Pumpkin season arrives

      I feel every season has a flavor. Summer will have its watermelon and suntan lotion. Winter will have peppermint and cinnamon. Spring....gives you the smell of flowers and allergies. Autumn...has pumpkin. Also having Apples and a cinnamon smell to it.... but it's always Pumpkin. Pumpkin flavored anything these days.

   It wasn't a huge craze back when I was a kid. We only knew it as a squash that we would decorate for Halloween or have out for the Autumn holidays.

    Now...you will find a pumpkin flavoring, and not just in pie. It can be in your coffee, your beer, even having the smell of pumpkin for your bedroom.

  Not many people know that pumpkins are actually fruit. Even if it is a gourd/squash that you would pick out in a patch.

  They are mostly known around September to November, when autumn breeze is seen. Almost everyone decorates their tiny to big pumpkins for the holidays.

Everything is now Pumpkin flavoring. Even M&Ms and Oreo have gone into it. I feel it's going a bit too far. I'm not a fan of pumpkin, but for the love of god.....talk about pumpkin overload.

  Starbucks even had a Pumpkin drink that was only around in the autumn seasons. Now that it's autumn.... it's heeeerrrrree.

   I have nothing against pumpkin as a food, a flavoring or a latte. I just feel this pumpkin craving started during the Instagram eta where people were taking photos of their drinks or food with pumpkin flavoring.

   I guess it's a new thing. Strange but.... it's a hit and miss for me. Mostly miss.

    A lot of people go crazy for pumpkins. They make it a theme or a tradition to have a pumpkin at their front door to have as a decoration.

   Others....would make it a requirement for their foods. I understand when it's pumpkin pie; but everything else is a pass for me. 

  Some people like to even smash pumpkins. Mostly pranksters on the night before Halloween. After Halloween is over, some people will keep their pumpkins and others will just use a homemade sling shot to destroy theirs.

     They think of it as festive and a good way to use actual pumpkin for their Thanksgiving dishes. 

      Pumpkins are everywhere and they're going to stay with us for a while. Until winter comes along and is replaced by peppermint.... which sometimes starts early. Like...right after Halloween. 

    I love to get a small little pumpkin to have until Halloween is over, and then...down the garbage chute. Until then.... pumpkin season has arrived, and won't being going anywhere for a while

No more gun violence- POEM

 

Another school shooting,

and it still won't stop,

having a gun,

and killing young children,

is not,

how to start,

a new school year

when will it really end,

when will the killings stop,

why do we cry,

when someone is killed,

with bullets

schools should be safe,

a place to learn,

but now,

there are drills,

on safety,

when someone,

decides,

to end a life

it's time,

to end the violence,

to get them help,

to not allow guns,

in the hands,

of criminals

wearing orange,

to show your support,

for gun safety,

we want peace,

not death

it's time,

to end,

gun violence,

any violence,

children should live,

in a world,

free of harm

It's time for peace,

we have a voice,

we must cry out,

the end,

of gun violence,

one voice,

is not enough,

END GUN VIOLENCE,

NOW!

Goodbye, Robert Redford

 

      It's been hard when we lose someone famous. Even if we haven't heard from them in a long time. Robert Redford was known more of the movies back in the fifties, sixties, seventies and eighties. Now...he's in the heavens joining Paul Newman. Like Paul, Robert has done things that made himself known that he's not just an actor with a pretty face, but someone who wanted to make the world a better place.

  Robert didn't get his start till the early sixties having cameo roles in certain tv shows and was on Broadway for a few years.

   He became known to me with an episode of "The Twilight Zone". He plays a man that wants to come in, but the old lady staying their fears death. Not knowing he was death. It was pretty good.

  Robert started performing as a guest star in other roles before making it big. Like, Maverick, The Untouchables, Route 66 and much more. He didn't really star in movies until he had a big break with Tall Story starring Anthony Perkins and Jane Fonda (It was also her film debut as well)

   He even got to star in other movies that weren't as memorable as later films. He was also in The Property is Condemned and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

   In the late 1960's he starred in a film with Paul Newman which would show how amazingly talented he was. It was called Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Robert played Sundance as Paul was Butch Cassidy.

   It would tell the story of the lives of both Butch and Sundance. It was pretty good, and it seemed Robert's career took off from there.

  He was also known for directing movies like Quiz Show, Legends of Bagger Vance, The Motorcycle Diaries and many more.

   He even had passion projects and started the Sundance Film with gives independent filmmakers to create their own movies. Some memorable.... others....ok. 

   Some films were made under the Sundance Films logo. Like Napoleon Dynamite, Get Out, Usual Suspects and many more.

 They even hold a film festival in Utah where Robert spent most of his life there. They have been holding film festivals since the 1980's/ It'll be hard not to think of him when watching movies with the Sundance logo.

  Robert was a family man and has been married more than once. He had a couple of children with his first wife before the divorce. He would spend time with his family at the same time be either on screen or behind the camera.

   He lost one of his children to sudden infant death syndrome. 

   He won his first Oscar in directing for directing Ordinary People which also one best Picture as well. He said that enjoyed both acting and directing and decided to stay private only appearing in a few films in later life.

   HIs final film was Avengers: Endgame.  He passed away recently on September 18th. 30 days after his birthday.

    We'll always remember Robert for the films he starred in and directed. There's an old saying, 'Legends Never Die' Robert Redford...was indeed a legend.

   And he will always be Sundance to everyone. They always wanted to reboot Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid...but there are some movies.... that don't need to be rebooted. We'll miss you, Sundance Kid.

Cracker Barrel: The rise and fall

    The internet blows up like crazy when it comes to changing logos. This one in particular. And why is that? Well...the logo changed from classic to downright bland. 

    Insane to many...but for me, I didn't care, but a lot of people did that even Trump wanted the old logo back.

  First off, I want to talk about a restaurant and how it became a huge success before the failure arrived.

 

  Cracker Barrell started around 1981 and was considered a sit-down restaurant with a homey feel. Having old Country style chairs and tables; it felt as if your grandma's home. 

    It stayed the same for a few more years and in the early 90's, made over a billion dollars in profit.

   It became known as a homey restaurant that had carry out only services in other chain restaurants.

 Before the 2000's, Cracker Barrel had over 300 stores all over the US alone. They had a lot of comfort food and also a gift shop if you wanted to buy a shirt or keychains with their logo on it.

   I only been in there once and wasn't a fan. The logo had some sort of cozy feeling of an old general store.

   Some people would confuse the Cracker Barrel restaurant with the Cracker Barrel cheese created by Kraft. I think they sued Kraft once...I don't know how that went...but they might have settled that lawsuit.

  They had many fans, restaurants, gift shops inside the restaurant and was recognized as one of the best chain restaurants in the 2010's. So... what happened?

  Apparently, a few months ago, Cracker Barrel got a makeover, and everyone was pissed. They removed the old man and the barrel from the sign and made it just plain and boring.

   It was losing its comfort it had appealed to for over 43 years for something you would see now. It seems the Gen Z/Alpha trend is getting crazier.

  The inside of the restaurant has changed too. It went from a heartwarming comfort to cold and depressing. Changing the furniture's to make the update modern. 

   They have done that already with the fast-food restaurants. It's as if our childhood...is dying. 

  Some people have mixed feelings about the new logo. Some are admitted to change, and some... want to go back to the past to bring back the comfort homestyle that Cracker Barrel once had.

   Even though they say change is a good thing...you have to think about who the change is for. Is it for the company...or the employees? I think Cracker Barrel was only thinking of rebranding to a newer style for the future.

 A lot has changed in over 43 years and people are wondering if rebranding Cracker Barrel was a genius move.

   Now, they revealed after all the hate it's been getting from people on Instagram to reddit, they are changing the logo back to normal. I don't care anymore. People get upset over the stupidest things. It's also a restaurant I don't even eat it. But I fear the future for other restaurants. Is change really necessary? Yes and No... only when it depends on what's being changed.

Superman is NOT woke

 

   After seeing the new Superman movie in theaters, I thought it was pretty good. However, I have been hearing people saying that this new Superman is Woke. When, in any era is Superman Woke? I don't think he is. I guess because they didn't say much about his backstory and people thinking this Superman is different.

    People are starting to worry about things being 'woke'. I agree with a few things, but I don't know. Superman isn't one of them. This actor portraying this new Superman is actually pretty good. His name is David Corenswet from Philadelphia. He did a pretty good job. Even the sons of the late Christopher Reeve were involved in this recent movie.

 

  Dean Caine, who used to play Superman on TV, even thinks he is Woke. But nobody likes him anymore since he ended up joining ICE.

   The late Christopher Reeve will always be the number one Superman. David....might be second. This movie was actually pretty good, and I would give it a watch.

   Even his dog, Krypto, is a CGI do based on James Gunn's actual dog. This dog is beyond hyperactive and likes to play with Superman even when he's hurt. This dog is so adorable he reminds me of my brother's dog Vigo. He too...is hyperactive.

   

  Krypto, although CGI, is based on a real dog. Director James Gunn's adorable dog named Trouble. I think he's a rescue dog, but after seeing an interview with him talking about how Krypto is based on his own dog.

  It was adorable

    

  Like Superman, we have Lex Luthor. This new Lex Luthor starts out already conquering the world and the actor portraying him, Nicholus Hoult, was pretty good. He's like an evil businessman who wants to destroy Metropolis. 

  The actor portraying him was pretty good, better than Kevin Spacy that's for sure. But better than Gene Hackman? I think they're both equal.

   So, why are people saying Superman is woke? I don't know. People are saying everything is woke now a days. I do love the original Christopher Reeve will always be the superior superman to me. This new one, with the help of Christopher's Children producing it.... actually, is not bad. 

    His youngest son, Will Reeve, has a small cameo as an ABC correspondent. So, in my opinion.... Superman is not woke.  Watch for yourself, and you be the judge.

The dark side of "The Wizard of Oz"

      It's already been 86 years since "The Wizard of Oz" came out. Sad to say all the actors in that movie are long gone. Not many people know what it was like working on the movie. Some people would deal with long working hours; not being paid enough, even wearing costumes that almost would kill them.

        It's true. It might be a fairy tale movie based on a few L. Frank Baum books, but nobody knew how hard it was to not only be a part of a movie but how damaging it can do to someone physically and mentally.

   We all knew that the lion costume was made from real lion fur as well as knowing Ray Bolger ended with a scared face after being scarecrow.

  Jack Haley was not the first choice for the Tin Man. Buddy Ebsen, who was in green acers, was the first choice. However, the makeup he was using caused a massive allergy attack almost to the point of near death.

   He had to be in the hospital and dropped out of the movie after the allergy attack was so severe. Jack Haley took over after that.

    The actress that portrayed the Wicked Witch, Margaret Hamilton, ended up getting a skin graph after a burn doing a scene in the Wizard of Oz. The green paint was also toxic as well and was hard to get off. It was also flammable as well which caused all the injuries to happen.

    They used a stunt double for a few shots while she was getting better. She did come back and finish the movie but was considered cautious for which roles she would take in the future.

      Burt Lahr, who portrayed the cowardly lion was sweating most of the time being in that heavy costume and the lighting being on him constantly in certain scenes.

   He even almost fainted from being in the costume for long takes. It was hard for him to move around in certain scenes. He even accidently stepped on Toto's foot replacing the dog temporarily as well

    Judy Garland had to suffer worst of all. She was forced to go on a liquid diet, had to stay thin by wearing clothes that were too tight for her. Even was slapped by the director of the movie when she was giggling on set.

   She even was being slapped by some of the Munchkins.

   There was also some strange rumor going around that said a munchkin hung himself in the forest scene after Dorothy and the scarecrow bring the Tin Man along to see the wizard. Near the back, people could swear they could see a shadow of a Munchkin hanging himself on a tree.

   However...that was a myth. The truth was that it was a large bird lifting its head in the background. The myth was eventually debunked.

 

   Another tragedy happened after the movie ended. The actress that played Auntie Em' committed suicide after dealing with an illness. Reports written that she placed a bag over her head after taking sleeping pills. With a note attached saying: I can't take the pain much longer.

   She was in so much pain, that this actress was only known for playing the aunt int Wizard of Oz and nothing else.

   Judy Garland's life wasn't much the same after the Wizard of Oz. Sure she did do a few more movies, but it seemed being in the Wizard of Oz took a lot out of her. If you have seen many movies about her life after Wizard of Oz, it was considered tragic.

    She died around her late forties by overdose and drowning as well. Eliza Minelli is still alive and will always be known as Judy's daughter.

        Today, we know this movie as a classic. The ruby red slippers, the wanting to go home from a place of make believe. To meeting friends that you've recognized in the past.

   It's a movie I grew up loving and still do today. Sure, a few scenes of the movie can be creepy, but once you find out what happened behind the scenes, you realize...the movie is not as frightening as what happened afterwards. There's no place like home.

Back to School-POEM

 

It's that time again

a new school year has begun,

textbooks,

pencils,

and much more,

school supplies,

Kids preparing,

for a new year,

with teachers,

friends,

and learning,

new things

School year gets closer,

with every summer ending,

School has arrived,

every time,

July ends,

when the heat of summer,

feels as if,

it starts to cool down

and summer,

becomes no more

Kids happy,

teachers groan,

knowing this school year,

has just begun,

time to learn,

think,

and grow

Some have started before,

Labor Day arrived,

but now,

it is the true start,

of the new year

College students started early,

while other grades,

start after,

from K to 12,

it is time,

for the school year,

to start

As a new school year arrives,

we know that time,

is going by faster

and the kids in first grade,

will soon graduate

and so on and so forth,

enjoy the new school yearrrrr,

class has begun