked if there was a 4th Austin Powers film in the works, while on the red carpet at the 49th AFI Lifetime Achievement Award event, he said: “I can neither confirm nor deny the existence or non-existence of such a project”. And when asked whether he thinks the character “has more story to tell,” he simply added: “Absolutely.” (Shouldn’t that be “Absolu-freakin’-lutely”?)
-People
★ After helping transform a soccer team and a town in Wales, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have set their sights on Mexico as the next spot to invest in a beloved sports franchise. They have purchased a stake in Club Necaxa, the Mexican soccer club that also counts Eva Longoria among its owners, and plan to enhance its standing and grow its profile at a time of heightened TV and streaming demand for soccer content. The Reynolds-McElhenney connection raises the prospect of Necaxa being a focal point of a docu-series along the lines of “Welcome to Wrexham,” which put that club on the pop culture map.
-Variety
★ If the question is “Scooby-Doo, where are you?”, the answer will soon be: “Netflix!” The streamer has greenlit a live-action series, which will be written by 2 of the executive producers of MGM+ series “From,” Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg. The only other details we have so far are that it will be a one-hour drama based on the classic ’70s mystery cartoon, which featured talking dog ‘Scooby-Doo’ solving crimes with the Mystery Inc. team of snooping teens.
-TheWrap
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Ryan Gosling, Jeff Ross
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Doja Cat, Winston Duke
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Carol Burnett, Phil Keoghan, Jacob Collier
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Trevor Wallace, London Hughes, Affion Crockett (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Orlando Bloom, Ncuti Gatwa, Queen Cora Coleman
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Jim Gaffigan, Kyra Sedgwick
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Whoopi Goldberg shares her memoir “Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me”
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Cristo Fernández
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Jim Gaffigan, Justice Smith, Jennifer Garner, Scotty McCreery, WIL
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Madelaine Petsch, Drew Afualo
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Cher
• “The Amazing Race” (CBS): Teams travel to Barbados where they visit the childhood home of Rihanna.
• “Jeopardy! Masters” (ABC): Season 2 premiere. The 6 highest-ranked current contestants compete against one another.
• “The Masked Singer” (Fox): Group B Finals: Soundtrack of My Life
• “NHL Playoffs” (Check local listings): Vegas @ Dallas; LA @ Edmonton
• “NBA Playoffs” (Check local listings): Miami @ Boston; Dallas @ LA Clippers
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Billie Eilish – With the 9-time Grammy-winner set to release her 3rd album “Hit Me Hard and Soft” on May 17, she has announced an arena world tour, beginning Sept. 29 in Quebec, and running through Summer 2025. Tickets go on sale Friday. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/bde26e42
• Beyoncé –Her 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy will join her in the upcoming “Lion King” prequel “Mufasa: The Lion King”. The newly released first trailer shows that Blue Ivy voices the role of ‘Kiara’, the daughter of ‘King Simba’ (Donald Glover) and ‘Queen Nala’ (Bey). LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4wn9hpu2
• Britney Spears – TMZ reports she is in “serious danger” both mentally and financially, and is doing “way worse” than when she was under the conservatorship of her father. It cites sources as saying she is “completely dysfunctional”, has no supervision, and is burning through her $60 million fortune because she has “no concept” of money.
• Aerosmith — A judge in New York has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted by Steven Tyler in 1975 when she was 17. He still faces a suit from another woman, stemming from an alleged 1973 relationship, when she was 16.
• Jon Bon Jovi – calls Shania Twain his “spirit sister” after she lent support amid his vocal issues, for which he had surgery in 2022. Twain not only had the same procedure; she also used the same doctor. Bon Jovi told People that Twain encouraged him, and told him he’d recover faster than he actually did, because she feared he “might back out otherwise”. Bon Jovi’s new album “Forever” drops June 7.
• Kane Brown and Jason Aldean – have both been announced as performers at the 2024 ACM Awards. Also slated to sing onstage at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco TX on May 16 are: Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Cody Johnson and host Reba McEntire. More performers will be announced in the coming weeks.
• Zach Bryan — was spotted in Omaha NB, helping clean up debris from a tornado that ripped through on Saturday. It damaged at least 150 homes, but no fatalities were reported. A local radio station uploaded pics of Bryan, who lived in Omaha at one point, helping clear fragments of houses. It captioned the post: “Zach Bryan is a real one”. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/m4ue8ccc
• Willie Nelson – celebrated his 91st birthday on Monday by releasing the new song ‘Made in Texas’. It’s a preview of his upcoming 152nd career studio album (!!) “The Border”. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/24nbn6x6
SHOOTING THE BULL
SHEDDING SOME LIGHT ON LIGHT:
If you’ve ever noticed that you feel more alert and focused after stepping out into bright daylight, now there’s a scientific explanation. New research shows that exposure to higher levels of light can directly impact activity in a key region of the brain – the hypothalamus – in ways that enhance cognitive performance and wakefulness. The study, by a team at University of Liège in Belgium, is said to be a major leap forward in understanding the effects of light on human behavior and brain health. While previous research has shown that light exposure increases alertness, this is one of the first studies to pinpoint how it influences the human brain at the neural level. The researchers say these results could result in advanced light therapy treatments, which could help those dealing with sleep problems and issues with alertness — and even elevate mood and cognitive performance throughout the day.
(Whose bright idea was this?)
(And exposure to LOWER levels of light? That results in fans of The Cure!)
(Light roast…dark roast…either one works for me!)
-StudyFinds
MOVIN’ ON:
➢ You might be aiming to get your recommended 10,000 steps in each day, but according to one expert, there’s another number that you should be paying even closer attention to: The number 30. Exercise physiologist Heather Milton says the key to health and longevity isn’t about how many steps you take; it’s about how long you’re moving at a moderate intensity level. She feels that the thing to aim for is to break up the time you spend NOT moving every 30 minutes. And if you make an effort to do that, not only will you get a significant number of steps in, you’ll be helping your health at the same time, by participating in moderate-intensity exercise. (My kids get up and move around every half-hour all weekend — just to avoid me making them do something!)
➢ Australian researchers say they have determined exactly how much of your day you should spend sitting, standing, walking and sleeping, to achieve optimal health. A team from Swinburne University of Technology analyzed the behavior of 2,000 people within a 24-hour period to determine the right mix of exertion and relaxation. According to them, the ideal breakdown goes like this: 8 hours of sleep, 5 hours of standing, 6 hours of sitting, and 4 hours split between light and moderate physical activity. They say that breakdown contributes to maintaining ideal glycemic control and promoting heart health. (If by “light physical activity”, you mean eating 4 hot dogs, that sounds exactly like what I achieved by attending 2 baseball games over the weekend!)
-NYPost
KITTY CURIOSITY:
I’m not questioning the fact that cat owners love their pets, but it seems we still have a whole lot to learn about our feline friends. In a survey, 92% of those with cats said they believe they’re knowledgeable about their kitty, but it turns out that most don’t even know the basic facts about their feline – or its health needs. Here are some of the lowlights of the study of 2,000 cat parents in the US…
• Just 17% of respondents knew that cats have 18 toes.
• Almost half (46%) didn’t know that many cats are lactose intolerant – despite the popular image of a cat enjoying a bowl of milk.
• 56% were unaware that cats purr as a sign of both pleasure and distress.
• Only 1 in 5 knew that cats share 96% of their DNA with tigers.
• On average, owners said they forget to fill up their cat’s water twice per week, and forget to feed them 3 times per week.
(Wow. If these people had a cat who was anything like mine, they’d only forget to feed it ONCE!)
(I’ve never tried to count a cat’s toes, but I know I’ve counted 18 claw marks across my chest after the neighbor’s motorcycle went by!)
-SWNS
“FACTS” YOU LEARNED IN SCHOOL THAT AREN’T:
✗ Napoleon was short: He was measured at 5 feet, 2 inches tall — but he was measured with French inches, which are longer than English inches. He actually stood 5 feet, 7 inches — taller than the average European man at the time. (OK, now tell me why he always had one hand in his shirt…)
✗ Alcohol kills brain cells: Heavy drinking absolutely can damage the brain, but that damage isn’t the result of cell death. The amount of alcohol required to kill cells would kill the person first. (Then what happened to everything I learned at college??)
✗ You’ll get tetanus from stepping on a rusty nail: Any puncture wound, including one from a rusty nail, can lead to a tetanus infection, but rust has no impact whatsoever.
✗ Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis: There is no connection. The “cracking” is actually bubbles bursting in the fluid that surrounds the knuckles. (Are you telling me that my teachers just said that so I’d stop grossing them out?)
✗ Touching toads gives you warts: The bumps that cover some frogs and toads aren’t warts at all, and even if they were, warts can only be caused by a human virus. (And it also turns out they don’t turn into a prince if you kiss ‘em…)
✗ ‘I’ before ‘E’ except after ‘C’: This “rule” is wrong at least 25% of the time. Need some proof? Science. Forfeit. Weird. Glacier. Albeit. Fancier. (And Budweiser!)
✗ Sugar makes kids hyperactive: Popularized by a flawed study in the 1970s, the connection between hyperactivity and sugar was debunked by a series of studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1995. (…by a bunch of scientists who did NOT have kids, obviously…)
✗ You’ll never walk around with a calculator: For years, teachers told students that they’d better commit their math lessons to memory, because there would be times they had to work out arithmetic questions with just a pen and paper. (That aged well…)
-MSN
DID YOU KNOW?
KFC is dipping into the fragrance business, and its first-ever scent is selling by the bucket-load. The famous chicken restaurant says it has already sold out of its new charcoal and smoked wood-scented perfume. KFC introduced “No 11 Eau de BBQ” with these words: “We’ve all been there – that unmistakable aroma of a BBQ drifting through the air, tantalizing our senses and leaving us craving the taste of smoky goodness. But what if you could capture that irresistible scent in a bottle?” The stuff comes in a 100-milligram black and red striped bottle that sells for less than a 5-piece tenders combo: $13.82. So far, it’s only available in the UK. (Finger-sniffin’ good?) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/bdx3skex
-NYPost
BS CHRONOMETER 05.01.2024
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Global Love Day”, calling upon all people and nations to come together in peace and love. It’s a chance for us to embrace ourselves and our fellow humanity. (Legal note: Don’t literally embrace anyone without first getting permission!)
• “May Day”, a traditional holiday celebration since ancient times. Since 1889, it’s been officially observed in 66 countries as a “Labor Day” holiday.
• “Lei Day”, celebrated in Hawaii instead of May Day. It is a time to celebrate native Hawaiian culture. One of the most common flowers used in leis is the orchid.
• “Phone in Sick Day”, when people call in sick as a form of protest against longer work hours, less leisure time, and a lower quality of life, and to show their dissatisfaction with the “rat race” of modern life. (Try calling in sick today with eye problems. As in: “I just couldn’t see myself going to work today”!)
• “Couple Appreciation Day”, for those who are in a relationship to do something to show their appreciation for their partner (or partners!).
• “Mother Goose Day”, which actually honors many different writers. The term was first used in the title of the nursery rhyme collection “Mother Goose’s Melody” in about 1765. The name caught on and nursery rhymes have been attributed to ‘Mother Goose’ ever since.
• “School Principals Day”, to honor the educational leaders who set the academic tone by encouraging students to thrive. How do you remember how to spell ‘Principal’? Just remember that he/she is always your ‘pal’!
• “Chocolate Parfait Day”. Parfait literally means “perfect” in French! The American style layers parfait cream, ice cream and flavored gelatin in a tall, clear glass topped with whipped cream, fruit and liqueurs.
• “New Homeowner’s Day”. Congratulations, you’ll be debt-free in about 30 years! Got your repair manual yet?
• “Law Day”. This day allows all Americans to reflect on the personal rights and liberties which are enjoyed and exercised daily.
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Brothers and Sisters Day
[Thurs] Truffle Day
[Fri] Paranormal Day
[Sat] Star Wars Day
This Week Is…Eat Dessert First Week
This Month Is…American Cheese Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1939 [85] Judy Collins, Seattle WA, folk singer (‘Send in the Clowns’, ‘Both Sides Now’)/writer/activist
1954 [70] Ray Parker, Jr., Detroit MI, pop singer (‘Ghostbusters’, ‘The Other Woman’)
1967 [57] (Samuel) Tim McGraw, Delhi LA, country singer (‘Humble and Kind’, ‘Live Like You Were Dying’)/movie actor (“The Blind Side”, “Friday Night Lights”)/TV actor (“1883” 2021-22)/married to Faith Hill since 1996
1968 [56] D’Arcy Wretsky, South Haven MI, rock bassist (The Smashing Pumpkins-‘1979’, ‘Ava Adore’)
1969 [55] Wes Anderson, Houston TX, movie director (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”, “Asteroid City”) COMING UP… “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More”, 2024
1972 [52] Julie Benz, Pittsburgh PA, TV actress (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” 1997-2000, “Dexter” 2006-10)/movie actress (“Rambo”, “Saw V”)
1982 [42] Jamie Dornan, Holywood Northern Ireland, movie actor (“Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy)/TV actor “Once Upon a Time” 2011-13) COMING UP… “The Undertow” series
2004 [20] Charli D’Amelio, Norwalk CT, dancer/social media personality (the most-followed creator on TikTok 2020-2022, surpassed by Khaby Lame)/reality TV star (“Dancing With the Stars” winner, 2022, “The D’Amelio Show”)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1967 [57] The “King of Rock and Roll” Elvis Presley weds actress Priscilla Beaulieu at Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas
2019 [05] Joe Jonas of Jonas Brothers marries “Game of Thrones” star Sophie Turner in a Vegas ceremony, officiated by an Elvis impersonator (they split in 2023)
2019 [05] New York City officially names a street “Sesame Street” at the intersection of West 63rd Street and Broadway, in honor of the show’s 50th anniversary
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2000 [24] Destiny’s Child release their third album, “Survivor”, which is all about sisterhood and empowerment. It’s their first release with the lineup of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams
2017 [07] The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan agrees to purchase the National Wrestling Alliance
2023 [01] Folk-pop singer Gordon Lightfoot (‘Sundown’, ‘Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald’) dies at age 84
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1939 [85] Batman, the creation of Bob Kane and Bill Finger, first appears in Detective Comics #27. He would star in his own comic book, beginning in 1940
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ A static electricity shock that zaps your finger when you touch a doorknob is usually between 10,000 and 30,000 volts.
✓ A person burns essentially the same number of calories whether they run or walk a mile.
✓ ‘Tweety Pie’ won an Oscar in 1948.
✓ Coyotes can outpace roadrunners by 23 mph (37km/h).
✓ A can of cat food contains as much meat as 5 adult mice.
✓ Raccoons, slugs and ants all like to get drunk.
-FactRetriever, BathroomReadersInstitute
Best of BS . . .
MORE BS QUESTIONS PLAGUING HUMANITY:
• Can you grow birds by planting birdseed?
• Do pigs have pen pals?
• Why are toenail clippers bigger than fingernail clippers, but toenails are smaller than fingernails?
• How many people thought of the Post-It note before it was invented but just didn’t have anything to jot it down on?
• Isn’t saying something is ‘indescribable’, actually describing it?
• How does a shelf retailer keep the store from looking empty?
• Do crabs think fish can fly?
• What would you use to dilute water?
• What do you call a male ladybug?
• Is it progress if a cannibal learns to eat with a fork?
• Is your answer to this question “No”?
-First published in BS in 2017
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ Kim Kardashian says she might be willing to get married again some day. (You know – as long as she likes the script…)
➠ Allergists warn this may be the worst allergy season ever. (They came to this conclusion because they’re allergists — and hey, what the hell else are they going to say?)
➠ Clive Davis claims that Michael Jackson once tried to sabotage his brother Jermaine’s music career. (But where Michael may have failed, a disturbing lack of talent succeeded!)
➠ A company has developed a bracelet that reminds you to drink water. (That should go perfectly with my belt, which reminds me I need to stop eating…!)
➠ According to some observers, Donald Trump fell asleep during his “Hush-Money” trial. (But according to Trump, it’s all “Fake Snooze”…)
BS WEB GOODIE:
Every video tells a story: https://tinyurl.com/ycydzrb8
BS RANDOM JOKE:
My life coach just informed me that I didn’t make the team…
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• Which is the most-eaten fruit in the world?
a) Apples
b) Bananas [CORRECT]
c) Oranges
d) Fruitabaga
• What’s the technical term for “hashtag”?
a) Ticktag
b) Quadnote
c) Octothorpe [CORRECT]
d) Poundshizzle
• What were the first hockey pucks used in early outdoor games made of?
a) Rubber
b) Wood
c) Frozen cow dung [CORRECT]
d) Ice
-LiveReacting
BS PHONE STARTER:
In what situation do you most wish you could throw down a smoke bomb and disappear?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
15% of us would rather do THIS without our significant other. What is it?
Answer: Go grocery shopping
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Tension is who you think you should be, relaxation is who you are.
