Category: News

Despite panicked headlines to the contrary, no amount of “rainbow fentanyl” found its way into an unsuspecting child’s Halloween treats this year. Turns out, people are not randomly mixing highly expensive drugs in with candy and then accidentally giving them to trick or treat-ers because we mentioned highly expensive, right? Like previous scare campaigns about THC candy accidentally making its way along side a bat-shaped Reese’s cup, the rainbow fentanyl thing never made sense, and now, the evidence is overwhelming.

Via Vice:

In response to a VICE News inquiry about whether there had been any incidents of kids being unintentionally exposed to fentanyl on or around Halloween, a DEA spokesperson sent previous statements and press releases, including a comment from the DEA’s administrator saying, “We’ve seen nothing that indicates that this is going to be related to Halloween.”

Other police agencies went so far as to issue statements debunking rumors and making it extra clear nothing nefarious happened with Halloween candy.

As sociology professor Joel Best told PBS in October, shadowy cartels have absolutely nothing to gain by randomly putting fentanyl in kids’ candy. As a business practice, it makes zero sense. None.

“If you give a dose of fentanyl to kids in elementary school, you have an excellent chance of killing them,” Best said. “If you do addict them, what are you going to do, try to take their lunch money? No one is trying to addict little kids to fentanyl.”

Of course, that fact should’ve been obvious, and yet, it didn’t stop media figures like Joe Rogan from spreading misinformation. The dude even got fact-checked on the air and still continued to agree with Dr. Phil that parents shouldn’t trust any candy that they didn’t buy themselves from the store. Rogan is giving Alex Jones a run for his money in not being able to resist every conspiracy theory that lands on his plate.

(Via Vice)

In a post-Elon Musk world, Twitter may now have a major racism problem (well, an even bigger major racism problem). How else does explain how the usage of the N-word went up a mind-blowing 500 percent in the wake of the Tesla founder’s reluctant takeover of the social media behemoth? While the official reason being given is a highly organized “trolling campaign,” it probably didn’t help the site’s reputation that its new owner is now using the site to float baseless conspiracy theories about the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband. But on Tuesday night, Trevor Noah offered up some other possibilities for the racist free-for-all.

From Atlanta, The Daily Show host offered up a range of possible explanations as to why Twitter became flooded with hate speech. “Who knows what it is,” he said. “It could be racist, yeah, it could be… You feel free and emboldened to say it now. Or it could be Black people watching Elon take over like, ‘THIS n***a.’ You don’t know which one it is.”

What Noah, and the rest of the world, does know, however, is that Musk isn’t wasting any time in trying to recoup the $44 billion he spent (a.k.a. was forced to spend) in order to purchase Twitter, most notably by announcing that verified users would now have to pay $20 per month for the meaningless blue checkmark next to their name — which he quickly lowered to $8.

Given Musk’s need to make Twitter profitable, and what Noah describes as the free speech people’s desire to only ever use their right to free speech to use the N-word (“Why do they never want to use their free speech to say words like ‘perambulate’ or ‘pusillanimous’?”), the host has come up with a brilliant suggestion: “If Elon Musk wants to make money from Twitter, what he should do: Don’t charge people for blue checkmarks… Charge white people to say the N-word. Twitter will be the most profitable company in history. Racists are going to be taking out loans.”

You can watch the full clip above, beginning around the 2:00 mark.

Here’s some non-problematic Harry Potter news for once: the grave site where Dobby died will remain open to Muggles.

The house-elf’s death scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (featuring very good acting from Daniel Radcliffe considering he was basically cradling and crying over E.T. in the river) was filmed at Freshwater West Beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, which has become a tourist spot for Harry Potter fans.

The difference between people visiting the dead Dobby beach and Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station, however, is that “environmental officials became concerned that the site’s popularity with tourists was having a negative effect on the beach and considered tearing the memorial down as part of an eight-month review,” according to the New York Times.

But a peaceful resolution has been reached.

Last week, Dobby’s grave site won a reprieve, when officials announced that it could stay, as long as visitors stopped leaving behind tributes to Dobby — or, from a different perspective, environmentally ruinous litter.

“The memorial to Dobby will remain at Freshwater West in the immediate term for people to enjoy,” the National Trust Wales wrote in an assessment. “The Trust is asking visitors to only take photos when visiting the memorial to help protect the wider landscape.”

In other words, don’t bring your nasty socks as a tribute. Thank you.

(Via the New York Times)

Grammy-winning artist and producer Pharrell continues to give us reasons to be happy! If his upcoming collaborations with BTS and Travis Scott weren’t enough to keep him busy, planning his breakout hip-hop festival, Something In The Water, should.

The festival set to take place next year from April 28 to 30, will make its triumphant return to the singer’s hometown, Virginia Beach. This year’s two-day event was held in Washington, DC after the star’s frustrations grew with the police department mishandling of his 25-year-old cousin Donovan Lynch’s death after being fatally shot by police.

Despite the last-minute location change, the festival still managed to completely sell out. However, as the feedback began to roll in, onlookers, including our own Wongo Okon, shared that the festival seemed to have lost its magic that came along with being oceanside. In his review, Okon penned, “While DC is still a part of the DMV area, this year’s edition of Something In The Water didn’t have that same feeling,” adding, “The showcase just felt like it was crammed into the country’s capital, and to a certain extent, it quite literally was.”

The Neptunes hitmaker took to social media to the formal announcement. Always an avid for his city, in the caption, Pharrell stresses residents of the state will receive priority. Local residents will have first dibs on general admission tickets beginning at 10 a.m. ET on November 5. Non-residents will have to wait until noon ET.

The lineup has not yet be released. To purchase tickets, visit the festival website.

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

Over the summer, Warner Brothers made the controversial move to scrap the half-filmed Batgirl movie, which did not land well with many fans, particularly those who are leading the forefront of the Brendan Fraiser Renassaince movement. This also inspired a larger, more complex conversation revolving around this question: Are all movies …bad now?

Probably not, but the “restructuring” of various movie studios seems to have a lot of directors scrambling at the idea that their movie could be next. The Russo Brothers, known for their longstanding relationship with Marvel, told Variety that the move was unprecedented. “It’s rare that I can think of something that high profile, that expensive, that was murdered in such a way,” Joe Russo said of the Batgirl debacle. “It’s sad, but we’re at a time in the business where corporate sociopathy is going to rear its head because people are scared.”

Even though some people are scared, the brothers don’t feel bothered by the changing tides in the movie industry. When they were told that their Netflix blockbuster The Gray Man, would only play in theaters for a week, Joe says that he wasn’t surprised. “I’ve got four kids, so I can identify Gen Z’s habits pretty accurately,” Joe Russo said. “They don’t have the same emotional connection to watching things in a theater.” Okay but some of them still do!

Russo also thinks that the golden age of films shattering records might be over as simultaneous theatrical/streaming releases become popular. The brother’s insanely successful Marvel movie Avengers: Endgame made over $1 billion in its first weekend in theaters. “It will never happen again,” Russo added. “That was an apex of that era of theatrical filmmaking.” James Cameron will probably have something to say about this in the coming weeks.

(Via Variety)

In probably the best case scenario you’re gonna get here, Joe Rogan mostly walked back his recent remarks to Tulsi Gabbard about public schools being forced to install litter boxes in restrooms to accommodate students who identify as furries. The urban legend, which originated in Canada, has been debunked for an entire year now, but that hasn’t stopped Republican politicians from spreading it on the campaign trail going into the midterm elections.

While hosting Gabbard on his show in mid-October, Rogan spread the thoroughly debunked myth with the following anecdote. Via Reuters:

Rogan claims to know a friend whose wife “works at a school that had to install a litter box in the girl’s room because there is a girl who’s a furry.”

“Her mother badgered the school until they agreed to put a litter box in one of the stalls,” Rogan tells Gabbard. He added that they “conned the school into putting this expletive litter box in a girl’s room.”

Obviously, that’s some incredibly thin and non-credible sourcing, which Rogan learned the hard way after he began getting peppered with messages that the litter box story is an “internet rumor.” On the most recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan admitted that he tried to verify his friend’s wife’s story, and it did not go well.

“So I contacted him again and I said, ‘Tell me exactly what she said and contact her and find out.’ She no longer works for that school. She works for another school. She contacted the other school. She didn’t get a response,” Rogan said via Mediaite.

However, before you give Rogan too much credit, he gave himself some wiggle room by saying he thinks some mom did try to request a litter box, which again, no. Nobody is doing this.

“I don’t think they actually did it,” Rogan said. “I think there was discussions about doing it because there was one particularly wacky mother, but there is — it doesn’t seem that there’s any proof that they put a litter box in there.”

(Via Mediaite)

The duets on Juan Gabriel’s upcoming album Los Dúo 3 were revealed last night (November 1). The late Mexican icon teamed up with artists like Danna Paola, and Lasso, and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty.

Before his death in 2016, Gabriel kicked off his Los Dúo album series a year prior. The first LP featured duets with Fifth Harmony, Marco Antonio Solís, and Vicente Fernández. The second album arrived a few months after with duets featuring J Balvin, Belinda, and Joan Sebastian. Los Dúo 3 will be Gabriel’s first posthumous release in the series.

On Gabriel’s social media accounts, the tracklist for Los Dúo 3 was unveiled along with the album’s release date. In 2016, Gabriel released “Gracias Al Sol,” the most famous Spanish version of CCR’s classic “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?.” Now Fogerty will be singing the song with Gabriel on his upcoming LP.

Mexican pop star Paola will be joining Gabriel on the song “De Mí Enamórate.” Venezuelan singer-songwriter Lasso collaborated with Gabriel on “Yo No Nací Para Amar.” He recently scored a huge hit this year with “Ojos Marrones.” Rising regional Mexican music singer Ángela Aguilar will feature on “Nada Más Decídete.” Her father, Pepe Aguilar, will appear on the song “Cada Vez Y Cada Vez.”

Last week, Gabriel’s estate released a new version of his classic “Déjame Vivir” featuring ex-RBD singer Anahí. Los Dúo 3 will be released on November 11.

Find the Los Dúo 3 tracklist below.

1. “Déjame Vivir” Feat. Anahí
2. “Por Qué Me Haces Llorar” Feat. Gloria Trevi
3. “Cada Vez Y Cada Vez” Feat. Pepe Aguilar
4. “De Mí Enamórate” Feat. Danna Paola
5. “He Venido A Pedirte Perdón” Feat. Mon Laferte
6. “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” Feat. John Fogerty
7. “Nada Más Decídete” Feat. Ángela Aguilar
8. “Luna Tras Luna” Feat. George Benson
9. “Yo No Nací Para Amar” Feat. Lasso
10. “Venecia Sin Ti” Feat. Charles Aznavour
11. “Te Doy 8 Días” Feat. La Adictiva
12. “Déjame” Feat. Luciano Pereyra
13. “Mía Un Año” Feat. Eslabon Armado
14. “Ya” Feat. Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga and La India

Los Dúo 3 is out 11/11 via Virgin US Music Latin. Pre-order it here.

American culture has always been obsessed with youth and vitality. It feels like after you reach the age of 35 you become invisible. That’s why we fret over gray hair and wrinkles and spend nearly $17 billion a year on cosmetic surgery.

The funny thing is that studies show people get happier as they age.

So why are we obsessing over being young when we should just relax and enjoy the self-acceptance and wisdom that comes with aging?

As people age, they also start to enjoy things that they previously didn’t like or hadn’t experienced. Older people are better at slowing down, being present and appreciating the world around them instead of looking to see what’s coming around the corner. They develop an instinctual knowledge that joy comes from being in the moment.

As people age, they develop a refined sense for food, drinks and the arts. Older people also have a lot less tolerance for other people’s baggage and appreciate healthy relationships.

A Reddit user by the name of fgfy4454 asked the online forum “What did you start liking the older you got?” and the responses showed an appreciation for the richness of life. The conversation also had an undercurrent of appreciation for the gifts that come with aging and a healthy disdain for the foolishness of youth.

Here are 17 of the best answers to the question, “What did you start liking the older you got?”

1.

“Spending time alone with myself.” — NobodyCool2844

EvilBosch added:

“I am very happy with my own company. Not a shut in at all, but certainly don’t feel compelled to always be chasing social contact. A weekend with nothing to do, and no social commitments sounds to me like a rare treat! But all folks are different. I’ve also known people who are basically the human equivalent of Labrador dogs – contantly needing attention and stroking, and who get sulky and cross (and bitey) when they don’t get it. We all exist on a continuum of introversion/extraversion, and that’s fine. But it’s the extravert’s fallacy that anyone who is happy with their own company must be somehow unfulfilled or leading a lesser life. Some of us prefer to quietly read a book.”

2.

“Sleeping.” — bletusibebusi

3.

“Comfy, quality socks.” — wildcard520

4.

“Myself.” — Sea-Professional-953

5.

“Quiet time.” — Pepperrr01

AteUrGrandma added:

“Sitting outside and doing nothing. As a kid, I always wondered why adults would do that.”

6.

“A new dish scrubber.” — 18gsir

IAmNotABritishSpy added:

“I was doing the washing up recently and realised I have a favourite pot to cook with, as it always washes out so easily.”

7.

“Not drinking alcohol. Hangovers feel worse, it’s an expensive habit, and it’s not as fun as it used to be.” — wicked-vibes

PasGuy55 added:

“Absolutely. A hangover now lasts until about 7pm. Nothing fun about spending the day feeling queasy.”

8.

“Tea instead of coffee. I used to pound coffee. But now it aggravates reflux and generally upsets my stomach more. A nice cup of tea especially earl grey with milk really does the trick.” — wormholeweapons

9.

“Vinegar. I absolutely HATED pickles, olives, and vinegar chips as a kid. I am now at the “extra pickles and banana peppers” phase of my sandwich journey through life.” — SickAssFoo_69

10.

“Compound interest.” — FatOldRugbyDude

11.

“Mustard. What a great condiment.” — Hei2

12.

“Old songs. Younger me always followed whatever is mainstream.” — Duschkopfe

13.

“Art museums. Used to think they were pretentious and boring growing up. Over time, thought about the process and effort it really takes to make that kind of work. Whole new perspective.” — bdruid117

14.

“Scented candles. I used to avoid “feminine” things because it’s not ‘manly’ to have nice stuff. But a couple of months ago I started lighting candles in my new apartment and now I can’t get enough from trying new scents. Currently, my favorite is apple cinnamon. Apparently being manly is bullshit and having nice stuff is fun.” — MemChoeret

15.

“People who don’t create or have drama in their lives or mine. At least not on purpose. Simple quiet relationships.” — themermaidbrain

16.

“I began falling for large women they became so much more attractive to me.” — DrGoldy2

17.

“Staying home on the weekends or just going to a friend’s house for a couple of beers instead of going out clubbing.” — No1_Knows_Its_Me

We know people can’t really read minds, but there are people who sure seem like they can. If you’ve ever witnessed an experienced mentalist do their thing, you understand. Sleight-of-hand tricks are one thing; even if they’re impressive, you kind of know the “magic” is simply well-practiced trickery. But with mentalism, you simply can’t figure out how they do it. It genuinely seems like they’re reading people’s minds.

I have an amateur magician friend who does mentalism tricks and it’s super trippy. One time, I watched him pull a piece of paper out of his wallet with a word my other friend was thinking of. He refuses to tell me how he does it, but he insists it’s something pretty much anyone can learn to do.

Famous mentalist Oz Pearlman recently joined the Seattle Seahawks at a team meeting about mental training. Pearlman made a name for himself as a contestant on “America’s Got Talent” and has since been in high demand. He wowed the whole team with his skills, and the reactions of the players and coaches were hilarious.

In a clip from the meeting, shared by ESPN, we can see Pearlman guess wide receiver DK Metcalf’s phone passcode, somehow transfer the name of a person wide receiver Penny Hart was thinking about onto the palm of his hand, and more.

The joy and befuddlement of the whole team are so relatable. How could anyone not be blown away by these feats?

Check it out:

u201cDK’s reaction when Oz Pearlman guessed his passcode ud83dude02 nn@OzTheMentalist had the @Seahawks on one with his mindreading.u201d

— ESPN (@ESPN)
1667144204

Penny Hart was just done. Can’t really blame him.

I have no idea how Pearlman did any of these tricks, but I know that my friend is right—anyone can learn to do (at least some) mentalism tricks. After watching this video, I did a little Googling to see if I could learn a simple mentalism trick to try out on my teenager. It was surprisingly easy to do successfully. (Disturbingly easy, in fact. I was able to plant a specific playing card—number and suit—in my son’s head with just a few simple and subtle hand gestures. Totally freaked him out.)

While traditional magic tricks rely on illusion and distraction, mentalism focuses primarily on the psychology of the audience. A mentalist knows how to read subtle body language and facial cues and also knows how to create their own physical and verbal cues that make people think about specific things.

Advanced mentalists like Pearlman, though are mind-blowing. How did he know that Penny Hart was thinking of his uncle Steve? Clearly, he didn’t plant that. And how did he get the word “Steve” onto his hand? Truly amazing.

Unfortunately, mentalism can easily be abused by con men and grifters, but when it’s done for pure entertainment purposes it’s so fun to watch. And in this case, the Seahawks also got a lesson on how powerful our minds and reading other people’s cues truly can be. Wise choice to drive home a point, Coach Carroll.

Somebody go check on Penny Hart, though. Poor guy’s going through some things.

Chloe Lippman might just be the happiest dog in New York City.

The 11-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback belongs to Dr. Lisa Lippman, a veterinarian with an expansive social media following who specializes in teaching pet owners how to spark joy in their furry friends.

With autumn fully underway, Dr. Lippman is sharing her top tips on how to keep pets happy, healthy, and frolicking with gusto, along with the importance of protection against fleas and ticks during this fall and winter season!

Know their cold tolerance and limits. Certain breeds have a lower tolerance to cold temperatures than others, which is important to keep in mind as the temperatures plummet. For example, Chloe has a short coat, and starts to shiver around 40 degrees. Other breeds—like huskies—are literally made for snow, so you may not need to worry about their body warmth as much.

Keeping our animals warm while outdoors begs the question of those adorable canine sweaters and coats: should we go with fashion, or function? Dr. Lippman says BOTH!

“Winter clothing is definitely a good idea for short hairs and some of the smaller breeds, since they have less insulation against the cold. And of course, isn’t it insanely cute to match? So we enjoy our outings without worrying about bringing any pests home with us, I also make sure Chloe has her Seresto^® collar to help kill and repel fleas and ticks through contact (so my sweet Chloe doesn’t need to be bitten first to be protected),” says Dr. Lippman.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Lisa Lippman

Ticks and fleas are a major killjoy. It’s really important to make sure you have flea and tick protection covered heading into the winter season. Many pet owners might not realize that several species of ticks, including the ones that cause Lyme disease, can remain active in fall and winter months. It’s a common misconception that once the air gets cold, pets are safe from fleas and ticks – this is definitely false!

Dr. Lippman says that the best flea and tick preventative is the one you use consistently and correctly. Dogs and cats are very susceptible to fleas and ticks during this time of year no matter where they live or spend their time. She finds Seresto^® collars work well for pets because of its ease of application, the assurance that comes from eight continuous months of long-lasting protection, and because it’s affordable and widely available. Chloe barely notices hers—and that’s a good thing!

Wipe their paws after outdoor walks. This is the equivalent of taking off wet socks after you come in from playing in the snow: very, very important! Frostbite is definitely a possibility even after the walk is over, and if they’ve been walking on shoveled sidewalks, the salt can irritate their skin which can lead to infection and pain. This is also a good time to check between their toes for any irritation or tiny wounds. Side note: some pets love being dried off with a hair dryer on a low-heat setting!

Make sure their collar is fitted and ID is current. Winter months are especially tough on pets that like to roam or play a game of hide-and-seek that you didn’t know you were playing! Dogs can lose their scent track in the snow more easily, so make sure their information is up to date, they are microchipped, and they’re wearing their pet ID tag. These steps will make it much easier to be reunited with your pet if you are separated.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Lisa Lippman

Remember, holiday gatherings can be overwhelming. Noise, strange people, loud music, and “scary” trick-or-treaters are all things that might terrify or over-excite your pet. They have no idea what’s going on, so it’s sometimes best to keep them in a quiet, safe room away from the festivities to help keep them calm. And with house guests continuously opening the door, it may allow pets an opportunity to slip out unnoticed.

Ensuring your pet is protected against fleas and ticks is also critical for holiday gatherings, as flea infestation can be detrimental to pets and their families and removal can take months, disrupting holiday fun. Arming your pet with a Seresto^® collar allows for more joy together with loved ones during the holiday season and removes the risk of any pest invasions.

Dr. Lippman says her favorite things to do with Chloe during the fall and winter season are being able to enjoy some “petflix and chill” time indoors with cuddly blankets and special dog treats or going on seasonal outings to pet-friendly places with friends. After all, that’s what pets are for—companionship! Protecting our pet’s joy and health is the gift that keeps on giving, including against fleas and ticks that are still a threat during the fall and winter seasons.

To learn about Dr. Lippman’s tips for a joy-filled fall with your pet, including the benefits of a Seresto^® collar for eight months of continuous protection against pests, visit FallPetList.com.

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