Top 10 fictional characters I think DON’T take drugs, and why - By Holden Kodish

1. Mr. Krabs, from Spongebob: He’s too focused on making money to ever want to spend it on an 8-ball
2. Professor Utonium from the Powerpuff girls: Chemical X was secretly an enhanced form of crack, and having three crack babies and no baby momma means he probably doesn’t want to try it
3. Arthur, from Arthur: He’s like 8 years old. Who’s giving a 8-year-old Lean?
4. Arthur, from Arthur Christmas: He lives in the North Pole. You can’t grow weed up there
5. Bandit, from Bluey: He probably used to smoke weed, but once the girls were born, he knew it was time to grow up.
6. Magikarp, from Pokemon. He’s a fish. Fish can’t do drugs, stupid.
7. Urkel, from Family Matters: He doesn’t because everyone thinks he’s an undercover fed. Stefan Urqulle definitely gets schwasty on the weekends though.
8. Those little football things from NFL Rush Zone: What were those things? Were they mascots? Living beings? Homunculi? Either way, PED’s are banned by the NFL, so no drugs for them.
9. C3PO. Dude’s a bitch, for real. R2 and BB-8 definitely get high off electricity, but C3PO is like “No, good sir. Wouldn’t want to disappoint the maker.” What a loser
10. And finally, number 10… Bill Clinton. He may have smoked weed, but he did not inhale.

“Mr. Unlucky” A short story by Holden Kodish

I’ve seen him three times I’ve only seen him three times in my life. The first was the fire of 77. I was 7, maybe 8, and my dad had brought me to his work at the Supper Club. Now, the Supper Club isn’t the type of place you should usually take a child, but my mom was on a business trip, and we couldn’t afford a babysitter. I was sitting at the bar, seeing how many spins I could do before getting sick (my record was 17). That’s when I saw him. He was taller than any adult I knew, and bony, as if he had never heard of food before. He nodded at me, as if I was the only one in the room. That soon would be the case. 

The Beverly Hills Supper Club fire killed 165 people. Including my father. I tried to explain to the police what had happened. About the man who had come into the club. But they didn’t believe me. Said I was in shock, and gave my mother the name of a grief counselor. She helped me work through what happened. Told me it wasn’t my fault. And for a while, I believed her. That was until 3 years later. Mom and I were sitting on the couch, watching a repeat showing of… something. Alice in Wonderland I think. I went up to go get myself a glass of milk. And I saw him at the window. It was this time when I noticed his eyes. Or should I say, the lack of them. Vacant. Empty. And his head. He was carrying it next to him, like a wicker easter basket. He took one big step, and the house shook. The whole neighborhood shook. I ran out of the house. My mom didn’t make it in time. 

I was put in the foster care system for a few years. No one could replace my parents, but I had nothing but respect for the ones who tried. Eventually, I graduated, and met a wonderful woman, Michelle. Michelle was fun. She always pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I had become a loner after my parents, and Michelle helped me make friends again. And when I would wake up in the middle of the night, Michelle would calm me back down to sleep. One night, after a visit to her parents (They lived in Lexington, so it was a bit of a drive back home to Paducah) we were driving home. We had stayed later than we were planning, so we were both a bit tired. That’s when we spotted him. “Jeremy. That guy. In that car. Is he a skele-“ That was her last words before the maniac ran us off the road. And her last words forever. 

They’d been able to pull me out of the wreckage just in time, but Michelle had gotten a major head injury. She was dead hours before I received help. Later, the coroner, and her parents, told me that she was pregnant. I gave him a name that day. The man who’s been haunting my life. “Mister Unlucky”. I haven’t seen him since then. I haven’t really left my house though either. So, when you called me up, asking to spend Christmas together, I was a little hesitant. But, I’m starting to feel happy. I can’t remember the last time I felt this way. Hold on a second. Do you hear… jingle bells, and… screaming? And is that dog flying?

Hungry Americans Should Eat Cereal for Dinner - CEO of Kellogg

The CEO of Kellogg's recently triggered a wave of controversy by suggesting that hungry Americans can opt for cereal as a suitable dinner option. This statement has drawn widespread criticism, with many arguing that it trivializes the struggles faced by food-insecure individuals and overlooks the nutritional needs of those experiencing hunger. While cereal can indeed be a convenient and affordable meal choice for some, such remarks fail to acknowledge the systemic issues underlying food insecurity and the need for comprehensive solutions to address this pressing issue. Advocates emphasize the importance of addressing the root causes of hunger and ensuring access to nutritious and culturally appropriate food options for all individuals, rather than promoting simplistic solutions that may not adequately address the complexities of the problem.

This is quite honestly the most insane and enraging thing I've seen in a while. In a time where people are struggling to make it out of the grocery store with their bills paid, this smug CEO dares to suggest Americans should eat his brand's cereal for dinner as if that's a good option. Shame on Kellogg's, and I will not be enjoying their delicious cereal any longer. 

America's Favorite Killer

Fictional scenario: You are a young kid growing up with social media and the technology we have today. How independent would your upbringing be if every opinion you saw, had a like counter behind it. How would you feel if certain behaviors resulted in more likes? and some resulted in less. Would you do the things that get likes? or would you do what you truly want?

Since the year 2000, social media usage has risen drastically. So have other statistics, some of which are very unsettling. School shootings have occurred exponentially more often. Depression has gone up simultaneously and at almost the exact same time, anxiety for adolescents went up too. 

We are familiar with the fact that about 80% of medical issues come from stress. How much more stress does seeing everyone else's accomplishments add to one's life?

"The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States estimates that stress accounts about 75% of all doctor visit "

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3341916/

All of these issues have occurred since the same time that social media began to be used consistently. If we don't see the patterns on the youth now, will we before it is too late?

The internet is full of amazing information, but the question I want to pose about social media specifically is this: 

Is it a problem that on social media you can scroll forever? 

 

Stone Island Hoodies: Are they worth it?

Stone Island hoodies are sweaters with a target patch on the side. They have been worn by many celebrities before including Drake. They were designed by Massimo Osti, but the company was then fully purchased by one of his friends Carlo Rivetti, who recently sold it to a major fashion brand, Moncler. 

The design was inspired by military and work wear and includes a unique stone-washing method that gives these hoodies a color palette akin to them only. 

After having a few for more than 2 years and putting them to the test, I can safely say, they are pretty tough. The proactive design ingenuity of Massimo Osti planned ahead for people's mistreatment of his clothing. Hence the pieces are made to look more like they should as time goes on, the stone-washed look only grows into itself more and more. 

This quality does come with a heavy price tag of around $400 a piece, making them a common target of criticism online. Even if you take the removable patch off, to shut down the skeptics that claim people get these for the logo alone, the hoodies are still worth wearing. I've worn them many times without the iconic patch and felt just as satisfied with my purchase. 

In conclusion, they are worth it. 

Kanye Using Bianca to Prove a Point to Kim Kardashian

Very recently this Kanye phone snatch video came out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP9XY_nr4uU

It was basically a random Karen lady who followed Kanye while on her phone, made a call, and then went in on him. Seemed like she was pre-planning something. She goes up to him and in the fakest voice says "Hey Kanye good to see you, how are you doing?" but she has never met him in her life, and we all know she doesn't care about how he is doing. She instantly goes to ask him if Bianca has free will. Which then proceeded to Kanye snatching her phone, which she was using to record him. 

So, YES HE TOOK HER PHONE, BECAUSE SHE WAS RECORDING ON IT. This headline made it seem like he snatched a random lady's phone who was using it to talk to someone or do her own work, minding her business. This wasn't the case at all. This was more the equivalent of someone taking a camera or covering it for the moment, he even gave it right back and offered her a job by the end of the video, paying her double that of the garbage paparazzi network she works for. 

The reason why this woman was asking Kanye if his new wife has free will is because she has been dressing very uniquely and very provocatively, and it seems as per Kanye's request.

My theory is that Kanye is asking her to dress provocatively for a reason, to get Kim Kardashian to tell Kanye or Bianca to tone it down, and he can say "why?" and if she explains why he can say well you did it and let that stuff around North (their daughter)

When Kim brought Ice Spice around North West, and Kanye said that's messed up, she did it anyway and didn't care that Ice Spice was provocative and outwardly sexual. Now Kanye might be showing Kim how he felt. When Bianca sensory was with North, Kim explicitly asked her to cover up. 

Kanye kind of just highlighted the fact that Kim cares about North being around inappropriate stuff only when it comes from Kanye but not her. When Kim does the same thing and brings inappropriate people around North, it is apparently no big deal and if Kanye says something, he's quote on quote being crazy. 

Dune 2 Review

I am aware of how long movies are becoming these days and how most people are sick of that. I do however think Dune 2 could have used another 30-40 minutes. The film was awesome, the sound effects and music were great. The side characters had their own things going on such as the internal drama of the Harkonnen people and the Bene Gesserit. It was cool seeing the mother become lady Jessica and have her own story line as well. 

The ending felt a bit rushed to me, as in the last battle everyone met at the same place and just began fighting. It seemed like it came and went very quickly. 

Stilgar was one of my favorite characters, and I definitely need someone hyping me up like that in my life. Anything Paul would do, this guy Stilgar would be watching, nodding his head and saying "yes, as written" referring to a prophecy. If I had that I would either be the most confident or cocky human in the world. 

There were some links to religion and faith that i felt like were relevant to the present day. The fact that they started a holy war and explicitly called it that. Also the Chani people prayed and lived similarly to Palestinians. 

No spoilers but Paul sells out in the end, and also a lot of people are furious about that and making memes already. Pictured below, Source: Twitter

Overall Score: 83% | Dune 2 was much better than the first one. 

Bacon Didn't Change up on us - Pork Prices up 100% is Fake News

 

According to CNBC pork belly prices have risen 100% as of last August. At that time they were saying it rose from $1.31 to $2.70. Which is a bit more than a 100% increase. As of right now, after verifying with a few local butchers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire we have consumer prices confirmed at about $7.99-8.99, and one butcher told us directly that he hasn't seen pork belly prices rise since he started almost three years ago. Keep in mind the CNBC numbers are wholesale, which to begin with are at one dollar so an increase to two dollars sounds like a lot, but not when you hear that they sell it for eight to nine to consumers. 

The article linked below used language such as "will become more expensive" while the prices have seen no hit on the consumer end. 

We all see that food prices are getting more expensive, but there is a fine line between quality products and cheap prices. On one hand we all champion healthy food and better quality options to be available for all. While we maintain this as a common value, we should also understand that higher prices are sometimes necessary for higher quality goods. If we are taking more precautions to raise animals humanely we are going going to be faced with higher costs for producers. As of right now it doesn't seem that effect has taken on the consumer prices.  

So in the meantime, relax and enjoy your pork chops. 

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/23/pork-belly-prices-rose-over-100percent-ytd-bacon-is-about-to-get-pricier.html

Migrant Shelters in Roxbury & Seaport Open

 

Following criticism directed at Governor Maura Healey for her decision to open a migrant shelter in Roxbury's community center, Boston has now witnessed the inauguration of a migrant shelter within an office building in the Seaport area. This relocation signals a response to the concerns raised, aiming to alleviate tensions surrounding the initial choice of location. The move underscores the delicate balance between addressing humanitarian needs and respecting community sentiments, highlighting the complexities inherent in accommodating migrant populations within urban spaces. As Boston navigates these challenges, Maura Healey's decision to establish the shelter in Seaport reflects a conscientious effort to foster inclusivity and support while considering the concerns of local residents.

Toilet paper is the most American thing ever!

Toilet paper, often taken for granted, stands as a symbol of excess and American consumption habits. It's a product so ingrained in our daily lives that we seldom stop to consider its environmental impact or our own usage patterns. According to Environmentamerica.org, the statistics are staggering: the average American goes through a whopping 140 rolls of toilet paper annually, totaling 28 pounds. This figure is twice as much as the usage seen in countries like France or Italy. But in a nation where excess often reigns supreme, perhaps it's not surprising that we lead the pack in toilet paper consumption. After all, Americans pride themselves on being number one in virtually everything, and our consumption habits are no exception. With no signs of slowing down our roll (quite literally), it seems that toilet paper will continue to play a central role in our daily lives for the foreseeable future.

Written By: Bennet Prudence 

CVS Takes Bold Step: Now Selling Abortion Pills

In a move that has sparked both praise and controversy, CVS Pharmacy has announced its decision to offer abortion pills at select locations across the United States. This decision marks a significant shift in the landscape of reproductive healthcare accessibility and has ignited discussions nationwide.

The abortion pill, also known as medication abortion or the abortion pill regimen, consists of two medications, mifepristone and misoprostol, taken in sequence to terminate early pregnancies. Previously, obtaining these medications typically required visits to specialized clinics or healthcare providers, posing logistical challenges and barriers to access for many individuals.
By making abortion pills available at its pharmacies, CVS aims to provide a more convenient and accessible option for those seeking to terminate early pregnancies. This move has been praised by reproductive rights advocates who argue that increased access to abortion medication is essential for ensuring reproductive autonomy and healthcare equity.

However, the decision has also sparked criticism from anti-abortion groups and individuals who oppose abortion on moral or religious grounds. Some have raised concerns about the potential misuse or unsafe use of abortion pills without proper medical supervision, while others view the move as endorsing and facilitating what they consider to be morally objectionable practices. It's important to note that CVS's decision to offer abortion pills aligns with federal regulations and guidelines surrounding the dispensing of medication abortion. The medications will only be available to individuals who meet specific criteria and undergo a consultation with a qualified healthcare professional, ensuring that appropriate medical oversight is maintained.

As CVS begins to roll out this new service, it will be essential to monitor the impact and outcomes closely. Advocates hope that increased access to abortion medication will empower individuals to make informed choices about their reproductive health and reduce barriers to accessing safe and legal abortion care.

Ultimately, CVS's decision to sell abortion pills reflects the evolving landscape of reproductive healthcare in the United States and highlights the ongoing debates surrounding abortion rights and access. As discussions continue, it remains crucial to prioritize the health, safety, and autonomy of individuals seeking abortion care. 

Wired Earbuds are 10x better than Airpods

We all know the memes of people being roasted for having wired headphones, but now the tables are about to turn. If you wear airpods just so people know you can get airpods... I hate to break it to you, but you might be an idiot. 

Wired headphones are better for the following reasons:

1. They are always attached to your phone while being used and you only have that one piece, with airpods its 3 different pieces to take care of. 

2. You have to charge airpods, wired apple headphones are always charged. 

3.Wired headphones always work - Airpods glitch, they have to be connected. Sure they're great when they work but the times when they start glitching and you really need headphones can be detrimental. I'm not a tech master in any way, so for me the product just needs to work, as much of the time as possible. If I don't use headphones often, the times when I do, they better work. 

4. Airpods fall out - they don't stay in because they're so light, if you're running it is game over. Unless you have small ear holes. 

 

Written by: Steve Erwin |  Contributor