Nick’s Most Excellent Adventure, Pt. 1

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Nick Larsen

May 15, 2012
By Nick Larsen


Nick’s log, star date 65834.6, most likely May 14th; the grand cross country journey to ring in the end of another school year and the end of college for my fellow adventurers, Dan and Victoria, has begun. Starting in New York and ending in Texas, our first of many stops has led to Hershey, Pennsylvania. Home to chocolate, roller coasters, and cows; we arrived to a nearly empty Chocolate World and sporadic rain showers but with the rain coming down the crowds dispersed leaving more candy for us!

Storm Trooper in Chocolate WorldOur first place to visit…the bathroom! A series of challenges have been given for my journey, two of which are getting a 3DS street pass in every state we visit and going to the bathroom in every state as well. I can proudly say, I am on my way to completing both tasks. Also a little clone trooper pal of mine is making the journey with me as well, making the occasional picture in each major stop. Look forward to a possible game of “Where in the country is the clone trooper?”. Time to get back to chronicling the adventure.

Hershey is a sleepy little town during the parks off season. The occasional school field trip visits the area and you can see the rides being tested in the distance while the park is closed. Small construction projects are scattered inside of Chocolate World taking up small spaces previously used as gift stands and being repurposed for future use. The tour ride itself is still a great experience to be had and fun for a nostalgia trip for those of you who have grown up with Hershey like I have. The best part though, is always the free candy at the end of the ride, this months flavor, chocolate covered almonds. A bonus treat came in the shape of being asked to take a survey based on my use of chocolate baking powder.

While Victoria and I completed the survey, Dan was asked to sample a future candy that could be released within the next year or so. In exchange for our time, we were given free full size Hershey chocolate bars! A fair trade indeed. On top of the free candy from both the tour and the survey, a table near the gift shop gave away free samples of Rollos and Reese’s Minis! Free candy all around!  One can not live on free candy alone though, I know, I’ve tried; it was lunch time so time to get some more food. Ordering a personal cheese pizza, I added on something new, a Jolly Rancher themed slushie. Most slushies taste a little bit like the flavor they are made after, but this slushie tasted perfectly like the candy. If you ever get the chance, I recommend trying one. With the added bonus of a massive sugar rush (and the downfall of a massive brain freeze), Hershey became a personal playground.

Running around as fast as possible, attempting (failing) to juggle, and dancing to every song on the radio, our adventure led us to the city of Harrisburg. With the goal in mind to check in at our hotel eventually we looked in shopping outlets, thrift shops, and video game stores to see what wonders we could find. We found an army of clothes, clothes, and more clothes! Our exploration led us to our hotel, where we devoured a meal at a local brewery followed by exploration of the hotel itself. After locating the fitness room, we returned to the room to eat snacks, watch Disney movies, and to type the first of several articles over the next few days following the grand adventure. Until next time my fine feather readers, next stop is camping at Lake Erie. More updates to come with the first chance I get! I hope you enjoy your summers as much as I am!

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Captain LarsenNick Larsen’s Cross Country Road Trip, Part 1


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Projections and Elections

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Sinclair Soul

May 10, 2012
By Sinclair Soul


ProjectionPsychological projection or “projection bias” is a psychological defense mechanism where a person ascribes to other people their own, biases, beliefs, or insecurities. A prime example of this behavior is blaming another for self failure. In the political arena of 2012, this practice is being forged into a master art with candidates’ camps trying to frame their opponents with frailties that, in many cases, they possess themselves. Whether it be Democrats demonizing the “1%” while they embrace the richest of the rich (check out this event being held tonight), or Republicans complaining about the exploding debt while defending pork projects in their own districts, this practice is becoming a cancer eating away at any hope at honest debate.

A few weeks ago, Montana Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer took a shot at Mitt Romney’s Mormonism by saying the Romney will have problems as a presidential candidate because his father was born on a “polygamist commune” in Mexico. The idea was to to underhandedly label Romney as abnormal in the minds of voters due to his family’s religious legacy and give a boost to his opponent, President Obama. While it is true that Romney’s father was born in a Mormon community in Mexico where some of the residents practiced polygamy, Romney’s grandparents were a monogamous couple that fled religious persecution in the late 1800s. But as it turns out, Schweitzer’s strategy backfired as an INS document from 1961 showed that President Obama’s father WAS actually a polygamist.

Barack Hussein Obama SrWhen Barack Hussein Obama Sr married our current President’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham in Hawaii in the early 1960′s, documents show that he was still married to a woman from Kenya. The INS documentation also that he traveled with a couple of “girlfriends” and a further investigation claims that Obama Sr. may have married again later while still legally married to Dunham and the Kenyan woman, making it three concurrent wives. Now, I have my problems with the President but I don’t think he should in any way be judged by the practices of his father. But I do wish he would not sit silent while loud-mouths like Schweitzer try to exploit the past practices of Romney’s religion for Obama’s political gain. When you look at the whole picture, you see it is a bit hypocritical.

Elizabeth WarrenIn an equal yet nearly opposite case of using projection, there is the case of Massachusetts Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren. The Harvard Law professor described herself as a Native American minority in professional law school directories and official applications during the 1980s and 90s. When recently called on it, she said than an aunt indicated she had American Indian blood because her grandfather had “high cheek bones like all the Indians do.” Warren went on to claim that her Great Great Great Grandmother was a Cherokee, making Warren herself 1/32nd Native American. She claimed she did not describe herself to receive any special treatment as a minority but only to “be invited to luncheons” by other Native Americans. As for her motives, you decide. It was certainly fashionable to claim some minority status in the ultra-liberal Ivy League university during that time period.

There is no documented proof as to whether Warren’s Great Great Great Grandmother was actually a Cherokee, but let’s give her the benefit of the doubt. However, there is documented proof that her Great Great Great Grandfather was involved in executing the infamous “Trail of Tears” while stationed in Chattanooga, TN in the 1830s. This means Warren also has 1/32nd blood of an oppressive white man. I wonder if there are any luncheons for that group at Harvard?

The point is, be careful how you demonize others lest you be demonized…he who is without sin, cast the first stone..those who live in glass houses, etc. etc. Projection is an all-too-common practice to distort or quell debate and it is counter-productive in a free society. Projection should face rejection!

~

The New Philosophy of ReasonSinclair Soul is a championship-level background singer, philosopher, and columnist for Big Blue Bullfrog. He specializes in examining the state of American culture from a “Soul” perspective.


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The Avengers: A Review

Posted on May 5, 2012 by J.D. Cook

May 5, 2012
By J.D. Cook


The Avengers

On May 4th at Midnight, while most of the world was still asleep, I had the distinct pleasure of viewing The Avengers with five of my closest friends. Before I get into telling you how phenomenal the movie is – and oh it is – I should detail my crew. We were lead into this screening by Nick Larsen dressed as Captain America, Oliver Layco wore Thor’s famous helmet, James West sported a Hulk shirt, and I dawned an Iron Man mask. Then there were the two master assassins Black Widow, my friend Dave…don’t ask, and Hawkeye, my friend Adam. Together we made up The Budget Avengers. Surprisingly, we were asked to take pictures with passer bys before and after the film. It was a muggy night in the city but that did not inhibit my excitement for the film as we stopped for burgers before waiting in the theater for two hours to get the best possible seats.

The Budget Avengers Assemble!This was one of the few times I’ve literally seen a film bring people together. My four college friends bonded with two of my best friends from back home first. Then the row ahead of us in the theater talked nerdom with us, and before and after the film numerous people stopped us to talk about how excited they were for The Avengers or about their viewing experience. Even on the way home aboard the Staten Island Ferry, people were still talking to us about how good it was. This was a truly special film that was encapsulated in a great night with my friends.

Now onto the film itself! THIS IS THE BEST COMIC BOOK FILM MADE YET! It seems like everything since the theatrical version of Superman has been building up to this film but, in reality, it’s only everything since that 1st extra scene in Iron Man where Director Fury tells Stark he’s just become part of a bigger universe. I’ve wondered along with my friends many times since then whether The Avengers would live up to the lofty expectations the fans had. It did. I won’t even go into minor things like acting because literally every actor is without fault in this film. It is beyond A list. I would just say that Tom Hiddleston gives probably the most inspired performance as the evil Loki.

*Spoilers from here down*

Cinematically. the film opens in space which is visually breathtaking…especially in 3D. I normally don’t like anything in 3D but I was forced to get my tickets in it since my favorite theater only offered the movie in it when I got my tickets. That said this was actually very good in the format. Back to the cinematic elements! If you liked Thor’s Asgard you will be just as wowed by the realm where the Avengers enemies come from. It’s kind of like a rocky world that just floats in space. Then there is the visual of the portal from that world to Manhattan; which is amazing!

The plot feels like Joss Whedon and Zach Snyder just took the best things about big comic book events and distilled them into a perfect formula. The story revolves around the cosmic cube which has the power to open rifts in space time. A bigger baddie wants the cube and uses Loki to try and procure it from Earth. In come the Avengers to try and stop him while battling one anothers egos and the global police force S.H.I.E.L.D.’s secrets! There are so many subtle things that Whedon does to capture plot elements from the comic books while giving them a new twist. This was best illustrated by Hawkeye. In the comics Hawkeye was a bad guy turned good. In the Avengers Whedon parallels that tale by having him work with Loki for a time before joining up with the Avengers for the final beat down in Manhattan.

Oh yeah…that. There is about forty five minutes of the Avengers fighting aliens in Manhattan. This is not mindless war though. Those who have said the Avengers looks like Transformers are idiotic. The battles in this film contain so much heart and spirit! Captain America had the most emotional battle scenes as he is one of the least ‘super’ super heroes of the group. Time and again Captain America is knocked down and bloodied only to stand back up and keep fighting. You can’t help but see a metaphor between Cap and America itself.

Each character interacts with another one in at least one fairly deep scene. Stark bonds with Bruce Banner telling him that the Hulk may not be as bad as he thinks; Captain America tells Stark he needs to focus on more than himself. Black Widow helps Hawkeye deal with having been bad for a portion of the film. Fury gives the team the motivation it needs to come together and fight as a team. Thor has a hugely emotional discussion with his brother Loki before an epic battle with Iron Man. I would say Thor is probably the least focused on of the Avengers but he has a huge number of flat out great scenes! Even bit characters like Skarsgard and Paltrow are very important throughout.

By the end of the film you will be cheering; especially for the new Hulk Mark Ruffalo. I had the pleasure of meeting him at The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo premiere and he is a really nice guy on and off the screen.  The Hulk has definitively the best action scenes as he smashes everything in his path…even Loki…you’ll see what I’m talking about when you see it. I’ve never walked out of a film as satisfied as after The Avengers. I have literally no complaints. My favorite Avenger and second favorite super hero right behind Cyclops, Iron Man, is given one of the best stories in the film as he shows himself to be the brains of the team time and again. Not to mention the fact that he probably has the most heroic moment of the film near the climax.

By the end of this film, the Avengers were beaten up and battered but victorious much like the fans that waited years for this film. We walked out talking about the future of Marvel’s films but not in a way that said we were instantly thinking of the next film. It was quite the opposite as we all talked about seeing this film again as soon as possible. The sheer amount of lines I will be quoting from this movie are ridiculous. The dialogue was spot on! It was witty and brilliant.

Budget Avengers Again
Finally, I guess I should back up my best comic movie ever claim. I would say up until last night The Dark Knight was the best comic movie out there. The cast and plot were so deep and mind blowing. This makes The Dark Knight look like a five minute short cartoon in comparison. The Avengers embraces the fact that it is a comic film while keeping it bound to reality and delving into each characters psyche; all while giving us a great and huge amount of action. It is literally the culmination of all of Marvels past films and there is a sense that everything Whedon has done was leading up to this. I literally can’t stop ranting about how good this film was. Just stop reading this madness and go see it!

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