If there's any dog breed that encapsulates "good doggo" energy, it's the Golden Retriever. Friendly, gentle, good-natured and oh-so-affectionate, Goldens have come by their reputation honestly. Even "I'm not a dog person" people tend to find themselves taken by Golden Retrievers, and a post on TikTok demonstrates why.The video shared by @hugoandursula is captioned "my dog getting cuddles from strangers on the train," and that's exactly what it shows in the most adorable montage ever. In clip after clip, the sweet pup snuggles into unsuspecting train passengers, winning hearts and evoking "awwwws" left and right. (If you're on the fence about getting a dog, be careful watching this video because it will catapult you right over the edge.) @hugoandursula Melts my heart ???? #goldenretriever The video has been shared multiple times since it was first posted in January of 2023, and every time, people can't get enough of it. In March of 2024, it was posted in the r/mademesmile subreddit, and people poured all the Golden Retriever love into the comments. "Golden's love attention.. our Daisy would politely walk around the benches at softball and stop for anyone who expressed an interest in petting her. She was never rude, just wanted to meet new people and show some love while getting some." – michaeldpj"They are the most 'hi i’m in the room look at me i'm here' dogs i’ve ever met." – botjstn"I would ride in trains much more often if I was guaranteed to see an adorably squashed doggy nose in front of me. It's delightful." – Designer-Command1417"The look on the woman's face when the dog snuggles up her is worth a billion dollars!" – Ok-Sale-8105Reddit users were also thrilled when a "Schnoodle" appeared in the comments. A Schnoodle on social media is a cheesily heartwarming poem from u/schnoodledoodledo, written from the point-of-view of an animal, and the Schnoodle for our Golden train-riding friend here is perfectly fitting. Look at me - the Traveler! i get to come alongbeing with my human is the place that i belong ;@)am friendly with the passengers, n try n spread the JoY!(they’re frens i haven’t met yet,n they tell me i’m Good Boy)so i will find an empty seat, n sit with them awhilei get aLot of scritches, n i leave them with a smileam tired from the journey, but i know i did my partto leave a golden memoryinside their human heart"FRESHEST SCHNOODLE!!" wrote one commenter, followed by "OMG a schnoodle!! I haven’t seen one in over a year. I thought they had disappeared! This has made my day!" and "Starting the day with a fresh schnoodle for brunch is highly recommended!!!" For an extended version of one of these good doggo love fests, check out another video from @hugoandursula: @hugoandursula Hux making more friends..?? Again, so much love in the comments. "Are you telling me a stranger got on the train and received all this love for free?!?!" – kirstygu"I don’t care where that train is going I’m buying a ticket ?" – Angharad"Did he cry before parting ways? I would be bawling" – Melanin. Queen"I've never been more jealous of a person before in my life." – Carrie ThompsonOne thing's for certain—if the train system wants to encourage more riders, all they need to do is get a Golden Retriever to welcome their passengers. They'd fill up those seats in no time.This article originally appeared on 3.5.24

It's not easy living away from family, especially when you live in a completely different country. The distance can become increasingly more difficult to adjust to when tragedy strikes your family back home. It can be cost prohibitive to fly back home and depending on your employer's attendance policy, it may be nearly impossible.Jarom Ngakuru recently faced this very situation. The New Zealander of Māori descent is living in the United States while his family still resides in his home country. Unfortunately, when Ngakuru's grandmother died, he was unable to make the trip back to the island to give his proper goodbye. Not being able to attend his grandmother's funeral left him sad and broken. He wanted nothing more than to be there with his family. Ngakuru's friends knew how important it was for him to send his grandmother off properly so the group of American colleagues worked in secret to learn the haka.Haka is a traditional dance performed by Māori people for important events like weddings, funerals, and significant life events as a sign of respect. The dance has been known to bring viewers to tears, and this haka is doing the same. Not just because of the haka itself, but because of everything that went into a group of American men learning a dance from another culture to honor their friend and his grandmother. Ngakuru uploaded the video to his TikTok page with the caption, "Hardest part about living in America is that we live so far away. I couldn't make it home for my nan's funeral and I was BROKEN! So my boys at work learned the haka without me knowing and brought home to me."See why commenters could not stop crying below: @jaromngakuru Hardest part about living in america ?? is that we live so far away. I couldnt make it home for my nans funeral and i was BROKEN! so my boys at work learned the haka without me knowing and brought home to me ??? #haka #grateful #maori #newzealand #brothers #fyp #foryou "I don't think they even understand how beautiful of an act this is," one person writes. "There is so much depth of emotion attached to the Haka I uncontrollably cry every time. This was beautiful," another says."Well I'm sobbing like a baby in my office now," a commenter reveals."You can feel the mana [spiritual power] and the aroha [love] they have for you they know your mamae [hurt], what a beautiful tribute to you and our culture. Arohanui [deep affection] for your loss," someone else writes.Ngakuru explains in the comments that it's his brother-in-law, who is Tongan, leading the chant. He is also the one that taught their friends the haka in a single day. What an impressive show of love for their grieving friend. There's no doubt that Ngakuru will remember this for the rest of his life. This article originally appeared on 5.29.24

There are many reasons why people are nervous about entering social situations where they have to make small talk, such as a work event, a party where they don’t know many people, or at school.Some people don’t enjoy small talk because they get frustrated talking about seemingly unimportant topics. At the same time, others are shy and afraid they’ll say the wrong thing or run out of topics of conversation.Psychologists suggest those who are uncomfortable knowing what to say should use the FORD method. It’s an acronym that’s an easy way to remember four different topics of conversation that work with just about anyone.According to Nicole Arzt, M.S., L.M.F.T at Social Self, FORD stands for Family, Occupation, Recreation and Dreams.FamilyJust about everyone has a family, so it’s a great way to ask someone to share some information about their personal lives without being too forward. Arzt suggests the following questions when making small talk:Do you have any siblings?How did you two meet? (if you are meeting a couple for the first time)How old is your child?How is your____ (sister, brother, mother, etc.) doing since ____ (event that happened?)OccupationJust like a family, almost everyone has a job. Or, if they do not, that can be an interesting topic as well. Here are some starter questions you can ask someone about their job.What do you do for a living?How do you like working at _____?What’s your favorite part of your job?What made you interested in becoming a _____?RecreationYou can learn a lot about a person after knowing how they spend their free time. It’s also an excellent way to determine if someone is like-minded and shares the same interests. Here are some questions to get the ball rolling:What do you like to do for fun?Have you watched (or read) ______(popular show/book)?What are you up to this weekend?DreamsLearning someone’s hope for the future can tell you much about who they are on a deeper level. They may have just told you about their current job or how they spend their time. But, ultimately, what do they wish to do with their lives? Here’s how to ask someone about their dreams.Where do you hope to be working in the next few years?Where would you like to travel?What’s something you’d like to try in the future?Would you ever consider trying _____ (particular hobby or activity)?Arzt also notes that you shouldn’t just be an interviewer. You have to talk about yourself, too. In other words, you need a mutual take-and-give. “Pay attention to someone else's answers and think about how you can draw from your own experience to connect," she wrote.Not sure how much to say during a conversation? Follow the 43:57 rule. A numbers guy at Gong.io analyzed over 25,000 sales calls with AI and found the perfect speaking-to-listening ratio. Sales soared when the salesperson talked 43% of the time and listened for 57%.Even though this insight is from business calls, it applies to everyday social interactions. It's really about listening and making the other person feel special. After all, who doesn't love feeling heard and appreciated?This article originally appeared on 10.20.23

Encouragement from a friend. The post The story of how Bob Dylan encouraged Patti Smith’s return to music first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

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Progressive Corporations Are Interfering in Our Elections. Americans Have Had Enough.

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from The Conservative Treehouse: President Trump sends out a “cease and desist” message that absolutely nails the institutional origin of the voter fraud process as it is permitted and facilitated. Although slightly using a coded message, within the spelling, punctuation and pertinence, the identification “DoJ” is transparently clear. I hope everyone can see it. The […]