Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 19, 2013

B2

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

 Mountain Views News Saturday, October 19, 2013 

SEAN’S SHAMELESS REVIEWS: 


JASMINE’S CORNER

Book Reviews by Jasmine Kelsey Williams 

By Sean Kayden

DALE EARNHARDT JR. JR.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., the Detroit duo, cook up carefree, pop-induced tunes 
for their sophomore record, “The Speed Of Things.” The band’s first record, 
“It’s A Corporate World” demonstrated the guys proclivity toward humorous 
lyrics and saccharine electronics. With their latest LP, they expand their 
sound, but keep within the same realm. The debut record was a modest 
outing from Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott, who came from other bands to join forces. However, 
“The Speed Of Things,” shows the band to be more 
comfortable with the sound they’re conveying. They 
made not be treading new ground entirely, but the 
catchiness and ramped up melodies on the sophomore 
release exemplifies much improvement. 

“It’s A Corporate World” offered many simple 
compositions. I never thought the album fully came 
together as a whole. The band had a few innovative 
ideas that sprawled over the course of a few songs, but exhaustively ran out of gas midway. On 
“The Speed Of Things,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. keeps the energy flowing quite smoothly. They 
know when to slow it down like on “I Can’t Help It.” This tune shows a different side of the band, 
more melodic, more sensitive. I prefer the toned down electronics rather than completely going 
overboard with them. There’s still a carefree vibe attached to most of the songs they perform, but 
something about this album feels more grown up. They may still be delivering the fun without 
being taken too seriously. However, the growth they’ve made from the last record to this is rather 
striking. There is still a lightness to be found yet this records runs much deeper than previous 
material. The harmonies are in full force here especially on “Dark Water.” Epstein and Zott 
effortlessly pull off Beach Boys style arrangements. 

With a combination of fast and mid-tempo tracks, glowing harmonies, and a penchant for 
dazzling electronics, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. surprised me with this latest effort. I thought they 
only had a decent first outing which inevitably led them falling off the grid for me. Now they’ve 
come back with such a cool, nearly seamless second LP that impresses me a lot more. When 
the interlude hits, it tilts the record into a slightly slower speed from then on out. Nonetheless, 
it’s still incredibly joyous. “A Haunting,” puts on display a different side to the band. It 
demonstrates a more heartfelt, serious tune compared to their appetite for lightheartedness. 
“Run,” is probably the best track here. It’s high energy, super charged electronics and purely 
addictive sound makes it one of the most entertaining songs of the year. “War Zone” is 
absolutely intoxicating. It’s another prominent song for the band. In the end, Dale Earnhardt 
Jr. Jr. might not take over the world with this record, but it’s a great addition for anyone looking 
for a good time with an album that balances buoyancy and sensitivity in a near perfect fashion. 
Grade: 8.3 out of 10

Key Tracks: “Run,” “I Can’t Help It,” “Don’t Tell Me,” “War Zone” 

THE POWER OF POPPY PENDLE By Natasha Lowe

The third week of October brings about another lovely selection to get 
you in the spirit of Halloween, and is a perfect pick for younger readers. 
I introduce to you here, “The Power of Poppy Pendle” by Natasha Lowe, 
and if you ever choose to continue to pursue the contents of its pages, then 
you shall be in for a real treat. Lowe uses charm, wit, and youthfulness to 
bring us the protagonist of Poppy Pendle, a young girl who is gifted with 
the powers of being a witch, but also has the passionate heart of being a 
baker. Readers will immediately be able to sympathize and connect with 
Poppy, as she has found a passion that she loves with all her heart, but is 
surrounded by a family who fails to see her special talent and only wishes 
to continue with being a witch instead of baking. 

Another wonderful factor that can connect readers to Poppy is the theme of finding courage; 
finding your voice to speak about what you love and believe in is key to achieving your dream, 
and of course Poppy experiences this uphill trek to do just that. Lowe also does a wonderful job 
of fleshing out supporting or minor characters to be able to include their various perspectives, 
especially when it comes to the topic of Poppy and her love of baking instead of magic. As 
a book lover myself, I personally recommend this for younger readers and perhaps some 
older ones as well, especially for those who have a bit of a sweet tooth. Poppy’s story is not an 
unfamiliar one: readers will be able to fully understand the desire to be heard and accepted for 
who they are and what they love to do (or believe they were born to do), and even comprehend 
some of the consequences when they are silent for too long, or when they go about their own 
path but unfortunately backfires and takes a turn for the worst. Readers both young and old 
can learn from “The Power of Poppy Pendle” of not just following your dreams (great or 
small), but also learning to find those who will support and believe in you. 

Copyrighted in 2012, and receiving praise from critics and Booklist, “The Power of Poppy 
Pendle” will the wonderful Halloween selection to provide a gentle reminder of following 
your heart and passion. And to make this selection even more alluring, “The Power of Poppy 
Pendle” contains 10 Poppy-themed recipes which are perfect to make at home. 


Artist: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. 

Album: The Speed Of Things

Label: Warner Bros. Records 

Release Date: October 8th, 2013

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HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

THE JOY OF YOGA

WHY IS YOGA A SPIRITUAL 
PRACTICE AND NOT JUST 
EXERCISE


ene
EATING FOR A HEALTHY HEART

If you read the news or watch TV, you know that heart disease is the number 
one cause of death in America. It is also costly. In the US, heart disease 
cost the nation billions of dollars each year. It is hard to imagine that 
in a land where we have so much, so many of us die from a disease that is 
known to be primarily caused by lifestyle and poor quality food choices. 
Since heart disease kills more Americans than anything else, it would seem 
wise to study cultures where heart disease is almost non-existent. Those 
studies have been done and the results are in… In cultures that do not eat 
refined foods or denatured fats, heart disease is almost non-existent. 

 One way to keep your heart healthy is to eat a diet that is low in refined 
foods. Many nutrients are lost in the refining process. In particular, we 
lose the B-complex vitamins, important vitamins for a healthy heart. 

Next, we need to avoid denatured fats while still consuming healthy fats. 
Healthy fats such as those found is cold water fish, flax seed, avocados, 
and nuts such as almonds and walnuts are known to contribute to lower 
rates of heart disease. Hydrogenated and Trans fats, both denatured fats 
build up in our bodies because they are unnatural and we do not have a 
mechanism to metabolize them. Denatured fats lead to inflammation of 
our vascular system.

 This all brings us to the last culprit of our diet that is responsible for heart disease and that is high 
levels of sugar intake. We consume an average of 158 pounds of sweeteners each year. These refined 
sugars contribute to obesity, which is a risk factor for heart disease without providing any nutritional 
value. 

 There is hope if 
you wish to avoid 
or reverse heart 
disease. Eat a diet 
high in fresh vegetables 
and fruits. 
Eat foods high 
is Omega-3 fatty 
acids such as fish 
like salmon or sardines, 
flax seeds, 
and walnuts. Exercise regularly! Even a brisk walk three times a week is enough to benefit your heart. 
Above all, avoid sugar, refined foods, and unhealthy fats. 

Yoga was developed thousands of years ago. The ancients wanted 
to know why we are here and while we are here, how can we be 
happy? What they came up with back in the time of the oldest teachings, the Rig Veda, was 
that we are inherently happy. That is why we strive for happiness all the time. But through 
years (or lifetimes?) we have developed patterns, physical and mental attitudes, that block 
our way. The sciences of Yoga and Ayurveda come from these teachings and explain how 
if we are balanced, find out our own unique attributes and live in such a way that we are 
healthy, then we find the fountain of youth: physical health, mental health, emotional health 
and spiritual health. The path of self-knowledge IS the removal of suffering, and we can 
reach liberation (moksha).

The problem begins with the body. If we have any malady, that’s all we can focus on. “ouch! 
I stubbed my big toe.” Now all I can think about is that physical pain. Any injury or illness 
can become all-consuming. We focus everything around it and even learn to identify with 
our illnesses. The more focus something has, the more energy it has. It can grow this way. 
The practice of yoga is to optimize physical health so that we can find liberation. We need 
to remove the obstructive patterns. We need to develop a relationship to our bodies for 
maximum health. Our patterns will then become apparent and we can do something about 
them.

Yoga is not a religion. It enhances our religions and our relationship to ourselves.

See you in class.

Namasté, René

Dr. Tina is a traditional 
naturopath and nutritionist 
at Vibrant Living 
Wellness Center