FOLIO STAFF:
FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE DEALS TURN DANGEROUS
On Oct. 1, JSO officers apprehended two teenagers for robbing a man during a supposed Facebook Marketplace transaction. The victim, believing he was getting a deal on a PlayStation, arrived at the meeting spot only to realize he had been set up. The teens held him at gunpoint, stole his money and fled into the woods, leaving the man shaken and without the PlayStation or his money. According to JSO, they’ve already handled 16 Facebook Marketplace robbery cases this year. When using online platforms for purchases, always be cautious, stay vigilant and conduct trades in safe, well-lit locations.
NEARLY A CAT-ASTROPHE...
On Sept. 19, JSO responded to a cat-call ... and yes, we mean literally. Officers Hubbard, Shea, and Magyar were alerted by a concerned dog walker who spotted a kitten trapped in a sewer. Without hesitation, the trio jumped into action—literally jumping into the sewer to track down the tiny, missing whiskers. Fortunately, the story has a happy ending as JSO reports she’s “feline fine!”
BOUQS & BRICKS
BOUQUETS BRICKBATS
To media outlets in Jacksonville for fact checking and reporting the real news. Contrary to what Dean Black of the Duval GOP says (in this issue!), we appreciate your dedication and determination to get the story and get to the truth. (More on Black in a minute.)
To Bishop Kenny High School for being named to the 2024 AP Honor Roll. The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results and broadening access for students.
To Duval GOP Chairman Dean Black for declining to answer pertinent questions for a story in this issue and instead throwing the media under the bus. “Folio” gave Black the opportunity to answer the same questions as other interviewees, but he refused despite having a wide-open platform to get his message out. Instead, he replied in a rude, unprofessional manner even opining the media is to blame. Thanks for nothing but insults and for letting down your supporters by dodging the questions with useless answers.
HORRORSCOPES
Words by Ambar Ramirez & Carmen Macri
Read at your own risk (all of this is satire; please don’t call and hex us)
LIBRA
The emptiness will last forever. There will be no reprieve. No one is here to help you save the skeletons in your closet —who are also your only friends. Doom and gloom and everything in between are in the cards for you this month.
That little voice in your head is getting louder, isn’t it? Every decision you make will be the wrong one. Maybe you should stay mute all month long since you can’t seem to say the right thing. Better yet — sew your mouth shut.
SCORPIO
The new moon solar eclipse on Oct. 2 will have you questioning your faith and turning to darker, more twisted methods to fulfill your desires. Grab the chalk and start sketching a pentagram — sacrifices must be made if you ever hope to find peace of mind again.
ARIES TAURUS GEMINI
Don’t waste your time howling at the new moon this month. The monsters are out to play and no one is safe. Check under your bed and inside your closet or don’t. It won’t change the fact that they are watching you and waiting to make a move — which will be your last.
CANCER
Tensions are running high this month, Cancer, and for once, you might be the source. But don’t fret — sometimes the best solution is simply ignoring the problem. Or with the spooky season approaching, dust off your spellbook and start casting a hex or two. Let a little dark magic take care of things for you.
You are a cruel wicked creature. The mask is slowly beginning to slip, and everyone around you is seeing your true self. I guess that would be good for you? The ruse finally being up. No need to pretend any more. And you can wither and rot away in solitude — exactly where you belong.
SAGITTARIUS
Feeling like the walls in your room have been clos ing in on you, Sagittarius? It’s not your eyes playing tricks on you. The pressures and restrictions you have been feeling internally are manifesting physically and there’s nowhere to hide.
CAPRICORN
Everything you eat this month will be rotten and ev erything you drink will be spoiled. The parasites in your stomach are growing, growing, growing, slowly eating you from the inside out. At least they will keep you company in your final moments.
AQUARIUS
Your death won’t be quick. It will be drawn out. A long and slow suffering is in your future, maybe it’s already here and you haven’t realized it yet. You can keep trying to wake yourself up from this nightmare but to no avail. This is real life, and it is forever.
LEO VIRGO
Financial upheaval won’t be the only thing dragging you into a dark, deep depression this month, Virgo. It might be time to invest in a safe box to stash all those skeletons you’ve hidden beneath the floorboards. You’ve angered someone, and karma has a way of creeping back — perhaps it’s best to sleep with both eyes open.
As a Uranus-ruled sign, Aquarius, you’re typically im mune to the cosmic turmoil your ruling planet stirs up. But this month is different. With Uranus forming a trine with the new moon just before the Oct. 2 eclipse, you should brace yourself for the unexpected. Stay alert, and whatever you do — avoid speaking to any one. Something dark is lurking beneath the surface.
PISCES
No one’s ever truly ready for goodbyes, Pisces. But as we plunge into this chaotic October, prepare to bid farewell to your old life and greet a new one. Don’t get too excited, though — this next chapter will pull you deeper into the darker side of yourself, the part you’ve tried so hard to hide.
904’S NEXT BIG ATHLETES
Words & photos by Lorelei Belanger
It’s no secret Jacksonville is proud of its sports teams, being home to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Jacksonville Icemen, and the Jacksonville Sharks. The sports pride doesn’t end with the pro teams, as many record holding high schoolers call Northeast Florida home.
Winston YMCA hosted High School Fall Media Day, an event celebrating athletes from high schools in the area, offering the young standouts an opportunity to be recognized outside of their school or sport and gain experience with media interaction.
Athletes from various sports at local schools were present, each having been selected by their school to represent their sport. These young athletes are outstanding in their sports, from wrestling to football. It’s a big achievement to make a team, participate in a sport and balance school, and these athletes have proven their dedication to their teams and sports.
I spoke with a few of the young athletes and asked about their struggles, experience and accomplishments in their sport. For some, their dedication to their sport started well before high school, while others began their sports in high school, not expecting to have such strong motivation and accomplish so much in a sport they started for fun.
Piper Edwins (Atlantic Coast High School, soccer): “I have been playing since I was 3, one of my biggest accomplishments is that I haven’t stopped playing, I just kept going.”
Addison Sharp (Wolfson High School, cross country and track and field): “I have been running for four years, I started my freshman year. I needed a sport to stay in shape during the off season for soccer and I started running, I loved it and ended up quitting soccer. Some of my biggest accomplishments have been winning the Gateway Conference meet as a sophomore, placing second my junior year, qualified for states individually and our team qualified for states for the first time in a long time.”
Taliah Brooks (Atlantic Coast High School, soccer): “I have been playing since I was 4, so for 13 years. My mom put me in soccer, and as she was going to take me out, my coach said she really should keep me in. My biggest accomplishment is my commitment to the University of Memphis.”
Mallory Howell (Wolfson High School, swimming and diving): “I started swimming in seventh grade. I just started diving also and I really love it. Some of my biggest accomplishments are being captain of my team this year and having been to regionals three times. My goal is to make it to states this year.”
Standing out isn’t as glamorous as it seems. Many struggles come with being in the spotlight … countless hours spent, stress endured and injuries sustained make it hard for a young athlete, trying to stay serious about their sport while still being a teenager.
Edwins: “It was hard having to be at games or practices when I could be hanging out with my friends.”
Sharp: “It has been hard to balance school, being in the IB (International Baccalaureate) program, running and having a lot of hard classes. It’s also hard to go from practice for two hours to school after.”
Brooks: “The biggest struggle has been missing out on things outside of soccer, like missing my brother’s baseball games.”
Howell: “A big struggle is balancing school work, being in the IB program: It’s difficult to balance schedules. I always have some sort of injury, so it’s been hard learning how to take care of injuries while focusing on school.”
All four athletes said they average about 10-12 hours per week practicing or competing in their sport. It can be extremely difficult to balance so many hours of practice, other extracurriculars, schoolwork, especially IB classes, on top of social events and family time. Being able to balance all of these things while still winning games, meets and committing to colleges are what makes these athletes stand out. By continuing to focus on teamwork, balance and dedication, there’s no doubt these athletes, along with others attending the fall sports media day, will continue to be in the spotlight in their sports.
Words by Shelton Hull
FOLIO WEED
If you, the reader, are anything like me, then you likely long ago surrendered to the wisdom of the almighty algorithm. For example, I do most of my music-listening via YouTube; I assume that’s evidence of some deeper pathology, but I don’t care. Their recommendations have proven to be consistently more useful (and infinitely less problematic) than most DJs, so that’s one area in which automation is working out just fine, so far.
Another area of interest has been canna-culture. I’ve done several columns over the years about brands that I was initially exposed to by chance: Puffco, Session Goods, Buzz Drops, Penjamin, etc. That is in addition to the dozens, if not hundreds, of contacts I’ve made in and around the industry through social media. I typically find that when people come to me with information, it’s usually fresh and it’s usually correct. With cannabis brands legally forbidden from most forms of traditional advertising here in Florida, they are entirely dependent on word of mouth to reach any potential customers, so they’re very aggressive with their social media marketing, to the point of overt redundancy, in many cases.
Let’s talk specifically about Brez, an infused drink which I’d never heard of until I saw their posts on Facebook. The company has sold nearly two million cans of the stuff since its founding, just last year, but I was wholly unaware of their existence until this summer. I first reached out in August, and I’ve since interacted with at least half a dozen people working for either the company itself or for Dreamday, the LA-based firm that runs their marketing. Like most such startups, their retail and wholesale game is still very much a work in progress, so their business has been about 90% direct-to-consumer (DTC). Roughly 11% of their sales come from Florida. Founder Aaron Nobisch is the CEO of Lucyd, a firm that specializes in social media marketing for cannabis companies, which explains a lot.
Brez is currently carried in three places within range of readers like you: Natural Life in Atlantic Beach, Miracle Leaf in Ponte Vedra and, most curiously, the Omni Amelia Island. It’s pricey stuff, though: 7.5 ounce cans go for $40 per six-pack, while the 12 ounce cans are $50 per six pack. That’s more than double the cost for similar-sized energy drinks, and still far less than you’d pay for most alcoholic beverages, which these are not. I was shocked to see that, and I hadn’t even tried it yet. So I did my due diligence, by which I mean I let them get cold, then I chugged one as fast as I could. And then I took a nap. It’s really good for that. Just
like with edibles, dosage and effect is a highly individualized matter; the smaller cans are designed to that end, kinda like the pick-a-size paper towels.
Brez combines two main ingredients that are very popular right now: cannabis and adaptogenic mushrooms. Each 12-ounce can includes 5 mg of THC and 10 mg of CBD, as well as 2200 mg of lion’s mane mushroom extract, as well as limonene terpene for flavor. They offer a variant with no THC or CBD, just the mushroom extract, if you’re straight edge (in which case, why are you here?), as well as their newest formula, Flow, which takes the mushroom extract and boosts its signal with cacao, L-theanine and black seed oil. There are so many mushroom-based coffees, teas and energy drinks out there, and I must admit, I am obsessed.
Cannabis drinks tend to be very cannabis-forward, by which I mean that it leads with the weed flavor, with everything else lingering in the background like Lana Del Rey standing behind Taylor Swift at the Grammys. Same goes for the mushroom elixirs. It’s certainly present here, but balanced nicely with Italian lemon, elderflower and agave. You’d need to drink a whole six-pack to get anything close to actually stoned, but by that point, I think you’d be more fixated on all those bubbles in your stomach.
Manufacturers tout its effects as increased clarity, focus and relaxation, but it’s worth noting that none of this is hard science. The government is careful about regulating the language used to promote such products, so take nothing as gospel. It’s marketed as a social tonic, an alternative to alcohol. For me, however, the alternative to alcohol is beer, so I immediately sought to craft a few cocktails using it as a base. Use it the way you’d use any seltzer or tonic water, I’d suggest you pair it with dark rum or high-botanical gin, like the kind at Manifest Distilling or St. Augustine Distillery.
If Amendment 3 passes (odds are 50-50), we’ll be able to import more hi-octane THC-infused drinks next year. I’ll be trying as many as possible and sharing my thoughts with you. But, as it stands now, I’d put Brez in the A-tier, easily the best in its class so far. If you have any suggestions for similar products (especially any with local/regional connections), holla!
under the bridge
Jax Punx
Words & photos by Amiyah Golden
Music bridges the gap between language, experiences, culture and so many other contrasting entities that make up the individual human experience. And while we live in an extremely divisive climate today — the shared giddiness of blasting sublime tunes from your favorite artist or the pleasure of unearthing new talent — connects us in ways that we tend to neglect or not even realize.
I’m always reinvigorated when I get to rub shoulders in mosh pits with people who I may not have the privilege of encountering otherwise — and I have people like Ian and Winter to thank who have taken the reigns to curate these spaces with the ultimate desire to foster unity.
Ian and Winter are the faces behind Jax Punx and the inheritors of the Bridge Shows from local band Scum. The duo started out creating video projects each weekend which spawned from their own inclination. Their own regard for videography and love of punk music led them to a bridge show where they felt the pull to record.
“I just remember seeing a ton of people coming out to see local bands, and they were passionate, and joyous and were just going crazy to this music and I remember thinking, ‘We need to document this,’” said Ian.
The first video they posted archiving the show went viral on TikTok and “the rest is history.” According to the two.
Their media impact has been evident as they have amassed over 18,400 followers on TikTok alone with their content showcasing music and moshing from the bridge shows and also featuring a segment called A Face in the Crowd where they interview attendees. This formatting of content was what initially familiarized me with Jax Punx and the Bridge Shows in the first place.
I saw so many different faces and walks of life being welcomed and spotlighted in a community that can often be seen as intimidating — and while the rock scene is no stranger to me — many indications from others echo the uncertainty felt by those who want to engage in the scene.
Ian and Winter have stood firm on prioritizing inclusion and safety at their shows.
“In terms of inclusion, it’s just something we’re passionate about. We see how horrible the LGBTQ+ community and many other minority communities are treated by our legislature and our society,” they agreed. “So, we wanted to make a place for anyone to come and be accepted. The Bridge Shows have always been that place, which is another reason they needed to continue.” And I can personally attest to this passion as I, as a Black woman, have continually felt safe and welcome in these spaces. I have seen personal expression not be limited but celebrated, and I have witnessed artists be embraced.
“It’s a place where you can dance like nobody’s watching. It’s a place where anyone is accepted, especially those who felt like the odd ones out,” they added.
Their local and global successes have allowed their vision to expand far beyond their own aspirations. While many Jacksonville bands are eager to grace the stage under the bridge — many groups around the United States have reached out to Ian and Winter to travel to Jacksonville to jam out as well and have worked with multiple South Florida bands multiple times.
And at the latest Bridge Show the band JVK descended all the way from Boston, to rock out – and rock out they did!
It was such a delight to see local and distant groups — all with varying sounds — encourage each other and stare in amazement at all of their own unique talents that they brought to the concrete stage.
“It’s been unreal seeing people who play the Bridge. They have their minds blown by the energy of the crowds and how good our sound guy is — shoutout to Daniel from Falling in Place!”
Punk music and the community that follows is often typecast by onlookers, but it is a genre that is medicinal and volitional. It’s often misunderstood and many of us who are absorbed into the faction typically feel the same way. The parallel amongst us all allows us to champion a safe space to be free.
“Punk music has always had a special place in my heart,” Ian said. “The first punk show I ever went to changed my life. I had never seen community like it before. If you fell, you’d be picked up even before you hit the ground, and people would throw their arms around each other and sing joyously, even to complete strangers. I really felt like I was part of something bigger.”
And a part of something bigger they were. Ian and Winter’s impact has strengthened the community and has produced recognized integration in Jacksonville with Bridge Shows becoming legal.
A bridge show is definitely something to experience. To learn more about Jax Punx and upcoming shows, follow them on Instagram at @ jax_punx.
Humans of Jacksonville: Gunnel Humphreys
Words & photos by Ambar Ramirez
If you’ve heard of Edge City, you’ve likely heard of Gunnel Humphreys. For 50 years, Humphreys’ daily routine was familiar and consistent. Her mornings began at 6 a.m., and after breakfast and a quick outfit change, she and her partner Tom would hop on their bikes and head to Five Points to open their store, Edge City. But now, at 80 years old, Humphreys is learning to navigate life away from the store, embracing a new chapter that’s entirely her own.
Born and raised on the West Coast of Sweden, Humphreys has always lived a life far from ordinary and one full of art and culture. As we sat in her eclectic apartment, surrounded by art collected over the years, coffee table books, her two cats and vibrant neon lighting, she reflected on the journey that brought her to where she is today.
“In Sweden, the whole area where I come from is a textile industry. So I have always worked in fashion in some way. In Sweden, I pretty much was first into working on window displays and then I worked with another company where I made the catalog basically with the graphic arts department. I have been extraordinarily lucky my whole life without having any formal graphic artist training or anything. And, you know, it was way before computers—it was all hands-on, X-Acto knives and burners. And then, I met this American man, and we got married in Sweden. From there we went to, Augusta, Georgia, actually, because he had to finish his service in Augusta for a year. Then he asked me where I wanted to go. His mom lived in Jacksonville, and I always loved the openness, the beach, the water and the bridges, I always liked that,” Humphreys shared.
Freshly married, Humphreys arrived in Jacksonville in the late ’60s, when she landed what many would consider a dream job at the time —working for “The Florida Times-Union.” It was an exciting period as print media was thriving and expanding. Humphreys described that chapter of her life as strikingly different from her working experiences in Sweden and Germany. As a foreigner, everything was new and exciting, she was living the American Dream. Her favorite part of the job? The breaks, when she could slip away and indulge in her love for shopping.
During this time is also when she would meet her life partner— Tom McCleery. Humphreys’ eyes brightened when talking about her and McCleery’s dynamic. Together, anything was possible. Together, they would come across Edge City and put Five Points on the map.
“So Wayne Wood, I don’t know if you know but Wayne Wood is like the father of Jacksonville in the preservation of history, he came by and said to Tom, ‘Edge City is for sale, and I think you should buy it,’ and so, Tom bought Edge City. That was in 1975. And in January of 1976 we opened Edge City. And if you want to talk about 5 Points at that time, it was very, you know, there wasn’t anything happening. There were very solid, companies there. Gown shops and mens shops and eyeglass places, but Tom and I, we really made it happen. With Edge City, we really put 5 Points on the map. People came from all over because it was the only unisex boutique, and we were so different.”
Before Humphreys and McCleery gained the reigns on the boutique, Edge City was a drug paraphernalia store. We laughed as Humphreys reminisced on why they kept the name Edge City even after changing the store’s merchandise.
“So we bought an existing store, you know, these three guys, had lost interest and it looked awful in there. It was like a gray shag rug with holes in the floor and dusty cacti. I mean, they just lost interest, so that’s why they wanted to sell it. And so it had the name already—Edge City which comes from a book by Thomas Wolfe called “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.” And I could never find a better name. We tried to come up with one but I could never find anything that was better,” Humphreys said.
Despite smoking weed during that time (it was the ’70s afterall), Humphreys and McCleery slowly moved away from selling posters, water beds and the typical things you would imagine a drug paraphernalia store to sell to selling anything and everything they could find at thrift stores and antique shops.
“We had no money. But we kind of figured things out. We sold used clothes and stuff that we found in Jacksonville. We were big into going to thrift stores and sold anything we could sell. But anyway, we started going to the international boutique show in New York, which was fabulous. The timing of that was like a snapshot of that era. I mean, everything was vibrant and new. Today everything has been done, you know, there’s no newness at all in fashion, but at that time, you know, you had London happening, it was just really fabulous. It was a liberation, it was a revolution and so much change. Women burned their bras and everybody got divorced, it was freedom like unheard of,” Humphreys recalled.
During their travels to stock the store, Humphreys and McCleery were inspired by the vibrant changes that defined the ’70s. They brought that spirit of innovation from places like New York and London back to Edge City—and to Jacksonville. Edge City quickly became a symbol of Jacksonville’s adaptability and its appetite for continuous growth and change. None of it would have been possible without the teamwork and vision of Humphreys and McCleery. And as Humphreys put it, McCleery and her were essentially a match made in heaven.
“He and I, we were a team. We really had a fun, fun time and we were a good team. In hindsight, I mean we really clicked, it just was organic how we worked,” Humphreys recalled.
Right in line with their visionary business model, Humphreys shared how the birth of screen printing really brought Edge City to the next level.
They screen printed their logo — lips — on everything and everything. “The more lips we printed, the better it seemed. And the bigger they were, the better. We sold sweatshirts and t-shirts, but not that American cream kind, we had these very fine China t-shirts — finely woven and really high-end quality.”
Though Humphreys has had a symbiotic relationship with luck, it doesn’t mean she hasn’t had her fair share of grief. In 2016, Humphreys lost McCleery. But even now, as she sips her tea in her one-bedroom apartment in Riverside, Humphreys tells the story of we. What may have been one’s downfall, was Humphreys’ motivator. She still had Edge City after all.
“Five Points is my life,” Humphreys said.
After McCleery’s passing, Humphreys continued work at her and McCleery’s passion project for eight years. Those eight years weren’t without hardships. Humphreys had to learn how to navigate a business that was built to run with two pairs of hands at the wheel. And then, of course, there was the pandemic.
“Tom actually was in charge of the checkbook, so when he died, I had to figure everything out myself. It actually just got to become easier when I was in charge, but then we go through a pandemic. I mean, who would have known in your lifetime that you should have a pandemic?,” Humphreys recalled. “We didn’t know anything about masks. We didn’t know what it was. I, you know, when I opened again, I wrapped presents with rubber gloves. I mean, you didn’t know where it came from.”
The pandemic was a big reality check for many and Humphreys quickly acclimated to the change. Edge City began selling masks, and Humphreys had fun finding creative ways to market something that was scary for most. It was also during this time that Humphreys began valuing her life away from the store.
“We sold a lot of high-end, tailored-looking masks, that’s how I kind of survived the pandemic. And, you know, I wasn’t in the store at all. March of 2020 — that’s when I started riding [my bike]. I never had that much time in my life, you know. I always have been riding a little bit before I started the store, but then I started riding 22 miles. I figured that that was just perfect and kept it up every day since that,” Humphreys said.
Last year, Humphreys sold Edge City and turned it over to a new owner. And even though she no longer has Edge City or McCleery, Humphreys is intrinsically woven and weaved into Jacksonville.
“I feel like I’m part of the fabric of this neighborhood,” Humphreys shared.
Humphreys always biked to work along with McCleery, now retired, she rides 22 miles every morning. After the 22-mile bike ride, she gets home and heads over to the Church of the Good Shepherd to swim hour laps at their pool. From there she’ll either head over to the park or to Cummer Museum to peruse the new exhibits. No matter what she’s doing, the fact is that she’s doing something. For Humphreys, being 80 is nothing but a number.
Humphreys is on the verge of a new chapter in her life. While she’s adjusting to changes in her daily routine and watching the city around her evolve, some things remain constant—her love for art, fashion and self-expression, along with her close-knit group of friends who keep her grounded and active.
Gunnel Humphreys and Tom McCleery on the cover of Folio Vol. 5, No. 17, July 23, 1993
Though two sides of the same coin, they couldn’t be more different. Despite all the talk of unity, the reality couldn’t be further from it—even at the local level. The political divide has become so stark across the country—and within our own city—that friendships and relationships are unraveling over opposing beliefs. Moderation? It’s either a rarity or practically extinct.
So who’s to blame?
Or what is to blame, would be the better question. Where have we gone so wrong to let ourselves be divided this extremely?
The deep divide in Congress today has been building for years. An analysis of members’ ideological scores conducted by Pew Research shows that the current standoff between Democrats and Republicans stems from multiple overlapping trends that have developed — and often reinforced each other — over decades. Both parties have become more and more ideologically cohesive, meaning each party has become more unified within itself resulting in less moderation and a hard partisan line between them. And the media and its information bubbles only make things worse.
Partisan media and social media have become echo chambers, where people mostly hear views that confirm their beliefs. News outlets and platforms now often cater to specific political audiences, ramping up divisive language and
deepening biases. This limits exposure to opposing views, fueling mistrust and misunderstanding. The constant leftist and right-wing media debate fuels the fire.
Curious about how each party truly perceives the other’s media presence, “Folio” reached out to both the Duval Democratic Party and the Republican Party of Duval County chairmen (Daniel Henry and Dean Black), asking them the same set of questions. This approach aimed to provide an unbiased look at how each side views the other.
This is how it went:
Q: In your words, how would you describe the effect of social media on this election?
Dean Black: “Social media has become the new town square. It is chaos and that is exactly as the framers of the Constitution meant for it to be.”
Daniel Henry: Social media plays a significant role in this election, particularly with the amplification of disinformation. While the Democratic Party uses its platforms to promote our candidates and engage directly with voters, bad actor states (Russia, Iran and China) spread fake news and divisive content. Ultimately, social media acts as both a tool for the empowerment of spreading critical voter information and a source for disinformation.
Q: How do you think the influence of typical right-wing/leftist media shapes public opinion or outcomes?
Black: Declined to answer
Henry: “Typical right-wing media influences public opinion by framing issues in a way that presents a false choice to the voters. This media often emphasizes narratives that distort the basis of a story to push a particular narrative. By selectively highlighting certain stories, right-wing outlets reinforce pre-existing beliefs of alienation and prejudice. Additionally, these media outlets create a sense of community among their viewers, fostering loyalty and trust in the information presented. This can lead to a more polarized environment, where their viewers only seek their outlets for information. As a result, rightwing media not only shapes individual opinions but can also impact campaign narratives in political elections.”
Q: In what ways do you think right-wing/leftist media impacts political discourse and decision-making?
Black: Declined to answer
Henry: “Right-wing media significantly impacts political discourse and decision-making by promoting a narrow set of narratives that often prioritize partisan agendas over objective facts. These outlets amplify misinformation and fear-based messaging to skew public perception on national issues. This polarization can hinder bipartisan cooperation and rewards politicians who seek to divide, rather than build consensus.”
Q: How do you feel the portrayal of events by right-wing/leftist media affects people’s understanding of key issues?
Black: Declined to answer
Henry: “Often, right-wing media emphasizes sensationalized narratives that frame complex topics — like immigration, healthcare and climate change — in overly simplistic or misleading ways. This can lead to fear and misunderstanding among the public, reinforcing old stereotypes and fostering division, creating an echo chamber where individuals are less exposed to diverse perspectives and a divided electorate operating under different facts.”
Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Black: “Duval County can sometimes be highly polarized; however, I believe that Republicans are exemplary in their behavior in these troubled times. While the Republican Party of Duval County has profound disagreements with
the Democrat Party, I believe we are committed to resolving these differences with them peacefully, lawfully and with an eye toward the best interest of our citizens of every political party.” persuasion.”
Henry: “The choice this November is clear. Vice President Harris and Governor Walz are fighting to protect our fundamental freedoms, strengthen our democracy, and ensure everyone has the opportunity to live the American Dream. Their administration will be focused on:
• Cutting taxes for working families and lowering the cost of everyday items
• Making rent more affordable and homeownership more attainable
• Growing small businesses and investing in entrepreneurs
• Restoring and protecting reproductive freedoms
• Making our communities safer from gun violence and crime
• Supporting service members, veterans, and their families”
*While Black did not individually answer these questions, he did leave us with commentary about the subject at hand:
“I lament that such a thing as a ‘left-wing or right media complex’ even exists. As a former journalist myself, I miss the days when journalists were committed to the ethical presentation of both sides of reportable issues without bias to anyone. The larger issue here points to the breakdown of the profession of journalism itself. It is in a state of collapse. This means the First Amendment duties of the free press aren’t being discharged in a way that is healthy for our republic. Journalists should look in the mirror and ask themselves what internal reforms are they willing to undertake themselves to restore their integrity and thereby the trust of the public who relies upon them.”
(Maybe I took that wrong, journalist instincts and all, or maybe I am just a tad salty about being referred to as “Mr. Macri” – Mr. Macri is my father; I am his daughter.)
Media isn’t the only reason the two parties keep drifting further apart, of course. Some of their core beliefs directly contradict each other, and it’s these fundamental issues that drive each side forward. One of the biggest differences between the two parties is in how they approach key issues. Democrats tend to take a humanitarian view, prioritizing people’s needs when addressing topics like abortion, immigration and transatlantic relations. Whereas Republicans generally tend to frame their approach as a “law and order” or “security-first” strategy. Neither is inherently good or bad; it just depends on which side of the coin you’re on, but it drives the wedge between both sides all the same. Both parties have shifted ideologically—Democrats leaning further left on issues like healthcare and environmental policy, while Republicans have moved further right on economic deregulation, immigration control and traditional values.
With mainstream media as powerful as it is, everything has turned into a blame game. There is no longer a middle ground to stand on.
Former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis regularly point to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as the cause of the country’s “poor state,” a message echoed across primary Republican news outlets and in every debate. But it goes both ways: Vice President Harris and other Democrats are quick to place the blame back on Trump. The back-and-forth has become so constant that instead of working to solve our country’s issues, both sides seem more focused on pointing fingers. Our political climate feels more like a schoolyard than a serious debate.
MISSION MISUNDERSTOOD
On Saturday, Sept. 28, at 1:17 pm EST, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 booster B1085 — on its second-ever flight-– ignited its nine Merlin engines and lifted off from Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Mounted atop the booster was Crew Dragon Freedom– on its fourth flight–carrying Mission Commander astronaut Nick Hague, and Mission Specialist Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
By the time we stepped onto the viewing lawn, NASA’s countdown clock was already ticking down from 8 minutes. Reporters, journalists, and space enthusiasts were scattered across the grass, all waiting for the historic Crew-9 mission to begin. If you haven’t seen a launch this close, words can’t really capture what’s about to happen. Even in broad daylight, the moment the booster engine fired, it was like a second sun blazing on the horizon. And the sound? Imagine a blown-out car speaker — blasting at full volume — with a roar that sounds as if the air is being ripped apart, molecule by molecule. There is something so surreal about bearing witness to people leaving the Earth behind and entering orbit — you just had to be there.
But the excitement doesn’t end there. Once the rocket reaches orbit, the capsule — where the astronauts are — separates from the booster, which
falls back down to Earth. Traditionally, these boosters would splash into the ocean, where a recovery crew would fish them out. But SpaceX’s boosters are designed to land themselves safely back on a pad (or a boat, in many cases). Just minutes after Falcon 9 disappeared from view, the Statue of Liberty-sized booster began its descent from the clouds. The booster relit a single engine, bringing it from a speed of 3,000 mph to a mere 5 (as if it just saw Florida Highway Patrol). Its landing legs then unfold as it touches down at the landing zone. At first, it was nearly silent. And then came the sonic boom*.
The original mission planned to carry four crew members: Commander Zena Cardman, Pilot Hague, Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson, and Mission Specialist Gorbunov. However, when NASA decided not to return astronauts Butch Willmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams — the crew of the Boeing Starliner CFT-1 test flight — on Starliner, two seats opened up for Willmore and Williams. As a result, Cardman and Wilson were removed from the mission lineup.
“I think it was hard not to watch that rocket lift off without thinking, ‘That’s my rocket and that’s my crew,” said Cardman in a NASA live stream of the Crew-9 launch.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BOEING STARLINER CAPSULE?
It returned safely but empty. Starliner came back to Earth with no issues in the early morning on Sept. 7, 2024. In hindsight, Williams and Willmore could have returned safely if they needed to in an emergency, but the risk with lives at stake was not worth it.
Are the Boeing astronauts still stranded?
No, and they never were. While Willmore and Williams’ mission went from eight days to nearly eight months, this decision was made out of NASA’s abundance of caution with Starliner being on its first-ever crewed flight and suffering from helium leaks and thruster issues. They had multiple ways to return home safely in case of an emergency, even before Crew-9 arrived (Starliner was deemed safe for an emergency return, and Crew-8’s Dragon was still at the ISS.) This does not mean, however, that the flight was not a nightmare for Boeing, who haven’t been able to catch a break in the public eye.
Is Crew-9 a dedicated rescue mission?
No … technically not. This mission is a standard, approximately five-month mission, just with added room for the CFT-1 crew’s return. Williams and Willmore are absolutely fine aboard the International Space Station.
This is what NASA says. On the contrary, it’s hard to not view a crew being shifted to make room for two astronauts not returning on their intended capsule as anything but a “rescue.”
CREW-9 MAKES HISTORY
Dragon Freedom docked with the International Space Station at approximately 5:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, Sept. 29, where crew members Hague and Gorbunov were greeted warmly by the Expedition 72 team, led by Commander Williams.
In many ways, this launch is historic beyond its ties to the Boeing mission. It’s the first time a crewed mission has ever launched from SLC-40, a launch pad that has been operational since 1965. Equally notable, it’s the first Dragon mission to carry only two crew members since the groundbreaking Demo-2 flight, which famously launched astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken— affectionately known as the “space dads.” Adding to the momentous nature of the mission, Hague became the first active duty United States Space Force Guardian to venture into space since the branch’s founding in 2019. This mission will also mark a first in terms of recovery, as Dragon Freedom is planned to be retrieved from the Pacific Ocean, a significant shift from previous recovery locations.
Hague himself captured the spirit of the mission perfectly as they entered orbit, remarking, “I’m pretty sure my youngest son would say it was sigma.”**
CAPSULE?
Well, numbers-wise, it’s 14.4 feet tall by 12 feet wide. For a first-hand account, I asked Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn astronaut Jared “Rook” Isaacman about what it’s like inside Dragon:
“Very roomy compared to Soyuz [Russian capsule in use since the ’60s]. You can get a lot done for probably a few weeks if you had enough life support consumable.”
SPACEFLIGHT—SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE
The Beach House is a home on the Floridian coast built in 1962. It’s a quaint, waterfront home, first built with the intention of housing military officers working along the coast, where missile testing had been occurring since 1949. However, not even a year after it was built, the surrounding area began to be built up into what we now know as the Kennedy Space Center. With the help of the Army Corps of Engineers, NASA bought the house, and all development around it, and tore down everything … except for the one simple house on the water.
Since then, that house has had a special place in history, as the traditional last stop for astronauts before they depart from our planet. Astronauts will typically hold barbeques for their families, as well as leave behind signed bottles of wine before they depart for the final frontier. Most who visit tend to feel mixed emotions, as Donna Mullane, wife of astronaut Richard “Mike” Mullane, said in a NASA interview, “As a spouse, you know you’re coming out here to say goodbye, and you don’t know if it’s the last time.”
For years, this beach house has stood as a monument to spaceflight history, where astronauts getting ready to explore the cosmos get one last view of the planet that we call home.
The set of double doors marked 1238 at the Kennedy Space Center appear as normal as any other doors on the sprawling space complex. The difference? These doors have served as the spot of crew walkouts since 1968.
Every crew since Apollo 7 has walked out, fully suited up, to climb aboard transport to the launch pad before they head , all as cameras fire away to capture the iconic shot of these American heroes. Looking at the doors, it is now easy to recognize them, as they’ve been marked… with stickers! Ever since STS-87 (the 88th flight of the Shuttle in 1997), Shuttle crews, Crew Dragon crews and the Boeing crew have placed a sticker, marking their place among all the missions that came before them and paved the way for the missions of today. Door 1238 stands as a reminder to not only look forward to the future of spaceflight but also a memorial to the past, and those we’ve lost along the way.
*sonic boom: (SAH-nik BOOM) – a loud, explosive noise caused when an object travels through the air faster than the speed of sound, creating shock waves. The sound of a sonic boom is intense because it contains all the sound energy the object has produced along its path, released all at once to listeners on the ground.
**Gen Z Translator— Sigma: sig· ma (SIG-muh) – a stupid, internet brain-rot term for epic or cool.
Soyuz-NASA , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Crew Dragon -Keegan Barber, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The first four weeks of the NFL season weren’t kind to the Jaguars. And unfortunately, the fans weren’t either.
“Worst team in the NFL!”
“Travis Hunter, YOU are a Jacksonville Jaguar!”
“What happened to these guys?”
Seemingly every media personality, armchair quarterback, and football fanatic had something to say about the 2024 Jaguars.
Going into Week 5 of this season, the Jaguars had gone 3-10 since last year’s bye week, and the team was in desperate need of a spark. Enter the Indianapolis Colts — a team that hasn’t won against the Jaguars in Duval since Week 3 of 2014, during former Colts QB Andrew Luck’s third year in the league and Jaguars legend Blake Bortles’ rookie year. A win in Jacksonville is like a Super Bowl championship for those guys.
It was only fitting that the Jaguars wore their brand-new “Prowler” throwbacks for this game. Harkening back to the team’s glory days of the late ’90s, the uniforms are legendary in the eyes of Jaguars fans, a reminder of some of Duval’s most dominant squads. In fact, one could have mistaken Trevor Lawrence and Brian Thomas Jr. for Mark Brunell and Jimmy Smith with their seemingly unstoppable connection, including an 85-yard touchdown that sent Colts defensive back Dallis Flowers diving (and off the Colts roster Monday morning).
The win wasn’t easy — in true Cardiac Cats fashion, the two teams were neckand-neck until the very end. Despite the Jaguars taking a 20-10 lead during the third quarter, Colts QB Joe Flacco rallied his team to scoring 24 points in the second half, with the fourth quarter being an absolute shootout between both teams. In the end, it was rookie kicker Cam Little who won the game for the Jaguars, scoring a clutch 49-yard field goal to put the Jaguars up 37-34, followed by a sack by Travon Walker to put the nail in the coffin for the Colts. Sophomore running back Tank Bigsby put the Jaguars on his back in the second half, scoring two huge touchdowns to keep the team ahead, with both being in spectacular fashion. Bigsby barreled his way through Colts defenders on a 19-yard run, living up to his name and scoring his first touchdown of the season. Later on in the game, during the fourth quarter, Bigsby broke tackles from multiple Colts on a 65-yard touchdown, extending the team’s lead. Bigsby currently leads the NFL in yards per carry (8.0) among qualified players.
The performance for the offensive line was critical to the Jaguars’ win. Lawrence was not sacked once during the game, and the entire line was credited with only one pressure all game. Left guard Ezra Cleveland was especially reliable, receiving a 91.1 overall grade on Pro Football Focus. It’s an encouraging sign for a unit that has been notoriously inconsistent over the last year and a half.
Third-year edge rusher and former first overall pick Travon Walker had himself a day as well, notching three sacks, including a huge forced fumble that led to a Josh Hines-Allen recovery and set up a Cam Little field goal to end the first half. Walker has been fantastic for the Jaguars’ defensive line so far this
season, leading the team in sacks through five games with 5.0. Walker has yet to miss a tackle this season (per Pro Football Reference) and is currently tied for fifth in the league in sacks.
In addition to the win, the Pride of the Jacksonville Jaguars has earned a new member — legendary coach Tom Coughlin. Coughlin coached the team from 1995-2002 and was at the helm for the Jaguars’ four straight playoff berths from 1996-1999. He is the seventh member of the Pride and the first head coach to be inducted. Coughlin has remained active in the community since his coaching days with the Jay Fund, a non-profit he founded that is dedicated to tackling childhood cancer. Congratulations, Coach!
The icing on the (cup)cake for Sunday’s win was that it fell on franchise quarterback Lawrence’s 25th birthday. Lawrence played his heart out for the team, hitting a career-high in passing yards (371) and two touchdowns, while connecting on 82.4% of his passes. Lawrence has developed a rapport with rookie wideout Thomas, who leads the team in receiving yards and is currently sixth among all wide receivers in the league with 397. It was a great bounce-back game from Lawrence, who has been under pressure thus far this
season to live up to his massive five-year contract awarded to him before this year. After the game, “Folio”’ photographer Sam Kaplan captured Lawrence enjoying a birthday treat — an aptly colored teal and black cupcake fit for The Prince.
The Jaguars’ victory was critical to the rest of the season. An 0-4 start is difficult to return from, but this was the first step. One team has made the postseason after starting 0-4 (1992 San Diego Chargers), and the Jaguars hope to be the second. Jaguars fans need to remember that the 2022 squad that reached the divisional round of the playoffs was 3-7 before the bye week, only to finish 9-8, first in the AFC South.
The team travels to London (an environment where the Jaguars went 2-0 in last season) for Weeks 6 and 7 against Chicago and New England. The Jaguars’ young building blocks continue to improve weekly, and TE Evan Engram is on the verge of returning to the team after injury. Don’t count this team out. Put away those mock drafts, folks. The only Tank in Duval is the one averaging eight yards a carry.
WHAT WE’RE READING THIS MONTH
Read
by
Harry Moore
AUTHOR: TITLE: Elmore Leonard Djibouti
GENRE: PUBLISHED: Crime Fiction 2010
An American documentarian and her multi-skilled assistant arrive in the African nation Djibouti in order to document the rising wave of piracy that has afflicted the region, only to find far more than they bargained for and taking on far greater danger than they realized. This globe-trotting and darkly comedic crime thriller follows a colorful cast of characters written in the witty yet tense tone that Leonard perfected over the course of his storied career.
Read by Ambar Ramirez
AUTHOR: TITLE: Ava Reid Lady Macbeth
GENRE: PUBLISHED: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Retelling 2024
If you’ve had any kind of education, you’ve likely encountered Shakespeare. And if you know Shakespeare, you’ve probably heard of Macbeth. While the original play tells the tragic story of Scottish General Macbeth and his fate, Ava Reid’s Lady Macbeth offers a fresh perspective by reimagining the tale through the eyes of its leading lady. Dark and twisted, with elements of romance and the tension of a forced marriage, this novel showcases Reid’s signature lyrical prose and unique storytelling. Best of all, you don’t need to be familiar with Macbeth to enjoy this captivating retelling.
Read by Carmen Macri
AUTHOR: TITLE: Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn: The Final Empire
GENRE: PUBLISHED: Fantasy 2006
Mistborn is a gripping fantasy that plunges readers into a world dominated by the oppressive and very powerful Lord Ruler. With ash constantly falling and mist enveloping the land at night, the setting reflects the despair of a people in chains — the Skaa. The story centers on Vin, a young street urchin who uncovers her Allomancy powers — magical abilities tied to metals. Under the guidance of the charismatic thief (and love of my life) Kelsier, Vin joins a motley crew of rebels determined to topple the tyrant and break the class system. A compelling tale of revolution, trust and a unique magic system that keeps readers hooked from start
Words by Harry Moore
The arrival of an abundance of yard signs, political ads and a need to walk on conversational eggshells around in-laws and co-workers can only mean one thing: Election season is in full swing with the Nov. 5 deadline to vote looming large. Given the number of candidates running for various offices and the array of referendums on constitutional amendments that are on the table in this year’s cycle, it is easy to be confused by which amendment represents what issue and how you should vote on it. Luckily Folio is here to give you an easy guide to what’s on the ballot and what your vote would mean.
Amendment 1 – Partisan School Board Elections
YES
Supports making school board elections partisan beginning in the 2026 election cycle. Meaning candidates will run as either Democrats, Republicans or Independents for school board seats.
Maintains current practice for school board elections with non-partisan candidates running. Campaigns for school board seats remain unchanged with candidates running on individual platforms.
Amendment 2 – Hunting and Fishing
Supports establishing a constitutional right to hunt and fish in Florida, removing lawmakers’ abilities to place restrictions on hunting and fishing activities.
Opposes establishing a consti tutional right to hunt and fish in Florida. State government can continue to place certain regula tions on hunting and fishing.
Amendment 3 – Marijuana Legalization Initiative
Legalizes the personal recreational purchase and use of marijuana for adults aged 21+.
Rejects the legalization of recreational marijuana continuing the requirement of medicinal usage
before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.
Amendment 5 - Adjustment to the Value of Certain Homestead Exemptions
Supports an annual inflation adjustment to the amount of assessed value that is exempt from property taxation.
Opposes an annual inflation adjustment to the amount of assessed value that is exempt from property taxation.
Amendment 6 – Repeal of Public Campaign Financing Requirements
Supports repealing the state constitutional provision that provides for public financing of campaigns for those running for elective statewide office who agree to campaign spending limits, allowing a greater influence from corporate donations on state races.
Opposes repealing the constitutional provision that allows for the public financing of campaigns, therefore continuing to allow public campaign financing for statewide candidates who agree to certain spending limits.
FOLIO SOAPBOX
Do you ever have something you’re itching to say but you’re too afraid to do so? Scared you’ll get canceled over the candid conversations you have in the privacy of your own home or mind? Is there a secret that you need to let go of to finally feel released? Well, we embrace controversy and oversharing at “Folio Weekly”! We have created the perfect space for you to anonymously share your sentiments — the good, the bad, the questionable and even the cancelable! Share your opinions, secrets, or controversial assertions and we’ll sound it off for you on our Folio Soapbox.
Here is what some Jacksonville residents have had to say so far:
“Joe Biden dropping out of his presidential race will proBaBly Be rememBered as his single most valuaBle contriBution to history.”
“Being a polyamorous straight white man is the biggest manipulation tactic.”
“Desantis trying to ‘kill wokeness’ was the worst thing a governor has done for Florida since the Spanish colonized it.”
“Anti-homeless architecture should be dismantled. It helps no one and hurts the most vulnerable members of the community.”
Be funding endless proxy wars in aiwan and palestine/leBanon.”
“Folioweekly should publish more investigative journalism and restaurant reviews, less op-eds from interns.”
To submit your own controversial opinion or a secret, scan the QR code so you can be featured on the next soapbox — and completely anonymous!
dear dumbs
Dear Dumbs,
Boy, do I have something juicy for you two.
My husband and I live in a really cool neighborhood. We’ve lived here for 15 years. About a year ago our next door neighbor sold his home. He sold it to a single woman. She’s very attractive and professional. She’s been a very good addition to our community.
She recently started dating a guy who’s been spending a lot of time at her house. Our homes are very close together and how shall I say this, she seems to have a robust sex life. The prolonged moaning, slapping, spanking and yelping have really ramped up. She is so loud that most of the surrounding homes can hear and visualize every moment.
My husband sure doesn’t seem to be complaining. LOL
Should I say something to her? I’m in an awkward position here.
Shelby W. Ponte Vedra Beach
TERRY: This might be the first email that requires a box of tissues while reading.
SHARI: Gross.
TERRY: You’re gross.
SHARI: I married a guy who’s mentally 15 years old.
TERRY: You’re a lucky woman. Now can you stop screwing around and help this woman?
SHARI: I think there are some subtle ways to let her know her business is out there.
TERRY: But why ruin a good thing right?
SHARI: It may be possible she knows exactly what she’s doing.
TERRY: True. One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that there are a lot of freaky people out there.
SHARI: And that’s a beautiful thing. But I still think this needs to be addressed.
TERRY: I agree.
SHARI: This is pretty simple Shelby. Just calmly take her aside and put a bug in her ear on how sound travels in the neighborhood.
TERRY: That’s a little passive aggressive.
SHARI: If you do it that way you get credit for trying to be cool about it. If she doesn’t pick up on the hint then you just have to come out and say, “Hey, everybody can hear your smash sessions.”
TERRY: You’re good. Hopefully she will pick up on the hint so it won’t get awkward.
SHARI: That’s the plan.
TERRY: If she doesn’t get the hint though, maybe you can say, “So you’re a bad girl.”
SHARI: And there it is. Good luck, Shelby. If it doesn’t work let us, or maybe just me, know.
WHY DO WE LOVE BEING SCARED & LORE BEHIND HAUNTED HOUSES
Words by Ambar Ramirez and Carmen Macri
CARMEN: We won’t bore you with the details you should already know if you truly are a “Folio” fan (wink wink), but with Halloween right around the corner, let’s chat a bit about why we enjoy being frightened and subject ourselves to things like haunted houses.
AMBAR: The tradition of going to a haunted house can’t exist without Halloween; in the same breath, Halloween can’t exist without this tradition. Haunted houses are a rite of passage to properly celebrate the spooky holiday, but as journalists, we have to question why this is the case. According to “Smithsonian Magazine,” haunted houses date back to 19th-century London.
CARMEN: In 1802 Marie Tussaud introduced public horror to Britain with a wax sculpture exhibition of decapitated French figures including King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Marat and Robespierre. Tussaud’s wax figures were strikingly accurate, for a grim reason — she had crafted death masks of many guillotine victims during the French Revolution. When she later established a permanent exhibit in London, she fittingly named her macabre display the “Chamber of Horrors” — a label that endures with the museum to this day.
AMBAR: Throughout the 20th century, modern haunted houses began experimenting with different themes, and it was clear that people’s appetite for horror was growing. Halloween-themed haunted houses first popped up during the Great Depression, when American parents were looking for creative ways to keep restless kids occupied. It was around the same time trick-or-treating became a tradition. Parents wanted to give pranksters and bored children, who had turned to vandalism and other mischief out of boredom, a way to channel their energy — legally.
CARMEN: But why though? Why do people enjoy being scared?
AMBAR: I’m so glad you asked.
CARMEN: Me too. According to research the amazing Mallory Pace did in her “Desire for Doom” article a few months back, there are a few explanations for why we not only enjoy but seek out the thrill of being frightened. One being adrenaline junkies – who’da thunk? Jonathan Bassett, a psychology professor at Lander University, said as much when asked about the subject: “Watching murder, blood, gore and horror, gets them kind of the same level of arousal, physiologically, that low sensation seekers might get from more mundane kinds of experiences.”
AMBAR: The desire for doom also taps into the satisfaction people get from facing their fears. As Bassett explains, “The idea is that
the more tension we feel in the moment, because of the unpleasantness, the greater the satisfaction we feel when it’s over.” There’s a sense of accomplishment and pride in conquering the things that scare us the most. That said, I have a serious phobia of cockroaches, and no amount of exposure therapy will ever make me feel good about encountering one.
CARMEN: I think I would rather die. All right, now that we’re on the charming topics of cockroaches, death and doom, let’s get into one of the most infamous “haunted houses”—if that’s even the right term. Really, it’s more of a torture house, but we’ll gloss over that for the sake of the column. Enter McKamey Manor: a glorified masochist’s playground where someone’s dark and twisted fantasies come to life, minus the consequences.
AMBAR: We can thank Russ McKamey for taking haunted houses to a whole new level of terror. In 2001, he started by turning his backyard into a kid-friendly haunted house attraction, but for some twisted reason, possibly rooted in untapped childhood trauma, he decided that wasn’t quite enough. McKamey shifted his focus to scaring adults and created McKamey Manor. To get in, visitors had to sign a liability waiver that basically gave McKamey the legal right to torment you however he saw fit.
CARMEN: In 2017 he relocated to Tennessee but didn’t stay long because the city and state did not want him there, so he relocated, again, to Alamaba which is where he currently resides (sort of, he is actually in jail now for SA and attempted murder –shocker!) The tour drags on for eight to 10 grueling hours, though no one’s ever actually survived the full ordeal. At first, McKamey didn’t allow safewords (because, of course), but he eventually caved, letting guests tap out whenever they hit their breaking point. The place runs year-round and, unbelievably, there’s a waiting list of over 24,000 thrill-seekers dying to get in. It is not the average haunted house; here the workers can actually physically assault you, cut your hair, pull your teeth, blindfold and cuff you wherever they see fit — basically, they can beat the shit out of you, free of charge. (There’s a pun in there if you know where to find it.)
AMBAR: Don’t know why anybody would want to face those types of horrors, let alone be tortured — if you crave being scared shitless, maybe stick to legal, classic haunted houses. For example, Halloween Horror Nights or 13th Floor. Or you can just watch scary movies from the comfort of your home. Or if you’re Carmen, you can watch the many real-life horror story documentaries.
CARMEN: True crime documentaries are a story for another time.
Solve this puzzle like a regular sudoku, but instead of using numbers, use the letters J-A-X-S-O-N (for the Jags’ mascot, Jaxson de Ville) to fill each row, column and box.
