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Pickle Chips are a Forthcoming Snack You’ll Relish

By James R.C. Smith
(Vlasic)

Pickles, you either love them or you’re wrong. Fried pickles, pickle dip, and even pickle-flavored ice cream. Ok, that last one went too far, but pickle chips are finally heading to stores thanks to Conagra Brands. While there isn’t a release date yet, they’re in development and pickle-lovers are already getting excited.

According to Food Business News, pickles are a $1.1 billion industry. Thomas M. McGough, Co-Chief Operating Officer and Executive VP of Conagra Brands said “Pickles has always been a flavor that people have loved in snacks, whether it’s potato chips or even in our Bigs Vlasic dill sunflower seeds,” he said. “But pickles themselves are a great snack, essentially no calories or carbs. But eating pickles out of a conventional jar is inconvenient and messy, and pickle snacks are actually becoming a thing, particularly in c-stores. So we’ve created Vlasic single-serve pickle slices and also a Vlasic vacuum-fried pickle chips that taste absolutely fantastic.”

Raw pickles aren’t bad for you, in fact, they’re low in saturated fat, and very low in cholesterol. They’re also a good source of vitamin A, iron, potassium and manganese, and a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin K and calcium (source). That said, they aren’t perfect – they’re pretty high in sodium.

But will pickles in chip format deliver a similar nutritional punch? Yes, you’ll just have to eat your pickle chips with a side of pickles.

The Rock Raps Moana Song to Daughter During Hand Washing Session

By Mark Chalifoux
The Rock's Moana Handwashing Rap
(Instagram/therock)

Washing your hands is one of the most important things you can do these days. I mean sure, it was always important, but now it’s like recycling, it’s about saving everyone, not just yourself. It’s right up there with social distancing as the twin pillars that rule our daily conduct. Even our cultural leader, Dwayne The Rock Johnson, is helping drive that point home.

In an especially adorable clip Johnson posted on Instagram, he illustrated the new way he helps his daughter wash her hands, by singing part of his hit song “You’re Welcome” from Moana (written by a terrific dad himself, Lin Manuel-Miranda).

“We realized a few weeks ago that the rap portion of the song is perfect timing when getting your little ones to have fun washing their hands,” he wrote in his post. “Stay healthy and safe, my friends.” He also made note of his daughter’s hilarious impatience with him explaining the video before breaking into his song.


I mean come on, he remixes his massively popular song, throws in a diss about the virus, and uses his enormous platform to encourage lengthy handwashing technique. Strong dad game. He doesn’t even care that he’s only wearing a towel in the video, which would qualify as the typical type of embarrassing stuff dads do if he wasn’t built like a rock.

Here at The Dad, we hope you, your families, and communities stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the latest information, please utilize online resources from local public health departments, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization to remain as informed as possible.

Guy Fieri Launches Fund for Restaurant Workers Affected by Coronavirus

By Mark Chalifoux
Guy Fieri Launches Fund
(Getty/Scott Dudelson)

Few industries have been gutted by the pandemic quite like the hospitality business, and specifically, restaurants. With governments demanding people stay at home, even carryout business at most places has slowed to a tragic trickle. Restaurants have laid off the majority of their staff, and it’s a bad situation all around. Their livelihoods have been taken away overnight. And Guy Fieri wants us to help him help them.

The Mayor of Flavortown announced he is partnering with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation to create a Restaurant Employee Relief fund. The goal of the fund is to give people a place to donate to help those workers and to disburse $500 grants to impacted workers.

It is open for workers who hit all three criteria of working in the industry for at least 90 days, had a primary source of income in the industry, and have experienced a decrease in wages after March 10th. So, that applies to almost every restaurant worker everywhere.

The Food Network host said the restaurant business has always been a part of his life. “I’ve also spent the better part of the last 15 years traveling this great country meeting other folks who’ve dedicated their lives to this business and let me tell you something, they are the hardest working, most real deal workers you’ve ever met…the heartbeats of their communities,” he said in the press release. “But they need our help and with Restaurant Relief America, we can serve up some support when these restaurant employees need it most…right now.”

You can apply for a grant (or donate money) at rerf.us (It’s back up now having been down for a while earlier last week).

And also, let this awesome move serve as another reminder that you were wrong about Guy Fieri. He was so easy to make fun of, but the guy is nothing but a fearless achiever, creating his own world and becoming a minor government official in it.

If, somehow, you are still on the fence about Guy’s character, please reference this classic stand-up bit from the very funny Shane Torres, and change your mind forever.

One Dad’s Quest To Save His Hair

By The Dad
Keeps Hair Treatment

I’ve always had pretty good hair. I’m bad at brushing it and have no idea what to tell the nice old Russian lady on Lorimer Street who cuts it, but I’ve always had a decent amount of it, and it’s always been pretty easy to maintain. But, like a lot of guys my age, I started noticing that…well, it’s not falling out or anything, but there’s some shiny scalp showing through up top there.

I know there’s no cure for going bald, but I also know that hair loss prevention products have been around since I was a kid, and it seemed like if they were just snake oil, that business model would have dried up.

So I decided to look into it, and here’s what I learned.

Natural Options

You can find guys on the internet claiming that anything from caffeine to ice baths cured their baldness, but most natural hair loss treatments don’t have a ton of scientific evidence behind them. Hair loss vitamins, for example, don’t work unless you have a deficiency in the nutrients they contain. Pumpkin seed oil and rosemary oil are good places to start if you’re looking for a DIY treatment with a decent chance of actually working, but the bottom line is that you’re not likely to get mind-blowing results by going the homeopathic route.

Science Options

The FDA has only approved two treatments for male pattern hair loss: finasteride (generic Propecia®) and minoxidil (generic Rogaine®). Finasteride is a prescription pill you take every day that stops hair loss or increases hair growth in up to 90% of men. Minoxidil is an over-the-counter topical treatment you apply to your scalp twice a day. Unlike natural options, finasteride and minoxidil are clinically proven to be effective.

But I Don’t Want To Ask For Bald Medicine At The Pharmacy

Some companies have popped up in recent years that all claim to help you keep your hair from the comfort of your home. Like the elder millennial that I am, I was intrigued by the idea of a subscription service, which is why I landed on Keeps. Full disclosure: they have that minimalist marketing design approach that I appreciate, so I thought, why not?

Keeps only offers the FDA-approved medications for hair loss, and they are the only hair loss treatment company offering minoxidil in both foam and solution.

Treatment plans with Keeps cost anywhere from $30 to $105 every three months, and are delivered directly to your door in discreet packaging – no pharmacy runs or doctor appointments required. You can choose your treatment plan and have your selection verified by a Keeps doctor or speak with a Keeps doctor first who will help you land on the right treatment plan for you. 

The Bottom Line

I don’t know if I’ll have flowing locks when I’m pushing my 90s, but Keeps isn’t snake-oil. The medication is legit, the results are noticeable, and I don’t have to go shopping in the old-man aisle at the pharmacy. If you’re concerned about losing your hair and know that you won’t pull off being a hat guy, Keeps is worth giving a try. Check out Keeps now and you’ll get 50% off your first month. 

Comic Book Writers Rally for a Marvel/DC Crossover With #PleaseMarvelDC

By Mike Julianelle
#PleaseMarvelDC Crossover
(CBR.com)

As the global pandemic rages and people are forced to stay home in an attempt to stem the tide, the economy is suffering as many businesses have been forced to close and/or cutback. Social distancing requires that people don’t gather in large groups, which both limits the ability of consumers to consume, and of workplaces to employ staff.

All four major sports leagues have suspended play, concerts, and movie releases have been postponed or canceled, and restaurants, bars, and stores and shutting down until the public is able to be public again.

Even the comic book industry is suffering, with the primary distributor of comics books for both DC and Marvel shutting down shipments as of April 1. One writer has an idea to get fans excited again.

Gail Simone, a comics writer well-known for her work on Birds of Prey and Batgirl, tweeted out a suggestion to drum up enthusiasm for both DC and Marvel comics, if and when the industry opens up again. And as someone who remembers a few of the epic crossovers she’s referencing, I’m all for it!

While the idea of such a crossover seems impossible for the respective Marvel and DC cinematic universes – certainly for DC, whose relatively small Justice League team-up didn’t exactly set the world on fire – the two superhero houses have done it in print before. The last time was more than 20 years ago, in the 90s.

Gail has a few ideas for potential crossovers and shared them under a #PleaseMarvelDC hashtag.

Several other comic book writers jumped onto the hashtag and suggested crossovers they’d like to see – and write.


Fans love crossovers, and while both companies are pretty stingy with such major events, the resumption of business after the quarantine is lifted seems like the perfect opportunity to make a big splash and reinvigorate readers.

One writer had an idea featuring one of the most popular superheroes of all taking on… all the other superheroes.

Obviously, crossovers like these are few and far between, but if there were ever a good time for one, it’s when the quarantine is lifted. What better way to make a big splash and reinvigorate readers than with a major event featuring unlikely pairings and rivalries.

Here’s home Simone’s #PleaseMarvelDC hashtag delivers! What crossovers do you want to see?

Freddy Kruger and Kyle Reese Want You to Wear Gloves and Stay Home

By Mike Julianelle
Kruger and Reese Covid-19 PSA
(Twitter/RobertBEnglund YouTube/TheTerminatorFans.co)

By now, everyone should know the drill.

Stay home, don’t go out unless you absolutely have to, stay 6 feet away from other people, wash your hands, and wear a mask in certain situations.

Of course, not everyone is adhering to these guidelines, despite the fact that experts and scientists and healthcare professionals have been shouting them from the rooftops for weeks now. Some people need a little more motivation. Some people need to be scared straight.

Well, they’re in luck. The actor responsible for one of the most terrifying characters in movie history came out of the woodwork to exhort people to wash their hands and wear their glove. And he knows a little something about that, having worn a special one for much of his career.

Robert Englund is best known for portraying Freddie Kruger in Wes Craven’s Nightmare on Elm Street and its ensuing sequels. Just ahead of the True Terror marathon on the Travel Channel, his new show which depicts “journeys into the darkest corners of America’s past to uncover stories that are as terrifying as they are real,” he took to Twitter to make a public service announcement, not in costume but definitely in character as his famous monster.

If that doesn’t convince you, maybe a warning from a soldier from the future will.

Michael Biehn, best known for portraying military bad-asses in James Cameron movies, and who will appear as a bounty hunter the second season of Disney+’s The Mandalorian, channeled his most famous character to remind people to stay home.

In The Terminator, Biehn plays Kyle Reese, a soldier from the future sent back to protect Sarah Connor. At one point, he explains to her just how relentless Arnold’s Schwarzenneger’s killer robot is, and over the weekend the actor repurposed his iconic speech to drive home the dangers of the Coronavirus.

Between Freddy Kruger and Kyle Reese, 80s kids should be plenty convinced by now. Stay home, and wear gloves and a mask. Or face their wrath!

Here at The Dad, we hope you, your families, and communities stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the latest information, please utilize online resources from local public health departments, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization to remain as informed as possible.

Netflix Teases New Tiger King Episode With Joe Exotic Interview

By Mike Julianelle
(Twitter/Netflix/redturn2)

Hey all you cool cats and–

I’m sorry, I can’t finish that with a straight face. But you know the rest. If you don’t, proceed with caution as there are spoilers ahead.

Obviously, like everyone else I binged Netflix’s Tiger King docuseries, about the flamboyant and absurd Joe Exotic, his zoo, his vendetta, and the various people in his orbit. Including, obviously, Carole Baskin, who her rivals claim is responsible for the disappearance of her missing husband.

The series was seven episodes long, and it lit social media on fire. Viewers couldn’t look away from the train wreck, which began by focusing on Joe Exotic and his zoo, but quickly became about the seemingly hypocritical Carole Baskin, an activist attempting to end the captivity of big cats even while she ran a zoo of her own. The show got weirder and weirder as it went, with various crimes, an accidental suicide, a run for governor, and multiple phone calls from jail eventually helping fill out the run time.

Turns out, the show wasn’t over. Jeff Lowe, the sketchy Affliction-wearing angel investor who took over/stole Joe Exotic’s zoo right out from under him, shared the news that a new episode of the doc was coming.

Justin Turner, of the Los Angeles Dodger, share Lowe’s video, which apparently originated on Cameo. In the video, Lowe says that some brand new Tiger King content is coming.

“Netflix is adding one more episode. It will be on next week. They’re filming here tomorrow,” Lowe said in the video.

No word on exactly when the new episode will drop, and there’s been no news from Netflix yet, but seeing as Tiger King was their #1 show as soon as it premiered and has been consuming social media during this quarantine.

Netflix did recently interview Joe from jail, where he seemed in good spirits as he answered some questions.

Obviously, the series ended with Joe Exotic in jail – for animal abuse and attempting to carry out a murder-for-hire plot against Baskin. Whether the new episode will feature more phone calls from jail or more insane music videos, is yet to be seen. But we’ll be watching to find out!

Father Figures: Better Versions

By Mike Julianelle

“For a long time I didn’t want kids. Being raised by strict parents, and being the youngest of four, I saw how my family fell apart through my mother’s agony.

Feeling so misunderstood in a Mexican-American house, I strode out the most. My folks always made me feel like I was the worst version of them. Being the scapegoat for their failures, I became independent, at 16.

I struggled to understand family. I’d see my friends go through traditions that I found useless. They didn’t understand what I was going through cause ‘how could a mother ever do that to her son?’, making me realize that not all people that are called ‘parents’ deserve that title.

How things not only change, but evolve. Seeing other parental figures, the consoling and advice. The help I received when I only had one pair of shoes and three socks and no home. Surviving addiction, depression and homelessness, through a light that shined and guided me.

It was hard for me to understand how to be a dad, but when my older boy came, my future (once filled with uncertainty) was suddenly filled with hope. I don’t know what the future holds, but I have hope now. By the names of Logan and Santiago. And that gave me a reason to be a better man, a better husband to an amazing wife, and a better human.

Working tirelessly so my boys and their futures are good, especially in these weird times. Always acknowledging that sometimes as a parent we don’t always need to be in their business, but just need to be aware of how they are. That’s what we are raising. Better versions of us.

I saw post recently about being angry and a parental figure is normal to have that emotion. It really is. Cause once you let that anger go, that’s where you grow!”

– James Galeana

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

Check out the previous editions of Father Figures here

The Rise of Teleworking Is Causing the Sale of Pants to Drop

By Mark Chalifoux
Teleworking Causing the Sale of Pants to Drop
(Getty/South_agency)

The American worker is quickly adapting to the brave, new world out there. With travel limited only to the most essential for us, offices across the world are moving online. And with the rise of telework and video conferencing comes other new adjustments to the economy. Namely, the sale of pants is plummeting.

In a world where your co-workers and meeting participants can only see your top half (even then, mostly just a face and part of your shirt), people are dropping their pants. Sure, you can throw on a nice shirt, but you better believe there are sweatpants on under that sharp blazer. Yeah, your co-worker is dressed in a lovely sweater, but if you could tilt the video down, you’d see he’s wearing it with lacrosse shorts. Never before in American history have so many people been working in yoga pants.

“We’re seeing increased sales in tops, but not bottoms. People who are concerned, obviously, from the waist up,” Walmart’s VP told Yahoo. “These behaviors are going to continue to change and evolve as people get accustomed to this new lifestyle.”

Other retailers and clothing stores are reporting similar results. Shirts, definitely up. And their pants are down. Especially when it comes to dress pants. They’re seeing an increase in loungewear, such as sweatpants, leggings, etc.

Save the pants for the essential workers out there, they still need to be in public. The rest of us can chill through quarantine, taking our meetings in our favorite raggedy pair of college sweatpants. Once reserved for lazy Sundays, sweatpants are getting the call up from the bullpen and added to the starting rotation. It is their time to shine. I can even envision a future where sweatpants are divided into categories, such as your everyday sweatpants and your “nice” sweatpants.

It’s also important to embrace all the offshoots of the sweatpant, including track pants, athletic shorts, and every other kind of bottom you can’t get away with wearing when you talk to your boss at the office.

New York Is Cheering For Healthcare Workers From Their Windows

By Mark Chalifoux
(Twitter/seanmcque_n/Blitz_N_Me)

The COVID-19 pandemic has most of us stuck indoors, struggling to school our children, work at home and generally remain sane. Some of us have essential jobs, which require you to be out and about to help keep the country running. But no one is on the frontlines quite like first responders and healthcare workers, and people have been getting creative with their show of support.

At 7pm, as hospitals go through their shift change, New Yorkers have begun cheering and clapping from their apartment buildings, praising the healthcare workers for putting it all on the line. And what started as a one-time morale boost has grown into a regular tradition.

The show of solidarity comes at a time when New York City is besieged by the virus. The U.S. hotspot accounts for a quarter of the country’s cases, and the bravest of healthcare workers are heading to the city to provide some relief to the overwhelmed doctors and nurses.

And the applause is spreading. Boston is the latest city to join the mix, as word spread on social media late in the week to organize the movement over the weekend.

Others are following suit, both here and abroad, in places like Washington D.C., Hong Kong, Spain and Turkey, and many others. The languages may change, the locale change, but the sentiment does not. It’s a simple way to say we see you, we appreciate you, and we are with you.

Here at The Dad, we hope you, your families, and communities stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the latest information, please utilize online resources from local public health departments, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization to remain as informed as possible.