VOL. 39, NO. 6 • November 16 - Dec. 6, 2005
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STAR TECH
By Joe Femino

Today, the technology is at the center of a student’s life. It connects us to each other, provides musical and video entertainment, as well as the means to study and do schoolwork. Now, with the holidays approaching, there’s lots of cool and useful stuff on all our wish lists.



There are plenty of new have to have gadgets flooding the stores, and they’re just in time for Christmas. With so many different and pricey toys, what’s on your list this year? The electronics section of stores are boasting a wide variety of satellite radios, iPods, cell phones, video game units and laptops, all with many accessories. Which ones are on your list?

Seeing that we are a culture of transportation, especially in our cars, satellite radios might be something to look into. It offers commercial free music of your choice, sports radio and news. The radio systems vary in price from $80 on the low end and up to $170. The price variance is due mainly to looks and range of service. The radios also have home accessory kits available so you can play the satellite radio in the comfort of your home. The kits range from $40 to $50.

The new trend is being able to carry thousands of songs in the palm of your hands so you are able to take whatever music of your choice is with you, anywhere you want to go. These players are light and portable, and as long as you have batteries you can get music with quality sound any time you would like. But be careful not to disturb your teachers during classes.

The basic factors that set these things apart from each other are the option to
have a display screen or not and the amount of storage you would like, measured by gig bytes (GB). The Apple iPod mini MP3 Jukebox is 46GB, which stores about 1000 songs, has a display screen, can also store pictures and costs $199.95.

The iPods with screens vary in price. A 30GB player costs $300 and a 60GB player is $400. These pods are now able to play movies. There are mini stick pods that go for around $100 but only store 120 songs and do not have display screens. GWC student Andrew Quan said, “I use my iPod to entertain me. I guess I could live without it, but it is an essential. Without it would be kind of
like having a pair of pants without a zipper, you could get by, but it just wouldn’t feel right.”

This year there is also a pair of sunglasses that have a built in MP3 player available called the THUMP, made by Oakley. They deliver tunes through ear-sized speakers and have flip-up lenses. It can be shipped with 256 or 512 MB of memory, costing $395 to $545.

Next on your list might be a new cell phone, or should we call it a pocket PC? Yes, cell phones aren’t just for making calls any more or taking pictures and sending text messages, if you’re willing to fork over about $600, you can purchase a pocket PC.

The Samsung i730 is a cell phone that is a pocket computer. It offers wireless connection to the internet that is said to be faster than the standard DSL line.
This phone can be used as a home computer, with programs like Word, Office, and Excel. Through Verizon you can get the phone for $599 with a purchased.

Some other phones are more of a Palm Pilot PDA (personal digital assistant). These phones offer Internet access, scheduling programs and text messaging. These phones run about $399. As with most technological devices there are many accessories that can be purchased. Some of the newer ideas are sunglasses with a wireless Bluetooth earpiece and microphone. These will be manufactured by Oakley and Motorola and costs $295. This allows you to listen and talk on your phone even when your phone is in your backpack. Not to mention all the
designer cases and storage units that comes in different colors and shapes.

For all the gamers out there, the newest thing is the X-Box 360. This unit should hit stores no later than Nov. 22. The X-Box 360 promotes users abilities, meaning the games are designed to form toward individual styles of playing. So the participants are more in control, not the game controlling the user. The 360 will sell for $399.99.

Another video game trend is pocket, wireless game units, manufactured by
Sony (play station) and Nintendo. The mini units offer portable gaming
experiences even with a friend over a wireless connection. Songs and movies can be stored and played as well. These units run from $89 to $130. The games average prices are in between $10 to $50.

The next wave of technological movement is towards the rapid advancement of laptops. Most come standard with a CD/DVD drive and a wireless connection to the internet. Some laptops come with a built in camera and microphone. Circuit City employee Kevin Mallard said, “When it comes to laptops the processor used
makes or breaks the price. But remember you get what you pay for; don’t choose your laptop just because it is less expensive.” The different processors used are AMD or Intel. AMD being the low end and Intel has four different levels of quality.

So what ever is on your list this year there is plenty to choose from in the world of technology. So many choices, gadgets, and perks can make deciding what’s best a bit confusing. Just remember to ask plenty of questions, read all instructions, and research the product before you buy. Or, you may decide to side with GWC student Stan-G who said, “As far as technology goes, I’m old
school; I still like my CD player. With the over usage of cell phones, especially
in cars, I think people are becoming rude, impersonal and dangerous. I must say, though, technology is making huge advancements.”

100% Nostaglic About The Magic of the 80s
By Veronica Pulcini

Back when kids actually had a childhood in the era of DePeche Mode, Molly Ringwald and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Alphaville’s “Forever Young” echoes in my head as I tenderly remember the 1980’s, the decade of my birth and frolick down the “Candyland” of my childhood.

If anything my affection for the 80’s has afforded me many
“remember when…” conversations. You know, those talks you have with your friends, were every sentence starts with “Remember when…”

These discussions have the ability to be some of the most rewarding experiences, as our generation seems to find comfort in fondly recalling pop cultures snippets of our youth. Because not only can we wax sarcastically on the impact that
“Punky Brewster” had on us, and just how much fun it was to play with Lite Bright, but also because concentrating on these somewhat insignificant memories
can allows us to avoid the stresses and tribulations of our oh-so complicated lives. Escapism in one of its purest forms.

Further enabling our yearn for cheesy pop culture leftovers is one of my favorite series, VH1’s, “I Love the 80’s.” This mini-series chronicles the trends, fads
and major events that rocked those seminal years and allow one to travel back to a somewhat simpler time and appreciate our 80’s heritage.

And Generation Y, I must say, let’s just thank our lucky stars that we were
so blessed to have been raised in the 1980’s, a truly fine decade, that produced so many mock-worthy moments, that the series is currently showing their third installment of the show, aptly titled, “I Love the 80’s 3- D.” Remember those
3-D glasses you had to wear to go on Star Tours at Disneyland?

Interestingly enough the popularity of this formidable decade of excess
coincides with our current lives, as not only do we revert back to 80’s fashion
trends, with huge sunglasses and tights, miniskirts and leg-warmers, (minus mesh shirts, snap bracelets, puffy paint T-shirts and hair scrunchies) but also our highly conservative government.

There is so much to be thankful for, as the 80’s taught us a myriad of life lessons and provided fodder for years to come. We learned how to negotiate by trading Garbage Pail Kids cards and how to takecare of a child by playing with Water Babies.

Let’s not forget the seminal movies of the decade that still resonate with moviegoers, including “When Harry Met Sally,” which raised the formative
question, “Can you date a friend?” But the granddaddy of genuine 80’s film must be rewarded to teen angst auteur John Hughes, who put Molly Ringwald atop a neon pink pedestal (I am partial to Ally Sheedy) in “Sixteen Candles”,
“Pretty in Pink” and my personal favorite, “The Breakfast Club.” Who knew Saturday detention could change your life forever?

Seriously, the soundtrack alone, is more than enough to usher my ears back in time, as the decade featured the musical stylings of Depeche Mode, Banna-ramma, The Bangles, Motley Crue,New Kids on the Block, Joy Division, Tiffany, Cyndi Lauper, just to name a few. The former king of pop, Michael Jackson, before his nose fell off, wowed audiences with “Thriller” and the queen of pop, Madonna, sans the faux British accent and Kabbalah red string bracelet gallivanted across the world “Like a Virgin.”

In addition to these influential moments in pop culture, it may be inferred that our generation seemed to bask in our youthful innocence, compared to the children of today, we actually had a childhood. It is likely that the only weapons we ever wielded were the guns used for Duck Hunt on the original Nintendo and we actually believed that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would keep us safe.

With this assembly-line style of manufacturing the distinct moments of our
childhood, one could simply deem these memories as trivial and meaningless. But despite the constant repackaging of childhood nostalgia, there are some days in this over-scheduled, supercaffeinated world, that I wouldn’t mind escaping back to a simpler time with my Pound Puppy and Teddy Ruxpin and watch “Small Wonder” and “Rainbow Bright,” all while sporting the side pony-tail and staying, “forever young.”

Mazel Tov!
LeeVees delight with music of Channukah
By Ashley Weis
Western Sun staff writer

Hanukkah songs aren’t something you ever really hear. They aren’t really played on any radio stations, and you don’t see Alan King’s Yiddish songs on MTV, or MTV2 for that matter.

Yes, we all know the infamous“Dreidel Song,” and we’ve heard Adam Sandler drop names a couple hundred times, but aside from that can you really name any? That’s exactly what the LeeVee’s Adam Gardner and Dave Schneider thought. In April 2005, Gardner was on tour with his band Guster, and
Schneider’s band, The Zambonis, were touring with them.

One night on a long drive to St. Louis, while discussing what it was like being Jewish, Gardner asked Schneider if he wanted to write some Hanukkah songs, and before Schneider could question whether it was a joke or not, the LeeVees were born.

Within an hour they had managed to write two songs, and coincidentally within eight days (really, no joke) they had finished writing all nine tracks. Then it was time to find a producer. When they presented theidea to Peter Katis, who had
previously produced Interpol and the Get Up Kids, he was doubtful, saying, “This has a lot of potential of being stupid.” But after hearing a few songs,
he was convinced.

Now don’t be fooled. The LeeVees debut album, “Hanukkah Rocks,” doesn’t sound like traditional Hanukkah music. With a rock and roll edge, this album really has the potential to make waves. It’s goofy and sort of cheesy, but musically this album is ex-tremely well-written.

This may just be all in my head, but vocally and melodically they sound a lot like Cake. However, lyrically, they have taken a different path. The first song on the album,“Latke Clan,” is about the much awaited onset of Hanukkah.“We’ll put the oil into the pan/ So come and join our Latke Clan/’Cause we are Latke
fans.”

One of my personal favorites is “Goyim Friends,” a song written for Jewish kids who’e ever heard “You’re so lucky because you get eight days of presents!” “All my goyim friends are making up their lists/and all my goyim friends get some pretty sweet gifts/like snowboards, cellphones, paintball guns and iPods… but
we will march on/six packs of socks from each of our moms.”

Speaking of moms, there is even an appearance by Schneider’s mother, Rita, on
the track “At the Timeshare,” a Hawaiian-esque song about retiree’s dwelling in the south of Florida “playing pinochle and gin rummy/or was it bridge/ or maybe bingo.”

This album is really one of a kind. With titles like “How do You Spell Channukkahh?” and“Jewish Girls (At the Matzoh Ball),” and Ramones-inspired
“Gelt Melts,” this album is not only perfect for the holiday season, but possibly all year round.