Secrets of the Swamp: stripped
By Brittany Brave | Feb. 2, 2011If you have to spend another minute trapped at his overprotective mother’s dining table, you might pluck your eyebrows out with a fork.
If you have to spend another minute trapped at his overprotective mother’s dining table, you might pluck your eyebrows out with a fork.
READ: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Just because you're in college doesn't mean you can't have your gourmet meal and eat it, too. While you're at it, work an occasional massage into your schedule, or even a trip to the bowling alley with a big group of friends.
Out with the new, and in with the old. Every day, it seems that thrift stores are becoming a more avant-garde venue for shopping. And here in Gainesville, students and residents alike are lucky to have access to stores beyond the common man’s Goodwill. In fact, we’d go so far as to say Gainesville’s got a vintage selection that’s the Rolls-Royce of second-hand-shop selections. Peruse the merchandise at these retailers and you’ll be sure to snatch a find that’s one-of-a-kind. After all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
Like many students, I’m pretty much broke. I’ve eaten Burger King at least six times this week, I worship ramen, and every penny saved is a video game earned. Spending $50 or more on a blockbuster title might make gamers into mindless slaves of consumerism and pretty graphics, but that is a curse we’re willing to live with.
Social media sites were ablaze last week with outraged updates after news reports said the horoscope we knew and loved was all wrong.
If you’re looking to revamp your home decor and your attitude, the resolution could be simple: Liven up your living space.
The holiday season has descended into its dark, twilight hours. The hot-ticket items have gone back to sleep in storage, and bottom-bin sales fill stores with the unwanted dregs of the free market. Last year in the technology industry, no items reigned more supreme than the Microsoft Kinect.
Heads up, New Year’s resolution makers: It’s about three weeks into 2011. Have you kept your self-made promise? We’re betting about half of you have already cracked — especially those who resolved to hit the gym and eat healthier. It’s no easy feat. But sometimes, the resolution to all your healthy lifestyle woes is simple: balance.
AT&T used to be my cell phone service provider — the key phrase there being “used to.” Dropped calls, poor phones and customer service staffed by incompetent gorillas are just some of the infamous issues the service provider is known for. Yet, people still cling to the carrier like submissive gimps — all thanks to the iPhone. If given the choice, a significant portion of AT&T’s customers would jump ship should the iPhone be released on a better service, say, for example, Verizon Wireless.
Exploration is a vital and vigorous part of the college experience. You’re not under your parents’ roof. It’s time to see what’s out there. Wild Iris Books is a place to start finding out. Located between Midtown and downtown at 802 W University Ave., Wild Iris is one of the last remaining feminist bookstores in Florida. Opened in 1992, Wild Iris has established itself as not only a store but also as a community resource for artists and organizations looking for a supportive space. The store, in association with its sister nonprofit Friends of Wild Iris, has hosted open mic nights, workshops, discussion groups and art exhibits.
The depiction of women in video games has always been a mark of shame in the industry. Undoubtedly, the majority of video games developers are male — as is the industry’s target demographic. Thus, it’s not surprising that many virtual females are designed to look like idealized perfections of the gender at best and pubescent fantasy at worst. Take these favored femmes: Bayonetta has 4-foot long legs, Taki from “Soul Calibur” has triple-E sized breasts, and the entire female cast of “Dead or Alive” can be summed up with the phrase “jiggle physics.”
If UF’s campus had a soundtrack, it would surely be the ringing bells of Century Tower. The distant sounds echo throughout campus from every corner, providing comforting music as students hustle and bustle to class.
For some Gainesville residents, old school is the only school
Each Thursday, the Avenue is serving up the best in entertainment, pop culture and everything in between. From the big screen to the radio waves, check out this week’s picks.
The only thing more important than what you did on New Year’s Eve is what you’re going to do in the new year. Sure, it’s just a date. But a new year means a fresh start: new friends, new experiences, and, most importantly, new resolutions. Though they may be clichéd and are more often broken than kept, there are a few worth trying. Lucky for you, we’ve sifted through the duds and picked out the best. Check out our picks for top new year’s resolutions.
Just as the first second of 2011 kicked off with a certain “Jersey Shore” nugget dropping down in a giant MTV ball, it hit you, right after that desperate, sloppy smooch. It’s New Year’s resolution time, baby. It’s the year for closet-cleaning and working more on saving the cash flow than slurping it down at Salty Dog. And most importantly, getting those post-holiday bods into shape. Of course, getting fit is no uncommon resolution. And, not surprisingly, within the first couple of days on campus, the gym crowd has exploded, and the number of runners necessary to dodge on the walk to class could be compared to a game of “Frogger.”
After the stockings have been stowed and the fireworks extinguished, it may be tough to get out of bed in the morning. Sadly, the days of overeating, not working out and sleeping in are gone, only to be replaced by the chaos that is the first week of classes: alarms that seem to go off too early, book-buying and hunting for new classrooms. Here comes the post-holiday funk. Try just one of these remedies, and we’re sure your former holiday cheer will be restored.