Deadly Cats

How much do cats kill? A new study gives us an idea of the amount of wildlife killed by cats each year in the United States. It is estimated that between 1.4 and 3.7 billion birds are killed annually by domestic cats. Between 6.9 and 20.7 billion mammals are killed by domestic cats as well. The study also says that a majority of the animal deaths are caused by unowned cats rather than those who have owners. In my opinion  they are one of  the least domestic animals that have been domesticated. They kill both for fun, and for food. Most cat owners with outdoor cats know how much they hunt, and its something that just happens. They are cats, and they are doing what cats do. Below is a link to the abstract of the study.

http://www.nature.com/ncomms/journal/v4/n1/full/ncomms2380.html

Former Lives Review

Benjamin Gibbard

Former Lives Album Cover

Benjamin Gibbard is best known from his work with the indie rock group Death Cab for Cutie with songs such as “Cath”, “I Will Possess Your Heart", and “Soul Meets Body” as well as the group The Postal Service with the songs “Such Great Heights” and “The District Sleeps Alone”. Recently he has released the album Former Lives in October of 2012 which is the first album that has been released under his name. The album includes musical guests such as Aimee Mann in the song “Bigger Than Love”. The songs in Former Lives have a similar sound to the Death Cab for Cutie album Codes and Keys but does not sound as much like the groups earlier albums. In Former Lives most of the songs have the theme of the difficulties of love and heartbreak. But the sound of the instruments that accompanies the vocals vary in sound. Sometimes they have a warm sound to them, and others more or a sad tone. The album even features a short acapella song “Shepherd’s Bush Lullaby”. Overall Former Lives is a great album that features the iconic voice of Benjamin Gibbard. All of the songs on the album sound beautiful. If you enjoy listening to either Death Cab for Cutie or The Postal Service I would suggest listening to Benjamin Gibbard’s Former Lives. Below are two links, one to a NPR video of Benjamin Gibbard performing three songs, and the other is a performance by Gibbard on the Colbert Report.

http://www.npr.org/event/music/165279053/ben-gibbard-tiny-desk-concert

http://www.hulu.com/watch/444244

"The Hobbit" Review

“I’m not a hero, I’m not a warrior... I’m not even a burglar.” These are the words of protagonist Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) at the end of The Hobbit, the stunning prequel to the popular Lord of the Rings trilogy. The movie, based off the book by J.R.R. Tolkien, follows the antihero Bilbo as he is unwittingly pulled into an adventure with a troop of twelve dwarves and old friend and wizard Gandalf the Grey. Though the band sets off to fight the terrible dragon Smaug, they face more than enough trouble on their journey to Smaug’s lair--from evading capture by trolls or facing Goblin-Kings to trying to get along with high-minded Elves.

To me, when reading The Hobbit the dwarves often came across as a list of names rather than characters I should be invested in. This movie gave each dwarf a unique attitude and personality, adding much to the spirit of the journey and expanding upon the ways of the Dwarves in ways unseen in previous films. Bilbo is also skillfully portrayed, demonstrating the perfect blend of caution and determination that allow the viewer to empathize with this man longing for the comforts of home.

This movie did have a version with increased frame rate. While this seemed to garner mixed reviews by many, I personally think the visuals were stunning in both versions of the film. Other complaints may be that the movie was too long, that it kept in extraneous information and is still releasing two more parts. While this pleases many Lord of the Rings fans (particularly those that have the extended releases of the films) I can see why the lengthy production for The Hobbit might seem tedious and manipulative. To this, I can only say that Tolkien spent much of his life crafting an intricate world, complete with its own language and personality. He was one of the builders of high fantasy. He created maps and family trees and stuffed appendices full of information for people to glean more into the world of Middle Earth. Honestly, I wonder if three movies will be enough.

The Hobbit trailer is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0k3kHtyoqc

Crossroads College Prep Winter One Acts

This week is the week of the Crossroads College Prep Winter One Acts, a collection of student directed short plays. Many of the students who participate in the One Acts really enjoy them. Eric Wildsmith, a senior who is co-directing one of the one acts this year, says that his favorite one act memory “was the first one and I did, “The Laundromat” by Eric Gregg. It was the perfect acting experience and it got me hooked on theatre.” But the acting experiences are not the only things that people involved with the One Acts enjoy. There are also students who work on the sets, lights, and other technical aspects of theatre. “I was on the stage crew and just being able to hang out with everyone backstage and seeing the fruits of everyone’s labours” was Zane Spencer’s answer to the question of ‘What is your favorite One Act memory?’. Zane is co-directing a one act with Eric. Students who are taking part in the One Acts have been rehearsing for them since December. When asked what he likes about the One Acts director Nick Henke answers “It’s great how they are student driven. And how there is not someone who is safety netting everything...Everyone is doing their best work”. Sammy Longstreth, who is also directing a one act this year, was asked the same question and says how he likes that there is “lots of variation in the different one acts...It can vary on what the director wants”. The One Acts are a great experience for anyone interested in theatre, directing, or the technical aspects of theatre. The One Acts are this week with a free show tonight at 7:00pm, a show on Thursday the 24th at 7:00pm, Saturday at 7:00pm, and Sunday at 2:00pm. I would strongly suggest for people to go see the One Acts because they are going to be great.