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Sometimes El Niño Can Be Awesome

What US city is framed by snow-capped mountains today after a series of big storms? Hint: It’s not Denver. Okay, maybe the palm tree gave it away. But ever since I moved here 15 years ago, I’m still shocked at how many people don’t believe that Los Angeles gets snow. Although it does actually snow…

Marvel at the Gorgeously Dark Fairy-Tale Visions of Artist Jay Bendt

Jay Bendt is a Minnesota-based illustrator who has been making art and telling stories her entire life. In addition to colorful-yet-spooky works like these four—created for the Month of Fear challenge in October 2015—she co-authors the supernatural-themed webcomic Nightshade with writer Jacob Mandell. Sabbath Blink I Will Have Order Red, with the artist’s explanation: A…

This Is How Much the Average American Diet Has Changed Over the Last 40 Years

Americans, unsurprisingly, are not hitting the major dietary milestones of the recommended diet—and they haven’t been for quite some time. But the ways in which they’re doing that has changed quite a bit in the last few decades. The USDA put together this look at the distance between the recommended percentages of a balanced diet…

The Director of Star Wars Episode IX Is Already Dropping Some Huge Teases

We’re about 17 months away from seeing the eighth episode in the Star Wars saga, but the director of the ninth film is already making our minds go into overdrive. In a new interview, Colin Trevorrow talked about Rey’s parents, Luke, Leia as well as the legacy of his installment. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Trevorrow…

This Interview With the Guy Who Played Jar Jar Binks Is Tragic as Hell

Jar Jar Binks is the epicentre of so many people’s rage about the issues of the Star Wars prequels, or even Star Wars in general. But people often forget that under the CG alien was actor Ahmed Best—and he’s spent over a decade having to deal with Jar Jar’s reputation. A new interview with Best…

Uncle Bobby’s Comin’ Back to Supernatural, Y’all

Even the most die-hard fans of The CW’s long-running series Supernatural might find it difficult to stay as enthused for the show’s 11th season. So here’s a bit of good news—the incomparable Jim Beaver will return as fan-favorite hunter Bobby Singer in an upcoming episode. If you wondering whether Bobby would show up as a…

With This Chronicles of Narnia News, the Word ‘Reboot’ Is Officially Gibberish

Producer Mark Gordon says there’s active development on a film version of The Silver Chair, based on the fourth book of the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Of course, it’s being billed as a reboot. Which makes no sense whatsoever. Good… er … bad… er… news! Even as a fan of the Narnia series,…

Rock Rings Reveal Surprising New Insights About North America’s Climate Past

By studying growth rings inside of rocks, researchers from Berkeley have devised a new technique for measuring long term changes to climate and precipitation—and this new technique is already revealing new insights into North America’s climate history. When tracking geological changes over time, scientists typically source ice cores, lake and ocean sediments, and the interior…

The Insane Looking, Chinese Smash Monster Hunt Opens Later This Month

The United States has Star Wars: The Force Awakens. China has Monster Hunt. It’s the country’s highest-grossing film of all time, and it’s finally making it to U.S. theaters on January 22. Here’s the new trailer, courtesy of MovieClips (really, it’s just this old trailer with new English writing): If you still have no idea…

Remember That Crazy Wildfire Season the US Just Had? Now Australia’s Having One.

2015 was a record hot and fiery year, but it may not get to keep the title for long. While the American West is still reeling from a devastating wildfire season, Australia’s pyrotechnic woes are just getting started. Over the past few years, persistent drought conditions have transformed vast swaths of Southern Australia into a…

The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan—the only country in the world to measure its Gross National Happiness—is playing host to its first Western movie shoot, and it’s a supernatural horror movie with both Western and Bhutanese actors, called The Temple. Variety reports filming will begin January 20.

What Happens When a Popular Instagram Account with 8 Million Followers Posts a Picture

As if you needed more proof that celebrities live in a different world than us: here’s what happens when an Instagram account with 8 million followers (this particular one shows the 433 soccer account) posts a picture and then gets deluged with likes, comments, emojis, and whatever other notification. There’s no sad awkward moment before…

Ominous Mickey Mouse Robot Head Is a Music Visualizer

We’ve come a long way from Steamboat Willie. This week, Mickey Mouse takes the form of a faceless audio-visual orb that visualizes any music it hears. Designed by Polish design firm PanGenerator, Mickeyphon is a giant A/V unit shaped like Mickey’s noggin. When it hears music it swirls about its axis in the direction of…

Any Movie Studio Can Make Its Own Star Wars Movie Right Now

Star Wars is back. The space-opera juggernaut that ruled the late 70s and early 80s is once again reigning supreme over pop culture. Disney paid $4 billion for the contents of George Lucas’ toybox. But really, any movie studio that wants to can make its own Star Wars movie. (They just can’t call it “Star…

Village of Whitesboro Votes to Keep Racist Seal of White Man Strangling Native American Man

Yes, this is the official seal of Whitesboro, New York. And it will likely continue to be. According to Whitesboro’s mayor, the residents just voted 157-55 to keep using this symbol to represent themselves to the world. When the US finally decided to start taking down its more overt symbols of racism last year, Whitesboro’s…

J.K. Rowling Celebrated the End of Harry Potter by (Very Lightly) Trashing Her Hotel Room

Many a rock star has trashed a hotel room to celebrate a triumphant performance. It turns out rock stars of the children’s literature world do the same, they just tend to be a lot more polite about it. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling tweeted the below picture, confessing that when she was done writing the…

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Will Meet Up With Jonah Hex

No, you didn’t fall down and hit your head. The CW and DC are really letting Legends of Tomorrow spend part of its very first season time traveling to the Old West. Where they’ll meet up with Jonah Hex. When you have a show that involves time travel, that opens up all kinds of doors.…

$35,000 Worth of Fake Fitbits Seized at US Border

U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently seized a shipment of fake Fitbits coming from Hong Kong. The total haul was just 350 counterfeit wearables, but they’re estimated to be worth about $35,000. The counterFitbits weren’t explicitly deemed a safety hazard, but instead were flagged for infringing on Fitbit’s intellectual property rights. The fake wearables were…

Snooty Canadian Designers Are Pissed Off at Their Government

Canada is celebrating its 150th birthday in 2017 and all sorts of preparations are being made for the big shebang. But the sesquicentennial has been sullied by news that the government is being real cheap when it comes to the graphic design. In-house designs which were tested with audiences in 2013 Back in 2013, the…

Sabrina the Teenage Witch Is Way Weirder Than You Remember

Sabrina the Teenage Witch dominated the TGIF lineup when it premiered in 1996. It aired Friday nights on ABC, alongside Boy Meets World, Family Matters, and Two of a Kind. And it was much, much weirder than any of those. And weirder than even just a regular show about a teenage witch might have been.…