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When Michael Todd started his freshman year at MLK prep school in Memphis, Tennessee two years ago, he only had one outfit to wear to school. High school kids can be incredibly cruel and Michael was mocked for three weeks for wearing the same clothes every day.

“I really don’t have clothes at home,” he told KTVI. “My mom can’t buy clothes for me because I’m growing too fast.”

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Kristopher Graham, a football player at MLK Prep, thought the bullying had gone too far and wanted to do something to help. “When I saw people laugh at him and bully him, I felt like I needed to do something,” Kristopher said. He texted his friend Antwan Garrett asking for help.

The next day, Michael was taken out of third period and when he stepped out of the classroom he was approached by Kristopher and Antwan. He froze with nervousness when he saw the two football players stopped him by the lockers.

Football players give student clothes

“I want to apologize to you for laughing at you and I want to give you something to make it up,” Kristopher told Michael. The football players handed Michael a gift, bags full of shirts, shorts, and shoes.

Michael couldn’t believe the football players’ kindness.

“I’ve been bullied my entire life.” But getting the gift was “awesome,” he said according to USA Today. “The best day of my entire life, basically.”

Video of the gift exchange went viral and has been seen millions of times. A few weeks later, the three teenagers were invited to appear on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” where they were greeted by Will Smith who gave them $10,000 each.

Antwan plans to use the money for trade school to become a diesel engine mechanic and Kristopher wants to invest his portion.

Antwan helped Michael because he understood what he was going through.

“We weren’t expecting the video to go viral. We just wanted to make a change,” Antwan said according to Commercial Appeal. “I know how it feel not to have nothin’. I don’t have much, but it made me feel better by seeing somebody else have. I haven’t had like the best of life. Everybody struggles.”

“My life has changed from sleeping in a house without no lights. With what is going on the outside affected me in school,” Antwan added. “I didn’t want to be in school. I wanted to help Michael and make him happy and it made me happy.”

The good deed was also commemorated by the Memphis City Council who honored the teens with a resolution and a round of applause.

Kristopher and Antwan are wonderful examples of what can happen when teens are taught that they have a responsibility to one another. While countless kids mocked Michael for something well beyond his control, they saw his plight as an opportunity to drastically change his life by taking action.

Just imagine if everyone saw others’ misfortune as an opportunity to help instead of judge.

This article originally appeared on 07.10.21

People who decide not to have children are often unfairly judged by those who chose a different life path. People with children can be especially judgmental to women who’ve decided to opt out of motherhood.

“You will regret it!” is one of the most common phrases lobbed at those who choose to remain childless. Why do people think they’ll have such awful regrets? Because they often say they’ll wind up “lonely and sad” when they’re older.

They also say that life without children is without purpose and that when the childless get older they’ll have no one to take care of them. One of the most patronizing critiques thrown at childless women is that they will never “feel complete” unless they have a child.

However, a lot of these critiques say more about the person doling them out than the person who decides to remain childless. Maybe, just maybe, their life is fulfilling enough without having to reproduce. Maybe, just maybe, they can have a life full of purpose without caring for any offspring.

Maybe the question should be: What’s lacking in your life that you need a child to feel complete?

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Studies show that some people regret being childless when they get older, but they’re in the minority. An Australian researcher found that a quarter of child-free women came to regret the decision once they were past child-bearing age and began contemplating old age alone.

People revealed the reasons they’ve decided to be childless in an article by The Upshot. The top answers were the desire for more leisure time, the need to find a partner and the inability to afford child care. A big reason that many women decide not to have children is that motherhood feels like more of a choice these days, instead of a foregone conclusion as it was in previous decades.

Reddit user u/ADreamyNightOwl asked a “serious” question about being childless to the AskReddit subforum and received a lot of honest answers. They asked “People over 50 that chose to be childfree, do you regret your decision? Why or why not?”

The people who responded are overwhelmingly happy with their decision not to have children. A surprising number said they felt positive about their decision because they thought they’d be a lousy parent. Others said they were happy to have been able to enjoy more free time than their friends and family members who had kids.

Here are some of the best responses to the Askreddit question.

1. Never had any desire.

“I explain it to people like this – you know that feeling you get where you just can’t wait to teach your kid how to play baseball? or whatever it is you want to share with them? I don’t have that. Its basically a lack of parental instinct. Having children was never something I aspired to. My SO is the same way.

“Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against children. And I get really angry at people who harm them or mistreat them. I just never wanted my own.” — IBeTrippin

2. No desire. No regrets.

“Nope. It was never something I wanted. No regrets.” — BornaCrone

3. Mixed feelings.

“I have mixed feelings. I don’t care much for children and I think it would have been disastrous for us to have them. I was also able to retire at 52. Pretty sure that wouldn’t have happened with kids. So yeah, absolutely the right decision.
But I love my family and I do wonder what it would be like to have my own, to teach my child the things I know and not to be without someone who cares about me at the time of my death.

“But again, absolutely the right decision and at 55 I’m very happy NOT to have them. This is reinforced every time I’m exposed to other people’s kids.” — ProfessorOzone

4. They never visit.

“My wife worked at a nursing home for years. Imagine seeing for years that over 95% of old people never have family visit. Till they die and people want a piece of the pie. This when I learned that the whole ‘well who is gonna visit you or take care of you when you’re older’ line is complete bullshit. We decided to not have kids ever after that. Made great friends and saw the world. No regrets.” — joevilla1369

5. It wasn’t an option.

“I don’t necessarily regret not having them, but I regret the fact that I wasn’t in a healthy enough relationship where I felt I COULD have children. I regret not being stronger to leave the abuse earlier, if I had been stronger, I think maybe I could have had the choice at least. So yeah… I have regrets.” — MaerakiStudioMe

6. Grandkids are cooler.

“No. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to marry my husband. He had two sons from his first marriage and a vasectomy. He was worried because I was so young (comparatively, he’s 10 years older). I did think it over seriously and concluded that a life with him compared to a life without him but (perhaps!) with a baby I didn’t even have yet was what I wanted. It worked out for us, we’ve been together for 26 years. As a bonus I have 9 grandchildren. All the fun without the work of the raising!” — Zublor

7. I’d be a bad parent.

“Not one bit. I have never believed that I would be a good parent. I have a short temper, and while I don’t think I would have been physically abusive, my words and tone of voice would be harsh in a very similar way to my own father. I wasn’t happy growing up with that kind parent and I wouldn’t want to subject any child to that kind of parenting.” — Videoman7189

8. I’d rather be the cool aunt and uncle.

“No and I found a partner who feels the same. We are the cool aunt and uncle.” — laudinum

9. Loneliness is underrated.

“54 yrs.old. I’ve lived the past 30 years alone. Presently my dog and I are chillin’ in a nice hotel on a spur of the moment vacation. I’d maybe be a grandfather by now?! I can’t imagine what it would be like to have family. I picture a life lived more “normally” sometimes. All sunshine and roses, white picket fence, etc. but I realize real life isn’t like that. No I don’t regret being childfree or wifefree for that matter. My life can be boring at times but then I look back at all the drama that comes with relationships and think I’ve dodged a bullet. I spent 20 years trying to find a wife to start a family. Then I realized the clock had run out, so fuck it, all the money I’d saved for my future family would be spent on myself. Hmmmmm…what do I want to buy myself for Christmas?” — Hermits_Truth

10. No diaper changes and no regrets.

“Nope. I never had the urge to change diapers or lose sleep, free time and most of my earnings. Other people’s kids are great. Mostly because they are other people’s. When people ask ‘Who will take care of you when you’re old’ I tell them that when I’m 75 I will adopt a 40-year-old.” — fwubglubbel

11. Zero desire.

“I’m 55 (F) and never wanted children. I just don’t much like them, and 20+ years of motherhood sounded (and still sounds) like a prison sentence. Maternal af when it comes to cats and dogs, but small humans? No chance.

“And I’m very happy to be childless. Cannot imagine my life any other way.” — GrowlKitty

12. D.I.N.K.

“Dual income no kids = great lifestyle!” — EggOntheRun

13. Some regrets

“Over 50 and child free. My only regret is that my wife would have been a great mother, and sometimes I feel like I deprived her of that, even though we both agreed we didn’t want kids. Sometimes I wonder if I pushed her into that decision. She works with the elderly every day and sees a lot of lonely folks so it gets to her sometimes. I was always afraid I’d screw up the parenting thing, so I was never really interested in the idea. I’m a loner by nature though.” — Johnny-Virgil

This article originally appeared on 02.08.22

Over the long weekend, on September 1, Jimmy Buffett died at 76 years old. A statement on the “Margaritaville” singer’s website reported that he had been fighting Merkel Cell Skin Cancer for four years. Aside from music, Buffett was a successful author, with best-selling books on the New York Times‘ best-seller lists for both fiction and non-fiction. He was also an incredibly successful businessman: A few months ago, he landed on the Forbes billionaires list for the first time thanks to his Margaritaville restaurants, stores, and hotels.

Ultimately, though, the music was the bedrock of it all, and he stayed committed to delivering good times right until the end: On July 2, he showed up at the Sunset Cove café in Portsmouth, Rhode Island for an unannounced surprise performance, which saw him play, among other hits, “Margaritaville” for the final time.

As Rhode Island’s WJAR reports, Buffett’s band member Mac McAnally was scheduled to perform that day, and as Sunset Cove owner Mike MacFarlane tells it, “Mac got a hold of me and said, ‘Hey, Jimmy wants to come up and do a few songs. What do you think?’ And I said, ‘Let’s find a way to make it happen.’ It was just impromptu. Just wanted to get out of the house.”

Buffett was in Long Island at the time, so he flew up to Portsmouth and played a surprise 45-minute set.

MacFarlane noted Sunset Cove is currently working on commemorative T-shirts of the performance and proceeds from sales will go to charity.

The fact that beavers build dams is one of nature’s coolest features. Gathering and stacking tree branches, rocks, grass and mud across a river so they can build their homes underwater is a unique instinct among the animals—and a strong one.

Apparently, it’s so strong that beavers will build dams anywhere, including inside a human’s house using whatever items they can find.

A video shared by Dr. Holley Muraco, director of research at the Mississippi Aquarium, shows a female beaver named Sawyer busily gathering stuffed animals, blankets, Christmas decorations, wrapping paper and more to build a dam in a hallway, and it’s seriously the most delightful thing ever.

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Sawyer pauses once in a while to assess her work, which is adorable. And her ongoing struggle with SpongeBob SquarePants’ legs is a must-see.

If you’re concerned about seeing natural animal behavior like this in an unnatural habitat, don’t worry. Muraco explains that Sawyer spends most of her time outdoors with other beavers, but also likes to come in the house occasionally. More on Sawyer’s life story below, but first, behold her adorableness at work:

Sawyer is one of three orphaned beavers Muraco is rehabbing at her home with the help of Woodside Wildlife Rescue.

“Sawyer is one of a kind,” Muraco tells Upworthy. “Very opinionated and, as crazy as it sounds, intelligent. I raised Sawyer on a bottle in our home and then introduced her to Huck and Finn who are a bit older. All three were orphaned separately when their parents were killed. The three were sent to Woodside Wildlife to be raised as siblings.”

Sawyer, Huck and Finn. Perfection.

Muraco says Sawyer started building dams in her kennel as a tiny baby and then moved on to building bigger dams in the hallway. She lives outside with Huck and Finn, but she walks to Muraco’s back door when she wants to go inside to check on things and build a new dam.

Muraco says beavers are very social creatures and do better living in a group, but are also one of the most difficult animals to rehab. They have to spend up to two years with rehabbers, which is how long they would spend with their parents in the wild, and caring for them is challenging due to their complex and sensitive digestive needs. They are also prone to illness and there’s a lot that’s still unknown about vet care for them. Muraco says beavers are also considered a nuisance animal, especially in Mississippi, so it can be hard to find a safe place to release them.

In Muraco’s care, Sawyer, Huck and Finn get ample opportunities to practice instinctive behaviors, which is a vital element of rehabilitation. The ultimate goal is for them to return to the wild once they meet key milestones.

Raising beavers is a lot of work, but Muraco is dedicated to preparing these young ‘uns for life after rehab, both for their own good and for the environment. “Beavers are a keystone species and are often critical for healthy wetlands,” she explains. They are misunderstood creatures and are sometimes killed by people who simply see them as pests, which is one reason Muraco publicly shares her adventures with Sawyer, Huck and Finn.

“We are so excited that people are enjoying watching the beavers and falling in love with this unusual, quirky rodent,” she says.

If anyone wants to support these beaver rescue efforts, Muraco invites people to donate to Woodside Wildlife Rescue.

This article originally appeared on 01.13.23

To wrap up August, Kanye West and supposed wife Bianca Censori (the two apparently got “married” in a non-legally binding ceremony) took a boat ride in Venice, Italy. The problem with that seemingly innocent tourist activity, though, was, as paparazzi photos showed, that West’s butt was out. Now it appears Venezia Turismo Motoscafi, the company that rented the boat to West and Censori, didn’t love what happened and banned the two for life.

This is according to Daily Mail, who notes the company said in a statement, “On board, the driver had to keep a lookout for traffic and did not see these obscenities. If this had happened, he would have immediately disembarked and reported the transgressors to those in authority. In addition, there was a third person on board the taxi, who accompanied Mr. and Mrs. West, who obstructed the captain’s view to the stern in any case.”

The statement adds, “We completely dissociate ourselves from such acts and behaviour. Mr. West and his wife will certainly no longer be welcome on board our company’s boats.”

After the photos surfaced, it was reported that Kim Kardashian was “embarrassed and worried” for her ex-husband, although later reports indicated she’s not “concerned” about his antics unless it impacts their shared children.

Social media spats usually end in ugly words or blocking people—unless you’re Patton Oswalt.

Actor and comedian Patton Oswalt has made a name for himself off-screen as a blunt yet caring, compassionate human. His raw openness after his wife’s unexpected passing and his willingness to engage in conversations about depression and dadhood after her death has touched people’s hearts and opened people’s minds.

And once again on Twitter, Oswalt has proven that he is unquestionably one of the most kind-hearted dudes in Hollywood.

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Oswalt shared that a man who attacked him on Twitter needed help, then encouraged people to help him.

Twitter user Michael Beatty had replied to Oswalt’s response to one of Trump’s tweet with “I just realized why I was so happy you died in Blade Trinity!” and “And you shoot basketball ike [sic] the sawed off little man you are.”

Rather than let endless insults fly back and forth until someone finally gave up, as is Twitter tradition, Oswalt dug a bit deeper and came up with this gem:

— (@)

“Aw, man,” he wrote. “This dude just attacked me on Twitter and I joked back but then I looked at his timeline and he’s in a LOT of trouble health-wise. I’d be pissed off too. He’s been dealt some shitty cards — let’s deal him some good ones. Click and donate — just like I’m about to.”

Beatty, a Vietnam veteran, had shared a GoFundMe describing a recent, harrowing two-week hospitalization battling sepsis, a potentially fatal blood infection, and struggles in managing his diabetes throughout. When Oswalt saw the link, he shared it with his followers and encouraged people to donate to this man who’d had nothing but nasty things to say to him.

Oswalt donated $2000 himself toward the man’s $5000 goal. A mere few hours later, his followers pushed it over $12,000.

As of the writing of this article, the GoFundMe has raised almost $13,000. Beatty responded with a humble, sincere message for Oswalt:

— (@)

“Patton,” he wrote. “You have humbled me to the point where I can barely compose my words. You have caused me to take pause and reflect on how harmful words from my mouth could result in such an outpouring. Thank you for this and I will pass this on to my cousin who needs help. A cascade.”

Beatty followed that up with another tweet thanking everyone who donated:

— (@)

People have responded to Oswalt’s kindness and Beatty’s response with hope that such actions may change people’s hearts.

And Oswalt, always the jokester, responded to Beatty’s Tweet with sarcastic humor.

— (@)

Keep up the awesome humaning, Patton Oswalt. We need more of you in the world.

This article originally appeared on 01.24.19

The Electric Zoo Festival went down in New York City this weekend, and things did not go as planned.

There were issues from the very start, as the fest’s first day (September 1) was canceled just hours before it was set to commence. A statement from festival organizers read in part, “It is with a broken heart that we deeply regret to inform you that, despite our tireless efforts and round-the-clock commitment, we have made the painful decision to cancel the first day of Electric Zoo. This year has presented unparalleled challenges for everyone. The global supply chain disruptions have impacted industries worldwide, and, sadly, our beloved festival has not been immune. These unexpected delays have prevented us from completing the construction of the main stage in time for Day 1.”

Then there was Day 2, which also hit a bit of a snag. Organizers explained, “We are thrilled to announce that we’re opening the festival doors today, but will need to do this two hours later than initially planned, at 3pm. […] We understand that yesterday’s delay has been disappointing, but rest assured that our production team has been working tirelessly to ensure that everything is in place for an extraordinary experience. Your safety, enjoyment, and the quality of our festival are our top priorities.”

Things went sideways on Day 3 yesterday: At 6:35 p.m., organizers announced in a statement, “It is with deep regret that we need to inform you that due to the challenges caused by Friday cancelation, we have reached our venue’s capacity earlier than anticipated for today, Sunday. For the safety and well-being of everyone on site, we will not be admitting any additional attendees today. If you are on your way or were planning to come later, we kindly ask that you refrain from coming to the festival site.”

Some ticketholders didn’t take this news well: ABC7NY reports that after being told they wouldn’t be allowed into the festival, some attendees started “pushing their way in, rushing the gates, jumping over and crawling through a security checkpoint, then running into the festival.”

Check out some videos of the chaos below.

LSU and Florida State met on Sunday night in the biggest game of the college football weekend, as the only top 10 matchup on the Week 1 schedule. After a wild game a year ago, things picked up where they left off with both teams creating huge chunk plays on offense in the first quarter, but also shot themselves in the foot some to keep things tied at 7-7 going into the second.

LSU in particular would’ve felt like they left a lot on the field early on, as they got stopped on six plays inside the five yard line, failing to put points on the board on their opening drive. After redeeming themselves with a touchdown drive on their second possession, they took over in a tie game and again marched into FSU territory. Jayden Daniels showed his talents throwing and running, but learned a painful lesson about trying to hurdle defenders when he decided to leap over the line in front of him and got absolutely smoked by FSU star defender Jared Verse, who saw an opportunity to put a monster hit on the QB and did not miss.

Hurdling defenders is always a dicey decision, but trying a hurdle in the middle of the line and not going for a touchdown is just a truly terrible choice to make. It really looks like a move you’d see in a wrestling ring, as Daniels gets lifted even higher off the backs of the guys he tries hurdling, straight into the waiting arms of Verse who delivers one of the cleanest monster hits we will likely see all season in college football.

Daniels is a terrific athlete, but this will hopefully serve as a reminder to him that even he has some limits and those limits are hurdling an entire defensive front seven. Luckily, he popped up from this massive hit, but it’s not a guarantee when you get hit after leaving your feet like that that you will bounce up as quickly.

On Thursday (August 31), users raved online about a stray dog that went to SoFi Stadium to attend Metallica’s M72 World Tour stop in Inglewood, California, on August 27. As odd as the canine’s journey to the SoFi Stadium, considering it couldn’t even join the band’s epic mosh pit. Its animal instincts must’ve given him a hint that the band would be taking a brief hiatus soon.

Yesterday (September 2), via the band’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, a representative revealed that their show scheduled for tonight (September 3) at Phoenix, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium was postponed.

In the group’s statement, they shared that lead vocalist James Hetfield had contracted COVID, which forced them to pull the plug. The show has been rescheduled to September 9 in the hopes that Hetfield is fully recovered by then. For ticketholders who cannot attend the new date, they did list refund options.

Read the complete statement below.

NIGHT TWO IN GLENDALE IS RESCHEDULED TO SEPTEMBER 9!

We’re very sorry to report that tomorrow’s scheduled M72 date at State Farm Stadium has been postponed to Saturday, September 9, 2023, as, unfortunately, COVID has caught up with James. We’re extremely disappointed and regret any inconvenience this has caused you; we look forward to returning to complete the M72 No Repeat Weekend in Glendale next Saturday.

All tickets for September 3 will be honored at the September 9 show. For more information, including refund details, if you cannot join next weekend, please visit http://SeatGeek.com. Keep your eyes on http://Metallica.com and our socials for additional details and updates.

PS: All M72 Weekend Takeover events scheduled for today and tomorrow (9/2 and 9/3) are still happening.

In addition to their ongoing tour, Metallica is also set to perform live at Power Trip Festival, slated to go down in October.

Smash Mouth’s former frontman, Steve Harwell, retired from music in 2021. In a bizarre video clip dating back to the time, Harwell is seen onstage disorientated as he attempts to get through a song. Since then, he has kept a relatively low profile.

According to a report from Variety, his fade from fame’s birth light was partly due to Harwell’s health. Today (September 3), TMZ has dropped a bombshell update on his condition. The outlet has shared that Harwell is allegedly near death, or as the publisher stressed, “[Harwell] is on his death bed with only a few days to live.”

A source claiming to be the manager of Harwell went on record to share that his past alcohol abuse has taken an intense physical toll. They added that Harwell is in the final stage of liver failure. Harwell also dealt with cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and Wernicke’s encephalopathy over the years.

After announcing his retirement in 2021, he issued a statement about his time spent with his bandmates.

“Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of being a Rockstar performing in front of sold-out arenas and have been so fortunate to live out that dream. To my bandmates, it’s been an honor performing with you all these years, and I can’t think of anyone else I would have rather gone on this wild journey with,” Harwell gleefully declared.