Before MTV's scandalous new series "Skins" premiered on Jan. 17, commercials teased audiences with clips of sex, drugs and crazily behaved teenagers - all factors that seemed to make its U.K. counterpart a hit.
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.
If you’re looking to revamp your home decor and your attitude, the resolution could be simple: Liven up your living space.
For the latest frills, flair and everything fashion, check out what our lens caught this week.
Local brewery owner Luke Kemper has a lot bottled up — one thing being patience. That’s what it’s taken the owner of Swamp Head Brewery, 3140 SW 42nd Way, to start growing his 1-year-old business.
President Barack Obama’s signing of the Local Community Radio Act earlier this month gave music fans hope for a future of more diversity on the airwaves. The act allows for the development of hundreds of low-power FM (LPFM) stations across the country — something that has been a long-standing feat for industry workers, as many believe LPFMs cause too much interference with commercial radio stations.
For Gainesville rock quartet The Boswellians, the show must go on — even when it gets canceled.
Indie punk duo No Age cultivated their sound at The Smell, a now legendary all-ages venue in downtown Los Angeles. Since its opening in the late ‘90s, The Smell, formerly a Mexican grocery store, has produced some of the most creative, outside-of-the box bands of the last decade, including the highly acclaimed, sometimes bizarre but always entertaining noise rock band Health.
The word “fashion” does not sit well with most guys. I get it — you’re a total bro—but that doesn’t mean you can’t dress like a pro. There’s no logic in the daily task of getting dressed, so here at the Avenue we’ve come up with some simple style tips (a less frightening word for “fashion”) that we think every Gainesville guy should try.
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.”
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.
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
Between the days of soul-crushing finals and the start of a new semester, in that two-week slice of heaven called “the holidays,” I learned to appreciate the finer things in life: sleeping until noon, watching movies on the couch and good, old-fashioned monster stomping.
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.”
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.
Solutions by The State News
