Wednesday, November 16, 2016 – Edition: #5852

Good Morning, Sheetheads!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Dwayne Johnson is “People” magazine’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive 2016’. The 44-year-old action star receives the annual honor and the cover photo on the publication’s special issue this Friday. Johnson, who still wrestles part-time for WWE, has been selected for his muscular physique, chiseled good looks, and winning personality. The annual designation by the magazine started in 1985. The first winner? Mel Gibson.
– Bang Showbiz
★ After finding success with a lingerie collection, 43-year-old model-turned-TV personality Heidi Klum is branching out into bikinis and surf attire, which she’s showing off in the new issue of fitness magazine “Shape”. Quote: “I’ve been modeling swimsuits and lingerie for my entire career, which is now more than 22 years, and it’s something that I truly know and love.” Her contention is the perfect swimsuit is out there … you just have to find it.
– WENN.com
★ Brendan Dassey, whose homicide conviction was overturned in a case profiled in the Netflix series “Making a Murderer”, has been ordered released from prison while prosecutors appeal. A judge has ruled that investigators tricked Dassey into confessing that he helped his uncle, Steven Avery, rape, kill, and mutilate photographer Teresa Halbach in 2005. Dassey was 16 when Halbach died. He’s now 27. The state is appealing the ruling.
– CBC.ca
★ HBO is discussing continuing “Game of Thrones” in some form once the series ends. It’s expected to finish up after its 8th season airs in 2018. But HBO has confirmed that the network is still in talks with “Game of Thrones” author George RR Martin about ideas for a follow-up or prequel once the series ends. The author himself has previously stated that he has many more stories from ‘Westeros’ left to tell.
– “Entertainment Weekly”
★ And Marilyn Monroe’s grave marker is for sale by Nate D Sanders auction house in Los Angeles. The Hollywood star, who died aged 36 in 1962, is buried in a crypt in Westwood Memorial Park Cemetery. As a result of the burial place sign being accessible to fans and tourists, touches and kisses have oxidized the bronze marker over the years. In fact, due to wear & tear the plaque is often replaced and has been put up for sale since the 1990s. Bidding on the latest starts at $50,000. Better hurry … the auction ends tomorrow.
– WENN.com

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Conan” (TBS/CTV) – Moby (“These Systems are Failing”).
• “Ellen” (syndicated/CTV2) – Ricky Martin (“A Quien Quiera Escuchar”).
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/CityTV) – Garth Brooks (“Gunslinger”, out November 25th).
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Strawberry Girls (“Italian Ghosts”, coming 2017).
• “Late Late Show With James Corden” (CBS/CTV) – Hey Violet (“Brand New Moves”).
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV) – Against Me! (“Shape Shift with Me”).
• “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global) – Dwight Yoakam (“Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars”).
• “Live With Kelly” (syndicated/CTV) – OneRepublic (“Oh My My”).
• “The Real” (syndicated) – Usher (“Hard II Love”).
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Macklemore f/Ariana DeBoo (“Drug Dealer”).
• “Wahlburgers” (A&E) – Season 7 debut of the behind-the-scenes show about the restaurant chain owned by chef Paul Wahlberg and brothers, Mark and Donnie. Returning with back-to-back episodes, this is one of those shows that just keeps going and going …

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Adele – She’s set to tour Australia for the first time ever next year. She’s announced plans to head Down Under at the end of February for a series of 360-degree in-the-round stadium concerts in Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, and Adelaide.
• The Beatles – A 1971 letter from John Lennon to Paul McCartney illustrates how strained relations were after the band split up. The letter, which is up for sale by RR Auction in Boston MA, includes the line: “I hope you realize what s— you laid on Yoko and me.” This charming correspondence is expected to sell for at least $20,000 when bids close tomorrow.
• Bruno Mars – He’s announced an extensive 85-date world tour to promote his forthcoming 3rd studio album “24K Magic” (out Friday). The trek begins in Antwerp, Belgium on March 28th. It finishes with a 4-night residency at The Forum in Los Angeles next November.
• Elvis Presley – A new HBO documentary covers his life from birth to his final recording sessions. The 2-part, 3-hour doc has the full co-operation of the Presley estate, and according to HBO bosses, will include unprecedented access to Graceland archives. No air date as yet.
• Gwen Stefani – The 47-year-old is thanking country singer and fellow “The Voice” star Blake Shelton for “kissing [her] back to life”. She says she was “in a pool of tears” last year after her split from ex-husband Gavin Rossdale. Then current boyfriend Blake came along.
• Marc Anthony – Tonight the 47-year-old is being honored as ‘Latin Grammy Person Of the Year’ at a special event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The award recognizes both his career and his humanitarian endeavors. The “Latin Grammy Awards” follow tomorrow night.
• Rihanna – Today her 3 new boot styles hit stores. For her 2nd footwear design, she’s picked the name ‘Savage’, after seeking inspiration from the classic Timberland boot. The new line is another collaboration with footwear favorite Manolo Blahnik.
• Shania Twain / Dierks Bentley / Kenny Chesney – They’ve been announced as the headliners for the next Stagecoach Festival in late April in Indio, California.

WHAT YOUR PHONE REVEALS ABOUT YOU:
Molecules found on cellphones reveal an astonishing amount about the owner’s health and lifestyle … including food preferences and medication. A University of California research team has found traces of everything from caffeine and spices to skin creams and anti-depressants on 40 phones they’ve tested. The researchers suggest the testing method could be used to identify an object’s owner in the absence of fingerprints, to check if patients are taking their medication, or provide useful information about a person’s exposure to pollution. Truth is, we leave traces of molecules, chemicals, and bacteria on everything we touch. Even washing hands thoroughly does not prevent their transfer to everyday objects. (Not to self: never buy a used phone.)
– BBC Science

BS BUZZWORDS:
Cutting-edge vocab …
• ‘Socialating’ – A contraction of ‘sociable dating’. Combining a romantic date with a social outing with friends is a growing trend amongst those who like to mix meeting someone new while hanging out with their peeps.
• ‘Hypercarnivore’ – An animal with a diet consisting mostly of meat. One example is the common housecat. When left outdoors it hunts birds and small animals, which some say is threatening the extinction of dozens of species.
• ‘USB Condom’ – A modified USB adapter that prevents data from being stolen or malware from being installed when a mobile device’s USB cable is plugged into a public charging station. It allows electricity to flow through while preventing data from being transferred or accessed.

HOW TO ATTRACT BURGLARS:
According to inmates serving time for burglary …
• Avoid tip-offs to an empty house such as a porch light being on while all window blinds are closed.
• Early morning or early afternoon is prime-time for burglary. By 2:30 pm anyone that was home for lunch should be gone and most kids are still in school.
• An ‘NRA’ sticker on your car bumper signals … lots of guns to steal.
• Every inmate polled says they knock on the front door first. If someone answers? They pretend to have lost a pet or to be doing a survey.
• A deal-breaker for most burglars: hearing a radio or TV on; or hearing a dog on the premises … particularly a big breed.
– KGW.com

DISCIPLINE DECIPHERED:
A long-range study on how parents discipline their kids shows a clear trend: spanking is down and time-outs are up. The Georgetown University study looks specifically at surveys involving mothers with kindergarten-age kids and finds that modern parents across all income levels report spanking their children less than their counterparts in 1988. For example, the percentage of average-income mothers who endorse the idea of spanking has dropped from 46% in 1988 to 21%. At the same time, the overall percentage of mothers who back non-physical time-out punishments has risen from 41% to 81%. The conclusion: today’s parents seem to be using more reasoning and nonphysical discipline strategies. (What’s your unique method?)
– LiveScience.com

FROM THE BS POLL VAULT:
A statistical look at who we are and the things we do …
• 54% of women think a man with a bald head is sexy. Only 36% of men think the same.
• 52% of college students consume at least 1 energy drink per week.
• 30% of people who don’t make their bed in the morning feel guilty about it later in the day.
• 11% of married couples say they met at the gym.
• 10% of married couples met during a night out.
• 9% of married couples met at a coffee shop.

FOR THE RECORD:
36-year-old George Frandsen is listed in the 2017 edition of “Guinness World Records” for the ‘largest collection of coprolite’. In plain speech, that would be fossilized feces. He’s gathered samples in some 8 countries. One of his prize stools weighs over 4 lbs, hails from the Miocene Epoch, and is named ‘Precious’. He has some 1,300 similar samples of poop, which he’s happy to show off on his ‘Poozeum’ website. (“The #1 site for fossilized #2.”)
NET: http://www.poozeum.com
– Newser.com

BS AMAZING BOOZE FACTS:
• Most beer contains ‘isinglass’, a substance obtained from the dried swim bladders of fish.
– BBC News
• How drunk you think you are depends on how drunk your friends are.
– “New York Magazine”

BS CHRONOMETER 11.16.16

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1958 [58] Marg Helgenberger, Freemont NE, TV actress (“Intelligence” 2014, “CSI” 2000-12)/movie actress (“Erin Brockovich”)

1964 [52] Diana Krall, Nanaimo BC, jazz singer-pianist (“Wallflower”, “Quiet Nights”)/Mrs Elvis Costello since 2003/Canada’s Walk of Fame (2004)/Order of Canada (2005)

1964 [52] Harry Lennix, Chicago IL, TV actor (‘Harold Cooper’ on “The Blacklist” since 2013)

1966 [50] Dave Kushner, LA CA, rock guitarist (Velvet Revolver-“Slither”, “Fall to Pieces”)

1967 [49] Lisa Bonet, San Francisco CA, TV actress (“Ray Donovan” 2016, “The Cosby Show” 1984-91)

1977 [39] Maggie Gyllenhaal, NYC, movie actress (“White House Down”, “Crazy Heart”)/older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal

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 we need an excuse.)
NET: http://www.gone-ta-pott.com/national_fast_food_day.html

• “International Button Day”, for people who collect buttons with slogans on them. Some of the most sought-after are rare political campaign buttons. Some of our other favorites …
– “Knitting. Cheaper Than Therapy … and You Get Sweaters!”
– “Mothers of Boys Work From Son Up to Son Down”
– “When Life Gives You a Lime, Look for Tequila!”
– “Hows Your Aspen?”
– “Beer!”

• “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.)

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2001 [15] 1st ‘Harry Potter’ film, “Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone”, opens on an unprecedented 7,000-plus movie screens (outside North America, the film is titled “Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone”)

2010 [06] Prince William & Kate Middleton announce their engagement at Clarence House in London (they wed April 29, 2011)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2005 [11] “I Walk the Line: A Night for Johnny Cash” airs on CBS-TV, with U2, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Lee Lewis and others paying tribute to the late country star

2006 [10] “Queen’s Greatest Hits” is declared ‘Most Popular Album of All-Time’ in Britain, with more than 5-and-a-half million units sold (The Beatles’ “Sgt Pepper’s” is #2)

2014 [02] 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)

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2010 [06] 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”)

COMING UP . . .
[Thurs] Beaujolais Nouveau Day
[Thurs] Homemade Bread Day
[Thurs] Unfriend Day
[Fri] “The Taylor Swift Experience” opens in NYC
[Fri] Married To a Scorpio Support Day
[Fri] Apple Cider Day
This Week Is … International Fraud Awareness Week
This Month Is … Memoir Writing Month

BULL’S BITS

MODERN-DAY DEMOGRAPHICS:
Today’s population can be broken down into far more categories than age, gender, religion, occupation, etc. For instance …
• People who use ‘brunch’ as a verb instead of a noun. (“We’re brunching at Smitty’s at 11.”)
• People who format Facebook comments like a letter (“Dear Lindsay” … “Love, Aunt Karen”)
• Parents who tell others at social gatherings their 25-year-old is still “figuring things out”.
• People who go to sleep every night exactly 20 minutes into “NCIS”.
• People who write think pieces about Millennials.
• People who’ve made empty threats to move to Canada based on election outcome.
• People who were too young for “Pogs” and are too old for “Pokémon”.
• People whose opinion on global warming depends entirely on whether it’s a hot or cold day.
– Thanks to John Clark-Levin

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ Who would you like to see abducted by aliens?

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
Born in 1962, Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief went on to have more than 2 million great-granddaughters. What was he?
a. Rabbit.
b. Bull. [CORRECT. A Holstein dairy breeding bull, to be precise.]
c. Horny.
– “The Atlantic”

BS RANDOM JOKE:
After only 1 karate lesson I can break boards with my cast.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: In general, women are better at reading THIS than men.
Answer: Upside-down print.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
It takes just a little living to make a house a home.