"Curiouser and curiouser"

At A Glance:
What: Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Where: Most theaters
When: Showtimes

The newest version of “Alice in Wonderland” directed by Tim Burton is now in theaters and I’m sure most are wondering if it’s going to be anything like the older versions. Burton’s version is less like the Disney classic and more like “Through the Looking Glass, And What Alice Found There” which is another book by Lewis Carroll.

There have been 24 different television and movie adaptations since the book was released in 1865. They have come in several different forms from silent films to musicals. Burton puts his own gory and slightly twisted perspective into his work on this film. Not that it would be hard to twist and dement the story of “Alice in Wonderland.”

The original 1951 Disney classic was nominated for a Golden Lion award in 1951 and an Oscar for best music in 1952. So far the new version has grossed $116 million in its opening weekend and has been held to very high expectations. I believe that the movie will be nominated for some kind of award whether it’s another Oscar or a different award.

The movies animation was impeccable and flowed very well. However, I felt that some parts strayed away from both books. There is no talk about a white queen in either of them and the Queen of Hearts always had a King. Not saying that it’s a bad thing to change things up a bit but there are something that people expect to see and neither of those are in those expectations.

I never like to be one of those people who gives away the best parts or anything but as a fan of the Disney classic I felt that this version was a breath of fresh air being that it is very unique and not as run of the mill as all the others. I recommend seeing it and make sure if you do you see it in 3D.

Toyota Recall

At A Glance:
Who: Thelma Jacoby
What: Toyota recall
When: Jan. 2010
Where: Salem, Ore.
Conflict: To buy or not to buy

As I'm sure most have heard, there have been quite a few recalls on several different Toyota models. This has consumers and the Toyota Company unsure about the future of Toyota cars. There are 12 different models that have been recalled and they are ranging in years from 2004 - 2010 which is an estimated six million cars.This issue may only seem to effect Toyota drivers but it can also effect those driving near the defective vehicle. Toyota has always been a leading car company that makes "high-quality, durable vehicles" says Jim Lentz, President and Chief Operating Officer, at Toyota in an apology video.

Thelma Jacoby is one consumer who is rethinking the possibility of buying a new Toyota. She has been wanting to trade in her Honda for a newer Toyota model. She already owns a Toyota Echo and says she loves the way that it drives.

When Jacoby first heard about the recall she didn't seem bothered by it and thought nothing of it. However once they started recalling more and more models it got her attention. "I didn't want to be driving a car with a sticking accelerator." However, you can go in to any Toyota dealership and have them take a look and fix your car if needed or you can go to their websites VIN checker and see if there is any information about your vehicle.

The reason she wanted to get a new Toyota in the first place is because of how well her older model is running and all the good things about it. She shares "they have really big trunks and have a lot of room, which is good for when we go on long camping trips." Jacoby also notes that she likes that they sit lower to the ground, which makes them easier for her to get in and out of.

After hearing about the recall Jacoby started to rethink getting a Toyota. She is still leaning more towards getting one but they recalls have definitely limited her choices about which models to pick from.

She is hoping that they can fix all the problems quickly so that within the next few years she can buy another Toyota. However, if the recalls continue to happen she might have to change her choices and start looking at another Honda or a Subaru.

Matthew Hall

At A Glance:

Who: Matt Hall

Where: Salem, Ore.

What: Student at WOU

Bands: Hollie Pollock, The Volks, & Bottle Rocket

Enjoys: Hanging out with friends and playing music

When you first take a look at Matthew Hall he seems like your average every day guy, which he is, but he also balances being a full time student, work, and being in three bands with ease.

He was born in Edmonds, Wash., which is about 25 minutes away from Seattle. He moved to Oregon and graduated from Sprague High School. Hall is currently a student at Western Oregon University majoring in education emphasizing in history. While at school he mostly enjoys film and theater focused classes.

In his free time, Hall likes to play basketball and badminton and hanging out with his friends and family. He is very easy to get along with being that he is a very open person. From his body language to the way that he chats with his friends you can tell that he isn't opposed to meeting new people and making new friends. Blake Ferrin a friend of Hall's said, “I like Matt mainly because we see eye to eye on a lot of things and he’s a good looking guy.”

Hall and Ferrin work together in a band entitled Bottle Rocket, which is also Hall’s favorite band to play in. Hall is also in two other bands, HolliePollock and The Volks. When writing music for any of the bands, Hall gets his inspiration from friends, family, and other bands. For the time being , his most focused band is HolliePollock because they were just signed to record and produce albums with Lucky Dog Records. Hall plays the bass in all three bands which helps show a little bit about his personality. He doesn't need to be the center of attention to have a good time.

He likes to shape himself after several different people, a few being Harold from Harold and Maude, Matt Sharp, David Bowie, and Jim from the Office. The character Harold is not the normal choice for someone to shape themselves after. In the movie he fakes his own death several times. Harold has fun faking his own death and going to funerals of those whom he doesn't really know. Not that Hall has tried to fake his own death for attention but I believe that the reason he would be fun to shape yourself after is simply because he lives his life to the fullest in an odd sense. He has fun with his life in a less normal way than most.

He hopes to in the future play in Europe or at the Miles Davis Hall during Montreux Jazz Festival. Hall feels as if music is what he was born to do and when he is on stage he just plays because he loves it. Ferrin also states that “Matt Hall is the Matt Sharp to my Rivers Cuomo.”

Restaurant Review

P.F. Chang's at a glance:

What: China bistro
Where: 7463 S.W. Bridgeport Rd Tigard, OR 97224
Hours: Sun. - Thurs. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Fri. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Phone: (503)-430-3020
Pros: Great dining enviornment
Cons: Should always come with 3 or more people.



If you enjoy dining with cute center pieces and in a classy and tasteful atmosphere you should definitely check out P.F. Chang's. This restaurant is conveniently located in the Bridgeport Village shopping center. Bridgeport is just off of I-5 north right off of the Lake Oswego/Durham exit. It is probably, for most, very different from your regular dining experiences being that it is a little more upscale than most. Their claim to fame seems to be their delicious lettuce wraps as well as how they take seemingly simple dishes and turn them in to something elegant, fun, and enticing.

When you first walk in you notice the dim lighting, quaint tables, and a tantalizing smell of steamed rice and sauteed meats. Some of the tables are pretty secluded while others are more out towards the center of the restaurant. With the way the tables are placed you'd think they are way to close and you will be able to over hear everyone's conversations. However, they are placed in a way that you may be a little close to other people but they have the lighting designed as if your in your own little bubble.

The staff is really polite and the atmosphere seems really informal, which is always nice when your trying to relax and have a good time with friends or family. The waiters treat you as if you've met before and will know the answers to most of your menu questions.The staff dress' in all black and the waiters are mostly in pants and loose fitting tee shirts while the hostess' dress in skirts and button up shirts. Everyone is really helpful and all have smiles on their faces when they are serving, taking orders, or helping you to your table.

They have a varied menu that has things from Mongolian beef to lemon honey chicken. They don't have a lot of single meals so it's easier if you go with a few people. The waiters bring each person a plate and your food and you dish up your own food, that way you can decide how much you want to eat which is a big help with those worried about portion control. The average meal consisting of 3 entrees, drinks, and dessert will run around $60. Which is a little on the expensive side but the portions are enough to feed about 3 or 4 people.

In addition their dessert menu has quite a few options including shot glass desserts and a six layer cake called the Great Wall of Chocolate. Instead of having a normal, boring, regular paper dessert menu, they bring out a dessert try which features all the desserts, made out of life like plastic, that show you in better detail how big the dessert is and what it's going to look like.

However, there are some cons about dining at this restaurant. One of which is the long wait to get in. Sometimes the wait to get a table is close to an hour, but their pagers work all though-out the mall that way you can put your name on the list and then go and get your shopping done. It's better to check the wait time, put your name down, and go out and shop.

Another con of the restaurant is that around dinner time the place can get pretty busy and very loud. It's not that you can't hear the other people at your table but there is a lot of background noise including music that could put a hinder on your hearing abilities.

Even though there are some cons, this is still an amazing place to eat and everyone should try it at least once in their lives.

Another close location is 124 Coburg Rd. Eugene, OR 97401.

Parking Problems

At A Glance

Who: LBCC students

What: Parking problems

Where: In LBCC lots

Why: LBCC overcrowding

As you’ve probably already encountered, there is a pretty big problem with the parking situation and Linn Benton. We are all aware that the reason for the parking problem is the fact that LB is reaching max capacity.

Most of the time you can barely find a spot, and when you finally do, it’s the spot all the way at the very end in the back corner. Then after spending all that time finding the spot you have to almost run to make it to class on time.

“It can take up to about 10 minutes to find a spot,” states Chris Osborne, a student at LB, “You just have to keep driving around until you find someone who is leaving.” For most students, its also a waste of gas. Osborne adds, “ There have been some days where I would rather just go home then wasting my time and gas waiting for a place to park.”

Still it seems that not all students seem to have this problem. Donna Chavez, another student at LB, remarked, “I have classes around the time that everyone starts leaving so it only takes me five minutes at most to find a spot to park.”

When asked how we can solve this problem, the response was unanimous. Leeanna Barton explained to me how she believes we need a new parking lot. “ We should either build another parking lot or make everyone have a certain areas where they are allowed to park.”

However, with these changes LB might run into more parking problems. For a quick fix to try to solve the problem Barton continues, “ I just try to make sure that I always get to school early so that I have time to look for a spot.”

For the time being, we are all just going to have to deal with the problem until LB decides to make it a priority for students to have more parking spaces.

Rewrite

As of February 1st, 2010, Linn-Benton Community College will have a new president. According to LBCC news, Gregory J. Hamann will take over for retiring president Rita Cavin.

Hamann has a very qualified background as far as his education. He has attended many schools including Gonzaga University where he got his doctorate in educational leadership, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where he received his masters in counseling psychology, as well as University of Minnesota for a bachelor's in psychology and social studies.

He also has great qualifications from his previous jobs. His most recent job includes serving as the president of Clatsop Community College. In addition he was dean of admissions at Northwest College and worked for 12 years in student services and administration at Whitworth College.

In LBCC's search for a new president, members of LBCC Board of Educations Richard Running, Ron Mason, and others went to see Hamann at Clatsop Community College. They board is overjoyed that Hamann has decided to take the job.

Follow up stories: How is he doing as president? What changes has he made or will he be making in the future?

WHAM Meeting

Last week Marquis Spas had their monthly W.H.A.M meeting at the warehouse in Independence, Oregon. It was a meeting to go over What’s Happening At Marquis (WHAM). The meeting lasted about 30 minutes in which several members of Marquis talked about the different things that were going on. The meeting main objective is to get everyone in the factory on the same page.

Marquis has not been doing very well because of lack of sales since the economy went down hill. Also this is the off season for them and the company is just "trying to keep their heads above water until summer rolls around again." commented Mike Oravetz However, they are starting to bring their numbers back up and trying to conserve as much money and supplies as possible.

First to speak was Oravetz, and he just welcomed everyone and said what the meeting was going to be about. Next was Wes Prindel who discussed the financial numbers and showed how the company was doing as a whole with selling spas. Tony Gonzales went over the quality control and congratulated everyone on "having half as many defects as they did last month." Next birthdays and anniversary reminders were presented by Dave Leclerc.

Lastly Cheryl Porter told everyone about the Marquis sponsorships. "We are going to be having a tree with about 50 kid’s names on it that won’t be able to have Christmas this year." She asked that whom ever has a little extra money to buy a gift for a child. Also she talked about the office Christmas party and what everyone needed to bring.

The meeting was really important for all the people at the company. It helped to point out what the company needed to work on both as a whole and individually. I believe that having it all laid out and compared to prior months helps show everyone how the company is doing. The meeting wasn’t really formal just a little something in the middle of the workday. Everyone in the office and warehouse attended and helped with input.