January 2017
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Shared Generously
Upcoming Events Tuesday, January 17th New Moms Discussion: Exercise in Pregnancy and Postpartum
Up Portland 01.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
Monday, January 23rd Detoxing for Long-Term Health
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Thursday, February 9th DIY Herbal Aphrodisiacs
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The Standard Reviewer
By Bill Elliott / Up Portland’s Film & Theatre Reviewer
In his follow-up film to the Oscar-winning Whiplash, director Damien Chazelle has crafted, in La La Land, a glorious and heartfelt love letter to classic Hollywood musicals and the golden age of cinema. It is an homage to dance greats like Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Gene Kelly. But it is so much more. It is a film about the art of movie making and the joys of movie watching. Playful and self-reflexive, La La Land opens with a silent film era aspect ratio screen with the words “Presented in CinemaScope” (in black and white) cut off on the sides because they don’t quite fit on the screen. The words then change from black and white to vivid colour and the screen widens to encompass the full glory of actual CinemaScope. The tone of the film is set.
The film then quickly jumps to the familiar sight of a Los Angeles freeway traffic jam. The screen announces that it is Winter but the skies are blue and the sun is shining: every day in LA is perpetual Summer. As a lone driver exits her car and begins to sing Another Day of Sun, the inhabitants of each stalled car join her in a song-and-dance routine reminiscent of the pivotal New York street scene in the 1980s musical, Fame. It’s a fabulous opening, full of energy and life. Shot in one long six-minute take, the scene is a further reminder that this is a cinephile’s movie. Chazelle invokes Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock and Michelangelo Antonioni, and a host of others who have stretched the boundaries of both film stock and audiences’ imaginations with virtuoso single-take shots. The film lets us know, in no uncertain terms, that we are in La La Land — Los Angeles, where dreams are made and hearts are broken. After the opening number ends and reality resumes, the film’s two protagonists remain stuck in traffic. Aspiring actress Mia Dolan (Emma Stone) is rehearsing a scene for an audition, a monolog that makes use of a cell phone. Behind her, jazz musician Sebastian Wilder (Ryan Gosling), pops a Latin-tinged jazz album into his car cassette player and honks loudly as Mia fails to notice that traffic is moving. He angrily pulls around her and she gives him the finger. It’s an inauspicious beginning to a memorable love affair. Blowing her audition, Mia feels despondent. Her roommates try to cheer her up by taking her out to a Hollywood party. The ensuing song and dance routine combines elements of West Side Story and Bob Fosse’s Sweet Charity, featuring the roommates
Maine Jewish Museum Presents
Neil Welliver | Painting Through Time: Animals, Figures & the Maine Landscape Opening Receptions January 12, 2017, 5pm-7pm January 15, 2017 2pm-4pm
Exhibition
January 12, 2017 - March 5, 2017
First Friday Art Walks February 3, 2017 5pm-8pm March 3, 5pm-8pm Nancy Davidson, Curator Neil Welliver is best known as a contemporary realist painter. His education in the 1950s was at the height of abstract expressionism. Accordingly, his paintings have elements of abstraction, although most strongly in his early works. During the 1960s and 1970s, Welliver’s paintings were dominated by the figure. This body of work, whether of men, women, cats, dogs, cows, children, musicians or skeletons…filled a busy world for Welliver and paved his way toward a final, deep and quiet absorption with the Maine landscape. By the 1980s, the Maine landscape became the dominant focus of his work for the rest of his life. Artwork courtesy of LBP Fine Art Consultants
Maine Jewish Museum
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Monday - Friday 10am-2pm + Sundays 1pm - 5pm or by appointment
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December UpPortlandadMJM.indd 1
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decked out in red, blue, yellow and green dresses bursting in vivid Technicolor. Chazelle draws on all the clichéd tropes of the Hollywood musical (like a collage sequences featuring neon bar signs, glasses of overflowing bubbly and fireworks), but he does so lovingly and with tongue firmly in cheek. Mia leaves the party to find her car has been towed. Walking home, she hears piano music coming from a restaurant/bar. She walks in to see Sebastian playing a haunting waltz that holds her spellbound. From that moment, Mia and Sebastian appear locked in cinematic destiny. Clever flashbacks follow: the traffic jam where they briefly meet; a sister concerned about Seb’s errant jazz career, the bar owner telling him not to stray from a strictly Christmassy set list. It’s virtuoso storytelling and mesmerizing filmmaking. The seasons change but the LA weather remains the same. Mia and Sebastian struggle to get ahead in their relative careers. They meet again at a pool party where Sebastian is playing keyboards in an ’80s tribute band. She taunts him by requesting the band play A Flock of Seagulls’ single hit, I Ran. They talk. They walk. They dance and sing (in a lovely homage to Singin’ in the Rain). After telling him she hates jazz, he takes her to a jazz club and she becomes a willing convert to his cause. They go to an art house movie theatre to watch Rebel Without a Cause and then later drive to the Griffith Observatory, where a key scene from the movie takes place. Each time they come close to kissing, something happens to break the spell — a cell phone rings, a movie projector breaks. This is the classic Hollywood musical worlds of fantasy and reality colliding. Mia and Seb decide that love and art can co-exist. Mia struggles to move her acting career forward, day-jobbing as a barista in a coffee bar on the Warner Brothers film lot. Seb tinkles the keys, dreaming of owning his own jazz club. He bumps into an old high school friend who offers him a steady gig in a jazzy pop band. It’s not his dream exactly, but it pays the rent. Their stop-start careers cause rifts in their relationship and force them to compromise. After penning a onewoman play that flops, Mia decides she has had enough and returns to her parents’ home in Boulder City, Nevada. Sebastian stays on in LA and goes it alone. Then, unexpectedly, fame beckons for Mia. A casting call takes her to Paris to make a movie. But Sebastian and Mia pay the ultimate price, the downside of La La Land’s fantasy world — follow your dreams, but be careful what you wish for. Sebastian gets his jazz club. Mia becomes a famous actress. But, what they no longer have is each other. Their paths cross again five years after they have separated, when Mia and her new husband are stuck in another LA traffic jam. They take a detour and stop off in a jazz bar — Seb’s. In a beautiful montage of movie wishful thinking, Chazelle creates an alternative reality where Seb and Mia enjoy the life they dreamed of. It is dazzling. Gosling and Stone are not polished singers or dancers (Gosling even took piano lessons for the film). None of that matters. This is a film in which dream and reality intersect. Stone and Gosling are credible as cinematic Everyman/woman. We identify with them because they look and act like us. La La Land is a film that looks back to the great Hollywood musicals of the past. But it is not stuck in the past. It is a bold and playful piece of filmmaking that embraces classic movie tropes and clichés and makes them feel refreshingly new. In looking back, it also looks forward. In doing so, La La Land will make you fall in love with movies again.
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Beyond The Forecast
By Jack Sillin / Weatherman & Meterology Student
Those numbers aren’t exact but they illustrate the principle. To have a perfect weather forecast, you need to know exactly what every air molecule is behaving at any one time through the entire atmosphere. This is far beyond our current observational capabilities. Imagine trying to account for the air pushed around by every car, person, animal, plane, etc. Air flowing across the surface of the earth encounters countless obstacles that would need to be precisely accounted for: trees, rocks, mountains, buildings, etc. All of this would need to be done at a molecular level to get a perfect weather forecast because any slight error in the initial conditions of a system will be magnified over time. Even if you were able to figure out a way to measure exactly what every air molecule was doing at a given time, you would need to come up with some sort of way of predicting what each molecule will do in the future. This would require figuring out which molecules would warm, which would cool, which would rise, and which would fall. Every single movement of every single molecule would need to be accurately predicted. That is unsurprisingly well outside the grasp of our current understanding of atmospheric dynamics. Finally, assume that we could observe and measure every air molecule and we had some set of rules (equations) to figure out how each molecule would behave. The next issue would be that we’d need to solve all those equations for each of the hundreds (thousands?) of trillions of molecules that compose our atmosphere. Computers can solve equations really fast but a perfect forecast wouldn’t be ready until several days after it started meaning that we could have a perfect forecast for Monday but it wouldn’t be ready until Thursday.
Hello everyone! As of this writing, a fairly sizeable nor’easter is heading in our direction and ahead of it’s arrival, forecasts are floating around discussing various possibilities and the uncertainties associated with each one. In this spirit, I figured I’d take this month’s Beyond the Forecast column to delve into all the factors that make weather forecasting an inexact and often frustrating science. This column will focus on Winter time forecast challenges in imprecisions and a future installment will likely cover warm season challenges. Why are snowfall forecasts only issued one or two days before a storm and why are they given in ranges as opposed to just one number? Why can’t we say if precipitation will fall as rain, snow, sleet, freezing rain, or a mix of everything more than a day or so out? Sometimes those are easy calls but most of the time, we just don’t know until the event gets closer. The answer to all of this resides in chaos theory and how we attempt to understand the atmosphere around us. Weather forecasting is based off of very complex models that take the condition of the atmosphere now and make forecasts based off of what is happening now. This would be like looking up on a hot summer’s day, seeing a thundercloud in the distance, and forecasting that you will see a thunderstorm soon, just on a much grander scale. This is where chaos theory comes in. Chaos theory states that slight errors in the modeling of the initial state of the atmosphere will be amplified dramatically as you go through time. In simpler terms, if we misjudge the position of a storm by one mile now, you will miss its position by 15 miles tomorrow, 50 miles the next day, 100 miles the next day, and so on.
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Because we can’t observe every single air molecule, the initial conditions of our models are flawed. Chaos theory dictates that these flaws, however slight, will magnify exponentially over time. Even if we were able to observe every air molecule, our current set of equations that explain their movements are flawed and these flaws, like those in observations, will be magnified over time. Even if we had perfect observation and perfect equations, our computers are currently just too slow to crunch all the numbers in time for the perfect forecast to be useable. That’s why snowfall forecasts are given in ranges rather than solid numbers, why we can’t say for sure if it’s going to rain, snow, sleet, freezing rain, or do a mix of everything, and it’s why we can’t tell you if it’s going to rain on your wedding/party/event/picnic at 4.30 in the afternoon on the 14th of June next year. See the chart on the next page from the National Weather Service? My editor added it a few days after I submitted this column to illustrate just how those snowfall “ranges” work and to show just how much difference even a mile or two can make. It’s the Cumberland County official snowfall totals from that 29th & 30th December nor’easter I referred to at the beginning of this column and it shows just how much things can vary. The photos on these pages are from that same storm and graphically illustrate how the changing forecast of snow, rain, thunderstorms (though we did get thundersnow) and heavy, wet snow varied throughout the day as meteorologists struggled to keep up with the changing dynamics of just that single late December storm. Enjoy the snow and remember chaos theory the next time you curse your favourite meteorologist for their indecision! -Jack
Up Portland 01.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
We Live In A Place Unlike Anywhere Else
Where Every Home Has A Story
Jack’s January Weather Terms Bombogenesis: This term describes explosive intensification of a low pressure system. Bombogenesis occurs when a storm’s central pressure deepens at a rate of 1mb/hr for 24 straight hours. When storms offshore undergo bombogenesis, look out for wild weather including heavy snow, rain, and strong winds, just like we saw in Maine right before the new year! Deformation Zone/Band: A deformation band is a band of heavy snow that can be found underneath an upper level deformation zone. In technical terms, the deformation zone of a storm system marks the western edge of the cyclonically curved warm conveyor belt. In non-technical terms, it’s where the warm moist air runs most explosively into deep cold air. Deformation bands can produce snowfall rates of 2-4” per hour and are often accompanied by wind gusts over 40 m.p.h. leading to blizzard conditions. How long the deformation zone lingers over a given area will determine how much snowfall that area receives.
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Up Portland 01.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
Downtown is a wonderland all year, but especially on quiet Winter days & nights. From the sun rising on fresh snow over Munjoy Hill to a rare quiet moment (Christmas Day just before sunset) at Duckfat, Winter is a magical time for those of us who live here year-round.
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Processed Media By Randy Dankievitch — TV Critic / TVOvermind
Games to Watch For in 2017 2016 was the “Year of Almosts” in the video game industry. It was the year The Division almost revolutionised multiplayer games, the year VR gaming almost made its way into the mainstream, and the year most PC ports almost worked the first few months of release. 2016 was the year the Playstation 4 Pro nearly made the leap to full-on 4K gaming, the year The Last Guardian finally exited development hell and released (and was almost an amazing game), and the year the infamous, massive Day 1 patches for video games pretty much became automatic. In short, it was a year of transition for the gaming industry, as consoles “refreshed” themselves three years into the generation, and new technologies began to fundamentally change how games are created, released, and shared with the public. 2017 looks to be a firmer step forward for developers, publishers, and manufacturers alike, with the previously unknown quantities of 4K and VR development becoming more familiar and streamlined with general audiences. It also looks to be a year where a ton of awesome, generationdefining games could be released - here are a five of them I’m particularly excited for.
—Pyre. Since its debut earlier this year at game shows, Pyre has easily been my most anticipated game of 2017. Developed by Supergiant Games, the masterminds behind Bastion and Transistor, Pyre is a party-based RPG built around a sports game of sorts, three-on-three matches where players try to throw a glowing orb into a pyre, furthering themselves on the path to salvation in the game’s intriguing narrative (did I mention Pyre takes place in the land of purgatory?). Known as some of the best world-builders and designers in gaming, Supergiant looks to top themselves once again with Pyre, layering their rich storytelling over a gorgeous, pastel-laden world of exiled souls, while offering some of the most genuinely unique, exciting gameplay mechanics I’ve seen in awhile. Throw in the recently-announced multiplayer mode, and you’ve got what looks to be the indie hit of 2017.
—The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. There’s a lot riding on the 17th Zelda game: not only is it the first Zelda console game since Skyward Sword released in 2011, it is a title with an entirely new console’s reputation riding on its back; making this arguably the most important game to be released in 2017. Since making its debut at E3 in 2016, it’s certainly been making waves, as people try to make sense of all the new, “modern” gaming mechanics finding their way into the latest Hyrule-based adventure. Will Zelda work as an openworld, semi-survival action-adventure RPG? How will it play on the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo’s hybrid home console/portable gaming device? What the hell is a Calamity Ganon, and how is Link going to stop it?
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There are so many questions surrounding the next Zelda adventure, with a hype train that’s been circling the Nintendo audience since it was first announced (originally as a Wii U showcase title) way back in 2013. Next year, we will finally find out.
—Injustice 2. Though 2015 and 2016 both saw the release of new mainline Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter games, I’ve consistently found myself playing the original Injustice: Gods Among Us game more than those two newer, shinier titles. And though I’m certainly excited for the release of Tekken 7 and Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite in 2017, there’s no fighting game I’m hyped for more than Injustice 2, which looks to follow up both the crazy story line from the original Injustice (which featured, among other things, time-traveling Justice League members, Superman ripping out Joker’s heart with his bare hands and Angry Aquaman) and offer the same dynamic, decidedly epic-feeling gameplay of the first, with all the super-powered special moves and dozens of alternate costumes that come with it. There are reported to be over 1,000 individual costume pieces in Injustice 2… which better include some f*cking hats, I might add. Just the words “biggest DC roster ever” has me weak in the knees a bit: I’ve been looking for years for a new fighting game to steal my heart, and Injustice 2 looks to capitalise on the potential of the original in some very exciting ways (and if it doesn’t, there’s always Nidhogg 2, right?!). —Horizon: Zero Dawn. Horizon: Zero Dawn is the game at the top of every single gamer with a shiny new PS4 Pro in their living room: advertised as a showcase for Playstation’s most powerful gaming console yet, Horizon looks to be the graphical showcase that finally justifies the $1000+ investment price of a new console and 4K TV on which to truly enjoy it. The first non-Killzone game from the Guerilla Games team in 13 years, Horizon is a mysterious blend of action, RPG, and survival game, with a sprawling narrative told against a backdrop of gorgeous, lush environments, and super-cool looking dinosaur robots that are most definitely part of whatever mystery lies at the heart of Horizon’s story. All we know right now is how gorgeous it looks though thankfully, with a 28th February release date, we won’t have to wait long to find out how Horizon turns out.
—Read Dead Redemption 2. Look, I’m still a little pissed Grand Theft Auto V never got any single-player expansions - but if all their creative energy was going into Red Dead Redemption 2, then I’ll consider my grievances with Rockstar fully forgiven. Am I a little worried Red Dead Redemption 2 is going to lean a bit heavier on GTA Online-style gameplay and design? Sure, but it’s another Rockstar release (which is like an irregular American holiday at this point) following up one of the most critically lauded, fan-adored action games ever made. Am I also a little worried this is going to be yet another unsatisfying prequel of American-produced media? Absolutely - but if any game can pull off a Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp level of success, Red Dead Redemption 2 is that game. At the very least, we’ll get to see what Rockstar’s technical geniuses can craft with the current technology offered by home consoles (remember, GTA V was originally developed for Xbox 360/PS3 era architecture), and finally get die-hard Red Dead fans a chance to finally shut up about their favourite game being forgotten (now if only EA would make Skate 4…). That’s a win-win, in this humble gamer’s book.
Up Portland 01.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
The Gossip Column By Britain & Sydney / The Office Gossip Cats What a busy month we pussies have had! First, there was snow and lots of it which we love watching from our warm window. Next, it was Chanukah and Christmas all the very same week. And after that New Year’s, though owner Ted had to cancel an event and spend most of that in bed with a bad cold he got courtesy of Ivan, who got it from someone on a plane between here and Indianapolis. This time of year is also sad a bit for us as it was on Christmas morning of 2003 that our gossip column “founder” Miss Lila passed away peacefully. This year, though, just when we were thinking about our co-worker, word reached us of another pal’s passing: That of across the hall neighbour Beth’s pug and pal and pet and best friend for 15 years, Marley. That’s the handsome dude at left in this photo, and just like our Miss Lila, we will be looking for him at the Rainbow Bridge. Meanwhile we wish Beth all the best and remind her that nothing can replace the memories or the wonderful time spent. We will miss seeing Marley a lot, too. And finally, speaking of missing, we two fat cats are missing the bakery of the same name thru the first week of January, but never fear, the always-busy staff is getting a few days off and the bakery is getting a new floor. They and the pies will be back soon!
Letting the Cat & Sauntering are both on vacation for January and will return in Up Portland next issue.
Letting The Cat Out Of The Bag By Stacy Begin / Owner, Two Fat Cats Bakery
Sauntering With Mat
By Mat Robedee / Up Portland Commentator
Up Portland 01.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com Page 11
Food For Thought... An interesting dilemma this time around as I survey a few more of the seemingly thousands (but more likely hundreds) of restaurants we have in the Portland area. The dilemma: Whether or not to be negative about a place we ate not long ago for the first time. But before I get to any “bad news” I want to begin with the good, and that’s a plea that if you have not done so, you really, really do need to go have a meal at Vinland over at 593 Congress Street, alongside Congress Square. There, noted chef/owner David Levi runs a finely oiled machine and the plates just keep coming. In almost three hours (remember you dine here, not merely eat) not a single thing arrived at our table which was not first rate. We went for a special occasion — a birthday — and the meal was totally up to the task of making it a very happy one. We both ordered the small plates special which meant each of us got five small plates for $75. Checking the restaurant’s website at www.vinland.me just at presstime shows the current price as $79 and another (we checked several to confirm before writing) linked from a Google search shows another figure so call (207.653.8617) before you go if you need to check, but regardless the meal was superb as was the way one can order. What do I mean? Not in the mood for a huge dinner, then pick one or two small plates (they range in price from $13 up) and have some wine or just some chat and go from there. The ladies at the next table had an early dinner, went to the theatre and came back for dessert and coffee, so it “works” for most arrangements. Since we were celebrating, we chose the five small plates each and prepared to be dazzled. Thanks to Levi’s skills (and those of his sous chef Jason Murphy) in the open kitchen, all I can say is we were not disappointed in the least. From the final result on the plates to getting to watch them sharpen knives and make things in the order we requested, we were pleased, delighted and entertained. A bit here about the menu: it’s divided into categories such as “Plants”, “Meats”, “Seafood” and “Sweets and Cheese” so while you can (and we did) order from each or go back and forth, if you really, really like the steak or lamb or lobster, for the one price you can order five of the same thing. My comment is who would want to since the variety is what makes this happen so well? But to each
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his or her own and this does help if you have a special needs eater (like vegan or lactose or gluten free) at your table. As for us, the items ordered ranged from Black Trumpet Lobster to a salad which was a huge head of Bibb Lettuce with a vinaigrette dressing and other items, like radish, “tucked in” between the leaves, making for a really dramatic presentation. We also did some monkfish with sunchockes and kale, a steak tartare to die for and a cheese plate with four cheeses and oat flatbread. Oh, and we had some delicious lamb and beef, too. Of course, everything was accompa-
Up Portland 01.17 On The Web At: www.upportland.com
the menu on the website or call and ask. In the three weeks between our birthday celebration and presstime, a recheck showed both the items and pricing shifted in several directions so either call or look at the online menu or do what we plan: just reserve, go sit down and see what Vinland has on that particular evening. Thanks to chef Levi, we found nothing we did not love. Included in the above comment is the service, which was top-notch, despite our server saying she was new to Portland and the restaurant. A bit of friendly banter revealed she’d been in the same job elsewhere and it was obvious she had more than a few clues about what was happening in the kitchen (which was there for all to see, anyway) as she skillfully answered our questions on the different mushrooms and other menu items.
nied by vegetables, mushrooms and in short made the small plates anything but small. It should be explained, too, that the items on the menu (and, now that we think of it, apparently the pricing) vary frequently, depending upon what’s fresh and available so check
This would also be a grand time to note that all of the food at Vinland is both locally sourced and organic. The menu even contains a spot which says “Where Our Food Comes From” and a copy-and-paste of the latest list shows these well-known local suppliers: Winslow Farm, Vinland Garden, Goranson Farm, Forager, Rick Tibbetts, North Spore, South Paw Farm, Two Farmers Farm, Swallowtail Farm, Thirty Acre Farm, Kate’s Butter, Lakin’s Gorges, Tir na nOg Farm, Sonnenthal Farm Cap ‘n Stem Mushroom Co., Winter Hill Farm, East End Microgreens Harbour Fish, Maine Lobster Direct, Rosemont Market, Green Spark Farm, Atlantic Holdfast Seaweed Co., Black Fox Farm, Broadturn Farm, Olivia’s Garden, A&A Maple, Tide Mill Farm, Hatchland Farm and Sewall’s Organic Orchard. Whew! Please continue on the Next Page
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More Food For Thought... Continued From The Previous Page That’s all we can say: Whew. Every one is first rate and knowing the exact path from field or ocean to table makes one feel secure about what they are ordering and what will be on the plates. We want to say this is especially true of things like the Steak Tartare, for while the menu contains the “small print” the government and over-zealous lawyers demand, it’s done at Vinland with style. To quote, “Eating raw and lightly cooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, dairy, and eggs may increase your risk of contracting a food-borne illness, especially if you have a medical condition. Also, there is risk in eating wild mushrooms. Eating live foods and mushrooms with medicinal properties can also promote wellness and boost immunity. You will typically not be warned of the dangers of industrial foods, never served here but the norm in most restaurants. You should be.” Again, Levi and his crew are unique and the overall impression correctly given says not “oh, no you might get sick” which most eateries offer, but instead a “we are doing all we can to make you happy and healthy so enjoy the meal.” We as reviewers much prefer the latter method and will admit we did love every bite, had not a stomach rumble after and plan to go back as soon as we can for another adventure in fine dining.
comparison. The others are far, far better, especially because of the soggy bread they used at Blue Rooster. If there’s one thing we have in Portland it’s good baked goods, but this one was not impressive. Two of my neighbours had little better to say about their orders, while the third was enthusiastic. She, however, is vegetarian and there are several falafel and veggie entrees on the sandwich-laden menu which does help if one passes on meat.
So is there anything we can say that is even close to negative about Vinland? Well, we were there for a special occasion and my two words to friends are “bring money” because while the piece we got was choice, and local, and healthy, with the five plates each plan and the good service (so a nice tip) we escaped without alcohol at $190. Adding anything from the long and quality wine list will easily carry the bill past the double century mark.
The saving grace at Blue Rooster was their add-on of Tater Tots and for this alone I do plan a revisit. We shared some plain tots ($4 for a huge portion) but I do want to check out the “Tot-tine” which is Blue Rooster’s take on poutine, complete with Portland Farms Cheese Curds. And I would not mind trying the “Early Bird” which features tots, mayo, bacon and fried egg. A true cholesterollover’s delight, but hey you only go around once!
Of course you could do say a salad and the lobster with black trumpet mushroom and leave perfectly happy and amply fed for under $40, so how you plan, what you eat and how you want to budget is strictly a personal choice. What’s not a choice at our house is to revisit Vineland as often as we can. It’s an excellent spot and one I’m sad I have walked by literally hundreds of times without ever walking in — until now. Go!
Blue Rooster also has some nice sounding salads, Maine Family Farms natural casing hot dogs and an impressive sandwich board. Pricing was more than fair with my Italian at under $10 and seating, while limited, was available to watch the passers-by on Commercial and Dana streets. Aside from the noise — er, ah, music — the atmosphere is that of a bustling downtown grill/cafe and a lot of the traffic in and out seemed to be pick-ups for consumption back at offices.
On a less exciting side downtown is a restaurant a few of my neighbours and I recently tried called the Blue Rooster Food Company at 5 Dana Street, just off Commercial. The place has owners with a pedigree a mile long and got good comments from some of the friends we have, but to be honest we found it somewhere between “so-so” and “would have been happier had we gone to Five Guys or Elevation Burger”, both within a block’s walk.
I can imagine on warm Summer days some of the items make it to the benches overlooking Casco Bay nearby or to the park or Eastern Prom, too.
The whole atmosphere was not helped much by poundingly loud music so even chatting with the three friends we accompanied was difficult until I finally shouted at the guy behind the counter (where one orders) to run the tunes down please! Thankfully he did comply a bit, though we did not need near as many decibels as the system was cranking out. The sad part, too, is I feel we did need a bit better food than the kitchen was cranking out. I will admit I went for an Italian special (above right) and having had these at the best in town — Amato’s and Micucci’s — I can say there was no
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To find out more, check www.blueroosterfoodcompany.com online. Also, we were told that their weekend hours go until 2 a.m. and we were informed by a friend that last hour or two, with the nearby Old Port club crowd, can get pretty wild, so we will be sticking to lunch. Our conclusion: We will go back and try again. We will skip the specials board and try a menu item. And we will go in knowing this is not a spot for those who like quiet lunches, because it’s anything but! So there you have it: Not the best we have ever eaten, not terrible, not pricy and not bad. Just not outstanding in this reviewer’s opinion, either, especially since customers are expected to bus their own tables after eating, which is another pet peeve we won’t go into here!
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The Buck Stops Here
5.) Increase savings once you’re an empty nester. Chances are that your expenses will decrease once your children are financially independent. Earmark the money you once spent on snowboards, hockey gear, your kids’ health insurance or college tuition toward your golden years. While it can be tempting to remodel the kitchen or take a parents-only cruise with the additional cash, financial security in retirement should take priority.
By Luke Reinhard / Advisor — Ameriprise Financial
Eight Ways to Save More for Retirement Most financial professionals agree that you should save as much as you can, or at least 10-15 percent of your salary for your golden years1. If you’re not saving that amount, or need more to achieve your ideal retirement, how can you add to your savings without drastically changing your lifestyle today? Here are eight ways to potentially make a positive difference for your retirement over the long term: 1.) Commit to saving for retirement. If you’ve started putting money away for retirement, stick with it. You’ll likely face situations that can disrupt your steady stream of savings, such as taking a new job, moving or paying unexpected medical bills. Your expenses are bound to move up and down, but missing out on month’s or year’s savings can have a significant impact on your total nest egg – especially if you’re far from retirement and time for compounding interest is on your side. 2.) Create a budget – and stick to it. Make retirement a priority in your monthly budget. Start by looking at your recent spending and identify ways to allocate more money to your retirement account. Do you have a recurring subscription, gym membership or cable package you don’t use? Consider eliminating one unnecessary expense and put that money aside instead. Next, establish a clear savings goal for future months. Having a goal could help you reign in impulse purchases because you’ll be focused on what the money could do for you down the road.
6.) Review your insurance policies. Compare your auto and home insurance costs with other providers to see if you can get a better deal. And be sure to read the fine print before switching so that you don’t sacrifice important coverage in order to save a few dollars. Also, check to see if you qualify for discounts based on your lifestyle or habits. Possible discounts include loyalty savings if you’ve been with the same provider for a while, paying your premium annually or semiannually, or good grades if you have school-aged dependents. 7.) Save salary increases. Make a commitment to your future self by allocating your year-end or performance bonus to retirement, if you’re fortunate enough to receive one. And the next time you earn a promotion or raise, think about increasing your workplace retirement savings accordingly. Even a one percent increase in the amount you defer to your 401(k) can make an impact on the size of your retirement nest egg. 8.) Enlist professional guidance. Meet with financial professionals in your local area to get their perspective on how you can increase your retirement savings. A financial advisor, tax planner or an estate planner can review your financial situation and help you make smart choices for your life today and in your golden years. Implementing even a handful of these ideas may help you generate additional cash you can apply toward your retirement savings. This money can make a significant difference over time in both the amount you have saved and your confidence in having enough money to last in retirement. – CNN Money: “Ultimate guide to retirement: How much should I save?” 2016. http://money.cnn.com/ retirement/guide/basics_basics.moneymag/index7.htm.
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3.) Take advantage of your 401(k) match. Don’t miss out if your company provides matching contributions when you defer income into your workplace retirement plan. For example, if your employer offers to match the equivalent of 3% of your income, consider deferring at least 3% of your income into the plan. In effect, you’ll double your money even before it is invested. 4.) Be smart about taxes. A high percentage of Americans receive a sizable tax refund each year. If that describes you, consider investing your refund in your workplace retirement plan or an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). If you’re tempted to spend the money on something today, think about how much further your refund will go in retirement once it’s given the chance to grow over time. On the flip side, if you pay a substantial amount at tax time, make sure you’re approaching your tax liability in the most strategic way possible. Talk with a professional about your unique situation in the upcoming tax season.
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Eric’s Optimal Corner Rhea Velgos / Optimal Self Community Health and Wellness Center
Keeping Your New Year Fitness Resolution It’s that time of the year again and you’ve made a new year’s resolution to get back in shape. It’s the same resolution you had last year, but life got in the way and you fell off the wagon. “That’s not going to happen this year!” you promise yourself, but what are you going to do differently? It’s a common problem and there are many factors but it basically boils down to learning the full value of exercise. We all “know” that exercise is great for us: it boosts our metabolism, improves skin, bone density, sleep, our immune system... and the list goes on. However, we don’t always truly believe it because the effects of exercising can be so gradual. It can take up to four weeks for your body to adjust, and up to 6-8 weeks until you actually start seeing changes. The same goes for lack of exercising. For example, if you stopped working out today, you’re not going to suddenly see a decrease in bone density or even something we all have experienced — weight gain — as that can take up to eight weeks. So, let’s all agree on one thing: change is a process and it takes time. On that note, here are some tips for sticking to your personal fitness resolutions in 2017. 1.) Create realistic goals. What is it that you want to achieve? Whether it be weight loss, increasing muscle (lean body mass) or improving general performance, make sure you mentally jot down what you want to get out of exercising, and make sure you’re creating realistic goals. For example, “I want to reduce 6% of my body fat in 12 weeks,” is a realistic, achievable and measurable goal. Unrealistic goals like trying to lose a large amount of weight in a short amount of time can be unhealthy and lead to discouragement. Creating realistic goals will keep you on point and help you stay motivated for the long haul. 2.) It’s an investment. As I mentioned before, getting in shape is not something that happens overnight. It takes time, effort, commitment and, more importantly, consistency. Make sure the gym you join has an array of equipment including dumbbells, cable machines, weight machines, cardio machines and stretching areas. A convenient location is also key, as it will determine how often you get to the gym. Pick a gym within a short walk or a quick drive. Lastly, don’t shy away from personal training. I know what you’re thinking — “She’s a trainer, of course she’ll say that,” but hear me out — good
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trainers will keep tab of your progress and switch out your programme in a timely manner. They will hold you accountable, are your coaches and create a programme that fits your goals. More importantly, a good trainer will give you cues on posture and technique that you may not be aware of or able to observe, yourself. 3.) Baby Steps. Now that you know what your goals are and you’ve joined a gym, make sure you ease into it. On your first day, don’t spend an hour on the treadmill and then skip the next day because you’re too sore. The first few days of exercise can be tough because your body is still getting used to it, so make sure you alternate your cardio and strength exercises. As an example, you could focus on strength training three days a week and do 30 minutes of cardio twice a week. That way you’re exercising five days a week, but it’s balanced and you’re giving yourself some time to recover. Whether your goal is losing weight or gaining muscle, diet plays a big role. Make changes gradually though, or you may fall back to old habits. For example, if you take two teaspoons of sugar with your coffee, just cut down to one teaspoon and let your body slowly adjust before cutting sugar out totally. This method can be applied to any “bad” food habits. 4.) Time. Make time to exercise. I know that’s easier said than done, but if you can find even a half hour to exercise, you’ve done yourself a big favour. In my experience, if you put your workout on your calendar, you will actually go exercise. If you only exercise when you’re “free”, you’re not going to be consistent and may eventually stop exercising all together. Whether you’re working with a trainer or training on your own, make sure you have an actual schedule. If you stick with that schedule for a few weeks, you’ll be able to get in a routine and build a positive habit. Lastly, I’ll leave you with this thought: don’t look at your exercise goals as only a new year’s resolution. Keep working on your goals throughout the year. Exercise should be a part of your life. It’s not just about losing an X amount of weight and then forgetting about your health once you’ve achieved that goal. If you don’t keep up, you’ll just pack those pounds back on. Fitness should be something you always have in mind and work to improve, not something you stress about once each year or just when those jeans refuse to zip or you get out of breath climbing a few stairs. Rhea Velgos is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer at Optimal Self. Her focus is strength and endurance training. She also incorporates core, balance and total body exercises for more progressive and effective results. For more info on personal training, please e-mail her at rhea.velgos@gmail.com
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Hackin’ The Net By Ted Fleischaker / Publisher I seem to have mantras in this column and ask that you repeat them after me. This month’s are easy: 1.) Sometimes things simply do not work. And 2.) Space is not unlimited on any device. Having that out of the way, let me explain: Probably the most asked question I get as a tech columnist is “I did what it said (was supposed to do / claimed it might do) and it won’t work. Why not?” And the second most asked thing: “My computer (phone or pad) is slow (or crashes) and I cannot figure out why.” So let’s see what we can do for answers. The first thing is a bit more convoluted as it could be that things do not work for a variety of reasons. Take for example partner Ivan. I was in the car on the Casco Bay Bridge with him the other day when I heard something on W-BACH on the radio and was curious what it was. He said to his phone, which was in the cup holder — Both hands ON the wheel when driving, please! — “Hey Siri... what am I listening to?” He got a response that Siri heard him and then silence. So he did what we all do when something doesn’t work: He said it LOUDER. And he got the same result which got me to laughing and reminding him that some days stuff doesn’t work right. In the passenger seat, I pulled out my phone, opened a great app called SoundHound and let it “listen”. In under 15 seconds, left, I had an artist and the name of a lesser-known composer, so I was able later to buy the piece. On Siri’s behalf I must say I did get her to respond later (below), but the bigger point is maybe road noise caused the issue. Or maybe the cup holder was not the best spot to “listen”. Or maybe Siri didn’t have enough signal to have her classical music ears on. Regardless of the reason, the fact is it failed to work. And it’s not just Mac and not just Siri. A friend with Amazon’s “helper” Alexa some days has her moments. And hit-
ting “print” on my screen at home last week got me zero results, as did grabbing my mouse and trying to navigate a screen only to have nothing happen at all. Some “fixes” may be as simple as rebooting your gear. Others may be looking at what you are wanting it to do as far as functions and seeing if that’s what’s in the list of what it was designed for.
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Our Siri was back ready to go after Ivan rebooted his phone, but I still think half the problem was road noise. My printer needed a restart and now prints fine. And that errant mouse? Maybe it was scared of one of our cats, but more likely it had dying batteries since replacing them got it out of the trap. So my advice: Check first for the easy fixes. Always reboot or restart as a first line of defence after you make sure your battery is not dead, the device is plugged in (for a desktop, printer, etc.) and is connected, then, if that fails, carefully see what might have changed or been done. Did you unplug a device like the printer from the computer when you moved a table and took down the Christmas tree, but forget to connect it again? Did the dog manage to pull the power cord so despite it being “plugged in” all night at the phone end, the other went nowhere so your phone got no charge? The obvious might not be obvious. Also check your internet connection and see if you have one. Run a speed test from www.speedtest.net or fast.com and confirm a signal. If you have none (or a very slow one) reboot the modem and if there’s still nothing (or it’s way slower than what you pay for) call your internet service provider (ISP) for some help. Also, remember the painfully obvious. A friend out west had no service and turned his gear upside down and yelled and screamed only to discover the credit card he charged his monthly ISP bill to had expired and he ignored their reminders and warnings — until they turned off his service for non-payment! A call to the company and a new credit card got him up and running fast, but it was easily avoidable. Above all, keep your wits and temper about you. As I said at the outset: Things DO break down and that might mean a Geek Squad or Genius Bar appointment. And in severe cases, a new keyboard, mouse, device or whole new computer... but catastrophic failures are rare, so start with the easy stuff first and go from there. And now to my second point: Space is not unlimited. It’s not always easy to say when something, or someone, is full. For we humans there comes an “I can’t eat another bite!” moment. And for things like trash bags and car gas tanks there’s an obvious time when nothing more will fit. The same is true for your computer, iPad or phone, but many of us fail to get the hints. Unlike people who say “I’m stuffed” or trash bags which rip out, often the hints our device needs more space or RAM (more on that in a second) are much less obvious, which is why it’s always a good idea to keep tabs on what you are doing and how much space it’s using. This is especially true when it comes to many of the current data-hungry applications. Back in the really old days, all programmes came on floppies. My first computer was an early 80s Kaypro. It had no hard drive storage at all, but ran off two huge (five-inch I believe if memory serves) floppies. The programme was on one which would go into one of the slots, load and then once the work was complete, it was saved to the 2nd disc. There was nothing left when one popped out the floppies and walked away with them. But then came the newer generations...my late 80s Apple SE 30 had storage, and every computer I have used since has. But without exception, I have upgraded the amount every time I changed computers because I was simply running out of space. And that was before we even had Facebook, all the games we seem to enjoy or things like iTunes or iPhoto which use a lot of space on those hard drives storing our pics and music. The topic for this hit me a few weeks ago when partner Ivan’s mother called to say her MacBook was struggling a bit so he had her check. Sure enough she had all but maxed out the space on her hard drive, forcing the computer to slow down and limp along because there was simply not enough room for what she
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was trying to work with and save. Then there’s the issue of RAM. That stands for Rapid Access Memory, by the way. Think of it as what’s on now and a memory from the old days in your brain. RAM is you thinking right now “I have to stop because that traffic light on Congress Street is red!” and doing so. The longer memory might say “I recall mom had a wreck at this corner in 1987.” It’s stored somewhere but not something you need to recall in time to stop and avoid that same wreck now. And Ivan’s mother was also at the end of her RAM as she (like me, you and almost everyone I know) seems to open more and more programmes at the same time. Using the above analogy it’s like driving and watching for the light to turn, talking on your cell phone, trying to stop the kids from fighting, listening to the radio AND having coffee! At some point your thoughts are so fragmented that you will miss something or wreck because you were not paying full attention to the road. While you won’t be wrapped around a phone pole if this happens to your computer, it can slow to a crawl, open applications will crash and sometimes things will just quit. If it happens when one or two of the open applications are ones you NEED — like your financial records, or a job you were doing for work — it can not only be frustrating, but you might lose your data and have to start over. In a worst case scenario, you might also find the programme became corrupted when it crashed and you will not have any of the data to make it run when the device gets restored. Recall what we have said repeatedly about backing up, saving and using an external drive? This really is important. And yes, as you see above, even those back-up drives can get maxed out. But the hard lessons aside, slow or no go is not fun. It can cause frustration and more, so now would be a good time to do a bit of cleaning on your computer. Start by seeing how much memory you have and how much you are using. On a Mac that’s simple — just click the “Apple” in the upper left of your screen and use the pull down to get “about this Mac” to show. That’s what I see above. PCs work similarly so see how much space you have. If you are on an iPhone or pad plug it in and let iTunes tell you. There’s even a cool screen showing different colours for the storage you are using and what’s still free and the phone or pad also have a spot (shown right) under the “settings” and “general” called “storage” you can use. Also see how many apps you have open. If you tend not to close ones you used hours — or days — ago start making a New Year’s resolution to do so. Those open apps running in the background are hogging that RAM. Think again of those distractions in the car. Minimise them so you pay full
attention to the road ahead. Close anything you are not using, be sure to save any work you have open and if need be reboot so that you will get back some of that memory that’s tied up. You can also take your cleaning beyond the obvious. If you never use Google Earth or IHeart Radio or Farmville you quit playing about 2010, it is a good idea to take the apps and throw them away. When my dad died a few years ago we found things he had not used in years sitting on his hard drive. They took up space, were outdated programmes and (here’s the kicker) many of them opened when he started the computer automatically. You may do as you wish, but at our house systems open to blank screens. That way I am 100% sure nothing from the past session will open and take up space. On Macs that means unclicking that “reopen windows when logging back in” box. The same is true on your internet browsers. Mine open with a blank page. Also a cache is also a great thing. Say you go to the same site every day to check, for example, the weather radar. If you do, a cached “kept” copy of what you used is likely retained by the computer so all the browser has to do is download the latest image. The background etc. are retrieved from what’s been saved, meaning it opens faster next time, BUT the down side is all those website bits are retained on — you guessed it — your hard drive where they take up space. I try and clear my cache weekly, though some folks never do it and others do it daily. There are browser controls you can set to tell the software to do it every day, each week or never. Keep in mind the next time I load the radar it will take a bit longer to get all the bits and show, but I’m grabbing it from the net each time, not storing parts of on my machine taking up space. There’s also the issue of cookies. These are “bits” of info many sites quietly leave on your computer. They can be good — like recalling those passwords you don’t want to type over and over — or bad — like telling a company selling, say travel, that you have looked at hotels in Chattanooga twice so suddenly you find yourself seeing ads for hotels there all over things you use like Facebook. Some cookies have been used to target ads to users browsing and others for far less savoury purposes. How prevalent are they? A recent check showed over 400 cookies on our system and that was just six weeks after we’d cleared them out last. Look and see what you have in the way of cookies (do a search by typing in cookies) and just like those chocolate chip ones from Two Fat Cats, limit the number of cookies to what you and your system need and will use. Too many, to finish my analogy, will only make your system “fat” and slow! Before you wholesale toss ‘em, do keep in mind that some cookies are good things. If you don’t want to type the whole password for your Gmail every time, a cookie/saved memory can finish it once you start. Same for filling in other info for places you surf a lot. It doesn’t work for bank or secure sites so don’t fear your info being stolen, but for what I call those “nuisance passwords”, like to log into Classic FM or a game it can be handy to use cookies or memory and type less. Just keep in mind they are there, can be cleared and turned off (check browser preferences) and again, they are taking up your space. So the moral is know what your are using and watch for the signs of RAM or memory becoming maxed out. Then do something before it’s too late. Close stuff you don’t need open. Add RAM or memory (Most computers have additional “slots” where chips can be added by the user easily or at the Genius Bar or by the Geek Squad.) and when you shop for a new computer, pad or phone, be realistic. If you need more space now or think you will during its lifetime, buy one with sufficient memory in the first place, It might add $50 or $100 to the price today, but you will thank me later. Besides, it beats a crash and loss of your data any day.
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Up Portland is edited in Portland and printed the last week of every month in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We may be contacted at the e-mail or phone number below. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy and fairness, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors. Liability is limited to the cost of said ad. Ads not cancelled by published deadlines may be billed at agreed-upon price. Ads may be edited or rejected for content at the discretion of the publisher. All items appearing in Up Portland, as well as the name, logos and design are copyright 2017 by BBS, A division of High Speed Delivery Fork Ltd. & Ted Fleischaker and may not be reproduced in any form without prior written approval.
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The Essay
Our Every So Often Personal Observational Column The Fermi Paradox: The Existence of Extraterrestrial Life and the Persistence of the Unknown By Peter Michalakes for Up Portland On the heels of NASA’s announcement of the discovery of 1,284 new planets outside of our own solar system last year, amateur and professional astronomers alike have been pondering a single question: where are all the aliens? To accurately respond to this question, we must first consider the probability of the existence of extraterrestrial life. For now, let us consider the chance of life in our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Given our present understanding of stellar evolution, there are at least a few billion stars in our galaxy that are Sun-like, and thanks to the work of some wellto-do statisticians, we can say that surrounding these stars there is a reasonably high probability of Earth-like planets. So, it stands to reason that at least some fraction of these Earth-like planets would inhabit intelligent life just within our own galaxy. Additionally, some fraction of this intelligent life would be bound to develop interstellar space travel — a point at which our own species is currently working towards. And, finally, although the Milky Way itself is rather large — at the speed of light, a physically impossible speed to reach for baryonic matter such as ourselves, it would take 100,000 years to traverse — Earth has been around for about 4.5 billion years and this would have allowed plenty of time for an intelligent, space-faring civilisation to leave its mark on our planet at some point.
humbling, to downright terrifying. The most obvious, of course, is that there is simply no intelligent life out there, in spite of all of the probabilistic calculations we have performed. This brings to mind the so-called Great Filter, a proposed barrier between a species’ survival and its extinction in its evolutionary path. Think of this exactly like a filter: only some life can pass through the Great Filter, which can be any evolutionary event, and others are left behind and culled from the gene pool. If the Great Filter is behind us, great! Humans are rare and we’re awesome. But that’s seen as rather unlikely, because of the statistics we have already mentioned about the sheer vastness of the Universe. The more likely scenario, that the Great Filter is actually ahead of us and we are doomed to some chasm in our own evolutionary biology, would be supported by the discovery of life in other areas of the Universe, even in a basic form. This discovery, while monumental, would be devastating for the prognosis of humanity’s existence because this would place several options for the Great Filter, such as the jump from prokaryotic to eukaryotic cells, or the evolution of sexual reproduction, out of the realm of possibility and that we are headed towards mass extinction. In other words, the longer we go without finding life, the more hopeful we can be that we are actually the first and the rarest. Unfortunately, it is much more likely that it’s just a matter of time until we find some kind of life, and that humanity is doomed. There also remains the possibility that these species of higher intelligence exist somewhere in our Universe, and have surpassed the logistical issues of traversing interstellar space, but choose to neglect our tiny civilisation for a variety of reasons. Perhaps, the concept of galactic colonisation is far too barbaric for the Type II and III civilisations: maybe, asserting their influence across the Universe isn’t their goal as it would likely be ours. Or, perhaps, they are all around us, but we simply can’t detect them given our comparatively primitive equipment. Maybe they know better than to display their location to other civilisations, as we have been doing ourselves since the 1970s, knowing that there are not-so-nice species out there who might take over their own worlds. Truly, the possibilities are endless, and it is doubtful we will ever understand before humanity eventually ceases to exist.
So, where are all the aliens? Enter physicists Enrico Fermi and Michael H. Hart, who generated some potential answers to this very question in the early 20th century. To understand their argument, let’s expand our frame of reference to the Universe as a whole.
And so, the Fermi paradox: the conflict between probability and observation, and the persistent reminder of our vast insignificance. These hypotheses developed by Fermi and Hart are certainly more speculative than science, but in the words of legendary astrophysicist Carl Sagan, “Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.”
For every single grain of sand on Earth, there are 10,000 stars in the observable Universe. Furthermore, for each of the hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way, there is another whole galaxy somewhere out there. \ This places the number of Earth-like planets in our Universe today somewhere in the 100 billion billion range, which is an absurdly large number which is plainly inconceivable to the human mind. And, of course, some of these planets have been around for much longer than we have, given that the Universe is approximately 14 billion years old and we are just 4.5 billion.
Statistics, information, and analysis were acquired for this article from Wait But Why and NASA.gov. For more in-depth analysis of the Fermi Paradox and other exciting science news, visit waitbutwhy.com For those unfamiliar with him, Peter Michalakes was a student at Waynflete in Portland, now attends Tulane University in New Orleans and was a regular contributor to Up Portland. He left us this “run it when you get space” piece a few months back and we are glad to welcome 2017 by doing just that.
It is also important to mention that there are three main classifications of intelligent life: Type I, Type II and Type III. Type I civilisations are capable of utilising all of the energy on their planet, Type II civilisations can utilise their star’s energy, and a Type III can harness the power of its galaxy. We are approximately a Type 0.7, with the potential to eventually reach Type I classification if we ever get our act together.
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Explanations of the question of extraterrestrial life range from believable, to
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