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Obama praises Parkland students, says a lot of today's problems are caused by 'old men.'

Obama was elected by young people. Now, he wants to empower the next generation.

In 2008, when Facebook and Twitter were still new on the scene, young voters used social media to help propel Barack Obama to the White House. He knows firsthand how powerful a force they can be when inspired by a cause they believe in.

During a talk in Japan, Obama revealed that he's channeling his post-presidential legacy into finding ways to help tomorrow's leaders connect and work together.


Obama said if he can successfully create a platform that helps young leaders better communicate, it could have a profound impact on American democracy.

"I would create a hundred or a thousand or a million young Barack Obamas or Michelle Obamas," he said. "Or, the next group of people who could take that baton in that relay race that is human progress."

Former President Barack Obama​ praises the students who organized and participated in the March for Our Lives

Former President Barack Obama praises the students who organized and participated in the March for Our Lives while speaking at an event in Tokyo, Japan Sunday: "This was all because of the courage, and effort of a handful of fifteen, sixteen year olds." http://bit.ly/2rYkNeL

Posted by ABC 7 News - WJLA on Sunday, March 25, 2018

He also jokingly blamed a lot of society's problems on "old men."

His comments followed a letter he and Michelle sent to Parkland student activists, praising them for their courage and reminding them that there will be tough days ahead.

"The single most important thing I can do is to help develop the next generation," he said.

In specifically talking about the March for Our Lives movement, he added, "I think that’s a testimony to what happens when young people are given opportunities, and I think all institutions have to think about how do we tap into that creativity and that energy and that drive."

"It's just so often we say: 'Wait your turn,'" he added. "A lot of our problems are caused by old men. No offense, men, who are old."

To help make that youth-driven progress happen, the Obama Foundation is exploring the idea of launching a new social media platform.

Facebook and other social media platforms have been subjected to intense criticism recently — and it's not just because of "fake news." Obama said another significant problem is when people only engage with like-minded communities, something he hopes to change:

"One of the things we're going to be spending time on, through the Foundation, is finding ways in which we can study this phenomenon of social media and the Internet to see are there ways in which we can bring people from different perspectives to start having a more civil debate and listen to each other more carefully."

Obama didn't specifically outline what kind of platform his foundation might create. Whether it's a rival to Facebook or something that could work in harmony with other distribution platforms, Obama emphasized the the bigger goal would be to foster discussion and connection between people from different communities.

At a time when Facebook is under fire, Obama reminded us how social media can be positive outlets for activism and change.

Yes, at times, these platforms can divide us. But Obama is a living, breathing example of how they can also inspire and unite us.

His historic presidency was in large part the byproduct of young people empowering themselves and others online. If leaders like Obama can help empower the next generation to use those platforms for civil discussion and activism, we might not need another tragedy like Parkland to inspire the next great movement.

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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Jason K. Pargin shares his controversial theory on lobster.

Novelist Jason K. Pargin has inspired an online food fight after his video about lobster received over 500,000 views on Tiktok and nearly 6 million on Twitter. Pargin believes that we’ve all been tricked into liking lobster and that people only like it because it’s considered high class.

Pargin is the author of the “John Dies at the End” and “Zoey Ashe” series and the former editor of Cracked.com.

"I don't think anyone actually enjoys eating lobster. I think they've just been convinced that it's a high-class food for a really specific reason,” Pargin says in his controversial video. He then describes how just a few centuries ago lobster was once used as prisoners' food and ground into fertilizer.

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Joy

An 8-year-old snuck his handwritten book onto a library shelf. Now it has a 56-person waiting list.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel— written by "Dillon His Self"—captured the hearts of his local librarians and their patrons.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel captured the hearts of his local librarians.

Writing a book is no easy task, even for adult professional writers. Many would-be authors dream of a day when their work can be found on library shelves, unsure if it will ever come.

But for 8-year-old Dillon Helbig, that day has already arrived—in truly unconventional fashion—thanks to his own determination to make it happen.

Dillon wrote his 81-page graphic novel, "The Adventures of Dillon Helbig's Crismis" (written by "Dillon His Self") in a hardcover journal with colored pencils over the course of a few days. He even put a label on the back of the book that reads "Made in Idho" [sic] and put an illustrated spine label on it as well. Then, without telling anyone, he brought it to his local library in Boise, Idaho, and slipped it in among the books in the children's section.

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Pop Culture

This 1940s guide on 'how to be pretty' for teen girls has some surprisingly modern suggestions

In a resurfaced video from the 1940s, Mary Stuyvesant, a Ponds beauty consultant, spoke to a group of high school girls about "how to be pretty."

1940s guide on "how to be pretty" is surprisingly modern.

Often, when we think of the 1940s and the messaging that was sent to women and girls back then, we tend to imagine lessons about how to get and keep a husband. But it turns out that all messaging wasn't the same and some girls were receiving a much more progressive message about their appearance.

In a resurfaced video from the 1940s, Mary Stuyvesant, a Ponds beauty consultant, spoke to a group of high school girls about "how to be pretty." Surprisingly, the advice is rather timeless and not at all focused on becoming the best wife and mother you can be, but on learning to care for yourself. Stuyvesant refers to your physical appearance as icing on a cake and that good icing tastes nice but the cake is the most important part.

She goes on to explain to the girls that who they are as people is the cake and that's the part that needs the most attention.

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Weatherman rescues a chicken in a blizzard and now they're friends.

There's a little-known saying that every weatherman needs a chicken. OK, it's little known because I totally just made it up, but you have to admit, it's just random enough to make you wonder if you missed out on a weird colloquialism. But in this case, it may be a new saying because weatherman David Neal found a stray chicken while reporting on a blizzard, and they've somehow become best friends.

The chicken, now named Penelope, was running around in the snowstorm while Neal was filming, so he tried to catch her so he could make sure she was warm. Penelope had other plans and gave Neal a literal run for his money. Eventually, with the help of a bystander who was likely as confused as the chicken, Neal was able to get Penny in his arms.

Of course, he had some explaining to do once the cameras were rolling again, and he handled it like the pro he is, holding a live chicken.

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Today Info/Youtube

Taylor Swift "diving" below the stage of her Eras Tour concert

The highly anticipated, Ticketmaster-bustingTaylor Swift Eras Tour has officially begun. And it’s looking like the pop star is pulling out all the stops to deliver a heap of spectacle.

Case in point—a video from the “Anti-Hero” pop star's kick-off concert that’s making quite the splash online.

In a mesmerizing blend of live performance and hologram wizardry, audiences saw Swift, clad in a flowy red dress, dive into a pool built into the stage. She then swam across to emerge through waves in a shimmery jumpsuit, just before climbing a ladder and disappearing into a cloud.

Basically, it was like a romantic fairy tale brought to life.

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