No one in Washington comes out looking great, but Democrats fare less badly.
NYT: Podiatrist’s Daughters Say He Diagnosed Trump With Bone Spurs As A ‘Favor’
The diagnosis allowed Trump to get a medical exemption that allowed him to avoid the draft during the Vietnam War.
Trump Visits Iraq, His First Trip To A Combat Zone In His Life
Trump faced mounting criticism for nearly finishing his second year in office without traveling to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Smash Bros. Ultimate’s Next Event Features Exclusive Spirits
Nintendo has announced the next in-game event for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This week’s Spirit event is titled “Oh Yeah! Mario Time!” and it features a variety of characters taken from the Mario series, as well as a handful of exclusive Spirits you can’t get otherwise.
Unlike the previous two Spirit events in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate thus far, both of which were only available for three days, the “Oh Yeah! Mario Time!” event kicks off at 10 PM PT on December 27 (1 AM ET / 6 AM GMT / 5 PM AEDT on December 28) and runs until the same time on January 1, giving you five days to take advantage of it. During that period, an assortment of Mario Spirits, such as the Legend-class Pauline and Dry Bowser, will appear more frequently on the Spirit Board. You’ll also earn additional Gold for defeating these Spirits.
On top of that, the event will also feature a couple of exclusive Super Mario Party Spirits: the Novice-class Dice Block, the Advanced-class River Survival, and the Ace-class Golden Dash Mushroom. These three have not previously been available in the game and will appear at set times every day throughout the event, so you’ll want to add them to your collection while they’re still around.
Nintendo is holding a different Spirit event in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate each week. Last week’s event was the first part of the Fire Emblem Fest, which made Fire Emblem characters such as Azura and Eliwood appear more frequently on the Spirit Board. Nintendo hasn’t announced the date for the second part yet, but it is slated to take place in January.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been a big success for Nintendo thus far, breaking sales records for the series around the world since its launch earlier this month. The game was also met with widespread critical acclaim. GameSpot selected it as one of our 10 best video games of 2018. “There are so many wonderful things packed into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that, even in the short time between its release and our Best Of The Year discussions, it has filled us with an immense amount of joy,” we said.
Bumblebee: All The ’80s Transformers Easter Eggs And References You Might Have Missed
If there’s one thing the Transformers franchise excels in (other than, you know, giant robots punching one another and turning into vehicles) it’s really drilling into that nostalgia vein. There’s a wealth of totally radical 80s potential to be found in the world of Autobots and Decepticons, and Bumblebee was not afraid to just go for it wholeheartedly, resulting in one of the most Easter Egg packed installments of the live action lineup. From nods to the robots of Transformers cartoons past to wink-nudge references to classic movies, Bumblebee never missed an opportunity–which might have been a bad thing if it hadn’t managed to be so charming along the way.
In our Bumblebee review, we called out the movie’s ability to ride the referential line with surprising grace. “Bumblebee hits a perfect tone with a great mix of action, humor, and heart. The soundtrack strikes all the right chords, the action is mostly clear and easy to follow even when two massive robots are rapidly grappling and transforming into various forms, and the characters are instantly relatable, without screenwriter Christina Hodson relying too much on cliches. The homages to Spielberg, Hughes, and other ’80s filmmakers may not be subtle, but they are a lot of fun, and Bumblebee pays tribute in smart ways that don’t feel out of place or forced. “
Unsurprisingly, there are some spoilers coming up, so proceed with caution as we recount every reference (both 80s and otherwise) we were able to find.
1.) Shockwave
While Megatron is conspicuously absent from the movie, other prominent members of the Decepticon leadership are front and center. The cycloptic Shockwave, a purple robot who, much like his boss, typically transforms into a gun, is seen giving orders on Cybertron during the opening moments. If you pay close enough attention, you’ll even hear his iconic, highly accented voice deliver a few lines.
2.) Soundwave & Ravage
Arguably one of the most famous and recognizable Decepticons of all time, master spy Soundwave gets a prominent shoutout during the opening scene as he sends out his cassette tape minion–Ravage, a robotic cat–for the attack. “Ravage, eject,” he says.
3.) Arcee
Instantly recognizable for her bright pink and white paint job, Arcee, one of the first female Transformers, can be seen fighting with the Autobots on Cybertron.
4.) Wheeljack
Endearing Autobot scientist Wheeljack shouts some orders to his teammates in the Cybertron scene–you can pick him out by his distinctive mouth plating and weirdly prominent “ear” crests.
5.) Ratchet
Autobot medic and one of the original Bay universe Transformers, Rachet, can be spotted on Cybertron represented with his classic red and white colors and design.
6.) Ironhide
One of the last big cameos during the battle for Cybertron is Ironhide, another of the original team from the Bay universe, who, like Ratchet, can be scene here sporting his original design and colors.
7.) Cliffjumper
Shatter and Dropkick track down an autobot soldier named Cliffjumper as they search the solar system for information on Optimus. Not only is Cliffjumper a classic Transformer represented in his original design, he’s also notable as being close to identical to Bumblebee in the 80s cartoon and comic universe. Though the two of them were not officially related, they’re commonly mistaken for one another.
8.) Seekers
The Decepticon forces on Cybertron are made up primarily of flying robots who transform into fighter jets, a quick shorthand for the Decepticon special forces team known as the Seekers, who were frequently lead by Starscream. They’re never formally named, but other members like Skywarp, Thundercracker, and Acid Storm can be spotted among the crowds.
9.) The Touch
While Bee tries to encourage Charlie to impress all her high school friends, he plays 80s power ballad “The Touch” over his radio–a nice little nod to the theme song of the 1986 Transformers animated movie.
10.) Breakfast Club
It wouldn’t be a movie set in the ’80s without plenty of gratuitous ’80s references. The main thing Bumblebee keeps going back to is the John Hughes 1985 classic The Breakfast Club, an essential teen movie from the decade that’s still worth watching today.
11.) Triple Changers
Dropkick and Shatter are able to have two different alt modes simultaneously, making them the first real triple changers we’ve seen in the live action universe. However, triple changers have been a pretty major part of the Transformers mythology for a while, dating all the way back to the 80s.
12.) Sector 7
John Cena’s character, Agent Burns, works for Sector 7, an arm of the US military specifically created to monitor and control otherworldly threats. It was first established back in the first Michael Bay movie.
13.) The Camaro
At the end of the movie, Bee changes his alt mode from his vintage VW bug to a sleek yellow Camaro, a nod to his alt mode through the other live action movies.
14.) Rick Roll
Naturally for a movie about Bumblebee, who uses songs on the radio to communicate, music plays a big part in the film. The funniest musical moment probably comes when Charlie gives Bumblebee the Rick Astley cassette with the song “Never Gonna Give You Up” on it–AKA the internet’s beloved/despised “Rick Roll” meme–and he promptly spits it out.
15.) Alf
Here’s another fun ’80s reference: The Watson family enjoys the show Alf, which is about an Alien Life Form who crash lands in a suburban garage. Get it? (Yes, we get it.)
16.) Pong
Just in case you forgot, this movie is set in the ’80s. Was Pong still popular in the ’80s? Didn’t they have the NES and Mario already by then?
17.) “Take us to your leader”
It’s pretty clear that Shatter and Dropkick are in on the joke when they repeat this commonly used science fiction phrase.
18.) Help me, Bumblebee. You’re my only hope
The way Optimus Prime’s message to Bumblebee gets unveiled as a hologram emitted from the robot’s chest may be a nod to Princess Leia’s message to Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope. Or maybe not–you decide!
19.) Inventing the internet
Based on the scene where they take over the world’s satellites and communications networks, it seems in Transformers lore, Shatter and Dropkick actually did do something positive for humanity: Although it wasn’t their intent, they just invented the internet.
20.) Pop Tarts
Members of the Watson family eat Pop Tarts, which were a popular breakfast choice in the 1980s, before scientists learned that eating nothing but processed sugar for an entire meal is actually a bad idea and let everyone know as much.
21.) Hot Dog on a Stick
Charlie works at a Hot Dog on a Stick, a fast food restaurant popular at malls in the 1980s. They made corn dogs, which is why the name “Hot Dog on a Stick” is funny. They would also deep fry pure breaded cheese on a stick, which was delicious.
22.) ’80s Movies
What kind of movie is set in the ’80s but doesn’t have overt references to ’80s movies? Luckily Bumblebee includes posters for The Thing and Raiders of the Lost Ark in Memo’s bedroom.
Trump Is Fixated On MS-13. He’s Making It Harder For Its Victims To Get Asylum.
She came to the United States to escape MS-13. Now she has to get approval to stay.
Mario Odyssey Maps: Every Moon and Purple Coin
Don’t miss finding over 800 Power Moons and 1,000 Purple Coins with our Super Mario Odyssey Interactive Maps.
Don’t Worry, a 700-Foot Wide Astroid Probably Won’t Hit Earth in 2023
Though various tabloids across the world have made claims that an asteroid twice the size of the Statue of Liberty could hit earth in 2023, the actual odds of that happening are very, very slim.
The astroid in question has been labeled Asteroid 2018 LF16 by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the chances of it actually impacting Earth are about one in 30 million. As reported by BGR, NASA’s estimates paint an extremely positive future in which there is almost no chance it will actually hit our planet – in fact, it’s been given a 0 on the Torino scale. In reference, a 5 rating is considered “threatening” while an 8 rating begins encroaching upon “certain collision” territory.
NBA 2K’s Secrets to Success, the Rivalry With EA, and More: The Story of 2K Gameplay Director Mike Wang
Longtime NBA 2K gameplay director Mike Wang discusses his fascinating career story, including getting noticed on a message board, leaving 2K for EA’s NBA Live and immediately regretting it, coming back, and much more in this one-hour interview!
If you’d rather listen than watch (but we encourage you to watch!), here’s an audio-only download link of the full episode.
Here is a preview clip, in which Wang recounts the story of getting noticed by professional game developers while posting criticism on an Internet message board:
And if you missed it, here’s one of this year’s best episodes of Unfiltered, in which Insomniac founder Ted Price discusses his independent studio’s incredible ride from Sony upstart to Spider-Man powerhouse:
18 Most Hunted for Monster Hunter: World Tips and Guides
The Monster Hunter franchise is notorious for being, well, sort of dense and confusing. Monster Hunter: World fixed a lot of that with an influx of quality of life improvements and much better tutorials, but were still plenty of things worth searching for. We compiled a list of the most searched for terms and clicked on pages over the year to help any newcomer to Monster Hunter: World. Tips, tricks, guides and lists for Monster Hunter: World ahead!