Not Your Average Joe’s has got to be one of my favorite restaurants in Medford. It has a warm and cozy atmosphere with a bit of class, perfect for lunch dates with friends or quality time with family. The staff is friendly and accountable, we had three waiters catering to us just this Friday, one of which whom was very fond of the iPhone 4s and was delighted to bond with my friend who also happened to be an iPhone lover. The bread is incredible and I’m not going to lie, it was the sole reason we went to the establishment in the first place. The bread is fresh and sometimes warm, depending on your preference, and comes with Joe’s own olive oil dipping creation that is to die for. You can actually purchase a loaf and the ingredients for the dip if you’re on the go. Along with the bread I had the pleasure of trying one of their strawberry mocktails, a delicious treat.  I also shared an appetizer pizza that could easily satisfy two or three people, if thin crust and barely there cheese is your kind of thing. The prices are quite reasonable and the menu is diverse so I highly recommend stopping by Not Your Average Joe’s for a  great eating experience.

Last week, I went to my first basketball game and I’m a junior in high school. I’m far from being athletic, but I’m very open in having new experiences. The JV team was playing against Somerville at home. Although I was extremely interesting by the game and by the many confusing hand motions by the referees, I was also fascinated by the atmosphere of the gym.

I had arrived promptly at the before the game as both teams were warming up, but I was surprised to see the lack of people in the stands. As the game started, more people arrived, but it barely made a difference. Some were having their own side conversions, some were engrossed in the game, but only one was cheering for the team telling them “Hands up!” The Lady Mustangs had won their game at the end of the night, but they were only the opening act to the varsity game.

The atmosphere even before the varsity game versus Somerville started shifted. An influx of people filed into the gym, and the stands were suddenly full. Once the game started, the cheering, the yelling, and the clapping also started. The excitement of the crowd made the varsity game more exciting, and that excitement was lost with the JV game. The varsity team lost their game that night but won the heart of the crowd; the JV team won their game but did not win the heart of the crowd.

Even as an outsider to the world of organized sports teams, I hear that the freshmen team gets more support than the JV teams does. The freshmen have the support from their excited parents because their child made it on a high school team. The varsity have the support of the school because they’re the all-stars. The JV are stuck in limbo.

Medford High School has an overwhelming large number of sports teams, and it is hard to attend every single game. Yet every team, whether it be basketball, gymnastics, tennis, lacrosse, boys, girls, varsity, JV, or freshmen, should get the same amount of support in the stands. For we should cheer on the players for their effort, team spirit, perseverance, and not just by their skill. Once a mustang, always a mustang.

In the greater scheme of things, rappers are seldom credited with starting a linguistics experiment, but Lil B (birth name Brandon McCartney) transcends the greater scheme. Or does he?

Lil B started his rapping career with a San Francisco area rap group known as The Pack. They rose in notoriety with the single “Vans”, a hyped up rap anthem about the famous skateboarding shoe. Since then, Lil B grew in fame through the use of Myspace, where artists could post up to 5 songs on their page. As a workaround, he created over 100 Myspace accounts, all of them linking back to his main page. Over the course of a few years, he released *676* *songs*, all of which were then compiled into what is the biggest mix tape ever. During the Myspace years, Lil B invented his own following. In
his songs he referred to himself as The Based God, the God of his new, almost religious, line of thinking. The songs are repetitive, using the same lyrics, same structure and sometimes the same beat, yet his fans flocked to the Based movement.

When Lil B finally came to the forefront, many were confused as to several things: “What is Based?”, “Who is the Based God?”, “Why does Lil B keep saying he looks like other people?” and “Why does he say swag so much?”. Most say that Lil B is terrible. His raps are repetitive, loud, using awful beats. Others speculate that this is exactly what B intended. They believe that all of his Myspace music was satire, mocking other rappers for producing such terrible music. Perhaps he is even mocking modern slang by using a nonsensical word (“based”) that was not assigned a meaning, but has rather acquired a meaning over time by the users of the word and those who hear it.

But what evidence do we have to substantiate this theory? While Lil B has never released a statement regarding it, if you watch interviews you start to see something unusual; a very well spoken, eloquent, and positive person, which is mostly alien to the rap game. Upon first finding this video, I was baffled. It led me to search some more of Lil B’s stuff, eventually coming across the “Age of Information,” which features music drastically different from the likes of his Myspace mix tape; he actually *raps*. But what makes this impressive is not necessarily the raps, but juxtaposed against his hundreds of other songs shows that this is all an experiment. He intentionally made the worst music he could, but included some elements to market to the masses, thus holding up a mirror to the public and saying “This is what you are told to want, and for some reason you do.” He is blatantly mocking his own fan base. But at the same time he could be mocking fans of so called “positive” hip-hop with his other songs, by showing us that if something has a positive or “deep” message, that it is accepted by a certain demographic of fan.

Lately, B released an album to the widespread criticism of critics, rappers, the public and Gay Rights organizations. The “I’m Gay” album was one of Lil B’s positive albums, with conscious songs (that is he hes not mocking us with them) and abnormally good production and content. Somehow, though, this release became an experiment in linguistics and subsequently society as a whole. B says that the album title is saying “I’m Happy”, using the antiquated meaning of “gay”. Despite this information, people still sent him death threats, which only goes to prove that words only have the power that we assign to them; “based” has no meaning, yet Lil B still says it and people assign it a meaning. Like wise with the “I’m Gay” album, he is commenting on society saying that we get so stuck in what we’ve been told, that we refuse to listen to the very artist who created the album. Or he could just be doing this for media attention for his new album, it’s a toss up.

I consider Lil B to be an artist. He is an artist in a musical sense, but also as a living, breathing comment on society, regardless of whether that was his intent. He is looking at us square in the face and saying “This is the music that you like, but why should you like it?” His songs are chocked full of ridiculous sayings, but people openly accept it and never think that hes completely kidding because they are so used to the way that “normal” rappers act that they can’t see how truly ridiculous Lil B truly is. Even if B isn’t trying to do this (and I believe that its entirely intentional), he is still causing a small group of people to look at the social norms and wonder why they are that way. An artist makes you look at something and ask questions. In that case, even if Lil B is completely serious about his music, he is still an artist, albeit an accidental artist.

Cundiff Kicks it Wide; Pats back in the Superbowl!

The Patriots were coming off a big 45-10 win against the Denver Broncos and the Ravens were coming off a tight 20-13 win against the Texans. The Patriots beat the Broncos in every aspect of the game, but the Ravens struggled mightily against the Texans. If not for a few costly turnovers by the Texans, the Ravens would have lost this game. However this being the case, the Pats and Ravens met up in Foxboro on a mild day in the AFC Championship Game. The Pats won the kickoff and elected to let the Ravens have the ball first. The Ravens punted on their first two possessions, and the Pats kicked a field goal on their second possession to give them an early 3-0 lead. The teams traded possessions until late in the first, when Joe Flacco completed a 42 yard pass to Torrey Smith to set up a 20 yard field goal by Billy Cundiff early in the second to tie the score 3-3.

On their next possession, the Pats marched the ball right down the field and capped off the drive with a 7 yard rush touchdown by Benjarvus Green-Ellis. The Ravens did the same thing and capped off their drive with a 6 yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to Dennis Pitta to tie the game at 10-10. The Patriots took the ball back down the field, but settled for a 35 yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski, giving the Pats a 13-10 halftime lead. The Pats got the ball to start the second half and they once again had to settle for a 24 yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski giving them a 16-10 lead. After a long drive by the Ravens, Joe Flacco threw a 29 yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith to give them a 17-16 lead. Danny Woodhead fumbled on the ensuing kickoff and the Ravens recovered. The Ravens offense stalled and settled for a 39 yard field goal by Billy Cundiff to give them a 20-16 lead.

The Patriots got the ball back and after a long drive, Tom Brady ran the ball in from a yard away. On the next possession, Brandon Spikes intercepted Joe Flacco and then Lardarius Webb intercepted Tom Brady. Both teams punted on their next possession, giving the Ravens the ball down 3 with under 2 minutes to play. Joe Flacco connected with Anquan Boldin 4 times on the next drive to bring the Ravens down to the Patriots 14. After a drop in the endzone by Lee Evans, the Ravens set up a 32 yard field goal attempt by Billy Cundiff to tie the game. With the game on the line and looking at overtime, Cundiff missed the 32 yard field goal to end the game.

Both teams played a poor game, but in the end it came down to a missed kick by Cundiff. Cundiff has been an inconsistent kicker his whole career, especially from long range kicks. He has also been cut by the Packers, Chiefs, and Lions over the course of his career. The Patriots will now take on the New York Giants in the Super Bowl on February 5th. This is a rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl where the Giants won 13-10.

Returning for its second year at Medford High, the book club is back! Perhaps a little late in the year, but nevertheless, it will be accepting new and returning members. If you are interested in joining, feel free to drop by the library and pick up an application. All applicants will have to pay a $25 dollar deposit (Preferably a check made out to Medford High School Library), and a signature from your guardian.

Upon joining this club, you will recieve a Kindle eReader, and the library will pay for any books downloaded, however only library staff are authorized to download the books. Unfortunately, depending on the number of applicants, the library may not have enough eReaders for each student at the same time. Everyone will get a chance to use the eReader, however the the first ones to sumbit an application signed by their parents, a check for $25, will get the first kindles. (If the kindle is lost or damaged beyond repair, the member who lost it will pay the replacement cost of $100.)

Snacks will be provided at the weekly meeting, where members will discuss the book they are reading and make recomendations or warning towards each other regarding the books.

by Daniel Morey

I don’t care how nerdy it seems, I absolutely love Skyrim. The fifth release in the Elder Scrolls series by developer Bethesda Softworks, the same people responsible for the extremely popular Fallout series, just goes to show that good things are worth the wait.  I even went to the midnight release, subsequently slept over at my friends house, and played until 3 AM side by side with him in complete silence. I can honestly say I have never been so excited for a game in my whole life, considering it’s been five years since Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and that is one of the best games of the 2000s and one of my personal favorites.

Skyrim opens up with you as a prisoner (which comes to no surprise of any fan of the series, its kind of a signature) being carted through the province of Skyrim in the realm of Tamriel (think of province as state and realm as continent). Immediately, players will note the dramatic improvement in graphics since Oblivion and other Bethesda releases. Light filters through trees, shadows jump across intensely detailed textures. The game has a considerably darker and more gritty look in the cities compared to Oblivion, but in the wilderness the new weather engine and dynamic lighting makes for an awe-inspiring landscape.

Towns are now more varied and interesting than in Oblivion, which were very cookie cutter in how they were laid out. Rolling hills, crowds of people and visually complex buildings make the cities look like legitimately inhabited places. People look like they actually have somewhere to go or something to do instead of aimlessly wandering like in most other games I’ve played. Trades men are tanning leather, working forges or farming their crops. All of this translates into a game that is incredibly immersive.

The combat system is similar to that in Oblivion and in the more recent Fallout games, where you can equip weapons and items, choose either first or third person, block, attack and do power attacks. The standard Elder Scrolls weapons show up: daggers, swords, hammers, axes, coming in iron, steel, Orcish, Elvish spells and weapons. Spells (most notably destruction spells) see a face lift in improved animations and a wider verity than in previous titles. Now added into the game are so called “finishing moves” which are somewhat reminiscent of those seen in V.A.T.S. in Fallout (people who have played Fallout 3 or New Vegas will instantly be reminded) These moves are (at least to my understanding) random, and differ depending on what weapons you use, so they add a new level of surprise to combat.

Since the first day that I played Skyrim, I realized that is is not only the shining jewel in the Elderscrolls series or Bethesda, but the best RPG in existence perhaps. If I wanted to show someone who wasn’t familiar with video games the full potential of the medium, I would surely exhibit Skyrim.

10/10

An interview with Khang Nguyen, one of the heads of BBoy Club.

Mustang News: What is BBoying?

Khang Nguyen: Bboying is a dance that is part of Hip-Hop culture. Hip-Hop, to put in its most basic form, is made up of four elements: rapping, graffiti writing, DJing, and Bboying. Bboying is most widely known as breakdancing. It’s famous for its acrobatic stunts that can be seen in gymnastics and martial arts. However, it should not be forgotten that it is still a dance form, with its primary objective being to express and unite.

MN: Why did you want to start the club?

KN: We started the club because we wanted to share something special with Medford High. Bboying, or any art form even, can be very liberating. For me especially, it has become my metaphor for the world. I take what I learn in the most physical manner, whether it be endurance or creativity, and then I apply it to my life. It has helped me grown a lot as a person, so sharing that with other kids at the school would be great. Plus, it’s really fun and can become a great hobby and possibly something more.

MN: Where do you guys practice?

KN: We teach and practice in Mr.Bowen-Flynn’s room, C209. He’s been kind to lend us his room and time.

MN: Is the club open to everyone?

KN: The club is open to everyone, and we encourage everyone with the tiniest bit of interest to come and learn. Bboying knows no boundaries. If you look at its journey throughout the world, the dance has traveled to probably every country. Male or female, young or old, it is danced. I’ve seen a 70-year-old woman holding a mean headstand. I’ve seen an 8-year-old boy spinning endlessly on his hand. I’ve even seen a guy with one leg dancing better than I could hope to. The dance really shows how alike we all are as humans. We all have bodies so we all are able to move it. The concept is as primitive as it gets.

MN: Do you have any future plans for the club like some kind of showcase?

KN: Since we are seniors, we are sadly unable to continue the class next year. It is unfortunate, but I hope that what we are able to teach will stick with the kids so that they can pursue the dance on their own. We grew up without teachers. We relied on watching some videos online but mostly, through word of mouth as we talked and shared with other dancers in Boston. I just hope we get across how amazing and powerful this dance is so that our members don’t drop it after we leave. I think teaching steps is the easy part. The hard part is sparking that internal hunger to learn and grow. The dance goes deep. It’s emotional and spiritual value goes deep. But as for future plans, a possible showcase at the end of the year sounds possible. But nothing’s for certain!

BBoy is very much for everyone. Here is a video of one of their classes showing beginners some basic BBoy moves.

by Paul Williams

On Saturday December 17th, the Medford High School Hockey team played an exhibition game against the Ukranian U16 National Team, Druzhba 78. Druzhba 78, whose name means friendship in Ukraine, is doing a one month tour playing against different teams in the area. According to their website “Eighteen students from the Druzhba program have been accepted at prep schools and high schools.  The majority of these students will matriculate this fall as juniors and all intend to prepare for college.” In other words, these are excellent hockey players planning on coming to the US and likely playing college hockey in a few years.

The game started out with the Ukranian National Anthem, followed by “the Star Spangled Banner.” Then Medford hockey coach Steve DeBenedictis presented Druzhba’s head coach Ivan Pravilov with a Medford hockey jersey as a way to remember this game. The ceremonial faceoff was taken by captain Brian Enos and one of the Ukranian captains. After the face-off the teams took their sides and the game began.

The Ukranian team took an early 2-0 lead, and then Medford captain Brian Enos scored right after to make the score 2-1. The score remained the same heading into the first intermission.

Druzhba 78 had a strong showing in the 2nd period, and took a 5-1 lead into the 2nd intermission. Medford continued to battle late in the 3rd with a goal by junior Jake Porrazzo. Druzhba netted one more goal late in the game, ending the game at a 6-2 score. After the game, the teams shook hands and took a picture.

While it was not Medford’s finest performance, and despite the uneven score, the team put up a good showing against an impressive rival.

Photo courtesy of:http://www.druzhbau18.com

  ]]> http://www.mhsmustangnews.com/2011/12/19/mhs-faces-tough-ukranian-team-loses-6-2/feed/ 0 http://www.mhsmustangnews.com/2011/12/17/music-review-heaviest-metal-ever/ http://www.mhsmustangnews.com/2011/12/17/music-review-heaviest-metal-ever/#comments Sat, 17 Dec 2011 19:38:06 +0000 mheinegg http://www.mhsmustangnews.com/?p=2065 Sin of God – Satan Embryo EP – 2011

review by Darion Paone

Some of the best metal comes from European countries, and some of the best concepts of music come from underground bands. What do you get when you combine European an underground? Amongst the myriad possibilities, I managed to stumble upon Sin of God – a technical death metal band from Hungary, with an emphasis on powerful sound across all instruments and a mission to destroy the entire world.

I was very surprised to hear that Satan Embryo was the band’s first release. It’s well-paced and feels more like a sophomore effort than a newcomer’s debut. Everything about this EP screams “experience”. For instance, Sin of God truly has some of the most powerful vocals I’ve heard in the death metal genre, and from a relatively-obscure band, that’s quite the accomplishment. A lot of bands require studio mastering to produce a powerful vocal track that doesn’t get swallowed up by the instrumentation, and that can result in an artificial sound that just doesn’t feel right. With Sin of God’s release, that doesn’t happen at all – something deserving of much praise. The blend of high shrieks and brutal lows are great, and lend extremely well to the instrumentation behind them.

Speaking of the instrumentation, the drumming is also extremely powerful – to the point where I almost question whether or not it’s over-produced. Nonetheless, the drumming is loud and very much present without detracting from the guitars or the vocals. The guitarwork is enjoyable at every turn, matching the pace of the drumming and the strength of the vocals without devolving or becoming monotonous. Every member of the band has their spotlight at the right time and for the right length. It’s very impressive, really. I think that, at first, Sin of God was a lot to take in at once, and the blinding fury with which they assaulted my ears was so powerful that I wasn’t able to properly dissect each aspect of the band’s sound and skill. They stray away from using an excessive amount of breakdowns – although they are present – and have quite a defined and unique presence.

The instrumental intro is decisively important for how it sets a mystical, foreign theme and tone for the album, and you can hear that tone reflected in several parts of each track. The first proper song, “Thousand Words, One Death” opens with a powerful, rousing assault of drums and guitar riffs, and the vocals come in to set the pace. The follow-up instrumental, “Purgatory”, gives an aural interpretation of Hell, and sets a dark, gloomy, and foreboding mood for the rest of the album. The title track, “Satan Embryo”, is the shortest non-instrumental track on the album, and is just incredible. “Buried in Hell” opens up with a breakdown that lasts a tad too long, but flows back into the rhythm rather nicely afterwards, and the last track – spanning a monstrous time of nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds – is entitled “Mud, Iron, Blood” and is by far the most intense track on the album and one of the most powerful tracks I’ve heard out of technical death metal. A wild claim? Yes, but you might agree once you’ve heard it. It’s beyond words.

The most remarkable thing this EP accomplishes is that ninety-nine per-cent of the time, the instrumentation is spot-on and I don’t tire of hearing it, despite the fact that the drums and guitars are often going at a BPM of at least 260, if not more. The riffs are creative, the drumming is relentless and varied, and the vocals are intensely powerful. My only complaint is that the band borrows its own riffs several times across different songs, and I sometimes imagine what the tracks would be like if they made unique riffs for the entire album. That being said, ninety per-cent of the album isn’t repeated, so there’s not much to complain about. Satan Embryo is an insanely-powerful, insanely-intense, and insanely-good technical death metal release. It’s crazy that this is the band’s first release. And it’s more crazy that they aren’t more well-known.

Enjoy the listen.