Vincent Daly, Author at CuteMonster.com

My #FirstCarMoment starring a Car, a Rainstorm, and a Wake Up Call

June 26, 2015June 26, 2015 by Vincent Daly

It was the late 1980s. I had graduated high school and more importantly(at least to me at the time) passed my road test. I was a bonafide licensed driver. As luck would have it, my mother was looking to ~~unload~~ give me her car since she was in the market for a new vehicle. She sold it to me for a mere $200. At the time I thought I made the deal of the century. The car’s book value was higher and the mileage was relatively low. The vehicle, a 1980 burgundy Plymouth Volare, lacked sex appeal, but she was mine and as they say, love is blind. Little did I know in the not too distant future, she’d break my heart.

2015 E3 Games News

June 22, 2015June 17, 2015 by Vincent Daly

Gamers from all over the world are focused on the 2015 Electronic Entertainment Expo this week to glean what game developers have up their collective sleeves. As a former producer/writer for HappyPuppy.com, one of the first and arguably best video and computer game lifestyle websites, I still hold a keen interest in the genre. As a Dad, I’ve happily shared my love of games with my kids which in turn has reignited my focus on not only what’s cutting edge in the electronic game industry but specifically how the latest games will impact kids in general. Taking a passive approach to awareness will result in a rude awakening for many parents. We here at CuteMonster HQ decided to not let that happen to our readers on our watch. In fact, we’ll be posting what we deem to be noteworthy 2015 E3 news updates and tidbits right here on this page.

Jurassic World Review – Chris Pratt vs. One Big Dinosaur

June 16, 2015June 13, 2015 by Vincent Daly

Jurassic Park and its sequels are a juggernaut of a moneymaking entertainment franchise. Jurassic World represents the latest chapter of a story that began 22 years ago. I was curious how the creative production team planned to reignite the excitement for dinosaurs given the familiarity with the genre. Arguably, the thrills and chills have been in decline with each successive Jurassic Park iteration. Casting Chris Pratt in the leading role, fresh off his charismatic performance in Guardians of the Galaxy, certainly helps. But would it be enough?

Dads Need to Eat Well Too

June 9, 2015June 9, 2015 by Vincent Daly

I’m a Dad. Believe it or not, I too need to eat properly. Honestly though, once you’re a parent, making time to provide oneself a wholesome meal tends to slip through the cracks. Aside from work responsibilities, the little people in our lives aka kids, commandeer the bulk of the day. That results in eating what’s readily available at the moment. I’m fairly certain grabbing a handful of potato chips and downing a sport drink doesn’t equate to nutritional balance. The obvious solution is better time management and food choices. Ideally, the ability to prepare a wholesome meal that’s convenient would come in handy as well. Enter STOUFFER’S® Fit Kitchen entrees to the rescue.

More than ever, the world needs Supergirl

May 14, 2015 by Vincent Daly

For comic book fans, we live in an era of almost embarrassing riches. Super hero related movies and television shows dominate the entertainment industry worldwide. Indeed, modern technology has enabled special effects production companies to produce exceptionally realistic action sequences that would have been impossible in the recent past. Yet despite the visual advances, stories about female super heroes have been scarce. Even when female super heroes are part of team such as Black Widow in The Avengers, their roles are largely secondary. For kids watching super hero movies and television shows, the subtext conveys the message that women are not as relevant as their male counterparts. Which is why the announcement of CBS’s Supergirl television series debuting this fall bears such importance. More than ever, the world needs Supergirl.

Avengers Sequel Misses Mark

May 7, 2015May 6, 2015 by Vincent Daly

To be fair, attempting to top the original “Avengers” movie would require beating the odds. Most sequels fall short of the original story. Of course there are a few exceptions to the rule but realistically, the majority of filmmakers hope to achieve parity with the original source material. Director Joss Whedon was tapped again by Marvel Studios to capture lightning in a bottle. What he delivered for “Avengers: Age of Ultron” was more of a montage of fantastic action sequences. Perhaps a necessary evil in a sequel possessing a script that lacked the heart and palpable exuberance of the first film.

Dads, Chores, and the Swiffer Effect

May 3, 2015April 28, 2015 by Vincent Daly

To date, finding the missing manual on how to be a Dad has remained elusive. As most fathers will tell you, fatherhood is a work in progress. In modern family life, that includes participating in domestic duties at home. Unlike the stereotypes of the past, Dads are more inclined to help out doing chores. Yet for me, I’m always in search of tools to assist me in becoming more efficient. After all, raising young children can be maddening at times. A messy home fuels the anarchy. Streamlining certain chores provides me the opportunity to be a more engaged Dad. Sometimes I need a quick action plan to handle clean ups. That’s what the Swiffer Effect is all about.

SmartyPants Vitamins to the Rescue

April 9, 2015April 9, 2015 by Vincent Daly

Throughout my life I’ve tried to maintain a healthy balance of diet and exercise. Yet once kids entered the mix, my priorities shifted to my children. As a result, my personal health had been an afterthought. I never went off on the deep end though. I still exercised occasionally and would refrain from overindulging in junk food. Regardless, I knew I should be doing something more to regain my full healthy routine. Enter SmartyPants Vitamins.

Cars, SUVs, and the Future…oh my!

April 3, 2015April 3, 2015 by Vincent Daly

As a kid, I dreamed the future would be all about flying cars. As a parent, on a daily basis I witness the anarchy of shopping mall parking lots and think “nope”. In fact I’d much rather have armored plating and an abundance of airbags from head to toe. It’s not that I’m against some future incarnation of airborne vehicles, I just want people taken completely out of the equation driving said vehicles. Especially since the proliferation of inherently distracting gizmos have become standard equipment in most cars and SUVs. Automated vehicles would provide the freedom and safety to surf the web, text or video chat, work, or even take a nap. Yes, I like the nap idea don’t you? These thoughts and more informed my opinions of car manufacturers latest offerings as I walked the halls of the Jacob Javits Center at the 2015 New York International Auto Show.