Must Be The Season Of The Witch

When I look out my window, 
Many sights to see, 
And when I look in my window, 
So many different people to be.
That it's strange, so strange, 
You've got to pick up every stitch,
You've got to pick up every stitch,
You've got to pick up every stitch, 
Mmnn, must be the season of the witch, 
Must be the season of the witch, yeah, 
Must be the season of the witch.
(Lyrics and song by Donovan)

The Dark Zone Returneths.... With nasty big pointy teeth.
It's October 2016 and that means not only have the tree leaves fallen and changed colors but also signals that Halloween is right around the corner. The Dark Zone has plenty of tricks and treats for you this October guaranteed to scare the Helloween out of you. And here is your first fright. In just over a month, the most powerful nation in the world, The United States Of America will have either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton as Commander In Chief. There is nothing more scarier than that. Good Night. Pleaseant dreams!

However, until that fateful November election day, please check back here at the Dark Zone for updates throughout the month on everything pertaining to Halloween including sexy costumes, huge melons, ghost stories, haunted house critiques, urban legends, and our own special blend of Halloween humor.  

Halloween Fact #1: The Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton costume will be the #1 and #2 Halloween costume this year.  

Happy Halloween

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LURKING, IN THE SHADOWS, ON THE GRASSY KNOLL

Stranger Things Have Happened To Natalia Dyer

Stranger Things Have Happened To Natalia Dyer

At the tender age of 19 Natalia Dyer has taken the Science Fiction genre by storm. Natalia starred in the Netflix blockbuster series Stranger Things. She plays Nancy Wheeler from a small town in Indiana set in 1983. Her character is caught up in a tennage love triangle with the school jock and the school weirdo. Her life is literally turned upside down when strange things begin to occur and children begin to go missing. (Hence the title of the series)

Natalia will return for Season Two of stranger Things on Netflix in 2017.

Sci-Fi Sexy Sirens brought to you by the Grassy Knoll Institute marketing team to boost readership and placement on search engines.

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Ghost Hunters Find New Life On Destination America

Wait - What Was That?

Jason Hawes, creator of Taps, (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) announced back in June of this year that season eleven would be the last for the successful and popular Ghost Hunters series to air on the SYFY channel. Hawes not only hinted but expressed big things for the Ghost Hunters franchise in the future. The Grassy Knoll Institute is now able to reveal those big plans.

Hawes has been in negotiations with two major television giants, HULU and Amazon Prime Video since his announcement in June. Hawes wanted a 13 episode season with a larger budget for production, editing, and of course, more wonderful ghost busting toys to entice spirits to make contact with the team.

Both HULU and Amazon Prime Video want more input and control on the cast of paranormal investigators. Both networks wanted Hawes to persuade Grant Wilson, co-founder of TAPS and investigator during the Ghost Hunters most popular years, to return to the program. They also want Kris Williams to return as well. The team needs a pretty face. (Sexest? Yes! But true? Yes!)

Wilson is mulling over the offer and perhaps he will commit to special appearances during high profile haunted locations. As of yet though, he has not come on board.

Kris Williams is another story. She is now living in Australia. Williams stated in print, on social media, and interviews that she would never return to Ghost Hunters. However, perhaps she was jaded from the bloodletting episode from Ghost Hunters International and with a fresh network at the helm, perhaps she will consider a new start. (After all, who doesn't need a paycheck?)

Former Ghost Hunter investigators Amy Bruni and Adam Berry snagged their own paranormal series titled Kindred Spirits slated to air on Destination America cable channel. However, the show is now moving to the TLC network,  (Debut episode slated to air early October)

With Destination America channel losing out on Kindred Spirits, the cable channel executives approached Hawes and apparently offered a kings ransom for the rights to a new rebooted Ghost Hunters. The channel is a perfect fit for the series and would blend in nicely with the other paranormal shows already airing on the network.

Expect Hawes to make the announcement Halloween weekend that he is moving the Ghost Hunter series to the Destination America channel and new episodes will begin airing in 2017.

Good job.... Onto the next....

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Harrahs Las Vegas Hotel

Harrah's Las Vegas

As my job would have it, I visit Las Vegas several times per year spending 5-7 days per visit. Usually it is to attend trade shows and conventions in my line of work. I always look for convenience to my work location when I travel. Harrah's hotel is a very good location when I work at the Las Vegas Convention center. 

I have not stayed at Harrah's since 2010 for my room was outdated and honestly, downright shabby. But with a surprise in my schedule I had to be back in short notice. Calling my regular hotels that I stay at in Vegas, The Mirage, MGM Grand, and TI, (Treasure Island) the prices were very steep. I reluctantly called Harrah's.

Harrah's price for my 5 night stay was $575.00 with taxes and resort fee. I was impressed with the cost but still asked the reservation employee about the rooms and if they were ever updated.

She was happy to inform me that yes, Harrah's was in the middle of updating many of the rooms and in fact, the Valley Tower rooms on the 7th floor were just renevated. I took her word and advice and booked the room.

My plane landed and the taxi line was very short and I arrived at Harrah's Las Vegas.

Some perks that Harrah's supposedly offer is online check-in. I opted into that hoping not to have to stand in long check-in lines. The way it is supposed to work is I would inform Harrah's through email the approximate time of my arrival and they would have my room ready. I would then proceed to the check-in desk with the sign stating KEY PICKUP.

The check-in line was over 30 deep and only two employee's were handling the process. I felt sorry for those people waiting. I found the KEY PICKUP area and waited for an employee to come out. And I waited. And waited. Ten minutes and finally an employee walks over and asks what he could do for me. I showed him my online check-in confirmation and wanted my keys to my room. He looked at me, then over at the long check-in line and said, "I'm sorry sir, but we are having difficulties at this time with our online check-in process. You will have to get in line and check in over there." (As he pointed to the rather large line of people waiting)

So, that didn't work well. I was now a bit worried about the reservation employee who promised me the rooms were updated.

Forty minutes later it was my turn to check in. I verified my identity with my drivers license and was given my keys. I was given a quick lesson on where the elevators were and where the casino was. I thanked her and went to my room.

For me, one of the key signs for a good hotel are their elevators. Harrah's would not dissapoint. I pushed the up button and in mere seconds, the door opened and up I went. Not just the initial time, but every time I used the elevator. They were very prompt.

As I walked to my room on the 7th floor I spied a clean carpeted floor and walls. So far so good. I arrived at my room and waved the key card over the reader and I opened the door and switched on the light.

I let out a huge sign of relief. The room was updated. And clean. And spacious. I could forgive the online check-in debacle.

The room was large, with a king size bed, two large closets for my clothes, a chair, table, plus desk chair and work station area. Also on the wall was a 47 inch flat screen TV. To the right was a vanity area, with a stool and lighted mirror. Below the TV was a dresser for clothes. There were no handles on the doors. Supposedly they were touch activated. But they are not, I had to dig with my fingers to get them open.

The bathroom was nice, clean, all new fixtures. It had a walk in shower with non slip flooring. The water pressure was good. The sink vanity was large enough to hold my toiletries and there were plenty of clean fluffy towels.

This would do nicely.

I was tired. To me, it was 3am in the morning with the time change. I went to sleep. The bed was comfortable. The four pillows were big and began as fluffy, but slowly deflated as the night went on. By morning, I needed three pillows to keep my head up.

I showered and dressed the next morning and made my way to the convention center. From the elevators a quick right turn and another right up the stairs led me to the Monorail. The walk was about five minutes in total. Very manageable carrying my work essentials.

Hotel Tip: If you stay in Vegas, book a hotel attached to the Monorail system. You can buy a three, four, or five day pass for a cost of about $9 dollars per day for unlimited access. The Monorial is usually on time and gets you where you want to go with no taxi or traffic hassle.

I returned each night after the trade show after 6:30pm. My room was never made up. I would change clothes and go out to dinner and when I arrived back, usually after 9pm, the room was made up. Except for one day, when they forgot.

After five days it was time to leave. I attempted to check-out using the television check out services but guess what, those services were temperarily not available.

Nor were bellman. I called the bell desk for my lugguge to be picked up but the phone just rang. After five minutes I called the front desk and told them the belldesk is not answering. I was put on hold for five minutes and the front desk clerk said they must be busy.

I took my luggage down to the bell room myself. No one was inside the room. I spoke out if anyone was there. Several minutes went by until a bellman came through the door. He asked me what I needed. He gave me a ticket and I gave him money and told him I would be back around 4pm to pickup my bag.

When I arrived back, again no bellman. I waited until one appeared. He went and retrieved my bag and I asked him to get me a taxi. We went outside and of course there were no taxi's waiting. None. Zero. A ten minute wait produced one taxi.

Room Tip: if you need taxi service in Vegas, do not stay at Harrah's

All in all, the room was nice, clean, quiet, and spacious. The dining choices were sparse but a quick walk outside and you are a five to ten minute walk to may choices.

The price was right, and I will stay at Harrah's again.

Room Tip: Room 7024 is updated with a view of the High Roller.

One More Hotel Tip - WIFI: in todays travel many people want to stay connected with family and friends and of course the office. Harrah's WIFI service was excellent. It connected and performed above expectations. Even better than the above mentioned hotels I stayed at previously. 

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Cherry Cheesecake To Die For

.....
The Carnegie Deli inside the Mirage Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, never fails for dinner. This night, after the trade show, I found myselt at the Mirage. I wondered toward the deli and ordered up a Turkey, Bacon, and American cheese sandwich on a kaiser roll. And.... for dessert, I ordered a piece of cherry cheesecake.

The sandwich as usual was very good. And plentiful. The picture does not do it justice. This sandwich was huge. The turkey was fresh, tasted great, the bacon crisp and plenty of it, and the chesse, just enough to make it pop. The kaiser roll was fresh and good.

But this is about the dessert.
The slice was tall, and long, with plenty of cherries and sauce topping. The taste, well, it was of course excellent. I was sad when I was finished. It was that good.

The total cost was around $40 without take out service tip.

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Harrahs Las Vegas Fulton Street Pizza

Friday night, Vegas time, 9:30pm, my time from Ohio, 12:30am, tired, hungry, and hot. After checking in and unpacking my suitcase, I ventured down to the casino area looking for a bite to eat. I found the Fulton Street Food Hall, located inside Harrahs of Las Vegas.

I spied the pizza area and got in line and ordered two slices. I was given a piece of paper and told the pizza would be heated up for me and to go around the corner and pay for my purchase.

Around the corner was another line I had to wait in. After paying for my pizza, $15.00 for two slices of pizza. Not big slices, but regular sized pieces.

I then proceeeded back to where I ordered the pizza and of course, there were several people in front of me waiting for their slices to be warmed.

Anyway, after waiting in line again, my pzza slices were in my hand. I found a table and had at it.

The taste: None really, just bulk type food. I won't say I didn't like the slices, and i certainly won't state I liked them, they were just there, in front of me, I was hungry, there they were, and I ate them.

That would be the last time I would eat there.

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Thought Screen Helmet Haiku

I Know What You are Thinking

A Thought Screen Helmet Haiku by the Grassy Knoll Institute:

What am I thinking,
Time to don thought screen helmet,
Evil aliens.

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Bonannos MGM Food Court Chicken Parm

The MGM Hotel in Las Vegas is grand for sure, and vast, with a thousand choices for entertainment and dining. But sometimes, after a very long day working at the convention center, you want something simple and easy.

Stepping off the monorail I wound my way toward the food court. I spotted Bonanno's New York Pizzeria. I bellied up to the counter and ordered the Chicken ParmigiAana with Baked ziti. The cost was just under $15

The server piled on the ziti and sauce and loaded a big piece of chicken on the plate. He topped it off with a roll.

I found a table easily and dug right in. Holy cow, the chicken was tender, juicy, the breading perfect, the cheese good, and the sauce, it just topped it off right. This did not taste like a $15 meal. More like a $40-50 meal.

The ziti was lathered with cheese and sauce and was fantastic. A perfect compliment. Again, for $15 in Vegas, this was the dinner bargain of my trip.

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Fatburger Las Vegas Strip XL Burger

Fatburger Las Vegas Strip

I was in Las Vegas last week and I asked my good friend Travis where could I get a great tasting burger? Without hesitation he replied, "FATBURGER!" Travis lives in Vegas and I trust his opinion. That evening after work we stopped at Fatburger.

On a Tuesday at 7pm it was not crowded, a bonus for sure. Walking to the counter I surveyed the menu on the wall. I selected the X-Large Fatburger with bacon and American cheese. I added the "Skinny Fries" and a Coke Zero. Cost was just under $20.00

Inside Fatburger Las Vegas

I was handed a table number and we went to out table. In less than ten minutes our orders were brought to us. As you can see from the pictures published with this post, the burger is big, a half pound of grade A beef.

Fatburger X-Large Size And Skinny Fries

The bun was fresh, not soggy, the burger was well cooked and not greasy, the cheese was melted, and the bacon cooked, not a lot of bacon, but it was cooked. The taste was very good. Not the best burger I ever had, but it was delicious. And filling. The fries came in two types, skinny and fat. i opted for the skinny. They were well cooked and tasted good. The Coke Zero completed the meal. (Free refills on soda)

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Chick-Fil-A Online Ordering

New Digital Age Chick-Fil-A Sandwich

I don't know about the rest of you but Chick-Fil-A is a fine fast food restaurant. The one I frequent was located in Boardman, Ohio, in front of the K-Mart on Route 224. It was so busy, cars wrapped around the building twice, yes, twice.

Finally, Chick-Fil-A moved across the street affording them more space and a modern facility. However, the restaurant drive through is still packed, even with the double lanes. Even though the employee's at chick-Fil-A are very speedy and efficient, it may take up to 15 minutes or longer to wind your way to the pay window. Even if you decide to park the car and walk in, the lines inside are long as well.

But there is another option. The CHICK-FIL-A app. I downloaded the app in seconds from the Android play store and it took several minutes to set up. Add your name and credit card info and in a moment you will be prompted to add funds to your digital chick-Fil-A card. I selected $25.00

The test of the system is during rush hour, and 5:30pm was the time I selected to try the new ordering process out. I opened the app and it offered me two locations to go, the Southern Park Mall or the new location on Tiffany. I selected Tiffany. The app showed categories of foof choices along with pictures of what you were purchasing as well as quantity. I selected a chicken sandwich and a large order of waffle fries.

The app prompted me to press the I'm Here button once I did arrive and to enter the store and go to the PICKUP AREA and the order would be brought over to you right away. Seems to good to be true. I was very skeptical.

Well, I pulled in, found a spot to park and walked in. As sson as i entered the door I hit the I'm here button on the app. The app responded by stating my order would be processed and the total of my order would be deducted from my digital card. Inside, there were at least 18-20 people in line waiting to order. The drive through line was worse. I spotted the pickup sign and sat down on the bench and waited for my order.

In less than a minute, yes, less than a minute, an employee walked toward me, smiled and said, "Patrick!" I replied, "Yes." She handed me the bag with my sandwich and large waffle fries and said thank you selecting Chick-Fil-A.

I was stunned. I walked out feeling sorry for all the people still in line but estactic how well the app worked.

The Grassy Knoll Institute Rates 5 out of 5 shots for Chick-Fil-A online ordering.

Addendum: I tried the app for lunch and it worked just as well and just as fast.

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