The Hits and Misses of Kim Possible Season 4

I have stated in the past that Kim Possible is easily one of the best TV shows of my childhood. I've been re-watching it (because I like to spend my recently discovered free time wisely) and have been noticing that the last season seems a bit unbalanced in regards to the rest of the series. What I'm trying to say is that while the series had its ups and downs as most shows do, it stayed very strong for the most part through its course until the movie, Kim Possible: So the Drama. That movie was originally supposed to be the finale, ending with Dr. Drakken's most epic plot yet (where he actually almost won), and then of course Kim and Ron finally getting together.

Looking back, I see that the movie was basically the perfect ending. It wrapped up everything very nicely, leaving the fans satisfied. However, DisneyChannel decided to renew the series for one more season, which alright, in the words of KP herself, "no big". At the time, I had no idea that the movie was supposed to be the end and was simply excited to see more episodes of my favorite show coming out. However, there were some major changes made that irked me. They were not enough to put me off the show because the plots and characters were still endearing, but they were still questionable. As a kid/preteen, I overlooked them and simply enjoyed the show, but now I'm watching it again as an adult and wondering what made the writers decide to go in this direction. I think what they were attempting to do was take it in a fresh new direction, but ended up changing a lot of what we loved about it instead.

Diving right in…

Kim's new mission outfit. One of the most iconic things about Kim Possible was her mission outfit; the black crop-top, the cargo pants, the gray gloves. There was absolutely no reason to change it… except that the writers wanted to give her a fresh new look (my theory). The reasoning behind it in the show is so ridiculous: her outfit had been discontinued. Really? You can't find cargo pants or a black crop-top ANYWHERE? I mean, there's some pretty dumb stuff in the show, but that one is probably one of the stupidest. However, I do have to say that her new look is pretty cool. I like the purple. Plus those pants are probably easier to move around in than her baggy cargo ones. And I think that pocket on her leg is pretty cool. (It did bum me out that they changed only Kim's look, but not Ron's. I liked that they matched before. It made them look like a team. However, I don't think that purple is really his color. Of course, their outfits weren't what made them a team, so I sucked it up.)
So, I'd say that it is a HIT, but an unnecessary one.

Wade leaving his room. How could they do this!?! All through the show it was a running joke that Wade never left his room. Absolutely never, ever, EVER! Every time Kim and/or Ron was supposed to meet him, he would always have a robot, computer, or hologram there instead, always bumming Ron out. Even on Mother's Day, he had his mom come into his room while he simulated a beach, instead of them actually going to the beach. He could practically run the word from his room, which was why it was so awesome/funny. Having him actually leave, ruined the illusion and the joke. And they didn't stop at just once, he kept doing it! He became Kim's backup sidekick! No! He is supposed to be Kim's tech guy! Ron is the sidekick! If he's not at the computer, then who is? Only once in the previous seasons did he leave his room, but it was for a legit reason and it worked… but then it was ruined because the writers had to keep doing it.
As you can tell, this is most definitely a MISS

Wirst Kim-munniator. One of the other iconic things about Kim Possible was the Kim-munnicator. A hand-held device that looked sort of like a video game, but worked like a phone. Wade and Kim were Face-timing before it was cool ;) It had all sorts of gadgets, Wade could control it from his room, turning it into a robot. Kim could slip him samples to analyze. It had mega battery power… To name a few things. Of course, everyone knows its four beep ringtone followed by Kim's, "What's the sitch?".
The change in season four was that Wade upgraded it into watch form. Instead of Kim carrying it in her pocket like a phone, she wore it on her wrist like a watch. Apple-watches before they were… not cool. Anyways, I was a bit saddened by the change. I loved the Kim-munnicator the way it was. There was really no call for a change. But, like with the new mission clothes, I think the writers were just trying to spice it up. There wasn't anything necessarily bad about the change except for a crime against fashion. Why would you want to walk around with such a huge, bulky thing strapped to your wrist like that? Even image-conscious Kim should have realized this! It didn't go with anything! Maybe with her mission outfit it was alright, but her school clothes? Nope.
Since it didn't add anything, I think this was probably a MISS

Kim's car. Since season four takes place during Kim and Ron's senior year of high school, it only makes sense that Kim should get a car. Of course it's purple to match her new outfit and of course it's no ordinary car. This time it's not tricked out by Wade, but by the Tweebs. As we've seen, the Tweebs are boy-geniuses nearly on the level of Wade, but they usually use their inventions and experiments for mischief. However, they agreed to build Kim a car with all sorts of gadgets and gismos. The car is pretty cool, it's got all the tech (except for aquatic capabilities), and works like a driving Kim-munnicator with a screen on the dashboard. The only downside I found was that it took away the need for Kim to call in favors to get rides everywhere she went, thus taking away the iconic, "Thanks for the lift…", which I was very sad to see go.
However, the pros beat the cons, so this is a HIT

Kim and Ron dating. Of course, the biggest head turner of the movie was that Kim and Ron finally got together. After three seasons of their awesome chemistry and occasional teasings from the writers, the fans were at last satisfied. So continuing the show meant that their newfound relationship had to be explored. Tread carefully, writers. This is often where many shows stumble and fall. So, how did the Kim Possible writers fare? Well, I'm a bit torn. Kim and Ron still acted like best friends with a little bit of romance thrown in on the side. Which… I guess that's sort of a good thing. I mean in a good relationship, the partners should be best friends, right? But I think my problem was that they still seemed more like best friends and less like boyfriend/girlfriend. They acted exactly like they did before and then every once in a while they would say something mushy, almost kiss, or something of the likes. On top of that, it never seemed very natural, it seemed sort of forced. Also, notice that I did not say "kiss"? I said "almost kiss". I swear, they actually kissed only like two or three times. They would always lean in, but then be interrupted. I think the writers were trying to make it a running gag. It started out kind of funny, but got really old really fast. Not that they had to kiss every episode or anything, but for crying out loud, they didn't have to tease it every episode either!
Now that I have expressed all the downsides, I have to say that I still did enjoy the idea. Even though some of it seemed forced, the hopeless romantic inside of me still squeed at their cuteness. There are some legitimately good scenes and plots revolving around their relationship. It's not always pushed to the sidelines (just sometimes). I don't know, maybe it's the twelve-year-old inside of me that shipped them before I even knew what shipping was. I still love them!
I think this might be a HIT and a MISS at the same time.

Finale. After the epic Kim Possible movie, there did not seem like there was any way to top it. Was there a better way to end a series? Could they come up with an even more epic plot from Drakken? Something else to top Kim and Ron getting together? What could it be? 'Graduation' parts I and II, that's what. I must say, I think that if anything could wrap a series better than So the Drama, these two episodes did. Without spoiling TOO much, I'll just say that it simply tied up a lot of loose ends, showed us the future of the main characters (Kim, Ron, Rufus, Dr, Drakken, Shego, etc.), had an epic climax, brought back lots of our favorite characters even just for cameos (Sensei, Warmonga, Señor Senior Junior, etc.), had its heavy moments, had its funny moments, had its awesome moments, and was just fun all around.
In a nutshell, this was definitely a HIT

Hits: 4
Misses: 3

So, I think that season 4 was the clunkiest season of the show, but it still held it's ground. It's still a totally fun show that I thoroughly enjoy watching (even if Wade does leave his room -__- Sorry, not going to get over that). The characters are strong, the comedy is gold, the plots are entertaining, the action is great, the animation is stellar, and everything is just awesome!

READ MY KIM POSSIBLE POST HERE

Comedic Villains (Top 10)

I've just been in this list-making zone lately.

There's mainly two types of villains in stories: serious and comedic. Of course, they can always be a bit of both, but generally they tend to lean a little towards one or the other. Villains are often one of, if not my favorite aspect in any story. Their motivations, their outfits, their backstories, all of it intrigues me. And whether they're a comedic or a serious villain, I still enjoy one just as much as the other.

However, we are focusing on the comedic aspect in this post.

I love laughing. As much as I appreciate and enjoy the serious and artistic side of things, nothing can beat a good old comedy sometimes. Even with a movie that is not necessarily a comedy, just a small moment that gets a giggle out of me… those are the moments I live for. The villains in these movies/books/TV shows are the best! In comedies, everything is exaggerated and over the top, so of course, the villain is the most over the top.

What I really appreciate though are the movies that are not exactly comedies, but they decide to make the villain the most humorous character. Humorous does not always mean stupid or weak, but just… funny and/or enjoyable (though occasionally it does mean stupid or weak as proven by my list, but sometimes that's the point).

Anyways, my top 10 comedic villains (in no particular order):

Hades from Disney's Hercules

Well of course he is on my list. He is often one of the first guys to pop into people's heads when you think "funny villain". And why not? With that mouth that moves at the speed of light, spurting out jokes and insults faster than you can hear them. And the way he can just blow his top at any moment, literally exploding with rage. It's hilarious!
Did you know that when he was originally written, he was supposed to be a much more ominous, menacing villain? Even all the way through final drafts, that was his character. But then James Woods came and auditioned, he put a whole new spin on the character and the writers loved it. They even rewrote a large majority of his lines to make them funnier and wittier just for him.

Dark Helmet from Spaceballs

Our first villain from an actual comedy. Naturally, everything in this film is hilarious, being a comedy and all, but I think Dark Helmet might be the best part. Spaceballs (if you don't know) is a spoof on all major space/sci-fi films and TV shows, mostly Star Wars, and Dark Helmet is the characterization of Darth Vader. Darth Vader is originally this large, ominous villain with a threatening presence and a deep, murderous voice. So replacing that with tiny Rick Moranis in a giant helmet is flat out hilarious! The way he screams and whines, and still manages to be intimidating to his crew somehow. The comedy of it is that you wonder how someone like that ever gained so much power.

Megamind from Megamind

This movie is ingenious! If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. Don't be put off because it's animated, it is actually quite good. It asks the question: "What would happen if the villain actually won?". Megamind is labeled as a "bad guy", but does that make him a bad guy? But that's off topic…
He is a supervillain and he is totally hilarious! He's given so many character quirks. The way he mispronounces everything "shool" or "melONcholy". His understatements, "we're having the walls and ceilings removed". And so much more. The movie itself is filled with unforgettable quotes and they all revolve around the main character.

Dr. Drakken from Kim Possible

The best TV show from my childhood, hands down! Dr. Drakken was the main antagonist (though there were many). A mad scientist with crazy and elaborate schemes. He could build anything, invent anything! The thing that made him rather comedic was that his schemes were usually too elaborate or too outrageous. For example, he decides he's going to take over the world using brainwashing shampoo, but is unable to sell it on account that he markets it with his face on it and the label "lather, rinse, and obey". So he decides he's going to make people want to buy it by writing a song, since people will buy anything with an awesome song attached to it (he ends up rapping XD). He's also very bumbling and clumsy, usually having his sarcastic sidekick, Shego, do the physical work. He's like a child with too big a brain, and it's totally hilarious!

Joker from Batman

If you know me, you know this is actually my favorite villain of all time. (I might have to do a separate blog post for him sometime.)
Alright, this character is a little more complicated than a flat-out "funny" villain. It sort of depends on what version you're talking about too. Some versions are more funny than others. The most popular idea of the Joker is that he is a clownish, murderous, psychopath with a sense of humor. While I do enjoy the dark side of him (not because he's hurting people, just for the poetry of it and diving into his psyche), I love his comedic side. I love his banter with Batman. He is actually quite witty and very smart, even if it sometimes translates into wild laughter and insane schemes. Batman once said of him, "the Joker's plans make no sense to anybody, but himself". I think that about sums him up.

Captain Hook from Hook

Although the Hook from Disney's Peter Pan is also very funny, I've decided to concentrate on this version. I remember watching this movie as a kid and it sort of freaked me out. It didn't scare me per say, but I didn't really like it. Hook in particular was a bit unsettling for me as a child. So I suppose, the movie did its job. Captain Hook is not supposed to be loved by kids.
Watching it now, I adore this flick! It's whimsical, it's fun, it's adventurous, and most of all, hecka funny! Dustin Hoffman steals the show as Captain James Hook. His stupid laugh, his outrageous wig, that ridiculous outfit, "I hate I hate I HATE Peter Pan!".

Mr. Crocker from Fairly Odd Parents

It's been so long since I've watched this show, but I do remember this guy. He's the teacher who was always trying to steal Timmy's fairy god parents. In the show, adults are unaware of the existence of fairy god parents because once they hit a certain age, their beliefs sort of… disappear. Like Santa Clause and stuff. However, Mr. Crocker once had fairy god parents, but they were ferociously taken away from him at an early age and he was unable to be fully brain wiped. So he became obsessed with proving their existence.
This show is so bizarrely awesome and Crocker is no exception. I will always remember him spazzing out every time he says "Fairy! God! Parents!". He's so obsessed with proving that Timmy has fairies, but what makes him funny is that he's SO obsessed with it. What he goes through… I'm surprised he never got arrested over the years (actually, I think he might've. I can't remember). Also, it's hilarious how he'll be deducing that something might have been conjured by fairies, but looking at all the wrong clues. (ex: a giant birthday bash with a famous band present. He gets suspicious not because of the band, but because the icing on the cake is homemade. "Nobody makes homemade frosting anymore. This must be the work of… Fairy! God! Parents!")

Deadpool from 'Marvel Comics'

Sometimes a hero, sometimes a villain, sometimes both. Deadpool is unpredictable. What you can predict though is that he will always be hilarious! "The Merc with a Mouth", this guy always has something to say. Whether it be insults, commentary on the situation, breaking the fourth wall to point out something to the audience, a compliment, a complaint, anything! And it drives people crazy. As I said, he breaks the fourth wall to speak to the audience, just to comment the situation. He is famous for that. He does it a lot, and it's pretty funny.
He has a healing factor that basically makes him immortal, he's also a bit lose in the head (look up his background for the full story), so he just goes out and does whatever he wants, not caring. He loses a limb, doesn't matter, he'll get another one. Shot? Who cares! So he can get into the most ridiculous of situations and then handle them in even more ridiculous ways.

Ratigan from Disney's The Great Mouse Detective

Voiced by Vincent Price, you have to love him! I would not say he's a hilarious villain like a lot of the others on my list, but he is certainly enjoyable. I love how he just tip-toes around, so gleeful about everything he does, "I love it when I'm nasty!". The sophisticated villains are just as fun to watch as the psycho ones. His little giggles throughout his performance are what make it so enjoyable and funny. The way he hides his inner-monster, with it just bursting at the seams at some moments is both terrifying and sort of funny at the same time, "I'M NOT A RAT!!!".

Yzma from Disney's The Emperor's New Groove

This movie is gold from start to finish! Yzma fills her role perfectly as the evil advisor who wants to take over the throne by any means necessary. "Scary beyond all reason" and "living proof that dinosaurs once roamed the earth", she has quite the design too. What is really funny though are her scenes with her sidekick, Kronk, and the way they play off each other. The crazy, power-hungry old woman with a friendly, dim-witted boy scout. Everyone knows about her "secret lab" and it's two levers. And who could forget her plan to kill the emperor? "I'll turn him into a flea, a harmless little flea. Then, I'll put that flea in a box, then I'll put that box inside another box, then I'll mail that box to myself. And when it arrives… I'LL SMASH IT WITH A HAMMER!!!"

Musicals (Top 5)

I love musicals. Anytime people can just randomly burst out into song and dance is alright in my book. But there is something about certain musicals where you're just like "YES!!!" whereas others you're just like "meh". What is it?
I'll tell you what it is. The music is catchy, the costumes are awesome, the actors are amazing and have fantastic voices, the choreography is breathtaking. Then of course the story has to be riveting and entertaining, and the songs must be entwined seamlessly into it. The songs have to help move the story along and/or express how the characters are feeling. They cannot be randomly thrown in just because.

So I have come up with my top 5 favorite musicals (excluding Disney):

5) Singin' In the Rain

I love this movie!
The story centers around a silent movie star, Don Lockwood, as his film studio makes the transition from silent movies into "talkies".
I enjoy the comedy, witty writing, and particularly Don's ditzy and screechy costar, Lina Lamont. The tap dancing in this film is phenomenal, nigh on hypnotizing. I think the musical numbers are more focused on showing off the footwork and less on the songs themselves (not necessarily a bad thing). There is a dance number included with literally every single song. The sets and costumes are amazing and all the actors have incredible voices. The reason I put it so low on my list is because most of the songs are a bit random. There's an entire sequence about ten minutes long where you're just sitting there watching like, "what on earth is happening?". If you've seen the movie, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. It's such a tangent from the rest of the film and has no relevance whatsoever. There's a couple songs and scenes like that, where if you simply cut them, you would never notice.
Other than that, I adore the movie. Even with the strange, random song sequences, I love it (and I think those songs just adds to its charm). "What a glorious feeling I'm having again!"

"Moses Supposes"

4) Into the Woods

I've only recently become acquainted with this one. I had heard about it and listened to some of the music, but I had never actually seen it until a few months back… And I loved it!
It's a sort of mashup of many of the classic fairytales (Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel) as they journey into the woods for different purposes, crossing paths along the way. There's also a baker and his wife attempting to create a spell for a witch which requires ingredients from each of these characters.
I really enjoy the entwining of the fairytales. Even with the unexpected turn it takes halfway through the play, it still manages to be entertaining. The story is one of those "after happily ever after" stories, which people do not always enjoy. For some people, it might take some getting used to, but I really appreciate what was done. The comedy, when there is some, is hilarious (for it is a mostly serious play, I think). Then, of course, the music is absolutely brilliant! I'm always singing about "the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, the slipper as pure as gold".

Part of "Prologue/Into the Woods" (from the 2014 film)

3) Music Man

Other than Disney films, I think this was probably the first musical I was ever introduced to. (I'm talking about the 1962 movie version, but any version is great!)
It is about a conman who comes to the small town of River City, Iowa with the intent to convince them that he will organize their sons into a boys marching band with instruments and uniforms and himself as the leader. Then before he actually teaches them any music, he will skip town with the money.
I think the music is what I enjoy most about this play. It's just classic, old-fashioned music. None of this diaphragm singing and vocal riffs. They're cute little songs that are fun to sing along with. Then of course, the choreography is flat-out awesome!
The actors are all brilliant and perfect in their roles, but the real showstopper is Robert Preston as Professor Harold Hill (our conman). He has the perfect balance of charm, charisma, wit, and is smooth as silk. This show is a must see! "Ya got trouble, folks! Right here in River City!"

"Marian the Librarian"

2) Little Shop of Horrors

I have so much love for this musical!
It's about a man who works in a failing flower shop, but comes across a strange and unusual plant and suddenly becomes successful and famous because of it. However, he can only keep that fame if he continues to feed the plant which lives off a very peculiar substance… human blood!
It's such a messed up story, but by golly, it has THE catchiest music! It's a sort of 60's "doo-wop" style music which you would not expect to go with the story I just described. The writers could have totally gone in a different direction and made it a dark and serious story about a killer plant and the guy who goes out and kills people to feed it (and the guy's inner turmoil as he does so). There could have been a lot of dark and passionate songs, and it probably could have been great. However, they instead chose to give it more of an upbeat tone… And I really sort of enjoy it. It's still interesting to watch the main character begin to lose himself and torment himself as he does these horrible things, but it's done differently than you would normally see it done.
And in the movie, they change the ending to a much happier one, but you know what? I sort of prefer the original. I find it more poetic and frankly, it makes a little more sense.
And of course the music! I'm always humming these songs. "Feed me, Seymour. Feed me all night long."

"Prologue (Little Shop of Horrors)" (from 1989 film)

1) Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Yes, yes, and YES! Best musical EVER!
It's the story of Joseph from the bible told in musical form. Starting from when he is sold by his brothers until he is made ruler over Egypt.
It's the music. It's all about the music! Every single song is catchy and flawless. The musical itself has pretty much no talking. It's just one song into another. There's basically every style of music included in this musical that you can think of (country, reggae, Charleston, Elvis, disco, etc.) and all of them are amazing! Never will I tire of them!
I've always loved the story of Joseph. It's so inspiring to watch him go from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs. Unfortunately, the musical cuts out any reference to God, but it is still inspiring to see him remain optimistic and persevere through his trials. Then add on fun characters, costumes, sets, and breath-taking musical numbers and you've got one heck of an entertaining musical.
(And of course if we're talking about the 1999 version, then Donny Osmond's voice is like chocolate to the ears). "Any dream will do."

"Joseph's Coat" (from the 1999 film)

***EDIT***

Bumping Singin' In the Rain out and pushing Into the Woods back into 5th place…

4) Legally Blonde the Musical

I've only recently discovered this which is why it's under "edit", but I have completely fallen in love with it!

Based on the movie, it's about sorority girl, Elle Woods, after she is dumped by her boyfriend to pursue a more "serious" career and relationship. She follows him to Harvard law school, sticking out like a sore, very pink thumb. As she fails to win back her boyfriend, she begins to discover that perhaps there is more to life than pursuing love and that she is capable of so much more than being just a pretty face.

I've always loved the movie with morals like "be true to yourself" and "girl power" and "you can be a girly girl and still get stuff done". Although there are a few changes, the musical sticks to the original story and spirit pretty well. I always said that Emmett needed a slightly bigger role in the movie… and in the musical, wouldn't you know they gave him one? I was very happy about that. The songs are super fun and catchy, I'm always finding myself humming one of them. There's some definite powerful vocals involved, then there's some fun dance ones, slow and powerful ones, workout-type ones, motivational ones, even some Irish dancing. The comedy is great, the story is interesting, the characters are fun, I love it all! "Omigosh! Omigosh, you guys! If there ever was a perfect couple, this one qualifies. Omigosh!"

"There! Right There! (Gay or European)"

Pet Peeves from Togo's

I have picked up many pet peeves since I've been working at Togo's. Since many people are so entertained by my "Story Time"s on FaceBook, I thought you might be just as entertained by what what spurs on many of those typical encounters that make me just:

Paying for a $6.00 purchase with $100 bill
There's a couple reasons for this 1) I don't like counting change 2) It completely clears out our registers. However, I get particularly annoyed when people come in first thing in the morning with their $100 bills when our registers are practically empty. So if my boss is there, I have to go into the back and have him give me change. But if he's not around, then I have to open every single register and pray there's enough change combined to give them. THEN I have to make a note of how much money I removed from the other registers so that it can be replaced later. Then of course after all that, there's the added issue that there might not be enough change for other customers later. It's all just one giant hassle and I am left thinking, "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST PAY WITH YOUR CARD OR SOMETHING????".
I have a regular customer who comes in at least once a week and does this. He actually seeks me out and laughs "hey! I'm back! Ready to ring me up?" because he knows it annoys me. I'm always like "haha!" on the outside, but I don't think he realizes how much I'm actually fuming on the inside. I've asked him why he always pays with the hundred and he tells me it's all he carries. So I asked him what happens to all the change I give him, and he told me he gives it to his kids. -___- Really? So every time you go to the bank, you ONLY ever get $100 bills and come HERE to break them, and then give everything else away? Whatever. Joke's on him though, because one day I might not be able to give him his change and he won't be able to get his sandwich.

"I have the three cents"
I just want to punch these customers in the face. Let's say a customer's total is $12.03, so I tell them and they hand me a $20 bill. I punch the amount into the cash register and just as it dings and opens, the customer says "oh, I have the three cents". -______- No you don't. Keep your stupid three cents. I've already put the amount in the register. The issue here is that I now have to do the math and figure out what change to give them without the aid of the register. There is no calculator on the register, so it's all manual in my head. I CAN'T DO THAT!!! I flunked all my math classes first time around! I wouldn't mind if these people offered their "three cents" BEFORE I punched in the numbers, but it's always after everything's processed. I mean, sometimes it's sot so bad. Like the three cents thing is whatever. It's just three pennies, I can do the math without too much hassle. But the major issue comes when they say "I have the three cents" and then hand me a dime. What. The. Heck!?!?!! Just stop confusing me! Or bigger problems if the total's $17.67 and they give me two cents. Argh! Why???

Ordering soup at the end
Why do people have to do this ALL THE TIME!?!?!! I think it's because they assume that we already have it heated up and it's like "oh yes let me just scoop some out for you. Easy-peasy!". No, no. We are not Panera, we are a slight step above a fast-food joint. We make things in the moment.
The reason this annoys me so much is because it slows everything down. And just the way they throw it out there, just when I think everything is done and I'm headed to the cash register (or even AT the cash register), they suddenly say "can I also get a soup?". Argh! Why!? So now I have to go and get the soup from the fridge, scoop it out, heat it up for about 2 minutes, scoop it into a bowl, and depending on if it's to go or not, put a lid on it and put it in a bag. You see, if they would just tell me they wanted a soup at the start, I could easily go start heating it up while I make the rest of the order. Then it would be ready by the time I'm ringing them up. But nooooo! It's always at the end. Like an after thought or a side dish. Like a cookie or chips. "Would you like chips or drinks?" "No. But I would like a soup." -____- That's not the same thing!

Pastrami sandwiches
Now there's a couple things all revolving around this sandwich. The main one is similar to the ordering soup at the end. People always order their pastrami sandwiches last! For crying out loud, no! Please just tell me you have a pastrami so that I can heat up the meat while I make the other sandwiches. If you're concerned about the meat becoming soggy on the bread, just tell me and I will make sure I put it on at the very last, but whatever you do, DON'T order the sandwich last! It just wastes time!
The other annoyance comes when people have a large order of at least three sandwiches that include more than one pastrami. That's not annoying within itself. It gets annoying when the person orders the sandwiches individually and doesn't bother to categorize them, or tell you that there will be more than one pastrami. To be clear and give an example: a guy comes in, "I would like a six-inch pastrami" so I put the meat in and make the sandwich then ask if he has anything else. "Yes, I would like a six-inch number 24". So I make it and ask if he wants anything else. "Yes, I want another six-inch pastrami". A little annoyed, I go heat up some more meat and make the sandwich, then ask him if there's anything else. "Yes, I want a nine-inch pastrami". Now extremely annoyed, I go for the third time to heat up meat and make the sandwich. Do you see what I mean? If the guy would just tell me at the start that he had a couple pastramis, I would have been able to heat up all the meat at once and cut out a lot of precious time and energy.

Toasting it
This one REALLY gets to me! Let me explain something; if you look at our menu, you will see that there is a special section labeled, "Toasted Sandwiches". Those are the only sandwiches that come toasted. If you want a sandwich that is not on that list to be toasted, you have to ASK. Togo's is not Subway, it is not routine to ask if you want the sandwich toasted before we start making it. If it comes toasted, we toast it. If not, then we won't unless you specifically tell us to. With that said, I'll begin…
I don't care if people want their sandwiches toasted, what DOES bother me is their timing. Most people with common sense will ask at the beginning before I've started to make it or just as I'm starting if I would toast it. But then every once in a while I get this numbskull who asks at the very end just as I'm wrapping it, or even after they've paid and sat down. They will ask if I would toast it. I will honestly stare at them, then at the sandwich blankly for a long moment. I still can't figure out why people make this request. I often assume they don't understand what's at stake, so I'll explain the situation by starting with, "you want it toasted with all the produce?". If they say yes, I'll point out that our toaster is a press and not an oven like Subway's (because I know some weird people like their produce heated up *coughs Mom*). Most people back off by then. But then there are a few people who still insist that I toast it. So I'll ask again if they want it with all the stuff on it. Either a "yes" or a "no" is irritating, but "no" is worse because then I have to take everything off, toast it, then put it all back on. I have had people get angry at me because I didn't ask them beforehand. May I refer you back to my statement at the top? Argh!

Ordering everything at once
This happens way too much! People always come up and just start spurting our their orders, then expect me to remember it. I'm usually pretty good with remembering just one sandwich (ex: "I'll have a six-inch turkey avocado on wheat, with just mayo, no onions, no tomatoes, and extra pickles"). That I can handle. What I can't handle is when people come in with two or more sandwiches and just ramble it all out at once. THEN they expect me to remember everything and treat me like an idiot if I ask them to repeat. I don't get how people think that I will remember all this. It just confirms my theory that people believe that we are robots programmed to serve and never make mistakes. Even more annoying is when someone orders a sandwich, and I'll bend down to get the bread or turn around to heat up the meat or whatever AND THEY KEEP TALKING! What the heck? Just wait a minute! I'm not in the position to listen and obviously I'm not actually making your sandwich at this moment, just hold your horses! I'll even walk away down the counter and they'll still be trying to order. Like GET A CLUE!
Even worse, I'll be trying to make a sandwich and I'll be halfway through it, trying to remember all what they wanted on it, then they'll suddenly start ordering the next one without me prompting them. Then I'll get all mixed up with all the new words and forget what I was supposed to put on the sandwich I am currently working on. Why people? WHY!?!!

Not telling me the bread
Sort of in the same category as the last one except this one happens on a daily basis. People always come in and will start spurting out their orders, but won't tell me the bread. And I literally cannot do anything without knowing what bread they want it on. So I just have to stand there until they shut up for a second and I can ask them. I've finally gotten better at just cutting them off. Most people are fine and will just be like "oh! Yes, I'll have the white". But every once in a while I get the high and mighty idiot (usually the one who has the huge order and is trying to give me everything at once) who is just rambling on and on and never bothers to give me the bread. Then I finally ask and completely forget everything they said and have to ask them to repeat everything else and they get all snooty.

Talking on the phone
People need to just… not. They come in all "yabber yabber yabber!" on their phones and there's a couple reasons this annoys me too. The main reason though is when they're at the counter and I'm trying to take their order, I just don't know how to talk to them. Like, do I interrupt? I feel like I'm just standing there like "uuuhhhhhh…". Ugh! Just for two minutes could you hang up? Seriously, we may not be so high-class, but we're not McDonald's! You have to interact with us! We have questions, you have to talk to us! These are often the people who spurt out their orders.

"The other Togo's"
The ultimate annoyance! The mother of all pet peeves! As soon as I hear this, I will hate you. You immediately become my enemy with no redemption.
The situation: People will get upset about something such as they were charged for cheese, and they will hit us with: "well the other Togo's doesn't charge for cheese!". -___- Good for the other Togo's. Why don't you go there if it's so grand? You're at this Togo's where we DO charge for cheese. What are they expecting? "Oh the OTHER Togo's doesn't charge for cheese? Well by golly gee! We'd better stop charging then! Thanks for showing us the error of our ways, you good citizen you!"
The thing I don't understand about a lot of their claims (such as the cheese thing) is that they are most likely mistaking. All Togo's are supposed to charge for cheese, it's a corporate thing. So either that person didn't realize they were charged, the other Togo's forgot to ring it up, or they got a sandwich that actually came with cheese. We have lots of claims like this where it's a corporate rule we're following, but apparently the "other Togo's" doesn't follow it.
(And if you're wondering, the "other Togo's" ranges to pretty much any other Togo's in existence. Sometimes the customer specifies, sometimes they don't. More often than not, it's our neighbor on First Street.)

Shorts (Top 10)

Short cartoons used to be huge back when animation was a new thing, unfortunately over the years live-action became the more popular type of video entertainment and short anything just wasn't "in" anymore. But then we began to discover a new form of animation called CGI. Particularly one company explored it, Pixar Animation Studios. They experimented with this new-found animation by making a short film, The Tin Toy (which later inspired them to make the first full length CGI film, Toy Story).

Since The Tin Toy, Pixar has made so many other shorts and full length movies using CGI. Other studios have caught on to the use of CGI, and the animation and effects have improved vastly. It's amazing! Now, it's a common thing for Pixar and Disney to put a short film before their full length movies. I always look forward to the short just as much as the actual movie. I love the animation, the stories, the music, the creativity, and so on.

Here I have complied a list of my top ten (from both Disney and Pixar):

10) Day and Night

This one came out in 2010 with Toy Story 3. I just really like the animation in it. I like how the two characters (Night and Day) look 2-D, but the background is 3-D. Then just the way they jump around and it switches every time. It's sort of hard to describe, but I love how it looks. I like thinking about all the different, fun/amazing things there are to see and do in the night and the day. It's a very creative idea. I love the sunset/sunrise at the end that just completes the short in a full circle.

9) Lava

The most recent short that came out with Inside-Out. I found the concept sort of… odd. A volcano in love? But I was able to move past it because of the catchy little song on the ukelele. What really blew me away though was the animation. Wow! Especially when the "times goes by" and you see the clouds rolling past. It's incredible! "Someone to lava" XD.

8) Lifted

This one came out in 2006 with Ratatouille (I remember because I thought that the guy in the bed was Linguini). This one cracks me up because I just love some good slapstick. Whether you're laughing at the poor alien trying to pass his "driver's" test, or the other alien who's just sitting there like -___- with his clipboard, or the guy in the house who's getting whipped around like a rag doll and still somehow never wakes up. It's such a hilarious setup.

7) Geri’s Game

A classic. It came out in 1997 with A Bug's Life. The animation is not so superb compared to the others since it's one of the earlier ones, and the idea isn't such an original one, but I still really like it. It's so cleverly edited that it actually seems like there are two different people. Unlike a lot of versions of this set up where it's one person playing against himself, you don't see him going back and forth (once it's established what he's doing). It's funny how he creates two completely different characters by taking off his glasses for one of them. I just find it very entertaining.

6) For the Birds

This one was released in 2000 with Monsters Inc. It totally cracks me up and I'm not entirely sure why. All it is is a few birds sitting on a telephone wire and snubbing a giant goofy looking bird. I guess it's just the stupid squeaky sounds that the birds make, you can't help, but laugh at it.

5) Tangled Ever After

The first sequel-short to be released in 2012 with the release of Beauty and the Beast 3-D. I was so excited for this one because I am a HUGE fan of Tangled, and I was so looking forward to seeing Rapunzel and Flynn/Eugene's wedding. I was not disappointed in the least. I loved all the little details in there, I don't think I could list them all. The main plot was great too with the slapstick as we followed Max and Pascal as they chased the rings through the kingdom. Very funny and entertaining! "Those were my grandmother's wedding rings!" "The kingdom is lost!" *castle explodes*

4) Frozen Fever

With the mind-blowing success of Frozen, of course Disney was going to make a short for it like they did for Tangled. It was released in 2015 with the live-action version of Cinderella. We were not disappointed. I loved it! I loved the super catchy song, the little snowgies were pretty creative, and actually giving Jonathan Groff a moment to shine (even if it was just for a moment), it just makes you think "dang! Why doesn't he sing more often?". (Maybe a SPOILER?: and I laughed SO hard at the snowball hitting Hans).

3) Boundin’

This one came out in 2003 with The Incredibles. I don't even know where they would have got this idea, but I love it! The tap-dancing dancing sheep, I crack up every time. And how it's all in rhyme and goes with the music. I cannot! It's too awesome! A jackalope? What even? And the the sheep! (I said that didn't I?) But seriously! It's too hilariously awesome!

2) Get a Horse!

This one came out with Frozen in 2013. I loved that Disney got back to its roots with an old Mickey Mouse cartoon. But what I was more impressed with was the animation. Yes! Wow! Especially at the part where they keep running in and out of the screen in a circle, so it keeps changing from 2-D and black and white to 3-D and color super fast. And how they play with the screen; rewind, replay, upside-down, etc. it's genius! I love how true they stay to the animation of the super old Mickey cartoons, even when they're outside the screen. Did you know that all the dialogue is from the actual old cartoons? Nothing new was recorded. So that's actually Walt Disney doing Mickey's voice. :D

1) Paperman

My all-time favorite! This one came out in 2012 with Wreck-It Ralph. Everything about this short is incredible! It's traditional 2-D animation over 3-D CGI, so it gives it such an interesting look. I love that it's black and white and silent, giving you more focus on the animation, the story, and the music (I will get to that in a moment). I love the sweet and simple story. It draws you in and you become so invested despite the fact that nobody talks in such a short amount of time. That is hard to do. Most of all, I love the music! Ahh! It is SO amazing! Magical, sweet, uplifting… it completely sets the tone of the short. I will sometimes just watch it when I'm having a bad day to make myself feel better. It does not disappoint.

Success

I am in a bit of a dark place in my life right now. I feel like I am at a crossroads in my life with so many paths I could take which could lead to such different things. It's scary choosing a path, and a bit stressful. The fear of failure, the fear of the unknown, the fear of "what if I make the wrong choice?", and so many others.

So many people have different conceptions of what "success" is. It appears that I am sitting here at home, seemingly not moving forward, so these people around me (usually older people) try to prompt me with what their idea of moving forward and being successful is. A college degree is the most common denominator. Any time someone hears I'm not in school, the first question out of their mouth is "why not?". Or if not, you can just see it burning in their eyes.

I know that a college degree can get you far in life, most successful people have one. And believe me, I have seen those applications for the higher paying jobs, "must have degree in (whatever field)". So I understand why people think that I should be in school. However, what I don't appreciate is the judgement and the pushing of their beliefs on me. I can just SEE it every time someone finds out I'm not in school. They assume I'm sitting around doing nothing, not bettering myself. It's as if going to school is the ONLY way you can do something with your life, and I find it rather irritating.

Since my goals don't match up with my mentors; and acquaintances', I kind of feel like they're living through me, like they regret doing or not doing something so they want to fix it through me. While it's not exactly a bad thing for the older generation to advise the younger, there is a limit. Times and ideas change, and people lead their own lives and make their own mistakes. It's how we learn.

It's a rather long, kind of depressing story why I left school which you can read HERE in full. I was going to go on a mission, but then that went down the tubes for the same reason. It seemed that absolutely nothing was going right for me. Every time I chose a path at my crossroads, I would have to take a U-turn and would end up right back at the beginning. So, I've been stuck at my crossroads for a while, just working at Togo's and doing pretty much nothing (as people assumed), feeling useless and undirected. One night, I did actually kneel down and pour out my heart to the Lord. At this point, I had been writing in my book for a month or so, already determined to finish it, but after I said that prayer, I got this feeling that I needed to finish it. That that was what I had to do. It was not an overwhelming, hit-you-over-the-head feeling or anything like people often describe, but it just felt so... right.

Ever since then, I was more determined than ever. There have been set-backs and I've had lots of inner-turmoil. "What if it's not good enough? What if it doesn't get accepted? What if this is all for not? What will I do then? I'll be right back where I started again". But I try not to let those thoughts get me down and try to remember that out of all those paths at my crossroads, this was the only one I ever had even  an inkling of a feeling about.

People around me don't help. While lots of them are impressed and will make comments like "oh make sure I get a signed copy when it comes out" or something, I will sometimes get those comments, "ooh, that's tough. Do you realize how difficult it is to get a book published?" or "good for you, going against those college graduate writers". Really? Bringing up the degree again? Just... argh! Some of the best writers never went to school! I just take it as the adversary trying to draw me away from my goal. Whatever's at the end of it all, I don't know. All I know is that this is what I should be doing.

I apologize for this sort of rant-y post, but I had to put my thoughts out there.

Nostalgia Critic

"I remember it so you don't have to."

Has anyone ever watched those amateur movie/book/TV critics who post their opinions on YouTube? Where they just sit and rant at the camera for 5+ minutes about how much they loved or hated the thing they're reviewing. Most are... eehhh, kind of annoying and don't have very solid opinions and just aren't worth watching. They don't really give you any reason to watch/read what they're talking about other than they "loved it" and "it was so great". However, a couple years ago, I came across a guy who does none of that. He calls himself the Nostalgia Critic (aka Doug Walker). Granted, he can be a little annoying in terms of his crazy rants (if you don't like that kind of thing, but I find them kind of funny), but he always makes excellent points. He is never just talking about how much he loves/hates a movie, he actually points out what makes it so good or bad. From sets, to acting, to cliches, to directing, to CGI, to music, to plot, to everything. It makes me think a lot about what makes a good movie: interesting characters and a developing plot mainly, but then awesome action and boss effects are definitely essential (but you have to still keep everything else interesting if you want your picture to float).

His main focus is on older "nostalgic" movies and shows, but he sometimes reviews new movies that have come out (mostly if they're horrifically bad). Most of his reviews has him going over the plot step by step and pointing out the major flaws and strengths as he reaches them. Each segment is reviewed with lots of sarcasm and mockery which is why I enjoy it so much, it matches my own dry humor. He will often have his own little clever way of making the review interesting (a running gag, a skit, a counter, etc). For example: when he was reviewing Jupiter Ascending he kept a "Sci-Fi Rip-Off" counter in the corner because he claimed there were too many to count and cut back and forth every time he saw one.
Or when he was reviewing Godzilla (1998) he kept intentionally saying the main character's name wrong because it was so ridiculous, and every time he did, he would show a clip of the character introducing himself, and then say "yeah whatever!".

He's so engaging, I even like watching him rip apart movies I enjoy or have never seen before. And I have to admit, he brings up legitimately good points. There are some movies that I didn't like, but I could never quite pinpoint why (Mamma Mia! and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland). But then after watching his review, I realized, "YES! Exactly! It's in words!"

The thing I appreciate about his reviews is that he is very honest. So that means he's not afraid to admit when something is bad or when something is good when necessary. He could be watching the most horrible movie ever made and will still point out if there is something good. Like in The Master of Disguise-- the worst comedy ever made, he admits that the running fart joke actually makes him giggle, even though the rest of it is completely awful. Or in Moulin Rouge (a movie he despises), he admits he actually likes a scene and points out its strengths. Or when he is raving over a how much he loves something, he will admit that there may be flaws and sometimes confesses he might be biased.

A couple things I have picked up on from his videos:
1) He HATES Moulin Rouge
2) He has a thing for Catherine Zeta-Jones
3) He likes movies that stick to real life
4) He is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle nut
5) He hates Randy Newman

He also makes lists of his top 11... whatever. Top 11 theme songs, saddest moments, scariest performances, and so on ("why top 11? Because I like to go one step beyond"). This is actually how I discovered him in the first place. I think it might've been his top 11 animated villains video.

There's also editorials where he addresses questions like "can hype ruin a good movie?" or "why is nothing original anymore?" or "is Twilight actually the worst thing ever?", which are actually very well thought out and interesting.

His videos have good effects and editing, and he has solid opinions with backup (even if you don't agree with him). I say he is worth checking out. However, the one downfall is that he swears a lot, so I'd recommend searching the censored channel if you are offended by that. Just search "nostalgia critic censored" and stuff will pop up. Unfortunately, not every single one of his videos are posted there, but a large majority are.

So, anyways, other than that one downside, I'd recommend him. He's thoroughly entertaining and engaging, brings up good points, makes you think, brings up fond memories, and is hilarious.


This is one of my favorite reviews, Quest for Camelot. Even if you've never seen or even heard of this movie, it's still hilarious to watch. "Explain, movie! EXPLAAAAIN!!!!!". (Believe it or not, Quest for Camelot was watched by many children in the 90's).: