Entertainment

The stars shine brightly above Mines: A brief look down at our beautiful home.

If there is one thing that the average reader should gain from this column, it would be an immense awe and respect for the universe. While Earth is not at the direct center of the universe as was once thought by scientists and philosophers of the past, it holds a tremendous and fantastic role in the cosmos. Despite the vast amount of planets that have been identified, so far few, if any, hold the niche that this marvelous sphere of rock and water holds. Sure, the planet is not all that special, other places have water, other places likely have life, and other places have huge billowy clouds and dramatic sunsets, but this week’s focus is under our feet.

Is the old better than the new? A review of “True Grit” (1969)

If what they say about remakes being worse than the originals is true, the amount of amazing reviews for the current “True Grit” should speak volumes about the original. The original “True Grit” exemplifies what a mountain western should be, unclassifiable. The characters are diverse and flawed; the content gritty and shocking at times; and the scenery unforgettable.

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Music Review: Iron & Wine Kiss Each Other Clean

The music of Sam Beam, better known as the motivating force behind Iron & Wine, is known for its soft beauty and constant reinvention. Over the last decade Iron & Wine has moved from acoustic lo-fi recordings to full band pop songs. As with any musical progression, the hope is that while fidelity may increase, the heart behind the songs might remain the same.

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Music Review: The beautiful dark twisted fantasy of Kanye West

I have observed an interesting phenomenon. It seems that people occasionally define their musical tastes in terms of what genres they avoid. On more than one occasion I’ve heard the words “anything except rap, pop, country… etc.” spoken as though the speaker were proselytizing.

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Tech Break: LG Optimus V Review

This week I was going to talk about anti-competitive shenanigans on the part of Apple and Comcast, but this news is more current, more important, and more just-plain-awesome. The reason is that there now exists an excellent smart phone that does not require a contract and allows unlimited data and messaging, plus some voice minutes for less than the price of the average cell carrier’s unlimited data plan alone. This phone’s name is Optimus V, and it is available on Virgin Mobile.

The stars shine brightly above Mines: Venus, our inhospitable sister planet

There are few places that have captured the minds of dreamers like Venus. Every picture of Earth’s sister planet is covered in clouds, like a veil hiding the treasures below. Up until the beginning of the modern age of space exploration Venus was even more of a mystery. Like the moon, from the position of Earth, Venus has its own phases that it runs through as it dances around the Sun. Overall it is a very appealing planet, one that for a time was thought to contain life to the point that some romantic thinkers imagined complex civilizations living in ivory towers on a rich steamy jungle planet.

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Community Spotlight: Golden Library offers division

Colorado School of Mines students tend to be a left-brained bunch. They pore over chemistry, physics, mathematics, and engineering late into the night, in an unending search for the correct answer. However, many students recognize, or at least suspect, the existence of a world outside of the left-brained confines of their classes. For these students, there is a haven just a few blocks away at the Golden branch of the Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL).

Tech Break: Going mobile

Welcome to the new year! Apologies for the lack of Tech Breaks in past Oredigger issues. Hopefully my schedule will allow for a weekly article again. For this week, let’s look at what’s hot in the wireless market, based on data that I collected late last semester and bolstered over the break.

Music Review: Passion Pit brings electronica to a new light

Utilizing a catchy synthesizer, two keyboardists, a bass guitar, drums, and vocals by Michael Angelakos; Passion Pit has released one full studio album and one EP. Ranging from very light and swift to very mellow and slow paced, Passion Pit brings electronica to a more popular and broad style that allows for many people who are into different genres of music to enjoy variety ranging from rock to rap, even to choir music. The band’s newest album, labeled Manners, uses all previously stated genres to create a symphony of unique sounds. Manners came out in 2009 and has been widely successful for the group from Cambridge, Massachusetts. This album consists of eleven original tracks along with three extended songs which in total last about forty-five minutes. The album garnered positive response from a variety of reviewers and The Rolling Stone Magazine. Clash Magazine even gave the album a 9/10.

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Cooking Corner: The underage brew, Ginger Ale

Ginger, a unique plant, is highly valued by many cultures. Ginger can be pickled, used as a additive and palate cleanser for sushi, and used as an additive to vegetables like carrots to make eating them much easier. This recipe, however, is for brewing ginger ale, a simple concoction that allows even the youngest members of society to become brew masters in their own right.