Jul 22, 2024

It's Muensterday, Cheeseballs!

Joe Brie-den withdrew from the Presidential campaign on a sleepy Sunday afternoon in mid-July, seeing no whey to victory. If you've got a better cheese-related pun in reaction to this news, email me with it. I'll be giving out medals.

Biden chose National Ice Cream Day to break the news to the nation on Twitter, prompting Wolf Blitzer to cancel his weekend drinks and haul it back into the studio. I was at a cross-fit class at the time, happily hauling it into the yellow zone on a treadmill and being yelled at by a kindly trainer called Stephen, until my Apple Watch starting lighting up like a Christmas Tree and I, too, had to withdraw from running, in my own way. On days like this, one's VO2 max can wait. There were group texts to get stuck into.

Biden, evidently, realized it was time to end his campaign after emphatically insisting he was not going to do so for several long weeks, ever since June 27 when his disastrous debate performance prompted none other than George Clooney to write an opinion piece in the world's largest newspaper saying even though he'd hosted a multi-million dollar fundraiser for the man, weeks earlier, he didn't really mean it. Even news of Donald Trump's attempted assassination last weekend (what is it about the weekends this summer?) failed to staunch the tide of leaked stories quoting close, loyal aides to Biden saying distant, disloyal things about him, without their names attached. Goes to prove the old adage that if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog, although Biden's two dogs, Major and Commander, have both been relocated from the White House since he took office for showing aggressive behavior. Perhaps they sensed the need to protect the hand that fed them a little too keenly?

Today's schedule has number 46 receiving his presidential briefing in the morning, and then...nothing else for the next six months. Sources say he's disgruntled about his ouster but then again, wouldn't you be? Biden did have the good grace to endorse his Vice President, Kamala Harris, and her touted competitors for the Presidential nomination, including Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, quickly fell in behind her. Investors have said Biden's withdrawal could create uncertainty but market futures were little changed late last night, perhaps suggesting stock prices had already accepted Biden's withdrawal as an inevitability since the debate. Meanwhile the possible impacts of Kamalanomics are yet to make themselves clear. We'll be here for it all, of course, Cheddar-friends. And we have absolutely no intention of dropping out of this race.

Other cheddlines to kickstart your week:

I camembert the suspense!

—Matt Davis, N2K Chedditor

P.S. We've got cool video on our Instagram of urban surfing in Rotterdam.

1. On a Summer Sunday, Biden Withdrew With a Text Statement. Then What?

Pity the journalist in your life who has now missed two weekends in a row on the back of huge blowups in the 2024 Presidential campaign. Next weekend, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump could do the world a favor by taking it easy and doing very little. Make like the troops in the World War I trenches and play soccer during a temporary "Christmas" armistice or something, guys? None of us can take this frantic pace until November! Read More

2. Have You Tried Turning It Off and On Again?

Pity George Kurtz, CEO of cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which was responsible for the global tech meltdown late last week that sent his company's shares tumbling. Kurtz shares a surname with the degenerate colonel in the movie Apocalypse Now played by Marlon Brando. So, while he took to Twitter to acknowledge the outage, he didn't say "sorry"—perhaps because his lawyers had told him it's a word that comes with liability attached, especially when you've delayed hospital procedures, bank payments, and thousands of flights. But he might as well have whispered "the horror, the horror" directly into his shareholders' ears.

(He has some experience in this area, having been CEO of McAfee, the antivirus software company, when in 2010 its defective update caused a "worldwide meltdown of XP PCs," according to ZDNet.)

Cybersecurity needs much better crisis management, it seems, starting with the idea that when your product is meant to keep people's Microsoft systems healthy, it's best to avoid turning the world's expensive electronic devices into useless bricks. I sense a rebrand coming for CrowdStrike, and it's possible Mr. Kurtz might also end up with plenty more time on his hands to start a cult of personality in the heart of a dark jungle somewhere. By the way, if you have a suggestion for a new name for CrowdStrike, I'd like to hear it—email me by replying to this newsletter.

Meantime, if your Microsoft-enabled computer crashes, install a patch we've sent to your email that you can't access because your computer crashed. Or just turn boot it into Safe Mode and delete a specific file called "C-00000291*.sys". Then turn it off and on again 15 more times. We could talk you through it on Teams, if only that worked. Or you could Google "nearest Apple store" because the fix on offer there might be quicker. Watch Now

From @cheddar

Surfers in Holland can now ride five-foot waves in the middle of the city! 🌊🤙

Rotterdam recently opened RiF010, an artificial surf pool located in its city center. The surf pool uses advanced wave technology to create consistent and customizable waves, making it an ideal spot for surf training and competitions.

A video by SurferToday shows Brazilian pro surfer Italo Ferreira catching the first wave during the grand opening of RiF010.

The urban wave pool is open to the public, with one-hour sessions available for approximately $55.

Follow @cheddar on Instagram!

3. Always Ask for an Upgrade, and Other Money-Saving Hotel Hacks

Whenever I stay at a hotel, I say, "Thanks for letting me stay in this hotel, it is an escape from my real life, which is far less luxurious. That will be all."

But it turns out I'm doing it wrong and there are plenty of hacks and maneuvers in the hotel-verse that can save you money.

Like a cat stalking its prey, waiting until the last moment can snag you a deal. New hotels are also cheaper because they're building up their reputations. Always book directly with the hotel, calling them up instead of booking online to see if they'll match the Internet price and they'll often throw in extras. When you book direct, hotels are more likely to treat you like a VIP. Don't just stay at the hotel, experience it. Bundle up those extra activities for some serious savings. Above all, always ask for an upgrade.

This is enough to make me want to book the Mandarin Oriental on Central Park again. (I'm a regular—i.e., I went once, for my wife's second 39th birthday.) They have a spa. They have room service. The bathrooms have landlines installed next to the marble commodes. Then you look out the window and the Trump International is obscuring your view of the park. But you can still tell your friends you stayed at this hotel and maintain your reputation in New York City. That's the real luxury hotel hack: Knowing your Instagram audience.

P.S. What's your special hotel hack? Let me know by replying to this email! Read More

You Need 2 Know About This Box!

Meet the Sunset Box, a quarterly subscription service sending home, wellness, and travel goodies straight to your doorstep, curated by editors at mag Sunset, the Western-lifestyle magazine that just so happens to be a sister company of ours.

Since you clearly have good taste (you're an N2K subscriber, after all), we think you'll love this box. Use code CHEDDAR15 for 15% off your subscription.

Gimme the Box!

Note: Sadly does not contain any cheese.

4. Mortgages Are a Bit Cheaper, But Also Still Very Expensive

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage has dipped to 6.77%, marking its lowest point since March. This decline, the second in a row for two whole weeks running, offers a slight respite from soaring home prices and a limited inventory. Despite these shifts, rates are still considerably high compared to three years ago, when my in-laws refinanced their house. And man, will they not shut up about it.

The decrease in rates spurred an increase in mortgage applications, with refinancing jumping to its highest level since August 2022 (although you won't save as much as my in-laws did, believe me...you wouldn't believe how much they saved, in fact, let me just remind myself again of the extraordinary amount it was).

While challenges persist, the dip in rates could be a green light for those on the fence about buying a home. We think you might want to wait a little while longer, though (although of course, this isn't financial advice!), because this could be a sign of a looming trend, particularly with interest rate cuts coming, maybe possibly, if Jerome Powell ever makes up his mind, in September. Read More

5. This Year's Amazon Prime Day Was Biggest Ever for Amazon, Says Amazon

Speaking of saving/spending money, millions of new customers signed up for Prime during Amazon's two-day midsummer sales event last week, with spending of $14.2 billion up 11% on last year. The "everything store," which started frugally selling books over the Internet from a Bellevue, Washington, garage in 1994, said back-to-school purchases, particularly backpacks and lunchboxes, boosted sales, as well as electronics and home appliances. But don't worry if you missed out. There's always next year. And it's not like Amazon needs your cheddar to get through the winter. Read More