Nintendo Switch Online May 2024 Game Boy Updates, My Thoughts

Let's take a look!

Super Mario Land

Developed and published by Nintendo, this was a launch game for the original Game Boy. It was released in 1989 in Japan and North America, and in 1990 in Europe and Australasia. It was a departure for the Super Mario series as instead of being set in the Mushroom Kingdom, it was set in Sarasaland. This game marked the debut of Princess Daisy, as Mario in this game would rescue her from the one-off villainous space alien Tatanga. The game would also feature a couple of forced side-scrolling shooter levels in the vein of Gradius or R-Type. 

This game would sell 18 million copies. The game was critically praised for being a well-done take on the platforming icon, but there was criticism of the game's short length.

This game brings me a lot of nostalgic feelings. I got this game for Christmas. I owned a Game Boy, and I think I also had Tetris, but I was obsessed with Mario as a kid. I played the heck out of this game.

Alleyway

Developed by Nintendo and Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo, the game was released in 1989 in Japan and North America, and in 1990 in Europe. Like Super Mario Land, Alleyway was a launch title for the Game Boy.

Alleyway is basically a Breakout clone. You use a paddle to hit a ball and make it break some bricks. The game sold well, but it got mixed to negative reviews. Much of the criticism was from the game having a lack of a save feature and power-ups (like in Arkanoid for example), and level design that was seen as bland. 

I personally enjoyed Alleyway. Mainly because I only played it for short periods of time, and I think that's the best way to play it. The 3DS Virtual Console rerelease does allow saving, so that's a plus. I think this game should be given an enhanced remake with new features. That would be nice.

Baseball

Developed and published by Nintendo, Baseball was released in 1989 in Japan and North America, and 1990 in Europe. This actually was a port of the 1983 NES game. This was another favorite Game Boy game of mine; one I played a lot. Funny enough, I was, and still am, not a big sports fan. Yet, I loved this game.

National Chocolate Chip Day!

Happy National Chocolate Chip Day, everyone!

This day celebrates the chocolate chip, those nice little pieces of chocolate you find in chocolate chip cookies. While recipes for similar confections did exist already, when people think of the chocolate chips in chocolate chip cookies, they think of the Toll House cookie.

The chocolate chip was created in 1937, in Whitman, Massachusetts. They were the creation of a woman named Ruth Graves Wakefield. Wakefield was a chef at the Toll House Inn. The inn was owned by her and her husband Kenneth. She had been looking to improve on the recipes that she was serving at the inn. The urban legend states that she created the chocolate chip cookie by accident.

 In actuality, she really created it out of necessity. She had originally planned to add melting squares of baking chocolate to her cookie batter mixture. Thing was...she was all out.

However, she wasn't completely up the creek. She discovered she still had some Nestle chocolate bars. Using an ice pick, she broke the bars into little pieces. She added the pieces to the batter and baked them. The chunks retained their solidity through the baking process. She served her new cookies...and they became a big hit. 

The chips Wakefield originally used were semi-sweet, but modern chips can come in a variety of flavors, including peanut butter, dark chocolate, and white chocolate. In 1939, Wakefield and Nestle came to an agreement: adding the recipe to her chocolate chip cookies to the packaging of their chocolate bars, and she got a lifetime supply of chocolate. Nestle originally included a small tool to make the bars into chips, but that was short-lived. In 1941, they started selling chocolate in the chip form.

Besides cookies (naturally), chocolate chips can also be added to pastries, cakes, pancakes, and waffles. So, yeah. The little chocolate chip has an interesting little history. Not bad for a little piece of sweetness. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Happy Birthday, George Lucas!

Today is George Lucas's 80th birthday!

Lucas in 2009.

For those not in the know, George Lucas is a filmmaker and philanthropist. He is most famous for creating the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film franchises. 

Happy Birthday, Mr. Lucas! 

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

Celebrated on the second Sunday in May, Mother's Day is the day we celebrate mothers and all they do for us.

The holiday has its roots in 1868. One Ann Jarvis attempted to create "Mother's Friendship Day" as a way to help families get back together after the American Civil War. Jarvis wanted to expand this into an actual memorial for mothers done yearly, but her death in 1905 prevented that. However, her daughter Anna would continue her mother's efforts.

Anna Jarvis would go on to establish the current Mother's Day as we know it in 1905. She campaigned to make it a national holiday. In 1910, West Virginia would be the first U.S. state to declare the holiday officially, the other states at the time quickly following suit. On May 8, 1914, Congress passed a law declaring the second Sunday in May be Mother's Day, which led then-President Woodrow Wilson to declare Mother's Day a national holiday the next day.

Since then, the holiday has been seen as a time to show a little extra love for the mothers of the world, mainly celebrated through the giving of flowers and gifts. So, I hope you got your mother a nice bouquet of flowers and an equally nice little gift today. As well as showed her a little extra love today.

Wolfpack #5 (December 1988)

It's that time again! It's time to join the Wolfpack as they take on the insidious forces of the Nine!

The cover is a Ron Wilson and Chris Ivy piece. 

"Save the Children"
Writers: Ron Wilson, John Figueroa
Penciler: Ron Wilson
Inkers: Chris Ivy, Dave Hunt
Colorist: Max Scheele
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Terry Kavanagh
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins with a party in the South Bronx.

A bunch of kids are there to dance, have some fun, let off some steam, etc. Hey, that's not a bad thing. And this party has some very special attendees: some of the boys in the Wolfpack.

Page 179, Panel 1

As you can see, Rafael and Slag finds themselves the center of attention of a pair of lovely young ladies. The brunette is named Carmen, and the black girl is named Tammy. The two girls go to dance with Rafael and Slag respectively, leaving Sam with the food. It's not so bad, Sam. You get to have free food, man. Mmm, free food...

Sam sees a girl nearby and introduces himself. She rolls her eyes and walks away, presumably thinking he's a dork. The blond-haired escape artist decides a little change is in order. He ducks into a room. He loosens his tie, changes his hair style, and switches out his spectacles for sunglasses. Exit Samuel Weltschmertz, enter Slippery Sam. 

Carmen and Rafael crash on a couch to rest up after some dancing. She's very curious about the Wolfpack. What's this gang like? Do they have dental benefits, that sort of thing. Another boy crashes on the couch, offering some...party favors.

Page 181, Panel 2

Yup, this party's gotten tainted...by the scourge of drugs.

Carmen accepts some crack, because she's in the mood to get her brain fried. Rafael isn't into it. He came here to dance and have some fun, not get high. Another teenager, Carlos, tries to convince Rafael to have some drugs too, but Rafael still is adamant about not having any. Remember Carlos, we'll see him again. 

Sam approaches the girl that rolled his eyes at him earlier...and suddenly finds him interesting. 😒

She ain't a keeper, Sam. Slag and Tammy start dancing, and they seem to be enjoying each other's company. Slag notices someone struggling with a bunch of boxes full of cola, but he's got it handled. 👍 Meanwhile, Rafael and Carmen dance, but a big angry dude is not happy to see this.

Page 183, Panel 7

This gentleman with the bad parody of a Shaolin haircut is named Popo. He's Carmen's ex-boyfriend...even though he refuses to acknowledge that. Sam notices the party has some new guests: some of the young men that the Wolfpack had busted stealing welfare checks last issue.

Naturally, he senses trouble. Rafael attempts to remind Popo that Carmen danced with him willingly, but the big man isn't hearing it. He smacks Rafael into the entertainment system.

Slag gives Popo a right cross and a fight breaks out.

The cops are heard, and the Wolfpack boys split. They were tracking the welfare thieves, and they bust the drug operation. 

Page 185, Panel 6

That sound you hear is the thieves groaning about how dumb they are. Sam, Slag, and Rafael head home. Rafael sees his younger brother Junior. Rafael notices that the boy has a lot of money in his pants pocket. 💰 He wakes Junior up, demanding that he tell him where he got this cash from. Junior reveals that he's been getting a little job: Crack dealing for Carlos. Remember Carlos? He appeared earlier at that party. 

Rafael is understandably furious. Carlos just got busted by the police, and if they find out Junior is dealing drugs, he'll go down, too. Junior points out that Carlos will be back on the streets in the morning, presumably thanks to connections he has. Rafael may have his values, but the Vega family needs money. Values don't get you paid. 

At the Nine's building, Crenshaw (remember him? He debuted in the Graphic Novel, and last appeared in issue #3) and the Overlord converse on what to do with the Wolfpack after the events of the last issue. The Overlord reveals he knows that Junior is dealing. In fact, the Overlord is the head of the operation. This will allow him to get close to the Wolfpack...and then take them out. 

We next go to a more mundane scene: Slag on a walk. He passes by a laundromat where he meets Sharon and Malcolm. The two are doing some laundry.

Page 189, Panel 3

Heh heh. Slag is happy they're there, as he wants to tell them there's a Wolfpack meeting tonight on Rafael's roof. He then sees Tammy pass by and decides it's time for smooching. After he leaves, Malcolm notes that he thinks Slag is very cool. After all, he saw him fight those guys in that pool hall last issue. Sharon reminds him that he was supposed to be asleep, so he couldn't have seen that.

Later that day, Malcolm is playing at Sharon's home when the boy's parents arrive, demanding he come home. We then switch scenes to Third Avenue. On there, Junior and some of his fellow young dealers count up the money they made. He then notices one of the boys, Jay, is coming up short. He didn't sell all his vials. Jay claims he lost them, but Junior knows the truth: The boy smoked them. Junior angrily kicks him out of their group. Jay walks away, feeling withdrawal symptoms.

He makes his way to a building where he knows some of his customers are. The boy manages to sneak in, knock out the users, and smoke some of their crack. However, he ends up accidentally OD'ing, and dies. Junior sees the ambulance carry his friend's body on a gurney, and he realizes Rafael was right. 

That night, on Rafael's rooftop, the group does some planning. They'll watch over Malcolm, and Rafael wants to break up the drug ring. Since kids are involved, he wants to avoid bringing in the cops. At midnight, Junior meets up with his Nine contact, and gives them the equivalent of a two weeks' notice.

Page 194, Panels 2-3

Carlos was the contact. He refuses to accept Junior's resignation, as he fears it'll make the Nine think Junior will squeal. He grabs the kid, only to find the Wolfpack waiting for them. Junior tearfully apologizes to Rafael for dealing. 

The Overlord appears at the end of the pier. Carlos tries to fight him, but gets a sword slash for his trouble. The Overlord is a man of skill, able to easily face the Wolfpack. Wheels, using a blowdart and the rocket boosters on his wheelchair, knocks the man into the river. Slag fished him out, only finding the man's gi.

Page 199, Panels 4-5

The story ends with the Pack hoping the man's dead.

World Donkey Day (May 8)

Happy World Donkey Day, everyone!

May 8 is World Donkey Day. This is a day to celebrate and recognize the hardworking animal known as the donkey. World Donkey Day (May 8) was started by a scientist named Ark Raziq. Raziq's scientific specialty was the study of desert-dwelling animals. He realized that the donkey had played a big part in helping build human society, and he felt they should be recognized for it. The first World Donkey Day was set up and celebrated in 2018, descended from a Facebook group he started dedicated to donkeys.

The donkey's relationship with humans is a long one, with humans having first domesticated them in Africa around 5000-7000 years ago. The origin of the word "Donkey" is lost to history, although there are some theories. 

Donkeys have long been valued by humans because they are seemingly the perfect working animal. Donkeys can run up to around 30 mph. They are strong animals, able to tug heavy loads for many miles. They are also somewhat self-sufficient and can bear harsh conditions. These animals have a reputation for being stubborn, but diligent and persistent. They can live between 50-54 years. Donkeys can be found all over the world, being used for various purposes, from working farms to being pets. They have also been used for meat and milk. 

There are believed to be over 40 million donkeys in the world, most of them living in underdeveloped places. There are also feral populations of donkeys in various places around the world, including North America. Australia has them, but they're considered an invasive pest. Donkeys were introduced to North America by the Spanish in the 15th century. They became popular in Ireland in the 17th century thanks to Oliver Cromwell confiscating horses there. 

So, yeah. Donkeys are hardworking critters, and they should be given their flowers for that, as they say. Thanks for reading this blog entry! See you next time!

Cinco De Mayo

Today is Cinco de Mayo!

You're probably asking yourself, what is Cinco de Mayo? Well, it's a holiday celebrated in both the United States and in Mexico on May 5, Cinco de Mayo literally meaning "May 5th" in Spanish.

Both countries celebrate the holiday rather differently. In the US, the day is seen as a celebration of Mexican-American culture. In fact, it's often mistakenly seen as the Mexican Independence Day, but that's not accurate. The actual Mexican Independence Day is September 16th, which celebrates the Cry of Dolores, the event that triggered Mexico's fight for independence from Spain.

The American version of Cinco de Mayo is believed to have started in 1863, among Mexican miners in California. They were overjoyed that their home nation was standing up to the French Empire, so overjoyed that they broke into spontaneous celebration. The American Cinco de Mayo would mainly be celebrated in California up into the 1940s, when the rising Chicano Movement would help spread it to the rest of the United States. In the 1980s, many marketing firms, especially beer companies, sensed the celebratory nature of the holiday and used it to promote various products. This would help make the holiday much more popular in the US, and further evolve it into the modern celebration of Mexican-American culture it is.

In Mexico, it's a minor holiday. There, it's the day where the Mexican Army, led by Ignacio Zaragoza, defeated the French Army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. In 1860, the Mexican Civil War, aka the Reform War, had ended. The war had wrecked Mexico economically. As a result, then-President Benito Juarez had been forced to suspend payments of interest on foreign debts for a couple of years, which angered Spain, Great Britain, and France. The three countries formed the Tripartite Alliance, the goal to basically invade Mexico and force them to make the payments.

The three nations would invade in 1861, occupying the port city of Veracruz, and marching to the city of Orizaba. Mexico was able to negotiate with Britain and Spain, and the two countries withdrew from Mexico. But France, under Napoleon III at the time, wanted a war. France wanted to rule Mexico. France wanted to make Mexico part of its empire.

At the Battle of Puebla, 4,000 Mexican Army soldiers stood up against 6,500 Frenchmen. The Mexicans managed to defeat the French at this battle, despite the French being better-equipped. 87 Mexicans died in the battle, 131 got wounded, and 12 went missing. They managed to capture 35 Frenchmen, wound 304, and kill 476. The Battle of Puebla was not just a big political victory for Mexico, it also provided a major morale boost for the people and defenders of Mexico.

In 1862, Juarez had declared May 5th a national holiday in Mexico, where it's called "Battle of Puebla Day" or "The Battle of Cinco de Mayo". It's mainly celebrated in Puebla City, where the battle occurred, with limited celebrations throughout the rest of Mexico.

And that is Cinco de Mayo. I hope you have a wonderful day!

The Outsiders #4 (February 1986)

When it comes to this blog, while I do enjoy talking about comics starring more famous characters, and I am a big ol' Marvel head, I also enjoy DC's books too. Also, like with Marvel, I am fond of DC's obscure and lesser-known characters. Among such characters would be members of the group known as the Outsiders. 

This group has graced this blog before, in my review of Batman and the Outsiders #15 (November 1984). The group was originally formed by Batman after the Justice League of America refused to intervene in the war-torn country of Markovia. While the group has had a couple of series over the years, in fact former Teen Titans members Nightwing, Starfire, and Arsenal have been members, the original 1980s incarnation (Geo-Force, Looker, Black Lightning, Katana, Metamorpho, Halo) is arguably the most famous.

The cover is a Jim Aparo piece. 

"Cha$ing the Dollar!"
Writer: Mike W. Barr
Penciler: Jim Aparo
Inker: Jim Aparo
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Letterer: Unknown
Editor: Mike W. Barr
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

Our story begins in the skies over the Atlantic Ocean. These skies are being crossed by three aircraft. Each of these aircraft have their own passengers, and they all have their own agenda. The first plane contains a mysterious Russian spy/assassin named Zviad Baazovi, but most of the world knows him only as the "Bad Samaritan". He debuted in the last issue. Said Bad Samaritan has stolen some printing plates used to manufacture both American Dollars and the currency of the country of Markovia. 

The second plane contains members of a group of heroes known as the Force of July. They want those plates back. and following both of those planes is the third, being ridden by our titular heroes. Like the Force of July, they want those plates returned to their rightful owners, as those plates could be used by the Samaritan to create convincing counterfeit cash. 

The pilot of the Bad Samaritan's plane wonders where this mysterious man is going, as so far, the plane's course is leading nowhere. But all is explained in due time.

Page 2, Panel 2

The Samaritan is rendezvousing with a Soviet submarine (Remember this comic is from the 1980s. The Cold War was still a thing). The pilot no longer being useful to him, the spymaster gets rid of him with a bullet to the brain, then parachutes down to the sub. The Outsider born Emily "Lia" Briggs, but is known in the superhero set as Looker senses the pilot's death. The Outsiders are still too far away to get a fix on the plane. 

That's not a problem the Force of July has. They spot the sub, only to get shot down. 

That is also not a problem for the Force of July, as they manage to escape their downed plane...by the power of AMERICA (F YEAH!). The Outsiders manage to catch up. The Force of July are having an easy time dealing with the Russians, but it turns out this sub as a little trump card: A device called the Enervator.

Page 7, Panels 1-2

The machine manages to harm the Force, but the Outsiders arrive to provide some backup. In particular: Violet Harper/Halo, Prince Brion Markov/Geo-Force, and Looker. Major Victory, the Force's leader, is none-too-happy to see the Outsiders, but that gets tabled by another trump card: A robot. 

Page 8, Panel 3

"This remake of Short Circuit is weeeeird." Seriously, how did they keep that thing in a sub? Either way, the robot proves to be too powerful for the Outsiders and the weakened Force. Geo-Force calls for the Outsiders to leave.

Halo points out that the Force will be left to the Russians' mercies. Geo-Force reminds her that if they're captured by the Russians as well, they can't help the Force or get those plates back. As the Outsiders flee, the Russians go to place the Force somewhere under heavy guard. Geo-Force, Halo, and Looker return to their craft. They know the sub will head back to Russia, so they need to pursue them. However, they need to make a stop at Geo-Force's home country of Markovia. 

Upon arrival in the country, the Outsiders head to Castle Markovia. It's the home of the country's royal family, which Geo-Force is a member of. They're greeted by his brother and sister-in-law: King Gregor and Queen Ilona.

Page 10, Panel 7

The two see the Outsiders as saviors, thanks to the events of Adventures of the Outsiders #35. Brion tells Gregor that they couldn't retrieve the plates, so they have to go to Russia. They're going to need some fake IDs that'll stand up to Soviet scrutiny. It'll also be faster than waiting for the diplomats to get the plates back. In the meantime, Gregor decides to have some fun with his brother by offering to show the Outsiders some of Brion's baby pictures. Brion is understandably embarrassed by this.

The next morning, Brion is visited by Lia.

Page 12, Panel 4

"Brion, you HAVE to come down here! The breakfast buffet is AWESOME!" She wants to know if Brion will escort her to a dinner the modeling agency she works for in her civilian time is holding next week. It likely will be fun. After all, there's opportunities to build business contacts, dancing, and most importantly, free food. Mmmm, free food...

Brion points out that Lia is still married, even if she thinks it's only on paper. Brion tells her he still can't because he is the leader of the Outsiders, and he must maintain a sort of distance from his teammates to do the job. Yeah, Brion and Lia would go on to have a brief affair while on the team together, but they broke it off for the sake of their significant others at the time. The group arrive in Russia, where a contact of Brion's alerts him to where the Force of July is being held. 

Page 15, Panel 1

This military base outside of Leningrad is known as "Lenin's Office". Because nobody could come up with a better one. Our heroes fight their way into the base and manage to rescue the Force of July. Despite this, the Force are still not happy to see them there. The two teams reluctantly join forces, sniping at each other the whole time. The battle is ended by someone making it rain. As in, rain money.

So, what's the big idea. Well, it was done to get the heroes' attention.

Page 19, Panel 6

Yes, ol' Mikhail Gorbachev himself. Remember, this was the 1980s. Major Victory wants to kill him as he's the then-Soviet premier and Major Victory is way too "rah-rah U-S-A", but Brion just tells him it would cause a war and that he should also shut his big talk hole. 

Gorbachev happily hands the plates back to the American heroes, which understandably confuses them. Gorby points out that as much that the Soviet Union would love to see America's economy collapse, it could end up taking the rest of the world with it, which may cause even bigger problems. A funny statement in hindsight considering the fate of the Soviet Union only a few short years later in real life.

The Bad Samaritan is not happy with this, being all like, "Hey! I worked hard to make off with those plates!" Gorby assures him that it was a test, and he passed it with flying colors. 👍 He allows the heroes to leave. As they do so, Gorby proposes the idea of a team of Soviet super-agents. After all, they did get plenty of data from their examinations of the Force of July, and America has a boatload of superheroes. Why can't the Soviets?

We also get a backup story focused on Metamorpho!

"The Gold Standard"
Writer: Mike W. Barr
Penciler: Joe Staton
Inker: Joe Staton
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Letterer: John Costanza
Editor: Mike W. Barr
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

This story begins with Simon Stagg showing his daughter Sapphire and son-in-law Rex "Metamorpho" Mason around the newest Stagg Enterprises plant. Sapphire sneezes, and Rex takes her temperature with a thermometer. 

Page 1, Panel 4

Keep that thermometer in your brain, folks. It'll come into play later.

Lurking nearby is Java, Simon Stagg's caveman servant. Yes, an actual Neanderthal servant. 

Java's in love with Sapphire, and laments that she is not only aware of his feelings, but she loves Rex. Stagg takes Rex and Sapphire to a lab that is being attended by Dr. Bensen Berner (get it?).

Page 2, Panel 5

Berner, in his stereotypical "German scientist" accent, announces the matter transmitter he's been working on is ready for a test run. Berner puts a bar of lead and a bar of gold in the machine. The machine seemingly duplicates the properties of the gold bar and alters said properties of the lead bar. Basically, it turned lead into gold. 

The two janitors, Hugo and Bruno Thugg (Yeah, that's not an obvious bad guy surname 😒) overhear this and get an idea.

They figure if they can nab to newly-created gold bar, they can get rich, and live the sweet life forever. Unfortunately, the two wannabe-criminals didn't hear the part where Berner points out that the transformation is temporary. The gold bar eventually changes back into lead. Still, it's a step forward. 

That night, Rex takes Sapphire home when he hears an alarm. He goes to check it out, and finds the Thugg brothers looking for the gold bar. Metamorpho fights the brothers, and Hugo starts a fire to distract him. This allows him to blast the Element Man with the transmutation ray, turning him into gold.

Page 6, Panels 4-5

Sapphire pulls the thermometer (remember that) from her purse and tosses it on the gold bar that was used to turn Rex into gold. The mercury in the thermometer helps free Rex, and he takes down the Thuggs with a dose of nitrous oxide, aka laughing gas. The backup tale ends with our hero taking Sapphire home so she can rest and get plenty of TLC. 

What I especially liked about this issue is the nice character touches, like Looker and Geo-Force's attraction to each other of the glare Katana shoots at Looker when she approves of Halo wearing the stereotypical spy trenchcoat and hat (Katana was Halo's legal guardian at the time, and was a rather strict one compared to the more free-spirited Looker). 

The backup tale is an enjoyable, silly, and fun little short story. It feels like it came straight out of the Silver Age, with Joe Staton provide some great cartoony art.

Star Wars Day!

Happy Star Wars Day!

Star Wars Day is an informal holiday that celebrates the Star Wars franchise. Fans of the franchise have celebrated this day since the first Star Wars movie came out in 1977. The usage of this date as "Star Wars Day" is because it's a bit of a pun. "May the Fourth", as in "May the Force be with you!" 

The first Star Wars movie actually was released on May 25. That day has been celebrated as Geek Pride Day. In 2011, the first organized celebration of Star Wars Day was performed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The celebration included a costume contest and showing of fan films. 

International Wild Koala Day!

Today is International Wild Koala Day!

This day is meant to celebrate the Australian marsupial known as the koala. Yeah, koalas are sometimes called "koala bears", but they are not bears. They are marsupials. Like kangaroos, their babies are called joeys and spend the first few months of their lives in their mothers' pouches. Koalas are sedentary animals. This means they don't like to move around much. They sleep up to twenty hours a day. Some would say they're living the dream.

They also are asocial animals. That means they don't hang out with friends much. Koalas can have a body length of between 24-33 inches and can weigh between 9-33 pounds. They can live around 13-18 years in the wild. They have few natural predators, thanks to their diet. They predominately eat eucalyptus leaves. These leaves contain toxins that make the koala a very unattractive choice for food.

Koalas are naturally native only to Australia, mainly along its eastern coast. They are often depicted as gray in color, but koala fur can actually range from a silvery gray to a chocolate brown in color. Northern koalas are generally smaller and have lighter-colored further than southern koalas. 

The word 'koala' comes from the Dharug word "gula", which means "no water". This is a reference to koalas not drinking much water, as they get it from their leaf diet. Aboriginal Australians hunted these critters and incorporated them into their mythology. The first European contact with the koala occurred in 1798.

Koalas are, like kangaroos and emus, considered a symbol of Australia, like bald eagles are to the United States.

So, yeah. That is the koala for you. They're fascinating creatures, aren't they? Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time! 

May Day

 Happy May Day, everyone!

What is "May Day", you may ask? Well, it's a European festival day of ancient origins. It's meant to mark the beginning of summer. This day falls between the spring equinox of the Northern Hemisphere and the June solstice. 

The modern May Day is descended from an ancient Roman festival called Floralia. This festival honored the Roman goddess Flora, the goddess of flowers. The spring is when we start seeing flowers bloom after the cold and snow of winter has subsided.

Traditions on May Day include wearing floral garlands, setting up maypoles to sing and dance around, and crowning a May Queen and Jack o' the Green. Various European countries have their own traditions on this day, including lighting bonfires.

Hope you had a wonderful day today and got to enjoy the birth of the spring! Thanks for reading this blog entry! See you next time!