Isaiah Garza knows a thing or two about struggle. Having lived in poverty and been in and out of homelessness growing up, the Los Angeles-based designer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and public speaker hasn’t traveled an easy road, but has always felt compelled to make life better for others and inspire future generations.
Thanks to Rihanna being photographed wearing one of his jewelry designs on the cover of a French magazine, Garza has gotten to fulfill his dream. His successful design business has enabled him to spend a chunk of his money and time making people’s days a little brighter and sharing the effects of simple, kind and generous acts on social media.
For example, Garza recently invited a 100-year-old veteran he bumped into to spend a day with him at Disneyland. The man uses a walker, and most people probably wouldn’t think to ask a centenarian with mobility challenges if they want to go to a theme park, but the day they had together speaks to the power of reaching out without assumptions about limitations.
Garza’s video begins with him approaching the gentleman as he’s out for a walk.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” Garza says, “but I’ve had a really rough day. I just wanted to see if you would be willing to go to Disneyland with me today?”
Right off the bat, the ask is a lesson in kindness. Garza isn’t saying, “Here, let me do this nice thing for you,” but rather he’s asking the gentleman to do him a favor by accompanying him.
The man’s surprised reaction was understandable, but he said yes. What do you have to lose at 100? What followed was a delightful day for both of them as the man got to experience a day of Disney magic, which somehow always manages to work no matter what your age.
I took a 100 year old veteran to Disneyland & we became best friends ❤️ #disneyland #kindness #friends #veteran #bestfriends
When the man tells Garza, “I thought my life was over,” it’s clear how much this day meant to him. When we’re young, we’re often so busy that we don’t recognize that not everyone lives like we do. Older people often get lonely and can easily be overlooked by society, and Garza approaching this man with a Disney day invitation let him know he wasn’t forgotten.
It also told him that he was seen as a full human with agency and capacity. Not many people see an old man with a walker and think, “I bet he’d like to go spend a day at Disneyland,” but look how happy it made him. Assumptions about what people who are older or people with mobility issues can do—or what they might want to do—can cause us to miss out on mutually enjoyable experiences. Perhaps not everyone this gentleman’s age would enjoy something as energy-filled as a day at Disney, but you never know, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to ask.
Imagine if each of us reached out to an elderly neighbor and invited them to do something fun with us. It doesn’t have to be a full day at a theme park—it could be a museum tour, a walk in the park, a coffee, a movie date and so on. Just the simple act of reaching out to let them know they are remembered and valued can make a big difference, but taking the time to share some joy together can be life-changing.
Garza’s kind and thoughtful approach is one we can all learn from and emulate. Thanks for showing us that it doesn’t take an enormous amount of effort to make the lives of those around us a whole lot richer and brighter.
Frankie Cosmos are set to release their new album Inner World Peace next month. After the release of previous singles “One Year Stand” and “Aftershook,” they’re giving us another taste with the endearing “F.O.O.F.” which comes with an equally enjoyable music video made by artist Cole Montminy.
“For me, ‘F.O.O.F’ is about creating random boundaries and schedules for yourself in an attempt to feel in control,” explained bandleader Greta Kline. “Feeling time passing at varying speeds and time traveling with music. I love Cole’s art, and we were all so excited and grateful they were on board to make this video. I’ve struggled with feelings of isolation as a result of the pandemic, combined with escalated use of technology. This video embodies that, and the ending provides a sense of relief and freedom from those feelings. We could all stand to smash our computers and go touch some grass.”
Clocking in at two and a half minutes, the laid-back song soars by the listener and puts them in a soothed daze. Kline’s vocals are enchanting exhales that encapsulate that sensation of exhaustion that the pandemic has sparked in most people. The ballad is relatable and therefore provides a lasting sense of comfort.
Listen to “F.O.O.F.” above.
Inner World Peace is out 10/21 via Sub Pop. Pre-order it here.
Not that we’re saying that you shoulddrink beer every day, but there’s a big difference between an everyday beer and a beer that you mostly feel comfortable sipping in specific weather conditions or certain times of the year. We’re talking about the “everyday sipper” — the beer that you immediately see when you open the fridge and don’t even look around for something else.
For many drinkers, this is a crisp, refreshing, easy-going lager. You know, the kind of beer that pairs with anything.
Luckily, even in this age of barrel-aged stouts, milkshake IPAs, and fruited sours, there are countless crushable, light, full-flavored lagers that can easily be sipped after a long day of work, paired with your favorite foods, or brought to share at a fall tailgate. Many of these gems aren’t given the respect they deserve, either — as the aforementioned styles get most of the love. That’s why we thought it was a great time to not only list eight of our favorite everyday drinking lagers but eight underrated everyday drinking lagers. Naturally, we ranked them because… why the hell not?
This 5.2% ABV beer doesn’t try to hide what it is. It’s a simple clean Helles-style lager that was crafted to taste like the traditional lagers found in Germany. It does this with traditional German malts and hops. It’s crisp, light, and malty.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find some sweet malt, cereal grains, and lightly grassy hops. Overall, the nose is fairly faint and muted. The palate follows suits with more cereal-like grains, slight citrus, and floral hops. It’s a crushable beer, it’s just that it’s fairly unexciting overall.
Bottom Line:
Jack’s Abby House Beer is the kind of lager that is exactly like it seems. It’s light, malty, and crushable. There isn’t too much substance beyond that.
This 5.2% ABV lager was made to pay homage to the classic, crisp, easy-drinking lagers of Mexico. That’s why this Saaz-hopped refresher is named Mexican Logger. This Mexican-style lager shines when paired with late-season grilling.
Tasting Notes:
A nose of lemongrass and light cereal grains greets you before your first sip. The palate is loaded with bready malts, corn grains, more lemon, and some floral, earthy hops. The finish is slightly bitter. This is the epitome of no frills. It’s simple and clean, but nothing to rave about.
Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for a light, slightly citrusy crusher, grab a SKA Mexican Logger. If you’re looking for anything more than that, keep on moving.
A truly classic, refreshing beer, Narragansett Lager is well-known for being the beer that was “crushed by Quint” in the first ever summer blockbuster ‘Jaws’. But it’s more than simply a movie novelty, it’s a flavorful, well-balanced beer that’s been brewed since 1890.
Tasting Notes:
Classic aromas of cereal grains, sweet corn, honey, and citrus peel greet your nose before your first sip. While the nose is pleasing and welcoming, the palate is a little more muted. There are cereal grains, light malts, and citrus, but it’s mostly a crisp, slightly watery, easy-to-drink beer. It’s not bad and it’s not outstanding either.
Bottom Line:
Narragansett Lager has been around for a long time for a reason. It’s the kind of beer that’s always there. It’s crisp and easy to drink, but the definition of no-frills.
One of the first canned Mexican-style lagers brewed in Colorado, Lone Tree Mexican Lager gets its flavor from the addition of simple malts, hops, water, and flaked corn. This light, refreshing, easy-drinking lager is the kind of beer you search for after a long day.
Tasting Notes:
Sweet grains, lemon zest, straw, and lightly floral hops are found on the nose. The palate is centered around bready, sweet malts, cereal grains, corn, and spicy hops at the finish. There’s nothing really negative that can be said about this beer besides the fact that its sweetness-to-bitterness ratio is a little off.
Bottom Line:
It’s hard to find a lot of fault with this lager. It ticks all of the easy-drinking lager boxes. Except for one thing. It’s a crushable beer, but a little too sweet for my palate.
We’ve already seen a few Mexican-style lagers on this list of refreshing, everyday beers, so why not an actual Mexican lager? While Corona seems to get all the press when it comes to Mexican lagers, we think the best, most-balanced Mexican beer is actually Modelo Especial.
Tasting Notes:
Prior to sipping, you’ll be met with aromas of grassy hops, cereal grains, honey, and bready malts. The palate is filled with notes of fresh corn, bready malts, more honey, citrus zest, and floral, grassy hops at the very end to tie everything together nicely. Overall, it’s a crisp, well-balanced lager.
Bottom Line:
Next time you’re craving an authentic Mexican beer, don’t settle for a beer that you need to add a lime to enjoy, grab a sixer of the crisp, refreshing Modelo Especial instead.
Part of the appeal of Trumer Pils is the fact that it’s as authentic as crisp, easy-drinking pilsners get. Using the standards set forth by the Austrian Purity Law, it’s made with simple ingredients like water, malts, hops, and yeast.
Tasting Notes:
A nose of honey, cereal grains, sweet corn, freshly cut grass, and slightly spicy, floral hops greets you before your first sip. The palate is highlighted by bready malts, honey, cereal grains, light citrus, and more grassy, earthy hops. The crisp, dry finish is what completes this iconic beer.
Bottom Line:
This is a well-balanced, crisp, sublimely dry beer that’s well-suited for warm weather drinking, but does the trick pretty much all year long.
If you’ve never heard of Richmond, California’s East Brother, you’re really missing out on some great beer. One of its best is its Bo Pils. A 5% ABV Bohemian-style pilsner, it’s known for its mix of Noble hops and sweet, cereal grain flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of pale malts, bready malts, wet grass, honey, and floral, earthy hops are prevalent on this beer’s nose. Sipping it reveals notes of lemongrass, cereal grains, honey, and floral hops. The finish is a mix of spicy hops and sweet malts. It’s the kind of pilsner you’ll want to drink all day.
Bottom Line:
When it comes to American craft takes on traditional pilsners, it’s tough to beat the complexity and overall flavor of this Bohemian-style pilsner.
This classic, crisp pilsner is brewed with German Pilsner malts, Hallertau Mittelfruh and Saaz hops as well as House Lager yeast. It’s known for its clean, refreshing, complex flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
Lemon zest, fresh grass, bready malts, floral, herbal hops, and just a hint of spice make for a very appealing nose. The palate is a combination of sweet grains, bready malts, cereal grains, and slightly bitter, floral, spicy hops. It’s a very well-rounded, complex, highly drinkable lager.
Bottom Line:
We suggest that if you find some Zero Gravity Green State Lager on your local beer store’s shelves, buy it. It’s complex, balanced, and simply an exceptional, easy-drinking lager.
Donald Trump has had a heck of a time finding good legal representation, and that’s a shame: He certainly has a ton of legal (and financial) woes on his plate right now. Turns out if you’re infamous for stiffing contractors (or trying to pay lawyers with a horse), to say nothing of generally being a difficult person, that may come back to bite you. Now his problems appear to be getting even worse: As per CNN, an experienced — and very expensive — lawyer he hired less than a month ago has already been sidelined.
After the FBI searched the resort he now lives in, Trump scrambled to find attorneys to help him deal with a matter that could land him in the slammer. One person he landed on, after a weekslong search, was Chris Kise, a former Florida solicitor general. Kise had been seen as a good get for Trump, as he has a deep understanding of Florida law, which is exactly what he needs in a case involving the former president absconding with 11,000 government documents, some of them of a highly combustible nature.
For his services, Trump paid Kise an unusually large retainer fee of $3 million. He did so upfront, perhaps because, again, Trump has a history of not paying those in his employ.
But now, while Kise will stay on Trump’s legal team, his role is being diminished, multiple sources tell CNN. A Trump spokesperson denied the change in Kise’s position.
So far, Kise only appears to be involved in Trump’s Justice Department case, involving the documents seized by the feds, but even there his role seems to be relatively minimal. He wasn’t, for instance, at the DC federal courthouse when Trump attorneys attempted to block a grand jury from seeing conversations he had towards the end of his presidency, when he was trying to stay in power.
Kise has a pretty impressive CV. He’s won four Supreme Court cases, and he’s previously worked for the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, whom Trump reportedly hit with some insults that could also pertain to himself.
Costco’s whiskey selection is riveting. Their Scotch, Tennessee whiskey, Irish whiskey, and bourbon are beloved and pretty goddamn cheap. On a recent Costco run, I poked my head into the liquor store (in Kentucky, all booze is sold in its own section of the store with its own entrance and exit) and found about three bottles of Kirkland Signature Single Barrel Bourbon left on the shelf. I really liked their Small Batch version — also from the Barton 1792 Distillery — so I knew I had to try this one, especially in a blind taste test.
For this blind taste test, I’m pitting Costco’s new single barrel bourbon against some similarly-priced and stellar single barrel bourbons. I wanted to see (and taste) how this bourbon stood up to every weight class of brown juice. Frankly, I was shocked. Bottles I adore didn’t rank nearly as high as I would have guessed. I won’t spoil anymore, but this was a very hard and wild ranking of eight pretty great bourbons.
There’s a nice and sweet sense of vanilla pound cake with a hint of dried chili and dark chocolate next to leather, black dirt, and cedar bark with a hint of an orange creamsicle. The palate has a Key lime pie vibe next to cream soda, peppercorn, and rich toffee. The end leans into woody winter spices with a nice cherry sweetness next to vanilla smoothness and a hint of old leather gloves from an old wooden gardening shed.
Damn this is tasty and deep. I really like this.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Sourdough rye crusts and star anise with a fleeting hint of caraway counter cellar funk and cherry/vanilla tobacco on the nose. The palate lets that vanilla get super lush with a sense of cinnamon bark and allspice berries next to hints of dill and fennel. The end has an eggnog softness with a bit of Red Hot and chili-laced tobacco.
This is another winner with a bit of funk. It kind of reads more rye to me though with those green herbal notes.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this one is luxurious with salted caramel drizzled over apple pies full of walnuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg with plenty of brown sugar and butter next to oily vanilla pods and a hint of bruised peach and sun-kissed wicker lawn furniture. The palate simmers those old peaches in winter spice with a woody edge and plenty of brown sugar with a hint of cardamom and mace next to supple vanilla cream sauce with poppy seed and a hint of warmth from those woody spices. The end levels off toward rich toffee next to very creamy eggnog with a hint of cream soda before old cedar bark and sweetgrass are braided together and wrapped up in an old cinnamon/apple tobacco leaf and put into a leather pouch.
Wow. This is great.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this one is pure classic bourbon with rich vanilla, salted caramels, sweet oak staves, winter spices, and a hint of Almond Joy. The palate leans into sour red wine spiced with woody winter spices and cut with brown sugar before a sense of corn husks, creamy eggnog with plenty of nutmeg, and cherry/chocolate tobacco leaves kick in. The end has a nice warmth, kind of like a spicy ancho-dark hot chocolate flaked with salt and rolling around next to cherry tobacco.
This is really goddamn good. (This is also where the wheels come off in my mind, as I don’t know how to rank these first four.)
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose is as bold as it is classic with a spice matrix brimming with cinnamon, clove, star anise, cardamom, and nutmeg next to dry cedar kindling, black-tea-soaked dates, rum-raisin, and tart dried cranberry tobacco. The vanilla creates a lush underbelly as old boot leather mingles with marzipan, orange blossoms, and creamy dark chocolate flaked with salt. The end is softly warm with a sense of that marzipan covered in lightly spiced dark chocolate next to old tobacco braided with old wicker and dry cedar bark.
Yup, freakin’ delicious. The only thing that pinged in my mind is that the proof was a little lower.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with classic notes of vanilla, caramel, winter spice, and cherry pie next to a hint of dried corn husk. The palate layers in floral honey and orange zest next to winter spices, old leather, and cherry tobacco. The finish leans into more woody winter spices (especially cinnamon bark) with salted caramel, cherry tobacco, and soft cedar rounding things out.
This was the thinnest pour by far but still had great depth.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This has a big nose full of sweet cedar, tart red berries, burnt orange, salted caramel, and sticky toffee pudding. The palate has a hint of sourdough pancake off a buttered griddle next to vanilla tobacco, dark chocolate, marzipan, brandy-soaked cherry, and a touch of bitter espresso beans. The end arrives with a hint of black peppercorn next to cinnamon-spiced tobacco with a hint of blackberry and minced meat pie next to wicker and cedar with this faint whisper of singed marshmallow on the very back end.
Another winner. Though, there was a lightness here that pinged on the finish (it’s certainly lower proof).
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This is bold on the nose too with plenty of lush vanilla next to salted caramel, a touch of barrel char, brandy-soaked cherries, and a hint of dark chocolate-covered espresso beans with a little date/prune action. The palate pops with dark chocolate Almond Joys next to cherry root beer and old oak with a hint of potting soil. The end softens toward a mocha espresso with a dash of nutmeg next to dry cedar and cherry tobacco wrapped around a box of Red Hots.
This was damn tasting and had a big palate.
Part 2: The Ranking
Zach Johnston
8. Jim Beam Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 6
Each of these Jim Beam bottlings is pulled from single barrels that hit just the right spot of taste, texture, and drinkability, according to the master distillers at Beam. That means this juice is pulled from less than 1% of all barrels in Beam’s warehouses, making this a very special bottle at a bafflingly affordable price.
Bottom Line:
Okay, this makes sense here in that it felt the thinnest compared to the others on this list. That said, this had a solid palate and definitely can work as a sipper.
7. Baker’s Single Barrel Aged 8 Years 1 Month — Taste 2
Baker’s is pulled from single barrels in specific warehouses and ricks across the Beam facility in Clermont, Kentucky. The juice is always at least seven years old. In this case, it was aged eight years and one month before bottling as-is.
Bottom Line:
This ranked a little lower to me today because it felt a little herbal-heavy and like a high-rye, which it is not. It’s still really good, it just stood out today in a way that didn’t quite hit right for me.
6. Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel — Taste 5
Bourbon legend Jimmy Russell hand selects eight to nine-year-old barrels from his warehouses for their individual taste and quality. Those barrels are then cut down ever-so-slightly to 101 proof and bottled with their barrel number and warehouse location.
Bottom Line:
I’m shocked at where this bottle landed. I love this stuff. I guess today it just had a little too much proofing to pop against this particular set of pours.
5. Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Aged 9 Years — Taste 8
This single barrel bourbon is from Beam’s private barrel pick program for retailers and at the distillery. That means your local retailer goes out to Clermont, Kentucky, and picks a single barrel for their store only. Beam then cuts the bourbon to 120 proof (if needed), bottles it, and delivers it to the store. That also means these will vary from store to store ever so slightly.
Bottom Line:
This did pop on the palate. It’s bold and spicy with a nice edge. I can see ordering this on a single rock and being very happy about it.
4. Michter’s Single Barrel 10 Years Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 7
The juice in this bottle is a little under wraps. Michter’s is currently distilling and aging its own whiskey, but this is still sourced. The actual barrels sourced for these single barrel expressions tend to be at least ten years old with some rumored to be closer to 15 years old (depending on the barrel’s quality, naturally). Either way, the juice goes through Michter’s bespoke filtration process before a touch of Kentucky’s iconic soft limestone water is added, bringing the bourbon down to a very crushable 94.4 proof.
Bottom Line:
Again, I’m shocked. I would have put money on my blindly picking this as my number one. Well, here we are. Again, I pinged this for having a little lower proof on the finish. That said, I was looking for anything to try and rank these. So take that as the grain of salt it is.
3. Kirkland Signature Single Barrel by Barton 1792 Master Distillers Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 4
This Costco release is sourced from Sazerac’s other Kentucky distillery, Barton 1792 Distillery down in Bardstown, Kentucky. The whiskey in the bottle is very likely the same distillate/barrels as 1792 Full Proof. However, this is proofed down a tiny bit below that at 120 proof instead of 125 proof, adding some nuance to this release.
Bottom Line:
Well, well, well… This was really f*cking good. It finished nicely. It was well-rounded. The only reason it’s third instead of first is that it was slightly less refined than the next two, but only if you put a microscope on it. If you’re passively drinking this (as you should be), it’s truly a great pour.
These single barrel releases from Huber Winery’s Starlight Distillery are starting to light up the craft bourbon scene. The Indiana juice is real craft from a family tradition going back to the mid-1800s on the same farm (this isn’t MGP). Depending on the barrel, the mash here is a unique one with 58 percent corn, 27 percent rye, and 15 percent malted barley. That whiskey is aged for at least four years before it’s considered ready for single barrel bottling as-is.
Bottom Line:
This is stellar. Find it, buy two, and give one to a friend (it’ll make their day).
1. Lost Lantern 2022 Single Cask #13 Cedar Ridge Iowa 5-Year-Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 3
This single barrel from Lost Lantern’s latest 2022 barrel release is a special one. The juice is from Iowa’s famed Cedar Ridge and is made with 74 percent corn against 14 percent rye and 12 percent malted barley. The barrel they picked was aged for five years before they found it. It turned out to be a “short cask,” meaning that the standard 53-gallon oak barrel only yielded 100 bottles (a little less than half of what’s normal at that age). What was left from the angel’s share was bottled as-is.
Bottom Line:
This was beautiful. That crafty edge that Cedar Ridge often has is gone and, instead, there’s this deep sense of classic bourbon. Yet … it’s still unique and engaging with a hint of freshness.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
Zach Johnston
Time to cut to the chase, if you’re near a Costco and they have this single barrel in stock, go buy a case. This is an excellent, award-winning single barrel bourbon from one of the most respected distilleries in Kentucky that costs $32 for a goddamn liter bottle. It might just be the absolute best deal in all of bourbon whiskey right now. F*ck it, I’m calling it.
Costco’s Barton 1792 Single Barrel is the best deal, best value per dollar, and best single barrel buy in bourbon in the year of our lord 2022.
Look, the rest of these bottles are all truly good sips. You’d be set with any one of them on your bar cart. But some of these are allocated. One of them is only a 100-bottle release. Some of these bottles will be “one per customer” purchases. You might be priced out of some of them, I don’t know your finances. That Costco Single Barrel is available and you can buy a case if you want. I was told when I bought mine, “Grab a few more, there’s no limit on those for some reason.”
Yes, two bottles beat it out, but only barely. I know I’m being effusive, but that’s only because you won’t see these at Costco forever. Get some now while you still can. It’s a great sipper that also happens to be the best-priced-for-quality bottle I’ve seen in ages.
Things could be going a lot better for the United States men’s national team right now. In a major improvement on how things went in 2018, the team is headed to the World Cup this year — it’s in Qatar, it starts in November, their group includes England, Iran, and Wales, all that stuff. It must be stressed that after the catastrophe that was not making the last one, going to this World Cup is a gigantic improvement, even if that should be the team’s expectation and is therefore like saying “paying your rent is an improvement on not paying your rent.”
After drubbing Panama, 5-1, on March 27, the U.S. basically needed an all-time catastrophe to miss out. They avoided that, but still, here is how things have gone since then:
Costa Rica 2 – 0 USMNT (World Cup Qualifying)
USMNT 3 – 0 Morocco (friendly)
USMNT 0 – 0 Uruguay (friendly)
USMNT 5 – 0 Grenada (CONCACAF Nations League)
El Salvador 1 – 1 USMNT (CONCACAF Nations League)
Japan 2 – 0 USMNT (friendly)
Saudi Arabia 0 – 0 USMNT (friendly)
So, basically, they beat one of the two teams they played that are not going to the World Cup (I’m gonna toss a big ol asterisk on the El Salvador one because, well, look at the conditions on this bad boy), they rinsed a Morocco team that is headed to Qatar, and the rest has gotten progressively worse and worse. In 270 minutes against Costa Rica, Uruguay, Japan, and Saudi Arabia — four countries that will be represented at the World Cup — the team has put 11 shots on target for zero goals. Six of those came against Costa Rica back in March. In the last two games, which served as the Americans’ final tune-ups before they kick off against Wales in November, the United States registered two shots, both of which came against the Saudis on Tuesday.
It’s not good! Some of these are growing pains for the youngest team to qualify for the World Cup this time around, because outside of right back DeAndre Yedlin (who, despite starting on Tuesday, is almost certainly a backup), no one on this roster has played in that tournament. There are also major caveats about important players who are either injured (Gregg Berhalter has said five starters were unable to participate in this camp) or on some sort of restriction due to injury (Christian Pulisic missed the first game, Gio Reyna was subbed out 30 minutes into the second for apparent precautionary reasons). It is worth mentioning that when the Americans tore up Morocco, it came with first-choice players basically everywhere, with one or two exceptions.
But there are still major, major questions about how this team plays, whether it is getting the best out of its players, and whether they are capable of getting out of their group in Qatar. Berhalter, a former national team player who was part of the team at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, is a romantic about the game if nothing else, and has said on multiple occasions he feels some sort of grander responsibility than just managing the team. “What we’re looking to do is change the way the world views American soccer,” he said in 2019 during his first camp after getting hired. “I don’t mean we qualify for the next World Cup. I don’t mean we go to the second round of the next World Cup. What I’m talking about, guys, is how we play, how we act, who we are as a group. And results. That’s the whole picture. And it starts now.”
It is, despite the nobility of all that, safe to wonder if changing the world’s view of the team is too grand of a task to take on in one cycle. Once defined by a constant, never-ending sense of pride — run fast, run hard, throw yourself at every ball, be generally better than the sum of your parts through sheer force of will, don’t worry about how pretty your football is — the team has wanted to adopt a more progressive, attack-minded approach that is, in theory, more befitting of a collection of young, ultra-talented players in the top leagues in the world.
In the last few games, that style has run into a number of issues. The team struggles to build out of the back, can find itself far too open as a result, and allows opposing teams to create good chances. A potentially big problem here is one theoretical way to fix this, starting Zack Steffen in goal, means removing Matt Turner, who is a much better shot stopper and the sort of player you want to rely on to clean up messes, while Steffen, who is more comfortable on the ball and as a passer, is known for having a mistake or three in him. Berhalter’s belief that his system, one that you can read about here, is capable of creating ample chances with the players involved has not worked out, and is presumably behind this quote about prodigiously talented but out of form striker Ricardo Pepi.
Gregg Berhalter on Ricardo Pepi: “There’s roles and responsibilities related to the team performances. I don’t need him to score 5 goals tomorrow, I need him to play like a forward in our system.”
The implication: If our striker is doing what we ask him to do, things will take care of themselves. It is not an inherently bad thing to believe, but when the team is struggling to create chances (let alone finish them), it is fair to wonder if there would be some merit to throwing the baby out with the bath water. Add to that a collection of questions about players: Will Turner get the goalkeeper job over Steffen, who Berhalter has seemed to prefer when he’s been healthy? What’s the best center back duo? Who is the striker? There are more, and they are not things you want to be asking with less than two months before a World Cup.
Compounding all of this is that the team does not have another game before they step onto the pitch in Al Rayyan to play Wales on Nov. 21. Players will return to their clubs. Some, like Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson, will play a lot. Others, like Christian Pulisic and Sergino Dest, will need to fight for time. The guys in MLS will see their season end early enough that they’ll get some time to rest up. Other than the ones who are teammates (Adams and Aaronson at Leeds, Paul Arriola and Jesus Ferreira at FC Dallas), none of them will step on the pitch alongside one another between now and then. In all, the youngest team in the field will end up playing six games between qualifying for the World Cup in March and the World Cup itself in November.
So, yeah, could be going better. There is optimism in the form of the quality of players, and the hope that they will raise their games when the lights are brightest and, through heart and determination, outperform what is expected of them. This would not change the way the world views American soccer, but considering how things have gone recently, leaning into that reputation might not be the worst idea in the world.
Voices from every part of the world have been calling for action on climate change and the rapid loss of nature for decades, but too many in power have ignored this growing chorus. Even today, with the impacts of climate change starkly evident, many leaders contend that now is *not* the time to take measures to halt or reverse climate change. And despite mounting evidence pointing to the market growth potential of green technology adoption, concerns over the cost of saving the planet at the expense of sparing the global economy from short-term pain have become the preferred stalling tactic.
We have now arrived at the end of a very long line of “passing the buck” from generation to generation, and might well run out of time before enough gatekeepers in government and business are convinced to act. Concerned only with near-term growth, they could cause the loss of everything in the next decade, including the very ecosystems that they and everyone on earth depend upon for survival and well-being.
On September 23rd, young people all over the world participated in a strike to make that point. The largest generation of youth in history, we represent a massive wave of voters, workers, and consumers who see the direct link between climate action now and the world’s future stability. Our strike underscored the dwindling options available to avert calamity and promote justice for communities bearing the greatest climate change burden.
Our strength comes from common experience. While our day-to-day lives look different depending on the places we live and languages we speak, we are unified by the grim likelihood of an unlivable future. That realization is based on two facts: climate is changing faster than anticipated, evident in the science and increased headlines of widespread wildfires and floods, scorching temperatures, agricultural failures, and vast injustices; and too many of our leaders continue the longstanding tradition of ignoring the threat.
We are not only striking, we are also acting. From Indigenous youth on the frontlines against destructive megaprojects like the US’s Line 3 pipeline and the Philippines’ Gened Dam, to child plaintiffs pursuing environmental justice in the courts – everywhere you look, youth are acting for systemic change. We won’t do it alone; we need those from every generation who understand the urgency of the climate crisis to join us to address its root causes in concrete ways. Here’s where to start:
Society must be unwavering in pursuit of social and environmental justice. Despite contributing the least to climate change, countries and communities across the global south suffer the most severe climate impacts. At the same time, violence against environmental defenders is disproportionately concentrated in this region, overwhelmingly directed at Indigenous Peoples. Every decision must be rooted in a respect for human rights.
We need a transformation of our economic systems. We are living through the dire results of adherence to an economic status quo that expects infinite growth from finite resources. We must actively resist the culture of extraction and acquisition, working to heal our relationship with nature, taking heed of the wisdom of Indigenous Peoples and their stewardship of the land.
We need innovative educational systems that nurture critical thinkers and incorporate traditional knowledge and Indigenous wisdom that support clean economies, setting people up for success in sustainable energy and agriculture. Education has the power to unlock solutions and reshape values, producing lasting change, steering us towards a sustainable, peaceful, equitable future.
Most of all, we need immediate action. This crisis is not happening in some blurry, distant future; it’s happening now, everywhere. We are experiencing the consequences of systems built on power and greed, and people are dying because those in power have decided money is worth more than human life.
The complexity and scale of today’s environmental crises are enough to leave even committed optimists frozen with fear, but the mass mobilization of youth is proving it doesn’t have to be this way. Our generation is carving an identity of perseverance, accountability, and determined resistance to unjust, unsustainable systems. We are bringing our collective voices to international policy processes through self-organized channels, calling for proactive steps toward meaningful youth participation.
This will feel immediately familiar to all who have acted for the environment in the past. Your generation will remember how many in power were quick to dismiss your calls for change. You may have experienced what we face now; in hostile spaces, we are silenced, criminalized, or intentionally misinterpreted to preserve the status quo. Elsewhere, our calls for justice are condescendingly referred to as ‘inspiring,’ but apparently not inspiring enough for those in power to act.
By joining our voices, we can’t be silenced. Our collective future depends on being heard and seen at this crucial moment for our planet.
Katharina Maier and Sefa Tauli are youth activists with Fridays for Future U.S. and the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), respectively. Together, they’re writing on behalf of YOUNGO, the Children and Youth constituency to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; the Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change; and The Major Group of Children and Youth to UN Environment (UNEP-MGCY), which represents over a million young climate and nature advocates across six continents.
When we’re kids, fun comes so easily. You have coloring books and team sports and daily recess … so many opportunities to laugh, play and explore. As we get older, these activities get replaced by routine and responsibility (and yes, at times, survival). Adulthood, yuck.
Many of us want to have more fun, but making time for it still doesn’t come as easily as it did when we were kids—whether that’s because of guilt, a long list of other priorities or because we don’t feel it’s an age-appropriate thing to long for.
Luckily, we’ve come to realize that fun isn’t just a luxury of childhood, but really a vital aspect of living well—like reducing stress, balancing hormone levels and even improving relationships.
You might be wanting to instill a little more childlike wonder into your own life, and not sure where to start. Never fear, the internet is here. Reddit user SetsunaSaigami asked people, “What always remains fun no matter how old you get?” People’s (surprisingly profound) answers were great reminders that no matter how complex our lives become, simple joy will always be important.
Here are 14 timeless pleasures to make you feel like a kid again:
Playing video games at home is cool, but there’s a special thrill in seeing an arcade absolutely buzzing with different game sounds, colored lights and other people enjoying themselves.
Halloween costumes can go from a fun form of playful expression in our younger years to a source of self-image issues in our teens and beyond (as so many things in life do). Hopefully though, dressing up for the spooky season can be a highlight on the calendar.
We no longer have to hide our passion for toys under the serious moniker of “collecting.” Playing with dolls is a fun practice in storytelling and has even shown a very specific set of therapeutic benefits. Permission, granted!
Whether you are a traditionalist or prefer to go crazy and twist yourself up for some epic spins, a swing set is a perfect place to let your inner child out.
Hugh Jackman became a megastar thanks to Logan, aka Wolverine, the character he first played in the year 2000’s X-Men. But all good things must come to an end. And so they did with 2017’s Logan, the gritty, very R-rated renegade comic book movie, which [spoiler, sort of] ended with the hard-drinking mutant eating it. But sometimes, especially now, endings are sometimes undone later, which is a long way of saying that apparently Jackman is resurrecting Wolverine for the third Deadpool.
On Tuesday, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds dropped a jokey video about his troubles coming up with a good debut for his character’s entrée into the MCU, now that Twentieth Century Fox has been absorbed by Marvel’s owners, Disney.
“I’ve had to really search my soul on this one,” he says over faux-earnest shots of him walking through the woods, typing away on a typewriter while clad in a faded Deadpool costume, and methodically pouring gin into a coffee mug. “[Deadpool’s] first appearance in the MCU obviously needs to feel special. We need to stay true to the character, find new depth, motivation, meaning. Every Deadpool needs to stand out and stand apart. It’s been an incredible challenge that has forced me to reach down deep inside.”
He then came to a profound realization: “And I…I have nothing. Yeah, just completely empty up here. And terrifying.”
Reynolds then admits “we did have one idea.” At this point Hugh Jackman can be seen idly walking behind him, heading for the stairs. “Hey, Hugh,” he calls out, “you want to play Wolverine one more time?”
“Yeah, sure, Ryan,” Jackman casually replies. It then cuts to the Deadpool logo being slashed with Wolverine’s blades.
For now, that’s all the information we have to go off of. Will they be teaming up? Fighting each other? How will Wolverine — who, like Deadpool, was a character previously owned by the Fox wing of Marvel — be integrated with the Avengers and gang? Who knows! All we do know is Deadpool 3, as it’s currently called, is due on September 6, 2024. It also means the faux-feud between the two actors is going next-level.
The above features a far-right quartet, including Rep. Louis Gohmert, speaking out against the alleged mistreatment suffered by January 6 rioters. He, along with Rep. Paul Gosar, are accompanied by MAGA cheerleaders Marjorie Taylor Greene (who has been very vocal on the issue) and Matt Gaetz, so even if you’re not familiar with the two less-familiar names, you realize what aura took over the press conference. As well, a former GOP congressman isn’t having it and is now speaking out about his ex-colleagues.
Let’s just say that Dennis Riggleman didn’t hold back while telling everyone what he really thought of Gohmert and Gosar. Riggleman did so (via The Guardian) in a book, Breach, in which he came down on the pair, who “seemed to be joined at the brain stem when it came to their eagerness to believe wild, dramatic fantasies about Democrats, the media and big tech.” He blasted their love of “unhinged conspiracy theories,” and here’s even more:
[During] meetings, Riggleman “would come to see that Gohmert was one of a few colleagues who had gone deep down the rabbit hole… I came to believe Gosar and Gohmert may have had serious cognitive issues.”
Riggleman also calls Gosar “a blatant white supremacist,” describing him and the Iowa Republican Steve King “making a case for white supremacy over pulled pork and ribs.”
The former lawmaker from Virginia has certainly tangled with MAGA fanaticism both at work and at home. Riggleman also recently detailed how his own mother grew to be a MAGA enthusiast and practically disowned him after he refused go to the same far-right extremes and, horror upon horrors, received praise from Democratic colleagues. As for Gohmert, there’s no telling how he’s still hanging onto his teeth after apparently losing one during a 2020 press conference.
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