Category Archives: Entertainment

Advice/How To, Entertainment

The best parks with walking paths in Minnesota

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Now that the weather is getting nicer, many of us who enjoy walks and want to get more exercise are looking for places to go for walking. There are many walking paths in the Twin Cities. Minnehaha Regional Park, Swede Hollow Park near Dayton’s Bluff, Fort Snelling State Park, and Harriet Island Regional Park, are some of the walking paths that aren’t too far from the Highland Park area. All these parks have history behind them, and today they are used for site seeing, and are calm recreational places for us all to enjoy.

Minnehaha Regional Park is right across the Ford Parkway bridge. It’s known for it’s big waterfall. Minnehaha Regional Park has walking paths along the Minnehaha Creek, it allows you to follow it as it makes it’s way to the Mississippi River. The path is a beautiful, calm environment. Walking along the water can make your walk more exciting. It’s very family-friendly, and pet-friendly, and wildlife is all around. Biking is also available at Minnehaha Park; you can rent bikes for you and your friends and family and biking is a great way to get exercise.

Swede Hollow Park is near Dayton’s Bluff on the East Side of St. Paul. It is near the Mississippi River and Downtown St. Paul. This Nature Park has great views of the city, and the change of noises you hear in the park is remarkable; with all the traffic around the park you wouldn’t expect it to be a very quiet and secluded recreational spot. Swede Hollow has bike paths and walking paths all throughout the park. At the northern part of the park, there is a assemblage of stones arranged in circles that are very cool to see.

Fort Snelling State Park was built in the 1800s and is located by the Mississippi River in Hennepin county. It is a great place to go for a day outside and for a glimpse into the life of our past, involving civil rights and the lifestyle that came with it. Some of the State Park’s attributes include multiple hiking trails along the river, a beach for swimming in the summer, tours, and scenes/displays of how it was like to live daily at this military base in the 1820’s. These scenes/displays include the jobs and standards of men in the military, nurses, families, blacksmiths, and slaves. Fort Snelling offers many different opportunities depending on what you are looking for, and it is great for people of all ages.

photo taken from Saint Paul, Minnesota: The most livable city in America

Harriet Island Regional Park is located along the Mississippi and is near downtown Saint Paul, with a bridge as the connection. Harriet Island is one of the most popular parks in the Twin Cities with its beautiful views and spacious grounds. The park offers great scenery and picnic areas, perfect for a day out. These grounds are known to be great for hosting events such as weddings, festivals, etc. Playgrounds, tents, and many hiking and biking trails are available to the public as well.

Advice/How To, Local, Travel/Food

Staycation on a budget

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Stuck at home with no pocket money this spring break? There’s an easy solution to your problem: a staycation on a budget. This entails adventuring in the Twin Cites with little to no money.

Right now you may be asking yourself, so what exactly is a staycation? Well to answer your question, a staycation is when you explore where you live as if you were someone visiting on a vacation.

Although the Twin Cities are always lively and buzzing, it can be hard to see them like so, especially in early spring. When winter comes to a close, so do most outdoor winter activities (i.e. ice skating, tubing, skiing, etc.) and because it’s wet and muddy out in early spring, it’s not ideal weather for outdoor activities in general.

However, if you’re willing to venture out into the wild and get a little muddy, here are some fun, inexpensive places to go outdoors this spring break.

  • Hidden Falls Regional Park- A more casual park that is great for picnicking and hanging out with friends in Saint Paul. There are bonfire pits, BBQ grills and also bike and hiking trails. This is free.
  • Fort Snelling- A national historical land mark located in Saint Paul. Fort Snelling is a great place to learn about military history, starting before the Civil War, and going up to World War II. The commission price ranges from $6-$10.
  • High Bridge Dog Park- A 7 acre off-leash dog park in Saint Paul. This park is ideal for both dog lovers and dog owners. This is free.
  • Minnehaha Park and Falls- A huge beautiful scenic park filled with paths, bridges, and waterfalls located in Minneapolis. There is also a great restaurant in the park. This is free.

If you’re more of an indoor explorer, here are some inexpensive indoor actives in the Twin Cities.

  • Minneapolis Institute of Arts- A large fine art museum in Minneapolis. The art covers over a 5,000 year time period. They are closed Mondays, open 10am to 5 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, 10am to 9pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and 11am to 5pm on Sundays. Entry is free, but special exhibits require tickets.
  • Walker Art Museum and Sculpture Garden- A large multidisciplinary contemporary art center in Minneapolis. There is also a sculpture garden across the street from the museum that is free. Within the sculpture garden there is a sculpture mini golf course, the price ranges from $9-$19, however, the tickets include free gallery admission. Museum admission fee ranges from $9-$14. The Walker is closed Monday, open daily 11am-5pm, except for on Thursdays when The Walker is open from 11am-9pm and admission is free.
  • Wabsha Caves Swing Dancing- Lively swing dancing and live music every Thursday night at the Wabasha Caves in Saint Paul. Doors open at 6pm and there are swing dancing lessons at 6:15pm. Live music goes from 7pm until 9pm. Entry fee is $8 and the required speakeasy password is “Gus sent me”. You must wear shoes on the dance floor, and try to dress up! On other days of the week there are tours going on (historical, gangster, and haunted) in the caves, however, these tend to be more pricey (around $20). There is also a great waffle and coffee joint outside of the caves.

These are just a few examples of places you could go and explore this spring break. You can also find events going on near you on websites such as http://www.citypages.com/calendar, http://www.minneapolis.org/visitor/calendar/, and www.visitsaintpaul.com/events-calendar/.

Good luck exploring the Twin Cities, and happy spring breakinging!

Entertainment, Movies/TV/Theaters

Jackie chans’s Project A

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This movie takes place in China about 1983 when China’s Royal Navy is trying to capture pirates.    

The theme of the movie is action. Playing the main character of Sergeant Dragon Ma is Jackie Chan. He is part of the Hong Kong Marine Police’s effort to suppress the pirates, who have been raiding ships for months. Members of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, and the MP, who have  strong interservice rivalries, get into a fight in a bar. Shortly after this, Captain Chi (Kwan Hoi-san) releases all of the sailors to their commanding officer, and two of the MP’s ships get blown up.

Over all this movie deserves a 3 out of 5 stars

Even though the movie is a couple years old, I recommend this movie to all people that like action, and who don’t mind watching some old movies. Although this movie is not in theaters, you can watch it on Netflix, Hulu, or any other movie streaming website service.

Entertainment, Movies/TV/Theaters

Five best restaurants in the Highland area

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If you’re a student looking for places to eat in the Highland area, don’t look any further, here are the five best restaurants around (in no particular order).

The Cleveland Wok is a high quality Chinese buffet featuring staple items like egg rolls and sweet and sour chicken. They have great service and the food is fairly priced. However, parking is hard in the street; you most likely will have to park in the back of the bank next to it. The Cleveland Wok deserves to be on this list because they have excellent value and service.

The Neighborhood Cafe is much more than a cafe. It provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with happy hour specials. It is on Selby and Snelling, but if you take the 84X after school, which is right next to the school buses, you can get there fast. The Neighborhood Cafe deserves to be on this list because of the big portions they serve for a good price. It also has a cozy environment and the staff is friendly.

Smashburger is a chain restaurant that serves not only burgers, but also chicken sandwiches, salads, and shakes. The burgers come in a large variety of options, along with the create your own option. One of the unique burgers they offer is the Buffalo & Blue Cheese burger, that has buffalo sauce and an egg bun. The atmosphere is very hipster-like and relaxed. It deserves to be on this list because of the wide variety Smashburger provides.

The Highland Grill is a little more pricey than the other options, but the food is definitely worth it. The Highland Grill provides a large array of American breakfasts and entrees. The atmosphere of the Highland Grill is very social; on warm nights you can usually find people relaxing just outside the restaurant socializing while enjoying their meal. It deserves to be on the list because of its beautiful decoration and chic style.

Which Wich, a restaurant that specializes in subs and sandwiches, is located on Ford Parkway right next to the Walgreens. For a sandwich shop, they have a lot of variety. From vegan options to seafood. The food is reasonably priced and uses high quality ingredients. The wait is usually not that long and you can either eat in or take out. It deserves to be on this list because of it’s creativity in sandwiches.

Advice/How To, School Life, Travel/Food

College visit tips and tricks

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College visits can be daunting and hard to prepare for. After a few visits, you start to figure out how to prepare for future visits. Here are a few tips and tricks that I have come up with after going on multiple visits.

  • Wear comfortable clothing – Since most tours include a campus tour, you will be moving around a lot. Wearing comfortable clothing will help you focus more on the actual tour and not worry about your aching feet or your warm sweater.
  • Stay hydrated – Most college visits can last a few hours. When you take the campus tour you will be taking lots of stairs and you will be walking around quite a lot. Staying hydrated is key to making sure you won’t be distracted by how thirsty you are.
  • Take notes – College visits almost always include an admissions presentation. There is always important information that you’ll need to know so it is a good idea to bring a small notepad with a pen or pencil. When you go back to compare the admission requirements, it will be easier with the notes you took during the presentation.
  • Talk to a current student – It is always important to talk to someone who is currently attending the college because they have first hand experiences. During some admission presentations, colleges will have a student panel and you can ask your burning questions.
  • Visit centers of student life – If you visit while school is in session, make sure to visit a dining hall or student union. This will give you an idea to what the student atmosphere is like and you might even be able to try some of the food because of course that’s very important.
  • Ask about campus safety – While on a campus tour, make sure to ask your guide about campus safety. Most colleges have on campus security and emergency call stations located around campus. It is very important that you feel safe while on campus.
  • Ask about financial aid – Some colleges have a large number as their sticker price but this should not be a deal breaker when you decide where you want to go. Many colleges have scholarships that you are automatically entered into when you apply. For example, colleges will give you a certain amount of money if you meet certain criteria like your GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Also, filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will help you understand how much the government is willing to give you in terms of student aid.
  • Visit residence halls – When on a campus tour, make sure you check out the residence halls. Colleges usually have many different types of rooms like a single, a double or suite style. Visiting halls will make it easier to choose the type of room you want when you apply for housing/residence.
Movies/TV/Theaters

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice

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Have you heard the hype about the new movie Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice? Well we can’t stop talking about it.

Based off of trailers, the new movie is about Batman (Ben Affleck) going head-to-head in combat with Superman (Henry Cavill). To learn more about the movie, here are the links to a few of the trailers:

https://youtu.be/0WWzgGyAH6Y

https://youtu.be/NhWg7AQLI_8

https://youtu.be/fis-9Zqu2Ro

Based on the premise of the movie, let me ask you a question, who would win in a fight, Batman or Superman? Each have strengths and weaknesses that would both help and hurt them in this fight. Here is a list of their strengths and weaknesses:

Batman

Strengths – Weapon master, skilled in martial arts, high level of human strength and intelligence.

Weakness – Batman has no known weakness with the exception that he is mortal and can die.

Superman

Strengths – X-ray vision, super strength, heat vision, super speed, and he can fly

Weakness – Kryptonite is Superman’s biggest weakness.

Now that you know about each superhero, Who do you think would win in a head-to-head fight, Batman or Superman? We asked a few of our Highland students and teachers who they think would win.  There results were:

Batman won with 51 votes while Superman received 31.

So, we know whose side Highland Park is on, however, if you want to see who really wins go see the movie which is 2 hours and 31 minutes long, rated PG – 13, and comes out on March 25.

Entertainment, Movies/TV/Theaters

Beats vs. Bose

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In the world of audio and headphones, it’s all about Beats and Bose, the top dogs in the industry. Which is better? Is there even an answer to such a question? As with everything else, they each have their pros and cons. Let’s go over them here.

Beats is the marketing master in the headphones industry. Having professional athletes wearing them in public and in their commercials. Beats are recognized world-wide as a high end brand for audio products. A reputation any of its competitors would do anything for. For this reason, people perceive them as “the best” instead of seeing them for being simply the most popular.

On the other hand we have Bose, the main rival competitor to Beats. They may not have the best appearance out there for headphones (gray, white, silver) but they’re still as good as Beats. Their brand has literally become synonymous with quality, especially for those audiophiles that care for highs, lows, frequencies, and the like. While their bass and volume are more leveled (less dramatic), keen ears will be able to recognize a quality that screams quality and is worth every penny spent.

So in the end, overall Beats and Bose are very similar, however, I would choose Beats over Bose as they are more comfortable and have a better sound, overall, in my opinion.

Baseball, Entertainment

MLBaseball is right around the corner

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With spring training starting up mid-way though February we know baseball season is right around the corner. The 2016 Major League Baseball season is tentatively set to begin on April 3, 2016. The season is going to start with a Sunday night World Series rematch between the New York Mets and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. The regular season is scheduled to end on Sunday, October 2, 2016. The schedule was released in September 2015.

At the start of spring training, there’s been movement in the World Series futures as the Toronto Blue Jays now have the best odds of any American League team to win the World Series. Slow down though before placing a wager on the Jays, as history isn’t on their side. Over the last 20 years, only two teams who’ve lost in the ALCS or NLCS went on to win the World Series the following year. That’s only two of 40 teams, giving the Jays a whopping 5% chance based on the results since the Wild Card era began in 1995.

Entertainment

Plane spotting

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Don’t you just hate getting stuck seated next to that guy on the plane? The person who can take one look at a jet and knows right away which company manufactured it and which family it belongs to, but can also throw in some random facts about its performance. With so many online resources allowing aviation fanatics to track planes and share their favorite photos and experiences, plane-spotting has become a more alluring hoby than ever. Ready to grab your binoculars?

Here are some tips and tricks to get you started.

Identifying an airplane from a distance is a skill that comes with familiarity and the only way to gain that is to be around airports and ogling at airplanes as regularly as one could. According to planespotting.com “There is of course the overall shape of the airplane to note, but there comes a point where one plane looks like another. So there are other details that one could look to for clues.”

Where to begin?  

Matt Falcus, founder of the web site airportspoting.com, and author of World Airports Spotting Guides, says it can get tricky because many airliners do indeed look similar, especially those built by Airbus and Boeing, the two main manufacturers. However, you can start to distinguish airliners by the number of engines they have, or by whether they are a large long-haul aircraft which travel long distances, or a short/medium haul aircraft which travel on domestic or regional fights.

There are also clues in the shape of the nose, tail position, wing shape, number of doors, the landing gear, the position of the horizontal stabilizer near the tail and even the shape of the cockpit windows.

If you’re close enough to see the registration number, located on the side of the plane near the tail, a quick online search will give you plenty of details on the aircraft, including when it was made and by which manufacturer, which airlines have flown it and the type of engines it’s fitted with.

At the end of the day plane spotting is an interesting hobby, and I feel as if everyone should at least try it and see if they like it.

Travel/Food

Shamrock shake

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It’s that time of year again, when people start looking forward to drinking green frosty drinks. I looked at three shamrock shake recipes, a regular shake, a diet shake, and a lactose free shake.

The first recipe I wanted to look at was the traditional shamrock shake. It looks super easy and you might just have the the stuff to make it in your home. Here is what you need:

  • 3 cups vanilla ice cream
  • 1 3/4 cup whole milk
  •  1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • green food coloring
  • whipped cream and cherry (if wanted)

In a blender put in ice cream, whole milk, peppermint extract and food coloring.

Mix until smooth.

When adding food coloring add just a few drops.

In this case a little goes a long way.

The next recipe I looked at was a diet shake. What you will need is:

  • 3 1/2 bananas
  • 5 spinach leaves
  • 1 tablespoon mini chocolate
  • 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 2 tablespoon low-fat wiped cream

Put all the stuff in a blender and mix it up. With the food coloring a little goes a long way. If you feel that you are having a hard time hiding the spinach leaves with the amount of peppermint extract just add a little more at a time to hide the taste.

The last recipe I looked at was a lactose free shamrock shake. What you will need is:

  • 2 cups vanilla soy milk ice cream
  • 1  1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond breeze
  • 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
  • 8 drops food coloring

Mix in blender until smooth.