Aug 21, 2024

Very Demi-Sel, Very Mindful

Today's cheese pun references the latest "very demure, very mindful" Tik-Tok trend. The original was a caricature about how to wear "appropriate" hair and makeup for going to an office. Now it's spawned dozens of copycats. Some reference Kamala Harris, and one even goes for Wendolene from Wallace and Gromit. Meanwhile Demi-Sel, as we all know, is a French, lightly salted cream cheese. It comes in various forms and consistencies, a lot like this newsletter. Which prompts me to ask: How do you stay demi-sel and mindful in stressful situations? By reading today's cheddlines, of course:

Very modest. Very mature.

—Matt Davis, N2K Chedditor

P.S. We've got humanoid robots on our Instagram.

Quote of the Day

"James Cameron is deeply passionate about ocean exploration. He's said to me that exploring the ocean is his first passion, even beyond filmmaking." — Erik Stackpole

Read the story

1. One Gold Bar is Now Worth $1 Million

Remember the movie Goldfinger when James Bond pursued villainous Auric Goldfinger to Fort Knox, via Goldfinger's stud farm, in America? It contains one of my favorite movie moments of all time when Goldfinger cheats at golf. Mainly I love it because Sean Connery was wearing a very nice Slazenger golfing sweater during that scene, and I'm all about the right textiles on the right person at the right time. The rest of the movie is also rather watchable but seriously, check out that burgundy sweater when you get the chance.

In very much related news, Goldfinger liked gold bars. It turns out he was onto something because the price of a standard gold bar has just reached $1 million for the first time. Such a bar weighs 400 troy ounces (they're a unit of measurement for precious metals based on a pound of 12 ounces, rather than 16, or what a recreational substances dealer might call a "weekend special," so I'm told), and a troy ounce is now worth $2,500. It's a record high! Gold prices have risen 20% this year because investors want a dependable asset in uncertain economic times. It's also a hedge against inflation, and there's been a lot of that around lately. Sounds like a golden opportunity for investment, although of course I would never offer you financial advice. Read More

2. Will Trump Appoint Musk if Elected?

In the same way that I'm open to appointing Lenny Kravitz as my personal stylist when I get elected president "if he would do it," Former President Donald Trump has told Reuters he would offer the Tesla CEO a spot in his administration on the same basis. My sense is that Elon might be too busy playing at being a Bond villain (see "Auric Goldfinger" above), but, sure, he might take the position for a bit of a laugh if it were offered.

Trump praised Musk's intelligence and willingness to serve. He also said the pair have frequent discussions on various topics including immigration (Elon, who immigrated to the U.S. at 17, is mostly against it, it turns out) and technology (Elon is apparently pro). Musk has shown political support for Trump. He's even interviewed him on his social media platform, X, despite past criticisms they've exchanged. Relations seem to have warmed recently, with public endorsements from both sides. However, Musk's actions such as firing striking workers have attracted federal labor charges and criticism from Vice President Kamala Harris. Meanwhile, Former President Barack Obama heartily endorsed Harris at the Democratic National Convention last night. I'm asking myself which camp I'd rather be in. How about you? Read More

From @cheddar

It's happening.🫣 Robots are gearing up to get to work. Robotics company Figure AI has unveiled its second-generation humanoid robot, Figure 02, marking significant advancements in the field of humanoid robotics.

It improves on its predecessor, the Figure 01 with enhanced AI, improved computer vision from six RGB cameras, and dexterous hands featuring 16 degrees of freedom, capable of lifting up to 25 kg (55.1 lb).

In partnership with OpenAI, Figure 02 can engage in real-time conversations and perform tasks using advanced language and visual processing.

Follow @cheddar on Instagram!

3. Does Jeff Bezos Want to Buy the Celtics?

One of my favorite Onion stories is about how it's "Pretty Cute Watching Boston Residents Play Daily Game Of 'Big City.'" It's a "live-action role-playing adventure in which Bostonians buzz about their daily routines in a delightful hubbub of excitement as if they lived in a major American metropolis."

LOLS. But whatever you think of Boston, it does have a successful basketball team. Although, their championship-winning star, Jason Tatum, basically warmed the bench for the American team during their recent gold medal run at the Olympic Games in Paris. Anyway, the Celtics are currently for sale for $6 billion. That rules me out as a potential buyer, sadly. It rules in Jeff Bezos, whose net worth is (checks notes) $195.7 billion. I would settle just for that point 7 billion bucks, but that's what makes me a small man in a world of big ones, apparently.

Bezos also recently failed to buy the Washington Commanders in the NFL. So why not pivot, bro? And he bought the Washington Post for $250 million in 2013. Since then, he has presided over a collapse in its profitability and a cratering in staff morale. Come to think of it, maybe he should just keep his billions to himself and let the rest of us keep our NBA franchises? Hashtag billionaires. Am I right? 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. I'd Like To Be Under the Sea in an Octopus's Garden With James Cameron

How cool would it be to journey thousands of feet beneath the ocean in a watercraft directed by James Cameron? We chatted with OceanXplorers star Erik Stackpole about his time on the show OceanXplorers with Jimbo.

"James Cameron is deeply passionate about ocean exploration. He's said to me that exploring the ocean is his first passion, even beyond filmmaking," Erik said. "Having this world-class director in charge of a lot of how we tell that story I think is going to help make our mission a lot more than just entertainment," he said.

"This was an unprecedented expedition for us because we were using the most state-of-the-art ship for doing this sort of work," he said. "We have on board some of the most cutting-edge technology combined with the best crew in the world. And, in a short period of time, we were able to make some incredible discoveries."

Tell us more about that technology, Erik!

"The OceanXplorer has two crewed submersibles on board," he said. "They can dive together. We've got a deep-sea roving vehicle that can go to almost 20,000 feet of depth. An onboard helicopter. We've got all sorts of labs for doing research. Various deployable assets. A multibeam sonar that can look at the bottom of the ocean and map it. I mean, it is just teeming with every little bit of technology you could imagine."

It does look cool. Check out the interview. Read More

5. Canadian Company (Eh?) Could Buy 7-Eleven in Largest-Ever Foreign Takeover of a Japanese Firm (Arigato)

The Tokyo-based owner of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain, Seven & i, has received a purchase proposal from Canadian company Alimentation Couche-Tard (ACT).

If successful, this could be the largest foreign takeover of a Japanese company. Seven & i's 7-Eleven has over 84,000 stores globally, while ACT operates over 16,700 stores and gas stations. Following the bid, shares in Seven & i surged by 22%.

The deal comes after Japan relaxed rules making it tougher for company boards to dismiss unsolicited offers, placing more power in the hands of shareholders. Seven & i's board has now established a special committee to consider the proposal.

The move marks another attempt by ACT to expand its global reach after failed attempts to acquire the French supermarket Carrefour and the US gas station chain Speedway.

My fond hope is that the move might finally bring Japanese 7-Eleven snacks to the U.S., with its fluffy egg salad sandwich the stuff of legend. It's all about the Japanese mayo, apparently! But sure, it's a multi-billion-dollar business deal. That's what really matters, not the mayo. Okay, it's mainly about the mayo. As is life. Read More