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The Week in Fun: Know Your City Calendar

'90210' brings back Beverly Hills alumni, lacks quality writing

After you watch the series premiere of "90210," you'll have seen just about every dramatic situation a show can offer. The two-hour pilot, which aired Tuesday night, failed an attempt to please every viewer and instead left new viewers somewhat confused, and "Beverly Hills" faithfuls a bit disappointed.

Growing up means leaving home life behind

My grandfather taught me my first French words. Over homemade oatmeal in his old house, he spoke all the French he remembered from his childhood in Quebec. "Fermez-la bouche," or "close your mouth," he said with a rasping chuckle. He was a glowing retiree then, easing into his eighties with the well-dressed charm of a man coming into his own.

Local Afrobeat band sings for Sudan

It's no secret that the roots of rock are African, but Ghanaian and Togolese Afrobeat band Elikeh is bringing it all back home and, with the aid of Amnesty International, to the forefront of D.C.'s consciousness. The band's show Thursday night at DC9 is the first in what Elikeh hopes to turn into a series to benefit African nations in crisis.

Another Fall, Another Country

NAIROBI, Kenya - For most AU students, fall back-to-school time means buying dorm or apartment furnishings and replenishing their supplies of notebooks and pens. It means becoming reacquainted with the District, visiting the Eagle's Nest and spending time with friends, new and old.

New Google wiki alternative improves reliability, accuracy

Google has launched a new Web site, called Knol, to compete with Wikipedia's long-held grasp on Internet user-created encyclopedias. Knol, tagged by creators as "a unit of knowledge," has been up and running for less than a year and trying to rise above the weaknesses that cause professors to discourage the use of Wikipedia as a source for research.

'Kiss' lacks passion, colorful characters

With no job, motivation or - heaven forbid - someone to kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve, self-loathing and struggling writer Wilson is at his wit's end in Alex Holdridge's "In Search of a Midnight Kiss." When Wilson is caught masturbating to a photo-shopped image of his roommate Jacob's girlfriend Min, he realizes it's time to find someone for himself.

Kennedy Center offers free previews of fall theater season

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is inviting theater enthusiasts to witness readings of new plays and musicals this weekend at no cost. The performances that are joining in on Arts Across America, a group that brings art to people across the nation, will be a showcase for actors and playwrights nationwide to share up-and-coming entertainment with audiences.

Cheap dates that won't blow your load

According to Urban Dictionary, "splurge" has a dual meaning - one, "to spend money freely with no remorse" or two, to "bust a nut." In either sense of the word, this column will explore the romance of dating and the desire of sex enough to keep your libido satisfied and wanting much, much more.

Shondes bring 'Red Sea' to D.C.

Politics and music have always been a powerful combination. Events like Woodstock and organizations like Rock the Vote stand as hallmarks, boasting the success of such a blend. And now, a new band on the scene adds its name to the ranks. "We're obviously not a political organization," Temim Fruchter, drummer and vocalist for The Shondes said.

The Week in Fun: Know Your City Calendar

Thursday, August 28 Study Snacks at The Tombs 3 p.m.-5 p.m. and 10 p.m.-close, Monday-Friday WHERE: The Tombs, 1226 36th St. N.W. METRO: Foggy Bottom-GWU (blue and orange lines) INFO: Free snacks at this popular college hangout spot near Georgetown University serve as an excellent way to mingle with other D.

A Guide to: Weekends in the District

Although going to the monuments at night is cool, you can only do it so many times before it loses its mystique. And as awesome as the Smithsonian museums are, they, too, tend to become a little boring after awhile. Have no fear, though. Beyond the staple diet of monuments and museums, the District houses an array of events and restaurants to keep even the most veteran Washingtonians enticed. Below is just a sample of the typical AU haunts.

A Guide to: D.C. Movie Theatres

Although Washington cannot match Los Angeles or New York's bustling film scene, there is an impressive array of theaters to be found. Whether you're craving a big budget comic book movie with a rambunctious crowd or that somber documentary The New Yorker raved, you're bound to discover your theater niche in D.C.

A Guide to: Upcoming Art Exhibits in D.C.

When faced with the overwhelming cultural boon that is the nation's capital, it's tough to know where to start. Below you'll find a guide to current and upcoming exciting art exhibits that are now at your fingertips.

A Guide to: Local Bands

Big name acts make their way through the District, and even AU's campus, on a regular basis. But the D.C. music scene isn't limited to Jason Mraz stopping by DAR Constitution Hall. D.C. offers up its fair share of impressive native musical acts. Below, you'll find just a few of the great artists the city has to offer.

A Guide to: Shudder To Think

After a decade of bloodletting and licking the wounds of intra-band conflict, Shudder to Think resumed the work of being friends and fantastic showmen this past Saturday. At the Virgin Mobile Fest, alongside industry icons Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry and the Stooges, the band reclaimed their title as the most sonically independent band to rise and fall - and rise again - out of the Dischord Records catalog.

A Guide to: Washington Color School

People often portray Washington, D.C., as a city full of straight-laced politicos bustling from Capitol Hill to the Beltway and back again. As true as that stereotype might be, the District played the stage for one of the greatest post-World War II art movements in the U.S.