Frat party. Bar. Frat Party. Bar. By midterms, the same-old routines are starting to get played out. Sick of chugging watered down beers, shoulder-to-shoulder in a too-loud, too-packed college bar? Have you gotten so good at beer pong it doesn’t even feel like a game anymore? Here are some sure-fire ways to put the sizzle back into your Saturday. Just don’t forget your cameras!

1. Check out a Concert
No, I’m not suggesting you sit on Ticketmaster for hours to pay hundreds of dollars to see Fall Out Boy. Check out a band you’ve never heard of. Scour the web for open mic nights and underground punk shows. You might end up catching the next big thing to hit MTV. If there’s a venue nearby that’s known for being a breeding ground for legendary rockers, join their mailing list. Otherwise, check out sites like Underground Hip Hop Dot Com or Open Mikes to find some decent music at a cheap price. Stuck on campus without a car? See if your school sponsors its own concert series, open mic’s or talent shows, and hit ‘em up, son.

2. Pee Your Pants (Not Literally)
Underground concerts too loud for you? Hit up a comedy club or try to catch an improv troupe in your area. Comedy shows run fairly cheap, and you can bust a gut without waking up with your ears ringing in the morning. Sites like The Improv list venues in several different cities, or you can Google “improv” and the name of your town to see if there’s anything nearby. Did you know that tons of Saturday Night Live regulars got their start at improv clubs like LA’s infamous Groundlings? Or that comic messiahs like Adam Sandler used to tour college campuses before making it big?

3. Take Center Stage
My personal life motto? You haven’t lived until you’ve Karaoke’d. Find a local dive bar that hosts karaoke, and hit it up. You don’t have to worry about being embarrassed in front of townies who are doing renditions of the Dixie Chicks and Metallica, and if you can force yourself onstage without boozing it up, you really won’t have to pay anything for a kick-ass good time. Karaoke in the states is at an all-time high, so there’s bound to be someplace nearby that will let you croon “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Read More »

And I quote…”He’s a truly remarkable man. If I was gay or a female I’d just want to marry him. He’s gorgeous, and he’s really cool bloke as well.”

That’s what Daniel Radcliffe, 19, said about his ‘Equus’ co-star Lorenzo Pisoni, 31, after admitting to writing some “deeply sexual things” on cards Radcliffe gave Pisoni on opening night. But they were just to get Pisoni “wound up, you know?”

This is either method acting to the max, or straight weird.

Ah well. So maybe Harry Potter’s a little gay?

It’s fine Danny, we don’t judge.  Keep on whipping it out on Broadway.

When I was a plus sized beauty my biggest gripe was that there was never anywhere to go shopping. I was a size 18-20W and I felt horrible in just about everything I owned. It seemed the only stuff I could find in my limited price range made me look like a sack of potatoes. Nothing was ever flattering. Nothing ever quite right.

I don’t want anyone else to have to live like that. Looking fabulous is everyone’s right no matter what size! So here are some shops (online and at the mall) to visit to find that inner-whatever-your-personal-style diva.

Remember ladies: Don’t be afraid to mix and match. Just because you can’t find a top to those jeans at that store doesn’t mean there’s not one for you at the next. And if it doesn’t make you feel fabulous, it’s not worth buying.

1) Lane Brynt
Yeah, this is a no brainer. I didn’t start this list off with Lane Bryant because it’s the most fab place, but because it does have something that every girl needs. A good bra. Vicky’s (Victoria Secret) can get kind of pricy for us larger busted ladies and I found that LB had a good quality product for an excellent price. But don’t discount them too quickly. They have some cute separates and are a good place to get old standbys (i.e., black pants, solid colored tees, dresses) to outfit your wardrobe. The prices are a little more on the high end but the clothes are well made and well worth it. Read More »

(SARA, 23, sits with her DAD, 57, in a Thai restuarant near Sara’s apartment, waiting for her MOM, also 57, to come back from the bathroom so they can get this show on the road.)

SARA
(impatient)
What’d she, fall in?

DAD
You look…different.

SARA
Oh yeah, I’m growing out my bangs.

DAD
(brightening)
Oh yeah?

SARA
…Yeah…

DAD
You know I’ve never been a fan of when you have bangs. Even when you were a little kid.

SARA
Yeah, I know.

DAD
But something else too… Read More »

Living in New York City is great. And I mean that. I’ve been here for the last six or seven years, and before that I lived in nearby Long Island (with frequent visits into Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island to visit my family, and sometimes Manhattan to take in a show or go to a museum).

The problem is not living in New York City. The problem is living in New York City AND being a girl.

For some reason, this is THE city of catcalls and bad pick-up lines. It doesn’t matter what you look like, who you are–if you have (or even might have) a hooha, you’re gonna be harassed.

So now, for your reading pleasure, I’d like to present you with a scene from last night in My Life As A Girl In NYC.

This is verbatim. I kid you not.

Enjoy.

(10pm Thursday night. After four hours of tech rehearsal at a local theater, SARA, 23, heads up to Union Square, where she sits down on the steps to wait for her BOYFRIEND, 26.

To Sara’s left sit two HIPSTERS. Sara casually witnesses a seemingly NEW JERSEY GUY in a douchey leather jacket ask them for a cigarette.

Sara goes back to waiting. But something is wrong. Sensing this, she turns around to find Jersey Guy and his two JERSEY FRIENDS staring at her. And Jersey Guy is pointing right at her. Sara quickly turns back around.

But it’s too late. Jersey Guy approaches, unlit cigarette in hand.)

JERSEY GUY: I just wanted to say thanks for looking all pretty. Read More »

Every now and then, I get moments where I sit outside, watch kids run around and play, and really miss my childhood. Life was so much easier back then, filled with juice boxes and random presents from Grandma and books that had pictures in them. But best of all, I got to play.

Now, between school, family, and some semblance of a personal life, I really don’t have the time to play. And even if I did, wouldn’t it look kind of silly for a 20-year-old woman to be squealing “weee!” as she tumbles down the slide in the park?

Not if it’s a Newmindspace PlayDay, I won’t! Read More »