Month: May 2022

Below is her first design, simply called the “Reyna.”

@marharlika

POV you’re just trying to live out your mom’s dream of being in a Philippine teleserya 🇵🇭🤪

♬ It’s All Coming Back To Me Now – Céline Dion

Velicaria told “Good Morning America” that the idea came to her after watching the 2018 Met Gala, which had the theme of “heavenly bodies.” What started out as a fun creative hobby soon became a meaningful way to support and celebrate her community.

“I hope my products inspire you to learn more about your family, your culture, your people and yourself,” she told GMA.

Below is a slightly different but just as beautiful crown called the “5 Ray Reyna.”

@marharlika

I didn’t expect this version of headpiece to be as popular as it is, but I’m happy that y’all like it 💖🥰🇵🇭

♬ T a l k i n g t o t h e P l a y D a t e – MidnightDrives

This one is my personal favorite, called the “Sunpaguita.”

@marharlika

POV you fall asleep during class and dream of sunny days ☀️

♬ Howl’s Moving Castle – Merry-Go-Round of Life – Vitamin String Quartet

The Sampaquita is the national flower of the Philippines, though oddly enough it isn’t native to the area. The flower symbolizes purity, simplicity, humility and strength.

Last but not least, there’s the lovely “Maria,” showing up at the very beginning of this video:

@marharlika Since so many class of 2022 grads wanna see what the headpieces looked like in a cap and gown 🎓✨🇵🇭👑 #classof2022 ♬ Get Up (feat Chamillionaire) – Ciara

Mary, aka “The Blessed Mother,” is a major icon in Filipino Catholic tradition. Several days throughout the year are dedicated to honoring her, as she is seen as a living connection to the sacred.

It’s not just glamorous crowns either; Velicaria offers all kinds of accessories and jewelry inspired by Filipino culture. And with every lovely trinket she creates, she brings in more representation.

“There’s this saying [in Tagalog] called ‘Isang Bagsak,’ which means ‘One Down,” she said to GMA. “It basically represents this idea in Philippine culture that if one of us falls, we all fall. And if one of us rises, we all rise.”

If you want to check out more of her work, or even purchase a few items, you can find her Instagram and website here and here.

There are a lot of reasons to feel a twinge of nostalgia for the final days of the 20th century. Rampant inflation, a global pandemic and political unrest have created a sense of uneasiness about the future that has everyone feeling a bit down.

There’s also a feeling that the current state of pop culture is lacking as well. Nobody listens to new music anymore and unless you’re into superheroes, it seems like creativity is seriously missing from the silver screen.

But, you gotta admit, that TV is still pretty damn good.

A lot of folks feel Americans have become a lot harsher to one another due to political divides, which seem to be widening by the day due to the power of the internet and partisan media.

Given today’s feeling of malaise, there are a lot of people who miss the 1990s or, as some call it, “the best decade ever.” Why? The 1990s was economically prosperous, crime was on its way down after the violent ’70s and ’80s, and pop culture was soaring with indie films, grunge rock and hip-hop all in their golden eras.

The rest of the world was feeling hopeful as globalization brought prosperity and Communism fell in Europe and Asia.

The mood in America would swiftly change at the turn of the century when the dot-com bubble burst in 2000 and the 2001 9/11 attacks would lead to the never-ending “war on terror.”

A Reddit user by the name purplekat20 was clearly feeling some ’90s nostalgia on May 16 when they asked the online forum to share “What ’90s trend would you bring back?” A lot of people noted that it was a lot cheaper to get by in the ’90s, especially considering gas and rent prices. Others missed living in the real world instead of having one foot in reality and the other online.

Here are 17 things people would love to bring back from the 1990s.

1. 

“Inflatable furniture and transparent electronics.” — Dabbles-In-Irony

2.

“Hope.” — DeadOnBalllsaccurate

To which HowardMoo responded: “I hate this despair thing that’s all the rage these days. I miss optimism.”

3. 

“The ’90s web was the best web. People actually made their own home pages. Now it’s all social media.” — IBeTrippin

4. 

“Affordable housing.” — Amiramaha

5. 

“Ninety nine cent per gallon gas.” — Maxwyfe

6. 

“The ‘mean people suck’ statement everywhere. People seemed generally a lot happier and kinder back then. It was a nice reminder to be kind.” — simplyintentional

7. 

“Being detached. Not being attached to an electronic gadget every minute of every day.” — SuperArppis

8. 

“Calling fake-ass people ‘poser.’ The state of social media and ‘reality’ tv demands that this word be taken out of retirement.” — rumpusbutnotwild

9. 

“Grunge music.” — ofsquire

10. 

“I want movies to be the same caliber as ’90s.” — waqasnaseem07

Cremmitquada nailed it on the head with their response, “Everything has been redone. It’s all recycled ideas now.”

11. 

“Pants that didn’t have to be super-tight to be in style.” — chad-beer-316

12. 

“People really expressing themselves. Very few people take any risks with style anymore, or they do something ‘different’ that’s just enough to still conform. In the ’80s and ’90s there were people doing crazy things with hair and piercing and just didn’t give a fuck. I don’t think I’ll ever see that come back.” — FewWill

13. 

“Great animated TV. Spongebob started in the 90s (99 but it counts), Hey Arnold, X-Men, Batman, Justice League, Dexter’s Lab, Powerpuff Girls, Boomerang cartoons… the list goes on.” — Phreedom Phighter

14. 

“Fast food restaurant interiors.” — Glum-Leg-1886

Another fantastic photo of Taco Bell in the 1990s, before the disease of modernismpic.twitter.com/GIiAyNWxiu

— Jules (@Jules)
1590273071

15. 

“Hypercolor shirts and neon puff paint designs on t-shirts. But here in a few months, that’ll be changed to abortion and voting rights, probably.” — TheDoctorisen

16. 

“News that was news instead of rage bait.” — nmj95123

17. 

“We had a stable country with a vigorous economy. In fact, we drew a budget surplus some of those years.” — jeremyxt

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene is proof that just because you are a woman, that doesn’t mean you actually understand women. Case in point: the GOP firebrand recently weighed in on the ongoing abortion debate by making the truly wild claim that women are having the procedure in order to make men love them. No, seriously.

Greene walked down to the Supreme Court this week to chat with pro-birth protestors as judges inside began voting on whether to overturn Roe v. Wade. The decision to undo the law will likely mean millions of women won’t have access to a healthcare procedure — and it’s opened the doors for even more restrictions possibly being placed on everything from contraceptives like IUDs to the morning-after pill. Of course, for Greene, the media hype surrounding this decision is the perfect excuse to try out her new brand of virtue signaling in a speech to protestors.

“If you accidentally get pregnant, let me tell you something, that abortion that you are considering having is not going to solve your problems,” she said to the crowd (via Raw Story). “It is not going to make that boyfriend of yours or that guy love you. That abortion won’t do that.”

Now technically she’s right here — a man won’t miraculously fall in love with you if you have an abortion — but this entire statement hinges on the idea that women terminate their pregnancies because they’re prioritizing men’s comfort instead of, oh we don’t know, because they don’t want a baby right now.

“It’s not going to help you pursue a career that you think you want to pursue. It’s not going to help you finish college,” she continued.” Let me tell you what will help you out more in your life when you have a baby, and you love someone more than you’ve loved someone in your entire life.”

How is not having to give birth to and then care for another human being not going to free women up to go to school and get a good job? And how will having an unwanted baby “help you out” when right now, mothers can’t even feed their newborns because there’s a formula shortage that no one (not even Greene’s “pro-life” crowd) is trying to fix?

Greene doesn’t have the answer to those pressing questions, of course. Then again, she’s already argued that Satan’s coaxing women into getting abortions, so don’t expect logic.

(Via RawStory)

Yesterday, Rolling Stone ran a lengthy feature, gathering stories from 20 close friends of deceased Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. The piece was framed as an “inside” look at Hawkins’ “final days” and it has sparked some controversy due to conflicting statements between friends and representatives for the Foo Fighters, and one revealing and somewhat disturbing account from Pearl Jam (and former Soundgarden) drummer Matt Cameron.

Very early in the Rolling Stone piece, Cameron was quoted as saying that Hawkins “…had a heart-to-heart with Dave [Grohl] and, yeah, he told me that he ‘couldn’t f*cking do it anymore’… I guess they did come to some understanding, but it just seems like the touring schedule got even crazier after that.” Representatives from the Foo Fighters disputed this exchange between Grohl and Hawkins, among other things, and fans have been left with new questions and a deeper hole in their hearts.

Cameron just issued a statement apologizing for participating in the piece, insinuating that he was misled as to its purpose. ” I assumed it would be a celebration of his life and work,” he said regarding the story. “My quotes were taken out of context and shaped into a narrative I had never intended,” he added, also saying that “I am truly sorry to have taken part in this interview and I apologize that my participation may have caused harm to those for whom I have only the deepest respect and admiration.”

Read Cameron’s statement in full below.

When I agreed to take part in the Rolling Stone article about Taylor, I assumed it would be a celebration of his life and work. My quotes were taken out of context and shaped into a narrative I had never intended. Taylor was a dear friend, and a next level artist. I miss him. I have only the deepest love and respect for Taylor, Dave and the Foo Fighters families. I am truly sorry to have taken part in this interview and I apologize that my participation may have caused harm to those for whom I have only the deepest respect and admiration.

The Nikka Discovery series just launched in the U.S. last fall with two killer bottles of Japanese whisky. The series — from one of the most beloved whisky makers in Japan — aims to celebrate the lead up to the brand’s 90th anniversary in 2024. The limited-edition releases will focus on the various components of the whisky-making process that make Nikka special, and kind of turn those on their head.

The first duo of the Nikka Discovery series looks at peated and unpeated malt, individually. The blenders at Nikka searched through their massive warehouses to find just the right barrels to create these distinct expressions. The idea was to find either an unexpected or quintessential blend, to highlight what a classic, smoky Nikka is and can be, allowing the rest of us to get to know the whisky in a new way, or maybe for the first time.

Granted, that “discovery” comes at a price. These whiskies are not cheap. So to help you decide whether to spend over $300 on a single bottle of whisky, I’m laying down my tasting notes and thoughts below, and you can take it from there. Let’s dig in.

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months

• The 50 Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2021, Ranked
• The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021
• The Best Scotch Whiskies Under $50, Ranked
• Every Scotch Whisky Brand From Diageo’s Massive Portfolio, Ranked
• The Best Value-Per-Dollar Scotch Whiskies, Ranked

Nikka Whisky Single Malt Miyagikyo Peated Bottled in 2021

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $365

The Whisky:

The brand is generally known for fruit-forward, yet fairly wild peated single malts and blends, and this is all about that tradition. The whisky is built from hand-selected barrels that highlight the nuance of Nikka’s nearly 100 years of making the stuff. Those select barrels are then masterfully blended without filtration and proofed before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a light woodiness on the nose that’s a little bit like a fresh No. 2 pencil right out of the pack with a little pink eraser nub next to a soft dusting of nutmeg, clove, and allspice with a maybe a hint of dried ginger, apple blossom water, dried apple chips that are just touched with nori flakes, and cold charcoal. The apple transforms on the palate toward apple stems and cores, tart apple skins, and a little applewood that’s just been singed on the edges as a touch of red chili sneaks into a salted caramel sauce with a distant hint of burnt digestive biscuit. The malts are there but more bittersweet than peaty. The finish takes its time and luxuriates in the spice mix, apple cores, and caramel as the barely smoldering applewood sneaks in on the very back end and is almost like burnt dried apple skin.

Bottom Line:

This is peated but that super smoky, earthy, briny, medicinal peat Islay is known for is nowhere to be found here. This is like an orchard after the harvest where someone set a burn pile of tree trimmings ablaze a couple of days ago. You kind of know instinctively that there was smoke there at some point but not right now. It’s complex is what I’m getting at. Moreover, it’s supple, interesting, and somehow familiar.

Ranking:

89/100 — This is a nice intro to the peated malts of Nikka. It is subtle though, and very “burnt apple” by the end.

Nikka Whisky Single Malt Yoichi Non-Peated Bottled in 2021

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $360

The Whisky:

Traditionally, Yoichi is a peated malt. For this version, the single malt is an unpeated whisky that still carries a “smoky” flavor profile. That’s due to the coal-fired distillation process imbuing smoke into the whisky as it’s being made, instead of layering in smoke from the barley. The barrels of unpeated that had that vibe were put together by Nikka’s blenders to create this expression.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a note of orange oils that expands toward orange blossom water layered into light marzipan with malted oat scones piled up in an old wooden box with a jar of peach jam and cinnamon sticks nearby. The palate leans into the nose’s profile with wintry spices mingling with more zesty orange, a hint of stewed pear with saffron and allspice, some banana chips dusted with dark chocolate, and a hint of tart apple. A rush of honey arrives on the mid-palate with a floral edge that brings the whole sip back around to those orange oils, oaty scones, fruit jams, and winter spice with a hint of raisin, sweet oak, and maybe a whisper of smoked plums and more banana chips on the very backend.

Bottom Line:

This was pretty unexpected. I didn’t really get any of the “coal-fire-fed smokiness” but that’s okay. This was a delightfully soft fruit-forward treat. I feel like an ice cube really helps this bloom in the glass, allowing you to dig more into the honey, darker fruits, and maybe some tart apple too.

Ranking:

91/100 — This, like the peated above, was really good. It’s not mind-blowing but it’s very lovely to sip on after a long day.

Which One Should You Buy?

If you’re an investor, both. These are pretty rare and collectible. If you’re just looking for something fancy to drink, I’d go with the unpeated Yoichi. It’s the most unique and the most drinkable.

Eric Clapton isn’t just an anti-vaxxer, he’s like… the anti-vaxxer in the music industry. The former Cream guitarist and solo star coined the “mass hypnosis formation” theory (which is actually a misnomer for the “mass formation psychosis” theory), referring to the debunked malarkey that Joe Rogan spewed on The Joe Rogan Podcast — which led to hundreds of scientists and medical professionals lobbying Spotify to de-platform Rogan before a number of musicians took their music down from the streaming service in protest. This is not trivia, as Clapton has penned an anti-lockdown song with Van Morrison, has financially empowered anti-vax artists to keep spewing their rhetoric, and refused to play concert venues that required proof of vaccine (which he later went back on, because who knows?)

Well now, Clapton won’t be playing any shows for at least a few days, because he has tested positive for COVID-19 and has postponed a couple of tour stops. Two shows in Zurich and Milan on May 16th and 17th, respectively, have already been postponed and subsequent appearances are in question.

“Eric Clapton is, unfortunately, suffering from Covid having tested positive shortly after the second concert at the Royal Albert Hall,” a statement read. “He has been told by his medical advisors that if he were to resume traveling and performing too soon, it could substantially delay his full recovery. Eric is also anxious to avoid passing on any infection to any of his band, crew, promoters, their staff, and of course, the fans.”

“It is very frustrating that having avoided Covid throughout lockdown and throughout the period when travel restrictions have been in place Eric should have succumbed to Covid at this point in time,” the statement continued “But we very much hope he will be sufficiently recovered by the end of the week to be able to perform the remainder of the planned performances.”

The statement says that Clapton is hopeful that he’ll be able to play his two shows in Bologna on May 20th and 21st, so he’s clearly banking on a speedy recovery. Perhaps this bout with the very serious respiratory infection can provide a different perspective to Clapton, who has shown no interest in considering much beyond the ideas that he’s continued to half-bake in his mind.

Jack Harlow’s press run continues with another impressive freestyle, this time over the instrumental from Snoop Dogg’s 2004 hit “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” Incidentally, that song was produced by Pharrell as 1/2 of The Neptunes, whose 2006 debut solo single “Can I Have It Like That” Harlow previously freestyled to, and who provided production to Harlow’s new album, Come Home The Kids Miss You.

This time, Harlow appears on the LA Leakers, rocking a black hoodie and praising “Drop It Like It’s Hot” as the “best hip-hop beat of all time.” As he’s done in the past, Jack spits boastful, tongue-twisting bars full of witty punchlines. It’s not the most extensive or deepest verse, but it gets its point across, and Jack looks like he’s having a blast rapping it.

There’s no word yet on if this redeems him of his previous radio faux pas. During a trivia session on Hot 97, Harlow was shocked to learn that R&B singers Brandy and Ray J are siblings — something that caused no shortage of consternation on Twitter as fans lambasted him for his ignorance. Even Brandy jokingly got in on the act, challenging him to a rap battle (Brandy’s got bars, in case you didn’t know). Of course, in the end, it’s all love and it doesn’t appear that it hurt him too much; “First Class,” his Fergie-sampling single from the new album, returned to No. 1 on the Hot 100 on this week’s chart.

Watch Jack Harlow’s LA Leakers freestyle over “Drop It Like It’s Hot” above.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

In an excellent bit of meta casting, Erinn Hayes will guest star on the second and final season of the twisted AMC sitcom, Kevin Can F**k Himself. Hayes was famously fired after the first season of the similarly sounding, but (until now) entirely unrelated, Kevin James sitcom Kevin Can Wait. Despite significant backlash, Hayes was replaced by James’ long-time King of Queens co-star Leah Remini, but it was too late. The damage was already done, and the show was not picked up for a third season.

Now, Hayes is getting a chance to skewer the worn out “shlubby guy marries a woman way out of his league” trope employed by Kevin Can Wait when she stops by the AMC show anchored by Annie Murphy and Eric Peterson. Via Deadline:

The first season of Kevin Can F**k Himself, which is part multi-cam comedy and part single-camera dark drama, follows the story of Allison McRoberts, played by Murphy, a woman we all grew up believing we knew: the prototypical Sitcom Wife. She’s beautiful and can take a joke, though she’s usually the butt of them. And she’s married to Kevin (Peterson), a guy who must’ve won some sort of marriage lottery, because she looks the way she does and he’s … funny. Allison is a doting wife trying to break free from her stereotypical role as a secondary character to her husband Kevin (Peterson).

The final season of Kevin Can F**k Himself doesn’t have a premiere date yet. However, reports speculate that the show could return as early as June, which is when the first season debuted on AMC.

(Via Deadline)

Lauren Boebert’s quickly becoming an expert in telling people what to do and doing something completely different on her own. Not only has she judged people who are juggling student loans with rent and everything else, but she’s also used her own campaign funds to pay personal expenses like rent. She’s also been accused (by former employees) of missing their paychecks while she allegedly splurged on luxury items (including breast implants). So, it’s not much of a surprise that she’ acting hypocritical when it comes to women’s health, including abortion and maternity leave.

This week, Boebert (who’s been thrilled about the impending overturning of Roe v. Wade) is on a tear about those companies who have committed to helping cover costs for employees who choose to terminate pregnancies but will have to travel out-of-state to do so. Boebert believes that they’re “doing so just to avoid paying for maternity leave.” She added, “Cheaper to kill the baby… true evil personified.”

Little does Boebert realize that she hasn’t exactly supported the idea of maternity and/or paternity leave. Last fall, she slammed Pete Buttigieg for his paternity leave while bragging about how “[a]in’t nobody got time for two and a half months of maternity leave. We have a world to save.” No one knows what this has to do with delivering a baby in her truck, but alright. Federal lawyer Ron Filpkowski tweeted a video clip

Naturally, people are ready to remind her that she trashed maternity leave.

And her conspiratorial vibe is even heavier than usual today but still totally on brand.

Later this year, Harry Styles will be getting comfortable in a number of cities around the world with his series of concert residencies. There will inevitably be some fans who won’t be able to attend any of those shows, but some of them can still get a different sort of Styles experience with a series of Harry’s House pop-up shops in cities across the globe.

The shops will be live on various days from May 20 to 26 in Amsterdam, Berlin, Chicago, Dallas, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, and Toronto. Press materials note the shops will feature “special activations and exclusive merchandise designs,” as well as “specific city album box sets, a limited album zine, t-shirts, hoodies, towels, hats, and totes,” along with a “pop-up store-exclusive Harry’s House orange vinyl.”

Furthermore, American Express cardholders will be able to access the shops an hour early each day. On a related note, Amex announced today they’re giving away 500 pairs of tickets to Styles’ “One Night Only In NY” concert, which goes down on May 20 at UBS Arena.

Shiz Suzuki, Vice President, Global Experiential Marketing & Partnerships at American Express, says of the pop-ups, “Harry has such a passionate fan base in the music industry, which is why we’re so excited to be teaming up with him again and to be giving back to his fans who love him most. Creating epic experiences for our Card Members is at the heart of what we do at American Express. And to be able to give our Card Members exclusive early access to Harry Styles’ upcoming shows & pop-ups, as well as limited-edition commemorative merchandise, plus a surprise ticket giveaway for fans, shows just a few of the ways music is better with Amex.”

Find the times and specific locations for all pop-ups below.

Dates and times for New York City, Los Angeles, and London
Friday May 20: 12 a.m. to 2 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Amex Card Member Early Access 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
Saturday May 21 and Sunday May 22: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., (Amex Card Member Early Access 10 a.m. to 11a.m.)
Monday May 23 to Wednesday May 25: 4 p.m. to 8p.m., (Amex Card Member Early Access 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
Thursday May 26: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., (Amex Card Member Early Access 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.)

Dates and times for all other locations
Friday May 20: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Amex Card Member Early Access 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
Saturday May 21 and Sunday May 22: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Amex Card Member Early Access 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.)

Addresses
Amsterdam: Looiersgracht 60, 1016 VT Amsterdam
Berlin: Rosa Luxemburg Strasse 2, 10178, Berlin
Chicago: 400 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
Dallas: 2117 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX 75201
London: 133-135 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 7DG
Los Angeles: 805-811 N La Cienega Blvd, LA 90069
New York: 533 Canal Street, NY 10013
Paris: 43 rue Notre-Dame de Nazareth 75003 Paris
Toronto: 501 Queen Street W, Toronto, ON M5V 2B4