In a matter of hours, two of the 12 head coaching jobs in the WNBA came open on Monday. First, Walt Hopkins and the New York Liberty agreed to part ways, a rather stunning move considering New York had made the leap to being a playoff team in 2021 and seemed to be a team on the rise.
Later in the evening, the team that beat the Liberty in the first round of the playoffs, the Phoenix Mercury, made an even more shocking announcement that they too would be searching for a new coach after parting ways with Sandy Brondello, fresh off a run to the WNBA Finals where they fell to the Chicago Sky, 3-1.
Brondello won the Finals in her first season in Phoenix in 2013 and led the Mercury to the playoffs in each of her eight seasons. That the Mercury, coming off a Finals trip, now have a coaching opening, there will be plenty of speculation and interest in one of the best jobs in the WNBA, where Britney Griner, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Diana Taurasi make Phoenix a perennial contender.
The Suns have those three all under contract for another year, but some significant decisions to make this offseason to round out the roster around those three to try and make another push for a title with Taurasi. A new coach will be tasked with putting all of that together, and we’ll have to wait and see who Phoenix tabs to take over.
Most of us spend our lives understanding that there is a certain order to nature. We have prey and we have predators, and some predators, like big cats in the wild, sit at the top of the chain, feared by all.
So when a big honking mountain lion, also known as a cougar or a puma, shows up on your property, it’s normal to be concerned—especially if you have pets that spend time outside. Most people would find themselves sweating a bit if a cougar showed up at their door, even with a thick pane of glass between them and the big kitty. Most animals would, too, if they understood the danger of what they were looking at.
But Dash the tiny doggo is not most animals.
Dash is delighting the masses with his reaction to a mountain lion that paid his house a visit in Colorado recently. In a video shared by Sarah Bole on Facebook and then reshared on Twitter, Dash sits right up against the glass door, cool as a cucumber, as the cougar approaches. Even when the lion taps the glass with its formidable paw, Dash stands his ground, totally unfazed. While you can hear the panic in his human’s voice, Dash just sits there wagging his tail.
“I came home from work tonight and walked to see this on the patio. Watch the whole thing as the lion taps the glass. Pardon my language and shaking voice. I was shitting my pants.” – Sarah Bolepic.twitter.com/tKpfNLoJbY
Is Dash a brave badass? Is he lonely and thought he’d found a new friend? Is he terrified on the inside but playing it cool to protect his castle? Who knows?
There’s so much to love here. It’s the tail wag. And the casual stare as the cat approaches. And then the “I’m not looking at you, I’m just staring out the window” bit. And then the barking and growling that only came after the cougar walked away. Absolutely hilarious.
Dash is a friggin’ hero. His poor human was distraught, and Dash just exuded calm confidence that that cougar was not gonna get him. His human kept telling him to get back, and he was absolutely not having it. You can almost hear him saying, “Shush, human! I’ve got this.”
You do got this, Dash. Clearly. That cougar didn’t even know what to do with you. If you can’t beat a predator, confuse them to make them think you’re not prey, right?
(Also, let’s hope that owner had those door handles locked and considers changing to a round doorknob instead. The only real danger here is if kitty cat had reached up and pulled down on the lever of the door handle, which domestic cats have been known to figure out how to to do.)
Now we just need to give the little puppers a neckerchief that says, “Dash don’t dash.”
Dictionary.com has officially announced its 2021 word of the year, and that word is:
Allyship
Despite the plethora of divisive stories this year—debates about vaccines, gun safety, education, abortion, the validity of conspiracy theories—this word has prevailed in our collective consciousness. And that alone indicates something much more uplifting: What matters most to people is helping one another.
Stemming from “alliance” (meaning the “merging of efforts or interests by persons, families, states or organizations,” according to Dictionary.com) “allyship” had only been added to the platform a month before earning the 2021 title. And in this year alone, it was in the top 850 searches out of thousands and thousands of words, and its frequency of use has surged 700% since 2020.
📘 The word allyship combines the noun ally, “a person who advocates for or supports a marginalized or politicized group but is not a member of the group,” and -ship, a suffix denoting “status, condition.” (2/11) https://t.co/xo8qd7d8ox
1. advocates and actively works for the inclusion of a marginalized or politicized group in all areas of society but is not a member of that group, and acts in solidarity with its struggle and point of view and under its leadership.
2. the relationship of persons, groups or nations associating and cooperating with one another for a common cause or purpose.
“Vaccine” is Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year. The word was selected based on lookup data, notable spikes, and year-over-year increases in searches. https://t.co/NQLOsh6CNB
At first glance, “allyship” might appear better suited for 2020, following George Floyd’s death and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. And with searing headlines of political discord, pessimistic outlooks on the pandemic and an overall dismal public view of humanity, “allyship” seems … a less than optimal choice. Did they consider “vaccine” like Merriam Webster did? Or “variant”? How about “Delta”? Surely these options better reflect the times?
Content overseer John Kelly noted, “It might be a surprising choice for some,” but “in the past few decades, the term has evolved to take on a more nuanced and specific meaning. It is continuing to evolve and we saw that in many ways.”
Allyship has now extended to frontline workers, teachers and parents who have gained support and advocacy during the pandemic.
“This year, we saw a lot of businesses and organizations very prominently, publicly, beginning efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Allyship is tied to that. In the classroom, there is a flashpoint around the term ‘critical race theory’. Allyship connects with this as well,” Kelly said.
The site also noted how a theme of genuine, nonperformative allyship was at the center of many “defining new stories of 2021” that made a lasting positive impact, from Simone Biles and the mental health of athletes to the Great Resignation and workplace burnout.
“These events were notable not only in their own right, of course, but also because of the ways we largely reacted to and discussed them through the lens of who gets a voice, who deserves empathy, and who and what is valued. This was a lens of allyship,” according to Dictionary.com.
When the world is looked at through this lens, perhaps the path toward 2022 is more compassionate and collaborative than our fears would indicate. And perhaps we can take a more elevated view of what it means to be an ally. At the end of the day, we could all use a little more friends and a little less enemies.
The last week has not been good for Chris Cuomo. It began with a report that showed he was more involved than he’d claimed in helping his brother, now-former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, deal with accusations of sexual harassment. First CNN suspended him. Then they fired him altogether. Now he’s losing his other tool for mass communication: his SiriusXM show.
Cuomo said he was stepping away from the show, possibly permanently, in the wake of the scandal that put an end to his long-running weeknight news show Cuomo Prime Time.
“The way my time ended at CNN was hard,” Cuomo wrote in a statement posted on his Twitter account. “While I have a thick skin, I also have a family, for whom the past week has been extraordinarily difficult. So, right now, I have to take a step back and focus on what comes next. That means I will no longer be doing my SiriusXM radio show.”
Called Let’s Get After It, after his CNN catchphrase, the live show was launched in 2018. When it aired on Monday, it was without Cuomo. Instead, former ABC journalist Brian Ross took the reins.
During an investigation conducted by the New York State Attorney General’s office, Cuomo admitted that he used his connections to try and dig up dirt on some of his brother’s accusers. When CNN revealed they had let him go on Saturday, news also broke that he’d been accused of sexual harassment himself by a junior colleague at anther network. Cuomo has denied the accusation.
Though the last week has left him feeling down, he remained cautiously optimistic. “I will miss our conversations a great deal,” Mr. Cuomo wrote. “But I look forward to being back in touch with you all in the future.”
When it comes to bold, robust wintry beer flavors, few are more desirable than chocolate. Even without the addition of chocolate malts and flavorings (which can also be tasty!), chocolate is one of the main flavors found in porters, stouts, inky dark ales, and other winter brews. This is typically thanks to the malting process — sure to bring out tastes reminiscent of cacao.
While drinking dozens of beers to find the true chocolate bombs seems like a great afternoon activity, we actually don’t want to take a nap at two o’clock in the afternoon and wake up hungover around dinner time. That’s why we once again turned to the brewing professionals. We asked a handful of well-known brewers and beer experts to tell us the best beers for fans of chocolate and — as always — they delivered!
Keep reading to see all of the dessert-like, chocolate milkshake adjacent, and choco-filled choices that the pros passed our way.
Boulder Shake Chocolate Porter
Boulder
Adriana Terron, brewer at LUKI Brewery in Arvada, Colorado
Boulder Beer’s Shake Chocolate Porter has always been a go-to for me when I get the hankering for a tall glass of chocolate milk, but with alcohol, please. The chocolatey-ness is way up there without being overwhelming. It’s got a velvety smooth and rich mouthfeel, but it’s still very drinkable for what it is.
Boulder Beer has been through a lot as of late, so I feel good continuing to support the place that used to give one of the best brewery tours around.
Rogue Chocolate Stout
Rogue Ales
Jason Santamaria, co-founder and brewer at Second Self in Atlanta
Rogue’s Chocolate Stout is a great example of how to get a lush, rich, chocolate flavor into a beer. It’s also a great beer to mix with. Mix it with a spiced beer to get a sweet, chocolaty heat or a coffee beer to get a mocha beer.
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Young
Manny Salvatori, lead brewer at The Bronx Brewery in Bronx, New York
I immediately go Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. It’s a pretty classic Chocolate Stout, one of the first that I had ever tried, and a brewery that I have worked closely with in the past. It’s brewed with real dark chocolate and it is just incredibly silky. If you dig chocolate, find this beer.
Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout
Founders
Brad Bergman, director of brewing at Sycamore Brewing in Charlotte, North Carolina
While there’s a lot more than just chocolate going on in this beer, this is one that everyone should try at least once. It’s super complex, laden with a ton of malty goodness like chocolate, coffee, caramel, honey, vanilla. It’s also paired with the oaky, spicy bourbon barrel character. It’s always been one of my favorite BBA offerings that also has a healthy chocolate backbone.
I don’t know how they do it, but it hits every note you expect from a beer with that name. A little heat from chili peppers, cinnamon spice, roasty bittersweet chocolate, and vanilla character all come through on the palate. They’ve been making it forever and it’s always solid.
I didn’t know what to expect from Yuengling Hershey’s Chocolate Porter, but it delivers on all fronts. For the collaboration beer, this 100-year-old iconic brewery brewed a porter with Hershey’s chocolate syrup, cocoa powder, and cocoa nibs.
It’s quite tasty with chocolate milk flavors and a dark roasted character.
Indulgence from Moksa Brewing Co. is loaded with big malty chocolate with layers of coconut. It tastes like a German chocolate cake in beer form. What could be more chocolatey than that?
This beer is aged for four whole years in St. George Spirits B & E barrels. It’s like a booze-soaked fudge brownie with a dry cocoa finish. The body is massive and feels like it has barely leaned out from all that time in the barrel. Exceptional.
Yeti from Great Divide is hands down one of the maltiest, chocolate-forward beers without having any actual chocolate added. It is rich and decadent and like a dessert in a glass.
With zero hesitation, I would pick Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout from Odell Brewing Company. I love the balance this beer has with the high ABV, milk sugar, and of course, milk chocolate. When I think of ‘milk stouts’ I think of beers that are overly slick and heavy on the lactose. Lugene does not present either of these things. The roasty malt backbone melds perfectly with the addition of lactose and chocolate.
I find myself sipping this beer while making dinner or enjoying a dessert heavy on the chocolate. Since they don’t make it often, I grab it whenever I see it and even let some of them cellar in my garage beer fridge.
This Russian imperial stout is so full of body and flavor, it’ll slow your drinking to a crawl. It’s so rich and creamy that you’ll want to savor every moment. It’s so chocolatey and sometimes otherworldly that if you’re pairing it with chocolate, you may have a hard time knowing where the bar ends and the beer begins. It’s definitely a one-and-done beer for me, but the journey is sublime, momentous, and introspective.
Burial’s dedication to artisanal chocolatiers is clear in this beer. I really appreciate the nuance of this offering as we (brewers, that is) tend to go over the top with syrupy sweet chocolate. Bright fruit notes from raspberries play really well with mindfully sourced raw cacao nibs that lend an espresso-like roast character to a sweet-ish base porter recipe. Well done.
Sunday night’s Succession was a barnburner, even for Succession. The eighth episode of the pandemic-delayed third season went to some extra-dark places, with each of Logan Roy’s children hitting new lows. Who had it worst? It’s a hard one to answer. Maybe it’s a four-way tie. (Or a three-way tie, since even Connor’s ill-advised marriage proposal was far from the worst thing to happen to the siblings.) But when the episode ended, there was one person people were talking about more than the others: On Sunday night, The New Yorker dropped an epic and at times bewildering profile of Kendall Roy himself, Jeremy Strong.
The piece paints a portrait of the thespian as rather intense, to put it mildly. He’s one of those actors who stays in character on set. He doesn’t like rehearsal. (“I want every scene to feel like I’m encountering a bear in the woods,” as he puts it.) He doesn’t consider what he does Method acting, referring to his approach as “identity diffusion.” When the reporter tells him he’s going to ask his Succession castmates what they think of his methodology, he admits, ominously, “I don’t know how popular the way I work is amongst our troupe.” (Kieran Culkin, who’s spoken about him before, seems skeptical, even vaguely dismissive, while Brian Cox, an old pro who can turn acting on and off like a switch, worries about him.)
Strong is so serious that he doesn’t seem to recognize one of the things that has made Succession so beloved: It’s very funny. It’s not a comedy (or at least that’s not how awards bodies, who place in the Drama category, see it). But it’s filled with clever insults, pitch black humor, and, of course, champion cussing. Strong, however, doesn’t seem to see that. Indeed, Culkin tells an anecdote about him:
“He said something to me like, ‘I’m worried that people might think that the show is a comedy.’ And I said, ‘I think the show is a comedy.’ He thought I was kidding.”
But perhaps there’s method (if not Method) to his madness. Adam McKay, executive producer, who directed the pilot, said Strong’s intensity is what got him the gig. “That’s exactly why we cast Jeremy in that role,” McKay told journalist Michael Schulman. “Because he’s not playing it like a comedy. He’s playing it like he’s Hamlet.”
The New Yorker’s profile of Strong became about as talked-about as the latest Succession episode itself. His methodology drew a mix of reactions. Some found him a little too intense.
when jeremy strong says “i don’t rehearse, i want to enter every scene like greeting a bear in the woods,” that, to me, is funnier than anything any comedian has ever said
— ashley ray, kate winslet’s vape coach (@theeashleyray) December 6, 2021
— Linda Holmes Thinks You’re Boo-ing Great (@lindaholmes) December 6, 2021
Others remarked that he was humorless even when talking about the funniest thing that’s ever happened to Kendall.
Jeremy Strong referencing Crime and Punishment when talking about a scene where he says “my boy Squiggle cooked up this beat for me” is peak Jeremy Strong https://t.co/DHCEQjwNkEpic.twitter.com/zp69qO72VG
Others praised his working methods, saying, effectively, whatever works.
Whatever Jeremy Strong is doing on Succession clearly works. Incredible performance. Same thing with Brian Cox. That’s a cool part of creative work: there’s no right way to get there!
the response to the jeremy strong thing is reminding me of one of the most disappointing qualities of the human race,which is that people are WAY too strict about pretentiousness as a quality. Pretentiousness is fine! you need people around who will say crackers things about art!
In late 2019, shortly after Chicago rapper and activist Noname initially announced that Factory Baby, the follow up to 2018’s wildly praised 25, would be out in 2020, she started insinuating that perhaps her “heart isn’t fully in it anymore.” She tweeted back then about how she felt that “the relationship between ‘artist’ and ‘fan’ is really f*cking unhealthy. Yall like what y’all like and hate what y’all hate. And I don’t wanna be on either side. I’m just tryna read and organize. After factory baby it’s (peace sign emoji).”
After some delays and uhhhh…a freakin’ pandemic, she released the track “Rainforest” in early 2021, a sleek but pleading track that saw her voicing her displeasure for her mind state and the state of the world in general. It was presumably the first single from Factory Baby. But that’s been it from Noname musically ever since — and yesterday, she confirmed that it could very well be the last piece of music she ever releases.
In a post on her Instagram story, Noname opened up about how empty she feels musically and how it has become increasingly difficult to create. With a picture of herself, she posted a lengthy caption that read:
“Most days I’m not sure if I’ll ever make music again,” she said. “The last time I was consistently making songs was 4 years ago. It’s been so hard to find producers to link up with and who I genuinely connect with sonically. I’m truly grateful for the art I was able to release but that might be it from me. Like it shouldn’t be this hard. No like this shit actually makes me incredibly sad and I rarely leave the crib these days. I don’t want to keep lying and saying there’s an album on the way when there’s not. I’m sorry I’ve led y’all on. I wanted to believe things would change but they haven’t.”
It’s a bummer. There’s really no other way to say it. Noname has been a welcome and vital voice out of the Chicago rap scene that surged in the mid 2010’s and blossomed big time from there. Her Noname Book Club helps raise POC voices with their picks and also uses funds raised to send books to incarcerated people. It secured a physical HQ earlier this year. It’s been a rough two years all around and here’s hoping that whatever Noname chooses to do moving forward, is something that makes her truly happy and fulfilled.
DeMar DeRozan is off to a career-best start to a season in his first year with the Chicago Bulls, as the wing is fresh off winning the NBA’s Player of the Week in the Eastern Conference after averaging 30.3 points per game in wins over the Hornets, Knicks and Nets.
On the season, DeRozan is averaging 26.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game on 49.8/33.3/88.8 shooting splits, which would give him the best true shooting percentage of his career and second-highest scoring output. He has, along with Zach LaVine, been the catalyst for the Bulls’ 16-8 start, pushing them to second in the East more than a quarter of the way through the season.
Chicago plays host to an up-and-down Denver team on Monday that has some significant absences, but they will have to do so without the services of DeRozan after he entered the league’s health and safety protocols after shootaround on Monday.
Bulls star DeMar DeRozan has entered COVID-19 health and safety protocols and is listed out vs. Denver. DeRozan could miss several games in protocols.
If DeRozan isn’t able to produce a pair of consecutive negative tests within 24 hours of each other (as LeBron James did last week), he could miss 10 days in the protocols, which would obviously be a big blow to a Bulls team on a hot streak. Without DeRozan, the scoring load will fall on LaVine, with the need for Lonzo Ball to take on a bit more of the on-ball creativity as well as a likely increase in post touches for Nikola Vucevic to try and replace the heavy usage load missing with DeRozan out.
Dictionary.com has officially announced its 2021 word of the year, and that word is:
Allyship
Despite the plethora of divisive stories this year—debates about vaccines, gun safety, education, abortion, the validity of conspiracy theories—this word has prevailed in our collective consciousness. And that alone indicates something much more uplifting: What matters most to people is helping one another.
Stemming from “alliance” (meaning the “merging of efforts or interests by persons, families, states or organizations,” according to Dictionary.com) “allyship” had only been added to the platform a month before earning the 2021 title. And in this year alone, it was in the top 850 searches out of thousands and thousands of words, and its frequency of use has surged 700% since 2020.
📘 The word allyship combines the noun ally, “a person who advocates for or supports a marginalized or politicized group but is not a member of the group,” and -ship, a suffix denoting “status, condition.” (2/11) https://t.co/xo8qd7d8ox
1. advocates and actively works for the inclusion of a marginalized or politicized group in all areas of society but is not a member of that group, and acts in solidarity with its struggle and point of view and under its leadership.
2. the relationship of persons, groups or nations associating and cooperating with one another for a common cause or purpose.
“Vaccine” is Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year. The word was selected based on lookup data, notable spikes, and year-over-year increases in searches. https://t.co/NQLOsh6CNB
At first glance, “allyship” might appear better suited for 2020, following George Floyd’s death and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. And with searing headlines of political discord, pessimistic outlooks on the pandemic and an overall dismal public view of humanity, “allyship” seems … a less than optimal choice. Did they consider “vaccine” like Merriam Webster did? Or “variant”? How about “Delta”? Surely these options better reflect the times?
Content overseer John Kelly noted, “It might be a surprising choice for some,” but “in the past few decades, the term has evolved to take on a more nuanced and specific meaning. It is continuing to evolve and we saw that in many ways.”
Allyship has now extended to frontline workers, teachers and parents who have gained support and advocacy during the pandemic.
“This year, we saw a lot of businesses and organizations very prominently, publicly, beginning efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Allyship is tied to that. In the classroom, there is a flashpoint around the term ‘critical race theory’. Allyship connects with this as well,” Kelly said.
The site also noted how a theme of genuine, nonperformative allyship was at the center of many “defining new stories of 2021” that made a lasting positive impact, from Simone Biles and the mental health of athletes to the Great Resignation and workplace burnout.
“These events were notable not only in their own right, of course, but also because of the ways we largely reacted to and discussed them through the lens of who gets a voice, who deserves empathy, and who and what is valued. This was a lens of allyship,” according to Dictionary.com.
When the world is looked at through this lens, perhaps the path toward 2022 is more compassionate and collaborative than our fears would indicate. And perhaps we can take a more elevated view of what it means to be an ally. At the end of the day, we could all use a little more friends and a little less enemies.
There are pop stars, and then there are singers. While recording studio technology can make people sound like amazing singers, the proof is in their live performances.
Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande took it a whole step further on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” delivering not only a jaw-dropping live performance but doing so in the form of revolving pop diva hits in an “impossible karaoke” showdown. In less than five minutes, they showed off their combined ability to nail pretty much anything, from imitating iconic singers’ styles to belting out well-known songs with their own vocal stylings.
Watch this and try not to be impressed:
give kelly clarkson and ariana grande an exorbitantly expensive 10-episode Netflix series where they just hang out and sing dueling pop covers for an hourpic.twitter.com/m5IJAZ2DYL
There’s a reason Kelly Clarkson won the first season of “American Idol” and went on to become a multiplatinum recording artist. What’s funny is seeing some people in the replies saying they didn’t know she could sing like that. Yes. Yes she can. And she has since the beginning.
Check out this performance of Celine Dion’s “I Surrender” during the first season of “American Idol.” At this point, she was an amateur singer and her vocal chords were stressed after weeks of rehearsing and competing, and she still knocked it out of the park. Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson both said they’d put her in the same league as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, and she’s shown she deserves that classification over and over again since.
And Ariana Grande has made a name for herself for her ability to impersonate different singers while also sounding freaking amazing. Jimmy Fallon has had her on his show multiple times doing musical impressions. Check this one out from when she was just 21 years old. I mean, singing “The Wheels on the Bus” as Christina Aguilera? The woman can sing. Period.
So of course, having Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande singing together is a real treat. And they’ve gifted us with a delicious duet for the holiday season with a live performance of “Santa, Can’t You Hear Me.” Their voices complement one another so beautifully, with Grande’s silvery sweetness and Clarkson’s rich resonance. The amount of talent pouring forth from these ladies is simply unreal.
As Jimmy Fallon said, “How?”
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