Paul Taylor is timeless. At the age of eighty, his choreographic work continues to showcase the ingenuity that provokes both laughter and thoughtfulness from the audience. An evening of the Paul Taylor Dance Company at University of Washington’s Meany Theater showcased three works, a combination of both new and old. In the first piece, Public Domain, dancers clad in Roy G. Biv colored unitards danced light-heartedly to a kaleidoscope score of everything from opera to big band and even voice-overs. As I observed this piece, I was struck by how much it seemed to draw from recent dance vocabulary (for instance: the hip-hop move, heel toe). Imagine my surprise when I looked at the program and discovered that the piece was over forty years old!

The following piece, Beloved Renegade, produced this year, was an achingly beautiful example of Paul Taylor’s humanity and enduring choreographic skill. A man and woman featured in an ongoing sustained duet portrayed an off balance grief.  Meanwhile, the rest of the group threaded through with trademark Taylor silouhettes. Although this piece reportedly drew its inspiration from Walt Whitman’s life, I could not help thinking that this recent work was more deeply personal. Rather, it seemed to touch upon the issue of the choreographer’s own mortality.

Esplanade, the final piece of the concert, set to two of Bach’s familiar violin concertos, was a quintessential modern piece. Dancers walked, skipped, and crawled in every manner across the stage. They threw themselves to the floor and returned to their feet with astonishing speed. The combination of abstract movement with classical music has long been a standby of modern choreographers, and of course, Paul Taylor uses such fusion admirably.

Featured Artist Coalition (F.A.C.) is a group of artists dedicated to reforming the music industry in the age of downloads. They support artists and fans over executives, trying to create a fair balance where the artist both makes money and keeps creative control. However, they recently supported the Lily Allen backed three-strike law, giving illegal downloaders/file sharers three warnings ’till their Internet is disabled/crippled. I can’t express how disappointed I am that F.A.C. supported this bill, as they were a group I supported & respected.

This bill is incredibly under thought, it punishes people for giving an artist free advertising. This is a bill for the music company executives; it helps them and hinders the artist and the fan. Secondly, file sharing is not only free advertising for an artist, it also allows a fan to discover more and more music meaning there is a higher chance they will like a band and go to see them live, which will in turn create money for venues allowing them to take risks on lower acts giving more advertising for up and coming groups. File sharing also allows an artist to be able to avoid signing a deal with a record company because they have their own free place of advertising with a large audience, making the record company’s more desperate and allowing room for them to bend to the artist wishes.

This does not create an alternative to i-Tunes, this does not give artists more rights, and this does not allow more and more music to be heard. What this allows is an increase of profit to the Record Company Executives, the continuation of exploit toward an artist, and a rise of cost of music making it more expensive to a fan, and in these rough financial times, that means less and less artists will have their music heard, which will in turn not help local venues.

To the members of F.A.C., this whole bill is exactly what you are against; if any of you are reading this please consider retracting your support of this bill.

Left for Dead:  Crash Course DLC Review

In response to numerous complaints about Left for Dead’s lack of story, Valve released Crash Course.  This was a short, two mission campaign that seems to bridge the gap between getting rescued at the end of No Mercy, and ending up in the forest at the beginning of Death Toll.  Crash Course was made available as DLC on both Steam (for free) and the Xbox Live Network (for $7.00) but on launch day it was experiencing rendering issues (parts of the map were not showing up), clipping issues (players were able to pass through objects that were supposed to be solid) and dynamic weapon spawns were broken.  Weapons were spawning at every opportunity making each play through less unique.  In result, Valve had to disable achievements causing massive confusion and griefing.

Because of the clipping issues players were phasing through objects that would normally be boundaries and obstacles.  This obviously reduced what is for the most part a linear path to a somewhat less entertaining linear path.  Watching a player go through a solid shipping container makes the game less immersive because it is not supposed to occur in the world of Left for Dead.

Apart from the bugs, Valve did a nice job incorporating viewer feedback.  Releasing smaller segments of their games instead of a whole game allows them to receive viewer feedback and the chance to see what people build; resulting in a symbiotic relationship that incorporates fresh ideas into their games.  I think I’m seeing that in this map in the form of more interesting weapon spawns.  Players can also expect a fresh batch of dialog that breaks up the monotony of listening to the old dialog.  Another great feature is the new HUD (heads up display) for the infected team that helps you keep better track of the state of your allies.  Now you can see not just their health but what percentage of vomit is available for the Boomer.

By now gamers shouldn’t be afraid to download Crash Course because all of the bugs have been patched and fans of the game that don’t have this yet should get it now.  I’ll give Crash Course four out of five fingers.

Volunteering at the UW Med Center has flexible hours (the requirement is 4 hours a week for at least three months, and the Center helps teen volunteers get shifts on the weekends or after school), and is a great way to get into a professional healthcare setting. Volunteers are responsible for patients and assisting them, and the experience is very valuable to anyone after a career in the medical profession (it looks good on college and job applications, too!).

UW Med Center’s program is open year round and always accepting new volunteers. The majority of teens volunteer during summer vacation, and stop when the school year starts, so new volunteers would be very helpful to the Med Center at this time of year! Opportunities are available at both the main University of Washington Medical Center, at 1959 NE Pacific St., and the Roosevelt UW Medical Center, at 4245 Roosevelt Way NE. To sign up for an information meeting at the medical center, call Volunteer Services at 206-598-4218. Volunteer Services is open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm.

The Pacific Science Center’s Discovery Corps is a program that allows teen volunteers to work at the Pacific Science Center, and gain skills useful for careers in science and career experience on a whole. There are training sessions available to join the Discovery Corps on November 7, 14, and 21, from 9 am to 5:30 pm.

My evening began in a stylish blue suit, waiting patiently for my comrades in taste evaluation on the doorstep of the Stumbling Goat. We had a 7:15 reservation, but the unreliable transportation systems I was forced to depend on had caused my 6:50 arrival time. After basking in the twilight for several minutes, my friends – obtaining transport from the same non-exact system – arrived and we entered the bistro.

Our hostess greeted us with no more than a request for the validation of our reservation, and whisked us to our table in silence. Despite this immediate curt display by the staff, I couldn’t help but feel at home in the warm ambiance the lighting created.

Our attendant however was far more sociable, greeting us with enthusiasm and selling the specials with such poise that it influenced my decisions in ordering. Her performance was truly worthy of a gracious tip.

We began our culinary expedition with their cheese platter – a sampling of truly high quality and enjoyable cheeses – the most impressive of which being the unpasteurized French goat’s milk. Its earthy taste and melt in your mouth sensation was a level of perfection unreachable by the traditional American cheeses my pallet is used to.

There was one type of cheese on the platter that my taste buds didn’t find attractive. It was a washed rind cheese, and frankly I found the taste to be pervasive and gamy. However one of my friends thoroughly enjoyed it, so I took this initial misstep to be a matter of personal taste.

My entrée was a braised rabbit pasta, and while the rabbit meat was moist and tender -bursting with robust flavor – its brilliance was toned down by the sub-par red sauce it was drowned in and the small bits of bone I found in the process. While the dish had novelty and well cooked meat, the combination of all parts didn’t flow and left me slightly disappointed.

For dessert, the special of the night was too divine to pass up, and the decision was a wise one. The concoction began with a lovely chocolate pastry base, was then enriched with a layer of creamy decadent mouse, topped with a rich caramel sauce, and completed with a crisp candied orange peel and what must have been whip cream made on site. This dish single handedly saved my dining experience and sent me into a sugar induced coma all in one stroke of my fork. Fantastic desserts have always been a trademark of fine dining in my experience, and this creation exemplified that point.

As I embarked with my friends to continue our enjoyable evening, I thought that while the Stumbling Goat had its ups and downs, I would certainly be willing to return. I give this goat a wary recommendation, for those who wish to roll the culinary dice.

(picture courtesy of seattle.net)

Where The Wild Things Are Review

Sara Chesterfield

If you’ve been anywhere near civilization recently you’ve heard that the beloved children’s classic Where the Wild Things Are has been made into a movie which came out Friday the 16.

When I walked into the theater I was surprised to see a mostly college aged audience, only one group of children was present in the theater.  The movie begins slow, but was an honest portrait of a young frustrated boy, played by max records, who has a hard time coming to grips with the changes going on in his life especially with his mom’s stressful career, budding relationship and his sisters lack of interest in playing with him anymore. Instead of the wild things coming to him, as in the book, he runs away from home to find the land of the wild things. He ends up being crowned the king of the wild things. The monsters continuously blame him for everything that goes wrong.  part way through the movie I had to remind myself that I wasn’t watching a lifetime original movie about emotionally abusive parents that haven’t grown up themselves.

The one thing that kept me from walking out of the theater was how absolutely gorgeous the backgrounds were, rolling sand dunes, rocky hill sides and charming forest. the way the movie was shot, I actually felt like I was in the land of the wild things. Although this movie is worth seeing I would have to recommend saving your money and  waiting until its out on DVD.  -2 out of 5 stars

Review on Batman: Arkham Asylum

Carter Allen

I have never played a video game starring a superhero and there’s a reason for that. Superheroes are predictable. They have no room for customization or expansion. We know their villains, what powers they have and what their weaknesses are and the same goes for the hero’s.

I picked up Arkham Asylum because I was bored and there was nothing else new. This game has changed my outlook on superhero games in a greatly positive way and I was surprised by how much I liked this game. Arkham Asylum begins with our masked hero driving the Joker to the institute named after Elizabeth Arkham who was subsequently named after H.P. Lovecraft’s fictional town where some of his stories take place. Ultimately the Joker escapes within the asylum and lets all the inmates out of their cells. As Batman, your job is to stop the Joker and get everything under control. After a very long scene where batman walks down a hallway while Joker yells things at him, You get into a fight with a couple of generic inmates.

Fights flow well although you find yourself jumping across an entire room to knock down the next person. Throughout the game you switch between hand to hand combat and stealth which blends very well. The stealth mechanic in the game works very well and gets increasingly challenging as the game progresses. The difference between being stealthy and just punching everyone, is guns. If you come to a room where there are armed goons then your going to have to be sneaky as bullets kill you pretty quickly.

Boss fights aren’t the most intuitive although you do get to see some off the more famous Batman villains in action. For the most part each fight is just rinse and repeat and to make it harder the game just throws more inmates at you so you have to fight them as well. Fighting Killer Croc consists of running on floating planks and throwing tiny shards of metal at him whenever he pops out of the water.

The atmosphere of the game is very nice and the mapping is beautifully dark. There is a lot of attention to detail and an amazing amount of hidden things to find (I beat the game but only completed 50 percent of what there is to do). There is a bunch of lore about the characters that you find in interview tapes and bios. As a non-comic book nerd I can safely say that if you know nothing about batman then you will probably still enjoy this game. Over all I give Batman: Arkham Asylum 8 batarangs out of 10.

The invention of lying

Reviewed by Nick Ohlweiler

I would give this movie 9 out of 10 if I hadn’t disliked several scenes in the movie. First off the name itself is a lie, the main characters didn’t so much as invent lying as it was a change in his DNA that made him the only one in the world able to lie. Second every one in the movie is telling the truth to the point you want to vomit. The people tell each other blatant unnecessary things that can only be used to set the mood except for the fact that everyone isn’t depressed out of their freaking mind. If you’re constantly being told that you’re fat and wont amount to anything you will most likely kill yourself, because your own mother is telling you these things to. This all leads to a world filled with unnecessary people living a strange life. The main characters known as Mark Bellison, played by Ricky Gervais, has a career writing stories about the truth of things in the 1300s and is currently getting fired for it. His rival Brad Kessler, played by Rob Lowe, is an astounding historic writer who has the best three era’s to write about. I will give this an 8 out of 10 because it is blatantly funny and only gets better when he tries to make his mom happy but leads to a man in the sky.

Food in Seattle is culturally diverse and steeped in variety – as is the trademark of food in America. But at heart, America is a fast food nation, and Seattle is no exception. From Chinatown to the Ethiopian restaurant – dotted First Hill, to the authentic taco trucks of South Park and White Center, there is certainly plenty of room to eat ethnically. But more than anything the people of Seattle feel comfortable sliding a burger and fries past their lips, and there is no better place to find these delicious American staples than at Dick’s.
I find myself comfortably walking right up to the window and placing my order at the usually bustling Broadway location of this successful franchise. Thankfully I’ve arrived at around 2:30, effectively waiting out the massive lunch rush caused by Dick’s extreme popularity. I place an order or two deluxe cheeseburgers, a small fries (their only size), and a small strawberry shake (again, small is the new regular).
As my food is delivered within mere seconds of placing the order, I contemplate that the vast majority of the fast food industry in America has slashed quality to bring enhanced service, larger portions, and lower prices. I can’t help but admire the way Dick’s is still able to package friendly, prompt service, competitive prices (8.93$ for my small feast), and portions that have not swelled in size to accommodate excess empty calories. While Dick’s like any fast food is not the healthiest meal you can find, at least they take pride in doing what they do the right way.
I’ve now returned to my vehicle and I am prepared to start the feasting. I begin with a teaser of the greasy, limp fries that from appearances I would judge to be disgusting. But to the surprise of many first – time Dick’s patrons, the fries pop with a unique savory flavor that isn’t ruined by the unusual slick texture. Once I’ve enjoyed a few spuds I move on to the main event, saving some fries for desert.
I unwrap the trademark reflective orange burger shield to reveal the masterpiece that put this local chain on the map. The magnificence that is the deluxe begins with two sweet, lightly toasted to perfection buns. With just the right mix of soft and gooey and toasted and buttery, these buns do their part to make the sandwich.
The journey continues inward with two slices of American cheese, and while this type of cheese has never come close to my favorite, there’s something special about American cheese on a burger. Call me ridiculous, but the feeling’s strangely patriotic being satisfied with this cheesy addition.
The next stop on the tour of this brilliant creation is the so-amazing-we-hade-to-protect-the-public-from-the-greatness-of-it’s-recipe secret sauce. Like any secret sauce I am fairly certain it contains mayo. But beyond that and a clear hodge-podge of lettuce and relish, your guess is as good as mine as to what makes that special sauce so special. One thing’s for certain though, its taste is as delicious as it is mysterious.
Finally, the illustrious star of this burger is none other than two juicy, succulent, 100% beef hamburger patties. These patties are revenge for all the dry, tasteless burgers you’ve had at the cookouts of the past. But trust me, after you’ve sunk your teeth into a single bite of these spectacular patties, you’ll never be able to choke down another burger disaster.
After steamrolling through my two perfectly concocted deluxes, I finish with a fry chaser and retire to my luscious milkshake. While it may disappoint some that only the Neapolitan flavors are available for milkshakes at Dick’s, trust me it is only because they are able to craft the basics so well that adventurous flavors would pale in comparison. I have always been a strawberry man given the choice between the three, but each flavor has been mastered equally well at Dick’s, and it shows. Each shake is handmade from an old fashioned milkshake mixer, unlike Dick’s competitors who pump theirs from a soft serve tap. With each sip I embrace the rich creaminess of real ice cream whilst frolicking in the deep sensation of strawberry. This is surely the perfect way to cap my experience.
My experience was and always has been a satisfying one at Dick’s, and I recommend it to fast food lovers and health food buffs alike. Fast food should be an occasional treat, and I can’t think of a better way to splurge in this city than with a white paper bag full of steaming hot Dick’s.

(photo taken by elisiveone at igougo.com)