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“Mama Bear is Home”: Ryan Reynolds Helps Reunite Teddy Bear With Its Owner

By Yael Meshulam
Ryan Reynolds Helps Locate Bear
(Twitter/drawmaradraw/VancityReynolds)

A collective sigh of relief can be heard around the world as Mara is reunited with her priceless teddy bear, thanks in no small part to our favorite smart-ass hero, Ryan Reynolds. Earlier this week, we shared a heartbreaking story about Mara, whose teddy bear was stolen in Vancouver. This was no ordinary teddy bear – inside this adorable stuffed animal was a voice recording of Mara’s mom saying, “I love you, I’m proud of you, I’ll always be with you.” After Mara’s mom passed away last year, the bear served as a deeply important reminder of her mother’s love. Mara’s backpack was stolen recently, and inside was both her iPad and her beloved bear.

Ryan Reynolds stepped up, offering a zero-questions-asked $5,000 reward for the bear’s safe return. Other celebrities showed their support on twitter, gaining Mara and her bear a team of cheerleaders rooting for them to be reunited. The search continued, with Mara posting video surveillance footage of a man walking off with her all-important backpack and word continuing to spread through social media. We held our breath, desperately needing this bear to make its way home.

Late Tuesday night, we finally got some good news in the form of a Twitter update. Mara shared a picture of her holding her stuffed bear, grinning from ear to ear. “BREAK OUT THE @AviationGin, @VancityReynolds!!! MAMABEAR IS HOME!!! #FOUNDMARASBEAR,” The caption read, and we collectively lost it. Reynolds retweeted Mara’s post, thanking everyone for their help in ensuring Mara’s bear made its way home safely.

Mara’s mom had been admitted to hospice before she passed away, and during that time, her voice noticeably changed. The custom-made bear contained the last voice recording Mara’s mom made before that change occurred, and Mara feared she would never hear it again. Thanks to Reynolds’s promotion of Mara’s story along with his offer of a reward for the bear’s safe return, Mara can hear those all-important words again. “I love you, I’m proud of you, I’ll always be with you.” Mara seems to have a team of guardian angels on her side, and if we had to choose, I guess Ryan Reynolds is a pretty dang good one.

Small Act of Kindness Grows Into Massive Food Rescue Operation

By Mark Chalifoux
eastwest food rescue
(Facebook/EastWest Food Rescue)

One of the effects of the global pandemic was a breakdown of the food supply chain. Rolling lockdowns had major food buyers, such as restaurants and school cafeterias, out of commission, which left farmers with a sudden influx of products. Many had to destroy huge quantities of food, while food insecurity raged in other parts of the country.

In Washington, one man decided to take action. George Ahearn discovered farmers nearby were giving away produce, he posted on Facebook asking to borrow a truck or trailer for the day to save some of the food. His friends responded with two trailers and four trucks, and together they hauled away nearly 10 tons of food and brought it to food banks in need on the other end of the state.

It was a spur of the moment good deed and the type of action that inspires more of its kind. Desperately needed during times like this, George’s caravan of food helped feed some hungry folks, but more importantly, it led to the creation of a nonprofit, EastWest Food Rescue. The EastWest Food Rescue has now saved more than 3 million pounds of food and redirected it to those in need. It has also raised donations to help compensate farmers for their lost revenue.

In short, an act of kindness spurred a solution to a grave problem that worked for everyone. It’s the type of story that makes so much sense you can barely believe it happened. Many of the participants in that first run are now part of the nonprofit and Ahearn said the goal is to rescue 10 million pounds of food. To accomplish this, he’s trying to raise $250,000 in order to get refrigeration equipment for fruit, other produce, milk, and eggs.

It’s the type of story that helps carry you through the drudgery of bad news in 2020. A group of regular citizens are trying to make their corner of the world a better place, and they’ve succeeded.

Dad’s Breakfast Bottle Prep for His Toddler Is Bartending Mastery

By Yael Meshulam
We Can’Dad’s Next-Level Breakfast Prep
(Instagram/sanybacsi)

People often say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but until now, I just didn’t buy it. Seeing Sany Bacsi make his 18-month-old son Sasha the fanciest bottle of formula in the history of reconstituted food made me completely reevaluate my stance on a morning meal. A couple of months ago, Sany shared the incredible breakfast video to his personal Facebook page, and people couldn’t get enough. In just a week, the video accumulated over 300,000 views. This is obviously not your typical breakfast – Sany, who has spent over 15 years working at bars in several countries, has developed some pretty impressive skills. In the increasingly popular video, Sany uses his bartending skills to make a show-worthy bottle of formula, much to the delight of his adorable son, Sasha.

Sany told The Dad, “you can barely see it in the video but Sasha was constantly talking to me ‘demanding’ and ‘instructing’ what to do. He only speaks in his own language yet so this is only an assumption but the tone of his voice and the gestures were unmistakable. ‘Pour me more!!’, ‘Give me the bottle!!’”

In the video, we see Sany approach a seated Sasha from the other side of the table, like a bartender noticing a new patron. The song “Booty Swing” by Parov Stelar plays in the background as Sany begins to give his tiny customer the best service of his life. Tossing a bowl and a cup from one hand to the other before presenting Sasha with his finest S.Pellegrino. Sany then begins to make Sasha’s drink of choice (or drink of circumstance), his formula.

Swiftly and gracefully, Sany gets to work. He sends the bottle spinning through the air before catching it with his other hand, and displays the top-label formula powder like a fine bottle of wine. He then uses a double jigger to measure out the water (which, of course, is stored in a liquor pourer). Sany scoops in the formula powder stopping occasionally to do a little dance, much to the delight of his toughest customer. Every good thing must come to an end – after giving the bottle a good shake, Sany takes a small taste of his finished product. He puffs his chest with pride, giving Sasha a thumbs-up and admiring his handiwork before sliding the bottle over to the 18-month-old. Sany gives a small but humble bow before gesturing to someone off-camera as if he just noticed another customer was waiting.

Sany’s grace and mastery comes from years of working behind bars, as well as in the field of hospitality. “The moves and gestures in this video are all-natural and have been developed little by little almost unintentionally in the past decade,” Sany told The Dad. “Over the years I surely mastered how to make cocktails, but I also learned how to juggle a little bit and do magic tricks, I learned how to tell jokes or how to keep all sort of people entertained.” Including toddlers, apparently.

Outside of his home, Sany still makes use of his impressive skills. Originally from Hungary, Sany now lives in Dubai but travels regularly for his job as the Global Bar Manager of a Latin American Lifestyle Restaurant called COYA. When he’s home, he spends his time with Sasha and his wife. Sasha is quickly becoming his little assistant, much to Sany’s delight. “He’s enjoying very much everything that feels like an adult task from his perspective, like unpacking grocery bags,” Sany explained, “all cleaning activities fascinating him for some reason and he loves to assist -in his own way.”

Hopefully, this means we can expect more videos from this dream team in the near future. Follow Sany on Instagram for the latest updates.

Japan’s Top Studios are Joining Forces to Stream Free Anime on YouTube Channel

By Mike Julianelle
Anime Animelog
(Tezuka Productions)

More often than not remakes are worse than the original. Especially remakes of properties that originated overseas. It’s usually better to deal with subtitles than to watch a watered-down Hollywood version of something, whether it’s a movie, a tv show, or a cartoon.

Anime is a form of animation that started overseas and is often repurposed and sometimes remade for American audiences, but you don’t have to settle for lesser versions of these great shows. Not with the new AnimeLog channel on YouTube.

According to a story in Variety, the AnimeLog channel features content from a collection of Japanese animation studios, including Toei Animation, Kodansha, and more, with the goal of having 30 companies producing over 3,000 different shows by 2022.

That’s a lot of content!

Right now, it’s only available to viewers in Japan, but AnalyzeLog, the company behind the channel, plans to add sub-titled content in English and Chinese for overseas fans. So far, the available content available in Japan includes the “Black Jack” series, based on a famous Osama Tezuka manga, “Future Boy Conan,” a 1978 anime co-directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and produced by Nippon Animation.

Part of AnalyzeLog’s goal is to thwart those who pirate this content or acquire bootleg DVDs to view it in North America. “There exists a problem of illegal video distribution service these days, but AnimeLog will distribute only officially-licensed animations and operate as a safe channel that families can enjoy together,” the company told Variety.

Anime is a booming business, with a survey by the Association of Japanese Animations revealing that it generated $20 billion in revenue in 2019, marking the sixth consecutive year of record growth, with anime streaming also growing by 10%.

There’s no official word on when it will be widely available but American audiences will soon get in on the fun, legally!

12 Funniest Parenting Tweets of the Week 8/14/20

By Yael Meshulam
12 Funniest Parenting Tweets of the Week 8/14/20
(Getty/Design Pics/Kristy-Anne Glubish Twitter/Beagz)

Another week, another opportunity for kids to make it all worthwhile (or something). You know what, they’re doing their best, and so are we. We’re not perfect, but we’re trying. Whatever you were able to get done in week 3,000 of quarantine, well, that’s good enough. You deserve a break. You deserve a chance to sit back and laugh for a while. We’ve collected 12 of the funniest parenting tweets this week for your viewing pleasure, so relax and enjoy.

There’s the finger-pointing,

And the excuses.

The mild horror,

The massive regrets.

But we’re all in the same boat,

Nobody said it was going to be easy.

Find what works for you,

Even if it takes a while.

There are going to be some bumps along the way,

But we do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Because no matter what,

Being a parent is a job like no other.

Did you miss last week’s funniest parenting tweets?

Mike Trout Has Been Performance Enhanced by Fatherhood

By Mark Chalifoux
Mike Trout Dad Strength
(Getty Images/John McCoy)

Mike Trout was one of the best players in Major League Baseball before becoming a dad. Now he is the best player in Major League Baseball. Trout, who joined The Dad club earlier this month, is leveraging the greatest performance enhancer in sports and using his dad strength to smash his way to new heights, even for him (a future Hall of Famer). It’s like something out of a baseball movie.

Trout had a pair of home runs in Monday’s game and finally acknowledged the source of his newfound strength.

“People ask me about this Dad power and I guess it’s a thing,” he told MLB.com. “But there’s no better feeling than being a father.”

While we agree wholeheartedly with the second part of that, let’s not gloss over the first part. Just look at what Trout has done in eight games since coming off paternity leave. Six home runs, 10 RBIs, a batting average near .350, and an OPS of 1.236. Those numbers are insane, even for Trout.

Trout was doing OK (not great, not terrible) before his son was born. Then you give dad strength to one of the best players in baseball, and well, this is what you get:

His manager, Joe Maddon, said Trout seems more relaxed since becoming a dad. Opposing pitchers, meanwhile, will be anything but when facing Trout at the plate.

Grab Your Lightsabers, Disney+ Is Releasing a Lego Star Wars Holiday Special

By Yael Meshulam
LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special
(Twitter/DiscussingFilm)

In case you haven’t checked in on your Wookiee friends lately, Life Day is just a few months away. In case you still don’t know what Life Day is (and at this point you’re too afraid to ask), we’ve got your back. Life day is a well established Wookiee holiday that honors their rich culture, celebrating the importance of family, unity, and happiness. On Life Day this year, November 17th, Disney+ is inviting Lego Star Wars fans everywhere to celebrate with their favorite characters including Rey, Finn, Chewie, R2-D2, BB-8, and many more.

This delightfully cheeky holiday special isn’t the first to celebrate Life Day. The sacred Wookiee holiday was first introduced in the classic 1978’s Star Wars Holiday Special, which premiered on November 17th, 1978. Now, the much-loved Star Wars franchise has even more to celebrate. This upcoming Lego Star Wars special will be the first to premiere on Disney+, and it is yet another lovable product of the Lego-Lucasfilm collaboration.

Fans can expect to see an adventure like no other, in the form of Lego Star Wars à la “A Christmas Carol”. Characters from Star Wars past will make appearances as Rey and BB-8 set out to learn more about the Force, but instead find themselves thrown into a time-warp adventure through Star Wars history. Classic characters such as Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and many more will visit Rey and BB-8 on their journey to make it in time for the Life Day feast on Kashyyyk.

“We wanted to give a wink and a nod to the original,” executive producer Josh Rimes told USA Today. “It’s a celebration of the saga. A lot of characters will be interacting with different characters and perhaps even different versions of themselves at different ages.”

The relationship between the knowledgeable Rey and the wide-eyed rookie version of Luke we remember from A New Hope gives this holiday special a whole lot of heart, and visits from blocky versions of our favorite characters is the dose of nostalgia we desperately need right now. Mark your calendars for November 17th to make sure you wish your Wookiee friends a happy Life Day – and to make sure you don’t miss this goofy, soulful special.

Kansas City Hospital Takes “Baby Shark Week” to the Next Level

By Mark Chalifoux
Baby Shark week
(Facebook/StLukesKC)

By now, there’s not a parent alive who doesn’t loathe Baby Shark and the way it wedges itself into your brain and takes up permanent residency. But even those with open disdain for all things Baby Shark would have to grant a pass to a Kansas City hospital who have taken the “Baby Shark Week” concept to the next level.

Like the best internet crazes, it’s not too complicated. Baby Shark is a thing, Shark Week is also a thing, so by turning the newborns on your maternity floor into “Baby Sharks” during Shark Week, and well, there ya have it, “Baby Shark Week.” And it’s pretty dang cute.

St. Luke’s Hospital North in Kansas City, Missouri embraced the “Baby Shark Week” concept because one of the physicians there loves shark week (only one???). A group of nurses came together to carefully make the shark costumes they paired with the adorable onesies and the rest is doo, doo, doo.

One nurse told Good Morning America that they wanted to give families a great experience to help relieve some of the stress of delivering a baby during a pandemic. She said the parents loved the Baby Shark week photoshoot, and it looks like the hospital is going to make it an annual tradition.

That’s something we can get behind, embracing Baby Shark only once a year.

Judd Apatow to Direct George Carlin Documentary for HBO

By Yael Meshulam
Two-Part George Carlin Documentary Coming to HBO
(YouTube/George Carlin Official YouTube Channel)

Losing our favorite celebrities is never easy. Especially when we’ve grown up with them, watching their films and TV shows during times of both stress and celebration, it almost feels like losing a friend. Fortunately, we’re not the only ones trying to hold onto the memories of our favorite media personalities. Filmmakers have given us the gift of documentaries, many of which have been made after the deaths of beloved celebrities to commemorate their incredible lives and accomplishments. Legendary comedians like Chris Farley and John Candy have recently been the subjects of mini-documentaries, keeping us laughing decades after their deaths.

George Carlin, another master of comedy, will soon get the documentary he deserves in a two-part HBO series directed by Judd Apatow. Carlin’s work shaped the world of comedy as we know it today, and even earned him the title of “the dean of counterculture comedians”. Carlin’s willingness to address taboo subjects paved the way for others to do the same, and his dark comedy is revered even today as some of the best in history. Carlin appeared on the “Tonight Show” over 130 times, and headlined more than a dozen HBO comedy specials throughout his career. His monologue “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” was so influential, it led to the Supreme Court’s F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation case which outlined how much power the federal government had to regulate and censor speech on public radio and TV.

Carlin’s death in 2008 devastated the comedy world, and 12 years later, Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio are directing a documentary honoring his life’s work. The HBO documentary series will feature clips from Carlin’s work and interviews with those who knew and loved him. The series will follow Carlin’s rise to the top of the comedy world, along with his continued influence on today’s comedians.

We aren’t the only ones waiting eagerly for the premiere of HBO’s documentary series. George Carlin’s daughter, Kelly Carlin, told Rolling Stone, “Having been the public keeper of my dad’s legacy these last 12 years, I’ve dreamt of the right people appearing at the right moment to give the documentary telling of my father’s story what it deserves — an honoring of his comedic genius and unique cultural impact, while not shying away from his personal struggles and humanity. I’m thrilled that Jerry Hamza and I have teamed up with Judd Apatow, Michael Bonfiglio and Teddy Leifer to make it happen now. May the comedy gods smile up at us as we endeavor to share my dad’s heart, mind and genius with the world.”

No word on when Carlin’s documentary series will be complete, but it will undoubtedly be worth the wait.

Father Figures: I Admire Him

By Mike Julianelle

“This is my husband, Tim, the day our rainbow baby, Hailey was born.

For the past eleven years, he has held my hand and stood by my side through my father’s death, a painful miscarriage, infertility, and most recently, a 23-hour labor that lead us to parenthood.

This man.

This man works 12-14 hours a day, six days a week. This man comes home with a tired smile on his face, thrilled to see us. He will cook dinner while I chase around a crawling baby, do chores, take care of the dogs, and still have enough energy to be there every night for bath time and bedtime routines.

He has stood by me on the days I struggle to ‘mom.’ The days I feel like a failure. The days where my postpartum anxiety and OCD get the best of me. No matter how tired he is, he’s there for us if we need him.

He has supported us and kept us grounded through this pandemic, while still going to work and living in a state that was among the hardest hit (NJ). And he does all this with the best sense of humor and happiness I have ever witnessed.

I admire him for his strength. I admire him for his work ethic. I admire him for finding the humor in tough situations. But most of all, I admire the strong bond he has built with our daughter. She is a daddy’s girl through and through, and man, does my heart melt every time I see her smile at him.”

– Sarah Cox

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

Check out the previous editions of Father Figures here.