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After a Los Angeles street musician had his drums stolen, Metallica stepped in to save the day

metalica, sheriff drumman, los angeles drummer
via Wikimedia Commons and SheriffDrumman/Instagram

Metallica live in London in 2017 and Sheriff Drumman.

Anthony Eugene Sheriff, known to people across the Los Angeles area as Sheriff Drumman, had his life turned upside down last December when his truck and drum set were stolen at 4:30 a.m. outside his apartment in Hawthorne, California.

ā€œWhen I got outside, I had a total panic attack,ā€ Sheriff, 34, told the Los Angeles Times. ā€œI fainted in front of my neighbors. I started screaming, I was calling for help like someone had shot me. It felt like the devastating news of a loved one being murdered.

ā€œIt means the world to me,ā€ he said about his music. ā€œWithout drums, my life would have went a completely different way. Thereā€™s no other way to say it. Itā€™s my therapy, itā€™s my fun, itā€™s my life.ā€

After his truck was stolen, Sheriff immediately took to social media to tell his followers to be on the lookout.

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Sheriffā€™s truck and drums werenā€™t just for transportation and self-expression, they were his livelihood. He built a special rig in his truckā€™s flatbed so that he can play drums while being driven all over town. They also allowed him to easily set up and play at Los Angeles Rams' tailgate parties and in shopping centers.

Sheriff was "discovered" at a gas station and subsequently made an appearance on "The Steve Harvey Show."

"I went to a part in my life and I said 'You know what? These drums is keeping me going,'" he told Harvey. "I said, why have a gift being able to do something and not be able to make money from it?"

During the pandemic, Sheriff was playing up to six gigs a day, getting paid $300 a for an hour's gig.

The truck also had sentimental value. Sheriff spent six years building the rig, handcrafting the metal supports and eye-catching #SheriffDrumman sign that hovers above the makeshift stage.

A few days after his truck went missing, it was located near train tracks on Slauson Avenue. But unfortunately, his drum kit and the elaborate setup he created to play on the truckā€™s flatbed were gone. Sheriff started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for the repairs he needed to get working again.

So far, the campaign has earned nearly $20,000.

Last week, Sheriff got a big help from people who understand the importance of music, Metallica. A representative from the legendary heavy metal band caught up with Sheriff in Hollywood and gave him a new drum set.

Videos on Sheriffā€™s Instagram page show that he did have a kit to play when he received the new set, but as any musician will tell you, one set of drums is never enough.

Sheriff couldnā€™t believe the bandā€™s generosity. "Man, thank you guys so much," he said. "Thank you for taking the time and the resources to support and help what I do. I love you for that."

Even though Metallica is known for songs such as ā€œCreeping Deathā€ and ā€œRide the Lightning,ā€ it's touching to see they still have some love in their dark hearts to help out a fellow musician. Now, it would be great if Sheriff could post a video on his Instagram page of him playing a cover of Metallica's ā€œFight Fire With Fire.ā€

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Joy

Dad shares the hilarious conversations he has with 5-year-old daughter and folks are cracking up

"Why do people congratulate you when Mom is making the baby?

via James Breakwell/X

All parents have had similar convos with thier kiddos.

Raising kids is tough, but there's a lot of laughs along the way. Especially when actual conversations start, as kids begin trying to make sense out of the world around them, ask questions, and test mommy and daddy's resolve.

Back in 2018, comedy writer and children's book author James Breakwell, with four daughters who were all under the age of eight at the time, shared their hilarious conversations on X. From these tweets, it looks like comedy runs in the family. Here's a sampling of some Breakwell's funniest kid-inspired tweets.

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While Breakwell's 7-year-old wasn't as heavily featured, when she was quoted, the sarcasm was palpable. Which makes sense, considering that kiddos begin understanding this mechanism around that age.

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Kids really do say the darnedest things, and we love them for it. It one of the many, many ways then bring so much joy to the world. It almost makes up for the headaches and sleepless nights, doesn't it.

This article originally appeared seven years ago.

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30 cheap and delicious meals frugal people swear they never get sick of

"I could eat one every day of my life if I allowed it to happen."

Image via Canva

Frugal people share cheap meals they love.

Groceries are a major expense these days. And grocery prices are continuing to go up in 2025, according to the USDA. Still, making meals at home versus going out to eat is cheaper, and a big way to save money. But getting creative with low-cost ingredients can be a hang-up.

In an online community of frugal people, member samdaz712 posed the question to fellow savers: "Whatā€™s the cheapest meal you actually enjoy eating regularly?"

They continued, "We all have that one budget meal that somehow never gets old. For me, itā€™s rice, eggs, and frozen mixed veggies with soy sauce and chili flakes. Costs next to nothing, takes 10 minutes, and I actually look forward to it."

The post wrapped up with a call-out for others' favorite and frugal meals. "Curious what everyone elseā€™s go-to cheap meals are not the Iā€™ll suffer through this to save money kind, but the ones you genuinely like and would still eat even if you werenā€™t budgeting. Always looking for new ideas that donā€™t break the bank," they added.

Frugal people happily shared their cheap (and yummy) go-to meals. Here are 30 cheap meals that they never get sick of.

"PB&J sandwiches. I could eat one every day of my life if I allowed it to happen. If I'm feeling fancy, I'll make a PB, banana, and honey sandwich. Then I'll pan toast with a generous amount of butter on each side until the bread is golden brown and the PB starts to melt. It's so decadent yet so cheap." - Kom4K

"Fried egg sandwich." - Major9000

"Every week-ish we make pinto beans, smash em up into a refried situation, melt some cheese, spread them on toasted torta bread with avocado. Then use leftovers in your eggs the next day or make burritos for lunch. You can never go wrong with a pot of beans." - BoardNo1459

"A pot of pinto beans with a link of kielbasa sausage and corn bread...Absolute baller." - Bigram03

"'Hobo-potatoes,' diced potatoes, onions, salt and pepper, mixed up in a bag of foil with oil and left to cook in the coals of a camp fire. Goes great with any protein and has more potassium per serving than bananas." - BlaqueNight

"Pasta and butter. Sometimes with grated parmesan." - RuthlessLidia

"Quesadilla." - babe_ruthless3

"Toast." - FrauAmarylis

"Pan fried tofu slabs braised in a pan with chopped kimchi, green onion, kimchi liquid or rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, bit of water to make it saucy, a tsp of sugar seems to help it meld together. Takes 10-12 min. Served over short grain rice. Optional toppings, toasted sesame seeds, chopped cilantro, sliced green onion. Edit: this was from The NY Times food, from Sue Li for exact proportions." - LavaPoppyJax

"Costcoā€™s $1.50 hot dog and drink." - StarWolf478

"Rice and eggs for me too. It can be enjoyed in so many ways! My favorite is a crispy egg thatā€™s still yolky on sushi rice with seaweed, salt and sesame oil." - theyrejusttoys

"For me it's an egg foo young - type dish! Stir raw eggs into leftover cooked vegetables (and optional protein, like leftover chicken or whatever you have). Ladle the mixture into a hot pan with a little oil, and fry up into patties. Serve over rice, and top with a drizzle of some kind of Asian sauce and a little hot pepper. You can look up a recipe for Egg Foo Young sauce, but that's not necessary; it tastes great with almost any kind of Asian sauce, or simply soy sauce. The cooked patties last for days in the refrigerator and can be reheated. Bonus: This is a fantastic way to use up any small bits of leftover veggies or meat. And if I have wilted vegetables that are in danger of spoiling, I just chop them up and quickly sautƩ them together, and freeze them in small containers. Now I have lots of veggies ready to go to make delicious egg foo young." - TIL_eulenspiegel

"For me, itā€™s instant noodles with a soft-boiled egg, some greens, and a splash of sesame oil. Dirt cheap but feels like comfort food every time!" - Wajid-H-Wajid

"Baked potatoes. So cheap, so good." - killyergawds

"Over-night oats. Eat it every morning before work." - Non_Binary_Goddess

"Nachos for the win." - HappyBear4Ever

"Rice and lentils cooked together." - RichCoast7186

"Potatoes, baked beans, fried eggs. Potatoes, corned beef, fried eggs. Rice (Mexican, Spanish, or Asian), beans, fried eggs. Cottage cheese, bran, frozen blueberries, milk. Home made salsa or pico de gallo on anything. Ground beef, rice, tomato and whatever else I have around. Rotisserie chicken, use the carcass to make soup with rice. Use the chicken that you can get off with tortillas and verde/enchilada sauce. With rice and beans. My advice, get really good at cooking rice, beans, and potatoes. Make sure you have a good selection of spices. Throw whatever extra money you have at whatever meats you can." - himthatspeaks

"Sweet potato black bean burrito a la moosewood. The most basic version is just a sweet potato and a can of black beans (but much better with an upgrade of caramelized onions and some cumin)." - Upbeat-Poetry7672

"Sardines on toast with a over easy egg." - Gandi1200

"Green bean casserole! Takes 10mins and lasts me all week for dinner and lunch." - Kihakiru

"Pan fried Spam, sunny side up egg, over rice. Furikake seasoning to taste." - Cajunsalmon

"I don't make meals I don't enjoy eating, but these are easy, quick, healthy and yummy. 1/2 rice , 1/2 red lentils + cubed veggies (frozen or fresh) eventually crushed tomatoes or coconut milk. Baked savory oats : shredded veggies +oats and eventually eggs or cheese or tomato sauce. Dhal sooooooo delicious. Split pea soup." - sohereiamacrazyalien


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'Wicked' author says one line in 'The Wizard of Oz' inspired Elphaba and Glinda's backstory

Gregory Maguire says he "fell down to the ground" laughing when the idea hit him.

Public domain

The two witches in "The Wizard of Oz" clearly had a history together.

Have you ever watched a movie or read a book or listened to a piece of music and wondered, "How did they come up with that idea?" The creative process is so enigmatic even artists themselves don't always know where their ideas come from, so It's a treat when we get to hear the genesis of a brilliant idea straight from the horse's mouth. If you've watched "Wicked" and wondered where the idea for the friendship between Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) and Glinda (the Good Witch) came from, the author of the book has shared the precise moment it came to him.

The hit movie "Wicked" is based on the 20-year-old hit stage musical, which is based on the novel "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" written by Gregory Maguire. While the musical is a simplified version of the 1995 book, the basic storylineā€”the origin story of the two witches from "The Wizard of Oz"ā€”lies at the heart of both. In an interview with BBC, Maguire explained how Elphaba and Glinda's friendship popped into his head.

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Maguire was visiting Beatrix Potter's farm in Cumbria, England, and thinking about "The Wizard of Oz," which he had loved as a child and thought could be an interesting basis for a story about evil.

"I thought 'alright, what do we know about 'The Wizard of Oz' from our memories,'" he said. "We have the house falling on the witch. What do we know about that witch? All we know about that witch is that she has feet. So I began to think about Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the Westā€¦

Ā glinda, elphaba, wicked, Ā In "Wicked," the two Oz witches met as students at Shiz University.Ā Ā Giphy GIF by WickedĀ 

"There is one scene in the 1939 film where Billie Burke [Glinda the Good Witch] comes down looking all pink and fluffy, and Margaret Hamilton [the Wicked Witch of the West] is all crawed and crabbed and she says something like, 'I might have known you'd be behind this, Glinda!' This was my memory, and I thought, now why is she using Glinda's first name? They have known each other. Maybe they've known each other for a long time. Maybe they went to college together. And I fell down onto the ground in the Lake District laughing at the thought that they had gone to college together."

In "Wicked," Glinda and the Wicked Witch, Elphaba, meet as students at Shiz University, a school of wizardry. They get placed as roommates, loathe each other at first, but eventually become best friends. The story grows a lot more complicated from there (and the novel goes darker than the stage play), but it's the character development of the two witches and their relationship with one another that force us to examine our ideas about good and evil.

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Maguire also shared with the Denver Center for Performing Arts what had inspired him to use the "Wizard of Oz" characters in the first place.

"I was living in London in the early 1990ā€™s during the start of the Gulf War. I was interested to see how my own blood temperature chilled at reading a headline in the usually cautious British newspaper, the Times of London: 'Sadaam Hussein: The New Hitler?' I caught myself ready to have a fully formed political opinion about the Gulf War and the necessity of action against Sadaam Hussein on the basis of how that headline made me feel. The use of the word Hitler ā€“ what a word! What it evokes! When a few months later several young schoolboys kidnapped and killed a toddler, the British press paid much attention to the nature of the crime. I became interested in the nature of evil, and whether one really could be born bad. I considered briefly writing a novel about Hitler but discarded the notion due to my general discomfort with the reality of those times. But when I realized that nobody had ever written about the second most evil character in our collective American subconscious, the Wicked Witch of the West, I thought I had experienced a small moment of inspiration. Everybody in America knows who the Wicked Witch of the West is, but nobody really knows anything about her. There is more to her than meets the eye."

Ā wizard of oz, wicked witch of the westĀ The Wicked Witch of the West has a story of her own.Ā Ā GiphyĀ Ā 

Authors and artistsā€”and their ideasā€”help hold a mirror up to humanity for us to see and reflect on who we are, and "Wicked" is one of those stories that makes us take a hard look at what we're seeing in that mirror. Thanks, Gregory Maguire, for launching us on a collective journey that not only entertains but has the potential to change how we see one another.

This story originally appeared last year.

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Author Ray Bradbury noticed a specific trait that made Walt Disney tremendously successful

This is how creative giants understand one another.

via Alan Light/Wikimedia Commons and Wikimedia Commons

Walt Disney and Ray Bradbury.

The worldā€™s greatest innovators think and behave differently from us mere mortals. They have a unique view of the world and are dedicated to their craft in ways that most would deem obsessive. But without that type of dedication, Steve Jobs could never have given us the Macintosh, Michael Jordan would never have been able to fly, and Michelangelo would have never painted the Sistine Chapel.

Itā€™s hard for the average person to understand what makes a cultural innovator tick, which is why an interview with groundbreaking author Ray Bradbury on Walt Disney is so inspiring. It lifts the veil on what great artists see in one another that most of us canā€™t. Bradbury is the acclaimed author of classics such as Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles, who was a friend of Disney and worked with his legendary company as a creative consultant.

What did Ray Bradbury think of Walt Disney?

In a 2004 interview, Bradbury explained where the incredibly ambitious and creative Disney got his drive and determination.


ā€œIf thereā€™s any secret at all, itā€™s because Walt, like myself, is not an optimist but an optimal behaviorist. Which means that every day of your life, if you behave well, you begin to feel well,ā€ Bradbury said. ā€œSo thatā€™s not false, thatā€™s real. You get your work done every day, and at the end of a week, a month, a year, youā€™ll turn around and say, hey, look what I did. So you feel good. Thatā€™s real optimism. Optimal behavior.ā€

ā€œHe could look back at the end of each year and see his behavior, and it made him want to go on. A lot of people are pessimists because theyā€™ve never done anything,ā€ Bradbury continued. ā€œIf you go to bed every night having not done anything, youā€™re going to wake up unhappy, arenā€™t you? So the answer to that is do something every day. Be busy, for Godā€™s sake, be busy.ā€

Ā walt disney, disney world, mickey mouse, disney company, disney theme parks,Ā A statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.via Paul Beattie/Flickr

What is a behavioral optimist?

Although ā€œbehavioral optimistā€ isnā€™t an official psychological term, itā€™s one that Bradbury often used to describe himself. ā€œIā€™ve learned that by doing things, things get done. Iā€™m not an optimist; Iā€™m an optimal behaviorist. We ensure the future by doing it,ā€ he said. ā€œOptimists and pessimists are blind. But Iā€™m not either. Iā€™m an optimal behaviorist. In other words, I behave at the top of my lungs every day. Thereā€™s no guarantee, but youā€™re going to have a heck of a lot of fun. Youā€™ll come to the end of your life with the secure knowledge that you tried everything.ā€

There are just two critical things in life, he said, ā€œBeing in love with your wife or husband and being in love with your work. And then everythingā€™s fine.ā€

If youā€™ve always dreamed of living a life like Walt Disney, using your imagination to entertain and uplift humanity, you can start by looking at life in the same way. Big goals can often seem too lofty when we think about the finished product. Instead, take small, consistent steps every day towards achieving your goal. Writing a 300-page book may seem like too much work, but if you write a page a day, youā€™ll have a book before the end of the year. The key is to stay focused and consistent, just like Uncle Walt.

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Her adoptive mother secretly wrote to her biological mother for 17 years. She had no idea.

What an amazingly kind gesture.

@aliciamaeholloway/TikTok

What an amazingly kind gesture.

Closed adoptionsā€”meaning adoptions with no contact between the biological parents and adoptive familiesā€”offer privacy, protection and emotional closure. However, it can understandably still be incredibly difficult for biological mothers to instantly and drastically remove their biological child from their life, even if they know they are doing what's best.

This was the case for Alicia Mae Hollowayā€™s biological mom. In a video shared to her TikTok account, the dancer and television personality shared that her adoptive mother, Evelyn, ā€œsaw how hard it wasā€ for her birth mom to give Holloway up for adoption. So Evelyn came up with a kind gesture that Holloway dubbed ā€œthe sweetest thing.ā€

ā€œShe was like, ā€˜okay, Iā€™ll make you a deal. Every six months, Iā€™ll send you a picture of Alicia and a little update in a written card of how sheā€™s doing.ā€™ā€

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Ā @aliciamaeholloway She watched me grow up my whole life but never I just never knew itšŸ„¹šŸ¤ #adoptionĀ #momĀ #adoptedmomĀ #birthmomsoftiktokĀ #birthmomĀ #adoptedĀ #adoptedchildĀ #adoptedcheckĀ #adoptionjourneyĀ #biologicalmotherĀ #biologicalmomĀ #bestmomĀ #bestmomeverĀ #morgantownwvĀ #morgantownĀ #wvĀ #westvirginiaĀ #momisasuperheroĀ ā™¬ Sad Emotional Piano - DS ProductionsĀ 
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Getting those biannual letters out wasnā€™t as simple as dropping them off in the mail either.

As Holloway explained, she had been conceived during an affair her birth motherā€”a white woman, married to a white man, with three white childrenā€”had with a Black man. Not only could Hollowayā€™s birth mom not afford a fourth kid, she feared what her ā€œracistā€ family might do upon seeing a biracial baby, and told everyone that it was a stillborn.

All this to say, Hollowayā€™s birth mom didnā€™t want the letters arriving at her home, potentially risking anyone from her family seeing it. Evelyn would therefore need to send the letters to a friendā€™s house.

But sure enough, Evelyn kept good on that promise. For 17 years, Holloways' birth mom got to celebrate milestones in her daughterā€™s life. Meanwhile, Holloway had no idea this exchange was happening.

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Ā @aliciamaeholloway She did what all mothers should do: Whatever is best for their childšŸ„ŗšŸ¤ #adoptionĀ #adoptedĀ #adoptionstoryĀ #morgantownwvĀ #pittsburghĀ #birthmomĀ #biomomĀ #biologicalmotherĀ #biologicalmomĀ #adoptedcheckĀ #adoptionjourneyĀ #adoptionstoriesĀ #adoptionrocksĀ #adopteesoftiktokĀ ā™¬ Sad Scene BGM Piano Instrument(313618) - HomeMadeGarbageĀ 
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ā€œI get chills when I think about how she was watching me grow up and I had no idea,ā€ Holloway told Today. ā€œShe knew I was a dancer and that I was doing beauty pageants and that I was a good kid.ā€

Holloway added that just before her 18th birthday, she was made aware of her adoptive momā€™s kind gesture. And they even went to meet Hollowayā€™s birth mom, an event Holloway that noted was in many ways more emotional for her two moms than it was for her, recalling that both women ā€œhad a long, long, long embrace and were both bawling their eyes out.ā€

As for Holloway, she told Today that she feels no ill will towards her biological mom. Rather, she sees the decision as ā€œan act of love," that set her up for a truly ā€œamazing life.ā€ At the end of their meeting, after the important questions pertaining to family health history and whatnot, all she had to say was ā€œthank you.ā€

And from the looks of it, she is as happy as ever living life with her adopted parents, who honestly could pass for her biological parents any day.

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Ā @aliciamaeholloway I look EXACTLY like themšŸ„¹šŸ«¶šŸ½Even more now that im an adult!!! #adoptedĀ #adoptionĀ #interracialcoupleĀ #greenscreenĀ #interracialloveĀ #interracialmarriageĀ #whitemomblackdadĀ ā™¬ My Little Girl - Tim McGrawĀ 
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It's interesting to think about how none of us know our full life story, how many things both bigs and small remain mysteries. But when we are lucky enough to discover hidden truths, we unlock yet another part of ourselves.

This article originally appeared last year.

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