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Lifestyle Features

How the Boston rock scene grew up, got real jobs, and became — Freemasons?

The all-seeing eye of rock and roll
The Masons of Amicable Lodge have tattoos curling out from under their button-down shirts. They wear giant rings and waist aprons that look like oversize satin envelopes. They wear ties and medals and amulets. They carry staffs. Each month, they gather to practice secret rituals in Porter Square.

By: EUGENIA WILLIAMSON | March 25, 2011

Photos: Viking Sword & Shield Practice at the Higgins Armory Museum

Viking Sword & Shield Introductory Course
The Higgins Armory Museum hosts an introductory course for Viking sword and shield fighting.

By: DEREK KOUYOUMJIAN | February 15, 2011

Slideshow: Doomstar gives out amateur tattoos

The Phoenix 's P. Nick Curran gets ink from Doomstar
Punk trio Doomstar administer ink to Phoenix music writer P. Nick Curran; read his story about his experience and watch the video here .

By: SYLVIA KIM | February 10, 2011

Ask A New England Porn Star

How to dip your yankee candle
Things are different here. More refined. After all, we gave the world the corn muffin, Harvard University, and Emily Dickinson. It stands to reason that our porn stars would also be more genteel, well-bred, and cultured.

By: SCOTT FAYNER | February 10, 2011

Phoenix Mad (In Love) Libs presents: The Trashy Date

The ____ Boston Date Ever!
We met at the romantic intersection of [blank] and desire ...

By: CHRIS FARAONE | February 09, 2011

14 clip-and-send Valentines from the ladies of Paint Pens in Purses

Light cards for heavy crushes
Sometimes it's hard to express how you feel to that special person.

By: PAINT PENS IN PURSES | February 10, 2011

Make It So: 7 of the geekiest sex toys ever made (NSFW)

To boldly go
It's a common misconception that nerds don't have sex. On the contrary. Nerds have more sex, and weirder sex, than you're having.

By: S.I. ROSENBAUM | February 10, 2011

Interview with the BDSM vampire: Lord Ramirez's guide to life

Evil love
We know from TV and movies that vampires have more aphrodisiacal allure than almost any other type of magical creature. So, to sex up the Phoenix 's Valentine's issue, I decided to ask a vampire a bunch of questions.

By: BARRY THOMPSON | February 10, 2011

100+ ways to conquer Boston: Must-see concerts, a Hub glossary, and other life-changing student protips

Student Survival Guide: Spring Semester 2011 Edition
Newly imported Bostonians, no longer shall you suffer the the injustice of conniving slumlords, confusing local customs, and boring weekends on campus. We show you how to do this city the right way.

By: BOSTON PHOENIX STAFF | January 28, 2011

Boston renters, don't get screwed by shady landlords: know your rights

A room of one’s own
So you're ready to abandon dorm life ...

By: NOAH SCHAFFER | January 27, 2011

An (almost) A-to-Z guide to Boston

From Ben Affleck to Yawkey Way
Welcome to Boston, college kids.

By: LUKE O'NEIL | January 27, 2011

Web hits Quiet Desperation and Karmaloop are turning Boston into must-see TV

As Seen on PC
In Boston, there are two nascent examples of Web-video projects getting flipped into legitimate TV deals.

By: CHRIS FARAONE | February 03, 2011

VHS is the new vinyl

I thought video was a dead medium — until I discovered the analog underworld of VHS snobs
I was a VHS addict. In the '80s and '90s, I practically lived at the video store, renting every movie I could get my hands on. As my obsession with movies grew, renting was not enough; they needed to be mine. I amassed a few hundred videocassettes, and I was proud to own each one of them.

By: MICHAEL NEEL | January 26, 2011

Photos: Arisia 2011

Arisia 2011 | Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel | January 14-17, 2011
Sci-fi and fantasy fans attend Arisia 2011 at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel at January 14-17, 2011.

By: DEREK KOUYOUMJIAN | January 24, 2011

Photos: Myopia Sled Dog Races

Myopia Sled Dog Races | Appleton Farms, Ipswitch | January 15, 2011
Dog teams test their speeds at the Myopia Sled Dog races at Appleton Farms in Ipswitch on January 15, 2011.

By: DEREK KOUYOUMJIAN | January 24, 2011

Photos: Michele McPhee hosts book signing party for A Date With Death

Michele McPhee signs A Date With Death | Jerry Remy's Sports Bar & Grill | January 3, 2011
Michele McPhee meets fans and signs copies of her book about the Craigslist killer, A Date With Death , at Jerry Remy's Sports Bar & Grill on January 3, 2011.

By: KELSEY MARIE BELL | January 14, 2011

How To Be Good at the Future

Tap into technology and make yourself a Master of Tomorrow
One of these days, when the Doc Brown and McFly jokes dry up, you'll have no choice but to start thinking seriously about the future. Not just tomorrow, and the day after, but the next several hundred years, since lifespans are on track to skyrocket.

By: CHRIS FARAONE | January 12, 2011

Unlocking knowledge

From OpenCourseWare to co-ops, area schools are taking their learning outside the classroom
Back in 2000, when Google was two years old and the all-for-naught panic over a worldwide Y2K meltdown had subsided, the MIT faculty had to answer two questions: how is the Internet going to change education? And what are we going to do about it?

By: NINA MACLAUGHLIN | January 12, 2011