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You may have heard some hubbub about the “Great Conjunction” that’s about to happen between Jupiter and Saturn. But while the event sounds like something that’d make a Gremlin rave pop off, it’s simply a beautiful astronomical occurrence. One that, as NASA explains, hasn’t occurred this precisely in 400 years.

Eneas De Troya

As NASA notes, the Great Conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn will occur on December 21. It will take place when the former “catches up” to the latter in the sky. From Earth, that means Jupiter will pass in front of Saturn and the two planets will essentially look like one.

“You can imagine the solar system to be a racetrack, with each of the planets as a runner in their own lane and the Earth toward the center of the stadium,” Henry Throop, an astronomer at NASA, said in the agency’s explainer. “From our vantage point, we’ll be able to see Jupiter on the inside lane, approaching Saturn all month and finally overtaking it on December 21.”

The astronomical event, also known as the “Christmas Star,” is especially vibrant, and will—for the first time in 800 years—happen at night. This means people will be able to see the event with the naked eye; for several weeks as well, as December 21 marks only the conjunction’s culmination. (a small but cool thing in this dumpster fire year.)

Even people who aren’t avid skywatchers may want to pop out to catch the Conjunction. Not only will observers not need telescopes, but this will be the closest Conjunction in 400 years. On top of that, what better, safer way to get some fresh air than skywatching? The next one won’t be until 2040, so take advantage while you can. And maybe we’ll get some cool prophecies or something out of this Great Conjunction (it’s a very Dark Crystal kind of label).

The post Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn Explained by NASA appeared first on Nerdist.

So last week, I got some of the picks correct and some of them wrong. For instance, I predicted that the Vikings would beat the Jaguars 31-17, but the actual score was 27-24 Vikings over the Jags in overtime. The Vikings kicker Dan Bailey kicked a game winning field goal in overtime. My prediction there was pretty close! I predicted that the Lions would beat the Bears 26-19, but the actual score was 34-30 Lions over the Bears. The Lions scored a possible game-winning touchdown drive. I predicted that the Packers would beat the Eagles 30-19, but the actual score was 30-16 Packers over the Eagles. I was almost on the money with that prediction! I predicted that the Colts would beat the Texans 44-21, but the actual score was 26-20 Colts over the Texans in a close game. I predicted that the Chiefs would beat the Broncos 35-10 on Sunday Night Football, but the actual score was 22-16 Chiefs over the Broncos in a close game. I predicted that the Bills would beat the 49ers 27-10, but the actual score was 34-24 Bills over the 49ers. I predicted that the Saints would beat the Falcons 32-25 in a shootout, but the actual score was 21-16 Saints over the Falcons in a close game. I predicted that the Ravens would beat the Cowboys 38-25, but the actual score was 34-17 Ravens over the Cowboys. My prediction there was also pretty close as well! I predicted that the Titans would beat the Browns 38-27, but the actual score was 41-35 Browns over the Titans. I predicted that the Cardinals would beat the Rams 27-17, but the actual score was 38-28 Rams over the Cardinals. The Cardinals offense just continued to struggle and their defense was on the field way too many times and missing opportunities that they should be getting. I predicted that the Steelers would beat the Washington Football Team 45-17, but the actual score surprisingly was 23-17 Washington over the Steelers as they hand the Steelers their first loss of the season and now, they are no more undefeated teams in the NFL. I predicted that the Seahawks would beat the Giants 34-17, but the actual score surprisingly was 17-12 Giants over the Seahawks.

So, I got 8 out of 12 picks correct!

Now, let’s get into week 14 picks, shall we?! The first game I will predict is the Chiefs @Dolphins game. This should be a good game right here. I think the Chiefs can beat the Dolphins in a pretty close game 32-24. The next game I will predict is the Titans @Jags game. I think the Titans need to win this game and I think they will win this one over the Jags to keep their playoff hopes alive 35-17 after they were embarrassed last week against the Browns. The next game I will predict is the Cardinals @Giants game. The Giants have won 4 games in a row after they were 0-5 to start their season and they are playing a lot better. They are now 5-7 after they embarrassed the Seahawks with their win and they are in the mix of the playoff race. But the question is can they keep it going here as the Cardinals are looking to stay in the playoff race. The Cardinals are coming off their brutal loss to the Rams. The Cardinals offense needs to get back to their rhythm like they were since the start of the season. The Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald who was dealing with the Covid-19 has been activated off the Covid-19 list and that is really good news for Cardinals like me because every Cardinals fan really missed him and I think he can help this offense get going. The Cardinals defense is getting healthy as well as a defensive tackles Jordan Phillips and Leki Fotu are back into business and should play tomorrow against the Giants. So, I think the Cardinals can get back into the playoff race with the win over the Giants 34-17 because they are angry birds which they should be because they know that they were some games that they should have won. The next game I will predict is the Vikings @Buccaneers game. I think the Bucs will beat the Vikings 30-24 in a close game. The next game I will predict is the Colts @Raiders game. I think the Colts can beat the Raiders 33-25. The next game I will predict is the Jets @Seahawks game. I think the Seahawks win easily 41-24 over the Jets. The next game I will predict is the Saints @Eagles game. I think the Saints will beat the Eagles 34-17. The next game I will predict is the Packers @Lions game. I think the Packers take down the Lions 38-25 in a crucial game for the Packers. The next game I will predict is the Washington Football Team @49ers game. I think the 49ers will beat the Football team 26-20 in a crucial game. The next game I will predict is the Steelers @Bills game on Sunday Night Football. This should be a really good game because they are one of the best football teams in the NFL right now. I think the Bills come out and beat the Steelers in a really close game 38-35 in a shootout. The last game I will predict is the Ravens @Browns game a divisional rivalry game. I think the Ravens can pull this game out with the win over the Browns 30-27 in a really close game.

So, what do you guys think about these week 14 picks?!

I would like to hear some comments, thoughts, opinions, concerns, or questions down below!

Stay tuned for week 14 prediction updates!

The post Week 13 Prediction Updates and Week 14 Picks! appeared first on The Nerd Element.

Just let that sink in a moment. Russian President Vladimir Putin—a man who’s held that office since 2012 and will probably never leave it, a man who has actively worked to undermine American democracy for years and delighted in the leverage he held over Donald Trump—that man congratulated Joe Biden on his presidential victory before U.S. Senate Majority Leader and zombie turtle Mitch McConnell.

Nothing Mitch McConnell does should surprise us anymore. Take, for example, his ongoing refusal of pandemic aid to millions of desperate Americans because his main concern is corporate “get out of jail free cards.” But “Putin and Russia acknowledge the U.S. election results before the leader of the Senate” isn’t the fun footnote in history that McConnell seems to think it is. This should be a huge story, but because it’s 2020, it’s a passing blip on our fiery doom horizon.

Snopes.com did a full investigation of the Putin and McConnell timelines after this tweet from MSNBC producer Kyle Griffin went viral:

Vladimir Putin acknowledged Joe Biden’s win before Mitch McConnell.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 15, 2020

According to Snopes:

Let us lay out the timeline. At 10:20 a.m. Moscow standard time, which is 2:20 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) in the U.S., on Dec. 15, the Kremlin released a statement in which Putin congratulated Biden on winning the presidential race and wished him “every success.”

[…] Hours later, McConnell, a Republican, acknowledged the victory for Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris for the first time in a prepared speech on the Senate floor.

Yes, Mitch McConnell was eight hours behind Russia and Putin in acknowledging Joe Biden’s democratically won election that’s been the accepted state of things for the rest of Earth and the Galactic Federation since early November. McConnell stayed mum on Biden’s win for more than a month while Trump sent his clown car of legal eagles all around the country, wasting everyone’s time with more than fifty failed lawsuits in an attempt to try and subvert the will of the voters and steal the election.

Putin also stayed quiet for a lot longer than most world leaders, who were quick to congratulate Biden shortly after it became clear on November 7th that Biden had more than enough electoral college votes to secure the presidency. But Russia is one of America’s greatest adversaries on the world stage. Putin’s allowed to not participate in that conversation if he wants to.

Mitch McConnell is one of the most powerful and visible politicians in America. His craven, cowardly silence while Trump tried to break democracy tells you everything you need to know about McConnell’s “legacy.” There’s no question that if Trump had found some sort of legal foothold (instead of his lawsuits being summarily dismissed by everyone on up to the Supreme Court), McConnell would have supported him over the actual votes of the American people.

He needed permission?

— John Wesley Shipp (@JohnWesleyShipp) December 15, 2020

Some online (like Dawson Leery’s dad, above) were quick to point out that maybe McConnell was even following Putin’s lead. After all, he didn’t earn the nickname “Moscow Mitch” for nothing. That came about from McConnell’s shady connections to efforts to lift Russian sanctions, and, oh yeah, after he and his Senate Republicans blocked the advancement of election security legislation in 2019, hours after Robert Mueller warned that Russians were interfering with America’s elections. Who wants to block legislation designed to keep America’s elections safer? Why, Mitch McConnell, of course! And now that we’ve seen his open contempt and disdain for the American electoral process, this makes even more sense.

“The Kentucky Republican is, arguably more than any other American, doing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bidding,” Dana Milbank wrote in The Washington Post in July 2019. Why should Mitch stop now?

#MoscowMitch had to get approval from Boss Putin first. pic.twitter.com/4HdPfVEZGa

— Bye bye Don! 🌊🌊🌊🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@CatsStillRule) December 15, 2020

But anyway, PR-wise, when someone whose entire image is that he’s above democracy is publicly performing democracy better than you, it might be time to rethink staying in your shell for so long.

(via Snopes, image: Shutterstock/Getty Images)

Here are some other things we saw today beyond the massive maw of Mitch McConnell’s hypocrisy:

• The Expanse is back today for season five!!! Here’s my spoiler-free review, in which I had a lot of feelings.
• Inside writer Alan Dean Foster’s fight with Disney to get paid. (via Polygon)
• Meanwhile, QAnon folks are so mad that McConnell finally acknowledged the election results that they’re vowing to leave the GOP. Too bad, so sad. (via Newsweek)

• I was once denied the purchase of a water bottle at BYU campus because I was returning from a run with shorts above the knee but ask them to enforce masks during a pandemic and suddenly it’s all “ultimately our students choose what they wear on their bodies 😇”

  — jenna (@jennalinds) December 15, 2020

• “‘Heroes’ Was Supposed to Be Leonard Roberts’ Big Break. Instead, It Nearly Broke Him” (via Variety)
• This is Butthead slander.

Matt Gaetz lookin’ just like Butthead pic.twitter.com/AuQtD4PGOF

— JJ Wilden (@WildenWriter) December 16, 2020

What did you see out there today?

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—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

The post Things We Saw Today: Yep, Vladimir Putin Acknowledged Joe Biden's Win Before Mitch McConnell first appeared on The Mary Sue.

There are some tabletop role-playing game sessions that are absolutely legendary. Dungeons & Dragons campaigns that are played for months, or even years, aren’t unusual. But what if you only have one night to fit in character creation and an epic adventure? That’s where one-page role-playing games come in! Designed to tell a complete and satisfying narrative in just a matter of hours, these micro-RPGs are often light on the rules and big on the fun.

We picked three one-page RPGs with simple rules to introduce you to the amazing universe of one-shot adventures. Play online or in person (one day) for a game night to remember.

Art by Kenny Webb and Maldo Illustration

Mundane Magic

Mundane Magic is a creative indie RPG by Lysa Penrose. A Game Master guides the three players, who take on the roles of the Fates, on a journey through space and time to interfere with the lives of mortals. No dice are needed unless you’re the Game Master. The GM will roll a single d6 to set up the game. Then it’s time to team up with your fellow Fates in some magical mayhem.

The three included scenarios for the Game Master are both mystical and ridiculous, as well as open-ended with a just few rules for managing all that mischief. Hone your inner crone and put on your best hag voice as you dive in to these hilarious adventures.

Super Overtime (The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book)

Adams Media

Have you ever wanted to be a super student in My Hero Academia? This is the one-page RPG for you! Super Overtime, one of the amazing role-playing games in The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book, comes from the brilliant mind of Omari Akil. The unique adventure puts you in the Hero Basketball League as a super-powered sports superstar. Choose your hero name, roll the dice to determine your powers, limitation, and motivation, and get ready for the Game Master to start the game clock.

The GM calls the action as you and your teammates roll to shoot their baskets in the final overtime of the championship game. Use your powers and your wits to describe the epic shots you’re taking. It’s hero vs. hero as you play to win it all!

Tales From the Corner Coven (The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book)

Adams Media

You and your fellow players are bodega cats in Tales from the Corner Coven. You’ll also find this bewitching adventure for four players in the pages of The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book. Jonaya Kemper crafted a compelling role-playing game of bodega cats in Brooklyn and the beasts that plague them. You’re tasked with performing a ritual to vanquish those creatures of the night before they succeed in their nefarious plans. The GM-less adventure begins with giving your kitty a pet name, their real name, an arcane power, and a corner store of their very own.

You’ll all take turns role-playing as the courageous kitties and the supernatural threats until one side emerges victorious. We want to play right meow.

The Ultimate Micro-RPG Book, edited by James D’Amato, has 40 innovative games to choose from. You’re certain to find the right role-playing adventures for you and your friends for unforgettable game nights together.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in 2021 from DK Books. 

The post Outstanding One-Page RPGs You Can Play in a Single Night appeared first on Nerdist.