Has Technology corrupted our youth?

 

  I don't if it's just me and I'm getting old.... or I'm starting to see kids becoming more technologically advanced than I am. I see kids using cell phones and they know what they are doing. Cell phones weren't even around until I was a teenager. Smartphones came out years later when I was starting my life. 

   I feel like after the baby is spanked when they are first born, they should be given a cell phone. Technolgy might be going too far and even young children that just two years old knows how to use a cell phone.

    I just feel like the more the younger kids are tech savvy the stupider we're becoming

    I understand if kids need their phones for school. When I was young, we weren't allowed on our phones when they started becoming useful. I need had a cell phone until I was in eighth grade, and it was a regular one. There was no internet. It was just getting started.

    Now....we can't live without it. It's as if it's part of the life source that keeps us.... especially kids, alive.

    When I was little, I played outside with friends and gone on vacation with family. Now...it seems that trend died once Steve Jobs created an iPhone that made children glue themselves to their pads or phones or whatnot and play outside by just sitting and staring at the screen.

    Now, my family is a victim to those screens. I will admit I'm one of them, but I'm an adult.

  

 

     Kids now a days don't enjoy the fun I used to enjoy, sadly I was always a loner, and I just found ways to enjoy a world without the internet. Computers were still around, but the internet wasn't a huge success until I was a kid.

    Now....it's part of our life and we need it to survive. But...has it corrupted the youth?

    I understand kids using a cell phone to contact their parents if they were going outside but can't they just....be outside and enjoy their childhood? Because it'll be gone before you know it. Kids are getting technology smarter and it's scaring me.

    So, what if you say, 'Ok Boomer' to me. I don't care anymore. I know I'm of that age where the 90s were considered amazing.

    

 Kids would look at me saying that I'm not with it. I don't even know the Gen-Alpha lingos that are going on today. I was born in the time where technology was only a baby. Now...it's a grown adult that has corrupted everyone. From the youth to us adults. 

    Should kids be introduced to technology at a young age? I'm not a parent, but I have a goddaughter who has her own phone.

    Some places, like certain schools and libraries have gotten to the point where there is no cell phones or tablets allowed. They make their own device-free zones. No cell phones, no internet.... nothing. We should go back to those days for a couple of hours. Not that it's a good idea to give kids their own tablets/phones until they are old enough and responsible to have something of their own.

     Back when I was a kid, we didn't have cell phones or tablets. Now....I do, but I'm an adult with responsibilities. I guess kids today have it easy. It makes me jealous but...at the same time.... wondering if technology, as well as the internet...is corrupting the youth today. I can say...yes, but I guess I might be jealous I didn't have the luxury the children of today have. Call me a Boomer. 

Happy B-Day, Garfield

 

    47 years of an Orange Cat that changed comics forever. Apparently, Garfield has been the fat orange cat that craves Italian food and sleeps all day. An idea created by Jim Davis, this fat cat has been in many comic strips, Tv shows, live action movies and much more.

  Garfield's owner, Jon, is a cartoonist like Jim Davis is. Even Jim Davis says that he has a few cats, but none are as famous as Garfield.

  Plus...he's the only cat who would tolerate Italian Cuisine while other cats.... don't care for it. He even has a pal named Odie and let's just say.... this cat hasn't changed one bit.

   He might have changed his appearance, but his attitude is still the same. Even though cats don't live to be 47, this one finds a way to stay alive and entertain from panel to panel. He's not alone. He has his owner friend/enemy Odie who is a dog and many other characters from the comic.

   Odie is considered a frenemy to Garfield. He's a dog, but Garfield likes to kick him off a table, scare him, torment him. Other times, they work together to steal food from Jon or do other things that would make Jon upset.

   I feel they work better as partners. They have in certain episodes of their show and even in the movies.

   Nermal is another character that is a small, cute cat that gets on Garfield's nerves. He's supposed to be a cute cat but turns out to make Garfield have a headache and throw him out a wall or mail him to Abu Dabi.

   Nermal, in the original cartoon, was voiced by a female.... but in the live action movie a male actor voices the cat.

  When I was young, I saw a cartoon called Garfield and Friends. It was good and I enjoyed every minute Garfield was on screen.

   Then, they made Garfield a computer animated cat. It was fine, but didn't have much of the charm that the other cartoon had. Frank Welker voices Garfield in the computer animated one and he does ok, but I preferred the late Lorenzo Muzac's voice.

   There were movies of this fat orange cat. From live action to the most recent one with Chris Pratt voicing the cat. Wasn't good, but better than the live action version with Bill Murray voicing the orange Tabby.

  There are too many things to say about both movies. Even the live action gaining a sequel which didn't fare well as the other. 

    Garfield is now 47. Pretty old for a cat in the real world, but with him being a cartoon...he's ageless. Ok he's really 47 but he's only a cartoon. 

   Garfield fears his birthday coming all the time and believes with him getting older, he would start losing his memory. In human years...this cat would be dead. But Garfield will enjoy having a lasagna birthday cake as he can't believe he made it another year. Happy birthday you orange tabby.

Is the Masked Singer the kiss of death?

 

   I've talked about this show which is about a dancing show where celebrities are hidden in masks until they are voted off...or win the show. But with the recent death of George Wendt aka Norm from Cheers...I soon wondered, is being on the show considered a kiss of death to certain celebrities?

   We can't all control death. It's inevitable, but it's ironic that certain celebrity deaths happened after they performed on Masked Singer. Lesile Jordan always was considered a guest panel and even performed in an ice cream suit. After his death in a car accident, the episode dedicated Leslie Jordan for being a great guy and making the world laugh

 Another death of a celebrity is Jerry Springer. Yes, even Jerry performed on Masked Singer. Although, he was one of the first to leave so just one song. I knew who it was right away when the ladybug explained him being popular in the 90s and then going into being a tv Judge. We all chanted Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! when he was revealed. He passed away in 2023 from pancreatic cancer. 

   I grew up watching Bob Saget as Danny Tanner on Full House. He didn't have a bad singing voice either. I kind of knew who it was when I heard him sing. He was a squiggly monster, and he sang some memorable songs. What also was memorable was his sudden death. He died while performing stand up in Florida after a hit on the back of the head. He never woke up. We'll miss you, Saget

   Kirstie Alley passed away from cancer that she had for a few weeks when it became aggressive. She also sang on Masked Singer as a pink mammoth. She did pretty well but was eliminated early. She was known for being on Cheers as well as few movies I've seen, one involving the Olsen Twins in a Prince and Pauper story

   A famous boxer was also on the masked singer. George Foreman, who was known for not just boxing but Entrepeneur, sang one song and was eliminated. I kind of knew who it was with the voice being distinctive. He will be remembered not just for the Boxing but his grills that sold like hot cakes. I forgot the song he sang, but he was amazing to be in the show

    I recently talked about George Wendt and his passing. Who did he portray? A moose. When I saw him, he was sitting on a rock and I thought it had to be someone who couldn't stand for a long period of time. What we didn't know was...he was known for being a bar and sitting at his favorite booth drinking his beer. Ok, maybe we did know that, but we had no idea he had a good singing voice. Cheers, Norm.

   It's amazing this show has been on for almost fourteen years, and we already had six celebrity deaths from that show. Time goes by fast and feel there will be more surprises in the new seasons and sadly...a few singers that go to the other side. Till then, I will enjoy the show and the surprises it gives me. 

Happy B-Day, Johnny Depp

 

   Happy birthday to a Captain Jack Sparrow, Mad Hatter, Sweeny Todd and many more Characters one man made. Today is his 62nd birthday and he doesn't look a day older. But what was his past like? Well...let's see how Johnny Depp became who we know today.

  Born in a small town in Kentucky, Johnny didn't really get into acting until his teenage years. When he was living with a family that had Jonny move from one state to another eventually divorcing a few years later. He is also the youngest of four of his siblings and the one that is the most recognized. He wanted to start a band, so his mother gave him a guitar when he was a teenager.

  He would soon star in a tv show that made him a household name in the 80's, around the same time he would end up killed in Nightmare on Elm Street, one of his first film appearances. He played alongside Peter DeLuise. They made a movie starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum and Johnny Depp and Peter guest starred in it as well...only to be shot

   I remember him playing an emotional brother to Leonardo DiCaprio in a movie called what's eating Gilbert Grape. He played Gilbert and has to watch over his mentally challenged brother played by Leo. I loved this move, and it only showed not only how talented Leo was, but Johnny as well. He started in other movies afterwards

   Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Charlie Chaplin and Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and loathing in Las Vegas. Johnny plays Hunter as he travels through Vegas while stoned off his mind and seeing visions of things that aren't there.

    Sadly Hunter S. Thompson did commit suicide a few years after that movie. As the years went by, Johnny's talent started to shine. But sometimes.... he would take roles in movies that bombed.

   Johnny played a pirate named Jack Sparrow in a few Pirates of the Caribbean movies. I was not a fan of them, and Johnny actually is pretty good at playing a delusion pirate with Orlando Bloom and Kyra Sedgewick in the movie as well.

   In real life, even after the Pirates movies ended, Johnny would dress up as Jack Sparrow and make kids that were in the hospital and cheer them up. 

    Even if Johnny had struggles with alcohol and drugs when he was young, he would have no idea the star he would become. One thing I think he would never portray again...is a clown. The Mad Hatter in the Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland movies were not my cup of tea.

   Plus, Johnny has a clown phobia, and I bet this movie was helping him conquer that phobia.

    Johnny is still acting today. Some of his movie choices aren't as great as his ones back in the 90s and the 2000s. He's done some voice work on movies and an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants He even has been directing starting with a movie he starred in as well. There's no stopping this guy. Now, let's wish this man a very happy birthday because I know....he's not done acting yet. 

    

Restaurant Declining

 

   And we thought Covid-19 would destroy us. Well....it sort of did. But some apps started coming to the rescue like UberEats, Doordash and even Grubhub started to appear for people who don't want to set foot in a restaurant.

  However, the downside is certain restaurants are starting to decline while other restaurants start coming in and only are delivery and take-outs only. Does that mean restaurants that are dine in are on the decline? Here are some restaurants that are saying goodbye real soon.

  Some Italian restaurants are showing their closing signs. One of them is Buca Di Beppo. An Italian restaurant that has been around since the early90's but now is showing its age. The food isn't as great as it once was, but the decor is not a great either.

   Around the time Covid hit, it was filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy. That means it's pulling the plug on many of its restaurants.

  Another restaurant I've been to and liked...was TGI Fridays. Which had a saying of Thank God it's Friday.

   This restaurant was American themed and served food like burger, chicken, sandwiches and the appetizers like Mozzarella sticks. Now, you'd be lucky to find one anywhere. It has been considered a ghost of a restaurant and whatever was left of the food...went into the frozen section.

   Applebee's is like another American Themed restaurant that I remember more. The food was fine...until 2020 when Covid hit.

   There are still Applebee's there but sadly, the food is not as great as it used to be. Struggling to survive from all the foodapps, they mostly have gone and decided to use take out methods having less people going into their restaurants.

   Red Lobster is near its end. Not only was it a Seafood chain, but they were known for their endless seafood options like endless shrimp and pasta, but their cheddar biscuits which you can find in the frozen food section.

  Red Lobster is one of those restaurants that has filed for bankruptcy more than once. I'm amazed its still standing.

 Remember a restaurant that was mostly known for roasted chicken and dinners that included mashed potatoes and gravy? Well...that was Boston Market. Now....there's barely one Boston Market left in all of America.

    They started declining around 2020 during Covid when people were starting to make their own meals or wanted take out.

   Boston Market was already struggling by then and now.... if you ever find one Boston Market still in business....it won't be for long.

  Like Red Lobster, Olive Garden is suffering as well. And serving never ending breadsticks and pasta is not going to help their business get any better.

   There are still some Olive Garden restaurants left, but they are struggling just like other restaurants. They do the same method as take out and app dining. It's just.... not as strong as it used to be.

     Even diner themed restaurants are in danger of saying goodbye. Denny's being one of them. IHOP too, but it feels any restaurant that is a sit in only restaurant isn't safe from being closed forever. Filing Chapter 11 before, it doesn't mean it's gone, but it is struggling to survive.

   Even their Grand Slam meals aren't as great as they used to be. Having shrinkflation happening is one thing having their portions getting smaller. It's just.... not as great a restaurant as it used to be.

    World of Beer is a restaurant and Pub. It is now.... struggling to stay in business. Is it because of Covid? No.... I guess people are more used to the apps that that deliver them food that they stopped going into restaurants.

    Even pubs. World of Beer is still in business, but it is struggling, but not as a badly as the others are.

   Sad to find out not only are businesses struggling, but now...restaurants. And I don't think it's going to stop any time soon.

   Even when it comes to fast food.... KFC, Burger King and even Taco Bell are struggling. Sadly, with prices getting higher, it's best just to create your own mean and save money. Well...enjoy these restaurants while you can.

Memorial Day-Start of Summer

   Sometimes, it's hard to explain how Summer Vacation works. They say it stars when Memorial Day hits and ends when Labor Day begins. Is that true? When did that start? Because summer doesn't really start until the 20th or 21st of June. So....is it now Summer? Because it doesn't feel like summer. Not with all the cold rain we've been getting.

   School is almost over; Graduation has begun with certain schools. College, high schoolers and kindergarteners having their graduations happening. Kids will soon roam the backyards to the playgrounds or even get summer jobs to save for money for college. Back in my day, we spent most of the summers outside. Times have changed with technology taking over.

   The days will be longer, the nights will be shorter, and even hotter. Once August hits, I will see Halloween candy in grocery stores. I don't know why, but they push the holidays closer and closer with each coming year. Now, it's Summer's turn. 

    Going to the beach and spending our days and nights looking out at the stars having a wonderful summer. I know it won't last

   So... why is a day that we remember who we lost in battles in wars the unofficial start of summer? Who knows. We don't even know why Labor Day ends it. It's just strange that summer is almost here and will slip through our fingers. Our Vacations to the 4th of July which will also...become the start of showing back to school ads.

   It doesn't matter what season, it's gonna happen no matter what. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter have their quirks. Summer being very hot as winter makers you freeze to death. It's just a thing that all of us have to deal with. We complain it's too cold, tne too hot. In between...you either are allergic to certain parts of the season, or not. For me....I'm allergic to Spring pollen.

  June is coming, summer is coming, It will soon be here, then it will be gone. Que Sera, Que Sera. What we should enjoy...is every moment of our summer before the Halloween Candy is seen and the school ads are shown.

   Summer is right at the foot at our doorsteps, and I feel.... we should embrace is. I feel the summer is just beginning.

Has Spring Sprung?-POEM

 

May is almost over

and yet

we still

feel colder

has spring left us yet

or has it extended

for a few more days

The days are getting longer

the nights

are becoming shorter

it seems

summer is coming

Flags everywhere

heroes remembered

for their sacrifices 

during hardship

which we call

war

Once Memorial Day ends

starts 

summer vacation

graduation

and even 

school closing

grill cookouts,

long days,

at the beach,

enjoying time with friends,

while others,

work for their fun

Summer is coming,

and it will leave us,

in a blink of an eye,

once the 4th of July is here,

get ready,

for back 

to 

school

But for now,

enjoy what's left,

of Spring,

from the rain,

to the flowers,

to knowing,

summer is almost here

Has this spring,

really sprung,

out of control,

with the rain,

the cold,

and the allergies

It feels as if,

the allergies,

will stay,

once a new season,

sets in,

summer will come,

but for now,

enjoy what's left,

of spring