Category: Opinion

Tired of the same old boring routine? Tired of working for some mega-corporation that does nothing but drain your energy?

Well, you sure deserve some rest and relaxation.

Stardew Valley is the perfect game to pick up if you enjoy a medium-past cozy farming sim.

Without spoiling too much of the game, after inheriting your totally not deceased grandpa’s farm and accepting the offer to quit your job and move to the countryside you soon introduce yourself to the fellow residents, about 28, including the happy-go-lucky mayor.

And after playing for a couple days, earning resources and recipes you learn that the town community center has been out of service for many years.

Made by a single developer Stardew Valley has been a huge staple in indie games ever since it came out and with its newest, there are even more life improvements and a new farm to choose from on the main menu, again without spoiling too much.

One thing I will spoil is that your avatar now has the option to drink mayonnaise. Which is absolutely not an instrument.

Also game mechanic-wise there are daily seasonal events per year, so there are multiple opportunities to get special items for your farm. 

I absolutely adore this game and have been getting back into it after the long wait for the update for the console and I highly recommend it. It’s a really really great way to pass time as well, with managing said time for each day in the game.

The holiday season is quickly approaching and as we enter November more and more  businesses are dropping their seasonal bargains. Dunkin’ fans can delight with the return of the  Free Classic Donut Wednesday that’s available now until December 25. Each Wednesday,  Dunkin’ reward members earn a free donut by purchasing a drink.

With over a dozen classic donut options to choose from, Dunkin’ members are sure to  receive a nice treat each week.

With two Dunkin’ locations close to Hudson Valley, one at 76 N  Greenbush Rd, Troy, NY 12180, and the other at 487 Campbell Ave, Troy, NY 12180 this offer  can be redeemed on the way to or from class.

In addition to their Free Donut Wednesdays, Dunkin recently dropped their holiday menu  including a hash brown brisket scramble, cookie butter donut, new holiday cookie signature latte,  and almond croissant. Members earn points through ordering items online which contribute to  free menu items throughout the holiday season.

As far as value goes, the Free Donut Wednesday may be worth it for you if you regularly  order a drink as it’s important to note that the donut is only free when purchased with one. 

Alternatively, the $6 Meal Deal is a good bargain as you get a medium coffee, bacon, egg, and  cheese sandwich, and hash browns for only six dollars.

It’s always a good idea to check for deals  ahead of ordering and to take advantage of mobile ordering through the app as it may cut down  on your wait time.

The 2009 horror-comedy Jennifer’s Body, written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama, is a film that’s evolved into a cult classic, largely because it takes a refreshing, if grim, look at the lives of teenage girls, their friendship dynamics, and the way society tends to objectify them.

When the film was released, its marketing was heavily focused on hypersexualized imagery and promoting lead actress Megan Fox as a sex symbol. This choice of marketing, brought about by men, was ultimately ironic because it clashed with the core themes of the film, which critiques how women are viewed, used, and consumed by society.

In Jennifer’s Body, Jennifer (Megan Fox) is a high school “It Girl” who becomes the victim of a ritual sacrifice gone wrong. The ritual, performed by a sleazy indie band, is intended to grant the men fame and success, but it backfires, turning Jennifer into a demonic figure who begins preying on her male classmates.

At the center of the film is Jennifer’s complex friendship with her best friend, Needy (Amanda Seyfried), whose loyalty and compassion often clash with Jennifer’s self-absorbed and manipulative behavior.

Jennifer’s sudden, violent transformation serves as both a literal and symbolic depiction of how she’s been “devoured” by others, first by the band and then by society.

One of the film’s main strengths is how it addresses the objectification of women. Jennifer is initially portrayed as the “Hot Girl” character, an image society has projected onto her. However, her monstrous transformation becomes a powerful metaphor for the toll that objectification takes on women. She literally turns into something that consumes others after being violated and sacrificed for male gain. This transformation underscores a powerful commentary on how society feeds on young women’s sexuality, often without their consent or consideration. Jennifer’s “monstrosity” isn’t so much about being evil as it is about embodying the rage and trauma that come from being reduced to an object.

The film’s exploration of Jennifer and Needy’s friendship is just as significant. Their relationship is marked by a deep, if twisted, bond that goes beyond the superficial. There’s an underlying tension and sense of rivalry that reflects the complexity of female friendships, especially those formed in high school. Needy’s love for Jennifer is evident in her willingness to put up with her friend’s possessive and sometimes cruel behavior, and Jennifer’s manipulation suggests a desire to control Needy while also needing her approval.

Their relationship plays out as a blend of admiration, envy, and co-dependence that feels very real and raw, especially against the heightened backdrop of horror.

The film suggests that these friendships aren’t always simple or purely supportive, they’re often layered with conflicting feelings that make them as challenging as they are meaningful.

A big reason Jennifer’s Body initially flopped with audiences and critics is that it was marketed almost entirely as a standard teen horror flick, focusing on Megan Fox’s sex appeal rather than the film’s underlying themes.

The marketing campaign, led by male executives, pushed images of Fox in suggestive poses and ignored the film’s actual message.

Instead of framing Jennifer’s Body as a nuanced look at female friendship, power, and rage, it was advertised like a generic slasher movie, meant to excite rather than challenge.

This misrepresentation did more than just hurt the movie’s box office performance, it also highlighted the very issue the film criticizes: how women, and their stories, are often manipulated and simplified to fit male-dominated narratives. In this sense, the marketing approach unintentionally underscored the film’s point about how women’s identities are commodified and stripped of complexity.

Over time, however, audiences have begun to recognize Jennifer’s Body for its clever way of remixing common horror tropes and its sharp commentary on girlhood, trauma, and rage. The film has become a feminist horror staple, precisely because it examines these issues in a genre that has historically objectified women. It’s now celebrated for its wit, dark humor, and the way it highlights female voices, in the narrative itself, and through the work of Cody and Kusama, who fought to bring an authentically female perspective to a genre where it’s often missing.

In the end, Jennifer’s Body is more than just a horror movie; it’s a critique of the way society treats women, the complexity of female friendships, and the horrors of adolescence. Perhaps ironically, the film’s mishandled marketing only serves to reinforce its message.

When you think of Mario, who is basically the mascot of the gaming world, his countless platformer adventures likely come to mind. Those have relatively simple stories. However, in 2024, Mario is just as much of a story-driven RPG powerhouse as he is a platformer powerhouse. The most recent of these RPGs is Mario & Luigi: Brothership, a grand revival of a handheld-exclusive RPG series that was thought to be dead for many years due to the bankruptcy of the studio that made it, AlphaDream.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is an absolute masterful return of the series, bringing a fountain of charm that was admittedly missing from more recent entries in the series such as Paper Jam.

You aren’t going into this game to see familiar toads and goombas, no, you are going into this game to see entirely new species full of energy and cartoony slapstick charm. The story is just as entertaining as it is touching, with its theme of the importance of connecting with others (humorously outlined via the visual theming of electrical cords and outlets all over the place, even in the new characters introduced.)

On top of a delightfully heartwarming story, this game brings back the series’ classic gameplay in full force, allowing you to play both Mario and Luigi in a twist that remains just as enjoyable as it was 20 years ago. The simple concept of using the A button to control Mario and the B button to control Luigi makes way for delightfully clever gameplay that never gets old in the game’s meaty 30 hour runtime.

As if fantastic story and gameplay weren’t enough, the game also boasts a brilliant art style that feels like you are playing through a cartoon in real time. Each character is bouncy, lively and full of cartoonish expression. One of my favorite gags is that every time you plummet to an island out at sea (by launching yourself out of a cartoonishly large cannon, no less), Mario will land gracefully, striking a heroic pose, while Luigi will hilariously fail, leading to a plethora of laugh-out-loud slapstick moments that only a character like Luigi could pull off.

If you’re looking for a large, expansive experience with both familiar characters and new faces, alongside an absolutely stunning art style and gameplay that you just won’t want to put down, Mario & Luigi: Brothership is for you.

EPIC: The Musical has been slamming the iTunes charts for every released album, skyrocketing to the Number 1 played album on iTunes within a week of release. EPIC: The Vengeance Saga, is no different. The Vengeance Saga is the eighth album of the nine-album concept musical based on Homer’s The Odyssey.

EPIC: The Musical, is a concept album that released its first album on December 25, 2022, by now-renowned artist: Jorge Rivera-Herrans. EPIC is based on the Greek Mythological Tale of the Odyssey, where Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, sails back home after the Siege of Troy (popularly known for the Trojan Horse plot). On his way home, he encounters monsters, storms, and even the wrath of Gods, most commonly, Poseidon, the God of the Ocean.

The Vengeance Saga, released on October 31, 2024, takes place where the Greek Mythology tale places Odysseus on the island of the Goddess Calypso, who imprisons and abuses Odysseus for seven long years.

Odysseus is then released from this island after Zeus’ judgment is decreed. The peak of this album is when he is on the shores of Ithaca, within eyesight of his home that he longed for 20 years when suddenly, Poseidon blocks his path.

Poseidon is unhappy and ultimately condemns Odysseus to death. But, using a bag containing a mighty storm, Odysseus jetpacks off the ocean floor Poseidon pinned him to and begins to fight the God of the Ocean. Using the anger of Odysseus’ 600 dead comrades and the rage that Poseidon induced into him for 10 years, he immobilizes the God of Tides by flying at the speed of sound and striking him incessantly, disarming him of his almighty trident.

Odysseus calls for Poseidon to remove the storm that now blocks him from returning to Ithaca. When Poseidon refuses, Odysseus uses his trident to stab him repeatedly, and since Gods cannot die, Poseidon only feels the unending pain from each strike.

The album ends with Poseidon calling off the storm and taunting Odysseus as he returns home.

The music in this album is jaw-dropping and intense, as Jorge can depict a literal fight between man and God through musical motifs and harmonies.

My favorite part of the album is the usage of Poseidon’s screams harmonizing with Odysseus’ rage-filled rant about how much pain Poseidon has caused him.

Overall, especially if you’re into theater or Greek Mythology, I’d 100% recommend this album, as it’s been playing on repeat for me for the last week.

The popularity of true crime media is undeniable, with fans diving into documentaries, podcasts, and articles about real-life cases. True crime gives us insight into criminal psychology, police work, and sometimes even social justice issues. However, the ethics behind turning tragedies into entertainment is a debate that grows louder each year.

As a fan of true crime myself, I get the appeal. These stories are compelling, and there’s a strange comfort in feeling like we’re learning how to avoid danger or understand the minds of criminals, mostly the latter for me. True crime often sheds light on injustices that might otherwise go ignored. Some stories help reopen cases, bring attention to neglected victims, and remind viewers and listeners of the importance of safety and justice. Shows like Making a Murderer and podcasts like Serial have even impacted real court cases, sometimes leading to retrials or new investigations. In these cases, true crime can serve a purpose beyond just entertainment.

But it’s hard to ignore the ethical concerns. Critics argue that true crime media often capitalizes on real people’s suffering and loss. Victims and their families may relive painful memories when their loved ones’ deaths are discussed in great detail on TV or podcasts. Some critics worry that creators prioritize shocking content over sensitivity, turning real trauma into a spectacle. Families sometimes report feeling like their loved one has been reduced to an episode, losing the humanity of their story.

The ethics also get murky when creators prioritize entertainment over accuracy. Details are sometimes exaggerated or dramatized for dramatic effect, potentially skewing public perception and creating misunderstandings about the criminal justice system. There’s also a risk of misinformation spreading as viewers accept a polished documentary as fact without questioning what’s been omitted or changed.

However, some creators are addressing these concerns by striving for a more ethical approach.

Podcasts like LA Not So Confidential aim to keep true crime respectful and educational by focusing on psychology and societal impacts rather than just the “shocking” elements of cases. Other creators are working with the families of victims, donating proceeds to charities, or using their platforms to raise awareness for causes linked to their stories. These efforts show it’s possible to present true crime in a way that honors victims rather than exploiting them.

Ultimately, true crime has both risks and benefits. It can educate and expose truths, but it also walks a fine line between storytelling and exploitation. As fans, we can be more thoughtful about the content we support, choosing shows and podcasts that approach stories responsibly and considerately. By supporting ethical creators, fans can enjoy true crime responsibly and ensure that real lives aren’t reduced to mere entertainment.