Monday, October 7, 2024 – Edition: #7808
We Give a Sheet!
BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
There will be no Bull Sheet service for Monday October 14 to observe Canadian Thanksgiving. All subscribers will receive credit for the non-service day. The Bull Sheet will resume publication on Tuesday, Oct. 15. With leftovers…
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ The family of Tupac Shakur has hired New York attorney Alex Spiro to investigate an alleged link between the rapper’s death and Sean “Diddy” Combs. Shakur was 25 when he was shot while driving in Las Vegas in 1996. The rapper died 6 days later on Sept. 13. Former gang leader Duane Davis was arrested in September 2023 and charged with one count of murder with a deadly weapon. Davis, whose trial begins in March, has previously claimed that Combs offered him $1 million for a hit on Shakur.
-Billboard
[CAUTION: “Asses”***] ★ Netflix is not proceeding with more installments of “That ’90s Show”. The news was confirmed on Instagram by star Kurtwood Smith. The cancellation comes a little over a month after Part 3 of the “That ’70s Show” sequel was released. That translates to a 2-season run as Netflix releases some comedies in half-seasons after their debut. But the show may not be done yet. Part of Smith’s message reads: “To steal Red Forman’s words…we aren’t going to be dumbasses…we will shop the show (elsewhere) because good grandparents would try hard to get these kids graduated from high school.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2azvx29p
-Deadline
★ Things did not go well for “Joker: Folie a Deux,” which saw its box office estimates slide throughout the weekend, as poor reviews came in from opening night audiences – and the lowest ever CinemaScore grade for a comic book film. The movie is currently estimated to have earned a paltry $40 million domestic opening weekend. Not only is that below the $50-55 million pre-weekend projections, it’s less than half the $96 million the first “Joker” took in. After earning an 0.5/5 from Thursday night moviegoers, “Folie a Deux” suffered a D grade from CinemaScore polls.
-TheWrap
★ Four years later, Al Pacino has opened up about his near-death experience with COVID-19. The Oscar-winner revealed his “pulse was gone” after he had a bad reaction to steroids while being treated for a life-threatening Coronavirus infection in 2020. He told New York Times: “It was so — you’re here, you’re not”, and “you don’t even have your memories. You have nothing.” He said that he had a nurse at his home to help hydrate him and deal with a fever, and then “I was gone”. He awoke to “about 6 paramedics and 2 doctors” in his living room, and they said: ‘He’s back. He’s here.’”
-Deadline
★ Jack Nicholson helped define the glitzy cool of sitting courtside at an NBA game. And appropriately, the Lakers stalwart — along with Spike Lee, Billy Crystal and Alan Howitz — are being honored by the Nasmith Hall of Fame as part of the Hall’s 2024 Enshrinement Weekend. They will become members of the Hall’s James F. Goldstein SuperFan Gallery. Lee is being honored for his promotion of the New York Knicks, with Crystal and real estate mogul Horwitz for their devotion to the Philadelphia 76ers. The ceremony will take place on Sunday at the Hall of Fame in Springfield Massachusetts.
-Deadline
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Gov. Tim Walz, Judd Apatow
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Hoda Kotb, Henrik Lundqvist, Gabriel LaBelle, Vampire Weekend
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Chris Wallace, Yotam Ottolenghi, Justin Hartley (R)
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Jordan Temple, Will Miles, Suzi Barrett (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Andrew Garfield, Cristin Milioti
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Charlie Puth, Ariana Debose
• “The Daily Show” (COM): Host Jon Stewart
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Matt Gutman
• “The Talk” (CBS): Raven-Symoné, Naveen Andrews
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Ryan Seacrest and Meredith Seacrest-Leach, Morris Chestnut
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Zachary Quinto, Ms. Pat, Will Reeve, Matthew Reeve and Alexandra Reeve Givens, Flying Fish Family
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Leslie Jones, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Jimmy Kimmel, Tems
• “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC): Soul Train Night
• “The Voice” (NBC): The Blind Auditions Part 3
• “60 Minutes — Election Special” (CBS): Vice President Kamala Harris; Gov. Tim Walz; Arizona’s Maricopa County, a critical battleground in a key swing state; the 1-year anniversary of Hamas’ terror attack on Israel.
• “MLB Baseball Series” (Check local listings): ALDS Game #2: Detroit @ Cleveland; KC @ NYY
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift — A Louisiana home known for extravagant Halloween decorations, nicknamed the “Skeleton House” has gone with a Taylor Swift theme this year. A banner there reads: “Terror Swift The scERAS Tour”. It features multiple skeleton Taylors channeling several of her eras, plus an 8-foot Travis “Skelce” decoration. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2547xtwb
• Chappell Roan — surprised fans with a cover of Heart‘s classic ‘Barracuda’ during her “Midwest Princess Tour” stop in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Thursday.
• Ariana Grande — has released another video from her “Eternal Sunshine” live sessions that she performed in celebration of 7 months of her 7th album. The vid for the live version of ‘supernatural’ is available to watch on Instagram. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/fyt5jxya
• Mötley Crüe – has dropped the title track from their new “Cancelled” EP. It is the 3rd and final song to be released from the band’s first new music since the departure of guitarist Mick Mars, following ‘Dogs of War’, and a cover of the Beastie Boys’ ‘Fight for Your Right’. Last week, they announced a Vegas residency, to kick off on March 28, 2025.
• The Who — The U.K.’s Royal Mail has announced a series of stamps marking the group’s 60th anniversary. The range of 34 stamps, some featuring iconic album covers, officially go on sale Oct. 17. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2n6yzfys
• Hedley — Ex-frontman Jacob Hoggard was found not guilty in a Northern Ontario courtroom Friday of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in a hotel room in 2016. He’s already serving 5 years for sexually assaulting a different woman in a Toronto hotel room, also in 2016.
• Luke Bryan – was asked what type of judge Carrie Underwood will be when she joins “American Idol” early next year. In his answer, he pointed out that the show has “gotten away” from the harsh criticisms of contestants that Simon Cowell was famous for, and now it is “more about lifting these kids up, (and) I think Carrie will do a great job at that.”
• Rascal Flatts – We might have the Eagles to thank for their recently-announced reunion tour. Jay DeMarcus said in an interview that they “have done a really good job of…coming together for the good of the fans and the good of the music”, and being able to “navigate those tricky waters.” Rascal Flatts’ “Life is a Highway” tour starts early next year.
• Dolly Parton – is personally donating $1 million to support those affected by Hurricane Helene. No only that, a number of Parton’s companies, including Dollywood Parks & Resorts, The Dollywood Foundation, Dolly Parton’s Stampede and Pirates Voyage, are matching her donation to provide relief in her native Tennessee.
SHOOTING THE BULL
SUNDAY SCARIES:
So, how was your day yesterday? Did you have a relaxing brunch, then enjoy a nice nap on the couch – or did you spend it how most of us did – by dreading today? According to a new poll, the average worker experiences the “Sunday scaries” 36 times a year. That means we spend 70% of our Sundays dreading Monday! The survey of 2,000 Americans found that typically, this panic, which was also defined as anxiety or dread over what to expect in the coming work-week, kicks in around 3:54pm on Sunday. To counter the Sunday scaries, respondents said their favorite thing to do on a Sunday is to binge-watch their favorite shows (51%), followed by watching movies (42%), sleeping in (42%), cooking (31%), and going for walks (26%).
(Me? I spend my Sundays doing stupid things like yard work, cleaning house, groceries, and getting ready for the week ahead! Seems I could learn a lot from these people!)
(…of course you could call in sick – but then you’d also get the Monday scaries!)
-StudyFinds
TECH TALK:
❑ In what may signal the end of privacy as we know it, two Harvard students say they were able to use facial recognition software and Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses to almost instantly identify random strangers on the street, and compile their personal info from the internet. In a video on X, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio show how they built I-XRAY, which uses the glasses to capture people’s images, then identify them through a publicly accessible facial recognition search site, and use a large language model to compile the person’s information. They were able to access people’s addresses, the names of their parents, and photos in just minutes. They say they conducted their experiment to highlight the privacy concerns that come with consumer tech – and will NOT release the code for the program. (But they’ve probably given some other no-so-honorable techies a billion-dollar idea…!)
❑ The organizers of what was supposed to be a very long treasure hunt are baffled that someone not only found the small gold statue they hid in the Massachusetts woods — but are also disappointed that the winner has yet to claim his crypto prize worth $27,000. A couple out hiking say they saw the winner with the trophy in hand and spoke with him. The supposed winner said he is a meteorologist who was able to determine the location of the prize from within a 27-mile search radius by (if you can believe it…) analyzing cloud patterns seen in a livestream setup at the trophy’s location. Organizers say it’s “surreal” that the man hasn’t claimed his prize. The couple who spoke with him said “He was just super excited he had the trophy.” (This guy is all about the geo-ing, and not the cache-ing!)
-MorningBrew
NEW GOOD NEWS:
➢ Scientists at London, Ontario’s Western University have announced a breakthrough that may one day be result in a vaccine to prevent cancer. They describe their discovery as “the ultimate bodyguard for your DNA”. It’s a protein with an extraordinary ability to halt DNA damage in its tracks. They’ve named it DdrC (DNA Damage Repair Protein C), and according to their findings, this little microbe is practically indestructible when it comes to DNA damage – and it’s also incredibly good at repairing DNA that’s already been damaged. They believe that with further research, DdrC could not only help scientists come up with cancer vaccine, it could be used in new treatments for many other diseases caused by DNA damage, as well as to help crops withstand harsh conditions brought on by climate change.
➢ A United Airlines pilot bought 30 pizzas for the passengers on his plane during a long flight delay. Tanya Stamos shared on TikTok that she was flying from San Francisco to Houston when the plane had to divert to New Mexico due to a medical emergency. In the clip, she explains that following the unscheduled landing at 4pm, passengers were deplaned, and the “amazing” pilot “felt so bad for the situation that he ordered 30 pizzas from a local pizza shop and had it delivered right to our gate, then made sure all 150 passengers ate before he made himself a plate.” Pics show the pilot organizing a stack of pizza boxes at the gate. In another shot, he’s seen serving slices to passengers holding paper plates. The plane was finally able to take off again at 11pm, more than 7 hours after the unscheduled stop. (Pilot project?) LINK: https://tinyurl.com/5cbc5wjm
-StudyFinds, People
MERRIAM-WEBSTER’S NEW WORDS:
Merriam-Webster has revealed the 200 new words added to the dictionary’s 2024 edition, and as it turns out, the list is a great way to brush up on some of Gen Z’s favorite buzzwords. Among them…
⇒ Beach read: Any enjoyable or accessible book considered suitable for reading while on vacation
⇒ For You page (or FYP): A social media feed that contains personalized content based on the user’s interest
⇒ Touch grass: To participate in normal activities in the real world, especially as opposed to online experiences and interactions
⇒ Nepo baby: A person who gains success or opportunities through familial connections
⇒ Street corn: Grilled corn on the cob that is coated with a creamy spread
⇒ Burrata: Mozzarella formed into a ball-shaped casing that contains curds and cream
⇒ Capicola: Seasoned Italian pork that is cut from the neck and top shoulder
⇒ Ultra-processed: Containing or made primarily with highly processed ingredients including artificial additives and typically having high levels of fat, sugar, or salt
⇒ International Bitterness Unit: A unit of measurement used to assess the concentration of a bitter compound found in hops to provide information about how bitter a beer is
⇒ Cash grab: The greedy pursuit of an opportunity for making money, especially when done without regard for ethics, concerns, or consequences
⇒ True crime: A nonfiction genre of literature, film, podcasts, etc. that depicts and examines real crime cases
⇒ Shadow ban: To cause (a user or their content) to be hidden from some or all other users, usually without the user’s knowledge
[***Caution***] ⇒ IDGAF: IYKYK!
-NYPost
DID YOU KNOW?
A new study says that meditation can help with pain relief. Research published in Biological Psychiatry, shows how, when asked to rate their pain levels, participants trained in mindfulness meditation reported less discomfort than those who did not receive the instruction. Mindfulness meditation, derived from ancient Hindu and Buddhist practice, is the process of training to achieve a state of calm concentration. It has also been shown to reduce blood pressure, intensify orgasms, improve overall health and increase social connections. And when practiced in the workplace, mindfulness meditation guards against anxiety, stress and burnout. (And mindLESSness meditation? That’s been shown to lead to watching reality TV…!)
-NYPost
BS CHRONOMETER 10.07.24
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Bathtub Day”, encouraging a luxurious long, hot bath to develop inner peace. Almost everyone nowadays takes showers, so here’s a chance to recall some of the luxury of days gone by. (And count how many times the kids come to the door…)
• “National Frappé Day”, honoring a versatile drink with numerous variables, so there are flavors to suit everyone. Frappes typically are blended drinks made with either coffee or espresso and topped with whipped cream. (So, today, ‘Don’t worry, be frappée’!)
• “Blue Shirt Day”, also known as “World Day of Bullying Prevention”. It takes place on the first Monday of October each year, the kickoff to “National Bullying Prevention Month”. Today, you guessed it, you should wear a blue shirt. Accessorize with blue pants, shoes, hats, and more…
• “Forgiveness & Happiness Day”. Observe it by working to repair damaged relationships, by asking for forgiveness, by forgiving others, and by forgiving yourself.
• “National Inner Beauty Day”, to spread awareness and lend support to those subject to human trafficking. The day is observed to understand that any type of forced labor and sexual exploitation, and slavery — is punishable and morally wrong.
• “World Habitat Day”, a UN observance on the first Monday of October since 1986, to focus attention on the state of our urban areas and the basic human right to adequate shelter.
• “You Matter to Me Day”. It was created in 2010 by Linda Jew, who had a friend and his son pass away, and realized that she never told them, “You matter to me”. She began telling people she knew that they mattered, and decided to start a day centered around the phrase.
AND REMEMBER…
[Tues] Face Your Fears Day
[Tues] Pierogi Day
[Wed] Stop Bullying Day
[Thurs] Tic Tac Day
This Week is…Get Organized Week
This Month is…Black Cat Awareness Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1951 [73] John Mellencamp, Seymour IN, rock singer (‘Jack & Diane’, ‘Pink Houses’)/Farm Aid co-founder/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2008
(***NOTE: Maybe don’t specifically say “Happy Birthday” to this guy!***) 1952 [72] Vladimir Putin, Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) Russia, politician (President of Russia serving his 5th non-consecutive term since 2000)/Russian Prime Minister 1999-2000, 2008-12/Tyrant
1953 [71] “Tico” (Hector) Torres, NYC, rock drummer (Bon Jovi-‘Livin’ On a Prayer’, ‘I’ll Be There For You’)
1959 [65] Simon Cowell, London England, TV personality (“American Idol” 2002-10, “America’s Got Talent” since 2011)/TV producer (“The X Factor”, “American Inventor”)/entertainment mogul (Syco Music)
1967 [57] Toni Braxton, Severn MD, R&B-pop singer (‘Unbreak My Heart’, ‘Breathe Again’)
1968 [56] Thom Yorke, Wellingborough England, rock singer-guitarist (Radiohead-‘Creep’, ‘Paranoid Android’)
1978 [46] Nathaniel Rateliff, St. Louis MO, roots-rock singer (w/The Night Sweats-‘S.O.B’, ‘Survivor’)
1979 [45] Shawn Ashmore, Richmond BC, TV actor (‘Sam Spencer’ on “Conviction” 2016-17, “The Rookie” since 2018)/movie actor (‘Iceman’ in “X-Men” films, ‘Terry Fox’ in “Terry”)/twin brother of Aaron Ashmore
1996 [28] Lewis Capaldi, Glasgow Scotland, pop singer-songwriter (‘Someone You Loved’, ‘Before You Go’)
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1996 [28] Fox News Channel is launched.
2003 [21] In a California recall election, Arnold Schwarzenegger is elected Governor.
2023 [01] Frances Bean Cobain, daughter of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, marries Riley Hawk, son of skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, in a ceremony officiated by Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Frances’ godfather.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2016 [08] The Rolling Stones play the first night of the Desert Trip festival, which also features Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Roger Waters and The Who. The 2-weekend event rakes in $160 million, making it the highest-earning music festival ever.
2017 [07] Cardi B hits #1 with ‘Bodak Yellow’, becoming the first solo female rapper without a guest artist to reach the top since Lauryn Hill (‘Doo Wop [That Thing])’, in 1998.
2020 [04] After viral videos show him kissing girls and having a maskless good time with fans in Alabama, Morgan Wallen is scratched as musical guest on “Saturday Night Live” for breaking COVID-19 protocols. (He was welcomed back on Dec. 5.)
TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2001 [23] Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hits his 73rd home run of the season, setting a new (but steroids-tainted) Major League Baseball record.
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ All the other planets in our solar system could fit inside the planet Jupiter.
✓ In the Middle Ages, chicken soup was considered an aphrodisiac.
✓ There are about 500 species of fish capable of producing electricity.
✓ Google, Apple, Disney and Amazon were all started in home garages.
✓ There are no clocks in Las Vegas casinos.
✓ In Antarctica, sunsets can be green.
-BathroomReadersInstitute, Facts
Best of BS . . .
BS OXYMORONS:
A few favorite 2-word oxymorons …
• Working Vacation
• Fun Run
• Athletic Scholarship
• Accordion Music
• Tax Return
• Unbiased Opinion
• Act Naturally
• Industrial Park
• Resident Alien
• Sanitary Landfill
• Virtual Reality
• Government Intelligence
-First published in BS in 2016
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ An excessive heat warning was issued for Southern California, due to triple digit temperatures. (That kind of heat is especially dangerous because many of our favorite celebrities are made out of plastic…)
➠ Last week, Frank Fritz from “American Pickers” passed away. (It’s been announced that he’ll be buried next to an oil can and an old Coca-Cola sign.)
➠ Last week, Frank Fritz from “American Pickers” passed away. (The funeral director wanted $6,700 but he got haggled down to $3,700…)
➠ A report says that most of us have at least one unfinished do-it-yourself project. (For my wife, it’s been ME for 20 years…)
➠ John Mellencamp is 73 today. (These days when he “dribbles off a pair of those Bobbie Brooks”, he ends up pulling a muscle…)
BS WEB GOODIE:
We all have the same dad: https://tinyurl.com/3rb4r8vv
BS RANDOM JOKE:
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance: The 5 stages of waking up…
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• Which of these periods of time is the longest?
a) Second [CORRECT]
b) Microsecond
c) Nanosecond
d) Millisecond
• Who owns the North Pole?
a) Canada
b) Russia
c) Sweden
d) No One [CORRECT]
• Which of these is NOT a type of boat?
a) Catamaran
b) Dungaree [CORRECT]
c) Galleon
d) Junk
-JetPunk
BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What law or social rule are you completely baffled by?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Less than 10% of people say they would correct someone’s grammar in THIS setting. What is it?
Answer: Social media
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
It’s what we do when we don’t succeed that determines whether we WILL succeed.
