For several weeks, the NBA world has been trying to figure out when the Detroit Pistons would win another basketball game. It seems like a lifetime ago, but the Pistons did start the 2023-24 season with a 2-1 record. Since then, Detroit lost every game in November and another no-win month is very much in play in December. On Thursday evening, the Pistons had an appetizing chance to stop a 24-game losing streak when they hosted the injury-riddled Utah Jazz (playing on a back-to-back) at Little Caesars Arena. In fact, Detroit was the betting favorite by tip-off but, after a close-fought game, the Pistons fell by a final score of 119-111, extending the skid to 25 consecutive losses.
22-year-old Cade Cunningham is the face of the franchise for the Pistons and, while it certainly is not his fault that Detroit is in the muck to this extent, his postgame quotes on Thursday evening attracted attention. Cunningham led the team with 28 points and 10 assists in the loss to Utah and, after the game, he shared his belief that the Pistons are not, in fact, “2-26 bad.”
“Do you think this particular group can turn it around?”
Obviously, Cunningham’s position makes sense, even amid clear exasperation in his tone. For one, he’s on the team and would not want to consider that Detroit is actually as bad as the 2-26 record indicates. From there, he even has a reasonable point in that Detroit’s point differential, while terrible, is not as bad as a 2-26 record would indicate. It takes some bad luck to rack up 25 straight losses in any context, but that is especially true in a professional league and with the knowledge that Detroit was not even picked as the expected worst team in the league prior to the season.
Cunningham’s recent play is one of a few bright spots for Detroit, as he also scored 43 points on Monday in Atlanta and at least 20 points in six of the last seven games. Clearly, he’s not ready to pack up shop for the season before Christmas even arrives, but this stretch for the Pistons is rather dire and morale can’t be high in Detroit. The Pistons will resume their quest for a win on Saturday in Brooklyn, and Detroit will face the Nets in back-to-back games before a tough trip to Boston and a home game against Toronto to end 2023.
The couple sparked buzz about a rumored engagement earlier this week, when Waterhouse was photographed wearing a diamond ring. A source close to the couple reportedly confirmed the engagement to People.
At the time of writing, Neither Pattinson nor Waterhouse have directly commented on their reported engagement.
“They are engaged. They both want to be married. It’s important for them,” said the source.
Back in November, the two confirmed that they are expecting a child. The source added that this particular milestone has both Waterhouse and Pattinson on cloud nine.
“He’s so ready [to be a dad],” said the source. “His relationship with Suki is incredible. He feels very lucky.” Waterhouse was also said to have a “special glow” to her, and “seems very happy.”
During a recent interview on the Driven Minds: A Type 7 podcast, Waterhouse opened up about hers and Pattinson’s relationship, expressing how fortunate she feels to have moved in with Pattinson, and how well their dynamic works together.
“It doesn’t feel like that much of a crazy thing,” she said. “And I’m very lucky because he is so accepting of the mess and the chaos. He never says anything about it. He kind of thinks it’s like, charming. So I’m very lucky for that.”
The dismissal of Spencer Elden’s lawsuit against Nirvana over the use of his image on the cover of the band’s 1991 album Nevermind has reportedly been reversed, according to Pitchfork. On the cover, a four-month-old Elden appears fully nude in a swimming pool. Back in 2021, Elden filed a lawsuit against Nirvana, the band’s record labels, and photographer Kirk Weddle — who shot the cover art — claiming that the image constitutes child pornography.
The lawsuit was dismissed in January 2022 after Elden missed a deadline to respond to a motion for dismissal from Nirvana’s legal team. Elden would later file an adjusted suit that same month. The suit was once again dismissed in September 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Fernando M. Olguin, due to an expired statued of limitations.
But today (December 21), a three-judge panel reversed Olguin’s ruling, noting that “each republication” of child pornography “may constitute a new personal injury.”
However, a footnote in the suit read “The question whether the Nevermind album cover meets the definition of child pornography is not at issue in this appeal.” The ruling also noted that Elden’s original complaint cited more recent reissues of the album cover, including a 30th Anniversary edition of the album released in 2021. Since 1991, Elden himself has also recreated the cover multiple times.”
A lawyer for Nirvana stated Pitchfork, saying, “This procedural setback does not change our view. We will defend this meritless case with vigor and expect to prevail.”
A laywer for Elden said. “The wholesale worldwide commercial exploitation of a baby might be iconic, but that doesn’t make it right and certainly doesn’t make it legal.”
Almost all of us, whether we’ve grown up in religious households or not, have heard the story of Christmas—or the birth of Jesus—at some point in our lives.
But very few of us have had the chance to hear it straight from the mouths of babes—a version where the Virgin Mary (make that “Meh-wee”) was a teen doing laundry at the moment of her immaculate conception, where she and her husband Joseph ventured to “Bethle-ha-ha-ham” to bring their newborn into the world, who is gifted diapers, a stuffed animal and some Air Jordans sneakers by those Three Wise Men.
Thanks to the folks at Southland Christian Church, however, we can all enjoy a delightful wholesome spin the well known story.
In the video, which first appeared in 2015 but often returns online due to “popular demand,” adults act out the Biblical story according to what the kids say—all with silly costumes and including every giggle or wandering sentence. If you ever watched the series “Drunk History,” you’ll recognize the story structure immediately.
Even years later, it’s easy to see what makes this clip so darn charming. Seeing the three wise men bestowing Jesus “ “Gold, Frankenstein, and myrrh” alone is a hoot.
Watch:
Hanna Wahlbrink, creative director at Southland Christian Church, and Neil Gregory, the church’s video producer, told TODAY.com that the team never expected their little passion project to affect so many people year after year.
What they did know was that when it came to creating the funniest script possible, all they had to do was let the kids wing it.
“We really didn’t want to script it because we knew the kids would give us better sound bites than anything we could come up with on our own,” said Gregory. “And they did.”
Given by the literal millions of views and heartwarming comments, it seems like that was the right call.
Take a look at what other folks are saying:
“This is the best Christmas story I ever heard. There, I said it.”
“This melts my heart every year, whoever had this idea is genius. It’s so innocent & precious.”
“I look forward to watching this over and over every year. I love this so much.”
“OK, I’m not joking, this may be the best telling of the Christmas story that I’ve ever seen. Marvelous!”
“I’m not even religious, and I absolutely loved this. Good job guys. Super cute and hilarious.”
Almost all of us, whether we’ve grown up in religious households or not, have heard the story of Christmas—or the birth of Jesus—at some point in our lives.
But very few of us have had the chance to hear it straight from the mouths of babes—a version where the Virgin Mary (make that “Meh-wee”) was a teen doing laundry at the moment of her immaculate conception, where she and her husband Joseph ventured to “Bethle-ha-ha-ham” to bring their newborn into the world, who is gifted diapers, a stuffed animal and some Air Jordans sneakers by those Three Wise Men.
Thanks to the folks at Southland Christian Church, however, we can all enjoy a delightful wholesome spin the well known story.
In the video, which first appeared in 2015 but often returns online due to “popular demand,” adults act out the Biblical story according to what the kids say—all with silly costumes and including every giggle or wandering sentence. If you ever watched the series “Drunk History,” you’ll recognize the story structure immediately.
Even years later, it’s easy to see what makes this clip so darn charming. Seeing the three wise men bestowing Jesus “ “Gold, Frankenstein, and myrrh” alone is a hoot.
Watch:
Hanna Wahlbrink, creative director at Southland Christian Church, and Neil Gregory, the church’s video producer, told TODAY.com that the team never expected their little passion project to affect so many people year after year.
What they did know was that when it came to creating the funniest script possible, all they had to do was let the kids wing it.
“We really didn’t want to script it because we knew the kids would give us better sound bites than anything we could come up with on our own,” said Gregory. “And they did.”
Given by the literal millions of views and heartwarming comments, it seems like that was the right call.
Take a look at what other folks are saying:
“This is the best Christmas story I ever heard. There, I said it.”
“This melts my heart every year, whoever had this idea is genius. It’s so innocent & precious.”
“I look forward to watching this over and over every year. I love this so much.”
“OK, I’m not joking, this may be the best telling of the Christmas story that I’ve ever seen. Marvelous!”
“I’m not even religious, and I absolutely loved this. Good job guys. Super cute and hilarious.”
Even if you never gave much thought to your email sign-off, Kelly Landry, it says a lot about you. In a recent viral TikTok video, the comedic writer explained why she believes they can reveal a lot about someone’s position at work and their personality.
“As a creative and not someone who is sat in an office, I don’t really do a set signature. I noticed that depending on who I was writing to or how I wanted to come across, I would sign my email differently,” she told Southwest News Service. “I found it interesting: if I want to send a business email and want to come across as professional, it can be ‘yours sincerely’ or ‘the best.’”
She critiques 5 sign-offs in her video, entitled: Which email personality are you?
Which email personality are you? #email #anxiety #comedy #emailetiquette #millennial #basic #quiz #officelife #personalitytest #cheers #fyp #kardashians #greenjuice #work
Best — “You’re classy and probably in a position of authority.”
Sincerely — It’s what you write when you don’t know the person you’re emailing. You’re also probably selling something or writing a “boring a** cover letter.”
Thanks — “You’re chill, but you’re probably a people-pleaser. Especially if you add that exclamation point.”
Cheers! — “You definitely spent some time abroad and it’s become your entire personality. You also want to make sure you come off light and breezy, even when your email is not.”
– (dash) — “You’re probably going through life in a constant state of crippling anxiety.”
So, what is Landry’s favorite email sign-off?
“I love ‘with gratitude’ — they are my hippies,” she told Southwest News Service. “They are burning sage, they might go on an ayahuasca retreat next year. Not to be confused with ‘have blessing’ or ‘have a blessed day,’ which is very mainstream religious.”
Christmas is here and the NFL season is ramping up. Week 16 begins on Thursday and covers high-end action on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to boot. Week 15 was relatively friendly to us in this space, even if a 3-1-1 performance almost felt disappointing on account of an unfortunate push from the Chicago Bears. Still, the momentum is helpful as the stretch run arrives, and five more picks are on the way.
Before we get to the holiday schedule, let’s take stock.
Week 15: 3-1-1
2023 Season: 39-32-4
Come get these winners.
Minnesota Vikings (+3) over Detroit Lions — Widely Available
We loved Detroit last week. It went well. That’s always nice. We’re going the other way this time around. Minnesota catching a full field goal is too appetizing to pass up in a game I would make closer to a pick’em with current rosters. Let’s ride.
TEASER: Jacksonville Jaguars (+8.5) over Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts (+8.5) over Atlanta Falcons — FanDuel
Our weekly teaser is gross but appealing. Jacksonville might not have Trevor Lawrence, which is terrifying, but they can get us home through two key numbers. Atlanta became a notably larger favorite after changing quarterbacks and, while that does make some sense with the way Desmond Ridder was playing, it puts us squarely in the Wong teaser zone on Indianapolis.
Pittsburgh Steelers (+3) over Cincinnati Bengals — PointsBet
I won’t even give the stats on Mike Tomlin as a home underdog. Just know they are quite good. Beyond that, this is an insane amount of respect for Jake Browning on the road, especially without Ja’Marr Chase. We have principles.
New England Patriots and Denver Broncos UNDER 34.5 points — FanDuel
This is a (very) low number, but it’s the play. We profited from a Denver meltdown against Detroit a week ago but, aside from that, the Broncos have been quite solid on defense. The Patriots are always good on that side of the ball as well, and New England’s offense… does not scare anyone. Let’s get home at 17-13 or something.
Baltimore Ravens (+5.5) over San Francisco 49ers — Widely Available
Many have referred to this matchup as a potential Super Bowl preview, and it might be. It’s definitely the best game of the week. Fundamentally, I just can’t get to this number, especially with where the total is. It isn’t fun to stand in front of the 49ers train, but we’ll have to do it this week.
“Value” — especially when it comes to alcohol — is a very interesting idea. While your definition might be different, ours is pretty straightforward. When we think of value, in the case of gin specifically, we use the term to describe the amount of enjoyment and quality we get out of said gin against every dollar we spend on it. That means the best value gin could be $100 (but taste like $200) or it could be $20 (but taste like $70).
Putting value on gin is complicated because depending on the botanicals and herbs used, two gins can taste very different (save for the underlying juniper berry flavor in all gins). Luckily, it’s exciting to look for value in the gin world because there are so many unique gins available. Just ask Bradley Stephens, USBG bartender at Cereus PDX in Portland, Oregon.
“Gin is a fun one, isn’t it?” he says. “All you need is a base spirit and some juniper to start, the rest is your botanical wonderland. Walking a gin aisle at the liquor store is like walking through a booze garden.”
We asked a few well-known bartenders to tell us their picks for the best value-per-dollar gins. Keep scrolling to see if they picked your favorite gin.
Koval Gin
Koval
Jennifer Donegan, bar manager at Bar Pendry in Washington DC
Koval Gin out of Chicago is the most well-balanced gin I’ve come across in a long time. This is a delicate gin that can be enjoyed as a martini that’s perfectly accented with a bit of Lillet Rose. Try it and thank me later.
Tasting Notes:
It has the classic juniper, but it’s so well balanced with light floral and botanical notes that you don’t need to mask it with tonic.
Beefeater London Dry Gin
Beefeater
Alex Barbatsis, bar director at The Whistler in Chicago
Beefeater London Dry Gin is a classic for a reason, and it is also many people’s go-to gin for a negroni— myself included. It’s what I drink most of the time, so Beefeater is an invaluable addition to any back bar. Plus, you can get the giant 1.75-liter bottles for an even better discount.
Tasting Notes:
Beefeater is a classic London dry gin. It’s centered on piney juniper berries, citrus peels, and spices. It’s a perfect choice for a gin & tonic.
The best value-per-dollar gin is Bombay Dry Gin. This complex dry gin is flavored with eight herbs and botanicals using a vapor infusion. It’s a must-have for any at-home bartender.
Tasting Notes:
The nose of Bombay Dry is soft, pleasant, round, and accessible aroma, with a touch of angelica. Mild juniper with a pine and herbaceous facet, notes of citrus, and a hint of gently piquant cinnamon provide a lift to the spirit. The palate is quite creamy with an almost vanilla-like sweetness reminiscent of gins that begin from a base of wheat— especially red winter wheat.
Conniption American Dry Gin
Conniption
Tsuru Goto, food & beverage manager at Society Cafe in New York City
We love to recommend Conniption Gin. They use a dual distillation process using both traditional vapor infusion as well as modern cold vacuum distillation. This helps create depth and complexity in the gin without using any artificial extracts.
Tasting Notes:
The result is a super versatile, tasty spirit that works beautifully in both classic gin cocktails as well as fun new stuff. The nose is juniper pine, citrus peels, coriander, and cucumber. The palate is juniper, pine, lemon peels, and angelica.
Wonderbird Gin No. 61
Wonderbird
José Medina Camacho, co-owner and mixologist of Adiõs in Birmingham, Alabama
Wonderbird Gin No. 61 out of Mississippi uses ingredients that are local to the delta. It’s applicable in many ways in the sense that it brings something to the market that others don’t. It’s also incredibly versatile—i.e. great to drink neat or in a martini.
Tasting Notes:
This rice-based gin is known for its complex flavor profile featuring hints of lemongrass, pine, pepper, citrus peels, and spices.
Tanqueray Rangpur though is a delicious, unique gin distilled from Rangpur Limes, which is like a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. This is one for the citrus fans. It’s a great gin for a gimlet or gin & tonic.
Tasting Notes:
It’s juicy and citrus-forward. For the price, it’s one I restock on my shelf constantly.
Sipsmith is my favorite gin for the money. It’s a beautiful spirit and not overly floral like other London dry gins. Made in the eighteenth-century style on copper pot stills, it’s a true throwback when it comes to the gin world.
Tasting Notes:
It has a lemon peel and some juniper spice. Excellent on its own or when making cocktails. It’s as good if not better than the more expensive Monkey 47 gin.
Fords Gin
Fords Gin
Bijan Ghiai, beverage manager-sommelier at Urban Hill in Salt Lake City
One standout in this category is Fords Gin. I can’t say it has ever disappointed, with the bottle costing around $20. It shows as a versatile spirit component that any cocktail bar that holds its weight in salt needs to consider.
Tasting Notes:
This English dry gin really delivers with a blast of coriander and fresh pine. It plays well in many different categories of cocktails, standing up in sours, livening up martinis, and structuring out fizzes effortlessly.
Citadelle Gin
Citadelle
Nick Jackon, head bartender at The Rum House in New York City
Citadelle Original is a great value for quality gin that has won several awards but is not too expensive. The versatility adds to its value in that it makes amazing gin and tonics, is great in traditional dry martinis, and can still add something to other classic cocktails.
Tasting Notes:
It’s a bright gin that balances fresh citrus notes with contemporary juniper and a touch of spicy and floral notes, with a finish that opens up with touches of pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
I recently tried Bristow Gin out of Mississippi and really enjoyed it. Made by Cathead Distillery, Bristow Gin is made with eleven herbs and botanicals. It’s aged for three weeks in stainless steel vessels to add to its complexity.
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on with this gin’s flavor profile. Silky citrus and peppercorn notes balance out juniper for subtler gin & tonics and gin cocktails.
The New York Knicks have gotten off to a solid start to the 2023-24 season, holding the 5-seed in the East at 16-11, with Jalen Brunson deserving credit for a large portion of their success.
Brunson appears on track for his first ever All-Star selection, averaging 25.3 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game on 47.2/45.8/80.1 shooting splits, as he’s been nothing short of spectacular for the Knicks this season. Brunson’s terrific play has allowed them to navigate injuries and some ups and downs from Julius Randle and RJ Barrett to remain solidly over .500. After back-to-back wins over the Lakers and Nets, the Knicks became a national topic of conversation as pundits debated their viability as a real contender in the East this season.
On ESPN’s NBA Today on Thursday, Becky Hammon joined the crew and said she thought the Knicks needed “a 1A dude” to be a contender and lacked that guy. Perkins said they have that guy in Brunson, but Hammon noted he was “too small” to hold that title and rattled off how the only recent example of a championship team being led by a “small” guy is Stephen Curry and the Warriors — it should be noted Isiah Thomas would be the other outlier in this category.
That had Perkins upset and he tried valiantly to defend Brunson but struggled to really get the point to land, first pointing out how Brunson made a conference finals (with the crew pointing out that was Luka Doncic’s team, first) and then trying to argue he belongs where you’d put Donovan Mitchell. The problem there is, I don’t think many folks would put Mitchell in the same category as the Giannis-LeBron-Jokic-Steph category. Hammon also points out that she’s saying this as someone who was a small player who got buckets and she knows from experience how the game of basketball is just generally dominated by those who are born with a size advantage.
I do understand some frustration with the conversation from Perk’s side, because it does feel like it’s discrediting Brunson’s terrific start to the season and what he can do as a player. That said, the truth of the matter is, as Hammon accurately notes, there are only a handful of players in the league that actually are proven as 1A guys on a championship team and almost none of them are small (with Steph as an exception, but even he isn’t even that small). Maybe Brunson and the Knicks can shock everyone and prove Hammon wrong, but that’ll be a tall order (pun intended).
His Christmas edition is no different. Recently Mr. Frakes asked his students “what do you buy someone in their 30s for the holidays?” And the adults who saw the video can’t help but commend the accuracy.
The list is as follows, verbatim.
“Measuring cups…bwahaha.”“
“Signs that say ‘Bless The Home.’”
“A Dyson vacuum.”
“A bottle of wine and hip implants.”
“Panera bread gift card. People in their 30s love soup!”
“Bingo cards.”
“You give them Bath & Body Works stuff. That’s what my mom wants!”
“Expensive meats.”
“Hard Candies.”
“Candy Crush Premium.”
“You get them old people candles that smell like ‘home’ or ‘back then.’”
“T.J. Maxx gift card.”
“The wrinkle creams.”
“Heated blanket cause their muscles be hurtin.”
“A coffee mug that says ‘don’t talk to me til I’ve had my coffee’ because they’re all coffee obsessed millennials.”
“A lawyer for the divorce attorney. (fight for the kids).”
Obviously, adults who saw this joked about feeling personally attacked. But also seen.
Case and point: one person wrote, “Okay the ‘they’re all coffee obsessed millennials’ was personal” as another admitted, “I watched this while drinking coffee out of my ‘dont’ talk to me til I’ve had my coffee’ mug.”
Meanwhile, another added, “ But are they wrong? Because I honestly love soup and candles. I’m 36.”
Echoing that sentiment, someone commented, “not me thinking all those gifts sound amazing.”
And of course, everyone was eyeing that Dyson vacuum.
Growing older might mean muscles that “be hurtin’” and some judgement from the younger generation, but it clearly also comes with a deep felt appreciation for the simple, practical things in life, as indicated by this list. Nothing wrong with that.
(After all, the young ones might balk now, but it won’t be long til they become coffee obsessed as well.)
May we all get a bit of holiday joy this year, in whatever form we can.
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