It’s an unspoken rule among dogs that first and foremost, they must protect their pack leader. While pack leaders may be other dogs in the wild, when it comes to our own furry friends, the pack leader is you. Dogs are fiercely loyal, putting aside their own safety and well-being to protect those they love – from small acts of quiet support to life-saving gestures, their loyalty doesn’t go unnoticed.

When 69-year-old dad David Deshon didn’t return home, he was reported missing. The snow in California made the roads dangerous, and two days after Deshon was reported missing, deputies made a heartbreaking discovery – roughly 100 yards from his neighbor’s home, Deshon had succumbed to the elements.

Through the tragedy of losing her dad, Shona Deshon took solace in one vital thing – “He didn’t die alone,” she told WLOX. “He didn’t die alone at all.”

For two days Deshon’s dog stayed with him, sitting on his chest to keep him warm. Without any regard for his own discomfort, Baby Dog had protected his human to the best of his ability. Even when deputies arrived, Baby Dog stood his ground, unaware that the officers were there to help

“The dog would not let the rescuers, the sheriff, anybody near my dad. So they had to go get a gentleman who lives on the property that knows Baby Dog, so they can go get my dad and bring him to me,” Shona said.

Deshon’s other dog, Buddy, had been picked up by neighbors – but Baby Dog refused to leave until someone he trusted arrived at the scene. The loyal and brokenhearted pup was taken to a facility for medical treatment, but once he’s recovered, he has a home ready and waiting. Deshon’s daughter is adopting Baby Dog, the small hero who kept her dad company through his final moments.

“I just feel like I need to take Baby Dog because he is part of my dad now,” Shona explained.

Healing from the loss of a loved one is never easy, but for Baby Dog and Shona Deshon, at least they won’t be doing it alone.

Becoming a parent changes nearly all aspects of life, but preparing for those changes is nearly impossible. Extensive research has been done in the area of postpartum depression for women, but recently, scientists have been paying more attention to dads’ mental health after the birth of their children. Studies show that men are also susceptible to forms of postpartum depression, and unsurprisingly, taking on a more active parenting role has proven beneficial to new dads.

Psychologist and father of two Olajide Bamishigbin Jr from California State University, Long Beach has become increasingly curious about the psychology of fatherhood since becoming a dad himself. “I am a father of two young boys myself and research is oftentimes me-search. Generally speaking, I think fathers are important in the family. However, in our field, historically, they have been understudied, especially racial/ethnic minority fathers,” Bamishigbin told PsyPost.

To address this often-ignored subgroup of parents, a study was conducted among 881 low-income dads in the US. At one month, six month, and one-year intervals after the birth of their child, dads self-reported information on their parenting habits. They disclosed information on three parenting areas: time spent with their baby (both alone time and time in general), parenting self-efficacy, and material support for the baby (diapers, clothes, toys, etc).

High self-efficacy, in most cases, was associated with dads who spent more time with their babies and dads who provided more material support. Essentially, spending more time with your baby and feeling like you’re providing for your baby makes you feel more confident as a dad. This confidence when it comes to parenting skills was associated with fewer depressive symptoms and better overall mental health. This insight translated across the board in terms of dads, whether or not they were married or living in the same house as their babies.

“In general, I think there are two big takeaways. First, involvement with your child is not only better for the child, but it’s also better for the dad. So, dads, get involved with your kids early and often!” Bamishigbin told PsyPost. “Second, I think it is important for everyone to understand that paternal depression is a serious issue that requires attention. It affects fathers thereby impacting the entire family. So, it’s important that we take it seriously.”

Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell, like any new parents, are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first baby. The couple used International Women’s Day to honor the important women in their lives, and of course, their future daughter. Bindi Irwin has been a vocal activist for conservation, a wildlife warrior in her own right. Bindi and her husband Chandler are now excitedly looking to the future, anticipating the next generation of strong women – starting with their very own baby wildlife warrior.

“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them,” Bindi shared on Instagram.

 

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The inspiring quote accompanies the perfect photo, one that brings its sentiment to life. Bindi stands with her mom Terri, as both women’s hands lovingly cradle Bindi’s baby bump. Terri Irwin moved from Oregon to Australia, partnered with Steve Irwin on both conservation efforts and in life, and continues carrying out their legacy to this day. That strong woman went on to raise Bindi Irwin, who fully embodied the spirit of what it means to be a wildlife warrior – furthering conservation efforts and even publishing a book about the Australia Zoo and her family’s history. In Bindi’s Instagram photo, two generations of Irwin women look beaming towards the next.

Chandler Powell, Bindi’s husband, took to Instagram to share his own tribute for International Women’s Day. He wrote, “This #InternationalWomensDay and every day I’m thankful for the amazing women in my life. My beautiful wife, mom and mum-in-law are incredible.”

The dad-to-be concluded by honoring his future daughter, stating, “This year @bindisueirwin and I are also celebrating our gorgeous daughter who will be arriving soon.”

 

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I’m not much of a sneakerhead, but I do love Thundercats! It might seem strange to lump these two things together, but it wasn’t strange to Puma.

Puma created a line of footwear inspired by the classic 80s cartoon, and they look incredible.

Hold on. Puma quietly announced ThunderCats shoes? pic.twitter.com/sS1HE0sZxQ

— Alan Johnson (@TheAlanJohnson) March 4, 2021

The Puma website describes the Puma X Thundercats collection:

“It’s time to rewind in the first-ever PUMA x THUNDERCATS collaboration. We dusted off the VHS tapes and pulled this one straight out of the archive, fusing futuristic PUMA silhouettes with vintage inspiration from some of the most cult-classic characters of all time. Collection silhouettes feature signature graphics and color references from fan favorites Lion-O, Cheetara, and the Cat’s Lair.”

Puma also released trailers for the new shoes, displaying them inside a ship clearly modeled on the one from the show:

There’s a trailer for them too! pic.twitter.com/oVMF9k4TKu

— Alan Johnson (@TheAlanJohnson) March 4, 2021

They did another trailer for them! pic.twitter.com/mvxpZq0nN3

— Alan Johnson (@TheAlanJohnson) March 5, 2021

Lion-O’s sneakers are blue and orange, just like the young leader, Cheetara’s include her signature spots, and the Cat’s Lair sneakers are black and white. They are available for adults, juniors, and little kids/toddlers, in case you want to indoctrinate your children into the majesty of the Thundercats.

Get them here and buy them up! If these sell well maybe we’ll get some Panthro, Mumm-Ra, and Snarf editions next!

Obi-wan Kenobi is a beloved Star Wars character, some people even worship him. But no one loves him more than the man who played him in the prequels, Ewan McGregor. McGregor has been vocal about wanting to play Kenobi again and his wish was granted during Disney+’s explosion of Star Wars shows, as he got his own miniseries (more on that in a second). But, that may not be all, as ANOTHER Star Wars show is reportedly adding McGregor to the mix as a recurring character. We may be getting more Kenobi than we bargained for.

According to several reports, McGregor will be bringing his Jedi master to “Andor”, the Star Wars spin-off featuring Diego Luna’s Rebel Alliance pilot/intelligence officer, first introduced in the smash hit “Rogue One.” With Kenobi in the mix, it gives rise to the theory that Andor will be exploring the early days of the Rebel Alliance, giving the standout spy a ton of territory to explore, especially if he crosses paths (or teams up) with one of the most notorious Jedi Knights still standing.

EXCLUSIVE: Obi-Wan Kenobi set to make an appearance in #Andor on #DisneyPlus: https://t.co/xfDeDPhJdK

— The Illuminerdi (@The_Illuminerdi) March 3, 2021

Another possibility is a timeline much closer to Rogue One, and therefore much closer to A New Hope, but that would require a much different Kenobi (he was an ancient Alec Guinness by the time R2D2 returned to Tattoine). So let’s hope we get more of the younger Kenobi, with a lot more room for the story to grow. The reports also indicate that Rosario Dawson could be bringing her force-sensitive, former Jedi to the mix as Ahsoka Tano (after a kickass debut in The Mandalorian). She too has her own miniseries, so this could be Disney+s way to connect a few of them.

As for his own miniseries, Kenobi is picking up steam. McGregor said in a recent interview that production on the show is officially kicking off this spring, and will debut on the streamer in 2022. We also know Hayden Christensen is coming back as Vader, which is truly incredible. We also know the show has cast Game of Thrones star Indira Varma, who played Ellaria Sand. Her role in Kenobi is unknown.

As for McGregor, he’s excited to pick up the lightsaber again.

#EwanMcGregor chatted during Eddie’s final marathon about the new #ObiWanKenobi project, #TheMandalorian series and #StarWars filming. Use the force to donate and #MakeHumanityGreatAgain at https://t.co/8m60VqJ7vE – The Beekeepers pic.twitter.com/T21FGoCS2P

— Eddie Izzard (@eddieizzard) February 1, 2021

“I’m thrilled to get the chance to play him again,” he said. “I’ve always felt there was a story between my ones and Alec Guinness’ ones and that’s what we’re gonna do. It should be really interesting.”

Fortunately for us, there may be more than just one story.

Even during years when our celebrations aren’t rudely interrupted by a raging pandemic, arguably the best part of many holidays are the novelty foods that they inspire. There are a few guidelines, however, that must be in place in order for a holiday-themed food item to be successful. They don’t need to taste good, they don’t even need to make logical sense – they just need to be overwhelmingly reflective of the holiday. What’s the easiest way to make a seasonal food item painfully obvious? That’s right, dye ‘em.

M&M’s is on-point with their colorful branding, dying their exact same candy-coated chocolate various colors for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Halloween – honestly, it’s a genius move and they should be proud. This year for St. Patrick’s Day, the folks over at Mars Wrigley (M&M’s parent company) are kicking things up a notch. Not only are they going green, but they’re also going full Shamrock.

Conveniently timed to line up with the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, Mars Wrigley is releasing two new flavors of their unparalleled M&M’s cookie ice cream sandwiches. One new flavor features rich vanilla ice cream between two chocolate cookies, while the other features mint ice cream between two chocolate cookies. Both, of course, are sprinkled with mini M&M’s candies.

Though the green mint cookie sandwich comes out just in time for St. Patrick’s day, it isn’t branded as such. This is amazing news for mint-lovers everywhere, because it means that these drool-worthy cookie sandwiches won’t be disappearing from freezers as soon as the holiday season passes. These new additions to the Mars Wrigley ice cream line will be available in major stores nationwide, starting in early March.

Jayesh Shah, Ice Cream Marketing Director at Mars, said in a press release, “We’re excited to expand the joy of M&M’S colorworks to the Mars Wrigley ice cream line, starting with a minty green treat for St. Patrick’s Day. These new flavors add even more options alongside our fan-favorite M&M’S Vanilla and Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches – offering a fun and enjoyable treat for any occasion.”

As spring settles in, the horror show from the last year is starting to give way to a more optimistic chance at a return to normalcy. For some, the vaccine brings a chance to reunite with family members they haven’t seen in a year, due to restrictions. And others during that time went to new heights just to stay close with loved ones. One woman in Minnesota wasn’t able to see her dad in a nursing home, so she decided to take a second job as the nursing home’s custodian. It wasn’t the extra income she was after, it was being able to see her dad.

When Lisa Racine’s 87-year-old father saw her walk into the nursing home, he was shocked. “I was kind of dumbfounded, how did you get in here?” he told a local news station. He called seeing her walk through the doors one of the happiest days of his life.

Lisa is a project manager by day, but by filling in as a custodian at the nursing home, she filled a big void as they said it’s been very difficult to find people that are willing to work there during a pandemic. Nursing homes were among the communities hardest hit by the virus and its effects.

“I could take a yoga class or go to happy hour, but I’d rather come and mop the floor and clean dishes so I can see my dad… He’s cleaned up plenty of messes after me in the past.”

That right there is a sign you were a great dad. When you get towards the end of the line, and you have a kid who thinks like that and is willing to mop floors in a medical community during a global pandemic, just so you aren’t alone…yep, you were a great Dad. And to a great dad goes the greatest reward…spending what time he has left with his children.

“This isn’t about my husband or my boyfriend, but one of my best friends, Ryan.

I’ve known Ryan for a couple years now, and one of the things that drew me to him as a person was his amazing love and skill at fatherhood. He’s a single, part-time dad, and sees the kids as often as he can. Sometimes for days at a time, sometimes for a spontaneous afternoon for sledding, and of course, the every-other-weekend.

It’s not just what he does, it’s the grace, competency, skill and felicity with which he performs those tasks and fills their days with joy and structure.

He teaches these two little girls budgeting with chores, indulges (quite a few) of their whims reasonably, Facetimes with them at every opportunity, while carrying the weight of a household on his back; the dogs, the laundry, the cooking, the adventures, the bills, time management, a full time job – all the blessed burdens we all hope we accrue some day.

There is always some debate raging about how we praise fathers. For every ‘attaboy’ or pat on the back, inevitably there is a backlash surrounding that; that men just doing their jobs as dads shouldn’t require the praise, that if a mom was doing it, nobody would be praising her for just performing her duties as a parent.

And yes, those arguments are valid. But a parent, any parent regardless of gender or biological sex or the complexity of their family systems, deserves a big, fat ATTTABOY for not just completing tasks and keeping the kids alive and entertained and in warm clothes but attending to them with such joy.

Hats off to parents who have rediscovered themselves through their children, that were made whole by parenthood and the day-to-day minutiae that comprises it.

The unplugging of Legos from nostrils, the joy of an afterschool pick-up, the midnight bad dreams, the perfectly-toasted grilled cheese, the early morning kisses and the overflowing diapers.

You all deserve an extra scoop of praise, and I’m leading the pack by presenting the best example of a parent I’ve ever known or known of, Ryan.”

– Bo Johnson

Want to share a story about fatherhood? Email [email protected]

SpongeBob Squarepants is a weird show.

I didn’t grow up with it, and my kids have barely seen it – though they do like one of the movies – so for a long time, I didn’t have a ton of experience with it. In fact, for a while, the only thing I knew is that Tom Kenny, the third-funniest guy on Mr. Show, was the voice of the titular sponge. But over the past year, I’ve seen a bunch of it, and it’s funny and smart and weird. And Patrick is the best.

Patrick is SpongeBob’s starfish best friend, and today it’s more clear than ever that I’m not the only one who is partial to the guy, because it was just announced that he’s getting his own show!

ComicBook.com announced that the Patrick Star Show has been greenlit by Nickelodeon, to be produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio, and land this summer. It will be thirteen episodes and will feature the voice cast that fans of SpongeBob are used to, including Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick, Tom Kenny as SpongeBob, and the rest of the characters you know and love.

The official description of the show:

“The Patrick Star Show follows a younger Patrick Star living at home with his family, where he hosts his own show for the neighborhood from his television-turned-bedroom. His little sister, Squidina, works behind the scenes to make sure Patrick’s show is always running smoothly, while his parents, Bunny and Cecil and his grandpa, GrandPat, each support Patrick in their own hilariously absurd ways. The Star family’s unpredictable adventures often inform, integrate, and sometimes even interfere with Patrick’s TV show, but one thing is for sure: his bizarre life always makes for great television!”

Apparently, it’s both a family sitcom and a prequel, focusing on Patrick’s younger life at home with his family. It’s actually the second SpongeBob spin-off, with Kamp Koral: The Under Years, sets to debut on Paramount+, and that is also a prequel, focusing on a 10-year-old SpongeBob’s visit to sleepaway camp.

The SpongeBob expanded universe is expanding right before our eyes, and no one is more deserving than Patrick!

The world of competitive eSsports is a fast-growing industry that’s worth billions.  Streaming services like Twitch have turned casual gamers into major celebrities who can rake in big money and brand endorsements.  Competitive gaming isn’t going to slow down any time soon, and OverActive Media is about to do something that could change the face of Canadian Esports forever.

OverActive Media, owners of the Canadian Esports teams Toronto Defiant (Overwatch) and Toronto Ultra (Call of Duty), recently announced their plans for a new $500 million entertainment venue that will seat up to 7,000.  It’s currently being designed by Populous, who is responsible for work on events like the London Olympics, the Super Bowl, and Yankee Stadium.  It will include a theatre-style entertainment venue and hotel complex and promises to be an unparalleled experience for fans and performance artists alike.

You can check out the arena’s concept art down below, which shows off how it will look from both the inside and outside.  Everyone keeps saying it looks like a PS5, and I’d have to agree.

The venue is planned for a 2025 opening and will be located on a four-acre plot north of Lakeshore Blvd in Toronto’s 192-acre Exhibition Place grounds.  It will be the first new sports or entertainment venue built in Toronto since BMO Field in 2007.
In a statement from Overactive Media, they explained that it won’t just strictly be used for Esports though.

“Our vision on this project from day one has been to combine a premium concert and live events program with world leading technology and best in class hospitality. We will create an unparalleled experience for our fans while being a low net cost producer to our entertainment partners and artists. A landmark experience and venue for a world class city that defines a new future.”

It’s all still pretty early in the development phase, so don’t expect to see anything concrete yet.  Speaking with the Toronto Star, OverActive Media says “We are in the final stages of putting our business terms together with city officials and we are optimistic that we can soon wrap up our discussions to everyone’s satisfaction.”

I think this is exciting news for Canadian Esports fans.  Toronto holds yearly gaming conventions like EGLX that my family and I have been going to for years now, but the competitions they’ve held there have always just kind of been set up on the fly. This new location could give these Esports events the proper and professional treatment they deserve.  We’ll also hopefully see this have an effect internationally, bringing in players from all over the world to compete.  It’s a win for everyone.