12/9/2024: The Nerds Take Vega
PLUS: Happy Wife, Happy Life; End of an Era(s); and Will & Don
Today is Monday, December 9, 2024.
It is the 344th day of the year.
22 days remain.
PROGRAMMING NOTES
UPGRADE TO TOP SHELF TODAY!
Beginning Monday, December 16, the full newsletter will only be available to Top Shelf subscribers.
Free subscribers will still get a scaled-back version, with about a half-dozen pieces from the Hit List, Showbiz News, and Casting Call sections.
CHRISTMAS SEASON PUBLISHING SCHEDULE:
There will be no regular newsletter from Monday, December 23 - Wednesday, January 1.
We will publish our Year in Review series December 26, 27, 30, and 31. Top Shelf subscribers get full access.
We will return to regular production for Thursday, January 2, 2025.
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WHAT’S ON TAP
Icy roads aren’t the only thing to worry about behind the wheel this winter. Details in HIT LIST.
BARRY KEOGHAN calls out social media trolls and a “Housewife” shows off some facial damage. More in SHOWBIZ.
A pair of ruby slippers sells for a record-breaking price at auction and COLDPLAY announces a charity show. Details in CASTING CALL.
KIM K shows off her new footwear in KARDASH.
DONALD TRUMP suggests PRINCE HARRY could have some immigration troubles in his forthcoming administration. Details in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
NERD ALERT: Michael Jarman claimed the top prize at this year’s Microsoft Excel Championship. The financial due diligence expert from Canada edged out Andrew “The Annihilator” Ngai (no really, that’s his nickname) from Australia at an event in Las Vegas.
The championship challenge included managing data for a simulated game of “World of Warcraft,” with each spreadsheet whiz calculating characters’ various in-game capabilities as the scenario unfolded.
For his accomplishment, Jarman took home $5,000 and a WWE-style belt.
LISTEN to the announcers go bananas in the final moments of the challenge:
video h/t Trung Phan >
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A new study gives even deeper meaning to “happy wife, happy life” – but that the mutual enjoyment of eachother’s company goes both ways.
The research team analyzed data gathered in different studies from 321 older adult couples, who’ve been together on average 44 years, from Canada and Germany. Participants completed regular surveys to report their moods throughout the day and provided corresponding saliva samples up to seven times each day to measure their levels of cortisol, the “stress hormone.”
In general, one partner had lower levels of cortisol when the other partner reported positive moods. When one partner reported more negative emotions, there was not a corresponding increase in the other’s cortisol levels, however. Researchers suggest this could mean older people do a better job of regulating their emotions. Overall, the older the participants, and the more positive emotions expressed, the lower the cortisol levels in the relationship. [via PsyPost]
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Here’s the latest in the investigation of United Healthcare CEO BRIAN THOMPSON’s murder:
– Police recovered a backpack believed to belong to the prime suspect in Central Park, but found Monopoly money inside.
– The New York Post reports that multiple insurance companies have scrubbed the names of top executives from their websites, likely as a measure to protect their anonymity.
– The FBI has issued a $50,000 reward offer for tips that successfully lead to the suspect’s capture. While law enforcement seems certain they’ve figured out the prime suspect’s identity, they have not yet released his name.
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Some follow-ups and updates from big stories around the world over the weekend:
IN SOUTH KOREA: After last week’s short-lived martial law declaration, President of South Korea YOON SUK YEOL apologized for the chaos, saying he instituted the measure out of desperation. Hours later, the nation’s parliament failed to meet quorum in an impeachment vote after enough of the president’s allies in the legislature exited the room for the vote.
Yoon maintains he will not try to evade future legal or political responsibility, the New York Times reports.
IN SYRIA: Rebel groups took control of Syria over the weekend, forcing the nation’s dictatorial president, BASHAR AL-ASAD, into exile. Asad and his family have reportedly been given asylum in Russia, which has been a long time financial backer of his regime.
Meanwhile, the search for American journalist AUSTIN TICE is underway. Tice was kidnapped in Syria while reporting in 2012. In a brief statement sunday, President JOE BIDEN said he believes Tice is alive and that diplomatic efforts are underway to bring him home. Separately, Tice’s family tells ABC News they have sources who have confirmed he is alive and well.
IN EL SALVADOR, ON A MORE OPTIMISTIC NOTE: President NAYIB BUKELE announced the discovery of $3 TRILLION in gold in his country, and will work to undo a regulatory ban on mining. Other precious metals and elements discovered include gallium, tantalum, and tin. [via Morning Martini]
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Be careful driving and singing this holiday season.
A new study from the South China University Of Technology found that songs with a BPM greater than 120 encourages dangerous driving habits.
Applying that to Christmas classics, “Frosty The Snowman” was deemed the “most dangerous” to drive to, with 172 BPM. Coming in second is MARIAH CAREY’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” with 150 BPM.
The rest of the top 10 dangerous-driving tunes are:
3. Feliz Navidad
4. Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town
5. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
6. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
7. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
8. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day
9. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
10. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
[via NY Post]
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WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
10. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: $1.5 million (down from 5)
9. For King + Country: A Drummer Boy Christmas - Live: $2 million (new)
8. Y2K: $2.1 million (new)
7. Solo Leveling: ReAwakening: $2.4 million (new)
6. Interstellar: $4.4 million (re-release)
5. Red One: $7 million (down from 4)
4. Pushpa: The Rule - Part 2: $9.3 million (new)
3. Gladiator II: $12.4 million (stayed at 3)
2. Wicked: $34.8 million (stayed at 2)
1. Moana 2: $52 million (stayed at 1)
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW lost 123 points (0.28%) to close at 44,642 on Friday. The S&P increased 15 points (0.25%) to close at 6,090 and the NASDAQ increased 159 points (0.81%) to close at 19,859.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $67 on Sunday; BRENT CRUDE at $71.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.01 on Sunday.
₿ BITCOIN ticked back up past $100,000 Sunday, trading just over that mark in the evening.
💰Tuesday night’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $619 million jackpot or a $297.7 million cash payout. A winning ticket in Saturday night’s POWERBALL drawing was purchased in New York. The winner can choose between the $256 million jackpot or the $123.5 million cash option. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $20 million jackpot or a $9.7 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
End of an Era(s).
TAYLOR SWIFT’s “Eras Tour” came to a close last night with her final show in Vancouver.
After kicking things off in March 2023 in Glendale, Arizona, Swift performed more than 150 shows across five continents.
As for what’s next for the record-breaking singer…insiders say she plans to rest and recoup with boyfriend TRAVIS KELCE – but she is reportedly working on making her feature directorial debut. [via Page Six]
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After deleting his Instagram account over the weekend, actor BARRY KEOGHAN posted a scathing statement on X about boundaries.
He writes in part that his decision to leave Insta had to do with “too many lines being crossed,” including harassing his family members, specifically his young son.
The deactivation comes after Keoghan’s split from singer SABRINA CARPENTER, which some fans speculate had to do with infidelity on his end. [via TMZ]
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“Real Housewives” star BRANDI GLANVILLE shocked fans over the weekend with a selfie showing damage to her face caused by a “parasite.”
On X, she explained that some doctors think the damage could be from a “parasite that jumps” around her face, while others believe it could be “stress induced edema.”
What does Glanville blame? “Bravo.” [via X]
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Social media users are giving HILARIA BALDWIN flack for promoting her daughter’s new skincare book.
The book, “Glowing Up: Recipes to Rock Your Natural Beauty,” is not itself the issue, but rather that it was created by Baldwin’s 11-year-old daughter.
Comments on the post ranged from “she’s too young” to those questioning who wants “beauty advice from an 11-year-old.” [via Instagram]
DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: While it's fair to say 11 is too young to be concerned with skin care, the book is described as a “guide to embracing self-care, building confidence, and celebrating natural beauty,” which are all positive messages for tweens.
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“Duck Dynasty” patriarch PHIL ROBERTSON is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
His son, JASE ROBERTSON, revealed the diagnosis on the family’s podcast, “Unashamed with the Robertson Family.” He also spoke about a blood disease that is “causing all kinds of problems” for his dad.
“He’s really struggling,” Jase explained. [via People]
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‘Tis the season.
A fight broke out at MARIAH CAREY’s holiday concert in Baltimore over the weekend.
According to those nearby, about four to five people were part of the altercation that escalated after one of them threw a drink. Security intervened and kicked the group out of the venue.
There was a brawl at Carey’s show in St. Louis last week -- also involving a tossed beverage. [via TMZ]
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CASTING CALL
A pair of ruby slippers worn by JUDY GARLAND in “The Wizard of Oz” sold for $28 million over the weekend, setting an all-time auction record for movie memorabilia.
The price surpasses the previous record of $5.52 million for a white halter dress worn by MARILYN MONROE in 1955’s “The Seven Year Itch.”
The sale was handled by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions.
BY THE WAY: The pair is one of four known to exist. Another pair is housed at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution, one is in the permanent collection of the Academy Museum of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, and the last pair is believed to be owned by a private collector. [via THR]
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COLDPLAY will perform a one-off show at Hackney Church in London tomorrow to raise funds for Crisis UK, an organization that helps the homeless.
Fans who entered a prize drawing for tickets will find out if they are one of the lucky 150 winners today. [via Crisis UK]
ELSEWHERE: The band previously announced several other charitable initiatives, including donating 10% of the proceeds from their UK-portion of their “Music of the Spheres World Tour” to MVT, a charity that supports grassroots music venues, and giving 10% of their earnings from the tour to environmental and socially-conscious causes.
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DOLLY PARTON is looking for someone to play her in the forthcoming Broadway musical, “Dolly: an Original Musical.”
According to the announcement, the show is searching for “performers of all ages to portray Dolly at different stages of her incredible life.”
The musical will hit the stage in 2026. [via ABC News]
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ALISYN CAMEROTA is leaving CNN.
She co-anchored “New Day” for six years before taking some time off to be with her husband as he battled pancreatic cancer.
Following his passing in July, Camerota returned to the network, though not back to “New Day.” She instead co-anchored hours in the afternoon and anchored some primetime slots.
Her exit comes amid rumors of more job cuts at the network. [via Variety]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN will spend the holidays on one leg after breaking her foot.
In an Instagram Story, Kim shared a photo of her foot in a boot, captioned “FML” with an angry emoji, adding, “Broken foot for the holidays.”
While it's unknown how the injury occurred, the mom-of-four did share photos of her riding an ebike while wearing heels -- and not much else -- earlier last week. [via Page Six]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
PRINCE WILLIAM welcomed President-elect DONALD TRUMP at the British embassy in France while Trump was in town for the reopening of Notre Dame.
During the 40-minute meeting, Trump reportedly discussed the “special relationship” between the two countries and shared stories of the late QUEEN ELIZABETH. In a public statement at the cathedral, Trump said of Wills, “He’s a big man, this one. He’s doing a fantastic job.”
Later, in an interview with British activist and Member of Parliament NIGEL FARAGE, Trump said he’s much more open to investigating PRINCE HARRY’s immigration paperwork than the Biden administration has been.
Since the release of Harry’s memoir, “Spare,” conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation has sought the Duke’s visa application in court. American law prohibits residency to anyone who has admitted to drug use, which Harry openly did in his book. So far, the Department of Justice has successfully stopped the release of those records, but Trump tells Farage, “if they know something about the drugs and if he lied, they’ll have to take appropriate action.”
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DAY OF THE YEAR
National Pastry Day
World Techno Day
Green Monday
National Llama Day
Christmas Card Day
International Day of Veterinary Medicine
International Anti-Corruption Day
Weary Willie Day
Genocide Prevention Day
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ON THIS DATE
1835 - The Army of the Republic of Texas takes control of San Antonio, which was then a Mexican territory.
Texas, not yet a state, was fighting with Mexico for its independence.
The victory ended four days of fighting, with Santa Ana and his Mexican army suffering severe casualties – but Santa Ana would have his revenge in March of the following year at the Alamo.
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1861 - Congress convenes a task force to oversee military progress in the Civil War.
It was called the War Committee, formed after the Battle of Ball's Bluff in October, to function as a check against potentially poor administrative decisions in the waging of war.
Not surprisingly, the war committee was frequently at odds with Lincoln's administration, second-guessing and micromanaging many of his decisions. They were responsible for leaking secrets to the media and fomenting distrust between Union generals.
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1968 - The first Graphical User Interface of a computer debuts at Stanford University in California.
It came complete with a mouse and two-way video conferencing.
The whole computer was larger than most TV sets at the time.
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1983 - "Scarface" premieres across the country.
It tells the story of Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant to Florida who makes all kinds of money selling cocaine, among other nefarious deeds.
The bloody flick would earn more than $45 million domestically in its initial run.
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1992 - The first American Marines land in Somalia to help quell a civil war that had killed thousands from battle and another 300,000 from starvation and malnutrition.
The American force consisted of nearly 2,000 Marines.
Fighting continued until March 1994, when President Bill Clinton ordered the troops' withdrawal.
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2018 - Patriots quarterback Tom Brady breaks Peyton Manning’s record for most touchdown passes in NFL history.
Brady reached the milestone with three TD passes in a 34-33 loss against the Miami Dolphins.
The record includes TD’s thrown in regular season and postseason.
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2020 - Canada approves Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in high risk individuals.
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BIRTHDAYS
Isaiah Russell-Bailey - actor, “Family Reunion” - 18
Nico Parker - actress, “Dumbo” - 20
Jaren Lewison - actor, “Never Have I Ever” - 24
Kelly Oubre Jr. - basketball player - 29
McKayla Maroney - Olympic gymnast - 29
Simon Helberg - actor, “The Big Bang Theory” - 44
Jesse Metcalfe - actor, “Desperate Housewives” - 46
Imogen Heap - pop singer, Frou Frou - 47
Stacie Abrams - politician - 51
Tre Cool - drummer, Green Day - 52
Lori Greiner - entrepreneur, “Shark Tank” - 55
Brian Bell - guitarist, Weezer - 56
Kurt Angle - wrestler - 56
Felicity Huffman - actress, “Desperate Housewives” - 62
Donny Osmond - actor & singer, The Osmonds, Donnie & Marie - 67
John Malkovich - actor, “Being John Malkovich” - 71
Judi Dench - actress, “Shakespeare in Love” - 90
Born On This Date
Kirk Douglas - actor, “The Odyssey” - 1916 (d. 2020)
Margaret Hamilton - actress, “The Wizard of Oz” - 1902 (d. 1985)
Clarence Birdseye - founder of frozen foods, Birdseye - 1886 (d. 1956)
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