life, other rules & readings

When its time to slow down. Wait, when is it time to slow down? Is the the fact that we are the multi-task generation? Or is the the fact that we are so multi-task that almost everyone I know can’t do two things at once? We’ve lost focus of the real things important in our lives like face to face friendships (why I don’t have Facebook/didn’t let it take over my life). People are on adderall, whether or not its prescribed to them. More and more young children, as publications tell us, are being ‘over-parented’ and controlled beyond belief. (What will our kids be like??) You know them and I know them, the people around campus who use it to get their work done, get the A. It really freaks me out. We’ve lost celebs to prescription drugs because the people close to them never did anything about it (Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, maybbbbe Brittany Murphy? and more…) I know this all sounds like a drastic comparison, but if we don’t ever look at it or ignore crazy things happening they might just continue to happen.

Our society is focused on instant news and information. The reason the Tonight Show was tanking in the first place is the fact that by the time we get to 11:35p to hear the day’s jokes- so much has been said that it’s old news. It’s no one’s fault (well, maybe Jay Leno’s).  Our constant age-of-anxiety lives are too much to handle. Life is progressing forward and we are all in a hurry to do whatever it is that is constantly stressing us out. We are in a hurry to do things that sometimes don’t even matter or contribute. I want to give you some advice from piecing things together, specifically from GOOD.

Here is something grand. I recommend everyone just slow down and read it. Also, if you need a good read here’s another.

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Bacon, Thanks to the Internet

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

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y’all need to read this.

popup

click the pic

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127248Moral panics, miseducation and government oppression. That is what this makes me think of.

Sorry I have not posted in so long. I feel as though schoolwork has taken a serious toll on my life. That and being a loner.  I haven’t even been reading any news or blogs- its kind of freaking me out. Hey, please call me anytime anyone. Lets chill, and drink coffee and make salads.

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1109Maira4dClick here.

And as always I don’t feel the need to explain myself for posting op-ed pieces. This one struck me. I have written about this myself (ironically for academic reasons) and come to realize retrospectively (even though I am only 21) that my emotional education means more to me than my academic one ever will. I mean, I know that I don’t take academia too seriously – like I should- but I still know that its important. And we are all going to put the pedal to the metal and make it through this last semester of college. But our emotional education, as David Brooks tells us, continues with us forever. And with our children (some day.) Have you ever thought about this? Its quite fascinating.

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what are you thankful for?

popup“…nearly 53 billion land animals are slaughtered every year for human consumption.”

This is not me trying to make anyone feel guilty for enjoying their Thanksgiving. And this is not me trying to encourage you to do something that you don’t want to do. This is me bringing up a subject that I find interesting and is becoming news more and more each day. Also, I love the op-ed page.

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“Group hopes to pass Good Samaritan policy at college,” but really, the group just wants to get blackout drunk, pass out outside their Circle Apartment in a puddle of vomit, have a cop find them, and not get in trouble for acting like an idiot.

According to the Ithacan article, “the policy would grant amnesty (pardon, let them be idiots) to all people involved in the situation: the person who called Public Safety, and the person in need of medical attention.”

I suppose this is a good thing, to relieve students of getting in trouble when their holding the hair back of a student crouched over a toilet screaming “I think I’m dying, I’m never going to drink again! EVARRR!” in between spews of vomit. Just because you won’t get in trouble, doesn’t mean it’s okay to drink a whole bottle of rum.

cheers

amnesty international

thumbs up to this policy

thumbs up to this policy

Not that I advocate drinking to the point that you black out, but some of my fondest college memories come from watching friends who probably should have gotten medical attention, but we neglected to, and a certain friend would scream about “the staple in his fucking ear” from a 300 costume on Halloween, or when I had to tackle him because mid-vomit he almost confused my computer for the trash can.

The Medical Amnesty Protocol has been in effect at Cornell since 2006. Authorities “practice the policy so students are not afraid to ask for help,” and it “aims to increase the likelihood of students calling for medical assistance in an alcohol-related emergency.” According to the Ithacan article from November 12th, “the amount of calls to Cornell’s public safety office doubled while the amount of alcohol consumed remained the same compared to before and after the policy was passed.” The policy doesn’t make it permissible to drink yourself to death.

Students, drunkards, and idiots, I urge you to oppose the Good Samaritan Bill: It is for weaklings. Drink up, vomit in your trash can, and drink a glass of water before going to bed. Alcohol Poisoning isn’t that bad, you just pass out for a long time so your organs can focus on getting all the alcohol out of your body, it’s the closest you’ll get to time traveling.

I jest, of course, if you have a friend in need, go ahead and call the authorities, but I do not believe the Good Samaritan policy should be viewed as an excuse to drink in excess of excess.

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Scoopy Snacks

Any Ithaca resident with a sweet tooth knows of Wegman’s Scoopy Snack section in the back of the store.

“Please don’t mix different priced candies.”

“No Sampling!”

“Use tongs, please.”

But next time you’re there, take a look around and notice the walls -

wall of candy

wall of candy

The whole damn wall, all the way across the Scoopy Section is made of tubes FULL OF CANDY. Which got me thinking, yeah, this is awesome, there is so much candy here, but damn, what a waste. I’m not one to bitch about wasting and feeding hungry children, but there is SO MUCH CANDY along these walls. The tubes are about as big as a roll of paper towels, and six-ish feet tall. Dozens and dozens of tubes, full of Starbursts, Tootsie Rolls, Dubble Bubble, and lesser-known, non-brand-name candy.

I was assuming, “they must just re-use all of this candy to replenish the bins of Tootsie Rolls once it runs out, right?” But no. This candy has been in these tubes since the Scoopy Section first opened. I mean, look at the Starbursts above – the pinks have faded. What a waste.

And another thing, some of the gummy candies use tongs and others have scoopers. What’s the deal? Scoopers are fine for Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids (SPKs), pastel mints and Skittles, but gummy spiders? You expect me to scoop gummy spiders? I’m bound to take a leg off and maybe get three with each scoop. These require a tong.

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r-e-c-y-c-l-e

a giant mountain of garbage in the pacific ocean. (click the pic for more...)

a giant mountain of garbage in the pacific ocean

Our actions and those of our predecessors have already taken a toll.

Why it is important to recycle and take care of your earth.

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Backstreet Boy

Childhood stars will grow up and always be remembered for whatever role it was they had in their youth. That guy from the Wonder Years was in some sitcom a few years ago, but I just remember him from the Wonder Years. Screech from Saved by the Bell is a standup comic/porn star now, but I’m sure everyone that sees him imagines him as the curly-haired nerd stuck in a locker. Lance Bass from N*Sync almost went into space, but then came out of the closet, but he was just remembered for being the vulnerable looking one from N*Sync. Which bring us to Kevin Richardson, remember him, from the Backstreet Boys? He was the darker one, the quieter one. No, not AJ. Here, remember?

Since his BSB days, Richardson has been working with animals – in a BIG way.

he wanted it this way

he wanted it this way

Now 32, Richardson lives with giant cats in South Africa. That’s more than Nick Carter can say. He was recently jailed for assaulting brother, Aaron.

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