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John Wick, famously, was originally written about a 75-year-old former assassin before Keanu Reeves stepped into the role, and the rest is vengeance-soaked cinematic history. That bit of trivia adds to the act of contemplating FX’s The Old Man, and various relationships in this series also bring into question who the real “old man” of the show’s title really turns out to be. Yet we aren’t here to dwell on that particular wordplay too much but, instead, to talk about what will arrive in the second season.

Jeff Bridges returns in this John Wick-esque story about an ex-CIA operative, Dan Chase, who also digs dogs and has been living off the grid but got pulled out of obscurity by no choice of his own. Soon enough, Dan was on the run and also waving Taken and Reacher vibes for good measure. During first-season production, Bridges suffered enormous health difficulties — including a rough Covid case and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma — and still managed to nail his action and stunt choreography (although yes, Bridges did have an ace stuntman doing the heavy lifting). The actor revealed last week that he is “feeling great now,” and he still cannot believe that he filmed the first season with “a 9- by 12-inch tumor in my stomach that didn’t hurt.”

It sounds like the second-season production ran much more smoothly, so let’s get down to business on what to expect.

Plot

With the above sentiments said, this FX show was not born out of a desire to replicate John Wick. Rather, the series is based upon Thomas Perry’s same-named 2017 novel that contains endless layers about Dan Chase’s history and twisting motives of various parties that are not what they seem to be. John Lithgow portrays Dan’s former colleague, FBI agent Harold Harper, who will soon be fully entrenched in Dan’s way of life, for better or worse.

The Old Man became a Dad TV-favorite in 2022 followed by a speedy renewal after spinning into a whirling dervish of intrigue as Dan hopped right back on the horse and pulled his landlord, Zoe (Amy Brenneman), into the danger zone as well. To make matters even more complicated, Dan’s daughter, Emily/Angela (Alia Shawkat), moved from the peripheral to being a key focus of Afghanistan warlord Faraz Hamzad (Pej Vahdat) with identities beginning to fold in on each other. In the second season, her precarious fate sends Dan and Harold on an attempted rescue mission, although there’s no telling who — her captor, her father (and which father?), or both — will or should prevail.

In the below clip, Bridges and executive producer Warren Littlefield chatted with Deadline about whether the Rottweilers will surface in this season, which will also take characters “deep into Afghanistan.”

What is also certain is that Bridges and Lithgow are working extensively together now, which pleased Lithgow to no end. At this month’s Television Critics Association panel for the series, Lithgow gushed (via Hollywood Reporter), “I so wanted to work with Jeff. And there is an abundance of it in the second season. We have such a fantastic time.” To that, co-creator Jonathan E. Steinberg answered, “As much as you guys wanted to work together, we wanted to see you together.” He then added, “And, in a way, it’s driving the show [now]. It’s such a treat to be able to write scenes for these two.”

Bridges, as well, elaborated on how he and Lithgow nurtured their chemistry:

“We’re both second-generation actors and we approach it the same way… There are a lot of actors who say, ‘Please only call me by my character’s name’ or, ‘Let’s not have any contact.’ We’re the opposite of that. Let’s be friends. Let’s get to know each other. Let’s do it quite aggressively!”

The onscreen payoff of that relationship should be a main attraction. From the second season synopsis:

In Season 2 of FX’s The Old Man, former CIA agent “Dan Chase” (Jeff Bridges) and former FBI Assistant Director “Harold Harper” (John Lithgow) set off on their most important mission to date — to recover “Emily Chase” (Alia Shawkat) after she is kidnapped by “Faraz Hamzad” (Navid Negahban), a powerful Afghan tribal leader. With all three men claiming her as their daughter, Emily finds herself in an identity crisis that has dire implications.

Cast

Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow are finally a team as Dan and Harold, respectively. There’s no word of whether Bill Heck will return to portray the younger version of Chase, but the cast is rounded out by Alia Shawkat, Amy Brenneman, Jessica Harper, Pej Vahdat, Joel Grey, Navid Negahban, Kenneth Mitchel, Rowena King, Gbenga Akinnagbe, and Hiam Abbass.

Release Date

FX will bring back the espionage thriller series’ second season on September 12. Two episodes will initially debut with six weekly drops that add up to an eight-episode season.

Trailer

A teaser trailer (that does a very good job at spoiling nothing but generates anticipation) awaits:

Ingrid Andress isn’t the first singer to mangle the national anthem, and she won’t be the last.

During the Home Run Derby on Monday as part of Major League Baseball’s All-Star festivities, the four-time Grammy nominee gave a “trainwreck” performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” To be fair, it’s a tough song to sing! But that’s probably small consolation for Andress, who has yet to publically comment on what the heck happened. But at least she’s in… well, maybe not “good” company, but company nonetheless. Below, you’ll find some of the worst anthem renditions (U-S-A? U-S-A? U-S-A?) of all time.

Jesse McCartney (October 11, 2009)

If there’s one crowd you don’t want to forget the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner” in front of, it’s a NASCAR crowd.

Roseanne (July 26, 1990)

Back before Roseanne Barr lost her mind, she was the queen of sitcoms, thanks to her brilliant self-titled ABC comedy. One of Roseanne‘s executive producers was Tom Werner, who also owned the San Diego Padres at the time. His synergistic plan to have Roseanne perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” backfired when during a break between games of a Padres vs. Cincinnati Reds doubleheader, she intentionally sang off-key and grabbed her crotch, eliciting a think-of-the-children rebuke from then-president George H. W. Bush. As the game’s first-base umpire Steve Rippley told the Sporting News, “We [immediately] knew it was a disaster.”

Alexis Normand (May 18, 2013)

This is why you don’t have a Canadian sing the American national anthem (except Celine Dion… and Neil Young… and Joni Mitchell… and Japandroids, just to see what that’s like — they’re all allowed to).

Victoria Zarlenga (May 26, 2012)

The most common explanation for a pitchy live performance: in-ear monitor issues. “This was not a good performance and I take full responsibility for it! I did not realize I would need ear buds as monitors and to block out the stadium sound delay, lack of knowledge on my part,” Victoria Zarlenga explained following her flat, uh, interpretation of the national anthem at a USA vs. Scotland soccer match. “Therefore, I had to borrow a pair from the sound crew that were too large for my ears and were popping out.”

Carl Lewis (January 21, 1993)

Two words: “Uh oh.”

Fergie (February 18, 2018)

How did Fergie respond to the audible laughter for her performance at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game? By apologizing, basically. “I’ve always been honored and proud to perform the national anthem and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA,” she said the next day. “I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best.” Fun fact: before Fergie performed the United States national anthem, Barenaked Ladies did the same for Canada.

Kat DeLuna (September 15, 2008)

Kat DeLuna tried to the make the National Anthem her own, like when Aretha Franklin sang it for over five minutes. But with all due respect, there’s only one Aretha Franklin.

Ingrid Andress (July 15, 2024)

Just in case you somehow missed it.

Jaylen Brown has had an eventful summer to say the least. He won his first championship and the NBA Finals MVP award with the Celtics a month ago, but more recently got left off of Team USA in favor of his teammate, Derrick White, as the replacement choice for Kawhi Leonard. Brown expressed his frustration with that decision, believing he was excluded because he’s not a Nike athlete.

While Team USA is in Abu Dhabi continuing to ramp up for the Paris Olympics, Brown made the trip out to Las Vegas to watch the Celtics in Summer League action, popping up courtside at Celtics-Lakers alongside girlfriend Kysre Gondrezick and Angel Reese. During the game, cameras showed the trio talking about the game at the exact wrong time for Brown, as he appeared to say, “I don’t think Bronny’s a pro.”

Gondrezick responds that he’ll probably be on the G League team, and Brown seems to doubt that because of his name. It’s all a very fair conversation to have at a basketball game with your friends, but certainly not one you want to end up on national TV.

Naturally, the clip went viral and prompted a response in the early morning from Brown on Twitter, who said Bronny being on the same team as LeBron was “a flex” and said he’s excited to watch his growth.

The truth is, Brown isn’t wrong about Bronny right now. He struggled mightily in Summer League, particularly shooting the ball, and that’s going to be a critical skill for him if he’s going to be able to get on the floor in the NBA. In fairness to James, Summer League basketball is about the worst place for him to show the things he’s actually supposed to be good at. Being a good connective piece and quality team defender isn’t something that pops in the chaos of Summer League, where players who thrive in structure almost always look worse than they are. Even so, it’s certainly fair to question whether Bronny is ready right now to contribute to the Lakers, and he likely will need to make some trips to the G League to get some reps and develop and sharpen the skills he’ll need to be a player in the league.

As for Brown, he might’ve learned why you sometimes see celebrities finding ways to cover their mouths while talking courtside, because while it was a totally normal conversation to have at a game, it’s one that also will cause quite an uproar if it breaks contain and goes public.

Prince, one of the fascinating, exciting, and eccentric musicians in American popular music history, is getting a documentary about his life and career. It’s just a matter of how long it’ll be.

Back in 2018, it was announced that Selma director Ava DuVernay was working on a documentary with Netflix about The Purple One. “The only way I know how to make this film is with love. And with great care,” she tweeted at the time. “I’m honored to do so and grateful for the opportunity entrusted to me by the estate.” DuVernay has since departed the project, but filmmaker Ezra Edelman, who made 2016’s Oscar-winning O.J.: Made in America, stepped in as director. He finished his cut of the film “a while back,” according to Puck, so what’s the hold up?

For one thing, Prince’s estate apparently isn’t thrilled by the documentary. “It’s unclear what exactly peeves them,” Puck reports, “but one source insists it’s not revelations of drug use or sexual stuff. Instead, the estate argues there are things in the film that are inaccurate.” Also, the current cut of the documentary is allegedly nine hours long, when Netflix requested it come in at six hours. Until a compromise is made, the film is being “held hostage.”

The Eagles documentary was four hours. The Prince documentary is somewhere between six and nine hours. At this rate, a Fleetwood Mac documentary will have to be 12 hours, and I will watch every second.

(Via Puck)

Media outlets love to compile lists of impressive people under a certain age. They laud the accomplishments of fresh-faced entrepreneurs, innovators, influencers, etc., making the rest of us ooh and ahh wonder how they got so far so young.

While it’s great to give credit where it’s due, such early-life success lists can make folks over a certain age unnecessarily question where we went wrong in our youth—as if dreams can’t come true and successes can’t be had past age 30.

Weary of lists celebrating youngsters, television writer and producer Melissa Hunter sent out a tweet requesting a new kind of list for 2020. “Instead of 30 Under 3 or NextGen lists,” she wrote, “please profile middle-aged people who just got their big breaks. I want to read about a mother of 2 who published her first novel, a director who released their first studio feature at 47, THAT’S THE LIST WE WANT.”

u201cAt the end of 2020, instead of 30 Under 30 and NextGen lists, please profile middle-aged people who just got their big breaks. I want to read about a mother of 2 who published her first novel, a director who released their first studio feature at 47, THAT’S THE LIST WE WANT.u201d

— Melissa Hunter (@Melissa Hunter)
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The Twitterverse responded with a resounding “YAAASSS.” Story after story of folks finding success in their 40s, 50s, and beyond began pouring in. If you worry that you’re not far enough along in your 20s or 30s, or think it’s too late for you to follow your passion in the autumn of your life, take a look at these examples of people crushing it in their mid-to-late adulthood.

Take this mother of four teens who released her first full-length book at 45 and started law school this year at age 47.

I am a mother of four, I released my first full-length book at 45, and started law school this year—at 47—with four teenagers in the house. Some of us are late bloomers, but wow, when we figure it out…🔥

— Tracy M (@dandelionmama) January 7, 2020

Or the woman who published two books in her late 50s and is revising book #3 at age 60. Oh, she also started running at age 45.

My first book was published when I was 57, second, at 58, and now at age 60, working on revisions for book #3. Also, I didn’t start running until after I turned 45 (averaged 1,000 miles/year for several years.) #nevertoold #nevertoolate #nevergiveup #dreambig #workhard

— Jill Hannah Anderson (@JillHannahA) January 7, 2020

Another person shared how they got out of prison for drugs at age 49, stayed clean and started their own business, and broke the $1 million sales mark last year at 56.

“Lauching my clothing line now—at 48,” wrote a mom of two. “Next venture feels amazing.”

Another user chimed in with “Yes! Plus the 40 under 40, 30 under 30 can be quite contrived (sometimes). I want to see people juggling school, career, and family.”

Yet another mother of two teens finished her PhD at 41 and got a tenure-track position at age 47. She’s also working on a book on Indigenous Early Childhood.

Finished my PhD at 41 with two teens as an Indigenous woman in public health. Finally got a tenure-track position after gig work in 2018 at age of 47. I’m an Associate Director & Assistant Prof with an academic book in the works on Indigenous Early Childhood

— Dr. Angela Mashford-Pringle (@armp71) January 8, 2020

How about this woman who hadn’t taken a math class for 40 years? She aced her statistics classes and will graduate with a perfect GPA after she turns 60. “Lots of life to live!” she says.

Workings on my doctorate. I had not taken a math class for 40 years but aced statistics and advance statistics with A’s. I will graduate with a 4.0 at the ripe age of 60+. The dissertation is all I have left. Lots of life to live!

— N Stevens Carrell (@greekfromidaho) January 8, 2020

Another mom (are we seeing a theme here?) discovered a passion for interior design and won a national TV design challenge in her late 40s. Now, at 60, she has a successful design career and contributes to radio and magazines.

I was a stay at home Mum for years. In my late 40’s I discovered a passion for interior design & won a national TV design show challenge. I now have incredible clients & projects, contribute to national radio, and write a popular magazine column. I’m 60 this year, and on fire! pic.twitter.com/3mjGRrnidv

— Anne Tuohy (@RoomJunkieAnne) January 9, 2020

Of course, we also know there are fabulously successful folks who got a “late” start in Hollywood, including the incomparable Ava DuVernay, “who left her job at age 40 to focus on filmmaking and then became the first black woman to make over $100 million at the box office.”

As one man pointed out, “The idea that you’ve got five years between 20 and 30 to do everything you’re ever going to do is ridiculous.” Hunter agreed, writing, “The advice is always that it’s a marathon, not a race, and I wanna read about the people who finished that marathon!!”

congrats! and agreed. the advice is always that it’s a marathon, not a race, and i wanna read about the people who finished that marathon!!

— Melissa Hunter (@himelissahunter) January 7, 2020

So many stories of people publishing their first books, landing their ideal jobs, or discovering a passion later in life just kept coming, and person after person shared how inspiring and motivating they were.

Of course, not everyone has lofty career goals. If these stories aren’t quite hitting the mark for you, check out this woman’s contribution to the conversation. She’s “just a regular human,” she says, but she went to Zimbabwe and volunteered at a wildlife refuge at age 47. “Life doesn’t just peter out after 30,” she wrote. “My friend Elsa is 96 and went on an archaeological dig at 75. I want to be like her.”

Don’t we all.

I didn’t publish anything, I’m just a regular human, but I went to Zimbabwe and volunteered at a wildlife refuge at 47, saw Victoria Falls. Life doesn’t just peter out after 30. My friend Elsa is 96 and went on an archaeological dig at 75. I want to be like her. pic.twitter.com/LAu8Pbhe7z

— Kate (Santa’s Version) ❄️ (@KateGrand) January 8, 2020

Age really is just a number, and there’s nothing magical about “making it” in your younger years. Let’s be sure to celebrate people living their best lives and making dreams come true at any and every age.

This article originally appeared on 01.10.20

What are women up to when no one is watching?

Artwork courtesy of Sally Nixon, used with permission.

Well, take a look at Sally Nixon’s illustrations and you’ll see.

The subjects in her artwork aren’t aware we’re looking at them.

And that’s the point. They’re living in a world free from the pressures that exist in the real one.

“I like drawing girls doing their everyday routine — just hanging out, not worried about what others are thinking,” Nixon told Upworthy. “They’re usually alone or with other girls. Their guard is down.”

Editor’s note: An image below contains partial nudity.

Capturing her subjects in this liberated light wasn’t intentional at first, she explained.

But when she started a 365-day challenge last April to create one art piece a day, the work started reflecting the nuances of her own life away from prying eyes — “I was kind of like, ‘Oh, I’m brushing my teeth, so I’ll draw that.'” — and a theme began to form.Her illustrations show how women look, away from the exhausting world where they’re often judged more harshly than men.

You also might notice none of the girls in her illustrations are smiling.

According to Nixon, that’s a deliberate choice.

“I don’t sit around smiling to myself,” Nixon said, noting the double standard that exists in thinking women should always appear cheerful.

“I’ve been told, ‘You need to smile more.’ It’s so infuriating. I wanted to show the way girls actually look, comfortably.”

The theme of friendship is also an important one in Nixon’s drawings.

“I have four older sisters, so female friendship has always been a big part of my life,” Nixon told The Huffington Post. “You gotta have someone to talk about periods with, and dudes just don’t get it.”

Creating relatable scenes was key to Nixon, too — from the details of women’s lives to the physical shapes of their bodies.

“It’s important that the women I draw aren’t rail thin with huge boobs,” Nixon said. “I think there are enough images of bodies like that out in the world. The ladies I draw typically have small-ish, droopy breasts and thick thighs. They’re kind of lumpy but in an attractive way. Just like real people.”

The women in Nixon’s work aren’t real, but she hopes their stories are.

“One of my absolute favorite comments [on my work] is, ‘Oh my God, it’s me!'” she explained of the depictions.

“There’s a little bit of beauty in [everyday life] and I wanted to bring that out.”

You can view more of Nixon’s artwork on her website and check out her prints for purchase on Etsy.

This article originally appeared on 04.15.16

On Feb. 19, 2023, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” turned 55 years old. And the internet was feeling feelings over it.

After premiering on Canadian TV in 1963, Fred Rogers’ beloved children’s program debuted in the U.S. in 1968, inspiring generations of kids across North America to be more thoughtful, kinder neighbors.

One person feeling the feels on the show’s anniversary was model, author, and Twitter goddess Chrissy Teigen.

Teigen tweeted the most delightful anecdote about why Rogers would often announce that he was feeding the fish during the show.

Mister Rogers would narrate himself feeding the fish each episode with u201cIu2019m feeding the fishu201d because of a letter he received from a young blind girl who was worried the fish were hungry. Love you, Mister Rogers.https://twitter.com/pbsds/status/965596450733228032u00a0u2026

— chrissy teigen (@chrissy teigen)
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“Mister Rogers would narrate himself feeding the fish each episode with, ‘I’m feeding the fish,’ because of a letter he received from a young blind girl who was worried the fish were hungry,” she wrote. “Love you, Mister Rogers.”

Aaaaaand I’m crying.

Rogers included the text of the girl’s letter in his book, “Dear Mister Rogers, Does It Ever Rain in Your Neighborhood?” published in 1996.

As he noted in the book (emphasis added):

One girl and her family wrote to tell us there was a special reason why she wanted me to talk about feeding the fish each day.

Dear Mister Rogers,

Please say when you are feeding your fish, because I worry about them. I can’t see if you are feeding them, so please say you are feeding them out loud.

Katie, age 5 (Father’s note: Katie is blind, and she does cry if you don’t say that you have fed the fish.)

This downright adorable clip from the series shows Rogers reassuring little Katie that the fish were always well-fed:

Sylvia Earle brought her underwater microphone to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood so children could listen to the fish in the aquarium. When the fish don’t make…

“I need to feed the fish right away,” Rogers said in the episode, before shaking the container of food above the tank. “I have some friends who get very concerned when I forget the fish during our visits.”

Aaaaaand I’m ugly crying.

Rogers showed us how simple it often is to be a more compassionate friend.

“I just wanted you to know that even if I forget to feed them when we’re together, I come back later and feed them, so they’re always taken care of,” Rogers concluded. “It’s good to know that fish and animals and children are taken care of by those who can, isn’t it?”

Yes it is, Mister Rogers. The world needs more neighbors like you.

This article originally appeared on 02.20.18

Sometimes you see something so mind-boggling you have to take a minute to digest what just happened in your brain. Be prepared to take that moment while watching these videos.

Real estate investor and TikTok user Tom Cruz shared two videos explaining the spreadsheets he and his friends use to plan vacations and it’s…well…something. Watch the first one:

What in the wealth is thispic.twitter.com/NTPTKT5CZG

— Karim Alammuri (@Karim Alammuri)
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So “Broke Bobby” makes $125,000 a year. There’s that.

How about the fact that his guy has more than zero friends who budget $80,000 for a 3-day getaway? Y’all. I wouldn’t know how to spend $80,000 in three days if you paid me to. Especially if we’re talking about a trip with friends where we’re all splitting the cost. Like what does this even look like? Are they flying in private jets that burn dollar bills as fuel? Are they bathing in hot tubs full of cocaine? I genuinely don’t get it.

To be crystal clear here, the top 5 friends on the Forbes list are willing to spend more than double what the guy at the bottom of the Welfare 10 list makes per year on a 3-day guy’s trip. I don’t know what to do with this information.

u201c@Radio_Reem Those that make less are called the “Welfare 10” ud83dude2dud83dude2dud83dude29u201d

— Karim Alammuri (@Karim Alammuri)
1629292830

But that’s not even the full spreadsheet. It might make sense if this guy was just rich, had always been rich, only knew rich people, and therefore having multiple millionnaire friends was his normal. Surely that’s some people’s reality who were born into the 1%.

That’s not the case here, though, because Cruz also has a Welfare 10 list. He says this group of friends who make less than $100K a year call themselves that, and perhaps that’s true. (If I were a part of this group, I might call myself a welfare case too because everything’s relative and some of these dudes spend more in an hour of vacation than I spend on my mortgage each month.)

It’s like we can see our society’s wealth gap all laid out nice and neatly in a spreadsheet, only these people aren’t even the uber-wealthy and uber-poor. This is just the range of this one guy’s friends.

I have nothing against people who build success and wealth for themselves, and even $5 million per year is hardly obscenely wealthy by billionaire standards. But Cruz says he’s known most of his “welfare” friends since college, which presumably means most of those guys have college degrees and are making pittance in comparison with the Forbes list. One could claim the guy making $5 million a year just works harder, but does he really work 100 times harder than the guy making $50,000? Doubt it.

Money makes money, and after a certain threshold of wealth or income, it’s actually quite easy to get and stay rich without actually “earning” more money, assuming you’re reasonably wise and responsible. So maybe the guys who are willing to shell out $125,000 for a week-long trip should offer to pay the travel expenses of the friends they “hang out with regardless of income” who don’t even make that in a year, since that’s probably just the interest they’re making on their wealth anyway.

But what do I know? This is like an entirely different world to me and probably 99+% of Americans, as evidenced by some of the responses.

u201c@araless Broke Bobby every time itu2019s time for a trip https://t.co/VTUf3xW1DWu201d

— Karim Alammuri (@Karim Alammuri)
1629292830

u201c@_jasminwats @Radio_Reem I noticed everyone with PTO has less than is legally required in the U.K., crazy!!u201d

— Karim Alammuri (@Karim Alammuri)
1629292830

Naturally, there will be a range of incomes in any group of people, but 1) most of us don’t actually know how much our friends make, and 2) even fewer of us make spreadsheets with that information in order to rank our friends and figure out who can go on which vacations.

People are just endlessly fascinating. That’s all I’ve got.

This article originally appeared on 08.20.21

One of the most interesting things about traveling the world is noticing how people from your country are a bit different from the place you’re visiting. In America, you’re mostly around fellow countrymen so it’s hard to notice the things that make us stand out.

But when you travel abroad, you quickly notice that no matter how hard you try to blend in, there are a lot of dead giveaways that show people you’re from the states that go way beyond your accent.

A Reddit user named ILoveTallWomen asked the online forum “Non-Americans of Reddit, what is a dead giveaway that somebody is American?” to see what they think makes us stand out. “I’m not American and am curious about what other foreigners think,” they added.

There was one answer that people in the thread repeated over and over again—Americans are very friendly people. Countless commenters noted that Americans will approach anyone and start up a conversation. As a person from the U.S., I think that’s a positive stereotype. There’s nothing wrong with being overly friendly.

​People also noted that Americans tend to carry themselves with a lot of confidence and have an abundance of infectious enthusiasm.

On the negative side of things, a lot of people also noted that Americans are loud and have questionable fashion sense. We stand out abroad because we love staying comfortable by wearing white socks and sneakers on just about any occasion.

Maybe we’re happy because our feet don’t hurt?

Here are 17 of the best responses to the dead giveaways that someone is American.

Upworthy Podcast: Dead Giveaways Someone is American

On a recent episode of Upworthy Weekly, hosts Alison Rosen and Tod Perry discuss the internet’s hottest, most uplifting and most amusing topics – including d…

1.

The most popular poster shared a list:

• Wearing sneakers with anything
• Big smiles, firm handshakes
• Lots of Northface products
• Renting Segways for sightseeing tours (sometimes using those on cobblestone)
• Using big adjectives generously (“Wow, your aunt’s kidney stones sound awesome!”, “This Euroshopper beer tastes great!”)
• Clapping and cheering
• Telling one’s whole life story within 15 minutes of meeting them
• Loving stories and narratives in general (which makes them fun companions) — [Deleted]

2.

“Apart from the accent? Mostly its the ‘prepared for anything’ look they have about them (fanny pack, backpack, bottled water, camera pouch) compared to various other tourists – Asians tend to herd together for safety, while Europeans vary between blend-right-in Scandinavian to designer-brands-everywhere French and traffic-laws-are-for-others Italian. But Americans are the only ones who seem to view a perfectly civilised, modern city like some kind of uncharted jungle that doesn’t have places to shelter in the rain or buy cheap bottled water.” — Yorkshire_Pudden

3.

“Incredibly loud but incredibly friendly.” — kevio17

4.

“I asked my wife (Japanese) she said ‘In Japan I can spot Americans by the way they dress. Compared to Europeans, Americans tend to lack fashion sense.'” — RegionFree

5.

“When you can hear them before you see them.” — C1t!zen_Erased

6.

“‘On the streets they are instantly recognizable. They walk in an ugly indifferent manner, usually with their hands in their pockets. Or they’re leaning against a pole or wall with a newspaper in their hand and gum in their mouth. According to the people who met them they are more human than the English, for example, whenever someone needs help they do it quicker and better than the English.’ — My Grandpa in the Netherlands. In a letter to his sister. June 4th 1945.” — MidnightWineRed

7.

“North Face jackets. I went to college in the US (I’m not American) and when I went home for my first winter break wearing my brand new North Face jacket my friend asked me if I was given American citizenship with the purchase.” — merbonobo

8.

“I’m English, but I’ve lived here for 14 years. It’s pretty obvious just from your demeanour. Americans generally are more confident in the way they present themselves, most other countries tend to be more reserved. Walk into a room full of different nationalities, I guarantee the American person will be the first to introduce themselves. It’s a confidence thing, and I admire it.” — zerbey

9.

“When I was visiting Germany in college, a girl said to me, ‘Do you know how I know you’re an American? You wear white socks.’ Needless to say, I haven’t worn white socks since.” — ars3nal

10.

“We (Americans) describe distances in driving time, as opposed to miles or kilometers. My European relatives always make fun of me for having no clue how far away the next town is, but knowing exactly how long it takes to get there.” — hbombs86

11.

“Canadian here…the dead giveaway is when they call me ‘honey’ or ‘sweetie’ or ‘darling.’ I fucking love Americans and I love those terms of endearment!” — AraEnzeru

12.

“Dead giveaway: They’re surprised we can drink a beer (or any alcohol) in public in my country.” — P1r4nha

13.

“European here … there’s a noticeable trend among Americans to wear jeans, t-shirts, and hooded sweaters when they’re abroad. Lots of branded goods too (North Face, A&F, Hollister, Ed Hardy mostly). And in summer, a great percentage of the cargo-shorts-wearers are Americans. But among all that, visible tattoos on otherwise ‘normal-looking’ people (i.e. not looking like street thugs) are a common indicator too. Americans love tats.” — I_AM_A_IDIOT_AMA

14.

“In WWII, my grandpa’s company had a problem with German spies. At night the guards could not tell if intruders were returning patrols or enemy soldiers; especially since the spies spoke with flawless American accents. Before opening the gates, they tried asking questions like “What’s the capital of Nebraska?” but it didn’t always work since the Germans were highly trained and could answer most of the trivia questions. Finally, they stumbled upon a simple but effective test. They would ask them to sing the 4th verse of the Star-Spangled Banner. He told me ‘If they start singing, then you shoot ’em. No American knows the 4th verse.’ Turns out the whole song had been included in one of the German espionage training manuals.” — [Deleted]

15.

“They ask you what you do.” — Askalotl

16.

“They say ‘like’ a lot and seem to start sentences with ‘so’ for no apparent reason. Good bunch, though.” — [Deleted]

17.

“MM/DD/YYYY.” — dusmeyedin

This article originally appeared on 2.20.23

A local reporter at Hometown Life shared a unique and heartfelt story on March 16 about a mother struggling to find shoes that fit her 14-year-old son. The story resonated with parents everywhere; now, her son is getting the help he desperately needs. It’s a wonderful example of people helping a family that thought they had nowhere to turn.

When Eric Kilburn Jr. was born, his mother, Rebecca’s OBGYN, told her that he had the “biggest feet I’ve ever seen in my life. Do not go out and buy baby shoes because they’re not gonna fit,’” Rebecca told Today.com. Fourteen years later, it’s almost impossible to find shoes that fit the 6’10” freshman—he needs a size 23.

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The teen’s height doesn’t stem from a gland issue; he comes from a family of tall people. Both his parents are over 6 feet tall.

Eric plays football for Goodrich High School in Goodrich, Michigan, but doesn’t wear cleats, which led to a sprained ankle. He also suffers from ingrown toenails that are so severe he’s had two nails on his biggest toes permanently removed.

Last year, the family was lucky enough to stumble upon five pairs of size 21 shoes at a Nike outlet store. It was discovered they were made especially for Tacko Fall, the NBA player with some of the most enormous feet in the game. To put things in perspective, Shaquille O’Neal wears a size 22.

However, Eric soon grew out of those as well. The family was left with one more option: have orthopedic shoes made for Eric at the cost of $1,500 with no guarantee he won’t quickly grow out of those as well.

After his mother’s heartfelt plea to Hometown Life, the family got much-needed help from multiple companies, including Under Armour and PUMA, who are sending representatives to Michigan to measure his feet for custom shoes.

CAT has reached out to make him a custom pair of boots. Eric hasn’t had any boots to wear for the past five Michigan winters.

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Kara Pattison started a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of the family to help them purchase custom shoes for “the rest of the time Eric has these feet.” It has raised nearly $20,000 for the family in just over a week.

“The success of this fundraiser is well beyond what was ever expected,” Pattison wrote on the site on March 18. “The Kilburns plan to open a bank account dedicated to Eric’s future footwear and some specialized sports equipment. He can use this to get a helmet that fits for football along with pads. They will also look into a football and track jersey for him.”

The sense of relief felt by Rebecca, Eric and the rest of the Kilburn family must be incredible. It has to be frustrating to be unable to provide your child with something as basic as footwear.

“It’s been overwhelming,” Rebecca told Hometown Life. “I have been this puddle of emotions, all of them good…It’s the coolest thing to be able to say we did it! He has shoes! I am not usually a crier, but I have been in a constant state of happy tears…We are so grateful.”

This article originally appeared on 03.23.23