Lifestyle

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  Blake Shelton Plays Patriot Center

  Lifestyle February 27, 2012 at 4:00 pm Comments are Disabled

  The Patriot Center was packed Saturday evening for the Blake Shelton concert. Audience members got their money’s worth too, seeing opening acts Justin Moore and “The Voice” contestant Dia Frampton. Each of the acts played several songs and got the crowd excited before Blake Shelton came out. He had quite the entrance, descending from a platform onto the stage while colored lights flashed and the bass shook the whole arena. He kicked off the night  singing “Footloose” and “All About Tonight.” Once he secured the attention of the audience, Shelton began telling stories and asking them questions. Shelton is one of the most humble people in show business; he made a point to say multiple times how grateful he was for his fans and how he really is just a regular guy. He held audience members’ hands, threw guitar picks into the crowd and thanked select individuals for the posters they held up. It was evident Shelton really cared about his fans and really paid attention to them. “[Seeing so many people in the Patriot Center] made me a little bit nervous, y’all,” Shelton said. “When I get nervous I tend to drink, all right? I can already tell I […]

   

• I’d Rather Be Eating: Sakoontra

  Lifestyle February 27, 2012 at 3:50 pm Comments are Disabled

  Sakoontra is a Thai restaurant located in the Costco Shopping Plaza off of West Ox Road in Fairfax. I am very partial to all Asian cuisines, but am especially drawn to Thai restaurants.  I heard about Sakoontra from classmates and coworkers, but never tried it out until last week. My friend, Adam, shares my affection for the various dishes offered at most Thai restaurants, so I invited him to join me. We started out with the hoy obb, which is an appetizer of steamed mussels served in a tangy, slightly spicy lemongrass broth. The mussels themselves were very large and juicy. The lemongrass broth contained sliced red onion and whole basil leaves, which also amped up the flavor. The dish is served with a sauce that has a little kick, but doesn’t make or break the taste. Adam ordered the pad phed per my suggestion. I didn’t suggest the dish because I had ever eaten it before, but because I was interested in trying it as well. This dish is prepared by stir-frying bamboo shoot, red and green peppers, fresh chili pepper and basil in a fiery red curry paste. As with most of their entrées, you have the choice […]

   

• Viewing Life Through Tumblr

  Lifestyle February 27, 2012 at 3:49 pm Comments are Disabled

  The social media and blogging landscapes live and die by the clock. If something is cumbersome enough that it takes more than a few seconds to accomplish, good luck getting anyone to use it. That’s where blogging websites like Tumblr shine: The interface is simple and the commitment is minimal. “I definitely find Tumblr to be addictive,” said freshman Bridget Bush. “I like that it allows you to more or less create a website that endlessly updates with things that you find interesting, since you choose [which blogs] you follow. It is also an outlet for sharing how you feel, what you think and what you like in the world.” While many students find themselves addicted to Tumblr, not all share that sentiment. “I could go the rest of my life without Tumblr, if such a dismal fate were forced upon me,” said freshman government and international politics major Patrick Greenwalt. “Though Tumblr helps emphasize the humanity in us all. I share and express things on Tumblr I otherwise would not, since Tumblr has a sense of anonymity about it.” Tumblr allows its users to create their own personalized blog within a matter of seconds. Everything from the font to […]

   

• Autographed Football and More at Annual GBAY Event

  Lifestyle February 27, 2012 at 3:48 pm Comments are Disabled

  Luckily, eBay has better things to do than sue George Mason University for stealing its name and logo for the university’s signature GBAY event. GBAY is an auction hosted by Mason students to help raise money for Mason’s scholarship fund. Private donations from local businesses as well as donations from various campus officials will be raffled off to the highest bidder. Items to be auctioned off include: a Barnes & Noble Nook, lunch for you and two friends with President Merten, lunch with coach Paul Hewitt of the Mason men’s basketball team, a signed football from Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith, Monster energy drinks, a skiing package for Liberty Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania, a Vera Bradley bag, tickets to Six Flags America, sports memorabilia and much more. “GBAY is a student benefit auction,” said Mark Mansdoerfer, a junior double-majoring in management and accounting. “Everything that is being sold is donated from businesses in the area and from departments within the school. The money earned from the online donations site and the items sold will then be given to the general student scholarship fund. The event is in its third year, where we have raised $10,000 and $15,000, respectively, in […]

   

• The Hunger Games

  Lifestyle February 27, 2012 at 3:48 pm Comments are Disabled

  Synopsis – The Hunger Games is a televised competition where one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 must compete in a fight to the death in an outdoor arena until only one survivor remains. The games are punishment for a rebellion that took place before the start of the story and that caused the destruction of the 13th district. The story specifically follows Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old who volunteers to enter the competition in place of her younger sister, who had been chosen through the lottery. Then there’s the love triangle between Katniss, Peeta and Gale. Don’t fret, though. Whereas the focus of the “Twilight” series was on the sickening love triangle between Bella and her boy toys, “The Hunger Games” takes a much more interesting approach to the way emotions play out amongst people in a kill-or-be-killed situation.   By the Numbers – There are over 2.9 million copies of the “The Hunger Games” in print. Originally, only 50,000 copies were printed before eventually increasing to 200,000 and then expanding further. The book is available in 38 countries with 26 different foreign editions going to print. It spent over 100 consecutive weeks on the […]

   

• Look it up on Fairfaxpedia

  Lifestyle February 27, 2012 at 3:46 pm Comments are Disabled

  Freshman economics major Frank Muraca knows Fairfax. Considering Muraca’s thorough understanding of Fairfax County policy issues, one would think he has studied the region for many years. Actually, Muraca is 18 years old and has been studying at Mason for less than a year. A graduate of Monticello High School in Charlottesville, Va., Muraca never lived in Northern Virginia for any substantial period of time before attending Mason. Yet just this year, Muraca developed Fairfaxpedia, an online encyclopedia of Fairfax County. “It’s free, unbiased information about local issues,” Muraca said, describing his website. Muraca first thought about creating Fairfaxpedia last summer while working in his hometown for nonprofit news website Charlottesville Tomorrow. “Charlottesville Tomorrow created Cvillepedia, which is like Wikipedia but for Charlottesville,” Muraca said. “I thought I could do the same thing in Fairfax.” To date, Fairfaxpedia contains over 100 articles. “It’s still young and just getting started,” said Muraca, who has spent over four months building the site. “I didn’t know how far I wanted to take it.” The most daunting obstacle that Muraca overcame was his lack of web design experience. “I had no knowledge of servers and web posting,” Muraca said. Considering that MediaWiki, a free […]

   

• Head Phones On: Zee Avi

  Lifestyle February 27, 2012 at 3:45 pm Comments are Disabled

  Zee Avi’s music makes me want to be on a beach. Right now. Seriously. I’m now furiously scrolling through the travel section of Pinterest, trying to envision myself on these amazing beaches. Her music is that relaxing and persuasive, which is probably why it got a satisfying 4.5-star fan rating on iTunes. On the 25-year-old Malaysian singer/songwriter/guitarist/ukulele player’s newest album, “ghostbird,” released on Aug. 23, 2011, she offers up another soothingly folk-pop set of songs.  This album is the follow-up to Avi’s 2009 self-titled debut album, which still holds a five-star rating on iTunes. Avi is a true YouTube phenom, who just four years ago posted a  video which ended up being praised by strangers for showcasing her effortless singing ability. Her music was quickly passed on to respected music video director Emmett Malloy, who then signed her to Brushfire Records. (Fun fact: Brushfire Records is partly owned by popular folk-rocker Jack Johnson.) The first couple of songs are the epitome of tranquility, as ukulele and guitar chords are softly strummed behind Avi’s voice which floats along with the beat. A few bongo-sounding drums are even infused in songs such as “Milestone Moon.” The most popular of Avi’s songs on […]

   

• Button Mashing: Asura’s Wrath

  Lifestyle February 27, 2012 at 3:40 pm Comments are Disabled

  After playing the demo of Capcom’s “Asura’s Wrath,” I found myself taken aback. I never would have thought that a game such as “Asura’s Wrath” could compete with the same farcical game play that is seen in Sega’s “Bayonetta.” If you haven’t played the demo, I highly encourage you to do so. Some of the scenes in “Asura’s Wrath” will have even the most jaded gamers raising an eyebrow in disbelief. Our acrimonious hero, Asura, has hit the trifecta: betrayed by his seven demigod comrades;  banished and cast down from Heaven for a whopping 12,000 years; and to top it off, his daughter has been kidnapped. Now, with a long-stewing thirst for vengeance, Asura has awakened — and he wants some payback. The storytelling elements behind “Asura’s Wrath” are infused with a plethora of anime elements: the classic, brief intermissions that most anime have; the standard pitch-black screen with “to be continued” in both English and Japanese in the corner; and finally, the end-of-episode synopsis of the upcoming episode. Combat is fluid and simple. The O/B button performs Asura’s basic melee attacks. Holding the circle buttons commands Asura to do a dash attack. The square/X button is used for long-range […]

   

• R-Rated Comedy at its Best

  Lifestyle February 27, 2012 at 3:34 pm Comments are Disabled

  I’m not a math major, but when I see the equation of Paul Rudd + David Wain (director of “Role Models” and “Wet Hot American Summer”) + a commune of hippies, I expect the solution to be a laugh-my-ass-off comedy. Good thing I can still do basic problem solving. “Wanderlust” stars comedy vet Paul Rudd and the no-longer-quite-a-box-office draw Jennifer Aniston as a couple of Manhattanites who suddenly find themselves without a place to live after Rudd’s character George loses his job unexpectedly. The couple is then forced to move in with George’s brother in Atlanta, but along the way there they stop at a bed and breakfast and that’s where the movie really kicks off. I’m so thankful for the modern R-rated comedy. Whereas it used to be a dumping ground for puerile stoner-comedies, filmmakers like Judd Apatow, Evan Goldberg and even the likes of Rudd and Seth Rogen have proven that you can have a hilarious film with a rich story at the center. Even without the presence of the usual suspects like Jane Lynch, Ken Jeong or Bill Hader, the supporting characters of this film steal most of the gags. That’s not to say that there aren’t […]

   

• Mason Student Has a Bright Futura

  Lifestyle February 20, 2012 at 3:11 pm Comments are Disabled

  Bright Futura is an online college newspaper, blog and video-based community. As stated on its website, Bright Futura is powered by students, for students. Founded by George Mason University biology major Max Garland approximately four and half months ago, Bright Futura is an interactive blog-style site full of articles on current events, music suggestions, memes, jokes, advice on navigating through college life and much more. Tell me about yourself, and how you came up with this project. MG: I attend George Mason and I study pre-med, and through the course of going through all of the in’s and out’s of college, I found that advisers weren’t very helpful. But I didn’t find much that could be told on how to get through college, other than books written by adults. So I looked at websites that could do so, but there really wasn’t one. So I decided to make a relevant and not-so-relevant hybrid of fun and serious college life online. When did you start Bright Futura? MG: I started this in fall of 2011. I launched into a practice version of it on tumblr. I saw that people were interested, but I had never built a website before, so I […]