GoneTrending

Ronald Acuña Jr. is high on the list of baseball’s coolest players. The 24-year-old Venezuelan has turned into one of the league’s brightest young stars, a legitimate 5-tool talent and one of the centerpieces of the Atlanta Braves’ franchise as it looks to defend the World Series it won while he was on the sideline last season.

Acuña’s 2021 season was cut short after he suffered a torn ACL in July, and this season, the former Rookie of the Year didn’t get to make his debut until the end of April. As a result, he’s been a bit rusty, and he entered Friday night’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers hitting .200 and with zero home runs.

He did manage, however, to fix the whole zero home runs thing pretty emphatically during the game. Acuña stepped up to the plate against Eric Lauer in the bottom of the fourth and got a 1-1 breaking ball. It was down and outside in the strike zone and Acuña read it perfectly, and as a result, he hit the thing 450 feet to dead center. He managed to pull this off while falling down, too.

There are lots of ways for baseball players to get their uniforms dirty, none of them are as cool as hitting a dinger.

The Philadelphia 76ers got a big boost in the lead-up to Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Miami Heat, as it was announced that Joel Embiid would return from a concussion and an orbital fracture as the series shifted back to the City of Brotherly Love. Between his debut in the series and one of the worst offensive performances the Heat had this year, Philly was able to pick up a 99-79 win to cut Miami’s series lead in half.

The first half was perhaps the ugliest half of basketball that we have seen this postseason. After Miami jumped out to an early 6-4 lead, Philadelphia was able to get the home crowd engaged with a 14-2 run that saw the Heat go nearly five minutes without scoring a point.

While a 12-point first quarter lead is hardly insurmountable, the Sixers were able to use that to create a cushion that existed for essentially the remainder of the half. Miami never got within four points from that point on prior to going into the locker room, as Philadelphia pestered them on defense and threw them completely out of the rhythm they had through the first two games of the series. While Jimmy Butler had 10 points and six rebounds at the break, no one else on the Heat scored more than six, and as a team, Miami shot 14-for-43 (32.6 percent) from the field and 2-for-16 (12.5 percent) from three.

As a result, the Sixers entered the locker room with a 41-34 cushion, powered in large part by a big first half from James Harden — he scored eight of his 15 points from the charity stripe with four rebounds and two assists — nine points from Danny Green, and seven points and seven boards from Embiid in his return.

Out of the break, both offenses started to find their footing. Butler, in particular, gave the Heat a huge lift, scoring 14 of the team’s 31 points in the third quarter. The team doubled-up their first half total by knocking down four threes, and found themselves only down 68-65 heading into the fourth.

Perhaps the most surprising development for the Sixers was the play of Green, who has long been a bellwether for his team’s chances of winning a game throughout his career. By the end of the third, the veteran had 18 points and made six of his seven attempts from three.

But at the start of the fourth, Miami’s offense cratered once again. Philadelphia opened up a double-digit lead by scoring the first seven points of the frame until Bam Adebayo got to the charity stripe more than three minutes in and hit a pair of free throws.

Even when it looked like Miami was going to have easy baskets, the Sixers managed to come out on top. No better example of that came when PJ Tucker stripped Harden and tried to throw a pass to Victor Oladipo, but led him just a little too much. As a result, Tyrese Maxey raced out ahead of him and made one of the best defensive plays we have seen this season, which led to an Embiid jumper that went in as he got fouled by Adebayo.

Green went 7-for-9 from three for 21 points, which was tied with Maxey for the most on the Sixers. Embiid scored 18 points and pulled in 11 rebounds in his return, while Harden had 17 with eight boards and six assists. Butler’s 33 led all scorers while Tyler Herro had 14 off the bench.

Game 4 between the Sixers and the Heat will take place on Sunday evening. The game is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.

When thinking about what we did during lock down, it’s a wide variety of experiences. Some people created businesses, learned a new skill, or moved from one couch to the other without spilling their overflowing plate of nachos. Then there’s Benjamin Choi, a 17-year-old junior in high school who decided to build a prosthetic arm that could be controlled by brain waves. Choi actually started the extensive project in 2020 at the age of 15 using his sister’s 3D printer. The idea for the prosthetic arm came from a feature on “60 Minutes” about a mind-controlled prosthetic arm, but in order for the arm to work it required surgery to implant sensors on the motor cortex of the user’s brain.

He told Smithsonian Magazine, “I was really, really amazed at the time because this technology was so impressive,” he says. “But I was also alarmed that they require this really risky open brain surgery. And they’re so inaccessible, costing in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

The teen’s goal was to make the robotic limb affordable, allowing it to be more accessible. He also wanted to eliminate the need for a surgery that requires digging around in someone’s brain to get the prosthesis to work. Using his sister’s 3D printer for his first prototype was time consuming and required tedious work to connect the pieces since the printer could only print pieces 4.7 inches long. It took Choi 30 hours just to print the parts of the arm before using rubber bands and bolts to put it together. The prosthetic worked using head gestures and brain wave data.

Amazingly, the prosthetic arm isn’t Choi’s first go at coding. Choi has been participating in robotics competitions since elementary school, requiring him to not only build robots, but code them so they move the way he wants. He’s gone to the world championships several times and in 9th grade he taught himself computer programming languages C++ and Python by watching videos on Stack Overflow.

For now, the arm is mounted on a stand. Over the past two years Choi has been working to perfect the arm before adding a socket, which he says would require a recipient to be custom fitted. Currently on its 75th iteration, Choi is still able to maintain the affordability of the prosthetic manufacturing costs being around $300. The current basic body powered upper body prosthesis will run you $7,000.

Choi works with volunteers to collect data and improve the functionality of the AI arm. The high schooler still has a way to go before the arm is complete and ready to be put on the market but that hasn’t stopped him from being recognized. Choi has won awards in Microsoft Imagine Challenge, the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, and the National At-Home STEM Competition. The teen is also a recipient of a manufacturing grant from PolySpectra Inc., awarded in 2020 to help with the production of the arm. PolySpectra produces durable 3D material.

Choi plans to attend college for engineering with a plan to continue working on his prosthetic arm, eventually bringing it to clinical trials. If Choi pulls this off, it could be life changing for the 2 Million people in America that live with the loss of a limb.

In the 1988 Disney classic “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” the titular character is in an unlikely relationship with his voluptuous wife Jessica. Roger is a frantic, anxious rabbit with a penchant for mischief, while Jessica is a quintessential ’40s bombshell who stands about a foot and a half taller and isn’t “bad,” just “drawn that way.”

When private investigator Eddie Valiant asked Jessica what she sees in “that guy?” she replies, “He makes me laugh.”

This type of couple may seem like something we only see in the movies, but don’t underestimate the power of humor when it comes to attractiveness. A new study published in Evolutionary Psychology found that being humorous is the most effective way to flirt for both men and women.

“People think that humour, or being able to make another person laugh, is most effective for men who are looking for a long-term relationship. It’s least effective for women who are looking for a one-night stand. But laughing or giggling at the other person’s jokes is an effective flirtation tactic for both sexes,” says Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s (NTNU) Department of Psychology.

“It is not only effective to be funny, but for women, it is very important that you show your potential partner that you think they are funny,” Rebecca Burch, a co-author from SUNY Oswego in New York, added.

Unfortunately, this study was only conducted on heterosexual couples.

For men, showing off their sense of humor was found to be the most effective way to flirt whether they were looking for a short-term or a long-term relationship. For women, being funny was the most effective tactic when looking for a long-term relationship. For people looking for a short-term fling, appearing available was the most effective tactic.

According to the study, humor is effective regardless of one’s attractiveness. “Individual differences in age, religiosity, extroversion, personal attractiveness and preferences for short-term sexual relationships had little or no effect on how effective respondents considered the various flirting tactics to be,” says study co-author Prof. Mons Bendixen.

If you see someone you like but don’t think you’re good-looking enough for them, give it a shot. You may still have a chance if you can make ’em laugh.

The most effective tactics for those looking for a long-term relationship:

For women:

1. Makes him laugh

2. Shows interest in conversations

3. Spends time with him

4. Engages in deep conversations

5. Kisses on mouth

For men:

1. Makes her laugh

2. Spends time with her

3. Shows interest in conversations

4. Engages in deep conversations

5. Smiles

The study is proof that looks aren’t everything and shows that having a good sense of humor isn’t just about making someone laugh. A great sense of humor is evidence that someone is intelligent, wise, perceptive, confident, can see things from new perspectives and has good intuition. It also helps people quickly build bonds and share experiences, which is a great way to get close to someone in a fast and fun way.

So why wouldn’t Jessica be with Roger? The guy is hilarious.

California has long positioned itself as a safe haven for those seeking an abortion: making it accessible to minors without need of parental consent, and even allowing non California residents to receive them. Newsom told The Associated Press in Dec 2021: “we’ll be a sanctuary. We are looking at ways to support that inevitability and looking at ways to expand our protections.”

One protection already existing is the Abortion Accessiblity Act, which eliminates out-of-pocket costs for abortion services covered by health plans. This comes as a direct response to “nationwide attacks on reproductive rights,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, adding that “California will continue to lead by example and ensure all women and pregnant people have autonomy over their bodies and the ability to control their own destinies.”

NEW: If the Supreme Court rolls back the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, abortion rights would be up to individual states. 23 states would institute bans, and 13 have “trigger laws” waiting for the ruling. https://t.co/RIdU9ObKGw pic.twitter.com/dA7EVNXYJa

— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 3, 2022

Though the reveal of the draft has no immediate effect on abortion access, if the Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade, 13 states with “trigger laws” in place would immediately enact the ban. And according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights advocacy group, that number shoots to 23 states based on passed laws that predate Roe.

However, Axios reports that at least 17 states, not just California, have enacted laws to keep abortion legal.

For example, in March 2022, Colorado created a bill called the “Reproductive Health Equity Act” codifying the right to abortion. Axios added that, similar to California, abortion advocates in Colorado are potentially pursuing a ballot measure in 2024 to place abortion access in the state’s constitution. In Vermont, lawmakers have already voted to protect abortion rights under the state’s constitution. If passed, it would be the first state to do so. And in Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill prohibiting legal action against people seeking abortion and those who aid them, ensuring the state won’t endure a Texas-style ban.

In less than fifty years time, the rights to abortion might once again be in the hands of the states, rather than nationally protected. The thought of that looming potential reality is a nightmare for many. However, there is a small (very small) comfort in seeing some states taking countermeasures.

It’s Derby time! Well, if you live in Kentucky, it’s been Derby time for the last two weeks, so we’re a little late to the party, even if the big race isn’t until Saturday, May 7th. But better late than never, and anyway, any time is a great time for a serious mint julep.

Last year, we taught you how to make a classic version with sugar cubes, Woodford Reserve (the official whiskey of the Derby), and a ton of mint. This year, we’re bending the rules a little and making a Habanero Mint Julep, or just a spicy mint julep if you want to keep things easy.

For this recipe, I’m making it a little easier at the base while adding in some serious heat! While the mint julep is the ultimate hot-weather drink, adding spicy heat to it helps the drink cool you off even more because, remember, spicy food and drinks cool you down by warming you on the inside so your body sweats and cools off on the outside. That’s just science. So let’s get mixing up some spicy juleps!

Also Read: The Top Five Cocktail Recipes of the Last Six Months

• The Corpse Reviver No. 2 Is The Best Gin Cocktail For Winter — Here’s Our Recipe
• The Black Manhattan Is Our 2021 Thanksgiving Cocktail, Here’s The Recipe
• The Vieux Carre Is The Perfect Whiskey Cocktail For The Holidays
• The Americano Is An Excellent Low-Alcohol Cocktail For January, Here’s Our Recipe
• Our French 75 Cocktail Recipe Will Make You A New Year’s Eve Pre-Party Star

Spicy Mint Julep

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. bourbon
• 2 sugarcubes
• 1 barspoon of mineral water
• 6 fresh mint leaves
• 1 thin slice of fresh habanero chili (with seeds for extra hot)
• 3-4 dashes of Angostura Bitters
• Crushed Ice

The best part of this recipe is that all the ingredients are easily sourceable. Any store will have habanero chili, raw sugar, and fresh mint. The Woodford Reserve and Angostura are in pretty much every liquor store from sea to shining sea.

Some people will insist that you crush the ice yourself for this drink. You can also buy crushed ice. It’s fine, though purists may complain.

What You’ll Need:

• Julep cup or rocks glass
• Muddler
• Barspoon
• Paring knife
• Jigger
• Metal straw

Method:

• Add the two sugar cubes and one barspoon mineral water to the bottom of the julep cup. Use the muddler to break up the sugar cubes into the water to create a sugary base.
• Slice one thin coin of habanero from the stem side of the fruit (if you want it extremely hot — like Nashville hot chicken turned up to 11 hot — then use two slices). Add the chili and six mint leaves to the sugary base and (kind of gently) muddle the mint and chili into the sugar base until the leaves are well-bruised and the chili is just starting to fall apart.
• Add the three ounces of bourbon to the mix and stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved into the drink.
• Fill the cup about 2/3 with crushed ice. Use the barspoon to stir the drink until the level of the cocktail is above the crushed ice in the cup.
• Make a snowball of crushed ice in your hand and jam it on top of the cocktail, creating a dome over the cup.
• Garnish with a bushel of fresh mint, the metal straw, and hit the ice with a few dashes of Angostura Bitters. Serve.

Bottom Line:

I left the seeds in my mint julep and it was hot with a capital “H.” But still not quite “this is a stunt hot.” I like it that way. If you’re more on the side of just wanting an easy layer of heat in the drink, then deseed the chili and maybe only use half of a slice.

Anyway, the heat, mint, and sugar really blend well with the bourbon to create a super refreshing drink that you kind of don’t want to end. It was ice cold (the cup got that heavy layer of frost on it after a few minutes) but had serious heat to help you break out into the cooling sweat. Plus, I think mint and chili are underutilized in cocktails, especially the heat from the chilis part. This is a great combination that is perfect for watching the ponies, or just a hot day when you need to cool down.

The Miami Heat have not had the services of Kyle Lowry since the first round of the postseason. Lowry, who has been an important member of the team’s starting lineup since joining from the Toronto Raptors this past offseason, suffered a hamstring injury in Game 3 of the Heat’s opening round series against the Atlanta Hawks.

Lowry did not play in the final two games of their 5-game gentleman’s sweep of the Hawks, nor did he play in the first two games of Miami’s series against the Philadelphia 76ers. His absence has not been felt quite yet, as the Joel Embiid-less Sixers have been unable to take a game off of them, but just before it was announced that Embiid is slated to return for Philly on Friday night for Game 3, the Heat announced that Lowry will be inserted into the team’s starting lineup in his hometown.

Lowry will slide into the starting lineup with Gabe Vincent returning to his role on the bench. Otherwise, the Heat are slated to start their usual starting five, with Max Strus, Jimmy Butler, PJ Tucker, and Bam Adebayo taking the floor alongside the veteran floor general.

Game 3 is slated to tip off at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The Miami Heat find themselves with a 2-0 series lead against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals after winning a pair of games in which Joel Embiid did not play. Embiid took an elbow to the face in the final game of Philly’s first round series against the Toronto Raptors, which caused an orbital fracture and a concussion.

The hope has been that Embiid, who is also dealing with a torn right thumb ligament, would be able to clear concussion protocol and suit up for Friday night’s Game 3, the series’ first in Philadelphia. After originally being listed as out earlier in the day despite clearing the protocol, Embiid was upgraded to doubtful around lunchtime. And after Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that Embiid intended to go prior to his warmup, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Embiid is, indeed, going to play.

Doc Rivers has elected to start DeAndre Jordan in the first two games of the series, a decision which has come under heavy scrutiny as the Heat have made it a point to go at the veteran center. While going to Paul Reed and playing small ball have both had their benefits for the Sixers, neither option can match having Embiid on the floor, assuming he is not so physically compromised that he’s unable to contribute.

Game 3 between the Sixers and Heat is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Hey there, fellow passengers on this thrill ride!

Are we having fun yet? I don’t know about you, but I keep finding myself wanting to yell, “SOMEBODY STOP THIS THING—I WANNA GET OFF!” All of these ups and downs and roundy rounds are making me queasy, I gotta tell you. And that last drop was a doozy.

While we’re wondering what lies on the other side of the next climb or around the next corner, let’s close our eyes and take stock of what else is happening. Smell the buttered popcorn and funnel cakes in the air. Feel the warm sun on our face and wind in our hair. Be grateful for the friend in the seat beside us, holding our hand as we scream on the descents and laugh on the straightaways.

We can’t control or predict everything. But we can choose to find some good amid the chaos.

If you’re struggling with the ride and having a hard time finding the good in the moment, this list won’t fix everything. But maybe it’ll give you a little reprieve and bring a smile to your face a few times. And maybe, for now, that’s enough.

May we all be as jaunty and jovial in our years as this awesome auntie.

See on Instagram

I want to be her when I grow up.

The future of medicine is bright, indeed.

I went to discharge a toddler from the hospital and found a medical student in the room carefully bandaging her owl stuffy who had a u201cbroken wingu201d. He left the toddler clear u201cstuffy care instructionsu201d and some stickers. nnThe future of medicine is bright

— Jessie Allan, MD (@Jessie Allan, MD)
1651182016

Aw. After the hell that healthcare workers have been through the past two years, it’s lovely to see such a pure, sweet hope coming from the medical field.

Little boy sees his mom coming down the aisle, and adorableness ensues.

See on Instagram

The way he looks for her and the way his face lights up when he sees her. A perfect walk down the aisle.

A boy in Kansas sent off a note attached to balloons. A man in Quebec found them.

Incredibly, Reid Habbert’s bunch of balloons traveled more than 1,800 miles with a note attached asking whoever found them to contact him. Cree hunter David Longchap found them on the traditional lands of the Cree nation in Quebec, Canada, and a beautiful cultural exchange resulted. Read the full story here.

This boys’ school marimba band is nothing but sheer joy.

How fun is that? Read the full story here.

Blue Jays fan caught a homer and immediately gave it to a young Yankees fan.

Blue Jays fans are the best. Judge hit a homer, Blue Jays fan caught it and without thinking gave the ball to the little kid whou2019s a Yankees fan who was also wearing a Judge t-shirt. There are good people out there. #NextLevel #RepBXpic.twitter.com/oF9Ks41fqU

— Doc Naismith uea00 (@Doc Naismith uea00)
1651625502

Oh that kid’s face. Talk about a moment to remember.

No idea who this guy is but he’s amazing.

Timeline cleanserpic.twitter.com/63YDmRzrp1

— Roy Sholayud83cuddf2ud83cuddfa (@Roy Sholayud83cuddf2ud83cuddfa)
1651697419

If anyone knows who or where this is, please share. Totally made my day.

Kitten discovers a sun beam.

See on Instagram

I mean, it just doesn’t get cuter than that. Kittens win, hands down.

Gamer’s girlfriend surprises him with a visit from an online friend he’s had for 10 years.

See on Instagram

Proof that “virtual” friendships can be real friendships. So sweet.

This chipmunk’s reaction to tasting an almond for the first time.

*chipmunk #EditButton

— Buitengebieden (@Buitengebieden)
1651337592

May we all experience something this week that gives us such rapturous pause.

Hope those little bits of joy made you smile. Come back next week for another roundup!

Have you heard of Buddy the cat? Buddy’s story has a little bit of everything: narrowly avoiding death, making the ultimate comeback, and sharing his miracle to save others.

Once upon a time, Buddy was just your average neighborhood feline. The Philly street cat would traipse around the block winning hearts wherever he’d roam. Until one day, a couple teenage boys sicced their two dogs on the poor guy. A surveillance camera caught the brutal attack, and eventually a man came to the rescue.

From there, things looked bleak. Buddy was already bleeding internally and had a heart rate nearly twice what it should have been by the time he reached the BluePearl emergency veterinary facility. The vets didn’t know if he’d make it through.

See on Instagram

Don’t worry, this story has a happy ending.

The video has since been taken down due to its graphic content, but not before going viral. It wasn’t long before the Pennsylvania SPCA received a flood of inquiries, messages, and donations of money and cat treats. And not just from Philadelphia, or the United States, for that matter. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Buddy receiving donations from Europe, Asia, and Australia. People around the globe were rooting for his recovery.

Not only did Buddy pull through, he received a whopping $100,000. PSPCA spokeswoman Gillian Kocher told the Inquirer “this is the biggest outpouring of support we have had for a single animal in the last decade. There is nothing that comes close to it.”

With all that money left over, the PSPCA was able to create a Buddy Fund to help care for other abused animals, including medical care and prosecuting their offenders (thankfully, Buddy’s attackers ended up turning themselves in.)

Buddy doesn’t seem to mind parting with the cash. He’s purrfectly happy helping others while lounging on his white blankie.

See on Instagram

The PSPCA even made adorable t-shirts and stickers that say “Save Every Buddy.” The t-shirts alone have raised over $30,000. This kitty’s popularity just won’t stop.

As for Buddy, he’s living up his second life in luxury. He went home for foster care with Katie Venanzi, the BluePearl vet who took care of him the night of the incident on April 1. But according to Audacy, Vananzi hopes to make Buddy a permanent family member.

Check out this adorable photo of Buddy snuggling up next to his new brother Teddy.

See on Instagram

Even after finding his new home, it looks like Buddy will remain a social media star. He has a loyal audience who regularly read his blog and eagerly await his videos–which are always a hit, even though it’s usually just him playing with his toys. The PSPCA jokingly complains that they can’t go longer than a day without some kind of Buddy post.

He even receives fan mail, which goes straight to a dedicated bulletin board.

Kocher told the Inquirer, “Everyone is very invested in this cat. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. I could post his left ear, and people would go crazy about it.” She thinks it’s for the hope he instills in others. “Out of something pretty horrible can come so much good. Despite bad things happening, there is still so much good in the world.”

Buddy’s story might have begun with tragedy, but kindness and compassion won in the end. We are so happy this kitty has not only survived, but is thriving and inspiring.