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The end of the world, Modern Seinfeld, and brains and bacon in this week’s Staff Picks

Monster invasions, bionic men, and the future of cool cars in this week's Staff Picks
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caleb denisonCaleb Denison: Run for your lives! The world is totally not ending next week!

You know why I can’t wait for 12/22/2012? So everybody can shut the hell up about the Mayan Calendar and the end of the world. Sure, folks will probably be buzzing and joking about how the world didn’t end, but even that will be a welcome relief after the ridiculous speculation and debate we’ve had to endure for the past few years and, especially, the past few months.

If you’re as fed up with all this doomsaying as I am, then it may come as some consolation to know that you are not alone. The folks at NASA – you know, that organization filled with some of the most brilliant scientific minds in the world – are so certain that the world isn’t going to end on 12/21/2012 that it has already released a video titled “Why the World Didn’t End Yesterday.” In it, hard-nosed scientists explain that the Mayan calendar did not end on December 21st, 2012 and there are no Mayan prophecies fortelling the end of the world on that date. NASA also does a pretty good job of debunking the wildly exaggerated claims that a celestial body – be it a planet, comet or the sun – poses any threat to us at this time. And they do it all without making us puny humans feel stupid. Simply put, nothing is going to happen.

 

natt garun
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Natt Garun: Christopher Nolan should just make every movie

I’m still buzzing from the high that was Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. There’s just something about his storytelling that makes every movie so epic. This was reiterated when the most recent trailer for Man Of Steel surfaced this week, starring Henry Cavill (The Tudors) as the one and only Superman himself. Melodrama! Beautiful cinematography! Bluish-hue overtones! YouTube commentators say it best: This trailer makes The Avengers look like a Disney movie.

Okay, so maybe I should also give some credit to Zach Snyder (Watchmen) for actually directing Man Of Steel, but attach Nolan’s name to a movie trailer and I am so there. See you in the theater lines on June 14, 2013.

 

Les Shu: When food styling didn’t exist as a profession

The first thing everybody comments on when they walk into my stately studio apartment is the large collection of cookbooks that line the pantry shelves. Besides attempting the recipes (some of which require a science degree to execute), the real reason for my cookbook hoarding is the visual stimulation I get from the incredible, mouth-watering photos. Call it food porn, if you must. 

But once upon a time, cookbooks were not always so beautiful. Imagine my horror (and laughter) when I found myself scrolling through the entries at Yuckylicious (by way of Boing Boing), a site dedicated to “exploring the world’s worst cookbooks.” Its author, Micki Myers, highlights recipes that are not only questionable as edible food, but are equally revolting as eye candy.

As the site states, “Yuckylicious seeks to showcase examples of these awful cookbooks as well as recipes from decent vintage and classic cookbooks for dishes we no longer eat.” Let’s hope we never have to revisit “brains and bacon” again.

Brains and bacon staff picks
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andrew coutsAndrew Couts: This crazy guy is the most sane person in the world

Thanks to a major case of jet lag, I recently found myself doing some late-night link-clicking and came across what has to be the best celebrity interview ever given: Dave Chappelle on “Inside the Actor’s Studio.”

The two-hour conversation between the comedian and host James Lipton dates back to 2006, after Chappelle escaped to Africa rather than accept a $50 million dollar deal to continue making his The Chappelle Show for Comedy Central. Most people assumed he’d lost his mind – who turns down $50 million?

As the interview reveals, the truth is much more complex. In fact, I staggered to my bed after watching all two hours of this thinking me might be the most sane person on the planet. Another surprise: the interview, which can still be purchased as a DVD, has survived the intense copyright-infringement gamut that so often keeps videos like this off YouTube. 

So if you find yourself Web-surfing the night away, take some time to relish in this long-lost gem of the Web. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. And you’ll learn a thing or two about life.

Jennifer BergenJen Bergen: A Twitter feed for the Seinfeld-obsessed 

I was in middle school and far away from New York when Seinfeld, which I watched every week, went off the air. Now, more than 10 years later, I live just a few blocks away from Tom’s Restaurant on the upper East Side and wish more than ever that the show was still on. Sure, as a kid I laughed at Kramer’s crazy antics, but I didn’t really understand the more adult jokes until years later watching reruns. Thankfully, it looks like my prayers have been answered … in the form of a Twitter account.

Scanning my Twitter feed Monday morning, I was surprised to see a retweet from an account by the name of “@SeinfeldToday.” I immediately began laughing and reading all of Modern Seinfeld’s tweets.

modern seinfeld tweetsI realized what I had stumbled upon … the present-day Seinfeld that jokes about things like being embarrassed about having a BlackBerry (George), breaking up with a girlfriend who Instagrams everything she eats (Jerry), accidentally restarting the Occupy movement (Kramer), and yelling at co-workers for loving Pinterest (Elaine). The genius minds behind @SeinfeldToday have created scenarios so real and so hilarious that only Seinfeld’s kookie characters could pull them off. Unless Larry David decides to bring the gang back together, this is the next best thing. 

Digital Trends Staff
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Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

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Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

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Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

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