Today is Thursday, December 21, 2023.
It is the 355th day of the year.
10 days remain.
###
PROGRAMMING NOTES
There will be no newsletter December 25-29 or January 1-2. Regular publishing resumes on Wednesday, January 3, 2024.
BUT WAIT: Top Shelf subscribers will get full access to our Year in Review series going out the week after Christmas and the Year Ahead preview on January 2!
###
WHAT’S ON TAP
A promising development to combat high cholesterol and an update on Iceland’s erupting volcano in HIT LIST.
PETA has enlisted the help of BRITNEY SPEARS’ ex to get people to adopt and not shop this holiday season. More in SHOWBIZ.
“Survivor” is still a hit with viewers and Variety lists the Top 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. Details in CASTING CALL.
YE’s “Vultures” album gets a new release date. More in KARDASH.
The King’s extended family gathers for Christmas. Details in ROYALS.
###
HIT LIST
An estimated 40% of student loan borrowers did not make payments on their balances in October as the pandemic-era pause ended. That amounts to about nine million missed payments.
Those who do not make payments will not face any penalties until next September during the year-long “onramp” period created by the White House.
WORTH REMEMBERING: During this pause, the federal government paid the accruing interest on the accounts directly to many loan service companies.
IT GETS WORSE: CNN reports there are potentially “millions more” unpaid installments as loan service companies did not get up to speed in time in anticipation of the end of the pause. [via CNN]
###
Locals near Sacramento woke up Tuesday morning to discover dozens of dead geese strewn across roads and parking lots following a heavy storm the night before.
Sacramento County animal control officers reportedly picked up 37 goose carcasses on one short stretch of road. One observer tells local media, “I felt like it was the beginning of a horror movie. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is that movie ‘Birds,’ and it’s about to go down.’”
One conservation official says that it’s an active migration season and geese often fly at night, creating the perfect but unfortunate conditions for their untimely demise. [via KCRA]
###
New research shows promise for a vaccine that reduces cholesterol up to 30% – but is years away from hitting pharmacy shelves.
A program inside the University of New Mexico School of Medicine has developed a shot that significantly reduces bad cholesterol in mice and monkeys. They also believe the once-a-year shot can be manufactured at scale for less than $100 a dose.
Their findings follow ten years of research on animals. Now they begin the process of human clinical trials. [via DailyMail]
###
Iceland’s meteorological office reported this week that lava eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula have begun to weaken, but caution that new vents could open at any time.
SO FAR: No building damage or injuries have been reported – but at least one rescue helicopter was dispatched to retrieve someone who got lost near the eruption site. [via BBC]
###
After visiting every country in the world a DJ from San Diego decided to create his own.
In December 2021 Randy “R Dub” Williams bought an 11-acre plot of land in the California desert, just two hours outside of San Diego, to establish his own “country” -- the Republic of Slowjamastan.
Two years later and Slowjamastan has all the fixings of its own country, including laws, such as it being illegal to wear Crocs, its own flag, currency (“the duble”), and national anthem. Also, there are over 500 registered citizens of Slowjamastan, with 4,500 in line for citizenship.
Next up, R Dub says he wants to build “a lazy river, an armadillo farm, an all-you-can-eat Mongolian BBQ establishment and, of course, a giant statue/monument of The Great Leader (me).” [via CNN]
###
WEDDINGS
After 12 years and two kids together, “Barbie” director GRETA GERWIG has tied the knot with NOAH BAUMBACH.
The two reportedly got married at New York City Hall.
She’s 40 and he’s 54.
###
BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 475 points (1.27%) to close at 37,082 on Wednesday. The S&P lost 70 points (1.47%) to close at 4,698 and the NASDAQ lost 225 points (1.5%) to close at 14,777.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $73; BRENT CRUDE at $79.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.09 on Wednesday.
₿ BITCOIN increased to $43,500 as of Wednesday evening.
🛩 There were more than 2,320 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Wednesday and more than 40 such cancellations.
💰Friday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $57 million jackpot or a $28.4 million cash payout.
###
SHOWBIZ NEWS
TAYLOR SWIFT spent her 90th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart -- extending her record even further.
Her reign comes thanks to 10 albums on the Billboard 200 and three songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Cruel Summer”; “Is It Over Now (Taylor’s Version)”; and “You’re Losing Me.” [via Billboard]
###
JERRY SEINFELD traveled to Israel to spend some time with family members of hostages captured by Hamas this week.
During the visit, Seinfeld was spotted wearing a dog tag that read “Bring them home.”
Next up he will possibly meet with Israeli soldiers near the southern border.
Remember, Seinfeld was one of a handful of celebrities who signed a letter condemning the barbaric attack. [via Deadline]
###
HULK HOGAN has re-dedicated his life to Jesus.
The former wrestler got baptized at the Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Florida, calling the experience the “greatest day of [his] life.”
His new wife, SKY DAILY HOGAN, also took part in the baptism. [via TMZ]
###
CAMERON DIAZ thinks sleeping separately from your spouse should be “normalized.”
While chatting on MOLLY SIMS’ podcast about the controversial idea, Diaz explained that she thinks spouses could live in separate homes as well, “I would literally, I have my house, you have yours. We have the family house in the middle.”
As for when it comes to sexy time, Diaz said there would be “a bedroom in the middle [...] to convene in for relations.”
FOR THE RECORD: Diaz clarified that that living situation does not apply to her marriage with BENJI MADDEN. [via Daily Mail]
###
SAM ASGHARI appears in a new ad for PETA that may also be a diss to his ex-wife BRITNEY SPEARS.
The ad, which pushes adoption, features Asghari snuggling an adorable pup, along with the words “Some Loves Last.”
Two things could be happening here…
The “Some Loves Last” could be a dig at their short marriage and/or PETA is using Asghari after previously calling out Spears for buying “designer dogs.” [via TMZ]
###
MAURY POVICH helped the Denver Zoo announce who fathered a four-month-old baby orangutan named Siska.
“Is Siska’s father thirty-year-old Berani or 16-year-old Jaya?” an X post from the zoo asked alongside a video of the iconic paternity-announcing talk show host.
“Berani, you are the father!” Povich, wearing a suit and tie, declares in the clip. [via X]
###
CASTING CALL
“Survivor” keeps on surviving.
The long-running CBS competition show has seen a notable increase in viewership for the first time since 2014, with an average of 6.59 million viewers.
Season 45 wrapped last night. [via Deadline]
###
Have you ever wondered how the dad in “Home Alone” could afford the mansion his family lived in and a trip to Paris for the extended family?
The New York Times sought out consulting experts at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago who took a deep dive into that topic and came back with a somewhat clearer picture of the family’s finances.
According to Realtor.com the McCallister’s mansion is located in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in America -- Winnetka, a suburb of Chicago. Based on the median income of those who lived in the ‘hood during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s (remember, the movie came out in 1990), the McCallisters' household income would have been around 305,000/per year. Today that would be about $665,000. [via NYT]
###
Days after MAYIM BIALIK revealed she will no longer be sharing “Jeopardy!” hosting duties with KEN JENNINGS, Decider has released what they were being paid for the gig.
According to the outlet, Bialik and Jennings were each making $4 million per year for their hosting duties.
With her out, it is safe to assume that Jennings’ salary will increase, though no word on how much that will be. [via Decider]
###
Variety released a list of the 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
Here are the Top 10:
10. Roots
9. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
8. Seinfeld
7. The Wire
6. Sex and the City
5. Breaking Bad
4. The Simpsons
3. The Sopranos
2. Mad Men
1. I Love Lucy
###
THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
After YE failed to drop his new album “Vultures” last Friday a spokesperson says it will be released on New Year’s Eve.
The album is a collaboration with rapper TY DOLLA $IGN, who apparently is not fazed in the slightest by Ye’s continuous anti-semitic rants. [via Billboard]
###
WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
The extended Windsor family enjoyed a Christmas lunch at their namesake castle on Wednesday.
All of KING CHARLES’ siblings and much of their extended families joined the festivities, with about fifty total showing up for the gathering. PRINCE EDWARD’s daughter LADY LOUISE WINDSOR made a rare public appearance arriving at the estate.
A smaller inner circle of the King’s immediate family will celebrate Christmas at Sandringham next week. [via Express]
###
DAY OF THE YEAR
National Short Story Day
International Dalek Remembrance Day
National Coquito Day
Don’t Make Your Bed Day
National Short Girl Appreciation Day
Ribbon Candy Day
Look On The Bright Side Day
National Crossword Puzzle Day
National Regifting Day
International Energy Drink Day
National French Fried Shrimp Day
Humbug Day
###
ON THIS DATE
1898 - Scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discover radium.
###
1913 - The first crossword puzzle is published, appearing in the New York World newspaper.
It contained 31 clues, and was arranged in a diamond-shape, rather than the modern square. It was then called a "word-cross puzzle."
The author was Arthur Wynne, who would play a major role in modernizing the crossword puzzle, like introducing black squares to break up words and columns.
Wynne's puzzle only became known as a Cross-Word -- rather than Word-Cross -- following a typesetting error.
###
1937 - “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” opens in Los Angeles. It's the first full-length film produced by Walt Disney's studio.
The animators used a multiplane camera to help create the illusion of depth, and also used live actors while drawing the characters. Both were new techniques.
The total budget for the film was $1.5 million at the time.
###
1945 - George Patton dies following a car accident at 60-years-old.
Patton was commander of the 7th Army during World War II, when he captured Palermo, Sicily. He commanded the 3rd Army during the Battle of the Bulge.
He was known for a reckless mouth and impatience for cowardice.
Patton survived the war, but died the year it ended, when he broke his neck in the accident.
###
1968 - The first manned mission to the Moon launches, though the astronauts on board had no intent to land on it.
Apollo 8 carried Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders into orbit around the Moon.
They orbited 10 times, broadcasting TV images back to Earth, and taking some of the closest photos ever.
They were the first astronauts to see the dark side of the Moon as well.
Less than seven months later, the first men would walk on the Moon.
###
1988 - A Pan Am Flight en route to New York from London explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland.
All 243 passengers died, along with 16 crew members.
It was determined the bomber was Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, who planted a bomb inside a cassette recorder, which was stowed in the cargo bay of the plane.
He was protected by the Libyan government until 1999, when former dictator Muammar Qaddafi turned him over to soften relations with the United States.
In 2003, Libya took responsibility for the attack.
In 2009, al-Megrahi was released from prison and returned to Libya after doctors determined he had terminal prostate cancer.
He would die in May of 2012.
###
2005 - Elton John and David Furnish register their civil partnership at Windsor Town Hall.
The pair was one of hundreds of same-sex couples who formed civil partnerships in England and Wales on this day – the first day such ceremonies became possible.
###
2012 - “Gangnam Style” by Psy becomes the first video to reach one BILLION views on YouTube.
The music video was recognized by “Guinness World Records” as the most “liked” video on YouTube at the time.
###
2020 - Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine starts being administered in the US.
It is the same day that President Joe Biden gets his jab, though he opted for Pfizer’s vaccine.
###
BIRTHDAYS
Madelyn Cline - actress, “Outer Banks” - 26
Kaitlyn Dever - actress, “Last Man Standing” - 27
Jinger Duggar - one of the 19 Duggars - 30
Otis Dozovic - wrestler - 32
Quinta Brunson - actress, “Abbott Elementary” - 34
Steven Yeun - actor “The Walking Dead” - 40
Mike Vitar - actor, “The Sandlot” - 45
Emmanuel Macron - President of France - 46
Kiefer Sutherland - actor, “24” - 57
Ray Romano - actor, “Everybody Loves Raymond” - 66
Samuel L. Jackson - actor, “Pulp Fiction” & “The Negotiator” - 75
Kay Robertson - reality star, “Duck Dynasty” - 76
Jane Fonda - actress, “Grace and Frankie” - 86
Born On This Date
Betty Wright - R&B singer - 1953 (d. 2020)
Frank Zappa - guitarist, Mothers of Invention” - 1940 (d. 1993)
###