Spinnaker [Distributed: Wednesday, December 6, 2006]

Van Wilder turns milder in "Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj." That's mainly because Ryan Reynolds has aged out of the sneering grad student demographic and isn't in the sequel.

But at least it has breasts, and lots of them. English lovelies show us their "lovelies." That's all the review some people need.

"Van Wilder 2" takes Taj, the Indian-American turned into a man by Reynolds in "Van Wilder," to England for grad school. And while Taj may be just "a curry-breathing cretin" to the local snobs, he's determined to make his teaching assistant/resident adviser gigs pay off in lots of choose-your-own-euphemism-for-sex-here and perhaps the reformation of a dorm full of "losers," who remind him of himself, back in the day.

Taj enrolls at Camford, an Oxford knock-off, where the effete elite mock him and see to it that he's put in charge of others they mock. The inhabitants of "The Barn" include a cockney tart (Holly Davidson), a science geek (Anthony Cozens), an Irish rugby thug (Glen Barry) and a silent dweeb (Steven Rathman) who has hidden assets that we won't divulge here.

There's a campus-wide contest for a trophy, a contest involving athletic, mental and social (beer drinking) skills. Taj resolves to make the kids in The Barn (he dubs them the Cock and Bulls fraternity) winners by taking that cup.

And if he can snatch the winsome Charlotte (the gorgeous Lauren Cohan) from the prickly, "double-breasted blue-blooded snot" Pip (Daniel Percival) in the bargain, so much the better.

Aside from ripping off every "contest" comedy in history, "Van Wilder 2" is to be embraced for its grasp of British, American and Anglo-Indian slang. Every nickname you've ever heard for male and female genitalia is tossed off, at some point.

A few jokes work. Taj resolves to be an unconventional teaching assistant. He wants the kids to tear up their stodgy textbooks.

"C'mon, you've seen `Dead Poets' Society,' rip out page 32."

But even at its best (the "lovelies"), "The Rise of Taj" never rises to the level of time-killer. Kal Penn needs to do "Harold & Kumar 2," before he Ryan Reynoldses his way out of being young, snarky and over-sexed, too.

Lesem: Revolutionary in his own right

Joe Lesem is a man who is passionate about teaching, painting and people. He teaches a number of classes at the University of North Florida, including TV Production, Law and Ethics in Communication and Broadcast Management.

Lesem has been teaching for over 20 years, 14 of which have been here in Jacksonville.

Before joining UNF's faculty, he taught for five years in West Virginia and two years at Louisiana State University.

Something about our school has kept him here this long.

"The atmosphere, and when I first started there were only about 5000 students. I like that small college feel," Lesem said.

Over the years, he has been able to watch the school change and the student population grow.

Lesem graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, becoming a member of what is commonly known as the Missouri Mafia.

From there, he pursued a career in photojournalism, working as a photographer for a magazine. He then returned to school to study filmmaking. His career has taken him to Miami, Memphis, New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

As much as he enjoys teaching, Lesem always looks forward to breaks.

"They're just enough time to get a project going," he said.

But by the time the break is over, he is always ready to come back to teaching.

Although his jobs in teaching and broadcast have taken him many places and consumed a great deal of his life, a life-long passion of Lesem's has been painting. He taught himself, sketching illustrations out of Life magazine at the age of 15. Real life, specifically revolutionary figures, inspire him.

"They are lone individuals who are willing to fight the whole organization or government for something they believe in. I find it hard to understand how someone can be that committed to a cause," he said.

Lesem said one of his favorite artists is Norman Rockwell. He said he loves how Rockwell told stories with his illustrations like those on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post.

Lesem said he is also intrigue by Vincent Van Gogh, who is believed to have only sold one painting before he died.

Unlike Van Gogh, Lesem has sold a number of paintings. He said many of his paintings are done on commission.

Some of his work has been sold for book cover illustrations. Paintings of Martin Luther King, Jr., Fidel Castro, George Washington, Lawrence of Arabia and Ho Chi Min cover the walls of his office on campus.

If you have not met Joe Lesem, there is nothing stopping you. Sign up for one of his classes. You could even swing by his office and check out some of his artwork.

Lesem's office is in the Fine Arts Center, room 1611.

Scholars Word sticks to reggae roots with release of sixth album, 'How Long'

The boys from Scholars Word return with their sixth album, How Long. The album follows up the band's 2004 release Tribal Roots and is a solid mix of what true reggae should sound like.

The album mixes different styles of reggae, at times sounding very rootsy and then at times mixing elements of dance hall and more mellow, melodic reggae sounds to arrive at a unique finished product, although the band never strays from the heavy bass and riding drum lines that keep the music grounded in its roots.

Scholars Word consists of Bryce Creighton on lead vocals, guitar and keys, Michael Stauch on bass, Marcos Ickes on drums, Chris Kearnes on sax and Steve Gallatin on keys.

The album also features guest singer Zally who jumps in on "How Long," "Feelin It" and "H.I.M. God" with the band.

Creighton and Stauch have been the nucleus of the band and the founding members have stuck together since the band's first album in 1999.

How Long is a more politically charged, current event-type album, with the cover art containing glaring images of death, destruction and the trouble that has become so common in the world.

The first song of the album is the title track and encompasses this theme, and with the Steel Pulse-esque opening, sets the tone for the remainder of the CD.

Listening to the music, the influence of Steel Pulse seems apparent, with the fourth track Runnin also featuring a Pulse style intro with a guitar solo to bring in the song.

Aside from "How Long," standout tracks on the album include "Actions," with its car shaking bass, "We Built It," with a smooth saxophone intro and "Double Life."

The album concludes with "Proton Dub," a very cool song with far out effects and keyboard riffs.

Overall, How Long is a solid effort by Scholars Word. The band has released original reggae music for the past seven years and continues to keep the reggae flame burning for Florida. Check them out at www.scholarsword.com for more info and upcoming live events.

Germ freaks revel in innovations

It's a comforting time to be a germ freak. In addition to anti-bacterial hand soaps and shampoos, the microbe-averse can buy bacteria-fighting clothes, toys, towels, sheets, sponges, mops and even pens.

Never mind that trillions of bacteria happily reside on our skins and noses and in our mouths and intestines. Or that some exposure to germs helps develop a healthy immune system.

In 2004, Americans spent more than $540 million on anti-bacterial soaps, hand cleaners and detergents that contain chemicals such as triclosan to kill germs, though a Food and Drug Administration panel found they are no better than soap and water. People in health-care settings may see benefits, but not in the general population.

The issue isn't just that, for most of us, products impregnated with germ-fighting chemicals are a waste of money. It's not even that they could promote the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, something the Soap and Detergent Association maintains happens in the lab but not in the real world.

The association says people confuse anti-bacterial with antibiotic. If there were a link, the organization says, it likely would have been seen in settings such as hospitals, and it also says the rampant overuse of antibiotics by doctors to treat infection likely plays a far greater role in the rise of super-resistant bugs.

More disturbing is that the germ-fighting chemicals found in anti-bacterials, namely triclosan and triclocarban, are turning up in fish, breast milk and wastewater. Then they are released into the environment through municipal sludge, which is recycled and spread on agricultural fields.

Although this has been going on for the last 50 years, scientists only recently looked into what happens once the chemicals are flushed down the drain. This all concerns researchers such as Rolf Halden, assistant professor at the Center for Water and Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The United States Geological Survey has shown that triclosan, which mimics the thyroid hormone and is commonly added to soaps, toothpaste, deodorant, dog shampoo, cutting boards, clothing, toys and other anti-bacterial products, is present in 60 percent of U.S. waterways investigated.

Halden's studies showed a similar dispersal of triclocarban, triclosan's chemical brother, which is found mostly in deodorant bar soaps.

Both chemicals are known by several other names, and annually more than 1 million pounds of each are used in the U.S. alone.

Though the amounts turning up are minute, a recent study has shown it's enough to disrupt thyroid function in frogs. Equivalent data on humans isn't yet available.

As ingredients in products, the chemicals aren't necessarily harmful to humans, scientists say. But evidence is mounting that "these chemicals are remarkably persistent and possibly bioaccumulating, not only through products (applied to the skin) but environmentally through drinking water and potentially contaminated crops," said Halden, a member of the FDA panel that looked at the benefits and hazards of antiseptic hand soaps.

Now he and other scientists are asking: Do the potential benefits of anti-microbial products outweigh their possible environmental human health risks?

"Plain old soap and water also removes and kills micro-organisms and has done so for thousands of years," Halden said.

Also, anti-bacterial soaps don't prevent colds or flu, which are caused by viruses, not bacteria. And most experts say that unless you're in a hospital environment, using products with triclosan a biocide that can destroy biological structures at random is like using a jackhammer to kill an ant.

The American Medical Association has opposed routine use of anti-bacterial soaps since 2002. This year, the Canadian Pediatric Society asked parents to stop buying anti-bacterial products and instead use soap and water to wash toys, hands and household items.

Allison Janse, co-author of the indispensable manual "The Germ Freak's Guide to Outwitting Colds and Flu" (Health Communications, $11.95 paper), points out that when you buy an anti-bacterial cutting board and put raw chicken on it, you've just contaminated it. Buying these products, she said, "may give some people a false sense of security."

There is a place for anti-bacterial products: a hospital. Think twice about using them in your home for everyday use, especially when soap and water are just as effective. And much cheaper.

Through the Looking Glass

I'M OFF MONDAYS, WHY DO YOU ASK?
A teenager robbed the bank in Spencer, Mass., where his grandmother works, but waited until her day off before he pulled the heist. Granny saw videotape of the robbery and noticed physical similarities between the robber and her grandson. Further adding to her suspicions was the fact that the lad had been asking her about her work schedule.

NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT, I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM IN A WHILE
Police responding to a report of water coming through the ceiling at an apartment building in Framingham, Mass., went to the unit upstairs where they found a heavily intoxicated young man who claimed to be the nephew of Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist. He told the cops that his uncle would be upset with them, saying, "Officer, you are all done." The policemen do not believe that the man is related to Rehnquist as he was apparently unaware that he has been dead for more than a year.

YOU SEE THE BEAUTY OF NATURE, I SEE LUNCH
Birdwatchers in the United Kingdom were excited to find that a red-rumped swallow, normally seen only around the Mediterranean Sea, had taken up residence on the east coast of Scotland. Word spread fast and dozens of birders gathered to see the swallow flying over the beach, when a sparrowhawk swooped down on it and killed it instantly.

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, THE COPS ARE RIGHT BEHIND US!
Four teenagers robbed a Pizza Hut in Richmond, Va., and fled in a car they had rented for their getaway. The car was equipped with a Global Positioning System tracking device, so when witnesses wrote down the license plate number, the cops had no trouble finding them.

UH, GOD, PERHAPS WE DIDN'T MAKE OURSELVES CLEAR
After church leaders in Australia launched a national day of prayer for rain, the nation was hit with hailstones the size of baseballs, an icy blast of air that sent temperatures plummeting, and bolts of lightning that set off a wave of wildfires.

PARDONNEZ MOI, I JUST NEED ONE MORE THEENG
A man broke into a house in Mussidan, France, and stole a television set. While the owner was reporting it to police, the burglar came back for the remote control.

OH! I PUT IT ON VIBRATE ... OH YESSSSSS!
Because cell phones have been banned in New York public schools, teenage girls have been sneaking them into the buildings in their panties.

Zan on the Street

Well, this is it the very last time you will ever read a "Zan on the Street." My time here in college has come to an end, which is kind of weird. It has been awesome to have been given the chance to write for you guys.

I want to thank everyone out there who has read this column or anything else I have ever written, and definitely a big thank you to the people that gave me positive feedback or respect over the course of the last year.

Keep hitting the scene up here and who knows, you may run into me out and about some time. I know, enough with the mushiness, let me wipe away the tears and get on to the music.

At Freebird Live for the month of December, because this is the last Spinnaker for the semester, Johnny Winter and Pat Ramsey play Dec. 9. Tickets for the event are $20 and doors open at 8 p.m.

On Dec. 28, The Wailers play with Aerial Tribe. The Wailers always put on a good show and are the closest thing you will ever see to what it was like to witness Bob Marley live. Tickets are $18 before the show and $23 the day of the show and again doors open at 8 p.m.

Downtown, check out Disturbed at Veteran's Memorial Arena, Dec. 6. The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets range from $25.50 to $35.50.

On Dec. 11, Comedic genius George Carlin comes to town at the Times-Union Center. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $29 to $75.

Crooner Tony Bennett will perform at Florida Theatre Dec. 12. Tickets are a bit steep, ranging from $57.50 to $127.50. The man has got to pay for his prescriptions, I guess.

Also, UNFers The Explicits bring its punk rock melodies to Jack Rabbits Dec. 10. The show starts at 11 p.m., and tickets can be purchased at the door.

That is about it around town for the next couple weeks.

Mofro is playing a bunch of shows at Freebird at the end of December, including on New Years Eve, when tickets cost $30.

Good luck on exams, enjoy your holidays, have a Happy New Year (try not to get too drunk) and have a great spring semester.

Oh yea, one last thing, big thanks to my boy Grant for coming up with the name for this column.

Once again, it's been great. Take it easy, and good luck with the remainder of your education.

Print Edition

EXPRESSIONS

Gifts for the holidays

Taj returns to school

Lesem: Revolutionary in his own right

Scholars Word sticks to reggae roots with release of sixth album, 'How Long'

Germ freaks revel in innovations

Through the Looking Glass

Zan on the Street

Holiday happenings around town