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The threat of Donald Trump running for president again in 2024 has been hanging in the air since the moment it became clear that he brutally lost to Joe Biden in the 2020 election. (Well, at least clear to most Americans who haven’t bought into Trump’s Big Lie.) While Trump has yet to definitely announce his run, he did hold what could be described as his first campaign rally over the weekend in Arizona. However, Trump’s vaulted status as the undisputed head of the GOP is not set in stone.

While top conservative personalities like Ann Coulter have publicly turned on Trump, behind the scenes, a group of “around three dozen” former Trump officials and staffers have reportedly banded together in an effort to stop him from launching a 2024 run. Among them were former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, former national security adviser John Bolton, Anthony Scaramucci for some reason, and a smattering of former intelligence and cybersecurity officials. Via CNN:

“We’re still trying to figure out what it is” that we want to do, one participant told CNN. “Outcomes are key.” This individual said there was unanimity on the call, from those who spoke, that “this cannot just be a professional trolling operation, putting out ads like the Lincoln group.” The Lincoln Project was a group of so-called never-Trump GOP consultants who banded together to oppose the 45th President’s reelection, often running ads in the Washington, DC, area targeted to Trump.

According to former Department of Homeland Security Chief of Staff Miles Taylor, the group will not be wasting its time on letters or statements. “The two operative words are ‘electoral effects,’” Taylor told CNN. “How can we have tangible electoral effects against the extremist candidates that have been endorsed by Trump?”

Of course, the easiest path to knocking Trump out of the race is simply boosting Biden’s approval numbers. Despite holding a rally in Arizona over the week, Trump is reportedly still hedging his bets on getting into the race, and his inner circle has already signaled that he won’t even bother launching a run if Biden’s approval is above 46%. Sounds like somebody knows they really did lose last time and doesn’t want it to happen again.

(Via CNN)

We live in a society… where there are hundreds of mockups of what Willem Dafoe would look like as the Joker. Here’s one. Here’s another. This one won’t give you nightmares. But despite the fan-casting, Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan, David Ayer, Todd Phillips, and Zack Snyder haven’t had the guts to #LetDafoePlayTheJoker. But he’s interested.

“There is something interesting about, like, if there was a Joker imposter. So it would be possible to have not dueling Jokers but someone that [claims] to be the Joker that isn’t the Joker,” the actor pitched, seemingly unprompted, to British GQ. “And that kind of opens up the possibility of an interesting story, particularly if you had Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, and then you had someone who was either imitating or riffing off what he did.” Dafoe said he’s “fantasized about that,” but this is the first time he’s brought up in public.

If the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse taught us anything, it’s that people freaking love Spider-Man. But they also love multiple versions of the same character. Folks, the time has come to enter the Joker-verse.

Bring back Joaquin; drive a dump truck full of money to Jack‘s house; get Mark Hamill and Alan Tudyk to voice animated Jokers; and most importantly, recast Jared Leto with Willem Dafoe. Because you can’t spell “Damaged” without Dafoe (kind of).

(Via British GQ)

Beloved Toronto punk four-piece Pup are back to kick off a new era of music following their acclaimed 2019 LP Morbid Stuff. Sharing the new song and video “Robot Writes A Love Song,” Pup give a preview of their upcoming album The Unraveling Of PupTheBand. Much like their previous releases, the new song tackles feelings of existential dread and hopelessness but this time through the lens of a grieving robot.

Directed by Whitey McConnaughy, the “Robot Writes A Love Song” video sees vocalist Stefan Babcock as a robot with a screen for a head. After losing his robot girlfriend, Babcock reminiscences on the time they first met at a party. He uses some painfully bad pickup lines including, “Please tell me is there any room in your aorta for a beta test?” The song itself was written by the band in just 15 minutes and its vocals were recorded in the backseat of Babcock’s car. True to its accompanying video, “Robot Writes A Love Song” is written from the perspective of a robot who faces his death thanks to being overwhelmed by actual human emotions.

The Unraveling Of PupTheBand was written over the course of five weeks in a bat-filled mansion in Connecticut. Describing their songwriting process, Babcock said the band felt as though they truly were unraveling at the time. “As the weeks passed, we seemed less and less rational, objective, and sane,” he said. “You can hear the band start to fall off the cliff, and because of that, I think this record is our truest and most genuine to date. There is nothing more PUP than a slow and inevitable descent into self-destruction.”

Watch Pup’s “Robot Writes A Love Song” video above and check out the band’s The Unraveling Of PupTheBand album cover and tracklist below.

1. “Four Chords”
2. “Totally Fine”
3. “Robot Writes A Love Song”
4. “Matilda”
5. “Relentless”
6. “Four Chords Pt. II: Five Chords”
7. “Waiting”
8. “Habits”
9. “Cutting Off The Corners”
10. “Grim Reaping”
11. “Four Chords Pt. III: Diminishing Returns”
12. “PupTheBand Inc. Is Filing For Bankruptcy”

The Unraveling Of PupTheBand is out 4/1 via Little Dipper / Rise Records. Pre-order it here.

Rubber Soul, Sergeant Peppers, Strawberry Fields Cafe — the names lining businesses on Liverpool’s Mathew Street leave no doubt about where you are on the planet. This is Liverpool — home of The Beatles. And with the success of the new Beatles documentary, Get Back, now might be the perfect time to plan a visit.

John, Paul, George, and Ringo are inescapable in Liverpool, never more so than on Mathew Street, a former warehouse district alley now firmly ensconced in the gold record-plated glow of the band that once called the area’s most dingy dive bar home. The warehouses are gone and have been replaced by chain pubs, trinket shops, and all the trappings of a pedestrian tourist zone.

From 1961 to 1963, The Beatles held court at The Cavern Club an estimated 292 times. Many of those gigs were held over lunch breaks for local workers on the front end of a double shift. That’s enough to cement this underground labyrinth as hallowed ground in the history of rock n’ roll, and enough to ensure that rock bands, big and small, continue to book the pint-sized joint with a capacity of around 300 people to this day.

Here’s why you should drop in too.

WHY IT’S AWESOME

The original Cavern Club was demolished in 1973. The modern facsimile is built from the same bricks on the same ground as its historic predecessor.

Descending the winding, tubular stairwell from street level feels like being transported to another time. For music fans used to the weathered confines of blues bars and rock clubs in Detroit, Memphis, New York, or Los Angeles, The Cavern Club will feel instantly familiar. Beatles memorabilia abounds, but so do autographed guitars from the likes of Chuck Berry, Liam Gallagher, and B.B. King.

“When I came in here, I couldn’t even talk,” says Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho, whose latest single “Sane” recently was atop the Billboard Mainstream Rock Recurrent chart ahead of the Foo Fighters, Pop Evil, AC/DC, Five Finger Death Punch, and Ozzy himself. Jericho joins me from the green room of The Cavern Club’s Live Lounge, a modern addition that occupies the original stage area from the 60s.

“I was just in kind of a daze, walking through the place,” he says. “I said it on stage tonight, but I’ve been a Beatles fanatic since I was nine. And it’s not like I just listened to Yellow Submarine. I knew everything about The Beatles when I was nine. I knew who Magic Alex was. I knew who Michael Lindsay-Hogg was, and I knew about The Cavern Club.”

Jericho says this gig holds a lofty status for himself and his bandmates Rich Ward, Billy Grey, PJ Farley, and Frank Fontsere since its place in rock history rests above even L.A.’s storied Whisky a Go Go, a longtime home for bands like The Doors, Van Halen, and Motley Crüe.

“It’s such a cool sense of accomplishment to play here,” says Jericho. “The only other way to describe it is like the feeling I had when we opened for Iron Maiden at the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. As a Beatles fan and a musician and a person, it’s an accomplishment you can’t take away. Even though it’s a small room, to me it is a stadium.”

WHAT TO DRINK

Beer. It’s a rock hall. Though the friendly staff behind the bar can mix just about any standard cocktail you like, the lair-like confines of the Cavern Club are best absorbed with an ale in hand. The taps include an array of staples found across Britain, along with ales from Theakston and Maltsmiths.

Newcastle — good ol’ Newkie Brown — is available by the bottle.

WHAT TO EAT

The Club itself offers traditional bar fare, but those with a more refined palate can make the quick trek upstairs for a full menu at The Cavern Club Restaurant. The full-service eatery is located across Mathew Street from the subterranean club. Try the Cumbrian lamb shank, pan-roasted Loch Duart salmon with chili coleslaw, or the Cheshire pork belly with seasonal vegetables and red wine gravy.

SEATING

7/10 — The Cavern Club is divided into two-stage areas. The smallest stage is a replica of the original with a smattering of high tops. The replica stage is flanked by seating areas with low tops and ample seating for a crew of four. The brick walls here are lined with memorabilia from musicians ranging from Queen to Oasis and The Rolling Stones.

Opposite the replica stage is the Live Lounge, which isn’t really the sitting kind of place. Chairs are sparse in the Live Lounge, though a few can be found in an elevated balcony area near the bar.

VIBE

10/10 — For rock lovers, it doesn’t get much better than this. The Cavern Club doesn’t try to be something it isn’t. The day shift offers an opportunity for visitors to sneak in a quick lunch in a subdued setting while house bands belt British cover songs. But on show nights, this spot comes alive. At night, this is a no-frills, brick and concrete bunker that creates walls of reverberating sound with the volume cranked up to eleven.

The true gravitas of this establishment is belied by the diminutive scale of its stages, which is great for music lovers who want a front-row slice of history.

SEXINESS

8/10 — This is not the place for your finest fit. It is, however, a place for leather jackets and jeans. There’s something seductive about climbing down several flights of dark, winding stairs and emerging into a dungeon with a well-stocked bar and the three-dimensional reverberations of live music careening through your body.

And if there’s anything we know about leather, dungeons, and music, it’s that they are a dangerously sexy blend.

INSTAGRAMABILITY

10/10 — Merge the Ninja Turtle’s hideout with The Ed Sullivan Show and sprinkle in a manic dose of Gallagher history and you’ve got The Cavern Club. Bust out the wide-angle button and head for the historic stage to play your best Ringo Starr.

BATHROOM GAME

6/10 — It’s whatever. Rebuilt or not, this is an older structure with bathrooms that do the job. I’m not sure if this is a full-time gig but during the Fozzy show, there was a bathroom attendant with an ample array of hand soap and awkward jokes just humorous enough to score a tip.

BEST TIME TO DROP-IN

Check the Live Lounge show schedule and pop in during the night shift. Disappointed that the historic stage doesn’t host major acts? Paul McCartney held a 1999 reunion in the Live Lounge, just steps from where the original stage was located. The “side stage” is no slouch.

IF I HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE THING

Tourists. But that’s what you get in an area specifically designed to attract them. In fact, if you’re visiting the Cavern Club, you’re just another number in that crowd. The themed restaurants and shops surrounding the club can come off as corny, but thankfully the club itself dodges most of that vibe thanks in part to its actual connection to history. Along with The Grapes Pub just down the street, the Cavern Club was damn near the only thing happening on Mathew Street during the early 60s.

WHERE TO GRAB A LATE-NIGHT BITE NEARBY

Skip the themed restaurants and pop over to The Grapes after the gig. A five-minute walk down Mathew Street will take you to this traditional English pub that once served the same purpose for The Beatles. Back in the day, The Grapes and The Cavern Club were the only friendly doors in this now crowded alley.

DETAILS

The Cavern Club (10 Mathew St, Liverpool L2 6RE) is open every day of the week from 11:00 a.m. The venue closes at midnight from Sunday to Wednesday, 1:00 a.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 2:00 a.m. on Saturday.

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

As Cordae promoted From A Bird’s Eye View, a motif that repeated itself throughout his interviews and explanations for the newly released album was growth. In an interview with Billboard, he said, “I actually have to live life and go through some sh*t. Sometimes I have to go through tragedy, and I just transmute that through songs. Every song [on this album] has an exact memory and experience into creating it.”

The album’s title has been of particular note. Asked over and over again about its meaning, Cordae’s answer, that it means taking a step back and putting things into perspective, has shifted and evolved over the course of the month-long rollout as he molds and polishes it in real-time. It’s the same answer that he gave during a special preview stream weeks before the album was released, but more worn-in, like a baseball glove after catching a few hundred pitches.

So too is the familiar-sounding music on the album. In comparison to Cordae’s Grammy-nominated debut album The Lost Boy, these songs are similarly warm and nostalgic, but now they feel weathered and sometimes even a little world-weary. At 24, Cordae’s seen some more things, accomplished some more things, and yes, lost some more things, translating all of that into music that feels much more like himself. On The Lost Boy, he was new to stardom and the music industry, molding the album to represent this shaky footing. On From A Bird’s Eye View, he’s broken through to a new level of comfort, letting him do what he wants to do.

The most obvious difference between the two albums is the lack of jarring tonal shifts as he bids for radio play. Bird’s Eye eschews the commercial bids of “Have Mercy” and “Broke As F*ck” to allow Cordae to focus on the soulful, reminiscent songs he seemed to prefer even as he still bore the YBN moniker that represented allegiance to a stylistic concept he was apparently thinking beyond. The true gems of his debut included reflective ballads like “Thanksgiving” and “Family Matters”; on his latest, he retains those moods on “Momma’s Hood” and “C Carter.”

The latter finds him waxing nostalgic, recalling when “I used to dream about a new Hummer / Back when G.O.O.D. Music dropped Cruel Summer.” He uses this humble imagery to illustrate the difference in his current circumstances, both materially and spiritually. “I wrote this song in LA, I was driving my Benz,” he wonders. However, it hasn’t all been roses. On “Momma’s Hood” he questions, “Why they had to kill my n**** over a few little pounds?” referring to his childhood friend who was murdered just months before he had completed the new album. This was just after he returned from a trip to Africa – something he probably couldn’t have imagined as a teen growing up in Suitland, Maryland. One reality was closer than the other; he’s since experienced both, which has to be one hell of a head trip.

Another similarity between the two albums is the guest appearances. Cordae has a gift for attracting older, established artists with fascinating contrasts to his own style and outlook, but a similar passion for elevated rapping. Replacing standouts like Anderson .Paak, Chance The Rapper, and Pusha T are similarly impressive adherents to the bars-first philosophy that seems to drive Cordae himself: Eminem, Freddie Gibbs, and Lil Wayne all appear here, all seemingly pushed by their host to deliver scintillating verses. Even Em restrains himself, sounding serious, if not revitalized – at the very least, he doesn’t derail the track. This time around, Cordae also surrounds himself with generational contemporaries as well, employing Gunna, Lil Durk, and Roddy Ricch to varying effects. Roddy demonstrates the clearest chemistry with Cordae on “Gifted,” the single being relegated to bonus track status along with Eminem feature “Parables (Remix).”

While Cordae sticks largely to his strengths on this album, letting his guests offer up the variety that removing obvious playlist bids forgoes, it’d be nice to see him stepping out of his comfort zone a little more often. “Gifted” is the clearest standout alongside “Chronicles,” but his priority on showing off his rhyming led him to release “Super” and “Sinister” as singles instead. There’s nothing wrong with either, but neither shows off his star power as obviously as “Chronicles” or sticks emotionally like “C Carter.”

Likewise, as he gains experience, his reliance on bars referencing fellatio is something I would hope he phases out. They’re always jarring in the midst of his rhymes sharing hard-won wisdom or philosophizing on the nature of his come-up (and, not for nothing, they feel especially awkward when considering his relationship with superstar tennis player Naomi Osaka. The lines might not be about her specifically but it’s weird nonetheless. Woman’s a champion athlete and businesswoman who deserves a little more gentlemanly consideration, I say.). But From A Bird’s Eye View is exactly the sort of sophomore album you want from an artist like Cordae… in looking back at his experiences, he’s begun to realize the road map to a bright future.

From A Bird’s Eye View is out now via Atlantic. Stream it here.

Finding good cheap Scotch whisky is… a fair bit harder than finding good cheap bourbon. The biggest reason, of course, is that Scotch whisky is an import that comes with extra tariffs, transport fees, and so forth. It’s naturally going to be more expensive — the costs are just higher all around.

But not necessarily exorbitantly more expensive. Good cheap scotch might be harder to come by but it is out there and available on many shelves around the country. Yes, we’re talking about both single malts (whisky blended only with whiskies made from malted barley at one distillery) and blended whisky (grain and malted barley whiskies blended from various distilleries).

Below, we’re ranking ten Scotch whiskies we think you’ll enjoy, all under $30 (these prices will vary slightly depending on your state’s taxes). Naturally, there’s a quality barrier at play. Without a ton of time spent in the barrel, these are mostly whiskies you’re going to want to use for mixing a highball or whisky cocktail. That being said, you could throw a few of these on the rocks and enjoy them as sippers too.

Let’s dive in!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of 2021

• The 50 Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2021, Ranked
• A Blind Ranking Of Affordable Blended Scotch Whiskies
• Our Favorite Scotch Whisky At Every Price Point From $30 To $500
• We Blind Tested Blended Scotches In The $40 Range And A Clear Winner Emerged
• The Best Bottles Of Scotch Whisky Between $50-$60

10. Glen Ness Aged 12 Years

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $28

The Whisky:

This is sort of like a beginner’s whisky that utilizes malt whisky from the Highlands. The whisky is built to highlight the sweeter side of whiskies from the region.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a touch of sweet honey that leads towards a hint of lemon peels, mild oak, and dried tobacco leaves with an echo of vanilla. The taste has this nutty and honey vibe that’s kind of like Honey Nut Cheerios with the malt creating a backbone for the sip, as very mild hints of spice chime in. The finish is pretty short, warm, and sweet thanks to that honey but, ultimately, slightly watery.

Bottom Line:

Some say there’s a peat note at the end of this and I’ve never been able to find it. That aside, this is a simple whisky at a low price. Mix it into a highball or cocktail and you’ll be fine.

9. Teacher’s Highland Cream

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $18

The Whisky:

This blend has a high concentration of single malts with Ardmore whisky at its core. The whisky is advertised as using Ardmore’s peated malts in the blend to add subtle smokiness and deeper whisky flavors.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with slight hints of peated malt countered by mild cherry candies and a note of vanilla extract. The palate follows those lines with a slight mineral water vibe next to buttery butterscotch that sweetens as the taste races towards the finish. The end is sweet, slightly malty, and maybe has a very distant whisper of cherry smoke.

Bottom Line:

That cherry note saves this one from feeling like nothing at all. It’s super easy drinking and works really well in a highball. But that’s really all.

8. Grant’s Triple Wood

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $18

The Whisky:

Willam Grant & Sons has a deep bench of whisky distilleries to draw their malt and grain whiskies from for this expression, which includes The Balvenie, Glenfiddich, and Girvan (Scotland’s largest producer of grain whisky). The ripple with this blend is the triple barreling with new oak, American oak, and re-fill American oak, the latter two both being ex-bourbon casks.

Tasting Notes:

The sip opens with clear butterscotch next to an almost tin can vibe with a hint of spicy and honeyed malts. The palate is slightly fruity with apple core and stem notes next to more of that spiced malt and butterscotch with a soft mineral water note. The end is malty but only just barely as the apple core, honey, and butterscotch fade away pretty quickly.

Bottom Line:

This is a solid highball whisky. Add some really good fizzy water or ginger ale and you’re all set.

7. Dewar’s Portuguese Smooth Port Cask Finish

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $23

The Whisky:

This eight-year-old blended scotch is all about the finishing. In this case, classic Dewar’s is moved into Ruby port casks for final maturation. The whisky is then vatted and cut down to a very accessible 80 proof for bottling

Tasting Notes:

This is all about the fruit and honey on the nose with a blackcurrant vibe next to an almost savory white melon with a dose of fresh honey tying it all together. The palate holds onto the berries and adds in a slightly spiced apricot jam with a soft buttery base and a touch more of that honey, but now it’s more floral to go along with the sweet. The end is short and leans into the apricot and berries while the honey fades pretty quickly.

Bottom Line:

This is an easy-drinking highball whisky that’s easy to track down and affordable. It definitely leans more towards the sweet-tooth whisky drinkers, so be warned.

6. The Famous Grouse

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $20

The Whisky:

The Famous Grouse is an old-school blend that got its start in a Scottish grocery store where grocers often blended their own whiskies to sell. The juice is now a mix of single malts and single grains with a focus on parent company partners Highland Park and The Macallan.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a Christmas cake nose that’s spicy, fruity, and malty and supported by a note of citrus. The palate keeps those notes rolling with an additional whisper of oak. The end is short and creamy with a distant wisp of smoke.

Bottom Line:

This whisky has no business costing only $20 per bottle (and being on pretty every liquor store shelf). It’s refined enough to sip on the rocks in a pinch but really shines as a great mixer for cocktails and highballs.

5. John Barr Reserve Blend

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $25

The Whisky:

This whisky was created back in the 1970s when Johnnie Walker discontinued Johnnie Red for a spell. The juice is a blend of 40 Highland and Speyside whiskies that are up to 15 years old with a mild peat backbone.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a nose full of apple hand pies with plenty of cinnamon spice, brown sugar syrup, and buttery pie crust next to a hint of light chocolate powder. The taste leans more into a gingersnap warmth with an echo of Nutella that’s more hazelnut than chocolate and a slight touch of smoked apricots. The finish leans into that smoked stone fruit but then sweetens towards a maple syrup note that’s short but impactful.

Bottom Line:

This is built as a mixing whisky and it hits it out of the park in that regard. Pour this in your next highball, you won’t be disappointed.

4. Copper Dog Blended Malt

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $25

The Whisky:

This is a new-ish release from Diageo that utilizes a lot of Speyside whiskies. Eight single malts are chosen for this blend to specifically highlight the small region within the Scottish Highlands.

Tasting Notes:

This is classic Speyside from nose to finish with apple and honey dominating the whole way through. The palate adds a warm oaty malt and spice next to a very slight nuttiness and maybe a touch of orange marmalade. Imagine an oatmeal-walnut scone with a dollop of that jam on top and you’ll be there. The end is short, spicy warm, and slightly honeyed.

Bottom Line:

There’s a simplicity at play here that’s very enticing. This whisky won’t blow your socks off, but it will truly be a satisfying sip on the rocks or in a highball (with good fizzy water).

3. Glenmorangie X

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $29

The Whisky:

This new single malt from the famed Highland distillery, Glenmorangie, is built to be the ultimate single malt mixing whisky. They don’t release much else about the blend beside it being a mix of their iconic single malts “made for mixers.”

Tasting Notes:

The nose is full of grapefruit pith next to ripe pears and vanilla pods, all in equal measure, next to a hint of orange oils and maybe a little wildflower. The palate builds on that orange towards a bright orange sherbert, a vanilla pudding creaminess, burnt sugars, light and sweet marzipan, and a touch of dark chocolate infused with red chili flakes. The finish really leans into the spicy chocolate and gets slightly bitter as the spice mellows towards mulled wine spices and a touch more sweetness.

Bottom Line:

Overall, you can definitely sip this on the rocks and be fine. That being said, this is made for mixing, so mix with it. It’ll stand up nicely in bold cocktails and fizzy highballs alike.

2. Dewar’s 12

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $27

The Whisky:

Dewar’s blends malt and grain whiskies from over 40 distilleries with the famed Aberfeldy at its core. The juice is blended and then aged for an additional six months in oak to marry all the flavors before proofing and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a matrix of vanilla, oak, and caramel up top that leads towards malts and Christmas spices with an emphasis on nutmeg. That vanilla gets very creamy and a sweet, almost nut brittle edge arrives with a little dried fruit. The mid-palate holds onto that sweetness as the maltiness and warmth come back for a fairly quick fade towards the finish.

Bottom Line:

This is a really solid “on the rocks” whisky for this price point. Again, this isn’t going to wow anyone. But it will satisfy as a well-built whisky that’s clearly nuanced.

1. Chivas Regal

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $29

The Whiskey:

Chivas Regal is one of the biggest whiskies in the world, but that’s mostly outside of the U.S. The juice is a classic blend that is specifically built to be in a glass filled with rocks and maybe a splash of water.

Tasting Notes:

Cedar with hints of citrus, anise, banana, and salted caramel greet you. Creamy vanilla marries mild nutty notes as the nose carries on through the palate with hints of black pepper and malt. The finish is mellow, spicy, and creamy, albeit short.

Bottom Line:

This might be the best “cheap” whisky on the planet. This is very drinkable on the rocks — and kind of helped define that drink (as simple as a “scotch on the rocks” is). Overall, this whisky is damn fine, especially at this price. You really can’t go wrong with having this on your bar cart.

As giant and vast as the video game industry is there are six companies who stand above the rest. They are the three hardware publishers in Microsoft (Xbox), Sony (PlayStation), and Nintendo (Switch), and the three largest software publishers in Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and Activision Blizzard. When a huge AAA game comes out it’s almost always a product of one of these six companies and it’s been this way for quite some time.

On Tuesday, a massive deal was announced that has the potential to impact the entirety of the video game industry. A report from the Wall Street Journal stated that Microsoft planned to purchase Activision Blizzard. Later on, the report was confirmed and Microsoft put out an official statement about Activision joining the Xbox “family.”

As we pursue that mission, it is incredibly exciting to announce that Microsoft has agreed to acquire Activision Blizzard.

Over many decades, the studios and teams that make up Activision Blizzard have earned vast wellsprings of joy and respect from billions of people all over the world. We are incredibly excited to have the chance to work with the amazing, talented, dedicated people across Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, Beenox, Demonware, Digital Legends, High Moon Studios, Infinity Ward, King, Major League Gaming, Radical Entertainment, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Toys for Bob, Treyarch and every team across Activision Blizzard.

The deal is fascinating on a number of levels, including the timing, as it comes after months of scandals regarding Activision Blizzard’s treatment of employees, which resulted in Xbox head Phil Spencer telling employees the company was “evaluating” their relationship with the publisher amid calls for Activision CEO Bobby Kotick to resign. How Microsoft handles the Kotick situation and the fallout from the workplace misconduct and sexual harassment scandals that Activision Blizzard has been embroiled with will be one of the first things they have to do with this new acquisition.

Details of the purchase so far are that Xbox will be buying the company for a record $68.7 billion. This is easily the largest acquisition in the history of the industry in not only money but potentially impact. Microsoft isn’t just buying a large name with the Activision Blizard purchase, it’s giving itself exclusive ownership over massive titles like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Candy Crush. These are some of the biggest titles in all of gaming and now they belong to Microsoft.

While this is obviously great news for Microsoft and the Xbox, it is a massive blow against their biggest rival in the console space, Sony. The PlayStation’s largest selling digital games in 2021 featured Call of Duty multiple times across two consoles. Now, if Microsoft wanted to, it could simply make Call of Duty an Xbox and PC exclusive. Will they do that? We’re not sure yet, but it’s a possibility and gives Microsoft and the Xbox a level of power that it has never had before. This deal is massive today and we’re going to be seeing waves from it for years.

If the Giulianis have a family motto, it’s probably something akin to “Live every day like it’s a Looney Tunes cartoon.” Between hosting the press conference of the century next to a dildo shop, the head leak seen ‘round the world, and letting one rip in the midst of a public hearing about voter fraud, family matriarch Rudy Giuliani has been leaning into this mantra over the past couple of years and really showing the rest of the Giuliani clan how it’s done. While the former New York City mayor has set the bar pretty damn high as far as humiliating public gaffes go, Rudy’s son seems eager to prove to his pops that he can be just as embarrassing.

Over the weekend, Andrew Giuliani made some bizarre headlines of his own. On Saturday, the New York Post reported that Giuliani the Younger bravely attempted to step in and break up a fight on the streets of New York, and ended up getting smacked in the face with a flower pot of all things. Andrew, who is running for governor of New York despite getting a total of zero votes in a straw poll last summer, told the Post that he was on his way to a meeting with the head of the New York Young Republicans when he encountered a man and a woman having a vicious argument and decided to insert himself into the middle of their dispute.

“I got between the two of them,” Giuliani told the Post. “He had a flower pot. I think it was intended for her but it hit me on the left side of the face. Thankfully it was a plastic pot and not a clay pot. The soil mostly hit me. But I wan’t expecting it. It was a little bit of a shock.”

Giuliani remembers the woman yelling “you leave me no money, bitch” just before the man attempted to hit her. When Giuliani began dialing 911 for assistance, said man with said flower pot reportedly threatened to “beat the sh*t” out of the gubernatorial wannabe. Presumably, that is when the aforementioned planter connected with Giuliani’s face.

According to the Post, the police arrived about 15 minutes later and filed a report, but no arrests have been made. The paper also included the following paragraph, which has “Pulitzer Prize!” written all over it:

“Locals in the area say the uptick in crime has been noticeable over the last five years. The incident was not far from where a violent perv slashed a man who confronted him about masturbating in front of his wife just days earlier.”

While Giuliani did point out a possible suspect in a photo lineup, he admitted that he wasn’t 100 percent sure it was indeed the man with all the flower power behind his fist. He then turned the moment into a political talking point by admitting that he didn’t expect any more to come of it under new Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s watch, and that his first priority if elected governor would be to remove Bragg. “Any DA which violates their oath of office … I would relieve him of his duties,” Giuliani told the Post.

(Via New York Post)

Over the weekend, Donald Trump held his first public rally since July in Arizona. He belched out his usual assortment of lies (and one accidental truth) in front of thousands of followers, who are convinced that Trump will run again in 2024. He hasn’t said one way or the other, but that snake-eating-its-own-tail scenario seems increasingly likely to happen, depending on two factors: if he can “dominate the 2022 midterms as a so-called kingmaker inside the GOP,” as CNN put it, and Joe Biden’s approval rating.

If Trump’s midterm involvement pays dividends in November, people in his orbit say, it is increasingly likely that he will mount a comeback presidential bid in 2024. Three Trump advisers said his behavior in public and private over the past four months has left them with the impression that he does plan to run again as long as he thinks he can win. One of those indicators is Trump’s increased outreach to pollster Tony Fabrizio, who compiled a 27-page autopsy after the 2020 election that detailed which demographics had drifted away from Trump and sought to explain the reasons for those shifts.

Those closest to Trump believe he’ll run in 2024 if “Biden’s approval rating is still hovering in the low 40s next spring because, Trump and his team believe, that would indicate a loss of support for Biden among independent voters.” Biden is currently around 42 percent, but “if Biden is back up to 46 percent approval or above, everyone is universally in agreement that Trump is out,” an aide told CNN.

Four percent. That’s the measly difference between Trump running for president again in 2024, or spending his golden years wandering around his Mar-A-Lago kingdom. Make of that what you will the next time you get a phone call from a pollster.

(Via CNN)