Category: Viral

The Miami Heat stunned the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series. Behind a monster fourth quarter for Jimmy Butler, who had a career playoff high 40 points on the evening, Miami was able to take one off of the best team in the league. In Wednesday night’s Game 2, Butler didn’t need to have a monster night for the Heat to get a win. Thanks to a more egalitarian effort spearheaded by the rejuvenated Goran Dragic, Miami took a 2-0 series lead with a 116-114 win.

The way that the win happened, though, could not have been more remarkable. With 15 seconds left and the team up six, the Heat gave Giannis Antetokounmpo a free lane to get to the rim. From there, the wildest end of game sequence that we have seen all year occurred, culminating in a walk-off trip to the free throw line for Butler with 0.0 seconds left on the clock and the game tied.

The craziness started with Butler getting the ball in the corner after the Antetokounmpo dunk. He threw a lob at his own rim that ended up in the hands of Brook Lopez, who laid it in easily and cut the lead to two.

After a timeout, Goran Dragic lobbed in a risky inbounds pass to Butler, who went to the line, hit one of two, and gave Miami some breathing room. But on the ensuing possession, a controversial foul call sent Khris Middleton to the line to shoot three. Middleton rose up, Dragic got just close enough to him that a foul was called, and after all three of his shots from the charity stripe went in, we had ourselves a tied ballgame.

And then, there was the end, which I can’t quite put into justice, so I recommend you just watch.

Antetokounmpo got called for a foul that occurred after the ball left Butler’s hand, which happened with about 0.1 seconds left. As the horn blared, the referee’s whistle blew, signaling a foul on the Defensive Player of the Year and reigning MVP. A review confirmed the call, Butler stepped to the free throw line with no one around him, and hit them both in one of the more surreal visuals we’ve seen this year.

It was, as you can guess, quite the unconventional way for a game to end, as we have not seen this happen in any NBA game since the first Bush was president.

This marked a controversial ending to a fantastic basketball game, one in which Miami got out to an early lead, held on for much of the game, and held off Milwaukee’s multiple attempts to pull off a comeback win during the fourth quarter. Seven Heat players, led by Goran Dragic’s 23, scored in double-figures, while Antetokounmpo had a big night, going for 29 points and 14 rebounds.

Now, the Bucks are in a position where they absolutely have to pick up a win or find themselves in a fairly insurmountable hole, while the Heat inching closer to a return to the conference finals. Game 3 will take place on Friday, with the festivities tipping off at 6:30 p.m. EST on TNT.

Despite movie theaters and schools reopening in parts of the country, it’s important to remember this: the pandemic is nowhere near over, and there’s a good chance it could surge back from levels that never really went all that down to begin with. Case in point: A couple of weeks after True Blood star Anna Camp tested positive for the coronavirus, Dwayne Johnson, and some of his family, did, too.

The wrestler-turned-actor revealed the news in an Instagram post on Wednesday night, with a video that runs over 11 minutes. In it, he says that he and his wife, Lauren, and two of their three daughters, Jasmine, 4, and Tiana, 2, all came back with positive results. Mind you, this isn’t news: Johnson claims the disease has come and gone, and that they’re all “no longer contagious.”

Still, he wanted to warn people about “one of the most challenging and difficult” ordeals he and his family have ever gone through.

“Testing positive for COVID-19 is a lot different than recovering from nasty injuries, getting evicted or being broke, which I’ve been more than a few times,” he said. “My No. 1 priority is to always protect my family and my loved ones … I wish it was only me that tested positive. It was my entire family and it was a kick in the gut. We as a family are good, we’re on the other end of it and no longer contagious. Thank God, we’re healthy.”

He continued:

“We are counting our blessings right now. We are well aware you don’t always get to the other end of COVID-19 stronger and healthier. I have had some of my best friends lose their parents to this virus that is so incredibly relentless and unforgiving. We are counting our blessings, but we are good.

Alongside the video, Johnson posted an encouraging message:

Stay disciplined.
Boost your immune system.
Commit to wellness.
Wear your mask.
Protect your family.
Be strict about having people over your house or gatherings.
Stay positive.
And care for your fellow human beings.

Stay healthy, my friends.

Glad to hear you and your family are doing better, Mr. Johnson.

(Via EW)

The exodus of key pieces from the Jacksonville Jaguars team that played in an AFC Championship game in 2017 is nearly complete, with Leonard Fournette being released earlier this week.

Fournette, coming off his second 1,000 yard rushing season of his career in 2019, was let go but he won’t be leaving the state of Florida. According to multiple reports on Wednesday night, Fournette is headed to the gulf coast of Florida to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and bolster a backfield behind Tom Brady that already has a young, promising running back in Ronald Jones.

Fournette himself confirmed the news on Twitter shortly after.

As Adam Schefter reports, it will be a one-year deal for Fournette as the Bucs go all-in on this season to surround Brady with capable weapons. They’ve already brought in Rob Gronkowski out of retirement to pair him with the only quarterback he’s ever played for and LeSean McCoy this offseason, along with signing Ndamukong Suh to beef up the interior of their defense. The Bucs offense will have little in the way of excuses this season for a breakout year with Brady under center and everyone they’ve spent on to give him targets and ball-carriers around him. The question is whether it’s enough to overcome the Saints atop the NFC South this season.

The last Chadwick Boseman movie released before his death was Da 5 Bloods, Spike Lee’s reliably ambitious take on the Vietnam War genre. Boseman played one of the titular “Bloods,” a group of veterans who planted caches of money all over the war-torn country, with plans to retrieve it decades later. But his character, known as “Stormin’ Norm,” is only seen in flashbacks, being the only one to die during the war — a touch that’s gained unintended resonance after his untimely death. It seems Boseman kept his colon cancer a secret from almost the entire industry — to the point that one of his Da 5 Bloods co-stars misjudged his behavior as arrogance, when it certainly was not.

The actor is Clarke Peters, perhaps best known as an alum of both The Wire (as intelligence expert Lester Freamon) and Treme. He played Otis, perhaps the calmest of the quintet, who reunites with his old Vietnamese girlfriend, and the daughter he didn’t know he had. But while making the movie, Peters admitted, on a recent interview with Good Morning Britain (as caught by Entertainment Weekly), he didn’t get along as well with Boseman as he wished he’d had, especially once he learned about his condition. (You can watch the interview below.)

“I have to say with a little bit of regret that I probably wasn’t the most altruistic in that environment, but hindsight teaches us a lot of things,” Peters said on the show. “What I’m addressing is, basically, my wife asked what Chadwick was like. I was really excited to work with him. I said, ‘I think he’s a little bit precious.’ And she said, ‘Why?’ And I said, ‘Because he’s surrounded by people who are fawning over him.’ He has a Chinese practitioner, who is massaging his back when he walks off set. He has a makeup lady massaging his feet. His girlfriend is there holding his hand.

“And I’m thinking maybe the Black Panther thing went to his head.”

It hadn’t. Boseman wasn’t acting princely; he was, Peters and everyone now knows, battling an illness that would soon take his life. “I regret even having those thoughts because they were really looking after him,” Peters said, choking back tears.

It’s a heartbreaking reminder that Boseman kept his illness very close to the chest, right up to the end. There’s still one more Boseman film left to be released: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which Netflix will drop later this year.

(Via EW)

As the summer end and fall begins, those humid, hot days make way for crisp, cool evenings perfectly suited for the subtle pepper spiciness of a well-made rye whiskey. Some would argue that rye is the “spice of life” you need just at this moment.

In recent years, rye whiskey has become increasingly popular yet again. Rye used to be the main whiskey distilled in America way back in the day but then history happened. Anyway, this newfound popularity means that there are now countless brands available. To find the right fit for you, we decided to ask the professionals. We tasked some of our favorite bartenders with telling us the best rye whiskeys to make your first sips of fall peppery and spicy.

Michter’s Rye

Anthony Aviles, general manager of Jack Dusty in Sarasota, Florida

Michter’s Rye has enough smokiness to enjoy with a good cigar (if you’re into that sort of thing) without overpowering it. Yet, the juice carries enough complexity to truly be enjoyed while the sun sets. It doesn’t have the same burn/bite that most whiskeys do, which is something I can appreciate during those 90-degree Florida summer nights.

Lot 40 Rye

Meredith Barry, executive beverage chef of Angad Arts Hotel in St. Louis

I fell in love with Lot 40 Rye a few years ago. It’s a 100 percent rye mash bill from Canada that’s distilled in a single copper pot. It’s great for cocktails, from a sazerac to even a fruity cobbler. The rye spice is persistent on the palate as well as vanilla, cardamom, and the earthy green notes from the virgin oak. It’s just damn delicious.

Old Forester 100 Proof Rye

Benjamin Burch, bartender at The Nolen in San Diego

I’d love to pick a local craft distillery here, but I’m just not convinced they’ve quite caught up to the big distillers. Brands selling MGP stuff are still putting out phenomenal whiskeys. But, I have to go with Old Forester 100 proof Rye. It is insanely affordable and just brings everything I want out of a rye whiskey. It’s got enough vanilla and caramel sweetness but also has those nice big spice notes and the higher proof just makes better cocktails. If I’m making an old fashioned or a Manhattan, this is the whiskey I’m reaching for.

Two James Catcher’s Rye

Rebecah Hunter, bartender at The Monarch Club in Detroit

If you’re interested in thinking local, then you’ll enjoy knowing that this rye is distilled from 100 percent Michigan grown rye and made with the freshwater of the Great Lakes. Although it has no color, it provides your tongue with spice and notes of fig.

Oregon Spirit Rye

Eva Al-Gharaballi, bartender at Datz in St. Petersburg, Florida

Oregon Spirit Rye Whiskey is my choice of rye to drink. With hints of clove, honey, cinnamon, and ginger, this award-winning rye has a smooth start with a traditional wheat finish.

High West Double Rye

Tommy Ergle, bar manager at Dr. BBQ in St. Petersburg, Florida

One of our go-to rye whiskeys here at Dr. BBQ is High West’s Double Rye. The High West Double Rye has a great spicy-meets-sweet flavor that gives it an early summertime taste with a strong, mellow finish. The perfect rye to sip on at the end of a hot summer day.

Savage & Cooke Lip Service Rye

Jerry Shaffer, food and beverage manager at Embassy Suites Napa in Napa, California

I’m going with Lip Service because of its intense nose orange peel, clove, candied ginger, creamy and velvety flavors.

Pikesville Rye

Jeremy Allen, bartender at MiniBar in Los Angeles

The bottle I’ve been recommending to people — when you can’t find Willett — is Pikesville 6 Year 110 proof. It’s a little bit older and more developed than Rittenhouse. It’s strong enough for bartenders or would-be tough guys, mellow enough for bourbon drinkers, and complex enough for sophisticates.

WhistlePig PiggyBack Rye

Hayden Miller, head bartender at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila in Miami

Whiskey lovers owe a lot to Dave Pickerell, not just this killer bottle. With a full rye mash bill for the spice and bottling just under 100 proof for the strength, it makes great cocktails. It’s also perfect to toast some old pals, no matter the occasion.

Rittenhouse Rye

Damian Langarica, head bartender at a.bar in Philadelphia

How can I not choose Rittenhouse Rye? I live in Philly and the bar that I work at is in the corner of Rittenhouse Square. But besides that, it is a “must-have” rye whiskey to have at your home bar. It’s a very versatile rye. You can either get creative with it in a cocktail or enjoy it neat.

Willett Family Estate Rye

Emmanuelle Massicot, beverage director of Kata Robata in Houston

While it’s great for Manhattans and old fashioneds, you’re probably going to want to sip on this one over a few ice cubes.

Knob Creek Rye

Marta De La Cruz Marrero, food and beverage supervisor of Burlock Coast in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Knob Creek rye whiskey is a smooth rye whiskey with bold rye spiciness with undertones of vanilla and oak with expansive notes of herbs and rye with nuances of oak.

Journeyman Last Feather Rye

Stephen Potter, lead bartender at The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck in Grand Rapids, Michigan

This is an easy one, Journeyman Distillery Last Feather Rye. I love the pepper and spice of the rye. Balanced with the sweetness of the wheat and some notes of banana to make it a nice easy drink.

Grandstand has announced a benefit compilation album featuring some of the biggest names on the indie circuit, including Hayley Williams, Phoebe Bridgers, and Jamila Woods. The album will debut exclusively on Bandcamp this Friday, September 4, a day that also serves as the platform’s latest Bandcamp Friday, in which revenue shares are waived for its users. As for the project itself, the compilation album is titled Good Music To Avert The Collapse Of American Democracy, and it’s executive produced by artist managers Jordan Kurland, Darius Zelkha, and Christian Stavros, author Dave Eggers, and Barsuk Records label head Josh Rosenfeld.

All of the proceeds from the album will be donated to Fair Fight, a voters rights organization that, according to the press release, promotes “fair elections around the country through voter education, election reform, and combating voter suppression.” The album’s 40 song include a 1977 Beverly Glenn-Copeland track, a Hayley Williams cover of UK art-rock hypnotists Broadcast, a collaboration in progress between Ben Gibbard and Tycho, and much more. Listeners can also expect to hear R.E.M., Angel Olsen, Death Cab For Cutie, The National’s Matt Berninger, Soccer Mommy, Tegan & Sara, and more.

Check out the artwork and tracklist for Good Music To Avert The Collapse Of American Democracy below.

1. Hayley Williams – “Colour Me In” (Broadcast Cover)
2. Tycho x Ben Gibbard – “Only Love Will Save This Place (Demo Version)”
3. R.E.M – “Begin The Begin (Live in Hampton, VA 1989)”
4. Matt Berninger – “In Between Days” (The Cure Cover)
5. Grouplove – “Hardware Store”
6. Rostam – “Half-Light (Acoustic)”
7. Soccer Mommy – “Girl Next Door” (Saving Jane Cover)
8. Flume x Eprom – “Nor. 7″
9. clipping. – “Chapter 319 (Jonathan’s Full Stop Remix)”
10. My Morning Jacket – “Bring The Power Back Home”
11. Sudan Archives – “War”
12. Helado Negro – “Us Meeting Them”
13. Death Cab for Cutie – “The New Year (Live in Seattle, WA 2020)”
14. Jeff Tweedy – “Whisper”
15. Sharon Van Etten – “malibu, driving down the one (demo)”
16. Weyes Blood – “River” (Joni Mitchell Cover)
17. Thurston Moore – “L’Ephemere”
18. The Decemberists – “Death-Defying (Hoodoo Gurus Cover, Live in Australia 2016)”
19. Tegan and Sara – “God Help Yourself (Demo)”
20. Best Coast – “Our Deal (Live in Studio 2020)”
21. Poolside x Todd Edwards – “Getting There From Here (Instrumental)”
22. Jamila Woods – “HEAVN (Slot-A Remix)”
23. Robin Pecknold – “Hammond Song” (The Roches Cover)
24. Beverly Glenn-Copeland – “Dream On” (1977 Studio Recording)
25. Devendra Banhart – “Taking A Page” (Demo)
26. Phoebe Bridgers – “Chinese Satellite” (Voice Memo)
27. Real Estate – “People’s Parties” (Joni Mitchell Cover)
28. Sylvan Esso – “Ferris Wheel (Live In-Studio)”
29. Josh Ritter – “Someday (In Progress)”
30. Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers – “Vancouver Divorce” (Gord Downie Cover)
31. Alex G – “Skull Eyes” (True Widow Cover)
32. Frankie Cosmos – “Another Piece”
33. King Tuff – “Evergreen (Demo)”
34. Superchunk – “Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing” (Minutemen Cover)
35. Jay Som – “Time Off Work”
36. Angel Olsen – “All Mirrors (Johnny Jewel Chamber Remix)”
37. Gilligan Moss – “Ultraparadíso (Campfire Edit)”
38. Bhi Bhiman – “Takin’ It Easy”
39. Courtney Barnett – “Sunday Roast (Live in Estes Park, CO 2020)”
40. Preservation Hall Jazz Band – “One Hundred Fires (Live in Seattle, WA 2019)”

Good Music To Avert The Collapse Of American Democracy is out 09/04 via Grandstand. Pre-order it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Boston Celtics are off to a hot start in their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup against the Toronto Raptors, having seized a commanding 2-0 series lead behind a 102-99 win in Game 2 on Tuesday night in Orlando. Jayson Tatum was the high scorer with 34 points on the night, but it was Marcus Smart who made his imprint on Tuesday.

Smart was everywhere in Game 2, but it was his five three-pointers in the fourth quarter that helped seal the victory and put the Raptors in an 0-2 hole. Smart’s long-range shooting has improved significantly the past two seasons after posting middling numbers from the behind the arc earlier in his career.

But with Smart, you always have to take the yin with the yang, as he committed five turnovers against Toronto and has also retroactively received a very rare $5,000 fine from the league, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, for flopping on a play late in the third quarter as the Raptors ran the fast break.

NBA is fining Boston’s Marcus Smart $5K for flopping in Game 2 victory over Toronto, source tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 2, 2020

Duuuuuude pic.twitter.com/2mGUGtTC2L

— Leigh Ellis (@LeighEllis) September 1, 2020

The referees initially called an offensive foul on Siakam, but eventually overturned it after a coach’s challenge. The last player to get fined for flopping by the league was Patrick Beverley back in November of last year. This is also the first time a player has been hit with a flopping fine in the playoffs since 2016. That player? Marcus Smart.

We are now a month into the NBA Playoffs which means one thing: We have now all seen the same 5-10 commercials a thousand times.

It happens every year for sports fans, whether during playoff time or March Madness. The leading sponsors of the league run commercial after commercial for months on end until you are Stockholm Syndrome’d into reciting them line for line. The NBA Playoffs have been no different, but with four games per day to start the first round it was amplified, if anything, by watching as many games as we have.

With that in mind, it’s time to rank the five most frequent national ads from worst to best, starting with the one that is probably stuck in your head right now.

5. “Tara Tara Look At Her Go”

It’s time to talk about the Idina Menzel commercial for Geico. I will give them credit for creating a stupid jingle so catchy it can’t help but worm its way into your brain and get stuck there for days, but I cannot watch it any longer without speaking out on the upsetting falsity of the lyrics. There is no way you could mistake “taxidermy” for “tax attorney” by reading it wrong. You could hear it wrong or write it down wrong, but in now way do those two things look remotely similar. It’s upsetting, and I don’t like it.

The Stamos knitting ad is far superior in that it doesn’t get stuck in your head (and yes I know that’s a feature, not a bug) and doesn’t have a line that drives me insane because it makes no sense.

4. “We’re all on our telephoneses”

Snoop Dogg is a delight in almost all cases, but this one is wearing on me quickly because for some reason it’s the only spot from this campaign they play on NBA broadcasts. Even the incessant insurance ads have a few different options. That said, Snoop’s robe is, truly, astounding in this ad and he remains one of the coolest people on the planet.

3. Joel Deserves Better

It is objectively hilarious that this commercial is still airing as often as it is after the Sixers got trounced in the first round. “Joel deserves better” takes on a whole different meaning after he got little help from his teammates against the Celtics in the first round and now there is significant discussion about a roster overhaul in Philly. Even Embiid gets the irony of all of this.

2. Return of the Mack

I’m never mad about hearing the Mark Morrison classic. As for content, support small businesses! It’s a good message, but this is all about “Return of the Mack.”

1. “Who Else Reads Books About Submarines?”

It upsets me how much I enjoy these ads, despite having seen them for months now. They are both hilarious and serve as PSAs to people who actually do these things in public, such as talking on speakerphone in a store and offering unsolicited advice.

I saw someone with blue hair out in public like a month ago and quoted this word for word. It was delightful. I hope this campaign usurps Flo and continues for years.

I had the chance to see Conan O’Brien film an episode of Conan at the Appollo Theater 752 years ago when people went to theaters and saw shows. It was a truly interesting thing to see (they literally waste no time and everything they shoot goes into a show — it’s wild), but for everyone on stage, it was probably pretty routine. That’s what happens when you’ve done something a few thousand times. But in the midst of COVID, routine things have obviously gone by the wayside. And apparently Conan misses staring out from the stage to see people’s faces instead of a bunch of seatbacks and judgey ghosts (all theaters are haunted, that’s just science). Which is why he’s turning to a method used by Major League Baseball to fake out the look of having an actual in-person audience when he records at The Largo while respecting social distancing rules.

As seen on last night’s episode, the initial experiment is a little weird and a little thin. Four Kevin Harts, a James Comey, Conrad Bain from Diff’rent Strokes, Ruth Bader Ginsburg… these were the options that were laying around (no word on what happened to the other six Kevin Harts that make a complete set), but they want to “flesh” out future shows (for the foreseeable future) with fan submissions via Team Coco. Yes, your face could be staring at Conan O’Brien’s increasingly untameable hair while he stares back at you, wondering why you chose that shirt or why asymmetry alludes you. And yes, clothing is mandatory. But a smile is not. So if you want to look like you’re standing for an insurance photograph in the dust bowl during the lean times gritting your way through life, that’s your prerogative. Same if you want to look as though you’re laughing your ass off.

I’m personally going to send in something that screams stoic eroticism. Like a Buckingham Palace guard, I want to shock Conan out of his game for a split second. Or maybe I’ll send in a GIF of the Steve Guttenberg cutout from the El DeBarge “Who’s Johnny” music video from Short Circuit. How do you put a GIF on a cardboard cut out? Not my problem. Besides, look at that smile. That’s exactly the audience you want.

Hearing the right words, at the right time, from the right person can have a tremendously positive effect on our lives. Good advice can help us get through the toughest times or avoid getting into trouble altogether.

But, of course, receiving good advice only really matters if we put it into use and share it with others.

Reddit user noob_24 asked the online forum, “What is the best advice you have ever received? The advice that has impacted your life the most?” and some of the answers are truly life-changing.

The advice ranged from simple ways to look at complex problems to lessons on how to treat your spouse or friends.

Here are 12 of the best responses.

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“Use your vacation hours, and don’t be afraid to call in sick every now and then either”. No need to work like a dog and ignore your benefits to please a boss who doesn’t notice. Vacation/staycation days are gems that everyone should take!” — CBtheNomad

“My current boss says something as a joke that has helped me a lot more than he realizes, I am a mechanic but am not always the most confident (even when I know what I’m doing). He says “only one way to fix it, fix it.” Weirdly enough it always makes me focus and remember there’s no secret trick he knows that I dont, just got to do it. Applied that to other areas of my life and it helps so much more than I would have thought.” — gumbypunk95

“Under promise and over deliver.” — Ajegwu

“Marriage shouldn’t be a 50/50 split. It should be a 60/40 split where both are trying to be the 60%.” — fluggelhorn

“Do your future self a favor. This relates to prepping for the next day (clothes ironed, lunch packed) to saving money to making healthy choices. It makes for easier decisions and a better life.” — smom

“Nobody’s looking at you. They’re worrying about how they look.” — the-keen-one

“When my late wife was initially diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, a friend who had lost his wife to the same disease a few years earlier took me aside and told me, ‘When this nightmare is over you have to be proud of yourself.’ Over the next 3+ years she fought valiantly and I lived my life and based my decisions on that piece of advice from my friend. I quit my 75% travel job to spend time and help care for her – I would never wish o spent another night in a Hampton Inn rather than with her. I cashed out my 401(k) and Pension so that she could live comfortably and we wouldn’t be scrimping and saving – I have decades to rebuild a plan for retirement. I will not have decades to spend with the woman I loved. She has since passed away and I am so incredibly thankful for that advice and for my following that advice. I am proud of myself and how much I loved her. I thank my friend every time I see him.” — liquidreno

“I posted it elsewhere, but my step-dad once told me that: If there is a problem and you know the solution, you can solve it, so stop worrying about it. If there is a problem you can’t solve, then there is nothing you can do, so stop worrying about it.” — RealistMissy

“If you are ashamed to tell people what you are doing, you shouldn’t be doing it.” — LeeciXo

“What you did wasn’t wrong, it was illegal. There’s a difference.
My dad to me when I got caught with a bit of weed and thrown in a jail cell at 17.” — Dragonet17

“When I was 19 I got busted selling drugs and got some time for it. 2 months in my girlfriend at the time admitted she had slept with someone and on the jail pay phone I lost my shit on her. I was mean. .. This mid-30s guy from Maryland I had made semi friends with asked me what was wrong so I played out what she had done in an unpleasant way. Jeff looks at me and says, ‘doesn’t she have your kid?’ I respond ‘yeah and she’s out doing that with a 6 month old at home.’ Jeff pauses for a long moment, looks me dead in the eye and replies ‘Do you think you are the hero of her story?’ I don’t know why but that hit me like a bus being pushed by a crashing plane.

I wasn’t even the hero of my OWN story and I had gone to jail after knocking her up because I wouldn’t (couldn’t really but I got myself into addiction) stop being a selfish ass. She wanted to break up with me but was having a hard time with it and she felt all alone in the world and uncared for and grabbed at the first person that showed her attention. Who am I to destroy the story of her life and expect something in return?

I gave it a couple days and called her back, told her I was sorry and I understand, I would never do that again and she deserved to be happy. I told her that no matter what I would straighten out and take care of our daughter and give her room to live her life. She said it was more adult than she thought I was capable of and wanted to start with a clean slate when I got out. 21 years later we are still together.

I will NEVER forget Jeff and him saying “Do you think you are the hero of her story?” It changed me fundamentally and all I want is to not be the villain in someone else’s story ever again.” — khavii

“I was in a pretty negative place in college, being quite cynical and sarcastic and really insecure with myself, so much that I was ragging on friends and generally trying to build myself up by putting other people down (you know the type, the friend who thinks he’s busting chops but really is kinda just being a dick). My well-liked, popular roommate/friend noticed this and sent me this little bit, which I always hang onto:

‘Immediately stop picking on peoples weaknesses, do what I do, expose their qualities and strengths, it makes them feel good about themselves and you too for noticing. When you make people feel good when you’re around, they are going to remember that feeling whenever you show up, you’ll be well received and missed often. Plus don’t you want your friends to feel good about themselves?’

It made me re-visit the way I’d been treating people around me.” — DangerousPushon

This inspired Saturniqa to share a story about a friend who’s “universally loved.”

“This! One of my friends is universally beloved and the most popular person I’ve ever known. He has a big circle of close friends (real ones and not including good acquaintances) who are extremely protective of him and deeply care about him. I kid you not, everytime we hang out, 1 – 3 people on the street stop and greet him heartily with a hug, chat with him for a few minutes before they move on. It’s insane.

Since I struggle often in social situations (Asperger’s), I started observing him whenever he interacted with me or others, in the hope of learning something. I noticed:

He never talks badly about others, regardless of whether this person is present or not.
He never partakes in trash talk, even when everyone in the group does.
If he talks about someone, he only mentions their positive qualities without exaggerations or brown-nosing. If someone pissed him off, he tells the story in a way that is focused on the situation itself and the way it made him feel.
He always praises others for their big and small achievements. There are no traces of pettiness, jealousy or envy. You know he means it.

He shares other’s happiness over things he doesn’t have. Like, when one of his wealthy friends buys a second fancy car while he can’t afford a single one, he’ll still be like “Wow, nice man! Let me take a ride or two with this one.” They’ll drive around, have lots of fun and go have a drink. He also openly compliments a male friend’s super fit body without fearing he might come off as “gay” and is proud and supportive when that friend gets female attention like he always does even though he (my friend) himself isn’t particularly trained and didn’t have a serious relationship until recently (he’s 26).

Yeah, I love this guy.”