Life & Style

For Kevin Czebiniak, brewing beer is more than a hobby; it’s his career.

The 24-year-old Camillus native got the idea to open his own brewery while sitting in the pub at Le Moyne College with friends from the school’s Entrepreneurship Club.

“I always wanted to homebrew when I retired,” said Czebiniak about his decision to open his own brewery. He is still working to complete a dual bachelors degree in information systems and management and leadership.

There is perhaps no better way to observe the state of American health culture than at The Great New York State Fair.

Proudly displayed on posts and columns are “I ♥ NY Smoke Free” signs next to concessions’ menus offering fried dough, Oreos, foot-long hot dogs, beer and pizza pies. The entrance to the Kids’ Zone is labeled a “smoke-free zone,” but it contains a dessert stand and a taco concession.

Smoking is bad — that much the State Fair believes. Carnival food, however, is fair game.

Fifteen years ago, 425-pound Jared Fogle shed more than half of his person on the Subway diet.

From then on Fogle was inextricably linked to the national fast-food chain’s brand, appearing in more than 300 commercials and, for better or worse, becoming the grinning, bespectacled face of weight loss in America.

Following in Fogle’s footsteps is Dov Abramovsky, a 29-year-old former lawyer who was once heavy enough to elicit complaints from his fellow airplane passengers.

A clear consensus emerged among the fans of prolific author George Saunders after his April 26 book signing and lecture at the Eerie Blvd. Barnes & Noble: he is an incredibly funny man. When he read out-loud a selection from "Victory Lap" –- the first short stories from the critically acclaimed collection Tenth of December (2013) –- his exaggerated mimicry and comical voice inflections amused audience members. The cherry-topper of the evening came when Saunders fielded questions from the crowd, sharing hilarious anecdotes on writing and life.