REVIEW: Grapple

MARVO: Today, I’m here with Mother Nature to discuss the Grapple, which is an apple that tastes like a grape. So Mother Nature, what do you think of this Grapple?

MOTHER NATURE: First off, are you pronouncing it right? Shouldn’t it be “gr-apple,” like I grappled you to the ground and beat your little punk ass.

MARVO: Well on the packaging, it’s printed as “gra-pple,” like you’re saying the words “gray” and “pull.”

MOTHER NATURE: Whatever, little man. Let me just say that I don’t believe in these man-made hybrid fruits. It’s kind of fucked up if you ask me, because it’s not the way mother fuckin’ Mother Nature intended it. So how do they make these mother fuckin’ Grapples?

MARVO: Well they take a Fuji apple and soak it in a Concord grape concentrate. The process doesn’t add any extra calories or sugars to the apple and it doesn’t alter the texture of it either. With the Grapples I’ve tried, they have a strong Welch’s grape juice kind of smell, but unfortunately it doesn’t have a grape taste that is as equally as strong. Despite that, they are pretty good. Pretty impressive, eh?

MOTHER NATURE: Should I be impressed with the fact that someone created a mother fuckin’ apple that tastes like a mother fuckin’ grape? Come on, I’m mother fuckin’ Mother Nature, bitch. I don’t need to soak an apple in grape concentrate to make a Grapple, all I have to do is just snap my fingers to make one. Want a Grapple?

MARVO: Um, sure. So snapping your fingers is all you need to do?

MOTHER NATURE: Damn straight, because I’m mother fuckin’ Mother Nature. Ya heard.

(Mother Nature snaps her fingers and a Grapple appears)

MOTHER NATURE: Booyah! There’s a mother fuckin’ Grapple for yo’ ass! Did I just blow your mind, like I’m mother fuckin’ Mindfreak, yo! You humans are crazy, using genetic engineering and cross-pollination to form new “species,” but all I have to do is just snap my fingers, like I’m in a doo-wop group. Because why?

MARVO: Um, because you’re mother fuckin’ Mother Nature?

MOTHER NATURE: That’s right, little man. You want a strawloupe?

MARVO: What’s a strawloupe and what’s doo-wop?

(Mother Nature snaps her fingers and a strawloupe appears)

MOTHER NATURE: A strawloupe! A strawberry that tastes like a cantaloupe, bitch. Try it or else I’ll make lightning strike yo’ ass.

(Marvo tries the strawloupe)

MARVO: Hey! This is pretty good, Mother Nature.

MOTHER NATURE: Damn right it’s good, because I’m mother fuckin’ Mother Nature. You better recognize. It’s the way that Mother Nature intended it, bitch. How about a pearch? It’s a peach that tastes like a pear. Or a mangorange? It’s a orange that tastes like a mango. Or how about a banagerine? It’s a tangerine that tastes like a banana. I can do this all mother fuckin’ day, yo!

MARVO: Um, this is all fine and dandy, but can I get a few more Grapples, because they’re kind of expensive at five bucks for a four-pack.

MOTHER NATURE: Five bucks for four? Damn, that’s expensive. Thank goodness I’m mother fuckin’ Mother Nature and I can make Grapples with a snap of my fingers, because I couldn’t afford this shit on a regular basis. My name ain’t Bill Gates.

(Editor’s Note: Thanks to Impulsive Buy reader Derrick for letting me know about Grapples. Now I must find his other suggestion, the Turducken.)

Item: Grapple
Price: $4.99 (4-pack)
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: Pretty good. It’s a frickin’ apple that tastes like a grape. Totally smells like Welch’s grape juice. NOT genetically engineered. Mother Nature’s power to make new fruits and to strike my ass with lightning.
Cons: Grape taste is not as strong as its grape smell. Kind of expensive for just four apples. Mother Nature’s dropping of excessive F-bombs. Pissing off Mother Nature. Trying to pronounce Grapple. Mother Nature’s reference to doo-wop. Mother Nature is a bitch.

New Look. Old K-Fed Jokes.

Updated 1:55 pm (Sunday) – Emailed the developer of the theme and we tried a couple of things, but couldn’t get it to work. So I switched back to the old theme, until something can be figured out. Oh yeah, Contact Form emails are being delivered again, so you can feel free to tell me how much I suck.

Updated 12:59 am (Sunday) – Still haven’t figured it out. I’ve been tweaking things all f’n day. All I need to do is figure out why I’m not getting emails to let me know someone has commented, why I’m not getting emails with the Contact Form, and why my frickin’ sidebar drop to the bottom on some posts. Maybe I need a different theme. Anyway, emailed the developer of the theme. Hopefully, he gets back to me.

Updated 11:58 pm – For some reason post with tall images will force the sidebar to the bottom of the page. I think it’s a CSS problem, but I’ve been messing with the CSS for about two hours and haven’t figured it out. Right now, I am TIB’s bitch.

Updated 3:34 pm – Emailing reviews is now available in pop-up form, because I couldn’t get it to work in the original way. Just like the efforts women go through to look prettier, the efforts I’m going through to make TIB prettier are time-consuming, except without the complications of trying to keep fake eyelashes on.

Updated 1:40 pm – I think my RSS feeds are working again.

Updated 1:22 pm – Um, my RSS feeds aren’t working ever since I tried using Feedburner. I think it’s because my permalinks are screwed up. Right now, almost everything looks good in Firefox and Safari, except that damn “Email Review” page. The contact page still doesn’t work. Also, if you’re running IE6 or IE7, please let me know if anything doesn’t look right.

Hi there. As you can see, the look of The Impulsive Buy has changed. If not, clear your browser’s cache. Anyway, there are numerous things that don’t work here, like the ability to email reviews and contacting me.

If there are other things that don’t look right or are broken, please let me know by posting a comment. Hopefully, I can solve all the problems over the weekend.

Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind

I have to admit that I was wrong and I should never judge a book by its night vision sex tape.

I’ve made lots of fun of Paris Hilton, along with everyone else not named Paris Hilton, but I’m proud of her for trying to find her niche in the world. Sure no one really gave a rat’s ass about her until her infamous sex tape, but instead of letting that totally un-masturbationable video label her as the “Hotel Heiress Ho,” she’s gone out and tried to make something of herself.

The more that I think about it, the more I realize that Paris Hilton is just like me….Well, my college career at least.

I spent six years in college and during that time I switched my major about four times. First, it was Accounting, then Journalism, then Athletic Training, then American Studies, and then I finally ended up majoring in English. This is very similar to Paris Hilton’s life. First, she was a spoiled rich brat, then a “fashion model,” then an “actress,” then an “author,” and now she’s a “singer.”

Oh, but the similarities between Paris Hilton and my college career don’t end there. Paris failed horribly in the movie House of Wax and I failed horribly in Accounting 201, Math 100, Anatomy 301, Anatomy Lab 301, and Russian 101. Sure she won the 2005 Worst Supporting Actress Razzie for her role in the movie, but I won probation for my 1.5 GPA during my sophomore year.

Paris and I have also both been in relationships with people we totally regret being with. For her, it’s Rick Salomon, who stars in the sex tape with her. For me, it’s a girl I’m going to nickname “The Bass Mouth Kisser” because kissing her was much like French kissing a bass fish, except messier.

Since Paris and I seem to be kindred spirits, I had to pick up the first single from her debut album off of the iTunes Music Store. I also did it because I want to support her and her dream to be something other than that motionless short-haired blond chick in that sex tape.

Don’t believe I bought it? Check my iPod’s screen on the left.

So can Paris sing?

Well with today’s technology, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and even tone deaf people like myself can sound good. This same technology made Paris sort of sound like Gwen Stefani in this song. As for the lyrics, I’m pretty sure she didn’t write them herself, because if you’ve read any of her books or the essay portion of her GED exam, you’ll know that writing isn’t her strong point.

Although, I have to admit that its beat kind of makes me want to shake my big booty. Actually, its reggae beat kind of makes me want to skank.

Now just to clarify, when I say “skank,” I’m not talking about Paris Hilton, I’m talking about dancing to a reggae or ska beat.

The reggae beat and lyrics make for an okay Paris Hilton song, but I think the same reggae beat and lyrics would make an awesome UB40 song.

(Editor’s Note: Congratulations to Helldog, Carrie, and CarbonNYC for being selected as the winners of The Impulsive Buy’s 300th Review Prize Drawing. They will each receive a $25 gift certificate to Threadless.com. Thank you to everyone who participated.)


Item: Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind
Price: 99 cents
Purchased at: iTunes Music Store
Rating: 4 out of 10
Pros: It has the structure of a song: verse one, chorus, verse two, chorus, verse three, chorus. Kind of makes me want to skank. Lyrics and reggae beat would make for an awesome UB40 song. Paris’ attempts to make her niche in the world.
Cons: Money can buy you a record deal, or more specifically, a record label so that you can give yourself a record deal. Technology can make Paris sound like Gwen Stefani. Excessive use of a breathy voice, Paris Hilton’s un-masturbationable sex tape. My college career. “The Bass Mouth Kisser.”

Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough The Cone

Oh, I’m so lonely.

Will you keep me company, Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough The Cone?

You will?

Oh thank you, my dear and delicious friend! You’re a wonderful comfort food.

Mmm, your waffle cone filled with vanilla ice cream, cookie dough swirls, and fudge chips not only fills the void in my soul with friendship, kindness, and sunshine, like my Care Bears would, but also fills it with 12 grams of saturated fat.

My heart may not like your extremely high amounts of saturated fat, but I adore you for it. That’s what’s great about our relationship, it’s unconditional.

I maybe homely, clumsy, dorky, geeky, and suck my thumb when I sleep, and you maybe smaller than a Drumstick, but it doesn’t matter. We like each other for who and what we are.

Without you, Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough The Cone, I would probably sit on the couch, eat a can of Pringles, watch Nickelodeon or Home and Garden Television, let my beard grow out, scratch myself, accumulate stray cats, and form a body mold on my couch.

But you can make a hot summer day feel cooler and despite you being filled with cold vanilla ice cream, you can warm my heart.

Although, that could also be the saturated fat.

If only I could live in the freezer with you and we can spend our time throwing frozen broccoli at each other or making ice cream castles with the half gallon of vanilla ice cream I used to eat as comfort food.

Unfortunately, due to size constraints, the limited amount of oxygen in the freezer, and my lack of warm clothing because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, I can’t.

Instead, to remind myself of our friendship, I keep your box outside with me because the picture on the box looks almost exactly like you do in real life, which is a rare thing with food products.

Do you know what the best part about you is?

Your waffle cone is surprisingly really crunchy and tasty, unlike other frozen cone treats I’ve had. Despite the harsh conditions and moisture your waffle cone has had to face, it stays strong, much like our friendship. Also, you don’t drip all over me like some of the other coned ice cream treats that I’ve been burned by, thanks to the chocolate coating inside of your waffle cone.

Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough The Cone, you’re so delicious that you’re like heaven in a cone and I think I would do something crazy without you, like read Dianetics or watch Larry the Cable Guy.

W-w-wait. W-w-where did you go, Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough The Cone?

I ATE HIM!!! NOOOO!!!

Man, he was good. Git-R-Done.

NOOOO!!!

Oh, I’m so lonely.

Oh wait, there’s two more in the box.

Oh, there you are, my dear and delicious friend!

(Editor’s Note: Go read TG’s take on The Cone here at NYCE.)


Item: Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough The Cone
Price: $4.99
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 5 out of 5
Pros: Damn good. It looks almost exactly like it does on the box. Awesome comfort food. Surprisingly really crunchy waffle cone. No cone dripping. Three cones per box. A dear friend. Care Bears filling my soul with friendship, kindness, and sunshine.
Cons: A little expensive, but what do you expect, it’s Ben & Jerry’s. Smaller than a Drumstick. One cone has 12g of saturated fat. Being lonely.

Bath & Body Works Frozen Daiquiri 3-In-1 Body Wash

I’m sorry I’ve been totally ignoring you, ladies.

I don’t want to you to think that I don’t care about you, because I really do care about you. You’re very special to me and I cherish what little time we spend together. But you have to understand that I’ve been helping out many people, like Asians, vegetarians, hungry travelers, naked people, and skinny alcoholics. Because of this, I haven’t had the time or the energy to do the things we usually do with each other.

For example, I know I haven’t been massaging your back, shoulders, feet, arms, legs, head, and eyebrows like I usually do. I know you miss it, because it’s quality time spent together and I know that every time I massaged you, I would take you away, which was the reason why you gave me the nickname “The Human Calgon Bath.”

I also know that we haven’t been cuddling or talking much and you probably feel distant from me, but I don’t really know what to talk about when I’m with you.

I don’t think you’d be interested in hearing about how excited I am about the new Barenaked Ladies album or my wondering about how they’re going to have an X-Men 4 or what I find in my belly button every day.

I don’t even whisper sweet nothings into your ear anymore, like “My love is like a red rose,” “Your skin is soft like a flower petal,” “I love the way your armpit smells,” or “Pour some sugar on me, ooh, in the name of love.”

So to make up for the neglect, I’m going to review the Bath & Body Works Frozen Daiquiri 3-In-1 Body Wash, just for you.

I know that reviewing it probably won’t make up for the fact that I don’t say anything when you ask me if those jeans make your ass look fat or the blank stare I give you when you want me to vote for the least talented contestant on American Idol, but it’s the thought that counts and the Bath & Body Works Frozen Daiquiri 3-In-1 Body Wash just might be the remedy to bring us closer together again.

The Bath & Body Works Frozen Daiquiri 3-In-1 Body Wash is not only a body wash, it’s also a shampoo and a bubble bath. Its strawberry scent smelled good. It was like I was playing with my a Strawberry Shortcake doll, brushing its red hair with a small plastic brush, while having a tea party with Apple Dumplin’ and Huckleberry Pie. It’s also got conditioning Pro-Vitamin B5.

Its multiple uses makes me wish I had something like this during my Cool Water for Men scent wearing days, when I not only had the cologne, but I also had the deodorant, shower gel, and aftershave. I literally reeked of Cool Water.

As a shampoo, it takes quite a bit of it to make a good lather, but it would probably take a whole lot more if I washed your hair, like I usually did when I massaged your scalp. A lack of lather can also be said about its use as a body wash, which I would probably use if we showered together again, except for those 5 to 7 days out of the month when your “friend” comes over to visit. As a bubble bath, it does a decent job of creating a layer of bubbles for a soothing warm bubble bath, just like the ones we used to take together, surrounded by the glow of candles and soft classical music that ended with severely pruney fingers. Although the bubbles didn’t last as long as I would’ve liked them to.

See, ladies. Maybe this Bath & Body Works Frozen Daiquiri 3-In-1 Body Wash can bring us closer together and take us back to a time when I revolved around you.


Item: Bath & Body Works Frozen Daiquiri 3-In-1 Body Wash
Price: $12.00
Purchased at: Bath & Body Works
Rating: 3 out of 5
Pros: Smells good. Strawberry goodness. 3-in-1 body wash, shampoo, and bubble bath. Whispering sweet nothings in your ear. A tea party with Strawberry Shortcake. Not tested on animals.
Cons: Expensive. Neglecting the ladies. Takes a lot to make a good lather. Bubble bath bubbles didn’t last as long as I would like. Not frozen. When your “friend” comes over to visit. Reeking of Cool Water. Pruney fingers.