SLA Halloween 2015
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Da Vinci’s Demons: AKA Let’s Go Crazy With History
By Sean Morris
Staff Writer
Shows about the lives of famous and infamous characters in history can often be well and entertaining — think of “The Borgias and Narcos ” — but can just as often be dulled or limited by how they tell it- think “Reign” I am happy to report that this is not the case with Da Vinci’s Demons. The show manages tell actual historical events while also creating original content and incorporates several fantasy elements that give the series a unique and vastly interesting edge.
The series follows a young Leonardo Da Vinci as the genius vastly ahead of his time when he is entangled in the political mechanisms of Renaissance Italy with the Medici and Pazzi clans, and especially the Church of Rome lead by the sinister Pope Sixtus IV. Leonardo also discovers a cult known as the “Sons of Mithras” who send him on the path to find an object known as “The book of Leaves”: a mystical object said to contain a wealth of hidden knowledge.
While this could come off as cheesy, it does for the better part able to keep it genuinely interesting and fascinating- especially how they are able to mix in the actual historical events during this exciting time. For example how they include the assassination attempt on the Medici family, the mad King Ferdinand of Naples’ museum of mummies, the Ottoman Invasion of Otranto, and is able to make detours off the historical map like when Leonardo and company take an expedition to South America (actually) to Machu Picchu and more: but I won’t be revealing much more as it would spoil some interesting surprises.
Aside from Leonardo, there are a wealth of interesting historical figures from patron of the arts Lorenzo de medici, the right hand of the pope and essentially the Darth Vader (black cloak and all) for the Catholic church: the hoarse count Riario, the man who became the namesake of America: Amerigo Vespucci to Vlad the Impaler aka Dracula himself, who steals the show in one of the series’s best episodes –and looks set to return for its final season.
As fun and cool I find the show, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t mention my gripes with the show as well. One of which is the character of Niccolo Machiavelli, who in his late teens seems to have been made to be one of the least interesting characters of the show when he was one of the most interesting men of not only his time but all time. Unfortunately, He is a thoroughly un-Machiavellian Machiavelli, while some could chalk that up to his youth, it still would have been satisfying to see seeds of his nature and the origins of that. I felt that Eros Vlahos was a miscast in the role, and should have been taken by someone who could tap into the darker and more ruthless side that someone can take, rather than both looking, acting and being used as a sort of damsel of distress, which was as far from what the historical character could be.
Additionally- and this is one of my biggest critics of the show is on the subject of Leonardo Da Vinci’s sexuality. In the show his main love interest is a woman, and suppose to be attracted to women, while in history it’s quite clear that he was gay. While they do mention and show that he is attracted to men as well (such as having him arrested on charges on sodomey like in history) it’s played VERY second base to his relationships to women. For example in the show his main love interest (although the show does not center on this) is Lucrezia donati and they have sex like three times, later marries the Incan priestess has sex with her, but hey he gets one guy kiss on screen. This bothers me a lot since there isn’t any hour dramas–at least that I can think of–that are lead by a gay man; and this becomes a thoroughly missed opportunity that should have been clear as day for them to do.
Despite my critiques, I do, on the whole, enjoy the show. It’s cast is the rare combination of being both eye candy and good at their jobs- especially the energy from Leonardo and the menacing whispers from count Riario. The costumes are wonderfully designed, the sets are craftily made, the score is beautiful and its opening credits sequence is one of the best I’ve ever seen. They do an excellent job at bending the reality of history sometimes straight up breaking it but ultimately incorporate multiple elements from history and work with them to create one of the best and most interesting not only historical shows, but of all shows that I’ve seen in a long time.
The final and 3rd season premiere is this Saturday the 24th on Starz, but feel free to catch up by viewing the first two seasons on demand or through Starz online episodes.
Rentboy Raid brings to Question of the Laws Towards Prostitution and Sex Workers Rights
Sean Morris
Staff Writer
Like smoking, drinking and gambling, it seems as if we as a society cannot come to a clear consensus upon our vices, for better or worse. Among the most controversial topics even among the most liberal is prostitution, an industry so laced with negativity that its very name brings thoughts of crime and scandal. However, is every form of prostitution necessarily bad?
For the sake of this discussion, allow me to clarify: I am not at all referring to forced prostitution, in which unconsenting men, women and even children are forced into a life that they didn’t seek by an cruel and human force. I am talking about the adult men and women who have, for the most part, willingly chosen to go into the sex industry for whatever reason concerns the individual: maybe they enjoyed it, wanted it, acting didn’t work out and it was a secondary form of making money whatever it was, they are in it. Now these men and women face the dilemma that their industry and the ways it is promoted are illegal.
First there’s the question: who does voluntary prostitution harm? On the website procon.org in a section about the issue of legalizing prostitution or not, Cronell law professor Sherry F. Colby’s (JD, or Juris doctor) paper he wrote: ““Prostitution should not be a crime. Prostitutes are not committing an inherently harmful act. While the spread of disease and other detriments are possible in the practice of prostitution, criminalization is a sure way of exacerbating rather than addressing such effects. We saw this quite clearly in the time of alcohol prohibition in this country.” With prohibition: the illegilization of alcohol led to various crime and violence. Today, while alcohol is legal, there are still legal protections and laws regarding it, like most things, to prevent abuse. This is what should happen here with prostitution: laws and protections would prevent the spread of diseases and abuses.
Second question: What does more damage to a person’s life: working as a prostitute, or being busted for it? I was inspired to explore this topic after a raid by the NYPD on the offices of a gay sex worker website called “rentboy.com.” The NYPD arrested 6 employees and seized millions of dollars in assets.
Third question: Was this raid necessary? The Young turks, a series of online liberal based news videos, reported that these 6 were arrested on only a suspicion that they were selecting prostitution, they also noted the inessentialness of going after “gay people who are prostituting themselves” when “there’s a mass shooting everyday in America”. And criticized the department of homeland security for exercising “civil forfeiture” in the segment of the company’s moneys and the employees homes and property, calling it a “bullshit investigation that don’t keep any of us safe, and just meddling in the personal life of other people”. Additionally a male escort interviewed said the site offered “protection” for male escorts in comparision to others like Craigslist, and the site even had a 1,500 scholarship for escorts advertising on the website.
When I was researching this article, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. But now reading and watching the coverage of the Rentboy case, I strongly believe it is time to legalize prostitution in the United States. In areas, like Germany and New Zealand who have legalized it, it was found that prostitutes experienced less violence including rape and physical harm (presumably now that they had the option to go to the police, and some brothels even have a panic button in rooms) and it cuts down on trafficking. The benefits to the United States would be substantial.
My position may sound extreme, but I’m not the only one who believes this. Many, many reputable organizations from the World Health Organization to UN Women, The Global Commission for HIV and the Law, Human Rights Watch, Global Alliance Against Trafficking in Women, Transgender law center, GLAD, National Center for Trans Equality, Anti Slavery International, and more all support decriminalization. Even a self proclaimed “conservative catholic” on Red State.com wrote “I am opposed to laws criminalizing prostitution. These laws have done little to nothing to reduce the number of people in the sex trade but they have made prostitutes vulnerable to coercion and abuse by criminals and, more importantly, by law enforcement.” And frankly regardless of whether or not prostitution remains illegal or not; it will continue. But at least if it is legal then there can be laws made and protections insured that allow for a much safer and productive society than persecuting those that harm, quite literally no one, can ever do.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Rentboy case and other reasons behind the legalization of Prostitution, here are a few links providing background information:
Phillies Free Agency: Who will the Philadelphia Phillies Most LIkely SIgn?
Aaron Watson-Sharer
The Philadelphia Phillies are pretty bad. The Phillies have just completed their worst season since 1969. Even worst, is that year the Mets went on to win the world series. They sit dead last in the standings in the Major Leagues and they soon will draft first in the 2016 MLB First Year Player Draft. The Phillies have had a very forgettable 2015, but the future remains bright with a great farm system.
As hitters, the Phillies are near the bottom in all batting categories. Ranking 24th in batting average at .249 is nothing but poor. Not to mention the .303 on base percentage, second to last in baseball. The Phillies also currently sit 27th in runs scored, just ahead of the White Sox, Braves and the Marlins, respectively. There is no hitting stat where the Phillies rank anywhere near the top in the league. The Phillies currently don’t possess a feared hitter in their lineup but one can be found in the offseason.
The Phillies are amongst the bottom in pitching as well. The Phillies are doing so poorly on the mound that former Phillie Cole Hamels is still tied in wins. Of all eligible starting pitchers in Philadelphia, Aaron Harang somehow leads with a 4.86 ERA. On most clubs, that earned run average sends you to the minors. The Phillies through 152 games are 29th in earned run average. The Phillies only had 66 quality starts in 2015 In baseball, a quality start means they pitched six innings and only allowed up to three runs. The only team that is below them in most categories for pitching is the Rockies, who play in high altitude which leads to a great park for hitters. The Phillies could look this year to add to their rotation, or may put it on hold until they are able to contend, either way, something has got to be done.
So who should the Phillies sign next year?
They won’t just go for the big name players. There are some who would never join us. David Price is an example. There are some veterans who are aging who want to contend. They may just sign veterans just to trade them to a top bidder. Next year we won’t contend, so our options are very limited.
But here are a few players that would be worth it:
- RHP Doug Fister: It was expected that Doug Fister would have a great year. He has since been moved to the bullpen on a competitive Nationals’ rotation. Doug Fister is going to be 32 on opening day and the Phillies have signed veterans like Fister on one year deals. Fister needs to prove that he can still be the quality starter he was in Detroit. Why not pitch for Philadelphia for a season?
- RHP Alfredo Simon: Alfredo Simon, 35, has had a tough year. Twenty nine starts with a 5.05 ERA. His WHIP has risen drastically this year to 1.439. Alfredo Simon can be a starter or a reliever, he has been a reliever in the past and excelled. Alfredo Simon spent three seasons in the National League with the Reds. He was an All Star in 2014 and was a great starter in the National League. He carried a 3.44 ERA and a 15-10 record. He could be a very good pitcher back in the National League and the Phillies use him to eat up innings.
- RHP Ian Kennedy: Ian is only 31 and has had a tough year, but with the Phillies, he could spend a year or two while we rebuild our rotation. Ian Kennedy carried a 4.28 ERA in 2015. Kennedy has plenty of potential and some believe he still could have a sub three ERA for any team. If the Phillies get something like that out of him, they could easily trade him in July and push the rebuild.
- LHP Wei-Yin Chen: I would love to see the Phillies pursue Chen heavily. He isn’t the lackluster veteran like Aaron Harang. Chen has been a quality starter since he signed from Taiwan. This season, Chen has a 3.34 ERA in 2015. He has a quality strikeout rate above seven. He also walks very few batters, about 1.9 batters per nine innings. That’s a great number. Wei-Yin Chen has the potential of a long term starter in Philadelphia and would perform at a very high level.
- RHP Mike Leake: Mike Leake is young and talented. That’s all we need. He wouldn’t be cheap to pry, could be about $15 million dollars a year. He has the number 2 or 3 starter potential and has proved that year on end. The Phillies young pitcher Aaron Nola was often compared to Mike Leake while at LSU. He and Nola also made their debut the year after they were drafted. Mike Leake is a winning pitcher, and the Phillies will start winning in a couple years and if we sign Leake he will be apart of that.
- CF Dexter Fowler Jr.: Dexter Fowler is a proven talent with superior glove work in centerfield. He has a .267 lifetime batting average and hits for contact and power. So far in 2015, he has 17 home runs. The Cubs will likely let him walk with all of their young and talented outfielders. Fowler is a power hitting center fielder who has great speed. That makes him a premier hitter in this league and would contribute in Philly.
- LF Justin Upton: Justin Upton is a great fit in Philly. No way we don’t pursue him for at least a five year deal. Upton doesn’t always hit for average, he will never have that .300 average. Instead, Upton hits for power, 26 home runs, and consistency is in his name. His glove is superior, as you can see in this instance. Justin Upton is a top 50 player in baseball and would be in the heart of our lineup until he’s 35.
- RF Jason Heyward: Jason Heyward is an MLB superstar. Once heralded as the consensus top prospect in all of baseball, he’s handling the hype well. He has only hit for 20 home runs in a season once, but that’s ok because he hits for average. His batting average sits at .293, he has shown yet again he is a top outfielder in baseball. A near five-tool player, who hardly strikes out. He only has 90 strikeouts to date and every team would envy having to play him. Plus, he’s 26 years old, a perfect age for the Phillies to build upon.
The Phillies last year reached a TV deal with Comcast and have all the money they need for the players they want. The Phillies have needs everywhere besides the few players who are playing their way into a long term starter; like Aaron Nola or Maikel Franco. This is the year to get a superstar free agent, because they will have adapted to the team by the time we contend. Andy Macphail, a baseball executive for the Phillies, has shown that he will make a bold move if the potential is great. Don’t forget he traded Erik Bedard for five players, which included Chris Tillman and Adam Jones. There are eight can’t miss free agents this year we should make a run for, we just have to put our faith in Macphail to pursue them.
The Phillies future is bright. One of the finest farm systems and with some young talent who will make the Phillies return to October. My personal predictions is that we pursue all of these guys but end up with Justin Upton and Alfredo Simon. Simon could help in 2016 while Upton would be at the heart of the lineup for at least six years. There are plenty of free agent options, but these are the best fits for the Phillies right now. We won’t get the next ace this winter, but we’ll find players who will contribute to the success of the Phillies.
What Do SLA Students Think About the Keystones?
Ella Donesky
Staff Writer
