Earth Day’s Founder Speaks at UB
10/10
by Matthew Dashkoff
University at Buffalo has an environmental leadership series, A Greener Shade of Blue, which is the arena for dialogue on campus climate neutrality. As many of its students know, UB is one of the forerunning institutions dedicated to reducing its energy emissions to nearly zero. This goal is referred to as “climate neutrality,” or the point at which we are self-sufficient, producing the least waste possible, keeping Buffalo nice and pretty—well, the town of Amherst, at least. This multi-million dollar project requires limitless time and effort on the part of some super smart people. On Tuesday, April 10, those people held a lecture to allow us common folk to catch up.
Denis Hayes is a nationally recognized environmentalist, original founder of Earth Day, and director of the Bullitt Foundation. On this afternoon, he was invited by the university to open up the discussion on how to lower UB’s energy consumption. Standing beside a panel of professors, scientists, and students, Hayes gave the audience a brief history of global awareness and also offered some priceless advice.
In the 1960s, Hayes was an ardent environmental activist at Stanford University. He, along with other passionate students, foretold the current energy crisis and envisioned the bad dream of climate change that is coming true today. In the fashion of the times, he organized large protests and seized various campus buildings, including the President’s Office, the Applied Electronics Laboratory, and the Undergraduate Library. To up his baller status, he informed us that during the Reagan Administration, a press clipping of his demonstrations at Stanford were kept filed away at the White House…just in case.
Today, the “self-proclaimed geezer” directs a $100 million organization dedicated to protecting the natural environment of the Pacific Northwest, having already paid his dues running the Solar Energy Research Institute, and, oh yea—founding Earth Day. Once he had every hippie chick in the room drooling at his feet, he gave the audience and the UB panel some keen advice on how to expand our planet-saving efforts. Hayes pushed the university to expand its own awareness efforts declaring, “You have to get people’s attention… [you must] force people to think about the issue,” stressing that once people have the facts, it is very hard to ignore key issues.
Hayes even offered some pertinent advice to our campus that we as UB students can make a difference in our own way. By turning off your cubicle lights when you are done in the library, or even saving that D paper and recycling it, you too can make a difference.
After the lecture, as I skimmed the handout prepared for us by the UB Green office (which was aptly printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper), I reflected on the progress that we as an institution have made in such a short time. As Al Gore’s lecture fast approaches, I am reminded how large a scale this global preservation program is turning out to be, and how sometimes it can make one feel very small. The significant fact is this: you may have only attended UB but for a blip of its institutional existence, but the progress made in the past few years has been tremendous. Our administration, however slow in other areas, is doing its part in helping make this tiny, WNY Sea of Blue turn just a shade or two greener.
THE Return Of Ari
Entourage Season 3
9/10
by Adam Silkworth
The boys are back in town. The new season of Entourage, a show focusing on the life of a hot, young actor and his bros airing on HBO, kicked off last Sunday with a bang. Let me refresh your memory if you missed last season’s finale—Ari (Jeremy Pivin) got fired. Vince (Adrian Grenier) is rolling with a new agent and things seem to be going well for him. He has scripts flying his way and starts to believe that he is going to be just fine without Ari.
Vince’s new agent, Amanda, played by Carla Gugino (Karen Sisco and Threshold), is the newest addition of eye candy in Entourage. She has been working hard, looking to find Vince his next project, and tells him that she has found the perfect script: an Edith Wharton adaptation called Glimpses of the Moon. Vince and his manager Eric (Kevin Connolly) think it’s great—until Ari gives him a script of Medellin, a movie which Vince has been dying to land for two years.
Ari, the conniving son of a bitch that we have all come to know and love, tries to win Vince back throughout the whole episode. Lloyd is still as flamboyant as ever and after giving Ari one of his queer-as-folk pep talks, gets Vince on the phone for him. They set up lunch, and it is not hard to predict what Ari is up to. At lunch, Vince invites him to his birthday party, where the real drama takes place. Ari guarantees Vince that he can get him Medellin. Amanda, however, has made some calls of her own and tells Vince that the movie is definitely gone; Benicio Del Toro has snatched the lead. The episode ends with Vince telling Amanda to hold off on Glimpses of the Moon, just in case Ari is right.
The comedy is abundant, with Drama (Kevin Dillon), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), and Ari still using their foul mouths to bring the laughter to the show. Turtle maxes out three of Eric’s credit cards while planning Vince’s birthday party, and Drama spends the entire episode pointing out the billboards for his new TV show. Ari still loves putting people down with his condescending, I’m-the-best-fucking-agent-in-town attitude, and will stop at nothing to get Vince back.
The season premiere sets up a myriad of questions that will shape the episodes to come. Will Vince return to Ari or stay with Amanda? Is Medellin really a possibility, or is Ari jerking the boys around to get them back? The questions are certainly there, along with all the hard partying the boys do. Ari is pretty much willing to blow Vince to get him to return to the agency, so let’s see how far he’ll go. This season should be a good one, as the glamorous drama continues in the life of Vincent Chase—a life that we all certainly wish we were living.
Another Version of the Truth
Nine Inch Nails- Year Zero
9/10
by Erin McCarthy
The rightwing has taken over, no one cares about the planet, we’re at war, and the nation’s citizens are plagued with apathy! Nope, I’m not talking about something I saw on CNN last night, but about the plotline of Nine Inch Nails’ new album. Set in 2022, Year Zero is part one of a concept album and, despite taking place in the future, the subject matter Trent Reznor covers is strikingly relatable to current events.
Do you remember Michael Jackson’s catchy rhythmic sample from “The Way You Make Me Feel?” In “Capital G,” Reznor pleasantly violates it with a sardonic parody of an ignorant, avaricious America that is completely indifferent to the impact its actions have on the rest of the world (Sound familiar?). Reznor delivers his lyrics with an arrogant snarl. The opening lines, “I pushed the button and elected him to office / He pushed the button and he dropped the bomb / You pushed the button and could watch in on the television / Those motherfuckers didn’t last too long,” are a welcomed bitch slap to your average, uninformed American (you know who you are. Now, go register to vote, asshole).
In “God Given,” the rhythmic samples are multi-layered in an effect similar to tracks off Nine Inch Nails’ first album, Pretty Hate Machine. They display Reznor’s maturity as a composer and arranger. The sound has more depth, and complements the tone of the doomed futuristic plot Reznor has nicely created. Unfortunately, the lyrics are secondary to the music, and are not very clear.
“Another Version of the Truth” is an instrumental track, reminiscent of 1994’s album The Downward Spiral and 1999’s The Fragile, and truly gives the amateur Nails fan a glimpse at the range Reznor is capable of conceptualizing. Although not as strong as the instrumental tracks from other albums, the mixture of a haunting piano, white noise, and an ambient finish beckon the prospect of some hope in Reznor’s apocalypse.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Reznor says that during the creation of this album he didn’t give a fuck about things that manufactured groups like Fall Out Boy worry about, i.e. radio play and a spot on MTV. Ironically, Reznor appears to care more than he lets on, and it shines through in this album. In the past, he was notorious for his latent misery, as well as his issues with God and pigs. Although not his strongest work lyrically, this is a must hear album with groundbreaking tracks and Nine Inch Nails’ signature sound.
An Empire of World Music
The Cat Empire - The Cat Empire EP
8/10
by Katie Young
Although they’ve been thrown into the horribly vague category of “World Music,” The Cat Empire has developed into a band with a peculiar and refreshing style. They started out as three jazz musicians from Melbourne, Australia and evolved into a large group that blends ska, rock, and jazz. They’re heavily dependent on Latin and big band sounds as well, with help from The Empire Horns, who assist the six official members of the group. Still can’t picture it? Think of Sublime or 311, but with a dominating brass section and way too much Red Bull.
Their newest, The Cat Empire EP, was released on April 17. It’s a compilation of six songs from their two earlier albums, their self-titled debut album The Cat Empire (2003), and Two Shoes (2005). It kicks off with the anti-war song, “The Chariot,” a protest of unnecessary gratuitous warfare. In the happy-go-lucky chorus, members of The Cat Empire find solace in music instead. Singer Felix Riebl joins in the chorus, “Our weapons were our instruments / Made from timber and steel,” followed later on by, “In a way we are an army / But this army not destruct / No instead we’re doing simple things / Good loving find it run amuck.” Dick Cheney might want to listen to this one.
The band tosses a bit of rapping into the mix in the song “Days Like These.” Wait…Australians rapping? Well, The Cat Empire has decided that if Mike Skinner from The Streets (a British rap group) can do it, they can take a stab at it, too. Although it may appear that they’re spreading themselves thin across too many genres, their Australian-lilt places a refreshing twist on a common American sound, and the reggae rhythms implemented throughout don’t disappoint.
The EP also features smoother, less insistent tunes such as “The Lost Song.” With these tracks, The Empire Horns trade in their big-band sounds for muted jazz and Latin-influenced melodies. With heavy use of timbales and mournful, soft background vocals, the sound becomes complete. The strongest song on the EP, it reflects the layering of different genres and instruments, as the lead singers exchange with the melodies of The Empire Horns.
The Cat Empire EP also has live footage of “Lullaby,” which reveals that when played live, their onstage persona matches the utterly contagious music. Although it’s not the strongest song on the EP, it has the most potential to reach across fans of different genres.
This is a solid album that provides a glimpse into The Cat Empire’s growing popularity around the world. Those who aren’t normally attracted to this type of music might find themselves enjoying the infectious beats of The Cat Empire EP despite their preconceived notions. They offer something different to the emo-filled “rip-my-heart-out-on-the-floor-and-stomp-on-it-why-don’t-you” songs that are prevalent on mainstream radio. Quite honestly, it’s refreshing.
This Movie’s Fly, No Lie
The Hoax
8/10
by Jack Niejadlik
Ever have writer’s block? Next time, why not compile a biography about a wealthy and reclusive celebrity, pieced together from fact, public knowledge, and arguably credible private documents, and then pass it off as a masterpiece? That’s what worked for real-life author Clifford Irving—almost.
In The Hoax, Richard Gere stars as Clifford Irving, an author who almost gets his huge break at a major publishing house. When the publisher backs out of a deal, Irving is left in dire straits. He convinces the fat-cats at McGraw-Hill that he has been chosen by the reclusive and fascinating billionaire Howard Hughes to help write a tell-all about the industrialist’s life. In order to make good on the deal, and to avoid going to jail, the remainder of the film shows Irving scrambling for ways to keep his lie lifeboat afloat.
Fans of Catch Me If You Can-type films may be disappointed with how Gere’s Irving is difficult to sympathize with at times. Rightfully so, his drinking, infidelity, and genuine dastardliness paint him in colors of condemnation on a subtle, understated canvas of heroism. The film explores all of the necessary avenues of a film set against the familiar backdrop of 1970s New York, with the corrupt presidency of Richard Nixon barring no exception.
Directed by Oscar-nominee Lasse Halström, and based on the actual real-life tribulations of Clifford Irving, The Hoax is superbly cast, with Alfred Molina (from Halström’s earlier Chocolat and Doc Ock in Spiderman 2) as Dick Suskind, the co-author and co-mastermind helping Irving to perpetuate his charade. The two are great on-screen together, as is Marcia Gay Harden, who plays Irving’s devoted wife, Edith.
Although it’s difficult to imagine that the movie is based on actual events, this story actually did happen. Hallström ties together an elaborate and complex plot with effective, calculated progression—and although the story may seem a little bumpy at times, veering off on peculiar tangents, the overall result is a character-driven, fun film. And that’s the truth!
Strong Enough for a Man, but Made for a Tool
Rhonda Byrne - The Secret
0/10
by Tori Burhans
Do you wish you could be told the secret to life, wealth, love, and health? The answers to those great paradoxes apparentaly don’t exist anywhere but in The Secret, a glorified self-help theory that promotes itself as the key to success. Based loosely on quantum physics, “the law of attraction,” and various perversions of great philosopher’s theories, The Secret has redefined the snake-oil business. It basically goes like this: Ask for something, believe that you will get it or that it will happen, and then sit back and wait. The premise is that the law of attraction will bring it to you, just by putting those positive thoughts out into the universe. The book never gives a clear explanation of how it works. Not even the “teachers” know—their explanation is that humans are magnets, and that we created the universe with our thoughts. Through this logic, they come to the conclusion that we can bring to us whatever material object we most desire.
For the movie and book, The Secret’s creator, Rhonda Byrne, commissioned multiple scientists (quantum physicists), entrepreneurs (get-rich-quick schemers), hypnotists, feng shui consultants (glorified home decorators), and authors (of such classics as Chicken Soup for the Soul) to aide her in explaining the theory. Alongside the present “teachers,” she editorializes the thoughts of such great thinkers as Buddha, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., and Winston Churchill. Now, I’m no expert, but I’m fairly certain Siddhartha Guatama would roll over in his grave for being quoted in a book that has a chapter entitled “The Secret to Wealth.”
The Secret is chock full of stories of people curing their own cancer, regenerating their kidneys, and walking after being paralyzed, simply by using their mind. It has been fortunate enough to catch the attention of celebrities like Oprah. Since then, people have been writing in to her show saying that they have been “inspired” and plan on curing their ailments using only The Secret. Sounds crazy, right? Well, it is.
When I first bought the book, I read it cover-to-cover, anxious to start my life using their approach to the universe. I did all the helpful tips to aid myself in the process, making “vision boards” of what I wanted, meditating daily, and silently thanking the universe for everything. I was promised that the universe would be my catalog if I only believed it. After weeks of living optimistically with blind faith, I came no closer to grasping my dreams, the black onyx ring I’ve been lusting over, or a glowing tan. It’s like I sent in the order, and it got lost in the mail.
You can pick up your copy of The Secret or go to thesecret.tv to watch the movie, but I don’t recommend it. They’ve created the perfect hoax with a great marketing campaign, simply by taking philosophies used for years and twisting them to fit their agenda.
Bull semen only gave me the gag reflex
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theatres
8/10
by Elina Vaysbeyn
Only seasoned, diehard Aqua Teen Hunger Force fans saw the long-awaited movie on its opening night, and if you took a humongous bong hit before walking into the theater, you would have been in good company. Everything in this movie revolved around stoner humor, psychedelia, and pixilated puke. Obviously, there were also “plastic novelty vaginas,” weapons of mass distraction, cross dressing, and a Powerpuff Girls parachute. Slap that all together and…
Colon Movie Film has brought back the old school Frylock, Meatwad, and Master Shake. They are superheroes again. The network TV show has almost eradicated the real purpose of their partnership—crime solving—and we never see our superheroes act the part anymore. They just stumble around, killing brain cells instead of bad guys. But at long last, this movie has answered our prayers and the three have banded together to stop a ruthless piece of exercise equipment called the Insanoflex from destroying downtown. The entire movie is like a big high school reunion (one with freaky old schoolmates) and all our old friends are in attendance: the Mooninites, Oglethorp and Emory, the Ghost of Christmas Past, Dr. Weird, Time Lincoln, and MC Pee Pants make appearances, among others.
While trying to destroy the Insanoflex, which has taken Carl as collateral and turned him into a beefcake of uncomfortable proportions, Shake, Meatwad, and Frylock stumble onto their family lineage. Their family tree is pretty sick and twisted, considering it spawned those three. I’ll also throw this out there: Frylock’s mother may or may not be… a nine-layer bean burrito. The revelation encapsulates the type of humor fans of the series have been eating up (no pun intended) for years.
I think Colon Movie Film blew all our preconceived notions out of the water. It even eclipsed the TV show. The jokes were funnier and the visuals almost threw me into a flashback of my last acid trip. Now that our heroes at long last have a purpose, this film practically becomes a family movie, complete with superheroes, the eternal battle between good and evil, and of course—fitness! The long-standing familiarity with the cast also served to create a “feel-good” atmosphere. Who knew Aqua Teen was so in tune with our emotions? Believe it or not, once the credits rolled, so did the applause. The entire theater unanimously agreed that it passed the test. Vive Aqua Teen Hunger Force!
Delicious and Ambitious
Palace of Dosas
9/10
by Francisco Baiocchi
There are many reasons to live in the suburbs, but quality Indian food is rarely one of them. Located on Millersport Highway in the heart of Amherst, Palace of Dosas is a welcome addition to a dreary landscape of pizza joints, Chinese takeout, and wings. The owners of Palace of Dosas even have the tenacity to serve an all-vegetarian menu—these guys know this is Buffalo, right? They must, because this restaurant already has all the major ingredients needed for success in this community: low prices, high quality food, and friendly service.
Since opening their doors on April 7, the staff of Palace of Dosas has had a busy week preparing their flavorful South Indian creations for the hungry veg-heads who line up for tables at lunchtime. The most popular item on the menu is the Masala Dosa ($5.95), a kind of South Indian crêpe made from a batter of lentils and rice, and stuffed with lightly seasoned potatoes and fried onions in spices. This namesake dish is popular in Southern India, and Palace of Dosas serves a wide variety of dosa pancakes, including the Paper Dosa ($5.55), served extra thin and crispy, and the Rava Masala Dosa ($7.95), a variant made with wheat flour instead of lentils. All dosas are served with a side of cocunut chutney and sambar, a spicy lentil soup prepared from the pulp of tamarind fruit and red chilies.
The dinner selection includes a number of vegetable curries, rice dishes, and desserts to choose from. For beginners, I would recommend getting the Palace Thali ($8.95), a combination platter featuring several different vegetable curries, lentils, rice, an appetizer, and your choice of dessert. They even serve ice cream, if you aren’t feeling adventurous.
If you think that vegetarian food is just no fun, be sure to try the appetizers menu, filled with tasty fried selections perfect for sharing. The fried potato fritters called Alu Bonda are a must, as is the Medu Vadai (both $3.25), a generous plate of fried lentil doughnuts served with chutney and sambar.
Of course, Palace of Dosas inherits an ambivalent tradition here in Amherst, the archetype of “that great little Indian place that disappeared.” Ethnic food has trouble making roots in our little hamlet, so Palace of Dosas will be faced with the challenge of bucking that trend. Additionally, this new restaurant is not without its problems. If you are choosing to dine in, I would suggest bringing either a newspaper or at least an interesting date—these traditional dishes take time, and both the staff and kitchen are ambitiously small. If it can just stay open through this summer, Dosa Palace will surely be a gem in our community for years to come.
bringing the heat
Torches
8/10
by Brad Deck
Something about 1141 Kenmore Avenue attracts good cuisine. Before Torches, the building housed Tsunami, one of the few restaurants in Buffalo to successfully infuse pan-Asian and American cuisines.
Buffalo’s economy seemed to have had its way with Tsunami, like it has with so many great establishments of yore. Now, there’s a culinary new kid on the block: Torches. From the outside, Tsunami’s structurally fresh feel remains, but the addition of gas torches lining the cool, silver brick façade and framing the draped windows made my companion and I wonder if we were trendy enough to even set foot in the door. Once inside, however, we were taken away by the impeccable ambiance of an eatery far too chic for the neighborhood in which it is rooted.
Upon entering, we were caught off guard by a narrow hallway lined with cocktail tables, whose purpose is to house diners as they await their table—a nice departure from an impersonal bench that adorns the waiting area of so many restaurants. Appropriate fire-like lighting illuminates the wall above the tables, and at the end of the waiting area there is a TV that allows visitors a peek into the small kitchen, providing a view of the chefs in mid-preparation. Through a small doorway to the left is the actual dining room. The space is calm and welcoming; the kind of environment that makes you stick around after completing your meal. Make sure your waiter lights the candle on the table, or the menu will be impossible to read in the dimly lit room.
After being seated and listening to a long list of specials, including sunflower seed crusted halibut ($25) and beer cheese soup served with a side of Flying Bison brew ($9), we opened our menus to find a reasonably sized selection offering everything from chicken wings to filet mignon. Torches’ menu,is a hybrid of three culinary styles. Like its predecessor, pan-Asian notes appear in dishes like Sultry Sesame Chicken Wings ($6) and Kung Pao Chicken ($15). Creole flavors are stressed as the menu’s American cuisine. This is evident in plates like the Big Easy Penne ($14), with andouille sausage, shrimp, and sautéed vegetables, as well as Spitfire Shrimp and Andouille ($11) : shrimp and sausage adorned with a three pepper jelly and a beurre blanc made with Frank’s Red Hot.
The third in Torches’ trifecta of flavors is a strong Italian influence. In the dishes we ordered, Italian flavors dominated using fennel, rosemary, and sun-dried tomatoes, to round out the plates’ tastes superbly. So seldom have I had a meal that successfully integrates such a wide spectrum of flavors without coming off as overdone. Not only did I find myself in shock over Torches’ delectable menu, I ordered so much food that I exited the restaurant with enough leftovers to feed myself for a week.
Torches’ drink menu should be noted. They carry a variety of beers ranging from Japanese Sapporo to Heineken, Magic Hat I.P.A. to Saranac Black and Tan. Enticing martinis like Raspberry Truffle, Passion Fruit, and Blueberry Cobbler range in price from seven to nine dollars. A fairly extensive selection of wines is also available.
After we made our selections, we were presented with an interesting take on the complimentary breadbasket. A crusty baguette, cut into cone shaped points, was placed along with Torches’ house parsley pesto. The dip, reminiscent of classic pesto, only lightened with mild and bright-tasting parsley in place of the classic basil, and was served topped with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. The bread was warm and crisp, and although my date—a picky eater to the highest degree—commented that it “tasted like a Christmas tree,” I quickly explained to her that what she was experiencing was merely the taste of fresh vegetation, and that she need not be alarmed.
We were then promptly served our salads—I ordered the House ($4) and my date got the Caesar ($7). Both were perfectly portioned servings of chopped romaine, mine topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano, cucumbers, fresh garlic croutons, and a fire-roasted tomato and basil vinaigrette. While the cucumbers were a little cumbersome (pun certainly intended) and seemed out of place, the dressing was robust and intense. Although it completely lacked the flavor and coloration of the supposed basil within, the dressing was a rich puree of smoky tomatoes and olive oil. The Caesar was traditional, simply dressed with anchovies, egg, oil, and Parmesan. My date commented that it was one of the better Caesar salads she has had the pleasure of consuming, and she eats a lot of salad.
By the time our meals were served, the pleasing starters had already contented us, but as soon as the food hit the table, my mouth began to water. I ordered two dishes: the intriguing Nickel City Macaroni and Cheese ($8), as well as Torches’ Kung Pao Chicken.
The mac and cheese was delicious and rich, with a surprisingly mild bleu cheese alfredo in place of the processed cheese powder found in your favorite Kraft dinner. Adorned with sun-dried tomatoes and scallions, the tanginess of the dish is evident but not overpowering. To make the meal even more original, the pasta is topped with chicken strips coated in crushed Goldfish crackers and deep-fried. While the chicken was slightly under-seasoned, just lacking in some salt and black pepper, the creativity deserves an A for effort.
The Kung Pao chicken was equally delicious, infinitely better than anything coming out of the kitchen at Food King. The sesame-ginger sauce with licorice-like fennel undertones was perfect, and dark roasted peanuts and cool, raw bean sprouts combined to create what chef J.J. Reichert told me was one of the best values on the menu.
My date was delighted with her beef tenderloin appetizer ($8), skewered on sprigs of rosemary with grilled pearl onions and coated in the Torches’ glaze. The beef was flawlessly prepared, and woodsy rosemary permeated every bite.
I decided to take some dessert to go. While the lemon tart did not travel well, the simplicity of the wine and crushed raspberry sauce that had unfortunately sloshed all over the Styrofoam container was exquisite. As I sat in my living room, licking the sauce out of the corners of the box and ruminating over the delicious, yet hyper-affordable (the bill, before tip, was a mere $52) meal we had just enjoyed, I wondered when I could plan another visit to Torches. Until then, I have a bag full of leftovers in my fridge. And, like J.J. Reichert said, nothing reheats like Chinese—or, in this case, pan-Asian-Italian-American.
