Some Things I Love About CNY (Central New York)

When I say I'm from NY most people assume NYC. But I have to clarify that all the time that there is more to NY than just the Big Apple. For instance, Syracuse has a lot to offer tourists to our region which is centrally located in the middle of the state.

So I wanted to make a list of a few things that I think make Central NY a great place to live. I have to say that these are in no particular order. So here it goes:

1. The Great NYS Fair- Being that Syracuse is in the center of the state what better place than here to have our State fair? If you have only gone to your local county fair and have yet to go to this....what are you waiting for? The Great NYS Fair runs from late August till Labor Day. Last year they got a new Amusement provider and the Midway was HUGE. There are so many things to do and see. Animal barns, many varieties of carnival foods, attractions, and free music shows in Chevy Court.

2. Jreck Subs -  Yeah, there is Subway, and everyone knows them, but there is nothing quite like a Jreck sub. These Sandwich shops are located all over the CNY area. These subs are delicious, and they offer a sub of the day , which is a great value at almost half price and it's a whole sub.  They also have a sub of the month, which is always something unique. Not only do they offer subs, but they also offer Fried Pickles, and Sweet Potato French Fries.

3.Wegman's -  If I ever moved from CNY I would terribly miss this grocery store chain. Started in Rochester, NY this supermarket has become a staple of CNY shopping. One of the cool things about this store is that they let customers sample the food before committing to buying it.

Even Alec Baldwin, whose mother has been a long time resident of the region thinks this store is great.

4. White Christmas? - If you're one of those people who thinks it's not Christmas unless there is snow...well then you will love it here in Central New York. Where the snow falls in record breaking numbers. With an over abundance of snow one would find it hard not having snow for the Holidays.

5.Salt Potatoes - One of the delicacies of this region, and one that has been a staple of CNY Summer picnics. Made from baby potatoes and boiled in a saltwater solution until tender they are then served with melted butter. Yes they are salty, but oh so good.

6. Dinosaur Bbq - Who doesn't love barbecue, paired up with bikers and the blues. The inside and outside is decorated with murals from a famous CNY artist, named Eliot Matisse. The restaurant in Syracuse is the first and original Dinosaur BBQ. They soon opened chains throughout the state.  If you come to CNY you must try this place out. 

7. Byrne Dairy - Another CNY thing is a convenience store that sells milk, ice cream and other local products. They sell dairy products made from milk that comes from local farms. The milk they sell comes in glass gallon bottles. This store even sells holiday flavored milks, such as a green St. Patty's day milk that tastes like mint.

So if you ever get a chance to visit this region I hope this list will help you in discovering some of the things that we have to offer. Feel like I left something out? Leave a comment down below.

Review of Uncle Tom's Cabin

I never read this book in school, and decided to pick it up just because of it's historical value.  I had heard that this book had a part in  prompting American citizens to support the American Civil War.  I know I would have rather read a personal account from a former slave, but the author states in the last chapter of this book that the people and events were based on reality....of course the names were changed.

I will admit that the language which is of the slaves is hard to get through, as it's sometimes unintelligible.  I also found the overwhelming mentions of religion to be another reason for me not to really enjoy this book. I know that religion played a big part of that time period so I tried to overlook it.  I also found the chapter breaks to be very annoying, because the author jumped from one group or persons to another with no smooth transition. I will admit that I did find most of the characters to be believable, and found the title character to play a strong role in the persuasion of the author's argument to abolish slavery.

One of the most important things I learned from this book was that often as present day people we forget just how atrocious were the conditions under which slaves were treated, and that they were often separated from their families.  I think that films often focus on the brutality of slave treatment, but I found it touching how the author reminded the reader of the slaves humanity, and how they were no different in loving and wanting to be with their families.

Overall I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads just because I do not think this is the best example of slavery. I may have to someday read 12 Years a Slave to get the real deal.

No one has paid me to read and review this book. I have given my honest opinion of it, and the above Amazon links go to products which if are purchased I receive a very small percentage of the sale.

RASL Review

When I uploaded this video...I was experiencing trouble with my camera, and had to film a very quick review of this graphic novel. I didn't get to say all that I wanted to say about this great story. I do have another camera coming in the mail, so in the meantime I decided to supplement this video review with this blog post.

I rated this graphic novel by Jeff Smith (the creator of Bone) 5 stars on Goodreads.  I thought this was a very strong suspenceful scifi story. But I didn't really like the artwork. Sometimes the characters looked like real people and then other times they looked too cartoony. This was my only negative about this book. Aside from that I found this story to be a page turner that I read in a very short time. The talk about Tesla, and alternate dimensions had me intrigued, and make me want to do my own research into these topics.

Horns by Joe Hill: A book and film reviews

I have owned a copy of Horns by Joe Hill for almost over a year before I decided to read it. It seems to be a popular Halloween read, and one that is quite trendy due to the release of the film here in the USA on Halloween night. I have been waiting a very long time to view this film, and recently got an opportunity to watch it.  For a limited time the film is available to stream on certain sites. For those who are curious as to what I thought of both the film and the book please watch the video above.

Filth: A Film Review

To date I have seen three of Irvine Welsh's films based on his books, such as Trainspotting, Acid House, and Filth. All of these works seem to involve a a broken person who is wrapped up in a mixture of Sex, drugs, and Rock 'n Roll, with the exception of the last film I watched, Filth. Filth was a about a broken person named, Bruce Robertson (played by James McAvoy) who likes to live life fast with a mixture of sex with various women, and a bit of an alcohol/coke habit. All seems fine at the start of the film, as we see that the main character seems to have it all. He has a beautiful wife, and daughter. He's in the running for a promotion at the police station. It's later that we see him unravel a bit, and see that not all is as it seems. We find out that he visits a shrink to deal with some sort of problem that isn't mentioned till much later in the film. I don't want to spoil this film for those who have not seen it, but this was just as good as Trainspotting. Although Filth lacked the musical thrill that the first film had to offer. I rated Filth 4 out of 5 stars on Netflix, which I may add has this movie as streaming.

Rehabilitated Zombies (PDS- Partially Deceased Syndrome)

If you are a fan of the show  The Walking Dead then you need to check out this BBC America series called In The Flesh. Sadly I discovered this series, after it had already debuted, but better late than never. I started watching it from the start of the 2nd Series. SO I recently caught up on the event of the debut series by renting the first DVD.
If you have not heard of this series before it takes place in Wales(UK), and it's a world where the dead rose on a particular day. But not all of the dead came back to life...only certain random people. They did come back as flesh eating monsters, but people learned that they could be rehabbed by using a chemical injected into their spinal columns. These PDS "sufferers" as they are often called are ostracized by the community and are treated rather poorly. Those who have not received treatment are called "Rabids"

So these people are entering a world that is scared, hates them, and they are not sure where they fit in. Are they still human or Undead? This also gives rise to cult like religions on both sides dealing with the "Rising". All of these elements along with very likable cast of characters has made for quite the interesting and not the average zombie TV show.

Past episodes can either be rented or purchased on disc format, and viewed by streaming on Amazon. No one is paying me to review this show, and I receive a very small commission for my links.

Some Sites to Earn Extra Cash

I know times are tough and everyone is feeling strapped for cash these days, so that is why I decided to share with you all some of the things I have found that are helpful in getting a few extra bucks. No you cannot get rich from these websites, but they will provide you with some extra income.

Clickworker - This is a German based site that pays workers to write, translate and research for information online, also to verify different items. They do require workers to take assessments to see how proficient you are with English or other languages that you may know. If you choose to take the assessments you will then have the opportunity to complete more jobs. They pay a few cents for each job, but they are quick and easy assignments and the cash adds up fast. This site pays once a week, and can be completed through Paypal if you choose. Once you become a member of this site you can then recruit others, and be paid $5.00 for every worker that joins and earns the amount of at least $10. I have been doing this for quite awhile. I will admit I was skeptical at first , but it is a better site than others I have tried in the past.

Bing - Almost everyone searches for things online, and yes almost everyone uses Google. But Bing is a new up and comer, and they are offering users the chance to earn rewards for searching. While it is not as accurate as Google it is still worth using the search engine to gain rewards for searching random things. This is another service that offers a referral program, and if someone joins and achieves silver status you are awarded 500 pts.

SurveySpot - Taking surveys is another simple and easy way to get easy cash. Plus you also get the opportunity to tell brands what you really think about products and services. Sometimes you may even get to try new products before everyone else.

Opinion Outpost - Similar to the above survey site, but they offer more payable surveys.

Cash Crate - Is a site that offers many opportunities to earn cash from surveys, to signups and more. Please click the website name to learn more.

These are just a few opportunities that I have chosen to share with you all. I hope that they may be of further interest to you and wish you luck in your pursuits.

Adult World Film Review

Once I had heard that this film was being filmed in my area, and would take place in the city of Syracuse. NY I was intrigued and could not wait to see it.  If you have not heard of this movie it stars John Cuzack, and Emma Roberts. Ms. Roberts plays a young suburbanite who has recently graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Poetry, and aspirations to be a famous Poet. She fails to get anything published and her parents are sick of paying for her expenses. She seeks employment, but cannot seem to get hired anywhere , but at an adult bookstore named "Adult World". Funny thing is there really is an Adult World in Syracuse, but it is nothing like the one in the film. One day she happens to come across one of her favorite poets, and resident of Syracuse, Rat Billings(played by Cuzack).

I found this film to be interesting at first, because it showed great aerial views of the cityscape,  the SU campus, and downtown area. But this was not enough to make this supposed comedy worth watching. I found Roberts interpretation of a CNY suburbanite to be extremely annoying. She was loud, obnoxious, and overall very annoying of a character. The plot of the film seemed stupid as it's about how this girl doesn't have a clue that she will not be the next famous writer, and how her mentor is basically using her for a cleaning lady while mocking her the whole time. For some reason a college graduate is so vacuous that she misses this.

I did find it cool that they featured the Gear Factory, which is one of Syracuse's galleries. It also featured the artwork of local CNY artists.

I found the movie to be too unbelievable and even the snow scenes in the film did not do the region justice, and it must have been filmed early or very late in the winter season. Overall this movie was just okay. I would never watch it again, and as  resident of CNY can somewhat brag that a film was created here. No one has paid me to review this film , and I rented a copy with my own money.

 

Who is the Villain? Film Review of Red White & Blue

I came across this film in a listing of 10 horror films that should be seen to be believed or something like that. As I watched this I had seen the ending of this film a very long time ago on IFC, which is who produced this movie.  I rented a copy of it from Netflix, and no one is paying me to review this, which I will give my honest opinion on this film.

The movie does not start out at all like a horror film, and I kept asking myself...."why is this considered horror?" You see it starts out with a skanky girl named Erica, and we see how she goes from bar to bar just picking up random guys and sleeping with them. We later learn that she lives in a room for rent establishment and pays for her board by cleaning. The film jumps all over the place, and shows different players in the film. This really confused me, as the story telling is not right in your face and direct. The viewer kind of has to play detective and figure it out as the film progresses.

One of the other characters that is introduced is a man named Nate, who lives on the same floor as Erica. He seems to be a strange loner, who shyly observes Erica, and later helps her get a job where he works. One day he tells her this bizarre story about how he used to torture animals as a child. Creepy. They slowly develop a relationship, but not in the way one would expect.

At one point in the film Erica reveals just why she sleeps around, and "never fucks the same guy twice".  She tells someone how when she was 4yrs old her mothers boyfriend raped her. So is she the victim or the villain?

I don't want to spoil this film for those who have yet to see it, but it has been called a revenge film, and if you put together all of the stuff I have mentioned already you may get an idea of just what happens to make this be considered a horror film. I liked this film, and rated it 4 out of 5 stars. I think it was a bit confusing at times, but kind of made sense in the end. There is no real marking the separation of time events, but only through paying attention to the dialogue. We also see near the end just why the film is named what it is, and this was another one of those moments where you had to pay attention to catch it.

Film Review : Her

I just rented and finished watching this film starring Joaquin Phoenix, which was written/directed by Spike Jonze. My first impression of this film was that it really reminded me of The Lonely Guy a film from the 1980's that starred Steve Martin. If you have not heard the plot of this movie it is basically about a lonely man who months ago ended a relationship, and eventually falls in love with his computer's OS.

Yes, I know it sounds really strange and bizarre. I have always found these types of things interesting though.  The Operating System is a new kind that is always learning, and seeking to become a better match to it's owner.  This would be great if we had OS's that could be intuitive, and no what we like and could think somewhat.

To get on with some things about this film I noticed that the women of this future are just extra complicated even more so than present day people. I say this because Theo goes on a date with this woman, and she seems to be really connecting with him, and as the viewer you are kind of hoping that something develops, but then this would be the end to a strange film. His date gets really weird, and then says to him, which floored me and I thought was really strange....she says "You're really creepy" kind of guy. This was said after she was talking about them being different types of animals, and an almost hot/intense make out scene. Also this future is one in which people do not write their own correspondence, as it's written by people like Theodore who works for a Letter Writing company. The main character to me seems like a very normal sort of man, and everyone else seems so out of touch and strange. But this movie is about so much more than just the main character being alone, but with undertones that make me think of today's society how people look down at their cell phones, and do not really interact. You see this through out the film, as he commutes to his work the viewer sees that every one else is busy talking to their computers.

As these OS's become more self aware they then surpass their humans in thought, and intelligence. I won't say anymore about this and would not want to spoil this film for those who have not seen it. I rated this 4 stars out of 5 on Netflix.

As a final thought I feel the need to mention that no one has offered me money nor am I being paid to write this review. I have used some amazon links for which I get a very small commission if someone chooses to purchase something.

The Normal Heart Film Review: Early HIV/AIDS History

This film debuted on HBO on May 25th of 2014, and I guess it was based on a book of the same name., which was also a Broadway play.

I watched half of this on the premiere night, and DVRed the rest to watch the following day. This movie had an all star cast, such as Mark Ruffalo, Julia Roberts, and Jim Parsons. It is somewhat based on the authors life, and people he knew. The main theme of this film is the development of AIDS epidemic in the early '80's, and the fight by certain individuals to get the public to notice. It was also to get the healthcare community to react, and look for a cure. This was a very touching movie, and now it is hard to imagine, just how frightening this must have been at the time. I do remember growing up and how wide spread the fear of getting this virus affected everyone, and how at first they thought only gay men could get it. I think the actors did a great job of convincing the viewer of just how traumatic this time period was. Even if this film didn't have an all star cast I still think this would have been a good film, but I think having these actors will help to get more people to watch this film.

Just like the virus does not discriminate based on sexual orientation I do not think that you have to be gay to enjoy and get something from this movie. This movie is very sad at times, and there is a lot of deaths, but that was the main point in getting the public to respond to this epidemic. There is strong sexual content, so if certain things bother you perhaps you can fast forward through those parts. I have rated this film 4 out of 5 stars, and recommend everyone to watch it.

The Revenant Movie Review

I just recently saw this film, and I recalled seeing the trailer a long time ago, and thinking that it looked like an interesting film.

Here is one of the trailers for this film.

The story of this movie is that a guy named Bart is in the service, and he gets killed while serving in the middle east. He awakens to find himself in bad shape, as his mouth is sewn shut, and he is filthy. He tries to rationalize that perhaps he was buried alive, and has no idea how long it has been. He tracks down his best friend, and approaches him to get some help figuring out just what is different about him.  His friend is kinda freaked to see him suddenly alive, and almost thinks it's someone playing a cruel joke on him. He let's him in and together they realize that Bart is decomposing, but seemingly alive at the same time. Through various experiments, and research online they come to the conclusion that he is a Revenant, which is an undead being that lives on the blood of the living. Bart has to drink blood to stop decomposing, and when it is daytime he returns to a dead like state. He seems like a vampire, but looks like a zombie. Together these friends decide that they best way to provide blood for his friends survival is to become vigilantes, and at the same time help save people from criminals. While they are pursuing this scheme Bart has unknowingly started something that is not revealed to almost the end of the film. I will not spoil this, and tell you just what happens, but it is a nice unexpected twist that further makes this a great movie.  I really enjoyed this movie, and think that if you have an interest in dark comedies or zombie/undead films that this is the movie for you. I rated this 4 out of 5 stars on Netflix.

Review of 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

I recently just finished reading 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill.  If you have been following my channel you know how much I like Joe Hill's other works, and could not wait to read this collection of short stories. This book is actually his first published work. I did a review of his first published novel, which came out after this publication, and I was very impressed by how deep that book was. That was my first impression of this author, and that review can be seen here  down below -

Besides that review I had also reviewed his newest book NOS4RA2, and made a tribute page on Squidoo. So I have been a fan of this author for quite a while now.  Below is my progress, and a brief synopsis of each story contained within this book.

If someone were to ask me just what were my favorite stories from this book I would have to say 20th Century Ghost, and The Black Phone were the best in my opinion.  The main title story was really sad, because it was a bout a girl who was a movie fan, and just happened to die from an aneurysm while watching the Wizard of Oz. She never got to see the end of the movie, and her ghost had a special relationship with the theatre owner. So the ending of that story was very touching.  The Black Phone was good because it was the fantasy of the pedofile getting what he deserved in the end.

While I love Hill's other works I just found this book to be an average book, and he has written much better works since this. If you are a fan of his other novels or perhaps a fan of his father than I do think you should give this book a fair chance.

04/19	page 30		9.0%	"Best New Horror- creepy. life imitating art."
04/21	page 54		17.0%	"20th Century Ghost- the ghost of a young girl haunts a movie theater. too fast,but nice ending."
04/23	page 70		22.0%	"Pop Art- Jewish balloon boy,literally a balloon. strange and weird."
04/24	page 92		29.0%	"You Will Hear the Locust Sing- teen turns into a giant bug..."
04/26	page 113		35.0%	"Abraham's Boys- strange. Van Helsing and are vampires real or a sick fantasy of the father."
05/02	page 139		43.0%	"Better than Home- About a kid with anxiety and a drooling problem. ...zzzzz."
05/04	page 173		54.0%	"The Black Phone - Pedophile kidnaps the wrong kid... In the Rundown - euphemisms about running bases, and a run for help."
05/09	page 200		63.0%	"The Cape- Slightly different than the comic series, but still very good. Loser whose only talent is that he can fly while wearing this cape."
05/10	page 256		81.0%	"Last Breath - Creepy Doctor keeps last breaths in a museum...saw that ending coming. Dead Wood - Can trees be ghosts? The Widow's Breakfast- Sad story about hobos, and a widow. Bobby Conroy Comes Back From the Dead - Love story well sort of man reminisces about an ex girlfriend."
05/12	page 270		85.0%	"My Father's Mask- A very strange tale of the masquerade house,and the playing card people."
05/15	page 313		99.0%	"Voluntary Committal - With the imagination of a child he can build mazes that people literally get lost in."

The Book Thief Movie Review

I know that in the last year the rise in popularity of The Book Thief has more people wanting to read this novel, and it was recently made into a film. I'll admit that I own a copy of this book, but like so many others that I own I have yet to read it. So when I heard that they was a film version out I just couldn't wait to see it.

I have to say that I was very impressed with the film, and cannot wait to read the book. This movie did not have any recognizable movie stars in it, but it was still very good. I appreciated the fact that this story involves the civillian population during WW2 versus combat films or films that only focus on the Holocaust portion of that history.

If you have not heard of the book or the film the story starts out with the introduction of the main character named Liesel, who is a young girl who is being adopted, as her mother (who is later said to be a communist) is giving up to an older German couple who do not have children of their own. In the movie it starts out being narrated by a man's voice that the viewer is unsure of who it is, and you do not guess the identity of the voice until the middle of the film. Liesel travels with her brother who was also promised to the older couple, but he dies along the way. At his burial is where she finds a book that has been dropped by one of the grave diggers, and she quickly picks it up in her grief maybe as a reminder of her dead brother. She has a rough start upon meeting her new parents, and she wants to sleep clutching the book that she found, but cannot read. She does not know how to read. When she gets sent to school and asked to write her name on the board all she writes are x's, and the other children laugh at her. Her adoptive father finds the book as she is clutching it to her as she goes to sleep. He asks her about it, and see's that it does not seem to be an appropriate book for a young girl. He then learns that she does not know how to read, and then offers to teach her. While learning to read another dilemma reveals itself in the form of a mysterious young man who soon visits the old couple after the events of kristallnacht,

which was a big event in Holocaust events of this war. The young man named Max is the son of a man that "Papa" knew from the war, as his life was saved by his father, and he owes it to the young man to help him in anyway he can. They choose to give the young man refuge in their home. The family attends a book burning where such books as  H.G. Wells The Invisible Man is one of the books suspect by the Nazi regime as corrupting the German people. This film goes over so many different things that were occurring at the time period of the Third Reich.  Such as the air raids, and the villagers having to hide in the air raid shelter until the sirens signal the okay to come out. The searches conducted by the Nazi's of random basements to root out people in hiding, such as Jews, communists or any of the many people they were opposed to. The film also touches upon the feelings about the other races, such as when Rudy a neighboring boy says he wants to be like Jesse Owens "the fastest man in the world", and his father is told to teach his son if he wants to remain in the party. We also get to see just how desperate the Reich had gotten, by recruiting (conscription) very young boys, and men too old for duty. I will not reveal too much more about the film, as I do not want to spoil it. But I did find this film to be very touching, and very sad at times. As I stated before I very much enjoyed it, and rated it 4 out of 5 stars. While I do not think it is 100% based on real events it is a very good tool to teach people about the Second World War.

The New 52 Joker makes me want to read more Batman Comics

I recently finished reading Joker: Death of the Family, which is a New 52 book.  I'm really enjoying this revamp of DC's characters. I mean I didn't mind reading the occasional Batman book, but this new rendition of classic heroes, and villains has got me wanting more. This book in particular features a more mature, and grisly storyline that past Bat books didn't live up to. For some reason the Joker had removed his face and went into hiding leading everyone to believe he was dead. But he returns to let the Bat Family know that he is alive, and out to make their lives complicated. Batman, and a few other players are trying to analyze just why the Joker has done this, and why he seems to love torturing Batman.

I loved the way the story was introduced by Joker wannabe's staring trouble throughout Gotham, and the Bat gang had to solve the crime. This lead into Harley Quinn discovering that her lost love is still alive, and she has conflicted emotions about it. I will not get too much more into the story, as I do not want to spoil it. But It would have been nice to learn why Joker had removed his face, and I am going to read some back issues to discover this for myself. The artwork was great, and the Joker himself looked especially demented and nightmarish looking almost like Leatherface with his own face being worn as a mask. The further use of grotesque imagery just made this story that much better. Also the surprise ending of each comic book with the covered tray, and the wanting to know just what is under it kept me wanting more. The suspense of just finding out what he was up to compelled me to fly through this very large graphic novel.  If you are a fan of Batman/Joker already and you have yet to read this you really should soon. If you have never really gotten into Batman, but you are a fan of mystery, and horror you should check this volume out.

CBGB Film Review (Godfather of Punk)

This weekend I just watched what I think may be classified as a docu-drama. It was a film called CBGB, that was about the bar's owner, Hilly Kristal, and how he opened his bar, and it sparked a movement. I really enjoyed watching this film, even though it didn't have any big name stars in it, because I grew up listening to Punk rock. I never really knew that much about this club, and it was interesting to see how this one man's laid back attitude encouraged and shaped a movement that was Punk Rock.This film was released in 2013, and I'm guessing a  lot of people have not heard of it. But basically it follows the history of the bar that the initials are meant to stand for Country Blue Grass and Blues. It was fun seeing the different interpretations of famous punk bands.

The soundtrack was also another good part of this movie, as it featured some punk rock, and some '70's music from that time period. I noticed a lot of Velvet Underground in the film.  But if you are a fan of Punk Rock, and you are curious to see some history behind it then I highly recommend seeing this film.

Einkorn Wheat Bread Experiment

Within the past month or so I had read finished reading"Wheat Belly", which is a book that claims that wheat is the real reason for the obesity epidemic.  I do not doubt this, because I had tried the Atkin's diet, which excludes carbs, and I lost a lot of weight. When I went off of it I gained all the weight back from eating carbs.

To get to the point of this blog post. I had read a section about Einkorn wheat, and how it was the first grain that our ancestors baked bread from. It is said that due to all of the genetic modifications to wheat that lead to the weight gaining wheat we have today. So the author of Wheat Belly had so many good things to say about this ancient grain that I just had to try it out for myself. Of course, it was not easy to find. I mean you cannot just go to your local supermarket, and pick it up. But I did manage to find it on amazon being offered by a company called Jovial Foods.

When I got this package in the mail I was surprised by just how small, and compact the sack of flour was. It must be a much denser flour than traditional flour that we all know and are used to using for so many years.  But being conscience of my weight I really wanted to see if this flour lived up to Wheat Belly's claims. My family and I decided to try and make a loaf of bread from this ancient grain. We used a bread machine and a recipe from the manufacturer's website. The price is not too bad, and worth it in the long run.

Slice of Einkorn Wheat Bread.

My family really seemed to enjoy this bread, and we ate half the loaf that night with our dinner. This bread had a cake like  consistency while warm with a firm crust. The taste is slightly different from store bought bread, as I guess American bread is very sweet flavor. The Einkorn bread had a yeast/bread flavor that was pleasant, and good. Upon cooling it had a cornbread-like texture, as it was a little crumbly. This does not really bother me because the next day I felt great. This bread did not make me feel tired or bloated. I am currently interested in trying more of their products and think that this is a great way to get away from the overly processed bread that is currently offered by the market.

Undead Murder Mysteries

This past week I had the chance to read 2 really cool graphic novels, which at first thought were going to be about zombies like The Walking Dead.  But upon reading these 2 graphics I discovered that they more of the undead type, and not ghouls. Both books were about  young women who had been murdered, and then returned to life to discover who had killed them.  The first example of this was considered a rural noir called Revival. This book took place in a small town located in Wisconsin where people who had  died came back to life on a specific day. This day was called revival day, and any who had died and came back to life on this day found it extremely hard to die again. They seem almost immortal, as wounds heal quickly, and they are renewed almost. The main plot of the story is trying to find just why this occurrence happened, and how. Also they are quarantined because the rest of the world fears that it is contagious. A mysterious being/entity is roaming the woods, and it makes you wonder if this is the reason the dead live again? This book reminds me a lot of the ABC show Resurrection, but with gore.

The other book I read was called Rachel Rising, and was another strange tale where the dead were coming back to life in the small town, called Manson (if the name of the town isn't creepy enough). This book is written and drawn by Terry Moore, who is known for his other comic book series, Strangers in Paradise.  Even though this has a similar plot as the other book I enjoyed this one much more. Moore just has a way of writing that seems to be more believable I guess or I just find his characters more readable. This book also contains a mystery figure who seems to be behind the murders, and resurrections of others within the town.  This was a 5 star read, and one that I cannot wait to get back into.

Both graphic novels are in black and white just to forewarn you if you are not really into those types of comics. But I would recommend these to those who like a good mystery with an added thrill. Even if you are not really into comics you may really enjoy these.

Mentats of Dune

I have been reading Mentats of Dune for the last few weeks, and I have to say that Brian Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson still have it.  This novel focuses on  the story of Gilbertus Albans, and his school for mentats. It also tells about the events in the Dune universe, such as the war between the Spacing Guild, and the Butlerians.  I absolutely love this series, and one of the reasons why I enjoy it so much is because the events in these novels are believable as compared to other science fiction.  I first decided to read this series after having watched Syfy channels original film of Dune. I later found out that this was a more accurate version of Frank Herberts classic story. I know that most people are all fond of the 1984 Dune, but the later, and much newer version is true to the story that Herbert had written. I just thought that the 1984 one that everyone knows was just a bit over the top, and not very real.

I'm still looking forward to Princess Irulan's story which should be out sometime in the near future. But until then I may re-read some of the other books in the series.

Best Gaming Headsets With Voice Changers

Gaming Headsets with Voice Changer Capability

So you've started playing an MMO, and you have gotten your avatar to the max level. Now you want to raid and everyone keeps saying vent (www.ventrilo.com) required, but you do not have a headset. Not to mention you can enhance your roleplaying with a headset like one of those found below. Disguise your voice with these gaming headsets, or change your voice to keep it in-character! Here are three gaming headsets that allow you to morph your voice with a quick click of the button! Change your gender, your age, or even your identity - become an alien, demon, robot, etc. The downloadable software that is used with these headsets is extremely easy to use, and fun!

I've listed these gaming headphones at the lowest price to highest. I hope you find the right one for you! Whichever one you choose....remember to have fun! Also, check out my Gaming mice article!

Gaming Headset with 3D Sound and Voice Changer!

Cheap compared to other gaming headsets with voice changing feature.

Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Alpha USB Gaming Headset

Change your voice! Comes with presets: woman-to-man, man-to-woman, deep voice, munchkin, orc, demon, robot, alien, marine, and elderly.

Dual Mode Connect to a Mac/PC via USB or use analog input to your sound card or other device.

Microphone Detachable and Noise Cancelling

In-Line Volume Dial with Mic Mute Switch!

Logitech G35 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset

Press button for quick voice changing!

Logitech G35 7.1-Channel Surround Sound Headset

Change your voice! Sound like a cyborg, giant, mutant, space squirrel, troll and alien.
7.1 surround sound - so that you can hear exactly where your enemies are!
Extra Comfort - Three Headband Pads to Choose From
3 Customizable Buttons on the Headset - Change your voice by touching the button!
Adjustable, Noise-Canceling Microphone
Easy Mute - Press the button or simply rotate the microphone boom upright.

Compatible with:
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria
Left 4 Dead
Call of Duty: World at War
Crysis Warhead
Fallout 3
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3

Wireless Gaming Headset with Voice Changer

Similar to the Logitech G35, but no wires!

Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 with 7.1 Surround Sound

Change your voice! Morph it into Android, Drone, Alien, Mutant, Space Squirrel
Check outthis video to hear the examples of the voice changing capability!

Memory Foam Headphone Pad for extra comfort!

More Voice Changing Gaming Headsets on Amazon

Looking for Gaming mice? Check out this article I wrote about them here.