Page 8 — LIONS EYE - March 4, 1998 —LIntertainmen a ~~ How to Be Irish While Sober and Bullet-Proof By James Conroy March is finally here, and everyone is looking forward to their favorite part of this month. No, not celebrating Women’s History Month(sorry “Herstory Month”). Not even spring break. No, this is much more serious. It’s March 17, otherwise known as St. Patrick’s Day. Yes, it's the one day were it seems to be OK to be a drunken slob (in most cases encouraged) and the only day where my “Kiss Me, I'm Irish” pin seems to work. When I started to write this article, I thought, “This is the only holiday that my people (the Irish) get. And it’s being tarnished by drunken debauchery! I wont stand for it!” But, after the Sinead O'Conner music simmered down, I came to my senses and realized that St. Paddy's day just proves what has been obvious to me all along: Everyone wants to be Irish. Let me just clear a few things up about us Irish before we go any further. We are not all beer-slugging, potato stew-eating, leprechaun-chasing, Riverdance-watching Mics. Some of us prefer The Lord of the Dance. But, some of you probably need to freshen up on how to “be Irish.” So, without further ado, here’s my first (and probably last) annual “How-to- be-Irish-Manual.” If you want to be a true Irish lad or lass, follow these tips: First: Hate the British. There’s no two ways about this one. The English are, as Renton (he’s a Scot, Record Store By Paul Basilio Sometimes, people fall into a rut when it comes to music. They hear what album is coming out next on the radio, they buy it, then wait for the next one to be released. Listeners often forget about the ones that slipped by without much hype. The following are a few selections, both good and bad, that I recently found in but that's OK) states in the movie Trainspotting, “wankers.” This doesn’t mean go out and join the IRA, although that helps, just spew hatred for the English wherever you go. Well, maybe we should all get along for one day. Second: Know Your Heritage. If you want to know about Irish history you're going to have to do it yourself, because for some reason it’s not taught. An English plot no doubt. There are plenty of good books out there if you look. Third: Know the difference between the North and South This might save your life one day. The North is called Northern Ireland (go figure), while the south is called the Republic of Ireland. You'll probably need a bullet-proof-vest in Northern Ireland. (See also Protestant vs. Catholic) Fourth: Learn some Gaelic It’s nice to know a little of the original Irish language. Run some Gaelic off at the next party your at and see if people don’t flock to you. I'll start you off: Slainte- cheers Eire- Ireland Failte- welcome and most important Taim caoch olta- I am blind drunk. The above should help in your St. Paddy’s Day festivities. I'll be in Ireland for that day, so I won't be able to see you wearing your green, white and gold top hats or any of the other stupid things you're going to do on that day. For those of you who aren't Irish, think of me when you're making a fool of yourself and remember that this day wouldn’t be possible if one man hadn’t chased all the snakes out of Ireland. For those of you who are Irish remember this is the one day we get, so cherish what you can and when you're belting out “Danny Boy” and “County Mayo,” remember to sing one for me. One last Gaelic word in closing: Slan (bye). Bargain Buys the not-so-new release bargain pile at the record store. Dream Theater: Images and Words - The man who introduced me to Dream Theater two years ago told me to listen to the 1994 release Awake. That album was pure genius. Recently, I came across Images and Words in a record store, and, thinking that this one was a sure hit, I bought it. I can’t remember when a single album let me | Two contestants meet at the end of Singled Out. Students from Dr. Robinson’s theater classes and Ms. Kirker’s art history class discuss “Playing Juliet, Casting Othello” outside the Folger Theater in Washington, D.C., where they traveled to see the production. Photo by Aaron Mixson 70th Annual Oscars Academy Awards Underway; ‘Titanic’ Up for 14 Awards By Cynthia Moore Once again the time has come for the stars of Hollywood to shine. The 70th Annual Academy Awards will be held on March 23. One of the obvious choices for award nominations is director James Cameron’s Titanic, with an amazing 14 nominations, including “Best Picture”. The only other film to have as many nominations was All About Eve back in 1950. Other films up for “Best Picture” are As Good As It Gets, with Jack Nicholson also nominated for “Best Actor”. LA Confidential came out earlier than the other films nominated, but almost everyone who has seen the film gives it praise. Also nominated for “Best Picture” are The Full Monty and Good Will Hunting staring Matt Damon who is also up for “Best Actor”. When asked who he thought would be the winners at this year’s Oscars, Dr. Wayne McMullen, Coordinator of Delco’s Speech Communication degree, stated, “Titanic has an excellent chance to win. It’s a really old fashioned love story set against a tragic background.” He also added that Gloria Stuart of Titanic ,who was nominated as “Best Supporting Actress,” has a good chance of taking home an Oscar. “The academy seems to favor older actresses who have been around for a while,” he explained. The students seem to agree that the big winner of this year’s Oscars will be Titanic. Michelle Fanelli (2nd semester, early child education) said, “It's going to walk away with a ton of awards.” Hold Unknown Treasures ‘down so much. A few sections of hard- pounding beats are present in this album, but the band tries to be fancier than it actually is. Experimental sounds run amok throughout seven of the eight tracks. Synthesizers and extremely high- pitched guitar playing awkwardly surround James Labrie’s opera-trained vocals. “Wait for Sleep,” track 7 on the album, is perhaps the only bright point. It is slower than the others, but it blends the instruments with vocals cleanly. The song, sadly, is only two minutes long. I listened to this album a few times, hoping that it would grow on me, but it never did. Meat Puppets : Monsters - The Meat Puppets, often ‘wrongly associated with the dead Seattle grunge scene, never disappoint. The music is never gimmicky, always solid, and always fun to listen to. The Kirkwood brothers, Curt and Cris, mix their voices together seamlessly. With both sharing the lead vocal position, their sound is rarely repetitive. Thick bass riffs and constant drum beats consistently urge listeners to bang pencils and heads, trying to keep the beat. The lyrics never fail to tell a story. Brilliant songwriting combined with lyric sheet cover art make the inside of the album almost as entertaining as the music itself. I love this album. Meat Loaf : Dead Ringer - Yes, Meat Loaf had albums other than the Bat Out of Hell series. And, no, they weren't horrible because no one has ever heard of them. | Meat Loaf’s second collaboration with songwriter Jim Steinman has a distinctly different sound. Meat’s booming voice takes on an odd nasal quality, which may take a listen or two to get used to. The songs are uniquely Steinman’s, with situations such as a man telling a group of his best friends to go ahead and sleep with his wife, and an insultspewing bar fight with Cher. For any Meat Loaf fan, this album will not disappoint. It retains the theatrical quality of Bat Out of Hell, but incorporates more rock and roll-style guitar. I would recommend this one to anyone who enjoys great music and a great voice. Next time you wander through a music store, don’t ignore the bargain pile. Musical gems are found where they are least expected.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers