Since we last ‘spoke’ there has been a new Radiohead record. Which can be seen as a disappointment. Expecting their game changing lifestyle, they give us another version of In Rainbows (which IS great.) At least it has me listening to/accepting/loving Kid A.

I’ve been to Brooklyn and fallen in love with the city, it’s sandwiches, windy streets and the plethora of bearded cyclists. I thought I saw Reece everywhere. Finished Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections, which won the National Book Award. I’ve never read and loved books as much as I’ve loved The Corrections and Freedom. You will fly through them. Franzen remains a douche, but his fiction writing is unreal.

Then there’s this. Which just reminds me of this.

Have I mentioned that The White Stripes officially ‘broke up’? We have solo work to look forward to, which I think is really going to be a good career. Many solo careers stemmed from past band leaders and geniuses. Jack White is our genius.

Sometimes I think if I go on longer no one will read it all. At least no one I talk to regularly. Since last, I’ve also gotten rid of my hole-y pants and bought a cast iron skillet for proper cooking. This weekend sweet potato vegetarian chili and homemade corn bread. And homemade whoopie pies for Pat’s birthday. Jealous? I think so-

Currents: whiskey, The Black Keys. Also, it’s been a Green Day.

First off, turn on your radios this weekend. It’s the 50 hour marathon where two DJs stay up for fifty hours to raise money for a local charity. I did this as a sophomore. Granted you can donate money, participate in the midnight scavenger hunt (tonight, Saturday, at midnight- the midnight into Sunday) or you can just listen to some really funny radio. Either on the dial at 91.7FM, wicb.org, vicradio.org, annnnnd you can watch it and hear it on ICTV, channel 16.

Now, here’s some stuff. If you already don’t like Oprah like I don’t like her, read this. It will make you ‘hate’ her even more. It’s Deborah Soloman’s ‘Questions For…’ with the author of the new UNauthorized biography of Oprah (hell yes!) Kitty Kelley. A name you want to hate, and you will, but check out what she’s saying here. It’s a reminder that Oprah made the right move to ‘retire’ her talk show.

Here is a story about a house built in a hill. Which, yes, does sound like a lyric- but that picture is enticing and makes me want my home in a hill. But I’m not moving to Switzerland anytime soon.

Next weekend: the Flaming Lips are playing at Cornell….SOLD OUT…at Barton Hall. Get amped!!

Last, but not least, I read about this on notdrugs, and immediately crapped my pants. Wilco is ‘curating’ a three day festival in North Adams, MA- which is in Western Massachusetts (technically in the middle of nowhere within Western Mass.) this August. Tickets went on sale yesterday and are 85 bucks. Once June first hits, its a hundo. You already know I’m there. (Riley, I think you ought to make up for last time with this…) Here’s your info.

VICE magazine. I want to work there, maybe. Here we have this. The picture below compliments it well I think.

Also, VICE brings us the latest in butt health.

click the pic for the story

Basically everything YOU are interested in comes from VICE’s latest publication……check her out.

Also, there’s GOOD magazine. Here is an interactive on the two earthquakes that recently quaked Chile and Haiti. And if you are a ‘young adult’ (yes, erica, we are growing up SOMETIME soon…) you might want to move away to explore something new. Four of these cities are in Texas. The only two people I’ve ever met FROM Texas (Austin, that is) are really great, smart people. Don’t write it off. Until then, peruse some internet, ride some bikes and listen to poly-sonic-pleasantness, however you may define it.

My only real personal story relating to Mardi Gras goes back to eighth grade, first year of french class. My best friend at the time, Robin, and I were one of many groups who had to bake a King’s Cake. The King’s Cake has a tiny plastic baby in it (I know, woahhh) and whomever gets the small plastic infant in their bite of cake, they are the King for the day. Our cake involved a lot of frosting dye (purple, green and yellow of course) and it was a kind of cinnamon role deliciousness cake. I kind of wish I had some now.

Now this holiday has a lot of religious celebrations and is originally a religious holiday. I am not sorry that religion has never been a part of my life, and my only story typically revolves around food. I don’t mean any disrespect here, I just only know the cake side. And since I’ve never traveled to New Orleans (which I would one day for Mardi Gras) and am now only 21, I’ve never had the uncontrollable drunken experience of Mardi Gras. I’m sure some readers out there have.

Any good Mardi Gras stories out there to share? Lets hear them, please!

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.

First of all, and finally, you aren’t choosing not to eat organic because you disagree with it. Also, you stray from local food for normal reasons, not weird ones. You are simply trying to save money. So I think we ought to address the fact that you really are just a college student who wants to not spend a lot on food (which is all of us, helllllo.) So please stop addressing it this way. Its not that it feels incorrect, just stupid.

Also you have my dad’s paperbacks of Joan Didion and Hunter Thompson. (Actually Ivory has the latter, eh?) I am using this as a public declaration to wanting them back and hoping that this will give me good results.

i swear to whatever god that this is what came up on google image when i searched your FULL name. i couldnt help myself but include it.

OK. I’m done.

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.

amnesty international

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.

With the exception of that guy that works on the maintenance staff and the woman from the dining hall who can be seen smooching by Chapel Pond when their breaks coincide, there is not much inter-faculty/staff relations. (Peter Johanns/ April Johanns is a different story – I’ve seen the name change in the e-mails to Park students, but I’ve never seen you in real life.)

loves the tickle

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