My blog nearly ruined a date once, along with an Emmy-winning cinematographer overeager to protect his reputation. We were having the standard “getting to know you” conversation over an afternoon pizza. My blog was about to be featured on the cover of the Portland Daily Sun, and I was excited. Mr. Emmy didn’t agree, and…
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Portrait of the playboy as a young maverick
How high does the denigration of Hugh Hefner’s public image rank on your list of injustices in the world? I’ll go out on a limb and assume somewhere below the next redesign of Facebook. True, the fabulously rich, connected founder of Playboy Magazine has been reduced in the public mind to a lecherous caricature, but…
Drinking like it’s your job – and on it
It started innocently enough. I was living off of St. John Street, right next to Pizza Villa. If you’ve never been there, Pizza Villa is awesome. It’s dive-y, the meatballs are amazing and the beer is really cheap. Very soon after I landed a new job waiting tables, I was moving far, far away from…
V-day vexes not only the lonely
I was grabbing a coffee at the Amarak in Luther Bonney when I saw it. “Nuttin’ but Love,” a featured Valentine’s Day blend from Coffee by Design. The name references both a Heavy D and the Boyz hit from 1994, and the nutty undertones of the coffee. I enjoy a little nut flavor in my…
Kiss or tell: the journalist’s dilemma
When a childhood friend recently asked me to be in her wedding, I was quick to accept. Then I did what anybody would do next — rented “27 Dresses.” For those not up on their cinema, it’s a romantic comedy about a woman who is always a bridesmaid, never a bride. What better preparation could there…
The playoff pride of Maine
For some, Matt Stairs’ pinch-hit home run in game four of the 2008 National League Championship Series, besides maybe the length of the monstrous blast, wasn’t anything to write home about. For sports fans in Maine though, it had an underlying meaning. The Fredericton, New Brunswick native-turned Bangor citizen launched Los Angeles Dodger pitcher Jonathan…
Affleck best behind the camera
The newest Ben Affleck-helmed feature “The Town” is a solid piece of narrative filmmaking that showcases the strengths of an incredibly talented cast. Affleck, who pulls triple duty as the film’s director, co-writer, and leading man, does little wavering when it comes to his story about bank robbers in Boston. Although the film deals with…
How do you play it cool when you’re addicted to your phone?
Once, in a drunken haze, I told an ex that I loved him like I love my iPhone. I wish I wasn’t addicted to my iPhone. I keep it within reach all the time, and it’s rare that I go more than an hour or two without checking my text messages and e-mails. It’s a…
Moss is hit-or-miss, but Washington is a powerhouse
With week three of games in the books, let’s take a look at who led your fantasy team to glory and who left you in the basement of your league. The combination of Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin teamed up to be a fantasy powerhouse last weekend. In the Eagles 28-3 victory over the Jaguars…
Brains for your ears
What could be more intense than thousands of blood thirsty, brain craving zombies? The Devil Wears Prada’s new “Zombie EP.” Sprouting from frontman Mike Hranica’s obsession with zombie pop culture, it follows a lone survivor in his journey to fend for his life in a worldwide outbreak. Track one, “Escape,” sets the stage for a fast,…
This just in: NFL players majoring in crime
All-American honors, first round draft pick, five-year 50 plus million dollar contract, impressive first year, face of the franchise, vehicle crash, drunken driving arrest. That’s thee timeline that describes a number of NFL players’ careers as they quickly plummet from superstar to criminal. In each of the last five years NFL players have been accused…
Afraid of commitment, we’re all just hanging out
It’s been a long while since I’ve been fortunate enough to sport status “In a Relationship.” I’d tried not committing. I’d tried retrosexing. I’d had a few one-night stands. I’d tried turning to the Internet. But I was always coming up short. About a month ago, I found myself in the middle of something that…
Big week for Best; Look to Vick, Schuab or Rice to run wild this week
With fantasy sports possibly becoming more popular than the actual sports themselves, it’s only right that the Free Press takes a look at what’s taking over many of my Sundays: fantasy football. (Warning: I don’t claim to be a fantasy expert, so don’t blame me if you take this advice and you don’t find yourself…
Discovering the wonders of Wharf Street
Spending a lot of time hanging out at Amigo’s and Rosie’s is like a Portland right of passage, and that’s where I learned firsthand about the wonders of Wharf Street. Now, as a rule of thumb, I steer clear — these people are not my people. We sat on opposite sides of the lunchroom. I…
Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame
The sport of baseball has been a huge part of our country with its heroic figures and classic American stories that reach the homes of millions and epitomize our pastime. It brings families, buddies, and entire pockets of the country together every spring, summer, and fall with camaraderie, and, in some cases, so much pride…
‘Fat’ blog showcases American excess
Editor’s Note: The Commuting Introvert is a weekly column that highlights short-form entertainment for commuting students. There is no argument that a large portion of our culture is based primarily around food. Things like stuffed crust pizzas, foot long subs, and the general cult behind fried foods is ingrained into who we are as a…
Discovering the wonders of Wharf Street
Spending a lot of time hanging out at Amigo’s and Rosie’s is like a Portland right of passage, and that’s where I learned firsthand about the wonders of Wharf Street. Now, as a rule of thumb, I steer clear — these people are not my people. We sat on opposite sides of the lunchroom. I…
Hodgman reminisces about half-truths
Editor’s Note: The Commuting Introvert is a weekly column that highlights short-form entertainment for commuting students. Actor, humorist, and Apple pitchman John Hodgman came from relative obscurity as a literary agent to become the self-proclaimed arbiter of all things information based as we know today with his infamous almanac “The Areas of My Expertise.” Now…
My new intended major: Not Sucking At Life
Adjusting to being a full time student after being out of the game for five years isn’t easy — especially now that I’m a full time student, with a full time job, who has no idea how much longer she’s going to be here. Waking up every morning to an alarm clock telling me to…
Where were you on Sept. 11, 2001?
Deans seek brevity in new college names
USM’s three new colleges will soon be dropping their long, cumbersome names for more concise ones that the administration say should clearly communicate the contents of the colleges.
Fall is in the Air
As summer comes to an end and the leaves begin to fall, a new sport season begins to emerge and sports fans all over the country shift gears and begin to follow their favorite football teams, college and pro, in almost religious ways. Baseball though, is a sport that remains existent in the autumn months…
Stories from ridiculous to sad in The Moth Podcast
Editor’s Note: The Commuting Introvert is a weekly column that highlights short-form entertainment for commuting students. The Moth Podcast Back in simpler days, novelist and poet George Dawes Green used to gather with a small group of friends on a porch in Georgia where they would tell stories. They listened to each other, and they…
Making ends meet
One little-celebrated aspect of USM’s diversity is the school’s high percentage of student parents. On-campus daycare and the full selection of evening classes are making it easier for parents to get a degree. Easier, but not easy. The Women’s Resource Center sponsored an event last Wednesday that gave mothers and mothers-to-be a chance to get together and relax.