Month: March 2024

The Swedish capital is well worth a visit in Spring of 2024. The city is brimming with fascinating history, unique museums, idyllic islands, an excellent craft cocktail scene, LGBTQ+-friendly establishments, and a whole lot of delicious food.

Moreover, Stockholm is beautiful. There’s almost endless interesting architecture — some dating back eight centuries — spread across the 14-island archipelago that makes up the city. Add in mild weather in the summer and true winter wonderland winters and Stockholm ends up having a little something for everyone.

Here’s how to spend three perfect days in Stockholm!

DAY 1:

Check-in at Hotel Skeppsholmen. This waterfront boutique hotel is located within walking distance of the city center but feels much further away due to its quaint quiet surroundings. Located on a lush island, the hotel — a renovated 300-year-old house with modern Scandi chic adornments — has rooms starting at 2,790 SEK ($273) a night. The property practices sustainability by only using renewable energy and it has earned the third-party Nordic Swan Ecolabel level four for its green efforts.

If you’re arriving before evening, walk over to the nearby Moderna Museet (150 SEK/$15 admission). If it’s a Friday afternoon, your admission will be free from 6-8 p.m. Before you browse through the rotating exhibits of modern art, go up to the rooftop terrace to enjoy a cocktail and take in sweeping views of the Scandinavian city.

From the museum, cross over the Skeppsholmsbron Bridge, which was built in the 1800s in iron and is adorned with gilded crowns. Stop and take in the views. The city is especially serene at dusk. You’ll end up in Kungsträdgården, a tree-lined metropolitan park, where you can people-watch for a bit or keep heading towards dinner. It’s just about a 20-minute walk from Moderna Musset to Restaurant ChouChou.

ChouChou is a green space in Stockholm offering organic plant-based dishes. Start with a round or two of cocktails served alfresco on the patio. The Hot Buttered Rum is a must as it’s hard to find vegan versions of buttered spirits. For dinner, go inside the restaurant and order a la carte. Try the vegan Provencal Steak (389 SEK/$38), or introduce yourself to vegan versions of traditional Scandinavian cuisine by hitting up the buffet (269/$26 SEK). The buffet usually has Skagen as a starter, which is a local dish of faux-shrimp toast with caviar made from seaweed.

Not tired from traveling? A few blocks down you’ll find one of Stockholm’s coolest hotel bars, Guldbaren, aka The Gold Bar, at the Nobis Hotel Stockholm. The cocktail menu is globally inspired but you’d be remiss not to try the local concoction. “The Stockholm” is made with rhubarb, pink gin, grapefruit soda, and elderflower foam (150 SEK/$14). You can’t go wrong with an order of oysters (38 SEK/$3.75 each) and champagne (180 SEK/$17 a glass) to finish the night.

DAY 2:

Have breakfast at Hotel Skeppsholmen then get out on a self-guided sightseeing tour of Stockholm city. Start in Gamla Stan, the city’s Old Town, which is only about a 20-minute walk from the hotel. This city was founded on this island in the 13th century and today it boasts many cultural institutions housed in buildings from the 1700s and 1800s. Going on a guided tour at the Royal Palace (230 SEK/$22 entry and guided tour) is an absolute must. It remains His Majesty The King’s official residence with over 600 well-preserved rooms.

Visit the island of Djurgården which was once the royal hunting ground and is now jam-packed with some of the best things to do in Stockholm, including Gröna Lund, the oldest amusement park in Sweden with 30 rides. Admission is only 100 SEK/$9 so hop on a few rides to spark that inner child joy.

After you’ve ridden roller coasters to your heart’s content, walk to the ABBA The Museum (239 SEK/$23 entry) where you’ll have the chance to perform on stage along with holograms of the iconic Swedish band — much like their tour — and belt your heart out to one of their hits such as Mama Mia. In the museum, you’ll get to gaggle at ABBA’s sparkly costumes, view the gold records, sing your favorite ABBA songs in a recording studio, and more. Enjoy traditional Swedish dishes next door at The Visitor’s Bistro for lunch such as Toast Skagen (this one isn’t vegan) for 195 SEK/$19 or the classic Swedish veal meatballs with lingonberries for 225 SEK/$22.

Down the road is the Vasa Museum (entry starts at 170 SEK/$16) which is arguably the most unique cultural institution in the city. It’s Scandanvia’s most visited museum and houses the Vasa warship which sank nearby on its maiden journey in the harbor in 1628. It was salvaged 333 years later and remains the world’s best-preserved 17th-century ship.

For dinner, head to Cirkus — don’t expect there to be any contortionists or clowns. In its heyday in the late 1800s, it was indeed a circus venue but today it’s a bistro serving classic Swedish dishes. Let the chef surprise your taste buds by enjoying the five-course tasting menu for 595 SEK/$58. There are concerts and theater performances throughout the year so check to see what’s on during your visit to Stockholm and stay for dinner and a show. Take ferry 82 from Allmänna gränd to return to Hotel Skeppsholmen.

DAY 3:

Now that you’ve seen the best of what the city has to offer it’s time to get out on the water, after breakfast at the hotel. Vision of Stockholm offers tours from three to eight hours duration and private charters (1,800 SEK/$176 per guest for a group of 10) exploring the surrounding archipelago made up of over 30,000 islands. Many of the rugged wooded islands are uninhabited and excellent for hikes. Or, simply cruise around taking photos of rocky cliffs — and if you’re visiting in the warmer months take a dip into the water on the sandy shores.

The archipelago town of Vaxholm has a public ferry if you don’t want to splurge on a private boat ride. If you’re going private, some stops to consider include the Fjäderholmarna Islands in the west, the Svenska Högarna islets in the east, and the lighthouse on Landsort in the south.

Have lunch at Mälarpaviljongen, a gay-owned river-front bar and restaurant on the Stockholm canals. You can get right in for a swim in Riddarfjärden directly from the bar’s dock. Sip on innovative cocktails (158 SEK/$15) including the Fairy Godmother (gin, St-Germain, passion fruit puree, and lime juice), Witch Summer (whiskey, lemon juice, mint, and ginger beer), or a Happy Ending (vodka, Baileys, and double espresso).

For lunch, order grilled goat cheese (SEK 235/$23), dill fried herring (SEK 225/$22) from the Mälarpaviljongen menu, or order from the sister vegan and gluten-free eatery, The Green Queen located on the Norr Mälarstrand’s promenade.

Mälarpaviljongen is one of many establishments that lends itself to Stockholm being dubbed as an “open city” that’s a safe destination for LGBTQ+ travelers. 2024 marks 80 years since the decriminalization of homosexuality in Sweden and 10 years of full equal marriage. I felt very welcomed as a queer woman in Stockholm when I visited during Stockholm Pride, the Nordics’ largest Pride celebration. I was pleased that there were events specifically for queer women, which unfortunately isn’t all that common at Pride celebrations besides dyke marches or unofficial events at bars.

Bring your suitcase along and enjoy the afternoon here until you depart for your next destination.

We know that too much sitting and screen time isn’t good for us, both mentally and physically. But there’s nothing quite like seeing actual photo evidence of the adverse effects to make you wanna change your habits immediately.

Recently Iowa-based chiropractor Jake Boyle made a video showing how even the spines in young people under 35 are becoming increasingly more misshapen thanks to constantly looking down and forward while using phones and computers for hours at a time.

“We are all turning into those old hunched over people and there’s a reason behind it,” he says in the clip.

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As Dr. Boyle shows X-ray after X-ray of people born from 1992-2011 as he points out how the vertebrae in their neck go in the opposite direction of a normal spine.

“All the spinal segments are starting to go backwards like that. That’s what we want, that’s what a good spine looks like,” he says.

Meanwhile, the X-rays show the spine curving forward. Some even have a horn-like growth and the base of the skull known as an External Occipital Protuberance (EOP), which can cause stress and pain to the neck even while lying down.

One X-ray from a 12-year-old even showed early signs of arthritis. Arthritis! In a 12-year-old!

@desmoineschiro Younger generation turning into old hunched over people FAST #spinehealth #xrays #fyp #desmoineschiropractor ♬ original sound – Dr. Jake Boyle

Boyle’s warning: “bring those cellphones up. Otherwise you’ll be an old hunched over person by the time you’re 35.”

Understandably, people were eager for more fixes. Thankfully, Boyle offered a few additional tips in a follow-up video.

A majority of his advice revolved around making lifestyle changes, particularly with how we handled technology.

When working at a computer, for instance, Boyle urges folks to keep the screen at eye level or above, rest your arms on an arm rest and have your keyboard at the same level as your arms. Plus, do your best not to hunch forward and hover over the keyboard.

If you work at a desk for over an hour, Boyle suggests getting up and walking around–something also suggested by neuroscientist Andrew Huberman for different reasons. Basically, getting up and walking works wonders.

Or, when driving, Boyle says to keep the car seat in the straight position, rather than reclined.

Since sleeping is “potentially eight hours a night that you are molding your spine to poor posture,” Boyle recommends paying close attention to improving these habits. Ideally you’d be sleeping on your back on as thin a pillow as possible.

But if not, side-sleeping is okay, “so long as we have a large enough pillow that isn’t cranking our head down, or a thin enough pillow that isn’t cranking our head up,” ans using a pillow between the legs to keep the pelvis well aligned.

The “worst” way to sleep would be on your stomach, since it cranks the head to one side for hours at a time, which rotates and strains the trapezius muscles.

As for what not to do: Boyle says to avoid cracking your own neck, pulling your head forward while performing sit-ups, sitting on your wallet and only carrying a purse (or a kid) on one side.

Lastly, stretches and exercises.

“The Wall Angel”: press your butt, upper back and head against a wall and create a snow angel with your arms, never taking them off the wall. Do this 15-20 times in the morning, afternoon, and night.

Forearm planks: these help stabilize your core, which “helps out with everything in the body,” Boyles says. Just make sure to engage in proper form and not sag or arch. Do these for a minute, placing knees on the ground when needed.

Seated or Standing Rows: which help strengthen the back and retract shoulder blades.

Chin retractions: pretty simple and straightforward. Tuck the chin in towards the neck, then extend the chin up towards the sky. Then reverse the motion. Repeat 15-20 times every time you feel your upper back getting tense or have been at the desk for too long.

@desmoineschiro Every FREE thing you can do to avoid an upper back hunch! #spinehealth #chiropractor #fyp #desmoineschiropractor ♬ original sound – Dr. Jake Boyle

As the truism goes: “we are what we repeatedly do.” Adding even a few of these habits on a consistent basis every day can help offset the damages of our modern world. Just remember that there are no quick, easy fixes. Even for the young folks dealing with spine issues, it’s the result of how many years of formed habits? We know the days of not growing up with an iPad are long gone, after all.

If you’re curious to know more tips from Dr. Boyle, like which cervical correction product is actually worth the hype, you can follow him on TikTok here.

The oldest published version of the melody to the “Alphabet Song” was in 1761. However, because it’s the same melody as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “Baa Baa Black Sheep,” it’s hard to trace it to its original composer.

The “Alphabet Song” is so deeply entrenched in American culture that it almost seems sacrilegious to change a piece of music that’s one of the first most of us ever learned. But after all these years, some educators are altering the classic melody so that there is a variation when the letters L-M-N-O-P are sung.

This change shocked popular TikTokker Jessica Skube, who documents life raising 7 children with her 2.6 million followers. Nearly 10 million people have watched her video revealing the significant change, and it’s received over 56,000 comments since first being published in late 2020.

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“You guys, I have huge, huge, huge, huge, huge news,” Skube told her followers. “I have a fifth grader, a fifth grader, a fourth grader, a third grader, a third grader, a first grader, and a preschooler and I just got news that the ‘Alphabet Song’ is changing.”

She then sang the updated version of the song.

@jesssfamofficial

Just to add to your 2020 🤯😱 because distance learning wasn’t enough!!! @ms_frazzled #abcsong #lmno #wtf #momsoftiktok

The big reason for the change is that people learning English, whether young kids or those who speak it as a second language, often get confused because L-M-N-O-P can sound like one letter, “elemenopee.” So, the new version breaks up that part of the alphabet, making the letters easier to understand. There has been a “surge” in the number of students learning English as a second language over the past decade, so it only makes sense to alter the song to help them learn the fundamentals of the language.

It’s believed that this new version of the song was first created by a website called Dream English in 2012.

This article originally appeared on 9.27.23

A viral video showing a woman preparing nachos for her “picky” spouse after he refused to eat the salmon dinner she cooked has sparked a contentious debate on TikTok. The video was shared on April 26 by Brianna Greenfield (@themamabrianna on TikTok) and has since earned over 2.5 million views.

Brianna is a mother of two who lives in Iowa.

The video starts with Brianna grating a massive hunk of cheese with a caption that reads: “My husband didn’t eat the dinner that I made…So let’s make him some nachos.”

“If I don’t feed him, he literally won’t eat,” she wrote. “This used to irritate me. Now I just blame his mother for never making him try salmon,” Greenfield wrote. The video features Meghan Trainor’s single “Mother” playing in the background.

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At the end of the video, she hands her husband a huge plate of nachos while he lies on the couch under a blanket.

The video received over 11,000 comments on TikTok, primarily people saying that she shouldn’t have made a second meal for her husband and that he appears to be entitled.

@themamabrianna

Moral of the story: always serve your kids allllll the food, even if they say they dont like it after the first time. 25 years from now your child’s spouse will thank you. 😉 #momsoftiktok #momtok #momlife #workingmom #sahm #marriedlife #marriage #marriagehumor #wifelife #wivesoftiktok #happywifehappylife #pickyeater #pickyhusband #nachosfordinner #wivesoftiktok #cuisinartairfryer #humpday #guesswhatdayitis🐪 #guesswhatdayitis #eattherainbow

“If my husband came home after I cooked dinner and told me he wasn’t eating it to make something else I’d laugh in his face,” Rebecca Rose wrote. “This ain’t a marriage it’s a caretaker internship,” Ad Trèz added.

“It got worse with him wrapped in the blanket being served,” Lauren Becker wrote. “Ohhh…now I know what people mean when they refer to ‘the ick,'” Tara Townsend commented, referencing the moment when people realize that their attraction to someone has turned to repulsion.

However, Brianna believes that people are missing the point of her video. “Moral of the story: always serve your kids allllll the food, even if they say they don’t like it after the first time. 25 years from now your child’s spouse will thank you,” she captioned the post.

Brianna wasn’t trying to paint her husband as infantile but call attention to the fact that when parents don’t expose their children to different types of food, they can wind up with a relatively unsophisticated palette. She knew he didn’t like salmon when she made the dinner for her and her kids, so it wasn’t a surprise that he didn’t want it.

“If you have parents who don’t really like to try anything new, you will also be exposed to fewer new foods,” Marcia Pelchat, Ph.D. told Self—adding that the reverse is also true. When we have positive experiences with new foods, we are more likely to try unfamiliar tastes in the future.

Even though many took shots at Brianna and her husband, they took it all in stride and aren’t bothered by people who don’t know them.

“Thankfully, my husband and I have an excellent sense of humor and know the truth (that he is a wonderful husband and even better father), so we just think the reaction is genuinely entertaining,” she told Newsweek. “Some of the rude comments are hilariously clever!”

After the first video went viral, she posted another where she serves him macaroni and cheese, while he lays on the couch, under a blanket with numerous electronic devices around him.

@themamabrianna

Replying to @cokedoutsoccermom hot damn🔥 #momsoftiktok #momtok #momlife #workingmom #sahm #marriedlife #marriage #marriagehumor #wifelife #wivesoftiktok #happywifehappylife #pickyeater #pickyhusband #eattherainbow #macandcheese

This article originally appeared on 7.16.23

Although SZA jokingly sang about getting various cosmetic procedures on hit album SOS, it seems at least one of them turned out to be more trouble than it was worth. While she admitted that she had gotten the trendy but controversial Brazilian butt lift in an interview last year, in a more recent interview, she alo admitted that she was forced to have her breast implants removed.

Last week, People published a preview of SZA’s then-upcoming appearance on the podcast S.H.E. MD, where she told hosts Mary Alice Haney and Dr. Thais Aliabadi that she had painful fibrosis that prompted her to have the surgery reversed. “When I got my boobs done, my doctor took out some of my fibrosis,” she said, “but.. there was so much fibrosis, it was crazy… And so, when I went back, a lot of the concerns were gone.”

However, she said, proceding despite the risks turned out to be the wrong choice for her. “So basically, I put them in,” she recalled. “They ended up hurting me. I got way too much scar tissue because my breasts are too dense and I’m not supposed to have breast implants. And so I ended up getting extra fibrosis… and I didn’t feel good and it was painful. So, I took them out, and now, they’re just my boobs.”

SZA is far from the first or only star to opt for cosmetic surgery. Around the same time SZA was teasing fans with SOS snippets, Doja Cat also went under the knife; GloRilla also got implants last year, which were probably at least partially responsible for recent slip-up on Instagram early this month. SZA isn’t alone in getting a surgery reversed either; Cardi B admitted to having her BBL undone, warning fans to seek medical advice before going under the knife.

Barbie has many powerful messages, but let’s not forget about one that’s almost as important as America Ferrera’s big speech: It’s important to remember that Ryan Gosling is one handsome goofball. In a lot of movies he’s cast as deathly serious, and he’s very good when he’s deathly serious. But he lets loose on-screen so infrequently — The Nice Guys, his previous comedy, was released in 2016 — that the general public can forget that he’s one of the funniest people on the planet. If people still need a reminder, he’ll be hosting SNL again soon.

Though the sketch comedy show already has Ramy Youssef and Travis Scott lined up for March 30, they decided to announce the hosts/musical guests for the following two weeks. On April 6 they’re bringing back one of their finest alums, Kristen Wiig, who will appear alongside Raye. Gosling is scheduled for April 13, sharing the night with Chris Stapleton.

Gosling has hosted SNL twice, in 2015 and 2017. It was actually his fine work — including failing to hold it in during one of Kate McKinnon’s alien abductee sketches — that inspired Greta Gerwig to cast him as Barbie’s endearingly dim Ken.

As for Wiig, since leaving the show in 2012, she’s returned as host four times, including one of those “At Home” episodes in 2020, during which she let her freak flag fly by doing a sketch in which she played Brenda Fricker’s pigeon lady from Home Alone 2.

To recap: Wiig’s episode with Raye will happen on April 6 while Gosling’s episode with Chris Stapleton will occur on April 13.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Last week, Marjorie Taylor Greene flew off the handle after a British journalist asked the Georgia congresswoman about her infamous “Jewish space lasers” remarks. How dare anyone suggest Marge isn’t a serious politician tackling serious issues like… baby organ harvesting?

According to a posting on her official Twitter account, Greene is leading a hearing that will investigate the “black market of baby organ harvesting.” The special hearing will reportedly include testimony from anti-abortion activists David Daleiden and Terrisa Bukovinac, which is raising whatever eyebrows survived “baby organ harvesting.”

Via Raw Story:

Daleiden is an anti-abortion activist ordered to pay $2 million in damages to Planned Parenthood over accusations of conspiracy and eavesdropping, according to a Reuters report from October.

Bukovinac is an anti-abortion activist who appears in a 2022 feature from New York Magazine about Lauren Handy, a fellow activist who reportedly stored baby fetuses in her refrigerator until they were removed by police.

As Raw Story notes, Greene hasn’t provided details on the hearing, but it will most likely dabble in the unfounded and debunked conspiracy theories that Planned Parenthood sells fetal tissue for profit.

In the meantime, social media is having a field day with Greene’s weirdo announcement. Most notably, the odd choice to include a smiling photo of the congresswoman while tackling the extremely dark subject of harvesting baby organs. Greene is oddly bubbly for a congressional hearing on dead babies.

You can see some of the reactions below:

(Via Raw Story)

At long last, DL3 has a title. Dua Lipa‘s third album (and first since 2020’s Grammy-nominated Future Nostalgia) is called Radical Optimism.

“A couple years ago, a friend introduced me to the term Radical Optimism. It’s a concept that resonated with me, and I became more curious as I started to play with it and weave it into my life,” she said in a statement. “It struck me — the idea of going through chaos gracefully and feeling like you can weather any storm. At the same time, I found myself looking through the music history of psychedelia, trip hop, and Britpop. It has always felt so confidently optimistic to me, and that honesty and attitude is a feeling I took into my recording sessions.”

Dua Lipa previously described the album as “a bit more raw. I want to capture the essence of youth and freedom and having fun and just letting things happen, whether it’s good or bad. You can’t change it. You just have to roll with the punches of whatever’s happening in your life.”

Here’s everything to know ahead of the album’s release.

Release Date

Radical Optimism is out May 3 on Warner Records UK. Find more information here.

Tracklist

1. “End Of An Era”
2. “Houdini”
3. “Training Season”
4. “These Walls”
5. “Whatcha Doing”
6. “French Exit”
7. “Illusion”
8. “Falling Forever”
9. “Anything For Love”
10. “Maria”
11. “Happy For You”

Singles

The first single from Radical Optimism was “Houdini,” which has over 319 million streams on Spotify. The second single, “Training Season,” was released in February (she premiered the song at the Grammys). Dua Lipa hasn’t revealed what the third single will be.

Features

As of right now, there are no features on Dua Lipa’s new album. Maybe in the future, Radical Optimism will get a remix album, like Club Future Nostalgia, but nothing yet.

Artwork

Check out the album cover for Radical Optimism (ft. a shark) below.

Tour

Dua Lipa hasn’t announced a tour for Radical Optimism yet, but it’s coming. And it will be extensive. Her last tour, the Future Nostalgia Tour, lasted from February 2022 to November 2022, and she played nearly 100 shows.

Dua Lipa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

I know I said Flo Milli should strike while the iron is hot in my spring hip-hop albums preview, but she’s really going for it. Today, the Alabama rapper announced the surprising release for her long-awaited third studio album, Fine Ho, Stay: This Friday, March 15. Presumably, she would like to capitalize on the buzzy success of her viral single “Never Lose Me,” which even found its way into A-list stars’ Instagram Stories (see below), but a two-day turnaround from announcement to release is Beyoncé levels of audacity.

The fan part of me hopes the strategy will not only be successful but also catch wildfire among artists who want to take control of their careers and shock fans out of the weird complacency/demanding cycle we’ve been in the last couple of years. The journalist part of me is terrified it does because that spring preview was hard enough to pull together with the five announced projects and speculation. If they all start pulling these shenanigans, Imma be scrambling every Friday to figure out what’s even out. Still, you gotta love the chaotic energy, especially if it proves Joe Budden wrong (again) about his declaration that the “girl rapper wave is over.”

Fine Ho, Stay will be out on 3/15 via RCA Records.

We’ve heard “Houdini.” We’ve listened to “Training Season.” Now, the news Dua Lipa fans have been waiting for is here: Today (March 13), Lips announced Radical Optimism, her new album that’s set for release on May 3.

In a press release, Lipa says about the inspiration behind the project, “A couple years ago, a friend introduced me to the term Radical Optimism. It’s a concept that resonated with me, and I became more curious as I started to play with it and weave it into my life. It struck me — the idea of going through chaos gracefully and feeling like you can weather any storm. At the same time, I found myself looking through the music history of psychedelia, trip hop, and Britpop. It has always felt so confidently optimistic to me, and that honesty and attitude is a feeling I took into my recording sessions.”

The release further explains, “Inspired by Dua’s own self-discovery, Radical Optimism is an album that taps into the pure joy and happiness of having clarity in situations that once seemed impossible to face. The hard goodbyes and vulnerable beginnings that previously threatened to crush your soul, become milestones as you choose optimism and start to move with grace through the chaos.” It also notes Lipa worked on the project with Caroline Ailin, Danny L. Harle, Tobias Jesso Jr., and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker.

Find the Radical Optimism cover art and tracklist below.

Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism Album Cover Artwork

Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism Tracklist

1. “End Of An Era”
2. “Houdini”
3. “Training Season”
4. “These Walls”
5. “Whatcha Doing”
6. “French Exit”
7. “Illusion”
8. “Falling Forever”
9. “Anything For Love”
10. “Maria”
11. “Happy For You”

Radical Optimism is out 5/3 via Warner Records UK. Find more information here.

Dua Lipa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.