Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Good to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

The United States of Plaid?

Why does plaid never go out of style?

Zak Stone
By Zak StoneDec 26, 2011
Zak Stone
See Full Bio

From lumberjack shirts and pajamas to ‘90s grunge and high fashion, plaid is the pattern that doesn't quit. Like many of the people who wear it daily, it hangs around. People have claimed to be sick of the pattern for years now, only to keep wearing it.

It's preppy, it's street, it's fashionable, it's low-end, it's hip, it's bro, it's GQ, it's QVC. It's so ubiquitous it's almost not worth commenting on.

But what is it about criss-crossing lines that appeals to so many? Is plaid the glue that holds this fractured nation together? Quite possibly. See a slideshow for some of the places that plaid's popped up on GOOD in recent months.

fashiongood 100plaid

The Latest

aaron paul, smartphones, cell phone usage, technology, cell phones and kids
Culture

Aaron Paul recalls heartbreaking exchange with his daughter that made him rethink smartphone use

studying tip, kindergartener, explain like I'm five, interview tip, knowledge
Ideas

Big tech geniuses say the best way to learn complex subjects is to think like a kindergartner

xenobots, third state, cellular consciousness, anthrobots, Alex Pozhitkov, Peter Noble, life after death, medical breakthroughs, biobots, evolution
Past Events

Scientists may have found a 'third state' of existence that begins right after death

thrift store find, hidden money, goodwill treasure, coach purse, viral tiktok, heartwarming story, pay it forward, kindness, emotional note, secondhand shopping
Past Events

She found a bunch of cash in a thrift-store purse along with a stunning handwritten note

More For You

independent contractor, Caleb, @BirdRespecter, toxic workplace, Great Resignation, text exchange, worker's rights, contracts, Bored Panda, The Guardian

Man lies in bed texting with overlay of screenshot of the exchange

Image of man via Canva; screenshot via Reddit

'Please call me': A boss's attempt to 'fire' a contract worker backfires spectacularly

The ongoing cultural pushback against toxic work environments has given rise to some legendary stories of workers standing up for themselves. One of the most famous examples comes from an independent contractor named Caleb, whose viral text exchange with a "boss" is a masterclass in knowing your worth—and your contract.

Caleb, a freelancer, posted the exchange on Twitter (now X), where it was later picked up by Bored Panda and Reddit. "Being an independent contractor sucks for a lot of reasons, but it also affords you the unique ability to tell people to f*ck off in delightful ways," he captioned the tweet.

Keep ReadingShow less
malicious compliance, retail rules, workplace policy, clocking out, HR audit, payroll flag, customer service, unfair management, timecards, workplace justice, procedural fairness, employee rights, register duty, retail manager, company policy, Bored Panda, Reddit story, upvotes, workplace humor, common sense

Behold the tyranny of the time card.

Photo credit: Canva

Boss demands worker 'clock out' every time she's not at the desk, she made him eat his words

A Reddit user, u/CommercialAlarming13, shared a story that perfectly captures what happens when management forgets common sense. The September 1 post, which gained 55,000 upvotes on Reddit, has since been deleted but reshared on Bored Panda, where it struck a chord with readers who have dealt with unreasonable workplace rules. The employee explained that they worked retail under a manager who thought "customer service" meant staying chained to the register. When the boss complained they were leaving the till too often — whether to grab change, restock bags, or even take out the trash — he introduced a new rule, "If you step away from the register, even for a second, you must clock out."

When “stay at the register” goes wrong

workplace justice, procedural fairness, employee rights, register duty, retail manager, company policy "I'm watching you..." Photo credit: Canva

Keep ReadingShow less
color test, Lenstore, color perception, visual test, tricky test, online challenge, color blindness, Israel Abramov, men vs women, age

A spectrum of various colors

Canva

This 'impossible' 10-question color test is so tough that only 1 percent of people can ace it

A deceptively simple online challenge is making the rounds online, and it's proving to be nearly impossible for most people. The 10-question color test, created by UK-based eye care company Lenstore, seems easy: just distinguish between different hues and place them in the correct order on the spectrum.

The reality? It's incredibly difficult. According to Lenstore, less than 1% of the first 2,000 people who took the challenge managed to score a perfect 10/10.

Keep ReadingShow less
Barack Obama, Sophia Bailey-Klugh, LGBTQ, marriage equality, bullying, two dads, presidential letter, good news, compassion, parenting

(L) A child's handwritten letter to President Obama; (R) Barack Obama in 2025

(L-R) Reddit and Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Vanessa White via Wikimedia Commons

Barack Obama wrote a beautiful letter to a 10-year-old girl being bullied for having gay parents

In 2012, three years before the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, the "marriage debate" was a deeply personal and often painful issue for families across the country. It was during this time that 10-year-old Sophia Bailey-Klugh was facing cruel taunts from classmates for having two fathers. Instead of suffering in silence, she decided to write a letter asking for advice from her hero: President Barack Obama.

'It Really Hurts My Heart and Feelings'

Her letter was a mix of childhood honesty and a direct plea for advice from her hero.

Keep ReadingShow less
parenting, bullying, Samm Jane, TikTok, viral video, respect for women, tough love, single mom, apology, accountability

A mom scolds her child

Canva

Mom found out son called a girl ‘ugly.' So she decided to teach him a lesson in decency.

A single mom’s "old-school" parenting lesson is earning her massive praise online after she shared how she handled a situation with her 11-year-old son. In a video, Samm Jane (@sammjane2) explained that she discovered her son had been sending horrible, bullying text messages to a girl.

Samm immediately took his phone and read the exchange. “This poor girl... He’s only sent her the most harsh message that you could send to any female,” the mom said, explaining that her son had called the girl “fat” and “ugly.”

Keep ReadingShow less
English accents, global accents, The New Travel, Dan Vineberg, YouTube accents, language diversity, English worldwide, second language, native speakers, dialects, pronunciation, cultural diversity, linguistics, speech patterns, international English, accent video, viral video, multilingual, global voices, language map

Representative Image Source: English can be a colorful language

Pexels : Mc Cutcheon

Incredible video shows people speaking English in 65 accents

Accents reflect the unique ways people speak, and with over 8 billion people on the planet, those differences are endless. Some say “toe-may-toe,” others “toh-maa-toh.” Some say “Koh-fee,” while others prefer “Kaw-fee.” Rooted in geography, culture, and social interaction, these diverse accents make the world a more vibrant place. Dan Vineberg, a vlogger known as The New Travel on YouTube, captured this diversity in a video featuring 65 distinct English accents—and it’s nothing short of impressive.

Representative Image: Accents reveal heritage and history. Photo credit: Canva

English is spoken worldwide, with an estimated 1.46 billion speakers in 2023—about 1 in every 5 people, according to WordRated. Yet, how it's spoken varies greatly by region. Dan’s video offers a global journey through these accents, capturing the diversity of English as spoken in different corners of the world. “A collection of English accents that I filmed in interviews, between 2019 – 2024,” he wrote in the video caption.

Keep ReadingShow less
penny, us treasury, penny facts, fun facts, history

No more new pennies.

Photo credit: Canva

After over 230 years, we say goodbye to the penny. Here’s how much it cost to make one.

The “take a penny, leave a penny” tray at your local convenience store is one step closer to going away. Since it was first issued in 1793, Americans have had a one-cent coin or three to jingle in their pockets. Now, after over 230 years, the last penny has been minted and sent into circulation.

While the remaining pennies will remain in circulation, the question is why isn’t the United States Treasury making any more? Well, if you’ve been shopping over the past decade, one can argue why. There are more payment options through debit cards, credit cards, phone apps, and online shopping that doesn’t require cash much less coins to use.

Keep ReadingShow less
Heidi Johnson, tough love, mom, parenting, viral letter, Facebook, 13-year-old, YouTuber son, accidental viral post, parenting debate, roommate letter

Portion of a handwritten letter with text quote overlayed on top

Heidi Johnson/Facebook

A mom's 'tough love' letter to her 'YouTuber' son went viral. Then the online shaming began.

When Heidi Johnson’s 13-year-old son began lashing out, claiming he was independent and didn't need to follow her rules, she decided to give him a dose of the reality he was asking for. She wrote him a "tough love" letter, reframing their relationship from mother-and-son to "roommates" and outlining his new financial responsibilities.

The lesson began immediately. “He came home, saw the note, crumpled it on the floor, and stormed out of the apartment," Johnson wrote in a detailed follow-up on Facebook. He returned for a "sit in" in her room, "where he did laugh at me and repeat, 'Really? What are you going to do? You can't take my stuff, etc'."

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025