Monday, July 17, 2023 — Edition: #7517
Can You Believe This Sheet?
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Jane Birkin, the English singer, actor, and style icon known for her 60’s style, died on Sunday at the age of 76. She spent most of her life in France and is known for a tumultuous relationship with French singer-songwriter Charles Gainsbourg. Birkin was best known internationally for her steamy 1969 duet ‘Je t’aime… moi non plus’, which she sang with Gainsbourg. She had a small but memorable part in Michelangelo Antonioni’s sultry 1966 film “Blow Up.” She was also a model and came to be seen as a fashion trendsetter, inspiring the famous Hermes ‘Birkin’ handbag. No cause of death has been given.
-TMZ, Variety
★ “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” is #1 at the box office, though it is flying at a lower altitude than expected, with projected 5-day opening of $78 million for Tom Cruise’s 7th round as ‘Ethan Hunt’. Prior to the weekend, projections for “Dead Reckoning” stood at $85-95 million, but the film is instead opening in the same vicinity as the $77 million 5-day start of “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” in 2018 — and slightly below the $82 million 5-day start of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” 2 weekends ago.
-TheWrap
★ James Cameron is blasting rumors that he’s in talks to direct a disaster film about the ill-fated Ocean Gate submersible. The “Titanic” director wrote in a blunt post on Twitter: “I don’t respond to offensive rumors in the media usually, but I need to now. I’m NOT in talks about an OceanGate film, nor will I ever.” Cameron has visited the wreckage of the Titanic more than 30 times.
-Variety
★ The woman arrested in connection with the overdose death of Robert De Niro’s grandson Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez had told an undercover cop that a friend died prior to Leandro’s death — and advised the officer to “please be careful” with the pills she was selling, according to a criminal complaint. The complaint, which details 20-year-old Sophia Marks’ 3 federal narcotics charges, reported texts between Marks and De Niro-Rodriguez, and the “50 suspected counterfeit oxycodone pills” she allegedly sold to an undercover officer. Marks told the officer that they shouldn’t “do more than one at a time” of her pills and that her “friend just died.” Marks was arrested and accused of selling drugs to De Niro-Rodriguez, who was found dead at age 19 on July 2.
-People
★ Rosanna Arquette is uninjured after crashing her car into the Malibu Shopping Center. Police say that on Tuesday, cops and fire services responded after “Rosanna Arquette was involved in a traffic incident in Malibu”. A spokesperson said: “it appeared that the driver had possibly lost control of her vehicle,” and “at the time of the incident, it did not appear that she had any injuries.” She was taken to hospital following the accident, which happened as a result of “a failed attempt to park the car.”
-ETCanada
★ Ty Pennington is on the mend following an emergency hospitalization. The “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” star said he spent a few days in ICU after experiencing sudden respiratory issues, 2 days after attending last weekend’s “Barbie” premiere for HGTV. He posted an Instagram carousel featuring hospital room selfies, and wrote: “Turns out, that sore throat I’ve had for the last month was actually an abscess which had grown so large it was closing off my airway.” He says that he had surgery on Wednesday and was released from intensive care on Thursday.
-E!
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, The Killers (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Ray Romano, Zoe Lister-Jones, Flo (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Rebecca Ferguson (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): Jeff Goldblum (R)
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): The cast members of “Below Deck Sailing Yacht”
• “The Talk” (CBS): Zoe Lister-Jones, Daymond John (R)
• “Live with Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Issa Rae, Kevin and Frankie Jonas
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Larenz Tate (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Katherine Heigl (R)
• “Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Katie Lowes, Guillermo Díaz (R)
• “Claim to Fame” (ABC): New friendships are formed while strategies come to light; teams must feel their way through a statue garden full of clues while blindfolded.
• “The Bachelorette” (ABC): Charity and the remaining men venture to Stevenson WA, for a week full of scenic dates.
• “The Rising” (CW): Season 1 finale
• “Below Deck Down Under” (BRAVO): Season 2 premiere
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Billie Eilish – Friday, she released ‘What Was I Made For’, from the “Barbie” soundtrack. It comes with a music video, directed by Eilish. Quote: “This all seemed to happen in a time when i really needed it. i’m so so thankful for that.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/myhp572c
• Usher – is teasing his new single…in a Remy Martin ad. In the commercial, he sips on a glass of the cognac, busts out some moves on a roller rink, and dances in the streets while on his way to record a new song. The ad is soundtracked by the new song ‘Comin’ Home’. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/mr3ny4y2
• Eric Clapton – has released the new tune ‘How Could We Know’, which showcases 3 guests: Judith Hill, Daniel Santiago and Simon Climie, a producer of Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival. It’s part of a double A-side single featuring the previously released ‘Moon River’, featuring the late Jeff Beck. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/2r2wxfne
• Bryan Adams – His Salt Lake City show was briefly interrupted by a stage-crasher, who took it upon himself to grab a mic and blurt out the second line of ‘Summer of ‘69’, uninvited. Adams let the security guards do their thing, then resumed singing. Later, he posted video of the incident, writing: “Stage Crashing NOT recommended!” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/4wubvaa3
• Queen — Brian May has shared rare footage of the group rehearsing for its career-defining performance at Live Aid in 1985, and admitted “I had no idea this footage was out there.” It also includes a band interview recorded at the time with the BBC. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/39a998n3
• Tim McGraw — has surprise-released an acoustic version of ‘Standing Room Only’. His current single is the title track of his forthcoming 17th studio album, out August 25. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/59atdnxy
• Jimmie Allen – told People that he and his wife, Alexis are trying to work things out. They have been separated since April amid sexual assault allegations against him, and last week, he countersued both of his accusers. Allen and Alexis are expecting another child together later this year.
• Brothers Osborne – Friday, they dropped the single ‘Sun Ain’t Even Gone Down Yet’, from their upcoming self-titled 4th album, out Sept. 15. Miranda Lambert guests on the song ‘We Ain’t Good at Breaking Up’.
SHOOTING THE BULL
PHONE CONVERSATIONS:
⇒ At Washington DC’s fabled National Museum of Natural History, which houses some of the world’s oldest artifacts, the latest “relic” on display is: the cellphone. The first-of-its-kind exhibit, called “Cellphone: Unseen Connections,” offers visitors a chance to explore the way cellular phones have brought people closer together. It features dazzling displays, including supersized emoji screens and a comic mural spawning multiple walls. One eye-catching piece is a 10-foot-tall cellphone-shaped case containing a multitude of minerals from around the world. Inside are precious staples like gold and platinum, plus lesser-known varieties. Why? Collectively, the mineral specimens display contains the 65 different elements that power the average cellphone. One of the show-stoppers of the exhibit is the “Tower of Technology”, where cell phones of all types and sizes are mounted inside a glass case, so visitors can hopefully spot the devices they used to own. (It’s believed to be the world’s largest collection of electronic devices that have been shaken and sworn at, before being thrown out!)
⇒ If you’re the type of techie who “needs” to have the latest iPhone, you’ll want to sell your current one…like, soon. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 15 lineup this September. Whenever Apple releases a new iPhone, trading an old one in or selling it is always a good way to make the upgrade more affordable. But when’s the best time to do it? According to figures put together by the trade-in people at SellCell, the perfect time to sell your old iPhone is between August 19-26th. If you delay, you risk potentially losing as much as 65% of the value of your old iPhone. (But who wants to be without a phone for a few months?)
-Smithsonian, CTV, iMore
PRIME PUMPS:
Just so you know, the title of “world’s largest gas station” now belongs to the 74,000-square foot “Buc-ee’s” in Tennessee – and it is a place where 120 vehicles can fill up – at once. Buc-ee’s, operates dozens of gas stations, but none as big as the one near Sevierville, Tennessee just off the I-40, which opened last month. This newest addition to the chain features a massive shopping center, a full barbecue restaurant, spacious bathrooms, and a massive rest area – plus those 120 gas pumps. And what’s more…believe it or not, 18-wheelers are banned from the premises, to make it a safer space for small vehicle drivers and pedestrians. Sure, it’s the largest gas station in the world right now, but not for long. The company has already started working on a 75,000-square-foot gas station in Luling, Texas. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/7edp9dj8
(I went to the Tennessee location last month. Yeah, it has 120 gas pumps, which is great – but only one cashier!)
(120 gas pumps…and exactly how many charging stations?)
-OddityCentral
NEW GOOD NEWS:
➢ The textile industry is one of the worst offenders when it comes to waste and pollution. But France has come up with a solution to convince people to stop spending so much money on apparel. The country plans to subsidize repairs to clothing and shoes, so that those items last longer and end up in landfills less-often. French citizens will get 25 Euros back if they get their shoes resoled instead of shelling out for a new pair, and the government will cover small stitch-up jobs for 6 Euros. (Great idea. Can we quick do the same thing with cars? Mine needs a new fuel pump…stat!)
➢ Oliver Johnson turned 8 on July 9th at his home in New Zealand. Lonely by nature, his mother thought of a celebration that might cheer him up. Young Oliver is obsessed with trucks, so his mom Katherine offered $50 to anyone who would come by and give him a ride in their big rig for his big day. She posted that Ollie “has no one to invite to his party” and she hoped that one truck driver would accept the offer, but Barry Hart, owner of Hart Haulage Trucking, decided instead to organize a whole convoy. No fewer than 64 truck drivers showed up to be part of the convoy, and Hart estimated that for the ones who had to travel to be there, it cost them “$500-600 to get their trucks there, do their thing, and go away, and not one of them is asking for anything.” In fact, so many signed up that Hart had to organize the convoy like a parade, and call authorities to help manage traffic. Oliver’s dad Simon told reporters that his son is still on cloud 9, and the day was a “dream come true”. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/wd48j44k
-CNN, GoodNewsNetwork
TIK TOK HACKS:
These days, more and more of us are trying to stretch our grocery dollars, and TikTok is here to help. Here are some popular tips from users of the site, for making the most of your produce…
❑ Carrots: Revive the old, bendy carrots lurking in your fridge by putting them in cold water to rehydrate them. Just 5 minutes and they’re ready to go! (Your kids will be thrilled…)
❑ Sweet potato skins: After cooking sweet potatoes, peel and season the skins before frying them in a pan. Top them with dressing and fresh herbs for a nutritious snack. Even better, top with cheese and melt in the oven. Sweet potato nachos!
❑ DIY Vegetable stock: Collect vegetable scraps and peels into a freezer bag. Add to boiling water and season with herbs like bay leaf, peppercorns, and thyme. Boil, then simmer for an hour, and strain for delicious, homemade vegetable stock, which can be frozen. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/56cntkpj
❑ Berries: Save those “best before” mushy berries by putting them into an ice bath to give them back their fresh look and taste!
(Ever notice that nobody ever needs any help with reviving old chocolate or pizza…!)
-Huffpost
DID YOU KNOW?
Legendary Canadian coffee shop chain Tim Hortons has announced that it is making one of the secret ingredients to the perfect “double-double” available to consumers at home. Tim’s is releasing coffee creamers in grocery stores across Canada, so people can enjoy a cup of Tim Hortons-inspired coffee without leaving home. The three flavours hitting shelves are Vanilla Dip Donut, Chocolate Chip Donut, and – you guessed it — Double Double. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/yptv7z4n
-NarCity
BS CHRONOMETER 07.17.23
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “World Emoji Day”, celebrating the pictograms that have become a modern form of punctuation. Why July 17th? That’s the date famously displayed on the iOS Calendar Emoji.
• “Peach Ice Cream Day” (aka ‘Fuzz Ripple’). Who cares why? Gimme some! Most ice cream makers only make the stuff during summer.
• “Yellow Pig Day”, a mathematician’s holiday celebrating yellow pigs (is there such a thing!?!), and the number 17. It’s been celebrated since the early 1960’s, primarily on college campuses, and primarily by mathematicians.
• “National Tattoo Day”, a celebration of body art; everything from the artwork decorating the proud owners of tattoos to the thousands of studios that continue to crop up around the country. (These days, are you a rebel if you DON’T have a tattoo?) [***See ‘BS Phone Starter, below***]
• “World Day for International Justice”, celebrated to recognize the emerging system of international criminal justice. July 17 was chosen because it is the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the International Criminal Court.
• “Global Hug Your Kids Day”, Hugging is practiced by almost all cultures as a way to connect to others without using language. This day reminds mom and dads, especially working parents who are often away from home, to show affection to their kids by hugging them every day. (And if it bugs them, do it twice!)
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Tues] Nelson Mandela International Day
[Tues] Caviar Day
[Wed] Hot Dog Day
[Thurs] Fortune Cookie Day
This Week is…Parenting Gifted Children Week
This Month is…Cell phone Courtesy Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1935 [88] Donald Sutherland, Saint John NB, movie actor (“Hunger Games” movies, “M*A*S*H”)/TV actor (“Crossing Lines” 2013-15)/Companion of the Order of Canada, 2019/father of Kiefer Sutherland. COMING UP…”1883: The Bass Reeves Story”, 2023
1947 [76] Queen Camilla (Camilla Parker Bowles Windsor), London England, British Royal (Queen of the United Kingdom since 2022)/married to King Charles III since 2005
1952 [71] David Hasselhoff, Baltimore MD, TV star (“Knight Rider”, “Baywatch”, judge on “America’s Got Talent” 2006-2009)/recording artist (ha!)
1960 [63] Mark Burnett, London England, TV producer (“Survivor”, “The Voice”, “The Apprentice”, “Shark Tank”)
1964 [59] Craig Morgan (Greer), Kingston Springs TN, country singer (‘That’s What I Love About Sunday’, Redneck Yacht Club’)
1975 [48] Carey Hart, Seal Beach CA, former pro motorcycle racer and freestyle motocross racer who now competes in off-road truck races/owner of Hart & Huntington Tattoo & Clothing Company/married to Pink since 2006
1976 [47] Luke Bryan, Leesburg GA, country singer (‘Kick the Dust Up’, ‘One Margarita’)/TV personality (“American Idol” judge since 2018)
1979 [44] Mike Vogel, Abington PA, movie actor (“The Help, “Cloverfield”)/TV actor, (“Under the Dome” 2013-15)
1985 [38] Tom Cullen, Aberystwyth Wales, TV actor (‘Lord Gillingham’ on “Downton Abbey” 2013-2014)
1992 [31] Billie Lourd, Los Angeles CA, TV actress (“Scream Queens” 2015-16, “American Horror Story” 2017-18)/daughter of the late Carrie Fisher. COMING UP…”And Mrs”
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2017 [06] The Muppets Studio, in firing the voice of ‘Kermit the Frog’, Steve Whitmire, blame his “unacceptable business conduct”
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
1991 [32] 14 years after the deadly crash of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Baton Rouge-bound aircraft, the surviving members, reunited under the name “Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991,” kick off a new tour in the city. (The band embarked on their “Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour” in 2018, and it ended (we think…) on Saturday in West Fargo ND)
TODAY’S FIRST . . .
1955 [68] Disneyland officially opens in Anaheim CA, less than a year after construction began (now hosts 19 million visitors a year)
TODAY’S RECORDS . . .
1941 [82] NY Yankee Joe DiMaggio’s legendary 56-game hitting streak ends in Cleveland (began May 15)
1982 [41] 52-year-old Don Bennett of Seattle becomes the first ‘One-Legged Mountain Climber’ to hop to the top of Washington’s 14,408-ft Mount Rainier
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Most ears of corn have an even number of rows, usually 16.
✓ Crackers will give you cavities faster than candy.
✓ Grocers (and grocery stores) got their name because they sold goods by the gross.
✓ Raindrops fall as fast as 22mph (35kph).
✓ Even a blind chameleon will change its color to match its surroundings.
✓ Elvis Presley never performed a single encore, so when he left, he wasn’t coming back. Hence the phrase: “Elvis has left the building.”
-Insider
Best of BS . . .
BS THINGS YOU DON’T WANNA HEAR AT A WEEKEND BARBECUE:
• “Beef is great, but squirrel is so much cheaper.”
• “To give it a little ‘kick’, I put charcoal starter in the punch.”
• “The best part of that fireworks display was when the bug zapper fell in the pool.”
• “Ew, my hot dog has a knuckle.”
• “I don’t think that’s mayonnaise in the coleslaw!”
• “Whoops. No propane!”
-First published in BS in 2011
TODAY’S SCOOP OF BS:
➠ This Thursday, the 2023 Comic-Con convention kicks off in San Diego. (Once at Comic Con, I witnessed people in homemade Darth Vader outfits argue with people in store-bought Darth Vader outfits over whose was better. It was one of those fights where it was hard to call anyone a “winner…”
➠ A study has concluded that chocolate is good for the heart. (…which is why you see those Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup wrappers all over my treadmill!)
➠ Nelson Mandela Day will be celebrated around the world tomorrow. (And, as usual, Morgan Freeman will be inundated with best wishes…!)
➠ Sofia Vergara is still the highest paid actress in the world, thanks to “America’s Got Talent” and her many endorsement deals. (So, TAKE THAT . . . actresses who wasted money on speech and diction classes!)
➠ According to a survey, July is the month in which people are most likely to cheat. (And if you’re caught . . . you’ll get to observe a second “Independence Day”…
BS WEB GOODIE:
Glad mine doesn’t talk back (sound up): https://tinyurl.com/yd4rxebp
BS RANDOM JOKE:
I had bad luck with both my wives (husbands). The first one abandoned me, the second one didn’t.
BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
• As an adult, how many teeth should you have in your mouth?
a) 30
b) 32 [CORRECT]
c) 42
d) 41
• How many sides does a hexagon have?
a) 5
b) 6 [CORRECT]
c) 7
d) 8
• How many elements are there on the periodic table?
a) 118 [CORRECT]
b) 120
c) 143
d) E = mc²
• The “Barbie” movie opens this Friday. What year did the first ‘Barbie’ doll debut?
a) 1959 [CORRECT]
b) 1961
c) 1973
d) 1981
-ThoughtCatalog
BS PHONE STARTER:
What is the best or worst tattoo that you have ever seen? (Spelling counts!)
BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: The average 5-year-old spends 7 hours per week doing THIS mindless activity, according to newly-released stats. What is it?
Answer: Watching reality TV
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.
