College OTR

Obama and McCain In Class Debate...Kinda

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:06:07 EDT

We watched the debate in class last night and McCain was not getting any love from the class...Rightfully so.

Lady Gaga Puts the F in Fierce

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:02:02 EDT

Lady Gaga is one of my favorite performers of this year, and I am beyond stoked for her performance October 16th at the crib. If you have yet to check out her Royal Highness Lady Gaga make it a point to do so pronto. Her fun dance club sounds are rather refreshing, and by far one of my favorite drunk songs of all time is Just Dance. Yes, I know most of you are not fond of pop music, but every now and then you got to put down your indie music guard and let your hair down. Listening to something besides Morrissey will not kill you.

Lady Gaga is popping up everywhere these days, and I feel the need to share the secret before she is fully submerged into the limelight. Recently she has been featured on Gossip Girl with her song Poker Face, this is one of my favorite shows so I was extremely excited to see her songs featured on it. Lady Gaga has one of the fiercest styles I have seen in a long time thanks to her appreciation for disco bras, leather gloves, and computerized glasses Lady Gaga is on her way to being a modern day Madonna, and you can hold me to it.

Round 2. Ready? FIGHT!

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:29:50 EDT

It was about 10:30pm here in Oxford, OH when the second presidential debate finished up and I rejoiced by emphatically hitting the off button on my remote. Because that's what I wanted to do periodically throughout the debate. I wanted to turn the TV off so that the urge I had to throw my TV to the floor while roaring like the Incredible Hulk on crack would go away. Despite the urge, I did not throw my TV to the floor, so here's a description of my many moods throughout the debate.

In the beginning I was curious. This is the first presidential election I have followed closely, so naturally this is the first town hall debate I've covered. I was curious to see how it would all go down. Before it got started, I had heard complaints from political analysts about the strict rules the commission had put in place regarding the candidates and how close they were allowed to get to the people and how much they were able to talk back and forth with them - the commission didn't want any talking back and forth between candidate and voter. God forbid we have a president that gets into a conversation with a voter. Oh no! We wouldn't want a voter to press the candidate for a clear cut answer on an issue. No, we'd rather hear some long, drawn out explanation where the answer gets hidden amongst all the bullshit (both sides do this constantly). But despite my objections to the format, the debate started at 9pm ET as planned.

Even if the people asking the questions were somewhat restricted in their dialog with the candidates, I still smiled at the notion that regular people that are currently taking it through the back entrance from our stumbling economy are getting a chance to ask the questions. This doesn't happen too often in other countries, so we Americans still have that to be proud of. But as the debate got going, that anger I mentioned earlier started to boil.

Once again we were hearing the same vague answers about why Obama is going to be there for the middle class. But wait, McCain had proof that Obama is a partisan Democratic, not willing to break from his party and will raise taxes on the innocent middle class. And so the back and forth began.

If debates are going to take over prime time television (as the vice presidential debate took over my beloved The Office!) then they need to be held to the same standard. NO REPEATS IN THE FALL! Save that crap for the summer when nobody is watching.

This is why the voters at the town hall meeting should have had the opportunity for a follow up. Because by the time either candidate got done answering a question, their answer wasn't always clear. If they weren't spending time answering a previous question to refute their opponents claim, then they were trying to nit pick through their opponents history, taking decisions out of context in order to hurt them politically. If the voter could follow up, then it would assure the candidate that they'd have time to give their long, political answers and the voter could follow up asking for a clearer, more concise answer. Here's an imaginary example.

Voter: How will you fix the economy?

Politician: I will do this (insert plan of action) and then do this (insert plan of stabilization) to make sure this doesn't happen again.

Look how easy that was! There's no need to bring up what's wrong with the other candidate. They're in politics, we know something is wrong with them. Americans are smart people, they'll figure out what's wrong with a candidate or what doesn't add up on their own. The Obama campaign has said they will not throw the first punch, but they will throw the last. Well what constitutes a punch? I, as a voter, do not need to hear for the billionth time how similar John McCain is to President Bush. You'd think they were long lost twin brothers after listening to how many time he gets compared to Bush.

(That would make for a passable sitcom, though. Take the format of Sister, Sister and change it to Brother, Brother staring John McCain and George W. Bush. Imagine all the hilarious hi-jinx they'd get themselves into!)

Despite what probably seems like an immense hatred of tonight's debate, there were a couple of moment's that stuck out at me.

1.) Obama's 10 year plan. I've been waiting for someone to say this and even make the comparison to JFK's 10 year plan. The idea first got put in my head by Thomas Friedman's Green Revolution, so kudos to him.

In 1961, President Kennedy stood in front of Congress and proclaimed that within the next decade, the United States would put a man on the moon. When President Kennedy laid out his dream of a man on the moon, the United States was behind the Soviets in the space race and didn't even have any plans to put a man on the moon. Senator Obama proclaimed his hope, Tuesday night, to do the same except with energy independence. If elected, Senator Obama promised that the United States would no longer be dependent on foreign oil in 10 years. He made this statement in confidence that when we tell the American people something needs to get done, it gets done. I believe that would be the case and I hope we achieve this goal within the next 10 years whether Obama is elected or not, so that we can finally stop funding the people we're trying to fight. It just makes us look really dumb when we're fighting people using weapons we paid for.

My next two points are critiques of Senator McCain. Now some of you I'm sure are ready to nail me to the Democratic, partisan cross and label me nothing more than another liberal blogger that dreams of Michael Moore and Al Gore at night (that would be weird if ANY liberal were like that). But the fact is, these next two statements stuck out to me, so live with it.

2.) When the candidates were asked "Should the United States respect Pakistan sovereignty or ignore it to pursue Al Qaeda?" I think John McCain said something quite alarming. I say "I think," because if he actually did say it, then I would just be absolutely shocked if he got elected. I'll have to check the transcript to be sure, but I think within his answer he said he has a plan to capture and kill Osama Bin Laden. He has a plan, meaning he currently has knowledge that would successfully capture and kill the man largely responsible for 9-11. Well if I were the voter asking the question, I would demand a follow up. And that follow up would be "What the Hell are you freaking waiting for!?" Is he seriously saying that he has a plan that he will gladly share with us if elected? If he really has a plan, he needs to get it in the right hands - which I understand are hard to find these days. Again, I'm not 100% sure if I heard correctly, so I'll have to double check, but if he really claims to have a plan to capture and kill Bin Laden, he needs to not use it as blackmail to get him elected and give it to someone like General Petraeus. McCain seems to like Petraues enough. He only mentions him every time the Iraq War surge comes up, followed by "Senator Obama still will not admit it worked," which is of course also followed by his I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! face, but let's move on, my friends.

3.) "Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb, Iran." I heard about this briefly in the first debate, but McCain didn't respond to it, at least to my knowledge. Tonight, however, Senator Obama brought up his signing a twist on the famous Beach Boys song and McCain responded to the allegation tonight. This was during the portion that Senator Obama fought for a follow up and McCain agreed, so long as he'd get a chance to follow up again. During his follow up, McCain said that he was just joking around with a friend. Ah yes, that's a classic joke.

Comedian McCain: Hello everyone! Hope you're having a good night tonight. We have a great show for you tonight, but to start off, I wanted to ask you all something. What's the best way to start an all out war in the Middle East, costing the lives of thousands of American soldiers, innocent civilians between all of the countries that would undoubtedly get sucked in and kill pretty much any shot we'd have of achieving peace in the Middle East for a long time. (Cue Beach Boy's music) Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb, Iran! Thank you, ladies and gentleman, you've been great!

I'm sure he would've heard crickets as I'm sure many of you heard while reading that made up scenario.

Yes, Iran isn't led by the most mentally stable leaders (you're a combination of the ultimate douche-bag and village idiot if you actually think the Holocaust didn't happen), and yes Iran poses a threat, but war certainly is no joke. And for someone that criticizes Senator Obama for allegedly announcing he would attack Pakistan elected, you sure look foolish. At least Obama didn't sing about it and I'm not entirely convinced he was announcing an attack.

Whelp, there you have it. My thoughts and muses on the second of three presidential debates. I hope you found them enlightening or maybe even - and I know this is a stretch - thought provoking. At the very least, I hope you were able to muster a laugh or two in order to make this campaign that's getting as painful as piranhas on a nut-sack a little more bearable to watch.

Group Halloween Costume Ideas

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:27:43 EDT

Halloween might seem like it’s still a long ways away but before you know it, it’s the week before and you don’t have a costume and there’s nothing tackier than a last minute storebought costume. We’re college students, how about a little creativity?

First of all you need to ensure that you have a good event to attend to show off your costume. Since Halloween always falls on FL/GA weekend, you need to make sure you hold your festivities before people flock to Jacksonville, even if that means having a party the day before Halloween.

Once you’ve got the venue, you need to get the costume. For this, I propose group costumes. These costumes are eye catching, fun and will automatically make you and your friends the life of the party.

There are tons of themed group costumes you can choose from. One fun option is Alice in Wonderland. With a little bit of shopping and some tweaking at home, you can make cheap and unique costumes at home. Each person can give their own homemade twist to the Cheshire Cat or the Mad Hatter. Not to mention, this is perfect if you’ve got twins in your group of friends.

One of the most popular costumes this Halloween will undoubtedly be the Joker, but you can make jaws drop at your party by going with an entire cast of Batman characters. All you need to do is find the right random items of clothing and add some accessories, like Robin’s characteristic R or the Riddler’s question marks, and you can bring Gotham to any party.

Super Mario, the most beloved video game of all time, is a great source for costume ideas. From Mario and Luigi to Princess Peach, these are easy costumes to recreate at home. Just bust out your overalls and prom dress.

Other good group costumes can come from your favorite movie or TV show, like Wizard of Oz, for instance, Star Wars or Pacman. If you want a simple but cute costume, you can go as Dunder Mifflin employees.

A good way to get a lot of random items of clothing like a purple Joker jacket is to hit up your local thrift stores. Clothes are displayed by color and you can check back every couple of days if you have no luck.

And remember…there’s absolutely no costume you can’t slut up.

Baylor Football Means Tailgate Mixers

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:19:30 EDT

The Big 12 season opener against Oklahoma was the first home game in two weeks are so, and tailgate mixers were the in-thing. Saturday's game laid the perfect scene for at least two sorority-fraternity pre-game shindigs. The Alpha Delta Pi / Pi Kappa Phi mixers wore highlighter colored shirts that could blind you if you stood too close. The Kappa Alpha Theta / Kappa Omega Tau shirts were less glow-in-the-dark, more let's-blend-in Baylor green.

So other than a common t-shirt, what does a successful pre-game tailgate mixer need to be successful? When the game kicks off at 11:30 in the a.m. hot dogs and hamburgers are not in order, breakfast burritos are! OJ is also a must. Caffeine is too, so don't forget the Dr. Pepper. Oh and make sure not to forget the digital camera, because this mixer better make it on Facebook, otherwise you're just not repping it enough.

But the biggest part of a tailgate mixer is to show up for the game. The group with the highlighter shirts could be seen from space, not to mention mom and dad's TV at home.

Let's see who comes out for the next home game... Parent's Weekend! (hint, hint...)

Our New York Skyline

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:10:57 EDT

There have been countless photos taken of the NYC skyline with its signature buildings spanning the horizon, but the silhouette of the city has certainly changed over the past seven years and continues to evolve. Maybe Im biased after several years of friendship but I particularly enjoy this 2008 NYC portrait shot by Julian Gilbert, ex-Misshapes photographer and Warped Tour documentarian its an image for the times. Check out his work at http://juliangilbert.blogspot.com

Why are Columbia students so weird?

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:11:53 EDT

Who does stuff like this? And why in the world would they post it on their facebook for all the world (well, all of Columbia) to see?

Dragon Boating Near Harvard

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:21:38 EDT

Two varsity athletes seen bonding on a weekend dragon boating trip near Harvard.

The Pros and Cons of Music Venues in Bloomington

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:18:44 EDT

I've always had a special place in my heart for live music, and after coming to Bloomington after living in a cesspool of nothingness in northern Indiana, I've gone into a bit of a music overload.

Example: as i type this, I'm getting my shit together as quickly as possible to head to a battle of the bands at Uncle Fester's House of Blooze downtown when in fact I should probably be spending my night catching up on about 6,000 other things. (I blame it on my deep love of music, but really I think it's just me continuing to practice my skills of procrastination).

ANYWAY. There are lots of places to see live music in Bloomington. There are even more bands that are really, really good. But for now, here's a rundown on why each venue is good (and bad).

Uncle Fester's House of Blooze

Pros: An awesome atmosphere (there's a balcony that wraps around above the stage so you can be up close without being crushed in the front row), and good bands that no one has ever heard of play here constantly. Great place to find new music.

Cons: Cover is usually a bitch, drinks are a lil pricey, and this place is super small.

The Bluebird Nightclub

Pros: Fifteen cent beer every Wednesday, huge area for standing below the stage, great sound, multiple bars so shorter lines....(if you couldn't guess, yes this place is my favorite).

Cons: Even though it's huge, it still gets ridiculously packed. And usually with popped collar, flat-billed Fratty McDouchebags on Wednesdays. I blame the fifteen cent beer.

Buskirk-Chumley Theatre

Pros: Even though it's a different atmosphere than bars, they still sell alcohol, and the bands that play here are pretty phenomenal. Margot and the Nuclear So and So's played here last spring, Regina Spektor the year before.

Cons: It is a theatre, so security is usually a little tighter and there's less area for standing room only below the stage. And those awesome concerts are usually few and far between.

Waldron Arts Center

Pros: Again, awesome bands that are usually huge in the Indie scene. Vampire Weekend was here last year, Man Man was here last spring, and a whole slew of other bands anyone wearing scarves, skinny jeans and thick rimmed glasses would kill to see.

Cons: No booze :(

Vote UNC's WXYC for an mtvU Woodie Award

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:54:52 EDT

UNC's own campus radio station, WXYC, is nominated for the mtvU College Radio Woodie Award. WXYC is up against WUTK (University of Tennessee), WRAS (Georgia State University), WEGL (Auburn University), and WWVU (West Virginia University), in the South East semi-final round of voting.

Anyone can vote between now and November 7. Other categories at the Woodies are:

Woodie of the Year
Best Video Woodie
Breaking Woodie
Good Woodie
Left Field Woodie
Performing Woodie
Best Music on Campus

You can vote as many times as you want, so keep voting for WXYC!

The Woodies will air here on November 19.

UCSB Midnight Madness!

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:30:28 EDT

College kids from the coast who know how to put on a good party. Rush, and the terrible no good awful dry week it brought with it is over, and the drinking is commencing. (UCSB Fraternity)

BYOSG: Bring your own shot glass

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:36:02 EDT

Two hundred USC students have contracted norovirus, a gastrointestinal affliction, which causes violent vomiting and is, apparently, extraordinarily contagious.

But the situation hints at other problems in college society, namely cleanliness among college students, and the lack thereof, has allowed this virus to spread so rampantly.

Trojans are the sworn enemies of Bruins, but we are still all college students – and thus, susceptible to the same virus.

Not washing your hands, or even sharing shot glasses, can create a cesspool of germs and grossness that can lead to more serious problems. Sure, people get that refraining from washing one’s hands is super-disgusting, (although some people still skip this ablution sometimes). But since drinking is a major pastime, sharing shot glasses is by the by at many a party. And it’s a viable way to contract viruses like our poor neighbors across the way.

Solution? Maybe Dixie cups? Just be careful since a Dixie cup is a little more than a shot, (I learned the hard way).

But more importantly, its out of respect for your fellow peers that we all should be more careful about our hygiene, especially with the season of colds, flues and now GI viruses that are running rampant.

We Lose, We Luge

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:14:47 EDT

The ice luge at the Wisconsin v. Michigan game. Great luge, not so great saying

Breakfast Club

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:02:55 EDT

There is nothing that compares to Purdue's tradition of breakfast club! Breakfast and Halloween Costumes (Jake's and Where Else?)

Keepin it Classy

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:44:53 EDT

keepin it classy with Wine Pong!!

It's Financial Literacy Month At The U!

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:02:16 EDT

You know, it's hard to believe it's already been a whole year. I'm still reeling from last year's Financial Literacy Month. Just like Christmas but without Santa Claus or your abusive Uncle Rodger planting his face in egg nog, Financial Literacy Month is a chance to win cool prizes and take multiple choice quizzes on the internet! Join me, won't you, as I find my Money IQ, learn about how broke I'm going to be when I graduate, and generally have a time of it!

Quiz 1: The Basics

This ought to be easy; everyone knows the basics! When there is no money in my wallet, I use my CELL PHONE to talk to a parent or guardian about giving me more money! Also, there are magic boxes all over campus that provide you with free money, just for guessing a simple four digit code! Oh, and don't forget about wooden nickels! (Hint: Don't take them!) using my already vast knowledge about moneys and moneys-related topics, I took the U's Basic Financial Literacy Quiz, and here's how I fared!

"#1 When I manage my spending, I am denying myself things in life.

True
False"

Denying myself things? Of course not! Spending management means "Should I get pizza or a sandwich today?" Whenever I take to managing my spending, I refuse to deny myself anything, as that is not how to stimulate this American economy (which is peachy, thanks for asking!). The answer is, of course, False!

"#2 Which of the following statements are true of the budgeting process?

Budgeting creates more wealth.
Budgeting forces you to sacrifice your well being.
Budgeting releases you from stress.
Budgeting contributes to global warming. "

Hmm... This one's a bit tougher! Rather than having two options to choose from, I have to read four whole things and think about each of them! Whoah Nelly! But this one isn't too difficult either: It's simply asking how many of these statements are true! I heard about "budgeting" once on the television, so it must be an important thing to get all the way there! If something got to be mentioned on TV, it must create more wealth. Check. Forcing you to sacrifice your well-being? Release from stress? GLOBAL WARMING?!? I didn't realize this was suddenly Science Hour with Dr. B.B. O'Math-Learnin'! Geez! Since it can't both release you from stress and sacrifice your well-being, I decided they must both be false. And as far as contributing to global warming, I don't think such a thing really exists. Besides, as Sarah Palin so aptly puts it, who cares what causes global warming? Until I see some strong evidence in support of it, I won't mark this one true, because it says "global warming" and that scared me off.

"#3 Where can you go for help with money issues?

Mom and Dad
Financial Aid Office
Boynton Health Services
All of the above "

You can of course go to Mom and Dad for help with money issues. I'm in college! My issue is "I don't have money" and "Hey where's the money?", both of which are magically solved with a trip to Mom n' Pops! The Financial Aid Office probably has some good things to say on the subject, like "You don't qualify, you lazy person"! Ha! Stay away from them. Boynton? Maybe you could go there, if you had that disease like on the commercial where you have so much money that you are sick. they would take it from you and not discuss it, I bet. As always, Mom and Dad are the answer!

"#4 Which documents should be stored?

Student loan documentation
Passport, birth certificate and social security card
Tax documents
All of the above "

It is my contention that if you store documents, you will forget where you put them or burglars will break in and defile them. Documents are terrible things, they clutter up the house and remind you of how dumb your middle name is. Don't ever save documents. I'm sure that's the point this quiz is trying to get me to reach.

"#5 I can save $7,000 if I graduate in four years.

True
False "

It is a moot point; no one at the U will graduate in four years. They just want to rub this in your face. You lose style points for that faux pas, Financial Literacy Quiz. Quit asking me hurtful questions while you're ahead.

Done!

Unfortunately, the quiz does not give you a number for your Money IQ, as I was expecting. Like many authority figures, it tells you what you did wrong and then makes you feel guilty. There are several important links I could click to improve my score by next time. But I've got a whole month to get Financially Literate! Come on, let's go spend our tuition money on shots and posters with boobs on them! Go money!

Gideon comes to St. John's to make sense of this whole election thing

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:57:56 EDT

St. John's plans to host a lecture from MTV's Gideon Yago. The lecture is entitled: GIdeon Yago, Making Politics Real and Relevant.

It will surely be the hipest thing to happen to St. John's since the last cool lecture from the creator of Craigslist.com, Craig...I forgot his last name.

Gideon says his presentation is a "Hip look at the presidential race and other newsworthy events around the world." He will put the Obama Vs. McCain issues into a Guitarhero-Apple generation context. For example "The Offshore drilling situation is harder to figure out than rockband drums on expert"

I will do another blog on how it was thursday night. So stay tuned

Friday Night at The Heights

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:41:41 EDT

Students at The Heights Drinking with friends (Uptown at The Heights (10-3-08))

Saturday Night Barndance!!!

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:38:20 EDT

Friends! Classiness (Barndance)

Shirt Slogan Strikes Again!

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:18:51 EDT

What I really want is a white shirt that functions as a white board that I can write on and edit whenever I want to create situations like this

Rutgers: Preparing for Economic Disaster

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:46:07 EDT

The economy is going to hell, and as fiscally irresponsible college students that we are, many of us will find the treacherous waters of debts and loans closing over our little heads. In face of this, the ladies of Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, along with Senoritas Latina Unidad and Sigma Lamda Upsilon decided to hold a info session on debt relief, financial planning, and loans for students that don't want their bank accounts to get sucked into a black hole.

This event is held at Douglass Meeting Room C at 8:45 PM. Definitely worth checking out.

Basketball Tickets on Sale Now

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:46:40 EDT

The last time you saw Ohio State Basketball, they won a tournament. It probably wasn't the tournament you wanted, but the young Buckeyes won the NIT against UMass, 92-85.

Yesterday tickets went on sale for OSU Men's Basketball. Tickets are about $12 per game with the season package ($121 total) and it includes ten games, eight of which are conference games. Tickets can be purchased online via the ticketing office. Student seats are not assigned, you must arrive at the gate early to receive good seats.

New this year is the Nuthouse Rewards Program. Each game is worth a certain amount of points and the points bring you to different tiers. The grand prize is a trip to the NCAA tournament in Indianapolis for all games, $100 for gas and $50 for food.

CU Boulder Students Appreciate Frosting Boobs

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:34:10 EDT

You've probably heard about naked ladies with big boobs busting out of cakes at bachelor parties. Well someone had the ingenious idea to streamline the whole boob-and-cake thing to make a boob cake with frosting nipples. Yes, that's right, edible nipples. Oh la la.

Sarah Palin Lets See Your O-Face

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:29:52 EDT

Move over Jenna Jameson, there is a new Queen of Porn.

In possibly the greatest development of the 2008 Presidential Campaign, there is a Sarah Palin porno in the making. There really is no substitute for the real thing, unless of course it’s Tina Fey, but as long as she can handle a gun like the real thing, I doubt anyone will care.

I wouldn’t even be that surprised if the Republican Party is putting this thing out. It would be the most watched political ad of the year. Think about it, if they can find a McCain look-a-like without E.D. they can prove just how well they work together. Too much?

“This message has been approved for your cock.”

ASU Gets Hot for Belly Dancing Theme Party

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:26:54 EDT

It gets hot in Arizona, so hot that sometimes girls just need to expose their midriffs. And shake their tailfeathers. And have a party dedicated to belly dancing. That hot.

Duke Snags Oprah Winfrey For Commencement

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:13:11 EDT

The Big O is coming to Duke this spring. Oprah Winfrey will be the school’s 2009 commencement speaker. UNC may have Desmond Tutu, but has he ever given an entire audience brand new cars? I don’t think so.

It’s pretty impressive that Duke even landed Oprah considering they claim not to compensate commencement speakers, not that the billionaire needs the cash. It also doesn’t hurt that one of her godsons is a member of the graduating class.

Bizjournals.com gives a little insight into just why Oprah is such a great choice:

“A media pioneer, she is a vivid example of the power of individual initiative,” Brodhead said. “In her role as entertainer and entrepreneur, she has done as much to promote reading as anyone now alive. Through her work as a philanthropist, she has become a force for literacy and education around the world. We will be delighted to welcome her to Duke.”

Winfrey rose to fame on the success of her talk show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which has made her one of the world’s richest and most influential women. She is also a well-known philanthropist and oversees a media empire that includes a popular book club, a TV production company and O magazine.

Is it really necessary to explain who she is anymore? I’m pretty sure Oprah is up there with Cher, Madonna and Gandhi in needing only one name for instant recognition.

Plus, for anyone previously clueless about her clout, Oprah is currently known for endorsing Barack Obama. By the time the speech rolls around she could be one degree of separation away from the President of the United States of America… either that or she'll forever be connected to the most overhyped failed candidate in history.

Dance Parties for Any Night at UGA

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:04:06 EDT

Who says dance parties are only for the weekends?

Wal-Mart Presents: "Proud American." ... Wait, What? A Bing Student Expresses Her Confusion

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:54:06 EDT

This is not a joke, though you might just assume it is by the mind-numbingly hokey trailer before you. Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, American Express and American Airlines present “Proud American,” a film about “the nation's spectacular landmarks and engineering marvels, historical sites and natural wonders, Proud American is really about the American people. The film will portray America as a land of opportunity, and tolerance. First seen through the eyes of new American citizens we hear why they came, how they came and what they appreciate most. Things many of us take for granted. Drama, spectacle, and humor are woven into a fast paced film, which delivers chills, actions, tears and warmth. Unlike any film ever made about America, it comes at a time when America needs it most. Uplifting, Powerful, Amazing, True.”

The intent of this film is to boost the moral of the American people, but what it appears like is a way for corporations to manipulate and control an image for this country. Just by watching the trailer, I can’t help but cringe at the desperateness of it all. There were surely other ways to make a film like this, that didn’t involve pounding dramatically overdone, and unrealistic stereotypes into our heads.

In case you were wondering, yes; that was indeed Ruthie Camden and Mr. Belding in the trailer. Though, I’m not sure if that’s enough to draw in an audience, being that the film has been playing since late September and has only grossed an average of $118 per theater. “Proud American” is even playing in IMAX! This concerns me, however. I wonder if this is the future of film, Wal-Mart style.

Dartmouth Douche of the Day: Douche Bag '11 in East Wheelock

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:39:52 EDT

I love outing instances of douche baggery. It's not easy being a douche; there's a certain combination of ego, lack of social intelligence, and pizazz that just doesn't come naturally to the average human.

The most recent (but certainly not isolated) act of douchebaggery happened in a certain affinity program housed in the Wheelocks, where students are generally more inclined towards having personal privacy. This guy's been on my radar for quite a while for general douche baggery, but I didn't feel the need to talk about him until I heard about this incident...

This school year, Douche Bag '11 was put with a guy (we'll call him Mr. Victim) who had moved into their new two-room double over the interim, before fall quarter began. Mr. Victim did something peculiar however, he set up house in the outer room, even though he was the first one to move in, and had every right to take the inner room. This is peculiar because the large majority of people in East Wheelock prefer the inner room, where you have more privacy and quiet.

When Mr. Victim was asked why he didn't occupy the inner room, he said that his roommate Douche asked for it, and he wanted to be polite.

Douche's justification? He had said his religion did not allow meat to cross his living space, thus, he could not have anyone who ate meat walk through his room.

This led me to do some minor sleuthing.

I found out that yes, while Douche's vegetarian religion does not allow meat to cross living spaces, it's a rather obscure and rarely followed rule.

Not only that, I have heard from various sources that Douche has in fact allowed several carnivorous acquaintances to go into his room, and still continues to do so.

Bottom line: Douche Bag blatantly used his religion to obnoxiously take advantage of his roommate and claim the inner room.

Edit: I've just been notified that as of last week, Mr. Victim had moved out of the room. We are in the third week of school. Wow.

PIXILERATED: Free Concert @ Brown Tonight

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:29:17 EDT

You aren't busy tonight, are ya? Let's be honest: PIXILERATIONS is way cooler than chemistry homework. Free concert tonight! Here's the details:

TUESDAY, October 7th, 8pm: PIXILERATED: The Acousmatic Concert Surround-sound computer music and visual experiments by Jeffery Hass, Stephen Travis Pope, Robert Dow, Pau de Nut, Jen-Kuang Chang, Eleazar Garzon, Arvid Tomayko-Peters, Freida Abtan, Aaron Acosta, and Mei-ling Lee. --at the Grant Recital Hall (on the Brown campus). FREE.

And, if you haven't checked out the exhibits at Sol Koffler (169 Weybosset) and 191 Westminster Street, what are you waiting for? The exhibit is way cooler than any other art exhibit you've ever seen, I guarantee it, it's free, and it's only in town until October 12. Get your dose of culture, baby, and dig what these smarty artists can do! (Sol Koffler is open daily from 12 - 8, the unnamed Westminster street gallery is open from 12 - 6 every day).

UC Berkeley Girls Love Role Playing at Love Fest

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:06:35 EDT

These UC Berkeley girls are all about the whole sailor shtick. Better than a theme party, Love Fest provided them with ample opportunity to dress the part of seamen.

CalTech Kids Learn Nzadi, Everyone Else Left Asking, "Huh?"

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:55:25 EDT

Remember back in the day (or last night when you were high) when you thought that pig Latin was a stealthy way to communicate, only to discover that everyone knew what you were saying? Now, CalTech linguistics students want first dibs on a little understood language, Nzadi. It’s the first time a college has studied the language.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle:

"There's nothing like the joy of discovering a language from scratch," said Cal linguistics Professor Larry Hyman.

The 10 students in his course, Introduction to Field Methods, are focusing on Nzadi this semester - the first such effort in any college or university to examine this remote member of the Bantu linguistic family.

"It's a chance to study a language that nobody has studied before," said graduate student researcher Thera Crane. "That opportunity does not come around very often."

Nzadi is spoken by thousands of people in fishing villages along the Kasai River in Congo, a country with about 220 languages.

The students in Hyman's class have two goals. They want to figure out how to analyze an unfamiliar language and they plan to document Nzadi - a tongue so unknown that it cannot be found in the Ethnologue, a compendium of almost 7,000 languages across the globe.

So you think a language that most won't understand is an impractical waste of time? Consider this: if the CalTech kids want to tell secrets in public any time soon, it shouldn’t be too difficult. They can just break out the Nzadi to break out the stealth and forget about that pig Latin bullshit.

Terrapin Tuesday Theme Day: Week One

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:31:12 EDT

Part of the plan for this blog is going to be that every Tuesday, you will be able to come here and find an awesome party theme idea that you and your fellow Terrapins can use for the weekend. The classics (Adjective Something-that-ends-in-O’s & Adjective Hoes) get tiring everywhere you go and Maryland is no exception to the rule. It’s like doing the same Mad-Lib over and over again – [adjective] = boring. So I will bring a fresh twist to the party game, starting today.

Some of these themed parties have actually been thrown, some are going to be thrown, and some are only young, ripe ideas.

“Field Hockey Players & Dragon Slayers”
Fellas, show the modern day athletic-but-cute-at-the-same-time woman that besides snuffing out fires, your chivalrous party engine can make it hot too.

Description: Who says a party theme has to have continuity? How about we mix it up for a change with something random, yet structured at the same time? Plus, it rhymes…

Ladies:
Dress Code - Plaid skirt, polo shirt, high socks, matching colors, and a cleverly located ponytail (side, top, pig?) tied with a ribbon.
Supplies Needed - Nothing. You’ve probably got it all in your closet.
Bonus Points – Anyone with mouth guard and/or a brisk sweat.

Fellas:
Dress Code - Lots of shiny armor, war helmet, shield, and sword.
Supplies Needed – A butt-load of aluminum foil.
Bonus Points – Anyone who rubs charcoal on their face so it looks like they just got out of the heat of battle…the maidens will swoon.

Drinks: Any type of shot that you light on fire; wooden kegs of mead.

Location: Lots of spots available - preferably outdoors, maybe a backyard somewhere across Route One, at a Knox Box or off Metzerott.

Musical Suggestions:

The Battle Of Evermore by Led Zeppelin
Greensleeves by Robin Hood? Some minstrel? God?
The Princess Bride OST

Facebook Invitation Artwork: View here.

Remember, if you don't like this theme, it only the first of many themes to come. On the contrary, is there anyone out there brave and courageous enough to ~~slay this dragon~~ throw this jam?

Cornell's Football Team: As Good as the New York Giants

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:19:59 EDT

During the previous NFL season, the New England Patriots remained undefeated until their bitter loss in Super Bowl. This season, two teams – one in the NFL and one in the Ivy League – are following closely in their footsteps by dominating their respective conferences.

In the NFL, the New York Giants, the team that won the Super Bowl last season and doomed the Patriots to an imperfect 18-1 record, are currently 4-0, making them one of the only undefeated teams in professional football today (the Tennessee Titans being the other). Hopefully, they don’t have a late-season collapse, like their predecessors.

In the Ivy League, the Cornell Big Red is the only undefeated team, thanks to their perfect 3-0 record. This is the first time since 1999 that Cornell has made it this far without losing a single game.

And so, thanks to the transitive property of equality (A=B, B=C, thus A=C), it is now a mathematical fact that the Cornell Big Red are on par with the New York Giants.

Cumbersome Construction on Penn's Locust Walk

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:22:05 EDT

That's where tractors belong -- on a farm. Not in the middle of an urban campus.

A few weeks ago, I told you all about an odd impediment on Locust Walk involving pillow-fighters on The Compass. Today, walking home from that same 10:30 a.m. class, I was struck by an even worse predicament – a majorly annoying construction situation.

For almost an entire block, from 36th to 37th, Locust is currently un-walkable (and probably even worse if you’re on a bike). There are two huge tractors plopped directly in the center of the brick-covered walkway, which is baffling because I have no idea how they could have possibly driven onto the narrow, car-less street.

In between the tractors, which are causing some unspeakable foot traffic difficulties at the moment, are a few huge holes in the middle of the walk. I wonder what they could possibly be digging for on Locust? Telephone wires? Buried treasure?

I thought that perhaps the tractors were another type of flash mob, simply because it is so perplexing to see huge vehicles parked on the idyllic center of Penn’s campus.

The corner of 36th and Locust has been a construction site for a while now, as has the area outside of Hillel on 39th and Walnut. So can someone please inform me as to why the middle of Locust has to be blocked off with orange tape, too?

Hopefully the construction won’t be permanent, because it is a serious pain in the ass.

Tri Delt $5 Prom

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:15:05 EDT

From Delta Delta Delta's Fall Invite

I hope the girls of Tri Delt aren't implying that they're cheap...

Fall is Virginia Tech's Season

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:05:56 EDT

Even our trees are maroon and orange.

What do You Get When You Put a Reporter, Pollster and Black Correspondent Into an Auditorium?

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:56:40 EDT

You get a lecture filled with hilarity, bad news for Republicans, good news for young voters, revelations about John McCain's campaign character and other black thoughts.

Monday night Miami University students were treated to a lecture about how Age, Race and Gender have been and will be effecting the 2008 Election. Featured lecturers included New York Times reporter, Elisabeth Bumiller, Pollster, John Zogby and The Daily Show's Senior Black Correspondent, Larry Wilmore.

Things got underway with Elisabeth Bumiller explaining her current role with the New York Times, which has been to follow the McCain campaign. In fact, she's been traveling with the McCain campaign for so long that she's seen the Straight Talk Express evolve from a bus into a plane. (It's ironic that both candidates travel on their private campaign planes and when they get off they talk about the energy crisis and a junkie-esque dependence on foreign oil and then they hop back on their plane to go talk about the energy crisis somewhere else, but I digress). And guess what? That's not all that's evolving. Apparently Senator McCain has gone from an open book into the secretive man behind the curtain.

Ms. Bumiller went on to explain the evolution of Mr. McCain's personality. She claims that in the beginning of his campaign, the Senator was open to any questions from the press. His Straight Talk Express was exactly that. As the election has become increasingly intense, day by day, Senator McCain has apparently been getting a wee bit angry. Funny how on the day McCain begins his negative campaigning, question Obama's character, I find out that McCain isn't exactly the most pleasant guy to be around anymore. Maybe he's befuddled over the recent swing in the polls towards Obama in previously assumed Republican states, such as Colorado, Florida and Virginia or maybe the wear and tear of the presidential election is getting to him.

Ms. Bumiller shared stories of riding on the bus version of Straight Talk and having uninhibited access to the Presidential candidate. While traveling across the country, reporters would sit with Senator McCain for a couple of hours or until they run out of questions. That was back in the day when McCain was the moderate Senator that you couldn't hate unless you were a far-left, liberal, nut-job. Now she says that on the McCain plane the reporters are separated by a black curtain while flying across the country. What used to be a plethora of reporters has trickled down to only four, merely traveling with McCain and writing about how rallies went, rarely having a chance to ask questions anymore. This communication blockade apparently started when an ABC reporter and McCain were getting a little testy with each other and the campaign decided that McCain needed to be focused on one message at a time instead of taking on multiple messages and issues at any given time. Of course! Why would we want a President that can respond to any question or message at a given time? I'd rather have one that dictates what the message is and forces us to swallow it like a disgusting mix of cough medicine and vegetables.

Next up was Mr. John Zogby, a pollster that famously called the 1996 election within one tenth of 1 percent of the presidential result. He began by going over some of the more recent polls. Apparently our current fearless leader, President Bush, has sunk to Nixon-Watergate territory with his abysmal 23% approval rating. That's probably not shocking for most of you, but what is shocking is the 9% approval rating Congress has fallen to. How can a group of supposedly the best and brightest have such an embarrassingly low approval rating, one that a competent group of monkeys could probably best? This spells bad news for Republicans and Democrats, but by the end of Mr. Zogby's portion, it was clear that Republicans are getting the short-end of the stick when it comes to polls these days.

Polls, as one could assume, aren't fool-proof, but they can be sometimes. Zogby's group wasn't able to accurately track the Hillary vote, but they have the Obama vote down. The poll he's releasing tomorrow gives Obama a 48%-43%. Zogby's confidence in tracking Obama's vote is simply more bad news for Republicans in a seemingly endless episode of The Twilight Zone: Republican Style. Even worse for the Elephants, Zogby claimed that 18-29 year olds are supporting Obama 2:1. He went on to claim that if that age group goes out and actually votes - unlike in 2004 - Obama can start his march down Pennsylvania Avenue. If we don't vote, though, and we leave it to the 65+ year olds (shocking that they'd support McCain. Seriously, can they relate to him at all beyond Bob Evans and colonoscopies?) then McCain will be making his way to the White House.

Last up was Larry Wilmore, the Senior Black Correspondent of The Daily Show. As expected, Mr. Wilmore was able to get the crowd laughing, proving that satire is a necessity to get through a campaign like this. He started off confused, hoping he was in time for Karl Rove night.

Mr. Wilmore continued his portion of the lecture by discussing the notion that we won't be a racist country anymore if we elect Barack Obama. Wilmore laughed this idea to the side proclaiming that we wouldn't be a racist country if we elected Flavor Flav to the White House. Wilmore has a point here. It would take a substantial amount of racial apathy to elect a man with such a high level of black, as Mr. Wilmore noted. Wilmore went on to explained how Obama has a very comfortable level of black. In fact, his level of black was so low that he only entered Reverend Wright's church in hopes of getting in with the black crowd, so goes Wilmore's theory. Clearly that backfired. Could you imagine, though, electing Flavor Flav? He'd have speechwriters using UrbanDictionary.com as a resource.

As his portion of the lecture wound down, Wilmore began to discuss how the candidates are looked at through the media. He pointed out how Republicans seemed to be okay with Gov. Palin's 17 year old daughter's whole pregnant situation and preferred it be left out of the campaign. Fair enough, the daughter isn't running for office after all, but Wilmore posed the question: Would the same go if Obama had a pregnant 17 year old daughter behind him at the DNC. Wilmore then quipped that there would be a "different 'n word' than nominee" at the convention.

The lecture then closed with a brief questioning from the audience and last thoughts from the lecturers. Their closing comments seemed to speak to the sentiment of wanting a true leader. They spoke about the importance of one of the candidates grabbing the role of leader by the reigns and showing it to the rest of the country, because that's what we are in dire need of right now. It will not be an easy four years for whomever is elected.

So there you have it, young people of the country. Get our there and vote or stay at home to watch online porn and play video games (quite the hand workout when combined) and crap on our Democracy by not voting - a privilege not everyone enjoys in this world. Our voice is the leading voice in this election and it's time we grab the reigns of leadership, so we that we can get over our crisis in confidence and return America to the shining beacon on a hill it used to be. We'll have to ask ourselves the tough question of what we can do for our country. And as we get older our role in running the country will increase, but for now our responsibility is simple; vote on November 4th.

Just In Case You Run Out Of Room In The Fridge...

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:53:36 EDT

... and the bucket of ice and the bathtub. This also looks like a disaster waiting to happen with drunk, liquid-filled students around.

Jello Shots: Not As Innocent As They Look

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:51:33 EDT

These guys seem to have a love-hate relationship with the jiggly alcohol carriers.