Matt.weiland

Your eyes are not deceiving you; do not adjust your screen. What you see here is, in fact, a completed eBay listing for a nearly 20 year old McDonald’s Mulan Szechuan teriyaki dipping sauce from 1998, that some lucky Rick and Morty fan — most likely — bid nearly $15,000 on. Ever since being featured prominently in the surprise season three premiere, nostalgia for the limited edition condiment has reached a fever pitch, with people trying to figure out how to make their own at home and McDonald’s even considering giving into fan pressure and bringing it back.

But paying $14,700 for just one packet (which, to be fair, also includes a “Wasabi favored sauce”) seems more than a little bit absurd — especially considering a whole case of the stuff recently went for a much more reasonable sounding $400.

The listing explains:

I just bought a really old car, while cleaning it I found a packet of this sauce. After watching the recent episode of Rick and Morty I went online to see if it was worth anything. Turns out it was. Also this comes with a packet of wasabi as well.

I hope somebody who wants to eat some 20 year old gnarly sauce gets this.. I would prefer not to sell it to a collector.

So not only is this sauce almost 20 years old, but it’s been exposed to the elements from inside somebody’s car for god knows how long, as well. Well, if the lucky winner does indeed decide to eat this, let’s hope they stock up on tapeworm food, and have 911 on speed dial… Just in case.

(Via Time)

WATCH: Jack McBrayer: Tracy Morgan Thinks My Name Is Kenneth

Tony Boloney in Hoboken, New Jersey takes Taco Tuesday quite seriously with their massive 30-pound pizza topped with tasty tacos and guacamole. According to Thrillist, owner “Mike Hauke decided on a whim to appease a group of stoned kids with the ultimate munchies snack: tacos on top of pizza.”

The massive pizza (which costs $80 per pie or $10 per slice) begins with house-made queso Oaxaca, carne asada, chipotle asada, and a solid heaping of cheese on top of pizza dough. Once the pizza is cooked, a myriad of taco varieties are piled on the outer rim of the pizza. To finish it all off, guacamole and sour cream are added to the center of the pie for easy dipping access. (read more)

A post shared by Tony Boloney's AC/Hoboken (@tonyboloneys) on Apr 13, 2017 at 4:53pm PDT

A post shared by Tony Boloney's AC/Hoboken (@tonyboloneys) on Apr 13, 2017 at 7:47am PDT

A post shared by Tony Boloney's AC/Hoboken (@tonyboloneys) on Apr 11, 2017 at 7:58pm PDT

A post shared by First We Feast (@firstwefeast) on Apr 17, 2017 at 3:18am PDT

A post shared by Tony Boloney's AC/Hoboken (@tonyboloneys) on Apr 12, 2017 at 8:04am PDT

via Thrillist, That’s Nerdalicious

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By Rikki Niblett

Have you ever wished you could join Club 33, but traveled more frequently to Walt Disney World than Disneyland? Well, it appears that now, not only will you have one, but you’ll soon have four different versions of Club 33 at the Walt Disney World Resort.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, versions of Club 33 will be built at Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. As of right now, details about this project are still very sketchy. We do not know where exactly Club 33 will be built inside the four theme parks, and we have no idea how much it will cost to join the club. (I’m gonna expect it’ll be pricey!) However, one thing is for sure – getting to experience Club 33 is on many Disney fans’ bucket lists, and it looks like Disney is attempting to make it a little bit easier for those of us on the East Coast to mark it off our lists. (Or I should say easier for those who have the cash?)

For those who are unaware, Club 33 originated at Disneyland back in 1967. It is a private club that is located in the New Orleans Square section of Disneyland. The idea behind the club was actually a creation of Walt himself. He got the idea courtesy of executive lounges that were prevalent at the 1964/1965 New York World’s Fair. This private club allows VIPs to mix, mingle, and dine. The area has always held of sense of mystique, due to its exclusive nature. Membership to Club 33 in Disneyland is in high demand, resulting in a waiting list that is years long.

Stay tuned to the blog, as this is a developing story. I’ll likely have more information to share soon!

Club 33 Is Coming to Walt Disney World is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Veep showrunner David Mandel recently told the Washington Post that President Donald Trump’s administration has regularly “out-Veeped Veep,” and that was before Press Secretary Sean Spicer brought up “Holocaust centers.” While speaking to the media on Tuesday about Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s chemical attack on his own people, Spicey rambled something about how Hitler “didn’t even sink to using chemical weapons,” breaking the first rule in Press Secretary school: never bring up Hitler.

He later clarified, “I think when you come to sarin gas, there was no… he was not using the gas on his own people the same way that Assad is doing. I mean, there was clearly, I understand your point, thank you. Thank you, I appreciate that. There was not in the, he brought them into the Holocaust center, I understand that.” At least Spicer understands; no one else does.

After seeing Spicer futile struggle with, y’know, words, YouTube user Dan Ketchum paired his Hitler comments with Veep’s end credits. (It’s the new It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia‘s opening credits!) “I spliced together footage and music from HBO’s Veep,” he wrote, “about a fictional administration full of incompetent, tone-deaf, narcissists, with footage of an actual administrations full of incompetent, tone-deaf, narcissists.”

HBO’s Emmy-winning documentary, Veep, returns on April 16.

(Via YouTube)

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo matriarch “Mama” June Shannon, who became a reality show sensation thanks in part to her family ingesting unhealthy quantities of “sketti,” showed off her dramatic weight loss during a recent episode of her WEtv spinoff, From Not to Hot. The 37-year-old lost nearly 300 pounds, going from a size 24 to a size 4, after hiring a personal trainer and undergoing multiple surgeries, including a self-proclaimed “boob job.”

“I’ve worked my ass off, working out getting healthy,” a confident Mama June said during the episode. “Now I feel like becoming the person on the outside that I always felt like on the inside.” She added, “It makes me feel really good to show other people this is what I’ve always thought of myself and that my inside hadn’t changed, like my giving and outgoing and loving personality that was there when I was there. It’s just a little bit more out there.”

Mama June lost so much weight, in fact, that according to her trainer Kenya Crooks, her daughters, Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson and Lauryn “Pumpkin” Shannon, didn’t “even recognize her.” He continued, “The Biggest Loser won’t have anything on this, The Swan won’t have anything on this — when I tell you this is the greatest transformation of all time, get ready.”

Judge for yourself below.

(Via People)

Mama June Shannon of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo fame recently shocked the world when she unveiled her dramatic weight loss transformation for her oh-so cleverly-titled WEtv reality series, From Not to Hot. The 37-year-old mother of four claims to have gone from a size 24 to a size four after incredibly losing 300 pounds in less than a year. (Although a personal trainer and $50,000 in cosmetic surgeries didn’t hurt, either.)

As for the reason for this sudden lifestyle change, in a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Shannon points to her ex-partner, Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson (father to Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson) as the inspiration for her weight loss. Thompson and Shannon split up in September of 2014 amid cheating rumors, and he recently remarried as cameras filmed for the show.

“I wanted to also show Sugar Bear, you know what I’m saying, he really made me feel like shit,” she said. “First was like Sugar Bear, you know what I mean, I wanted to show him, like, I am actually worth it.” She went on to say that the first time she actually saw her ex since losing 300 pounds was at his wedding, which she said was “awkward” for pretty obvious reasons.

“He told me I wasn’t worth anything, and I felt like losing the weight, it made me empowered, honestly,” she elaborated.

As for dating with her “revenge body,” Shannon isn’t sure she’s quite ready to dip her toe in those waters yet. “Yeah, I have guys who are coming up to me, but I feel like those guys are only into me because I look a certain way and I’m on TV,” she said.

In case you missed it, here’s People magazine’s exclusive of her transformation, which does not appear to be computer enhanced in any way whatsoever:

(Via Entertainment Tonight)

Finishing touches are being made for the April 10 opening of The Polite Pig in Town Center at Disney Springs, the newest concept for award-winning Orlando Chefs James and Julie Petrakis. The husband-wife team, also owners of The Ravenous Pig and Swine & Sons in Winter Park and Cask & Larder at Orlando International Airport, are opening this newest concept with James Petrakis’ brother Brian.

The Polite Pig will feature “modern barbecue” in an open kitchen, with Southern sides like a tomato and watermelon salad, mac and cheese and smoked corn with lime butter. (Sauce fans, there’s a bar with seven different ways to top your ‘cue, from Layla’s Sweet to Fresno Hot Sauce.) Add a solid selection of craft beers and cocktails, and a bourbon bar with more than 50 selections, from small batch bourbons to a Pappy Van Winkle 23-Year Family Reserve.
We talked with Julie, who met James, by the way, while studying at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Both are Central Florida natives.

Why did you decide to open at restaurant at Disney Springs?
Disney approached us with the idea of opening a fast-casual outpost that would represent the atmosphere and quality of our Winter Park location, The Ravenous Pig. We shared their enthusiasm for bringing a true local restaurant to Disney Springs.

Is the menu similar to The Ravenous Pig and Cask & Larder, your other restaurants in Central Florida?
I would say that the menu is similar in its approach to using quality, seasonal ingredients, with our signature touch. We’ll have Cask & Larder Brewery beers, cocktails on tap and also an extensive Bourbon Bar. And this restaurant will focus a bit more on wood-smoked and grilled items.

Anything you’ll offer at The Polite Pig that will be a signature, or exclusive to that restaurant?
Most of the menu will be exclusive to The Polite Pig: modern barbecue with The Ravenous Pig twist. Like the Southern Pig Sandwich with pulled pork off the smoker, apple slaw, mustard sauce and Duke’s mayo; peel-and-eat shrimp with bourbon-cocktail sauce, and crispy Brussels sprouts with whiskey caramel.

Who will be the chef daily in The Polite Pig kitchen?
We have two of our Ravenous Pig/Cask & Larder veterans at the helm, Jared Thate and Allie Weldon, along with Chef James Petrakis’ guidance and inspiration.

Tell us about the craft beer program.
We will feature four of our beloved Cask & Larder Brewery brews on tap, as well as a couple other Florida/domestic craft beers.

Anything special about The Polite Pig cocktails?
We will feature five house cocktails on tap, including some of our crowd favorites from The Ravenous Pig, such as the Gin and Tonic and Old-Fashioned.

How many seats and describe the décor.
We’ll have 190 seats, and the décor pays homage to the beloved swine of The Polite Pig, as well as antiquity. Whimsical pigs on various adventures can be seen throughout the space, and rustic touches are used for custom featured art pieces. Large faded graphics also adorn the main wall of the space adding to the feel of the long-time family run business.

What’s your favorite dish on The Polite Pig menu?
My favorite appetizer is the Hop Salt Pretzel with beer cheese fondue and IPA mustard. Favorite sandwich: the Salmon BLT with bacon jam, marinated tomato, romaine and aioli. I love that with a side of charred broccoli tossed with herb buttermilk dressing and house granola.

What do you think is the secret to good food?
Using quality seasonal ingredients and taking great care of it by enhancing with smoke/cooking, proper seasoning and passion!

But Without has created a terrifying mashup of the latest trailer for Stephen King‘s new adaptation of It and the 2003 live action film, The Cat in the Hat. The trailer replaces Pennywise the child eating clown with Dr. Seuss‘ wise cracking anthropomorphic feline, played by Mike Myers. But Without also reimagined The Cat in the Hat movie as a horror film.

Here is the original trailer for It.

via /Film

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By Robert Niles: In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, an alien visiting Earth decides to blend in by naming himself "Ford Prefect," mistaking automobiles for the dominant life form on our planet. The joke worked in author Douglas Adams' native UK, where the Prefect was a relatively popular car, even if it pretty much failed in the US, where Ford barely sold any of the model.

So if Disney ever wants to reboot its 2005 Hitchhiker's movie with a theme park version where the main character visits Disneyland, perhaps Ford Prefect can be renamed "Graco Fastaction," since strollers seem to crowding out actual human visitors in many sections of the park these days.

With more attractions crammed into much less space than Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom — the other theme park in America that's become a "must visit" for families with little kids — Disneyland is the undisputed stroller swarm capital of the United States. Cast members often struggle to keep pathways clear around the entrances to Tomorrowland, Toontown (next to It's a Small World), and Pirates of the Caribbean clear as parents abandon their strollers in packs throughout the day.

In my Orange County Register column this week, I look at the situation in Tomorrowland, where strollers often span the gaps between the old PeopleMover support columns, and sometime spill out to narrow the already tight paths in front of Star Tours and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.

Mostly, I'm using the stroller situation as a straw man to back into an argument that Disney's best business decision for better crowd management in Tomorrowland is to reopen the PeopleMover. But I think it's an interesting question to ask what else Disneyland might do to alleviate the stroller jams throughout the park.

Given that Disney hasn't got the room to swap Disneyland for a larger, Magic Kingdom-sized replacement in Anaheim, relief is going to come only from reducing the size and/or number of strollers in the park. So how might Disney do that?

The easiest logistical solution is to try to reduce the number of little kids in the park by raising prices on them. Eliminate the child's discount and make everyone — including children under age three — pay the regular, "adult" price. That might keep some parents from hauling their kids to the resort before they turn 10 — long past their stroller years. But Disney doesn't offer a kids' discount on annual passes, and with hundreds of thousands of local AP holders crowding the park throughout the year, the elimination of children's tickets probably wouldn't take a significant number of strollers off the pathways. Maybe requiring tickets for babies would help a bit, but it won't solve the problem.

That's because, ultimately, the problem isn't the number of children in Disneyland. It's the size of those darned strollers these days. Perhaps Disneyland could divert some of Walt Disney World's "NextGen" money into designing and developing the next generation of smaller, stronger, more durable strollers, which Disney could rent in place of its current, somewhat bulky models.

Of course, that wouldn't do anything to address the much larger, SUV-sized rolling roadblocks that many parents are bringing into the park. To do that, Disney would have to get really devious and start emulating... the airline industry.

Wanna bring a stroller into the park? Like checking a bag on a flight, you're gonna have to pay. Let's make the daily stroller admission fee equal to the daily stroller rental fee. That way, people are paying the same whether they bring their own or use Disney's (in our ideal world) smaller strollers.

Must use your own? Then you might have to pay an oversized stroller penalty on top of the stroller admission fee, just as you would for an overweight checked bag on an airline trip.

Why do people bring in such big strollers, anyway? Because for many families, the issue isn't a place to stash the kid. It's having a place to stash their stuff. People need the big strollers to accommodate the diaper bag, backpacks, snack bags, and whatever else they're hauling into the park like they were preparing to climb Mount Everest.

And here's where Disney goes full Spirit Airlines... and starts charging people who bring in oversized bags, not just strollers. Install a "personal item" 9x10x17-inch frame at each front gate lane and tell people they'll have to pay a fee if their bags don't fit in it. Heck, Disney could earn a few extra million on top of those fees by selling the streaming rights to the inevitable front-gate confrontations to World Star.

Now that we're talking about starting a fight, let's put this to a vote:

By Claire Nat

A few days ago Tammy Whiting wrote a great article about Things You Shouldn’t Pay for on a Disney Cruise. Today I take that idea and apply it to Walt Disney World! Here are some purchases to avoid to save money at Disney.

Some of you might think, “Hey Claire, everything is expensive at the Disney parks! You just have to deal with it!” I agree with your statement, but there are always things that are just a little too ridiculous, or a little too much like a nickel-and-dime scheme, or WAY too expensive to warrant even being put on the shelf or promoted by the company!

So if you’re trying to afford that great Disney vacation and are thinking of ways to reduce the overall budget, here are some things you can definitely ignore:

Save Money at Disney – Don’t Fall for Preferred Parking

Walt Disney World’s parking is huge and sprawling. They have always accomodated the early riser and the late arriver by shuttling people with their tram system to roughly the spot where their vehicle is located. If you are close enough to the entrance, you can just hoof it to the security checkpoint.

Disney’s commuting guests have grown accustomed to this arrangement. However, one year ago Disney decided to provide an up charge by giving guests really, really great parking spaces for just $20 more!

I need to remind you that parking for a Disney park in Florida is already $20, so if you want the best spot in the Mouse House you have to double your parking payment. $40 paid for the day and you haven’t even made it to the entrance yet!

I have parked all over the lots at Disney and in all sort of podiatric conditions. The trams do a lot of the heavy work – use them if you have to! Don’t sacrifice a Mickey moment in the park because you spent that extra $20 outside the park.

Save Money at Disney – Buy Meals a la Carte

When you go up to the counter for the first time at a quick service dining location in the parks, you might deal with some sticker shock. After all, most of our national fast food chains aren’t quite to the point of charging $10 for a combo meal. (…Yet…) But that doesn’t stop Disney. The main meals at places like Casey’s Corner in Magic Kingdom park or Pizzafari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are $10 or more – and that doesn’t even include the drink!

This isn’t as huge of a cost-cutting measure as the parking, but remember that it will still save you a couple bucks, and it could help your belt a little, too.

There are two ways to enjoy the meals but at a lower price: order the kid’s menu version of the same meal, or order it a la carte. The kid’s price has a smaller portion, but it probably is the size that one would expect from one’s local fast food joint. (The regular menu portions are huge!)

Disney rarely posts that you can order just the burger or just the chicken nuggets, but you can, and the cast member will knock off some of the price at the register.

Save Money at Disney – Baby Clothes Are Tomorrow’s Garage Sale Items

I now have two nieces (with a third niece or nephew on the way) and I have declared them the best babies ever in the history of the whole world period. (Period!) So when I went to Walt Disney World last summer with my parents, we wanted to find some cute baby outfits.

We didn’t expect the baby outfits to be on par in price with youth and adult t-shirts! Here’s a child’s onesie set from the Disney Store:

 

Notice the price? I would bet the adult is going to get more use out of a shirt of the same price than the child. Children under the age of three grow at a rapid rate, and purchasing clothes for them is more like playing a game of roulette. Will the baby be that size when this weather is taking place? Or – more likely – how long will the baby be this size anyway?

Etsy has amazing Disney-themed baby clothes for a slightly more reasonable rate (plus it supports creative people), and Disney-themed clothes are all over budget-friendly stores like Wal-Mart and Target! The clothes can start the Disney conversation, and it’s completely up to you if you want to say where exactly you purchased that outfit.

Save Money at Disney – There Are Movies at Home

For long-term guests a movie might be a pleasant break from the Disney crazy. However, most guests are in Walt Disney World for a week or so. I have taken a break from the Disney crazy, but I didn’t need to spend $20+ to do something that I can do at home. Instead, I just turned on my television, which is conveniently included in the price of your hotel. Between sporting events, movies, and weather, I could take a breather and not spend more money.

 

 

 

Save Money at Disney – Refillable Mugs are not worth the Trouble

I did get sucked into the refillable mug craze back in 2010, but I didn’t get the most out of the money I spent. I rarely was at the resort to refill my mug, and all I wanted on those hot June days was water! I wised up last year and just brought a gigantic water bottle, and it was exactly what I needed.

When you think about how many times you’d need to use the mug, and also think that you would need to make a trip to the food court every time you wanted a refill, the idea of the refillable mug starts to not look very appealing – especially not at a $18 price tag. Moreover, do you really trust the “washing stations, which would more accurately be called “rinsing stations? At home, you don’t just rinse your dishes for a week instead of washing them. And sugary syrup probably isn’t a good thing to put in a body in need of hydration – just take a water bottle and get free ice water.

Save Money at Disney – Bring Your Own Glow Items

Before each of its nighttime spectaculars, Disney wheels out its magical light-up cart full of hats, crowns, twirly-ma-bobs, and swords to entice the kiddos in the crowd to sidle up to their parents and say, “Pleeeeeeeeease?” Disney hopes that the exhausted parent will purchase something to make the kids happy while they wait for Anna and Elsa to come down the street or Mickey Mouse to shoot fireworks from his fingers.

This stuff is all trap merchandise. Don’t let the fact that they wave this stuff in front of your children keep you from standing your ground. The best advice I ever heard on the subject was to purchase your own nighttime glow merchandise before you leave for Florida (or purchase it at a local Florida store). Hide it so the kids don’t see it, and then break it out when their eyes start to twinkle at the Disney twirly-ma-bob with its retail price of arm-and-leg. Chances are your unique glow merchandise will be the envy of the kids around you that all have identical light-up swords.

Save Money at Disney – Wishes Dessert Parties Are Good For Desserts, Not So Much For Viewing Fireworks

Disney dessert parties contain many varieties of desserts. From cheesecakes to fruit tarts to chocolate, every dessert lover’s desire is granted. (They even have milk!) If dessert is your goal, you can enjoy as much as you want and it’s pretty delicious.

However, if the goal of a dessert party is the show, then you might want to just camp out in advance at the best location, because it’s pretty likely that the dessert party viewing area isn’t going to be the greatest.

I did the Wishes dessert party a few years back at the Tomorrowland Terrace, and since I had booked it so early, my friend and I had seats right at the front. But those with tables in the back still had to get up and stand behind us to watch the show…just like they would have if they hadn’t been at the party.

This is a question of spending time vs. spending money. In my opinion, time wins out for that picture perfect view.

(Ed. – Illuminations dessert parties are an exception to this. Many of the private party locations and the Illuminations Sparkling Dessert Party are prime viewing locations that also remove you from being shoulder to shoulder with other guests.)

Save Money at Disney – Midway Games Are For Suckers

Specifically, I am talking about the games you would find at Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama, but you will find them a few other places too. These are games that are typically found in random theme parks across America as well as boardwalks, circuses, and fairs. People throw, squirt, or move something, and if they win they get a giant stuffed animal. Which you will then have to carry around the park. Possibly in the heat of summer.

The reason Disney even has this area in Animal Kingdom is because of the amazingly detailed theming of the area that makes it resemble an off-highway tourist trap. (Maybe too amazingly detailed?) That doesn’t mean you have to waste your money ($4 per game) to be immersed! Save (and make!) money by teaching your kids how to set up their own 3-Card Monte games out of sight of Disney security.

 

Do you have any other items or experiences to add to the Walt Disney World list? Disagree with anything I’ve mentioned above? Have you ever paid for something at WDW and regretted it later? Let us know in the comments below!

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Pro Tips – Things You Shouldn’t Pay For at Walt Disney World is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

For the first time in its history, Saturday Night Live‘s title will be true for the entire continental United States, as this season’s final four episodes will air live in the Mountain and Pacific time zones, as well as Eastern and Central like usual.

Those four episodes will be hosted by Jimmy Fallon (April 15), Chris Pine (May 6), Melissa McCarthy (May 13), and Dwayne Johnson (May 20), and will be broadcast live at 11:30 p.m. Eastern, 10:30 Central, 9:30 Mountain, and 8:30 Pacific. (The episodes will then repeat at 11:30 Mountain and Pacific.)

For its entire 40-year history, SNL — like most of live TV across those decades — aired on tape delay to the western half of the United States. But most of the big live TV events now get simulcast across the country, and with SNL having its most-watched season in 24 years — and, thanks to Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump, McCarthy as Sean Spicer, and Kate McKinnon as half the Trump administration, its most talked-about in years — it seemed time to stop letting the good people of California have the whole show spoiled for them on Twitter.

“SNL — enjoying its most popular season in two decades — is part of the national conversation, and we thought it would be a great idea to broadcast to the west and mountain time zones live at the same time it’s being seen in the east and central time zones,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment in a statement. “That way, everyone is in on the joke at the same time. Kudos to Lorne Michaels, the producers and cast for making SNL one of the most relevant and anticipated shows in the zeitgeist.”

Will this be a one-time (or, rather, four-time) experiment, or, considering NBC’s lack of original Saturday night programming for much of the year, could this be the way SNL airs going forward? That’s unclear, but this may be a hard genie to put back in the bottle once it’s live from New York from coast to coast.

Additional reporting by Mike Ryan.

“Muppet Muppet Land” by Funny or Die replaces La La Land star Ryan Gosling with Kermit the Frog by editing together clips from the film and various Muppet projects.

The critically acclaimed movie La La Land gets a last minute update with Kermit The Frog replacing Ryan Gosling as the love interest of Mia (Emma Stone). Watch as a struggling actress and a frog pursue their dreams in a city known for destroying hopes and breaking hearts. This is Muppet Muppet Land.

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John McCain—the original Maverick, ol’ Walnuts, the brave teller of truths—is somehow once again positioning himself, to credulous journalists, as a renegade Republican who isn’t afraid to buck his party, despite his three-decade record of not ever actually bucking his party in any meaningful way.

Read more...

Donald Trump had an extra combative press conference on Thursday, and while the President was claiming drugs were cheaper than candy bars and having what was just generally a bad day at the podium (even for his standards), oddsmakers at offshore sportsbook Bovada were pulling all prop bets involving Trump off the board.

The props frozen were visible, but not able to be wagered on, on the Bovada page included whether Trump will complete his full four-year term (which was at -130 yes, EVEN odds on no).

It’s incredible that a sportsbook could be so shaken by a President’s press conference that they would pull impeachment odds off the board, but that appears to be the case. My first reaction, along with many, was that they had some information or there was a significant wager placed that made them curious if there was a reason and thus they would pull it down. That still could be the case, but publicly at least, the reason is just a reaction to the Thursday press conference.

The odds were quickly changed, and at 1:30 p.m. ET they went back up with Trump going from a -130 favorite to complete his term prior to the press conference to a -130 favorite to NOT complete his four-year term afterwards.

That’s a significant odds shift to come after one press conference, but Trump looked bad enough to cause a massive line move, either through fear from the oddsmakers or a large wager coming in and pushing them to change the odds.

The last novel of Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath trilogy, Star Wars Aftermath: Empire’s End, hits shelves next Tuesday, and the books take place in canon. The first two novels revealed new things about the Star Wars universe, like General Hux’s backstory, why Chewbacca owes a life debt to Han Solo, and General Leia using the force. (She is one with the force, and the force is one with her.)

The third novel reveals, among other things, what happened to that terroristic annoyance Jar Jar Binks after his disastrous tenure as an interim Galactic Senator in Attack of the Clones resulted in the war powers act, weakening the Republic and paving the way for the Empire.

That Gungan bastard finally got his comeuppance. Not in the form of a lightsaber to his stupid fish face or in being killed off as an inside joke in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but rather in the form of a lifetime of humiliation.

Empire’s End shows Jar Jar working as a sad, unpopular, mostly-ignored street performer on Naboo. Twice a day he clowns around in a fountain. Adults hate him, but children find him slightly amusing. (Hmm, that seems familiar.) Mashable explains:

“Jar Jar makin some uh-oh mistakens,” the Gungan says, explaining why he isn’t wanted anywhere either. “Desa hisen Naboo tink I help the uh-oh Empire.” He stares into the distance, suggesting he knows more than he’s saying.

The only thing that could make this schadenfreude sweeter would be if he were also being nailed in the nuts in perpetuity.

(Via Mashable)

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Read more...

“let me get my whip, kid”

“oh, dr. jones, there’s nothing to whip this time. you have to learn about pepe the frog”

Developer Adam Bell successfully ran the classic first-person shooter Doom on the Touch Bar of the new MacBook Pro. Besides running games from 1993 the Touch Bar gives users dynamic controls and function buttons based on their active application, and it also runs Nyan Cat.

Doom runs on everything… but can it run on the new MacBook Pro Touch Bar?

via Waxy.org

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Gilmore Girls, television’s most autumnal show, returns on Nov. 25 after a nine-year absence for more fast-talking, coffee-drinking small town shenanigans. So far, Netflix has hyped the four-episode miniseries, known as Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, with crowded pop-ups, teasing Instagram posts, a teaser, and photos — there will also be a fan festival and 153-hour marathon, which ends right before A Year In the Life premieres. (Because nothing says Thanksgiving like arguing over Dean, Jess, Logan, or Marty, who your Aunt Mabel thinks Rory should have ended up with, for some reason.)

Today, the streaming service released several seasonal posters. It’s an appropriate choice — episode one is called “Winter,” episode two is “Spring,” and so on. (The miniseries will be released all at once, because Netflix CCO Ted Sarandos is “petrified of those fans; they are so passionate.”) The posters are charming as hell and all, but there’s something… off.

Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

Four years at Yale, and Rory never learned how to hold a coffee cup. She really should have gone to Harvard. Anyway, most of the original cast of Gilmore Girls will return for A Year In Life, including the well-paid Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel, obviously, as well as Scott Patterson, Kelly Bishop, Melissa McCarthy, and, hopefully, Nick Offerman reprising his role as Beau.

Astute viewers of FOX Sports’ NFL coverage have pointed out an odd irregularity that they won’t soon live down. In a preview for next week’s game, in which Sam Bradford visits his former team the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s clear that FOX Photoshopped Sam Bradford’s head onto injured Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater’s body.

Weird!

Whoever made the decision to change Bridgewater’s skin color and have Bradford’s head ‘Shopped onto his body clearly isn’t a fan of efficient workflows. There are plenty of Sam Bradford images floating around for even a relatively small network like FOX to acquire. Getty offers a subscription service that’s not the most expansive, but will surely get the job done. USA Today Sports also has a wide variety of Sam Bradford images for outlets to use. Why FOX would continue to use an image where Sam Bradford’s big head is throwing a pass with gloves is beyond any normal person’s comprehension.

And so, the Internet called them out.

And it turns out that FOX has been using this image since the beginning of the season. They’ve had ample time to fix this Frankenstein image, but haven’t for whatever reason.

But, when you think about it, Gloved Sam Bradford has been playing some of the best football of his career…

There’s something on television for everyone. If you like Russian spy thrillers, there’s The Americans. If you like Back to the Future but wish Doc Brown was drunk all the time, there’s Rick and Morty. If you like suits, there’s Suits. But in the age of #PeakTV, there’s a niche that hasn’t been filled, a single itch that has yet to be scratched: Charles Dickens… but sexy. That’s all NBC needed to hear to order Twist, a modern take on Dickens’ 1830s novel, Oliver Twist.

You should read the next sentence in Jack Donaghy’s voice: Twist is a “sexy contemporary take on Oliver Twist with a struggling twentysomething female (Twist) who finally finds a true sense of family in a strange group of talented outcasts who use their unique skills to take down wealthy criminals.” (Good God, Lemon.) That’s according to the Hollywood Reporter, which adds, “Writing duo Chad Damiani and J.P. Lavin will pen the script.” They’re the team behind Fruit Ninja, which, yes, is a movie based on a mobile app game.

Twist should pair nicely with Fox’s Camelot, another sultry modern-day procedural based on something or someone that people have heard of, which is all it takes these days (see: Fruit Ninja movie). But I, for one, am here for the sexy-fication of history. Now it’s no longer a matter of if some network transforms cruel despot Pol Pot into a buxom blonde named Polly, but when.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

Ben Carson has always been good for a dash of the ridiculous during this election, moving from being a potential challenger for Donald Trump’s lead in the Republican primary to recollecting the time he stabbed a guy to calling Hillary Clinton the devil while supporting Trump at the Republican National Convention. It’s been an odyssey for the retired neurosurgeon, so one can understand if he’s a little absentminded or scatterbrained by this point.

That solid fact is likely what gave us this gem from Detroit on Saturday. Following Donald Trump’s swaying visit with black voters, Carson took the candidate on a tour of his family home. That’s where CNN comes into play, speaking to Trump and then attempting to speak with Carson. The latter didn’t go well because CNN didn’t take Carson’s missing luggage into account:

“We just saw Mr. Trump here and I asked him how did it go and he said ‘Great.’ He said he learned a lot of things. What do you think he took away from today?”

“Oh my luggage. Um — hold on,”

It might be Carson’s most relatable moment of the campaign. We’ve all been there, we just haven’t been on live television when it happened. Not to mention, it’s likely the most animated we’ve seen the good doctor this entire election.

Carson would return soon after, hopefully with the knowledge that his luggage was safe and in his possession. You’d hate to think someone took it and was rummaging through it, like someone with coifed hair and tanned skin. You can check out that portion of the CNN segment below.

(Via CNN / Mediaite)

The proprietor of the UsefulWidget YouTube channel revealed a frightening number of spiders in his yard using a clever flashlight technique that reflects the light in a spider’s eyes, making them appear as little sparkles in the grass. The channel posted a second video where spiders were hunted in the grass with a stick to address some skeptics.

via reddit

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It’s only been a few days since Netflix announced their hit show Stranger Things would get a second season, but it looks like production is already pushing full steam ahead. The Hollywood Reporter has just dug up a casting call looking to fill three new cast roles in their supernatural series.

Astute fans of the show noticed that the series basically broke down into three plots, each following a different style of classic movie tropes. You’ve got Mike, Dustin, and Lucas as the kids embarking on a Spielberg adventure. Then there’s Nancy and Jonathan in the teenager monster movie, and Joyce and Jim in a supernatural government conspiracy tale. So it’s only fitting that this latest role call for new actors seems to add one new character to each of the plot lines.

Joining the kids will be Max, a 13-year-old tomboy who is new to town and has a mysterious past. Her older brother is 17-year-old Billy, a cocky and muscular troublemaker whose violent outbursts fuel rumors that he killed someone at his last school. He’ll undoubtedly be mixing things up with Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, and the rest of the teenagers.

Finally, there’s the more mysterious Roman role, which is listed as a part for either a man or a woman aged 30 to 38. This character came from a broken family of drug addicts and spent many years homeless. Another person from Hawkins Laboratory? A drifter who ends up encountering something from the Upside Down? We’ll have to wait until 2017 when season two debuts on Netflix to find out.

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

Taco Belle is a beautiful gown by artist AvantGeek that combines Taco Bell elements and the gown worn by Disney princess Belle from Beauty and the Beast. The dress uses Taco Bell wrappers and tacos made from cardstock, tissue paper, and felt.

photo via AvantGeek

via Geeks Are Sexy

Juggler and unicyclist Flaviu Cernescu recently climbed to the top of the giant chimney CET Târgu Jiu in Romania and then both rode around and performed tricks on its rim.

via The Awesomer

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