WARNING- THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS. READ ONLY IF YOU DO NOT MIND “NEW GIRL” SPOILERS
Courtesy Fox Broadcasting
Fun fact I’ve discovered in the one billion times I’ve watched “New Girl” – someone there loves “Saved By The Bell.”
This will be a super quick post, I just wanted to point out this Easter egg so the next time you’re watching this show you can take note of the little quirks the show has.
In season three, episode ten, “Thanksgiving III” the crew goes on a camping trip because Nick has issues with his masculinity and decides that the group needs to spend Thanksgiving foraging in the woods for their meal. While out “hunting”, Nick finds and captures a very dead fish. After realizing that the girls and Winston went to the store for vegetables Nick leaves the area in a huff. With Jess following, they have a conversation about his insecurities.
To alleviate those insecurities Jessica grabs that nasty fish and starts eating it, which leads her to becoming delirious and meandering through the woods. Upon those wanderings you will hear Jess mumble “A.C. Slater”, marking the first time “Saved By The Bell” gets a nod.
Courtesy Fox Broadcasting
In “New Girl” season four, episode six “Background Check” we all remember the meth but do you remember when Schmidt kept on asking Cece about her date with a fella named Paul? Schmidt had all sorts of issues with the name Paul until Cece said she had in fact dated Mark-Paul Gosselaar which for a moment Schmidt believed was true. Yet another nod to “Saved By The Bell.”
Finally, we have a special treat from “Saved By The Bell” by having an actual star of the show, Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley) who played Becky Cavatappi, Jessica’s principal after she returns from jury duty in season five, episode eleven “The Apartment” when Cece is moving out of her old apartment and into the loft to be with Schmidt.
Courtesy Fox Broadcasting
I’m on another run through of the show but as of now, these three nods are what I have discovered as a fun Easter egg to observe when watching “New Girl” – whether it be your first or tenth time watching the worlds best sitcom. What is your favorite “New Girl” episode? Have you discovered any fun Easter eggs you want me to write about? I have more treats headed your way in the coming posts. Stay tuned and feel free to contact me with comments or questions.
This post contains spoilers. Only read this if you have watched the series “New Girl” in its entirety.
Image courtesy of Fox
I have watched the series “New Girl” over thirteen times through and during my viewings have picked up on “Easter eggs” and anecdotes throughout the series. I’m creating an entire blog series breaking down the show. Please only read this if you know the whole series. All opinions are my own and this is just what I have observed in the years I have been watching the show.
“Who’s that girl? It’s Jess!”
Is it really though? I mean, sure, the show is about the evolution of Jessica Day and it tells the love story between her and Nick Miller but if you REALLY break the show down, it all ties into Cece Parekh. Here is why –
While Jess does spend time with all of the core characters of the show her only REAL connections are with Cece, her childhood best friend, and Nick, the love of her life. Cece, on the other hand, is a key figure in the lives of EVERY character on the show.
Cece and Jess
FOX Image Collection via Getty Images
We all know that Cece is a key figure in Jessica’s life. They befriended each other in grade school when Cece was struggling with her reading (her tears made it hard to read) and Jess helped her. A friendship was formed and it lasted decades. Jess moved to LA because of Cece and if you’ve seen the show (you REALLY need to see the show if you’re reading this) you know that Cece has been the most important person in Jessica’s life.
Cece and Schmidt
Image Courtesy of FOX
Cece and Schmidt. Shouldn’t have to say much on this subject. Their romance was actually more front and center than Nick and Jessica’s. For Schmidt it was love at first sight – “Girl, I’m gonna marry you” – and their romance started in season one and was a key focal point in every season. Their courtship, marriage, and subsequent child (Ruth) gave us more depth to a couple than any other couple on the show.
Cece and Winston
Courtesy of FOX
“A classic Cece and Winston mess around!”
I mean, really, do I need to explain this one? From Winston being a bridesman to the inside jokes and “mess arounds”, Cece had a solid friendship with Winston. While Jess did spend time with him and was declared the Godmother to Winston and Aly’s son, Dan Bill, it was implied Aly chose Jess because Winston and Cece have their own special groove.
Cece and Coach
Courtesy of FOX
Cece and Coach. We remember their VERY brief romantic involvement where they went on a date and shared a steamy kiss but that morphed into a solid friendship throughout Coach’s time on the show. Whether it be teaming up to figure out Abby Day’s relationship with Schmidt or all the times you hear coach say “Guuurl!” they clearly had a solid friendship that Jessica Day just didn’t share. Remember “Jebecca?”
Cece and Nick
Courtesy of FOX
Finally we have Cece and Nick. While they didn’t have a solid friendship as the key focus of the show was the friendship and love between Nick and Jess, Cece was still also associated with Nick. He got her a job at his bar and eventually promoted her to manager so while the show doesn’t go into detail about potential antics they may have gotten into, they still worked together making her a key figure in his life.
Is this post poorly put together? Sure. This is the first in a series of “New Girl” posts that will break down episodes, reveal Easter Eggs, and point out little quirks and facts about all of the characters we have all come to know and love throughout the show. What are your thoughts on Cece? Of all of the relationships she cultivated which is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
Why is it when someone takes a picture of me I’m all cute and photogenic but when I take one of myself I look like my late grandfather when he was 92? Everyone is all about selfies, all I see is my big old Polish nose.
ANYWAY, that picture was taken before I went to get my hair cut and colored. Do I smile? Serious face? Are people still doing duck faces? Have I ever done a duck face? I had to have. I will say the picture of my “after” that my stylist took came out nicely (because someone else took it!)
Much better!
I got three inches cut off and I swear it feels so short.
PRO TIP –
Collagen peptides.
I started taking powdered Collagen peptides because I read it eliminates cellulite. That’s a straight lie. You might be able to eliminate some with diet and exercise but it’s mostly genetics. I’m in the best shape of my life and I still have it. I know I could dry brush but that sounds uncomfortable and it’s winter so I’ll worry about that come spring. What peptides DO do is make your hair and nails grow fast and healthy. There is a rumor they will also slow aging but since I still have cellulite I’m not keeping my hopes up there.
How was everyone’s New Year? Mine was a colossal disappointment as always. I set the bar too high (by too high I mean about six inches off the ground) I suppose. I won’t go into detail, let’s just say I was underwhelmed and leave it at that. F*ck 2020 and honestly, likely f*ck 2021 too. Let’s just go ahead and pre-write this one off.
How are y’all with your resolutions? Did you eat too much and are now scrambling to lose weight? I did not. I actually have some dieting tips if you need them. Being fit is kind of my jam. My sis Dee and I will be working out this afternoon in fact, she’s going to make me suffer and I love it.
Speaking of dieting tips (I segue this because I left a link for you to click on), I’ve obviously just now restarted blogging and holy crap how this world has changed! Gone are the days of personal blogging (which I am currently doing.) Now everyone seems to only be blogging about how to make money. SEO, monetizing, Pinterest – I read blog after blog and it’s all SUPER helpful info but I liked reading about everyone’s day-to-day and honestly, I’m interesting AF so while I’ll do my best to put worthwhile informative posts out with proper tags and all that jazz I’m going to do what I do best – bullshit my way though life. Sound cool?
Cool.
While I find this humorous I’m actually nine years sober and went on a blind rant last week about how sometimes being sober is hard and I really just need a break from anything that involves alcohol for a while – friends who drink, bars, friends who drink at bars. I won’t stop posting memes though because they’re funny and some of you can relate.
Yeah, if I saw three cars at my house I would FOR SURE keep driving by because I have this weird hyper-anxiety about people being at my house. Damn shame, too, because it’s a big house and I could throw pretty awesome parties. I guess the whole me “hating alcohol and wanting nothing to do with it” would hinder that though. Maybe I can have a pizza party. Rent a bounce house. Oh wait – can’t – it’s a pandemic.
WELL THEN.
This is about all I have bouncing around my head today. For other Random Tuesday Thoughts go check out Stacy Uncorked. We go back a LONG time and she’s always entertaining. I love the shit out of that woman. Go give her some love.
What disappointed you this New Year’s Eve? What joy did you find if it didn’t disappoint you? Any family traditions I should steal from you? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Some of the links in this post about Ark: Survival Evolved are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
Since Wildcards famous “Ark: Survival Evolved” has been released it has gained much attention from the gaming elite and the average player since it’s official release in 2017. If used in the right way, video and computer games have the potential to inspire learning, and they can help players improve coordination and visual skills. According to Science News for Students “Kids diagnosed with ADHD because they can’t pay attention will play games for 9 straight hours on the computer,” Gee says. “The game focuses attention in a way that school doesn’t.”
When I first started playing Ark I was interested in its story. Initially I thought it was a game about cavemen in the Jurassic era, but soon discovered things that simply wouldn’t fit in this genre from unnatural Dino’s to straight up robotic armor. After learning about the explorer notes I was immediately interested and fixated on learning the lore of Ark because there is no single player or story mode; experiencing this lore is completely up to the player. Wildcard doesn’t forget those who are willing to discover the story because they have created the Ark community with great craft and anything that answers any survivors’ questions.
Ark starts out with you on an Island where you have to build, gather, tame, kill, and craft. First, when you wake up you have a stone implanted into your wrist. You usually wake up on a beach next to a forest depending on where you spawn. Subsequently your character is faced with challenges to keep yourself alive such as keeping track of health. If the bar goes empty you’re dead and if it gets really low you will be injured: you can’t run, jump, and are very slow.
Thirst and hunger are important aspects to the game. If either gets low you will be starving or dehydrated causing you to lose health. Weight is also important as it allows you to carry many more things which will increase your survival. Don’t carry too much junk though because you will get encumbered and won’t be able to move or walk slowly. Stamina is also very important if it gets down all the way. You can’t run, can’t jump, and when you replenish your stamina you need to walk or stand still. Replenishing your stamina takes away from your food and water.
Head over to the bushes and you’ll be able to gather plant fiber, seeds, and many varieties of berries. If you want to be able to collect rocks you need to find small ones on the ground and pick them up to add to your inventory but they are heavy. When looking for wood at thatch you have to punch trees which will damage you but until you have the necessary resources to craft tools you need to continue to punch them. If you find big rocks and you have a pick axe you are able to hit it and get flint. There are many varieties of rocks; basic rocks, river rocks, metal rocks, and crystal.
Ark Essentials
Crafting is very important. Without it you would be dead on day one. If you have enough plant fiber you are able to weave it into cloth shirts, pants, and hats. To get boots and gloves you will need to hunt, kill, and harvest an animal for its hide. You can also make beds and hide armor with enough hide, but if you have trees that’s a different story, let’s get on with that!
Trees provide wood and thatch. If you collect plant fiber, some wood logs, and a lot of thatch you can make a thatch house. But there are better houses to come along the way. The Ark’s provide many resources and different resources (maps may differ) but not only are there thatch houses there’s also wood, stone, metal, and straight up Robotic alien fortresses! Don’t think I forgot about the armor; there’s cloth, hide, wool/pelt/fur, flak, riot, and a superpowers robotic alien suit! Weapons can come from a wooden spear and a boomerang to firearms, explosives, and alien rifles. There are also various items and storage units, therefore decorations.
When you spawn into this new world you will probably see the almighty, terrorizing, dodo – yup a dodo – these things are completely harmless (they’re not later on!) and they’re a great source for meat, hide, poultry, and deaths if you’re on the Ark Primitive++ DLC. Another thing is the Dilophosaurus known for terrorizing beginners. In the game they shoot acid which will blind you and make you slow. One way to counteract this is by being hasty and jumping and keeping distance until you can absolutely massacre it with a spear. The Raptor the apex predator in the forest, known in the ark community as the most annoying dinosaur to exist for its pounce which stuns you while it shreds you to pieces; they jump, bite, slash, pounce, and travel in packs.
Research Shows Benefits of Playing Ark
There are many benefits to playing a game like Ark. Information from University of Arkansas News says “Researchers observed that in the initial assessment, the expert gamers had more brain activity associated with attention than the non-experts. The experts also scored better on the initial visual selective attention assessment.
After the hour long video game session, both the experts and non-experts had improved visual selective attention, and the two groups received similar scores on the post-game assessment. The non-experts also showed changes in brain activity, according to the EEG data. After the gaming session, their brain activity was similar to that of the experts.”
Join the Community
There are so many options while playing Ark but if you haven’t played before I would give it a try with an open world experience hopefully you have fun! You can purchase on Amazon for the PlayStation 4, XBox, and PC. The variety of possibilities within the game provide for many hours of learning about dinosaurs, using skills as an artist to create, and if you join in with friends you can have a whole community to bond with while playing the game.
Joshua “Twwakie” Maloney is a popular Youtuber and gamer. You can find him on Twitter @Twwakie or subscribe to his YouTube page at Twwakian Productions for informational and entertaining gaming videos.
I’m an alcoholic. Do I post memes about getting drunk? Yes, because they’re funny. Do I go to bars? Also yes, because I have willpower of steel. But I’m an alcoholic. I used to drink A LOT. Lost my husband, lost my kids, lost my home. It’s a wonder I never got pulled over the way I drove. I was a total mess. Then one day I was at the doctor and he said if I drink again there is a fifty percent chance I won’t wake up. Went to AA that night, haven’t had a drink since.
I still went to bars the whole first year of my sobriety. Drank cranberry and sprite or Non-Alcoholic beers. I still will have a NA beer if I am super stressed out but I haven’t had a drop in over nine years. Do I ever want to drink? Hell yes I do. Watching the whole bar cheers champagne at midnight while everyone was blackout drunk on NYE killed me. I’ll never have the bond drinkers do. I do shots of water and that’s all well and good but I miss drinking.
Seeing people drunk triggers me sometimes, upsets me. I wouldn’t say it makes me jealous (although maybe it does) but it usually reminds me of why I quit in the first place. My children. I live for them. I live for Ryan. I live for myself. I got my family back. I got a whole new life. A healthy life. I will sacrifice a “good time” for the sake of my family. I tell people I don’t drink because I’m sick and it’s true, I AM sick, but I don’t drink because I value my family above all things.
I now have the ability to be social at a bar without feeling that need. I know not many people can do what I do. I actually don’t know anyone who can do what I do but I CAN do it and that’s what counts. So when you see me posting memes about getting drunk just know I do it in jest. That’s not who I am. I love who I am now. I wouldn’t trade my life for anything. Thanks to all of you who have supported me all these years. I love and appreciate each of you and please, if you ever need someone to talk to please contact me.
