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When you hear the words “national park” what comes to mind? Towering trees, awe-inspiring mountain ranges, amazing biodiversity, and wildlife? The places where you go to hike, summit mountains, camp, and pull over every time the shoulder widens to ooh and ahh?

I think of all of those things too, of course. And I do all of them as a national parks-focused traveler. But the thing I really love to do, which might be a little more unexpected on a National Park vacation, is to swim. In lakes and near beaches and in rivers and swimming holes. There is something so quintessentially summer about donning a bathing suit and jumping into a lake, even if the water is still cold enough to make you scream. It just feels right.

Through my travels, I’ve been lucky enough to swim in some of the most beautiful national parks in the United States. And I’m making plans to jump into some new swimming holes this summer. Here are my eight favorites for you to plan your own escape.

Grand Tetons — Jackson Lake — WYOMING

I can’t write a National Parks list without including Grand Teton National Park in some way. It has it all: dramatic vistas and mountain ranges, incredible hiking and mountaineering. But what I love the most is the water. There are lakes for every activity: kayak, SUP, and even a marina filled with motor and sailboats. I always make a stop at the swim beach (well, “rocks on the shore” beach) on Jackson Lake to spend an afternoon relaxing. Surprisingly it is never that crowded, and always more beautiful than I remembered.

Jackson is a big lake with big views. Pro-tip: camp at Colter Bay and you can walk right to the beach. Otherwise, there’s parking right nearby, and a grocery store (with liquor store) to grab some food and have a picnic on the shore.

Other great places to swim: String Lake and Jackson Lake at Signal Mountain

Make a camping reservation for Grand Teton National Park here.

Great Smoky Mountains — Greenbrier Swimming Hole — NORTH CAROLINA / TENNESSEE

Did you know that of the 63 major US National Parks, last year one park had nearly four times the amount of visitors as the second most visited? It’s true. Despite the parks being more popular than ever, there is still one park with visitation that always tops the list: Great Smoky Mountains. In 2020 over 12 million people ventured to the lush southern landscape, with Yellowstone coming in second at just 3.8 million.

I have only visited the park once in late winter — so no swimming for me. But when asking around researching for my next trip, one spot comes up much more than others: the Greenbrier swimming hole. Located near Gatlinburg (one of the gateway cities to the Smokies), it’s easily accessible from route 321. The swimming hole is on the Little Pigeon River, and deep enough for a relaxing swim day.

Make a camping reservation for Great Smoky Mountains National Park here.

Olympic — Lake Crescent — WASHINGTON STATE

The Olympic Peninsula is by far one of the most beautiful and diverse places I have ever visited. Olympic National Park boasts mountain ranges, rainforests, hot springs, waterfalls, beaches, and lakes — truly an outdoors person’s paradise. Not to mention it’s just a short drive from Seattle.

I visited during the rainy springtime and could only sit on the lakeshores imagining what my day might be like in another season. Swimming surrounded by rolling mountains and lush forests whose colors look too emerald green to be real. When I make my way back on a sunny summer day the first lake I’m jumping in is Lake Crescent.

Make a camping reservation for Olympic National Park here.

North Cascades — Diablo Lake — WASHINGTON STATE

Look at any list of “Underrated National Parks” and North Cascades is probably at the top. Despite its paradoxical “famously underrated” status, it still isn’t well visited, despite not being very difficult to get to and looking like this.

North Cascades is known for its high mountain peaks and the clear blue water of Diablo Lake. What many people don’t seem to know is that you can actually swim here, too. Colonial Creek Campground is a great place to get in and see the shockingly blue water for yourself.

Make a camping reservation for North Cascades National Park here.

Glacier — Lake McDonald — MONTANA

Visiting Glacier National Park is a bucket list experience, to be sure. There are so many iconic images of the park, but one that is most often shared also happens to be the best spot to swim: Lake McDonald. With its multicolored pebbles that are just begging to be Instagrammed, to the clear water and beautiful mountains all around you. I hate the cliche, but… Lake McDonald is almost too beautiful to believe.

I spent a whole day walking the shore, dipping in the lake, and drinking a beer at the Lake McDonald Lodge wondering how on earth this was real life. I recommend you do the same.

Make a camping reservation for Glacier National Park here and a reservation to drive Going-to-the-Sun road here.

Great Sand Dunes — Medano Creek — COLORADO

Great Sand Dunes National Park might feel like a surprising addition to this list. As a park that’s known for being home to the tallest sand dune in North America, water isn’t the first (or even second or third) thing that comes to mind when you ponder planning a trip. But while there’s not exactly a swimming hole, the park does boast one of the most fun places to get into the water in a National Park.

Medano Creek is a seasonally flowing creek that runs between the parking area and the sand dunes. As the snow starts to melt in the Sangre de Cristo mountains in late April, the water starts to flow. By late May to early June, you can experience the “surge flow” of the creek, with waves up to 20 inches deep! It’s a great place to play in the water or even just to float.

Make a camping reservation for Great Sand Dunes here.

Yosemite — Merced River — CALIFORNIA

Yosemite is nothing if not iconic. The granite surroundings and waterfalls take your breath away. It’s known for hiking and backpacking primarily, but what I really love to do is relax near the water. The Merced River runs through the valley and is the perfect place to get away from some of the hustle of the park and refresh yourself after a hike.

Make a day-use reservation for Yosemite National Park here.

New River Gorge — Glade Creek Trail — WEST VIRGINIA

New River Gorge is the United States’ newest park designated as a “National Park” — number 63! I haven’t visited (yet) but I have painstakingly researched all there is to do in this West Virginia landmark. I’m excited to hike on the Glade Creek Trail and find some swimming holes and waterfalls while enjoying a part of the country that isn’t often thought about when considering a National Park vacation.

Make a camping reservation for New River Gorge National Park here.

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The Straw That Broke The Dog’s Neck.

If you met a stranger at the video store this morning and became friends because they could help you score drugs, throw on this episode of Pod Yourself A Gun for the two-hour drive to their dealer’s house. Guest Rachel Fisher from the Hollywood Crime Scene podcast joins Matt and Vince to talk about season four, episode ten of The Sopranos, “The Strong, Silent Type.” Also known as the one with Chrissy’s intervention.

Based on what Rachel and Matt have to say about their experiences with the banal reality of late-stage drug addiction, listening to this episode will be nothing like getting hooked on heroin. It’s fun and sexy and has a parody of “Under the Bridge” for the Bada B-stories. It’s not just addiction talk, though. They also cover America’s bizarre obsession with The Osbournes, the humiliation of getting beat with a xylophone, and how Furio and Svetlana represent the immigration myths Tony wishes he embodied.

If you think Matt should start a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band, tell us in a five-star review on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe to Pod Yourself A Gun on Apple Podcasts.

Email us at [email protected]; leave us a voicemail at 415-275-0030.

Support the Pod: become a patron at patreon.com/Frotcast and get more bonus content than you could ever want, AND if you sign up for the Pod Yourself a Shoutout tier, you can bask in the glory of hearing your name on the podcast, like this week’s newest subscribers The Wolf, Billy Goat, The Zit, Selleck, and Big Fat Josh

-Description by @brentflyberg

Spoilers for The Falcon And The Winter Soldier will be found below.

When it comes to Marvel theories, Kevin Smith‘s last attempt didn’t come to fruition during the events of WandaVision (Although, there’s a chance his Fantastic Four theory could still be right.), but the jorts-wearing comic book lover is sitting pretty after accurately guessing the identity of The Power Broker in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finale. Granted, Emily VanCamp’s Sharon Carter was looking like the prime suspect to be the puppet-master dealing super-soldier serum behind the scenes, although her past with Captain America and family history made it hard to accept that she could actually be the show’s secret villain. But it turns out Agent 13 really did break bad, and Smith called it earlier in the week on his Fatman Beyond podcast thanks to the iPhone theory. Via Comic Book:

“Listen, I thought this was interesting, FMA Presents on Chatter said, ‘Kevin, do you know about the Sharon Carter phone theory?’ You know, they showed Sharon Carter this week and she was hiring Batroc and the intimation was that she had hired him the first time so you’re like what the f*ck, but this is interesting,” Smith said. “Villains cannot use iPhones. Heroes can use them, but she does not. Are Apple products not allowed to be filmed in the hands of bad guys? I think that’s true.”

So what is the iPhone theory? Back in February 2020, Knives Out director Rian Johnson revealed a dirty little secret about Apple products. “I don’t know if I should say this or not,” Johnson told Vanity Fair. “Not because it’s lascivious or something, but because it’s gonna screw me on the next mystery movie that I write. But forget it, I’ll say it, it’s very interesting. Apple, they let you use iPhones in movies — but, and this is very pivotal, if you’re ever watching a mystery movie, bad guys cannot have iPhones on camera.”

Considering Johnson made this revelation over a year ago, you would think Apple would’ve reversed its position because talk about a huge giveaway when trying to build a mystery, but judging by what just went down with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the practice seems to be alive and well.

(Via Comic Book)

The crowd went berserk last Saturday as Gracie Laney, a senior at Logan High School in Utah, neared the finish line in the final leg of her 4X200 meter relay. But most of the shouting wasn’t for her. It was for the furry four-legged track-and-field star coming up behind her.

Holly had escaped her owner’s grasp and ran out onto the track. The dog was so incredibly fast that it beat Laney to the finish line from at least 30 meters behind.

Laney had a strong lead and couldn’t believe that anyone would catch her. “At first, I thought it was another runner and I was surprised because we had a pretty good lead,” she told KSL. “As it got closer, I thought, ‘That’s too small to be a person,’ and then I noticed it was a dog.”

Laney almost ran over the dog when they crossed the finish line.

“When the dog crossed in my lane, I was afraid that I was going to trip over it, and then I was worried that I was going to spike it with my spikes,” she recalled. “It all happened so fast.”

Insider noted that the dog was so fast on the track it threatened to beat Usain Bolt’s all-time record in the 100m he set at the 2009 IAAF World Championships. Bolt ran the 100m in 9.58 seconds, Holly was a tad slower at 10.5.

Dog breaks loose to wins relay race in US high school track event

www.youtube.com

Unfortunately, the judges didn’t name Holly the winner of the race. That honor went to Laney and her team from Logan High who won with a time of 1 minute 59.27 seconds.

Friday was apparently a day to express your frustration with Disney online, for one reason or another. Whether you’re upset that the Disney theme park experience is becoming too “woke” or you don’t like Marvel superheroes getting in the way of your enjoyment of a basketball game, there was truly something for everyone to get slightly miffed about online.

Animatronic sex slave auctions aside, what got hoops fans riled up was an announcement made by ESPN that it would show a Warriors-Pelicans game next month with a supplemental broadcast that involved some Marvel tie-ins during the interactive broadcast. Nothing will change with the regular broadcast, but one airing on ESPN2, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes will be a “groundbreaking collaboration” called Marvel Arena Of Heroes.

The pitch is, well, a bit odd and synergistic, but if it strikes you as weird there’s a whole other broadcast to watch on May 3 at 7:30 PM. Via Marvel:

The latest development in Marvel and ESPN’s long history of sports content collaboration, the telecast will integrate elements from an original Marvel story and iconic characters including Iron Man, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Captain America, Black Widow, and Doctor Strange into an original story throughout the live game, including 3D virtual characters, custom graphics and animation packages.

After a narrow victory over an invading alien army, the Avengers receive an ominous threat from the enemy who vows to return in greater numbers and force. The Black Panther and Iron Man quickly realize they will need more help and form a plan to expand their ranks to fight this impending threat. Recognizing the superior physical abilities, agility, and tenacity of Earth’s greatest athletes, the Avengers will hold a series of contests where the winners earn the right to train and fight alongside them as Marvel’s Champions! The Avengers will begin their recruitment with the NBA elite and observe the battle between the Warriors and the Pelicans, focusing on three star players from each team.

It’s a bit much, sure, but as anyone who may have attended a minor league baseball team’s Star Wars night can tell you, it’s not awful storytelling. Basically the broadcast will turn the game into a mini-game of sorts that doubles as a big boss battle. Players will have their actual plays and stats turned into points, and whoever gets the most fake points in the real basketball game gets a prize. Those players are, as follows: Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins for Golden State, and Zion Williamson, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram for New Orleans.

It’s sort of like the Nickelodeon broadcast that the NFL did earlier this year, which was actually a hilariously delightful experience where Nate Burleson shined. It’s fair to be a bit more cynical about this given all the Disney and Marvel tie-ins here, but it seems ultimately harmless. But not to a considerable amount of NBA fans who were generally outraged that the league would attempt something this silly.

It is, admittedly, a lot. But it’s not exactly a shock to see Disney try to leverage all of its properties and see people get mad about it in the process. Gamifying a game to fight comic book crime is a lot more cynical than having exploding slime cannons in the end zone of a football game broadcast on a children’s cartoon network, but the solution for detractors of that broadcast is the same as the answer here: just watch the main feed and ignore the memes online.

(Via Marvel)

Lagavulin is one of the most iconic Islay single malts on store shelves. For many, the peaty whisky is the entry point to the wider world of smoke, Port Ellen, and Islay. And there’s a good reason for that. The smokiness of Lagavulin is subtle, sweet, earthy, and very much tied to the inky black sea around the famed Scottish isle where it’s made. The layers of smoke transport you.

Luckily, it’s not straight into the ashes of a peat-burning stove, like true smoke bombs. Instead, it’s sort of like being transported to a beach campfire under a blanket of stars with piles of spent oyster shells littering the sand around you. The smoke is there but other flavor notes predominate.

Today, we’re ranking the core U.S. bottles of Lagavulin (we’ll cover limited editions another time). The 5 bottles listed here are all on the higher side of the price scale when it comes to whisky (think $60 to $120), but we’d argue that each of these bottles is worth the investment in both time and price.

A quick note before we start. We’re not ranking Lagavulin 25 and Lagavulin 37. While we adore both of those expressions, the prices are in the thousands of dollars. They’re also very rare releases with dwindling stocks (further driving up prices). Still, the 25-year-old is an extremely silky example of the briny and smoky brand, which we do absolutely reccomend. If you have the means, you can buy it here for $1,260. Lagavulin 37 is the true gem of the line. The expression is bottled at cask strength after mellowing in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry for nearly four decades. You can snag a bottle for $3,000, assuming you have that much in change between your couch cushions.

Let’s get to it! If you’re into trying the more subtly peaty side of Islay whisky, click the prices to grab a bottle for your home bar.

5. Lagavulin Game of Thrones House Lannister Aged 9 Years

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $80

The Whisky:

This is an interesting expression. The juice is classic Lagavulin that’s been aged for nine years in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry and built to celebrate the House Of Lannister amongst the wider Diageo Game of Thrones line of whiskies.

Tasting Notes:

The whisky draws you in with a thin line of briny smoke that leads towards a slight honey sweetness and a touch of Band-Aid plastic. The palate sweetens significantly towards salted caramel, more honey, touches of bourbon vanilla, and a hint of over-ripe banana peels. The end isn’t too long and leaves you with a balance of that Band-Aid plastic, banana peel, and vanilla smokiness.

Bottom Line:

This is fine but doesn’t really wow. And if you’re spending nearly $100 for a single bottle of whisky, it’d better wow. Again, this is an interesting edition of Lagavulin, but it would never be the first expression I’d reach for or start a newbie with.

4. Lagavulin Aged 8 Years

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $65

The Whisky:

This expression was originally released to celebrate the distillery’s 200th anniversary. The whisky was created to mimic the juice that was being bottled back in the 1880s, during a high point in Lagavulin’s history. The whisky became a modern hit and is now part of their core line.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a sense of fried fish wrapped in newspaper that greets you on the nose next to honey-lemon, dry and earthy malts, and a nod to chocolate-covered cherries. The taste brings a solid billow of campfire smoke with traces of dark chocolate, burning cinnamon sticks, dry mint, and burnt potato skins (yes, really). The end is long-ish and marries the tastes together, leaving you with the memory of drinking a dark mint-chocolate spiked espresso next to a smoldering backyard fire on a cold autumn night while somewhere in the distance the sea laps at the shore.

Bottom Line:

It’s wild how much more complex this is than the GoT expression while being a year younger. This really is a great gateway peated single malt, one that’ll draw you into the style without suffocating you with smoke.

3. Lagavulin Offerman Edition Aged 11 Years

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $116

The Whisky:

Everyone probably knows that Nick Offerman is a huge Lagavulin fan. He’s been appearing in ads for the brand for a while now. He also had the honor of making his own barrel selection for his signature expression. In this case, it’s an eleven-year-old whisky that bears Offerman’s own visage on the bottle.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is subtle in all the ways that make Lagavulin so enticing, with hints of backyard smoked meats, hard cherry wood, and hints of vanilla. The palate layers in honey-mustard sweetness, paprika spice, and a slight fatty-bacon note, underpinning the smoke. The finish isn’t too long but lingers as the spice, sweetness, a touch of new Band-Aid glue, and wisps of fatty backyard BBQ smoke slowly roll through your senses.

Bottom Line:

This is not a stunt whisky. It’s a well-rounded and delicious addition to the Lagavulin family from a true believer in the brand. It’s also the perfect backyard BBQ pairing whisky for summer.

2. Lagavulin Aged 16 Years

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $104

The Whisky:

This is the most recognizable Lagavulin out there. The malts are smoked just down the road from the distillery at Port Ellen and the juice is crafted expertly by the sea at Lagavulin. Then the whisky spends 16 long years mellowing in old American and Spanish oak.

Tasting Notes:

Imagine a beach fire that’s using dried seaweed as fuel next to mugs of honeyed black tea and a clump of wet moss on the nose. The taste of this dram meanders through dried pipe tobacco smoke laced with hints of vanilla and tart apple while notes of briny caramel lead towards an oyster shell minerality. The finish is pure silk as the seaweed grows wetter and the smoke sweetens towards that caramel, vanilla, and apple.

Bottom Line:

This might as well be tied for first place. It’s delicious and perfect in a Smoky Cokey. Grab a rocks glass. Fill it with ice. Pour in two ounces of Lagavulin 16 and then top it with Coca-Cola (preferably the good stuff from Mexico or Europe that doesn’t use corn syrup).

It’s one of the best whisky and cola applications there is and will have you hooked for life.

1. Lagavulin Distiller’s Edition

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $118

The Whisky:

Last year’s Distiller’s Edition was another prime example of the heights Lagavulin can reach. The juice was aged for 16 years in the core Lagavulin barrels (ex-bourbon and ex-sherry) and then finished for around six months in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks that were very specifically made and held specific sherry before the whisky was loaded into the barrels. The result is a 16-year-old Lagavulin that’ll help you fall in love with the brand and style.

Tasting Notes:

This feels like all the subtle notes across the Lagavulin range have come together in the best way. You’re drawn in with hints of honeyed smoke, salted caramel apples, mild hints of vanilla, and smoldering coffee grounds. The taste ties the honey to a soft oakiness next to vanilla-chocolate coffee, seaside salted taffy, and a touch of fish oil. The end is very long and pure velvet on the tongue as the sweet oak fades towards a sweet smokiness, with a hint of salty roasted almonds and burnt vanilla husks.

Bottom Line:

That six months of finishing in a Pedro Ximénez sherry casks really takes the 16-year Lagavulin to a new dimension of almost baffling smoothness.

This is such an incredibly easy dram to sip, you’ll forget about adding water or ice entirely. I’m here to remind you to add at least a few drops. A little water or a single rock will really open this up, creating a truly special tasting experience from beginning to end.

As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

Former star Olympic athlete and reality TV personality Caitlyn Jenner has officially announced her candidacy for governor of California, in anticipation of a potential recall election of current governor Gavin Newsom.

In a post on Twitter, Jenner wrote, “I’m in! California is worth fighting for,” and shared a link to her campaign website.

Jenner is both a long-time Republican and a transgender woman who has described herself as a fiscal conservative and social liberal. She came out as trans in 2015, received considerable backlash from the LGBTQ+ community for supporting President Trump in the 2016 presidential election, and ended up revoking her support over his transgender rights policies in 2018.

“California has been my home for nearly 50 years,” she wrote in a press release. “I came here because I knew that anyone, regardless of their background or station in life, could turn their dreams into reality. But for the past decade, we have seen the glimmer of the Golden State reduced by one-party rule that places politics over progress and special interests over people. Sacramento needs an honest leader with a clear vision.”

Jenner is the fourth Republican to announce their candidacy, and they all have an uphill climb ahead of them. Despite opponents gathering more signatures than the 1.5 million necessary to initiate a recall election, a recent poll found that 56% of likely voters in California oppose recalling Newsom, and only 40% say they would vote to recall him. In addition, his approval rating hovers around 54%.

Support for Jenner is also a big question mark, as the Republican party isn’t exactly known for supporting the rights of the transgender community of which she is a part.

Former-Trump-voter-turned-Biden-supporter David Weismann wrote to Jenner, “I am a former Republican who does not understand your decision to run for Governor, especially as a Republican. Republicans do not acknowledge the transgender community’s right to exist. Why support their hateful agenda?”

Transgender activist Charlotte Clymer was more blunt. “Caitlyn Jenner has no real support,” she wrote on Twitter. “I don’t care about her candidacy. I do care about the ways in which her asinine views will be weaponized against trans people and the ways in which transphobia will go unchecked.”

“This is purely a vanity campaign,” she added, “and it’s incredibly selfish.”

Clymer was also quick to point out, however, that Jenner’s problematic features are her views and her lack of qualifications, not her gender. Misgendering her or engaging in other transphobic language is not an appropriate response to her candidacy announcement.

If nothing else, Jenner’s candidacy offers a good opportunity to talk about how to appropriately discuss transgender people using language that affirms their humanity, even if you can’t stand their political stances or personalities.

Also a bit of a head scratcher: Jenner has hired former Trump campaign manager Bard Parscale as an adviser, which would seemingly create a connection between Jenner and Trump, despite Jenner renouncing her support and Trump pivoting further away from supporting transgender rights.

While Jenner is a historic candidate, as a transgender woman running for the governorship of one of the largest states in the country, the majority of responses show that the much-ranted-about concept of “identity politics” is largely overblown. After searching and searching, I found virtually no explicit support for Jenner on social media. She has not garnered the support of the broader LGBTQ+ community (in fact, California’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization literally said, “hard pass”) and it’s difficult to imagine a party that is currently pushing anti-trans legislation in states across the country rallying behind a transgender candidate.

Jenner’s candidacy is newsworthy because of her fame and noteworthy because she is transgender, but at this point, simple name recognition probably outweighs both her gender identity and her policies in terms of gaining voters. Time will tell, but if this campaign gets off the ground, it will be a surprise.

Stranger things have happened, though. As recent history has taught us, just about anything at all is possible. But whatever happens, and wherever we sit on the political spectrum, let’s keep criticisms of Jenner confined to her political views and not her personhood.

Self-proclaimed Disney fan Jonathan Vanboskerck has caused a stir on social media after an op-ed he wrote was published by the Orlando Sentinel entitled, “I love Disney World, but wokeness is ruining the experience.”

He believes that Disney’s decision to bow to political correctness and the “Twitter Mob” has sucked some of the magic from his experience at Disney World.

Disney’s unique ability to create magic comes from immersing people in fantastic settings, allowing them to momentarily suspend disbelief and be transported to another world. It’s an incredible trick and nobody does it better than Disney.

Vanboskerck argues that the company has made changes to its parks to project its liberal values and that takes him out of the experience.

“When I stand in Galaxy’s Edge or Fantasyland, I know I am in a theme park but through immersion and my willingness to set the real world aside, something magical happens,” he writes.

“That spell is broken when the immersive experience is shattered by the real world. And boy, has Disney been breaking the immersion,” he continues.

He doesn’t like the new Disney policies that allow cast members to have “inclusive” haircuts and tattoos. Now, he has a point here, if Tinkerbell has a sleeve tattoo it kinda kills the experience.

However, he should be a bit more clear about what he means by “inclusive” hairstyles. Does he have a problem with people having braids? An androgynous hairstyle? A die job?

“More broadly, like many corporations, Disney has been politicizing its business,” Vanboskerck continues. “Full disclosure: I am a Christian and a conservative Republican, so the people who run Disney and I do not see eye to eye.”

He then goes on to say that it’s acceptable for corporations to express their political belief if it’s for profit. He’s also fine with corporations getting political to express values, as long as they align with his.

“Regardless, corporations have always made politically motivated decisions. Usually, it is due to the desire to make a profit, but sometimes it is due to the values of the people in the corporation,” he writes. “Walt Disney used his corporation to express his patriotism during World War II and his pro-capitalism beliefs afterward. The difference today is that the people who run Disney use social media to scream to the whole world that a decision has been made for political reasons.”

Vanboskerck is upset that Disney removed Trader Sam from the Jungle Boat Cruise because he might “offend some people.”

via Disney Fandom Wiki

According to the Disney fandom wiki, Trader Sam is a South American indigenous shrunken head dealer who comes from a “cannibalistic” family. If there’s anything that perpetuates the colonialist idea that indigenous people are savages this would be it.

If Vanboskerck’s concern is immersion, then he should consider the fact that, for many, seeing an indigenous person portrayed as a savage also really ruins the immersive experience.

He also says that Disney’s decision to change “Splash Mountain” because of its association with “Song of the South” is to “appease a certain political point of view.”

“Song of the South” is a film that paints a rose-colored picture of life on a plantation for Black people in the South at a nebulous time somewhere around the Civil War and Reconstruction. The idea that “Song of the South” is troublesome only to left-wing people is setting the bar very low for conservatives.

Every time Vanboskerck looks at Splash Mountain he says he’s “thinking about politics.” But, again, what about people who don’t want to be reminded of slavery when they’re on a theme park ride? Their opinion matters as well.

So political.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where it seems that everything has become political. That’s a shame because at the heart of politics is a battle between groups to force their will upon one another. However, we all have the choice to decide how we interpret reality and whether we judge everything as political.

Creating an environment that’s considerate of people with different backgrounds isn’t, at its heart, political. The Magic Kingdom is a place that welcomes people from all over the world. Disney would be really killing the magic if it decided to only present a world of fantasy that appeals to a limited group of people.

Vanboskerck shows his hand when he writes that “every time I look at the ride I am thinking about politics.” The problem could be he’s conditioned himself to see everything around him as political. That’s a problem that even the geniuses at Disney Imagineering can’t solve.

The piece inspired a lot of passionate, and funny responses on Twitter.

Selena Gomez always keeps herself busy outside of her music career. One fun endeavor from the past few years has been Selena + Chef, her HBO Max cooking show. She’s getting ready to launch her third season later this year, and ahead of then, she’s shared a new teaser. In the new promo, she introduces a (sadly not real) new microwave that gets rid of the annoying beeps that traditional microwaves utilize and replaces them with thematically appropriate clips from her songs.

This comes after Gomez revealed that she has considered retiring from music, as she said in a March interview, “It’s hard to keep doing music when people don’t necessarily take you seriously. I’ve had moments where I’ve been like, ‘What’s the point? Why do I keep doing this?’ ‘Lose You To Love Me’ I felt was the best song I’ve ever released, and for some people it still wasn’t enough. I think there are a lot of people who enjoy my music, and for that I’m so thankful, for that I keep going, but I think the next time I do an album it’ll be different. I want to give it one last try before I maybe retire music.”

Check out the Selena + Chef promo above.

You know what they say — so many snacks, so little time. Just us? Okay, then. In truth, there are a lot of snacks out there on your grocery store shelves and even more online. Nobody has the time or money to eat all of them. Plus taking a chance on a new Oreo flavor or an upstart brand of microwave popcorn can often end in you wasting money on something you’ll never eat, when you could’ve just reached for a brand you already know you like.

We don’t want that for you, so we’re going to go ahead and take the grocery store/ online shopping L’s for you. Helping ensure that you only spend your money on winners. To do that, we ate a bunch of snacks (some of which, as you might imagine, were awful) and came up with a tight eight that pass our greatest scrutiny, breaking down what we love about each.

Salt & Straw Cereal Sly Menu (Dane Rivera)

Average Price: $65 (For 5 Pints)

Why It’s Good:

Portland-based ice cream brand Salt & Straw has relaunched its Cereal Sly menu for the spring season, bringing five delicious flavors that combine Salt & Straw’s rich ice cream with your favorite breakfast cereals… kind of. Don’t expect ice cream equivalents of your childhood faves. Instead Salt & Straw used the cereal as a jumping-off point for something uniquely its own, and the line of limited-run ice creams is better for it.

The end result is flavors that are reminiscent of your favorite cereals without being one note. Pots of Gold & Rainbows, OffLimits’ Dash Cold Brew Cocoa Crisps, a dairy-free Peanut Butter Captain Munch, Snap ’N Crackle Marshmallow Treats, and Cornflake Cookies with Marionberry Jam are inventive while hitting that nostalgia sweet spot.

I had to choose one, it would definitely be the Pots of Gold & Rainbow, which uses “cereal steeped milk” as its base and mixes in marshmallow rainbows — the best application of marshmallows in an ice cream that we’ve ever tried. The rich coffee-forward Cold Brew Cocoa Crisps and the Cornflake Cookies, which features housemade marionberry jam, are also destined to be legendary.

The Bottom Line:

Salt & Straw is one of the most inventive ice cream brands around. Grab a pint (or five) from Salt & Straw’s Cereal Sly menu ASAP. The flavors are only around until supplies last.

Whozeewhatzit (Dane Rivera)

Average Price: $4.50

Why It’s Good:

Every time a candy brand attempts to do something different, it’s met with side-eye from candy-eating skeptics who see it as nothing more than a cash grab. That’s generally fair because most of the time that’s what it is! Easter-shaped Reese’s, different flavored Kit-Kats (besides the Green Tea flavor, which is bomb), tropical Sour Patch — it’s all designed to make you feel like you’re introducing variety to your rampant sugar consumption.

But most new candies somehow lack imagination while sacrificing whatever nostalgia points it had going for it. The Whozeewhatzit (a spin on the Whatchamacallit) is different. Is it as good as the original? Yes. Maybe even better.

Instead of a peanut butter crisp topped with a thin layer of caramel covered in chocolate, the Whozeewhatzit features an all-chocolate crisp with a thin layer of peanut butter creme covered in chocolate. Sure, it’s a little derivative — but it’s still damn good candy.

The Bottom Line:

Certainly worth grabbing at a gas station next time you’re ready to cheat on your spring diet.

KIMNORI Seasoned Seaweed Snack — Korean BBQ (Janice Williams)

Average Price: $29.99 (12 Pack)

Why It’s Good:

Seaweed snacks have existed long before I was ever conceived. Yet, somehow, I am only just now getting into them. And let me tell you, since only a few short months ago, I have been eating these crispy little seaweed slices as much as a crab eats kelp.

The seaweed is roasted and seasoned with a blend of spices that gives the snack a flavoring of meat grilled over a stove-top griddle. And yet, that blend of secret spices doesn’t overpower the seaweed’s fresh and natural briny, oceanic taste. Speckles of sea salt embedded in each seaweed square give the snack an addictive boost that makes it impossible to just eat one.

There is a little filmy, oily residue that you’ll notice on your fingers after a bite, but this is why I particularly like the Kim Nori brand. Their seaweed snacks has a very light coating of sunflower, sesame, and canola oil compared to other brands that seem to weigh the seaweed down with heavier oils.

The Bottom Line:

This is a mindless, low-calorie, organic, and gluten-free treat that will satisfy those salty-snack cravings.

Trader Joe’s Crispy Crunchy Champignon Mushroom Snack (Janice Williams)

Average Price: $4

Why It’s Good:

I absolutely love potato chips, but my expanding waistline is really not a fan. So naturally, I’ve been trying to find healthier alternatives to satisfy my salty, crunchy cravings. Enter Trader Joe’s Crispy Crunchy Champignon Mushroom Snack — the latest snack that I’m totally tripping balls over.

Here we have actual slices of champignon, or rather white mushrooms, that have been vacuum fried with sunflower oil to create a snack that is perfectly crispy, savory, and filling. There is a hint of sea salt but the predominant flavor is the mushroom’s own natural earthiness. After a bit of crunching, the shrooms start to disintegrate into a softness similar to the texture they display when they’re sautéed or roasted, which makes them particularly enjoyable — like a hard crunch that evolves into a soft chew.

I should note that there are about 340 calories and 26 grams of fat in a single serving of this snack. However, the whole bag is considered one serving, and it’s highly unlikely you’ll eat all the shrooms in one sitting as opposed to a handful every here and there. As I said, they’re legit filling.

The Bottom Line:

For comparison, there are about 160 calories and 10 grams of fat in a 2.75-ounce bag of Lays Classics (you know, the $1.89 bag) and about three servings worth of chips, which you’re likely to eat all at once. You do the math.

If you’re looking for a potato chip replacement, this light, salty, and crunchy snack is it.

Cheetos Mac ‘N Cheese (Zach Johnston)

Average Price: 0.96¢

Why It’s Good:

Have you ever thought about pulverizing some Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and dusting something with them? Come on. I know you have. And you know what? It’s not a bad idea. The reason I say this with confidence is thanks to Cheetos Mac ‘N Cheese — which essentially makes the “hot Cheeto dust” concept into a whole dang boxed dinner.

A boxed dinner which is surprisingly good.

The Bottom Line:

Look, this is an unholy and unnatural bright red. It’s spiral mac n’ cheese which isn’t always the best (it’s a little heavy as a noodle choice, in my opinion). But goddamnit, it’s tasty. It’s very creamy, actually cheesy, and the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos feel like a nice seasoning/spicy addition, not an afterthought.

It’s legitimately spicy as well — to the point that I needed to blow my nose by the end and beads of sweat were rolling off my brow. Creamy, cheesy, and spicy pasta with a really nostalgic edge and glowing red hue? Fine stunt/gimmick mac n’ cheese, you win.

Snow Days Pizza Bites (Steve Bramucci)

Average Price: $31.49 (2-Pack)

Why It’s Good:

I’ve gone years now without having any “ready to make” meals in my freezer. I like cooking and was able to get into the kitchen most nights. But during the pandemic, I’ve needed to keep a few super simple meals on hand and this brand new drop has proven itself an immediate champion.

These are pizza bites. Unless you skipped the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s completely, you know pizza bites. But this version is both organic and grain-free. I hate to be the person who only likes healthy food when it tastes like unhealthy food but… well, I’m that guy. Somehow these taste better than typical pizza bites and their ingredient list includes cassava, sweet potato, carrot, and spinach. What strange alchemy is that?

Rather than trying to imitate gluten, the crust is more robust-grainy than a typical pizza bite, which works beautifully. It’s like you’re eating a pizza crust dusted with cornmeal. The centers are deeply savory and feature real cheese, meaning you still get that cheese-pull effect. It’s the perfect update to a snack I loved as a kid.

The Bottom Line:

For my palate, this brand is it — I won’t go back to its overprocessed predecessors. Be sure to follow the directions to make sure they don’t burst in the oven. Use an air fryer for optimal results.

Mr. Lee’s Instant Ramen Noodles(Steve Bramucci)

Average Price: $31.99 (Mixed Box of All 4 Flavors)

Why It’s Good:

Have you read about how unhealthy instant ramen typically is? It’s a wild rabbit hole to go down. And if you’ve eaten a ton of Top Ramen and Cup Noodles over the years, as I have, you’re sure to find it troubling.

Knowing this, I’ve often thought to myself, “Why isn’t there a healthy Cup Noodles? Someone could make it and break the game wide open!” Enter Mr. Lee’s, whose business model is literally making a better instant noodle cup.

Guess what? They’re successful at it. These things are really, really good and hit all those old comfort food sweet spots while still tasting like real, not-crazily-processed food. The ingredients are clearly higher quality and, unlike traditional instant ramen, these retain some nutrients.

The Bottom Line:

Switch Cup Noodles with Mr. Lee’s immediately, the new brand is better in every way. But remember: You have to shake the cup. Otherwise, your soup will be bland and you’ll accuse me of lying to you!

Creamalicious Uncle Charles Brown Suga Bourbon Cake Ice Cream (Steve Bramucci)

Average Price: $7.99

Why It’s Good:

Chef Liz Rogers doesn’t just make ice cream. She makes ice cream with a story. Each flavor of Creamalicious comes with a snippet from the chef’s own Southern culinary heritage — tales of favorite aunts and stylish, bourbon sipping uncles.

But the genius of this brand isn’t just in its commitment to handing down stories. Each flavor starts with a baked good — a cake or pastry or cookie — that’s then mixed into the ice cream base. It’s a combo that’s been proven and works particularly well here. The mix-ins taste freshly made and have a texture that’s authentic to the baked goods themselves, rather than being hard, stale, or too small to notice.

Unlike Salt & Straw, which leaned into the salt and gave birth to millions of savory ice cream imitators, this is truly a sweet treat. But these ice creams aren’t one-note, not by a long shot. The baked mix-ins add texture and surprise to each pint and the flavors are creative and rarely seen.

The Bottom Line:

Start with the Sweet Potato Pie — starring pieces of real pie, using a recipe handed down by Chef Liz’s Grandma Gigi.