I was hesitant to write a "Friday Fun" post amid this awful pandemic and economic crisis, but let's face it: We need every smile we can get. Many Americans have been passing the time by watching the deeply weird and unsettling documentary "Tiger King" on Netflix -- a trend to which I finally succumbed this week, with my running thoughts here -- but that isn't exactly light viewing. And so, without further ado, I present the Marsh Family from Kent, England:
One Day More from Les Mis by a family in #CoronavirusLockdownUK? This is quite possibly the greatest thing I have ever seen. pic.twitter.com/27fwD3NxJf
— Martin George (@martingeorge) March 31, 2020
In the US, they could have sung "One Month More," but even that might (gulp) be a tad optimistic. Here's a fun follow-up interview with the family on BBC, explaining how the viral hit came to be, full of delightful familial teasing:
A truly delightful bright spot in a dreary, anxiety-laden era. Meanwhile, here's big-haired, star-spangled pick-me-up from a genuinely great American:
I am making a donation of $1 million to Vanderbilt towards that research and to encourage people that can afford it to make donations.
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) April 1, 2020
By the way, if you're in need of a daily dose of happier news, Fox has rolled out "America Together," a virtual repository of uplifting Coronavirus-related content. Perusing it on a regular basis may be good for the soul these days. I'll leave you with this story about a well-deserved honor for a bona fide American hero, whose story should not fall through the cracks:
In a sea of bad news, hate for this to get lost: Keanon Lowe, the football coach & security guard who disarmed a distraught student at Parkrose High School last year, was awarded nation’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor ?????? https://t.co/E3bzSHSEoH
— Beth Nakamura (@bethnakamura) March 31, 2020