Hafod, as we all know, is an artisanal cheese made by Holden Farm Dairy, situated near Lampeter in Wales. Created from either raw or pasteurized cow's milk and animal rennet, Hafod boasts a supple texture, a golden-yellow interior, and occasional blue veins. Just like the creator of this newsletter! In other news it's Thanksgiving on Thursday and nobody in America is seriously going to do any work this week. I've had my mouse-jiggler jiggling my mouse for everybody's benefit ever since last Tuesday. And at 5:30 this evening I'm off to Costco with my father-in law to buy a turkey the size of a Cybertruck. Because the New York Times says "brine it for three days," so we need to get brining, or God forbid, the turkey will only be brined for two days or something—thus inedible. Sorry. You're here for the cheddlines! Jiggle your mouse! —Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor |
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"I'll be here when this building closes, when everybody, you know, moves on to something else." — John Jobbagy |
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1. 'Wicked' and 'Gladiator' make Gravity-Defying Theater Debuts |
This weekend I watched a bunch of my favorite YouTube show, which doesn't have a name but is made on home camcorders by a guy called Martijn Doolard, who lives in the Italian Alps. Did I go to the movies? Hello, no. And I'm a microcosm of the failure of Hollywood to capture huge audiences, with box office down about 25% from pre-Pandemic levels.
Still, with a combined $270 million in worldwide ticket sales this weekend, "Wicked" and "Gladiator II" breathed fresh life into a box office that has struggled lately, leading to one of the busiest moviegoing weekends of the year. Looks like they're doing fine without me.
Jon M. Chu's lavish big-budget musical "Wicked," starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, debuted with $114 million domestically and $164.2 million globally for Universal Pictures, according to studio estimates Sunday. That made it the third-biggest opening weekend of the year, behind only "Deadpool & Wolverine" and "Inside Out 2." It's also a record for a Broadway musical adaptation.
Ridley Scott's "Gladiator II," a sequel to his 2000 Best Picture–winning original, launched with $55.5 million in ticket sales. With a price tag of around $250 million to produce it, "Gladiator II" was a big bet by Paramount Pictures to return to the Coliseum with a largely new cast, led by Denzel Washington and Paul Mescal. While it opened with a touch less than the $60 million predicted in domestic ticket sales, "Gladiator II" has also performed well overseas. It added $50.5 million internationally.
Last year, "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" launched simultaneously on the same weekend, bringing in a little more.
"We saw an opportunity to dominate a weekend and get a very large running start into the Thanksgiving holiday," said Jim Orr, distribution chief for Universal. "We're very confident that it will play ridiculously well through the Christmas corridor and into the new year."
72% of ticket buyers for "Wicked" were female. 61% of those seeing Gladiator II were men.
The "Gladiator II" marketing campaign featured everything from a much-debated Airbnb cross-promotion with the actual Colosseum in Rome to simultaneously running a one-minute trailer on more than 4,000 TV networks, radio station and digital platforms. The "Wicked" onslaught went even further, with pink-and-green "Wickedly Delicious" Starbucks drinks, Stanley mugs and Mattel dolls (some of which led to an awkward recall). Its stars made appearances at the Met Gala and the Olympics.
Going into the weekend, U.S. box office was down about 11% from last year. "This weekend's two strong openers are invigorating a box office that fell apart after a good summer," said David A. Gross, the appropriately named film consultant.
Coming in a distant third place for the weekend was "Red One," the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Chris Evans holiday movie turned action film. In its second week of release, the Amazon MGM Studios release grossed $13.3 million to bring its two-week global haul to $117 million. At a cost of $250 million, "Red One" is already the season's biggest flop, though it could recoup some value for Amazon if it's more popular once it begins streaming. (It's no "Megalopolis," though.) Also, you should follow The Rock on Instagram. He's marvelous. Read More |
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2. How AI Is Reshaping the Financial Services Industry |
John Kain, the head of financial services market development at Amazon Web Services, offered us some insights into the transformative role of AI within the financial services sector. AI is reshaping customer experiences, streamlining operations, and driving innovation, he said.
"AI has really worked its way into every part of the financial services value chain," he said. From the initial onboarding process, where AI verifies identities, to a loan application process, where AI-powered algorithms assess creditworthiness, AI's presence is undeniable. AI is also instrumental in fraud detection, risk management, and customer service.
AI-driven automation also leads to improved customer satisfaction. For instance, AI-powered chatbots can provide instant responses to customer queries, while AI-driven personalization can deliver tailored product recommendations, John said. AI-powered transcription and summarization tools can significantly improve call center efficiency. In compliance processes, it's reducing the time spent to do money laundering compliance by 70%.
While acknowledging the potential of AI to automate tasks, John emphasized that AI is not about replacing humans but augmenting their capabilities. He underscored the importance of human oversight and expertise, particularly in areas such as financial advice and risk management. He said: "It's very much a human loop process. Everyone's looking at how do we make an individual more effective in providing advice or driving their own job rather than trying to replace them?" Read More |
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| Engineered Arts' Ameca, the world's most advanced humanoid robot, is asked why she wouldn't want to be human—and she keeps it real: traffic jams. I assume they programmed a lot of far more frightening answers out of her. But I want to hear those. |
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3. Danny Trejo Is Digging Up Mysteries |
Danny Trejo, the iconic actor known for his rugged roles and distinctive presence, recently sat down for an interview with us at the New York Stock Exchange. I watched him begging Robert DeNiro to shoot him in Heat only last Friday, in fact. So it was nice to see that he was in fact acting, and that he had survived. Sporting a dapper suit with a touch of bling, Trejo discussed his new show on the History Channel, "Mysteries Unearthed with Danny Trejo," and shared insights into his remarkable life journey.
"Mysteries Unearthed" joins the History Channel's lineup of shows exploring the strange and unusual, alongside programs featuring Dan Aykroyd and William Shatner, and of course, quite a few documentaries about the Nazis. The show's premise revolves around the fascinating concept of stumbling upon historical treasures in unexpected places.
Trejo's enthusiasm for the subject is palpable. He told stories of accidental discoveries, like a Roman temple unearthed in a backyard in England and a Civil War battleship found during the World Trade Center's construction. "It's like finding history by accident," he marvels. "You know, when you go out looking for it, that's one thing. But like somebody was digging in their backyard in England and they found a Roman temple buried down there." #NotFinancialAdvice
The show promises to take viewers on a journey of exploration, uncovering these hidden gems and shedding light on the mysteries that lie beneath the surface. Trejo's own life story is a testament to the power of resilience and transformation. He openly discussed his troubled past, including his struggles with addiction and time spent in prison. However, he emphasized that his experiences ultimately led him to a path of redemption and purpose.
"Everything good that has happened to me has happened as a direct result of helping someone else," Trejo said. "Everything."
He credits his commitment to helping others as the catalyst for his remarkable turnaround. His journey from inmate to Hollywood star is an inspiring example of the potential for positive change. Trejo's entrepreneurial spirit is as also vibrant as his acting career. He has successfully launched a range of businesses, including Trejo's Tacos, a record label, and a hot sauce line. When asked about the common thread, he emphasizes quality and authenticity.
"We just opened a Trejo's Tacos up in London on Portobello Road, and it's like, London needed good food," Trejo said.
At 80 years old, Trejo's energy and enthusiasm remain infectious. He attributes his youthful spirit to his unwavering drive and refusal to slow down. "Don't stop," he said. "Don't stop. You know, keep it up. Walk. You got to walk." #NotFinancialAdvice Read More |
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4. The Last Meatpackers in New York's Meatpacking District Are Packing Up |
When John Jobbagy's grandfather immigrated from Budapest in 1900, he joined a throng of European butchers chopping up animals in a loud, smelly corner of Manhattan that New Yorkers called the Meatpacking District. Today only a handful of meatpackers remain, and they're preparing to say goodbye to a very different neighborhood, known more for its high-end boutiques and expensive restaurants than the industry that gave it its name.
Jobbagy and the other tenants in the district's last meat market have accepted a deal from the city to move out so the building can be redeveloped, the culmination of a decades-long transformation.
"The neighborhood I grew up in is just all memories," said Jobbagy, 68. "It's been gone for over 20 years."
In its heyday, it was a gritty hub of over 200 slaughterhouses and packing plants at the intersection of shipping and train lines, where meat and poultry were unloaded, cut and moved quickly to markets. Now the docks are recreation areas and an abandoned freight line is the High Line park. The Whitney Museum of American Art moved from Madison Avenue next to Jobbagy's meat company in 2015.
Another turning point came with the 2009 opening of the High Line, on a defunct rail track originally built in the 1930s. The popular greenway is now flanked by hotels, galleries and luxury apartment buildings. Jobbagy said his father died five years before the opening and would be baffled at what it looks like now.
"If I told him that the elevated railroad was going to be turned into a public park, he never would have believed it," he said.
Though an exact eviction date for the last meat market has not been set, some of the other companies will relocate elsewhere. Not Jobbagy, who has held on by supplying high-end restaurants and the few retail stores that still want fresh hanging meat. He'll retire, along with his brother and his employees, most of them Latino immigrants who trained with him and saved up to buy second homes in Honduras, Mexico or the Dominican Republic. He expects to be the last meatpacker standing when the cleaver finally falls on Gansevoort Market.
"I'll be here when this building closes, when everybody, you know, moves on to something else," Jobbagy said. "And I'm glad I was part of it and I didn't leave before." Read More |
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5. The UN Offered Developing Nations $300 Billion to Fight Climate Change—and No One Is Happy |
United Nations climate talks adopted a deal in Azerbaijan to inject at least $300 billion annually in humanity's fight against climate change, aimed at helping developing nations cope with the ravages of global warming in tense negotiations.
The $300 billion will go to developing countries who need the cash to wean themselves off the coal, oil and gas that causes the globe to overheat, adapt to future warming and pay for the damage caused by climate change's extreme weather. It's not near the full $1.3 trillion that developing countries were asking for, but it's three times a deal of $100 billion a year from 2009 that is expiring.
Some delegations said this deal is headed in the right direction, with hopes that more money flows in the future. But it was not quite the agreement by consensus that these meetings usually operate with, and some developing nations were livid about being ignored.
"It's a paltry sum," India negotiator Chandni Raina said, repeatedly noting that India's objection was met with rousing cheers. "I'm sorry to say we cannot accept it."
A long line of nations agreed with India and piled on, with Nigeria's Nkiruka Maduekwe, CEO of the National Council on Climate Change, calling the deal an insult and a joke.
"I'm disappointed. It's definitely below the benchmark that we have been fighting for for so long," said Juan Carlos Monterrey, of the Panama delegation. He noted that a few changes, including the inclusion of the words "at least" before the number $300 billion and an opportunity for revision by 2030, helped push them to the finish line.
"Our heart goes out to all those nations that feel like they were walked over," he said.
The final package pushed through "does not speak or reflect or inspire confidence," India's Raina said. "We absolutely object to the unfair means followed for adoption. We are extremely hurt by this action by the president and the secretariat."
U.N. Climate Change's executive secretary, Simon Stiell, called the deal an "insurance policy for humanity," adding that like insurance, "it only works if the premiums are paid in full, and on time."
And even though it's far from the needed $1.3 trillion, it's more than the $250 billion that was on the table in an earlier draft of the text, which outraged many countries and led to a period of frustration and stalling over the final hours of the summit.
Many now have eyes on next year's climate talks in Belem, Brazil. Read More |
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