May 13, 2022
Celebrity Q&A: Kevin James
Kevin James is an American actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is best known for his roles as Doug Heffernan on The King of Queens, and as Paul Blart (pictured) in Paul Blart: Mall Cop and its sequel. Q: Why Paul Blart: Mall Cop?A: I wanted to play a guy in a uniform. It made me laugh, the idea of me with authority. Me without authority is even funnier. They are not real police; nobody respects them.
Q: How did you prepare to play a mall cop?A: It is not easy being a mall cop. You gotta know where Cinnabon is, how to find the food court and the washrooms. If there is a little liquid spilled on the floor, you have to set up pylons and direct traffic. That could take up a whole day. And they wear polyester pants that do not breathe.
—Now Toronto
Q: Were there a lot of jokes that did not work?A: Plenty. Jokes that went on too long. Sometimes when it goes on too long and you can stick with it, it becomes so ridiculous that it starts to become funny again. Like Family Guy—I love that they do that. It is literally five minutes of something, and they just commit to it. We tried that, and sometimes it never comes back to funny and you just have to cut it.
—Now Toronto
Q: Do you have an Uncut Gems in you? [Editor’s note: “Uncut Gems” refers to a movie of that name released in 2019, which garnered an Oscar nomination for comedic actor Adam Sandler.]A: I would love to be able to do something like that. It is dependent on the story. That is everything. I would hate to do a movie just to do a dramatic role, to just say, “Hey, look, I’m not falling down the steps!”
—USA Today—Will Kosmal, Celebrity Q&A Editor
Harbour Village Campground & Waterpark in Carlsville, Wisconsin, north of Sturgeon Bay, has been our family destination for camping for many years. On several occasions, I have enjoyed the treasures of Door County’s countryside and its small-town attractions; planting my roots at this campground always bestows onto to me a deep connection with nature, via the plentiful stars at night, the nature trails with their bountiful buffet of blooming greens, the aroma of a roaring campfire, and the crisp morning air. Because of COVID, my family and I have not been to Harbour Village in two years, but I can recollect the travel tale of when my cousins, aunts, and uncles accompanied my family and me, and we had loads of fun. I believe it was June or July of 2019, and the campground during that time was not too packed. In its description, there was a jumping pillow, a pavilion, a swimming pond, a pool, and a nature trail. My folks and I became snug in the camper that night as we anticipated tomorrow. The next day, we spent some time at the pond. I did not quite feel like going for a swim, so I just watched over my younger cousins as they played in the water. Later, we gathered near the fire pit and prepared lunch, a bounty of bratwursts, potato salad, and cake. My favorite part of all was when we went to The Farm, which was a place where you can pet and feed baby goats. The cute little things would just run to you and put their hooves on your legs, wagging their tails. One of my cousins, who was around 3 during that time, said, “What weird looking doggies.” We went uptown to Egg Harbor after that, touring the quaint shops and buying knickknacks and exploring parks in that area. The bay appeared beautiful when we spotted a park that complemented the water in the most perfect way. That night, when we were snug at our campsite once again, I told scary ghost stories near the campfire while the frogs chirped in the distance. Good night, Harbour Village. Until we meet again.
You regain consciousness and find yourself lying down on something soft and warm; the sun is in your eyes, and you are soaking wet. You come to find that that storm you were in wasn’t a dream. You look around yourself and realize that you are on an isolated island…or so you believe. Maybe there is civilization somewhere? Your attempt to stand fails as your right leg has gone limp, so you must army-crawl to the treeline. You see that there are no coconut trees like Chuck Noland encountered in Castaway, and there is no source of water as your lips begin to parch. To your left, you see a bowl. A real bowl! A sign of human life, perhaps? You reach for the bowl; it is cream corn, the only food you hate. So you throw the can away in disgust, not putting any thought on how it got there. “Hey,” you hear, “we’ve got another one.” You have been found by two men, who grab you by your weary shoulders and guide you to their “village.” You are perplexed by what you see: men and women living in huts but wearing modern clothing. “I know you must be confused. You have many questions,” the tribal leader explains to you. “Each and every one of us was confused when we washed up on this island. One after another, nobody can seem to explain this phenomenon. I was the first one. Then, the next week, a woman washed up on shore, then a man, then another woman, then a child. We have built our civilization here. Since then, nobody has ever found us.”
One in four Americans spend more than eight hours a day sitting, and 80 percent don’t eat enough fruits, veggies, and whole grains, according to the US Centers for Disease Control. Fortunately, there are some easy tips for a healthy diet, if that’s what you’re looking for. 
It’s easy to forget in the midst of summer classes and the dentist appointments you’ve been putting off for time’s sake that summer is yours to plan. Or better yet, not plan. It’s a time to be spontaneous, to unwind and relax, and to experience new things before fall semester comes. Below are a few things to keep in mind while you plan out your summer; that way you can feel refreshed and mentally ready for the education to come.
“What time is it?” It’s summertime at East High, that’s for sure! Troy and Gabriella are ready for long, sunny days, but college is only a year away, and they need to make a little cash. Their classmate Sharpay intends to spend the summer at her family’s country club, where she arranges for Troy to be hired. Her plans to drink tea imported from England and finally seduce Troy are rudely interrupted when Troy convinces the club manager to hire ALL of his friends—including Gabriella. The club will host a talent show at the end of the summer too, of course. While this event takes center stage of the movie, the usual summer job hiccups still take place. And these are only exacerbated by Sharpay’s ambitious goal to make Troy her talent show partner (the sabotage is real!). Will Gabriella and Troy’s relationship survive the summer? And will Troy stay true to himself? You will only find deep questions in High School Musical 2. Plus, in true High School Musical-canon fashion, the movie wraps up with a big, momentous musical number—a big bang, if you will. The acting is atrocious, but I still find the tunes catchy, making it a solid choice for an easy, trashy summer flick. Available to stream on Disney+.
When my sister-in-law from Florida tells me I have an accent, my response is usually denial. I speak in the dulcet, accentless tones of a news anchor without the awkward pauses, thankyouverymuch. But the same cannot be said for Barb (Kristen Wiig) and Star (Annie Mumolo), the titular characters of the mid-pandemic comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar. Theirs are the jawbreaking exaggerated Midwestern accents that only Hollywood can dream up—though truth be told, your mom probably has at least one friend who speaks that way.
Nothing says “trash” and “summer” more than Teen Beach Movie. High school