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Pet mom narrates her cat and dog's fights like it's an actual cage match and it's spot on

Enjoy the "diabolical skiddily daps" and "butt fluff trophies."

cats, dogs, pets
@mickeymarisandmeg/TikTok

Good game, good game.

Sure, the internet is chock-full of videos showing sweet, charming friendships between animals. You know—tiny kittens nestled up in the fur of a Saint Bernard, a cheetah who pals around with a chihuahua, that sort of thing.

But let’s be real, there’s a reason why the phrase “fighting like cats and dogs” exists.

No one knows this reason better than Meg, a pet mom who has taken to narrating the scuffles between her cat (Maris) and dog (Mickey) like it’s a real match.

The best part is Meg’s creativity with naming the moves. Like in the video below, where Maris apparently “bamboozles” Mickey with some “diabolical sideways skiddily daps.”

That’s right. Skiddily daps. Please let this word be accepted Merriam Webster.

Watch:

@mickeymarisandmeg Replying to @gourdfarmer in which we see a sideways skiddily dap and a very underwhelming butt fluff trophy #labradorretriever #fightclub #dogsoftiktok #catsoftiktok #capcut#animals ♬ Bops Goin Brazy - Tyga

Unlike most of their brawls, this one was more a non-verbal fight, and named Maris as the very lazy victor. With an underwhelming “butt fluff trophy” in her claws, Maris was reminded that “battles can be won lying down.”

Don’t worry, this next skirmish over the coveted futon packs a bit more of a punch.

Ever the instigator, Maris starts off with s sassy muzzle nudge to suggest a thrown was imminent. Then cue a stunning display of impressive moves between both competitors, including, a hindquarter sniff banned in “46 countries worldwide,” a “2 pawed forklift”, a “stoic tripod” that moves into a “hippity hop”…and yes, more skiddlily daps.

Who will win? Watch to find out.

@mickeymarisandmeg the fight for the futon rages on and we see a beautiful rendition of the stoic tripod and two-pawed forklift. #fightclub #petsoftiktok #catsoftiktok #capcut #fypシ #dogsoftiktok #bestfriend ♬ original sound - Mickey, Maris & Meg

Okay, so this fight ended in a draw (lame technicalities!) but both Mickey and Maris the hearts of millions online. With animals, there’s always some kind of wholesome entertainment to be had.

Catch even more of their fluffy scuffles on TikTok

.

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Pets

Four guys asked their new neighbor if they could walk her dog. Then the dog wrote back.

"If you ever get bored, we are more than happy to look after him/her."

via Stevieticks / Instagram

A black dog and a note form "the boys from number 23."

If you've lived your whole life with a dog, a home has to feel pretty empty without one. Your heart has to feel like there's something missing as well. When Jack McCrossan, originally from Scotland, moved to Bristol, England with his three friends, they were bummed out to learn that their landlord didn't allow dogs.

So when they saw a beautiful black Sheprador (a German Sheppard Lab mix) in their neighbor's window, they knew that had to become buddies with her. They wrote the dog's owner, Sarah Tolman, a letter asking to arrange a play date with the dog. "If you ever need someone to walk him/her, we will gladly do so," they wrote.

"If you ever get bored (we know you never will, but we can dream), we are more than happy to look after him/her. If you want to come over and bring him/her to brighten our day, you are more than welcome. If you want to walk past our balcony windows so we can see him/her, please do," the letter continued.


"We hope this doesn't come too strong, but our landlord won't allow pets, and we've all grown up with animals. The adult life is a struggle without one," they wrote. "Yours sincerely, The boys from number 23," the letter concluded.

Soon after, the boys in 23 received a response from the dog herself, Stevie Ticks, accepting the offer. However, it may have been written by her human, Sarah Tolman. In the letter, Stevie shares a bit about herself, saying she's two years and four months old, was adopted in Cyprus, and that she's "very friendly and full of beans." (The boys shouldn't worry about a gassy hound, in England, "full of beans" means lively.)


"I love meeting new people and it would be great if we can be friends. I must warn you that the price of my friendship is 5 x ball throws a day and belly scratches whenever I demand them," the letter continued. A few days later, the boys got to meet Stevie. "Meeting Stevie was great!" McCrossan told Buzzfeed. "She was definitely as energetic as described. We got to take her for a walk and she wouldn't stop running!"

black labrador, dogs, dog-walkers, kind nieghbors, stevieticks, bristol, ukA black labrador (representative image).via Canva/Photos

Tolman thought the boys' letter was a fantastic gesture in an era where, quote often, neighbors are strangers. "In a day and age where people don't really know or speak to their neighbors, it was really nice for them to break down that barrier," she said. After the story went viral, she saw it as an opportunity for people to share their love of dogs with the world. "My mother and I are amazed at all the love we've received from around the world these past few days," Tolman wrote as Stevie. "If you have a doggo in your life, share that love with those around you."

A lot has changed in the past 6 years since this story warmed hearts around the globe. The boys have since moved away, but as of September 2024, Stevie is around 8 years old and still doing well. Her keeper and Sarah's partner, Chris Bowley, shared an update on Instagram. "[The boys] sadly moved out of Bristol. However, we have always tried to keep the ethos going of Stevie having as many friends and meetups as possible," Bowley wrote.


This article originally appeared six years ago.

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Health

Woman shares why being 'conventionally attractive' and autistic is 'jarring' and scary

It can be dangerous as well.

via BiancaMcIntyre.com and Canva/Photos

Brian a McIntyre and a man who doesn't understand women with autism.

It’s a common fact that good-looking people have a lot of advantages, whether it’s being seen as smarter and more capable or having a much easier time on dating apps. Good-looking people also have it easier in the workplace, where they are more likely to receive raises and promotions and be listened to in meetings.

It’s taboo for good-looking people to complain about the problems that come with being attractive. Still, Bianca McIntyre, a woman in Australia, says that when you’re “conventionally attractive” and have autism, it can cause potential romantic partners to have disturbing reactions. This can lead the autistic person to become hyper-fixated on their appearance out of fear that, if not for their looks, they’d be ostracized.

McIntyre is a borderline personality disorder specialist who has the disorder and was diagnosed with ADHD and autism later in life. She uses her lived experience to help people through one-on-one sessions, short-form content, educational talks, webinars, and videos. She explained the trouble that happens when you’re conventionally attractive and the person you're dating discovers you are “weird” in a viral TikTok video with over 1.4 million views.

@putting_the_b_in_bpd

Have you had this experience? Have you taken time to unpack the shame that may have come from this type of environment? 💜 #asd #autism #austisminwomen #audhd #puttingthebinbpd #bipittyfriends #nd #neurodivergent #attractiveness

“When you grow up, and you find out that people consider you conventionally attractive, you have an ability to attract people. But then you get to see in real-time as they viscerally find out how weird you are,” she says in the video. “I used the word viscerally because it's this almost cognitive dissonance that happens in real-time, in physical distance, where they can't comprehend how you look a certain way, but you don't behave the way that a person who looks like that should behave.”

She adds that when potential romantic partners go through this experience, they get very angry because they feel like they have been fooled. This can lead to disturbing behavior, such as bullying, and eventually, they leave her. After repeatedly suffering this treatment, McIntyre became fixated on her looks to compensate for her unique personality. “You place all of your value as a human being on what you look like. That's a really difficult thing. That's a really exhausting mindset,” she continues.

adhd and autism, autistic women, attractive women, pretty privilege, depression, shameA woman is upset in her car.via Canva/Photos

Another problem that women McIntyre works with often face is a cycle of hypersexualization, where autistic women find themselves in compromising situations they wouldn’t have entered if they had a stronger sense of self. This dangerous cycle can lead to bouts of shame and depression and lead to sexual victimization.

Some may have a problem with McIntyre explaining the drawbacks of being “conventionally attractive,” but she isn’t denying the advantages. In the video, she understands that speaking about being good-looking is taboo and that there are “inherent positives” to being attractive. But ultimately, she made the video to open a dialog with other women who have struggled with the same issue, especially those who are young.

adhd and autism, autistic women, attractive women, pretty privilege, depression, shameA woman upset on her bed.via Canva/Photos

“I want you to know that you're not alone, and more importantly, if you are a younger autistic woman and you find yourself in this situation, in this headspace, that ‘I am pretty and that is worth more than my personality. My personality is weird, I'm a weird person, but at least I'm conventionally attractive,’” she said. “I really want you to understand that your inherent value does not revolve around whether you can attract, entertain or arouse those around you. Your inherent value comes from being a human being.”

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Teachers

Florida teacher fired for giving zeros to students who didn't turn in assignments

The lowest grade that teachers are allowed to give students is a 50.

Diane Tirado/Facebook

Left: Teacher Diane Tirado. Right: The note she left for students after being fired.

If you're of the mind that kids today are being coddled and not properly prepared for the real world, well, you might want to buckle up for this one. The story out of a public school in Florida has parents and teachers alike up in arms.

A Florida teacher was fired for giving her students zeros for missing assignments. Diane Tirado has been a teacher for years. Most recently, she was an eighth-grade history teacher at Westgate K-8 School in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Diane recently gave her students two weeks to complete an Explorer notebook project, but several students simply didn't hand it in. Since there was zero work done, Diane gave them zeros.

She got fired for it.

schools, teachers, education, grades, students, parentsMichael Scott from The Office saying "What?"Giphy

The elementary school has a rule called the “no zero policy."

The lowest possible grade that teachers can give students is a 50, even if they don't turn anything in. That means that an extremely poor completed assignment is worth the same number of points as no assignment at all.

Hardly seems fair, right? Westgate is far from the only school that has such a policy, however.

whiteboard, education, classroom, teacher, middle school, 8th grade A message written on the whiteboard for her students after Diane Tirado was firedDiane Tirado/Facebook

It's a rule that Diane, unsurprisingly, does not agree with. After she was fired for disobeying, she left her students a charming goodbye message on the whiteboard.

"Bye kids. Mrs. Tirado loves you and wishes you the best in life. I have been fired for refusing to give you a 50 percent for not handing anything in. Love, Mrs. Tirado"

The scale, as outlined by the school, reads as follows:

A = 90 to 100
B = 80 to 89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
F = 50-59

Diane later shared the story on Facebook, hoping to spread awareness about the school's policy.

“A grade in Mrs. Tirado's class is earned," she said.

“I'm so upset because we have a nation of kids that are expecting to get paid and live their life just for showing up and it's not real."

Diane's post has gone viral, and most commenters agree with her position – it's not fair to hand out grades for work that doesn't exist.

No zero policies are common in many schools, and teachers notoriouslyhate them. But it's at least worth considering why they exist. Some educators say it's because when a student earns a zero, it's very difficult for them to ever recover their grade in that class. In other words, it may be too harsh. Others argue that, if you don't want a zero, don't turn in nothing! Getting an earned-zero is a great way to learn to at least try.

A follow up statement from the school stated: "Ms. Tirado was released from her duties as an instructor because her performance was deemed sub-standard and her interactions with students, staff, and parents lacked professionalism and created a toxic culture on the school’s campus. ... During her brief time of employment at West Gate, the school fielded numerous student and parent complaints as well as concerns from colleagues. Based on new information shared with school administrators, an investigation of possible physical abuse is underway."

However, school representatives did not deny the existence of the no zero policy, and Tirado claims the school engaged in a smear campaign after she became a "whistleblower" on their policies. She's currently considering legal action against the district.

Still, the debate over the grading policy rages on.

“The reason I took on this fight was because it was ridiculous. Teaching should not be this hard," Diane said.

This article originally appeared 6 years ago.

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Celebrity

Justin Timberlake hilariously surprises airline passengers by getting on the overhead speaker

"It's gonna be lit."

Images via Canva and Wikicommons

Justin Timberlake was ready to make every seat first class

Imagine you're on a flight to Argentina, getting settled into your seat and preparing for a boring (albeit important) safety rule announcement. Suddenly, a familiar voice pops up on the overhead speakers and you think… "Wait… that's not… could that be?" Why yes, it isJustin Timberlake, and he's ready to give you safety instructions and the flight route, usually delivered by the pilot.

Timberlake is continuing his "The Forget Tomorrow World Tour", his first world tour in five years. Of course, he's playing lots of hits, but the tour is to support his latest album Everything I Thought it Was, his sixth studio record.

On Justin's TikTok, posted on March 19th, we see him clad in a mint green hoodie with splashes of orange and darker green print, baggy trousers, and sneakers. He takes to the flight attendant's interphone with a sheet of instructions and begins: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to JT Live South American Leg."

@justintimberlake

South America, we’re coming for you!

The phone camera pans to the somewhat attentive, though possibly confused, rows of passengers and a flash of his name on the back of a seat. He continues while the flight attendants demonstrate how to use the life jackets, "The lifejacket is located in the pouch at the side of your seat. To inflate the lifejacket, pull firmly on the red toggles. If you have any questions, please keep them to yourselves."

This gets only a small laugh, so he verifies, "Oh, we're just kidding. Please ask the crew."

He then proceeds to share the flight path. "We will be flying over the beautiful countries of the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, until we make our way into Argentina." Adding, "We thank you for flying JT Live 25 Air — it’s gonna be lit."

This is met by clapping and cheers from many passengers, though others remain seemingly disinterested.

The TikTok comments, however, were filled with true fans. "You know what? There's nothing he can't do," says one. Another exclaims, "I'd give anything to be on that plane with him."

And this person hopes it means that Justin is adding something new to his already full career plate: "OK, so this is a preview of you narrating audiobooks for us, am I right? Please say I’m right!"

But there's more. Whether the reactions were good or indifferent on the actual flight didn't stop Justin from having a blast. At one point, he decides to use the aisle as his own personal putting green. With his putter, he gently hits a golf ball down the aisle, then excitedly takes a back-and-forth victory run, high-fiving some people on the way.

This was also shared on Justin's TikTok, underscored by a recording of the "Better than Most" PGA commentary when Tiger Woods famously made a 60-foot putt at TPC Sawgrass.

@justintimberlake

We love you, Big 🐅!!! Get well soon!

We hear, "I have seen a number of players putt from the back of this green. And the results have not been good." Justin takes the shot, then runs the aisle, and we hear, "Well, that's better than most. Better than most! You could hit that putt 50 times, and maybe make it once."

Adam Sandler Golf GIFGiphy

Again, the comment section blew up. "Imagine tryna nap on your flight and wake up to JT playing golf." And yet another suggestion for Justin's career? "JT needs to make a Happy Gilmore 2 cameo!"

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Parenting

A dad said that kids shouldn't bring roller bags on planes. Then a huge debate erupted.

"I paid for their seat... I'm allowed to bring whatever I want."

Canva Photos

Some say kids shouldn't bring roller bags on airplanes

Taking kids on airplanes is tricky business. Yes, even us moms and dads know they can be annoying. Some parents pass out little care packages as a sort of pre-apology for their children crying, kicking seats, and making noise. Others put on movies and headphones and just pray for the best, and for the flight to go faster than anticipated.

One issue regarding flying with children has taken the cake for a while now. The discourse du jour has been whether or not paying passengers should give up premium seats so that children and parents can sit together. It's a tricky problem that pits passengers against each other when it's really, usually (but not always) the airlines' fault for crappy booking processes.

But move over, seat switchers. There's a new controversy in town.

A guy on Threads recently shared what turned out to be a controversial opinion: Parents shouldn't put children's luggage in the overhead bin.


airplane, flying, airports, planes, passengers, pilotsPlane taking offGiphy

"Please stop letting your little kid carry on a roller bag," he wrote in the now viral post. "It’s unnecessary and takes up bin space for people who actually need it. Give them a backpack or something that fits under a seat."

It's definitely frustrating boarding a flight and finding there's no overhead space left for your bag. Scrambling to find a spot many rows away, or being forced to check it off to a flight attendant, is awkward and stressful; especially so when you see things in the overhead bin that don't really belong there.

The person behind the small account unwittingly unleashed a firestorm of a debate as the post went viral.

First came the parents who were appalled at the suggestion. Some accused the man of not having kids and, thus, not knowing what he was talking about. But it turns out that wasn't the case.

"You don't have children do you if you think that all their stuff fits in a backpack that goes under the seat," one user wrote.

The OP responded: "Took two kids all over the country on planes and neither ever carried on a roller because it’s not necessary for them to do so."

That didn't quiet the angry response:


angry, mad, emotions, angry passengers, airplanes, flight etiquetteAnger from Inside OutGiphy

"As someone who squeezed all of their and their kids clothes into one carry on bag and nearly broke my back while carrying my infant.. disrespectfully, [hell no]... my oldest will have his own roller bag next time."

"The back pack my kid carries is the entertainment & snacks so they aren't screaming, kicking your chair, or otherwise being the nuisance that all passengers without kids complain about. The roller bag is her actual clothing, shoes, and other things she needs for a week. Also consider kids can't carry heavy things for prolonged periods of walking. The roller bag allows them to port their own things and not make the parents pack mules."

Some wondered why it was apparently a horrible crime for kids to stow a suitcase in the bin while adults get away with all kinds of outrageous behavior on planes:

"This made me so ... angry. Been on probably 200+ flights and never once experienced this. I have however seen people put jackets up there, suitcases the wrong way, small bags that would easily fit under their seat, and an array of other ridiculous shit ADULTS do up in that space. On EVERY FLIGHT IVE EVER BEEN ON. Like y’all just ... hate kids and it’s weird."

It's only every single flight where the attendants ask everyone to please stay seated until they're ready to disembark, and then what happens? Every single person stands up anyway, clogging the aisles and making a mess of the deplaning process.


airplane, planes, flying, passengers, flights, children, kids, parentsEmotions tend to run hot when it comes to airplanes and flying. Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

It is super frustrating getting on a flight and finding there's no more room left in the overhead bin. But again, it's not children's fault!

Airlines are incentivized to fill flights to the max as often as they can, and sometimes there's just not enough room in the cabin for everyone's luggage. The idea that kids — whose parents have to pay for a full-fledged ticket — don't deserve that space is ludicrous.

(Speaking of, maybe a kid-priced ticket is a good idea: Parents might be willing to pay less for the ticket and give up some of that luggage space.)

"When my kid's plane ticket costs less than my adult ticket, then we can talk about his luggage (with clothes he wears and items he needs at the destination) taking up less bin space," one parent wrote.

OP had a hard time finding anyone who agreed with him, but the dad clarified his position in further comments. He says he sees kids on flights all the time with only a roller bag and no "personal item" like a backpack that can fit under the seat. The spirit of his post is that, ultimately, parents bringing kids on flights should be as considerate as possible of others, and try to save space whenever possible.

To many parents, though, it felt like just another reminder that kids are less and less welcome in public spaces — and they're not happy about the trend.

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