Month: April 2024

Everyone who lives with autism experiences it somewhat differently. You’ll often hear physicians and advocates refer to the spectrum that exists for those who are autistic, pointing to a wide range of symptoms and skills.

But one thing many autistic people experience is sensory processing issues.

---

For autistic people, processing the world around them when it comes to sight, smell, or touch can be challenging, as their senses are often over- or under-sensitive. Certain situations — like meandering through a congested mall or enduring the nonstop blasting of police sirens — can quickly become unbearable.

This reality is brought to life in a new video by the U.K.’s National Autistic Society (NAS).

The eye-opening PSA takes viewers into the mind of a autistic woman as she thinks about struggling to stay composed in a crowded, noisy train.

It’s worth a watch:

The PSA hit especially close to home for 22-year-old actress and star of the video Saskia Lupin, who is autistic herself. “Overall I feel confused,” she said, of abrupt changes to her routine. “Like I can’t do anything and all sense of rationality is lost.”

She’s not alone.

According to a study cited in NAS’ press release, 75% of autistic people say unexpected changes make them feel socially isolated. What’s more, 67% reported seeing or hearing negative reactions from the public when they try to calm themselves down in such situations — from eyerolls and stares to unwelcome, hurtful comments.

The new PSA aims to improve that last figure in particular.

It’s part of the organization’s Too Much Information campaign — an initiative to build empathy and understanding in allistic (i.e., not autistic) people for those on the spectrum.

“It isn’t that the public sets out to be judgmental towards autistic people,” Mark Lever, chief executive of the NAS, said in a statement in 2016. It’s just that, often, the public doesn’t “see” the autism.

“They see a ‘strange’ man pacing back and forth in a shopping center,” Lever explained, “or a ‘naughty’ girl having a tantrum on a bus, and don’t know how to respond.”

Well, now we do.

Instead of staring, rolling your eyes, or thinking judgmental thoughts about the young person’s parents, remember: You have no idea what that stranger on the train is going through.

“We can’t make the trains run on time,” said Lever. But even the simplest, smallest things — like remembering not to stare and giving a person some space and compassion if they need it — can make a big difference.

This article originally appeared on 03.28.18

With cold season upon us, there’s no better time to learn a couple of awesome and easy tricks that will clear up the dreaded and annoying stuffy nose.

Prevention magazine created a short video showing two easy ways to get you breathing free again no matter how stuffed up you might be.

---

Both tricks take less than two minutes and are certainly worth trying out when it feels like that runny nose might never go away.

Watch the YouTube video below:

This article first appeared on 9.8.17.

With the NBA Playoffs underway, we will soon begin learning who has won the various NBA Awards for the 2023-24 season. While some, like Rookie of the Year, feel like a foregone conclusion, there is genuine intrigue for many of the selections on this year’s awards ballot.

There have been ample debates about the MVP, DPOY, and Sixth Man of the Year races this season, and that will only continue once the awards are handed out and voting is made official. This year’s awards voting had the added wrinkle of the NBA’s new games played mandate, which required players to play in 65 games — and to play 20 minutes per game. That eliminated some contenders from the Most Improved race, in particular, and led to some voter frustration.

On Sunday, the three finalists for each of the awards were unveiled, and while there are few surprises among the list of finalists, we now know officially what players remain in the running for the league’s various awards.

Most Valuable Player

Luka Doncic
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Nikola Jokic

Defensive Player of the Year

Bam Adebayo
Rudy Gobert
Victor Wembanyama

Rookie of the Year

Chet Holmgren
Brandon Miller
Victor Wembanyama

Coach of the Year

Mark Daigneault
Chris Finch
Jamahl Mosley

Sixth Man of the Year

Malik Monk
Bobby Portis Jr.
Naz Reid

Most Improved Player

Tyrese Maxey
Alperen Sengun
Coby White

Clutch Player of the Year

Stephen Curry
DeMar DeRozan
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

For the third time in five years, the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks meet in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, and despite the absence of Kawhi Leonard, it was L.A. that got the upper hand in the opener of the 2024 edition with a 109-97 win (that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated).

The Clippers roared out of the gates on Sunday afternoon, taking a 56-30 halftime lead as James Harden and Russell Westbrook led the way with 30-combined points to match the Mavs entire team total.

Dallas, meanwhile, couldn’t get anything going offensively, scoring just eight points in the second quarter as they laid an absolute egg in the early going. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both struggled to establish a rhythm and the rest of the Mavs were unable to lighten the load from the two stars at all.

The Mavs were able to chip away at the deficit, which grew to 29 at one point in the third, and looked like they might go on a run a couple of times to make it a game. Doncic and Irving had it going in the third, at one point scoring 21 straight for Dallas, as they finally cracked the code of the L.A. defense. After getting it down to 19 late in the third, Luka Doncic had a three in the air, but it missed and the Clippers continued their three-point barrage to push the lead back out to 23 going into the fourth quarter.

In that final quarter, the Mavs continued their improved play, getting the lead down to 15 with just over eight minutes to play on a Doncic three.

However, they could never heat up enough from downtown to really threaten the Clippers, who stalled out offensively themselves just trying to run out the clock but did enough to get a 109-97 win. Dallas shot just 10-of-33 from deep, and the only Mavs outside of Kyrie and Luka to knock down a triple were P.J. Washington (2-of-7) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (1-of-3). The Mavs stars combined for 64 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists, but the only other Mav to reach double figures was Washington with 11.

The Clippers, meanwhile, got a balanced effort with one of their stars not in the lineup. Harden led the way with 28 points and eight assists, but Paul George (22 points) and Ivica Zubac (20 points, 15 rebounds) both had nice nights and they got 13 each from Westbrook and Terance Mann. The big separator for L.A. was their three-point shooting, as they went 18-of-36 from deep, finding a big shot from three every time Dallas threatened to seize the momentum of the game.

As the series moves forward, the team that gets the most support from their non-stars will be vital to deciding this series. The Clippers got that in Game 1, inside and out, while the Mavs top two were left to shoulder too much of the burden. However, there are things Dallas can take from the second half, particularly with how they got Doncic and Irving going and how they saw some defensive improvements (with the understanding L.A. likely let off the gas some). We’ll see if they can build on those in Game 2, or if the Clippers will take full control of the series by winning both games at home to open things up.

Before Outer Range premiered on Amazon, it was tempting to assume that this might be a Yellowstone variant, but that isn’t the case. Sure, the series revolves around a cowboy-hat wearing, close-knit family whose ownership of their sprawling territory might be threatened. However, this Neo-Western show quickly took an incredible turn into sci-fi territory, and it’s no wonder that star and producer Josh Brolin had insisted that this series does not imitate any other series, even if there are also some passing resemblances to both The X-Files and Lost.

Yes, that yawning hole in the ground turned out to be a portal to different eras of time. The first season also unveiled plenty of narrative tricks while nursing a vague procedural vibe on the way to revealing that multiple characters are not who they seem to be, and mystical forces are at work. The first season finale suggested answers but also posed new questions, so let’s get down to exploring where the second season might go.

Plot

Brolin must love to wear a cowboy hat. Yes, that’s a silly statement and mostly meant to be fun, but it’s also fact. The True Grit and No Country For Old Men star spent his early days on a California ranch, and while leading Outer Range, he has been a hands-on producer who has helped mold the show’s aesthetic and narrative.

As if those duties weren’t enough, Brolin stepped on board (as he did tell Collider) to help direct the second season. He has also suggested that this season looks even more visually expansive than the first outing, which was spacey enough in several places. Remember, that poker scene with Autumn (Imogen Poots) and Royal took on a spooky life of its own — with Autumn walking right into Royal’s laconic ability to not show his hand — so hopefully, there will be more of that darkened vibe to come.

Also, there might be some nudity involved? Only kidding, I think. That linked photo shows Brolin “lunch outside in the beautiful Santa Fe desert” while happening to be naked. And now back to talking about this show…

As viewers are aware, the first season ended with Royal (apparently) concluding that Autumn was actually the grown incarnation of Amy after traveling through the portal. Of course, the rest of the family believes that Amy has gone missing, and surely, the timing of Amy’s departure with that of Royal’s realization is uncanny. Then again, the show has had a grand time with not letting us know what’s actually inside of Royal’s head, and a key part of this show’s initial appeal is how well Brolin’s character slowly revealed how much he knows (and knew) about the void.

Also, there’s the question of whether — if Autumn truly is a time traveler as well — how she and Amy managed to previously coexist in the same era. Also, did Royal really intend to explain the time-portal business to Cecilia (Lili Taylor)? Their marriage was clearly on thin ice, so presumably, he will want to smooth things over somehow, but she seemed fed up enough with his evasive BS that she might not believe a damn thing that comes from his mouth.

Additionally, we’ll soon find out whether Autumn knows what Royal knows, and goodness, this is getting circular. Look for this show’s Neo-Western vibes to lean harder into sci-fi if we want more answers.

Cast

Nobody could do Royal Abbott like Josh Brolin. He’s pulling off a gruff and sardonic aura, and for multiple episodes in the first season, we had no idea that Royal actually knew what the void was about. A sleight of hand went down for sure, and Imogen Poots is the pitch-perfect foil as Autumn. And hopefully, Tom Pelphrey’s Perry hasn’t disappeared forever into a different era. We will surely see more of Lili Taylor as Cecilia, the fed-up wife to Abbott, and probably more of Noah Reed singing as Billy Tillerson, along with Tamara Podemski still attempting to figure out the madness as Deputy Sheriff Joy Hawk.

New recurring cast members for the second season include Christian James, Kimberly Guerrero, Megan West, Daniel Abeles, and Monette Moio.

Release Date

Outer Range returns to Amazon on May 16.

Trailer

The following two minutes do not shy away from discussing Royal’s status as a time traveler and the existence of The Void. Also, Autumn looks like she’s doing more mind-control shenanigans, now with dancing.

Nicki Minaj and Cardi B may not see eye to eye, but they do agree on one thing — disrespectful concertgoers should be dealt with immediately.

Yesterday (April 20), during Nicki’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour stop in Detroit, Michigan, an attendee attempted to ruin the event for everyone. As Nicki rapped her crossover hit “Starships” (despite vowing never perform it anymore), a ticket holder seemingly tossed an object at the musician.

Fortunately, the item didn’t make contact with Nicki. Instead, she blocked the trinket, then she hurled it back in the direction that it was thrown from. In the clip captured by a bystander, venue security was seen working their way to the section in question. However, it is unclear if the culprit was tracked down. The show continued without any further interruption.

At another point of the concert, Nicki surprised fans with a few guest cameos. To pay homage to the Motor City, she brought out two rappers from the city. One of those musicians was none other than hometown hero Big Sean. The duo performed their 2011 “Dance (Ass)” Remix.

Fellow Detroit native, Sada Baby, made his way onto the stage for a performance of his 2020 single “Whole Lotta Choppas.” Nicki was sure to deliver her viral verse from the song’s remix for all to recite back to her.

Nicki Minaj hasn’t addressed the incident online. So, all’s well that ends well.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artist.

The Miami Heat faced an extremely tall order in their first round series with the Boston Celtics. Not only did they have to find a way to beat the team that ran away with the NBA’s best record four times, they would need to do so without Jimmy Butler.

Sunday afternoon’s Game 1 in Boston was an inauspicious start to that effort from Miami, and an impressive statement from the Celtics to open up their pursuit of an ever-elusive championship. The Heat battled early, but the Celtics offense just kept raining threes on them in the middle quarters, opening up a 32-point lead going into the fourth quarter — and going on to win 114-94.

Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White, and Sam Hauser all knocked down four threes on the afternoon, with the Celtics as a whole shooting 44.9 percent from beyond the arc (22-of-49).

On the other side, the Heat simply couldn’t find the firepower to keep up, as they went just 12-of-37 from deep. Aside from solid performances from Bam Adebayo (24 points on 10-of-18 shooting) and Jaime Jaquez (16 points on 8-of-16 shooting), Miami struggled to find much in the way of positives for the first three quarters of action.

With the game seemingly in hand, the two teams went to bench lineups in the fourth quarter and Miami began to claw their way back into the game. Delon Wright and the Heat caught fire, with the reserve guard hitting five threes as Miami trimmed the deficit back down to 14, forcing Boston’s starters back into the game for the closing stretch.

Ultimately, the Celtics would snuff out any hopes of a wild comeback, polishing off a 20-point win in a balanced effort. Six players reached double figures, with Jayson Tatum posting a triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists (even as the coldest shooter on the team going just 1-of-8 from deep). White finished with 20 points, Porzingis scored 18, Jaylen Brown added 17, and Hauser and Al Horford chipped in 22 combined off of the bench to round things out.

It was an unsurprising performance, but an important one nonetheless for the Celtics. Dispatching this Heat team quickly in the first round is vital for them proving to themselves and the rest of the league that this year’s team really is different. Miami is obviously compromised without Jimmy Butler, desperately missing his creative abilities, and Boston needs to take care of business quickly.

We’ll see if they can continue to make it look easy when they don’t shoot quite as well from deep, but the best way to avoid the late game offensive shakiness of the past is to not have the game in doubt in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. Miami will hope they found something in that fourth quarter that can carry over to Game 2, but they have to dig deep to find much in the way of a silver lining from a 20-point loss.

Most new acts in music dream of making it onto Coachella’s official lineup. When done well (i.e., Beyoncé’s critically acclaimed 2018 headlining set), an entertainer’s appearance at the annual festival can catapult them into another stratosphere. On the other hand, a bad showing (sorry Grimes and Frank Ocean) can turn any performer into a laughingstock online.

However, after Blur’s rough performance during Coachella 2024’s first weekend, the band seemingly had no desire to return. But as previously scheduled, yesterday (April 20), the band returned to fulfill their contractional obligations. While the crowd was much more receptive, that didn’t stop Damon Albarn from dropping a disappointing bomb.

At the end of Blur’s set, Albarn turned to the audience to reveal the group could be heading to retirement before performing their 1999 classic “Tender.” “In the spirit of clarity and truth, this is probably our last gig,” he said.

This isn’t the first time Albarn made this claim. Back in December 2023, as Albarn discussed the band’s reunion album, The Ballad Of Darren, he told Les Inrockuptibles (via Far Out Magazine) Blur was inching toward an indefinite hiatus.

“It is time to wrap up this campaign,” he said. “It’s too much for me. It was the right thing to do and an immense honor to play these songs again, spend time with these guys, make an album, blah-blah-blah. I’m not saying I won’t do it again, it was a beautiful success, but I’m not dwelling on the past.”

Patrick Stewart often talks about his childhood and the torment his father put him and his mother through. However, how he answered this vulnerable and brave fan’s question is one of the most eloquent, passionate responses about domestic violence I’ve ever seen.

---

WARNING: At 2:40, he’s going to break your heart a little.

You can read more about Heather Skye’s hug with Captain Picard at her blog.

This article originally appeared on 06.26.13.

Christopher Grady, a father and teacher from Toronto, was struggling with anxiety and depression. That’s when he started drawing.

He describes his early cartoons and illustrations as a journal where he’d chronicle everyday moments from his life as a husband, elementary school teacher, and father to two kids.

“I needed a positive place to focus all my thoughts and found that when I was making comics I felt a little bit better,” he says.

He began putting a few of his comics online, not expecting much of a response. But he quickly learned that people were connecting with his work in a deep way.

---

The comics series called Lunarbaboon was born, and the response to the first few was so powerful that Grady was inspired do more with his comics than just document his own experience.

“I began getting messages from many people about how they connected to the comics and it gave them hope and strength as they went through their own dark times,” he says.

“When they look back…they probably won’t remember what was said…or where you were when you said it. They may not remember any details of your time together. But they will remember that you were there…and that’s what matters most.”

“Usually the circle of people we can support, help, influence is limited to our families, friends, coworkers, random stranger at the bus stop, but with my comic I suddenly found my circle of power was much much larger,” Grady explains. “I guess I decided to use this power for good.”

Grady continued to draw, making a point to infuse the panels with his own special brand of positivity.

“Kids are always watching adults and they look to the adults as role models,” he says. “I try to show (my kids and students) that even with all my flaws and weaknesses I am still a good person and I can still make a positive change in the world.”

Lunarbaboon comics tackle huge, important subjects with an effective, lighthearted touch that you can’t help but smile at.

Check out Grady’s take on teaching his son about consent. (All images by Christopher Grady/Lunarbaboon, used with permission.)

Here’s one about parents being supportive of a gay son or daughter.

On raising girls in a patriarchal world.

And here’s a sweet one about appreciating the heck out of his wife.

Big topics. Important issues. Grady tackles them with humility and ease.

As Lunarbaboon has continued to grow, Grady says the messages of support he gets have become increasingly powerful.

He certainly doesn’t claim to have all the answers to all the complexities of parenting, but he does say that “people like knowing they aren’t alone in life’s daily struggles. Most people who contact me just want to say thank you for putting something positive into the world.”

Grady doesn’t expect his Lunarbaboon comics to fix rape culture or end bigotry. He just hopes his message of love, inclusion, and positivity continues to spread.

“My hope is that for the short time people read it they smile and feel good,” he says. “Then I hope they take that good feeling and smile into the world and make it slightly brighter.”

You can check out even more of Grady’s awesome work over on his website or in his newly published book.

This article was originally published on 11.30.17