In character, Joe Pantoliano has led some pretty messed up lives. He betrayed humanity in The Matrix and killed for sport as the psychotic Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos. But it wasn’t until his role in Canvas-a movie about depression-that he came to terms with the surprisingly commonplace struggles of his off-screen life. What he discovered was that the depression he’d suffered since the eighth grade was not only treatable, but totally normal-four out of five Americans are affected in some way. No Kidding, Me Too! is the documentary he spent the last year creating, with the goal of removing the stigma surrounding mental illness in America. We talked to Pantoliano in advance of a May 8 fundraiser in Los Angeles to further the mission of the movie, and increase the understanding of mental illness in this country.GOOD: Why make this movie? JOE PANTOLIANO: I was incredibly impressed by the normalization of what I thought was crazy people. When Marcia Gay Harden and I went to interact and research the roles we were playing in Canvas, I was frustrated after a while because I thought we were being isolated from the real patients. I asked, “When are we going to see the crazy people?” And they said, “We are the crazy people!” And I innocently said to Marcy later, “Jesus, I’m crazier than they are.” So I’m really excited about this, and, instead of writing a book about it or doing articles about it, I thought, let me make a movie and show people what I know. I want America to see what I’ve seen.G: What is wrong with our present understanding of mental illness? JP: Number one, everybody has somebody in their life with mental disease. It affects four out of five Americans. There’s not a single family in America that doesn’t have someone in their life suffering from a mental disease. Secondly, if there wasn’t a stigma associated with mental disease, the person not feeling well could easily just mention it, ask for help, innocently or otherwise, and could get the help they needed. Thirdly, there’s upwards of an 80 percent recovery rate with this type of illness, which is better than any of the other illnesses out there.G: So your goal is to raise awareness but also to change the dialogue around mental disease.JP: People don’t say “I am heart disease” or “I am cancer,” but they say “I am mentally ill.” They don’t even call it what it is, which is a brain disease. It’s so different. It’s so insidious. And because of the shame and discrimination associated with it, you try to hide it. You try to suppress it. There’s no stigma or shame associated with erectile dysfunction, because there’s so much money there. They spend thousands of dollars a year advertising it. And you’ve got race car drivers and U.S. senators at prime time hours going, “We can’t get a hard-on.” Cool, you know?G: What impact do you hope the documentary will have?JP: I want the movie out there. I want it to be enjoyed. I want people to have the opportunity to say, “Why is this going on? Why can’t our children be educated in the public arena about these things so that they know that it’s okay to talk about, there’s no shame, there shouldn’t be any embarrassment?” I was embarrassed because I couldn’t feel better and I had nothing to feel bad about. You have to talk about it and don’t let what happened to me happen to you.I would love to get Governor Schwarzenegger to look at this documentary because I think it should be in every public school grades four or five. In the film, when these kids talk about these diagnoses or when it started happening for them, they say fifth or sixth grade. I was diagnosed with clinical depression in eighth grade. If any of those kids had gotten a bump on their arm with a circle around it, they would know that it was a tick bite and they know that they should go talk to their mom or their teacher. We are not taught that mental disease is an illness like any other and if you have the symptoms of that illness you should ask for help.Learn more about the film and mental health resources here. Photo courtesy of NKM2.org.
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Italian man claims to be ‘human cheetah’ with lightning-fast reflexes
“I blinked and I missed it”
At first glance, this probably looks like a camera trick. Ken Lee, an Italian content creator, has built a massive online following by doing something that doesn’t quite feel real. Viewers refer to him as the “human cheetah” because it appears he has near-instant reflexes.
Grabbing objects out of the air with uncanny precision, flicking clothespins and lighters, and throwing a blur of punches and kicks at impossible speeds, it is easy to call him unbelievable. Half the audience thinks his viral speed videos are fake. The other half is just as convinced they are watching something incredibly rare.
Hands so fast they blur time
In the video above, a timer runs to confirm its authenticity. In what looks like half a second, he reaches out and snags the lighter from the table. To prove it is real, he does it twice.
Having amassed millions of followers on his TikTok page, the identity behind the mysterious influencer remains largely unknown. Active since around 2022, with almost 100 million accumulated likes, Lee has cultivated a fandom around his self-proclaimed “Superhero per Hobby!”
Do you believe it is real? Is this person the fastest human alive? Many followers cannot wait for the next video to be posted. Plenty of his fervent fans are Italian, so sifting through the remarks takes a bit of hunting. Here are some comments that sum up how much people enjoy the fun and the spectacle:
“Ken lee the fastest and the best”
“Most dangerous human”
“Is this what the lighter sees before my homie steals it”
“It was sped up during he grabbed the lighter, if u count up with the timer u would be off by like 0,5 seconds whenever he grabs the lighter.”
“If the flash were human”
“How is it possible to get such powers ?”
“I blinked and I missed it”
People love good entertainment
The awe of peak performance attracts people to watch elite athletes, musicians, or even dancers. There is something that deeply satisfies all of us when a human appears to push a skill to its limit. Whether it is real or fake seems to matter less than the opportunity to chime in on some good entertainment.
How far could any of us go by practicing and repeating a particular motion over and over until it is mastered? Beneath the flashy nickname and his viral speed videos, Lee’s content has a way of drawing people in. This is not a superpower. Just repetition. Focus. Obsession. And maybe some digital wizardry.
Testing the science of speed
If you wish to question the validity of Lee’s performances, maybe some basic science can help. Human reaction time is not just a reflex. A 2024 study found that the nervous system can fine-tune responses in real time. Practice can make movements appear almost automatic.
It has been well established in research that the gap between seeing something and responding has a limit. A 2025 study concluded that the most elite extremes allow for reaction times of 100 milliseconds. At that speed, the human brain can barely process that something has happened.
Science explains Lee is not necessarily moving as fast as we might perceive him to be. And therein lies all the fun of it. We cannot prove it is real, nor can we actually prove that it is fake.
Maybe Lee is the “fastest man alive” or the so-called “human cheetah.” Or maybe he is just a remarkable entertainer. Either way, he has clearly tapped into something strange and fascinating: a blend of human ability and fantasy that people do not want to miss.
To give context to Lee’s videos, watch this performance on Tú Sí Que Vales:
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Why some health professionals are recommending pet ownership for better health
Pets may support healthier, less lonely lives.
Christine Abdelmalek for Pink Papyrus
Research suggests that pet ownership is associated with higher life satisfaction, with some studies estimating its impact as comparable to that of a substantial increase in income. According to the paper The Value of Pets by Michael W. Gmeiner and Adelina Gschwandtner, this comparison reflects a modeled relationship between life satisfaction and income rather than a literal financial gain.
Beyond the obvious companionship and social benefits, having a dog (or any other pet) waiting for you at home can also improve your health. Studies show that just 10 minutes of petting a dog while making eye contact can significantly reduce stress levels.
The growing body of research is convincing enough that more U.S. health professionals are beginning to recommend pet ownership as part of treatment plans.
Pink Papyrus explores research on the health benefits of pet ownership and why some professionals recommend it.
Why Are Health Professionals ‘Prescribing’ Pets?
A recent Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) report found that 1 in 5 pet owners say a doctor or therapist has recommended pet ownership to support their health. This reflects patient-reported experiences rather than a direct measure of how widely health professionals recommend pets.
The Science Behind the Data
Petting a dog for five to 10 minutes triggers the release of oxytocin, also known as the love hormone. At the same time, cortisol (the primary stress hormone) levels drop, leaving you feeling calmer and happier.
The effect goes both ways: dogs also experience increased oxytocin levels during petting. And if you make eye contact with your pet while stroking their fur, the feeling of calm and general positivity can be even stronger.
A study meta-analysis by the American Heart Association also shows that dog owners have a 31% lower risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease compared to those who don’t own dogs. This is largely due to increased physical activity (walks, play, grooming) and lower autonomic stress.
Dog Walks Help Combat Loneliness
Dog walks are great for more than just getting your daily steps; they’re a natural way to meet other dog owners and spend time outside, surrounded by people. For anyone feeling a bit isolated, that alone can make a real difference.
Dog walking has quietly become a gateway into online communities, where people share routines, tips, and even creative spins on their daily outings.
One trend that’s gained traction among more style-conscious pet parents is coordinating outfits with their dogs using playful accessories. Some brands have helped fuel this movement, turning a simple walk into a form of self-expression and something people love to share and bond over online.
Emotional Support Animals
While any pet can be an emotional support animal, dogs are usually on the front lines. These are not service dogs, trained to perform specific activities; their job is to provide therapeutic benefit through their presence alone.
Due to our deep bond, dogs can act as a physiological regulator. Besides petting and mutual gazing, many owners practice deep pressure therapy, in which the dog lies across the owner’s lap or chest. This weight triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to ground a person during a panic attack or high-anxiety episode.
Furthermore, the daily routine of feeding, walking, grooming, bathroom breaks, etc., is beneficial for people who struggle with depression or anxiety. If you don’t have the motivation to get out of bed in the morning, you will do it for your dog.
Seniors also feel that their pets provide a sense of purpose, which helps keep both mind and body engaged. Having a pet depend on you can provide a powerful sense of self-worth.
The $22B Answer
Further research from HABRI highlights another angle: the economic impact on the U.S. healthcare system. According to its latest report, pet ownership saves an estimated $22.7 billion annually in medical costs.
On average, pet owners visit the doctor less frequently. Dog owners, in particular, tend to be more physically active, contributing to lower rates of obesity and cardiovascular disease.
The benefits extend beyond physical health. Many seniors find meaningful companionship in their pets or use them as a bridge to connect with other pet owners, helping reduce the risks associated with social isolation. Veterans living with PTSD also benefit from emotional support animals, which can lower long-term treatment costs.
A Healthier, Less Lonely Future
Pets play a meaningful role in our well-being. As both companions and sources of emotional support, they deliver proven benefits for physical and mental health.
The data also points to a measurable impact on public health. That said, these benefits depend on responsible ownership. Health professionals must weigh the advantages against an individual’s ability to provide a stable home and consistent veterinary care.
This story was produced by Pink Papyrus and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
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8 ways to squeeze more miles from every tank, according to America’s fleet pros
Fleet-tested habits for spending less at the pump.
Kelly Soderlund for Samsara
The trucking industry has turned fuel efficiency into a science. Here’s what everyday drivers can borrow from their playbook.
Diesel hit $5.03 per gallon for U.S. commercial fleets in early 2026 — and fuel already eats up roughly 21–24% of what motor carriers spend just to operate. That financial pressure turned fuel management into one of the most carefully engineered problems in the trucking industry. Fleet operators have cameras, sensors, and software all pointed at one question: How do you stop wasting fuel?
The answers they’ve landed on aren’t mysterious or trucking-specific. Most of them apply just as well to a Honda Civic as to an 18-wheeler. Samsara shares eight things the pros do that you can start doing today.
1. Stop idling. Seriously.
This one sounds obvious until you add up how often you actually do it. Sitting in a drive-through, waiting for someone outside a building, letting the car “warm up” before a winter drive — it all adds up. Commercial trucks burn close to a gallon of fuel per hour while idling, and the widely held belief that idling is easier on an engine than restarting is flat-out wrong. Restarting costs less.
Fleet companies track idling per driver and flag anything that looks excessive. At home, the rule of thumb is simple: If you’re stopped for more than a minute and going nowhere, shut it off.
2. Drive like you’re trying to protect a full cup of coffee on the dashboard.
The way you use your right foot is probably the single biggest variable in your fuel economy. Hard acceleration, speeding, and aggressive braking can reduce fuel efficiency by as much as 40%, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That’s nearly half your gas budget.
Commercial fleets coach their drivers specifically on smooth throttle inputs: gradual acceleration, cruise control on highways, and coasting into stops instead of braking late and hard. The physics don’t care what size vehicle you’re driving.
3. Pay attention to your own numbers.
One discovery from the fleet world: When you show drivers their own efficiency scores, they improve without being told to. Companies that introduced driver performance dashboards and friendly competition between drivers saw measurable gains — one fleet tracked a jump from 6 MPG to 7.5 MPG after making individual scores visible.
Most cars already give you this data. If yours has a fuel economy display, watch it. If you want to go further, note your mileage at each fill-up and calculate your MPG manually. Setting a personal monthly target and trying to beat it month over month is genuinely effective, mostly because awareness changes behavior.
4. Think like a dispatcher when you plan your errands.
The cheapest gallon of fuel is the one you never have to buy. Commercial dispatchers obsess over route efficiency because unnecessary miles are pure cost with no upside. That logic applies in your driveway, too.
Before you run errands, spend 90 seconds thinking about the most logical order — fewest backtracks, least highway-to-city switching, combining stops you’d otherwise make on separate days. Apps like Google Maps and Waze handle the turn-by-turn, but the trip consolidation decision is yours to make before you leave.
5. Find cheaper gas before you’re running on empty.
Fuel prices can vary by 30 cents or more per gallon within just a few miles. Fleet operators now route drivers toward lower-cost fuel stops using real-time price data. You can do the exact same thing with GasBuddy, Waze’s gas prices layer, or the gas station search in Google Maps, which pulls in nearby prices.
The habit that makes this work: Check prices before your tank is low, not after. Desperation-fueling — stopping at whatever’s convenient when the warning light is on — is reliably the most expensive way to fill up.
6. Watch for fraud at the pump.
This is less about efficiency and more about not losing money you didn’t know you were losing. Fuel theft and card skimming at gas stations are more common than most drivers realize, and fraudulent charges from a compromised card often go unnoticed for weeks. Fleet companies use real-time transaction alerts to flag unusual purchases immediately.
For personal use, a few practical habits help: Use tap-to-pay instead of swiping when the terminal allows it (skimming devices can’t read contactless transactions), check your bank and credit card statements weekly, and consider a card with real-time transaction notifications turned on.
7. Your tire pressure is costing you money right now.
Here’s a number that tends to surprise people: For every 1 PSI drop in tire pressure, your vehicle loses roughly 0.4% of its fuel efficiency. Tires lose pressure slowly and steadily — a few PSI over a few months is completely normal and easy to miss. By the time you notice a tire looks low, it’s been costing you at the pump for weeks.
Fleet maintenance teams tie tire pressure checks directly to fuel economy because the correlation is consistent and measurable. For personal vehicles, checking tire pressure once a month takes about five minutes. While you’re at it, a clogged air filter, old engine oil, or worn spark plugs all carry similar slow-drain effects on efficiency that a routine tune-up addresses.
8. Track your MPG over time — and notice when it changes.
Fleets benchmark fuel performance across their vehicles and flag outliers: a truck getting meaningfully fewer miles per gallon than similar trucks is likely developing a mechanical problem before it becomes a breakdown. The fuel data is an early warning signal.
Your car works the same way. If you track your MPG over several fill-ups and see a notable drop without a change in how or where you’re driving, something is usually going on mechanically. Catching it at the “slightly worse MPG” stage is almost always cheaper than catching it at the “broken down on the highway” stage.
Fuel cost analysis and fleet efficiency data referenced in this article are drawn from Samsara’s research on commercial fleet fuel management.
This story was produced by Samsara and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
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