Lifestyle

Blink’s Grown Up — Have You?

Lifestyle October 3, 2011 at 11:10 pm Comments are Disabled

Blink-182 was one of those bands that helped pave the way for where my musical interests would go. They opened the flood gates and exposed to me bands like New Found Glory, NOFX, AFI and the countless others. When I pushed play on Blink’s new album, “Neighborhoods,” I knew the band that helped shape me was no more — but that doesn’t mean the one that showed up in their place is terrible. When the band members parted ways in 2004, my heart sank. You could literally hear the melancholy on their last single “Not Now.” Since that time we’ve had two albums from the Tom DeLonge lead Angels & Airwaves, as well as one album from Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker’s +44. I’m a fan of both bands for separate reasons, which is probably why I don’t hate what they’ve put out since teaming back up. This isn’t Blink-182 anymore; this is +44 with A&A doing a collaboration. DeLonge’s voice is still ghostly and carries the echo that has become synonymous with A&A. The music is edgier and more erratic, which was all over +44’s album. Just listen to the first single, “Up All Night.” You’ll hear exactly what […]
Experiencing Culture Through Dance

Lifestyle October 3, 2011 at 10:59 pm Comments are Disabled

Hips swayed to a Latino beat as feet swiftly tapped the hardwood floor of the Johnson Center Studio Tuesday night. “Right, left, right, tap, five, six, seven,” a novice couple repeated in unison under their breath in an attempt to stay coordinated. “One thing I’ll tell you about Cuban salsa is that we’re down!” said Jim Lepore, the club’s faculty adviser, as he explained the seven basic steps of the dance. “It’s low!” Just like every other week, the Azucar George Mason University Salsa Club and its prospective members had come together for a two-hour lesson. This week, the group was learning rueda, a form of salsa that is danced in a circle and involves switching partners. “The key to partnering is stay close to your partner and keep tight elbows,” said Lepore as he demonstrated rueda with one of the more experienced female dancers. The salsa club, now in its seventh year, allows students to come together through the medium of a social dance. “The demographics reflect the salsa community at large,” Lepore said. “There’s usually a core Latino population, but that sits somewhere under 50 percent. The rest are made up of people who love dancing and they […]
Injustice for One Is Injustice for All

Lifestyle September 26, 2011 at 8:08 pm Comments are Disabled

Imagine the tears of anger, sadness, disappointment and resentment that streamed down the faces of countless innocent victims before their imminent date with death. Some may have held strong, solemn faces, ready with open arms for their departure. Others may have continued to hope, convincing themselves it simply wasn’t their time and by some miraculous event they would avoid dining on that last meal. Most had to face the harsh reality that there would be no miracle. No one, not a single person, was coming to save them. They were bound to their fate the moment handcuffs grazed their wrists. Let’s face it: Our justice system is flawed. Trials begin and end with the hopes of upholding the so-called “ingeniousness” of America’s courts, but we’re OK with admitting that we slip up a few times. Hey, no one’s perfect, right? We have been brainwashed with the notion that bad guys get put behind bars and good guys get set free. For too long have we wallowed in fear of admitting that maybe, just maybe, the justice system is more flawed than we had thought, and that innocent people have died far too often for crimes they did not commit. The […]
FROM THE VAULT: Jagged Little Pill

Lifestyle September 26, 2011 at 8:06 pm Comments are Disabled

It is common knowledge to anyone who has been listening to music since before the turn of the millennium that the ‘90s was the era of the rebellious, alternative rock band. It is also common knowledge, though, that music has not been the same since. As swiftly as alternative rock made it to the charts, it faded into the distant memories of the 20th Century as the new millennium brought more upbeat, up-tempo music. While the likes of Nirvana, Green Day and Red Hot Chili Peppers will always reign as supreme kings of the ’90s, there was one woman who shook things up and inserted herself as the queen of rock. Perhaps as one of the most drastic surprises of the ‘90s, Alanis Morissette rocked the world with her now-classic album “Jagged Little Pill.” Filled with enough angst to satiate the emotional needs of just about everyone who been through a sour relationship, “Jagged Little Pill” is a rock phenomenon unmatched by any album of any female rock artist since. With the radio today being so saturated with heavy synth beats, auto-tune and techno rhythms, “Jagged Little Pill” is a touch of authenticity that cannot go unnoticed. But while the […]
Cheap Eats

Lifestyle September 26, 2011 at 8:04 pm Comments are Disabled

Those of us residing in the dorms know that living away from home is simply fantastic. There are no parents to get on our cases, no horrific commutes to campus — unless you want to count getting past those crossing guards — and let’s not forget the sweet, sweet freedom. But with life’s ups come its downs. On campus there are no mothers to help out with our laundry, and because our fathers are not the ones mowing the grass outside our windows at ungodly hours of the morning, we can’t tell them to knock it off. On top of this we are cognizant of the distinct lack of delicious home-cooked meals. After enough turkey sandwiches and instant noodle cups, heading home for a weekend starts to look pretty appealing. But don’t go packing your overnight bag just yet. With this recipe for meatloaf and mashed potatoes, you can be transported home without going through the 30-minute ordeal of detaching yourself from your mother’s embrace when trying to leave. Directions: Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons of the ketchup. Transport mixture to a loaf pan. Brush the top of the loaf with the remaining ketchup. Bake […]
Skateboarding Is Not a Crime

Lifestyle September 26, 2011 at 8:02 pm Comments are Disabled

When the office asked me to review “Abduction,” I begrudgingly gritted my teeth and decided to bear it. If I want to do this for a living, I’m going to have to sit through a few turkeys from time to time. But let me tell you, not only is “Abduction” not a winner, it makes every loser (I use the term for film, not people) appear Oscar-worthy in comparison. In wrestling, there is a term called a “push.” It’s when they give a young, up-and-comer a chance to go up against a top-biller to see how he does. It’s your chance to thrust yourself from a supporting role to superstardom. Clearly, that’s what Lionsgate attempted to do by casting Sigourney Weaver and Alfred Molina alongside Taylor Lautner. Unfortunately, it does nothing to bolster the young werewolf’s career. Instead, it just makes me wonder if it’s hard to find work in Hollywood nowadays. I’m going to be honest with all of you: Forty-five minutes into the movie I couldn’t take it anymore. This is not a good movie. I even checked Rotten Tomatoes where it currently sits at a 3 percent rotten score, so clearly I’m not alone in my loathing. […]
Red Hot Chili Peppers Are Back With New Album

Lifestyle September 26, 2011 at 8:01 pm Comments are Disabled

For band that has lost their lead guitarist for the second time in its lifespan, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ first album in five years, “I’m With You,” could start no other way: in chaos. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to be taking it so well this time around. The lead track, “Monarchy of Roses,” opens with muddy guitar work and thundering drums — like what the apocalypse would probably sound like. Lead singer Anthony Kiedis grumbles behind vocal distortion and then before you know it, we’re back to the usual RHCP circa “Stadium Arcadium” like nothing happened. The nostalgia lasts a solid 30 seconds through the chorus before we go back to the hectic verses, as if the song can’t decide what it wants to sound like. The lead track ends without leaving much of an impression — something not indicative of an album well-put-together. It’s not unreasonable to expect the album to hook me in from the get-go, and “I’m With You” does it for the wrong reasons. The second track makes it painfully obvious that not only is RHCP’s world-famous bassist Flea commanding the band’s lead instrument, but that the new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer still has no idea […]
Movies Distort the Reality of Meeting Your Significant Other’s Parents

Lifestyle September 26, 2011 at 7:59 pm Comments are Disabled

Let’s just assume that by this point everybody has seen “Meet the Parents,” “Meet the Fockers” or “Little Fockers.” This trilogy of sorts puts a strong emphasis on that special moment when significant others must meet the parents or family for the first time. In the movies this moment is heavily dramatized, with the parents’ seriousness or eccentricities played up for great effect. The fact of the matter is, the media almost never depicts parents whose personalities lie in the middle, in the normal-human-being range. Rather, producers take it to the extreme in order to accentuate the hilarity of this first meeting and, in effect, compel viewers to loosen up and laugh a little, while at the same time instilling in them the sense that meeting the parents should be a feared event. What one must realize is that movies — comedies in particular — are just a canvas painted with humor in order to bring about riotous laughs. Scenes from movies typically do not reflect reality. Therefore, when it comes time for you to meet the parents, remember these key things: How much do you value an ally? Both parents contribute a great deal to the way in which […]
Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise

Lifestyle September 26, 2011 at 7:58 pm Comments are Disabled

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, about half of all Americans now take at least one prescription drug. The slew of pharmaceutical commercials, media hype and the constant need of consumers and drug companies alike to find a cure for the smallest of health ailments has steered Americans into the vast prescription drug network. Although these medicinal advances have made it possible to curb disease and relieve those who suffer, in the wrong hands they can do the very opposite. Prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications are the most-abused drugs by adolescents, second only to marijuana, as noted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Aspects of popular culture have made it acceptable for teens and college students to engage in this activity, even making it a trendy thing to do at parties and a spectacle for those watching. Depressants, opioids, stimulants, painkillers and narcotics are among the drugs used by students to lose weight, fit in, alter their personalities and get high. But prescription drug abuse isn’t just for the thrill seekers anymore. Increased academic pressure on students has made this illegal activity all too normal. Adderall, a stimulant used primarily to treat ADHD, is […]
FROM THE VAULT: Gilmore Girls

Lifestyle September 19, 2011 at 5:58 pm Comments are Disabled

Even before entering high school, most pre-teens had experienced elite college life, read countless literary classics and had regular outings with their eccentric, single mother. Though they never actually lived these events, they experienced them through, and with, Rory and Lorelai Gilmore, two strong and independent women who transcended television. “Gilmore Girls” was nothing short of a moral education. It was an experience above that of a television show — a collection of life lessons. As college students, most Patriots can now relate to Rory’s bewildered feelings and timid attitude during her stressful times both in high school and her first year at Yale University. Bumping through corridors and showing up to class forty minutes early are just a few of the things that we’ve endured, like Rory, as freshmen. Perhaps it was the relatable college atmosphere that garnered an average of 4 million viewers per episode. Years after the series finale, “Gilmore Girls” is still a mainstay in college dorms across the country. DVD sales have stayed consistent over the past 10 years thanks to each and every unique adventure the girls encountered. Remembering each episode as if it were an entirely new experience is something that will live […]