Monthly Archives: February 2012

How Big is “Linsanity” Going to Be?

If you follow basketball or watch the news at all, you have probably heard about Jeremy Lin, also nicknamed, “Linsanity.” He is nicknamed this because it is pure insanity when he plays basketball. This man came straight from Harvard, and no one knew he could play hard basketball. However, the Knicks needed a point guard for a game, and they discovered he’s amazing at basketball! He now plays a key role in the Knicks starting lineup. The question is, how big is “Linsanity” going to be in the future? Was this a streak of luck, or is he actually an all-star MVP type player?

I personally think Lin is not going to be as amazing as some people think he is going to be. Sure, he will be hot for a few years, but I believe he will be overrated and die out after a few years. He has proved he is excellent under pressure, however you can’t stay like that forever. For example, Kobe Bryant, my favorite player, isn’t nearly as good as he was at the peak of his career. However, I believe Lin will be a great edition to the starting role of the New York Knicks.

~Alex Pierce

Everything Closing?

Lately, in Cheshire many stores and restaurants have been closing. Popular places like Owen’s Main St. Deli, Toyz toy store, and Christy’s restaurant. Most of these places have been open for awhile. Toyz has been in Cheshire forever, it is the only toy store in Cheshire. Toyz was a store where you find a gift for any child no matter what because they had a wide varity of toys for all ages. Christy’s restaurant happens to be located close to Toyz. However, Christy’s hasn’t been open for a long time, opening a couple years ago. This small shop sold ice cream, fried dough, wings, etc. Owen’s Deli has been in Cheshire for awhile also; selling anything you can find at a deli and more. Being a popular lunch spot. So why are they all closing?

All things we love will eventually come to a end. In the summer I would always go to Christy’s with friends and family. When I was younger I would always go to Toyz and get gifts from Toyz. Toyz will always have a great memory in my mind. Owen’s Deli was one of my favorite lunch spots. My dad would always bring me to Owen’s to get their amazing steamed cheese burgers. I think these great places just went out of business period. Toyz’s owner, I know has another store in Walingford called Mr.D’s In my opinion these places just weren’t getting business, many Cheshire family’s go out of town for food, toys, etc. Also many stores in Cheshire have inflated prices that many people won’t pay extra for. But as for Christy’s, Toyz, and Owen’s Deli, sadly, the great places probably wont come back, but hopefully new places will come tho Cheshire.

~Jenny Vignola

4 vs. 4S: Which to choose?

One thing that I have been thinking about a lot lately is why the IPhone 4S is the bestselling IPhone to date. The reason that this statistic had me thinking is because I can honestly say that I find the regular IPhone 4 to be way superior. As an owner of the first IPhone 4 I find that it is of much better quality, and much more reliable comparatively.  Several of my friends have complained about different things that they have found wrong with the IPhone 4S. These problems range from exterior buttons jamming to problems with voice recognition and battery life. Currently the first IPhone goes for less than the second one, even though it is of much better quality in my opinion.  I did a little research into why the newer IPhone costs more, and why consumers purchased this IPhone the most.

The first thing I found was that the newest IPhone was the most bought IPhone ever because since the release of the very first IPhone, Apple has seen a steady increase in buyers with each new IPhone. Apple predicts that the IPhone 5 will have even better sales, when it is released. I think that the sheer fact that the IPhone 4S is new, made it a bestseller. Now that the IPhone is an established best seller let’s look at how it stacks up to it forefather, the first IPhone 4. I feel that the 4S, in comparison to the IPhone 4 has very poor battery life. The new IPhone will lose its battery in 6 hours while the older IPhone doesn’t run out of battery for 2 days. I also found that the buttons on the IPhone tend to get stuck. I’ve heard stories from friends and family about the home, power, and volume control buttons getting stuck. The last problem I found with the IPhone 4S is that the only thing that separates it from its forefather is Siri (voice control software), and a speedier processor. I find that these two things don’t make the IPhone 4S worth paying extra considering that the processor is not as fast as it was expected to be, and Siri sometimes has trouble recognizing the user’s voice. The camera was also only improved by one or two mega-pixels, which was not very impressive. After realizing the issues that the IPhone 4S has I would recommend paying less money, and buying the regular IPhone 4.

~Carter DeFigueiredo

Costa Concordia- Showboating Gone Wrong?

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On Friday, January 13 the cruise ship Costa Concordia was sailing past the coast of an Italian island on its way to Savona, Italy. The captain, Francesco Schettino, decided to guide the ship closer to the coast to apparently wave to a friend and appeared to be “showboating” to the people on shore. Soon after it hit a rock formation about 450 feet from the coast of Giglio, tearing into the ships hull and it began to take on water. By Sunday morning it had capsized completely. At least 13 people died in the sinking and over 60 people were injured. The captain allegedly abandoned ship very early into the evacuation, which was full of flying glass and panicked passengers. With so much confusion, many people simply leaped off the boat into the freezing water to swim to shore. It’s being called one of the worst cruise ship disaster’s in modern times.
I personally, hold the captain responsible. One of the most important laws of being a captain is that you do not abandon your ship when passengers are still on board. Evidence shows that he even caused the disaster by putting the boat dangerously close to the coast just to “showboat” to the people on shore. When questioned he said that he “tripped” into the lifeboat that he sailed to shore in, only emphasizing the point that he abandoned ship, since he almost definitely didn’t “trip” into the life boat and if he did he could have easily just climbed back on board. There’s also a conversation that he apparently had with a coast guard soon after he abandoned ship where the coast guard ordered the captain back onto the ship and yet he still didn’t go back on. The captain also caused over 500,000 gallons of fuel to empty out into the ocean, hurting the environment in that area enormously. By all accounts the captain is responsible for this shipwreck, but the crazy thing is that this whole disaster was caused by saying hi to a friend on shore, really making it showboating gone wrong.
~Jeremy Bennett

Is There No Privacy?

When your driving on the highway and you pass a car crash what’s your first instinct? That’s what I thought. Almost every single person’s instinct is to look at the scene of the accident and try to guess what happened or maybe feel bad inside for the people that got hurt. It’s just human nature! But I wonder, are humans nosy because they care about others, or are humans nosy because they’re bored with their own lives?

I think people are just bored with their own lives. Let’s face it, you’re day would be boring without knowing who Sally’s dating and what grade Tommy got on that test. Humans always ask questions about others, which in my opinion makes humans nosy. Think about it: news broadcasts are just letting everybody know what’s happening in other peoples lives, and broadcasts go on for hours! People just can’t get enough of it! So what do you think,are humans nosy because they care about others, or are humans nosy because they’re bored with their own lives?

~Leah Kaczmarek

Are you Hungry for the Upcoming Games?

26 different languages. 38 different countries. And now only 37 more days of waiting until the movie that has readers and moviegoers psyched around the world, will be released in theaters. On March 23, 2012, cinemas will be packed, waiting for this epic adventure to begin. This movie is based on a trilogy of books written by Suzanne Collins that have topped the charts and won numerous accolades. The Hunger Games is the first book in the series, followed by Catching Fire and Mockingjay. They take place in a post-apocalyptic World where the North American countries like the U.S., once existed. Every year, the capitol of Panem, which is the country that our main character, Katniss, lives in, sends one girl and one boy from each of the twelve districts to fight to the death in an arena. 16 year old Katniss’ little sister, Primrose, is picked to be the female tribute for their distinct, but Katniss steps up and takes her place. She is joined by Peeta Mellark, a boy who is the same age as her and who share an interesting past.

I am personally excited for this movie because of how well the books were written. Now I know a lot of people try not to get their hopes up about books that are becoming movies, but I believe you won’t be disappointed by this one. I’ve watched the trailers an obsessive amount of times, and from what I can tell, they have followed the story line extremely well and have done a phenomenal job casting. Jennifer Lawrence will play Katniss Everdeen, our feline heroine, Josh Hutcherson will play the role of Peeta Mellark, the bread boy, and Liam Hemsworth will be Gale Hawthorne, Katniss’ best friend. Based on the cast and the official trailer that you can view on You Tube, it looks like we are in for a sweet treat.

Just a word of caution, however, if the movie is anything like the books, there will be some scenes that some people might find disturbing. I recommend further checking out the movie for any content that you might be uncomfortable with, but if you can tough it out for a couple hours, it might just be worth it. The film is not yet rated, but is predicted to have a PG-13 rating due to some violence and intense scenes.

Thanks for reading and hopefully you are now interested in the upcoming movie or in reading the book. I strongly recommend reading the book before seeing the movie if you can, because you might get some background information that will help you to understand the movie better. If not, just sit back, relax and enjoy the show. (Don’t get to relaxed though because this movie might have some interesting twists you didn’t see coming) 😉

~Danielle Putnam

Are the TV Shows of Today Hurting Us?

Dance Moms, Toddlers and Tiaras, Jersey Shore, Beavis and Butthead. All of these shows set the example of how not to act. Television has become such a vital part of so many peoples’ lives. It is an accessible way of staying connected to the outside world. Well, some things are better left disconnected. Don’t get me wrong; I love a good dose of trashy TV once in a while, but the overexposure so many teens are receiving now is harmful.

Let’s start with Dance Moms. This reality show in addition to Toddlers and Tiaras are a form of child exploitation in my mind. Parents of the children on the shows are giving the message that it is okay to continue putting their children through things they do not like that can even potentially harm them. Sure, Abby Lee Miller has a cast of talented dancers, but it is only because they dance from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday with competitions each weekend. People all around the country are falling in love with these shows that change their minds and theories of how they should treat one another, which is dangerous to our future generations.

Now, to move on to Jersey Shore. People imitate the show, with their funny accents and whatnot, but the show is not a good example to follow. The premise of this MTV show is to follow the lives of a bunch of crazy, partying people. Parents should know better than to let their kids watch this group of people do the insane things they do. No offense to any die-hard Jersey Shore fans, but the show is an insult to the state of New Jersey and our culture.

Then of course, there is Beavis and Butthead. Quite frankly, this show scares me. Two animated (might I add grotesque) teenage boys who constantly skip school and have troubled minds is not exactly my definition of a quality TV show. The show has been recently revived for some unknown reasons and is the mother-load of all things bad.

Well, it’s not all bad with no good. Good shows are still out there, even if they may be harder to come by. Watch whatever you want, but still think about the future of our world and how we impact it. The shows we watch can really make a difference. Our parents never watched reality television. In fact, the lack of it made them turn out a-ok. You don’t have to agree with me, but lots of people would, that the number of quality shows are steadily decreasing.

~Anna Gleason

A Race In No Direction

President Barack Obama wasn’t handed the easiest job when he became president in 2008. George Bush left behind a failing economy, a broken banking system, and two wars. In addition, the automobile industry in the United states was failing and the unemployment rate skyrocketed. President Obama took several initiatives to improve the state of the country. He helped turn the car industry around, made decisions that helped create new jobs, and led the effort to loan money to banks to get them back on their feet.  And as of right now troops are returning to America from the war in Iraq.

In the Republican party former US Senator Rick Santorum is currently leading former Governor Mitt Romney. Republicans are struggling to make a definite decision on who they want to run against President Obama.  In the first three contests in the Republican nomination race, three different candidates were the winners.  Santorum won the Iowa Caucus.  Mitt Romney won the New Hampshire primary.  Former US Representative Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary Politico. This has never happened before. They  can’t seem to decide on a nominee. Will any of the republican candidates be able to defeat Obama?

I believe President Obama should and will win the Presidential election because he was hit with many challenges but has made things better.  Jobs are being created again,  the war in Iraq is over.  The car industry is profitable again and banks are doing well.  There is still a lot to fix and too many people without jobs but President Obama is working hard to make our country stronger.
~Clare French

The Super Bowl of Racing…With A Girl?

The 2012 Daytona 500 has a new racer, Danica Patrick.  She is only the third female driver to start in the 54 year history of the race. This is the first Daytona 500 Patrick has qualified to race in.  She has changed NASCAR, being in the spotlight as the only female driver since 1949.  Many of the male drivers are intimidated by her, but why?  All drivers race the same cars, have the same fuel, and the same skills.  The only advantage Danica has is that she is a little bit lighter then most of the men drivers. So, racers are all the same, it’s just she has a different gender.  The 2012 Daytona 500 should be an interesting and memorable race because Danica is changing the face of NASCAR.  She is a very tough racer, handles the race car like all of the men do, and can handle hard crashes.  For these reasons, there should be no problem with her being a NASCAR racer.  How would you feel racing against a girl?

If I was a NASCAR driver, I would commend Patrick for having the courage to race in a predominately male sport, especially because many drivers and fans do not think that she should compete.  I think that girls should be allowed to race and play any sport that they qualify for.  If she can handle it, go for it!  I have been in a similar situation as Danica’s opponents because I had to play a lacrosse game against a girl.  At first, I didn’t want to hit or check her but after she hit me, the game was on.  Eventually, I legally hit her just like she was a normal boy player.  I don’t care if there is a girl playing any sport, as long as she doesn’t have any special privileges because she’s a girl playing a boy sport.  I don’t think it’s a big deal having a girl racing in the Daytona 500 because I’m a tough competitor.  Are you?

~Peter Earley

2007 Honda crf100f Review

Hi, I’m Dom Allegirni a local 13 year old doing a review on my 2007 Honda crf100f dirt bike. This is an awesome dirt bike, I could not ask more out of it. It is very reliable and will start up in any weather. The cherry read and blinding white are and amazing color touch, which makes it fashionable to ride. the speed on this bike is tremendous with top speeds at a whopping 60-70 mph. The crf100 offers top of the line safety with a unique hidden key locking system located behind the front tire, guaranteed to keep your bike out of the wrong hands and safe. This is a five speed bike with the shifter located on the left foot petal and the back break located on the right petal. When on the trails there is no worry of running out of gas with a 1.3gallon tank designed into this Honda.  It will keep you going for hours of fun without refilling. This bike has pop when shifting, it dominates the trails, stomps the gas prices and flys.   What more could you ask for? It also has top of the line suspension great for beginners and intermediates, guaranteed to take the jumps,rocks, and the hardest terrain thrown its way. If I were to change anything about this bike I would buy a new tail pipe, even though the stock pipe has exceptional performance.   However an upgrade to a fmf pipe would be a wise choice. While at around $200 a fmf pipe increases the top speed and horse power of your bike and since it is built to last it is worth every penny! I hoped you like my review on the Honda crf100. Have fun riding the trails!!!

~Dom Allegirni