Produced by the Mohawk College Journalism Program Issue 8

20137 February

GoingGaga

Are youthe new Mo?

Rest in Peace

Boatsalbum release

Pennies:

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NEWS

Ottawa wants to leave Canadians penni-less. Eventually. Beginning this week,the one-cent coin will no longer be pro-duced by the Royal Canadian Mint.

The main reason for the discontinua-tion is the rising cost of production. It costs 1.6 cents to produce a penny, and that doesn’t include the handling costs it imposes on retailers and financial institutions.

A 2008 study conducted by Quebec-based bank Desjardins estimated the penny cost the Canadian economy approximately $150 million annually.

But phasing out the penny brings its own costs, and McMaster economist Wil-liam Scarth figures it will take about six years for Canada to break even. “It’ll save $11 million a year and that’s the ongoing

An example of one of the most successful bombers of World War II can be found right here in Hamilton, and needs the commu-nity’s help to stay in the air.

The Avro Lancaster was first built in 1942 and served as the main heavy bomber for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Today, there are many Lancasters in museums around Europe and North America, but only two still are capable of flight. One is in Britain, the other is here in Hamilton at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.

The Museum has sent out a call to the public to try to raise funds in order to keep the famous plane in proper flying condition.

“The engines have a certain life, and after so many hours they need to be completely overhauled,” says Al Mickeloff, retail man-ager of the museum. “All four engines don’t need to be done at the same time, so we keep them in a rotating basis with one always going out to the shop.”

The Lancaster has been flying for almost 25 years with the mu-seum, and the four Packard Merlin 224 engines are almost at the end of their operating life and need a thorough repair.

To cover the $500,000 price tag, the Warplane Museum is offering

Canada says goodbye to the pennyannuity-type benefit. But we’re going to be paying $70 or 80 million up front.”

Retailers are adjusting to this transition byrounding transactions to the nearest five

cents. This will only apply to cash purchases. Debit and credit will still be calculated to the penny.Joanne Roberts, Senior Accounting Clerk

Coordinator from Mohawk College, says the transition won’t cause any problems on campus. “We’ve had sessions for all the ca-shiers. There’s a rounding up and rounding down and it’s based on the government’s

website.”

If you are one of the many Canadians who have been stockpiling your pen-nies, never fear. The coin is still legal tender, even if the Mint stops making new ones. This was made very clear in Ottawa’s 2012 Economic Action Plan, which stated “the penny will continue to remain the basic unit in the Cana-dian currency system.”

Eliminating the penny will have no impact on larger financial issues, such as inflation or the cost of living. Sweden, New Zealand, and Australia have all withdrawn their lowest forms

of currency and there was no indication of any change in living expenses in those countries.

Rachael WilliamsIgnite News

Bomber campaign needs help

Photo: Lisa Polewski

people the chance to fly in the Lancaster, though with one caveat.

The museum offers rides in the famous plane; however, the cost of the flights isn’t going to cover the $500, 000 cost of fixing up the engines.

“To fly in the Lancaster, we don’t sell rides per se,” says Mickeloff. “We sell memberships, and with your membership you can get on the plane.”

To purchase a membership with the Warplane Museum or to donate to keep the Lancaster flying, visit www.warplane.com.

Taylor AblettIgnite News

Photo: Taylor Ablett

The Museum’s Lancaster bomber, with one of the four engines.

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www.ignitenews.cawww.ignitenews.caNEWS

A project in the Netherlands called Mars One is gearing up for long-term space travel to Mars. This one-way trip to the Red Planet is proposed for 2023, and the preparations are going to be turned into a reality television show.

The project has a budget of $6-billion. Yet compared to other space programs, that’s not a lot, which is why some experts ques-

are a variety of health-related issues that must be addressed regarding the lengthy journey.

“Once they [astronauts] come back from space they have balance issues and get dizzy often,” said McMaster Health Sci-ences Professor Zowy Bogdanova. “Muscle disorders also occur after the change in gravity.”

While Mars One is supposedly a one-way trip, the issues of muscle dystrophy will severely affect the amount that they would be able to achieve when they finally reach Mars. As for making a home of the Red Planet, Welch says it will not be possible to colonize Mars “in the next one or two lifetimes” and also states that there would be no advantage in doing so.

“Unlike low-Earth orbit, no ability to be rescued exists. Mechanical and/or elec-tronic failures in any life-supporting as-pects of the mission would very, very likely be lethal,” said Welch. “To paraphrase a statement made by an astronaut in the film Deep Impact, it would be a great oppor-tunity to have a high school named after you.”

So while many are excited about this new announcement, according to the experts, they should not get their hopes up. It may be a lot longer than 2023 before we finally reach out to the planets in our Solar System.

Life on Mars: sooner than you think

Andrew RoebuckIgnite News

The most recent rover to land on the surface of Mars, Curiosity. Photo: NASA

Artist’s conception of what a settlement on Mars might look like, according to the Mars One Project.Photo: Mars One

tion the viability of the project.

“The cost of $6 billion is completely ridiculous. In 2009 dollars, the Apollo program to land humans on the Moon was estimated to have cost about $170 billion,” said McMaster University Professor of As-tronomy Douglas Welch. “Keeping human beings alive on the much longer journey to Mars and being able to bring them back is achievable but requires a much longer period of development.”

Along with the monetary issues, there

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www.ignitenews.ca NEWS

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Sizzling under hot lamps and lathering on tanning lotion to achieve that sun-kissed glow are all the rage in this tanning generation.

But the increasing use of indoor tanning beds has sparked a backlash.

“Our main goal is get a tanning ban, for 18-year-olds and younger to completely stop tanning altogether,” said Canadian Cancer Society Youth Advocate, Rachel Verboom.

In September of last year, a private mem-ber’s bill in Queen’s Park sought to ban teen-agers from using the beds, but the bill died when the Legislature was prorogued. Bans have been passed in a few cities, but not in Hamilton

And young people face a lot of pressure to achieve that bronzed look

“Sometimes I feel like there’s competi-tion and I feel like if you’re tan, you’re prettier… I feel pretty when I’m tan,” said Mohawk student, Veronica DeMelo.

Although there is a growing negative con-notation associated with tanning, some people have actually been told to use tan-ning beds to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

“My friend’s doctor told her she has to use tanning beds to get rid of her skin disease. She gets free tanning because of it,” said Mohawk student Lisa Crawford.

The owner of Sunbreak Tanning Salon, Dave Mckinnion, says he isn’t opposed to the idea of regulating the age of tanning.

“I’m not averse to it... Any responsible tanning salon in the past has always gotten parental consent, so at least that way parents know what their kids are doing.”

Banning teens from tanning?Brittney MedeirosIgnite News

KPI’m totally filling this out

Over the next two weeks, over nine thousand full-time Mohawk students will each spend about 20 minutes letting the province know how satisfied they are with the college.

The Key Performance Indicator survey is a provincially-mandated survey that every student has the opportunity to fill out.

For the past two years, Mohawk has ranked number one in student satisfaction for the greater Hamilton/Toronto area.

Jay Robb, director of communications for Mohawk College, says the survey helps the province and Mohawk decide what around the college still needs to be improved, as well as in which areas all colleges are excel-ling in.

“We use the results from the KPI survey to help us set priorities to what students are looking for and needing from the college, and that’s where we focus our attention

first,” he said.

Recent changes around Mohawk, like cre-ating more common areas for students

to sit and the new Recreation Centre cur-rently under construction, were flagged by student comments in previous KPI surveys.

Student Representative to the Board of Governors Adam Pipe says the school has been paying attention to feedback from the survey and that has led to plenty of changes.

“We’ve been re-tweaking the Square and Mohawk is adjusting the Square’s opera-tions and staffing it differently and trying new things,” he said.

“Helping fewer students this semester, in comparison to three full weeks last semes-ter, tells me that at least we’re headed in the right direction.”

If you have something to say, make sure to fill out your KPI survey over the next two weeks.

Amber WarrenIgnite News

The Key Performance Indicator survey is mandated by the Provincial government and taken by students in Ontario’s colleges.

Photo: Amber Warren

Mohawk’s KPI success can be seen on billboards around the school and in Hamilton.

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NEWS

Synthetic marijuana a real problem

Pat FentonIgnite News

Do regular marijuana smokers know the difference between the two?

A lot of smoke has been blown after a re-cent robbery involving synthetic marijuana in Hamilton. A man walked into a local adult novelty store and robbed the store: asking only for the synthetic marijuana.

Local head shops and sex-toy shops have been selling the synthetic marijuana, known as IZMS, K2, or Spice. Constable Debbie McGreal-Dinning of the Hamilton Police Services confirmed these are consid-ered illegal substances, and people caught selling them could face trafficking charges. Whether it’s synthetic, or actual marijuana, it is a no-go according to Canadian drug laws.

“It is illegal according to Health Canada,” said McGreal-Dinning. “We take direction from their decisions. According to Health Canada it is considered a synthetic can-nabis and that is illegal and subject to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.”

The police warn that these chemicals vary from packet to packet and consumers have no way of knowing just what it is they are smoking. Synthetic marijuana companies are constantly changing the chemicals they use in an effort to stay ahead of drug laws.

Hamilton police have a vice unit inves-tigating the problem and are turning to public awareness to deal with the drug. Ignorance of the law will not be a defence for anyone caught selling the product.

“We want to be proactive, so those people that perhaps don’t know at this point in their stores and they’re selling these prod-ucts on their counters that is illegal and they should take it off their shelves or they would be facing trafficking charges and prosecution,” said McGreal-Dinning

Synthetic pot is made by spraying syn-thetic chemicals on an inert plant which is then smoked to replicate the effects of natural cannabinoids (like THC). But the effects can be much stronger, according to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.

“It is impossible to know exactly which compound or compounds are included in these formulations – and they may change from packet to packet,” said CCSA’s senior research & policy analyst Dr. Matthew Young via email.

“Regarding these kind of synthetic can-nabinoids in general, there have been anecdotal reports from colleagues in the United States that another complicating factor with these drugs is that for the user, both potency and dose are impossible to assess, making it very difficult for users to know how much they are ingesting. This has resulted in some users taking too much and having panic attacks or worse.”

Reported side effects of synthetic pot include rapid heart rate, nausea, severe paranoia, hallucinations, seizures and a paranoid state that can last for several days. This is just a sampling of the reported side effects. Most symptoms last 3-4 hours

but people with pre-existing mental illness seem to be affected more negatively.

The chemicals found in synthetic mari-juana vary widely, but a compound called JWH-018 is often found in the products. A recent study in New Zealand concluded “It seems likely that JWH-018 can pre-cipitate psychosis in vulnerable individu-als. People with risk factors for psychosis should be counseled against using syn-thetic cannabinoids.”

The company that produces one of these products, called IZMS, did not return calls. There is no information on their packaging indicating what ingredients they use. The website contains warnings of severe side effects, but there appears to be no such warning on the product packaging.

People who are thinking about trying synthetic cannabis should be warned that not only are they breaking the law, but the side effects can be significantly more pronounced, and vary more greatly, than with actual marijuana.

Photo: Alicia Gallant

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Mohawk takes Redeemer twiceAl CraigSports Information Officer

The Mohawk Mountaineers knocked off Hamilton Mountain rivals Redeemer in both ends of their OCAA basketball doubleheader in Ancaster on February 2.

Mountaineer Taylor Dowhaniuk had an oustanding game with a triple-double, scoring 11 points and adding 10 rebounds and 10 blocked shots, as the Men’s team downed the Royals 82-61. Andrew Cicut-tini had 13 points and 11 rebounds, Manny Campbell had 13 points and seven boards, Xzennis Brereton collected 12 points and Pat Iavarone contributed 11.

“That was a big win for us,” said Mohawk head coach Brian Jonker. “Redeemer had been playing very well and we knew they would play with a ton of energy. For us to come out and take care of buisiness was very important.” The Mountaineers upped their record to 12-3 and moved into a tie for second place with Fanshawe, just two points back of Sheridan. The Royals mark dropped to 6-10.

The Mohawk women stopped their four-game losing streak with a solid 78-40 win in the second game. The Mountaineers im-proved to 6-7 and moved into a tie for fifth place in the West Region with Sheridan and Niagara. The Royals slipped to 4-10.Lacey Wolters scored 17 points, Rachelle

Abella had 14 points and eight assists and Natalie Fisher had 11 points, seven rebounds and five steals.

“I was really proud of our effort tonight,” said Mohawk head coach Kevin Duffy. “This could have been a bit of a trap game for us coming off such a tough loss on Thursday (at Niagara), but our girls were extremely focused from start to finish. Our pressure was key. We forced quite a number of turnovers which led to easy baskets and took a lot of momentum away from them. Natalie Fisher had her best game of the year as she was strong at both ends of the court and Rachelle Abella is starting to round into the form that made her an OCAA all-star last year.” “We can enjoy this win for about a day,” said Duffy, “and then we will begin to get prepared for a very tough double header next week against St. Clair and Lambton.”

Double defeat for Mohawk’s cagersAl CraigSports Information Officer

The Niagara Knights were not in an ac-commodating mood as they scored a pair of OCAA basketball victories over the visiting Mohawk Mountaineers on Jan. 31.

The Niagara women needed overtime to defeat the Mountaineers 75-63. It was the fourth consecutive defeat for Mohawk, now 5-7, while the Knights upped their mark to 6-8.

Carissa Browne scored 16 points and Rachelle Abella added 14 for the Moun-taineers.

“It was a tough defeat,” said Mohawk head coach Kevin Duffy. “We blew two 10-point leads and had a wide-open look with time running out in regulation that rolled off the rim. (But) I give Niagara full credit for the victory. They out-rebounded us and shot the ball extremely well tonight. We have to put this game behind us im-mediately as we have a huge game against Redeemer on Saturday.”

In the men’s game, Niagara outgunned Mohawk 105-93, snapping the Mountain-eers four-game win streak. The Moun-taineers missed a chance to pull into a first-place tie with Sheridan and Fanshawe in the West Region. Instead, Mohawk, now 11-3, is tied for third place with Niagara, 11-5.

“We were beaten by a better team tonight,” said Mohawk head coach Brian Jonker. ”They shot the ball very well in the first half and we spent the entire second half fighting to try and come back.”

Alex Reis scored 20 points and added seven rebounds and seven assists for the Mountaineers. Andrew Cicuttini had 18 points and 14 rebounds, while Manny Campbell scored 14 points and Pat Iavarone counted 13.

Women’s Basketball

February 8 @ St. Clair College - 6:00 PM

February 9 @ Lambton College - 1:00 PM

February 16 vs. Sault College - 6:00 PM

Men’s Basketball

February 8 @ St. Clair College - 8:00 PM

February 9 @ Lambton College - 3:00 PM

February 16 vs. Sault College - 8:00 PM

Women’s Volleyball

February 7 @ Niagara College - 6:00 PM

February 9 vs. Redeemer College - 6:00 PM

February 13 vs. Fanshawe - 6:00 PM

Men’s Volleyball

February 7 @ Niagara College - 8:00 PM

February 9 vs. Redeemer College - 8:00 PM

February 13 vs. Fanshawe - 8:00 PM

Varsity Schedule

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SPORTS

Searching for Mo the HawkKelly LishmanIgnite Sports

The search is on for someone to be the new Mo the Hawk to pump up students around the college and at Varsity games. The school’s mascot attends events around the college and the community, such as a recent birthday party for the Hamilton Bulldogs mascot Bruiser. The student under the mask needs to be able to get the crowds excited and get students cheering.

Terri Deline, Athletics Assistant at Mohawk College, says the posi-tion is open to any full-time student in good academic standing.

“We’re looking for someone who’s energetic, outgoing, conscien-tious and of course has some dance moves,” she says. “It’s a paid position but we want someone to not do it for the money but because they love the college and want to be a part of promoting the college.”

Previous Mo Glen Cuthbert says he enjoyed his time as the mas-cot and had some wisdom to share with the next Mo.

“The biggest thing you have to learn is how to communicate with-out using your face. Everything is through your hands and body,” Cuthbert says.

“Have fun with it. You’re the only person at the school with that job, so make the most of the time you have with it.”

Deline says any students can apply for the position through the Athletics Department.

An “A” for O.C.Glen CuthbertIgnite Sports

The Hamilton Red Wings didn’t have to look far to find their new assistant captain.

Hamilton native Jason O’Connor was re-cently given a “A” on his jersey, a surprising move considering the rookie is one of the youngest players on the team.

“I don’t look at rookies and veterans, I look at work ethic,” said Red Wings head coach Scott Elliott, “Jason O’Connor is a good leader. He works hard on and off the ice.”

O’Connor says it’s good to see his work pay off.

“It’s a big honour, coming in here as a rookie and being recognized as someone who can be a leader on this team.”

The 17-year-old O’Connor is one of just three Hamilton-area players on the team, along with Braxton Andrews and Liam Bird. He said it’s special playing in his hometown.

“It means a lot, coming out here and play-ing for my home team. I like to represent my city.”

Elliott said he looks forward to seeing O’Connor improve as he accepts his new responsibility as a leader.

“I think it’s going to boost his play. I be-lieve (he) constantly gets better every time he steps on the ice.”

Current Red Wings captain Spencer Hy-man said he could envision O’Connor taking his place one day.

“(Choosing the captain) is completely up to the coach, but he has all the tools to lead this team in the future.”

O’Connor is sporting a new letter on his jersey (Photo: Trevor Castonguay)

Dickey as the first-day starter. “We can go with any of them and feel good about it, but I think he’s earned that, anytime you win 20 games.”

Dickey is coming off a 20-win season with the New York Mets in which he finished with a 2.73 earned run average, fourth-best in baseball.

Anthopolous denied the idea that the club will be making many changes to the team before the start of the season.

“I know there have been reports that we are looking to add, and if it was a minor

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Toronto Blue Jays: the state of the franchiseMike BlackIgnite Sports

The Toronto Blue Jays held their annual state of the franchise address on Tuesday evening, with General Manager Alex Anthopoulos, President Paul Beeston and new Manager John Gibbons speaking to the media and fans about the status of the team and the upcoming season.

“It’s always a great event,” Anthopoulos said. “These are the diehards, these are the ones that are loyal whether it’s a good season, a bad season. That’s why we have to give the loyalty back to these fans.”

With the team having made so many play-er moves in the off-season, including the hiring of Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, there was speculation as to who would be on the mound for the team on day one.

“It’s just a natural fit,” Gibbons stated of

league deal sure,” Anthopoulos explained. “But I think we’re pretty much done at this point. In terms of a guy on the 40-man roster or free agents we’re having no dialogue.”

A recurring topic during the event was the time conflict between spring training and the 2013 World Baseball Classic, a popular tournament between nations.

“I understand that it’s great for the game, I think it’s a great event,” Anthopoulos said. “As a GM you’re wearing another hat and your worried about your players. I don’t know that I’ll be crushed when some teams get eliminated that happen to have some BlueJays on there.

Blue Jays fans can watch some of their fa-vourite and new players during the World Baseball Classic, which starts on March 2nd.

Spring training for the Jays kicks off next week when pitchers and catchers report to camp on February 12. The full squad will be on the field on Februay 16 and the first pre-season game will be on the 23rd, against the Tigers.

ENTERTAINMENT

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Sarah AitchisonIgnite Entertainment

Photos: Corey Bilous

Lady Gaga will be making her way to Toronto this weekend for back-to-back shows at the Air Canada Centre and will be in Hamilton in two weeks for a show at Copps Coliseum as part of her Born This Way Ball concert tour.

The Born This Way Ball dates for Canada and the U.S. began in December after Gaga spent the previous eight months touring the rest of the world. The pop star has been busy touring and tweeting about her new album, ARTPOP, which will be released sometime in 2013.

The album Born This Way was dark and edgy, but had a sense of maturity from the 26-year-old singer-songwriter. Born this Way gave fans a confident energy, and has

been appreciated by a wide range of audi-ence – from those into pop, country, and even heavy metal because “Baby, I was born this way.”

It’s safe to say almost everyone is familiar with the American pop singer, and her reputation for putting on a show that will leave people talking. Gaga’s recent decision to wear a gun bra to her Vancouver show brought criticism from gun-control groups after December’s massacre in Sandy Hook.

Although Gaga has dropped “the gun show” from her tour, we all still expect crazy and unexpected outfits – Remember her meat dress at the 2010 MTV Awards?

If you’re lucky enough to be attending one of the upcoming local dates, you probably have high expectations for the show. But what can you do to make the experience more electrifying? Dress the part as well.

Little Monster

How would you dress to a Lady Gaga concert? Get ready, Mother Monster arrives in Hamilton February 17, 2012.

BECOMING A

1. Mix and match materials, like leather and suede.

2. Don’t be afraid to go dramatic with your accessories!

3. For the hair: Go big or go home. Gaga’s long locks never look dull and boring.

4. Forget your everday makeup routine. Think bold shadows and bright lipsticks!

5. Always bring confidence and attitude. It’s your best accessory, no matter what day it is.

5 inspired tips:Gaga

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www.ignitenews.ca ENTERTAINMENT

Minotaurs coming to townNoah SaloIgnite Entertainment

Afrobeat, an African jazz and dance-based music style, may not be a common genre in the Canadian indie music scene, but for Nathan Lawr, leader of the Guelph/Toron-to-based Minotaurs, it’s the perfect sound.

“It has everything I want out of music. It’s complex yet very simple, it makes me want to dance and take my clothes off and get down, which is important!” he said. “It also has a message. Most afrobeat has a political motivation.”

Minotaurs’ sophomore release New Believ-ers was released last month and showcases Lawr’s love of funky afrobeat rhythms. The 12-piece band recorded the music live in the studio and created a thick, danceable sound. The vocals, including contributions from Sarah Harmer and Ohbijou’s Casey Mecija were added later as overdubs.

Minotaurs are no strangers to politically-based songwriting, but unlike more explic-

Review: Dead Space 3Stefan PetkovIgnite Entertainment

The sensational survival-horror-shooter series Dead Space is back! This threequel takes place on the frozen planet Tau Volan-tis, and follows protagonists Isaac Clarke and John Carver as they try to put an end to the Necromorph threat for good. The game will be very much like the last two games, says EA President Frank Gibeau.

“We definitely didn’t want to piss off our fans by toning down the horror content in Dead Space 3,” Gibeau said in an interview with the gaming blog Kotaku.com.

The game picks up two months after escap-ing the Sprawl in Dead Space 2. A survivor of the Necromorph attack tells the pro-tagonists there is someone on a different planet who can actually help them put an end to their dilemma. From there, they embark on a journey which will lead them to this source.

Everything from the previous games has been reanimated and slightly redesigned, with minimal upgrades – Isaac will be returning to areas previously featured in the last two installments, and many of the fan-favourite suits will make a comeback. The cast of enemies is similar yet completely restored from the previous games. The cover system has been updated, so covering behind allies or corners actually has a more natural feel and gives the player a better feeling of realism.

The weapons, on the other hand, have been completely upgraded and renamed to the “Weapon Bench.” Here, fans can see new weapons as well as the classics. It lets the player wield either a light, one-handed weapon or a heavy, two-handed weapon. Another new addition is a Co-Op cam-paign, where one player can open doors

while another does puzzles and covers their partner in battle.

Gibeau says fans should expect no shift in tone from the previous games.

Some controversy was sparked when 11 DLC packs were introduced for the first day release. They were focused on boosting the player’s progression through the story.

itly political bands, they leave the messages more open to interpretation.

“The idea to me of a good political piece of art is to not be preachy … anyone who pays attention knows what’s wrong, so writing a song and being very explicit about what’s wrong isn’t very helpful,” Lawr said. “I think the role of art can be to call into question certain things, and sometimes the best way to do that is to be

a little vague.”

In the excellent “Make Some Noise,” written during last year’s Quebec student protests, Lawr tells listeners, “We can only wake the giant if we make some noise,” over a walking bass line and punchy trum-pets. The first single, a duet with Sarah Harmer called “Open the Doors” is a re-sponse to Toronto’s G20 summit. “I heard them talking, they were sayin’ that ‘we’re here to rake up all the fallen leaves.’ How will we make it if we fall asleep?” Lawr and Harmer croon with noticeable disdain.

On other songs such as “Sharper Knife” Lawr writes about more esoteric and spiritual issues: “Lord deliver me to the prophet, let him wash my feet. Bathe me in the light of all eternal, bathe me in the light of all I see.”

If you like your music danceable and your lyrics thoughtful, be sure to check out Minotaur’s New Believers. Minotaurs will also be playing at This Ain’t Hollywood on February 15th.

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www.ignitenews.caENTERTAINMENT

Pusha T’s Wrath of CaineBryan NaylorIgnite Entertainment

Never underestimate the power of G.O.O.D Music.

Virginia-based hip-hop artist Pusha T released a mix last week, Wrath of Caine, prior to his new album to be released later this year called My Name Is My Name.

The album features some pretty big names like Rick Ross, Wale, Brooklyn-based rapper Troy Ave and even a poppy-chorus sung by French Montana.

Every one of his songs are produced by some big names like of The Neptunes, Young Chop, Renegades, Southside and even a Co-Produce by Kanye West just to name a few. Pusha T announced the release of the mix tape and

his album while performing in Vancouver, B.C. back in November of 2012. It should also be noted that he will be taking the stage at Coachella Valley Music festival in April 2013.

Noah SaloIgnite Entertainment

The band Boats plays darling, sometimes manic, sometimes dreamy electro-pop. Their arrangements are synth-heavy and full of jangly guitars and simple, danceable drums. Musically they are similar to other, like-minded pseudo-pop groups: Clues and Deerhoof come to mind.

Where Boats really shines on their new record A Fairway Full of Miners is in their bizarre lyrics and album concept. There are 12 songs and they all come in similarly-titled pairs. See for example: “O Telescope” and “O Jumbotron,” or “We Got Pillows And Blankets” and “We Got Tables And Chairs.” The reason for the paired titles is not entirely clear, but it’s an interesting

idea, at least creating an “I see what they did there” head nod. And speaking of Internet memes, the band seems a bit obsessed with digital culture. The first single, “Getting Worst.jpeg”, borrows part of its title from the familiar image format, and the hilarious “Animated GIFS” uses silly Internet animations to tell a story about getting old and losing your friends (I think… it’s a little all over the place).

While Boats is musically and lyrically entertaining, your enjoyment of this music will hinge almost entirely on how much you like singer Mat Klachefsky’s high-pitched, histrionic vocals. Boats is not unlike Frog Eyes in the respect that they are defined by their leader’s unique vocal presentation, that and Klachefsky’s perfor-mance is not unlike Carey Mercer’s.

Klachefsky’s vocals could also be com-pared to Shawn Knight of Child Bite, or even Satomi Matsuzaki of Deerhoof at his mellower moments. If you are into unique vocals you will probably really like it, but if you like songs you can easily sing along to

you may not like it as much. Don’t let the vocals scare you away: this is a fun record and many of the songs will grow on you even if you don’t like them at first.

Boats are currently on a Canadian tour to promote A Fairway Full of Miners, including a Hamilton date at The Casbah on March 24. Mark your calendars – it’s bound to be a fun show.

Album review Boats: A Fairway Full of Miners

A few standout tracks on the tape are

‘Millions’ featuring Rick Ross, as they collaborate really well together over a nicely produced instrumental by

Southside and Kanye West. ‘Roadrunner’ featuring Brooklyn-based rapper Troy Ave and ‘Revolution’ which was produced by The Neptunes.

It’s a shame some of the features on the tape really didn’t do it for me when it came to the final product.

Pusha T show’s what he’s worth with some raw and well-delivered lyrics, which feature some heated lyr-ics towards Drake and Lil Wayne.

Expect more from Pusha T when My Name Is My Name’is released later this year.

COMMENT

Lisa PolewskiIgnite News

To borrow a phrase from a recently retired television show, “shut it down”.

On January 31st, we saw the end of NBC’s unexpected hit comedy 30 Rock. We knew it was coming, but even though all good things must come to an end the finale still hurt for those of us who love Tina Fey and followed the show from its beginning seven years ago.

30 Rock was a TV show about a TV show, which has been done before, but never with such satirical style or tongue-in-cheek writing, and certainly never starring a woman who also created, wrote, and pro-duced the show.

The thing about 30 Rock is that it was out to poke fun at everyone, no matter what, while subtly and coolly changing the face of women in comedy right under our noses.

Back in the show’s pilot Liz Lemon, Tina Fey’s character, debuted as hard-working, liberal, extremely feminist, and stubbornly stuck in her ways. Lemon was far from perfect, but audiences identified with her. After all, she bought all the hot dogs at a New York hot dog stand after one arrogant businessman had the gall to form his own line while everyone else was waiting pa-tiently in the original line. Liz Lemon was determined to do good, even if she didn’t necessarily know what that meant.

Of course, if you’ve seen the show, you know how it goes. Alec Baldwin barges into Lemon’s life as Jack Donaghy, a hyper-masculine boss with a superior attitude and – as Lemon says in the finale – “an alcoholic with a great voice”. She’s forced to deal with a variety of characters, including Jane Krakowski as the diva-esque Jenna Maroney, Tracy Morgan as the bizarre Tracy Jordan, and Jack McBrayer as the overly eager – and apparently immortal –

Kenneth, the NBC page.

Over seven seasons, 30 Rock underwent myriad changes. The humour, which started out as refreshingly snappy, became even quicker and deeper. Ongoing jokes, like the “Rural Juror” (re-visited in the series finale) were embedded throughout the series.

Although the series never snagged a huge audience, it was critically acclaimed, win-ning ten Primetime Emmy awards. During all of this, it was Tina Fey who dominated the creative process. Fey made 30 Rock what it was, and because of her, the show paved the way for numerous shows led by women in comedy.

One of the shows that thrived follow-ing the success of 30 Rock was Parks and Recreation. Starring Fey’s SNL buddy Amy Poehler, Parks and Rec was created in the image of The Office, but quickly became its own kind of show. Amy Poehler produces, writes, and stars in the series, and the show has earned its own place as a solid TV comedy.

Before 30 Rock, it was rare for a primetime

comedy to feature a woman with this kind of creative control. It wasn’t unheard of, but it certainly wasn’t the norm.

Things are a little different seven years later. Along with Parks and Recreation, we have Girls, New Girl, Whitney, Up All Night, Two Broke Girls, and so many other television series with amazing female comedians. We have Kristen Wiig, Lena Dunham, Tig Notaro, Sarah Silverman, Chelsea Peretti, Natasha Leggero, Jessica St. Clair, Lennon Parham – I could go on. Really, I could, but I have to stop myself somewhere.

Many ignorant people have said women aren’t funny. We know they’re wrong, of course,. But 30 Rock is concrete proof of the enduring wit of women, and I would like to thank Tina Fey for making me laugh so hard for so many years. 30 Rock is over, but I hope Fey will con-tinue to make me laugh and fuel my desire to be just as clever and hilarious as she is.

I’m nowhere near there yet, but like Liz Lemon, I’ve got a lot to learn and a wild road ahead of me.

The cast: Tracy Morgan, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Jane Krakowski, and Jack McBrayer.

30 Rock makes historic TV sign-off

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