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Just in time for your holiday baking, a new Netflix series is hitting the streaming service that is sure to make you feel like not only a shoddy baker, but a pretty lousy engineer, too. In Netflix’s Baking Impossible, “the most creative and innovative bakers” are being paired up with “the best and brightest engineers” to make treats that don’t only look and taste good, but also make to journey to the judge’s mouths’ nothing less than a jaw-dropping experience. However, if all that’s not enough to pique your interest, there’s one other thing that should be mentioned as well: prior to the start of the competition, none of the engineers or bakers have ever met one another, meaning collaboration will have to happen fast.

The eight-episode long first season, hosted by Justin Willman (Magic for Humans, Cupcake Wars), premieres in two batches, the first one releasing on October 6, and the second on the 13. Cross all eight episodes, pairs of “Bakineers” (one baker and one engineer) will compete in designing and baking creations that are required to not only to taste good but must also survive “intense engineering stress tests,” though what exactly these tests will be are yet to be revealed. According to Baking Impossible‘s press release, “an edible boat that floats, edible mini-golf courses,” and “an edible skyscraper that must withstand a simulated quake” are all items we can expect to see grace the series. In the trailer, we also get a glimpse of a moving jukebox and what appear to be operational vehicles, so truly just about anything could happen here.

Ultimately, the teams are competing for a grand prize of $100,000, as well as the title of “World’s Best Bakineers.” If all that sounds like a bit too much pressure, of course, Netflix still has Nailed It, a baking show sure to bolster even the most amateur’s baker’s confidence.

Jimmy Kimmel is a major fan of The Sopranos, and one of the lucky few who has already been able to catch a screening of The Many Saints of Newark, the upcoming movie that delves into Tony Soprano’s life before, well, The Sopranos. On Tuesday, The Sopranos creator David Chase—who co-wrote the film—popped by Jimmy Kimmel Live to chat about the movie and the ways in which its star, Michael Gandolfini, is like his late father. Chase also shared the very special nickname that James Gandolfini bestowed on the creator during their time on The Sopranos: Satan.

It was meant lovingly, of course, but Chase wasn’t the only one to earn a slightly morbid moniker from the late actor. “He called all the writers ‘vampires,’ because we would steal from the actors’ real lives,” Chase explained. “We never stole anything from him, but we stole a lot from Tony Sirico.”

Sirico famously played Peter Paul Gualtieri, a.k.a. Paulie Walnuts, on The Sopranos. While he made his acting “debut” as an extra in 1974’s Crazy Joe, a fictionalized account of the murder of infamous mobster Joseph “Crazy Joe” Gallo, up until that point, Sirico had a longer rap sheet than he did a filmography. He was arrested more than two dozen times and spent 20 months of a four-year sentence at Sing Sing before turning to acting.

While Sirico’s life offered lots of fodder for the writers, The Sopranos (and, by extension, The Many Saints of Newark) is somewhat autobiographical for Chase, particularly as it relates to Tony’s relationship with his mother, who was based on Chase’s own mom.

Chase and Kimmel discussed a particular scene in The Many Saints of Newark in which Tony fondly recalls a very “warm night” he spent with his mother, which was not the not the norm in the Soprano—or Chase—household.

“That happened to me,” Chase explained of the origins of the scene. “My father was painting in the other room, in the living room, and my mother read me this book. And she was very sweet and nice… she was not like that often. So that’s why that’s in the movie… It wasn’t that she was a mean person. She just wasn’t affectionate.”

You can watch the full clip above, starting around the 4:50 mark.

The Many Saints of Newark will open in theaters and be available to stream on HBO Max on October 1.

The Eastern Conference should be fascinating in 2021-22. At the top of the heap, the Brooklyn Nets are projected by many as the betting favorite to win the 2022 NBA title, and teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, and reigning NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks will aim to topple Brooklyn to represent the East in the NBA Finals. While attention is rightfully paid to the pursuit of playoff glory, the regular season also projects to be quite interesting, with a bevy of competitive teams jockeying for position in the standings.

In this space, we’ll take a glance at the over/under win totals for each team in the Atlantic Division, attempting to decipher a market that is always of great intrigue to die-hards. For the purpose of clarity, each line below comes from the good folks at DraftKings and they are listed below in alphabetical order.

Boston Celtics Over 45.5

I think 45.5 is a good number for Boston. They were only on pace for 41 wins over an 82-game season in 2020-21, but it was also the season from hell for the Celtics. They had a point differential of a 44-win squad, and they seemingly upgraded the roster on the whole with Al Horford, Josh Richardson, and Dennis Schroder. At the same time, there is some downside potential, and this is definitively not a number that I would invest in. If you made me pick, I’d lean over.

Brooklyn Nets Over 56.5

To be honest, giving out an Over on a number this large is terrifying to me and goes against my principles. However, the Nets are the best team in the NBA on paper, and I don’t think it’s particularly close. They won at a 55-win pace last year, even with James Harden and Kevin Durant combining to play only 71 games and Kyrie Irving playing only 54 of a possible 72. Brooklyn’s roster is also better on the margins after adding Patty Mills and Paul Millsap, with notable depth in the frontcourt and a full season of Blake Griffin. Brooklyn may take it easy at some point, but they are good enough where I don’t want to be on the other side.

New York Knicks Under 41.5

I was ready to give out the Knicks under with confidence. They have all the signs of a dead-under team after overachieving last season and making some high-profile additions in the offseason. However, oddsmakers seemingly guarded against that with a relatively modest number, making it a lot tougher to evaluate. New York’s offense should really improve with Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier to provide shot-making and overall creation, but the Knicks made their bones on the defensive end last year. Tom Thibodeau and a strong infrastructure should help New York stay in a strong position defensively, but this isn’t an elite defense on paper. I’ll default to the Under, even with a number that the Knicks could realistically clear.

Philadelphia 76ers Over 50.5

Honestly, picking this is impossible. The Sixers may trade Ben Simmons in the next few weeks. It might even be likely. They could also trade Simmons during the season. I’m technically picking the Over because they have eclipsed this figure in three of the last four seasons, and the roster should be better than it was a year ago with some internal improvement. No one can tell you what the final product will look like, though, so I’d stay away unless forced to take a side.

Toronto Raptors Over 35.5

The Raptors finished the shortened 2020-21 season winning at a 31-win pace over 82 games. That is a little bit scary, but Toronto’s point differential was that of a 40-win team and, well, the Raptors didn’t try to win very much down the stretch last season. Kyle Lowry’s absence will undoubtedly be felt, but Toronto’s roster is still quite respectful, and they are well-coached. If Goran Dragic was bought out, their projection would take a hit, but if the Raptors are relatively healthy and push to win nightly, they are better than this.

After a lengthy hiatus, chart-topping return, and a global pandemic, Justin Bieber is finally once again performing to massive audiences. In his 2020 Seasons YouTube docuseries, the global superstar explained how a combination of health issues, burnout, and anxiety led him to cancel his 2017 Purpose tour. But now, Bieber is set to chart his return to the stage in a new documentary.

Titled Our World, Bieber’s new documentary is set to premiere on Prime Video on October 8. Created by filmmaker Michael D. Ratner, who also worked on Demi Lovato’s Dancing With The Devil documentary, Our World will follow Bieber as he prepares for his New Year’s Eve 2020 livestream show on the rooftop of the Beverly Hilton, his first performance in three years.

Speaking about Our World in a statement, Bieber noted the feeling of connection that comes with live performances:

“Performing live and connecting with my fans through music is deeply meaningful to me. Especially during the past year, being able to provide a service and share my gifts to bring some happiness to people during such a sad and scary time has meant the world to me. This film documents an intense and exciting time, preparing for a return to the stage during this season of real uncertainty. Coming together with my team, overcoming the obstacles, and delivering a special show, surrounded by friends and family; it’s all here.”

Watch a teaser of Bieber’s Our World documentary below.

Our World premieres 10/8 on Prime Video.

Indie-rock heroes Pavement — aka Mark Ibold, Scott “Spiral Stairs” Kannberg, Stephen Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich, and Steve West — have announced a 2022 reunion tour through the UK and Europe, kicking off next June with a previously announced headlining set at Primavera Sound in Barcelona. This is the band’s first string of tour dates since 2010 and will also include a residency at Roundhouse in London.

In March 2020, before the pandemic set in and music festivals had to be canceled or rescheduled, Malkmus opened up about reuniting with Pavement at Primavera, telling NPR, “Well, it feels really exciting to get back up on that stage. You know, we’re playing at a festival in Spain. That’s all that’s planned for… I can’t deny that I would like to keep the Pavement dialogue in people’s minds because we put a lot of labor into it and a lot of love… Maybe it can be brought in context better.”

Check out the tour dates below.

06/02/2022 — Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
06/10/2022 — Porto, Portugal @ NOS Primavera Sound
10/17/2022 — Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy Leeds
10/18/2022 — Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland Ballroom
10/19/2022 — Edinburgh, UK @ Usher Hall
10/20/2022 — Manchester, UK @ O2 Apollo
10/22/2022 — London, UK @ Roundhouse
10/23/2022 — London, UK @ Roundhouse
10/24/2022 — London, UK @ Roundhouse
10/25/2022 — London, UK @ Roundhouse
10/27/2022 — Paris, FR @ Le Grand Rex
10/29/2022 — Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
10/30/2022 — Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene
10/31/2022 — Stockholm, SE @ Cirkus
11/02/2022 — Aarhus, DK @ VoxHall
11/04/2022 — Bremen, DE @ Pier 2
11/05/2022 — Berlin, DE @ Tempodrom
11/07/2022 — Brussels, BE @ Cirque Royal
11/08/2022 — Amsterdam, NL @ Royal Carré Theater
11/10/2022 — Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street

Every now and then, someone (or a group of people) will dress up like umpires and sit behind home plate at a baseball game and get really into the action. An example from a few years back during a game in San Francisco between the Giants and the New York Mets:

There must be something about the Mets that lead to people doing this bit, because on Tuesday night, someone decided to wear a costume to their game against the Miami Marlins and hang out behind home plate and have a good time. The catch here was that the fan did not head to, uh, the umpire store and pick up the necessary equipment to pull of an Angel Hernandez fit.

Instead, this person hit up their local Party City or those stores that pop up in spaces that used to belong to a Circuit City in the 1990s in a mall and now become Halloween stores once a year and picked up a Cinnamon Toast Crunch costume.

The best moment did not come from the person in the costume doing anything particularly silly — well, beyond the mere fact that they dressed up like this and went to a game the Mets won, 9-4. Instead, that came when New York’s broadcast team wondered just what the heck was going on and legendary play-by-play man Gary Cohen thought this was SpongeBob.

I suppose you can see how Cohen got to that point, but regardless, it is very funny that he mixed up a cartoon character and a single individual piece of a cereal.

This article originally appeared on 11.23.16

With Donald Trump threatening to reverse Roe v. Wade upon taking office, the need to defend women’s reproductive rights has never been more urgent. As other writers have pointed out, pro-life fanatics have the power of positive connotation on their side and use this advantage to demean the valid arguments of pro-choice advocates.

I mean, who would ever claim to be in opposition to life? Only, equating zygotes with adult human beings fails to recognize the science behind conception, as Bill Nye points out in an older video that has recently gained new relevancy.

In the video, you can see how frustrated Nye is explaining why abortion rights aren’t something we should be debating in the first place. After a brief explanation of how conception occurs, the science educator proves how little our laws have to do with reason or logic.

Bill Nye: Can We Stop Telling Women What to Do With Their Bodies? | Big Think

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“You cannot help but notice — and I’m not the first guy to notice — you have a lot of men of European descent passing these extraordinary laws based on ignorance,” he says, adding, “It’s just a reflection of a deep scientific lack of understanding and you literally apparently don’t know what you’re talking about.” We can only imagine how frustrated he — along with every other advocate of logic — must be feeling now.

While anti-abortion zealots aren’t typically eager to consider science or reason, this video could potentially sway those who are on the fence about impeding on women’s rights. And while it shouldn’t take a white guy to explain why women’s rights are human rights, sadly, few people seem to listen when the plea for respect comes from women — despite the fact that these draconian laws only affect them.

Still, Nye and other logic-lovers are willing to hear you out, pro-lifers. If the argument truly comes down to protecting children and not depriving women of basic rights, there are several discussions worth having. For instance, instead of focusing on the rights of unborn babies, perhaps we could put our resources into protecting the children that already exist. We take it for granted that real, live children don’t enjoy the same human rights that adults do — an archaic way of thinking that time and time again puts kids in harm’s way. By actively fueling global warming, we deprive today’s children from having any semblance of a dependable future.

Now, more than ever, it’s imperative that we focus on the facts. By relying on scientific evidence to guide a course of action, we can respect one another’s beliefs without infringing on one another’s rights. It’s really not that hard. Take it from The Science Guy himself: “Be objective about this. We have other problems to solve, everybody.”

This article originally appeared on 10.30.17

Let’s face it, it’s a lot easier to be a man than a woman. Although men die four years earlier than women, they get to live without the extra burdens of menstrual cramps, lower pay, the pain of childbirth, or the feeling of having a bra strap digging into their backs. But now, the CEO of a bra company is letting men experience what it’s like to have large breasts so they can understand what women go through every day.

One day a year, PrimaDonna CEO Ignace Van Doorselaere makes his male employees wear simulated E-cup-sized breasts for an entire work day. “There is only one way for a man to realize what an E-cup feels like, and that is having an E-cup,” Van Doorselaere says.

In order to simulate the feeling of carrying around E-cup-sized breasts, the men wear weights hung around their necks. “Let’s be honest, an E-Cup can weigh up to 1 or 1.5 kilograms (2.2 to 3.5 lbs) per breast,” Van Doorselaere says. “This is a lot. It hurts your neck. It hurts your back. Imagine you are that woman. Carry those breasts for an entire day. That’s why you need good support. Good support is important. Everybody at PrimaDonna knows that now.”

PrimaDonna E CUP DAY for men

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This article originally appeared on 08.10.18

It goes without saying that water is a basic human right that should never be denied to anyone. So when a homeless woman named Polly in Cardiff, Wales, was refused a drink at her local McDonald’s recently, a good Samaritan wouldn’t stand for it.

Jonathon Pengelly couldn’t believe his eyes when the cashier told the woman no. “I don’t know what was going through their minds but a lady, clearly homeless was asking for a basic human right; and for a multi-billion pound company, for them to say no is disgusting!” Pengelly wrote on Facebook.

Pengelly was behind the woman in line, so he offered to buy her and her friend something to eat and was shocked at Polly’s response.

“She asked for a single cheese burger and that was it,” Pengelly said. “We bought as much as we could carry so I knew she wasn’t going to be hungry.” He then sat and ate with them and was blown away by their positive attitudes. So he brought them back to his house, where they showered and brushed their teeth. While they cleaned up, Pengelly prepared some food to tide the women over for a few days.

Pengelly posted about the evening’s events on Facebook to raise awareness about the problem of homelessness in the U.K. “I’m no saint, but this small act of kindness cost me about £20,” he wrote. “I know 90% of people reading this will earn about 10 times that a day. … If you see someone on the streets, don’t look down on them like they’re nothing. You don’t know what they’ve been though! Spare a little thought!”

Pengelly’s experience didn’t just open up his eyes to a real problem, he made a friend as well. “Me and Polly have chatted on the phone and I’ve promised her that she will never go hungry or cold again!” he said.

Here’s Pengelly’s full post:

“Well, my night took an unexpected turn! So I finished my night out, ended up in the dreaded McDonald’s queue. I couldn’t help but notice the lady in front me, all she asked for was a cup of hot water.

The member of staff told her no. I don’t know what was going through their mind but a lady, clearly homeless was asking for a basic human right; and for a multi billion pound company, for them to say no is disgusting!

My heart was shattered! So I spoke to her and told her to order what she wanted, expecting her to order everything. I was so shocked. She asked for a single cheese burger and that was it. We bought as much as we could carry so I knew she wasn’t going to be hungry.

I couldn’t just leave this lady go, she was so warming and so lovely. So I sat with her, on the cold hard floor, in the middle of winter and you know what I did? I cried my eyes out.

You know if people of Cardiff walked passed them and didn’t do anything because, financially, they weren’t in the position, I would understand. But people walked passed and laughed at them. I don’t care who you are, If this was you; and you’re reading this I hate you!

When I got to speak to them I was genuinely shocked at their story and how educated they were! So full of life and enthusiasm and they literally have nothing!

I invited polly and her mate back to my house and we all cooked enough food to feed them and their friends for the next few nights. We boxed them up and packed them in their bags.

Polly and her mate have had showers, brushed their teeth and they both said they have ever felt so appreciated in their life.
I’m no saint, but this small act of kindness cost me about £20. I know 90% of people reading this will earn about 10 times that a day.

It costs nothing to be kind, and I genuinely hope people share this to raise awareness of homelessness throughout the UK!
Me and polly have chatted on the phone and I’ve promised her that she will never go hungry or cold again! I’ve given her blankets, pillows and a backpack full of food.

If you see someone on the streets, don’t look down on them like they’re nothing. You don’t know what they’ve been though! spare a little thought!

I don’t care if I look like shit cause I’m crying!

Polly, you’ve changed me!”

This article originally appeared on 11.03.17

There’s an old saying that luck happens when preparation meets opportunity. There’s no better example of that than a recent discovery at the University of California, Irvine, by doctoral student Mya Le Thai. After playing around in the lab, she made a discovery that could lead to a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 400 years. That means longer-lasting laptops and smartphones and fewer lithium-ion batteries piling up in landfills.

A team of researchers at UCI had been experimenting with nanowires for potential use in batteries, but they found that over time the thin, fragile wires would break down and crack after too many charging cycles. A charge cycle is when a battery goes from completely full to completely empty and back to full again.

But one day, on a whim, Thai coated a set of gold nanowires in manganese dioxide and a Plexiglas-like electrolyte gel. “She started to cycle these gel capacitors, and that’s when we got the surprise,” said Reginald Penner, chair of the university’s chemistry department. “She said, ‘this thing has been cycling 10,000 cycles and it’s still going.’ She came back a few days later and said ‘it’s been cycling for 30,000 cycles.’ That kept going on for a month.”

Thai’s discovery is mind-blowing because the average laptop battery lasts 300 to 500 charge cycles. The nanobattery developed at UCI made it through 200,000 cycles in three months. That would extend the life of the average laptop battery by about 400 years. The rest of the device would have probably gone kaput decades before the battery, but the implications for a battery that lasts hundreds of years are pretty startling.

“The big picture is that there may be a very simple way to stabilize nanowires of the type that we studied,” Penner said. “If this turns out to be generally true, it would be a great advance for the community.” Not bad for just fooling around in the laboratory.

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