Friday, November 29, 2019 – Edition: #6584

Sheet for Brains!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ John Boyega says that he left his copy of the closely-guarded script for the new “Star Wars” movie under his bed, and it ended up for sale on eBay. Boyega, who plays Stormtrooper turned resistance fighter ‘Finn’ in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” told “Good Morning America” that a cleaner found the script and put it up for sale on the auction site. Director J.J. Abrams said earlier this week that the team behind the film spotted the eBay listing and was able to get it back before it was sold, meaning the secrets in the plot are still safe. (But the cleaner has been “phased out”!!)
-Canoe
★ Tom Hanks was left stunned by a recent “Jeopardy” question, when none of the contestants recognized him. Host Alex Trebek asked the three contestants to name the actor playing beloved kids’ TV character ‘Mr. Rogers’ as a clip played from Hanks’ new film “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”. All three drew blanks. Hanks was shown the footage on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”, and was clearly shocked, but managed a witty comeback, saying: “What was the name of the category – washed-up career choices for $800?…I think actually they were blinded by the red sweater and couldn’t make anything out.”
-Canoe
★ Tootie, Blair, Natalie and Jo are going to wish you a merry Christmas on Sunday, thanks to Lifetime’s new movie, “You Light Up My Christmas,” which features the core cast of the iconic TV series “The Facts of Life.” And while Kim Fields, Lisa Whelchel, Mindy Cohn and Nancy McKeon won’t actually be playing their characters from the ’80s sitcom, “you take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have” the new made-for-TV holiday film.
-TheWrap
★ Idris Elba says he is trying to quit social media, because it makes him ”depressed”. He’s doing what he can to ”wean” himself off of apps like Twitter, because, although he wants to keep up to date with what’s happening in the world, being ”constantly” connected is impacting his mental health. Quote: I used to post a lot more, but it’s been putting me off lately. And Twitter’s just not how I want to receive my news.”
-MSN

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Garth Brooks, Mike Birbiglia (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Jennifer Aniston, Thomas Middleditch (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Robert Pattinson, Al Gore, Nicole Rucker, Jon Theodore (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Elizabeth Banks, David Tennant, Billy Ray Cyrus (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Jamie Lee Curtis, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Bilott (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Patricia Heaton, Carrie Ann Inaba, Why Don’t We (R)
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Ray Romano (R)
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Chance the Rapper, Jillian Bell (R)
• “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” (CW): Celebrating the holiday season with magicians, costumes and a trophy.
• “Frosty The Snowman” (CBS): An animated adaptation of Romeo Muller’s story. Narrated by Jimmy Durante.
• “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” (CW): A youth embarks on a journey to find his missing grandmother and prove that Santa Claus is real.

SATURDAY-
• “It’s a Wonderful Life” (NBC): Ruined by a miser on Christmas Eve, a suicidal family man sees life anew thanks to his guardian angel.
• “Christmas in Rome: (HALLMARK): Angela, an American tour guide in Rome, agrees to teach a culture-shocked businessman named Oliver about the heart of Rome at Christmas.
• “Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Host David Harbour with musical guest Camila Cabello

SUNDAY-
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): David Alan Grier, Porsha Williams
• “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (ABC): A mailman explains why Santa has whiskers, lives at the North Pole and brings presents once a year.
• “You Light Up My Christmas” (LIFETIME): Fun fact: There may be 472 new Christmas movies airing this year, but this is the only one featuring the surviving original cast of “The Facts of Life”.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Camila Cabello – recently confessed in an interview that she stole a pencil from Kensington Palace following a “triple doggy dare”. The Palace’s official Twitter responded to the interview video with the “eyes” emoji.
• Post Malone — Shania Twain wants to collaborate with him. She says that she’s already written a song for the two to work on. The rapper was seen jamming out to Twain’s performance during Sunday’s 2019 American Music Awards.
• Jay-Z – is suing an Australian company for using his name and lyrics to sell books. He claims Australian online retailer Little Homie is engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct to hawk a children’s book titled “AB to Jay-Z”, which allegedly illegally uses the lyrics of his hit ‘99 Problems’.
• Madonna – Has canceled three Boston dates (set for Sat, Sun., Mon.)  due to “doctor’s orders.” A press release says “Doing my show every night brings me so much joy and to cancel is a kind of punishment for me, but the pain I’m in right now is overwhelming…” The canceled shows won’t be rescheduled.
• Blind Melon — A documentary about the final years of frontman Shannon Hoon will be released in 2020. It was created using over 200 hours of the late singer-songwriter’s home videos.
• SpongeBob SquarePants – Former KISS collaborator Bob Kulick and David Glen Eisley have released a new version of their song ‘Sweet Victory’ in remembrance of late SpongeBobs creator Stephen Hillenburg, who died a year ago. The original version, released in 1998, was featured in the 2001 SpongeBob episode “Band Geeks” and enjoyed a new lease of life as a result the exposure.
• Greta Van Fleet — singer Josh Kiszka reports that after spending about two months in the heart of the summer pouring “everything into the writing and recording” of their second album, they are hoping for an early 2020 release.
• Keith Urban – says he was astonished by the Thanksgiving holiday when he first moved to America about 25 years ago. The Australian-born musician says: “I remember going to this family’s home, they invited me to Thanksgiving, and I couldn’t believe the volume of food. It was insane. I’ve never seen so much food in my life…Then after the food, there was like 12 desserts.” And he was expected to try them all.
• Brooks & Dunn — Ronnie Dunn has shared two more of the tunes included on his upcoming solo album, “Re-Dunn”. The new songs are Tom Petty’s ‘I Won’t Back Down’ and George Strait’s ‘The Cowboy Rides Away.’ The full album will be released Jan 10.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Knives Out” (PG-13, Drama/Mystery, opened Wed.):  When a renowned crime novelist is found dead at his estate, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Blanc is enlisted to investigate. He sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth. (Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis)
• “Queen & Slim” (R-Rated, Drama, opened Wed.):  A couple’s first date takes an unexpected turn when a police officer pulls them over, and the man kills the police officer in self-defense. (Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith)
• “The Two Popes” (PG-13, Drama-Limited Release, opened Wed.):  Behind Vatican walls, the conservative Pope Benedict and the liberal future Pope Francis must find common ground to forge a new path for the Catholic Church. (Jonathan Pryce, Anthony Hopkins)

GIMME A BREAK:
A company in Japan is giving its non-smoking employees an extra six days of vacation per year to compensate for smoking employees’ cigarette breaks. The Tokyo-based marketing firm Piala Inc. introduced the perk after employees complained that they were working more hours than staff who took regular smoke breaks. The company’s office is located on the 29th floor of a building, and resentment grew among non-smoking employees because smoking is only allowed on basement level, making each break last about 15 minutes.
(That’s just not how things would be handled here. Our company would take vacation days away from the smokers!)
(And this, kids, is why you should always hide your smoking!)
(People manage to make a smoke break last longer than that around here, and we work on ground level!)
-TheTelegraph, FOX

THINGS NOT TO BUY ON BLACK FRIDAY:
➠ Toys:  Wait until closer to the holidays. Toys typically get lower and lower in price as the days count down to Christmas. (Hopefully Santa will get it, and you won’t have to!)
➠ Christmas decorations:  Chances are the price will drop dramatically by the New Year. Hold on until January and you’ll have the most festive yard on the block for next Christmas. (Mine are still up from last year. I had the most festive yard on the block in July!)
➠ Clothing:  While you may see some tempting deals, taking time to search for your size and try on clothes can eat up precious shopping time. Cyber Monday is the better day to get deals on clothing. (Because I’m SO good at ordering the right size online!)
➠ Bedding:  Black Friday is not the time to buy new sheets, comforters or really anything for your bed. Retailers begin “white sales” in January, where discounts can go as high as 70 percent off.  (Also, one of those things that you don’t want to buy used…)
➠ Anything you don’t actually need:  It may seem like common sense, but it’s easy to get caught up in all the deals. Use Black Friday as a time to stretch your dollar, not break your bank. (Thanks for taking all the fun out of it…)
-MRT

NEWS OF THE WEIRD:
➢ A Florida black lab named Max took a car for a literal spin after his owner stepped out of the running vehicle with Max inside. It seems that Max accidentally knocked the shifter into reverse, causing the Mercury Sable to cruise in slow circles around a cul-de-sac for about an hour. Police were could only stop the car by approaching and entering the key pad code on the driver’s side door. No injuries were reported. (It was a ruff ride, though…)
➢ The hottest trend among wellness die-hards these days involves lying naked on their backs with their feet in the air. “Perineum sunning,” as influencers are calling it, is being promoted by a number of influencers as a way of absorbing ‘energy’ in a way that regular exposure to the sun just can’t provide. Others say that getting your vitamin D from that direction can help you sleep better and regulate your hormones. Medical professionals are not yet convinced the practice of ‘perineum sunning’ has any merit. (That’s a HOLE new way to get a sunburn!)
-NYPost

BS CHRONOMETER 11.29.19

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1954 [65] Joel Coen, Minneapolis MN, movie producer-director-screenwriter (“No Country for Old Men”, “Fargo”)/brother of filmmaking partner Ethan Coen

1955 [64] Howie Mandel, Toronto ON, TV personality (“America’s Got Talent” since 2010, “Deal or No Deal” 2005-09)/stand-up comedian

1964 [55] Don Cheadle, Kansas City MO, movie actor (“Avengers: Infinity War”, “Hotel Rwanda”)/TV actor (“House of Lies” 2014-16)

1968 [51] Jonathan Knight, Dorchester MA, pop singer (New Kids On the Block-‘Step by Step’, ‘Hangin’ Tough’)

1972 [47] Brian Baumgartner, Atlanta GA, TV actor (‘Kevin Malone’ on “The Office” 2005-2013)

1976 [43] Anna Faris, Baltimore MD, movie actress (“Housebunny”, “22 Jump Street”)/TV actress) Mom” since 2013)

1977 [42] Chadwick Boseman, Anderson SC, movie actor (“Black Panther”, “42”, “Avengers: Infinity War”)

1979 [40] The Game (Jayceon Taylor), LA CA, rapper (f/Lil Wayne-‘My Life’, f/50 Cent-‘Hate It or Love It’)

1982 [37] Lucas Black, Decatur AL, TV actor (‘Christopher LaSalle’ on “NCIS: New Orleans” since 2014)

SATURDAY- Ridley Scott (director -“Alien”) is 82; Mandel “Mandy” Patinkin (“Homeland”) is 67;  Billy Idol (‘White Wedding’) is 64; Colin Mochrie (“Whose Line Is It Anyway?”) is 62;  Ben Stiller (“Night At the Museum”) is 54;  Elisha Cuthbert (“The Ranch”) is 37; Kaley Cuoco (“The Big Bang Theory”) is 43; Chrissy Teigen (“Lip Sync Battle”) is 34

SUNDAY- Woody Allen (“Annie Hall”) is 84; Bette Midler (‘The Rose’) is 74; Comedian Sarah Silverman is 49; Janelle Monae (‘Cold War’) is 34; Zoe Kravitz (“Mad Max: Fury Road”) is 31, Reality star Robert Irwin (son of the late Steve Irwin) is 16

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Black Friday”, the day after US Thanksgiving that’s touted as the biggest single shopping day of the year in America, though that’s statistically untrue. The ‘black’ refers to retailers finally turning a profit after spending much of the year ‘in the red’. These days, many retailers kick off their annual sales on Thursday.

• “Customer is Wrong Day”, if you work in retail, celebrate it at your own risk!  You’ll receive some long-overdue satisfaction, to be sure, but weigh the risks and the benefits before you begin your mantra of “The Customer is Always Wrong…!” (Even if they usually are…)

• “Buy Nothing Day”, a 24 hour moratorium on holiday shopping (today in North America; tomorrow internationally), created as a protest against outlandish consumption and commercialism, particularly during the holiday season.

• “Throw Out Your Leftovers Day”, after a couple of days of heating and cooling and heating and cooling your leftovers, it’s time to let them go…

• “Electronic Greetings Day”, another excuse to interact with others via messaging, Facebook, email, voicemail, etc.

• “Square Dance Day”, a chance to get out and ‘dosey-doe’ with your partner.

• “National Chocolates Day”, and no, you can’t have one from the second tray until all the lame ones on the top are gone!

SATURDAY-
• “International Computer Security Day”, to remind us to protect our computers, programs, and data at home and work. Remember to always practice safe surfin’!
• “Mousse Day”, an annual celebration of the divine dessert made from egg whites and cream. Did you know that ‘mousse’ is the French word for ‘foam’?  It’s a fitting name for this light, fluffy, and decadent confection.
• “Stay Home Because You’re Well Day”, a day to call in ‘well’ instead of having to fake sickness in order to get a day off.  (Do it…your co-workers will love you!)
• “National Methamphetamine Awareness Day”, a day of education and awareness of the dangers of methamphetamine. (Is ‘Walter White’ the poster boy?)

SUNDAY-
• “Advent Calendar Day”, the day many kids begin opening one compartment on their seasonal calendar each day through December 24th. (Who are we kidding? Through about Dec 10, when the rest mysteriously disappear.)
• “Antarctica Day”, begun in 2010 to celebrate the December 1, 1959 signature of the Antarctic Treaty, signed by 12 nations to set aside the entire continent (nearly 10% of the Earth) to be forever used exclusively for peaceful purposes in the interests of all mankind.
• “National Pie Day”, a special day that is set aside to bake and cook all of your favorite pies. You are also encouraged to bake a few new pie recipes. And most importantly, it’s a day to eat pies!
• “World AIDS Day”, the annual day of AIDS awareness and education, first declared by the UN’s World Health Organization in 1988. The official symbol of “World AIDS Day” is the red ribbon. In some communities, the occasion is observed as “Day Without Art”.
NET: http://www.worldaidsday.org
• “Ear Muff Day”, celebrating the first ‘Earmuffs’ patented by one Chester Greenwood of Farmington, Maine on this day in 1877.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2011 [08] Convicted of involuntary manslaughter, Dr Conrad Murray receives a 4-year sentence for Michael Jackson’s 2009 death

2017 [02] Matt Lauer is fired from NBC’s “Today” show after an allegation of sexual misconduct

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2001 [18] George Harrison of The Beatles dies in LA of cancer at age 58

2010 [09] Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’ single is released (Billboard Song of the Year 2011, Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year 2012)

2014 [05] Taylor Swift replaces herself at #1 on the ‘Billboard Hot 100’, as ‘Blank Space’ knocks ‘Shake It Off’ from the top spot, making Swift the first female artist to do so

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ A machine in the Moscow subway dispenses a free ticket if you do 30 squats.
✓ There is a Coca-Cola machine in Singapore that gives out a free can in exchange for a hug.
✓ Popcorn is known to be one of the healthiest snacks. It builds bone, muscle, tissue, aids digestion, and is good for the teeth.
✓ There is a sound effect called the ‘Wilhelm Scream’ that has been used in over 200 movies and TV shows since 1951.
✓ Watching horror movies burns more calories than any other genre.
✓ Walt Disney’s autograph bears no resemblance to the famous Disney logo.
-DidYouKnow, F’dUpFacts

Best of BS . . .
BS THINGS OVERHEARD IN LINE ON BLACK FRIDAY:
• “Black Friday has become so commercialized.”
• “I do hate missing my kid’s birthday.”
• “Someday, there’ll be a way to shop from home.”
• “This isn’t the line to vote?”
• “I’m just waiting to return something.”
• “Just 4 more hours in line and boom! … 10 whole dollars off a giant-screen TV!”
• “Sale? I’m avoiding my family.”
• “So, where did YOUR life go wrong?”
-First published in BS in 2017

BS DRUNKEN DISNEY:
• Sleeping it off Beauty
• Pinot-cchio
• 101-Proof Dalmations
• Spaced Out Mountain
• Bud Lightyear
• The Absinthe Mined Professor
• Whistle While You Twerk
• James and the Giant Peach Schnapps
• Monsters, Intoxicated
• Frozen Daiquiris (Two)
-Twitter, first published in ‘BS’ in 2018

BS PHONE STARTER:
What is your favorite store in the world?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
Some of my closest friends might describe me as “deceitful”. The joke’s on them, though. They aren’t really my friends.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  25% of people who have eaten this would never admit they like the taste of it.
Answer:  Pet Food

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Buying something you don’t need is a waste of money, even if it is a bargain.