A vintage post-card collector on Flickr who goes by the username Post Man has kindly allowed GOOD to share his wonderful collection of vintage postcards and erotica from the turn of the century.
This album is full of exquisite photographs of women from around the world dressed in beautiful clothing in exotic settings. In an era well before the internet, these photographs would be one of the only ways you could could see how people in other countries looked and dressed.
Nine-year-old Riley Morrison from Napa, California is a huge basketball fan. She roots for the Golden State Warriors and her favorite player is four-time NBA champion Steph Curry. Morrison loves to play basketball so she went online to pick up a pair of Curry’s Under Armour Curry 5 shoes, but there weren’t any available in the girls’ section of the site.
But instead of resigning herself to the fact she wouldn’t be able to drive the lane in a sweet pair of Curry 5’s, she wrote a letter to the man himself. Her father posted it on social media:
“My name is Riley (just like your daughter), I’m 9 years old from Napa, California. I am a big fan of yours. I enjoy going to Warriors games with my dad. I asked my dad to buy me the new Curry 5’s because I’m starting a new basketball season. My dad and I visited the Under Armour website and were disappointed to see that there were no Curry 5’s for sale under the girls section. However, they did have them for sale under the boy’s section, even to customize. I know you support girl athletes because you have two daughters and you host an all girls basketball camp. I hope you can work with Under Armour to change this because girls want to rock the Curry 5’s too.”
“I wanted to write the letter because it seems unfair that the shoes are only in the boys’ section and not in the girls’ section,” Riley told Teen Vogue. “I wanted to help make things equal for all girls, because girls play basketball, too.”
The letter got to Curry and he gave an amazing response on X (formerly Twitter).
Many might be surprised that a megastar like Curry took a nine-year-old’s letter seriously, but he’s long been a vocal supporter of women’s issues.
That August, Curry wrote an empowering letter that was published in The Player’s Tribune where he discussed closing the gender pay gap, hosting his first all-girls basketball camp, and what he’s learned from raising two daughters.
In the essay he shared a powerful lesson his mother taught him. “Always stay listening to women to always stay believing in women, and — when it comes to anyone’s expectations for women — to always stay challenging the idea of what’s right,” he wrote.
Curry clearly practices what he preaches because when a nine-year-old girl spoke up, he was all ears.
Steph Curry and Under Armour didn’t just fix the girls’ sizing issue, they launched a special edition Curry 6 “United We Win” co-designed by Riley, created a $30K annual scholarship for girls, and shifted to unisex sizing across Curry Brand shoes.
Since then, Curry has stayed active in promoting gender equity: he’s hosted girls’ camps, added girls to his elite training programs, mentored players like Azzi Fudd, and launched the Curry Family Women’s Athletics Initiative to fund 200+ scholarships at Davidson College.
Riley and Steph bumped into each other at an event where they caught up and took photos. She is now a high school athlete at Vintage High School in Napa, still playing basketball. And yes, still rocking Currys.
This article originally appeared seven years ago. It has been updated.
Michelangelo’s fresco of “The Last Judgment,” covering the wall behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, is being restored. The work, which started on Feb. 1, 2026, is expected to continue for three months.
The Sistine Chapel is one of the great masterpieces of Renaissance art. As the setting where the College of Cardinals of the Catholic Church meets to elect a new pope, it was decorated by the most prestigious painters of the day. In 1480, Pope Sixtus IV commissioned Domenico Ghirlandaio, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino and Cosimo Rosselli to paint the walls. On the south are six scenes of the “Life of Moses,” and across on the north are six scenes of the “Life of Christ.”
In 1508, Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling. The theme is the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. The images show God creating the world through the story of Noah, who was directed by God to shelter humans and animals on an ark during the great flood. The ceiling’s most famous scene may be “God Creating Adam,” where Adam reaches out his arm to the outstretched arm of God the Father, but their fingers fail to meet.
At the sides, the artist juxtaposed the male Hebrew prophets and the female Greek and Roman sybils who were inspired by the gods to foretell the future. It was completed in 1512; then in 1536, Michelangelo was asked to create a painting for the wall behind the altar. For this immense work of 590 square feet (about square meters), filled with 391 figures, he labored until 1541. He was then nearly 67 years old.
As an art historian, I have been aware how, from the beginning, Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment” sparked controversy for its bold and heroic portrayal of the male nude.
Many layers of meaning
Michelangelo liked to consider himself primarily a sculptor, expressing himself in variations of the nude male body. Most famous may be the Old Testament figure of David about to slay Goliath, originally made for the Cathedral of Florence.
The artist’s ceiling for the Sistine Chapel had included 20 nude males as supporting figures above the prophets and sibyls. Originally, Michelangelo’s Christ of “The Last Judgment” was entirely nude. A later painter was hired to provide drapery over the loins of Christ and other figures.
“The Last Judgment” scene also contains multiple references to pagan gods and mythology. The image of Christ is inspired by early Christian images showing Christ beardless and youthful, similar to the pagan god of light, Apollo.
At the bottom of the composition is the figure of Charon, a personage from Greek mythology who rowed souls over the river Styx to enter the pagan underworld. Minos, the judge of the underworld, is on the extreme right.
Giorgio Vasari, a fellow artist and historian who knew Michelangelo personally, later recounted the criticism by a senior Vatican official, Biagio da Cesena. The official stated that it was disgraceful that nude figures were exposed so shamefully and that the painting seemed more fit for public baths and taverns.
Michelangelo’s response was to place the face of Biagio on Minos, the judge of the underworld, and give him donkey’s ears, symbolizing stupidity.
Michelangelo included a reference to his own life in a detail connected to the Apostle Bartholomew, who is located to the lower right of Christ. The apostle was believed to have met his martyrdom by being flayed alive. In his right hand, he holds a knife and, in his left, his flayed skin whose face is a distorted portrait of the artist.
Michelangelo thus placed himself among the blessed in heaven, but also made it into a joke.
Thought-provoking imagery
The Last Judgment is a common theme in Christian art. Michelangelo, however, pushes beyond simple illustration to include pagan myths as well as to challenge traditional depiction of a calm, bearded judge. He uses dramatic imagery to provoke deeper thought: After all, how does anyone on Earth know what the saints do in heaven?
In these decisions, Michelangelo displayed his sense of self-confidence to introduce new ideas and his goal to engage the viewer in new ways.
A digital reproduction of the painting will be displayed on a screen for visitors to the Sistine Chapel during this period of restoration. Behind the screen, technicians from the Vatican Museums’ Restoration Laboratory will work to restore the masterpiece.
Drum instructor Patrick Abdo doesn’t simply direct a children’s recital—he launches into a full-body celebration of music. In an Instagram post gaining widespread attention, he leads 10 children, ages 5 to 10, in a drumming rendition of the Måneskin song “Beggin’.”
As the kids bang the drums in rhythmic unison and parents watch, beaming with pride, the room pulses with energy. But what makes the performance all the more magnetic isn’t simply the precision of the young drummers—it’s Abdo’s infectious excitement.
In the video, captioned “A record like no other!,” the 10 kids each have their own drum kit arranged in a circle around a large room. As the music starts, Abdo takes the lead, instructing the young musicians and wildly raising his arms to the rhythm. He keeps perfect time with his air drumming, and the kids follow.
These young drummers do a fantastic job, fully committed and bringing the focus and skill needed to pull off such a high-octane song. Yet it’s nearly impossible not to have your attention drawn to the teacher. Abdo radiates an infectious belief in every child in the room.
This type of wholehearted encouragement feels increasingly rare, and it’s wonderful to watch. As proud parents smile from the sidelines, he moves through the room, connecting with each student. With each burst of encouragement, the recital transforms into something special.
There is little publicly available information about Abdo’s background. His breakout visibility appears tied to short-form drum lesson videos posted on his Instagram page. His profile lists Dubai as his location, and his bio reads, “My dream is to recreate School Of Rock MENA [Middle East North Africa] version.”
The video quickly became impossible to scroll past. Views steadily increased, and so did the comments. The appreciation for both the synchronized performance and Abdo’s teaching style offers a moving example of mentoring at its best. As much as viewers loved the kids’ musical showcase, many seemed even more inspired by Abdo’s uplifting and engaging style:
“They shut it down for real !!!The instructor deserves an applause”
“I love the teacher !! So enthusiastic, motivating and you can tell he loves these kids!!!”
“well done to that teacher and all the children — luv this”
“This teacher has incredible enthusiasm which inspires all the kids to work so hard to get it!”
“Wow, the instructor’s patience and passion for his work are truly admirable!”
“This is called perfection.”
“The teacher’s passion! The talented, focused kids!”
There is simply no denying the value of great teachers and mentors. Everyone benefits from guidance and encouragement, especially young people. Research in 2025 found that mentored youth were 20% more likely to attend college, earn higher incomes, and exhibit better behavior. A 2023 trial conducted by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America found measurable improvements in social and emotional well-being.
A 2022 study found that mentorship increased retention and promoted success. The benefits extend to mentors as well, offering opportunities to build enduring relationships that evolve and provide value over time.
The music recital had the Internet buzzing over its great energy and the joy of watching kids go for it. Inspiring mentorship may be the real power behind Abdo’s musical instruction. Whether viewers remember a beloved teacher or recognize the one they wish they’d had, the right mentor can stay with a child long after the music stops.