No matter if you’re in Florida or California, there is a lot to love about visiting Disney’s theme parks. That said, one of the very best has to be getting the chance to meet some of your favorite characters. This includes the beloved Disney princesses. But did you know that you don’t necessarily have to visit the theme parks to meet them? Lauren Rae Wood Collaro works as a Princess Performer, often surprising kids on their birthdays. As you might imagine, Lauren’s job is amazing. She shares glimpses of her work on social media that prove this to be true. In one video, she reveals that she’ll be visiting a birthday party dressed as Cinderella. But before she does, Lauren gives the soon-to-be birthday girl a call. Watch their sweet conversation in the video below! @lolomermaid111 friday night princess calls #partyprincess #birthday #cinderella ♬ A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes – From "Cinderella" / Soundtrack Version – Ilene Woods & Mice Chorus “You know she’s gonna go to bed dreaming all about hanging out with Cinderella,” someone points out in the comments. Another person admits how many of us feel, “Wait I want Cinderella to call me for my 18th.” “Cinderella” Gives This Birthday Girl a Call and Asks to be a Guest at Her Party @lolomermaid111 Replying to @daydream_club this is whats its about *permission from mom to post #partyprincess #birthday #ilovemyjob ♬ original sound – Lolomermaid111 At first, the birthday girl sounds pretty nervous — from her perspective, she is talking to the real Cinderella, of course! But the more the two of them talk, the more comfortable she becomes. What a clever way for Lauren to introduce herself before the party even starts! Speaking of which, the excitement when Cinderella shows up is unparalleled. It’s unclear if the above clip came from the party that took place after that phone call. Either way, how precious are those little kids!? Pure joy radiates from each and every one of them the very moment Cinderella is in view. And is it any wonder? How many kids can say they’ve met a Disney princess at a birthday party? You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post Little Girl Gets Call From “Cinderella” Herself The Night Before Her Birthday Party appeared first on InspireMore.

Leftist professor Maura Finkelstein, conservative professor Amy Wax, and the New York Times’ double standard on academic freedom: In the last two years the paper has run four major articles, two on Finkelstein’s controversy and ultimate firing, and two on Wax’s controversy and ultimate suspension. While these articles contain some nuanced arguments, the headlines and subheads make clear which side the Times is taking -- this radical anti-Israel professor deserves academic freedom, while the conservative professor may need to be fired. The most recent entry was Sarah Viren’s June 8 cover story for the New York Times Magazine, complete with a flattering photo shoot inside: “A Professor Was Fired for Her Politics. Is That the Future of Academia? -- Maura Finkelstein is one of many scholars discovering that the traditional protections of academic freedom are no longer holding.” Viren cited a Change.org petition demanding Finkelstein be fired for “dangerous pro-Hamas rhetoric” and “blatant classroom bias against Jewish students,” and the professor's post “ISRAEL DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEFEND ITS OCCUPATION.” Viren made this intolerant activist a free-speech heroine. ….as the Trump administration, in the name of fighting antisemitism, has arrested graduate students and scholars, threatened entire departments and colleges and siphoned support from some of the country’s most prized universities -- her story has taken on the weight of an omen. At the center of the chaos and fear swirling around the administration’s dismantling of the academy is the same question that animates Finkelstein’s case: Will the freedoms guaranteed to professors for generations survive? Viren also discussed the case of Penn professor Amy Wax (along with Finkelstein, that makes two Pennsylvania-based professors, both at private schools): Suspended last fall with a pay cut following a yearslong investigation and review by that university’s faculty senate, Wax is often cited by those who argue that universities have become hostile to conservative speech. She was punished, according to Penn’s response to a lawsuit she filed in January, for a history of “flagrant unprofessional conduct,” including saying that the United States would be better off with more white people and that women are less knowledgeable than men, telling a student that Black people are inferior to white people and publicly discussing the grade distribution in her classes based on race…. Times reporter Anemona Hartocollis wrote a previous article on the Finkelstein controversy in October 2024: “Professors in Trouble Over Protests Wonder if Academic Freedom Is Dying -- Universities have cracked down on professors for pro-Palestinian activism, saying they are protecting students and tamping down on hate speech. Faculty members say punishments have put a “chill in the air.” This paragraph appeared high up: Visiting scholars, adjuncts and lecturers without tenure have had their contracts terminated or not renewed. Some had their classes suddenly canceled. Faculty members say they have been publicly criticized in ways that have trampled on their reputations and hurt their careers. Oh no, not public criticism! Compare those two articles above to two about Wax, University of Pennsylvania law professor, a conservative with a history of controversial statements. In March 2023, the Times ran a concerned article by Vimal Patel, “UPenn Accuses a Professor of Racist Statements. Should She Be Fired? -- Amy Wax and free speech groups say the university is trampling on her academic freedom. Students ask whether her speech deserves to be protected.” Students get veto power over “academic freedom" when it comes to conservative.profs, apparently. Patel and Stephanie Saul followed up in September 2024 with “Penn Suspends Amy Wax, Law Professor Accused of Making Racist Statements -- The case tested the limits of academic freedom and tenure.” (Odd how there were no “limits” regarding Professor Finkelstein’s online behavior.) The University of Pennsylvania is suspending Amy Wax, a tenured law professor accused of making racist, sexist and homophobic remarks, for a year with half pay. It is a significant sanction but one that falls short of the firing that some students wanted.

Almost 17 years ago, the Washington Post reported that a father had drowned while saving his son’s life. That man’s name was Tom Vander Woude. He was my dad.Every Father’s Day, I reflect on what I learned from his life and death.'It is usually pretty easy to know what is right or wrong. We are usually the ones who make it more difficult.'In many ways, he was an ordinary man. He was born on a farm and died on a farm. He loved watermelon and ice cream. At age 22, he married his high school sweetheart, and they raised seven sons together. I am the fifth. He flew for the Navy, coached basketball, and prayed every day. Dad selflessly served God, family, and country.My youngest brother, Joseph, was born with Down syndrome. From the moment he entered the world, Joseph and Dad were inseparable. When Joseph was a toddler, the doctors told my parents that crawling, though difficult for him, would help Joseph’s physical and mental development. Dad made makeshift elbow pads for them both and got down on his hands and knees to spend hours with Joseph crawling around the house. As Joseph got older, he went everywhere with Dad — sitting on the bench while Dad coached, attending daily Mass, riding in the truck while listening to country music, and working on the family farm.Then one fateful day in 2008, my dad taught me something I will never forget: True fatherhood requires sacrificial love.That day, while working on our house, Dad noticed something wrong: The top of our septic tank had collapsed, and Joseph, who was 22 years old, was nowhere to be found. Dad rushed to the tank and found Joseph struggling to keep his head above the pool of sewage. Wasting no time, Dad dove into the muck and managed to get beneath Joseph.But realizing he couldn’t save Joseph on his own, Dad told a nearby worker, “You pull and I’ll push,” took his last breath, and descended beneath my brother to lift him above the deadly fumes.Shortly afterward, my mom watched helplessly as the first responders treated my brother and retrieved the lifeless body of my father, the love of her life. Remarkably, Joseph survived, and he assists my mother to this day in her golden years.On that tragic day, I lost my role model and dad, but I learned a profound lesson about sacrifice. Habitual small acts of service prepare you for acts of heroism.Dad often said, “It is usually pretty easy to know what is right or wrong. We are usually the ones who make it more difficult.”For Dad, doing the right thing meant performing quiet acts of service and sacrifice for others. To save money for our college tuition, he would only buy older cars. When furloughed from the airlines, he worked as a laborer at a horse farm to pay the bills. When a family of 12 moved to the area, my dad offered for them to stay in our already-full farmhouse while they looked for a house; then he co-signed their mortgage. When the local Catholic parish was founded, my parents volunteered as sacristans and altar server coordinators.Because of my dad’s courageous example of service and sacrifice, the local Catholic diocese is considering opening his cause for canonization.The Catholic Church, through a lengthy and detailed process, can solemnly declare that individuals who lived a heroically virtuous life are saints with God in heaven. In 2017, Pope Francis added a new path to sainthood for those who lay down their lives out of love for others. If my dad’s life and death fit these criteria, his story may inspire fathers, husbands, and all people for years to come.Dad’s untimely death was tragic. To this day, I miss his smile and guidance. I am grateful for the profound impact he had on me in his short life, not only as a man but as a father and a husband. His joy, his determination, his dedication to his family, his quiet strength, and his deep faith are just a few things that motivate me to be the best version of myself.Every day, and especially on Father’s Day, I hope and pray that I can be like my dad.

Red Dead Redemption’s John Marston says there’s some “exciting news” seemingly linked to the series coming in the next few days, but has remained tight-lipped on what we can expect. Rob Wiethoff, who plays Marston in both RDR and Red Dead Redemption 2, made the tease during a Twitch stream of him playing the 2010 original. With Grand Theft Auto 6 now delayed into next year, it seems even more likely that Rockstar will want to close the gap with something to keep us all busy, whatever that might be. Continue reading Red Dead Redemption's John Marston actor teases "exciting news" coming very soon MORE FROM PCGAMESN: GTA 6 release date, Best western games, Best story games

The first sign that Dune Awakening had something special going was at its head-start launch, where its active players managed to break six figures on Steam despite requiring a deluxe or ultimate edition purchase to get in. But a consistent audience that keeps coming back is the lifeblood of MMOs, so developer Funcom is naturally tremendously pleased that ten days on, and nearly a week after its full release to all, the Dune Awakening player count has just leapt up dramatically again, while also pushing to the top of Valve’s best-selling chart in America and the United Kingdom. Continue reading New survival MMO Dune Awakening continues to grow, becomes Steam bestseller MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best survival games, Best MMOs, Dune Awakening release date

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