Bandwagon Fans Need Not Apply
The Mets are on their way to the World Series after a brutally efficient sweep of the Chicago Cubs, and New Yorkers are cheering as one. But there may be a limit to the cheerful unity; according to the New York Times (and probably every Mets fan sitting next to you at the bar Wednesday night) many fans of the Amazin's resent the latter-day fandom of their cousins: Yankees fans. Get your own bandwagon. [NYT]
Neil deGrasse Tyson Fact-Checks 'Back to the Future Part II'
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, marked “Back to the Future Day” — the exact date that Marty McFly and Doc visit in the sequel of the beloved '80s flick (and the one Cubs fans foolishly thought would clinch them a spot in the World Series). So what did the movie guess right about the future, or our present? Everyone’s favorite astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson took to Twitter with his assessment, pointing out that the film successfully predicted things like thumbprint-activated locks and video chats. Sadly, we still haven’t gotten the flying cars we were promised.
The 1989 film “Back to the Future II” envisioned life on Oct 21, 2015 — Flying Cars. [Still no] pic.twitter.com/Amncgq7JRA
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) October 21, 2015The Last Two Burial Plots in Manhattan Are for Sale For $350,000 Per Vault
Location, location, location. The last two in-ground burial plots openly available in Manhattan are for sale. Those interested in buying the vaults at the New York Marble Cemetery in the East Village would have to pay $350,000 per plot. Initially, when the cemetery opened in 1830, it cost $250 to buy a vault, which can fit about a dozen descendants each. [NY Magazine]
Thousands Detained in Chicago
More than 7,000 people were held in a police interrogation warehouse in Chicago in the past decade with virtually no record of their presence there and virtually no access to lawyers. The number is more than double earlier estimates, the Guardian reports. Unlike precincts or other jails, detainees at Homan Square don't generate any records that they're being held there. Less than 1 percent of the 7,185 detainees there since 2004 were allowed access to lawyers and few were allowed to tell their families where they were. The Guardian has been involved in an ongoing transparency lawsuit and their latest report comes from data obtained through that suit. "There’s nothing about it that resembles a police station," a lawyer told the publication about Homan Square. "It comes from a Bond movie or something." [Guardian]
YouTube is Getting Into the Subscription Game
YouTube recently unveiled its plans to launch a subscription service called Red that will let users enjoy unlimited ad-free playing for $9.99 a month. Although it will be entering a crowded field and will have to compete with well-known services like Hulu and Pandora, Hugh McIntyre from Forbes is enthusiastic about Red's chances for success based on people's familiarity with YouTube and the valuable addition that video brings to music. He does not mention the fact that the service shares the same name as a Taylor Swift album, but this may help win over some music fans as well. [Forbes]
Meet the Honey Badgers, the Women Behind the “Men’s Rights” Movement
There are women who are going after gender inequality — but these self-proclaimed "Honey Badgers” say it's the men who are getting the bum deal. A Marie Claire reporter takes a look at a possibly growing (though no one she interviewed seemed to have numbers) group of women who feel the need to defend men in the face of all those pesky feminists. The writer does a good job of debunking their not-so-statistically backed arguments, while also showing what the “Men’s Rights” movement is all about. [Marie Claire]
“Perv_Magnet” Instagram Compiles 10 Years of Inappropriate Comments
Violinist Mia Matsumiya of Los Angeles recently posted graphic, inappropriate comments people have sent her online over a span of 10 years. The Instagram is a harrowing look at the realities of online anonymity and the sexual harassment that women often experience. Matsumiya told HuffPost that "It had gotten to the point where someone would send the most scathing, racist, violent thing to me — like rape or death threats — and I would barely have a reaction." Gadgette.com pulled out the "10 most depressing posts.” [Gadgette.com & Huffington Post]
Meet The First 'Sesame Street' Character With Autism
Your favorite neighbors have a new friend now that "Sesame Street" has introduced Julia, its first character with autism.
Sesame Street Workshop launched its new nationwide initiative Wednesday that looks to reduce “the stigma of autism."
The campaign comes with a free app that utilizes video and story cards depicting a child’s experience with autism, and Julia explains to her furry friends how she likes to play differently from others. [People]
Some Australians Want to Give Their Money a Silly Name
Close to 60,000 Australians have decided their currency should now be known as “Dollarydoos,” a Simpsons reference, as a way of stimulating the economy. The petition explains: "This will make millions of people around the world want to get their hands on some Australian currency due to the real life Simpsons reference, driving up the value of the Australian currency.” They’re using the hashtag #dollarydoos to grow support for the movement, but despite all the excitement it’s not clear what comes next for supporters. [Quartz]
This column was compiled by DNAinfo reporters Camille Bautista, Jeanmarie Evelly, Emily Frost, Gwynne Hogan, Noah Hurotiwz, Ewa Kern-Jedrchowska, Irene Plagianos, Eddie Small and Shaye Weaver.
