#8 A Break From Lunch

    It is time to finally write a post on something other than food! I like food and all, but a good blog needs balance. I also think I have done enough reviews on shows. For this post, I have decided to switch things about and talk about reading! I, unfortunately, do not have the attention span to read books in the conventional sense. Thankfully, graphic novels and webtoons are a thing! I will give two different web series that can be read for free on a website called "Webtoon," and are currently being worked on right now.

Creator's Mascot

Read Cursed Princess Club

    Fairytales, cute art, a good story, and beautiful music? Yes, that is correct! What makes "Webtoon," a unique website is that some of their comics allow music to play with their story! Welcome to "Cursed Princess Club!" Does that sound like a scary title? Well, it is supposed to be. Though it is by no means a horror story, rather quite the opposite. This is a sweet story about a girl named Gwen. Follow her on her journey of self-love and worth as she meets a club of princesses who have something rather unique about them. Each of them has a curse of some sort and gathers at a summer home in the woods. A support group that exists in a land of magic and fairytales is a reality and no one questions that aspect unless it is about curses. Though at this time it is not said if Gwen is cursed or not, she is nice and has a big heart. I recommend this story if you are tired of cliché and predictable stories, but still, want fairytale art with cute funny characters.

Read Every Thing is Fine

    Don't feel like reading a comedic fantasy? Then let's go with a completely different genre. Welcome to the neighborhood! Everyone is nice, the neighborhoods are lovely, and there is nothing strange with their heads. That is the only thing the creator has let us know so far. Especially because this is a brand new series that updates an episode once a week. Seems suspicious

Creator's Mascot

right? Well maybe; so far everything is a mystery, even the genre. It is assumed to be a mystery/ mildly horror webtoon. I do not like any type of horror, but it looks like the author wants their readers to focus on the mystery. The horror part is used as a plot device to move the story along. There are also guidelines that webtoon creators have to follow, so things can not get too scary anyways. Those of you who are squeamish like I am but enjoy mysteries will most likely be ok reading this. Just a small warning; there is an issue with a dog, but it is censored with shading so it is hard to see and it is only for a short time. Other than that, there is nothing graphic about this comic. I highly recommend this webtoon if you like a mystery with an ominous beginning. 

Just remember:

# Extra Credit

DVD Cover

     Time to bring up another documentary. It is the same topic as "Fresh," but a bigger focus on animals and the chemicals that go into raising them on an industrial farm. The name of the documentary is called "Food, Inc." and it speaks about issues about organic food is available for everyone. This film does have some intense scenes, so it is not appropriate for everyone.

    I watched "Food, Inc." when I was in high school for my Nutrition class. It was right before lunch, so a lot of my classmates refused to eat that day. I remember a lot of the film since then, and I would rather not watch it again. I am quite squeamish and I remember a lot of pigs screaming when they showed the kill floor. There is also a scene where chickens are thrown around and baby chicks tossed onto the floor. I am not for the mistreatment of animals even if it is for food. I understand the point "Food, Inc." is making, but I would have preferred a warning of the upcoming graphic conflict of industrial farming. If not from the film itself, at least from the teacher. Again, I understand that this is reality and an unfortunate thing that needs to be talked about. It is also unfortunate for people like me, to be triggered by the graphic sight and sound of the animals. The message that is brought out by the film is great, the actual watching of it is just not for people like me.

Chickens through the years
according to Food, Inc.

    The message of the movie is to shop more organic and to cut down on meat for the average food diet. I like this message as it is true for a lot of people. I wish that they brought up that it is important to discuss diet matters with your doctor as you could run into people like me who actually need to increase my meat intake. Though rare, I am someone who is protein and iron deficient. I also can not eat nuts, certain fruits, and have to prepare my vegetables a certain way. In this case, I have to eat a lot more meat than others for each meal. There are options like protein shakes and iron supplements, but there are worse side effects if they are taken too often. The film doe not ban eating meat altogether, and instead, bring up the option of eating organic meat. This is a subject that I am glad was brought up in the documentary.

    Overall I liked the topic "Food, Inc." brings up as it is an important one. The alternatives to industrial farming are explained in a good way and insightful. I do not recommend this documentary because of how extreme it can be at times. I would much rather watch "Fresh" again. But if you want to watch it;
I will leave that decision up to you guys.

#7 Fresh Doc. Review

One of many DVD covers

    Most people these days people are trying to choose healthy options when it comes to eating food. But how much thought goes into producing that food? The documentary "Fresh," focuses on sustainable and organic farming. This post will be a quick look at this documentary and what they had to say about farming.

    "Fresh" supports organic farming and is anti-processed food. Organic foods are food raised without pesticides (chemicals that not only keep pests away but also make food bigger), and without being fed corn or even the same animal. Processed food is not just the opposite, but also has preservatives and additives. Preservatives are spices (such as salt) and chemicals (such as potassium) that are put into food to keep food from spoiling. Additives such as Monosodium Glutamate (flavoring that comes from a Japanese broth called umami) are used to enhance the flavors of food. Corn is fed to animals as a sort of cheap filler food to keep animals full during feeding times. Sometimes animals are fed the same species of the animal because they are cheaper than buying plants to feed them. These matters often happen in farms known as industrial farms.

    The documentary describes industrial farms as plantations for animals. Animals are either in cages or are put in small pins where they are close together with no room to walk. Animals on these farms also do not graze, so plants do not grow. Not that it matters because the way they are fed makes the manure they produce useless and unable to help plants grow anyways. The point of these farms is to mass-produce plants and animals so they can be sold to consumers at a quick pace.

Cows from the documentery "Fresh"

    The film then shows organic farmers and a farmer that owns a 3 achar farm in a city. This shows that organic is not just possible, but also profitable. An interesting solution that might be possible for the average person to do, or at least learn more about how food is produced. The 3 achar farmer allows visitors in his farm in order to teach them about farming. What I enjoyed learning about was his filtration system for his cod fish pond. The water gets filtered threw the plants and then makes its way back to the fish to complete the cycle. This idea shows what nature and technology can accomplish when working as a team.

    "Fresh" has given me plenty to think about when it comes to how my food is prepared. There are more documenteries on this topic and thanks to "Fresh" I will be taking a look at those as well. I would recommend this film to those who are curious about how food is farmed and the benefits of organic farming.

#6 You Don't Understand!

     It is back to the topic of food! It is also the beginning of the month, and that means Baskin-Robbins has added new flavors to their menu. This month is April and with the taxes, due this month a flavor must reflect that. Introducing last year's Flavor of the Month: Tax Crunch!

Last year's description on the Baskin-Robbins website

    Why am I posting about an ice cream flavor? What you need to understand is that this flavor is a great substitute for anyone who is allergic to nuts but wants a satisfying crunch in their ice cream! This flavor is similar to their Jamoca® Almond Fudge Ice Cream but without any nuts. The chocolate in this ice cream is better than it is in the other flavors. It gets addicting because of how rich the chocolate is. There is no other way to describe how good this flavor is other than rich and crunchy. If you like coffee, chocolate, and crunchy pieces; I can not recommend this flavor enough! It is only available for a month, so get it while you can!

Finally, just for fun; I have found a picture provided by Mashable about what flavor is popular in what state. While chocolate seems to dominate most states, it appears that vanilla is a strong second. I personally like both of these flavors and would not be able to choose between them. I wish there was a well-known poll that was available to see which flavor is the most popular. I would like to see what flavor is the most popular all over the world. What flavor is your favorite and why?

Poll provided by Mashable