Month: December 2021

Despite already participating in a Verzuz opposite 2 Chainz last year, Rick Ross would love the chance to give the big homie his flowers on another. During an appearance on the daytime talk show The Real to promote his new album, Richer Than I Ever Been, Ross was asked which artist would be his favorite Verzuz opponent, to which he responded: “Jay-Z.”

“Why not?” he said. “To me, that’s what makes Verzuz special because it brings out the best in both parties. That’s a possibility, but I gotta give my flowers to the big homie. I got to. My homie gave me my first opportunity signing me to Def Jam Records, and he’s one-of-one.”

Unfortunately for Ross, it seems semi-unlikely that Jay would deign to participate in the hits battle series and certainly, the matchup that seems to be most cited on social media is the one with the most history behind it: Jay-Z vs. Nas. Still, that won’t stop fans from dreaming.

One of those fans turned out to be LA Reid, who recently caught flak for proposing a Verzuz between Beyonce and Mariah Carey. His suggestion was roundly criticized as being out-of-touch and lopsided, considering Mariah’s solo career began nearly a decade before Beyonce’s.

Check out the clip of Rick Ross praising Jay-Z above.

The 50th anniversary of founding Beatles member George Harrison‘s classic solo album, All Things Must Pass, is right around the corner. While the musician passed nearly two decades ago, his music continues to inspire. The album was just remastered by engineer Paul Hicks and to celebrate, a number of famous celebrities, musicians, and comedians got together to film a video alongside the track “My Sweet Lord.”

Fred Armisen stars in the video as a special agent who’s on the hunt to discover paranormal activities in Los Angeles. Harrison’s friends and former bandmates Ringo Starr and Jeff Lynne also make a cameo, along with actors Darren Criss, Jon Hamm, Mark Hamill, and Patton Oswalt, musicians “Weird Al” Yankovic and Reggie Watts, comedians Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, and even director Taika Waititi. The video also features Harrison’s wife Olivia Harrison and their son Dhani Harrison.

In as statement about the video, director Lance Bangs notes how “fulfilling” it was for him to create:

“Making this was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. The approach was to represent the song visually while these agents and inspectors kept missing the metaphysical wonder around them. Images are choreographed to the sounds of vocal melodies, guitar strums, drum patterns, chord changes. George threaded a sense of humor through all of his videos, so we kept that spirit and filled the cast with friends and admirers of his music, many coming from the current comedy landscape. I tracked down vintage prime lenses from some of the films George’s HandMade Films had produced, and I hope that viewers can feel a sense of wonder and searching while they watch it, and that the song continues to add to all of our lives.”

Watch Harrison’s video above.

All Things Must Pass reissue is out now via G.H. Estate/Universal Music Group. Get it here.

There’s no disputing the appeal and lasting importance of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Even if you’re not an avid beer drinker, you’ve probably heard about this iconic, beloved beer. It’s the beer that started the American pale ale craze and is so hoppy and refreshing that many people like to sneak it into IPA lists as well.

In 2021, you can find Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Hazy Little Thing, Torpedo, and various other Sierra Nevada beers in pretty much every grocery store or beer market in the country. But this kind of success doesn’t happen overnight. Way back in 1979, Paul Camusi and Ken Grossman founded Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California (where it’s still brewed to this day, along with a second brewery in North Carolina). The famed pale ale was launched in 1981 and took influence from the English pale ale style while adding a walloping hit of Cascade hops.

Forty years later, it’s one of the most popular beers in the country.

While I could drink nothing but Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and be reasonably happy. It would make me sad to know that I was missing out on so many other beers that have been influenced by this titan. So today, I decided to do yet another blind taste test. To broaden my palate, I blindly tasted beers (some pale ales and some IPAs) likely to appeal to fans of the pioneering beer.

They’re all fairly well known. Some have Cascade hops and some don’t. All are total bangers so this won’t be an easy ranking. Our lineup today includes:

• Oskar Blues Pale Ale
• Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA
• Troegs Perpetual IPA
• Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale
• Blue/Point Hoptical Illusion IPA
• Anchor Liberty IPA
• Half Acre Daisy Cutter Pale Ale
• Creature Comforts Automatic Pale Ale

Ready to dive in? Let’s broaden our drinking horizons!

Part 1: The Taste

Taste #1:

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, I found scents of pine trees, lemon zest, orange peel, and… that’s about it. On the palate, I was surprised to find a strange caramel malt backbone with a ton of expected citrus as well as resinous pine. The finish was dry, crisp, and ended with a bit of citrus and bitter, floral hops.

Overall, a decent beer, but a little more bitter than I’d like.

Taste #2:

Tasting Notes:

This beer is very citrus-centric upfront. It’s fairly one-dimensional with notes of lemon zest and orange peel with a little resinous, floral hops presence added in at the end of the nose. Sipping it reveals more of the same with notes of fur tips, dank hops, tangerines, and grapefruit.

The finish is slightly bitter, but not overly exciting.

Taste #3:

Tasting Notes:

A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. There are hints of freshly baked bread, caramel, wildflowers, pine, and orange zest. On the palate, I found flavors of dank, resinous fur tips, lemon curd, and biscuity malts. A floral finish ties everything together.

Taste #4:

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, I found aromas of Pine-Sol, cracked black pepper, caramel candy, fresh hay, and floral, herbal, dank hops. Sipping this brew brought forth flavors of ripe tropical fruits, bready malts, orange zest, and grapefruit. A dry, crisp finish closed things out.

This is the kind of beer that takes multiple tasting to find all of the flavors.

Taste #5:

Tasting Notes:

Taking a moment to nose this beer, I found hints of sweet yeast, ripe berries, tangerines, and dank, resinous pine. After taking a sip, I noticed notes of lemon zest, grapefruit, biscuity malts, and caramel. Maltier than most pale ales, it’s the kind of beer I’d drink all year long.

Taste #6:

Tasting Notes:

This beer’s nose is highlighted by notes of lemon zest, tangerine, grapefruit, and loads of resinous pine. The palate has a little more going on than the nose. While there are prevalent notes of orange, lime, and other citrus flavors, there are also dank pine and light, caramel malts.

From my notes: “A fairly well-rounded beer!”

Taste #7:

Tasting Notes:

There’s a lot of malt in this beer’s nose and that’s definitely not a bad thing. Paired with the bready, caramel-like malts are tropical fruits, citrus zest, dried hay, and slightly herbal, piney hops. The flavor was more of the same with a heavy malt backbone paired with grapefruit, tangerine, lime peels, and a nice bitter kick at the finish.

Taste #8:

Tasting Notes:

Complex aromas of biscuity malts, pine needles, orange peel, and herbal, slight baking spices met my nose first. On the palate, I found hints of wet grass, ripe tropical fruits, citrus zest, caramel malts, and a nice kick of piney, bitter hops at the finish.

Overall, a very well-rounded, exceptional beer.

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Blue/Point Hoptical Illusion IPA — Taste #2

ABV: 7%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Blue/Point has had a bit of a facelift in the last year in branding, but the quality that beer drinkers look forward to has remained the same. One of the brand’s best beers is Hoptical Illusion. This award-winning seven percent IPA that the brand refers to as “Long Island’s original IPA” is touted for its balance of malt and resinous, piney hops.

Bottom Line:

This isn’t a bad beer by any degree. It’s simply a little too citrus-centered for my liking. The orange, lemon, and general citrus notes kind of knock you off your feet if you aren’t ready for them.

7. Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA — Taste #1

ABV: 7.5%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

The Beer:

There’s a reason Bear Republic Racer 5 commonly makes lists ranking the best IPAs. This 7.5 percent West Coast IPA has a notable malt backbone along with myriad hops including Columbus, Cascade, Chinook, and Centennial hops.

Bottom Line:

If you’re a fan of a tart, bitter finish, you’ll love this beer. For me, I’d prefer a little more maltiness to take away from the hop sting. Still a very refreshing beer.

6. Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale — Taste #6

ABV: 6.5%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale is another iconic pale ale that has its own cult following. Launched in 2002, this 6.5 percent American pale ale definitely got inspiration from the success of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Brewed with Centennial, Cascade, and Comet hops, it’s hoppy and slightly bitter.

Bottom Line:

This beer is very complex with a nice, sweet malt backbone that pairs well with the tangy, bitter, piney hops included. It’s highly crushable on a warm day.

5. Anchor Liberty Ale — Taste #3

ABV: 6%

Average Price: $9 for a six-pack

The Beer:

Similar to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Anchor Liberty Ale has been around for decades. First launched in 1975, it was created (similarly to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale) to be an Americanized take on the classic English pale ale. This year-round 5.9 percent ABV beer is brewed with pale barley, Cascade hops, and top-fermenting yeast.

Bottom Line:

This is a very well-balanced, crisp beer that’s extremely easy to drink. It’s dry, slightly bitter, and definitely a beer I’d like to go back to for a second try. It just didn’t pop the way that the beers in the top half of the ranking did.

4. Half Acre Daisy Cutter Pale Ale — Taste #8

ABV: 5.2%

Average Price: $12 for a four-pack

The Beer:

First brewed back in 2009, Daisy Cutter was one of the first beers brewed by Chicago’s Half Acre and remains one of its most popular today. First a special release, this resinous, fruity, malty beer is beloved by beer fans, brewers, and bartenders alike.

Bottom Line:

This beer is all about balance. It has everything American beer fans crave. There’s enough malt backbone to compliment the pine and citrus flavors.

3. Troegs Perpetual IPA — Taste #7

ABV: 7.5%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This 7.5 percent ABV year-round imperial pale ale gets its explosive flavor from being brewed with Bravo, Chinook, Mt. Hood, Nugget, Cascade, and Citra hops. It’s well known for its combination of malts, resinous hops, and ripe fruit flavors.

Bottom Line:

This beer ticks all of the IPA/pale ale boxes. It’s slightly herbal, fruity, and has a nice balance between hops and malts with the hoppy sting beer drinkers expect.

2. Creature Comforts Automatic Pale Ale — Taste #4

ABV: 5.5%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

The Beer:

There’s a reason this 5.5 percent ABV pale ale is called “Automatic.” That’s because when you crack open one of these crisp, crushable pale ales, you can guarantee you’re going to be sipping on something amazing. This fan-favorite is known for its balance and drinkability.

Bottom Line:

This is a really complex beer loaded with various flavors that all seem to work together like a symphony. Pepper, citrus, malts — everything is where it should be.

1. Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale — Taste #5

ABV: 5%

Average Price: $8 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This sessional, five percent ABV pale ale is brewed with 2-row, Carapils, Crystal, and Munich malts along with classic Cascade hops. Like Liberty Ale and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, it doesn’t need any other hops to complete its epic flavor profile.

Bottom Line:

When it comes to comparing a beer to the beloved Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, it’s hard to top this beer. Slightly maltier than the aforementioned beer, it’s an incredible beer to sip in between Sierra Nevada Pale Ales or to star in its own drinking session.

This holiday season, don’t forget to take time to curl up in your favorite chair with a crackling piece of wood in the fireplace — and Baby Legs on the television.

Adult Swim has released “A Very Merry Rickmas Yule Log,” a looped 34-minute video of Rick and Morty taking a load off while watching some of their favorite shows and commercials from season one’s “Rixty Minutes” and season two’s “Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate,” including Ants in my Eyes Johnson, Gazorpazorpfield, and Jan Michael Vincent. It’s oddly relaxing, even with all the graphic violence.

Rick and Morty season five concluded earlier this year, but there won’t be a multi-year wait for new episodes, like in previous seasons. Season six will premiere at some point during 2022. “I keep saying, there’s gonna be so many more episodes,” Spencer Grammar (the voice of Summer) told Inverse. “They’re writing season six already and are probably going to start writing season seven soon.” Writer Alex Rubens echoed that work has already begun on season seven, tweeting, “Am I allowed to say we started writing Rick and Morty Season 7? (If not we didn’t and I’m not).”

Until then (whenever “then” is), you can watch the yule log video above.

Splinter Cell was an extremely popular franchise of games back in the 2000s and into the early 2010s. The stealth shooters were revolutionary at the time and were also some of the first games to make co-op a main selling point. However, the series came to a halt in 2013 after Splinter Cell: Blacklist. There have been plenty of rumors since then of sequels, reboots, and remakes, but as time went on, it started to feel like Splinter Cell was a series that would remain dormant.

That was until, to the surprise of many, Ubisoft announced in a blog post that Splinter Cell is indeed coming back. The first game in the series is going to receive a remake with the intention of not only bringing the series back, but also establishing its future. The game will be headed by the development team at Ubisoft Toronto and use their proprietary “Snowdrop” engine.

“To me, a remake takes what you’d do in a remaster and goes a little bit further with it,” producer Matt West said. “The original Splinter Cell has a lot that was amazing and revolutionary at the time it came out, 19 years ago. The gaming public now has an even more refined palate. So, I think it kind of has to be a remake as opposed to a remaster. Although we’re still in the very earliest stages of development, what we’re trying to do is make sure the spirit of the early games remains intact, in all of the ways that gave early Splinter Cell its identity.”

We’re fascinated to see what a Splinter Cell game looks like with modern video game sensibilities in mind. A lot of the features that made the Splinter Cell games unique back in the day are a regular part of gaming these days, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we don’t have a need for a new game. Splinter Cell fulfills a satisfying niche in the stealth shooter genre and a remake will give it an opportunity to explore more ways to make the game feel new and fresh. Not to mention, it will help establish the engine for future games.

Damian Lillard is one of the faces of adidas‘ roster of NBA players. The Portland Trail Blazers star who is known for coming up big on the court time after time is also on the list of basketball players who have a signature sneaker, and for years, the Dames have consistently been among adidas’ top sellers.

On Wednesday, adidas announced that the Dame 8 will hit stores and online retailers starting on Dec. 19. According to a release, Lillard, who uses boxing as a way to work out and is a well-documented fan of the sport, turned to boxing as a source of inspiration while designing the kicks.

“This shoe is special to me because it reflects a boxer’s mindset – working hard every single day, putting in the extra hours during training and bringing the heat right down to the last second of every game,” Lillard said.

Lillard wore a pair of the sneakers — the Respect My Name colorway — during the Blazers’ game against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.

That colorway, along a gray and teal variation of the 4th QTR K.O. colorway and the Dame Time colorway, will come sometime in 2022. But the first pair to drop are the bold purple and electric yellow 4th QTR K.O.s, which will release next week for $120.

After three iterations of Rolling Loud in the Los Angeles area with remarkably similar lineups, you’d think the traveling festival might be all out of surprises. But its latest iteration — this time, in a new location after a forced hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic — proves that the show’s organizers still have a few tricks up their sleeves, beginning with the new venue at the National Orange Show event center in San Bernardino.

One of the biggest surprises of the weekend was Kanye West’s guest appearance during Future’s headlining set on Sunday night, but Rolling Loud didn’t need big-name pop-outs to make an impression. Many of the billed artists at the Power 106 stage, such as KenTheMan, Teezo Touchdown, and Snot, were able to leave an imprint on the crowd as assuredly as the headliners’ special guests.

In particular, Chance The Rapper-co-signed Teezo Touchdown caught my eye as an unusual artist with a flair for the dramatic, who clearly puts a lot of work into his presentation — even if it’s a little off-putting at first. Teezo’s hype man, presenting himself as a boisterous coach character, did an almost 5-minute skit to begin the Texas artist’s set, which was a gamble given the short set times at Rolling Loud in general.

But Teezo, whose “gameday” outfits usually consist of an elaborate arrangement of nails — yes, like the kind from the hardware store — draped all over his football jersey (with pads!) and hair, backed up the eye-popping imagery with songs that the crowd clearly enjoyed. KenTheMan also left me with the sense that she’ll be climbing the Rolling Loud totem pole in due time thanks to her fun, engaging set.

Ever since my interview with Latto for Uproxx’s latest cover story, I can’t unsee the performance disparity between men and women rappers and who’s expected to do what onstage. For instance, Teezo’s set wound up being the most elaborate one — for the most part, the other male rappers kind of just stood there, reciting their lyrics and occasionally stage diving or yelling at the crowd to open up a mosh pit.

Meanwhile, the women I saw — Ken, Rico Nasty, and Flo Milli — went all out, either bringing dancers or other bells and whistles to their sets. Certainly they were a lot more dressed up than the guys, who mostly opted for some combination of jeans and shirts — although plenty wore jackets as a concession to chilly desert temperatures (Saturday night saw lows in the 30s).

With the new venue, which was likely a concession to the pandemic planning needs of the usual LA venue in Exposition Park, the layout was cozy and the organizers did a pretty okay job of incorporating permanent structures like the Orange Pavilion into the festival. The pavilion was turned into the Loud Factory, packing in a skate park, basketball courts, a bar, and a screen displaying the live Twitch feeds fans could escape the weather and get off their feet at the picnic tables positioned inside without missing sets from their favorite artists.

Meanwhile, with so many of my personal favorites like Cordae and Lil Nas X deep in album mode or committed to the Jingle Ball Tour, I got a chance to check out acts I might have ordinarily skipped, like Teezo. The mid-line artists at the Punx and Ciroc stages wound up offering the most entertainment value, as Kalan.FrFr and Drakeo The Ruler lived up to their billing, and undercards like Ty Dolla Sign perfectly set up the headliners, J. Cole, Future, and Kid Cudi.

Some notes, though: Sound issues plagued a number of acts, although they were quickly cleared up, so props to the sound and video teams. I wasn’t able to truly figure out the parking situation until the last day, but that may not be an issue at future iterations of the fest if my theory about the pandemic forcing the venue change pans out. The age limit on this year’s fest, despite being prompted by tragic events elsewhere, actually led to a more enjoyable fest for everyone. There was enough room to spread out, crowd crushes were basically non-existent, and there seemed to be a generally more respectful, chiller vibe than I got used to at previous Rolling Loud festivals. That one, maybe they should keep.

So many things changed this season on Succession, but despite all of the bizarre-themed birthday parties, lavish Italian weddings, and UTI scares, the endgame for everyone on this show remained the same. The goal is to be crowned king of Waystar Royco, right?

Obviously, if you’re a Roy child, there are other needs: the need to feel love from your parental figures, the need to prove yourself worthy of inheriting the throne, and, in Roman’s case, the twisted need to f*ck your own mother … but power, that’s the name of this gross little game and this season, some people lost it while others happened to gain some.

So who’s sitting pretty after the season finale and who has some serious corporate ladder-climbing still to do? We’re ranking the Roy family members (and Waystar Royco lackeys) based on their line of succession hopes after that explosive season three ending.

8. Kendall Roy, Shiv Roy, & Roman Roy (The F*cking Pedestrians)

All three Roy siblings are currently buried under a garbage fire of their own making when it comes to the company’s future leadership plans. These “f*cking pedestrians” thought they could beat their father at their own game and even though their carpool coup was exhilarating and, quite frankly, inspiring — in the immortal words of Tom Wambgans, we’ve seen these three get f*cked before. We’ve never seen Logan get f*cked once. They’re defeated, heartbroken, and, in Shiv’s case, currently occupied with murderous fantasies that end with her husband’s castration — but they’re working together for the first time and I’d hate to be the one facing their collective wrath next season.

7. One of Kendall’s Kids

It’s doubtful Logan Roy even remembers the names of his only grandchildren but this explicative-hurling tyrant has never met an impressionable, lonely, unloved kid he didn’t immediately try to mindf*ck so don’t count out these two.

6. Gerri Kellman

Gerri Kellman coined the new motto of single women everywhere when their extended family eventually quizzes them on their love lives this holiday season. “How does it serve my interests?” is a battle cry, a line drawn in the sand. The current Waystar Royco CEO has always been out for number one and she’s been nimble enough to dodge Congressional witch hunts and would-be-heir invasion attempts to sit atop the corporate food chain — for now. It’s unlikely she’ll take over the entire company, but weirder things have happened, and don’t forget, she’s got the best kind of blackmail material to ensure she has a place in this new regime: Roman Roy dick pics.

5. Connor Roy

Connor “The Eldest Son” Roy has finally realized his place in the line of succession and all these other b*tches better watch out. He’s got a new fiance — albeit one who’s so reluctant to marry him that the most romantic answer she could give to his proposal is “F*ck it” — his political campaign is (somehow) still alive, and he managed to avoid getting roped into his sibling’s Jacobin rebellion. The only problem: if the Swede does take over, Connor’s libertarian(ish) platform might be shut down. Oh, and did you see the way he was handling that butter knife? The guy is one family intervention away from skipping to the front of the inheritance line the ol fashioned way.

4. Tom Wambsgans

Look up “glow up” in the dictionary and you’ll find the season three arc of one Tom Wambsgans. From mulling over the ideal fermenting process for handcrafted prison toilet wine to going full Nero on the Waystar-Royco empire, Shiv Roy’s sperm donor has risen through the ranks rather quickly. He torpedoed the Roy sibling’s unionizing efforts and has seemingly graduated from bigot spigot manager to Logan Roy’s trusted lapdog. The only thing Tom didn’t anticipate was the fury of his wife scorned. He chose to make Greg his Sporus and push Shiv down the proverbial stairs and from the look she gave at the end of that final episode, Biblical retribution might be in store.

3. Cousin Greg

Barring Connor, Cousin Greg is the sole remaining family member with blood ties that’s somehow still on Logan Roy’s good side. His legal war with Greenpeace aside, there’s really not much to distract this lovable Ichabod Crane f*ck from running the game — except perhaps the possibility of a new title. If he truly is just one plane crash away from becoming Europe’s weirdest king, pursuing his claim to the dormant throne of Italy might become a distraction. Either way, we count this as a win for LackeySlack.

2. Lukas Mattson

A bored tech God in his lakeside Italian villa tearing entire family-run media empires apart, Alexander Skarsgard might look like this season’s surprise villain but the truth is, he was destined to overtake all of the Roy siblings in the ever-shuffling line of succession from his first utterance of “privacy, p*ssy, pasta.” This Hans Christian Anderf*ck has so much money that he now thinks success is cheughy, and he seems despondently depressed enough to make his power grab in the show’s season finale actually stick. After all, if your wet dream is to fail on a public scale, inherit a right-wing media conglomerate run by a brood of jargon-vomiting imbeciles harboring major daddy issues.

1. Smoothie Baby

Perhaps the most obvious choice for a successor to the Waystar Royco empire was staring up at us out of the crystal clear glass of a Maca root smoothie all along? After all, it’s clear Logan Roy doesn’t think too highly of any of his adult children. He’s made too many mistakes as a father, f*cked them up in ways so irrevocable, they can’t endure a routine board meeting without accidentally sexting him images of their junk. Maybe the best and easiest solution is to simply refine the baby batter and bake a new hellspawn? Smoothie baby is just an idea as of now — one we assume his assistant is on board with because there’s no way in hell Marcia is hosting this infant usurper — but he’s got promise. Built from almond butter and walnuts, the rotting remains of his siblings’ ambitions and his father’s family-destroying competitive streak, this tiny blob of potent Roy DNA gloop may be the one to one day, rule them all. Unless Roman kills him first. Good luck Smoothie baby, and Godspeed.

In 2014, Cece Bell published a graphic novel called El Deafo, which found enough popularity that Apple TV+ is adapting it into an animated children’s show. It turns out that Waxahatchee (aka Katie Crutchfield) wrote music for the series, and today, she shared one of those songs, “Tomorrow,” a jaunty and uplifting tune.

Crutchfield says of the soundtrack, “I’m so happy to finally announce an amazing project I had the honor of being a part of. Last year I wrote some original music for a new show on Apple TV+ called El Deafo, based on the book of the same name by a true hero, Cece Bell. Myself along with Rob Barbato spent a few months arranging and recording these tunes and it was an amazing experience all around.”

Other tracks Waxahatchee penned for the program include “Up In The Sky,” “Trampoline Love Song,” and “Mighty Bolt,” which are set to arrive when Merge releases the soundtrack on January 7, 2022, the same day the show premieres.

A publisher’s statement describes the original book:

“Starting at a new school is scary, especially with a giant hearing aid strapped to your chest! At her old school, everyone in Cece’s class was deaf. Here, she’s different. She’s sure the kids are staring at the Phonic Ear, the powerful aid that will help her hear her teacher. Too bad it also seems certain to repel potential friends.

Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher not just in the classroom but anywhere her teacher is in the school — in the hallway… in the teacher’s lounge.. in the bathroom! This is power. Maybe even superpower! Cece is on her way to becoming El Deafo, Listener For All. But the funny thing about being a superhero is that it’s just another way of feeling different… and lonely. Can Cece channel her powers into finding the thing she wants most, a true friend?”

Listen to “Tomorrow” above.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell just lost what might be his strangest legal case yet — and no, it has nothing to do with voter fraud or election tampering.

Lindell, who’s currently fielding a handful of lawsuits, including one from Dominion Voting Systems who’s suing him for $1.3 billion, was dealt a blow in his own libel suit against The Daily Mail (via Hollywood Reporter) this week over rumors they published concerning his dating life. The outlet ran a story earlier this year that claimed Lindell courted 30 Rock actress (and comedic national treasure) Jane Krakowski, engaging in a passionate affair with the star over the course of several months. According to the initial article, the romance was an “open secret” in Manhattan’s West Village, and though Krakowski’s friends may have been puzzled as to why she would date Lindell, it supposedly involved gifts, champagne, and liquor reportedly lavished upon her.

Both Lindell and Krakowski denied ever meeting each other, let alone engaging in a romantic relationship but, curiously, it was Lindell who took offense to having his name attached to a Hollywood star. His libel suit against The Daily Mail claimed that the story “disparaged his moral character” because it involved alcohol.

“They’ve done so much damage to my reputation,” Lindell previously told The Daily Beast. “They have damaged my integrity as a Christian and my network to help addicts everywhere.”

Unfortunately for the MyPillow czar, a judge decisively disagreed with Lindell’s claim, ruling that there was nothing in the article that appeared defamatory — to Lindell at least.

“Even assuming the romance never happened, the above description would not defame Lindell,” the ruling stated. “Dating an actress — secret or not — would not cause ‘public hatred,’ ‘shame,’ ‘ridicule,’ or any similar feeling towards Lindell. Both Lindell and Krakowski are unmarried adults, and Lindell’s alleged actions typify those of a person in a consenting relationship.”

Honestly, if anyone should be upset over this kind of Hollywood gossip, it’s Krakowski. Can you imagine having people think you dated a guy QAnon cult members think is the reincarnation of JFK, Jr?

(Via The Hollywood Reporter & The Daily Beast)