Internet

13 voicemails about cheese sticks, pet ducks, and voices from the past

Some messages are too funny, too strange, or too precious to lose.

Most voicemails are trash by design. Get milk. Call me back. Congrats, you qualify for a loan you absolutely did not ask for. But every so often, one slips through that feels less like a message and more like a tiny time capsule.

As Erik Barnes reports, a Reddit thread that started adorably with a child’s voicemail confession of a Lunchable that didn’t make it to lunch quickly opened into something much bigger: hilarious, oddly specific, deeply human messages people still can’t bring themselves to delete. Some are absurd. Some are devastating. A few are both.

If you have an important message of your own tucked away somewhere, this story also includes tips for saving them safely so a lost phone or a service change doesn’t steal your memories.

And what did we learn?

Yesterday, we shared the tear-jerking story of a class of third-graders and the stuffies they took to class. If you didn’t catch it, you should.

Did GOOD readers have childhood stuffed animals? Turns out when it comes to stuffies, you are a bunch of softies!

• Absolutely, that was my ride or die (33.3%)

• I had several and loved them equally (24.0%)

• I did, but I have no idea where it is now (27.1%)

• No stuffy for me (15.6%)

The write-ins were overflowing with memories! The winner for the oldest stuffed toy still present and accounted for? Good reader Ngongldy: “The badly worn monkey is in the garage storage area today - approximately 75 yrs after I gave him up during kindergarten. Lol”

Do you have a GOOD picture to share?

Send us your best images, and we may feature them as the image of the day. Be sure to tell us a bit about your pic.

Culture

You can’t fake these universal likability traits, but you can learn them

Three things that will change the way people think of you.

I’ve “you too-d” more than my share of movie concession stand workers who have told me to enjoy the movie. I’ve said nice to meet you to far too many people I already know. It’s a curse. That’s why Amy Lamare’s story on what makes people universally likable felt a little personal.

Being likable isn’t about charm, looks, or being the office extrovert. The people everyone gravitates toward share three qualities that signal respect, confidence, and real connection. Once you see them, you’ll never unsee them.

The catch? These traits are nearly impossible to fake, which is exactly what makes them so powerful. But the good news is you can learn them for yourself.

Well-Being

7 conversational grenades that can blow up any party

We put the power of life and death (of the convo) in your hands.

OK, hear me out… Mark Wales has rounded up seven “conversational hand grenades” that can instantly end any social interaction. His goal? Help you avoid them. But what if… you’re trying to leave?

Suddenly, these seven don’ts become seven dos. Want to tank the vibe fast? Try oversharing about your rash, interrogating strangers about their salary, or lobbing a “just joking” insult across the room. It’s basically a masterclass in making people regret inviting you.

If you’re polishing your small talk game, consider this your no-fly list, but if you’re one awkward exchange away from disappearing into the night and binging Shrinking, consider it your parachute.

Either way, it pays to arm yourself.

On March 15, 1937, Chicago opened the nation’s first hospital blood bank at Cook County Hospital, where Bernard Fantus turned a patchwork of existing tools, blood typing, refrigeration, sodium citrate to prevent clotting, and cold storage for days to weeks, into a practical system for keeping blood on hand instead of scrambling donor-to-patient in real time.

That mattered because pre-bank transfusions were often chaotic: doctors had to hunt for compatible relatives or friends while emergencies ticked on. The need was obvious, and the reception was strikingly upbeat. Fantus wrote that the new idea drew inquiries from around the country, suggesting doctors saw it less as science fiction than as a lifesaving upgrade.

Today, the tech is vastly safer, with screening, component separation, testing, and tightly managed storage, but the core constraint is still human generosity: blood can’t be manufactured. And the system remains fragile; the American Red Cross said in January 2026 that hospital demand had helped drive a 35% drawdown in supply, with only about 3% of age-eligible people donating each year.

If you’re thinking you’d like to do something GOOD, perhaps check in with your local blood bank and see about making a donation.

Do you have something GOOD to share?

We’re always on the lookout for uplifting, enlightening, and engaging content to share with readers like you. If you have something you think should be featured in the Daily GOOD, let me know!

💬 From the group text…

The path to 1,000 rejections is lined with… swag?

Join the Group Text! Send us your social media gold.