Category Archives: Entertainment

Movies/TV/Theaters

New November Netflix TV shows and movies

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The streaming service, Netflix, is adding many new great and binge-worthy TV shows in the month of November like Marvel’s Punisher and Stranger. They will also be adding new movies to Netflix this month like Men in Black with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones and Darkness Rising. We will be giving you brief descriptions of a few of the new fun and exciting TV shows and movies being added in November to Netflix.

Starting on November 1st, you can enjoy Stranger: Season 1. The preview for the series states: “With the help of a gutsy female detective, a prosecutor who has lost the ability to feel empathy tackles a murder case amid political corruption.” With actors like Seung-woo Cho and Donna Bae, it should be a great series to watch!

The other most noteworthy series being added, is the much anticipated Marvel TV show Punisher. The show information reads: “A former Marine out to punish the criminals responsible for his family’s murder finds himself ensnared in a military conspiracy.” It stars former The Walking Dead actor Jon Bernthal, and should be a very thrilling and exciting Marvel Netflix series!

Also available November 1st, is Men in Black. The 1997 movie is about a cop who is enlisted to work with a retired government agent. They work as a team to monitor space aliens living on Earth. If you like action and adventure, and comedy you’ll love this movie. It is a little under an hour and a half and rated PG-13. This movie also stars famous actors, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Tommy Lee Jones, and Rip Torn, along with many other great actors.

If you like scary movies, and horror is your favorite genre, Darkness Rising is for you. The 2017 movie is about a woman and her friends breaking into their childhood home, which is abandoned. At the home, her mother went crazy and almost murdered as a child. Darkness Rising stars Tara Holt, Christian Ganiere, and Bryce Johnson. This terrifying movie received a 3.3 rating on IMDb and will be released on Netflix November 27th; giving you plenty of time to watch other shows and movies.

For more information see:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/netflix-november-2017-new-releases-movies-tv-1051740/item/nov-4-netflix-s-new-releases-coming-november-2017-1051683

http://www.vulture.com/2017/10/whats-new-on-netflix-november-2017.html

Travel/Food

DIY Halloween treats

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Halloween is great for indulging on festive treats, and for getting free candy! Or cheap candy on November 1st when all the Halloween candy is on sale. But who says you need to wait until Halloween day to enjoy these treats. Whether you’re throwing a party, going to one, or just want something fun and easy to do with friends or family, here are some Halloween themed treats.

Oreo Pops

This is one of the easiest recipes I could find, and it’s fun to do with your younger family members! This specific recipe is extra fun if you’re a big The Nightmare Before Christmas fan.

Ingredients:

  • Oreos
  • White chocolate melts/candy coating
  • Lollipop sticks  
  • Black icing/edible pen
  • Black ribbon (for decorating, optional)

You’ll want to melt the white chocolate and put a little bit on the lollipop sticks so they stick better to the Oreos and let them set for a few minutes. Once they’re set, dip the entire Oreo in the white chocolate and let them set in the freezer. Once the white chocolate has completely set use the black icing to make Jack Skellington’s face and enjoy!

Full recipe at: https://www.bigbearswife.com/jack-skellington-oreo-pops-sundaysupper/

Halloween candy bark

This recipe is perfect if you’re invited somewhere last minute and want to take a treat, or for after Halloween, after you’ve got all your candy either from trick-or-treating or buying it all on sale!

Ingredients:

  • Chocolate melts/candy coating of your choice
  • Edible candy eyes
  • Candy of your choice

Melt the chocolate and spread over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and while it’s still tacky, top it with the candy, and the candy eyes!

Full recipe at: https://www.justataste.com/halloween-candy-bark/

Cheese and pretzel broomsticks

If you still want to make fun halloween treats, but want something on the healthier side, these are perfect for you! It’s also a two-ingredient recipe!

Ingredients:

  • String cheese
  • Pretzel sticks

Start by cutting the string cheese into thirds or fourths and spread the cheese apart so they look more like the bottoms of brooms. Be careful to not spread the cheese too much, because when you put the pretzel stick in the cheese could split. 

Full recipe at: http://onelittleproject.com/halloween-treat-cheese-pretzel-broomsticks/

If you decide to make any of these make sure to tweet us pictures @hpshplaidline!

Entertainment, Tech/Games

Social media

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Social media is great for a lot of reasons: it can educate us, bring us closer together to those who we admire, it’s cheap entertainment, and new friends are just a click away. Another way social media positively impacts us, is it can help us with today’s world. For example, “social media is an integral part of today’s society” according to an article on Teenshiled.com.

Although social media positively impacts resilience, it can also negatively impact it too. For example, infographic states that social media “Takes away time we can spend face to face” This shows that social media can negatively impact a person because instead of spending time with their family or friends, they rely on technology for interaction and entertainment. Addiction to social media can, and will, take away time from the things that are important to you. A lot of studies, like one found on Time.com, even show that social media can make you dumber.

Another negative impact of social media is cyber bullying. Many people decide to bully other people behind a screen. Cyber bullying is a major issue that affects many teenagers’ lives. Bullying is definitely not right, but it’s harder when someone you don’t know keeps harassing you. It even makes it harder to seek help, or confront them, because you don’t know who they are.

What many people don’t know is that social media makes a lot of money off of people. According to Social Networking “ Social network ad spending reached $23.68 billion in 2015 and should reach $35.98 billion by the end of 2017.” Sites like Facebook. Twitter, Tumblr etc. might be free, but they still get money from users that have accounts. So, you might think no money is being made from you, but the truth is these sites and other social media sites are making money off of your entertainment.

Another thing that’s wrong about social media is that your privacy could be invaded. Whatever you post on your social media site is public, so it can be seen by anyone. Many jobs actually look at their candidates post to determine what interests this person. So, if you are a person that posts problematic things, just remember it’s public and everyone can see it, even your future boss.

Social media is a great place to explore yourself, but it also has negative parts to it. Just make sure you’re careful.

Entertainment

Lana Del Rey Concert

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By: Ali and Eddie

Lana Del Rey officially released her United States tour dates on Wednesday, the 27th of September, and her tour starter is in, you guessed it – Minneapolis. The “Blue Jeans” singer came out with an album this year titled Lust for Life and it featured popular artists like The Weeknd and Stevie Nicks on “Beautiful People, Beautiful Problems” that reached number one within days of its release.

Del Rey’s new mood, and change of rhythm, has sparked controversy between fans who swooned over the old melancholy and depressing songs in her albums Ultraviolence and Born to Die and are not feeling some of the new upbeat melodies in her new album. Fans are also disappointed that 5 out of 16 of the tracks on Lust for Life are all features and collaborations with more mainstream artists, which seems to be pointing to the conclusion that she did this for more recognition in the music industry. However, Del Rey has continued to deliver her beautifully haunting voice vocals in LFL , and touches on subjects such as: homelessness, death, love, war, and beauty.

Tickets are now on sale for the Lana Del Rey concert at Target Center, here in the Twin Cities, January 5th, with special guests Jhene Aiko and Kali Uchis. All ages are welcome and tickets start at 40$.

Entertainment, Movies/TV/Theaters

Halloween movie reviews

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by: Zoe Greiner and Montana Pelletier

Movies reviewed:
Hocus Pocus (1993), Halloweentown (1998), Twitches (2005), The Shining (1980), Scream (1996), The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Hocus Pocus (1993)
Rating: PG
Stars: 5/5
Actors: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, Omri Katz, Sean Murray, Doug Jones
Thoughts: An utter classic. It brings me back to the Halloweens of my childhood, when I sat in my living room in the absolute dark, eating myself into a coma. It has many silly moments and silly characters, but has a serious theme that all kids with siblings can connect to. There are also a few adultish references that still make me laugh now.
You can find it on freeform.go for free with commercials

image taken from: https://a.dilcdn.com/bl/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2016/01/Halloweentown-THEN-.jpg

Halloweentown (1998)
Rating: G
Stars: 3.5/5
Actors: Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown, Judith Hoag, Joey Zimmerman, Emily Roeske, Phillip Van Dyke
Thoughts: In complete Disney Channel fashion, this movie starts out with an angsty teenager and a cool grandmother. There was sibling rivalry and the plot was predictable. I will always find joy in a fantasy-esque Disney movie that grasps a teenage dream of being extraordinary. However, the acting is subpar and reminds me of every bad Disney show ever. So, overall, it’s great if you want to relive the glory days, but watching it again is seriously questionable.
You can find it on iTunes, Amazon Video, YouTube, and Google Play for 3 to 6 dollars.

Twitches (2005)
Rating: PG
Stars: 3/5
Actors: Tia Mowry, Tamera Mowry, Kristen Wilson, Patrick Fabian, Jennifer Robertson, Pat Kelly
Thoughts: Wowza. Another bad Disney film that I loved as a child. Somehow, the acting isn’t as important, as the story itself, when watching kids movies. The storyline in itself could be fascinating, but the fact that it feels like a soap opera ruins it. The twins, Tia and Tamera, haven’t done a lot now, and it’s kind of understandable because only kids want to watch that acting.
You can find it on iTunes, Amazon Video, YouTube, and Google Play.

The Shining (1980)
Rating: R
Stars: 4.5/5
Actors: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Joe Turkel, Barry Nelson
Thoughts: The Shining is a classic that has few faults. This is a great combination of jump scares and thrilling mind games. As the movie continues, you start to be driven crazy, just like main character. It’s a fully immersive storyline that draws you in immediately. If you are into oldies, then you’ll love this.

Scream (1996)
Rating: R
Stars: 3/5
Actors: Drew Barrymore, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Jamie Kennedy, Liev Schreiber
Thoughts: Although bloody, this movie is undeniably funny. The mix of betrayal, gore, and mystery, combined with witty and quick jokes make this perfect for Halloween. However, it is difficult to get attached to the characters which stops this movie from trapping your attention like it wants to.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Rating: R
Stars: 2.5/5
Actors: Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, Michael C. Williams
Thoughts: From this movie came the Paranormal Activity style of horror films. Handheld camera, first person POV, and completely relatable characters. Because this movie was the first of its kind, it wasn’t executed wonderfully. The idea behind never really seeing the witch, and leaving a mind boggling amount of questions with you, is admirable, but stopped you from enjoying yourself completely. If you consider yourself a movie-hipster, watch this. But don’t expect to get very scared.

Entertainment, Events, News

The origin and brief history of Halloween

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It’s that time of year again! That’s right, it’s almost Halloween, my personal favorite. Halloween is a holiday that, in modern times, celebrates ghosts, ghouls, zombies and anything spooky really. And of course, free candy! Who doesn’t love the free candy? However, Halloween is a very old holiday with a rich history that not many know about, including myself. So I researched the origin and history of my favorite holiday and here’s what I found.

Halloween originated in Celtic tradition with a festival called Samhain (pronounced sow-in), which was celebrated on the same day as modern Halloween. During Samhain people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. During this day, Pagans believed that the worlds between the afterlife and the living aligned, allowing ghosts to walk freely around the living world. They believed the ghosts would wreak havoc on their crops and spread illness.

In the 7th century, Pope Gregory III dedicated May 13th as a time to honor the saints, which included some aspects of Samhain, and during this time they would commemorate the dead.

In the 9th century it was changed to November 1st. Many historians believe it was changed to overshadow the Pagan festival. It was called All Saints Day, and the night before that was called All Hallows’ Eve which was later called Halloween.

By 1550s, Allhallowtide – a three day event, was recognized and almost obligatory in most of Europe. During these three days people would mourn the dead, dressed in black, and treat on soul cakes which were given out to remember the dead.

The 1700s is when some of the modern practices of Halloween come into play. People celebrating Samhain, would go door-to-door exchanging sung songs for food, and doing so while in costume, of course. Some would play pranks on people and hold lanterns made of gourds to imitate the malicious spirits that come out during Samhain. Even bobbing for apples was recorded in Scotland, but it was called “dooking.”

During the 1800s an influx of Scottish and Irish immigrants came to the U.S. bringing along their Halloween traditions.

Which brings us back to the present. Now, Halloween’s humble beginnings are but a tale lost, mostly, to time. And possibly bad record keeping.

For more information about the origins of Halloween, please check out the following websites:

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/timeline-origin-halloween-article-1.2406149

http://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween

Advice/How To, Tech/Games

Don’t text while driving

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Why not to text while driving
The main reason not to text while driving is because it kills innocent people and probably the person who is driving. If someone is texting you, don’t look right at your phone, instead, wait until you make a full stop.

According to the FCC (Federal Communications Commision), people who text and drive think that they can get away with it without getting caught. In a recent study conducted by the FCC, it was shown that 18% of crashes were caused by drivers who were texting while driving.

In 2012, the FCC reported that 3,328 people were killed and around 420,000 people were injured. Texting forces you to take your hands of the wheel. Statistics have shown (FCC) that 40% of teens admitted to texting while driving. In most states, texting and driving is against the law.

Texting while driving happens at about the same rate for both men and women. That means that both genders text while driving.

How to avoid texting while driving
Staying off your phone while driving can be difficult. Once you hear a ring or a buzz, you are likely to be distracted, which means your eyes will be pulled from the road. Here are some tips to abide being distracted while driving:

  • The first thing you could do is to turn your phone on silent, especially while driving. That will help you to focus more on the road than your phone.
  • If that doesn’t work, then completely shut off your phone so you don’t start texting and causing distractions.
  • If those 2 steps don’t work out for you, then keep your phone out of reach, but don’t put it near you.
  • Lastly, download an app that prevents you from texting while driving.

These tips should help prevent you from texting while driving. It is important to be alert at all times and not be a distracted driver.

Entertainment, Movies/TV/Theaters

Documentary review: 13th

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“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

-The 13th Amendment

The amendment above, is what this documentary centers its historical timeline on. The documentary 13th, directed by Ava DuVernay, explores the history of U.S. racial inequality. 13th is filled with many shocking statistics, audio recordings of U.S. leaders, and videos of hate crimes against black people. The documemntary also focuses on the fact that the U.S. prison population is disproportionately filled with black people. 13th analyzes the way society views black people and the history behind the racist caricature of black people as thugs.

Usually I’m not a fan of documentaries, but this one is one that is worth the watch. While watching it, I couldn’t help but get engrossed in the way information was presented, and to be in shock at the statistics presented.

13th has a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, an 8.2/10 on IMDb, and recieved overall glowing reviews.

Advice/How To, Entertainment

Fall fun in Minnesota

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Start your fall off right with our fun seasonal activities in and around St.Paul!!

Activities:
We’ve got the best apple orchards. Head on down to Pine Tree Apple Orchard (450 Apple Orchard Rd, White Bear Lake, MN 55110 ) for some great apple picking, corn mazes, baked goods, pumpkins, cute photo opportunities and more! Another exciting orchard for all ages is the Minnetonka Orchards (6530 County Road 26, Minnetrista, MN 55364). With scenic, and pet friendly grounds, this is the place to find the best tasting apples, nature trails, play areas, petting zoo animals, a corn maze and more! Visit the orchard from 10am to 7pm any day of the week!

Pumpkin patches are also the ultimate multi-purpose fall item! Head down to Afton Apple Orchard (14421 So. 90th St. Hastings, MN 55033) to find pumpkins of every shape and size! They have pumpkins for all your decoration, carving, and cooking needs. You can also find many other great foods to pick, such as apples, raspberries, strawberries, and more! It’s family friendly and open 7 days a week!

If you are looking for the perfect fall outing, Twin Cities Harvest Festival is the perfect place for you!!! Pick any chilly day and drive on up to Brooklyn Park for endless fun! Included in your $10 ticket is a corn maze (largest in Minnesota!!), hay bale maze, hayride, corn pit, petting zoo, live music, and more! When I was there I even held a baby kangaroo!! Go with family or friends and it will be a day you will look back on and remember how amazing fall is!! More information can be found here https://twincitiesmaze.com/

Haunted house! Everyone loves a good scare! Head on over to Valleyscare for rides full of fun and a haunted house that’ll make you scream! 1 Valley Fair Dr, Shakopee, MN 55379.

Have you ever gotten so into a horror story that you felt like you were in it? Well, you have the chance to actually immerse yourself into a haunted story at The Haunted Basement (Building 9 of 2010 East Hennepin Avenue). You can step right into an artist-created and terrifying environment. With real life actors there for one purpose (to scare you), you’re sure to be chilled to the bone!

In need of fresh fall fruits and vegetables? Or some artsy food photos? Head on over to the Lowertown Farmer’s Market for some healthy snacks and a lot of fun!!

Movie nights! Everyone loves Halloween movies and snuggling in warm blankets with popcorn and snacks. Here are some of our favorite movies that would make your Halloween movie marathon great!

Family friendly movies:
Halloween Town (1-3)
Twitches 1 & 2
Hocus Pocus
It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!
The Addam’s Family

If you’re more into being scared this fall, here’s a list of our favorite super scary horror movies!
The Conjuring
The Shining
It
The Babadook
American Werewolf in London
The Blair Witch Project

image taken from: https://www.today.com/recipes/spiralized-apple-pie-t104613

Food:
No one can argue that apple pie is an undeniable staple of fall. The smell of the oven when you come in to warm up after enjoying a chilly fall day is an unbeatable feeling. Homemade apple pie is the best way to do it, so we found the best recipe for you!! It is from Taste of Home and only takes 20 minutes to prepare!! It can be found here: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/apple-pie, and we suggest to eat with some cold vanilla ice cream, enjoy!!!

Soup is another great fall food for everyone to enjoy. It is perfect for being cozy and making you feel better when that fall cold comes around. Here are some great soup recipes that are easy to make and will guarantee to make you nice and toasty.
http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/g3026/fall-soup-recipes/?slide=13

Apples is the signature fruit of fall. There is so much you can do with them like make candy apples or caramel apples or apple salad and more! Here are some great apple recipes that will make the most of your fruit.
https://www.bettycrocker.com/menus-holidays-parties/mhplibrary/seasonal-ideas/our-freshest-picks-for-apple-desserts?&int=td&rc=&gclid=eaiaiqobchmit8hvyolu1givxesgch0ceg-jeaayasaaegjpffd_bwe
http://www.thekitchn.com/30-must-make-apple-recipes-for-fall-223857

Who doesn’t love bread (if you are gluten free or just don’t like bread I sincerely apologize)? Bread is an essential part of many meals, especially fall meals. There are many different kinds of bread that could satisfy your sweet tooth or just be the perfect addition for your soup. Here are some great bread recipes that will give you a new love for bread.
https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/fall-breads/24/

Potatoes are always a great idea. No matter the weather nothing is better than a nice dinner with potatoes. There are all kinds of different potatoes to satisfy your potato need. Here are some great potato recipes.
http://www.thekitchn.com/potato-chips-to-bacon-bites-14-129309

There are a million more fun things to do this fall in Minnesota, but we hope you found something to do, see, or eat!

School Life, Tech/Games

New iPads

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For the next school year, teachers and students will be given new iPads to use for school. The new iPads will have a different case, along with a keyboard. The case and keyboard are navy blue. The keyboard can be attached and detached easily. The keyboard does not have touch pads, but has everything else on it.

The reasons why the school decided to get these new iPads is because they have a three year lease on them, and have been planning to get new iPads for a while now. Also, the new iPads have 128 gigabytes whereas the old ones had just 16. With more gigabytes, it will be easier for students to use the iPads, and make movies for school projects. Another reason for the change, is because the old iPads would eventually break down, so keeping the old iPads wouldn’t be worth it. Plus, the new iPads are more durable to use.

The school hopes to pass out the iPads sooner next year. The paper for getting an iPad will still be online, so students and parents can access it. The plan for passing out the new iPads is to maybe pass them out even before school starts, so students could possibly come pick up their iPad in late August or early September.