Photography that’s not as ‘quiet’ as its name implies

By Shara Sarnelli

From “Cloud Forest Gardens,” Ladd depicts the poverty of Ecuador by photographing a small child standing next to the Rodrigues’ family garden. In the midst of a heavy rain storm, the child displays an expression of sadness and uncertainty. The photograph is one of many that captures the difference between America’s leisurely approach to gardening and the gardening that many civilians of Ecuador do as a means of survival.

Clouds, forests, landscapes, gardens and much more! “Quiet Ground” is a large-format photography exhibition by CVPA Professor Thomas Spencer Ladd including photographs from the series “Sheep Pasture Gardens” and “Cloud Forest Gardens.”

Because the photographs are large-format, the exquisite details can are more visible.

Half of the photographs were taken in Easton, Massachusetts, home to Ladd, which explore the cold grounds of New England land. The other half were taken in Imbubura, Ecuador, mainly representing gardens in the Andes transitioning during the weeks of Inti Raymi, which is the regional harvest festival.

Ladd’s photography focuses on the beauty of landscapes and gardens, the way the land is affected by the changing of the seasons, the elegant structure of plants and the poverty and biodiversity of places like Ecuador.

The exhibition is currently on view at the CVPA Campus Gallery, which is located on the first floor of the Visual and Performing Arts Building. The artist will present two lectures on his work, research and clever techniques on Thursday, October 25, at 4 p.m. The reception will follow Ladd’s lecture at 6 p.m.

October 25 is also the final day that this free exhibit will be on display in the gallery. Be sure to check it out before then!

From “Sheep Pasture Gardens,” the photographer and UMass Dartmouth professor captures the beauty of a garden in North Easton, Massachusetts.

By photographing elements of Maria Clemencia Monroy’s garden in Ecuador, Ladd demonstrates the mesmerizing delicacy of nature that is often overlooked.

From the collection “Cloud Forest Gardens,” Thomas Spencer Ladd portrays the poverty of Ecuador through the lives of Mercedes and Gonzalo Ruiz.

‘Step’ into African history and culture

The African Diamond Miners prepare to learn a new dance from their boss.

The African Diamond Miners reenact one of their dances.

Step Afrika performs a dance about the songs of African American slaves.

Humorous highlight

CAB-sponsored comedian Kira Soltanovich lights up the UMass Dartmouth auditorium on Thursday, October 11. Soltanovich, a native of the former Soviet Union, uses stand-up comedy, sketch, hidden camera and improv to keep her audiences laughing and has an extensive resume, including becoming a finalist for Comedy Central’s Laugh Riots.

THE BEER BARON

A taste of fall: The pumpkin ale showdown

By Gary Albert

Here are four pumpkin ales, all coming from different breweries, which might suit your taste buds better than any Oktoberfest beer.

Pumpkin ales have become a staple of the fall season. Any brewery that doesn’t have an Oktoberfest will usually brew some sort of pumpkin ale.

This week, I’ve chosen to go about my column in a slightly different fashion. Instead of choosing one selection, I’m comparing four different beers. Each is unique in its own way with its own take on the style.

I’ve chosen four easily obtainable pumpkin ales: Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale, Post Road Pumpkin Ale, Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale and Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale. For all of these pumpkin brews I’ve chosen my standard American pint glass, poured from 12 ounce bottles of each.

Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale is brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

It pours with a thin head and a light copper-amber color and is the lightest colored (but not thinnest looking) of the four beers I’ve chosen.

The smell of both pumpkin and spices is strong, particularly the cinnamon and cloves. The taste is a mesh of these same flavors, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and pumpkin. It has a spicy kick at the tail end of the sip and in the aftertaste, with a hint of a caramel flavor on the back of the tongue.

This beer is tasty. It is slightly dry on the mouth, with medium strong carbonation, has a noticeable earthy, hoppy bitterness, and a light pumpkin sweetness, while the malty sweetness is nearly absent.

This beer is drinkable, but the spice in the aftertaste lowers the drinkability, though I feel it would go well with a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving.

At 6% alcohol, this is the strongest of these four beers. I give it a solid 3.5/5, with the negatives in the mouthfeel and the drinkability.

Post Road Pumpkin Ale is brewed by Brooklyn Brewery in Brooklyn, New York.

It has a slightly more golden-orange color than the Smuttynose brew and a very similar smell, but a little stronger on the pumpkin and nutmeg. It has the thickest head of the four beers, which lingers around longer as well.

The taste is very sweet and very malty, with much less bitterness than expected, much more of a floral hop taste that stands out, but isn’t dominant. There is lots of pumpkin in this brew, but little spice. It is light and tangy on the tongue, with strong carbonation and a pumpkin aftertaste.

This beer is very drinkable, especially at 5% ABV. It gets a 3.75/5, with the negatives in the lack of spice and it being a tad bit too sweet for my taste.

Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale is brewed by Blue Moon Brewing Company in Toronto, Canada, which is owned by Molson-Coors.

Harvest Moon pours a much darker red-orange color. It has a decently strong pumpkin and nutmeg smell, with hints of cloves. The light head dissipates quickly. It has a very earthy taste and is a little peppery, but has strong, distinctive pumpkin tones.

This beer tastes the most like pumpkin pie of the selection, which I’ll attribute to a stronger malt presence than the others, which isn’t a bad thing.

Also, this beer is thicker in the mouth than I initially expected. In the aftertaste there is much less pumpkin than the others. By that point, it almost feels like the regular Blue Moon brew with hints of pumpkin and nutmeg.

The drinkability lies between the two previous brews, so it is still very drinkable. It has a 5.6% ABV, so it is the second strongest of the four. I’m also going to give this a 3.5/5 just like one of the previous, attributing the negatives to the aftertaste and the sweetness, but I personally prefer it over the Smuttynose.

Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale is brewed by Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis, Missouri — the same brewers as Budweiser.

It pours a light copper color and a thin head that lingers around for a bit. The smell is almost non-existent, but I can faintly smell pumpkin in the air. The first sip has a very watery mouthfeel, but it is well carbonated.

I feel thoroughly disappointed after three, much more entertaining brews. The taste has a little pumpkin and nutmeg, with a strong clove, cinnamon, and ginger taste on the back of the tongue. The strongest point of this brew is that the pumpkin stands out very much in the aftertaste.

It has 5.5% alcohol content. It receives a 2.5/5, and it’s not recommended.

Recap:

Post Road: 3.75/5

Harvest Moon: 3.5/5

Smuttynose: 3.5/5

Jack’s Pumpkin Spice: 2.5/5

Keep in mind that these are not the only pumpkin ales around; and others may be both better and worse than this selection and personal preference definitely favors in this style.

If you have a recommendation for a beer review (anything goes), want to comment on or criticize my review, or just have questions regarding beer, send me an e-mail at UMDBeerBaron@gmail.com.

MATT'S UNKNOWN MUSIC CORNER

Combine literature with music to get the ‘dream’ band

By Matt Meylikhov

Alright, after dishing out a band really just for me, I feel I should offer something that is more peer-friendly. So this time around, there’s no screaming, no heavy guitars, no double bass. This is probably going to be one of the most easily accessible bands. This week, I present my personal favorite band: Gatsbys American Dream.

Right off the bat, you can see one of the many things I love about this band — they are full of literary references. The name of the band, song titles, subjects and even themes of full albums are all literary references. Gatsbys loves books.

This love for literature comes from Bobby Darling (lead guitarist/songwriter) who spent the majority of his childhood reading, a past time that many in our generation would be so lucky to pick up. As a result, there are many references to books such as “Animal Farm,” “Lord of the Flies,” “Ozymandias,” “Ender’s Game” and many others in Gatsbys American Dream’s songs.

But not only that, they still keep it fresh, using references to popular TV shows and movies such as “The Matador,” “Lost” and “Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure” (“Shhh! I’m Listening To Reason!” is my favorite song by them).

And if that doesn’t do it for you, they will even throw a video game reference in there once in awhile, with songs like “Meet Me At The Tavern In Bowerstone,” which is a reference to “Fable” and “Shadow Of The Colossus” — both of which are great games too, if you’re into epic adventures.

Another one of my favorite things about Gatsbys is the instrumentation ability. Now, for all comparison purposes, the closest to any genre I could call Gatsbys is pop punk, though they really are in a genre of their own. They do not follow any traditional music making rules and they let the music write itself.

Some critics have treated this as Gatsbys weakness, not giving many songs a chorus, but to me, it is one of their strong suits. With off-beat rhythms, absolutely crazy time signatures and a drumming ability that will make your jaw drop at times, there is no doubt that the rhythm section of Gatsbys will get your feet tapping and head bobbing.

On top of that, the bass follows the drums to a tee — something that few bass players do anymore. You’ll often find that bass players will simply follow the guitars’ rhythm in most modern pop bands. However, any real bassist knows that if the bass follows anything, it’s the drums. And Gatsbys bass player knows that for sure.

Furthermore, the guitarist doesn’t sit for simply playing a bunch of generic power chords. His complex chords and riffs make up for the lack of ingenuity of a hundred bands. While he doesn’t pull out any complex, spine popping solos, you can see the talent dripping from his fingers when he plays the guitar.

As for the vocalist, I think all I really need to say is that his voice is one that I absolutely strive for when I sing myself. He doesn’t have the highest range I’ve ever heard, but when you hear how perfectly his voice fits into the music, you will understand what I mean.

Now, despite all this goodness, there is a slight drawback. Unfortunately, Gatsbys is temporarily split up. They have split up into three new bands (Search/Rescue, RedRedBlue, and Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground), all of which are good, but just not quite Gatsbys.

However, fortunately for you, in their wake they have left four albums and an EP for you to digest until they finally reunite. Also, luckily for you, they all rock. They start with “Why We Fight,” which was their entry into the music world. This is the most cautious album, but still good. It set the roots for all the signature things that I have come to love in a Gatsbys American Dream CD.

Soon, they returned with “Ribbons and Sugar,” an album with a background theme revolving around the book “Animal Farm” by George Orwell, talking about big business and how it grinds people down. The album title itself comes from a quote from the book:

“Will there still be sugar after the Rebellion?”

“No,” said Snowball firmly. “We have no means of making sugar on this farm. Besides, you do not need sugar. You will have all the oats and hay you want.”

“And shall I still be allowed to wear ribbons in my mane?” asked Mollie.

“Comrade,” said Snowball, “those ribbons that you are so devoted to are the badge of slavery. Can you not understand that liberty is worth more than ribbons?”

Many feel that “Ribbons and Sugar” was Gatsbys’ defining album. But to me, that was “Volcano.”

I picked up “Volcano” randomly one day while browsing in the store. There was a sticker on the cover claiming it was one of the definite albums of the year to know. So I bought it, listened to it on the ride home and have been addicted to it ever since.

I can play that entire CD without skipping a song and I greatly enjoy each one. The album’s central theme is that of an actual volcano. How it feels. How it lives. Songs like “Pompeii” speak from the volcano’s point of view. Lyrics like, “The city is burning/I’ll tear down the walls/I’m gonna getcha/And there’s nothing in the dark I won’t bring to light/They’ll dig you up in fifteen hundred years,” illustrate the volcano’s viewpoint. (For those who don’t know the story of Pompeii, it’s about a volcano that suddenly erupted and buried an entire city unexpectedly.)

But it’s also more than that. Not only is the volcano an actual mountain that spews out magma and lava, as the album progresses, you realize that it is human emotion in itself that is a volcano; “I am the wind, singing a sad song/I am a volcano, and I’ll hurt you all.”

I could go on and on at this point, but really… do I still need to? I don’t think I need to continue justifying this amazing band. The point of my story is if you like fun and catchy music that really pushes boundaries and doesn’t follow the same format of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, breakdown, chorus, as your generic pop band does, and you like quality and talent in your music, then Gatsbys American Dream is for you.

That’s really all there is to it. I’d say even if you aren’t looking for exceptionality in your music you should listen to Gatsbys. You should probably just listen to Gatsbys no matter what.

Give them a listen at http://myspace.com/gatsbysamericandream. They do an amazing cover of “Just Like Heaven” by the Cure. Or do yourself a favor and just go blind-buy “Volcano” like I did. You can thank me for this one later.

As always, feel free to send me an e-mail mmeylikhov@umassd.edu with any band you feel is not talked about enough and a place for me to listen, and I’ll consider them for this column.

INDEPENDENT GAMER

Paint the town red with ‘de Blob’

By Brett McCabe

It’s no secret that many famous musicians have used drugs as inspiration for their music. We have no idea how much acid some of these chart toppers have been on. Take a hit, make a hit. For the game I am about to describe, I wonder what the college students in the Netherlands are on.

I imagine nine students from Utrecht School of the Arts got together and did a lot of peyote, painted their faces individual colors and made goat sacrifices to the god of rainbows. After tearing out the bladder of one goat, it hit them: this was their main character, right there in their very hands. This was “de Blob.”

The idea of the game “de Blob” is to roll around in your plump body, painting a boring, grey town. No, no, no. It’s not UMass Dartmouth — it’s the city of Utrecht that needs the makeover.

In order to help refresh this town’s look, you conveniently play as a giant goop of paint. His googly eyes are that of your typical cartoon goof.

De Blob’s body is basically a sphere with hands and Adidas sneakers poking out. To gather colors and start painting, you run over different colored pedestrians, thus absorbing their life-force. Everything in this huge city is “paintable.” The buildings, the cars, the trees, even the billboards. Too bad there aren’t any Clear Channel ads to smear over.

You will come across obstacles, however. You have to avoid the I.N.K.T. goons who will pollute your beautiful colors with black. Besides painting everything in sight, your other goals are to collect tokens and complete tasks by banging into huge buildings. There is only one level, but its Grand Theft Auto size makes up for it.

The concept of the game was based on creating a game built on how the city of Utrecht would look in 10 years when the railroad station was built. The city of Utrecht has since adopted the character of de Blob to be its mascot.

Created in only four months, de Blob was nominated in the student showcase of the Independent Games Festival, the Slamdance Guerrilla Gamemaker Competition and the Spin Awards Best Gaming Concept. The concept for de Blob has recently been sold to THQ and their studios Blue Tongue and Helixe, which will be creating games for both the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS in spring 2008. All of this for a game made in FOUR months.

Apparently, the pokey appearance of de Blob wasn’t cool enough for the market, so THQ gave the character a new look. Think Sonic the Hedgehog meets a pudgy Pokémon. With expanded levels and emphasis on plot, it looks like they’re even going more GTA on us with the I.N.K.T. agents acting more like police. Hey, whatever sells, right?

ASK MISS CHERRY

Tongue treats and treatments

By Miss Cherry

Dear Miss Cherry,

Lately I’ve been hearing a lot about flavored condoms. What exactly is the deal with them? Are they for sex only? — Tasty Treats

Dear Treats,

Flavored condoms are flavored for a reason. They are meant for oral sex only. Flavored condoms should never be used for vaginal sex. For one, the vagina doesn’t have taste buds.

They are designed as a barrier for performing oral sex on a male. They come in many different flavors such as strawberry, mint, chocolate, grape, cola and banana to make oral stimulation a little more comfortable for the giver.

If a flavored condom is used for vaginal sex, it may result in a not-so-happy ending. The sugars in the flavored component of the condom can cause a yeast infection for the female partner. And this uncomfortable infection may not be worth using these tasty types of condoms for vaginal insertion.

Dear Miss Cherry,

I really like the idea of having a piercing and was interested in getting a tongue ring to enhance sexual pleasure for my partner. What should I know for before and after I get the piercing? — Tongue Twisted

Dear Tongue,

Good for you for doing your research! The first step to take with any piercing is finding a qualified “piercer” that you are comfortable with. His or her work environment should be clean, sterile and have the proper equipment.

The piercer should also wash often and wear latex gloves. Also be sure that he or she is using a sterile, disposable needle and not a piercing gun, as that can be unsanitary and traumatize the pierced tissue.

Next, be sure the piercer is using the appropriate jewelry. Initial tongue piercings generally use a longer than average barbell. This will allow for swelling of the tissue and will be replaced with a shorter barbell after healing. With the jewelry, also make sure it is a 14 gauge and not a 16 gauge, as the smaller 16 size can tear through the tissue, causing the jewelry to migrate.

After receiving the tongue piercing, it will be uncomfortable and painful for about 3-7 days. The tongue will swell and eating certain foods may be difficult. Taking a pain reliever like ibuprofen and eating soft foods like overcooked pasta and mashed potatoes can help.

The tongue is naturally a quick healer and heals within 4-6 weeks. But before it has completely healed, certain precautions should be made. Keep in mind the piercing is an open wound and should be treated as such. Avoid kissing and especially giving oral sex to keep bacteria away from the piercing location.

To keep the piercing clean, rinse with an alcohol-free or diluted mouthwash. Alcohol can irritate the tissues around the new tongue piercing and even rinse away good bacteria that promote proper healing. Of course if you experience any redness, pus, excessive bleeding, extended pain and discomfort, see your health care professional, as they may be signs of an infection.

After the tongue piercing has healed and you decide to change the jewelry, consider using a plastic barbell. Metal jewelry in the mouth may cause chipping and breaking of the teeth. But after it has fully healed, have fun with your new piercing. Experiment with the tongue ring to see what makes your partner tingle.

EDITOR’S NOTE: While Miss Cherry’s advice is well-researched and supplemented with matierals provided by on-campus Health Services, she is not a trained health professional.

All serious medical questions should be discussed with a trusted family healthcare provider or member of the university’s dedicated Health Services or Women’s Resource Center staff.

Health Services can be contacted at 508-999-8982 or visited online at www.umassd.edu/studentaffairs/health/.

The Women’s Resource Center is located in Pine Dale can be contacted at 508-910-4584 or visted online at http://www.umassd.edu/wrc/.