“Just because you didn’t do marriage well doesn’t mean you can’t do divorce fabulously.”
That’s something my mother-in-law said to me when her son and I were ending our young, impetuous, and ultimately-not-right-for-us marriage. It stuck with me through the years.
These sweet images from Brittany Peck’s wedding have struck a chord with families across the Internet, and they seem to be getting that very same lesson about “doing divorce well” through to millions.
The photographer got a clue something unusual was about to happen.
Delia Blackburn, an Ohio photographer, was snapping pictures at the nuptials, as you do. She described to WKYC3 what happened when the father of the bride, Todd Bachman, approached her.
“He said, ‘I’m going to do something special, just be ready.'”
Before Bachman finished walking his daughter down the aisle, he turned around in the direction of his daughter’s stepdad, who was also in attendance.
Then Brittany’s stepdad details what happened next.
“And he came up to me and reached out and grabbed my hand and he said, ‘Hey, you’ve worked for this as hard as I have.’ He said, ‘You deserve this as much as I do. You’re gonna help us walk OUR daughter down the aisle.’ At that point, I had no clue what was going on.” — Todd Cendrosky, stepfather of Brittany Peck
Todd B. looks like a dad on a mission — to be the coolest guy ever.
“I got weak in the knees and everything — I couldn’t have had anything better in my life. That was THE most important thing in my life.” — Brittany’s stepdad
Todd C. is like, “What is even happening right now?”
Todd Bachmann explains his last-minute decision like this:
“It hasn’t always been peaches and cream, by any stretch of the imagination. … There’s no better way to thank somebody than to assist me walking my — walking OUR daughter — down the aisle.”
And that’s how you do it, folks.
And Brittany herself was pleased with the outcome.
The bride sent a video message from her honeymoon to WKYC, saying, “We’ve seen it all, been through it all, but at the end of the day we’re all happy.”
Divided families know that love isn’t a finite thing — there’s enough to go around.
Server Flavaine Carvalho was waiting on her last table of the night at Mrs. Potatohead’s, a family restaurant in Orlando, Florida when she noticed something peculiar.
The parents of an 11-year-old boy were ordering food but told her that the child would be having his dinner later that night at home. She glanced at the boy who was wearing a hoodie, glasses, and a face mask and noticed a scratch between his eyes.
A closer look revealed a bruise on his temple.
So Carvalho walked away from the table and wrote a note that said, “Do you need help?” and showed it to the boy from an angle where his parents couldn’t see.
The boy shook his head, no. “I knew it that he was afraid,” she said.
Carvalho made two more attempts until the boy nodded yes.
The server then called the owner of the restaurant to let her know that she was going to call the police on the boy’s parents.
“SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING: An Orlando waitress saw a family withholding food from a boy at a table. She noticed bruises on his body and created this sign to secretly ask the child if he needed help. When he signaled “Yes” she called us. The stepfather & mother were arrested.”
u201cSEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING: An Orlando waitress saw a family withholding food from a boy at a table. She noticed bruises on his body and created this sign to secretly ask the child if he needed help. When he signaled “Yes” she called us. The stepfather & mother were arrested.u201d
on one count of third-degree child abuse. His mother Kristen Swann was arrested with two counts of child neglect. A four-year-old girl was taken from the family by authorities. They say she showed no signs of abuse.
Detectives spoke with the boy and learned his parents frequently withheld food from him as a form of punishment. He was 20 pounds underweight. After searching his body, they discovered that he was nearly covered in bruises.
His father had recently beat him with a broomstick and back scratcher.
The boy told detectives that he was once hung upside down from his ankles in a door frame by his father and had been restrained by being strapped to a furniture dolly.
“To be honest what this child had gone through was torture,” Detective Erin Lawler said. “There was no justification for it in any realm of the world. I’m a mother and seeing what that 11-year-old had to go through, it shocks your soul.”
u201cChief Orlando Rolon, @OrlandoPolice, with waitress Flavaine Carvalho (middle) who saved an abused 11yo when he was dining with his family. They say the boy was u201ctortured.u201d The full details of his salvation on @fox35orlando at 5/6pm. #FOX35 #news #crime #updateu201d
— Matt Trezza FOX 35 (@Matt Trezza FOX 35) 1610650833
Carvalho’s quick thinking and bravery may have saved the lives of two children.
“This could have been a homicide situation if she had not have intervened,” Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon said.
“The lesson here for all of us is to recognize when we see something that isn’t right to act on it… This saved the life of a child,” he added.
The restaurant’s owner, Rafaela Cabede, hopes that Carvalho’s bravery inspires others to look out for signs of abuse as well.
“We understand that this has to encourage other people that when you see something, say something,” Cabede said. “We know when we see a situation that is wrong, we know what’s the right thing to do. We know that speaking up is the right thing to do. But it takes more than acknowledging it. It takes courage.
It’s been a couple years since Minneapolis-based trio Prize Horse burst onto the scene with their 2022 EP Welder, making a name for themselves with their particular brand of fuzzy, grungy alt-rock. Now, the band, composed of vocalist/guitarist Jake Beitel, bassist Olivia Johnson, and drummer Jon Brenner are set to drop their debut full-length album, Under Sound.
Packed with excellent breakdowns, cathartic lyrics, and powerful chords, Under Sound marks a strong debut project for the Midwesterners. Tracks like the just-released “Further From My Start” and the kinetic “Stone” compile feelings of detachment and negativity and turn them on their head through biting lyrics and gauzy melodies. Overall, Under Sound marks an exciting new addition to the shoegaze genre.
To celebrate the impeding release of Under Sound, Beitel sits down with Uproxx to talk Raising Cane’s, healing caves, and pinball in our latest Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Hefty, Bummer, Iced, Paramount.
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
I’d like it to be remembered for the feelings it evokes and hope they can still carry through. I don’t expect or need it to be remembered as something world-changing or whatnot. If it connects with anyone, I’m happy.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
I think me and my bandmates would all agree on Corey Coffman. Gleemer’s music is something we connected on from the beginning of our friendship. Now we know him as producer, mentor, and great friend.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life and what was it?
Raising Cane’s on the way home from our last tour. I don’t know why it was so good that day.
Tell us about the best concert you’ve ever attended.
Stove, Slow Mass, and Options in Chicago. 2019, I think? 3 of the best live acts I’ve ever seen.
What song never fails to make you emotional?
There’s so many for me, but the first that comes to mind is “Dim Light Coming Down” by Little Kid. That’s one of my favorite songs of all time.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
“Flights Minneapolis to Vegas.”
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
In 2019, our old band played in Rapid City, SD at a spot called Cave Collective (RIP). The owners of the venue told us we could come stay with them on their family property, so after the show we headed up what felt like a mountain towards their house. We got inside and one of them just says “So, do you guys wanna see the cave?” We walk through this separate building to another door that leads to a massive staircase in what’s starting to look like a cave. We go down, and it’s basically a tunnel system covered in natural crystals and water deposits. It was one of the most magical places I’d ever been. Then, we run into an older woman, who I think was the owner of the property. She tells us the water from the cave healed her husband’s cancer, and J. Mascis had supposedly played an acoustic set in there. Wild night.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform and what’s the city you hope to perform in for the first time?
We’ve had a blast every single time we go through Charlotte, NC. Shout out Jarrod Hayslette. I really wanna play in San Diego this year, it’s one of my favorite cities and my sister lives there so it’d be great to see her.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Start singing now, care less what people think, spend more time with your friends while you can.
What’s one of your hidden talents?
Recently discovered I’m pretty goated at Pinball.
If you had a million dollars to donate to charity, what cause would you support and why?
There’s a lot of organizations doing really good things in Minneapolis, but I think right now the money should go to a charity working to help the people suffering during the genocide in Palestine, like the Palestinian Youth Movement or PCRF.
What are your thoughts about AI and the future of music?
I don’t think it can replace true human music with emotion, but it’s interesting to hear what it’s capable of. I like Homer singing Iris by Goo Goo Dolls.
You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location it would be held.
Sumac, Cloakroom, Failure, MJ Lenderman, and Sprain at First Ave in Minneapolis.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on social media?
@Jackgarland. The greatest photographer and funniest person.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
No tattoos.
What is your pre-show ritual?
Be alone for a second, jump up and down, smoke some weed. Turn my amp back up after the sound guy told me to turn it down.
Who was your first celebrity crush?
Honestly, probably Miranda Cosgrove when I was a kid. As a teen/young man, Gillian Anderson.
You have a month off and the resources to take a dream vacation. Where are you going and who is coming with you?
Italy or Spain with my girlfriend, or I’d love to vacation somewhere tropical with my bandmates.
What is your biggest fear?
Needles.
Under Sound is out 2/16 via New Morality Zine. Find more information here.
Maybe Katt Williams-Ludacris rap beef was on your 2024 Bingo card after the comedian went full scorched-earth on the entertainment industry earlier this month. If it was, I congratulate you and also recommend you play the lottery immediately, because your foresight is superhuman.
Of course, it’s only natural that some of the celebrities Williams name-checked during his viral appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast would want to respond — in this case, Luda. The Fast & Furious star responded to Williams’ outlandish accusations with a lighthearted verse on his socials, both denying Katt’s claims and sneaking in a jab of his own.
Ironically, Ludacris and Katt were collaborators and friends at one point. In fact, on “Pimpin’ All Over The World,” another song from The Red Light District, the album which contains “Number One Spot,” Katt appears as a guest. But he apparently felt a way about being passed over for a role in the Fast franchise (allegedly), which he attributed to his refusal to participate in Illuminati rituals.
On Club Shay Shay, he claimed that Ludacris cut his hair in 2006 as part of this ritual — never mind the fact that the haircut came three years after his appearance in 2 Fast 2 Furious and his next appearance in the series was five years later, in 2011’s Fast Five. Luda’s response was to suggest that Katt was feeling some sour grapes — and possibly on drugs.
However, it looks like Katt isn’t quite done yet. During another podcast appearance — this time, Suge Knight’s Collect Call, which… yeah, there are too many podcasts — Williams played a bit of a new track, which borrows part of the chorus from Luda’s 2004 hit “Number One Spot” to lash out at the rapper-turned-Christmas-movie-star.
“I’m coming for your number one spot,” he rhymes on the chorus. “One of us a killer, and the other one is not.” In the verse, he goes after Luda directly, rapping, “Oh Chris, I wish it never came to this / And you pissed, rapped for free for the first time but you dissin’ this / The wrong side of history in a time like this / It’s so Ludacris.” It’s uhhhhh…. something.
There’s a little more, but it’s… not great. Katt’s a funny guy and I get why his Club Shay Shay interview was so entertaining for the peanut gallery, but this is one arena in which he’s better off not competing, lest he become the butt of the joke. You can check out the track below.
Katt Williams accuses Ludacris of being bi-curious and sleeping with Quincy Jones in an unfinished diss song played for Suge Knight, which is a planned response to Ludacris freestyle.
It’s ski season, which means we’re deep in après-ski season, too. You know, that time after you hit the slopes when you’re hanging with the crew around a fire pit and enjoying the end of the day, hopefully with a great sunset? That magic hour calls for a great cocktail to revive the body and get you ready for a good meal.
That’s exactly where the Hugo Spritz comes in. The spritz and après-ski already go hand in hand. All spritzes are low-alcohol, which feels right this time of year. Where the Hugo Spritz really shines is with its uniquely bright flavor and a deep sense of Alpine vibes.
It’s also pretty easy to make. You’ll need some fresh mint and a little St. Germain alongside a few other essentials, but not much more. This is a simple build-in-the-glass spritz that anyone can mix up, even after a big day on the slopes. Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top Five Cocktail Recipes of the Last Six Months
The key ingredient to a Hugo is the St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur. This is where all the unique flavor is coming from in the cocktail so don’t skip this. Otherwise, you’ll just have a watery sparkling wine.
The next two components are super easy. Grab a good prosecco and make sure to chill it before building your cocktails. Likewise with the sparkling water. Any good water with a bright and bold fizz will do (just make sure it’s cold before you start).
Lastly, you’ll need some fresh mint and lime, which you can get at any grocery store.
Zach Johnston
What You’ll Need:
Medium wine glass or highball/collins glass
Paring knife
Jigger
Straw
Method:
Add the ice and 4 mint sprigs to the glass, winding the mint through the ice.
Add the water, prosecco, and then St Germain in that order.
Drop in the straw and gently stir once or twice.
Add the lime wedge and mint sprig as a garnish. Serve.
Bottom Line:
Zach Johnston
This is a bright ray of sunshine in a glass. The mint and elderflower liqueur pops on the palate with a deep sense of white wildflowers in an Alpine meadow next to sharp yet slightly sweet mint. The bubbles are a nice effervescence that helps the whole drink stay even brighter somehow. It’s light and airy with a deep flavor profile.
These rule, especially at altitude in the depths of winter. It’s like a beautiful floral and sweet reminder of dancing through mountains on a warm summer day.
With the new year comes a chance for fast food brands to mix things up and reinvent their menus. Just this month, Jack in the Box launched a smash burger, McDonald’s reintroduced the Double Big Mac, and Shake Shack is mixing things up with a Korean-inspired menu. But what about everyone’s favorite ultra-cheap stoner food? Is Taco Bell up to anything?
Yep! The Bell has indeed shaken things up a bit with its brand-new Cravings Value Menu.
The Cravings Value Menu is a list of 10 of Taco Bell’s current classics all ranging between the low price of $1-$3. Taco Bell has always been cheap but I was surprised to find out that for just $25.69 I could feed an entire family. I don’t have an entire family to feed, however. Meaning that my girlfriend and I ended up with a lot more Taco Bell than we could eat in a single sitting.
Yes, weed was smoked and food was over-consumed. This is Taco Bell we’re talking about, folks!
While I can say that everything on the Cravings Value Menu was tasty, it certainly isn’t all worth ordering. Here is the breakdown, starting with my least favorite.
10. Cheesy Roll Up
Dane Rivera
Price: $1.59
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
I know the Cheesy Roll Up is a fan favorite so I don’t doubt that it deserves to be part of the Cravings Menu but there is no way I can rank this dish any higher than last. It’s just Taco Bell’s three-cheese blend rolled up in a tortilla. That’s it. Do I hate it? How could I? It tastes like cheese and tortilla, that’s a winning combination!
But it’s hard to feel excited about this too. This is the sort of dish that you have to hack into something good, as it stands it’s just okay and easily the weakest item on the entire Cravings Menu.
The Bottom Line:
It’s tortilla plus cheese. Tasty, but ultimately pretty boring.
9. Three-Cheese Chicken Flatbread Melt
Dane Rivera
Price: $2.49
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
Ranking all of the other foods on the Cravings Menu is a bit tougher as they are all leaps above the Cheesy Roll Up, but in the second to last spot, I’m going to have to give it to the Three-Cheese Chicken Flatbread Melt. This dish consists of a big piece of flatbread loaded with chunks of grilled chicken and chipotle sauce melted together with Taco Bell’s three-cheese blend. Each bite has a hint of spice and smokiness, with nutty salty notes from the cheese.
Taco Bell’s grilled chicken is a bit dry and wrapping it in this thick piece of flatbread doesn’t do it any favors. Overall, Taco Bell food just tastes better wrapped in flour tortilla — this flatbread is too thick and too dry to be enjoyable.
The Bottom Line:
Good flavors, but too dry and laborious to get through.
8. Spicy Potato Soft Taco
Dane Rivera
Price: $1.49
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
It hurts me to rank the Spicy Potato Soft Taco this low because I love this dish, but in comparison to the other food on the Cravings Menu, this dish just isn’t satisfying enough. The Taco consists of diced fried potatoes, cheese, lettuce, and chipotle sauce in a flour tortilla. The perfect bite combines buttery potato flavors with the smokey character of the chipotle sauce but the key word here is “perfect bite.” Most of your bites won’t be perfect, and when they aren’t all you’re eating is sauce, cheese, and lettuce. There just isn’t enough potato in here to make eating this taco a consistent experience.
The Bottom Line:
It’s a great side order but as a standalone dish, it leaves a lot to be desired.
7. Stacker
Dane Rivera
Price: $2.39
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
The Stacker is Taco Bell’s version of the quesadilla. It’s a giant flour tortilla filled with ground beef, a three-cheese blend, and nacho cheese sauce. It’s delicious, offering bite after bite of salty and savory flavors and a whole lot of cheese. My only issue with this thing is the nacho cheese sauce. I don’t really think the dish needs it, and trust me, I know how it sounds to say I want less cheese — what am I, some kind of maniac?
But my problem with the nacho cheese sauce is that its salty flavor masks the complexity of the three-cheese blend. You can’t taste the distinct qualities of Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, and Cheddar because the salty cheese sauce dominates everything.
The Bottom Line:
A great dish but one that is made better with some menu hacking.
6. Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes
Dane Rivera
Price: $2.99
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
The Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes are a great dish. The fried potatoes have a carmelized exterior that traps the seasoning blend nicely (I would assume the same blend of spices that flavor the ground beef, I’m getting paprika, salt, and a hint of garlic) with a thick layer of nacho cheese sauce and sour cream poured all over the dish. It’s salty, zesty, with a nice cool tang that is addicting to eat. I love them, but ever since Taco Bell introduced Nacho Fries to the menu, these sadly taste like they come up short to me.
Although they feel a bit redundant to me, I hope Taco Bell never drops them from the menu as it’s one of the more unique dishes on offer.
The Bottom Line:
A great potato side but not quite as good as Taco Bell’s fries. Order them once in a while for the novelty.
5. Chicken Enchilada Burrito
Dane Rivera
Price: $2.79
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
This is a tasty dish that is ultimately held back by Taco Bell’s grilled chicken. If you like Taco Bell’s grilled chicken, we’re genuinely happy for you, but this stuff tastes akin to Subway’s grilled chicken. It’s chewy, dry, and lacks flavor. Everything else about this burrito, however, is great! Inside a flour tortilla sits chunks of grilled chicken, a three-cheese blend, sour cream, seasoned rice, and Taco Bell’s greatest open secret: red sauce.
The sauce has a very mild heat to it and a lot of smokiness and pairs nicely with the other ingredients. To elevate the burrito even further, we suggest you order it grilled, which will add a lot of nice crispy texture to each bite.
The Bottom Line:
A great burrito that is held back by its protein. Sub that chicken for ground beef and you’ll have a way better burrito.
4. Loaded Beef Nachos
Dane Rivera
Price: $2.99
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
The Loaded Beef Nachos takes one of Taco Bell’s most disappointing dishes (the Nachos Bell Grande) and adds a few ingredients that equal more than the sum of its parts. The Loaded Beef Nachos are a dish perfected while the Nachos Bell Grande comes across like a rough draft.
The build is incredibly similar, you’ve got the chips, beans, beef, sour cream, and nacho cheese sauce, but gone are the watery tomatoes, instead replaced with guacamole (which has bits of tomato in it) and red sauce. The guacamole is a lot easier to pile on a chip than loose tomatoes, and with all the ingredients combined with the red sauce, each chip is a mix of smokey, beefy, savory, buttery, creamy, nutty, and salty flavors. It’s complex, which is something Taco Bell rarely is.
Yes, it’s a much smaller order than the Bell Grande at about half the size, but you can order two of cheese and still come away with more change than a single order of the Bell Grande.
The Bottom Line:
Order the Loaded Beef Nachos once and you’ll never order the Nachos Bell Grande again.
3. Double Stacked Taco
Dane Rivera
Price: $1.99
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
I love the Double Stacked Taco because it’s the closest thing on the menu to the discontinued Double Decker Taco. The Double Decker was essentially a crunchy taco inside of a flour tortilla with beans holding the shells together. The Double Stacked is that, only instead of beans, it’s nacho cheese. In addition to the standard taco build, the Double Stacked features tortilla strips inside the taco, adding more crunch to the taco, which is appreciated as the cheese sauce turns this taco a bit mushy.
The flavor is on point, it’s the classic Taco Bell crunchy taco flavor elevated by a layer of salty nacho cheese. Pair this with your favorite hot sauce packet, and you’ve got a great standalone taco.
The Bottom Line:
More filling and cheesier than the standard Taco Bell taco.
2. Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito
Dane Rivera
Price: $1.59
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
Is the number two spot too high for the Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito? Nope! This dish is a classic and given its low price and delicious simplicity, it’s the type of menu option that should be added to every order. The weird thing about this burrito is that none of the individual ingredients are mind-blowing. Taco Bell’s beans are fine, their cheese is fine, the rice is….fine yet when they join forces together some sort of magic happens that makes this burrito delicious.
Is it nostalgia? Maybe, but few dishes hit the spot like a classic Taco Bell Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito.
The Bottom Line:
Add it to every order and you’ll never be disappointed.
1. Cheesy Double Beef Burrito
Dane Rivera
Price: $2.99
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
Decadent, indulgent, and delicious, the Cheesy Double Beef Burrito isn’t just the best item on the Cravings Menu, it’s one of Taco Bell’s top five burritos. It features ground beef, nacho cheese sauce, seasoned rice, sour cream, three-cheese blend, and Fiesta Strips. Each bite is a flavor bomb of salty, savory, tangy, and creamy sensations. Despite all the wet ingredients in this burrito, the Fiesta Strips help to add the perfect amount of texture to this burrito, but like the Chicken Enchilada, we’re going to suggest you get this one grilled.
Grilling the burrito takes it to another level, adding even more texture and creating a perfect counterbalance to the nacho cheese sauce and sour cream. It’s also pretty substantial, one of the few burritos on the Cravings Menu that can serve as a full meal — at $2.99 that’s one of the best values in all of fast food.
The Bottom Line:
Hands down the best item on the Cravings Menu, the other nine items don’t even come close to this decadent classic.
Per The New York Times, earlier this month Brosnan pled not guilty to two charges over allegedly entering a thermal area of one of the nation’s most famous parks. The incident happened in early November, when Brosnan posted a since-deleted Instagram photo of him standing near what looks like the Mammoth Terraces area of the park, which are famous for their fountains and hot springs.
The water in those springs, incidentally, is scalding and can, according to the National Park Service, “cause severe or fatal burns.” They’re so dangerous that visitors are required to stick to established trails, observing the sights from a distance. In 2016 a man died after slipping and falling into a spring, while last summer a man who was accused of drunkenly wandering off the trail sustained burns after winding up in a thermal area.
In other words, not only did Brosnan allegedly break the law but he also may have put his life in danger. But if he did indeed wander off the trail and lived to tell the tail, as he’s been accused, does that make him more or less of an indestructible 007-like figure?
People who decide not to have children are often unfairly judged by those who chose a different life path. People with children can be especially judgmental to women who’ve decided to opt out of motherhood.
“You will regret it!” is one of the most common phrases lobbed at those who choose to remain childless. Why do people think they’ll have such awful regrets? Because they often say they’ll wind up “lonely and sad” when they’re older.
They also say that life without children is without purpose and that when the childless get older they’ll have no one to take care of them. One of the most patronizing critiques thrown at childless women is that they will never “feel complete” unless they have a child.
However, a lot of these critiques say more about the person doling them out than the person who decides to remain childless. Maybe, just maybe, their life is fulfilling enough without having to reproduce. Maybe, just maybe, they can have a life full of purpose without caring for any offspring.
Maybe the question should be: What’s lacking in your life that you need a child to feel complete?
Studies show that some people regret being childless when they get older, but they’re in the minority. An Australian researcher found that a quarter of child-free women came to regret the decision once they were past child-bearing age and began contemplating old age alone.
People revealed the reasons they’ve decided to be childless in an article by The Upshot. The top answers were the desire for more leisure time, the need to find a partner and the inability to afford child care. A big reason that many women decide not to have children is that motherhood feels like more of a choice these days, instead of a foregone conclusion as it was in previous decades.
Reddit user u/ADreamyNightOwl asked a “serious” question about being childless to the AskReddit subforum and received a lot of honest answers. They asked “People over 50 that chose to be childfree, do you regret your decision? Why or why not?”
The people who responded are overwhelmingly happy with their decision not to have children. A surprising number said they felt positive about their decision because they thought they’d be a lousy parent. Others said they were happy to have been able to enjoy more free time than their friends and family members who had kids.
Here are some of the best responses to the Askreddit question.
1. Never had any desire.
“I explain it to people like this – you know that feeling you get where you just can’t wait to teach your kid how to play baseball? or whatever it is you want to share with them? I don’t have that. Its basically a lack of parental instinct. Having children was never something I aspired to. My SO is the same way.
“Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against children. And I get really angry at people who harm them or mistreat them. I just never wanted my own.” — IBeTrippin
2. No desire. No regrets.
“Nope. It was never something I wanted. No regrets.” — BornaCrone
3. Mixed feelings.
“I have mixed feelings. I don’t care much for children and I think it would have been disastrous for us to have them. I was also able to retire at 52. Pretty sure that wouldn’t have happened with kids. So yeah, absolutely the right decision. But I love my family and I do wonder what it would be like to have my own, to teach my child the things I know and not to be without someone who cares about me at the time of my death.
“But again, absolutely the right decision and at 55 I’m very happy NOT to have them. This is reinforced every time I’m exposed to other people’s kids.” — ProfessorOzone
4. They never visit.
“My wife worked at a nursing home for years. Imagine seeing for years that over 95% of old people never have family visit. Till they die and people want a piece of the pie. This when I learned that the whole ‘well who is gonna visit you or take care of you when you’re older’ line is complete bullshit. We decided to not have kids ever after that. Made great friends and saw the world. No regrets.” — joevilla1369
5. It wasn’t an option.
“I don’t necessarily regret not having them, but I regret the fact that I wasn’t in a healthy enough relationship where I felt I COULD have children. I regret not being stronger to leave the abuse earlier, if I had been stronger, I think maybe I could have had the choice at least. So yeah… I have regrets.” — MaerakiStudioMe
6. Grandkids are cooler.
“No. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to marry my husband. He had two sons from his first marriage and a vasectomy. He was worried because I was so young (comparatively, he’s 10 years older). I did think it over seriously and concluded that a life with him compared to a life without him but (perhaps!) with a baby I didn’t even have yet was what I wanted. It worked out for us, we’ve been together for 26 years. As a bonus I have 9 grandchildren. All the fun without the work of the raising!” — Zublor
7. I’d be a bad parent.
“Not one bit. I have never believed that I would be a good parent. I have a short temper, and while I don’t think I would have been physically abusive, my words and tone of voice would be harsh in a very similar way to my own father. I wasn’t happy growing up with that kind parent and I wouldn’t want to subject any child to that kind of parenting.” — Videoman7189
8. I’d rather be the cool aunt and uncle.
“No and I found a partner who feels the same. We are the cool aunt and uncle.” — laudinum
9. Loneliness is underrated.
“54 yrs.old. I’ve lived the past 30 years alone. Presently my dog and I are chillin’ in a nice hotel on a spur of the moment vacation. I’d maybe be a grandfather by now?! I can’t imagine what it would be like to have family. I picture a life lived more “normally” sometimes. All sunshine and roses, white picket fence, etc. but I realize real life isn’t like that. No I don’t regret being childfree or wifefree for that matter. My life can be boring at times but then I look back at all the drama that comes with relationships and think I’ve dodged a bullet. I spent 20 years trying to find a wife to start a family. Then I realized the clock had run out, so fuck it, all the money I’d saved for my future family would be spent on myself. Hmmmmm…what do I want to buy myself for Christmas?” — Hermits_Truth
10. No diaper changes and no regrets.
“Nope. I never had the urge to change diapers or lose sleep, free time and most of my earnings. Other people’s kids are great. Mostly because they are other people’s. When people ask ‘Who will take care of you when you’re old’ I tell them that when I’m 75 I will adopt a 40-year-old.” — fwubglubbel
11. Zero desire.
“I’m 55 (F) and never wanted children. I just don’t much like them, and 20+ years of motherhood sounded (and still sounds) like a prison sentence. Maternal af when it comes to cats and dogs, but small humans? No chance.
“And I’m very happy to be childless. Cannot imagine my life any other way.” — GrowlKitty
12. D.I.N.K.
“Dual income no kids = great lifestyle!” — EggOntheRun
13. Some regrets
“Over 50 and child free. My only regret is that my wife would have been a great mother, and sometimes I feel like I deprived her of that, even though we both agreed we didn’t want kids. Sometimes I wonder if I pushed her into that decision. She works with the elderly every day and sees a lot of lonely folks so it gets to her sometimes. I was always afraid I’d screw up the parenting thing, so I was never really interested in the idea. I’m a loner by nature though.” — Johnny-Virgil
Just when you thought Latto had settled her beef with Nicki Minaj, it looks like she’s starting the new year with a renewed fire for roasting her nemesis.
Sharing a behind-the-scenes clip from a recent video shoot for “Back Outside,” the upcoming single from fellow Atlanta rapper Anycia, Latto has once again sparked speculation that she’s got words for her primary antagonist. In the clip, Latto and Anycia sit on the porch of a house rapping their verses while surrounded by supporters. Latto’s verse has perked up fans’ ears as she opens with a declaration that “I’m turnt / Got auntie mad, she burnt.”
Naturally, plenty of fans have jumped to the conclusion that “auntie” refers to Nicki Minaj, with whom Latto had a rather loud spat in 2022. The “Put It On Da Floor” rapper snapped on her onetime hero after Nicki complained about being placed in a “pop” category for the next year’s Grammy Awards. When Nicki said Latto’s hit “Big Energy” belonged in the pop category too, Latto accused the elder rapper of being a “bully,” pointing out that not only is Nicki the same age as Latto’s mom, but she also spent a year shading the younger rapper.
this beef would be so fun if the person she was going against had bars https://t.co/8D3ytZmRrZ
The same people in the comments mad were the same people who were gagging over “latto you’s a chop ho” and “you not even a fart” i can’t take yall serioushttps://t.co/SeDDoTVLMf
Nicki clapped back, calling Latto a “Karen” — which, are we sure she knows what that’s supposed to mean? — and earning some “this you?”-style tweets from observers in the process. Things appeared to have cooled off until Coachella, when Latto debuted “Put It On Da Floor,” on which she raps, “She thought I would kiss her ass, she must ain’t took her meds.”
All of this is to say that, yes, Latto very probably is referring to Nicki with her “Back Outside” verse, as she doesn’t seem to be finished dragging the queen for trying to downplay her success.
The $30 to $40 range for a bottle of bourbon is the real sweet spot. You’re well under $50 per bottle. The price range is pretty average, so you’ll be able to find the bottles. And there are just a ton of great bourbons priced in this range.
That said, there are also a lot of mediocre bottles. That’s where we come in. I’m here to guide your hand when reaching for a great bottle of bourbon under $40 at your local liquor store. To that end, I’m calling out 15 bourbons — all under $40 — that are pretty damn great.
Most of the bottles below could be priced at $60, $70, or over $90 per bottle and most people wouldn’t blink an eye. They’re that tasty. That said, I did rank them against one another — some of them simply have more depth and beauty. So read through my tasting notes, find the bourbon or bourbons that speak to you, and then hit that price link to snag a bottle of your own.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
The whisky in the bottle is the same Dickel Tennessee whiskey but pulled from barrels that leaned more into classic bourbon flavor notes instead of Dickel’s iconic Tennessee whisky notes. The barrels are a minimum of eight years old before they’re vatted. The whiskey is then cut down to a manageable 90-proof and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This nose is classic, with rich vanilla next to dry spicy tobacco leaves next to apple hand pies with sugar icing made with plenty of dark spices and butter.
Palate: The palate has a bran vibe that hints at a white Necco Wafer with a ripe white peach fresh off the tree with a hint of ginger bite to it.
Finish: The end circles back around to a vanilla wafer with nutmeg, orange zest, and a twinge of dark chocolate sauce leading to a dry and slightly molded wicker chair sitting in the sun.
Bottom Line:
People like to rag on Dickel for being an inferior whisky. It’s a complaint from a different era. Dickel has been producing some of the best juice out of Kentucky for a while now and this bottle is proof positive of that brilliance. This is simply whisky at first glance that goes beyond the average if you give it a moment to bloom via a tasty cocktail or a few rocks in a glass.
This much-lauded bourbon is Woodinville’s touchstone expression. The whiskey is made with those same family farm grains. The hot juice spends years in the toasted and heavily charred barrels maturing until it’s just right (around five years in total). The results are batched and proofed down with local water to a very welcoming 90 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: You’re greeted with a thick vanilla pudding with caramel candy and a cedar box full of dark spices.
Palate: The caramel thickens to a buttery and rich toffee with notes of dark chocolate peeking in next to more of those woody spices and a vanilla oil velvetiness.
Finish: The end is long and embraces the sweeter edges of the vanilla pudding while allowing the spice to warm the senses.
Bottom Line:
This is really solid craft bourbon that’s best used as a building block for cocktails. I would lean floral and citrus-forward with the cocktails — think spring and summer sippers.
13. High West Bourbon A Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys
High West Bourbon is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after sourced whiskeys. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of two to 13-year-old barrels rendered from high-rye and low-rye mashes alongside undisclosed whiskeys, some of which are sourced from MGP.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a hint of funk on the nose that leads to raw leather, vanilla pudding, and buttered sweetcorn.
Palate: The taste is soft and velvety with a touch of nougat next to quickbread biscuits with plenty of butter and vanilla-laced honey.
Finish: The finish dries out toward vanilla pods and cedar bark with a hint of apple chips with a flake of Kosher salt.
Bottom Line:
This Utah-meets-Indiana whiskey is a solid choice for any home bar cart, especially if you’re looking for a great cocktail base. The flavor notes are classic with a deep sense of grains, vanilla, and savoriness.
This is the entry point to Woodford Reserve. The mash bill mixes 18% rye with plenty of corn and malted barley. After triple distilling on pot stills the whiskey is blended with column-distilled whiskey. The bourbon then rests for six to seven years before barrels are pulled for blending, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s that classic note of bourbon vanilla up top but it doesn’t overwhelm the notes of dark chocolate oranges, dried fruits, spicy tobacco, and a distant wisp of fresh mint.
Palate: A lovely toffee richness creates a well-rounded mouthfeel as notes of spicy and chewy tobacco mingle with dark chocolate dust, more orange oils, and a touch of cinnamon sticks.
Finish: The end is pure velvet, lingers for just the right amount of time, and brings the whole sip together.
Bottom Line:
This is an essential gateway bourbon. The flavors are pure classic bourbon with a lean toward spicy tobacco and dark fruit, all of which work wonders in whiskey-forward cocktails.
11. 1792 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This whiskey from Sazerac’s other Kentucky distillery of note (they own both Buffalo Trace and Barton’s 1792 distilleries) is a bit of a hidden gem. As with all Sazerac products, there’s a lot of secrecy around what the actual mash bill is, aging times, and so forth. It is likely a high-rye mash that’s aged over five years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Salted caramel and apple pies lead the nose with a nice dose of nuttiness, winter spices, and eggnog creaminess with a butter vanilla underbelly.
Palate: Bruised peaches with clove and nutmeg drive the palate toward woody orchard barks, rich toffee, and a sense of vanilla cake with cardamom icing.
Finish: The end is softly full of woody cedar bark, cream soda, and apple-cinnamon tobacco.
Bottom Line:
You’ll have to keep your eye out for these as special releases at your local liquor store. When they do drop, buy as many as they’ll let you. This is an enjoyable bourbon with killer classic notes that are soft and inviting, making this a great on-the-rocks sipper or base for your favorite whiskey cocktail.
Standard Penelope Bourbon is a great place to start with the brand’s ever-expanding line. This expression is an MGP four-grain bourbon that’s aged a minimum of two years before vatting, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This whiskey opens with a nose full of wet yellow masa next to a buttery Graham cracker crust holding a light vanilla pudding that’s countered by a note of red chili spice and a touch of cinnamon.
Palate: The taste is very soft and touches on stewed raisins, more of that vanilla, sweet oak, and some orange.
Finish: The softness leans back into that wet masa while the finish smooths out with vanilla before ending on that chili pepper spice.
Bottom Line:
This doesn’t have any business tasting this refined for a two-year-old product. The spice and creamy grains mellow massively over some ice or in a cocktail (think citrus or fruit-focused).
This is the entry-point bottle to the beloved Remus Reserve yearly releases. The whiskey is MGP’s bourbon (from the Ross & Squibb branded distillery) but they don’t let us know the mash bill or how long these barrels age before they go into the batch.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of berry brambles heavy with sweet, tart, and dark berries, thorny stems, green leaves, and even a little dark soil next to Cherry Coke with a hint of spicy and a touch of sweet oak.
Palate: The cherry morphs into a syrupy and spicy cherry pie with a lard crust next to hints of vanilla pudding, brittle toffee, and more of that soft and sweet oak.
Finish: The finish is short and sweet and highlights that cherry while layering in new leather, more oak, and nice and lush vanilla cream.
Bottom Line:
This is just good bourbon through and through. It’s a great example of the high-quality juice MGP of Indiana has always been producing. Overall, get this to make some killer at-home cocktails for any season.
8. Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Signature Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This crafty Southern Indiana whiskey is made with a high-corn mash bill in a tiny farm distillery. The hot juice is aged on-site among the apple and peach orchards for at least four or five years before it’s batched, proofed, and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a mild sense of sweet orchard fruits next to buttered cornbread with a hint of green chili pepper, touches of vanilla oils, and a hint of orange zest.
Palate: The palate has a sweet grits vibe with a buttery underpinning that leads to vanilla cake, caramel frosting, and a twinge of marshmallow sweetness countered by woody spice and orchard tree bark.
Finish: The woody spice leads to a finish full of eggnog creaminess and a hint of burnt orange by way of cinnamon sticks with a whisper of apple cider to them.
Bottom Line:
Sticking with Indiana, this farm-to-table whiskey is a hidden gem. The whiskey works wonders in any form of cocktail (it shines with berry and fruit-forward applications) while also working as a great table whiskey for easy everyday sipping over some ice.
7. Old Bardstown Estate Bottled 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Since this is a Willett product, we can also assume this is good ol’ Heaven Hill whiskey. We do know that this is a “small batch” and from barrels that are a minimum of four years old (some say as old as ten). But that’s about it.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The whiskey opens with a note of wintry plum pudding next to an oatmeal cookie, a hint of worn leather, and dried mint leaves.
Palate: The palate luxuriates in vanilla-laced pancakes dripping with real maple syrup, a touch of orange zest, and a little more of that leather next to a mild spicy tobacco leaf.
Finish: That tobacco leaf attaches to a woodiness that’s almost wet like cordwood as the vanilla smoothes out the finish and leaves you with a smooth menthol tobacco vibe.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bottle to grab when you can’t find a green foil Willett. It’s made by the same family and has a very high quality through and through. I’d still lean toward mixing up great whiskey-forward cocktails with this one, but you can 100% sip this over a big rock and be pretty happy about it.
This whiskey is made from Jack’s classic mash of 80% corn, 12% barley, and 8% rye before it’s twice distilled and run through Jack’s long Lincoln County sugar maple charcoal filtration process. The spirit then goes into the barrel for at least four years — per bonded law — before it’s batched, cut down with a little water, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose draws you in with Cherry Jolly Ranchers next to sweet cedar bark braided with old strands of leather and orange-laced tobacco leaves with a hint of vanilla wafer and general “health food store” vibes underneath it all.
Palate: The palate feels like warm apple pie on a sunny day with the best vanilla ice cream on top as layers of eggnog nutmeg and creaminess move toward a Cream of Wheat vibe.
Finish: Some apple wood chips for a smoker and a hint of almond shells pop on the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is another whiskey that is helping completely change the way people think about Tennessee whiskey (and Jack Daniel’s in general). This higher-proof Jack is perfect for mixing cocktails of any variety. It’s also attuned enough to work as an everyday table sipper over some good ice.
Hell, you can throw this into some Coke and be pretty stoked about it too. That’s versatility.
This bottle from Beam Suntory marries Kentucky bourbon, California wine, and Japanese whisky blending in one bottle. Legent is classic Kentucky bourbon made by bourbon legend Fred Noe at Beam that’s finished in both French oak that held red wine and Spanish sherry casks. The whiskey is then blended by whisky-blending legend Shinji Fukuyo at Suntory.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Plummy puddings with hints of nuts mingle with vinous berries, oaky spice, and a good dose of vanilla and toffee on the nose.
Palate: The palate expands on the spice with more barky cinnamon and dusting of nutmeg while the oak becomes sweeter and the fruit becomes dried and sweet.
Finish: The finish is jammy yet light with plenty of fruit, spice, and oak lingering on the senses.
Bottom Line:
This is where we get into the clear sippers. Yes, this makes an amazing Manhattan, but a pour of this over a single rock is a sipper’s delight.
4. Evan Williams Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This is Heaven Hill’s hand-selected single barrel Evan Williams expression. The whiskey is from a single barrel, labeled with its distillation year, proofed just above 86, and bottled as is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has a nice nose full of woody cherry and salted caramel with a tart apple edge and a soft leatheriness.
Palate: The palate feels and tastes “classic” with notes of wintry spices (eggnog especially) with a lush creaminess supported by soft vanilla, a hint of orange zest, and plenty of spicy cherry tobacco.
Finish: The end is supple with a hint of tart apple tobacco with a light caramel candy finish.
Bottom Line:
Look, I know this is a cliché. But if you buy only one Evan Williams, make it this one. This is a great whiskey for a great price. Yes, it’s Kentucky exclusive now but it’s worth picking up a case when you come to visit the Bourbon Trail in 2024.
This whiskey is from Brown-Forman (which also makes Jack Daniels, Old Forester, King of Kentucky, and Woodford Reserve in the U.S.). The Kentucky-distilled juice is aged in special oak barrels that are chiseled before charring to create more surface space for carbon filtering and aging in the barrel. The best barrels were then batched, slightly proofed with that Kentucky limestone water, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of old oak and almost smoldering cinnamon bark on the nose with a hint of apple/pear cider cut with orange oils and a whisper of vanilla-nougat wafers.
Palate: That apple/pear cider vibe dominated the start of the palate with a Martinelli’s cider sweetness next to clove buds and more cinnamon bark, a light sense of vanilla cake, and burnt orange.
Finish: The cinnamon attaches to the apple/pear cider on the finish with a fleeting sense of sweet oak and old evergreen pitch and an echo of orange tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those whiskeys that surprise you from nose to finish. It’s really freaking good, especially at this price point. It could easily beat some $50 bourbons in a blind (not all, but some for sure). It’s also a nice sipper over a rock or a great base for any whiskey-forward cocktail.
2. Green River Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Sour Mash Whiskey
This 2023 release from Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Green River distillery is a wheated classic. The whiskey in the bottle is made from a mash bill (recipe) of 70% Kentucky-grown corn, 21% wheat, and 9% malted 6-Row barley. That whiskey then spends four to six years mellowing before batching, proofing, and bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This pops on the nose with rich caramel next to soft roasted peach and apricot next to a rush of cinnamon bark and nutmeg with a creamy vibe.
Palate: Toffee drives the palate toward Nutella and honey over buttermilk biscuits with an apple/pear tobacco aura that leads to a soft orange.
Finish: The end is rich and full of stewed fruits — peach, pear, orange, raisins — and a mild sense of oaky spice and a mild graininess.
Bottom Line:
This is the best candidate for an old fashioned on the list. It just works in the cocktail better than most others (even at higher price points). It’s also a mighty fine sipper over some rocks.
1. Russell’s Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 10 Years Old
This small-batch expression is hand-selected by both Jimmy and Eddie Russell (the father and son team behind all of Wild Turkey’s line). The duo picks out ten-year-old barrels that hit just the right spot in both flavor and texture then small-batch them into this tasty bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is a classic bourbon nose with clear notes of spiced cherry cola, lush vanilla, salted caramel, and soft oak next to almost botanical winter spices.
Palate: The taste delivers with more lush vanilla next to spice barks, soft cedar, and deeply dark and red fruit with a whisper of smudged sweet sage.
Finish: The end dives into a dark spiced cherry vibe next to soft and luxurious vanilla, tempered oak, and a mild sense of just “bourbon.”
Bottom Line:
This is the best whiskey at this price point… kind of by far. This is deep, nuanced, and still very approachable. It’s also quintessential Kentucky bourbon with a deep cherry spice and gentle Kentucky hug on the end. Mix it into a great cocktail or sip it over rocks, either way, you’ll be in for a treat.
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