Category: News

There’s nothing like preparing for a new baby. The excitement and anticipation take hold and before you know what’s happening, your baby registry is five pages long full of things you’ve probably never heard of. I’ve been there before, and now, four kids later, I can tell you with absolute certainty that there are tons of things you actually don’t need. It’s easy to get carried away when everything is so tiny and cute, especially ’cause marketing around baby stuff is bananas. The following offers some alternative items to the ones you’ll likely only use a limited number of times before practicality takes over.

Many of us have been there, standing in the baby aisle looking like we’re smuggling an oddly shaped beach ball under our now-too-small maternity shirt contemplating between the many styles of pacifiers and different types of bottles. You’d be forgiven for spending an insane amount of money on bottles shaped like a deflated spaceship that guarantee your baby will never burp, when two weeks after they’re born you find out your baby actually prefers the $0.98 ones from Walmart. Figuring out what you really need is tricky enough, so let me help you out. Hold on to your bellies or shiny new babies folks, this list might blow your mind.

1. Put the Pee Pee Teepee down and back away slowly.

Aside from the word “teepee” being highly inappropriate for non-Indigenous people to use, you can go ahead and take this bad boy off your baby registry. If you’re not familiar with a “pee pee teepee,” it’s a cone-shaped item that goes on top of your little guy’s business so he doesn’t accidentally pee in his eyes or on the unsuspecting diaper changer. Here’s the thing, baby wipes or a baby washcloth work just as well. When my boys were little I’d just throw a wipe over their baby business while I changed the diaper, and once the dirty diaper was off, it’s easy to toss the used wipe in before trashing the diaper. Easy peasy and it’s one less thing to put on your list.

2. Diaper Genies are unnecessary and it’s easy to forget they exist.

I had such high hopes for my Diaper Genie as a first-time mom. They’re so cool, you shove a dirty diaper in there and twist. That’s it. It locks in the odor and makes a weird-looking segmented snake of dirty diapers. Alas, when your diaper pail is in one room and you’re changing a diaper on a wiggly baby in another, most times the diaper just winds up in the closest trash can. So just buy some small cheap trash cans to put in different rooms and then empty them at the end of the day. There’s only so much odor a diaper genie can hold and they only take special expensive trash bags. Save your money. Get some small trash cans and those little smell good bags to toss the smelly diapers.

3. You can buy a swaddler but you don’t actually need it.

I know this might be a controversial statement, but honestly those swaddlers are really expensive and babies quickly outgrow them. You can do the perfect swaddle with a receiving blanket for a fraction of the price and just as much energy. You know how babies come all bundled up when the nurse brings them in from the nursery? Yeah, that’s a really good swaddle that will give your snuggle bug the same coziness as an expensive swaddler.

4. You don’t have to be fancy and get a Baby Brezza.

Honestly, I had never heard of a Baby Brezza until I had my youngest, so I’m assuming its a newer invention. They’re certainly cool and also really expensive and unnecessary. These little doodads are like baby Keurigs but for formula. They hold powdered formula and water, you press a button and it supposedly perfectly mixes up a warm bottle of sustenance. The price tag on these things are about the same as a larger much more needed baby item, like a car seat-stroller combo. There have also been some concerns raised by pediatricians due to some bottles not getting enough formula added.

Take the guesswork out of it and just fill the bottles by hand. You can even put water in the bottles in advance and leave them out at room temperature and use a portable formula container to put premeasured scoops in. I know it’s no Baby Brezza, but you’ll be $200 richer and know exactly how much formula is going into your baby’s bottle.

5. Your baby doesn’t need fake grass to dry their bottles on.

Don’t laugh, a fake grass bottle dryer is something that actually once sat on my kitchen counter. That’s about all it did because I dang sure didn’t use it for more than the first week. When you’re sleep deprived, you want the easiest thing available and oftentimes that’s the top rack of the dishwasher or the dish rack that’s already on your countertop. The things we get suckered into buying is laughable sometimes. Besides it being esthetically pleasing, you don’t actually need it and a regular bottle rack, in fact, works better because there are no removable trees holding the nipples.

6. Side eye anyone that says you need embroidered burp cloths.

Don’t fall for it. Yes, purpose-made burp cloths can be super cute but they’re literally used to catch baby puke. These things are too small to cover the area needed to prevent your back and shoulder from becoming a casualty of a little guy eating too fast. Remember those receiving blankets we talked about earlier? Yeah, they are much more absorbent and cover more of your body to spare you having to change clothes. Those flannel blankets are versatile. You can use them for swaddling, to cover a car seat or stroller, for burp cloths or even a clean area to change the baby on. There’s no such thing as too many receiving blankets. I’ll make it easy for you, grab a pack here.

7. Skip the bulb syringe and splurge on the NoseFrida.

The hospital will give you a useless bulb syringe that only the nurses know how to work, because I swear no matter how hard you squeeze the bulb you barely get anything out. Bulb syringes even come with many newborn essential sets. I’m sure they work, but they seem to take way too much effort for the little bit of mucus they pull out. Get the NoseFrida—yes, it’s a little more expensive but it’s worth it, even though it seems gross. I promise the hygiene filter that goes in the tube will spare you from getting baby boogers in your mouth. You can literally use that thing well into the toddler years until your little one learns to blow their nose. Can’t speak highly enough of this thing and here’s a link to it here.

8. Do you really need a Pack ‘n’ Play that turns into a rocket ship?

OK, maybe it doesn’t turn into a rocket ship but some of those things are so outrageous that you might need to be a rocket scientist to put it together. Pack ‘n’ Plays are really convenient and a great investment for new parents, especially if you like to travel or have family out of state. You can use it so your baby can sleep in your bedroom until you’re ready for the switch to sleeping away from your little one. Just try not to get distracted by all the bells and whistles and stick to the basics. A Pack ‘n’ Play with a bassinet is really all you need. It’s much cheaper and you’ll use the bassinet piece much longer than the ones that come with other parts.

9. Expensive teething jewelry is overrated.

Fancy teething jewelry is cute and has become quite popular lately, but babies don’t really need it. They are perfectly happy with the normal water-filled teething rings or rubber ones that can be thrown in any diaper bag. They’re tried and true, plus they’re designed specifically for teething. While the jewelry is marketed for teething babies, doctors have warned that they’re not safe enough to use for that purpose. Besides, having a baby is expensive enough, no need to add to it when you can pick up teething rings at just about any store for a reasonable price.

The idea that everything for babies has to be the most expensive top-of-the-line things is just marketing. When it comes down to it, babies need very basic things: a safe place to sleep, food, diapers and lots of love. Everything else is extra and you can be as extra as you’d like but it should never feel like it’s a necessity. Your baby will love you whether you have the Baby Brezza or mix their bottles by hand, promise.

When Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969, the story of life on Earth was dramatically and forever changed. No longer were we bound to the land on our own planet. We had set foot on another orb in space, broken a new frontier, literally going where no man had gone before.

The words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” spoke to the technological advances that had catapulted the human race from the first sustained, powered human flight to landing a man on the moon in less than 70 years. It was truly an incredible feat.

That “one small step,” that people around the world watched on their television sets was seriously momentous. But the steps the world didn’t see were genuinely hilarious.

NASA has footage of astronauts trying to walk around on the moon’s low gravity, zero atmosphere surface, and apparently, it’s a lot harder than it looks. The graceful bouncing of astronauts we’ve seen in moon landing films belies how easy it was to fall and trip. And once you fall down in a huge space suit in gravity conditions your body isn’t used to, it’s not so easy to get back up again.

Universal Curiosity shared a montage of “moon bloopers,” if you will, sped up 2x for optimal comedic effect. Watch these brilliant space scientists stumble Three Stooges-style as they make their way around the moon:

u201cFunny footage of Apollo astronauts falling on the moon. Sped up 2x.nnCredit: NASAu201d

— Universal Curiosity (@Universal Curiosity)
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Eight of the 12 astronauts who have walked on the moon shared recollections of their time on the moon with Forbes in 2019. Nearly across the board, they talked about having a keen understanding of the historic nature of their moon missions, but also being totally focused on the checklists of what they needed to do while they were there. Each Apollo moon mission was limited by time, so there wasn’t a lot of opportunity to just goof around.

Some astronaut falls were accidental, including one that nearly cost astronaut Charlie Duke his life during the Apollo 16 mission. While jumping up and down on the moon to see how high he could go—not part of the mission—Duke lost his balance and fell backward onto his fiberglass shell backpack. Thankfully, it didn’t crack, but it was a deadly possibility that would have left him without life support and victim to the vacuum of space.

Other falls were planned experiments to see how the conditions on the moon affected human locomotion, providing valuable information for scientists. Still hilarious to watch, though.

This Dark5 documentary segment shares more details about why walking on the moon is such a challenge and the actually quite serious stories behind some of these falls:

Most people have had a friend that jokes around way too much. They’re constantly finding ways to rib you about something—sometimes it’s annoying but mostly you love it because the jokes are pretty funny. Well, that’s the situation with Martin Short and Conan O’Brien, where Short takes every opportunity he can to roast his buddy. O’Brien is funny all on his own, but seeing him continuing to walk right into the hilarious roastings is just a chef’s kiss.

This friendly act of Short poking fun at O’Brien happens so often that someone decided to put together a six-minute compilation video of nothing but O’Brien being teased by the fellow comedian. While most people would probably start getting a little miffed by the barrage of jokes at their expense, it all seems to be in good fun and O’Brien continues to invite him back on the show. Part of me thinks the long-time talk show host enjoyed being on the receiving end of the ribbing just as much as Short enjoyed doling it out. The compilation does provide some good chuckle moments, albeit at the expense of O’Brien.

In one clip Short tells O’Brien, “You look like Mr. Rogers, if Mr. Rogers drank before his show.” I mean, it’s kind of a compliment right? On the one hand you’re being compared to Mr. Rogers, the epitome of kindness. On the other hand, it’s a drunk Mr. Rogers. Jury’s out on how to take that joke, but laughing is the result. Check it out below.

Metro Boomin works like a machine, providing the sounds that have made up some of the biggest hits over the last decade. While he prospers behind the boards, the super producer also excels at bringing together different talents and creating magic. After a four-year hiatus since his last album which did just that, the RIAA diamond-certified multi-talent is ready to unleash his next album Heroes & Villains.

In a trailer shared on YouTube, a match can be found igniting a flame that later consumes an entire city. As menacing music plays in the background, the words “A Metro Boomin Album” appear on the screen before the video transitions to the aforementioned burning city with the words “Heroes & Villains” made up of their own flames on the concrete. The video closes with the album’s impending release date, confirming that Heroes & Villains will be available this fall on November 4.

Notably, the album’s title continues a heroic theme for the St. Louis producer who shared Not All Heroes Wear Capes in 2018. The album was led by “No Complaints” featuring Drake and Offset and includes appearances from Travis Scott, Gunna, Young Thug, Swae Lee, 21 Savage, WizKid, J Balvin, and more. With Not All Heroes reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, this follow-up is highly anticipated.

Check out Metro Boomin’s promotional trailer for Heroes & Villains above.

Heroes & Villains is out 11/4 via Boominati Worldwide and Republic. Pre-order it here.

Earlier this week, the NBA concluded its investigation into Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver’s history of racism, misogyny, and harassment within the workplace. The league determined the proper punishment for Sarver was a yearlong suspension and $10 million fine. Many across the NBA, including LeBron James and Chris Paul, have spoken up about the decision not being severe enough.

On Friday afternoon, NBPA Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio appeared on ESPN’s NBA Today to speak with Malika Andrews. Previously, Tremaglio issued a statement saying “Mr. Sarver should never hold a managerial position within our league again.” Andrews wanted to confirm and clarify Tremaglio’s stance, so she asked whether Tremaglio was calling for Sarver to be banned from the NBA.

“We are absolutely calling for that. We do not want him to be in a position where he is managing or engaging with individuals who are engaging with our players,” Tremaglio said. “We are absolutely clear from the findings that are in that report that we do not want him to be in that position.”

Andrews recognized Tremaglio repeatedly used “we” in answering the initial question, so she followed up by asking if Tremaglio’s sentiment represented the players themselves.

“I am speaking on behalf of our players,” Tremaglio said. “It is our players’ desire that, while we understand that there has been a thorough investigation and we’re very pleased that the NBA was able to follow through on that — because that’s clearly something we want to see happen — we also want to make it very clear that we do not want him back in a position where he will be impacting our players and those who serve our players on a daily basis.”

Those are pointed and powerful words from Tremaglio and her constituents. The conclusion is clear: The NBPA does not want Sarver to ever hold a position of power or influence within the league again.

Yes, the Rob Roy is just a Manhattan with Scotch whisky. But, wow, it’s a different beast. The drink is a 19th-century classic that deserves a lot more love than it gets. These days, most people order these as “Scotch Manhattans” or (even worse) a “Manhattan but with Scotch.” As a former high-end bartender, I can assure you that we know what a Rob Roy is without the explanation. Yes, this is literally a Manhattan variation with Scotch whisky, but that different base makes all the difference in the world.

So please…. just order it as a Rob Roy, okay? That name sounds cooler. (Rant over).

What we’re looking at here is a very classic cocktail that was devised at the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan in 1894 to celebrate and operetta called, you guessed it, Rob Roy. The drink and the operetta are all about Scottish folk hero Rob Roy MacGregor. You can read up on the exploits of MacGregor and his Highland posse on your own time. For now, let’s focus on the Scotch cocktail at hand.

Manhattans and their variations tend to be late-fall and winter cocktails thanks to the mix of woody botanicals, sweetness, spicy bourbon or rye whiskey, and orange that basically screams “the holidays!” The Rob Roy is much lighter than those full-bodied and often spicy old-school Manhattans made with American whiskey. The reason is that you need to use sweet or unpeated blended Scotch whisky. Those tend to be more orchard fruit-forward — apple and pear especially — with a nice honeyed base. Apples, pears, and honey are much more fall-adjacent. That’s just a fact, folks.

With all of that in mind, let’s jump into this recipe and stir up the perfect fall cocktail!

Also Read: The Top Five Cocktail Recipes of the Last Six Months

• Our ‘Perfect Whisky And Coke’ Recipe Uses The Last Brand You’d Expect
• The Hemingway Daiquiri Is A Deeply Refreshing Summer Cocktail — Here’s The (Very Simple) Real Recipe
• The Godfather Is A Simple Scotch Cocktail To Power You Through Winter
• Recipe: The Amaretto Sour Is The Ideal Cocktail To Close Out January
• The Tom Collins Is A Classic Cocktail That’s Perfect For The Hotter Days Ahead

Rob Roy

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. blended Scotch whisky
• 1 oz. sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
• Orange peel
• Luxardo Cherry
• Ice

I’m using an unpeated blended Scotch whisky, and you should too! You can absolutely make this with a peated blended malt, Johnnie Walker Green is a great choice for that. But this isn’t about peat, it’s about Highland whisky. For that vibe, I’m using Dewar’s 19, which has a wonderful base of honey, heather, and orchard fruits that really make this cocktail shine. It’s only $80 and makes a mean cocktail (yes, that’s cheap for a nearly 20-year-old scotch).

Remember, folks, the better the base spirit you use in your cocktail, the better that cocktail will taste.

What You’ll Need:

• Whisky glass (lowball), Nick and Nora, or cocktail glass
• Mixing jar
• Cocktail strainer
• Barspoon
• Fruit peeler

Method:

• Prechill the glass in the freezer.
• Add the whisky, vermouth, and bitters to the mixing jar. Give it a stir. Then add a handful of ice. Stir until the mixing jar is ice cold to touch (about 30 to 40 seconds).
• Strain the cocktail into the prechilled glass.
• Peel a thin orange rind (about the size of your thumb), express the oils over the cocktail (gently squeeze the orange side of the rind toward the drink while rolling/folding between your thumbs and index fingers), and then rub the peel all around the outside of the glass to coat it in more orange oils then toss. Spear a cherry. Serve.

Bottom Line:

This is — shockingly — lighter than a Manhattan. The orchard fruits and honey come through the barky botanical vermouth and bitters and create a nice balance. The sweetness of both whisky and vermouth blend nicely but don’t make the drink too sweet. It’s more like a hint of rock candy with some floral honey.

Overall, this is a warming-yet-light cocktail that makes you feel like leaves should be falling around you as your pick apples and start bonfires. The whisky is there but not overpowering. There’s balance, depth, and fall vibes through and through. Slàinte Mhath!

There were a number of show-stopping moments (and moments when we wished the show would truly stop) at this year’s Emmys, but the universally acclaimed moment was when Broadway legend Sheryl Lee Ralph took the stage to accept her Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and broke out in an emotional rendition of Endangered Species.

Ralph has been in the industry for decades, she was previously nominated for a Tony in 1981, but this is the first time she has been recognized. “I think I’m on the planet 999,” the actress told Variety the morning after her win. “I feel like I’m just still floating up there. Like I’m having an out-of-body experience. I know something has happened because the glitter has come off of my face. But the response has been crazy.”

After winning her Emmy, Ralph said that they went right back to work on the upcoming season of Abbott Elementary, where she plays the stern but loving teacher Barbara. “Abbott takes no tea for the fever. Abbott was like, we don’t care you won an Emmy last night, there’s work today! Bring yourself here today for work! There are no days off, no time off. Let’s get back to the work of making America’s new favorite TV show.”

Ralph mentioned that she had auditioned for Jackée Harry’s role on 227, which Harry won the Emmy for in 1987. Now Ralph joins her as being the only two Black women to win Oustanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. “Jackée tweeted at me,” Ralph says. “I was like, ‘Girl, you should have just called me!’ Who knew that that role of hers in 227, that the network wanted me. Maybe I just completely forgot all about that. But she was just like, ‘No, they wanted her for the role, but I got it and I won the Emmy. Now she’s got her own.’ That’s right! I got my own.”

You can see Ralph’s impeccable Emmy-winning comedic skills in the upcoming season of Abbott Elementary, which premieres on ABC on September 21st.

(Via Variety)

“Rock bottom” looks and feels different to everyone who experiences it. In the case of Rudy Giuliani, it is rumored to have involved a deep depression, heavy drinking binges, and nearly going broke — with an estimated $17,000 being spent on cigars and fountain pens over the span of six months.

This latest bit of intel, which The Daily Mail shared, comes from Andrew Kirtzman’s new book, Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of America’s Mayor. It’s not the first piece of hot gossip we’ve gotten from the book, which was released on September 13th. In the lead-up to its publication, we heard snippets of details about some of the stories it uncovered, including how Donald Trump allegedly refused to make Rudy secretary of state because of his drinking problem.

The biggest bombshell, however, gave a new insight into Donald and Rudy’s relationship. The book reveals that after riding the post-9/11 high of being named TIME’s Person of the Year and regularly referred to as “America’s Mayor,” Giuliani believed winning the Republican nomination for president in 2008 would be a cinch. But it wasn’t.

According to Kirtzman’s book, and interviews with Giuliani’s ex-wife Judith, Rudy went to a very dark place. And it was Trump, of all people, who helped lift his friend out of his depression and disappointment. “We moved into Mar-a-Lago and Donald kept our secret,” Judith told the author, adding that her then-husband was “always falling sh*tfaced somewhere.’”

While Giuliani eventually seemed to emerge from his depression, his stay at Mar-a-Lago didn’t exorcise all of Rudy’s demons. By 2013, the former New York City mayor was so broke that he ended up signing on to make infomercials for the identity theft protection service LifeLock. Ironically, people who signed up got a free document shredder.

What money did come into the Giuliani household was going quickly back out again. Kirtzman says that at one point, Rudy “blew $12,000 on cigars and $7,000 on fountain pens during one six-month period.” The one-time political force was now giving into his own “worst instincts” and was, according to the author, “professionally and politically adrift” in the summer of 2015, when Trump first approached him about endorsing him should he decide to run for president.

The rest, of course, is history — history still in the making — but does give some insight into why Rudy has regularly made a fool of himself to prop Trump up.

Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of America’s Mayor is on sale now.

(Via The Daily Mail)

Do Revenge, a teen dark comedy starring Maya Hawke and Riverdale’s Camila Mendes just hit Netflix today. The film, which fancies itself a Hitchcockian homage, features an inviting soundtrack of songs that will certainly appeal to not only today’s teen audiences, but also to those of us who have fond memories of certain songs in our teen years as well.

So for every song like Olivia Rodrigo’s “Brutal,” Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever,” and Tate McRae’s “She”s All I Wanna Be,” there’s also a heavy dose of Gen X and millennial teen classics like Third Eye Blind’s “How’s It Going To Be,” “Dreams” by The Cranberries and Fat Boy Slim’s “Praise You.”

Check out the complete list of songs that will appear on the Do Revenge soundtrack below.

Hayley Kiyoko – “For The Girls”
Robyn – “Do You Know (What It Takes)
Syd – “Cybah”
Olivia Rodrigo – “Brutal”
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – “The Impression That I Get”
Third Eye Blind – “How’s It Going To Be”
Chloe Moriondo – “I Eat Boys”
Rosalía – “Milionària”
Hole – “Celebrity Skin”
Le Tigre – “Deceptacon”
Blu DeTiger – “Blondes”
Mazie – “Dumb Dumb”
Caroline Polachek – “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings”
Kacy Hill – “Easy Going”
TOBi – “Move”
The Symphonic Pops – “How Bizarre” (orchestral version)
Maude Latour – “Kids In America”
Juliana Madrid – “Pretend”
Helen – “Bitter Bitch”
MUNA – “Silk Chiffon” (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)
Harvey Danger – “Flagpole Sitta”
Tate McRae – “She”s All I Wanna Be”
Pom Pom Squad – “Shame Reactions”
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever”
Chloe Adams – “Dead To Me (Simonyouth remix)”
Fatboy Slim – “Praise You”
Meredith Brooks – “Bitch”
The Cranberries – “Dreams”

Some of the artists mentioned here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

After her unauthorized parody, The People’s Joker, was pulled from the TIFF lineup after one showing, creator Vera Drew is setting the record straight on the film’s legal status and its future. In a new statement arriving after an outpouring of support for the “queer coming of age Joker Origin story,” Drew vowed to screen the film again once she locks down a distribution partner. As for the legal status of the film, Drew said that she went to “great lengths” to make sure The People’s Joker fell under “parody/fair use.”

More importantly, Drew never received a “cease and desist” from Warner Bros. Discovery, who owns the rights to the DC Comics characters. Instead, she received an “angry letter,” which prompted her to scale back the screening and shield TIFF from any blowback after they were generous enough not to pull the film entirely.

Drew ended her statement with a defiant message for the parody film’s supporters: “Free The People’s Joker!”

You can read Drew’s full statement below:

The eve of our premiere …. A media conglomerate that shall remain nameless sent me an angry letter (misreported as a “cease and desist”) pressuring to not screen. Any other film festival would have pulled us immediately, but after being fully transparent with TIFF, we agreed to premiere as planned while scaling back our later screenings to mitigate potential blowback. It was disappointing (especially since I went to great lengths with legal counsel to have it fall under parody/fair use) but I made this choice to protect our film’s future and to protect our new friends at TIFF who have been some of PJ’s biggest advocates.

The People’s Joker will screen again very soon at several other festivals worldwide. We are humbly seeking a distribution partner who believes in what we are doing, will protect us, and will eventually help us make this film accessible to trans people and their families everywhere.

FREE THE PEOPLE’S JOKER

So it appears this is far from over!

(Via Vera Drew on Twitter)