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I am not sure what you were up to at 12 years old, but I can tell you what I wasn’t doing: going to college. The same cannot be said for Caleb Anderson, who recently started his sophomore year at Chattahoochee Technical College in Marietta, GA.

It is no surprise that Caleb is on such a fast track. Before he could even speak he had learned sign language, according to First Coast News. At two years old, he was not only reading, but at a rather high level. As his family recalls, “By nine months old, he was able to sign over 250 words, and by 11 months old, he was speaking and reading.”

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By two years old, he was reading far beyond Dr. Seuss. His choice of literature also included the United States Constitution. At the age of three, he was not only learning English, but Spanish, French and even Mandarin. While he qualified for MENSA at age three, he didn’t join until he was five years old, still making him the youngest African-American boy to join, according to his parents.

Caleb flew through elementary, middle and high school. “As we started to interact with other parents, and had other children, then we started to realize how exceptional this experience was, because we had no other frame of reference,” said Caleb’s father, Kobi to First Coast News. Caleb’s mom Claire recalled her son saying: “Mom, I’m bored. This is not challenging. It’s really not helping me grow in my learning, and I think I’m ready for college.” Truth is, when I was 12 years old and bored, I was trying to find enough returnables to cash in so I could go play Space Invaders. Caleb is majoring in aerospace engineering. Hey, at least we both had space in common.

Because of Caleb’s age, his father Kobi has to accompany him on campus. “Yes, going back to college,” he chuckled. However, while most parents are able to assist their 12-year-old children with homework, not often does that include calculous two. “He has far surpassed me in math, so I can’t help him anymore.”

Caleb has two siblings, Aaron and Hannah, who are also also gifted. So one would have to ask how they went about raising such exceptional children. In response Claire gave this advice:

“Raise the child you have, not the child you want.

Fully invest in the skills and talents your child has and remember there are free resources.

Focus on creating a love for learning, not just the learning itself.

The end goal to what you teach them should go back to building character.

Teach them to appreciate the gifts other people have.

As parents, it’s important to remember you are always enough for your children.”

“I think people have a negative perspective when it comes to African-American boys. There are many other Calebs out there. African-American boys like him,” Claire said. “From being a teacher— I really believe that. But they don’t have the opportunity or the resources.”

Caleb is on pace to graduate college at the age of 14, and hopes to continue his education at MIT or Georgia Tech. As for me, I’m going to drink my last Fresca, and add it to the cans I am returning in exchange for a quarter and go find an arcade. Caleb, you can handle aerospace engineering and I will take care of Space Invaders.

The good news: Sex and the City is coming back, promising a too rare look at the sex lives of middle-aged women. They even rounded up the original cast — or, well, three-fourths of them, anyway. Because here’s the bad news: Only three of the main foursome are coming back. And the one not coming back is arguably the funniest and definitely the most sex-crazed: Kim Cattrall’s Samantha Jones. And — no offense to Carrie and Miranda and Charlotte — fans weren’t happy about it.

Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays the show’s main lead, the mysteriously generously paid journalist Carrie Bradshaw, famously no longer get along. They’ve been publicly fighting for years, so a Samantha-less revival isn’t exactly a shock. But learning that we’ll be getting Parker, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon but not Cattrall had people livid on Twitter.

Some argued that Samantha — with her quips about, let’s say, “Lawrence of my labia,” from the second Sex and the City movie — is the glue that holds the show together.

Others made wild speculations about what could have befallen her.

Others had outside-the-box solutions on how to bring Samantha, if not Cattralll, back.

Some thought that maybe, end of the day, this is a good thing.

In fact, someone had a great idea.

Even before the NFL aired its first playoff game on Nickelodeon, you couldn’t help but wonder where CBS had been hiding Nate Burleson all this time. The 11-year NFL veteran spent the pregame show before Bears-Saints on Sunday counting down the best sports-related moments from SpongeBob SquarePants. More importantly, he was selling the hell out of it. Burleson made jokes, quoted the show he clearly grew up watching and seemed to be having a blast. And then he called one of the best games as a color man we’ve seen in a spot no broadcaster has ever experienced.

Don’t get me wrong, Burleson is already a busy man. He’s been on the NFL on CBS studio broadcasts since 2017 and appears on Good Morning Football and Access Hollywood. But on a broadcast filled with slime cannons exploding after touchdowns, a Minecraft-inspired halftime highlight show and Nickelodeon’s first-ever f-bomb, Burleson was still the star of the show.

It cannot be said enough that this broadcast could have been an absolute disaster. Brand partnerships often happen not because they should, but because both willing parties see an opportunity to make money. And just because it might look fun it may not actually provide much value. But the broadcast, for those willing to give it a shot, was almost universally praised.

While Young Sheldon popping up on screen to explain penalties was nearly a deal-breaker, the broadcast was dominated by Burleson in his bag calling a playoff football broadcast on a children’s television network. Nostalgia is an easy thing to fall back on, but the broadcast wasn’t simply trotting out SpongeBob tropes and pandering to kids. What Nickelodeon aired on Sunday was a legitimately entertaining broadcast of a pretty underwhelming playoff football game.

When Bears wideout Javon Wims dropped an easy touchdown on a trick play in the first quarter, Burleson immediately noted that he had just made a tough play on the sideline and couldn’t make “the easy one.” The play deprived us an opportunity to see the hilarious slime cannons explode on the broadcast, but it was a perfect example of how, in a game broadcast on a cartoon network, Burleson managed to correctly convey the importance of the moment to the flow of the game.

While play-by-play man Noah Eagle made a point to include the other member of the broadcast team — actress Gabrielle Neveah Green, a rookie doing color as well — Burleson rarely needed any help. He seamlessly filled space not only providing meaningful commentary, but was able to give context to the kids potentially watching for the first time while entertaining everyone else whose curiosity had been piqued by the novelty of the broadcast.

It’s easy to make exceptionally lame analogies when trying to shoehorn things like cartoons and football together. But the analogies were actually pretty strong throughout the broadcast, and none were as cringe-worthy as Young Sheldon. Burleson explained that turnovers in football are kind of like when someone drops an easy pop up in kickball: you have to take advantage of a mistake while you can.

Later on, he explained a blocker getting “down under” someone’s pads to gain superior position on them “like Rocko’s Modern Life.” Along with the other subtle rule explanations from Eagle during the broadcast and Green adding interesting tidbits about NFL history, it actually made for a pretty well-rounded broadcast. And Burleson wasn’t afraid to call out a bad quarterback when he sees one, even if he did it a bit more gently than was maybe necessary.

Burleson later joked that when he gets older, he wants to be like Tommy Pickles from Rugrats.

“I wanna walk around in my diaper, just doing what I want,” he said. It’s important to note that Rugrats went off the air 16 years ago. But it was super impressive how many shows Nate referenced, and it was clear that he truly did grow up watching Nickelodeon and it had an impact on him. Perhaps that’s why it seemed like he had so much fun doing the broadcast, but the performance felt far from a gimmick. It can be a challenge not to talk down

And for every awkward interruption of a big play to let the audience know what flavor of ice cream the receiver likes best, Burleson was there to seamlessly pick up the slack and carry that language into an explanation of what happened and why it was a big play. The best sports broadcasts not only showcase the game, but also can teach you something new about what you’re seeing. No matter how old you are.

Good color work during a football game doesn’t always have to be Tony Romo-level predictions or breaking down mesh in real time, and Burleson never got that technical on a network where the first down line was a pulsating orange and green. But he proved himself more than capable of providing a great broadcast on Sunday, one that embraced all the fun that sports are supposed to be while not leaning too heavy into the ridiculousness of the graphics or the cheesiness that often comes with brand partnerships.

Not all playoff football games should be broadcast on Nickelodeon. In fact, the NFL may have picked the perfect game to put on the network because it was so lopsided and fairly uninteresting without all that slime. But Burleson proved on Sunday he belongs in the booth calling more than just games with Double Dare music beds leading into commercial breaks. He more than earned the shot, if it’s something he wants.

The NFL made its debut on Nickelodeon on Sunday as kids were subjected to the misery that is Chicago Bears football as Noah Eagle, Nate Burleson, and Gabrielle Nevaeh Green called the action from New Orleans as the Bears faced the Saints in the Wild Card round.

Coming into the game we knew Nickelodeon’s general plans for the game but seeing it in action was really something to behold. It didn’t take too long for us to get our first slime appearance of the game, as the Saints got an early touchdown from Drew Brees to Michael Thomas and the virtual slime cannons did their thing.

They also did some player to Nickelodeon character comparisons that were, well, a bit of a stretch but produced some very funny graphic side-by-sides.

As they cut to commercials, they would put wacky filters with burger hats and googly eyes on players.

The best part of the game was the performance of Nate Burleson, who at one point in the game was asked by Green what players do when they have to use the bathroom during the game and did his best to answer it in a G-rated manner.

There was also the NVP award that they had a fan vote for that turned disastrous in the fourth quarter when Mitch Trubisky was leading the voting by a healthy margin while down 21-3 with 107 yards passing.

They also brought in rules analyst Young Sheldon to explain various penalties to the dismay of many on the internet.

It was quite the broadcast, which many will remember as “the time Nickelodeon had its first ever F-bomb air,” and we’ll have to wait and see if it had the intended effect of bringing in a younger audience, but for a game that was dreadful from start to finish, having something different to watch was a welcome respite from having to deal with the Bears offense sans slime and googly eyes.

It’s been over a decade since the last time we saw Carrie Bradshaw and her three compatriots, who turned Manhattan into a playground of men, brunch, and high-end duds. So this should come as no surprise: Sex and the City, one of the shows that helped take HBO next level in the late ’90s, is coming back on HBO Max, albeit with three out of the original four main cast members returning.

The news was broken by star Sarah Jessica Parker, who took to Instagram to reveal a new short teaser, showing a much-changed New York City, as well as Carrie’s famous typing. Mind you, nothing’s shot yet: The production will begin in the spring, and the revival will run only 10 episodes.

What’s more, this abbreviated catch-up will only feature Parker’s Carrie, Kristin Davis’ Charlotte, and Cynthia Nixon’s Miranda. Not returning is Kim Cattrall, which means no Samantha, the most ravenous of the quartet. Cattrall’s feuds with Parker are infamous, and has even suggested the role be recast should they exhume it.

Sex and the City ran for six seasons spread from 1998 to 2008. It was followed by two big screen movies, the second of which was longer than even Goodfellas. The show broke ground in terms of female sex positivity, showing women proudly and enthusiastically pursuing and enjoying sex, all while being strong career women. (Although the more traditionalist Charlotte was not judged for wanting to settle down with a husband and family.) The new show will likely break ground, too: It will follow the characters in their 50s, and the number of shows or movies about middle-aged women with active sex lives is now, as then, thin on the ground.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Taylor Swift dominated 2020 by releasing not one, but two surprise albums. Just when the dust was settling from her pivot to indie on July’s Folklore, right before Christmas she announced another record, Evermore was coming. And even though it was released in mid-December, Evermore‘s impact is lingering into the new year. This week, the album returns to the top of the Billboard charts for a third week.

After spending the first two weeks at No. 1, Taylor was briefly unseated by Playboi Carti and his sophomore release, Whole Lotta Red. Though the Die Lit follow-up was hotly anticipated, it wasn’t quite the return to form fans were hoping for, a little too chaotic and inconsistent to be a classic record for the young rapper. After Carti’s No. 1, Evermore dropped to No. 2, but has climbed back up to the top for its fourth week on the chart. This marks 51 weeks in her career where Taylor has had the No. 1 album in the country, tying her with Michael Jackson.

Only three artists have more than 51 weeks total — Garth Brooks with 52, Elvis Presley with 56 weeks, and The Beatles with 132 weeks. Please note: Taylor is the only woman in these conversations. Critics have written about how the pair of albums helped Taylor reinvent herself, but fans seem to like the new Taylor just as much as the old one — if not more.

While most of America is still reeling from a violent, Pro-Trump mob that attacked the Capitol earlier this week, Lana Del Rey is busy sharing the tracklist and cover art for her new album, Chemtrails Over The Country Club. There’s nothing inherently bad about a pop star promoting their work, of course, but just as she took a moment last year to center herself and complain about struggles in the music industry while critiquing mostly women of color, Lana chose to bring thoughts about the recent events at the Capitol into her post about her soon-to-be-released album.

In a comment on her own Instagram post of the artwork, Lana wrote that some of her best friends are rappers, among other comments that came off as tone deaf to many. Here’s her comment in full:

I also want to say that with everything going on this year! And no this was not intended-these are my best friends, since you are asking today. And damn! As it happens when it comes to my amazing friends and this cover yes there are people of color on this records picture and that’s all I’ll say about that but thank you. My beautiful friend Valerie from Del Rio Mexico, my dearest friend Alex and my gorgeous friend Dakota Rain as well as my sweetheart Tatiana. these are my friends this is my life. We are all a beautiful mix of everything- some more than others which is visible and celebrated in everything I do. In 11 years working I have always been extremely inclusive without even trying to. My best friends are rappers my boyfriends have been rappers. My dearest friends have been from all over the place, so before you make comments again about a WOC/POC issue, I’m not the one storming the capital, I’m literally changing the world by putting my life and thoughts and love out there on the table 24 seven. Respect it.

The comment has since been deleted but Stereogum preserved a screenshot:

Just like last year when Lana refused to recognize her own privilege or apologize for comments about race that were insensitive and similarly tone deaf, fans are voicing frustrations that she would cite the “some of my best friends are Black” trope, a well-known deflection from self-examination. Here’s hoping she begins to understand why her recent comments keep inciting this kind of backlash.

A few thoughts from fed up fans:

I’ve never been a gardener. I love the idea, but my history of killing plants isn’t terribly inspiring. However, this year is different. I am doggedly determined to grow all the things because I will not allow 2020 to defeat me.

Is there a better symbol of hope than a garden? Planting a seed means you believe the future is imminent. Watching a sprout emerge from the soil and grow into a flourishing plant means life goes on. In addition, reaping the fruits and veggies of your efforts and giving thanks for the bounty that nature provides is perhaps the most basic, fundamental human act I can think of.

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During World War I, Americans were encouraged to plant “victory gardens” to provide food during the war—and they undoubtedly came in handy during the pandemic that overlapped with the end of the war. (Side note: Holy cow, those people were tough.) While our food supply has held up so far in this pandemic, we don’t know what will happen in the coming year or so before a vaccine becomes available. Growing some extra food seems as prudent as it is poetic.

Not only that, but gardening is good for you. Research from Princeton University has found that gardening at home had a powerful impact on a person’s emotional well-being—just like biking, walking or dining out. The benefits crossed racial demographics as well as urban and rural locations. And vegetable gardening in particular had a stronger benefit than ornamental gardening, which provides mainly aesthetic value.

But what if you’re not a natural gardener? What if you don’t know where to start? What if you don’t have any space to garden?

Even if you’re short on land and experience, you can still plant your own little victory garden. If you have a patio or balcony, or any bit of outdoor space, you can use containers instead of outdoor garden beds. My family has space in our yard, but decided to use containers anyway because it’s a lot easier than tilling the ground, preparing the soil, etc.

The previous owners of our house had left a few plastic planters, but to supplement them we bought a pack of these grow bags. They’re basically fabric pots—they almost feel like felted wool—and they’re more affordable than plastic or ceramic containers. They also designed for healthy aeration of the soil, which sounds like something fancy gardeners say. I have no idea what it means, but it sounds important.

Amazon

You can even choose different sizes of grow bags to accommodate your space and what you want to plant.

One nice thing about container gardening is that you don’t have to have a lot of tools. A simple set of small shoveling tools and some gardening glove will suffice. I learned quickly that digging your hands in the dirt without gloves might sound rustic and romantic, but it dries your hands and nails out something fierce.

And yet another advantage of container gardening is that you don’t have to figure out how to get your ground soil ready for planting. According to my gardener-by-nature friends, everyone’s soil is different, so there’s different things you have to add to it and mix into it to get the right balance of minerals— blah blah blah. No thank you. I want to be able to put my seeds or my plant into the dirt and go. With container gardening, you just buy a bag of potting soil (available at any garden center—we got ours at Walmart), dump it in the pot and voila! Ready-to-plant garden.

Lastly, you have to decide what to plant. If you’ve not gardened before, start with things that are easy and quick to grow, like peas and beans. Look at my beans and peas! I’m doing it! I’m doing it!

Annie Reneau

You also might consider starting with small plants instead of the seeds. They can take a while to germinate, depending on what you’re growing and If you don’t get an early start indoors, you might find growing from seed frustrating. That also depends on where you live. I live in the north, where we have a limited growing season.

Apparently, beginning gardening books are flying off the virtual shelves as more and more people are using social distancing time to plant a victory garden. But if video is more your speed, I highly recommend the YouTube channel Epic Gardening. Kevin Espiritu used to be like me—a know-nothing, wannabe gardener—and now he helps people learn how to grow stuff. He’s delightful and so helpful:

Epic Gardening Channel Trailer

www.youtube.com

If nothing else, a garden gives you a way to help life flourish (hopefully) and a place to see progress when it seems like the world is slipping backwards. Good luck, novice gardeners!

Every musician had a first time they picked up the guitar, bass, keyboard, etc. And as a professional musician, I can tell you that there is nothing more satisfying than creating music in your own home. Whether it is just picking up an acoustic guitar or producing your own original ideas, this list should help you get budding musicians of all ages well on their way.

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1. Fender FA-115 Dreadnought

An acoustic guitar is an instrument you can bring anywhere. This Fender FA-115 Dreadnought comes complete with everything you need including a soft guitar case (gig bag), tuner, strap, string and guitar picks. Fender has been around forever, and for around $200, this is bundle is everything you need to get started.

$199.99 on Amazon

2. ChromaCast Upright Guitar Stand

One item the Fender bundle does not have is a guitar stand, and the ChromaCast Upright Guitar Stand is solid inexpensive option. Not only is it easier than taking the guitar in and out of the case, but there is no motivation like an instrument sitting on a stand staring back at you, wondering why you aren’t practicing. The easy access coupled with the security of keeping your guitar upright is well worth the the $10. Leaning your guitar up agains the wall tells everyone, most importantly yourself, that you aren’t taking it seriously. Especially when you hear that clang after it falls over.

$10.98 on Amazon

3. Ibanez bass guitar

Bassists and drummers are always the most sought after components to a band. And unless you have a big house with sound proof rooms and lot of patience, the bass is the obvious gift. This Ibanez is a perfect first bass. Ibanez basses and guitars sound great and are underrated, in my opinion. I have a bass and guitar from Ibanez, and have never had the need for anything else.

$179.99 on Amazon

4. Ampeg BA-108v2 20-watt Bass Combo Amplifier

If you decide to gift a bass, you will want to include a bass amp. Ampeg is one of the top bass amp manufacturers in the industry, and the Ampeg BA-108v2 20-watt Bass Combo Amplifier is a fantastic choice to start out with. It has a great tone for the money and won’t shatter the windows in the process.

$149.99 on Amazon

5. YUWAKAYI 10 foot guitar cable

Unless otherwise specified, your guitar does not come with an instrument cable. There is no need to break the bank for a beginner, as some cables can be in excess of $60. The YUWAKAYI 10 foot guitar cable is $9 and is more than sufficient for those just starting out. When you start gigging and recording, you might want to look into upgrading, but for now it does the job just fine.

$8.99 on Amazon

6. Fender Squire Package

If you ask any guitarist what their first guitar was, they will most likely tell you it was a Fender Squire. This package comes with a guitar, amp, strings, tuner, chord, strap, picks and gig bag. For $370, you will be hard pressed to find a better deal than this.

$299.99 on Amazon

7. VOX AP2AC amPlug 2 AC30 Guitar/Bass Headphone Amplifier

If noise is an issue, VOX AP2AC amPlug 2 AC30 Guitar/Bass Headphone Amplifier is a beautiful thing. Vox makes great amps, and this little guy has a surprising sound for its size and price. Plug it into your guitar or bass and then plug headphones into the Vox. Then rock out without disturbing the neighbors, or anyone in your own house for that matter. It takes two AAA batteries that should give you anywhere from 7-11 hours of life.

$40.77 on Amazon

8. The Midiplus, 32-Key Midi Controller

If you have a Mac, then you have Garage Band, and The Midiplus, 32-Key Midi Controller is an inexpensive way to access sounds from Apple’s free recoding software. Garage Band has tons of software instruments from drums to cello, bass to guitar and way too much more to mention. Just plug the midi controller into the USB port on your Mac, and when you select an instrument in Garage Band each keystroke mimics the chosen sound. After a short learning curve, you can be producing full compositions in no time. Don’t get suckered in to buying keyboards with a lot of useless buttons. Midi controllers like this one are simple and easy to use, especially since everything you need is in the Garage Band program on your Mac. Not all iPads have USB ports, so be sure your computer has one.

$34.39 on Amazon

9. Shure SM58

Eventually, you will want a condenser mic to record vocals, but they are fragile and can stop working after they hit the floor even once. The Shure SM58 is the most trusted microphone out there, and has been used to record a bunch of hit records. It is widely used as live performance mic, but it does just fine in the studio, as well. Not to mention, you can run it over with a truck and it will still work. I have had the same one for as long as I can remember, and it has endured more than you can imagine. If “They don’t make ’em like they used to” the SM 58 is the exception to the rule.

$90.99 on Amazon

10. Tripod Boom Microphone Stand

You will need a mic stand. Whether you are recording, rehearsing or playing live, there are very few situations that don’t call for one. And besides, you can’t truly achieve proper rock stance without it. No need for anything fancy here. For $25 the AmazonBasics Tripod Boom Microphone Stand will do the trick.

$17.54 on Amazon

11. M-Audio Midi Interface Recording Software

Finally, if you want to record guitar, bass or vocals into Garage Band or any other recording software, you will need an interface to plug into. An interface is a small box where you plug in an instrument or mic cable, and then in turn plugs into your computer. Once plugged in, you can access what ever guitar/bass sounds your software offers, along with effects like delay, reverb and compression to put on your vocals and instruments. M-Audio is my pick for an interface that you won’t outgrow for some time, and is just over $100.

$149.00 on Amazon

These are just some of the gift options for those people in your life curious about trying the music thing out. If it takes, then you can upgrade as they grow as musicians. These are just a few ways to get them started with decent gear that won’t drain your bank account. If you can afford a little more, there are certainly a bevy of other options. If finances are tight, this is a good list to go on.

If you didn’t catch Sunday’s matchup between the Bears and Saints on Nickelodeon then you missed out on one of the most fun broadcasts of the year. Nickelodeon pulled out everything to make the entire broadcast feel like something that both kids and adults can enjoy. There wasn’t a single aspect of the entire game they didn’t think about and that includes the halftime show.

Your usual halftime show includes highlights and some analysis from a few experts that used to play football. The Nickelodeon halftime show did feature highlights, but not the kind you’re used to. These highlights were all block graphic style and something that felt very similar to the video game that has taken over the world, Minecraft.

Adorable. Cute. Inspired. These are a few of the words that come to mind when you watch block figure Michael Thomas breaking through the endzone for a touchdown or Javon Wims drop a touchdown pass. Of course, it would have been one thing if they had just shown some highlights as block figures and called it there, but they went the extra mile and added some much needed personality. Michael Thomas tap dancing in the endzone and dust appearing behind Wims as he sprints behind the defense were both nice details that made this feel special.

Minecraft first released all the way back in 2009 and what it has become is a media phenomenon that can only be matched by something like Fortnite. Back when it first came out it got compared a lot to Legos for its world being something that you could build or destroy completely at your own leisure. Now, whenever you see this kind of art style, you immediately think of Minecraft instead. It’s crazy to think that such a small game turned into something Nickelodeon is using for inspiration in their unique Bears-Saints broadcast.