The end of 2021

 

          It's almost over. Jumping a leap to another year they say. But what was 2021 like, and what will 2022 be like?

   All of us were waiting for a cure, we were still staying home. Some people had to work from home while others had to quit. By February, a vaccine started to arrive. Everyone was in line as it was given to people who need it more. Some people wouldn't get vaccinated while others well...pray for some of them.

     The 'Karen' Fad started to grow in popularity Starting around 2020, it's about a woman with a certain haircut, being loud, opinionated and thinks she's right. Now a days...there are board games and even a movie depicting of a Karen in a neighborhood. There are some people that act like it, and in 2021, it was still around like Covid, and barely any woman is now named Karen.

   Summer Olympics in Tokyo were pushed back to this year. Around the summer, they had a small ceremony, and most of the sports were a little.... different. How? Some of the events took place in different hours in a different time zone. Some of the countries didn't compete due to Covid.

  

        USA won the most gold with 39. Mostly thanks to the gymnastic team. Simone Biles had to leave since her aunt died suddenly. Another tested positive for Covid. It didn't stop them, as well as swimming and other aerobics teams as well

    There were disasters from floods, to fires, and tornados and hurricanes. Bushfires in Australia, devistating rainfall in most of the US, Hurricane Ida destroying most of the coast (especially Louisianna) Covid still going strong everywhere, people not wanting the vaccination while others are wanting to stay alive.

 

  Losing a lot of famous people along the way in 2021. Like Ed Asner, Hank Aaron, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Ned Beatty, Dustin Diamond, Charles Grodin, Hal Holbrook, Art LeFleur, Larry King and many more.

   With sadness does come happiness. Not only have we found a vaccine, but some people are getting back to normal. Even if Covid isn't completely gone, it doesn't mean we can't stop seeing love ones, going outside and even adventuring when you can.

  So....what will 2022 give us? Will it give us happiness? A better cure for Covid? Nobody knows. Sadly, I feel it'll be like 2020 part 2, but then again, something good will happen. Not knowing what will happen, we always want a better year to replace the year we had. 

    This will be my last post in 2021. I will be back, but with my 2021 experience, I had good times, sad times, and in between. Had to deal with a death, wondering how long my love life will last. But till then 2022, we're ready for you.

What will the future be like?- Poem

 

We always wonder,

we dream,

and think about,

what the future will hold for us

We predict the future,

to be nothing,

but full of flying cars,

moving walkways,

electronic gizmos,

and much more

People have different views,

of what the future holds,

as one year goes by,

another comes

Another year is coming soon,

the holidays are ending,

and a new year is coming

what will it bring us? 

Will the future,

give us,

an advance on technology,

give us,

an upgrade on,

health 

A guide,

on what the future,

will give us,

it seems all we have to do,

is dream,

and believe

What is in the Krabby Patty secret formula?

 

    There are some questions that are left unanswered. Like: Who killed Jon Bonet Ramsay? What happened to Amelia Airheart? What is the meaning of lie? 

    Then, there are other questions related to TV shows and movies that have questions that want answers too. Like: in Pulp Fiction....what was inside the briefcase? Who heard the word "Rosebud" in Citizen Kane before the man's death? Does the top ever stop spinning in inception?

    With tv shows, they have questions that need answers too. The biggest one is from SpongeBob and that is...what is in the Krabby Patty secret formula? You see...SpongeBob has been on the air for over twenty years. The formula is what makes the sauce in the Krabby Patty taste delicious.

  The Recipe is kept hidden inside a bottle which Mr. Krabs keeps in his office. However, he has a rival who wants to know the secret. And I don't think he's the only one that wants to know. There have been fan theories about why the formula is secret. Some people think it's best to leave it a secret while others, like Plankton, want to know.

            Plankton always wants to beat Krabs in the restaurant war they have against each other. In one movie...he finally succeeds and takes over Bikini Bottom. But we still didn't know what was in the formula. Only he did.... but it seems, he wants to know more. And so do we. 

     I had a feeling they should have ended this show after that movie, but they didn't, and the formula was a secret yet again to Plankton and the rest of us. What do I think is in the formula? Well, some people think that its' made out of Crab meat which is the reason why Mr. Krabs is the only Crab in Bikini Bottom.

 Others think differently. Some say the Krabby Patty is just a mix of different ingredients that you would find in your kitchen. For me...I think the Krabby Patty Formula is plankton meat, but it is worded differently. Why? Well, why is Plankton the only one that wants the answer? He has family that helps him get the formula and well...

 Every burger chain has their own secret ingredient in their burgers. I'm not a fan of burgers but...if the Krabby Patty burger was real, I bet people would eat it. Maybe if a sponge cooks them. I guess, unless you think about it, maybe this is one question that doesn't need to be answered. It's better left a mystery.

The best and worst SNL Cast members

 

   Having this show be on the air for over 45 years, you've seen a few SNL Cast members come and go. Sadly, some pass away after leaving and others just fade. But some...make an everlasting impression that they become our favorites. Here are the five worst and five best SNL Cast members from the show.

    Worst of the bunch:

  5.  

             Gilbert Gottfried- He appeared around in the sixth season but didn't last long. His nasally voice was very ear bleedingly annoying. Going up against Eddie Murphy, he had no chance of suceeding in SNL. He was ok, but he wasn't really considered the best. Leaving SNL after one season, our ears were thankful that was for sure. Now a days, he's been considered a comic who never stops and thinks of what he says. He's been fired from many jobs, including voicing an Aflac duck.

4. 

            Jay Mohr- Only lasting two season, Jay Mohr was considered an ok guy. I didn't start watching SNL until after he left, but he did have some interesting impressions like Christopher Walken or Billy Idol and a few others. But he was kind of blah...unforgettable and not one the best. Now, that's how he is today. Unforgettable. Starring in horrid B movies and well, not many people even know who he is, and maybe it's best to keep it that way

3. 

            Colin Quinn- During the weekend update segments, you have your winners, and you have your losers. Today we have Michael and Che and Colin Jolst. They're ok, but my favorite was Tina Fey with both Amy and Seth. Colin Quinn was considered the unfunniest in the Weekend Update skit. He was ok. I just started watching SNL when he was on Weekend Update. Never understood much of the jokes, but I agree...he's not that great. Today, where is he anyway?

2.

   Jeanene Gruffalo- Only appearing in one season, then later having a stand-gig in a short lived tv show, she was ok. Again, never saw her, but she did some good impressions and well...she was somewhat ear bleedingly annoying. Happily, not as bad as Gilbert Gottfried, but not great. She was only on a couple of skits, but I think she was just trying to find her comedic gem before heading it out on comedy 

DISHONERABLE MENTIIONS:

  * Chris Elliot

  * Ben Stiller

  * Damon Waynes

  * Sarah Silverman

  * Dana Carvey

1.

              

                ROBERT DOWNEY JR- Known for being Iron Man, back in the late eighties Robert Downey Jr. was a cast member on SNL. Only for one season and it was during his life when he was on drugs. Let's just say...you now know why his stay was short lived. Now, he is a multi-millionaire and will always be known as Iron Man to us. He has put away the drugs and bad habit he formed back then, even making fun of it. Loren Michaels even said he was considered the worst cast member that he ever regretted hiring. Now...that's a totally different story.

  BEST OF THE REST:

10.

              Ana Gasteyer- Starting SNL around the early 90's, Ana Gasteyer is known for her comedic flare. She was a good singer, good at impressions, especially with Martha Stewart, and well she made me laugh. Where is she now? Well, leaving around the end of 90's, she stared in some movies, was in Masked Singer and well...was in the musical rendition of A Christmas Story (you can skip that)

9. 

       Adam Sandler- the early 90's gave us a comedian that will blow us away with his comedy as well as his singing. He gave us characters like "Opera Man" and would sing on Weekend Update giving us songs about Hannukah and gave us characters that would make us laugh even more. Now, well he's pretty famous giving us good, and sometimes bad, movies. Creating the company of Happy Madison, a combination of two of his movies. He recently was a guest host and did a performance that brought us to tears. He's still around, and always will be.

8.

           Beck Bennett- Recent SNL talent can also make us laugh. Sadly, he did leave to pursue a movie career. Beck Bennet was hilarious. Giving us characters that made us laugh and even doing political cameos like Mike Pence and the fly on his head. A few more as well. His voice is so recognizable, he even does voice acting on the side like voicing Launchpad in the Ducktales reboot. Hope he comes back to host in the near future

7. 

              Darrell Hammond- one of the longest running SNL cast members to date, and still is to this day as now he is the announcer replacing Don Polito. He was always a good impressionist from Sean Connery to Donald Trump and many more. He was considered one of the funniest men that was best at doing impressions. He started around the mid 90's and left around early to mid 2010's. That's long.

6.

   Kristen Wigg- Or Kirsten as I like to call her. She was hilarious from the skits she did to the characters she played. Like an over enthusiastic woman who would ruin a surprise because she couldn't keep a secret to a a cashier at target who went and got whatever a customer was buying. She too left to pursue acting careers that gave her not only comedic rolls, but dramatic as well. She has come back to host several times and well so did the characters she played.

5.

           Will Ferrell- From an actor that play Alex Trebek to someone who can make another cast member laugh, Will Ferrell is the guy you want. Starting SNL in mid to late 90's through the 2000's, it seems he made everyone laugh. Including me. He made Jeopardy enjoyable to making James Lipton funny. Any character and person he played made me laugh. Even when he's a fake band member in Blue Oyster Cult "Don't fear the reaper" They need more Cowbell. He has come back to host as he has been in some movies some good, some ok.

4. 

  

       Kate Mckinnon- This woman is the one who can dress as a man and still make you laugh. She is one of the funniest women that have ever graced TV. From making others laugh in skits (especially when she plays a woman abducted by aliens or elves) she still makes us laugh. Her comedic timing is perfect, even during times when we were dealing with COVID. Now, she might still be on SNL, but has been trying movie roles which she has done pretty well with. Just, if you see her making people crack up, you'll crack up too.

3. 

              Jimmy Fallon- No one knew how amazing this guy was going to be. Starting around mid to late 90's, Jimmy Fallon was just a comedian making every one of us laugh. He even was considered hilarious when he was doing Weekend Update with Tina Fey. But when he left, the laughter went with him, but it would not go away forever. He now is the host of the Tonight show which used to be Jay Leon and the late Johnny Carson.

2.

        Tina Fey and Amy Poehler- This is a twofer because I couldn't pick which one was the best, so...they both deserve the number two spot. Tina Fey was a writer for SNL (one of the first Female writers of course) and makes everyone laugh. Hailing from Upper Darby, you can tell she has a Philly accent like I do. Now, what is she doing? Still writing, had a TV show on NBC called 30 Rock and much more. Amy Poehler is another funny comedian starting around the same time Tina did, they both are like sisters. After she left, she too had a show of her own, and she still is acting and making me laugh.

Honorable mentions:

  * Gilda Radner

  * Bill Murry 

  * Billy Crystal

  * Phil Hartman

  * John Belushi

  * Dan Akroyd

1.

        Eddie Murphy- I don't know why, but he was on SNL around the 80's. I guess being number one of the funniest SNL cast members ever. Even the Best. Even though some of the movies he's been in are good and well...not, I think he brought the most laughter with the characters like Mr. Robinson's neighborhood, Buckwheat. He even hosted while being a regular cast member. Now, he's been doing pretty well with movie roles. Not many as he used to, but to me...he is the funniest and number one best cast member of SNL

Christmas themed stores

 

      It's that time of year again. Where stores fill the shelves with nothing but Christmas products. That's true, almost every state has their own Christmas type of store. Some have them only open starting early Thanksgiving days, others stay open forever.

    In the city of Lake Orian, Michigan, they have a Village that opens around the holiday season. Having events like breakfast with Santa, which would include pancakes as well as waffles. Having strolls on certain weeks, and in the new year, they do a mitten drop. Opening from Black Friday to the end of new year. If you are around this town during the holidays, check it out.

 

  Hot Springs, Arizona has their own Christmas shop called "Handmade Holiday Shop" Not knowing much, I guess this is a store that is around most of the year and goes all big around Christmas. Having people make their own ornaments out of everyday stuff as well. 

   In Fenwick Island, Delaware, there is a store called the Seaside County store. They sell some fancy trinkets as well as tubs of cheese (or something similar), They even have a Nautical Christmas theme aisle that is packed beyond belief around the Holiday seasons. 

    Going to Chicago around Christmas is like stepping into a Hallmark card. A store named Christkindlmarket sells everything Festive during the holidays. They even have friendly entertainment like carolers singing Carols as walk by man stores. Having foods like desserts and pretzels being served. It's just not Christmas in Chicago without visiting that place around the holidays.

    Santa's Quarters is one hell of a Christmas shop in New Orleans. They sell wreaths, Christmas trees, stockings. It's like a small store tucked in the French corner of New Orleans. Even after Katrina hit, this store managed to pull itself back to make everyone happy around the holidays. They even have huge decorations for anyone who's so into the Christmas Spirit. Watch out, Scrooge.

  If you go to the Outer Banks around the holidays, there will be many places to shop and celebrate. There is a store around the Outer Banks. They sell Christmas stuff as well as selling food for people who love to stay. It's an ok shop, but there is another called Christmas Mouse that is like a little Christmas store for every season, no matter even if you're down int he summertime, it'll still be Christmas there.

    In Kennet Square, Pennsylvania, there is a beautiful place that is opened year- round, but around the holidays, they go all out. Being from Pennsylvania, I've been to this place. It's call Longwood Gardens, and every Holiday, they would go crazy with themed lights, beautiful effect and even in some of the houses, it's nothing but Christmas Tree, presents and much more. This is the place that will keep the lights till January 2nd of next year.

   

   As I said before, the Outer Banks has their own Christmas Mouse stores, but in Myrle Beach, they have a huge Christmas mouse store. Inside, they have a huge tree decorated as well as decorations, ornaments, stockings and whatever you want to have for the holidays.

   Every place is different with their stores and themes. When Christmas is around, many places will become festive, throw huge parties, gather people for a light show and amaze everyone as they think Christmas is special, and sometimes, it's in the smallest stores, even every year.

Frozen Custard vs Frozen Yogurt

 

    

   Everyone loves Ice cream or gelato or even Frozen Yogurt. But....is there a difference between Frozen Yogurt and Frozen Custard? Let's find out

    Frozen Yogurt consists of milk solids and a sweetened milk fat. People say it's somewhat healthier than Ice Cream. I've tried Frozen Yogurt before. It's ok and well, there are many places that sell Frozen Yogurt like TCBY, Pinkberry and Yogurt land.

Some Ice cream chains have now tried selling Frozen Yogurt as well. Is it good enough to beat ice cream? Well, I'm not gonna say yes or no on this one, but it seems some people are trying to cut back on Ice cream thinking that Frozen Yogurt is healthier. In my opinion, I doubt it is. Might be the same taste and fat contact as regular Ice Cream

 Ever had Custard before? If you don't know what it is, Custard is kind of a sweetened milk and contains egg yolk. Nobody knows when Frozen Custard started to become popular. But it seems somewhere around 1919, someone in Coney Island was starting to sell this sweet treat to everyone.

  Like the history of Ice cream, both Frozen Yogurt and Frozen Custard have their own back roots. Some don't know how it started or if there was a fad, but people loved both Frozen Custard as well as Frozen Yogurt

 For people that love Frozen Custard, there are some establishments that sell that. Rita's Water Ice is one place. I get the custard there, and it's pretty good. Is it better than Ice cream? No way. Neither Frozen Yogurt nor Frozen Custard can replace Ice Cream

   Every frozen concoction is made in their own special way. Ice Cream has milk and cream. With Frozen Custard, it adds an egg yolk. Frozen Yogurt just makes it healthier. Gelato, the Italian style of Ice Cream, has only milk. 

Everyone has their favorite dessert, from Frozen yogurt to Frozen custard, Gelatos and even water ice, but for me...number one is Ice cream. Creamy delicious ice cream. Hope I didn't make your mouth water.