9/19/2023: Dude, Where’s My Car?
Discover more from Morning Martini
9/19/2023: Dude, Where’s My Car?
PLUS: Missing Jet; “Posh”; and Sweater for Sale
Today is Tuesday, September 19, 2023.
It is the 262nd day of the year.
103 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A couple of tyrants exchange gifts and a morbid door sells at auction. More in HIT LIST.
RYAN REYNOLDS wants to know what’s up with the pumpkin spice obsession and ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER is proud to be an American. More in SHOWBIZ.
“Barbie” continues to make big bucks at the box office and more talk shows hold off on returning. More in CASTING CALL.
SAINT WEST is no Saint. More in KARDASH.
An iconic sweater worn by PRINCESS DI blows out sales expectations at auction. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
Bloomberg reporter Dave Lee says ELON MUSK is going to start charging anyone who wants to have an account on X.
Musk made the announcement during a live talk with Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, who appeared with Musk during a livestream discussion about tech and censorship while visiting California.
Musk added that requiring payment for access to the platform would be the only way to totally get rid of bot accounts.
No official statement yet about a timeline or plan to implement the pay-to-post plot. [via DaveLeeBBG]
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With KIM JONG JUNIOR back in Pyongyang, state media for North Korea and Russia have reported on the gifts exchanged between Junior and VLADIMIR PUTIN.
Both men exchanged rifles made in their respective countries.
Vlad gave Junior a glove from a spacesuit that had been worn while in orbit. A local Russian governor gifted a full-body tactical armor set and another diplomat gave him a fur hat. Junior also headed home with five attack drones – the kind that explode on impact and have been used widely by Russia in their war on Ukraine.
The gift of weapons violates two UN Security Council resolutions levied against North Korea – which Russia voted to approve as a permanent member of that very council.
APPARENTLY: In North Korea there’s a giant museum to show off gifts offered to the three generations of Kim-family leaders. [via Reuters]
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The front door of the home that SHARON TATE was murdered in has sold at auction for $127,000, well over the $2,000 to $4,000 it was expected to go for.
For those familiar with the August 8, 1969 murder, the door is the same one that CHARLES MANSON follower Susan Atkins wrote “Pig” on in Tate’s blood.
No word on who the buyer is. [via Independent]
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A World War One-era single-engine, French-made Nieuport 28 fighter plane crashed during a landing at the American Heritage Museum in Hudson, Massachusetts over the weekend.
A preliminary investigation suggests the landing gear collapsed, causing the plane to flip over. Fortunately, the pilot was able to walk away.
The plane is believed to be only one of five of the models remaining around the globe. [via Aerotime]
MEANWHILE, IN SOUTH CAROLINA: The US Government appears to have lost an F-35B Lightning II jet that crashed after the pilot ejected during a flight on Sunday.
The pilot maneuvered the craft over two big lakes northwest of Charleston, South Carolina. It belongs to a training squadron whose purpose is helping fighter pilots clock adequate annual training hours. [via CNN]
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A 76-year-old Florida man named William Marts swung into action on Friday when an SUV crashed through his fence and landed in his swimming pool.
Marts says he immediately jumped into the water to help the driver when he noticed a little girl in the back seat. Fortunately, an off-duty detective spotted the crash and arrived to help. Both the driver and passenger were successfully recovered and taken to the hospital.
No word what exactly caused the crash, but… GET A LOAD OF THIS: Marts says he has dealt with seven cars crashing through his fence over the years. He’s calling on the city of North Lauderdale to figure out a better system. [via WSVN]
WORTH NOTING: No effing kidding.
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BREAKUPS
ARIANA GRANDE has officially filed for divorce from her husband of two years, real estate agent DALTON GOMEZ.
She has retained powerhouse attorney LAURA WASSER, who has repped KIM KARDASHIAN, DR. DRE and JOHNNY DEPP.
Dalton filed his own papers moments after his estranged wife.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 Stocks were mostly flat across the board on Monday. The DOW was up just 6 points, closing at 34,624. The S&P was up 3 points to close at 4,453 and the NASDAQ was up 1 point to close at 13,710.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $91; BRENT CRUDE at $94.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.88 on Monday.
₿ BITCOIN was up over 1% on Monday, trading around $26,800.
🛩 There were more than 2,450 FLIGHTS delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday and more than 70 such cancellations.
💰Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $183 million jackpot or a $87.4 million cash payout.
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SHOWBIZ NEWS
Music sources have doubled down on the disappointing news that NSYNC is not planning a reunion tour.
But, those same insiders have revealed that JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE will be hitting the road in 2024.
The tour will follow a not-yet-released album that insiders say Timberlake has been working on. [via Page Six]
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KATY PERRY has sold the rights of her songs and albums from 2008 to 2020 to Litmus Music for $225 million.
The deal includes her five albums, “One of the Boys” (2008), “Teenage Dream” (2010), “Prism” (2013), “Witness” (2017) and “Smile” (2020). [via Billboard]
BY THE WAY: Country singer KEITH URBAN was the first artist to sell his catalog to Litmus, which launched last summer.
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GEORGE and AMAL CLOONEY have plans to renew their vows in a lavish celebration at their Italian villa.
Insiders told Radar Online that the renewal will likely take place next spring, but could be sooner. Not only will the couple’s six-year-old twins be in attendance, but so will a handful of their A-list friends, including BRAD PITT and JULIA ROBERTS.
Remember, the couple had a tough time during covid lockdowns, so the renewal will serve as a way to celebrate them sticking it out. [via Radar Online]
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You won’t see RYAN REYNOLDS drinking anything pumpkin spice-related this fall, but you might see him with an Aviation Gin Negroni.
“It’s nearly fall, which means the entire universe will once again be losing its mind for pumpkin spice. Well, not at Aviation. Not on my watch. Let’s make a Negroni,” he says in a new ad for his liquor brand.
In the clip, released in honor of Negroni Week, Reynolds also ponders why “we lose our mind over pumpkin spice,” asking, “What the [eff] are we doing, people?”
As for how to make a Negroni, Reynolds says it's 1 oz. bitter red liqueur, 1 oz. sweet vermouth, and 1 oz. gin. He also suggests an orange peel garnish. [via People]
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ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER celebrated 40 years of being a US citizen with a collage of photos of him as a young boy in Austria and his journey to and in America.
“I owe everything to America. Born in Austria, made in America!” he captioned the post. [via Instagram]
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DAVID BECKHAM joined his son CRUZ in getting a “Posh” tattoo.
The ink is a tribute to his wife, and Cruz’s mom, VICTORIA BECKHAM aka Posh Spice from the SPICE GIRLS.
David’s tattoo is on the middle finger of his left hand, while Cruz got it on his arm, near his elbow. [via The Sun]
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RUSSELL BRAND’s UK comedy tour has been postponed following sexual assault allegations from four women.
“We don’t like doing it -- but we know you’ll understand,” promoters said in a statement Monday.
Brand’s publishing deal with Pan Macmillan was also pulled. [via Variety]
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CASTING CALL
JENNIFER HUDSON, BILL MAHER and the ladies of “The Talk” have all decided to postpone the return of their respective talk shows amid the ongoing writers’ strike.
The news comes after DREW BARRYMORE also decided to hold off on her daytime talk show after harsh criticism over returning while the strikes were still going on.
For his part, Maher said he will postpone things “for now,” but doubled down on his previous statement that people need “to get back to work.”
As for the strikes, a new round of contract negotiations are currently being planned. [via THR]
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“Barbie” is now the 11th-highest grossing film at the domestic box office.
Since its debut in July, the film has earned more than $626 million, jumping ahead of Marvel’s 2012 flick, “The Avengers,” which grossed $623 million.
Holding the No. 1 spot is “Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens” with $936 million. [via Variety]
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The two highest-grossing films based on a real-life person have one thing in common…actor RAMI MALEK.
“Oppenheimer” recently hit $912 million at the worldwide box office, taking the top spot from “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which peaked at $910 million.
In “Oppenheimer,” Malek plays physicist David Hill. In “Bohemian Rhapsody,” he stars as Freddie Mercury.
“American Sniper” is at No. 3 with $540 million. [via TMZ]
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COURT CASES
MARILYN MANSON pleaded no contest for allegedly blowing his nose on a videographer during a concert in New Hampshire in 2019.
The 54-year-old, who was ordered to appear in person for the misdemeanor charge, made a deal with prosecutors that for a no contest plea he would get nothing harsher than 20 hours of community service.
WORTH NOTING: A no contest plea means he didn’t contest the charge and also admitted no guilt. [via Page Six]
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CELEBRITY CELLBLOCK
“Real Housewives of Orange County” star SHANNON BEADOR was arrested for DUI and hit-and-run Sunday after she allegedly ran into a home and then took off.
Sources told TMZ that after the crash, Beador drove a bit further down the street, parked her car and then got out with her dog; acting as though she was simply out for an early morning stroll.
Officers were called and found the 59-year-old who they quickly determined was drunk and arrested her. She was later released with no bond. [via TMZ]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN had to stop and reprimand her seven-year-old son SAINT WEST after he flipped off a group of paparazzi.
Greeted by cameras as they left a basketball game on Friday night, Saint giggled as he gave them the bird which was met with a stern look from Kim.
RUNS IN THE FAMILY: In the family’s Christmas card photoshoot in 2021, Saint’s sister NORTH WEST also stuck up her middle finger at the camera, ruining most of the pictures. [via Page Six]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
A sweater worn by PRINCESS DIANA has sold for $1.14 MILLION at auction – blowing the expected $80,000 selling price out of the water.
Diana wore the red sweater knitted with white sheep – and a single black one – in 1981 shortly after her engagement to then-PRINCE CHARLES.
The sale also beats Sotheby’s auctions highest sale price for a piece of Diana memorabilia, when a purple gown sold for just over $600,000. [via ARTNews]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Get Ready Day
Talk Like a Pirate Day
National Butterscotch Pudding Day
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ON THIS DATE
1796 - George Washington's Farewell Address is published in the American Daily Advertiser.
He had drafted it four years earlier with the help of James Madison, when he intended to only serve one term as president. But after winning re-election it was shelved, though much of the content was still relevant.
Many of the founding fathers had already started fighting and political parties were quickly forming. This terrified Washington, who knew such division would not be healthy for the emerging nation.
He warned against all this in his address.
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1881 - James Garfield dies 79 days after being shot by Charles Guiteau on July 2nd.
Garfield had been bedridden, as surgeons were not able to find the bullet that was lodged in his back. The president suffered a fever and infection.
The last straw was a massive heart attack.
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1893 - New Zealand becomes the first free country in the world to grant suffrage rights to women.
The first election that women participated in occurred in November that year.
The U.S. would follow in 1920; Great Britain in 1928.
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1959 - Russian premier Nikita Khrushchev is barred from entering Disneyland in California.
The Soviet leader had been on a tour of Los Angeles, including visits to the Twentieth Century Fox studios and the set of the movie “Can-Can."
But his American security detail said a trip to Disneyland would pose too significant a threat. Khrushchev was furious and left the West Coast the next morning.
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1990 - “Goodfellas” opens in theaters nationwide.
The mob flick was based on the book “Wiseguy,” penned by crime reporter Nick Pileggi.
Joe Pesci would win a Best Actor Oscar for his role.
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1991 - A German archaeologist digs up the remains of what would become the oldest known and best-preserved human mummy.
He was nicknamed Otzi the Iceman, who is thought to have been born more than 5,000 years ago.
His corpse quickly froze after death, preserving even the contents of his stomach.
Otzi has been the best insight into life during the European Copper Age.
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1995 - The New York Times and Washington Post publish the Unabomber's 35,000-word manifesto, after he promised more death if the newspapers didn't comply.
Federal investigators actually approved the move. They thought increased public awareness would help capture the terrorist.
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2021 - The missing person’s case involving video-blogger Gabby Petito comes to an end when her body is found at Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming.
She was traveling across the country with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, at the time she went missing. He quickly became investigators' main suspect.
It would later come to light that Laundrie was in fact responsible for Petito’s death. The confession would be revealed after he took his own life.
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BIRTHDAYS
Trey Young - basketball player - 25
Pia Mia - pop singer - 27
Danielle Panabaker - actress, “The Flash” - 36
Renee Paquette - sportscaster, WWE - 38
Kevin Zegers - “Gossip Girl” & “Air Bud” - 39
Natalie Eva Marie - wrestler - 39
Jimmy Fallon - TV show host, “The Tonight Show” - 49
Sanaa Lathan - actress, “Love & Basketball” - 52
Trisha Yearwood - country singer - 59
Twiggy - model - 74
Jeremy Irons - actor, “The Lion King” & “Watchmen” - 75
Born On This Date
Mama Cass Elliot - folk singer - 1941 (d. 1974)
Adam West - actor, “Batman” - 1928 (d. 2017)
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