Pretzel Maker has recently opened up on Central Ave next to RCC. They have a wide variety of pretzels including plain, salted, garlic, cinnamon and pretzels dogs along with wide range of extras and drinks. Prices are a little steep but all RCC students receive a buy one get one free deal on Tuesdays or ten % off every day, with a their student ID. The establishment is very clean and workers use gloves. Floors are constantly swept and mopped, the counters showed no hint of dust and even the “hot plates” were devoid of any remnants of past food. The atmosphere is great; it’s warm and cozy, or nice and cool on the rare hot days. Unlike many other small restaurants in the valley, the lobby is comfortable and not too crowded.

I really enjoyed the pretzel dog and cinnamon pretzel bites; they were cooked perfectly and had just the right amount of flavoring. The employees were very nice, helpful and gave me their opinions on what I should try because I had no idea what to choose.

Jeffrey Bales, who is studying emergency medical technology, eats there every Tuesday and Thursday and enjoys it very much. Bales said he feels like the amount of food you get with the price you pay is better than all the other restaurants and eateries within walking distance of RCC. He also loves the atmosphere and the employees.

Alayna Moore didn’t have such a good experience. She said her pretzel was hard and way too salty and her soda tasted watered down. She also thought the quality and quantity of the food was not worth the prices at all. However, she did like the atmosphere and employees; she said it would be a great place to study.

Though it is recommended to have seen the previous films—Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America—before seeing The Avengers in order to have a better understanding of the overall plot, it is not a requirement. The plot kicks into motion after Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the power-hungry adopted brother of the demigod Thor (Chris Hemsworth), steals the Tesseract from S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division). The Tesseract is a small glowing cube that can open gateways in the universe. Loki plans to use its powers to launch an attack on Earth (with an army of lizard-machine-like creatures) and control its people.

In order to put a stop to Loki’s plans, S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) turns to an old plan called the Avengers Initiative, which would bring together the universe’s mightiest heroes. On this list of heroes is Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), whose super-suit turns him from a regular man into Iron Man. Then there is Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America (Chris Evans), a WWII hero (he was frozen for many years and then thawed out in modern times) with superior strength and a fanciful shield. Also on the roster is Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), who turns into the formidable Hulk when he gets angry, and Thor, a demigod with a big hammer and a strong swing. Rounding out the team are Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), a spy with a wide range of fighting techniques, and Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), a master archer/marksman.

The Avengers, with its pile of superhero ingredients, could have easily fallen apart into a chaotic mess of poor writing/direction and special effects. However, co-writer/director Joss Whedon keeps the film structured throughout. Whedon and Zak Penn’s script doesn’t take the easy way out and just drop the characters into battle without any screenplay strength to back them up. Instead, their screenplay explores how egos like these can easily clash before they come to work as a team. Every character has singular shining moments of skill and personality, and the exchanging pieces between each of the members are even more remarkable. The writers also manage to make the film have equal parts heroism, humanity, and humor. In fact, the script’s sense of humor provides more laugh-out-loud moments than many comedies of recent times.

Whedon backs up this fantastic screenplay by setting a brisk pace and establishing a grand spectacle. Both the action scenes and dialogue-driven scenes are well-executed. The action scenes provide a lot to the viewer at once, but Whedon’s terrific directing style and the editing and visual effects teams make these clear and comprehensible–without sparing an ounce of energy. The smaller scenes are often just as entertaining as the action scenes, allowing the talented cast to play off of each other and have great dialogue exchanges.

There is not a weak performance in The Avengers. Every actor brings their A-game and improve on what they did with the roles in their past films. Downey, Jr. is still exceptional as the witty and narcissistic Stark. Evans is very likable as the old-fashioned but relatable Rogers. Hemsworth is charming and has a strong presence as Thor. And even Johansson and Renner, who played smaller roles in some of the other films and do the same thing here, are ones to root for.

In the end, though, I have to give the biggest recognition to Ruffalo and Hiddleston. The filmmakers finally hit just the right note with Banner/Hulk (though Edward Norton was good too). Ruffalo is perfect as the calm and acute Banner, and the combination of Ruffalo’s performance and the special effects make for a knockout when it comes to Hulk. And boy is Hiddleston great as Loki. The actor delivered in Thor, but in this he is even more sly and vicious, making for one of the best villains in film since Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight.

It goes without saying that the special effects in The Avengers are breathtaking. The balance of all the different types of visuals (such as the character designs) is both seamless and dazzling. What is even more impressive is that the 3D conversion is actually pretty good, allowing the characters and settings to “pop” without being obnoxious or too dim.

With all of the love I have for The Avengers, there are a few aspects about it that slightly bothered me. First, the opening of the film comes across as partially dull compared to what follows in the rest of it. Second, the character of Hawkeye is underdeveloped compared to all of the other characters (though Renner still gives a solid performance). And lastly, a key dramatic scene towards the midsection of the film is stretched on for too long. These are all just minor complaints, though, for an otherwise excellent movie.

With The Avengers, Joss Whedon and the cast and crew have made a fanboy experience for the ages. This is a smart, spectacular film with well fleshed-out characters, amazing action (the climax of the film is unforgettable), and a sharp sense of humor. The movie surpasses all of the individual superhero films that built up to it and provides an exhilarating ride at the movies. The Avengers is easily the best film I’ve seen of 2012 so far and one of the best comic book films ever made.

Rating: 3 ½ out of 4 stars.

The original Ghost Rider film wasn’t one of the high points of comic book-based films, and I must say that the sequel is at about the same level. Nicolas Cage returns to the character of Johnny Blaze, who now is hiding out in Eastern Europe—trying to control his curse. The film takes off when a rebel monk, played by Idris Elba, approaches Blaze with the task of saving an important young boy from the grasp of the devil. The story then follows Blaze as he goes up against the devil, in the form of a human named Roarke, played by Ciaran Hinds.

The story elements of Vengeance are given poor treatment, as the script seems to have been written without much care. The dialogue is laughably bad, the characters are uninteresting, and the plot turns are ordinary and inconsistent. These weak script points (and some of the acting) make the film unintentionally hilarious at times–especially in a scene that includes a quip about salad (no joke).

Vengeance was brought to the screen by directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who directed the Crank films. They bring a gritty and energetic style to the film, but only some of it isn’t rendered flat. The camerawork and visual effects used are uneven, but some of the visuals and action are admittedly striking (the Rider himself looks much better than he did in the first entry). And the music score and European scenery add some strength to the going-ons. The combination of these various aspects makes for a mostly-average display of the ill-conceived story.

As for Cage…well…he’s Nicolas Cage. He once again gives a loopy, overacted performance worthy of many laughs and palm-to-forehead moments (I personally love Nicolas Cage, though he tends to be starring in many terrible films recently). Most of the other performances are bad, though Elba and Hinds give the movie some weight. These three actors are far from their best here, but all deserve better material to work with.

This Ghost Rider sequel is a so-bad-it’s-OK entertainment. It’s a movie that made me laugh out loud regularly, my friend sigh consistently, and another friend say “I am disappointed” in the middle of the movie. The few fans of the original Rider may be satisfied, while others will be displeased and yearning for this year’s other superhero entertainments, such as The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises. I am one of the people in the latter group, but I did enjoy some of the special effects and Cage-isms in Vengeance.

Rating: 2 out of 4 stars.

March 6^th Bioware is set to release its final installment of the science fiction trilogy Mass Effect 3. In preparation, they have given gamers a chance to preview the campaign and its new multiplayer mode. I have recently taken some time and thoroughly explored what the demo has to offer.

To those who are avid fans of the series and Commander Shepard, the campaign shows the same promise of in depth character creation and building as the previous installments. Customization of appearance, psychological profile, and classes give the gamer a unique experience in the creation of Shepard. A new development Bioware has added is the ability to define the style of the game from Action, Role Playing (traditional ME), or Story.

If the character build isn’t cool enough Mass Effect 3 offers something few other games have carrying your previously made character over from ME and ME2. For an avid fan of the series like myself, I can’t wait to use the lvl 60 I carried over to M2 to the latest game.

Ammo consumption is still an important factor as well as rate of weapon fire to avoid over heating your weapons. However, with a little searching you can find mods that can help. Heat sinks, scopes, high caliber barrels and extended magazines are the few I have found.

The portion of the campaign they offer starts with thrilling cinema and a small lead in story to fill the gap since the last game. Typical politics take center stage until the fireworks start.  Shortly after I was picking up my chin after I am stunned with tragedy. Immediately following thrust into a mission fighting Cerberus Forces.

Old friends such as Kaiden/Ashley, Anderson, Garrus, and Wrex make appearances in the campaign demo. New faces such as James and a female Krogan bring intrigue to what Bioware is adding to the series.

Stunning graphics  demand a pause to look around after the initial intro of the game. Mass Effect has always had imaginative views of skylines of other foreign planets, but this is the first visit to Earth.  Eyebots and Alliance ships darted through the sky as the five-legged insect like Reaper ships stalked it way through the metropolis. Pristine water of the lake in the center of the city reflectes the surrounding buildings and mountains, reminiscent of our own valley.

Another feature added to the game is the omni-blade. In previous installments, melee moves were quite ineffective. Now if you hold the melee button an impressive blade protrudes from your omni tool and delivers a debilitating attack. Different classes have their own unique blades.

The most impressive feature added, in my humble opinion, is the multiplayer mode. In this mode, you have the option to pick from different classes and level them up as you fight through waves of enemies and objective based missions. As you play the multiplayer, you will earn experience points and credits to buy Recruit or Veteran Boxes that give new weapons, mods, armor boosts, and ammo upgrades (cryo ammo is amazing) and unlock new characters including alien species.

This new multiplayer mode gives Mass Effect a much-needed online co-op and the ability to compete against other similar style online play like the Gears of War series. Although it is not clear whether they will offer  versus or not, I will be spending as much time as I can afford battling alongside family and friends to save the universe from total annihilation.

Overall, I am excited and feel that this game will be well worth the money spent to buy it. I am saddened by the fact that this is the end of a brilliant story line carried from the original game, but I believe the multiplayer will keep many gamers entertained for countless hours. It will at least for my daughters and myself.

Making “favorites” lists is always a hard thing to do. My list of the best twenty films from 2011 was no exception. I did not see every single film from 2011 (including the highly regarded movies Poetry and Shame), but did see many more than the average viewer. After looking back in memory at all of the films I saw in the year, I decided to make a top twenty list instead of a top ten list, as I felt the list would be more well-rounded. Honestly, though, I found that numbers twenty through thirteen could easily have been swapped around for me, and twelve through two somewhat. The only film I was certain of for its position was number one.

Here it goes:

20. Midnight in Paris: Owen Wilson gives one of the best performances of his career in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. Wilson’s character, Gil, looks for inspiration for his writing by traveling to Paris. He is then sent back in time to the 1920s, and meets such greats as Fitzgerald and Hemingway. Allen returns to form with this love letter to art and Paris. As long as one goes along with the general idea, the movie is a real charmer.

19. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Based on John le Carre’s espionage novel, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy follows agent George Smiley as he must uncover a Soviet mole inside of MI6 (during the Cold War era). Spy is a complex and demanding thriller (I would be lying if I said I wasn’t lost at times), but it is so well-crafted that it had to make my list (the period details and Tomas Alfredson’s direction are major benefits). Chameleon actor Gary Oldman is brilliant as Smiley, and leads an all-star British cast in this exceptional film.

18. The Adventures of Tintin: Steven Spielberg directed The Adventures of Tintin, an adventure film based on the comic books by Herge. The film follows the title character (voiced by Jamie Bell) and Captain Haddock (voiced by Andy Serkis), as they try and discover the mystery behind a sunken ship—which is connected to Haddock’s ancestry. The old-fashioned yarn is put to great display with Spielberg’s use of motion capture animation (and his use of camera trickery). Tintin has a few underdeveloped characters and is quite rushed, but I still found it to be splendid and exciting entertainment—and better than Spielberg’s other 2011 film, War Horse, which was beautiful to look at, but too sentimental and heavy-handed for my taste.

17. X-Men: First Class: Just when the X-Men movie franchise was beginning to sag, X-Men: First Class breathed in some new life. The origins story of Magneto and Xavier explores how their friendship (and its breaking) came to be, while they set out to recruit fellow mutants in order to stop a madman during the Cold War. Filled with colorful characters, exciting action, and a fantastic 60s feel–and comes with two solid lead performances from James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender.

16. Attack the Block: A film that really took me by surprise was Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block. Block is a low-budget sci-fi film that follows a group of young hoodlums that must defend their London neighborhood from alien invaders. The over-used alien invasion concept is given a fresh treatment with this creative, brutal, and funny little film. And John Boyega (as a gang leader named Moses) shows real promise in his film debut. It won’t be for all tastes, but I found it to be refreshing and highly entertaining.

15. The Skin I Live In: One of most compelling films I saw in 2011 was Pedro Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In. The film follows a plastic surgeon with a haunted past who is trying to create a synthetic skin. In the process, he uses a strange woman as guinea pig for his tests. Though the film has its flaws and is discomforting, it provides great crafting from Almodovar, a first-rate performance by Antonio Banderas (as the surgeon), and an unforgettable twist. Expect the unexpected with this one.

14. Moneyball: Bennett Miller’s Moneyball (based on Michael Lewis’ novel) follows the story of Billy Beane, who was the general manager of the Oakland As in 2002. He and his assistant (played by Jonah Hill) changed the game of baseball with a stats-based idea used to assemble a strong competitive team. Beane is played by Brad Pitt, who gives one of the best performances of his career. He is also surrounded by a very talented supporting cast. And with the cast and the engaging story, one doesn’t have to be a baseball fan in order to truly enjoy the movie. Don’t expect a standard sports drama, though, as the movie withholds a lot of emotion and is more about the backroom dealings of baseball.

13. Warrior: A film that triumphs over its melodramatic elements and clichés is Warrior, a sports drama by Gavin O’Connor. Warrior follows the story of two brothers (one a family man, the other an ex-marine) entering into a mixed martial arts competition. The performances by Tom Hardy (set to play Bane in The Dark Knight Rises this year), Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte (playing the brothers’ alcoholic-turned-sober father) are all solid, giving the film a big boost. Having a lot of (true) heart and hard-hitting fight scenes helps a lot, too—making Warrior rise above a lot of the standard-issue sports films of today. A real winner.

12. A Separation: The Iranian film A Separation takes a Rashomon-like story structure, following a family’s struggle in dealing with a divorce and a possible murder. Though the initial story is somewhat basic, the movie dives deep into various conditions faced by humans, showing separate views from well-developed characters. Melodramatic at times, but thought-provoking and emotionally rich. The film is in a limited release in America right now (mostly in big cities), but is worth seeking out and seeing if one is able to.

11. 50/50: Telling the story of someone with cancer is always a hard task. However, 50/50 manages to do it in a great way, telling the story of a 27-year-old man who is diagnosed. It manages to stay realistic while simultaneously including a lot of humor in its story. Will Reiser’s script (based on his real life) is thin but excellent, and the lead performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen (as the diagnosed man and his best friend) ring true every step of the way. Sad, to be sure, but also heartwarming.

10. The Tree of Life: I had a love/hate relationship with Terrence Malick’s hugely ambitious film The Tree of Life. Malick’s film touches on everything from the beginning of the universe to dinosaur life to 50s family life to adulthood depression. All of this makes the film murky at times and almost story-less—making for a slow and frustrating experience at times. However, the film provides some of the most magnificent cinematography I’ve ever seen, interesting thoughts about nature, grace, and life itself, and terrific performances from both Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain (as the parents in the 50s). In the end, I was not entirely entertained by Malick’s film, but I greatly admired its craftsmanship.

9. 13 Assassins: A tribute to samurai films of the past (and partly a remake), Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins is a grand spectacle. The basic plot follows a group of samurai coming together in order to kill an evil lord. With well-rounded heroes, a villain with a strong presence, great use of location, and a bloody, breathtaking 45-minute climax, Miike’s film is a total blast for action fans.

8. Super 8: One of the best summer-time films to come around in a while was J.J. Abram’s Super 8. As Super 8 follows a group of kids (in 1979) uncovering the mystery behind a train wreck, Abrams pays homage to the early days of Steven Spielberg’s work. The ending result comes with an old-school story, magnificent visuals, great cast chemistry, and a real sense of fun.

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—Part 2: Viewing the final film adaptation in J.K. Rowling’s fantasy series of Harry Potter was a bittersweet experience, as audiences have spent over a decade with the familiar characters. The film follows Harry and his friends as he collects the final items necessary in order to defeat the evil Lord Voldemort once and for all. The cast is stellar and the fantasy elements (and visuals) are wonderful as the series closes out with this epic conclusion.    

6.  Hugo: Based on Brian Selznick’s novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo is a real treat for film buffs. Hugo is the name of the main character, a boy who lives in a Paris train station and works on the clocks. After he meets a young girl and her grandfather, he is soon caught up in a mystery that eventually links to the beginnings of cinema. Scorsese’s directorial mastery and his love for film really show in his first foray into both family films and 3D (which is some of the best use I’ve ever seen). The well-rounded cast also adds great charm to this remarkable film.  

5. The Artist: Director Michel Hazanavicius made a bold move when going to make The Artist, a silent, black and white film about a star actor, named George Valentin, going through the transition of silent films to talkies, circa 1927. Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo turn in wonderful performances as Valentin and an up-and-coming actress, respectively. Hazanavicius has a keen eye for detail, the supporting cast is excellent, and the music is fitting. A charming film, and a nice reminder of some of the greatness displayed during the silent era of filmmaking.

4. The Descendants: Alexander Payne returned to filmmaking (after not making a movie since Sideways) with the dramedy The Descendants. The film follows Matt King, played by George Clooney, a Hawaiian lawyer who discovers his wife was cheating on him before she suffered from a jet ski accident and was hospitalized. King then rediscovers his relationship with his two daughters, while also setting out to find his wife’s secret lover and trying to decide on a decision for his family’s real estate deal. Clooney and the rest of the cast are perfect as Payne explores subjects like loyalty, grief, family, friendship, and happiness—avoiding clichés and creating a truly great character drama.

3. Take Shelter: Michael Shannon gives yet another stunning performance as a Midwestern man named Curtis, who begins to see violent storms that no one else sees, in Take Shelter. Is he going crazy, or is he actually foreseeing outcomes? Jeff Nichol’s criminally under-seen film builds tension for a long time, and provides some strange dream sequences, before leading to a head-scratching finale. Shelter is a gripping and unusual film anchored by Shannon and Jessica Chastain’s (playing the wife) performances.

2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Although Stieg Larsson’s book was already adapted into a perfectly good Swedish film (in 2009), David Fincher’s American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is still a dark and gripping treat of a film. The film follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist, played by Daniel Craig, as he tries to discover the mystery behind a family disappearance that occurred nearly forty years ago. In his mission, he recruits feisty Lisbeth Salander, a young researcher with a dark past. Fincher’s film is only slightly different than the other adaptation (in its character portrayals and the film’s ending), but his unique directorial style mixed with Larsson’s material makes for an intriguing film experience. And Rooney Mara gives a star-making performance as the iconic character Lisbeth.

1. Drive: Hands down my favorite film of the year was Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive (based on the James Sallis novel). This is not a typical slam-bang car film, but more of an art-house-meets-action film that also works as a character study of a sociopath. The character in question has no name, and is played with quiet power by Ryan Gosling. The story follows this man (working as a stunt driver and moonlighting as a getaway driver) as he gets mixed up in a robbery-gone-bad, which is linked to both his neighbor (Carey Mulligan) and some mob bosses. Story and dialogue are secondary here, though, to Refn’s directing stylistics. The cinematography, music, editing, and acting styles also make the film feel like a throwback to 70s/80s art-house and action films (especially Walter Hill’s The Driver), while also passing as unique in itself. Drive is definitely not a film for all tastes. Some might see it as empty, pretentious, and harsh (some of the violence is very graphic), while others (like me) will find it to be lean-and-mean, stylish, and mesmerizing—I say judge for yourself. For me, it is a near-masterpiece.

Honorable Mentions: Arthur Christmas, Contagion, Crazy, Stupid, Love., A Dangerous Method, The Debt, Fast Five, Fright Night, Hanna, The Ides of March, J. Edgar, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, Puss in Boots, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Source Code, War Horse, Weekend, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Young Adult

*Visit my Youtube channel, Movieholicreviews, to view some more of my thoughts and reviews about movies.

point of contact for Occupy Medford’s action committee.

In a country where the foreclosure rate sits at 1 in every 563 homes, Medford Oregon’s foreclosure rate is among the highest in the nation with 1 in every 250 homes in foreclosure.

This is a disheartening but accurate example of what happens when big banks and their profit margins mean more to our government than the people whom they serve.

This is why on Nov 28th Occupy Medford will hold a protest and food drive at 10:00 am in front of the Medford Courthouse to call for an end to the reclamation of family homes by the institutions whose criminal actions destroyed their worth, while trying to help directly some of those most effected by the merging of Wall Street and Washington.

We have seen corporate CEO’s rake in huge paychecks and bonuses for steering our economy down the toilet, and corporations receive hundreds of billions of dollars in bail-out money which they have used to obtain record breaking profits.

They did all of this while destroying our manufacturing infrastructure, cutting benefits, gutting pensions, killing small businesses, and sending much needed American jobs overseas.

We have watched the 1% use their wealth as a tool of influence over our government and our politicians, corrupting our news media, and destroying our environment.

Inevitably, when their reckless attitudes erased trillions of dollars of our nation’s wealth, they asked us to stop the foreclosure on their corporate offices, lined their pockets with the money of hard working tax payers and evicted us from our homes.

All this and they have the audacity to call themselves the innovators and drivers of society and mock any question of their benevolence as “class warfare”.

We use to be farmers, small business owners, teachers, and blue collar workers scraping out our portion of the American dream.

They have stolen that from us. And we aim to take it back.

We call on all residents and concerned citizens, all those in default, all those who have seen their property values bottom out, and witnessed their government fight for Wall Street profits while ignoring main street losses.

We call on everyone.
Come out and protest this Nov 28th at 10am in front of the Medford courthouse. Protest against home foreclosures and business as usual. Protest against the banks and corporations who have bought and paid for our government a million times over. Protest for truth, justice, and a system that benefits the many instead of the few.
Make your voice heard.

Occupy Medford

***

RWC Enviormental Sustainability Club Advisor

Last month, I was given the opportunity to attend the world renowned Bioneers conference down in San Rafael, CA. The event was amazing, and I would like to share just a little bit about the conference and some of the inspiring things I learned while I was there.

Bioneers is an annual gathering of solution driven people coming together to bring about real change in the world. The conference began in 1990 and has now grown to include several branches in cities, schools and communities all over world reaching over 100 million participants.

You may be wondering, what is a Bioneer exactly? A Bioneer can be defined as “an innovator, who’s key purpose is to serve human ends without harming the web of life. Guided by the principles of kinship, cooperation, diversity, symbiosis, and cycles of continuous creation, all with the goal of leaving a legacy for future generations.” Bioneers are people using new innovative ideas and technology, while honoring ancient wisdom and traditions to create effective solutions for people and the planet.

One of the first things I noticed on arrival was the diversity of people attending the event. To see so many people from such a wide range of backgrounds all working together towards a common goal was truly inspiring in and of itself. Attendees included teachers, engineers, steel workers, indigenous tribes leaders, herbalists, scientists, lawyers, students, farmers, and many more from around the globe.

In relation to the large diversity of people, I was surprised at the broad spectrum of issues being discussed. It was an eye opening experience to consider each topic and how interrelated each issue really is. Topics ranged from labor rights, indigenous rights, clean energy, forest health, women’s leadership, food & farming, ocean pollution and K-12 education.

It was also wonderful to see how many organizations are beginning to recognize this fact and are now working together to solve problems. One of my favorite speakers, Roxanne Brown, was a representative of the United Steel Workers, which has now joined together with the Sierra Club to form the Blue Green Alliance. These organizations amongst many others, are now working together to expand the number and quality of jobs in the green economy.

Others are taking an even more holistic approach and are working to include the rights of nature into their constitutions. In the past few years Ecuador & Bolivia have made changes to their constitutions to include laws that protect nature’s right to exist. These laws are helping communities fight unwanted projects that will degrade the environment and the health of the people depending on it. Bolivia’s constitution now contains 11 laws pertaining to the rights of nature including; the right to life and to exist; the right to continue vital cycles and processes free from human alteration; the right to pure water and clean air; the right to balance; the right not to be polluted; and the right to not have cellular structure modified or genetically altered. Many communities all over the US and the world have already begun to implement these principles into their own ordinances.

I was also particularly impressed by the work of Paul Stamets, a mycologist here in the Pacific NW. While Paul discussed many exciting projects, I will try to briefly touch on just a few. He has discovered that the Agarikon Mushroom, Laricifomes officinalis has potent antiviral properties, and is extremely effective in the treatment of small pox. Paul has been successful in gaining protection for some of the old-growth forests where this mushroom grows exclusively due to its potential for anti-bioterrorism. He has also been involved in the successful treatment of breast cancer using Turkey Tail Mushrooms or Polyporus versicolor. Yet another fascinating discovery is the ability of Oyster Mushrooms to clean up oil spills in both fresh and salt water while continuing to be edible for animals and people!

Google Earth has also been helping organizations and individuals by providing them with a program called Google Earth Outreach.

It is allowing people to give real life views of destructive projects in their area and gain support of the public in stopping many of these projects. These include mountain top removal coal mining in the Appalachian Mountains as well as illegal logging in the Amazon Rainforest. People are also using the program to stop projected logging & mining plans on BLM land here in the US.

While this is only a tiny fraction of some of the amazing things going on at Bioneers this year, I hope it will inspire you to look into what individuals are doing around the world to create a brighter future for all of us. It is easy sometimes to become discouraged by our current state of affairs, and it is too rare that we get a chance to hear about the positive impact people are making in the world today. Each one of us has an opportunity to make a difference, and there is no better time than now.

It is up to us to do what it takes to protect our people, our communities & our land. If not us than who?

Byline Contributer

Do you want to succeed at school? Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be vital to your success.

One of the first things that students tend to sacrifice is our health.   Developing healthy habits are important for our well being and continued academic achievement.

Stress levels can increase rapidly while trying to juggle the responsibilities of school, work, and home life.  You may be finding the challenge to be quite overwhelming.

One way to find inner tranquility is through meditation. Setting aside 10 or more minutes a day for some peace and quiet can help you find clarity. Exercise is also important and RCC offers a variety of PE classes ranging from yoga, to tango, to ice skating.

By eating balanced and nutritional meals, we build our immunity and increase our energy. We might be tempted to chow down on some fast food in between classes but there are many resources that would be a healthier alternative. RCC offers some healthy snacks including sandwiches and fruit. The Medford Food Co-Op is now open, downtown, and offers a wide variety of nutritious choices. If you have a break between classes you can enjoy savory treats at The Downtown Market, Sunrise Café, or even find vegan and gluten-free options at Organicos!

Whatever your taste buds desire, you can find it within walking distance.

As finals loom closer make certain you don’t underestimate the power of sleep. College students are one of the most sleep deprived populations.  Students with adequate sleep perform better and maintain higher G.P.A.s.

Dissecting our health habits can be vital to our success.  Which area, in your life, could use improvement? With careful planning, motivation, and implementation, we can succeed in our studies and hopefully ward off illnesses.

The fall of an American Empire that conquered Iraq and Afghanistan but bankrupted the government and failed its people.

In the course of human history another empire was stretched out as thin as ours is now. The Roman Empire, before it’s collapse, was over extended and had many domestic issues with corruption. America is currently involved in a few wars and corruption is rampant.

Some people are not okay with this however. Some people see the growing decay of our system and want to change it. These people are the 99%.

Occupy Wall Street is, according to their website, a leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions.

The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%.

We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants.

They also want to see a general assembly in every city because we don’t need Wall Street and we don’t need politicians to build a better society.

OWS has already made history with one of the largest mass arrests. Nearly 700 people were arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge on Sept. 30. This was due to a police tactic known as kettling where police from barricades to entrap protesters. The police responses to the Occupations nationwide have been varied.

At Occupy Oakland the police responded with the razing of the camp that protesters had built.

On Oct. 25th at Occupy Oakland 24 year old Scott Olsen, a veteran who survived two tours in Iraq, was hit by a projectile fired by police, according to the Guardian.

This occurred during the police’s forced eviction of the encampment. The police used tear gas, flash-bang grenades, and rubber bullets, according to protesters on the scene.

In response Occupy Oakland voted to shut down their city in a general strike. They did it before in 1946 and they have had some success again.

They managed to close down the port of Oakland, the 5th largest port in the country, to stifle the flow of capitol according to protesters.

What happens on Wall St. is just an extension of what is going on across the world. The problem is not isolated to just American shores.

Corruption is not indigenous to the United States. It is everywhere and people around the world are beginning to talk about it.

A general assembly can be a gathering place where people who have a common purpose can meet on equal footing, according to the Commission for Group Dynamics in Assemblies of the Puerta Del Sol Protest Camp in Madrid. They have been protesting since May 15 and we have the benefit of their experience with a horizontal movement. A movement truly of the people and without leaders.

As an example for what is capable look at Tunisia or Egypt. With the use of social networking sites and massive nationwide protests Tunisia and Egypt both successfully overthrew their governments and are on the long road to new democracies.

Other countries, like Syria, are currently under oppressive regimes and face a terror of a different kind. The United Nations claims over 3000 protesters are estimated to be dead from the brutal crackdown in Syria and things are taking a turn towards a possible civil war.

Our world hangs in a delicate balance. We all understand that we live in a world of finite resources. The global economic system that everyone adheres to is infinite in potential but the Federal Reserve can only print as many dollars as we have paper to be printed upon. Our species needs to reexamine how we look at the world and our part in it. The 99% are doing just that.

In July, 2011, Tabasha Criado, 30, and her children, ages two-seven were also murdered in their Medford home, and in

September of 2011, Jessica Bethany, 32, mother of two small children, was murdered in her Central Point home; all seven deaths are alleged to be a result of domestic violence at the hands of a spouse, a boyfriend, or a former boyfriend of the adult victims.

According to Mae Evers, Volunteer Coordinator for The Dunn House in Jackson County, there were 27 domestic violence deaths in Oregon in 2009, which included four children and 47 domestic violence deaths in Oregon in 2010, which included five children.

Evers said that The Dunn House, Jackson County’s only domestic abuse shelter, provided temporary shelter for approximately 260 clients which included 151 children between 2009 and 2010.

“These were just the clients that received shelter,” Evers stated. “A total of 2,265 women and children received assistance and services related to domestic violence and or sexual assault,” she concluded.

On October 3, 2011, President Barack Obama signed a proclamation declaring October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “Despite tremendous progress, an average of three women dies as a result of domestic violence each day. One in four women and one in thirteen men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.

The statistics are even more sobering when we consider that domestic violence often goes unreported” The President stated.

Domestic violence is defined by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.  It can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person.

This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone. Examples of each form of abuse are as follows:

Physical Abuse: Hitting, slapping, shoving, grabbing, pinching, biting, hair pulling, etc are types of physical abuse. This type of abuse also includes denying a partner medical care or forcing alcohol and/or drug use upon him or her.

Sexual Abuse: Coercing or attempting to coerce any sexual contact or behavior without consent. Sexual abuse includes, but is certainly not limited to, marital rape, attacks on sexual parts of the body, forcing sex after physical violence has occurred, or treating one in a sexually demeaning manner.

Emotional Abuse: Undermining an individual’s sense of self-worth and/or self-esteem is abusive. This may include, but is not limited to constant criticism, diminishing one’s abilities, name-calling, or damaging one’s relationship with his or her children.

Economic Abuse: Is defined as making or attempting to make an individual financially dependent by maintaining total control over financial resources, withholding one’s access to money, or forbidding one’s attendance at school or employment.

Psychological Abuse: Elements of psychological abuse include  – but are not limited to – causing fear by intimidation; threatening physical harm to self, partner, children, or partner’s family or friends; destruction of pets and property; and forcing isolation from family, friends, or school and/or work.

Domestic violence affects not only the victims themselves, but the families, and the communities in which they live. It does not discriminate based on gender, color, or sexual orientation. Males can be, and have been reported to be victims of domestic violence as well.

DON’T BE A STATISTIC! If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence in any form, do not wait…report it as soon as possible, and take the steps necessary to end the abuse. Please contact Community Works @ 541-779-2393 for information on Domestic Violence Programs available in Jackson County, or the Domestic Violence help line @ 541-779-HELP (4357) and ask to speak with a Dunn House advocate.

For an up-close look at how domestic violence has affected survivors, an event called “Silent Witnesses,” a nine day display focusing on domestic violence is taking place at The Rogue Valley Mall this month October 8-16, 2011, across from Bed Bath and Beyond.