To many casual onlookers, the Iditarod is a weird curiosity. The famed sled-dog race, which begins this year on March 1, tasks mushers with trekking roughly 1,000 miles across the snowy Alaskan wilderness with a team of about 12 dogs, trying to set the fastest time as they go from Anchorage to Nome. But as strange as it might seem at first glance, Alaskan natives view it as a premier sporting event.
“Plain and simple, this is our Super Bowl,” said Brice Habeger, chuckling a bit, at last year’s ceremonial start in Anchorage. I had traveled out to “The Last Frontier” to see with my own eyes what the Iditarod was all about, and I was surprised by just how much of a rowdy party it all was, with everything from early morning tailgates to carnivals to dance contests — all in two-degree weather.
The James Bond franchise is nothing short of a miracle. It’s a miracle that every single actor to officially play Bond is legendary in his own way (including Dalton and especially Brosnan). It’s a miracle that each film has been able to adapt to the times while still being entirely faithful to the character. I guess I shouldn’t say “miracle,” though, because that makes it seem like it’s all been a happy accident. It’s not. The success of 007 on screen throughout the decades is due largely to the meticulous creative control of the Broccoli family. Now, that reign has ended.
Last week, Amazon MGM Studios announced it will be taking “creative control” of the James Bond intellectual property rights. We don’t have any details yet of what’s to come. However, we actually do have a giant clue as to how Amazon wants to expand the Bond universe (read: make more money on it) — and it doesn’t bode well.
Hannah Chamberlain knows her way around a good drink. And as a drinks professional — you might know her best as the mind behind the popular TikTok account @spiritedla — she also knows a thing or two about hosting a good party, treating your bartender properly and generally not being an ass when you imbibe.
