Monday, November 4, 2024 – Edition: #7827
You Really Know Your Sheet!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live”. The show kicked off with James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump, followed by Maya Rudolph as the vice president. After speaking with President Biden (played by Dana Carvey) and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff (Andy Samberg), Rudolph sat down in front of a mirror, saying: “I wish I could talk to someone who’s been in my shoes… a Black, south Asian woman running for president, preferably from the Bay Area.” Harris then appeared sitting opposite Rudolph, saying: “You and me both, sister…I’m just here to remind you: You’ve got this. Because you can do something your opponent cannot do. You can open doors.” The joke was a reference to Trump’s appearance in Wisconsin, where he appeared to miss a garbage truck door as he attempted to open it. Rudolph then instructed the vice president: “Kamala, take my palm-ala. The American people want to stop the chaos and end the dramala.” They then said in unison: “Keep calmala and carry on-a-la.”
-People
★ Margot Robbie is a mom! The “Barbie” star reportedly gave birth to her and husband Tom Ackerley’s first baby, a boy, on Oct. 17, slightly ahead of schedule. The Daily Mail reports that “all is well” with the family of 3 and that the couple’s parents are expected to be arriving soon to meet their grandson. In July, photos surfaced of 34-year-old Robbie baring her baby bump while on vacation in Italy with her partner of the same age. The couple have kept their romance notoriously private since it began in 2014.
-PageSix
★ Ryan Reynolds isn’t going to let Martha Stewart get the last laugh. The “Deadpool & Wolverine” star has responded to Stewart’s viral comments about him being “not so funny” off-screen as he is on-screen. After Stewart made the statement on Bilt Rewards’ November Rent Free game show about Reynolds, who is her neighbor in Bedford NY, Reynolds responded on X, writing that he would disagree with her, “But I tried that once. The woman is unexpectedly spry. She really closed the gap after a mile or so.” Stewart had said of Reynolds: “He can act funny, but he isn’t funny”, and pointed to celebs Snoop Dogg, Taylor Swift, Brad Pitt and George Clooney as genuinely funny people. Hugh Jackman’s hilarious response: “Finally someone says it.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4vvdw9s6
-People
★ In a rather quiet pre-election box office weekend, no films challenged “Venom: The Last Dance” for the #1 spot as it collected an estimated $26 million in its second weekend. That gives it a domestic 10-day total of $90 million, on pace to be the lowest grossing film in the series. “Smile 2,” the psychological thriller starring Jack Nicholson’s son, Ray, held on to the #2 position, and the weekend’s lone new wide release, “Here”, nabbed about $5.1 million for third.
-TheWrap
★ Iain Armitage, the star of “Young Sheldon” went out for Halloween dressed as… ‘Young Sheldon’. On Oct. 31st, the 16-year-old posted: “My costume for this year was supposed to arrive two days ago and still isn’t here. I’m seriously thinking that I might need to go out as Young Sheldon. The good news is that I really look like him!” Sure enough, 2 hours later, Armitage’s costume had still not arrived, and he shared a video of himself in Sheldon’s signature button-down shirt, bowtie and khakis. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/26pvtkc7
-TVLine
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Freddie Freeman, Allison Janney, Stevie Nicks
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Kevin Kline, Lester Holt, Maddie Wiener
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Gov. Tim Walz, John Oliver
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Rhys Nicholson, Rekha Shankar, Paul F. Tompkins
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Keri Russell, J.B. Smoove
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, Zachary Quinto
• “The Daily Show” (COM): TBA
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.)
• “The Talk” (CBS): Marcia Gay Harden, Tony Gonzalez
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Nicole Scherzinger, Kandi Burruss
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Robin Wright, Lawrence Zarian, Kelsea Ballerini
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Emily Osment and Montana Jordan, chef Kardea Brown
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Warren G, Ethan Slater
• “The Voice” (NBC): The Battles Part 5
• “The Neighborhood” (CBS): Dave gathers everyone for a ballot-palooza party to discuss the merits of every candidate and prop on each of their election ballots.
• “Holiday Baking Championship” (Food): Holiday Open House
• “NFL Football” (ABC, ESPN, TSN): Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Kansas City Chiefs
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift – has released a holiday collection consisting of 3 versions of her festive tune ‘Christmas Tree Farm’. It includes the original version, a live recording of it from the 2019 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball and the “Old Timey Version”, originally released as an Amazon Music exclusive in 2021. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3jndams3
• Shawn Mendes – Friday, he released the new single ‘Heart of Gold’. He says it was inspired by the grief he faced after a close childhood friend passed away. It’s from his upcoming album “Shawn”, out Nov. 15. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5rfbzxsz
• Ed Sheeran – Maybe it’s finally over. He has won an appeal case involving his 2014 song ‘Thinking Out Loud’, with the US Court of Appeals ruling that it did not infringe the copyright of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’. Sheeran was first sued for plagiarism in 2016 by the song’s co-writer. That suit was dismissed in 2017, but was followed in 2018 by another suit from a company that owns part of the song’s royalties.
• Kelly Clarkson – has dropped the album “When Christmas Comes Around… Again.” It’s a deluxe edition of her 2021 holiday album “When Christmas Comes Around…”, with the new songs ‘You for Christmas’ and a version of the carol ‘Sleigh Ride’.
• Mariah Carey – has officially kicked off the holiday season. After recently posting videos poking a fun at her reputation as the “Queen of Christmas,” she posted one where she is dressed up with a dance partner as ‘Morticia’ and ‘Gomez’ from “The Addams Family.” After some antics, a red holiday dress appears with a countdown. The caption reads: “IT’S TIME!!!!” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/bdcnkjb4
• The Cure – Friday, they finally released their first new album since 2008, “Songs of a Lost World”. In an interview, Robert Smith told a reporter that he owns “the only nocturnal sheep in Britain”, and even though sheep can’t be trained, he has trained one to “shake hands”. (Well! THAT should move a lot of product!)
• Bruce Springsteen – It’s hard to imagine, so it’s a good thing there’s video evidence. He and the E-Street Band opened their Halloween night show in Montreal with a rousing cover of Ray Parker’s Jr.’s 1984 hit ‘Ghostbusters’, from the movie of the same name. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/58htvxyv
• Sam Hunt – Friday, he dropped the new song ‘Liberty’. It finds the dad of 2 reflecting about family life and purpose. Hunt says he wrote it during the pandemic, and “it’s a song that I never thought I would put out, but as time passed, I decided that it was timely.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/vbmk8e8w
• Megan Moroney — has dropped her first-ever holiday project, titled “Blue Christmas…duh”. The EP’s 3 songs include 2 new originals, and her twangy and moody cover of Elvis Presley’s ‘Blue Christmas’. She captioned a carousel of pics on Instagram with the words: “sleigh i guess”. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4be4n8xm
• Jelly Roll – will make his debut on the iconic Austin City Limits stage during the show’s landmark 50th anniversary season on Nov. 2. In a sneak peak, he asks the roaring crowd: “I’m gonna play you a new song from the new album, is that okay?” He then launches into ‘Liar’, from his “Beautifully Broken” album, which arrived this month. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4pcbkmva
SHOOTING THE BULL
A NEW KIND OF PLUGIN:
So, do you have a feeling of “time-change lag” this morning? Even though the switch to standard time over the weekend (for most of North America and many other countries) resulted, in theory, in us enjoying an extra hour of sleep on Saturday night, we got the news last week that its effects on the brain last until about Nov. 16. And those are just the effects of the actual time change. Many people suffer depression symptoms throughout winter, due to reduced daylight, cold weather, and the resulting isolation that can result. Now, here’s the GOOD news: researchers at King’s College London say they have developed a device that delivers mild electrical stimulation to the brain, which can safely and effectively treat depression symptoms – and it can be used at home, rather than at a clinic. The technique, called “transcranial direct current stimulation” (tDCS), involves delivering a very weak electrical current (about 1,000 times weaker than what powers an LED bulb) through 2 electrodes placed on the scalp. In tests, those who received the treatment were 3 times more likely to see their depression go into remission compared to those using a placebo device. The researchers point out that it could help the 280 million people worldwide who are currently dealing with depressive symptoms, and without the side-effects of antidepressants.
(…or the expense of going to my therapist!)
(To double the effect, turn on the brain stimulator, and turn OFF “The Masked Singer”!)
-StudyFinds
WHAT’S WORDS WORTH:
Collins Dictionary has decided that “brat” is the word of the year. The word, used by pop singer Charli XCX as the title of 6th album, released in June of this year, is defined as “characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.” It has recently been used in the phrase “brat summer,” and became “one of the most talked about words of 2024.” Collins said that ‘brat’ became a “cultural phenomenon that has resonated with people globally, and ‘brat summer’ established itself as an aesthetic and a way of life.” Other words and phrases that the dictionary said made a notable impact this year include . . .
• “era”: “A period of one’s life or career that is of a distinctive character”, inspired, of course, by the Taylor Swift tour of the same name.
• “anti-tourism”: The growing movement against mass tourism.
• “delulu”: To be utterly mistaken or unrealistic in one’s ideas or expectations, and
• “rawdogging”: The act of taking a long-haul flight using no devices or distractions.
(So, we’ve gone from “Hot Girl Summer to “Brat Summer”? I’m not sure if that’s a step forward or another sign of the decline of western civilization!)
(For me, “Brat summer” happened a million years ago, when ‘Bart Simpson’ first showed up!)
-CTVNews
DOGGY DIET:
What is the oddest thing that your dog has ever eaten? Brace yourself. A new survey of 2,000 dog owners has found that a stick of butter and a social security card aren’t even at the top of the list. Respondents to the poll, commissioned Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, found that perhaps the weirdest things that a puppy parent reported their furball eating (and admittedly, it’s subjective) include: a winning lottery ticket, 4 TV remote controls, “the spackle on the walls” … and a box of tampons.
Other questionable canine culinary choices included:
• A Christmas tree ornament that looked like a dove
• A meat thermometer
• An entire bowl of shredded mozzarella cheese — then came back for the lasagna noodles
• “My sister’s dentures”
Respondents reported that they need to stop their dog from eating something they shouldn’t an average of once every 3 days.
(That’s better than most humans!)
(Uhhh…poo? No one else?)
-SWNS
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR THE GOOD OF ALL?
A recent thread on X asked users: “”What’s your contribution to society?” And surprisingly, some people were able to stay away from political commentary and conspiracy theories long enough to post these inspiring comments…
⇒ I always put the shopping cart back in the cart thing – High Chieftess
⇒ i look away when someone opens their bank app – BAD
⇒ I pretend not to see people’s embarrassing moments in public — N
⇒ if you spit on me while talking, i’ll ignore it – Sandra
⇒ If we are in a group and someone talks over you and you stop, I’ll ask you to finish what you were saying and I’ll pay attention – felari
⇒ I do not litter. I will carry my trash until I find a proper dustbin or dumpsite. – feyisayo
⇒ If you’re walking with kids or dogs, I’ll automatically walk on the street to give yall room. – Tristan Freeman
⇒ I live on the top floor but when the delivery person rings the doorbell I absolutely BOOK IT down the stairs – katie
⇒ not having an opinion on topics I’m not properly informed about – Fo Jo
⇒ I will never have you in a meeting that could’ve been an email. – The People’s Lesbo
⇒ I will not post a video or photo with a group of people if anyone in it looks off. – Kemi SmallzZ
⇒ i actually flush when i use a public restroom – lys (Thank you for your service!)
(What’s yours?)
-BuzzFeed
DID YOU KNOW?
The old adage states that, given an infinite amount of time, a monkey pressing keys on a typewriter would eventually write the complete works of William Shakespeare. Well, not gonna happen, according to new research by some Australian researchers. Known as the “infinite monkey theorem”, the thought-experiment has long been used to explain the principles of probability and randomness. But a peer-reviewed study led by Stephen Woodcock and Jay Falletta has found that the time it would take for a typing monkey to replicate Shakespeare’s plays, sonnets and poems would be longer than the lifespan of our universe. The results showed that even if every chimp in the world typed at a pace of one key per second until the end of the universe, there’s just a 5% chance that one would even manage to type the word “bananas”. (Newsflash: Shakespeare was definitely not a monkey!)
-BBC
BS CHRONOMETER 11.04.24
BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Candy Day”, for some unknown reason. Maybe a day to try to figure out what to do with all that leftover Halloween candy before your family’s teeth are completely ruined?
• “Use Your Common Sense Day”, promoting the idea of making use of the knowledge and experience which we all allegedly have.
• “King Tut Day”, celebrating the date of the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s Tomb. King Tut’s rule lasted just 9 years, from 1333 B.C. to 1324 B.C. His cause of death is uncertain. Murder, malaria, and an innocent accident are the main theories.
• “National Skeptics Day” … or so they claim… (NOTE: Tomorrow, being election day in the US, is “International Skeptics Day”.)
• “Job Action Day”, to empower and inspire anyone looking to find a job, find more fulfillment in their work, or plan the next steps in their career. (Like lunch?) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/y97t5zk7
• “Easy-Bake Oven Day”. This pop-culture icon has struck a note with kids and adults. It’s even been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. (We’re in luck! The brownies I started baking in 2006 are just about ready…)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] Chinese Take-Out Day
[Tues] Election Day (USA)
[Wed] Basketball Day
[Thurs] Men Make Dinner Day
This Week is…Drowsy Driving Prevention Week
This Month is…Adopt a Senior Pet Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1937 [87] Loretta Swit, Passaic NJ, TV actress (‘Hot Lips Houlihan’ on “M*A*S*H” 1972-83)
1960 [64] Kathy Griffin, Oak Park IL, standup comedian/TV personality (“Kathy Griffin: My Life On the D-List” 2005-10)/TV actress (“Suddenly Susan” 1996-2000)
1961 [63] Ralph Macchio, Long Island NY, movie actor (“The Karate Kid” films, The Outsiders”)/TV actor (“Cobra Kai” since 2018) COMING UP… “Karate Kid: Legends” 2025
1961 [63] Jeff Probst, Wichita KS, TV host (“Survivor” since 2000, “The Jeff Probst Show” 2012-13)
1969 [55] Matthew McConaughey, Uvalde TX, movie actor (“The Lincoln Lawyer”, “Dazed and Confused”, Oscar for “Dallas Buyers Club”)/TV actor (“True Detective” 2013) COMING UP… “The Lost Bus”
1969 [55] Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs (aka ‘Puff Daddy’, ‘P. Diddy’ and ‘Puffy’), Harlem NY, hip-hop artist (w/Faith Evans-‘I’ll Be Missing You’)/recording mogul (Bad Boy Records)/fashion designer (Sean John)/entrepreneur (Ciroc Vodka until 2023)/currently incarcerated, awaiting trial on sex trafficking, racketeering charges
1975 [49] Curtis Stone, Melbourne Australia, celebrity chef/TV personality (“Today”, “My Kitchen Rules”, “Top Chef Masters”, “Crime Scene Kitchen”)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2001 [23] “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”, the first film adaptation of the books by J. K. Rowling, premieres, starring Daniel Radcliffe (In the US, India and Pakistan, it is released as “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”).
2016 [08] The British TV series “The Crown” premieres, with Claire Foy playing Queen Elizabeth II and Matt Smith as Prince Philip.
TODAY IN MUSIC . . .
2015 [09] Katy Perry is the highest paid musician of the year, earning $135 million, according to Forbes Magazine.
2018 [06] Camila Cabello is a 4-time winner at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Bilbao, Spain. Janet Jackson accepts the Global Icon award.
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1879 [145] James Ritty patents the first cash register, to combat stealing by bartenders in his saloon in Dayton, Ohio.
2008 [16] Barack Obama is elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African-American to assume the country’s highest office.
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ By the age of 20, you’ve lost 20% of your sense of smell.
✓ Glitter was accidentally invented by a New Jersey farmer who was trying to find a way to dispose of scrap material by crushing it into tiny pieces.
✓ The inventor of the microwave oven received only $2 for his idea.
✓ Saudi Arabia imports camels and sand from Australia.
✓ Black sheep got such a bad rap because their wool is harder to dye than that of white sheep.
✓ When you’re looking at someone you love, your pupils dilate. When you’re looking at someone you hate…same.
-FactSlides, BathroomReadersInstitute
Best of BS . . .
BS FAKE DAYLIGHT-SAVING TIME FACTS:
• When you put your clocks back, you’re legally required to repeat everything you did or said in the previous hour.
• Years ago, farmers were required to set their roosters back before going to sleep on Saturday night.
• On Sunday morning, everyone wakes up feeling super refreshed.
• It was invented to ensure people change the batteries in their smoke alarms.
• 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 cooperate by sleeping in, allowing you an extra hour of rest.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
BS WAYS TO RUIN A JOB INTERVIEW:
• Park in the boss’s spot.
• Wear PJs.
• Bring your kids.
• Speak exclusively in Pig Latin.
• Ask if anyone pays attention to when workers show up and leave.
• Do repeated 360s in the swivel chair.
• Wear a mask.
• Show them your X account.
• Ask if a sperm sample is required.
• Be yourself.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019
BS WEB GOODIE:
May your Monday go this smoothly: https://tinyurl.com/39v3m6ej
BS RANDOM JOKE:
If I had a dollar for every time I didn’t know what was going on, I’d be like, “Why am I always getting all this money?
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• Which of these apps has the most total users?
a) TikTok
b) Instagram [CORRECT]
c) Snapchat
d) Meerkat
• What is the longest-running Broadway show ever?
a) Les Miserables
b) The Phantom of the Opera [CORRECT, almost 14,000 performances over 35 years]
c) The Lion King
d) Shaquille O’Neil is Dracula
• Which horoscope sign is a fish?
a) Aquarius
b) Cancer
c) Pisces [CORRECT]
d) Fishies
-Mentimeter
BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What quote totally changed the way you look at things?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
26% of us say THIS is our biggest pet peeve about Zoom Calls. What is it?
Answer: Other people yawning
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.
