Month: January 2022

Look on any app store and you’ll see thousands upon thousands of options for games. We’ve seen waves of popular game obsessions roll through society, from Tetris to Angry Birds to Candy Crush, but there’s a new option taking the brain game world by storm.

You won’t find it in the app store. You won’t see advertisements for it, either. It doesn’t even have its own dedicated domain.

It’s called Wordle and the premise is simple. Every day, there’s a secret 5-letter word to guess and you have six tries to guess it. With each attempt, the game tells you if each letter you typed is a correct letter in the right place (green), a letter that’s in the word but in the wrong place (yellow) or a letter that’s not in the word at all (gray). You can only play the game once per day. Super simple and satisfyingly challenging.

But its origin story is where Wordle truly shines.

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It was created by artist and engineer Josh Wardle (“Wordle” is a play on his last name) and he made it not for cash or clout or commerce, but for love.

Wardle’s partner, Palak Shah, enjoys word games, so he decided to make one for her. According to The New York Times, Wordle was a side project for Wardle during the pandemic, and the intent of releasing it publicly is not—nor will it be, according to Wardle—to make money. He just wants people to enjoy it.

“I think people kind of appreciate that there’s this thing online that’s just fun,” Wardle told the Times. “It’s not trying to do anything shady with your data or your eyeballs. It’s just a game that’s fun.”

The fact that you can only play it once per day is a refreshing change from games and media that do everything they can to keep your attention and engage for as long as possible.

“I am a bit suspicious of mobile apps that demand your attention and send you push notifications to get more of your attention,” Wardle told BBC Radio 4. “I like the idea of doing the opposite of that—what about a game that deliberately doesn’t want much of your attention? Wordle is very simple and you can play it in three minutes, and that is all you get.”

No ads? No data collection? No algorithms trying to read your mind or push you toward something? Nope, nope and nope.

“I don’t understand why something can’t just be fun,” he told the BBC. “I don’t have to charge people money for this and ideally would like to keep it that way.”

When you play the game, which you can find here, you get an option at the end to share your results. This is what the share looks like—with no spoilers about the word or any of the letters:

Wordle 200 3/6

Wordle 200 3/6

— Annie Reneau (@Annie Reneau)
1641407266

The grey boxes are letters I typed that aren’t in the word, yellow boxes were letters that are in the word but not in the right place, and green letters are correct letters in the correct place. (This was my second day playing, and I was quite thrilled with getting the word in three tries. It took me all six tries yesterday to get the word “SIEGE.”)

As someone who loves word games, I find Wordle delightful to play. It’s quick and simple, but not easy. The difficulty depends on the word and what you initially guess, of course, but as it’s different every day it will never get old. Wardle told the Times that he started with 12,000 words, but narrowed it down to about 2,500 to keep most obscure words that most people wouldn’t be able to guess out. The key to a good game is to be challenging enough without feeling impossible, and Wordle fits that bill.

In a time when it feels like everything is complicated and/or profit-driven, having this pure little word game that wants nothing from us but a few minutes of fun is refreshing.

Thank you, Josh Wardle, for offering your sweet gift to us all, especially when we need wholesome simplicity more than ever.

Like Mare of Easttown, The White Lotus was only supposed to be a one-off. But in the case of both HBO shows, there were a lot of fans, and they wanted more. A second season of Mare and its plethora of Philadelphia-isms is still up in the air, but another round of The White Lotus was announced shortly after the first season wrapped, even if it meant ditching most (but probably not all) of its cast. A new group of vacationers (and put-upon resort staffers) will be put through the ringer, and now we know that one of them will be a major Sopranos alum.

As per Deadline, Michael Imperioli — Christopher Moltisanti, yes, though also Spider, the ill-fated mob bartender from Goodfellas — is the first announced name in White Lotus’ Season 2 cast. He’ll play Dominic Di Grasso, described as “a man traveling with his elderly father and recent college-graduate son.”

No word yet on who will be joining him on another, different Hawaiian resort in the White Lotus chain, but he may wind up knocking back fruity cocktails with Jennifer Coolidge, who earned the best reviews of her career as a grieving woman who may have found love in middle age (while also screwing over a kindly White Lotus employee she promised to help).

Imperioli was last seen, or at least heard from, in The Many Saints of Newark, the prequel movie to The Sopranos, in which he narrated as Christopher from beyond the grave, allowing his Hollywood aspiring mobster to finally find his way into the movies.

(Via Deadline)

It’s been a while since we heard from Mike Lindell, which is to say about a week. Late 2020 was a busy time for the MyPillow Guy. He staged a (sparsely attended) Fox News boycott for some reason, held a (barely watched) Thanksgiving “marathon,” all while trying — and failing — to bombard the Supreme Court with more voter fraud nonsense. But he’s been quiet since 2022 began, probably because Verizon banned him from sending text messages about kooky conspiracy theories.

Speaking of Verizon, Lindell says they recently alerted him to an interesting message: The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol siege subpoenaed them for his phone records. That’s what he told a CNBC reporter over text message. He added that in retaliation he had filed a complaint against both the committee and Verizon to halt the “corrupt subpoena.”

Lindell is not the first, and certainly not the last, Trump ally to try to keep documents away from the Jan. 6 committee. Trump has been doing that himself, even erroneously citing “executive privilege,” despite him no longer being president because he lost re-election by over seven million votes.

Since that loss in November of 2020, Lindell has spent, according to CNBC, a reported $25 million on false claims of election fraud. He’s also being sued by Dominion Voting Systems for a whopping $1.3 billion. When you throw in the legal headache around his lawsuit involving the also false claim that he was dating Jane Krakowski, let’s hope a lot of people are buying his expensive pillows.

(Via CNBC)

I’ve only had bourbon chicken in New Orleans once or twice. The NOLA staple is a Chinese-American centerpiece dish if you’re wandering around the French Quarter, but isn’t as widespread as one would expect throughout the rest of the country. Not yet, at least.

The dish is pretty simple — a very dark, sweet and sour sauce, chicken morsels, white rice, happiness. The origins go back to Bourbon Street and the Chinese migrant community that makes food along the heavily touristed lane. It seems the name was actually derived from simply being invented on Bourbon Street and bourbon whiskey wasn’t involved at all. Today, people have adapted the recipe and use bourbon whiskey in the base sauce. I, for one, think that’s a good addition as I love cooking with booze.

So while this recipe isn’t the old-school Bourbon Street version, it’s a hybrid of what I remember and from reading dozens of “bourbon chicken” recipes on the internet. I adjusted this slightly to my palate (and amped up the bourbon component). Otherwise, this is pretty damn easy and fast to make. You’ll have enough for four servings in under 20 minutes. And it has bourbon in it. That’s a win-win, folks!

Let’s dive in.

Bourbon Chicken

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• 1-lb. chicken (white and dark meat)
• 1 tsp. MSG (or sea salt)
• 1 tsp. white pepper
• 2 tbsp. corn starch (separated)
• 1/2 cup peanut oil
• 1 thumb finely grated ginger
• 2 diced green onions (whites and greens separated)
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 cup tap water
• 1/2 cup cooked rice (per serving)

A few quick asides. I ended up getting a small roaster and just deboning it. This wasn’t on purpose — my grocery store only had whole chickens for some reason when I went this morning. You don’t have to debone a whole chicken. Two small breasts and four small thighs (skinless and deboned) should be about one pound of chicken. By all means, use that instead of butchering your own chicken.

The rest is pretty straightforward items you can find in any grocery store. As for the bourbon, I’m using Evan Williams Black Label. I’ve been cooking with it all through the holidays and it really makes for a nice sauce base. It’s also affordable and easy-to-find enough to always have on hand for cooking, deglazing, etc.

Lastly, you can check out how I make rice on the stovetop here. Otherwise, follow the instructions on the packet of whichever rice you choose.

What You’ll Need:

• Wok or large frying pan
• Wooden spoon
• Box grater
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Kitchen knife
• Bowls

Method:

• Start by cutting the chicken into one-inch chunks. Add to a bowl with MSG (or salt), white pepper, and one tablespoon of corn starch. Mix well so that all the chicken is evenly coated.
• Finely mince the garlic, dice the green onion, and finely grate the ginger. Measure out the wet ingredients and sugar for easy cooking later. Set aside.
• Heat the peanut oil in a wok on high heat until it’s just starting to smoke. Add all of the chicken in one layer. Leave alone until the chicken browns on the bottom and then flip it over to brown on the other side (about two to three minutes per side).
• Once the chicken is browned and cooked through (maybe four to five minutes tops), remove from the wok into a waiting (clean) bowl.
• Pour off excess peanut oil but make sure to leave a thin layer in the wok.
• Add the ginger, garlic, and whites of the green onion to the wok (still on high heat) and stir for about 30 seconds or until very fragrant. Immediately add in the soy sauce, bourbon, vinegar, water, and sugar. Stir as the sauce starts to boil up.
• Reduce the heat to medium and allow the sauce to briskly simmer.
• Mix one tablespoon of corn starch with one tablespoon of water in a small cup, creating a slurry. Add to the simmering bourbon sauce while stirring to thicken.
• Once the sauce takes on the thickness of real maple syrup (on the thin side), add the chicken back in.
• Simmer for another two minutes to let the sauce thicken more and really bind to the chicken.
• Serve over about 1/2 cup of rice and garnish with diced green tops from the green onion and a glass of bourbon.

Bottom Line:

This is just lovely. It’s bright thanks to that vinegar and bourbon yet deeply umami filled. The ginger, garlic, and green onion soften while still holding onto their spice and sweetness while adding a nice textural element to the sauce.

The chicken is soft and juicy and has a nice little crunch to it from time to time. Thanks to the cornstarch coating, it truly feels like it’s coated with sauce and not just boiled in the sauce. There’s great textural depth is what I’m getting at, and it feels like good take out more than “homemade.”

Overall, if you’re making yourself some lunch for the week, this is a great option. Load this into reheatable trays with the rice and reheat throughout the week in the microwave. It’ll slap, trust me. Alternately, whip this up on Friday night for your partner and pour a big ol’ glass of bourbon to wash away the first week back to the grind in 2022.

Wrestling has evolved over the last handful of years, which is to say it’s no longer just for flyover country. People from all over, even those in smarty-pants cities, have gotten into everyone’s favorite semi-fake sport, too. Some wrestlers even became big time movie and TV stars, which Hulk Hogan couldn’t do back in the day. It’s still surprising when we learn some big-time name is a fan. Case in point: Did you know Macaulay Culkin, former child star, was really into wrestling? That’s what he said on the wrestling podcast run by Freddie Prinze Jr. Oh, and by the way, you may not have known Freddie Prinze Jr. has a wrestling podcast. Because he’s also into wrestling.

The podcast is called Wrestling with Freddie, and, as per The AV Club, the former star of two Home Alones told the guy from She’s All That that he almost took his fandom next level, revealing that he came close to writing for the WWE.

“Oh man, there were times when I wanted to, like kind of just find six months of my life at the very least just to kinda go in there and stuf,” he told Prinze. Alas, it was not to be. “I will say I kind of regret not [writing for WWE]—now that I’m a dad I barely have time to pee at this point, you know what I mean? I just never got around to it, there was always something.”

What Culkin has done is occasionally dabble in the wrestling industry, including doing some consultant work. He’s also turned into something of a critic, especially of what WWE has turned into of late. For instance, Culkin is sick of watching Brock Lesnar duke it out with Roman Reigns on pay-per-view, saying, “How many times can we watch the same match?”

Culkin is a little worried about the sport’s biggest company. “I think the WWE has lost focus on all this. I think there is some kind of master plan – they’re bringing in all these new people,” Culkin told Prinze. “I mean, personally, I think they’re gonna sell, regardless of what they say. I think Vince [McMahon] doesn’t think anyone in his family can do this.”

So there you have it: One of the kids from The Good Son has definite opinions about wrestling, of which, like one of the guys from I Know What You Did Last Summer, he’s a big fan.

(Via The AV Club)

The Los Angeles Lakers are approaching the midpoint of the season in a place they didn’t expect, sitting at 20-19 which is only good for seventh in the West, meaning they would find themselves in the play-in if they don’t improve their standing over the next 43 games.

The good news of course, is they have half of the season to turn things around, but to do so it has become pretty clear that there need to be changes made to the roster. Making major changes is going to be difficult simply because they don’t have a lot of players that make more than the minimum since they have three max contracts, two of which are untouchable in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and the other is the recently acquired Russell Westbrook who, despite the Lakers seemingly having interest in potentially moving on quickly from the former MVP, is incredibly difficult to trade because of his contract.

That leaves a lot of smaller moves as the only real chance to shuffle the roster, both in trying to swap in new role players via trades and also clearing roster spots to be players on the buyout market. They already dumped Rajon Rondo in a three-team deal that sent Rondo to the Cavs and Denzel Valentine to the Knicks, who waived him with some cash the Lakers sent them to save them some luxury tax money. Two more veterans appear to be next on the Lakers trade list, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports hearing from other teams that the Lakers are actively shopping DeAndre Jordan in an effort to create another roster spot and are willing to part with Kent Bazemore as well.

Jordan has not been effective despite opening the season in the starting lineup, and as the Lakers have moved away from playing as many big lineups, they seem ready to swap Jordan out for a buyout market spot (or the ability to add two players for one, or three for two, in a trade). Bazemore likewise was a starter early in the season, but has struggled mightily to produce in L.A. and the Lakers would apparently be willing to move him out of town to get someone else in to try and find a consistent contributor.

These all seem like the kinds of moves that would be appetizers for something else, as Talen Horton-Tucker is, by far, the biggest asset on the Lakers who, when paired with Kendrick Nunn’s deal, makes up the only real opportunity to acquire something more than a vet minimum talent. We’ll see if they’re able to make something happen with those two, but if nothing else, Lakers fans can expect to see some more vets shuttled out of town as the Lakers will look to take a spin around the buyout market in February.

*Omicron is spreading in Hawaii but the state has not made changes to its travel policies. Travelers are encouraged to respect local and national advisories.

In 2021, I spent more time on the road than I did at home. As a passionate adventurer, one of my greatest lessons over the past year has been a new appreciation for solo travel. Group trips, couples getaways, and family vacations are great, but there’s something empowering about taking your travels into your own hands. Especially as a woman. Exploring unknown places alone leaves the door wide open for you to create your own itinerary with the freedom to be spontaneous along the way. You learn to have fun by yourself, connect more intentionally to the world around you, and experience people and places in new ways.

Or at least, that’s what I’ve gained from it. And I’m absolutely hooked.

My most recent solo adventure was to Kauai, Hawaii’s wettest, greenest, and fourth-largest island. With 97 percent of the island covered by forests or mountain ranges, it’s a haven for nature lovers and outdoor adventurers. The endless stretches of beach surrounding the dense greenery make it a vision of tropical paradise — and a natural stand-in for Jurassic worlds, distant jungles, and far-off planets.

Traveling to Kauai solo, I was able to meet people I never would have connected with had I gone in a cloistered crew. I may or may not have left with new ink because I met a tattoo artist and owner of Tried and True Tattoo at dinner on my first night. I often changed plans on a whim, whether that meant chilling at the resort pool with a Mai Tai or hiking first thing in the morning. Whatever I wanted to do, I did it. By the end of my five days in Kauai, I felt more connected to myself, nature, and my spirituality than I had in a long time.

If you’re looking for a solo adventure of your own, Kauai is my #1 pick on the planet. It’s hospitable, safe, and full of beauty. Below, you’ll find my solo traveler’s guide to the island — but I’ll readily admit that I’ve only scratched the surface of what there is to see and do.

PART I — Where to Play

Explore Waimea Canyon

First of all, you’re going to need a rental car in Kauai. Uber is scarce here, and as a solo traveler, it’s nice to have easy transportation access at any time of the day. I spontaneously decided to upgrade my rental to a convertible, and it was 100 percent worth it. (As a rule of thumb, never leave any valuables in your rental car.) One of the best parts of my trip was simply cruising through the jungle with the top down and checking out the views. This was especially enjoyable when I drove through Waimea Canyon State Park, a ten-mile long and 3,000 feet-deep canyon where cliffside views are abundant.

Waimea Canyon wasn’t originally on my itinerary, but a convincing DM from one of my Instagram followers persuaded me to change things up (again, the perks of solo travel!). I spent an afternoon driving through the state park, making stops along the way whenever something caught my eye or I noticed a line of cars parked on the side of the road. From miles of mountainous greenery to waterfalls and running creeks, the island’s vast natural beauty is on full 360-degree display throughout Waimea Canyon.

At the top of the state park, there are lookout platforms where you can take in the views from up above. However, if you find yourself in Kauai during winter, then you’ll realize how quickly the weather can turn on its head. By the time I made it to the peak, it was completely foggy and absolutely pouring (AKA, bring a rain jacket). Luckily, the sun made its way back from behind the clouds on my way back down. I made one last stop in the canyon where I was met with a breathtaking double rainbow and mountain view.

It was truly a magical moment that made the afternoon of driving and rain worth it.

Cacao Bliss & Mindful Snorkeling Tour

I’ve been loving Airbnb Experiences lately. These are first-hand, one-of-a-kind activities hosted by local experts. I knew I wanted to do at least one badass experience during my stay in Kauai, so I signed up for the Cacao Bliss & Mindful Snorkeling Tour. My guide took me on a short morning hike down to a small secluded beach that’s typically only frequented by locals. He then led me in a meditation, served me a warm cup of ceremonial cacao elixir while sharing its various healing benefits, and joined me in the ocean for a swim. Unfortunately, the water was too rough for the snorkeling portion of the excursion, but it was certainly a morning to remember.

This mindfulness experience was the perfect way to start the day, as it encouraged me to get in touch with nature, practice gratitude, and open up to the endless beauty that surrounds me — cheesy, I know, but… it’s true!

Check Out Wailua Falls

There is no shortage of gorgeous waterfalls in Kauai. If you want to get up close and personal with one, head to Wailua Falls, a 173-foot fall on the Wailua River near Lihue. Not only is it incredible to see, but it’s also convenient. You can drive straight up to the main viewpoint to check out the scene and take photos. This spot is great if you’re on a time crunch but still want to fit in seeing the island’s scenery between meals or activities.

If you’re feeling adventurous and don’t mind getting a little wet, you can even hike down to the base of Wailua Falls. The trek down is a short distance, but it’s often muddy and therefore slippery so it’s a good idea to use caution and take your time walking down. As always, especially when traveling solo, it’s a good idea to text someone where you’re hiking and what time you’ll be done.

Chill on the Beach

I mean, duh. You obviously can’t spend time in Kauai without hitting the beach daily, even if that means you don’t venture from the sand at your resort. There are a plethora of public beaches on the island, and each one seems to have its own character and charm. If you’re on the North Shore of the island, a few notable beaches to check out are Hanalei Bay and Anini Beach. Both of these offer tranquil vibes and scenic ocean views with a jungle backdrop to match. Hanalei is more ideal for families and swimming, while Anini Beach is a great spot to chill out and enjoy a picnic by the water.

For days on the South Shore, check out Poipu Beach, one of Kauai’s most popular beaches. This is another good beach for taking a dip in the waves, as there are lifeguards, picnic tables, and showers nearby. There are also great spots to eat right by the main beach area so you can enjoy your lunch while you sunbathe.

Tour the Kauai Coffee Estate

Have you ever wondered exactly how coffee is made? It’s more intricate than you might think, and the Kauai Coffee Estate gives you a first-hand look (and taste) of the entire process. With over 4 million coffee trees grown on 3,100 acres, Kauai Coffee Company is the largest coffee grower in the U.S.

The farm in Kalaheo offers personalized, guided walking tours where you’ll learn about how the farm’s coffee is grown, harvested, and roasted. You can also opt for a free self-guided tour and stroll through the grounds at your own leisure. After the coffee estate tour, you can chill out at the property’s visitor center for coffee taste-testing and panoramic views of the fields and ocean.

I spent an afternoon touring the Kauai Coffee Estate, and it was certainly the educational highlight of my trip.

PART II — Where to Eat

South Shore Restaurants & Fast Casual:

You can find everything from beachside resort restaurants to hole-in-the-wall small businesses throughout Kauai. As you can imagine, seafood is one of the primary delicacies of the island. If you’re craving fresh sashimi and sushi, head to Sushi Bushido. Tucked in the far corner of the Coconut Marketplace, a charming shopping center full of gift shops and eateries, Sushi Bushido is a locally-owned sushi bar with both unique specialty rolls and traditional favorites.

Order the Lava Roll and Uni for a mouthwatering meal. As an LA sushi aficionado, I definitely vouch for this spot.

For a more casual bite to eat by the beach that doesn’t skimp on taste, head to Puka Dog. Located next to Poipu Beach, Puka Dog serves Hawaiian-style hot dogs (or veggie dogs) slathered in a mess of tangy sauce and flavors of your choosing. A traditional Hawaiian-style hotdog is made with a freshly-baked bun wrapped completely around the dog. It’s then doused with garlic lemon secret sauce, a tropical-fruit relish, and locally-made mustard.

It just might be the best wiener experience of your life.

For a nicer sit-down outing and lively environment, I recommend Duke’s. I ended up here two nights in a row because I enjoyed the entire dining experience, from the ambiance to the food and fruity cocktails. Between the rainforest-like decor (including a waterfall fountain in the middle of the dining area), the live music, laidback vibes, and good grub, it’s a must-visit restaurant. I ordered the fish tacos and fish ‘n’ chips, and both offered a large portion that did not disappoint. To drink, I ordered the Lava Flow, a blended concoction of pineapple, coconut, and light rum erupting with strawberry. It was the ultimate island drink to celebrate my time in Kauai. Sweet but definitely tasty.

North Shore Restaurants & Fast Casual:

I didn’t spend as much time on the North Shore, but I did get a taste of the local eats while I was there. If you want to do some shopping and taste the local fare, head to the center of Hanalei where you’ll find boutique shops, clothing stores, local bars, and eateries. Another must-visit spot for sushi lovers is Hanalei Dolphin’s Fish Market. Here, you’ll find specialties like teriyaki shrimp, sushi rolls and fresh sashimi, poke salad, ceviche, seafood chowder, organic salad mixes, and The Dolphin’s homemade salad dressings. It’s basically your one-stop-shop for all things fish.

There are sit-down dining and takeout options available. I got mine to go for lunch on the beach.

Another Hanalei hotspot is Tahiti Nui, a family-run and operated establishment that serves everything from specialty pizzas to coconut shrimp, baby back ribs, and macadamia-crusted chicken. It’s a great restaurant for a post-beach pick-me-up when you need to refuel from a long day in the sun. The menu also offers a selection of specialty cocktails and wine. Go for the Over the Rainbow Martini for a strong kick of Grey Goose Poire, passion fruit, lime, lemonade, and club soda.

PART III — Where to Stay

Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy

There really isn’t a bad place to stay on the island. You’re in freakin’ Kauai, after all! The North Shore is where you’ll find lush jungle views and a serene atmosphere due to its more frequent rainy weather and untouched natural environment. The South Shore is dryer and closer to the airport, and it’s also a more convenient access point to popular adventure spots like Waimea Canyon. The good news is that no matter what side of the island you stay on, it’s a quick drive to and from each shore.

I stayed in Kapa’a at the Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy, and it turned out to be the perfect location for me. It was nearly equidistant to both sides of the island, making the drive to every excursion a breeze. As for the resort itself, Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy made me feel right at home. The rooms themselves aren’t the most extravagant, but the apartment-style layout was comfortable and nice to come back to at the end of the day. The resort is right on the beach, so I spent every morning strolling in the sand watching the sunrise. There’s also a central pool area, a popular restaurant (make a reservation!), and hammocks spread out throughout the property for the mid-afternoon nap of your dreams. The resort is also across the street from the Coconut Marketplace mentioned above, so you’ll always have shopping and a bite to eat nearby.

The Australian Open is set to begin on January 17, but the No. 1 player in the world and nine-time Australian Open champion, Novak Djokovic, apparently will not be participating. Djokovic is, rather famously, not vaccinated against COVID-19 and while the Australian government has issued exemptions for the country’s vaccine mandate to some players to allow them to play in the tournament, Djokovic ran into issues on Wednesday as his flight arrived in Melbourne.

Apparently, the visa that Djokovic and his team had applied for did not permit medical exemptions for the vaccine mandate, and as such, hours before the star landed in Australia, he was no longer arriving with the correct paperwork to be allowed entry into the country. While Tennis Australia officials pushed to get him cleared, the Victorian government rejected a request to sponsor his visa, meaning when he landed he was unable to actually enter the country.

Djokovic was held at the airport for hours, but it was ultimately decided that his visa would be canceled and he would be forced to leave Australia on Thursday, per The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

World No.1 Novak Djokovic has been told his visa has been rejected and that he will be flown out of Australia later on Thursday.

Djokovic’s lawyers are in the process of challenging the decision, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

As one would expect, this did not make Tennis Australia very happy and they voiced their frustration, telling the Age and Herald that other players had been allowed in under the exemption Djokovic had applied for and felt they were singling him out given the scrutiny and backlash that specifically came from his being offered an exemption to play.

“I don’t know how the feds will [address the fact that] several tennis players are already in the country with the same exemption granted to Novak,” the source said.

“This looks to us like the feds are responding to the media by letting some players in but not the World No. 1.”

Other players had been granted exemptions for having had COVID-19 in the past six months and that was believed to be the exemption Djokovic was seeking, but the visa he or his team had applied for apparently didn’t allow for that.

How the courts respond remains to be seen, but it is a very real possibility that Djokovic will have to sit out rather than trying to win a fourth straight Aussie Open title, all because he has refused the vaccine that billions of people have received worldwide.

The Book of Boba Fett: Season 1 (Disney+ series) — Catch up on the season premiere before Episode 2 drops to bring us more of the iconic bounty hunter who’s now a crime lord. The very dead Jabba the Hutt has left a void in the galactic organized-crime realm, and Boba Fett is all too happy to fill it in his own way. All of this follows the very accurate prediction of Patton Oswalt on Parks and Rec about this iconic character being a lot more alive than previously suggested.

Rebelde: Season 1 (Netflix series) — Here comes a sequel to the Mexican telenovela/soap opera that’s insanely popular in Argentina. The story revolves around a snooty boarding school where one can barely stomach the drama while students fight during a Battle of the Bands. Everyone here wants a musical career, but of course, there’s romantic and friendship-related hijinks along the way, along with a secret society that’s pulling strings.

Four to Dinner: Season 1 (Netflix film) — This Italian film follows the Sliding Doors and Ordinary Joe template while four single friends interact in parallel storylines while entering into coupledom.

The Wonder Years (ABC, 8:30pm) — Bill and Lillian enter a new social circle (and it’s a lofty one) while attempting to expose Dean and Kim to a more positive set of influences. They all fit in before things go quite wrong.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Neve Campbell, SAINt JHN

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Michael C. Hall, Margaret Qualley, Benson Boone, Gustavo Di Dalva

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz, Andrew Sleighter

In case you missed this streaming picks from last Wednesday:

Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer (Netflix series) — The first installment (The Vanishing At The Cecil Hotel) in this series arrived through the game changing ways of director Joe Berlinger, who’s navigating from within the true crime genre. In this new installment, the Times Square Killer gets the spotlight, along with the the social and systemic forces that facilitated this serial murderer. In the process, all the danger and depravity of 1970s and early 1980s midtown Manhattan will make those few blocks a spectacle of their own.

Carol City, Florida rapper Denzel Curry’s love for Japanese animation is well-documented but he’s apparently also a big fan of so-called Spaghetti Westerns, as evidenced by the new trailer for his upcoming album, Melt My Eyez See Your Future, he just shared on social media. The trailer features all the hallmarks of the beloved genre, from a sweeping desert vista to the poncho-clad protagonist silhouetted before its barren but beautiful horizon.

The end of the trailer features the album’s title spelled out anime-style, in both English and Japanese, and hints at the featured artists and producers making appearances on the project. The artists listed include fellow Floridian 454, Atlanta sing-rapper 6lack, buzzing underground singer Bridget Perez, legacy actress/folk star Buzzy Lee, Dreamville fireball JID, punk-rap rage machine Rico Nasty, grime rapper Slowthai, and hitmaker T-Pain. The production will be handled by Boi-1da, Cardo, Dot The Genius, Jpegmafia, Karriem Riggins, Kenny Beats, Powers Pleasant, Robert Glasper, Thundercat, and Denzel himself. Talk about your all-star casts.

Melt My Eyez See Your Future will be Denzel’s first full-length project since 2019’s Zuu, although he did release a joint EP with Kenny Beats in 2020 called Unlocked. Its release date has yet to be announced. Whether or not it becomes one of his final projects, as he previously promised to retire after a few more releases, remains to be seen. As the caption on the video’s YouTube page reads, the album is coming to a stereo near you, so stay close and check out the trailer above.

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