College Times

Re-Modeling the Hot Dog

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Hot dogs could be killing machines, experts say; hot, delicious killing machines

Thrift Store Adventures

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Through my many years of sifting through second-hand goods, I've seen some pretty awesome stuff.

'Earth Song' Status Update

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Michael Jackson's "Earth Song" asks a slew of rhetorical questions about the state of Mother Earth: we do our best to answer them.

'Text to Help' Every Day of the Week

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The world answered the call for help when news of the Haiti earthquake broke. Why not be so generous every day?

40 Days of Facebook Fasting

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

For Lent, I'm giving up Facebook. Wish me luck.

Facebook Succumbs to Doppelcissim

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Doppelganger Week swept over Facebook, but I find it a little hard to believe that I have that many friends who resemble super-hot actresses.

Give Gold Diggers Their Due

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Does money really make a guy more attractive? In my honest opinion, yes.

Judging an Album by Its Cover

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Album covers are often as recognizable as the music itself, but it wasn't always that way.

Sanford and Wife

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

At first, Jenny Sanford played the role of victim. Now, she's giving 'spoiled' and 'clueless' a try.

Smart people: Save the world by stopping your own stupidity

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The slippery slope of human evolution might just be making us dumber

Think Positive: It Works!

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

I subscribe to the idea that if you think good thoughts, good things will happen.

Tim Tebow Spot Sparks Super Bowl Controversy

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The Super Bowl has yet to be played, but controversy has already arisen over this year's commercial advertisements.

Wasted Youth

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Homework ravages life's real golden years

What Does Your Sign Say About You?

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Ever wonder how your roommate gets off on being super tidy while it takes you three weeks of dirty clothes and a sink full of dishes before you're inspired to do housework? It's in the signs.

Wi-Fi in Cars Raises Safety Concerns

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Ford... I have a bone to pick with you.

Top 10 Can't-Miss Classic Movies

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Comedies, dramas and cult classics every movie-lover needs to see.

Top 10 Texting Don'ts

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The next time you push those buttons, don't push my buttons, too.

Top 10 'Songs for Haiti' Tracks

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Paste Magazine has opened a vault of free MP3s to raise donations for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Here's the best of the bunch.

Top 10 Bizarre Collectibles

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

One man's junk is another man's hilariously strange treasure.

Top 10 Corniest Pick Up Lines

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Smooth operators, steer cleer: these lines are destined to fail.

Top 10 Facebook Groups

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The funniest, the strangest and the most offensive Facebook has to offer.

Top 10 Interesting Facts About Vancouver

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Vancouver, the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics, is a beautiful, welcoming destination. Just no fat chicks.

Top 10 Reasons Megan Fox is Unlikeable

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Actress Megan Fox rubs one writer the wrong way.

Top 10 Reasons Shaun White is a Badass

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The red-headed wonder is an electric spinning, air-catching, triple-flipping legend.

Top 10 Super Bowl Commercials We Won't See This Year

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The Super Bowl is packed with an awesomely awesome selection of commercials. These are not them.

Top 10 Things People Who Don't Care About the Super Bowl Can Do During the Super Bowl

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

I'm going to be honest. I don't give a shit about football.

Top 10 Things You Shouldn't Do On Valentine's Day

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Keep your eyes on the prize, follow these tips and V-Day won't suck.

Top 10 Unknown Effects Energy Drinks Have On Your Body

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Heart pumping, hands shaking, room blurring; and that's after just one sip.

Top 10 Ways to Fit in at the Renaissance Festival

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Don your finest robes, grab a turkey leg and fake the plague: the Ren Fest is here.

Top 10 Weirdest Dreams

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

I can't help what goes on in my subconscious.

Cactus League Spring Training Guide

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Nine stadiums, 13 teams, one excellent month: everything you'll ever need to know about spring baseball in the Valley of the Sun.

Spring semester is one big party

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Plan your spring fun with our guide to this semester's biggest and best events

Art Detour Ahead

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

First Friday gets a boost from yearly event, stretches out over three artful days

Donny Vomit Boosts Pretty Things Peep Show With Grotesque Displays of Human Fortitude

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Donny Vomit is known the world over by tourists and New Yorkers for his Coney Island sideshow performance. His tricks include driving a spike through his nose into his head cavity.

Experimental Arts Festival Teeters over the Edge of Reason

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The Phoenix Experimental Arts Festival isn't for the faint of "art," as it showcases avant-garde artists whose work is paving the way of visual and performing arts.

Film festival highlights the unique view of Argentina's Carlos Sorin

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

MCC International Film Festival

For Michelle Blades, the World is a Musical Canvas

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Improv-minded folkster plucks new record from the color spectrum

Hot Five Concerts

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

This week's most pleasurable musical experiences, for your listening pleasure.

Huzzah!

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Knights and damsels of ye olde Renaissance Festival roll into town

It's beer festival season: Tempe's turn

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Great Arizona Beer Festival continues the greatest time of the year

Miss Heather Holliday is Pretty Things Peep Show's Resident Sword-Swallower

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Miss Heather Holliday is the show's resident sword swallower. She also works with fire and other dangerous materials.

College Times: First off, you have a beer named after you, with your picture on it and everything. Please tell us how that came to be.

Heather Holliday: Shmaltz Brewing Co. are big fans of the Coney Island Circus Sideshow. After their Coney Island Lager was a hit, they really wanted to make beers featuring certain performers and their skills. It was a proposal I couldn't say no to! Plus, a percentage of all the proceeds go to my show!

Phoenix beer fans should actually be most familiar with that beer now. It was featured at the Strong Beer Festival in Phoenix last week. It's most delicious. Do you happen to like your namesake brew?

Personally, I am not a beer drinker. And this particular beer is overflowing with different flavors and hops that are a bit overwhelming for my untrained palate. Of course that doesn't stop me from parading it around at different social events and neighboorhood BBQs. The beer has gotten really good reviews which is great because, like myself, I want this beer to be really successful.

I'm assuming you must get this all the time, but seriously, how does one decide they want to swallow swords? Do you start off small, say like, maybe, a butter knife and then move from there?

The first and most important step is getting over the gag reflex. The trick is to trigger it enough so that it eventually goes away. This can be done with something as small as a finger or toothbrush.

What's the trick? What muscles are you controlling to allow your body to accept the sword without it puncturing any vital body parts?

I've performed over 500 shows in 2009 alone. I swallow swords so often that my body now accepts it like it's the most natural thing in the world! Clenching my esophagus around the sword helps me ease it down into my stomach, and adds a dramatic effect to the show.

How much is your insurance premium, each year? Just kidding � sort of. Seriously, though, do you ever get injured doing this stuff?

There are many things that can go wrong with these stunts. I don't do those. Accidents happen when performers get too cocky, or there mind is somewhere else. It can be tricky to stay focused when audience members are hooting and hollering at you, shouting distracting things, so zoning hecklers out is another useful skill.

What's the scariest moment you've had performing?

At every show I pull up a random audience member to extract the largest blade from my throat. It can be hard picking out the "right" person, to fully trust someone I've never met. Its pretty scary not knowing how drunk or crazy my volunteer could be. Even a totally normal guy might do something stupid to show off for his friends.

We're assuming you love what you do. Can you tell us why?

The Pretty Things Peepshow is a dream come true. Traveling with great friends/performers, sleeping late, and getting dolled up every night. Performing stunts of the odd, and having people look at me in admiration and awe is an amazing feeling.

What else should potential guests of the Peepshow know about what they'll see? Got any words to entice them attend?

A Sunday evening with an extraordinary display of glamour, glitter, danger, and daring. And who knows? You might even be pulled up to be part of the show!

Pharmaceutically Speaking

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

We've got a fever, and the only prescription is RX Bandits

Pretty Things Peep Show's Bettina May Has All the Right Moves

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Co-founder and sassy dancer Bettina May is famous for her bump-and-grind style.

Pretty Things Peep Show's Go-Go Amy Runs the Show

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The famous dancer, model and co-founder of Pretty Things Peepshow wows viewers with her beautiful array of sexy, entertaining moves and costumes of her own design.

College Students More Stressed Than Ever

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Study confirms what you already knew: stress is skyrocketing in college students

Is the Five Second Rule Bogus?

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Remember that pizza crust you picked up off the floor and instantly shoved in your mouth because of the long-trusted, mystical "five-second rule"? A new study might make you think twice about doing so next time.

Adventures in Babysitting

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

College specializes in training professional nannies for big buck jobs with athletes and celebrities

Arizonans for Children Fosters Hope

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Charity assists local foster kids, desperately seeks volunteers

ASU grad develops free light rail iPhone application

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

iPhone application provides maps, schedules and general information about Valley Metro's light rail

Bridging the Education Gap

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

$18.85 million donation links ASU, Teach for America for outreach initiative.

Despite Death of Countless Other Venues, The Trunk Space Thrives

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Open for almost six years, The Trunk Space has become a Downtown Phoenix staple for live music, experimental theatre performances and community gathering.

Experimental Jazz Breaths New LIfe into the Phoenix Music Scene

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Steve Limpert and a group of young Valley musicians are steering the Phoenix music scene into uncharted territory

Is Sexting Legal?

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Federal court to determine whether sending nude photos, provocative messages by cell phone breaks the law

Local Artist Kicks Down the Door with Custom Vans

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Local artist busts into the shoe biz with unique custom sneakers

Sweets & Beats Combines Two of Life's Greatest Pleasures

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

New store sells candy and music in downtown Phoenix

Valley grad student's research calls the solar system's age calculation into question

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

For the last 50 years or so, near-universally accepted scientific analysis has pegged the solar system to be around 4.568 billion years old, but new research by ASU scientists may prove otherwise.

Wear a Thong? Beware Down There.

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Thong underwear's popularity is soaring, but experts warn of possible health risks

Review: Freeway & Jake One

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Rapper-producer tandem's output is less than stimulating.

The Underground poised to revive Mesa music scene

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

New venue takes over old Nile basement, aims at different audience

CD Review: Alkaline Trio

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

For an album that takes most of its imagery from foil-darkened heroin dens, 'This Addiction' feels more like a sugar high than an opiate.

CD Review: Daniel Merriweather

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The Australian vocalist with the soulful, airy pipes makes a hypnotic debut.

CD Review: Gil Scott-Heron

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Kanye West can thank Gil Scott-Heron for paving the way for rap music. And now, the 60-year-old Scott-Heron can thank West for his rap backbeats.

CD Review: Hot Chip

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Electro-centric Brits re-work sound on 'One Life Stand'

CD Review: Ike Reilly

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The Chicago-area rocker mixes motor-mouth wiseguy dazzle, bent blues and blasts of punish intensity.

CD Review: Jason Collett

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Jason Collett's newest solo work is steeped in tradition of past greats.

CD Review: Johnny Cash

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The Man in Black did a lot of cool things during his 71 years on Earth. Here, we think, is the last of them.

CD Review: Local Natives

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Indie afropop quintent sounds pretty, pretty harmless on debut.

CD Review: Massive Attack

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Much of Heligoland works with a dour, glitchy intro of impeccable atmospherics implacably winding its way into something panoramic and exhilarating.

CD Review: Rocky Votolato

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Rocky Votolato's familiar acoustic shtick just skims the surface

CD Review: Tindersticks

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The Tindersticks' aesthetic has remained consistent since their early '90s beginnings: subtly orchestrated ballads rooted in lush countrypolitan, pulsing Northern Soul and wide-screen spaghetti-Western soundtracks, all backing Stuart Staples' sepulchral voice and lyrics.

CD Review: V.V. Brown

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

If last year's underappreciated Noisettes record, 'Wild Young Hearts', didn't satisfy your desire to hear what the Hives would sound like as a hopped-up R&B band, 'Travelling Like the Light' certainly will.

CD Review: Xiu Xiu

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Xiu Xium's hollow tales of torment wear thin

CD Review: Yeasayer

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Yeasayer craft 'Odd Blood', the first groundbreaking record of 2010.

Manchester Orchestra on the Art of Touring

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Heed the advice of Manchester Orchestra's Chris Freeman, kids: Cosby knows best

Tempe Music Festival postponed until 2011

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Officials cite lack of available headliners in nixing 2010 edition of Tempe Music Festival

Umphrey's McGee is a Nightly Enigma

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Band shifts from headbanging to post-jam explorations, depending on the night

James Maynard Keenan Turns 'Blood into Wine'

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Film follows rock star's foray into the wine business

Lurid past, reimagined future make Alice something of a timeless icon

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Re-imagined "Alice in Wonderland"

'Training Day' director Antoine Fuqua returns to the genre with 'Brooklyn's Finest'

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

With new film "Brooklyn's Finest," director Antoine Fuqua returns to the cop genre nine years after the success of "Training Day" to take care of some some unfinished business.

Disney Plans Early Release of 'Alice in Wonderland' DVDs

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

In a move that begins to redraw the way movies are distributed, the Walt Disney Co. plans to release the film 'Alice In Wonderland' on DVD only three months after it opens in theaters March 5

Novel Process Guides 'Shutter Island'

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

How Dennis Lehane's best-selling novel transformed into one of 2010's most-anticipated films

Review: Blood into Wine

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Documentary follows rock star Maynard James Keenan's foray into the wine business

Review: Brooklyn's Finest

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Cop drama aims for 'Crash' connection, falls far short.

Review: Cop Out

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan star in Kevin Smith's latest flop.

Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Director Chris Columbus mangles a children's best-seller into a Hollywood-stained mess.

Review: Saint John of Las Vegas

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Steve Buscemi tries his best to make "Saint John of Las Vegas" tolerable, but with its poor script, that's a difficult task to live up to, even for a solid actor like himself.

Review: Shutter Island

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

In many ways, 'Shutter Island' falls into the category of your average psychological thriller. And it very well could have completely succumbed to that, had director Martin Scorsese not been behind the wheel.

Review: The Ghost Writer

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

"The Ghost Writer" is a sharp political thriller that reminds audiences Roman Polanski should still be regarded as an accomplished filmmaker, despite the details of his personal life that resurfaced last year.

Review: The Wolfman

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

If werewolves are going take their place at the front of the contemporary pop-culture pack with vampires and zombies, they're going to need a better vehicle than "The Wolfman," a somber yet ultimately silly take on the 1941 classic, "The Wolf Man."

Review: The Wolfman

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Here's the surprise of the new incarnation of 'The Wolfman' - there isn't one. No bite either, or humor, or camp.

Scorsese, DiCaprio Explore the Deepest Depths of Human Nature in 'Shutter Island'

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

'Shutter Island' has all makings of a blockbuster. But what evolved on set was an intense emotional journey that none of the cast or crew members involved could have expected.

CK's Feels Like Home

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

CK's Tavern gives off the perfect vibe

Just Right

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Long Wong's Tempe keeps it affordable

Dual Role

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Yucca Tap Room expansion combines best of both worlds

Ice Wine, Eh

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Shiver me timbers! Signature Canadian Beverage is Delicious.

Wine and Pout

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Wine-drinkers favor cheaper bottles in tough economic times, wine-makers take the brunt of the downturn

Wine Industry Hanging On by a Vine

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Wine-makers battle through prolonged slump, see slight improvement in few sectors

Chile sends its army into post-quake chaos

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The Chilean army marched into this wrecked city Tuesday, rounding up looters and receiving the applause of besieged survivors of the weekend's massive earthquake.

Airstrikes kill fewer Afghans, but civilian deaths still high

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Even as U.S. forces take steps to reduce the number of Afghan civilians killed by aerial attacks, other civilian casualties remain stubbornly high - deaths in so-called "escalation of force" incidents, in which edgy American troops fire on civilians who come too close to their convoys or roadblocks.

Children's snacking packs a punch, study finds

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

When American kids reflect upon their childhoods decades from now, snacks may figure more prominently in their memories - and around their waists - than meals shared around a table.

Ford sales spike 43% as automaker outsells GM

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Ford said Tuesday that it outsold General Motors in February in the United States for the first time in more than a decade, as it gained market share from Toyota and increased its sales to fleet customers.

Obama offers to consider some GOP ideas on healthcare

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

With the yearlong struggle over health care moving into its climactic final stage, President Barack Obama Tuesday made a last-ditch bid to win Republican support, raising the possibility of including a bundle of specific Republican ideas in the Democrats' legislative package.

Saturday mail delivery is in jeopardy

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Facing a projected $238-billion loss over the next decade, the U.S. Postal Service on Tuesday proposed a 10-year plan to bring it into financial health, including putting an end to Saturday mail delivery.

Some Toyota owners file complaints about problems after repairs

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Some Toyota owners have begun complaining that their vehicles suddenly accelerated even after dealerships made repairs to fix the problem, according to reports filed with federal safety regulators.