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History has been made in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. On Friday night in the Sweet 16, San Diego State took down Alabama and Miami knocked off Houston, a pair of upsets that made it so there were no longer and 1-seeds left in the field. As a result, this year’s tournament marked the first time in history that no team with a 1 next to their name made it to the Elite Eight in the men’s or women’s tournaments.

The Crimson Tide, the No. 1 overall seed in the field, ran into the issue that was San Diego State’s ruthless defense. The team shot a paltry 23-for-71 (32.4 percent) from the field and 3-for-27 (11.1 percent) from behind the three-point line, with star forward Brandon Miller in particular struggling, as he scored nine points on 3-for-19 shooting with 11 rebounds, three assists, and six turnovers. And while the Aztecs weren’t much more efficient — 26-for-69 and 6-for-17 from three — they were just a little bit better and their defense gave Bama headaches, while veteran guard Darrion Trammell led them with 21 points.

While Alabama couldn’t hit a shot, Houston’s opponent on the night could not miss. The Cougars and their usually stingy defense ran into a scorching hot night by the Hurricanes, which won 89-75, the most that the AAC champions allowed in a game this season. Every Miami player hit double-digits on the evening, with Nijel Pack’s 26 points on 7-for-10 from behind the three-point line and Isaiah Wong’s 20 leading the way.

Previously, Purdue got upset by Fairleigh Dickinson in the opening round, while Kansas fell to Arkansas in the round of 32. Two more game, Princeton vs. Creighton and Xavier vs. Texas, will determine the rest of the field in the Regional Semifinals.

Disney’s live-action version of The Little Mermaid is one of this spring’s most anticipated films. This week, as we are less than two months out, Halle Bailey, who plays Ariel in the upcoming film, was seen at Disney World. A young fan spotted her and gave her a hug, holding onto Bailey as Bailey held the girl tight.

The fan’s mom shared a clip of the interaction to her Instagram stories, and though there is a lot of background noise in the clip, we can hear the mom telling Bailey, “Ariel’s her favorite.”

Bailey is also heard in the clip telling the mom, “she’s so beautiful and sweet.”

Later, Bailey shared the clip to her own social media pages, writing, “she made my whole day” on Twitter.

A first look at the live-action Little Mermaid was revealed last September. Upon the release, several parents shared clips of their young Black daughters’ reactions to the teaser, many of which were joyful and elated.

Bailey took to Twitter at the time to express her happiness toward the reactions over the teaser.

“people have been sending these reactions to me all weekend and i’m in truly in awe,” she wrote. “this means the world to me.”

The Little Mermaid arrives to theaters 5/23.

A man allegedly traveled from North Carolina to Los Angeles to visit Rihanna at her home, TMZ, is reporting. But before he could meet her, the man was reportedly greeted by the “Work” hitmaker’s security. Soon after the cops were called to Rihanna’s home, and immediately put the man in handcuffs.

According to TMZ, the man was planning to propose to Rihanna, who is currently expecting her second child with ASAP Rocky. Authorities reportedly found that the man had not broken the law, but was evidently asked to never return to her home again.

At the time of writing, neither Rihanna nor ASAP Rocky have directly commented on the matter.

Earlier this week, Rihanna had a more pleasant interaction with a fan while she was out shopping. Stas Roimen, a Kenyan content creator based in LA, shared videos and selfies of her with the superstar, whom she ran into at Bristol Farms.

According to Roimen, it was a lovely encounter.

“I had such a genuine long conversation with her; I almost forgot to take a photo,” said Roimen in the caption of an Instagram post. “I can’t wait to interview you @badgalriri one of these days. Our convo & your kindness lives rent free in my mind FOREVER EVER.”

The first half of Friday’s game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the San Diego State Aztecs in the Sweet 16 could be kindly described as a defensive battle. Alabama’s potent offense featuring projected top-5 pick Brandon Miller only shot 27 percent from the field and 1-for-11 on threes. San Diego State did its best to out-shoot its opponent by going 32 percent from the field in the first half. Both teams played a very physical brand of basketball, but sometimes the pressures of a single-elimination tournament can morph physicality into the absurd.

Here is an example of that. With five minutes remaining in the half, Alabama’s Jahvon Quinerly went to box out San Diego State’s Nathan Mensah and got a little more than he bargained for.

It’s not often you see a player boxing out called for a flagrant, but apparently, grabbing someone under the butt like you’re trying to give them a piggyback ride is not a basketball play. Then again, you could argue that a piggyback ride should be a common foul and not a flagrant — the contact was not excessive and Quinerly was simply trying to hold his San Diego State opponent in the air so that he would land softly. With Alabama facing elimination and on pace to score a season-low 46 points, it’s hard to blame Quinerly for trying to maximize their possessions.

It looks like the Hailey Bieber vs. Selena Gomez saga could finally be coming to an end. Over the past few weeks, fans of both the influencer and the pop singer have been engaged in social media fan wars, after the respective entertainers posted cryptic videos and photos seemingly taking shots at each other. This morning (March 24), Gomez took to her Instagram stories to urge her fans and followers to stop sending hate to Bieber.

“This isn’t what I stand for,” said Gomez. “No one should have to experience hate or bullying. I’ve always advocated for kindness and really want this all to stop.”

Later in the day, Bieber wrote on her own Instagram stories, thanking Gomez for her directive to her fans.

“Things can always be taken out of context or construed differently than they were intended,” said Bieber. “We all need to be more thoughtful about what we post and what we say, including myself.”

Does this mean their alleged feud is all over? Let’s hope so. We don’t need any inspiration for the second season of Swarm.

You can see Bieber’s full message below.

“I want to thank Selena for speaking out, as her and I have been discussing the past few weeks how to move past this ongoing narrative between her and I.

The last few weeks have been very hard for everyone involved and millions of people are seeing so much hate around this which is extremely harmful. While social media is an incredible way to connect and build community, moments like this only create extreme division instead of bringing people together.

Things can always be taken out of context or construed differently than they were intended. We all need to be more thoughtful about what we post and what we say, including myself. In the end, I believe love will always be bigger than hate and negativity, and there is always an opportunity to meet each other with more empathy and compassion.”

Flavored whiskey is a divisive sector of the spirits world. Flavored bourbons, favored gins, and flavored spirits in general always feel like they’re hiding something sinister (crappy booze, usually). After all, do we really need a “chocolate whiskey” when we have plenty of well-made whiskeys (from all categories) that can coax those flavors from the yeast, grain, and oak naturally without additives?

Moreover, the sweetness of a lot of flavored whiskeys can be an assault on your taste buds — muting pretty much everything else.

On the other hand, flavored whiskeys can be fun and inspired. If the flavored whiskey in question delivers on what’s promised on the label with more nuance than just a sugar bomb, then it can actually shine. And as someone who judges this stuff at international spirits competitions, I can assure you that there is some good flavored whiskey out there (alongside a fair bit of absolute dog shit).

All of this is to say that it’s time for another flavored whiskey blind taste test. I grabbed 12 bottles of new and classic flavored whiskey from my shelf for this tasting. That makes our lineup today the following bottles:

• Jim Beam Red Stag
• Buchanan’s Pineapple
• Stillhouse Peanut Butter S’mores Whiskey
• Hercules Mulligan Eyr & Rye
• Duke & Dame Salted Caramel Flavored Whiskey
• Journeyman Distillery Pit-Spitter Cherry Flavored Whiskey
• American Beach Whiskey Co. Bonfire Cinnamon
• Fireball Cinnamon Whisky
• TX Texas Flavor Series Blended Whiskey with Natural Coffee Flavor
• Stillhouse Apple Crisp Whiskey
• Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey
• Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple

When it comes to ranking these bottles, it’s all about taste. Does the whiskey immediately deliver the flavor profile it’s going for? How real does that flavor feel? And do I know I’m drinking whiskey? These are all important points, sure. But whether it tastes good and is well-balanced is really the most important factor. Let’s dive in!

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Part 1: The Flavored Whiskey Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Cherry bomb. Nothing else.

Palate: That massive sweet cherry candy dominates the palate with a hint of woody bourbon underneath.

Finish: Cherry syrup to the point that this feels like the cherry syrup add-in for Coke.

Initial Thoughts:

This is cherry through and through and so freaking sweet that it hurts my teeth.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Fresh and juicy pineapple pops on the nose with a hint of lemon juice, orange rinds, and grapefruit pith.

Palate: A hint of malted caramel underpins a rush of fresh pineapple juice, pineapple skins, and a pineapple woody core next to malty whisky with a hint of vanilla and winter spice.

Finish: The end feels like a rummy whisky tropical cocktail with plenty of fresh orange, lime, and pineapple and a nice pinch of brown spice.

Initial Thoughts:

This is … delicious. The pineapple is super fresh and vibrant and the whisky is clearly there.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Butterscotch and peanut butter mingle with milk chocolate and a hint of vanilla.

Palate: The taste is all about that chocolate with fresh marshmallows and a touch of butterscotch.

Finish: Chocolate and marshmallow dominate the sweet finish.

Initial Thoughts:

This was a bit muddled — too much cheap butterscotch — but stuck the landing with a clear sense of chocolate and marshmallow.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a mild sense of green rye whiskey with apple skins, mild sour cherry, and bitter spice barks.

Palate: Those spice barks keep the taste bitter with a sense of herbal rye whiskey — dill and pine resin heavy — next to more sour cherry.

Finish: The end really leans into the rye whiskey of it all with a sweet sense of sour cherry and brown sugar.

Initial Thoughts:

This was the most whiskey-forward pour so far. It needs ice to calm down that bitterness though.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is clearly salted caramel on the nose with a mild sweetness and a hint of vanilla and spice.

Palate: The palate is buttery and, well, full of salted caramel.

Finish: The end is very sweet but that sweetness stays attached to that caramel all the way.

Initial Thoughts:

This is salted caramel and nothing else. I like it, but I don’t know if I’m drinking whiskey at all.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Clear whiskey notes mingle with woody cherry on the nose.

Palate: That woody cherry gets bitter and sour on the palate with a mild green whiskey vibe.

Finish: The end is cherry but filtered through tartness and bitterness.

Initial Thoughts:

At least it wasn’t overly sweet.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is a cinnamon bomb that’s countered by fresh — almost wet — fir and pine needles on the nose.

Palate: The taste is like taking in a whole, fresh Christmas wreath decorated with holly berries, cinnamon sticks, and winter botanical bunches.

Finish: Bold cinnamon and fresh fir trees dominate the end.

Initial Thoughts:

This is Christmas in a glass.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is a cinnamon bomb on the nose.

Palate: The palate is like Red Hots or Hot Tamales turned into a drink.

Finish: Very sweet and very sharp cinnamon candies drive the finish home.

Initial Thoughts:

Again, this is Red Hots in a glass. It tastes exactly like those candies with nary a sense of whisky anywhere.

Taste 9

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Thick chili-spiced drip coffee dominates the nose with a hint of sour cherry and maybe some stewed apple.

Palate: That heavy chili-infused coffee drives the palate toward a mild sense of sour cherries dipped in dark chocolate.

Finish: The dark chocolate bitterness melds with the dry red chili on the finish with a slight sense of tart coffee.

Initial Thoughts:

This is a glass of spicy, sour, and bitter coffee.

Taste 10

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Stewed apples, soft caramel, and corn-fueled moonshine pop on the nose.

Palate: Fresh apple cider and uncut oats drive the palate with a hint of caramel and a touch of nuttiness.

Finish: The end feels like good apple cider cut with good ol’ corn-based ‘shine.

Initial Thoughts:

This was pretty good and clearly flavored without too much sweetness.

Taste 11

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Fake peanuts and grain alcohol dominate the nose.

Palate: Plasticky vanilla extract and more fake peanuts arrive on the palate.

Finish: The end is kind of peanutty with an ethanol feel.

Initial Thoughts:

This is hot garbage.

Taste 12

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This has sweet apple cider on the nose, almost Red Delicious, with a sense of the wood apple press.

Palate: The taste continues the apple cider vibe — not the bubbly kind but those little stubby Martinelli’s Apple Cider bottles.

Finish: The end is smooth and leads toward an apple cider oak barrel with a touch of spice.

Initial Thoughts:

This was pretty okay overall. It wasn’t too sweet and there was a sense of whiskey thanks to the woodiness.

Part 2: The Flavored Whiskey Ranking

12. Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey– Taste 11

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $26

The Whiskey:

This flavored whiskey is made with “natural flavors” that present as peanut butter in the whiskey.

Bottom Line:

Skip.

11. TX Texas Flavor Series Blended Whiskey with Natural Coffee Flavor — Taste 9

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $39

The Whiskey:

This Texas-based flavored whiskey is all about Fort Worth coffee flavors. That’s accomplished by combining TX whiskey with coffee from Avoca Coffee Roasters.

Bottom Line:

This tasted weird. The flavors just didn’t come together. I didn’t know if I was tasting a chili-flavored whiskey with bitter coffee/chocolate notes or vice versa. And there was no whiskey flavor at all. Skip.

10. Journeyman Distillery Pit-Spitter Cherry Flavored Whiskey — Taste 6

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $42

The Whiskey:

The base whiskey is made from 60% organic rye and 40% organic wheat up in Michigan. The whiskey is then aged with Michigan Montmorency cherries before bottling.

Bottom Line:

This tastes like chewing on a piece of cherry bark. I’d skip.

9. Jim Beam Red Stag — Taste 1

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $15

The Whiskey:

Beam’s cherry liqueur is cut with standard Jim Beam straight bourbon to create this popular release.

Bottom Line:

This is a cherry bomb and would work with Coke to make a boozy Cherry Coke. That’s about it though. It’s so sweet.

8. Duke & Dame Salted Caramel Flavored Whiskey — Taste 5

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

This starts with a blend of 100% corn whiskeys with a couple of two-year-old bourbons. That juice is mixed with “natural flavors” of salted caramel to create the final product. Amazingly, they’ve made a sweet-flavored whiskey that holds to 1 gram of sugar per serving as well.

Bottom Line:

This tastes exactly like a good salted caramel candy. It doesn’t taste anything like whiskey though. If you’re looking for a great salted caramel syrup with booze in it, then get this.

7. Stillhouse Peanut Butter S’mores Whiskey — Taste 3

ABV: 34.5%

Average Price: $20

The Whiskey:

This new flavored whiskey from Stillhouse (released March 2023) is made with Stillhouse’s corn-based whiskey. The whiskey is flavored with peanut butter, bitter chocolate, and roasted marshmallow via “all-natural flavors.”

Bottom Line:

This was fine. I got way more chocolate and marshmallow than peanut butter, making it kind of muddled in the end.

6. Hercules Mulligan Eyr & Rye — Taste 4

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $49

The Whiskey:

This ready-to-drink (kind of — you’ll have to do the diluting) whiskey is a blend of three American ryes and two Irish whiskeys. That’s flavored with cherry and aromatic bitters to give it a Manhattan vibe.

Bottom Line:

This was fine too. It needed dilution and rock for sure. I don’t know if it’s worth the price though when there are so many great whiskeys at $50 to make Manhattans with.

5. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple — Taste 12

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $18

The Whiskey:

Jack Daniel’s starts by making their own apple liqueur before adding in a dose of their Old No. 7 to remind you that you’re drinking the good stuff.

Bottom Line:

This felt pretty legit with a nice apple cider vibe and a touch of whiskey underneath. Overall, this is clearly for mixing but isn’t overly sweet by any stretch.

4. Stillhouse Apple Crisp Whiskey — Taste 10

ABV: 34.5%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

This is Stillhouse’s famed 100% clear corn whiskey blended with their apple crisp liqueur.

Bottom Line:

This was edging toward deliciousness. It was so clearly apple with a freshly-pressed feel to it. There was nice depth and a clear — very moonshine-y — whiskey vibe. I can see this mixing with ginger beer and lime juice for a great refreshing spring/summer highball easily.

3. Fireball Cinnamon Whisky — Taste 8

ABV: 33%

Average Price: $15

The Whisky:

This is probably the most famous flavored whiskey in the world. The whiskey in the bottle starts off with Sazerac’s Canadian whisky that’s blended with a bespoke cinnamon liqueur.

Bottom Line:

This delivers. It’s a sharp, spicy, and sweet cinnamon that’s exactly like a Hot Tamale or Red Hot candy. I didn’t get any whisky in the mix really, but the cinnamon flavor was so good that I can forgive that. If you want the ultimate cinnamon shot/experience, this is the obvious choice.

2. American Beach Whiskey Co. Bonfire Cinnamon — Taste 7

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $16

The Whiskey:

This claims to have one-third the sugar as America’s “leading cinnamon whiskey” (see right above). The clear whiskey is made with a bespoke cinnamon liqueur.

Bottom Line:

Again, this is Christmas in a glass. There’s actual nuance to this one that goes beyond a cinnamon candy bomb. If you want a little more from your cinnamon candy whiskey, then grab this (though maybe wait until the holidays?).

1. Buchanan’s Pineapple — Taste 2

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $34

The Whisky:

This new release from Buchanan’s Blended Scotch Whisky is a flavored scotch that’s technically a “Spirit Drink.” Semantics aside, this is a mix of iconic Buchanan’s Blended Scotch with pineapple, citrus, and “natural flavors.”

Bottom Line:

This is just delicious. If you’re looking for a great, summery mixing Scotch whisky (or whiskey in general) for mixing bright fruity summery drinks, then this is the play. It also tastes pretty damn nice over some rocks.

Part 3: Final Thoughts on the Flavored Whiskey

Brasstacks, the top five flavored whiskeys on this list are the only ones you really need to care about. You can easily skip the rest.

Amongst that top five, Stillhouse Apple Crisp is a great standout for a nice highball. Fireball is annoyingly good if you’re looking for a cinnamon candy bomb. But it’s the Buchanan’s Pineapple that really shines. It feels real. That means everything with flavored whiskeys like this.

Spring is here. Around the country, spring break festivities are underway. So it’s time to name our official spring cocktail of 2023. Drumroll? Anyone gonna drumroll for me?

At least tap your keyboard…

This year…

Our spring cocktail is the smoky Mezcal Negroni!

The Negroni variation is a fantastic take on the classic cocktail. The earthiness and smoky nature of a good mezcal play very well with the botanical bitterness of the Campari and the floral sweetness of the vermouth. Add in a little orange oil and you’re in for a real treat that’s bright, refreshing, and very quaffable.

The best part?

This drink is so easy to make. As with any Negroni, you can build it in a glass, stir, and drop an orange wedge in if you want. That’s a good way to go, especially if you’re already on spring break and on the beach. But taking a little bit more time by stirring this one adds a nice velvety texture that helps it pop that little bit more. Sound good? Let’s get stirring then!

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Mezcal Negroni

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Los Siete Misterios Doba-Yej Mezcal
• 1 oz. Campari
• 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
• Ice
• Orange peel

I like using Los Siete Misterios Doba-Yej. It has a great depth to it for a joven (unaged) mezcal. There’s an earthiness that’s slightly sweet with a mild smokiness that never overpowers, even when poured neat. The next essential is the Campari. You really can’t skip this one.

Lastly, I’m using standard Martini Rosso Sweet Vermouth. It’s not fancy but it gets the job done and adds a nice floral sweetness that melds a bit better with the earthy mezcal than, say, a more syrupy and fruity sweet vermouth.

What You’ll Need:

• Rocks glass
• Cocktail jar/jug
• Cocktail shaker
• Jigger
• Barspoon
• Paring knife

Method:

• Prechill the glass in the freezer.
• Add the mezcal, Campari, and vermouth to a mixing glass. Add a handful of ice and stir until the glass is ice-cold to touch.
• Fetch the glass from the freezer, add a large cube of fresh ice, and then strain the cocktail into the glass.
• Express the oils from the orange peel over the cocktail and rub it around the rim and bowl of the glass and then discard. Serve.

Bottom Line:

Oh, yes, this is tasty. I’m hooked. The roasted agave comes through with a hint of sweetness next to deep and earthy smoke that’s muted by the Campari’s bitterness and botanicals. The sweet vermouth just works with the mezcal and they both pop. The texture is soft and lush.

The orange oils help brighten the whole drink up to the point that it almost feels sunny, kind of like sitting under a big shady tree on a sunny day in a crumbling brick courtyard with this drink in your hand. It’s a nice feeling and screams al fresco dining, which is what we should all be doing as spring warms up.

When Jimmy Kimmel takes to the street, you know you’re in for a good laugh at just how little we actually know about, well, seemingly anything. That goes for anatomy too. In this case, female anatomy.

In a segment called “What Do You Know About The Female Body?” men try—and hilariously fail—to answer even the most basic questions, like “does a female have one uterus, or two?” much to the amazement of some of their female partners.

Here are some of the very best bits of nonwisdom:

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Woman have LOTS of fallopian tubes and ovaries, apparently.

When asked, “how many fallopian tubes does the average lady have?” one man prefaced with “I know I’m gonna be way off,” before answering “four.”

He was right about being way off, indeed. Women usually have one fallopian tube on either side of the uterus, making that two fallopian tubes.

Another guy guessed that a woman has not one, not two, but six ovaries. Which, in case you didn’t know, is three times more than the correct answer (two ovaries, one on either side of the uterus). Where would a woman keep four extra ovaries? Her purse?

A mammogram examines the stomach.

The interviewer also asked: “What part of the body does the mammogram examine?”

“The lower half…” replied one man. Yikes.

And when asked to demonstrate where exactly the “lower half” is, he gestured toward the uppermost part of his belly, seemingly avoiding the actual area a mammogram covers entirely.

PMS is all in the mind, but only annually.

The next question up was “What does PMS stand for?”

One man shyly answered, “Post…mental…syndrome?”

One outta three ain’t bad. But the correct answer is premenstrual syndrome.

And it definitely happens more than “once a year.”

An IUD is a “mammogram device.”

Oh, and a NuvaRing is a “pap schmear,” and a speculum is the actual “IUD.” Holy moly, if you thought IUDs were uncomfortable before…

Things really took a turn once the graphics came out.

And men were asked to point to where the cervix is. Plenty of things were pointed at—like the uterus. But sadly, no cervix findings.

Changing gears, the interview instructed the men to “point at something you know.”

To which one man replied (inaccurately) “uh…that’s a baby?”

Unless the woman is giving birth to a colon, that was incorrect.

Later in the video, a man is asked “where does the baby go?”

“In there,” the man answers after pointing to the ovaries. (Spoiler alert: It doesn’t go there. A fetus grows in the uterus, which this man thought was the cervix.)

His wife, a gynecologist no less, chuckled “I’m mortified…I’m apparently not a very good educator at home for my husband.”

Though this is just for pure fun, it is food for thought.

A woman’s autonomy over her own body has been the subject of much controversial discussion lately. And I can’t help but wonder how certain politicians/leaders would fare if given the same questions. Perhaps it is unwise to try to govern that which is not fully understood, just saying.

You can catch the full segment here:

This article originally appeared on 01.14.22

The world would be a much better place if humans weren’t so … human. We all fall short of perfection. Common sense is, sadly, not too common. And there’s one guy out there who always manages to screw things up when things start getting good.

Call it Murphy’s law. Call it the great “reason we can’t have nice things.” Call it entropy. It feels like a whole lot of pain could be avoided if we all had just a little bit more sense.

But what if there was one rule that we all agreed to follow to make everyone’s life better? What would this magical rule be?

A Reddit user who goes by the name P4insplatter came to this realization and asked the AskReddit subforum, “What simple rule would fix the world if everyone actually followed it?” They received dozens of simple rules that if everyone got behind would make the world drastically better.

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It’s no shock that most of them felt like a variation of the Golden Rule. It’s funny that a lot of folks believe the world would seriously improve if we could just abide by a simple saying that we all learned in kindergarten.

Also known as the “ethics of reciprocity,” the Golden Rule is so innate to humans that versions of it have been found in religions and cultures throughout the world.

Here are 17 of the best responses to P4insplatter’s simple, but world-altering question.

1. Let go

“Let go or be dragged” an old zen proverb I heard at a meditation class. Really changed the way I let myself worry about things.” — civagigi

2. Simple, but true

“Don’t be a dick.” — WuTangLAN93

3. The Golden Rule

“Treat others how you want to be treated.” — AlbanyGuy1973

4. It starts with you

“I read somewhere that if you want to change the world, you have to change the community, to change the community change your relationships, and to change your relationships change yourself.” — cagibaxii

5. Simple Earth math

“Don’t use more resources than what the Earth is capable of renewing.” — DaethSpiral321

6. Bill and Ted’s rule

“Be excellent to each other.” — pnotar

7. The law of Lebowski

“Fuck it, Dude. Let’s go bowling.” — Bonhomme7h

8. Signal

“Use your turn signal(s) properly.” — futilelord

9. The principle of non-agression

“Simple, the non-aggression principle. You don’t do, initiate or threat any harm unto others, unless acting in true self defense.” — ufrag

10. It works for everything

“Leave it better than you found it.” — Narcoid

11. Generosity and humility

“Be generous and humble. Being generous and kind encourages us to perceive others in a more positive light and fosters a sense of community. Humility teaches you to improve and make a positive impact on the world.” — SuvenPan

12. STFU

“If you are not educated on the subject, sit down and stfu. Let the experts with years of education and experience talk.” — Ch3m1cal420

13. Fairness first

“Everyone gets a chance at one [thing] before anyone gets seconds.” — ehsteve23

14. Permanent daylight

“Obviously making daylight savings permanent.” — ObviousINstruction18

15. Two ears, one mouth

“Listen more, talk less.” — TryToHelpPeople

16. Turn off the lights

“All empty buildings should not have any lights/ac/heating on at night or after business hours depending on the nature of the work. their ac/heating and lights if necessary should only be turned on before the start of the day. This will not only help with energy costs but also with light pollution.” — hadrainsgate

17. Don’t tread on anyone

“You cannot do ANYTHING without consent.” — DeepCompote

This article originally appeared on 03.17.22

What do you do when you find out your kid bullied someone? For many parents, the first step is forcing an apology. While this response is of course warranted, is it really effective? Some might argue that there are more constructive ways of handling the situation that teach a kid not only what they did wrong, but how to make things right again.

Single dad Patrick Forseth recently shared how he made a truly teachable moment out of his son, Lincoln, getting into trouble for bullying. Rather than forcing an apology, Forseth made sure his son was actively part of a solution.

The thought process behind his decision, which he explained in a now-viral TikTok video, is both simple and somewhat racial compared to how many parents have been encouraged to handle similar situations.

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“I got an email a few days ago from my 9-year-old son’s teacher that he had done a ‘prank’ to a fellow classmate and it ended up embarrassing the classmate and hurt his feelings,” the video begins.

At this point, Forseth doesn’t split hairs. “I don’t care who you are, that’s bullying,” he said. “If you do something to somebody that you know has the potential end result of them being embarrassed in front of a class or hurt—you’re bullying.”

So, Forseth and Lincoln sat down for a long talk (a talk, not a lecture) about appropriate punishment and how it would have felt to be on the receiving end of such a prank.

From there, Forseth told his son that he would decide how to make things right, making it a masterclass in taking true accountability.

“I demanded nothing out of him. I demanded no apology, I demanded no apology to the teacher,” he continued, adding, “I told him that we have the opportunity to go back and make things right. We can’t take things back, but we can try to correct things and look for forgiveness.”

@thehalfdeaddad Replying to @sunshinyday1227 And then it’s my kid 🤦‍♂️😡 #endbullyingnow #talktoyourkidsmore #dadlifebestlife #singledadsover40 #teachyourchildren #ReadySetLift ♬ Get You The Moon – Kina

So what did Lincoln do? He went back to his school and actually talked to the other boy he pranked. After learning that they shared a love of Pokémon, he then went home to retrieve two of his favorite Pokémon cards as a peace offering, complete with a freshly cleaned case.

Lincoln would end up sharing with his dad that the other boy was so moved by the gesture that he would end up hugging him.

“I just want to encourage all parents to talk to your kids,” Forseth concluded. “Let’s try to avoid just the swat on the butt [and] send them to their room. Doesn’t teach them anything.”

In Forseth’s opinion, kids get far more insight by figuring out how to resolve a problem themselves. “That’s what they’re actually going to face in the real world once they move out of our nests.”

He certainly has a point. A slap on the wrist followed by being marched down somewhere to say, “I’m sorry,” only further humiliates kids most of the time. With this gentler approach, kids are taught the intrinsic value of making amends after wrongdoing, not to mention the power of their own autonomy. Imagine that—blips in judgment can end up being major character-building moments.

Kudos to this dad and his very smart parenting strategy.