November 26 2020

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Thursday, November 26, 2020 — Edition: #6859

Bullseye!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Pete Davidson is set to play ‘George Bailey’ in a table-read of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” In a casting move that’s sure to unhinge many classic film purists, the tatted up “Saturday Night Live” star is set to take on the wholesome role made famous by screen icon Jimmy Stewart in Frank Capra’s 1946 Christmas classic. Davidson will be joined the by his “King of Staten Island” co-star Maude Apatow, the daughter of filmmaker Judd Apatow and actress Leslie Mann in Ed Asner’s one-night-only virtual table read of the script set to livestream on Dec. 13. Davidson and Apatow will headline an all-star cast featuring Mia Farrow, Ellie Kemper, Bill Pullman, Richard Kind, Carol Kane, Ed Begley Jr., Diedrich Bader, B.D. Wong, Michael Shannon “and special surprise guests.”
-NYPost
★ “The Daily Show” host and comedian Trevor Noah has been tapped to host the 2021 Grammy Awards. It will mark Noah’s first time hosting the Grammys, which are scheduled for Jan. 31. Earlier this year, Noah competed for his first Grammy Award — The 36-year-old was nominated for best comedy album with “Son of Patricia”, but lost to Dave Chappelle. In a statement, Noah said: “Despite the fact that I am extremely disappointed that the GRAMMYs have refused to have me sing or be nominated for best pop album, I am thrilled to be hosting this auspicious event.”
-CBC
★ Bill Murray’s oldest brother has passed away. Ed Murray was responsible for shaping his family’s love for golf after getting a job as a caddy near the family home in Winnetka, IL at just 10 years old. He was the only one of his 8 siblings to nab the prestigious Evans Scholarship due to the connection he made while caddying, and that eventually led to the creation of the “Caddyshack” character, Danny Noonan. Ed also appeared in that film as an extra.
-TheBlast
★ Neil Patrick Harris has joined the cast of “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent”. He’ll star in the satirical movie alongside Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Tiffany Haddish and Sharon Horgan. In the flick, Cage plays a fictionalized version of himself as he struggles to land a role in Quentin Tarantino’s latest film. Facing financial ruin, he accepts $1 million to attend the birthday of a super fan. It’s slated for release in March 2021.
-ContactMusic

TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Jerry Seinfeld, Bad Bunny
• “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): The Meyers Family, Kurt Vile
• “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS/CTV): Alicia Keys (R)
• “Conan” (TBS): Conan Without Borders: Ghana, with Sam Richardson (R)
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Billy Crystal, Stevie Wonder (R)
• “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (NBC/CTV): Orlando Bloom, Gloria Steinem, Tig Notaro (R)
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Blake Shelton, Cynthia Nixon, Ian Cauble (R)
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS): Marie Kondo, Rachael Ray (R)
• “94th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” (NBC) Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker host the world’s largest parade from New York City. The TV-only event will feature performers Bebe Rexha, Brett Young, Dolly Parton, Goo Goo Dolls, Lauren Alaina, Patti LaBelle, Pentatonix, and more.
• “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration” (ABC): A look back at celebrity musical performances, plus Disney holiday entertainment; Derek and Julianne Hough host alongside Trevor Jackson; a sneak peek of new film “Soul.”
• “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” (CW): Season 1 finale
• “Christmas by Starlight” (HALLMARK): A lawyer makes a deal with the heir to a development firm to spare her family’s restaurant from demolition. But she must pose as the legal counsel his father is demanding he hire in the wake of some costly mistakes.
• “NFL Football” (NBC): Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Beyoncé – Her anthem about Black pride helped make her the leading Grammy contender with nine nominations. She picked up song and record of the year nods for ‘Black Parade’, which she released on Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free. The song is also nominated for best R&B song and best R&B performance.
• Dua Lipa – will be joined by Kylie Minogue for a duet as part of her upcoming “Studio 2054” live-stream. Minogue will be a special guest on the star-studded virtual event tomorrow, which is inspired by the iconic New York nightclub, Studio 54.
• Queen – Their “Greatest Hits” collection has finally hit the Top 10 on the US Billboard 200. The album climbed from #38 last week to a new peak at #8 in the latest chart. Since its release in 1981, Greatest Hits has spent a total of 413 weeks on the US album chart, never rising higher than in 1991, when it hit #11.
• Metallica – have been doing some “serious” writing during the pandemic, and drummer Lars Ulrich finds it therapeutic. Despite a bizarre 2020, he says “Of all the (stuff) — pandemics, fires, politics, race problems, and just looking at the state of the world — it’s so easy just to so fall into a depressive state. But writing always makes me feel enthusiastic about what’s next.”
• Green Day — Billie Joe Armstrong is teasing more new music from the band. He’s been dropping regular “No Fun Mondays” cover songs and will unveil his full solo collection tomorrow. Despite the fact that Green Day released an album earlier this year, he says “That’s the beauty of the way you can put music out these days. You don’t have to wait for any gatekeeper to tell you that the timing is right.”
• Tim McGraw – says the Christmas Eve meal in his house is – spaghetti and meatballs, and it’s his job to prepare it for wife Faith Hill, and their 3 adult daughters. Quote: “That’s a tradition that I’ve had since I was a child. I hope it carries on with them.”
• Jon Pardi — Six months after they were first slated marry in Montana, Jon Pardi and Summer Duncan tied the knot on Saturday in Murfreesboro, TN. Pardi’s father and tour manager, Trey Wilson, was his groomsman. Duncan’s two best friends from California and Nashville served as bridesmaids. All guests were tested for COVID-19 before their arrival.
• Hal Ketchum – The Grand Ole Opry member died on Monday due to complications from dementia. He was 67. His first single ‘Small Town Saturday Night’ reached #2 on Billboard’s country radio chart in 1991. Hits over the next few years included: ‘Past the Point of Rescue’, ‘Sure Love’, ‘Hearts Are Gonna Roll’, ‘Mama Knows the Highway’, and ‘Stay Forever’.

GERM-A-PHONE:
The world’s first anti-bacterial phone has been introduced. As you know, our phones are among the most contaminated objects we regularly come into contact with, and that was BEFORE COVID-19. Now, Bullitt Group says it has ‘enhanced’ its Cat S42 smartphone with antimicrobial protection, which prevents bacteria from spreading or multiplying on the device. The new version of the existing Cat smartphone is treated with silver ions during manufacturing, which they say inhibits growth of microbes. Tests show the Biomaster antimicrobial technology reduces bacteria growth by 80% within 15 minutes, and eliminates 99% of microbes within 24 hours. The phone is also dust and waterproof, and can be washed with soap, or even bleach for greater protection. And, yes, Cat is the same company that makes Caterpillar farm and construction equipment.
(Of course, your other option is not to take your phone to the bathroom…)
(Did that “bleach” idea come from the President?)
-Unilad

WORKWEAR:
Even though your boss may not be able to see you when you’re working from home, science says that you probably do better work if you still dress appropriately for the job. In 2014, researchers found that volunteers negotiated more effectively (and had higher testosterone levels) when they wore a black suit, compared to others who wore a tracksuit. In another study, volunteers performed better on attention-related tasks when they put on a doctor’s lab coat. This is a psychological effect known as “enclothed cognition”. Besides dressing for work, other tips for increasing productivity when working from home include setting aside specific hours for work and letting friends and family know that you’ll be unavailable, and creating a specific space for doing your work, which is away from the TV remote and other distractions.
(For more tips, follow me on Facebook. I’m posting on there, like, all day long!)
(Does this mean that a chef puts on that white hat when he’s cooking at home?)
(And yet, somehow, I can spend hundreds of dollars on golfing clothes, and  — nothing!)
-ScienceFocus

FUNNIEST TWEETS OF THE WEEK FROM PARENTS:
⇒ Until I became a parent I had never heard a human cry because they bumped their head on the roof of a blanket fort – Vinod Chhaproo
⇒ The most unrealistic part of the mandalorian is that he finds babysitters everywhere he goes – Professional Worrier
⇒ I was having a bad day — and then I watched my kids step on the Legos I asked them to pick up 3 times, and now I’m having a good day. – Stay at Homies
⇒ I regularly mix up my kids names and my dogs names, but yes please put me in charge of their education this year – Sweet Momissa
…AND A FEW FROM NON-PARENTS:
⇒ pls forgive my student loans. they didn’t mean to – Jill Gutowitz
⇒ Do they allow loud laughing in Hawaii, or just a low ha? – T Raww
⇒ every sex tape should have an accompanying blooper reel – broti gupta
-HuffPost

TURKEY TALK:
Some bizarre questions asked by callers to poultry provider Butterball’s “Turkey Hotline”. . .
• Do turkeys have belly buttons?
• Should I remove the plastic wrap before I cook my turkey?
• Can you thaw a frozen turkey in the tub while the kids are having their bath?
• How long does it take to thaw a fresh turkey?
• Does the turkey go in the oven feet first or head first?
• Can I baste my turkey with suntan lotion?
• Can I cook the turkey on the engine block of my semi while I’m driving?
• I cut my turkey in half with a chainsaw. How do I get the chainsaw oil out of the turkey?
• The turkey in my freezer is 23-years-old. Is it safe to eat?
• Our Chihuahua is stuck inside the turkey … how do we get him out?
-BathroomReadersInstitute

DID YOU KNOW?
“Conscientiousness” has been named as the key trait requirement for astronauts who will be selected for the first human mission to Mars. Defined as “wishing to do what is right, especially to do one’s work or duty well and thoroughly,” conscientiousness is the most desirable quality for astronauts that will live and work on the Red Planet millions of miles from Earth, according to a new study. Conscientiousness was identified as more important than honesty, humility, emotionality, extroversion, openness, and agreeableness.
-CNN

BS CHRONOMETER 11.26.20

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1939 [81] Tina Turner, Nutbush TN, pop/rock singer (‘Private Dancer’, What’s Love Got to do With it’), actress (“Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome”)/11 Grammy Awards/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 1991 [with Ike Turner])

1945 [75] John McVie, London UK, classic rock bassist (Fleetwood Mac-‘Don’t Stop’)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1998)

1973 [47] Peter Facinelli, Queens NY, movie actor (“Twilight” franchise)/TV actor (“Nurse Jackie) 2009-2015

1975 [45] DJ Khaled (Khaled Mohamed Khaled), New Orleans LA, DJ-music producer (ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne-‘I’m the One’/worked with A-list talent such as Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj)

1976 [44] Joe Nichols, Rogers AR, country singer (‘Gimme That Girl’, ‘Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off’)

1981 [39] Natasha Bedingfield, London UK, pop singer (‘Unwritten’, ‘These Words’)

1984 [36] Mike Gossin, Utica NY, country singer-guitarist (Gloriana-‘Kissed You Good Night’, ‘Wild at Heart’)

1990 [30] Rita Ora (Sahatçiu), Pristina Kosovo (raised in London UK), pop singer-songwriter (w/Iggy Azalea-‘Black Widow’, ‘How We Do’)/movie actress (“Fast & Furious 6”, “Fifty Shades” movies)

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Thanksgiving Day” in America, an annual feasting tradition proclaimed for all states in 1863 and made a national holiday set on the 4th Thursday of November in 1879.  The event that Americans commonly call the ‘First Thanksgiving’ was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in the New World in October 1621. (No ‘Black Friday’ that year!) A few facts …
– The original Thanksgiving festivities date back 2,000 years to Celtic priests, the Druids, who celebrated a harvest festival.
– Canadian Thanksgiving was originally celebrated at the same time as in the US, but was eventually moved to the 2nd Monday of October to reflect the earlier harvest season.
– The term ‘turkey’ was used by New England pilgrims to mean any sort of wild fowl. It could have been seagull. (Yum!)

• “Good Grief Day”, a phrase often used by ‘Charlie Brown’ of Charles Schulz’s comic strip, “Peanuts”. Schulz was born on this day in 1922, and today is dedicated to both him and his enduring comic strip.

• “Cake Day”, an annual salute to the classic dessert that’s the climax of many a celebration. What’s the best kind? Angel Food? Black Forest? Red Velvet? Double Chocolate Fudge?

• “Family Health History Day”, The idea is to take a day when everyone in your family is assembled (Thanksgiving) and discuss family health history, specifically any occurrence of colorectal cancer. Healthcare providers encourage you to use this day to share and care about this and other serious diseases.

COMING UP . . .
[Fri] Black Friday
[Fri] Buy Nothing Day
[Sat] National French Toast Day
[Sat] Small Business Saturday

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2018 [02] The DC superhero film “Aquaman,” directed by James Wan starring Jason Momoa and Amber Heard, premieres in London. It would become the highest-grossing film based on a DC character

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1989 [31] “MTV Unplugged” debuts, featuring stripped-down acoustical performances by a wide range of artists (the biggest name to appear in the premiere episode is English group Squeeze)

1997 [23] The day after Garth Brooks’ album “Sevens” is released, 12 of its 14 songs land on the Country singles chart

TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1917 [103] The NHL forms with the teams Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Maroons, Toronto Arenas, Ottawa Senators & Quebec Bulldogs

2014 [06] The International Space Station announces it has installed and tested a 3D printer that will be used to manufacture parts at the station rather than transporting them from Earth

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
1992 [28] 14-month-old Tegan Banville of Huntington Beach, CA out-crawls 12 other babies to win the national ‘Huggies/NFL Happy Baby Derby’ (the babes race 12 feet before 61,000 screaming fans at halftime during a Dallas Cowboys game)

BULL’S BITS

BS WHACK FACTS:
✓ Moscow weathermen can be fined for inaccurate weather forecasting.
✓ Colgate’s first toothpaste came in a jar.
✓ The first alarm clock could only ring at 4 a.m.
✓ Fingernails grow fastest on the hand you favor.
✓ There are more than 7,000 different Caribbean islands, but only about 2% of them are inhabited.
✓ Most alcoholic beverages contain all 13 minerals necessary to sustain human life.
-RandomFactGenerator

BS BOOKS FOR DOGS:
• Fifty Shades of Stay
• Are You There, Dog? It’s Me, Margaret
• Fetcher in the Rye
• A Tale of Two Pitties
• Never Cry Woof
• A Few Good Boys
• Of Mice and Mailmen
• Game of Throws
• Lord of the Fleas
• The Bitches of Eastwick
-Twitter

Best of BS . . .
BS OVERHEARD ON THE MAYFLOWER:

• “Are you sure this is the right way?”
• “I paid extra for the unlimited drink package.”
• “I swear if I hear one more John Wayne ‘Pilgrim’ impression…”
• “Finally, we can ditch the accent!”
• “Thank Goodness for April showers, or we wouldn’t even have a boat!”
• “I don’t know about you, but as soon as I get there, I’m losing the hat and shoe buckles.”
• “I bet one day our descendants will get all sanctimonious about the fact that they’re related to us.”
• “Plymouth Rocks!”
• “Say goodbye to the Metric system.”
• “Are we there yet?”
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2019

TODAY’S SLICE OF BS:
➠ A recent survey suggests that 56% of workers spend less than 30 minutes away from their desk at work. (That comes to 3 minutes to prepare food, and 27 minutes taking photos of it on Instagram…)
➠ Dunkin’ has introduced a new coffee beer that’s infused with jelly-filled donuts. (Perfect for the person-strung-out-on-sugar who wants to stay up late to watch the walls spin…)
➠ Atari is building a themed hotel in Las Vegas. (All guests start on the first floor, but eventually . . . if you’re good enough . . . they’ll move you up to the next level.)
➠ I just read that if you organize a ‘monthly date night’, it could help save your marriage.  (Yeah, but what if your wife finds out?)
➠ Thanksgiving Day “Fact”: (Thanksgiving was invented by the National Football League to force Americans into watching the Detroit Lions.)

BE WEB GOODIE:
Perfect snowball – in more ways than one:  https://tinyurl.com/y4ssldj7

BS PHONE STARTER:

Aside from your phone or wallet/purse, what object would you really hate to lose?

BS RANDOM JOKE:
We’re officially declaring today the day when the lazy oafs among us can cross ‘Take down the Christmas lights’ off their to-do list, and add ‘Plug in the Christmas lights’.

BS WATER COOLER QUESTIONS:
Question:  According to a survey 27% of adults say they do THIS to come up with extra money to cover the expenses of the holidays. What is it?
Answer:  Make a deal with their significant other not to buy each other gifts

Question:  22% of people say THIS has happened to them at either Thanksgiving or Christmas. What is it?
Answer:  Food poisoning

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
After a good meal, one can forgive anybody. Even one’s own relations.

 

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