Rants:
Spotify Shuffle: When listening to music, I broaden my taste by using the shuffle feature on Spotify. However, one will quickly discover this feature is insanely unhelpful and annoying. I specifically remember playing the song Smooth Operator by Sade and using the shuffle feature to find more smooth jazz and soul music, but instead, the next song that was played was Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with Espresso, but it does not fall in the same genre or even remotely relate to the song Smooth Operator! This pattern of playing niche songs that fall into a certain category and pressing the shuffle option has constantly led to “pay-to-listen” songs. Whenever I play a certain song that’s by a small artist, the shuffle option leads me to something that’s currently trending on social media. Not that there’s anything wrong with those songs, but when these songs are the only thing that plays after I shuffle, it quickly dries them out and makes them not enjoyable. Spotify, do better!
Adjustable weights: Imagine you’re incredibly focused on a workout, putting in extra effort to get that last rep. Then, instead of actually resting on your rest period, you have to unscrew the nut, put or remove some weight, and screw the nut back on. That’s happened to me too many times to count, and it’s incredibly frustrating. I’m trying to get through a workout with ease, but adjusting the weights makes my workout a hassle instead of an enjoyable session.
Mean co-workers: Honestly, it’s not that hard to be a good co-worker– it takes communication and doing the bare minimum of being nice. But, at my workplace, there are so many mean co-workers! Negative co-workers are always chastising your every move and acting like they’re above you. It’s more annoying if they’re not even a manager– you don’t even have the authority to boss me around! Moreover, when you ask these co-workers questions, they automatically get mad and don’t even attempt to help you. Especially when they’re way older than you and picking fights with you when you simply inquire about something– they lack basic empathy and it frustrates me to an unimaginable extent. If you want a how-to guide on being miserable, ask a mean co-worker–or don’t, they might be even meaner.
Raves:
Christmas music: There’s something so special about Christmas music– it’s enjoyable every season. No other music genre compares; it’s festive, jovial, and nostalgic all at once. Whenever I listen to Christmas music, I constantly have a fuzzy feeling of warmth and happiness, taken back to my childhood on a cold winter’s day. Don’t believe me? Just listen to Last Christmas by Wham! You’ll immediately feel the Christmas cheer, but you could still listen to it on a nice warm summer’s day and it still wouldn’t feel out of place. Regardless, listening to Christmas music and doing any activity makes it more special–especially when it’s a nice winter’s day and you’re baking chocolate chip cookies–well, nothing can beat that experience. That’s why I believe Christmas music is one of the best music genres ever created.
Matt Reeves’ The Batman Universe: The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves, is the best comic book adaptation of a superhero movie ever. There’s no other superhero movie that captures the masked vigilante, Bruce Wayne, and his gritty persona of Batman, but also captures how he can be a symbol of hope. Reeves perfectly captures Gotham as well, with stunning cinematography— it’s a harrowing city that’s in dire need of saving. The movie uses excellent storytelling to capture Gotham’s corrupt underbelly and the underclass who suffer under the politician’s hands. Don’t let its nearly 3-hour runtime fool you: it’s a story that holds depth and still incorporates what I believe most directors forget to include about Batman–his detective aspect. I may have watched this movie more times than I care to admit. (Okay, fine I watched it 7 times). Moreover, with the ongoing episodes of The Penguin releasing, Reeves is expanding the world of Gotham with the help of showrunner Lauren LeFranc— adding more depth and story to his universe.
Speedy’s Tacos: Speedy’s Tacos, located on Duane Avenue, is my favorite Mexican restaurant. First, I’d like to talk about hospitality. The workers there are always friendly and kind, improving the food experience. Moreover, the ambiance. It’s incredibly cozy and they play amazing Mexican music which sets the mood when you’re about to eat. Speaking of eating, let’s break down the most important thing about a restaurant–the food. The food is delicious: I order the carne asada (steak) tacos and the carne asada burrito. Both the burritos and tacos have a great crunch when you bite into them, and the carne asada is perfectly cooked. Those items are my go-to’s, but Speedy’s has an array of Mexican cuisine–tostadas, quesadillas, taquitos, etc. Speedy’s is so good that I had to steer myself away from the establishment and take a break from it before I drained my money on their food.
