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Inside the Bubble in Orlando, players had a lot of free time on their hands. It made for some great content all around, as several people used the opportunity to grow their personal brand. Jimmy Butler, for instance, finally got his fledgling java business off the ground and turned Big Face Coffee into a viral sensation.

In fact, a lot of that down time revolved around the consumption of beverages of some form or another, including those of the adult variety. Heat forward Meyers Leonard had his own moment in the sun as he made a name for himself for his ability to shotgun beers, a latent talent he has since been able to parlay into a lucrative partnership with Coors Light.

Like Butler, CJ McCollum used the opportunity to widen the exposure to his signature wine, Heritage 91, a Pinot Noir blend made in partnership with Adelsheim vineyards in Oregon wine country. It was apparently a huge hit inside the Bubble, so much so that Anthony Davis took a moment during at the free-throw line during the Lakers-Blazers opening-round series to give CJ props for creating such a richly-complex vintage.

Via Taylor Rooks of GQ:

Like a lot of people in lockdown in the outside world, players spent their free time inside the bubble drinking. And seemingly at the center of it all was CJ McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers, who became something of the NBA’s unofficial source for wine. McCollum stacked his hotel room with cases of his own Pinot Noir blend, McCollum Heritage 91, keeping the thermostat at a cool 65 degrees. He gifted dozens of bottles to players, and CJ’s wine became a hot-ticket item—a bubble grail. Kawhi Leonard once stopped CJ to ask questions about the Pinot Noir and say he was a huge fan. (“I got the endorsement from Mr. Leonard!”) As was Anthony Davis, who, according to McCollum, stood next to him at the free-throw line during a Round 1 playoff game to tell him: “Thanks for that wine. That shit was good.”

CJ has joined a growing consortium of wine enthusiasts among the NBA ranks, one that features most of the Banana Boat crew and scores of others around the league. CJ is also part of a highly saturated and competitive market in Oregon, but there’s little doubt that his stardom and visibility will draw plenty of interest from connoisseurs and casual drinkers alike. He already has some significant fans in the NBA that can offer testimonials for him if needed.

(GQ)

There’s not much overlap between the intended audiences of Fred Rogers (aka Mister Rogers) and Prince. The former was presented to appeal to young children learning about the world they live in, while the latter’s work was made for anybody who wants sexed-up pop/funk/R&B/rock. What the two deceased figures do have in common, though, is that they both remain beloved by millions of fans, they’re both celebrated musicians, and somehow, they’re both nominated in the same category at the 2021 Grammys.

Prince and Rogers each have a posthumous release headlining the Best Historical Album category, as Prince’s 1999 Super Deluxe Edition and Rogers’ It’s Such A Good Feeling: The Best Of Mister Rogers are both nominated. They’re not the most likely opponents and it’s improbable that either of them ever suspected they’d one day compete for the same award, which makes this all the more fun. Prince and Rogers aren’t the only ones vying for the prize, though, as they are also up against Celebrated, 1895-1896 by Unique Quartette, Hittin’ The Ramp: The Early Years (1936 — 1943) by Nat King Cole, Souvenir by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, and Throw Down Your Heart: The Complete Africa Sessions by Béla Fleck.

If Rogers pulls out the win, this wouldn’t be his first Grammy victory. That came in in 2006 (after his death in 2003) when Songs From The Neighborhood: The Music Of Mister Rogers won the Grammy for Best Musical Album For Children. Prince, meanwhile, has won 7 of his 38 total Grammy nominations.

Find the full list of 2021 Grammy nominations here.

Ricky Schroder has reportedly called the police after receiving what he calls “threats” on social media after he proudly promoted his decision to help pay the $2 million bail for 17-year-old Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse. On Sunday, Schroder contacted authorities, who arrived at his house and viewed a series of online posts flagged by the former child star. However, the police ultimately determined that “none of the online comments rose to the level of a criminal threat.” Via TMZ:

While they weren’t life-threatening, some of the comments were pretty nasty … “Tbh thought he was dead. Would’ve been better,” “This was a racist move pure and simple,” and “Ricky Schroder can shove that silver spoon right up his own ass.”

Celebs including Bette Midler weighed in too, saying, “Who knew he could be so malevolent?”

On the same day that he reached out to local law enforcement, Schroder also posted an image of himself holding a shotgun alongside a screencap of alleged threats that he received after announcing his involvement in posting Rittenhouse’s bail. The Silver Spoons star shared the photo on both Instagram and Twitter, but with notably different captions. On Twitter, he simply asked “To my Democrat Friends. This is the country want to live in?” On Instagram, Schroder’s caption contained a far more provocative statement that seemingly welcomed a confrontation. “I think you better bring your big boy pants,” he wrote. Both contained the hashtag #fuckantifa.

You can see Schroder’s Twitter and Instagram posts below:

(Via TMZ, Ricky Schroder on Instagram)

The Recording Academy unveiled its full list of 2021 Grammy nominations on Tuesday. While fans of The Weeknd and Harry Styles were disappointing to see the list, Beyonce’s listeners had reason to rejoice: The the singer racked up nine Grammy nominations, which helped her achieve an impressive title.

This year’s nominations mean that Beyonce holds 79 Grammy nominations, and 24 wins, throughout her career. The feat now makes her the most Grammy-nominated artist of all time, according to USA Today.

Beyonce’s Black Is King film and appearance on Megan Thee Stallion’s track “Savage” secured her reputation as the most Grammy-nominated artist of the year. The singer is up for awards for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best R&B Performance, Best R&B Song, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Music Video, and Best Music Film.

Along with putting out music, Beyonce has been involved in a number of other endeavors this year. The singer debuted another collection of clothing from her Ivy Park brand, signed a multi-year partnership with the stationary bike company Peloton, and also revealed that she’s taken up the hobby of being a beekeeper and owns over 80,000 bees on her property.

See a roundup of all of this year’s Grammy nominations here.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Sure, wearing a mask can be a little annoying, but being asked to put one on by the state, a family member or business isn’t tyranny. It’s a common-sense move to protect the spread of a virus that’s killed over 1.4 million people.

Most people understand that, but there are some who insist on putting the health of themselves and others in jeopardy by refusing to wear a mask.

These anti-maskers are incredibly frustrating to anyone who just wants this thing to be over and can’t understand why anyone could be so selfish.

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A security guard in Hanover, Germany has become a viral hero for standing up to a misguided woman who selfishly confused inconvenience with oppression. And, in Germany, they know what real oppression looks like.

Security guard quitt job after Covididot compare herself to Sophie Scholl on an Anti-mask rally

www.youtube.com

On Saturday, Jana, a 22-year-old anti-masker was making a speech at an anti-lockdown protest when she compared herself to Sophie Scholl, a 21-year-old who was executed for standing up against the Nazis in 1943.

Scholl was convicted for high treason after having been found distributing anti-war leaflets at the University of Munich with her brother, Hans. She has since been seen as a stunning example of bravery in the face of oppression.

Jana, on the other hand, doesn’t want to wear a mask to help save the lives of others.

“I feel like Sophie Scholl, since I’ve been active in the resistance, giving speeches, going to protests, distributing flyers,” she said to a small round of applause.

“I am 22 years old, just like Sophie Scholl before she fell victim to the Nazis,” she continued. She then pledged to never give up and stand for “peace, love, and justice.”

Then the security guard charged with protecting her walked up to the stage and quit. “I won’t go along with such bullshit,” he told Jana. “I won’t provide security for such bullshit.”

His explanation for quitting was simple and powerful.

“This is trivializing the holocaust,” he rightfully proclaimed. After a few words with Jana, he walked away and she became overwhelmed by tears. Hopefully, she cried because she realized how ridiculous her words were.

via Zev / Twitter

While Jana thought that she was being a brave person by fighting back against lockdowns, the security guard is the true hero for standing up for civil responsibility at a time when we need it most. His job is to protect people and by shutting down Jana’s speech he may have saved some lives.

The only comparison that should be made between the COVID-19 pandemic and the Holocaust is that both fed on ignorance and led to senseless death and destruction.

German foreign minister, Heiko Maas, lashed out at Jana in a tweet on Sunday.

“Anyone today comparing themselves to Sophie Scholl or Anne Frank is making a mockery of the courage it took to stand up to the Nazis,” Maas tweeted.

“It trivializes the Holocaust and shows an unbearable forgetting of history. Nothing connects the corona protests with the resistance fighters. Nothing!”

This Thanksgiving is going to be… a bit different. But just because COVID-19 is forcing us to spend much of Thanksgiving pretty much the same way we’ve been spending the past eight months — alone, without pants, and eating way too much food — doesn’t mean the tradition of lying to your less hip family members about going on a “walk” with your cousins has to end. You might not get to make an excuse straight to grandma’s face, venture out to the closest park, stand in a circle, and get baked out of your mind in anticipation of the Thanksgiving feast this year, but you can definitely still smoke.

In celebration of this year’s Turkey Day, we rounded up all our favorite munchie-inducing strains. Pick one of these up to ensure that your Thanksgiving dinner — whether you’re having an at-home feast or just grabbing some fast food — is the best meal of the year. Let’s dive in!

Blue Dream

THC: 22.7%
CBD: 2%
Strain: Sativa

Is Blue Dream played out? That’s like asking a soda drinker if Coke or Pepsi are played out.

Sure, Blue Dream is so popular it was mentioned in a Justin Timberlake song, but we wouldn’t call the strain played out (can’t be as kind to Justin), we’d call it reliable. This sativa strain boasts 2% CBD content with a THC level hovering around 20%, combining for an ultra chill euphoric high that won’t weigh you down or put you into a couch-lock like the heavier indica strains.

This legend of the game is still a fun strain to smoke before you prepare a dish or do some work in the kitchen, but given its tendency to compel you to indulge your weirdest whims, it may lead you to believe pancakes should be the new Thanksgiving staple.

(Also, maybe they should???)

The Bottom Line

Blue Dream has a fruity and fragrant flavor that will smoke well before and after your meal, with a high that instantly brings a smile to your face as you devolve into a giggling idiot.

Vader OG

Strain: Hybrid
THC: 22%

Vader OG was included on our Spooky Halloween-Themed Strains list and, almost a month later, we’re still smoking it pretty frequently. While this strain is billed as a hybrid, it’s heavily indica leaning — so maybe light this one up right before you sit down to eat rather than before preparing any complicated dishes.

Be warned, this is very much an outside strain. It’s gassy, skunky, and dank so don’t try to light up indoors unless you like the idea of eating among the smell of smoke. The munchies will kick almost immediately with this strain, as well as the cottonmouth — so we suggest a half bowl before your meal and another half as you’re chilling out.

Just be prepared to knock out.

The Bottom Line

Stinky and dank, but a powerful hunger inducer. Smoke it outside.

Skywalker OG

THC: 20%
Strain: Hybrid

Two Star Wars-themed weed strains in a single post?

Yeah, I’m a nerd. But honestly, this hybrid strain is so good, you might as well serve it on the table alongside other Thanksgiving staples like cranberry sauce and gravy. Not only will it get you hella high thanks to Skywalker’s 20% THC average, but its strong earthy aroma and blueberry notes on the palate act as the perfect pre-dinner appetizer. It smells great, which means you can smoke it indoors without it ruining your meal and it’s genetics make it an ideal strain for morning, noon, or night.

The Bottom Line

A great smelling and tasting hybrid strain for your Thanksgiving dinner and the next day’s leftovers.

Banana OG

THC: 29.4%
Strain: Indica

Banana OG sounds like a summer strain and that’s probably because the best place to smoke it is outdoors, away from everyone. Seriously, this is the stinkiest strain we’ve ever smoked — with a pine-meets-citrus flavor that is enough to make you gag. Not selling it for you? Well, if you like to getting high out of your mind, Banana OG will take you to another dimension, it’s the strongest strain on this roundup with a THC level hovering near 30%.

That likely makes the strongest strain you’ve ever smoked, no matter how big of a self-proclaimed stoner you are. Seriously, this will absolutely derail whatever your routine is as your goals will instantly shift to 1). Getting food ASAP and 2). Falling asleep.

The Bottom Line

An indulgent strain for stoner kings and queens. This strain is guaranteed to enhance your meal, just be careful you don’t fall into an instant food coma and land face-first in the sweet potatoes.

Venom OG

THC: 16-27%
Strain: Hybrid

Venom OG is a hybrid strain with Rare Dankness and Poison OG genetics, resulting in a skunky woodsy flavor and smell that shares a lot of properties with heavy indica strains, but won’t weigh you down quite as severely. Venom OG is a bit inconsistent when it comes to average THC levels, but don’t treat that as some kind of knock on the quality of the strain, instead use that as an opportunity to zero in on the level that works best with your tolerance and just how high you want to get from a single bowl.

The Bottom Line

A great strain for lower tolerance smokers who still want all the appetite enhancing benefits of a strong high.

Gelato

THC: 18-25%
CBD: <1%
Strain: Hybrid

Well, this roundup is certainly turning into a greatest hits list of my favorite personal strains. Which should tell you that I love to eat and get really, really high. Gelato is a hybrid strain with genetics from Sunset Sherbet and Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies, which both sound as delicious as they smoke, and Gelato is no different.

Featuring a peppery almost hoppy mouthfeel, Gelato is well balanced in both its indica and sativa properties making this one of the best strains to smoke no matter the occasion. Smoke it before Thanksgiving dinner. Hell, light it up during the meal before the pie!

The Bottom Line

One of the best strains you will ever smoke, no matter the occasion.

Amnesia Haze

THC: 19%
CBD: 1%
Strain: Sativa

I want to apologize for how many of these strains stink. What can I say though? The strains that smell the worst happen to induce the munchies stronger than the more pleasant varieties. Let’s get the bad out of the way first: Amnesia Haze is incredibly pungent, with an aroma that recalls burnt lemon skins.

Aside from that though, this is a great strain with a decent THC level and a complex flavor that combines berries and earthy coffee tones.

The Bottom Line

Don’t let its unsightly appearance and off-putting smell drive you away, Amnesia Haze’s terpenes are something you’ll remember vividly. Plus it’ll make your meal better, and that’s what it’s all about.

Wedding Cake

Strain: Hybrid
THC: 23-25%

One of the newest and best-tasting strains on the weed scene, Wedding Cake is an indica-dominant hybrid strain that will chill you out and enhance your senses. This makes it a great choice for hardcore stoners who want to recall that heightened rush they experienced when they first started smoking. It’ll make music better, turn bad movies watchable, give you the best sex of your life, and, yes, it’ll make food taste better.

Do that in any order and you’ll probably leave this Thanksgiving thinking it was the best you’ve had in years.

Wedding Cake boasts piney herbal notes with a noticeable hint of sweet vanilla. It’s delicious and best enjoyed through a vaporizer or bong where the flavors will truly come alive.

The Bottom Line

A special occasion strain for hardcore stoners looking to relive their earliest days of getting high. A true experience enhancer.

While Zion Williamson entered the 2019-20 season as the main reason for excitement in New Orleans, Brandon Ingram ended up having a monster year while his rookie running mate waited to make his debut. As a result, the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft received a big money extension from the Pelicans.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN brings word of the deal, which was confirmed by Ingram’s agents. The 2020 NBA All-Star Game selection came to terms with the team on a five-year max extension that will pay him $158 million.

Ingram came to New Orleans as one of several major pieces in the trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead of agreeing to an extension last summer — which Wojnarowski noted was “more modest” than what he received — Ingram opted to wait it out and bet on getting a bigger deal. It was a bit of a risk, particularly because his previous season ended in March due to a deep vein thrombosis in his arm, but Ingram responded with the best season of his career en route to being named the NBA’s Most Improved Player. The former Duke standout averaged 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game in New Orleans last year.

Williamson has been viewed as the centerpiece of the Pelicans’ current era, but Ingram’s breakout campaign showed that the team has a potential 1-2 punch that can take them to new heights. As a result, Ingram is the latest member of his Draft class to get paid.

If you recently realized that Dave Chappelle’s Comedy Central series Chappelle’s Show was missing from your queue, we now know the reason why. It’s because Chappelle doesn’t want you watching it.

The legendary comedy dropped a surprise clip from a recent stand-up on Instagram today where he recounted some dirty deals he’d been the victim of during his long career and apparently ViacomCBS is one of the main villains. The parent company owns Comedy Central, thus owning Chappelle’s Show, and they licensed out the series to Netflix earlier this month. While Netflix paid for the rights to stream the show, it was Viacom’s job to compensate Chappelle, something the company failed to do.

“People think I made a lot of money from Chappelle’s Show,” Chappelle says in the video he posted to his social media account. “When I left that show I never got paid. They (ViacomCBS) didn’t have to pay me because I signed the contract. But is that right? I found out that these people were streaming my work and they never had to ask me or they never have to tell me. Perfectly legal ‘cause I signed the contract. But is that right? I didn’t think so either.”

After relaying a story about signing a contract with ViacomCBS early in his career, he went on to call out Comedy Central for licensing his work to multiple streamers, including HBO Max and CBS All Access, before revealing why Netflix — a streamer that has dropped a handful of Chappelle comedy specials over the years — pulled the series from their lineup.

“That’s why I like working for Netflix,” Chappelle went on. “I like working for Netflix because when all those bad things happened to me, that company didn’t even exist. And when I found out they were streaming Chappelle’s Show, I was furious. How could they not– how could they not know? So you know what I did? I called them and I told them that this makes me feel bad. And you want to know what they did? They agreed that they would take it off their platform just so I could feel better. That’s why I f*ck with Netflix. Because they paid me my money, they do what they say they’re going to do, and they went above and beyond what you could expect from a businessman. They did something just because they thought that I might think that they were wrong. And I do — I think that if you are f*cking streaming that show you’re fencing stolen goods.”

Chappelle ended the set by making an impassioned plea to fans regarding his past work.

“I’m begging you, please don’t watch that show,” he said. “I’m not asking you to boycott any network — boycott me. Boycott Chappelle’s Show. Do not watch it unless they pay me.”

You can watch the full video below:

Every year after the Recording Academy announces its extensive list of Grammy nominations (which it did this morning), music fans take to the internet to point out the artists and works they feel should have been up for certain awards. One thing that doesn’t usually happen, though, is the Academy addressing those snubs, but interim president/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. has done so this year.

The Weeknd didn’t earn a single nomination despite having one of the year’s most successful and beloved albums in After Hours, and Harry Styles’ Fine Line and accompanying singles were also excluded from the Big Four categories (Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best New Artist). Mason was asked about that in a new Billboard interview, as the publication’s Paul Grein said, “I was shocked that The Weeknd wasn’t nominated at all, and that Harry Styles wasn’t nominated in any of the Big Four categories. Why do you think they weren’t nominated?” Mason responded:

“For The Weeknd, in every year you only have a certain amount of people you can nominate for each category. As for Harry, he has some great nominations this year [even though he wasn’t nominated in the top categories]. We are excited about some of the other categories where he was nominated. It’s never easy to tell where people are going to land.”

The interviewer then continued, “There was a day where both of these artists would have been nominated for album, record and song of the year. The Grammys have shifted in terms of what they value. Now they seem to value championing newer and less well-known artists over reinforcing things that have already been rewarded in the marketplace.” Mason “hesitantly” (as the publication put it) responded, “Yeah, it’s interesting.”

It was later pointed out to Mason that country artists weren’t well-represented in the Big Four categories, to which he responded, “There are a certain amount of nominations that we can give out. The voting body really determines where those nominations go. We take it very seriously. We review every bit of music that is submitted. From year to year, it is really hard to predict who is going to be nominated and who’s not. I personally wish we could give everybody a nomination, but there are only a certain amount of slots. There were some amazing records that did not get nominated.”

Mason was then pressed, “There doesn’t seem to be a high priority given to making sure country is represented, like there is to making sure the nominations are diverse.” He replied, “We don’t sit down and decide we have to have this person and we have to have that person; We have to have that genre; and we have to have this race. We really are trying to land on quality. In my experience, it’s not really been about trying to even the playing field for every different group and make sure that everyone’s included. It’s really about trying to highlight quality and excellence. We really hope that is a diverse group; that it represents a lot of genres. I think this year if you look at the overall nominations, we have represented more genres than we generally do in our Big Four categories. They’re very diverse across the board in gender, age, and genre.”

Read the full interview here.

Is it weird to anyone else that macarons exist in Star Wars? Maybe they’re not actually “macarons” — they could be called some Star Wars-y thing, like “round treat” — but come on, they’re macarons. It’s like when the lizard shows up in The Empire Strikes Back: it breaks the reality of a universe otherwise filled with weird aliens and wacky droids. This is not a complaint, mind you, because if macarons didn’t exist, then we wouldn’t have gotten the adorable scene in last week’s episode of The Mandalorian, “Chapter 12: The Siege,” where Baby Yoda uses the Force to steal the space-cookies from a kid… and pukes blue on himself. It’s disgusting but adorable, and it’s for sale.

Williams-Sonoma is selling an officially-licensed 12-pack of “Nevarro Nummies Macarons” for $49.95, plus shipping (this will be a fine edition to the annual Hater’s Guide). “Inspired by a sweet moment when a young Nevarro student debated sharing his treats with the Child, 21st-century artisans in California have created these ethereal French-style almond macarons capturing the essence of this scene with Nevarro Nummies. For authentic galactic flavor, each exquisite treat is artfully hand-piped with a rich, creamy vanilla filling,” the description reads. It’s the perfect gift for your Star Wars fan in your life (that you can also make at home for like 20 bucks).

Be sure to pair the blue macarons with blue milk and blue water eggs.

(Via Williams-Sonoma via CBR)