Numlock News: October 31, 2024 • Beggar's Night, Brazilian Butt Lifts, Bluey
By Walt HickeyA Bandit, You Say?Australian police have recovered 40,061 limited-edition Bluey coins that were produced by the Australian Mint, believed to be a portion of 63,000 of the coins that were stolen from a warehouse in Sydney two months before they were destined to enter circulation. Each coin, produced to specially commemorate Bluey, the most significant Antipodean cultural export since Paul Hogan, is worth $1 (Australian dollars, or about US$0.65). Following the raid, a third person has been arrested in connection with the crime. The Australian Police named the investigation into the looted currency Strike Force Bandit, after Bluey’s father. Des MoinesThere are still a bunch of weird, Footloose-esque laws on the books and cultural customs in the god-fearing parts of America that ban weird things because of how it impacts The Children. One such custom is a Des Moines, Iowa, tradition to not trick-or-treat on Halloween, but rather to invent a day on the day before Halloween called “Beggar’s Night” where people trick-or-treat, sort of a real-life Cinco de Cuatro. Heavy thunderstorms this year, though, forced the city to delay the celebration by a day, meaning that for the first time since 1938, the children of Des Moines will get to trick-or-treat on Halloween. At press time, a delegation of missionaries from the great state of New Jersey was en route to Iowa to inform them about Mischief Night and presumably blow their minds. Scott McFetridge, The Associated Press Buzzing Light-YearsOur solar system orbits in the Milky Way galaxy at a speed of 230 kilometers per second, a pretty impressive clip but nevertheless one that generally abides the overall motion of the neighborhood. A new study has found one incredibly fast star — with a planet, no less — that moves at an impressive speed of 541 kilometers per second, the fastest known planetary system out there. It’s 1,000 light-years away from the galactic center, so pretty close to the action, and the thought is that the system may have been slingshotted by the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy. Jonathan O’Callaghan, Scientific American ContinentsAs we all know, there are seven continents: Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, North America, and South America. This makes sense, because to be a continent you need high elevation off the ocean floor, a wide range of rocks, a crust thicker than oceanic crust, and of course well-defined limits around a large enough area. But wait just a minute — that would mean Europe and Asia probably aren’t unique contintents, but Eurasia is? And maybe North America and Asia, separated by the once-dry Bering Strait, are one continent? Turns out there’s a lot of continental debate among experts, with some saying seven, some six, and then some five, but then again, even those might be wrong. Some say there are two: Antarctica, and everything else. Some say there are eight, because New Zealand sits on a 4.9 million-square-kilometer underwater — but nevertheless continental — mass called Zealandia, and just you wait, it’s time is coming. Others hear that and begin eyeing Iceland nervously, as it sure looks like it’s pretty damn continental by most definitions. Matt Kaplan, The New York Times SpatulaBlack plastic has become a persistent subject of study, given that they’re disproportionately likely to contain recycled electronic waste. This is an issue, because lots of e-waste contains flame-retardant chemicals, which is great when the plastic is encasing bot copper but actually bad when it’s in, say, cooking equipment. Flame-retardant chemicals tend to be the ones that cause people to throw around words like “forever chemicals” and “carcinogens,” so their presence in cooking equipment is generally considered to be a bad thing. One study of plastic in cooking goods found a sushi tray with 11,900 ppm of BDE-209, which is a chemical banned from commerce in the U.S. and which likely got there by way of recycling. Black plastic products were found to contain flame retardants at random, and of 200 bought at retail stores for the study, most weren’t touted as being made from recycled goods at all. Brazilian Butt Lift Default SwapsThe companies that specialize in bundling up “buy now, pay later” debt for health care needs are making a killing on bundling up the debt from people undergoing cosmetic surgeries and selling it to investors. Cherry Technologies wanted to package up $250 million worth of loans for cosmetic procedures into a bond, and got so much interest that eventually they upped it to a $400 million bundle of tummy tucks and botox. Overall, liposuctions and buccal fat removals were up 7 percent in 2023 and Botox was up 9 percent, so it’s an appealing growth business where often affluent customers are looking to pay off a higher up-front cost over a few months. Prices are also going up: A breast augmentation costs 13 percent more in 2023 than it did in 2022, a Brazilian butt lift costs 19 percent more, and a facelift is 22 percent more expensive, averaging $11,395. Charlie Wells, Claire Ballentine, and Carmen Arroyo, Bloomberg SunbeltThe NHL has been doing great, with big sales at the top of the league — a $1.8 billion price for the Tampa Bay Lightning — and increasingly solvable problems at the bottom of the league, like exiling the Arizona Coyotes to Utah. As a result, and thanks as well to high expectations for an especially lucrative Canadian television deal, valuations for NHL teams are way up, hitting $1.79 billion according to Sportico, up 37 percent compared to 2023 and up 92 percent since 2021. Thanks to the paid subscribers to Numlock News who make this possible. Subscribers guarantee this stays ad-free, and get a special Sunday edition. Consider becoming a full subscriber today. Send links to me on Twitter at @WaltHickey or email me with numbers, tips or feedback at walt@numlock.news. Send corrections or typos to the copy desk at copy@numlock.news. Check out the Numlock Book Club and Numlock award season supplement. Previous Sunday subscriber editions: MCU · Fanfiction · User Magazine · Reentry · Panda Dunks · Net Zero · Spiraled · On The Edge · Luggage · The Editors · Can’t Get Much Higher · Solitaire · Posting Nexus · Memorabilia · Drainage Tile · Desert Surfing · Music · Congestion Pricing · Underwater Sound · Hunts Point · Queer Olympics · Energy Drinks · Baseball Movies · Trillion Trees · Risk Aversion ·Packaging · Ice Cores · Stadium Names · Uncertain · Green Homes · Political Future · UFOs · Antarctica Comms · Rot Economy · The Internationalists · Video Game Funding · BYD · Disney Channel Original Movie · Talon Mine · Our Moon · Rock Salt · Wind TechsSunday Edition Archives: 2022 · 2021 · 2020 · 2019 · 2018You're currently a free subscriber to Numlock News. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. |
Older messages
Numlock News: October 31, 2024 • Beggar's Night, Brazilian Butt Lifts, Bluey
Thursday, October 31, 2024
By Walt Hickey ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Numlock News: October 30, 2024 • Vending, Tiny Toads, Rubber
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
By Walt Hickey ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Numlock News: October 29, 2024 • Notre Dame, Fab, Steak & Cheese
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
By Walt Hickey ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Numlock News: October 28, 2024 • Nerds, Noodles, Navy
Monday, October 28, 2024
By Walt Hickey ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Numlock Sunday: Stephen Follows on the horror movie boom
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Listen now (33 mins) | By Walt Hickey ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
You Might Also Like
⚡️ ‘Silo’ Season 2 Brings the Series to New Heights
Friday, November 1, 2024
Plus: Why is Marvel dumping all of its most exciting TV shows at once? Inverse Daily Unlike other sci-fi adaptations, 'Silo' is taking its sweet time, and its paying off. Apple TV+ Review '
Historic Flooding in Spain, a $20 Decillion Fine, and a Chill Polar Bear
Friday, November 1, 2024
Historic flash flooding in Spain devastated coastal cities this week, killing at least 158 people in one of the country's deadliest natural disasters. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
LEVER TIME: The New Movie Trump Doesn’t Want You To See
Friday, November 1, 2024
The Apprentice screenwriter calls out Hollywood for cowering to Donald Trump. A biopic of former president Donald Trump released right before the election seems ripe for box office success. But when
☕ Openly risky
Friday, November 1, 2024
Are open-source AI models worth the risk? November 01, 2024 Tech Brew Presented by Nasdaq It's Friday. Is open-source AI inherently dangerous, or the only way to encourage research and
Could Republicans try to scuttle a Harris victory?
Friday, November 1, 2024
Plus: Gen Z discovers the Access Hollywood tape, Starbucks ends alt-milk upcharges, and more. November 1, 2024 View in browser Andrew Prokop is a senior politics correspondent at Vox, covering the
Numlock News: November 1, 2024 • Roblox, Glicked, The Monster Mash
Friday, November 1, 2024
By Walt Hickey ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
☕ Roasted
Friday, November 1, 2024
Is college actually getting cheaper? November 01, 2024 View Online | Sign Up | Shop Morning Brew Presented By Uber Good morning, and welcome to November. Now that Halloween has come and gone, it's
Links For November 2024
Friday, November 1, 2024
... ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
LottieFiles supply chain attack exposes users to malicious crypto wallet drainer [Fri Nov 1 2024]
Friday, November 1, 2024
Hi The Register Subscriber | Log in The Register Daily Headlines 1 November 2024 Weak link in a chain LottieFiles supply chain attack exposes users to malicious crypto wallet drainer A scary few
What the Strategist Editors Bought in October
Friday, November 1, 2024
Plus: A sale on Alex Mill. The Strategist Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission. October 31, 2024 What