Random Thoughts by Tara Gopalan

Human brains are meant to think, and we can often use them to be productive. However, sometimes your brain just decides to think of random, kinda silly stuff. When that happens, you can go on a walk, talk to someone about it, or write a purposeless article for your middle school newspaper. I chose the latter, so here’s a bunch of random thoughts you may or may not have thought about before! 

Bananas are so weird.  Apples are hard, oranges have pulp, watermelon is spongy, but bananas have the same consistency as literal ICE CREAM. To make them even more weird, they are in a perpetual identity crisis. Bananas are technically a fruit, but they are classified as a berry! Despite how interesting they are, bananas are a good substitute for ice cream and they make you feel healthy while eating other junk food, so I can overlook their differences. 

Rolly pollies are basically tiny dogs. Just think about it: They’re small, they walk funny, and they curl into a “C” shape on the ground when you pet them (which I know for reasons I won’t say). Doesn’t your dog do that too? You pet their stomach and they collapse onto the ground in a “C” shape. When they are puppies they walk funny and run into things. They’re small (excluding Great Danes and a bunch of other breeds). I know it sounds weird, but I’m just saying: If your parents won’t let you have a dog, just adopt a rolly polly.

Time is a figment of human imagination. When the first few humans evolved and came out of caves they weren’t like, “Oh, my, It’s 6:00! Time for my business meeting!” We came up with time to help us organize our lives. We set our own deadlines. Keeping that in mind, we can technically say that time doesn’t exist. So…. don’t do your homework, kids! (Just kidding, you need to do it.) But my point still stands! 

That’s all for now! Don’t tell me you haven’t gotten these thoughts at 3 am before. You haven’t? Oh, well, I guess it’s just me. The lesson of this extremely educational article is that you should embrace your weird thoughts because they can be used to write articles for your school newspaper. 

Image Source: Shutterstock

April Fools Update of Gimkit Review by Julian Nowlin

On April 1st Gimkit put out an April Fools update for the iconic game mode “Don’t Look Down.” If you don’t know, Gimkit is a game where you answer questions to move along in a game of the host’s choice. “Don't Look Down” is a platformer game where you have to climb different summits filled with challenges to reach the top. But this time there is a twist. 

The normal jump height for “Don’t Look Down” is reasonable because it gives you access to a lot of jumps. But in the April Fools update that jump height is about tripled, and with the double jump boost you can jump over five times your normal jump height. This gives you room for a lot of jumps previously impossible, which open secret paths. Here are the ones I found. 

On summit one on the scroll like platform you can jump through the crack between a platform and a boat, instantly taking you to summit 2. On summit 2, you can stand on the sign that says “tickets” and double jump to skip a huge portion of summit 2. At summit three on the platforms made by lockers you can go all the way to the right and jump up, skipping a frustrating part of the game entirely. On summit 4 by standing on the cornstalk nearest to the bushes you can double jump and skip another huge portion of the game. On summit 5 there is a part where you have to slide down and jump at the right time, but with the high jump you can just jump over it. And finally on summit 6 the high jump allows you to skip the parts with the lasers. Speedrunners will love this!

That’s all about Gimkit’s April Fools update. I think it is really fun and actually like it more than the normal days. Also, all of the cheats I discovered myself, so I won’t have to list any sources. I hope you also like the April Fools update.

Why the School’s Lunch Dismissal is Bad and How We Can Make it Better By Julian Nowlin

At lunch we were told that some of the teachers didn’t like that a lot of kids were coming into their classrooms late from lunch. Sometimes I’m late coming back from lunch, but it’s not my fault. It’s not most of the other kid’s faults either. People who don’t go to this school might wonder why we’re being late without it being our fault. The answer: Our dismissal method.

How our dismissal works is that we wait until the bell in “silent mode” and then get dismissed table by table very slowly. Some tables that are misbehaving get held until all the other tables leave and then get dismissed after being talked to by the teachers. Then we begin the next period. You might be thinking why the heck I think this is a bad method. The misbehaving kids get punished and the good kids go on time. But that is not always the case.

If one person at a table is acting up, then that entire table is blamed, which isn’t fair to the quiet people who are sitting there. And sometimes kids switch tables and so they hold a table that they weren’t even sitting at. Also, kids in the hallway make a lot of noise when getting back to their classes in the hallway, and they get stopped for a few seconds. This causes people in the back who are being good to be late. This is what the students can do to help solve this problem. If you don’t like being late and being held, be quiet and you will get back to class on time.

Here’s what the adults at lunch can do to help solve this problem. Waiting until the bell to start dismissing tables is a terrible idea because dismissal takes so long and sometimes goes on after the late bell. Also, adults start at different places in the cafeteria, and sometimes a table that is being very quiet will be one of the last to be dismissed because there are no adults near them to let them go. It’s not fair! But this is the system that we use every day, and I bet a lot of students want a different system. So I created one. 

Instead of starting dismissal right at the bell, start it a minute or two before. Don’t dismiss tables one by one because that takes forever and makes the quiet kids stay longer. Dismiss all the tables at once. But there’s a catch. Before dismissal starts, decide which tables are being held and keep them in the cafeteria while all the other kids go. Then let go about a minute before the late bell. No more kids are late, and the held kids have to stay longer but also get to class on time! But again, it’s partly up to the students to be quiet in the halls so we don’t repeat the problem. 

I like my idea better than the current way, and although it probably won’t be our actual way of doing things, I just wanted to point out to the adults who run lunch that it isn’t just us students who are causing the holdup. Maybe our method of dismissal is more to blame.

Why Skibidi Toilet Is The Greatest Piece Of Media From Our Generation by Aidan Murphy

For starters, the lore is unmatched. Throughout all of the seventy something episodes there are, it never fails to peak my interest. From secret photos, to even things hidden in plain sight.

Next, there are many funny moments. I always enjoy watching heads pop out of the toilets unexpectedly. It’s hilarious.

Finally, it’s deep. From the sad, to thought provoking scenes, there will always be something to keep you wondering.

So, in conclusion, Skibidi Toilet is the greatest piece of media from our generation because of its lore, funny moments and intriguing story.

Not familiar with Skibidi Toilet? Check out this intro from Lifehacker…

YouTube’s hottest videos are “Skibidi Toilet,” a series of surreal animated shorts in which creepy heads with terrifying, rictus-grin face emerge from toilets. Animated with the Source Engine used in the Half-Life video games, Skibidi Toilet is the brainchild of YouTuber DaFuqBoom. The first Skibidi Toilet episode is a clip of a menacing looking head in a toilet “dancing” and singing the Turkish song “tummy dancer” by Yasin Cengiz.

Source: https://lifehacker.com/the-out-of-touch-adults-guide-to-kid-culture-what-is-s-1850662263

Top Three Colognes by Aidan Murphy

These are my thoughts on the top three colognes. In my opinion, if you wear these you will become seriously cool!

3. Dior Sauvage

This one is so good. It’s really niche and unpopular, so you’ll definitely smell different than everyone else when you use this.

2. Versace Blue Jeans

This one is sooooo good. Everyone will love the way you smell, and they will follow you everywhere!

1. Nautica Voyage

I love this one so much. The projection and longevity are the best of the best. For only 20 dollars, why not?

Top 10 Nike Shoes of All Time by Andrew Zajac and Jack Valsechi

Disclaimer: I don't care if you argue with me, it's my list and I'm sticking to it. 

Full Article with images

Ranking The Top Ten Greatest Toys of All Time by Julian Nowlin

People seem to like these, so it’s my turn to write one. Each item includes one pro and one con. Nobody has done toys yet, so I decided to do it. 

10. Pop It and other fidgets. They’re good when you’re sick or tired, but other than that they aren’t that good.

9. Plastic Dinosaurs. Any boy who said he didn’t like these when he was little is lying. You can do so much, and I have always loved them. 

8. High bouncer and bouncy balls. These are awesome toys because they, like the name says, bounce very high. It would’ve been in the top five if they weren’t easy to lose.

7. Wiffle Ball. A great summer afternoon is amazing with these for 45 minutes. Then it goes into arguing. The reason it’s higher than bouncy balls is because those precious 45 minutes are some of the best of the summer.

6. Foosball. It’s pure awesomeness. It only takes about ten minutes and is a good way to play soccer without actually exercising, but the games are usually lopsided.

5. Coloring and Puzzle books. They are very fun and good when you don’t have any screen time left. My only complaint is that you can only use things that aren’t erasable, so if you make a mistake you have to quit or mess up the page.

4. Sand toys. If you go to the beach and the waves are bad in the ocean, these are a lifesaver. They’re also very fun, but you can only do so much with them.

3. RC toys. They are fun to drive around and scaring your pets is fun. Controls are limited though. 

2. LEGO Sets. They are relaxing and fun to build, and ones with play features are fun even after they are built. Putting on stickers stinks though, and they are expensive.

1. Stuffies. Fuzzy, cute, helps you sleep, collectible, soft, special, they have all the traits of a perfect toy.

Ranking French Fry Shapes and Varieties by Sam Rockmore

Okay, get your fries ready, because this is a weird one. The idea came to me after arguing with my sister about curly fries. My younger sister, Callie, has bad taste buds. She thinks that dark chocolate is too bitter and curly fries are nasty. You may be a fantastic sibling, but when it comes to food, especially curly fries, you’re an idiot.

10. Steak Fries

When you google this abomination, you’ll see potato wedges, which aren’t steak fries, and these stupid, short, fat fries. They’re not tater tots; they have no crisp, and aren’t made of shredded potatoes. steak fries are nasty. They taste how walking with wet socks feels. They’re all mushy, and I bet if I bit one, it would squelch. Ew. Ew. 1000 times, ew.

Steak fries are to French fries what Fascist Italy was to the Roman Empire. If you enjoy Steak Fries, you love Gallikers, Pineapple Pizza, The Independent State of Croatia, and Italian Fascism. Every time I see these, I have an undying urge to become dictator of Italy, and then invade Albania.

9. Sweet Potato Fries

This may be unfair, as the only sweet potato fries I’ve had were the school’s, but they taste like uncomfortably moist bread and like they were fried in the lukewarm tears of students. I bet these can be good, but the ones at prison school are terrible.

8. Crinkle Cut

Dude, these are mediocre at best. They’re almost always undercooked, or undersalted. The only good experiences I had with them was at some diner in Connecticut, and Mr. Beast Burger, which closed. These can be good, it’s just poor execution. Get some good cooks, and beat the old ones with a wet stick of Mozzarella.

7. Normal Fries

After crinkle cut, this article got difficult. By normal fries, I mean the long ones with the skins off. These are basically just McDonald’s and Burger King’s fries, although a few better restaurants do these, and then they’re great. The place I’m thinking of specifically is Northland Bowl. You may be saying, “oH, iT’S a bOWlInG aLlEy, tHeY bRIbeD yOu!” and to that, I say, while I may be a member of their youth league, they didn’t pay me to say this, and genuinely, their fries, both normal and curly, are godsent.

6. Potato Wedges

Back in my day, the school would sometimes have these, and the seasoning was phenomenal. Before those, I didn’t even think the school had heard of spices. It was very good, and just a little bit spicy. PFMS, if you bring these, and the chocolate milk jugs back, I’ll stop saying that the F in PFMS stands for Fascist. However, these did have a little too much potato skin, and that’s why they’re so low.

5. Waffle Fries

Now, you’d think the holes cause sauce to leak through, but they don’t. I’ve only had waffle fries  in two places: a diner in Connecticut and Chick-fil-A.  Nevertheless, when these are done right, they’re fantastic. However, Chick-fil-A will sometimes undercook these.

4. Onion Rings

If you saw this and immediately thought, “These aren’t fries!” Then yes, you’re right, but I included them. Cry harder. You’ll certainly be crying when you are banished to Virginia: the worst place in the entire world. Fitting.

Anyway, Onion Rings are fantastic, and near impossible to mess up. Literally anywhere can have good Onion Rings. If Burger King can for cheap, then anywhere can. The crunch on these are fantastic, and they’re sometimes served with this utterly fantastic, spicy, mayo-like sauce. I’m getting hungry just writing this. If you think I’m wrong, you better watch your family before they end up in Virginia with you.

3. Tater Tots

Again, if you said these aren’t fries, I don’t actually care, but I feel like your family banished to Virginia probably do. But yeah, tater tots. These are actually my father’s favorite kind of fry, and I certainly see why. The exterior is ridiculously crunchy, but not hard to bite through. The inside is soft and fluffy, which is delicious. If you don’t like these, I don’t know you, but I bet that in your past life, you were “removed” by Italian Partisans on September 30th, 1943 in a square in Milan.  Tater Tots are utterly fantastic.

2. Fresh Cut

These are the normal french fries, but with the skin on; you may be wondering why the skin matters so much. I’m not going to call you a fascist, as that’s a valid question.

The skins, to me, signify quality. Most restaurants nicer than McDonalds or Burger King have the skins on, and tend to be better. Nothing bad to say here, other than the fact that they’re kinda basic.

1. Curly Fries

Curly fries. Need I say more? I probably should. 

If I saw 20 people dangling from a cliff, and a fresh basket of Curly Fries, I’d take the Curly Fries, no questions asked. Objectively, the shape is fun, but what you’re really coming back for is the seasoning. If you hate Curly Fries, you already know that I’m going to call you a Fascist.

Curly Fries are phenomenal. As I stated earlier, Northland Bowl makes the best Curly Fries. No questions asked here.  If you actually hate curly fries, then get a life and stop being a Fascist.

That’s it. Bye. 

Ranking Months Again Because Past Me was a Moron By Sam Rockmore

Disclaimer: I’m really running low on ideas. Please, please send me any ideas on things to rank.

Disclaimer 2: The first ranking months was really bad. I was young, I was foolish, okay?

Disclaimer 3: This article was written by someone with an ego the size of the Soviet Union.

Explanation: This is how I’ll be doing this. Any month that causes pain, physical or mental, will drop down. Months with candy and/or free stuff will get an increase. The colder a month is, the better it will score. Couple that with my immense knowledge and insults, and boom, you have this article.

12. March

March is terrible. There is simply nothing to like here. Those braindead people who like March either have their birthday in March, or their brain is the smoothest thing in human history. Smooth enough that the stimulation won’t be able to handle it, and their brain will become a black hole. Spring break is nice and all, but it doesn’t redeem the pain and suffering that is March.

11. February.

February is awful. I’ve been converted. Last year, I put February in 5th?! What was I even doing?! February is budget March, and has the most depressing holiday: Valentine’s Day. Sure, I still get gifts from my parents, but we went from getting a massive bag of candy, to simply being sad. Other than that, there’s nothing in February except slush. All and all, if February was a person, I’d fire a loaf of bread through their skull at three times the speed of sound. 

10. September 

September is mentally draining. It’s the first full month of the epitome of my suffering: school. The temperature is meh, there’s no holidays, and as I previously stated school starts. Frankly, September would’ve been fine by me, but no, we just gotta have school. My suffering willn’t end until I’m out of here.

9. May

May is awful. It's hot, and triggers my allergies. If someone gave me the choices of spending my life in eternal May, or committing war crimes, I’ll take my arsenic to the water supply.

8.  August 

August is hot, and you go back to school. I hate the crushing feeling of hopelessness and dread that ensues in the week before school starts. Other than that, you have your last twenty or so days before school starts. Also, the pool closes, which also sucks.

7. July

July is stupidly hot. Whilst I don’t believe in the message of July 4th, as I have my own country, which is 100 times better, I like fireworks, which is saving July from being a whole lot lower.

6. June 

June is also too hot. As you’ve probably learned, I hate being too hot. The summer months, whilst liberating me from prison school, cook me alive. Like, whoever’s making the months, can we have the max possible temperature be the mid-October temp?

5. November 

November is a fairly mid month. The temperature is okay, and having a break is nice, but the break is for the most overrated holiday: Thanksgiving. I genuinely hate Thanksgiving. Of the week I spend in Maine over that break, Thanksgiving is likely my least favourite day of the whole trip, but the drive back home is hard to beat. Everyone is so busy and on edge for food that’s really mid, well, except for my grandma’s pies. Even then, the only pie I don’t like is the one famous in Thanksgiving food: Pumpkin Pie. I should probably stop ranking now, as I’ve already angered the Thanksgiving fans. Then again, do Thanksgiving fans even exist? All in all, Thanksgiving is the favourite holiday of literally nobody.

4. April 

April is terrible. Then wait, why is it in fourth? My birthday. I’m biassed, but there’s no such thing as an unbiassed ranking. Overall, besides some family birthdays, including mine, April sucks. The weather is garbage, there’s pollen, and there’s Spring temperatures. Also, there’s ‘bucket season’, which I’ll admit is moreso an issue with the structural integrity of the school, but having to watch my step for ceiling leakage is really  annoying. To be honest, I don’t like April, but my birthday carries it.

3. October

I love October. The whole feeling of fall and halloween sets a nice ambiance for October. I’ll admit that I don’t like Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but that’s because coffee tastes like bitter, dirty water, which is what it is. The weather is nice, and I like the changing of the leaves, so yeah, October’s great.

2. January

January is one of the freest second places I’ve ever had the honour of giving out. If you still give January undeserved hate, you’re incredibly immature, peaked in preschool, and the only way anyone would like to touch you is with a taser. You are simply a degenerate, leeching off of popular trends, unwilling to admit that January is objectively a fantastic month. If you hate January, as I stated in my third disclaimer, you smell horrendous, and your bedsheets are abysmally disgusting. Nobody eats all their meals in bed. Take a shower, I beg of you. If you really think January’s that bad, fight me. I’m not that strong, as the only sport I play is bowling, but I will clobber you. After I defeat you, I will plan your funeral. It’ll be in January. I am tired of getting crap for accepting that January is a great month. It’s nice and cold, you have all of your Christmas presents to help you through school, you will never be too hot, and Cocoa is great to drink in January. If playing Xenoblade while snuggled up under a blanket or two isn’t heaven, I don’t know what is. Also, Flaerhartian independence day. If basking in the cold, cheerful glory of the only Authoritarian state with a sense of humour isn’t great, I don’t know what is, and your execution is probably awaiting. If you don’t wanna be cold, you can be six feet under. January is fantastic, and if you disagree, you are just plain wrong.

1. December

December is obviously going to be first place. The temperature is great, the atmosphere is perfect, and all major cultures have a big holiday in December. If you don’t like December, you don’t exist.

Ranking Candy by Anthony Poust

-DISCLAIMER- 

If I rank a candy you like badly, don’t come at me. This is just for fun!

No Thank You! 

12. Skittles 

Skittles have the same taste as Starburst, but in little M&M shaped packages. Just why?

11. Hot Tamales 

I’m not a big spice fan, so that is why I’m putting it here. I know a lot of people like them, but that’s not me. 

10. Airheads 

I don’t know why these things are so popular. They are oddly really chewy, and I don’t think they have a good flavor. 

Good Candy

9. Peanut M&Ms

I don’t feel that Peanuts and M&Ms taste perfect together, it’s not that I don’t like them, but the peanuts get stuck in my teeth and I think it’s annoying. 

8. White Chocolate 

I do like White Chocolate, unlike a lot of people. I think it is an original taste you can’t find in a lot of candy. But, I like some candies more than this. 

7.  Sour Patch Kids 

Blue Sour Patch Kid carries! I like sour patch kids, they are not too sour for me. Blue is my favorite. 

Great Candy

6. Candy Corn 

Who says that this is only for Halloween? Candy Corn is an amazing candy, and I know there are at least two other people who agree.  

5.  Dark Chocolate 

Dark Chocolate. What to do about Dark Chocolate. Apparently it is good for health in small amounts, but the taste is not amazing. 

Amazing Candy! The Best There Is!!!

4. Classic M&Ms

They are Skittles, but have chocolate on the inside. They go in cookies, muffins, rice crispy treats, they are epic. 

3. Milk Chocolate 

Everything Dark Chocolate could be, but more. It is far better than Dark Chocolate and it is the best form of chocolate there is. 

2. Kit Kat 

Chocolate, Wafers, Crunch, it’s perfect. What else is there to say? I guess I should mention all the other random flavors such as blueberry muffin and birthday cake. 

1. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

This is my favorite candy and it has been my whole life. I’m sorry if you have peanut butter allergies and can’t taste the best candy ever. The amazing clash of chocolate and peanut butter I look forward to Halloween each year just for the amazing Reese's.

The School’s Chocolate Milk is Repulsive, and I Figured Out Why by Sam Rockmore

Disclaimer: This is the first episode in a series of ‘The issues of PFMS, and how Sam Rockmore would fix them.’  

As all of you know, the school’s chocolate milk is egregious, but due to the recent shortage, I’ve determined that the cartons are to blame! But hey, that’s just a theory!

Since Elementary School, the chocolate milk has been god awful. It tasted atrocious, and that pretty much remained until early November of ‘23. There was a shortage of the horrendous paper cartons; likely because the toddlers in the factory making them went on strike. The school had to resort to buying the jugs, and it was heavenly. 

But then, a travesty occurred. The chocolate milk was back in paper cartons… What sick, evil, twisted, hateful, repulsive person decided to bring these back? It was appalling to see those abhorrent paper cartons. The toddlers couldn’t hold out long enough for a permanent change. If a toddler in the factory making those odious paper cartons is reading this, go for round two. Strike again. You’ll win this time. Viva la revolution.  

The unwelcome paper cartons can really do a number on chocolate milk. It’s never good from a paper carton, but Galliker’s is really bland; but when it’s in the paper cartons, it just tastes like the carton, and which idiot wants to drink “box” seasoned with fake chocolate?

Bring back those heavenly jugs. They were so much better. Please? Please, I beg of you. There’s only three people that can stop Chocolate Milk from being put in cartons here in PFMS: The superintendent, the toddlers in the factory, or the European Union.

Please?  Also, you may be wondering why the EU would be able to do anything about this? If the EU can make Apple put USBc in iPhones,  they could totally stop chocolate milk from being in cartons.

Please, EU, help. We desperately need your help.  Toddlers in the factory, strike again. You’ll win this time. Superintendent, get rid of the paper cartons, and lunch quality goes up a solid 200%. Please. Any of you. We need all the help we can get.

Thank you to Thesaurus.com and their 61 synonyms for ‘Terrible’.

Ranking Door Types by Edward Chote

7. Screen doors. They break to easy and they are very flimsy 

6. Stall doors. The locks on the doors don't actually work

5. Barn doors. They aren't even flush with the wall and slide too easily.

4. Glass door . They are too easy to walk into.

3. Two open door. They are just neat

2. French doors. They are very fancy. 🧐

1. Revolving door. It's the playhouse of doors

Ranking Types of Dogs and Cat Breeds by Eleanor Elias and Serena Tian

Dogs or cats? It’s your pick. Whether you’re a dog person or cat maniac, here are the best breeds for your choice of furry companions. Want to know how to persuade your parents to get a pet? Click here!

Dogs

These dogs are ranked from the easiest dogs to have, to the hardest to own. Are you prepared? You better be. Get ready for the most attractive personalities to the kinds that you want to say, “That’s a dog breed?”

Irish Golden. A mix of an Irish setter, and a golden retriever. What could go wrong? Golden retrievers are loyal and playful, and Irish setters are intelligent and quiet. And when they are bred together, the puppies are well behaved, adorable, and friendly. These dogs are also extremely active and require a lot of physical activity because of their high energy levels.

Bordoodle, also called a Borderpoo. The Bordoodle breed is extremely intelligent and playful. They make excellent companions and are very good around kids. This breed of dog is a mix of some of the most intelligent breeds, the Poodle, and the Border Collie. Moreover, these dogs are absolutely adorable.

The Beagle is an alert, intelligent, and even tempered dog that makes them a great companion. But if they are left alone they may be very loud and might destroy things.

The Akita is one of the most dangerous types of dogs because they are very rough and use physical force when playing. But when they are playing things can get out of hand and that can be dangerous, especially to little kids.

Cats

Are you all cat lovers calling? Well, wait no further! Here are some of the best and not-really-worst cat breeds of all time. We will rate from the most well-tempered cats to the worst-tempered felines.

American Shorthairs are, as the website Purina says it, “She’s adaptable and good-natured, which makes her the ideal family companion. Although she loves attention from her people, including children, the American Shorthair does not like being carried and is fairly independent. She may curl up in your lap on occasion, but she may prefer to sit alongside you instead. She’ll get along fine with a cat-friendly dog, but her hunting instincts may take over with pet birds and other small animals.” These cats will shed, so you may want to be prepared to groom her a couple times a week, though.

Scottish Fold. Known for their adorable small folded ears, these cats are unsurprisingly well tempered. These cats are quite easy to train tricks, easy to groom, and friendly towards other cats and animals. They tolerate being alone and tolerate being picked up. For an extra bonus, it’s quite a good lap cat! They are friendly towards strangers, so you pick- is it a good habit for guests or a bad habit towards break-in criminals? The reason I put them second is because, unfortunately, they have a high potential for weight gain. Please, if you are considering adopting this breed of cat, keep an eye out for how much they eat!

The Ragdoll cat. An affectionate, playful and dog friendly cat breed. They are an even tempered cat and do not generally mind a lot of change. But a downside is that they can have excessive grooming habits and need a lot of attention. 

The Siamese cat. Although history has famed this cat, their emotions are quite a lot! These felines are intelligent, and “velcro” cats– they are always loyal to their owners and stick with them. These cats’ affection is a 5-star rating, if you ask me. Unfortunately, this poor breed suffers from separation anxiety. These cats are most recommended for experienced owners. They need stimulated hunting games and quite a lot of attention. They need an extensive amount of outdoor-time. Overall, they aren’t quite the ideal family cats.

Sources

Petguide.com

Purina.com

PetKeen.com

Hillspet.com

Bettervet.com

What is Dreaming? By Samantha Lozinski

An average person sleeps for eight hours a day, and two hours of those are spent dreaming, which is a natural part of our sleep cycle.

Dreams are thought to be your brain’s way of helping you process emotions you experienced during the day. You might find yourself feeling very stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, etc., going to sleep, but then feel better after a good night's sleep. (A good idea might even come to you after a good night's rest.) Dreaming can serve as an emotional release. For example, having a dream about flying or floating could possibly be your subconscious encouraging you to let go and breathe about a worry you are holding on to. There is an interesting theory about dreams that dreams help sort information that happened during the day, and your brain decides whether each moment should be kept or forgotten about.  

Throughout your time of sleep, your brain cycles through various stages of sleep, each typically around 90 minutes. You start with lighter sleep, go into the deeper stage, and then back to lighter sleep again. Though the REM stage results in the most intense dreaming, dreaming is also still possible during non-REM stages of sleep, but is often less cinematic and more thought-like.

When we dream, we go through vivid mental imagery, emotional shifts, and varying levels of awareness. Neurotransmitters and hormones play a role in shaping our dreams. Dreams are mostly visual, but can also involve all of our other senses.

Nightmares are completely different though, as they can cause moments of sudden distress. Nightmares can contain problems that you have never encountered before, or it can mirror a real life fear or trauma. Nightmares can also be triggered by daytime stress. 

So there you go! Now you know how your sleep cycle works, and the reason it is so important (and interesting) to get your sleep. 

https://www.calm.com/blog/why-do-we-dream

Ten REAL Ways For Teens To Make REAL Money By: Mackabrie Winter

Everybody wants something, it doesn’t really matter what, but how long do you think your parents will pay for everything on their own? If your parents have already stopped, then you need to learn how to make your own money. Most of the time kids try to fish some money out of their parents, but I’m going to tell you how to make REAL CASH without doing a simple chore or trying to get money from your parents because that privilege is probably coming to an end. So, if you want money NOW* then you might want to keep reading.

*Sadly, reading the word “NOW” will not make money fall from the sky.

Sell Your Old Stuff

Most People have a lot of stuff they’ve been hoarding around their houses for years. But for teens and kids, there is probably a good chance that in a few months tops you might realize that some of your old stuff is in your little siblings’ room. Trust me, I know from experience. But, wouldn’t you rather look all responsible and make some quick cash by selling it? Some places you can sell old stuff include eBay and Amazon, but there are a lot of social media sites as well. What is important is to tell a parent before selling away all your stuff or getting on Social Media. The best part is that it just takes a look under the bed or you could wait for that old blue baby shirt to turn up somewhere… 

Tutoring

If you seem to be a bright student and are willing to teach, tutoring is a great way to start getting some extra money. The same applies to simple hobbies, life skills, and sports if you are someone that exceeds on the topic. Even if you aren’t comfortable tutoring or teaching other students your age, trying with little kids is just as good. Especially since younger people often need help with the necessary beginning skills such as reading and math. 

Odd Jobs

Odd Jobs are small jobs designed so that you can easily do simple tasks for friends, family, and neighbors. It includes activities such as mowing the lawn and watering plants/taking care of a garden. It is a great job if you need a job that usually avoids complex schedules and jobs in addition to the fact that it allows you to make some cash easily.

Pet Walker + Pet Sitter

People are always going on vacations and trips and might take a willing teenager to take care of any pets that are left at home. Taking care of pets includes mostly easy tasks that occasionally include only a walk or feeding depending on the pet and owner’s preference.

Car Washing

This age-old task is still around for money-making. Although more and more car-washing stations are popping up, they are skyrocketing in price. If you only charge a couple bucks for a clean, you’re likely to get some customers. Just remember to use any products correctly and safely including asking customers to park in a grassy area to reduce the amount of chemicals being poured into our sewers.

Fiverr + Other Online Websites

Fiverr is an online site where citizens can advertise services for customers to hire. This is a good way to get potential buyers to see you and do online jobs like article proofreading and digital art. However it is important that students know which apps to use and how to use them safely before entering any online platform. 

Seasonal Work

Local farms and organizations often have some job opportunities during the market seasons for students. If you’d like to help with produce picking and care, working a register, and decorating or interacting with organizations you may be interested in picking a seasonal related job.

Local Sports + Organization Opportunities

Parents and staff usually pay a lot of money for teens to do local sport training or teaching and being a referee. The same with organizational projects too. Paying jobs even include being a caddy for golfing or a LifeGuard. It is definitely worth it to try if you are from the ages 13-15 especially with older trainers and refs becoming harder to find in local facilities.  

House Cleaning + Organization

When people have a messy house or apartment but can’t find the time to do something about it, it is often found that they hire teenagers to organize and/or clean their whole houses or a few rooms. If you're willing to clean, it is easy and doesn’t have to take long depending on the house and the scope of the job.

Baby Sitting

Baby sitting is also a great job for after school, weekends, and the summer.  Almost every parent needs a babysitter so that they can get out of the house without their kids. It is a great opportunity to get money if you have a few hours open on the calendar. In fact, the local State College YMCA often gives babysitting certification training from ages 11-16 for a small fee! It’s especially important to get this training to know what to do in an emergency, how to do CPR, and other important things to remember when babysitting.  

Citations: 

TalkingParents.com - “Ways Kids Can Make Money During the School Year”

GoHenry.com - “How To Make Money As A 13 Year-Old”

Pie Reviews by Olive Hollis

Okay can I just say there are a lot of pie flavors out there that have all their ups and downs but some pies are just worse than others and better than others. This is my opinion on the pie flavors.

Pumpkin pie. 

With Thanksgiving coming up pumpkin pie is in season and a lot of people like it, but I think pumpkin pie is by far the worst flavor of pie there is. Either the pumpkin is really slimy and gross or the crust tastes like sand. So maybe I have never had really good pumpkin pie but my opinion still stands and it says that pumpkin pie is the worst pie 

flavor.

Cherry pie.

I am not a big fan of cherries in general so I think that kinda brings the pie down, but it’s not the worst pie…there is *cough cough* pumpkin *cough cough* but it still is bad. Again this might just be that I have never had really good cherry pie so I don’t like it as much but… and can I just say that with the skins on the cherries in the pie is just *shiver* 

Pecan pie.

I like pecans and don’t have anything against them but mixed into the sickeningly sweet pie filling just hits me wrong. I find pecans sweet nuts to begin with so it’s like sweet on sweet in a mixture of dough and sand.

Ice cream pie.

So I was internet surfing one day and found ice cream pie. It’s like ice cream cake but a pie… what could be better? Actually don’t answer that…

Key Lime pie.

I think key lime pie is one of the best flavors there is with the tart almost sour creamy green stuff in the pie crust that almost always works well no matter what. I don’t eat it a lot, so my opinion is kinda iffy, but I’ve had key lime yogurt so… good enough.

Lemon Margarine pie.

I enjoy this pie very much and like to eat it when I can. It is a little bit too soft for me but still really yummy when it’s toasted. And with the lemon almost puree type thing and the soft clouds of foam on top. Chef’s kiss.  So it’s basically one the best you can get.

Apple pie.

Now the apple pie is the GOAT of all the pies and is by far the best. There is nothing else to say about it. Being invented in America (so says google ) apple pie is basically the pie representation of the U.S.

The pie crust.

I don’t care what you say, the pie crust is the best part of the pie no matter what.

After a bit of trial and error, my mom makes the best pie crust ever, and I’ll make pie crust balls and really good cream cheese icing to go with it. Once you’ve had what I’ve had…you will know what I’m talking about.

I know I missed a lot of pie flavors, but I still have a lot of pie flavors left to eat so don’t blame me if your favorite pie is not here. I must not have had it before sooo… The moral of this story is that pie is awesome.

8th Grade Athlete Interviews (PFMS Fall Sports) by Olivia Koscianski and Samantha Lozinski

Interviews with PFMS 8th Grade Fall Sports Athletes.

Questions developed by PFMS Staff Writers Samantha Lozinski and Liv Koscianski.

Best and Worst Halloween Candies by Claire Robinson

I’m Claire, and today I’m here with the top ten BEST Halloween candies, and the top ten WORST halloween. Let’s start off with the best candies. 

10. Snickers 

9. Mini Hershey Bars 

8.  Candy Corn

7.  Hershey Kisses 

6. Starburst 

5. Sour Patch Kids 

4. Skittles 

3. Hot Tamales 

2. M&Ms

1.  Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups 

And now onto the worst halloween candies. 

1.  Circus Peanuts 

2. Candy Corn 

3. Necco Wafers 

4. Peanut Butter Kisses 

5. Wax Cola Bottles 

6. Mary Janes 

7. Smarties 

8. Licorice 

9. Bit-O-Honey 

10. Tootsie Rolls 

I can definitely see Reese’s being at the top as they are one of the most popular candies at Halloween time, but I can’t see candy corn being one of the worst! 

Sources Used: 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/10/10/most-popular-halloween-candy/71120980007/

Halloween Costume and Decoration Ideas by Cooper Leitzell & Nakula Balachandran

If you are looking for Halloween costumes or good decorations, but you're stuck… Here are the top five Halloween costumes and decorations according to categories. 

1. Scary Costumes for a Scary Halloween

• Demogorgon from Stranger Things

• Pennywise from IT

• Michael Myers

• Werewolf 

• Ghost Face Scream Costume

2. Funny Costumes for a Funny Halloween

• Mario and Luigi

• Chicken

• Inflatable Alien

• Mac'n'Cheese

• Frog                 

3. Scary Decorations for a Scary Halloween

• Giant spider web

• Zombie coming out of the ground

• Enter if you dare sign

• Bloody handprints

• Mummy hanging from ceiling 

4. Funny Halloween Decorations for a funny Halloween

• Witch hugging a tree

• Pacman inflatable pumpkin

• Skeleton being buried

• Funny grave sign

• Ghost saying “BOO”

Image Source: Unsplash