T-Pain was on Twitch well before it was cool. While Twitch had been in use for years among video game fans, it was not a place that celebrities typically hung out like it is now. These days it’s not uncommon for famous athletes, actors, or musicians to be seen hanging out on Twitch playing a game and interacting with their community. T-Pain, on the other hand, was doing it originally as just something to do in his free time. He’d play games, show off new music, and just hang out.
These days, Twitch is almost as much of a job as his music career for him. He’s an extremely popular streamer with thousands of people tuning into his streams live or watching the VODs after he’s wrapped up. Twitch saw his popularity and got in contact with him. Now, T-Pain and Twitch have formed a partnership where his presence on the site will be even more visible. He’s kicking off his partnership with an exclusive listening party on his Twitch channel for his new single “I’m Cool With That.”
“This partnership means that I have been seen,” T-Pain said. “With so little representation on the service previously, the fact that Twitch came to me means that they actually see our community and understand the value of our contribution to the streaming world. We’ve been hosting beat battles and collaborative sessions for years… ‘I’m Cool With That’ is a combination of some of those efforts and was the first song created and released with my community, and I hope this is just the start of a journey Twitch and I are about to go on to uplift and strengthen the music community on Twitch.”
The upcoming listening party will be where T-Pain further breaks down the new track and shares details about other aspects of his partnership, such as monthly “Post Ya Song” and “Post Ya Beat” reviews from community producers. It’s really cool to see this kind of opportunity for T-Pain considering that he was one of the first well-known names to really embrace Twitch. Now he has a partnership and his community gets to watch his streams become even bigger.
This is another big step for Twitch as well, as the platform continues to try and show it’s for more than just video games. Twitch will always be about video games first and foremost, but the platform has not shied away from growing to become something even bigger. Lucky for them, T-Pain not only represents the video game side of the platform but the music side as well. He’s the perfect choice for this partnership.
Japanese whisky can be a very intimidating category, even for seasoned whisk(e)y drinkers. A big part of that comes down to accessibility. Japanese whiskey simply doesn’t make it to your average liquor store shelf as often as other regional-specific styles. On top of that, Japanese whisky isn’t cheap. $40 is where it bottoms out — about double the price of a perfectly drinkable bottle of bourbon.
All of that aside, Japanese whisky is a fascinating category of barley single malts, mellow maturations, varied sourcing, masterful blending, and unique finishings. If I were to call out a single throughline for the whole category, it’d be “mellow.” This whisky is generally very soft, fruit and floral forward, and really embraces the malt and water at the base of the spirit. Those are very broad brushstrokes, of course, but it feels like a good place to start.
The ten whiskies below represent a good primer if you’re looking to get into Japanese whisky. Most of these bottles are fairly easy to find and relatively affordable, but I’ve thrown in two spendy bangers at the end for good measure. If any of these pique your interest, make sure to click on the prices to give them a shot.
This whisky is a blend of single malts and grain whiskies from Suntory’s Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita distilleries. Hakushu is the main component of the blend in this case. The single malt is aged in American oak before it’s married to the grain whisky from Chita and a touch of the Yamazaki single malts, which were aged in Spanish and American oak.
Tasting Notes:
You’re greeted with a bright and floral note of apple blossoms next to fresh green grass on a summer’s day with a touch of lemon-honey-basil iced tea. The palate holds onto that bright greenness with hints of fresh mint sprigs next to cold and sweet green grape skins, a touch of rosemary, and a slight grapefruit pith bitterness. The end returns to that lemon-honey sweetness and adds in a small dose of fresh ginger juice spice and a very distinct echo of bourbon vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This is the perfect introductory bottle for anyone looking to dip their toe in the world of Japanese whisky. It’s also a very solid cocktail mixer.
This blend marries the single malts from Suntory’s Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries with a grain whisky from the famed Chita Distillery. The whiskies are aged in five types of oak, including the much-sought-after Mizunara. Finally, Master Blender Shingo Torii creates a blend that exemplifies Japanese whisky in a single bottle.
Tasting Notes:
That signature fruitiness of Japanese blends is on display from the first whiff with a focus on bright, tart berries and honey-soaked cinnamon apples, and a note of orange marmalade. All of that fruit carries on and adds juicy, sweet peaches before a spiciness kicks up a notch while a creaminess counterbalances the sip. The oak and spice carry on towards the end as a final hint of sweet toffee lingers on the slow fade.
Bottom Line:
While this is a little bit on the pricier side, it’s one hell of a sipping whisky. The reason I listed it second here is that it’s a great counterpoint to the whiskies in the Toki expression above and a good stepping stone to bigger sippers in the category.
We’re staying in the pricier side of things. But, we’d argue that this one is well worth the price tag. The “Coffey Grain” in this whisky refers to the Scottish Coffey stills and the corn “grain” mash bill.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this one is very bourbon adjacent with sweet corn vibes and vanilla woodiness drawing you in. The whisky’s palate is full of melon candies, pithy grapefruit, and malty vanilla wafers. The mid-palate sweetens with a Caro syrup feel as the vanilla kicks back up with an almost masa dryness on the back end.
Bottom Line:
This is an interesting bridge of whisky between Kentucky and Japan. It’s not a bourbon by any stretch but it feels like a familiar sipper that’ll help you get into the style a bit.
In another departure, this single malt whisky is made from malted and unmalted rice. The mash bill is 30 percent gohyakumanishi rice that’s grown in the distillery’s own fields. The rest is Kumamoto mochi rice. The juice is then aged in ex-sherry casks. The final blend is a marrying of the 27-year-old, ten-year-old, and seven-year-old whiskies.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a definite rice liquor note up top next to a floral essence and an almost molasses sweetness. Those florals give way to nuttiness and a spicy edge that hints at salted black licorice. The end is longish with the spice hints lasting the longest.
Bottom Line:
Rice whisky is its own thing and worth checking out. While I’m not over the moon about this expression, it’s very interesting and palate expanding. That makes it worth giving a shot.
This whisky is named after the oldest lighthouse in Japan, which dates back to the 1600s. The juice is a blend of single malt and grain whiskies from Japan and abroad that are aged in ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and Mizunara oak.
Tasting Notes:
You’re immediately met with floral notes and cherry next to a hint of lemon and orange. The sip has a real malt underbelly with a honey sweetness next to a whisper of oak that leads towards the finish. The malt sustains through the end as a hint of pear next to peach arrives late.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice sipper that’s clean, distinct, and very light. That fruitiness helps this go down easy while the malt reminds you that you are drinking some easy-sipping whisky.
This is a fascinating dram. The blend is comprised of single malts from around Japan and hand-selected international single malts. The juice is then finished in Yoshino-sugi barrels — that’s a Japanese cedar that imparts a big flavor profile into the whisky.
Tasting Notes:
This sip opens with a note of peat next to spicy baked apples cut with orange zest. More floral orange notes and stone fruit wind towards a mossy cedar forest on a rainy day. The oak kicks in late with a bit more of that initial spice as the wood becomes resinous and dry on the long finish.
Bottom Line:
I’m a big fan of cedar in my whisky, so this is an easy pick. That being said, this is a solid example of the unique finishings coming out of Japan.
This newly formulated malt from Nikka is a blend of single malts from Nikka’s Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries. The base malts are both peated and unpeated with a sherry cask finish.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with freshly cut green grass next to a bold grilled pineapple, bright orange blossoms, and coconut cream pie with a vanilla pudding base. The taste really leans into the fruit with sweet pear candy next to white peach, cream soda, and wildflowers in full bloom. The end takes its time and attaches a bitter peatiness to the fruit with a final whisper of burnt cinnamon and clove left to linger on your sense.
Bottom Line:
Peaty Japanese whisky has a totally different vibe than most peat monsters, especially from Islay. This is subtle, fruity, floral, and really keeps the smoke in check.
Shiibui pure malt is a marrying of both Japanese and Scotch malt whiskies. The Japanese malt is blended with a Lowland single malt. The whiskies spend time mellowing a medley of barrels, including bourbon, Oloroso sherry, and Mizunara casks.
Tasting Notes:
The malty grains are the star of the show on the nose and in the taste. Those malts present as a dark chocolate-covered Graham cracker next to a light orchard fruitiness on the nose. The taste layers in vanilla from that bourbon barrels as dark raisins, a touch of holiday spice, and a buttery shortcakes flavor profile drive the palate back towards that dark chocolate and cracker.
Bottom Line:
This is a cool example of how sourced Scottish juice can play with Japanese whisky in the bottle. It’s subtle yet stands out as something a little bit different and delicious.
Okay, we had to include one stellar, albeit spendy bottle to cap off this list. Hakushu 12 is a sort of Japanese highland whisky made in the pine forests near the Japanese “Alps.” The juice is a combination of three whiskies produced at Hakushu: A non-peated whisky aged in ex-bourbon, another non-peated whisky aged in ex-sherry, and a peated whisky aged in American oak.
Tasting Notes:
This sip is grassy, nutty, floral, and slightly bitter on the nose. The dram then leans into ripe yet tart fruits, lemon citrus, and a herbal tea note while a wisp of smoke and an undertow of creaminess arrive. A fresh ginger spice arrives with a note of orange zest as the sip quickly fades away with a final floral note.
Bottom Line:
This is just freakin’ good from top to bottom. You’re getting a masterclass on what truly great Japanese malts can do when put together by masters high up in the mountains of Japan. It’s an eye-opening experience.
This is a beloved expression of whisky from Suntory’s most important distillery. The juice is a blend of spirits that come off three old stills and then ages in a combination of bourbon, sherry, and Mizunara oak for at least 12 years before masterfully being blended into this iconic whisky.
Tasting Notes:
The whisky opens with a matrix of rich holiday spices next to ripe peaches and pears next to a subtle floral nature that leans towards orange blossoms and lemongrass with a touch of soft, old wood. That winter spice marries to a bright orange oil on the palate as a flutter of creamy coconut leads towards buttered scones and cranberry sauce cut with clove and cinnamon. That spice drives the finish towards a subtly mellow end with the orange oils, spices, and tart fruit coming together for a warming embrace.
Bottom Line:
This feels like it should be an advanced dram you spend a lifetime getting to know. While that can be true, the brilliance of this whisky is that as soon as you sip it, it’ll be like you’ve become old friends from the jump. It’s familiar yet new and enticing.
It’s nuanced yet approachable. It’s also just damn good.
As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.
Tucker Carlson seems done with just dog whistling neo-Nazi talking points and winking commentaries about race: he’s going full far right lunatic with his latest Fox News project. And that apparently doesn’t sit very well with a co-worker of his, who called out his conspiracy theory “bullsh*t” on social media and in a new interview.
Carlson’s newest foray into misinformation was announced earlier in the week: a “documentary” series called Patriot Purge that falsely claims the January 6 riot at the US Capitol in Washington was a “false flag” meant to ensnare otherwise law-abiding citizens into the clutches of law enforcement. That’s all bullsh*t, of course, and has been rightly called that by another Fox News mainstay, Geraldo Rivera.
In an interview with the New York Times, Rivera criticized Carlson for his work on the series and the false implication that it was a “false flag” operation of any kind:
“Tucker’s wonderful, he’s provocative, he’s original, but — man oh man,” Mr. Rivera said in a phone interview. “There are some things that you say that are more inflammatory and outrageous and uncorroborated. And I worry that — and I’m probably going to get in trouble for this — but I’m wondering how much is done to provoke, rather than illuminate.”
“Messing around with Jan. 6 stuff … ” Mr. Rivera added, pausing briefly. “The record to me is pretty damn clear, that there was a riot that was incited and encouraged and unleashed by Donald Trump.”
He certainly didn’t hold back on Twitter, either, calling it “bullsh*t” at one point and making it clear that, though he might get in trouble for being outwardly critical of a colleague’s work at the network that employs them both, this is simply a bridge too far for the host.
It’s definitely something to see public pushback from Fox News employees about work the network may have approved. And it will likely do little to actually stop the series from seeing the light of day. Yet when you employ someone like Carlson and do nothing to stop the very clear parroting of misinformation about vaccines, replacement theory, and everything else that’s become in Carlson’s wheelhouse these days. If anything, Rivera crying foul at this point may be too little, too late.
For a long time, it wasn’t that hard to define what Star Trek was all about. Pitched by creator Gene Roddenberry as Wagon Train in space, Star Trek followed, as the opening narration reminded viewers each episode, the adventures of the Starship Enterprise and its five-year diplomatic voyage of discovery to the far reaches of space. Each self-contained installment (barring one two-parter) brought a new adventure and the mix of science fiction concepts and social commentary favored by Roddenberry and the show’s creative staff. The series ran for three seasons between 1966 and 1969 and focused on a handful of colorful crew members. Though declining ratings cut its run short, Star Trek found a second life in syndication and an adoring group of fans who loved it just the way it was, even if they wanted more.
But that was a long time ago and in a dramatically different media environment. To survive, Trek has had to change. A string of movies and a new wave of series followed from the late-’70s through the first years of the 21st century. Each, in their own way, stayed close to the original Trek formula. The movies mostly played like Trek adventures writ large. The shows offered variations on the original series’ mix of memorable characters and thoughtful stories (apart from the occasional dopey side trip, like a visit to the Old West by way of a malfunctioning holodeck). That phase reached its end in the early ’00s with the truncated TV run of Enterprise and the box office failure of Star Trek: Nemesis. Questions started to swirl: Was there a place for Star Trek in the 21st century? And if so, where was it?
The mid-’00s saw the beginning of an ongoing, if often creatively fertile, identity crisis of which Star Trek: Prodigy is just the most recent example. An animated series aimed at younger viewers, it’s part of a strategy apparently designed to blanket the market with a Star Trek for every possible audience, from kids looking for interstellar adventures to those who like their Trek served up with wiseassery and in-jokes, to those accustomed to the serialized storytelling of contemporary TV (and who like to hear the occasional F-bomb dropped alongside talk of spore drives). All of these appeared on the heels of three big-screen adventures that featured classic characters but didn’t always try to recreate the classic Trek feel.
Is this mission drift or adaptability? The three episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy provided to critics (a double-sized premiere and one subsequent episode) don’t provide clear answers. Taking the form of pleasant but unmistakably budget-friendly 3D animation, it frequently resembles the Disney Channel series Star Wars: Rebels and similarly puts the emphasis on the high-energy adventures of a handful of wisecracking characters pitted against—at least in these early episodes—a power-hungry bad guy. Brett Gray (On My Block) provides the voice of Dal, who begins the series working as the Diviner (John Noble), a tyrant in the business of enslaving innocents to perform hard labor on his mining planet. The Diviner’s daughter Gwyn (Ella Purnell) serves by her father’s side but has already begun to question her father’s ways before Dal kidnaps her while escaping the Diviner’s clutches after unexpectedly discovering a disused Federation starship.
Despite the presence of a familiarly shaped Starship and some supporting characters connected to deep bits of Trek lore—Jason Mantzoukas voices a Tellarite, Angus Imrie plays a Medusan—Prodigy doesn’t feel that much like Trek, at least not yet. Its opening episodes involve a lot of running around and narrow escapes but not that many philosophical inquiries or moral conundrums. That could change, thanks to one element that provides a strong tether to Trek’s past: nothing less than one of its most revered characters, Captain Kathryn Janeway.
Sort of.
Unmistakably voiced by Kate Mulgrew, this Janeway is actually an advanced hologram built into the stolen starship, an educational device designed to assist fledgling members of Starfleet still learning the ins and outs of space exploration. It’s a clever device, one that sets up an arc in which Prodigy’s characters—none of whom have ever heard of the Federation—become immersed in the core Federation beliefs as they learn to navigate the stars. And while she might be a computer creation, this holographic Janeway is very much the character we met on Star Trek: Voyager, from her wry delivery to her love of coffee. (Do holograms need coffee? Better not to think too much about that.)
It’s not clear where Prodigy goes from here, or whether Janeway will be a strong-enough tether for it to remain recognizably tied to Trek. But in that sense, it’s not so different from Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Star Trek Beyond, the film series kicked off by J.J. Abrams that ushered in what’s now called the Kelvin Universe. Or Star Trek: Discovery, the Paramount Plus series that brought Trek back to television and incorporated season-long storylines, movie-quality effects, and other 21st century touches. Or Picard, which attempted much the same while reviving Patrick Stewart’s beloved Next Generation character Jean-Luc Picard (and some other familiar faces). Or Star Trek: Lower Decks, whose stories remain firmly ensconced in Trek continuity but whose attitude and fast-paced wit owe much more to the world of adult animation.
Where Trek used to be variations on one clearly defined approach, there are a lot of different approaches to Trek floating around these days. The tension—between the clearly defined thing Star Trek used to be and its nebulous present and unclear future—can be frustrating to viewers at times. For some, the Star Wars-iness of the Kelvin Universe films provided a reason to check out (but also reintroduced the universe to contemporary multiplex goers). Lower Decks has some extremely vocal detractors (but also many fans). Across three seasons, Discovery has had tedious lows that suggest maybe Trek wasn’t supposed to work as a 13-hour movie. But it’s also had highs, introducing winning new characters, intriguing ideas, and, with its most recent season, offering a glimpse of the future that suggests the Federation’s future might not be that bright. Even at its lower moments, Discovery has still felt like a show in touch with the spirit of exploration, of both outer and inner space, that animated the original Star Trek. And though some might balk at Lower Decks’ humor or what Picard does with Picard, for others they play as attempts to try to do something new within the framework of something old. And for newcomers, not weighed down by ideas of the past, they may just play like exciting shows that double as gateways to the Trek of yore. Tension can be destructive but it can also be dynamic. What it will ultimately mean for the future of Trek as it goes where no Trek has gone before, and in several directions at once, remains to be seen.
Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco, California held an assembly for all students on Friday that was presented by Life Training Institute and featured speaker Megan Almon.
The institute’s goal is to equip “Christians to make a persuasive case for life” through “pro-life apologetics presentations in Catholic and Protestant high schools, universities, and worldview conferences.”
But the idea of sitting through a pro-life presentation didn’t appeal to the vast majority of students and a few minutes into the presentation, they began to walk out. A few were prompted by Almon comparing the number of abortions in the United States to deaths in the Holocaust. Almon also discussed how embryos should be considered people who are just as valuable as those sitting in the auditorium.
Some female students were upset because it was the first year that the school was co-ed. It was previously an all-boys school and was integrated by girls who attended the recently closed Mercy High School. “It’s just so frustrating,” Clare, a transfer from Mercy, told the San Francisco Chronicle. “It’s been so hard to go from an environment of female empowerment to someone telling me what I can and can’t do with my body.”
Only a few dozen of the 800 students who attended the assembly remained to hear the entire presentation. Video from the walkout went viral on TikTok.
We were out of there #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #fypシ #prochoice #prolife #walkout #xyzbca #abortion
“I don’t know why some people say Gen Z is going to ruin society. As a millennial, thank you for your service to Earth,” one commenter wrote.
“It’s a health decision between a woman and her doctor, it doesn’t need to be discussed in school like this,” another commenter added. The school said in a statement that the assembly was all part of a Catholic school education.
“The assembly was an opportunity to come together in order to learn more about the dignity of human life. We recognize that members of our school community, whether they are Catholic or not, have different viewpoints on this topic,” interim president Tim Reardon said in a statement. “We appreciate that those with different views shared those respectfully today. We offered an alternative safe venue for students.”
In anticipation of some blowback, the school sent an email to parents preparing them for the speaker.
“The administration is aware that not all Riordan students are Catholic. We understand that we live in a society in which people have strong, disparate opinions about all the categories ascribed to this theme … Our speaker will be here simply to explain the Catholic position, primarily with regard to abortion. We ask that all students listen respectfully to the speaker, who is nationally recognized for her work on this subject.”
Parents of the students shouldn’t be too shocked over the school having an antiabortion presentation because they sent their kids to a Catholic school; the Catholic church is one of the most prominent pro-life organizations in the world.
However, the students are at the age when the issue of abortion and who has the right to control their bodies is of utmost importance. So it was brave of them to walk out and to face potential punishment over having to hear someone telling them to relinquish control of their reproductive rights.
Their decision was also powerful given the war on Roe v. Wade currently happening in America’s court system.
One of the positive hallmarks of the 21st century is humanity’s increased openness and acceptance of our differences. We still have a ways to go, but we’ve come far in reducing stigmas and challenging stereotypes, as well as creating welcoming spaces for diverse abilities and identities.
Sometimes a welcoming space goes beyond simply saying, “You are welcome here” and ensuring a person will be safe and accepted. For some kinds of differences, specific accommodations are necessary to enable someone to truly feel welcome in all of their neurodiverse uniqueness.
This week, a dad shared a story of what such accommodations recently looked like for his autistic son at a U.K. football game.
“Last night I took my son to Arsenal for his first match. He was buzzing all day for it. I wasn’t sure if it he’d ever go as he has autism. Once we were in the ground he struggled with about 50,000 people shouting and was having a hard time. Halfway through the 1st half I could see he wasn’t going to get used to it so we had to leave.
When we left the stadium, a steward (blonde lady, wish I got her name), asked why we were leaving and I told her. She asked me to hold on and contacted someone else. Next thing I know, we’re being walked towards club level. They’ve got a sensory room there where we could watch the rest of the match. The bloke running the room, Luke Howard, was fantastic with everyone in there & between him & the stewards that helped, turned the night into a great memory. Thank you @Arsenal.“
Last night I took my son to Arsenal for his first match. He was buzzing all day for it. I wasn’t sure if it he’d ev… https://t.co/vtTWKl3WCE
Sensory rooms are spaces away from the loud noises in a stadium, which can be overstimulating for many, but especially for neurodivergent people. Autism can make people more sensitive to persistent sounds, and sensory overload makes crowds tricky to manage. That doesn’t mean an autistic person wouldn’t want to go to a live sporting event; it just means accommodations that give them a break from the constant stimuli can make the experience more enjoyable for them.
Arsenal responded to Dave’s tweet with pride in their club’s sensory room.
@TheresYourDC We are so glad we were able to help you and your son last night, Dave. It’s our pleasure.
A few years ago, Upworthy spoke with Julian Maha, co-founder of autism inclusion non-profit KultureCity, about the value of sensory accommodations. Maha explained that a sensory-inclusive space is one that provides accommodations with little to no impact on anyone else’s experience. If a person at a game is experiencing sensory overload, a sensory room gives them a place to go where they can still enjoy the game without as much stimulus.
Arsenal has had a sensory room since 2017 and describes it on the team website:
“Arsenal are passionate about improving stadium facilities for people with sensory processing needs such as Autism, and the opening of our Sensory Room and Sensory Sensitive viewing room in September 2017 has supported many fans to be able to attend matches at The Emirates Stadium.
The facility incorporates a match viewing room which has measures in place to create a safe, calm and comfortable environment with reduced sensory stimuli to experience matches as well as a separate Sensory Room which comprises of a range of specialist equipment which supporters can transition between as needed, all managed by specially appointed staff.“
Maha said the most important element of inclusion is making sure staff are trained to know when accommodations might be needed, which was clearly the case at the Arsenal stadium. Bravo.
For autistic people and others with sensory issues, these spaces can make all the difference. “They view the world differently and they take in the world differently from us, but their wants and needs are still similar,” Maha said. “They still seek acceptance and inclusion, they want to be part of the community and it’s our mission to help embrace them regardless of their differences.”
Its great to see so many sports teams and public venues making space for everyone to feel truly welcome and included.
The incidents of students fighting at Southwood High School in September were overwhelming. CBS News reports that in just three days, 23 students were arrested for violence toward one another at the Shreveport, Louisiana high school. One student was even accused of battery after punching an assistant principal, according to KTBS News.
A group of dads decided enough was enough. They took matters into their own hands—by taking themselves into the school hallways.
Dads on Duty is a group of around 40 fathers who organize in shifts to have a daily presence at the school. They show up clad in matching t-shirts with their bad dad jokes and stern looks at the ready, engaging with the student body in a way that only dads can. With a mix of tough love and humor, they make sure students get to class on time and keep everyone in line.
Michael LaFitte founded Dads on Duty to bring a fatherly presence to the students who might not have good examples at home.
“We’re dads. We decided the best people who can take care of our kids are who? Are us,” LaFitte told CBS News.
These guys for President. All of them. https://t.co/xfdLgI7Ayp
That tough and tender care seems to be working. Since Dads on Duty started their shifts, there have been no more fights at the school.
“I immediately felt a form of safety,” one student told CBS.
“We stopped fighting. People started going to class,” said another.
“The school has just been happy—and you can feel it,” said a third.
Principal Kim Pendleton told KTBS that students love having these father figures at the school. Many of the kids know the dads from church or from their own neighborhoods, and Pendleton said she hopes more parents will join the effort.
“Because not everybody has a father figure at home—or a male, period, in their life,” one of the dads told CBS. “So just to be here makes a big difference.”
Dads on Duty told KTBS that they saw an opportunity to set an example and to show the community their love for the school. They hope to establish more chapters throughout Louisiana and perhaps around the country as well.
The CBS segment on the group has been well-received. People are loving what these dads are doing, from the universal understanding of “the look”…
@Spartan901 @HeathMayo The “Look”…
I Know You, and
What you are up to, and
Where it comes from.
Stop it.
— Bridges Capital LLC (@BridgesCapital) 1635034456.0
Amazing how transformative a simple, strong, caring presence can be. Way to go, dads.
Mike Mason is the epitome of a service-minded American. The 63-year-old retiree spent more than two decades in the FBI, rising to the number four position before he left the bureau in 2007. “About half of the FBI fell under me,” Mason told CBS affiliate WTVR. Before that, he was a captain in the Marines, and after that, he worked as an executive at a Fortune 500 company until his retirement.
But Mason told CBS Evening News that lounging around in retirement didn’t sit well with him. “I still had a mind and I still had things I was capable of doing,” he said. He wanted to do something that was worthy of his time and energy.
During the pandemic, Mason saw that there were so many people who were doing extra things and people going to jobs that they had to do. “I felt like I could be doing something to help in this post-pandemic recovery,” he said. He found out that his local school district was desperately short of bus drivers, so he applied.
After seeing his impressive resume, someone up the ladder in the county called him—just to make sure his application was for real. He assured them he was serious. And since he was hired, he has taken the job seriously, ensuring first and foremost that the kids are kept safe.
He also takes a great deal of pride in his work. Mason keeps Turtle Wax on hand and waxes the bus he drives, which he said is the Marine training in him coming out. “I am what I am,” he told WTVR, laughing.
He also believes his job as a bus driver is as important as the job he was doing with the FBI.
“I’ve done some important things,” he told WTVR. “But this is important too.”
“I think in our society we need to get next to the idea that there are no unimportant jobs,” he told CBS Evening News. “I mean, what could be more important than the attention we pay to our education system?”
Retired FBI boss finds new career driving a school bus
What a wonderful example of being dedicated enough to serve your community, even when you don’t have to, and being humble enough to step down the hierarchy of careers to fill a need that needs filling. Some people might be too proud to go from the top levels of government and business to driving a school bus, but Mason doesn’t look at it that way. He saw a job that needed to be done and he was able to do it, so he did.
He has even donated the equivalent of what he’s making as a bus driver to charity, according to CBS.
“I believe if all of us gave a little something,” he told WTVR, “Wow, how we could impact this world! How we could change this world!”
Indeed, how we could. Thank you for showing us how it’s done, Mr. Mason. You are truly an inspiration for us all.
With the way Chef Priyanka Naik’s cookbook, The Modern Tiffin, is put together — brimming with color and accessible recipes — you’d be forgiven for thinking this was just the latest volume in a storied and long career as a cookbook author. It’s not. In fact, it’s Naik’s debut, a bold, effervescent reflection of the self-taught Dish It Healthy host’s two biggest passions: cooking and travel.
The Modern Tiffin offers practical guidance and plenty of insight into Chef Pri herself, as the upbeat rising food star guides us through 55 mouth-watering recipes that showcase the global vegan experience. Across eleven chapters, Chef Pri shares food from some of her favorite regions across Mexico, Australia, the United States, Thailand, and more. But the recipes are also often infused with her own unique, Indian-inspired twists — creating a fun fusion that doesn’t obsess over remaining loyal to traditional recipes.
The case against veganism has always been that it doesn’t feature enough umami — that unctuous, rich, savory “fifth taste” — but Chef Pri’s book and recipes make a mockery of that outdated notion. So naturally, we had to hit her up for some advice we could apply when cooking our own dishes. Check her tips, below.
Melissa Horn
Before we get into some tips, can you run us through the cool concept behind The Modern Tiffin?
It’s a true culmination of my life. I am first generation Indian American, I’ve traveled fairly extensively to about 40 countries globally. The Modern Tiffin really brings together those two aspects of my life… The concept of a Tiffin, which is Indian, is woven through the whole book.
A Tiffin is basically a two to three, sometimes four or five layered, steel stacked portable food container, and it’s usually used to take food to lunch. The concept of that really resonated with me, because when I was younger — born and raised in NYC — my mom would pack lunches for my sister and me every day to school and we were made fun of all the time because obviously, we looked different, our food looked different, smelled different… but for me, it was very comforting. It was a way for me to stay connected to my family at home and my family in India.
So I grew up with the concept of taking lunch to school every day and even into my adult years, when I graduated college and started in the workforce, I would take lunch every single day to work because it was healthier, more economically efficient, and there weren’t very many options for me at lunch because I was vegetarian at the time, and now I’m vegan.
There is a lot of value that people can take away from actually cooking for themselves and making things portable and really bringing cooking to the forefront of your life every day.
The Modern Tiffin
Do you have a favorite food nation? What nation are people sleeping on in terms of cuisine?
Actually, it’s Australia, which is one of the last chapters in my book. There are a few reasons it’s one of my favorites. First, a lot of ingredients are indigenous to Australia. Macadamia nuts, for instance, alot of people think they’re from Hawaii, but they’re not, they were brought over from Australia.
The variety of cuisine available is just outstanding, I think because of their proximity to Southeast Asia, they have so many types of different cuisines available, from Malaysian to Indonesian, Vietnamese, etcetera, and the quality is stellar. Much better than what you’d find in a place like New York.
The third thing is that plant based and vegan options are weaved into the lifestyle there. I’ve never walked into a restaurant and asked a waiter or waitress what the options are for vegan and vegetarians, it’s always available for me. In New York, I still can’t go to every restaurant and eat freely because the concept is still growing here. I absolutely love Australia for those aspects!
Let’s get into cooking. Building out the spice rack can be intimdating and costly but it’s essential for good food. What are your spice rack essentials? The five spices you feel people need to stock first?
I love this question because I talk about it in my book in the tips and tricks section. Dried spices are incredibly important not just for East Asian cooking but for all cooking. That is singlehandedly one of the ways that helps improve the flavor of cooking to the point that someone won’t miss meat. But my recommendation first and foremost is for people to buy whole spices, not ground spices. Whole spices contain a lot of flavor and natural oils so when you buy spices whole and grind them yourself you’re getting a lot more bang for your buck and a lot more fresh flavor versus buying already ground spices which can go rancid when they sit on a shelf for too long.
In terms of the actual spices you should have on your shelf: cumin seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric, which comes in a powder form, you can’t get that whole unless you get it fresh, dried red chilis and whole black peppercorn.
For beginners, what recipe from your book do you feel is the most accessible and easy to prepare?
Something about The Modern Tiffin, which may throw some people off, is that the list of ingredients will always seem like it’s slightly more intimidating than it is. In Indian cooking, we use a lot of different dry spices and fresh herbs — don’t be intimidated by that.
I’m going to suggest you start with Avocado and Spicy Peanut Chutney Toast. It’s avocado toast, so very basic, but the interesting part of this recipe, and why I find it very special is that a lot of people don’t realize that avocado toast is from Bondi Beach, in Australia. It was a staple in that area for a long time and then it made its way to the western world and it’s kind of taken off from there.
I’ve experienced the way they eat avocado toast but I certainly thought it could be amped up a bit with a Chef Pri twist. That’s why I’ve paired it with a spicy peanut chutney, which is Indian, from my specific area of India, which is Maharashtrian. It’s a dry peanut chutney, it has peanuts mixed with red chili, cumin, and topped with pomegranate and fresh lemon juice, and black pepper.
It’s simple, you can make the components ahead of time and you can even make the peanut chutney in bulk and keep it in your fridge to use all the time on avocado toast or anything else.
This is the perfect recipe for a beginner to start with, it’s familiar but different at the same time.
The Modern Tiffin
For the people who can’t seem to drop meat or give vegan and vegetarian food a real chance because they make the assumption that it’s not flavorful, how do you bring out that mouth-watering quality — those umami flavors — into meat and dairy free dishes?
Whatever food that’s being cooked, whether vegetarian or vegan, the elements of the food need to have five things between taste and texture: sweetness, saltiness, bitterness, spiciness, and that umami flavor to round it up. You can really only get that by making sure you have varying textures and flavors in your food.
When I described the avocado toast, you’ll notice the avocado on it is very buttery and can even be described as mushy because that’s the consistency of avocado. But it’s paired with dry peanut chutney, so it’s slightly crunchy, and the pomegranate on top gives some tartness and bitterness to it that balances out the butteriness and spiciness of the whole dish.
Even if you’re used to eating meat if you eat one of my dishes you won’t feel like you aren’t satisfied and need to chew on something meaty because you’re getting that full experience through texture and flavor.
Making sure you have varying textures that are complementary to each other makes a very satisfying dish. I’ve converted a lot of carnivores… I’m just saying.
What recipe would you recommend for a more seasoned pro in the kitchen?
Most of the recipes in my book are not that difficult, that’s my style of cooking because I’m secretly lazy. But a recipe that’s my favorite and I’d say it probably requires less skill but is more an acquired taste, is the Coconut Masala Stuffed Okra. Okra is my favorite vegetable and it gets a lot of hate but if you cook it properly it’s not slimy. This dish takes fresh okra and is split lengthwise and stuffed with a Coconut Masala mixture that’s made with grated coconut, and a bunch of different dried spices ground up and stuffed into the okra and flash fried.
Topped with a lot of fresh lemon juice and fresh coriander or cilantro. It’s a different take on okra but it’s something I grew up eating a lot. That’s a recipe someone would enjoy making if they are more adventourous eater.
The Modern Tiffin
Can you run us through a dish that’s your go-to for convincing meat eaters to give veganism or vegetarian dishes a chance?
I have two in my book, one that I think is really fun and one I think is more familiar.
The fun one is in my South Indian chapter. The dish is Spiced Rub Cauliflower Steak with Pistachio and Cilantro Gremolata. We’ve all heard of cauliflower steak, very common, but the way this is cooked and how it all comes together is a little unique.
I have a huge focus on sustainability so a lot of recipes in my book are low waste or zero waste. With the cauliflower, I’ve not only used the head of the cauliflower but the leaves as well, instead of just discarding them. The leaves get charred and cooked with the cauliflower which adds a really nice textural element to the meatiness of the cauliflower.
That kind of helps bring it together with the greenness of the leaves then it’s topped with a pistachio gremolata that has a lot of fresh tomato, coconut, pistachio, and crushed coriander. It adds that tangy and fresh element that helps round out the dish. I’ve made a rendition of this for a lot of my meat-eating friends and if I pair it with a cumin basmati pulao they are basically in heaven.
I’m not just saying that, they’ve said that to me!
The second dish is a Tamarind Tofu Bánh Mi. I haven’t been to Vietnam yet, it’s on my list, but I’ve had a lot of bánh mis in my life. This Bánh Mi takes into account a lot of familiar Indian elements and it marinates the tofu in tamarind chutney and pairs it with a really spicy vegan aioli with a nice toasted bread and all of the accouterments of the fresh jalapeños and cilantro, carrots and relish.
I’ve had a few of my friends test this recipe while I was developing the book, all of them were heavy meat eaters, I intentionally gave them this recipe to test, and they told me they did it with both chicken and tofu and they much preferred the tofu because the texture and flavor was so much better than the chicken because the tofu was able to absorb the marinade better.
The Modern Tiffin
I wanted to get your take on why its important to incorporate more vegan and vegetarian food into your diet, even if you don’t plan on giving up meat entirely?
My mission around this, I’m not telling people “go vegan or I won’t like you” — it’s not like that, but it’s about making more conscious decisions about what you put on your plate. In America, the perspective on food is that it’s a three-pronged plate. A protein at the center, a carb on the side, and a vegetable on the side. They’re both afterthoughts, the protein is the star of the plate. That’s not the way the rest of the world eats, especially not the culture I come from.
My hope is that I can get people to think outside of that plate and broaden their perspective and involve vegan and plant-based foods into their life more. One because it’s easy, two because it’s not as expensive as people think, and three because it’s really satisfying and it directly impacts the longevity of our planet.
All the recipes in my book all involve ingredients and foods we’ve heard of. There is nothing in this book that isn’t going to be accessible to someone who lives in the middle of America and doesn’t have access to a fancy market like Whole Foods.
I want people to realize that you can be really healthy and make really delicious food and help the planet at the same time.
Christopher Cantwell, the “crying Nazi” who helped organize the 2017 “Unite The Right” rally in Charlottesville that left one dead and many others injured, is currently preparing for trial by *checks notes* watching Tucker Carlson on TV.
Cantwell is just one of 24 white supremacists being sued by the victims of the violent rally, but while most of his racist cohorts have been able to find legal representation, he’s had trouble retaining a lawyer. Apparently, he’s proved so difficult to represent that both of his previous lawyers have dropped him and he can’t find anyone else to take the job. That means Cantwell will be defending himself in court and, to prep for that, he’s been taking notes from one of his media idols, Tucker Carlson.
Cantwell has specifically cited Carlson in previous filings and, according to Buzzfeed News, his fellow inmates say he’s been “emboldened by the polarizing messages emanating from Fox News.”
Jarrett William Smith is one such inmate, a fellow white supremacist who’s been helping Cantwell craft a legal defense since no respectable, practicing attorney will. Smith told Buzzfeed News that, after the group, known as “the whites,” finishes their legal work for the day, they gather around the TV to watch Carlson’s show. In a 2019 filing, Cantwell wrote that his case is “motivated by a desire to silence not only me and my associates but anyone who might dare to agree with us even on peripheral issues. This is evidenced by the President of the United States, and the 2nd most popular show in cable news (Tucker Carlson) being branded as ‘White Nationalists’ on account of sharing a small number of our views on the pressing issues of our time.”
We assume Carlson must be thrilled to his diversity-hating bones to know he’s got a bunch of white supremacist groupies simping for him behind bars, but we don’t think channeling a TV personality whose main schtick is to scream rhetorical questions is the best strategy for mounting a trial defense.
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