Monday, November 8, 2021 – Edition: #7102

The B.S. Press!

 

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Donald Trump has spoken out against Alec Baldwin, saying that the tragic shooting death of Halyna Hutchins on the “Rust” set was not necessarily an accident. During an appearance on conservative radio host Chris Stigall’s podcast, Trump said: “He’s a troubled guy. There’s something wrong with him . . . He’s a cuckoo-bird. He’s a nutjob. And usually, when there’s somebody like that, you know, in my opinion, he had something to do with it.” Baldwin, known for his impersonation of Trump on “SNL”, maintains the shooting was a “tragic accident” and that he was told the gun used in the shooting was not loaded.
-MSN
★ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is shutting down production while Letitia Wright recovers from an on-set injury. She has been recuperating in her native London since September, after getting hurt while shooting a stunt sequence in Boston in August. Although production had worked around her absence until now, director Ryan Coogler has been forced to shut things down until Wright can return. Shooting is expected to resume early in 2022.
-ContactMusic
★ Kim Cattrall may not be reprising her iconic role in the upcoming “Sex and the City” revival, but she is taking on what’s described as “a major recurring role” in a new spinoff of a different beloved series. She’s joined Hulu’s “How I Met Your Father”, a the spinoff of CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother”, which ran for 9 hit seasons. A premiere date for “How I Met Your Father” hasn’t yet been set.
-MSN
★ John Travolta and Tommy Lee are an unexpected dynamic duo in the kitchen. Lee shared a TikTok revealing a recent exchange they had, after Travolta texted him asking for a cookie recipe. The video shows screenshots of text messages between the pair, in which Travolta said, “Tommy can you send me that peanut butter Chico chip cookie recipe that you have.” Lee responds: “Hahahah ok! Gimme a sec to find.” After showing shot of his desserts in the oven, Travolta wrote: “You didn’t know I was Johnny Crocker.”
-People

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Gwyneth Paltrow, Kal Penn, Hardy
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Michael Che, Ed Sheeran, Martha Stewart, Summer Walker
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Jonathan Karl, Brandi Carlile
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Pete Davidson, Emily Ratajkowski, Elmo Lovano
• ” The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Tig Notaro, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Muna featuring Phoebe Bridgers
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Fraser Olender, Rayna Lindsey
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Emily Ratajkowski, guest co-host Morgan Ortagus
• “The Talk” (CBS): Bill Pullman
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Juliette Lewis, Jordan Davis, Joey Thurman
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Salma Hayek, Måneskin
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Michele Pfeiffer, Katie Sturino
• “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC): Janet Jackson Night
• “Backstage Pass: Countdown to the CMA Awards” (ABC): A look at the life of country music artists’ lives, including Luke Bryan, Jimmie Allen, Lauren Alaina, Lady A, Carly Pearce and Keith Urban.
• “The Voice” (NBC): Top 20 Live Playoffs

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Travis Scott — At least 8 people were killed and scores injured when the crowd surged toward a stage during his performance at the Astroworld Festival in Houston on Friday. About 50,000 people were at the sold-out outdoor concert at NRG Park when the incident happened just after 9 p.m. More than 300 were treated at a field hospital set up nearby. The festival’s Saturday slate was cancelled.
• Kanye West — While the internet is spinning out over Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson’s recent string of bicoastal hookups, he seems to have responded by unfollowing Kim on Instagram.
• Taylor Swift – has teased a new music video short film for her song ‘All Too Well’. She wrote and directed the clip, which will be released in Friday. It stars Swift along with Sadie Sink (“Stranger Things”) and Dylan O’Brien (“Maze Runner”). LINK: https://tinyurl.com/jhnd4jcp
• Ariana Grande – will star along with Cynthia Erivo in “Wicked”, a big-screen adaptation of the hit musical. Erivo won a Tony, Grammy and daytime Emmy for her performance in the stage revival of “The Color Purple.”
• Poison — frontman and son of a veteran, Bret Michaels will join Pittsburgh Steelers alum and Vietnam vet Rocky Bleier to honor service members and veterans during the Steelers “Salute To Service” game against the Bears on tonight’s “Monday Night Football”. Fans will be treated to a performance, including the Poison hits ‘Talk Dirty To Me’ and ‘Nothin’ But A Good Time’
• Thin Lizzy — The Phil Lynott documentary “Songs For While I’m Away” was released Fri. on Amazon Prime. The story of his life is told through interviews with Thin Lizzy bandmembers, colleagues, family members, and anecdotes from the man himself, who died in 1986. LINK: https://youtu.be/6-L7LyBcdUk
• Blake Shelton – Friday, he dropped ‘We Can Reach the Stars’, the song he wrote as his wedding vows to Gwen Stefani. Prior to releasing the song, he posted a photo of the 2 from their wedding day in July, with the words: “Gwen and I decided we were going to write our own vows for the wedding, but I decided to surprise her by writing a song instead…” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2jmakbn3
• Thomas Rhett – Friday, he released ‘Slow Down Summer’, the premiere single from his “Where We Started” album, out early next year. He has also announced that 2022 will see the release of the second half of his “Country Again” record from 2021.
• Walker Hayes – has announced his “Fancy Like Tour” beginning Jan. 27 in Grand Rapids MI, with dates through April. He also says the dance to ‘Fancy Like’ was something of a pandemic exercise. To pass the time, he and his daughter Lela did several viral TikTok dances, before finally sharing this one they created, put together in about 30 minutes.

SHOOTING THE BULL

THE SKINNY ON FAT:
Obesity could be cured, say scientists, by tweaking a series of genes in the brain. Cambridge University researchers say they were able to drastically reduce the ability of fruit flies to store fat by “switching on” 4 genes. They say that when you knock out a certain signaling in the brain, which humans have in common with fruit flies, they tend to get fat. They appear to be naturally turned on in some people and off in others. There already may be drugs available that have a side effect of boosting these genes and causing people to lose weight. Oh, and the name of the signaling function in the brain? “The hippo pathway”.
(Hippo pathway? Isn’t that what they call the snack food aisle at the grocery store?)
(No more obesity? Challenge accepted!)
(Great, because after the weekend I had, those are the ONLY genes I’ll be able to switch on!)
-NYPost

PET PROJECTS:
⇒ Experts agree that people who share their bed with pets tend to sleep less soundly, thanks to disruptions in sleep patterns called “microawakenings.” But what about our pets? Is sleeping with you good for your pet? Dr. Dana Varble, chief veterinary officer for the North American Veterinary Community, says: “In general, it is a very good thing for animals to sleep with their people.” Pets who sleep on their human’s bed tend to have a “higher trust level and a tighter bond with the humans that are in their lives.” She says that dogs and cats who are more closely bonded with their humans experience health benefits, including increases in feel-good hormones such as oxytocin and dopamine. (I love having the dog snoring at my feet all night. It drowns out my wife!)
⇒ A new television network is set to launch today in the UK, aimed at a very specific target: The furry, 4-legged demo. Oh, and their owners. DogTV will air scientifically tested programming which aims to alleviate conditions in dogs such as separation anxiety, loneliness and stress. The service will also have shows designed to help owners better understand and look after their pets. DogTV was developed using research into animals’ needs, moods and responses to audio and visual stimuli to help them feel more stimulated, relaxed or help them to sleep. The colors, audio frequencies and camera alignment used have been adapted to cater to dog senses. The service will be available on smart TVs, Android and Apple devices and online. LINK: www.dogtv.com
(Great. There go half of [mid-day host’s] listeners…)
-CNN, HuffPost

NEW GOOD NEWS:
➢ Coffee waste might be the medicine that helps regrow forests faster, according to scientists. Tropical forests are a key ingredient for maintaining life on Earth, providing water and eliminating CO₂. But the rate at which they are being cut down is significantly faster than these forests can regrow. A group from ETH Zurich believe the solution to help tropical forests rebuild themselves in a shorter period of time is by using coffee pulp. In extensive testing, they found an area of forest treated with a thick layer of coffee pulp turned into a small forest in only 2 years, while the control plot remained dominated by non-native grasses. The portion with pulp grew back a canopy that covered nearly 80% of the entire plot. (I also heard whiskey-waste could someday replace fossil fuels. Not sure if it’ll work, but it’s worth a shot!)
➢ One of Britain’s last surviving D-Day heroes returned home from France after completing his ‘final mission’ — and got straight back out collecting for the 68th consecutive year. 96-year-old Harry Billinge travelled back across the Channel to support a tribute to all 22,442 service personnel who died under British command on D-Day and the Battle of Normandy in 1944. After collecting at least £50K (US $67K) towards the construction of the memorial, he was incredibly moved to see the names of his fallen friends carved in stone during the unveiling last month. But instead of coming home to put his feet up, he has already been out collecting again to help maintain it and build an education center on the site. (Wow. So, the literal LEAST we could do is to wear a poppy…)
-StudyFinds, GoodNewsNetwork

SLOGANS THAT DIDN’T TRANSLATE WELL:
✗ Electrolux: The British slogan for the vacuum cleaner manufacturer didn’t fly when it was introduced in North America: “Nothing sucks like Electrolux”.
✗ KFC: The Colonel’s “finger lickin’ good” slogan was translated in China as “eat your fingers off”.
✗ Parker Pens:  translated the slogan “Avoid embarrassment –use Quink” into Spanish, and unfortunately ended up with: “Avoid pregnancy — use Quink”.
✗Coors: The beer-maker’s slogan “turn it loose” became “suffer from diarrhea” in Spanish.
✗ Pepsi: When translated to Chinese, “Pepsi brings you back to life” became “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave”.
✗ Rolls-Royce: The Rolls-Royce Silver Mist had to be renamed for Germany because “mist” means “excrement” in German.
✗ Ford Pinto: It flopped in Brazil where “pinto” is slang for ‘small genitals’.
✗ (***Caution***) Buick LaCrosse: General Motors initially scrapped plans to introduce it in Canada because in the French-speaking province of Quebec, “lacrosse” is slang for “masturbate”. Eventually, the automaker changed its mind because the term “has no negative impact in sports – lacrosse continues to thrive as a sport in Quebec.”
(What product slogan still sticks with you after all these years…?)
-TorStar

DID YOU KNOW?
A Hong Kong travel company is offering a 5-hour ride on a double-decker bus to appeal to sleep-deprived residents. The idea was inspired by the tendency of tired commuters to fall asleep on public transit. Organizer Ulu travel charges US $13-$51 per person, depending on whether they snooze on the upper or lower deck. A goodie bag for passengers includes an eye-mask and ear plugs. For the first “Sleeping Bus Tour” last month, some passengers came prepared with their own blankets and slippers, while others brought travel pillows.
-AP

BS CHRONOMETER 11.08.21

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1949 [72] Bonnie Raitt, Burbank CA, blues-rock singer-songwriter (‘Something to Talk About’, ‘Love Sneakin’ Up on You’)/10 Grammy Awards/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 2000

1950 [71] Mary Hart, TV show host (“Entertainment Tonight” anchor 1982-2011)

1966 [55] Gordon Ramsay, Johnstone Scotland, TV chef (more than 15 different programs, including “Hell’s Kitchen”, “Kitchen Nightmares”, “MasterChef”, “Hotel Hell”, with 2 more on the way…)

1968 [53] Parker Posey, Baltimore MD, movie actress (“Café Society”, “Dazed & Confused”)/TV actress (“Parks and Recreation”, The Good Wife”)

1972 [49] Gretchen Mol, Deep River CT, TV actress (“Boardwalk Empire” 2010-14)/movie actress (“3:10 to Yuma”)

1975 [46] Tara Reid, Wyckoff NJ, movie actress (“Sharknado” films, “American Pie”)

1983 [38] Chris Rankin, Auckland NZ, movie actor (‘Percy Weasley’ in “Harry Potter” films)

1985 [36] Jack Osborne, London England, TV actor (“Portals to Hell” since 2019, “The Osbornes” 2002-2005)

1994 [27] Lauren Alaina, Rossville GA, country singer (‘Road Less Traveled’/“American Idol” contestant who finished second on season 10

BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Abet & Aid Punsters Day”, a day to make up incredibly bad puns, as proclaimed by the group Punsters Unlimited. The Most PUNderful Story We Could Find: “Did you hear about the Italian chef that died?  He pasta way. We cannelloni do so much. His legacy will become a pizza history. Here today, gone tomato. How sad that he ran out of thyme. Sending olive my prayers to the family. His wife is really upset. Cheese still not over it. You never sausage a tragic thing.”
• “Cappuccino Day”, a good excuse to treat yourself to a kick of caffeine. Cappuccino was created in Italy in the 1600s. The name comes from an Italian order of monks known as the Catholic Capuchins.  It’s prepared with espresso, hot milk, and a cap of foam.
• “Cook Something Bold & Pungent Day”, to offset the coming chills of Winter. What’s the most pungent thing you can cook? Cabbage rolls? Fish? Lamb? Garlic? Onions? (Whatever it is that Karen heats up in the office microwave 3 times a week?)
• “Parents as Teachers Day”, Check out any kid who’s constantly scoring an ‘A’ and you’ll likely find that kid gets a lot of help at home (or his parent IS a teacher!)
• “X-ray Day”, It was Nov. 8, 1895 that physicist Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen (1845-1923) first observed X-rays, a significant scientific advancement that would ultimately benefit a variety of fields, most of all medicine, by making the invisible visible.
• “World Pianist Day”, do not confuse this day with the “Piano Day”. This day is not about a thing, no matter how wonderful it is. This day is about people and about their achievements with the instrument, and this day, the emotions that pianists give us with their talents. (So keep your “pianist” jokes to yourself today…)

COMING UP . . .
[Tues] Carl Sagan Day
[Tues] World Freedom Day
[Wed] Sesame Street Day
[Wed] Vanilla Cupcake Day
This Week Is…Young Readers Week
This Month Is…Epilepsy Awareness Month

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2002 [19] “8 Mile”, a semi-biographical look at Eminem’s early days as a struggling rapper in Detroit, opens in theaters. ‘Lose Yourself’ becomes the first rap song to win the Oscar for Best Original Song.

2020 [01] “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek dies of pancreatic cancer at 80

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2002 [19] Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour is made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II

2014 [07] Florida Georgia Line take advantage of their hit song ‘Cruise’ to host the “This is How We Cruise” voyage that leaves Miami FL for a 4-day Caribbean adventure

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2001 [20] Microsoft releases its newly-developed game console ‘Xbox’ ($299)

TODAY’S FORTY-FIFTH . . .
2016 [05] Donald Trump is elected 45th President of The United States, defeating Hillary Clinton, despite Clinton receiving 2.9 million more votes

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Studies show that if you work out on Monday, you’re more likely to exercise throughout the remainder of the week.
✓ Your hair contains traces of gold.
✓ Milton Bradley originally wanted give the name “Pretzel” to the game that became “Twister”, but he couldn’t, because the name was copyrighted.
✓ The name ‘Wendy’ was created for the book “Peter Pan.” There was never a recorded Wendy before.
✓ During World War II, the United States rationed shoes. Citizens were allowed three.
-MentalFloss, UselessKnowledge

Best of BS . . .
BS FAKE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME FACTS:
• It was invented to ensure people change the batteries in their smoke alarms.
• Farmers were required to set their roosters back an hour before going to sleep on Saturday night.
• On Sunday morning, everyone woke up feeling super refreshed.
• When you put your clocks back, you’re legally required to repeat everything you did or said in the previous hour.
• The hours taken away from us in spring are stored in secret government facilities and eventually used for covert purposes.
• You collect 4.5% interest on all daylight saved.
• Daylight saving was invented by Father Time’s evil twin brother, Father Never-on-Time.
• You can’t be arrested for anything illegal you do in the hour the clocks go back because it hasn’t happened yet.
• South of the equator, it is known as Nightlight Saving Time.
• It’s vital to farming.
• It’s daylight ‘savings’…not ‘saving’.
• When the clocks go back, your kids always sleep in, allowing you an extra hour of sleep.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018

TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ It appears that Kim Kardashian is dating Pete Davidson. (Sorry. This will not work. Don’t these people know that two annoyings don’t make a not-annoying?)
➠ “Schitt’s Creek’s” Dan Levy has signed a deal for a new show with HBO Max. (So, finally, we’ll all get to see Dan Levy topless!)
➠ Researchers have found that with enough training, anyone can become a good singer. (So, there’s hope for you yet, Blake Shelton…)
➠ I just read where a study claimed elderly people sleep as well or better than younger people. (So, thank you again, Jimmy Fallon!)
➠ A report says that having sex can cure headaches. (And if my wife is any indication, being offered sex can CAUSE headaches…)

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• How many time zones are there in the world?
a) 7
b) 24 [CORRECT]
c) 23
d) 12:30

• What country’s capital city is Prague?
a) Hungary
c) Austria
c) Czech Republic [CORRECT]
d) Analog

• In 2016, which musician won the Nobel Prize for Literature?
a) Elton John
b) Bob Dylan [CORRECT]
c) Eric Clapton
d) Toby Keith
-ThoughtCatalog

BS WEB GOODIE:
If birds had arms:  https://tinyurl.com/49hupvst

BS RANDOM JOKE:
My Facebook password has been hacked again. This’ll be the third time I’ve had to rename the cat.

BS PHONE STARTER:
What’s the strangest thing that comes up when you Google your name?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  One in 12 of us say we have a lucky one of THESE. What is it?
Answer:  Pair of socks

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
A lot of hard work is hidden behind nice things.