Mikkele.bringard

Retired basketball star, Hollywood genie, video-game kung-fu master, volunteer sheriff and Buick driver Shaquille O’Neal is releasing his own brand of soda. The “all-natural,” aptly titled “Shaq Soda” hits shelves later this summer …

For most of her high school years, Chelesa Fearce lived in homeless shelters, short-term apartments or even in a car with her mom and three siblings. But even though many nights she had to study using light from a cell phone, the 17-year-old will be graduating as her school’s valedictorian—she scored a 1900 on her SATs and is finishing school with a 4.466 GPA (which doesn’t even seem possible). The secret to overcoming challenges when things were tough? She told ABC News, “I would just pray. My mom, whenever we're in that situation, she always finds a way out of it. So I would just tell myself, tomorrow it will not be like this, so take your time, do what you have to do now so that you get the future that you want tomorrow" …

This Mr. T Transformer, which alternates between awesomely terrifying Mr. T Autobot and A-Team getaway van, has managed to redefine what a toy can be. Unfortunately, this amazing '80s memorabilia hybrid is not available in stores, and the only way you can have a chance to own the one-of-a-kind piece is to go to RetroCon in September and enter a live contest. It’s probably a good thing a limited number of these Mr. T Transformers aren’t actually for sale, as there is no unjustifiable amount of money that could be paid for one …

Oliver Burton has battled cancer for most of his life, but recently the 10-year-old, who also has Down syndrome, was given a terminal prognosis. When royal officials informed his family that Queen Elizabeth II would not be able to fulfill his wish by meeting with him, actress Helen Mirren decided to reprise her famous role. The Academy Award winning star of the 2006 film The Queen invited Oliver and his family to a play (in which she also portrays the queen), then took them backstage for tea and a special knighting ceremony for young Oliver. Mirren stayed in character the entire time …

As the world awaits the return of the Bluth family, Vulture has released “Bluth’s Clues”—a Where’s Waldo style game in which users attempt to find as many Tobias Funkes as possible in an effort to score some free Arrested Development swag. Season four of Arrested Development hits Netflix on May 26 …

If you love public radio and have a voice that is “clear, confident and welcoming,” than there is a new job opening you may be interested in. NPR is looking for a new announcer—the one who reads the “support for this program comes from…” script between shows in addition to the famous, “This is NPR” line. Think you’ve got what it takes? Well you better start practicing now. Hurry, say these lines five-times-fast: “John S. and James L. Knight Foundation,” “The John T and Catherine Macarthur Foundation,” “Committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world.” Not as easy as it sounds, now is it? …

Who was Zach Galifianakis’ date to The Hangover III premiere last night? His 87-year-old friend, who he also helped save from homelessness, Mimi Haist. Before Galifianakis made it in Hollywood as a movie star, he was just a normal guy who regularly visited his local laundromat. It was there, almost 20 years ago, that he met Haist, an elderly woman who worked for tips. Following the breakout success of the Hangover, Galifianakis no longer needed to go to the laundromat, but when he found out that Haist—who is now 87 years old—had become homeless, he knew he could help. For the last two years, the comedian has paid the rent and utilities bill for an apartment that he found for Haist to make sure she doesn’t have to live on the street. She’s also been his date for all of his big movie premieres. Thanks to all the attention she’s getting, unlike at the premiere of The Hangover II, people definitely knew who she was this time around.

At the premiere last night Hollywood, the comedian also said that he felt “silly doing a red carpet thing” in light of the tornados that devastated parts of Oklahoma earlier that afternoon. He told a reporter from USA Today, “All of this is very bizarre to me and silly. The worship of celebrity culture is bad for our culture, to be honest. And I think this is bizarre, all of it is bizarre. But as far as Oklahoma, obviously, you just hope and pray that things will turn up" ...

Looking for a way to kill some time today? Go to Google Image Search, and look up the term “atari breakout”. The Google Easter egg lets users play a fully-functioning version of the game which was first released in 1976. The original game was famously the result of Steve Jobs telling Atari founder Nolan Bushnell that his friend Steve Wozniak could deliver a game prototype in just four days …

The Portland police department has released this dash-cam video of a car chase that ended abruptly when the pursuing officer stopped to allow a family of ducks cross the road. Did the ducks “just happen” to be crossing the road at the exact right moment? Were they actually involved in a complicated, interspecies conspiracy to evade Pacific Northwest traffic laws? Were they part of a Mario Kart-like deployment mechanism meant to halt the chase? Take a look at the video, and decide for yourself …

Because the difficulty of rolling out of bed in the morning is only compounded by the prospect of having to brush your teeth in a sleepy haze, Colgate-Palmolive has figured out a way to liven up the experience. The company recently filed a patent for a toothbrush that can release caffeine and other medications while you brush. Along with caffeine, the high-tech brush could also dispense painkillers, appetite suppressants and fresh flavors while it is being used each morning. Finally, something to get you going in the morning before a cup of coffee, a lunchtime energy drink and several highly-caffeinated sodas throughout the afternoon …

Scientists aren't quite sure how Armani, an anteater at the LEO Zoological Conservation Center in Greenwich, Conn., managed to get pregnant with her second child, Archie. After Armani gave birth to her first daughter, she was separated from her mate to ensure the safety of little Alice, since anteater fathers have a habit of killing their young. However, Armani has since given birth to Archie, and nobody's quite sure how. The center's founder, Marcella Leone, says that this might be a case of "delayed implantation," but other scientists are saying they don't think such a thing is possible in giant anteaters. So, they're sticking with the whole "immaculately conceived" theory ...

A documentary by two Arrested Development super-fans about the epic rise and fall (and rebirth) of the sitcom comes out this weekend. The film, which was funded by a Kickstarter campaign, features interviews with show creator Mitch Hurwitz and cast members including Ron Howard, Will Arnett, Jeffrey Tambor, Henry Winkler, Scott Baio and others. The Arrested Development Documentary Project will be released on iTunes, Amazon, cable and in select theaters across the country …

Dorset, Minn is a small (very small—Pop. 22) fishing town in Minnesota that selects its mayors by putting the town's residents into a hat and drawing one out. Such time-honored traditions are doubtless part of what makes America great, and fate chose young (very young—age 4) Robert Tufts to guide the town. Of course, you're probably thinking that a 4-year-old lacks the depth of knowledge and political experience to guide a town through today's trouble bipartisan waters, but that just shows you don't know much about politics. Because you're not a mayor. Bobbie Tufts is ...

Writer Greg Karber does not like the business ethics of Abercrombie & Fitch. He was outraged by comments made by company CEO Mike Jeffries in which he admitted that his store’s clothes are meant for “cool kids”—not those uncool, unattractive ones (like ones that wear a size extra-large). Karber also thinks it’s pretty lame that the company would rather burn unused clothes rather than donate them to charity because, according to one district manager, “Abercrombie and Fitch doesn't want to create the image that just anybody, poor people, can wear their clothing.”

Now, Karber has decided to help “rebrand” the retailer, by launching the #FitchTheHomeless campaign. He went to local thrift stores, bought all of the Abercrombie & Fitch clothes he could find and headed to Skid Row, where he gave the clothes to homeless people. He’s now encouraging others to do the same—find Abercrombie & Fitch clothing, give it to the needy and Tweet about it with the hashtag. His goal? To make Abercrombie & Fitch “The World’s No. 1 Brand of Homeless Apparel” …