Category: News

Ah, fish sandwich season. That special time of year when restaurants across the fast food universe turn their focus from chicken sandwiches and cheeseburgers to the mighty fish sandwich. We’re about a month deep into the season (which begins on February 14th to coincide with Lent) and we’ve already launched one big fish sandwich ranking by Uproxx’s resident whiskey and fish sando expert, Zach Johnston.

While I stand behind and fully co-sign Zach’s ranking, I couldn’t help but notice his ranking left off a few of my personal favorites (which aren’t as easy to come across down Kentucky way). So to give you the full and comprehensive picture of fast food fish sandos (Zach’s word, I’m stealing it!), I decided to hit the sandwiches Zach couldn’t get to and pit them against one another in a blind taste test.

Methodology

Fish sandwiches are best enjoyed when they’re piping hot, so I kept this list relatively short and picked up the sandwiches I could collect quickly to ensure they were still hot. Here is our tasting class today:

• Carl’s Jr Panko-Breaded Fish Sandwich
• Popeyes Spicy Flounder Fish Sandwich
• Wendy’s Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich

Luckily, where I’m located I can pick up all three of these sandwiches and get back to my apartment in just 15 minutes, which is a fast food blind taste test record for us.

Once I had the sandwiches in my apartment, I took some pictures and then had my girlfriend shuffle them up and serve them to me one at a time under the cover of a blindfold.

Here are the results:

PART I — The Fish Sandwich Blind Taste Test

Taste 1:

A pungent garlic and onion flavor balanced by a bright, slightly sweet, and buttery fish flavor, with a crispy bite, and a slightly salty finish. The bun is buttery, nice and spongey, and a great canvas for the rich flavors.

We’re off to a good start!

Taste 2:

The fish here is markedly different than Taste 1, it’s sweeter, and milder, with a very clean and buttery flavor. I’m also tasting a bit of cayenne spice and smoked paprika which pair nicely with the pickles.

I’m not tasting any tartar sauce here, what we have instead is something far smokier that sort of… ~sizzles~ on the aftertaste in a very addicting way.

This sandwich pulled me in for another bite.

Taste 3:

This one is just lacking. The lettuce is noticeably wilted, the tartar sauce is runnier and not as rich as Taste 1, and the fish itself isn’t very flavorful. The panko breading surrounding it is nice and crispy, with a great crunch, but I’m just not getting a whole lot of flavor here.

It’s clear that his is the weakest of the bunch.

PART II — The Fish Sandwich Ranking:

3. Carl’s Jr. — Panko-Breaded Fish Sandwich

The real draw of Carl’s Jr.’s Panko-Breaded Fish Sandwich is that you can pick up two for only $6, which hovers around the cost of just one sandwich from Wendy’s or Popeyes.

I love a deal as much as the next person but if what you’re after is flavor, this one is going to leave a lot to be desired.

The Bottom Line:

The sandwich isn’t as thick and luxurious as the competition, but at two for $6, this is the best deal you’re going to find.

2. Wendy’s — Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich

For some people, Wendy’s is going to be the number one choice. If you want that classic Alaskan Pollock meets tartar sauce flavor profile, this sandwich delivers.

This sandwich has a great flavor, all of the ingredients are well considered and work harmoniously, plus it has cheese — always a welcome addition and brings a bit of creaminess into the equation. But it didn’t win me over like our number one choice.

The Bottom Line:

If what you love about fish sandwiches is that mild and delicate fish meets rich tartar sauce flavor profile, this sandwich is one of the very best in all of fast food.

1. Popeyes — Flounder Fish Sandwich

Two things make this sandwich a cut above the rest. The first is that it uses that winning Popeyes flavor profile that makes the chicken sandwich such a game changer. It takes that same spice blend and pairs it with a spicy and savory cayenne-based sauce. It’s savory, smokey, and rich.

It also has a novelty factor. Most fast food fish sandwiches utilize Alaskan Pollock, which is a fine option, but Popeyes uses flounder, which tends to have the same delicate flavor profile but a more flaky texture. That textural difference makes the Flounder Fish sandwich melt in your mouth in a way the other fast food sandwiches just don’t.

The Bottom Line:

Our favorite fish sandwich in this taste test, to be sure! It’s only available for a limited time, so be sure to hit up Popeyes before the month’s end if you want to experience what makes this sandwich special.

This time last year Scott Adams, aka the guy who does Dilbert, wasn’t doing so hot. Perhaps attempting to seize the title of “world’s most divorced man” from Elon Musk, the cartoonist went on a leftfield rant advising white people to “get the hell away from Black people.” As a result his comic strip was yanked from scores of papers nationwide, his career effectively torched. Did this convince him to tone it down a hair? Of course not. In January he dropped some kooky ideas about how the border crisis can really be blamed on sperm. Now his bozo thoughts on election integrity have gotten him thoroughly and patiently schooled.

Per Raw Story, it all started when Adams decided to randomly write about the last presidential race. “We can disagree on whether there is proof the 2020 election was rigged,” he said. “But can we all agree our election systems are not fully auditable and lots of stuff goes ‘missing’ the day after the election? Our system is not designed for us to know it worked or did not work. That’s not an accident.”

But what if the Dilbert guy has no idea what he’s talking about? That’s basically what Stephen Richter, a County Recorder for Maricopa, Arizona (and a Republican), suggested when he chimed in with a lengthy tutorial on what he was getting wrong, which was a lot.

“Hi Scott! Big fan of your work (minus the racist stuff of course),” Richter wrote. “No election is perfect. And no election administrator would ever claim a perfect election. But U.S. elections are actually designed to be auditable; they must be reconciled; and they must be tested.”

Richter went on to explain — at great length, in a tweet/post that ran over 600 words (and who knows how many characters) — how elections are carried out in the U.S. versus how they’re done elsewhere.

“For example, while some countries allow digital voting (e.g. Brazil) or even internet voting (e.g. Estonia), the vast, vast majority of U.S. jurisdictions (93%) use paper ballots,” Richter explained. “This can put to rest any allegation of hacking. This can put to rest any allegation of “vote switching.” This means there is an auditable paper trail that can be tested after the election.”

Richter also reminded Scott that there were many, many times people contested the results of the 2020 election, and how each were handled accordingly (and reiterated that Joe Biden absolutely defeated Donald Trump).

“I’m sure you’re aware that were many, many legal challenges to the November 2020 election — close to 100 by my last count,” he explained. “Many of these afforded evidentiary hearings. For a summary, see this report: https://lostnotstolen.org. For anyone claiming significant error or fraud in the 2020 election, that person would have to explain why the courts got it wrong, every single time. Or why plaintiffs consistently demurred when asked for evidence in court.”

As for the whole idea that who won the 2020 presidential race is up for debate? Richter had a good line for that one:

So while I suppose, “we can disagree on whether there is proof the 2020 election was rigged,” that’s like saying we can disagree that the Rangers beat the Diamondbacks in the last World Series. Sadly, the Rangers won.

Adams did respond to Richter, though he admitted he stopped reading in the middle of the first long paragraph. He wondered why voting machines exist when there are paper ballots. He then declared “Checkmate.”

But Richter responded to him anyway, explaining — again, patiently ‚— that machines help tabulate votes faster than by hand, though there’s usually a hand-count afterwards to ensure accuracy.

Surely Adams has some other tinfoil thoughts he’d still has yet to share with the world. And surely we’ll see some of those at some point, because the Dilbert guy has a lot of free time these days.

(Via Raw Story)

On the day of the NBA trade deadline in February, the Toronto Raptors made a somewhat unexpected move to acquire veteran big man Kelly Olynyk, along with young wing Ochai Agbaji, via a trade with the Utah Jazz. While the Raptors remain in something of a transitional phase, Olynyk has fit in well in Toronto, and word broke from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday evening that the 32-year-old will be sticking around on a two-year contract extension.

As noted in ESPN’s reporting, the Raptors were limited on how much money they could offer Olynyk on an extension. The most he could sign for would be a five percent raise from his current salary, and Olynyk, who was born and raised in Canada, could add two years to his current deal if he agreed to do so by the end of the league year on June 30.

For the season, Olynyk is averaging 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game with 54.2 percent shooting and 39.8 percent from three-point distance. His efficiency is down in a small sample with Toronto, but Olynyk does open things up on the offensive end with his floor-spacing and passing ability in the frontcourt.

Though Toronto’s forward-facing direction remains a bit unclear as the team battles in the play-in race in the East, this is a solid contractual value for Olynyk. He also pairs well with many kinds of players, even with defensive challenges along the way, and Olynyk was clearly happy enough in his return to Canada to commit there for two more seasons.

Once you reach over $100 for a bottle of Scotch whisky, you’ve arrived at the beginning of the truly good stuff. Sorry, but that’s the reality as we’re still pretty far from the coveted 20-year-old bracket in this category. Still, this is where things start to get special — so there’s a ton to adore about Scotch whisky priced between $100 and $125 per bottle.

Below, I’m calling out 12 Scotch whiskies that all freaking rule and cost just under $125. The throughline here is simple — these are all whiskies that you should know, buy, and try. I’ve included unpeated and peated malts, great blends, and one-offs that are exemplars of their respective whiskey regions. Essentially, if you try every whisky on this list, you’ll be giving yourself an advanced course in whisky knowledge and palate expansion.

This being Uproxx, these whiskies are ranked. Some of them just hit a little bit deeper than others. No matter what, you cannot miss when sampling any bottle listed below. So read through my tasting notes, find what speaks to you, and then hit those price links to snag yourself a bottle.

Let’s dive in!

• The Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2023, Ranked
• The Absolute Best Whiskeys To Chase Down This October
• The Best Whiskeys Of 2023, According To The John Barleycorn Awards
• Every Bottle Of Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky, Power Ranked For 2023
• One Of The World’s Biggest Whiskey Influencers Shares His Favorite Pours Of 2023

12. Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years Blended Scotch Whisky

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $104

The Whisky:

This blend used to be called Johnnie Walker Platinum, which was also aged 18 years. You might still see some of those bottles on shelves where scotch sells slowly. This is the same whisky and comprises 18 whiskies (single grain and single malt) all of which are a minimum of 18 years old. The primary distilleries in the bottle are Blair Athol, Cardhu, Glen Elgin, and Auchroisk.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Apple chips and toffee mingle with ripe berries, old leather, and supple malts with a hint of dark brown spice mingle on the nose.

Palate: The palate is a mix of salted caramel next to marzipan and vanilla pudding with a touch of canned tangerine.

Finish: The end is sweet with a line of dark chocolate cut with dried chili flakes with an ever so slight smoked edge.

Bottom Line:

This is a great high-end version of Johnnie Walker. This is a succinct pour of whisky that delivers more creamy desserts and fruit than bold smokiness. That makes this a nice sipper over some rocks after a big meal. Likewise, you can make a great cocktail with this one if you’re looking for spice and fruit in the mix.

11. Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky “Darkfest” Aged 15 Years

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $124

The Whisky:

This bottle from Islay’s Bowmore is a 15-year-old whisky that’s a blend of American and European oak. For the first 12 years, this whisky rests in ex-bourbon barrels. For the last three years, the whisky was transferred to Oloroso sherry casks. The whisky is then finished with local spring water, bringing it down to a very approachable 86-proof.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a dash of chocolate malts next to rum-raisin, meaty dates, and sourdough bread crusts with a hint of butter and fig jam.

Palate: The palate has a woody vibe that’s part cedar box and part orchard wood smoking chips next to prune, dried cherry tobacco, salted pear chips, and a hint of smoked cinnamon.

Finish: The end boils down some plums and figs into a hazelnut spiced cake with a touch of oatmeal cookie, walnut, sultanas, and nutmeg leading to cinnamon-apple tobacco packed into that old cedar box.

Bottom Line:

This is where Bowmore starts to shine. The mix of old bourbon and sherry casks works wonders with the very faintly peated Islay malt. There’s a gentleness to this pour that’s enticing and draws you back again and again, especially if you’re making whiskey-forward cocktails.

10. Laphroaig Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Càirdeas Warehouse 1

ABV: 52.2%

Average Price: $104

The Whisky:

2023’s Càirdeas release celebrates the Friends of Laphroaig and how they keep the brand going. The whisky in the bottle is made from Laphroaig’s high-phenol peated malt right next to the sea on Islay. The hot spirit was then filled in first-fill limited edition single barrel Maker’s Mark bourbon barrels. The barrels were then stored in the famed four-story Warehouse 1 right next to the crashing sea until they were just right and then bottled as-is after vatting.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a huge note of smoked grainy malts next to an un-opened box of Band-Aids, peppery smoked brisket with plenty of smoked fat, and smoked sea salt counterpointed by vanilla sheet cake with a honey icing and dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Palate: The palate opens with burnt yet buttery toffee next to white wildflowers, dried fennel, and rich and creamy honey smoothness and sweetness.

Finish: The end gets a little woody with a fatty smoked peppery vibe next to more toffee and a dash of seawater-washed granite.

Bottom Line:

This is a divisive whisky. You’re either going to fall in love with it from the jump or need a lot of coaxing to get your palate adapted. The seawater, green herbs, and creamy floral honey are wonderful but you have to get past big medicinal notes to get there.

It all works, in the end — trust me.

9. Highland Park 15 Years Old Viking Heart Single Malt Scotch Whisky

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $119

The Whisky:

Highland Park’s Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion hand-picked sherry-seasoned American oak barrels of single malt to create this new expression. The whisky is then decanted/bottled in a throwback ceramic bottle from Wade Ceramics, which has been making bottles like this since the early 1800s.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Even though this is a peated whisky, the nose is all about bright notes of orange and lemon oils with a deep vanilla sauce vibe, a touch of dried heather, and old sticks of cider-soaked cinnamon.

Palate: The palate lets the smoke sneak in via grilled pineapple that turns towards smoked plums, soft and moist Christmas cake with plenty of dried fruits, and a sense of cinnamon-flecked tobacco leaves that have just been singed around the edges.

Finish: The peat sneaks in late via an almost sea salt element that lets the orange oils, vanilla, and cinnamon tobacco all mellow towards a silky finish.

The Bottom Line:

This is the peated malt that you pour for bourbon lovers. The smokiness is bold but it’s tied to familiar notes of caramel, spice, and tobacco that help this feel like a distant cousin to something deeply familiar. Pour it neat and then play with this one. It’ll be a lot of fun (and may get you hooked on smoky whisky).

8. Aberfeldy Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 16 Years Old

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $104

The Whisky:

Aberfeldy is at the heart of Dewar’s blend. The whisky here is a classic Highland whisky aged in American oak and finished in sherry casks. That whisky is then cut down to proof with water from Pitilie Burn, a bubbling stream with gold deposits next to the distillery.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Aberfeldy is renowned for its honeyed nature and this shines through on the nose with hints of clove-studded oranges, a touch of that sherried wood, and soft notes of heather, tobacco, and baking spice.

Palate: The palate holds onto the wet sherry wood while going full holiday cake with spices, nuts, dried and candied fruits, and a sweet maltiness.

Finish: The end reveals a mild note of bitter dark chocolate next to the honey and spices as it slowly fades through brandied cherries dipped in dark chocolate and layered into rich tobacco leaves.

Bottom Line:

This is just a nice sipping whisky. Sometimes that’s enough, folks.

7. Glenmorangie A Tale Of The Forest Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $119

The Whisky:

This expression from Glenmorangie’s mad scientist Master Distiller Dr. Bill Lumsden is a total departure. Dr. Bill kilned the barley (the drying process during malting) with a very old-school method using local botanicals from the Highlands. The kiln was accented with a bushel of juniper berries, birch bark, and heather flowers which layered their flavor notes into the malted barley that was used to ferment the juice that eventually was distilled, aged, and bottled in the Highlands.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This lives up to its name from the jump with a nose full of dank pine resin, fresh juniper, and dry coriander with a hint of malted rye cakes and the faintest whisper of wet campfire smoke.

Palate: The palate leans into bitter burnt orange rinds with a sense of clove buds and chinotto leaves next to oolong tea leaves cut with eucalyptus and a kiss of old oak.

Finish: That old oak and tea vibe drives the finish toward a hint of spiced malt cakes and a drop of fresh honey cut with wild sage and Scotch broom flowers with a fleeting sense of that dank pine from the nose reappearing briefly.

Bottom Line:

This is a wildly unique bottle of whisky that stuns. It’s so deep and funky but still delivers this old-school nostalgic vibe that transports you to the Highlands of Scotland on a sunny day. This is some beautiful juice that deserves your time with drops of water and re-tastings. You’ll be rewarded with a vibrant and ever-changing profile of great whisky where you feel the distiller beckoning you deeper and deeper into the forest to find more.

6. Ardbeg Corryvreckan Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $109

The Whisky:

This whisky is named after the world’s second-largest ocean whirlpool, called Corryvreckan. The whisky in the bottle is Ardbeg Ten blended with single malt that’s been aged exclusively in new French Limousin casks.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a softness on the nose that leans into dark yet slightly tart berries under layers of sharp spice, wet brown sugar, and plenty of sea salt.

Palate: The palate ups the saltiness as yellow Scotch Broom flowers mingle with creamy dark chocolate, dashes of freshly cracked black pepper, and a light hint of citrus oil.

Finish: The finish is soft and creamy thanks to that dark chocolate with mild spice cut by more sea salt and a hint of ground mushroom powder with a mossy edge.

Bottom Line:

This is a boldly peated whisky that leans into earthiness above ash or medicinal vibes. The overall feel of this whisky is a gentle stroll through a mossy forest with a sense of the sea just beyond the tree line. It’s magically gentle and inviting.

5. Springbank Aged 10 Years Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $104

The Whisky:

This is the gateway to Springbank, one of the world’s most elite distilleries. The single malt is aged in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks with a 60/40 split respectively in the final blend. That blend of barrels is just kissed with iconic Campbeltown spring water and then bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is smooth as can be with a nose full of bourbon vanilla, dark plums, soft toffee, and a hint of wet forest floor countering a spicy and honeyed maltiness with a hint of sagebrush.

Palate: The taste feels like an orchard in the summer full of fruit — tart, ripe, sweet, overripe — next to big notes of ground black pepper, apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks, freshly ground nutmeg, and plenty of cloves.

Finish: The finish is subtle and sweet with a good dose of salted caramel next to a whiff of dried peat with a hint of wet straw.

Bottom Line:

This is another gently sweet and inviting peated malt. There’s a clear earthiness that’s accented by deep notes of dark fruit and creamy vanilla/caramel. It’s bourbon adjacent, making this a killer prospect for bringing American whiskey drinkers over to the peated side of Scotland.

4. Kilchoman 2023 Limited Edition 100% Islay Single Farm Single Malt

ABV: $104

Average Price: 50%

The Whisky:

Kilchoman is the whisky lover’s distillery on Islay. The small family-run operation just dropped their beloved 100% Islay release. The whisky is made from barley grown on Islay (from a single farm) that’s then malted at Kilchoman with their own peat from a few steps down the road. That peated malt is then long fermented and distilled before resting in ex-bourbon casks until just right. This year’s batch yielded 13,000 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Canned brown bread and walnut loaf pop on the nose with nutmeg, clove, and plenty of fresh butter next to orange rinds, pear brandy, and a whisper of smoked sea salt over some almost floral honey.

Palate: Deep and creamy bourbon vanilla greets you on the palate with a sense of smoked toffee rolled in smoked raisins and dipping in dusty brown winter spices before that honey makes a creamy and lightly savory comeback.

Finish: Smoked lavender and freshly toasted sourdough pop at the end with more salted butter with a twinge of smokiness from an old wood-burning stove in a brick and clay kitchen from yesteryear as that lush vanilla rounds out the very end.

Bottom Line:

This is another whisky that’s just delicious. It’s so deep and varied while offering this clear sense of home and nostalgic comfort. It balances savory, creamy, and sweet with a great sense of sharp spice and soft lushness perfectly. Sip it slow and enjoy the ride.

3. The GlenDronach Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Cask Strength Batch no. 12

ABV: 58.2%

Average Price: $104

The Whisky:

Last year’s batch from Dr. Rachel Barrie at The GlenDronach is all about long aging. The whisky is left to mellow in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía, Spain. The age statement is on the bottle, but the blends tend to lean over a decade. The final mix is then bottled at cask strength to really highlight that Spanish oak.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Scoops of decadent dark chocolate powder draw you in with a hint of espresso cream, burnt orange, and marzipan with a moist sticky toffee pudding vibe next to a faint whisper of dried rose.

Palate: The palate is lush with a roasted and rich espresso bean vibe with salted dark chocolate, chinotto orange, and more rich and moist marzipan with a dash of ginger candy dipped in clove and allspice tea.

Finish: There’s a rich vanilla underbelly that smooths everything out on the end with a sense of rum raisin and faint bourbon cherry tobacco layered with soft cedar and mocha lattes.

Bottom Line:

This is nostalgia in a glass. It goes hard on the holiday vibes while delivering a deep and dark profile that goes beyond the ordinary and into the spectacular. That’s especially true if you’re coming from a rich and creamy bourbon background/palate.

2. Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky “The Wild Explorador” Special Release 2023

ABV: 59.7%

Average Price: $124

The Whisky:

2023’s Talisker Special Release is a unique version of the iconic whisky from Skye. Classic Talisker was finished in a trio of port casks — Ruby, White, and Tawny — before small batching and then bottling 100% as-is at cask strength. The throughline was to lean into the flavor notes of Portuguese “explorers” from the last centuries.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens has a classic Talisker with deep smoked pear and softly minerally campfire smoke next to moments of oyster liqueur before moving toward brandy-soaked prunes and mulled wine with plenty of molasses, cinnamon, and anise over a creamy sense of dark chocolate oranges.

Palate: The taste leans into that creaminess with a lush palate full of blended dates, figs, and prunes with smoke sea salt, smoldering spice barks, and the embers of an orchard bark fire on a cold and rainy day next to the sea.

Finish: The end amps up the smoke in a way that’s like restoking a campfire with fresh apple and pear logs and nutshells and then tossing on a bunch of spice barks for good measure as the sea crashes mere feet away and you settle into a big slice of mincemeat pie.

Bottom Line:

This is a divine one-off of Talisker that takes the seaside gentle malt to new heights. Every single moment of this whisky is firing on all cylinders with a deep sense of clarity and beauty. Sip this one slowly and dive deep. It’ll repay you in gorgeous nuance.

1. The Dalmore Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 14 Years

ABV: 43.8%

Average Price: $114

The Whisky:

This Highland single malt is a classic malted whisky from The Dalmore that spends 14 years mellowing. Then The Dalmore’s Master Whisky Maker Gregg Glass hand-selects specific barrels for vatting and re-barreling in very rare Pedro Ximénez casks from the House of Gonzalez Byass in Spain. Once Glass deems those barrels just right, they’re vatted, proofed, and bottled exclusively for the U.S. market.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a sense of subtle citrus — almost bitter orange and lemon — next to salted black licorice, caramel malted ice cream, toffee candies, and marzipan cake covered with poppy seeds and vanilla wafers.

Palate: The palate is pure sticky toffee pudding fresh out of the oven with a little bit of orange zest and flaked salt next to black-tea-soaked dates, sweet cinnamon, fresh nutmeg, rum-soaked caramel sauce, and a dollop of brandy butter with a twist of dark chocolate nibs.

Finish: The end leans into the dates and marzipan with a touch of spiced fig jam and prunes dipped in creamy yet very dark salted chocolate.

Bottom Line:

This whisky feels quintessential from the first sip to the last. It stands alone as a deep and beautiful sipper that hints at comfort and nostalgia without fully giving in to it. This is the best sipper at this price point with the most nuance and depth.

First that long-threatened Party Down revival actually happened, now it looks like that also long-threatened Community movie might come to fruition, too. Last month, alum Donald Glover offered a promising update on the film that would reunite (most of) Greendale Community College’s most beloved study group, saying that a) he wasn’t too busy to do it and b) the script is done. Now we have further reassurance from another cast member, Joel McHale.

While chatting with Deadline about his new show Animal Control, the actor and game show host said he was pretty sure the Community movie would start shooting “this year.” In fact, he’d be “shocked” if it didn’t, though they were “basically working around Donald’s schedule.”

What will the Greendale gang be doing in this movie? For that McHale had some jokes. “We go to the center of the earth,” he cracked. “It’s like the movie The Core.”

As it happens, we already do have some idea of what will go down. Glover told The Hollywood Reporter that the story revolves around a “college reunion,” with Danny Pudi’s Abed Nadir having become “this big director.” Is he as big a director as two of the show’s frequent directors Anthony and Joe Russo, who went on to helm a couple of them Avengers movies? We’ll find out, eventually.

Community began in 2009 on NBC, where it lived for five seasons. After they cancelled it, Yahoo! Screen picked it up for a sixth and final season, which ran in 2015. Most of the original cast is expected to return — not just Glover and McHale and Pudi but also Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Yvette Nicole Brown, Ken Jeong, and Jim Rash. No word on Chevy Chase, but that, well, seems unlikely.

(Via Deadline)

Towards the end of The Beatles’ illustrious but brief career, Paul McCartney wrote “Let it Be,” a song about finding peace by letting events take their natural course. It was a sentiment that seemed to mirror the feeling of resignation the band had with its imminent demise.

The bittersweet song has had an appeal that has lasted generations and that may be because it reflects an essential psychological concept: the locus of control.

“It’s about understanding where our influence ends and accepting that some things are beyond our control,” Jennifer Chappell Marsh, a marriage and family therapist, told The Huffington Post. “We can’t control others, so instead, we should focus on our own actions and responses.”

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This idea of giving up control, or the illusion of it, when it does us no good, was perfectly distilled into 2 words that everyone can understand as the “Let Them” theory. Podcast host, author, motivational speaker and former lawyer Mel Robbins explained this theory perfectly in a vial Instagram video.

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A post shared by Mel Robbins (@melrobbins)

“I just heard about this thing called the ‘Let Them Theory,’ I freaking love this,” Robbins starts the video.

“If your friends are not inviting you out to brunch this weekend, let them. If the person that you’re really attracted to is not interested in a commitment, let them. If your kids do not want to get up and go to that thing with you this week, let them.” Robbins says in the clip. “So much time and energy is wasted on forcing other people to match our expectations.”

“If they’re not showing up how you want them to show up, do not try to force them to change; let them be themselves because they are revealing who they are to you. Just let them – and then you get to choose what you do next,” she continued.

The phrase is a great one to keep in your mental health tool kit because it’s a reminder that, for the most part, we can’t control other people. And if we can, is it worth wasting the emotional energy? Especially when we can allow people to behave as they wish and then we can react to them however we choose.

Stop wasting energy on trying to get other people to meet YOUR expectations. Instead, try using the “Let Them Theory.” 

@melrobbins

Stop wasting energy on trying to get other people to meet YOUR expectations. Instead, try using the “Let Them Theory.” 💥 Listen now on the #melrobbinspodcast!! “The “Let Them Theory”: A Life Changing Mindset Hack That 15 Million People Can’t Stop Talking About” 🔗 in bio #melrobbins #letthemtheory #letgo #lettinggo #podcast #podcastepisode

How you respond to their behavior can significantly impact how they treat you in the future.

It’s also incredibly freeing to relieve yourself of the responsibility of changing people or feeling responsible for their actions. As the old Polish proverb goes, “Not my circus, not my monkeys.”

“Yes! It’s much like a concept propelled by the book ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k.’ Save your energy and set your boundaries accordingly. It’s realizing that we only have “control” over ourselves and it’s so freeing,” 60DaysToLive2012 wrote.

“Let It Be” brought Paul McCartney solace as he dealt with losing his band in a very public breakup. The same state of mind can help all of us, whether it’s dealing with parents living in the past, friends who change and you don’t feel like you know them anymore, or someone who cuts you off in traffic because they’re in a huge rush to go who knows where.

The moment someone gets on your nerves and you feel a jolt of anxiety run up your back, take a big breath and say, “Let them.”

You’ve probably been there. You’re out and about and you see something that just feels … off.

“Should I step in? … But it’s not really any of my business. … And I’m not even sure they need my help…”

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Our gut tells us to speak up, to ask questions, to tell someone. But often, we don’t.

This happened to Malyk Bonnet, a 17-year-old from Montreal. But instead of ignoring his instincts, he acted brilliantly. It may have saved a woman’s life.

Bonnet had been having a relatively normal day until he spotted something suspicious on his way home.

He’d been waiting for the bus after a shift at the restaurant where he works when he saw a man and woman arguing. He sensed a red flag.

“The guy was screaming at her, the girl,” Bonnet told CBC News. “He wasn’t really gentle with her, and I started watching, because I thought he would hit her, so I approached them a little bit.”

The pair asked Bonnet if he could lend them bus fares to nearby Laval, a city about 25 miles away from downtown Montreal.

Bonnet felt uneasy about what was happening. But instead of declining, he decided to get more involved. He helped the man and woman with their fares and told them he was also traveling to Laval (which was not the case).

“My plan was to keep them in a public place where he wouldn’t hurt her,” Bonnet told Dateline NBC. “I decided to be friendly with the man and have him think I was his friend. I played my game and he seemed to trust me.”

After arriving in Laval, Bonnet suggested they grab a bite to eat. At the restaurant, he gave the pair $50 for food and excused himself to use the restroom. Finally having the opportunity, he called the police and told them “someone had been kidnapped.” Officers arrived minutes later.

What Bonnet hadn’t known at the time was that police were already looking for the perpetrator and his victim.

The abusive man Bonnet reported had abducted his ex-girlfriend just hours beforehand.

“We were looking for a 29-year-old woman who was kidnapped by her former boyfriend earlier that day,” Laval police Lt. Daniel Guérin told CBC News. “We believed that man was very dangerous.”

Previously, the abuser spent time behind bars for assaulting his ex and sending her death threats.

Bonnet told Dateline NBC that while he didn’t speak with the woman after police arrived, he could see how relieved she was. “We made eye contact and she had tears in her eyes. She was really happy.”

Unfortunately, this type of tragic experience isn’t all that rare.

While this particular story unfolded in Canada — where roughly half of women have experienced at least one incident of sexual or physical violence since the age of 16 — you’ll find similarly alarming statistics in the U.S.

1 out of 4 American women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. What’s more, female victims of homicide are far more likely than male victims to be killed by a current or former partner.

Although it may seem easy to simply leave an abusive relationship in the dust, take it from some women who’ve been there — it’s much more difficult than it seems from the outside looking in.

Instead of passing judgment, you can learn more about how you can help friends and family members who may be experiencing domestic abuse.

Bonnet has become a local hero for his selflessness.

“His quick actions may have saved this young woman’s life,” Guérin said. The officers made sure to collect money so Bonnet could be reimbursed for the bus fares and food he purchased while trying to save the victim. “He now has 500 new friends in our department.”

Thank you, Malyk, for reminding me that sometimes the bravest thing I can do is simply listen to that voice when it’s trying to get my attention.

This article originally appeared on 08.20.15

There are a lot of hard things about living with Crohn’s disease. Not being able to talk about it might be the worst one.

Imagine being constantly tired, but in a way that even 15 hours of sleep a day can’t cure. Imagine going to dinner, but every time you eat something as simple as a roll of warm bread, it feels like it might’ve had broken glass inside of it.

Then, it’s time to go to the bathroom. Again. Is that the fifth time this hour or the sixth? You’ve lost track. It’s a running joke now — your friends think it’s funny, but nobody really talks about what happens when you step away. Because, really, you look fine. Just tired.

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Crohn’s, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is “a condition of chronic inflammation potentially involving any location of the gastrointestinal tract.” But as defined by myself, someone with Crohn’s, it’s like having food poisoning all the time. The symptoms and presentation are different for every patient, but one thing is the same for all: It’s an invisible illness, and it sucks.

And let’s face it. Talkin’ about your poop is taboo.

A little privacy, please?

Well, unless you’re Krystal Miller.

Stumble over to her Facebook page, Bag Lady Mama, and nearly every post has a reference to doing the doo.

Krystal, who lives in Perth, Australia, has Crohn’s. She was first diagnosed at 15 years old, and by 22, most of her intestinal tract had been badly damaged by the disease. At that point, doctors decided to remove large portions of her large and small intestines.

For the last decade, she’s been living with a permanent ileostomy, a surgically made opening in the abdominal wall that connects the lower intestine to an ostomy bag.

Now, at 32, she’s sharing her daily experiences through Facebook.

Her posts show raw insight into her world. They’re unapologetically blunt, they’re full of curse words, and they’re gaining traction — quickly.

In an interview with Upworthy, Krystal said she expected to have a few hundred Likes on her page within a month or two of launching it, mostly from close friends who knew about her life with Crohn’s. But since it launched Jan. 25, it’s reached more than 13,000 Likes.

“I did expect it to reach Europe and America because I have international friends,” she said. “But I never expected for it to be as expansive as it has been. It’s crazy — I actually got recognized at my local shops the other day!”

Her photos show off her day-to-day life with her two children, Lukas, 4, and Arabella, five months, and her husband, Shannon. Each is filled with her unabashed love for her body.

Scars, bag, and the ostomy itself are all on display in the hopes that she can help remove some of the stigma around Crohn’s and what life with the disease is like.

It’s not a comfortable thing to live with physically or socially. It took years before Krystal was willing to open up about it.

“When I was first diagnosed, I was very uncomfortable. I would be in-tears uncomfortable if someone had to go to the toilet after me. … And when you’re young, it’s embarrassing and it’s pretty f*cking horrific. It’s been slow progress , but I just kind of got sick of caring. Like, who gives a f*ck, it is what it is, I can’t do anything about it.“

She would go to extreme lengths to cover up the symptoms of the disease, especially when using public restrooms. But she credits the surgery that removed her rectum with alleviating a lot of that embarrassment as well. Once her permanent ostomy was in place, many of her symptoms were alleviated, and her experiences with “number 2” became more matter-of-fact than anything else.

“It’s been slow progress , but I just kind of got sick of caring. Like, who gives a f*ck, it is what it is, I can’t do anything about it.”

From there, it became about reclaiming her sexiness and self-confidence, which started with revisiting how she looked at herself.

“When we look at other women, we don’t see the same flaws that we see in ourself. And I’ve had to retrain myself to see myself the way others might see me, to not notice the finer intricacies that I see on myself. Other people don’t see the sh*t that we see.”

But she hasn’t stopped there. She also posts fashion tips for other women with Crohn’s and shares advice on how to dress the way you want while still being comfortable with a bag.

Krystal does have one thing she wants to say to other people who have Crohn’s and other IBDs: It’s not always going to be easy, and that’s OK.

“We have earned that right to f*cking hate the world,” she said. “We are entitled to f*cking be angry and to be sad and to have bad days. If you need to feel sorry for yourself, then feel sorry for yourself. But then pick yourself up and keep going.”

This article originally appeared on 04.04.16

The last time Schoolboy Q went on tour was in 2019, for his then-new album Crash Talk. At the time, he hit 19 cities through the fall, concluding his tour on December 4 in his native Los Angeles. He announced his next album would come out sometime in 2020. Then, the pandemic hit and the possibility of touring went out the window for a number of artists.

Despite apparently completing that album as promised, Q decided to hold off on releasing it, as the landscape of the recording industry had changed so rapidly with the advent of TikTok, an explosion in music festivals, and a general uncertainty about how to proceed. Q himself settled into dad life, even releasing a standalone single about being a “Soccer Dad,” and worked on his golf game. However, he’s got a new album out, Blue Lips, so it’s fair to wonder: Will he go on tour again for his new album?

If his tweet about the subject is anything to go on, it looks like the answer is a resounding yes. Responding to a tweet about the speculation surrounding a desired tour announcement, Q wrote an all-caps endorsement, “BLUE LIPS TOUR,” complete with the widely acknowledged shouting emoji.

Russell Wilson’s time with the Denver Broncos is coming to an end. In a bit of news that had been expected for months, the team announced that they’ll release the veteran signal caller when the 2024 league year begins in nine days.

Wilson responded to this by posting a letter on social media that thanked the fans, the city, and a whole lot of people within the Broncos organization. But perhaps unsurprisingly, there is no mention of head coach Sean Payton or anyone in the front office.

The move comes a little more than two months after Denver decided to bench Wilson for the final two games of the year, which preceded reports that Wilson believed the team would cut him this offseason. And then, a few days later, the bombshell came, as Wilson revealed that there were conversations earlier in the year where the team allegedly threatened to bench him if he did not remove an injury guarantee in his contract.

Wilson came to Denver via a trade with the Seattle Seahawks in which the Broncos gave up a whole lot to acquire the former Pro Bowl quarterback. Shortly before his first season with the team, Wilson signed a $245 million contract with $165 million of that money guaranteed. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Wilson was hardly at his best during his first year, as the team went 4-11 and he only completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in head coach Nathaniel Hackett’s system. While Wilson put up better numbers in his second year — 66.4 percent, 26 touchdowns, eight interceptions — Denver still struggled to win games in Payton’s first season in charge, going 7-8 and missing the postseason for the eighth year in a row.

Now, Wilson will hit free agency, where he should be an appealing option for teams that want a veteran QB in their room. As for the Broncos, the team is slated to pick 12th in the 2024 NFL Draft, although it’s very possible that four quarterbacks (Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy) are all off the board by the time they’re on the clock.