Spinnaker [Distributed: Wednesday, November 1, 2006]

The time to vote is right around the corner and whether students realize it or not, their votes are very important.

With elections being decided by very small percentages in the last two presidential races, every vote certainly counts. State and local elections take place Nov. 7 and early voting is currently taking place.

Registering to vote
If you have not registered to vote yet, it is too late to do so and participate in this election. This does not mean that you should disregard the fact that you should register and vote in future elections. You can register to vote at www.rockthevote.com.

Positions being voted on
Several state and local positions will be available. The big race this election is for Florida governor and lieutenant governor. Ads have been dominated by Republican Charlie Crist and Democrat Jim Davis and information on these two candidates can be found at www.charliecrist.com and www.jimdavis.com.

Another position on the ballot is the job of attorney general. The race is between Walter Campbell and Bill McCollum.

In addition, several state senator and representative seats are up for election and also a seat on the Supreme Court. Several judge positions are also available.

National positions are up for election including the race for senator and several races for the House of Representatives.

The Senate race includes former Supervisor of Elections Katherine Harris and Sen. Bill Nelson. The House of Representatives race is between Democrat Tim Mahoney and Emmie Ross, who is not affiliated with any party.

Beside state and national positions, local officials will also be up for elections, and those officials will differ by county.

Where to vote
For Duval County locals, several places to vote exist, depending on your precinct. These locations, along with early voting sites can be found at www.duvalelections.com.

For voters from outside Duval County, absentee ballots should have been requested weeks ago. However, by going to your county's voting site, you may still be able to request one. If it is too late, then you could go to your home county and vote.

Voting technology
After the dysfunctions in the presidential elections several years ago, voting technology has changed. Two main pieces of voting technology are now used the optical scan and the touch screen, according to the Duval elections Web site.

The touch screen is exactly that, and is just like the touch screens used at restaurants to place orders, or at Wal-Mart in the self-checkout lanes. The people are listed on each page and voters merely touch the name to check the electronic ballot.

Voters make marks on a ballot, and then an optical scanning machine reads the marks and records the votes for each person.

Voting is important
If you do not like the way the state and national levels of government are being run, then it is your job to help facilitate change.

As a voter, it is your responsibility to inform yourself and look deeper than the 30-second advertisements that you see on TV. Find out the real issues and the ones that are important to you, compare them, pick the best candidate and cast your vote.

Yes, your vote will only count one time, but when hundreds of thousands of single votes band together, the difference that each vote makes can be seen and felt.

An indie rock extravaganza

Minus the Bear brings original sound to Jack Rabbits

With song titles like "Booyah Achieved" and "Just Kickin' it Like a Wild Donkey," Minus the Bear is a distinctly unique fixture in the indie rock scene.

While their songs may have humorous names, the band is seriously talented. The Seattle quintet played at Jack Rabbits Oct. 25 along with an eclectic cast of supporting acts.

The opening act for the show, Russian Circles, kicked off the night with an intense blend of punk, metal and progressive rock. The instrumental outfit from Chicago played a far too brief set that lasted slightly longer than 30 minutes. This was quite a shame, as they delivered one of the most captivating performances of the night.

Despite the lack of vocals, their music was visceral and powerful, similar to fellow instrumental bands like Pelican or Red Sparowes. Plaintive and quiet at first, each song built to a powerful crescendo, anchored by the solid rhythm section.

The most memorable facet of the band was the exceedingly intricate guitar work. It seemed as if the guitarist was making up for the lack of vocals by playing expressively through the use of finger-tapping and sweeps.

After the stellar opening act, a Californian three-piece named the Velvet Teen took the stage. Their set got off to a rough start after an eardrum shatteringly loud wash of white noise echoed across the venue. As one annoyed concert-goer remarked, "If you don't have anything good to say, say it loud."

If their intro wasn't bad enough, the lead singer of the Velvet Teen decided that singing through a bullhorn would be a good idea. There is a simple rule of thumb associated with the use of bullhorns in music - don't do it, it's stupid and it makes one look completely affected. Unless you are trying to negotiate a hostage situation, it is completely unnecessary.

Other than the absurd choice of props, the singer's voice was thoroughly annoying. It seemed like he was trying to mimic Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw and Head Automatica fame.

Unfortunately, he failed miserably. The vocal flourishes he added to his voice made him sound more like the male equivalent of a chain-smoking Mariah Carey.

The one saving grace of the Velvet Teen was its drummer and his awesome pompadour. He was talented, but his hair managed to overshadow his performance.

The third act of the evening, P.O.S., was met with a number of blanks stares as he took the stage. A rapper on the up-and-coming hip-hop imprint, Rhymesayers, P.O.S. treated the audience to an impromptu rap introduction course. As he took the stage, he asked the crowd if anyone had attended a hip-hop show. As to be expected at a primarily indie rock show, few hands were raised.

Despite the confused audience, P.O.S.'s performance was unaffected. His style, an amalgam of punk and hip-hop, added a fiery lyrical background to the thudding bass. He managed to skewer mainstream rap artists like Ja Rule while making his disdain for the current president very apparent.

Even though a large portion of the audience probably viewed him as a speed bump on the way to the headlining act, P.O.S definitely came away with one fan, assuming she can remember what happened. A seemingly inebriated blonde girl decided to jump on stage and dance during his set. She later grabbed the mic and subjected the crowd to an alcohol-induced freestyle.

The night ended with the eagerly anticipated performance of Minus the Bear. The most notable element of their sound is the polyrhythmic guitar playing of David Knudson. Formerly a member of pioneering hardcore/metal act, Botch, Knudson uses an incredibly difficult two-handed tapping technique that makes Minus the Bear's songs dense and multi-layered. Another unique aspect of their sound is the reliance on synthesizer and keyboards.

Erin Tate, the drummer from Minus the Bear, stole the show as he simultaneously played off-beats and drank a beer. This style single-handedly insures that Tate will be considered a virtuoso among the drumming elite.

Despite the pall of cigarette smoke surrounding the stage and one particularly atrocious performance, Jacksonville was treated to a varied and enjoyable show.

Vaccine may bring end of HPV

Have sex and there is good chance that you will get Human Papillomavirus. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 50 percent of sexually active men and women will get HPV at some point in their lives.

The CDC also estimated that by the age of 50, at least 80 percent of women will get HPV.

On June 8, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first HPV vaccine. The vaccine, Gardasil, is for use only on females from age nine to 26. At $360, it is the most expensive vaccine ever created. Gardasil is a preventative vaccine for use in girls who have not yet been infected by HPV, and it cannot be used to treat existing HPV.

Gardasil is geared to protect from the types of HPV that are the most wide spread. The vaccine is about 100 percent effective in protecting against types six, 11, 16 and 18.

Types six and 11 account for 90 percent of genital warts and types 16 and 18 account for 70 percent of cervical cancers.

Many people who have HPV may never experience any symptoms. However, those who do have symptoms can have anything from itching and irritation to genital warts and some may even develop cervical cancer. HPV can cause cervical cancer when it remains persistent in a woman's cervix.

When a woman acquires the virus, it can cause the cells in the cervix to change. If the cells remain untreated cancer. can develop over time. Even when symptoms are in a dormant state, it is still possible to spread HPV. Not even a condom can stop the spread of HPV during sexual activity.

It is not required for a girl to receive the vaccine before entering school. However, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended that the vaccine be administered to girls between the ages of 11 and 12.

Regardless of the recommendation, women who have never been infected by the virus may still receive the vaccine up to the age of 26. There are even benefits for women that already have one type of the virus. The vaccine can protect a woman from getting other types of the virus that the vaccine protects against.

Getting the vaccine does not protect women from all types of cervical cancers or genital warts. According to the CDC, about 10 percent of genital warts and about 30 percent of cervical cancers will not be prevented by the vaccine.

For that reason, it is important for a woman to still get a yearly Pap smear. Most of the time a Pap smear is the only way to detect whether or not HPV has infected the body.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world. While there are many ways to treat HPV, there is no cure. The only way to ensure that HPV is never contracted is to not have sex.

Another option is to have few sexual partners and to choose partners who have had few sexual partners.

The HPV vaccine is a medical marvel that, if administered properly before infection, could lead to much lower incidences of cervical cancer and genital warts for women in the future.

Saw III keeps scaring

"Saw III" is the latest entry in a recently revived gunny sack race -- led by Eli Roth's "Hostel" -- to push horror flicks to the gut-wrenching, bone-cracking, tendon-slicing, cheek-slashing and, um, saw-wielding limit.

Sawheads will be pleased by this superior sequel, which continues the exploits of the cancer-riddled, soft-spoken Jigsaw Killer (Tobin Bell), who catches specially chosen people in elaborate, booby-trapped rat mazes that force them to kill and maim each other -- or themselves.

"Saw III" finds Jigsaw on his deathbed, being Florence Nightingale by former whore and junkie Amanda (Shawnee Smith). Once a victim -- one of a few who won the game and passed Jigsaw's life-or-death test - she's now Jigsaw's eager apprentice in death-dealing and torture, a disciple in Jigsaw Philosophy.

The story picks up where "Saw II" ended, and in quick, shocking and awfully gruesome fashion dispatches the last film's cop-heroes, Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) and Kerry (Dina Meyer). There is no hope for them.

There is no hope, period.

With Jigsaw calling the shots, Amanda puts two interrelated games in motion. She abducts Jeff (Angus Macfadyen), a despairing, grief-stricken man whose son was run over and killed by a car, and Lynn (Bahar Soomekh), a brilliant but self-loathing surgeon.

Jeff must face everyone involved with his boy's death, one by one, and Lynn must keep Jigsaw alive until the end of Jeff's game. Those plotlines are overflow with overly sentimental flashbacks filling in the life story of each.

The "Saw" films' bleakness reminds one of the bitter, ugly - but aesthetically, if not ethically, exciting - taste of the abjection which consumed characters in those old-time novels and plays written by existentialists such as Sartre and Camus. Seriously. After all, Jigsaw's reason for his vile, bloody games is tres existential: Condemned to death by oncologists, Jigsaw wants to share his newfound appreciation for the gift of human life - by forcing folks who have squandered their lives to the very edge of life itself.

Think of his games as the metaphysical version of electric convulsion therapy. After all, as the West Bankers used to say, the only way to live an authentic life is to live daily as if this moment might be my last living breath.

On the bench with the ultimate Frisbee guy

You have definitely seen Roy Albert on the Green.

Albert is a junior business management major and the Spinnaker was lucky enough to pull him away from his intense game of ultimate Frisbee (the answers are a bit short because Roy was winded).

S: What is your favorite flavor potato chip?
R: Barbecue.

S: How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop?
R: One hundred sixty.

S: What are you going to be for Halloween?
R: Myself.

S: How many people have you hit with your Frisbee?
R: Two.

S: How many were accidents?
R: Two.

S: How do you throw away a garbage can?
R: Put it in a bigger garbage can.

S: Shoes or sandals?
R: Sandals.

S: Who is your mustache idol?
R: Tom Selleck and my dad.

S: Are you bringing sexy back?
R: No. I'm bringing the '70s back.

S: Have you ever been in a Frisbee tournament?
R: No.

S: What was the last book you read?
R: "Slaughter House 5."

S: What is your favorite old school Nintendo game?
R: Super Mario Brothers.

S: What is your favorite part of the Spinnaker?
R: The police beat because I think it's ridiculous.

S: If you were writing these questions, what would you ask yourself?
R: I don't know. What's your favorite part of the day?

S: What is the answer?
R: Coming out here on the Green and playing Frisbee.

Throught the Looking Glass

YOU DON'T SEEM AS GLAD TO SEE ME, HON
Women who visit inmates in the Vanderburgh County Jail in Evansville, Ind., are no longer allowed to wear revealing tops and must wear a bra. The new policy was instituted after several women lifted up their shirts and exposed themselves to the male prisoners.

ARE YOU SURE IT WASN'T YOUR BROTHER-IN-LAW?
Large baboons that have been confronting people in the prosperous Table Mountain neighborhood of Cape Town, South Africa, have even boldly entered people's homes. Joan Laing, chairman of the Baboon-Free Neighborhood Action Group, said, "They open the fridge, ruin furniture, and defecate all over."

HEY SARGE, WE'D BETTER CHECK THIS ONE OUT
Police in Omaha, Neb., received a report of a suspicious vehicle. When the officer asked what was suspicious about it, the caller replied that the car had a safe chained to the bumper and was dragging it through the streets. Officers immediately responded.

OK, GRAMPS, HAND OVER YOUR MON... WHAM! OUCH! WHAP! OW!
Two men in Vasteras, Sweden, tried to rob a 70-year-old man on the street. They soon found out that he used to be a boxer when he beat them senseless.

ARE YOU THINKING WHAT I'M THINKING?
Two men in a pickup truck went off the road, knocked over a stop sign and a parking meter in Peterborough, Ontario, before fleeing the scene. They would have gotten away with it, but after police arrived to investigate the incident, the men realized there was easy cash in the parking meter, and came back to steal it.

THIS ISN'T GOING TO HELP YOUR CASE, MA'AM
A woman came to court in San Jose, Calif., to answer a charge of possession of a methamphetamine pipe. When court officers searched her bag, they found a methamphetamine pipe.

YOU KNOW, A PATTERN IS STARTING TO EMERGE HERE
A woman in Seville, Spain, faked the kidnapping of her 15-year-old son and got her ex-husband to pay a hefty ransom. So she did it again. And again. When she tried it a fourth time, the ex-hubby got suspicious and called the cops.

Zan on the Street

I hope you recovered from last weekend. I'm back for another week of fun and games around Jacksonville. I have to give some coverage to my boys from Stuart who are coming up this weekend to rock the surf club event.

Friday night at Freebird, punk-rockers Last Laugh bring their energetic mix of power chord-filled mosh-pitting goodness. The band has toured with Kottonmouth Kings and will certainly put on a good show.

Opening for Last Laugh Friday night is Stuart's own reggae band, No Ka Oi. The group is led by frontman Zack Irie and mixes a bit of roots with some Long Beach sounds to arrive at a style that is all their own. The band has had some lineup changes since their last appearance in Jax Beach at Twisted Sisters, and the entire original crew is back with one new addition and skanking harder than ever. The show should be entertaining and definitely worth a listen.

Also at Freebird this week, '70s throwback surfer Donovan Frankenreiter performs Monday night. Frankenreiter is probably best known as a professional free surfer and star of the Drive Thru series, but his musical talent has begun to show through in recent years. Tickets for the show are $20 before the day of the show and $25 on the day of the show, and doors open at 8 p.m.

Downtown, country artist Toby Keith performs at Veterans Memorial Arena on Friday. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets range from $38.75 - $68.75.

Your Jacksonville Jaguars take on the Tennessee Titans Sunday at 1 p.m. at Alltel Stadium. Do something different, and come check out some bands at the University of North Florida Surf Club gig this weekend at Freebird.

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EXPRESSIONS

To vote or not to vote

An indie rock extravaganza

Minus the Bear brings original sound to Jack Rabbits

Vaccine may bring end of HPV

Saw III keeps scaring

On the bench with the ultimate Frisbee guy

Throught the Looking Glass

Zan on the Street

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