The Paper Has Two Faces

I was seriously about to hurt someone as of TV News P&E today. I contained myself. Let me explain.

I got my application for London in the week before it was due, with a few pieces coming in from other places (teachers and judicial affairs). I went to OIP and checked to make sure that everything was in order. They said it was, and I was convinced I was fine.

I got an e-mail this afternoon saying that I was missing my academic recommendation, my judicial affairs clearance, and my academic plan.

I pretty much flipped my shit and stormed up to Park to ask them if they still had it. They didn't, called over to OIP, and reassured me that everything was there.

So after three of the most boring hours of my life, I headed up to OIP and made them check my file. Everything was there.

Turns out they didn't realize things were printed front and back, and thought I was missing all the backs.

Kleptos Anonymous

My name is Alex, and I'm an accidental klepto.

Let me explain.

I was in the library today to kill an hour or so before swimming (there's this weird lag between Personal Essay and open swim). So I went to the library and hung out, catching up on Newsweek and Time, checking e-mails, surfing randomly to find something for Cake's Artist to Watch page. I was putting back my Time and Newsweek when the TV Guide caught my eye (because DILF Hugh Laurie was on the front).

I read it, stuck it in my bag, and went to swim. Not even really realizing that it belonged to the library.

Cut to 4 hours later when I'm in our apartment bathroom and I see an uncharacteristically generic-looking roll of toilet paper on the back of the throne. I ask Monica about it, and she's like, "Oh, I took it from campus center today. I don't want to use ours up." She somehow managed to jimmy the toilet paper holders open with a pen.

I want to say I'm shocked and outraged at her blatant theivery, but really, I'm proud. We pay $50 grand a year to come here. They can spare us some paper products or an accidental magazine.

We Put Out On Thursdays

It all started with a seniors tribute video last year at the banquet, and it has since turned into an office joke.

The question in the video was "What would you say if The Ithacan were a person?"

Special Projects Manager and former EIC Erica Hendry giggled and said "I hear you put out on Thursdays." Which...was pretty epic.

Now, a semester later, it's been turned into a t-shirt (which I'm totally getting). Only now we put out every day, because we're a daily online newspaper and weekly print version. Which goes out on Thursdays. Ah, suggestive journalism jokes.

Can I Tell You A Secret?

So on a whim the other day, I e-mailed Frank Warren of Post Secret-creation fame, because he was coming to Binghamton University on the 2nd. I was expecting to get some sort of automated response, or some flunkie e-mailing me back about how busy he was.

Instead, I get "Hi Alex, call tomorrow. - Frank"

To put it simply? My reaction.

So keep an eye out in the Ithacan this week for a real article (!!!!) by me, or keep an eye online for that one. I'm really excited, he was really cool and very interesting to talk to.

Swine Flu: We Had The Warning Signs!

So everyone and their brother (or my uncle, who actually has it) has been freaking out about the Swine Flu. To the point where kids here are about to make shirts that say "I Survived Swine '09." But people, we saw the signs and ignored them.

I mean, come on. We're on Season 6 of House now, and Amber died from flu-like symptoms way back in season 4.

Remember when she was on the bus sneezing and shit before she got thrown and all liver-damaged? Yeah. She had the flu. In New Jersey, at a college hospital where it can spread quick. You know what this means.

Cutthroat Bitch started Swine '09 way back in '08. Thanks, Amber. Sorry, Wilson.

Blog Numba FO

That's right. Four of them.

There's this one, which is just for fun. And all of my stupid ramblings and such about...well, nothing. News II Electric Boogaloo is for, well, News II. Pretty obvious, judging by the title. It has my Ithacan articles and my Dipity on it, and nothing else really of importance. Same with the Wordpress blog, because that was another News II experiment. The fourth?

Ithaca's Imprint Magazine. I'm psyched.

Disney Needs To Stop With The Remakes

So I was cruising through BBC News as I do daily and came across this little disturbing nugget of information:

Disney is remaking Yellow Submarine. In 3D.

Some remakes can turn out well. I mean, I thought Star Trek was fantastic, and that was Touchstone (I think?). But I really can't see this ending well.

Yellow Submarine was a (trippy and weird) cultural moment that doesn't seem to be easily replicated. And much less by Disney, the maker of all that is family-friendly entertainment. I feel like the drug-induced animation and storyline will be streamlined to make sense for a family, and I don't really think that The Beatles were going for that.

IMs From Last Night

"So a sophomore I've never met sent me a facebook message asking if I called his mother asking for money." - Zack Gidding

(Say Hi To Your Mother For Me!)

Test? Or Heart Attack Inducer?

So we usually have a test of the Emergency Alert System once or twice a year, and it never really got me before because all I saw was a text message and an e-mail. That was until I was within earshot of the speaker.

I know it said that "THIS IS A TEST," but it went off during our Personal Essay class today. Now normally, that class is in Smiddy, so we wouldn't hear it. But today we decided to take the class on a field trip to Muller Chapel's pond. Which is near where the horn is located. And when it went off, I nearly had a heart attack. I know it's a test, and I know it's supposed to alert you if a crazed gunman is on campus or whatever.

And DAMN does it work well.

Beatles' Progeny

Let us now discuss The Beatles, and some of their children.

This bit on The Tonight Show got me thinking about how very little attention is paid to some of The Beatles' kids (and how apparently good looking/looking like their dads they are. Dhani Harrison, my dear, where have you BEEN?!). Yes, Stella McCartney has her own fashion line. And Julian and Shawn Lennon look insanely like their dad. But other than that, do you really hear about George's kids? Or Ringo's? I don't even know if Ringo has kids, much less have seen them talked about on television or whatever.

Oh, and in case it's hard to tell, Dhani Harrison (George's son) is not only a musician, but one of the designers of The Beatles' Rock Band. He's the one playing the drums in the clip.

Ithaca, NY: Now AIER Approved!

Yeah, we're "10 Square Miles Surrounded By Reality." But according to the American Institute for Economic Research, Ithaca is now the #1 college town in the US.

Now, you can get to reading why we got picked and all that at the link to the Ithaca Journal that I have above. But I'm shocked! I would've thought that somewhere big like Boston, or somewhere insanely small like Morgantown (where WVU is; it's pretty much the whole town) would've been picked. But WRONG! It was us!

I guess I can see why, the Cornell campus is absolutely beautiful in that old, Ivy-League way. IC is slowly getting prettier with all the new buildings (no matter how long they take to be built, construction men out my window at 7 AM building the new fitness center I'll never see). And the town itself is pretty cute, with the Commons and all the gorges and trails and all that.

So...go Ithaca, I guess. Keep up the good work.

Life's Big Questions: Doctors And Magazines

General observation, but I feel like doctor's offices always have the best magazines. Let me explain.

When I was in Hammond today, they had like every issue of Newsweek and The New Yorker for the last two months. Brand new, shiny, not in terrible condition, fantastic.

When I was at Goldfeder's back home for the dentist visit, they had at least 3 Entertainment Weekly issues, which I can never seem to find - I have literally had weeks where I've asked myself (and passing Happy Harry's shoppers) who I had to screw to get an EW.

No, really, I totally said that out loud and an old lady gave me a dirty look. But I digress.

I can't be the only one who has noticed that the doctors offices always have great reading material. And logically, this is because you're stuck waiting in those offices for-freaking-EVER. I also can't be the only one who has taken magazines from doctors' offices, whether unintentionally or otherwise.

So Ryan? Maybe you should put Cake in Hammond. Seriously! It's a captive audience!

This Blog is Full of Spices

I have a confession to make: I have this weird fascination with Alan Rickman. Specifically, his voice.

Allie, KellyPaul and I have had long discussions about this - which usually end in a pretty terrible imitation of him that I do - and really, it's an issue. If Alan Rickman came through a drive through, would you answer the speaker? Especially if his voice came through there?

Like, if you heard Snape asking for a large fry and a Coke?

I wouldn't know if he was trying to seduce me or kill me with that drawl. Enjoyable either way, for sure, but nerve wracking.

The Most Memorable TV Musical Moments Ever

The Most Memorable TV Musical Moments Ever

Shared via AddThis
Mmmm...because it's true. Especially the Eli Stone, Mad Men, and How I Met Your Mother entries.