Thursday night’s clash between the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors was important for traditional reasons, as both teams continue to jockey for playoff position near the top of the Eastern Conference. However, there was a bit of history delivered before tip-off at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, as 76ers wing Danny Green received a championship ring in honor of his contributions during a strong tenure with the Raptors.
On the surface, there is nothing out of the ordinary about a player receiving a ring during a return to a city, but the wild part about this exchange was that it happened more than 1,000 days after the Raptors win the 2019 NBA title.
GOTTA SEE IT: 1,029 days after his final game for the Raptors, Danny Green finally receives his 2019 championship ring!
Green has played in 196 regular season games since leaving the Raptors, spending a season (and earning another ring) with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019-20 before joining the 76ers. Given that exceptionally long time period, it is quite strange that Green wouldn’t have his ring yet, but between the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA’s trip to the Orlando Bubble, and Toronto’s 2020-21 season in Tampa, the stars just perfectly aligned for him to go on a three-year journey before collecting his ring.
It’s not as if Green was the most prominent piece of the 2018-19 Raptors, but he was a significant contributor alongside Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry and others. As such, it was cool to see Green finally have the change to accept this recognition in front of the Toronto fans and, if anything, it might even be more memorable after a long and winding road.
The Walkmen’s 2002 breakthrough debut, Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone, turned 20 a couple of weeks ago. It doesn’t seem like that long ago since the Brooklyn band’s seminal indie rock record was released, but here we are. Feel old yet? Well… maybe you will now when you hear about the most random record exchange that happened to unsuspecting fans of The Walkmen recently.
It seems as though people who were looking to secure a piece of this indie rock nostalgia forever were in for a surprise. According to a post on The Walkmen Instagram page, people who received copies of Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone, were actually getting the right record jacket, but the record inside was a copy of Digital Underground’s 1990 weird rap classic, Sex Packets. Here’s what the statement from The Walkmen on the hilarious mix-up read:
“It’s come to our attention that several of you may have received a copy Digital Underground’s “Sex Packets” when you purchased the new vinyl version of “Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone.” Also, you should probably check if you haven’t opened the record. Like the actual record inside the Walkmen cover is the Digital Underground. Anyways, the problem has been fixed (but it was a pretty great record anyway so enjoy) so you can safely buy the album at our store now!”
Based on this message, it’s hilarious to think of how purchasers probably haven’t even opened their copy of the record to find the delightful surprise waiting for them. One of these The Walkmen/Digital Underground mix-up editions seems to become an instant collector’s item too. Either way, The Walkmen have “fixed the glitch,” but maybe Shock G was playing another wild trick from the beyond?
In just a few hours, Fivio Foreign will finally release his debut album B.I.B.L.E. The project is one that arrives after almost three years after Fivio had his breakout moment with 2019’s “Big Drip.” So far, the album is led by a pair of strong singles: “City Of Gods” with Kanye West, who will executive produce B.I.B.L.E., and Alicia Keys as well as “Magic City” with Quavo. Ahead of the project’s release tonight, Fivio spoke about one of its songs, which samples Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name,” and he explained what he had to do to get the record cleared.
Fivio Foreign talks about having to get the Destiny’s Child “say my name” sample cleared and Beyoncé wanting it cleaned up a bit pic.twitter.com/fVIQCXyI6a
“Shoutout Destiny’s Child, appreciate that, they cleared that joint. [John “Big John” Platt] and them,” Fivio said during an interview on Hot 97 when he was asked about “What’s My Name,” a song from B.I.B.L.E. that features Coi Leray and Queen Naija. Fivio then confirmed that Beyonce heard the song, but did not clear it without a few requests. “She had to hear it,” he said. “She heard it. It was a little vulgar, a little bit for her, at first. I cleaned it up, I cleaned it up, I cleaned it up a lot. It was like, ‘You can’t be talking about girls like that!”
He later added, “Afterward, Big John and them explained to me, it’s a bigger record now and it made sense.” Fivio continued, “One day they called me and they was like ‘Yo, Big John wanna talk to you,” and I’m like damn, the album drops in a week. I’m thinking straight bad news, I ain’t gonna lie, cause I had to go back. It was like alright, you cleaned your part up, clean these other words up. Then it was like clean Coi’s part up a little bit and I’m like damn, so it’s over?” Thankfully for Fivio, the phone call came with good news. “So he called me, it was ringing, I answered the phone, and I’m like ‘Hello?’ and he’s like ‘You’re welcome.’ I’m like what? Is it cleared? He’s like, ‘you’re welcome.’”
You can watch Fivio speak about the Destiny’s Child-sampling song in the video above.
B.I.B.L.E. is out 4/8 via Columbia. You can pre-save it here.
Marjorie Taylor Greene is officially on Pedophile Patrol. On Tuesday, the harebrained congresswoman revved up her rhetoric against (now-confirmed) Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson by denouncing anyone who would dare vote to confirm the highly decorated federal judge as being “pro-pedophile.” As in: Totally supportive of the kind of monster who would sexually prey upon underage individual…
Cindy Yamanaka/MediaNews Group/The Riverside Press-Enterprise via Getty Images
According to Greene, “The Democrats are the party of pedophiles. The Democrats are the party of princess predators from Disney. The Democrats are the party of teachers, elementary school teachers, trying to transition their elementary school age children and convince them they’re a different gender.”
Marge Greene tonight: “The Democrats are the party of pedophiles .. the party of princess predators from Disney .. the party of teachers .. trying to transition their elementary school age children.” pic.twitter.com/MMowXlIYM9
Unfortunately, Greene either got her political parties mixed up or hasn’t been paying attention to all the creepy shenanigans her fellow Republicans have been up to over the past couple of years. Fortunately, as Raw Story reports, The Daily Show was kind enough to remind the gentlewoman from Georgia just whose sandbox she’s playing in with a scorched-Earth supercut that took aim at the various sexual misconduct allegations made against Greene’s pals in recent years, including BFF Matt Gaetz, who is accused of having sex with a minor and currently under federal investigation for ties to a sex trafficking ring.
When it comes to Scotch whisky, blended whisky reigns supreme worldwide. Casual whisky drinkers and collectors alike are drawn to names like Johnnie Walker and Ballantine’s in numbers that boggle the mind. But there’s more to blended scotch than the “best-selling” brand names. There’s a whole world of blended whisky (a blend of malt and grain whiskies) and blended malt (a blend of malt whiskies) out there worth diving into.
Blended Scotch whisky might be the biggest game in the business but that doesn’t mean it’s resting on its laurels. Blended whiskies are expanding and evolving just like every other sector of the whisk(e)y industry. That means there are plenty of new and exciting blended whiskies dropping all the time — many of which we like.
Below, we’ve listed eight well-priced blended whiskies that are flavorful enough to be used as a value sipper, ranked. Let’s dive in!
One of the most well-known blended Scotch whiskies, Monkey Shoulder is comprised of a blend of whiskies from well-known distilleries under the William Grant name. A popular choice among bartenders and drinkers alike, it’s known for being both a great base for a cocktail as well as a value sipper.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is a combination of candied orange peels, toasted vanilla beans, and a smattering of wintry spices. The palate is surprisingly malt-forward with notes of brown sugar, caramel, dried fruits, and honey. It’s fairly sweet and fruity and that might turn off some drinkers.
Bottom Line:
Monkey Shoulder isn’t the most exciting blended Scotch ever made. It’s a decent base, low-priced base for a cocktail, and a fruitier-than-normal, sweet sipper. It gets more praise from name recognition than it likely deserves. Still… pretty solid.
It’s safe to say, you can trust Scottish people when they decide they like a whisky. It comes from their country, after all. The Famous Grouse is the best-selling Scotch whisky in Scotland for a reason. This always bargain-priced blend even includes the likes of Highland Park and The Macallan.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a lot of malt on the nose and it quickly reminds you that you’re about to drink a blended whisky. There’s also a slight butterscotch and vanilla aroma, but not much else. Sipping it reveals hints of orange marmalade, more vanilla, clover honey, and just a hint of smoke at the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is an easy-to-drink, very malt-driven blend. It’s not remarkably complex and won’t break the bank. It serves its purpose if that purpose is to drink something for around $20.
The name references a term that farmers used to call whisky. This whisky is a blend of more than twelve single malt Scotch whiskies. Each has aged a minimum of five years in a combination of sherry, ex-bourbon, and refill oak barrels. It’s known for its complex flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
Sticky toffee, clover honey, and a ton of malt. That’s the nose on this blended whisky. The palate continues this trend with a ton of sweet malt flavor paired with butterscotch, vanilla, cinnamon, and some other cooking spices. All in all, it’s a bit watery and muted but solid overall.
Bottom Line:
For the fact that it’s a blend of more than a dozen whiskies and some are matured in ex-sherry and former bourbon barrels, you’d expect a little more from this blend. It’s not a bad whisky, just a little underwhelming.
Chivas is a big name in the blended Scotch whisky world. Its Chivas Regal 12 is a blend of single malt and grain whiskies. This includes Strathisla single malt and Strathclyde single grain whiskies among others. It’s known for its nuanced, well-rounded, mellow flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
This blended Scotch whisky carries expected aromas of butterscotch, candied orange peels, vanilla, and slight, oaky wood. The palate is heavy on malted barley flavor with some vanilla, almond cookies, and slight, peppery spice at the very end. Overall, it’s a little muted in the flavor department for my palate.
Bottom Line:
For a blend of 12-year-old whiskies, you’d expect a little more excitement in the flavor profile. For the price, it’s an okay sipping dram, but nothing to write home about.
You’d have a difficult time finding a blended Scotch whisky more well-known than Johnnie Walker. Its black label whisky is a blend of forty or so whiskies that are aged a minimum of twelve years. This results in a slightly smoky, sippable blend.
Tasting Notes:
For a blend, this nose is surprisingly spicy and smoky. There are also notes of dried fruits, sweet malts, and candied orange peels. There’s an oaky, woody quality that intermingles with notes of butterscotch, vanilla beans, barley, and gentle smoke. The finish is warming and sweet.
Bottom Line:
You can do much worse than Johnnie Walker Black. For the price, it’s a good sipping whisky. That being said, the slight smoke and spices might turn off some drinkers.
Like Johnnie Walker Black, Dewar’s 12 is a blend of whiskies aged for a minimum of twelve years. It’s comprised of around forty different single malt and grain whiskies blended before finishing for an additional six months to solidify the flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of dried fruits, butterscotch, toasted marshmallows, toasted barley, almond cookies, and a gentle floral background greet your nose. The palate is loaded with flavors like clover honey, sweet grains, caramel malts, dried fruits, candied orange peel, and almond butter. It all ends with a malty, sweet, slightly smoky finish.
Bottom Line:
If you’re a fan of Johnnie Walker Black, we suggest trying Dewar’s 12 instead. Even though they are around the same price and have a similar recipe (with different whiskies included), we believe Dewar’s 12 is actually the more refined and flavorful of the two.
Even if you don’t know much about blended whisky, you’ve probably heard the name Cutty Sark. While its original blend is around $20 and will get the job done, we think you should step it up to the slightly more expensive Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition. This blend of single malt and grain whiskies is 100 proof and known for its bold flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
Spicy hints of cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, butterscotch, and vanilla cream meet your nostrils when you nose this complex whisky. Sipping it brings forth notes of cocoa powder, sweet malts, sticky toffee pudding, candied orange peels, and a gentle, nutty sweetness. The finish is sweet, warming, and memorable.
Bottom Line:
If you’re the type of drinker who prefers to sip on higher-proof whiskies, this is a blend for you. Even at 50% ABV, it’s a great mix of spicy, sweet, and nutty that will leave you craving more.
Compass Box has become the go-to for approachable, high-quality blends in the last few decades. Its Artist Blend is named to pay tribute to the street performers and artists in Edinburgh. It’s a blend of single malt and grain whiskies and is known for its nuanced, mellow flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Right away, you know this is a special blended whisky. The nose has aromas of lemon curd, dried fruits, vanilla beans, and honey. On the palate, you’ll find cinnamon, cloves, caramel apples, candied orange peels, vanilla beans, and sweet treacle. The finish is long, warming, and pleasantly sweet and spicy.
Bottom Line:
For the price, there is no better-blended whisky than Compass Box Artists Blend. It’s smooth, sweet, spicy, and tastes like it should be way more expensive.
On this week’s episode of People’s Party with Talib Kweli, Kweli and Jasmin Leigh talk with West Coast G-Funk legend Warren G. The Regulator drops by to discuss his storied career — including how giving friendly legal advice to Snoop Dogg got him booted from Death Row Records, just before the iconic label took off.
According to Warren G, he and Snoop were both given contracts by Death Row Records. He was reluctant to sign his. Trying to be an intelligent friend and business advisor to a young Snoop Dogg, he suggested Snoop not sign the contract without having an attorney review it first.
“I was like, don’t sign that,” Warren tells Kweli. “Because you don’t know what you are signing.”
This warning to Snoop got back to the infamous CEO of Death Row Records, Suge Knight. In classic Suge fashion, it turned into an altercation. And a pretty dramatic one, at that when Knight ran up on Warren and shoved him against the wall just as he was leaving. There, Suge shouted, “Blood, you told him not to sign that contract?!”
“I said n**** if you don’t let go of me I’m calling my brother [Dr. Dre], I’m callin’ call my homeboys!” Warren G tells Kweli. “He let me go.”
After the incident Warren G found himself pushed out of touring opportunities with Dr. Dre, Snoop, and others as Death Row Records overtook the rap game at an unprecedented pace. He was left to fend for himself. Even Dr. Dre was reluctant to help.
“I had to go back to the hood- sleeping on the floor,” he recalls.” All I had was my crate of records that I was helping out with for The Chronic, I had my MPC 60 drum machine and I had my Numark mixer. That’s all I had. But that led to me doing Regulate and doing records for Tupac.”
Later he and Talib Kweli discussed statements Snoop Dogg made about writing Warren G’s album (which Snoop later corrected himself on). Overall, the conversation is both insightful and inspiring. Despite the periodic setbacks at times, the West Coast icon remains incredibly stoic about everything that transpired “I’m never gonna let this music shit get between me and my homeboy. This is my dog [referring to Snoop]. It got ironed out.”
Watch the clip above to hear more about Warren G’s journey or watch the entire episode of People’s Party with Talib Kweli below.
If there was ever a cause to rally Pink Floyd back together as a band, this is it. The band has always questioned establishment politics and stood against war and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has seen David Gilmour (whose daughter-in-law is Ukrainian) and the band previously pulling their music from Russian streaming services. Now, Pink Floyd has come together again for their first original song since 1994 in the brand new “Hey, Hey Rise Up,” featuring Andriy Khlyvnyuk, the singer of the Ukrainian band BoomBox.
As Pitchfork reports, the Pink Floyd lineup for the song features David Gilmour and Nick Mason with bassist Guy Pratt and keyboardist Nitin Sawhney. The song features Gilmour’s signature prog-y guitar, as the band plays to Khlyvnyuk singing the traditional Ukrainian song, “The Red Viburnum In The Meadow.” The video for the track sees the band playing with a clip of Khlyvnyuk singing in the background, while images from the war are also cut into the footage. As the clip opens, Pink Floyd relay the following message:
“On 24 February, 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine.
BoomBox singer Andriy Khlyvnyuk ended his US tour and returned home to Kiyv to defend his country.
Three days later, he posted a video on Instagram , singing the Ukrainian song “The Red Viburnum In The Meadow.”
Now Pink Floyd has joined with Andriy to support his message of resistance.”
All of the proceeds from the track will benefit the Ukrainian Humanitarian Fund. This is a momentous release, as the last time Pink Floyd release original music was 1994’s The Division Bell.
Many are likening TikTok’s new “water cup challenge” to a game of liquid Jenga, only trading in the wooden blocks for rounds of pours. But that’s not entirely accurate.
For one thing, it’s even more intense.
As a Jenga aficionado (I have my own giant set at home and have yet to lose), this was hard to believe. But it’s true.
With Jenga, each round gets more and more difficult. As the tower—and the anxiety—gets higher, even breathing ceases to be an option. But the game at least has the built-in mercy of the really big wobble that signals “mayday, we’re going down!”
Such is not the case with the water cup challenge. There is no warning. Just … splash. Game over.
But that’s the really great thing about it too. You see, the water cup challenge might appear to be a game of chance, but there’s way more to it than that.
To really understand, one must know the principles of surface tension.
Surface tension happens when water molecules on the surface don’t have other water molecules on all sides of them. There are simply fewer of them swimming around up there. As a result, they will connect even more strongly to the other water molecules directly next to them.
You see, water molecules like to stick together, thanks to a natural property called cohesion—Mother Nature’s version of clinginess, if you will. Cohesion is what makes a water droplet stay a droplet, or what helps objects to float despite being heavy or dense.
It’s also what keeps the water cup challenge so riveting.
The game, like Jenga, is simple: Take turns pouring small amounts of water into a clear cup that’s already mostly filled. Whoever causes the inevitable spill is the loser. The end.
But man, you can pour an insane amount of water onto the top. And as that bubble gets bigger and bigger, the suspense increases. Though one trick is to pour slowly, that’s easier said than done once the hands start shaking. Either way, it’s incredibly fun to play and fun to watch.
Compared to Jenga, losing is a bit less painful, as there are no bricks to pick up. Although some people like to raise the stakes by soaking the loser with ice cold water.
William Hof must be so proud.
And in a way, the water cup challenge is even more kid-friendly than its brick counterpart.
There’s not just the cool surface tension lesson. It can be great hands-on practice for developing motor skills. Montessori schools will often introduce children as young as two-and-a-half years old to the practical life lesson of pouring as it can “help build a child’s concentration, control of body movement, and fine motor control.”
Having a pet is a lot of responsibility, but the benefits are many. Pets can help reduce stress levels and provide emotional support even if you don’t realize they’re doing it. It makes sense that many homeless people have pets that keep them company. Though pets can provide all sorts of psychological benefits, caring for them can be costly, even for the most financially stable pet owner.
Vet bills can range into the thousands, but routine care that many take for granted can catch these costly health issues before they reach the point of breaking the bank. When homeless people are seen hanging out with their pets, folks rarely stop to wonder if these pets are getting appropriate veterinary care. But Dr. Kwane Stewart took note. Stewart has been a veterinarian for 25 years, and currently works at Netflix as an animal consultant as well as sharing his skills with people experiencing homelessness to help with the health check-up their animals need.
In 2019, Stewart was the star of a reality show, Street Vet, where he took to the streets of California to provide vet care to animals of people without homes. He started a pop-up clinic where he would travel to different locations, after meeting a man and his dog on the street. This particular dog was suffering from a skin condition due to a flea infestation that caused a patch of the dog’s hair to fall out and a rash. Stewart offered to treat the man’s dog, and after a $3 pill, the dog was free of fleas and looking much healthier and happier when Stewart returned to check on it a few weeks later. The dog’s owner tearfully thanked the doctor, and that was when Stewart decided to provide vet care his way with pop-up clinics.
Vaccinations for our pets prevent illnesses, diseases, and keep them healthy. When we met Jessica and u201cMinnie,u201d they were both scared of shots, but @DrKwane was able to help educate them on their importance. Minnie was a champ and we are grateful to have been able to assist! pic.twitter.com/gq4mKuUplB
— Project Street Vet (@Project Street Vet) 1642867246
Stewart has been doing pop-up clinics and going in search of animals whose owners don’t have the capacity to come to him for more than a decade. He has had his fair share of challenging jobs, one of which was euthanizing a large number of animals during his first years out of vet school, which spurred his search for something more meaningful. He was the director of the No Animals Were Harmed program. And then Netflix came calling with an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Find your passion and go n#thestreetvet #nojudgementjusthelppic.twitter.com/xJqoBhoIyD
— Dr. Kwane Stewart (@Dr. Kwane Stewart) 1644709814
His passion for helping the animals of homeless people was what led him to launch his nonprofit, Project Street Vet. He runs the nonprofit while also owning his own practice Papaya Pet Care, which opened in March 2022, and continuing to consult with Netflix. Project Street Vet allows Stewart to continue his work on the streets for people experiencing homelessness for free.
The care that he provides to the pets he encounters on the street is invaluable. He interacts with the owners with dignity and respect, while providing them with a judgment-free zone as he cares for their pets. Over the 10 years he’s been doing street vet clinics he has helped countless pets, and no doubt he’ll continue to help countless more.
Many of us hope to make it to our 85th birthday in good enough health to be active. Betty Reid Soskin did far more than that when she became a park ranger for the National Park Service the year she turned 85. And for the past 15 years, she has served as a ranger at Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California, sharing forgotten histories of the homefront war effort.
On March 31, the National Park Service announced that Soskin was retiring—at age 100.
Go ahead and say it with me: Wow.
However, Soskin indicated years ago that such longevity shouldn’t surprise us. Her mother lived until 101, her great-grandmother lived until 102 and her great-aunt lived to 107—and they all stayed busy until their passing.
In 2020, at age 98, Soskin told KTVU “I can’t believe I’ve reached this age. Inside is 19-year-old Betty.” At that point, she had cut back from giving interpretive talks from five days to one day a week after suffering a stroke five months before, but still she kept going in her service as a park ranger. She said there was something she was still meant to do.
“I haven’t any idea what it is,” she said. “I have no idea, except that it’s there. It’s something that I am to accomplish and I haven’t done it yet.”
Soskin has taken her work as a ranger seriously, and countless people have enjoyed hearing her unique perspective. She became a park ranger at Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park because she was driven to broaden people’s understanding of the context of the war effort, including the backdrop of racism and segregation in the U.S., according to NPR.
Soskin herself was a young woman during World War II and worked as a shipyard clerk for an all-Black auxiliary lodge of the Boilermakers union. (As a Black American, she was not allowed to join as a regular member.) Her great-grandmother had been born into slavery and was still alive at that time.
“Being a primary source in the sharing of that history – my history – and giving shape to a new national park has been exciting and fulfilling,” said Soskin. “It has proven to bring meaning to my final years.”
Soskin has been honored multiple times over the years, earning the title of Woman of the Year in 1995 from the California Legislature and being given the honor of introducing President Obama at a tree-lighting ceremony. She has a California middle school named after her, and she is well aware of the importance of her role in sharing stories that history has too often overlooked.
“What gets remembered is a function of who’s in the room doing the remembering,” Soskin has said, according to NPR.
Soskin—or “Ranger Betty,” as she’s been known for the past decade and a half—spent her final day as a ranger providing an interpretive program to the public and visiting with friends. The National Park Service shared a message announcing her retirement and wishing her well.
“The National Park Service is grateful to Ranger Betty for sharing her thoughts and first-person accounts in ways that span across generations,” said Naomi Torres, acting superintendent of Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park. “She has used stories of her life on the Home Front, drawing meaning from those experiences in ways that make that history truly impactful for those of us living today.”
If you want to enjoy one of Soskin’s talks, here you go. She is, in a word, riveting. May we all live as long and as well as Ranger Betty.
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(@RonFilipkowski) 
