National Anthem? National Ant-Hem?
Get It?!
On 02.17.10, In Pics & Toons, By Riley
On 01.28.10, In Findings, By Sarah
First of all, J.D. Salinger died today. He was 91. The Times Arts Beat blog has been all over it. Also I am sure it will make front page but unsure if it will be above the fold. – - Little known fact/some trivia for you. I’ve read Shoeless Joe the book that Field of Dreams is based on. And instead of Terrance Mann (played by James Earl Jones) the real author is supposed to be Salinger and lame title The Boat Rocker in the movie is meant to be The Catcher in the Rye. Try that one on for size.
Another famous author died yesterday, Howard Zinn. I’m sure you recognize this:
It has been around since 1980 and I am almost sure that every single bookstore has at least one copy of this book. Yes, its one of those. Reading one chapter is overwhelming let alone cover to cover. It is dense, tremendously well done and in the category of the life achievement. Although he died suddenly of a heart attack at 87, he lived a fulfilling life.
After speaking about this with others I’ve given myself some time to think. It is sad that these great American minds are gone. But now it is time for new Americans of a new generation to have new ideas. You are an American. And you have ideas. Have you explored a new idea yet?
I now bring these words to you from a new world I was exposed to today (inquire within for story.) Go out and do something and make yourself a part of something completely different than you and what you are. Write something new. Write anything, compose. Tell someone something you’ve been meaning to say. And be well.
Lately I’ve been on a karma kick, trying to do good and pay it forward. I feel wonderful and I can only tell you to do the same.
Also, I am blown away by this. Yes, another free download from our friends at notdrugs (bookmark this.) Its Ithaca and its remarkable.
On 01.10.10, In Pics & Toons, By Riley
On 01.10.10, In Findings, By Sarah
Tonight on Fox the Simpsons will air their 450th episode, “The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! On Ice!” I actually just set my DV-R to it. First there is an episode that makes no big deal about it, then an hour long “documentary” -if you will- by the one and only Morgan Spurlock. You know him because he chose to eat McDonalds for an entire month proving to the world that we are shit heads in the way that we eat (please, eat better.) He says that “the world may end in 2012, but this show won’t,” Spurlock seems like just the character to make this kind of film.
Officially its the longest running show in prime-time history. It first appeared on the Tracy Ullman show in 1987, pre-my-existence, as a series of shorts. The Simpsons has won 25 Emmy Awards, we all saw The Simpsons Movie in 2007 and don’t forget that the Oxford English Dictionary included D’oh! as a word. The show has, kind of, changed the world and changed television and the way we watch (write) it. Something like this only comes along every twenty years or so.
Point being is, check it out! I love cultural phenomenons- they are my favorite thing, literally. And when something is as easy to be a part of as a television show, you can’t help but watch.
On 01.09.10, In Quotes, By Riley
On Thursday I headed into New York City, relatively unchartered territory, for a job fair and networking night.
“Get outta the way, Chewbaka.” – Fed, in traffic.
“Look at your skin color. You don’t fit in around here!” – NYPD
“I’m not trying to go to this thing sober.” – Michael Sokol
“You look like Ludacris.” – myself, to Toys “R” Us Employee, Times Square
“The cat is a boy. That means you’re gay!” – Zach Sweeney, in regard to CoCo
“I could go for a drink.” – Kelley Harrison
“This chair is God.” – Brian Ivory
On 01.03.10, In Pics & Toons, By Riley
If you were in Ithaca over the summer, and you love America, it is probable that you were behind a humble apartment on Coddington Road to eat meat, drink beer, and celebrate the birthday of our nation. It was there that couches were burned, the National Anthem was sung on repeat, and meat was cooked to sustain such efforts.
If the flags, portable grill, and empty beer boxes weren’t enough to manifest the axiom that America is the land of the free and the home of the brave, the gaze in the distance has to do it.
Oh Say Can You See...
But America must be celebrated more than just once a year. For that reason, the Internet has brought us motivational pictures, one of which, features this woman…
...or man?
I anticipate that this next image matches the above person’s worldview:
god bless us
These images of course represent a righter more conservative-ish side of America. In this country, a melting pot of opportunity and suburbia, there’s a whole lot more than big business, oil and SUVs… there’s also Fast Food. And with fast food comes bitching leftists… Here’s an illustration by one of them:
come of think of it, Morgan Spurlock?
And of course, with bitching leftists, comes pacifism, opposition of war, and more comics…
game over
I must stress, again, readers, that thacant does not support nor abandon any political biases. We’re students, writers, idea-ists. If we offended you, just settle in around the middle.
On 01.03.10, In Food & Drink, By Riley
I spend a lot of time on the Internet. Hopefully, as a reader of this esteemed online publication, you do too, on this site. Most of my cyber meanderings arbitrarily take me to random images, some with funny captions, others, with cats. Sometimes, themes emerge, and subjects just pop out. Cats, like I said, are one of them. But another less cute and much more delicious subject is bacon.
Here’s a creative, humorous bacon image…
The use of a hand dryer at a rest stop disproved this sign
There’s a beer brewed with bacon. Pouring it in here would be meat-gasmic!
Don't Mind If I Do!
With this new product, bacon bits could be a thing of the past:
Vegetarian-Safe!
The Internet has also lead me to some cocktails made with bacon. The “meatini,” “bacon, not stirred.”
If you look hard enough, you’ll be able to find bacon-bras out there in cyberland. I’d like to put a picture up, but we’re trying to keep things SFW here at thacant.
What’s important to remember about bacon, is that it’s always there for you, offering solace comparable only to beer and screaming oneself to sleep. Here’s a closing picture that really sums it up:
prty plz
On 12.28.09, In Findings, By Sarah
Alright. OK. It is the end of the year and there is endless press about the ending decade that keeps fueling my fire. How can I not? When I come across something new, I like to add it here. Now, I have a bit more for you.
GOOD magazine: start reading it (if you haven’t already!) Here is a link to their homepage. The topics that they have put together are a listography including: the environment, design, culture (already posted) and of course politics. You may think that they sound boring, but even ‘design’ surprised me in how interesting and important design changes have been in the last decade.
Fellow IC students and, well let’s be honest, superior bloggers from notdrugs have also been sharing their end of the year lists and some Christmas fun. Check it out.
The New York Times will always be it. At least to me, it is the end all be all of a news source. And if you creep around enough on their website you can find some pretty interesting stuff. The online version of the Times is the best example of how (and why) modern papers are better off online: free, easy to use, an endless plethora of information, and did i mention free? My personal favorite are their interactive features. This summer at the 40th anniversary of Woodstock we couldn’t get enough of them. This hails from the op-ed area, my other NYTimes favorite. Every once and a while they feature art, graphs, charts and visuals in the ‘op-ed’ (opposite opinion) that can simplify information. ‘Picturing the Past 10 Years’ is a chart with doodles and images on a yearly time line. With such a small space there is a lot going on.
click the pic to enter the caption contest for this cartoon
And of course there is the New Yorker. An old favorite, I’ve realized that this magazine is like play time for grown ups. It has some of the best movie review writing (the latest) and well, some of the best writing overall. And what other publication can you think of with a national cartoon caption contest for adults (you all know that I love me some adult imagination and cartoons, or as some readers prefer mature instead of adult?) Here we have a ‘What Do You Call It?’ about naming our decade. And ‘2009 The Quiz‘. Also a great contribution from readers, its readers’ photos from the decade.
mmmmm vegetables
These are just some of the things I personally enjoy, like the above And now I’ve realized that I don’t need an excuse to post about food, health and nutrition. So here’s something new: the C.E.O. of Whole Foods John Mackey has something to say. Check it out.
Hope that everyone had a Happy Christmas, etc. Also- Happy New Year!
On 12.22.09, In Findings, By Sarah
OK- so maybe I am reading a little bit too much about the end of the year. And posting a bit too much about it. But what is better than cultural reviews of whats been going on here and around the world? Nothing!
What this means is, I’ve found another. This one hails from GOOD magazine. If you have not heard of, or do not read GOOD- you should be. Its one of those things.
Also, go here and subscribe to some free podcasts to listen to on your (long?) trip(s?) to wherever you may be going. There is nothing better than human stories, I promise.
On 12.20.09, In Findings, By Sarah
click the pic