(Karlotta Freier / For The Times)
From boys to Gentleminions
You’re (almost) never too young for nostalgia. Clusters of teenagers have attended screenings of the new movie “Minions” while decked out in suits and ties. They’re recording themselves and posting clips with the hashtag #gentleminions. The film was released a week earlier in Australia than in the U.S., and a teenager Down Under, Bill Hirst, organized some friends to suit up for a showing. “Alongside our love for the previous films and them being a nostalgic part of our childhood,” he told Fortune magazine, “we couldn’t resist such a humorous and rare occasion to take part.” If these gents were in the demographic for “Despicable Me” when it came out in 2010, they’re in the demographic now for TikTok. It’s sweet they can still enjoy some quality time with the Minions.
Let there be peace
Imagine a universe where the person who holds the world record for collecting Pepsi cans is friends with the guy who has amassed the most Coca-Cola cans. It’s real. You are in that beautiful universe. With 12,402 sizes, shapes and designs of Pepsi can dating as far back as 1948, Christian Cavaletti of Italy recently broke his own collection’s previous record. The oldest specimen really is more like a metal bottle, with a cap that pops off. Cavaletti’s pal Gary Feng of Canada holds the Guinness world record for Coke cans, with 11,308 in his collection. If these two are friends, can we officially declare an end to the cola wars?
Ready for takeoff
A canceled flight can be the beginning of a special kind of waking nightmare, so I’m relieved to see some cause for hope that there may be fewer cancellations ahead. After a computer glitch left 12,000 flights understaffed, American Airlines and a pilot union have arrived at a plan: Pilots who step forward to cover those flights will be paid three times their normal rate, and in the future pilots will be offered double pay for peak days. It’s not just a windfall for these workers. It should mean more of us reach our destinations on time and with less agita.
And one more ...
Welcome to “the age of the emoji.” New research confirms a few assumptions: Younger people use emojis more than older people. Women use them more than men do. The most-used emojis are those with faces. And face emojis can communicate as clearly as words or pictures. Now scientists know as much about emojis as every tween already did.
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