Thankfully, her relationship with current boyfriend, now fiancee, Dalton Gomez, has been blessedly less dramatic, but it hasn’t been significantly longer, either. Quarantining together has certainly brought the new couple close, but let’s keep in mind this is the guy who inspired “Positions,” a No. 1 hit with the most tepid, traditional lyrics a woman could release in the year of our Lord, 2020 (“Cookin’ in the kitchen / And I’m in the bedroom”).
Then there’s the subject of her engagement ring, which is a surprising setting that includes a large oval diamond and a pearl, set east to west on the band together. Eagle eyed fans think they’ve uncovered the source of the unlikely pearl, as a family heirloom previously repurposed into a ring by Ariana’s grandmother that the singer shared back in 2014:
nonna had a ring made for me w/ the pearl from grandpa’s tie pin. she says he told her in a dream it’d protect me. <3 pic.twitter.com/BkvGSfuGWh
If this is the same pearl from her grandfather’s tie pin, transferred from this ring to her engagement band, then it’s definitely a sweet, meaningful gesture.
I’m still not sold on the speed of this relationship though, or those godawful “Positions” lyrics.
Talk about curbing your enthusiasm. Larry David has been one of the more entertaining entertainers during the pandemic, partly because it’s incredibly funny to imagine him — or at least his long-running small screen alter ego — grouchily and stubbornly navigating things like masks and social distancing. He even gave a great New York Times profile about that very thing! But if you were hoping for him to mine that for an entire season of Curb episodes, you’re out of luck: According to producer and writer Jeff Schaffer, Season 11 will skip to a post-COVID world.
To be fair, it actually makes perfect sense. Schaeffer broke the news in an op-ed he wrote for The Hollywood Reporter (in a bit teased out by The A.V. Club), saying they had to consider where America would be when the episodes, which has been shooting since early November, finally dropped.
“We had to make the decision about what era we were writing — before, during or after COVID — and the real factor was when we would be premiering,” Schaeffer said. “We figured we would be coming out in the fall of 2021 and we didn’t want what we were writing in March of 2020 to be so timely that it would feel dated more than a year later.”
That said, it’s not like the pandemic won’t play a sizable role in how the onscreen Larry David navigates the world. “COVID definitely happened and we definitely talk about it…And Larry [the character] has opinions on all of it.” Schaffer adds, “I can’t tell you which characters got COVID, but I can definitely tell you that we do examine peoples’ behavior during the COVID era.”
Schaffer also says they started writing before the pandemic hit, which inevitably caused them to “change some things.” It’s not clear how much they changed — how large the pandemic will loom over the season’s antics. And it’s not even that optimistic to assume things will be (mostly) normal by next fall, what with multiple vaccines en route, and considering that there’s going to a portion of the country who refuses to take it. But even if stuff is still weird and bad, at least we can escape our problems by watching a show where even Larry David seems chiller than we are.
It’s always a good time for tasty, cheap brandy. That’s no small category, either. There’s a lot of quality juice at affordable price points — due to the fact that a fair amount of it is made here in the U.S. So while our parameter here is “under $30,” we’re not talking about swill. Any of these bottles would make a great last-minute holiday present for the dark spirits lover in your life.
At the very least, a bottle of brandy under the tree is a nice break from all the bourbon that gets, gifted, sipped, and talked about this time of year. Life is all about variety, after all.
The 15 bottles below are our picks for the best cheap bottles of brandy to buy right now. Perfect if you’re whipping up a batch of hot toddies to fight the cold winter nights. A quick note on deciphering brandy labels before we begin: In general, you’ll see VS, VSOP, and XO on bottles, like “Hennessey VSOP.” “VS” means “very special” and is a blend of at least two-year-old brandies. “VSOP” means “very superior old pale” and is a blend of at least four-year-old brandies. “XO” means “extra old” and is a blend of at least six-year-old brandies (sometimes this is called “Napoléon” as well). And, lastly, there’s “Hors d’âge” which means the brandy is aged for up to ten years or longer.
Of course, there are different words for each of these terms if the brandy is from, say, Spain. Also, brandy makers in the U.S. often use the French designations with zero respect for the age regulations they’re meant for, which adds a confusing wrinkle. Regardless, the info and the bottles here should get you started on your brandy journey, just in time for the holidays.
Style: California Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$11.99
The Brandy:
This American brandy is a blend of California winemaking and Kentucky bourbon ingenuity. The grapes are grown in California and the brandy is aged and bottled in Kentucky. According to the label, this brandy spends three years aging in oak before going into the bottle.
The Taste:
A distant note of grape juice underpins clear bourbon caramel and vanilla flavors. Light touches of bitterness and black pepper spice mingle with the caramel sweetness. That light spice carries on to a thin, sweet finish.
Bottom Line:
This is solidly in the “mixing” category. Brandy old fashioned, eggnog, mulled wine, and the aforementioned hot toddy are all viable candidates.
Korbel Brandy
Korbel
Style: California Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$12.99
The Brandy:
Korbel is a must-have for whipping up Wisconsin’s favorite drink, the brandy old fashioned. As with all the brandies on this list, that also makes it the perfect candidate for a hot toddy.
The Taste:
This Sonoma brandy actually gains a lot of depth over its two years in the barrel. There’s a clear sense of caramel that leans towards a butterscotch sweetness. The oak comes through with a hint of spice. There’s a slight minerality with a clear note of vinous grapes on the warming finish.
Bottom Line:
This is designed for the old fashioned. Use it for that! It also works really well with cola (especially Coke).
E&J VSOP Premium Brandy
E and J
Style: California Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$13.49
The Brandy:
E&J VSOP hails from the iconic Ernest and Julio Gallo Winery in Modesto, California. The juice is aged for two years before bottling, making it pretty versatile at this price point. You can drink this stuff in a highball or cocktail. It also works as a great dessert brandy. Pour some of this over a sponge cake or ice cream and you’ve got a nice boozy bump to that dessert.
The Taste:
Wet brown sugar mingles with baking spices and a note of sunny meadows. Cream soda dominates the palate with a wisp of bourbon vanilla, maple syrup, and plummy sherry. The end is bold and long-lasting with a return of the warming spice alongside a little bit of oak.
Bottom Line:
We’re still squarely in the mixing category with this one. Still, give it shot on the rocks or in a highball with some fizzy water to cool it down.
Paul Masson Grande Amber VSOP Brandy
Paul Masson
Style: California Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$14.20
The Brandy:
We can’t go on without hitting on Paul Masson’s VSOP. This is one of the better brandies you’ll find for under $20 in the U.S. This expression is the blend of Paul Masson’s Grand Amber (above) and imported Cognac. That addition of the real-deal stuff from France sets this brandy above the rest of the pack.
The Taste:
Notes of fatty hazelnuts and dry Champagne grapes lead the way. There’s a matrix of spices at play, with cloves out front. Cigar smoke, oily espresso beans, and freshly ground allspice round out the sip before it reaches a dry finish.
Bottom Line:
This is starting to get into workhorse brandy territory with applications in cocktails, highballs, and on the rocks working well with this expression.
St-Rémy VSOP
St. Remy
Style: French Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$14.99
The Brandy:
St-Rémy is a classic French gateway brandy. Its price point is the biggest draw, but the booze is backed up with a decent grape-forward essence. That’s thanks to a base wine that’s a blend of — deep breath — Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Gamay, Ugni Blanc, Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The juice is then aged for four years in small format French oak barrels before hitting the bottle.
The Taste:
This is a big departure from the Californian brandies populating this list thus far. Fruit orchards, rays of sunshine, and wildflowers lead the way on this sip. That wide-focus narrows on the palate to present ripe apricots and peaches with an almost honeysuckle floral hint that’s cut by a lemon rind citrus on the very end with a final dry, vinous touch.
Bottom Line:
You can warm this one up in a snifter, in the sense that it’s a solid entry point French brandy that’ll help build your palate and lead you to better things in the brandy world.
Korbel Brandy XS
Korbel
Style: Blended California Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$14.99
The Brandy:
Korbel XS is the “Extra Smooth” brandy that’s a stand out on this list. The brandy is spiked with vanilla, spices, sugars, and orange essence to really amp up the mixability of the brandy.
The Taste:
There’s a clear bitterness upfront with whiffs of orange and baking spices. Later, the taste leans into cream soda vanilla that errs a little saccharine. The spices, bitter orange, and soda pop vanilla all combine on a quick end that fades with a slight burn.
Bottom Line:
This works really well in an old fashioned or Brandy Alexander (think chocolate and orange with a creamy body).
E&J Brandy XO
E and J
Style: California Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$14.99
The Brandy:
E&J’s XO deserves some love. Although this is designated as an “XO,” it’s still only aged for a minimum of two years. It is, however, charcoal filtered. A lot of the harsher edges are whittled away through that process.
The Taste:
That classic creamy vanilla of U.S. produced brandy is front-and-center. There’s a good sense of rich toffee and very dark brown sugar on those vanilla coattails. The finish is velvety, creamy, sweet, and full of that continued presence of vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This is a dark, spicy, and sweet brandy that suits the Christmas sipping season where the eggnog flows and we all bathe in mulled wine.
Presidente Brandy
Presidente Brandy
Style: Mexican Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$15.99
The Brandy:
Mexico’s Presidente Brandy is making big waves in the U.S. and with good reason. This is a solid brandy at an accessible price. This was also one of the most popular drinks in Mexico for a very long time — so much so that it was the “National Drink of Mexico” at one point.
The Taste:
There are notes of vanilla that are tempered by rich marzipan. The vanilla dries out and has more of a saltwater taffy essence as oak, spice, and a hint of florals linger in the background. The finish holds onto the dryness and ends strong.
Bottom Line:
While you can drink this one neat or on the rocks, it really shines as a base spirit for a great cocktail.
Raynal VSOP Brandy
Raynal
Style: French Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$16.79
The Brandy:
Raynal is one of the biggest French brandies in the United States. It’s the perfect balance between affordability and quality. The brandy is a blend of white grapes from Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne that are then aged in French oak for the requisite four years.
The Taste:
This brandy smells like velvet and nuts (walnuts and almonds dominate). Hints of freshly grated ginger spice things up with a nice underbelly of candied dried fruits next to a wisp of fresh flowers. The finish is vinous and dry, with a lingering moment of ginger and nuttiness.
Bottom Line:
That sharp ginger makes this a nice base for a sidecar cocktail spiked with ginger syrup. It’s also a quality brandy for a highball.
St-Rémy XO
St. Remy
Style: French Brandy ABV: 40% Average Price:$19.99
The Brandy:
St-Rémy XO is a mellowed and very tasty brandy that’s always around $20 a bottle. This brandy is a masterclass in French grapes. It blends distilled wines from Burgundy, Champagne, Rhône Valley, Languedoc Roussillon, Loire Valley, Bordeaux, and Beaujolais into each bottle.
The Taste:
Figs, gingerbread, sun-dried grapes, and butterscotch are present up top. The sweetness of figs peak as a clear espresso bean bitterness counterpoints that fruity sweet edge. There’s an echo of wildflowers in the background as the bitterness and sweetness fades with a nice velvet texture at the end.
Bottom Line:
This is a solid sipper (with a little ice). Take your time with it to let it open up in the glass and then your senses.
Laird’s Straight Applejack 86
Lairds
Style: American Fruit Brandy ABV: 43% Average Price:$25.25
The Brandy:
This apple brandy, or applejack if you will, is 100 percent apple brandy made from 17 pounds of apples per bottle of brandy. This is a very German-American spirit with clear heritage derived from Germanic fruit brandies married to U.S. aging processes like bourbon and Tennessee whiskey.
The Taste:
Granny Smith apples baked in butter, cinnamon, bourbon vanilla and caramel, and brandy lead the way here. Then a billow of smoke arrives with a clear sense of the charred oak barrel. The vanilla, spice, and tart apple carry through to a bold and warm finish that feels like the ghosts of a fallow apple orchard.
Bottom Line:
This is nice on the rocks or as a funky and fruity old fashioned base.
Lustau Brandy Solera Gran Reserva
Lustau Brandy
Style: Spanish Brandy Distillery: Lustau Age: 40% Average Price:$26.40
The Brandy:
This is a shockingly decent brandy at this price point. Lustau is so revered in distilling circles that Ireland’s iconic Redbreast uses their used barrels to age one of their best high-end expressions. The Gran Reserva expression is aged in used Amontillado sherry casks for around three years under the Spanish sun in Jerez, Spain.
The Taste:
Orange, coconut oil, oak, vanilla, toasted almonds, and baking spices lead the way. There’s a real sense of freshly ground nutmeg and allspice that leads to a rich and buttery fruit cake full of sun-dried fruits. Espresso and dark chocolate bitterness cut in and highjack the spices, sending them to a warm and sunny end with a hint of dry Spanish grass.
Bottom Line:
Let this warm nicely in a big snifter and then take your time nosing and sipping. It’ll help you get a deeper knowledge and entry into the world of Spanish brandy.
This a real-deal brandy from Cognac. The heritage of this Cognac house goes back 24 generations to the 1600s. The juice is a blend of Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne grapes from some of the best vineyards in the Grande Champagne region of Cognac. The expression is then aged for two years in French oak before direct bottling without any meddling.
The Taste:
This is a dialed-in sip. Equally sweet and earthy prunes and dates lead towards a rush of wildflowers in full bloom. Soft notes of orange zest and lemon citrus dance with wisps of oaky smoke, Christmas spices, and deep green grape leaves. A note of lavender mingles with roasted nuts as the velvet finish hits flowers, fruit, and oak notes. This is pure sunshine.
Bottom Line:
Cognac for under $30? Sign us up! This is a decent sipper with a little warmth that really embraces you as it goes down.
This Greek spirit is a blend of brandy, Muscat wine, and botanicals (not unlike gin). It’s then aged for five years — hence the “Five Star” designation. This process makes for a wholly unique experience with botanicals like anise and rose shining through the distilled grape base.
The Taste:
Bold stone fruit, fresh honeycomb, and a field of wildflowers lead the way. Then the spices hit with a big dose of Christmas spices leading into a bowl of dried roses. The fruit comes back with a note of oak on the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a definite mixer for highballs. Really fizzy water, lots of ice, and a twist of lime or lemon really open this blend up in the glass.
This Cognac just squeaks by at $28.99 per bottle. This is a good entry-level brandy that has pretty solid name recognition. The juice is a blend of four to seven-year-old brandies made primarily from grapes grown in the Fins Bois region with a solid percentage of Petite Champagne grapes thrown in to balance things out.
The Taste:
Dried grapes, ripe apples and pears, and creamy chocolate mingle on the nose. The florals feel more like a fruit orchard in full bloom on a spring day. Coffee bitterness arrives next to barrel spiciness with a wisp of smoke lurking far in the background. The fruit and florals bring about a quiet-yet-warming final note.
Bottom Line:
Another Cognac for under $30? That’s a win for this list. It’s also a win for you. This is a very sippable brandy that also works as a great gift for any brandy lover.
Freddie Gibbs‘ Instagram page looks different from the average musician’s. Clicking on his Stories, one finds not typical promotional material but esoteric memes, fighting videos, and other crude content. But when the rapper opened the app Monday to share some more posts, he found his account had been banned.
Rather than getting frustrated at Instagram for kicking him off the site, Gibbs immediately responded with jokes.
This supposedly wasn’t Gibbs’ first time being kicked off the platform for the nature of his posts. In March, he claimed that representatives from Instagram had personally called him to inform him that he was being banned.
U know it’s fucked up when Instagram call u and tell u that u banned
Gibbs isn’t the only rapper to have been banned from Instagram recently. Back in August, Boosie Badazz’s Instagram page was banned from the site after he posted a pornographic photo — and he’s now gearing up to sue Mark Zuckerberg over the incident. “This is discrimination,” he said about being removed from the platform. He continued: “And my Black people are starting to tell me that ‘Boosie, this man is a racist. He knows you affect the Black community and make them smile every morning. Why he’s not giving you your page back when he gives all these people their page back? He might be trying to stop us from smiling.’”
Freddie Gibbs is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Evangelicals have stood beside Donald Trump despite everything — despite the “grab ’em by the p*ssy” tape, despite him paying porn stars for sex, despite him being Donald Trump. But perhaps no more. As per Mediate, one of the legends of the Christian movement, Pat Robertson, has had enough, joining the likes of Geraldo Rivera in calling for the outgoing president to finally concede the election he lost nearly two months ago.
It wasn’t that long ago that Robertson stood by Trump’s side. The 700 Club host and onetime failed presidential candidate was one of many conservatives who refused to accept Joe Biden’s win, saying, “It’s not over yet.” But on his show Monday, not only did he publicly say Biden was the nation’s incoming president, he told Trump, “you’ve had your day and it’s time to move on.”
But that’s not all. After a segment concerning Trump’s threatened 2024 run, he unloaded on 45. “With all his talent and the ability to raise money and grow large crowds, the president still lives in an alternate reality,” Robertson told his viewers. “He really does. People say, ‘Well, he lies about this, that, and the other.’ No, he isn’t lying. To him, that’s the truth.”
He wasn’t done: “He is very erratic and he’s fired people and he’s fought people and he’s insulted people… It’s a mixed bag.”
One of the keys to Trump’s presidential success — one of the reasons he still received over 70 million votes in 2020 — is that evangelicals have had his back, truly through thick and thin. Or at least they’ve hated Democrats more. Despite Trump’s Trumpiness, he’s given them what they want, advancing pro-Christian legislation and boasted about his pro-life bona fides. None of this has been particularly convincing, but it’s drawn them to his side, even when his opponent was more openly religious than he is.
So is this the end of Trump’s evangelical support? Can Trumpism survive if even Pat Robertson is calling him out? Will the Republican party move back toward a more traditional direction? It all remains to be seen. But this is more bad news for a president whose base is all he’s got.
In any case, a lot of people couldn’t believe they were agreeing with noted homophobe Pat Robertson.
Less than one month ago, I literally retweeted Jeb Bush. Today, I’m retweeting *Pat Robertson*
Noteworthy: Pat Robertson does a rundown of a bunch of Trump’s lies and notes Trump seems to believe this stuff. He “lives in an alternate reality…very erratic…it’s time to move on.” pic.twitter.com/9XLgIHS3mK
Congress finally passing a coronavirus stimulus bill is good news for the millions of Americans who have endured a difficult year of economic struggles and unemployment. But as is often the case with political dealings and life in 2020, there are plenty of other weird things that were included in the omnibus bill that passed after lengthy negotiations with potentially deadly consequences for Americans desperate for help from the federal government.
Not much gets done quickly in Congress, which is why these large bills often have lengthy addendums and other strangeness. It’s a complicated game of congressmen often slipping other projects into a bill meant for something very different.
the new COVID relief bill includes:
– $4’000’000’000 for navy weapons – $2’000’000’000 for air force missiles – $500’000’000 for israel – tax breaks if you own a race horse
And apparently one of those things is language that could make illegally streaming media content a felony that results in a hefty jail sentence. Via THR:
Perhaps most surprising, according to the text of the bill being circulated, illegal streaming for commercial profit could become a felony:
It’s been less than two weeks since Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) released his proposal to increase the penalties for those who would dare stream unlicensed works. In doing so, the North Carolina Senator flirted with danger. About a decade ago, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar made a similar proposal before it ended up dying as people worried about sending Justin Bieber to jail. (No, seriously.) This time, Tillis’ attempt was winning better reviews for more narrowly tailoring the provisions towards commercial operators rather than users. That said, it’s had very little time to circulate before evidently becoming part of the spending package. If passed, illegal streaming could carry up to 10 years in jail.
THR also notes that tax relief for funding TV and film productions is part of the language as well as a revamping of the U.S Copyright Office. That’s a lot of TV and media importance, but one has to also remember that those industries also provide jobs to many thousands of Americans. There’s no easy answer here, but it’s also clear that Americans are frustrated with the individual “stimulus” portion of the bill, so Congress may end up back where they started, sooner rather than later.
Monday evening was the deadline for contract extensions around the NBA and there was plenty of money flying around as teams locked in players from the 2017 draft class to keep them from hitting restricted free agency next summer.
Among those that got an extension was Luke Kennard, the fourth-year sharpshooter out of Duke who the Clippers traded for on Draft night in a three-team deal sending Landry Shamet to the Brooklyn Nets. Kennard inked a four-year, $64 million extension on Monday, the same money the Clippers gave fellow wing Marcus Morris this offseason, which could very well look like a good deal for both sides provided Kennard’s knee issues don’t keep him off the court — which is why the deal includes $8 million of “reachable incentives” that likely protect L.A. some in case he misses significant time.
The Kennard extension makes sense for a Clippers team that has no real way of adding significant help with their cap situation as it stands and likely won’t moving forward — particularly if they’re able to work out a deal next summer to keep Kawhi Leonard in town. Still, for former Clipper Montrezl Harrell, who is now with the Lakers after not being offered what he wanted from the Clippers this summer or last when he was extension eligible, seeing Kennard get paid when he didn’t as the Sixth Man of the Year caused him to be a bit confused.
Harrell laughs it off in his response on Twitter, but it probably does sting a bit to see this happen given how much he gave to the Clippers. A strong season in the other Staples Center locker room, however, will put Harrell in prime position to get paid next summer and if he can help the Lakers repeat, he will be laughing again in July.
Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is set to be an important moment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a big move for its star, Canadian actor Simu Liu. Liu has tweeted about representation in films often, and as recently as Sunday, he celebrated the casting news for Shang-Chi and its focus on amplifying Asian voices throughout its cast and crew.
-Asian cast -Asian Am Screenwriter (Dave Callaham) -Asian Am Director (Destin Daniel Cretton) -Asian Am Art Director -Asian Action Designers and Fight Choreographers -Asian American 1st AD -one of @TIME‘s Most Anticipated Films of 2021! pic.twitter.com/QS5x8uvY6o
But news of another casting announcement drew some criticism of Liu after a tweet criticizing a member of its cast for his history with Asian-Americans seemingly disappeared. Word spread over the weekend that Liu would be involved with Mark Wahlberg in Arthur the King.
But the casting news made many recall a critical 2018 tweet from Liu about Mark Wahlberg’s violent past regarding Asian-Americans. Wahlberg was twice charged with race-related crimes growing up in Boston, once serving time in jail for the assault of two Vietnamese men while apparently under the influence of drugs. Several people shared screenshots of the tweet, and others realized that the tweet no longer existed on Twitter.
On Monday, Liu shared an Instagram message that included a screenshot of one tweet critical of him, which also contained the now-deleted tweet in question. In the post’s caption, he addressed why he deleted the tweet in light of his role now working on the Shang-Chi project.
“I signed on to Arthur the King because I absolutely adored the script,” Liu wrote. “I was and am very passionate about bringing this story to the screen, and playing a character that is undoubtedly a positive representation of an Asian man.”
He then addressed the tweets he deleted, though he didn’t address Wahlberg by name in explaining which tweets he deleted and why.
“I deleted a couple of tweets I made regarding the past actions of one of my costars as a gesture of professionalism and to open to door to progressive conversations and (hopefully) positive change. Obviously it’d be pretty weird to go to work with that tweet still up,” he said. “I meant what I said in the moment; I was very angry hearing about what happened. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think there’s room to grow and work together to find an opportunity to educate and do some good- which I’m excited to do in addition to shooting the movie. Progressive discussion will lead to dialogue, and dialogue will lead to action.”
It’s good that Liu addressed what he did honestly, and at least provided a good explanation for why the tweets went missing and that he’s willing to create “progressive discussion” about something that is often quietly discussed when Wahlberg is involved in projects. Deleting old critical tweets is far less a crime than what Wahlberg actually did and pleaded guilty to doing, but it certainly created its own stir over the weekend.
Contract extension news was flying around on Monday afternoon as the deadline rapidly approached, and for the Toronto Raptors they managed to work out a pretty terrific deal for all sides with OG Anunoby.
Anunoby is coming off of his best season as a pro, taking on a bigger role after the departure of Kawhi Leonard and thriving, averaging 10.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for the Raptors on strong efficiency, hitting 50.5 percent from the field and 39 percent from three. There was some significant money being spent on the extension deadline day, headlined by Jonathan Issac and Luke Kennard, with Anunoby somewhat surprisingly falling in middle of those two deals at four years, $72 million. However, the big reason for that apparent bargain was the Raptors giving Anunoby a player option for 2024, which will allow him to enter free agency right as he hits his prime years, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Toronto Raptors forward O.G. Anunoby has agreed to a four-year, $72 million extension, including a player-option for the 2024-2025 season, @KlutchSports Head of Basketball Omar Wilkes tells ESPN.
The player option is often overlooked in terms of the value players and agents put on that, and it helped the Raptors get his overall salary down considerably in order to maintain flexibility for next summer — his cap hit next year will be just over four million more than his cap hold as a restricted free agent.
Anunoby has become a fast rising star for a Toronto team that has become one of the best in the league at developing home grown talent. They now have Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and Anunoby locked in for four more years, making for a very intriguing young core that they’ll look to add a splash signing to in 2021 to try and make a push for another title run.
The average American knows 600 people, according to a recent study by The New York Times. Now, you may have 900 “friends” on Facebook, but you probably don’t “know” all of them.
Another study found that the average American adult has 16 friends. They have “three friends for life, five people they really like and would hang out with one-on-one, and eight people they like but don’t spend time with one-on-one or seek out.”
Now, there are all different kinds of friends. There are those that you see just to have a good time. There are those that you go out with on couples’ dates. And there are those you may share a hobby or interest with, but the relationship doesn’t go much further than that.
What sets acquaintances, friends, and best friends apart is how comfortable we feel around them. Two ways to judge how they make you feel is whether you spending a lot of time together and if they can be trusted.
Author Ross McCammon created a simple test to gain some clarity about the level of comfort he feels about someone, he calls it the “Two Beers and a Puppy Test.”
The test is: To find out how you actually feel about someone, ask yourself: “Would I have two beers with this person?” And: “Would I allow this person to look after my puppy over a weekend?”
Some people are no and no. These people are to be avoided at all costs. Some people are yes and no. These people are to be cautiously trusted. Some people are no and yes. These people are no fun but they make the world a better place — for puppies, especially. And some people are yes and yes. These people are wonderful people and your life and work are better for having them in your life. Seek them out. Collaborate with them. Enjoy their company.
No, No — This is probably someone who shouldn’t be in your life. You don’t enjoy their company and they’re not someone that you can rely on when you need someone to lend a hand.
No, Yes — Unfortunately, this person isn’t that great of a hang, but they can be relied upon in a pinch. These are great people to have as neighbors.
Yes, No — These people are a lot of fun, but you can’t depend on them to be there when you really need them. These are like drinking buddies.
Yes, Yes — These are the golden people that you should work to keep in your life.
The test is a great way to evaluate people in your life but it’s also a way to look at ourselves. How would you rate yourself as a friend?
via Wikimedia Commons
Another fun way to evaluate people is a test I developed based on a quote by Oscar Wilde, the legendary 19th-century Irish poet, playwright, and author of “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”
“It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious,” Wilde once said.
Now, this test is more for those who aren’t shopping around from someone to watch their puppy but want to find people who are the most enjoyable to spend time around. I picture it as a spectrum with charming on one side and tedious on the other.
Charming Tedious
Someone can have a great sense of humor and make you laugh (charming) but at the same time like to complain a whole lot (tedious). So they’d fall in the middle.
There are others who are nothing but a joy to be around and are self-aware enough not to impose their drama or neurotic tendencies on you. These people would fall on the charming end of the spectrum.
Then they are those people who bring little to the table in terms of good humor and likeability but have a whole lot of baggage. These people would be ranked further down the tedious scale.
To put things even more simply, as Wilde once said, “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.”
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(@MollyJongFast) 
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