The classic Teddy Ruxpin was unnerving enough as it read children’s stories with its occasionally blinking dead eyes, but Portland native, Sean Hathaway, still felt the need to up the creep factor.

Using Arduino microcontrollers, he was able to hack the talking Teddy—colloquially called “BearDuinos,” in this case—and assemble “T, E.D.” (Transformations, Emotional Deconstruction), an installation of 80 hacked bears originally displayed in 2012.

“As a child, I was scared of these bears (I’m not alone) for their vague and gross mechanical representation of a living thing, but this is a character I find very suiting for the installation,” he wrote in an explanation of the installation.

The bears were programmed to recite content from WeFeelFine.org—anonymous blog posts categorized by emotional content and gender. Their voices are accompanied by eerie music and spotlights were implemented to highlight each bear when it spoke.

The other Teddy’s hang ominously, eyes closed, in what looks like some sort of suspended animation prison, waiting for their servos to once again imbue them with this sick imitation of life.

As you might imagine, the results are. . . unsettling.

Hathaway has given away several of the bears and even published the open-source code that makes them speak in their nightmarish manner.

Still need more haunting BearDuino content in your life?

Here’s a video of a bear reciting hair-raising poetry (including the famous “Tears in the Rain” monologue spoken by Roy at the end of Blade Runner!)

And here’s a more technical breakdown of what’s going on inside these toys.

Another day, another new streaming service.

The latest platform to debut is Paramount Plus, which lands March 4th and is actually just CBS All Access rebranded and will be home to a bucket-load of movies and TV shows from Paramount Pictures and a variety of networks, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, and Nickelodeon.

There have already been a handful of movies announced that will eventually land on the platform, including A Quiet Place 2, Mission: Impossible 7, and No Time to Die, and yesterday news broke about an exciting new revival that 90s kids are sure to be excited about.

Rugrats!

That’s right, the beloved animated series featuring Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, Susie, Phil, and Lil is coming to Paramount Plus as soon as this spring, and it will feature the entire original cast! This time in CG instead of 2D because it’s 30 years since its 1991 debut and times have changed.

“Rugrats is one of the most iconic cartoons recognized by fans around the globe, and this original version is one we are taking great care and pride in creating for a brand-new audience,” said Ramsey Naito, President, Nickelodeon Animation. “Having the voice cast behind these special characters come together is one of the essential pieces to making the show recognizable and we can’t wait to watch this talented group bring them to life again.”

Neither can we!

Check out a clip from the new series:

What do you know about Matthew McConaughey? We all know the Dazed and Confused line “Alright, alright, alright” by now. You’re probably familiar with his weirdly serene Lincoln commercial. You might have a partner who waxes poetic about his abs. If you have a particularly great memory, you might recall the infamous “naked bongo drum” incident. But… do you really know McConaughey? Do you know what he believes in and what he stands for? He obviously has a “cool” vibe — and reading through some of the best Matthew McConaughey quotes, it seems clear this proud Texan is genuinely chill.

Bottom line? He’s more than just the caricature of a laid-back guy he’s been sketched out to be. He’s an impressively hard worker and notoriously thoughtful about the roles he takes. McConaughey isn’t his left-behind stoner character, Dazed’s Wooderson, or the guy who hooked up with J.Lo in The Wedding Planner. These quotes are, quite honestly, a wild and inspiring ride that offers more than just proof of who McConaughey is — they also offer some great advice for living your best life (as cliche as that may sound).

1 “I don’t want to just revolve. I want to evolve. As a man, as a human, as a father, as a lover.”

2. “If I’m doing something, I do like to take it to the limit. I’ve got a high ceiling. A wide threshold for seeing what those boundaries are for myself. I’m very resilient inside. I find things that I like and do, and boy, I do like to stick to them.”

3. “The good part about jealousy is that it comes from passion. It’s also the dangerous part, and it’s an ugly emotion that hurts.”

4. “Life is not fair. It never was, and it isn’t now, and it won’t ever be. Do not fall into the trap — the entitlement trap of feeling like you’re a victim. You are not.”

5. “Every hero doesn’t do this great big hero thing. They do the simple thing over and over… and they stick to it.”

6. “My life is a road, man. I need to keep moving.”

7. “Now, you lose something in your life. And there’s gonna come a time that you’re gonna know: There was a reason for that. And at the end of your life, all the things you thought were periods, they turn out to be commas. There was never a full stop to any of it.”

8. “I believe in living in the present and making each day count. I don’t pay much attention to the past or the future.”

9. “I’m a fan of the word selfish. Self. Ish. When I say I have gotten a lot more self-ish, I mean I am less concerned with what people think of me. I’m not worried about how I’m perceived. Selfish has always gotten a bad rap. You should do for you.”

10. “Life’s barely long enough to get good at one thing. So be careful what you get good at.”

11. “The first step that leads to our identity in life is usually not ‘I know who I am,’ but rather ‘I know who I am not’ process of elimination.”

12. “The best advice comes from people who don’t give advice.”

13. “The best education I’ve had in my life is to travel.”

14. “I’ve never been a jealous person, and I’ve never felt built up by someone else’s failure — that’s a cheap thrill.”

15. “It’s a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates.”

16. “There’s two sorts of fear: one you embrace and one you should listen to and turn the other way.”

17. “We dissect failure a lot more than we dissect success.”

18. “Instead of denying these fears, declare them, say them out loud, admit them, give them the credit they deserve. Find the courage to overcome them.”

19. “My rule is to break one sweat a day.”

20. “Just because you can? Nah, it’s not a good enough reason to do something. Even when it means having more, be discerning, choose it, because you want it; do it because you want to.”

21. “We have a big appetite for putting people down, but at the heart of everyone, there’s enough room for all of us to succeed.”

There is a new player in the chicken sandwich wars, and it is a taco. And no, this isn’t one of these “Is a taco a sandwich?” debates (but is it tho), it’s a new chicken sandwich taco from Taco Bell. Yep, Taco Bell has entered the chicken sandwich battlegrounds.

When it comes to killer chicken sandwiches, it used to be Chick-fil-A and then everyone else. And then along came Popeyes, and the wars were on. Wendy’s spicy chicken has always been a competent player, but they’ve tried to up things with a jalapeno popper sandwich. After experimenting with spicey McNuggets, McDonald’s is rolling out several different new fried chicken sandwiches (a true act of desperation) and Burger King is reportedly joining the fray later this year (yawn).

Let’s be real, it’s still a battle between Chick-fil-A and Popeyes. But, Taco Bell is an intriguing newcomer. The new “Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco” is rolling out next month at select locations and everywhere later this year. Here’s what you need to know: it’s an all-white piece of chicken, marinated in jalapeno buttermilk, fried with a crunchy tortilla chip coating, and served in a puffy bread shaped like a taco. It’s topped with creamy chipotle sauce, and you can spice it up with jalapeños on top.

 

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I am not a fan of the gimmick sandwiches trying to enter the arena with the true greats. But even I must admit, this sounds incredible. And it is coming at the right time for the taco chain, which alienated some of its most vocal customers earlier this year when they culled popular items from their menu and tried to explain by saying “Covid shrug emoji.”

They have brought back their Nacho Fries, but fans still yearn for their Mexican Pizza. They gave us a wine to pair with Chalupas.

But Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco? Here for it.

And you can tell the competition is worried, because they are trying to mock it:

@popeyeschicken#LoveThoseTacosFromPopeyes #FYP #ForYou #DIYrecipes #DIYtacos #PopeyesChicken #popeyeschickensandwich♬ original sound – Popeyes Chicken

The chicken wars are about to get a lot spicier.

Losing a beloved pet, in any sense of the word, is utterly heartbreaking. But when you know your furry family member is out there somewhere, scared and alone, going on with life feels impossible. When an 8-year-old Golden Retriever named Neesha was out for a walk with her humans and her German Shepherd brother, Harley, the peacefully snowy day took a dark turn. After spotting a deer in the distance, the dogs took off running before their humans could react.

Harley returned, but Neesha was nowhere to be found. The family returned to the spot where they last saw Neesha time and time again, even bringing a basket of unwashed clothes in the hopes that she’d be drawn to the scent of her family.

They turned to social media to share their story and ask locals to keep their eyes open, and even used drones to scan the area in an attempt to spot their beloved graying pup.

“We went on social media and posted it out. Then a weekend later, we were still looking for her, we were starting to give up hope,” Erina O’Shea Goetelen, one of Neesha’s owners, told the Irish Times. “We just thought she was eight, it’s been two weeks, there was no way she could survive that.”

On a frigid day two weeks after Neesha’s disappearance, Doctors Ciara Nolan and Jean Francois Bonnet were out for a hike when they spotted something unusual at the top of the mountain. As they grew closer, they realized that there, laying near a patch of rocks, was a dog. The dog was too weak to bark or stand, and the hikers knew they were her only chance of survival. They wrapped the shivering dog in their spare clothes and began their descent.

@jeanfrancoiswillem##dog ##lostdog ##rescue ##mountain ##pet ##ireland ##lost ##dublin @ciaranolan05

♬ Surrender – Natalie Taylor

After several false starts, slipping and falling while attempting to carry the dog down the mountain, the heroic hikers secured the exhausted dog to Bonnet’s backpack using a scarf. Nearly five hours later, the hikers completed their 10 km trek down the mountain and immediately returned home to warm and feed the starving dog.

Nolan and Bonnet reached out to a local rescue group who put them in touch with Neesha’s awe-stricken owners. “On Saturday, I had a voicemail from this girl called Ciara Nolan,” O’Shea Goetelen recalled. “When she said she had our dog, we were like what? You couldn’t. She’s dead. So we contacted her and picked her up from them.”

Finally, Neesha returned home to recover from her traumatic ordeal. She had lost roughly a third of her body weight and seemed to be just as shocked as the rest of her family that she managed to make it home in one piece. Neesha is thrilled to be back with her humans, and understandably, seems to need regular reminders that she’s home for good – that her happy ending isn’t just a dream.

“She snuggles up in her bed sleeping but she gets up now and again for a rub,” O’Shea Goetelen says. “She lifts her head up to look at us.”

Over the past few months, there has been endless speculation about the future of the MCU. This extends from the movies that have been delayed by the pandemic, like Black Widow and Inhumans, and the TV universe that kicked off with WandaVision and its continuing surprises.

One of the most obsessed over properties is the forthcoming Spider-Man 3 movie, which may or may not dive deep into the multiverse. The rumors have been flying about Tom Holland’s third (and final) feature film as Peter Parker, from Dr. Strange’s role (the wizard also has a multiverse-focused sequel in production) to the potential appearance of characters from other studio Spideys, like Jamie Foxx’s Electro and both Tobey Maguire’s and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-mans (Spider-men?).

Now that speculation has extended to the film’s possible title.

Three of the movie’s cast members, Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon, ignited social media by sharing the first set photos from Spider-Man 3, and teasing fans with their own ideas about what the title might be. The first movie was called Homecoming, the second was Far From Home, and now the third is expected to feature another spin on the theme.

But it’s probably not one of the ones they shared on their IG accounts.

Each of the cast took to Instagram to share the “news.”

Holland shared a set photo of the trio, which included a mock-up title card for one potential, 80s inflected title (Spider-Man: Phone Home), then Zendaya did the same, but her title had a 90s-slang kinda feel (Spider-Man: Home Slice), and Batalon’s casts the project in a very different, Fatal Attraction sort of light (Spider-Man: Home Wrecker).

As usual, social media took it all in stride.

Zendaya, Tom and Jacob really woke up and chose violence #SpiderMan3 pic.twitter.com/Jtkn1NDBGv

— giuls ◟̽◞̽ (@Giuls2828) February 24, 2021

Obviously, the cast was having some fun, and playing up the constant breathless rumors that have been swirling around this movie, and the MCU in general, for years now.

Unfortunately, there’s no real word on what the actual title might be. But with this clearly coordinated social media goof, some real news must be on the horizon. Maybe even a teaser?

We’re dying to find out what’s in store for us with the multiverse, and everything else, in Spider-Man 3: Homey Don’t Play That!

The internet doesn’t forget.

Years and years ago, back in the dark ages of the internet and social media, Metallica angered the tech gods by thwarting Napster, the music-sharing software that allowed everyone everywhere to download all the music they wanted – for free.

Was it legal? It was pre-legal, in that there weren’t any real laws preventing it, or, at least, no real way to regulate it. Until Metallica made a stink and Napster essentially got shut down.

In fairness, Metallica, and countless other artists, were being robbed by this widespread pirating, but they still came off like old men yelling at clouds. And now, some 20 years later, the internet got a little payback.

The elder statesmen of metal were playing a concert for BlizzCon – an annual gaming convention held by Blizzard Entertainment – that was being live-streamed on Twitch. The only problem is, Twitch didn’t want to get sued for sharing music they don’t have the rights to, so users who tuned in didn’t hear For Whom the Bell Tolls or One or Enter Sandman or Unforgiven.

Instead, they heard some bland, 8-bit music that made for a hilarious juxtaposition with the band’s hard-rocking histrionics.

According to Eurogamer, the dubbing didn’t occur everywhere, only on the Twitch Gaming channel.

Regardless, the irony was noted:

There’s something really funny about Metallica being dubbed over during Blizzcon due to copyright concerns.

The band famously went to war with file sharing service Napster 21 years ago to prevent copyright infringement on their music. Kind of a Frankenstein’s monster situation.

— Colin McNeil (@McNeilColin) February 20, 2021

Metallica not being able to play their own music live because of DMCA that came about in large part due to Metallica’s advocacy of it is a hell of a full circle.

— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️‍🌈 (@cmclymer) February 20, 2021

Watch the beautiful disaster unfold:

The historically cold weather in Texas left the entire state in shock. Millions were left without power, people were stranded, homes and buildings were damaged – cities were wildly unprepared and unequipped to deal with the extremely unusual weather, and as a result, the people of Texas leaned on each other for support. The humans of Texas suffered, and sadly, so did the animals.

The animals native to Texas prefer the warmer climate, and just like Texas’s human residents, they were caught off-guard by the unexpected cold. In the waters of South Padre Island, thousands of endangered sea turtles live happily in the warmth they need to survive. In a typical winter, there may be a few days too cold for the turtles, but the water generally stays warm enough for them to remain there safely. This winter, however, temperatures dropped and refused to budge. The sea turtles were in danger.

Despite the personal stressors the residents of Texas experienced due to the cold, despite water shortages, dangerous travel conditions, and power outages, selfless volunteers banded together with one mission: they had to save the turtles.

Volunteers scrambled to gather supplies and provide transportation, with organizations like Sea Turtle, Inc. pulling turtles from the frigid water and moving them to the temporary safety of the South Padre Convention Center. SpaceX provided the heroic organization with a backup generator, which proved invaluable after the facility lost power.

We have surpassed more than 4,900 cold-stun sea turtles in the largest recorded cold-stun event in history. These endangered sea turtles are our number #1 priority your support and encouragement has been overwhelming. Donate here to support our efforts: https://t.co/9ajzm5oTTv pic.twitter.com/dEqu4Q8xtS

— Sea Turtle, Inc. (@SeaTurtleInc) February 19, 2021

When turtles’ internal temperatures drop, similar to humans experiencing hypothermia, their heart rates slow. They experience paralysis and float to the top of the water, leaving them in danger of being attacked by predators. In a typical winter, it isn’t unusual for volunteers to save several dozen turtles from too-cold conditions. But during this extremely taxing winter, thousands of cold-stunned turtles were pulled from the freezing South Padre water, some over 100 years old and weighing hundreds of pounds.

On Tuesday, Sea Turtle Inc. shared an incredible update on Facebook. They explained, “After an exhaustive 24-hour effort that went through the night and has just ended this morning, Sea Turtle, Inc. was successfully able to release more than 2,200 previously cold-stunned turtles into the open ocean of the Gulf of Mexico. We still have lots of work to do but we are rejuvenated with passion and having seen our first released turtles swim away. Thank you for your patience while we worked tirelessly overnight to get this work done.”

The Dad Staff is donating to a collection of food and warming centers throughout Texas to help families in need. Impact Your World allows us to contribute to 14 organizations, including The Red Cross, Mercy Chefs, Austin Pets Alive, as well as local food banks in Dallas, Houston, and Austin. If you are able, please consider donating any amount here.

“This dad works so hard helping to support his dad’s small business that will one day be his.

Sometimes I envy his time alone in the truck when I’ve had a rough day with our three kids, and from time to time my attitude is less than joyful when he walks through the door.

Then he does this quietly without any prompting. Dear Lord in heaven, thank you for this husband and father!”

– Angela Schroeder

Want to share a story about fatherhood? Email [email protected]

If you’re looking for the best recliners, you’re in the right place. When it comes to the traditional rules of the house, few of them are as important or as cherished as the “dad’s chair” rule. If you’re a dad, you should have a chair for watching TV, relaxing, napping after meals, and whatever else you want to do in it. This chair is yours and yours alone. Kids know to stay out of it, your partner knows to stays out of it, and even the pets f***ing know to stay out of it.

When a guest to the home inadvertently sits in the dad chair, the horrified look on the faces of every family member lets you know your control of the dad chair is complete.

For many dads, the chair of choice is the best recliner. My dad had a recliner. His dad had a recliner. If my great-great-great-great-grandfather had been clever enough to invent the recliner, that would’ve been his chair of choice. Hell, some dads threaten to die happily in their recliners … and then follow through.

In fact, I may be writing this article on a laptop while leaning back in my recliner. Later on, I may use my dad chair as one of the best recliners for sleeping in front of the TV before the local news weatherperson finishes screwing up the forecast. (Who am I kidding? There’s no “may” about it.)

I’ve relaxed in a recliner or two or a dozen in my day. (I may have even tried out my dad’s recliner when I knew he was out of town, but I’ll never admit it … even under oath.) Here are the best recliners that will have you claiming them as your dad chair immediately.

The Most Comfortable Recliner

ANJ Electric Recliner Chair

When you’re seeking the best recliners for sleeping, it’s tough to beat the overstuffed pillows on the back and armrests with this ANJ model. Yet it has the support you’ll want for the back and neck when you’re spending a quality Sunday watching an NFL triple-header, only moving at halftime (out of necessity).

Rather than having to manually lean back to extend the recliner function, just press a button on the side. This actually is a handy feature for grandpa, who may have difficulty manually controlling the footrest on such a large chair.

It even has a USB charging port built into it. If only it had a fridge hidden under the footrest, you’d never have to get up again.

Buy for $500 on Amazon

The Best Recliner Chair for Style

Leonie Manual Recliner

None of us want to admit it, but there are rare occasions where we dads aren’t in complete control of purchasing furniture for the house. Once in a while, our wives have an opinion on a piece of furniture, including the best recliner that will eventually become the dad chair.

Admittedly, this Leonie recliner may not be quite as comfortable as the plush leather recliner we just discussed. But it still has a footrest and leans back just far enough to let you relax fully, making those sighs only dads can make when they finally have a chance to sit down, stretch out, and relax.

Plus, this fabric recliner looks great, which will make your partner happy. Once you sit in it and have a chance to put your feet up, you’ll be comfortable enough that you can live with giving in to your wife’s wishes this time. Next time will surely be different. (Just keep telling yourself that.)

Buy for $347 on Wayfair

The Best Classic Wingback Recliner

Waldo Tufted Wingback Best Recliner Chair

There’s just something about a wingback recliner that makes it fit into almost any type of home. It’s a classic design that has cushioning in all the right places to make it one of the best recliners for back pain.

This Waldo model has all of the accents you’d expect to find in a wingback recliner, including the tufted back secured with buttons, the decorative nail heads outlining the front and sides, and the stylish feet in the front.

This is the kind of style in a dad chair that your grandfather or great-grandfather would’ve been proud to call his own. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Hell, you may want to wear a fedora while you’re relaxing in this chair. Its style is that classic in nature. (Not that any of us need an excuse to break out the fedora.)

Buy for $394 on Amazon

The Best Recliner For Sleeping

Hemington Reclining Glider

If you have little ones at home, it’s more than okay to share the dad chair with them, gently rocking them to sleep (just make sure you don’t leave them alone — this could be dangerous). Sharing is OK, as long as they realize who ultimately owns the dad chair.

This glider recliner swivels and rocks gently. But it also has a footrest and a reclining back to give you the benefits of the best recliner chair. It’s a little smaller than some other of the best recliners on our list, meaning it can fit into a tighter space.

And if you happen to fall asleep after you rock the baby to sleep, call it a win-win.

Buy for $405 on Wayfair

Best Recliner Chair for Watching Movies

Jummico Home Theater Best Recliner Chair

One of the most exciting home improvement projects for the whole family is creating a home theater room. Kids love the idea of having a completely dark special movie room to enjoy watching the same movie for the 99th time. Mom and dad love the idea of having a completely dark theater room to sneak in a nap while the kids watch the same movie for the 99th time.

If you’re going to build a theater room, you will want to outfit it with theater recliner chairs. The extra tall backrest allows you to angle the back of the chair perfectly for the screen while your back remains fully supported.

You can adjust the angle of the backrest between 90 and 165 degrees to the seat. Nap time during a movie at home has never been more comfortable. Just try not to snore, or the kids will want to start the movie over again. After all, they don’t want you to miss the best parts … over and over and over.

Buy for $140 on Amazon

Best Lift Assist Recliner

Three Posts Lift Assist Power Reclining Chair

If you’re looking for the best recliner chair for Grandpa, who may need some help trying to stand up from highly cushioned chairs, this lift assist recliner is a great option.

The entire chair lifts upward and tilts forward when you need a bit of help rising to a standing position. Now, the kids may be tempted to try to fling their little brother halfway across the room with the lift feature, but it, fortunately, doesn’t move quite fast enough to accomplish this trick.

As an added benefit, it has a massage feature and a heating feature, so grandpa may just choose to live in this dad chair … as long as he doesn’t lose the remote control. (Yes, we know the remote is connected to the chair with a cord, but we also know how Grandpa excels at losing his electronics. It should end up being quite the battle between the two.)

Buy for $423 on Wayfair

Best Recliner Chair for Back Pain

Esright Heated and Massage Recliner for Back Pain

With such a high level of padding and comfort in this chair, you may not expect to receive the bonus features of heating and massage too, but this Esright recliner offers varying intensity levels for vibration massages and for the heating control modes. The heat function focuses on the lumbar, making this one of the best recliners for back pain.

Each chair has two cup holders, storage pockets on the sides, and a pillow cushion for your head. It swivels 360 degrees and has a gentle rocking feature. The PU leather surface is easy to clean and offers water resistance.

This chair can do it all, making it worthy of being the perfect dad chair.

Buy for $355 on Amazon

Best Recliner Loveseat

Perrysburg Wide Pillow Best Recliner Loveseat

Sometimes, you have the ability to select your own dad chair recliner. Other times, your wife decides she also would like a recliner. (A mom chair? Not quite the same ring, but it makes sense.) Unfortunately, your TV room may not be big enough for two competing recliners sitting at the optimal viewing position.

This Perrysburg reclining loveseat is the best compromise. This setup consists of two connected recliners, each of which has separate controls. So you can be fully laid back, reclining in perfect napping position, while she sits at the edge of her recliner seat, staring breathlessly at the TV to see who receives the next rose. Win-win.

This loveseat has a center console for storing drinks or other items, keeping everything well-organized in a small room. It’s not quite a full dad chair, but this half dad chair is better than nothing.

Buy for $700 on Wayfair

Best Recliner Sofa

Ullery Pillow Top Arm Best Reclining Sofa

Sometimes, the best recliners for sleeping come in a sofa configuration. You can sleep in your recliner, tilting the backrest to an almost horizontal position to rest comfortably. Or you can stretch across the entire length of this recliner sofa and use it like you would a regular sofa for a nap.

When you’re in trouble and your S.O. tells you to go sleep on the sofa, you’ll appreciate having two options instead of the typical one.

The two outer seats have separate reclining options, so you can set the backrest at the best angle for comfort independently on either end. (The middle seat does not recline.) The metal frame is sturdy, supporting up to 750 pounds in total.

And just think about how many positive “dad points” you’ll receive for sharing your dad chair with two other people at the same time. Surely those dad points will come in handy when it’s time to receive your amazing Father’s Day gifts. (Heck, maybe they’ll even remember to pick up a gift ahead of time this year, rather than running to the convenience store at 8 a.m. on Father’s Day. Not that we’re complaining about the doughnuts with sprinkles they bring back. Keep ’em coming with the real gift.)

Buy for $690 on Wayfair

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