SimplyMaggies

I’ve heard people talking about the Discovery show for weeks and my interest was peeked to high levels so when I saw the DVDs on the shelves of my video rental I instantly jumped on the opportunity.

The series constitutes of two DVDs, each containing three episodes dealing with the topic of sharks, their habits, personalities and environments. Nothing unusual for Discovery since they are known for making documentaries about nature, sharks included. So why is this particular series so controversial that it has people discussing it for weeks?

Well, there are quite a number of reasons for that but the main one is that it portrays shark in an entirely different light than it has been done so far. In essence, it aims at reeducating viewers about these spectacular creatures and the results are simply astounding.

We have been trained to think of sharks as mindless killers that attack human beings for no apparent reason. “Shark Week” proves repeatedly that first of all sharks are very complex and highly developed animals and secondly, out of 400 species of sharks only three (the Great White, the Tiger Shark and the Bull Shark) have ever been documented to attack humans. Simply put—human beings are not on the menu… There are a great many reasons why a shark would attack a person in the water, however I’m not going to get into that right here for it would spoil some of the fun of watching this remarkable series. And if you choose to go into the waters where sharks are known to frequent, you need to remember one thing: it is their domain after all and you’re the intruder.

Furthermore, “Shark Week” is well designed in the sense that it begins the series with an episode full of common misconceptions about these creatures and moves to explaining 400 years of evolution they underwent and the eye-opening results that made sharks what they are today and why.

My favorite episode is the very last one, which has utterly changed my perception of these masters of the sea. I’m quite grateful to the makers of the films, particularly to the man responsible for “Sharkman” for showing that there is so much more to sharks (including the scariest of all, Great White) than the fact that they are some of the best hunters on Earth. I must admit I was totally amazed to ear that there’s this whole other side to these exceptional animals; one that is gentle, intelligent, playful and curious. Not the features you would attribute to a shark, would you?

The bottom line is that the misconceptions regarding sharks have led to thousands of mindless killings of these creatures, be it for fear of them or for their fins, that threaten their existence all over the world. The only way to stop these senseless killings is reeducating people about sharks (and this is what Discovery aims at) as well as protecting them as a part of the endangered species.

The series leaves me with great respect towards sharks and one conclusion that seems to be jumping out at me: while sharks kill 40-60 humans a year, people kill anywhere from 40,000-100,000 sharks a year! And who’s the mindless killer now?

Recently, I have discovered a fantastic show on the Foodnetwork Channel entitled “Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger”. At first, I wasn’t quite sure how interesting a cooking show hosted by a nutritionist could be, but it turns out it can be pretty educating and entertaining.

While Ellie Krieger (the host and the nutritionist) may not have the energy and the presence of Rachel Ray (my favorite host and I do love her “30 Minute Meals” shows), she can carry herself pretty well all the same. My husband says she smiles too much, and that may be true, but for a cooking show I really don’t care if the host smiles a lot or not. What attracts me to this particular show is the health factor.

We all know (or most of us, at least) that eating healthy isn’t always easy and fun, and coming up with the recipes for nearly every day of the week makes it even more difficult. Not to mention keeping the meals delicious…

Ellie Kroeger shows you how to make healthy and yummy dishes that don’t require a lot of skills and time in the kitchen. What is surprising is the fact that all of her recipes let you see that you really don’t have to sacrifice the taste, fun and all the things you like most (dessert, for instance) to eat healthy. The only thing you need to learn is how to adjust your favorite recipes to make them healthier. And the best part: Ellie’s recipes are very easy to make and provide a lot of fun with food.

The only negative thing I can find about the show is that sometimes the ingredients are not commonly available at your local supermarket and tend to be on the expensive side. Unfortunately, being healthy is not always an inexpensive process (which I know from my own experience)…

Luckily, with the help of shows like “Healthy Appetite” we can eat, drink and live healthy and have fun while we’re doing it…Enjoy!

I seem to have this uncanny ability to find books that are a part of some saga or series of sorts. There would not be anything wrong with it if only the books that find their way into my hands were the first volume of said sagas. Instead, they usually fit somewhere in the middle…

One of such books is “Vinas Solmanus—Lost Legends, Volume I” written by Robert J. King. The ‘volume I’ part is quite misleading as it is a part of the “Dragonlance” saga, even though it begins a kind of sub series recounting a story of one of the greatest knights in the history of Ansalon, a land in the north inhabited by both humans and enchanted creatures. Following the footsteps of such great writers as J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert J. King creates a world of heroes and villains, humans and wizards, elves and griffons rife with magic and battles between good and evil, light and dark.

Vinas Solamnus is a nobleman turned soldier who first follows his emperor’s orders slaying any obstacle on his way. However, one day he realizes his true heart and rebels against the evils of the empire. Commanding an army of his loyal soldiers, he wins the hearts of the people of the outer banks of the empire; the very ones he was sent to slaughter. Vinas, thus, discovers a new scheme for conquering the people and sets off on a long and harsh journey to overthrow the evil rulers and bring light and freedom to the lands he loves. But will he succeed against the evil wizards and the army of the dead?

While the novel reads pretty well (and I’m sure many readers would be perfectly satisfied), having read the master of the genre (J.R.R. Tolkien, for those that aren’t quite sure who I’m referring to), it leaves me a bit discontented. Robert J. King never fully develops his characters, which is quite unfortunate. They seem sketched and without clear detail, coming into focus only here and there but then instantly fading into the background. Even the main protagonist lacks the depth of a three dimensional persona. And unlike the great Tolkien Trilogy that delivers a whole different and very complex world with its creatures, places and languages they speak, “Vinas Solmanus” only scratches the surface. It gives you an inkling of great potential but leaves you dissatisfied and wishing for more.