What happened to chivalry? As someone who is an opponent of technology, I resort to blaming it – “it” being texting – for the shortening of words like the ever-so incessant “lol” and the many others that so often have me quickly looking for clues on Urban Dictionary.

The 15th Annual Polar Plunge is coming to Boston’s beaches this weekend.The plunge is a “mid-winter dip,” in which participants race into the ocean and quickly make their way back out. The competition used to award first place to the participant who could spend the longest time in the water, and pledges would pay a certain amount per minute spent in the water, but due to dangerous and unsafe conditions, first place is now awarded to the participant raising the most money prior to the event. The event was founded to raise money for Special Olympics Massachusetts, and each “plunger” has to raise $250 in order to receive a free t-shirt (those who don’t reach the minimum are still allowed to compete). It may be short notice to raise $250, but “chickens” are welcome to watch the event from the heated tent at no charge. Revere Beach, Revere, or Nantasket Beach, Hull; 10 a.m.; free (donations optional); kintera.org/faf/home.

On Feb. 1, Netflix released the entirety of the first season, all 13 episodes, allowing viewers to watch at their own pace. The series, produced by Beau Willimon and starring Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright and Kate Mara, among others, is a political thriller dealing with the corrupt inner workings of Capitol Hill. That alone spells out a recipe for a hit show, however, some of the show’s booming success must also be credited to the way it is offered.

The bare broken walls, dirty wooden desks, worn out books and determined students from Graceland High School have high hopes. It is simple, because to educate is to defy the odds. These high school girls are the hope for a better future in Kenya.

Valentine’s Day: whether you are restless from a night of scrambling to set up a reservation at a fancy restaurant, hunting down a dozen red roses, or sobbing over a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Rocky Road while watching “10 Things I Hate About You,” don’t limit your options to the usual.

In a generation full of young people who define themselves by the number of likes on their Facebook profile picture, it should not surprising when an on online dating app surfaces as the latest way to meet people.

After some calculation, I’ve determined I spent about eight hours of my weekend making a CD. Not actually recording music, or anything cool like that – just scouring my iTunes for the perfect 15 songs for the perfect mixed CD. My friend and I are exchanging discs in an attempt to get an idea of what kind of music the other likes, i.e. if their taste sucks. There’s a lot on the line.

The FACE AIDS club at Northeastern strives to raise awareness about AIDS through various social events and fundraisers. On Monday, the club will host Northeastern’s first ever Condom Couture show, a runway-style event in which the models wear dresses and outfits made of one thing and one thing only: condoms.

The countdown to St. Patrick’s Day officially began as Flogging Molly took to the stage at the House of Blues last Friday for their ninth annual Green 17 tour. Accompanied by guests Dave Hause and Skinny Lister, Flogging Molly delivered their trademark Celtic sound to hundreds of die-hard fans. The restless crowd waited almost four hours from when the doors opened until Flogging Molly finally took the stage. Seemingly unimpressed by artist Hause, who is the frontman of the band The Loved Ones, the crowd was much more interested in Skinny Lister, a five-piece English band with sounds similar to that of the headliner. Fans were greeted first with some of Flogging Molly’s famous and energetic numbers including "Drunken Lullabies” before playing a number of tracks like “Requiem for a Dying Song” from its 2008 CD “Float,” an album called “one of the most important CDs of the year, if not the decade” by Alternative Press. Additionally, the band promoted its newest album “Speed of Darkness” (2011) and one of the CD’s most popular songs “Revolution.” Within the first few seconds of “Drunken Lullabies,” the venue exploded into jumping, screaming and moshing, and the craziness didn’t end until the band’s final notes rang out. Unlike the horror stories of violence that usually accompany Flogging Molly shows, it was obvious that that the collection of moshers, dancers and head-bangers were in great spirits and among the group’s biggest fans. Front man David King worked the crowd in a way that few know how, telling stories and engaging the audience between songs. While the flawless guitar riffs and reverberating bass pumped up the crowd, the most loved member of the band at tonight’s show was obviously Bridget Regan, electric fiddle player and King’s wife. With a following of her own, Regan was the soul of the show, stealing solos and sharing vocals with King in almost every song. Toward the middle of the set, Flogging Molly channeled some of the more somber songs in their repertoire such as “Float,” before returning to the most popular singles to wrap up the night. Flogging Molly, formed in 1997, is a seven-piece Irish punk band with a sound inspired by artists such as Joe Strummer, The Dubliners and Johnny Cash. Their lyrics usually touch on subjects such as Ireland and its history, drinking and politics, with several references to the Irish Catholic Church. The band released its first album with Borstal Beats Records “Swagger” in 2000 and the immensely popular follow up album “Drunken Lullabies” in 2002. Their most popular songs include “Salty Dog,” “The Worst Day Since Yesterday,” "What's Left Of The Flag” and “If I Ever Leave This World Alive.” Band members include King and Regan, Dennis Casey (guitar), Matt Hensley (accordion), Nathen Maxwell (bass guitar), Bob Schmidt (mandolin, banjo) and George Schwindt (drums). The Green 17 tour is the band’s salute to St. Patrick’s Day. Beginning in late January annually, the series of stops comes to a close on March 17 with a huge celebration, this year in Phoenix.

Every time I have a “personal” interaction with an American boy, I come to the realization of yet another new rule or theory that I now have to add to the others. One interaction randomly popped back into my head this week, and it truly made me question the word “virginity.”

The Middle East is a popular 18+ club and concert venue that features many well-known artists, especially those of the indie and hip-hop varieties. Readers of the Boston Phoenix voted the venue the best for hip-hop three years running, and the publication raved, “the Middle East has no rival when it comes to underground hip-hop.”