Wild Card

Future Restaurant Trends for 2019

Nowadays, restaurants all over the world are embracing all sorts of new trends in an attempt to cater to an ever-changing society. 2019 is no exception, as many restaurants are already attempting to embrace brand new trends to cater to audiences. According to restaurantbusinessonline.com, these are five new trends that should be coming sometime this year.

1. Savory flavor boosters at breakfast
Savory options are emerging as a beloved member of the breakfast club. Diners can expect to see oatmeal and bean-topped grain bowls, uniquely flavored sausages and global-inspired dishes such as shakshuka or chilaquiles on the menu. As for what types of savory flavors are gaining traction, be on the lookout for cotija cheese, blue cheese, Caesar dressing, Cajun spices, sriracha and pecorino cheese.

2. Asian and Pacific Island cuisines
Look for experimentation with Pacific and Asian island cuisines. Where sriracha has thrived in the past, sambal will begin appearing more and more. Lime is a prominent flavor in these cuisines, and Filipino adobo will likely increase in notoriety. Malaysian and Indonesian foods to look out for include satay (seasoned, skewered and grilled meat served with a sauce) and bakso (a savory meatball soup).

3. Ordering automation  
Self-ordering kiosks speed up lines, and at-the-table ordering offers a sense of immediacy to diners, rather than having to wait for a server’s attention. At-the-table ordering also offers the potential of increased check averages, since there’s no waiting to order drinks, apps or desserts—three categories that diners may waver on and decide against if they have the spare time to do so.

4. Better-for-you kids meals
As finding healthier options becomes more and more important to consumers, kids menus are changing in stride. Some chains have already taken steps in this direction. For instance, Smashburger offers grilled chicken strips as part of its kids menu, while Burger King offers its BK Fresh Apple Fries (peeled apple slices) as a side instead of traditional french fries.

5. Plant-based dining

Expect to see a heavier focus is on making vegetables the star of the show, rather than just a side. This could be due to consumers’ increased consumption of vegetarian and vegan meals—23% of consumers say they expect to eat more vegetarian foods in the next two years, and 21% say they expect to eat more vegan options,  according to Technomic’s 2019 Center of the Plate: Seafood & Vegetarian report. Additionally, look for more unique plant-based items on menus, like Romanesco broccoli, burgers made from beets and cashew-based “cheese” sauces.

Classmate Blog Critique

Rhett Gentry's Blog Critique

Rhett's blog is one of the few blogs that I actually take time and look over, mainly due to its easy-to-read format and his ability to make his posts flow easily, most likely due to the fact that he has a minor in English. The link to his blog can be found here. 

One of the things that I admire most about Rhett is his style of writing. I'm not sure if there's an actual word for it, but Rhett's style of writing is similar to that of a novelist, using several descriptive terms while managing to to keep his thoughts on track. However, in my opinion, this does come with a downside. He tends to get straight to the point, and, while he does do a good job with the details, he doesn't really branch out past that, providing very little when it comes to background of his subject. He usually talks about it, but not in great detail or length as he does the main focus of his posts. 

Rhett does an extraordinary job with images and videos. For most of his posts, his images and videos were that of his main focus, primarily on a certain person, people, or event. This, coupled with their placement, were aesthetically pleasing to me, particularly with the his post regarding television. 

Rhett definitely goes all out when it comes to research. Overall, it seems his topics are very well-researched with various links and videos provided to back up and support his claim or topic. In particular, his video regarding Japanese film just seemed to fit perfectly with the subject, allowing it to simply mold into his writing and become a part of the flow.

One thing that I do recommend for him to improve upon, apart from the previously mentioned issue, is that I feel the pure black background isn't very inviting. While that is his personal preference, I, personally, don't feel like this an educational blog, but rather a hardened blog of an individual trying a little too hard to promote gun rights. As I said, it is his preference what he does with his blog, but I feel a bit of a brighter tone would help.  

Overall, I believe Rhett's blog is still quite good, despite my personal issues. I can tell he's worked hard and put forth a considerable amount of time and effort into his work and, personally, do think he has earned any praise he receives for his blog.

International Media

BBC Review

BBC, or the British Broadcasting Channel, is one of the most well-known news international news channels in the world. The British Broadcasting Company broadcast its first radio bulletin from radio station - 2LO. In 14 November 1922. Wishing to avoid competition, newspaper publishers persuaded the government to ban the BBC from broadcasting news before 7:00 pm, and to force it to use wire service copy instead of reporting on its own. 

On Easter weekend in 1930, this reliance on newspaper wire services left the radio news service with no information to report after saying "There is no news today". Piano music was played instead. The BBC gradually gained the right to edit the copy and, in 1934, created its own news operation. 

A weekly Children's Newsreel was inaugurated on 23 April 1950, to around 350,000 receivers. The network began simulcasting its radio news on television in 1946, with a still picture of Big Ben. Televised bulletins began on 5 July 1954, broadcast from leased studios within Alexandra Palace in London.

The website itself contains several news stories related to both the UK, as well as international news from all over the globe. Personally, I have no issues with this particular source of news as it, generally, it quite reliable, usually not picking one end or another when it comes to things such as political debates. 

One thing that BBC does very well, as opposed to popular new networks in the U.S. like CNN or FOX, is that BBC ONLY gives facts based on either research, witness testimony, or some other form of evidence based on science of facts. Compared to networks like CNN, who tend to lean one direction or another, they give very little opinion on subjects, preferring to only use facts. CNN, for example, will generally give opinions on a particular subject, rather than looking at all the evidence. 

BBC is also very good when it comes to their reporters and their ability to cover a vast array of different topics. From politics to entertainment to natural disasters, BBC always has some sort of coverage over every major event in current history. And for that, i applaud them.

Social Media

Facebook Bans White Supremacy....FINALLY!

After many years of individuals all over the globe complaining that they still have to deal with the issue of white supremacy on Facebook, the multi-billion dollar company has finally placed a ban on anything in their posts relating to white supremacy. But what finally caused them to give in and listen to their users (for a change)? All it took was two mass shootings at different mosques in New Zealand. 

According to aljareeza.com, "Facebook policies already banned posts endorsing white supremacy as part of the company's prohibition against spewing hate at people based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity and religion. The ban had not applied to expressions of white nationalism, Facebook said, because it linked such expressions with broader concepts of nationalism or political independence - such as American pride or Basque separatism. But conversations with civil rights groups and academics in recent months led Facebook to conclude that white nationalism and separatism cannot be meaningfully separated from white supremacy and organised hate groups, the statement said. 'Going forward, while people will still be able to demonstrate pride in their ethnic heritage, we will not tolerate praise or support for white nationalism and separatism," Facebook said.' "

Though Facebook did not link the new act to any specific event, and said it had been working on the change for three months, the statement came less than two weeks after the company received widespread criticism related to the mosque shootings in the New Zealand city of Christchurch. The shooting suspect was able to broadcast the massacre on live video on Facebook, and at least 50 Muslim worshippers were killed in the gun assaults, according to aljareeza.com. 

The massacres in New Zealand are one of the many pieces of evidence of white nationalism spreading like wildfire. Most of these ideals preach a standard "European" life, rejecting any form of immigration from anywhere in the world, and shares many vicious online threats, though it is rare for any of said threats to be carried out. The New Zealand shootings are considered a rare occurrence on that front. 

According to aljareeza.com ,when asked about the potential threat that white supremacy could be, they said this: "Some analysts say it is a cohesive movement bound together online that stretches across Europe into Russia and has a wide following in the US and Canada. They say it poses as much of an international threat as violence inspired by groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) - and they add that the threat is even greater in the US, where white nationalist attacks have outpaced those by other groups for years. According to some researchers, white nationalists have been emboldened by the rise of politicians espousing traditionalist views and a tough line on immigration - from Marine Le Pen in France and Viktor Orban in Hungary to Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump."

Critiquing a Media Critic

IGN: Who's Writing this Review Again?

Over the years, I have become quite enthralled in video games. Stories, gameplay, characters, settings, all of these things are needed to come together to make an enjoyable experience. But who's the one actually deciding whether a game is worth playing or not? There are many critics out there that have different opinions and state their issues with a particular game or series of games, which is completely fine. I have no quarrels with that whatsoever. However, IGN has become one of my most hated gaming critics for two main reasons:

1. Their reviews are completely inconsistent throughout.
2. You have no idea who is actually writing the review, as IGN has over thirty different reviewers at their disposal.

Let's begin with my first issue. I, personally, think that IGN reviews are constantly contradict themselves. Take, for example, Kingdom Hearts 3. The third paragraph in their review begins talking about the story and plot of the game and how it "feels lackluster in light of the technical improvements the franchise has made. An attempt to satisfy both the Disney stories and the overarching plot causes some unfortunate stagnant pacing, with Disney plots playing out with slow dialogue and Sora, Donald, and Goofy occasionally questioning why they’re even visiting some of the included worlds at their outset."

Kingdom Hearts 3 Gameplay

Literally, in the very next paragraph, "A hero losing his powers is the most common trope in RPG sequels, but here Sora’s loss is smartly tied to his fight against the forces of darkness, building off one of the most significant personal struggles Sora went through in the previous games. That creates a strong impetus for Sora to avoid Kingdom Hearts 2’s notorious mistake of a long, slow prologue and jump right into the action of Hercules’ world." I don't quite understand why IGN insists on doing this, especially in two paragraphs that are connected like that, but it is just one simple example of how their inconsistencies ruin any credibility they have with me. 

The second issue I have with them, thankfully, is much easier to explain. IGN is a very successful company, and as such, must have a large staff to keep up with everything they need to do to keep the business running. This includes hiring multiple writers to help write reviews on different games. However, I feel this is an issue because with having multiple writers, you aren't really sure what the majority feels about a certain title. Instead, you are only getting the perspective of one individual, who, quite possibly, could despise a particular game that you're interested in, even if the majority of other reviewers give it nothing but praise. I just simply feel like reading a game review from IGN, no matter the final result, simply can not be trusted.

Movies

Best of 2019...So Far

2019 has already been an incredible year for movies, many of which have already grossed over $100 million already, and it's only March! The United States alone has already directed and produced over twenty movies in two months. With many more movies coming out this year, let's take a look at the best movies of 2019 so far, in my opinion.

5. Greta

Greta was released on the first of March and has already become a popular film. Starring Isabelle Huppert, Chloë Grace Moretz, Maika Monroe, Colm Feore, and Stephen Rea, the movie is about a young woman who does a good deed for an older widow, who, afterwards, become incredibly obsessed with her. On its first day of release in theaters, the movie grossed $1.6 million and has gone on to earn a total of over $4.6 million since. Greta has received average reviews, with most critics giving it a five or six out of ten. Personally, I thought the movie was quite well done, with a strong leading performance from Huppert and Moretz. I think the movie did not get the praise it truly deserved. 

4. Cold Pursuit

Cold Pursuit was released on February 8th and, honestly, after seeing the trailers, I was not excited to see it. Liam Neeson's popularity also didn't help it at all. Nevertheless, the movie was actually quite enjoyable. Starring Liam Neeson, the movie is a remake of the Norwegian film In Order of Disappearance. The movie follows a snow truck driver in a small town who sets out on a quest for revenge after a local drug ring kills his son. The movie has grossed over $46 million dollars since its release and has received, mostly, positive reviews for its action sequences as well as its dark humor. It definitely exceeded my expectations and deserves a spot on this list. 

3. Glass

Glass was released on January 18th and, like its predecessors Unbreakable and Split, has received nothing but mixed reviews. The movie stars Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, and James McAvoy and finishes the trilogy that Unbreakable started. The movie features David Dunn, the main protagonist of Unbreakable, alongside his archenemy, Mr. Glass, as well as "The Horde", the multi-personality man played by McAvoy, being kept inside of a mental ward and are being tested on to prove they do not actually possess superpowers. Since its release, the movie has earned, nearly, $250 million and continues rising. Persoanlly, I thought it was the best of the trilogy, making it feel like a worthwhile end to a strong group of films. 

2. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

The third installment in the How to Train Your Dragon saga has been nothing short of a complete success. Earning over $380 million since its release, it has become the most successful movie in the United States, second internationally. The movie follows Hiccup, the protagonist, searching for a new "Hidden World" where dragons thrive, while his dragon becomes entangled with another of his own race. Overall, the movie became the most popular of the trilogy, and has received nothing but positive reviews. Many people praise the movie for its improved CGI from the first two movies, and, despite the cliche romantic plot that was thrown in, it din't seem to ruin people's views, including my own.

1. Alita: Battle Angel

As it was most likely expected, Alita: Battle Angel is, by far, my favorite movie this year so far. The movie follows Alita, a young cyborg girl who wakes up in a new world, completely losing her memories from before. The movie has grossed over $375 million and continuously rises. Almost all reviews on the movie are positive, stating that the plot, while it does have some cliche moments, still makes the movie work fantastically. Personally, like Cold Pursuit, I was not looking forward to this movie after seeing the trailers. However, I'm glad I decided against it and went to see it anyway. Definitely the best movie of 2019 so far. 

Technology

Make America 6G for the First Time?

Donald Trump, the president of the United States, recently called out to all American based companies to expand themselves from 4G wireless coverage to 5G, or even 6G, something that has not even been created yet. President Trump tweeted: "I want 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible. It is far more powerful, faster, and smarter than the current standard. American companies must step up their efforts, or get left behind. There is no reason that we should be lagging behind on.........." 

According to Independent, the president's tweet coincides with the largest mobile event in the world, which is happening next week in Finland. Most companies around the world are just now beginning to embrace 5G capabilities. In fact, 6G capabilities are predicted to not even be available until, roughly, 2030. 

According to Independent, Anne Berner, Finland's Minister of Transport and Communications, released a statement saying “Finland plans to be a forerunner as a user and developer of 5G technology. Our Transport and Communications Agency, Traficom, has created a 5G ecosystem that will accelerate the development of new innovations and services through collaboration with other 5G experiments." 

But is it even possible to have companies use 6G in the future, especially when 5G capabilities haven't even fully been incorporated into everyday life? It's quite possible, as China has already started work on designing 6G cell phones. According to techinasia.com, Su Xin, head of 5G technology working group at China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, had begun studying and designing concepts for 6G phones back in March of 2018. However, he has stated that work will not actually begin until 2020, once others have fully embraced 5G. 

But the biggest question remains: What exactly will 6G speeds be able to accomplish? The biggest change is that it could, potentially, make internet speeds act up to 1 terabyte per second. To put that into perspective, with that kind of speed, a person could download one hundred movies in about a second. However, since this technology will not be introduced anytime soon, the full knowledge of its capabilities is still unknown. 

 

As stated previously, 6G technology is still a long ways away, roughly 10-12 years. Which begs one final question: why is Trump already asking for this kind of technology? Does he want it to be created earlier to help advance tech around the world? Or could it possibly be a more personal reason for him, such as keeping America powerful by hoarding the 6G tech? The world may never truly know until this kind of technology has been introduced to society.

Pop Culture

Frozen 2: A Continuation of Success

Since its release in 2014, Frozen has become one of the biggest and most popular Disney movies of all time. The movie has earned approximately $1.2 billion since the box office release, as well as two different academy awards and one the most listened to, if not annoying, soundtracks of all time. The film is the fifth highest-grossing film to ever exist and the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, during its release. (New Yorker Article). With Disney setting such a high standard for one of their movies, I feel as if it would be a challenge for them to achieve such feats as that again, right?

Well, even if it is, Disney is still going to try. Recently, a new trailer was released for Frozen 2. The movie has been announced since last year, and even got its own teaser in Ralph Breaks the Internet in 2017. However, we never got to see anything more until now. 

The trailer has left many fans both excited and confused at the same time. Many were excited to see their fan-favorites returning, like Anna and Elsa, but were also a little confused at the more "edgy" approach Disney took this time around, myself included, despite not actually enjoying the movie at all. However, it seems, according to comments on YouTube, that many fans are interested to see how the new look and ideas that the producers have will make the movie.

The original directors of the first movie, Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, who is also now head on Disney Studios, have been confirmed to return to direct the sequel. The original producer of Frozen, Peter Del Vecho, is also returning, which has many fans incredibly excited to see what they bring to the big screen this year. Also confirmed for the sequel is most of the original cast from the first movie. 

Despite the trailer only being released a few days ago, many fans have already come up with several ideas or theories about the plot of the movie. These range from Olaf, the fan-favorite talking snowman, getting a girlfriend to Anna and Elsa learning they are not biological sisters. There were even several petitions made upon release of the trailer, as well as right after the release of the first movie, petitioning for Elsa to get a girlfriend in future movies, should they be created. Well, the time has come and many fans are eager to see if their idea will be true. 

In my opinion, it is more than likely than Frozen 2 will be a complete blockbuster. So many people, both young and old, enjoyed this movie (even though I am not one of them). Should Disney do anything at all like they did in the first movie, I believe that this will have similar results, or perhaps even surpass, its predecessor in terms of its grossing as popularity. 

Television

Reality TV has Ruined Other Genres

Television has been around for many, many years, almost to the point of where most people don't know how to live without it. Throughout its extensive history, television networks have developed so many different genres: drama, history, horror, comedy, etc. However, for the last, roughly, 15 years, a new kind of genre has taken over and become one of, if not the most, popular genres out right now - Reality Television. 

The first true reality TV show introduced was The Real World: New York on MTV. The show was about seven people who lived in the same apartment complex in New York, essentially a Reality TV version of Friends, and at the time, it was a complete success due to its originality and fresh take on TV. However, despite this being a start to a new generation of television shows, it will quickly become simultaneously loved and despised by the world. 

Although MTV was the original reality TV show channel, many others have followed suit with their own creations. American Idol, Keeping up with the Kardashians, Hell's Kitchen, Duck Dynasty: these are merely a few of the more modern reality TV programs that are available to the public right now, and each one of these programs has gained an enormous following, making them, as of 2017, tied for the second most popular genre on television (TV Genre Rating).

Despite their popularity, reality TV has also become extremely hated, mainly due to the claim that many have become washed out or that certain ones required no talent or skill to help make the show popular. According to Charles J. Orlando, "...some of TV was pretty intelligent—and if not smart, it was entertaining. M*A*S*H and Taxi answered the call for smart comedy... while the award-winning Hill Street Blues (with its long, connected episodic content and intertwined plot lines) changed TV writing forever (resulting in more award-winning shows: The Sopranos, LOST, and more). In "Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter ", author Stephen Johnson's theory is that popular culture – in particular television shows and video games – has grown more complex and demanding over time and is improving society within terms of intelligence and idea. But when he wrote it, he clearly didn't include the impact of Reality TV. Today, with entertainment's nudge/push/violent shove, we are sinking lower and lower into the abyss of mediocrity, scandal, and have quietly embraced a "fuck-the-next-guy" mentality. We watch others in Reality TV shows that are worse off than we are, and we instantly feel better... about ourselves. What parent hasn't been shocked at the "parenting" showcased on Toddlers & Tiaras (or it's mega-hit spin-off Here Comes Honey Boo Boo) and simultaneously feel bewildered (at the parenting), indignant (at the outrage of it being broadcast at all), and relieved (that OUR kids aren't "so screwed up", and that "we aren't parents like that!")."

Still, the results can't be denied. Reality TV is extremely popular. There is a strong probability that reality TV will remain in pop culture for quite some time. Since 1992, during the airing of the first episode of The Real World: New York, reality TV has, and will be, one of the highest grossing genres of Television.

Music

Eminem vs. MGK: Who Won the Feud? (Or did it even really start?)

Despite many believing it to be a "fake feud", the beef between the so-called "Rap God", Eminem and the titular Machine Gun Kelly, or Richard Colson Baker,  goes all the way back to 2012 when Baker released a controversial tweet regarding Eminem's daughter, Hailie, who was only 16 at the time.

Eminem, or Marshal Mathers III, called out MGK, fianlly, after six years of the two rappers throwing shade towards one another. After releasing his surprise album, Kamikaze, in 2018, Eminem specifically calls out MGK on the track "Not Alike".  Later that year, MGK retaliated by releasing his diss track, "Rap Devil", which is when the beef truly started to make its way to the hip-hop world. (Rap Devil Official Video)

A couple weeks later, Eminem appeared on a talk show with Sway Calloway. When asked about the feud and his reaction to seeing the tweet about his daughter, he responded with: "One day, you know, you go down a fucking wormhole on YouTube or whatever," he says. "I see 'Machine Gun Kelly Talks About Eminem's Daughter' or whatever. I’m like 'what the fuck?' I click on it…he starts doing a press run, basically, about Hailie. I’m like 'what the fuck? Yo, my man better chill." (Cosmopolitan Article)

A few days later, Eminem released a retaliation to "Rap Devil": "Killshot". The track was filled with an enormous amount of disses and was Eninem's attempt to finally win the rap war once and for all. Unfortunately, it only encouraged more controversy. Fans started doing research. Turns out that both rappers were both signed to Introscope, a record company, leading to many to believe that the whole rivalry was faked and they have simply been working the crowd to raise their own profits. Hell, MGK was seen at a Fall-Out Boy concert wearing a shirt with the "Killshot" logo printed on it. (Killshot Official Audio)

However, despite both rappers SEEMING to fight to the bitter end over a tweet, it has been proven that Eminem's latest album, Kamikaze, has sold over 430,000 copies compared to MGK's debut album, Lace Up, which only sold, roughly, 50,000 copies, and his total sales for his latest album, EP Binge, only sold 22,000 copies. Statistically speaking, Eminem has kept his title of the true Rap God.

But the final decision is entirely up to you. Is Eminem still the Rap God? Or has MGK come to take his title....and his girl?