Recipe: “Healthy” Irish car bomb brownies

The great Irish holiday has come and passed, and you may find yourself with some leftover Guinness, Jameson, and Baileys. That’s all right. I’ve got a healthy Irish car bomb brownie recipe for you to try. OK, “healthy” may be the wrong word for these little bits of heavenly Irish goodness. But they are a bit better for you, considering the alternatives.

I’m big on celebrating St. Paddy’s Day (and I’m very much an Irish girl), so I couldn’t resist mixing some of my favorite foods, drinks, and traditions. Of course, that means combining an Irish car bomb shot with chocolate.

I had my first Irish car bomb on St. Patrick’s Day when I was in college and, for a while, my friends and I would have chugging contests with a car bomb every time we went out. (After all, we were in college, and if you can make drinking into a game, of course you’re going to do it.)

But after a while, chugging isn’t really as appealing as it used to be. However, I still liked the taste of car bombs, and I wanted to be able to maintain my tradition of having one to celebrate the luck of the Irish. So when I saw the opportunity to make a dessert with all those ingredients, I jumped at the chance.

The best thing about these brownies is that not only are they delicious, but the taste of alcohol in them isn’t overwhelming; the Guinness actually makes the chocolate from the brownie mix taste even better. I’m normally a fan of doing my recipes from scratch, but occasionally I throw a boxed mix in just to make it easier on myself.

So here is what you’re going to need to make enough of these to share with friends, since I don’t advise eating the entire pan yourself (although I have to say, I did consider it):

Ingredients
For the brownies
1 box Ghirardelli Triple Fudge Brownie mix
1/2 cup Guinness Extra Stout beer
1/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon Jameson Irish Whiskey

For the Irish cream drizzle
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon Baileys Irish Cream
1 tablespoon water* (read note below)

Now that you have all your ingredients, it’s time for the fun part.

Directions
Brownies
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly spray the inside of an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set the pan aside. (I’m sure the recipe will work with a 9-by-9-inch dish as well; the baking time will vary.)

In a large bowl, combine the brownie mix, beer, Greek yogurt, and whiskey until well-blended.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 40 to 49 minutes** or until cooked through (dependent, in part, on the size of the baking dish).

When the timer rings, buzzes, quacks, or otherwise notifies you that your brownies are done, check them with a toothpick in the center and around the edges of the pan. If it comes out clean, and if the top springs back a bit when you press on it with the palm of your hand, you’re good to go. If not, put them back in the oven for a few minutes (usually about 2 to 5) and keep an eye on them.

When the brownies are done, remove them from the oven and allow to cool.

The glaze
While the brownies are cooling, mix together the ingredients for the glaze.

Once the brownies are cool (or, at least, cooler), drizzle the glaze over the top and, voil…! Your Irish car bomb brownies are ready to enjoy!

* – I used 1 tablespoon of water and the glaze came out thinner, which I like because it isn’t too sugary. However, if you like a thicker glaze, start with 1/2 tablespoon and, if the glaze seems too thick, add water by the 1/4 tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency.

** – These took longer than 49 minutes for me, so don’t be alarmed if you’re getting over the time limit and they don’t seem done. Just keep your eye on them and test the center with a toothpick.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. Make sure you check out my other recipes, and please feel free to leave feedback and share any ideas you have with me for new recipes to try.

Hunting gowks, April Fools and trickster dieties

The first of April was last Tuesday, and as always, you could find plenty of people playing tricks (if mostly just on Facebook), and others falling for them, no matter how obvious.

The traditional, time-honored prank of the day is to send someone on a fruitless errand, as in Scotland, where the day is called “Hunt-the-Gowk Day” (gowk is a Scots word for “cuckoo”). Much like the grand Boy Scouts prank of “snipe hunting,” a Scot might send a younger one across town to a friend’s house with an “urgent” message, to be opened only by him/her. The message, of course, reads, “Dinnae laugh, dinnae smile, hunt the gowk another mile.” Later, the “hunters” would share laughs over which messenger took the longest to realize he was being played.

But where does this traditional day of pulling one over come from? It’s something of a mystery, with many potential origins sounding like April Fools’ Day pranks themselves (and one origin story is admitted to have been just that).

It may have stemmed from the long ancient time of mythological Noah (whose amazing true story has recently been made into a full-length motion picture, or so I’m told), who released a dove on the first day of spring, before the water had receded, to see if it could find land.

Or it might come from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (specifically “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale“) in 1392, in which the title character is tricked by a fox on the 32nd day “syn March bigan” (since March began), which was later considered a typo.

In 1983, a history professor named Joseph Boskin claimed to have traced the practice to the era of Constantine, when the emperor made a jester the ruler of his empire for a day. Boskin then revealed that this “new origin story” was itself an April Fools’ Day prank, and the newspapers retracted their stories.

Most likely, however, the practice comes from France in 1582, when the French adopted the Gregorian calendar, which made January 1 the start of the new year. The older practice of beginning the year on April 1 was still kept in many rural areas, and the city folk mocked and derided these people as “April fish” (poisson d’Avril), since fish in early spring were easier to catch. Today, a common prank in France is to tape a paper fish onto a victim’s back (much like a “kick me” sign).

The word “April” means “(month) of Venus,” or Aphrodite in Greek. The trickster Mercury doesn’t get his own month, or he might be a better fit for it. Indeed, while pretty much every culture celebrates a day of general foolery, it’s only in polytheistic religions that we typically find gods specifically devoted to trickery and cleverness. Certainly the closest we get from the Christian God is adherents who like to say “God has a sense of humor” when unexpected things happen.

Trickster gods, by comparison, are allowed to have multiple facets, sometimes good, sometimes evil. They tend to give humans things they “shouldn’t” have and get in trouble from their own paranoia and from double crosses (just like some April foolers). Two of the more interesting trickster gods are Anansi and Wisakedjak.

Anansi (Akan for “spider”) is a West African spider god and the god of all stories. Sometimes, he’s the one who hoodwinks the other gods, and sometimes he gets his comeuppance, but he’s generally known for his cleverness, using the brute strength and vanity of his fellows against them. In the United States, many of his stories were retold under the moniker “Br’er Rabbit.”

The great spider became the god of stories when he brought the python, the leopard, the hornets, and the dwarf to the sky god Nyame. Anansi tricked the python by betting him to see whether a branch was longer than the snake, and that Anansi had to tie the snake to the branch to measure for certain. The leopard Anansi tricked into a hole, then offered to use his web to help the leopard out, and so snared him. Anansi poured water on the hornets’ nest and told the bees it was raining, then tricked them into a pot, saying it would keep them dry. Finally, Anansi made a sticky doll and put it, with a yam, next to the Tree of Life. When the dwarf stopped by and ate the yam, she tried to thank the doll — and angrily struck it when it did not respond, getting stuck.

Wisakedjak (sometimes anglicized to “Whiskey Jack”) was a Cree and Algonquin hero god related to rabbits who loved teaching and playing tricks, up to and including burning his own buttocks to teach them not to fart while he’s hunting. In some instances, he even outwits the fox and coyote, notoriously clever animals. In one story, Wisakedjak was hungry, so he tricked a group of ducks into a bag filled with music and convinced them to dance with their eyes shut while he wrung their necks one at a time. In another, he separated the sun and the moon because their arguments were preventing the crops from growing.

So whether you’re the kind of person who likes to play the tricks, or the kind who always falls for them, remember not to hit someone who gave you a yam. Especially on April Fools’ Day.

WrestleMania XXX takes its place in pop culture

70,000 screaming people fill an arena to see two men pretend to fight each other for a fictional championship. They cheer and boo and let the men in the ring know when they do something awesome. It’s a crazy concept, and impossible to explain to those who don’t consider themselves fans of professional wrestling.

But fans know that the 30th edition of the biggest event on the pro wrestling calendar, WWE’s WrestleMania, takes place tonight. The show will be held live at 7 p.m. at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La.. Fans across the world can tune in via pay-per-view and, for the first time ever, on the WWE Network.

Fans of professional wrestling often find themselves infuriated by this sport that they supposedly enjoy. It evokes emotions more akin to a football game than a television show, yet it is similar to both. The fans select their guy and cheer for him unrelentingly until he pulls off the big victory or, ultimately, falls to defeat. It’s an art form, one that fans shouldn’t have to justify enjoying to non-fans, and WrestleMania is its ultimate spectacle.

WrestleMania is called the Super Bowl or World Series of professional wrestling. However, that undercuts what makes WrestleMania special. It shouldn’t need to be compared to other sporting events. It is important in its own right.

To the uninitiated, WrestleMania is the annual wrestling supercard in which the WWE brings together its biggest stars, as well as stars from other media, to compete in the biggest matches that people — at least in theory — will want to pay to see. WrestleMania is the one show each year that is supposed to be can’t-miss, and reverberates across popular culture even for people who have never seen a wrestling match.

WrestleMania was first broadcast in 1985 by WWE, then called the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), as part of the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling pop culture push of WWF owner Vince McMahon. The marketing scheme was designed to push the WWF into the mainstream. It has been stated on numerous occasions that the first WrestleMania was a huge gamble that easily could have broken the bank for McMahon. The owner of the WWF paid big money to bring in the biggest celebrities to make WrestleMania into a mainstream entertainment attraction. Mr. T, Cyndi Lauper, Muhammad Ali, Billy Martin, Liberace, and the Rockettes all appeared on that first WrestleMania in the mecca of pro wrestling, Madison Square Garden. Obviously, the gamble paid off, and McMahon’s WWF became a pop culture powerhouse.

Celebrity involvement has continued to have a huge impact on WrestleMania and has kept the Show of Shows in the public consciousness year after year. Real moments that transcend professional wrestling have occurred inside WrestleMania rings. Morton Downey Jr. was on the receiving end of a fire extinguisher, courtesy of Rowdy Roddy Piper. Mike Tyson marked down one more knockout when he threw a fist at Shawn Michaels. And Floyd Mayweather defended his undefeated streak against the seven-foot-tall Big Show.

WrestleMania also creates its own moments within the context of professional wrestling that are remembered fondly for years. Hulk Hogan drew in the power of his Hulkamaniacs and gained the strength to body slam Andre the Giant. Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart fought for an hour before Shawn was able to gain victory and attain his boyhood dream of being WWF Champion. Steve Austin, refusing to quit, passed out from blood loss in an epic battle with Hart. Hogan later remembered his days as a hero and Hulkamania came back to life with thousands of screaming Hulk fans cheering him on. Ric Flair’s unbelievable career came to a sad but powerful and appropriate end when Shawn Michaels delivered his finishing blow after saying, “I’m sorry. I love you.”

These are incredible moments hardly achieved in movies, and they take on new meaning when put into the context of the semi-real environment of professional wrestling. Those screaming fans are real. I was one of them when John Cena gained his redemption by defeating The Rock last year. It’s live theater that thrives on its audience and tells stories that are still somewhat real. Flair really was retiring. Hogan really was returning to his roots. Austin’s never-say-die attitude really was winning over fans across the country.

Anyone who doubts that professional wrestling is an art form needs only to watch any of Shawn Michaels’ 17 WrestleMania matches. They tell stories, cause your jaw to drop, and always leave you guessing. As a fan, Michaels’ matches allowed me to live vicariously through a young man trying to achieve his dream, an older man trying to prove he could still go with the best of them, and a loving man, wrestling with his idol and friend in a match played out better than any Rocky movie. Michaels’ career even ended in a most amazing story, with the Heartbreak Kid’s certitude in his abilities getting the better of him as he tried desperately to end professional wrestling’s greatest winning streak.

The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak is itself a storytelling device. The Undertaker is, on the surface, an anachronism of a very silly time in professional wrestling. When Mark Calaway first debuted as the western mortician character with zombie characteristics, the WWF was going through a living cartoon phase, with wrestlers taking on the personalities of clowns, tax collectors, repo men, and so much worse. Yet even after these characters faded into oblivion, the Undertaker remained, and he achieved legendary status.

The Undertaker has become such a fact of professional wrestling that even when he is preparing to enter the ring with a legitimate UFC champion, no one bothers to question the realism of the character. The Undertaker has, in the 23 years since his debut, become an unbeatable superhero to fans of all ages, and his WrestleMania matches thrive off of the feeling of watching an epic blockbuster movie.

Speaking of superheroes, Cena and Hogan are the epitome of the Superman character in professional wrestling. Starting at the first WrestleMania, the Hulkster was the ultimate hero to kids growing up in the 1980s and early 1990s. No matter how large the challenge, Hulkamania was able to overcome. For the past decade, Cena has thrived off of the same type of fan support, defeating the best men in the business in WrestleMania main event after main event.

It is WrestleMania that draws in new and old fans every year. The spectacle is too much to ignore. The mainstream hype is too strong to miss. The iconic battles between legendary wrestlers makes the show worth the money, and the climax of feuds brings a sense of third-act closure to the year-long movie of professional wrestling.

Whether we watch for our superheroes like Hogan, Cena, or the Undertaker, rock stars like Edge, Chris Jericho, or the Hardy Boys, or for the working class heroes struggling to achieve greatness, like Daniel Bryan, Austin, CM Punk, or Mick Foley, we can all find something appealing about the WrestleMania experience. It is the most unique spectacle in sports and entertainment.

Veep: Everyone must watch this show!

Binge Watch is a new, collaborative column in which our contributors take turns recounting a season (or several seasons) of a series that they have just binge-watched. We begin with the first two seasons of HBO’s Veep.

Veep (HBO)
Where to binge: Seasons 1 and 2 available on HBO On Demand

Until last week, Veep lived comfortably in my mind’s “I’ll Get To It Eventually TV” world. It had a nice house right beside Game of Thrones, The Good Wife, and the old crotchety neighbor down the street, The Wire. This is a place made up of all of the shows my friends and family have been raving about for years, but I’ve long neglected due to time (or interest) restraints.

Over the course of just a few days, my wife and I devoured the two seasons of HBO’s critically-acclaimed comedy gem, Veep. Of course, the only problem is that once you’ve seen a show like this, you instantly become another voice in the annoying choir singing to the high-heavens that everyone must watch this show! So, at least you’ve been warned.

Veep marks another chapter in the television run of Seinfeld and New Adventures of Old Christine vet Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, a former U.S. senator who runs for president, suffers an embarrassing and as-yet-unexplained public embarrassment, and “settles” for becoming vice president. The show follows the Veep as she interacts with Washington, D.C., politicians and lobbyists and tries to manage her increasingly semi-incompetent staff. The ongoing riffs about the Veep’s insecurity and often overlooked political prowess are what drives most of the jokes in any given episode.

In a role tailored perfectly to her comedic stylings, Dreyfus is a delight, bouncing back and forth between playing a wounded politico and confident (vice) leader of the world. Whether she’s ripping into one of her assistants or, in the show’s best running gag, asking each day if the president has called for her (spoiler: he hasn’t), Dreyfus handles each line reading as if it were her own stand-up routine. And amazingly, in Dreyfus’ hands, the trials and tribulations of a vice president actually seem relatable: she’s a single mother of a college-aged daughter trying to figure things out. She just has to do all of this while overseeing the rescue of American hostages in foreign countries.

The story lines from the first two seasons have been all over the map: Veep uses her daughter’s birthday party to stage a budget negotiation, Veep gives her support to Israel while standing in front of a roasting pig at a North Carolina barbecue, etc. But this tactic also keeps the viewer invested in Selina and her circle. That circle, including My Girl’s Anna Chlumsky as chief of staff and Arrested Development vet Tony Hale as bag man, is turning into one of TV’s best ensembles. The ongoing story line about Mike the Press Secretary’s financial troubles provides consistent laughs over the first two seasons, and Hale — affectionately remembered for his portrayal of Buster Bluth — is the star of almost every scene he’s in.

Where does Veep stand in the history of TV comedies? Too early to tell. But this one feels right. Drawing inspiration from some great shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Party Down, and the aforementioned Arrested Development, Veep seems to be moving full-speed ahead. As with all binge watches, it’ll be difficult to stomach the week-to-week wait for new episodes now that I’m caught up. But I plan to be there each step of the way.

Veep returns for season 3 on Sunday, April 6, on HBO.

Tasting Tempranillo, a temperamental grape

Spain has long been famous for its deep, rich red wines. I’m focusing today on a single varietal, Tempranillo, which is the most-widely-planted red wine grape in Spain. Until recently, Tempranillo was typically blended with Grenache or other dark grapes, such as in the powerful Rioja and Ribera del Duero wines. In recent years, however, 100 percent Tempranillo bottlings have become more popular.

Because of its long history in Spain, Tempranillo has many, many different names, including Tinto del Toro, Tinta Fina, and Tinto del Pais. In neighboring Portugal, it is sometimes known as Tinta Roriz or Aragonez, and is often blended in the production of Port wine.

Tempranillo is temperamental. British wine guru Oz Clarke wrote in his Encyclopedia of Grapes:

“To get elegance and acidity out of Tempranillo, you need a cool climate. But to get high sugar levels and the thick skins that give deep color, you need heat. In Spain, these two opposites are best reconciled in the continental climate but high altitude of the Ribera del Duero.”

The grape is particularly susceptible to weather as well. Excessive rain makes the grapes swell and take on too much water, resulting in lighter color and weaker flavors — but the grapes will wither during drought.

Tempranillo usually makes for a full-bodied wine. The grape skins are thick, but thinner than Syrah (or Shiraz), and the size of the individual grapes is larger than Syrah. As a result, when the grapes are crushed and the juice rests with the skins, the ratio of skin-to-juice is less than that of Syrah.

What does all this mean? The color of the wine is totally dependent on the skins, and this explains why Syrah is often very dark in color. Tempranillo will not appear that dark, and it will be slightly more translucent.

The common, basic flavor profile of Tempranillo is cherry and leather, though you will typically find many other elements mixed in. The flavors are often big and bold, but the wine is usually not heavy or viscous. It is food-friendly, particularly because of its savory/fruit flavor combinations. Red sauce Italian dishes, Spanish tapas, and Mexican fare all make great pairings.

The 2010 Finca El Encinal Ribera del Duero Crianza is a delicious but complex Tempranillo. Aromas of toast, warmed brown sugar with butter, blackberries, and spices give way to a palate with nice layers of raspberry, blackberry, and cherry fruit mixed with savory dried meats. This wine will require some patience, however. Strong oak flavors and tannins are evident if you serve it immediately upon opening. But if you let it breathe for about four hours before serving, the wine calms down and you will be left with a delicious pour.

If you aren’t a fan of the oak flavors in the Finca El Encinal, try the 2009 Bodegas Tridente Tempranillo. The wine is a powerful and intense offering from Castile and Leon in the northwest of Spain. It has enticing aromas of cherries, dark berries, vanilla, and savory notes of charcoal and hints of balsamic vinegar. The palate is lush, velvety, with a delicious mix of dark fruits, and a long enjoyable finish.

Tempranillo is a more advanced wine, perfect for stepping up your game after you’ve mastered some of the styles already covered by Bottled & Corked. And remember:

Swirl, sniff, sip.

Why is Captain America still relevant?

Captain America returns to the silver screen Friday, and in honor of this comic book icon, let us take a look back at the character’s history.

It was 1941. World War II was raging in Europe and the Pacific. Men and women were dying to protect their homelands from invading armies. Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito were guiding their nations toward new world empires. And the United States was enjoying its status as a neutral nation, content with being the Arsenal of Democracy. Some Americans, however, saw that entry into the war was inevitable, and it was important that we be on the right side.

Joe Simon and the legendary Jack Kirby were two such men. These comic book visionaries saw an opportunity to voice their politics and make a few dollars on the way. Captain America, a living symbol of the United States itself, was introduced in Captain America Comics #1, in March 1941 — a rare situation where the publishers had such faith in a character that they debuted him in his own book. The attacks on Pearl Harbor were still 9 months away, yet the debut issue saw Cap socking Adolf Hitler in an illustration still satisfying today. Simon and Kirby, both of Jewish families, used the comic to voice their concerns against the Third Reich. Even if America was officially neutral, Simon and Kirby knew Hitler was a real-life supervillain, and Captain America could stop him.

Captain America is a stunning character. Despite his genesis as wartime propaganda, the character has survived and flourished to this day. How is it that a character so defined by a long-passed era in history is still so relevant in the age of the smart phone?

Captain America does not necessarily evolve like Batman but is not as much of a static symbol as Superman. While both heroes represent the American ideal, Steve Rogers has a much more unique character compared to the Man of Steel, whose character is more defined by brute strength than cunning and tactical mastery.

Steve Rogers was a regular man. He had been a scrawny, naive boy who just wanted to fight for his country, and fight for what he believed was right. Steve was willing to do anything, even undergo a dangerous and untested experiment, to make himself strong enough to fight the Nazis. He represents the person we wish we could be and know we can become.

The Super Soldier serum gave Rogers near-perfect capabilities. Captain America is not impervious to bullets or faster than the speed of light, but is as fast and strong as any human can conceivably become. He is a character who is only as capable as any of us can be.

Cap remained popular throughout World War II, but became an anachronism when the patriotic fervor of wartime died down. As a result, the hero faded away from publications.

Nearly 20 years later, the hero was revived to head up a super-team, the Avengers. In Avengers #4, the old hero was found, frozen in suspended animation. When revived, Cap became a new, more intriguing character. No longer was he simply a symbol of America in a time of war. He was now the living anachronism, a man out of time, a man haunted by the death of his sidekick, with memories of the worst time in human history, trying to adjust to the world of the 1960s.

Cap was the perfect man to lead the Avengers. A team full of hot-headed individuals like Thor, Iron Man, and Ant-Man needed a uniting symbol to rally the troops. Cap was a hero to the heroes, and a warrior of honor to be respected and revered.

Captain America became the traditional leader of the Avengers through most incarnations of the team. His tactical abilities make him an invaluable member of the group, even if his strength and speed can’t compete with his teammates like Thor and Quicksilver. Cap’s abilities are so valued that, even in a rare crossover comic featuring the stars of Marvel’s Avengers and DC’s Justice League, JLA/Avengers, Rogers was asked by Superman to lead the joint effort to bring down the supervillain Krona with no objections made by any of the other heroes.

Captain America’s status as a symbol has allowed him to tackle some of the United States’ most difficult and controversial topics over the decades. The first African-American superhero in mainstream comics, the Falcon, was introduced in Captain America #117 in 1969. The Watergate scandal was handled by Cap, with the hero becoming so disillusioned with his government that he abandoned his longtime moniker in favor of “The Nomad,” to denote his status as a man without a country. Rogers eventually re-assumed the identity of Captain America, deciding he should act as the symbol of the American ideal, not the American government.

In the 1980s, Cap was placed into an impressively progressive story arc. Rogers found his best friend from childhood, Arnie Roth, still alive after all these years. Arnie is, without ever explicitly stating it, obviously gay. This revelation doesn’t phase Cap in the least. Captain America accepted his friend for who he was without ever questioning Arnie or himself. Rogers continued to be emblematic of Americans at our best.

It was only a matter of time before one of America’s icons made a successful venture onto the big screen. Seventy years after his debut, Captain America: The First Avenger did a magnificent job of telling the essential origin story for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first superhero. Cap was shown in his element, punching Hitler, fighting Nazis wielding super-weapons, and inspiring his troops to follow his example. He saved the world from nuclear-level catastrophe and sacrificed himself in the process. His actions would reverberate across the Marvel world and inspire generations of heroes.

In the deleted scenes to Marvel’s masterpiece work, The Avengers, Chris Evans’ Rogers character is shown adapting to a world no longer his own. Unlike in the comics, in which Cap was revived after only 20 years, the cinematic Rogers was revived after nearly 70 years and was introduced to a world far beyond his comprehension. It’s a shame these scenes did not make the final cut, as Evans’ acting ability is on full display when he portrays Captain America as a lost soul trying to find his way in a new world. The subtlety in his expressions brings the inner turmoil to light remarkably well.

The success of The Avengers was unparalleled for a movie based on a comic book property, but it is the success of the Captain America standalone movie that is truly astounding. Pulling in $370 million worldwide and receiving a 79 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Captain America proved that Cap is a hero for all ages. But how?

In a world full of cynics and overwhelming use of irony, Captain America seems quaint and ridiculous — an odd relic from a more black-and-white time in which good and evil could be easily defined. Perhaps we yearn for that level of simplicity and can relate to Cap’s struggle to understand a world of deeper conflict. Maybe Captain America speaks to the more innocent times all of us experienced in our lives. He acts as a reminder of our idealism and the world we wish to see. Or maybe we can all relate to the scrawny kid who just wanted to do good. Captain America has always been a man who speaks to what we want to be and is the appropriate surrogate for when times get tough. We may not be able to stop Hitler, but Cap can travel to Germany and sock him on the jaw for us.

When Captain America: The Winter Soldier comes to theaters Friday, we will see the return of Cap, Black Widow, and Nick Fury, along with the introduction of the Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The movie promises to examine government overreach and the military-industrial complex. Cap will again fill the role of the common man working to fix the mistakes of our world. Winter Soldier looks to be a movie that will challenge our view of the world and ourselves — and will look really cool when doing it.

Despite spring, Winter comes to Marvel Universe

Spring has finally arrived here in the Northeast U.S., bringing sunshine and warmer temperatures — and, hopefully, no sign of snow for at least seven months. It’s been a longer, colder winter than usual, and we’re all thankful it’s just about over. However, despite our eager anticipation of spring, there are three words currently on many fan*s’ minds: Winter Is Coming.

In fact, winter returns this weekend in more ways than one. First up on Friday, we have the next installment of Phase II of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (or MCU), as Captain America: Winter Soldier opens in theaters. Then on Sunday, season four of Game of Thrones premieres on HBO. I’m having a hard time choosing which one I’m more excited about, though my love for all things Marvel might win out in this case.

I am a huge superhero fan. I don’t read a lot of comics, but I will watch nearly anything related to either the DC or Marvel universe. I watched every season of Smallville, even when I wasn’t thrilled with the plot lines (though that last season made up for the less than stellar ones), and I am a big fan of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Arrow, and am excited about the new Flash series. But most of all, I love the MCU itself.

Even before anyone really knew Marvel’s plan for the MCU, I was an Iron Man fan, and I thought it was brilliant that Robert Downey Jr.‘s Tony Stark made an appearance in The Incredible Hulk, tying the films together. By the time Iron Man 2 came out, I was starting to hear about the MCU, so I really enjoyed the little details in that film: the prototype of Captain America’s shield in Tony’s lab, and Phil Coulson being called to New Mexico, tying the film to Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger when those films came out a year later.

Bringing together this many individual films and characters was entirely unprecedented prior to the MCU, and I love the way they make everything work together. I’m even more excited about it now that there is a television show that also plays into everything happening in the MCU. Spending an hour in the world of Marvel on a weekly basis is a welcome break from schoolwork and routine. I was also very excited they resurrected Coulson for the series.

I do have to admit, before the first Captain America movie came out, I was a little apprehensive. Prior to playing Steve Rogers, Chris Evans‘ filmography wasn’t all that impressive, and he had always been a supporting cast member. While I liked Evans, I had my doubts as to whether or not he would be able to carry a film like Captain America — not to mention how iconic the character is, which adds a whole new level of pressure to the role.

I had similar misgivings about Thor. I didn’t even know who Chris Hemsworth was when he was cast in the role, until I looked him up and realized he had played Captain Kirk’s father in the 2009 Star Trek film. (Confession: I remember thinking at the time that the guy needed to find larger roles where he didn’t die in the first 10 minutes.) I was also concerned about how they would portray Asgard and the Rainbow Bridge without it being too cheesy.

Fortunately, I quickly learned I needn’t have worried about either film. I loved both movies immediately. Asgard looked good, and Evans did not disappoint as Captain America. In fact, both films are among my favorites within the MCU. For this reason, I’m able to extend them some faith when it comes to Guardians of the Galaxy, which sounds bizarre in concept but, after the first trailer, I can’t wait to see it. I think I had “Hooked on a Feeling” stuck in my head for an entire week after that trailer was released.

I never had any doubts about The Avengers. To begin with, I was already a big fan of the entire cast and all the characters. I was even excited about Hawkeye and Hulk. Even though we’d only seen Jeremy Renner‘s Hawkeye for about 10 minutes in Thor, and hadn’t seen Mark Ruffalo at all in a Marvel film, I like both actors and I knew they were great choices. Therefore, I had already been extremely excited about the film when they announced Joss Whedon would be writing and directing. The minute I heard that news, I no longer had any doubts about how good the film would be — I knew Whedon wouldn’t let fans down.

Phase II of the MCU has gotten off to a great start with Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World. While Iron Man 3 wasn’t exactly my favorite of the Iron Man films, it was a great follow-up to The Avengers, and I really appreciated the way they showed a hero dealing with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Thor: The Dark World was, in my opinion, better than the first — and I loved the first one. I’m also thrilled with the setup for the third film; I can’t wait to see where they take that twist they gave us in the end. (I assume it won’t be addressed until the third film, since we’ve been told more than once Loki will not be appearing in Avengers: Age of Ultron.)

Tomorrow, it’s Captain America’s turn on the big screen. If the previews are any indication, this will also improve upon its predecessor. As I stated before, I haven’t read any of the comics so I am not remotely familiar with the Winter Soldier story line — which I’ve decided is definitely to my benefit when watching movies based on other source material. I’ll never forgive X-Men: The Last Stand for what it did to the Dark Phoenix saga (among many other failings), and I never even actually read those comics, I’m just familiar with the story line.

If you’ve been watching Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (which you should be, because it finally started getting really good around episode 6 and has been improving ever since), you know they’ve been setting up the division within S.H.I.E.L.D. for Captain America. Rumor has it the next episode will have a direct tie-in to the film. I’m hoping it’s a little stronger tie-in than just having the agents cleaning up the mess in London after Thor: The Dark World.

This weekend is definitely a good weekend to be a fan*. Tomorrow, I’ll be sitting in the theater watching Captain America: Winter Soldier, and Sunday night I’ll be settling in on my couch for the premiere of Game of Thrones. Sure, spring may have just arrived, but winter is coming.

Slender Man finds role in adaptive horror gaming

In 2009, a competition on the somethingawful.com forums challenged users to create paranormal images. Victor Surge, using little more than creativity and Photoshop, authored the photo above (click here for full image).

Other users, taking note of the strange figure’s elongated limbs and exaggerated features, named it “The Slender Man.” Within weeks, Slender Man became a viral sensation. As memes are specially equipped for mutation and adaptation, other web users offered their own versions of Slender Man in photographs, short fiction, and videos. Some, like the Marble Hornets YouTube series, garnered widespread attention and soon became the go-to source for Slenderlore.

Many fans were introduced to Slender Man through the hugely popular video game Slender: The Eight Pages. Developed by Blue Isle Studios in 2012, The Eight Pages is a free, downloadable title that improves upon its simple predecessor, Slender.

The game included many conventions of the survival horror genre: limited resources, investigative features, and an ongoing sense of dread. From a first-person perspective, players were challenged to locate eight pages hidden in a darkened forest. Slender Man’s pursuit of the players becomes more pronounced and erratic as each page is recovered.

An impressive audio system of ambient sounds adds to an engaging aesthetic of fear. In a game market that has become burdened by developers who needlessly try to meld action and horror into convoluted, run-and-gun campaigns, The Eight Pages brings a measure of innovation, even with its “less is more” design.

Slender: The Eight Pages also moves horror games in another positive direction. The pages the player is tasked with finding change locations with each play-through. Though there are limits to how many different spots each one will be hidden in, there is a certain level of fresh suspense to each game session. Of course, the faceless, teleporting, otherworldly entity on the player’s tail adds to that feeling. Overall, these variables border on something I have long waited to see in the horror game sub-genre, and that is an “adaptive” horror experience.

To further explain, we might look at a similar concept. Adaptive difficulty has been around for well over a decade. It describes a process of an artificial intelligence’s internal, real-time reaction to external activity. As early as the mid-2000s, video games were given the capability to “react” to a player’s actions, dialing back the difficulty of certain in-game scenarios and increasing it for others in an effort to create a more varied gameplay experience.

However, most gamers can tell you that several play-throughs of certain games ultimately enables them to decode these internal patterns and reverse the efforts of the AI. While certain sequences may still give players a hard time, their conditioning to a game’s parameters will almost always allow them to advance without struggle.

Adaptive difficulty is featured more in multiplayer modes that do not include many scripted, narrative events (as a story campaign often does). A good example is Valve’s 2008 zombie shooter Left 4 Dead. Though a single-player campaign is possible, this game was clearly intended to be a cooperative effort where up to four players can team up to lay waste to an overwhelming number of zombies and “Special Infected,” like the bloated, bullet-sponges called Boomers.

There is no set pattern to the enemies’ attacks, and there are many moments when players will find themselves completely surrounded. The game adapts to encourage or impede players’ rates of success.

I’d be interested to see developers create a game that included an adaptive brand of horror rather than difficulty. Many of the frightening moments in franchises like Dead Space and Resident Evil follow a script. Once they happen, players know to expect them.

What if such a game existed in which each scare and spine-tingling moment occurred randomly? What if we couldn’t predict each window-shattering attack? What if game environments were so fluid that literally every inch of physical space was open to enemy attacks? Imagine every play-through of a game including a potential threat around every corner.

Slender: The Eight Pages and its sequel, Slender: The Arrival, are steps in the right direction. Outlast, recently ported to PlayStation 4, remains a fresh entry in the genre but still fails to re-create its initial play-through’s scares. Since 2012, there have been rumors of a game called Sound of Silence, an offering that will read players’ choices to create a setting catered to their specific fears. The extent of the game’s ability to do so has only been shown in brief previews, and no demo yet exists. Reports suggest we could see a release sometime this year.

As media in the business of haunting becomes more formulaic, weighed down by clichés, remakes, and “re-imaginings” (a rallying term used by the unoriginal), what we need is an art form with a clear sense of what we fear. As the next generation of game consoles gets off its feet, we are seeing technology capable of renewing the horror genre.

The newness of adaptive difficulty has faded. Let’s turn creativity toward readapting the entire gameplay experience, especially in horror games. After all, regardless of how we dress it up or the level of gore we cake it in, we have and always will fear that one thing: the unknown.

What kind of feminist takes her husband’s name?

When Curiata.com was in its infancy, it became clear to me that the female contributors were outnumbered by the men almost 3 to 1. I resolved to start a feminist column to (hopefully) balance out the testosterone on the site.

The Modern Urban Gentleman and I were having a conversation about my column one night and he said, “You know you are going to have to write a column about your name change, right?” And he’s right.

Up until about a year and a half ago, I had always planned on keeping my maiden name. Intellectually, I knew why women changed their last names in the past, and it wasn’t a symbol of a unified family, but rather a designation of property ownership. Further, it seemed to me that everyone in society expected women to just conform and accept their husband’s last name. It’s just what you do! I, for one, despise that argument for anything in life, and it’s one of the things I used to rail against.

So how did I change my mind, and subsequently my name, after getting married? Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. There was never an “aha!” moment when I suddenly knew why I wanted to change my name.

First off, I should state that I do use a combination of my maiden and married name in the professional world — at least for now. My resume says “Carrie Goodyear Hillman” at the top of the page. Part of this is just for practicality. I worked very hard to build an excellent work reputation as Carrie Goodyear, and I felt that completely changing my name would be like throwing all of that hard work out the window. Am I still the same person with the same work ethic? Absolutely. However, our names are extremely similar to the branding of a product. I felt that I (and those around me) needed a transition period.

But none of this answer the question as to why I changed my name. If anything, it makes the argument for why I should have just kept my maiden name. But here’s the rub: Mike and I are not what I would consider a “traditional” couple, though what we are is becoming increasingly common. We cohabited for three years before getting married, which means that we are either going to be just fine in our marriage or we are destined to get a divorce, depending on which study you read. We don’t strictly adhere to traditional gender roles. This was evident over the weekend where our basement started taking on water worse than anything Noah experienced. Today, we both have painful hands and Drylok caked under our fingernails.

In my mind, marriage wasn’t going to change the dynamic of our relationship too drastically. I mean, we already lived together, a marriage ceremony is largely symbolic and, really, it’s the day-in, day-out of a relationship that determines the couple’s level of commitment, not the marriage ceremony itself. So, to our friends and family, we were already a unit, already a team. They received their Christmas cards from the Goodyear/Hillman household.

But, the thought struck me, how would we convey to the outside world that we were in this together? Yes, I would have my wedding band, but there’s something extremely unifying about sharing a last name.

On the other hand, I’ve had a lot of people ask me why I didn’t hyphenate my last name. It was a purely selfish reason. I didn’t want to have to sign Carrie E. Goodyear-Hillman every single time I swiped my credit card. When I was signing as Carrie E. Goodyear, I would get annoyed by the time I reached the “y.”

There are times when I feel like I have to defend my actions to other feminists. But then I realize that is just silly. We have come a long way in women’s rights, but globally we have a long way to go. The marital name change is no longer a requirement or a demonstration of ownership. I changed my name because I wanted to, and because I felt that it was the best decision for me — and that, my friends, is what feminism is all about.

Last episode creates real-life HIMYM experience

How I Met Your Mother has ended after nine long years. It was a crazy journey, and one that ended quite controversially.

The show has gone down a windy road full of situations that were relatable and situations that seemed completely implausible. For every tragic moment about the loss of a loved one, there were several moments involving robots fighting wrestlers. But sometimes, even the craziest moments of our favorite shows can come to life.

In the most amazing instance of life imitating art, I found myself in the role of the gang in the season 2 episode, “Monday Night Football.”

In the episode, the gang realizes at the last minute that they will be unable to watch the Super Bowl live. Still, they all want to experience the game as everyone else did: with all of the thrill and uncertainty of a live viewing. To accomplish this, the entire gang had to find ways to avoid every spoiler that could come their way. No news, no talking to anyone, and no televisions that might give away the results.

Replace the Super Bowl with the series finale of How I Met Your Mother, and you will understand my Monday night experience.

I was called in to work at 8:30 p.m. on the night of the finale. With How I Met Your Mother running from 8 to 9, there was no way I could catch the show. Even worse, I work at a CBS affiliate.

Prior obligations held me up until 8 p.m., and immediately upon arriving at CBS, I had to keep myself occupied and away from television for half an hour. That’s pretty much impossible inside a television station. Then, when the finale was over, I had to preface every conversation with, “No spoilers!”

Co-workers had tears in their eyes and wanted so much to talk about the finale. All social media was off-limits until after I could finally watch the show. And to top off the wonderful humor of my night, the news did a segment on the How I Met Your Mother finale.

In a scene practically identical to Robin’s in “Monday Night Football,” hearing that How I Met Your Mother was in our rundown caused me immediate panic. I begged the producers not to run the story, but with no such luck. I fell just short of putting hands over my ears and shouting nonsense to drown out the sound of spoilers.

Luckily, the conversation on-air remained vague, and I was able to make it home, spoiler-free, to watch the finale of a show that took me on a journey: a show that made me feel wonderful and terrible — that was relatable to me, while still reminding me of the sitcoms of my childhood.

The final episode of How I Met Your Mother was difficult for many of us to watch. All shows naturally have a difficult time wrapping up all of their stories in a way that is acceptable to the fan base. The creators of How I Met Your Mother made the task even more difficult by using the finale as an epilogue of sorts, to show where every member of the gang would end up. Unfortunately for this fan, their journeys were unsatisfying. Spoilers ahead.

An entire season was built around the wedding of Barney and Robin. After years of development and tremendous growth, these characters finally felt like they were gaining a measure of happiness and closure. Barney and Robin were each other’s perfect foils: a man and woman who loved each other, warts and all, and brought out the best in each other. The last two seasons of the show were dedicated to showing fans why Barney and Robin deserved to be together. But that doesn’t matter anymore, because they will only be together for three unhappy years.

Ted’s journey has always been the center narrative of the show. The final season was dedicated to the tragedy of Ted and Robin. Ted had spent years imagining a world in which, against all odds, he and Robin would somehow end up together. The idea that he was wrong, and his need to find love was so strong that it was distorting his judgment, made the show better than any other traditional sitcom of the day. Ted’s difficulty in moving on from an unhealthy and unhappy relationship was something every one of us could relate to. But he had to move on because there was still something better out there for him. There was someone waiting for him who would love his calligraphy hobby, his long-winded stories, and the way he pronounced “renaissance” faire. It was a lesson in patience and self-respect. By not settling for a poor match, Ted was able to finally find a woman who wasn’t perfect, but was perfect for him. Ted was able to accept the love he deserved.

But that doesn’t matter anymore because they will only be together for 10 years. Robin is the happy ending. By shifting to the ending that saw Ted and Robin back together, the show abruptly changed from one about false hope and overcoming preconceived ideas about our future to one that said, “Yeah, you totally will end up back together.” Was Tracy, The Mother, just a consolation prize? And is Ted going to spend the rest of his life with a woman who doesn’t even appreciate his interests?

Despite my misgivings, I am thankful for what Carter Bays and Craig Thomas gave to us. Even when the show was not at its peak, it was still enjoyable. The creators of How I Met Your Mother created a television classic that was unafraid to take risks, a show that knew how to play with the classic sitcom formula in a way that felt both familiar and unique. I may not be happy with the ending of the show or its final message, but that is only because I am able to relate to it so well. We’ve all had a Robin in our lives that we just can’t shake. And we all hope one day to find our Tracy. We need to appreciate every single second we get with those we love and remember why they were so special even after they’re gone.

How I Met Your Mother reminded us that love stories are often messy, and happy endings are only a matter of when the story cuts off. If nothing else, the show will always be relatable, even in the most obscure and seemingly impossible situations.

After all, I never thought I would ever need the Sensory Deprivator 5000, but it certainly would have made last night a lot easier.

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