Tuesday Night Fever Rolling Stones Rock the Forum

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Holiday Happenings
Grizzlies Update
The Xbox 360
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Tuesday Night Fever
BY FRANK JEMISON
When I first heard about the idea of
a charity dance the first night of Thanksgiving break, I said it sounded great.
Three weeks ago, I, along with nearly
1,000 other students, discovered how
right I was.
The success of the Gobble Gala,
which was held on Tuesday, November 22, is matched only by the preparation and innovation that went into it.
The Civic Service Club recognized that
the nearly 6,000 people from the
nation’s seventh-fattest city, who joined
the million or so of us in the nation’s
fourth-fattest city, had created a crisis
situation for the Memphis Food Bank,
which would, under normal conditions,
supply meals for 22,000 individuals
daily. To help ensure that the Food
Bank would be restocked for the holiday season, Garrott McClintock and
other civic service officials, aided by
their female counterparts from St.
Mary’s and Hutchison, decided to have
a dance. Now this may seem like a
simple solution, but in fact, it is an inge-
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Rolling Stones Rock the Forum
nious idea, killing, not two, but several
birds with one stone. Bird one, raising
over $6,000 for the Food Bank; bird
two, raising awareness within the MUS
community about our Civic Service
Club; bird three, promoting interschool
relations with St. Mary’s and Hutchison;
bird four, enticing nearly 1,000 high
school students to attend a charity
event; and bird five, holding a great—
nay, spectacular—dance, that will hopefully be repeated for years to come.
Now, I’m not sure how the girls got
the word out, but the Owl Civic Service Club used weekly chapel announcements, flyers, and even turkey
calls to make sure we all knew where
to be Tuesday night. With such a large
undertaking ,the workload was wisely
delegated. Hutchison took charge of the
decorations, St. Mary’s did the cooking, and MUS provided the facilities,
booked the impossible-to-get Memphis Soul Revue, and rented a huge
dance floor. After much preparation, including sending out letters to every upper school parent at each school, the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
MEMPHIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL
6191 PARK AVENUE
MEMPHIS, TN 38119-5399
U M B E R
Photo Courtesy of Gruetli.com
BY JIM CARTER
I know it’s only rock and roll, but I
like it. The date December 3, 2005 will
forever be remembered as one of the
greatest dates in all history. On that day,
the Rolling Stones graced the city of
Memphis and the FedEx Forum with
their almighty presence. To say the very
least this show was, as Joseph Hyrka
put it, “gnarly, dude.” I chatted with him
after the show, and he went on to say
“Well, it was probably the coolest thing
I’ve ever done in my entire life. I partied my rumpus off; I was rockin’ out.
Keith Richards winked at me.” Having
said this, the boy went on to ascend to
a higher level of existence, having
achieved all earthly goals.
Other people I interviewed after the
show expressed similar sentiments.
Some proclaimed that they wanted
Keith Richards to have their babies,
especially since he wrote the following
songs, which they played at the Forum:
Start me up, Brown Sugar, (I Can’t Get
No) Satisfaction, You Can’t Always get
What You Want, Tumbling Dice, Rough
Justice, Rain Fall Down, Angie, Sympathy for the Devil, Get Off of My
Cloud, Honky Tonk Women, Jumpin’
Jack Flash, I Know It’s Only Rock and
Roll (but I Like It), and Shattered. The
Stones are still rocking on as hard as
they have been for the past forty years.
After a show like this, all I ask is that
the band keep rocking for another forty
years. But that’s not very likely; in fact,
they’ll probably all be dead by then.
In closing, I would like to quote
Keith Richards: “Tis the season. Or
whatever.”
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Editors-in-Chief
Frank Jemison
Walter Klyce
Fancy...?
BY PRESTON BATTLE
Associate Editor
Peter Zanca
Technical/Layout
Editor
Roger Chu
Cartoonists
Clement Oigbokie
Zach Glover
Parker Joyner
News Editors
Jesse Mahautmr
Asst. Jonathan Yeung
Viewpoints Editors
Paul Yacoubian
Asst. Peter Travis
Sports Editors
Zach Kisber
Asst. David Shochat
Amusements Editors
Chris McDonald
Asst. Byron Tyler
Columnists
Preston Battle
Wilson Castleman
Blake Cowan
Zane Haykal
Farrell Varner
Jeffery Webb
Photographers
Jim Carter
William Harris
Andy Kim
Business Manager
Donald McClure
Faculty Advisor
Mr. N. Thompson
Eatin’ Good in the Neighborhood
Editors’ Note: The Owl’s Hoot
would like to apologize to the thousands of students who wrote to
Aunt Fancy this month. Emilia was
unable to return our letters because
her carrier pidgeons got caught in
jet engines.
If you’ve never been to Pete and
Sam’s restaurant on Park Avenue, then
you simply haven’t eaten good Italian
food. A true classic Memphis restaurant, Pete and Sam’s has been open
for many, many years, and in those years
it has provided generations with its infamous pizzas, great steaks, and incredible Italian dishes. The atmosphere isn’t
fancy Italian; instead, Pete and Sam’s
boasts simple tables and booths with
vinyl tablecloths, in the style I like to
call “family Italian.” Even in the coldest
weather or in the worst of moods, you
feel a sudden warmness fill you up when
you enter the restaurant. Start off with
a famous Italian salad with anchovies
and finish with a pizza (BBQ is the best).
Also, the steaks are great when cooked
right. Pete and Sam’s also sports classic Italian dishes like eggplant
parmigiano or spaghetti and meatballs.
For those of you who have parents that
drink, you can bring your own wine.
When it’s all said and done, you’ll go
up to the cash register and pay Mr. Sam
Bamarito, the owner, a reasonable bill
of only about fifteen to twenty bucks.
A word of warning: avoid eating at the
restaurant on Sunday, because it’s
packed. However, the to-go service is
a great alternative. This is one of my
favorite places to eat, and I hope you’ll
enjoy Pete and Sam’s as much as I do.
In Response to a Previous Paper
BY MATT FARMER
Dear Ferrell,
Last issue, you wrote that you expected an angry response to your libelous filth of an “article,” which I am
ashamed to admit our beloved publication delivered to us, so my plan in a
systematic, complete, and total destruction of your essence: a devastating blow
today followed by a number of smaller,
unexpected sneak attacks.
Let’s start with a personal attack—
just like you attacked the innocent bystander we all cherish, Wes Anderson.
Shall we take a look at the services you
have provided for us so far this year?
What exactly have you really brought
to the table? You name drop old foreign films by some of the greatest directors just to make yourself seem cultured. But you’re wrong, and I HATE
YOU. I guess your arrogance has led
to the assumption that the students here
are just a bunch of ignorant kids, like
Chad. But you’re wrong, and I HATE
YOU. All right, 8½ is a heck of a picture, but Fellini’s Satyricon is better.
Sure, Kurosowa’s Seven Samurai is
a classic, but can you honestly say it is
a better movie than Ran? If you do,
then you’re wrong, and I HATE YOU.
And are you serious about Barry
Lyndon? Barry Lyndon is exactly what
you criticize Anderson for: too much
focus of scenery and costume and not
enough on story. Yeah, Barry Lydon is
good, but if you want a real Kubrick
masterpiece watch Full Metal Jacket
or Clockwork Orange—I mean, who
are you kidding? Let me just tell your
trusting readership what I think you did.
Maybe you knew that films of the
60s & 70s from the French New Wave
and the Golden Age are supposed to
be good, but more than likely you just
overheard Charlie or me say that—anyway, you somehow learned this information; then, you probably got online
to the British Academy Awards site and
looked at the foreign films list, but I
expect that you just made John Carr
do that. That’s beside the point; what’s
important is that you pawned this off as
your own (I admire the riskiness, though
seeing as how Mr. Thompson is the
newspaper advisor—yeah, I know
riskiness isn’t a word, but you know
what I mean).
Are you seriously criticizing the sto-
ries of the honorable Wes Anderson?
He is the most original filmmaker of the
90s—far more so than that other Mr.
Anderson (P.T.) or even Tarantino. Just
look at Rushmore; Bill Murray’s
speech in chapel in hilarious, and the
way that Anderson ties the music into
the story is spectacular. The scene when
Schwartzman and Murray are pulling
pranks on each other is a modern classic. Anderson’s stories are both creative and well developed.
You also claim that he focuses too
much on sets. Ferrell, have you even
seen Bottle Rocket? There are about
five locations in that movie, mostly outside, and very simple, with minimal false
lighting. And how many other movies
have a story involving an escape from
a mental hospital by a patient who
checked himself in and could easily have
just walked out the door, all in the first
two minutes. That’s just good writing
and great STORY.
Ferrell you are a good guy, and,
while I might have come across as a
little too critical, it’s all love; but you’re
still wrong.
Sincerely, Matt Farmer
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The Joy of Java
BY CHRIS MCDONALD
Late-night study session, an alternate dimension: as I watched the clock
tick nearer to 1 AM yet again, I realized that all that stood between me and
collapse was a divine offering presented
by the Sultan of Stimulation, the Patron
Saint of Sanity, the Slayer of Sluggishness—Caffeine. Just a few days left in
the quarter… the semester’s end in
sight… sadistic tests and essays left to
survive. And then the fun really begins:
exam week!
As I stacked up a row of empty
Double Shot cans, I gratefully raised
my bloodshot eyes to the god who sent
manna to students in the form of coffee
beans. Without their potency, I’d be a
zombie.
While it may be on the International
Olympic Committee’s list of prohibited
substances, caffeine is a major MUS
food group that we couldn’t survive
without. Olympians can be banned for
testing positive for more than 12 milligrams of caffeine, reached
after drinking about five
cups of coffee, but they
are mere amateurs compared to my classmates
and me, who fully appreciate the magic that only
an espresso can provide.
Yes, I attribute our ability to complete homework, study for endless
quizzes and tests, and meet insane
deadlines to the powerful potency of
this miraculous substance.
While coffee products represents
75% of all the caffeine consumed by
Americans, there are plenty of other
products that drive the pistons of latenight work. Exhibit A: Soft drinks. Although coffee is king at 135 mg of caffeine per cup, I discovered that drinking three Mountain Dews does the same
job. However, “the Dew” is outmuscled by 16 ounces of Java Water,
which provides a whopping 125 mg of
caffeine. How can mere water be so
powerful? Java Water is produced by
one of several companies that recognized nirvana in buying the caffeine that
is processed out of decaf beans.
If a quick, concentrated caffeine fix
is what you need, try Mad-Croc gum.
Its makers followed Java Water’s lead
and created “energy gum,” which provides a 135 mg punch per every twopiece dose. Chew a pack of Mad-Croc
and midnight will seem like noon! And
that extra special tingle you get in the
process wakes up taste buds you didn’t
even know you had.
Some soft drinks also get a run for
their money from teas. Snapple Iced
Tea runs neck-and-neck with Dr. Pepper; both deliver 42 mg per serving.
If you’re going bust on beverages,
fear not. Ben and Jerry’s serves up 85
mg of caffeine per cup of Coffee Fudge
Frozen Yogurt. Speaking of fudge, make
that sweet tooth work for you by eating a couple of Hershey Bars, which
range from 10-31 mg of caffeine per
1.5 oz. bar. Talk about a sweet deal.
Fact: coffee, as a world commodity, is second only to oil,
which is whyAmericans
pay more for a cup
than a gallon of gas.
Other nations are
gaining on us. Japan,
the former tea-totaling
capital of the world, now
ranks third in coffee consumption, and now celebrates
October 1st as National Coffee Day.
The French don’t skimp on their affection for the bean either. In fact,
Voltaire, the famous French philosopher, is widely reported to have consumed fifty cups of coffee a day! If it’s
good enough for Voltaire, it’s good
enough for me.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go
grab a Red Bull. The night is young,
and I have hours to go before I sleep.
Check out the caffeine in your favorite source at http://www.cspinet.org/
new/cafchart.htm.
Holiday Happenings
BY JONATHAN YEUNG
It’s that time of year again. As soon
as Tuesday comes and goes, the winter holiday will be upon us. Two full
weeks without school; a time to kick
back and relax after those semester
exams. So what will you do, if your
lackluster gifts fail to entertain? Well, it
just so happens that there are plenty of
things going on in and around Memphis to keep you busy during this holiday season. Check out some of the following events.
During Christmas, it’s always entertaining too see what dazzling light displays people have put up. Besides the
Frazier lights, which shine regardless of
the season, there will be light displays
at the zoo, with the SunTrust Zoo Light
show; at Central Park, with
Southaven’s Southern Lights; and even
at Graceland, which will also be shining with holiday décor. At the Pink Palace, the annual Enchanted Forest event,
which lasts until New Year’s Eve, will
feature many decorated Christmas
trees and a walk through the “Enchanted
Forest,” a snowy magical setting filled
with elves, penguins, and all things wintry and wonderful. At the end, you can
even give Santa Claus your wish list, or
ask him for his autograph.
If holiday cheer doesn’t excite you,
you can always head over to the FedEx
forum for some basketball action. The
Tigers have several games over there
during the break, and the Grizzlies will
play three home games against the Portland Trailblazers, Chicago Bulls, and the
Golden State Warriors. However, if
holiday shopping has already emptied
your wallet, you can go to the Desoto
Civic Center to catch a fast-paced
Riverkings’ game.
As in past months, there will be P²
dances at the Premier Palace on Monroe just off Union. On December 16,
the “Ho Ho Ho” dance was fun (until
some guy broke a window), but on December 30 there will be the “New
Year’s Throwdown.” Also for New
Year’s, you can count down to 2006
at Beale Street featuring live entertainment and various musical performances.
New Year celebrations will also take
place at the zoo, with the “Zoo
Snooze,” and at the Canon Center for
Performing Arts, with a taste of the
Memphis Symphony Orchestra and the
Joyce Cobb Band.
So, even if you don’t get that elusive Xbox 360 for Christmas, you can
always go to some of these events for
plenty of entertainment. Happy Holidays!
GOBBLE GALA
FROM PAGE 1
night arrived.
I showed up in the lower school
parking lot and saw a giant inflatable
turkey perched right outside the Campus center. Upon entering the dining
hall with my lovely date, I found several more festive inflatables, along with
cookies, hot cider, and the jamming
sounds of the Memphis Soul Revue.
I then joined my compatriots in a night
of gaiety and jubilation that ended all
to soon. So thank you to the students
for embracing the idea, to the faculty
chaperones for giving up your evening,
and, most of all, to the students and
faculty who organized and produced
this truly monumental event.
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Thanks to Old Pros, Grizzlies Are Looking Good
BY DEREK STEINER
Eighteen games into the 2005-2006
season, the Memphis Grizzlies are tied
for the fourth best record in the NBA
at 13-5. As of December 8, the Grizz
were on a six game winning streak, due
in large part to their defense. The Grizzlies are leading the league defensively
in number of points allowed, holding
teams to an average of only 84.3 points.
Offensively, this year’s team will live
and die by their shooting, especially the
three. The Grizz are 13-0 in games in
which they have a higher shooting percentage than their opponents. Their
solid defense will allow the Grizz to
compete in every game, but the wins
will only come when the team makes
their shots. The defensive improvements and shooting clinics that the Grizz
have put on so far this season can be
credited to the gamble Jerry West took
in bringing in veterans Eddie Jones,
Damon Stoudamire, and Bobby Jackson. Jones and Jackson have shown
that they can still shoot the ball at high
percentages and at crucial moments
during the game, while Stoudamire has
shown that five feet and ten inches is all
one needs to both be a stellar scorer
and grab rebounds in the paint. I can-
Photo Courtesy of NBA.com
Now bearing a beard, Pau Gasol
dunks one against the Raptors
not remember when Jason Williams
ever grabbed a rebound in the paint and
then scored on a fast break, but it could
have happened, maybe. The Grizz’s
defense has added veteran leadership
and discipline; Jones’s niche is collecting steals, and Jackson is a major upgrade defensively because of his quickness.
A common question entering this
season was how will the team find
chemistry. Coach Fratello appears to
still be experimenting with different lineups during the games, but his decisions
about who to start are influenced more
by matchups than by the 8 to 10 man
rotation he used last year. Fratello parcels out playing time according to a
player’s performance on a game-bygame basis. Miller, a starter last year,
has been coming off the bench this year,
which gives the Grizz a dangerous advantage against most second units in the
NBA because of Miller’s ability to put
points on the board quickly. The NBA’s
new policy concerning the injured list
has aided Fratello’s matchup strategy.
This policy does away with the injured
list and replaces it with an inactive list
that allows any of the three players who
did not dress for the previous game to
dress out for that night’s game, whereas
last season the three players who did
not dress would have to sit out for fifteen days. Fratello’s new system will
add excitement to the games because
you never know who will play a significant role in the strategy for that night.
The most important part of the Grizzlies success this year will be Pau Gasol.
The Grizz did not sign a free agent center to help take some of the weight off
of Gasol, so once again the seven-foot
center will be forced to dominate in the
paint. Gasol has prepared for this season by not playing for his native Spain,
but instead by working out in preparation for the NBA season. Hopefully this
decision will help keep him healthy this
year, unlike last year when his injured
foot caused him to miss over twenty
games. So far, Gasol has shown that
Photo Courtesy of NBA.com
Veteran Bobby Jackson shows the Hornets how the game is played
he is ready for his demanding role and
is proving that he’s worth the six year86million dollar contract he signed in
the summer of 2004. Gasol is averaging 19 points and 9 rebounds per game.
Though his numbers might not show it,
Gasol is playing like an All-Star. Teams
are consistently double-teaming Pau
when he gets the ball because they recognize that he is scoring threat; however, as a result, teams are getting to
see Pau’s passing ability. Gasol is averaging 4 assists a game, second highest on the team, thanks to the consistent shooting of Grizz marksmen: Jones,
Battier, Miller, Jackson, and
Stoudamire. Gasol’s teammates and
coaches are impressed with his decisions on the court, and fans are noticing that he is becoming a complete
player. And the beard? Gasol’s has replaced his clean cut and passive image
with a new intimidating, Vlade Divac,
Abraham Lincoln looking beard. Battier has helped carry the scoring load
this year with about 13 points per game.
Mike Miller remains our three-point
specialist, and is scoring in bunches off
the bench. If Gasol’s play continues to
thrive and if the swingmen hit their jumpers when Gasol gets doubled, the Griz
are bound to win their first playoff game.
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Manning Brothers Man Up in Surprising NFL Season
BY KIMBROUGH TAYLOR
As it is now over midway through
the NFL season, why not look back at
what has happened so far this year?
From the rapid maturation of rookies
and backups to highly embarrassing
seasons for some teams, the 20052006 NFL season has got it all.
Let’s look at Chicago: Rex
Grossman, the Bears’ former firstround draft pick, is back on the sidelines after breaking his leg once again.
Kyle Orton, the rookie quarterback
from Purdue, is now starting and has
done pretty good work, throwing
twelve interceptions and only nine
touchdowns. The big story in Chicago
has been on the ground, not in the air;
Thomas Jones is currently tenth in the
league for total rushing yards; not bad
when you consider he came out of nowhere and is trailing superstars
LaDainian Tomlinson and Clinton Portis
by less than 100 yards.
Many sports websites, magazines,
and television shows thought the Vikings
would do extremely well this year even
without Randy Moss, who is now with
the Oakland Raiders, but they were
wrong. The Vikings can’t move on the
ground or in the air. Daunte Culpepper
may be leaving the Vikings after throwing twelve interceptions and only six
TDs. Fortunately for Minnesota.
Daunte, who was many people’s preseason MVP, was injured and replaced
when ex-Buccaneer Brad Johnson
stepped in. Johnson is now on a fivegame-win streak, throwing eight touchdowns and only two interceptions.
Colts fans, one word—no, not
Peyton, or Edgerrin, or Marvin—DEFENSE. For years, people
have wondered, “What would the Colts
be like with a good defense?” Now you
have your answer: undefeated. The
defense—anchored by players like defensive end Dwight Freeney, team interception-leader Cato June, and hardhitters Mike Doss and Bob Sanders—
has really stepped up this year. Peyton
Manning is once again having a great
season, though not as spectacular as
last year. Marvin Harrison, Brandon
Stokley, and Reggie Wayne are catching everything near them as usual.
Edgerrin James is second in the NFL in
rushing yards. I think the Colts are in
position to bring back a title to Indianapolis.
It’s not clear how the season will turn
out, though, because there are a number of players who are still maturing.
Carson Palmer of the Cincinnati Bengals
didn’t take a snap in his rookie season
and, last year, after head coach Marvin
Lewis named him the starter, he threw
eighteen TDs and eighteen interceptions. While it may sound like he broke
even, in the NFL, even ten interceptions is too many. Now, midway through
the season, Palmer has only thrown
eight interceptions but has thrown
twenty-seven TDs and is fourth in the
NFL in total passing yardage. In New
York, Eli Manning came off the bench
last year to replace unproductive Kurt
Warner. This season, minus an embarrassing performance against the Vikings, Manning has 21 TDs and 15
interceptions. Buccaneer Chris Sims
hasn’t reached his full potential, and the
Photo Couretesy of PeytonManning.com
Peyton Manning has led the Colts to an undefeated season future looks bright in Tampa Bay.
World Cup Draw Paints an Ugly Picture for USA
BY DAVID SHOCHAT AND LOUIS GHAWJI
Everyone has heard of the World
Cup, and everyone has heard of the
beautiful and voluptuous Heidi Klum.
Now what do you get when you combine the two? The thirty-minute, highenergy World Cup Draw.
Since soccer is this planet’s most
popular, the World Cup is arguably the
biggest sporting event in the world. It
occurs every fourth summer; this summer it will be held in twelve German
cities. On Friday December 9th, the
world watched Leipzig, Germany, as
the 32 teams that had qualified were
placed into eight groups (A-H). The top
eight seeds, which were predetermined,
based on their success in the last two
World Cups and their Fifa World Ranking, went to Brazil, Germany, England,
Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Italy, and
France. The USA came in 9th, due in
large part to their last place finish in the
1998 World Cup.
Unfortunately, the USA drew one
of the hardest groups, meaning they
must play both Italy and the Czech
Republic in the first round, while the host
country, Germany, drew a relatively
easy group. Despite being televised,
some critics believe that the draw is
rigged, and the Germany’s easy will certainly add fuel to the conspiracy fire.
A:
- Germany
- Costa Rica
- Poland
- Ecuador
B:
- England
- Paraguay
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Sweden
C:
- Argentina
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Serbia & Montenegro
- Netherlands
D:
G:
- Mexico
- France
- Iran
- Switzerland
- Angola
- Korea Republic
- Togo
- Portugal
H:
E:
- Italy
- Spain
- Ghana
- Ukraine
- USA
- Tunisia
- Czech Republic
- Saudi Arabia
F:
Editors’ Note: The 2006
- Brazil
World Cup draw results,
- Croatia
listed above, are courtesy
- Australia
of FIFAWorldCup.com
- Japan
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Ferrell’s Film Feature
BY FERRELL VARNER
Paradise Now, directed and written by Hany Abu-Assad, is a littleknown film about the most interesting
and controversial subject in contemporary war and politics: terrorism. The
story starts out with two best friends,
Said (Kais Nashef) and Khaled (Ali
Suliman)—both names I’m sure you
all are familiar with—who live lives that
any early-twenties male can imagine.
As the story progresses, however,
the viewer finds out that these two
friends are zealous Palestinians who
are engrossed in the Israel-Palestine
conflict. In a somewhat out-of-nowhere intervention, they are both told
that they are going to be the two young
men trusted to carry out a suicidebombing mission. To any normal
American, an unavoidable fate in
which one was to become a human
bomb would not be “ideal.” Yet, once
the news is broken to them, they cannot express their happiness in words.
They have been honored with the selection, and there is no better reward.
For doing this, they will both go straight
to heaven, no questions asked. Thus,
the name Paradise Now gains meaning. There is immediate satisfaction
through actions, not faith.
This is only one of the examples of
the scarily polarized cultures and religions of the East and West. If I were
to notarize every startling difference
this movie reflects, this would be a tenpage article.
Yet the real essence of the movie
is Abu-Assad’s investigation and explanation of the psyche of a suicide
bomber. In believing that they are
doing this to gain entrance to heaven,
they ask almost no questions (towards
the beginning of the film) to their superiors in a somewhat blind ambition
to gain entrance to the holy gates.
“God willing” is a phrase iterated by
the two friends in their explanations
and feelings toward the operation.
Though it may sound as if one would
think these two were crazy, the
viewer is often compelled to sympathize with them.
Abu-Assad creates this sensation
of caring for the two through the wellrounded characters put forward in the
film. The film’s sentiments remind the
viewer that these bombers are normal people also. Although they are
terribly malicious, they feel what they
are doing is right and will eventually
lead to peace. They believe that the
only way to fight the Israeli military
oppression is through “fighting fire
with fire.” This is the most solid political argument arranged in the movie
and it poses the suggestion for the Palestinians to stop the fighting. The Palestinians want a revolution, but the
only way for them to bring peace is
by responding non-violently.
Paradise Now is a very well made
film, and it will satisfy any moviegoer.
However, it is also an important film,
as it documents one of the most chilling realities of the modern world.
Every American should see this movie.
Get Down with the System
BY WILL MAYS
System of a Down began as a blip
on the Metal radar back in 1998 with
their self-titled album, but they quickly
broke from the Nü-Metal scene (featuring the likes of Limp Bizkit and Korn)
to become a truly unique musical experience. In 2001, they released Toxicity, which not only reached #1 on the
Billboard 200, but also had string of
Top 10 singles, a rare feat for any heavy
band. They released an odds ‘n sods
compilation the next year and have had
work featured on various other
soundtracks and compilations since
1998. But all of these achievements
have been leading up to this year, when
they released their magnum opus, a
double album entitled Mezmerize/Hypnotize. Mezmerize was released in
May, and Hypnotize was released
about six months later in November.
Although it’s less than an hour and
twenty minutes in its entirety, the double
album feels sprawling and massive.
System has mastered the art of making
a four-minute song seem like a driving
epic, but they can still deliver a sense
of urgency at the same time. Although
the two albums were recorded simultaneously, they have very different
sounds and feels to them. Mezmerize
takes all the rage and drive of such hits
as “Chop Suey!” and “Sugar” but takes
them to a new sonic level entirely, featuring stronger riffs and vocals and a
better rhythm section. Hypnotize is an
entirely different experience. Hypnotize
seems to have come more from the
trippier side of System’s writing, the
same side that brought us “Aerials” and
“Spiders.” Hypnotize also seems to
have more of a groove to it, or at least
it seems to have more of a flow when
compared to Mezmerize’s frantic
screams, churning guitars, and hyperactive drums. Basically, Mezmerize has
a definite metallic sound to it; Hypnotize, while it still has some definite metal
moments, seems to have an Eastern
tinge to its music. This difference, how-
ever, is what makes them great; if Hypnotize had merely been a re-hash of
Mezmerize, then both works would
have lost their luster. But System pulls
off these different sounds while still
sounding like System. And that, in itself, is remarkable, and requires experience and talent. There are definitely
moments when parts of Toxicity or System of a Down will come to mind, but
the two new albums eclipse the sounds
of their younger brothers completely.
Each album features very strong
harmonies between lead vocalist Serj
Tankian and guitarist Daron Malakian,
and even sometimes with Daron’s guitar chiming in too. Daron even gets to
do some of the lead vocals on both albums, which is something that hasn’t
happened on past albums, and I must
say the results are varied. Of the two
albums though, I’d have to say I preferred Mezmerize, but I found that, of
the two, Hypnotize seems to have more
highlights, while Mezmerize seemed
stronger as an overall album. Of course,
it could just be that I haven’t had enough
time to immerse myself in Hypnotize.
After all, the real key to enjoying System of a Down’s albums is listening to
them a couple of times through. Every
listen opens up each track a little bit
more, and you might find that a song
you hated on your first listen is now your
favorite track on the album. While many
of the songs on both albums target politics and other world issues, neither becomes bogged down by this subject
matter (like so many other albums these
days) and this subtlety helps the albums
flow a lot better. Overall, these two albums apart are as strong an entry as
2005 could hope for, but together it
could just be one of the best rock albums this millennium.
Will gives this album 5 out of 5
buzzards.
D
E C E M B E R
2 0 ,
2 0 0 5
P
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7
A m u s e m e n t s
Xbox 360: the Christmas Present of the Year
BY DAVID SHOCHAT
If you haven’t heard of the Xbox
360, you are missing out on an incredible machine. The 360, Microsoft’s second foray into the gaming world, is the
first console of the seventh generation
of video game systems. Determined to
release the first next-generation system,
Microsoft successfully beat Sony’s
PS3 and Nintendo’s Revolution to store
shelves; both the Xbox 360 Core console and the Premium console hit stores
on November 22, 2005. The Core
console retails for $299 and includes
only the console and a wired controller. However, the Premium system,
which retails for $399, includes the
console, a wireless controller, an Xbox
Live headset, an Ethernet cable, HD
TV component cables, a media remote, and, most importantly, a 20 GB
hard drive. Since the hard drive alone
retails for $99, the Premium package
is the better deal by far. You might think
you don’t care about the hard drive,
but it is necessary for backward capability with any original Xbox games,
such as Halo and Halo 2.
Now, before you run to tell your
mom what you want for Christmas, let
me save you (and your mom) some
trouble. Because Microsoft decided to
launch the system worldwide (a feat
which had never been tried before),
many stores have reported mass shortages. Some people believe these
“shortages” to be a ploy by Microsoft
to create hype; while this may or may
not be true, demand for these machines
is extremely high at the moment. Even
people who preordered the system a
year ago may still not have a console,
because most stores only received
twenty units. But don’t despair; I have
had the opportunity to play this amazing device, and I’ll tell you what to expect when you crack open the Xbox
360 box in February (since you probably won’t be getting one until then).
When it comes to video games, the
two things I care most about are the
controller and the graphics, and the 360
scores a 10 in both areas. The controller feels much smaller than the cumbersome Xbox controller, is much lighter,
and gives an all-around more comfortable gaming experience. Also, the annoying black and white buttons on the
face of the Xbox controller have been
moved to the “shoulders” for easier
game play. After getting used to the
controller, I got ready to play Call of
Duty 2, which, according to the experts,
is the best of the 360’s launch titles. As
soon as I began play, the graphics blew
me away. The attention to detail is what
makes this game (and the 360’s graphics) so incredible. I can’t tell you how
much of a difference I saw between this
system’s graphics and the PS2’s and
Xbox’s; you really have to see it to believe it.
The game-play is also great. After
blowing up Germans for a while, I quit
the game and went back to the main
menu, where the 360 can play iTunes,
download movies, and view photos; the
system even lets you listen to music
while playing a game. All of this is made
possible by Xbox Live, which allows
you to download free upgrades and buy
arcade games, wallpapers, icons for
your Xbox profile, and videos.
I realize that a few of you may be
crying now because you want a 360 so
badly, but you may still have the last
laugh. Like most rushed releases, the
360 is riddled with glitches. There are
rumors that some 360s have frozen up
after five minutes, eaten CDs, and even
caught on fire. Microsoft spokeswoman
Molly O’Donnell stated, “These reports
are real. Even though percentages are
low, we need to be aggressive in addressing them.” So, if you don’t have a
360, look on the bright side; you will
probably do better in school, since you
won’t have one as a distraction, and
your house won’t burn down.
The 360 has set the standard for the
next generation of gaming. Now we must
wait to see how Sony responds with the
PS3 (release date not yet announced).
Photo Courtesy of Time.com
Project Gotham Racing 3’s graphics sport incredible detail
The Spirit of Giving (to me)
BY BLAKE COWAN
In the midst of the holiday madness,
many of my classmates and teachers
have asked me what they should get
me for Christmas, so I decided to make
a public list of presents that I both want
and expect from my family and friends.
Ever since my childhood, one
present has constantly eluded me. Since
the tender age of nine, my heart has
been set on one present alone: a stainless steal MG 50 meat grinder. To this
day, my stomach and soul salivate at
the thought of grinding fresh meat into
the wee hours of the night while in the
comfort of my own room. Nevertheless, Santa Claus (or whoever it is that
brings presents nowadays) has repeatedly decided to break my fragile heart.
Each Christmas morn, I dash to the tree
only to find some second-rate presents
and a note claiming that “I’ll shoot my
eye out” if given an MG 50. I am now
hoping that one of you will be my
Christmas angel and give me what is
truly the greatest gift of all: the ability to
grind your own meat.
A second gift that I would accept
from someone would need to be something as long lasting and durable as my
influence on MUS has been over the
last few years. A logical choice would
be to donate something to the school in
my name: perhaps a sturdy, pine bench,
or even a new stall in the library bathroom. One of my greater gift fantasies
is that the often broken conveyer belt
in the lunchroom be named after me. I
feel that the lunch room conveyor belt
best represents what I have stood for
in my life: both the conveyor belt and I
have faced our share of hardships and
times of inadequacy, yet we each continue to strive for the perfection that
MUS demands. Therefore, the donation of an object in my name would
certainly not be turned down this Christmas.
The final gift that I wish for could be
given by both the rich and the poor: I
need someone who could simply perform odd jobs for me without being
paid. These odd jobs range from sending tapes of my JV football highlights to
writing down all of profound and witty
thoughts I have throughout the day.
Conveniently, this gift could be given
by anyone, regardless of his social or
financial history.
Now that all of you know what I
want for Christmas, I hope that you
have enough money to shop for others
as well. In conclusion, I would just like
to wish everyone happy holidays, and
I really hope that each of you remembers the true gift that Christmas brings:
grinding your own meat.
P
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8
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The Crossword Puzzle
Sudoku
Apparently, last issue’s Sudoku was too difficult to finish (in fact, nobody
completed it), so we tried to make this puzzle easier. Our thanks go out to Paul
Yacoubian for creating this puzzle.