• The Daily GOOD
  • Posts
  • Social Security survival, Zappa vs. Congress, and a one-word Alzheimer’s fix

Social Security survival, Zappa vs. Congress, and a one-word Alzheimer’s fix

Where can you live on Social Security alone, five wild free speech films (porn, politics, and prog rock included), and the one-word plan scientists say could cut Alzheimer’s by a third.

Author

Greg Sullivan
September 30, 2025 • Est. Reading Time: 9 minutes

In partnership with

“To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.”
 ― Frederick Douglass

In this issue...

One map, ten states, and a surprising dose of optimism for your golden years.

I read the headline to this story by Erik Barnes and almost laughed from my office in sunny southern California.* Where can people live entirely on their Social Security? Not here!

In this data dive by Erik Barnes, Realtor.com crunched the numbers to reveal the 10 states where retirees can live fully on Social Security, no side hustle, no ramen diet. There’s a catch, of course: this only works if your house is paid off. But still, a glimmer of hope.

Delaware tops the list, with an annual surplus of $1,764. Indiana, Arizona, Utah, and South Carolina also make the cut, though the margins get thinner fast.

Barnes breaks down what makes these states workable, how local ZIP codes skew the math, and what “retirement” really looks like in 2025 (spoiler: sometimes it’s a boat).

* - California is like a fine Scotch. It’s strong, it’s not for everyone, and it is expensive… but once you’ve got the taste for it, nothing else will do.

Image of the day

For years, buying cannabis meant taking a trip to a dispensary, dealing with long lines, limited selection, and inconsistent pricing. But thanks to changing laws and innovative online retailers, buying high-quality THC products is now 100% federally legal—and more convenient than ever.

And when it comes to quality and reliability, Mood is leading the way…

Because they’ve completely flipped the script on cannabis shopping. Instead of memorizing hundreds of confusing strain names – like “Gorilla Glue” and "Purple Monkey Breath" – you simply choose how you want to feel: Creative, Social, Focused, Relaxed, Happy, Aroused, and more.

Each gummy is formulated with the perfect blend of Delta-9 THC and botanicals to deliver the perfect mood.

Want a great night’s sleep? Try the Sleepytime gummies. Need laser focus Mind Magic gummies have you covered. Hotter sex? Try the Sexual Euphoria gummies.

It's cannabis shopping that actually makes sense for “normal” people.

From porn to politics to prog rock, movies about the First Amendment go hard.

Who can say why a team of writers would have issues of free speech on the mind? We’re a hard lot to understand. Around the offices here at GOOD, we love the ol’ First Amendment like we love our Oxford commas, celebrated and used often. The First is used to make great movies all the time, but it isn’t often the subject of those films. When it is, though, it delivers.

In this story by Ryan Reed, we’ve got five films that wrestle with censorship, government control, and what it really means to say what you want, even if it gets you banned, canceled, or stickered with a big black-and-white "Parental Advisory." One movie pits George Clooney against McCarthy. Another has Woody Harrelson as a porn king turned free speech martyr. And yes, Frank Zappa shows up to roast the U.S. Senate.

These aren’t just movies. They’re battle cries for the freedom to speak, print, sing, and shout, even when the powers that be would rather you didn’t.

What’s the bigger threat to free speech today?

For as long as we've had free speech there have been forces fighting to rein it in.

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

And what did we learn?

Yesterday, we asked where you stand on Halloween decorations. Is it already time, or should we maybe pump the brakes? A shocking number of GOOD readers are anti-Halloween. So, where does everyone stand on Halloween Decor?

  • My skeletons have been out for weeks (19.6%)

  • My lights will be out, get your candy somewhere else (43.1%)

  • Halloween? P'shaw! My Christmas lights are already up (2.0%)

  • It'll be tasteful autumnal decorations at my place (35.3%)

Sleep, salads, and sudoku: the surprising formula to fight Alzheimer’s.

There’s a strange quirk in the minds of great researchers. They’ll make some profound discovery of urgent value that should be put out to the world as soon as humanly possible, then hold onto those results until they’ve workshopped and perfected an acronym.

Enter SHIELD, a catchy little word hiding a big idea. According to dementia experts, following the SHIELD framework could help prevent up to one-third of Alzheimer’s cases. Not slow it down. Not manage symptoms. Prevent them entirely.

As Amy Lamare reports, the idea stems from years of international research that has linked 14 modifiable risk factors to Alzheimer’s and distilled them down to five digestible items: Sleep, Head Injury prevention, Exercise, Learning, and Diet*.

It’s not a miracle cure or a one-pill fix. It is an actionable roadmap, one that empowers people to take charge of their brain health before symptoms show up. The earlier you start, the better your odds.

* - Acronyms are easier when you arbitrarily leave out words, but I guess SHIPELD doesn’t have the same ring to it.

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…

Come on, Fox 4, that’s bush-league! You wrote “accused of” when the correct spelling is “praised for”. Do better.

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

Until tomorrow, may your state of mind, your state of being, and the state you live in all get along.