IT'S ALL GOOD

THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF

CADILLAC NEWS -- NOVEMBER 29, 2025

This is the time of year when we like to be good, feel good, do good, and generally have a good time. The holidays are a perfect time to enjoy the goodness all around us. 

 

Luckily, Wordsmarts.com has a list of fifty ways to express this. “There’s nothing wrong with the word good. But if you want to expand your vocabulary, here are synonyms that indicate satisfaction, pleasure, and enjoyment. Some would argue these words are better than good.” (https://wordsmarts.com/50-ways-good/?lctg=e29108be-97be-4c1e-8d17-b41e8e0800c0)

 

The selections cover everything from “ambrosian” to “worthy.” There are even some choices you rarely hear. “Hunky-Dory” is an oldie but goodie that suggests that everything is going well. “Piquant” is used generally to describe anything that excites the mind. All fifty are fab and first-rate. 

 

Something that excites the mind is listening to music. The good vibes from tunes can sometimes cause an involuntary response. Unconsciously, your foot begins to tap out the beat of the song. 

 

If this happens to you, you're normal. “Human brains love finding patterns everywhere, and they love anything that increases their dopamine supply. Music entails both recognizable patterns and a shot of the happy hormones. Tapping our feet is like our brain doing a little happy dance to the patterns and emotions music brings.” (https://www.mentalfloss.com/big-questions/why-tap-our-feet-music-dont-realize-were-doing-it)

 

Another thing music can elicit is something called the “we mode.” Go ahead and dance with someone. ““When you are connected through shared positive emotion, expressions often act as this aerosolized joy, where you catch other people’s smiles, laughter, their physical expressions. It becomes contagious.”

 

Becoming good at a skill is another enjoyable experience. For an eight-year-old in Flint that means mastering the yo-yo. “Walk the Dog, Boingy Boing and Rock the Baby may not mean much to most. In less than a year, Randall Wilburn III has mastered a list of yo-yo tricks that could take some months just to learn one.” Check out some videos of the tricks at: https://flintbeat.com/8-year-old-spins-his-way-to-michigan-yo-yo-competition/. 

 

Imbibing adult beverages is pretty common during the holidays. Everyone enjoys a good toast to the season. Wine is a popular choice for this exercise. “Wine remains one of the world’s most consumed alcoholic beverages, with billions of liters enjoyed globally each year. Wine consumption continues to thrive—especially across Europe and North America.” 

 

Whether you consider wine consumption good or bad, the fact is that drinkers in the United States are world leaders. “The United States tops the list at 3.33 billion liters, followed by France (2.30 billion), and Italy (2.23 billion). Germany and the UK round out the top five, with 1.78 billion and 1.26 billion liters respectively.” See the stats and graphics at: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-countries-that-drink-the-most-wine/. 

 

On the tamer side of taste, Allrecipes.com asked five chefs to rate their favorite choices for good vanilla ice cream. “ We interviewed five food pros from coast to coast to get the scoop about the vanilla ice cream. There are five store-bought brands that the chefs are sweet on.” (https://www.allrecipes.com/chefs-favorite-vanilla-ice-cream-to-buy-11833864)

 

It was a close match, but Tillamook Old Fashioned Vanilla came out on top. "It’s smoother and creamier compared to other brands. The texture is always spot-on.” Also in the top give was Hudsonville Creamery Blend. “This Midwestern brand has a soft and smooth texture, and well-balanced, not too sweet vanilla flavor." The good news is that both of these are available in Cadillac. 

 

An “awwwww” moment can make you feel good. If so, something at the Smithsonian might be just the thing. “Tens of thousands of cheetahs roamed Asia and Africa at the beginning of the 20th century. But in recent decades, their numbers have dwindled. Today, these big, spotted cats are considered vulnerable to extinction, with an estimated 6,500 mature individuals remaining in the wild. Against this backdrop, carnivore keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) were overjoyed last month when 5-year-old adult female Amabala gave birth to four healthy cubs.” (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-four-furry-and-adorable-cheetah-cubs-on-the-smithsonian-national-zoos-online-feed-180987702/)

 

You can keep a close eye on the group via the Cheetah Cub Cam, a live online camera feed that’s also available to the public. If you don’t see the cubs right away, that may be because Amabala has moved them out of the den and around her habitat. Go to: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams/cheetah-cub-cam. 

 

Finally, don't forget the Neff Zone Holidays webpage at: https://www.neffzone.com/holidays/. From there you can go to https://www.northpole.com/Den/list.asp to see if you've been good or bad on Santa's Naughty or Nice list. 

 

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at CadillacNews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.

 

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