Oatmeal and why I love it

In my opinion, oatmeal gets a bad rap. It's made a comeback in recent years, especially due to the health conscious trend of overnight oats, but it feels as though social media helped the spread of people's homemade oat ideas and it has caught on. It got me thinking, where did oatmeal come from?

Let's align on what we are calling "oatmeal." What I am referring to when I say oatmeal is technically porridge, hot oat porridge made on the stove top and anything under that umbrella like instant oatmeal you can toss in the microwave. Now that we're on the same page, if we look at the history of porridge it goes back to the paleolithic era with hunter gatherer clans but it really taking off in the neolithic era. In history, oats and oatmeal become associated with the Scottish which had oats introduced to it around 600 AD, but traces of barley porridge have been found in pots excavated in the Outer Hebrides which have been dated to 2,500 years ago. 

Oatmeal been around a long time, imagine the many combinations of oatmeal and toppings. Think about what ancient humans we're dressing up their oatmeal with. It's amazing how versatile oatmeal is and the countless options you can add to your oatmeal to make it different. Even better, its nutritious. Oatmeal is good for you and is a good source of fiber. I want to hear about your favorite oatmeal toppings. For me, I love bananas in my oatmeal with some honey, cinnamon and peanut butter - a perfect breakfast. Drop your favorite oatmeal combinations in the comments below. 

Record Review: Modern Color - From the Leaves of Your Garden

Modern Color is a band I've seen around for awhile and never really jumped in to take a listen, in fact before this album I've never heard a song from the four piece from the South Bay. Well, I'm sure glad I finally dove in because I love this latest album From the Leaves of Your Garden out on Other People Records.

I've been trying to think of how to describe their sound and I think the band themselves has a hard time categorizing themselves but to me they play alternative rock, that has some elements of hardcore but tend to be melodic. As a huge Title fight fan their sound stuck to me instantly. Doing some further research on the band before writing this I stumbled on their playlist in Spotify "Behind the Music" and it makes sense its so hard to categorize this band, their tastes are everywhere and honestly that's why I like them. 

I absolutely love their guitar tones, the clean and fuzz tone are both something I want to emulate myself with my jazzmaster so I genuinely love their tone. They have a few intros of just solo guitar with chorus on top and it makes my ears perk right up. What I really love about this album is the that they have their sound dialed in and the album sounds very cohesive but they have some variance between songs. X51 starts with a fuzzy bass riff into some screeching guitar parts, Invisible Ink has a part towards the end that introduce a riff and a few notes that aren't anywhere else on the album. 

What I think they do really well too is that they don't use the same formula over and over which I feel like a lot of bands in the space do. They have their rockier parts earlier in the song, or at the end, in the middle they mix it up and it makes each song unique but the entire album still cohesive. I know Empty Rooms is the hit, but it's my favorite song without doubt. It's been stuck in my head since I first heard it and I've been listening to the track multiple times a day since. I also love Head Change, I think its a great example of their sound and I love the vocal melodies throughout the track. 

Overall, I'm glad I finally took the time to listen to this band and I hope post pandemic they can continue to tour their brains out and I can catch them here in Orange County. Check out their bandcamp: https://moderncolor.bandcamp.com/ and buy this album.

A Feline in the Foothills

 

I guess cats really do have 9 lives, or at least they sure do live a damn long time. Turns out, a large image of a cat has been discovered at a UNESCO World Heritage site in southern Peru. This isn't anything out of the ordinary for this specific area as hundreds of lines like this can be found in the area depicting animals and assorted geometric shapes. UNESCO refers to this phenomenon as the "Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Palpa". Details from their larger article found here:

"Located in the arid Peruvian coastal plain, some 400 km south of Lima, the geoglyphs of Nasca and the pampas of Jumana cover about 450 km2 . These lines, which were scratched on the surface of the ground between 500 B.C. and A.D. 500, are among archaeology's greatest enigmas because of their quantity, nature, size and continuity. The geoglyphs depict living creatures, stylized plants and imaginary beings, as well as geometric figures several kilometres long. They are believed to have had ritual astronomical functions."

I find history in general fascinating, but even more-so when we can't figure out why the hell people were doing what they were doing. Like the article above mentions, they believe it has something to do with rituals, which makes sense, but to make these by hand and for them to last until modern times is truly hard for me to get my mind around. Also, just how? How could they possibly make these thousands of years ago with limited technology they had? I mean the cat is looking a little funky but still, to make these by hand by simply removing and moving rocks to show the surfaces beneath into giant images is hard to grasp mentally. 

It also gives me some hope, you know? Like there's still so much out there we have to find and discoveries like this keep that hope alive. Hear more from Johny Isla in this article here:

“It’s quite striking that we’re still finding new figures, but we also know that there are more to be found,” Johny Isla, Peru’s chief archaeologist for the lines, told the Spanish news agency Efe.“Over the past few years, the use of drones has allowed us to take images of hillsides.”

Isla said between 80 and 100 new figures had emerged over recent years in the Nazca and Palpa valleys, all of which predated the Nazca culture (AD200-700). “These are smaller in size, drawn on to hillsides, and clearly belong to an earlier tradition.”

It will be interesting if / when they do find more and what comes about these potential earlier traditions, maybe it will give us some clarity on what they mean and why they took the time to make these massive images on the Earth. Also pretty cool that drones are helping us finding items like this. I love seeing technology and history collide and when it enables us to experience things we couldn't have before I continue to look forward to what we still have to find out there.

Microsoft Purchases ZeniMax Media - Goodbye Bethesda Games on PlayStation

 

I couldn't be less interested in the current console war of PlayStation vs Xbox, mostly because I've never owned an Xbox and firmly believe PlayStation 2 is the best console of all time but recent news has peaked my interest to say the least. Xbox announced this week it has purchased ZeniMax Media including Bethesda Softworks, one of my favorite producers of video games of all time. I've put many hours into games like Doom, the Fallout and Elder Scroll series, but I also love their expanded catalog of games they've put out like Dishonored and Prey. Don't get me started on Prey. What a surprise of a video game that absolutely shot up to the top of my favorite games of all time with just one play through. Seriously, if you haven't played or heard of Prey and you have the means to play it do it right this instant. 

Daydreaming about Prey aside, this acquisition has me worried for the future of these games - for me at least. While I've seen news out there these games will be available on PC, I mean Microsoft is Windows too you know, I have fond memories of these games specifically on PlayStation. But to be fair, that's more nostalgia than anything. I remember racing home after one of my first and most miserable full time jobs to play Fallout 4, for hours straight. It was my escape at the time. That was one of the last games I remember being excited like that, sitting at my desk at work and dreaming of playing the game. Regardless, I mainly play games on my computer and I still have a PS4 but it's mostly for watching Netflix. I will still be able to play the games on my computer but I won't forget the times I had with that PS4 controller in my hands killing hours playing Skyrim and PS4.

This is a huge move for Microsoft and I'd say it's a response to the amount of PlayStation exclusive games that have come out recently that have truly surpassed or met high expectations. I think this is a trend and PlayStation will respond with only more exclusives and honestly I think it all just hurts us end users. I think more options the better and being able to play with your friends regardless of platform is more important. We'll just have to wait and see how this shakes out.

Record Review: Militarie Gun - My Life Is Over

Militarie Gun is a hardcore band led by Ian Shelton who just released a 4 song record on Convulse Records. This is one of Ian's many projects some of which include the band Regional Justice Center, and hosting a podcast called I Don't Care If This Ruins My Life. I actually found out about this band due to the podcast so turns out their schemes are working.

The record starts with a punch in the mouth thanks to the song "A New Low for Progressive Society" mainly because of Ian's harsh yet melodic vocals right off the bat. Every song is the perfect length, with the longest running a little over 2 minutes. They never overstay their welcome but keep you wanting more. "Not everyone's problems are yours" Shelton wails in that same first track, telling his story and commenting on the world around him. The lyrics are his narrative with a personal touch and it comes through. 

The bass tone throughout the album is dialed in with a touch of fuzz that compliments the rest of the sound perfectly. The single "Dislocate Me" shows off that bass tone along with Sheldon's more melodic vocal approach exploding into the chorus when the whole band joins in for a wall of sound. Rounding out the album are "Kept Talkin'" with a Melvin's like guitar riff at the beginning and some guest vocals in the second verse that help elevate the song regardless of its simplicity. "Life in Decline" closes out the album as the most melodic track starting with a dreamy slow picking guitar riff and verse riffs plucking on harmonics giving it a very light feeling with the bass keeping the song rooted. "I can't stay in decline" is Sheldon's last line he belts out with another great riff straight off an early Smashing Pumpkins album. 

I picked up the 7" myself and thoroughly enjoyed this record. Check out the bandcamp for more information: https://militariegun.bandcamp.com/

Time Capsule - Trip to Brazil Part 1: Paraty

Hey there! I've always wanted to write about my trip to Brazil in 2019 so I thought I'd dig up some pictures and tell a piece of the trip here. For a little background, before my girlfriend entered her DPT program last summer so we decided to finally take up her sister's offer and come visit her sister in Sao Paulo, Brazil. At the time I was working at a company with unlimited PTO, so we decided in May of 2019 to take a 3 week trip to Brazil. During our time there her sister planned a road trip during one of the weekends heading north through the mountain town of Cuhna, where we spent a night and into the state of Rio to visit a city called Paraty. More on other adventures later, but moving forward this post is all about Paraty. 

Paraty, founded around 1500, is on UNSECO's Worth Heritage List and is unofficially recognized as the halfway point between Sao Paulo and Rio De Janero. As you near the city center the streets become made of stone and all motorized traffic is barred leaving just foot traffic and the occasional horse. As we descended from the mountainous jungle into Paraty it started as a few small pousadas (bed and breakfasts) here and there with a restaurant in between, it seemed like most small Brazilian towns I had seen on the road trip so far. But as I made my way to the city center I realized this was unlike anything I had seen before.

Our lodging for the next two days was about 10 miles or so out of the actual city center, towards the jungle and accessible by a one lane dirt road in and out. More on this later, first we had to explore the city itself and get some lunch before heading out into the jungle, but was also near a beach. After a bit of a bumpy ride to find some parking we were ready to explore on foot. To paint the picture, the group consisted of my girlfriend and me plus her sister, husband and 2-3 month old baby. As we explored for a bathroom and eventually a place to eat I couldn't stop smiling at this cool little town I had been brought too. The streets made of stone, merchants everywhere selling their goods, music in the distance and food on every corner

After a walk around and a few snacks and a few souvenirs purchases we decided to sit down for some lunch. We found a restaurant with a man playing acoustic guitar in the corner and sat down for our meal, there was one other small family besides us and we had a view of the street and passing traffic. 

With most meals I had in Brazil the meal starts with fresh juice, I think my favorite was the pineapple juice but we had so many it's hard to pick. I had a Brazilian style picadillo and it was delicious. Their style of picadillo ended up being my favorite meal in Brazil, besides fejoada. After lunch we headed back to the car and it was time to check into the pousada. It was about a 20 minute drive from the city center, which sounded like a breeze but we were not prepared for the drive ahead. After arriving to our turn to the pousada off the highway we found it to be a dirt road. We were in a new-ish Toyota Camry and it was definitely not built for off-roading. Keep in mind the terrain all around us is essentially jungle, tree covered hillsides, green as far as the eye can see. It was a bit bumpy but not enough for us to turn around so we made our way forth. As we continued to drive down this dirt road deeper into the jungle I noticed my cell service slowly dropping one bar at a time. I'm not necessarily someone who needs their phone but as we continue into the unknown jungle a little contact with civilization was comforting. Our ride gets bumpier and my cell service is all but gone at this point and all you can see is jungle around you with scattered signs of human life. It's incredible people live out there and have been for so long, it's interesting to me how humans can live such different lives but still be the same species.

As the jungle thickens we pass an area designated for an indigenous tribe in the are, fenced off. I imagined in the past everything I was seeing was there. Houses, a few churches, some schools and random businesses dotted the sides of this dirt road as we drove on. Finally, we see our turn into our pousada. It was overgrown and we were driving basically blind but we knew we had the right spot. We passed a tree line and the place came into view and it was one of the most spectacular sights of my life. Buildings somehow constructed in the middle of the jungle and something out of Swiss Family Robinson.

We pulled up and finally parked to find animals all over the place including a dog, chickens and even a peacock running around. A man smiling ear to ear walks up and greets us helping us with our luggage with a kid not too far behind him. As it turns outs this is a family run business in which they created from the ground up - I'm talking the plumbing in this 12-15 person capacity bed and breakfast. After getting our rooms we unload our stuff and join up in the common area to rest after an extremely long day. 

To be continued...

Top 3 Non-Dairy Frozen Treats Right Now

In college I worked at a pizza place resulting in me eating so much pizza I became lactose-intolerant. I can't confirm this with a matter of fact, but at some point I realized dairy products and my body cannot co-exist. First I struggled with that concept, then I was sad, then I was angry, and now, I am at peace. 

With veganism and dairy alternative lifestyles on the rise it has without doubt become easier to enjoy the things I've given up on in life due to my intolerance. While my intolerance isn't fun, it's not deadly - I could intake some dairy products here and there and it's not going to completely ruin my day. However, I still find myself actively searching for the dairy free alternatives.With that in mind, I present to you my top three dairy-free desserts running:

 

Number 3: Alden's Organic Dairy Free Caramel Drizzle Round Sammies

 I live directly behind a Sprouts, a healthy / organic focused grocery store, which is ripe with dairy alternative options especially the desserts. Recently while meandering the back aisles of said Sprouts I stood gazing at the dessert fridges looking for the perfect frozen treat. And the fridge gazed back, as if shrouded in light the box pictured above took center stage in my view. Astounded by the opportunity to enjoy an ice cream sandwich again I jumped at the possibility and threw them into my basket. 

Fast forward a few hours and with dinner and dishes complete it was time to give these a go. First, I can safely say this is the best dairy-free ice cream sandwich I've ever had, and I've had many. The balance between the outer sandwich exterior and actual caramel drizzle within the "ice cream" truly made this phenomenal. I want to say I legitimately ate this within 3-4 bites, and it's not something I am proud of but need to emphasize how delicious these were. It's also part of my criticism, they're too small. But I do also enjoy that part, it's a perfect amount to leave you wanting more. And you know what? I want more. I'm looking for these every visit to Sprouts and have yet to find them stocked again - they move fast. One day again I'll enjoy these greats but let me be the first to say keep your eyes peeled for yourself. 

 

Number 2: Trader Joes' Soy Creamy Cherry Chocolate Chip Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert

I think this one most speaks for itself and needs little explanation but it's essentially my favorite "ice cream" and it's not even close. Soy Creamy is loaded with cherry chunks and hunks of dark chocolate with cherry flavored ice cream, it's delicious and needs to be on everyone's list when going to TJ's. This one especially is something I suggest to people regardless if they have an issue with dairy or not. When my girlfriend brings this home from a trip to Trader Joe's I'm a happy guy, it's that simple. Soy Creamy is also a great topping ice cream too. For example, we baked fresh vegan brownies and put this one top "pizookie" style and it was one of the best desserts I've ever had. Get out there and try this if you haven't. 

Number 1: Haagen-Dazs Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge Non-Dairy

So I will admit I've only stumbled onto these recently however I am not guilty of recency bias. These are the best dairy-free dessert options on the market. I genuinely did not believe my girlfriend when she told me these were dairy-free. The peanut butter and dark chocolate make it so rich you are absolutely convinced this is loaded with all the dairy in the world, but its not. Honestly these would be the absolute perfect dessert but they come three to a box and that is a terrible policy and I would urge all ice cream companies worldwide to stick to four, please. My hatred for odd counted ice cream bars aside I will actively be looking for these bars in the future because they were best dairy-free frozen treat I've ever had.