Nothing boosts a stagnate economy back to life like a dose of panic and fear. It’s not the best way to stimulate an economy, but it works and, unfortunately, it happens all the time.
We are a society of professional procrastinators who only stock up on supplies right before something significant or disastrous is about to happen or just did.
Like clockwork, grocery store shelves full of can goods, flashlights, bottled water and batteries are quickly emptied after the forecast of a major storm’s approach.
A person spending an insurmountable amount of cash, unknowingly giving the economy a boost, on supplies before a storm is nothing new, but what I’ve been recently seeing certainly is.
I was planning on going to the shooting range during Winter break for some fun, so I went to Cabela’s to buy some range ammunition. To my surprise, nearly all of the handgun ammunition was gone.
I asked a store clerk if there was a major sale I just missed. He told me no and that people have just been buying ammo up like it was candy, left and right. I didn’t think too much of until I went to the range and noticed that the gun shop at the range also had a shortage of ammunition and there were almost no handguns left for sale.
After talking to a few gun-store workers and fellow gun owners at the range about the dilemma, the consensus seemed to be that everyone was buying up as much ammo and as many guns as they can before the government tries to take them away.
Are Americans really so paranoid that the government will take their guns away that they have been buying guns and ammo up to the point that there is a shortage? I hate to say it, but the answer appears to be yes.
The possibility that the government will take guns away from Americans is unlikely, but in the shadow of paranoia the same economic boost that occurs right before a storm hits also applies to the current firearms panic.
An economy only thrives when people are spending money. What they spend the money on, whether it’s batteries or guns, is irrelevant.
It’s sad to see so many people buy into the panic, but if it encourages people to spend more money and see the economy thrive for once, so be it.
Every franchise in the world of video games eventually reaches a point where it loses the heart of the first game after so many sequels are released. It took five games for “Resident Evil” to lose its way.
For “Dead Space,” it only took three.
Continuing the now mildly horrifying story of ancient alien artifacts called markers that resonate limitless power but also drive people insane and morph dead bodies into monstrous killing machines called necromorphs, players once again step into the shoes of the series’ main protagonist Isaac Clarke. He’s the traumatized engineer who may be the key to saving mankind from a horrifying extinction-level event
Grade: B
Rated: M
Developer: Electronic Arts
Platforms: PS3, Xbox, PC
The church of Unitology, a cult that worships the markers believing they are divine and “necromorphs” are humanity’s holy ascension, has become so powerful that it topples Earth’s government and it proceeds to ruthlessly hunt Clarke down as he is trying to save the universe from the markers.
“Dead Space” started out as a horror game set in outer space that was filled with claustrophobic environments, dark lighting and creepy ambient sound wherever the player went. The new game feels more like an action shooter, where scares can be nullified with a high-powered machine gun. Or at least after a player builds one.
The game throws out the concept of standard weapons by forcing players to find weapon components and raw materials to construct their own firearms with varying capabilities.
“Dead Space 3,” much like the previous games, is still visually stunning and graphically violent; however, after all the horrendous detail the developers put in to the death scenes from “Dead Space 2,” watching Clarke get violently decapitated just seems like business as usual.
The only online feature the game has at the moment is the option to play co-op through the story campaign with a friend and play through a few side missions that can only be played in co-op. But since the game is made by Electronic Arts, downloadable content is inevitable in the near future.
Even without the multiplayer presence, gamers still have more than 15 hours of play time during the solo campaign, which has a fairly interesting narrative filled with twists and turns.
“Dead Space 3” is a pretty good game on its own merit, especially for fans of third-person shooters. But without the fear element that made the first two games amazing, “Dead Space 3” feels like nothing more than a shadow of its former self.
Arts Club president Mallory Wayt, second person from the left, standing in front of several piece of student art that were competing for the prize, prepares to announce the winners of the art contest.
Students and art enthusiasts gathered recently at Gallery One for the announcement of the winners of the contest created by the WCC Arts Club.
“It was a really good turnout,” said Mallory Wayt, 27, liberal arts major from Ypsilanti, Arts Club president and host of the event. “We didn’t have enough wall space for all the art.”
There were 72 pieces of art on display in the contest. Students voted on what they though the best artwork on display was by filling out a ballot in the gallery throughout the week.
The works had no artists name or titles to discourage people from voting for art created by people they know.
Prizes for the contest were provided by Indiehorror.tv and awarded on Feb. 8. The first place prize was a $150 gift card, $100 for second place and $50 for third.
The first place prize went to Karen Polaiko, second to Leah Peterson and third place to Frances Ross.
Every once and awhile, a film hits the big screen with such nostalgia and power that everyone knows it will be nominated to win an Oscar. With an all-star cast that includes Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Russell Crowe, it’s no surprise that Les Misérables is one of those films.
Set shortly after the French Revolution, the film follows the story of former convict Jean Valjean, played by Jackman, who turns his life around and lives honestly after violating parole. He later takes in and raises the daughter of one of his employees, played by Hathaway, while being endlessly pursued by his former jailor, played by Crowe.
The movie is based on the classic musical production by the same name, so straight dialogue is almost all but absent in the film. Every line spoken, with the exception of a few, is sung.
Musicals are incredibly scarce in Hollywood theses days, so seeing “Les Misérables” feels like a breath of fresh air after a parade of countless unoriginal remakes and movie adaptations of semi-successful “tween” novels.
But the downside of it being a musical is the same problem that plagues any musical theater. When one or two actors are singing, every line is heard and understood clearly. When groups of actors are singing, it’s hard to make out what is being said; most the words become lost in a torrent of vocal chaos.
Surprisingly, for the main cast being professional actors and not professional singers, the singing was quite good. Every main song sung was spot on and catchy, leading many moviegoers to leave the theater humming the tunes stuck in their heads.
Visually, the film is spectacular. It makes full use of the benefits of digital technology and set design with epic scenes that are all but impossible to conduct in a theater production.
Whether or not you’re a fan of musicals, “Les Misérables” is an enjoyable film worth seeing on the big screen.
Nothing enrages the heart of a full-time student more than an email stating a class has been cancelled due to low enrollment.
When a required course is cancelled, it’s a sucker punch right into the gut of a student’s academic progress. But when it’s an elective course being cancelled, it’s only an irritating inconvenience that forces students to scramble desperately to find a new elective with open seats.
Classes get cancelled when not enough students enroll. That’s understandable. But what really disturbs me, is the types of classes that get cancelled due to lack of interest.
I was signed up to take a class on English grammar and usage this semester. It’s not a requirement for my degree, but I thought it sounded useful. After all, grammar and usage is an important building block of English or any language.
When I received the email telling me the class was cancelled, I didn’t think too much of it. It wasn’t the first class I’ve signed up for that has been cancelled. So I said to myself, “it’s OK,” and I looked for another elective to take that sounded interesting and useful.
But you know what? It’s not OK. It’s not OK that people have little to no interest in knowing correct grammar.
I know students hate English classes, but there is a reason why we all have to take them. Being able to effectively communicate something through writing is an important part of our growth as a society. It’s how we leave information for others to analyze and use.
Knowing the difference between “your” and “you’re” may sound trivial, but it’s not for someone who’s reading your writing.
Even writing something simple as “your welcome” can confuse future readers. “Oh, is that my welcome? Thanks. I was wondering where that thing went.”
Perhaps I’m taking all of this a little too seriously. Maybe proper grammar and usage of the English language isn’t that important.
I mean, evy 1 nos wat I sayn when I right like this, becuz this is how we have chosen to communicate with each other sence texting became popular. Y wood we want to go back to do’n things the ol fashion way? Thats what old people do. lol
Editor’s note: Just in case you don’t get the joke, the last graph is meant to be wrong as hell.
Shortly after any mass-shooting, the debate on gun control quickly rises to the top of everyone’s list of concerns and becomes a talking point of politicians throughout the country.
Advocates for gun control come out of the woodwork, lobbying for stricter gun regulations, while pro-gun advocates firmly protest any gun legislation that so much as mentions the word gun in it.
Both sides of the argument have valid points, yet neither side is able to come to any reasonable middle ground. They tend to just argue back and forth for months until the debate fades from public interest only to start up again after the next mass-shooting occurs.
Gun control supporters think stricter gun laws will make it harder for criminals and the mentally ill to get weapons, while the other side thinks everyone should be able to defend themselves without government interference. Both are a little right — and a little wrong.
I served in the Army for eight years, deployed to Iraq twice and have always been a responsible gun owner. So needless to say: I know my way around firearms.
My first thought whenever I hear about a mass shooting is, “why didn’t anyone shoot back?” Shooting back was standard operating procedure for all the years I was in the military, and it still is to this day.
Terrible people do terrible things because they’re criminals, and crazy people do crazy things because they’re crazy. Laws don’t stop criminals from being criminals, nor do laws cure mental illness.
We could get rid of guns outright, but that goes against everything this country was founded on. And it’s just plain stupid.
The second amendment wasn’t designed to protect the rights of hunters to have their weapons. It was meant to keep citizens armed so if the government became a tyrant to its people, citizens had the means to revolt.
Many argue that fact, saying a revolution today is unrealistic and citizens wouldn’t stand a chance because the military has bombs, tanks and warships while all we would be armed with is a cache of machine guns, at best.
So just because the odds are stacked against you, you’d give up? You do realize this nation was created after fighting a long, bloody war against the world’s largest empire of the time period, right?
We live in an interesting country, and it bothers me a little bit that it’s easier to buy a weapon in America than it is to get affordable health insurance, but that’s a whole different philosophical debate.
Everyone has the right to defend themselves and should not be hindered by government mandates. But there is one stipulation I believe is necessary, besides continuing standard background checks: weapons training.
I have no problem with people being able to purchase a gun, but I do have a problem with people not knowing how to use one.
Soldiers and police officers can maintain their composure in a firefight due to the hours of training they experience. The average civilian is not prepared to handle a firefight.
So why don’t we just teach everyone how to react to bad situations? People take driver’s education to learn to drive, why not take firearm training to learn how to shoot accurately under pressure?
Americans love horror movies, so the film industry does its best to spew out as many visceral gore flicks as the average movie-goer’s stomach can handle. Most of the horror films hitting the screen these days are nothing more than remakes, revisions, unwanted sequels or rereleases with 3-D technology thrown in to add a few extra bucks to the ticket price.
“Texas Chainsaw 3-D” fits into each category a tiny bit.
Photo courtesy of tgdaily.com
Grade:C+
Runtime:92 minutes
Genre:Horror
Rated:R
Picking up shortly after the end of the original 1974 version of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” the movie follows the story of what happened to Leatherface, the chainsaw-wielding antagonist who wears the severed faces of his victims as a mask, and his creepy, cannibalistic family.
In this installment, one of Leatherface’s victims finally manages to escape and tell the police about the horrors being committed by the cruel family.
“Texas Chainsaw 3-D” is not necessarily a remake, nor is it revamped version converted to 3-D. The movie feels more like a sequel that really should have been made 20 years ago. But if it was made back then, it probably wouldn’t be in 3-D.
What makes the movie truly stand out is the way it portrays Leatherface and how his family was destroyed by the angry locals. It has an ominous feeling of empathy and pity for Leatherface, reminiscent of the classic film “Frankenstein” where the real monster in the film was man, himself.
The film is filled with numerous scenes of graphic violence, showing every detestable and bloody detail that was merely hinted at in the original 1974 film.
Being in 3-D, the movie is loaded with the standard shots designed for 3-D viewers, such as bloody chunks of man meat gushing in every direction and chainsaws flying off-screen.
“Texas Chainsaw 3-D” truly has all the stereotypical makings of a horror film, converted into 3-D.
But with its interesting take on the story of what happened when one of Leatherface’s victims escaped, what happened to the family and how mob justice isn’t necessarily a good thing, for fans of the saga, the movie is worth checking out—with or without paying a few dollars more for 3-D.
Most first-person shooters provide only a few fleeting hours of story-driven single-player content and end up relying heavily on the online multi-player community to keep gamers interested. But every once and awhile, a shooter hits the market and shatters the iron grip of mediocrity that has been slowly killing the genre for years.
Grade: A+
Rating: M
Systems: PS3, Xbox, PC
Developer: Ubisoft
Ubisoft’s latest work of beauty, “Far Cry 3,” is an absolute masterpiece in the world of shooting games.
In the single-player story, gamers play as Jason Brody, a young American on vacation with his brothers and rich friends. While partying on a remote island somewhere in the South Pacific, Brody and his companions are kidnaped by an army of human-traffickers who promise to ransom the kids back to their families, but plan to sell them into slavery anyway.
Brody manages to escape the pirates with the help of his older brother and later, with the help of the island natives, fights to save his friends from the pirates and kill the maniac responsible for their situation.
The single-player campaign is spectacular, well-written and is by no means short. There are hours of story missions, side missions and challenges to play through and competitive games that are ranked against players’ friends and other players registered on the Uplay network.
The environment in “Far Cry 3” is enormous and breath-taking. The island where the game is set truly is fully functioning, with collectable plant life used to make medicine, animals to kill and skin for their hides to craft survival gear; even local natives living their lives as they would normally appear, and not just standing around, waiting for players to do something.
“Far Cry 3” was given a Mature rating and lives up to it. The game is filled with violence, harsh language, unsettling sexual situations, drugs and gritty nastiness. So parents, this is a game made for mature adults. Consider yourselves warned about the game’s contents.
The online multi-player is solid, much like the other shooting games on the market, making it desirable to gamers who only care about crushing other players instead of the vivid storyline provided in the single-player experience.
“Far Cry 3” additionally has a co-op mode with its own story and set of characters. Gamers play as one of four crew members working on a fancy cruise ship for the wealthy when it gets attacked and hijacked by pirates.
The ship’s captain apparently set the hijacking up so he could steal the millions of dollars stored on board and run off with the pirates. Gamers play with up to three additional players on a quest for justice and revenge, hunting down the cruise ship captain who betrayed his crew members and left everyone to die.
With its amazing story, hours of gameplay, beautiful visuals and all-around fun online experience, “Far Cry 3” is a must-have for anyone who loves shooters.
Ever since President Rose Bellanca accepted her position at Washtenaw Community College, she has been an avid supporter of the school’s open-door policy. The doors to the administration offices were open to everyone – until the doors were closed and locked down by campus security a few weeks ago.
Access to the administration offices, located on the second floor of the Student Center, was locked down after Campus Security was notified that a student had made a threat of violence against an administrator.
“This is the first time something like this has happened,” said Jacques Desrosiers, director of Campus Security. “The student in question was not your typical 18-25 year-old student. He’s an older gentleman, and we believed it was a credible concern.”
Campus Security doesn’t have enough personnel to watch the doors non-stop, so it was decided to keep the doors locked for a couple of days for safety, Desrosiers added.
The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department was made aware of the threat, but no actions were filed.
“The school still has an open-door policy,” said Janet Hawkins, associate director of public affairs. “A student threatened an administrator, and security advised us to increase security for the time being. The offices are back open now.”
Anyone can visit the administration offices to talk to an administrator, but setting up a meeting through their secretary is the recommended method, Hawkins said.
The student who made the threat remains enrolled in his classes. No actions against the student have been reported.
From surprise resignations to criminal sentencings, from emotional campaigning in local and national elections to the openings of a parking structure and a new office to serve local heroes, 2012 was a year packed with big news stories.
Here are some of our top stories of the year:
1. CFO Hardy resigns
After 11 years with the college, Vice President of Administration and Finance Steven Hardy resigned, leaving a big position for President Rose Bellanca to fill. Hardy presided over an annual budged approaching $100 million.
2. Cole Jordan sentenced
Former WCC counselor Cole Jordan, known to authorities as Ronald Bridgeforth, surrendered himself in 2011 for a crime he committed 40 years ago. After considering his years spent being a productive member of society, including more than 30 years at WCC, the judge sentenced Jordan to one year in a California jail.
3. Trustee hopeful banned
Board of Trustees hopeful William Figg was banned from campus after retiring because of a harassment complaint, according to documents provided by the college. Figg was in the running for position of trustee during the November general election.
4. On target for racial tension?
A photo in the gun range on WCC raised concerns when students and staff noticed that all the targets being shot at were photos of an armed African-American. Readers voiced their concerns, saying the situation cast the college in a poor light.
5. Park the whining
Remember how bad parking was? Well WCC finally built a four-story parking structure with more than 544 parking spaces. Since its opening last January, no one has been complaining about parking on campus anymore, right?
6. WCC receives $2.9 million grant from Department of Labor
Washtenaw was awarded a grant from the Department of Labor to further the education of the people at the college. The school has been using the funding to create and enhance technology driven classes that teach skills employers are actively seeking.
7. Cyclone of chaos
When a tornado tore through Dexter in March, one brave Washtenaw student rushed to aid his girlfriend who was in the twister’s path. His car was crushed by a fallen tree. Meanwhile, students on campus were put on chaotic lockdown and flaws in the WCC alert system were exposed. The alert and emergency notification systems have been streamlined and improved.
Washtenaw Community College officially opened its Veterans Center on Monday Nov 12. with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
8. Veterans Center opens
Support for veterans at WCC was almost non-existent prior to this year. In an effort to be more veteran friendly, the school brought in representatives from the Department of Veterans Affairs, hired a counselor to advise those who served and opened up a Veterans Center in the Student Center during its Veterans Day ceremonies.
9. Divided we stand: Election 2012
The day before the presidential election, many voters were still unsure on whom they wanted to vote for. With each side of the political spectrum smearing the opposing side on hot-button issues, the unbiased truth about what each candidate supports was becoming harder to find.
10. Michigan gets presidential
President Barrack Obama’s visit to the University of Michigan was a high note for his supporters, and opponents, within the politically savvy city of Ann Arbor. Crowds gathered en masse outside of the Al Glick Field House in the early morning to get first-come, first-served access into the event which focused on the state of higher education. Roads were closed, state and local police hunkered down for security and a small band of protestors added palpable excitement to the political occasion.
