Harry Potter Theme Park

If students are up to flying to Florida, a grand new attraction is opening—the Wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Most Harry Potter fans mourned the end of the book series as the end of an era, but the new park will be a light in the lives of obsessive fans. There are various rides, including a virtual tour of iconic Harry Potter sites like Hogwarts and a dragon-fighting themed roller coaster. In addition, there are multiple shops where dedicated fans can purchase Harry Potter props and clothing, including Ollivander’s, where “a Wandkeeper can help a wand choose you.” Fans can close their eyes and imagine that their Hogwarts letter really did come (you know you were crushed when you didn’t get one) and that there really are wizards. The Harry Potter theme park opens on Friday, June 18 in Orlando, Florida.

Road Trips

Load up the car, fill up the gas tank and set up the GPS, because a road trip with a group of friends is essential. Nothing bonds people more than an eight-hour car ride filled with burping contests, fights over the radio and Cheetos dust everywhere.

Try picking a location, such as Santa Barbara, Oregon or Los Angeles, and then map out must-see sights on the way, like the World’s Largest Thermometer in Baker and the Pez Museum in Burlingame.

The Museum of Death in Hollywood is also an interesting destination for the more morbidly-inclined, with things like serial killer John Wayne Gacy’s clown self-portrait and the guillotined head of the Bluebeard of France. One needs to make sure to not eat too many souvenir Pez before viewing the autopsy video gallery.

Comic-Con

Looking for a road trip destination? Then consider San Diego, home of beautiful beaches, award-winning golf courses and, of course, the annual gathering of die-hard comic book lovers known as Comic-Con.

This four-day event at San Diego’s Convention Center caters to all types of comics and features autograph signings, exclusive product previews and collectors. It’s the nerd’s ultimate dream, and though tickets for this year’s event sold out in October, there are still tickets for sale on eBay and Craigslist. Volunteer opportunities are also available and include free swag, a behind-the-scenes look and admission.

Burning Man

If you’re not interested in comic books, the annual Burning Man Festival might be a better choice. A week-long temporary commune that celebrates community and self-expression, it’s the kind of legendary event that the Telegraph Avenue set dreams about while asleep in the back of their wannabe Mystery Machines.

Every summer, nearly 50,000 dirty hippies and free-loving burnouts journey to Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada to frolic together in this happy, clothing-optional commune.

Activities are endless and include tie-dye art, torching things and showering with complete strangers. And if the Black Rock City Police Department decides to pay an unexpected visit mid-hug session with your new flower child friends, one can even make a getaway in “mutant vehicles,” which are created by participants and range from giant motorized muffins to eight-legged mechanical spiders.

Winchester Mystery House

Another option for students is to go on a tour of the Winchester Mystery House. The Winchester Mystery House is arguably the craziest house out there with 160 twisting rooms. The story goes that the numerous secret passageways and labyrinth-like layout of the house helped Sarah Winchester (the house’s owner) escape the many ghosts chasing her. Winchester constantly added and removed rooms to her house until the day she died. Flashlight tours can be quite frightening as one can almost imagine evil ghosts stalking their prey through eccentric features of the house. Flashlight tours are on every Friday the 13th (August 13 this year) while there are daily tours every day. Tours range from $25 to $33.

Gilroy Garlic Festival

The 32nd annual Gilroy Garlic Festival draws foodies from around the world together for three whole days filled with everyone’s favorite Edward Cullen repellant: garlic. This year’s festival has over 60 vendors selling everything from run-of-the-mill garlic fries and bread to the not so common garlic ice cream, as well as a recipe cook-off hosted by former “Top Chef” contestant Fabio Viviani, live music, arts and crafts and a warm welcome from the new Miss Gilroy Garlic. And after loading up on free garlic samples, slip on a new Gilroy Garlic T-shirt and head back home. Just be sure to have a toothbrush or a mint handy for afterward.

Mystery Spot

If students happen to be in Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot is well worth a visit. The Mystery Spot is a circle of 150 feet where “every law of gravitation has gone haywire,” or rather our perception of gravity is affected. Within the Mystery Spot, balls appear to roll uphill, those standing uphill always appear taller than those standing downhill and standing at an alarmingly sharp angle appears normal. While it is unknown why this phenomenon occurs, theories range from spaceships buried in the ground to a hole in the ozone layer. The Mystery Spot is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Tickets cost $5.

Nothing could be a more apt name for a TV dinner than Hungry Man. If a man has to resort to precooked food flash frozen and kept in a freezer for a month for his sustenance, he must be pretty hungry, right? Wrong. Hungry Man TV dinners not only contain over 120 percent of your daily sodium requirement, but they are also magically delicious.

It’s hard to believe so much tastiness could be condensed into a microwavable delicacy like this. The meal includes an entrée, dessert and even vegetables.

The only issue you will have is deciding what to do with that sweet, black plastic tray that your meal is elegantly arrayed on.

2. Sweet Tooth: Betty Crocker Warm Delights

The microwave is a magical tool. Even those with no baking skills can use the microwave to make a cake worthy of a king’s palate, or at least a sweet tooth with a craving for chocolate. With only a tablespoon of water, the included cake mix and 30 seconds of microwaving, dessert can be served. The cakes also come with packets of caramel or fudge depending on the type you buy, and turn an ordinary chocolate cake into a delicious mound of gooey goodness. Just don’t burn yourself. Seriously. The cakes come out roughly the temperature of the sun, and the container is a little cooler, sitting at the temperature of boiling lava. Best to let that sit for a while.

3. Party Favor: Bagel Bites

What is the best food to bring to a party? Pizza. What’s better than ordering pizza? Making it in a microwave. What’s better than microwavable pizza? Mini microwavable pizza bagels. No matter what type of party you’re having, Bagel Bites will make it better. They bring all the taste of pizza with none of the drip-on-your-shirt risk of actual pizza, and they come in great flavors like four cheese and way-too-much-meat cholesterol explosion. While Bagel Bites may put delivery guys out of business, they won’t be missed. Not while it’s this easy to get bite sized pizza morsels.

4. Most Continental: Kahiki Microwavable Egg Rolls

While cheap Chinese food is everyone’s worst nightmare, microwavable Chinese food isn’t half bad. At least these egg rolls aren’t. With their easy crisp bags, the egg rolls come out as crunchy and tasty as if they had just been woked. They are definitely the healthiest food on the list, with 100 calories or less per serving. While they won’t beat a night at Chef Chu’s or Hunan Homes, these egg rolls won’t disappoint those with low enough culinary standards to expect microwavable food to be good.

5. Comfort Food: Easy Mac

Macaroni and cheese has been a staple of American comfort food since the writing of the Constitution. Cheesy pasta dishes offer that warm, gooey, comforting slice of home that makes us think back to days when Mom was always on hand to cook and we didn’t have to resort to microwavable monstrosities to get a bite to eat. Easy Mac offers the best of both worlds, with the ease of microwavable cooking and the cheesy goodness of Mom’s “homemade” mac and cheese that somehow came in the shapes of Scooby Doo and Spongebob characters. Mom never could explain all those Kraft Mac and Cheese boxes in the recycling either.

The Classic: Chris’s

For those who don’t know, fish and chips shops tend to have their own custom made “music” playing in the background. And as soon as you walk into Chris’s Fish and Chips, you can hear it: the crunching sounds coming from all the seafood delicacies frying in oil.

Chris’s Fish and Chips, located on First Street in downtown Los Altos, has been in the area for quite a while. The strong aroma in the shop makes it pretty obvious that everything on the menu is fried and contains fish.

Although their menu varies from fried mushrooms to prawns, the shop is most well-known for its fish and chips.

The fish pieces are a good size—not too big, not too small. Although the fish is deep-fried, it’s crispy and juicy instead of greasy. As for the “chips,” the fries are cut steak-style. Although people may think that the fries will be soggy and greasy, these steak fries are crispy and have a curly-fries taste. Ketchup, tartar sauce and malt vinegar come with the fish and chips, and they add a nice tangy flavor to the dish.

There aren’t many tables and chairs available but the cleanliness of the place and the unappealing take-out option (everything is just put into a brown paper bag) encourage customers to grab a seat and eat there. The overall environment of Chris’s Fish and Chips is very clean and the owner’s friendliness is definitely a plus.

The New: El Monte

There are not too many local fish and chips restaurants, but El Monte Fish & Chips opened Thursday, April 1, allowing locals to see how it matches up to Chris’s Fish and Chips.

This shop is located behind the shopping complex with Boston Market and Pizza My Heart, on El Camino Real.

The menu offers a variety of selections for seafood and side dishes such as “vegekabob.” But of course like Chris’s, El Monte Fish & Chips specialize in their fish and chips dish.

Its fish pieces are thicker and a bit larger than those from Chris’s, so they are definitely more filling at a price similar to Chris’s. Even though the fish is just as crispy and juicy as Chris’s, they not as tasty and well-seasoned. The fries are dry, not steak-style and lack crispiness.

But the variety of sauces at El Monte Fish & Chips definitely bests Chris’s, since its fish and chips are served in an any-way-you-like-it sort of way. Choices of sauces for the fish include tartar, ketchup and cocktail. In true custom of the authentic style of eating fish and chips, there is vinegar and salt provided at the table.

The shop is very clean and much more spacious than Chris’s. Also, the owners are extremely friendly and very enthusiastic about opening up the new shop.

Final Word

Although El Monte Fish & Chips may not beat the taste that Chris’s Fish and Chips has established, its cheaper price range (starting at $5) and more appealing atmosphere will definitely draw in customers.

Both these local fish and chips shops provide a clean and welcoming atmosphere, but it truly comes down to the food in the long run. At Chris’s Fish and Chips the signature fish and chips dish is definitely more classic, whether it be the several years of work put into establishing their dish or just the juicy and crispy qualities of the fish and fries.

Although Chris’s Fish and Chips gets the better end of the fishstick in terms of tastiness, both restaurants have the right gear to make this a fair fight for the throne of local seafood dishes.

Though no longer a novelty, “Iron Man 2” is still an absolutely entertaining ride through the life and super suit of weapons mogul and engineer extraordinaire Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.).

After revealing his identity as Iron Man at the end of the first movie, Stark has become the most important man in the world, further boosting his already massive ego. In addition, he’s also become an open target for two main villains.

Mickey Rourke plays brilliant, but malevolent physicist Ivan Venko while Sam Rockwell is weapons businessman Justin Hammer, who join forces to battle Stark for revenge and power respectively. The two are on complete opposites of the villain spectrum: Rockwell the snobby and obnoxious bad guy with expensive clothes and fine dining tastes while Rourke is the hardcore Russian badass covered in tattoos and an almost all gold teeth grill.

Despite combining the personality flaws of both his nemeses, Stark is a likeable hero, with unmatched charm and constant one-liners. Like in the first, Downey absolutely nails his role and his performance is worth the price of admission alone. Rourke and Rockwell’s portrayals of their characters are just as delightful.

Compared to the original, not only are the villains more enjoyable, but so is the action they set off. Ironically, some superhero films have a dearth of explosions and intense action. “Iron Man 2” on the other hand, keeps bringing them, and features at least one moment that will elicit an audible “ooh” from the crowd.

The script wisely focuses on Downey, as Stark becomes a multidimensional character who is rapidly self-destructing. His reckless behavior is followed by periods of remorse, all showing contrasting sides to Stark’s brazen, pretentious attitude that were not explored in the first. All the while, though, Stark still has fun, continuously earning smiles from viewers with his wit, or getting a senator to cuss at him on national television.

The two villains are just two of many side characters in this story. Gwyneth Paltrow returns as Stark’s assistant Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard as Lt. Col James Rhodes. Rhodes also dons the ego “War Machine,” which does not disappoint on its awesome name.

Finally of note is Scarlett Johansson’s introduction as Natalie Rushmore, a girl so hot she makes Stark, who has everything a man can dream of, whisper “I want one.”

With so many characters and even more subplots, the film can at times feel a bit muddled. “Iron Man 2” is a jumping point for not only “Iron Man” sequels, but also other super hero movies in the same universe. Viewers may have to check their brains at the door for a few sections, but the film is never dull and moves a brisk pace.

Cutting and editing at times can be issues as well, especially in the beginning sequence, where there is simply too much material to pack into the two-hour film.

Though it does not push the boundaries of the superhero genre, as “The Dark Knight” did, “Iron Man 2” is just as entertaining as its predecessor. Though some viewers may have been expecting a greater advancement from the first, they will still leave the theaters having had enjoyed themselves much as Stark seems to.

And, like with the first, don’t forget to stay after the credits for another reveal.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

If you’re into hip-hop or rap music, you’ve probably already committed the radio advertisements for this year’s Wild Jam to memory. The 94.9 radio station’s annual concert will take place this year on Thursday, May 13 at the HP Pavilion at 7:30 p.m.

Performing live will be artists Baby Bash, Iyaz, Ke$ha, B.O.B, Lil Jon, Usher, New Boyz and Trey Songz. In addition to these eight artists, a mystery performer will surprise the audience at the concert.

It’s not rare for a performer to jump into the crowd and crowd-surf while performing, just as rapper and artist Akon did during last year’s concert. Huge television screens onstage make the show just as exciting for those who have seats farther back, and vendors around the venue keep the enthused audience equipped with t-shirts and posters.

Each artist brings his or her own attitude and style to the Wild Jam, making it one of the Bay Area’s most unique and memorable concerts.

Baby Bash
This rapper performed at the October 2009 Boo Bomb concert and was wildly praised for his performance. Baby Bash is known for his albums “Tha Smokin’ Nephew,” “Super Saucy” and “Cyclone.” His successful career and praised performances bring credibility to the Wild Jam this year.

Iyaz
Iyaz, a British Virgin Islander singer and rapper, is best known for his song “Replay,” which topped the Billboard Pop and UK Singles charts in of 2009.

Discovered by Sean Kingston in 2008, Iyaz is fairly new to the music industry.

Ke$ha
With her popular album “Animal,” artist Ke$ha Rose Seberts has made her way into Hollywood stardom.

Ke$ha is known for having the longest running number one debut single since 1997 with her hit song “Tik Tok.”

Although many dislike Ke$ha because of her slightly robotic and overplayed vocals, her overall popularity as a new artist is unquestionable.

B.O.B
B.O.B, also known as Bobby Ray Simmons, is a recording artist and producer from Atlanta, Georgia. He is signed under the Grand Hustle and Atlantic Record labels, and is known for his singles “I’ll Be in the Sky” and “Nothin’ on You.” B.O.B is scheduled to release his debut album “The Adventures of Bobby Ray” on April 27, and will perform his new songs at the concert.

Lil Jon
This rapper is a member of Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, a group featuring himself and rappers Lil Bo and Big Sam. The group’s most famous hits include “Snap Yo Fingers,” “Yeah,” “Get Low” and “Lean Back.” With his energy and original mixtape style, Lil Jon is sure to make the concert one to remember.

Usher
Usher, probably the most and well-known artist at Wild Jam, has ranked higher than any other artist in his generation. His 2004 album “Confessions” was named the best solo album of the decade and his other best known albums include “Usher,” “My Way,” “8701,” “Confessions,” “Here I Stand” and “Raymond vs. Raymond.” Many of those who look forward to the Wild Jam consider Usher the major artist and attraction of the concert.

New Boyz
This hip-hop/rap duo consists of rappers Earl Benjamin and Dominic Thomas. The pair began performing together in high school as the “Swagger Boyz” and gained popularity for its self-published single “Colorz.” The group later debuted its hit song “You’re a Jerk” in 2009 and recently released a second single, “Tie Me Down.”

Trey Songz
This rapper is best known for his albums “I Gotta Make It,” “Trey Day,” and “Ready.” His hit songs “Say Ahh” and “I Invented Sex” are played nonstop on popular hip-hop and rap stations, and are expected to be good additions to the concert line-up.

Go see it
This concert will be one to remember because the Wild Jam always promises its youthful audience an exciting, energetic and crazy night. This year’s Wild Jam is one of many concerts the radio station has held in the past, so make sure to get some friends and check it out.

But despite these casual crimes, I would never actively attempt to be creepy. Times have changed, however.

Thanks to Facebook and the Internet itself, my generation has the ability to creep like never before. In an instant, we can meet new people, see their pictures, start up a conversation, and, eventually, file a restraining order. I like to think of a friend as someone I’ve met in person, so I am quick to deny any friend request from a stranger.

But because I would never do it, I had to do it anyway. I began to friend-request strangers from all over the country and I then tried to talk to them. I was creeped out. I friend requested strange people from strange places.

I began with Duke from Texas, who said “dis” instead of “this,” making me wonder had his parents actually named him Thuke?

Then I talked to Ebnul from Sunnyside, New York, who had surprisingly little to say even though, according to his Facebook, we shared a common love of the movie “Mean Girls.”

Most people were normal people; in other words, they were unresponsive to a seemingly creepy “hello.”

My first success was in talking to an international student: Jon from Montana, which, I believe, is a small country in Europe (though I’ve been told I’m wrong about that). In Montana, according to Jon, people like to eat turducken, which is “a chicken inside a goose inside a turkey.” (He may have been describing a turgoosen.)

A diet consisting of this meal alone would render Montana’s bird population extinct, so I asked the all-important question, if Montanans ate Taco Bell. I nearly cried for him when he told me he had never seen one.

Jon was a cowboy, which I assumed meant chick-magnet in Montana. But apparently that’s only true if by “chick” you mean 800-pound cattle.

And like I did not know much about Montana, Jon did not know much about California. He assumed we had a large population of Spanish women, not Mexican women. He didn’t understand what “it” was when I mentioned an It’s-It.

I shared my knowledge and he shared his. And though Jon and I were two strangers with little in common from very different places, we shared something: We were teenagers living on the Internet, and that’s all we needed to connect.

So I know I shouldn’t talk to strangers and I know the Internet is dangerous. But now I know something else: the Internet can be a bridge. Talking to Jon from Montana was easy; we just talked about food and girls.

So what if I am a creep, talking to strangers and ogling women? I would say being creepy has expanded my horizon. So tomorrow, be a creep. Talk to a stranger. And then afterwards, feel free to stare at any part of my body you want.

The basic premise of Geocaching is that someone hides a container, called a geocache, and uploads the longitude and latitude of their hiding place to geocaching. com, where fellow geocachers can choose to search out the caches present at the coordinates.

Each cache is ranked in difficulty from one to five based on how difficult it is to get to and locate. Caches can be any closed container, from old ammo containers to Cool Whip tubs.

The caches contain all sorts of trinkets, from rings and bracelets to assorted playing cards and pictures. After finding the cache, and dive to the bottom of rivers in search of caches. According to the official geocaching website, over a million geocaches are currently active, with over 3 million you can take any of the trinkets you want, but you must leave something of greater or equal value in return.

After finding your geocache and receiving your treasure, you write your name on the log present in the cache, usually located on a clipboard. Once you are home, you can return to the website and upload your findings on an online log that states what cache you were after, where you found it and any treasures you may have left or taken.

Geocaching has experienced a huge boom in popularity largely thanks to its outdoorsy appeal. People everywhere are looking for fun and creative ways to exercise and Geocaching definitely fits the
bill.

The activity not only gives us an excuse to be outside for a few hours, but it even offers differing difficulty levels for different levels of exercise, allowing experienced Geocachers to scale rock walls geocachers searching for them.

If you are looking for a fun way to spend a nature-filled weekend, give geocaching a try and join the millions of other cachers in the hunt.

Spring is in the air, and while for most people spring brings April showers and May flowers, for students it can be the most dreaded time of the year. Teachers pile on the things they forgot to cover over the past year, there are no more breaks until summer and AP testing is rapidly approaching.

Stress can build up very quickly in the fourth quarter, but there are ways to combat the end of the year blues, if senioritis hasn’t struck already.

Have some fun

Homework, studying and projects can seem monotonous and stressful if there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. There needs to be something that can keep you going and keep you motivated until all your work is
done.

Whether it’s going to see a movie over the weekend, making plans with friends or reading a new book you’re interested in, you need something that will encourage you to work.

Just think, once done with your homework you will get to enjoy yourself. If you’re going to work hard you need to play hard.

Just do it

Nike had it right: Just do it.

Homework, that is. Instead of going on YouTube for a few hours, Facebook chatting everyone you know (including that weird kid from middle school who keeps talking to you) or zoning out in front of the
TV, just start your homework.

Don’t wait until midnight to pull out your planner when you’ll undoubtedly feel the time pressure. Start it as soon as you can. Facebook will still be around when you’re done with your biology.

Sleep

This is probably the single most important thing that students neglect. And while students always say, “I need more sleep” no one takes action to correct the problem.

Think of it this way, you can stay up for the better part of the night and study material you’ll probably forget in the morning or you can get some rest and be able to read the questions properly.

Sure you can lose sleep and write that essay, but how good is it really going to be? If you really have that much work to do, go to bed earlier, wake up earlier, and do your work in the morning when you’re refreshed and can concentrate.

Talk to your teachers

If you’re at your breaking point, most teachers can be reasonable and understanding if you just make an effort to go in and talk to them. Explain the situation, why you’re stressed and ask for their help. See if you can get an extension on that paper, take the reading assessment during your free period or turn in your homework the next day.

You’ll never know how lenient a teacher is until you ask. But going in the period before an essay is due probably is not going to do you much good. If you’re responsible and inform them of the situation in advance there’s a higher chance they’ll be sympathetic to your cause. But if you go into it acting like they owe you something, it’s almost guaranteed that you’re not going to get that extension.

Plan ahead

There’s a reason you have a planner. With a little planning you can avoid large amounts of stress. When you see just how much time you have to do a project, you can spread the pain out over a week instead of doing it all the night before.

If you can see exactly how much time you have you can better organize study groups, force yourself to ask for help in the Tutorial Center and have more time to do what you want to do. Most people don’t even bother writing a few lines in their planner even though it could help them prevent stress.

Kick-Ass
4 stars

Action lovers and comic book fanboys and girls, get ready for the ride of your lives with “Kick-Ass.” Set in downtown Manhattan, the movie is about a socially awkward teen who loves to read comic books. Using his favorite characters as inspiration, he decides to become a vigilante superhero on his own, using the only two things any good superhero needs: a mask and a too-tight suit. Calling himself Kick-Ass, he sets out to fight crime, while running into other vigilantes along the way, all with heroic names like Red Mist, Big Daddy and Hit Girl.
Though “Kick-Ass” is a comedy, it is clearly not meant for everyone. The action scenes contain violence
and gore that rival a movie by Quentin Tarantino.

Also, Hit Girl is one of the most foul-mouthed 13-year-olds ever to make it to the big screen; some of her lines would make even the most hardened sailor run for his mother.

While the movie’s violence and language may make parents think twice about letting their children see it, “Kick-Ass” is definitely worth the price of admission. It is witty throughout and downright hilarious at moments, and the outrageous characters could possibly inspire a wave of teenage vigilantism in the real world.

Date Night
2 stars

When the Foster family tries a new and exciting date to get out of a marital rut, they find out that their “Date Night” wasn’t meant to be.

Phil (Steve Carell) and Claire (Tina Fey) Foster are the typical boring couple stuck in the same marital routine. Hoping to spice up the relationship and avoid becoming only “excellent roommates” with one another, Phil takes Claire out to a fancy Manhattan dinner.

When the restaurant is overbooked, Phil snags someone else’s reservation and for the rest of the night the Fosters are trapped in a mistaken identity dilemma.

Throughout the Fosters’ crazy night, there are many points of confusion, and at times audiences may wonder why the Fosters would make such unrealistically horrible decisions. However, what is really noticeable about this “comedy” is its lack of comedy.

Although the movie is mildly entertaining, with a star-studded cast including Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg and James Franco, there were high expectations for laughs that didn’t turn out.

Despite a few moments of laugh-out-loud humor, “Date Night” just isn’t funny, and like Phil and Claire Foster, the movie is average and does not live up to its potential. When the movie attempts to go funny and bold, it instead disappoints.

Instead of watching “Date Night” on your date night, skip the theater and wait to rent this movie for a lazy rainy day. In a movie where soldiers are make-up clad and wearing short dresses, it’s violence and battle scenes that steal the show.

Clash of the Titans
3.5 stars

The new “Clash of the Titans” movie revolves around the demigod son of Zeus, Perseus (Sam Worthington), and a legion of soldiers who wage war on the Gods.

After deliberation between Zeus, God of the Heavens and Hades, God of the Underworld, the Gods decide that mankind must sacrifice a princess or else suffer the wrath of the Kraken, an evil creature from the Underworld.

Perseus and his group of men embark on a journey to kill the Kraken before the princess is sacrificed.

In “Clash of the Titans,” the plot moves as quickly as the swords in the battle scenes, jumping from one fight to the next without any transitions. This quick pace means lack of character development and hardly any meaningful dialogue. Instead, there are countless fight sequences that range from fighting giant scorpions in the desert to trying to capture Medusa in her lair. When dialogue is used, however, it is typically in clichéd scenes designed to make the audience laugh or feel inspired, which the movie accomplishes well.

Like the original, the movie definitely has a corny aura to it that is seen in the special effects, costumes and interactions among characters.

However, the cheesiness of the “Titans” and the fast-paced mindless action should not deter people from seeing this movie. While the movie may have flaws, its nonstop entertainment and endless violence make it worth seeing for anyone looking to enjoy an action-packed thriller.

Capitola

Capitola Beach is known as one of the prettiest beaches in California. Located along the waterfront in downtown Capitola, it comes complete with great views of the Monterey Bay and is dotted with a string of colorful cottages.
Beach-goers can enjoy the festive atmosphere for free; there is a visitor’s parking lot that is a cost-free alternative to a parking meter.

Those who enjoy calm pastimes such as fishing can do so on the pier, while the more adventurous ones can partake in some volleyball on the beach or check out the cute surfers.

One disadvantage is that Santa Cruz beaches are foggy throughout the year until mid-summer, so the best time to come to Capitola Beach would be when the weather is warm.

Aptos

Aptos is a small town neighboring Santa Cruz and is relatively close to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Its beaches are best known for surfing and bodyboarding.

The beaches in Aptos are not for people who just go to suntan or chill with friends. Aptos’ beaches are used more for training or surfing competitions and are frequented by a small and dedicated group of surfers who make use of its legendary waves. People should bring wetsuits and check out the waves, or sit back and enjoy serious surfers battling it out. Aptos is surrounded by tall hills and forests, so it is mostly breezy throughout the year.

Half Moon Bay

Half Moon Bay is the spot for an extended beachside stay. Located approximately 25 miles from San Francisco, it has beaches all along its shore. Its broad, sandy beaches are great for sunbathing, picnicking and fishing. There are also campgrounds for those who wish to stay longer.

Half Moon Bay is a great place for a family vacation because there are so many diverse activities that one can take part in. Parents can sit on the beach under umbrellas and keep an eye out on the kids, teenagers can go surfing or hang out with friends and younger children can enjoy all the wildlife that Half Moon Bay has to offer. Sea lions can often be spotted, and those who are lucky may see a whale emerge from the waves.

The only drawback about Half Moon Bay is that warm weather is rare, even in the summer. So come prepared with hoodies and warm towels to brave the chilly wind.