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)

All You Need Is An Email

Lights! Camera! What just happened?!

That's most people's reactions to watching magicians. These entertainers are paid to fool every single one of your senses and keep on your toes for x amount of hours. However, not many magicians are well known nowadays. The occupation, as entertaining as it is, is hidden behind actors and musicians. But, I'm sure you'll recognize these names:

Penn & Teller

If you didn't recognize the names, hopefully the included picture helped. If not, you should jokingly feel ashamed and Google them! Penn and Teller are extraordinary magicians that have redefined the world of magic. They even have their own TV show, "Penn And Teller: Fool Us," which you should totally check out in your spare time.

Here's something you might not have heard of: fanmail.biz. Fanmail.biz is a website dedicated to celebrity autographs, supplying you with addresses, instructions, and other stories of success. Through fanmail.biz, I saw a website-THE OFFICIAL website of Penn & Teller. There, was an email address where you could request a 100% authentic autograph. Based on several successor's stories, I decided to give it a go. BONUS: unlike requesting most other autographs, you wouldn't have to waste two or three stamps.

I emailed autographrequests@pennandteller.com requesting an autograph, including my name and address on June 25, 2015. Almost one month later, on July 20, 2015, my mum sent me to the mailbox to send out a bill and letter. Too bad the mailman already came. Most of the mail was bills and junk, but I received a mysterious envelope and some information about college.

Once I was back inside, I looked up the business, Buggs & Rudy Discount Corp, in the yellow pages and followed it to a website, pennandteller.net. IMMEDIATELY, I opened the envelope to see an authentic picture of the two entertainers and their signatures.

(sorry it's a bit blurry and the sun glared over Teller's signature)

I'd like to take a moment to thank Penn, Teller, and their management for this gift. While this summer has been great, it has had it's downs. However, with this gift, no other three month vacation could top it. So, thank you! 

Older Cousin Rights

Every family argues and celebrates with one another. It's what we do. But, there are some things we do out of the goodness of our hearts that's never really recognized. I was just cleaning my room (shocker) and going through some of my clothing items when I came up with a thought.

Being an older cousin with no siblings, my toys and clothes are passed down to my younger relatives. Female relatives. It occurs to me that this is not only a small, friendly tradition, but saves the others money. Now, I know girls can be expensive, but when we hit our puberty years, your money is going right out the door. Based on how our body shape changes, we need more protective undergarments and the sized clothing will strongly vary. Thanks to our older siblings or cousins, however, some of the pain of that shopping is taken away as you now have clothes for these stages of life. Now that hole in your pocket is smaller.

I thought about it. Sometimes a parent will demand a child cleans their room or goes through their stuff, and sometimes the child does it on their own. Either way, the stuff being passed down is in a way donated by the older child. However, does this ever get recognized by society? All the donating we've done, the help we've provided our distant families; it's often overlooked. Just think about it for a moment. What items from your own personal collection have you, not sold, but just given a friend or family member? Think deeper. What impression have you made on them?

Here's an example! My older cousins grew up to love Pokemon. I mean LOVE it. At my Nana's house, thanks to their dedication to the franchise, she has maybe twenty VCR tapes of Pokemon movies and TV shows. One day, when I was visiting with my mum (I don't think my dad was there that day.), the colorful boxes with adorable anime creatures caught my eye. I knew how to work a VCR thanks to my constant watching of The Land Before Time at home, so while my mum caught up with her mom, I snuck away to another room with a small arm load of Pokemon movies. And I've been hooked ever since.

Once my cousins found out I was hooked, they gave me some of their old belongings as they had grown out of Pokemon (sadly :( ). I think, correct me if I'm wrong. I think my cousin Kevin gave me a giant two inch binder full of Pokemon cards he'd collected. Let me tell you now, I'll never forget that. All those Pokemon cards, rare and common alike.

Am I being a hypocrite? Did I ever thank Kevin with genuine feelings of gratitude? I did thank him, and when I see him again, I'll probably try to bring it up. But that gift was ten years ago. MY POINT EXACTLY! You might not realize it, but take a look at your belongings. What have you bought? What have you received on holidays? Most importantly, what items that you treasure were given to you randomly out of the goodness of an older relative's heart?

Think about and remember what friends and family have done for you. Maybe reflect your gratitude in an upcoming gift for a birthday or holiday. If they gave you something Supernatural related some random day of the year because you're a huge fan, think about giving a little more thought to their Christmas present.


Of course, I also wanna hear your stories and thoughts! What have you given to someone or what has someone given to you? Leave your tall tales of family donations in the comments below!

Buttercup: The Second Most Cliche Cow Name

Living on a farm, you get many unexpected things. Around 8:30 on June 26, 2015, I was in the middle of watching The Briefcase and eating some blueberries. My father, basically the head master of the farm, comes inside and says, "We have an animal missing."

I groaned and asked if I had to go, which was a simple no before Dad walked out. Beginning of summer and being this late at night, there would be bugs and I didn't want to leave my food or comfy spot on the couch. However, after a few minutes of internal debate, I told my mum to guard my berries from our cats and off I went.

Running through one of our pastures, I was easily able to catch up with my dad. In the pasture were a total of seventeen cattle. Three of them were overgrown steers (bulls without their parts) and the rest were pregnant females. However, when counting the cows earlier, dad only counted sixteen by the feed bunks. Whenever one of our critters has a baby, they like the privacy and shelter of the woodland further back. This was where the missing cow was expected to be.

Shortly into the woods, not even ten yards, Dad held up a silencing hand and listened to the deafening silence. You could hear the barn fan in the distance along with one heavily sighed moo, but nothing from the woods. He pointed in a direction and led me around an area so we would come up beside the momma and her baby (if she already had it).

Of course, he predicted correctly. Right where he sniffed out was Lilac, #31 in our books, and her newborn baby girl. Although we don't know the hours of hen she was born, it was between 3 o'clock in the afternoon 'til 8:30. The baby was sparkling clean and running after it's mom like a little mountain bike. Yes, a mountain bike. While herding the two out of the woods, Lilac liked to take the paved route. Her baby, on the other hand, was jumping over rocks and fallen trees. There even came a point where she stood on a rock and "surfed" it down a small rock wall, not even falling. This rightfully earned her the nickname Badass in my books.

Once we got Lilac and little "Badass" to the edge of the pasture, we opened a gate to a smaller one filled with five calves in their "cow teen" years. These little ones were like trained dogs. If you used the right tone of voice and hand motions (which I am the only one to have mastered), they will stay, come, and keep eye contact with you on command. It was easy to keep them distanced while we coaxed Lilac through the fence, but the new mother and baby weren't the only ones. Two other pregnant cows crossed through the gate. One went back to the designated dry cow pasture with a simple wave, but the other was running everywhere. When we finally got #3, Ashley, back to the gate, she made a last minute run for it and tangled a fence wire around her feet. Ashley ran and freed herself, but not before dismantling a part of the fence.

Once Ashley was mildly cursed at and shooed back into her pen and the fence was temporarily thrown together for the night, Lilac and her baby were led through one more pasture and into the barn. The baby, later properly named Butercup (so cliche), was fed with some of her mom's milk and some warmed up, regular milk. Why? Well, Miss. Lilac here didn't produce much milk for the child. That, however, didn't matter as you know how babies are. They will eat when they want to eat, and little Buttercup was not hungry. Drinking a little bit, Buttercup was laid in some hay at her mother's nose and the barn was shut down for the night. I never knew how The Briefcase ended as the whole ordeal ended at 10:32. But we have a new edition to the farm and I got to watch Criminal Minds instead, so it all worked out in the end. :)

App Reviews: The Sims 3 Worlds Adventures

App Reviews: The Sims 3 Worlds Adventures

Many of us have grown up or around this industry, which skyrocketed. Everyone loves the games. However, the most common used machine of Sims, a computer, might not always be available to you. So, why not an app? Smart. The customer does not expect the app t be exactly like the computer version of Sims, but similar enough to be enjoyed. Instead, you are now stuck with

this. In the Apple App Store, this particular application costs $2.99, plus in-app purchases. My only hope is to get people to read this before they confirm the purchase. Although the franchise is thought to be a wonder, this particular game has no worldly purpose.

When creating a character in the beginning of your game, choices are very limited. Most, if not all, of your options revolve around the places "around the world you can visit." 'Course, how would I know? I didn't make it past the tutorial.

Once I made a character, a "Sim" I believe you call it, I continued into the Sim world, ready to make my own little life. Unfortunately, once I started, I didn't have my Sim that I worked oh-so hard on. Instead of having an adventurous female, I had a drowsy male. Immediately given the opportunity, I went to change the gender and start all over to redesign myself (that sounds weird to say.) When there was no button or lever or anything to change the gender. Half of the previous available customize options also disappeared.

I restarted the app and tried again, starting a new game. Once again, I created a female figurine, but she was also traded for the same male. It was the same old sequence of events. I went to change everything about my character and none of the buttons were there. Not only, but it has no free roam mode.

I went into the App Store to write a review, when I saw many other unhappy customers who had the same problem as me. If only I had read the reviews before going off on my own. Moral of the story: CHECK THE REVIEWS BEFORE YOU BUY.

Previous reviews by other customers:
jayemery57 says, "Okay,why can't you speed up time like in Sims 3 Ambitions? And when I try to move into someone's house in a different country, they get mad. Even my spouse or best friend gets mad."
I<3Pandas! says, "I like the idea of the game, but I desperately try to make my character certainly but it just shows up as a really weird guy. (What?!?!) and it's not made well. There r no kids and u can't make a girl!!!!!"
Zoe wolfblood says, "Ok so I just got the game and stuff right after valentines day and there was no holiday thing so then I have like no furniture to buy the town is small there is no park or anything much I get married but can not have kids..."

All-in-all folks, this application is full of glitches. The graphics are worse than The Sims Freeplay. I'd much rather have bought Florida Georgia Line's latest single.

Stars: 0/5

Versus: One Direction v. 5 Seconds of Summer

It's safe to say that these two bands are what every teen magazine has to offer. The young British/Irish and Australian boys have taken the world by storm. What does each band have going for them? What's going against them?

One Direction

Let's start off with the boys with more experience on stage. With five members to an all vocal group, the UK has produced a traditional boy band. They gained their fans through hard work shown throughout the TV show "X Factor," which the Directioners look back on more often than you think.

With their fourth album titled "Four" (so original) making it's debut, the 1D boy's music has definitely changed from their first single "What Makes You Beautiful." From what I've heard from this album, it's quite the opposite of "Midnight Memories." The third album was mostly upbeat, while this new one is more slow and calm. In my opinion, not the move you want to make at this point in the game.

Take their AMA performance of 2014. Wonderful job performing "Night Changes," boys, honestly. But, you were no match for 5 Seconds of Summer. I'm afraid the watching the boys in concert nowadays isn't as exhilarating as it used to be. Where are all the midair splits Niall did every ten minutes? Where's the cheeky flirting and tackling? The pranks, the running, the jumping, the joking?

Not to mention the great Leaving of Zayn 2015. WOAH, did that kick up a social media storm or what?! A twitter fight between Zayn and current band member Louis broke out and it was chaos. The fans rioted. However, what's this news about Zayn coming back? He certainly knows how to control the paparazzi, but how do the fans feel? Overwhelmed with emotions: happy, sad, angry, shocked. And the non-fans are even more so. They are sick of TV broadcasts and their peers and friends and relatives crying over this.

5 Seconds of Summer

The Aussies started out like many of the greats, via YouTube. This website brought fame to pop sensations like Justin Beiber, Carly Rae Jepsen, Austin Mahone, and fellow Australian Cody Simpson. There's a lot of dedication and history behind the story of the YouTube network.

Not only, but the 5SOS boys are all about the live streams and Twitcams. Four members is clearly enough. These younger trainees bring a lot more energy than we've previously seen, plus a small twist. If you're a country and pop fan like myself, you can relate to this when I say that 5 Seconds of Summer is turning the tables on the classic boy band image. But, that's the exact thing. THEY ARE NOT A BOY BAND! (Plot twist in life, I know. I just blew your mind.) This group is more about the vocals as each member has a designated instrument. And even with money in their hands, they still jump around without breaking anything (for the most part).  Despite their song "What I Like About You," being a cover, the Australians showed so much energy at the AMA's { https://youtu.be/N27ETuTOEj4 } that has Directioners thinking back to the X Factor days once again, or Big Time Rush's onstage trampolines.

Here's what I don't understand. 5SOS has been around barely half the time 1D has, and although the UK homegrown boys have more albums and several documentaries, the Australians have come up with a LIVE album (available for purchase now) and a fan convention. LIVE albums show your voice without ANY autotune or valid accusations of suh (because it's live). And a fan convention? 5SOS has started their own age of musical, fan conventions mixed with the classic ComiCon style mixed with a small amusement park. Whaaaaaatttttt?

These boys are also more active on social media. All of the members have Twitter and Instagrams and use them often. The fans enjoy the constant communication with this younger band.

Winner

We can respect both groups by all the records they've broken and worldwide acheivements they will be remembered by, but there can only be one winner in a versus. By a score of 9-5 my vote goes to 5 Seconds of Summer. America has had British invasions before with The Beatles, but something Australian? No offense to Cody Simpson, but he didn't exactly click quickly. I don't hear his songs on the radio as often as 5SOS. Plus, these four (Michael Clifford, Ashton Irwin, Luke Hemmings, and Calum Hood) have an unbelievable amount of energy and passion. They're so punk, but they're far from it. This band is such a mix of everything and anything, it's impossible not to gain some sort of respect, awe, or flat out fangirl/fanboy emotions.