DayOldStubble | Volume 2 Issue 1: Dec/Jan 2015 | The Stubble Awakens.

DayOldStub ble the Magazine Modern Culture, Across The Grain

Volume 2 Issue 1 | DayOldStubble.com

STAR WARS AFTERMATH REVIEW Give Your Life A Boost

LEVEL UP IN LIFE

Pandemic Legacy The D12 Academy Awakens

Wear A Jacket With Jeans funko pop!

A true collectible or just a fad?

Jay Sloan

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW AND SECRET REVEALED

Contents 10

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Star Wars Aftermath Book Review

Is the force strong?

Funko Pop Compared To TY Beanie Babies Is it the same thing all over again?

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12

D12 Academy

Pandemic Legacy

Get in touch

facebook.com/TheDayOldStubble twitter.com/DayOldStubble

Contact us at info@dayoldstubble.com

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FEATURED ARTIST JAY SLOAN INTERVIEW

A Q&A with Jay Sloan about his works and upcoming independent comic

DayOldStubble Vol. 2 No.1 December/January 2015

14 Lamar 18 Hedy Sexy and Smart. She had it all.

How To Level Up In Life

Kirk 19 Ole The man behind LEGO and

Our tips on ways to improve yourself

how it started.

This and That

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Predictions

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Four Books To Read Before You Die

Good Eats

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Holiday Leftover Recipes

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Getting To The Bottom of Tea

Guides & How To

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Alan’s Fireside Where are all the super heroine movies?

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How To Wear A Jacket With Jeans

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The Art Of The Hand Shake

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What’s That Smell

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How To Stop A Cold

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Back and Getting Better!

DayOldStubble Returns.

Congratulations! You are lucky enough to have gotten your hands on the brand new relaunched issue of DayOldStubble. That’s right, DayOldStubble is back and ready to bring you the best possible entertainment packed into each and every issue. Our time away has given us the chance to groom our facial hair so we can bring to you, our readers, the best experience possible.

“WE HAVE A PASSION TO LEARN EVERYTHING ABOUT MODERN CULTURE AND PRESENT IT TO THE MASSES FROM OUR UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE.”

We strive to be the premier source for today’s modern lifestyle. By taking a cue from our writers and contributors, we believe that everyone can learn to appreciate the subtleties of our passions while experiencing things they have not seen or heard before. We are just a group of geeks who really, really love technology, movies, comics, and general everyday stuff. Not the I want to debate whether William Shatner was better then Patrick Stewart while playing Warcraft on my Alienware Area 51 and listening to my music streamed over my iPad kind of geeks. More the wholesome, all-American we just want to play with the latest gear, read the new comics, and watch the coolest TV and movies that we can geeks.

With that in mind this issue has some great articles to give you a taste of what is to come. Be sure to check out our Featured Interview with Jay Sloan who created the custom cover for our relaunch issue. Our famous D12 Academy is back with another great game. Sara Goodwin reviews Killjoys and gives us a tear jerking run through fictional animals that we loved. We have added a new writer Gary who is our resident collector and compares Funko Pop to Ty’s Beanie Babies.

Our moto is “Modern Culture, Across the Grain” and with our new lifestyle driven magazine will encompass everything that is new and modern along with all that is old and refined. We hope you enjoy the ride.

Jason Carrick Publisher and Editor

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MEET our CONTRIBUTORS

Dave Norton Writer Comic Fanatic

“She wasn’t that gross, all right. Maybe if you lowered your standards a bit you’d get laid more”

Aaron DeKuiper Writer Game Reviews

Sara Goodwin

Writer Creative Thinking

Gary D. Orosco

Aaron knows what cell block pricess Leia is in, why Chapel is the single most powerful Dominion Card, and where to find the hatch from Lost in World of Warcraft. Ah, geekiness....

Sara Goodwin has a B.A. in Classical Civilization and an M.A. in Library Science from Indiana University. Once she went on an archaeological dig and found awesome ancient stuff. Sara enjoys a smorgasbord of pan-nerd entertainment such as Renaissance faires, anime conventions, steampunk, and science fiction and fantasy conventions.

My name is Gary D Orosco and I have been buying and selling vintage collectibles for the past 28+ years. I love the interaction with other collectors especially when I am able to help them relive a time when innocence was king and worries of the world were few.

James Detzler Assistant Editor

Detz, The Great Detzby, James. Definitely not your average man around town.

Writer Collectibles

WHAT A BUNCH OF PREDICTIONS RESURGENCE OF RUSSELL CROWE Hahaha I know sounds ridiculous and I will probably be wrong but hear me out. He stars in The Nice Guys coming out in March, written and directed by Shane Black. Forgetting Iron Man 3, he is the man behind Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. A movie that I personally think put Robert Downey Jr. back into the limelight. Nice Guys looks to emulate that movie to a T.

PANTHERS GO UNDEFEATED

THE FORCE WONT BE STRONG There will be endless debates about if it is as good as the original trilogy. It will not be hated like The Phantom Menace but as nearly all things Star Wars, you can’t please everyone.

Panthers go undefeated in the regular season this year, and will still be hated on by 60% of people.

Super Bowl 50 will be Arizona Cardinals vs the Cincinnati Bengals. Next year teams will begin to pick up former players from nursing homes. I will be crowned fantasy god amongst all my leagues.

ALL HAIL PRESIDENT CRUZ I think a Republican will take it next year and Donald Trump is just too volatile to take. Trump is a wild card though and could go independent splitting votes and handing a victory off to the Democrats.

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TO DO LIST

THE MUST DO LIST

BEAT BACK THE WINTER BLUES A few selections of things you can do over the next few winter months to keep you sane and entertained. Pick and choose or do them all we don’t care. Just don’t come complaining when your mind has exploded from all the awesomness we found.

ASHLEY BELL - DEAN KOONTZ Sure his books are basically fodder but we like to think of them as cream of the crop fodder. His ability to pace things so you get the feeling like you’re on a roller coaster is amazing. Check out his latest thriller, available this month.

THE HATEFUL EIGHT DECEMBER 25TH - R

While racing toward the town of Red Rock bounty hunter John “The Hangman” Ruth and his fugitive prisoner encounter another bounty hunter and a man who claims to be a sheriff. Hoping to find shelter from a blizzard, the group is Greeted by four strangers, the eight travelers soon learn that they may not make it to their destination after all.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS DECEMBER 18TH - PG-13 The beginning of a new Star Wars trilogy takes place 30 years after defeating the Galactic Empire. Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his allies featuring a trio of new young leads face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and his army of Stormtroopers.

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SHERLOCK: THE ABOMINABLE BRIDE JANUARY 1ST BBC & PBS

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson find themselves in 1890s London in this holiday special. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman return in the acclaimed modern retelling.

COSPLAY NIGHTCLUB NEW YEARS AFTERMATH JANUARY 2ND M15 CONCERTS - CORONA, CA

A place where you can truly be who you want to be, even if you’ve always wanted to be “the Batt-man”... or rather, ESPECIALLY if you’ve always wanted to be “Batt-man”.

Join us for a night to honor the Nerd in us all! Feel the freedom to express yourself in a fun and safe environment! Are you ready to Get Nerdy?

http://www.clubcosplay.net/

WIZARD WORLD GAMING JANUARY 22-24, ATLANTA GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER.

A new celebration of Video and Table Top Gaming. Attendees will participate in video and table gaming tournaments and eSports competitions, meet top celebrities, executives, developers and brands, participate in live demonstrations

RWBY

THE BIG BOOK OF MADNESS

A board game published by IELLO(King of Tokyo, and a favorite of ours Ghooost!) looks to be a deck building game with heavy amounts of co-op involved. Think of yourselves as Harry Potter and friends in their early years.

To all our anime friends out there.

A gem you may have not heard of is an amazing little show on YouTube channel RoosterTeeth.

Pronounced ruby, the show is rife with intelligent comedy, crazy action, and inventive weaponry. Plus almost every character incredibly cosplay worthy.

roosterteeth.com/show/ rwby

COOTIES (DVD - R)

EXPLODING KITTENS We supported this on Kickstarter and love the quirky humor of the Oatmeal. Gameplay is basically Russian Roulette meets Uno. Plus there’s an adult version, ooh-la-la. www.explodingkittens.com

This is a comedy horror starring Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, and Alison Pill. They star as teachers at a school where the chicken nuggets have been poisoned and the kids who eat them become infected with a rage - like virus.

Think 28 Days Later but with children.

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READING LIST

THE WAR IS NOT OVER

STAR WARS AFTERMATH REVIEW Can the novel set between the Star Wars films Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens fill in the gaps across the expanse of space?

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ull Disclosure: I experienced frustration with the author’s writing style at first when reading on my tablet and had to stop reading. But that wasn’t something I could stand; I loved too much of what I had already read, and needed to know what I was missing out on. So I got the Audible version and listened to the rest and loved it. What follows is my patchwork review of the story I experienced in two different ways.

Synopsis Star Wars: Aftermath is a first look at events in the new Star Wars canon in the days after Return of the Jedi. The Empire has been dealt a crippling blow, but they are not gone by any stretch. They’re broken.

They’re beaten. But they’re not gone.

As the Empire reels from its critical defeats at the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance—now a fledgling New Republic—

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presses its advantage by hunting down the enemy’s scattered forces before they can regroup and retaliate. But above the remote planet Akiva, an ominous show of the enemy’s strength is unfolding.

pilot who flew against the Death Star II to survive, Temmin Wexley, Norra’s teenaged son, the tech-savvy proprietor of a black market salvage shop, and Sinjir Rath Velus, a deserter from the Empire, where he had served for years as an Imperial Loyalty Officer.

Determined to preserve the Empire’s power, the surviving Imperial elite are converging on Akiva for a top-secret emergency summit—to consolidate their forces and rally for a counterstrike. But they haven’t reckoned on Norra and her newfound allies— her technical-genius son, a Zabrak bounty hunter, and a reprobate Imperial defector—who are prepared to do whatever they must to end the Empire’s oppressive reign once and for all.

Characters The characters in the book are largely new, original characters rather than the continuing adventures of the heroes we’re familiar with from the films. Of those original film characters, Wedge Antilles is by far the most prominent in Aftermath, though there are cameos by some other familiar faces as well.

Admiral Sloane is actually a returning character from the first book in the new canon, “Star Wars: A New Dawn”. She was younger then, and has advanced a great deal in rank since those days. She is by far the most likable and well-drawn of the Imperial characters, serving as a protagonist for the side of the franchises’ traditional enemies.

The Wexleys are the action drivers of the book’s true protagonists, those who oppose the Empire (or remnants thereof) but spend most of the book at odds with one another.

Sinjir is probably the most controversial and interesting character of the book. As a loyalty officer, he had been responsible for seeing the weakness in his fellow Imperials, both passively and actively, and rooting it out wherever he found it. This drove him to desert the Empire, having ultimately seen the weakness in the organization as a whole, and his cynical view of the universe provides the book with many funny moments.

The main characters introduced in this book are as follows: Admiral Rae Sloane, the primary representative of the Imperial forces in the book, and also a black woman in a position of high command, Norra Wexley, an ex-Rebel pilot who survived the Battle of Endor and sole Y-wing

Pros and Cons Set primarily on the world of Akiva, author Chuck Wendig does a great job of building out not only Akiva as a planet, but of filling out the new canon Star Wars universe as a whole. We see the threads left by the Star Wars saga film trilogies picked up and carried forward in ways that will

lead gradually and inevitably toward Star Wars: The Force Awakens, filling in the 30-year gap between the new film and the original trilogy.

I love the way this book presents the world several months post-Endor. As the story unfolds and you learn what has happened to the Empire, it paints a great picture of a mighty power shattered and driven into the corners of the galaxy, where some of them find one another and decide that they have work left to be done that really needs to be finished.

While we get mentions of Luke and Leia and even an interlude with Han, they are very minor characters in this story. Most of the main characters we have never met before. And yet this is definitely Star Wars.

There are Stormtroopers, Tie Fighters, and Star Destroyers, among other things.

I particularly enjoyed the interludes which give us a very wide view of the state of the galaxy six months after the Battle of Endor. As with everyday life politics are complicated, and people are complicated.

Even for the best intentioned of people,

there are not always easy solutions.

As I mentioned, I read this book two ways; I started reading it on my tablet, but switched partway through to the audio version from Audible. This was driven primarily by some stylistic quirks employed by the author that I found very distracting.

The authors overuse of colons started to drive me crazy at times. If I had to pick a fault with this book, that would be the big one. I’ll also hasten to add that it’s very much a personal preference thing on my part and not an actual problem with the book. A book with a very similar writing style was John Scalzi’s Red Shirts? - look up name, I had to jump to the Audible version to finish that as well.

With the audio version of the book; the presentation of the story by narrator Marc Thompson was excellent. Thompson is a gift to the world of Star Wars novels, narrating a great many of them. He brings a great deal of life to this book, and presents the characters in distinct and memorable ways. Audio books aren’t for everyone, but if you’re open to them, this is a really good way to go with Aftermath. It doesn’t hurt

that all of the Star Wars audio books make extensive use of the Lucasfilm music and sound effects libraries to really bring their stories to life!

Conclusion While Aftermath focuses on a relatively small scope of the new storyline, it doesn’t have to span the galaxy to feel big, as long as the stakes are high. It’s a smaller tale of heroism and personal consequences developing where the new story line will take us. This book gets a big thumbs-up just for the world-building alone, the picking up of the Imperial pieces and nudging them on towards the First Order they will become very soon. As long as you don’t go in expecting massive battles between huge fleets, large armies blasting each other to pieces, and consequences that alter the trajectories of entire worlds then you will find out what was happening at this particular time in a galaxy far, far away – and, I suspect, the beginning of how the Empire managed to survive. While the scope of this story is smaller, it is by no means lesser.

FOUR BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU DIE A Clockwork Orange

Catch-22

Lord of the flies

Slaughterhouse-Five

Anthony Burgess Set in a nasty futuristic Britain, nutty teenager Alex heads up a gang who speak in slang, drink milk laced with drugs and wander the streets killing, raping and stealing.

Just your typical day, right?

William Golding What happens after a ship wreck when a group of boys find themselves stranded on a tropical island? Clue: they separate into factions and start killing each other.

Not your typical imaginary game of war.

Joseph Heller WWII bombardier Yossarian is continuously trying to get out offighting. But he’s trapped by the Great Loyalty Oath Crusade: a man is insane if he continues to fly combat missions but a request to be excused proves he’s sane and so fit to fly.

Kurt Vonnegut After being captured by aliens, soldier Billy Pilgrim recalls random moments of his life on Earth including his time as a POW. This classic will change the way you think about life, time and just about everything else.

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COLLECTIBLES

THE LATEST TREND COMPARED TO TY’S BEANIE BABIES, FUNKO POP! VINYL Words: Gary D. Orosco

A L I T T L E H IS T OR Y OF F UNK O

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unko is a pop culture licensed-focused company located in Everett, WA. Funko currently holds more than 150 licenses including, but not limited to: Lucas Films, Marvel, Hasbro, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, DC Comics, NBA, Sanrio, and Disney. Funko’s Pop! Vinyl is the number one stylized vinyl collectible in the world.

Funko was founded as a bobblehead company in 1998 by Mike Becker.

In 2005, Becker sold Funko to its current owner, Brian Mariotti, who set his sights toward rapid growth in the licensed gift and novelty world.

Since then, the company has expanded rapidly in both product lines and distribution.

N O W W E HA V E T HA T OUT OF T HE WAY

I

recall back in their early years how cool the bobble heads were and the licenses they carried were epic. It was great to collect these little guys that did not seriously take up much room, helped you relive your childhood and innocence lost once you truly started embarking on life.

Then the inevitable happened, the licenses options expanded and the line got bigger. Then came the first Funko Pop! Vinyl. Oh boy, were we done for now.

Not that vinyl action figures were not already available (Anyone remember Mighty Muggs?) but these were smaller, cuter (other peoples descriptions of them, not mine) and most importantly the choices of genres was a broader range than other companies offered. You were not restricted to just Marvel or Star Wars characters. The brand started slow with these, somewhat limiting their availability (just like another brand we will make a comparison to in a bit), pricing was low and inexpensive. Like with any other collectible, only a small few knew of them and it was an awesome feeling when you found the one you were looking for easily without half the nation’s population looking for them as well.

The company introduced “Exclusives”. First to the meca of all comic-cons,the granddaddy of them all, San Diego. Back in those days you could walk up to their booth, make your purchase and be happy about it. Those days are long gone. Now you stand in line for hours and hopefully your able to purchase the one that you and 20K+ people attending the con want as well. The brand then started to create

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I have to wonder just how much of an exclusive it truly is if 300 Hot Topics all have them? flea markets. Where there was only one vendor at a comic con or toy show offering these cute little fellas is now filled with tables and tables all over the event. There are pages and pages on various social media sites and platforms where you can purchase, trade or bid on. You just can’t get away from them.

Back in February of this year I was told there were an estimated 4000 pop characters already out in the world, all in different variations and color schemes.

Who has room for one of each?

Now just like TY beanie babies, certain characters (molds) are retired and allegedly are never available for purchase through “retail” outlets. This would normally drive up the price for them on the secondary market but the down side is that: exclusives to other outlets. Comic shops, retail outlets like Walmart, Walgreens, Barnes and Noble, Target and Hot Topic now all have their own exclusives. I have to wonder just how much of an exclusive it truly is if 300 Hot Topics all have them? Oh wait, they said exclusive, not limited.

When it was done originally for SDCC, the limited edition was 480. Well that number grew over time and now this past summer if you wanted to buy some at retail price but not have to attend the con all you had to do was stand in line at Hot Topic or Barnes and Noble and fight with people there that you might know from your own community. What fun! Your neighbor is now your mortal enemy in the Pop! vinyl world.

Here is where the comparison is about to begin so hold on to your Joker pop.

Like all other companies trying to make their shareholders happy and keep their pockets filled with money, the company is now mass producing these little buggers at a higher rate. More licenses are acquired and pieces are being pumped out in larger numbers and now you can buy these suckers anywhere! If you think I’m kidding, walk into a 7-11.

Yes my friends, they can be found there too. Unlike TY’s beanie babies in the very beginning, the requirement to purchase them via wholesale is far much easier. The once hard to find item can now be found at

1) The price is only driven up by availability of a short produced item and 2) You hope the company doesn’t “find” a warehouse full of certain pieces that were “lost” for months after they were retired (Example Bane and Greedo).

Many characters have been retired but because of production numbers being higher than the earlier ones, you can still find them in clearance bins in most stores. Funko has branched out into other aspects of their product (Like TY) and created like products as well to keep collectors interested. Let’s face it contrary to belief too much of a good thing is not always a good thing.

We all know what happened to TY Beanie babies. They now reside in the $1 stores all over the country and you can find lots and lots of them all over Ebay and other auction sites for pennies of what they used to retail for. I have to say I have seen various Pop! at dollar stores and other lower price point stores. Are they headed in the same direction as beanie babies? I am not one to say yes or no. I think they will maintain their popularity (no pun intended) because of what they represent. They allow people to enjoy what they have fond memories of. Whether it be comics, animated movies,. Sci-fi, Horror or iconic personalities we all grew up these little guys will always have a place on someone’s shelf.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to open up my cabinet at my work station and let my little guys have a breath of fresh air.

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D12 ACADEMY

Pandemic: Legacy Words: Aaron Dekuiper

D12 Academy

An in-depth study on a different board game each month…increase your strategic knowledge and/or decide if it’s worth a purchase.

What It Is

Pandemic: Legacy takes the established game of Pandemic and adds in Legacy elements in a similar fashion to Risk: Legacy. What results is a co-op game for up to 4 players with a campaign (12-24 total plays) format in which each game affects the next and the story builds throughout the campaign. You’ll put stickers on the board, make permanent changes to cards, tear up other cards, and open hidden doors/packets with whole new components as the campaign goes on. It’s a board gaming experience like no other available today.

How It Plays

With its core as the base game of Pandemic, players team up against the game in a race to cure 4 diseases spread across the globe before one of three losing conditions are triggered. Epidemics, infections, and other bad effects happen at the end of every player turn, so it’s a constant battle of trying to do enough good on your turn to stay ahead of the race of the inevitable bad effects. Each player has a role with a unique power and a hand of cards that can be used to facilitate movement, build structures on the board, or cure a disease. There are no dice and only a small amount of luck involved, but a high degree of tactical planning, as you work as a team to plot out the best string of actions to get you closer to victory while holding off defeat. You’ll play between 12 (if you win every one) and 24 (if you lose at least every-other time) games in the campaign, each lasting roughly an hour.

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PANDEMIC: LEGACY Designer Rob Daviau Matt Leacock Artist Chris Quilliams Publisher Z-Man Games Year Published 2015 # of Players 2−4 Ages 13 and up Playing Time 60 minutes

this is the kind of experience best served with the same players for the entire campaign

It May Be For You If…

You have a stable group to play with- this is the kind of experience best served with the same players for the entire campaign. Those who like co-op games such as Forbidden Dessert or Pathfinder Adventure Card Game will be right at home working as a group against the game. Also, with the Legacy element, this game might be intriguing to gamers who are interested more in the fun of permanent choices/ consequences and the experience of the evolving campaign.

What you’re in for- one long year!

The Legacy elements elevate Pandemic: Legacy into a realm somewhere above most board game experiences.

There’s an excitement and thrill each time you get to open a secret door or packet, wondering what’s in there and how the campaign will evolve. During

“we started playing our first campaign on Saturday and by the following Monday I had already ordered a second copy.”

the course of your 12-24 plays you’ll start in January and work your way to December, and rest assured that the games during the spring months will look quite a bit different than the initial ones, and the same with the fall months and finale months. The storyline grows and spreads, and your characters gain an assortment of power-up opportunities. Permanently affecting the board and other components adds a spine-tingling aspect not usually found in board games. A similar comparison would be playing Poker for fun, and then playing Poker for big money. In the latter, you’re going to naturally be on the edge of your seat much more, evaluating every move, second-guessing every choice, remembering extensive details about each hand.

A Legacy game is not for everyone.

First, you really want to have the same group of players for the entire campaign. If you find the people at your table regularly shifting, the experience will be lessened. Also, there’s the expense to be considered. At a cost around $60 currently, you’re purchasing a game that you will permanently deface with stickers and other mark-ups, and at the end of the campaign there is no way to “reset” things to start the experience again. This is in direct contrast to most board games where your initial purchase gets you a game that you can play hundreds of times over the course of decades at no additional cost. Yes, it is possible to play Pandemic: Legacy fur-

ther in its final game state, but that’s likely of limited interest to most. If you want to squeeze more gaming out of this one you’re left with two options: 1) make photocopies of the map and other components before you start and then carefully make the changes as you go in a way that doesn’t permanently change anything, or 2) purchase a second copy of the game.

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LI F E IMPROVEME N T

The best way to survive this so called game of life is to make it about a quest for personal development.

Words: Jason Carrick

HOW TO LEVEL UP IN LIFE M

any times in our pursuits of life, we hit brick walls that stop us from advancing. This is especially so when what we are trying to achieve is bigger than what we are capable of accomplishing at the point. Like it or not we’re all playing the game of life every day – completing quests, trying to level up, competing with others and ourselves, and having goals to reach.

Some consider it hard , refuse to play and decide to be spectators – living the average life and never seeing themselves become who they are meant to be.

Wouldn’t it be great to see this pop up everytime you pushed yourself?

For others, it’s a challenge. They struggle, try hard, gain knowledge and experience and try to get to the next level. But they don’t enjoy it.

Then, there are those who play with their heart and soul , who enjoy every new task, achievement and level. Who don’t try to take something from others in order to move forward, who do it for themselves, who always have a smile on their face and accept defeat

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as a lesson.

Some are born like that, others become such. But whatever their process is, they make something beautiful out of their life – a game that brings more happiness, passion, hustle and motivation into the world.

The best way to survive this so called game of life is to make it about a quest for personal development. This means getting better in every area of your life, working to be better a little each day by improving your perception, attitude, skills, and approach to life.

People love quests and challenges, they enjoy having goals to reach and knowing they’re getting better at something. So by taking the passion, excitement, motivation, dedication and concentration we put into the games we play and putting it into our daily life we achieve so much more and be even more motivated after each level, instead of tired, depressed and overwhelmed as in real life.

Character Development Just like hitting the random generator when creating your character the game of life has dealt us all a “random character”. Instead of being upset you’re not a good looking, athletic person who is living it up in beverly hills accept the mediocre starting point you were dealt and aim for something higher. Sure some humans are good looking, some are goofy, some are tall, some are short, some are big,

some are small. That’s life.

It may not be fair but it is what it is. Treating life like a game allows you to quickly improve your situation and feel better about yourself.

Asses the Situation When starting your game you are never given a character who is maxed out, everyone starts at the same base level. In live we have already started to level up but we were not keeping track and didn’t have the celebratory music playing each time we gained new experience.

So there are a few things one must do before committing to leveling themselves up: • determine your current level accepting where you are currently; • figure out where you want to be in a certain point and make a plan; • define how the next level looks like and list the things you need to do in order to get there; • reward yourself after each achievement; • stay focused, ignore distractions and don’t try to skip steps; • keep playing no matter what life throws at you.

How to Start So how do you level up in real life to conquer your problems/goals? The most fundamental aspect of leveling up is to gain experience. The more experience you gain, the stronger you become, the closer you get to leveling up.

In games we gain experience by battling enemies that are weaker than us. If you mirror this to real life then tackling smaller goals first helps you level up so the larger more challenging ones can be conquered with ease. Once you achieve a smaller goal, try to tackle it again and you should notice it goes easier than the first time. Keep repeating this in life and you can be a Level 50 Human.

With each new level comes new zones and

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quests to explore. While you could continue to grind away at the same easy goals, increasing the target you are looking to achieve while shortening the timeline will intensify the experience. When you finally achieve it, you would have gained more experience points and leveled up! Repeat this cycle with even more challenging goals and in no time, you would have reached a sufficiently high level that enables you to eliminate your original goal with no problem.

Ways to Level Up So you’ve decided to join the game but are wondering how to level your character up. In life you need to become better and stronger so that obstacles are no longer obstacles. To help achieve this here are some starting points to get you started on your quest.

1) Read

We all know knowledge is power. So Read.

Reading takes you places, regardless of whether it’s fiction or nonfiction. This is probably the biggest and most underrated form of personal enhancement as it is overshadowed by “cooler” things like social media. Stop surfing for random videos.

Stop scrolling down your Facebook feed to

see what’s up with everyone else.

Did you know reading boosts your confidence too. How so? Reading enhances one’s vocabulary making it easier to have intelligent conversations. Finishing a book is also an accomplishment and makes you feel that much smarter. So read.

2) Fall in love

If you want to experience the sensation of what love really is, then give yourself the chance to fall in love and flow with the feelings. It is in a relationship where you’d discover more things about yourself too. It may be seem scary or impossible, but don’t ever let a bad experience, or a bad person hinder what could be the best thing to happen to you. Knowing how to love helps give you compassion and is a useful skill in life.

3) Fail

Wait aren’t we supposed to be aiming for goals to succeed at? Yes, but sometimes knowing when to quit is just as important as finishing the task.

If you’re in a relationship don’t be afraid to call it quits. If that someone is not right for you, don’t stick around because you don’t think you can deal with all the emotions. If you’ve taken on a task too big for you, know when to quit. Learning from our failures helps to teach us what we need to improve on or how to finish the task properly next time. Don’t get yourself hurt or others out of simple pride.

4) Do something that scares you, very much

Look fear in the face. Fear is simply a chemical reaction inside your body because your brain is unsure what the outcome will be. If people quit every time they felt fear we’d all still be living in caves in the dark.

Only by getting over your fears can you realize how capable you truly are in life.

5) Travel

Life is too short and our world is big. We

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all share the same planet and while it’s easy to communicate with people around the earth. It’s time we all ought to get to know each other better personally. So travel.

Meet different people, see the sights and start absorbing different cultures. Gaining knowledge on how others deal with live will definitely change your outlook on life.

6) Be positive, avoid negativity

Start by eliminating toxic situations in your life. You absolutely do not have to deal with an environment where people are insulting you, annoying you and generally putting you down.

Gather a core group of friends and activities you care for. By surrounding yourself with positives it is easy to easily gain happiness, inspiration and a damn good mood to dramatically shift your life for the better.

is not a life at all when you’re just going with the flow that society has adjusted for you.

Finding a passion gives you a reason to level up. It’s a daily quest you will love doing for life.

9) Stand up for yourself

7) Meditate

No, meditation isn’t some new age, hocus pocus thing that only a chosen few in life can do. Everyone can do it.

Learning how to meditate and reflect gives you the ability to quiet the mind and allow new insights to come in your life. You’d be surprised how a simple, new insight can mean so much to you. Meditation also gives yourself space and some solitude. A quiet environment helps to give you that break you deserve. It’s hard to conquer new goals if you’re thinking about too much, so meditate and level up. Your mind needs a rest too.

8) Find a passion

Passion is what lights your fire. Effectively, it gives you something to always look forward to in life, all the time. And you’ll love it because it harnesses your deepest and most positive emotions. A life

Unfortunately, there’s bound to be some people in this world who want to give you a hard time or knock you down a peg.

Learn to assert yourself and be confident in what you do. This goes hand in hand with doing something that scares you. But once you do, you’ll realize it’s not as scary as you thought. Knowing how and when to stand up for yourself will make accepting new challenges easier. Knowing your confidence gives you the best idea of what you can and can’t do successfully. Remember you’re your own hero.

10) Shed all labels

Listen up. You are not your job. You are not your salary. And neither are you the judgemental words others have unleashed upon you. You don’t have to act according to whatever that is expected out of you.

You’re a unique individual. You have talents and you have a passion. Be your own person. Never apologize for it. Go live.

11) Help others. Do good

Unlike games, in life you can’t score karma points or change your morality meter.

But you can do good deeds. Unfortunately many people just don’t care anymore and have lost all respect for each other. Start making the world a better place for all of us one person at a time and you will be amazed at how good you feel and how appreciated the small things can be. By helping others we help ourselves.

body. You’ll lag if you have an unhealthy body. You can’t play at all if you are always falling sick.

So make sure you get the required amount of sleep at night, as well as eating properly and exercising daily. You need these! No excuses.

Besides, treating each one of these as individual side quests will help level up your body along the way to leveling up in life.

13) Above all else, have fun

A game is meant to be fun. Life is too short to keep worrying and not be happy.

So remember. Just have some fun. You’re allowed to. Stay out too late every once a while. Eat bad foods while watching sports or playing video games. Do stuff that makes you happy. Just make sure you’re also doing stuff that makes you a better person and gets you closer to a better life.

Life is hard enough as it is. Making the game of life into a grinding session won’t make it any more easier or rewarding either.

12) Eat right.

Sleep well.

Exercise You can’t progress in the game of life if you aren’t taking care of your

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O L D SCHOOL COOL

Invention of Spread Spectrum Technology A

lthough better known for her Silver Screen exploits, Austrian actress Hedy Lamarr (born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler) became bored with with her film carrer and turned her intellect towards inventing. Lamarr worked on inventing an improved stoplight and a tablet that would create a soda similar to Coca-Cola when dissolved in water. But her inventions didn’t stop there. She was constantly looking at the world and thinking, ‘Well, how could that be fixed? How could that be improved?’”

Hedy Lamarr She possessed the kind of beauty that was haunting an almost smoldering sensuality, with an exotic accent to match. She was once dubbed “the most beautiful woman in the world.” Even though she shared the screen with Hollywood legends like Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and Jimmy Stewart, people rarely remember her real talent.

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With World War II raging Lamarr wanted to help the war effort. After being told she could best serve her country by raising money she decided to try to invent new technology to help on the battlefield. She became a pioneer in the field of wireless communications along with coinventor George Anthiel when they developed a “Secret Communications System” to help combat the Nazis in World War II. By manipulating radio frequencies at irregular intervals between transmission and reception, the invention formed an unbreakable code to prevent classified messages from being intercepted by enemy personnel.

Lamarr and Anthiel received a patent in 1941, unfortunately the significance of their invention was not realized until decades later.

But most importantly, the “spread spectrum” technology that she helped to invent would galvanize the digital communications boom, forming the technical backbone for GPS, Bluetooth, COFDM (used in Wi-Fi) and CDMA (used in wireless cellphones).

As is the case with many of the famous women inventors, Lamarr received very little recognition of her innovative talent at the time, but recently she has been shown praise she deserved.

Proving she was much more than just another pretty face, Lamarr shattered stereotypes and earned a place among the 20th century’s most important women inventors. She truly was a visionary whose technological acumen was far ahead of its time.

Ole Kirk Christiansen Ole Kirk sitting at his desk and playing with a LEGO train. “LEGO” comes from the Danish words “LEg GOdt” that mean “play well”. Coincidentally, it also means “put together” in Latin.

THE MAN BEHIND LEGO How Ole Kirk Christiansen, built the LEGO legacy, brick by brick.

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FOUR QUICK LEGO FACTS •

The largest commercially produced LEGO set is the Taj Mahal. It contains over 5,900 pieces.

•

On an average, every person on the earth owns 86 LEGO bricks.

•

Shubham Banerjee used his LEGO MInSTORM EV3 to build a functional braille printer.

•

At the 2015 Milan World Expo, children used 6,00,000 LEGO bricks to create the world’s tallest LEGO structure standing at 35.05 metres tall .

e’re all familiar with LEGO, whether it’s from LEGO’s wonderfully imaginative brick sets or from its equally exciting digital avatars, including games and movies. What you may not know is how one of the world’s leading toy companies was started by Ole Kirk Christiansen (1891 – 1958), a down-on-his-luck Danish carpenter, during the Great Depression.The Great Depression of the 1930s meant that Christiansen’s carpentry business suffered.

During this time, Christiansen realised that wooden toys were outselling his other products. Following this revelation, he reoriented his focus exclusively to toy making. He named his company LEGO, a portmanteau of the Danish words leg godt, meaning ‘play well’.

Disaster struck when the toy factory was burned down in 1942. In 1947, Christiansen began using plastic, a much less flammable material, for LEGO products. By 1953, the iconic brightly coloured plastic blocks were

being sold internationally.

The building blocks were a runaway success, tapping creative potential within young minds. Sadly, in 1958, the year that LEGO patented their brick design, Ole Kirk Christiansen passed away of a heart attack in his native Denmark, but not before inspired countless generations of young LEGO builders. In February 2015, LEGO replaced Ferrari as the world’s most powerful brand according to Brand Finance.

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A RTIST INTERVIE W

Jay Sloan

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Words: David Norton

FEATURED INTERVIEW

Freelance Illustrator and Comic Book Artist from Saint Louis. Studied art at Lindenwood University.

Tank Girl Print - Find more great art from Jay on on Facebook, Twitter, and tumblr under Jay Sloan Art or at jaysloanart.deviantart.com. You can also contact him for commissions at jmsloanart@gmail.com

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hat does one feel when they discover the next big thing? Giddy? Awestruck? Bewilderment? Stupefaction? All of those words can describe how I felt when I was introduced to some amazing artwork by our guest Jay Sloan. Mr. Sloan’s artwork can be described in one word. VISCERAL. The first time that I saw some of his sketches I was blown away by the detail that

is orchestrated into each and every commission that he does. That, along with the speed in which he can complete his masterpieces, makes him a special talent in my book. I had the pleasure to sit down and interview Mr. Sloan and we covered several different topics including what he thinks of the next Star Wars and Superman V Batman movie.

DayOldStubble: What made you want to become an artist?

Jay Sloan: It was just inherently in my DNA. I’ve been artistic ever since I could pick up a crayon. My Dad was artistic but never did much with it aside from nurturing my artistic side and teaching me what he knew.

DOS: Are you professionally trained or self-taught?

JS: Both. High school and community college I took as many art classes as I could and had some really awesome teachers that I am truly grateful for. But as for learning the art of comic books I am mostly self taught. Aside from taking figure drawing classes in college, I studied all my favorite artists, read as many books as I could and just practiced by making my own comics that no one except me ever saw. They’re really hard to look at now.

Then around 2000 I quit school and didn’t do much artwork at all. I quit reading and following comics and really only concentrated on making music playing in a couple of different bands around my local scene.

Then in 2008 I decided that I really needed to go back to school and finish up my Bachelor’s in Fine Arts/Studio Art and did so at Lindenwood University. Then in 2011 I reacquainted myself with comic books and fell in love all over again with them.

I picked up my Bristol board and pencils

again, tried my hand at inking my own pencils, and now here I am.

DOS: What are some of your influences in art? Who are some of your favorite artists? Least favorites?

JS: That’s a long list. Everyone from Caravaggio and Vermeer to Albrecht Druer, Davinci, Picasso, Dali --- pretty much all of the “Masters” to comic artists such as Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, Todd McFarlane, Jae Lee, Leinil Francis Yu, Raphael Albuquerque, and so on.

DOS: Are you a big fan of comic books?

If so, what titles do you follow or enjoy?

JS: I love comic books! Growing up I was a huge X-Men fan but these days my taste has changed. Right now my favorites are East of West, Black Science, and Drifter.

I loved some mini series like Spaceman, Wild Blue Yonder, and Black Beetle. Nothing that DC or Marvel is doing interests me in the slightest…..except Star Wars. I LOVE everything Star Wars. I’m behind on my reading but there are many titles I want to read such as Low, Invisible Republic, and Pretty Deadly. I’m definitely a sci-fi fantasy man. Oh yeah, and American Vampire! I love it as well.

DOS: Who is your favorite Super Hero and Villain? And Why? JS: Hero --- Wolverine because of his inner struggle to keep his berserker rage under control and his connection with nature. I can identify with that. Villain is a little tougher…….I guess I’ll say Darth Vader because I love a good fall and redemption story and I also have a soft spot for father/son relationships.

DOS: It sounds like you enjoy characters with certain layers to them. They aren’t just your run of the mill characters that are one dimensional.

JS: Oh yeah. Flat or unrealistic characters just bore me to death. Give me some intellectual substance. Some internal struggles, flaws like we all have, or the “duality of man”. You know, stuff like that.

AQUA TEAM HUNGER FORCE

DOS: Is there anything out there right now that you think is the biggest nugget of crap?

JS: The recycled crap that the big 2 keep putting out there. Let’s reboot our entire universe over and over every few years because we shat the bed again.

DOS: Ever dabbled in the land of the Big 2?

JS: Sure. That’s still kinda the pinnacle I guess --- to be able to say you draw for Marvel or DC. If you wanna work for them you gotta draw their characters the way they like so sure I’ve done some test pages to show them but to no avail. I did partner up with a talented writer that had this great story for DC using their characters and a few that we created in a future that really changed the DC Universe in a fun and original way I thought. We had a meeting with some guys from there but they didn’t buy into it. So now we have an original story with all original characters and we’ll be seeking out smaller publishers to get the story out there. Maybe Image could pick it up. It’s gonna be EPIC for whoever does.

DOS: Care to share any of the details from the story?

JS: Well I don’t wanna give too much away but this is a superhero-villain driven story about our last days here on Earth and then there is also a companion series that expands on our future exploration of space and the repercussions of mankind’s meddling with science and things we don’t understand.

DOS: Well hopefully it sees the light of day for you. It sounds like a no holds barred story. We are going to display 8 pages of your artwork from the story and some character sketches that you developed. From what I’ve seen they look amazing!

JS: Well thank you. I hope that others will appreciate it and enjoy it as well.

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Superman ripped to shreds!

Doomsday clones running amok!

DOS: Can you give us a little bit of information about what is happening in these pages? It looks like an invasion of some sort and the end result seems to end badly for someone.

JS: Yes. Well, someone has released an army of Doomsday clones upon the entire DC Universe. At this point we don’t know who that someone is but their intent is obviously total annihilation. We see events taking place in Metropolis when a familiar caped hero shows up to defend his city. But Superman is no match for a horde of enhanced Doomsdays and it ends badly for him. Freaking clones, man!

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DOS: Geez! Superman ripped to shreds! Doomsday clones running amok! Why the Hell did DC turn this down? Enough about me yelling on my soapbox, tell us a little about these character sketches. They look awesome! Especially the Flash or I guess that’s the Flash.

JS: These were just a part of the process of retooling some of the characters DC fans are familiar with but in a way that reflects the current status of their universe in this particular story line.

Some of their favorite heroes have fallen by the wayside and some villains have picked up the mantle of defending the world. That particular sketch is actually Zoom the Reverse Flash. He has suffered the loss of his legs from the knees down due to his constant wear and tear on them from running so fast all of the time. You know the body can only take so much abuse before it breaks down.

DOS: Sort of off the subject but how do you feel about the new Star Wars move The Force Awakens? Excited?

Disappointed?

JS: I feel like a kid again. I CAN’T WAIT! From what I’ve seen I think JJ is gonna give us a good mix of traditional FX and digital, great storytelling, new and old characters and restore balance to the force. At least I’m hoping. I am giddy with anticipation!

DOS: Same here. It was really exciting to see Ole Han and Chewy again. I think it’s going to be much better than the prequels.

JS: Prequels, huh? Do those exist?

LOL. DOS: What about all of the hype surrounding Superman v Batman? How do you feel about it?

JS: Well, I am looking forward to an epic and classic story line being represented on the big screen. Sometimes that’s easier said than done but I think the DCCU is finally on the right track but I’ll reserve my judgment for after I see it. I’m not one of these Marvel vs.

DC fanboys. I just want to see a great comic book movie period. This one

Character Development Sketches Just a sample of the characters Jay Sloan and his writer are working on for their superhero-villain driven story about our last days here on Earth and the companion series that expands on our future exploration of space and the repercussions of mankind’s meddling with science and things we don’t understand. They are currently seeking out a publisher and am hoping that Image picksit up. seems to have all the potential of being just that. We’ll see soon enough but I am really excited. This is a truly an exciting time to be a film fan.

DOS: What advice would you give someone that is trying to be an artist?

JS: Study as many artists as you can both good and bad. What they get right and don’t. Practice. Practice. Practice. Draw everything you see. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try different techniques and learn from your mistakes. Talk to other artist of all levels.

Network. It’s okay to emulate other artists you admire but in the end you gotta find your own style. Keep doing you and never give up. Aim higher than you think you can reach and don’t be disappointed when you fall short.

Just keep on keeping on. Oh, yeah.

Don’t defend yourself during critiques.

Accept any feedback with an open mind

and a positive attitude.

DOS: What is the best advice that you yourself has received from other artists?

JS: At this moment I’ll say I read a quote from David Finch and what someone else told him was “Draw everything in Bridgman’s complete guide to drawing from life. Close the book and draw it again.” That’s been a big help here lately.

DOS: Jay, I would like to speak on behalf of all of us here at dayoldstubble and say that we think that your artwork is breathtaking and hopefully in the near future we will be seeing your name on a cover at our local comic book shop stand.

JS: Thank you very much. I appreciate that and I hope so, too.

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TV & MOVIES

Badass, intelligent characters, a future crumbling beneath its shiny facade, and Space Apocalypse Boots! * This article is an updated article previously published for The Mary Sue.

The Best Big Damn Space Western I’ve Been Waiting for All of My Life

A

nyone who knows me well knows that I love me a good space story. If it’s “space western-y,” I love it even harder. Firefly, Outlaw Star, GunxSword,Andromeda, Cowboy Bebop, Farscape, Earth 2, Babylon 5 … the list goes on. Wherever there is a gritty, futuristic planet, a hive of scum and villainy, a space station or ship that has seen better days, or a truly fabulous pair ofSpace Apocalypse Boots, there will I be—or wish I was. Sigh.

I have a lot of fear when I love something too much. For example, I loved Firefly, and look what happened there. I loved Fastlane, and boom: gone. I loved Moonlight, Veronica Mars, Jericho, Terra Nova, Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls,Fringe, The 4400, Buffy, Angel, and The Dresden Files right to death, it seems. Maybe it’s a family curse, like, whenever my parents love a

steak house too much and it either burns to the ground or goes out of business in the dead of night, leaving no trace. Sigh.

So … how much I love Killjoys, the new space bounty hunter show created by Michelle Lovretta (the creator of Lost Girl, another favorite show!) is making me a gorram nervous wreck.

Killjoys is everything I want from a new space show. I wanted an amazing, kickass lady character, and I got Dutch, played by Hannah JohnKamen, who is competent, smart, classy (when she wants to be), and has a sarcastic streak. She also cares deeply about her crew and her ship and does not accept kill warrants.

There are reasons for her choices, and I will not spoiler you too much, but her reasons are pretty legit.

My favorite scene with Dutch so

Dutch

Played by Hannah JohnKamen, who is a competent, smart, classy leading lady who has a sarcastic streak

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Words: Sara Goodwin

John Jaqobis

Played by Aaron Ashmore, give this man any mech, any tech, and he can fix-it-buildit-fly it. Just don’t ask him to read the instructions.

far is in the opening episode where she is infiltrating a fancy rich-people party, dressed to the nines in an amazing futuristic pink dress and a really cool-looking necklace.

She has been poisoned and wakes up just in time to hear her boys calling out for help. She walks down the hallway like a boss, rips off her necklace, which, it turns out, is made of MECHANICAL SPIDER ROBOTS that shoot bad guys, and proceeds to kick all of the ass. In a pink dress. My God, I love her.

It’s the best fight scene choreographed to music since Leeloo Dallas Multipass kicked ass to techno opera in The Fifth Element.

I also wanted smart, badass space gents, and I got John and D’Avin Jaqobis (played by Aaron Ashmore and Luke Macfarlane.) John, in the opening scene, broke my heart, made me laugh, and earned mad props and respect. He’s been taken prisoner by some bad guy and is getting the proverbial snots beaten out of him for stealing his ship, but he just keeps smarting off.

When Dutch shows up to rescue him and is pinned to the table, there’s a brilliant bit of dialogue where it seems at first as though

D’avin Jaqobis

Played by Luke Macfarlane, D’avin is many things – handsome, uber masculine, sarcastic, incredibly loyal – but he is one thing above all: a born soldier.

the show is going to go with the more formulaic “guy is the leader, gal is crew, and she tried to rescue him but it didn’t work” route.

When John informs the bad guy that he was assuming too many things—that he was the boss, and that his ship was what they were after—cue Dutch being amazing, rescuing her boy, and revealing the insane teamwork they are capable of as Reclamation Agents (“Killjoys” is a slang term for Reclamation Agents.) When John, tied and beaten up, demanded of the beat-down lackeys to see their boss, that was actually a part of their plan. RAC agents are basically space bounty hunters that operate outside the parameters of traditional law to obtain people, objects, etc. and bring them back, and the boss was their warrant. Johnny Jaqobis definitely has a piece of my heart, in the general region occupied by Seamus Harper from Andromeda. What is it with me and Canadian Fictional Space Boyfriends, anyway?

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Like in Andromeda, the ship is voiced by a female AI. The Killjoys ship, Lucy, seems to have the same type of gentle affection for Johnny that Rommie (the AI form of Andromeda) held for Mr. Harper. Yep, I have a type, it seems.

When D’Avin Jaqobis, John’s older brother, is introduced, he’s an indentured Fight Club servant on a ship, trying to earn his room and board from point A to point B. He also has a level 5 kill warrant out on him. John uses Dutch’s higher clearance to take D’Avin’s warrant, not understanding that failure to kill the target would cause even bigger problems for everyone.

D’Avin has been absent from Johnny’s life for eight years, which makes the shady stunt John pulled using Dutch’s clearance understandable.

Dutch is justifiably upset, but when she finds out what is really going on, she’s forgiving and finds a way to get them out of the dicey situation. I don’t want to give TOO many spoilers here, but … D’Avin … has a very, very nice chest.

I mean … it’s nice. And as nice as his chest is, D’Avin is more than just terminally shirtless hot guy. He’s intelligent and cares about his brother.

In addition to that, he’s an ex-military man who suffers from “battle brain,” which is pretty much PTSD from combat. There is more to it than that, but to give further information would be to spoiler the show, and I think that people should watch it and be as surprised as I was.

More things to love about Killjoys: (If you need reasons other than it’s being amazing.)

Characters and Diversity. Even the side characters are full of promise and potential for the future! The show is already ahead of the curve in the category of diversity, with a woman of color in the leading role (Kamen-Johns is Nigerian-Norwegian and is from the U.K.) The side characters continue to be surprisingly diverse in their gender, age, religious, professional, and ethnic/racial identities. In the first episode, we are introduced to Fancy Lee(played by Sean Baek), another RAC agent who, like Dutch, is a Level 5 agent, meaning that he’s able to take kill warrants—and unlike Dutch, he does. Later on in the show, he has one of my favorite quotes of the series so far.

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Khlyen (Rob Stewart) is a mysterious figure from Dutch’s past, who seems to have trained her as an assassin from a young age. He’s shown being kind to her and helping her when she’s poisoned, but flashbacks reveal him making her kill as a child, so …. probably not good people.

Alvis (Morgan Kelly), is a religious/resistance leader who practices penitence by suspending himself from body piercing hooks and sometimes gives the Killjoys useful tips. Pawter Simms (Sarah Power) is a doctor with a dark past (and kind-of present), Pree (Thom Allison) is the owner of The Royale, a bar the main characters frequent, and is a gay man. Bellus Haardy (Nora McLellan) is often the one to whom Dutch, Johnny, and D’Avin report. They also receive new warrants from her. Bellus is one part cheerful swagger, one part threatening glower, and one part helpful mentor.

There are others, and I’m certain there will be more, but as you can see, so far, so good!

Show-don’t-tell worldbuilding. The writing does not spoonfeed you. It assumes that you’re paying attention and that you’ll pick up necessary details as you go along, remember them for later, and start making connections.

It’s a smart show, and I truly appreciate that. For example, space travel is a thing. The characters live and operate in a system called The Quad, which is a part of a star system referred to as “The J”. The Quad contains the planet Qresh and three moons – Westerley, Leith, and Arkyn. The Quad is run by a nebulous entity known as “The Company.” This begs such questions as where is Earth?

What happened there? Was it ever a thing in this universe? Also, if space travel and futuristic devices exist, why is the future-y signage on Westerley so decrepit and half-burned-out? This information is not just info-dumped on the viewer – it comes out gradually as characters interact with each other and their situations. You can actually figure out a lot of what must have happened and what is currently happening in the politics of The Quad just by paying at-

tention. What kind of world do you live in when you can hire a religious fanatic to hang himself by some fleshhooks to atone for someone else’s sins? And … wait. Those “religious fanatics” sure can move around a lot more freely and anonymously than other people can … hmmm. The guttering of the shiny signage can actually be interpreted as a metaphor for the precarious political condition of the Quad and the climate on Westerley in particular. It’s definitely seen better days.

The music. If you’ve read some of my previous articles, you know how I feel about how important good scoring is to a movie or a show. The Killjoysscore is

by Trevor Yuile and Tim Welch (http:// filmmusicreporter.com/2015/04/08/ trevor-yuile-tim-welch-scoring-syfyskilljoys/), and is incredibly well-suited to the show. Yuile also composed the music for Orphan Black, which has been recommended to me many times!

So far, Killjoys is making all of the right choices with the musical score and the songs chosen to help develop the world.

If my love letter to Killjoys has not yet convinced you to give it a watch, perhaps Dutch can talk you into it with her awesomeness.

I’d do it if I were me. :-) SyFy recently renewed Killjoys for a second season so more fun is on its way starting in 2016.

I have a headache, a badge and a gun... behave.

TV & MOVIES

Right in the Feels: Anthropomorphizing the Mundane, Sad Animals, Terrified Mice and Bunnies, and Our Childhoods

Words: Sara Goodwin

* This article combines elements of articles previously published for The Mary Sue and adds elements expanded upon for convention panels and is an ongoing “study” of the purpose of disturbing material

I

was one of those kids who was absolutely convinced that my toys came to life when I was asleep and led full lives.

Not only that, but I can remember getting out of bed to put a pair of shoes together so they wouldn’t have to spend the night alone. I also freaked out when I saw my mother use a pie vent shaped like a bird, and saw red pie filling and steam bursting from its mouth. I was all, “It’s dying! You’re KILLING it!” There was another incident involving bread dough that had been given a face, but I’ll leave it there and let you imagine three-year-old me’s reaction.

It may seem odd (and I was a weird kid, admittedly), but anthropomorphizing objects has been going on for many years in many cultures. Who doesn’t cry when they think about The Velveteen Rabbit and how badly he wanted to be real? The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams, was published in 1922, and introduced us to a heartbreaking stuffed rabbit who became “real” because his child had truly loved him.

In Japanese culture, there is a concept called Tsukumogami, which is popularly used to refer to an object that has reached its hundredth birthday and become alive.

There seems to be a bit of a divide between the religious interpretations and the popular culture use of this word, but from what I can tell from some quick Google research is that it was commonly associated with religion in the past and has been adopted by modern cultures to describe a kind of anthropomorphism.

Using animals, objects, etc. to tell a story can have practical uses beyond making us cry when we see a lamp that looks like that adorable, hopping Pixar lamp lying in a dumpster. If you want to shake a fist in outrage for the sad, cute lamps of the world, check out the Ikea lamp commercial released in September 2002 made of pure evil.

Ascribing human characteristics to non-human creatures or objects can take issues like race or gender out of the mix entirely. If you want to create a children’s book with universal appeal, make your main character a sweet-faced steamshovel, or a cat, or a frog.

Here are some of my own favorite anthropomorphized objects that messed us up as kids:

1.) The cute shoe from Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Judge Doom. The Dip. My childhood – “Noooooooo!” Seriously, I lost it when Judge Doom dangled the sweet, squeaky ‘toon shoe over the vat of Dip. I thought surely that the poor little thing would be saved, but …. no. The cute little shoe with a face was dropped into the Dip and destroyed. Not only was a little face-having being destroyed, the other shoe now has to live the rest of its life without a mate.

Dammit.

Don’t look. Just don’t look …

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2.) The Sad Gold Wrapping Paper from Animaniacs.

Narrated by Jim Cummings in his best Winnie the Pooh voice, A Gift of Gold was a weird pocket of sad in the Animaniacs’ Christmas special. The gold wrapping paper started out shiny, new, and proud of herself, but after she is used to wrap a gift and then thrown aside as trash, she begins a harrowing journey of being thrown into a garbage truck and taken to the city dump.

When I was a kid, watching Goldie try to hide from the maid who was going to collect her for the trash, and her clearly terrified posture as she tried to escape from the back of the garbage truck struck me an unexpected emotional blow. “That’s right, Goldie, it’s off the the wasteland with you. Like so many worn-out dreams and tattered promises.” This bit of narration is punctuated by a grim view of the dump – a teddy bear is visible, sad and unloved. Seriously, you guys?! My freaking heart!

Just as Goldie is about to settle at the dump, she is carried away by a breeze to a freeway, where she is repeatedly run over by traffic. Ouch. She nearly drowns, and is blown into an alley, where she ends up on a trash can until being found by a poor man who needs something to wrap his son’s shabby birthday present. The man wraps the present in the gold paper and presents it to his son. It turns out that the family is living in a car. The little boy is truly grateful for his present and folds the wrapping paper neatly, placing her in his shirt pocket while the narrator states that, “In a world where so much is disposable, it’s truly a thing of wonder when the little things are appreciated.”

Dammit, Jim Cummings! Every time there is an character voice I like, it turns out to have been voiced by this guy. He can seriously sound like anyone. Mr. Cummings voiced Don Karnage from TaleSpin, Darkwing Duck, Ed the Hyena, Winnie the Pooh, and Ray the Firefly from The Princess and the Frog. Well played, sir.

3.) The Island of Misfit Toys from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Basically an orphanage for messed-up, misfit toys, ruled over by a winged lion.

This song in the Rankin/Bass claymation holiday special exposes a dark side to San-

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ta’s toy delivery. Defective toys are taken to the Island of Misfit Toys because apparently nobody wants a Charlie-in-the-box. The song alone can work my tear-makers!

4.) The Brave Little Toaster

Can we just talk about how that movie may have created a generation of hoarders? Or was that just me, getting the feels when my car got totaled recently, thinking about my poor, sweet, Saturn getting squished … watch this. Dear God. And if you still feel okay after this, then watch the flower scene. That’s right, the flower shriveled and died because it was alone.

5.) Jessie from Toy Story 2

When She Loved Me – There are a lot of things in the Toy Story movies that could be on this list, but this is the one that struck me emotionally the hardest. Jessie’s song about when her human kid loved her and how great life was back then was enough to make me want to run-not-walk back to my parents’ house, dig out my old dolls, and apologize to all of them for the time they’d spent packed away. Was it dark in the closet where they’re stored? Do they have a phobia of the dark now because of what I’ve done?!

Okay, so we’ve covered the objects, now for the animals!

What is it with heartbreaking animals in movies, books, and TV? It’s getting to the point that whenever an animal is introduced into the cast of something I’m watching or reading, I start waiting for the other shoe to drop. Whenever a little animal love his or her mommy or daddy too much, has a little friend who isn’t as fast as they are, or a human loves their horse, dog, or giant ant, there shall follow heartbreak. Honorable mention goes out to the Staples of Sadness from our childhoods such as: Old Yeller, Bambi’s mom, Old Dan and Little Ann from Where the Red Fern Grows, Mufasa from The Lion King, and Littlefoot’s mom from The Land Before Time. Let’s get started.

Does anyone remember that episode of The Animaniacs where they poked fun at the movie industry, their rivals at Disney in particular, for making children cry with

movies like Old Yeller and Bambi? Slappy Squirrel had to take her sobbing nephew Skippy to Hollywood to meet the actress who played Bumbie’s (yeah, Bambi’s) mom to get him to believe that it wasn’t real, that everything was okay, and on the flight home, the in-flight movie was … Old Yellow. You hear an off-screen voice call, “Old Yellow! Oh, no!”, then a gunshot, and Skippy’s eyes fill with tears yet again.

Yeah, screw you too, Disney and your Animated Onion Farms!

I’ve written a lot about kids’ movies and cartoons, but this is not a problem unique to material intended for children. Futurama appeals most to teens and adults, and the episode that I refer to as the “Fry’s Freaking Dog” episode is legendary in our time. I’ve made a list of the top six flashback-inducing animals that messed me up the most. You’re welcome. Grab some tissues. :-)

1.) Seymour, Fry’s Freaking Dog – Futurama

The saddest thing I’ve ever seen on television is the fate of Seymour, Fry’s dog.

When Fry was frozen, Seymour waited outside the pizza place for him for twelve years. The montage of Seymour waiting and waiting while that Connie Francis “I Will Wait For You” song plays literally brings me to tears every single time. Seymour gradually ages, then lays down and closes his eyes. In the distant future, Fry is given the opportunity to clone Seymour and decides against it when he finds out that Seymour died at the age of 15. He assumes that Seymour forgot about him and found a new owner. Not true, Fry! He waited for you! The only comparable tale of devotion that I can think of is Rory, the Boy Who Waited from Doctor Who, and he may have waited longer, but at least it wasn’t all for nothing! Dammit, Seymour!

You’re a fictional cartoon dog on a show that is mostly a comedy! Why’d you have to go and break my heart? Yes, I realize that Seymour’s fate was altered in later episodes, but that doesn’t lessen the initial impact.

2.) Samantha, Dr. Robert Neville’s dog – I Am Legend

The minute I saw the dog, I was on edge.

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Every scene that showed the bond between Will Smith’s character and Samantha the dog ripped my heart open a little bit. You don’t build up a dog-character like that without planning to kill it off later. I saw Turner and Hooch! I watched Marley and Me! Old Yeller, Where the Red Fern Grows … so I should have been ready, right? I should have expected to have to watch Will Smith have to kill his beloved Samantha after she was infected by roving zombie/ vampire dog things. I might have been ready for it mentally, but it still packed an emotional sucker punch. At least the kid in Old Yeller got to shoot the now-rabid Yeller from a safe distance. Dr. Robert Neville had to choke Samantha to death with his own hands. Good lord.

3.) Alexander the Dog/Nina Tucker the Kid – Fullmetal Alchemist

As if poor Ed hadn’t been through enough, what with losing an arm, a leg, and an entire brother (kind of), he and Al meet up with Mad Science McGee (aka Shou Tucker), who has the most adorable little daughter and the sweetest fluffy white dog … that he chooses to fuse together with some mad, mad alchemy of a most inadvisable nature. Alexander didn’t do anything but be fuzzy and awesome and snuggle his kid. Nina was trusting and cute, and loved her Asshat Science Dad so much more than he deserved. Chimera-Dog-Nina is horrifying, sad, and when the wandering extremist Scar comes across her/it, he mercy-kills her/him so fast it makes your head spin.

And leaves Ed traumatized by the bloodstained alley. Not acceptable. Nope.

4.) Appa, the Kidnapped and Traumatized Sky Bison – Avatar, the Last Airbender

When Aang and Appa were separated, the emotional trauma went both ways.

Watching the usually confident, good-humored Aang search for the only friend who had been with him from the beginning was sad enough, but when the episode “Appa’s Lost Days” aired, the separation was shown mostly without words from Appa’s point of view. You see how mistreatment and fear drive the sky bison so far away from his usual affable self that he’s a frightened shadow of the Appa we’ve come to know

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and love. Fortunately, Appa did not die, but his distress was so great that he warranted high placement on this list anyway. The reunion is enough to wring tears out of a freaking rock. You don’t separate a boy from his bison!

5.) Artax, The Horse Who Sank Into Despair – The Neverending Story

The Swamps of Sadness. A magical swamp that causes those who travel through it to experience intense, soul-killing sadness. Atreyu, the young hero, and his horse/best friend Artax have to get through the swamp to continue their quest.

I remember watching this movie as a kid, thinking that something terrible was about to happen because the music had gone all grim and sad, and then it happened. The horse gets bogged down in the swamp, Atreyu begs him, sobbing his eyes out, to try not to die … and me and my brother are staring at the screen in horror. That music kept playing, Atreyu kept trying to save his friend, and the horse sank, literally, into despair. Needless to say, this movie left me suspicious of the motives of future movies involving horses. Oh, my God – did I mention that that music SOUNDS like misery and drowning horses?

6.) Hedwig, The Owl Who Loved Her Boy Who Lived – Harry Potter

What did Hedwig ever do besides hoot softly, carry mail, wait patiently to be let free from her cage, and stay by Harry’s side when he needed her most? Besides being a sweet, devoted pet, Hedwig was also symbolic of Harry’s own deliverance from his life with the Dursleys. Hagrid purchased the snowy white owl for Harry’s eleventh birthday after taking Harry away from his cupboard-under-the-stairs existence, and she stayed with her boy until the last book, when she sacrificed her life to save Harry.

According to J.K. Rowling, Hedwig was a symbol of Harry’s innocence. Call me crazy, but the poor kid couldn’t have had all that much innocence left at that point anyway! Did she have to kill his owl too? I remember re-reading it, just to make sure it had really happened, and crying all the tears I hadn’t managed to already bawl out over Sirius Black. Thanks, J.K. Rowling. You

broke me, lady.

And then we have cases like Ray the Firefly from The Princess and the Frog.

Ray’s steadfast love for Evangeline was as sad as it was sweet. And, if you overthink it the way I do with pretty much everything … there might be a deeper story. First of all, Ray puts on a show no less impressive than Sebastian’s Kiss the Girl for Naveen and Tiana to dance and start to fall for each other.

Then, notice the part where Frog Naveen shushes Louis the Alligator for starting to say that Evangeline isn’t a firefly. I like that Naveen. Now, when Ray dies after fearlessly battling Facilier’s shadow demon-things and getting squished *sob*, HE TURNS INTO A STAR AND JOINS EVANGELINE! I feel like this means that Ray’s lady used to be a firefly and died. So, when he’s singing about his love for Evangeline, he’s not deluded into thinking a star is a firefly… he KNOWS that star is his girl. And he’s extra fearless and brave in battle because he knows when he dies he will get to join her. Why do I think of these things? And, like most random animated characters I love, Ray is voiced by the wonderful Jim Cummings.

Okay, so we’ve covered Things with Faces, Sad Animals … and now we’re on to the Extreme War Bunny Fearfest that is Watership Down. Few things in this world are less okay than Watership Down. An animated movie about bunnies trying to find a new home—who could know what would happen? That we would be seeing images like this in our dreams for the rest of our lives?

Seriously, it’s a good movie. It really is.

It’s just filled with surprising amounts of horror: Bunnies killed by gassing, tripping over the dead bodies of their friends and families trying to escape with their lives, a little bunny with devastating visions of imminent death and destruction in the future (*hugs Fiver*), a bunny tortured and mutilated by his own kind (*covers my eyes*), bunnies shot, snared, gored by dogs and cats, murdered by each other … it’s a bloodbath, but it’s worth watching at least once.

Then, we have things like The Secret of NIMH. Mice and rats with human-like

awareness and abilities, the results of animal experimentation at NIMH, which stands for the National Institute for Mental Health. These animals were lab critters being experimented on in the name of science. If you want to lose a piece of your soul, watch the part where the origins of the rats are explained. The sad, scared bunnies in the cage and the little beagles crying … what the fresh hell, people? I’m imagining a scenario where Don Bluth parts ways with Disney over disagreements regarding cartoon rodents. Mr. Bluth wanted sad, scared experimentation rodents in his films, and Disney wanted singing, sewing, child-rescuing rodents in theirs.

That’s totally how this went down, right?

He should seriously team up with the Tear Farmers at Pixar and create a masterwork of heartbreaking sadness.

Next, let’s talk about The Great Owl. He’s voiced by John Carradine in his best deep, scary tones. Mrs. Brisby, the bravest mama mouse ever, enters his lair and is faced by piles and piles of rodent and small animal bones. She’s pretty much possibly climbing over the remains of Uncle JimBob Mouserton and his entire family. “Grandpa?

Is—was that you?” As if climbing over the bones of your kind into the lair of the thing that eats you isn’t traumatic enough, a giant spider that rivals Shelob in degrees of spidery nope, is stalking her. Just when it seems like Shelob Aragog the 12th is about to get him/herself a mousie sammich, the Great Owl appears and squashes the mouse-sized spider like it’s … well, a bug.

Right in front of Mrs. B. Yikes! Fortunately, the Great Owl is mainly just … creepy.

He doesn’t threaten to eat her, but he does seem to enjoy getting his big, owly-jowly face right up in hers. He gives her the information she needs, which is great, but then he flies off into the night to hunt.

Probably for mice. His menace is mostly implied, but daaang, if it isn’t an emotionally charged scene!

So … what are we supposed to take away from this? I mean, other than that we should never, ever throw anything away ever again, never underestimate the War-Making of Bunnies, and never forget the suffering of lab animals? I think that one of the most important lessons these anthropomorphized objects and animals impart is empathy. They are exercises

in putting ourselves in the place of the imperiled or distraught object or creature.

If we can empathize with Jessie that being forgotten and alone sucks, we can make an effort not to do this to other people. If we can believe in a cartoon shoe’s terror and pain, we can apply that to understanding the fear people might experience when victimized. If we can understand true love through the eyes of a fictional firefly, experience abandonment alongside an old dog, feel the grief of the loss of a horse to despair … then we can be better prepared to deal with those emotions in our daily lives as well. And really … thinking about our own consumption of goods and how and where those consumed goods eventually end up can’t be bad for us either.

And, in case anyone was wondering, I no longer feel compelled to keep my shoes

together or burst into tears when my bread-dough doll gets cooked. I still hate pie birds, though. So unnecessary. My mom finds my dislike of them hilarious and gave me a pack of three for Christmas.

That’s how we roll. :-)

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FOODALICIOUS

P

eople have strong opinions about the Monte Cristo sandwich, a double-decker of Swiss cheese, ham, and chicken or turkey, battered, fried, and dusted with confectioners’ sugar, served with jelly on the side. Some consider it a marvel; others, an absurdity. Whatever else it may be, the Monte Cristo is a stunning creation, requiring careful assembly and, at the table, a knife and fork.

SERVES 2 Ingredients 1⁄4 cup milk 2 eggs Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

6 pieces thinly sliced white bread 4 thin slices cooked turkey 4 thin slices cooked ham 4 thin slices Swiss cheese Confectioners’ sugar, to garnish Red currant jelly, for serving

STOMACH PLEASING RECIPES

Instructions Lightly beat milk and eggs in a shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. For each sandwich, lightly butter 3 slices of bread on both sides (using about 1⁄2 tbsp. of butter for each sandwich). Place 2 slices each of turkey and ham between 2 slices of bread. Top each with 2 slices of cheese, and then top with third slice of buttered bread. Trim crusts, secure with toothpicks, and cut in half on the diagonal.

Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a 12″ nonstick skillet over medium heat. Dip sandwich halves in milk mixture to coat. When butter foams, place sandwiches in skillet and fry until golden brown on bottom, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 2 tbsp. butter to skillet, turn sandwiches, and fry until browned on other side, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to plates, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, and serve with jelly.

WHAT TO DO WITH YOU HOLIDAY LEFTOVERS

LEFTOVER RECIPES our favorite ideas on how to reuse those leftovers and gain some all important fridge space

Y

ou could very well be left with a few metric tons of mashed potatoes after the Holiday meal depending on your guests.

If this happens to be the case, you’re in luck, because they’re about to be turned into deep-fried goodness. These croquettes are an awesome snack to devour in the days following your holiday.

Ingredients 2 tablespoons milk Salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon chopped green onion 2 egg yolks, beaten

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 cups mashed potatoes 1 egg, beaten Sifted dried bread crumbs Peanut oil, enough to fill pan 1/2-inch

Directions Add milk, salt, pepper, chopped onion, beaten egg yolks and flour to mashed potatoes. Chill and then shape using an ice cream scoop.

Dip in the beaten egg, then roll through bread crumbs. Fry each croquette in shallow oil until brown on all sides.

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TEA TIME

GETTING TO THE

BOTTOM OF A CUP T

ea is a popular beverage that has been enjoyed for centuries. An estimated three billion cups of tea are consumed across the globe every day, with many people looking to tea when they are sick or to prevent illness.

As popular as tea has become, certain misconceptions about tea have spread over the years. The following can clear up some of the more common misunderstandings about tea.

Myth: Different tea varieties come from different types of tea plants.

Fact: Commercial tea comes only from the leaves of the camelia sinensis plant.

Different methods of processing determine which variety of tea is produced.

Black and oolong tea develops from oxidizing and fermenting tea leaves, while green tea is produced by steaming wilted leaves.

Myth: Adding milk to tea negates the health benefits.

Fact: According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the same amount of catechins, which are antioxidants associated with a reduced risk of some diseases, can be absorbed tea that contains milk as tea that does not.

Myth: Anything with the name “tea� is true tea.

Fact: Only tea from tea plants constitutes real tea. Herbal varieties of tea are actually tisanes made from flowers and bark of other plants.

Myth: Fruits and vegetables contain more disease-fighting antioxidants than tea.

Fact: Research indicates that tea has about 10 times the amount of antioxidants of vegetables and fruit. Individuals who consume reduced-calorie diets often find tea that is a good, no-calorie source of antioxidants.

Myth: Antioxidants can turn back aging.

Fact: Antioxidants may contribute to personal longevity, but they cannot reverse signs of aging. Antioxidants have been known to neutralize free radicals in the body that can contribute to many different diseases, including various forms of cancer.

Myth: Tea never goes bad.

Fact: It may take some time for properly stored tea to spoil, but the level of antioxidants in tea does begin to diminish after a few months. Research by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry indicates catechins in green tea decrease by 32 percent in just six months. Tea is most beneficial to human health when it is consumed within six months of its production.

Myth: Tea has much less caffeine than coffee.

Fact: The amount of caffeine in tea can vary. The average amount of caffeine in tea ranges from 14 to 61 mg per eight-ounce cup. Coffee, on the other hand, can contain between 27 and 200 mg per serving.

Myth: Hot tea is better for you than cold tea.

Fact: As long as the tea is steeped in water long enough, both hot and cold tea provide the same bang for your buck.

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MENS FASHION

HOW TO WEAR A SPORTS JACKET WITH JEANS AND PULL IT OFF LIKE A BOSS? Words: Jason Carrick

A

h, the sport jacket, the most versatile item you can own aside from a pair of jeans, of course.

The benefits of this piece of clothing are numerous. First it allows you to be dressed-up with a shirt and tie, dresseddown with your most beat-up tee, and

Wrong Look - This mashup screams I’m lazy but in style.

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layered under and over without losing any of its sartorial appeal. Second, it enhances your silhouette, broadening and heightening your shoulders, slimming your midsection, and giving you a more masculine appearance overall. And third, it offers a good number of pockets, so you can lighten the load on your trousers and have what you need ready at hand.

Besides all the benefits to you, a jacket also allows you the opportunity to be a gentleman. You can offer it to a cold lady friend as an added layer of warmth. Or should the need arise one can go very old school and use your jacket to protect your favorite females feet from wet mud puddles (of course we don’t recommend this unless you have a large disposable income to get a new jacket).

While wearing jeans and a sports coat is sometimes a controversial pairing; often called “the business mullet” (formal up top, casual on the bottom) by its critics, when done right the appearance can be quite stylish. If your stuff fits well, you’ll look great no matter how much you spent on your clothes. It’s not that a blazer and jeans look bad, it’s that anything that doesn’t properly fit looks sloppy, whether it’s a tudo or a pair of jeans.

Often the two pieces of this style puzzle are too jarringly matched. If the jacket is too formal and the jeans too casual and both are too baggy then the look will fail.

The solution of course is to make sure your top and bottom compliment each other along with your wardrobe accessories and that everything fits well.

WHEN TO WEAR A SPORTCOAT AND JEANS. A jacket and jeans is an extremely versatile outfit that’s particularly perfect when the dress code is a little hazy. Since it is not a formal or semi-formal look one can get away with looking and being versatile wherever the event may lead. A first date, a casual job interview, traveling, and dinner with friends are all good times for a jacket and jean pairing, making sure you look sharp and in style.

OUR GUIDE TO HELP YOU GET THE LOOK First Step: Choosing your jeans.

The jeans you wear with a jacket need to look dressier than your basic worn out work jeans for this to be a good combination. Choose clean, dark, well-fitted, trouser-esque denim, and avoid ripped, baggy, faded, and distressed jeans. A good pair of jeans to wear should have these three features; a close fit, a dark color, and be of proper length.

Second Step: Choosing your jacket.

Now that you have your lower half covered, it’s time to focus on the most important area. This is the one area where you will have to make some important decisions and show some discretion.

Most people get hung up on whether one’s coat has to be of the sports variety, or if you can pair jeans with a suit jacket or blazer.

Luckily when it comes to wearing a jacket with jeans there is really only one choice.

A suit jacket is more structured and formal in appearance causing a look that is too jarring and confused. A blazer can work with jeans but since it sits between a suit jacket and sports jacket, it’s thicker more textured fabric can come off as too formal. Luckily that leaves only one, the sports jacket.

Created in the 19th century for gentlemen who needed a more rugged, utilitarian garment for active pursuits like shooting, hunting, riding, and golf. The jacket was thus constructed of thicker fabrics and adorned with patch pockets for cartridges, elbow patches for durability, and slits in the back for mobility. These rustic, casual style details are what make the sports jacket a quite fitting companion for the rustic, casualness of denim.

Ever wanted to see how you look with leather elbow patches, or with big, square, accordion-style pockets? Now is the time to try them out.

There’s a huge range out there to choose from, and no one “right” style.

A couple of important factors to think about when you choose one are: Unstructured and soft-shouldered.

Casual, textured fabric. Linen or cotton in warmer months; tweed, corduroy, etc. for colder weather.

Two buttons over three.

Well-fitted. Sports coats are cut roomier than suit jackets and blazers in order to allow for layering underneath. But you don’t want the fit to be too baggy.

High color contrast with jeans. Sports coats aren’t supposed to match your pants, and look best when they form a sharp contrast with them. Choosing a light-colored sports coat works best with dark denim.

Third Step: Accessorize.

So you’ve got your jeans and jacket picked out but I bet you’re asking “What else should I wear?” Luckily we have an answer for you. The beauty of the jeans/sports jacket combination is its versatility.

With a lightly-patterned dress shirt and a sporty tie it’s dressy enough to attend casual business functions or a weekend church service in confidence. Opt for a dark T-shirt and a pair of skate shoes instead and you can fit in at a dance club.

Want to try a layered look? Pull a v-neck sweater or casual vest over your dress shirt, and under your jacket, for a more sophisticated look. Add in a thick textured tie and pocket square for an even snazzier ensemble.

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LIFE TIPS

THE ART OF THE SHAKE

Your handshake paints a picture that will, wether you like it or not, determines what others initially think about you, until proven otherwise.

LEARNING THE ART OF THE HANDSHAKE

T

here is an art form that requires no paint, no canvas and no depressed artist. It determines whether people you meet think you’re a masterpiece of a man or the ugly version of Dorian Gray’s portrait.

First Impressions may be wrong, but they are always remembered. Your handshake paints a picture that will, wether you like it or not, determines what others initially think about you, until proven otherwise.

For centuries, the shaking of hands has symbolized more than a standard “Nice to meet you.” They have signaled tangible agreements, contracts and promises.

Believe me, sir, handshakes are a crucial part of life, so you’d best learn how to do it properly.

The Limp and Lifeless There are things less attractive than a limp handshake, but I can’t think of any at the moment. When the power behind yor hand is less firm than the grip of a newborn baby, you have a problem.

Humans have been known to overanalyze, and if your grip seems weak and apathetic, their impression of your may be less than savory. They might think you’re weak-minded. They may find you lazy.

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They could think you lack personality and confidence. Who are “they,” anyway?

“They” are the people who matter and the people who don’t, but “they” could be your potential employer, best friend, or wife, if only you could learn how to shake properly.

You can’t just shake a stick at this, writing it off into tomorrow’s problems, unless you really do want to emasculate yourself and inform them how lackadaisical you really are.

The Finger Exchange “Hi. Here are three of my fingers and a thumb. Take them.”

Don’t just hand people some of your fingers as a hello. It’s awkward and exudes a lot of apathy, malaise and annoyingness, much like “The limp and lifeless” style of greeting. “The finger exchange” is actually disgusting. It makes people cringe. Avoid this at all costs, unless you prefer coming off as a creeper. If that’s your goal, pair it with a baggy Hawaiian shirt, greasy hair and a moustache.

Mr. Crusher There have been several times in my life where I thought my bones were being crushed. Don’t overcompensate for your insecurities by feeling the need to crush friendly hands. They’re innocent.

There is a time and a place to break things

apart that were once held together by glue, fiber, bones or cartilage, if you live on a farm, are starving and have to break a chicken’s neck, or when it’s finally time to take down that prized structure you made out of toothpicks and wood glue. However, it’s inappropriate to break someone’s Phalanges in an otherwise congenial setting.

The Confident Conman Even if you’re selling body wash that smells like bacon, you have a better chance of selling it when your handshake is on point. Follow this advice: Give 1-3 up-and-downs. Don’t go hummingbird style on them because it’s annoying and could damage their nerves.

The shake should last no longer than a few seconds.

Have a firm grip, but keep their bones in fine condition.

Make eye contact and smile before, throughout, and a short bit after the shake.

Smile with your mouth and eyes. Remember, it takes more muscles to frown. That probably applies to sad-looking eyes, too.

Wipe the sweat off your clam hands prior to the exchange.

If you do these things, you will emit confidence, charisma, and an apparent interest in meeting the previously unmet.

They’ll appreciate it, you’ll become popular andmay even grow more chest hair. Go forth and shake with confidence!

LIFE TIPS

SMELL THAT?

Sometimes all it takes to keep you vehicle in great shape is the ability to tell what smells worse; you or your car.

USING YOUR NOSE TO RECOGNIZE SOME COMMON VEHICLE ISSUES

W

hen it comes to recognizing issues with your vehicle, using your senses is a good indicator that something could be wrong. By becoming “in-tune” with your sense of smell, you can help aid in recognizing issues with your vehicle and keep it in tune.

When there is a burning smell while preparing your food, it’s generally a good indicator something isn’t right. The same rule of thumb applies when it comes to your vehicle.

Any abnormal smell generally is an indication that something isn’t right. Some odors are only apparent when the vehicle is running, others when the engine is hot, and others when it is sitting. Here are a few examples of what you may be smelling and what systems in your vehicle theny may be coming from.

Hot Burning Oil: A scent that is somewhat thick, heavy, and sometimes accompanied by smoke coming out from under the hood or the exhaust, is usually an oil leaking or burning issue.

Maple Syrup: A sweet odor that’s usually accompanied by steam from under the hood of the vehicle could be a coolant or Antifreeze leak.

Burnt Toast: A light, somewhat pungent odor, could be an indicator of an electrical short.

Gym Socks: When turning on your heater/air conditioning and you get a whiff that smells like your old high school, that is a good indication that you have mildew growing inside of your A/C evaporator and possibly a clogged cabin air filter.

Rotten Eggs: Sulfur or rotten egg smell that’s continous could be a sign of en emission

failure.

Burnt Paper: A smell that resembles last Sunday’s paper going up in flames could be an overheated clutch.

Metal: A metallic odor that is hot usually accompanied by a sweet odor of antifreeze or coolant could be a symptom of your vehicle overheating.

Burnt Carpet: A smell that will typically omit from the wheel area of your vehicle after your brake pads have been overheated.

A Gas Station: This is typically raw gasoline. Any fuel smells usually indicate that there is a leak in the fuel system.

Hell: The distinct smell of brimstone (sulfur) usually indicates gear lube leaking from the manual transmission, transfer case, or differential housing; or could mean that one of those components have

overheated.

Burning Rubber: This is typically a smell emitted from the engine compartment and indicates an issue with the drive belts of the vehicle.

Exhaust: This smell can be the result of oil burning in the engine compartment or a faulty exhaust pipe that is allowing exhaust gas to enter the cab of the vehicle.

ALWAYS consult with a professional when it comes to any issues you smell, as they could be a sign of a larger issue than expected. Be sure to mention any smells when discussing your problems as they may help target the area needing to be looked at first. Smells are important in detecting issues, just like in everyday life. If you can smell any of the odors above, be sure to have your vehicle looked at to avoid a major repair bill.

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HEALTH TIPS

STRAIGHT FROM THE HEAD NURSE

STOP A COLD DEAD The average adult gets three colds per year, each lasting an average of nine days, here’s how to stop a cold in it’s tracks

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t’s that wonderful time of year again. No, we’re not talking about hobnobbing with rarely seen relatives, something almost as bad, Cold and Flu season. While there is no surefire way to keep yourself from going at least round with the bug this year, we have a few things you can do to help put up a good fight.

1. Stop Touching Your Face.

While this tip is obvious, it’s tough to follow. That’s because people touch their faces an average of 3.6 times every hour. Therein lies the problem, because bringing your hands to your face can spike your cold risk.

While you can catch the common cold through germ droplets in the air, the most efficient form of transmission through hand contact with secretions that contain the virus, researchers say. So if your hands touch a surface with the virus on it, and then you touch your face, you can easily introduce the bug into your body.

If for some reason you can’t help touching your face, just make sure your filthy hands get clean. That means scrubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds (sing “Happy Birthday” in your head), making sure to hit the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under the nails, the CDC says.

2. Head to bed.

Skimping on shuteye can leave you susceptible. Since sleep boosts immune function, that “pre-cold” may be a good indicator that you haven’t been getting enough lately. A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that people who slept less than 7 hours a night were three times more susceptible to colds than those who slept 8 or more hours per night.

3. Pop some pills.

Research shows taking zinc (the active ingredient in Zicam) lozenges, tablets, or syrup within a day of your first symptoms can reduce both their severity and duration. Taking a supplement regularly can help, too. Getting on the D train helps boost the vitamin lost because of lack of sun. It’s no coincidence that colds hit hardest when the sun is lowest. Research has shown 800 to 1000 IU of vitamin D3 a day for adults during cold season helps reduce

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risk and speed recovery. Bring out the herbs for an added boost. A little known herb by the name of Pelargonium sidoides can reduce a cold’s severity, duration, and the number of days it knocks you horizontal. Look for it in the homeopathic isle.

4. Hit the Gym and Take a Break.

While you should keep you workout routine when the temperature drops, be prepared to slack off when your internal temperature rises. People who exercise five or more days a week take up to 46 percent fewer sick days than those who exercise one day or less a week, according to a study from Appalachian State University.

When you exercise, your blood flow and body temperature increase, and your muscles contract. These factors signal your body to recruit important disease-fighting cells that are stored in your lymphoid tissues.

But once the cold takes hold take five. It is enough stress on your body to fight off the nasties inside no need to make everything work double time.

5. De-Stress.

When you’re under stress, the body’s normal reaction is to under-react to viral and bacterial infections. Take some time for yourself and relax and meditate. If nothing else share a few hugs.

Stressed-out people who were more likely to have hugged within the past day are better able to fight off the virus than those who are more hands-off, a study in the journal sychological Science found.

6. Increase the H20

Hydration helps keep your nasal passages moist, so they can actually get rid of little particles from bacteria. Water is also a great clarifier for your body helping flush all the bad things off inside and out.

WHERE ARE ALL THE SUPERHEROINE MOVIES? ALAN’S FIRESIDE CHAT With another year full of superhero movies one has to wonder: What about the Superheroine? Is it because previous ones have failed or is it because most superheroines we know are represented by strong independent women with extreme cleavage and sex appeal? Have we as Geeks created such a fantasy world that cannot logically be portrayed on screen and understood by the average masses?

Or are we scared to accept the truth that it is possible that a woman can save the day all by herself?

Sure any comic fan can rattle off female superheroes who have either had their own books or appeared in other or ensemble books. But what about ordinary absorbers of culture? Could this be where the problem lies? Well that is what Hollywood wants you to believe. They say men won’t go see a movie, let alone a comic book movie, if the lead is a woman. This opinion sounds more like a whisper that floats around the internet, which we’re led to believe is true, and can never be backed up by any data. They also say that women don’t watch superhero movies. If this is true then how can they explain the fiscal successes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the extreme amount of Avengers fanfiction available online? Box office records are not broken by men going on their own. Women make up more than 50 percent of the population of the world, and whether the studios like it or not, their cash is contributing to those figures.

It can’t be the female lead that is influencing our opinions as female action heroes are not a new thing. It’s not as if people will leave a cinema in droves

because it’s a woman taking down an evil crime syndicate or saving the world.

There are plenty of enduring female led action series that inspire love and devotion from a wide fanbase. You have Ellen Ripley from “The Aliens” films, Alice in “The Resident Evil” series and Buffy from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” who are just a few examples where the main character is female. These franchises are big business, and clearly shows that there is a strong market for stories with a female main character kicking ass and taking names.

So why are the females in our beloved comic book movies relegated to secondary roles? It’s not like they don’t contribute in big ways. Just think of Storm and Jean Grey in the X Men films or Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises.

They were an integral part of each movies plot and not just there for eye candy. The Marvel films should be really praised for how they portray women from the Marvel Universe. While the women are there more often than not as a love interest, they’re at least proactive. Pepper Potts actively works to take down two villains.

Peggy Carter is a secret agent not averse to throwing herself into action. Sif pushed herself into becoming a recognized warrior in her own right. Gwen Stacy took on the Lizard by herself to save New York. Black Widow is a respected interrogator and infiltrator who fights right along-side the big boys and won’t back down.

These are just some of the main female characters who have countless male fans who are devoted for far more than their hotness factor. So what on earth makes anyone think that male fans won’t come out if you gave them a movie about the Black Widow, Catwoman, or any well-constructed Wonder Woman?

I believe the fault lies with us men. Sure we read the comics, know the canon and have opinions and concerns about female

characters, just as we do about male characters, but deep down when it comes to our heroes we are blatantly sexist.

While us Geeks know that there is an ever increasing female presence in our Geekdom the general masses still argue that “girls aren’t in geek culture” and “girls won’t go to geeky movies”. We need to do better at spreading the recognitions of our “female brethren”. Something in the system is broken, badly broken.

There’s no change in the value of a hero because of their gender in comics, yet their presence on screen, even today, is currently 10 to one, odds against.

I think John Lasseter, head of Pixar, said it best when asked why there hadn’t been a female main character in a Pixar film before, he answered ‘We’re a bunch of guys.’ Joss Whedon, writer of the Avengers, has done the best job so far of creating strong women characters that we would love to see featured in their own movies, but until the moguls in Hollywood are convinced that there is a strong female presence interested in comic and action movies this may be the closest we ever get.

So what can we as the Men of Geekdom do to help the plight of the forgotten superheroine? The main thing we need to do is accept and embrace them. Not just for their skimpy outfits and billowing mounds as we do now, but for their strength and commitment to fighting evil as our beloved Superheroes do. We can also help by starting or backing campaigns that show Hollywood just how much support there is from everyone, male and female, for a feature film with a superheroine at the lead. By simply following a leading superheroine for her ability to kick ass and not because of her appearance we can go a long way to bring the superheroine into the forefront of everyone’s mind when they think of comic book movies.

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