Drake has been going hard this year. On top of his It’s All A Blur Tour, which he coheadlined with 21 Savage, Drake released his eighth studio album, For All The Dogs. While the album prompted some mixed reactions, fans seemed to love the J. Cole collaboration “First Person Shooter,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Next year, Drake will continue the story of It’s All A Blur, with the It’s All A Blur — The Big What? Tour. Over the course of three months, Drake will be joined by J. Cole for the It’s All A Blur — The Big What? Tour beginning in January. However, some fans have expressed disappointment as they aren’t visiting as many major cities as they Drake did for the first go-around of the tour.
Why isn’t Drake & J. Cole’s tour coming to some major cities?
While fans in New Orleans, Denver, and Nashville can look forward to seeing the two rap stars, cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas were noticeably missing from the list of tour dates. While Drake and 21 hit those cities on It’s All A Blur‘s first go around, fans were hoping to see them perform again.
J. Cole’s manager Ibrahim “IB” Hamad took to X (formerly Twitter) today to express sympathy toward fans, and offer an explanation as to why the tour isn’t hitting some major cities.
“I feel your pain but this is not a major city run, the run is for the secondary market we don’t get to go to as much and do shows like how we use to. All Love to DC though,” said IB.
I feel your pain but this is not a major city run, the run is for the secondary market we don’t get to go to as much and do shows like how we use to. All Love to DC though . https://t.co/AzJIfx5cv3
The news is disappointing, however, understandable.
You can see the full list of tour dates below.
01/18/2024 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena +
01/19/2024 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
01/22/2024 — San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
01/25/2024 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
01/29/2024 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center +
01/30/2024 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
02/02/2024 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
02/07/2024 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena +
02/08/2024 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena +
02/12/2024 — St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center
02/16/2024 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
02/20/2024 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center +
02/21/2024 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
02/24/2024 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
02/27/2024 — Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
03/02/2024 — Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
03/05/2024 — Memphis, TN @ FedExForum
03/10/2024 — Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena
03/14/2024 — Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena ~
03/18/2024 — State College, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center ~
03/23/2024 — Sunrise, FL @ Amerant Bank Arena ~
03/27/2024 — Birmingham, AL @ The Legacy Arena at BJCC ~
A glass of expertly aged tequila can be a feast for the senses. The next time you’re served a luxurious pour, take a second to inhale the bouquet of aromas wafting from the glass and take note of the layers of flavor that bloom across your palate. Settle in and admire how they shift and morph on the finish.
It’s quite the experience. But it can be a pretty pricey one.
Too expensive to take a chance, that’s for sure. And just because a tequila expression is old and expensive doesn’t mean it’s going to great. Or even good. So to save you some money and point you towards a bottle that is going to provide an experience that meets your expectations, we put eight bottles of our favorite aged tequilas to the blind taste test.
As long as it spends some time in a barrel, we’ve included it — so this list will focus on reposados, añejos, and extra añejos. That said, we’re leaning heavily on the latter two.
Methodology:
Because we’re dealing with aged tequila, a lot of these bottles are straight-up expensive. Seven of them are well over $100 (one is nearly $400) but just to keep things interesting, we included a ~$40 añejo as a ringer to see how it would stack up against the more “crafted” bottles.
Here is today’s tasting class:
Avion Reserva 44 Tequila Añejo
Casa Noble Marques De Casa Noble Añejo
Cierto Private Collection Extra Añejo
El Tesoro Mundial Collection Knob Creek Añejo
Herradura Seleccion Suprema Extra Añejo
Patron El Alto Reposado
Tres Agave Añejo Tequila
Volcan De Mi Tierra XA Reposado
For the blind portion tasting, I had my girlfriend bring eight pours in a random order. My notes are below.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Tequila Posts Of The Last Six Months
Nose: Warm roasted chocolate notes with agave a tiny hint of oak and fresh leather.
Palate: That chocolate scent translatest to the flavor. I’m also tasting a bit of caramel and a fruity sweetness. On the second sip, I’m getting the same expression of flavors, which reminds me a bit of fancy box chocolate.
Finish: The finish is smooth but a distinct dry spice starts to build up once it’s cleared your palate. That peppery quality seems to grow in intensity the more sips you take.
Taste 2
Dane Rivera
Nose: The aroma on this pour is very subtle, I had to take my time inhaling to get a good sense of what we’re dealing with here. I’m getting some fresh rain, a hint of cinnamon, and a faint but roasted agave scent.
Palate: Buttery and delicate with a strong agave flavor, some cracked black pepper, citrus peel, cinnamon, and some warm oak. A hint of floral sweetness lurks in there too.
Finish: Incredibly smooth with some slight minerality and soft oak and spice notes.
Taste 3
Dane Rivera
Nose: Underneath an initial hint of acetone I’m getting a fruity white wine-like sweetness and some floral honey.
Palate: More honey on the palate followed by a significant hit of vanilla and a light sense of agave.
Finish: The finish is almost completely neutral. There is no burn or lingering flavor, and it goes down suspiciously smooth.
Taste 4
Dane Rivera
Nose: Rich chocolate and caramel waft from the glass. With the glass at my nose, I’m getting a lot of roasted agave and a bit of oak.
Palate: Less chocolate than I was expecting, this tequila leans towards caramel flavors with some black pepper, agave, and a slight kiss of vanilla.
Finish: A lot of oak character on the finish with a smooth and luxurious finish that is similar to bourbon.
Taste 5
Dane Rivera
Nose: Heavy on the chocolate and vanilla with roasted agave lurking underneath the strong perfumed scents.
Palate: Dark honey and brown sugar dominate the flavor, syrupy sweet with some wet wood notes.
Finish: Smooth with little to no bite and a lot of oak.
Taste 6
Dane Rivera
Nose: A mix of rich chocolate and roasted agave. I’m not getting any characteristics from the barrel, leading me to believe this is one of our reposados.
Palate: A rich Devil’s Food chocolate flavor with some coffee tones, dark cherry fruitiness, and delicate floral honey. Very pleasing and easy to drink.
Finish: A super smooth with a gentle spice.
Taste 7
Dane Rivera
Nose: Light roasted agave and juicy green apple, with some cinnamon and vanilla.
Palate: Lots of shifting flavors here, I’m getting a bit of sweet buttery, floral honey some citrus zest, and cracked black pepper that expresses itself on the tip of the tongue.
Finish: Oak and cinnamon but the finish is quick here. The flavors don’t linger, leaving it hard to savor.
Taste 8
Dane Rivera
Nose: A rich comforting combination of caramel and vanilla. A big whiff brings out the roasted agave. This is easily the most inviting of the eight tastes.
Palate: A lot of oak flavor here, chocolate and butter dominate the flavor with a hint of rich cherry, citrus, and black pepper.
Finish: Smooth and vanilla heavy with some oak notes coming in at the aftertaste.
While I think the bottle is beautiful and enticing, Patron’s El Alto reposado left me a little disappointed. This tequila was so smooth that much of the agave character just wasn’t present.
El Alto is blended with four year aged extra añejo, añejo, and reposado tequilas and produced at NOM 1462, the Patrón Distillery. The agave is cooked in stone brick ovens, tahona roller mill extracted, and rested in American white oak barrels.
The Bottom Line:
Smooth and drinkable but the agave isn’t present enough to stand out for me.
The Marques de Casa Noble line of expressions is the top-tier stuff from Casa Noble and is much more luxurious in presentation and flavor than the regular line. This bottle features a blend of añejo and extra añejo tequilas aged between one and five years and is produced at NOM 1137 La Cofradia.
The agave is cooked in stone brick ovens, roller mill extracted, and aged in French Oak barrels.
Ultimately, what hurt this tequila was a lack of focus on the flavors. It had a smooth finish but didn’t have much character to it.
The Bottom Line:
Smooth and easy to drink but lacking a sense of agave on the palate or finish.
Volcan De Mi Tierra’s XA originated as a bottle service-only tequila until it hit retail shelves this year. In its bottle service days, a single bottle was upwards of $1000, but now it’s much more sensibly priced at just under $200.
Crafted at NOM 1523, Agrotequilera de Jalisco, this tequila features a blend of reposado, añejo, and extra añejo tequilas made from agave cooked in a high-pressure autoclave that is rested in American White Oak barrels.
It is a certified additive-free tequila by Tequila Matchmaker. Ultimately, I don’t have anything negative to say about this tequila, I think its a pretty great bottle but just couldn’t compete with some of our other bottles.
The Bottom Line:
Smooth and easy to drink, but it lacks an agave character that gives it that wow factor.
Tres Agaves Añejo was by far the biggest surprise of this tasting. This is a tequila that is less than 1/4 the price of the other bottles on this list, and here it is holding its own against the “luxury” bottles. Tres Agaves is produced at NOM 1614, Tequilera Tap, using agave that is cooked in a high-pressure autoclave, roller mill extracted and rested for 18 months in repurposed Kentucky Bouron and Tennesse Whiskey barrels.
While I think this is a great bottle for the price, the biggest thing that separates it from the bottles that rank higher is that the flavors finish too quickly here. There isn’t much to savor, making this a great option to mix in a cocktail.
The Bottom Line:
A great aged tequila that punches way above its price tag. Because of its low price, this is a great option for cocktails that use aged tequila as the base.
Avion Reserva 44’s big sell is that it sports 44 unique and rich flavor notes, while I can’t make out 44, there is no doubt that a pour of this stuff provides a bouquet of shifting flavors.
The tequila is produced at NOM 1416, Productos Finos de Agave, and is made from agave cooked in stone brick ovens, roller mill extracted, and rested for 26 months in American oak barrels.
I like this bottle a lot, but it tastes a bit more perfumed than our top three.
The Bottom Line:
Supremely smooth and sweet, with little to no bite.
3. Herradura Seleccion Suprema Extra Añejo (Taste 8)
Herradura’s Seleccion Suprema is by far the most expensive tequila in this lineup and while this bottle is incredible, it wasn’t outstanding enough to land that top spot. This tequila has taken home a gold medal at the San Francisco Spirits Competition and is rested in French oak barrels for five long years.
What keeps it from being truly outstanding to me is its syrupy sweet flavor. Some people are going to love that but even in aged tequila, I like the bite of agave.
The Bottom Line:
Fantastic, supremely smooth, and very easy to drink. But it leans on the sweet side.
Cierto is a fairly new label that has hit the scene with a lot of hype. To date, the brand has scooped up over 107 awards including Best in Class at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and New York World Wine and Spirits Competition. It was named the Best Extra Añejo at the LA Invitation Spirits Challenge and is certified additive-free by Tequila Matchmaker.
The tequila checks all the boxes, the bottle is beautiful, it’s a multi-award winner, additive-free, and pricey, but I’m happy to say that it completely lives up to the hype. This is simply one of the best añejos on the market right now.
The Bottom Line:
A fantastic aged tequila that provides a lot of complex character and a delicious bouquet of shifting flavors that bounce between sweet and dessert-like, and earthy and agave forward.
1. El Tesoro — Mundial Knob Creek Edition Añejo (Taste 2)
Released just this month, El Tesoro’s Mundial Knob Creek Edition Añejo is a super-limited tequila created by famed master distiller Carle Camarena. This tequila blew my mind and is a testament to El Tesoro’s level of craft.
This añejo is aged for 12 months in charred oak Knob Creek Whiskey barrels which give it a strong whiskey character that is a pleasure to savor. From cooked agave to stone fruit, cinnamon, leather, and black pepper, this tequila is everything a great sipper should be, with a tasteful hint of vanilla on the backend that tastes luxurious without coming across as perfumed or artificial.
The Bottom Line:
From smell to sip to finish this tequila is perfect. The flavors morph on the palate in a way that expresses itself slightly differently with each sip making every drink a journey.
Last week David Zaslav struck again. The Warner Bros. Discovery honcho, who achieved widespread infamy for such Bond villain decisions as cancelling nearly completed movies, decided to cancel another one. Into the void was thrown the much-anticipated Looney Tunes film Coyote vs. Acme, a clever-sounding riff on the belovedly violent Wile E.-Roadrunner shorts. After much furor, the company wound up backtracking on that one — sort of — but that may not be enough to spare them the wrath of Congress.
The @WBD tactic of scrapping fully made films for tax breaks is predatory and anti-competitive.
As the Justice Department and @FTC revise their antitrust guidelines they should review this conduct.
As someone remarked, it’s like burning down a building for the insurance money. https://t.co/Vb8vj3brD7
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro took to Twitter/X Monday to rip Warner Bros. Discovery a new one, vowing to do what Congress used to do: go after large monopolies, such as movie studios, who’ve amassed too much power.
“The WBD tactic of scrapping fully made films for tax breaks is predatory and anti-competitive,” Castro tweeted. “As the Justice Department and @FTC revise their antitrust guidelines they should review this conduct. As someone remarked, it’s like burning down a building for the insurance money.”
It’s not the first time Castro has gone after Warner Bros. Discovery. In April, he called on the powers-that-be to look at AT&T’s semi-recent sale of Warner Bros. to Discovery, especially after they deep-sixed both Batgirl and the Scoob! sequel. He argued that the corporation could “adopt potentially anticompetitive practices.”
Before WBD nixed Coyote vs. Acme, it was test screening through the roof. To make matters worse, the company jettisoned hundreds of classic Looney Tunes shorts from the streamer formerly known as HBO Max. But unlike poor, eternally unlucky Wile E. Coyote, it sounds like his first big movie might catch a break.
Rolling Loud is kicking off 2024 with a bang. Today (November 14), the festival conglomerate announced their line-up for Rolling Loud California 2024, which will take place over the course of three days at the Hollywood Park Grounds in Inglewood next March.
The line-up for Rolling Loud California boasts some heavy hitters, with Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, and Lil Uzi Vert billed as headliners. However, there has been a bit of confusion regarding the talent.
Is Lil Uzi Vert performing at Rolling Loud California 2024?
They shared a picture of the Rolling Loud announcement, with text over it reading “I never said I was doing rolling loud don’t understand why my name is on here.”
Instagram
At the time of writing, there has been no announcement from Rolling Loud or Uzi regarding Uzi’s removable from the line-up. So, fans can look forward to seeing Lil Uzi Vert perform at Rolling Loud California next March (for now, anyway).
Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It only took a few weeks of the 2023-24 season for our first major trade rumor to emerge, as the scuffling 4-7 Chicago Bulls are apparently willing to discuss trades for Zach LaVine, who has perpetually been in trade rumors the past few years. This time it sounds like both LaVine and the Bulls are more open to actually finding him a new home, but the question remains whether the right package for the former All-Star guard exists.
Figuring out LaVine’s value is difficult, as he’s in the second year of a 5-year, $215 million deal and is putting up the worst production of his Bulls tenure in the first 11 games of the season. Even so, the Bulls will be looking for star return while other teams will surely be trying to knock down the price by highlighting his annual price tag. There are a number of teams that should at least make a call about LaVine, but many of the ones that make the most basketball sense aren’t exactly the most glamorous destinations.
However, basketball sense or not, there are some usual suspects that are emerging publicly as the potential destinations for LaVine, as Shams Charania reported the Lakers, Sixers, and Heat are expected to explore the possibility of adding the star guard.
“Teams that are expected to have a level of interest in (Zach) LaVine, I’m told: the Lakers, Heat and 76ers.”
We all know what the Heat have to offer, as all of the pieces that got tossed around in potential Damian Lillard deals would have to be in play for LaVine to make the money work, headlined by Tyler Herro. The Lakers would almost assuredly need to wait until January to make a move, when they’re able to send out players they re-signed this summer, but they could exhaust their backcourt resources and send a combination of D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Gabe Vincent out to bring LaVine in. Whether it’s a good move to consolidate their talent once again into a star trio rather than having a bit more roster balance is a different question, but they could make it happen. The Sixers have Tobias Harris at their disposal to make a move, but the emergence of Tyrese Maxey has to give them a bit of pause about adding another guard who likes to have the ball in his hands. On top of the concerns of stifling Maxey’s superstar leap, he and LaVine as your starting backcourt would bring some significant defensive concerns as well.
It’s not a surprise to hear those three teams mentioned as the first interested parties, but I do wonder how serious they are as potential landing spots and how much this is LaVine’s side floating the best teams possible.
In a little over two weeks, Power Book III: Raising Kanan will make its return to STARZ for its third season. The series follows Kanan Stark in the 1990s and his early experiences in the drug game surrounded by his family and friends. Kanan Stark is a character originally played by 50 Cent in the original Power series who is also responsible for introducing James “Ghost” St. Patrick and Tommy Egan into the drug game. With that being said, does this connection mean that you have to watch the original Power series before Power Book III: Raising Kanan?
Do You Have To Watch Power To Understand Power Book III: Raising Kanan?
Not necessarily. Power Book III: Raising Kanan is the prequel to the original Power series, so it isn’t necessary to know the characters or the plot in the spin-off. Plus, after two seasons, we’ve yet to be introduced to the early moments of characters like Ghost and Tommy Egan in the drug game. Truthfully, that may not come for some time. Though, in an interview with Uproxx after season two, Power Book III: Raising Kanan showrunner Sascha Penn spoke about the eventual inclusion of Power characters in Power Book III: Raising Kanan.
“This is 1992 South Jamaica, Queens,” he said. “This isn’t Truth, this isn’t Ghost, this isn’t Tommy. We gotta get you invested in these characters and this world because if you’re not invested in them, you won’t give a sh*t what we do to them, you won’t care — and by the way, as a writer, neither would I.” He added, “We’re taking the time to develop these characters and get our audience, not just invested, but also sort of seeing themselves in the characters.”
Watching the original Power series would help you understand Kanan Stark’s importance to the Power Universe and why an entire spin-off was built around his story. As helpful as that is to know, it’s not completely necessary to understand Power Book III: Raising Kanan.
‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ will return to STARZ for season three on December 1.
Thanksgiving is around the corner. A beloved holiday for eating your weight in turkey, drinking several glasses of wine or espresso martinis per night, and maybe doing some online shopping while relaxing in a recliner watching some football. And don’t get us wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the sometimes gluttonous holiday and the activities it inspires.
But… it’s also an excellent opportunity to use your time off for something slightly more active. A chance to get outdoors while everyone else is in stasis.
Emily Hart
I love spending part of my holiday breaks exploring National and State parks. I often take part in the #OptOutside movement, which was started in 2015 by retailer REI in response to consumerism on Black Friday. The outdoor retailer was one of the first stores to close on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, giving its employees time to spend exploring.
Death Valley National Park is one of the rare parks that is not advisable to visit during the busy summer tourist season, with temperatures that can reach over 110 degrees all summer long. Late fall, winter, and early spring are the best bet. With temperatures that will still feel balmy compared to many visitors traveling from cooler climates, it is a great time to enjoy the park without the genuine danger of overheating.
What To Do:
Death Valley experienced historic flooding in August of 2023, damaging many roads in the park – some of which are still closed. Luckily, the open roads will give you more than enough to do in this park. Cruise Artists Drive and Dantes View Road before stopping at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Mosaic Canyon Trail, and Zabriskie Point. Badwater Basin (home to the lowest point in North America) is also accessible.
November Weather: Average high of 77°, low of 48° with approximately 0 days of rain.
Joshua Tree – California
Emily Hart
California’s iconic Joshua Tree National Park, where the Mojave and Colorado desserts come together, is another park that can be downright brutal to visit during the summer months and shines in the fall. With much more mild and comfortable temperatures during the day (but cool at night – it is a desert, after all), the park is very pleasant come Thanksgiving.
November Weather: Average high of 69°, low of 43° with approximately one day of rain.
Grand Canyon – Arizona
Emily Hart
The Grand Canyon is a bucket list destination for many people in and outside the United States. As one of the most popular parks in the system, it is generally always packed with people, but shoulder seasons offer a respite. Temperatures will be lower during a November visit than other parks on this list. Still, the opportunity for fewer crowds before winter arrives (and closing some areas of the park) makes this an ideal time for visitors who’d like peace while witnessing the breathtaking canyon.
What To Do:
Honestly, just walking up to the rim of the Grand Canyon and staring for a while is one of the most incredible experiences you will have. But if you want to move around a bit, walk the Rim Trail or down into the canyon via Bright Angel Trail. Take a trip on the Grand Canyon Railway or hop on a mule for a guided trip – they’re offered year-round at the South Rim.
November Weather: Average high of 52°, low of 24° with approximately three days of rain.
White Sands – New Mexico
Emily Hart
As one of the “newest” National Parks (in official designation, at least), White Sands is still slightly underrated, in my opinion. Located in far south New Mexico, it is off-the-beaten-path in more ways than one. The pristine and otherworldly landscape is unlike anything else I’ve seen in the United States. November is a great time to visit, with even fewer crowds than usual and comfortable daytime temperatures.
November Weather: Average high of 66°, low of 29° with approximately one day of rain.
Great Smoky Mountains – Tennessee
Emily Hart
Many people are surprised to find that not only is Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee the most visited National Park in the system – but that it takes the crown by a longshot. With over 14 million visits in 2021, the park is extremely popular at nearly all times of year. That said, late November is something of a quiet period as the summer crowds are gone, and the leaf-peepers have come and gone – but it likely isn’t snowing yet.
What To Do:
Take advantage of the lessened crowds and visit the park’s heavy tourist hot spots like Clingmans Dome and Cades Cove before hiking Alum Cave and Rainbow Falls Trails. Take a scenic drive on the park’s 384 miles of roadways, watching for the ample wildlife.
November Weather: Average high of 53°, low of 27°.
New River Gorge – West Virginia
Emily Hart
The “newest” US National Park with simply the National Park designation, New River Gorge, is – like White Sands – still a bit underrated (but not for lack of me trying to change that). The West Virginian park stands out in all seasons, with late fall being a great option. Like most parks on this list, the crowds have lessened, the weather is mild, and fall colors are still occasionally found.
What To Do:
Whitewater season has just ended in New River Gorge, which gives you more time for the other adventurous options this park provides. Hike Endless Wall and Long Point Trail for gorgeous views, climb the rugged sandstone cliffs at The New if you’re experienced, or get your blood pumping on a walk along the catwalk under the New River Gorge Bridge 876 feet above the New River below.
November Weather: Average high of 53°, low of 35°, with approximately eight days of rain.
Everglades – Florida
Emily Hart
Florida in late November can be a bit hit or miss, as it’s the tail end of hurricane season. But that also means better deals and slightly fewer crowds than in December when the dry season begins. With highs still in the 80s and lows in the 60s, I’d choose Everglades over the other two Florida National Parks for a Thanksgiving break trip.
What To Do:
Everglades is deceptively massive – the third largest National Park by land area in the lower 48 – with plenty to do in any season. Bike along the Snake Bite Trail; take a boat tour from the Flamingo area of the park before hiking a portion of the Shark Valley Tram Trail.
November Weather: Average high of 82°, low of 64°, with approximately four days of rain.
US Virgin Islands – St. John, USVI
Emily Hart
Like Everglades National Park, the hurricane season in US Virgin Islands is ending in late November, so it’s a great time to score some deals before the high season begins a week later. With perfect temperatures for a beach day (and you’ll want at least a few on your trip), it will be a Thanksgiving to remember on St. John.
What To Do:
Hit the beaches! I am partial to Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay beaches. Explore the island of St. John (the National Park covers 60% of the island) before hiking Ram Head or Reef Bay Trail.
November Weather: Average high of 81°, low of 69°, with approximately 15 days of rain.
Great Sand Dunes – Colorado
Emily Hart
Although the weather will generally be chilly during late November at Great Sand Dunes National Park in southern Colorado, the trade-off is worth it for me. The sand on the largest dunes in North America can be positively boiling during summer months, with the small parking lots and campgrounds filling quickly. Campgrounds will still be open during this time, and the few hotel options will likely be easier to book and at more reasonable rates.
What To Do:
Hike High and Star Dune trails. Rent a sandboard or sled to travel down before picnicking on the dunes and hiking to Zapata Falls.
November Weather: Average high of 47°, low of 22°, with approximately two days of rain (or snow!)
Zion – Utah
Emily Hart
I sometimes joke that I am a Utah journalist based in Colorado, with the amount I write and share about the state. But when you visit Zion National Park, you will understand why it is nearly always on my list – regardless of the topic. Fall is the perfect time to visit Utah, and Zion is an excellent option for a quick Thanksgiving break with its easy access to the Las Vegas airport.
The commercials for Ridley Scott’s Napoleon play up the epic scale and action sequences of the film and I suppose that’s fair enough. All that stuff is here. If you want to see 19th century battles with horses and cannons, there will be plenty of that for you ahead in this movie with a runtime of just under 160 minutes, though moves like a movie much shorter. What isn’t being played up as much is the fact, well, Joaquin Phoenix’s Napoleon Bonaparte is … well he’s quite hilarious.
I cannot take credit for this observation, but a friend of mine who saw the movie said, “It’s like watching Tim Robinson play Napoleon,” and this is pretty dead on. Oh, make no mistake, this is by design. This is not my way of saying Napoleon is bad. It’s honestly now one of my favorite movies of the year – a movie that, before I saw it, looked a little too stoic and “important.” Instead, I probably laughed harder during this movie than I have during any new movie this year. And the laughs are genuine and intentional.
For example, anytime Napoleon wants to have sex with Josephine he starts making this goofy face while saying, “nom nom nom nom nom.” This is high comedy. There are around 100 times in this movie when someone will insult Napoleon to his face, or sleep with his wife, where in any other movie about an emperor the offending party would be immediately executed. Instead, Napoleon just screams something like, “Well be that as it may!” and continues on with his life. In a tense and standoffish negotiation with the English, Napoleon, very much being looked down upon, screams, “You think you’re so great because you have boats!!!” I applauded this scene.
There’s been mention Ridley Scott reunited with Phoenix after Phoenix’s performance as Joker, but Phoenix’s performance here as Napoleon has more in common with Alan Rickman’s Sheriff of Nottingham from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves than Joker. Napoleon isn’t going to shoot someone on live television, but he might scream at his staff to call off Christmas. I truly hope Phoenix gets an Oscar nomination for his portrayal because it’s inspired that he decided to make Napoleon interesting he had to make him funny. (A child starts questioning Napoleon’s claim he burned down Moscow and, in response, Napoleon starts throwing grapes at this child.)
Look, I’m not an expert on the history of Napoleon but I think there are some historical inaccuracies in this movie. And I don’t really care. As far as I’m concerned this is how it all went down now. But, yes, the film opens with Marie Antoinette facing the guillotine and a rising star in the military, Napoleon Bonaparte, seeing an opportunity. Napoleon leads his first major military victory and is promoted to general and gains a reputation as an expert in the art of battle. (Even in this scene, Napoleon’s horse he’s riding is blown up by a cannonball. As Napoleon is helped up he’s asked if he’s okay and answers in a very, “Yes I’m okay. Of course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be okay?” tone. I mean, maybe because your horse just blew up?
Napoleon meets Josephine (Vanessa Kirby) and it’s established pretty early that Josephine can be as terrible to Napoleon as she wants with little repercussions. Napoleon is portrayed as a love-sick fool who writes her letters every day from the front lines of battle while she carries on with a new lover. The local paper even has a cartoon making fun of all this happening under Napoleon’s nose, which he sees, and instead of revenge, he just temporarily puts her belongings on the front yard and screams. Even the man Josephine has an affair with seems to just go on with his life with no repercussions.
Speaking of funny, as Napoleon writes to Josephine, as his troops invade Russia during the winter, we hear his voiceover in the most cockily hilarious tone that victory awaits. Well, as we learned long ago, victory doesn’t await this time. We watch Napoleon lose power, then struggle once again to regain it, then make some more bad decisions.
In 2003, I went to the upper highlands of Scotland for a wedding. I found myself at some hole-in-the-wall pup in a town called Plockton. A couple of locals were sitting next to me and we started talking. Without anything to really offer, I asked, “So, do you guys like Braveheart?” One guy looked at me and said, “It’s an entertaining movie. It’s true they put William Wallace’s head up on the castle, but if you’re looking for historical accuracy it’s crap!” (He literally said “crap,” just like the Mike Meyers character.) So I’ll echo that here, if you’re looking to nitpick historical accuracy, Napoleon is going to drive you bonkers. But good gosh is it entertaining. And funny. Don’t forget funny. In fact, I got a text asking how Napoleon is and I responded quickly, “It’s hilarious,” right before I got on the subway. The response was, “What a surprising sentence.” If Ridley Scott wants to change the narrative around Napoleon to “blowhard buffoon,” with this movie he succeeds.
The end of 2023 is near. The past year offered some great music, which fans streamed in mass. And as this year comes to a close, music fans can’t wait to see a visual representation of their listening habits. Spotify users are waiting with bated breath for Spotify Wrapped, an annual interactive collection of gifs, playlists, and images designed to correspond to each user’s listening habits from the past year.
But Spotify users aren’t the only ones who get to have fun. Apple Music users can also look forward to seeing their Apple Music Replay. And thankfully, they won’t have to wait too long.
When does Apple Music Replay update?
Apple Music Replay updates every Sunday, according to users on the Apple community discussion board. And this doesn’t exclusively include Sunday that fall within the holiday season. Each Apple Music user’s Replay playlist updates year-round.
Though, during the holiday season, Apple Music user’s may receive a prompt to check their Apple Music Replay, which will direct them to gifs and interactive photos, similar to those of Spotify Wrapped. And while Spotify Wrapped’s playlists and stats are typically only available to view for the latter part of the respective year, and the earlier part of the following year, Apple Music users can see their Replay lists at any time, as well as lists from previous years.
Zach LaVine popping up in trade rumors is a near-annual occurrence, but with the Chicago Bulls scuffling out of the gates after trying to run it back one more time, there seems to be a bit more impetus from both sides to find a deal that moves the star guard somewhere else in this round of trade rumblings
As is always the case, the issue with moving LaVine is finding a trade partner that values him close to as much as the Bulls do and is offering pieces that fit in return. The same report about LaVine being available indicated the Bulls want to bring DeMar DeRozan back next offseason, meaning whoever comes back will need to be a fit with his game. Meanwhile, LaVine is on the second year of a 5-year, $215 million deal, accounting for just under 30 percent of the projected salary cap in each season moving forward. He’s also in the midst of the worst start to a season he’s had since his first year in Chicago, averaging 21.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and three assists per game on 40.9/30.9/87.9 shooting splits. That means the Bulls are shopping him when his active value is about as low as it’s been.
Teams will anticipate a rebound from LaVine in terms of shooting efficiency, as he has proven to be a high quality three-point shooter in his career, and there still will be plenty that believe in LaVine as a potential All-Star going forward. However, this early in the season, you’d be hard pressed to find too many teams desperate to make a major move to shake up their roster, particularly among contenders. While the Bulls have reason to want to shuffle their roster, most teams around the league are likely looking to take a more patient approach. That’s especially the case when you consider LaVine’s contract, as adding that kind of long-term money requires serious belief that his addition takes you to the next level.Even so, there are a few teams that would probably have at least some interest in LaVine right now, with the market opening up a bit more when the calendar flips to January and recently re-signed players can be moved.
All of this is to say, I really am not sure how to figure out LaVine’s market value right now, but I do think there are six teams that should at least look into the star guard and consider their options.
Orlando Magic
The Magic have a clear need in the backcourt and could use some consistent offensive firepower alongside Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, and it’s not too terribly difficult financially for them to bring a big contract on board right now because those two are still on their rookie deals. They also have some intriguing young players that could both fill immediate needs in Chicago, while providing some future upside should the Bulls end up needing to hit the reset button completely. Any combination of two of Markelle Fultz, Jonathan Isaac, and Gary Harris along with either Jalen Suggs or Anthony Black would make the money work. It’s a matter of if that satiates the Bulls desired return for their star guard and if Orlando would be willing to part with picks to make it happen.
Toronto Raptors
With the emergence of Scottie Barnes this season, the Raptors might have some extra motivation to finally make a deal to build a more optimal roster around Barnes, and LaVine would make more sense as an offensive partner for Barnes than what’s currently in Toronto. A Pascal Siakam for Zach LaVine trade would work straight up, but the Bulls would then have a lot of the same spacing issues the Raptors do. Plus Siakam has made it known he’s not interested in an extension if traded and would likely choose to hit free agency this summer. OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. also would work for LaVine, but we know Toronto still holds Anunoby in high regard and might push for more than just LaVine in such a deal. It feels like the pathway to Toronto landing LaVine would be in a three-team trade — maybe Atlanta jumping back into the Siakam sweepstakes? — but I’m not holding my breath when it comes to the Raptors actually pulling the trigger on a big move.
New Orleans Pelicans
Things don’t seem great in New Orleans and they certainly look like a team that could use some added juice on offense. Maybe they just want to wait to see what they look like when fully healthy and have Trey Murphy III back, but they also might be coming to terms with the idea Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson aren’t the ideal pairing long-term. If that’s the case, they could potentially flip Ingram for LaVine and try to bring some more floor balance, if they are willing to buy in to Zion being the guy they want to build around. On the Bulls side, similar to the issue with a Siakam-LaVine swap, Ingram isn’t exactly a cozy fit next to DeRozan as they like to operate in the same areas. That, again, might bring in a third-team, but there would certainly be interest in Ingram to make that happen if he were to become available.
Utah Jazz
If we are talking about a reset for Chicago, they might want to go check in with the Utah Jazz. This would almost assuredly have to be a post-January deal, as including Jordan Clarkson’s deal is about the only pathway to making it work financially. That said, the Jazz have a ton of picks and could toss a couple firsts the Bulls way to bring LaVine in to provide some much-needed backcourt scoring and reunite Lauri Markkanen with his old teammate. Clarkson/Talen Horton-Tucker/Ochai Agbaji works financially and takes at least a little money off of Chicago’s long-term books while sending them a couple firsts to restock their draft cupboard.
Cleveland Cavaliers
This one is a bit wild and you don’t often see in-division star trades, but I think they should at least talk it out. If the Cavs really think Donovan Mitchell bolts after next year in free agency, LaVine would be a pretty good replacement in the Darius Garland co-star role, as I think he’s best working as a secondary ball-handler, and would provide a bit more stability with an extra year on his deal and probably would be more willing to work out an extension if things go well. For the Bulls, Mitchell would be a bit better on the ball than LaVine and would give them some immediate upside to try and make a playoff push this year. That would give you a pretty decent idea of whether this group can be anything more than it is now, and if not, you could look to move him next deadline or facilitate a sign-and-trade to get something in return in two summers.
Miami Heat
The Heat just kind of always get tossed into these conversations, and for good reason — the team is constantly looking for ways to add star players into its rotation, and as we saw during the Damian Lillard sweepstakes earlier this summer, Miami believes it has a hole in its backcourt that can be filled by a guard who can score in bunches. Now, it’s worth mentioning that Tyler Herro did a nice job earlier this season before going down with an ankle injury, and seeing as how he’s both younger and cheaper than LaVine, it’s worth wondering if the Heat would be better off just moving forward with Herro in the role that LaVine would essentially fill if he came to Miami, particularly because it stands to reason that Herro would be the centerpiece of a deal. But what if they could incentivize it a little further with a young player or draft compensation, and as a result, they were able to bring Alex Caruso to South Beach, too? The Heat love to try and make these sorts of big swings, so they’re very much worth mentioning here.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
but this is not a major city run, the run is for the secondary market we don’t get to go to as much and do shows like how we use to. All Love to DC though
. https://t.co/AzJIfx5cv3
