Category: Worldwide

With spring just around the corner, it already feels like Irish whiskey season. A big part of that is St. Patrick’s Day coming up in a few weeks, but Irish whiskey has been booming recently, and any time is a great time to dive into a Irish whiskey to sample blind. I kept it classic with blends (most Irish whiskey is blended from barley and grain whiskeys), single pot stills (a blend of malted and unmalted barley whiskeys), and even a couple of single malts (made from malted barley only). The only whiskeys I didn’t grab were the peated Irish whiskeys.

Today’s Lineup:

• Powers John’s Lane
• Teeling Single Malt
• Method & Madness Single Grain
• Redbreast Lustau
• Clonakilty Double Oak Single Batch
• Grace O’Malley Blended Irish Whiskey
• Red Spot
• Waterford Cuvee
• Proclamation Blended Irish Whiskey
• Jameson Black Barrel
• Bushmills Single Malt 10-Year

Let’s dive in and see how these Irish whiskeys rank!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months

• The 50 Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2021, Ranked
• The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021
• The Best Scotch Whiskies Under $50, Ranked
• Every Scotch Whisky Brand From Diageo’s Massive Portfolio, Ranked
• The Best Value-Per-Dollar Scotch Whiskies, Ranked

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Raw leather, soft vanilla, mild spice, and light milk chocolate greet you on the nose. The palate has a malty vanilla cake foundation with malty spice and fruity candy sweetness. Chocolate pudding arrives on the mid-palate and drives the back end of the taste towards wet grains, nutty fruit cake, and a hint of wintry spice.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with savory fruit and toffee, counterpointed by a sharp lemon marmalade. The taste arrives subtly, with vanilla cream next to mulled wine spices, dried fruits, orange oils, and a woody/sweet figgy pudding. There’s a buttery maltiness towards the end with more of that spicy holiday cake vibe on the slow fade.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

This opens with dry pencil shavings leading towards dry pine boxes, potpourri, and a hint of grapefruit pith. The taste is driven by cinnamon bark and clove berries, with a pink eraser vibe next to soft vanilla beans. That vanilla moves the mid-palate towards a finish full of ripe figs, light spice, and sweet potting soil. What a wild and confusing ride.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Cherry leather, black tea-soaked dates, figs, dry black soil, marzipan, and light eggnog spices lead the way on the nose. The palate opens up with sweet oak next to almonds, and rosewater with a hint of garam masala powder. That spice leads towards a cherry tobacco chewiness with a soft cedar box and silky savory fruit leather vibe on the end.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Sweet fruits and spice lead the way on the nose, with green sweetgrass, soft leather, and spiced malts rounding out the experience. The palate perks up with slices of fresh ginger next to Tellicherry peppercorns, Nutella, and an apple candy mid-palate. That apple sweetness drives the finish towards drier sweetgrass and old porch wicker with a touch of moss growing between the canes.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a thin caramel and vanilla vibe with a hint of almond shells. The palate is a mix of orange peels, honey, and Almond Joy (but almost just the wrapper). The mid-palate gets fruity with a slight nutty pastry feel, next to soft wood and a rushed end.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Wildflowers and honey mingle with cedar, milk chocolate, and a clove/allspice vibe on the nose. The taste softly moves from spicy holiday cake towards dried fruits and green peppercorns. The mid-palate sweetens with a buttery toffee next to spicy stewed apples that feels like sticky apple tobacco before fading out.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Apple pie and Amarena cherries with a bit of stem drive the nose with old leather and nutty Christmas cake. Those nuts and holiday vibes carry on through the taste as layers of apple peels, cherry bark, black pepper, and soft cedar planks settle into the finish. That finish fades slowly and gently through the dark spices, hints of dark cacao, cherry tobacco, and nuts.

Taste 9

Tasting Notes:

Red apple peels and rye crust open the nose before soft soil and green grass takes over. The palate is all about the butterscotch candies, with light florals, oat cookies, orange peels, and fresh mint acting as support. The mid-palate has a clove candy vibe that leads to white pepper, grapefruit peel, dark chocolate and cherry tobacco, and a final note of poppyseed cake.

Taste 10

Tasting Notes:

Sliced pears hidden in vanilla pudding opens the nose, with a slight woodiness that turns into a neutral vodka. There’s a slight espresso creme vibe on the palate, with hints of apple fritters, banana, and oak. The finish touches on oats and raisins but ends more like a listless vodka than anything else.

Taste 11

Tasting Notes:

Vanilla-laced toffee candies open the nose with dark chocolate, old leather, and raw sage. The palate is plummy, with plenty of holiday spice, almonds, cedar, and a thin layer of florals. The end is creamy vanilla pudding speckled with almonds and drizzled with caramel sauce with a soft landing that’s a little thin.

Taste 12

Tasting Notes:

Apples and vanilla lead the way, with hints of chocolate malts, spiced dates, and mild leather on the nose. The palate leans into the apple with a lard-crust pie feel next to plenty of fresh honey, more of those chocolate malts, and fresh apple fritters. Those fritters drive the mid-palate towards a finish that subtly moves between apple candy, fresh and floral honey, and spicy chocolate tobacco.

Part 2: The Ranking

12. Proclamation Blended Irish Whiskey — Taste 10

ABV: 40.7%

Average Price: $36

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is a blend of Irish whiskeys sourced from distilleries all around Ireland. The whiskeys in the mix are mostly aged in ex-bourbon casks with a few barrels of sherry cask aged whiskey thrown in there too.

Bottom Line:

There really wasn’t a whole lot going on here. It feels like a rail whiskey for whiskey and Cokes. Which is fine but not all that exciting.

11. Grace O’Malley Blended Irish Whiskey — Taste 6

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $38

The Whiskey:

This whiskey begins as barrels of three to 10-year-old whiskeys. Those whiskeys are then aged in a range of barrels from French oak wine casks to ex-bourbon to rum casks. The blend is built from those barrels and then proofed down to a very accessible 92 proof.

Bottom Line:

This is just fine. It’s a blended whiskey that’s best used for mixing. And that, again, is fine.

10. Method & Madness Single Grain Bourbon Cask Finish — Taste 3

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

This is Midleton Irish Distiller’s craft whiskey venture. The single grain spirit is matured in unused Spanish oak and old bourbon casks. That’s small-batched and proofed with that soft County Cork water and bottled in a throwback art-deco bottle.

Bottom Line:

This was whiplash in a glass. It was maybe too interesting to really know what to do with. I’m fine with the pencil shavings and eraser vibes but they didn’t feel like they were part of a cohesive whole.

9. Jameson Black Barrel — Taste 11

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $41

The Whiskey:

This is Jameson’s take on double barreling. The whiskey is first matured in old bourbon barrels. That juice is then transferred to another bourbon barrel that’s been doubly charred with a deep alligator skin char. Those barrels are batched and proofed all the way down to 80 proof.

Bottom Line:

This was a surprise ending up this low. I generally dig this a lot. But, admittedly, I’m usually using this for cocktails, not sipping. So here we are.

8. Teeling Single Malt — Taste 2

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

This single malt is a blend of whiskeys aged up to 23 years. The barrels involved are varied and vast and include sherry, port, Madeira, white Burgundy, and Cabernet Sauvignon barrels in the mix. Those whiskeys are blended perfectly and then proofed with local Dubliner water.

Bottom Line:

This is the bifurcation point. All the whiskeys next on this list were really good until we get to the top three, which all stood above. Still, this feels like a great on the rocks or mixing whiskey.

7. Powers John’s Lane — Taste 1

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $72

The Whiskey:

This is a classic Irish whiskey. The juice is aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks for at least 12 years. Those barrels are then married based on their distinct flavor profiles to create this special whiskey.

Bottom Line:

This was another whiskey that hit well. It was tasty and distinct but didn’t quite wow today amongst this very long list of whiskeys.

6. Bushmills 10 Year Single Malt — Taste 12

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

The first expression in Bushmill’s single malt range is a winner. The juice is made from Irish barley and matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. The best barrels are married, proofed with that soft Northern Irish spring water, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This was tasty with a real Glen-y Scotch vibe. That said, it feels like there are a million Highland malts out there that are just as good, but maybe not for quite as good of a price. Still, I’d drink this on the rocks all day.

5. Busker Single Pot Still — Taste 7

ABV: 44.3%

Average Price: $33

The Whiskey:

This barley-based whiskey is aged in a combo of ex-bourbon and sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time. Those whiskeys are then blended and proofed down with local water.

Bottom Line:

I had no idea what to expect from Busker and this was a pleasant surprise, especially for this price. It wasn’t mind-blowing but it didn’t need to be. I can see using this in a highball or cocktail with ease.

4. Clonakilty Double Oak Single Batch — Taste 5

ABV: 43.6%

Average Price: $51

The Whiskey:

This award-winning Irish blend is all about the aging and seaside vibes. The juice is built with whiskey aged in ex-bourbon casks which are finished in new American oak casks. That’s then blended with the same ex-bourbon cask aged whiskey finished in red wine casks from Bordeaux, which have been shaved and remade especially for this bottling.

Bottom Line:

I think this was the biggest surprise. This kind of ruled today but felt like a younger sibling of some bigger hitting Scotch whiskies from across the Irish Sea. So if you’re looking for something Irish for a Scotch lover, this is the play.

3. Waterford Cuvee — Taste 9

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $85

The Whiskey:

Waterford is an interesting experiment in whiskey, in general. This expression utilizes the distillery’s many single-farm-origin whiskeys to create something heightened. The whiskey is a blend of those single farm whiskeys that highlight the terroir from all around Ireland, along with Waterford’s high-level skills.

Bottom Line:

This was that perfect balance of interesting/different and classic/great. It felt like an easy sipper that offered something new and distinct without being overwrought. This is a pour I want to go back to.

2. Redbreast Lustau — Taste 4

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $75

The Whiskey:

This dram really stands out amongst the line. The tripled distilled pot still juice is matured only in casks from Bodega Lustau in Spain. Their sherried oak brings about a dialed-in depth to the whiskey that really helps elevate the Irish juice.

Bottom Line:

This whiskey is pretty close to perfect. It’s a hell of a sipper, especially when you add a drop of water or a rock to really let it bloom.

1. Red Spot — Taste 8

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $154

The Whiskey:

This is a high-water mark of Irish whiskey distilling and blending. The whiskey is aged for 15 years in a combination of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-Marsala casks. The spirit is then married and proofed down to a very approachable 92 proof.

Bottom Line:

While the top three were tight, this pulled away for the win easily. It’s so nuanced and, well, nice. It’s easy to drink while offering serious depth. Plus, it’s a dream to drink neat but really blooms into something special with a few drops of water or a rock.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

Final thought after tasting these 12 whiskeys, “Wow, there are a lot of great Irish whiskeys I don’t drink enough of.” Truly, there were some really solid whiskeys on this list.

There was a lot of variation between most of them. Sure, a few of the bottom-ranked whiskeys are missable, but, I’d argue, the rest are worth seeking out, depending on what you’re looking for.

All of that said, the top three were miles ahead of the other nine. If you’re looking for a great one, that’s the Red Spot hands down. If you can’t find that, you will not be disappointed by the Redbreast or Waterford in any way. Sláinte!

Sean McVay won a Super Bowl and had to confront a pretty big question: Should he come back and coach, or ride off into the sunset and do something else? McVay has mentioned in the past that he does not want to spend his entire life coaching, but on Friday, the Los Angeles Rams coach told Adam Schefter of ESPN that he was going to eschew other opportunities and return to the team next year.

That news came amid rumors that the 36-year-old McVay might move to the broadcast booth. According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, Amazon was interested in bringing him on board as they get ready to begin their NFL broadcasts, and were willing to cut him a potentially gigantic check to pique his interest.

Amazon Prime Video were planning on meeting next week with the Los Angeles head coach about him becoming an NFL TV game analyst, and sources felt the platform might go as high as offering five years and $100 million for its exclusive Thursday Night Football package in the fall.

Marchand went on to report that McVay didn’t just attract interest from Amazon, as Fox reportedly had interest in bringing him in and putting him in the booth. The network is on the lookout for a new No. 1 NFL analyst, as Troy Aikman is reportedly on the verge of heading to ESPN and joining its Monday Night Football team.

James Harden‘s debut as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers couldn’t have gone any better. Harden suited up on Friday night for the first time since he was traded by the Nets in the deal that sent a package headlined by Ben Simmons back to Brooklyn, and the early returns were quite good — the Sixers blitzed the Minnesota Timberwolves, 133-102, with Harden putting up 27 points on 7-for-12 shooting with 12 assists, eight rebounds, and five made threes.

Philly has been quite good in recent years, a pretty consistent regular season winner and playoff team. But as Joel Embiid said after the game, Harden brought something that the team has not had at any point during his time with the franchise.

“You should have seen my face every single time, especially in the fourth,” Embiid said when asked his thoughts on Harden. “You know, the first three quarters, obviously making plays for all of us. That was probably the most wide open I’ve ever been in my career. I had a lot of easy baskets, I used to have to work for everything. But in the fourth quarter, the shotmaking ability, shot creation, you should have seen my face. I was just like, ‘We’ve never had this, nothing close to it.’ So, hopefully that continues. We didn’t even play our best, but I think we can be way better than that.”

Embiid had 34 points on 10-for-18 shooting with 10 assists in the win.

It’s been a pretty underwhelming season for the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite entering the year with title-or-bust expectations, Los Angeles found itself sitting 27-31 entering Friday night’s game against the Clippers. They’re firmly in the play-in field, an automatic playoff berth seems like too tall a mountain to climb, and over the All-Star break, questions started being asked about LeBron James‘ long-term future with the team.

Between public comments James made that indicated a willingness to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers some day, his statement of intent to play his final season in the NBA alongside his son Bronny, and the fact that the team did not do anything at the trade deadline, it’s hard not to wonder if the future Hall of Fame inductee has his eyes on going elsewhere once his contract is up following the 2022-23 campaign. But according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, a recent meeting between Rich Paul and some higher-ups in L.A. was meant to quell fears that James is planning his next chapter.

In the aftermath of LeBron James’ public comments on a possible return to Cleveland and media reports describing his agency’s displeasure with the organization, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul met with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka on Tuesday, insisting that there’s no movement underway to seek management changes and that he believes there’s a shared accountability for the franchise’s disappointing season, sources told ESPN.
…

After Pelinka resisted making any deals at the trade deadline, James’ own public comments — raising the possibility of a return to Cleveland and praising Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti — started to fuel speculation that he could leave in free agency in 2023. Paul has privately downplayed that possibility, and told the Lakers that James is committed to playing his part in helping the Lakers to become championship contenders again, sources said.

While James has been quite good when he has been able to play this season, injuries to Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook’s general issues getting used to life in L.A., and James missing time due to injury have led to a serious inability to gel. Maybe they’ll be able to figure some things out once Davis comes back from his current ankle injury, but if not, it seems likely this will be a quick playoff trip for the Lakers before an offseason where they’ll have to circle the wagons and figure out a way to win another Larry O’Brien trophy.

Everyone loves Wordle, except for the people who use their Twitter accounts to complain about folks who post their Wordle scores every day. The success of the popular game, which was recently purchased by the New York Times, has led to a number of fun spin-offs — my preferred one is Worldle, where you get an outline of a country and have to guess what it is.

Well, it was my favorite one until the newest idea for this sort of game has hit the internet. Thanks to Gabe Danon, the producer of the podcast Dunktown, we now have a Wordle-inspired game called Poeltl.

Here’s how it works: Like Wordle, you type in your guess and a green, yellow, or gray (well, gray-ish) square let you know how you did. You guess an NBA player, and have to find a perfect match based on their team, conference, division, forward, height, age, and number. The particular rules look like this:

There is a decent enough chance that, if you’re a big basketball fan, the silhouette mode and a guess or two can get you across the finish line without too much trouble. My highest recommendation is that you don’t click on the silhouette mode unless you’re really, really stuck, but regardless, the game is a blast and worth your time. Don’t take my word for it, take it from the subject of Friday’s puzzle (this is, of course, a spoiler, so be warned). We’ll let you know if Karl-Anthony Towns faces (ultimately unfounded) accusations of cheating on this one, too.

Anyone who grew up in the late ’80s and early ’90s—Gen X, I’m looking at you—grew up in a world that was dominated by 8-bit graphics. Back in the day, computers and video game systems had a limited amount of processing power so the graphics had to be simple.

That meant the heroes that we played with such as Mario from Super Mario Brothers or Link from The Legend of Zelda, had to be super simple looking and we had to fill in the rest with our imaginations.

Video graphics have come a long way over the past 30-plus years, but people still love the old designs because it takes them back to a simpler time. This has led to an 8-bit movement where people use their creativity to make art within the confines of the limited medium.

Some people also use the limited 8-bit soundscape to create music that’s reminiscent of the old games. Sure, computer game music may be much more sophisticated these days, but is there anything better than the soundtrack to the original Tetris? Would Super Mario Brothers be the same with a sophisticated soundtrack? I think not.

Swedish artist Johan Karlgren, who goes by the name Pappas Pärlor, creates pixelated 8-bit-looking art and then inserts it into everyday scenes. The interesting thing is that his 8-bit art isn’t done with computer graphics, but Perler beads.

Perler beads are small, plastic beads that one places on a grid, and when the picture is done, they are melted with a household clothing iron. The beads are a fun hobby for kids who love to see the melting beads ooze their way into a fully-formed picture.

Although they weren’t originally intended to make 8-bit art, because the beads are placed on a grid when they melt together the designs look like they came straight out of a Nintendo Entertainment System.

Super Mario 3 Tanooki Suit Perler Beads Timelapsepic.twitter.com/Ywed4B3y47

— Soma ud83dudc9cud83cudf19 | AlleyCat ud83dude38ud83dudc08u200du2b1b (@Soma ud83dudc9cud83cudf19 | AlleyCat ud83dude38ud83dudc08u200du2b1b)
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Karlgren recreates iconic images from comics, cartoons, video games and movies with the beads and then adds them to the scenarios, turning the mundane into the whimsical.

What’s Karlgren’s big inspiration? “Anything that makes me feel something,” he told Bored Panda. “It could be anything from childhood memories to politics or people doing awesome stuff that I wanna interpret.”

See on Instagram

For Karlgren, his work is the byproduct of having a good time. “I don’t really choose what to create. My work is sprung from playing, and I’ll try to go with the ideas that come up in my head,” he said.

One of the hallmarks of Karlgen’s work is taking drab places such as a parking lot or other types of urban infrastructure and livening them up with the addition of one of his Perler bead creations. “It’s something that makes me happy, and hopefully other people [when] seeing it as well,” he told Newsweek.

Karlgren is a father of four and started posting his creations on Instagram back in April 2014. Since then, his fun, old-school designs have earned him more than 144,000 followers. Here are some of his coolest, and funniest 8-bit designs.

8-Bit Joker

See on Instagram

“Rose!”

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Raiders of the Lost Fence Knob

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Mario Kart: Snow Speeders

See on Instagram

“Here’s 8-Bit Johnny!”

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The Man of Steel

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That Creep Can Roll

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Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

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​Anthony Adams Rubbing Hands Meme​

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“I Said God Damn!”

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“Take My Money!”

See on Instagram

Darth’s Day Off

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Jaws

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“Go Ahead, Make My Day.”

See on Instagram

Mini Bernie

See on Instagram

Tony Montana

See on Instagram

The Homer Meme

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Have you ever been boarding an airplane and said to yourself, “There’s got to be a more efficient way to do this”?

People love to debate the quickest way to get people and their luggage aboard an aircraft. Every airline has its own method, which largely revolves around boarding people with some kind of status—first-class/premium seats or loyalty program status—first, followed by the nonstatus coach folk in various groupings. (I personally like to spend as little time as possible on the actual airplane, so I’ve never understood the “perk” of early boarding. I guess you get your pick of overhead bin space, but that alone isn’t worth it to me.) Airlines are always tweaking their methods, both to be more efficient and to keep their customers happy.

But none of them do it in the truly most efficient way. And why not? Well, because people are involved.

If humans were robots we could program to do what we want them to do without getting their knickers in a twist over not getting to be first, we could theoretically board airplanes in a way that would minimize bottlenecks and get everyone seated quickly. But alas, we are not.

And what is the most efficient way? I would have assumed it would be back-to-front, but it’s not. As a video from CGP Grey explains, boarding methods that intuitively seem like they might work best actually don’t. There are several reasons for this, from the unpredictability of who is going to struggle to get their carry-on bag into the overhead bin to the fact that, as the video points out, “The human inability to follow instructions is breathtaking.”

The video is really fascinating in addition to being entertaining. (There’s poetry involved.) Check it out:

So it turns out the best way to board is every other row, back to front, window seats first, followed by the same pattern with middle and then aisle seats. Seems perfectly logical.

And the only barrier to this method is getting people to line up in a specific order? That doesn’t seem like it should be that hard of a task. Southwest Airlines already does that with its boarding groups (everyone gets a number and lines up accordingly), though they don’t have assigned seats. Has no airline ever even given it a try? Seems like it might be worth a shot at least.

And if nothing else, at least now we know that we’re doing it all wrong. If we’re going to be inefficient, we should at least be aware that we’re doing it on purpose.

“When You Clean your Weapon” tells the story of war from the perspective of a young soldier, who treats his gun like a child, swaddling it and shielding it from the rain. This happens before the young man has even held a real child. He climbs into the earth, which takes him in like a womb. For a moment, he remembers his connection to nature. But then he shoots. And never again can he get rid of the smell of gunpowder. For he and the war are now one.

The poem captures how humanity is lost on the battlefield, even to those who survive. We become one with the weapon, instead of each other. Violence repeatedly gets chosen as the solution, and yet perpetuates the same problematic cycle … trench after trench. The truth is, the weapon is never clean, once it’s fired.

“When You Clean Your Weapon” by Borys Humenyuk 

When you clean your weapon

When time and again, you clean your weapon

When you rub strong-smelling oils into your weapon

And shield it from the rain with your own body

When you swaddle it like a baby

Even though you’ve never swaddled a baby before —

You’re only nineteen, no baby, no wife —

The weapon becomes your only kin

You and the weapon are one.

When you dig trench after trench

When you dig this precious this hateful earth by handfuls

Every other handful reaches your soul

You grind this earth between your teeth

You don’t, you never will have another

You climb into the earth like into your mother’s womb

You are warm and snug

You’ve never felt this close to anyone before

You and earth are one.

When you shoot

Even when it’s at night and you don’t see the enemy’s face

Even when night hides the enemy from you and you from the enemy

And embraces each of you as her own

You smell like gunpowder

Your hands, face, hair, clothing, shoes —

No matter how much you wash them — smell of gunpowder

They smell of war

You smell of war

You and war are one.

This poem comes from an anthology series of several poems titled “Words for War: New Poems from Ukraine,” translated by Oksana Maksymchuk and Max Rosochinksy.

There’s an old trope in movies and TV where a criminal will return to the scene of a crime shortly after it was committed. It’s a great way to create a sense of drama and to give an easy way for the heroes to catch the perpetrator, but does it happen in real life?

It doesn’t make much sense for a criminal to put themselves in a position to get caught, but neither does committing a crime in the first place.

If a criminal does return to the scene, it’s often so they can relive some of the sensations they felt while committing the crime.

Such was the case with alleged dog-napper Kyle Gariepy, 29.

On Friday, May 7, 2021, the Cambridge Police Department in Massachusetts reported that a 13-month-old German shorthaired pointer named “Titus” was stolen out of a parked vehicle. The department released footage of the alleged dog-napper walking the dog over the Boston University bridge.

Yesterday at approximately 12:32p, an unknown suspect broke into and entered a vehicle that was parked atu00a0620 Memorial Driveu00a0& stole a 13-month-old white German Short Haired Pointer out of the vehicle. The suspect was then observed walking the dog over the BU Bridge into Boston.pic.twitter.com/titQ0WvPMM

— Cambridge Policeud83dudc6eud83cudffd (@Cambridge Policeud83dudc6eud83cudffd)
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The dog was wearing an orange collar with the name “Titu.”

If anyone has any information about this incident, they are strongly encouraged to call the Cambridge Police at 617-349-3300. #CambMA pic.twitter.com/iUQAO62u9L

— Cambridge Police👮🏽 (@CambridgePolice) May 8, 2021

The next day, members of the local 7NEWS crew, including Juliana Mazza and photojournalist John Guice, posted up in the parking lot where the dog was stolen to report on the theft. While the news crew was setting up, they noticed a man who looked like the person in the surveillance cam footage walking a dog that looked like Titus.

Guice walked over to the man, whose name is Kyle Gariepy, and struck up a conversation with him while the news team rolled the camera. Mazza then walked over and asked if she could pet the dog so she could surreptitiously see if he had a name tag.

When she found out the dog was Titus, she asked the man why he didn’t call the number on the tag and he said his phone was “broken.” This begged a follow-up question. It’s been a day, why haven’t you contacted the owner or the authorities?

#ICYMI: I HAD to repost this story told by the lovely @MeganAlexander of @InsideEdition ! It aired last night after #7News at 6pm!pic.twitter.com/KvW176Q6xQ

— Juliana Mazza (@Juliana Mazza)
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Gariepy gave a very strange excuse for why he had the dog.

“He was just barking in the car, and I walked past the car, and I thought it was supposed to be a dog I was dog walking,” Gariepy told the crew. “It wasn’t a kidnapping. It was just a simple mistake.”

Why in the world would someone ask him to walk a dog that was in a parked car?

Gariepy’s story didn’t add up, so the news crew called the police and Gariepy stood there and waited until they arrived. Gariepy was arrested and charged with larceny of more than $1,200, and breaking and entering into a vehicle to commit a felony.

Just need to say how grateful I am to my photojournalist that day, John Guice! He actually spoke with the man first about how beautiful Titus was. As I walked over I quickly realized we found the dog and had the suspect. Wouldnu2019t have been possible without him!https://twitter.com/InsideEdition/status/1391913529243049984u00a0u2026

— Juliana Mazza (@Juliana Mazza)
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Later, the police called Titus’ owner Greg Siesczkiewicz and asked him to come and pick up his dog.

“I’m thrilled to have Titus back. I think, he is thrilled to have me back,” he told Inside Edition.

“I’m just glad that the person came back and I’m just glad that you guys were there,” Siesczkiewicz told 7NEWS. “If anyone ever sees this who questions the value of media, social media, broadcast media, this proves it.”

In 1994, Pulp Fiction made Quentin Tarantino one of the most famous filmmakers in Hollywood. What did he do with his newfound clout? Direct an episode of ER, of course. Ten years later, in the time between Kill Bill: Volume 2 and Death Proof, he stepped behind the camera for another TV show: CSI, a one-off gig that earned him his only Emmy nomination (his role as an Elvis impersonator on The Golden Girls was sadly overlooked). Those are, to date, the only times Tarantino has directed for TV. But Deadline reports that he’s in “early talks to direct one or two episodes” of Justified: City Primeval, the Justified limited series with Timothy Olyphant reprising his role as Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (not to be confused with Space Raylan):

Tarantino and Olyphant worked together on the director’s most recent film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. There also is the filmmaker’s devotion to Elmore Leonard, who created the Givens character… He optioned several Leonard titles during his career and has talked about possibly directing one of his Westerns, Forty Lashes Less One.

One Leonard adaptation that actually got made is Jackie Brown, based on his 1992 novel Rum Punch. If you want to make a case that it’s Tarantino’s best movie, well, you wouldn’t be the only one.

Tarantino also worked with Olyphant’s Justified co-star Walton Goggins on Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight, and you can hear his voice in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. There’s no word on whether Boyd Crowder will, like Raylan, be in City Primeval, but if he is, one thing’s for sure: his hair will look incredible.

(Via Deadline)