THIS IS AN age when people are blogging their thoughts all over the Internet, spewing their sometimes profound and often self-indulgent observations at anyone who happens to click a link. This is the world that "quarterlife" intends to capture. The series covers a group of twenty-something artistic types maturing during the digital age.
RSVP to get in free to Friday's screening. Director/writer Marshall Herskovitz hosts.
»Johnson Cinema Center, George Mason, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax; Fri., 7:30 p.m., free, Sat., 4:30 p.m. $5; (703) 993-2787.
Photo courtesy NBC
MAYBE YOU'VE loved her forever, maybe you're just a diehard American Idol fan who rediscovered her a few weeks ago, but you know you want to see Dolly Parton when she comes to GMU on her "Backwoods Barbie" tour.
If you need an explanation of her music, you just need to go back to that rock you've been living under. Dolly is unapologetic about her freakishness, and that's undeniably awesome.
» Patriot Center, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax; Mon., 7:30 p.m., $46-$76; (703) 993-3000
Photo courtesy Dolly Records
YOU WON'T HAVE TO go far to look for a fight this weekend. Saturday night's Ultimate Warrior Challenge Invasion at the Patriot Center won't be the first Mixed Martial Arts event ever in the region, but it's being billed as the biggest for a sport that continues to grow in popularity. The man behind the 10-match spectacular is Marcello Foran, a native of Bowie, Md., who discussed Saturday's event at George Mason, the burgeoning sport's future and how the D.C. area may be a key to MMA's long term success.
» EXPRESS: Why did you decide to come to D.C. with this event?
» FORAN: One, the D.C. metropolitan region is an untapped landscape. Things are just getting legalized. MMA has been legalized in Virginia and D.C. and has passed through the Maryland house and senate — and now the governor just needs to sign it into law.
Even if I wasn't from here, there is a big fan base here. And being from here, it's exciting to be able to come back with something happening in history. And my brother [Marcus Foran], who was a national prep wrestling champion at DeMatha, is also on the card. We are bringing MMA in a big way to the area.
» EXPRESS: What makes this the biggest MMA event ever in the area?
» FORAN: The reason it's the biggest is the fighters on the card. They've never had fighters on this level, who are veterans of these events. There will be some of celebrity guests [including Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski), who are world champions of their sport. Nobody has done anything this big on any level in terms of fight card, event production and special celebrity guests.
» EXPRESS:There were about 2,500 people at the first MMA event at Patriot Center last year. What are your expectations for this?
» FORAN: I'm expecting about 5,000 — maybe more, you never know. It's interesting question. I'm waiting to find out the same thing. Knowing what we've done in markets not nearly as big as the D.C. market and basing expectations on where sport is and the big fan base in D.C., I feel 5,000 is a very reasonable number.
Continue Reading "Sports Talk: Talking Mixed Martial Arts" »
IN HIGH SCHOOL, JOHN VAUGHAN AND Folarin Campbell talked about going to the same college. When they got to George Mason four years ago, they roomed together and talked about turning the program around and taking the Patriots to the NCAA tournament. They did almost everything together.
But when the Patriots made their historic run to the Final Four, Vaughan wasn't on the court — he was on the bench with a knee injury.
"To see that group bring it together the way we did that year ... it was great to see those guys go out there and play as hard as they did, as well as they did," Vaughan says.
The Laurel, Md., product came to Mason as arguably the most highly recruited of the group that, with Campbell and Will Thomas, was called the best class ever recruited by coach Jim Larranaga. As a freshman, he averaged 23 minutes and 7.5 points per game, fourth on the team, and was the only member of that heralded freshman class to make the CAA all-rookie team.
Continue Reading "Sports Talk: Mason's Vaughan Gets Chance to Dance" »
WHEN WILL THOMAS LEAVES George Mason, his best memory of his time at school will not be of cutting down the nets after making the Final Four.
It will be of a night during winter break his freshman year when no one was in the dorms except the basketball players and the freshman ran around from room to room playing pranks on each other.
For Folarin Campbell, it's similar moments that he'll think back on.
"We've been roommates for four years, and we're going to be friends for life," Campbell says. "Hanging out with these fellows, we're going to laugh every moment."
On Friday, Campbell and Thomas will head into their final CAA tournament needing a tournament win not only because it is the only way this year's team (20-10, 12-6 CAA) will make it back to the NCAAs but also because it's seemingly the one goal they have yet to accomplish in four years at George Mason.
"I think that would define this class, this team — how hard we worked this year and how hard we worked all four years," Thomas said.
WHEN GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY's law school was established in 1979, it used the old Kann's department store in Arlington County's Virginia Square neighborhood as its temporary home. The law school eventually moved out, but the aging building, with its ancient escalators pictured above, continued to house various undergraduate and graduate classes.
Now, though, the building is being emptied to make way for a new university complex, which will house the School of Public Policy and the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, along with academic and student support services. Reports The Post's Jerry Markon:
The $82 million project is a key part of a five-year, $600 million expansion and renovation of three GMU campuses in Northern Virginia, including Fairfax and Prince William counties. But the need is particularly acute in Arlington, university and county officials said.Construction on the new building starts this month and is slated to wrap up in 2010.
» "GMU Prepares For a Farewell to an Original" [WaPo]
Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post
DO YOU THINK GHOSTS EXIST? If so, you're not alone.
About one in three Americans told pollsters for the Associated Press and Ipsos that they believe in ghosts. Almost a quarter of respondents told the AP that they've seen a ghost or felt a ghostly presence. And nearly 20 percent believe in the existence of spells or witchcraft and nearly half believe in ESP, or extrasensory perception, the AP's Alan Fram and Trevor Tompson report.
Who's most likely to report a ghostly sighting? Say Fram and Tompson:
The most likely candidates for ghostly visits include single people, Catholics and those who never attend religious services. By 31 percent to 18 percent, more liberals than conservatives report seeing a specter.In a town that boasts many well-known ghost stories — the White House's Web site even has a page about its supposed hauntings — this survey's results might hit home more than the casual nonbeliever might think.
Just ask a priest. In 2002, Rev. Michael J. O'Sullivan, pastor of St. Peter's Church on Capitol Hill, was matter-of-fact about his ghostly experiences: "The rectory is haunted," he told The Post.
And then there are the local paranormal investigators. During a washingtonpost.com discussion with an investigation group in 2006, several questioners told of their experiences with what they believed to be spirits at places like Mary Washington College and George Mason University.
So what do you say, D.C., on this dreary — dare we say spooky? — pre-Halloween Friday? Do you believe in ghosts? Share your thoughts — and ghost stories, if you've got 'em — in comments.
» "That's the Spirit: Belief in Ghosts High" [AP via Yahoo! News]
» "Ghosts of the White House" [whitehouse.gov]
» "Live Discussion: Ghost Hunting" [WaPo]
» "Nice to Know A House Is Haunted" [WaPo]
AS THE WHITE STRIPES sell more records, the more they seem to rebel. And the more people seem to love it. The alt-rock duo composed of Jack and Meg White — siblings, ex-spouses, whatever — recently released their sixth studio album, "Icky Thump," which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts.
The album is a genius smattering of varied instrumentation, ADD vocals and storytelling, and cuts from it are sure to be featured heavily at the duo's concert on Saturday at the Patriot Center.
In honor of Jack White's eccentricity, we're going to be counting down the top five weirdest things the band has done in the last few years. And we're not even going to touch the duo's relationship.
» 5. ICKY THUMP RECORDS:
For the release party of "Icky Thump," the band took over Tower Records in LA, re-branding the famous store as "Icky Thump Records," complete with its own billboard, signs, and artwork.
» 4. 3 INCHES:
In fall 2005, the band heard about a miniature toy record player manufactured by Bandai that played 3-inch records. Meg and Jack purchased 400 of these "Triple Inchophones" and sold them along with seven three-inch singles. The complete set was recently sold on eBay for more than $2,000.
YOU KNOW IF A FOX5 NEWS CREW shows up on the scene, something scary must be going on. Last night's 10 p.m. newscast feature — complete with eerie camera angles — on the crime-scarred footbridge and tunnel crossing the Capital Beltway at Georgia Avenue followed up on Monday's article in The Post about the $7.7 million crossing that's become such a haven for muggers that one victim called it a "death trap."
Turns out, concerns existed about the safety of the tenth-of-a-mile-long tunnel under the Beltway during the design phase, The Post's Miranda S. Spivack reports. Now there are plans to install better lighting and make slight changes to improve safety. Local news site The Silver Spring Penguin has more about the community discussion on safety improvements.
Photo by Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post
» "Designers of Bridge Predicted Safety Problems, Official Says" [WaPo]
» "Lights, Cameras, Call Boxes Planned for Footbridge" [Silver Spring Penguin]
» "Multimedia: Safety on the Forest Glen Footbridge" [Silver Spring Penguin]
» GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY: A $21.7 million, 98,974-square-foot building and observation tower will be officially dedicated tomorrow at George Mason's Fairfax campus, giving the growing university needed research space. The public is invited to tour the new structure from 2 to 4 p.m. The structure isn't totally complete yet; an astronomy lab and observatory at the tower's rooftop level is expected to open by the end of the year. [GMU]
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