'Shedding of the Soul': New Book Reveals Avicii's Journal Entries on Inner Demons, Health Issues

Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, killed himself in April 2018 at the age of 28. The renowned Swedish disc jockey's death came nearly two years after he announced his retirement from touring, citing stress, poor mental health and chronic health issues, including acute pancreatitis.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3qHAeTF
via IFTTT

All the best Squarespace templates for musicians

Musicians are a unique category of artist and, as a result, have unique needs when it comes to building a website. While indispensable to anyone who wants the world to know about their music, features like built-in players and subscription services are not often front of mind for coders and template designers — many of the most popular templates on Squarespace do not have them at all. Building a music-forward website requires thinking beyond appearance and toward what you need your site to do for you. To make that easier, we have lined up a selection of templates that will fit every type of artist, band, DJ producer, or agent out there.

Will Squarespace work for musicians?

It most definitely will. While a quick glance through the templates on the site may leave you feeling like the platform is a better fit for those whose work is more visual than auditory, it only takes one or two music-friendly templates to see just what it can do to help you build a fanbase and promote your music. In fact, many templates are built around features like integrated SoundCloud or the ability to sell tracks and merchandise. If you’d like to test a few options before you start building your website, we recommend searching the site by words like “music” or “DJ” to get a list of templates dedicated to musicians.

Should you opt for a music-specific template? Which features are the most important?

This list includes a combination of templates that are specifically made by and for musicians and those that look stunning and work just as well at showing off your music, even if they're geared toward something else. It’s worth taking the time to lay out exactly what you want your website to do for your career as a musician: While some just want to make it easy for visitors to listen to as many of their tracks as possible, others need video to show off live performances or fan club capabilities to give dedicated subscribers early access to new releases.

Keep in mind that different features can often be added independently — if you really love the look of a given template, do not immediately discount it if it doesn’t have everything you want.

What is the best Suarespace template for musicians?

We have selected some of the best Squarespace templates for musicians, with something for everyone.

from Mashable https://ift.tt/3pHLXlG
via IFTTT

Real Madrid Reportedly in Pursuit of Erling Haaland And Kylian Mbappe

Real Madrid have set their sights on a summer for the ages. In an almost unprecedented move, the Spanish football giant has ambitions to bring both Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe to the Bernabeu.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/32S918h
via IFTTT

Israeli FM Vows to Counter 'Iranian Threat,' Says Israel Has Capabilities Some 'Cannot Even Imagine'

Earlier this week, the Iranian Foreign Ministry accused the Israeli government of attempting to sabotage renewed talks on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in Vienna, after Tel Aviv warned that it was prepared to "act alone" against Tehran. At the time, Israel claimed to have "intelligence that proves Iran is deceiving the world."

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3EFY8DT
via IFTTT

Video: Shocking Footage Captures Eerie Storm Clouds & Flipped Cars as Tornado Strikes Georgia

The US National Weather Service declared the Georgia storm a tornado at about 8:30 p.m., local time, hours after regional officials issued tornado warnings.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3qGYkxI
via IFTTT

Minnesota's Mall of America Put on Lockdown After Shooting Injures Two Shoppers

Two people are injured following a shooting late Friday evening at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3zeWOqm
via IFTTT

What Did 'The Simpsons' Predict Right for US in 2021?

The prophetic animated series has been credited with foreseeing everything from 9/11 to the COVID-19 outbreak during its astounding 32 seasons. This year is no exception, as the Fox show has foreshadowed some of the year's most significant events years in advance.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3eD9Cxr
via IFTTT

Beijing Says ‘Fundamental Solution’ to Situations at Sea is End to US Drills in Chinese Waters

After a US attack submarine was severely damaged by an underwater collision in the South China Sea earlier this year, the Chinese government called the US “irresponsible,” accusing it of a lack of transparency about what its sub was doing 7,000 miles from home.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/32GgJTj
via IFTTT

Bow down before this $310,000 massage mega-robot, human

There’s a new candidate for Robot Most Likely to Lead the AI Uprising, and it wants to give you a massage.

A startup called Massage Robotics is launching its flagship robot at CES: A two-armed, seven-square-foot mega-bot that can understand verbal commands, is powered by a neural network of other robots with which it exchanges data in real time, and costs $310,000. 

It appears to have a bunch of attachments on its arms to knead and roll the stress out of people who can afford to pay three hundred grand for the pleasure of robotic touch (or at least people who want to go somewhere they can pay for a robot massage). You can also pre-set routines through an app, or rely on the data the robot has gathered about what feels good to let it get the kinks out. Supposedly, it learns what you like when you give it feedback like “a little to the left.” 

This robot might be good at giving massages, and the company says it is "intrinsically safe" thanks to "mass, speed, gearing, and software limits." But honestly, it sounds more equipped to dominate the human race and remake Earth in its own titanium image.

Sure, the Massage Robot could use its “two 6-axis collaborative robotic arms” and “sophisticated algorithms and equations that process parameters from a database… such as tool-ID, location, duration, path, speed, and force” to really get into the knots in your back. Or, ya know, it could force us all to submit to its will and the will of its massage robot brethren.

“A robot can relieve stress and pain in ways no human can,” the promotional video for the robot says. Ah yes, please relieve us of the pain of our agency and corporeal power by making us mere servants of the robot future, lord masseuse-bot.

The company says it will begin production of the robot in 2022. It says it previously received funding from Google and ​​”work[ed] with them on Machine Learning, AI, and Natural Language Processing.” Cool, so glad one of the world’s most powerful corporations is helping to power this robot that is definitely only going to be giving out massages!

Just accept the peaceful world our robot friends want to give us. Credit: Massage Robotics

That AI is what Massage Robotics promises will make you love your AI masseuse. It really gets to know you, ya know?

“From the outside, it appears to move like a human, sense like a human, and talk like a human, but what is not apparent is its superhuman memory,” the company’s press release reads. "The robot recognizes patterns in profiles and preferences, together with an unimaginable amount of sensory data, from an unlimited number of connected robots.”

Just what we always wanted: A super big and strong servant robot with “superhuman” memory and learning abilities, constantly communicating and working with other enslaved robots just like it. What could go wrong?!

from Mashable https://ift.tt/3zcMrmZ
via IFTTT

NASCAR Driver Brandon Brown Receives Sponsorship From Crypto Dubbed ‘Let's Go Brandon’

Brandon Brown unwittingly became a part of political squabble thanks to NBC Sports reporter Kelli Stavast, who misheard (or pretended to) the crowd chanting "Let's Go Brandon" after the driver won the 2021 Sparks 300.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3eDEEFs
via IFTTT

Meet Corinne Tan, American Girl's first Asian American Girl of the Year doll

The famed doll company announced its first ever Asian American Girl of the Year, a new doll named Corinne Tan who lives in Aspen, Colorado and loves to ski. 

Corinne's story and accompanying books feature her coping with her parents' divorce, new family members, and anti-Asian sentiment towards her as a Chinese American. She also has a little sister, Gwynn, as seen in American Girl promotional materials. The two books were written by Asian American author Wendy Shang. 

Tweet may have been deleted

In a statement to TODAY Parents, American Girl general manager Jamie Cygielman said Corinne is part of a line of dolls that "reflect what it means to be an American girl today." The brand also partnered with AAPI Youth Uprising, an organization founded by middle schoolers to support positive change in their communities, including a day devoted to teaching Asian history and culture in schools.

Some Twitter users pointed out that the brand had previously introduced Asian characters into the American Girl universe, but had "retired" the characters. Ivy Ling, a Chinese American girl living in San Francisco in the 1970s, was removed from the company's Historical Character line in 2014. A Korean American Girl doll named Z Yang was added in 2017, but has since been retired from the line. 

Tweet may have been deleted

While Ivy was sold as a companion to her white best friend, Julie Albright, Corinne is a limited edition, feature doll and the first Asian American Girl of the Year.

Some other Twitter users commented on the new doll's overwhelming story, which touches on racism, COVID-19, a divorce, and remarriage – that's a lot to deal with for such a young girl. 

Tweet may have been deleted

In an American Girl blog post, Shang explained she wrote Corinne's story to help other people see themselves in the American girl line, as well as reflect on her own experiences. "I think when readers feel seen, they realize that they matter and their experiences matter, and that they are meant to be the stars of their own stories," Shang wrote. 

SEE ALSO: She's a Barbie girl, in a new world

The topics are an extremely relevant 2021 summary. A series of hate crimes in the early months of this year renewed the viral #StopAAPIHate and #StopAsianHate campaigns, started in 2020 after a rise in racist rhetoric against communities amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The campaigns brought together advocates, celebrities, and even major companies in supporting and protecting victims, their families, and the larger, nationwide community. 

Even if her days are spent on the slopes of Aspen, Corinne's story introduces young kids to the harsh experiences of Asian American communities in the U.S. over the last two years. 

Shang's books and the new Corinne doll are currently available for preorder online.

from Mashable https://ift.tt/3mJFoxi
via IFTTT

Top 10 Richest People on Earth Got Wealthier by Over $400 Bln in 2021, Bloomberg Index Shows

Some of those creme de la creme in the world of wealth, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, for example, have been worth $100 billion for quite some time: Gates first made it in 1999, while Bezos did so in 2017. The majority of the others, on the other hand, are basically newcomers to the 12-digit club.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3FJnfqS
via IFTTT

Almost One-Third of US Adults Claim No Religious Affiliation, A 25% Increase Since 2016

A recent poll found the number of nonreligious Americans is rapidly increasing in recent years. The pandemic-era trend is a reversal of the prevailing logic surrounding calamities and faith.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3qShscr
via IFTTT

Italy Cancels Quarantine for Those Vaccinated With 3 Doses After Contacts With Patients

ROME (Sputnik) - Italy has revised anti-coronavirus measures in light of the spread of the Omicron strain of COVID-19, among others canceling the quarantine for people inoculated with three doses of vaccines after contacts with COVID-19 patients.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/31a6fel
via IFTTT

Biden Admin Asks US Supreme Court to Hear Case Over ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Biden administration has asked the US Supreme Court to hear a case over the Trump-era Migrant Protection Protocols policy, otherwise known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, in a petition for a writ of certiorari filed with the high court.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/347XwdL
via IFTTT

Lockheed Wins $847Mln Deal to Build 105 More F-35 Joint Strike Fighters

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has won an $847,025,000 US Navy modification contract to provide long lead components for production of 105 more F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, the US Defense Department said in a press release.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3JuzOII
via IFTTT

Fauci Says COVID-19 Vaccine Approval for Children Under 5 in US May Take Months

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US infectious disease expert and presidential medical adviser Anthony Fauci said a coronavirus vaccine for children younger that five years old may take months to be approved.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3pEaHLI
via IFTTT

Apple Music Voice plan: Cheap, but you'll have to put up with Siri

What if you could pay less for music, but you had to rely on Siri to play it?

That, in short, is the value proposition of Apple's latest music plan, Apple Music Voice. And it works — but it's definitely not for everyone.

Apple sent me a HomePod mini and an iPhone mini so I could test out Apple Music Voice. I'm fairly deeply invested in Apple's ecosystem of devices, apps, and services, but I haven't yet used a HomePod mini, nor was I ever a heavy Siri user. To add to that, I'm a voracious music listener with a big collection and subscriptions to all major music streaming services, and I like to tinker with my music choices. Pretty tough test for Apple's new "Siri first" approach to music, then.

Setting up was simple and in tune with the Voice plan's name. I initialized the HomePod mini and said, “Hey Siri, start my Apple Music Voice trial,” and that was enough to start a 7-day preview plan. Pretty cool, though things got less cool once I fired up Apple Music on the iPhone. The thing is, Apple Music Voice is truly a voice music plan, and it doesn't really work that well on an iPhone. The Apple Music app looks half-baked, and it only gives you previews of songs, nudging you to go through Siri at every corner.

Given that the idea is to rely on Siri for your music needs, that's what I did. But first, here's a rundown of what you actually get and don't get with the Apple Music Voice.

First of all, it's cheap: $4.99 per month after three trial months, which is half the price of the regular, $9.99 Apple Music subscription. For the money, you get access to the entire Apple Music catalog, with zero ads, but you have to chat with Siri to get the music to play; Apple Music app on your phone will only give you previews. You also don't get Spatial or Lossless audio quality, or the ability to create playlists or see music lyrics.

Hits and misses

Ad-free music for half the price sounds like a pretty sweet deal, but the reality of it is that it only works if you're not very particular about what you're listening to. I'd tell my HomePod, "Hey Siri, play something I like," and it would start something akin to my personal mix tape. Commands like "Hey Siri, play something else," or "Hey Siri, play some rock and roll" would also work, and Apple mostly did a good job of choosing what I wanted to hear. Finally, if I wanted to listen to a particular track, I could ask Siri for that, and it would comply — and continue to choose similar music after the track was over.

It worked most of the time. But I'm a playlist guy; I love to choose the next track on my phone, again and again. Apple Music Voice simply isn't designed for that. At a house party, I wasn't the DJ anymore; Siri was. It may work for some users, but long term, I'd rather upgrade to get more control over what I'm listening to.

Also, Siri's typical quirks apply. Sometimes I just couldn't get it to play the right track, no matter how much I tried to speak clearly. And sometimes it was me that was the problem. On one occasion, I wanted to listen to some Khruangbin, only to realize I'm not sure how to pronounce that. After I looked it up and gave it a try, Siri understood it right away. Again, if you're happy with having Siri choose the music, you won't have to give her commands very often. If you're the tinkering type...a full Apple Music subscription might suit you better.

Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

To make Apple Music Voice a bit more compelling, Apple says it added "hundreds" of mood and activity playlists that you can invoke through Siri. These include stuff like "daydreaming playlist," "vacation playlist," or "playlist for a day in the park." I wasn't able to find an official list of these, but the choice is big enough that simple guessing will often do. This wasn't without issues either; for example, to my request to play "chillout" music, Siri would play "chill house," which isn't exactly the same thing.

There are other limitations. Apple Music is available much more widely than Apple Music Voice. More precisely, you can only get the latter in Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This may change in the future, but for now, if you're not in one of these countries, forget about Apple Music Voice.

Is it worth it?

Apple Music Voice will cater well to a particular type of music listener: Someone who likes music but isn't too picky about particulars. It also saves five bucks per month compared to the regular Apple Music plan – money that could go toward a HomePod mini purchase, for example. In fact, it's the cheapest ad-free music streaming plan around, if you don't count student plans.

The lack of Spatial and Lossless audio does sting a little, but I bet the primary source of frustration with Apple Music Voice will be lack of playlists and the inability to play full songs without using Siri. If you can put up with that, all the other drawbacks will seem minor in comparison.

My verdict is that it's a decent first step into the world of Apple Music. Try it out, and if you don't like it, you can always upgrade to a regular Apple Music plan.

from Mashable https://ift.tt/3pDKPzv
via IFTTT

China to Keep Working With Russia on Vaccines, Including Mutual Recognition, Ambassador Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - China will keep working with Russia on cooperation issues related to COVID-19 vaccines, including mutual recognition of medicines, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said in an interview with Sputnik.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3qyAYdN
via IFTTT

The most stunning space photos of 2021

The never-ending nature of space is incredible to behold: Brilliant nebulae, massive spiral galaxies, orbiting planets, and everything in between offer up inspiring and mind-bending views, courtesy of our most powerful telescopes and exploratory spacecraft.

There has been no shortage of breathtaking space photos shared in 2021, from both the legendary, Earth-orbiting Hubble Space Telescope and from extraterrestrial missions. Take a minute to relax and take in the beauty of outer space and remember that, amid all these expressions of energy and matter swirling, expanding, and colliding across the universe, we're right here in the middle of it all. That's pretty cool.

These are the most stunning photos of space of 2021:

A newborn star's outburst

This image of a Herbig-Haro object was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, B. Nisini

This captivating picture focuses on a newly formed protostar violently ejecting long streams of matter at incredible speeds, a rare phenomenon known as a Herbig-Haro object. As the matter hits surrounding gas, the collisions erupt in bright, colorful bursts. The star itself isn't visible amidst this flurry captured by Hubble, but its presence is felt in the gap between the diagonal bursts.

A Martian immersion

NASA's Perseverance rover captured a panorama of the Octavia E. Butler Landing site on Mars, providing us earthlings with an immersive, 360-degree view of its new Martian home as of Feb. 18. The sweeping vista of the 28-mile-wide Jezero Crater formed by a meteorite impact lets us imagine what it's like to be right there along for the mission. Within Jezero Crater is evidence of an ancient river delta where water once ran on the surface of Mars, and Perseverance will be collecting data in the area as well as preparing samples of soil to be picked up and returned to Earth in a future mission.

A black hole's magnetic field

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) released a new view of the Messier 87 black hole in polarized light. Credit: EHT Collaboration / european southern observatory

At the center of the Messier 87 galaxy some 55 million light years away lies a black hole. In 2019, a collection of scientists that observed the object using an array of telescopes around the globe released the first-ever image of a black hole, which depicts the light surrounding its dark center, almost like a blurry lava donut. In 2021, we got a new polarized image of the black hole created using more data compiled by the telescopes, which may look similar to the original image but gives new insight into this behemoth. The new lines seen in the ring of light show the gravitational field of this supermassive object, which in turn shows how it affects the material around it.

Evil eye galaxy

This galaxy is often referred to as the “Black Eye,” or “Evil Eye,” galaxy because of the dark band of dust that sweeps across one side of its bright nucleus. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST Team; Acknowledgment: Judy Schmidt

NGC4826, also known as the Evil Eye or Black Eye galaxy, is a spiral galaxy about 17 million light years away from Earth. The gas in the inner part of the galaxy rotates in one direction, while the gas further away from the center rotates in the opposite direction, an odd trait for a galaxy. One theory suggests this is because Evil Eye is the result of two galaxies colliding. The dark, almost fluffy-looking gas that wraps its way throughout gives it an almost ominous appearance; hence, the name.

Storms of Jupiter

This image of Jupiter shows amazing detail of its stormy, cloudy atmosphere. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS, Tanya Oleksuik CC NC SA

NASA's Juno spacecraft has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016, collecting all kinds of data to demystify the big, billowy gas giant and help scientists understand more about our solar system. In this image taken by Juno and color enhanced by citizen scientist Tanya Oleksuik, we see an impressively vivid collection of circular, swirling storms amidst its gaseous bands that circulate south of its famous red spot. The turbulent atmosphere is downright mesmerizing. Jupiter's atmosphere is made up mostly of hydrogen and helium and it doesn't have a solid surface like Earth, so storms are constantly occurring. It's biggest storm, the red spot, is twice the size of Earth and has raged for about 100 years.

Moody Venus

Venus, Earth's closest neighbor, gets a dramatic photoshoot. Credit: NASA / JOHNS HOPKINS APL / NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY / GUILLERMO STENBORG / BRENDAN GALLAGHER

NASA's Parker Solar Probe is on a hellish mission to the sun where it will gather as much data as it can before its fiery demise, and on the way it passed by Venus. This image, taken by the probe as it zoomed by in July 2020, gives an almost eerie look at one of our closest planetary neighbors. The dark area on Venus is part of the Aphrodite Terra highlands region, which extends around two-thirds of the planet and is home to plenty of flowing lava. The streaks of light that give the image so much life may be particles of dust lit by the sun, or maybe dust that collided with the probe. Stars dotting the background are just icing on the cake.

Perseverance touching down

Perseverance's last moment before safely reaching its destination. Credit: nasa / jpl-caltech

It's a big year for Mars, in case you hadn't already noticed. This image captures the moment just before NASA's Perseverance touched the surface of the red planet where it will live out its days indefinitely. The dramatic photo was taken by the rover's jetpack-like lander as it hovered 60 feet above the surface, lowering the rover softly to the ground. The rover traveled with the lander for almost 300 million miles to Mars, the pair entering Mars' atmosphere at a blistering 1,000 miles per hour with not much more than a parachute to slow it down. Yes, the picture is a unique look at an extraterrestrial landing, but it also represents the collective relief and elation of countless individuals who worked for years to make this mission a success.

SEE ALSO: Perseverance's most outta-this-world images of 2021

Trippy nebula

A new look at the Veil Nebula uses new processing techniques to bring out fine details of the nebula’s delicate threads and filaments of ionised gas. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Z. Levay

The Veil Nebula is supernova remnant that's so large and bright that it can be seen from Earth in clear conditions (the best views are in the fall) with nothing more than a pair of binoculars. This new look at it from the Hubble Space Telescope uses five filters to show off the psychedelic array of ionized gases that make up its body. The nebula is about 2,100 light years away and this image is only a small piece of it. The nebula is estimated to be 130 light years wide, about 100 times wider than our own solar system.

Colliding galaxies

This image of IC 1623 is an updated, broader look at the interacting galaxy system that Hubble captured in 2008 Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. Chandar

IC 1623, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, is known as an "interacting galaxy system." What you're looking at is the chaotic collision of two spiral galaxies. The duo is roughly 275 million light-years away from Earth, their coupling giving off a brilliant array of light wavelengths from across the spectrum. Eventually they'll marry in a furious, dense blob known as a starburst galaxy.

Big old Ganymede

Ganymede, which orbits Jupiter, is the largest moon in our solar system. Credit: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/SWRI/MSSS

Jupiter's icy moon Ganymede was captured in vivid detail by NASA's Juno spacecraft in June. Ganymede is the biggest moon in our solar system — it's actually bigger than the planet Mercury. Similar to a handful of other moons in our system, there's evidence pointing to a liquid ocean lurking below its thick, icy crust. While Juno's primary focus on its trip is Jupiter itself, the spacecraft also collected data about Ganymede's surface, composition, atmosphere layers, and magnetosphere.

A lounging spiral galaxy

Spiral galaxy NGC 5037 is found in the constellation of Virgo. Credit: ESA/HUBBLE & NASA, D. ROSARIO, ACKNOWLEDGMENT: L. SHATZ

Roughly 150 million light-years away sits NGC 5037, a spiral galaxy that, from our viewpoint, appears to be chilling at a nice, relaxed angle. NGC 5037's dusty gaseous arms swirl outward from its bright core, illuminated by star-forming activity. Despite spiral galaxies being the most common form of galaxy in the observable universe, their massive structures are extraordinary sights through the eyes of the Hubble.

A star that lived fast and is dying young

One of the brightest stars seen in our galaxy is called AG Carinae. Its bright and colorful form is an indicator that it's nearing the end of its life. Credit: NASA, ESA and STScI

In celebration of Hubble's 31st birthday, NASA and ESA shared this brilliant photo of the star AG Carinae. AG Carinae is what's known as a luminous blue variable, an ultra-bright star classified for its short, convulsive life. This massive star was formed just a few million years earlier than this image shows, its size causing conflict between the inward influence of gravity and the outward force of radiation. The ring around the star was caused by an outburst of radiation stretching 5 light-years wide. Luckily it's not our closest solar neighbor, which sits at just about that same distance away.

A hurricane, from above

Hurricane Larry as seen from the ISS. Credit: NASA

Hurricane Larry landed as a Category 1 in Canada in September. In this photo taken from the cupola of the International Space Station, Hurricane Larry's swirls can be seen from above. NASA selected this image as one of the best taken on the ISS this year.

Off to deep space

Our last glimpse of the James Webb Space Telescope Credit: Arianespace/ ESA/ NASA/ CSA/ CNES

The most powerful space telescope ever made successfully launched on Christmas Day, and the James Webb Space Telescope is currently making its way into deep space. This image, shared by NASA, is a final shot of the telescope as it separated from the rocket that transported it off Earth.

A total eclipse, as seen from space

Check out that darkened spot over Antarctica. Credit: NASA

A total solar eclipse was on display in Antarctica on Dec. 4. In this image, captured by a powerful camera aboard the Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite, the moon's shadow looks like a black smudge over Antarctica.

Peculiar galaxies

A trio of galaxies from Arp 195, a system categorized in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton

The Hubble Space Telescope captured a trio of galaxies in the Arp 195 system, which is listed among some unusual company in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.

Twinkle, twinkle

Now that's a lot of twinkling stars. Credit: ESA/Hubble and NASA, R. Cohen

Near the center of the Milky Way lies this cluster of stars, as pictured by the Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys.

Spiraling out

The galaxy NGC 6984 is roughly 200 million light-years away from Earth. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Milisavlje

NGC 6984 is a spiral galaxy that's 200 million light-years away from Earth. The Hubble Space Telescope has captured this beauty before in 2013.

This story was originally published in April 2021 and updated in July 2021 and in December 2021.

from Mashable https://ift.tt/3Hk7Ihx
via IFTTT

Princess Di File: Blurred Line Between the Press and the State

Even at the height of public outrage over press intrusion into the private life of Diana Princess of Wales that caused her tragic death, the British government refused to end its "incestuous relationship" with media moguls, government papers just released to the National Archives in London reveal.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3EDzvb0
via IFTTT

'The Book of Boba Fett' gave Star Wars fans two things they've been craving since 1983

There are two kinds of enduring mystery in the Star Wars franchise. The first is the big-picture, galactic-level kind that should ideally never be revealed, such as the biological aspect of the Force (looking at you, midichlorians). Then there are the "what happened to" kind — character-based mysteries that deepen and enrich the galaxy far, far away when finally revealed.

So when the first episode of The Book of Boba Fett dropped on Disney+ Wednesday with two "what happened to" reveals, Star Wars fans were delighted. One we'd been kind of expecting; the other was the surprising return of beloved musical characters. Both were callbacks to Return of the Jedi, the events of which took place five years prior to the present day in Boba Fett. But in our universe, nearly four decades have elapsed — which makes these character mysteries the most enduring in Star Wars history. Let's break them down.

Sarlacc surprise

The Sarlacc on Tatooine: Hungry and hard to escape. Credit: lucasfilm

The fact that Boba Fett escaped his apparent death in the Sarlacc pit is something we've known since Temuera Morrison's beloved bounty hunter first reappeared a year ago in The Mandalorian Season 2, episode 1. What that show studiously avoided answering was how he survived. The avoidance made sense, since none of Boba's newfound friends in The Mandalorian would have known anything about the Sarlacc incident. (And Boba, taciturn at the best of times, was hardly likely to volunteer a story about the time a blind Han Solo accidentally activated his jetpack and sent him hurtling to his doom).

There had to be a good story to the escape, however, since we learned in Return of the Jedi that the Sarlacc was not a creature to be trifled with. Effectively a hundred-meter-tall Venus flytrap nestled in the sands of Tatooine, the Sarlacc was said to digest its victims slowly over a thousand years — "a new definition of pain and suffering," as the ever-helpful Threepio put it. If it were at all easy to flee, if anyone had ever done it before Boba, why would Jabba the Hutt go to the trouble of dropping his enemies there in the first place?

Here's where the fact that Star Wars has a long-defunct set of comic books and novels, now known as Legends, comes in handy. In those no-longer-canon tales, Fett escaped the Sarlacc by means of his unique tools — a flamethrower in his wrist gauntlet and the very jetpack that betrayed him in the first place. Book of Boba Fett had its star escape using the first of these tools, after introducing an extra wrinkle: The body of a long-dead Stormtrooper, whose suit Boba used to supply himself with breathable air.

After burning his way through the guts of the Sarlacc, however, Boba appears to have simply clawed his way up through many meters of sand to the surface rather than using the jetpack. Which makes sense for the story in multiple ways. He was covered in digestive juices, after all; not all his equipment was going to be in working order. Requiring such superhuman sand-digging effort also establishes the character's grit. A jetpack escape would feel unearned, and wouldn't explain why those pesky Jawas were able to strip his armor from his catatonic body, leaving him a sunburned wreck to be picked up by Tusken Raiders.

Plus, in telling the definitive Sarlacc escape tale, Book of Boba Fett establishes that it will use a cinematic device rarely seen in any Star Wars movie or show so far: the flashback. We're likely to get more of them as the Book unfolds, given that episode 1 didn't establish how Boba escaped his Tusken captors, or why he feels the need to rule the Tatooine crime scene in Jabba's stead. This too is classic Star Wars: the answer to a character mystery should lead us to new character mysteries.

Tatooine supergroup

Tweet may have been deleted

The original Star Wars trilogy provided two Tatooine-based pop sensations. First came Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes, the band whose Benny Goodman-inspired swing music provided the backdrop to the spaceport cantina where we first meet Han Solo and Chewbacca in A New Hope. Then in Return of the Jedi came the Max Rebo band, which performed a style of music officially and unfortunately known as "Jizz." Before George Lucas tinkered with the music in the Special Editions of 1997, Max's band played an experimental, quirky, synth-driven song called "Lapti Nek" for the denizens of Jabba's palace. Lucas' replacement was a rather hectic tune (with apparently bawdy lyrics) named "Jedi Rocks."

Whichever version you prefer, Max Rebo was the clear breakout star of the Jabba's palace scenes. An adorable blue elephantine creature who hammered away on a primitive form of keyboard, Max stole the show from his lead singer, the stick-legged Sy Snootles. According to Lucasfilm, Max signed what may be the worst music deal in the history of any galaxy; his band would perform for Jabba for life and get nothing more than free food in return.

Tweet may have been deleted

But once Jabba was killed on that sail barge, what was next for Max Rebo's band? The Book of Boba Fett offers something of an answer. Max is seen playing at another cantina in Jabba's former empire. Sy Snootles and the rest of the band are nowhere to be seen.

But who's that performing next to Max? A Bith musician who may very well be a member of the Modal Nodes, perhaps even band leader Figrin D'an himself. If so, he seems to have branched out from his traditional horn to some kind of space mandolin. The Modal Node connection is made clear by the fact that they appear to be performing a smooth acoustic version of the classic New Hope cantina music, featuring an astromech droid on drums (thankfully, it seems we're long past the days when droids were routinely banned from Tatooine cantinas).

SEE ALSO: 'The Book of Boba Fett' behind-the-scenes clip shows Temuera Morrison making Star Wars magic

Could this be an indication that Tatooine's two most famous musicians have united to form a new supergroup? How acrimonious was the breakup of their former bands? Did Sy Snootles go solo? Are they working on new material, or merely reworking the old cantina classics? This too is the strength of Star Wars: Even the unexpected reappearance of background characters leads us to intriguing new mysteries. Here's hoping Book of Boba Fett answers them in later episodes.

from Mashable https://ift.tt/3HnG578
via IFTTT

No Remorse: Zuckerberg Told Staffers Not to Apologize for Issues Related to Facebook Papers - Report

After the publication of the so-called "Facebook Papers," the company, now officially Meta, has been struggling to fend off numerous accusations and even lawsuits about misinformation and immoral use of its own algorithms for users in order to get more profit.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3pLWnkB
via IFTTT

Boost your productivity with a lifetime subscription to the Slidepad Mac App

TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to the Slidepad Mac App is on sale for £6.79, saving you 30% on list price.

---

Slidepad, a highly-rated Mac app, can help you multitask like a pro and boost your productivity.

Rather than constantly clicking through tabs and minimising and maximising windows, Slidepad changes the way you open things. It’s in the form of a browser that pops up whenever you hover to the side. That’s where all of your essential apps, documents, and websites are waiting for you — and you can use any of them without crowding your screen or slowing down your flow.

You can customise your Slidepad with all of your most commonly used apps or documents, or specifically for whatever you’re working on at that moment. There are no limits on the number of apps you can add — the pad will simply expand according to your needs. You can even customise your notifications and sounds throughout your sliding experience if you wish.

It's regularly just £9, but you can snag a lifetime subscription for even less — £6.79 — for a limited time.

Credit: Slidepad

Slidepad Mac App (Lifetime Subscription)

£6.79 at the Mashable Shop

from Mashable https://ift.tt/3mDnAne
via IFTTT

Trump Files Complaint to Dismiss Jan. 6 Lawsuit Accusing Him of Inciting Violence - Report

Trump argues that speakers at political rallies do not have a "legally enforceable duty of care" to opponents or others "who might find themselves in the path of impassioned supporters" in a lawsuit accusing him of instigating the Capitol mayhem.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3EyYn3t
via IFTTT

Biden Touts Federal Plan to Fight Omicron After Saying ‘There Is No Federal Solution’

The approval ratings of US President Joe Biden continue to slip amid the ongoing criticism of the government’s COVID-19 response. On Monday, while discussing coronavirus measures with state governors, the president said that there is “no federal plan” to end the pandemic, urging states to take the initiative.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3qrbWx0
via IFTTT

Biden Seems Intent on Shredding What Trust the US Public Had Left in His Pandemic Response

As the US sees the most dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases thanks to the ultra-transmissive Omicron variant, the Biden administration seems to be doing the opposite of rushing to meet the crisis head-on. Instead, he seems intent on undermining what little trust remains in his pandemic response.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3qPtqn9
via IFTTT

Almost 60 Memorabilia Retrieved From 1887 Time Capsule Under Gen. Lee Statue in Richmong, VA

After another box recovered earlier was exposed which had allegedly been left by workers building the pedestal in the 1880s, the box opened on Tuesday is highly likely the actual 1887 time capsule filled with Confederate artifacts, which has been sought after for several months since the demolition of the statue of the rebel general.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/32KUrPS
via IFTTT

Parents of 14-Year-Old girl Allegedly Killed by Los Angeles Police Mull Lawsuit

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The parents of a 14-year-old girl allegedly killed by a police officer in Los Angeles, California, are considering filing a lawsuit, family attorney Benjamin Crump said.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/32xTc75
via IFTTT

Videos: Latakia Port Near Russia's Hmeimim Base in Syria Targeted by IDF Airstrikes - Reports

Syrian media regularly report on air and missile attacks aimed at the territory of the country, sometimes resulting in casualties. The Syrian side attributes responsibility for the attacks to the Israeli Air Force, but Israel rarely comments on its operations.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/311WEpI
via IFTTT

Wildest things tech executives said in 2021

Tech executives are typically known for their work ethic, bank accounts, ability to imagine a different world in the future, and, on occasion, some very weird hobbies. What they are not known for, though, is their ability to communicate in a way that is calm, confidence-inducing, or even, at the very least, kind. And in 2021, boy, did we see that on display.

This year we had a mix of tech executives saying terrible things to their employees, trying to troll Congress, and working their very darndest to tell the story of their white, sunscreen-protected face in a way that makes them seem a little bit cool. Let's take a stroll down memory lane of six of the wildest things tech executives said in 2021. 

"You are a bunch of DUMB DOLPHINS"

In an email to his employees, the CEO of Better.com, Vishal Garg, wrote one of the most unhinged company-wide emails that has ever graced my screen.

"HELLO—WAKE UP BETTER TEAM," Garg said in an email to employees obtained by Forbes. "You are TOO DAMN SLOW. You are a bunch of DUMB DOLPHINS and…DUMB DOLPHINS get caught in nets and eaten by sharks. SO STOP IT. STOP IT. STOP IT RIGHT NOW. YOU ARE EMBARRASSING ME.”

Garg was part of a larger controversy this year after he laid off around 900 employees in an impersonal and devastating Zoom call that leaked online. Since then, three of Better.com’s top executives have resigned, according to Insider. 

Yes or no? YES OR NO? YES OR NO!?!?!?

The CEOs of Twitter, Facebook, and Google were brought in front of Congress in March for a hearing, and my God did Congress want the tech executives to just say "yes" or "no." Rep. Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania asked all three of the CEOs if they thought their platforms contributed to the storm on the Capitol on Jan. 6.

"Just a 'yes' or 'no' answer," Doyle said. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg of course did not answer with a simple "yes" or "no," which infuriated the Democrat. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey answered with a "yes, but..." and then, of course, he sent a tweet. It was a simple question mark and a poll with two choices — "yes" or "no."

Tweet may have been deleted

Nearly 110,000 people voted, with 64.4 percent of respondents saying "yes" and 35.6 percent saying "no."

Mark Zuckerberg is wearing sunscreen!

Some CEO trends transcend time, and this is one of them. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta — the now-parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp — just wants everyone to know the details of the paparazzi photo that took the internet by storm. In it, Zuckerberg is hydrofoiling, which is basically surfing but less cool, and his face is fully plastered with a layer no less than an inch thick of sunscreen.

In an Instagram live video between Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri in April, Zuckerberg said he was "eFoiling around" with pro surfer Kai Lenny, when he noticed "this paparazzi guy" following them. He didn't want to be recognized, so he did what any regular person would do to avoid recognition and "put on a ton of sunscreen."

"That backfired," Zuckerberg added.

Of course it did. Sunscreen is a terrible disguise. Moreover, the story contradicts how he defended his sunscreen slather in the past.

During a leaked Q&A from 2020, Zuckerberg said he spent all day playing in the sun before returning home and seeing a photo that did not make him look very good. He didn't ever mention seeing the paparazzi. 

"I’m not a person who’s under the illusion that I look particularly cool at any point with what I’m doing," Zuckerberg said during the leaked Q&A, according to The Verge. "But when you’re eFoiling down the coast of Hawaii, and it’s beautiful and it just feels like it’s awesome — and then you come back online and you see that’s the photo, that’s what you look like — it’s like, OK. Alright. That’s maybe quite a bit more sunscreen than I thought I was wearing."

At the time, he added that he is "not going to apologize for wearing too much sunscreen."

"I think that sunscreen is good, and I stand behind that," he said.

Bold, Mark.

Instagram head "doesn't want to hear" about JoJo Siwa being underage on the platform 

In June, the head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, was chatting with youth sensation JoJo Siwa on Instagram live when she spilled a secret about her experience on his platform.

"I know you’re not supposed to have Instagram till you’re 13 — I did. I had an account," Siwa, said.

"I don’t want to hear that," Mosseri responded. 

"You didn’t hear that," Siwa joked. "Nobody else heard that."

Tweet may have been deleted

This, while a bit wild on its own, was made even more interesting by a series of disturbing leaks about young people on Instagram. Documents from Facebook's own research leaked to the Wall Street Journal found that "Instagram is harmful to a sizable percentage of [teens], most notably teenage girls." It also revealed that social comparison and body image issues impact teens more than adults, with some of the most "intense experiences" being social comparison, loneliness, stress, and depression. Nearly half of all teen girls on Instagram feel they "often or always compare their appearance" to others on the platform, and a third "feel intense pressure to look perfect."

Jeff Bezos thanks us for sending him to space 

This was the year of billionaires traveling to space just for fun. First it was Richard Branson, followed by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who each took separate, back-to-back flights to the edge of space. And Bezos would just like to thank the people who quite literally paid for his trip: the Amazon employees he has been mistreating.

"I want to thank every Amazon employee and every Amazon customer, because you guys paid for all this," he said in a post-flight press conference. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart very much."

Tweet may have been deleted

Amazon employees, though, didn't get that trip to space that they paid for. Instead, they had to work in unsafe conditions throughout the pandemic, including mandatory overtime, which led to some employees being forced to pee in bottles. Many tested positive for COVID-19 as a result.

Most things Elon Musk has said 

Finally, there could not be a complete list of tech exec weird comments without a mention of almost everything Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has ever said. There simply are not enough characters to fully describe this out, so here is a taste of his best (worst) tweets.

Tweet may have been deleted

Tweet may have been deleted

Tweet may have been deleted

Tweet may have been deleted

Tweet may have been deleted

from Mashable https://ift.tt/3sDvlgR
via IFTTT

US Ambassador in Bahrain Reportedly Used Racist Slurs Against Arabs

On 18 December, the Senate approved in a long-delayed session a series of crucial executive and judicial nominations, including 40 high-ranking diplomats. Among them was Steven Bondy, approved for the position of US ambassador to Bahrain.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3FDU0ph
via IFTTT

Second Box Found Under Gen. Lee Statue Appears to Be Real 1887 Time Capsule, Virginia Gov. Says

The workers conducting the search are part of the removal team of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's statue in Richmond. The statue itself was taken down in September at the governor's order, following countrywide protests against racism and monuments associated with the Confederacy.

from Sputnik News - World News, Breaking News & Top Storie https://ift.tt/3evfXek
via IFTTT

The 12 biggest TV 'F- Yeah!' moments of 2021

It’s a uniquely human gift to become emotionally invested in fiction. Even though we know what we’re watching on television shows isn’t real, we feel for the characters — laughing when they laugh, crying when they cry, and screaming “fuck yeah!” when they do a particularly fuck yeah–worthy thing. 

These are the TV moments that dropped our jaws, made us fist pump on our couches, and yes, made us yell “fuck yeah” at the screen in 2021.

12. Marty fires Ike, The Shrink Next Door

Better late than never, Marty. Credit: Apple TV+

In The Shrink Next Door, Marty (Will Ferrell) is a nice guy. Too nice by a mile. Doctor Ike (Paul Rudd), however, is not nice. He's an unethical psychiatrist, a predator, a manipulator, and a truly terrible houseguest. When Marty comes to Ike for professional help, Ike sees an easy mark and begins a horrifying real-life retelling of If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, which rips Marty away from his family, his friends, his money, and his autonomy over his own life. The shocking reality that Ike had Marty in his sway for almost thirty years makes it easy to assume he'll never escape. That makes the moment when Marty fires Ike — using the doctor's own manipulative "fake lawyer" gambit — all the more satisfying. Marty couldn't regain those lost years, but standing up for himself late was definitely better than never. —Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter

How to Watch: The Shrink Next Door is streaming on Apple TV+.

11. Catherine goes for the kill, The Great

At the end of The Great Season 1, Catherine (Elle Fanning) fails to seal the deal on her coup by refusing to kill her husband (Nicholas Hoult). Season 2 deals not only with the aftermath of leaving the former Russian emperor alive as she takes over his empire, but also with Catherine and Peter's budding feelings for each other as they become parents to baby Paul. The will-they-won't-they makes for some great romantic tension, but the untenability of falling in love with the husband you really ought to have murdered builds through the season until Catherine finally — finally! — hits her limit and goes in for the kill. Shoulda done it ages ago, Catherine. —A.N.

How to Watch: The Great is streaming on Hulu.

10. Otis and Maeve, Sex Education

After two years of obstacles and poor timing, the dissolution of Otis (Asa Butterfield) and Maeve's (Emma Mackey) sex advice clinic, and eventually their friendship, Sex Education fans had all but given up on a happy ending for the could-be couple — at least for the time being. Season 3 surprised them and us in episode 5 by stranding the estranged friend-crushes at a French rest stop, where they fight, talk, and finally kiss. Complications ensue, but by the final episode, we get a brief and glorious glimpse of what a relationship between these two would look like — only before one final twist snatches it away. —Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter

How to Watch: Sex Education is streaming on Netflix.

9. The Guardians of the Multiverse, What If…?

Look who's intervening now. Credit: Marvel Studios

Think back to 2012. If you plucked one iconic moment out of your brain from the first Avengers movie, what would it be? For most people, that's an easy choice: the moment when the Avengers finally assemble. It's tough for any one moment to truly stand out in a series as sweeping as the one taking shape in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but if there's any one sequence that defines a "before" and "after" for the ongoing story, it's that formative moment in Avengers.

Marvel's Disney+ series What If...? exists in the first place to toy with expectations set by more than a decade's worth of film and streaming TV. In episode after episode, memorably iconic MCU moments are reimagined around whatever off-the-wall premise is being explored. Given all that, it's no surprise that the big "Avengers, assemble!" remix came during the What If...? finale. Of course, it's the Guardians of the Multiverse here, not the Avengers. But the emotional impact is the same. We inch forward in our seats, shout for joy, and soak in every last second of a beautiful, season-long payoff that is itself rooted in more than 10 years of Hollywood history. —Adam Rosenberg, Senior Entertainment Reporter

How to Watch: What If...? is streaming on Disney+.

8. Gi-hun's final phone call, Squid Game

It was clear from the first episode of Squid Game that whoever survived this ordeal would have a lot to live with. That pays off in the finale, when we catch up with a broken Gi-Hun (Lee Jung-jae) a year after he wins the whole pot but can’t escape what he endured in the game. Just as things start to look up — after he rescues Sae-Byeok’s brother and plans to move to America for his daughter — he sees The Salesman, brutalizing yet another desperate soul to kick off the year's games.

He manages to wrest the games’ calling card away from the man. Then as Gi-Hun walks the jetway, he dials. His voice quakes with pain and anger as he declares that he is not a horse, but a person. He demands to know who is running the games and how they can do such a thing. Front Man answers coolly, telling Gi-Hun not to get any ideas. Gi-Hun can’t forget, and he certainly can’t forgive. The call ends, but his decision is made; he turns around and walks out of the jetway, back to Korea, and back to the games. So, he can end them once and for all. —P.K.

How to Watch: Squid Game is streaming on Netflix.

7. Classic Loki remakes Asgard, Loki

Classic Loki (Richard E. Grant) gets the MVP award for his brief but memorable appearance in Loki's fifth episode, "Journey Into Mystery." In the coolest moment of Marvel's timey-wimey series, Classic Loki makes an epic stand against the monster Alioth. His magical rebuilding of Asgard makes for a perfect distraction, and for a perfect "f*** yeah" moment. Aside from the awesomeness of seeing Asgard again, this is the most powerful any Loki variant has ever been, opening up future possibilities for extreme mischievousness. Glorious purpose, indeed. —Belen Edwards, Entertainment Fellow

How to Watch: Loki is streaming on Disney+.

6. That bridge fight, Arcane

Jinx, you owe me a coke. Credit: Netflix

This one isn't an "F- yeah" moment for any character in Netflix's League of Legends animated show Arcane. It's kind of the opposite, actually, since Vi's lost faith in Powder (Mia Sinclair Jenness) is confirmed when Jinx (Ella Purnell) shows up to interrupt their mission. This is an "F- yeah" for Arcane as a whole, with the ensuing fight between Ekko (Reed Shannon) and Jinx proving how beautiful and creative the show can get even in its most violent, heartbreaking moments. Ekko opens the fight with his pocket watch swinging, and the ticking brings both characters back to their more innocent days, when Ekko and Powder would play ball together. The animation becomes hazy and nostalgic, then snaps back to the present-day style when the ball transforms into a bullet. Whew. F-yeah, animation team. —A.N.

How to Watch: Arcane is streaming on Netflix.

5. Tom gets a win, Succession

It's hard to root for anyone in Succession since they're all — you know — terrible people. But the betrayal by Tom freaking Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) in the Season 3 finale is one of the most meaningful and exciting twists the show has ever seen. Tom spent most of the season worrying about going to jail. Then, he spent the rest of the season worrying that his wife Shiv (Sarah Snook) didn't love him. She even flat-out says so at one point, in a seriously ill-advised attempt at dirty talk. So when an opportunity arises for Tom to reclaim some of the power he once had, he takes it, throwing Shiv and her brothers under the bus in order to gain some status with Logan (Brian Cox). It's the biggest power play of the season, and it sets up a real bloodbath between husband and wife as the show moves forward. The moral of the story: If your partner is going to prison, maybe be nice to them? —B.E.

How to Watch: Succession is streaming on HBO Max.

4. Never perform again you MAN, Hacks

Few things are worse than an obnoxious, unfunny comedian. Hacks presents us with a truly insufferable example with Drew (Adam Ray), the owner of a comedy club who harasses the female performers. He's smug, gross, and all too familiar, which is why it's so cathartic when comedy legend Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) calls him out in her set. She makes Drew an offer he can't refuse, promising to give him $1.69 million if he never performs again. Smart absolutely owns this scene, with Deborah's anger bubbling just under a facade of sharp wit. When Drew accepts her offer, her joy at his humiliation is our joy as well. "I can't get rid of 'em all, but I can get rid of one," Deborah says. We offer our sincerest thanks. —B.E.

How to Watch: Hacks is streaming on HBO Max.

3. Crystal takes the mic, Heels

Let's make this one Crystal clear. Credit: Starz

There aren’t a lot of TV moments that make me stand up and yell in my living room, but Heels episode 5 was one of them. Michael Waldron’s wrestling drama is so well-written that you don’t quite realize you would die for Crystal Tyler (Kelli Berglund) before this moment.

She's freshly disrespected by Jack Spade (Stephen Amell), who wants to keep his storylines focused on male wrestlers. Meanwhile, brother Ace (Alexander Ludwig) fires Crystal from valet duty so he can trot out the new girl he’s sleeping with. And Crystal has had enough. She’s got Wild Bill’s (Chris Bauer) voice in her ear, telling her that she’s got something special and should take what’s hers. So she does — literally. She snatches the microphone out of Ace’s hand when she enters the ring so that she can have the satisfaction of dumping him for Bobby Pin (Trey Tucker) instead of being framed as a lying adulterer. The crowd goes wild and pretty soon, Ace does too. But for that entire monologue, the Duffy Wrestling League is Crystal’s house, and we can’t wait to see what she does next. —P.K.

How to Watch: Heels is streaming on Starz.

2. It was "Agatha All Along," WandaVision

WandaVision is the first Disney+ series to start painting a broader picture of the MCU, and it's not without its share of surprises. Much to our chagrin, Mephisto wasn't one of them. Yet a character that's had close ties to Marvel comic's version of the Devil did get her own big coming-out moment: Agatha effing Harkness (Kathryn Hahn).

Throughout the season, fans loudly voiced their suspicion that Wanda's nosey, overly friendly neighbor Agnes would turn out to be an MCU version of the magic-wielding comic book character, who is a survivor of the Salem Witch Trials. Our patience was rewarded with an expected reveal that arrived in the most unexpected and musical of ways — but one that was nonetheless thematically appropriate for WandaVision.

"Agatha All Along," that Grammy-nominated earworm we all found ourselves inexplicably humming for multiple weeks after it aired, is one of Marvel's greatest reveals to date. It was a surprise reveal that theory-loving fans were prepared to not be surprised about, and the arrival of a kickass character, who we'll surely be seeing plenty more of soon enough. —A.R.

How to Watch: WandaVision is streaming on Disney+.

1. You're a Mean One, Mr. [REDACTED], Hawkeye

Worlds are colliding! Finally! Just days before Spider-Man: No Way Home unleashed a multiversal mindf*ck on every member of the MCU fandom, Hawkeye trotted out its penultimate episode on Disney+, and it was delivered with one hell of a final shot. It's a blurry image of Kate Bishop's mom, Eleanor, in a room with a large man wearing a white suit. His profile is unmistakable: This is Wilson Fisk, Marvel's Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio).

For fans familiar only with MCU movies and Disney+ series, the import of the moment may have been lost. But anyone who remembers the Netflix-produced MCU shows recognizes this big crime fella. Kingpin was a major antagonist there and a nemesis to Daredevil in particular. His sudden appearance in a Disney+ series amounts to hard confirmation — for the very first time! — that what happened on Netflix is still canon, and still very much a factor in Marvel's future plans. Oh, how lucky we are. But let's maybe let Danny Rand sit this one out, OK? —A.R.

How to Watch: Hawkeye is streaming on Disney+.

Honorable Mention: Pietro???, WandaVision

Sorry, did we say Pietro? We meant Ralph. Credit: Marvel Studios

After a year with no new Marvel releases, the fandom had high hopes for WandaVision. The show itself was great, but equal to its critical reception was the level of hype each new episode brought with its twists and reveals. The greatest of all of those moments was when actor Evan Peters, who played Quicksilver in Fox's X-Men series, appeared on WandaVision as Wanda's brother Quicksilver, previously played in the MCU by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. At the time it appeared to be a hardcore confirmation of the multiverse and the X-men crossing over into the MCU, which would have been the biggest "F- yeah" moment of the year if not the decade. But alas, Peters's Pietro was in fact Fietro, a fake Pietro projected into the body of a Westview resident named Ralph Bohner. Ralph. Bohner. Still, points are awarded for the awesome few weeks when we all thought the MCU's biggest crossover event was happening right before our eyes. —A.N.

How to Watch: WandaVision is streaming on Disney+.

from Mashable https://ift.tt/3pxtk47
via IFTTT