Google Feud

It's interesting to think about the vastness of the internet--the magic of Google, Bing, Yahoo!, etc. The magic of searching millions of websites to find a few key words. These search engines give you information, images, maps, videos, news, stocks, and so much more within seconds!

However, what do we really need to know? What do we, as Earth, really search?

I'd like to introduce you to Google Feud, yet another branch of Google that let's you explore the most popular searches worldwide in the form of Family Feud.

Featuring the categories of "Culture," "People," "Names," and "Questions," Google Feud gives a player a beginning of a common Google search. It could relate to culture or people, it could be the beginning of a question, or it could be someone's first name and you have to fill in the blank (or last name). A player has three possible strikes before all the answers are revealed.

I wanted to write a blog post about this because of how interesting it is. As a beginning gamer, I decided to stream for an hour playing Google Feud. I was live on the internet for everyone to see, guessing what the average human being searches. The following day, I decided to play with some of my friends and introduce them to the complex. Furthermore, YouTube legends Smosh uploaded a third video of them and some featured friends playing Google Feud 48 hours prior. When it was actually filmed, I don't know, but let's pretend it was a week or so beforehand.

Now each of these events were within a month of each other with the same game in the same universe. As a witness for each of these events, there were some searches that were repeated between the games. For example, the name "Donna." I completely forgot all the previous answers in Smosh's video during my stream, but looking back afterwards and based on my few games today, the place value in which each "Donna" was searched changed. I also saw this when playing with the name "Randy" and things you wonder about your mum.

To look at this on my own and connect the dots, put two and two together, was a miniature existential crisis. Google always gives us numbers of how fast their work is and how many people search how many things. The numbers alone boggle our minds, but to actually witness it happen... Incredible.

I followed my little experiment further and played several rounds of Google Feud earlier today and a few games mere minutes ago. What would you have it, I got some of the same topics and within hours, the answers were all switched around. The place values moved, some answers not even on the board anymore and new questions being asked every second!

It might seem like a simple thing, but it's awesome. So, congrats Google on the success of your company to have immediate results like that. You did it right.

And for those of you that want to play Google Feud or watch me stream sometime (I'd highly recommend the former), links are here:

Google Feud: http://www.googlefeud.com/
My Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/huff_fanatic

Memoir: A Love Of Animals

I guess my love for animals started at my family's old house, our four
or five cats in Harmony, Maine. I can only remember Harriet,
Claudette, and KitKat by name, but I remember there being a few others
around. Harriet hated me, KitKat had her moments, but it was truly
Claudette that taught me to respect and care for animals like you
would another person. Claudette was the one that made sure I wasn't
afraid and didn't give up on cats in my first years of life. The older
feline looked after me like an older, very mature sister or a second
mother. She helped me discover the mysteries of the world. She treated
me with kindness and respect so much so, that I saw her as an actual
person, not a cat.

Eventually, we moved from our small house in Harmony to my
grandparents' farm in Wellington. It was my dad's turn to takeover and
continue the generations. It wasn't until the move in early 2003 that
I saw my first cow. However, first impressions aren't everything. I
remember a cow Tac by name. She was the oldest. The cattle that have
stuck with me by memory have been Chickadee and Boo-Boo, both kind,
older cows that put up with my young antics. 

I was attracted to the giant barn at our new house. I was scared, yet
curious about the black and white bovines that inhabited the farm.
Some shook their heads at me and others let me pet their fuzzy heads.
However, I can never forget Chickadee. She was the first cow I
connected with who didn't mind me yelling or playing in her food. 

Another habit of mine was climbing things at a young age. I pretended
the couch was a mountain, the stairs were an even bigger mountain, and
the cows were hills that moved. Chickadee was so tolerant of me that,
in my mind, there was nothing wrong with climbing onto her back.
Despite my mum's lack of enthusiasm about the idea, my dad helped me
up onto the resting cow's back. Suddenly, Chickadee stood up. The
transfer from a laying position to a standing position was terrifying,
especially for an almost three year old. Once Chickadee was up, I had
a blast. It was like riding a unicorn. From that point on in my life,
the thought of riding a unicorn or a horse was out of the question,
cows had made a true connection with me. Chickadee was one of several
cows I ended up bareback riding. Boo-Boo took over the babysitting
role when Chickadee passed, and then Jam. Jam's son, Peanut, was a
speed racer and enjoyed being ridden. 

Last year was an event that hit me hard. It finalized my care for all
animals. We had just gotten home from Harmony's annual Zombie Run when
my dad met us at the car. A new baby was born and he needed me, fake
blood and all, to help herd the calf and its mother inside. 

The baby turned out to be an unhealthy small size. It couldn't stand
on its own, much less walk. While my father led the mum, I picked the
calf up into my arms and carried it through several pastures. That
alone should tell you the size of the baby as my arms are fairly weak. 

Looking in the records, the calf was due to be born late November,
and it was mid October. She was one month premature, and her chances
were not looking good. After conversing with my grandpa, my dad
decided that it would be in the best interest of the calf to put her
down. I would have none of that, however. 

That year, 2014, we had lost many animals. I was determined to save
this baby girl and bring the death count to a halt. She might've been
small, but seeing her constantly try to stand every few seconds was
enough to tell me that she was fighting. 

My dad thought I was insane, my mother and grandfather even more so,
but I had faith in the calf and she had faith in me; that was all I
needed. My father ended up naming her Pyrite, the "fool's gold." I was
the supposed fool. 

I held Pyrite in a standing position whenever she drank milk and took
her on very short walks in the grass and heavily padded pens. Often
times, I would have to carry her to her stall as she would collapse
from exhaustion, but it was all worth it. As time went on, Pyrite's
legs got stronger. She would run around the barn, racing against me. I
posted videos and photos of her everyday on Facebook, and my friends
went crazy. One of my friends from New Hampshire drove up with her
boyfriend just to see the little miracle in person. I trained the calf
to jump, come, heel, and speak, just like a dog. She'd run when I told
her and where I told her. 

Thanks to Pyrite, Claudette, and Chickadee, I have a strong respect
and bond with my animals. The cats, cows, or the chickens on my farm,
all of them hold a special place in my heart.

Your Number One Place To Shop-

It's actually funny, really. I was originally going to write about my Top 3 Shopping Stops and turn it into a "Top 3" series, but I found that I didn't really have three stores that I loved. I started ranting about how you should visit local businesses, which I still stick by, and then I picked a store I visited often for my #3 and #2. However, my first place store came from my heart and I just kept typing and typing. It got to the point where I realized that I didn't care for the second place store and everybody always tells you to visit local businesses. So I stuck with my number one. And if you're reading this blog post, you're stuck with it, too.


Admit it, as much as you may hate shopping to the core, there's one or two stores you're absolutely dying to visit. Maybe it's the local grocery store that offers free samples, or that giant super store that has anything under the moon! For me, though, it's a cozy store that is my, honest-to-Castiel, second home.

Bull Moose

Bull Moose is my number one for a great reason, let me tell you. This chain of stores is native to the Maine and New Hampshire area, and the rest of the world wishes they had one. I consider it my second home and beg to go there every time I'm out.

Bull Moose, as displayed in the picture, is a Music-Movies-Video Games-Books store. However, it's so much more. The Waterville, ME location has a small shelf in front with random things labeled "FREE." Recently, I got a Lego Avengers poster from that shelf. The store also sells trading cards, the occasional plushie, comic books, TV series, a toy or two, magnets, and so much more. (You'll get tired of the phrase "so much more" by the end of this.)

Not only do they sell, but they buy from their customers. Video games, books, and consoles can all be traded for cash or store credit. The store credit goes right into your Bull Moose membership, which is also free to sign up for! That is, of course, if you don't already have one. Deals are often offered with every purchase you make as cashiers check your account and offer you 50% off certain priced items you are about to purchase.

Speaking of deals, you don't even need them. Prices are extremely low and to die for! If you know me personally, I'm obsessed with WWE. The wrestling company is my life. The Pay-Per-Views that you find in Walmart are often $30 and that's all Walmart has to offer. However, in Bull Moose, you can find every DVD produced in honor of WWE. (I'm not even kidding.) I've found several DVDs around $3 and most of my Pay-Per-Views cost me $9-$17. If that doesn't spell D-E-A-L-S for you, I don't know what does.

The employees are fun to talk to and they know about everything about what is in stock. Just about every employee can relate to one or more of your bagged goodies. Are you into Arrow and are buying the latest season? Be prepared to have a friendly debate on whether Arrow or Flash is better! Are you buying a Train CD? You'll receive other music suggestions as you converse about your favorite songs!

Another thing I love about Bull Moose locations is that they host fun events. I know the Scarborough store has had a concert or two. Mill Creek Bull Moose even had a Lego Firewalk (I would die) once! There's been signings (books, CDs, and so much more!) at several locations, as well.

In these photos that further prove the exciting events of Bull Moose, you may also notice they are from Instagram. Well, they are! Yet another reason that I've come to love Bull Moose so much is their activity on social media. They update Instagram often, with cute and funny pics and store updates. Their Twitter is also fun to follow. Bull Moose is also very interactive when it comes to their followers, replying and taking notice of them. If you truly understand the value of social media interaction, it doesn't get better than that.

Throughout this article, have I mentioned online? Yeah, I just went there. Bull Moose has a website! (link at the end) It's fun, simple, and easy to work with. The website displays special deals the line is offering, although you can always use the search bar to find a particular product. Prices of the product, new and pre-owned, are always offered, as well as an advanced search to see if a nearby location has it in-stock.

So if you're ever in the area, stop by a store and tell them I sent you (You don't have to actually tell them that). Even if you're on a trip and only have a five dollar bill to spare from your budget, $5 can go a long way. I promise, you won't regret it and you'll find yourself back there again.

Website: http://www.bullmoose.com/

Am I Weird?

Sick and in bed, my school iPad is glowing with the YouTube logo. I'm watching a daily show, Good Mythical Morning, when I see an episode titled "Things Most Humans Can't DO (TEST)" and decided to watch it. Let's talk about that?

Rhett and Link are two very well known YouTubers and host the morning show. This particular episode (link at the end) was targeting how amazing the human body is, yet how limited some of us seem to be. I encourage all of you to watch the video and play along with the boys as I do, but I have the benefit of being in my room and behind a keyboard.

Wiggling Your Ears
Rhett states he cannot do this, but Link demonstrates his ability. Well, Link, you and I have that in common. Heck, there's even a WikiHow page on how to do so.

Personally, I've trained myself for years to be able to wiggle my ears. When I was little, my dad used to do it to make me laugh and I tried to copy him. It never worked until I was thirteen and freaked my friends out when my ear twitched. It's actually an inherited thing, so thanks dad!

Raising One Eyebrow
Did you also know there's a WikiHow page about this, too? But admit it, you didn't think about WikiHow when you read the subheading. You thought of the famous Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Well, you're not alone.

I cannot perform this task, although I really want to.

Roll Your Tongue
We just went over that in biology class last year. Rolling your tongue, like wiggling your ears, is an inherited thing. However, my mum and dad could do it, but it wasn't until last year that I was able to master this super power. (I'm talking about the regular tongue rolling, not the three-leaf clover)

I actually know many, many people who can do this. I felt so left out over the years, especially since BOTH of my parents could do it. Like, seriously?! What took you so long, gene?!

Tickle Yourself
People have told me it's impossible, but I can tickle myself and genuinely laugh. Weird, right? A friend of my mum's found out and basically thought I had the plague. Some people can tickle themselves using a feather of something, but no. I can actually tickle myself without anything and genuinely laugh. (It's a psychological thing, apparently.) In the video, Rhett mentions that schizophrenic people can tickle themselves, but let me assure you that I am not schizophrenic. I just had to Google what it means a few seconds ago.

It's the end of the world!!

Touch Your Nose With Your Tongue
Straight up, I can't do this and I look awful when trying.

Touch Your Elbow With Your Tongue
Nope, and I look stupid doing this, too.

Gleeking
I don't even know what this is. Rhett and Link, where did you get these things?

Twitch Your Nose
Like a bunny? No. I can srcunch it up out of disgust and flare my nostrils, but twitch it is not a thing for me.


Some of these things I can do, and some of them I can't. You be the judge! Am I weird or 100% human? Comment below what you can do, too!

Watch the episode of Good Mythical Morning here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIwhOT5RkME

Dear Smosh & Smosh Games

Hi. My name is Alex Huff and I made a promise. I told my best friend, Jennifer Simon, that I would do everything in my power to get the Smosh & Smosh Games crews to come to Maine. She laughed. She wasn't making fun of me or anything, but just thought it would be a feeble attempt. But we are both huge fans, and her birthday is coming up really soon (Oct 25). So I discarded the laugh, and here I am.

I am writing this post to convince Ian, Anthony, Noah, Keith, Shayne, Courtney, Olivia, Mari, Lasercorn, Wes, Jovenshire, Sohinki, and Flitz to come to Maine.

(From Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Keith, Shayne, Olivia, Anthony, Ian, and Courtney)

(From Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Lasercorn, Jovenshire, Flitz, Wes, Mari, and Sohinki)

So welcome to the worst persuasive letter in the history of persuasive letters, and...

Welcome to Alexandra Huff's:

 .::TOP REASONS FOR SMOSH & SMOSH GAMES TO COME TO MAINE::.

7) Bull Moose stores

Yes, I'm aware that Bull Moose is also in New Hampshire, but I live in Maine. And I'm talking about Maine.

Bull Moose is literally paradise for nerds and geeks and everybody. They have movies, CDs, video games, comic books, regular books, and so much more for very low prices. The staff that I have met so far are super sweet and just as nerdy, too. I had a conversation with a British cashier about superhereos for ten minutes (don't worry, no one else was in that particular line).

They also cover, like, every single fandom. Anything from Doctor Who to One Direction, from Pokemon to Hawkeye, from Zoella to Ellen DeGeneres, I have seen it all in that beautiful store. There is no human on this earth that would walk away unhappy. I guarantee it.

Besides, they also have memberships! And they're free to sign up for! You Smosh-y people can have one on hand in case you ever come back to Maine (or visit New Hampshire) and save up points to get free stuff. I got something like five WWE DVDs free once. (Totally not a frequent customer, guys.)

6) Winter

Now this one is very opinionated. Maine, being a very northern state, has notorious winters. I'm telling you, they are REALLY bad. There's snow everywhere and my bus sometimes get stuck (so a 1.5 hour ride turns into 2+) and so many other things.

But then again, the snow is the exact reason y'all should come to Maine. I mean, if I'm not mistaken, all of the Smosh film sets are in California, and my AWESOME Geography teacher (also teaches AMX 1 as you'll hear later on) has confirmed that there's virtually no snow in California. Wouldn't you guys like a change of scenery? How long has it been since you've seen snow? (It's actually snowing at my house as I'm writing this, haha)

Besides, there's a fun thing us Mainers like to do. Snowmobiling. I mean, you can go ahead and build a fort or snowman or have a snowball fight, sure. Just keep in mind that snowmobiling is always an option. (And I have a snowmobile)

And if you don't like the winter, you can stay inside with Jennifer and watch Netflix or something. That's an option, too.

5) Lobster...

If you're into that sort of thing...

I might not be a fan, but I have watched enough Gordon Ramsay shows to know that Maine Lobster is to be appreciated. So, if one of you Smoshers like lobster, come. It's apparently really good.

(A picture I took from a trip to Young's Lobster Pound, Belfast, ME with some family)

(A picture from Portland, ME. Found online)

4) this is gonna sound really selfish... and weird... but... My house

Okay, okay, okay, let me explain. I live on a farm. A ferrrrrrmmmmm. So, there's cows and chickens here and it could be a bit of a learning experience. Get away from the city and into the purest countryside ever. You can actually see Mt. Katahdin from my house. (Mt. Katahdin is a very famous mountain in Maine, for those of you who don't know)

I really sound self-centered, I'm sorry.

There aren't as many farms in the world as there used to be. Mine is one of 200-something dairy farms left in the state. That's what my parents say. It's pretty sad, actually... And according to farmflavor.com, there's 8,100 farms in Maine. The same website also said that dairy produce was Maine's second top agricultural product, right behind potatoes. Hmm... That's funny. 

Anyway, you could learn stuff from my herd of cattle. How to milk a cow, the history of the farm, how to drive a tractor, and maybe make some bovine friends.

May I add that we have a little Swiss calf named Wesley? Yeah, he's here, too. Just another reason to visit. We also have a cow named Lasercorn. So, you might wanna see him in person. He's a little camera shy, but he's got the famous Laser-stare down. Check it:

(Lasercorn the cow w/ flash photography)

3) Food & Magic Cards

Now, I've already bribed Lasercorn and WesTheEditor on their Twitch livestreams with this one, but it's true! In Maine, we indeed have food and we have Magic cards. (another reason to visit Bull Moose).

In fact, my AMX teacher used to play Magic professionally and travel and stuff. Ya know, before he became a teacher. Furthermore, you Smosh-y Magic players should battle him at my school. There's another option for ya!

2) Understanding & Awareness

This one hits a little close to home, guys. I have a YouTube channel myself and so does Jennifer. In fact, a lot of people do. And there are people, like Smosh and Smosh Games, that have an actual job as a YouTuber.

My school is trying to push us more toward our dreams and goals in life. However, many of the students and staff alike don't fully understand YouTube. Actually, from Jenn's point of view, it seems like no one in Maine fully understands YouTube. And I agree.

Having YouTubers come to Maine and raise awareness of this would be so awesome! It'd make the society around here more accepting towards the internet and us kids who study the classic YouTube sketches. It also might make me seem a little bit more normal, heh.

1) THE FANS... HIIIIIIII

THE ABSOLUTE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR SMOSH & SMOSH GAMES TO COME TO MAINE IS US. THE FANS!! Hey, how y'all doing?

If you watch any Smosh video, beginning to end, there's usually a link that brings you to a Behind-The-Scenes video. And in a lot of BTS videos, the members of Smosh express their love for the fans. Same with Smosh Games, except in the form of screams and random acts of randomness that they do for us.

The Smosh love comes in the form of them answering our tweets, connecting with us via social media, opening our fan mail on camera, pranking some very lucky fans, and so much more. They all do meet ups at ComiCon and VidCon and everything in between, and we love it.

SPREAD THE LOVE.

So why pass up the chance to meet with more of us and connect with us even further?! I know, I just totally blew your mind, right?

So, Smosh & Smosh Games...

I hope you take my proposal into consideration and actually look over this poorly made up list. I really hope to see you guys in this state sometime in the future. Jenn says hi, by the way. As does the rest of your Maine native fan base.

But in all seriousness, please visit sometime. Jenn's mum promised that she would make you all some homemade chocolate fudge. And I really want some homemade chocolate fudge.

Sincerely,

Alexandra Huff (and Jennifer Simon)

(Left to Right: Jennifer Simon, Alexandra Huff)

(Squirrel & Moose: 2015)

(Left to Right: Jennifer Simon, Alexandra Huff)

(Homecoming 2015: School Spirit Day)