Out-of-the-Box

Last Friday, I attended part of an Improv Workshop for area kids at the Manasquan Recreation Annex. For those of you not familiar with Improv, think Theater by the seat of your pants. Perhaps you are familiar with the television show, Whose Line is it Anyway? - one of the best know mainstream examples of Improv at it's most amusing.

Two Manasquan High School English teachers began holding Improv and writing workshops about four years ago when they noticed that the kids in their classrooms were becoming less and less creative. They were too scheduled; too restrained and controlled; too immersed in the rigid world of television, internet and video games. They were losing the ability to think out of the box.

Our imaginations are like muscles, you see. The more they are exercised, the stronger they get. This workshop is like Pilates for the imagination. There the kids are forced to stretch their imaginations, reaching into the depths of their creative and whimsical side all the while using logic and reason to think quickly on their feet in front of an audience of their peers. I think arts like Improv should be incorporated into our children's education. 

For life, as I've found it, depends on our ability to think quickly, use our imaginations to solve problems and, most importantly, to laugh at ourselves.

Will the Drive-Thru kill our community?

I recently read The Coast Star article by Manasquan reporter, Kelly Rizzetta, regarding a recent proposal to open a Dunkin Donuts here on Union Avenue.  The business proposal is running into some roadblocks because it includes a drive-thru window in an area where no other drive thru businesses exist. 

Permit approval for the plan has been put on hold on account of some townspeople and council members have concerns about the possible traffic overflow onto Union Ave., a.k.a. Route 71. 

Later in the morning, while cruising the streets of Spring Lake in search of new restaurants to include in our Restaurant Guide, I noticed the glaring absence of the drive-thru. 

What I did see was a lot of parked cars and people milling about. It's January. It's something like 12 degrees outside with the windchill, and folks are just strolling around  Spring Lake, going about their daily business as if were a midsummer's day.

I would even venture to guess that many of these folks actually stop and chat with shopkeepers and others who, like themselves, are out and about. I thought, now this is a community.

Community is a word often used by Squan locals who pride themselves on the small-town feel of their jewel by the sea. Do we really need a drive-through coffee and donut factory here? 

There are already two independent coffee places on Main Street, each offering a cozy environment complete with couches and wi-fi access along with a full complement of coffees, teas, juices and snacks. These are friendly places where you often find yourself chatting with the barista du jour about nothing in particular. Whether you stop for 5 minutes or 25, these neighborhood places offer a community experience with a side of espresso.

Or, would you prefer to skip the neighborhood joint and drive to the nearest chain where your only interaction will be with a speaker in a box before racing off to sit in traffic? I think the choice is clear.

 

For all of you smokers out there

Move over Marlboro Man, there's a new sheriff in town. EVO, a smokeless, scentless cigarette alternative has just ridden into town - and intends to take no prisoners.

If you're a smoker and just can't - or won't - kick the habit, this may be a safer alternative.

EVO "cigarettes," which are slightly longer than traditional smokes, are fitted with a mouthpiece that holds a replaceable cartridge filled with a liquid form of nicotine and propylene glycol. 

When air flows through the mouthpiece of the EVO, the air is detected by a microprocessor, which then activates an atomizer which injects tiny droplets of the liquid into the flowing air. This produces a vapor mist of nicotine, which is then inhaled by the user.

The propylene glycol makes the mist resemble that of traditional cigarette smoke, without the odor. The EVO’s microprocessor also activates an orange LED at the tip of the EVO apparently intended to simulate a real smoking experience.

Having not yet seen these little nicotine miracles in action, I can't speak for the cheesiness of the experience, however, with smokers in my family I'm open to any alternatives that won't cause lung cancer or emphysema. 

And pack for pack, EVO looks to be a cheaper alternative to tobacco. An EVO starter kit, which contains one EVO, an extra battery charger and six nicotine cartridges, costs $54.99. Nicotine cartridges can be purchased in bulk, five cartridges selling for $10 and 15 cartridges selling for $20. Since one EVO cartridge is equal to a single pack of traditional cigarettes, your per-pack cost is around $1.33 which will quickly make up for the cost of the device.

If you want to check out these little babies, they're available at smokelessevolution.com - or, quite possibly, a tanning salon near you.