Author Archives: Stephen Jones

New DC on the CW!

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Stephen Jones

On January 21 of next year, The CW will premiere their newest superhero program, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.  Following Arrow and The Flash, this show will be the third superhero endeavor currently on The CW, much to the delight of many DC Comics fans. An addition to the Arrow/Flash universe should come as no surprise, since the two shows brought The CW its best ratings of the 2014-2015 season, surpassing network mainstay, Supernatural.

Legends of Tomorrow will feature characters previously introduced in the Arrow/Flash universe, but what separates this show from the previous two is the fact the main characters are not exactly what you would see among the DC Universe’s top-tier, so no Batmans or Supermans here. The Legends of Tomorrow is only one of many shows following the trend of focusing on “minor” characters; a trend Marvel made famous through Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter.

With blockbuster movies like Batman v Superman and Captain America: Civil War looming overhead, it can be easy to forget about the lower-budgeted, sometimes better-written, shows appearing every week. Since these shows are on network television, their budgets are nowhere near the amount invested in their silver-screen counterparts; but remember, more money does not always mean better quality. Just ask Josh Trank.

Pesticides in the Hive

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Stephen Jones

Chemicals have been used for decades in order to ensure the growth and survival of crops essential to everyday life, but many of these chemicals are possibly affecting organisms outside of their intended targets, including the bee; an insect essential to the reproduction of various flowering plants. The chemicals scientists believe to be harmful to bees are known as neonicotinoids. These chemicals are synthetic derivatives of the widely used, naturally-occurring pesticide, nicotine.

bees

Bee populations are dramatically on the decline, and scientists are looking for what factors could be responsible for said decline. Dr. Chris Connolly and his colleagues conducted a study at Dundee’s School of Medicine consisting of a sample population of bees, and the conclusion suggests the decline in the bee population is partially due to neonicotinoids. In the study, Dr. Connolly found exposure to low levels of neonicotinoids caused a 55 percent reduction of the live bee population. Dr. Connolly states, “Our research demonstrates beyond doubt that the level of neonicotinoids generally accepted as the average level present in the wild causes brain dysfunction and colonies to perform poorly when consumed by bumblebees.” Even though the pesticides did not kill the bees, the effects of the neurotoxins could still be seen through the examination of the bees’ brains and cells. As mentioned before, the bee population was exposed to low levels of neonicotinoids, resulting in the shutdown of mitochondria, the failure to recognize the scent of a flower, and the inability to remember their way back to the nest.

What is important to remember about the study is the scientists are not suggesting that insect neurotoxins are wholly at fault; but when looking at the results of this study, it is hard not to believe the aforementioned pesticides are not partially to blame. Dr. Connolly’s analysis is only one of many experiments looking into the side-effects of pesticides, and with the number of studies steadily growing; various national governments have started to take action concerning the use of pesticides within the environment. This past September, a US court reversed the Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of the pesticide sulfoxaflor, due to data the court called “flawed and limited.” Although the court denied the use of sulfoxaflor, most neonicotinoids are still approved for use within the US; the situation is the polar opposite in the EU. The EU currently prohibits the use of most neonicotinoids and, as of July, allows the use of sulfoxaflor, even though the European Food Standards Authority believed the lack of information on sulfoxaflor does not exclude the possibility of a negative impact on the already deteriorating bee populations.

The unwanted influence of insect neurotoxins on bees is one of many factors we must look at when examining humans’ usage of chemicals in agriculture, but finding out whether or not these pesticides are significantly hurting bee populations is essential in ensuring the survival of many plant species we rely on every day.

Sources:

http://www.phys.org/news/2015-02-neonicotinoid-insecticides-impair-bee-brains.html

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28167-bees-win-as-us-court-rules-against-neonicotinoid-pesticide/

Netflix is the New Black

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Stephen Jones

In response to a RBC Capital Markets survey, over 51% of participants said they used Netflix watch television shows and/or movies. Just surpassing YouTube, the streaming service is now the most popular streaming site, beating out Hulu, Amazon, and HBO Go. This rise in consumer usage is possibly due to some of its critically-acclaimed original programming, including: “House of Cards,” “Daredevil,” and “Orange is the New Black.” Thanks to overwhelming reviews from fans and critics alike, Netflix’s original programming has amassed 78 Emmy nominations and 12 wins. Another aspect of Netflix’s appeal is its original comedy specials showcasing some of the world’s most popular comedians such as Louis C.K. and Kevin Hart. Looking at this diverse selection of content, Netflix’s mass appeal should be of no surprise.

qz.com

qz.com

Compared to cable and satellite subscription prices, Netflix’s most popular plan of $9.99/month is music to the consumers’ ears. Also, the ability to watch on multiple mobile devices at one time only adds to the accessibility this generation of instant-gratification desperately craves. Some cable networks, like Showtime, are trying to integrate the convenience Netflix boasts through mobile apps, but these on-the-go apps require an active subscription to its cable counterpart; thus, nullifying the inexpensive allure Netflix possesses. In contrast to other cable networks, HBO introduced a streaming service requiring no previous subscription to its satellite network. This new endeavor, named HBO Now, was launched in April of 2015 and garnering over 1 million subscribers in about three months. Hopefully, HBO’s success in adapting to the “cord-cutting” trend will influence other cable networks to follow suit.

Thanks to the streaming service’s overwhelming content variety, simple accessibility, and 69 million subscribers, Netflix is set to become an even bigger force of change in the media world.

Welcome to YouTube Red

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The tech behemoth, Google, has announced a paid-subscription service to the most popular video streaming platform, YouTube. For over ten years, YouTube has been a worldwide phenomenon through its massive amounts of content anyone can create and watch almost anywhere. Perhaps the biggest chapter in YouTube’s short history is Google’s acquisition of the website in November of 2006 for $1.65 billion. Not soon after, in May 2007, YouTube introduced its Partner Program, allowing ad revenue to be distributed between Youtube (45%) and the content producer (55%). The company and content producers alike saw this as an opportunity to improve the quality of the videos, but YouTube garnered some criticism for the unavoidable advertisements put at the beginning, or the middle, of many videos, and the launch of YouTube Red may bring up even more criticism than before.

From the mobile app to their Cardboard virtual reality, YouTube has always prided itself as a service dedicated to enhancing the video-streaming experience for their viewers through constant adaptation, and YouTube Red is no different. With YouTube Red, subscribers will receive special features, including ad-free videos, the ability to save videos and music for offline access, or to keep videos or music playing outside of the YouTube app, an audio-only option through the YouTube Music app, and a Google Play Music subscription at no extra charge. After a 1-month free trial, all of these benefits will be available for $9.99/month.

Upon closer inspection, it seems Google is addressing many of the complaints about intrusive ads consumers have thrown their way, but some content creators might feel they are being put in a tough position. With the launch of YouTube Red, any Partner Program member will be expected to sign up for YouTube Red, or all their videos will not be available to the public.

It is too soon to decide whether or not this new program will succeed in boosting content quality, but as always, Google is sure to draw a very polarizing reaction, as can be seen through the number of dislikes on this video announcing the new program.

Sources:

http://fortune.com/2015/10/22/youtube-red-content-creators/

http://www.engadget.com/2015/10/21/youtube-red-google-ad-free-video-subscription/

https://www.youtube.com/red

 

 

 

 

Politicians and Musicians Do Not Harmonize

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Stephen Jones

On September 9th, Donald Trump drew a livid reaction from R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe, when the presidential hopeful used the band’s song “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” at a Tea Party rally protesting President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. In an email to the Daily Beast, Stipe, clearly upset with Trump, stating “Go f— yourselves, you sad, attention-grabbing, power-hungry, little men. Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign.” Trump’s clash with R.E.M. is just the most recent incident in a long and troubled history between politicians (mostly Republicans) and musicians.

During the 2008 presidential season, Sen. John McCain received disapproval from three seperate artists, including: the Foo Fighters, John Mellencamp, and Jackson Browne. McCain continued this losing streak with musicians when his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, was sent a cease-and-desist letter from Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson, after using their famous song, “Barracuda,” at the Republican National Convention. Wilson’s letter fiercely, “I think it’s completely unfair to be so misrepresented. I feel completely f***ed over.”

Most of these altercations between politicians and musicians mostly occur due to the stark contrasts in personal beliefs. Many of the jilted Republican politicians have strongly conservative values, while the objecting musicians have usually been associated with the rock genre, a genre known for its progressive past, e.g., Woodstock and Vietnam War protests. This history can be seen as far back as Ronald Reagan’s 1984 presidential campaign, where he wanted to use Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” Reagan did not understand the lyrics where about a man struggling in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, a war Reagan was known to support. However, in the rare case of a musician denying a Democratic politician song rights, the letters have had a more cordial tone. For instance, Barack Obama was asked to stop using songs during both of his presidential campaigns; however, these rejections were not due to political beliefs, but rather the fact his campaign did not ask for permission. Perhaps if politicians asked the artists for song usage in advance, they might be spared the embarrassment of being publicy rejected.

Sources:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/01/27/1360245/-When-politicians-use-music-without-asking-permission#

http://www.buzzfeed.com/perpetua/12-songs-republicans-used-without-permission#.ffgVjEryVD

The Clique Invades Dallas

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Stephen Jones

The entire length of the South Side Ballroom was lined with fans decked out in face paint, their favorite pair of Vans, and drawn-on tattoos. When walking past the front of the line, you would find people sitting in lawn-chairs with evidence of that day’s breakfast and lunch just below their feet, with the hope of getting the best spot in the house. The Texas Clique turned out in droves October 1st, as twenty one pilots (the band always prints its name in lowercase) made a stop in Dallas as a part of their 2015 Blurryface Tour. As a result of this very dedicated fan base, known as “the Clique”, the band achieved an important milestone when their newest album was #1 on Billboard‘s charts, upon its release, so a sold out venue was not unexpected.

Once inside, people flocked towards the stage, stationed just a couple feet above the standing-room-only crowd. The stage was set for the opening act, Finish Ticket, a Californian indie-rock band with traces of other indie groups, like Walk the Moon and Young the Giant, except with a little more edge. Finish Ticket was followed by indie band, Echosmith, who reached mainstream success with their single Cool Kids. As mentioned before, this was a sold out, standing-room-only venue, and the crowd was squeezing closer together until the lead singer, Sydney Sierota, paused their closing song to make sure everybody was okay, but they continued after she had the crowd take a couple steps back.

Now, it was twenty one pilots’ turn to perform for their fans, and they did not disappoint. The crowd followed every word, sang at the top of their lungs, jumped right on beat, and rapped every verse. The duo brought all the things their fans came to see: backflipping off a piano, crowd-surfing drum sets, climbing very tall objects, and countless acts of crowd participation. Finally, twenty one pilots closed the night with an empassioned speech, followed by a crowd-surfing dual drum-off (they really like crowd surfing), as powerful synths and confetti cannons blasted.When the performance was over, the duo stood together, and the crowd gave the band one final round of applause. As the applause died down, the two parted with the message, “We are twenty one pilots and so are you.”

Don Henley Returns Home

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Stephen Jones

After 15 years since his last new album, Don Henley reflects on his small-town roots in his latest release, Cass County. Henley ditches the classic rock sound, mostly attributed towards his time in the Eagles, and brings us an acoustic-driven country album.

Even though he found much of his success in California, Henley has always called Cass County, more particularly Linden, home. This look back at his life in a small southern town might be behind his return to the country genre. If you were to ask anyone from Cass County to describe what life is like in small-town Texas, they would tell you how time moves slowly and the day is simple: an attitude country music matches almost perfectly. With collaborations from Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, and Dolly Parton, Don Henley’s new album looks to represent life in Cass County with great faithfulness.

On October 15, Henley comes back to his home state of Texas, when he stops by Grand Prairie’s Verizon Theatre, on his upcoming tour.

 

Vinyl Strikes a New Chord

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Stephen Jones

From Medieval taverns to sold-out football stadiums, music has been one of the quintessential forms of expression in the Western world. For hundreds of years, people have used music  to spread stories of great victories in battle, express tales of forbidden love, and convey great emotion: a trend that continues to today. With this almost essential part of human life, comes the constant need to innovate to meet the ever-increasing demand, and this is definitely apparent in the modern era of instant gratification.

Record Spinning on Turn Table

Over the years, the ways in which a person listens to music has changed multiple times, and the recurring trend seems to favor convenience over quality. Today, digital albums are more popular than the physical CD and vinyl record in America; but even though digital albums might be one of the most accessible ways to listen to music, the quality takes a hit. In a digital form, data is compressed to a point where clarity is noticeably worse than a physical copy, such as a vinyl record, where the data is uncompressed. If vinyl record sales are any indication, a growing number of people seem to realize this difference in quality. According to Rolling Stone, Nielson Music reported a 51.8 percent increase in 12-inch vinyl sales and a 9.4 percent drop in digital sales from 2013 to 2014. Although there is a drop in digital sales, audio streaming, a form of digital music consumption one can listen to for free, rose 54.5 percent. Taking these numbers into account, people who want to listen to music on the go for free would prefer streaming, and those who want the best quality at home would rather buy vinyl records. In this modern culture of convenience and quantity over quality, any trend that supports the contrary is a breath of fresh air to those who crave better quality in their everyday life.

If there is one solid conclusion to make about the future of music, it is that no matter what medium the public prefers, music will always be an integral part of human culture and expression.

The Almighty Dollar

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Stephen Jones

In September of 2015, the Evangelical movie War Room sat atop the American box office, marking a unique trend among movie theaters nationwide: low-budget Christian movies raking in millions. Even though the Christian movie is not new to cinema, the amount of its recent success is. As with many things related to religion, these films have garnered controversial and polarizing opinions from critics and average moviegoers alike, and perhaps it is this contrast in attitudes that is garnering large amounts of attention; but before drawing any drastic conclusions, it is necessary to look at the statistics surrounding these films.

Three films in particular have boasted large box office success despite their meager production budget in the past couple of years: God’s Not Dead, Heaven is for Real, and War Room. The average production cost of these three movies is under $6 million, and they currently possess an estimated average of $63.8 million at the box office. Taking these numbers into account, these Evangelical films have definitely struck a chord with a portion of the general public, but critics have not exactly held the same enthusiasm. According to Rotten Tomatoes, a website that calculates the percentage of movie critics that gave a movie a favorable review, the average rating of these films is a disappointing 33%.

Although these movies have been critically panned, creating a Christian movie seems to be a very lucrative business proposition. With the production cost only a fraction of the modern Hollywood blockbuster, the risk in making a cheap Evangelical movie is fairly low. If a director can produce a movie appealing to churches across the country, finding a church van or bus in a
movie theatre parking lot will not be a difficult task. Much to the chagrin to the majority of critics and large sections of the general public, as long as filmmakers are able to rake in millions of dollars, the future production of Evangelical movies is indeed a certainty.

OPINION: The Solo Movie Experience

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Stephen Jones

One of the best factors about going to the movies on a slow day, such as a Thursday as I did, is the lack of giant crowds and long waiting times. I prefer not having to wait for a solid 30 minutes just to get a ticket and a drink. The parking lot was not even halfway full when I purchased my ticket to American Ultra, resulting in the concessions not having any lines. How could I beat that?

Once I entered Theatre 6, I realized I would be watching American Ultra with two complete strangers sitting on opposite ends of the 150-seat theatre. Once the movie began, I noticed how the absence of people meant a significantly less chance of cell phone interruptions, especially since I sat near the front and a light from a phone screen would not be able to disturb me in the least.

As the movie progressed, I noted one downside: the lack of laughter. When people get together to see a comedy show, like a standup comedian or a comedy film, the audience seems to feed off of the energy and laughter that is shared amongst its members, but the movie was not really that funny to begin with. Making a movie about lazy stoner kid who is unknowingly a CIA sleeper cell is obviously going to be an Oscar-worthy event.

Even though the movie was, in my eyes, just a solid C+, I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that I did not have to worry about long lines and cell phone disturbances. I know some people might enjoy the spectacle of a major movie release, but as someone who loathes the thought of intermingling within a mass of humanity, I find the calm atmosphere nearly perfect for watching a movie completely free of distractions. Honestly, it is really amazing how one can really appreciate, or criticize, the content of movie without having to worry about disturbances.