Ultraman Taro Series Review

 

    We’re fast approaching the moment when all of us fully agree that summer is properly over. Of course we’ve made inroads toward that already what with school getting back in swing yet each of us still has our own special marker for when our minds fully shift into the realm of pumpkin spice and tissue ghosts. After being canceled last year my defacto switchover, the final town festival, is right around the bend. As usual I like to have something of a segway piece, something with its feet planted in the daffy action heavy attitude of summer yet with a touch of spooky and foreboding. Wouldn’t ya know that things lined up just right for an Ultraman review.

    Ultraman Taro took a side step from preceding shows by opting for a lighter, more family friendly, tone. The themes were things like fairy tales, music, motherhood, that sorta thing. It’s still tokusatsu so there’s plenty of sad stories to go around just with an extra helping of rainbows and cartoonish antics to offset those dark moments. Honestly it’s a breath of fresh air after watching multiple shows adhering to largely the same formula. Just consider how instead of doing a seasonal horror section the show opts for a sequence of episodes based on nursery rhymes. The downside is that the show can feel too simplistic and meaningless but the upside is the extra dose of weirdness that can result from a more childish approach to the subject matter.

    Our hero this time around is an energetic lad called Kotaro Higashi. Guy grew up an orphan only to become something of an odd job journeyman. When we first met him he’s working as a sailor which is what eventually ends up getting him a living space as his captain invites him to saty with the fam. Throughout the series Kotaro displays a good deal more personality than his predecessors. He’s a bit more lively, immature, and fun-loving. Early on he has some dream of being a boxer though that fades out with little fanfare. Plus his mommy issues are only sorta half-resolved. I get the feeling that the actor portraying Kotaro isn’t quite as good as some earlier Ultra dudes but having a more defined personality really helps to set him and the show itself apart from the pack.

    The supporting cast is sort of a strange case this time around. For the most part the usual assortment of personalities and roles are filled yet Taro has a higher amount of cast-changes and character disappearances. The monster fighting team for this series, ZAT, has at least two character swaps along with a commanding officer who will vanish for vast stretches, think he slipped away for upwards of 16-17 episodes at one point only to be around for 1 or 2 before fading into the background once again. One team member is introduced in like the final three episodes, it’s so odd. In what I believe is a first for the series a character is actually recast around the episode 20 mark. That level of turnaround tends to make shows feel a bit slapdash though it doesn’t become a huge problem thanks to the lighthearted, anything goes, tone.

    All behind the scenes drama aside how is this crop of heroes? Let’s start on the home front. As far as kid sidekicks are concerned, Kenichi is one of the better ones. He actually seems like he has a good head on his shoulders and tries to be useful. His older sister, and love interest for Kotaro, Saori is sadly forgettable. Oddly enough both of them fade into the background during the back end of the series.

    As for the ZAT crew the character shifting makes it hard for many of them to endure themselves to the audience. The ones that manage to stand out are lead by Aragaki. Though he’s just a lieutenant he ends up serving as commander for much of the series yet his laid back nature makes sets him apart as a fun boss. The primary lady of the team is Moriyama who will stand out to male viewers due to being cute as a button and having some kicking legs. Finally there’s Kitajima who at first fills the role of goofy guy and works his way up to sensitive best bud for Kotaro. To be honest I lost track of many of the other characters.

    Technically there’s one more wing of supporting cast thanks to an increased amount of Ultra cameos. That’s right; every past hero from Zoffy to Ace comes round at least once or twice along with the addition of Mother of Ultra. The audience finally gets to visit the land of light and there’s some other surprise guest spots I won’t dare spoil.

    Taro is without a doubt a step up from Ace. Despite whatever flaws the silly tone might bring with it the show knows what it wants to be and holds true to that course as much as it can. There are still shifts ins style throughout the show thanks to the changing cast and an occasional return to what feels like the Ultra Q anthology approach with some episodes having almost nothing to do with Kotaro and ZAT. Even with those detours the show never losses sight of what it is, nor does it try to copy exactly what came before. Even the ending is far different than usual for an Ultra show of this era, leaving off on a more humanistic note. I’d definitely rank this show lower than the major classics like Ultraseven, probably lower even than Return of Ultraman, but given how much better it is than Ace, and how much consistent it is than Q I’d still recommend it to most toku fans. For newbies there are so many other good options to take on first though this one has a few extra nutty episodes worth checking out on the side.

    This time around I was downright negligent and failed to keep a running tally of highlight episodes, opting to just see how it all shook out in the end. You’ll forgive me then if this list comes out a little scattershot. In viewing order here’s four adventures that stuck with me.

Episode 11: The Vampire Flower is a Girl’s Spirit

    Easily the first episode to really stand out thanks to a combination of horror and the series theme of orphans. Not only Tokyo under attack from blood-sucking plants but a little girl may be the one to blame for it all. There’s some solid emotional stuff here along with a properly spooky ending.

Episode 20: Surprise! A Monster Fell From the Sky

    Another one that touches on parenthood, mothers in particular this time concerning a baby monster that feel to Earth and it’s mothers efforts to retrieve it. Contrasted against that is the drama of a woman nearly mad with grief over the loss of her child.

Episode 42: The Phantom Mother is a Monster Master

    One of my favorite things about the Ultra franchise is what a story goes sad crazy. I don’t mean being extra depressing, though I love that too, but when a story is nuts and driven by a sense of sadness. We have an almost perfect example of such a story right here with a man recreating his dead wife as a robot who then manipulates a monster into getting revenge on cars. Equal parts daffy and dark make for one excellent half-hour of television.

Episode 44: Oh! Taro’s Going to be Eaten

    It’s beginning to feel like every series of this franchise has a set goal for one extra crazy episode that has to top everything that came before it. Ace had jumped into the lead with a Christmas story focused on ocular trauma but Taro slaps that aside with this bonkers tale of ogres and beans. Everything here is just plan crazy from the sounds, editing, emotional whiplash, and bizarre final battle involving a vicious clubbing. Can’t even tell you the workout the rewind button got with this treat of weirdness.

    And with that we can mark the end of CosmicSparky’s summer. Got a busy few days ahead but then I’m rearing to get the next season kicked into high gear, and I think the weather’s in agreement. Looks like it could be a big Halloween with some stores and brands really pumping out a lot of cool stuff and those lovely vaccinations making it just a bit easier to get out and about. You all stay safe out there and I’ll be back next week to kick off the season in style.

Snack Report August 2021

 

    Life of late still feels very rushed. In the weeks since our last post I’ve put together more furniture, completed more home improvements, seen a dog join and then leave the household, oh and I’m an assistant manager now. One could say I’m in need of a vacation though lord knows I hate those so fingers crossed things start to settle down around here. Still; change seems to be in the air damn near everywhere, including the snack aisle where summer fare is giving way to fall flavors and new discoveries. I actually came across new Halloween candy at the tail end of July. Before I’m overloaded with pumpkin spice and maple it’s probably best we do a new snack report.

    Seeing as this post is woefully behind schedule and I’ve been overloaded with new snacks, a lot of these reviews are going to be rapid fire affairs. I’m talking stream of consciousness stuff here just to see if it’s possible to cover everything. The addition of several fall and spooky items means this also counts as our first step into the most sacred season of the whole year. Without further pomp let’s get this mother rolling.

Cheez-It Snap’d BBQ, Parmesan Ranch, Smoked Bacon Cheddar

    The Snap’d line from Cheez-It was already a big winner with just their basic flavors but never one to rest the company decided to pump out some new goods, presumably for a limited time. The Parmesan Ranch variety was alright, decent enough as a limited item but not totally deserving of a permanent spot in the line. Bacon Cheddar was a step up by offering the flavoring of TGI Fridays Potato Skins without the mouth-shredding texture. Without a doubt the big winner was BBQ with just the right balance of smoke, sweet, and crunchy. I’d advise picking up all three if possible but if you’re bound by a tight wallet at least nab some BBQ.

Hostess Sundae Cupcakes

    For some odd reason the new batches of Hostess goodies are getting harder to find in this area. At the very least I was able to find these Sundae Cupcakes once, just once mind you. Overall they’re not all that different from traditional cupcakes with that fatty/chemical Hostess allure. Still decent enough for a lunch item.

Little Debbie Jelly Creme Pies

    Out of freaking nowhere I came across a Little Debbie variety I’d never seen nor heard of. The concept involves a sort of cross-breading of the companies cherry cordials, crème pies, and a spot of strawberry jelly. The result is so damn tasty. Like this is easily one of Debbie’s finest accomplishments in recent years and yet it’s completely under the radar. So far I’ve only seen these at Wal-Mart so you may have to venture there to find em. Of course if you’re anything like me a regular wally-world snack trip is penciled in somewhere on the calendar.

Shrieker Skittles

    Expanding on the concept leftover from zombie skittles these new shriekers have random sour candies riddled throughout each bag. What makes this sort of fun is how the sour level somewhat depends on whatever the original flavor was meant to be. In my personal experience the sour green apple pieces seem to take the title for top pucker power.

    These are a major improvement over zombie skittles in nearly every way. The package design is clean yet festive, sour candy is a much easier sell than rotten corpse flavor, and the base flavors are good to boot. My personal level of repeat purchases is gonna come down to how crazy this season gets but so far these make for a damn fine start to spooky shenanigans. About the only issue is that the random sour spikes can give you a craving for consistently sour candy. I’d say at least a four out of five.

Cookies & Scream M&M’s

    On the more comforting end of Halloween candy are cookies and scream. Gotta give some props to the design team on this packaging. It manages to walk the line between clean modern aesthetic and classic Halloween with good use of colors. The taste isn’t all that nutty or unique but the execution is solid and satisfying. It’s actually pretty easy to curb your sweet-tooth with a quick handful. Another excellent early entry in this years Halloween offerings. Four outta five, easy.

Turkey Hill BBQ Cracklin Strips

    Alright so these aren’t new items per-say but they’re new to me and my continuing quest to find the best cracklin. The bbq flavor adds a fun twist to the base cracklin but in this case it’s a little too sweet and falls short of being quality pork snacks.

Bavarian Meats

    Another odd surprise these bavarian meats may be the best mass market meat sticks I’ve ever come across. Salty, meaty, and earthy in just the right mix with an excellent texture that begins with a crisp snap of the casing. Problem is I haven’t found them anywhere closer than a gas station 30 miles away. Still; if any of you jerky lovers see em in the wild there’s a great treat.

Bombay Sapphire Raspberry Blackberry Gin

    Recently I’ve started to scour the novelties of the booze aisle like peanut butter whiskey (stay away from it) and this new offshoot of Bombay Sapphire. They’ve taken the classic gin and infused it with berries. Sound’s like a guaranteed winner o what’s the final result? Well it’s sorta like good robitussim. Not really bad per-say, just not living up to its potential. The real trick is having the right drink to mix it with as it pairs especially well with tea. Very much a novelty item though that will only please a handful of people.

Little Debbie Unicorn Cakes

    Lord knows what dark ritual initiated the incessant wave of unicorn and mermaid themed items that have clogged up shelves over the past few years but the fact remains that I can’t resist a shiny new snack cake. Sadly the actual item is fairly generic overall with little outside of their presentation to separate them from other snack cakes. They taste good enough but you’re not missing anything by giving em a pass.

Japanese Kit-Kats: Orange and Crushed Almond & Cranberry

    When it comes to Kit-Kats and Doritos nobody outdoes Japan. The land of Kaiju never ceases to come up with new varieties of these American snack staples while the parent companies leave us in the dust. The occasional trip to an Asian grocer or world market can help close the gap however which is how I got my mitts on two different Kit-Kats from afar.

    Orange Kit-Kat reminds me of what those Terry’s Chocolate Oranges might be like if they didn’t suck. Not only is the flavor balanced much better but the additional element of crunchy wafer helps it all go down smooth. The big find however is the Crushed Almond & Cranberry Kit-Kat which manage to prove that candy can in fact taste classy. It’s not too fruity, or nutty, or chocolaty, just this glorious blend of sweet and comforting.

Puchao Gummy Candy.

    I’ve crossed paths with Puchao countless times yet always managed to skip over them thanks to timing, budget, what have you. Not making that mistake any longer. Not only is are the fruity flavors quite satisfying but the texture, that’s what sells it for a fan of chewy stuff. They work so well thanks to the two separate candy elements, one being the outer gummy with spongy beads inside. They’re a lot of fun and their individually wrapped presentation makes em perfect for work.

Pocky Tasty

    Tasty isn’t exactly the most detailed flavor description so you’re likely wondering the same thing as me, what are these? Basically think of em as deluxe pocky. They use ingredients like charred milk and fermented butter to offer a richer version of traditional pocky. The biscuit stick is a little thicker as well. These touches may not sound like anything all that special but it adds up to a very different experience than traditional Pocky. Problem is these don’t quite scratch that casual snack itch the same way regular Pocky does. In a way it’s almost too refined for it’s own good.

Zapps Evil Eye Potato Chips

    Been a big fan of Zapp’s chips for a few years now, still hold the opinion that Gator Tators are the ultimate sandwich topping. These Evil Eye chips came out quite some time ago with it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I finally found some. They whole idea is that they’re a hot, spicy, Cajun treat but the proved to be a bit divisive in the family. I personally found em underwhelming, couldn’t even describe much of the taste to you. My nephew on the other hand openly declares these as his favorite potato chip. So these are either totally forgettable or a mana straight from heaven.

Bakerly French Pancakes

    Here’s an odd one. Bags of pre-made, room temp, pancakes you can bust out whenever you want. No special flavors, fairly simple ingredients list. It’s on tap pancake and that’s just fucking tits. Sure I’ve had better overall pancakes, and bigger ones no doubt, but the sheer convenience if this item is unrivaled. You don’t even need to microwave em if you’d feel like it. Just grab one outta the bag.

Fruity Cereal Kit-Kat

    Not to be completely outdone by Japan, the U.S. branch of Kit-Kat unleashes their third or fourth flavor of the year with the new fruity cereal variety. Honestly these are pretty solid, though I’m not sure if they’re as good as the Key Lime ones that are still readilly available. Gotta call them out on a big booboo though. The package shows a ring shaped cereal like Fruit Loops but these are way more Fruity Pebbles with that pronounced coriander flavor. If you’re a pebbles fiend definitely give these a go.

Lays Cheetos and Funyuns Potato Chips

    Lays went deep into corporate synergy territory this Summer with a trio of chips flavored like other snacks. The Cool Ranch Doritos variety continues to elude me which is a shame as one of these is absolutely phenomenal. Let’s start with the less successful version then, Funyuns.

    Full disclosure; I hate funyuons, always have. Dusting a chip with that flavor was always gonna be an uphill battle. By themselves these are pretty much pointless as they don’t do enough of any one thing to stand out nor do they manage to really work as a regular chip with that sweet and pissy onion taste. However they’re fairly decent on a sandwich and thus not entirely without merit. That being said my usual ratings would leave this somewhere around a two out of five.

    Cheetos Potato Chips on the other hand, oh my god these chips. Lays had somewhere taken the experience of licking the Cheetos power off ones fingers and translated that perfectly onto a chip. It’s lunacy, possibly outright sorcery, but goddamn is it ever tasty. That’s a five outta five for those bad boys.

Dolce De Louche Toast Crunch

    Nearly forgot about this one but don’t take that as a comment on its quality. The troubled history of caramel and dolce cereals is well documented with most efforts missing the mark. This one though is some good shit. There’s enough of the original toast crunch taste to even out the dolce elements in order to make a tasty and satisfying cereal. I’d actually like to see these stick around as they’re one of the better toast crunch spin-offs.

Salted Caramel Brownie Oreo

    Talk about one that nearly got away. I passed these up the first time I saw em because I was already buried in sugary treats only to see them vanish from shelves. Weeks later one of the local stores had the good sense to restock at least a little. The wait was absolutely worth it too as, much like the Dolce De Louche Toast Crunch, show a marked improvement in how companies are handling caramel items. I know there’s a big group of salted caramel haters out there but the wizards at Oreo found a way to make everyone happy by mixing in brownies. The end result is something with that salty, burnt sugar taste but with an excess of chocolate to keep everything in line. The only weird part is that dipping the cookies in anything activates the salt even more but they’re still damn good.

Apple Cider Donut Oreo

    Here’s one of two items I picked mere hours ago. We’re talking first impressions territory here. The new fall Oreo is too big a topic to sit on though and it looks like they’ve got a real winner this year. Only had one cookie so far sans milk or coffee and the experience was rather surprising. Instead of tasting like a cider flavored donut the whole thing come across more like what happens when you dipp a donut into a proper class of cider. There’s even more of a refreshing moisture component at work here. Can’t wait to see how they fair with liquids but so far so good.

MTN Dew Spark

    Spark actually came out summer of 2020, a lousy time for any product launch, as a Speedway exclusive. Somebody was smart enough to give it a second round for those of us who stayed away from people last year. The whole idea is raspberry lemonade dew which sorta comes across as ruby red squirt mixed with dew. Only had about a third of a bottle so far but as now it stands as a mid-tier Dew.

    At last I think I’m caught up on snacks. You may have noticed a few items in the pictures I didn’t even talk about since there hasn’t been time to try everything just yet. It’s time to start making… time I guess. Updates have been sporadic to say the least but we’re right on the cusp of spooky season and now way am I letting that slip by. Most likely I’m gonna have to switch to smaller but more frequent posts to pull that off though I don want to talk about another Ultra series before we officially bring out the pumpkins and bats, says the guy whose already been buying decorations for a month and a half. Gotta get back to work on other thing but you guys sound off. Lemme know what’s you’re looking forward to in the next few months and any topics you’d like me to touch on.

Abandoned Stores and Super Furniture

 

    The following tale is true. Only the names and places have been altered or omitted to… basically just not to piss off any algorithms. The events you’re about to read relate directly to my recent inability to keep this place updated in a timely manner. In fact; the finishing touches of this post mark the first time I’ve been able to sit down and write in weeks. For roughly three months now I’ve been back in the working world at a game store learning the ins and outs of inputting stock, running events, managing orders, daily sales, cleaning, and helping to set up the new secondary location. See my boss managed to nab himself a unit in a still lively mall and so I occasionally spent an extra day of work helping him get that location into fighting shape. The first of such days involved a furniture hunt in the strangest of places.

    During the past couple decades a number of mall anchor store chains have gone belly-up. You know the sort of place I’m talking about. High-priced department stores with perfume counters and the worst hits of Celene Dion playing over the radio. When those places close down there’s usually group that works on selling off the remaining display racks, tables, even some of the electronics. In this case the group that had done the final sell-off never finished and are apparently never coming back. The mall in question wants this unit as empty as possible for future development so new stores are encouraged to scavenge whatever they want so long as they do most of it during off hours. Thus a few weeks ago I along with several others set off into the dark, dank recesses of forgotten capitalism.

    If you’ve never been inside a mall before it opens I highly recommend the experience. There’s a weird sense of comfort from strolling the vast halls before they fill with people and noise. It’s almost like a little world made just for you. Plus, unlike early morning walks outside, there’s a low chance of encountering wildlife. Of course that’s the properly lit main section I’m talking about. The empty anchor store was another matter entirely. Imagine a vast cold space that manages to have infinite dark corners and mysteries to send the mind into overdrive. Oh and poop… yea, we found some poop in the break room. Easily the most unsettling aspect of the store was the freight elevator. Ya know the kind where you hear things moving and shaking just by taking one step inside? Suffice to say after our first ride we switched to send the furniture down and then using the stairs. Of course said stairs only had lights at the top which meant each trip involved a descent into a black abyss with the only source of color being a wall filled with farewell messages from the former store staff.

By all means, please go first.

      If there’s one sensation from this outing that will stick with me it’s the odd mix of empowerment/semi-embarrassment felt when rolling a several a hundred pound display shelf from one end of the mall to the other while people shoot confused looks, though this did provide ample opportunity to swing by the fine ladies at the pretzel hut. Still; if you’re the sort that hates being the center of attention I can imagine this being a form of corporal punishment.

    By this point you’re likely wondering if there’s any sort of point to my ramblings and here it comes. Remember how eager the mall was to empty out the anchor store? Well that meant it was totally feasible to take out stuff that wasn’t necessarily meant for the store. While we hoisted and rolled out different displays I kept my peepers open for something that would come in handy at home, pending it could actually make the journey. For the most part this side-mission felt doomed. Turns out store furniture is heavy as all hell with some pieces having crazy measurements to boot. There were also a few items where I couldn’t fathom how it could ever be useful. Near the end of our quest I’d almost given up on lofty dreams of super furniture… but then I saw it. A light shone down from the heavens upon a lonely item, the last of its kind, a triple-layered Levi’s display table.

    I can hear you shrugging across time and space. Surely you must be wondering what is so damn special about branded jeans display table. Well here’s your answer. As a gamer I’ve struggled with a two-front problem. One is board game storage, with the other being a proper play space. I made progress on the storage front a few years back via a sturdy shelf but in this display I could see both needs met at once. At least that’s how it seemed since I lacked a direct way to fully plan out how it might work. Given that this was a now or never sort of situation I dragged this monster back to the store where it sat for a few weeks before I could return to disassemble and move it back home.

    Bringing the table home commenced weeks of a different tasks piling up. Everything from ikea runs, slatboard installation at the store (which occurred after hours providing a totally different mall experience), sorting, cleaning, working, bookkeeping, getting a new dog, birthdays, helping people move, on and on. Now it’s finally starting to level off and I have time to live again. What this means is that this is but part one of our tale as the table’s arrival set-off the long overdue clean-up of our basement. As it stands I’ve pieced together eleven pieces of furniture in just over a week with one more to go and others potentially on the way. Yes this is sorta losing the point, it’s hard to elaborate on the feeling of abandoned mall scouring a month after the fact, but know that I’m back, I’m free, and I now have the greatest gaming accessory known to man. Behold!

    Clocking in at the weight of a small moon, this triple tiered terror houses a massive selection of gaming goodness with plenty of play space. The huge boards of Formula D barely make a dent on this 3 by 5 behemoth while leaving room for a printer and photo-scanner. Plus cats love the damn thing. They climb behind the games or hop up top to cool their bellies on the smooth top. We couldn’t resist taking one of the old dvd shelves from another project and using it as a side area for cards and small games. Sure I’ve been half-crippled from project like this but the results are just sheer beauty.

    As I’ve noted this is just the start of our tale. All this home improvement is the perfect excuse for some posts about books, games (both video and tabletop), along with a small sojourn that resulted in the first Halloween decorations for the year, oh and German food. Basically after a month that almost felt like a year I’m back and there’s plenty to talk about. And yes, if you couldn’t tell, this post itself has mutated multiple times since I started writing it. Still; it feels outstanding to be back and I hope you’ll stick around as I whip the site back into shape while we slowly ease outta summer and into the best months of the year. For now just watch this space for either a snack report, event report, or aimless ramblings about book collecting. See you all soon.

Snack Report: June 2021

 

    Life of recent has felt like some kind of hallucination. Why just a few months ago it was totally expected of me to stay home, avoid people, and generally do whatever to fill the time. Now I’m working, shopping, just last week I moved furniture out of an abandoned Younkers (details to come). You few faithful readers have undoubtedly noticed this has effected the blogging schedule. To some extent that comes down to simply not having trained myself to reallocate time for it. The other issue comes with articles like today's where enough has happened in a relatively short time that something I ate a week ago feels like some phantom memory. Consider this a warning then that this newest snack report is likely to read more like a stream-of-consciousness exercise than a regular blog post.

Reese’s Big Cup with Pretzels and Reese's Peanut Butter Lovers

    Reese’s recently went on a bender, introducing different variations of peanut butter fandom to their fabled candy. There’s one with a half-chocolate outer coating, one with an all peanut butter approach, and a big’n with pretzels. Over the past couple of months I’ve had all three and can safely say meh to the first, yum to the second, and something more complicated for the third. See… the balance for the big cup is simply off. Having such a large cup provides a higher amount of peanut butter without an equal increase in chocolate. Adding to the problem is whatever brand of pretzel they used is just too dry and salty to perfectly blend with the other flavors. It’s not bad but anyone who’s had this sort of thing before know it can be done better. Can’t see any of the three lasting long term. Their alright with peanut butter lovers being the most successful.

Red Bull Summer Edition Dragon Fruit

    By this point in time Red Bull is essentially the local tourist trap of the energy drink market, in the sense that it’s always there but you only pay attention to it on special occasions. Since summer is back in swing it’s time for a new seasonal offering laced with the flavor of one of my favorite fruits. There is a good amount of dragon fruit flavor here, with a fairly pleasant smell to match. The problem is that when this is mixed with red bulls energy formula it ends up tasting a bit like perfume. Maybe deserving of a 2 or 2.5 rating.

Nutter Butter Wafers

    God help me I know these aren’t new, and I may have even had them before, but upon seeing Nutter Butter Wafers in store I was struck by this sudden bout of amnesia/paranoia. Have these always been and no one bothered to tell me? Had they simply slipped my mind? Or had I found myself in another dimension where Nutter Butter’s were given the attention they deserve? Whatever the case these sheets of wafer and peanut butter quickly won me over. While not quite as good as Vortman Wafers these still provide excellent peanut butter taste with a satisfying mouth feel. Plus you can totally pretend each sheet is edible wall insulation. On that novelty alone it earns a 3.5 outta 5.

Lays Wavy Jerk Chicken Potato Chips

    Lay’s unleashed several new potato chip flavors this summer though I’ve been inundated with enough potato snacks that I’ve only managed to sample this one so far. Gotta say if the others are even close to this one than we’re in for a tasty season.

    Packaging is colorful and wild. The scent almost a combo of lite jerky and dare I say fresh vegetables? It actually manages to taste like the exterior of a chicken breast that’s been cooked just after being smothered in dry spices. It’s the damnedest thing but they almost taste healthy which we all know isn’t the case. Definitely not gonna be for everyone but for those who like this sorta thing it’s an easy 4 out of 5.

Ghostbusters Afterlife Cereal

There was a time when movie tie-in cereals weren’t much of a novelty. That is until parents groups and nutritionalists brow beat the world into not having fun. The occasional items pops out however tied to either the newest Disney thing or as a means of tugging at nostalgia, which I can’t help but feel is the case with this new Ghostbuster chow. Can’t deny the box has that eye-catching quality though. Just like the old Real Ghostbuers Cereal this black box just stands out among the sea of brightly colored breakfast fare. As an actual food, well… that’s a little more complicated,

Unlike the OG Ralston stuff that modeled itself after monster cereals, this new Afterlife edition is pretty much a lighter take on Berry Berry Kix with marshmallows thrown in. The smell is bland though not entirely unappealing. Individual pieces are a bit too resistance to milk. Everything’s middle of the road. There’s just not much draw to the cereal itself so much as the joy of having something Ghostbusters themed again. Awsome packaging, ho-hum cereal, 2.5 rating for sure.

Meijer Bell’s Oberon Bratwurst

    In these parts grocery ads use the arrival of Bell’s Oberon beer like it’s the opening shot of basic bro summer. Indeed, every prairie boy around demands an ample supply to fuel Saturday evenings of lawn-work and singing Kid Rock lyrics by the fire. For those of us with taste and ample hobbies Oberon is just an ok beer. That being said it’s regional popularity makes these special beer brats a total no-brainer. As a pork fiend I had to give em a shot though the end result was underwhelming.

    Beer brats are a matter of balance. The wrong choice of beer or a little too much of any one flavor can throw everything off. In this case the oberon lends an off taste to the brat. Like it’s not bad but if you didn’t know any better you’d swear something was wrong with the brat itself. That’s not the kind of sensation you want to elicit with pork products. I’d say this one’s another 2.5 rating.

Little Debbie’s Cosmic Brownies Cereal

    I doubt it would be controversial to declare cosmic brownies sit alongside star crunch as Debbie's weakest offerings. The brands recent success with Oatmeal Cream Pie cereal made this second effort impossible to ignore. Of course it’s fighting an uphill battle against the overwhelming history of chocolate cereals and on that front it doesn’t really stand apart from the pack. The smell came across as stronger than the food itself but the actual taste wasn’t so bad. Everything’s lightly left of regular chocolate which helps to sell the whole brownie vibe. Unfortunately it’s a bit too resistant to milk, keeping the texture rough through the whole bowl. The chocolaty milk leftovers are a total highlight though. Gonna give this one a 3. Not amazing but tasty enough to pass.

On the Boarder Cafe Style Queso Chips

    Imagine, if you will, a world where Doritos understands subtly. That’s the world these lovely treats come from. There’s just enough powder to give me a kick and coat your fingers yet it’s lite enough to keep these as a viable option for nachos. Admittedly my nephew thought they were gross but this guy here is over the moon for em. Accepting their possibly divisive status I’m gonna give a solid 4.

Twelve’s Rebel hard Coffee Berry Crisps Latte

    Sometimes the most interesting thing about a new food item isn’t anything unique to it but the weird memories it brings up. Having a biological make-up that is 40% coffee, 10% candy and 5% hooch makes this sort of thing a must try. As far as adult beverages are concerned it was pretty lousy with the different flavors being at odds with each-other. Whenever it leaned into fruity territory though I got a sudden rush of nostalgia. It took some detective skills but I found it at last, Smilk. A fruity milk drink from that weird part of the 1990s where diary suddenly had to be flavored. Shit was gross but my chubby ten-year-old self loved to fuel up on it. I’d say stay away from this lackluster coffee drink unless you too want to remember the wonders and pitfalls of Smilk.

Bell’s Tropical Oberon

    How many paragraphs ago was it that I noted Oberon as the opiate of basic bros? Well for a brief moment I was counted among their ranks as curiosity forced me to try the new tropical variation. It’s a bit unfair to saddle this honestly better beer with the Oberon title however. I mean Bell’s actually put in a decent showing here. The stuff is cloudy, fruity, and nicely refreshing. Far from my favorite hot-weather beer but good enough for a 3.5 score.

Birthday Cake Pebbles Cereal

    One of the all-time greats turns 50 this year. To celebrate there’s a new variety on shelves meant to evoke the sweetness of birthday cake. In execution however both scent and flavor come across like a riff on the recently demised Rice Krispies Treats Cereal with a couple key differences. For one the greasy taste of that cereal is nowhere to be found. In it’s place is a slight berry flavor which I’d assume is supposed to be the frosting element. While not up to the level of Cocoa or Fruity this one’s still a decent sugar rush worthy of a 3 out of 5/

Frosted Berry Team Cheerios

    In honor of the upcoming Olympic games Cheerios has revived the old Team branding with a new frosted berry combination. Admittedly I’d failed to notice the disappearance of classic Team Cheerios as my primary obsession with the brand are the Maple and Pumpkin Spice varieties. Still I recall team being a damn solid breakfast food and while this one may not be up to the same level, it’s still pretty good. There’s a nice mix of sweet that never becomes overpowering and it manages to stay with you longer than most other cereals. Worthy of a 3.5 at the very (or should I say berry?) least.

Kountry Lane Bakery Raspberry Rolls

    I’ve mentioned in previous articles the pleasure of shopping at Lansing hotspot, Horrocks. While they can sometimes drop the ball I’m always eager to see what new items they can bring my way. Few items better illustrate that feeling then these raspberry rolls from a tiny ass bakery in Indiana. Seriously; these are my new obsession to the extent that I want a whole swath of em in place of birthday cake this year. The dough is clean, airy, and just plain enough to stand in contrast with everything else. The berry goo is just marvelous. Oh and the icing is an absolute toothache. Should you one day find yourself near Horrocks or in Montgomery, IN do yourself a favor and hunt these down. This month’s sole perfect rating of 5 outta 5.

    With that I’ve finally wrapped a blog for this month. Gonna make an honest effort to get back on schedule here. Not tonight though. Tonight calls for video games and plenty of sleep before work

Kingdom Hearts Marathon Part 3

 

Let’s s begin today’s post with a slap on the hand. A little goal for this year was to return to the consistent pace of four or more posts per month. Made it almost halfway but May is likely to break the trend. On the upside I have been using that time wisely with the new job and wrapping up some big pop-culture conquests. Case in point; I managed to wrap up the whole Kingdom Hearts sage at last. Hard to stress just how much of a relief that was after years of set-backs. So today let’s talk about the most recent chapter of the franchise along with some thoughts on the series as a whole.

The final piece of the puzzle is the rhythm game spin-off Melody of Memory which plays out like something of a victory lap for the series. The game actually starts off with zero explanation for what’s going on with an opening FMV recap with accompanying rhythm game-play that you initially fumble through before getting tossed out into the game’s main map and working your way through one soundtrack at a time divided by worlds and stage types.

Stages are dived into several varieties such as battles, boss battles, and memory dives though in reality there’s just two takes on the game-play with bosses and dives playing largely the same. Regular battle levels make up the vast majority however with your chosen team of 3 characters running ahead while you time your prompts with the music to make them attack, use special abilities, jump, glide, all that jazz. There are multiple difficulties to choose from plus the game provides a numerical rating for how challenging a particular song is on each difficulty. Adding to that is how each song has three missions that provide different stars to unlock further portions of the campaign. Having little missions may not sound like the biggest deal but for long-term playing it makes the experience a lot more involving. As I was going through the world tour mode that was my first encouragement to try higher difficulties in order to get those precious stars. Casual players won’t have to pay a ton of attention to this as, save for a couple choke points, the main story can largely be gotten through by just finishing songs on beginner. For those who want to unlock all the tracks however they’re gonna need to step their game up.

As you play through different portions of the campaign you’ll be interrupted by scenes of Kairi retelling the entirety of Sara's adventures. Little context is given to any of this until the very end of the game when like 30-40 minutes of story is thrown at the audience in order to put pieces in place for the next era of the series. We learn of a deeper connection between Kairi and Xehanort, get some hints about the girl Lea and Isa talked about in part 3, and learn a little of what’s to come. Personally I got geeked about all of this and am stoked to see what comes from the concept of alternate realities and the upcoming visit to the city of Quadratum. It’s all quite mad but I wouldn’t have Kingdom Hearts any other way.

While I mostly enjoyed my time with Melody of Memory a few cracks started to show during the endgame. For whatever reason the majority of the Kingdom Hearts III soundtrack is skipped over, with often a single memory dive track as the only selection for an entire world. These tracks can be really lame too such as how Frozen has the dreadful Let It Go but not the wonderful exploration music. Even stuff you’d think would be a shoe-in is oddly missing. How is that we have multiple takes on Simple and Clean and My Sanctuary but not My Fears? Then there’s other oddball missing elements like none of the Pirates tunes. The endgame is also where you’re likely to notice the sever imbalance of stage types. There’s easily over a hundred battle stages with only like 5 bosses, and maybe twenty memory dives. And while I appreciate the dedication to their being no DLC it means these oversights will never be corrected.

Odd endgame aside I found Melody of Memory to largely be a fun and breezy way to ease from one era of the series to the next. Sure I was missing some songs and wished there were more options for customizing parties but as someone who generally isn’t huge on rhythm games there was a lot of fun to be had here. Most of that comes down to a nice difficulty structure, the added variety of stage types, and the unique ways in which the game-play elements mix together. It may not be the absolute best the series has to offer but I can think of much worse ways to spend ones time.

The final question is whether it was worth taking the time to play through such a big series? The answer is absolutely yes! There are no doubt installments that rub me the wrong way, and it sorta stinks that actually playing through Days and Re:coaded requires hunting down DS copies but the sheer amount of fun and memorable moments scattered throughout these titles marks some of the brightest spots in gaming. Taking the time to go through each one further enhances the dramatic peaks and valleys of the massive storytelling so you end up caring that much more when characters return or depart. It makes the level of engagement so much more meaningful that if the next title were to drop today I’d be right in front of the boob tube plunging away. For those of you out there with the time who don’t take themselves too seriously and enjoy wild, outlandish storytelling go pick up these games. Even the first one for as old as it is holds up marvelously.

To wrap things up let’s do a quick personal ranking of the series.

Out of contention due to me only having experience video versions: 358/2 Days, Re:coaded, X. One day I’ll nab original copies of these to experience them in full. For now it seems wrong to try and rank them based on story alone.

Re: Chain of Memories: Big surprise here, right? This stain on my KH play-through still requires me to tackle it in full. At this current point in life a card-game/dungeon crawl still doesn’t gel with me.

Melody of Memory: A fun little diversion with a huge ending. Far from a shining entry but still good fun.

0.2 A Fragmentary Passage: An odd curio with an annoying final boss that remains entertaining thanks to unique environments and a deeper glimpse into Aqua’s plight.

Kingdom Hearts 2: Perhaps I might mend my relationship with part 2 on a return trip. For now I still hold grudges against the sloppy driveform leveling and wildly inconsistent difficulty.

Dream Drop Distance: 3-D is such a weird entry on both game-play and storytelling fronts that it can’t help but be a memorable adventure. Some of the additions like drops can stay with this one while others like flow-motion hopefully get integrated even further than they did with part 3.

Kingdom Hearts: The original is still damn near the best thanks to the pure energy a company fully embracing a wild concept. The game-play may not be as refined as later entries but the overall quest is hard to top.

Birth by Sleep: What it lacks in world selection BBS more than makes up for with game-play. Mixing and matching commands together is crazy addicting which propels the player along through the tragic prequel tale.

Kingdom Hearts 3: Come at me naysayers. I didn’t think it possible but part 3 manages to encapsulate so much of what makes the series worthwhile into such a clean and well-made package that’s just a constant joy to play. The worlds are huge, variety is nice but not forced, challenge is quite reasonable, and the ending is just gravy.

And with that done I’ve returned to other gaming endeavors such as completing the Trine series and yet another Ys adventure. I’m starting to get that pull that drags me toward different series I’ve yet to indulge in. Maybe it’s time for Atelier or Legend of Heroes? You all let me know if you’ve got any suggestions for my next big gaming conquest. As for tonight I’ve got some grocery shopping lined up as there’s a frightening lack of masala sauce around here.

CosmicSparky Returns to Adventuring

 

After a seeming eternity of safety-measures and putting off outings for later the cementing of vaccines has finally allowed for a return to small adventures. Yes, yes, yous truly is able to venture forth and seek out the weird wonders of mid-Michigan and thanks to the new job I actually have the cash to back it up. From the earliest days of the pandemic my first goal was to return to my beloved thrift and antique holes where shopping is unpredictable and often a bit smelly. Technically I made my triumphant return last weekend via some local joints and managed to bring little home besides a few odd card games. It managed to feel like a step in the right direction yet wasn’t quite enough to rejuvenate the spirit of the hunt. After another week it was time to set out to a neighboring town to revisit some antique stores we’d hit back in the summer of 2019 which, by my calculations, was about about eight years ago. While it wasn’t everything envisioned during those homebound days it still managed to be a worthy outing for a weekend afternoon.

So the plan to kickoff returning to old junk stores was a visit to Nashville, the Michigan version, a sleepy lil burg with two decent antique markets. The main reason I’d wanted to return here was that 66 Unique Antiques had an upstairs corner filled to the brim with old records and comics where I discovered the wonders of Japanese metal band, Loudness. Suffice to say I marched upstairs and straight to that corner upon entering the building only to find bupkis… a new booth under construction with nary a sign of record or comic to be found. Using breathing techniques to steady myself I though perhaps the vendor simply changed booths, downsized, or something to that effect and commenced a total search of the store.

Eventually I learned that the legendary corner was actually stock the building owners had purchased from closed stores and the two main chunks had been bought out last fall. Ordinarily this would have cast a major cloud over the day had I not found a few lovely picks during the search. With a half-hour to spare before both places closed up I headed across the street to boardroom antiques where I nabbed one more goody and asked about a major piece of memorabilia. This old KB Toys sign was there the last time I’d visited and boy does it ever bring back some good vibes. I’ve always had lousy teeth which back when I was kid meant at least a few times a year I’d have to get some fillings. Afterward I was almost assured a visit to the Lansing Mall for Sabarro pizza and some KB shopping. Just looking at this formed plastic brings back sensations of a sore mouth, pepperoni pizza, and the sights of various mechanical toys bumping around on a walled display table. I had to ask what the asking price could be. The quote was around $250, a bit to high for me currently though I’m considering a return somewhere down the road. Of course if any of you would like to get there first and save me from myself that’s fine.

What about the days haul then? One of the first areas of note had a bevy of late-80s/early-90s comics on hand. You’ll note I picked up a few from Marvel’s failed New Universe line. These titles were long gone before my initial experience with comics and had a small failed reboot a little after I returned to the medium in the mid-aughts. The idea was a comic world that veered closer to reality with regular people suddenly being changed by something called the “white event” which granted more scientifically plausible abilities than traditional comics were known for. In recent years I’ve really wanted to dig into these obscure characters and there was a decent offering on hand at this booth. Sadly some of the others where a good deal more expensive or in the middle of their respective series but I was more than happy to march off with the first issue of Kickers Inc. John Byrne’s run on Namor is a title whose Omnibus has been tempting for a while so this issues offers a chance to get a sneak peak at whether the big tome is worth it. Punisher: The Prize just looked like a good read and Hawkworld was a pretty major overhaul for Hawkman that, like many classics DC titles, has a spotty record for collected editions.

On the record front I managed to find a vendor who tried to offer a balance of good condition items at sensible pricing. On hand was a copy of More Chad & Jeremy, a duo firmly set within the framework of Beatles and Monkees era tunes, and music from Miami Vice which offers a nice combo of material made for and licensed by the series. Over at Boardroom I got the best of Hank Williams marking I believe only my second country album in the collection. Admittedly I dispose modern upbeat country only opening my saloon doors for this classic sad-sack stuff. Among the highlights are “Why Don’t You Love Me” and one I’d never heard called “Kaw-liga” about a wooden cigar store Indian who can’t express his feelings. It’s a bit odd and more than a little culturally insensitive.

Bringing home some tunes and reading material was totally expected, what wasn’t was a glass case display of old NES titles near the check-out. While fairly small the selection of titles had plenty to offer be it action, puzzle, etc. Some like Ninja Gaiden II were just simply cost more than I was willing to give into while many of the others didn’t have much in the way of personal meaning, until I found a big one. Dragon Warrior, a game that stood alongside Final Fantasy in our cartridge collection as something my young, illiterate mind couldn't play. I certainly gave the old college try but it would be years before I finally dove headfirst into the world of JRPGs. There’s a lot of memories tied up with this cart be it watching my brothers tackle the game for real, my own meager attempts at battling slimes, or simply admiring the boss ass artwork. Once I clean this copy up it’ll serve as a reminder of how those early days resulted in modern traditions like tackling a Final Fantasy, Tales of, and Ys every year.

There was an unexpected addition to the trip in that we wove our way back through the dirt back-roads of, I believe, Mennonite country, emerging just in time to visit a place called Sunset Acres Bakery which has been around for a few years but is just outside of our usual travel routes. These ladies were stocked up on some crazy treats like sugar cookies that seem closer to personal pan sized cakes or giant rice crispy treat rolls with chocolate swirls. It feels odd to purchase something this indulgent from a bunch of repressive religious zealots but maybe this is how they vent sinful urges. Overall I enjoyed most of this stuff with their peanut butter cookies being the real winners.

So that was a tiny adventure that may just result in some extra post material down the line. It felt so good to finally get out there and feel secure enough to linger and shop properly. Now it’s time to prepare for a few more days trips like finally seeing my college. Seriously… I graduated from a school I’ve never seen. For tonight however I am content to relax and unwind before another work week unfolds. Feel free to share any thoughts on the haul or tips for nice weird stores to visit.

Snack Report: May 2021

 

    Another month brings yet another round of snacks and novelties to consume. Perfect timing too since there’s been plenty of work and the household has been riff with drama of late. We played host to a new doggy for a wee bit and he proved to be something of an ill fit and is on his way to another home that can hopefully work with his particular brand of madness. Another factor making the snack world exciting for yours truly is having a second dose of vaccine. That’s right, I’m now fully equipped to go out and snack hunt in style. Well… two a few more days technically for everything to cement, and yes I will celebrate that mark by returning to an antiques shop with a truly excellent record corner. You all best be getting your shots too, believe me, it feels great to know there’s at least a little defense standing between you and everything else. Enough of dramatics and medical science! it’s time for some food!

Hostess Lemonade Stand Twinkies

    Snack hunters can take a lot of flack for the weird shit they bring home and these lemonade Stand Twinkies earn plenty of side-eye and speculation. Suspicions soon turned around as the fatty cakes turned out to be far different than expected yet in a most pleasing way.

    Presentation’s fairly standard for Hostess. Big, bright box housing chemical-laced cakes. While we expected something more outright lemony on the flavor front the reality was far more subdued. Normally I might consider that a failure but the lite citrus undertone ends up giving each Twinkie a slightly cleaner taste with less of that fatty after-effect. For anyone who hates that lingering lard flavor this is an absolute winner. At the very least I’m giving these a 4 out of 5.

Hostess Smores Cupcakes

    These Smore cupcakes are returning after their first round in 2020 which I totally missed thanks to all the wonders of the pandemic. Other than finally being easy to find I’m not so sure these deserved a second round.

    Hear me out here. These are still decent enough snack cakes with a fairly balanced flavor. Problem is much like the Lemonade Stand Twikies this isn’t a very accurate recreation of smores nor is there any fringe benefit from the light-touch production. Instead you get a vaguely smore-esque snack that’s good enough in a pinch but lacks the necessary punch to really soar. I will at least give some points for the coloration as it still screams fireside treat. Let’s be nice and give em a 3.

Meijer Salted Caramel Peanuts

    Not a ton to say on this one, only fair since it’s available exclusive to the handful of states with Meijer stores. More than likely I would’ve failed to notice em if not for being severely let down by the sight of an empty honey roasted shelf yet again. As someone who enjoys both peanuts and caramel this seemed like an easy pick for pitch-hitter. Unfortunately the caramel aspect is a total failure. Whoever produced these for Meijer just used a caramel powder rather than some kind of coating. The result is that most of that candy flavor rubs off on your hands leaving a slightly off-tasting salted peanut. The peanuts themselves are still pretty good but why bother? 2 out of 5 purely on the strength of the peanuts.

Arbor Brewing Company Trail Lyte Beer

    By and large this is not a lite beer household. If you’re going to do something you may as well go for broke. Still; an adventurous man keeps his options open and I’m rather glad I did. The whole experience is bright, fruity, and truly refreshing meaning it’ll be a shoe-in should we ever actually get a warm night (Spring has been decidedly chilly in these parts).

    The presentation is solid with nice box-art and skinny cans that help denote the whole lite motif. Flavor begins with a clean beer taste followed by solid notes of berry and some citrus. There’s more than enough taste to stand out without getting overpowered or tacky. Not sure how far distribution on this brand stretches out but if you come across some it’s a solid choice for a hot day. Let’s grant em a 4 out of 5.

On the Boarder Homestyle Thick and Crispy tortilla chips

    Here’s another one that doesn’t require much preamble. On The Boarder, a brand whose cafe style tortilla chips already make for some great nachos, decided to put out a thick and crispy variant likely to compete with the likes of Donkey Chips. While not as thoroughly enjoyable as Donkey when plan or dipped these Homestyle chips still make a pretty solid base for nacho consumption. At least a 3 out of 5.

Key Lime Pie Kit-Kat

    A tiny gift from a sibling returning from a road trip, these newest kit-kats were an interesting proposition. The brand has such a wide ratio of success to failure that it’s always tricky to test out their newest flavors. Just looking at this bright green wrapper makes one likely to point a finger at the candy and demand it live up to its potential.

    So what’s the verdict? Oh yeah, these are good. Not only did they nail a proper key lime pie flavor, they somehow kept it reserved enough to seem refreshing instead of overbearing. The entire package was inhaled in mere seconds. A total winner, one of the best kit-kat off-shoots I’ve seen in some time, go grab some while you can and pray they make a return in years to come. Gonna give em a 4.5 rating.

Skittles Gummies Wild Berry

    The first in a trio of items I found at my first trip to Speedway in over a year these Skittles Gummies are something of a dream come true. I’ve loved Skittles of any kind my whole life but there’s always that point when their texture starts to destroy your mouth. That painful reality can now be circumvented by the power of gummies.

    So far only had the chance to dig into the Wild Berry variety but what a knockout. These give the full flavor of Skittles with the comforting, chewy joy of gummy. Hell; they even smell good. Debating it at the moment but this may indeed be worthy of a perfect score of 5.

Hi-Chew Fruit Combos

    Hi-Chew is definitely a love it or hate it kinda candy. Some folks can’t stand the waxy nature of these things or find the flavors too muted. Generally being a fan of them though made me stoked to try these new combo flavors since they include the all-mighty mango. At least theory that is seeing as there were only two mango piece in the entire bag that was otherwise overrun with pina colada.

    Disappointment at the pina colada flood aside these are still some good chewy candy. I’d dare say the cream element in these two flavors comes across better than most of the normal fruit varieties. If you don’t like Hi-Chew then these aren’t gonna change your mind but for those who enjoy em this is a worthwhile spin-off. 3 outta 4. Might be more if they included enough mango.

Mingua Bourbon Beef Jerky

    It’s a rare treat to stumble upon a spindle rack filled with a previously unknown jerky brand yet that night in Speedway offered plenty of options for taking the Mingua brand for a test-drive. I decided to go with a more basic flavor, figuring that a company needs to nail the basics before achieving anything truly marvelous. These guys couldn’t even manage that.

    I can forgive the rustic down home charm of the packaging but the jerky itself seems like something your buddy might create as an experiment. It’s thin, dry, salty, and all-around harsh. This might be a bit cruel but I’m gonna have to give these a 1 out of 5.

Monster Strawberry lemonade Rehab and Pappilion

    With the increase in housebound hours during the pandemic I’ve rarely had a chance to indulge in energy drinks. Spending a portion of one workday entering different Monsters into the register system opened up my eyes to everything I’d been missing. Rest assured the employee discount was utilized immediately in order to bring home these new elixirs.

    Much as I enjoy the Rehab line, much like Rockstar’s Recovery drinks, this newest flavor doesn’t do quite enough to set it apart from the pack. In fact I’m hard pressed to come up with much of a description for it other than light, somewhat fruity, energy drink. It went down well-enough with the energy formula preforming admirably. Sadly there’s just not a whole lot going on here. Maybe deserving of a middle of the road 2.5 rating.

    Pappilion comes out a bit better across the board thanks to excellent presentation and a far more unique taste. The pinky peach can covered in butterflies is quite the looker and the perfume smell puts one in the mood for indulgence. The flavor is in interesting one with aspects of different fruits blending together in a way that feels like springtime thanks to an almost floral aftertaste. It’s a good one for sure. Not absolute top tier material yet good enough to earn a 3.5 or maybe 4.

Brother’s Bond Bourbon

    While out of town to get my second dose of vaccine I was able to visit a damn nice liquor store in order to stock up on a few cough… essentials. While trying to hunt for some items on the grocery list I came across something I thought would be much tougher to find, Brother’s Bond Bourbon. What makes this bottle so special you ask? It’s all in the novelty of this brand belonging to Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, aka the Salvatore brothers of Vampire Diaries fame. In essence this is the semi-official drink of those who love pretty vampires. Novelty will only get you so far however so how’s it hold up as a drink?

    When it comes to the whiskey/scotch/etc arena I’ve the least experience with bourbon so don’t expect a lot of direct comparisons there. Still; I know what I like and Brother’s Bond at least falls within the positive end of that spectrum. Both the smokiness and bite are bolder than I expected yet it still manages to go down fairly smooth. All the burn is delayed however so don’t go acting hard and taking shots without prepping for a screaming throat a few seconds later. There’s a lot of whiskey that I’d pick up before this one, especially in the forty dollar price range, but for those who like a decent sipping bourbon I can see this being a hit. Personally I’ll grant it a 3.5 though I expect others will find it more to their liking.

Doritos 3D

    Yet another revival of an item hailing from that strange period of time when yours truly wasn’t an absolute snack-fiend. Yes indeed, much like Oreo-O’s this sub-line of Doritos never passed my lips back in the day. One might think that would make their return all the more exciting but for whatever reason I’ve been forgetting to pick these up for months now. Perhaps this has something to do with the association of how these are a Doritos take on Bugles, one of the worst snacks ever made.

    Can’t say either flavor, Spicy Ranch or Chili Cheese Nacho, have done much to win me over. On one end I appreciate their spicy nature but neither the flavor nor texture really do a whole lot that other chips already do better. Maybe some different flavors and more powder could help. Otherwise it just felt like a sad reminder that you could be eating actual Doritos instead of these. They’re not a total letdown but I fail to see what they have to offer. Let’s say 2.5 to be nice.

    Did… did I finish? You wouldn’t believe how long this post has taken to complete. Fact is I’ve yet to adjust the writing schedule to the new work schedule, not to mention how selling thousands of dollars in Pokemon product can leave one a bit dead-headed. Still; having a consistent source of income combined with a lovely vaccine means there could be a much wider variety of content coming down the pipeline. We’re approaching a renewed era of freedom my friends. Why mere hours ago I saw the inside of two local joints for the first time in over a year. Anyhow it’s horror movie night so I’m gonna wrap this up and settle in for some much-needed downtime. You all feel free to share in recent snack finds or if you think I’m way of the mark on any of this current crop.