This coming weekend, Highland Park’s theater department will put on its first play of the school year, ‘Murder on the Orient Express’.
From November 16th to November 18th at 7PM—with an additional Saturday matinee at 2PM—the cast and crew will perform for around two hours, with an intermission occurring halfway through the show, where snacks, merchandise, and beverages will be sold.
Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, is a play written by Ken Ludwig, set in the 1930s. This play follows Hercule Poirot, a famous detective, as he takes a vacation for the first time in years. He boards the Orient Express, excited to finally have a break from his tiresome job. After one night on the train, however, a murder occurs, forcing Poirot to solve the case. Eight potential suspects remain on the train, all with a variety of stories and backgrounds. Could it be one of them? Could it possibly be someone else who snuck onto the train? Watch to find out.
Preparation for performances have been going very well, and as a member of the cast, I can confidently say that this is going to be a great show; potentially more so than our previous fall plays. All the actors are incredibly talented, the tech crew is efficient and hard-working, and the director is absolutely amazing at putting on productions here.
If you’re considering auditioning for future productions, you can find information all over the school and on the hptheatrearts Instagram page. When auditioning for ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, I found a QR code in the school and it brought me to a Google form to sign up for an audition slot after school, and provide information about availability.
In my audition, the director, Nancy Michael, had my group read for different characters in selected scenes from the play. Because the main characters come from different countries, we also were asked to try accents for the audition.
The rehearsal schedule was soon posted in the Theatre’s Schoology group, informing the cast when they would rehearse and who was needed each day. In rehearsals, cast members worked on memorization of the script, blocking, character development, and general scenes.
A week before performances, “tech week” began. This is when lighting, sound, costumes, sets, and every other aspect not added earlier in rehearsal, joins with what’s already been rehearsed.
Now that the fall play is almost over, auditions will soon be held for the winter one acts; eleven of which will be performed over the span of two weekends. If you would like to be involved in cast or crew, contact Nancy Michael.
So, if ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ sounds interesting to you, and you’d like to help support the school’s theater department, I highly recommend attending one of the four performances this coming weekend.
‘Danganronpa’ is a Japanese visual novel video game franchise that is available on consoles such as Playstation, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Linux. Total, there are five official games, a few anime series, manga adaptations, and more.
The first game in the series is ‘Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc’, released in 2010, and is the basis of all the world building and lore. This first game is followed by ‘Danganronpa: Goodbye Despair’, released in 2012, which is then followed by ‘Danganronpa: Killing Harmony’, released in 2017. ‘Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls’ was released in 2014 and takes place in between the first and second games, and finally there is ‘Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp’, a mini game series containing all the characters from throughout the series. In this article, I’ll be covering a small fraction of the basic lore and timeline, in addition to what makes these games so good.
In addition to all these games, there were many anime adaptations of this game, the most important ones being ‘Danganronpa: Despair Arc’, ‘Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope’s Peak High School’, and ‘Danganronpa: Hope Arc’(chronological order). There are more anime adaptations of different aspects of the characters and lore, but these specific three cover a huge part of the lore that is only spoken of in the games, and add on to the end of the second game. If you like knowing the canon events more than interpreting your own ending like me, then you’ll love watching these three arcs after finishing the second game.
‘Danganronpa: Killing Harmony’ is separate from the lore of the first few games, and was added on to the franchise years after the previous games and anime were released. This game holds the same basic plot, but it’s more self-contained and not involved in the overall storyline of ‘Danganronpa’. I do think this game has an amazing atmosphere and some of the best and worst characters throughout the franchise and is worth playing, but it’s more of just an add on to the series instead of an important part.
The whole concept of ‘Danganronpa’ is that there is a class of students at/or from Hope’s Peak Academy, the most prestigious high school in Japan who are forced to fight to the death. In order to be scouted to attend Hope’s Peak, you must be the best in your field of talent, such as baseball or writing. Sixteen students are brainwashed and trapped together, the only way to escape being to get away with murdering a fellow classmate. Once a dead body is found, a trial will begin after a brief investigation time, and if the culprit is discovered, they get executed on the spot. If the culprit is not uncovered, the culprit alone escapes, and the rest of the class is sent to execution. The overall goal is to find out who’s behind these murder games, and how to escape together.
This complex mystery game creates elaborate murders to investigate, and really challenges the player during the trials to piece it all together. Along with the thrilling plot and gameplay, the extensive lore and world building of these games creates an amazing mystery, and every time a new piece is uncovered, more to the overall story is revealed.
One of my favorite parts of the franchise is how it takes many games and anime series to piece it all together. The first ‘Danganronpa’ game can be played as a self-contained game which is better for some people, but if you want to get deep into the lore, playing the second game is essential. In addition to the anime, the game ‘Ultra Despair Girls’ is a great game to play if you want to get into more details of world building and smaller parts of the lore. There’s so much media out there around ‘Danganronpa’, so getting into it really isn’t too hard.
In addition to the wonderful storytelling and lore, the characters in these games are easy to get attached to. Usually, my favorite parts of video games and shows are the characters and their relationships, and there is definitely no exception for this game.
Each character has been scouted to attend Hope’s Peak Academy for their own talent, and that aspect of these characters is very well developed. Of course there are many exceptions as there usually are with anime characters and their strange stereotypes, but overall the good balances out the bad. The protagonists are always underdeveloped at the start to give you that sense of control over your actions and development, yet they’re still their own character with their own story for the player to learn more about.
The hangout scenes and events for all the other students are also interesting, as there’s no character that can be analyzed at surface level. These optional hangouts are a great way to get immersed in the characters, and this creates a more sinister atmosphere as the characters you’re getting attached to could be killed or executed at any turn.
Everything from the elaborate mysteries to the beautiful artwork and backdrops of these games is absolutely wonderful, and I would recommend the ‘Danganronpa’ games to anyone interested in dark story driven games. I’d rate this series overall a 10/10.
Are you looking for a cozy fall treat while the weather is getting colder? This is the recipe for you! The cinnamon swirl cupcake pairs perfectly with the frosting on top. It is very easy to make, and with perfect results, leaving your mouth watering for more.
I chose this recipe because it looked so unbelievably delicious, and was very quick and easy to make at home! I got this recipe from TikTok @sarahkraffty. She has found the perfect recipe for fall. The moist cake with the cinnamon swirl is perfect with the creamy sweet frosting on top.
I had my friends and family try it and they thought it was delicious. They said that it was very moist, and thought it was the perfect amount of cinnamon swirl. Enjoy this sweet treat for fall!
Ingredients for batter:
1 stick of butter (melted)
3⁄4 cups of sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp of vanilla
3⁄4 cup of milk
2 cups of flour
1 3⁄4 tsp of baking powder
A pinch of salt
Ingredients for cinnamon swirl:
3 tbsp of melted butter
1 tsp of cinnamon
1⁄3 cup of brown sugar
Ingredients for frosting:
2 sticks of browned butter
3 cups of powdered sugar
2 tsp of vanilla
2 tsp of cinnamon
4 tsp of heavy whipping cream
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Brown 2 sticks of butter on the stove (cook over low heat and stir until it becomes brown), then freeze for later.
Mix together the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
Mix butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar together in a small bowl.
Line cupcake pans with liners.
Add a small scoop of batter into each cupcake holder, then a small amount of the cinnamon combination, and then take a toothpick and swirl the two together. Repeat once more (or until filled 3⁄4 of the way).
Bake for 22-24mins.
Take your frozen/chilled butter and whip it until smooth. Then add the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and heavy whipping cream into a mixing bowl.
After cupcakes have cooled, pipe frosting onto tops.
The world is open to many opportunities and new beginnings; there’s a lot to see and explore. Most of the world hasn’t been discovered yet, for example the ocean and space. Although just being able to explore new things, like visiting new places, is also important for our health and overall well being.
Traveling is important because it opens our minds to new things. It allows us to learn more about different cultures, languages, beliefs and overall to appreciate diversity. This occurs mostly when traveling out of the country, an example of this is when I went to Mexico. Before that I had never traveled out of the country. Going to Mexico helped me appreciate diversity and understand the social values of the world.
I knew that Mexico was very different from where I lived, although that trip helped me understand so much more. Along with that, without traveling to Mexico I wouldn’t be as comfortable speaking Spanish as I am now. I’ve been learning Spanish since I was young. Before the trip, I wasn’t as comfortable speaking it although after, I understand it much more and have a better understanding. This is a great example of how traveling can be beneficial for opening our minds to new things. It allows for us to open our minds and understand the different ways of living. Along with that, it also helps our minds to understand other people and learn more about each other. It can overall shape new understanding.
Traveling can get expensive at times, especially if you’re planning a trip out of the country or the state. But exploring and traveling doesn’t only mean to explore the world, it can even be what’s around you. There’s many ways to travel and get out of the house besides using an airplane. Nowadays it’s very expensive to book a flight. Whenever a trip is looking too expensive, me and my family love to plan smaller trips. Trips that allow you to get out of the house and take a break without leaving for long periods of time. An example of this is going to a national park or a hiking area. Although vacation wise, even booking a hotel for a couple nights is also a great way to take a vacation without the cost of travel fees.
Not only does traveling allow us to open our eyes to new things, but it also benefits us to open a world of creativity. Being around new things can strengthen mental health. Goabroad.com says that “It can help reduce stress and anxiety and also can offer a sense of adventure and excitement.” After getting used to the same routine and being in our own space, it’s important to be somewhere new and disconnect from your everyday life.
This is one of the main reasons as to why vacations are popular to many people. After a day to day lifestyle, it can often get stressful and people need a break. Being able to look forward to a trip or a vacation is often a lot of help for people during long months. For example, to get through a long winter, it might be helpful to be able to look forward to a vacation at the beginning of the spring.
Overall, it’s important to know more about the world that we live in. Taking breaks and going on adventures is key to balancing a busy lifestyle.
‘Morbius’, directed by Daniel Espinosa, is the latest addition to the ever-expanding Sony Cinematic Universe, which began with ‘Venom’ in 2018. The story is centered around a lesser-known character named Micheal Morbius from the Spider-Man comic books. While it may not be the most groundbreaking or memorable entry into the superhero genre, the film manages to be an entertaining and visually interesting experience for fans of the Marvel franchise.
Jared Leto stars as Dr. Michael Morbius, a brilliant but tormented scientist who suffers from a rare blood disorder. Driven by a desire to find a cure for his disease, he captures dozens of vampire bats, hoping to splice their DNA with his. However, his cure backfires and transforms him into a living vampire. Leto’s performance is convincing if a bit wooden, and his portrayal of Morbius is a bright spot in such a subpar film.
One interesting character dynamic in this movie is the one shared between Morbius himself and the movie’s antagonist, Milo. Morbius and Milo are lifelong friends who met in the same hospital as kids, both suffering from the same blood disease. The two also shared a surrogate father named Emil Nicholas, but Milo feels that Morbius was always the favorite of the two. Morbius grows up to be an intelligent doctor nominated for a Nobel prize, while Milo establishes himself as the rich benefactor to Morbius’ research of vampire bats.
The two take drastically different paths, however, when they both gain vampiric powers from their cure. Milo leans into his new abilities, feeling powerful for the first time in his life, while Morbius is wary and tries to convince Milo to take an antibody. Eventually, Morbius is forced to eliminate his surrogate brother, as he becomes too corrupted and begins to lash out at the human race.
The film’s visual effects are undoubtedly one of its strongest aspects. The transformation sequences, flight scenes, and battles look realistic and add a layer of thrill to the film. The dark, gothic aesthetic of the film is convincing and captures the tone of Morbius’ character and situation very well.
While Leto’s performance is the standout, the supporting cast, including Adria Arjona as Martine Bancroft and Matt Smith as Lucien Crown/Milo, offer support, although some performances are much better than others. Unfortunately, the character development outside of Morbius himself is lacking, leaving the supporting characters feeling ignored by the plot and one-dimensional.
The plot of ‘Morbius’ skims familiar ground, taking some elements from other superhero origin stories. This copy of other stories may disappoint some viewers seeking a more innovative and unique kind of story. Additionally, in some parts, the pacing can be irregular/bumpy at times, with the film struggling to find the right balance between character development and action in most scenes.
Unfortunately though, another one of ‘Morbius’s’ biggest weaknesses is its connection to the bigger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even though it attempts to tie into the Sony Spider Verse and the broader Marvel Universe, it feels forced and is somewhat lacking the spotless integration we’ve come to expect from the Marvel Universe.
‘Morbius’ is a somewhat mediocre addition to the Marvel Universe, with Jared Leto’s performance and the stunning visual effects being its most outstanding features. However, we feel the film falls short in terms of originality and its character development, and its connection to the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe may leave some fans wanting more. It’s worth a watch for the superhero enthusiasts, but it may not leave a lasting impression beyond the initial viewing.
(‘Morbius’ is streaming now on Amazon Video, Apple TV and Netflix)
Fall is the time of year where more holidays and festivities happen, therefore many movies come out this time of year. Throughout the years, a collection of “classic” fall movies has grown. In this article, I will be listing what I think are the top 10 most noteworthy fall movies that everyone should watch at some point.
1. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ is a stop-motion film, and it’s definitely one of my personal favorite movies. It has a very autumnal vibe because of the colors of the ground, trees, and just the lightning overall, which makes it perfect to watch this time of year. It’s a heartwarming and entertaining movie that is sure to leave you with a smile on your face.
2. Coraline (2009) ‘Coraline’ is another stop-motion movie that many people find to be creepy and unsettling. The movie does a great job of continually building up suspense, and it has a great plot. I think many people have split opinions about ‘Coraline’, because some see it as a masterpiece, while others believe it is too scary to be marketed as a PG children’s movie.
3. Hocus Pocus (1993) ‘Hocus Pocus’ is another classic spooky and nostalgic movie. It became extremely popular, and many people will watch it annually as a tradition to celebrate the spooky season. There was even a sequel that was released in 2022 featuring mostly the same cast three decades later.
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ was written by Tim Burton, and it is one of the most favored Halloween/Christmas movies of all time. The storytelling and attention to detail in the movie is what makes it feel so imaginative and well-done. The soundtrack was inspired by popular classic composers that made the movie even more enchanting.
5. Beetlejuice (1988) ‘Beetlejuice’ is another one of Tim Burton’s most famous films. It became so popular that it even turned into a Broadway musical, and it is on tour now. ‘Beetlejuice’ was well liked for it’s memorable songs, impressive performances, and because it was hilarious and over the top,
6. Edward Scissorhands (1990) ‘Edward Scissorhands’ is another Tim Burton film that features Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder. The plot is amazing, and it has both a creepy but magical vibe. I watch it almost every year, and it never gets old because it is one of my favorite movies.
7. Corpse Bride (2005) ‘The Corpse Bride’ is the last Tim Burton movie on this list, but it is another one of my favorites. It spreads a great message to viewers about life and death. It does a great job of capturing Tim Burton’s creative visual style.
8. Ghostbusters (1984) ‘Ghostbusters’ is a great classic comedy movie that took the science fiction and fantasy part to another level. They utilized visual effects to create realistic ghost encounters that were advanced for its time, and a sequel came out in 1989. In 2016, another ‘Ghostbusters’ movie was released featuring an all-female main cast. It was aimed to challenge stereotypes, and offer a more diverse and inclusive version of the movie.
9. The Addams Family (1991) ‘The Addams Family’ has multiple variations that have been released throughout the years. The 1991 version is my favorite because I think it was cast well, and it captures what the Addams Family is all about. Since then, there has been a sequel, an animation adaptation, and more. The most recent adaptation was a TV series on Netflix called ‘Wednesday’ that was actually produced by Tim Burton (starring Jenna Ortega).
10. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) Charlie Brown films are some of the most classic nostalgic movies you can watch. ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin’ is the perfect fall movie with a beautiful soundtrack. It is also only 25 minutes long, and available to watch on many streaming platforms, so everyone should dedicate some time to watch it.
You may have noticed that four out of the ten movies on this list are Tim Burton films. Myself and others admire his distinct style that captures an imaginative audience. I hope everyone gets the opportunity to watch these films at least once in their lifetime!
‘Weedkiller’ is the third released album by the popular singer Ashnikko. Though it is her 3rd album it is also her debut album. Along with this album she also has the ‘Weedkiller’ tour, which is her second tour.
This album really represents her and her character, the songs really hit deep especially for those who have a lot of anger built up.
I am going give my honest review on (maybe) every song on the album.
NOTE: Before I begin I’d like to give a trigger warning for some explicit lyrics, before each song I will give the exact triggers having to do with the specific song.
“World Eater” is the first song on the album, and it is my fifth favorite song on it. I like to imagine that the song is an attack on the usage of AI, which I heavily encourage with all the talk about AI taking people’s art and even jobs.
I truly believe that no type of AI can make music with this much feeling or lyricism. And she really shows this; she always gives her heart into the music she makes and that’s one of the things I love about her and this album.
I really do love her lyrics, and I feel like it’s better to say that with artists that write their own, because nowadays a lot of people just buy lyrics instead of making their own. It’s something I can applaud her for.
I love this song mainly because of the music choice, with this song and others on the album she really makes it sound sorta dystopian or cyberpunk if that makes sense, I hope she continues with that sort of style on future songs. 7/10
Song #2: You Make Me Sick!
Warnings: profanity, violence, mentions of drug use and sexual acts.
This was the first song released as a single and I cannot express how much I love this song. This was this opening song at her concert at The Fillmore (that I went to), and I’m so happy it was because it’s such a good heart racer. It was the perfect song to start off her concert.
I believe Ash has had very toxic relationships in the past so some of her songs have to do with letting out her emotions from it. I really admire her for being able to write and sing about her trauma.
I’m gonna say this a lot but, she creates songs that I feel are the embodiment of feminine rage and empowerment, she has so many songs that give this vibe, not just in this album but in other albums like ‘Demidevil’ and ‘Hi it’s Me’.
“Worms” is my 4th favorite song on here and I didn’t have that great of a reaction to it at first but after hearing it live it really stuck to me, especially with the worms story that was told before the song was played, which is one of the many stories that she created for the concerts. This song was also the second song released as a single for the album promotion.
I do like this song but I think she could’ve done better with the lyrics for this one. I feel like they’re really basic compared to others. But other than that, I really relate to it, you know seeing how the world is actually burning and wanting to change yourself. It’s something that a lot of people can relate to and I think that’s something important to have in a song.
She’s really real for this one. She mentions the thought of sabotaging yourself and kind of loving it and that’s something a lot of people go through without even knowing it and it’s nice to see it being mentioned because no one talks about it even though a lot of people sabotage themselves; both on purpose and on accident.
Something I really love is that it was slightly inspired by the Nu-metal genre. Metal is my favorite genre of music so I love that she’s sorta dabbling in it.
Like I said though, she could’ve done better with the lyrics especially when you listen to the other songs on the album. 7/10
This one didn’t really get me for a bit, it took me longer to like it for some reason, but now even tho it’s not my top five it’s still a great song. And it’s actually one of her queer representation songs.
I really don’t know what to say, I have a lot of opinions about this song but it’s hard to express them with the subject. I will say that the music is really good, a lot of her songs have enchanting music and I like stuff like that because it gives my brain weird but good feelings.
I do love that she makes queer music and isn’t ashamed to; this song is something that people would listen to and be disgusted with simply because it’s queer. And I’m probably gonna mention this in two other songs because they are also queer/wlw songs. 8.5/10
This is again one of her queer/wlw songs. It’s really sexual, which I would actually like if she had more sentimental queer songs other than just one or a couple, but even so, it’s still a good song.
I don’t really know what else to say about this because I can’t really give commentary on the lyrics. I will say the music is kind of my favorite in this song though.
“Cheerleader” is the sixth song on the album. This song instantly became popular especially with the music video.
It’s definitely an addictive song with both the lyrics and the music; the whole thing gives real creepy vibes.
This song is like hypnotizing and I honestly think that’s the point. The music video for it is very cult-like and it’s actually inspired by the movie ‘Midsommar’ which is a movie about a cult.
Something I really like though is the fact that real cheerleaders were hired for the video; a lot of people wouldn’t even think to do that and just get random dancers for it.
The music also gives me Blair Witch vibes but I don’t know why. I do honestly think there are no flaws with this song: I think it’s perfect. I really enjoy the excessive use of violence. 10/10
Okay so, when I first listened to this album, this song was my FAVORITE. I listened to it dozens of times everyday for like 2-3 weeks. As of now it’s not my favorite but I still love it.
The music in this song really adds to the romance of it as it’s a love song but at the same time it has some dark tones to it. The lyrics are some of my favorite she’s ever written literally ever. I believe “Moonlight Magic” is another queer representation song even though it doesn’t really mention genders.
One criticism I have about this song is that it’s really short. Most of the songs on this album are short but this one specifically I feel like should be longer. Still, overall this is such a good song.
I hope it gets more attention because it really deserves it. 9.5/10
Song #8: Miss Nectarine
Warnings: some sexual language? Profanity, homophobia
Okay so, I’m a firm believer that this album, or just Ash in general doesn’t have any bad songs, but this song is the one song that didn’t speak to me as well as the other songs did.
So, this song is supposed to be a wlw song, about two girls learning about their identity and who they like. It mentions them not being safe in their homes because of homophobia and fear of rejection from their families, and this is a big deal for Ashnikko. When I saw her live, before she began the next song, she had this speech. In this speech she talked about how she grew up in a place where being LGBTQ+ wasn’t accepted or taught. So she wasn’t really able to figure out who she was until she was a teenager-adult.
This is actually a very important subject because lots of lesbians or wlw try to force themselves to like men by pretending having relations with a girl is gaining experience for eventual relations with men, and a lot of people don’t actually grow out of this because they never get out of the environment that’s making them believe they have to be with a man.
This is one of her more realistic songs. This may have been a true story but I really don’t know. Even so, she has probably experienced things like this like the “praying the gay away” part, as I’d say most queer people have experienced that.
Like I said, this song didn’t really stick to me more than every other song, but the more I listen to it, the more I like it. 6/10
“Chokehold Cherry Python” is my 3rd favorite song on the album, another one of the sorta violent type, but less violent than the others.
I love the music for this song. It goes from loud to soft and back to loud and I really like it when songs have that feature.
While this song is my third favorite I do think it has 3 flaws. 1 is that it’s a short song. I definitely think it should be longer than 2:19. 2, I wish there were more lyric variations. The last flaw I think this song has is that the lyrics are a little basic. I wish it was more complex or weird like some of the other songs.
But even though I believe it has those flaws, I still really love the song, and I honestly hope she makes similar ones in the future. 8/10
“Weedkiller” is the tenth song on the album. It was the 3rd and last song released as a single. It is one of the more aggressive songs on the album, starting off with the mention of lobotomies.
Ash talks a lot about violence in her songs and part of the reason was mentioned in her song “Panic Attacks in Paradise” which is a calm song but in one of the lyrics she talks about how she wrote some albums to let out aggression. Something I love is when people use music to let out their anger. I feel like aggressive songs have more heart to them.
Something else I love is when she mentions her being a part of nature, not as a human but as plant life or different animals, ect. She really has a natural vibe with a lot of her songs including this one.
I really feel like she’s able to write such strong lyrics, especially when it’s a loud or angry song. Then the music is also kinda machine-like (if that makes sense) and I really like it.
I seriously love this song so much, like I don’t think there’s any flaws in it (even though I think that about most of her songs, especially on this album). I think this is the perfect song to be the header of the album. 10/10
“Want it All” is probably my least favorite on the album. I do really like it but it’s not one of the songs I’ll choose to listen to out of the others.
I honestly don’t have much to say about this song. The lyrics don’t really feel to me like the others except for the chorus. I guess I will say that the lyrics are more thought out like I like them to be.
I do love the music. I honestly like listening to the instrumental more than the actual song.
I don’t really know what would make me like this song more. I think I just have 50/50 feelings about it. I’ll probably grow to love it more though. 6/10
“Possession of a Weapon” was the 4th released single.
This is another one of the songs I don’t like very much and I honestly don’t even know why. It genuinely is a good song and I don’t think it has any flaws.
I do prefer the music over the lyrics though.
One thing I absolutely love about this song is the meaning. It was created after abortion rights were taken away. The line “how dare I have private desires” is to signify women feeling like they can’t have private bodily anatomy.
I love that she speaks on problems like this. It’s part of the reason she’s my favorite singer. I do definitely think I’ll like this song more in the future, just right now it’s not hitting too hard. 6.5/10
“Dying Star” is by far my favorite song not only on ‘Weedkiller’ but it’s my favorite song by Ash.
This song is another queer song and it’s a song that Ash herself said means a lot to her, and I think that’s part of the reason it’s my favorite Also, because both the lyrics and music are amazing.
This song can be seen in two different ways but the way most see it as well as Ashnikko is her or “Aster” fleeing from a planet that is said to be abusive and toxic and arriving on a new planet where it’s perfect and where she’s loved and cared for and Ash or “Aster” is said to be a dying star.
The vocals in this song are some of Ash’s best. It really adds to the emotion and I feel like it makes you feel the hurt she went through when she was young. I really love that this is the longest song on the album at 4:16. It’s great being able to indulge in it for a longer time than the others.
I think this is gonna stay my favorite for a while, understandably so. 100/10
……………………………………………
So, my final overall review of ‘Weedkiller’ is a 10/10. It’s honestly my favorite album ever and I’m happy it is because I was so worried I wasn’t gonna like it.
I stopped listening to Ashnikko for a while but this reminded me of how much I love her and her music.
She definitely has gotten more heartfelt about her songs and I love that because more feeling in songs makes them better. All of the songs have so much emotion in them.
Even though most of the songs were really short I still love pretty much all of them and I’m sure the ones I don’t like as much I’ll get to love them one day.
I think I pretty much said the same things for every song but I kind of have the same opinions about all of them.
I really hope people like this album as much as I do because I really do love it; more than I can explain with words.
……………………………………………
That’s all I have. It was a lot, but I love giving my opinion on my favorite things like this.
Are you looking for the perfect food for breakfast, a snack, or a sweet treat? This pumpkin bread will fulfill your cravings for a fall themed food! This easy to make recipe is moist and the perfect mix of savory pumpkin bread and sweet frosting.
I found this recipe on TikTok @jazzy.leon. She has captured the perfect fall recipe. I had my friends try it, and they thought it was perfect, especially on a chilly day.
Enjoy this recipe from home!
Ingredients for bread:
2eggs
15 oz of pumpkin purée
1⁄2 cup of white sugar
1⁄2 cup of brown sugar
1⁄2 cup of milk
1 tbsp of oil
2 cups of flour
2 tsp of baking powder
1⁄2 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of salt
2 tsp of pumpkin spice
Ingredients for frosting:
4 oz of cream cheese
4 tbsp of butter
1 cup of powdered sugar
2 tsp of milk
1⁄2 tsp of vanilla
1⁄2 cup of powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Add eggs, pumpkin purée, milk, and oil into a large mixing bowl and stir together.
Add sugars, flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and pumpkin spice into the bowl and mix it all together.
Spray bread pan with cooking spray, then bake in the oven for 60-65 mins. Let cool.
Mix together cream cheese, butter, sugars, milk, and vanilla into a small mixing bowl for your frosting.
With Halloween happening just over a week ago, lots of kids have to decide what candy to keep and what to get rid of. This is a very hard decision to make so here is a list of the top 10 candies you should keep.
#1 Snickers
Snickers are a very popular candy bar that has chocolate, caramel, peanuts, and nougat. More than 48 million people think that Snickers are the best candy. Warning this candy contains nuts and milk.
#2 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Many people believe that this is the best candy with 42.8 million people liking it. It is the best selling candy in the world. This candy is peanut butter coated in milk chocolate. Warning contains peanuts and milk.
#3 Hershey’s Kisses
This is a milk chocolate candy that is individually wrapped. 42.5 Million people ate kisses in 2020. The first production of Hershey’s Kisses was in 1907, and they make 70,000,000 each day. Warning contains milk.
#4 KitKat
KitKats were originally developed in the UK but are now produced globally. This is a classic candy bar that consists of a wafer surrounded by milk chocolate. Warning this contains milk.
#5 M&Ms
M&Ms are a beloved candy to almost everyone, but most don’t know that peanut M&Ms are more popular than the classic variant. These candies are super good and nobody is upset when they receive them. Warning this contains milk.
#6 Hershey’s milk chocolate bars
This is the classic chocolate bar that everyone knows and loves. The Hershey’s company sells more than 250 million bars each year. Warning contains milk.
#7 Twix
Twix is one of the best candy bars in the world; it has the perfect mix of chocolate, caramel, and shortbread cookies. There are 161 million bars sold each year. Warning contains milk.
#8 Starburst
Starbursts were created in the 1960s by the Wrigley Company in the UK. The USA is where most Starbursts are sold. Over 16,000,000 people ate Starbursts this year.
#9 Skittles
These candies were created by the same company as Starbursts, just 20 years later, and just like them America buys most of them. Their iconic slogan is “Taste the Rainbow.”
#10 Candy corn
Either you love them or you hate them. These iconic candies fall last on our list but there are still more than 35 million pounds of them sold each year. These candies were developed in Philadelphia in the 1980s.
The warmer half of October is over, now people are looking forward to the temperature cooling down and getting ready for the snow brought by November and December. Before that, I recommend you try a dessert by Just Jill* (on https://justjill.com) and consider trying this one before moving onto the warmth of hot cocoa.
We already know and love a lot of pumpkin classics, pies, cakes, cupcakes, lattes, etc. so, an apple brownie is a perfect thing to try this month. Apples tasting the best during the fall and with just a bit of cinnamon and caramel if you’d like.
Just Jill’s Apple Brownies
*The recipe/dessert does not belong to me, credit goes to respective owner. The article’s purpose is a recommendation alongside things that I personally add to it while making this dessert
Soft brownies made with vanilla and brown sugar, crunchy and sweet with chopped apples. Brownies are a really versatile and easy dessert, so adding additional things doesn’t take away from the forming of the pastry.
I recommend adding cinnamon and a bit of apple cider (sweetened or unsweetened) into the dry and wet ingredients to boost the recipe’s taste, and chop the apples however thin or thick you’d like depending on the portion you’re making.
A great alternative for those who are tired of pumpkin flavored snacks put in shops and at cafes everywhere during October.
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