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Kanye West Has Been Suspended From Instagram….For 24 Hours

Welp, it finally happened: Kanye West has lost his Instagram privileges. The rapper has been suspended from the app and while the suspension is set to last only 24 hours, it sets a precedent that the social media service says could lead to them taking additional steps if he keeps violating their terms of service. While Kanye has been repeatedly using his Instagram feed to air out his dirty laundry and general grievances towards his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her new boyfriend Pete Davidson, it seems the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back were racist slurs directed at The Daily Show host Trevor Noah.

Yesterday, Noah used a segment on The Daily Show to express a cautionary tale regarding West’s repeated harassment of Kardashian. He cited how this type of behavior directed towards women is incredibly problematic and can lead to far worse things down the road. Noah got personal in describing how his mother was told she was “overreacting” when she complained about her abusive partner. She was later shot in the back of the head. While Noah presents an extreme example, it’s the pattern of behavior that he finds concerning with Kanye — and let’s be honest, everyone else sees it too.

Following the segment, Kanye took to Instagram to post photos of Noah. He captioned the post with the lyrics to “Kumbaya, my lord,” but swapped out one word for a racial slur. An Instagram spokesperson told TMZ that this post and others “violated Instagram’s policies on hate speech, harassment and bullying.” So for the next 24 hours, the world will finally get a break from the veritable train wreck that has been @kanywest on Instagram. Here’s hoping he comes back a different person, or at the very least, a more respectful Instagrammer.

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Jussie Smollett Is Already Being Released From Prison Less Than A Week After Being Sentenced

Last week, over three years after the alleged attack that a court deemed staged, Jussie Smollett’s wild ride seemed to come to an end. The actor and singer was sentenced to 150 days in prison for issuing a false police report a month-and-a-half after being found guilty. But a mere six days later, he’s ready to be set back into the free world.

As per The New York Times, on Wednesday, less than a week after the sentencing, Smollett is set to leave the slammer after an Illinois appellate court ruled that he could be released on bond. His lawyers had promised to appeal their client’s conviction, arguing that the sentence should be stayed for two reasons: his term would likely have been completed after the appeal process was even completed, and because they thought incarceration threatened his life and safety.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, argued that, by that logic, all short prison sentences should be stayed if they’re under appeal.

Of the three justices on the appellate court, two agreed to the release, providing he post a $150,000 recognizance bond.

As he was hauled out of court, Smollett continued to do what he’s always done: He asserted his innocence. He also assured the court that he was not suicidal and that if anything happened to him in prison, it was not by his own hand. His family has claimed he’s been the target of abuse on social media and that in prison his life was at risk.

To say the Smollett case has been a rollercoaster would be an understatement. In January of 2019, he claimed he’d been the victim of a racist and homophobic attack. His story quickly unraveled in creative ways. His alleged attackers were soon unmasked, claiming they’d been hired by Smollett to “fake beat him up.” The trial, which didn’t take place until late 2021, was no less wild, revealing, among other things, that Smollett had did drugs and masturbated with one of his alleged attackers. Now that Smollett is ready to be released back into the world, still maintaining his innocence, who knows what twists the tale will take next.

(Via NYT)

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David Simon Returns To Baltimore To Expose Corrupt Police In The First Teaser For ‘We Own This City’

Apart from maybe John Waters, no one knows Baltimore better than David Simon. Over two shows, the limited series The Corner and five seasons of The Wire, he explored how the city works — or more often, does not. He’ll soon add a third to the pile. It’s called We Own the City, and it now has a thrilling teaser trailer.

The show finds Simon, who created it with frequent collaborator George Pelecanos, returning not only to Charm City but to its police force, whom he portrayed in a complicated light on The Wire. Not so much this time. While the show, based upon reporter Justin Fenton’s book of the same name, is set amidst the riots that erupted after the death of Freddie Gray in 2015, it’s also about the corrupt cops who are on the city’s police force.

A press statement reveals that Jon Bernthal, character actor extraordinaire, plays the head of “a plainclothes unit that went completely rogue and began hunting and robbing citizens and drug dealers alike as decades of a relentless drug war and mass incarceration in Baltimore spun wildly out of control.” The teaser shows him and his team pocketing giant wads of cash while investigators, including one played by Treat Williams, try to nail them.

The show also features Simon regulars like Jamie Hector, Dominick Lambardozzi, and Rob Brown, as well as Josh Charles and Dagmara Domińczyk, among many others.

The six-episode series will debut on HBO on April 25. You can watch the teaser above.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

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Report: Nets Hope Ben Simmons Can Play ‘A Couple’ Regular Season Games

The Brooklyn Nets continue to operate as two distinct entities: an away team where Kyrie Irving seems to take the lead with Kevin Durant in a more supporting capacity and a home team where Durant becomes the sun, moon, and stars for the team with Irving still unable to play in Brooklyn as he remains unvaccinated.

As the playoffs approach and New York City and Kyrie Irving remain entrenched in their respective positions on the vaccine and mandate, there is a real possibility the Nets have to go through the play-in and playoffs continuing on with their split personality. Aside from Irving’s status for road games, Brooklyn is also waiting patiently for the on-court arrival of their big trade deadline acquisition Ben Simmons, who has had his ramping up process after sitting out all year in Philadelphia delayed due to a back injury.

On Wednesday, Nets coach Steve Nash announced that Simmons had an epidural on Tuesday in hopes that it will assist in his recovery and relieve his back soreness, but that there was still no timetable for his return.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne then brought word that Simmons is dealing with irritation in a disc in his back, and that optimism that he might return this month has waned and now the hope in Brooklyn is that they get any time with Simmons on the court before the playoffs.

That would make it very difficult to build real chemistry on the court between Simmons and his co-stars before the play-in and playoffs begin, and Simmons, moreso than a scorer like Kyrie, would seem to build that rapport before having the maximum impact he’s capable of having. That also seems like the best case scenario for Simmons, and we’ll have to continue to wait for anything official to know if his Nets debut will come during the regular season.

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The Bromance Between Chris Cuomo And Don Lemon Appears To Be Over After The Former’s Scorched Earth CNN Lawsuit

For years, Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon were in love. Their CNN shows were paired together, and they regularly got into goofball hysterics when one was passing the torch to the other. They even hosted a podcast together called The Handoff, took Instagram-heavy vacations to the Hamptons, and often referred to each other as “brother.” When Cuomo came under investigation late last year over how he handled his own real brother’s controversies, Lemon was there for him. But it appears the bromance is over.

As first reported by Deadline, Cuomo — who was fired in December of 2021 after an internal review as well as allegations of abuse that emerged while it was underway — launched the opening shot in what may be a protracted legal battle. In a scorched earth arbitration filing, the former host demanded $125 million in damages. In the filing, he threw a number of former colleagues under the bus. One of them was Don Lemon.

The legal document claims Cuomo was not only “unceremoniously fired,” but that his “journalistic integrity” had been “unjustifiably smeared.” The termination, it claims, makes it “difficult if not impossible for Cuomo to find similar work.” The $125 million he’s demanding includes both the remaining salary from his contract as well as “future wages lost as a result of CNN’s efforts to destroy his reputation in violation of the Agreement.”

To bolster Cuomo’s case, the filing claims CNN brass failed to punish other employees as they had him. As caught by The Daily Beast, among those singled out are Jake Tapper, Jeffrey Toobin, and Lemon. About the latter:

Cuomo specifically cited how, in November 2021, Empire actor Jussie Smollett testified that Lemon personally warned him that Chicago police didn’t believe his false accusations of a hate crime. Lemon’s consulting with the embattled actor constituted a “flagrant breach of journalistic ethics,” Cuomo’s team wrote.

“Intervening in the ongoing investigation by texting Smollett was an inexcusable breach of ethics,” the filing argued. “Yet CNN did nothing; Lemon was not disciplined in any way.”

But perhaps Cuomo was only responding in kind to Lemon. As The Daily Beast notes, last month during a staff meeting, Lemon argued that Cuomo should not receive severance after his termination:

“Did you think about what message it sends to the journalists in this company and to the larger public, that someone can be found to break with those journalistic standards and then get paid handsomely for it?” Lemon grilled WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar during the New York chat, Insider reported. “And what is to stop the next person from possibly getting compensated for it, to spread rumors, or what have you to the press?”

In late November of 2021, it was reported that Cuomo was a lot more involved in the scandals surrounding his brother, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who had been accused by multiple women of harassment. It was alleged Chris even tried to dig up dirt on one of his brother’s accusers. After Chris was himself accused of harassment — by an accuser he tried to quiet, it was later alleged — CNN fired him. The termination left him “livid” but he’s mostly kept quiet until now, around the same time his brother has been trying to mount a comeback.

In the meantime, please remember the good times by watching this supercut of Lemon and Cuomo, back when they were besties.

(Via Deadline and The Daily Beast)

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Sudan Archives Is A Ruthless Siren In The Video For ‘Home Maker,’ Her First New Song In Three Years

While Sudan Archives hasn’t released an original solo track in a few years, she did just come off of a slew of tour dates opening for Tame Impala in arenas across the country. She also took her violin-meets-ethereal vocals signature to a cover of Yoko Ono’s “Dogtown” for the excellent Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono album earlier this year. Now she has released “HomeMaker,” her first new track in three years.

“Home Maker” is an R&B pop song at its core, with a disco diva aesthetic. She’s a ruthless siren in the video, drawing men towards her irresistible ways. But now as a longtime LA resident, the Cincinnati native says the song is about becoming both independent and building a home with her partner.

“It took nesting — building a home, investing in partners that were worth my investment — to shake my anxiety and depression,” the Stone Throw records stalwart said in a statement. “For me, homemaking is a service to mental health and coping with fear and isolation. This song is about the effort put into making a relationship work and giving love a place to live.”

She’s heading out for a slew of festival performances in the US, Europe, and Canada. Check out her full list of 2022 summer festival stops below.

03/17 TX Austin Empire Garage (Stones Throw SXSW Showcase – headline)
03/27 TN Knoxville Big Ears Festival
03/28 MA Boston Boston Calling
06/04 OR Portland Beloved Festival
06/25 CA Alberta Sled Island
07/08 CA Montreal Le Festival International De Jazz De Montreal
07/09 CA Winnipeg Winnipeg Folk Festival
07/10 CA Winnipeg Winnipeg Folk Festival
07/24 WA Seattle Capitol Hill Block Party
07/29 NE Omaha Maha Festival
07/30 NE Omaha Maha Festival

08/25 UK London All Points East
08/27 SE Stockholm Popaganda Festival
08/28 UK Edinburgh Connect Festival
09/01 UK Salisbury End of the Road Festival
09/03 UK Bristol FORWARDS Festival

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Should declawing cats be illegal? Maryland to join New York in banning the practice.

Anyone who has had cats knows they can do a number on your furniture. Even if you get a scratching post for them, they may prefer to claw your chair backs or sofa arms. Even if you make liberal use of a spray bottle to shoo them away from things you don’t want them to scratch, they may throw a huge claw-sharpening party in your living room while you’re asleep.

They are soft and gorgeous, but they have razors on their feet. That’s just how cats are.

Some people try to circumvent this reality by having their pet cats declawed. By surgically removing a cat’s claws, pet owners remove the problem of furniture clawing. But they also remove a major part of a cat’s anatomy, which can cause lifelong problems for our feline friends.

In fact, the practice is so potentially detrimental that states are beginning to make laws banning it.


In 2019, New York became the first state to ban onychectomy—the technical term for cat declawing—in most instances. The only exceptions are if the amputation procedure is being done to treat a cat’s medical condition, such as infection or injury. Veterinarians who declaw a cat for any other reason face a $1,000 fine.

Now Maryland has joined New York, with its own legislation prohibiting the practice passing in both the state house and senate. According to the Associated Press, the bill stipulates that vets who declaw cats for any reason other than “therapeutic purposes” would face a fine of up to $5,000 for a first offense and up to $10,000 for a second offense, as well as possibly having their license suspended or revoked.

“Declawing is a horrendously painful and disfiguring surgery,” Senator Mary Washington (D-Baltimore City) said, according to WUSA 9 News. “It is positively inhuman and conducted solely for the benefit of the owner. It has no benefit for the cat, in fact, quite the opposite.”

As the Humane Society of the United States points out, declawing a cat isn’t the cat equivalent of a human manicure, like many people believe it is. It’s the equivalent of cutting off our fingers at our last knuckle, removing our fingernails entirely. Imagine how much more uncomfortable and limiting our lives would be without our fingertips, not to mention the painful recovery from such a surgery. That’s similar to how declawing impacts cats.

“Medical drawbacks to declawing include pain in the paw, infection, tissue necrosis (tissue death), lameness, and back pain,” writes the Humane Society. “Removing claws changes the way a cat’s foot meets the ground and can cause pain similar to wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes. There can also be a regrowth of improperly removed claws, nerve damage, and bone spurs.”

Declawing cats may also create challenges for them while using the litter box and may lead a cat to bite more than they normally would as well.

While the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) discourages the practice of cat declawing and animal rights activists have pushed for it to be banned, the New York State Veterinary Medical Society was a vocal critic of New York’s ban. The organization, which is the largest veterinarian organization in New York, said that declawing should be allowed if an owner finds themselves with no alternative other than abandonment or euthanasia.

Animal rights activists, however, have celebrated the legislation as a victory for cats, who rely on their claws as essential body parts. When we know better, we do better, and knowing how declawing cats negatively impacts their quality of life makes it a practice that should only be done if it’s medically necessary for the cat not for the convenience of the human charged with their care.

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Splurge-Worthy Scotch: The Top 10 Bottles Of Scotch Whisky Priced $100-$125

Finding a great bottle of Scotch whisky between $100 and $125 is no great task. There’s a lot of it out there. And, in reality, scotch at this price point isn’t all that rare. Yet even in the comparatively high-priced Scotch market, paying up to $125 feels like a lot for any bottle.

Certainly, it’s still a far cry from the prime 20-year-old single malts, rare releases, and unicorns, when we’re looking at scotch by price. Scotch is simply more expensive than, say, bourbon, for a long list of reasons, but mostly because it has to come from further away, costs more to make, and only a (relatively) small portion of it actually makes it to the U.S.

For this list of 10 Scotch whiskies, I pulled from my own tasting notes, then ranked these bottles according to which ones I think you should buy or try. We’re talking about some pretty stellar bottles all the way through here, so that ranking is very close, especially in the top five. I also tried to include a good mix of peated and unpeated malts to give you a chance to find something that speaks to your palate.

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

10. Dewar’s Double Double 27

Bacardi

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $120 (half bottle)

The Whisky:

Master blender Stephanie Macleod created another masterpiece through this “Double Double” four-step aging process. Step one: aging single malt and single grain whiskies for 27 long years. The malts are then blended, the grains are blended, and they both rest again. Next, all of that is blended together in a vat and rested. Finally, the juice is finished in ex-Palo Cortado sherry casks.

Tasting Notes:

You can really tell this has an Aberfeldy backbone with a floral honeyed nose that imbues summer breezes full of fragrant flowers. That floral honey leads to an almost lemon-honey vibe with hints of cinnamon and cedar next to light pear tobacco and dry grass. The end turns into pure silk as the florals, honey, pear, and spice slowly massage your tongue as it fades away.

Bottom Line:

This is a velvety sip of blended whisky. It feels like a world-class single malt that just so happens to be a blend, which is a pretty good magic trick. Still, this is a half-bottle, and that kind of sticks in my craw, hence it ranking last on this list.

9. Glenmorangie 18

Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $125

The Whisky:

Glenmorangie has a wide range of whiskies to choose from. The juice in this bottle is aged for 15 years in ex-bourbon casks. Then a portion of those casks is re-barreled into sherry casks for three years. That whisky is then batched back with the rest of the bourbon barrels to create this release.

Tasting Notes:

Honey dominates the nose with mixed nut and dried fruits, kind of like a homemade trail mix without the M&Ms. The taste holds onto those rich honey notes and adds in a late-fall sense of wet, falling leaves with a soft nuttiness and almost savory fruitiness (not quite a squash but not as sweet as a fig either). A very, very small whisper of cherry or applewood smoke arrives to usher in a slow finish of salted caramel, more of that bespoke trail mix, and a final note of sherried malt.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those sippers that’s almost too easy. My main gripe with this is that the ABVs are a little low for any “wow” factor. That said, this is an easy-sipper with real depth, especially if you’re looking for a great cocktail base or a fruity/sweet sipper on the rocks.

8. Auchentoshan Three Wood

Morrison Bowmore Distillers

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $100

The Whisky:

Auchentoshan is a great example of a Lowland malt that harkens back to the old days of varied oak aging. In this case, the triple-distilled whisky is aged in ex-bourbon oak for around 12 years and then is finished in Olorosso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a fruitiness on the nose that speaks to blue and blackberries with slight tartness next to orange oils and a hint of prune. The taste has a toffee-covered-in-almond vibe, next to more of that dark fruit with an almost maple syrup spiked with woody cinnamon sticks vibe (hello, bourbon barrel). The end is surprisingly light, a little woody, and full of plenty of those berries as it slowly fades out.

Bottom Line:

If you’re looking for something that’s sweet, fruity, and just a tad woody, this is the play. Again, this might feel a little thinner thanks to those low ABVs, but there is real depth at play that’s very accessible for the same reason.

7. Compass Box Hedonism

Compass Box

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $106

The Whisky:

Compass Box is one of the best blenderies operating today. The London-based shingle created their Hedonism expression as a bit of an outlier. The juice is 100 percent grain whisky from North British Distillery and Cameronbridge Distillery, with a focus on first-fill bourbon barrels and re-charred American oak. Those barrels are married into this masterful blend. It’s then proofed down to a very accessible 86 proof and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a clear sense of bourbon vanilla and caramel that draws you in (especially if you’re a bourbon drinker). The taste holds onto those notes while adding in soft orchard fruits and a buttery, rich toffee silkiness and sweetness. The end smooths out the vanilla into a pudding, with a mild spiciness next to a final note of salted caramels covered in toasted coconut surfacing on the slow finish.

Bottom Line:

This is very much the bourbon drinker’s scotch. Pour this over some rocks and you’ll be in good hands with this blend of grain whiskies.

6. Glenfiddich 18

Willam Grant & Sons

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $125

The Whisky:

Glenfiddich tends to wow, even in their entry point expressions. Their 18-year-old is aged in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks for 18 long years. The whisky is then married and brought all the way down to 80 proof with Speyside water before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a real journey just on the nose from the apple orchard to a stewing pot with tart apples and spices to a buttery-crusted apple pie with spices, nuts, and vanilla. That fruit holds on as cedar arrives with notes of salted caramel wax paper wrappers, mild malts, and sweet dates with a hint of nuttiness. In the end, it all combines towards a hybrid sticky toffee pudding/Christmas cake vibe of dried fruits, spices, malts, and cedar as it slowly fades away.

Bottom Line:

This does not feel like it’s only 80 proof. The whisky is well layered with real depth and that shines through in every sip. I dig this on the rocks (or in a cocktail) but it works perfectly well as a neat pour with a drop or two of water to let it bloom in the glass.

5. Aberfeldy 16

Bacardi

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $119

The Whisky:

Aberfeldy is at the heart of Dewar’s blend. The juice here is a classic Highland whisky aged in American oak and finished in sherry casks. That whisky is then cut down to proof with water from Pitilie Burn, a bubbling stream with gold deposits next to the distillery.

Tasting Notes:

Aberfeldy is renowned for its honeyed nature and this shines through on the nose with hints of clove-studded oranges and a touch of that sherried wood. The palate holds onto the wet sherry wood while going full holiday cake with spices, nuts, dried and candied fruits, and a sweet maltiness. The end reveals a mild note of bitter dark chocolate next to the honey and spices as it fades fairly quickly.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those bottles that are just good. It’s fruity, spicy, nutty, and comforting. It’s also not overly challenging. You’ll let out a sigh when you take a sip and you’ll feel the relaxation spread throughout your body. Sometimes that’s enough.

4. Aberlour 16

Pernod Ricard

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $109

The Whisky:

This small Speyside distillery has been producing quality whisky for over 200 years. This expression is aged 16 years in both ex-bourbon and ex-Olorosso sherry casks. It’s then married and proofed with soft Speyside water from the Highlands and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a matrix of dried dark fruits next to powdery dark spices with hints of walnuts and dried florals that draw you in on the nose. The taste delivers on those notes while adding a deep plummy jam cut with clove and slightly sweet wood. The end really holds onto that jammy fruit and spice as it slowly fades across your senses, leaving a velvet texture in your mouth.

Bottom Line:

This is another bottle that has a shockingly low ABV for all the depth involved. That jammy, spiced fruit is so well layered into the malty whisky that it’s hard not to fall in love with, especially if you’re looking for a great sweet Scotch whisky. This also works as an amazing Manhattan or old fashioned base.

3. Loch Lomond 18

Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond Distillery Company

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $104

The Whisky:

Loch Lomond is renowned for making both malt and grain whiskies, both peated and unpeated, and winning tons of awards for it. This expression was the creation of Loch Lomond’s Master Cooper, Tommy Wallace, who hand selected the barrels to be vatted and proofed with Highland water.

Tasting Notes:

The oak comes through on the nose but is tied to applewood that’s been dipped in fresh and floral honey to the point that it feels like a honeycomb rolled in heather petals. The palate delivers on that while adding in an almost savory gooseberry next to grapefruit oils and an old cedar box full of berry-laced tobacco. That berry tobacco note leads to a nutty flourish near the end that then gives way to a hint of Band-Aid and clove as the peat just sneaks in on the finish.

The Bottom Line:

This is a lovely whisky with wonderful nuance. It also feels like a great bridge between the sweeter and fruitier unpeated whiskies and the lightly-peated ones. Nothing overpowers here, it’s all in balance. Just make sure to add a little water to open this one up on the nose and palate.

2. Highland Park 15 Year Viking Heart

Highland Park 15
Edrington Group

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $110

The Whisky:

Highland Park’s Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion hand picked sherry seasoned American oak barrels of single malt to create this new expression. The whisky is then decanted/bottled in a throwback ceramic bottle from Wade Ceramics, which has been making bottles like this since the early 1800s.

Tasting Notes:

Even though this is a peated whisky, the nose is all about bright notes of orange and lemon oils with a deep vanilla sauce vibe, a touch of dried heather, and old sticks of cider-soaked cinnamon. The palate lets the smoke sneak in via grilled pineapple that turns towards smoked plums, soft and moist Christmas cake with plenty of dried fruits, and a sense of cinnamon-flecked tobacco leaves that have just been singed around the edges. The peat sneaks in late via an almost sea salt element that lets the orange oils, vanilla, and cinnamon tobacco all mellow towards a silky finish.

The Bottom Line:

This is a pretty flawless whisky from the Orkney Islands. Pour it over a rock or with a drop of water and really dig into the nose and flavor profile. It runs deep and delicious.

1. Laphroaig Càirdeas 2021 Pedro Ximénez Casks

Laphroaig Cairnes
Beam Suntory

ABV: 58.9%

Average Price: $120

The Whisky:

Laphroaig is always innovating its line. This year’s Càirdeas is a triple-matured, cask-strength whisky. The whisky first mellowed in ex-bourbon casks before being moved to quarter casks and, finally, finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. That whisky was then bottled as is.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a lot going on with this nose from a starting point of fresh Band-Aids to rich marzipan with plenty of rose water to apples stewed in holiday spices with hazelnut and caramel to a light touch of bourbon vanilla and maybe a hint of cherry tobacco. The palate takes that Band-Aid and turns it toward a sharp but very fatty smoked bacon vibe while a medley of smoked apples, salted licorice, and eggnog spices mingle beneath that bacon. The mid palate leans into a very dry cedar as notes of nori, fennel, and sharper brown spices, almost Red Hots, warm the back end of the finish.

Bottom Line:

Sherry and peat go hand-in-hand to make great whisky. This special release from last year is a stellar whisky with bold peat tempered by stewed fruits and spices. This whisky is bold, sure, but it’s so inviting and subtle that it’s hard not to love, even if for the merely peat curious. Find this one and give it a shot. It just might convert you to peated whiskies for the rest of your life.

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‘Succession’ Writer Georgia Pritchett Says She Wanted A Fan-Favorite Character To Be Gay

It’s pretty common for fans to speculate about a character’s sexuality. It’s also common that the actual show writers advocate for a certain character to be a part of the LGBTQ community, in order to bring in some much-needed representation. In the case of the hit HBO show Succession, there was one character, in particular, that was almost written as gay: the much-loved Cousin Greg.

On a recent episode of the podcast Homo Sapiens, Succession writer Georgia Pritchett said she had originally wanted Nicholas Braun’s character to be gay, mostly because they didn’t explore his backstory until season three. “I had sort of advocated for Greg to be gay – until last season he hadn’t really done anything with anyone.” Before season three, Greg didn’t have much luck in terms of romance, though that changed last season when he was suddenly juggling two women. In the blink of an eye, Greg the Egg was the most sought-after companion on the show and even inspired a real-life sex toy to be named after him.

While Greg’s intended story arch never panned out, Pritchett did admit that the believed Roman “feels a bit fluid and pan.” Roman is played by the lovably weird Kiernan Culkin. “I don’t think he’d hold back if he fancied doing something,” she added. “He wouldn’t hold back.”

After all, the character hasn’t had a lot of luck with love in the past. Who knows what the future will hold when the series inevitably comes back for its fourth season.

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Fox News’ Jesse Watters Suggests That Joe Biden ‘Engineered’ Putin’s Attack On Ukraine In Order To Distract People From Hunter Biden’s Laptop

With Tucker Carlson grabbing regular headlines, it’s sometimes easy to forget that ol’ Fish Sticks is not the only so-called “journalist” on Fox News who is regularly assaulting their viewers’ ears and eyes with bad takes, random conjecture, and straight-up bullsh*t, and presenting it all as “the news.” Case in point: Jesse Watters, yet another of Fox News’ many resident stooges, who—when he’s not being kind of racist, sexist, or encouraging his viewers to “ambush” Dr. Fauci—is generally just making an ass out of himself. For Watters’ latest act of buffoonery, he’s claiming that it is Joe Biden—not Vladimir Putin, the man who actually attacked Ukraine—who is responsible for Putin’s attack on Ukraine, and it’s all because of Hunter Biden’s laptop! Yep, we’re going all the way back to that.

Just when you thought Hunter’s laptop was finally a thing of the past, Watters had to go and not just boot it up again, but put it at the very center of the Russia Ukraine War. As Raw Story reports, Watters chatted up John Paul Mac Isaac, a.k.a. “Hunter’s Laptop Repairman,” and his jaunty hat on Tuesday, where his questions were more like attempts to push through some wild conspiracy theories that Isaac (nor his hat) seemed 100 percent comfortable agreeing with.

After asking for Isaac’s thoughts on the situation happening right now in Ukraine—because presumably a computer repairman would also be an expert on geopolitics—he responded that: “It’s hard to tell. I mean, last time Ukraine was in this, or close to this situation, Joe Biden was in charge [as vice president]. And last time, Hunter Biden profited greatly off of his dad’s involvement in Ukraine. I think this time Joe needs a distraction more than he needs money.”

This was a golden opportunity for Watters, and he seized the moment by making a huge leap by asking: “Do you think this was engineered as a distraction, or do you think this just kind of happened because of Vlad and this rush to war?” (Vlad!)

Isaac seemed uncomfortable with the whole question, and replied that ” I would hate to think that the Ukrainian people would have to suffer the way they’re suffering now because Joe needed a distraction.”

You can watch the exchange—which isn’t too far from how The Daily Show’s Desi Lydic saw this whole thing playing out—below.

(Via Raw Story)