We could all use less time on our phones. The average person spends 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phone everyday. This statistic is based on worldwide data. I personally use my phone more than that and so do many of the people around me. I thought I would discuss the negative effects of excessive phone usage as well as how to limit it, in order to inspire change.
Excessive phone use can have many negative effects. It can cause shorter attention spans, muscle strain, mental health issues, bad habits, poor sleep, etc.
By limiting phone usage you can be healthier and live a more fulfilling life. You can limit your phone usage by using screen time and set limits on there to fit your goals. You can also set alarms or have friends and family hold you accountable.
While trying to break the habit of excessively using your phone, you can incorporate hobbies in your life as a replacement such as reading, knitting, cooking, or running.
Don’t let your phone distract you, take charge of your life today!
2023 was an interesting year for sure for media. AI happened. Hollywood was striking. Velma and The Super Mario Bros. Movie existed. But we’re gonna focus on the positives here and go through 10 shows that are considered to be the top 10 shows of the year in ranking of order from 10 to 1. The year isn’t over just yet but that doesn’t stop award shows like the Game Awards or last year’s Crunchyroll’s Anime Award qualifications for submissions, so let’s get on with it.
Rank Number: 10
Succession – Season 4 Succession is a show about the top 1% percent that’s somehow more likable than current day rich politicians. For the final season, while not a perfect bag, it’s a mixed bag of still plenty flavorful treats. Balancing both comedy with realistic drama, the show goes on to showcase the real life world of politics, and while it’s a satire on them, they are pretty realistic and accurate to our own world, such as election voting, voting for leadership, handling emergencies in the news. It’s a season that doesn’t need to hold back their commentary or be slow to explain it, and with how dysfunctional most of the cast is, it plays up for good laughs and persuasiveness to have the audience engaged in the serious moments. While it’s a nominee that may win number 1 on most other top 10 reviews, it’s flawed, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Rank Number: 9
Barry – Season 4 This season of Barry shows the consequences of Bill Hader’s character Barry from the last three seasons, and to go out on its final season, it does accomplish it in the most surprising of ways. Honestly, I really wanted to place this higher, but with the overall pacing and concluding of the series, it was a tricky obstacle to navigate. However, with Bill Hader starring and directing every episode this season, he’s shown that an SNL comedic actor can do gritty drama in all the right ways. There’s plenty of WTF moments and insanely laughable moments this season that by the end of the series, you’ll be saying “wow”.
Rank Number: 8
Beef – Season 1 Ali Wong and Steven Yeun star in this limited series about a road rage incident between the two that causes them both to gradually but steadily worsen the other person’s life. Did I mention yet this is a dark comedy? Because it leans heavily into that. I won’t spoil how, but it knows how to take advantage of its genre and get more hectic and unpredictable with the laughs as it starts building up darker and darker towards the end of the show. The lead performers have great acting chemistry together, which is double ironic since they both want to ruin the other person’s life and also because the two actors before were a loving couple in the series Tuca and Bertie. They both deserve to dominate at the upcoming Emmy’s in 2024, as they have the best performances out of anyone this year in a miniseries, limited series, or movie. A24 keeps producing unique and amazing content, and this show is definitely a major highlight from them.
Rank Number: 7
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – Season 5 Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you, a very funny lady in her fifth and final season, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel! The actors return for one last time in the 60’s of New York (and other time periods) as Midge Maisel sets out to become a famous stand up comedian, working her way through the male dominated world of entertainment in a time where men are more credited than women in television. The cast of characters show just how ridiculous and nuts a comedy like this can get, and that’s not even in the stand ups, it’s just normal conversations that somehow spiral into madness for how bizarre the situations turn into, and it’s amazing. With comedic writing, well acted talent, and amazing nostalgia to the production design and concluding of a story like this, it’s definitely worth a grand round of applause from the audience.
Rank Number: 6
Scavengers Reign – Season 1 If you’re looking for a strange new world to watch with unknown but familiar wildlife and plants and a dangerous but beautiful ecosystem, don’t watch Strange World. Watch Scavengers Reign. In this adult animated series, people stranded on a planet need to find a way back to their crashed ship for any way possible to escape this beautiful, but harshly deadly planet. What makes this series stand out from other adult animated shows is that it’s the most original sci fi of the year, period. Not since the movie Alien has entertainment cared to explore new alien planets with new and interesting ideas. In fact, this might be even better than Alien as there’s majestic wonder to wanting to know more on how the world here works and giving us reasons to care about the survival of our main survivors. It’s visually and beautifully well told a story and showing off today’s growing future of sci fi creators that there is something new still yet to explore in creative fiction. It’s not a dead genre, and this series where the characters are faced with the potential reality of dying on the stranded planet many times in the show prove that to be the case.
Rank Number: 5
Better Call Saul – Season 6 If you’re looking for drama and a good use of nostalgia that works fantastic as a prequel/sequel story off another great show, well then, Better Call Saul! In this closing season of two parts, we see the final stages of the rise and fall of the most successful con man lawyer of New Mexico, Albuquerque. Like the show’s predecessor, it nail how to nail a finale of a season, and work well with the grey colored conclusion, both literally and figuratively, off a well acted character. It may not be as critically raved as Breaking Bad, but with the care for the characters in the show (even the ones we know die in the original series) to have actual meaning towards the established television franchise and finding a satisfying way to conclude a show that acts as both an origin to Breaking Bad and also the concluding sequel, this is definitely worth the watch.
Rank Number: 4
My Adventures with Superman – Season 1 If James Gunn’s new Superman is as inspiring as this show is, I think the DCU will be in good hands. My Adventures with Superman is perhaps one of the greatest interruptions of Superman in animation. With a well animated (sometimes anime influenced) show pushing past the limits of imaginative storytelling on a character all know from front to back of a cover, this is quite something indeed. It shows Superman as human as anyone else, while there are some who perceive him as a monster, despite him wanting to just help. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen aren’t perfect non flawed characters, and that’s what makes them perfect characters because like Superman, they are very human in terms of emotions and feelings, and aren’t limited to comic book writing. You feel for these characters, including Superman when he isn’t entirely the Man of Steel just yet. With a clever workaround to explain why the villains in the show have their powers and well known styles of design redesigned, this show knows how to make it its own thing, whether for action, emotion, or character building, this is a Superman cartoon that’s soaring faster a than rocket into the hearts of fans that appreciate good representation of comic book characters.
Rank Number: 3
Blue Eye Samurai – Season 1 Wanna see a more ruthless and vengeful version of Mulan? Then come on down to witness Blue Eye Samurai. It tells the tale during the Edo period of Japan when a violent and cold hearted woman who is hellbent on finding on of the four white men who came to japan and created her as a mixed breed, being feared as a monster because of her racial origins. The representation of Japanese culture and storytelling is a very fascinating element to the show. Another fascinating element is the violence. So much violence that comes from our main leading character and you don’t feel any relief by the end of a fight, as vengeance has consumed her and turned her into something else. You can feel the darkness inside of her as she craves her goal, doing whatever she has in order to find all four white men and end their lives, no matter what, even hiding the fact she’s a woman and not letting anyone see her blue eyes. She’s a monstrous and cold hearted version of Samurai Jack, and with how she’s portrayed as, she’s worth seeing in action and so is this show. If you can’t handle blood and nudity and explicit context, then you’d truly be missing out on this year’s greatest animated series.
Rank Number: 2
Poker Face – Season 1 Charlie Cale, a former poker professional that has an extraordinary and unbelievable natural ability: She can always know when someone is lying. She’s the main character of the best comedy series of the year, Poker Face. On the run and starring in an inverted detective story where the murder is shown in the beginning of each episode, she travels from place to place and meets new celebrity guest actors, some of which who are either the killers or the victims, and uses her talent to solve the murders. Each episode has a different kind of feel to it, and with Rian Johnson creating another great murder mystery series like his Knives Out movies, this is a show I would highly recommend as the comedy show of the year.
Rank Number: 1
The Last of Us – Season 1 And the very top spot for best show of the year goes to The Last of Us. Finding a way to make the best video game adaptation for television and having celebrity actors brought in because they can act and not just because of name recognition (Mandalorian season 3) is no small feat. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey play Joel and Ellie, trying to make their way through an apocalyptic new world full of monsters, both human and non-human. Their acting beats out any drama performer in television this year, as it’s some of the most captivating and eye catching portrayals of these kind of characters. This show will make you cry, feel scared, go absolutely silent in sound, and waiting to see just what else can this masterpiece of television adapted storytelling will do next. Season 2 will come out in 2025, so you’ve got some time to check out 2023’s best show of the year.
On July 23rd, rapper and singer Doja Cat received backlash “after telling her fans she doesn’t love or even know them”. As a result, she lost over 500,000 followers on Instagram and caused many articles to come out about the situation. Reading about this situation caused me to ask myself whether an artist owes their fans attention.
Digging into this situation Doja Cat has a history of trolling and controversy. After her breakout song “Say So” in 2020 her career catapulted causing her to gain more popularity and even more fans. This has also caused her to have more attention than she ever expected. Earlier in her career, she would tell fans that she loved them and that even had a poll to name her fans the Kittens. What has caused this sudden change in behavior?
According to a Buzzfeed article titled “Doja Cat Reportedly Called Her Hardcore Fans “Creepy” And Said They Need To “Get A Job” Days After Appearing To Slam People Who Criticized Her Controversial Romance With J. Cyrus”, this fan disconnect started when she started dating streamer J. Cyrus. Fans tweeted Doja informing her about her boyfriend’s multiple assault and abuse accusations to which she prompted her to call these fans “miserable” and that she doesn’t care what people think or her personal life. This caused many fans to speak out about her dismissal of these accusations. Which boiled over when a fan asked her to tell her fans that she loved them. To which she responded, “I don’t, and I don’t even know y’all.” And when another fan tweeted, “We don’t know you, but we support you, and you would be nothing without us,” Doja responded, “Nobody forced you”.
Overall, I agree with Doja Cat about this situation. No one is forcing you to listen to her music if she does not align with your beliefs and morals. Celebrities, like all people, shift their beliefs and change as they age. Artists are not required to be a role model to their fans. As a fan, it is important to align your loyalty to someone like your morals and stop supporting those who no longer fit your standards.
Helluva Boss is an adult animated series about a group of imps and a hellhound from Hell who work at a place called I.M.P. (Immediate Murder Professionals), where they get paid by clients to go up to earth and kill those who they blame the most for being the reason they died, or just simply want revenge on them.
Video Game High School (or VGHS for short and most commonly used term), is a live action series about an alternate reality where video games are considered to be the new sports, being even more important than news about the president, and how a young teen gets the golden ticket opportunity to go to VGHS, a school that transforms their students into the pros and go on to make millions.
So, what possibly could these two completely different sounding shows have in common despite having majorly different sounding story plots?
Not only are these comedies, not only are they tv shows (which was already implied, in case you weren’t viewing), but the crucial and most important connection that connects them in a very big way is that they’re both shows that were made exclusively for YouTube, and that ultimately led to their success.
Now, I’m not saying these two shows were like every other YouTube original show out there, because there’s a significant difference in that comparison. The majority of already produced high budget shows that were well funded without worries were made for YouTube as YouTube Red originals on a premium service.
Of course, this was back when streaming services weren’t everywhere just yet, but Helluva Boss and VGHS don’t play like that. They are shows you can watch on YouTube, for free. Video Game High School was created by Freddie Wong from RocketJump, and the first season was only doable because of how Kickstarter was able to fund the first season, even to the point they could hire Zachary Levi for a few episodes.
Vivienne Medrano is an independent animator who created Helluva Boss (a spinoff to another great animated pilot that’s becoming a full series by A24 in 2024 January, Hazbin Hotel), only worked on the pilot with a much smaller team of people, and it took around a few years for that 11 minute video to be produced. It’s only thanks to merchandise and viewership count that they gained enough finances to produce a short first season.
Then again, both VGHS and Helluva Boss initially started out as short seasons, either for runtime or for the quantity of episodes produced.
VGHS needed seventy-five thousand dollars to be produced, but actually over achieved that goal, reaching into the $800,000 mark even. Not only would this guarantee that a second season will and did get produce shortly after the first season, but would also promise that many people would be around to watch and generate views for the show.
And as for Helluva Boss, the viewership count into the first season was insanely high, counting that and sales recorded from the merchandise sold for the show (which is another important element to producing the show), it was revealed that a second season was in development by the time the second episode of the first season premiered.
Not only were people watching the shows, they were loving them too. VGHS was comedic focused prior in the beginning of the first season, and with every passing season, the story did tend to get a bit more story focused with some actual character development and longer episodes produced every season too, and was able to incorporate some good use of drama, because that’s what positive recognition and a dedicated fanbase can get you.
Helluva Boss was comedic focused prior in the beginning of the first season, and with every passing season, the story did tend to get a bit more story focused with some actual character development and longer episodes produced every season too, and was able to incorporate some good use of drama, because that’s what positive recognition and a dedicated fanbase can get you.
Again, their popularity and quality of episodes and story improves with every season, for good reason. Unlike paying for a service every month or year, you have unlimited access to these great shows for free at any time on YouTube. And there are some pretty unique things about the shows too.
The cool thing about VGHS is the realistic visuals. I mean sure, there’s, and I do mean this literally, a little bit of CGI, but everything else that needs an action scene or fast paced movement is all done with actual people filming the scenes.
It’s like the live action portrayal of Sword Art Online, as you’re seeing yourself playing in a video game with your real world graphics there with you as well. The fact that the first season is able to pull this off practically flawlessly with a smaller than usual budget for a show is beyond amazing.
As an adult animated series, Helluva Boss breaks more significant barriers than shows like Big Mouth or Velma or anything on Fox Animation Domination nowadays could ever accomplish. The animation looks ridiculously high quality, like somewhere between professional show quality and just almost reaching towards movie animated quality. The violence and slapstick certainly prove that’s the case.
So, if you’re looking for a show that offers premium looking content and increased quality of storytelling given to people to free as if it was given by a generous Robin Hood, might I suggest not one, but two shows in mind?
Independent projects are usually expected to not draw as much of an audience as opposed to big budget mass produced content. However, these two shows not only show that’s not the case, but independent workers can make massive success in the media, whether for live action or animation.
Spider-Man 2, also known as perhaps the greatest video game of the year! Granted, that’s perhaps opinion based and there’s been other good examples of acclaimed games this year.
We’ve had hits like Baldur’s Gate 3, which was praised for its tabletop gameplay and production quality, but didn’t have a ton of advertising on it. I say that because I only found out about it for the first time from the South Park episode special “Joining The Panderverse”.
We’ve also had The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which is majestically adventurous and creative, but takes too long to complete for even just the story mode (though won’t be as long when it comes to an in development live action movie adaptation of the Zelda games from Sony instead of a long format television series, unfortunately).
But Spider-Man 2 is one of those games where it’s just long enough, has amazing gameplay and story, and is one of the greatest things from marvel this year.
I’m going to explain why, if you can because of the price of PS5’s and all that, should play Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, as it’s so spectacular, so amazing, and so ultimate.
First off, there’s 68 unique types of suits in the game for Peter and Miles. You can play as Amazing Spider-Man 2, Spider-Punk, Spider-Man Noir, Across The Spider-Verse Miles Morales, classic suits on both characters, and so much more.
In addition, most of the suits in the game allow you to switch up the color style on most of the suits, so you can customize the best Spider-Man color design to your imagination if it’s available.
Plus this may perhaps be one of the greatest symbiote Peter Parker suits in all portrayal in media. It looks so cool but yet also terrifying at the same time as we associate that look as an antagonistic threat.
And of course not everything is Spider-Man related. You can play as a black Panther suit with sound reducing landing and movement and also play as a wolverine character, with a pretty epic look. So we had TWO good designs for wolverine’s costume this year, counting Hugh Jackman of course.
Though again, that’s as much detail about lore or recognizable characters that I can say about this game that’s not technically spoilers since these are things that are already talked about and earned in the game.
To be honest, if I could spoil the stuff that fans of Marvel and of Spider-Man lore would know, I would. It’s honestly the most surprising and unexpected things you wouldn’t expect this game to have in it or just show more care towards the comics than the MCU currently does nowadays.
Though surprising the Avengers never show up despite there being an avengers tower in this game and the last two Spider-Man games. Hey, it’s not a spoiler if the Avengers never show up in New York for the last two games to help out a massive villain level threat, so why should we expect that here?
The combat in this game has been heavily evolved, where you’re able to pull off new techniques like robotic claws, symbiote blasts, electric explosions, web bursts, web magnets, hammer throws, laser blasts, and so much more cool stuff!
In addiction, the hand to hand combat has upgraded with detail and effectiveness that it’s hard to tell if it’s a movie or a video game at some points given how cinematic they can get.
And speaking of cinematic, the web swinging is our closers yer we have to feeling like we’re watching a movie, with the details around you finely detailed with buildings and pedestrians and objects and feeling like a natural real world setting, you’re essentially living out your ultimate Spider-Man real life experience.
Though I’m pretty sure we can add a cherry on top with web wings to give web gliding to people for the first time ever. Not only is this every Spider-Man fan’s favorite thing about Spider-Man having, but it’s also a great way of traveling through the city and moving faster than web swinging, especially as you go through wind tunnels to move faster than a bullet train.
Did I mention the visuals are amazing in this game already? This isn’t a cutscene by the way, that’s actually a camera shot of a freeze frame people took in the game.
Unbelievably spectacular! From the background to the suit to the camera angle which can altered however you see fit, this is one of the most detailed games of the year that actually cares for their gamers to pay attention to even the tiniest of things on screen.
Now let’s talk about MJ for a bit. I know some of you and also me as well we’re not that much fans to play MJ in the first game, as you were essentially powerless and always in scary situations with bad guys and could get captured or killed so easily.
However, thanks to a present from Peter in the free prequel comic to this game (again, the developers really care about lore), MJ is equipped with a weapon that allows for better gameplay experience as you finally have the opportunity to take down enemies like you’re playing The Last of Us. In fact, sometimes it almost feels like you’re playing a Last of Us game when controlling MJ. She’s essentially a redeemer factor from the first game and that’s a plus in my book.
The voice actor who portrayed Victoria Justice’s dad in Victorious is the main bad guy of this game, who’s known as Kraven the Hunter. He’s on a hunt for villains and vigilantes for his own sick and inhuman purpose of satisfying his goal in the game. And yes, this will most likely be the better adaption of Kraven then the one being played by one of the Quicksilver actors.
With a group of armed men and women who are more challenging to beat than the previous goons of the last two games, you’re really getting your experience worth by battling trained enemies and robotic animals who aren’t that easy to take down, so you’re not so OP and can actually learn to fight better later on in the game as your combat skills increase.
Now let’s talk about the elephant in the room, or in this case, giant symbiote monster, Venom. He’s the other major antagonist of the film. I want to say so much about this character as what he does in this game in essentially amazing! Though I can’t give away too many spoilers, so I’ll stick to general facts.
Tony Todd voices the character, and he was essentially born to voice venom. His voice is haunting and monstrous. It’s clearly audible and threatening. Not once will you feel like there isn’t a horrifying creature like Venom surrounding you with the sound system as he’s as chilling and terrifying as how he looks.
He’s essentially up there with there as the greatest Venom portrayal’s in each entertainment media genre. Benjamin Diskin for television in Spectacular Spider-Man, Tom Hardy for film in Venom, and now Tony Todd for video games in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. I challenge those who think I’m wrong in that lineup for top ranking in each of those genres.
Now for the success aspect of the game. Here’s a bit of a history lesson. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was released the same day as Super Mario Bros. Wonder. It was essentially the “Barbieheimer” of video game releases of the year, except no clever fusion name to go along with it.
And just like Barbie and Oppenheimer, both games were met with critical and financial success to a high degree of acclaim and approval. Of course, it definitely was a challenge as to which game was going to perform more successful. Odds essentially favored Mario over the Spider-Men more for a few reasons.
One was because Super Mario Bros. Wonder brought back side scrolling gameplay after nearly a decade with essentially most of the Mario characters we know to be playable characters, and secondly it’s Nintendo, and there’s more people with an Nintendo Switch than a PS5, because the prices are significantly different from each other.
Plus, Super Mario games are essentially the top ranking games that make the most money from the company, so with affordability and immense IP recognition, that was a heavy set of hurdles for Sony and Marvel to overcome. And 4.3 million copies of the game sold in two weeks is no small feat either.
That essentially makes Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 not only more successful than the Mario video game, not only does it show that there are people out there who are willing to spend the dime on a cinematic story and gameplay experience, but it also shows currently as of now that it’s the most successful PS5 game of all time.
Funny enough, Marvel’s Spider-Man in 2018 is the highest sold copy of a PS4 game of all time too. So back to back, the first game and second game became the most sold features on each console.
Also as of recent, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has been nominated for 6 awards at this year’s Game Awards. Those nominations include Best Action-Adventure Game, Innovation in Accessibility, Best Audio Design, Best Narrative, Best Performance from Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker / Spider-Man, Best Game Direction, and of course, Game of the Year.
It’s definitely a front runner to win the ladder award, as well as the other categories it’s nominated for, and this is a year where we have two Spider-Man sequels that become the most acclaimed thing in their categories: Across the Spider-Verse for animation and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for video games.
Roughly, the game does take about 14-17 hours of gameplay to complete the main story, but I say that’s more than enough time to properly enjoy the game, and if you want, space out your gaming in reasonable amounts and pretend you’re witness a long format television show. Thanh’s how I viewed it as, because no matter how short or long you play for, every moment of the game matters when building upon our characters, world building , and lore.
If you’re looking for an open world game to embrace your co op superhero skills as a single person game with advanced web swinging and suit styles and amazing voice acting and storytelling that’s on par with a movie with the high 90’s for Metacritic scoring, this is definitely the game for you to be playing right now.
Now if only the current storytelling of the MCU could be on par with how Sony is telling Spider-Man stories in gameplay format with proper effort and care for the comics. I’d guarantee you they’d be nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for the Academy Awards easily if that was the case.
Cats are one of the most popular pets in the U.S., coming in right after dogs. Cats are often a convenient choice for those who live in small spaces, do not want to have to take pets outside everyday, or just want a cleaner, more quiet pet. However, cats still require upkeep, and one aspect are their claws. Cat claws can be difficult to keep trimmed, as oftentimes the cat simply will not allow their owners to put them in such a vulnerable position. Even when their nails are trimmed, cats can still scratch their owner’s furniture, carpet, and any other surface they deem interesting. Despite being domesticated around 10,000 years ago, house cats are ultimately predators and their claws are an extremely important part of their sensory intake on a daily basis. Cats use their claws for climbing, balance, self-defense, and even exercise via scratching on various stimulating surfaces. However, scratching is often considered a bothersome behavior by humans, as it can lead to destroyed household items. Due to this inconvenience, the practice of declawing became popular in the mid 20th century. Declawing is the process of amputating the ends of each toe, as the claws are connected to the bone. The consequences of declawing can be detrimental to a cat’s health, which include chronic joint pain, arthritis, limited mobility, increased biting/aggression, and refusal to use the litterbox. By declawing your cat, you may preserve your furniture, but it is not worth a stressed, angry, or possibly disabled cat.
What can you do instead?
Instead of subjecting your feline to a cruel medical practice that is already banned in 42+ countries, the best alternative is to redirect your cat’s targeted scratching areas to dedicated cat trees and other textural toys that will stimulate the claws. Cat trees are not only great scratch targets but they promote strong muscles by giving cats room to climb, once again putting their claws to their intended use. Using catnip or spraying pheromones are easy methods of bringing your cat’s attention to their new toys if they do not seem interested right away. Additionally, interactive play with your feline is always a helpful way for your cat to use up their energy and reduce the risk of late night, couch-scratching zoomies.
Thumb hurting, forehead sweating, screams from dropping on the leaderboard, and screams of finally placing first in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Playing is a roller coaster of emotions, but in the end, this is a fun game for all. With being able to race up to 4 people, picking between 96 courses (the most extensive selection in Mario Kart history), and enjoying knocking opponents out with powerups. Below are some reasons to start playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe today!
Reason number one is it is played on the Nintendo Switch. Because of this, you can also play many different games. This allows a lot of gameplay on one device. I suggest not getting the lite Nintendo Switch console because you cannot connect this model to a TV. The Nintendo Switch gives you a lot of range of play, whether this be on a TV or on the console itself. The controllers are easy to understand, and Nintendo has developed many games on the Wii console for the Nintendo Switch. Overall, this gaming console is easy to understand and has a lot of things to keep you busy while playing it.
Reason number two is that you can buy a booster expansion pack on the game Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. This booster pack gives you 48 new courses, either new or old, and new characters to race with. This booster expansion pack came on in 6 waves over almost two years. These new courses bring back a lot of nostalgia and allow gamers of any age to enjoy. This booster expansion pack is available for downloadable content and can be done after you purchase Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. You can buy this at any time after purchasing the original game. This expansion pack is an excellent extension to the game and allows you to stay energized.
Reason number three is that you can race in battle mode as well. If you get tired of racing around the courses, you can go into battle mode and battle to see if you can collect the most balloons or coins. In this mode, you can drive around courses however you please. By doing this, you can gain experience with drifting, racing, and using power-ups in different settings against opponents. These can help you gain experience and use that experience when racing. You can also Battle against people on the web if you feel free to battle out to people you know. From experience, though, I will say that the people on the web race very crazy.
Reason number four is that it is MARIO KART. Mario is in the name. Everyone loves Mario and the game he is in. This game is within his other games, as well. With Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, you can also race with any of your favorites from his previous games. Mario has a history going back to 1985. Due to this history, Nintendo has perfected the Mario craft, which speaks in this game. This game does not tell a story, but you can know that it has authentic Nintendo graphics and gameplay. Nintendo has been a leader in at-home gameplay, and because of this, this game is so popular.
Reason number five is how you can play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. With this game being on the Switch platform, you can play it in various ways. A couple of these are on the TV, on any table in the universe, in handheld mode, wireless play with up to 8 consoles, and using the wheel attachments when your joy cons are not attached to the Switch console. With all of these ways to play, you will always have Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Workers of the World, unite!.. to listen to what I have to say. We are participating in a system known as a university, who requires the throughput of our efforts in order to keep the wheels of it’s establishment moving.
From the start of the enrollment process, the university forces us into the role of the laborer whose efforts earn us less than what it makes. Even worse, our professors are also forced to part with their knowledge and receive but a fraction of the yield that our university receives from our tuition costs.
Some might say that an education is an investment that pays dividends, but why does that cost have to be astronomical for a piece of paper that is required for most forms of employment? Surely, many of us have learned much about life from real world experiences and through our own personal research?
The only way that we can fight this change in a meaningful way is to simply stop attending the institutions that require our labor to continue its existence.
After many years of online classes caused by COVID-19, many schools are returning to face-to-face classrooms. Since 2019, work and education had to change from normal to adapting to a new life. Everyone had to learn to use technology to be able to complete school and work. Transitioning from online classes to face-to-face education is a first for me in my Communicating with New Media class.
My classmates and instructor are the many people that are relearning face-to-face class education. This is very different than what I am used to as I’ve only been comfortable with online classes. I haven’t had a face-to-face class since high school, more than 10 years ago. We represent the many people that are transitioning back to normal life after the pandemic. Our class is learning to socialize and connect in person. Learning in person teaching is definitely a lot different then learning online. However, more and more instructors are now having students come back to face-to-face education. This gives students and instructors opportunity to socialize, engage, connect in ways that cannot be done from online.
I was thinking over ideas for what my last online journal should be and then I had a great/lazy idea, why not have a computer do it for me? So I went on over to Open AI and created an account to ask for an AI’s take on a debate which has been going on for decades: what are the benefits of Alcohol vs marijuana? I entered the prompt, “Write a short article on the benefits of Alcohol vs Marijuana”, and the following is what ChatGPT responded with:
Title: Exploring the Benefits: Alcohol vs. Marijuana
Introduction:
When it comes to discussing the benefits of alcohol and marijuana, it’s important to approach the topic with caution and an understanding that both substances have potential risks. However, this article aims to shed light on some of the potential benefits associated with each, allowing for a comparative analysis of alcohol and marijuana.
Benefits of Alcohol:
Social Lubricant: Alcohol has long been used as a social lubricant, helping individuals feel more relaxed and confident in social situations. It can facilitate bonding, conversation, and reduce social anxiety in moderate amounts.
Moderate Health Benefits: Studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption, particularly red wine, may have some health benefits. It has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, possibly due to its antioxidant properties and ability to increase levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, also known as “good” cholesterol.
Cultural and Culinary Significance: Alcohol has been an integral part of various cultures for centuries, serving as an important aspect of celebrations, rituals, and traditional cuisines. It can add depth and flavor to culinary creations and enhance the overall dining experience.
Benefits of Marijuana:
Medicinal Potential: Marijuana has gained attention for its potential medicinal properties. Components such as cannabinoids, particularly cannabidiol (CBD), have shown promise in managing chronic pain, reducing inflammation, alleviating symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and even helping cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy manage side effects.
Mental Well-being: Marijuana may have therapeutic effects on mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Some individuals find that certain strains can help alleviate symptoms and induce relaxation and a sense of calm. However, it’s important to note that marijuana’s effects on mental health can vary greatly between individuals, and it may have adverse effects on certain individuals or in excessive amounts.
Safer Alternative to Alcohol: Some proponents of marijuana argue that it is a safer alternative to alcohol, as it does not carry the same risks of overdose and dependence. Additionally, marijuana has a lower potential for liver damage compared to long-term alcohol use.
Conclusion:
While it is crucial to acknowledge the potential benefits of alcohol and marijuana, it’s important to exercise moderation and be aware of the associated risks. Alcohol, when consumed in moderation, can enhance social experiences and potentially provide some health benefits. On the other hand, marijuana holds medicinal potential and has been linked to mental well-being for some individuals. However, it is essential to remember that individual reactions to these substances can vary, and excessive or irresponsible use can lead to negative consequences. Always prioritize informed decision-making and consult with medical professionals when considering the use of alcohol or marijuana for any purpose.
I was surprised to see that the ChatGPT program was so smart, and it constructed this article in less than 10 seconds! After reading through the AI’s response I do not have that many critiques outside of the benefits of Alcohol being kind of lame. Especially the whole “social lubricant” aspect because almost any drug could be a social lubricant when you think about the concept…
Regardless, this was a very interesting experiment and I can only imagine that this tool will be abused by hundreds of thousands of future as well as current students to write their papers for them.
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