8/11/2023: Spider-ections 🕷️
PLUS: Hardship Withdrawals; Ken and Barbie Babies; and Royal Lodge’s New Tenant
Today is Friday, August 11, 2023.
It is the 223rd day of the year.
142 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
X might have just the job for you – if you can figure out what you’re applying for. More in HIT LIST.
TAYLOR SWIFT has announced her next re-recorded album and fans are reminded about BRUCE WILLIS’ musical days. More in SHOWBIZ.
The Emmys have been pushed back to January. More in CASTING CALL.
Two KARDASHIAN KIDS are in casts. Find out who in KARDASH.
FERGIE gives a glimpse into life as a grandma. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
X has announced it is hiring for over 700 new open positions, but it’s anyone’s guess what kind of jobs they’re hiring for.
Their careers page simply includes an email address in the center of the page: careers@x.com.
WORTH REMEMBERING: One of ELON MUSK’s first initiatives when he bought the company was slashing headcount from 8,000. New CEO LINDA YACCARINO told CNBC on Thursday that their payroll includes about 1,500 employees. [via CNBC]
WORTH NOTING: Since Musk’s takeover, media inquiries to the PR department have gotten an auto response of the poop emoji and nothing else. Maybe one of their hires will be some press staff.
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North Korea’s state media announced on Thursday that KIM JONG JUNIOR has installed a new top general amid calls to prepare for war and expand weapons production.
The ramp-up is part of a larger plan to deter the country’s enemies, though they were not specifically named at this time. Recent photos released by North Korea’s official news agency showed Junior meeting at weapons factories and pointing to Seoul, South Korea on a map – though the animosity between the countries is no secret.
The governments for North Korea and Russia have also jointly denied claims that the Hermit Kingdom is supplying the Russkies with weapons to aid their invasion of Ukraine. [via Reuters]
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A new study, published this week in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, found that it’s okay if you don’t hit your goal of 10,000 steps per day. In fact, you don’t even need to hit half of that for good cardiovascular health.
After analyzing over 226,000 people from around the world, across 17 different studies, researchers found that only “4,000 steps a day are needed to significantly reduce deaths from any cause,” while about 2,400 steps a day will reduce one’s risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
WORTH NOTING: The WHO reports that there are about 3.2 million deaths every year due to insufficient physical activity. [via NY Post]
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Average monthly rents in July were just $16 shy of their all-time peak in August last year, at $2,038. The national average is just that, and doesn’t account for location or the size of rental.
IN FACT: Rents in Western states actually fell 1.1% year over year, though many of those areas spiked off the charts in recent years as California-based tech workers got out of bigger cities. [via Redfin]
MEANWHILE: The number of Americans taking “hardship withdrawals” out of their retirement accounts increased 36% year over year. In some cases this money evades income tax if certain strict requirements are met, but is often subject to a 10% penalty – in addition to the opportunity cost of foregone compound interest potential. [via CNN, IRS]
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A deadly spider closed down an Austrian supermarket this week over fears of its poisonous bite, which can cause blurred vision, hypothermia, convulsions, and permanent erections.
The Brazilian Wandering Spider startled supermarket employees when it apparently hitched a ride to the store in a crate of bananas. Despite locking things down and an extensive search by exterminators, the four-inch, black and red spider could not be found.
The store will stay locked down and be fumigated to make sure the spider is no longer a threat.
WORTH NOTING: The Brazilian Wandering Spider has been named the world’s second most venomous arachnid by Guinness World Records.
ALSO: Due to its erection-inducing bite, its venom is being studied for use in erectile dysfunction medication. [via The Sun]
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DEATHS
Actor JOHNNY HARDWICK has died.
He was found unresponsive by officers at his home in Texas after a welfare check was called in. No word on what happened.
Hardwick is best known for voicing Dale Gribble on “King of the Hill.”
He was 64.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 52 points (0.15%) to close at 35,176 on Thursday. The S&P added 1 point (0.025%) to close at 4,468 and the NASDAQ was up 15 points (0.12%) to close at 13,737.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $82; BRENT CRUDE at $86.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.82 on Thursday.
₿ BITCOIN slid again Thursday, down a half a point and trading around $29,400.
🛩 There were more than 5,370 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Thursday and more than 255 such cancellations.
💰 Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $20 million jackpot or a $9.9 million cash payout. Saturday night’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $194 million jackpot or a $95.2 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
These albums drop today:
Andrew Hung, “Deliverance”
The Band Camino, “The Dark”
Cordovas, “The Rose of Aces”
EZ Mil, “DU4LI7Y: REDUX”
G Flip, “Drummer”
Jungle, “Volcano”
Louis Cato, “Reflections”
Neil Young, “Chrome Dreams”
PJ Western, “Here I Go”
Rob Moose, “Inflorescence” EP
Spencer Zahn, “Statues I”
Tom Speight, “Love & Light”
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On the last night of the US leg of her “Eras Tour,” TAYLOR SWIFT announced that “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” will be released on October 27.
The album will feature 21 songs -- five more than the 2014 original.
It is Swift’s fourth re-recording, following “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)”, “Red (Taylor’s Version)” and “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” [via NY Times]
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LIL TAY says she is very much alive after reports stating she had died circulated this week.
The 14-year-old rapper and influencer spoke out about the death hoax on Thursday, telling fans that her Instagram account was hacked.”
It is unknown why it took her so long to address the story, which has some questioning the legitimacy of it all. [via Daily Mail]
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Donations to the ALS Association have surged following the death of SANDRA BULLOCK’s boyfriend photographer BRYAN RANDALL.
A spokesperson for the nonprofit organization told Page Six that donations are “up over 500% from this time last year,” while also noting there is $38 million committed to furthering ALS research.
As previously reported, Randall passed away on August 5 after a three-year battle with ALS. In lieu of flowers, his family asked that donations be made to the ALS Association.
Bullock and Randall had been together since 2015. [via Page Six]
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The late OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN is making sure her husband and daughter know she is still around.
Speaking to People Magazine, the actress’ daughter Chloe Lattanzi shared how she knows her mom is still with her, thanks to a blue orb.
“My phone accidentally took a picture of my dog, and there floating by his head was a little blue orb,” she explained. “Mom and I had talked years back. We’d watch these paranormal shows, and I’d say, ‘You gotta show up for me.’ And she was like, ‘I’ll show up as one of those orb things.’”
The same thing happened when Newton-John’s widow, John Easterling, visited Peru on what would have been their 15th wedding anniversary.
“I took a picture, and this blue orb is right between my eyes,” he shared. “It’s been a supernatural year.” [via People]
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A new generation has discovered BRUCE WILLIS’ alter ego, Bruno. (For those unfamiliar, Bruno is the name Willis used for his musical career.)
It all resurfaced with a post on X (formerly Twitter) mocking actor STEVEN SEGAL’s pop star days, and his 2004 song “Strut.” In the comments, one user brought up Bruno and his 1986 hit -- a cover of the STAPLES SINGERS song “Respect Yourself” -- which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
After venturing down the Bruno-Bruce Willis rabbit hole, it turns out he also had three more songs that were released the following year -- “Young Blood,” “Under The Boardwalk” and “Secret Agent Man” -- which all made it to the Hot 100, but were much lower on the list.
Bruno was largely forgotten after the 1989 release of his LP “If It Don’t Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger.” [via The Sun]
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Actress PHYLICIA RASHAD will retire as Dean of Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts after the upcoming school year.
The news was announced to the facility and students in an email from Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick this week, who thanked Rashad for her dedication to the school.
Rashad graduated from Howard in 1970 with a degree in fine arts. She was named the college’s dean in 2021 after it was named for the late “Black Panther” star CHADWICK BOSEMAN, who passed away after a battle with colon cancer.
Boseman graduated from the school in 2000, also with a degree in fine arts. Rashad had been one of his professors. [via ANDSCAPE]
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CASTING CALL
The 75th annual Emmy Awards has been pushed back to January 2024.
The event typically takes place in September, but with the ongoing strikes, that simply isn’t possible.
According to a press release, the Emmys will not be live, and instead will be filmed over two nights in early January before airing on January 15. [via Newsday]
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REBEL WILSON is on the mend after being injured on the set of her new film “Bride Hard.”
The Australian actress updated fans on the incident this week, showing off her stitched up nose, which she says got hit with the butt of a prop gun.
WORTH NOTING: “Bride Hard” is one of the films that received a Interim Agreement from SAG-AFTRA, allowing filming to resume despite the ongoing strikes. [via ET]
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Baby naming website Nameberry says searches for the “Barbie” have gone up 603% since the trailer for the movie dropped in April, while searches for “Ken” have jumped 293%.
Heading into 2023, “Barbie” was No. 1,896 out of 2,000 on the site’s list of popular names, while “Kenneth” came in at 113.
As for seeing a surge of baby Barbies and baby Kens in the coming year, Nameberry Editor-in-Chief Sophie Khim told People Magazine that she doesn’t believe there will be any “follow-through” on the increased interest. [via People]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
Two Kardashian kids are on the mend after suffering arm injuries.
In an Instagram post, KHLOE KARDASHIAN showed off her daughter, five-year-old TRUE THOMPSON, and four-year-old nephew, PSALM WEST, with their arms in casts.
“Summer 2023. Cousin cast club. Trampoline and monkey bars. They had a ball this summer,” she captioned the pics.
The post comes a day after KIM KARDASHIAN said she had taken a break from working out after “breaking [her] shoulder and tearing a tendon.” [via Hollywood Life]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
The controversial Royal Lodge had a very un-controversial short-term tenant.
The two-year-old daughter of PRINCESS BEATRICE and MAPELLI MOZZI stayed with grandparents SARAH FERGUSON and PRINCE ANDREW while her parents were on holiday.
WORTH REMEMBERING: Rumors swirled that KING CHARLES was trying to get Andrew out of the estate on the grounds of Windsor so that PRINCE WILLIAM and his family could move in. And despite being divorced, Andy and Fergie have lived together for many years. [via Express]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Mountain Day
National Son and Daughter Day
Play In The Sand Day
Ingersoll Day
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ON THIS DATE
1806 - Explorer Meriwether Lewis is shot in the hip while hunting elk near the Missouri River.
Lewis believed one of his expeditionary crew had fired at him by accident: Pierre Cruzatte was blind in one eye and nearsighted in the other. But when Lewis shouted, “Dam you, you have shot me!” there was no response.
At first he feared his colleague was attacked by Native Americans and rallied men to find him. But they eventually found him well, and Cruzatte denied firing the shot.
Lewis was fine, though he had to spend a few days lying face down in a canoe. The bullet matched the slug used in the rifle Cruzatte carried, but he went to his grave denying having fired the shot.
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1934 - The first federal prisoners arrive at Alcatraz Island.
The facility was intended for high-security prisoners as well as those with a history of escape attempts.
A few weeks later, Al Capone would arrive, and “Machine Gun” Kelly in September.
The prison operated for only 29 years. Attorney General Robert Kennedy ordered it shut down in 1963 based on its high maintenance costs.
It’s been a national park service site since 1972.
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1943 - German forces begin their retreat from Sicily following nearly a month of attacks led by General George Patton’s 7th Army and British General Bernard Montgomery’s 8th Army.
It took the Nazis a week to get nearly 40,000 soldiers and 10,000 vehicles onto the Italian mainland, where they regrouped with Italian troops and fortified their position.
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1984 - In a hot mic moment, President Ronald Reagan jokes about bombing Russia. While conducting an audio test for a radio address, Reagan says, “My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We will begin bombing in five minutes.”
The room laughed along with what was obviously a joke but the quip was nonetheless derided by the media as it leaked out in the ensuing days.
Reagan historian Craig Shirley later reported that the derision worked against Democrats in an election year: “They came across as hypersensitive, and Reagan as calm, cool and collected.”
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2008 - One day after an American swim team sets a new Olympic and World record for the 4-by-100 meter relay, another American team crushes it.
Led by Michael Phelps, the four-man team beat France by a solid eight seconds — shaving four seconds off the previous record.
Ironically, Phelps — who won eight gold medals that year — had only the third-fastest pace in his group.
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2020 - Democratic candidate for President, Joe Biden announces he has selected California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate.
Harris is the first woman of color selected by a major party.
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BIRTHDAYS
Savannah Chrisley - reality star, “Chrisley Knows Best” - 26
Tomi Lahren - political commentator - 31
Ursula Corbero - actress, “Money Heist” - 34
Chris Hemsworth - actor, “Thor” films - 40
Will Friedle - actor, “Boy Meets World” - 47
Joe Rogan - podcast host, “The Joe Rogan Experience” - 56
Viola Davis - actress, “Fences” & “How to Get Away with Murder” - 58
Hulk Hogan - wrestler - 70
Steve Woznak - entrepreneur, Apple Inc. - 73
Born On This Date
Alex Haley - writer, “Autobiography of Malcolm X” & “Roots” - 1921 (d. 1992)
Jean Parker - actress, “Little Women” - 1915 (d. 2005)
Enid Blyton - author, “The Famous Five” & “The Secret Seven” - 1897 (d. 1968)
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