11/14/2023: How Much Do You Tip? 💸
Discover more from Morning Martini
11/14/2023: How Much Do You Tip? 💸
PLUS: Tesla Crackdown; Hendrix Art For Sale; and The King’s Cake
Today is Tuesday, November 14, 2023.
It is the 318th day of the year.
47 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
Some Titanic artifacts sell at auction. Details in HIT LIST.
A Central Perk is opening up in Boston and one actress predicts TRAVIS KELCE and TAYLOR SWIFT will be engaged by next spring. Find out more in SHOWBIZ.
“Stranger Things” is expected to resume filming this week and DANIEL TOSH is launching his own podcast. More in CASTING CALL.
KIM KARDASHIAN battled JEFF BEZOS’ fiancee for a Balenciaga dress. Find out who won in KARDASH.
The King’s birthday week festivities are underway. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
SAM BANKMAN-FRIED’s parents are back in California and looking to resume their lives after spending weeks in New York for their son’s trial. They reportedly said a goodbye-for-now while visiting SBF in jail last Tuesday but expect to return for his sentencing early next year.
The Wall Street Journal reports that JOE BANKMAN and BARBARA FRIED emphasized to Sam that he still has a life worth living despite the real prospect of spending most of it behind bars.
Bankman is not entirely out of the weeds himself and could find himself in court if FTX seeks to claw back more of the salary paid to him and properties SBF bought for his parents while the crypto exchange was flying high in 2021 and 2022. [via WSJ]
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TESLA is cracking down on resellers of its forthcoming and hotly anticipated Cybertruck.
A paragraph buried in the Terms & Conditions of the preorder for the vehicle prohibits resale of the Cybertruck within a year of purchase unless the buyer gets specific written permission from the company. Tesla also maintains a right of first refusal to buy the Cybertruck back first.
Analysts believe the policy is intended to get the truck into the hands of interested buyers and to stop people from buying multiple units and flipping them immediately for a healthy profit. The current Cybertruck waitlist includes one million people, ELON MUSK says, and believes Tesla can crank out about 200,000 a year at its current pace. That’s about a five year wait for the most recent sign-ups. [via Not a Tesla App]
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Some artifacts from the Titanic have sold big at auction in England.
A menu from the First Class decks dated April 11, 1912, sold for just over $100,000. Options include salmon with hollandaise, spring lamb with mint sauce, or duck in a port wine sauce.
A pocket watch owned by one of the men who died on the ship sold for over $118,000. The man’s body was eventually recovered in the days immediately following the ship’s sinking and his valuables returned to his wife. [via CBS News]
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Amid endless prompts to leave a tip at checkout, a Pew Research Center study shows Americans tend to skimp the most on sit-down meals.
A healthy majority of Americans – 57% – leave 15% or less when they dine out. A stingy 2% admit to leaving no tip at all.
Just over one-in-five diners say they leave a tip of 20% or more. [via USA Today]
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A transgender chicken named Nubz has gained nearly 200,000 TikTok followers thanks to its owner’s cute solution to some foot issues.
When Nubz’s current owner Michelle Davignon adopted the chicken it had already lost some toes due to a case of leg mites, which live underneath the scales that cover a chicken’s feet.
In an attempt to keep the mites at bay Davignon tried a variety of things, most of which ended up being too messy for the pet. In a last ditch effort to protect the nubs, Davignon decided to try on some little boots that she had initially purchased for her Chihuahua.
Not only did the boots fit -- and protect the bird’s feet -- they also served as great mobility devices.
As for the transgender part, Davignon said Nubz is a true gynomorph, meaning there are both male and female sex organs. [via People]
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DEATHS
MARYANNE TRUMP BARRY has died.
She was found in her home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side on November 13. No other information was shared.
Maryanne was a former federal judge in New Jersey, and a harsh critic of former president DONALD TRUMP.
She was 86.
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BREAKUPS
Celeb stylist CHRIS APPLETON has filed for divorce from his husband of six months, actor LUKAS GAGE.
He noted “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split, and listed a date of separation as last Friday.
Appleton, who is 40, and 28-year-old Gage tied the knot in Vegas in April with KIM KARDASHIAN serving as their officiant.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 54 points (0.16%) to close at 34,337 on Monday. The S&P dropped just 3 points (0.084%) to close at 4,411 and the NASDAQ lost 30 points (0.22%) to close at 13,767.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $78; BRENT CRUDE at $82.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.36 on Monday.
₿ BITCOIN fell on Monday, down 1.8% and trading under $36,400.
🛩 There were more than 1,825 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and more than 60 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $245 million jackpot or a $110.7 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
A Central Perk is opening up in Boston.
Inspired by the coffee joint from “Friends,” the location -- set to open today -- will feature memorabilia from the show, including an oversized orange couch. There will also be several nods to the show’s characters and plot lines.
Also, on opening day the location will honor the late MATTHEW PERRY, who played Chandler Bing in the hit show. [via People]
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“One Tree Hill” alum HILARIE BURTON thinks TAYLOR SWIFT and TRAVIS KELCE will be engaged by next spring.
In response to Swift changing up her lyrics to include Kelce, Burton took to social media where she predicted that “these babies are gonna be engaged by May.”
One fan responded to the comment noting how Swift has never changed a lyric for any other boyfriend. [via Us Weekly]
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KATE BECKINSALE dressed up as the blue-diamond necklace known as the Heart of the Ocean from “Titanic” for LEONARDO DICAPRIO’s 49th birthday bash over the weekend.
The larger-than-life stone hung off of the actress’ hips, while three rows of crystals wrapped around her body, which was covered in a black strapless dress.
Beckinsale shared a photo of the outfit on Instagram, where one follower commented, “But I thought the old lady dropped it into the ocean in the end?” [via Page Six]
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A collection of psychedelic drawings by JIMI HENDRIX are being sold by Moments In Time.
The artwork was drawn with a color pen in the late 1960s, which is when Hendrix’s career really took off.
The collection is listed for $195,000. [via TMZ]
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R. KELLY has filed a lawsuit against the US government, a handful of employees from the Bureau of Prisons, and a YouTuber named TASHA K, who he says worked together to publicize his private matters while behind bars.
The singer, and his attorney, claim that officials struck an agreement with Tasha to share personal info about Kelly, which she then spilled on her YouTube page; thus destroying his reputation, according to him.
Kelly is seeking major damages.
For her part, Tasha has denied being part of any sort of scheme.
WORTH NOTING: Tasha K is the same woman who was successfully sued by CARDI B for defamation. [via HNHH]
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CASTING CALL
All five members of NSYNC are planning to attend a premiere in Los Angeles this week ahead of Friday’s release of “Trolls: Band Together.”
This upcoming powwow does not mean they are planning a reunion tour, however. They are simply getting together -- now that they are allowed to with the actors’ strike ending -- to promote the animated film.
Remember, they recorded a song for the movie, called “Better Place.” [via TMZ]
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BRAD PITT and REESE WITHERSPOON are two of the many hoping to get their hands on the rights to produce an adaptation of BRITNEY SPEARS’ memoir, “The Woman in Me.”
As for the adaptation, an insider told The Ankler that “it’s only beginning to take shape” and Spears has yet to officially meet with anyone about the project.
Spears is also in talks to participate in a separate documentary, which would reportedly come with a $40 million paycheck. [via Ankler]
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It turns out Bart Simpson isn’t free from getting strangled by his dad Homer.
An episode aired a few weeks back where Homer joked about strangling his only son, only to follow that up with, “Just kidding. I don’t do that anymore.” Fans of the show assumed this meant the show was changing with the times, but now it appears that’s not the case.
Co-creator JAMES L. BROOKS told People Magazine that Homer has not turned over a new leaf and will continue to have a “stranglehold on Bart.”
The last time Homer strangled Bart was during Season 31, which aired from 2019-2020. [via People]
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Filming for the fifth and final season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” is expected to resume this week now that the actors’ strike has ended.
DAVID HARBOUR, who plays Sheriff Jim Hopper, told Variety that he and the rest of the cast are looking forward to returning to Hawkins, Indiana -- the fictional city where the show is set.
The final season is tentatively set to air in 2025. [via Variety]
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Former Comedy Central staple DANIEL TOSH is launching his own podcast, “Tosh Show,” via iHeartPodcasts.
For the show, Tosh will interview people who “pique his curiosity,” such as his plumber, his stylist, his car guy, his wife’s gynecologist, and more. He will also share some of his own perspective on current events.
Tosh hosted “Tosh.O” on Comedy Central for 12 seasons. [via Deadline]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN and LAUREN SANCHEZ got into a bidding war over a Balenciaga dress during a dinner for the Kering Foundation during New York Fashion Week.
The pair spoke about the back-and-forth in a Vogue interview, with Kardashian saying at one point she shouted, “We’ll share it!”
With neither woman willing to back down, the Kering Foundation offered to make two dresses and have the women pay $200,000 each.
They will also reportedly fly to Paris together for the fitting. [via Vogue]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
KING CHARLES spent the day at his beloved Highgrove estate on Monday to celebrate his 75th birthday with staff, a day before his official birthday today.
Aside from performers and a handful of pretty D-list English celebrities and notables, guests included fellow Brits also turning 75-years-old this year.
The King ceremonially cut the first piece of a small, three-tiered cake adorned with a crown. [via The Telegraph]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Spicy Guacamole Day
National Pickle Day
Operating Room Nurse Day
Loosen Up Lighten Up Day
World Diabetes Day
Children’s Day
National American Teddy Bear Day
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ON THIS DATE
1851 - Herman Melville's novel “Moby Dick” is published.
It follows the whaling ship Pequod, and its captain, Ahab, in pursuit of a giant white whale.
The first words are among the most famous in American literature: "Call me Ishamel."
At first the book didn't sell very well, which disappointed Melville, who had written several successful novels. After his death, in the early 1920s, “Moby Dick” resurfaced, and became the must-read it is today.
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1896 - Britain amends its speed limit for horseless carriages.
Parliament had recently repealed the "Red Flag Act”; a bizarre law that required cars to be accompanied by someone walking alongside it, holding a red flag to alert pedestrians and horses to its presence. The “Red Flag Act” limited speeds to 4 miles per hour.
The new law increased the speed limit to 14 miles per hour.
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1910 - Eugene Ely becomes the first pilot to get a plane airborne from a naval vessel.
With 83 feet of runway sloped at five degrees, Ely managed to get his plane airborne off the bow of the scout cruiser Birmingham.
He was also the first man to land a plane on a ship, a feat he would achieve the following year.
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1922 - The British Broadcasting Company begins its daily radio news updates.
It featured a 6pm nightly newscast, originating in London.
A broadcast license fee cost 10 shillings at the time -- that's about $30 today. The BBC was looking to cheaply spread its programming and build an extensive network.
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1969 - The second manned mission to the moon blasts off from Cape Canaveral.
On board are Charles Conrad Jr., Richard F Gordon Jr. and Alan Bean. President Nixon was on hand to witness the launch.
On liftoff, a bolt of lightning shocked the rocket, killing the power. Miraculously, the ascent continued and power was eventually restored.
The third and fourth men on the moon conducted more tests and looked into the crash site of the Surveyor 3 probe, which impacted the moon in 1967.
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1970 - A plane carrying the Marshall University football team crashes over West Virginia, killing more than 60 players, doctors, and coaches.
The team had lost their game earlier that day.
Huntington, North Carolina was the home of the University and it uncharacteristically shut down in the days after the crash.
The next season, a new coach would build a team from scratch -- and would go on to win the first home game since the crash.
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2013 - Whitey Bulger is sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus five years for his crimes.
The Boston crime boss was arrested earlier this year after hiding from the FBI for more than 16 years.
He was tried and found guilty in August on 31 of 32 counts against him and was found to have been involved in 11 murders.
Bulger was killed by fellow inmates in prison in 2018.
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2020 - The World Health Organization reports a record global daily total of more than 660,905 COVID-19 cases.
The health organization also reveals a total of 54 million cases globally, since the start of the pandemic.
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BIRTHDAYS
DeVonta Smith - football player - 25
Mason Gooding - actor, “Love, Victor” & son of Cuba - 27
Sophia Culpo - model - 27
Francisco Lindor - baseball player - 30
Stella Maeve - actress, “Golden Boy” & “Chicago P.D.” - 34
Yuna - pop singer - 37
Spencer Charnas - metal singer, Ice Nine Kills - 38
Lil Boosie - rapper - 41
Travis Barker - drummer, Blink-182 - 48
Chip Gaines - reality star, “Fixer Upper” - 49
Josh Duhamel - actor, “All My Children” & “Life as We Know It” - 51
Joseph Simmons - rapper, Run-D.M.C. & minister - 59
Patrick Warburton - actor, “Seinfeld” & “Ted” - 59
Yanni - composer - 69
Condoleezza Rice - first female African-American US Secretary of State - 69
James Young - guitarist, Styx - 74
King Charles III - British monarch - 75
Born On This Date
Joseph McCarthy - WI Senator who claimed communists infiltrated the govt - 1909 (d. 1957)
Claude Monet - French painter - 1840 (d. 1926)
Robert Fulton - engineered the first commercial steamboat - 1765 (d. 1815)
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