Stage #1 - Smart

This is when you suddenly become an expert on every subject. You know all and greatly wish to express this knowledge to anyone who will listen. At this stage you are also always right. And of course the person you are talking with is very wrong. You will talk for hours trying to convince someone that you are right. This makes for an interesting argument when both parties are “smart”. Two people talking, in fact, arguing about a subject neither one really knows anything about, but are convinced that they are they complete authority on the subject makes for great entertainment for those get the opportunity to listen in. Read More

Planning a trip this summer? Short on cash? Here’s a quick guide to make sure you get the biggest bang for your buck.

1. Shop Around.
So-called “value” sites like Travelocity, Expedia, and Orbitz give you the best price for plane tickets–but have often been paid by airlines and hotels to promote their fares and rooms above all others, screwing you over in the process.

Instead, use an aggregator, like Momondo or Kayak, that searches hundreds of travel websites in order to find you the best deal. These Sites also feature flights from smaller airlines and airlines, like Southwest, that don’t actively participate in online travel booking sites. Also, aggregators won’t jack you for a fee, like most “value” travel sites.

2. Skip the Hotel.
Really, most hotels are the same. Except for rooms whose per-night price could pay for last semester, you won’t notice much of a difference, I promise. So, trade in the five-star for one of these inexpensive (but way more fun!) options:

Hostels - For international and domestic travel alike, hostels kick the crap out of everything else. They’re cheap, relaxing and extra fun–plus, you get to mingle with countless hotties from around the world. You may not have the privacy or luxury of a hotel, but it’s worth the “sacrifice.” Read More »

Wow. Apparently, life really does become meaningless when you’re at the top of your game, you’ve got the house, car, wife, kids and whatever the f*ck else you want. None of that means sh*t compared to the free gift of pain–or so says these Silicon Valley desk-jockeys, who’ve set up their own “fight club,” in an attempt to return to the roots of Man.

Check out “Real Fight Club” video after the jump!

Read More »

With gas prices around $3-per-gallon, traveling for hours on a bus with an overweight ex-male-stripper as your seat-mate seems more like a quality way to travel. BoltBus knows this.

So, as Consumerist.com reports, BoltBus will begin competing with Greyhound and the various “Chinatown buses” that run this route by offering passengers $1-fares, in-bus WiFi, electrical outlets for laptops and DVD players, “panoramic views [and] the normal coach accouterments,” as their Website advertises. And they make the trek eight times a day.

Can taking the bus really be that great, you ask? No, not really. Read More »

January may be almost over, and February may have nothing for you to look forward to except Valentine’s Day (which, for a lot of us, is a poor excuse of a holiday). But March is certainly coming, and it’s bringing with it two of the most amazing words in the English language: Spring Break.

Now, a lot of you out there may associate Spring Break with places like Cancun, Florida, the Bahamas, and other tropical paradises where there’s nothing to do except drink weird fruity things with tiny paper umbrellas floating in them.

And while I have nothing against fruity drinks and paper umbrellas (not to mention scantily clad people lathered up with suntan lotion), Spring Break can be a time for more than just getting a tan and having seven nights of hook-ups you regret later. It can be a time to actually do some good.

The Isabela Oceanographic Institute (IOI), a Florida-based non-profit organization that deals with both American and European study abroad programs, has one of the most amazing Spring Break opportunities around: spend a week in the Galapagos islands while researching ways for them to stay self sufficient. Not a bad deal! Read More »

Have you ever wanted ice cold beer but all the beer you have on hand is warm? This simple but amazing age-old method will produce a refreshing glass of ice cold beer in minutes!

Check the method after the jump. Read More »

You’re in the midst of Power Hour (one shot of beer every minute for an hour) and “one of your idiot friends” (read: you) lost track of time. Nobody knows when the next shot should be taken. It’s instances like this when you could use a stopwatch - or better.

Enter the Shot Caller.

Let’s cut to the quick: the Shot Caller is a glorified stopwatch that conveniently keeps time while playing Power Hour, or any other drinking game that requires you to constantly remember when one minute has passed. You can set up the Shot Caller to buzz off every minute for an hour (or up to 100 minutes if you’re brawny enough to take the challenge). Completing the Shot Caller package are four “regulation-size” shot glasses emblazoned with the companies’ logo.

For $15 the Shot Caller is a great deal, and a perfect gift for your friend who hosts the pre-game at his house every week. Honor his existence and the Power Hour tradition in one fell swoop.

“I’m only stopping in for one,�? were always the last words I uttered on some of my biggest nights out. The second they escaped my lips, regardless of how much I meant it, I always ended up partying until at least 8 in the morning.

I was lucky, and more times than not, made it back to my apartment in one piece—though getting my key into my askew lock was mission impossible most of the time. There were a few occasions I woke up in an unknown location (“ok, I do know you… but how did I get here?�?).

On one of my worst homeward bound adventures, I decided it would be a wise idea to take the bus. I would save money by not taking a cab. The bus stop was right outside my apartment. It was daylight—why wouldn’t I use public transportation? I’ll tell you why.

I woke up half way across the city, with a wing to the bus all to myself. The second I opened my eyes, all I could smell was vodka and smoke—which kept people away from me and the surrounding seats open due to the vile smell seeping out of my pores. Read More »

Life after college: the bleak, inevitable plunge into the “real world.�? A life imprisoned within routine and thankless independence. At this time, you are genuinely scared of what you are going to do, where you are going to do it, and who you are going to do it with (speaking, of course, of only real-world priorities—minds out of the gutter, children!) For some, moving home is a viable option as it saves money and grants time to meditate on the many possibilities you are presented with. For others (this author included), being away at school bred a no-return policy; not returning, that is, to roving parent eyes, drinking at bars you snuck in to in high school, or late-night social planning sessions at the local pizzeria. For this second group, there are a number of thriving areas across the country which welcome post-grads with open arms. One such place, which has gained ample attention within the last five years, is an area of Philadelphia known as Manayunk. Read More »

Stage #1 - Smart

This is when you suddenly become an expert on every subject. You know all and greatly wish to express this knowledge to anyone who will listen. At this stage you are also always right. And of course the person you are talking with is very wrong. You will talk for hours trying to convince someone that you are right. This makes for an interesting argument when both parties are “smart”. Two people talking, in fact, arguing about a subject neither one really knows anything about, but are convinced that they are they complete authority on the subject makes for great entertainment for those get the opportunity to listen in. Read More »