My relationship with public transportation, city bus systems in particular, is a hate-to-love-you type of romance. Personally, in my hometown of Tallahassee, I have watched the commuter service evolve from Taltran to StarMetro. From flimsy paper transfers the driver would rip off of a pad to time-stamped cards printed before my eyes, and from a centralized to a decentralized routing system. However, I went years without utilizing the public service myself and never imagined I'd have to again. About a year ago, I found myself to be a born-again bus…

Factotum is a 2005 film starring There’s Something About Mary’s Matt Dillon. Dillon plays heavy drinking Henry Chinaski as he coasts through life going from job to job, and slum to slum. As an aspiring writer Chinaski finds entertainment and inspiration gambling at the horse track and manipulating women all the while maintaining a constant drunken state. An alter ego of Charles Bukowski, author of the novel of the same name, Henry Chinaski offers the viewers a romanticized view of a man stuck on the wrong side of the tracks…

Conferences have been a part of geek and nerd culture since ComicCon became a household name. They bring fans together to create a safe-having for sharing enthusiasm, information and Magic cards.

Imagine going through a sex and gender identity change in front of millions of people. Chaz Bono, former daughter and only child of the famous pop music duo Sonny and Cher went through a similar instance during his life changing experience while becoming a man.  

In every arena, there is one person whose talent far exceeds that of his/her peers. All too often that person is not properly recognized. Let’s use an example. If you at least know that there is a professional league where grown men throw an orange ball through a basket, then you are most likely familiar with Julius “Dr. J” Erving, one of the greatest basketball players of all time. The man could defy gravity and do things on the basketball court that no one previously thought was possible.  

Macadelic, Mac Miller's new mixtape released a couple weeks ago and after playing through it several times already, I'm still really enjoying it. I can definitely see how Mac is progressing as an artist. My only criticism thus far is Mac's strong focus on drug use. Not that I'm a cop or anything, but we all know where that road often leads. Similar to his first studio album, Blue Slide Park, Mac has a mix of some laidback, chill and sip on some beer songs and some good ol' bass…

Last week, Sybrina Fulton, the mother of slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin, explained that all she wanted was an arrest. Before Zimmerman was arrested, the death of Trayvon proceeded to make local and national headlines, become one of the most talked about topics on the internet, inspire Million Hoodie Marches, and cause outrage in the state of Florida and all around the United States.  After more than a month, Fulton finally got the arrest she wanted; so what’s next for the Martin family? On April 17th, Trayvon’s parents sent out…

On April 11, the front of the UCF arena was abuzz with tables, stands, grad projects, free giveaways and a large stage blasting the latest in electronic dance music. The festivities and upbeat music were all part of the third annual GreenWaves concert at UCF. The festival and accompanying concert was started in 2010 with the goal of bringing the green movement to a wider audience at UCF. The concert and festival was hosted by UCF's Student Government Associations Environmental Coalition (ECO).  

Much like other heavy dubstep artists, Bassnectar grew up influenced by heavy metal rock. If you've ever listened to any of Bassnectar's music, then you have definitely heard the heavy metal roots pumping out that distorted bass. Bassnectar, similar to most notable dub step producers, earns his fans during his live performances. Crazy energy, trippy light shows and a lot of bass, Bassnectar's performances arouse our inner beasts! Take my word for it; I've seen Bassnectar live and he definitely tops most DJs.  

I don’t know about you guys, but I have a morning routine that I pretty much adhere to without fail; when it’s disrupted, the rest of my day just doesn’t seem to cohesively flow the way it’s supposed to. I’m a morning person, (I know, there don’t seem to be many of us out there anymore) so I roll out of bed somewhere between 6:30 and 7 a.m and immediately stumble to the Keurig in the kitchen. After I’ve gotten my coffee, I hop back into my cloud of a…

March 31 -Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg - It's been a long road for Snow Patrol to get where they are today. The Irish band's name was changed several times, members came and went, and record labels were impermanent,  but judging by the screaming crowd at Jannus Landing on March 31, you would think they had been a staple of American music for decades.

Campus safety is a topic that is discussed nationwide. With violence like at Virginia Tech, Ohio State University and Northern Illinois University, many colleges feel that a gun-free environment leaves students and staff in a vulnerable position for any type of malicious act. Students for Concealed Carry point out the fact that “although statistically safer, college campuses play host to every type of violence found in the rest of society, from murder to assault to rape.” So do students really believe that our campuses provide effective enough security or do…

George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman accused of killing Florida teen Trayvon Martin, was finally charged (with second degree murder) and arrested. Prosecutor Angela Corey made the announcement to a group of reporters Wednesday. She confirmed that Zimmerman is in custody of police and would not verify the location, for safety reasons.  

This week, I want to do an ode to women to spice things up a bit around here. I’m not sure what it is, but I typically find myself listening to male-dominated vocals (insert ridiculous misogynistic jokes here) and I’ve become more aware of this subconscious bias as my musical repertoire has expanded.  

The Walking Dead game is approaching. Grab your guns.

Gangster rap is not dead. Yes, Eazy-E is gone and hip hop is now a place where even Justin Bieber has a spot in the cipher, but there are still a number of rappers carrying on in the name of the raw, violent and unforgiving criminal style originated in the late ‘80s by groups like NWA.  

The death of Trayvon Martin has made its way to national news headlines and continues to stay there. America is outraged at the death of the 17-year-old who was killed by a neighborhood watchman who thought he looked suspicious. Martin was killed Febuarary 26 and George Zimmerman, the man who admitted to Sanford Police that he killed Trayvon, has not been arrested. Zimmerman claims he shot Martin in self-defense.

Ever feel like your privacy is being invaded, that the government has too many new technologies that violate your private life? Well, your suspicions are on the right track. March 20, 2012 marks the day the Advertising Based on Environmental Conditions patent was launched by the Google Corporation. The Orwellian patent that has been filed since 2008 basically outlines a method that allows a database to translate key audio cues from background noises into information that will determine the environment you are in and send specific ads that you might…

Rappers tend to get caught up in the world of money, chains and cars, which is often lost on the common hip-hop fan. We have no idea what they are really talking about, but we will still sing along. However, with this ever-growing materialistic culture in hip-hop, an artist that can relate the everyday person is a breath of fresh air. Julius Myth is that artist.

After a year and a half of waiting, Android phone users can finally join in on the Instagram fun.

Play On: I don’t know how many other soon-to-be college graduates out there can sympathize with the stresses of finding a job, or more specifically, a direction in general, but all of the pressure is making me turn gray prematurely. As I was having my third mental breakdown of the day yesterday about where my life was headed, I was reminded of some lyrics my dear old friend Eddie Vedder once sung in “Rise” off of the Into the Wild soundtrack.  

Imagine being able to go back to high school and relive your invincible teenage years and having the chance to re-invent yourself and image.  Would you become one of the most popular kids in school or be more studious? In "21 Jump Street," stars Jonah Hill of "Superbad" and Channing Tatum of "Step Up" play Schmidt and Jenko, two unconventional cops that are assigned to division 21 Jump Street.  

A couple of weeks back, Wiz Khalifa released a “Letter To The Taylors” - a personally written apology to all his fans, both new and old, but definitely aimed at the older ones, apologizing for his lack of creativity in recent works. Said letter wasn’t just an apology though; it was also a reminder of Wiz’s status as an international superstar and assurance that his next projects would be levels ahead of Rolling Papers, especially when it came to creativity.

The Fault in Our Stars, released January 10th, is the latest novel from best-selling author John Green. If you haven’t encountered his work before, which is doubtful, you’re in for a treat. His past works include the phenomenal Looking for Alaska, hilarious and sweet charmer Will Grayson, Will Grayson co-written with David Levithan, and Paper Towns, a semi-depressing tale that takes place in Orlando, Florida.