The Fine Print’s May mix is ready to accompany you on your summer escapades. It’s got funky beats to bop down city streets and international tunes to take you from your bed to Paris in no time.

We’re on the brink of a three-month adventure. So hit play and get started!

This month’s mix was hand-crafted by our art director, Emma Roulette.

The post THE MIX: May 2013 appeared first on The Fine Print.

“Zookeeper?” the other snot-nosed five-year-olds asked incredulously. “But that means you’ll scoop up poop!”

“Dream big!” my teacher encouraged me. But I just wanted to hang out with elephants.

Flash forward to the present. Have you ever scraped hours-old refried beans off a plate? It seems my current occupation as a waitress has a strange similarity with the career I was persuaded not to pursue long ago.

From the day we enter school and the socialization process begins, the powers that be make us compromise. We must change our minds about what we want our lives to be. We must compromise our interests, our desires, our very identities to serve whatever role society assigns to us.

My mother says this process continues long after our twenties are over.

“Just wait until you get married and have kids,” she reassures me. “Every second of every day will be a compromise.”

We compromise at school. We can’t take the Russian literature class we’re dying to take because we have to take Statistics for our majors. We have to put on hold the things we want to learn because our study materials have been prescribed to us.

We compromise at work. I write for the Gainesville Sun (and I love it), but I can’t write exactly how I’d like to, because the Sun’s readership wouldn’t take kindly to my penchant for swear words or my desire to work a “Cheers” reference into every article I produce. Ergo, compromise.

I face the most compromise at my waitressing job. I am required to adhere to a strict code of behavior and appearance. I must tie my unruly, wavy hair back. I must smile often, and widely, even if I am being disrespected by an ignoramus of a customer. I must take pains to change my voice so that it resembles something more soft and feminine because no one wants to be served food from someone with a remarkable lack of inflection in her voice.

Maybe I have an intrinsic desire to rebel, something in my nature forcing me to reject those ideas the majority holds dear. But I can’t help but feel offended when I am asked to compromise my very identity to better suit those in charge of my environment. And there are always going to be others setting guidelines for us: teachers, parents, bosses.

So this column, which is inevitably two parts complaining and one part problem-solving, is a call to action. If I didn’t hate him so much, I’d imagine a Bruce Springsteen song playing triumphantly in the background.

Our twenties are only the first onslaught of compromises. So, we must keep our heads up. We can’t lose ourselves completely in the Compromise. We must keep reading, keep writing, keep doing whatever it is that we love to do — even as our free time becomes more and more sparse — because we have to hold on to who we are.

We feel we must submit to the Compromise because the alternative, circumventing it altogether, scares us. Once we leave the safety net of the System, in which every action has a predictable result, there’s no telling where our lives can go.

My friend David made the choice a couple years ago to quit college and pursue his dream: creating music. Though he faced disapproval from others (myself included), he felt that creative fulfillment of his dreams mattered more than getting the diploma he was supposed to get. A couple months ago, his band released its first album, which served as an official “Fuck you” to those who doubted his choice.

“I figured if I loved something so much, then it wouldn’t matter what other people thought,” he told me. “I don’t have any regrets. I know I would have had regrets had I not made that choice.”

To be clear, this is a compromise between reality and the truth. The reality of life is that certain things are expected of us, and not all of them are things we want to do or even feel comfortable doing. The truth is all the experiences and traits that make up our personalities, our very beings. The truth is what’s being compromised because, well, reality bites.

By its very nature, a compromise means both parties lose. But we can win in the Big C by staying true to ourselves. Albeit a small victory, maintaining the truth about our identities and desires will strengthen us to continue the fight. I know this will sound too Caulfield-esque, but genuinely being ourselves and choosing what parts of ourselves we refuse to compromise sounds infinitely better than becoming a bunch of phonies so we can collect a few more tiny bits of green paper at the end of the day.

Of course, there are those lucky sons-of-bitches who never have to face the big C. They land their dream jobs right out of college and live the lives they have always desired. God bless ‘em. For the rest of us toiling away in classes we hate or at jobs that leave us lacking, at least we’re building character. And that looks good on a resume, right?

The post Frankly Speaking: The Big C appeared first on The Fine Print.

Whether they are working the fields of their sustainable flower and herb farm, helping restaurants source local food or organizing a seed exchange for Gainesville’s own gardening network and seed library, Grow Gainesville, the founders of Forage, are always up to something!

Melissa DeSa and Anna Prizzia launched Forage early in 2012 after many years of grassroots work with the passion and purpose of growing, supporting and sustaining North Florida’s local food movement.  For them, the connection between nature, conservation and food is integral. Forage’s many diverse programs seek to reconnect people to their food, to each other and to the natural world.

The heart of Forage is the farm. Nestled on six acres at the Prairie Creek Conservation Area, the rows of flowers and herbs are the perfect site to build community and reunite people with the natural world.  Volunteers come out every week to experience farming and get dirt under their nails. The gorgeous harvests provide a sustainable and local alternative for flowers that help support Forage programs.

One of these programs is Grow Gainesville, a virtual (Facebook and web) and physical space for gardeners to share information, training, resources and their most precious commodity, seeds. The Grow Gainesville seed library provides a means for local gardeners to collectively bulk-purchase seeds that grow well here in North Florida, saving money on seasonal seed purchases. Additionally, it is a place where locally saved seed can be donated and stored for distribution to other gardeners. The long-term goal is to promote and encourage seed saving techniques to protect and increase locally adapted seed varieties.

Hands-on workshops and events like “Building Pollinator Habitats,” or “The Basics of Fermentation” are another way Forage provides opportunities to learn practical skills and connect the community to its food system. Engaging youth in the important work of farming and food is integral to Forage’s mission. By working with the Kids Count Friday enrichment program, Forage volunteers help children tend a garden and engage them in activity and play related to food and healthy eating.

Yet one more way Forge fosters local food connections is the Farm to Restaurant program. This collaboration between Forage and a sister organization, Blue Oven Kitchens, is an annual event that provides networking opportunities and educational sessions for farmers, distributors, chefs and restaurateurs.  Now in its fourth year, this effort has increased sales of local food to restaurants by over $30,000.

Thanks to Forage’s board, the many partnerships with local organizations like Alachua Conservation Trust and Slow Food Gainesville and the love and commitment of amazing volunteers, the fledgling year of Forage has been a huge success.  For individuals, businesses or community partners interested in participating with Forage, please contact Anna Prizzia at anna[at]foragefarm.org.  You may also visit http://www.foragefarm.org or their facebook page — http://www.facebook.com/foragefarm to learn more.

The post Monthly Manifesto: Forage Farm appeared first on The Fine Print.

Listening to:

[PODCASTS]

Reality Bites

Description: Every Saturday night from 9pm to 11pm on Gainesville-and-Internet-based Grow Radio, perfectly-90s-monotoned host Olli chooses a movie theme and brings you soundtrack songs from that movie theme.  Most recent themes include “Queer,” “Lurve,” “Runaway,” and “90s Movies” which feature movie-favorites But I’m a Cheerleader, High Fidelity, Away We Go, Royal Tenenbaums and Girl, Interrupted.  She even throws in some lesser-known movies (to me at least) and you may too discover some new Queer, Lurve, Runaway or other themed movie you now lurve, too.
Quote from “Lurve”: “Today’s theme is lurve that’s l-u-r-v-e as in Woody’s Allen’s Annie Hall when she asks him if he loves her and he says, ‘Love is too weak a word for what I feel, I lurve you, I luff you, two ffs. Yes, I have to invent.’  So yeah, love songs, two hours of them. I’m sorry. Here we go.”
Check it out here: http://bit.ly/YpxCnW

Reading:

[ZINE]

Sum of Our Parts #1

Description: Sum of Our Parts #1 is the first zine from the local Gainesville chapter of the feminist group National Women’s Liberation. The zine features stories on the history of feminism in Gainesville, feminist culture articles on women in music, art and movies as well as an article from UF Graduate Assistants United women on their bargaining victory for family medical leave.
Quote from “Feminist Movies We Love to Watch”: “The chick flicks Hollywood tries to sell us are in fact not good for women. They fail to promote the idea that women are sentient human beings with similar humors, desires and thoughts as our fellow men. They do succeed in suggesting women get together and fight, or get together and discuss men, or do both at the same time.”
Check it out here: womensliberation.org

Highly Anticipating:

[CAMP]

Rock Camp for Girls Gainesville

Description: Rock Camp for Girls is a five-day camp that aims to boost girls and young women’s self-esteem, confidence and bad-assness through learning instruments, rocking a mic and learning to be a female tour de force. Rock Camp for Girls, though a national organization, requires communities to run the first year themselves before getting recognition and assistance on the national level and Gainesville women and music enthusiasts are already fundraising, advertising and organizing volunteer meetings. To volunteer, check out the next meeting at the website below.
Check it out here: rockcampforgirlsgainesville.blogspot.com

The post Copy Cats Summer 2013 appeared first on The Fine Print.

Things change, however, when she befriends Shun Kazama, a member of the school’s all-boys clubhouse, the Latin Quarter. Umi soon becomes entangled in a rebellious project to save the historical building from demolition and preserve the intellectual past of her town before it’s too late.

The director of the film, Goro Miyazaki, is the son of famous animator, director and co-founder of Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki Sr., who also wrote the film, has pioneered work in anime feature film production, bringing us gems like “Princess Mononoke” and the Academy-Award-winning “Spirited Away,” one of my personal favorites. (If you haven’t seen any of his movies, you should check them out immediately because they are seriously phenomenal!)

“From Up On Poppy Hill,” a quaint tale of self-discovery and letting go, presents deep issues of selfhood as only Japanese animation knows how. It features a cast of quirky, likeable characters, like Sachiko, the art student boarder, and Riku, Umi’s easily infatuated younger sister. They introduce humor and produce a warm cinematic ambiance to explore important concerns of loss and loyalty.

Its beautiful pulsating colors and soft-lined digital art recreate a nostalgic Japan recuperating from the devastation of war and struggling to define itself culturally. The fight for the Latin Quarter thus represents the conflict of a nation in transition. It explores the contradictory dynamic between the need for traditional values and the adoption of a Westernized global culture.

“Ever since the wars, it seems the whole country is eager to get rid of the old and make way for the new, but some of us aren’t so ready to let go of the past.”

Aw man, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a sucker for postwar Japan!

What I liked most about this film was how Goro Miyazaki brilliantly reconstructs the Japanese historical narrative through a heartbreaking tale of youthful sentimentality. The two main protagonists, Umi and Shun, are brought together to face familial legacies, postgraduate hopes and even love as they interact with a cultural past unresolved and an impending future. The poppy flower, symbolic of peace and renewal, represents the resilient hopes of two kids (and, more broadly, an entire nation) seeking desperately to recover their national identity.

“From Up On Poppy Hill” is playing now at the Hipp and will run through May 2.

The post Reel Review: From Up On Poppy Hill appeared first on The Fine Print.

But the end is near! All you gotta do is resist the urge to skip too much class and get through those final exams. These tunes should do it for ya — use ‘em as a caffeine supplement for that all-nighter around the corner, your move-out day, or anything else, really.

Remember to enjoy the present and soon enough you’ll be reveling in sunny beach days, balmy nights, and sweet, sweet freedom.

Mix compiled by our photo editor, Melanie Brkich.

The post THE MIX: April 2013 appeared first on The Fine Print.

After watching Potter’s film, I looked back at all the films I reviewed in the past few months. Each tells its own tale of cultural contingencies and historical moments and the intensity of both great happiness and dour alienation. Regardless of time and place, all these wonderful films touch on a more profound message, a message concerning the surreality that binds us all equally within a common human experience.

Yet I noted something distinct about “Ginger & Rosa.” Even though it is a film about the effects of war on the individual, it is mainly the story of a child and her encounter with an unsympathetic world at a very unsympathetic moment.

Ginger, Potter’s protagonist played by Elle Fanning, struggles within the complexities of growing up, trying to find purpose and making sense of adulthood. She is curious and adventurous, but soon discovers that it is hard to feel at home in the world when everything around you is falling to pieces. Ginger longs for a way to defend herself and thus lashes out in crazed protest against a greater threat: the nuclear threat of total oblivion.

“How could anyone be happy when you know about the bomb, when you know the whole world could burst to pieces at any minute?” she asks.

Potter’s film challenges us to think about the consequences devastation and anarchy have on not only the present, but also on the future. She examines those who second-handedly carry the sensibilities, fear and doubt of earlier years within the folds of their own anxieties. It is a story about war and death. But more than that, it is a story about people and what such political disorder can do to young children in need of guidance and protection.

What has the Cold War done to our collective psyche? What is it still doing to us now? And how do we stop it from shaping our relationships with one another?

Maybe the answer is that there is no answer. Maybe it is just a matter of accepting. Thus, the importance of films like “Ginger & Rosa” become clear; by depicting an earlier historical context, it brings to our attention the very fractured mosaic of our own collective consciousness.

“Ginger & Rosa” will be playing at the Hippodrome starting Friday, April 5 through Thursday, April 10.

The post Reel Review: Ginger & Rosa appeared first on The Fine Print.

Narrated by Herzog himself, “Happy People” masterfully represents the majesty of the northern Russian landscape and man’s place within it. Gennady Soloviev is the film’s main guide. A long-time trapper of sable, a small mammal native to Siberia, he leads us through the preparations for the winter months of hunting, such as gathering of pike and the building of cabins from scratch. Armed with snowmobiles, their one modern tool, and a couple of axes, these men construct traps and secure provisions as they venture into the cold to provide for their families.  Their faithful dogs are their only companions. One of the things I loved most about this documentary was this relationship between man and animal, between hunter and hunting dog, one that is based on trust and friendship.

Herzog doesn’t simply provide a glimpse into the starkness of Siberian life. Rather, he emphasizes the wholesomeness of it. He praises the extent of their perseverance and patience in the face of a tougher life – one that is at the mercy of the elements, yet retains a sense of freedom.

What is most significant about this documentary is not so much its content, but the way it puts our own existence in comparison. It elevates a way of life that communes with nature, a connection mostly forgotten by the average modern citizen. The film makes us live a different cultural perspective, while establishing commonality on a very basic human level. Herzog reminds us that though the people of Bakhta live very primitive lives by our Western technological standards, they exhibit the happiness of the human spirit uncorrupted by greed. He idealizes the Bakhtians in order to bring to our attention the beauty of a simpler, modest living. As Soloviev himself states, “You can take anything from a man – his wealth, his health – but you can’t take his craftsman skills.”

The Taigan trappers of Bakhta are truly “happy people” and in their unpretentious existence are free to discover the “beauty of space, cold and silence.”

“Happy People: A Year in the Taiga” will be showing at the Hippodrome through Thursday, March 14th.

The post Reel Review: Happy People: A Year in the Taiga appeared first on The Fine Print.

I’m not the first to say it — we exist online a lot more than we used to. We spend hours crafting our online personalities to most accurately represent how we feel at each moment. We gather information about ourselves by uploading photos and videos and seeing how others respond. But how much is this supplanting the effort to improve ourselves and our relationships in real life?

A few years ago, we’d talk about girls with “the angles,” MySpace queens with names like ForBiddeN and Tina Tiara™ who had thousands of “friends” and even more picture comments.
But today, in this age of “Catfish” and what the hip digital magazine Thought Catalog keeps referring to as the “New Disconnectedness,” nearly everyone finds gratification from connecting through social networks.

Today we meet people at parties, add them on Facebook and then creep incessantly on their interests and photos. Instead of asking to meet them for coffee, we send picture messages of what we made for dinner. Instead of taking them to shows, we send YouTube links. And of course, at 1 a.m., when that post-$2 single-wells loneliness sets in, we shoot our crush a Facebook IM. Because showing up at his or her door would be so desperate.

I’ve noticed myself falling into this trap in the last two years. I used to call friends or boyfriends out of the blue, ask what their plans were for the evening and then try to meet up. But now, I find myself charting their activity on Facebook and Twitter. If they’ve posted some vague status about fun, I immediately feel bad that I’m not having fun yet, and I won’t contact them. Even worse, I have occasionally posted a “Who wants to go to such-and-such with me?” status. And we all know those only end badly, when that one strange boy who comments on all your pictures says he would love to, and what time should he pick you up.

Of course, there are benefits to having a mostly online identity. We emphasize certain aspects of our lives so we can offer up an image of our best selves. I sure as hell don’t upload pictures of myself on days when I look anything less than impossibly fresh and radiant. And I don’t post videos or links to topics that I don’t want people to know I’m interested in.

But the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. Existing online breeds passivity to communication IRL. When I stand outside of a show and people tell jokes, I get an urge to “like” what they say instead of engaging. This passivity hinders us in our abilities to meet people whilst out and about, to gauge interest and to fall in love. It used to be that people got to know each other slowly — through asking questions and sharing experiences. People grew closer and shed their layers like two little onions. Now, a quick scroll through someone’s Tumblr is all it takes to peg his or her personality.

But the Internet is not going to disappear, so a solution is necessary. I propose a balance of two mostly congruent personalities, online and in-person, that take turns holding center stage in our quest for self-betterment. We don’t need to delete our Facebooks, but we need to know when to close our laptops. We need to use online networks to become closer to people we’re close with IRL. We don’t need to use the Internet as the only means of connecting with other humans. I’ve started writing letters with my long-distance friends — it’s a refreshing change to read a narrative without any ads or hashtags. Plus, it feels great to open a mailbox and pull out that envelope with your name on it. Trust me, there’s no app for that.

The post C U IRL appeared first on The Fine Print.

Listening to:

[PODCASTS]

TED Radio Hour

Description: TED Radio Hour does the hard (and sometimes intimidating) work of sorting through the wealth of available TED Talks for you by picking three TED talks all based on a central theme (like gaming or education) and interviews each speaker, playing clips of their TED talk in between.
Bonus: If you hear a subject or speaker you really like, you can go to the TED Radio Hour website and find the whole TED talk.
Quote from “Fixing our Broken Systems”: “If we want to solve problems like hunger, poverty, climate change, global conflict, obesity, I believe we need to aspire to play fames online for at least 21 hours a week by the end of the next decade. No, I’m serious. I am.”
Check it out here: http://n.pr/JOw0fq

A History of the World in 100 Objects

Description: The British Museum combed through its massive collection of extremely important items and whittled down our entire global history to 100 pieces. From the mummy of Hornedjitef to a solar-powered lamp, the BBC takes listeners on the epic journey of 2 million years of human civilization in 15-minute episodes. Plus, it’s narrated in the venerable British voice of Neil MacGregor, the museum’s director.
Quote: “It [the mummy case] carries all the different kinds of messages across the millennia, signals from the past if you like, that things can communicate to us.”
Check it out here: http://bbc.in/5RfM3P

Eating From:

[FOOD BLOG]

Vegan Stoner

Description: This simple, yet creative and tasty meat- and dairy-free food and snack blog is beautifully illustrated, clean and clutter-free. The Vegan Stoner features snack, meal and drink recipes like carrot-matzoh soup, melon fresca and baked banana cake and frequently updates with new recipes.
Bonus: If reading from food blogs isn’t your style, you can also purchase their newly printed Vegan Stoner Snack Book with 40 full color pages and 14 never-before-seen recipes.
Check it out here: theveganstoner.com

Reading:

[PSYCHOLOGY]

There’s More to Life than Being Happy

Description: If you’re thinking about embarking on some pursuit of happiness, well, bad news: you’re not going to get there. And that’s because it’s not a destination.
Quote: “‘It is a characteristic of the American culture that, again and again, one is commanded and ordered to ‘be happy.’”
Check it out here: http://bit.ly/UKnlq1

The post Copy Cats Spring 2013 appeared first on The Fine Print.

Leela and The Rams

Strawberry Fingers

Released/ Jan. 30, 2013
Recorded at/ A spare room in Emily’s house
Sounds like/ Modest Mouse, Florence & the Machine
Inspiration/ Paul McCartney, Islands, Rubblebucket
Key tracks/ “No Troubles”, “Watches & Clocks”
Where to get it/ $5 on Bandcamp
Upcoming shows/ see Facebook for future shows

Vocals, Piano & Guitar/ Leela Dawson
Guitar/ Jaime Tucker
Drums/ Justin Stirrat
Bass/ Alejandro Ellis
Saxophone & Backup Vocals/ Emily Price
Trumpet/ Patrick Oberlin

Leela and the Rams is a soulful and eclectic indie rock group with angelic vocals backed by harmonies reminiscent of a mixture of Queen and Fleet Foxes. “We all have completely different musical influences,” says Jaime. Each member draws from his or her own unique background, dipping into genres such as jazz, blues, 70s pop and contemporary indie. The result? A delightful, layered auditory concoction that is guaranteed to make your heart sing like a migratory field sparrow.
Strawberry Fingers is a resplendent EP spanning themes of prophecy, rapture, love and loss. In “No Troubles,” you can practically feel your heart breaking. “I can’t lose you/I can’t live with the thought in my head,” Leela sings, inspiring goosebumps and a profound evocation of youthful and everlasting love.
What is most remarkable about Leela and the Rams is their ability to produce a complex and mature record, despite their limited resources and time. Strawberry Fingers was mastered, mixed and produced by the band members themselves. “Everything is very DIY. We recorded the EP in a studio we built using our own equipment in a spare room in Emily’s house.”  The band unofficially formed in October 2012, started playing shows and acquiring a couple of new members in November and then recorded their EP in a less than a month.
With talent rawer than a bag of Ward’s baby carrots, Leela and the Rams is definitely a band to watch. “This is all we’ve ever wanted to do,” said Leela. It shows.

Euglossine

Euglossine Dance District

Release Date/ March 2013
Recorded At/ Church of Holy Colors
Sounds like/ Royksopp, Aphex Twin
Inspiration/ Tangerine Dream, Stereolab
Key tracks/ “Fauna Soiree”, “Tetrasporangia”
Where to get it/ Bandcamp, iTunes or Soundcloud
Name/ Tristan Whitehill

If you like psychedelic electronica that is “fun for your mind,” wait until you hear Euglossine. Drawing inspiration from electronic music from the 1960s and 70s, as well as the fascinating and complex realm of biology, Tristan Whitehill seeks to create music that takes the listener to a beautiful, unfamiliar place. “Reality is an important part of life,” he said, “but I want to be able to craft things that don’t or couldn’t possibly exist, like impossible imaginary environments. Every song is dedicated to summoning that place.”
While his music is lush with cosmic experimental vibes, it is grounded with terrestrial sounds, as well. Interdimensional birds digitally chirp throughout “Holy Days (Thankful waves)”, and “Church Trax” conjures images of prismatic crystal waterfalls rushing to your ears. “My music really used to be influenced by the cosmos, but then I realized… there’s no sound in space,” Tristan chuckled. “After that, I started thinking about life on Earth and getting inspired by that.”
Euglossine also relies upon friends and family for inspiration, by whom he is constantly humbled. He is affiliated with The Church of Holy Colors, where he frequently performs, surrounding himself with “people who make art the way I make music.” The name Euglossine refers to the scientific name of orchid bees, a group of insects with which his father closely worked.
Creating a mixture of new age tropicalia and playful, synesthetic melodies, Euglossine certainly has a style like no other. “It’s not just music to me anymore,” he said. “It’s art.”

Flat Land

Flat Land EP

Release Date/ March 16, 2013
Recorded at/ Goldentone Studio
Sounds like/ The Black Keys, Fleetwood Mac
Inspiration/ Led Zeppelin, The Budos Band
Key tracks/ “Hypnotize Me”, “Everything You Wanted”
Where to get it/ Bandcamp
Upcoming shows/ see Facebook for future shows

Vocals & Guitar/ Zach Tucker
Vocals & Violin/ Fae Nageon De Lestang
Drums/ Grant McLeod
Bass/ Chris Pyle
Guitar/ Chris Storey

Flat Land is a southern funk group whose lively rhythms will surely move your soul and your feet. Many of their songs build until the end, beginning with a subtle but catchy melody and crescendoing into an elaborate, groovy finale.
“We want people to be able to dance and have a good time when we play,” said Fae. It’s true- using complex percussion, gritty guitar riffs, fiery vocals, and a dash of mysterious violin, these talented musicians are able to create irresistibly danceable jams.
Formed in 2011, Flatland is composed of artists with vastly different influences like afrobeat, 1970’s psychedelic, and contemporary alternative. Flatland stays true to their roots, deriving inspiration from southern folk and blues artists as well. Even their name is a reference to the Florida’s level topography.
With a sound groovier than James Brown at a hoedown, Flat Land is a band you don’t want to miss.

The post For the Record: Spring 2013 appeared first on The Fine Print.

This month brings with it a new fresh attitude. Spring is just on the horizon and the birds chirping outside are telling you to getcho’ shit together. You could clean your room, finally call your mom, and maybe even return that book that has been overdue for a month. WE BELIEVE IN YOU.

But wait, before you get all proactive on us, sit down, take a breath, listen to some sweet jams, and revel in the majesty that is March.

Mix compiled by the Guru of Aesthetic/layout director, Isabel Branstrom.

The post THE MIX: March 2013 appeared first on The Fine Print.

Raúl Ruiz, known for his experimental approach to filmmaking, makes exceptional use of mirrors and open door frames that not only increase the physical scope of the shot, but also suggest elements of both self-reflection and deception. A mirror, like the film itself, shows us a blatant truth, yet, clouded by our own perceptions of ourselves, also tricks us into believing it false. His use of cinematography and obvious green screen backdrops grant seemingly mundane exchanges an air of dreamlike wonder.

“Night Across the Street” is a surrealist dream more than a movie. It’s a maze full of enigmatic contemplations and profound poeticism that seeks to unravel and detach from a simplistic analysis of narrative. It creates a realm of infinite possibilities, where life becomes like the game of marbles Don Celso plays: unexpected, perplexing and intensely meaningful. Through its discussions of national politics, love and murder, the film addresses us directly, blurring the boundaries of fiction and reality. It wills us to accept the sentimentality of Don Celso’s childhood tales and the tangibility of those unforgettable historical figures (personajes inolvidables) that appear to guide him through the puzzlement of his existence.

Thus, though Ruiz’s film will make you lose yourself and doubt your own capacity for understanding, it would be wrong to simply dismiss it as incoherent and irrelevant. “Night Across the Street” establishes a conversation and, through the romantics of its poetry, beautiful without the need for stable narrative context, seeks to make you feel its nostalgia as your own.

“Night Across the Street” premiered at the Hipp this past Friday, February 15. Buy you tickets here.

The post Reel Review: Night Across the Street appeared first on The Fine Print.

So, why short films? Well, shorts allow for a freedom of creative storytelling and imaginative visuals without the pressure of lavish costs, providing a perfect inspirational launching pad for future works in animation. (Let’s not forget about last year’s winners Brandon Oldenburg and William Joyce who, after receiving acclamations for their wonderful piece “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris,” went on to direct the visually stunning 2012 holiday favorite “Rise of the Guardians.”)

This year’s picks are the best of the best, and I am here to provide you with a quick rundown of the nominees.

·      “Maggie Simpson in ‘The Longest Daycare’” – The Simpsons are back in this lovely 5-minute short in which Maggie Simpson spends a day at the Ayn Rand Daycare Center and is subject to restrictive adult forces and a cruel butterfly-killing toddler. Filled with philosophical jabs and typical Simpson humor, this short is a mixture of laugh-out-loud moments and genuinely touching scenes. You will catch yourself desperately rooting for Maggie to emerge victorious.

·      “Adam and Dog” – Minkyu Lee’s poignant tale about the primordial encounter between the first dog and first man in the Garden of Eden beautifully explores the most stirring of human-animal friendships. His highly detailed landscapes and brilliant colors are both stunning in their aesthetic splendor and serve to illustrate the extraordinary bond between two small creatures that manage to find each other within the vast canvas of the universe. Though the film’s 16-minute running time may seem a bit long, I recommend sticking it out to the very end. The sentimentality of its parting scene will without a doubt leave you teary-eyed.

·      “Fresh Guacamole” – PES’s new innovative visual parody, sequel to the Internet sensation “Western Spaghetti,” about the rather unorthodox making of guacamole is both ridiculously fun and unusually thought provoking. This short may only run for 2 minutes, but it holds its own among the more complex plots of fellow nominees. What is most remarkable about this production is that it does not derive from a big name studio, but rather from the work of one man, artist/director PES, who has been telling short stories through animated films since 2001. Definitely an all-around interesting viewing experience.

·      “Head Over Heels” – Claymation meets Rembrandt in this stop-motion short from British students at the National Film and Television School. Walter and Madge, a long-time married couple, have drifted apart over the years, gravitating to opposite sides of their home. However, one day they are pushed to remember their initial spark and must find a way to literally turn “head over heels” for each other once again. This film tells the story of a love remembered and the will of two people to re encounter each other after years of forgetfulness and contempt.

·      And, lastly, “Paperman” – My absolute favorite and definite pick for the winning animated short, Disney’s “Paperman” is simply delightful. It is the story of guy meets girl. An office worker tries to catch the attention of the mysterious girl he meets at the subway by attempting to send paper airplanes through her office window. Ultimately, when all hope seems lost, fate has a way of bringing them together that is both moving and fantastical. I cannot convey how much I enjoyed this short film. “Paperman” is an ode to classic 2D Disney animation that reminds us of the humility of sincere romance.

So, there you have it!

And, best of all, you can catch them all, and a bonus highly commended few that didn’t make the cut, at the Hippodrome through this coming Thursday (Feb. 14). So hurry up and buy a ticket, and celebrate the wondrous world of shorts in animation!

View the trailer for both the live acton and animated shorts here.

The post Reel Review: Oscar-Nominated Animated Shorts appeared first on The Fine Print.

February is a weird month. I think everybody kind of has a love/hate relationship with February, which is probably why it’s such a short month to begin with.

To honor this month, we’ve got something for you to listen to while you ask yourself questions like: “What is the meaning of February?” or “Why don’t they just get rid of February?” and “Why does this guy seem to love/hate February so much?”

Mix compiled by our super-superb creative writing guy, Danny Ennis.

The post THE MIX: February 2013 appeared first on The Fine Print.

But why am I here talking to you? What is this all about?

Well, armed with a keen eye, a steady pen and a willing heart, I will attempt to adopt the weather-worn cap of the film “connoisseur.” In this blog, I will try my best to bring my insightful (and somewhat quirky) notions on noteworthy films screened at none other than the illustrious Gainesville Hippodrome Cinema.

If you haven’t been to the Hippodrome (or “Hipp,” as it’s more commonly known among cool cats), you are seriously missing out. The theater is located in downtown Gainesville right past Main Street in the historic Federal Building. It’s an elegant piece of early 20th century architecture that was once a post office and a courtroom. It’s hard to miss.

Since its foundation in 1972, the Hippodrome has been distinguished for its artistic contributions. From unconventional films to unique theater performances, the Hipp presents its audience with a different entertainment experience by showcasing what mainstream culture overlooks. The works presented are not the commercialized products of your chain movie theater down the block, but a selection of foreign, indie and sometimes obscure hidden gems that warrant greater cultural observation.

Now, moving on to the topic at hand.

Last Friday, the Hippodrome began screening “Barbara,” the German candidate for the 2012 Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Film category (view the trailer here.) From renowned director Christian Petzold, winner of the Silver Bear at the Berlin’s Film Festival, it tells the Cold War story of Barbara Wolff, a young doctor who applies to leave the Soviet-controlled German Democratic Republic. As punishment, she is transferred to a small pediatric provincial hospital. In her new position, Barbara is torn between her need to escape, her mistrust of all those around her, and her growing attachment to her suffering patients. Petzold creates a moving thriller that gives us a glimpse into the severe repression of East Germany and the tension, fear and utter lack of freedom its citizens suffered.

I have seen my fair share of Cold War movies over the years, both American and German, and though that hardly makes me an expert, I recognize that “Barbara” brings something unique to the genre. It’s not simply another historical chronicle of the struggles of a divided Germany, but rather a commentary on the nuanced nature of human relationships and the impact an unnatural system has on the way people not only see one another, but also themselves. Thus, it is a story of identity as much as one of oppression. Petzold makes us feel the alienation on a very human level as the story stops being a mere criticism of a particular political order and becomes a sympathetic experience.

Nina Hoss, in what is her fifth collaboration with director Petzold, does a fantastic job as Dr. Barbara Wolff. Hoss not only translates the quiet strength of a woman near the break of desperation, but she does so without the need for great bursts of feeling. Her emotions are felt in the very space Barbara walks through.

Furthermore, the manipulation of silent space is striking. Even though the dialogue is limited or absent, communication is still present. The film compels the viewer to pay attention to a visual language, one that is based on the power of looks and body language. The glances exchanged between characters convey an honesty of feeling that cannot be sensed by regular speech, especially at a time in history when trusting in words was perilous. Likewise, there are scenes with no dialogue in which other sounds are heightened: the ticking of a watch, the distant barking of a dog. The external noise implemented almost as a way to highlight the depth of the repression within.

Thus, “Barbara,” as Petzold stated, is “a spatial experience where people love, argue and become silent,” and where “the past never passes but extends far into our present.” It is a great film about the struggles of the individual in the face of a crushing past.

The post Reel Review: Barbara appeared first on The Fine Print.

Listening to:

[PODCASTS]

Female Trouble

Description: Awesome and sometimes giggly hosts, Lara and Meredith put together amazing sets of pumped up, mellowed out and always rad music — by females.

Quote from #2 Spooky Tunes: “You just heard the least spooky song of all time by Coven”

If reading IRL, Google: Grow Radio Gainesville Florida Female Trouble
If reading virtually, click: http://bit.ly/SFtL2V

Social Science Bites

Description: Renowned social scientists twist your mind and raise a brow. It’s not just jargonized common sense; it’s pretty darn cool. The most recent one is an interview with Steven Pinker, who, through his research, has determined the world is actually getting less violent. Um, what?

Quote from Steven Pinker: “Since rates of violence haven’t gone down to zero, there’s always enough to fill the news, and so our subjective impressions are out of whack with the statistical reality.”

If reading IRL, go to socialsciencebites.com
If reading virtually, click: bit.ly/Sh3gRI

Reading:

[TECH]

When the Nerds Go Marching In

Description: A totally awesome behind-the-scenes story of the Obama for America world-class tech team and how they coded and programmed the way to Barack Obama’s reelection.

Quote: “And if I’m going to do this and look like an idiot, I have to step up. Like, if we’re all at zero, I have to be at 10 because I have this stupid mustache.”

If reading IRL, Google: When the Nerds Go Marching In Alexis Madrigal
If reading virtually, click: http://bit.ly/T6aZ8I

Using:

[PERSONALIZED NEWS READER]

Prismatic

Description: Hailed as the newspaper of the future, Prismatic brings you news from all over the web in a visual forever-scroll Tumblr way, personalized to your personal interests by syncing with either your Twitter or Facebook account and sprinkled with enough spontaneity and variety to keep you hooked.

Bonus: The iPhone app is pretty spectacular in design and in functionality; you can share articles via e-mail, Facebook or Twitter by pressing anywhere on the screen or can star and save for later.  And it’s free!

If reading IRL, go to: getprismatic.com
If reading virtually, click: getprismatic.com or go to the iPhone App Store and search “prismatic”

The post Copy Cats appeared first on The Fine Print.

In 2005, three single mothers were faced with very difficult choices: buy food for their children, or spend the money on rent so that they could stay in their homes, buy medicine for their chronically ill son and daughter or pay the past-due utility bill, pay hundreds of dollars to fix the family car — one that also was used for the family business — or spend the money on requisite monthly expenses. For all of these women, paying one bill meant falling short in another critical area. These stories are not unique. Countless families face these difficult choices every day, and frequently they have no place to turn for the help they need to avoid financial catastrophe. Nevertheless, in 2005, a small group of women decided that they could help the three single mothers by gathering financial support for neighbors and friends. From those efforts, a charity was born.

Radiant Hands Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charity established to provide financial support to families in crisis, with specific focus on single-parent households in the North Central Florida area. Since 2005, we have distributed more than $116,000 to more than 335 families to help them stay in their homes, keep the utilities on, pay for medicine and buy household supplies. We have also worked with a number of other local organizations to provide food, toiletry items and warm clothing to the homeless population.

In 2011, we established Radiant Works, a scholarship program to help motivated individuals earn their GED degree or further their education in other ways. Twenty-five of these scholarships have been awarded, helping move families toward greater financial independence and stability.

Radiant Hands’ story is not only about money, but also personal support tailored to the specific necessities of families in need. We strive to identify alternative ways to support families by minimizing cash flow and maximizing impact. For example, with the help of a local shoe store, we provided a single mother with work-appropriate shoes so that she could start a nursing career. With the assistance of a local automotive shop, we helped a family with car repairs so that the family business could continue to operate. A local physician helped us provide a special baby monitor for a deaf mother.

While some families need help with a single bill or issue, for others, Radiant Hands is a regular source of motivation and care, sometimes extending over two to three years. One example is a mother who contacted us three years ago for help. She was pregnant, out of work and had been abandoned by her husband. With periodic support from Radiant Hands and her own fierce determination, she was able to acquire employment and quickly move past her financial difficulties to the point where she now is able to make regular financial contributions to Radiant Hands — in turn, helping others overcome their challenges.

Those individuals or businesses interested in participating with our efforts may contact admin@radianthands.org to be added to our e-mail and volunteer list. You may also visit our website www.RadiantHands.org to learn more, read testimonials from families whom we have supported or make a financial contribution. In addition to being granted the GuideStar Seal, which is conferred upon charities with outstanding financial management and reporting, since 2009, the United Way and the University of Florida have welcomed Radiant Hands Inc. into the Community Campaign. This program allows UF employees to donate to a charity of their choice through payroll deduction.

With the support of local businesses and families, we look forward to continuing to help our neighbors in need.

The post Monthly Manifesto: Radiant Hands appeared first on The Fine Print.

You watch her, waiting for her eyes to meet yours, so you can exchange witty banter about the upcoming season of “Girls,” or at least give her the obligatory head nod, but that moment never comes. She looks in your direction and then looks back at her friend, or the ground or whatever surface she deems more interesting than your face. You feel flushed, and you think, “Did she not see me? No, she saw me. She definitely saw me.” You look back at her, by now your face contorted with a frenzy of emotion and confusion.

Hide your gaze, my friend — you’ve just been ig-knowed.

Ig-knowing is a term my good friends, Amy and Emily, and I created to describe those instances of being consciously ignored by people who acknowledge you in other situations. They know they’re ignoring you — they’re ig-knowing you.

I first witnessed this phenomenon when I moved to Gainesville more than five years ago to attend UF. On the first day of my Introduction to Buddhism class, I befriended Stephanie. We sat together every class, making snide remarks and slurping smoothies that only my meal plan flex bucks could afford. Then, on a day when we didn’t have class, I saw her walking through Turlington Plaza while I was sitting near that poop sculpture. I stood up and smiled, thinking she’d stop to talk, but alas I was ig-knowed. She looked me right in my face, didn’t smile and kept walking. It happened every so often that year; sometimes she’d see me and we’d chat excitedly, but other times I was a stranger to her.

Maybe it’s the transient nature of our town — some people only live here for a few months out of the year when school is in session — that perpetuates ig-knowing. Maybe it’s because our twenty-something egos won’t let us risk rejection. Whatever the reason, Gainesville is definitely Igknowsville, USA. I’ve been ig-knowed in the most bizarre situations.

At coffee shops, old classmates will sit down a table over, facing me, and not look up from their laptops. At shows, acquaintances will stand next to me and not turn to me after I say hello. Walking downtown, I’ll approach a group of people I know and maybe half of them will acknowledge me with a nod or a smile.

My friend, Emily, has been ig-knowed at supremely close distances. While at a party, standing in a circle of friends, someone who had smiled and introduced herself mere minutes ago was now avoiding Emily’s gaze and speaking to everyone but her. Emily says being ig-knowed can have an emotional toll.

“It’s an extremely effective tool to make someone feel like a worthless human being,” she said. “When you’re ig-knowed you feel personally responsible — ‘What did I do to make them hate me?’”

Perhaps it’s a mix of shyness and an inability to communicate IRL (in real life – get the ‘net) that creates these non-interactions. Maybe we’re just too lazy to whip up some witty monologue to impress people we barely know to begin with. It’s also probably true that ig-knowing is a two-way street. Maybe we’re all just waiting for the other person to make the first move. But what do you do if you’ve been involved in an ig-knowing relationship for days now — months, even? (If it’s been years, you should probably just give up now.)

Every time you are ig-knowed, you have a choice. You can bow your head in shame and go home to post a thousand Tumblr posts about how we’re all so alone in this world. Or, you can take a deep breath and say hello. Close your laptop lid at the coffee shop and loudly say the ig-knower’s name until he looks at you. Stop him on the sidewalk with your body and smile. I hate to get all Smokey-the-Bear up in here, but honestly, only you can prevent ig-knowing.

The post I’m Ig-Knowing You appeared first on The Fine Print.

Our monthly playlist just dropped.

Second in our playlist series, THE MIX: December 2012 reminds us the “only time we’re not talking is during Sex and the City” and that yesterday was “just another wasted day, another day at school,” so “I’ll be on the hotline erry’day, makin’ sure the DJ know what I want him to play.”

Where Beyonce says hello to Butthole Surfers, and Rihanna says what’s up to DSXF and Thee Holy Ghosts, and CocoRosie and Beat Happening chill together calling each other “honey pot.”

Fuck it. It’s December 2012. Here’s the self-indulgent playlist from Fine Print co-editor of too many long years, Chelsea Hetelson. *mic drop*

The post THE MIX: December 2012 appeared first on The Fine Print.

We’re starting up a monthly playlist series: THE MIX.

It’s just a little taste of what we’ve been listening to, writing to, working to, dancing to, whatever-ing to recently.The Fall issue of The Fine Print just came out and the weather’s been absolutely beautiful these days so grab an issue and a sunny spot in the grass and let this be the soundtrack to your November.

(Also! We want to feature local music, too, so if you’ve got any suggestions let us know on Facebook or through email!)

Without further ado, here’s the very first of many:

November’s mix was created by our art director, Susie Bijan, and print editor, Lily Wan. Each month’s mix will be made by someone different to keep things fresh and switched up a bit. Enjoy!

The post THE MIX: November 2012 appeared first on The Fine Print.

Album Title: “Hope Like a Light”
Released: July 17
Recorded at: Self-recorded
Sounds like: Manchester Orchestra, The Postal Service, The Format
Inspiration: The Avett Brothers; Fleet Foxes; Right Away, Great Captain!
Key tracks: “No One Knows,” “If I,” “Promises” and “Hope Like a Light”
Where to get it: $7 on their band camp: http://mynameforever.bandcamp.com/

Guitar/Vocals: Shane Toriscelli
Guitar/Vocals: Devin Lee
Bass: Jacob Nestler
Percussion: Trevor Jackson

Although the members of My Name Forever have been playing together for two years, their music is most developed on “Hope Like a Light,” their debut album.
“We started as an alternative electric band,” Devin Lee said with a grimace. “Think Taking Back Sunday.”
Things changed when they decided to develop an acoustic-based sound, which hits its crescendo on “Hope Like a Light.” Lilting, clean and startlingly playful, My Name Forever sounds like an earnest confession, charged by the vaguely holy images: “Everything, everyone, everywhere/ Can’t see enough to see they’re not alone,” Shane Toriscelli sings in “Promises.”
The sound bounces between his high, clear voice and the band’s controlled play. At various points in “Legacy,” Lee and Jacob Nestler’s guitars and Trevor Jackson’s percussion work tightly together to take unexpected yet natural turns. The instruments move frantically, which contrasts with Toriscelli’s quiet, crisp vocals to create musical complexity.
Their cohesion, one of the highlights of the album, is purposefully underscored. “We prefer a clean sound,” Toriscelli said. “Keeping it simple and acoustic makes it more apparent when we’re working together.”
In the future the group hopes to add electric guitar. For now, however, they’re focusing on letting the simplicity speak for itself. Their title track, “Hope Like a Light” gives that impression: soft finger picking punctuated by brief shakes of the tambourine, held together by a constant rhythmic downbeat. At one point, all Shane does is hum. The spareness of each component–guitar, tambourine, drum, voice–crescendo to make their music palpably whole.

By Samantha Schuyler

Thee Holy Ghosts

Album Title: “Thee Holy Ghosts EP”
Released: March 26
Recorded at: Self-recorded
Sounds like: Wavves, Beat Happening, Black Lips, Iggy and the Stooges, a sockhop from hell
Inspiration: Bo Diddley, Link Wray, pure boredom
Key tracks: “I Can’t Take It,” “Gimme Your Love,” “Standing Alone”
Where to get it: Free download at theholyghosts.bandcamp.com/album/thee-holy-ghosts-ep

Guitar/Vocals: Ian Bernacett
Guitar/Vocals: Matt Brotton
Bass: Eman
Drums: Hector Laguna

Awash with lo-fi feedback, full of let’s-go-surfing twang and pulled through by a consistently hypnotizing vocal drone, Thee Holy Ghosts make you want to both dance and lie on a bed somewhere and not move for awhile. Their self-titled EP manages to squeeze 1950s hard-edge guitar between staticky, droning monotone and gritty punk growls.
The band plays with loose rhythms, distant vocals and grainy sounds. The EP opens on a crisp, twanging guitar riff followed immediately by a distant, eerie laughing yelp. It’s a haunted call to the beach. “Standing Alone,” a hazy, mournful doo-wop track, gives you the clear sound of a vocal harmony while the bulk of the lyrics are sung in a faraway cry.
Above all, they want their listeners to get “a good time” out of their music, guitarist Ian Bernacett said. Shifting between 1950s rock ‘n’ roll and doo-wop, touching 1960s hazy surf rock and the screaming, atonal shouts of 1970s punk, the band never stays in one place for long.
“We all like different stuff,” he said. “I guess it comes out when we’re trying to make songs.”
Their music seems constantly pulled between the past and present, yet the image their music creates is very clear: you’re dancing with your sweetheart at the sock hop, but for some reason everyone has a mohawk.

By Samantha Schuyler

Heart Burglars

Inspiration: Tina Turner, ‘60s dream bands, The Walkman, Alabama Shakes
Sounds like: Aretha Franklin, wild motown soul
Next show: Oct. 27 at Tall Paul’s
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HeartBurglars

Vocals: Annie Neimand
Backup vocals: Cassandra Polcaro
Guitar: Chris Hillman
Horn/Percussion: Travis Atria
Drums: Scott Kauffmann
Bass: Fletcher Yancey
Keyboard: Ryan Backman

If you hear Aretha Franklin covers pulsating from Box #34 of the MiniMaxi Warehouse storage unit, don’t be appalled. It’s just Heart Burglars practicing their garage soul act, which they describe as “fun and doo-woppy.”
The band formed this summer when musicians from multiple other Gainesville acts, including Morningbell and Pseudo Kids, started playing together. With seven members, it’s the biggest band that any of them have played with. And they don’t want to stop there.
“If there are any girls who can sing and dance and are fearless, they should come to the shows and talk to me,” lead vocalist Annie Neimand said. She envisions a group of backup singers in matching costumes dancing behind the band.
“This is my dream band to start,” she said. “We’re trying to make a high energy, fun soul band.”
She also admits to spending 80 percent of her time studying YouTube videos of Tina Turner, Beyonce and other powerful female performers.
Many band members had made music together before forming Heart Burglars. Scott Kauffmann and Fletcher Yancey have been playing music together since their middle school days. Travis Atria and Chris Hillman are members of Morningbell. Neimand and Ryan Backman were bandmates in Annie and the Canyon.
“That’s the fun thing about music,” Neimand said. “It’s so easy to play together and start something.”
They collaborate to create original songs and write covers for their ensemble of instruments. All of the band members are either students or working full-time jobs.
“It’s my only way to release,” backup vocalist Cassandra Polcaro said.
By Christmas, the band will record two songs on 7” vinyl with Morningbell’s Orange Records label.
They have played three shows so far, but their Oct. 27 show at Tall Paul’s will be the first to include Atria’s percussion section.

By Ashira Morris

The post For the Record: Fall 2012 appeared first on The Fine Print.

Gainesville Women’s Liberation, a local chapter of National Women’s Liberation, is a feminist group for women who want to organize against male supremacy, bring new fire to the fight for equality and win more freedom for women. Our efforts are independently funded by the dues of women, not corporations or their foundations.

We come from an ongoing collaboration between organizers from Redstockings of the Women’s Liberation Movement (a radical feminist think tank and an original group of the 1960s Women’s Liberation Movement in New York City) and Gainesville Women’s Liberation, the first women’s liberation group in the South. We believe that change comes from the collective actions of everyday people — not just politicians, the courts or the media.

At a time when UF had curfews and dress codes (no pants or shorts) for women and abortion was illegal in the U.S., Gainesville Women’s Liberation founders protested the Miss America Pageant and started an abortion referral service from a Reid Hall dormitory.  One of our co-founders, Judith Brown, was expelled from UF and lost her Ford Fellowship when she was convicted of contempt for defying an injunction against mass picketing to integrate a racially segregated movie theatre.
We made history then, and we are ready to continue making history now. The threats to women’s rights and freedoms in this country continue, and the need for a stronger feminist movement is urgent. From the slew of anti-abortion bills attempting to restrict our reproductive rights, to the sexist comments about “legitimate” rape showcasing the level of ignorance some men have about women’s lives, sometimes we have to check our calendars to make sure we’re in the year 2012. It is time to reclaim our spot in history and rebuild the movement that won basic rights for women in the first place.

At the national level, we are part of the Morning-After Pill (MAP) Conspiracy, an organization leading the fight against restrictions on the Morning-After Pill. Our activism led to the 2006 FDA decision that allowed MAP to be sold without a prescription, and some of our members are current plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the FDA charging the agency with discrimination against women and failure to follow medical science. A victory could mean no more age restriction and an end to behind-the-counter status, so this safe form of birth control can finally be where it belongs — next to the condoms and sold at pharmacies and gas stations nation-wide.

In Gainesville, we are starting a feminist zine that will reflect the experiences and issues facing local women. We already have plenty of content for the zine from our long-standing history and past women’s liberation articles, but the newer, more current content will come from our new members and from conclusions gathered at our consciousness-raising (CR) meetings. CRs are used to draw conclusions about the political roots of women’s problems by sharing, discussing, and analyzing our own experiences. We are holding our next CR on the topic of beauty standards on UF’s campus (Pugh Hall, 210) on Thursday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. Join us for good conversation and to find out how you can get involved in NWL.
Visit womensliberation.org to read more about our politics, philosophy, past and future events, and newsletters.

The post Monthly Manifesto: National Women’s Liberation appeared first on The Fine Print.

The University of Florida is asking publications to remove private free-standing newspaper boxes, like the one pictured above, to be replaced by UF’s own tiered, modular boxes and will charge publications $50 per year per one newspaper slot. 

Last week the Gainesville Sun published an article highlighting the University of Florida’s initiative to remove The Alligator’s signature orange boxes from campus and replace them with black, modular boxes.  The article focused on how this initiative will affect The Alligator and its right to unique visibility and control of the paper.

And yes, this will affect The Alligator.  But it will also affect every other publication and student at UF.

The UF mandate to eliminate all free-standing private boxes and replace them with UF-sanctioned modular boxes requires that anyone wishing to distribute on campus must purchase space in the modular boxes at $50 per box per year.

This cost will work to stifle free speech, the diversity of voices on campus, and the free flow of information to students.

UF’s College of Journalism and Communications is one of the best journalism schools in the country, so new student publications and projects are not uncommon.  But starting a publication is costly, and this UF regulation will present a new obstacle for these fledgling publications.  The new cost to be able to distribute on campus will also affect small publications that rely on limited funding for printing and operating costs. These publications are not likely to have a large enough budget, if one exists at all, to afford box distribution on campus with UF’s soon-to-be-implemented fees.

New publications and those with limited income often buy used newspaper boxes to increase distribution at a reasonable, one-time cost to the publication.  Those boxes can be painted with free paint and set up for free in line with fellow free-standing newspaper boxes.

Now in order to cover the same ground where those boxes once stood all together in an eye-catching colorful block, it will cost publications a minimum of $1,000 per year for the same distribution space (equivalent to 20 box slots at $50 each) — and as The Alligator points out, only to gain a small anonymous spot.

In addition, putting extra pressure on publications to raise more funds just to distribute on the UF campus could negatively affect the content of those publications and their ability to cover the stories and issues they deem important to  readers.  As it stands, most free papers, or papers that are not-for-profit, do not have allegiance to organizations, advertisers or board of directors. Because they do not have financial backing from any one of these, they are free to investigate any story, criticize leadership and align with whatever politics they please.  Introducing money and legislation to the distribution of student- or locally-produced media on campus is an extreme disservice to UF students.  These free-thinking papers, with little to no budget for distribution, are at risk of being thrown off the radar, or at best, drowned out by publications with more  funding.

UF students of the past had the privilege of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the freedom to choose and consume from a wide array of voices.  Gainesville and UF together were once known as the Berkeley of the South for their radical and progressive ‘60s and ‘70s students who greatly exercised free speech on campus.  From radical feminist literature to independent political and local magazines like Moon Magazine and Prairie Fire, past UF students produced exceptional and timeless journalism and political theory that was printed and then yes, distributed, on campus.  Now, it looks like UF students of the future will have a limited number of free speech outlets, and those that are left will come with limitations to speech as a result of allegiances to advertisers or other funding sources.

UF is once again putting their financial burdens on the backs of students.

We’ve shown the school that it’s not okay to impose block tuition on students and it’s not okay to get rid of the entire Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) to aid in UF’s financial troubles.  Now it’s time to tell them that we will not accept this assault on free speech.

UF students deserve to have a diverse selection of student and local publications to choose from.  The decision to tax the distribution of all publications on campus, student-produced or otherwise, will not only eliminate The Alligator’s orange boxes, but it will also risk the elimination of all existing and future publications with a different or independent point of view who struggle just to be in print, let alone distributed on campus.

Keep free speech free!

Editor’s Note: The Fine Print receives a grant twice per year from Campus Progress, a division of the Center for American Progress, for printing and operational costs.  This upcoming fall semester we will receive $2,500.  However, Campus Progress, as stated on their website here, does “not require students to advance specific views, nor do we [Campus Progress] censor or exercise prior review over sponsored organizations.”  All of the Campus Progress grant money goes toward printing costs.  

The post Free Speech: Now Serving at $50 a Pop appeared first on The Fine Print.

Photo courtesy of Flickr Commons; orange and blue by Chelsea Hetelson.

This past weekend I was taking a break from being an angry, Jezebel-addicted feminist and took to the Twitterverse for some mindless scrolling.  On June 1st, Visit Gainesville, our city’s official tourism website, had tweeted a link along with the announcement that “it’s almost football season!”  Interested in another reason why I should not be excited for football season, I clicked it.

When someone is talking to me about football season, I tend to think of football things.  Like footballs, of course, and teams and ESPN College Gameday, The Swamp, and tailgating taking up all the parking, the coaches and players, et cetera.  That seems normal to me.  But Visit Gainesville threw a curveball.  Their tweet linked to a list of tips that will help you (you being a heterosexual male) peacefully subdue your female and allow you to bring her along while you spend some quality time with the bros drinking outside of a pick-up truck.

The guide, entitled “Eight Tips to Get Your Girlfriend Excited About Tailgating” written in 2009 by Tamara Herchel is truly a gem, and we have Visit Gainesville to thank for digging it back up.

Posted on GatorTailgating.com, “Eight Tips” sympathizes with the many “die-hard Gator fans [who] have more reluctant wives and girlfriends [...] so, for all of you menfolk wishing to bring your women into the Gator Nation, I now present… The Top Eight Tips to Having a True Tailgating Girl.”

The title and her own presentation of the article as “The Top Eight Tips to Having a True Tailgating Girl” are alarmingly similar to the encouraging language of “How to Bring a Fussy Child to a Restaurant” or “How to Trick a Your Child into Taking Gross Medicine.”  Whether or not the reluctant child (or wife or girlfriend) want to do it is not important.  The point is how we do get them to do what we want without it being a huge hassle.

“Eight Tips” is so dense with June Cleaver-esque gender constructions that my first thought was that it must be a joke.  The 2009 Gator Nation update to Perfect Behavior, A Guide for Ladies and Gentlemen in all Social Crises, best selling etiquette book of the ‘30s — with a twist.  How does one stop a woman from reverting to all her “womanly” tendencies for an afternoon?

In this storybook, the women are extremely interested in three things: cleaning, shopping, and attracting other lady friends — and these are the problems we must tackle.  Meanwhile the men, who are so ill-equipped to deal with their women that basic communication is reduced to slapstick comedy, are instructed to placate the women by letting them go shopping or by helping to wash the dishes.

This “how-to” to a better girlfriend not-so-subtly reinforces stereotyped gender roles by providing tips that alleviate both the male and female downfalls of their gender. Veiled in the innocence of Gator tailgating, “Eight Tips” marginalizes women and emphasizes their subpar status to the hapless man who needs to be told how to relate to his fickle and difficult woman.

Being subjected to gross exaggerations of my gender promoted on Twitter by Visit Gainesville and originally posted by GatorTailgating.com, I felt especially targeted being a resident of Gainesville and a begrudging member of the Gator Nation.  I wanted to take action, I wanted women, and men, to stand up and say, “hey, that’s not cool, man.”  Women don’t have to always be cleaning and shopping, and men don’t always have to be inept at relationships.

Last November, in an effort to shed light on another issue affecting women in Gainesville, I wrote an article about campus rape and what UF was doing about it.  (The short answer turned out to be not a whole lot, by the way.)  I spoke with then UF Student Government Director of the Women’s Affairs Cabinet, Courtney Hunter.  Unfortunately, I was not able to use her interview, but she did say one thing that struck me at the time and still sticks with me today.

“Women on campus feel we [as women] have already come so far.  It’s hard to inspire women when they feel they’ve already hit a plateau.  I don’t think women at this campus think they are fighting against anything, that there’s anything left to fight.”

Ms. Hunter was quick to state that these were her views and not student government’s.

A plateau?  Nothing left to fight?  I know that’s not true and it worries me so many women feel that way.  We can’t just assume any of the rights, privileges and respect that may have been won by our foremothers will be around indefinitely or even through our lifetime.

Tell me, women of Gainesville, do you feel safe walking alone in broad daylight? Do you not feel constantly scrutinized for your looks and clothes? Do you feel equality in your personal relationships with cooking and cleaning and planning?  Do you feel valued for your thoughts and actions, rather than what someone else thinks of your waistline?

Is this the life of a respected, privileged and equal woman?

Even the smartest most well-respected women are picked apart and criticized for not being beautiful or “presentable.”  Just recently, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was the center of some unnecessary controversy created by certain online news sites.  A picture of Mrs. Clinton’s bare un-beautified face with nothing but black glasses and red lipstick was posted and tagged “Au Naturel” on one site while on another the headline asked (with a snarl) if she “forgot” her make-up.

Ha ha ha, yuck it up, boys.

To be clear, I’m not blaming VisitGainesville.com for re-posting this. I’m not attacking the author or GatorTailgating.com for addressing a problem they identified in their immediate community.

But it does bother me that the obvious gender myths promoted by “Eight Tips” are so non-chalantly taken for granted that Visit Gainesville felt comfortable re-posting it as sensible advice.  While confining women to kitchens or shopping malls isn’t anything new, I felt compelled to speak out here since this is so close to home (and so close to football season!).

When we all silently tolerate “small and harmless” instances of sexism, we make it okay to lower women to second-class citizens and slowly pick away at any equality or rights we have remaining.

It’s no wonder government thinks they can force women into a baby-making laborforce.  It’s no wonder women only earn $0.77 on every $1 a man earns.  And it’s no wonder so many women in relationships end up planning and cooking dinner, doing the grocery shopping, and folding laundry.  It’s what we’re expected to do, right?  Pregnant and in the kitchen!  Yuck, yuck, yuck.

Nothing left to fight for?

I think this football season I’ll try to find the lonely girl on Gale Lemerand who has no boyfriend’s friend’s girlfriend’s to hang out with. I bet she’ll have some things to say.

The post Gator Girls Can Riot Too appeared first on The Fine Print.

Student Animal Alliance is a UF-based group of conscientious individuals that advocate for the well-being of all animals, including humans. United by a desire to help those who cannot speak for themselves, we face global issues through individual education.

Our events are designed to show students the true costs of animal products by contrasting their harmful effects with the viability of alternatives. With considered tact, we inform people of the consequences of institutionalized animal cruelty, as well as the benefits of plant-based diets, synthetic and plant fabrics and humane methods of product testing.

To meet American demand for animal foods, leathers and by-products, concentrated animal feeding operations (also known as factory farms) slaughter over 9 billion animals per year. Over the course of their short lives, these animals are systematically tortured through processes like beak clipping, tail and horn docking and castration.

Undercover investigations like those recently compiled in “Farm to Fridge” reveal the conditions inside factory farms. Animals are densely packed together in open areas or confined to dirty pens and cages too small for them to fully extend or move their bodies. Workers are at liberty to abuse the animals, and they often do. The animals suffer from insanity, sickness, sores and compromised immune systems. Antibiotics and pesticides are used to keep them alive.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, factory farming consumes the largest share of America’s water and agricultural space (in the form of feed crops). It’s the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (beating the transportation sector), and it pollutes the water with pesticides and feces run-off (causing eutrophication, which leads to ecologically devastating algae blooms).

Although plant-based agriculture is not without its ecological costs, the difference is on an order of magnitude. Animal products cost more than ten times their caloric content to produce, and America uses almost 70 percent of the grains it grows as animal feed. If those grains were instead used to feed people, recent estimates show that the surplus could end world hunger.

A variety of studies show that animal-based foods contribute to a host of human ailments, including heart attacks, cancer and diabetes. Diets high in whole plant-based foods, in contrast, have been shown to extend life expectancy, reduce the risk of chronic disease and even reverse the progress of chronic diseases in their early stages. And contrary to popular misconceptions, plant-based food can be cheap, delicious and satisfying (tofu is not your only option).

If students demand artificially cheapened animal-based foods, fabrics and by-products without considering the consequences, the logical result is the current condition of government-subsidized factory farming. Through education, we can shift the market toward alternatives that are economically, environmentally and morally feasible.

Student Animal Alliance works toward the formation of a community and support structure for those who want to learn more, meet others or make personal changes, but need help transitioning. We have meetings twice a month, host monthly potlucks and frequently volunteer as a group at local animal sanctuaries. We also host fun events like Hug a Vegetarian Day, show movies and put on an annual VegFest, where we give out tons of free vegan food on campus.

One of our favorite places to volunteer is Rooterville, a sanctuary dedicated to rescuing farm animals. They specialize in potbelly pigs (pets that often get abandoned after their “cute” piglet stage) and farm pigs, which are often clever enough to escape from factory farms (see illustration above).

It’s hard to get an idea of how smart pigs actually are until you spend a day with them. They each have unique and complex personalities. It’s not anthropomorphizing to call a pig shy but curious, friendly and loving or a jealous attention whore. They remember people and will recognize you after long periods apart. A day at Rooterville is a long day full of physical labor, but spending the day wallowing among pigs and knowing you’ve helped is always worth it.

For more information on Student Animal Alliance, find us at www.facebook.com/groups/SAA.UF or email mbinder@ufl.edu.

Illustration by Gracy Malkowski.

The post Monthly Manifesto: Student Animal Alliance appeared first on The Fine Print.

Urban foraging is a great way to get to know the plants in your immediate surroundings. And spring is the perfect time to see everything dressed to the nines. Flowers are popping, trees are budding and the landscape is colorful and fresh.

Not only can wildcrafting in the city teach us to more intimately know and appreciate many overlooked “weeds,” but eating wild edibles— especially in their young, tender stages— is a great boost to the immune system. Think about it: Why are weeds so resilient? They persist with virtually no care and despite the threats of lawn mowers, drunken parades, drought, pollutants, you name it.

When you go foraging, remember a few things:

1. Bring a paper bag or something airy to put your “groceries” in (plastic bags will make them wilt really quickly).
2. Take a walk around your neighborhood. Find an overgrown or abandoned yard (you shouldn’t have to walk far). Meet your neighbors, ask them if you can forage in their yard and then talk with them about what you harvested.
3. Don’t pick plants near the road. Try to harvest more than 20 feet away from the curb. Fifty feet is ideal.
4. Use this guide (see below) to correctly identify plant and mushroom species, but always check a second (or third, or fourth) source if you are not familiar with the edible (poisonous look-alikes abound in the wild). If you’re still not sure, don’t eat it. It’s not worth the risk.
5. Don’t overharvest. Yeah, yeah, these are “weeds.” But it’s still important to maintain an ethic of only taking what you need. Use common sense and respect the plants that are providing your meal. You never know what challenges next season will bring.
6. Familiarize yourself with some basic botany and mycology lingo. Knowing the basics parts of a plant/mushroom is the first step in correct identification. The local public library has great resources on both of these topics as well as plant identification books. Check ‘em out!

Listed below is a handful of wild edibles found in and about Gainesville.

Spiderwort

Tradescantia ohiensis

I see this plant so often it even haunts my dreams! Also known as bluejacket, dayflower and cow slobber, this plant is completely edible. The deep purple to lilac flowers have a lifespan of only one day, but each plant will produce more than 20 flowers per stem. The flowers are monocotyledons, with three petals in a terminal cluster, and have tons of hairy stamens that are also purple with yellow pollen at the tip. The leaves are sedge-like (sedges have edges, rushes are round, grasses are hollow all the way down; see illustration below), and are 2-ranked (see illustration below) and alternate at 180-degree angles to each other.

Harvest early in the day and eat the young leaves, stems, flower pods and flowers raw. You can also make a poultice of mashed leaves to reduce itching from bites or stings (chew up a few leaves in your mouth and apply the poultice directly to the affected area…it works wonders!). The flowers can also be used as a pigment in dyes or watercolor paint.

In science labs, spiderwort is a good instrument for measuring cumulative doses of radiation and chemical pollution, and has proven more effective and accurate than many human-made radiation detectors.

Cleavers

Galium aparine

Also known as Stickyweed and Goosegrass, this climbing plant has long round stems with six to seven ensiform-shaped leaves (see illustration below) that grow in whorls (see above illustration). The leaves, stems, and seeds have tiny hooks that make them cling to everything they touch.

Cleavers have long been used as a medicinal herb and their health benefits abound. They have been used topically to treat skin problems (this is another plant that makes a great poultice for bites and stings). Ingested, they are a mild diuretic and blood detoxifier, and a great source of Vitamin C. They can be eaten raw, but due to their sticky nature they are best sautéed or steamed. Dried and roasted, the seeds can be used as a substitute to coffee. And a deep red dye can be obtained from a decoction of the roots.

Meadow Mushroom

Agaricus campestris

These voluptuous white caps are one of the most common wild edible mushrooms. They are very similar to the button mushrooms that are mass cultivated and sold in grocery stores. Their gills are free from the portly stem and a pinkish color, turning dark brown as the fungus matures. A spore print will be chocolate brown in color. The meadow mushroom has no vulva, and the cap may bruise a slight reddish brown color (the Agaricus xanthodermus, a slightly toxic cousin of the meadow mushroom, will bruise yellow).

These can easily be found after a rain. However, I do not advise anyone who is unfamiliar with mycology identification to eat a wild mushroom. Rather, this information is being offered for the sake of learning the basics of mushroom identification. As I already mentioned, there are many poisonous look-alikes (such as the Amanita virosa, commonly called “the destroying angel,” that is morbidly toxic), so please use caution and backup sources before consuming something you are unfamiliar with.

Poor man’s pepper

Lepidium virginicum

A member of the Brassicaceae family (broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, mustards), this plant is my new substitute for store-bought mustard. Poor man’s pepper has tiny white flowers at the tips of its bottlebrush seed stalk. The flat circular seedpods grow along the stalk in a perfect spiral succession (called a raceme) and the leaves are alternating and pinnate (see above illustrations).

While still green, the seedpods have a strong mustard flavor that almost makes my eyes water. Ground in a blender with some vinegar, miso, turmeric, and salt, the seeds make a delicious mustard sauce. The leaves are also edible, sautéed or raw.

Wild Onion

Allium canadense

From a distance, I have been fooled to think the chives of wild onion plants were just grass. However, upon closer examination, I have found entire fields covered in these wild onions. This plant gives off an aromatic garlicky smell, and the short, round chives have a great taste.

To harvest, grab from the base of the plant, and gently work the root out of the ground. You may have to loosen the soil a bit to pull it up. But if you are successful, you should see a pearl-sized bulb similar to an onion at the base. To eat, snap off the taproot and squeeze the pearl out of its protective outer layer. Enjoy them raw or sautéed.

Illustrations by Krissy Abdullah.

The post City Farmer: Wild Edibles in Not-So-Wild Places appeared first on The Fine Print.

Right now through May 29, we’re raising money through a special campaign so we can continue serving the Gainesville community. If you have a few dollars to spare, please send ‘em our way. We promise to make good use of them. With your help, we’ll be able to keep our office open over the summer so we can teach new students the skills they need to be effective writers, reporters, photographers, graphic designers, editors and community organizers. We’ll be working on a special edition of The Fine Print to welcome you back to school in the fall. And we’ll be able to (finally) submit our paperwork to become a 501c3 nonprofit — a long awaited goal.

Thank you in advance for your support and keep reading The Fine Print!

UPDATE: We were able to raise over $1,000 thanks to the generous support of our friends, readers and family.  We didn’t reach our goal, but it is a huge step in being able to become more sustainable in the future.  Thanks to everyone who donated and if you’d like to donate now or in the future, go to the donate tab at the top or click here to donate. Thanks again! – June 2, 2012

The post Help The Fine Print Continue Strong appeared first on The Fine Print.

F is for Forget.

The post F* School appeared first on The Fine Print.

For-profit start-up organizations often have the benefit of relying on chambers of commerce or particular trade organizations for professional assistance and continuing education, yet nonprofits are often left to find their own way. To fill that need, nonprofit resource centers across the country have developed locally. However, North Central Florida had no organization or resources for nonprofits to turn to before NCNCF’s founding in 2010.

Now, in 2011, NCNCF has assisted over 135 nonprofit organizations and has provided training to approximately 500 nonprofit staff and board members. We’ve been able to accomplish this by providing workshops, seminars and networking opportunities for nonprofit staff and board members, prospective nonprofits and anyone interested in learning and contributing to the nonprofit sector. These workshops have included grant writing, creating online marketing plans, accounting and human resource help. These workshops are conducted by local professionals in each respective field. For example, the online marketing plan workshop held Jan. 31 was led by a marketing professional of Gainesville’s own 352 Media Group.

We also offer a course called Nonprofit Startup 101, which teaches the basic functions of establishing a 501c3 organization and is held on a bimonthly basis. This course is for newcomers to the world of nonprofit and for those who have recently contacted NCNCF for assistance and more information. But the true highlight of our educational calendar is the annual Nonprofit Summit. This is our community’s largest educational conference for nonprofit professionals and board members and includes keynote speakers, roundtable discussions, as well as educational sessions. This year’s summit will be held May 24 at the UF Hilton.

In addition to offering direct aid in the form of workshops, summits and networking, the Nonprofit Center also focuses on generating awareness for nonprofit organizations. The City of Gainesville and Alachua County proclaimed Jan. 11, 2012 as “Nonprofit Awareness Day” to encourage all citizens to recognize the positive impact nonprofit organizations have on the quality of life for the residents of Gainesville, Florida and Alachua County. On the same day, the Nonprofit Center and Vystar Credit Union presented the area’s first Nonprofit Expo. Forty five nonprofit organizations exhibited their services to over 200 community members in attendance.

The Nonprofit Center offers memberships at no cost and is open to nonprofits and anyone else interested in becoming part of the nonprofit community, whether it be interested individuals, students or organizations in the nonprofit process. Members receive exclusive benefits, such as discounted workshop fees of only $10, newsletters and updates on useful nonprofit tips.

Ultimately, the Nonprofit Center believes in building a stronger community by enhancing professional development, fostering collaborative relationships between nonprofits and established businesses of the community and by connecting nonprofit organizations with the resources they need to succeed.

The post Monthly Manifesto: NCNCF appeared first on The Fine Print.

Growing up in Florida, I spent ample time climbing willow trees. Their long, flowing branches are the perfect place for a child to take cover during a game of hide and seek, or to enshroud herself in as a blanket of comfort and security.

Many times, while perched in a willow, my grandfather would yell up to me, “Don’t tell this here willow any secrets! As soon as the wind blows, the leaves will reveal ‘em to everyone.” Little did I know, willows have many secrets of their own.

There are a number of willow species that call Florida home, such as the coastal plain willow (Salix caroliniana), the black willow (Salix nigra) and even the endangered Florida willow tree (Salix floridana). The familiar and picturesque weeping willow (Salix babylonica) is actually a native of tropical parts of Asia and northern Africa, yet is commonly seen in urban and suburban landscapes.

Willows offer a variety of uses. High in salicin, the bark of willow trees has long been chewed as a pain reliever, and infusions of willow bark are common home remedies for colds and fevers. Willow bark was even used in the development of modern-day aspirin (which today contains the active ingredient acetylsalicylic acid, derived from salicin).

Willow has also been used for biomass and biofuel production, riparian buffers (natural barriers that prevent chemicals from seeping into waterways), phytoremediation (the soaking up of toxic chemicals from the soil and turning it into something biodegradable), biofiltration (natural wastewater treatment systems), erosion control and soil stabilization.

Willow wood is a great material for furniture, tool handles and wood veneers, and the branches have long been used in weaving wicker baskets and making fish traps. The fibers in the wood can even be used for making rope, string and paper. And artists’ charcoal is almost exclusively made from willow trees.

But some of the willow tree’s most magical features are its auxins, or natural plant growth hormones. Indolebutyric acid (IBA) and salicylic acid (SA) are highly concentrated in the tips of willow branches. When applied to newly propagated plants, transferred plants or young seedlings, IBA and SA can stimulate root growth and strengthen the overall health of the budding plant.

Willow tea recipe

Rooting hormones are commonly sold in a powder form at gardening supply stores (Alachua Feed and Seed carries some), and can include both natural and synthetic ingredients.

Commercial rooting hormone manufacturers generally throw in a fungicide or two as well.

This is all well and good, but being the cheap, DIY (and somewhat skeptical) gal that I am, I prefer to make a quick batch of willow tea for my new plants. I like it because I know I cannot hurt the plants by adding too much, and I know exactly what ingredients I’m adding to my soil. Not to mention it’s local, sustainable, free, and any other buzz word I can think of.

The Steps

1. Collect a handful of willow branch twigs, preferably the tips of branches where the highest concentrations of IBA and SA are found. Also, don’t use dead branche (most of the IBA has likely leached out).

2. Remove all leaves from the twigs, and cut the twigs into short pieces (if you feel like it).

3. Boil a gallon of water.

4. Put the twigs into a one-gallon jar and pour the hot water into the jar. Seal the jar. You essentially have just made a gallon of willow twig tea.

5. Let the tea cool to room temperature. Make sure to label the jar and write down the brewing date. The tea should be used within two months of brewing.

6. To use for propagated plants (see note on propagation), pour the willow water into a vase or jar, and place fresh plant cuttings in it like flowers in a vase. Or, pour the water directly onto the soil of a potted plant or in your garden bed. Watering cuttings or young plants a couple of times should be sufficient, and within a couple weeks you should notice substantial root growth.

A quick note about propagation

Plant propagation is the process of growing a new plant from a part of an older plant. This could be as simple as allowing a plant to flower and produce seeds (sexual propagation). Or, it could mean literally cutting off a piece of the parent plant and allowing the cutting to produce new roots, stems or both in either a soil or water medium (asexual propagation). Bromeliads (air plants like Spanish moss) and succulents (like aloe or cactus plants) are very good asexual propagators, while garden veggies (broccoli, carrots, and any others that flower) generally propagate sexually.

Illustration by Krissy Abdullah.

The post City Farmer: The Willow Tree’s Secrets appeared first on The Fine Print.

The Backyard between Boca Fiesta and Palomino was decorated to house four bands, with Hundred Waters headlining for the release of their album. The decorations were something I had never seen before, and I had only one thought as I entered: Gypsy Jungle.

The elaborate ornamentation was set up by The Church of Holy Colors, a working gallery space located on South Main street. They’ve got some awesome pictures on tumblr. I was serious when I said their set decorations left me speechless.

Vishal Agarwala, owner of Garage Mahal Presents, helped organize the show. He was very proud of the turn out for the album release. “Not only does this showcase the bands, but it showcases the town.” Founder of Pitchfork Media, Ryan Schreiber, was also in attendance.

Four sets were planned for the evening, in order of appearance:

–Vestibules

–Maximino/Ghost Fields

–LEVEK

–Hundred Waters

I entered to the celestial sounds of Maximino, Gerald Perez. The music was lovely, but not very loud. Midway through his set I heard the recognizable booming sound of a tuba being played but there was not one to be found. My neighbor informed me that Perez had made the noise with his mouth and then put it on a loop. Perez was did this multiple times during his set. He would sample one noise and then make it part of the song.

JP Wright, a.k.a. Ghost Fields, took the stage next. Most of Ghost Fields’ tracks began with haunting intros. As another one-man show, he relied on playing ambient notes, sounds and instruments, and then looping them. I found his vocals to be undecipherable, almost Radiohead-esque. I started to notice more and more crowd members paying attention to the instrumental musicians, bobbing their heads, and swaying to the sounds. The volume was louder for this segment of the show, and Wright seemed to be a master at holding the audience at a climax and then dropping the beat completely.

As Levek took the stage, JP Wright hung back, and played a range of instruments, as well as all of the members of the group. The six people on stage didn’t stay put for long. The lone female in the group played a Melodica — a small keyboard with 37 keys and a tube for blowing into. It sounds like a harmonica and an accordion, and the breathing tube helps change the tone of the notes being played.

She then moved to the drums, while the original drummer moved to the keyboard. Now, as much as I love to see talented musicians showcase their gifts, it became a little difficult to follow. Although, the changing was distracting visually, it didn’t take away from the music being made. I can only describe the sound as ethereal. Every note had soul and funk, reminiscent of reggae but with transitions to jazz-fusion. Front man, Lavek, played a wooden flute that added more to a song than I could have ever imagined. His voice sounded similar to John Butler, and the group harmonized wonderfully.

The camaraderie among these bands was amazing, and difficult to ignore. One member of Hundred Waters was running the lights for Ghost Fields, methodically anticipating each note played to enhance his friend’s show. Vocalist of Hundred Waters, Nicole Miglis, and drummer, Zach Tetreault, also contributed to Laveks set.

Around 12:38 a.m. Hundred Waters began their sound check. At 12:45, the five members began playing, quietly commanding the attention of a bar that was at capacity. By 12:50, 25 people were standing on tables and benches to get a better glimpse of the magic that was penetrating their ears. Miglis’ voice is that of an earth angel. I tried to pinpoint it so I could compare it to other artists, but it was constantly changing. Behind me a woman said, “She sounds like a mix between Bjork and Joanna Newsom.” I thought that to fit perfectly. For nearly forty-five minutes, all eyes were on Hundred Waters. The passion on the musician’s faces was sensational. The tones were tribal and beautiful, like something from a hallucination (you know, the good kind).

Their set drew to a close and the crowd was thanked for their attendance and support. A preview of the new Hundred Waters album can be found online. On March 1, they begin a monthlong tour from Florida up to New York. They return to Gainesville on March 11, where I expect they’ll play something akin to a revival at The Church of Holy Colors.

The post For the Record: Hundred Waters appeared first on The Fine Print.

In his weekly blog series The Last Generation—really more of a highly flirtatious conversation, littered with innuendo—Max Warren discusses matters of general interest to our generation, frequently quotes things, and spills out the addled contents of a deviant mind.

Every now and then I like to get down off my soapbox, stop declaring doom and gloom, and talk about something a little more concrete. You see, I’m trying this new thing lately where I attempt to understand people who hold a different position than I do, rather than just assuming they’re stupid (though, with the undeniable rightness of most of my opinions, it’s generally still where the inquiry ends).

I’d say the results, so far, have been mixed. I have been able, with this new open-mindedness, to more easily understand pro-lifers. I see where they’re coming from—I don’t agree, but I see it. What I can’t understand is all these people leading the civil assault against marriage equality.

Of course, as a whole, 2012 looks to be a promising year on the gay marriage front. Within the past several weeks, the U.S. 9th Court of Appeals has laid the smack-down on Prop. 8, Washington has legalized gay marriage and, now, Maryland seems like it will follow suit in a matter of days. There was the unfortunate setback when New Jersey Governor Chris “I Look Like A Mobster Caricature” Christie vetoed the bill sent to his desk—a bill which doesn’t seem like it’ll get enough support to override the veto.

Putting that aside, things certainly seem to be picking up steam. A number of news articles have recently come out declaring that gay marriage is “inevitable,” and, at least to me, this says a lot of people have chosen, all at once, to collectively stop being apathetic d-bags. I couldn’t be happier.

Personally, I’m inclined to agree. Statistics show that, among those aged 18-34, 70% of us support gay marriage. It’s mostly the Old Guard throwing up the roadblocks and, as with all generations, eventually they’re going to pass into dust and leave the world to a generation much more accepting. It seems pretty clear which way the wind will be blowing 20 years out.

Let me clarify something. I don’t believe that it’s going to be done on a state-by-state basis. I think I can say pretty surely that the Alabama legislature is never going to support something like that. But, as opposition to marriage equality comes to be seen more widely for what it is—the oppression of a minority that is little different from the days when blacks couldn’t marry whites—the Big Bench will get the message. A case of this sort will hit the Supremes eventually, and, if public sentiment is strongly in favor, I have no doubt how they’ll decide it. Justices generally don’t like being on the wrong side of history (just ask Felix Frankfurter). So I’ll say it again, gay marriage is inevitable—and rightly so.

But just because it’s inevitable doesn’t make the wait any less unfair to the people who, you know, want to marry the person they love. And I’m trying to wrap my head around the positions of the people who would shit on that fine idea.

I mean, I technically know what they’re saying. Some combination of “the Bible says it’s wrong,” “it’ll ruin the sanctity of marriage,” and “what’ll we tell the children?!?” But let’s look at these arguments and see how they stand up.

The Bible is a good book. I know a lot of people who live their life by it and are wonderful human beings. But—and this part’s important—if you’re going to stand against gay marriage because the Bible says its an abomination, then I am going to slap you in the face if I see you eating shellfish, wearing gold, or touching a goddamn football. What’s that? You like shrimp cocktail and bling? Too damn bad—because if you’re going to start picking-and-choosing then this whole argument falls to pieces. As long as advocates of these traditional marriages are wearing gold wedding rings, I’m not giving them credit for this argument.

As far as violating the “sanctity of marriage,” well, that argument bothers me even more. First of all, we live in a country where Church and State are, at least theoretically, separate. Marriage has no sanctity—it’s orchestrated by the government. Maybe the marriage ceremony in your church of choice has sanctity, but no one is saying your church will have to marry gay people. And if you think anything that the government runs has sanctity than you’re a lost cause and please never read me again. Also, I’d just like to point out, that the only way the legalization of gay marriage can affect your own personal heterosexual marriage is if either you or your spouse are, in fact, gay. In which case, don’t be like one of these hypocrites about it.

And, finally, the children. The argument, of course, is that gay marriage would have to be explained to the children and, apparently, that’s too tall an order for modern day parents. First of all, your kid has access to more information than you can fathom (yeah, you use parental controls—my 7 year old cousin has the technical know-how to get around those). Your kid probably knows the double-meaning of Rick Santorum’s name and you probably don’t. But if, in some ridiculous way, fathoming gay marriage is just out of your child’s wheelhouse and you really do have to explain it, then I would simply say: step up and do your job. You brought another human being into the world and now it’s your responsibility to teach them about how it works—don’t block other people’s rights because you’re lazy, inarticulate, or both.

That sure was interesting. But, the truth is, I really don’t buy that those are their actual reasons. I think the real reason so many people raise a hue and cry about the evils of gay marriage may simply be that the thought of two men or two women together makes them, on some level, uncomfortable. Maybe Santorum popped a really confusing erection in the locker room once; maybe Chris Christie learned to “wrestle” with the neighbor boy in his youth and things got weird. I don’t know and I don’t care.

What I do know is this: to deny someone the fundamental right to legally join their life with the person they love—in the same way that you can—just because you’re uncomfortable with them is the most self-centered and arrogant idea I can imagine. And if recent events are any indication, we as a society are finally deciding we’re done with the bullshit.

Max Warren has done a little work for the ACLU (if you can’t tell). He also really enjoys reading comments and would be happy to reply to them. Criticisms of his journalistic style, declarations that he’s going straight to Hell, and polite requests for signed photos can be sent to Max.Z.Warren@gmail.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @MaxWarren3, which is recommended if you like booze-soaked late-night ramblings of 140 characters or less.

The post Come To Change appeared first on The Fine Print.

Above: Onna Meyer shows her opposition to the use of genetically modified organisms at a protest Jan. 24 in front of a Monsanto tent on UF’s campus. “I do it because I’ve got to stand up for what I believe. I believe in environmental justice.” Photo by Erik Knudsen.

Monsanto Hits UF on Nationwide Tour

There’s a new act in town, folks.

Monsanto has had a giant trailer plastered with “AMERICA’S FARMERS” and blown-up images of shimmery fields and harvests parked on the Reitz North Lawn on UF’s campus for the past few days. This trailer is part of Monsanto’s outreach tour, visiting community centers and college campuses in suburban and urban areas across the country.

“Our goal is to let people know where their food comes from,” said Kera Relando, an agricultural educator for Monsanto who is a member of the traveling troupe of Monsanto representatives.

Ed, a man with respectably well-kept scruff, dressed as suavely as a member of the “one percent” himself, was part of the group of Occupy Gainesville protesters demonstrating at the Monsanto trailer on Tuesday. Ed is one of his pseudonyms, anyway. He led the protesters’ people’s mic and die-in.

“There are…15, 16, 17… about 20 protesters. They’re lying on the ground,” one Monsanto representative reported to his earpiece, just after Ed and the rest of the protesters collapsed on the lawn as part of the die-in.

“We want people to become aware of where their food comes from,” Ed said.

Hm, this sounds eerily familiar. Oh right, it’s because we just heard that line from Monsanto’s rep, Relando.

So, if the corporate giant (Monsanto) and the corporation haters (Occupy Gainesville) are at the same place for the same reason, shouldn’t they be collaborating and not butting heads?

Their purposes are essentially identical, but their intentions are “diametrically opposed opposites,” as Ed explained.

The protesters were also there to educate, just like Monsanto. Same motive, yet on complete opposite sides of the spectrum in terms of educational content.

As Ed explained, the protesters stand against Monsanto’s business practices and attempt to control all aspects of agriculture. Protesters handed out fliers all day, urging students to push for responsible food labeling, distinguishing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), or “Frankenfoods,” from unaltered foods. These GMOs, as the flier elaborated, may “increase cancer risks, create super-pests, super-weeds and new plant viruses, increase use of toxic pesticides, and contaminate organic and non-GMO crops.”

Of course, Monsanto had a different story. Their tour took students through three sections: challenges faced by America’s farmers, a 10-minute film featuring farmers attesting to Monsanto’s technology — subliminally relaying a sense of community and trust through presentation of the farmers’ grandparents and children — and finally a room full of promise, cheer and hope for the future, all made possible by the Monsanto’s biotechnology research and genetically modified crops.

Oh yeah, and they were also giving out free lip balm.

The first welcoming room, presenting the farmers’ challenges, even featured a quote relating Monsanto’s agricultural practices to world peace.

The themepark-esque tour was aesthetically pleasing and so were the “educational” handouts, especially juxtaposed with the simple black-and-white fliers the occupy protesters were handing out. Let’s just hope students are smart enough to take a closer look at the content of each.

The post Monsanto’s in Town, Just for You appeared first on The Fine Print.

Both the at-large and District 1 City Commission candidates will be there to answer your questions about how they plan to contribute to our community over the next three years.

For some background on each candidate, check out The Fine Print’s election guide before heading to the library on Wednesday.

And remember to vote on Jan. 31. For your convenience, here is a list of polling locations.

If you want to vote early while listening to local bands and enjoying some great local food, check out Gainesville Rocks the Vote on Jan. 21 between noon and 5 p.m. at Bo Diddley Plaza.

The Think Local Civic Forum is co-sponsored by The Fine Print, indiegainesville, The Iguana and the Alachua County Library District.

The post Get to Know Your City Commission Candidates appeared first on The Fine Print.

In his weekly blog series The Last Generation—really more of a highly flirtatious conversation, littered with innuendo—Max Warren discusses matters of general interest to our generation, frequently quotes things, and spills out the addled contents of a deviant mind.

As we move into 2012, I’ve noticed that most people seem preoccupied with two things. The first, of course, comes with every new year: resolutions and the bright, shining future we intend to build for ourselves—this year, finally, is the year. The second, on the other hand, is something new: will December 2012 really, as some doomsayers claim, be the End of Days—have we truly seen our last Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest New Year?

The first is vital because, I truly believe that, regardless of fervently made resolutions, time is running out for us. The second matters because, well, if the Mayans are being read correctly, then we’re the Last Generation in more ways than one…

Now, being a confirmed skeptic, I personally am expecting little on December 21, 2012. Don’t misunderstand; I’ll be drinking as much champagne as possible with my nearest and dearest just in case, but I’m expecting to cruise right through to another sunrise. Even if I weren’t, though, I don’t see a potential apocalypse as all that consequential — and that, dear readers, is what I want to discuss.

You see, there’s a secret that I’m going to let you in on.

The world is ending every day.

I know that sounds obvious, at first glance. You can hardly read the news without being depressed by tinpot dictators, the collapse of the euro, or horrendous natural disasters. But those are big, abstract fears, and not what I’m talking about. After all, you can write all of them off as problems in a far off place that most of us are fortunate not to inhabit; problems that are not likely to affect our fat and prosperous American lives anytime soon. No, what I’m concerned about is more personal.

Do something for me. Breathe in. Breathe out. Feel your heartbeat in your own chest. That’s a timer and it’s counting down to the day you die. Now close your eyes and picture nothing but nothing but nothing but that blackness, forever.

Scary? It can be. At the end of the day, we’re nothing more than walking bags of ephemeral thoughts and squishy organs and we’re all marching towards that long, long night. Death—to use the word—is something everyone before us has done and everyone after us will do. You’re going to be dead far, far longer than you’re alive—forever even. And, you know what? Eternity is a really long time, whether we’re conscious of it or not.

Your world is ending every single day. And guess what? There’s no promise of a ripe old age. Sure, it could be sixty years before your time runs out, but it could just as easily be tomorrow. At the end, as Neil Gaiman put it, you get what everyone gets—you get a lifetime.

Doesn’t that sound like a pretty good goddamn reason to do something while you’re here?

You know, we talk a big game, most of us, about all the things we’re going to do and all the things we’re going to be. The world is ours, to hear it told. But all that talk is just that—talk. I think that too often we convince ourselves that we’re immortal (much better than having to face the thought of all that blackness) and, as a result, it becomes far easier for us to say, “I’ll turn my life around tomorrow.”

That’s fear. It’s fear of making a bold commitment and its fear of facing our own mortality. It’s the belief that if we can convince ourselves there’s room to push things back, then we can’t die — simply because we haven’t had time to accomplish our goals yet. That’s our conceit and our self-delusion. Well, the thing is, death doesn’t care how far down you’ve gone on your bucket list.

I have a friend, we’ll call her Aiden, who recently escaped Zion, fled to Chicago and began a new life. Going into it, she had nothing but a very few friends in her adoptive city, and the commitment that comes with deciding to pursue her dreams. A scary situation to dive into and, the caution mongers might even call it ill-advised—but it’s working out swimmingly so far and, even if it weren’t, I know she’d still rather have taken her shot than played it safe.

That’s what matters: that we take our shot, rather than wasting weeks, or months, or even years lining it up. Life is constantly in motion and, when it comes down to it, everything is a moving target. If you wait too long, you’re apt to find that your target has moved and you’ve missed all the same. Only now, you’re left with that much less ammo and time.

I’m not advocating action without deliberation. What I am advocating, though, is that once we’ve thought it through and made our decisions, we don’t then delude ourselves into paralysis. There’s simply not enough time.

Are the aliens coming in 2012? Is it Ragnarok? The Battle of Meggido? It doesn’t matter. The point is that on December 21st, no matter what happens, all of us will be nearly one year closer to death — if we’re fortunate enough to make it even that far. So seize this year you’re being given, make it yours, rely on yourself to change your life and not the fairy dust of some arbitrary resolution.

Let me leave you with a thought by “Wild” Bill Saroyan. He was speaking to writers, but I think it’s applicable to all of us:

“Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep really sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough.”

Tick-tock, kids.

Max welcomes your comments and criticisms in the appropriate section below. He further wishes to direct all conspiracy theories and requests for invitations to his 2012 party—to be held at the Flat Iron Lounge in NYC—to Max.Z.Warren@gmail.com

The post No Resolutions appeared first on The Fine Print.

Greenland is Melting

Album Title: “Where Were We”
Released: Oct. 11
Recorded at: Medusa Productions
Sounds like: The Avett Brothers,
Inspiration: Stories from the band members’ lives
Key tracks: “Always”
Where to get it: Order it here.

Upright bass/ Kick drum/ Rhythm section: Will Dueease
Electric guitar: David Low
Acoustic guitar/ Vocals: Shaun Perira
Banjo/ Vocals: Karl Seltzer

Greenland is Melting doesn’t just play bluegrass. And they certainly aren’t strumming high-fallutin’ “blu gras” with French accents. They prefer to define themselves as Americana grass.
On their sophomore album, “Where Were We,” narrative lyrics blend with banjo and guitar-strumming for an appropriately swampy album. The band’s songwriting has come a long way since their first album, Seltzer said. The first full-length album, “Our Hearts Are Gold, Our Grass Is Blue,” was recorded in three days and mostly influenced by other bands.
“Where Were We” is like listening to a collection of short stories set to a unique folk music soundtrack. If you close your eyes, you’ll be transported to a wooden swing on the back porch, sipping sweet tea. The banjo chords on the opening track “For What It’s Worth” will keep your toes tapping.
This year, the band, who are all 24-year-old UF graduates, have taken their Florida sound all over the country. They spent the first half of September playing a cross-country tour that ended at Awesomefest V in San Diego, Calif.
Although the festival was their endpoint, it was “really just an excuse to go on a road trip,” Dueease said. They put 5,500 miles on their ‘93 Ford Econoline van, which served as kitchen, bedroom and lounge. It is outfitted with flannel sheets, a laptop mounted in the TV cubby, a single burner stove and a bag full of orange candy slices.
They spent 18 days on the road together – and still don’t hate each other.
“It’s like I’ve been dating three dudes for four years now,” Dueease said.
And they hope to continue their long-term relationship into the future.
“We want to bring back the Gainesville music scene,” Perira said.
By Ashira Morris

Far Away Planes

Album Title: “Water on All Sides”
Released: Oct. 6
Recorded at: Black Bear Audio Maul in Gainesville
Sounds like: Minus the Bear, Vampire Weekend
Inspiration: Minus the Bear, Kings of Leon, Two Door Cinema Club
Key tracks: “Stow Away” and “Midnight”
Where to get it: $5.94 download on iTunes and Amazon and free downloads on their Facebook page

Bass/ Vocals: Tim Anderson
Drums: Kevin Biegler
Guitar/ Vocals:  John Ketcham
Keyboard/ Synthesizer:  Luke Spika
Guitar: John Stoltz

Far Away Planes makes a smooth landing with “Water on All Sides,” their newest dance-rock album.
Though their first album, “Movie Night,” released in Feb. 2011, has the same catchy intros and spunky drumbeats, the band agreed that their previous recording experience allowed them to fine tune tracks on “Water on All Sides” in a new way.
“When we went in to record the second time around, we knew what we wanted and weren’t afraid to ask for it,” Ketcham said.
Strangely enough, the band’s solid vision of the final product rarely included lyrics. Biegler explained that most songs on the album began with a basic keyboard riff. If everyone liked it, individual instrumental parts were added.  Lyrics always came last – sometimes last-minute.
“We’d go in to record and the guys would look at me like, ‘You do have lyrics for these songs, right?’,” Ketcham said.
Even though each band member writes his own part based on the initial first riff, their individual styles blend together for a cohesive and structured sound.
“It’s very boom-box-to-beach-party. Perfect for a chill weekend, yet up-beat enough to be your Monday morning upper,” Spika said.
By Erica Kenick

Ancient River

Album Title: “Songs From North America”
Released: Aug. 3
Recorded at: Their home
Sounds like: Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix
Inspiration: (for this album) Neil Young
Key Tracks: “Not Here,” “Solid Ground” and “Flood”
Where to get it: $5 download on ancientriver.bandcamp.com or $10 CD on the band’s website.

Bass: Zach Veltheim
Drums: Chad Voight
Guitar/ Vocals: J. Barreto

Ancient River breaks the Gainesville mold of hipster, punk rock by staying true to their love of classic rock.
Their ‘60s and ‘70s American rock-and-roll sound manages to attract a diverse fan base. Older fans appreciate the reminiscent experience of the days of old rock-and-roll, while younger fans are excited to get a piece of that ‘60s lifestyle.
“Songs from North America” features tracks inspired by traditional and classic Americana, but with a psychedelic edge. Think Bob Dylan meets Jimi Hendrix.
Ancient River, who have been together for eight years, create a unique viewer experience by combining their live music with projection slides, colored oil and smoke machines.
Barreto explains that while other bands put out maybe one or two albums a year, they release between four and five.
“We’re the most prolific and versatile [band]; our biggest strength is that we keep putting out records,” Bareto said.
When working on new material, which is often, they say they naturally feed off one another. Their motto: “Less talk and more rock.”
By Natalia Sieukaran

The Boswellians

Album Title: “Hello hands”
Released: Oct. 14
Recorded: Between Travis Atria’s Experimentorium and Collin Whitlock’s The Warren
Sounds like: Regina Spektor
Inspiration: Department of Eagles, Billie Holiday
Key Tracks: “Cloud dancing,” “Warm Inside” and “Don’t Wait”
Where to get it: theboswellians.bandcamp.com and at Hear Again for $5

Vocals/ Guitar: Amy Lobasso
Piano/ Backing Vocals: Ryan Backman
Drums: Collin Whitlock
Bass: Scott Kauffmann

The heart and soul of 1920’s jazz and big band eras have caught on in modern-day Gainesville. On their new album, “Hello Hands,” the Boswellians give traditional jazz a catchy 1960s pop twist.
The Boswellians, named after James Boswell, a famous biographer who was an ardent follower of others’ works, formed in April 2010 and have already gathered a large fan base.
In the midst of heavy guitar- and bass-driven bands, their prominent piano sound is rare and distinguishable. Originally, Backman was hesitant to play piano for the band.
“I felt weird about playing the piano, but in this band I appreciate it more,” he said.
While most bands create new material when jamming together, blues-inspired Lobasso explains a piano demands a more meticulous approach when creating new material; there needs to be structure and melody.
For their new album, “Hello Hands,” the Boswellians were inspired by modern composers as well as French Impressionist music.
The track “Cloud Dancing” has a vintage 30s-like vocal recording quality that’s reminiscent of Billie Holiday.  It manages to capture the pathos of the time as Lobasso croons lyrics, “Mistakes are often made, perhaps we’ll find a way.”
For a change of pace, “Don’t Wait” provides an upbeat melody with drum fills, cymbal crashes and heavy piano riffs that resonate well when the song slips into a gloomy trance as Lobasso chants, “Don’t wait for me.”
The band says they are interested in “activities of a Boswellian quality,” an interest that is certainly evident in their era-spanning album.
By Natalia Sieukaran

Ars Phoenix

Album Title: “Hanging Fire”
Released: Sept. 23
Sound like: Soundtrack to an ‘80s horror movie
Recorded at: Various private residences
Inspiration: The Cure, The Smiths, Clan of Xymox
Key tracks: “Secret Manuscript” and “0011001”
Where to get it: Free download at arsphoenix.bandcamp.com

Vocals/ Guitar/ Synthesizers/ Rhythm Programming/ Five-String Bass: Jon Glover
Guitar: Paige Fowler

Fueled by 10 years of the FEST as well as a colorful punk rock history, Gainesville tends to produce and encourage punk angst and experimental hipsterdom among its musically inclined, often leaving other genres to fend for themselves.  However, Gainesville’s own goth scene, though grossly undervalued and comparably smaller than others, is no less talented and productive.
Ars Phoenix’s new release, “Hanging Fire,” has been in the works since its members Jon Glover and Paige Fowler first met in 2009 through the University of Florida’s English department. Both musicians were seeking doctoral degrees in English literature, as well as someone to jam with.
Though Glover had previously released an album as a one-man band under the name Ars Phoenix, “Hanging Fire” is the first album to feature both artists. According to Fowler, the addition of his guitar gives Ars Phoenix a “crunchier” sound.
Building on material Glover had already prepared, the duo gradually pieced together a post-punk album with gothic flavor. Skilfully layered sounds of keyboard, guitar and synths give each track a haunting, cinematic feel comparable to the psychotronic film genre.
Despite a dark sound, moments of suspense and track titles such as “Phantom Pain,” the album’s release a month before Halloween was merely a timely coincidence.
“There’s nothing tame about what we do,” Fowler says. “We’re there to get people amped up and give a sonic boost.”
By Erica Kenick

For more local albums, check out For the Record: Spring 2011.

The post For the Record: Fall 2011 appeared first on The Fine Print.

In his weekly blog series The Last Generation—really more of a highly flirtatious conversation, littered with innuendo—Max Warren discusses matters of general interest to our generation, frequently quotes things, and spills out the addled contents of a deviant mind.

First, let me apologize for my absence from your hearts and screens last week. Law school snuck up and forced an actual week’s worth of work on me as punishment for a four month long movie and liquor binge (most recently, Welcome to the Riley’s with Wild Turkey). Now, on to business.

I promised in my first post that this blog would not be a neo-Luddite rant and I’m going to honor that, at least inasmuch as I’m able. I do have something to say, however.

We are, as a generation, becoming increasingly plugged in, whether it be to our ear buds or e-readers. And I worry, as everything that possibly can go digital does so, that we’re going to be unwilling to wait patiently on the things that can’t—that we may cast them aside as remnants of the stupid ages. Ultimately, I’m worried that we’re building a world less beautiful. Life is a play (or maybe a Showtime series)—I’ve always believed this—and I think it would be good for us to pay some attention to the type of stage upon which we’re choosing to act it out.

Ain’t she a beauty? She’s a Remington Rand Model 1, circa 1935. As of a week ago, she’s mine—an early Christmas present. She doesn’t have a name yet and I’m open to suggestions, but I have to admit I’m leaning heavily towards River Tam.

Now, I didn’t just show her to you because I’m proud/aroused just looking at her. River is going to help me make my point. When you punch those keys you feel the words you’re writing. You hear the goddamn smack when the type bar bangs each letter onto the paper. Even though it’s only ink, you write like you’re carving each word into stone.

Now, a brief contrast.

That, on the other hand, is a Kindle. As far as I can tell, they’re basically amazing devices that can carry around all the books that have ever been written or ever will be written. They’re portable, lightweight, user-friendly, focus-grouped and built for a modern user. They also have an unfortunate connotation in my head, however, because of one incident.

I was on a bus, sitting behind an obese woman, who was holding her Kindle in one hand and a big, salted pretzel in the other, pausing from her read only long enough to wipe the grease and errant salt grains from the device.

It’s still a fine device, and I am willing to accept that she may not be the product’s average user. But, let us compare the general experience to reading from a good old-fashioned book.

There’s a certain powerful feeling that comes with holding a book in your hands and cracking the spine. There’s a certain sensation—something like awe—that can come from feeling the weight of the words (if you don’t believe me, go find a copy of The Brothers Karamazov). And there’s a certain pleasure in picking an old book off the shelf and re-reading your favorite passages, which of course you dog-eared. Reading a book is an experience and I, for one, believe that merely displaying the words on a screen is not the same thing.

Then, of course, there are the intangible things. My loyal and attentive readers will recall that the first time my calling—my raison d’être, if you will—hit me in the face was after I read a book called This Side of Paradise. I actually discovered Paradise by accident. Walking around the bookstore, I vaguely recognized the name F. Scott Fitzgerald and randomly picked it off the shelf. It was a very important moment in my life and when I close my eyes I can still recall that store, the smell, the very moment in time. I can relive the scene.

And maybe people who browse on their Kindles have similar experiences. Maybe those experiences feel the same to them. But, if you were to close your eyes and think about a cinematic life-changing event, is it more likely to be finding some treasure in a brick-and-mortar store, or pressing a few extra buttons on a handheld? The point isn’t that the latter is less valid, the point is that it feels less valid in that it makes for a much worse anecdote.

Like I said, there are obviously practical benefits to a device like Amazon’s Kindle. I can’t drag my whole goddamn library around with me, obviously. As far as tools go, Kindles could one day become the intellectual swiss army knife. But, to someone like me with a love of all things past (if you picture Owen Wilson’s character in Midnight in Paris, you won’t be too far off), the experience can never compare. I believe it’s this type of implicit trade-off that deserves our reflection.

I want to leave you with some wise words, courtesy of Spencer Tracy in Inherit the Wind:

“Gentlemen, progress has never been a bargain. You’ve got to pay for it. Sometimes I think there’s a man behind a counter who says, “All right, you can have a telephone; but you’ll have to give up privacy, the charm of distance. Madam, you may vote; but at a price; you lose the right to retreat behind a powder-puff or a petticoat. Mister, you may conquer the air; but the birds will lose their wonder, and the clouds will smell of gasoline!”

As we march on toward greater progress, let’s try and keep an eye towards what we’re giving up in trade. It may be that one day we develop buyer’s remorse.

Live like you’re carving it in stone.

Max may not be up on the newest technology, but he sure does love reading comments. Leave one below and he’ll even respond. In addition, requests/suggestions for new articles, suggestions to name his typewriter, or requests for him to let you touch his typewriter (that’s not a euphemism) may be sent to Max.Z.Warren@gmail.com

The post Marching On appeared first on The Fine Print.

Fight Back Florida is a network of progressive students, labor activists, and workers throughout Florida that fight for accessible education and the rights of working families.

In the spring of 2011, the governor of Florida, Rick Scott, unleashed his assault against Floridians with a host of laws ranging from tuition increases for college students to pay decreases for teachers. An affordable college education would be a thing of the past: Florida students would be saddled with increasingly high student loans as they pay 15 percent more per year in Scott’s tuition increases, while at the same time slashing Bright Futures scholarships. Governor Scott went after all state employees next, proposing that they pay 3 percent of their current salary into the Florida Retirement System as a forced “contribution,” while also weakening their labor unions through bills designed to cripple their ability to function and negotiate with employers.

The people of Wisconsin were facing similar legislation affecting teachers, students and the rights of union members. In Madison, Wisconsin, over 100,000 protesters occupied the capital building opposing laws very similar to the ones brought to Florida.

It was the ongoing sit-ins and protests in Wisconsin that really jolted several organizers in Florida to “bring Wisconsin to Florida.” The very night that much of the de-unionizing and budget cut legislation was passed in Wisconsin, five student and labor organizers from Tampa, Tallahassee and Gainesville decided to build a network to connect people from all over Florida willing to fight back against the right-wing assault. Fight Back Florida was born that night, in early March.

In order to be an effective resistance, we needed to unite all the labor and student groups around the state. Within a week, groups such as Students for a Democratic Society, the Florida AFL-CIO, and central labor councils all over Florida signed on to the call for a statewide demonstration. Floridians statewide planned and networked for the big event. There was an excitement in the air that had not been felt in some time. It seemed as though people felt they were finally a part of something that would give the people of Florida their state back from those who refrain from taxing the rich while asking the average citizen to sacrifice.

Finally, on March 25, Floridians from all walks of life rallied in over 10 cities around the state of Florida to say no to union busting, no to anti-worker bills, and no to attacks on affordable education. They demanded that tuition stay low so that education could be accessible for all and that unions continue to be allowed to fight and negotiate for their members.

One of the largest rallies in the state was held here in Gainesville. Hundreds took to the streets and marched to city hall, proclaiming Gainesville a “Labor Sanctuary.”

These rallies, alongside an unprecedented unity among all the labor unions of Florida, led to the defeat of most of the proposed legislation. From this success, we realized the need to maintain the network we created not only to fight back against future bills, but also to create an organization that could create a sense of activism both within the student and labor movements.

We set up permanent groups in many cities around Florida to continue to meet and plan. This came to a head during the state wide Fight Back Florida Conference in Orlando on Nov. 5. Over 50 student and labor activists from over seven cities came together to develop a plan for the upcoming year. The strategy was to expose the budget cuts, tuition hikes, and anti-worker legislation for what they really were – attacks on the working majority of Floridians by powerful right-wing politicians.

This Jan. 21, Fight Back Florida is gearing up to lead the struggle against the government’s plans to place the burden of the state economic crisis onto the backs of the people with a multi-city, coordinated rally. Then, uniting activists from all over the state, Fight Back Florida will continue to give average Floridians a voice against Rick Scott and the corporate interests he represents by mobilizing to Tallahassee for a day of action on Feb. 25. Fight Back Florida plans to host another statewide conference at the end of May to plan for the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa on Dec. 6.

Fight Back Florida was created less then a year ago to confront anti-worker and anti-student legislation. We have already helped gain meaningful wins, but the fight back continues.

For more information, check out Fight Back Florida’s website.

The Monthly Manifesto is a podium for local organizations to tell Gainesville what they’re about. Submissions and inquiries should be sent to editors@thefineprintuf.org with the subject “Monthly Manifesto.”

The post Monthly Manifesto: Fight Back Florida appeared first on The Fine Print.

At-large 1 City Commissioner

Our current at-large 1 City Commissioner is Jeanna Mastrodicasa who has reached the end of her service after two consecutive three-year terms. Mastrodicasa was first elected in 2006 and then reelected in 2009. Her legacy includes adding “gender identity” to a list of classes of people protected from discrimination — a part of a lawsuit that unilaterally changed city retiree health benefits in 2008. She’s also been known as a staunch supporter of the biomass plant. These are the candidates that are up for her spot as the at-large City Commissioner:

Richard Selwach
“Diamond Rick” Selwach has run for local office more times than Pat Fitzpatrick has been thrown out of city hall. Selwach is a local pawn shop owner, something he makes sure to announce at every opportunity, no matter how awkward. Selwach has often referred to unions as a communist plot. He is against the homeless one-stop center and the biomass plant.

Mark Venzke
“Taxi Cab Mark” is a taxi cab driver that got into the Gainesville political scene by advocating for keeping the 130 meal limit at St. Francis House in place even though he frequently uses their services. Currently, Venzke is advocating for limiting the ability of Occupy Gainesville to stay at Bo Diddley Community Plaza.

Nathan Skop
This man is the reason conspiracy theory buff Harold Saive dropped out of the race. Skop has recently developed a strong anti-biomass stance; which is odd because he was on the board that approved the biomass plant.

Dejeon Cain
Cain is a newcomer to the Gainesville political scene. He was on the Black on Black crime task force and is currently a security guard at Shands and a minister for Anointing Truth Ministries. Cain’s platform includes allowing bars to have a soft close (doors open until 4am but no alcohol past 2am) and expanding S.N.A.P to apartment complexes on Archer Road.

James Ingle
Ingle is a union electrician and activist that ran in last year’s Gainesville District 2 race. Ingle’s platform includes a local hiring preference to encourage investment in the local economy and a renter’s bill of rights. Ingle has been seen protesting with Gator Student Alliance against tuition increases and with the Graduate Assistants United for a fair contract.

Donna Lutz
Lutz is a real estate agent who is currently serving on the Community Agency Partnership Program for Alachua County. Although a registered Republican, Lutz stresses that this is a non-partisan race and the need to eliminate labels that parties bring about. Lutz was once a leader in her flight attendants union and advocates middle class politics. Lutz has purposefully left her platform vague and instead focuses attention on the dismal voter turnout for city elections.

Darlene Pifalo
Pifalo is a real estate agent, avid cat lover, member of the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, and describes herself as “very conservative.” Pifalo’s platform includes increasing private property rights in Gainesville and is very critical of the biomass plant, as it will increase the financial burden on businesses and lead to layoffs.

Lauren Poe
Poe is the former District 2 city commissioner that lost his seat last year to Todd Chase. Poe is a blue dog Democrat who Mastrodicasa has endorsed saying that he is the “biggest fiscal conservative I have served with.” A moderate on most issues, Poe has been criticized for his support of the 130 meal limit restriction on serving food to the homeless. He’s also been criticized for voting for the 2008 unlawful change in city worker retiree health benefits without going through the required bargaining stage with city employee unions.

District 1 City Commissioner

Our current District 1 Commissioner is Scherwin Henry. Henry was first elected in 2006 and then re-elected in 2009. His legacy includes repealing the 130 meal limit at St. Francis House and the redevelopment of the Depot Avenue corridor. These are the candidates that are up for his spot as the District 1 Commissioner:

Armando Grundy
Grundy is a veteran paratrooper for the Army who has held numerous non-elected seats, including the Alachua County Charter Review Commission and the Alachua County Veterans Advisory Board. Current District 1 Commissioner Scherwin Henry has endorsed Grundy saying that “he is duly qualified for the position.” Grundy’s platform includes renaming the downtown bus station to Rosa Parks and expanding RTS service in East Gainesville.

Yvonne Hinson-Rawls
Hinson-Rawls is a retired elementary school principal, on the Gainesville Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, and an active member of the Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church. Hinson-Rawls’ platform includes creating and expanding youth programs as deterrents to crime and extensions of the school day.

Ray Washington
Washington is a former Gainesville Sun reporter, an attorney and a major figure in the anti-biomass movement. Washington registered to run for District 1 very close to the deadline only after he could not persuade any of the other two candidates into taking an anti-biomass stance. Washington’s platform includes increasing government transparency and citizen input at city hall.

Remember to vote on Jan. 31.

The last day to register to vote in this election is Jan. 3. You can register online or at various locations around town. Go to elections.alachua.fl.us to register online or to see a list of locations where you can register in person.

All illustrations by Susie Bijan.

The post #Occupy the Polls appeared first on The Fine Print.

yello/blu VI

my name is travis fletcher epes. above is a tea flea, playing a broken piano.

t f epes doesn’t have quite the same ring as t s eliot. so, i tried a more experimental approach to signature with this abbreviation.

yello/blu tend to hibernate frequently, but they’ll be making regular appearances online and in our glorious paper

The post T(ea) Fle(a) Epes appeared first on The Fine Print.

yello/blu V

this week’s comic originally appeared in The Fine Print’s Fall 2011 issue. 

yello/blu tend to hibernate frequently, but they’ll be making regular appearances online and in our glorious paper

The post Broke in America appeared first on The Fine Print.

In his weekly blog series The Last Generation—really more of a highly flirtatious conversation, littered with innuendo—Max Warren discusses matters of general interest to our generation, frequently quotes things, and spills out the addled contents of a deviant mind.

I come from a truly horrible small town that we’ll call Zion, and tonight, as my mind wanders, it’s the specter haunting my home. Sitting here at my desk, with a Louis C.K. monologue in the background and a gin in reach, I can see it clear as day.

Zion is the kind of small town that too many of us Last Generation kids never escape. Community college and the food-service-industry greedily devour a lot of the town’s youth, ODs get a few more—and then you have the car crashes and occasional suicides to worry about. It’s a bad place, the kind that has a wicked intelligence all its own. And it doesn’t abide deserters. I truly believe that when I go back to Zion for my high school reunion, I’ll be lucky not have a tree fall on my car or to knock up some girl through a Virgin Birth.

But enough of my misty-eyed nostalgia. It occurred to me that a substantial portion of my readership probably comes from a similar version of hell. These blemishes pock-mark America all over. You all know the story; it’s all Americana and bullshit (as covered in my previous column), the suburban wasteland where the houses all look the same and something sinister behind the superficial veneer leads to Xanex-ed adults and disaffected youth. If you’re not from the place, you certainly have friends who are.

Let me be perfectly frank about one thing—I’m thankful to have escaped. I don’t think it was my doing. I chalk it up mainly to good fortune and I know a hundred souls, contemporaries and comrades-in-arms, who didn’t make it out. This isn’t some statement of superiority. I could easily still be there and so could you. But this isn’t an exhortation for Plato to go back into the Cave either. Personally, I can only stomach two trips home a year.

But while I sit here, pondering the place where I grew up, images running through my mind like a montage, it seems important to realize something—if I hadn’t come from there, I certainly wouldn’t be who I am today. Comedian Patton Oswalt comes from a similar place called Sterling, Virginia, and he manages to express the benefits better than your humble writer ever could. Patton is thankful to have come from there because it meant he got to take the Test of the Small Town. You pass it when you say, “I’m leaving this place before I kill myself and everyone around me.” But if you say, “I’m going to get a job at 7-11 and fill my truck up for free!” then you just failed the Test—thanks for coming out.

It’s a striking concept and well-worth considering. As loyal readers, I’m going to assume that you all are, either willingly or else on some deeper level, a part of this Last Generation—the one that’s going to bring about our renaissance. And I think that, as members of our odd Foreign Legion, we all passed that test. And, for the record, I don’t care if you’re still stuck in your wretched hometown or not—it’s the desire to escape, at least intellectually and at best physically—that matters. If that desire burns inside you, and you play carefully and get the necessary bit of luck (without which I’d still be in Zion), then you’ll get right the hell out of there. Onward and upward.

Chuck Palahniuk, in the fantastic novel Rant, describes the places well:

Despite the dreary scenery, it’s all very sexual, these towns. It’s only the individual who attains an early beauty and sexuality who becomes trapped here. The young men and women who acquire perfect breasts and muscles before they know how best to use that power, they end up pregnant and mired so close to home. This cycle concentrates the best genetics in places you’d never imagine….Little nests of wildly attractive idiots who give birth and survive into a long, ugly adulthood. Venuses and Apollos. Small-town gods and goddesses.

His take is harsher on those that stay behind than mine would be, but I think that’s only because I understand that an escape plan takes time to work out—you only get one shot at breaking out of Shawshank and you don’t want to be hasty. One failed attempt and the Town will smell blood. After that, it’s going to keep a much tighter grasp.

As I said, I believe that all readers of these words will make it out of their All-American Hells if they want to and if they haven’t already. But that’s only half the battle and there’s another obstacle ahead: we can’t get sucked back in.

We are currently living in a time where it’s become the norm—far more than ever before—for young adults to move back home after college or graduate school. The reasons are myriad; delayed adulthood, the horrible economy and, really, the world just being such a goddamn lonely place all play a part. And I won’t criticize the decision to do so. But what I will say is this: once we’ve made it out, we have to remember that we don’t belong there anymore. We have to make sure that a visit or a brief recuperation is not the same as a surrender. I think it’s vital that we remember—the past is past for a reason.

Don’t get pregnant and don’t get addicted to pills.

Max may have made a few enemies with this post, particularly among John Cougar Mellencamp fans. He invites friends to use the comment section to praise him and enemies to use it to insult him and his hopes and dreams. He also accepts hate-mail, column-topic ideas and requests for prescription medication at Max.Z.Warren@gmail.com

Hey! Can’t get enough Max Warren madness? Now you can subscribe to his Twitter @MaxWarren3 for updates on blog posts and a whole bunch of late-night drunken quotes and song lyrics.

The post Americana appeared first on The Fine Print.

yello/blu IV

ever wonder if you could get in trouble for something you did in another person’s dream? like, imagine (in your dream) that your significant other starts spouting anti-semetic slurs while you stroll down a rainbow shore, or say your genuinely kind employer suddenly approaches you (in your dream) with unwelcome advances. would, or could you look at that person the same way as you did the day before?  to what extent does our unconscious reveal, in dreams, information or observations that would otherwise go unnoticed?

ANSWER: i should sleep more…

yello/blu tend to hibernate frequently, but they’ll be making regular appearances online and in our glorious paper

The post Dream Police, II appeared first on The Fine Print.

In his weekly blog series The Last Generation—really more of a highly flirtatious conversation, littered with innuendo—Max Warren discusses matters of general interest to our generation, frequently quotes things, and spills out the addled contents of a deviant mind.

When I was younger, I had a problem with mirrors. I would go out of my way to avoid them, always being sure to keep the medicine cabinet open. The thing of it was, if I looked into one long enough, it really didn’t seem like I was looking at myself anymore. It’s fascinating to me how something as simple as a reflection—really the most accurate portrayal of what you are—can seem so separate.

This got me thinking about identity and the way in which something you really should recognize can appear so alien. Then, because it’s what I do, this got me thinking about the question of identity for this Last Generation of ours.

I recently had an interesting conversation with my friend Rose (a better journalist than I) and she really framed the issue brilliantly:

“I’ve been thinking about us, about our generation, about who we are,” she said. “You call us the ‘last’, yet others call us makers while some dare call us emotionless. All in all, we are oft-talked about, oft-portrayed, but hugely misunderstood. That’s a problem. If we’re going to be the shining future, shouldn’t we create a coherent identity? Or maybe it could be that our lack of self is what will ultimately save us—we’re are each diverse individuals, with something different to offer and if we just accept that we can all settle into our roles peacefully and all will be good in the world.”

It’s an interesting bit of observation and it ends on an optimistic note—a good thing, too, since some have accused your humble writer of cynicism. Rose is right. We are talked about, dissected, portrayed and, without doubt, misunderstood. But I think that those flawed portrayals are part of the disease and not merely symptoms of it. Let me be clear; by disease I mean our own ennui and pallor—like that Danish Prince, we’ve become sicklie’d o’er with the pale cast of thought, too anemic to even understand who we are, much less what we should do.

This diagnosis set me asking, with appropriate urgency, why haven’t we formed a coherent identity and, what’s more, why we accept so passively our lack of one. I wonder this, despite having my own doubts as to whether it’s a common or even a positive thing for a generation to do.

I feel I’ve traced the root of this collective quarter-life crisis. I’ve decided to call it The Great Betrayal because I think it’s the most accurate name possible and, hey, what would a Max Warren column be without an over-dramatic flourish? (Answer: boring as hell.)

Essentially, the Betrayal of the Last Generation was the greatest crime since the cancellations of Firefly and Dollhouse. In our younger and more vulnerable years we were all fed a serious line of bullshit by movies, music videos and television shows. They taught us to believe in a very particular and packaged idea of American young adulthood—an idea that isn’t bearing itself out.

There’s this grand conception of American youth that we’ve all come to know well. MTV and Hollister have sold it to us on one front—where everything is, like, totally awesome—and that god-awful Catcher in the Rye has done it on another, where everyone and everything is phony, except for you because you can be sarcastic about it.

I remember when I was a kid—writing diatribes with crayons and drinking Wild Turkey from a sippy cup—thinking that when I was a teenager life was going to be one big, crazy adventure. There were going to be parties every night and fistfights over girls and, with a bit of luck, I might even race somebody around Dead Man’s Curve.

None of us were stupid and I think we all understood that obviously it wouldn’t, you know, be exactly like The O.C., but it would be of the same general flavor. There would be constant excitement and what we were supposed to want and chase and struggle for would be clear. Most of all there wouldn’t be this nagging, soul-deep doubt, this worry that I firmly believe nags most of us, that we might somehow have missed the boat.

But the truth is, like the sunrise, the city of El Ray or Boozetown, it’s all an illusion, a myth or a dream.

And so here we are, each of us in, or else fast-approaching, our 20s and learning some harsh lessons. We were raised by that big blue box to believe in the Great American Youth Experience and the Epic Romance. Now, the longer it fails to materialize, the more alone and robbed we feel. Allow me to throw a little Doctor Thompson at you (again, courtesy of The Rum Diary) to finish the point:

“I’m not sure,” he replied. “But I have a feeling that I’m following a course that somebody laid out a long time ago – and I have one hell of a lot of company.”

I looked up at the plantain tree and let him go on.

“You’re the same way,” he said. “We’re all going to the same damn places, doing the same damn things people have been doing for fifty years, and we keep waiting for something to happen.” He looked up. “You know – I’m a rebel, I took off – now where’s my reward?”

“You fool,” I said. “There is no reward and there never was.”

That just may be the case. It seems there is no reward, at least in the sense we were brought up to expect. Instead, we will have to look inward for it, and earn it the hard way, rather than just sliding into it with advancing age.

This is no tragedy. The big dream may have been pulled away, just as we reached out our hands to grasp it. The Great Betrayal may have been traumatic and demoralizing. Hell, it may even have turned us a bit cynical and a bit jaded. But I have a message for MTV and all the other purveyors of the lies and half-truths that got us here. I believe it’s better to know the truth than to believe a lie.

We’re all going to be better for the sting. And we’re going to be stronger in the broken places.

Good night, and good luck. 

Max requests that you comment freely so that the bigwigs here at TFP know that you like him. You may also send suggestions for columns, allegations decrying Max as a pinko, and all donations toward the Boozetown capital-raising-initiative to Max.Z.Warren@gmail.com.

Hey! Can’t get enough Max Warren madness? Now you can subscribe to his Twitter @MaxWarren3 for updates on blog posts and a whole bunch of late-night drunken quotes and song lyrics.

The post The Great Betrayal appeared first on The Fine Print.

As the weather begins to cool off, I find myself spending more time baking in the warmth of my kitchen. Lately, I’ve taken the opportunity to experiment with sourdough breads.

Sourdough is a game entirely unlike bread baking with active dry yeast or a bread machine — it requires a little more time and attention. But, once you learn the basics of keeping a sourdough starter you’ll discover an infinite world of bread making.

Sourdough bread has a rich history, dating back as far as the Ancient Egyptians of 1500 BC. Until only 130 years ago, all bread was leavened with a sourdough starter.

A sourdough starter is a community of yeast in water that ferments carbohydrates to transform them into carbon dioxide and alcohol (Thus, the yeast used to leaven bread is the same for fermenting beer), and it is when the carbon dioxide bubbles expand and become trapped in the gluten network of the dough that the bread rises (the alcohol cooks out in the oven).

Sourdough breads are generally considered sourer than breads made with commercial yeast due to the acids produced in the starter. But sourdough doesn’t have to be sour and some artisan bakeries even consider the sour flavor characteristic of negligence (although I love it). The major difference between wild yeast of sourdough and the store-bought kind is purity. When you buy yeast, you know exactly what is in it and its leavening characteristics. With wild fermented sourdough cultures, you encounter a diversity of yeast microorganisms. The benefits of sourdough are extra nutrients and B-vitamins, more thoroughly fermented gluten (thus more easily digestible for you), and a flavor and leavening properties entirely unique to your region and home.

Sourdough starters are easy to create, and can last a lifetime, even being passed along through generations. A friend of mine has a sourdough starter that is 50 years old, passed from her grandmother, to mother, and finally to her. Immigrants would bring their sourdough starters with them to new lands, thus spreading different strains of sourdough cultures around the world.

Creating a sourdough starter requires only two ingredients: flour and water. I stick to fresh ground whole wheat but any kind of flour can be used. Make sure the water doesn’t smell heavily of chlorine (which could kill necessary yeast). The starch water from cooking pasta or potatoes is nutrient rich and great for the starter (cooled to room temperature).

Here’s what you do:
1. Choose a container for your starter. I started with a 16-ounce glass jar, and later upgraded to a quart-size ceramic crock. Choose what feels best to you.

2. Mix two cups each of water and flour in your container, and stir vigorously.

3. Cover the container with cheesecloth (or a porous fabric) and secure with a rubber band.

4. Store the starter in a warm place (70-80 degree F is best, but it will survive cooler climates, too) with good air circulation. For the first week, investigate the batter for bubbling around the surface, and stir daily to stimulate yeast activity. The time it takes for the starter to become active will depend on environmental factors, and the coming winter months will surely slow the process. Some bakers suggest adding a little commercial yeast to enhance fermentation. I like the method of the miners of the Klondike Gold Rush in the 1890’s who were nicknamed “sourdoughs” for hiding their starters under their jackets to keep warm.

5. Once your batter is thick and bubbly, it is ready for use. When baking, pour out what you need and save the rest to keep the sourdough going. Replenish after each use by adding 2 cups each of water and flour, and continue to feed it every few days if baking weekly. If you are not using it often, store in the refrigerator to slow yeast activity, replenishing once a week by pouring some starter out and adding fresh flour and water (ratio 1:1). Make sure to remove it from the fridge and put it somewhere warm the day before baking to reactivate the yeast.

Since establishing my sourdough starter, I have virtually stopped using commercial yeast. Some of my favorite recipes with sourdough starter are pancakes, biscuits, and fruit breads.

Chestnuts
Castanea dentata

The American Chestnut has a long history in the United States, and 100 years ago was one of the most important commercially harvested trees in the eastern US. Chestnut wood was widely used throughout Appalachia in the 1800’s for everything from furniture to railroad ties,

and the tree’s high tannin content was great for tanning leather. The nuts were also a major cash crop, and the smell of roasting chestnuts on the streets of many southeastern cities marked the coming of winter tide.

In the early 1900s, American chestnut trees suffered a major blight from an Asian bark fungus that decimated over 3 billion chestnut trees in America.

Since then, numerous groups and foundations have worked to reintroduce blight-resistant strains of American and European Chestnut trees, but it is difficult to find many of the ancient chestnut trees that used to populate Southeast America. Chestnuts are sweet and easy to harvest, and can be eaten raw or roasted. They also make a great chestnut butter and go well in salads, baked goods, soups, and more.

Around Gainesville, there are some options for chestnuts: I have seen farmers selling chestnuts at the Downtown Farmers’ Market on Wednesday afternoons, the High Springs Orchard and Bakery has a sizeable grove of chestnut trees to pick from (call at 352-222-1343 for directions and information), and the Chestnut Hill Nursery (386-462-2820) even sells a hybrid between American and Chinese Chestnuts called the Dunstan Chestnut tree that have shown healthy results.

An alternative to the chestnut is its cousin- the Florida native Chinquapin (Castanea pumila), with slightly smaller nuts that also bear the sweetness of American Chestnuts. The Chinquapin is drought resistant and grows well in sandy soils. Check out the Edible Plant Project’s website for more information on the Chinquapin and other native edibles.

Additional Resources
Check out Sandor Katz’s book, Wild Fermentation for some easy sourdough recipes. It and numerous other bread-baking resources are available at the Downtown Library, as well as online.

Local Harvester’s List
Some other native plants that are fruiting or ready to harvest now are: Pecans, Persimmons, Jamaican Sorrel, Seminole Pumpkin, Winged Sumac, Sunchoke/Jerusalem Artichoke

Illustrations by Krissy Abdullah.

The post City Farmer: DIY Sourdough Starter and Chestnuts A’Plenty appeared first on The Fine Print.

In his weekly blog series The Last Generation—really more of a highly flirtatious conversation, littered with innuendo—Max Warren discusses matters of general interest to our generation, frequently quotes things, and spills out the addled contents of a deviant mind.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be young and alive. Despite what some readers felt after the last post, in which I outlined the genesis of the term “Last Generation,” my outlook is not one of cynicism, but of cautious optimism. We’ve inherited a world that, in many ways, could not be riper for us to make our mark—that is, because the world is so unrelentingly different from how it has ever been before, we’ve been given our very own tabula rasa.

The trick, then, is for us to not fuck it up.

I can only speak from personal experience—the fount from which my rather astounding worldly wisdom flows—but, with that limitation firmly in mind, I believe that I’ve stumbled across something rather interesting in my Wild Turkey-fueled theorizing. I believe that life can be divided, fairly accurately, into three phases. These can be delineated somewhat by age groupings, but I’m going to use soft estimates and explain them simply as they worked out for me. So, without further palaver, I present to you the Three Phases of Life.

I. Training Montage

For me, this was from about birth until midway through college. During this phase, we’re developing who we are as a person. Naturally, this is subject to some tweaking later, but by and large this is where we lay the large and immovable stones that will serve as our foundation.

Growing up, like everyone else, I tried on many different personalities. There was even a period with blue hair of which I’ve destroyed all evidence—though those familiar with SLC Punk may justly laugh. But despite the ongoing shell game, this was the time when certain seeds were planted that to this day continue to bear fruit.

At 16 I picked a book called This Side of Paradise off a bookshelf–completely by chance–and from that moment I knew that I wanted to be a writer and that nothing else was or would be as important to me. One day, dammit, I’d write better than Fitzgerald. I also discovered a certain political apathy in myself, other than that I was pro-choice and pro-gay-rights. I had a liking for sarcasm and, as high school and college showed, a fundamental aversion to hard work (if it didn’t involve writing), a long with an inability to take anything seriously. These are things about me that have never changed and are as intrinsically a part of my being as the devilish charm and ever-present flask. All of these foundations were firmly laid during the Training Montage.

And Montage, I think, really is the right word. Looking back, I don’t remember the entire period. Instead, it comes in flashes—moments that I didn’t even know had significance until they come to the surface, when the particular lesson they taught or idea they imparted is implicated. Then, almost like muscle-memory, it comes in a flash, and the decision is clear—it’s the only decision that can be made, because, during this first phase, it was already decided.

II. The Big Game

I believe that, after training, when we’ve gotten our bearings and learned to do our barrel rolls, comes The Big Game. This typically begins anywhere during or after college, and stretches on until we’ve settled down—as much as each of us chooses to do, whether it be committing to a career or perpetuating the race by producing of those horrid little creatures known to ruin flights and movies. The Big Game is where we take what we learned in Training, the principles that will flash into our minds at just that moment, and guide and color every important decision we make. This is the Danger Zone. It rewards careful attention, bold action and, of course, one may need to be a bit lucky.

I’m batting about .500 during my own personal Big Game so far. For example, deciding to go to law school was a misstep. It’s put me farther from what I truly want, rather than closer, and looking back is one of the very few life decisions I regret. On the other hand, I redeemed myself, at least somewhat, when I decided not to give up the dream and to plow ahead with the novel in every free instant, no matter how many sleepless nights or bouts of frustration it caused. I wouldn’t trade that torment for all the Paxil in the world and that, I think, is the point. The Big Game is what we’ve all been getting ready for, and I think the difficulty of playing it right can be expressed clearly if you’ll allow me a quotation. Clarence Darrow in Inherit the Wind puts it best:

It’s the loneliest feeling in the world. It’s like walking down an empty street, listening to your own footsteps. But all you have to do is to knock on any door and say ‘if you let me in, I’ll live the way you want me to live and I’ll think the way you want me to think.’ And all the blinds will go up and all the doors will open and you’ll never be lonely, ever again.

Therein lies the danger. It takes something burning to keep a person warm when the decision is put to them like that. But it’s in those moments that I believe it’s most vital to stay true to one’s Training Montage, because next comes…

III. Austerlitz or Waterloo

The final phase. I can only theorize on this one as I haven’t yet crossed that particular line, and so I present it to you with the caveat that it’s subject to tweaking. To me, however, it seems sound in conception, so I drop the idea and pass on.

At some point, all the big, vital, life-shaping decisions will have been made. We have one of two jobs in this phase—we either live with the consequences or we reap the rewards. If we played the Big Game in good faith and weren’t afraid and didn’t shrink from who we are, or lose sight of what we want to be, then its Valhalla for us and all the mead we can drink. If we compromised on the important decision, or learned to be ashamed, then it’s a well-deserved ignominy.

Black and white, perhaps, but I see the danger as real.

And that’s my theory, as it stands. I wrote this in order to say one thing. I truly believe that we have inherited the world and have as many advantages as it would be fair to have. We also have liabilities. And if we’re going to save this world, if we’re going to work towards something greater than the sum of its parts, then I think we all have a responsibility to tend our own gardens first.

In this column I’ve mixed humor and pathos, but now I’m in earnest. I believe that living honestly is the highest virtue. I believe that living insincerely and dishonestly is a crime. And I believe there is place at the trenches for each of our weary hands. So let’s go chase the green light and I’ll see you all at the front.

Until next week. As always, comment freely, flame me and one another, or even tell me something good. Death threats and nudie pics to Max.Z.Warren@gmail.com.

Good night, and good luck.

The post A Life in III Acts appeared first on The Fine Print.

yello/blue III

ever dream that you’re dreaming? yello seemed caught in that loop over the last few weeks, what with those weird Rollin’ dreams. now it looks like blu’s turn for some nocturnal turbulence, and something tells me these Dream Police might give him the worse of it…

yello/blu tend to hibernate frequently, but they’ll be making regular appearances online and in our glorious paper

The post Dream Police, I appeared first on The Fine Print.

In his weekly blog series The Last Generation—really more of a highly flirtatious conversation, littered with innuendo—Max Warren discusses matters of general interest to our generation, frequently quotes things, and spills out the addled contents of a deviant mind.

Hello, Gainesville.

My name is Max Warren. As a former Gator (class of ’10 and, of course, an English major) currently self-exiled to the frigid north at Harvard Law, I’ll be your guide—or a whimsical psychopomp, perhaps — on this blog journey we’re about to begin. This blog will update weekly, so I implore you to keep coming back because, if you don’t, I may actually have to go and study law.

So, why title this thing of ours The Last Generation? Well, I assume most of you are passingly familiar with The Lost Generation, but for anyone who wants a refresher, I’ll try to break it down for you old-school without sounding like a 20th Century American Lit professor.

The phrase comes from something crazy old Gertrude “Rose is a rose is a rose” Stein said to Ernest Hemingway, describing his rough-and-tumble band of hard-drinking writers and artists in 1920s Paris. They lacked direction, in a very pressing sense, and pounded back the highballs and the absinthe to make up for it. They also gave us Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises, Picasso’s oeuvre and lots more. They had lived through the horror of WWI. They bore witness to the birth of mechanized war — many firsthand. The world was changing fast around them and the old ideals of honor and bravery didn’t hold their place in this colder, more modern world. What good was a Washington or a Wellington in the face of machine gun fire? They were a generation who had spent years in trenches, waiting to be ordered over the top for a cause they barely understood. Alienation was the hallmark of the times.

And now to us, The Last Generation. I think we share more in common with those forebears than my brilliant play on the name. I think, in the same sense, we lack direction. The world is changing again, and doing it fast. And if we’re not going to be ordered out of the trenches, to be gunned down in No Man’s Land, then at the very least we live under threat as well—more metaphysical, perhaps, but just as unrelenting. The disconnect and the alienation within this colder, more modern world of ours, if not understood, if not used as a catalyst for renaissance, could destroy whatever potential we have to create beautiful things and build a better world.

I believe we occupy what will be a very special place in our cultural history. Those just a bit older than us still don’t understand how all of this new, world-shrinking technology works, and those just a bit younger than us don’t remember a time before it — a time when, in order to hang out with a friend you had to actually leave your house — a time, dare I say it, before Angry Birds. And so that makes us possibly the last chance—and it’s something to be hopeful about, rather than sad about. Because I think we have what it would take to rise to the occasion, if we play it right. And I think we’re the last chance, the last generation that can bring about an intellectual, creative renaissance before we’re all swallowed under. Après nous, le déluge!

There is, as I said, a danger, and it can be seen with the right kind of eyes. We risk losing both the interest in the world around us and the soul with which to make it better. Let me say, before I explain further, that it’s not technology that I’m against (as I compose a blog on my MacBook) and it’s not even technology that I intend to write about. But, I think that the way we use our newest toys is a symptom of this culture and worth considering.

The other day, I saw a seven-year-old girl texting in a way that I can only describe as aggressive—she played that smartphone like a virtuoso. Now please, tell me, who is a 7-year-old texting and–if you can answer that–what can she possibly be texting about? “Hey! Let’s play later!” Is that really worth a texting plan?

Or, more chillingly, there was this conversation I overheard between two girls outside of Library West during my last trip to the homeland.

Girl 1: Well, what do you think? How’re things going with him?

Girl 2: I’m not sure. I mean, I know his parents really like his ex but…you know…they were never Facebook official, so it doesn’t really count.

Honest to God, has it come to this? We all live plugged into our ear-buds and glued to our iPhones and some of that’s fine – the great wonders of technology and all that. But we’ve come to a point where it functions as a barrier between the outside world and ourselves — a time where a relationship obviously had no substance if it wasn’t Facebook official. I’ll bet any taker my first-edition This Side of Paradise that this 7-year-old will never, of her own volition, make a lasting piece of art, read a great book or contribute something of value to the human soul.

This is not a Call to Arms. This is not a neo-Luddite, Tyler Durden rant. And this is not boy-meets-girl and the rest is history, nor murder mystery, nor comeback story. It’s more like a flaming Viking ship, where we all have to get our jollies in before we die. Or maybe it’s a lone voice, echoing on an empty battlefield, with just one bullet in the gun. Maybe it’s me typing on my computer. Whatever. In this first entry, anyway, I just wanted to extend a greeting to all you wonderful readers out there and lay out the barest of bones regarding what the hell I intend to talk about.

I’m going to sign off now because I’m sure your attention span is starting to get depleted (I know mine is) but let me leave you with one little gem. This is brought to you courtesy of Hunter S. Thompson’s The Rum Diary. (Film-based-on-the-book is in theaters now. Go see it.)

Like most of the others, I was a seeker, a mover, a malcontent, and at times a stupid hell-raiser. I was never idle long enough to do much thinking, but I felt somehow that my instincts were right. I shared a vagrant optimism that some of us were making real progress, that we had taken an honest road, and that the best of us would inevitably make it over the top.

At the same time, I shared a dark suspicion that the life we were leading was a lost cause, that we were all actors, kidding ourselves along on a senseless odyssey. It was the tension between these two poles—a restless idealism on one hand and a sense of impending doom on the other—that kept me going.

Words to consider, at the very least. And now I’m off. I invite any who have thoughts, criticisms or even compliments to utilize the comment section. Particularly vicious hate mail, offers to buy the writer a drink, or requests for specific topics can be sent to Max.Z.Warren@gmail.com.

Here’s looking at you, kids.

The post Welcome to The Last Generation appeared first on The Fine Print.

Last month, we promised you weekly Paper Cuts, our quick updates and occasional commentary on headlines that matter. We’ll have to apologize for now and change “weekly” to “whenever we have time.” If you think we’re missing something important, feel free to email us.

Not My Representative
On Sept. 15, Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) of Ocala, the chair of the House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, drew national attention when he challenged Planned Parenthood once again on its spending. Stearns launched an investigation into Planned Parenthood’s financial records, requesting documents that go back 12 years from locations across the country. Stearns has also been making headlines with his new investigation into federal loans totaling $535 million made to Solyndra, a failed California-based solar panel manufacturer. Stearns was quoted as saying the U.S. can’t compete with China to make solar panels and wind turbines. When called out directly by President Obama on this statement, Stearns clarified he was referring to cheap labor. Read more >>

Florida Organic Growers vs. Monsanto
Since March, organic farmers across the country have been at legal war with Monsanto, the world’s leading producer of genetically altered seeds (and possibly the world’s leading producer of public outrage). The conflict emerges when pollen from modified crops produced by Monsanto gets carried by the wind and genetically contaminates organic farms. Plaintiffs claim Monsanto has sued over 100 farmers for patent infringement, even though their crops had been unwillingly contaminated. In July, Florida Organic Growers joined the fight. Read more >>

Bystander Intervention
This past April, Vice President Joe Biden, who wrote and helped pass into law the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, spoke at the University of New Hampshire to promote a new initiative set forth by the Obama administration. A 19-page “policy guidance” was sent by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights to all school districts, colleges and universities that receive federal funding. The letter outlines and reinforces current requirements for handling sexual violence under Title IX, which was originally designed to protect students against sexual discrimination, including sexual harassment and assault. Read more >>

Photo (above) courtesy of Nationaal Archief via Flickr Commons

The post Paper Cuts / 11.8.11 appeared first on The Fine Print.