Happy Halloween-Poem

 

It's colder at night,

The full moon shines,

A wolf howl,

Leaves blowing in the wind

You fear the dark,

and the mist of night,

covers every street,

not knowing,

deep down,

the interesting,

Halloween treats

Themed dinners of,

Spaghetti and eyeballs,

Pumpkin shaped pizzas,

and many,

many,

creative treats,

As we walk down,

to get sweets,

from one house to another,

 as they shout,

"Trick or Treat"

The sweets,

oh the sweets,

the goodies to eat,

from Mounds,

to Hershey Bars,

even a caramel apple or two

The end of another month,

as the night ends as well,

sweets cramping our stomach,

and a night,

still in a howl

The night will come and go,

as Autumn starts to chill,

leaves fall on the ground,

frozen breath,

freezing days,

winter is upon us,

in many ways

As for this Halloween,

Stay safe and don't forget,

Autumn isn't over,

just yet

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Cool Whip vs Reddi Whip

         There are interesting wars in world of food and drink. We have the cola wars, the fast food wars, pizza wars. Many kind that make person buy one product or another. With some of us we like McDonalds and other like Burger king. But this war is called the "whipped cream war."

    

  Yep, the whipped cream wars. Cool Whip vs Reddi Whip. Two brands one by Kraft and another...I guess their own company. Which is the best to top on a pie or place next to ice cream? Well, not being a huge fan or whipped cream, let's just go behind the scenes on how they were made.

 Part of the Birds Eye division, as well as Kraft, Cool Whip was created around 1966. They said it contained real milk and cream, the same way Kraft Singles contain real milk. Does it really? Well I've had it before. It's not gross or anything but let's just say, there are better ones to try. Yes Cool Whip is fun to say when you dip your strawberry in it.

 I even remember a family guy episode where Stewie would say Cool Hwhip, putting a lot of emphasis on the H sound effect. Maybe it brought sales, but it is funny to say it that way. I don't know, like I said Cool Whip is ok. Now they have some in low sugar. They have light flavors even flavored ones. OK hit and miss.

  Now, let's talk about the cousin of Cool Whip, Reddi Whip (or Reddi Wip as some people would say) The whip cream from a can. This one's older than Cool Whip by twelve years. Starting out in 1948, Aaron S. Lapin invented it as a vegetable substitute. 

He even created the use of cream coming out of a valve and making it useful by spraying it in a wavy pattern. His partner, also named Aaron, was also helpful making whip cream be useful by just spraying it out of a can. They became part of the Hunt's-Wesson family. To me, this might be the closest thing to actual whip cream.

You can do a lot with whip cream besides topping it on a pie. You can even use it in a recipe for puddings or cake mixes or anything that's required sweetness. With Reddi Whip vs Cool Whip, which one is the most popular? That goes to Cool Whip. Reddi Whip is known as Cool Whip with their ads and slogens and even seen on T-shirts. (That's true.)

   For people that are lactose intolerant, or just not a fan of dairy, both Cool and Reddi Whip have created a non-dairy substitute for people. They use almond or coconut or any other milk to make their whip cream. A lot of them are now flavored. Reddi Whip has made a chocolate version. Yum.

 So which one is the true winner? Which is the whipped cream I enjoy more? Reddi or Cool? I choose Reddi...why? Well even though Cool Whip is pretty popular, to me it doesn't taste much like whipped cream. Reddi whip is something I would enjoy and know that it is the true thing. No offense to people who love cool whip, but not one I would choose. Reddi Whip is the superior whipped topping you would put on your pie or brownie.

creative halloween costumes

 

      Halloween comes once a year and so do the treats, as well as the parties. But don't forget....the costume as well. How can you call a Halloween costume creative? I guess coming up with imagination followed by a trend of a movie or tv show that's popular. Like Matilda, Beetlejuice and much more.

   I guess, for me, creative costumes would come around in the 80's where people would love dressing up as Marty McFly, or the Ghostbuster logo, even Garfield was popular around the 80's and people would dress up as Garfield or Odie. I don't remember much of my childhood years. I think one year, my first Halloween, I would dress as a pumpkin. Another year, I think I was a mouse.

    In the 90's Nickelodeon made cartoons popular by having kids dress up as the Rugrats or even Doug. Some people would become Spice Girls and dress up as the fearsome five. Clueless was another. There were a lot of movies in the 90s that people would dress up as. Wayne's world, Dumb and Dumber, Austin Powers....you had a lot. Edward Sciccorhands and Nightmare before Christmas were big around the 90's and made the movies by Tim Burton very popular.

    I guess whatever was famous at the time of year, either by book, movie or tv show, people would create amazing costumes to show how good they are. Creativity is used everywhere. Inspiring people to show what they like about themselves. What they would watch or read or listen too. There were people dressed as the Backstreet Boys when they were known. I don't remember doing a lot of dress ups. I wasn't huge on Halloween.

 

   Going to parties, you would want to find out what people would be dressed as. You would feel the same. Even if you don't buy a costume, you could always create your own. Showing how amazing and talented you are. Sometimes...you have to be aware of what you make, because sometimes, what you create...could make people uncomfortable.

  A lot of people are creative, but they have to be aware of what they create. Making your child look as if they are decapitated or has a zipper painted on their face opening up to show more than their skin...well, I don't know if it is appropriate or offensive, but you have to be careful with who you trick or treat with.

    I don't know why, but it seems sometimes when it comes to Halloween Costumes, a lot of people just feel they have to go gross, or inappropriate. What are some examples? Well, dressing your kid as a Trojan condom is one. Having a male costume show a snake or something at the bottom of their costume (you know where) or being a burn victim right after a recent fire, or any kid costume that shows a marajuana leaf....just no.

   This year, the new hot thing that people will be dressing at is a costume depicted of the Korean mini-series Squid Ink. I never saw it, but I heard of it. About people being chosen to play a game or die, and the killers dress in pink clothing with their faces covered. Either this costume idea is brilliant, or it's going to give a lot of people nightmares. Especially if they're dressing up as that doll.

     Sometimes, people do group costumes. Like I said before with the Spice Girls, people would dress up as the kids from South Park. Scooby Doo would be another while others would choose Marvel characters like Iron Man, The Hulk, Black Widow and much more. Star Wars Characters. Even Disney Pixar movies are another from Toy Story to Inside Out.

   Whatever you dress as, either it be a store bought or homemade Halloween costume, enjoy it. Even try to scare them if you can. This Halloween won't be like last years that's for sure, but still be careful when you Trick or Treat, or go to a costume party. Whoever you are...remember...that costume might be worth the extra candy you end up getting.

Energy Drinks are gross

 

   Everybody knows what Energy Drinks are. They're there when College kids need to cram for an exam the next day. They boost energy into us when we need to. However....to me.....I find them gross.

 

 

How did this all start? The whole craze that got every college kid hooked? I guess to me it started around the 90's when I was starting High School. There were products called Red Bull, Monster and many more. The use of these energy drinks was to boost caffeine into the system. Get a jolt out of them as they say. 

Jolt cola is what started the whole Energy Drink craze. Coming out in 1985, it was considered a cola that contained caffeine. I didn't know much about it since I was young, but they would always put up advertising saying it was only meant for college kids.

Created around 1987, Red Bull didn't known till the late 90's when the energy drink craze started to happen. It was considered the drink that will give you wings. I guess they meant to say it will give you energy to concentrate on the late night exam that you forgot to study for. 

  What I remember mostly with Red Bull is the commercials they would air. Some would be so taboo, they would be pulled of the air waves because of insensitivity. One was about not putting Red Bull on the Titanic. Well, that pissed off a few people, mostly the family members of the 1,500 dead on Titanic. Red Bull can be creative at times, but they would seem more insensitive to viewers.

    Monster Energy drink was another drink that started in 2002. The drink that was considered a boost of energy every time you drink until you become a monster....or something like that. Some people think this drink gives out inane amount of energy.

   There are some downsides to having an energy drink more than one time. How? Well, your heart is one think. The body is not meant to ingest so much caffeine. I mean Coffee in the morning is ok if you stick to one cup, but college students drink this by the gallon. Why? I guess kids want to get high or even cram for an early exam...and they didn't study.

Energy Drinks are just like cola drinks. Bad for you, full of sugar and caffeine that a body can not handle. Too much can damage your bones, destroy your liver, give you horrible teeth and well...kill you. Were there many deaths connected to energy drinks? There could be...but the only way that could happen is if you drank an energy drink almost every day and waking hour of your life.

 

  The healthiest alternative is water. Not that flavored kind, but regular H2O. The kind you would get from your fridge or faucet at home. That is the drink many people would lead to if they are not into energy drinks or soda. For me, I would stick to water over energy drinks. Especially if you suffer from a health problem.

     I don't think we should ban energy drinks, but limit the use. If you need it to study, one or two can be ok, But if you make it a habit, it would be like drinking beer or smoking in general Not good for your body and harmful for your heart and liver. Too much caffeine is not a good thing for anyone. Only in moderation drinks they should be.

Goosebumps vs Are you Afraid of the dark

 

   With Halloween upon us, we rely on scary stories to make the season terrifying. When I was young, back in the 90's there were two things that would scare children. Well...not all Children. A TV show called Are you Afraid of the Dark and a book series called Goosebumps. Which one is better? Well....let's talk about them first.

   Goosebumps was started around 1992. Created by children's horror author Robert Lawrence Stine. Or R.L. Stine for short. He was like a kid friendly version of Stephen King Horror books. What were they about? Well some stories were about ghosts, haunted ventriloquist dummies, blood from a monster. They even had a haunted mask that would stick to your face.

   Sometimes, some of the books are choose your own story. You are the person in the story and you would have to choose how it ends. I would enjoy these books, I almost got all of them. I even got ideas from my stories from Goosebumps as well as Stephen King. No joke. 

    Soon, around 1995, Goosebumps became a hit tv show that involved his books. With stories like "Nightmare of the living Dummy", "Monster Blood", "Say Cheese and die" and much more. Even some unknowns who played the kids would end being famous in their future. Like Hayden Christiansen, AKA Aniken Skywalker. 

    R.L. Stine is still writing today. No more Goosebumps, but more stand alone novels, some based on true stories, and a few Fear Streets. It was ok. I don't remember much of his new work. But I will always remember my teen years and my fascination with Goosebumps. Especially the cover of the book where the Goosebumps logo was all bumpy.

  Back in the 90's, Nickelodeon had really good shows (unlike today of course). One show they would call SNICK that was on Saturday Nights. One show they had on was a show that would have kids tell stories about haunted cabs, frightening clowns, deadly ghosts and much more.

   A few kids go around a campfire, pour something on the fire (dust I guess) and tell their story, then we are transported into the story. One where there would be kids, one a troublemaker and another a good kid doing something bad. The bad kid would end up in danger and it's up to the good kid to save the day.

    Not every story was like that, sometimes it would involve some magicians or wizards or whatever.

   This show also had a share of celebrity guest stars in some episodes. Ryan Gosling was in one (he also was in an episode of Goosebumps as well) This episode had him portray a big brother of a kid obsessed with death. He has to save him. Gilbert Godfried is in this episode as well. 

    Different actors changed within the series. Later it ended for good, but recently came back....and NOT for the better. It seems the whole story revolves around the Midnight Society as they were called in a one hour episode. They would go to a haunted carnival or a haunted house. One of them would disappear and there was this haunted magician or something. Wasn't the same. The acting was ok, but I felt the story was not how I remembered. The midnight society telling stories.

       So, which one is the far superior one? The one I called the best? Well....for me it's a tie. Why? I grew up watching both shows, but with Goosebumps, I read most of the stories. With Are you Afraid of the Dark...I watched it. Now Goosebumps became a movie with Jack Black (more hit and miss to me) while Are you Afraid of the dark...went their own path.

     I'm an adult now and I guess these new show adaptations and movies are for a different generation. I will always remember reading Goosebumps and watching Are you Afraid of the dark. They give me ideas on my stories, well not till I got older, and I always remember the haunting tales they would tell. I hope one day generations of today will remember our generation, because it is worth a Nostalgic look.