8 ways to keep your car on the road

College students across the nation know so little about their cars - the very machines their social lives depend on - that they couldn't tell you the difference between a dipstick and a lugnut. This is a problem, since automobiles are needy machines that won't last long if you ignore them. Unless Xzibit and West Coast Customs plan to expand their search for busted-up cars to the First Coast, your best bet is to take good care of your ride. While some problems are best left to trained professionals with expensive power tools, other small - but important - areas of maintenance are easy to understand, even for the most medieval luddites. Here are eight simple ways to insure the longevity of your car.

Compiled by Chris Anderson and Ross Brooks.

Window wipers
Especially important for Floridians, windshield wipers clear rain, dew, and other visual impediments from your line of sight. If the rubber blades become too thin or detach from their frames, then it's time to change your blades. Look in your manual or on your current blades to see what size your car requires. In most cases, it's as simple as popping the old set off and replacing it with the new one.

Power steering fluid
Unless your drive a classic car, you have power steering. Whining noises and jerky turns indicate a need to add more power steering fluid. Check your manual for the exact location, buy some power steering fluid and add it to the empty reservoir.

Air filter
Air filters clean the air coming into the engine of dirt, grease and other nasty substances your engine doesn't need. Dirty air filters can rob your car of gas mileage and cause other problems. Check your car manual for the filter's location. In most cases, replacing the filter is as easy as locating the old one, buying a new one and switching it out.

Coolant
To keep your engine cool, it's important to monitor your engine coolant. On your instrument display, there is a dial that indicates how much coolant you have. If it's running low, stop by an auto parts store and spend the $5 on a new bottle of coolant. It's much cheaper than a fried engine.

Oil
The role of oil is to lubricate the fast-moving parts in your engine. When checking your oil, you should be on a level surface, and the engine should be off for a few minutes. Look where the oil level is on the stick. If it is in that acceptable range, great. If not, go to an auto parts store and buy some oil. Check your oil at least once a month.

Lights
Ever notice that your lights are dimmer than they used to be? If you're feeling up for a challenge, pop the old light casings out of the frame, clean them with brake fluid or some other heavy cleaner, and stick them back in. If this skill set outstrips your car know-how, ask your mechanic to clean or replace them next time you're in the shop.

Tire pressure
There should be a white sticker inside your driver-side door that says what pressure your tires should hold. At most gas stations there are air fill stations with a pressure gauge on the air hose. Simply push the inflation valve onto the tire valve to read your tire pressure and inflate or deflate from there.

Tire treads
You should check your tires regularly for lumps and other distortions. To see if your treads are too small, stick a penny between the treads, and if more than half of Lincoln's face is showing, you probably need new tires. Chrysler recommends changing your tires every six years, regardless of tread size.

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Required reading comes to life on the big screen

By Matt Coleman
EDITOR IN CHIEF

Paramount Pictures

Robert Zemeckis' version of the ancient epic "Beowulf" transforms the poem into a dazzling spectacle of artistic vision and CGI capability.

Good: The best motion-capture work in film history.
Bad: A slight lull in the middle kills a lot of momentum leading up to the climactic battle sequence.
Ugly: Way too much animated man butt.

The story of Beowulf has captivated fans of epic poetry and plagued the sleep of undergraduate students for more than a millennia.

A brave Swedish warrior sails to a Danish kingdom to rid the land of a cursed beast. He does battle with a troll, a hag and a dragon and proves himself to be the most prodigious champion in history. The tale is an ancient treatise on heroism and triumph in the face of adversity.

The creators of the animated "Beowulf" must have skimmed the Cliff Notes, because I don't remember demon temptresses, a drunken Anthony Hopkins or nude hand-to-hand combat in the translated text.

The latest Hollywood reimagining of the song of Beowulf unites the well-traveled tale with the most modern aspects of cinematic technology.

After his mead hall is torn asunder by a slobbering demon, King Hrothgar (Hopkins) sends out a call for heroes to rid his land of evil. The over-ambitious Prince of the Geats, Beowulf (Ray Winstone), answers the king's request in an effort to add to his formidable demon-slaying resume.

What's different from the original source is that Beowulf is a distinctly flawed hero. He might be a skilled warrior, but his vast hubris has a habit of getting the best of him. Beowulf thinks little of the lives of his men as his ship plunges headlong through a tumultuous storm. All he thinks about is the pursuit of glory.

The movie envelops this new take on the Beowulf mythology within the world of high-tech animated filmmaking.

A computer-generated Scandinavian kingdom is brought to life, complete with a host of monstrous creatures. Beowulf is tasked with defeating these demonic foes, and the remarkable action scenes that ensue anchor the film.

The headstrong hero starts his quest to glory by doffing his armor and weapons to vanquish King Hrothgar's heinous party crasher.

Naked swashbuckling might not be terribly practical, but it makes for some interesting prop usage. In a cinematic nod to the "Austin Powers" franchise, Beowulf plays a spirited game of "hide the wang." Whether it's the hilt of a sword or a dismembered limb, the film manages to find creative items to obscure Beowulf's crown jewels.

The film's climactic battle between Beowulf and a fire- breathing dragon is the movie's ultimate selling point. Completely impossible to replicate in a live-action setting, Beowulf clings to the tyrant lizard's back as he attempts to fatally extinguish the beast's flames. The action is fast-paced and unbelievable, just what you'd expect in a motion-capture epic. It's almost worth the ticket price of the 3-D showing alone.

Director Robert Zemeckis' last animated endeavor, "The Polar Express," was a technological marvel that ultimately lacked soul. The film's state-of-the-art graphics allowed for an unprecedented degree of animation, but that couldn't shake the blank gazes on the children's faces. Most of the film's cast looked like shell shocked child soldiers.

The years between Zemeckis' cinematic offerings have seen a number of graphical advances, and the cast members of "Beowulf" are the beneficiaries.

Instead of looking like extras from a "Children of the Corn" sequel, all of the film's main characters have been painstakingly realized in digital form.

Through the magic of motion-capture animation, Angelina Jolie's feminine wiles were digitally enhanced, Winstone magically shed about 100 pounds and Crispin Glover was morphed into a disturbing cave-dweller (not much of a stretch).

The only character who looks slightly off is Queen Wealtheow (Robin Wright Penn), who suffers from a serious case of man jaw.

Beowulf's make over has been a long time coming. There is only so many times the same story can be told.

However, this take on the ancient poem is a little too focused on Hollywood spectacle and less on the iconic source material.

What saves the film from being just another remake are the amazing computer-generated effects.

After more than one thousand years, Beowulf's never looked better.

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Eco-friendly one-stop shops

Emagazine.com

Although green-friendly goods are starting to show up just about everywhere, finding all the right products is still not as simple as a one-stop trip to the mall or major grocer.

However, there are several reputable Web sites, mail order catalogs and storefront retailers that cater to the eco-motivated consumer.

Online shoppers need not steer their web browser any further than Gaiam.com.

The company sells, via its Web site and a printed catalog, a wide range of green items - from phosphate-free detergents and organic cotton bedding to compact fluorescent light bulbs and backyard composting kits.

Another good one-stop shop for green consumer goods is Green Home, which sells thousands of environmentally responsible home products online.

From bedding and tableware to paper goods and lunch boxes, Green Home has the green consumer covered.

If you're more inclined to browsing store aisles than Web sites, natural foods markets like Whole Foods and Wild Oats (now being acquired by Whole Foods) carry a large number of green lifestyle products on their shelves.

These stores aren't just about organic produce anymore, and now stock everything from green detergents to cookware.

Looking for more durable kinds of goods?

The best one-stop source for green building materials is Ecohaus (formerly the Environmental Home Center), which stocks and ships a wide range of building materials, household equipment and supplies, kitchen and bath fixtures, flooring, countertops and cabinets, paints, finishes, wall coverings and home energy systems.

For those harder-to-find green goods, check out EcoSeek.net, which bills itself as "the Internet's first green product search engine."

The site includes links to and in some cases reviews of more than 6,500 different green products from over 300 merchants.

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Talking salvation with the resident evangelist

Laurel Wright

It's hard to miss evangelist Micah Armstrong's sin-hating and Bible-thumping as he preaches on the Green. The Spinnaker sat down with Armstrong to talk about his views and why he speaks on college campuses across the state.

Why do you do this?

Well, I believe the Bible, and according to the Bible, if the Bible is true, the majority of people are going to end up in Hell. And so if I believe the Bible and I care about people, I am going to try to stop them from going to Hell. And a lot of the message that I am preaching is very seldom heard in churches or campuses ministries. A lot of times in America, people are only preaching a very small part of what the Bible says.

Do you do this as a job?

I was a school teacher down in Miami, and I owned a house and I used to go out on the street and preach every weekend and sometimes on weeknights for about three years. But God was always dealing with me to step out in faith, sell my house and resign from my job, so I could devote myself to preaching full-time. So yes, this is what I do all the time. I wouldn't call it a job, though.

Do you receive any compensation?

Well, I went out by faith. My local church supports me and I often preach in churches. You know, they support you some, and I have people that have been converted or influenced under this ministry, and they support me. Pretty much, it's a walk of faith.

What's the craziest thing students have done to you?

When I was here last October, the fraternities had taken the Green all up, so they moved me down in the corner and they were lobbing water-filled condoms at me. One time when I was at University of Central Florida - I preach on modesty and how women should dress modestly - and this girl, I guess she felt offended, so the next day she came out dressed as a nun. She had a big sign that said "No longer a whore."

Why preach on college campuses?

Most campuses have a free speech area. On a campus, you don't have to compete with a lot of noise. You don't have to compete with people getting drunk. People come out from class and they are ready to debate, and campuses have your future leaders of America, so if you really want to impact society you have to get to your future leaders. And another thing is that the younger people are less set in what they believe.

I have heard you say that you used to be a sinner. What caused you to have this revelation and start preaching?

Well, I grew up in sin. I grew up in a broken home. My parents were divorced. When I got out of high school, I began to realize there has got to be more to life than just living for the moment and living day to day. I began to seek the truth, and I started going to church and reading the Bible, and I kept seeing that what God was saying and what he is requiring were not being taught

What's your favorite campus to visit?

My favorite campus is UCF. You get good-sized crowds, and they are kind of playful and lively, but they listen well and are receptive. They came out with line of buttons and shirts that say stuff like "What would Brother Micah do?" or "Micah is my homeboy" with my picture on them. It's like we had a real impact there. I like UNF too, but this campus is unpredictable with the amount of listeners.

Do you ever lose your voice?

No, I don't.

Compiled by Laurel Wright.
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Winter weather gives rise to warm meal memories

By Alissa LaGesse
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Tomato Bisque is a sure-fire method for shaking off those winter winds.

As cool weather approaches, so do cravings for favorite winter meals.

Chris Warren, a freshman history major, loves his mom's lattice-top chicken when it gets cold outside.

"It reminds me of home, of good memories, and it is just plain delicious," he said. "To make it, combine all of the ingredients, which consist of bread, chicken, vegetables, and French-fried onions, and bake it for 20 minutes in the oven. Then put crescent rolls and cheese on top and put it back in the oven for a few more minutes."

Warren said his mom started making the meal while he was in high school, and he has loved it ever since.

Sephora Bruner, a sophomore psychology major, said that her mother's homemade shepherd's pie has always been her favorite winter meal.

"My mom makes a mean shepherd's pie," she said. "To make it, she puts green beans, lima beans, carrots, and other vegetables together with cheese and mashed potatoes. It's definitely my favorite, I love it because it reminds me of when I was little - my mom has just always made it for me."

Shannon Miller, freshman, said tomato bisque with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side has always hit the spot when the weather becomes cold.

"It's very simple to make," he said. "You just put the bisque in a bowl, heat it and make a grilled cheese sandwich. They are the best together. It's been my favorite meal since I was young, because it keeps me warm when it gets cold outside."

Miller added that, in order for the meal to be perfect, the bisque must be Campbell's.

Jenni Melear, a senior political science major, makes sure an old campfire favorite is not forgotten.

"S'mores are wonderful. Everyone knows how to make them," she said.

"S'mores always remind me of fall with my family when we used to go camping together when I was younger."

From traditional dishes eaten by everyone to favorite secret family recipes, students' palettes yearn for warmth and memories through certain meals.

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MOSH exhibit focuses on contributions to WWII

By Stephanie Pember
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Stephanie Pember

MOSH's downtown WWII exhibit chronicles Jacksonville's part in the war.

With the 66th anniversary of Pearl Harbor fast approaching, the Museum of Science and History has opened a new World War II exhibit featuring Jacksonville's role in the war.

The exhibit, called "Veterans Remember the War," gives visitors an up close look at life during WWII, including actual uniforms worn by active military personnel. There are also various examples of Victory products, which were produced to support the war effort, and several displays including pictures of veterans who either trained or lived in Jacksonville during that time along with their personal biographies.

The exhibit, which opened Veteran's Day weekend, will be on display through the end of January 2008.

Christy Leonard, curator of the exhibit, said people should take advantage of the exhibit now because it won't be too long before the war is relegated to the pages of history books.

"Many of the veterans are older now and won't be with us for much longer," she said. "It just gives students and other people interested in the war a chance to hear firsthand accounts from the veterans. It's a more hands-on way for students to learn about WWII, rather than reading about it in boring textbooks."

Leonard, a 2007 UNF graduate, was responsible for finding and gathering all of the items featured in the exhibit.

She was also put in charge of the design and installation of the exhibit, as well as finding and interviewing some of the veterans portrayed in the exhibit.

Leonard said she normally comes up with the ideas for history exhibits, but in this case, MOSH President Michael Oberg brought the idea to her.

"He was inspired by the Ken Burns documentary series called 'The War,'" she said. "He wanted to do the exhibit as a tribute to veterans."

Many local veterans are pleased to see the exhibit on display.

"It is very important to me," said William S. Surcey, one of the WWII veterans featured in the exhibit. "Things I thought very little of made me appreciate this program. It made me realize that what I did wasn't done in vain."

The WWII exhibit is different from all the other exhibits in the museum because it is specific to one point and time, said Sara Rugroden, a junior anthropology major and MOSH intern.

"There is a central focus on the Jacksonville city and WWII in Jacksonville at that point in time," she said.

Leonard said people will learn about the practical aspects of the war while visiting the exhibit.

"They will learn a lot about what soldiers looked like and the equipment that they carried," she said.

"They'll experience Jacksonville during wartime through the display of various home front items. Visitors will also learn about the training centers in Jacksonville during the war."

Alan Bliss, a visiting history instructor at UNF, knows a lot about life in Jacksonville during WWII.

"I think it's extremely timely because of the renewed interest in the war, and because it's a good way to acknowledge the living veterans who make their home here in Jacksonville," he said.

Hayley Logeson, a graduate anthropology student, said the exhibit is interesting in its relevance to American foreign affairs today.

"A lot of our peers are at war over in Iraq and Afghanistan," she said.

"Unless you know someone personally in the war, you remain very far removed much of the time from what's going on in the war and overseas. Regardless of your political viewpoints or where you stand in whether or not we should be in the war or withdraw, we should not forget what our country has gone through in the past."

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Black Friday brings out beast in consumers

By Robert Orndoff
STAFF WRITER

It was the day before Thanksgiving when the call came. It was my editor on the other end, and he didn't have a holiday greeting. He had an assignment. They needed someone to cover the day after Thanksgiving - a day appropriately referred to as Black Friday.

I explained that I had no plan to take part in the mayhem and possible carnage that would take place the next day. He made it clear that there was more danger in not covering the story. The Features Editor is exceptional at finding the worst places on the human body to prod with a letter opener.

There is something unnatural about waking up at 4:30 a.m., only hours after gorging on stuffing and pumpkin pie. A tightness in my stomach and a general anger toward my consciousness at such an hour kept me checked into my bed. For a while I just lay there, thinking about the unnatural acts I would witness from people who on any other day were ordinary humans.

At 5:28 a.m., it is impossible to get from the middle lane on San Jose Boulevard northbound into the right lane. Not that there isn't space - it's just that on Black Friday, nothing is shared, not even the road. I hadn't even made it to the first store yet and I already remembered why I never go out on this day. It was old school rules: Take or be taken from. Charles Darwin would have been proud of all of us - every person, whether they were pushing a shopping cart or driving erratically to keep someone from getting ahead in line. Everyone was a little Genghis Khan on Black Friday.

At 5:45 a.m., in the Target parking lot at the St. Johns Town Center, a line had formed. That would be the last civil act of the early-morning shoppers before the clock struck 6 a.m. Police were assigned both inside and out, and the tallest Target employees were at the door. The line passed the end of the store and blocked the entrance to many others. As long as the line was, it took less than two minutes for the red beast to draw everyone into its sliding-door maw.

On an individual level, the crowd appeared to be in chaos; but when concentrating on the deluge of bodies collectively, it became obvious a single conscience had emerged with one thought: "To the electronics department!"

That department seemed, in a matter of minutes, to become the nexus of misery in the store. Almost all the shoppers were there and the temperature elevated almost instantly. It became impossible to move to a place where some body part wasn't touching either another person or a rack of CDs. People began asking others to move with the kind of look on their faces that said, "Nothing's gonna stand between me and a 20-inch flat-screen, bub."

The density brought people to a frenzied state. The struggle between reptilian and mammalian brains could be seen as people began to start making the choices between staying with their clan and going after their goodies. Groups of friends were the first to break up, then some families. Mothers metamorphosed into American Gladiators meant to battle with other moms in the service of their masters - their own screaming children, who demand nothing less than a Nintendo Wii. Some were vanquished, others succeeded.

The heat, the pressure, and the noise were all getting to me, and I had been trying to get out of there since everyone arrived. Finally, I found a series of holes that actually led out of the electronics department. I hid between two rows of greeting cards and it is there, in a section that sells mostly intangibles, that I found a relative solitude where I could collect my thoughts and lick my wounds.

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Jacksonville punk band dreams of Nepal

By Laurel Wright
ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

The members of Mad Science decided long ago that if they could spend time recording anywhere in the world, they would choose a cliff side in Nepal for its seclusion.

Although this seems a bit unexpected coming from a band that says they live off the audience, Mad Science tends to be surprising.

The band best describes their music as "spontaneous rocking" and compares themselves to "any band that kicks ass" or, to be more specific, progressive punk/rock that still represents the old-school ways.

Mad Science's stage presence is unique, with drummer Jeremy Parks singing approximately half of their songs. The band said they like to split up their singing so that each member has a chance to jam and focus on the music without having to worry about the lyrics.

Bassist Adam Dolin is known for dancing all around the stage, and guitarist/vocalist Travis Eldridge feeding off the audience.

"We keep it real - keep the music real and we rock the f--- out," said Parks, a UNF sophomore psychology major.

"We all just try to rock as hard as we humanly possibly can for that short amount of time."

Parks and Eldridge said the band's lyrics often address issues that the members face, like being broke, being on probation, having a hard time in school, and working at bad jobs.

"You are exposed to so much stuff in college that it just makes it easier to put into perspective what you want to make your songs about," Parks said.

Eldridge said that working a job that he doesn't like just to get by inspires most of the lyrics he writes.

"It's like my own little Groundhogs Day," he said.

Crazy occurrences during the shows are common for the band, which has experienced, among other events, audience members jumping up on stage and mosh pits continuing outside after the show, Parks said.

"Every night is just another story," Dolin said. "There is always something to look back on."

Dolin is living in Ocala, away from the other two members of the band, so practicing can be challenging at times, but when the members get together the music flows, he said.

"I like that I can show up and we can produce, and nothing is ever a problem," Dolin said.

"If there is a problem, we can get over it. We are all in it together."

The members have been playing together for about two years.

They got their name because Parks was mad at science, because science was proving things wrong.

"We just started thinking of things that we wanted to believe but science was proving wrong," said Eldridge.

Mad Science's next show will be Dec. 21 at the Landshark Cafe in Atlantic Beach. Playing with Mad Science are the bands Bound and Gunwitch.

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Facebooksnooping causes :(

Just Ask Jess

Dear Jess,
I'm having trouble trusting my boyfriend of seven months.

He is the love of my life and I want to trust him, but I just don't know how.

In my last relationship, I was cheated on and it hurt so much, I don't want to go through that painful process again.

I recently started checking my boyfriend's Facebook, and I found he has been talking to another girl.

At first it wasn't inappropriate - they were just rekindling a friendship - but now I think it gone too far.

He calls her sexy and says other inappropriate things, and it hurts me to read this.

This girl lives all the way in Mississippi, so I know he could never do anything physical with her, but can't his words be cheating also?

I love him so much and I don't want to lose him, what should I do?

Trusting Trouble

Dear Trusting Trouble,
Stop! You are playing a dangerous game and you are sabotaging your relationship.

If you want to trust your boyfriend, it has to start with you. You are setting your boyfriend up for failure when you look at his private messages without his permission, and you are not even giving him a chance to earn your trust.

Now, let me address your first question: Can words be cheating also? Yes, they can be.

It's not so much about him doing something physical with another woman - it's the intent behind what he is doing.

Here's what I want you to keep in mind.

You will never fix this problem unless you show a little self-control and stop reading his private messages.

Don't forget the power of communication, either. Talk to him and tell him you looked at his private messages and what you read hurt you. Tell him exactly how you feel in a mature conversation.

Please realize looking at his private messages is wrong and you want to trust him. Ask him to change his password so you don't go looking again.

Look, love can be hard and painful, and I know you are afraid of being made a fool, but love is also fulfilling and you are selling yourself short.

Jess

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Oddball Antics

By Mike Pingree
MCCLATCHY TRIBUNE

Don't arrest me, I have big plans for tonight
Conservation officers spotted a 42-year-old woman in a wedding dress with a bag of marijuana in a minivan parked by Saltmarsh Pond in Eastern New Hampshire. When they knocked on her window, she drove through the parking lot and right into the pond.

Uh, honey, is there anything you want to ask me? Hint, hint
After years of being the one who initiated sex in his marriage, a man in Brisbane, Australia, decided to take the pressure off his wife and told her, "I'll make no more advances until you ask me." As a result, they haven't had sexual relations in eight years.

That's right, I said the suspect is five feet tall and covered in fur
A black bear spotted a bag of candy in a minivan in Highland Lakes, N.J., so he smashed the window and crawled in to get it.

But, the animal accidentally dislodged the parking brake and took the vehicle for a short ride before escaping into the woods. Police found claw marks and bear drool inside the minivan and a trail of candy wrappers.

Looks like we have a pretty good case your honor
A 60-year-old man in Duisberg, Germany, was charged with exposing himself in public.

He went before a judge, and, while in the courtroom, he exposed himself again.

Yes, hello, officer, where the heck is my beer?
A man called the 911 police emergency line in Hebron, Conn., because he ran out of beer and wanted the police to bring him some.

When they refused to respond to his request, he called back several more times, so they came and arrested him.

Well, if you don't want him, I figure he's all mine
After her daughter broke up with her 13-year-old boyfriend, a 39-year-old Wisconsin woman took up with the lad and embarked on a sexual relationship that ended with her arrest.

Hey, come back here
Despite being confined to a wheelchair because his right leg was amputated due to heroin abuse, a man armed himself with a knife and attempted to rob people on the streets of Weston-super-Mare, England.

He rolled up to several people and demanded their cash, but they just walked away.

This sounds like a crazy idea, but it just might work
Three inmates at the Wooroloo Prison Farm in Australia were ordered to wash one of the institution's Toyota Landcruisers. They jumped into the vehicle and escaped.

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