Munchkin Minis #1 - Deli Owner spreads his Love Juice in Bottled Water

Welcome to the first Munchkin Minis! This is where I'll be posting a small little thing here or there that caught my eye, and will share my views on it, in a smaller article format than my usual blog posts.

Ok so I was on Cosmopolitan.com, and came across this article here: http://cosm.ag/6185dVwv

So did you read that? Let me clarify. A deli owner opened a bottled water (Or many, who knows exactly how many bottles he tainted with his love juices?) and jerked off into the water, put the cap on, and sold it. To customers. Customers who could have been planning to use that water for their kids.

My face when I initially read that article...

Blech…

I have a few small questions about this…

First: WHY in the hell would a deli owner feel the need to DO this? Seriously, watch some porn and get off into your sock or some tissue like every other dude on the planet! You don’t need to spread your seed into the water you sell in your deli!

Second: Uh, is anyone else not wondering why the lady who bought the water didn’t check the SEAL before drinking it?? I mean… I ALWAYS check the seal to drinks, because there are nutjobs in the world nowadays.

May or may not contain jizz

Third: Has ANYONE thought to test the rest of the water that the guy was selling?? How many innocent kids or other customers could have drank this?? I used to buy bottled water to make formula for my infant in a pinch, I’m sure others have done the same… An INFANT could have drank that…

And lastly: Has ANYONE had this sick jerk STD tested? God only knows what she and others could have been exposed to!!

Yuck. I’m going to be more vigilant in checking the seal to my drinks from now on, I don’t know about you. 

Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty FIRED!

Ok, so this is a HOT topic right now. Phil Robertson, of Duck Dynasty fame, has been fired for some remarks he made on homosexuality in a GQ interview. He was quoted as saying “It seems like, to me, a vagina -- as a man -- would be more desirable than a man's anus," Robertson says in the January issue of the men's magazine. "That's just me. I'm just thinking: There's more there! She's got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I'm saying? But hey, sin: It's not logical, my man. It's just not logical." And “"Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there," he says. "Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men."

For whatever reason... this guy is popular...
I'm not a fan of the show, so what would
I know?

He then went back and said that he didn’t mean it like that and that it was taken out of context or something. (Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight…. Sure you didn’t)

Where to begin with this…

First off, despite what I think personally, he’s entitled to his opinion, even if I personally do think it’s crap. I think we have the ability as humans to NOT watch the TV if he offends us, and just change the damn channel instead of being up in arms.

HOWEVER…

I agree with A&E’s decision to suspend him indefinitely. (C’mon people… he’s been fired. Just call it what it is and stop sugarcoating it.)

Why?

Because, they have the RIGHT to do so! I don’t care what he says, or what he does in his personal time. But once you are in front of a camera, you are held to a higher standard. You sign a contract. And I’m sure in that contract, there is a clause about what you can or cannot say to the press. (This is A&E we’re talking about, not PBS. I’m sure that’s in their paperwork) And you follow what they tell you when you are getting a paycheck from them.

See this? It's called a contract. You sign this, and
you do what they tell you, and say what
they let you say. Like it or not.

I support the right of a business to decide who they serve. Like that bakery who refused a gay couple a wedding cake, and got court ordered to do it anyways. I don’t agree with their message or idea, but I agree with them getting to choose who they want to serve. There are many other bakeries that would have been glad to make that cake, it wouldn’t have hurt anyone to go to one of them. Same thing applies here.

I don’t agree with Phil Robertson. His Bible is not EVERYONE’s Bible, it’s not the ‘Holy Word’ of the whole world, and he should not expect everyone to think what he does. And I sincerely doubt his ‘Loving God’ would be happy about all of the judgment and hellfire that they’re spouting.  You can make a rebuttal statement saying you didn’t mean it like that all you want, but when you’ve been filmed saying the same thing and WORSE while preaching before… yeah. Not buying it. That’s called apologizing or rewording your statement to try and save your ass. Nothing more.

But I don’t CARE what he thinks. Just like I don’t care what people think about unmarried couples, or what they think about other religions. It does NOT affect me. It therefore does not bother me.

But it DOES affect A&E and their brand. And if he can’t censor himself for a simple interview, despite what he was being asked, then they CAN hold that against him. This is the channel that brought us Queer Eye for the Straight Guy if I’m not mistaken, for crying out loud! Did he REALLY think that opening his mouth like that would come with no repercussions?? C’mon!

A&E has a standard to uphold, and this didn’t happen because he believes in God or the Bible and feels like he does. It happened because he opened his mouth and said things like he did in an INTERVIEW with GQ.

They don’t want to compromise their beliefs? That’s cool. But don’t expect A&E to put up with some of it forever, especially when they’ve been warning you about it for a WHILE now. And by some of it, I mean the things like what he did the other day.

In the same interview, he made racially charged comments about how he never heard black people complaining in the Jim Crow south, too. And people think that’s OK? Jeez, it’s like lemmings! Because this popular celebrity figure does something stupid, we think we need to stand behind him, because, you know, it’s all about his RELIGION and not about the crap he’s saying and how it can damage the brand of the company that airs his show! It’s all about his religion!

 

Pagan Traditions: Bringing
Christmas to a city near you!

This ‘War on Christianity’ crap is getting so old. My religion had people burned at the damn stake by Christians. Christians took over TONS of our traditions and warped them for their own faith… like the Yule Log, the Christmas Tree, the DAY Jesus’s Birth is celebrated on, EASTER and the Easter Bunny… the list goes on. And if you don’t believe me, look it up. All of those things are based off of Pagan traditions. Jesus’s birthday wasn’t even ON December 25, it was sometime in August or September. Look it up. Seriously. Some of the stuff that’s been used as Christian traditions came from Pagan holidays and traditions.

I hope that puts things into perspective a little bit. If anything, there’s been wars on religions, as people are putting it, for YEARS now, but it sure hasn’t been about Christianity. Christians are just getting mad about the fact that Christianity is no longer the big dog in the kennel when it comes to religion. TONS of other religions are picking up steam in the US. It’s not all about one religion anymore. And that is driving the more extreme Christians NUTS.

Anyhow, that’s off topic. Simply putting it, I agree with A&E’s decision. I support the firing of Phil. And I think people need to think about it more from a business perspective and less of a religious one.

Happy Holidays everyone! 

#NoTeenPreg ... AKA: A lack of common sense.

#NoTeenPreg

Common sense for dumbasses... 

Apparently, this is a thing. Kids now have to be told by celebrities that it’s a stupid as shit idea to get knocked up before graduating high school. When I was in school… we called this common sense. It was common sense to not get knocked up in high school.

It’s not about being judged, it’s about not rewarding when a teenager does something stupid, sometimes on purpose, and changes their own life, the life of the other person/parent, the child itself, the parents of the teenager… the whole FAMILY is uprooted.  But, you know, saying that teenage pregnancy is a bad thing is so wrong…

See? This prick wouldn't be calling people beached whales
if his mom had just swallowed... #NoTeenPreg!!

Anyone else seeing how stupid that is?

Honestly, think about it. I have a friend and an acquaintance who has had children in their teens. One of them is doing very, very well… she lives on her own, her son is 13, she’s an A student in college and she graduates with me in  May as an Early Childhood Educator. The other person I know, and many like her… well, she works minimum wage, parties all the time, shirks her child off on others, does poorly in school, gets all welfare she can get, etc. How does her life sound to you?

I know it doesn’t sound great to me. That’s why I did all in my power to keep myself from becoming one of those statistics.

But apparently, people think this campaign, the NoTeenPreg campaign, is shaming young mothers.

The minority in Teen Pregnancy. Not the norm. 

Really?

It’s not SHAMING the ones who already HAVE children… what’s done is done. It’s telling those who could possibly be trying to conceive on purpose or not using protection or thinking that it will never happen to them, that there’s so much MORE they can achieve than changing diapers. There’s no crime in that.

With shows like 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom glamourizing pregnancy for teenagers, they NEED the truth about teen pregnancy, or hell even pregnancy in general. When, on these shows, do you see just how bad the early pregnancy can be? Do you get to see the puking at all hours of the day? The shooting vaginal pains? The feeling of having a head pressed against your innards and making you ache? The sciatica, the swollen ankles, the peeing yourself when you so much as laugh too hard or sneeze or hiccup? No. You see girls who are getting some form of support, who usually have their basic needs met, who often do not have to work, who have HELP.

The Truth about Pregnancy. 

Ask any mother. Pregnancy sucks ass. It sucks HARD. It’s a lot of morning sickness and pains and aches and being kick-boxed like a MMA fighter is trying to break a record inside of you.

And the post-pregnancy? Motherhood? Oh don’t get me started… It’s a joy, don’t get me wrong, I love my snotface to death. I’d do anything for her, make any sacrifice I needed to, including my life, willingly. But it’s HARD. The infant months, the newborn months… Newborns are up half the night, you don’t get to ‘train’ them to sleep through the night like some people say. It’s tough. It tests you, tests all of your limits. And teenagers are mentally not developed enough to deal with all of that.

Think about it, teens brains are still developing. We don’t fully develop until we hit our 20s. Being a parent is an adult job, it’s something you expect of a grown-up, with a fully developed brain.

 

The truth about parenthood
summed up in one image...
MESSY!

So why would anyone expect a teenager to be capable of doing what an adult would?

And that, by the way, does not include the obvious thoughts of who is going to watch the child while the mom works, is the mom going to graduate high school, or go to college, how is she going to become self -sustaining?

And people are still defending teen pregnancy? Maybe if teenagers listened to their parents and stopped listening to the ‘stars’ of Teen Mom, they’d be making better choices. I don’t know about you, but a pothead mother who doesn’t even have custody of her own child and gets into physical fights with her mother and others (Jenelle) or one who wants to star in pornos and is more worried about plastic surgery and getting her kid’s eyebrow’s waxed versus her child’s well-being (Farrah), are not the best role-models for my child, or any child.

This is not a role model. This is a Porn Star.
There IS a difference, people.

So, I stand behind this campaign.

#NoTeenPreg 

Who enjoys the Holiday Hassles? Not me!

It’s the holiday season!

So grab your wallets, push those shopping carts.

Don’t forget to see what’s in stock.

And remember to drive like someone’s biting your c*ck,

Because it’s the season of sales and dumbasses!

How’d you like my rendition of that holiday classic? Because that’s how I feel right now. I had to go cash the other half’s check today, so I decided to finish off the holiday shopping. I did really well, too. Got him his gifts, one from me, one picked out by the snotface, got my parents a gift, got my grandparents a gift. Only spent 24 bucks. Not bad at all.

The DRIVING that people were doing though… Oh my GOD, it was horrible!! These people seriously cannot drive! You do not stop in the middle of a lane to cross 2 lanes and turn just because you forgot where your turn was! You do NOT do a U-turn in the middle of the road! You do NOT cut off someone who is attempting to go around your slow ass, for no other reason than you don’t want someone to pass you.

I cannot stand how bad the driving is this time of the year! It’s like watching the stupid people, the lemmings, try and interact with everyone else. Children screaming at their parents, the parents not doing anything about it… The shitty drivers attempting to drive like the other people, and failing for that matter. The adults acting like children about various sales and coupons. It’s silly and ridiculous.

Do I shop during the holidays? Yep. Do I go nuts? Hell no. I went to Bath and Body, ONLY because I had a 25 dollar gift card, and shit was buy 3, get 3 free. That has been the ONLY major sale I hit up this season. Everything else has been normal clearance. Hell, I had my daughter’s Christmas all bought before Thanksgiving, with the exception of a tricycle, which we got second-hand, looking like brand new, for $15… That’s about $30 cheaper than the stores, mind you, $45 cheaper if you go to Toys ‘R Us. (She got a Radio Flyer, those things last forever) 

So why kill each other? Why can people not get a few things here and there as Christmas gifts for the year? Why buy all after Black Friday? It’s so much hassle! Count me glad that I planned ahead. I’m glad I’m not stressing like the people I see on a daily basis, figuring out how to cram a basket full of gifts into the budget with bills and food.

Screw that.

Screw the hassle.

I’m content just relaxing and enjoying the end of the semester with my kiddo and other half, and not stressing about going to the store for the next sale. You can keep your holiday shopping, I think it’s for the birds. 

Justin Bieber strikes again: Calls a 'Belieber' a beached whale. But, it's ok, right??

Well, here I am, at class, dolled up for a mock-interview that I have to do today for class. I’ve been trying to figure out just what to write about today…

 

 Do I write about the stupid woman who brought her half-smoked joint into the classroom and forced the rest of us to smell it?? Nah.   

 

How about the idiot in my first aid class who cannot shut up and stop asking stupid questions, taking up everyone’s time?? Meh, nah.

 

Paul Walker? While tragic and ironic, it’s not something I need to talk about. And I don’t blog just for views.

 

So what?

 

Well, I read an article on The Stir, a Cafemom site, and it really, REALLY pissed me off. Here’s a link, in case you’re curious.

 

http://thestir.cafemom.com/entertainment/165256/justin_bieber_reportedly_hurls_cruel

 

Apparently, the Biebs has called one of his fans, a lovely curvy girl who is a size 14, a ‘beached whale’, while lounging poolside with his entourage. Really, Bieber? And people are ok with the shit he says??? Hasn’t that little mouth-breather, bottom-feeding jerk dug his own grave yet??

 

Are teenage girls REALLY still head over heels over this loser? Come ON ladies! Have some self-respect! I can see being a fan of his music, but saying he’s a decent person after his recent behavior… no. He SPIT on his fans, and laughed about it! He’s a little lowlife!

 

People like him make girls think that being treated like that is ok, and it’s NOT. If anything, it’s a detriment to society… It gives an unhealthy ideal of what a relationship should be, and that’s wrong.  Guys are not supposed to act like douchebags and get away with it, it’s NOT ok!

 

And yet, people think he’s above reprieve. That he is untouchable. That what he does is acceptable. It’s not. And the sooner we make him responsible for his actions, the fewer a-holes there will be in the world, thinking the behavior of these hip-hop / pop / rap musicians is ok and the way to act. Forget that. Hold these people to some standards… otherwise, you can’t complain about the jerk who cuts you off in traffic or the buttwad who gets in front of you in the check out lane. Either all jerks are bad, or none are. There is no middle ground.

Hobby Lobby vs Free Birth Control

Ok, so this is a topic that I’ve noticed a lot of mixed opinions on. Heck, my other half and I had a 30 minute discussion about this the other day and what we thought about it.  Hobby Lobby is fighting the Affordable Care Act and trying to make it so that they don’t have to cover Plan B and other similar forms of birth control. They say that, based on their religious beliefs, they should not have to cover this.

This time, I think religion should win.

Now, I’m not for having religion in schools and stuff like that. I don’t think kids should be forced into a religion at birth, and should have a broad exposure to religion as children to make their own choices when they are old enough to understand it.

But I am so against making a company, knowingly run by Christians, cover something that their religious beliefs are so completely against, that it’s not even funny. I could not even fathom forcing someone into doing what I think, just on the guise of ‘it’s the law now’. Just because it’s law, does not make it right.

Note, I’m not against ALL of the Affordable Healthcare Act; Just certain parts of it, like forcing people to get insurance, or else… and this… and other things.

I am huge on freedom of religion. I’m not a traditional religion myself, so seeing something forced on other religions really pisses me off. I even hate seeing things forced on Christians, and that is exactly what’s happening.

Tell me this… why do you NEED free birth control?

It costs 10 bucks at Walmart for the pill. The health department or Planned Parenthood has bowls of condoms to grab, for FREE, in their clinics.

Why should your Nuva-Ring, or Implanon, or other convenience birth control methods, be free of charge? Cheaper, yes, it should be cheaper. But not free.

My grandmother pays out the rear for her medications… and you think that your free birth control is more important than her getting her heart medicine for the same? Why should your convenience medication be free, when her life-sustaining medicine costs so much?

It shouldn’t.

And that is my biggest issue with all of this. We’re being entitled again. We think that our medicine to make us have safe sex, is more important than the elderly getting their medications with the same price tag. Why is no one protesting the fact that heart medications and diabetes medications and things of that nature are so expensive that our elderly are living in poor conditions and scrounging to get by? 

Because it doesn’t affect us directly, so we don’t care.

It’s wrong. And I personally am tired of it.

Do I think Hobby Lobby and Christianity has some tired ideals? Oh you better believe it. But I do think they should have the right to refuse paying for some birth control options, and I do think that we need to worry more about the elderly before we worry about something as trivial as birth control.

One day, you are going to need these expensive, life-saving medicines… and  then you’ll understand the reason that I’m so heated about this. Then, you’ll be protesting about those medicines going up in price. 

More Black Friday Rants...

So, yeah… more about Black Friday.

Screw this stupid piece of crap event. It’s leaked over past Freaking Friday now, and it’s started on Thanksgiving day now. THANKSGIVING DAY, PEOPLE! The very day where we’re supposed to be THANKFUL for what we already f**king have! For the love of he-who-must-not-be-named, people, seriously?!? Thanksgiving day is about family! Not about you getting your laptop at half price, or that TV for $600 bucks instead of $1000. It’s about being with your loved ones. MOST of us should know that.

So WHY are we so intent on prying people who work in retail away from THEIR families, just so we can get a chance for a cheap Ipod or new sneakers??

I’ll tell you why, because people nowadays are greedy f**ks who are incapable of being grateful for what they have.

In my hometown, someone got into a fight over a misunderstanding about a TV. The man got punched in the damn face over a TV the other man hadn’t even PAID for yet. And he had three new TVs in his shopping cart! THREE!!! So WHY is it a huge deal when someone mistakes your cart for an employee cart, and grabs ONE TV, thinking you’re re-stocking shelves? Why can you NOT say, politely, ‘Excuse me, that was in my cart, please give it back.” Why do we resort to violence and anger and hateful words??

Ugh.

We’re a society of entitled jerks. Look at things. We feel like our birth control is a right, that we shouldn’t have to pay for it. We think we NEED cable TV or satellite, and at least 50 channels to choose from. We NEED new game systems, phones with GPS and internet and other things.

Do we really NEED it though? No. We don’t. We think we do, and we think it’s our right to have those nice things. It’s a bit sickening to be honest.

Now do I think if you can afford these things, that you’re some nasty person? Not at all. But I do think that when you’re so desperate for a deal that you’ll throw punches over a TV or shoes or other MATERIAL items that you don’t need, then you’re pretty much a materialistic jerk. It’s not about THINGS we want, like I’ve said before… it’s about being grateful and thankful for what we already have. Period. And the people who are forcing others away from their families for a damn sale on Thanksgiving day?  SHAME ON YOU!! I doubt YOU would be as keen to spend time away from your families. So why force others away from theirs?? If it’s not a necessary business like a gas station, or grocery store, then you don’t need to be open. And even those places should be open only half a day.

Remember, you are NOT the only person on this planet, and others would like time with their loved ones as well. Be THANKFUL. Not GREEDY. 

Happy Thanksgiving, WTF is up with early Christmas stuff, and Black Friday

Well, it’s the holidays… Happy Holidays people! Long time no blogging! I’ve been so damn busy lately that it’s not funny… Yay for senior year of college, being pregnant, chasing a toddler around, and keeping up with the house.

So, this is my first Thanksgiving where I have been graced with the chance to make dishes for the big meal! I have been asking for YEARS to make dishes to go with Turkey Day for over 6 years, and have always been turned down. Well, this year, my grandmother is hurt, her back is messed up, and my mother has a broken ankle and leg. They can’t do a lot of cooking. Hence, I have been tapped.

I’m pretty excited, I have 3 dishes I’m making. One is my own take on my mother’s broccoli and cheese recipe. Another is homemade pumpkin pie. And the last one is a sweet potato casserole. And they look and sound delicious. I have been waiting to try and make some sides for this holiday for so long… I’m starting to bake around 3, since each pie takes an hour and the casserole takes an hour and 45 minutes total to finish.

I’d be panicking, if I wasn’t all but done with my college work. I mean seriously, I have my Reflection packet and my Presentation to do this weekend in my Internship class, and a book box to finish in my Teaching Literacy to Young Children class… other than that? Done. All of my other assignments are all finished. That stuff will literally take me 3 hours to do. Mind you, the month before that, before I sat and busted  my ass to get all of my assignments done, I had a TON to do. But, that’s the way senior year goes. Always busy.

Anyhow, has anyone else noticed that Christmas has already hit the stores?? Jeeze… a little early, people! And I admit, I get annoyed with Christmas coming as early as October 20^th. And yes, that’s when it hit the stores here. You know when, traditionally, my family puts up the tree? Black Friday. The day most hypocritical people are out trying to fight and bicker for the best deal on a TV, or an Ipod, the day after being thankful for what they already have. That’s the day I spend time with the family and put up the tree, decorate the house, etc.

So, is it that hard to go and wait to put up Christmas things? I don’t think so.

Do I wear Christmas shirts before December? Yep. But my house stays bare of all holiday decorations. Hell, I found a radio station that I usually listen to ALL the time, playing nothing but Christmas music. A week before Thanksgiving. Ugh.

Anyhow… be thankful for what you have this holiday season. Be grateful, if you do go out for Black Friday, or worse, Thanksgiving Day Shopping, that there’s anyone willing to take time away from their families to make sure you get that Xbox or PS4. Tell people Happy Holidays if nothing else. Be courteous. Don’t be an asshole and get rude to people who you’re never going to see again. But all in all, spend time with your loved ones, be merry, and enjoy your turkey, tofurkey, or whatever you eat on Thanksgiving. 

RoseVoxBox- Rimmel London Retro Looks

Ok, so after a long day of stuff, I've finally worked out the cutest retro look to discuss about. (Mind you, this is pretty much just a filler post... I've been pretty busy lately and have had no time for anything blogging related.)

So, Step 1. Foundation.

-Cover up those problem spots. This look requires a face that looks like porcelain almost.

Step 2- Eye shadow.

-Be very light with it, and use mostly white/pale colors. For the edges for a more smoky eye, use a grey.

Step 3- Eyeliner

-Lightly line the upper lashes ONLY. Nothing on the bottom unless you want a more dramatic look.

Step 4- Mascara

-Apply 2 coats of Rimmel London's Scandaleyes mascara. This stuff is badass, the brush is unique and the formula lengthens without clumps!

Step 5- Lips

-Apply a thin line of Lip Liner, in a bright red or pink. Then with a matching or slightly lighter shade of pink/red, apply lipstick.

Add your accessories and style your hair, and BOOM. A retro look that takes 10 minutes or less!

Super Mario Brothers 2 (NES game review)

So, for days I’ve been working on this game review. One day was just figuring out what I wanted to review, now that I’ve already done my favorite game. (See my review on the game Crystalis) Once I had a general consensus on what people wanted to see, I had to actually replay the game, something I have not done in YEARS. I gave it a new chance with a blank slate. No judgment until I had finished the game.

Oh my GOD. I had forgotten how much I cannot stand this game! Before the lynch mob comes out for me daring to talk trash about a Mario game (apparently a cardinal sin in the gaming world), let me explain.

The game itself is not only incredibly difficult, but it has no Mario feel to it. It really doesn’t. It’s a HUGE leap, both graphically and story-wise, from the first Mario game, and doesn’t even flow with the THIRD game. The way you destroy enemies is completely different from almost all of the other old-school Mario games. In the other games, you stomp your enemies. You jump on them and squish them, or you use fire flowers, raccoon feathers/leaves/whatever (Yeah I never got that one either.), frog suits, tanooki suits (which is the raccoon suit with the added feature of temporarily turning to stone), and hammer suits, to power yourself up and get rid of them with the various suit effects. There were NO fire flowers, all that was in SMB2 was Stars, and you didn’t jump on your enemies to kill them. You threw vegetables at them. Vegetables. Freaking turnips and junk like that.

 

Ugh.

Many enemies were flat out repeats of each other (Ostro TONS of times, Mouser twice, a three headed creature twice). In SMB3, you got a different Koopa Kid with every world. In SMB1, you fought the same enemy multiple times, but he was always guarding the useless toad up until the last castle. But this game’s bosses were completely outside the norm of the original SMB games. (No, I have not read the book insert for the backstory as to where this game was supposed to take place. I have a reason for that)

However, there’s a very good reason it doesn’t feel like SMB. It originally WASN’T SMB at ALL. Originally, this game was called Doki Doki Panic, and was released in Japan under that title. Japan’s SMB2 was similar to SMB1, with a few additional things, like new mushrooms, including the toxic mushroom. However, that game was deemed to be too hard for American audiences, hence, we got Doki Doki Panic with a new set of sprites. In fact, even the powers of the four main characters were exactly the same. All they did was change some of the things that got thrown, and the sprites of the four main characters. They even kept the most of the same music! How lazy can you get?!

I’ve actually played Doki Doki Panic, and because it’s not SMB, it’s GOOD. It’s a fun, challenging game! It had no business being marketed as a Super Mario game at ALL! It would have done fairly well in the US all by itself, but to make a quick buck, they slapped the title of SMB2 on it. Way to make a quick cash-in Nintendo.

Now, the REAL SMB2… We’ve actually seen it in the US. It was released on the SNES in the game Super Mario All Stars. And, while it is a PAIN to beat…it’s a HELL of a game. There’s new features, such as the wind gusts that can knock you off ledges, and the aforementioned poisoned mushrooms. It’s meant to be a game you play once you master the original SMB, and it fully succeeds! The music makes you feel right at home while you play, and the graphics are JUST enough of an upgrade to make you feel like it’s shiny and new.

So, the final score? Well, since I want to review and score the real SMB2 and not Doki Doki Panic… I’ll be giving what we know as ‘the lost levels’ a score.

Story/Plot:  4 /5 stars. Eh, the story is a lot of the same stuff from SMB1, but that’s what makes it great! It’s what fans wanted, not a game with sprites replaced renamed into SMB2. The story is simple… save the princess. It’s what we loved in SMB1, and it’s perfectly fine for SMB2.

Gameplay: 5 /5 stars. Fluid, familiar, and smooth, again, it’s what we wanted initially. It’s the real deal, and a lot of work went into it, and you can tell. It’s got new features that SMB1 didn’t have, and it feels like a Mario game SHOULD feel. You stomp or shoot fireballs at enemies. None of that turnip-tossing junk.

Music: 5 /5 stars. It’s classic Mario music at its finest. Enough said.

Graphics: 4 /5 stars. While it IS an improvement, it’s not a huge one, but it’s not detrimental to the gameplay. I think that has more to do with the fact that it was ready for release well before Doki Doki was, thus it didn’t have quite the graphical upgrade that it could have had.

Overall: Overall, I give it 18 out of 20 stars. If you’ve never played the real SMB2, you need to do it. It’s worth the hours you’ll spend trying to beat it, believe me. It’s fun and addicting, and makes you want to keep trying. You WANT to save the princess, just like before. And saving the princess is always so much fun!  

Crystalis (NES game Review)

Ok, people, this week’s game review is on a cult classic. It’s an RPG that didn’t get the recognition it deserved in a crowded gaming market. On the block today, is Crystalis.

Crystalis, also known as God Slayer: Sonata of the Far-Away Sky in Japan, is an action-adventure RPG produced by SNK for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It was released on April 13, 1990 in Japan, and later that July in the U.S.A. The game’s initial success prompted a release for the Game Boy Color by Nintendo Software Technology in 2000, a game that is considered more of a remake than a port of the original, and very inferior in many aspects.

Before the actual gameplay starts, you’re treated to the backstory of the game. This is a delight, because at the time this game came out, you didn’t see a ton of games offer up a big backstory in the game itself. Usually, the backstory was in the game manual. What we discover, is that war erupted October 1, 1997, also called the ‘End Day’. Civilization is destroyed from this savage war. The humans and animals who survived the war, were all changed. Humans evolved to use long buried magic powers, animals mutated. The survivors vowed to never make the same mistakes, and erected a large tower in the sky, intending to oppress evil forever.

100 years has passed since 1997 and the beginning of the game. Most of the earth is dominated by mutated creatures. The people worked together to rebuild villages and fix their lives, but they still lived in fear. As they feared the rebirth of evil, they remembered the tower and the consequences of activating it. They feared what would happen if evil emerged, but there was one last hope. That hope is you.

The game begins with the protagonist, a man in a cryogenic sleep, awakening and coming out of a cave in the town of Leaf, which is the first town you’ll see in the game.  You are given money and a sword, the first of4 main swords, and you begin your quest to discover your past. When you awaken, your memories have been damaged from the cryo-sleep, so you have no idea who you are or what your purpose is. As you travel, you meet many wise men, who help you gain magic abilities, and you gather up the four swords, to stop Emperor Draygon, save Mesia, who was also cryogenically frozen and awakened when you did in another part of the world, and in the end, stop the tower once and for all, and save the world.

Now, how did this game stand up to others of its time??

Story/Plot:  5 /5 stars. The story is mind-numbingly good. It sucks you in for HOURS at a time, and makes you come back for more and more. There’s always some new boss or some new magic power for you to get. There are twists to the story around every turn, and something bad happens fairly often for you to fix.

Gameplay: 4 /5 stars. It’s really fluid, smooth playing, but parts of it get repetitive. But, the thought and memory you have to put to getting around the dungeons and castles and caves really makes this game interesting and fun. And one of the biggest pluses to this game… you can save your progress almost anytime.  The menu for your items, swords, and magic is also simple and easy to use.

Music: 5 /5 stars. SNK really outdid themselves with this 8 bit soundtrack that almost sounded more powerful than it was. It added suspense, it added a sense of calm, and it added excitement to the game that other games of that could only dream of.

Graphics: 4 /5 stars. While the graphics were ok for their time, I have seen better. But, it really doesn’t detract from the gameplay, and the game runs smoothly. It’s good, just not quite ‘great’.

Overall: Overall, I give it 18 out of 20 stars. The good really does outweigh the bad with this game! The game, again, runs smoothly, it’s exciting, and it’s a great action RPG that gives you a hell of a challenge. The hidden items and puzzles make you really think. So, overall, it’s a great game that gives you hours of fun. I really suggest you give it a shot and try it out! 

She's tougher than daddy!

Oh my god. I thought I had seen it all, when it comes to toughness in my kiddo. I was wrong.

This evening, my daughter just out-toughed her dad, AND his work buddies at the shop! And she’s 2!

A couple of days ago, my other half had his friend bring him back a box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans from Universal Studios Islands of Adventure.  In case you have no idea what those are, let me explain. They have some good flavors, like blueberry, raspberry, cherry, lemon drop… and then, there’s the OTHER flavors, like vomit, rotten eggs, earthworm, earwax, booger, and dirt.

 All day yesterday, they were chowing down these things, and gagging and spitting out the BAD flavors, like vomit, earthworm, and dirt. Well, the kiddo wanted some. And just because there’s gross flavors, doesn’t mean I’m going to shelter her from them. So, we gave in and let her have some.

My kid ate them like a CHAMP. Only gave any unsightly face at the dirt flavor, and she tried pretty much every other flavor in the box. I was expecting gagging, spitting it out, the typical reaction. Instead, she ate it with a straight face, and asked for MORE. I was shocked! And proud!

My kid out-toughed her dad! And it was awesome! 

Influenster Vox Box: Flavorfy with Dasani Drops- Review

Well, I got my first VoxBox in the mail from Influenster! It only took 2 business days to get here, too, so color me impressed! It came in a rather large box, and I have to say, the box was even pretty! So, good job Dasani and Influenster!

Now, since I plan to do VoxBox reviews whenever I get them on this blog, let me go ahead and explain the basic principle of the ‘VoxBox’ to you. To be simple, once you’re an Influenster member, you sign up every once in a while, to get a box full of free samples, sometimes it’s beauty, sometimes food, laundry soap, etc. You take a survey to see if you qualify for it, and if you do, in a week or two, you’ll get a box full of stuff. This is the VoxBox.

I got the Dasani Drops VoxBox, and upon opening it, I found quite a few Dasani items. Inside was a bottle of water, and two different flavors of Dasani Drops, one was Pink Lemonade, the other was Cherry Pomegranite. I stuck the bottle in the freezer for a couple of hours, and decided to take a nap to let the water get cold.

 About an hour later, I popped open the bottle, and gave my Dasani Drops a little squirt into the bottle. I opted to use the Pink Lemonade, I wasn’t feeling Cherry Pomegranite right then and there. I went with 6 decent squirts, but it says flavor to taste, and that’s just what sounded good and tasted good to me. You can add more or less, flavor to taste.

I’ve been drinking it for about 30 minutes, and I have to say… I’m rather impressed! It’s very tasty, doesn’t smack of artificial sweetener like so many of the drops on the market do, and doesn’t leave a horrible aftertaste. Honestly, it’s better than the Mio drops, and that says something because those were honestly the best ones on the market before. I’m working to stop drinking as much soda, and this could make water a tasty alternative to soda for so many people.

So well done, Dasani! I rank the drops a 4.5 out of 5 stars, simply because while the aftertaste is minimal, it does leave a slight aftertaste. I’m still hunting for the drink flavoring that doesn’t do that, so I’ll save that extra .5 of a star for one that doesn’t have an aftertaste.

*I  received these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.

 

ABCs of me

Ok, so I found this thing on someone's facebook, and I thought it would be pretty awesome to do it as a mini 'filler' blog. (I'm gonna work on a new full entry tonight, my one class ends pretty much tonight so I'll have time.)

ABCs of Me.

Copy and paste into your own new note. Delete my answers and put in your own. tag some people and pass it on.

A - Age: 26

B - Best Friends name: I have 3, Dee, Elisha, and Brittani

C - Car I want: Trans Am, preferably the Smokey and the Bandit edition. Other than that, a late 90s Mustang convertible like my mom used to have. 

D - Dad's name: John Stein Sr. 

E - Essential item you cant live without: Laptop. Use it for school, social, and movies. 

F - Favorite Food: Ice Cream or BBQ sauce covered items. 

G - Games i love: Final Fantasy, X-Men Destiny, Sonic, Just Dance

H - Height: 5'7"

I - Influential words: Wit without measure is God's greatest Treasure.

J - Job title: Stay at home mom and Full time college student

K - Kid(s): 1, a daughter.

L - Last Time i called off from work: Back when I worked at Movie Starz

M - Mom's name: Tina Stein

N - Nicknames: B. 

O - Only place you will not go: The Iraqi nations, and not because I think they're all evil or something, but I would not risk myself getting hurt by the people who ARE evil. 

P - People you dislike: My ex, my other half's ex. 

Q - Quote from a movie: "Hey hey hey... It's me." Wolverine
"Prove it." Cyclops
"You're a Dick."  Wolverine

"...Ok. ^_^"  Cyclops -X-men the Movie 1

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: 1 brother

T- Time you stop answering your phone: Unless it's family, anywhere between 8 and 9, pending on my mood. 

U- Underwater type of person?: Yep! I'm a fish when I'm not keeping track of a toddler learning to swim!

V - Vegetable you dislike: Peas. I effing HATE peas. 

W - Ways to get out of Jury Duty: I dunno. I've always wanted to do Jury Duty. 

X - X-rays you've had: Chest, Ankle, Hand, Neck, and maybe more.

Y - Yummy food you make: Homemade Pizza, homemade Enchiladas

Z - Zoo favorite: PANDAS! I LOVE PANDAS! 

Some Debaters are idiots.

What is it with people who try and debate and get pissed off when the debate doesn’t go their way?

Seriously, there’s this chick on this parenting forum I’m on, we’ll call her J. Well, J has no idea how to debate. She simply spouts her opinion when debating, or uses her situations she’s been in as the god’s honest truth and the only way things can be. If she did it, you can too! She refuses to acknowledge that things are not always black and white or cut and dry, and if you point that out, she brings up irrelevant crap to try and ‘best’ you. It doesn’t work, and she always leaves in a huff after attempting and failing to make others look stupid.

My thing is… WHY? It’s a debate, not every opinion will MATCH yours! People seem to forget that WAY too often!

People, I have noticed, take things in a debate personal. A food stamp debate has some people saying that many people abuse the system, which they do. Then someone hops on to say that well THEY don’t do it and people should leave it alone. That wasn’t the debate, the debate was whether or not people were abusing the system. Not whether or not YOU in particular were doing it. Hell, I’ve been there, I didn’t abuse the system, but I can say with all honesty that a LOT of people do.

It’s a debate. It’s not about opinions, it’s about facts.

If you are lacking in facts, then I think you may want to stay out of the debate area…

/end mini rant.

Summer College Mini Rant

I swear, college with a toddler is a pain in the ASS.

I have class 4 days a week, all the same class, and yes, we’re cramming ALL of the class into 5 weeks. So I’m pretty stressed out and tired and just blah. I’m ready to sleep by 4. I drag myself along and make myself all happy and in a decent mood to go pick up the runt, and we go home. And I friggin’ crash. Like, complete CRASH. I end up laying on the couch trying not to fall asleep, while I motivate myself to even open my text book or notes, and review from class. Or I go into booger’s room and watch a movie with her.

And I am DRAINED by 8. I continue dragging along, because the only time I get with the ‘hubs’ is from about 5:30 PM to 11 PM. And I relish and crave that time with him so much it hurts sometimes. He doesn’t get how much we miss Daddy during the day. And yeah, we know he’s tired. But sometimes we get so excited that we can’t help it… She wants to try and tell him about her day and I want to tell him about how the day went and hear about his day, and it gets overwhelming. I’ve been trying to reign it in more, and keep the kiddo calmer for a little while longer to let him unwind.

We can’t help that we love him and miss him. *smile*

To be honest though, I can’t WAIT until summer class, the one I have to go to the college for, is done and over with. I just want to take the kid to the pool on occasion and rest, not be running all over hell and creation getting her to the sitter, then all the way back into town, then ALL the way back to get her, then home. By the time I’m done, it’s over an hour total of driving and it’s tiring. I just want to sit by the pool one day a week with the snot nose, and bask like a giant turtle, absorbing the heat. I want a tan line for once! I wanna sit up there with a cool iced tea and watch her play with my cousin, swimming in the warm pool water…

Oh well. 2 more weeks, if that.

2 more full semesters and one more summer class until graduation!!! 

Screw June Cleaver!

So, I heard the other day about this “I’m not June Cleaver” challenge. I thought it was interesting… if not unbelievably stupid. Why anyone would compare themselves to June Cleaver and attempt to be the perfect housewife like that character is beyond me…

See this bitch? Fuck her and her perfect kitchen... 

Anyhow…

I thought about doing it. I really did. And while… yes, it’s an interesting concept… I don’t think it requires a 30 day challenge. Let me explain.

I am fully aware that I am not the perfect housewife or mother. NO ONE is. June Cleaver even wasn’t. Some could speculate that she was stunting her kids’ emotional and mental growth by being television’s first helicopter mom, in a way. My mother was not perfect. My grandmother was not perfect. My aunts are not perfect, I am not perfect, my friend Dee is not perfect.

That said, we’re all still damn good mothers. We all have our faults… My mother was over-clingy. My grandmother had an unhealthy love for all things shoes. (I had SO many shoes growing up…) My friend Dee is well known for burning just about anything she cooks. (Love you girl!) I juggle full time college, motherhood, and housewife duties all in one day… so I’m a little stressed and the housework suffers sometimes. But we all do what’s right by our children.

See this? It's not my house, and my house will NEVER be this clean.

So, are my dishes washed and put away after every meal? No. Sometimes, *gasp*, they stay in the sink until lunchtime the next day! THE HORROR!

Are the beds in the house perfectly made? Not a chance, since Mike and I both sleep like we’re doing Capoeira in our sleep. (Don’t know what it is, google it. Awesome fighting style!)

Is there dust? Yep. Are the floors perfect? Nope.

But my child has all the love she can get her hands on, we play with her, read to her, encourage her creativity, and you know what? My housework can kiss my butt, quality time with my daughter is a thousand times more important than a lemony fresh kitchen ANY day in my book.   

Creepy Dollar Store Toys

Creepy dolls. Yep.

I’ve got a lot on my mind the last few days, so the other day, my mom and I went to the dollar store. We were bored and jus t browsing, to be honest. We went down to the toy aisle for the kiddo, and man oh man… there’s a reason that you go to the toy store for good, quality toys, let me tell ya.

First up on the list… this. Let your eyes feast on this monstrosity.

It’s a fairy. At least it’s supposed to be a fairy. Looks more like a dog toy to me. Look at those eyes, that volume of the thin, sparse locks of hair. Gorgeous. The queen of the crap toys.

And now… mermaids!

I think. They KIND of resemble mermaids… they look like mermaids on Crack. Little Mermaid goes to Rehab. I mean, the brunette’s face… that just looks like a serial killer.

And there are SO many other shit toys there. I could have made this many PAGES long. I really could have.

But yeah. I know,  it’s filler. But it’ll do.  

I hate doctors...

I fucking HATE doctors. I really do. 

Some of you may remember me posting about my grandpa last night? Well, for those who don't, he had a mini stroke the night before last, and was unable to walk, had BAD hip pain, plus the issues from the stroke, so my parents convinced him to go to the ER. Mini strokes, however, can't be 'proven' or diagnosed VIA machines, they go by symptoms, at least that's what we were told. He had all of the classic signs of a mini stroke. 

We got him admitted, had to basically argue with the ER doctor for THAT to happen... and as we thought, as soon as the meds wore off, he was in worse shape pain wise in his back than he was before. My pop does NOT go to doctors... so when he caves, something is WRONG. He can barely walk to use the bathroom... 

They said last night, it was definitely a fractured hip. Well this morning, they decided they were wrong... no, instead they think it's something to do with his spine. 

They want him to do physical therapy. Without a sure diagnosis. With a seriously bad back problem. Didn't want to do an MRI, didn't want to do ANYTHING. 

I mean, I'm all for physical therapy, it was a lifesaver when I had broken my ankle. The difference is... THEY KNEW MY SHIT WAS BROKEN! They have NO idea exactly why my poor grandpa can barely fucking MOVE, and they want him in physical therapy?? DO YOUR DAMN JOBS and fucking get a diagnosis before you toss him in therapy for fuck's sake!!! 

And my Aunts, who have YET to volunteer to do SHIT to help my grandma out around the house while he's in the hospital... get off your asses and help your dad. Come after work and mow the lawn, trim the hedges, clean the fucking pool that you bitched at him to open, HELP DO SOMETHING!!! ME and my SO should NOT be the only ones over there, but goddamn it, if we have to we'll be there day and night to make sure he gets the rest he needs once he goes home... 

Organ Trail Director's Cut- Review

I got a new game!!! I got Organ Trail Director’s Cut!

Now, if you’ve ever played Oregon Trail, you’ll know basically what to do in this game. There’s a few additional bonus things, but other than that, it’s pretty similar. Organ Trail is set in a post-apocalyptic setting, zombies have overtaken the major cities, and D.C. is lost. The government has ordered a nuclear strike in a few hours, and you and your friends have to gather supplies and head out. This is the same as the leaving time that you get when you play Oregon Trail, where you buy your items and leave. But it’s simplified, you get to choose what’s more necessary. Food, ammo, medkits, fuel, scrap, tires, batteries, and mufflers are what you need, now you just have to decide how BAD you need each thing.

Honestly, if you’re smart, and in the beginning I really wasn’t, this game is easy. Scavenge in from 10AM to 2PM DAILY, and you’ll have over 1000 oz of food in no time, and tons of scrap and money. Needing money and scrap are the BIG things in this game, so scavenge as much as you can in those hours of low zombie activity. You’ll need the scrap especially to fix your car, and it takes a LOT of scrap to repair it.

Be cautious with the extra stuff you want to see. And try and keep your whole party alive until the end. You’ll need every party member you can get. There’s a few minigames in the station wagon, one where you run over bandits who try and mess with you, and another where you avoid zombified deer that are in a herd behind you. Try and trade as MUCH as possible for fuel, because it’s expensive as shit to buy. That’s why you need a lot of scrap and money, you’ll have a need for it when you trade for other necessities.

I had really bad luck in this game, I had my muffler break about 14 times, and my tires blew out 3 times. Never had a battery die at least… and I kept my station wagon in good shape. I also had 3 members get bitten by zombies, and 2 had to be put down before getting into the safe zone at the end.

For the end, if you decide to find this game and get it, you’ll need to have a strategy going in. I couldn’t afford to die more than twice, so I ran to the bottom, went across, and up to get my gas cans, then went on and back at the top, rinse and repeat.

All in all, it was a really fun little game. Link for the site to purchase it on will be below.  Alternate means for acquiring said game will not be linked, but I WILL say… they do exist.  Enjoy!

Click to go to the Organ Trail Directors Cut page!