Every radio I've owned for the past 10 years has been broken; they all play the same songs over and over again. I bring each radio to every repair shop I know and ask why every FM radio I own has broken-record syndrome. The repairmen always ignore me and go back to listening to their iPods.
As my roommates and I lounged around watching television and enjoying our Monday off, my channel surfing landed us on highlights of the Cowboys/Vikings divisional playoff game. While my roommates voiced their disinterest in my choice to watch football, I argued that as a sports writer, I needed to be up to date on the latest NFL news.
After a nice relaxing Christmas with my family, I returned to Buffalo full of anticipation to finally play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 with my friends online.
The Spectrum is looking for next year's editor in chief. Are you interested?
For my first column of the semester, I wanted to write about something that I feel extremely passionately about. I wanted to write about a story that means more to me than a distant major headline, such as the Tiger Woods scandal or Brett Farve's return to the postseason spotlight. Rather than discussing a bowl game that my school didn't compete in, or detailing the upset of the No. 1 nationally-ranked college basketball team, I felt obliged to tell about something that hit closer to home; something important in my life. Of course, under these pretenses, you can easily imagine how I would be tempted to write about the season finale of The Jersey Shore. But then I realized that this was a sports column. Next best topic: The New York Knicks. Yes, I concede that the Knicks remain a team struggling for wins in a crumbling conference filled with second-tier teams. By the numbers, they don't exactly impress, standing at 17-24, the same exact record they held just one year ago. But I argue that there is more to this team than the records, stats, and stigmas imply. By the beginning of December, the blue and orange had dug themselves a deep hole, getting off to a dismal 3-14 start. Yes, they lost a few overtime bouts, including a crushing defeat to Boston capped by a Kevin Garnett buzzer-beater, but their play was lackluster and inexcusable. In the past nine seasons, the Knicks have missed the postseason seven times and lost in the first round to subpar teams twice (Toronto in 2000-01 and New Jersey in 2003-04). In all of those years, the Knicks finished above .500 just once. My Knicks had done what I feared most; they had become a team synonymous with pity and loss. After a dreadful decade, they began being mentioned in the same breath as (gasp) the Mets and the Jets. (Yes, I know the latter team is in the AFC Championship, but this entire season has been a fluke and the Giants remain the superior New York football team, always. That does include the Bills, sorry.) Just imagine this typical NBA conversation involving a New York fan: RANDOM NBA FAN: I'm so glad that the NBA season finally tipped off. Kobe and crew look eager to repeat and the East actually has some strong contenders. Say, what team do you root for? KNICKS FAN: (Notice the awkward preface to explain their loyalty) We'll, I'm from New York, so I'm a die-hard Knicks fan. RANDOM NBA FAN: (Cringes and hides an embarrassed smile) Oh, I see. I'm sorry to hear that. (Scrambles through brain to find something positive to say.) Maybe you'll get LeBron in 2010. It was as if saying 'I'm a Knicks fan' had become a stigma that immediately transmitted a sexual disease to anyone who heard the words muttered. Well, I'm from New York, and I'm a damn proud Knicks fan, especially this season. (And with that statement, I hope I've inflicted countless New England area sports fans with horrible rashes and chronic discomfort.) I've watched nearly every Knicks game this season, and in short, I've been nothing but impressed with the team's talent, effort, and results. Center David Lee is an outstanding star that has thrived playing a position he isn't naturally suited for. His outside jump shot has improved, he can finish with both hands, grabs 11.2 rebounds per game (sixth best in the NBA) and should be voted into the All-Star Game. Coach Mike D'Antoni has done an excellent job inspiring players and has gotten the most out of average guys such as Jared Jeffries and Wilson Chandler. Al Harrington is one of the most dominant six-men in the league (18.2 points per game) and Danilo Gallinari has proved he can both shoot and slash. And they're winning games. With $60 million clearing from cap space at the end of the season and a huge free agent market, it hasn't felt this good to be a Knicks fan in a while. My boys may currently be on the outskirts of the playoffs, but their chemistry is on point and they will make a run this postseason. Any superstar in this league who has watched the Knicks move the ball and hustle back on defense this year would love to play in D'Antoni's run-and-gun system. New York seems fit for a king. E-mail: andrew.wiktor@ubspectrum.com
Nobody enjoys Tuesdays – they're the ultimate 'Jan Brady' day. To make it worse, New Yorkers got a gift from Governor David Paterson when he announced yet another plan to fight New York's pressing deficit issue. Honestly, residents statewide are just tired of hearing about the problems with the budget. Yes, it's bad, but the situation has been talked to death. Try doing something that will actually work for once. New York is looking at a deficit of 7.4 billion dollars for the next fiscal year, so the governor has taken out the treasure map and begun searching for new revenue streams. Here's what the 'geniuses' in Albany have come up with: legalize Ultimate Fighting, allow the sale of wine in grocery stores and tax cigarette sales on Indian Reservations. It would be even worse if it came from the income taxes of the hardworking citizens of New York, because the earlier plans involving utility taxes were just uncalled for. But there is a part of this budget that'll come as a bit of a shock. Paterson is going after school aid. Yes, that's right – school aid. The plan calls for a cut of 5 percent in a state that spends the most on funding education. New York ranks 6th in overall spending and 3rd in elementary and secondary spending. Under the plan, wealthier school districts would bear the larger portion of the cuts – a strategy that has long been fought by the state Senate, especially by senators from Long Island. Now, before the state gets up in arms over this, there needs to be more examination of this. For example, Eric Hanushek, a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford with a Ph.D. from MIT in economics and an expert in educational policy, has found that there's no correlation between students doing better on standardized tests and increased funding for schools. So maybe, just maybe, the governor isn't mortgaging the children's futures with the tax plan. No one actually condones cutting education expenses, but if the debt crisis is that bad for New York, then the residents need to give it a shot. The plan in its entirety banks on the premise that a strapping economic recovery will take place in the state tax revenues and that a host of other proposals that haven't passed before will pass, such as a soda tax which charges $1.28 per gallon of bottled soft drinks. There are some cuts planned, such as slowing the growth of spending on Medicaid, reducing $1 billion from spending on state agencies and eliminating $300 million in annual aid to New York City. The governor's budget would also introduce fees to a state program that provides early intervention services for about 74,000 special-needs children. Families would be charged on a moveable scale, with fees starting at $180 a year for those with a household income of at least $55,126 and topping out at $2,160 a year for those earning at least $198,451 annually. At least 11 other states already charge such fees, including New Jersey and Connecticut. The exact numbers and where the money is coming from are almost irrelevant at this point. New York lacks a governor and legislature that can actually deal with problems in a swift, concise manner. If the plan is logical and effective, it shouldn't have come this late.
The women's basketball team entered Saturday's Mid-American Conference matchup with Ohio in search of its first MAC victory. Strong shooting proved to be the surge that Buffalo needed to crack into the in-conference win column. The Bulls (5-12, 1-3 MAC) put on a show from 3-point range to end the losing streak and dispose of the Bobcats (4-13, 0-4 MAC), 76-62. Buffalo went 9-for-14 for 3-point range, their best shooting performance from the perimeter since the 2007-08 season. 'We sure hit some 3-point shots in the first half,' said Bulls head coach Linda Hill-MacDonald. 'I think that was creating a dilemma for Ohio because they wanted to jam on our inside game. Knocking down some threes really opened up [the floor for us]. [Ohio] had to spread out and then we were able to penetrate. I thought we penetrated the gaps really, really well today.' Using a 7-0 run to start the game, the Bulls immediately put the Ohio on their heels. The Bobcats got off to a rough start, as shot after shot bounced off the glass and rim. The Bobcats finally made their first layup and cut the Bulls' lead down to five with 17:40 remaining in the first half. This was the closest Ohio came in the contest. Less than a minute later, a trey by junior forward Jessica Fortman and a jumper by freshman guard Chrissy Cooper increased the Bulls' lead to ten. Ohio gained some momentum after making two consecutive buckets to pull within six, but a trey from Cooper put an end to that run. Sophomore guard Brittany Hedderson sank the next three buckets for the Bulls, including a 3-point shot, putting the Bulls up 22-10 with just over 10 minutes left in the opening half. The efforts of Cooper, Hedderson, and junior forward Kourtney Brown allowed the Bulls to dominate the Bobcats for the next five minutes. Freshman guard Abby Dowd knocked down a 3-pointer to cap off a 17-6 run. This gave the Bulls a 23-point lead, the largest of the half, at 39-16. Buffalo ended the first half with 47 points to tie a season-high record set in the opening half of the Youngstown State game. Overall, the Bulls shot 56.3 percent from the field, 63.6 percent from the 3-point range, and were perfect from the free-throw line. The team continued to build on its lead and went on a 20-8 run in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Buffalo held a 67-37 lead, its largest of the game, with 9:44 left on the clock. But the Bulls relaxed as the Bobcats tried to claw their way out of a rut. Though Ohio finished the game on a 23-8 run, it was not enough to overcome Buffalo's substantial lead. Buffalo finished the game with four players in double digits for the first time this season. Hedderson led the team, going 7-of-12 from the floor and 3-of-4 from 3-point range for 17 points in just 21 minutes. Hedderson, who is still fairly fresh off of a stress fracture that put her out of action for nearly six weeks, was glad to be back on the court. 'It was hard being out for that long,' Hedderson said. 'But it just made me try to fight through every day and have even more of a fire now that I'm back.' Brown added 16 points, 15 rebounds, and four blocks. She earned her seventh-straight double-double of the season. Before the game, Brown was honored, as she became the newest member of the 1,000-point club at Buffalo. Fortman put up 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, and a steal. She went 6-for-6 from the foul line. Dowd recorded 11 points, three boards, three assists, two steals and a block. Cooper and freshman forward Nytor Longar rounded out the team with 8 points apiece. Hill-MacDonald said that it was nice to get a MAC win. 'I think a game like today helps build confidence and restore confidence,' Hill-MacDonald said. 'We have a tough one coming up… so we've got to be able to carry the emotion from this game down to Kent.' The Bulls travel to Kent State to face the Golden Flashes on Tuesday night. Tip off is slated for 7 p.m. at M.A.C. Center. Email: sports@ubspectrum.com
It feels like ages since the United States saw 2 million people fight the bitter cold and witness the swearing in of America's 44th President. Abroad, Barack Obama is still loved. But at home, his star is tarnished. His approval rating has fallen from almost 70 percent at the time of his inauguration a year ago to 50 percent currently, according to the latest NBC polls. The proportion of Americans who disapprove of the job he is doing has quadrupled, from 12 percent to 44 percent. More than half of voters think the country is on the wrong track. Americans are evenly divided as to which of the two political parties would do a better job of correcting that. The president promised to do a lot during his campaign, such as ending the war in Iraq, giving health insurance to all Americans, curtailing global warming and cleaning America's stained reputation by closing the prison at Guantánamo Bay. There have been some speed bumps in the road. None of this should be surprising. Governing is hard at the best of times, but it is even more difficult during an economic crisis. The American political system is loaded with checks and balances: a president cannot simply tell Congress what to do. Everything takes time and requires ugly compromises. Nonetheless, many of Obama's fans feel let down and some have even jumped ship. Sorry, but did America miss something? If anything, Obama has run a very disciplined and competent administration that is extremely centered on the political spectrum. Have there been some missteps? Of course. This isn't an easy job – does anyone remember how bad things were when he took office? The public only sees the steps he has taken, but how about the roads not taken? The president resisted the lure of the populists in the Democratic Party to saddle Wall Street with regulations that would strangle it in order to allow for an economic recovery. He sidestepped a tax on entrepreneurs who help jump-start the economy. He put into motion a very large job creation bill, from which a majority of the funds will begin to be dispersed this year. None of these problems are quick fixes; this isn't second grade math. Let's be really honest for a minute here. The responsibility of fixing a lot of the problems that face America doesn't lie on the president – it's the Republicans and Democrats in the United States Congress that are holding things up. The country is even more divided then ever. Neither side will cross the line and actually find common ground anymore. If there is any criticism of the president, it is certainly that Obama has to get tougher. He often refrained from throwing his hat into the tussle and, in acts to gain favor, was too ready to do the popular thing now and leave the awkward stuff for later. The health care fight is a prime example. The language of his inaugural speech promised a fierce fighter. He hasn't lived up to that promise yet. The dip in poll numbers doesn't suggest that Americans have fallen in love with the Republicans, who seem much keener to obstruct the president than offer a coherent alternative plan. In fact, Americans seem to be fed up with the whole lot in government and because Obama is the president, he gets the blame. Americans have spent the last year worrying about two wars, the possibility of losing their jobs, and how to pay for health care. If the president makes good choices, things can and will turn around. After all, 12 months is too short to say the man has failed. It's more realistic to say 'to be determined.'
Fred Sachs, Ph.D, distinguished professor of physiology and biophysics, has decided to take things into his own hands to revolutionize the world of medicine. Sachs and his colleagues have teamed up to start their own pharmaceutical company, Rose Pharmaceutical, to advance the clinical testing of a certain protein that they believe has the potential to treat a slew of diseases. Sachs discovered a protein in the venom of a tarantula known as GsMTx4, a place he admits would seem unlikely to find such a therapeutic substance. The mechanism by which the protein works is completely unheard of in the realm of drug therapies. Where most medical drugs act on various chemical receptors found on the different cells of the body, GsMTx4 acts on a type of sensor on cell membranes sensitive to mechanical stress. The researchers at Sachs's lab were the first to discover, accidently about 20 years ago, that such structures even existed on cells. According to Sachs, these sensors are still at such an early stage of being researched that their actual function is still the subject of much debate. 'Exactly what they do for a living remains to be determined,' Sachs said. 'The current model we have is that you could look at them as pain receptors at a cellular level. What they're looking for is weak spots on the reinforcement to the membrane.' Sachs's lab discovered – through an act of serendipity – that GsMTx4 acted on these stress-sensitive structures to produce a number of extremely positive effects in the bodies of test mice. These included an increase in muscle strength, pain inhibition and a correction of cardiac arrhythmia. Sachs was quick to try to market the protein. With the experimental research to prove it, Sachs attempted to advance the protein as a treatment for muscular dystrophy, sickle-cell anemia, cardiac arrhythmia, and peripheral neuropathic pain. Sachs gave seminars to all the large pharmaceutical companies. Unfortunately, they were uninterested or not capable of accepting the discovery he had made. Sachs said the companies' hesitation to advance the drug was due almost entirely to its complete novelty and the unconventional way in which it functioned. 'Big pharmaceutical companies didn't pick up on this,' Sachs said. 'I tried. I gave them a lot of seminars and stuff, but the idea of working with biomechanics and drugs was so [unorthodox] that no one wanted anything to do with it.' According to Sachs, he gave up completely and decided to do the science and let someone else pick up on his research in the future. The next step found him. A local stockbroker with a 2-year-old grandson diagnosed with muscular dystrophy found Sachs' work on the Internet, and the two discussed his work over lunch. This encounter and their subsequent correspondence eventually led to the formation of Rose Pharmaceuticals this past July. The company is affectionately named after the lab's pet tarantula, 'Rose.' Although they are hopeful about the progress they will make, the company is still in its infancy and facing one major problem. 'Like all start-ups we don't have the money,' Sachs said. 'We have the idea, but we don't have the money, so we'll keep working on it.' The next step is to get FDA approval. 'There's no obvious reason this wouldn't work at this point,' Sachs said. 'So we're going after four of these diseases because we have data that it can be active on these four diseases, and anything you learn from any one of them can be applied to the other. So there is really only one set of toxicity tests that need to be done with this.' E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
1/10?A person tampered with a security camera at the Center for the Arts.
The 7.0-magnitude earthquake that recently hit Haiti was felt well beyond the Caribbean country's borders, shaking the hearts of those who wanted to help in any way they could. When the members of Caribbean Student Association heard the news, they knew they needed to jump into action by holding a clothing drive. 'My reaction [to the earthquake] was shocking, just because it was two countries,' said Jay Stevens, a senior management major and President of the Caribbean Student Association. 'Haiti is already a poor country, and for this to happen to them, it's just devastating… words can't explain it.' The Caribbean SA is accepting anything and everything that will aid the quake-stricken country. Water, food, clothing and blankets will all be collected Wednesday in the Student Union lobby from 11 p.m. to 2 p.m., or they can be dropped off at the Caribbean SA office, located in 307 Student Union. Stevens said that they're giving all the donated items to the Red Cross of WNY, but also wanted to donate to an organization in the Dominican Rebublic as well. Like many people in the U.S., Jonathan Joseph, a senior legal studies major, has family connections to Haiti and is concerned with the status of the country and it's citizens. 'A lot of homes were lost and ruined… I know my uncle owned personal property there and it was destroyed,' Joseph said. 'When I first heard about [the earthquake], I thought it was tragic. My family is devastated too. That is where they were born and raised… They have relatives out there that they could not reach.' The unexpected natural disaster has deeply impacted Joseph and his family, and the uncertainty he sees in their eyes is a haunting image that has stayed with him since news of the earthquake. 'My father has a really good friend that recently just went over there, and he hasn't heard from him yet. He's been trying to get into contact with him,' Joseph said. In addition to a clothing drive, the Caribbean SA is working to set up a larger fundraiser, like an ice-skating event, to help the victims of the earthquake. They encourage other clubs and campus organizations to join in on their effort. While Joseph and others were grieving, others had no idea what had happened in the Caribbean country. Some students did not know about the earthquake in Haiti until it was discussed in one of their classes, like Carla Schory, a freshman business major. 'I didn't really know where Haiti was or what happened there until my teacher talked about it,' Schory said. 'And my English teacher mentioned it too. He told us we needed to go online and research [the earthquake], so I did.' After hearing around campus that more and more organizations are getting involved with helping Haiti, Schory feels like she needs to do her part as well. 'I can't even fit all my clothes in my bins in my dorms, so I have stuff to get rid of,' Schory said. 'I'll definitely donate. I really want to help.' E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
'You may have Princeton, but that doesn't make you classy.' 'So… did you go to high school with Pauly D?' 'Is fist pumping the only way you know how to dance?' Etc., etc., etc. Going to school in Buffalo can be aggravating when people find out that I'm from New Jersey. In addition to getting asked the less-than-clever questions above, I'm also frequently talked to in a horrific 'New Joisey' accent (even though I've been told that I don't have one) and then harangued about all the things that my state doesn't have to offer. Well guess what, New York? The grass is finally greener on the power plant-polluted other side. Jerseyans suffering from serious diseases like AIDS, Crohn's disease, glaucoma and cancer now have a new, smoky way to alleviate their pain. Patients can now buy up to two ounces of marijuana, without any retribution, as long as they have a card given to them by their primary physician. According to www.nj.com, the 'dirty Jerz' joined 14 other states on Monday when it signed legislation granting chronically ill patients legal access to marijuana. This will go into effect in six months. Doctors can provide recommendations that make it legal for chronically ill patients to use marijuana as therapy. According to the Web site, there will be new pharmacies called alternate treatment centers that will produce and distribute marijuana. Before my fellow Garden State reps pull back the drapes to show off the halogen lights growing their basement bud, I should tell you that it's still illegal for the public to grow and sell marijuana. It's also still illegal to drive while high. According to Assembly Sponsor Reed Gusciora, New Jersey's medical marijuana law is the strictest in the country, as stated in an article by The Buffalo News. There has been a constant struggle for the legalization of marijuana ever since it was banned by the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, and like many college-aged young adults, I don't quite understand why the government still makes such a big deal over the seemingly harmless plant. Marijuana is much safer than alcohol, which is available to any person at least 21 years old (or younger if you have 'alternate identification'). In fact, in a recent study done by the University of California, San Diego, it was proven that marijuana blocks damage to your brain caused by binge drinking. According to an article written by David F. Musto in The Child Study Center, School of Medicine, and the Department of History, at Yale University, the Act was put in place because the government was pressured by enforcement agencies and other groups who feared that marijuana was produced and spread by Mexicans. Racist much? That being said, there was really no valid reason for marijuana to be banned in the U.S., and hopefully other states will follow through in their pursuit to legalize medical marijuana. Until then, smoke up, oh ye injured of New Jersey. You deserve it. And for New York? Stick to alcohol and painkillers – as if you had a choice, anyway. E-mail: rachel.lamb@ubspectrum.com
On Jan. 15, Governor David Paterson announced that he plans to give SUNY schools authority to raise and lower tuition at their discretion. This plan, referred to as the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act, grants SUNY more autonomy from the state. Governor Paterson calls these reforms 'the most significant reforms to the state's system of public higher education in a generation' and said under this proposal, the tuition process would be taken out of the state budget process and turned over to SUNY. As of now, SUNY tuition for in-state students is $4,970, a 2 percent increase from last year to this year. In the past, tuition had been state-controlled, leaving tuition hikes up to Albany. They could occur with little to no notice, making paying for college an ongoing struggle for students and parents. This new plan, many believe, will help regulate tuition and keep it affordable. 'The innovation proposal provides students and their families with the ability to budget and plan for their investment,' said John Della Contrada, senior director of Media Relations, 'all while increasing excellence and maintaining access and diversity.' President John B. Simpson, who has been working toward this in the form of his UB2020 project, is excited for this development and considers it a big leap forward. 'This is a manifestation of what UB has been talking about for three years – tuition is not an educational device but a political one controlled by the legislature,' said Simpson. 'I think the act, if it should become law, will allow SUNY institutions to increase their quality and do business in the community.' The plan addresses the problem of university autonomy and allows the individual college to dictate where money is invested and needed and where it isn't. Under current regulation, money is distributed based on a governmental process and isn't necessarily being distributed based on the individual needs of the university inside the SUNY system. Those against the plan cite that this is simply the first step toward privatization of public colleges. A statement addressing these issues, released by John Della Contrada, states that this plan is a reform of the old, out-of-date process. Its goal is to provide SUNY schools with the tools they need and should not be viewed as privatization, but as a realistic response to unprecedented economic times. This statement provides evidence that this new legislation will create over 10,000 new direct jobs and over 30,000 construction jobs at SUNY's public research universities over the next ten years. Supporters believe it will jumpstart jobs in New York and help aid in the end of the recession. 'Our current system is not as effective as it could be,' said Della Contrada. 'These reforms will enable SUNY to realize its full potential to serve the state and avoid being hampered by unnecessary pre-approval processes that add time, complexity and cost to the taxpayer.' E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
At last, the cure for homosexuality is here! At least, that's what therapist Richard Cohen is claiming. Supposedly, Cohen is an ex-gay who has been living on the straight and narrow – complete with wife and kids – for 20 years. He's got a Web site called the International Healing Foundation, where he sells materials that promise to help anyone get rid of their 'unwanted Same Sex Attraction (SSA).' Got that, everyone? Just buy his products and you can be cured. What's most baffling to me is this mentality that homosexuality is a disease. I've never understood how that can even be possible. Think about schizophrenia, agoraphobia or anorexia – all of them are debilitating in some way. Liking the same sex is not debilitating in and of itself. Oh, did I mention that he's not actually a licensed therapist and has been kicked out of numerous psychiatric associations? The worst part, however, is that people are taking him seriously. In an interview with Rachel Maddow, she pointed out that Uganda is using his material as justification to execute gays. When she read out parts of his book that upheld Uganda's view, he didn't know what she was talking about, and eventually admitted that the things she was reading – such as race being a factor in turning someone gay – were false. He literally didn't know what was in his own book. Rather than helping gays become accepted in society, Cohen is using his status as an 'ex-gay' to promote the idea that being gay is wrong, bad and should be fixed. In the interview, he told Maddow that he supports gays who want to continue living a homosexual lifestyle, but everything he sells on his Web site promotes the opposite view. We've all learned about the prejudice of the past, when blacks were treated as less than human and people thought that allowing interracial marriage would cause the destruction of society. Today, it's unthinkable for most people to treat a black person that way. You're considered – rightly so – to be a bad person if you do, because being black is something that can't be chosen and has no bearing on personality. Yet when these same arguments are used to justify the equal treatment of gays, people don't want to listen. Gradually society is coming to terms with the idea that there's nothing wrong with being gay, but people like Cohen are setting us back at every turn. Not only that, they are providing other societies, like Uganda, with justification for their anti-gay views. Being gay is a personal thing. Gay people are not dangerous to others, and allowing them to marry and adopt will not cause society to degenerate. A person's gayness has absolutely no effect on anyone but that person and his or her partner. There will always be people who persist in holding prejudiced views, but we can at least work toward a majority consensus. Years from now, our children and grandchildren will hopefully be saying that we were ridiculous for ever trying to stop gays from marrying, just as we now think that banning interracial marriage was an absurd idea. E-mail: jennifer.lombardo@ubspectrum.com
Guns, car chases, hookers and a complete lack of respect for anyone or anything: welcome to the life of international spy Sterling Archer. FX's new comedy series Archer takes the viewer inside the dysfunctional and eccentric world of the espionage agency ISIS's employees. From the unapologetic protagonist Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin, Family Guy) to his insane ex-girlfriend Lana Kane (Aisha Tyler, Bedtime Stories), Archer is one comedy that isn't afraid to insult. With only two episodes under its belt, Archer is quickly showing that there is no topic too offensive. Dead hookers, immigrants and Dane Cook's lack of talent have all become the brunt of hilariously over the top jokes. Of course, with Adam Reed, the creator of Sealab 2021, Frisky Dingo and Space Ghost Coast to Coast, penning the script, nothing less is to be expected. As incredibly hilarious and absurd as the situations that arise in this show are, it's the characters that truly bring the show to life. Archer is a series brimming with an all-star comedic cast, including Benjamin, an actor who is no stranger to crude animated humor. His various acting roles include spots on both Family Guy and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Jessica Walter (Arrested Development) does a fantastic job as the manipulative Malory Archer, Archer's mother and boss. Walter shows her willingness to push the envelope in this role with scenes including Russian phone sex and an unrelenting stream of offensive quips. In addition to both Benjamin and Walter is the quirky Chris Parnell (30 Rock). Parnell is the voice of ISIS comptroller Cyril Figgis, the nerdy anti-Archer who becomes the boyfriend of Archer's ex. The series premiered its first two sidesplitting episodes on FX Thursday night. Both episodes were equally hilarious and the plots were similarly ridiculous. If the show is able to keep up the pace that it has set, Archer is likely to become an instant classic. The first episode, 'Training Day,' doesn't ease you into the show, but rather tosses you into the deep end headfirst. The episode centers around Archer attempting to turn bookworm Cyril into a deadly field agent just like himself, while Kane attempts to unfold what, exactly, is going on. Archer goes about this in his own unique way. The accomplished spy loads up the ill-equipped Cyril with a poison pen and underwear gun before giving him any proper instruction. From there, Cyril is trained in Archer's ways by shooting at his butler and dancing with a call girl, whose occupational title is switched to hooker after a tragic accident. The second episode, 'Mole Hunt,' continues to delve deep into the outrageous lifestyle of the extravagant Archer, this time focusing in on his financial expenses. After Malory explains to him that he is spending far too much and that 'ISIS doesn't just exist so that you can jet off to whore island,' Archer places the blame on a fictional mole and sets out to change his financial records. Employing fat jokes and outlandish statements, the episode is guaranteed to have viewers laughing throughout while simultaneously feeling slightly ashamed of themselves – and that's exactly what makes it great. Despite only having aired two episodes, Archer has already shown a large amount of potential and raised the bar for today's animated comedies. The show is raunchy, obnoxious and every bit as funny as anything else currently on air. Archer is a must see original that does anything but disappoint. The series takes shots at anyone and anything and refuses to make excuses for it. Don't be surprised to see Archer in it for the long haul and making a name for itself up there with the likes of Family Guy and South Park. E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
Blackberries, computers and television can make life such a drag. In a time when technology controls so much of people's lives, many seem to forget the value of a good book on a cold winter's night. British novelist Anita Brookner has quietly become one of the world's most prodigious writers. Brookner's slim novels depict lonely, isolated individuals trying their best to adapt to the harsh and often cruel world around them. Her characters are usually quiet bookworms, secure in their finances, but little else. It is in these modest corners of society where Ms. Brookner creates entire worlds that define the universal human psyche. Brookner's first novel, 'A Start in Life,' was published in 1981. She has published 24 novels since, with the most recent being 'Strangers' from 2009. Her most famous work is arguably her fourth novel, 'Hotel du Lac.' Chronicling the solitary adventures of a romance novelist at an out of season ski resort, the novel won the Man Booker Prize in 1984. As a stylist, Brookner has been called an heir to Henry James. Her drawing room scenes and profound inner monologue allow a merging to occur between the reader and the character, resulting in a beautiful marriage of intellect and artistry. In addition to her distinguished literary career, she is internationally renowned as an art historian and in 1967, she became the first woman to hold the Slade Professorship at Cambridge University. Her other notable novels include 'Look at Me,' 'Family and Friends,' 'A Misalliance,' 'A Friend From England,' 'Dolly,' 'Incidents in the Rue Laugier,' 'The Bay of Angels,' 'Making Things Better' and 'Leaving Home.' Brookner's novels prove that it's never too late to learn life's lessons, and that retired eighty-something art history professors can still be the best teachers. E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
Solutions by The State News
