Monthly Archives: October 2009

I Hate Warm Beverages

  By Jordan | October 13, 2009 - 5:05 pm | Rants
View Comments

Unfortunately , it is only the second week in October and already the temperature has started to dip.  Personally, I busted my North Face Denali (my in between jacket, everyone has an in between jacket) out a week ago to combat these declining temperatures.  Another way most combat these temperatures is to drink Hot Chocolate or other beverages designed to warm you up.

Well I hate warm beverages.

To me, the goal of a beverage is to refresh and quench thirst.  Whenever I came in from a cold day of shoveling or playing in the snow, my brother went straight to the hot chocolate, I chose Iced Tea (which is my all-time favorite beverage, but that is a rant for another day).  I didn’t like the way the hot beverage tasted.  It did not refresh me the way a drink should. Instead I found my tongue burning.  Now I had two problems- I was freezing from being outside, AND my tongue was burning.  Those of you who know me know I do not react well to these “trivial” problems and tend to make them a bigger deal.  It was then that I decided to hell with the warm beverage.  It does not refresh me or replenish me.  That’s right people, I do not drink coffee either.  Oh wait, you’re in college and don’t drink coffee? NO NO thats a sin.  Oh please.  Everyone is “so college” with their coffee but the only reason most of you started drinking it was to seem cool and seem like one of the older kids. (This does not apply to all of you I am sure, but don’t hate on the honesty either)  Sure, coffee does wake people up and caffeine is awesome, but I would much rather turn to a cold drink.

I know a lot of you love Hot Chocolate and are reading this saying “Jordan just needed something to rant about, blah blah, he has no idea what he’s saying.”  The truth is though you will never see me drink coffee or hot chocolate.  I just do not like the way a warm drink tastes.  It’s unnatural.  So this winter, when the heat is turned up, the snow is piled high, and your shivering in your boots, go ahead and reach for that hot chocolate, I’ll take my iced tea.

Dillinghamfeller Center

  By Riley | October 13, 2009 - 4:44 pm | Rants
View Comments

An ice skating rink on campus.

Wouldn’t that be awesome? If only we had a place for it… an underused huge pool of water that would freeze and students could skate on it… hmm.

Oh, that’s right, the Fountains:

recognize these?

recognize these?

You might be more familiar with this image…

fountains, off.

fountains, off.

I’m not in construction, I’m an idea man. But somehow, I’m sure this mass of water, if left in the concrete pool, could freeze if left there during the winter. I’m not a physics students, but I know that water expands when it freezes. I skated my share of backyard rinks in my youth, all we need are some 2x4s or a series of bowling-esque bumpers to keep the concrete walls intact. How hard is that? You’ve accepted enough students, just toss their intire tuition towards the cost of the rink. You can make it back in Hot Cocoa.

What’s it gonna take, Ithaca College? A dollar to enter? Signing a liability form?

Consider this the unofficial petition to get an ice rink on campus, and be sure to bring your skates from home when you come home from Thanksgiving break.

Caffeilcohol

  By Riley | October 13, 2009 - 4:14 pm | Food & Drink
View Comments

A California attorney wrote to the Rock Art Brewery in Morrisville, Vermont, urgint them to “stop using “Vermonster” as the name of one [their} beers because consumers might confuse it with the energy drink (Monster)." The high-alcohol craft beer is 10% alcohol by volume and only comes in 22-ounce bottles. Check it out:

22oz.

22oz

But lawyer Diane Reed of the California law firm Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear, claims that the title of the beer will undoubtedly cause confusion between the beer and Monster energy drinks, causing drinkers to believe they are consuming a highly caffeinated beverage. The case is still unsettled – the owners of Monster have not issued a cease and desist quite yet, and Rock Art Brewery owner, is fighting this, if anything, for the sake of all craft breweries.

But this got me thinking… Sparks was novel, Tilt was classic, Four Loko and Joose continue to be popular among college students as a means to, as peers of mine have so eloquently put it, “get drunk fast.” When will monster step into the alcoholic arena?

After pledging to never step into the energy drink market, the Monster parent company would not drop their legal attacks. Hmm – do I smell a Monstrous malt coming to Rogan’s in the near future? Will the majority of the college’s grades fall accordingly? I hope “yes,” to both.

Built

  By Riley | October 12, 2009 - 4:12 pm | Events
View Comments

It’s come and gone. The Built to Spill show, that is. With that being “the main thing” I was looking forward to all summer and fall, I need something else to get a chub for.

But let’s reflect. Check out Doug;

thanks!

thanks!

The band opened up with “Traces” from ‘You in Reverse.

Stab

Untrustable

In Your Mind

Else

Wherever You Go

Hindsight (from their new album, ‘There Is No Enemy’)

Nowhere Nothin’ Fuckup

Big Dipper

Carry the Zero

And an encore comprised of the mesmerizing “Kicked It in the Sun” from the Epic of an album ‘Perfect From Now On’ and “Done” which is what I expect to be their next single off of ‘Enemy’.

built ithaca

marquee

Doug Martsch DJ’ed at WildFire Lounge – the former Lost Dog. Attendees enjoyed everything from Blondie to the Beatles while Doug stood behind his Mac, sipping beers and talking to fans.

Check out a full interview with Doug here!

you are WHAT YOU EAT

  By Sarah | October 11, 2009 - 7:53 am | Findings, Food & Drink
View Comments

After discovering the theme of this Sunday New York Times Magazine, I’ve become a woman obsessed and possessed. One of the most thought provoking interactive features, GREAT articles that I will spend all day reading, and insights as to how I can be a better human based on what I eat. Please, indulge- it will make you feel better and stronger. My new favorite thing I can take away from this: “If you aren’t hungry enough to eat an apple, you aren’t hungry enough to eat.”

11foer-500 11foer.1-500

it’s not what you’re like-it’s what you like.

  By Sarah | October 10, 2009 - 3:43 pm | Findings, Reviews
View Comments

I’ve never seen the art world in such a flutter- although maybe it’s because I’ve never paid much attention to the art world. The White House Press Office released the list of 45 pieces of art that Michelle and Barack  borrowed from several Washington museums. This idea is enough to motivate anyone to be in a place of authority where you can ask a museum to borrow fine art (from names I’ve never heard of (but already love) to Degas) to put up on the walls of my private residency. People are reporting and writing about this more and more (look, here I go again)- everyone seems to be so judgmental towards every little thing this man does. (I wonder why.) If Obama stubbed his toe, we’d know about it. If he left the country to go lobby for the Olympics, we’d know about it. We would know about any gardening, poor or strong choices he is making in the White house, what sports he plays- and of course- its all we can talk about when he is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

I didn’t mean for this to go in this direction- but there is no way I cannot address this. Barack Obama in no way deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for things he has not yet accomplished. After being in office for only nine months, we can say that anything is better than Bush, but we can also get a false sense of hope. What is this hope? Hope of continuing two wars that are destroying our world? Hope to take away universal health care? Hope enough for us to pick and pry at every move this man, and his family, makes? He lobbies for the Olympics and the op-eds have a field day of material. Now, the art the family chose is being scrutinized and closely reported. Take a look for yourself: it’s quite beautiful and has something to say. I like to think that it’s not what you’re like- it’s what you like. And more importantly, the media you surround yourself with speaks volumes.

"Nice," 1954, by Nicolas De Stael

"Nice," 1954, by Nicolas De Stael

But even more so- it’s what you have to say that says more about you. As a society we say a lot, nonstop. I wish we could rethink that. Because constantly talking isn’t necessarily communicating.

Widowed Duck

  By Riley | October 7, 2009 - 4:09 pm | Reviews
View Comments

One of Ithaca College’s most amiable ducks got hit by a car today.

ducks crosswalk

must stop

This is a picture I took last week, a rainy Friday afternoon. These highly documented feathered creatures have been featured in the Ithacan and recorded for student films. But this may be the last known photo of “The Ithaca College Ducks.”

According to IC junior, John Davis, “public safety had a truck blocking the view from the trail (by Farm Road Pond) and a car blocking the view from the road,” so no students could see the bloodied feathery mess. The Environmental Studies major concluded that “shit was serious, man.”

While the loss of a duck is no joking matter, it does cause other concerns to surface: That is, the safety and well-being of pedestrians on campus. New York State Law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. BUT how often do cars stop for you when you’re standing on the red bumpy surface at the end of the crosswalk? Never? That’s what I thought.

As a seasoned pedestrian, distance runner from a suburban area, and a law-abiding citizen, I do my best to yield to all pedestrians – human or animal – in all crosswalks, even when there’s not a sign in the crosswalk telling me not to. Can you say the same?
Rest in Peace, Quackers.

wanted

  By Sarah | October 7, 2009 - 5:18 am | Findings
View Comments
click the picture to link to the paper's news blog

click the picture to link to the paper's news blog

I love being able to come across things in the morning. For reasons I cannot understand I am awake. Okay- I know why. There is, what I hope is, a squirrel living in between the walls in my apartment and it wakes me up at certain time every morning. The proximity of this to my head while I sleep is not only enough to wake me up, but creep me out. Something about the vibrations I feel of it’s scurrying……just talking about this worries me.

So, I’m UP! I’m up! Lord. And what is there to do but surf the sites. And when I check all my daily blogs, one of them includes my drugs & society class. (Side note: anyone who is not a senior should take this class. It is only offered in the fall and it is one of the best classes I’ve ever had: very informative, bringing up discussions and topics that have always been thrown down the wayside. There are GREAT reading assignments and class discussions that you will want to be a part of. Not to mention the teacher knows her stuff, and she’s mad cool.) Because she posts fun stuff like this. I always knew there was a subliminal reason for me to me to move to Denver—-KIDDING…….although, after all, my sister lives in Steamboat and I’d be a few days worth of car rides closer to her. Lesson here: don’t be afraid of alternative job markets.