Monthly Archives: November 2017

HQ

HQ is a trivia app that’s currently only available for iOS. There are a lot of trivia games out there, but HQ stands out for two reasons. The first is that it’s free to play but you can win real money. Secondly, it’s a live broadcast so you can’t just open it up and play. There are two games daily Monday through Friday (one at 3:00 p.m. EST and the other at 9:00 p.m. EST) and one game daily on the weekend (at 9:00 p.m. EST). They send you an alert when the game is about to begin, you open the app and join the game. The host, comedian Scott Rogowsky, comes out, explains the rules, gets you hyped, and starts powering through twelve questions. Some questions are easy, some are tricky, and some are really hard. Whoever goes the distance shares the pot with the other winners.

My brother-in-law told me about HQ a week ago. I’ve only played it four times since then, never getting past the eighth question. I’ve played a bunch of trivia games and this is one of my favorites. I like the fact that there are only one or two chances a day to play. It’s addictive but you can’t get your fix whenever you want. You’re on their time. There are a couple of crazy hard questions each game. They show you how many active players there are, I’ve seen 100,000+ playing and a savage question can eliminate tens of thousands at once. It makes you feel smart when you get it right. But you don’t feel bad if you get it wrong along side forty thousand other people.

If HQ sounds fun, that’s because it is. Download it for yourself and see. Use my referral code: Bmani429. This isn’t a paid ad, I get a bonus life for each referral. Join the bandwagon before it gets played out.

Critically Rated at 14/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Filed under Entertainment

Life Notes

I used to make daily life notes when I was growing up. From fifth grade until my sophomore year of college I would jot down what I did each day into a note pad. It was kind of like a diary or a journal, but I only gave a brief synopsis of what I did, who I hung out with, where I ate, what movies I saw, etc. I didn’t go into too much detail. It was a way of getting myself to try new things, to avoid falling into a pattern, and to remember what I’ve done.

I don’t know why I did it. I just did it. I’m glad that I did. I rediscovered my notebooks earlier tonight and spent the last hour reliving my senior year of high school. Like I know when I saw X2 for the first time (it was Friday May 5, 2003 at 11:15 AM). I know who I saw it with (Cody, Jimmy, and Michelle). I know that means I probably smoked weed before. I know that I ran into Marissa on the way home. I know that I hung out with Misha later and then Megan after that. I might have forgotten everything entirely, but when I see it written down in my chicken scratch the memories come flooding back. That’s the point of memories: to remember them.

I kind of wish that I kept taking life notes but Facebook does that for me now.

Critically Rated at 16/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Filed under Random Rants

Smartwater

Glacéau Smartwater is a brand of enhanced bottled water. It’s enhanced because it’s distilled water with added electrolytes, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It’s water with benefits. That makes it healthier by definition. You might recognize Glacéau as the same brand that makes VitaminWater. That’s water with added vitamins and sugar. They pretend like it’s healthy for you but it’s like mixing water with Pixy Stix. It’s candy water. Glacéau is owned by the Coca-Cola Company so I don’t trust Smartwater as being a better alternative to actual H2O. I don’t want to be duped. And I always feel like a dumbass when I buy Smartwater.

Critically Rated at 6/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Filed under Drinks

People’s Choice Hot & Spicy Beef Jerky

I’ve tried a lot of beef jerky brands in my day. My current favorite is People’s Choice. They’ve been making premium beef jerky since 1929, it’s handcrafted, family owned, and it’s made with 100% USA beef. They have a few different flavors, but Hot & Spicy is the best one. It’s hot and spicy like the name implies, but it’s not overly powerful. It goes great with a cold beer.

People’s Choice stands out because they cut their jerky really thin. It’s more like a sheet of jerky than a typical strip of jerky. It’s not as moist as some other brands but it’s not too dried out. It’s the perfect balance of meat and spice. Every time I offer someone a piece, they ask for another as soon as they finish. I’m torn because I want people to try it but I want it all for myself at the same time. I figured it might be easier to write about how good it is, sing its praises, and try to convince you to buy your own. The people have spoken, they’ve decided: it’s People’s Choice.

Critically Rated at 16/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Filed under Snacks

Sleep Mask

My girlfriend and I have different schedules. She gets up earlier than me, usually an hour or more before I do. That means that she either has to do her makeup in the bathroom or turn on the light to do it in her room which wakes me up. We had to reach a compromise. So I went to Walgreens and bought a sleep mask. It only cost ten bucks and it’s already proven itself to be a worthy investment.

A sleep mask is self explanatory: it’s a mask you wear when you sleep. It covers your eyes and blocks out the light, allowing the wearer to sleep better. I have to admit that I kind of like it. It only took a few nights to get used to, but I wake up feeling more rested. It really helps to block out any light, and by extension the outside world. Yeah, it looks ridiculous but I don’t care if it helps me sleep better. A sleep mask at night is as good as coffee in the morning.

Critically Rated at 13/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

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Filed under Random Rants