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Anyone who games competitively knows that even the slightest edge can make all the difference in the world between a win and a loss. That’s why so many players invest money into having the best mouses, keyboards, controllers, and headphones when playing. However, while there are plenty of people out there that are willing to invest hundreds if not thousands of dollars for their game nights with friends, the average person might not have that same willingness to go out and buy expensive gear simply for the one or two times a week they engage in a match of Warzone, Grand Theft Auto Online, or Minecraft with friends. They’re gonna want something that can handle the heavy lifting of not only their hobby as a gamer, but something that they can utilize on the train, at the gym, or listening to music around the house.

For people like this, there really isn’t a better option out there than the Arctics Nova Pro headphones, the newest offering from SteelSeries. Besides a few minor hiccups, we think they not only nailed their goal of creating headphones that make gaming a more enjoyable experience than ever before, but ones that you’re going to find yourself using everywhere you go.

Sound Quality

As with any headphones, sound quality is ultimately going to be the deciding factor for anyone that is interested in these no matter what they plan on using them for. So how do the Artctis Nova Pro headphones improve the listening experience? By putting the control in the hands of the user. The average headphones will offer a few different sound settings here and there, but most of them are predetermined and anyone that wants to customize their listening experience will have to do so through a third party of some kind.

The Arctis Nova Pro headphones however come with access to the Sonar Audio Software Suite. With this, users of the headphones are able to fully customize their audio settings for not only gaming, music, or chatting with friends but to some of the smallest details. For example, if you’re someone that really enjoys Warzone you’re probably aware of how important sound is when you’re unsure where other players might be. With the Arctis Nova Pro headphones, you are able to adjust audio settings to make it so the game will emphasize footstep audio, or maybe gunfire, it’s entirely up to how the player chooses to customize it.

That level of audio customization goes beyond the game though. Players are able to adjust microphone and chat audio as well. If you’re used to playing team games like Overwatch or Apex Legends and need to hear callouts then you might want to adjust it so priority is on chat audio instead of game audio. You can even adjust how other people sound in some instances. For example, does your friend always play with a loud fan or use a mechanical keyboard? With Sonar Audio Software Suite you can add background noise canceling to their audio.

This offers a level of customization that is rarely seen across headphones providers and that is easily their biggest strength. Other headphones can offer more comfort or portability, but nothing has the audio customization choices of the Arctis Nova Pro.

Comfort

That said, we do feel it’s important to talk about the comfort of the headphones. After all, a big selling point of these is how they can be taken on the go or used around the house and comfort plays a big part in if someone is willing to do that. After using them myself for the last few weeks I can say that they are more comfortable than the average pair of headphones, but they do eventually get tiresome of having on your head.

The best part of the Arctis Nova Pro continues to be the customization options. Every pair comes with an adjustable strap inside that allows the user to choose how loose or tight they want them to sit on their head. This strap prevents the headphones from ever feeling too small or squeezing on your head after wearing them for an eight-hour work shift. They’re also naturally designed to not put pressure on the temple points of the wearer’s head. This not only can help those of us who get pressure headaches from having something on our head all day, but it makes it so you don’t have to take them off quite as often to give your head a break.

That said, my ears would get a little irritated if I had them on for too long and with that would come the occasional headache. They’re still way better for marathon sessions than any previous headphones I’ve owned before, but I never got that feeling of forgetting I was wearing them.

Versatility

Finally, let’s discuss what makes these some of the most versatile headphones ever made. The best non-audio portion of these headphones is how they can seamlessly switch between devices. Each pair of headphones comes with a receiver that is used to connect the headphones to a device. Right now, I have mine sitting next to my PC and I have them plugged in through a USB. Thanks to that, I can adjust all my audio on my PC through the general sound mixer or Sonar. What’s really cool about these though is that, if I had my PlayStation 5 docked with this too and turned it on, I would be able to seamlessly switch over to that audio without getting up to plug it into a new audio port.

This ability to switch between devices is incredibly for those of us that own multiple consoles or devices and like to use the same pair of headphones for all of them. It’s thanks to this seamless and versatile switching that someone could, in theory, wear their headphones for an entire day. Leave the house and walk to work listening to music through Bluetooth on your phone, reach your desk at work and flip over to your computer audio, leave work and head to the gym, go back to your phone, only to flip over to the PlayStation or Xbox when you get home. Never once do you have to remove your headphones in any of these scenarios.

If you’re worried about looking silly wearing a pair of headphones with a mic in public, don’t be. All headphones come with a retractable mic that fits so seamlessly that it looks like there isn’t one at all. The style-conscious among us don’t need to be worried about having a weird mic dongle hanging out of the side of their head while working out at the gym. That mic can of course be used for gaming, meetings, or an online game night with friends.

For gamers, the value of these headphones comes in the multiple ways to customize and balance audio. It can’t be emphasized enough how awesome it was to be able to change settings based on the game. They sound great, feel great, and are easily on the same level if not above some of the most popular gaming headphones out there.

For the average person who games as a hobby, the versatility and comfort options make these headphones that can’t be beaten. They’re not only great gaming headphones but great for your everyday use in a way that you’re not going to find with average headphones. If you can afford the $350 price tag then we think they are well worth it.

When I told some friends I was visiting South Carolina recently, they immediately assumed I was heading to the beach. Charleston, maybe? Myrtle Beach? Any of the many other quaint beach towns the state is known for?

All good guesses, and all great places to visit. But I was actually on my way to Columbia. “And it will actually be my third visit,” I added.

You could see some surprise momentarily cross the faces of these friends. And I get it, a few years ago the extent of my knowledge of Columbia, South Carolina came from memorizing the state capitals in elementary school. But as I’ve gotten to know the city, I’ve discovered that it’s so much more than another dot in the middle of a map. It’s a vibrant and underrated destination with tons of outdoor activities nearby.

Three trips in, it’s safe to say I have a soft spot for this city — here is my guide.

PART I — Where to Eat

I lived in the south for five years after graduate school, and I still jump at any opportunity to go back for one big reason: the food. Nowhere else in the United States can quite compare to a Southern meal. But not just for the traditional biscuits and gravy or shrimp and grits – it’s all good. And Columbia didn’t disappoint. I found myself exclaiming at each meal that it was “the best meal I have ever had” and not hyperbolically.

Meals are events in South Carolina and I was happy to indulge.

I walked to dinner at Black Rooster on my first night in town. A “Frenchish” restaurant in West Columbia, Black Rooster combines French preparation and techniques with local and international cuisines. I started with a cheese plate and some bubbles while enjoying the ambiance and view. I followed with the nightly special – a soft shell crab on a bed of Moroccan rice. It was one of the most interesting and tasty dishes I’ve had on the road in a long time.

Another memorable dining experience is just a short 15-mile drive outside of town in Lexington SC. Bodhi Thai is an elegant and innovative Modern Thai restaurant with impeccable service and atmosphere. I started with a fresh roll that lived up to its name, followed by the pan-seared scallops on a parsnip puree and was truly overwhelmed – in a great way – with the sophisticated and interesting flavors and presentation.

It can really only be described as *an experience.* And one I definitely recommend.

PART II — Where to Drink

Columbia is home to the University of South Carolina, which adds to the vibrancy and trendy feel of this decidedly southern locale. Nicknamed the Cola City, there is no shortage of watering holes in and outside the city limits.

Before dinner my first night in town I visited Savage Craft Ale Works for a rooftop drink and a sunset view. I was not disappointed – in the atmosphere or the beer. I’m not an IPA gal, but had a glass of Galaxy Banger Hazy IPA that came recommended and found myself reconsidering my entire beer history and preferences. It was tropical and refreshing – the perfect pour to relax outside on a warm summer night.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find some wineries in the region. While the spots I visited were quick to note that the soil and climate is not necessarily ideal for a wine region – it has only led to innovation and unique winemaking. I loved spending an afternoon at Mercer House Winery in Lexington – one of the most unique wineries I have ever visited (and I have visited many).

The winding road to Mercer House Winery was beautiful, although residential and unassuming. But after you walk past the gate things take a turn – literally. The property is gorgeous and eclectic, with wine tastings at a bar in a barn (making all my southern dreams come true).

I was the only person there for my first eight or so wine tastings. Yes, I said first eight – because there are 18 wines in a tasting – plus some you can add on to that if you dare. It’s definitely a place to sit and stay a while. The flavors were unlike any other wines I’ve tasted – lemon blueberry, honey lemon tea, and even a chocolate mango pinot grigio.

It’s, obviously, not an uptight place. I recommend trying at least one of the jalapeno “bumper juices” while you’re there and then spending some time sobering up while walking the gorgeous grounds.

My favorite spot to grab a glass of champagne in Columbia itself ended up being Kaminsky’s Dessert Cafe, an outpost of the Charleston favorite with decadent desserts and a lively bar. Located right downtown and near my hotel, I was able to walk over, find a seat at the bar, and enjoy my book and drink with a side of chocolate cake. I can’t think of anything better.

PART III — Where to Sleep

On my last trip to Columbia I stayed in a great location downtown at Aloft Downtown. It was centrally located to everything I wanted to do in the downtown area and an easy drive to anything outside of town.

When I come back to town I’d like to try Graduate Columbia, a stylish and eclectic downtown option or Hotel Trundle, a historic boutique hotel downtown with a sleek 20’s art deco vibe.

There are also many quaint short-term rentals in Columbia that are extremely budget-friendly and Instagrammable. I really love this quaint tiny house near campus and this incredibly stylish treehouse with the perfect outdoor seating areas and hot tub.

PART IV — Where to Explore

The food might bring me to the south, but I keep coming back for outdoor recreation. Congaree National Park – one of the least visited and, in my opinion, underrated parks is less than 20 miles from downtown. Here you can hike, fish, camp, and canoe while marveling at expansive biodiversity and old-growth bottomland hardwood forest.

I’ve visited 57 of the 63 major US National Parks and have chosen to come back to Congaree not once but twice after my initial visit. It doesn’t have the towering granite or wide-open spaces of the western parks, but there’s something special about the forest canopy. The crowds are lighter and the landscape more delicate.

You have to pay attention at a place like this, and it’s the perfect place to take some deep breaths and truly forest bathe. I recommend going when the trees are green in the spring or early summer. And if you’re lucky you might catch the synchronous fireflies that blanket the park between mid-May and mid-June.

Another favorite in the area is Poinsett State Park – which is a bit further out of town, but the beautiful drive makes it more than worth it. Nicknamed the “Mountains of the Midlands”, I spent a low-key afternoon here kayaking and hiking. I’d love to go back and rent a cabin to spend more time exploring.

If you are looking for water, don’t be fooled by Colombia’s landlocked location in the middle of the state – it has plenty. Lake Murray is just outside Columbia, and at 41 miles long and 14 miles wide as its widest point – there is room for just about anything from boating, to paddleboarding, swimming, birdwatching to camping, and hiking (I recommend Dreher Island State Park).

It’s also home to one of the most fascinating natural wonders I’ve encountered while traveling – the Purple Martin Phenomenon. Every summer from late June to August around a million Purple Martins take a migration pit stop on Bomb Island on Lake Murray. I took a boat tour and the captain told me that they’ve been roosting on the island every year but one since at least the ’80s. No one seems to know exactly why – or why they stayed away that one summer – but the phenomenon is just the kind of magic I look for on these trips. Estimated to be the largest purple martin roost on the continent, you can book a boat tour to see for yourself.

Sure we’ve seen Tame Impala announced atop a number of festival bills for this summer, but Desert Daze can now claim that they’ll have the ultimate Tame Impala headlining performance, when the Australian band plays their breakthrough album, Lonerism, in its entirety later this year (in honor of its tenth anniversary). It’s a full circle moment for the festival, as the last time Tame Impala played at Desert Daze in 2018, their set lasted only three songs when a dangerous thunderstorm approached the venue and the day’s festivities were forced to come to an immediate close.

Desert Daze will celebrates its tenth anniversary, at the same time that Tame Impala will with Lonerism. It’s a heck of a marquee performance in a newly announced lineup that will be filled with them. Iggy Pop will be making his only appearance in North America of the year, while festival staples King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are back to the delight of the psych heads. Desert Daze will once again be going down in Lake Perris, California and the 2022 three-day edition is from September 30th to October 2nd.

While Desert Daze is still a premier place to come to for psychedelic rock and roll, as well as visual installations and light shows from Mad Alchemy Liquid Light Show, Tarik Barri, Slim Reaper, and Cristopher Cichocki, the booking has grown to include an eclectic stable of talent. Other lineup highlights at the festival include The Marías, Chicano Batman, Sky Ferreira, Badbadnotgood, Men I Trust, Jpegmafia, Perfume Genius, Aldous Harding, Nilüfer Yanya, Shannon And The Clams, Lady Wray, Buck Meek of Big Thief, Sleaford Mods, and loads more.

Tickets and all additional info can be found at desertdaze.org.

The Kid Laroi lived up to the first part of his moniker last night (June 12) at his Melbourne stop on the End Of The World Tour: After performing “Tragic” with a fan, Laroi surprised attendees with none other than fellow Australia natives The Wiggles. The group joined him on stage and together they performed three songs: “Fruit Salad,” “Hot Potato,” and “Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga, Big Red Car.” The Wiggles then presented Laroi with his own personal, original Wiggles guitar.

This marks The Kid Laroi’s second time bringing out guests on the End Of The World Tour, as he surprised the Sydney crowd with local drill group Onefour and a performance of their 2020 collaboration “My City.” Now that the Australian leg is up, the BandLab NME Award winner will continue his tour with stops in Denmark and UK before returning to North America through mid-September.

The Kid Laroi last released his single “Thousand Miles” in April, his sole 2022 output since the 2021 triple disk F*ck Love 3+: Over You.

Over You featured Polo G, G Herbo, Lil Durk, Mustard and of course Justin Bieber on the smash hit “Stay.”

Watch The Kid Laroi bring The Wiggles up on stage in the video above.

The January 6th hearings kicked off last week with Ivanka Trump’s deer-in-headlights testimony against her former-president papa, who threw his daughter under the bus. There wasn’t anything as shocking during day two on Monday — unless you’re shocked by Rudy Giuliani being “definitely intoxicated” on election night or Trump milking his followers out of hundreds of millions of dollars. You should know better by now.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) disclosed in her closing statement that during the House Select Committee’s investigation, “we found evidence that the Trump campaign and its surrogates misled voters as to where their funds would go and what they would be used for. So not only was there the Big Lie; there was the Big Rip-Off.”

The Trump campaign sent millions of emails to supporters “between Election Day 2020 and Jan. 6, 2021, the day of the riots. The emails urged donors to give money to ‘fight back’ and ‘step up’ in response to the ‘left-wing mob’ and Democrats undermining the election. In all, former President Trump and his allies raised $250 million off the efforts,” according to The Hill, including $100 million in the week after the election.”

And where did that money go? Rolling Stone reports:

The fund — which, again, did not actually exist — raised $250 million, most of which did not go to election litigation, but to Trump’s newly created Save America PAC. The PAC then made contributions to Mark Meadows’ charity, to a conservative organization employing former Trump staffers, to the Trump Hotel Collection, and to the company that organized the rally that preceded the attack on the Capitol last Jan. 6.

If you want to financially support Donald Trump, you should do it the old fashioned way: by spending $125 (plus shipping) on a Mar-a-Lago jewelry set.

(Via The Hill and Rolling Stone)

Last week, Rebel Wilson debuted her new girlfriend on Instagram in what initially seemed like a sweet, cheesy, very cute moment. In the post, which also served as her coming out, Wilson gushed about finding her “Disney princess” after spending years thinking she needed a “Disney prince.” It was a nice Pride Month moment during a time when the world could use some good news.

However, the sweet situation turned sour after it was revealed that the Sydney Morning Herald was planning to out Wilson after giving the actress a two-day deadline to comment on its pending story. When Wilson beat the tabloid to the punch by outing herself with the Instagram post, the writer of the piece, Andrew Hornery, criticized Wilson for the “underwhelming” decision to announce her sexuality on her terms. It was not great.

The Morning Herald‘s shady maneuver was outlined in a Twitter thread by Australian journalist Kate Doak, which earned a response from Wilson, who confirmed the ordeal.

“Thanks for your comments,” Wilson tweeted. “It was a very hard situation but trying to handle it with grace.”

Following Wilson’s tweet, Hornery wrote a column apologizing to the actresses for how the situation was handled. Via IndieWire:

“It is not the Herald’s business to ‘out’ people and that is not what we set out to do. But I understand why my email has been seen as a threat. The framing of it was a mistake. The Herald and I will approach things differently from now on to make sure we always take into consideration the extra layer of complexities people face when it comes to their sexuality.”

Hornery’s initial column criticizing Wilson for her Instagram post has reportedly been deleted and replaced with a retraction.

(Via IndieWire)

Stoner legends Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin have joined forces once again. This time it’s to launch Cheech & Chong’s Takeout, a new California delivery service that’ll bring both Tommy Chong’s Cannabis and Cheech’s Stash (as well as a handful of carefully curated products) straight to your door in less than an hour, no matter what part of the state you’re living in. Considering California is a huge state in both population and landmass, that commitment and delivery time promise is no small feat.

When news of the takeout service was announced, I jumped at the chance to talk to one of weed’s biggest icons about his latest venture and to do something I’ve always regretted passing up on in the past — smoking with him. This wasn’t the first time I’ve interviewed Tommy Chong, but one of the things I’ve always regretted is doing that first interview sober. So I took some fat rips, gave Chong a ring, and just vibed out with the legend for over half an hour. Chong went into depth about his new takeout service, what the weed industry is doing right and wrong, and he even gave me some serious stoner spirituality. Did the interview go slightly off the rails? Yes, but in the best possible way.

You may want to light up before reading.

As part of Cheech and Chong’s Takeout service you promise an under one hour delivery time — why is that an important promise to keep?

If you don’t get it to potheads soon enough, they’ll forget they ordered it. They might even leave and find something else to do. We gotta strike when the iron is hot, and you don’t want any valuable substance on the street any longer than it has to be. I don’t anticipate any kind of thievery because everyone is going to get paid for before it’s even wrapped. So I don’t see it on that level, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the smash and grab people attack pot stores.

Do you find that because of covid, smoking has become harder in any way? Has the pandemic changed your habits? Are you leaning more into edibles these days?

I mean to be aware of all of that, but I forget. As soon as I see a joint, the next thing I know I’ve smoked half of it and go, “Oh right, maybe I shouldn’t have done that.” But what I like about smoking is that it’s instant. You can judge the amount better. I judge it by if the joint blows out, that means I’ve had enough.

But the edibles? I’m not comfortable with them. I have a tendency to get gout, and gout comes from anything sweet and all the edibles like gummy bears and chocolate all have that candy stuff to them. I used to do edibles accidentally, all the time. People would send me stuff and I’ll see a cookie … thank God I got gout because before I couldn’t stop eating the sweets. They look like harmless cookies and the next thing I know I can’t get out of a chair or remember my name.

I wanted to get your take on this. A new study just came out from the University of Oregon involving cannabis and the covid virus and they found that there are two types of cannabinoids that may prove to prevent covid by binding to the receptors the virus’ uses to infect the body. That doesn’t mean smoking will cure Covid-19 but cannabinoids might be used in future treatments.

Does that surprise you?

That’s nice to hear, I really love it. You know what I did, I made a pledge to myself that when they first started legalizing weed — someone said “weed, it sells itself” and then I realized, you know, the reason they made it illegal was all lies — so I would never lie about weed or cannabis because you never know. You don’t know if you’re right or wrong.

It doesn’t surprise me, by the way, about covid.

I was wondering if you can walk us through your ideal smoking ritual. Do you go out to nature, or just chill on your couch and smoke at the end of your day?

I’m usually at my desk here. I do a lot of interviews. I’m in front of my phone a lot. I have a big-screen television, which I keep the sound down on because I’m going deaf. I’m learning how to understand what they’re saying even though I can’t hear them. When I get into my Cameos there will be a request, “will you smoke a joint?” or “Smoke a bowl?” and I’ll say, “okay” and I’ll do it. But other than that, if I’m not asked, chances are I’ll go almost a whole day.

When my health got attacked and I got gout and cancer, I feel like a lot of it was because I wasn’t smoking. I could see how being close to God would keep you away from illness.

Do you think cannabis helps people get closer to God?

Totally. You know how stoners say, “I can’t remember?” Well, a lot of it is shit you don’t need to remember. “I heard this, I learned that, I wrote this, I built this, I made this” … Under cannabis, it’s just really taken the ego out of the process of creativity, be it writing, be it just living and standing there. The ego really is a false sense of who we think we have to be in order to survive in society.

You have a lot of views on the cannabis industry, I wanted to get your take on what you think is happening right and happening wrong?

First of all, you can’t dilute the weed. It’s like alcohol. If it doesn’t fuck you up, it’s not alcohol. But what’s being done right is recognizing how much of a medicine it really is. That’s the righteousness of it all. What’s being done wrong is what has done wrong up until recently, and that is that people believe in lies. Lies don’t really exist, they’re just temporary, like a movie set. It’s only there because people built it. It’s not there because God made it, that’s the difference.

In the Bible, it says, “everything that God made is good, and everything that God did not make was not made.” When you look at cannabis there is really no wrong way. People have tried … like loading it with PCP… well, there is one mixture I really enjoyed and it was cocaine and cannabis. I really enjoyed that one! But being a bodybuilder, there is a limit. I will do something once but if it has any kind of negative effect down the line, I don’t need it. It’s all about time, what do you have time to do?

See the whole trick of life itself is written in the Bible, is written in every bible. “In the beginning, is God, and in the end, is God.” It’s just understanding a concept. People say, “I don’t believe that there is someone in heaven telling you what to do,” well, obviously they have the wrong conception about what God is. Cannabis is a direct link from the plant world to God because of our receptors.

Pot … gave me the knowledge to go looking for spiritual books.

The Runners Bible which I just read, Emmet Fox, the I Ching, I’ve got it all here. I’ve got the knowledge of the universe sitting on my desk and thanks to cannabis, I’ve got pens and bongs that I’ve made and I’m sitting in one of the wealthiest places on the planet, one of the most desirable places to live… That’s the kind of life I’m living now. I’ve got two Teslas in the driveway, homes in Vancouver, connections all over the world, and it’s all because of cannabis. All because of my love of cannabis. Because cannabis helped me create, in my mind, the things that I did that got me where I’m at.

You can’t deny that, and now all we have to do is find a way to share it. “It sells itself.” What we’re really doing is providing a service so you don’t even have to leave their house.

The people that go to the dispensary love going to the dispensary. They want to get out. They want to learn. They want to feel. But there are so many of us laying in bed who can’t move, crutches, illnesses, stuff even I’ve been experiencing. I’ve had experiences where it’s been a struggle to get to my bed, physical struggles, I’ve been going through it lately, last few days, but it’s part of being old.

You mentioned some books, do you have any essential reading suggestions post-smoke sessions?

It depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for answers there is this book that just happens to be on my desk, it’s called Spiritual Guidance For People On The Run what they used to call it was The Runner’s Bible. I think they changed the title because people thought it was about running. This author, I don’t know if he was a priest but his daughter was always on the road. She didn’t really have a chance to study the Bible, so what he did was he condensed all of the important and very spiritually moving things into one book. So what I do almost every morning is pick it up and go through it randomly like “okay, what’s my message for the day?” I just did it earlier. I’ll read from the page I was just on.

“He that is joined onto the Lord is one spirit.”

Think about that. Because it’s the lord, it’s his spirit. This book is sick, I’m telling you. I got this book because I prayed for wisdom.

The last time we talked, you shared a story about getting high with Cheech at a Joni Mitchell concert. The story goes that he ate some hash and lost his mind. I was wondering if you could share another Cheech story with me?

Haha! Well, a good edible story with Cheech is, I forget where he was going, but they had the syringes filled with Rick Simpson oil and for some stupid reason he held it up to his mouth and they gave himself a hit of the oil and he got in the taxi cab with his wife and next thing you know he started projectile vomiting in the cab. No, it was a limo, thank God. He said it was like The Exorcist. It’s no wonder his wife won’t touch weed.

I said, “what did you do?” He said, “what could I do, man? We were late.” He puked all over the place. Oh fuck, he tells me these stories, man.

I want to shoot this one as a movie. When Cheech was 12 or 13, his family would get in the station wagon to drive down to Mexico to visit relatives. They went to Chihuahua, Mexico, and that’s quite a drive. The trip was hot and sweaty and in order to go down there, they had to load the car up with all the goodies they were bringing to their relatives. So the top of the car is filled with all sorts of stuff, bedding, household goods, etc. So they’re driving in Mexico and they get pulled over by the Federales. The cop gets out — Oscar, Cheech’s dad, is a cop, so right away he shows him his badge. And the guy goes, “well, nice to meet you, but I’m going to have to charge you.”

And Oscar got all, “no man, I’m not paying you anything.” So the cop goes, “what’s on top of your car?” And he says, “it’s just household goods.” And the cop says, “well, we better take a look at it.”

Oscar knew the guy was just trying to get the five bucks so he told him, “I ain’t paying you shit, man.” So the cop said, “Okay then, let’s take a look. Take the stuff down.’” So he goes, “Cheech, come here.”

He had to unpack the car and put it all on the road. Once he got it all on the road, the cop looks at it and says, “I guess you were right, have a nice day,” and now Cheech has to go and pack the car again because his dad was too cheap to give the guy $5. They pull into the motel later in the afternoon and there is a swimming pool, and Cheech goes, “Oh great, a pool.” And his dad says, “You can’t leave the stuff on the car, it’s Mexico man, it’ll be gone in an hour. You gotta unload everything in the car and put it in the room.”

Poor Cheech. He must’ve unloaded and loaded that car so many times on that one trip. They’d have to go through this every time they got pulled over. I get that out of him it, some of those private things. I don’t know if he gets pissed or not but all of our movies are his fuck ups. Mine too, but mostly his. He’s so perfect for that.

We’ve known for a minute now that Post Malone is getting ready to be a father as his girlfriend is pregnant, but now there’s fresh news on that front: Malone is officially as dad, as the child, a baby girl, has arrived.

E! News confirmed the news and also noted that Malone himself spoke about it with Howard Stern. Malone was talking about heading to a studio and he noted that before he left, “I went and I kissed my baby girl.” Stern asked, “You’re referring to your girlfriend or you have a baby?” Malone answered, “Nah, that’s my daughter.”

Furthermore, in that same interview, Malone revealed he’s now engaged: Stern referred to the child’s mother as Malone’s girlfriend, but Malone corrected, “She’s my fiancée.”

It’s not yet clear when the birth or the engagement happened, as Malone has so far kept that part of his life private; He has yet to even reveal the identity of his fiancée.

In May, Malone announced he and his now-fiancée were expecting, noting, “I’m excited for this next chapter in my life, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and for since I could remember I was sad. Time to take care of my body and my family and friends, and spread as much love as we can every day.”

On a note related to that last sentence, Malone recently revealed he smokes about 40 or 45 cigarettes a day, sometimes going as high as 80.

It wasn’t too long ago that the word “blended” had a very negative connotation in the bourbon whiskey world. The idea was that “blended” bourbon wasn’t “straight” bourbon so it was, thereby, automatically inferior. While that may have been true at some point (but even then, not really), those days are long gone. Today, blended bourbons are amongst the most respected and lauded bottles on the shelf.

In fact, entire brands are built around the fact that they take barrels from all over and blend them into masterpieces. It’s a genre unto itself.

So what is a “blended” bourbon these days? Very simply, a blended bourbon is a mix of different bourbons from different mash bills and distilleries, sometimes from completely different states. With this list, I’m focusing on the blends with whiskey from different distilleries and states that are put together by craft distillers and blenders. For clarification, Four Roses bottles could be on this list — as they blend ten different bourbons from two mash bills with five yeasts each for each bill. But since that’s still all in-house, I’m not adding it below. These are the blends that combine very different barrels of bourbon from multiple producers to create something bigger and bolder.

I’m also adding my tasting notes and ranking these. Look at it this way, ten through six are all solid sips but five through one are the ones that I’d eagerly reach for. Savvy? Let’s jump in!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

• The 50 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2021, Ranked
• Every Winning Bourbon From Our 2021 Taste Tests, Blind Tasted And Re-Ranked
• The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021
• We Blind Tasted A Whole Bunch Of $30-60 Bourbons To See If Any Could Beat Weller
• The Best Ten-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskeys, Tasted Blind And Ranked

10. Three Chord Blended Bourbon

ABV: 40.5%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

Three Chord is a small blendery that focuses on striking the perfect chord — get it! — while blending bourbon. The juice is a mix of up to 12-year-old barrels from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. Those whiskeys are blended and then proofed way down to 81 proof.

Tasting Notes:

There’s woody maple syrup on the nose that leads to vanilla pound cake with a hint of poppy seed next to a thin line of orange zest. The palate leans into salted caramel and vanilla cream before a mild cinnamon and nutmeg kick in, leading to dry sweetgrass. A very mild bitter chocolate note attaches to the orange zest as a warm cinnamon leads back to that dry sweetgrass with a hint of burnt cedar on the very backend.

Bottom Line:

This is a pretty solid sip all around. It’s a little too soft for me, but it’s not washed out by that low proof. That said, this over some rocks and you’re set.

9. Fistful of Bourbon

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This is one of the more interesting sourced whiskeys on the shelf in the U.S. The juice is the design of Scottish Master Blender (for William Grant & Sons) Kelsey McKechnie. McKechnie left Scotland for the U.S. to work in bourbon in the same ways she worked in blended scotch. Fistful of Bourbon is the fruit of that labor — blending five straight bourbons (from undisclosed distilleries) into one bottle.

Tasting Notes:

This is whiskey by design and hits classic and deep notes starting with bespoke but not too sweet Red Hots, vanilla pods, and a touch of mint on the end of the nose. The palate refines the spices and broadens to a clear Christmas spice feel next to a touch of dried fruit, leather, and oak. The end sharpens the spiciness while holding onto the bold vanilla as the oak and fruit fade completely out.

Bottom Line:

This is another one that’s perfectly solid. I tend to reach for this when I’m mixing simple cocktails (old fashioned) or whiskey highballs.

8. Milam & Greene Triple Cask Straight Bourbon Blend Whiskey

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $42

The Whiskey:

This expression starts off with a two-year-old Texas bourbon distilled by Milam & Greene. That whiskey is blended with two Tennessee whiskeys, one a three-year-old and another an eleven-year-old. Those barrels are blended and balanced before a little bit of that Texas water is added to bring the proof down.

Tasting Notes:

That two-year-old bourbon pops on the nose with a hint of yellow masa next to butterscotch, vanilla beans, and a hint of Red Hots. The palate has a sharp black pepperiness that’s immediately countered by soft vanilla ice cream drizzled with maple syrup and speckled with dark chocolate chips. The finish lets that dark chocolate shine as both creamy and slightly bitter as the Red Hots kick back in with a touch of warmth.

Bottom Line:

This is a nice foundation for a cocktail. That hefty cinnamon warmth really shines through in a sour or Manhattan. That said, this works on the rocks too.

7. High West American Prairie Bourbon

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

American Prairie is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after sourced whiskeys. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of two to 13-year-old barrels rendered from high-rye, low-rye, and undisclosed source mash bills from Indiana, Utah, and elsewhere. The release supports the American Prairie Reserve by highlighting the project and supporting it financially.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with caramel apples next to new leather, vanilla pudding, and sweet buttered corn with a touch of salt. The palate has a nougat svelteness next to creamed corn and Southern biscuits dripping with butter and honey. The mid-palate to finish starts to dry out with vanilla husks and cedar bark but then veers into apple candy.

Bottom Line:

This is soft and simple but not basic. It’s deep and interesting while being straightforward and kind of classic. I like it in cocktails but wouldn’t turn it down on the rocks.

6. Old Elk Blended Bourbon

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $46

The Whiskey:

Old Elk is the work of distilling legend Greg Metze. Metze devised a bourbon through MGP of Indiana, a distillery in New York, and Old Elk’s facility in Colorado. The combined mash bill ended up being 51% corn, 34 percent malted barley, and 15 percent rye, which is one of the more unique mash bills in the game. The juice is then proofed down to a very accessible 88 proof.

Tasting Notes:

Freshly baked cinnamon rolls with powdered sugar icing mingle with a hint of walnut, dark cacao powder, and a hint of dry cedar bark. The palate is very lush with a note of chocolate chip pancakes covered in brown butter and syrup with a dash of vanilla next to singed dry sweetgrass braids and a touch of burnt toffee. The finish lets the chocolate turn velvety as a whisper of dried chili meets salted caramel.

Bottom Line:

This is just good. It’s also probably not going to be a blended bourbon for much longer, as Old Elk has plenty of its own stock now.

5. Widow Jane Aged 10 Years

ABV: 45.5%

Average Price: $77

The Whiskey:

This is sourced from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee bourbons. The hand-selected barrels are sent to New York where they’re blended in small batches (no more than five barrels), proofed with New York limestone mine water, and bottled. What you’re paying for here is the exactness of a whiskey blender finding great barrels and knowing how to marry them to make something bigger and better.

Tasting Notes:

This has a matrix of rich vanilla pudding next to oranges infused with mulled wine spices and … Irish Spring soap. It definitely works and draws you in. The palate is all marzipan and dark chocolate-covered brandy cherries that lead towards a dry maply syrup mid-palate. The finish dries out a bit more while still holding onto the cherry, bitter dark chocolate, and almost woody maple syrup.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those bottles that’ll empty faster than you’d expect. It’s easy to drink but also unique enough to keep you searching for more in that flavor profile. It works really well in Manhattan too.

4. Smooth Ambler Contradiction Bourbon

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $44

The Whiskey:

Smooth Ambler is a great example of how smaller craft operations get up and running. This expression is a blend of sourced high-rye bourbon that’s aged for nine years with Smooth Ambler’s own-make, a wheated bourbon that’s aged for two years. The sourced bourbon is MGP of Indiana, giving the blenders a quality foundation to build their bourbon off of.

Tasting Notes:

Classic notes of bourbon vanilla and oak mingle with spicy stewed cherries buried in a sourdough pancake on the nose. The palate holds onto that sweet fruit and spice, as notes of worn leather and soft cedar arrive with a hint of grain. The end is short-ish with the spice, oak, and cherry lasting the longest until a nice and velvety vanilla mouthfeel arrives.

Bottom Line:

This is really good juice. It’s complex but not overly so. It’s easy-going while offering a classic sipping experience.

3. Stellum Black Bourbon

ABV: 54.67%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

Stellum Black Bourbon basically takes the recipe from Stellum Bourbon — one of our favorite bourbons for 2021 — and uses the reserve barrels (sourced from Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky) from the series to create this heightened blend. The whiskey is batched and bottled at cask strength to let those barrels shine through in every sip.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a mix of black and green peppercorns next to kettled corn with salted caramel sauce, dried yet sweet cedar, vanilla blossoms, and a hint of an orange creamsicle stick. That orange drives the palate as soft suede mingles with that floral vanilla vibe next to holiday spices (think cinnamon and clove) layered with that sweet cedar and sharp black pepper. The pepper fades out on the finish and makes way for a dark mocha chocolate/coffee bitterness with a vanilla tobacco chewiness with a hint of pepper, leather, and cedar on the far back end.

Bottom Line:

This is a very easy sipper. Like it on a single rock but it shines just as brightly neat. It also makes a killer Manhattan thanks to that higher ABV and killer flavor profile.

2. Pursuit United Bourbon

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

This is a vatted from 40 total barrels from three different states. While the team at Pursuit United doesn’t release the Tennessee distillery name, we know the juices from Kentucky and New York are from Bardstown Bourbon Company and Finger Lakes Distilling, respectively.

Tasting Notes:

Dark chocolate-covered caramels that are just touched with orange oils draw you in on the nose. The taste has this light sense of cornmeal next to dark chocolate-laced tobacco with a hint of dried red fruit that feels like a red wine stave. The mid-palate has a Christmas cake feel with spice, fruit, and nuts all with a hint of vanilla leading towards an old cedar box that used to hold tobacco.

Bottom Line:

I really dig this on the rocks after a long day. It’s a complex and deep whiskey but feels like a table whiskey with zero pretension — which is a breath of fresh air.

1. Barrell Batch 030

ABV: 58.66%

Average Price: $93

The Whiskey:

2021’s Barrell Batch 030 launched the brand’s awesome blends into a new direction by adding Wyoming bourbon into the mix with Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee whiskeys. The final mix ended up being a blend of five, six, nine, ten, eleven, and 15-year-old bourbons that were bottled at barrel proof.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a plum pudding brimming with dark, wintry spice, dried and candied fruits, and fatty nuts that’s all been soaked in dark rum with a hint of worn library leather that leads towards this dramatic shift towards fresh blackberries and raspberries with a hint of the bramble. The palate is blackberry pie with a lard crust topped with a cinnamon vanilla ice cream next to hints of oatmeal raisin cookie, ancho-chili-laced dark chocolate, and dry walnut shells. The mid-palate harnesses that chocolate and nuttiness and leans it toward creamy Nutella as a dry pine arrives on the very end with an almost bitter dark soil.

Bottom Line:

This is the epitome of modern blended bourbon. This is also gettable and (relatively) affordable — a great place to start diving into the wonders of how amazing blended bourbon is in 2022.

On the heels of helping spearhead a massively successful 2021-22 campaign for the Memphis Grizzlies, Taylor Jenkins has agreed to a multi-year contract extension with the organization, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. He finished second in Coach of the Year voting behind Monty Williams.

At 56-26, the Grizzlies posted the NBA’s second-best regular-season record this year. Their 56 wins tied a franchise record and they won a playoff series for the first time since 2014-15.

Ultimately, their season ended in the second round at the hands of the third-seeded Golden State Warriors, who dispatched Memphis in six games. Of course, superstar point guard Ja Morant missed the final three games while dealing with a knee injury. Before his absence, Memphis saw itself down 2-1 in the series.

Only 37 years old and three years into his first stop as an NBA head coach, Jenkins has quickly established himself as a premier lead man. His Xs and Os are consistently creative and he puts his players in ideal positions to succeed. Memphis’ deep cast of quality rotation players deserve the most credit for their wonderful 2021-22 season, but Jenkins’ was integral to that success as well.

Watching he and the Grizzlies’ young core grow will be fascinating. Now, Jenkins gets to be part of that maturation for a few more years, at a minimum.