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Taylor Swift is always watching — whether she lets you know it, or not. As Swifties know, the “Karma” hitmaker is very intentional about dropping hints and Easter eggs in her visuals, her lyrics, and in her performances. But because of her craft and cleverness, fans have also dived deeper into her work and come up with theories of their own. Whether these theories are sound or completely arbitrary, Swift is making it clear how she feels about people discussing her personal life.

Over the years, a subcommunity of Swifties — who call themselves “gaylors” — have often taken to Twitter, Tumblr, and TikTok to share theories that Swift might be secretly queer. The gaylors often pull lines from Swift’s lyrics, as well as old social media posts, as evidence to their theories. In the prologue for physical editions of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), out now, Swift expresses her disdain for rumors about her links to people of any gender.

Is Taylor Swift’s ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ prologue a message to ‘gaylor’ fans?

In the album’s prologue, found in the liner notes, Swift said that during the 1989 era, she had grown frustrated with people romantically linking her to anyone she was seen out in public with.

“Being a consummate optimist, I assumed I could fix this if I simply changed my behavior,” she wrote. “I swore off dating and decided to focus only on myself, my music, my growth, and my female friendships. If I only hung out with my female friends, people couldn’t sensationalize or sexualize that—right? I would learn later on that people could and people would.”

This isn’t the first time she’s addressed these rumors. Back in 2014, when the 1989 era began, she posted a tweet, reading, “As my 25th birthday present from the media, I’d like for you to stop accusing all of my friends of dating me. #Thirsty”

In neither writing did she call out gaylors specifically, however, it is clear that she is fed up with rumors about her romantic life.

1989 (Taylor’s Version) is out now via Republic. Find more information here.

It’s all fun and games until a professional pickleball captain gets her heart broken on national television.

The fifth episode of The Golden Bachelor managed to eject three unlucky women in the span of a week, all in the name of cranking up the tension before those all-important hometown dates. While Faith finally won her coveted one-on-one with Gerry, the rest of the women tried to drown their anxieties in water aerobics and Jewish folk singing. With one rose down, a group date at the Santa Monica Pier forced some hopefuls to lay their hearts bare in the hopes of making the cut while Sandra had the time of her life at the ring toss booth.

Here are the winners (and losers) of this week’s episode of The Golden Bachelor.

Winner – Boat Landings

There’s been a suspicious lack of aerial showboating on Gerry’s part this season. We’ve had exactly one hot air balloon ride, but compared to the naked bungee jumping and moonlit windmill picnics, zero gravity flights, and San Francisco bridge-traversing of the past, these one-on-one dates have ranked pretty low on the altimeter. Gerry’s decision to strap Faith into a helicopter, treat her to a terrifying ride over a gorgeous California landscape, and then giggle maniacally as she spiraled during a well-timed landing on a moving yacht felt like peak Bachelor Nation antics. The producers, they’ve still got it.

Loser – Ellen’s Nerves

A fun dare morphed into heartbreak for Ellen this week. The pickleball enthusiast may have started this journey in honor of her friend battling cancer, but Gerry’s moves — on the court and off — won her over. By the time the group date came around, Ellen knew she’d be battling Theresa and Leslie for a rose and even a last-minute love confession couldn’t dissuade Gerry from his preference for brunettes. The writing was on the wall once Faith revealed she’d shared a hot tub with everyone’s favorite aging thirst trap but watching Ellen fake interest in fairground games and bumper car tournaments as she sweated out her anxieties over not nabbing a pre-ceremony rose left us all as nauseous as Sandra gets when she gets a whiff of dairy.

Winner – Rollercoasters

Rollercoasters are thrilling death traps that amusement parks have convinced us we must ride in order to appreciate our own mortality and truly feel alive for all of 15 seconds. They’re also useful metaphors. And in tonight’s episode, they served both purposes. As a group of elderly women had their hairdos mussed and their stomachs rolled in pursuit of love, Theresa dropped a poignant recap of the night — it was a rollercoaster of emotions, in more ways than one.

Winner – Sandra’s Inner Child

Gerry’s stronger connections with Ellen, Leslie, Faith, and Theresa were apparent pretty early on in the season, so when the group date in Santa Monica came, both Sandra and Susan seemed to be having the best time of anyone out there. Free from the worry of one day becoming Mrs. Gerry Turner, the women gobbled cotton candy, swiped oversized stuffed animals, and experienced the kind of g-force that would make even Tom Cruise dizzy. Sandra especially seemed to be living her best life and she eventually walked away from the show having successfully avoided her daughter’s wedding and with a nice tan from a weeks-long vacation in a California mansion. Who really won here?

Loser – Leslie’s Emotional State

Leslie has struggled with feelings of jealousy towards the other women in the house since day one, but this week, she was struck with an acute case of amnesia — forgetting that she was a contestant in a reality competition where the man she was swapping spit with would also have to date other women. This epiphany led to an emotional meltdown on the fairground ride in which she revealed her past had been filled with toxic men who weaponized her vulnerability against her. She can’t be talking about Prince though.

Winner – Faith’s Traumatic One-On-One

Speaking of spilling your guts, once Faith was sure she could keep her pre-date anxiety bagel down during the long flight, she felt ready to reveal more about her own traumatic past. She grew up homeless, with no parents to guide her in her teenage years and, because of that, she’s found it hard to pick the good guys from the bad boys. All seems to be going well until Faith asks the camera the most ridiculous question we’ve heard on this show, “Is this real?” after having brunched on a yacht she helicoptered onto with a man she’s known for a few weeks as cameras film all around them. No, it’s not real Faith, but you got a rose so maybe just enjoy the fantasy a bit longer.

Loser – Hopscotch

Ellen may be gone but she left us with some parting wisdom that millennial parents everywhere need to hear. If you’ve ever wondered why the children’s game of hopscotch fell out of fashion, Roberta’s bestie has the answer: Steve Jobs.

It’s all fun and games until a professional pickleball captain gets her heart broken on national television.

The fifth episode of The Golden Bachelor managed to eject three unlucky women in the span of a week, all in the name of cranking up the tension before those all-important hometown dates. While Faith finally won her coveted one-on-one with Gerry, the rest of the women tried to drown their anxieties in water aerobics and Jewish folk singing. With one rose down, a group date at the Santa Monica Pier forced some hopefuls to lay their hearts bare in the hopes of making the cut while Sandra had the time of her life at the ring toss booth.

Here are the winners (and losers) of this week’s episode of The Golden Bachelor.

Winner – Boat Landings

There’s been a suspicious lack of aerial showboating on Gerry’s part this season. We’ve had exactly one hot air balloon ride, but compared to the naked bungee jumping and moonlit windmill picnics, zero gravity flights, and San Francisco bridge-traversing of the past, these one-on-one dates have ranked pretty low on the altimeter. Gerry’s decision to strap Faith into a helicopter, treat her to a terrifying ride over a gorgeous California landscape, and then giggle maniacally as she spiraled during a well-timed landing on a moving yacht felt like peak Bachelor Nation antics. The producers, they’ve still got it.

Loser – Ellen’s Nerves

A fun dare morphed into heartbreak for Ellen this week. The pickleball enthusiast may have started this journey in honor of her friend battling cancer, but Gerry’s moves — on the court and off — won her over. By the time the group date came around, Ellen knew she’d be battling Theresa and Leslie for a rose and even a last-minute love confession couldn’t dissuade Gerry from his preference for brunettes. The writing was on the wall once Faith revealed she’d shared a hot tub with everyone’s favorite aging thirst trap but watching Ellen fake interest in fairground games and bumper car tournaments as she sweated out her anxieties over not nabbing a pre-ceremony rose left us all as nauseous as Sandra gets when she gets a whiff of dairy.

Winner – Rollercoasters

Rollercoasters are thrilling death traps that amusement parks have convinced us we must ride in order to appreciate our own mortality and truly feel alive for all of 15 seconds. They’re also useful metaphors. And in tonight’s episode, they served both purposes. As a group of elderly women had their hairdos mussed and their stomachs rolled in pursuit of love, Theresa dropped a poignant recap of the night — it was a rollercoaster of emotions, in more ways than one.

Winner – Sandra’s Inner Child

Gerry’s stronger connections with Ellen, Leslie, Faith, and Theresa were apparent pretty early on in the season, so when the group date in Santa Monica came, both Sandra and Susan seemed to be having the best time of anyone out there. Free from the worry of one day becoming Mrs. Gerry Turner, the women gobbled cotton candy, swiped oversized stuffed animals, and experienced the kind of g-force that would make even Tom Cruise dizzy. Sandra especially seemed to be living her best life and she eventually walked away from the show having successfully avoided her daughter’s wedding and with a nice tan from a weeks-long vacation in a California mansion. Who really won here?

Loser – Leslie’s Emotional State

Leslie has struggled with feelings of jealousy towards the other women in the house since day one, but this week, she was struck with an acute case of amnesia — forgetting that she was a contestant in a reality competition where the man she was swapping spit with would also have to date other women. This epiphany led to an emotional meltdown on the fairground ride in which she revealed her past had been filled with toxic men who weaponized her vulnerability against her. She can’t be talking about Prince though.

Winner – Faith’s Traumatic One-On-One

Speaking of spilling your guts, once Faith was sure she could keep her pre-date anxiety bagel down during the long flight, she felt ready to reveal more about her own traumatic past. She grew up homeless, with no parents to guide her in her teenage years and, because of that, she’s found it hard to pick the good guys from the bad boys. All seems to be going well until Faith asks the camera the most ridiculous question we’ve heard on this show, “Is this real?” after having brunched on a yacht she helicoptered onto with a man she’s known for a few weeks as cameras film all around them. No, it’s not real Faith, but you got a rose so maybe just enjoy the fantasy a bit longer.

Loser – Hopscotch

Ellen may be gone but she left us with some parting wisdom that millennial parents everywhere need to hear. If you’ve ever wondered why the children’s game of hopscotch fell out of fashion, Roberta’s bestie has the answer: Steve Jobs.

On occasion, optimism can reign when things are going well. In fact, there were more than a few moments in Week 7 in which it felt like a 5-0 week was very much on the table in this space. After all, the Los Angeles Rams led in the second half and the Miami Dolphins (getting 8.5 points!) were tied well into the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles. Alas, neither game broke in our favor, even as Week 7 was profitable on the whole at 3-2.

We press on to Week 8 with strong resolve and, before getting into the five-pack of picks, we take a glance at the overall picture.

• Week 7: 3-2
• 2023 Season: 20-13-2

Come get these winners.

Green Bay Packers (+1.5) over Minnesota Vikings — Widely Available

The Packers are in the mud with three straight losses, including a maddening effort against Denver a week ago. Now, Green Bay gets to be back at home and outdoors against a Minnesota team some are buying now after two straight wins. I think it’s a great spot for the Packers and I’m happy to take the 1.5 in a game I think they win on the field.

Carolina Panthers (+3.5) over Houston Texans — FanDuel

The battle of the top two overall picks is here and, in a wild swing from preseason expectations, Houston is now laying 3.5 points on the road in Charlotte. I’m going to say that’s a bit of an overreaction. Both teams are coming off bye weeks, so there isn’t a big edge there for Carolina, but I think the implication that Houston is nearly a touchdown better than Carolina on a neutral field is a bit much.

Indianapolis Colts (+1) over New Orleans Saints — Widely Available

Indy got us home last week but managed to lose a game they probably should’ve won. New Orleans has dropped two straight as well, so this is one that both teams need. Frankly, I just don’t think the gap between these teams is large enough to make New Orleans a road favorite, and I continue to think the market is undervaluing Minshew.

Cleveland Browns (+4) over Seattle Seahawks — Caesars

I’m buying the Browns defense, and I’m buying that the gap between Deshaun Watson and PJ Walker isn’t as big as the market thinks it is. Also, this is a game with a spread in the 30’s and I’ll gleefully take four in this spot with the best unit (Cleveland’s defense) on either team.

TEASER: Los Angeles Chargers (-2.5) over Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions (-1.5) over Las Vegas Raiders — FanDuel

Will everyone in the world have this teaser? Probably. Does that make it a bad bet? No. Is it scary that it seems this clear? Absolutely. But this is basic Wong teaser stuff and, for good measure, we’re fading two bad teams playing on the road against motivated opponents with considerably more talent.

2023 is coming to a close. As the final two months of the year approach, music fans are reflecting on their favorite releases of the year. More strategic music fans are also trying to tailor the algorithm of their favorite streaming platforms, that way, their year-end summaries match their listening habits.

Over the course of the past week, rumors circulated that Spotify Wrapped would stop tracking its users streams on October 31, however, Spotify confirmed that this is, in fact, not true. Meanwhile, Apple Music users are wondering when they’ll get their year-end summary. Fortunately, they won’t have to wait very long to get their summaries. In fact, they don’t have to wait at all.

When does Apple Music Replay come out for 2023?

On Apple Music, each music gets a Replay playlist for every year they’ve been an Apple Music user. Each playlist features the user’s most-played songs for that respective year. There’s also a playlist for the current year, which features the user’s most-played songs in the year, thus far.

According to Apple Insider, the playlist for the active year updates every Sunday, however, Apple Music stops tracking the user’s listening habits at the end of the year. Though, at some point close to the end of the year, Apple Music will share an interactive slide show reflecting their Replay playlist, designed to share via social media.

“When we first launched Replay, the feature became an instant fan favorite on Apple Music, and we really wanted to develop the experience further and make it even more special, personal, and unique for subscribers,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats, in a statement. “The music we enjoy throughout the year becomes like a soundtrack, and it’s really fun to be able to go back and relive those meaningful and memorable moments over again.”

Apple Music user’s can see their Replay playlists in the Listen Now section on the Apple Music app.

Few grocery stores have achieved a full blown culture quite like the retail fan-favorite Trader Joe’s, where folks can always count on an adventure filled with cookie butter, cheap wine and conversations with an Hawaiin shirt-clad employee.

And while there are some perhaps obvious reasons behind TJ’s loyal following—the eclectic seasonal food items, the relaxing atmosphere—one woman is taking an in-depth look at some of the lesser known “psychological tricks” that keep shoppers coming back time and time again.

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Research enthusiast Nicole Urban, whose entire TikTok is dedicated to analytical deep dives on a variety of topics, recently went viral for explaining Trader Joe’s unending appeal.

“Trader Joe’s rejects a lot of the core business practices of average grocery stores,” Urban noted, saying that instead of focusing on a huge variety of items and offering coupons like most grocery stores do, TJ’s is all about offering a one-of-a-kind “customer experience.”

That includes charismatic, gregarious employees more than willing to strike up a friendly conversation, artistic, hand drawn price tags that mimic a local market, reliable prices, and of course, those oh-so-tempting limited edition seasonal and experimental items that make shopping “feel like a treasure hunt,” says Urban.

@urbannic Replying to @eleni ♬ original sound – nicole urban

Urban then listed two unique characteristics that even the most regular Trader Joe’s customer might have never noticed were drawing them in—the TJ’s parking lot and frozen food aisle.

Unlike most grocery store chains, Trader Joe’s keeps its frozen aisle “fun and accessible” by doing an open freezer bin layout, getting rid of annoying freezer doors that block folks from casually scoping out new items.

And while the freezers inside are wide open, the ever congested TJ’s parking lot is quite the opposite. As Urban explained, Trader Joes are often placed in high traffic arrears with smaller parking lots that consequently always appear full..making it appear competitive to get into. That’s right, getting the primo parking spot after ten minutes of circling is all part of the experience.

According to Urban, it’s all these subtle factors that contribute to trader Joe’s huge success. And judging by the thousands of comments that followed her viral video, it seems she was right on the money.

People particularly began gushing about their own wholesome interactions with trader Joe’s cashiers. One shared “My cashier made me cry because she said I looked like I needed flowers and then called me a good mom after giving me a free bouquet.”

Another added, “One time I was at Trader Joes and applying to adopt a dog. The cashier asked to see the dog and encouraged us to adopt him. 3.5 years later and we still show her pictures of him when we shop there. She only knows us as Winston’s parents.”

Others agreed that the limited selection was a main reason they returned, since it made shopping much less stressful.

“I love that they don’t have a billion choices, as an anxious person…I’ve been shopping there since 2015!” one person exclaimed.

Some even listed things they loved about that story that didn’t get covered by Urban, such as its flower selection and use of natural lighting.

Even people who didn’t live in the U.S. wrote that they regarded Trader Joes as some sort of “mystical place” they longed to visit one day.

This is such an illuminating example of humanity’s shared, deep felt need for novelty. It can transform even the most mundane of tasks, like grocery shopping, into the highlight of someone’s day. In our increasingly more automated, tech-driven world, the demand for fun in-person experiences will only go up. And hopefully that means more stores opting for the Trader Joe’s approach…only with better parking lots.

Out of the mouths of babes comes the greatest wisdom sometimes.

Kids are brand new at this whole being a human thing, and they often vocalize what they’re learning as they go. This is especially true at age 4, when they’re really getting the hang of asking questions and talking about their thoughts and feelings. Sometimes the things they say are surprisingly profound, and hearing sage life advice from a preschooler is always an unexpected treat.

That’s why 4-year-old Emi’s revelation about finding the positives in every situation has people so tickled. Emi’s mom, Katy-Robin Garton (@katyrobinbird on Instagram), often puts a mic on her daughter when they go bike riding so she can hear her better and so she can capture her musings in her adorable voice while it lasts. On this ride, Emi explained how “sour” things can be turned “sweet.”

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Garton wrote in the video’s caption, “’How will you feel when biking ends?’ I asked 4-yr-old Emi. We live in Montana so when the snow comes, biking season comes to an end. Emi replied, ‘I’ll be sad, but when we can’t bike, we can ski and ice-skate!’ and then she continued on with what you heard in this video, ‘everything that changes, has a sweet to it.’ You see?”

Emi’s “You see?” is about the cutest thing ever. But her life advice here is solid, even for the grownups. So many of us can get caught up in negativity and cynicism and spirals of complaint. Sometimes we need to be reminded to find the sweet in the sour.

Watch:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Katy Robin Garton (@katyrobinbird)

“These magical moments in motion are the very reason I’m motivated to get outside and ride… and ski… and ice-skate of course,” wrote Garton. “It clicked for Emi as she rode—what she and I were talking about a few days prior, how you can turn a sour thing sweet with a shift in your perspective and attitude, and how you can also do the same to turn sweet things sour. At the time, I wasn’t sure the concept had deeply clicked for her, but clearly it did in this moment. I suppose when your body is free, your mind follows.”

“Emi has given me the gift I didn’t know I needed today. Thank you Emi, and thank you Mama bear for raising your kids full of love and sharing it with us, ❤️❤️” wrote one commenter.

“This is the best life lesson anyone can give and coming from a 4-yr-old it’s like the most special thing. Thank you,” wrote another.

“EMI Talks are the new TED Talks, 😍” shared another. (Right? Totally.)

“This is the silver lining reminder I needed to hear today.” wrote another. (Same, friend.)

People in the comments also pointed out that the parenting Emi has gotten is key, but as Garton pointed out, it’s not just the way her parents talk to her that led her here. It’s also the fact that they go outside and do physical activity together, giving Emi’s young brain a chance to process and talk through what she’s been learning while she’s moving her body. It’s a magical combo, truly.

You can follow @katyrobinbird on Instagram to enjoy more of Emi’s adorable wisdom.

The Renaissance era continues. While Beyoncé concluded her critically-acclaimed Renaissance World Tour earlier this month, this particular chapter in the lore of Beyoncé isn’t over quite yet. This December, Beyoncé will premiere Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé, which will contain footage from the tour, and is also rumored to contain the long-awaited music videos for the Renaissance album.

But between now and then, Bey has unveiled a new fragrance called Cé Noir. She took to Instagram yesterday to share a video of herself unboxing a bottle of Cé Noir.

As the Renaissance album is a celebration of Black culture, it’s only fitting that the perfume is called Cé Noir, which is French for “this black” or “this blackness.” It’s also likely that she added the accent mark on the “e” of “ce” as an allusion to her name.

In the video, she said the perfume took “years of work” to come together, and noted that she has worn it during performances on the Renaissance World Tour.

“I wanted something to be monolithic and I wanted something to have a little bit of intimacy,” said Beyoncé.

Fans can pre-order Cé Noir from Beyoncé’s official website. The perfume will begin shipping in November.

You can watch Beyoncé unbox her own Cé Noir perfume above.

James Harden is not with the Philadelphia 76ers as they begin their season on Thursday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. Harden’s been in the middle of a lengthy trade saga since the start of the summer, and the Sixers have made abundantly clear that they will not trade him unless their asking price is met. That’s led to weird stuff happening, like team security keeping Harden from joining the team in Milwaukee.

Whether or not the Sixers want Harden to play for them at some point this season remains to be seen. But in the eyes of Charles Barkley, the Harden era in Philadelphia has run its course, as he laid out why the team just cannot bring him back at any point.

“It’s not tough to figure out: James Harden can’t come back to Philly, them fans ain’t gonna have it,” Barkley said. “The fans ain’t gonna have it. He can’t treat the city of Philadelphia like that and they’re gonna forgive and forget — I said the same thing with Ben Simmons when they were trying, like, ‘We want Ben Simmons back.’ I’m like, they’re not gonna take him back.”

Kenny Smith made it a point to ask what Harden did to the fans in Philadelphia, and Barkley made clear that he disrespected them with his actions.

“When you play for a team, you have an obligation to the fanbase,” Barkley said. “He didn’t show up to work for 10 days. You just can’t take time off because you’re unhappy you ain’t getting traded.”

Barkley made it a point to also call out Sixers executive Daryl Morey, who he believe is asking for far too much for a player that only has one year left on his contract. And he expressed his belief that, if Philly simply moved Harden earlier in the summer, they could have tried to acquire Jrue Holiday from the Portland Trail Blazers.

“Now, there’s nothing they can do,” Barkley said. “They’re probably gonna get a couple bench players for James. But the notion that they’re gonna get a lot for James, who has one year — and this is the third year in a row he’s demanded out. You think some team’s gonna give him a long-term deal? Hell no.”

Howlin’ Rays without a doubt serves the best Nashville-style hot chicken in all of Los Angeles. About five years ago, that wasn’t such a big deal — considering it was one of the only hot chicken joints in the city — but now in 2023, it’s a huge deal because while there are lots of imitators (Dave’s Hot Chicken, Main Chick, Crimson Coward, etc), no one is bringing the same level of craft to their chicken.

That’s why anytime Howlin’ Rays does something outside of what they usually do (hot chicken) we take notice. So we’re pretty hyped that, for a limited time, Howlin’ Rays is bringing back its chicken nuggets in collaboration with Offset (to commemorate the release of his new album Set It Off) and Postmates.

Dubbed the Howlin’ Ween Offset Shake Box, the Nugz are available exclusively through Postmates in the Los Angeles area from now until the 31st and come in a special Offset and Postmates-designed box with a new custom-made proprietary sauce. According to Howlin’ Rays, the special sauce was overseen by Offset and was inspired by a Carolina Dipped Chicken Sauce that originated in North Carolina in the 1920s.

The concept of the meal is simple: open up the box, pour the sauce all over the chicken, close it, and give it a shake to distribute the sauce all over the nuggets. So does the meal live up to Howlin’ Rays’ reputation? Let’s find out.

Howlin’ Ween Offset Shake Box

Thoughts & Tasting Notes:

The chicken is meaty, each nugget is a giant chunk of white meat chicken with a crunchy and well-seasoned breading, I’m tasting salt, black pepper, and maybe a hint of onion powder. The crunch is audible and snappy, which helps to make the chicken come across as a bit more appetizing. The crunch holds up even when the nugget is drenched in sauce.

Each nugget is surprisingly tender and juicy, and once mixed with the sauce takes on a deeper and richer flavor. The sauce brings a good amount of heat that grows with each bite and has a sweet brown sugar flavor and a tangy finish.

The sauce tastes has a slight cider vibe to it and a whole lot of heat. It conjures Louisiana sauces. I know the concept is to pour the sauce over the chicken and shake it up, but I’m going to be real with you — I didn’t do that. It didn’t seem necessary to me and instead, I used the sauce as a traditional dip, which allowed me to maximize the amount of sauce I was using.

Sorry to the concept, but it seems needlessly messy to me!

The Bottom Line:

If you’re a fan of Howlin’ Rays, the Nugz are a must. I don’t think the nuggets are as essential as Howlin’ Rays’ hot chicken, but they are a nice change up and with this special sauce, they’re worth a pick-up for something a bit different from the brand. Especially if you’re a big Offset fan and like ordering food at home.

Pick up an order of Howlin’ Ween directly through Postmates.