66.8 F
San Francisco
Saturday, March 14, 2026
Home Blog Page 2215

McDonald’s is Bringing Back Szechuan Sauce

McDonald’s is bringing back Szechuan sauce for one day and one day only.

Following the release of the season finale of Rick and Morty, McDonald’s has announced they are bringing back its Szechuan Sauce for one day on October 7th.

Recently made famous by a joke in the season 3 premiere of Rick and Morty, McDonald’s is making it clear that the sauce will not last for a long time and it will go fast.

McDonald’s broke the news in a press release; a representative explained, ”limited quantities for a limited run available in [the] restaurant for one day only.”

“On Oct 7, together with the collectible sauce-themed posters, we’re also giving away a one-time only, limited-edition, run of Szechuan Sauce in select restaurants. And when we say limited, we mean really, really limited! Click below to find out which restaurants will be giving away* the posters, and the select few of those that will also have the Szechuan Sauce on Oct 7,” McDonald’s explains the press release.

This news comes after an increasing demand for the sauce following the Rick and Morty episode debuted on Adult Swim, with the restaurant chain releasing three jars of the rare Mulan sauce in a Twitter contest. One fan ended up selling his jar of Szechuan sauce to DJ Deadmau5 for an undisclosed amount after an auction for more than $4,000 fell through.

While the move may seem unexpected for those who do not watch Rick and Morty, a joke about the sauce was included in the season three premiere that aired on April Fool’s Day. The sauce went viral with demands for McDonald’s to bring the sauce back.

McDonald’s first issued Szechuan sauce as part of a marketing campaign with Disney’s 1998 movie, Mulan. 

McDonald’s is releasing a series of posters to commemorate the reboot of the Szechuan sauce and its other sauces. Each of the posters will depict a different sauce that McDonald’s offers, which ties into the launch of McDonald’s new buttermilk chicken tenders.

“Ready to celebrate? We’re giving away 1,000 limited-edition, hand numbered, screen-printed posters for all 10 sauces in our legendary lineup—including Szechuan Sauce. That’s right, collectible art, worthy of the pop-culture status fans have given their favorite sauces,” the press release explains.

As the show’s main character, Rick, says, ““If it takes nine seasons, I want my McNugget dipping sauce!””

Are you going to binge watch Rick and Morty on October 7th when the sauce returns?

‘The Walking Dead’s Laurie Holden Bashes Her Character’s Death

Laurie Holden reveals that she is still upset with how Andrea, the character she played for three seasons of AMC’s The Walking Dead, was killed off the show.

Holden, who commits suicide after being bitten by a walker, said she ““got the call at 10 o’ clock the night before, while I was shooting, from the showrunner who is no longer a part of The Walking Dead [Glen Mazzara], saying that they couldn’t write the episode and that he was killing my character… I felt like I got shot. None of it was supposed to happen the way it did.”

During a recent fan convention, Holden again brought up her departure from the show, which called it a “mistake.” Holden explained, “I mean, it’s not like I couldn’t pull it off. I think the whole stuff that they wrote about Andrea and the Governor was complete and utter nonsense. I did the best that I could to tell that narrative and to justify it where Andrea kept her heart.”

I guess if I was Holden, I would be upset too. She no longer ha a role on the biggest show on television and she no longer gets a chance to work alongside Norman Reedus. That has to be tough.

Uber, Lfyt Offer Free Rides After Las Vegas Shooting

0

Following the deadliest mass shooting in recent U.S. history, Uber and Lyft have changed their prices in Las Vegas so people can exit the area without being charged outrageous fees.

The news comes after ride services have been criticized in the past for price gouging following a disaster.

According to a statement, Uber waived all fares “around the affected area” on Sunday night and continued to offer free rides for some shooting associated rides.

“Our hearts ache for everyone affected by this senseless tragedy. We stand ready to support the victims and the Las Vegas community as they recover from this devastating act,” Uber explained in a statement. “Shortly after hearing about the incident, we worked to ensure all rides from around the affected area were free of charge. Additionally, we are providing free rides to and from area hospitals, the family reunification center, and United Blood Services donor centers for those who wish to donate blood.”

Lyft also announced the company had shut down their “Prime Time” surge function in Las Vegas. “We’re heartbroken. Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. We suspended Prime Time immediately after we understood what was happening. We also communicated to drivers about the developing situation.”

Also, Lyft announced on Monday the company would be offering free rides of up to $40 with the code “VEGASHOPE” to several blood donation centers, relief centers, and hospitals in Las Vegas. Here’s the full list:

Blood Donation

Labor Health & Welfare Clinic: 7135 W Sahara Ave #100, Las Vegas, NV 89117

United Blood Services: 6930 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89117

United Blood Services: 4950 W. Craig Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89310

United Blood Services, Henderson:  601 Whitney Ranch Dr. Bldg. D, Ste 20, Henderson, NV 89014

Hospitals

Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center: 3186 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89109

University Medical Center: 1800 W Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89102

Desert Springs Hospital: 2075 E Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89119

Valley Hospital: 620 Shadow Ln, Las Vegas, NV 89106

Relief Centers

UNLV Thomas & Mac Center: 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89154

Family Reunification Center: Metro Headquarters, 400 S. MLK BLVD Building B

This news comes after Uber was criticized for increasing their prices following the June 2017 and September 2016 terror attacks. Eventually, the company issued refunds to all victims who were affected by surge pricing, attempting to send a message that victims should feel good about choosing Uber in times of an emergency. Then in January, both Uber and Lyft were criticized for high prices after travel ban protests at JFK left travelers without an affordable way to get home, even though many of the public’s backlash was focused on Uber with the hashtag campaign #DeleteUber going viral.

Las Vegas Shooting: Stephen Paddock Reportedly Gambled More Than $10,000/Day

0

As the investigation continues on the Las Vegas attack, journalists covering the incident are uncovering details surrounding the mass shooting. This includes a breaking news discovery that police were able to discover Paddock’s exact location on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay thanks in part to the hotel’s smoke detectors, and not because of his muzzle flashes. As NBC News points out, one hour and 12 minutes passed before that happened.

“We’ve been trying to figure out how long this ordeal lasted,” said Pete Williams, a justice correspondent for NBC News. “Now we know that the first phone call to the police of a shooting was at 10:08 last night.” 

Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told reporters previously that local 9-1-1 call centers first received reports from concertgoers at 10:08 pm PT. According to a timeline created by several ABC News affiliates, however, the first news report did not go out until 10:40 nearly half an hour later, police shut down the Las Vegas strip at 11:08 pm.

In Williams’ report, the justice correspondent notes authorities did not reach Paddock’s hotel room until 11:20 pm.

“So it’s one hour and 12 minutes from the time of the phone call until the police finally went in and found that Stephen Paddock had shot himself dead,” he said. “What we don’t know from this timeline, what we can’t tell — and that’s going to be a long time, reconstructing the timeline — is when did the shots stop? We don’t know that.”

Ultimately, the hour and 12 minutes that passed between the first 9-1-1 call and the door breach only reveals how difficult it will be to investigate Sunday’s tragic event.

Paddock’s hotel room is located on the Las Vegas Strip, at an angle from the concert grounds. Some witnesses did claim to have seen muzzle flashes, although it would have been difficult to determine the exact floor and room alone by eye-sight alone.

Who is Stephen Paddock?

The gunman who checked into a suite at a Las Vegas hotel and massacre dozens of concertgoers lived in a retirement community in Mesquite, Nevada, about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

According to the New York Times, Paddock, 64, was described as a retiree who loved to gamble and lived with his girlfriend Marilou Danley, 62. Other than that, relatives explained Paddock had not expressed “displayed strong political or ideological beliefs”. In fact, the NY Times reports, Eric Paddock said he and his family were “shocked, horrified” by the news and he was “not an avid gun guy.”

“Where the hell did he get automatic weapons? He has no military background or anything like that,” the brother said. “When you find out about him, like I said, he’s a guy who lived in a house in Mesquite and drove down and gambled in Las Vegas.”

Paddock was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot in his room on the 32nd floor of the hotel. At least 10 guns were found in the hotel room, including several rifles.

A motive for the horrific attack is currently unclear. “I can’t get into the mind of a psychopath at this point,” Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said.

NBC News reports the suspected gunman had made several large gambling transactions recently. Multiple senior law enforcement officials told NBC News, Stephen Paddock gambled more than $10,000 per day and in some cases $20,000 and $30,000 a day at Las Vegas Casinos. That said, it was not clear if those transactions were losses or wins.

France Now Requires Labels on Photoshopped Ads

0

As of Sunday, October 1, a new French law is in place. It states any models in commercial photography who have been made to appear thinner or thicker by image processing software has to include a statement declaring the image was retouched. Anyone who opts out of this law can face a fine of $44,000 or more, or 30% the cost of advertising.

It is important to note that this is not the first time France has taken a stand against unhealthy depictions of the human body. Two years ago, France responded to the criticism of thin models by requiring every model who wanted to work in the country to provide proof from a physician they are of a healthy body weight. Since then, other countries including Israel, Spain, and Italy have passed similar laws.

French Model Photoshop
A model poses for photographers backstage at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. (Photo by Flaunter .com on Unsplash)

Getty Images is refusing to accept any creative content “depicting models whose body shapes have been retouched to make them look thinner or larger,” representative Anne Flanagan told NPR. The decision to do so came after France’s latest piece of legislation and will begin labeling images with that were previously photoshopped.

A study published in the journal Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications found humans have trouble spotting retouched images. In fact, researchers found people identified altered photos 60% of the time.

Ultimately, it is the photoshopping you don’t spot that creates unhealthy expectations, and France’s legislation is an attempt to alert people of retouching. Maybe, warning people that changes have been made will help people have a more rational expectation for what the human body looks like.

Life on Earth Began After Meteorites Crashed into Warm Ponds, Study Finds

0

Between 3.7 to 4.5 billion years ago, life on Earth began. Now, researchers argue meteorites splashed down and leaked essential elements into warm ponds.

Scientists at McMaster University and the Max Planck Institute in Germany report wet and dry cycles bonded basic molecular chemicals int he pounds producing a nutrient-rich solution, which in turn created self-replicating RNA molecules that formed the first genetic code of life on Earth.

The researchers reached this conclusion after researching geology, chemistry, biology, astrophysics and other fields of science. While the “warm little ponds” theory is not new, researchers have proven its plausibility with evidence-based calculations.

The study’s lead authors, Ben K.D. Pearce and Ralph Pudritz say evidence suggests that life began when the Earth was still being formed, which continents emerging from the ocean and meteorites hammering down into the planet.

“No one’s actually run the calculation before,” says Pearce. “This is a pretty big beginning. It’s pretty exciting.”

“Because there are so many inputs from so many different fields, it’s kind of amazing that it all hangs together,” Pudritz says. “Each step led very naturally to the next. To have them all lead to a clear picture, in the end, is saying there’s something right about this.”

The study was published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

“In order to understand the origin of life, we need to understand Earth as it was billions of years ago. As our study shows, astronomy provides a vital part of the answer. The details of how our solar system formed have direct consequences for the origin of life on Earth,” says Thomas Henning explained.

Researchers say the combination of wet and dry conditions allowed for RNA to be produced and form chemical bonds.

“That’s the Holy Grail of experimental origins-of-life chemistry,” says Pearce.

The basic form of life, RNA, would eventually give rise to DNA, the blueprint of higher forms of life. But, it will take time for this to take place. Essentially, the world only existed with RNA-based life forms until DNA was created.

“DNA is too complex to have been the first aspect of life to emerge,” Pudritz says. “It had to start with something else, and that is RNA.”

This Hominin Species Is the Reason Why Herpes Exists in Humans Today

0

The Paranthropus boisei, a species of an ancient bipedal hominid that roamed around the Earth 2.4 until 1.4 million years ago, could be responsible for passing off the first case of genital herpes to humans.

Between 3 and 1.4 million years ago, genital herpes from African apes infected our human ancestors, which researchers believe likely occurred through an intermediate homin species unrelated to humans. According to a new study, which was published in Virus Evolution, found evidence suggesting that a Homo ancestor, Homo habilis, may have contracted genital herpes from ancient chimpanzees by eating their meat. The Homo habilis then sexually passed the virus to Paranthropus boisei, which passed it to the Homo erectus.

“Our model identifies Paranthropus boisei as the most likely intermediate host of HSV2, while Homo habilis may also have played a role in the initial transmission of HSV2 from the ancestors of chimpanzees to P.boisei,” the researchers wrote in their study.

The researchers analyzed and showed how the virus was transmitted from chimpanzees to the hominids that once roamed Africa. By researching the changes in topography, climate data, fossil locations and geography, the researchers found Paranthropus boisei as the likely cause for indirectly giving humans genital herpes that now affects one in six American adults.

Researchers point out climate data and fossil locations allowed them to define the species that most likely came into contact with the early chimpanzees and other early humans near water sources.

Scientists explain they found close contact between homo erectus and P. boisei would have been common around water during the time, which provided the opportunity for genital herpes to spread to humans.

“For these viruses to jump species barriers they need a lucky genetic mutation combined with significant fluid exchange. In the case of early hominins, this means through consumption or intercourse — or possibly both,” said study author Charlotte Houldcroft, from Cambridge’s Department of Archaeology.

Genital herpes is considered a major issue. As of 2012, over 400 million people live with the infection. Infection with genital herpes does not often come with symptoms. However, when symptoms do occur, infection leaves behind sources known as ulcers, as well as fevers and swollen lymph nodes.

YouTube Cracks Down on External Video Links

0

YouTube has blocked users their ability to link out to external sites in their end cards. Many YouTube users use end cards to link to further monetize their video content. For example, YouTubers could sell merchandise and Patreon pages where fans can donate money to support their projects.

YouTube Partner Program

As of Friday, the feature is now exclusively available to members of the YouTube Partner Program. That said, it is arguably difficult to join the program as a user needs to have 10,000 public views to be eligible for the program. Moreover, their application needs to be approved by YouTube.  According to YouTube, the company decided to change their platform to prevent users from ripping off other people’s video and copyrighted content and making money from it. Creators do not have to monetize their channel to use end cards, but they need to gain enough attention and prove they are not making money from other people’s work.

YouTube
New York, USA – August 22, 2017: Youtube application menu on smartphone screen close-up. (PixieMe / Shutterstock.com)

“In order to use externally-linking end cards in videos, creators are being asked to join the YouTube Partner program, so that we can evaluate the validity of the channel, as well as determine whether the channel is following our community guidelines and advertiser policies,” YouTube explained in a statement. “This update is meant to curb abuse and does not affect current YouTube partners or existing end cards. Additionally, channels do not have to actually monetize any videos as part of this requirement.”

The change does not stop people from adding links in video descriptions. You are no longer able to put them front of their screens without YouTube’s approval.

Whole Foods Market Hit By Cyberattack

0

Whole Foods Market, which was acquired by Amazon who bought for $13.7 billion in June, warned customers on Thursday that hackers stole credit card information from several of its stores. The hack affected Whole Foods’ taprooms and restaurants, not stores’  primary checkout lines, the company announced in a statement.

The in-store taprooms and restaurants use a different payment gateway than Whole Foods checkout. Also, the hack did not affect Amazon’s payment servers because they are also not connected to Whole Foods’ stores, Whole Foods announced on Thursday.

Whole Foods
New York, March 11, 2017: People are coming in a Whole Foods grocery store on Union Square in Manhattan. (Roman Tiraspolsky / Shutterstock.com)

These cyber attacks often affect popular chains. For example, Chipotle and Wendy’s were hit with cyber attacks, with hackers stealing customer credit card information.

Currently, Whole Foods has over 400 stores and more than 40 stores sell beer on tap.

“While most Whole Foods Market stores do not have these taprooms and restaurants, Whole Foods Market encourages its customers to closely monitor their payment card statements and report any unauthorized charges to the issuing bank,” the company said in a statement.

Whole Foods said it’s working with a cybersecurity firm and plans to investigate who is behind the cyber attack.

Hate Building Furniture? IKEA’s New Acquisition That Problem For You

0

IKEA has signed an agreement to acquire the tech company TaskRabbit.

On Thursday, IKEA Group announced they had signed an agreement to acquire 100% of TaskRabbit, an on-demand services company. Operating out of the United States, TaskRabbit will continue to serve as an independent company and will continue to provide users with the ability to hire people to assemble furniture, move, pack and deliver home improvements.

“In a fast changing retail environment, we continuously strive to develop new and improved products and services to make our customers’ lives a little bit easier. Entering the on-demand, sharing economy enables us to support that. We will be able to learn from TaskRabbit’s digital expertise, while also providing IKEA customers additional ways to access flexible and affordable service solutions to meet the needs of today’s customer,” says Jesper Brodin, President, and CEO of IKEA Group.

TaskRabbit is currently available in 40 cities across the United States and in London. Last November, IKEA launched a pilot program with TaskRabbit and IKEA stores in London to enable furniture-assembly services. 

After the acquisition, IKEA will be able to provide customers, and users access to services rendered by TaskRabbit in the United States and the United Kingdom.

IKEA
MAY 10, 2015. Catalog of IKEA and pencil with measure tape. IKEA is a multinational group of companies that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture (Evan Lorne / Shutterstock.com)

“Through our unique on-demand platform, TaskRabbit is making life better for both consumers and Taskers. In the communities in which we operate, TaskRabbit provides strong economic impact. With IKEA Group ownership, TaskRabbit could realize even greater opportunities; increasing earning potential of Taskers and connecting consumers to a wide range of affordable services,” says Stacy Brown-Philpot, TaskRabbit CEO.

IKEA’s acquisition of TaskRabbit is a significant move for the world’s largest furniture retailer, which currently operates and owns over 300 stores in 29 different countries, not to mention, two billion visits to IKEA.com per year.