My Childhood is dying- POEM

 

The Childhood is dying

the toys are fading

the technology

takes over

My childhood,

is no more,

I can't see,

kids,

playing with toys,

but only glued,

to their phones

theaters

become empty

as streaming

is the new norm

where kids

stay home

and stream

playgrounds changing

to add electronics

making my childhood

disappear

into nonexistence

toys still exicst

but without a phone

in a child's hand

it's not worth buying

apps for toys

are used

When did it all end

am I still a child at heart

if so

why does it feel like,

things around me,

die,

fade away,

are considered,

obsolete

The shows I watched,

the toys I played with,

the stuff I did,

when I was a child,

is now changed,

or forever gone

All that exist now,

are the memories,

of what was once,

a wonderful childhood,

and now....

the future of technology,

has taken over

children today

while I 

watch and worry

for humanity 

Pop Tarts vs Toaster Strudel

 

   Breakfast used to include cereal or granola and other stuff like bacon and eggs. When the 60's came around, Kellogg's decided to change that forever. Starting in the 60's Kellogg's decided to make a toaster pastry come to life. 

   And its life started with packaged dog food. Here's the story.

 

   In the early 1960's a toaster pastry company named their creation "Toaster Pop'ems" Showing a filling of strawberry or blueberry or any other flavor.

    In 1964, the Kellogg's company started their own version. The first name for the product was called "Country Squares"

   The name wasn't popular, and the product wasn't selling well. Eventually...they decided to call the product "Pop Tarts." from Andy Warhol's Pop Art phase that he was going through at the time. The name made this product a hit.

 

   Pillsbury soon said, 'HOLD MY BEER!' and made their own versions of toaster pastries named 'Toaster Strudel'. It was considered a toaster pastry that was meant for the freezer. It even had its own packaging of frosting you would put on yourself.

   It was pretty good and sometimes it would claim it was better than Pop Tarts. I would be the judge of that.

   Around the 90s, both Pop Tarts and Toaster Strudel were in a battle with each other claiming they were better than the other. 

     They even had so many flavors. For Pop Tarts, they had these ads that had little kids about my age telling grownups not to run out without eating. They started with unfrosted flavors until they started adding frosting.

 

   Toaster Strudels had their interesting flavors as well. One being chocolate. They had other flavors as well like orange and even Cinnamon Toast Crunch...which I find repulsive. Pop Tarts had their own limited time flavors which involved sodas.

   There are other brands as well even after both Toaster Strudel and Pop Tarts were around. Some claimed to be healthier than both.

   I doubt that...but it seemed some of them are from small companies trying to make their own version. Some work...some don't. Some didn't even last very long. Like the original.... remember them Toast'em pastries?

   In 2004, the Movie Mean Girls referenced Toaster Strudels as one of the mean girls, played by Lacey Chabert, said that her father was the inventor of Toaster Strudels. Around 2020, almost years after the movie came out, they made a Mean Girls flavor with strawberry filling and pink icing.

   The real inventor of Toaster Strudels was Joe Perozzi, and he invented them in the 70's. Might have been true...but who knows. Still a great quotable movie.

  Pop Tarts tried to make an ad dissing Toaster Strudels claiming they fry them while Pop Tarts claims they bake theirs. 

   It hurt sales for Pillsbury when that ad came out. But not for long. What do I think is best? I tried both and thought Pop Tarts were better. Why...because it doesn't take a long hassle to make. Plus...the Toaster Strudels are flaky, and I'm not a fan of the flaky crust.

 

   Today, both Pop Tarts and Toaster Strudels are doing great in sales...but are trying to become healthier as well. Pop Tarts have made protein packed Pop Tarts for people that are low on their protein. Toaster Strudels is trying to use less sugar. Is it working? I don't know...I don't eat Toaster Strudels. The only Pop Tart flavors I'll eat is unfrosted Strawberry and S'mores. That's it. 

    Pop Tarts even made a movie starring Jerry Seinfeld who loved the Pop Tarts from his childhood. It was ok. Still eat Pop Tarts today.

Remember 'The Sandlot'?

 

     Summer is just around the corner, and 'The Sandlot' movie is the one movie to watch this summer. Only if...you remember it.

    It came out around 1993 and has been considered a movie made for kids that love baseball. If you don't remember it...here's the story.

   An adult Scotty Smalls relives his past on how he moved into a new town. He even has a stepfather he hasn't gotten along with.

   He soon meets another guy named Benny 'The Jet' Rodriguez. With Scotty not a fan of baseball, Benny decides to help him out.

   That's where we meet the other boys as they all love to do one thing.... play baseball. They are named: Squints, Ham, Heater, Yeah-Yeah, Timmy and Tommy.

     It takes them a while to warm up to Scotty. Eventually they do as they have an interesting summer adventure.

    There's even a love interest between Squints and a lifeguard. He decides to play a trick and pretend to drown.

   Wendy Peppercorn, the female lifeguard, tries to save him...he kisses her. They soon are banned...but it seems that Squints falls for Wendy after that.

   The boys play in a vacant yard where...there is a beast behind the fence and any ball that goes past the fence belongs to the beast.

    One of the boys tells Scotty a story that involves the owner of the beast and how rude he is and that the beast would eat one of the children. But that's just an urban legend.

  Scotty decides to 'borrow' is stepdad's baseball that was signed by Babe Ruth. Not knowing who he was, Scotty uses the ball and Benny hits it over the fence.

    When Scotty reveals that Babe Ruth signed the ball...all the boys go crazy and try to find ways to get it back.

 Feeling that they have been defeated, Benny soon gets a ghostly vision of Babe Ruth. He tells him that the inning is not over and that it's just foul in their plan.

    Knowing what he has to do...the next day he had to find a way to defeat the beast.

   Benny's whole life revolves around baseball. He decides to be a brave thing and retrieve the Babe Ruth ball. 

  All his friends, including Scotty thinks he's being suicidal as he gets the ball, but is chased by the beast which turns out to be an English Mastiff dog. He chases Benny all over the town, but a fence falls on him.

   Thankfully, Scotty and a few of the other boys get the fence off the dog, named Hercules. He kisses both Scotty and Benny as they decide to return the dog to the neighbor.

     It turns out the neighbor, portrayed by the late James Earl Jones, knew Babe Ruth personally and used to play baseball. He told the boys they could have come to him if they lost their baseball.

  

   He gives Scotty another ball and tells his stepdad what happened. He becomes great friends with the boys he played baseball with, but he stayed close to Benny as he became a baseball star on his own.

     After the movie ended...a few years later there was a sequel. But it didn't compare to the original which is by far the best.

   What happened to most of the actors after the movie. Some stayed actors as others went on to do other stuff with their lives.

   The actor that portrayed Benny left the acting world and became an actual firefighter. The actor that portrayed Ham is now a father and is acting in small roles.

    The kid who portrayed Scotty went into small roles and left acting to have a normal life.

   The Sandlot today is known for being timeless classic movie that is enjoyed mostly in the summer. When Baseball is considered the sport to play.

    There have been other baseball movies that are considered classics as well. Like "Field of Dreams", "Angels in the Outfield", "The Natural".  But I guess I grew up watching the Sandlot and loving it. Still do today.