Some Gambled and Won, Others Gammelost |
Gammelost, as we all know, is a distinctive Norwegian cheese. Since its production is extremely laborious — just like that of this newsletter — the cheese that was once the staple of a Norwegian diet is today not made in mass quantities. In fact, it is extremely rare to find it outside Norway. I told you we were moving on to the more difficult cheese puns these days, right? Speaking of gambling, today's cheddlines you Need2Know are full of people who have gone all-in on their behavior, for better or worse. Gammelost! —Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor P.S. We've got clips from OpenAI's new text to graphics model, SORA, on our 'gram. |
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"Real estate agents play a very critical role in the industry. But AI no doubt would transform the industry." —Tushar Garg |
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1. Luigi Mangione Charged with Murder |
Across America, media professionals have been considering ways they can cash in on the Luigi Mangione story for the last 36 hours. The biopic. The bio-book. The photoshoots. The centerfolds. Not to mention the circus surrounding his inevitable trial. Now charged with second-degree murder, 26-year-old Mangione finds himself at the center of the nation's attention, and some moderately diverting memes. Also, I believe somebody may have died as a result of his shooting them to death in the street?
I'm not a priest, but I'm imagining the sermon I'd write about the case for this Sunday, if I were. Yes, I understand why people are making memes about Mangione and expressing outrage about the injustices of health insurance companies in America. At the same time, I don't believe killing anybody is ever a particularly good idea, and I don't like that we're making this horrific incident the focus of our collective attention for what, in many ways, seem like sick reasons. On the other hand, this kid is hot.
FYI: This is probably the most reasonable bit of writing in the best possible taste that you're going to see about this case for the next 20 years. Isn't that something? Read More |
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2. Alaska Air Plans Nonstop Flights to Japan & Korea |
Alaska Airlines has unveiled plans to introduce new nonstop flights to Japan and Korea. It's part of a broader $1 billion post-merger profit push following its $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines in September.
Nonstop services will connect Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with two major Asian hubs: Tokyo's Narita International Airport in May, and Seoul's Incheon International Airport in South Korea in October—possibly just in time to catch the re-declaration of martial law and/or the re-restoration of democracy!
Using Hawaiian's Airbus A330-200s for these routes signifies not just an expansion of services but also an upgrade in the travel experience Alaska Airlines can offer. Ticket sales for the Tokyo route are already underway, with the Seoul flights expected to go on sale in early 2025.
Alaska's expansion and service enhancements position it as a formidable competitor against larger carriers like Delta, especially in the battle for premium customers. But competition amongst major airlines can only be a good thing. Read More |
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| Lights, camera, AI?
OpenAI just launched Sora, its text-to-video AI model. Available now for ChatGPT subscribers in the U.S. and most countries, Sora Turbo features include text-to-video generation, image animation, and video remixing.
With a ChatGPT Plus subscription, users can get up to 50 priority videos at 720p for five seconds each. The new $200/month ChatGPT Pro plan offers unlimited generations, 1080p quality, 20-second durations, watermark-free downloads, and simultaneous generations. |
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3. Swift Gives $197M in Bonuses to Tour Staff |
As the curtains fall on her monumental Eras Tour, Taylor Swift isn't just basking in the uproar of applause. People Magazine says she gave out a whopping $197 million in bonuses to her tour crew and performers before, presumably, having somebody tell People Magazine all about it.
From truck drivers to caterers, from sound and lighting technicians to dancers and security, everyone involved received a share of this massive bonus pool. In August alone, as the North American leg concluded, Swift had already distributed over $55 million.
By the end of her 149th show, the Eras Tour had attracted over 10 million attendees, amassing a staggering $2.08 billion in ticket sales, making it the bestselling tour of all time. In fact, it doubled the gross ticket sales of any other concert tour in history.
Swift's Eras Tour book sold 814,000 copies within just two days of release, becoming the most successful publishing launch of the year. With six Grammy nominations awaiting her at the next award ceremony, including one for Album of the Year for "The Tortured Poets Department," 2025 also looks just as promising for this 14-time Grammy winner. Read More |
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4. Knock, Knock! Who's There? It's AI, and I'm Coming for the Realtors |
Should real estate agents fear AI? Tushar Garg, CEO at Flyhomes, says no. Then again, his company aims to use AI to revolutionize the real estate business, so he would say that.
"Real estate agents play a very critical role in the industry," he alleged. "But AI no doubt would transform the industry starting from the consumers. It's going to provide access to information in ways that they haven't had. Hyper-personalized."
"We believe at Flyhomes that consumers should be empowered with all kinds of data," he said. "So we have to build the most advanced search and discovery experience where you can find out what homes are available on the market."
So much for just opening Zillow and sticking in a Zip Code and a price range, I guess? Read More |
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5. 2025 Golden Globe Nominations Announced |
Ahead of the January 5 awards, this year's film categories are stacked with a mix of box office juggernauts and critical darlings stretching across an extensive range of genres. Leading the pack, Emilia Pérez, an evocative drama, has clinched a staggering 10 nominations, making it the film to watch because I, personally, had never heard of it before.
From Netflix, where it's streaming: "A Mexican lawyer is offered an unusual job to help a notorious cartel boss retire and transition into living as a woman, fulfilling a long-held desire."
That, to be fair, does sound like quite a good watch.
Not far behind, Universal's musical marvel Wicked floated to the top with four nominations, including Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy. Other key contenders include Dune: Part Two, affirming its continued impact on the sci-fi genre with a nod in the Best Motion Picture — Drama category. The nominations have also favored fresh talents and seasoned actors alike, with highlights in the Best Performance categories featuring stalwarts like Nicole Kidman for Babygirl and fresh faces such as Gabriel LaBelle in Saturday Night.
On the small screen, recent Emmy winner Shogun has translated its critical acclaim into Golden Globe success with four nominations. Hacks and The Bear prove their staying power, with standout performances from Jean Smart and Jeremy Allen White once again making them frontrunners in the comedy acting categories. The television drama sections are headlined by Shogun and the new entrant Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which sees Donald Glover return to the limelight, unlike Gammelost cheese, which as we all know, is no longer made in mass quantities and extremely rare to find outside Norway. That's called a callback joke, people, and FYI, priests use them in sermons all the time. Read More |
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