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Culture

10 things that made us smile this week

10 things that made us smile this week

This week's roundup of delightful finds from around the internet.

So, I've been pulling together these weekly roundups of goodness for several months, and I've noticed some common themes emerging in the things that tend to bring us joy:

1. Animals. Always.

2. Children. Kids are often hilarious.

3. Older folks. Our elders have much to teach us about embracing life.

4. The arts. Few things universally bring people together like enjoying creative expression.

Practically every "10 things that made us smile this week" post so far has been dominated by these categories, with zero intention for that to be the case. And this week's list is no exception. Animals, kids, elders and arts. That appears to be where most of our small daily joys can be found.


I'm sure we could delve into the deeper reasons for each of those things, but do we need to? Nah. But if people are looking for a quick shot of happy hormones, perhaps that's where they should be looking.

Thankfully, you can find those things right here, every Friday. I truly hope you love this week's collection of smileworthy, joyworthy, delightworthy tidbits from around the internet. Enjoy!

5-year-old gives his mom advice for overcoming nerves. It's both adorable and spot-on.

Twitter user @EPrecipice shared an exchange she had with her son, and it's the best. Click the side arrows to scroll through and see his advice. Totally going to steal "I am brave of this meeting!" "Don't put a skunk on a bus" seems like a solid bit of wisdom. And I'm definitely going to start thinking about the donuts of my day whenever I'm feeling down.

Seven seconds of the world's most adorable kitten.

They're right. Literally everyone needs this.

Golden retriever meets new puppy and offers it a gift. 

@thegoldenbros3

when your parents get you a best friend 🐶🥺✨🤍 #fyp #dogsofttiktok #puppylove #puppiesoftiktok #SimsSelves #fypシ #goldenretriever

Doggone it, this is cute. When big doggo gives little puppo the stuffed toy? Stop it. It's too much.

Life is hard, and so we dance.

It's the little things. And the love. Just beautiful.

Seniors enjoy some childlike thrills with an indoor inner tube ride.

We all need fun in our lives, regardless of our age or stage in life. How delightful that these residents of the StoryPoint Saline retirement community are getting this kind of care. Read the full story here.

The Gardiner Brothers step dancing to Queen is thoroughly enjoyable. (SOUND UP)

What is it about the sound of tapping that's so satisfying? Follow these five-time world champion Irish dancers, Matt and Mike Gardiner, here for more awesome performances.

The #BettyWhiteChallenge has raised more than $12.7 million for animal welfare.

Fans of Betty White wanted to do something special for what would have been her 100th birthday, which prompted a grassroots challenge to raise money for animal shelters and rescues in her name. Meta announced that more than $12.7 million was raised just through Facebook and Instagram donations alone. Read the story here.

World-class pianist regains the ability to play after 20 years, thanks to bionic gloves.

Just watching his face as he plays tells the story. So beautiful. Technological innovation can be life-changing.

Woman interviews animals with a tiny mic and it's oddly entertaining.

Maya Higa's "tiny mic interviews" have become a hit on YouTube and it's easy to see why (once you get through the disclaimers at the beginning—you can skip the first minute with the understanding that these are rescued animals in a sanctuary, not pets). Who knew a porcupine made that noise? Read the full story here.

Kid really, really, really loves komodo dragons, even though "they eat people."

This video is never not hilarious. His fascination with komodo dragons is just so wholesome (despite the whole wanting to see one eat a person thing).

Hope that made your day! Check back in next Friday for another roundup of the internet's most delightful finds.

Joy

Sorry, Labradors. After 31 years, America has a new favorite dog.

The American Kennel Club has crowned a new favorite.

via Pixabay

A sad-looking Labrador Retriever

The sweet-faced, loveable Labrador Retriever is no longer America’s favorite dog breed. The breed best known for having a heart of gold has been replaced by the smaller, more urban-friendly French Bulldog.

According to the American Kennel Club, for the past 31 years, the Labrador Retriever was America’s favorite dog, but it was eclipsed in 2022 by the Frenchie. The rankings are based on nearly 716,500 dogs newly registered in 2022, of which about 1 in 7 were Frenchies. Around 108,000 French Bulldogs were recorded in the U.S. in 2022, surpassing Labrador Retrievers by over 21,000.

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Dad gives a how-to on "gentle parenting with malicious intent."

By now, everyone has heard of gentle parenting. Even if you're not quite sure what it is, you've heard the phrase. Parents that use this style of parenting set boundaries with their children but with thorough explanations and a focus on healthy emotional development. One dad decided to spin the gentle parenting trend by implementing "gentle parenting with malicious intent" for his older children.

You may be wondering how one gentle parents with malicious intent. No worries, the dad uploaded a now-viral clip to TikTok, where it has over 4 million views, to explain. In the clip, "Ginger Jack" has the camera on himself as he talks to his kids about completing their chores without attitudes…and that's where the twist comes in.

"New rule. Whenever one of you starts giving me attitude, I'm going to start hitting on mom," the dad says before speaking to his partner. "Hey there. sugar. How you doing, baby girl? How do you feel about another child? I could rub your ankles real good." He then makes what can only be described as an attempt at a sexy cat noise.

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Drew Barrymore speaks during the FLOWER Beauty launch at Westfield Parramatta on April 13, 2019, in Sydney, Australia.

Drew Barrymore, 48, has been in the public consciousness since she starred as Gertie in 1982’s mega-blockbuster, “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” a performance that earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. So, it makes sense that many people of a certain age feel as if they’ve grown up with her.

Now, she’s an even more significant part of people’s lives as the host of “The Drew Barrymore Show,” which runs every weekday on CBS.

On May 25, the show’s Instagram page posted a touching video of an off-the-cuff moment between Barrymore and a fan during a taping of her show. In the clip, Barrymore realizes that someone in the audience is crying. So, instead of ignoring the fan, she jumps to action to see what is the matter.

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Family

Pediatrician shares two simple tips that could save a child's life at a pool party

"The more folks present, the safer the pool is, right? Wrong."

Photo by Ash Dowie on Unsplash

If there's a body of water anywhere, a designated adult needs to have their eyes on it.

It's that time of year when the weather across the country is warm enough for families to enjoy outdoor barbecues, picnics and pool parties. That means it's also the time of year when tragedy will strike a certain percentage of families who get blindsided by how quickly and easily a child can drown in a backyard pool, even when they're surrounded by people who care about them and their safety.

We've all been at a gathering where adults are coming and going, chatting, setting up food, taking trips to the bathroom, all while kids are busy playing in the water. In such scenarios, it's easy to assume that someone else is keeping an eye on the pool.

But as pediatrician Diane Arnaout has shared, the harrowing reality is that the more people there are at a pool party the more likely it is that a child could slip into the pool or become distressed in the water without anyone noticing.

In a Facebook post that has been shared more than 77,000 times, Dr. Arnaout wrote:

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Pop Culture

Musician uses traditional Chinese instrument to create hypnotic cover of 'Hotel California'

There are literally hundreds of covers of this song floating around on the internet, but this one has its own unique flair.

Moyun/Youtube

Moyun peforms "Hotel California" on the guzheng.

The Eagles' hit song, “Hotel California,” has been covered countless times over the years by a variety of artists, including the likes of Nancy Sinatra, the Gypsy Kings and that guy at your local karaoke spot.

And while every rendition gives the song a fresh dynamic, one musician with a penchant for mystery has transformed the rock n’ roll staple into something entirely new.

Using a traditional Chinese string instrument called a guzheng, Moyun plays the song focusing mostly on its two guitar solo arrangements, creating a sound that has all the otherworldly beauty of an ancient folk tale.
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Pop Culture

Man rewatches shows from his childhood and his recaps of the bonkers storylines are priceless

Rob Anderson's hilarious recaps of shows like "Mighty Ducks," "Beethoven," and "7th Heaven" might make you wonder how they got made in the first place.

@hearthrobert/TikTok

These plots makes zero sense.

While there are no doubt some timeless classics from our childhood that remain every bit as amazing as we remember, many are straight-up cringey upon a later viewing. Really, it’s to be expected as societal viewpoints change…sort of a marker of how far we’ve collectively come.

And so, what do we do with these problematic pieces of old-school pop culture? Well, we can certainly update them to better reflect a more modern attitude, but that also comes with a set of potential problems. Or we could simply never watch them again. Certainly an option given all the content out there. But then we might miss an opportunity to better understand what seemed to work for the mainstream then, and why it doesn’t work now.

And then there’s the third option—allow ourselves to be entertained by their cringiness.

That’s certainly the route taken by Rob Anderson. Over on TikTok, Anderson has taken ultra-popular movies and television shows from his childhood and given them hilarious recaps capturing how absurd some of the storylines are.
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