Tuesday, June 30, 2020    Edition: #6730

The BS Press!

BS SUBSCRIBER NOTE:
There’ll be no “BS” service for Wednesday July 1 to observe the Canada Day holiday. All subscribers will receive credit for the missed service day. The Bull Sheet will resume publication on Thursday, July 2.

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Hulu has removed an episode of “The Golden Girls” containing a scene with characters in blackface. “Mixed Blessings,” form season 3 of the sitcom, first aired in 1988. In it, Dorothy’s son Michael plans to wed a much older Black woman, Lorraine. Lorraine’s family arrives as Rose (Betty White) and Blanche (Rue McClanahan) are testing out a new mud face treatment. The two greet the family with their masks still on, saying to them “This is mud on our faces, we’re not really Black.” Hulu’s removal of the episode of “The Golden Girls” is the latest in a string of shows that have had episodes taken down from their catalogues due to blackface., including “The Office”, “30 Rock” and “Community”.
-Yahoo
★ “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” actor Joshua Bassett has fired back at allegations of sexual assault made against him on social media. Bassett is the latest high-profile star to be named in similar allegations on social media, after Cole Sprouse and Justin Bieber were referenced in similar posts. Addressing the accusations, the 19-year-old singer/actor insisted they are not true, posting that he is “sick to my stomach that someone would recklessly perpetuate such defamatory claims.”
-Canoe
★ Universal Pictures is looking to reboot the classic movie “Twister,” and might have found a director to weather the storm. Joseph Kosinski, the man behind the return of “Top Gun”, is in talks to take the job. Plot details are vague on the new version, but the original film in 1996 starred Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt as storm chasers and a couple on the brink of divorce. They team up to chase tornadoes in order to deliver their advance weather alert system that has to be placed in the path of the Twister. The film was not only a massive hit, it also was applauded for its ground-breaking special effects.
-Canoe
★ The first live-action “Magic School Bus” feature film is on its way with Elizabeth Banks set to star as the quirky and adventurous science teacher, ‘Ms. Valerie Frizzle’. The film adaptation is based on the popular Scholastic children’s book series of the same name and follows eccentric Ms. Frizzle and her class on their field trips in a magical yellow school bus. This marks the first big-screen adaptation in the franchise’s 26-year history. No release date yet.
-People

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC/Global): Howie Mandel (R)
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Jennifer Lopez, Henry Winkler, Twenty One Pilots (R)
• “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Jake Tapper, Tame Impala (R)
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): John Mulaney (R)
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Gayle King, Adam Lambert (R)
• “Conan” (TBS): Hank Azaria (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Dr. Jill Biden
• “The Talk” (CBS): Joel McHale, Tabitha Brown
• “Live with Kelly and Ryan” (ABC/CTV): Christina Applegate, Liza Koshy, Anna Kaiser, Leslie Odom Jr.
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Best moments from the 2019-2020 season
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Jon Stewart, Laverne Cox
• “Outdaughtered” (TLC): Season 5 finale
• “The Genetic Detective” (ABC): Season 1 finale

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Taylor Swift — In an interview, she likened pop music to ”The Hunger Games”, branding herself as a ”gladiator” and admitted it can be ”intense” over-analyzing everything she does. Lately, she’s been enjoying her time off in lockdown with her boyfriend Joe Alwyn.
• Ed Sheeran – On “The Late Late Show With James Corden” last week, Russell Crowe told the story of the time he and Sheeran drank shots out of a Grammy that belonged to the late Johnny Cash. Crowe had purchased the award from an auction, and while hosting Sheeran in Australia, Sheeran informed Crowe that the function of the horn on a Grammy award is to do shots with. So that’s what they did.
• Kelly Clarkson – opened up about her mental health on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” While chatting with Demi Lovato, Clarkson said: “I love how open you are about mental health because I have similar issues, and I’ve suffered from depression.” Lovato responded by calling Clarkson “fearless” and “courageous” and revealing that Clarkson was her “first idol” while growing up.
• The Rolling Stones — are threatening Donald Trump with a lawsuit if he continues to use their songs at campaign events leading up to the 2020 election. Trump has utilized their music repeatedly, including ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’, most recently played at his controversial rally in Tulsa, OK. He also used ‘Start Me Up’ after securing a 2016 presidential primary win in Indiana.
• Queen + Adam Lambert – While on tour, their crew celebrates Hawaiian Shirt Fridays. That’s the big takeaway from first episode of the new online ‘Lockumentary’ series “Roadies in Lockdown”, which premiered Friday. The series, available on Queen’s Official YouTube channel, explores the roles of crew members on the road and behind the scenes.
• David Crosby – says his music saved him following the death of his biological son. He was the sperm donor for Melissa Etheridge and Julie Cypher’s son Beckett, who died as a result of a drug addiction at 21 last month. Crosby says that his son’s passing ”blew [him] out of the water”, but he’s since found solace in the recording studio: ”[Music has] saved my butt – again.”
• Thomas Rhett – teamed up with his dad, songwriter Rhett Atkins, to pen a heartfelt song for father figures. Rhett delivered a post-Father’s Day acoustic performance of ‘Things Dads Do’ in an Instagram post.
• Chase Rice – sparked a debate by performing Saturday night at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Petros, TN. The maximum-security prison has been closed for more than a decade, and the show was one of the prison’s Live at Brushy concert series. While the prison’s website indicated that social distancing guidelines would be followed, photos and videos tell a very different story. Fans were not wearing masks, and the large general admission crowd was standing elbow to elbow.

PARTNERS WITH BENEFITS:
Do you sleep better when you’re with your partner or when you’re alone? A new comprehensive study by the Center for Integrative Psychiatry has found that couples get better sleep when together. For four nights over two consecutive weekends, a dozen healthy heterosexual couples aged between 18 and 29 bedded down either with their partner or on their lonesome. An analysis of their brain waves, heart activity, movement and muscle tension found that sleeping together was associated with 10% more deep, refreshing REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. They also found that the couple’s sleep cycles fell into synch. This was especially true for those evaluated to be in a deeply loving relationship.
(It’s important to note that the study did not include any test subjects who were reported to have ice-cold feet…and insist on sharing them!)
(It may be true, but I don’t think “Hey do you wanna sleep really soundly tonight?” will ever make a good pickup line!)
(Now then: What about also sharing the bed with a St. Bernard? Asking for a friend…)
-ScienceAlert

PREHAB:
If you’re one of the many people who have had a surgery postponed due to the pandemic, or have surgery on the horizon, there may be something you can do right now to improve your postoperative outcome. Prehabilitation, a strategy that uses exercise to help improve outcomes, is increasingly being recommended for those facing an operation. Why? Studies show that the likelihood of the patient returning to a physically and psychologically healthy state is partially dependent on what they do in the weeks leading up to the surgery. The thinking is that patients with a higher fitness level will better tolerate a surgical procedure, which naturally means that they are less likely to experience complications. And just like training for a race or sporting event, prehabilitation programs are most effective when combined with nutritional and psychological programs, which may help address a patient’s anxiety regarding pain management.
(Great. So instead of just dealing with pain before the operation, now I’m going to be in pain for a month beforehand too…)
(…Unless you’re like me, and the reason you need surgery is because you’ve been working out so hard that you’ve strained….ha-ha ha-ha…I almost got through that…!)
-TheConversation

GOOGLE THAT NUMBER:
A great idea from Google: If you’re using their phone app, soon you’ll be able to know why a business is calling you before you even answer the phone. According to some tech reports, a new feature called “Verified Calls” will allow businesses to go through a verification process, then they’ll be able to send the Verified Calls server their phone number, your phone number, and their reason for calling, such as “Scheduling your internet installation” or “Your food delivery.” Google will then show all that information on your Phone app. Unfortunately, this will only work if you have the Google Phone app, which isn’t compatible with a lot of Android devices, including Samsung phones.
(Why is it that I get the feeling that a lot of the businesses that I’d like to use this feature, won’t use this feature?)
(Do I really want Google to know how many people are calling me to tell me that I owe them money?)
(With the amount of info that Google has on me, I’m guessing they already know why someone is calling me!)
-Engadget

SONGS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE ARE COVERS:
⇒ ‘Twist and Shout’ – The Beatles:  Written and recorded by the Isley Brothers in 1962, a year before the Beatles popularized it.
⇒ ‘Tainted Love’ – Soft Cell:  First version was by Gloria Jones in 1964.
⇒ ‘1985’ – Bowling for Soup:  Originally recorded by SR-71 in 2004, it was released as a single by Bowling For Soup later the same year.  (***And they didn’t change it much! https://tinyurl.com/y49hdkhy ***)
⇒ ‘Respect’ – Aretha Franklin:  Although it became her signature song after her version was released in 1967, Otis Redding wrote and recorded it two years earlier.
⇒ ‘Hallelujah’ – Rufus Wainwright:  Leonard Cohen did the original, and while there are a lot of great versions of this song, many are most familiar with Wainwright’s version from the film “Shrek”.
⇒ ‘The Sound of Silence’ – Disturbed:  We don’t expect that many fans of Disturbed are real familiar with folksters Simon and Garfunkel, who hit #1 with it in 1965.
⇒ ‘Hazy Shade of Winter’ – The Bangles:  Simon & Garfunkel again. They hit #13 with it a full 19 years before The Bangles recorded a version for the “Less Than Zero” soundtrack in 1987, which reached #3.
⇒ ‘Nothing Compares 2U’ – Sinead O’Connor:  Her 1990 hit was written and recorded by Prince for his side-project “Family” in 1985.
⇒ ‘It’s My Life’ – No Doubt:  The English new wave group Talk Talk had a modest hit with it in 1984. Gwen Stefani’s group scored a Grammy nomination for their 2003 version.
⇒ ‘I Will Always Love You’ – Whitney Houston:  If you know that in 1973 Dolly Parton wrote and recorded the original version of Houston’s 1992 “The Bodyguard” soundtrack smash, you’re probably a country music fan!
-Buzzfeed

DID YOU KNOW?
Scientists say using the cold cycle when doing laundry is better for the environment and for your favorite shirt. Researchers from the University of Leeds found that using a colder and shorter wash cycle keeps the colors from running and stops fibers from breaking apart. Hundreds of thousands of tiny microfibers break off your clothes every time they’re washed – ending up in the waste water, which gets flushed, and can find their way to local beaches and oceans.
-StudyFinds

BS CHRONOMETER 06.30.20

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1959 [61] Vincent D’Onofrio, NYC, movie actor (“Jurassic World”)/TV actor (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent” 2001-11)

1966 [54] Mike Tyson, Brooklyn NY, former world boxing champ (1987-90) who was the youngest-ever (20)/sometime movie actor (“Entourage”, “The Hangover Part II”)/ex-con

1972 [47] Molly Parker, Maple Ridge BC, TV actress (‘Jackie Sharp’ on “House of Cards” 2014-16)

1982 [38] Lizzy Caplan, LA CA, TV actress (‘Virginia Johnson’ on “Masters of Sex” 2013-16)/movie actress (“Now You See Me 2”, “Mean Girls”)

1983 [37] James Adam Shelley, Boston MA, rock guitarist (American Authors-‘Best Day of My Life’, ‘Believer’)

1983 [37] Cole Swindell, Glennville GA, country singer (‘Chillin’ It’)/2015 ACM New Artist of the Year)

1984 [36] Fantasia Barrino, High Point NC, R&B singer (“I Believe”)/winner of the 2004 season of “American Idol”

1985 [35] Michael Phelps, Baltimore MD, former competitive swimmer (Most-decorated Olympian of all-time with 28 medals; a record 23 of them gold

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Social Media Day”, launched in 2010 to recognize and celebrate social media’s impact on global communication. While every day is essentially “Social Media Day”, today marks the 11th annual official celebration. (***A social media timeline that you can post on…wait for it…social media:  https://nationaltoday.com/social-media-day/ ***)

• “Asteroid Day” (aka “Meteor Day”), an annual observance on the anniversary of the 1908 ‘Tunguska Event’ in Russia, the largest impact on Earth in recorded history, even though the asteroid or comet is believed to have burst in the air rather than hitting the surface.

• “National Organization For Women Day”, marking the date in 1966 that ‘NOW’ was founded in Washington DC by 28 delegates at the National Conference of State Commissions on the Status of Women.

• “National OOTD Day, which is short for “National Outfit of the Day Day”, is all about self-love and personal style. The day is about developing your own personal style and celebrating what makes you feel good about yourself. (For [Co-host], this could also be called “National Whatever Outfit is on Top in His Dresser Day”!)

• “Blink-182 Day”, The pop-punk band Blink-182 is celebrated today, on this 182nd day of the year. The day began after bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus put out a tweet declaring it.

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Wed] Canada Day
[Wed] National Gingersnap Day
[Thurs] Freedom From Fear of Speaking Day
[Thurs] I Forgot Day

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1936 [84] Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With the Wind”, one of the best-selling novels of all-time and the basis for the blockbuster 1939 movie, is published

2010 [10 “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” opens in movie theaters

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENT . . .
2015 [05] Apple launches its new streaming service, “Apple Music”.

2006 [14] “Love” premieres at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, a new Cirque du Soleil show that combines the troupe’s signature high-flying acrobatics with classic tunes from The Beatles

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1953 [67] The first Chevrolet Corvette is manufactured. List price: $3,490. List price today: $59,000-70,000 (US)

2005 [15] Spain becomes the third country to permit same-sex marriage (after The Netherlands in 2001 and Belgium in 2003)

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ A praying mantis can catch and eat a hummingbird.
✓ The plant with the smallest seeds is the orchid. It would take about 1.25 million of them to equal one gram.
✓ Caffeine affects men more strongly than women, and women metabolize it about 25% faster.
✓ While a “Mayday” call is used for imminent death or disaster, a “Pan Pan” call is used for most other boating emergencies.
✓ The only joint in the human body that can rotate 360 degrees is the shoulder.
✓ Canadians say “sorry” so much that The Apology Act was passed in 2009, declaring that an apology can’t be used as evidence of admission of guilt.
-BathroomReadersInstitute

Best of BS . . .
FAKE CANADIAN HISTORY:
• At birth, Canadians are issued their own hockey card rather than a birth certificate.
• Over 100 years ago, Canada decided “eh” would be the sound the question mark makes.
• A group of Canadians is called an “apology”.
• The NFL cancelled its Canadian expansion plans in 1973 when all 7 proposed cities demanded their team names would be ‘Roughriders’
• Vancouver gets its name from the Squamish word for “unaffordable rents”
• Newfoundland was bought and paid for with Canadian Tire money.
• The term “Double Double” is the Canadian version of ‘Aloha’, meaning both Hello & Goodbye.
• Neil Young wrote the national anthem, but they had to cut out the ten minute guitar solo.
• On Canada Day, every citizen is required to apologize to three random strangers and offer them some maple syrup as a token of friendship
• Canadian Netflix has always had a great selection.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2017

BS BAD WAYS TO SAVE MONEY:
• Ask someone if they have two tens for a five. Repeat.
• Reuse bath water
• Eliminate the color green from your diet
• Day old sushi
• Cut your diaper expenses in half by using both sides
• Shack up with someone who has kids. Then have more kids.
• Hide it in the fireplace
• Two words. Family toothbrush.
• Don’t wear a mask
• (***Caution***) Discount hookers
-Twitter

TODAY’S SLICE OF BS:
➠ A Starbucks barista got $77K in tips after refusing to serve a San Diego “Karen” who wouldn’t wear a mask. (Instead of calling this a “Tip,” we’ll just call it like it is. . .  A Cough Fee!)
➠ A Texas realtor group will no longer use the word “master” to describe bedrooms due to its association with slavery. (Oh, boy. The marketing director at MasterCard is about to have a helluva week…)
➠ A 7.4 Magnitude earthquake rocked Southern Mexico last week. (Buildings have crumbled, the locals are totally freaked out, and the whole area has descended into chaos. (On top of that, they just got hit with an earthquake…)
➠ A group of Seattle teens found a suitcase stuffed with human remains…and posted the video to TikTok. (Time to do the “Suitcase Challenge” by getting the hell out of Seattle!)
➠ Ford was originally planning to release the all-new Bronco on O.J. Simpson’s birthday, but has pushed back the date after a public outcry. (Pros: Comes with its own personal driver and everyone stops to watch you pass by. Cons: Only goes 30 mph and the glove box is too small.)

BS WEB GOODIE:
Beauty version, eh?  https://tinyurl.com/y95mcq2k

HOW MANY OF THESE CANADIAN FOODS HAVE YOU TRIED?
To celebrate “Canada Day”, see if you can name the main ingredient(s) in the following …
• Back Bacon (aka Canadian Bacon, it’s made from pork loin as opposed to regular bacon, made from pork belly)
• Bannock (pan-fried bread)
• Beaver Tails (fried dough pastry, coated in sweet stuff)
• Bloody Caesar (like a Bloody Mary but with Clamato juice instead of tomato)
• Butter Tarts (well duh, butter … plus sugar, corn syrup, egg, and raisins)
• Montréal Smoked Meat (deli meat made of salted and cured beef brisket with spices)
• Nanaimo Bars (a layer of wafer crumbs topped with custard-flavor butter icing, then covered with melted chocolate)
• Poutine (French fries topped with gravy and cheese curds)
• Timbits (bite-sized roundish doughnuts from Tim Hortons)
• Tim’s Double-Double (a coffee from the same chain, with extra cream & sugar)
–BuzzFeed, Wikipedia

BS RANDOM JOKE:
All I want is a chance to prove that money means nothing to me!

BS PHONE STARTER:
What socially-acceptable things do we do today that future generations will see as backwards or immoral?
(Use of plastics? Political donations from corporations? Pop-up ads?)

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question:  The average person uses 4 of THESE each day. What are they?
Answer:  Cups (or glasses)

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
What we fear most is usually what we most need to do.