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The Obamas quietly said what Trump couldn't in a letter to Parkland students.

A letter from Barack and Michelle Obama following the Parkland shooting has proven to be a powerful exposition about how the student survivors inspire them.

And the Obamas' response to the Feb. 14 attack in turn has stirred the political activism of Majorie Stoneman Douglas High School students in a way that's caught the attention of the nation.

The private letter to students dated March 10 was released to the public on March 21. The timing of its release comes just days before the March for Our Lives rallies are set to take place on March 24 around the nation.


"Not only have you supported and comforted each other, but you’ve helped awaken the conscience of the nation, and challenged decision-makers to make the safety of our children the country’s top priority," they wrote.

They didn't shy away from reminding students how hard advocating for gun reform can be.

Most reactions to the Parkland students' activism has been positive. But many have made attacks on their character and motivations, which is an understandably difficult thing for anyone — much less a teen — to endure. And perhaps more importantly, the students are becoming increasingly aware of just how difficult it is to move federal lawmakers into action, even when the overwhelming majority of voters are behind their cause.

The Obamas know that feeling all too well; the former president was unable to pass any meaningful gun violence reform while in office. "There may be setbacks; you may sometimes feel like progress is too slow in coming," they advised. "But we have no doubt you are going to make an enormous difference in the days and years to come, and we will be there for you."

Even though they've been out of the White House for more than a year, the Obamas are quietly continuing to play the role of "first family" in many situations.

Even most supporters of President Donald Trump would acknowledge that empathy is not his strongest suit. That has left the Obamas in an interesting place, where they occasionally find themselves unofficially playing the roles of comforters-in-chief.

They've clearly been very careful to not get in the way of Trump's role as POTUS. But sometimes the nation just needs a collective hug or pat on the back, and that's something both Michelle and Barack are exceptionally good at.

[rebelmouse-image 19346756 dam="1" original_size="1500x1173" caption="Photo by Pete Souza/Official White House Photo via Share America." expand=1]Photo by Pete Souza/Official White House Photo via Share America.

The Obamas' letter is a necessary reminder that we should encourage students to use their voices.

Student activism has a long history in the United States, from opposing the Vietnam War to more recent causes like Black Lives Matter. You don't even have to agree with the Parkland high schoolers' cause to know it's vital that we give our nation's youth the time and space to find their respective voices.

As the Obamas wrote, "Throughout our history, young people like you have led the way in making America better."

After all, the children (or in this case, teens) are literally our future. And a society of informed and engaged citizens is one that's better for everyone.

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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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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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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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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Joy

Woman decides that she is the love of her life and marries herself at her retirement home

“I said, you know what, I’ve done everything else. Why not?”

77-year-old woman decides she's the love of her life and marries herself.

We joke about marrying ourselves or a platonic friend if some arbitrary amount of time has passed without a proposal from an imaginary suitor. And sure, some people do wind up marrying a friend in more of a business arrangement, but it's not very common that someone follows through with marrying themselves.

Dorothy "Dottie" Fideli, decided that she was going to break the mold. The 77-year-old sat down and thought about all of the things she had done in life and who was with her the entire time cheering her on. It was an easy answer: herself. She was her biggest cheerleader, the person who always showed up and the love of her life, so Fideli made the plan to marry herself.

On a beautiful May day, friends and family gathered in the O’Bannon Terrace Retirement Community, where Fideli is a resident, to witness the ceremony.

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