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☆ 7 things Starbucks customers should stop wasting money on, according to a former barista
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Inga Parkel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewI worked as a Starbucks barista for nearly a year, and I became extremely familiar with just how expensive the popular coffee chain is. As a stingy spender, I made several mental notes on ways customers would unnecessarily waste their money during my shifts. If I find irresistible merchandise, I'll take advantage of the Starbucks rewards program. If you're looking for a caffeine fix, stop wasting your money on hot venti lattesGrande and venti lattes have the same amount of espresso. Stop paying for bottled waterI've always been baffled by people who insist on buying bottled water from Starbucks.

Persons: —, spender, Nadir Keklik, Michael Probst, It's, they're, Ramin Talaie Organizations: Service, Business, AP, Americano, Getty, Starbucks

☆ New ‘Apprentice’ Book Paints Trump as Wounded, Forgetful and Hung Up on Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Shawn Mccreesh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was May 2021, and Donald J. Trump was wounded. He told Mr. Trump he wanted to write a book, not about the unpleasantness of the previous four years, but about that prelapsarian period before Mr. Trump entered politics. Mr. Trump was sold. “He was at his lowest then,” Mr. Setoodeh, 42, said over lunch in Manhattan’s West Village on Friday. “You’ll sell 10,000 books at one rally,” he told Mr. Setoodeh.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, he’d, Ramin Setoodeh, “, ”, Setoodeh, ” Mr, ’, Mr Organizations: Capitol, Trump, Mr, NBC Locations: Washington, Manhattan’s

☆ Late Night Trolls Trump After Report of ‘Severe Memory Issues’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Trish Bendix | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now. ‘50 First Debates’Ramin Setoodeh, the author of “Apprentice in Wonderland,” a new book about Donald Trump, said that the former president had “severe memory issues” and forgot who Setoodeh was in a follow-up interview. “I’m starting to think Trump writes his name on buildings just so he can remember where he lives,” Jimmy Fallon joked.

Persons: ’ Ramin Setoodeh, Donald Trump, Setoodeh, “ I’m, Trump, ” Jimmy Fallon Organizations: Netflix

"House of the Dragon" finally returned on Sunday night, two years after season one aired on HBO and became a smash hit. Rhaenyra, in mourning, needs to see her dead son for herselfRhaenyra discovers the remains of Arrax, her son Lucerys' dragon, in the season two premiere of "House of the Dragon." Daemon makes an oopsieDaemon (Matt Smith) and Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) in "House of the Dragon" season 2. Back in King's Landing, the assassins that Daemon sent after Aemond close inEwan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen in "House of the Dragon" season two. Olivia Cooke as Alicent in season two of "House of the Dragon."

Persons: —, Alicent Hightower, Aegon II, Rhaenyra Targaryen, Alicent's, Aemond, Rhaenyra's, Lucerys Velaryon, Eammon Jacobs, Palmer Haasch, Caralynn, Palmer, …, Cregan Stark, Ollie Upton, Stark, Jace, Vhagar, Daemon Daemon, Theo Whitman, Daemon, she's, Corlys, Tom Glynn, Carney, Helaena, Alicole, … Palmer, Rhaenyra, Arrax, Lucerys, Theo Whiteman, Emma D'Arcy, Milly Alcock —, Emma, Luke, Syrax, Otto, Larys, Michael, Aegon's, Hugh, Alicent, Sonoya Mizuno, maven, Whistleworm, I'm, Matt Smith, Jace —, he's, Jacaerys, it's, Ramin, Daemon Targaryen, Ewan Mitchell, it's Helaena, It's, Olivia Cooke, Cole, wasn't Criston, Jaime, Cersei, Bran Organizations: Service, HBO, Greens, Aegon, Blacks, Business, Alpha Beta Locations: Alicole, Farmville, Lucerys, Alicent

☆ Trump Isn’t Choosing a V.P. He’s Casting a Reality Show. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Ramin Setoodeh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The public jockeying by various candidates to become Donald Trump’s running mate has taken on the air of a circus. Vance of Ohio; Senator Rick Scott of Florida; Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama; the businessman and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy; and others. Mr. Trump’s search is playing out more like an open cattle call audition. But Mr. Trump is always governing for the cameras — his favorite constituency. Mr. Trump was America’s first reality-TV president, and now he’s reviving the hits: He’s turned the veepstakes into a reboot of “The Apprentice.”

Persons: Donald Trump’s, J.D, Vance of Ohio, Rick Scott of, Tommy Tuberville, Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump, Tim Scott, unvarnished, He’s, ” Locations: Manhattan, Rick Scott of Florida, Alabama

☆ Millions of Americans Watched ‘The Apprentice.’ Now We Are Living It.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Jennifer Szalai | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

APPRENTICE IN WONDERLAND: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass, by Ramin SetoodehIn 2004, when the entertainment journalist Ramin Setoodeh was 22, Newsweek assigned him to cover a new reality show starring Donald Trump. “The Apprentice” was “a seminal moment in the history of popular culture” precisely because its star became president. Trump’s stint in reality TV has been squeezed many times over for significance. He interviewed Trump six times between May 2021 and November 2023, and talked to numerous people who worked for or appeared on the show. But access — especially when it comes to a 20-year-old reality show built around voluble people who crave attention — can yield only so much.

Persons: Donald Trump, Mark Burnett, Ramin Setoodeh, ”, Setoodeh, —, Trump, What’s Organizations: Newsweek, NBC, Variety, Trump

☆ A new book about 'The Apprentice' tells us what Trump thinks about Taylor Swift
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Taylor Swift endorsed Joe Biden in 2020, but Donald Trump is still a Swift fan. "I think she's very beautiful, actually, unusually beautiful!" The former president fawned over Taylor Swift in an interview with Variety's Ramin Setoodeh in November. The remarks are set to be published in Setoodeh's forthcoming book about Trump's hit reality television series "The Apprentice." "I think she's beautiful, very beautiful!

Persons: Taylor Swift, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, —, fawned, Variety's Ramin Setoodeh, Setoodeh's, Swift Organizations: Service

☆ I worked as a Starbucks barista for over a year. Here are 9 signs you're about to get a bad drink.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Dylan Clair | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

As someone who worked as a Starbucks barista for over a year, here are some of the biggest red flags to look out for. It's not always wise to mobile-order a drink with cold foam or shaken espressoCold foam won't last that long on top of a drink. Mary Meisenzahl/InsiderCold-foam cold brews have boomed in popularity over the past few years — pumpkin cold foam, Irish-cream cold foam, almond milk-honey cold foam, the list goes on. A little mixing can taste nice, but you lose the texture of the cold foam, which is a delight in itself. The same principle applies to any shaken espresso drink.

Persons: Baristas, —, aren't, Mary Meisenzahl, barista, I'm, It's, Ramin Talaie, Getty, it's, that's, Sarah Jackson, I've Organizations: Starbucks, Service

ODD, ABSURD, CUCKOO-BANANAS—all apt descriptors for recent evening-bag trends. Over the past few years, popular styles have included Lilliputian options too tiny to hold a smartphone; flashy, crystal-drenched satchels that cost four months’ rent; and novelty shapes such as coffee cups and pigeons (see below). Viral though they may be, such bags seem more suited to 20-something TikTok stars than grown-up women who need a sleek-looking clutch for their next dinner party. Such fashionable adults have been left asking, “Where have all the chic, practical, unsilly evening bags gone?”

☆ The Best Black Cake, a West Indian Delight, Starts at Home
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Ramin Ganeshram | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Alternatively called rum cake, fruit cake or great cake, this dessert most likely came to the Caribbean in the 18th century with English and Irish colonizers, who substituted local rum for whiskey in their traditional Christmas fruitcake. At some point, burnt sugar syrup was added, turning the cake almost black. It has been a West Indian holiday staple, as well as the go-to wedding cake, for centuries. The recipe for black cake is so storied it has even inspired a best-selling novel that has been adapted into a series on Hulu. Black cake baking is a cottage industry in the West Indies that continues among Caribbean immigrants worldwide.

Persons: —, citron, prunes, ”, Deborah Charles, “ Organizations: Hulu Locations: Caribbean, West Indian, West Indies

FLIGHTS OF FRUGALITY A good gift is one someone will actually use. When it comes to travel, that means choosing things that reduce stress—and up the enjoyment. If that’s not in your budget, choosing a gift that they’ll find useful and that you can afford can be tricky. Bells and whistles: A zippable laundry compartment ensures dirty socks never defile dry-cleaned blouses. The option to use either short or long handles allows for, respectively, close-to-chest security or easy pairing with a rolling suitcase.

Persons: Martin Ramin, that’s, Cotopaxi.com Organizations: OF, Street, Getty, tote

These food-and-drink gifts offer outstanding value as well as deliciousness and delight. Gifts of food and drink and the trappings that go with them—a party in the making. This tart-sweet marmalade delivers the complex flavor of calamansi—a fruit that’s like lime, kumquat and tangerine all in one—grown on Oahu. There, jam master Akiko White relies on her grandmother-in-law Tutu’s recipe to produce a citrus stunner that makes a marvelous croissant topper, vinaigrette booster and cocktail brightener. Aloha Bites Tutu’s Calamansi Marmalade, $19 for 7 ounces, Zingermans.com

Persons: Martin Ramin, marmalade, Akiko White Locations: Oahu

☆ 9 Holiday Gear and Gadget Gifts That Will Impress (for Less) in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Daniel Varghese | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

AND A HAPPY NEW GEAR YEAR Each of these gadgets, even the more playful ones, offers a function that will make your giftees’ lives easier. Instead, get your giftees more thoughtful, more fun and more valuable tech and gear gifts that won’t clear out your wallet. This flip clock comes in several eye-catching colors, and makes a satisfying click sound at the beginning of each minute. A good gift for both older sorts nostalgic for the ’70s and younger sorts who somehow manage to be nostalgic about eras they didn’t even live through. Gino Flip Clock, $99, Schoolhouse.com

Persons: MARTIN RAMIN, Gino, Schoolhouse.com

FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS a pair of round, gold glasses has shown me the world. But the lenses have grown so scratched and cloudy that it feels like I’m peering through a fog. Since glasses so prominently guard the windows to our souls, they arguably define our look and vibe more than any other item. Skimp on sweaters and sneakers if you must, but don’t settle for ho-hum frames. New specs “redefine who you are,” said Julie Ragolia, a fashion editor and stylist based between Paris and New York.

Persons: willy, ”, Julie Ragolia, “ Organizations: SIX Locations: Paris, New York

MORE THAN PERHAPS any other meal of the year, Thanksgiving dinner remains—for many of us, at least—pretty much a constant. When a recipe simply hits all the right notes, any thought of altering it grinds to a halt for a good decade or so. My cranberry sauce is one such recipe. It’s as simple as cranberries, Port, sugar and orange zest, and so deeply entwined with the thought of Thanksgiving for me that—as if by some edict—I never make it any other day of the year, even though I crave it routinely. It’s not about depriving myself or my family; it’s about nurturing ritual and the taste-memories inherent in it.

Persons: I’ve, —, It’s Locations: Port

For eight decades now, his 1943 painting “Freedom From Want” has set an impossible aspirational standard for the Thanksgiving meal. Let’s be honest: Actual Thanksgiving tables tend to be commandeered by those two perennial guests, Stress and Anxiety. To that end, we’ve assembled a team of top caterers from around the country to share their secrets. Years of experience have left them unintimidated and utterly efficient when it comes to feeding a crowd. Read on to find their pro tips for preserving sanity, grace and gratitude as you stage the holiday feast.

Persons: NORMAN ROCKWELL, ”, let’s, we’ve, Read

Strategizing an outfit for a concert, the 40-year-old communications professor at UNC Wilmington had gotten as far as a black stretch-knit dress from Susana Monaco. “But in photos on Instagram, a plain black dress doesn’t pop,” she said. Jones strapped on a $188 leather belt with an etched silver buckle, debonairly looping it around her dress’s slinky fabric. In the ’80s and ’90s, branded Gucci and Chanel belt buckles served as signal flares for yuppie shoppers. And gutsy dressers are cinching and sculpting sweaters, dresses, shawls and blouses with no belt loops at all.

Persons: KELLY JONES, Susana Monaco, ”, Jones, Halston, Tiffany, Elsa Peretti, Gucci, Miranda Kerr, Jennifer Lopez Organizations: UNC Wilmington, “

☆ Like Smoky Mezcal or Scotch? You’ll Love These 4 Cozy Cocktail Spirits
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Kara Newman | Photographs F. Martin Ramin The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SMOKY FLAVORS have long suffused spirits, from peated Scotch to the deep-roasted tones in some mezcals. Consider the category-defying locavore spirit Late Embers Smoked Sunchokes + Honey, by Matchbook Distilling in Greenport, N.Y. Loosely inspired by mezcal, Late Embers starts with sunchokes instead of agave piñas. After fermenting and distilling, the resulting clear spirit has subtle earthiness and an aroma that suggests a smoldering bonfire. In addition to Late Embers, which debuted in 2021, Matchbook’s portfolio includes the 2023 launch Bad Saint, a single-malt whiskey smoked with incense-like palo santo.

Persons: Scotch, mezcal, sunchokes Locations: Greenport, palo santo

☆ Costco Men’s Clothing: We Heard Your Reviews and Decided to Investigate
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Jamie Waters | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

With a couple of caveats, the clothes—sturdy and perfectly fine, if not quite handsome—pleasantly surprised me. In one case I was thrilled: Thick, plush and as comfy as hotel slippers, Kirkland’s white athletic socks knocked my socks off. (They come in packs of eight for $14. I wish they were packs of 80.) F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal; Prop Styling By Judith Trezza for R.J. Bennett Represents

Persons: Martin Ramin, Judith Trezza, Bennett Organizations: R.J

☆ Are Fridge Magnets ‘Lowbrow’? Appliance Manufacturers Have Decided: Yes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Dorie Chevlen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

CHILLY GALLERY New, nonmagnetic fridge fronts make displays like this impossible. Photo: F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street JournalWHEN RYAN BRADLEY, a freelance editor in Los Angeles, went shopping for a new refrigerator five years ago, he immediately ran into issues. Bradley, 40 years old, didn’t need Bluetooth connectivity or smudge-proof finishes—he just wanted something to stick his magnets to. But not only were most salespeople unsure if floor models were magnet-friendly, they were surprised he cared. “I felt like a crazy person,” he said.

Persons: Martin Ramin, RYAN BRADLEY, Bradley, “, ” Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Tired of Ill-Fitting Shoes? These Customizable Sneaker Brands Want to Help
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Ashley Mateo | Photographs F. Martin Ramin The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

IT USED TO BE that a local sneaker store would have eight or 12 shoes you could try. Now the selection might run to 150. And yet, finding one that feels just right on your foot can prove daunting.

☆ Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Here to Pump You Up (Emotionally)
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +11 min

As improbable as his achievements are, Schwarzenegger believes his life and outlook can be a model for others. Then I realized that that’s funny. If they want to be stuck in the ideological corner, then I say, I think I’m freer if I’m not, and I can work with more people. Schwarzenegger in the documentary series “Arnold.” NetflixWhat do you think of the different sides’ positions on the issues? “You’re terminated.”“If it bleeds, it leads.” That’s funny.

Persons: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Schwarzenegger, “ I’m, ”, I’ve, It’s, Harry Chase, I’m, it’s, Bobby, Clint Eastwood, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, there’s, Conan ”, Jim Cameron, Conan, “, He’s, Milton Berle, You’ve, you’re, Kevin Winter, goody, Let’s, Trump, Ramin Talaie, “ Arnold, You’re, David Marchese, Alok Vaid, Menon, ordinariness, Joyce Carol Oates, Robert Downey Jr Organizations: Los Angeles Times, UCLA, Everett, Arnold Sports Festival, Mattel, Hollywood, Republican Party, Republican, Convention, ” Netflix, Netflix, Marvel Locations: Austria, California, American, Berle’s, Hollywood, New York City

☆ Azerbaijan says Armenians of Karabakh arrive for meeting after ceasefire
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Armenian delegation from Karabakh arrived in the town of Yevlakh for talks, Azerbaijan's presidency said. Under the ceasefire agreement, as outlined by Azerbaijan, breakaway Armenian forces must disband and disarm, and the region will be integrated as part of Azerbaijan. Aliyev said that "war criminals" had tried to poison the brains of 120,000 Karabakh Armenians, who, he said, would now live in paradise and have their religious and cultural rights respected. But thousands of Armenians massed at the airport in Stepanakert, the capital of Karabakh known as Khankendi by Azeris. Known as Artsakh by Armenians, the territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, which is mainly Muslim, but its inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Armenians, who are Christians.

Persons: Melkumyan, Stringer, Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijan's, Ramin Mammadov, Ilham Aliyev, Aliyev, Nailia Bagirova, Felix Light, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn Organizations: National Assembly of, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Yevlakh, Azerbaijan, Rights YEREVAN, Armenian Karabakh, Stepanakert, Russians, Ottomans, Artsakh

Q: I split my workweek between home and a “hot desk”—basically, a timeshare cubicle—at my company’s headquarters. While I appreciate the camaraderie and free cold brew in the office, I have to admit that my bland, anonymous workstation really brings me down. Since it’s not mine 100% of the time, I can’t exactly set up house. But are there any little design tweaks that might make it feel less cell-like?

Persons: —

BRIGHT BUDDY The Loftie Lamp can employ customizable lighting routines to help you wind down at night and get up more easily in the morning. ONE OFT-OVERLOOKED PERK of working from home? That blinding illumination can bring on a numbing sense of malaise, and even derail your day. “Light exposure of appropriate intensity and the right timing is vital to our health and well-being,” said Shadab Rahman, assistant professor in the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Better lights, he says, can improve mood, cognition and even productivity.

Persons: ”, Shadab Rahman Organizations: Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School

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