Men's Journal's Blog, page 136

The Greatest James Bond Artist of All Time Has Died

Robert E. McGinnis almost made it to 100 years old. But at the age of 99, the famous artist died in Greenwich, Connecticut. His death occurred last month, on March 10, according to a report from The New York Times published on April 17, 2025. 

For James Bond fans, it was the art of McGinnis on the posters for the early Sean Connery movies that forever defined the vigorous, explosive, and titillating world of 007. But McGinnis' first movie poster art commission wasn't a Bond film. Instead, in an era in which movie posters were almost always works of art (rather than photograph montages), the first poster McGinnis did was for the Audrey Hepburn classic Breakfast at Tiffany's. He also did the artwork for the famous Barbarella poster in 1968.

A original painting for the poster art of the James Bond movie "You Only Live Twice" by artist Robert McGinnis that will be auctioned for an estimated $20-30,000.00 by Bonhams auctioneers on May 14 as part of the "Wonders of the Galaxy - Science Fiction and Fantasy in Film" auction in Hollywood, California on May 13, 2019. (Photo by Mark RALSTON / AFP) (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

MARK RALSTON/Getty Images

But it was McGinnis's career illustrating the covers of pulp novels that landed him the movie poster gig in the first place. Back in the 1950s, McGinnis's covers for books with titles like Nymph to the Slaughter and Murder on Her Mind, mixed sex and danger in a unique and infamous way. If you see a vintage pulp novel in a used bookstore, and it catches your eye, it's probably something done by Robert McGinnis.

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The artist continued to work well into the 21st century, and even did the cover of Stephen King's 2014 novel Joyland. In fact, plenty of contemporary crime and action books feature covers either by or inspired by, Robert McGinnis.

In 1977, Carly Simone told us that "nobody does it better" than James Bond. But in the world of a certain kind of action art, nobody did it better than Robert McGinnis.

Related: The Best James Bond Movies Are About to Get a Huge Upgrade

China’s Robot Marathon Reveals the Unexpected Truth About Humanoid Tech

In a groundbreaking blend of sport and science, 21 humanoid robots lined up alongside thousands of human runners in Beijing for what organizers are calling the world’s first bipedal robot half-marathon.

Held on April 19, the 21.1-kilometer (13.1-mile) race featured two-legged robots navigating a dedicated track, separated from the approximately 12,000 human participants Newsweek reported. The spectacle served as a real-world test of endurance, balance, and design. Ultimately, the event highlighted how far robotics have come and how far they still need to go.

Only six robots finished the entire course. The winning bot, Tiangong Ultra, which is also known as Sky Project Ultra, crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds. Built by the Beijing Innovation Center of Human Robotics, the machine barely met the human minimum qualifying time.

The event revealed as much about robot limitations as it did about progress. Some robots collapsed mid-race, one lost its head, and many staggered forward with wobbly, unsynchronized strides. One entry, nicknamed Xuanfeng Xiaozi, limped to the end with a cooling pad strapped to its chest and duct tape holding parts together.

Organizers implemented robot-friendly rules: pit stops for battery swaps, on-the-spot repairs, and human handlers trailing each robot to assist during malfunctions. To reduce weight, many machines ditched excess casing, added knee pads, or even wore sneakers.

While AI played a minor role, the focus was squarely on hardware, pushing the limits of bipedal locomotion. “Until five years ago, we didn’t really know how to get robots to walk reliably,” said Alan Fern, a robotics professor at Oregon State University. “Now we do, and this is a good demonstration of that.”

China’s increasing investment in humanoid robotics was underscored in December when startup AgiBot announced mass production of its general-purpose bots. Meanwhile, U.S.-based Tesla plans to release its own humanoid robot by 2026.

The Beijing race captivated public attention and raised important questions: Can robots match human mobility? And how long before they run among us?

Is Walmart Open on Easter? Here's How to Get Last-Minute Items

Whether you're scrambling to find eggs for one last hunt or your brunch plans hit a snag, Easter Sunday has a way of testing your supply stash. The good news? If you're counting on Walmart to bail you out this April 20, you're likely in luck.

Walmart Keeps Its Doors Open on Easter 2025

Unlike many major retailers that shutter for the holiday, Walmart will be open nationwide on Easter Sunday 2025. A spokesperson for the company confirmed that most locations will operate during regular business hours, typically 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., though hours may vary by location.

That means you can still grab those missing Peeps, ham glaze, or backup chocolate bunnies, and yes, even toilet paper if the in-laws are staying over.

What You Can (and Can’t) Get

While Walmart’s supercenters will be stocked with everything from groceries to grilling gear, some services may be unavailable. Most Walmart Pharmacies and Vision Centers will be closed for the day. So if you need a prescription refill or new lenses, plan ahead.

The retailer’s popular curbside pickup and delivery services will still run in many areas, but slots tend to fill quickly on holidays. For best results, check availability via the Walmart app early in the day.

Don’t Forget the Local Factor

Not all Walmarts run on the same schedule, especially in smaller towns. It's best to use the store locator at walmart.com or call your local branch to confirm hours before making the trip.

Other Retailers to Consider

If you’d rather avoid Walmart altogether, a handful of other big-box stores and grocery chains will also remain open on Easter 2025 including CVS, Walgreens, and most Kroger-owned grocery stores. Target, ALDI, Costco, and Sam’s Club, however, will be closed.

The Bottom Line

Easter doesn’t always go as planned. If you need to make a last-minute run, Walmart is one of your most reliable lifelines — open early, stocked deep, and ready to rescue your holiday, one Reese’s egg at a time.

'Help Me, Please': Mystery Woman Disrupts Oklahoma City Bombing

A solemn ceremony honoring the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing briefly turned tense Saturday morning when an unidentified woman walked onto the stage mid-program and was quickly escorted away.

KOCO News 5 reported that the incident occurred inside First Church in downtown Oklahoma City just moments after Dr. Susan Chambers, chair of the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, began her welcoming remarks. According to eyewitnesses, the woman appeared to approach the row of seated officials and victim family members, attempting to speak directly to either Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt or U.S. Sen. James Lankford.

“She was speaking with a loud voice, clearly agitated,” Pastor Josue Araujo said. “She said, ‘Help me, please. You know who I am,’ and held what looked like a clipboard with papers.” The stage microphone briefly picked up her words before Araujo and others assisted in escorting her away.

No one was harmed, and officials later confirmed that the woman posed no apparent threat to public safety. Law enforcement and members of the governor’s office did not disclose further details about the woman or her motivations.

While the moment was jarring, Pastor Araujo emphasized the situation seemed more personal than political. “I think she knew the governor would be there and used the moment to get his attention. I don’t believe she was dangerous, just desperate.”

Security at the venue appeared to have been caught off-guard, though the situation was resolved swiftly without further disruption. The ceremony, held annually to honor the 168 lives lost in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, resumed shortly after.

The woman’s name remains unconfirmed, and the contents of the papers she carried are not known. As of Saturday evening, officials hadn't filed charges or made any official statements about her intent.

Despite the interruption, attendees and officials continued the commemorative event, focusing on remembrance and resilience.

I've Tried Hundreds of Beers. This Cheap Lager Is an Ideal Sipper for Hot Days

I’ve written about alcohol for nearly two decades. And while I’ve written many articles about whiskey, rum, tequila, and other spirits, I began my professional career back in 2006 writing about beer for my local newspaper. Back then, the county in New York where I live only had three breweries. Now, there is around thirty. If you didn’t realize just how popular beer is, there are currently just under 10,000 breweries in the US. That’s up from just over 1,000 in the year 2000.

A lot of these breweries—large and small alike—are crafting IPAs, stouts, porters, and other random beer styles. But it’s difficult to beat the appeal of a well-made lager.

After you spend an afternoon mowing a lawn in the hot sun, what type of beer do you reach for? There’s a pretty good chance you aren’t craving a heavy, malty stout or sweet, rich barleywine. You’re probably going to crack open a crisp, refreshing lager.

The bottom-fermented beer style is brewed at lower temperatures than an ale and known for its crisp, clean, and thirst-quenching flavor profile. But like many beers, there are various different styles that land under the lager umbrella. Under the lager include pale lagers, pilsners, amber lagers, helles lagers, schwarzbiers, bocks, Vienna lagers, doppelbocks, and märzens. Today, we’re most concerned about the classic, crushable pale lager. Specifically, the often maligned American adjunct lager.

Some craft beer drinkers might describe the style as fizzy yellow water, but there’s no debating its popularity. Brands like Budweiser, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Miller High Life are never out of fashion. And while we could write about the appeal of all of those brands, there’s no lager closer to my heart than Narragansett Lager.

Even if you’ve never tried Narragansett Lager, you’ve likely seen this iconic can. It’s visible throughout the first summer blockbuster Jaws, iconically chugged and crushed by Captain Quint.

Narragansett Lager is a perfectly crisp and tasty lager to enjoy on hot days—especially on the beach, as pictured above.

Courtesy Image

In my opinion, there’s no better beer to greet the beginning of spring with than Narragansett Lager. This classic, crisp, clean, and thirst-quenching beer is brewed with six-row malt, a mysterious blend of hops, and Iowa-grown corn. It gets its water from Lake Ontario and Hemlock Lake—which incidentally is around 20 minutes from my house.

Founded in 1890, this timeless lager is known for its balanced, crushable flavor profile that begins with a nose of cereal grains, sweet corn, and lightly spicy, floral hops. The palate is crisp, effortlessly thirst-quenching, and loaded with flavors like cereal grains, sweet corn, honey, citrus, and light floral hops. The finish is pleasantly bitter, dry, and leaves you craving more. This is especially true on an unseasonably warm spring day.

I didn’t even get to the best part yet. This surprisingly well-balanced, memorable lager is as affordable as beer gets. Why drink one of the other adjunct lagers with little to no substance when you can crack open a Narragansett Lager—especially if it’s in the stylish 1975 throwback can—for around $8 to $9 for a six-pack of 16-ounce cans. In a world of $20 craft beer four-packs, it's an undisputed bargain.

There’s one more thing. While it’s produced in Rhode Island and Rochester, NY, it’s available in all corners of the U.S., from New England to Northern California and most places in between. Next time you stop into your local grocery or beer store to grab a few cans for the weekend, instead of grabbing your usual macro-brewed lager, try a Narragansett Lager instead. You’ll be happy you did. 

Related: I Tasted Macro and Craft Light Lagers Side by Side. My Top 3 Might Surprise You

Taco Bell Announces Menu Change Just Days Away

Taco Bell is known for its taco-happy food offerings, but that doesn't mean it can't branch out. The popular fast food chain is changing its menu in a move that they anticipate will go into 2026.

Taco Bell, which was founded in 1962 by Glen Bell in California, is listening to customers who want to see a certain food item back on its menu.

So, they're bringing back crispy chicken nuggets, this time promising that the item won't sell out right away like it did the first time around.

Staring April 24, Taco Bill will bring chicken nuggets back to their menu nationwide for eight weeks, according to a statement from the company. In addition, they have a larger plan for the nuggets, stating that they "plan to add crispy chicken to menus permanently by 2026."

Taco Bell initially launched the nuggets last December, but demand was higher than expected, so the nuggets sold out in a week. At the time, the restaurant promoted the nuggets as a "limited-time" item, so the food item should have lasted at least a bit longer.

Now, Taco Bell wants to be "a go-to destination for crispy chicken with a permanent mainstay by 2026," according to a statement.

To perfect these nuggets, Taco Bell states that they tested more than 50 recipes and flavor combinations and found the perfect mix for "a crispy, tortilla chip–breaded coating."

"As 95% of innovations from the Taco Bell test kitchen feature chicken as the premier protein, Taco Bell's chicken dominance is becoming undeniable," they added regarding their chicken offerings. "From the Cantina Chicken Menu to tests like Chicken Al Pastor Street Chalupas, everyone's favorite taco place is suddenly becoming everyone's favorite chicken place."

Taco Bell adds that during its initial run, some five million Americans tried the crispy chicken nuggets. That was almost one in six orders, which is one of the reasons Taco Bell is trying to make the addition permanent.

Related: Taco Bell Announces Menu Changes

Color Revolution? Scientists Reveal Secret Hue Hidden from Human Eyes

Imagine seeing a color no human has ever seen before. That’s exactly what a group of researchers from the University of California and the University of Washington claim to have done in a groundbreaking study published in Science Advances.

By firing laser pulses directly into their eyes and stimulating highly specific cone cells in the retina, the scientists say they perceived a new color that's not found anywhere in the natural world. They’re calling it “olo,” and describe it as a hyper-saturated blue-green unlike anything in the visible spectrum.

“It’s more saturated than any color you can see in the real world,” said Prof. Ren Ng, co-author of the study and one of the five test subjects. “Let’s say you go your whole life seeing only pastel pinks, and one day you’re shown intense red. That’s what seeing olo was like.”

The experiment involved a device dubbed “Oz,” which uses mirrors, lasers, and optical components to selectively stimulate individual M-cones in the retina—cells that normally respond to green wavelengths. Typically, when M-cones are activated, they overlap with signals from neighboring S- (blue) and L- (red) cones, resulting in a blend of familiar colors. But in this tightly controlled setup, researchers isolated the M-cones, triggering a visual signal the human brain has never previously received.

Four of the five participants were men, and three were involved in writing the study. All had normal color vision. Participants matched the perceived “olo” using a digital dial to record the hue.

Despite the excitement, not everyone is convinced, according to a BBC report. Prof. John Barbur, a vision scientist at City St George’s, University of London, cautioned that the findings, while a technological achievement, are still “open to argument.”

Even Prof. Ng acknowledges olo isn’t likely to show up on your next trip to the paint store. “It’s very technically difficult to perceive,” he said. Still, the implications could be big especially for color blindness research.

For now, olo remains a rare, lab-born phenomenon. It's a glimpse at what our eyes might be capable of with just a little scientific magic.

New Study Finds Receipts May Be More Dangerous Than You Think

Next time you're handed a paper receipt at checkout, you might want to think twice before tucking it into your wallet. A new study from the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) has uncovered high levels of bisphenol S (BPS) in thermal paper receipts across dozens of major U.S. retailers. That means that receipts pose a serious, often-overlooked health risk.

BPS is a chemical used in thermal receipt paper to help ink appear when printed. It’s a lesser-known cousin of BPA, a substance already banned in food packaging in the European Union due to its toxic properties. While many companies have phased out BPA, they’ve replaced it with BPS, which, according to CEH researchers, may be just as harmful.

How harmful? Just ten seconds of skin contact with a BPS-coated receipt can lead to chemical exposure levels that exceed California’s Proposition 65 safety thresholds for carcinogens, CEH reported. That’s particularly worrying for retail workers who handle hundreds of receipts daily, but it’s also a concern for everyday consumers.

“This is really eye-opening,” said CEH science director Mihir Vohra. “The concentration levels we found are extremely high—and they’re on receipts most of us touch without thinking.”

CEH tested receipts from nearly 50 national brands, including Dollar General, Burger King, AMC Theatres, Subway, and Chanel. The organization already issued legal violation notices to 32 companies and warned that others could face lawsuits if they fail to add warnings or switch to safer paper alternatives within 60 days.

BPS has been linked to hormone disruption, breast cancer, reduced sperm count, and cognitive development issues. Unlike many other chemicals, BPS is easily absorbed through the skin and builds up quickly with repeated exposure.

Washington state has already moved to ban bisphenols from receipt paper starting in 2026 under its Safer Products for Washington law, becoming the first U.S. state to do so.

In the meantime, experts recommend small changes to minimize exposure: opt for digital or emailed receipts, avoid crumpling or folding paper receipts, and wash hands after handling them. Retail workers may also benefit from wearing gloves during shifts.

The bottom line: something as routine as touching a receipt might carry hidden risks—ones now too big to ignore.

Related: These Canned Foods Are The Biggest BPA Offenders

Mike Tyson Announces He's Taken Controversial New Job

Legendary boxer Mike Tyson has announced that he's taken on a new job, but it has nothing to do with the boxing ring.

Tyson has been named the CEO of Carma HoldCo Inc. Tyson co-founded the cannabis company, which is based in Las Vegas, according to GBNews.

Carma HoldCo Inc. is "the parent company behind rapidly growing iconic lifestyle brands TYSON 2.0, Ric Flair Drip, Wooooo! Energy, and Evol by Future,"

The company "proudly announces the appointment of Mike Tyson as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately," the release noted.

Tyson's last foray into the public eye came when he attempted to box influencer Jake Paul.

Mike Tyson is seen on February 14, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

London Entertainment/Getty Images

"This strategic leadership shift marks a powerful new phase for Carma HoldCo, and a deeply personal progression for Tyson himself, who has long expressed a desire to take on a greater leadership role within the company," the press release said. "As a co-founder and brand visionary, Tyson has been at the heart of Carma since its inception—actively shaping its identity, championing product development, and building direct connections with retail partners and fans."

“Carma HoldCo was built on the belief that powerful stories and even more powerful products can change how people connect with wellness, entertainment, and culture,” Tyson said in the release.

“This isn’t just a title—it’s a responsibility I take seriously. I’ve wanted to be more involved for a long time, and now is the right time to take that step. I’m fully committed to making sure everything we create stays true to who we are while growing in new and exciting ways.”

Capital One’s $35 Billion Power Play: What the Discover Deal Means for You

Capital One’s $35 billion acquisition of Discover Financial just got the greenlight from federal regulators, and it’s more than just a win for Wall Street. For everyday consumers, this deal could reshape how you spend, swipe, and manage your credit.

CNBC reported that the deal gives Capital One a rare prize in the credit card world: its own payment network. Discover’s network is one of only four in the U.S., competing alongside Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. By acquiring Discover, Capital One becomes the first major bank to own both a top-tier card business and the rails the payments run on.

Post-merger, Capital One will hold more than $650 billion in assets. The company has confirmed that the Discover brand will remain on cards and the payment network. So while you might not see Capital One logos replacing Discover, the power behind the scenes will shift, which could potentially impact how cards are issued, fees are structured, and perks are delivered.

So, what does this mean for you?

If you’re a Discover cardholder, don’t expect overnight changes. Capital One has said it will maintain the brand and likely continue supporting the card’s popular cashback and rewards programs. But long-term, integration could mean streamlined offerings, more competitive rewards, and better digital tools. Capital One already outpaced many rivals in those areas.

For Capital One customers, the merger opens new doors. Owning a payment network gives the company more control over costs and data, which could be used to enhance cardholder benefits or launch exclusive offers that rival Visa or Mastercard programs.

But the deal doesn’t come without baggage. Federal regulators approved the merger only after Capital One agreed to address Discover’s outstanding legal troubles. These include a $100 million fine from the Federal Reserve and a $1.23 billion restitution order from the FDIC, stemming from Discover’s overcharging of merchants between 2007 and 2023.

Capital One says the deal is on track to close in May, pending final conditions. With control of a payment network now within reach, Capital One is positioning itself as a true industry disruptor. For consumers, the deal could usher in a new era of competition in credit cards.

Related: Best Credit Cards for Travelers Who Want Points and Rewards