Thursday, November 16, 2023 – Edition: #7598
Good Morning, Sheetheads!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ King Charles III’s icy relationship with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has reportedly started to thaw, after a productive call on the monarch’s 75th birthday. The Duke of Sussex called Charles on Tuesday to wish him a happy birthday, marking a “turning point” in their relationship, says The Telegraph. Markle also reportedly chatted with the King, while the couple’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet treated their grandfather to a pre-recorded video of the tiny royals singing ‘Happy Birthday’. The paper says the conversation was “warm” and marked a “notable shift in tone” between the estranged father-son duo.
-PageSix
★ Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer have penned touching tributes to their former “Friends” co-star Matthew Perry, just a day after Courteney Cox and Matthew LeBlanc did the same. On Instagram, Aniston wote: “He made all of us laugh. And laugh hard. In the last couple weeks, I’ve been pouring over our texts to one another. Laughing and crying then laughing again. I’ll keep them forever and ever.” Schwimmer thanked Perry “for 10 incredible years of laughter and creativity”, and said: “I will never forget your impeccable comic timing and delivery. You could take a straight line of dialogue and bend it to your will, resulting in something so entirely original and unexpectedly funny it still astonishes.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/447y84r2
-Deadline
★ After much speculation, “Young Sheldon” is officially coming to an end. “The Big Bang Theory” sequel is set to end after the upcoming seventh season, which will premiere on Feb. 15. In addition, CBS has already announced when the finale will air. Young Sheldon will have an hour-long series finale on May 16. The season is expected to have either 14 or 15 episodes to close out the series. It has been reported that creator Chuck Lorre is working on another “BBT” offshoot.
-PopCulture
★ They’re not ‘Movin’ Out’ after all. In a bold move amid the uncertain tides of the real estate market, two iconic New Yorkers, Billy Joel and Alec Baldwin, have opted to retain their lavish estates. The ‘Piano Man’ made headlines in May when he listed his 26-acre estate in Oyster Bay for an eye-watering $49 million. Insiders say that Joel has had a change of heart, and will keep his keys a little longer. Meanwhile, Baldwin tossed his Amagansett estate onto the market in September 2022, with a hefty $29 million price tag. After a series of dramatic price slashes, resulting in a final listing price of $22.5 million, Baldwin has now decided to pull the 10-acre retreat off the market as well. Average mortgage rates stand at 8.07% over 30 years, contributing to the recent shift in the once hyper-competitive housing market.
-NYPost
★ FX has renewed “Welcome to Wrexham” for a third season — set to premiere in Spring 2024. Season 2 concluded on Monday night, and the entire season is available to watch on Hulu and Disney+. Welcome to Wrexham is a docuseries tracking the dreams and worries of Wrexham, a working-class town in North Wales, as Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds guide the future of the town’s historic football club.
-Deadline
★ Steve Carell will make his Broadway debut playing the title character in a revival of Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya.” The production, which will be performed at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, will begin previews April 2, 2024, and open on April 24. The cast boasts also boasts William Jackson Harper (“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”) and Alfred Molina (“Spider-Man: No Way Home”). Complete casting will be announced soon.
-Variety
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder, Paul Mescal, Laufey
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Jason Momoa, Elizabeth Debicki, Drew & Jonathan Scott, Thumpasaurus
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Jonathan Karl, Maria Bamford
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Chris Tucker, Clementine Moss sits-in with the 8G Band
• “The Daily Show (COM): Guest Host Leslie Jones
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Iman Vellani, Teyonah Parris
• “The Talk” (CBS): Ariana Madix, Pete Holmes
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Taika Waititi, Monica Mangin
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Martha Stewart, Candace Parker, Bill Courtney, Smokie Norful
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): F1 legends Christian Horner and Sergio Pérez
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Blake Shelton, José Andrés
• “The Golden Bachelor” (ABC): Followed by a new episode of “Bachelor in Paradise”
• “Ghosts UK” (CBS): Series premiere. A cash-strapped couple struggling to buy their first home are bequeathed a large estate, but the old house is haunted by the ghosts of its former inhabitants.
• “Transplant” (NBC): Bash and Amira have an argument; Bash treats a diabetic woman who is overly dependent on her 18-year-old son.
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift – ‘Cruel Summer’ has rebounded back to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Three weeks ago, the song became her 10th chart-topper. It now takes over for her 11th, ‘Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]’. It is Cruel Summer’s third week at the top in total.
• Outkast — Andre 3000 will finally release his debut solo album tomorrow – 17 years after Outkast split up. But it might not be what you’re expecting. Tuesday, he announced that “New Blue Sun” is “an entirely instrumental album centered around woodwinds; a celebratory piece of work in the form of a living, breathing, aural organism.”
• H.E.R. and Foo Fighters – After playing the song together on “Saturday Night Live” last month, they are each releasing their own versions of ‘The Glass’. Tomorrow, the double A-side digital single will drop, featuring a reinterpretation of the song by the R&B singer, alongside the original version from the Foos’ “But Here We Are” album.
• Sammy Hagar – has announced the Van Halen-focused tour “Best of All Worlds”, and has recruited legendary guitarist and Chickenfoot bandmate Joe Satriani to join him. Hagar’s Circle bandmates, Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham, will round out the band for the US tour, starting July 13 in West Palm Beach FL. The lone Canadian date is July 31 in Toronto. Loverboy will open.
• Rush – Geddy Lee has released new music in conjunction with his new book. He kicked off his “My Effin’ Life” book tour in New York, where, after an intro from guest interviewer Paul Rudd, Lee mentioned that the song playing as he walked on stage was ‘Gone’, an unreleased song from his 2000 solo album “My Favorite Headache”. That and ‘I Am…You Are’ dropped Tuesday.
• The Beatles – have made a fab return to the Billboard Hot 100, as ‘Now and Then’ has debuted at #7. It’s the group’s 35th top 10 – extending their record for the most among groups – and their first since 1996.
• Chris Stapleton – Following his performance of the song at the Country Music Association Awards on Nov. 8 — where Stapleton also won male vocalist of year – ‘White Horse’ has jumped to #1 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart, with 7,000 downloads. It was at #4 last week.
• Dustin Lynch — has notched his 9th career chart-topper with ‘Stars Like Confetti’. He is also gearing up to open for Blake Shelton on the “Back to the Honky Tonk” tour in February, before kicking off his headlining “Killed The Cowboy Tour” in April. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/7fw6kbpr
• Lainey Wilson, Jon Pardi and Lady A – are some of the big artists who will perform on the 14th annual “CMA Country Christmas”. The festive special will also feature the talents of Ashley McBryde, Jordan Davis, The War and Treaty, Zach Williams, Lindsey Stirling and hosts Trisha Yearwood and Amy Grant. CMA Country Christmas airs December 14 on ABC and will stream the next day on Hulu and Disney+.
SHOOTING THE BULL
IS SELF-CHECKOUT CHECKING OUT?
Apparently, the word in the retail industry is that stores should tread lightly these days when it comes to self-checkouts. The backlash against it is growing, and many businesses have made moves to dial back on the technology — after it exploded over the past few years. British supermarkets chain Booths recently announced that it is removing self-checkout stations in all but 2 of its 28 stores. In the US, Walmart, Costco, Wegmans and other chains have also revised their self-checkout strategies. Why? They’ve found that self-checkout leads to more losses – through customer errors AND intentional shoplifting. And what scams are people most-often using to beat the system? Common tactics include not scanning an item, swapping a cheaper item (bananas) for a more expensive one (steak), scanning counterfeit barcodes attached to their wrists, or even properly scanning everything — and then walking out without paying.
(I don’t know many people who LIKE self-checkouts – but I sure know a lot of people who DON’T!)
(Gee, who could have predicted that asking a shopper to do an employee’s job would backfire?)
-CNN
A COUPLE “COUPLES” STORIES:
❑ According to a new study, men tend to let their female partners win when they’re competing against one another in games and challenges. Researchers at the North China University of Science and Technology determined that men may go easy on their wives and girlfriends in order to avoid conflict and “prevent them from leaving or being poached” by another male. Lead author Shuyu Jia concluded that: “Male partners may be adopting a ‘happy wife, happy life’ mentality…by allowing their spouse to win.” It should be pointed out, though, that the study also found that women were less competitive when playing against their partner than when playing against male strangers. (Uh…YEAH! Sweetheart, I’ve been letting you win at golf for years. Honest! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!)
❑ Taylor Swift is a 4-letter word in one Maryland couple’s home. Last month, Dana Rice’s husband said he could “take it no longer” with her very frequent mentions of the pop star, so he created a makeshift “Swift” jar. Dana posted a hilarious video on Instagram capturing her husband, Dan, creating the jar, which said on it: “Any mention of T. Swift and you owe $0.25.” Dana says she had “no idea” what her husband was up to when he asked for a sharpie and started creating the Swift jar right in front of her, but she pulled out her phone to record. She admits that she was taken off guard once she realized what it was – but on the plus side, as she put it, “My husband hooked me up with a roll of quarters right off the bat … And of course, they’re going straight into the jar.” And by the way, as the label on the jar specifies, any mention of Swift’s new beau, Travis Kelce, also applies. (What he doesn’t know yet is that she’s going to make him use the money to go see Swift live!) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yc8ea5n4
-NYPost, People
‘PIN’TERESTING:
Can you imagine a world where everyone is NOT walking around with a smartphone attached to their hand…or ear…or pocket? That’s exactly what the future might hold, if the startup Humane has anything to do with it. Its “Ai Pin” (released last week) is a futuristic – but in some ways prehistoric “phone” that sells for $699 and requires a monthly $24 subscription. Humane is one of a number of companies trying to replace the smartphone with screenless devices that rely on providing voice prompts to ultra-intelligent chatbots. What it does have is a camera and microphone that ingest information, like a glorified search engine. It clips to your shirt, and is run by an AI-powered operating system. But what about that “no screen” thing? While Ai Pin lacks a screen and keypad, it uses lasers to project information onto your hand. While the AI Pin attaches to your shirt, other companies are experimenting with similar devices in the form of a pendant and Ray-Ban smart glasses. LINK: https://hu.ma.ne/aipin
(The company is expected to struggle mightily for 2 years, then be purchased by Apple for about $55 billion!)
(So, we’re right back to when I was 12 and writing everything on my hand?)
-Insider
FUNNIEST TWEETS OF THE WEEK FROM WOMEN:
⇒ i don’t understand how spending more money than i earn is irresponsible. i’m giving more than i take. i’m generous. – Ginny Hogan
⇒ sure people start getting engaged, married and having kids, but something nobody truly prepares you for about your late twenties is how many of your friends start running marathons – Annie Wu
⇒ Women’s fall fashion is basically coming up with ways to wear a blanket without it looking like you’re wearing a blanket. — Jessie
⇒ Just accidentally sang “was the son of a pizza man,” and now I’m intrigued. – Annie Way
⇒ no thoughts november. i will not be doing any more thinking – clare
⇒ sorry i can’t come out tonight the sun’s setting at 5 – trash jones
⇒ Doctor’s offices need those portable buzzers so instead of sitting in the waiting room forever you can leave and get buzzed when they’re ready for you like a medical Cheesecake Factory – SpacedMom
⇒ taking the amtrak is so fun. when you drive all you see is ugly highways but when you take the train you get to see some guy’s weird backyard — chase
-Twitter
“PLACEHOLDER” NAMES EQUIVALENT TO ‘JOHN DOE’ IN THE U.S., U.K. AND CANADA:
☞ Germany: Max Mustermann
☞ Finland: Matti Meikäläinen
☞ Many Spanish-speaking countries: Fulano de Tal
☞ Italy: Mario Rossi
☞ Russia: Ivan Ivanovich
☞ The Philippines: Juan dela Cruz
-Insider
DID YOU KNOW?
NFL superstar QB Patrick Mahomes has confirmed that he’s worn the same pair of underwear every game day for his entire NFL career. What’s more, he claims he only washes the underpants when the team loses — which isn’t very often these days, given Kansas City’s record this year of 7 wins, 2 losses. Why does he do this? He told ESPN’s “Manningcast”: (My) wife Brittany got them for me, so…I have to wear them. At the same time, I threw them on that first season, we had a pretty good season.” His underwear’s rookie campaign was 2017. (I’ve heard of athletes being superstitious, but that’s super-nasty!)
-CNN
BS CHRONOMETER 11.16.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Fast Food Day”, a day when we’re encouraged to celebrate by going out to our favorite fast-food joint. (Like I need an excuse…) LINK: https://www.holidayscalendar.com/event/national-fast-food-day/
• “Great American Smokeout”, an annual intervention event by the American Cancer Society. Approximately 28.3 million American adults still smoke, and tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the country. Today, you’re challenged to quit for the day, or make a plan to quit. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yp4fjk7t
• “Use Less Stuff Day”. We tend to use a lot of disposable containers and paper towels and just…well… stuff. Today, you’re encouraged to take a critical look at these behaviors, and do what you can to cut back, and dispose of what you do use in a responsible way.
• “National Button Day”, celebrating buttons that are used on clothing, for ornamentation or as fasteners. Button collecting, which is most popular in the US, varies from people having buttons in a container for future use, to casual collecting, to competitive collecting.
• “International Day for Tolerance”, established by the UN in 1996 to promote the need for worldwide tolerance and understanding. (Uh, doesn’t seem to be working.)
• “Have a Party With Your Bear Day”. The idea is to spend some time with your Teddy Bear and have a party with some balloons and cake. (If you happen to have a real pet bear, we’re not going to stop you from sitting down and having cake with it…!)
• “Check Your Wipers Day”, reminding drivers to regularly check their windshield wipers to ensure optimum visibility in the event of inclement weather. (I just got new set of windshield wipers for my 15- year-old minivan. Great trade…)
• “Guinness World Records Day”, an annual celebration of record-breaking, when thousands of people around the world come together with one common goal, to become a title holder. (What record would you attempt?)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Take a Hike Day
[Fri] Electronic Greeting Card Day
[Sat] Mickey Mouse Day
[Sun] “Have a Bad Day” Day
This Week is…Pursuit of Happiness Week
This Month is…Model Railroad Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1958 [65] Marg Helgenberger, Freemont NE, TV actress (“Intelligence” 2014, “CSI” 2000-15, “CSI: Vegas” 2022-23)/movie actress (“Mr. Brooks”, “Species” movies)
1964 [59] Diana Krall, Nanaimo BC, jazz singer-pianist (‘The Look of Love’)/married to Elvis Costello since 2003/Canada’s Walk of Fame 2004/Order of Canada 2005
1964 [59] Harry Lennix, Chicago IL, TV actor (‘Harold Cooper’ on “The Blacklist” 2013-23)/(‘Martian Manhunter’ in extended DC Universe)
1966 [57] Dave Kushner, LA CA, rock guitarist (Danzig, Velvet Revolver-‘Slither’, ‘Fall to Pieces’)/composer of “Sons of Anarchy” theme
1967 [56] Lisa Bonet, San Francisco CA, TV actress (“Ray Donovan” 2016, “The Cosby Show” 1984-91)/movie actress (“Enemy of the State”)/married to Jason Momoa since 2017 (separated 2022)
1977 [46] (Margalit) Maggie Gyllenhaal, NYC, movie actress (“The Dark Knight”, “Crazy Heart”)/married to Peter Sarsgaard since 2009/older sister of Jake Gyllenhaal
1993 [30] Pete Davidson, Staten Island NY, comedian/TV actor (“Saturday Night Live” 2014-22, “Bupkis” since 2023)/movie actor (“The King of Staten Island”)/ex-of Kim Kardashian, ex-fiancé of Ariana Grande. COMING UP… “The Home”, 2024
2006 [17] Mason Ramsey, Golconda IL, country singer (‘Famous’)/also known as “The Walmart Yodeling Boy”, who went viral in a video of him yodeling in an Illinois Walmart
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2001 [22] The first ‘Harry Potter’ film, “Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone”, opens in an unprecedented 7,000-plus movie screens (outside the US and India, it titled “Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone”)
2010 [13] Prince William & Kate Middleton announce their engagement (they would marry April 29, 2011)
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2006 [17] “Queen’s Greatest Hits” is declared ‘Most Popular Album of All-Time’ in Britain, with more than 5½ million units sold (The Beatles’ “Sgt Pepper” is #2)
2010 [13] The Beatles’ back catalogue is finally made available on iTunes, after years of negotiations (Steve Jobs says it had been “a long and winding road”)
2014 [09] U2’s Bono is involved in a “high energy bicycle accident” in NYC’s Central Park and is rushed to hospital where he undergoes 5 hours of surgery (a planned week-long residency on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” is postponed)
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Fishing is the sport with the most participants worldwide.
✓ Football (soccer) is the most popular spectator sport.
✓ Japan has over 200 flavors of Kit Kat, including baked potato, melon and cheese, wasabi, and vegetable juice.
✓ It’s a myth that no 2 snowflakes are exactly the same. In 1988, a scientist found 2 identical snow crystals in Wisconsin.
✓ A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
✓ The song ‘Silver Bells’ was called ‘Tinkle Bells’ until co-composer Jay Livingston’s wife told him “tinkle” has another meaning.
-DidYouKnow, Cosmo
Best of BS . . .
BS SIGNS YOUR DAUGHTER IS GROWING UP:
• Starts buying you birthday cards, instead of drawing them
• You no longer find the dog wearing dresses, hats … or paint.
• She refuses to be seen with you at the grocery store because you embarrass her, yet she wants you to buy her something that will embarrass YOU.
• Instead of bringing home bugs, she starts bringing other things that bug you. Like boys.
• When she gets angry at you, instead of crying, she unfollows you on Instagram.
-First published in BS in 2012
BS QUESTIONS TO ASK AFTER YOUR INTERVIEWER ASKS, “ANY QUESTIONS?”:
• “Just how much liquor is considered ‘drinking on the job’?”
• “At what point in facial hair growth have I crossed the line into ‘pornstache’?”
• “Can we swap shoes? I think I hear the cops.”
• “Do you want to wear my ski mask for a little bit?”
• “For insurance purposes, which of us do you think will be the first to catch fire?”
• “Can you show me on this doll where HR would allow me to do massages?”
• “How much wood would a blah blahdy blah woodchuck you know the drill. Question mark?”
• “What’s the capital of Paraguay?”
-MattLarsen, first published in BS in 2002
BS WEB GOODIE:
Such a “cat” thing to do: https://tinyurl.com/ywxj9b34
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Considering that I’m still single at my age, statistically, that means I’ve avoided my first divorce, so that’s a win for me…
BS PHONE STARTER:
What was a huge drag as a kid, but as an adult, it’s awesome? (Naps? Being home alone? Or are those the same thing?)
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: According to a survey, in the 1970s, 87% of us did THIS as soon as we got home from work. Now, only about 45% do. What is it?
Answer: Check the mail
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Every opportunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity.
