Saturday, February 28, 2015
All Pain No Gain
I was supposed to judge another competition today, but it was out at the JFK/UMass Red Line stop and there was no way I could get up in time (8 a.m. on a Saturday, after a late night like that... absolutely not.) Accordingly, I hung out around the house for most of the day, smoking, watching The Sopranos with Alaric and then moving on to hockey. (Boston owned Arizona; the Hurricanes improbably beat the Islanders; Minnesota got past Colorado; and the Rangers lost to the Flyers on a GWG from Del Zotto Del Zaster -- that was a stinker.) I pregamed heavily with some folks who came over for Nathan and Alaric's Sax Night and got thoroughly wasted; achieving this, I went to Matthews for the last home hockey game vs. BU. In front of the TV cameras, we lost in mortifying fashion, 6-1. Oh well -- at least I got a "House of Dogs" t-shirt (super cool!) and some posters. I drank more in the apartment, threw up and fell asleep in the bathroom.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Danforth
Today, I volunteered as a judge for the Boston Debate League's John Hancock Tournament at Excel High School. The school is located in Dorchester Heights and it was a long, adventurous walk over. I battled monstrous snowdrifts, pedestrian impasses, crossing guards, and near misses with cars. I also found a couple of untouched rolls of wrapping paper and an unopened box of two baby bottles, which will be given to freshmen to drink from next year. Before I was due for training, I climbed atop the hill where the Americans parked their artillery during the revolution. It was frigid and gusty, but the sun was bright on the snow; I took a few minutes to admire the view over the Charles.
Our training was quick and to the point: be fair, be judicious, and focus on who made the better argument. The format is a series of speeches for, speeches against, and a few interludes of questioning, with two teams of two debaters each. The first of my assigned debates was easy to decide: one team was drastically overmatched by the other, they seemed unfamiliar with the material, and things got a little heated. The second debate was extremely tight, and I actually gave a higher score to the team that I ultimately decided against. It was a slog trying to write everything down, figure out what the debaters were doing well or poorly, listen and judge at the same time. This was one of the more interesting volunteer opportunities I've taken on, and we got a bunch of free food from Viga to boot! I took a meatball sandwich to go and went back up the hill, this time to look out over the city lights. I don't say it enough: I love living in Boston. This could be the place for me. Fatigued but with a spring in my step, I headed to the closest Red Line station and then home. Michelle invited me to her place, but I was too bushed to do anything but sit.
Our training was quick and to the point: be fair, be judicious, and focus on who made the better argument. The format is a series of speeches for, speeches against, and a few interludes of questioning, with two teams of two debaters each. The first of my assigned debates was easy to decide: one team was drastically overmatched by the other, they seemed unfamiliar with the material, and things got a little heated. The second debate was extremely tight, and I actually gave a higher score to the team that I ultimately decided against. It was a slog trying to write everything down, figure out what the debaters were doing well or poorly, listen and judge at the same time. This was one of the more interesting volunteer opportunities I've taken on, and we got a bunch of free food from Viga to boot! I took a meatball sandwich to go and went back up the hill, this time to look out over the city lights. I don't say it enough: I love living in Boston. This could be the place for me. Fatigued but with a spring in my step, I headed to the closest Red Line station and then home. Michelle invited me to her place, but I was too bushed to do anything but sit.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Nowhere To Run
International Political Economy was the scene of a World Trade Organization simulation that I had completely forgotten about. I represented Iran and this gave me some unique advantages in terms of the positions I could take. With about 5 minutes of research, I cobbled together a platform and threw shade all over the rich Western nations at the table. Three WTO policy recommendations were proposed: one each from the representatives of Germany, Turkey, and Iran (yours truly!) Though none came anywhere close to ratification -- after all, that was the point of the exercise -- mine came closest with 12 votes for, 9 against. Germany's proposal received 10 votes for, 12 against, and Turkey's only managed 6 for, 8 against. And my country isn't even a voting member of the WTO! [Aside: The failure of the WTO to accept Iran is a legit load of horseshit. They applied in 1995 and a "working group" was established in 1999 to study their application. No chairman was elected and the working group has never met. Nations like the United States and Israel will continue to block Iranian accession for the foreseeable future, further demonstrating that international institutions are still good ole boys' clubs. This is not to say Iran doesn't have its fair share of problems.]
Peter and Johnny made the usual pit stop at our place in the late afternoon. When night fell, Julia, Nathan, Alaric and Sean joined me for You're Next, another "murderous home intruders" type of horror movie. The violence is brutal and the twists twisty indeed; time-honored tropes come into play, but there are surprises throughout. This is the kind of scary movie that's best watched with friends, not just because it's frightening but also because it will get you amped up. Without spoiling too much, I'm pretty sure I yelled "oh yeah!" during a scene involving someone's kneecap. I had never heard of this film before, but it was a fortuitous find on Netflix.
Quote of the day:
"Once it became clear that the individual mandate was going to be upheld with the taxing power, my spies tell me that Breyer and Kagan were willing to cast their opinion with the majority simply to keep the peace on the court." - Prof. Tolley
"If I were alive when that went through, I would've got the first ticket out of this country, there is no way I could live under that regime..." - Prof. Tolley, re: Prohibition
Peter and Johnny made the usual pit stop at our place in the late afternoon. When night fell, Julia, Nathan, Alaric and Sean joined me for You're Next, another "murderous home intruders" type of horror movie. The violence is brutal and the twists twisty indeed; time-honored tropes come into play, but there are surprises throughout. This is the kind of scary movie that's best watched with friends, not just because it's frightening but also because it will get you amped up. Without spoiling too much, I'm pretty sure I yelled "oh yeah!" during a scene involving someone's kneecap. I had never heard of this film before, but it was a fortuitous find on Netflix.
Quote of the day:
"Once it became clear that the individual mandate was going to be upheld with the taxing power, my spies tell me that Breyer and Kagan were willing to cast their opinion with the majority simply to keep the peace on the court." - Prof. Tolley
"If I were alive when that went through, I would've got the first ticket out of this country, there is no way I could live under that regime..." - Prof. Tolley, re: Prohibition
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Stranger In a Strange Land
Eventually, I got up and churned out a crappy essay for Foreign Policy. It looked terrible in the pile with the others. I discovered that I have New York jury duty scheduled for the week of March 2, which is not something I can even think about right now. I napped on the couch in the office to regain my strength.
Dream: I was a journalist dispatched to a mining colony out in the farthest reaches of the galaxy. The colonists dressed in simple tunics and pants, tough and insulated, and I had arrived in light armor designed for protection from various environmental dangers. Under a dirt-orange sky, they were drilling through wispy brown topsoil and a brittle, asphalt-like substrate. Once the upper layers were cleared away, they excavated loamy chunks of a beet-colored undersoil, as well as the ores still beneath those. I stepped away from the mining operation to observe the local children playing in an abandoned tunnel; they were guarded by a humanoid android of similar build and dress. The temperature was rising quickly for some reason, though I didn't notice immediately due to my suit. I can still see their faces running, stretching like taffy, melting like ghosts from the light as they tried to escape the heat of the tunnel. A countdown in the heads-up display in my helmet started at 24 hours, halved, halved again, halved again. The mother died, still pleading with a starship captain for escape; numb, he was telling her that there was not enough time, not enough time. By now I had figured it out: the military was testing a new weapon, a device that would burn off the atmosphere of an entire planet before reducing it to dust with immense nuclear explosions. They needed to know how it worked on living beings before it could be deployed against our enemies. Only the android was left to keep me company now, its skin burnt away and chattering to itself. "Why am I alive?" The countdown cut to fifteen seconds. I felt calm and turned away from the initial flash, then turned and threw my arms wide to embrace the blast wave. I was nothing and woke.
Luckily, I was up in time to get to my next class and grab free coffee from the Snell quad on the way over. After that came my Latin America class. The class before us regularly runs over its end time, but today they used up nine of the ten minutes in between. I just barged in and sat down at that point -- our class starts in one minute, get the fuck out. Not that it mattered; our professor was her habitual ten or fifteen minutes late, and when she did arrive, she couldn't get her selected movie to work. Once it did work and more time was wasted, she left to get something at the library and was gone for twenty more minutes. This class is an utter joke and I don't understand how we're getting credit for it.
I went to Iris's once again to share dinner and beers with her, Malcolm and Alaric. We took a polaroid or two and filled our bellies. Back at the apartment, Alaric and I decided to continue with the fifth season of The Sopranos. The TV/internet connection is still on the fritz, so we had to use my computer and an HDMI cable. The HBO Go app responded by failing with a "video error" a couple times per episode, and we barely got the first one started at all. Close paraphrase of the error message: "Sorry, we cannot play this title right now. Please try again later." This would come after we were halfway through the episode. Why...
Quote of the day:
"It doesn't obey anything. It doesn't obey my commands." - Prof. Rivera-Ottenberger
Dream: I was a journalist dispatched to a mining colony out in the farthest reaches of the galaxy. The colonists dressed in simple tunics and pants, tough and insulated, and I had arrived in light armor designed for protection from various environmental dangers. Under a dirt-orange sky, they were drilling through wispy brown topsoil and a brittle, asphalt-like substrate. Once the upper layers were cleared away, they excavated loamy chunks of a beet-colored undersoil, as well as the ores still beneath those. I stepped away from the mining operation to observe the local children playing in an abandoned tunnel; they were guarded by a humanoid android of similar build and dress. The temperature was rising quickly for some reason, though I didn't notice immediately due to my suit. I can still see their faces running, stretching like taffy, melting like ghosts from the light as they tried to escape the heat of the tunnel. A countdown in the heads-up display in my helmet started at 24 hours, halved, halved again, halved again. The mother died, still pleading with a starship captain for escape; numb, he was telling her that there was not enough time, not enough time. By now I had figured it out: the military was testing a new weapon, a device that would burn off the atmosphere of an entire planet before reducing it to dust with immense nuclear explosions. They needed to know how it worked on living beings before it could be deployed against our enemies. Only the android was left to keep me company now, its skin burnt away and chattering to itself. "Why am I alive?" The countdown cut to fifteen seconds. I felt calm and turned away from the initial flash, then turned and threw my arms wide to embrace the blast wave. I was nothing and woke.
Luckily, I was up in time to get to my next class and grab free coffee from the Snell quad on the way over. After that came my Latin America class. The class before us regularly runs over its end time, but today they used up nine of the ten minutes in between. I just barged in and sat down at that point -- our class starts in one minute, get the fuck out. Not that it mattered; our professor was her habitual ten or fifteen minutes late, and when she did arrive, she couldn't get her selected movie to work. Once it did work and more time was wasted, she left to get something at the library and was gone for twenty more minutes. This class is an utter joke and I don't understand how we're getting credit for it.
I went to Iris's once again to share dinner and beers with her, Malcolm and Alaric. We took a polaroid or two and filled our bellies. Back at the apartment, Alaric and I decided to continue with the fifth season of The Sopranos. The TV/internet connection is still on the fritz, so we had to use my computer and an HDMI cable. The HBO Go app responded by failing with a "video error" a couple times per episode, and we barely got the first one started at all. Close paraphrase of the error message: "Sorry, we cannot play this title right now. Please try again later." This would come after we were halfway through the episode. Why...
Quote of the day:
"It doesn't obey anything. It doesn't obey my commands." - Prof. Rivera-Ottenberger
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
El Camaleón
I did practically nothing today except for smoking and acquiring chimichangas at El Pelon. For some reason, our smart TV is now failing to connect to the fully functioning internet in our apartment; all attempts to repair the connection failed. Emily, Jules and I had a blast, watching both Machete and Machete Kills. This was Jules' first experience with the near-perfect franchise. I stayed up late, went running again, and failed to do any work.
. . . . .
Booth: Where are my wife and daughter?
Machete: With God.
Booth: Well, I guess I won't be seeing them.
Monday, February 23, 2015
This Can't Be Life
Alanna and I have been cleared to DJ a radio show from 12 to 1 am on WRBB, Monday nights! We're running 'Round Midnight, a two-part show with a general jazz/soul theme, and anyone interested can listen on 104.9 FM or at wrbbradio.org. We're both unable to do the show tonight, but next week ought to be a lot of fun. Due to snow, this was essentially my first real Monday since the beginning of classes and therefore my first day with all four classes, but I scrambled through it. Of course, everyone's mind was elsewhere: Sabrina, Ryan D, Nathan and Jules came to apply face paint before we met the rest of the band for the Beanpot. I applied a checkerboard pattern that came out looking pretty sweet; Jules did a white handprint on a red face.
The final round of the 2015 Beanpot was a nut punch. The Huskies trailed 3-1 before coming back to force overtime; a hooking penalty nine seconds into OT led to a swift goal for Boston University and another loss for us. It hurt to come so close and drop the tournament like that. Our band and fan section were bigger, better and louder than BU's, but I have never been the least bit consoled by the tired refrain of "band always wins". At any rate, Witt was lights out; I place the blame for the deciding goal on the NU defenseman who fully screened him. We headed home in a sullen, smoldering quiet.
Afterward, it was time for numerous shots, beers and hits with Emily, Maddie, Malcolm, Jake S, Mary, Trevor, Alaric, Jules, and Ariel. This turned into a shockingly fun evening; it was cool hanging out with Mary and Trevor without the rest of the freshman horde. After much fun conversation and ridiculous drunkenness, I fell asleep on the bathroom floor and became a problem when people tried to move me. Emily finally got me to move by daring me to, at which point I sprung up, walked into the front hallway and slept on the floor there. Something something horizontal equilibrium something.
Quotes of the day:
"Time to get up!" - Prof. Maness, after his phone alarm went off
"You can't spell 'flipping burgers' without 'BU.'" - me
The final round of the 2015 Beanpot was a nut punch. The Huskies trailed 3-1 before coming back to force overtime; a hooking penalty nine seconds into OT led to a swift goal for Boston University and another loss for us. It hurt to come so close and drop the tournament like that. Our band and fan section were bigger, better and louder than BU's, but I have never been the least bit consoled by the tired refrain of "band always wins". At any rate, Witt was lights out; I place the blame for the deciding goal on the NU defenseman who fully screened him. We headed home in a sullen, smoldering quiet.
Afterward, it was time for numerous shots, beers and hits with Emily, Maddie, Malcolm, Jake S, Mary, Trevor, Alaric, Jules, and Ariel. This turned into a shockingly fun evening; it was cool hanging out with Mary and Trevor without the rest of the freshman horde. After much fun conversation and ridiculous drunkenness, I fell asleep on the bathroom floor and became a problem when people tried to move me. Emily finally got me to move by daring me to, at which point I sprung up, walked into the front hallway and slept on the floor there. Something something horizontal equilibrium something.
Quotes of the day:
"Time to get up!" - Prof. Maness, after his phone alarm went off
"You can't spell 'flipping burgers' without 'BU.'" - me
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Vicissitudes
Iris invited me over for chicken pot pie and conversation, and I left feeling quite stuffed. I traveled to Curry for the council meeting I've been dreading: a struggle with JL over who will have the final say in disputes. The meeting was very long, very uncomfortable and heated at times; I often get the sense that I'm the only council member willing to directly contradict JL. Others share my ideas on this or that issue, but they tend to beat around the bush when it comes to asserting their viewpoint. Basically nothing was accomplished at this meeting. We adjourned after deciding to speak with SGA about appropriate parameters of authority, and I left feeling dirty and, frankly, hung out to dry. That evening, I did my utmost to convince Trevor not to quit the band after he was unfairly removed from the Beanpot roster due to missing one game. He felt singled out and I urged him to speak with JL about it; with any luck he'll take my advice.
Alaric and I decided to watch The Sopranos and were interrupted by Sean. He lingered before leaving, and just as we got ready to pick it up again, Nathan appeared. We asked him to leave the room, but he pointlessly stalled to compose an email on his phone. After he finally vacated, Sean reappeared and asked to use the kitchen. We were thus prevented from finishing the episode, and Sean just paced around for another hour and a half before actually cooking. Alaric was in bed by this point and I was thoroughly frustrated, so I went for a run to get away from people. The path around the Fens was shoveled but fraught with black ice, and my run was harrowing. I fell down on such a patch immediately when I ran out the door, and again near the memorial at the top of the Fens. As Owl said, "Adventure is a wonderful thing." At home, I returned to work and completed an online quiz for International Political Economy.
Hockey section:
Nearly everything went the way I wanted this evening. In fact, the only game that went against me was the Penguins' 5-1 stoning of the Panthers. Hopefully this doesn't mean that the stars are aligning for evil teams.
Rangers 4 - Blue Jackets 3 (SO)
Wild 6 - Stars 2
Flyers 3 - Capitals 2
Bruins 6 - Blackhawks 2
Predators 2 - Sabres 1 (SO)
Canucks 4 - Islanders 0
Avalanche 5 - Lightning 4
Alaric and I decided to watch The Sopranos and were interrupted by Sean. He lingered before leaving, and just as we got ready to pick it up again, Nathan appeared. We asked him to leave the room, but he pointlessly stalled to compose an email on his phone. After he finally vacated, Sean reappeared and asked to use the kitchen. We were thus prevented from finishing the episode, and Sean just paced around for another hour and a half before actually cooking. Alaric was in bed by this point and I was thoroughly frustrated, so I went for a run to get away from people. The path around the Fens was shoveled but fraught with black ice, and my run was harrowing. I fell down on such a patch immediately when I ran out the door, and again near the memorial at the top of the Fens. As Owl said, "Adventure is a wonderful thing." At home, I returned to work and completed an online quiz for International Political Economy.
Hockey section:
Nearly everything went the way I wanted this evening. In fact, the only game that went against me was the Penguins' 5-1 stoning of the Panthers. Hopefully this doesn't mean that the stars are aligning for evil teams.
Rangers 4 - Blue Jackets 3 (SO)
Wild 6 - Stars 2
Flyers 3 - Capitals 2
Bruins 6 - Blackhawks 2
Predators 2 - Sabres 1 (SO)
Canucks 4 - Islanders 0
Avalanche 5 - Lightning 4
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Wyatt Earp
I got up far later than I planned and booked it over to Madison Park High School for volunteering. I ran most of the way, slipping and sliding through the drifts, but things were quiet at the rec center when I arrived. The folks running the event, a job fair for the Department of Youth Engagement and Employment, set us volunteers to folding programs. I shared a pleasant conversation with Michaela, Georgia's roommate Alicia, and three others: a Mexican girl who complained about the cold, a powerfully awkward guy from the sociology department, and someone who said that my calmness reminded her of a friend. Like most people, I have a weakness for flattery. This, together with the way the other guy was acting, reminded me of how much I've changed over time. It's easier for me to talk to people now.
We were put on crowd control for a while, channeling high schoolers through a gym full of information tables. Michaela and I were sent downstairs to direct people to an interview workshop, and once it started we were left to sit around and talk in the hallway. We had a long, deep discussion about social justice and our differing perspectives on it before our shift ended at noon. She elected to leave, but I needed more hours and stuck around to pick up a second shift. The next few hours passed quietly, and I walked back to campus with a bunch of the volunteers.
It took some time getting home, so I showed up somewhat late for the men's basketball game in the afternoon. It was Senior Day for the Huskies, and they won in style over Drexel, 83-73 in OT to make up for that bad overtime loss to Detroit. With 0.7 seconds left, a pair of free throws could have decided the game in Drexel's favor after the Huskies blew the lead, but the shooter missed his second attempt and it cost the Dragons dearly.
That evening brought the long-awaited hockey party, where we'd distribute the awards and penalties from last year's Stanley Cup bracket pool. We put on the 2015 Stadium Series game, and though most of the room was pulling for the Sharks, the Kings would take it 2-1. Hockey highlights: Red Wings 7 - Stars 6 in an OK Corral shooting gallery of a game; Capitals 3 - Islanders 2 in SO. Party highlights: Nathan accidentally turning into a juggalo while trying to do "husky" face paint; shotgunning beers; Ariel drinking a chalice's worth of Miller Lite; Jared wolfing down a butta burger like it was nothing. Chelsea, at the very bottom of our league still has to eat two of them; I have no doubt she's going to try and worm out of it. The next bracket pool is coming up in a few months, too.
Quotes of the day:
"You can't pour bees!" - Jake C
"I dress for the bougie and subdue to the ratchet." - Ariel
We were put on crowd control for a while, channeling high schoolers through a gym full of information tables. Michaela and I were sent downstairs to direct people to an interview workshop, and once it started we were left to sit around and talk in the hallway. We had a long, deep discussion about social justice and our differing perspectives on it before our shift ended at noon. She elected to leave, but I needed more hours and stuck around to pick up a second shift. The next few hours passed quietly, and I walked back to campus with a bunch of the volunteers.
It took some time getting home, so I showed up somewhat late for the men's basketball game in the afternoon. It was Senior Day for the Huskies, and they won in style over Drexel, 83-73 in OT to make up for that bad overtime loss to Detroit. With 0.7 seconds left, a pair of free throws could have decided the game in Drexel's favor after the Huskies blew the lead, but the shooter missed his second attempt and it cost the Dragons dearly.
That evening brought the long-awaited hockey party, where we'd distribute the awards and penalties from last year's Stanley Cup bracket pool. We put on the 2015 Stadium Series game, and though most of the room was pulling for the Sharks, the Kings would take it 2-1. Hockey highlights: Red Wings 7 - Stars 6 in an OK Corral shooting gallery of a game; Capitals 3 - Islanders 2 in SO. Party highlights: Nathan accidentally turning into a juggalo while trying to do "husky" face paint; shotgunning beers; Ariel drinking a chalice's worth of Miller Lite; Jared wolfing down a butta burger like it was nothing. Chelsea, at the very bottom of our league still has to eat two of them; I have no doubt she's going to try and worm out of it. The next bracket pool is coming up in a few months, too.
Quotes of the day:
"You can't pour bees!" - Jake C
"I dress for the bougie and subdue to the ratchet." - Ariel
Friday, February 20, 2015
The Buffalo Bomber
I met Michelle for lunch at Panera to check in and discuss various developments in our lives. We went back to the apartment to smoke, make art, and continue to talk for a while. After she took off, I went to Shandana's dorm to bring over her stuff, and there met two of her friends: relentlessly friendly Libby, a Massachusetts resident who definitely belongs in California, and Kara S, her extremely blunt roommate from New Jersey. After some conversation I was unexpectedly invited to dinner with them, and off we went to Cheesecake Factory. We met a few of their friends there, including Morgan again! This is turning into some 6 degrees of separation shit. Everyone was lively and personable at the table, and I enjoyed a huge chicken avocado club sandwich and an unconscionably good strawberry milkshake spiked with vodka and amaretto. The meal counts as healthy because I gave away most of my fries, right?
I bailed early to get to broomball on time, rushed home, changed and left again. I needn't have rushed; the other team failed to show and we won the game by forfeit. We were still amped to play and decided to run a 5v4 scrimmage. I was on the 4-player side and we were soundly beaten; Jake C faced many shots and was able to stop most of them, but the extra player was just too much of an advantage. Nate is by far our best player (possibly excluding Jake C) and makes his presence known all over the ice; when we switched him to our team near the end, the momentum obviously shifted in our favor, though it wasn't enough to scrape up a goal. Iris nearly scored once, shooting from in deep and hitting the left post before the opposing goalie (Malcolm?) could cover that side. I had two chances as well: one on a no-look pass into the crease, and another on a lofted pass that hit Nate's chest and then the crossbar before the goalie stopped it. I have a talent for quick acceleration on the ice and I'm not afraid to rumble with other players along the boards, but I need to up my stickhandling game.
The Rangers beat the Sabres, 3-1, as expected, and the Wild 4-0'd the Oilers. At home with Malcolm, Alaric, Molly, Nathan, and Sean, we decided that we were in the mood for a scary movie or two. Malcolm was not much for this idea at first, but we talked him into it and started up Dead Silence, a supernatural horror flick about a ventriloquist's dummy. Packed with tired horror tropes, the movie was a run-of-the-mill slasher but just fun enough to justify itself. Next up was The Blair Witch Project, still the most frightening movie I've ever seen. More to come!
Quotes of the day:
"Everybody looks like they should be on True Blood there." - Kara S
"Broomball is a big boy sport." - Jules
I bailed early to get to broomball on time, rushed home, changed and left again. I needn't have rushed; the other team failed to show and we won the game by forfeit. We were still amped to play and decided to run a 5v4 scrimmage. I was on the 4-player side and we were soundly beaten; Jake C faced many shots and was able to stop most of them, but the extra player was just too much of an advantage. Nate is by far our best player (possibly excluding Jake C) and makes his presence known all over the ice; when we switched him to our team near the end, the momentum obviously shifted in our favor, though it wasn't enough to scrape up a goal. Iris nearly scored once, shooting from in deep and hitting the left post before the opposing goalie (Malcolm?) could cover that side. I had two chances as well: one on a no-look pass into the crease, and another on a lofted pass that hit Nate's chest and then the crossbar before the goalie stopped it. I have a talent for quick acceleration on the ice and I'm not afraid to rumble with other players along the boards, but I need to up my stickhandling game.
The Rangers beat the Sabres, 3-1, as expected, and the Wild 4-0'd the Oilers. At home with Malcolm, Alaric, Molly, Nathan, and Sean, we decided that we were in the mood for a scary movie or two. Malcolm was not much for this idea at first, but we talked him into it and started up Dead Silence, a supernatural horror flick about a ventriloquist's dummy. Packed with tired horror tropes, the movie was a run-of-the-mill slasher but just fun enough to justify itself. Next up was The Blair Witch Project, still the most frightening movie I've ever seen. More to come!
Quotes of the day:
"Everybody looks like they should be on True Blood there." - Kara S
"Broomball is a big boy sport." - Jules
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Dark Was the Night
I abandoned my fear of contacting Prof. Dukakis in favor of my fear of receiving an incomplete and sent him an email. With luck, I hope to hear from him soon. In Constitutional Law, we discussed a fascinating topic: the changes in the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Commerce Clause from the 1800s to today and their implications. This sounds dry indeed on the face of things, but it is one of the most important functions of Congress and something that comes to bear on our lives every day. The walk home was miserable; the Fens is shoveled around the edges but the path through is still a snafu, like an obstacle course from Alaska or hell, possibly both. I haven't been discussing the snow situation much because it's just a fact of life right now, but I'm very happy that this isn't commuting season for me.
I went to a fundraiser for the sailing team at Five Guys and met with Claire, her friend that I can never pin down the name of, and Sara & Clay, and Griffin. This is the second time in my life that I've been to one of their restaurants and this was a vastly better experience. Also, a far greasier experience than anything in recent memory. From there, I walked over to Blackman to meet Shandana for "The Case for Reparations," a lecture by Atlantic writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. The essential purpose of the talk was to take the audience on a journey through the 200+ years of exploitation of people of color in America. I was stricken by the concept that slaves essentially replaced indentured servants in society, with people of color gradually losing their rights and the children of white indentured servants regaining theirs in turn. For me, the most compelling arguments were the economic ones: that the Civil War really was about slavery, that all the slaves in the United States were of greater economic value than all of its production centers. That is a huge investment to put on the line; it gets easier to explain some things when you follow the money, like the behavior of Congress, for example. I respected that during the following Q&A, Coates did not pretend to have a ready solution and declined to bullshit one. At home, I had a chill-out session with Sabrina, Malcolm, Sean, and Alaric. Sabs and I intended to watch The Mask (the Henrik Lundqvist special, not the comedy film) but were stymied because it's airing on MSG+, not MSG. Instead, we watched the Sharks flatten the Stars, 5-2. No problems there.
Quotes of the day:
"Dear, I think tonight we'll have a nice dinner, a bottle of wine, and commerce!" - Prof. Tolley
"...commerce is intercourse!" - Prof. Tolley
"The Chief Justice, from this point forward, gives constitutional law professors a bit of humor in an otherwise dry course- okay, okay." - Prof. Tolley
I went to a fundraiser for the sailing team at Five Guys and met with Claire, her friend that I can never pin down the name of, and Sara & Clay, and Griffin. This is the second time in my life that I've been to one of their restaurants and this was a vastly better experience. Also, a far greasier experience than anything in recent memory. From there, I walked over to Blackman to meet Shandana for "The Case for Reparations," a lecture by Atlantic writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. The essential purpose of the talk was to take the audience on a journey through the 200+ years of exploitation of people of color in America. I was stricken by the concept that slaves essentially replaced indentured servants in society, with people of color gradually losing their rights and the children of white indentured servants regaining theirs in turn. For me, the most compelling arguments were the economic ones: that the Civil War really was about slavery, that all the slaves in the United States were of greater economic value than all of its production centers. That is a huge investment to put on the line; it gets easier to explain some things when you follow the money, like the behavior of Congress, for example. I respected that during the following Q&A, Coates did not pretend to have a ready solution and declined to bullshit one. At home, I had a chill-out session with Sabrina, Malcolm, Sean, and Alaric. Sabs and I intended to watch The Mask (the Henrik Lundqvist special, not the comedy film) but were stymied because it's airing on MSG+, not MSG. Instead, we watched the Sharks flatten the Stars, 5-2. No problems there.
Quotes of the day:
"Dear, I think tonight we'll have a nice dinner, a bottle of wine, and commerce!" - Prof. Tolley
"...commerce is intercourse!" - Prof. Tolley
"The Chief Justice, from this point forward, gives constitutional law professors a bit of humor in an otherwise dry course- okay, okay." - Prof. Tolley
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
The Deep End of the River
Dream: I was with Peter, Johnny, and Sabrina among the crowd at a staged outdoor performance in the hilly wasteland that used to be my hometown. It was some kind of play or concert, but I don't remember what was happening on stage. My friends decided to leave and flag down cars in order to rob the drivers; I helped them stop one, then left them to their work. Katie and I snuck away, passing through someone's yard and under a willow tree. Soon I realized I was in woods familiar to my dream-self: a forest surrounding a lazy creek, slanted uphill on both sides, secluded and very quiet. Up ahead was a shack or garage at the water's edge; I'd seen this before too, but now it was larger and more complete, albeit with a dilapidated appearance -- like someplace where a redneck would run a moonshine operation. Katie turned into Iris, who mocked me for picking up bottle caps, and then into Maddie, who entered the building with me. Inside, we discovered a moonshine distillery (surprise!) and janky weed being "grown" in enormous quantities, cultivated like a mold on big blocks of an unidentified white solid. The material resembled candle wax or soap, but I was unwilling to touch it. Instead, I pointed out a few baggies of pre-separated reefer. "Most of it's in the other room," said Maddie, who was now Jules. I began to walk toward the other room and instead headed out the door as an intimidating, long-haired biker entered. Expecting a fight or questioning, I greeted him politely and he returned the pleasantry, then turned to Jules and began a conversation. Apparently they knew each other. I didn't want to act shady and go right back in, but now another biker (this one bald, with shades and a handkerchief tied around his head) was walking around on the driveway we approached from. With nowhere to go, I went down to the water to take a piss. I was interrupted en route by a buttoned-up older gentleman, who I somehow knew was "not Gary." He awkwardly chatted with me before starting back up the hill and I followed, anxious that he might discover the moonshine operation. Jules called to him through the open door: "They're fattening up a lot of wutter in here!" I suppose this meant he already knew about it, and he waved back but did not enter. We continued up the hill, steeper now, to a white house among the trees and entered. It was a remarkably ordinary, suburban-type home, not rustic in the least and rather out of place in these timeless woods. Finally, I nearly bumped into "Gary," who turned out to be Sopranos villain Phil Leotardo, but I successfully stayed out of his path. I ran back out of the house to freedom and woke.
In the evening, the men's basketball team defeated top-ranked William & Mary, 75-64, to tie for first in the conference! Highlight: A "Walker" chant from the stands culminating in a shot and then rebound by Eatherton, and finally with Walker sinking a three. I am filled with hope. The room assignments for Baltimore are out, and I'm excited to room with Peter again. After the game, I enjoyed a celebratory calzone and watched hockey with Maddie, Malcolm, Nathan, Alaric, Jules and Sean. The Red Wings beat the Blackhawks 3-2 in the shootout and the Wild climbed past the Flames with the same score in overtime, two strikes for justice.
Quotes of the day:
"I don't know why they decided to have this conference in New Orleans after Mardi Gras. It's gonna smell like pee." - Prof. Maness
"BENGHAZI, BENGHAZI, BENGHAZI!" - Prof. Tolley
"There's a sign on a tree I drive by that says, 'Remember Benghazi!'" - Prof. Tolley
In the evening, the men's basketball team defeated top-ranked William & Mary, 75-64, to tie for first in the conference! Highlight: A "Walker" chant from the stands culminating in a shot and then rebound by Eatherton, and finally with Walker sinking a three. I am filled with hope. The room assignments for Baltimore are out, and I'm excited to room with Peter again. After the game, I enjoyed a celebratory calzone and watched hockey with Maddie, Malcolm, Nathan, Alaric, Jules and Sean. The Red Wings beat the Blackhawks 3-2 in the shootout and the Wild climbed past the Flames with the same score in overtime, two strikes for justice.
Quotes of the day:
"I don't know why they decided to have this conference in New Orleans after Mardi Gras. It's gonna smell like pee." - Prof. Maness
"BENGHAZI, BENGHAZI, BENGHAZI!" - Prof. Tolley
"There's a sign on a tree I drive by that says, 'Remember Benghazi!'" - Prof. Tolley
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
It'll Last Longer
I moved 1500+ photos from my phone to my computer and uploaded a smaller selection to facebook. This took most of the day. I studied for Foreign Policy for a time, donned my Mardi Gras beads, and fell asleep at 5:30 p.m. or so. I slept until 2:30 a.m., slipping back into my favorite sleep schedule.
Monday, February 16, 2015
The Golden Path
Alaric and I watched more of The Sopranos today, and Johnny stopped at our place before his train left from Yawkey. We went to Fiji and I ended up more blazed than I've been in some time, which put me in the mood to decorate again. I put up a couple of posters and some stray pieces in my own room, then napped from 7:30 p.m. to around 2 a.m.
A treat upon waking: finding that the Rangers finally defeated the Islanders 6-5. The win came on a three-goal comeback, after three bad losses to them and after their fans were heard to chant "you can't beat us!" The game was playoff-level in intensity and massive in terms of fan presence. We've been trailing them in the standings for most of the season, and now we're only two points behind with two games in hand. McDonagh scored twice, Kreider scored again (consistency please!), Klein netted another, and Marty St. Louis broke his slump as well. 5-1-1 without Lundqvist and 4-0 to complete this road trip!
A treat upon waking: finding that the Rangers finally defeated the Islanders 6-5. The win came on a three-goal comeback, after three bad losses to them and after their fans were heard to chant "you can't beat us!" The game was playoff-level in intensity and massive in terms of fan presence. We've been trailing them in the standings for most of the season, and now we're only two points behind with two games in hand. McDonagh scored twice, Kreider scored again (consistency please!), Klein netted another, and Marty St. Louis broke his slump as well. 5-1-1 without Lundqvist and 4-0 to complete this road trip!
Sunday, February 15, 2015
At the Gates
The blizzard continued on and off throughout the day, so I stayed inside and relaxed. Accordingly, Alaric and I went ahead with The Sopranos. Nathan's friend from work came by to pick up her stuff and we chatted briefly. Early in the evening, I went to Emily's place and watched A Clockwork Orange with her. I knew it had some silly elements, but my limited understanding led me to expect something like an 80-20 disturbing-amusing ration, like the Joker; I was surprised to find it more of a 50-50. Ultimately, the movie wasn't really my speed -- I wasn't stunned by Kubrick's exacting direction, and not much about it spoke to me personally. I'm happy to have finally seen it, though. After this, I went to Peter's to watch parts of Captain America with him, John, and Matt S but stayed only briefly.
Quotes of the day:
"Knock knock. Who's there? America!" - Peter
...
Me: "The hidden rebel base is on the 4th moon of Bogosian!"
Alaric: "Sending 3 Evander-class transports now."
Me: "Kessel-class transports."
Quotes of the day:
"Knock knock. Who's there? America!" - Peter
...
Me: "The hidden rebel base is on the 4th moon of Bogosian!"
Alaric: "Sending 3 Evander-class transports now."
Me: "Kessel-class transports."
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Founder Worship
Jules and I walked to El Pelon for victuals and Jarritos, then returned and started The Wire. We watched two episodes; I'm reserving judgment for now, but there's a lot of characters and things haven't settled down yet. The alleged protagonist is hard to like, so there's that. I'm excited to continue this show, if its reputation is accurate. We hopped on the art train with Alaric, and Peter and John stopped by as well. In the evening, Lindsay and Lauren F came over and took my National Treasure virginity. It was good, not Con Air level but it was up there. I have a lot of respect for the way Nic Cage approaches his craft, even if it's goofy on the surface; he brings everything he has to the table.
Quotes of the day:
"She's feisty. She's got no fear in her eye." - Peter, re: Iris
"Taylor Hall's got dick-suckin' lips." - Lauren F
Hockey section:
Alain Vigneault became the 21st coach to reach 500 victories in the NHL with the Rangers' 5-1 roll of the Coyotes. Mike Smith impersonated a block of Swiss cheese, Nash was Nash (accurate + fast), Kreider was Kreider (fast + fast) and even Stempy scored one. I knew there was a reason that Kreider's one of my favorite players. 4-1-1 without Lundqvist.
Quotes of the day:
"She's feisty. She's got no fear in her eye." - Peter, re: Iris
"Taylor Hall's got dick-suckin' lips." - Lauren F
Hockey section:
Alain Vigneault became the 21st coach to reach 500 victories in the NHL with the Rangers' 5-1 roll of the Coyotes. Mike Smith impersonated a block of Swiss cheese, Nash was Nash (accurate + fast), Kreider was Kreider (fast + fast) and even Stempy scored one. I knew there was a reason that Kreider's one of my favorite players. 4-1-1 without Lundqvist.
Friday, February 13, 2015
The Real Huskies
At 10 a.m., I crawled out of bed and mustered all of my will to get dressed. All swaddled up, I walked out into the 8-degree weather and traveled all the way to the new East Village dorm to meet with other volunteers and shovel. Someone showed up after a few minutes' wait and informed us that the shoveling was canceled for the next few days due to the razor cold outside. I was fine with it -- I can count those hours anyway -- but I truly wanted to get the Fens shoveled because it's a pain trudging through that deep snow every day, and isn't inclement weather the whole point? With all this extra time, I picked up some super-cheapo booze for Ryan D (Caldwell's rum, delivered in a plastic bottle with the labels falling off, at only $17 a handle) and a box of Konas for myself. I chilled in the office with the hope that he could meet me there, but I didn't hear back and went home.
Carrying the box of beers across the Fens was a trial, and I rewarded myself by drinking beers. I then pregamed for hockey with Monica (who wasn't going), Iris (who's not in band), Jules (who got way too drunk), and Mary and Elizabeth (who did not drink.) I was toasty as well, but at least I didn't have to stand right next to JL during the game. What came next was the most dominant game of hockey any of us are likely to see at Northeastern. We went up 5-0 on UConn within one period, then widened the gap to 7-0 in the second. I kept expecting the other Huskies to tighten up, but they would never even get on the board. Our boys posted another two goals in the third for a 9-0 shutout -- call it marking territory. I went home with Jules, Alaric, Maddie and Malcolm, and soon slipped into a peaceful, intoxicated slumber.
Quote of the day:
"Use the problem solving skills that Northeastern University gave you and fuckin' figure it out." - Jules, to Iris
Carrying the box of beers across the Fens was a trial, and I rewarded myself by drinking beers. I then pregamed for hockey with Monica (who wasn't going), Iris (who's not in band), Jules (who got way too drunk), and Mary and Elizabeth (who did not drink.) I was toasty as well, but at least I didn't have to stand right next to JL during the game. What came next was the most dominant game of hockey any of us are likely to see at Northeastern. We went up 5-0 on UConn within one period, then widened the gap to 7-0 in the second. I kept expecting the other Huskies to tighten up, but they would never even get on the board. Our boys posted another two goals in the third for a 9-0 shutout -- call it marking territory. I went home with Jules, Alaric, Maddie and Malcolm, and soon slipped into a peaceful, intoxicated slumber.
Quote of the day:
"Use the problem solving skills that Northeastern University gave you and fuckin' figure it out." - Jules, to Iris
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Landslide
The Rangers defeated the Avalanche, 6-3, to improve to a 3-1-1 record since Lundqvist's injury. Kevin Hayes is looking better and better, with two assists and a goal tonight off a strong move to the net and around Varlamov. Nash also scored from his knees in a ridiculous effort. Zucc scored, D. Boyle scored, Hagelin scored, and McDonagh picked up an empty net; two of the Avalanche goals were scored by Iginla and Landeskog, players I respect and enjoy watching. In other news: Iris's "BOI" ball-bust count sits at 87, only three points out from the designated 90-point goal and ten points ahead of the closest NHL team (the Preds, with 77.)
After taking a short nap, I caught up on Arrow. Finally receiving a text from my guy, I journeyed across the campus and stopped in at one of my old haunts, the Douglass Park apartments. I waited and waited and waited in the lobby, standing around for half an hour or 40 minutes before he came down and let me in. By this time I was mildly agitated, and he got me back and let me test out a perc for the first time. This was fun to say the least. Our PR-breaking business complete, I headed back across Huntington and thoroughly enjoyed the walk. A light dusting of snow on the brick paths lent Northeastern a quiet and beautiful atmosphere; the air was crisp, cold and clear. Once home, I maintained and continued to read A Dance With Dragons.
Quotes of the day:
"I took out NATO and the EU and North America because those are our friends. We're friends, and we like to trade together, and we like to yell at Russia together, you know." - Prof. Maness
"I'll be in New Orleans next week, drinking hurricanes or whatever." - Prof. Maness
"Don't let Jon Stewart's absence keep you from voting. If your grandma votes, you know who they're gonna vote in. No offense to Grandma." - Prof. Maness
"You guys know what Mitch McConnell looks like. Not to pick on the guy's face, but damn." - Prof. Maness
"This is one of my desert-island-favorite cases." - Prof. Tolley, re McCulloch v. Maryland
"Free internet porn is easier to find than clean drinking water." - Anonymous
After taking a short nap, I caught up on Arrow. Finally receiving a text from my guy, I journeyed across the campus and stopped in at one of my old haunts, the Douglass Park apartments. I waited and waited and waited in the lobby, standing around for half an hour or 40 minutes before he came down and let me in. By this time I was mildly agitated, and he got me back and let me test out a perc for the first time. This was fun to say the least. Our PR-breaking business complete, I headed back across Huntington and thoroughly enjoyed the walk. A light dusting of snow on the brick paths lent Northeastern a quiet and beautiful atmosphere; the air was crisp, cold and clear. Once home, I maintained and continued to read A Dance With Dragons.
Quotes of the day:
"I took out NATO and the EU and North America because those are our friends. We're friends, and we like to trade together, and we like to yell at Russia together, you know." - Prof. Maness
"I'll be in New Orleans next week, drinking hurricanes or whatever." - Prof. Maness
"Don't let Jon Stewart's absence keep you from voting. If your grandma votes, you know who they're gonna vote in. No offense to Grandma." - Prof. Maness
"You guys know what Mitch McConnell looks like. Not to pick on the guy's face, but damn." - Prof. Maness
"This is one of my desert-island-favorite cases." - Prof. Tolley, re McCulloch v. Maryland
"Free internet porn is easier to find than clean drinking water." - Anonymous
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Inbound/Outbound
I studied in the band office with Becky keeping me company, and was actually (mostly) prepared for class today! I fell asleep on the couch at the last minute and got to Constitutional Law a few minutes late. Later, I met with Emily and Justin at the office again before shadowing a radio show at WRBB to get my DJ clearance. The show turned out to be "Inbound/Outbound", an eclectic, rock-dominated mix hosted by a friendly eboard member, Jane, and Jules' roommate Morgan, who thanked me for returning Jules to her after many nights on our couch. The two DJs curated a "hate songs" theme to celebrate Valentine's Day, interspersed with banter; I just had fun and rocked out for the duration, notably to No Doubt's "Sunday Morning". Back at the apartment, Nathan had returned from home; we caught up on The Flash and were outraged by Iris West's dirty doings. Plug: Inbound/Outbound on 104.99 WRBB or wrbbradio.org, 6-7 on Wednesdays this semester!
Quote of the day:
"Warriors! We're winter warriors!" - Prof. Rivera-Ottenberger
Quote of the day:
"Warriors! We're winter warriors!" - Prof. Rivera-Ottenberger
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Beginning
I somehow managed to sleep until 5 p.m., and was in a grouchy mood thereafter. I tried to work and fell asleep again and again in my chair. Over time, I slugged through my Foreign Policy readings, and stayed up late into the night reading for Constitutional Law. After this I moved on to A Dance With Dragons, which only continues to improve.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Sweep Me Up
I slept very much in. In my dream, many of us were in a mall complex out in the sticks, locked into some kind of workroom or storage space. The mall area outside was teeming with zombies, somewhere out of sight but certainly present. There were various supplies laying about on the workbenches and shelves of cheap plywood around the room; we walked on a bare, dusty wooden floor. With my affinity for stuff, I volunteered to lead the search for weapons. I pronounced dibs on any crowbar that we might find. None were in evidence, but I did find a hatchet, a couple of bats, a saw or two, and several lengths of steel pipe to distribute; I retained a bat for my own use. I picked a Rhinebeck beer out of a case, figuring it might dull my nerves (Rhinebeck is the city where I was born). If I was going to break heads, it might help. Under the bare, hanging lightbulb, Laura and Sabrina were sipping burgundy wine with the same idea and conversing quietly. (I have to ask now, where did those wine glasses come from?)
One girl I'd never seen before revealed a light wound, and everyone knew what this meant. She might turn any time. A guy whose face I knew was enlisted to prevent that. "Make it quick," she instructed, kneeling by the wall. He wound up and smashed a pipe into the side of her head with a gut-turning klonk. She hit the wall, unconscious, and slid down as he repeated the blow 2 or 3 times to make sure. It was quiet for a few minutes before Matt T organized everyone into teams for the sortie into the mall. When we headed out, everyone was making altogether too much noise, bitching about their teams, abandoning their partners for friends, and the like. I disapproved, but was tied up trying to wrest my bat out of Andrew's thieving fingers. Preoccupied with this, I lost track of my own team while retaking it. A sense of dread clutched at my heart for a moment. I abruptly split away from the large, noisy group and headed for a sub-level, meeting Alaric along the way. We walked down a spiral ramp, and he leaped nimbly onto a catwalk-like structure in the center. I considered making the jump but reconsidered, figuring I would be helpless if trapped up there. Instead, I decided to take the ramp to the bottom, where it was obscured from view by the contours of the building. I choked up on the bat and steeled myself for what was ahead.
I woke up to the old, familiar smell of pancakes. Sean offered me some of his and they were every bit as tasty as I dreamed. Most of my day was spent cutting up papers. We discovered the source of that strange, musty, bready smell in one corner of the living room: a several month-old loaf of bread [scare chord] abandoned among Nathan's things.Emily, Iris, Malcolm, Alaric, Jules and Sean passed the peace pipe, with some districts abstaining. It was around this time that Alaric and I decided to use the last of our powerups, splitting it half-and-half in a cocktail of lemon and orange juices. We were in familiar territory soon enough: standard jitters, that warm feeling, body awareness, attention problems, scribbling in my notebook. We discussed Battle Tetris and how stressful it is. A snowy walk to 7-11 was long, lonely and cold, everyone huddled up in coats, together but apart for a minute or two. I obtained glazed donuts and took a chance on an apple fritter (and it was scrumptious.)
Next up: Waking Life. This movie still blows my mind somehow. And by the way, the lemon juice is a proven technique; flights were boarding at this time! We took a tropical journey as well, squarely making this another "vice night." Selected WL highlights for today... Giacometti in a car accident: "Finally, something is happening to me!" Kierkegaard's (slightly misquoted) last words: "Sweep me up!" I felt frantic at this time, as if channeling something. Creative energies? Ambition? We talked about sitting and its benefits, white noise and the feelings it inspires -- no doubt the radiator had something to do with this -- paranoia, and the assertion of time as "an unending instant." We started to discuss hockey, some cooking stuff fell down with a clatter and scared us, and then it was back to hockey. Still in the body effects at this point, and it would be a time before we were over. I watched "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On" for the first time, admiring Jenny Slate's talent. A fully satisfactory night.
Quotes of the day:
"Particulate shadows. Shadows are becoming mosaics." - Alaric
"Being unconscious is awesome." - Emily
"The plane is boarded, but you have to set the passengers on fire." - Jules
"Smallastons. Smally World." - Malcolm
"Everyone gets to the 'yes' in the end. Write that down." - Malcolm
"That's what would happen if breads were beds!" - Alaric
"Continental breakfast, it's also a Continental bed!" - Alaric
"I'm like Rafiki on Pride Rock." - Jules, holding up her burrito
"Purple's a dope-ass color." - Jules
"I am all kinds of full of DAE Le Gems? tonight." - Jules
"This some da Vinci shit up in here!" - me
"...DAE Vinci?" - Alaric
...
Me: "Human connections."
Malcolm: "Social construction."
...
Me: "The shape of her face is interesting."
Malcolm: "She also has more teeth than the rest of us."
...
Me: "Uncle Bewbs."
Alaric: "No. Uncle-- no. Never again."
...
Alaric: "I remember that fondly."
Me: "Uncle Bewbs will fondly you."
...
Me: "Jules, you just went into Jules mode."
Jules: "That's funny, because I was trying to allow a burp to develop."
Me: "Sounds like my first relationship."
One girl I'd never seen before revealed a light wound, and everyone knew what this meant. She might turn any time. A guy whose face I knew was enlisted to prevent that. "Make it quick," she instructed, kneeling by the wall. He wound up and smashed a pipe into the side of her head with a gut-turning klonk. She hit the wall, unconscious, and slid down as he repeated the blow 2 or 3 times to make sure. It was quiet for a few minutes before Matt T organized everyone into teams for the sortie into the mall. When we headed out, everyone was making altogether too much noise, bitching about their teams, abandoning their partners for friends, and the like. I disapproved, but was tied up trying to wrest my bat out of Andrew's thieving fingers. Preoccupied with this, I lost track of my own team while retaking it. A sense of dread clutched at my heart for a moment. I abruptly split away from the large, noisy group and headed for a sub-level, meeting Alaric along the way. We walked down a spiral ramp, and he leaped nimbly onto a catwalk-like structure in the center. I considered making the jump but reconsidered, figuring I would be helpless if trapped up there. Instead, I decided to take the ramp to the bottom, where it was obscured from view by the contours of the building. I choked up on the bat and steeled myself for what was ahead.
I woke up to the old, familiar smell of pancakes. Sean offered me some of his and they were every bit as tasty as I dreamed. Most of my day was spent cutting up papers. We discovered the source of that strange, musty, bready smell in one corner of the living room: a several month-old loaf of bread [scare chord] abandoned among Nathan's things.Emily, Iris, Malcolm, Alaric, Jules and Sean passed the peace pipe, with some districts abstaining. It was around this time that Alaric and I decided to use the last of our powerups, splitting it half-and-half in a cocktail of lemon and orange juices. We were in familiar territory soon enough: standard jitters, that warm feeling, body awareness, attention problems, scribbling in my notebook. We discussed Battle Tetris and how stressful it is. A snowy walk to 7-11 was long, lonely and cold, everyone huddled up in coats, together but apart for a minute or two. I obtained glazed donuts and took a chance on an apple fritter (and it was scrumptious.)
Next up: Waking Life. This movie still blows my mind somehow. And by the way, the lemon juice is a proven technique; flights were boarding at this time! We took a tropical journey as well, squarely making this another "vice night." Selected WL highlights for today... Giacometti in a car accident: "Finally, something is happening to me!" Kierkegaard's (slightly misquoted) last words: "Sweep me up!" I felt frantic at this time, as if channeling something. Creative energies? Ambition? We talked about sitting and its benefits, white noise and the feelings it inspires -- no doubt the radiator had something to do with this -- paranoia, and the assertion of time as "an unending instant." We started to discuss hockey, some cooking stuff fell down with a clatter and scared us, and then it was back to hockey. Still in the body effects at this point, and it would be a time before we were over. I watched "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On" for the first time, admiring Jenny Slate's talent. A fully satisfactory night.
Quotes of the day:
"Particulate shadows. Shadows are becoming mosaics." - Alaric
"Being unconscious is awesome." - Emily
"The plane is boarded, but you have to set the passengers on fire." - Jules
"Smallastons. Smally World." - Malcolm
"Everyone gets to the 'yes' in the end. Write that down." - Malcolm
"That's what would happen if breads were beds!" - Alaric
"Continental breakfast, it's also a Continental bed!" - Alaric
"I'm like Rafiki on Pride Rock." - Jules, holding up her burrito
"Purple's a dope-ass color." - Jules
"I am all kinds of full of DAE Le Gems? tonight." - Jules
"This some da Vinci shit up in here!" - me
"...DAE Vinci?" - Alaric
...
Me: "Human connections."
Malcolm: "Social construction."
...
Me: "The shape of her face is interesting."
Malcolm: "She also has more teeth than the rest of us."
...
Me: "Uncle Bewbs."
Alaric: "No. Uncle-- no. Never again."
...
Alaric: "I remember that fondly."
Me: "Uncle Bewbs will fondly you."
...
Me: "Jules, you just went into Jules mode."
Jules: "That's funny, because I was trying to allow a burp to develop."
Me: "Sounds like my first relationship."
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Rebel Scum
This evening, Emily, Jules, Alaric and I burned through a considerable quantity of schwag and, joined by Sean at times, committed to having an entertaining evening. Lights low, we took Sean's recommendation and watched Dredd, an ultraviolent and blissfully politically deaf future-shooter. Judge Dredd is a cop of this dystopian, hyper-authoritarian state with a license to do basically whatever he wants while enforcing the law, and the entire movie is him, his mildly cute rookie partner, and the actress who plays Cersei Lannister just blasting the shit out of everyone and everything. The dialogue is choice at times: "Juve cube or body bag, your choice!" A drug that slows time and makes everything shimmer features prominently and in gory fashion in some inventive slo-mo sequences. Keep an eye out for the redshirt henchman with the horrendous long wig. Absolutely recommended if you're into something that won't preach.
Next: the rite of passage. Reefer Madness. It's from the 1930s and it has aged like wine, albeit by becoming even more alienating and confusingly funny. Synopsis: Reefer will make you run people down in your car without a second thought. Marihuana will make you kill. It can even kill you! Also, after a few months of smoking weed you will look and act exactly like a tweaked-out crack addict, complete with demented expression, tremors and crazy hair. The movie packs a lot of headscratchers -- the "faster! faster! piano scene and the aforementioned hit-and-run are highlights. It also provided some novel ideas about where to hide small objects on your person, and those are noted. This is a lively ride, and absurd as well. Recommended if you don't think weed is deadly.
Next up was Adventure Time, and then a very strange episode of The Flash featuring Dr. Snow acting very out of the ordinary. Bad karaoke + "Did you sneak a peek at my goods?" = fun character development. Speaking of snow: it is out of hand. If traversing the Fens becomes much worse, I may require a dogsled.
Quotes of the day:
"I can't go wearing this shit. They'll be like, 'are you from the future?'" [collapses laughing] - Jules
...
Emily: "I saw someone nakey."
Jules: "DAD???!!??!"
Next: the rite of passage. Reefer Madness. It's from the 1930s and it has aged like wine, albeit by becoming even more alienating and confusingly funny. Synopsis: Reefer will make you run people down in your car without a second thought. Marihuana will make you kill. It can even kill you! Also, after a few months of smoking weed you will look and act exactly like a tweaked-out crack addict, complete with demented expression, tremors and crazy hair. The movie packs a lot of headscratchers -- the "faster! faster! piano scene and the aforementioned hit-and-run are highlights. It also provided some novel ideas about where to hide small objects on your person, and those are noted. This is a lively ride, and absurd as well. Recommended if you don't think weed is deadly.
Next up was Adventure Time, and then a very strange episode of The Flash featuring Dr. Snow acting very out of the ordinary. Bad karaoke + "Did you sneak a peek at my goods?" = fun character development. Speaking of snow: it is out of hand. If traversing the Fens becomes much worse, I may require a dogsled.
Quotes of the day:
"I can't go wearing this shit. They'll be like, 'are you from the future?'" [collapses laughing] - Jules
...
Emily: "I saw someone nakey."
Jules: "DAD???!!??!"
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Bag Fries
I slammed down a wing-providing energy drink (hail corporate!) and dragged myself to Curry for another men's basketball game. At the office, I became as horizontal as possible in a chair and introduced myself to a new clarinet player who is apparently a Penguins fan. They are among us now. The Huskies fell to crap-tier Delaware -- of course -- and hundred of free "tuxedo" t-shirts were passed out. In tenth grade I thought those were the shit and some people can still rock them but this was the first time in a while that I declined free stuff. My tendency to hoard is becoming more apparent as time passes.
After the game, Sabrina came back to headquarters and was extremely helpful in preparing for Iris's sleepover birthday party, to be held later that night. She was gracious about my neurotic micromanagement of all of the cleaning efforts -- moving the furniture, vacuuming and mopping all over, cleaning the kitchen, etc. etc. -- and I doubt I expressed my appreciation enough. So thanks, Sabs. Iris hung up her brilliant multicolor paper chains, and our place immediately felt imbued with a bit more life. In the midst of all this, I was running up and down the stairs and doing my laundry (finally!) and trying to fold all of the XBOX HUEG load before the party started.
Providently, there were 11 hockey games this evening, so we put some of that on and got drunk. Most people were in pajamas or the like; I opted for my timeless "Andy at home" look, and Iris was running around in lingerie and boxing gloves. I frankly don't remember much about the evening, but Nick, Sara, Jared, Matt T and several others made appearances. "Fun, drunk and asleep in quick succession" should adequately describe my night. The party seemed good.
Quote of the day:
Peter: "You put the ketchup on the fries?! I'm breaking up with you."
Sabrina: "Okay, you owe me $6."
Peter: "Never mind."
Hockey Section, ignore if hockey does not interest you
Bad Endings:
NY Rangers 2 - Predators 3 [lost a good fight against the best in the west. not so bad.]
LA Kings 4 - TB Lightning 2
Hurricanes 5 - Sharks 4 [how....]
Good Endings:
NY Islanders 1 - Bruins 2 [heh heh. we watched the most of this game.]
Stars 2 - Sabres 3 [stars beaten by a minor league team. uninstall irl.]
Devils 2 - Habs 6
Blue Jackets 4 - Senators 1
Avalanche 0 - Wild 1
Red Wings 3 - Coyotes 1 [to the surprise of no one]
Penguins 0 - Canucks 5 [haha oh wow]
No One Cares:
Oilers 1 - Maple Leafs 5
And none of them went to overtime!
After the game, Sabrina came back to headquarters and was extremely helpful in preparing for Iris's sleepover birthday party, to be held later that night. She was gracious about my neurotic micromanagement of all of the cleaning efforts -- moving the furniture, vacuuming and mopping all over, cleaning the kitchen, etc. etc. -- and I doubt I expressed my appreciation enough. So thanks, Sabs. Iris hung up her brilliant multicolor paper chains, and our place immediately felt imbued with a bit more life. In the midst of all this, I was running up and down the stairs and doing my laundry (finally!) and trying to fold all of the XBOX HUEG load before the party started.
Providently, there were 11 hockey games this evening, so we put some of that on and got drunk. Most people were in pajamas or the like; I opted for my timeless "Andy at home" look, and Iris was running around in lingerie and boxing gloves. I frankly don't remember much about the evening, but Nick, Sara, Jared, Matt T and several others made appearances. "Fun, drunk and asleep in quick succession" should adequately describe my night. The party seemed good.
Quote of the day:
Peter: "You put the ketchup on the fries?! I'm breaking up with you."
Sabrina: "Okay, you owe me $6."
Peter: "Never mind."
Hockey Section, ignore if hockey does not interest you
Bad Endings:
NY Rangers 2 - Predators 3 [lost a good fight against the best in the west. not so bad.]
LA Kings 4 - TB Lightning 2
Hurricanes 5 - Sharks 4 [how....]
Good Endings:
NY Islanders 1 - Bruins 2 [heh heh. we watched the most of this game.]
Stars 2 - Sabres 3 [stars beaten by a minor league team. uninstall irl.]
Devils 2 - Habs 6
Blue Jackets 4 - Senators 1
Avalanche 0 - Wild 1
Red Wings 3 - Coyotes 1 [to the surprise of no one]
Penguins 0 - Canucks 5 [haha oh wow]
No One Cares:
Oilers 1 - Maple Leafs 5
And none of them went to overtime!
Friday, February 6, 2015
"I'm going to make this easy for you, Sal. You're the one who's changed. You're the one that's seeing through different eyes."
During the Rangers v. Hurricanes game on Saturday, a freak accident led to a shot striking Lundqvist in the throat. He flailed around on the ice for a bit, recovered, and remained in the game to lead New York to a 4-1 victory. He was a little shaky in the next game, a 6-3 win over the Panthers on Monday. Now word's come down that he suffered a "vascular injury" and could have had a stroke if he continued to goaltend, and he will be out "at least a month" -- note indefinite timetable. Talbot helped us get past the Bruins on Wednesday, but I don't know if he can continue to play at an elite level with the demands of a full schedule. Get well, Hank.
Julia and I went to Inbound Pizza, which is run by men who are certainly not Italian, to pick up lunch. We walked back to her apartment to smoke with Lucy and Jennifer and discuss road trips. I turned my grilled chicken & guac wrap into a sort of chopped salad and enjoyed it much better that way. ("Ya need that guac to get that guap." "If you ain't speaking guapanese, you ain't speaking my LANGUAGE!") We listened to throwbacks from Fall Out Boy before someone decided to put on Taylor Swift. The fun ended and I was forced to hustle over to the Green Line to get home in time to meet with Alanna.
I walked in the door, threw all the stuff I needed in a bag, and took off again. Alanna asked me to go to a show with her, I took the wrong path to West Village E and believed the front door was in the Behrakis courtyard for some reason, so I trudged through a few feet of snow up there to discover emergency exits only. When I did get inside, she offered me tequila and homemade orange juice, but I was too busy envying the spacious studio apartment. Instead, I added the OJ to my own vanilla vodka and made the most delicious drink I've ever had -- a perfect creamsicle with pulp.
We took the Orange Line to Sullivan Square and then tried to catch a bus, but found ourselves lost among the bus stops. We walked all the way to the last sign, saw the bus we needed pulling in, and realized we'd looked at all but the first sign, prompting a mad dash to get up there in time. The rest of the trip to Cuisine en Locale was uneventful, though both of us nearly slipped and died on icy pavement while trying to find the front door.
Inside, the venue was comprised of two floors. The lower was a large wooden dance floor and stage surrounded by carpeted flooring, lit by chandeliers and with a slanting white ceiling and walls. Think "junior high prom venue"; or perhaps "cheap wedding." The best way I can describe the quality of light is "tacky." Upstairs, there was a bar and some tables where people were drinking wine and noshing on flatbreads. I guess this place is also a "locavore" restaurant of some kind? Whatever. The second floor was set to the left and overlooked the first, with sliding windows and shades in the wall facing out over the dance floor. We camped out at a window and people-watched for a time, pointing out kids accompanied by their parents and awkward adolescent couples.
Before long, a dad came up to us and asked if he could use our window to videotape his son, the guitarist in the opening band. That was charming. We moved to the next window, I bought a Narragansett tallboy, and it was time for the first of four acts: a band called Daphne. This was a nondescript, high school aged punk band, talented for their age but unpolished, with a punk-cred female vocalist who I wished would do more. Next up: Pale Horse, who made some cool music but I wasn't really listening due to putting pizza in my face.
The third band was called Teen Suicide, and this was when me and Alanna hit the floor. We took care to avoid her ex-boyfriend from high school and tried to get Ben's attention. This was an emo/pop punk sort of band, predictably dark and noisy, and we danced in the middle of the crowd for most of their set. Finally, we got to the front of the crowd and Alex G came out and rocked our collective worlds. These guys are for real. (Check out "DSU" on Bandcamp for a taste of excellence.) I was fighting the crowd for nearly the entire set; the guy next to me was in "encircle and defend girlfriend mode" which was just irritating to observe, and I did my best not to knock Alanna on her head. Near the end, or more accurately during Alex G's second encore, I was nearly thrown to the ground and kicked my way out. We made our way home exhausted, but I was in too weird of a mood to sleep. I picked up A Dance With Dragons and read through the night.
Quote of the day:
"What is this place?" - Alanna
"High school! High school!" - Alanna
...
Jennifer: "Did you hear that one?"
Julia: "My body heard it."
Julia and I went to Inbound Pizza, which is run by men who are certainly not Italian, to pick up lunch. We walked back to her apartment to smoke with Lucy and Jennifer and discuss road trips. I turned my grilled chicken & guac wrap into a sort of chopped salad and enjoyed it much better that way. ("Ya need that guac to get that guap." "If you ain't speaking guapanese, you ain't speaking my LANGUAGE!") We listened to throwbacks from Fall Out Boy before someone decided to put on Taylor Swift. The fun ended and I was forced to hustle over to the Green Line to get home in time to meet with Alanna.
I walked in the door, threw all the stuff I needed in a bag, and took off again. Alanna asked me to go to a show with her, I took the wrong path to West Village E and believed the front door was in the Behrakis courtyard for some reason, so I trudged through a few feet of snow up there to discover emergency exits only. When I did get inside, she offered me tequila and homemade orange juice, but I was too busy envying the spacious studio apartment. Instead, I added the OJ to my own vanilla vodka and made the most delicious drink I've ever had -- a perfect creamsicle with pulp.
We took the Orange Line to Sullivan Square and then tried to catch a bus, but found ourselves lost among the bus stops. We walked all the way to the last sign, saw the bus we needed pulling in, and realized we'd looked at all but the first sign, prompting a mad dash to get up there in time. The rest of the trip to Cuisine en Locale was uneventful, though both of us nearly slipped and died on icy pavement while trying to find the front door.
Inside, the venue was comprised of two floors. The lower was a large wooden dance floor and stage surrounded by carpeted flooring, lit by chandeliers and with a slanting white ceiling and walls. Think "junior high prom venue"; or perhaps "cheap wedding." The best way I can describe the quality of light is "tacky." Upstairs, there was a bar and some tables where people were drinking wine and noshing on flatbreads. I guess this place is also a "locavore" restaurant of some kind? Whatever. The second floor was set to the left and overlooked the first, with sliding windows and shades in the wall facing out over the dance floor. We camped out at a window and people-watched for a time, pointing out kids accompanied by their parents and awkward adolescent couples.
Before long, a dad came up to us and asked if he could use our window to videotape his son, the guitarist in the opening band. That was charming. We moved to the next window, I bought a Narragansett tallboy, and it was time for the first of four acts: a band called Daphne. This was a nondescript, high school aged punk band, talented for their age but unpolished, with a punk-cred female vocalist who I wished would do more. Next up: Pale Horse, who made some cool music but I wasn't really listening due to putting pizza in my face.
The third band was called Teen Suicide, and this was when me and Alanna hit the floor. We took care to avoid her ex-boyfriend from high school and tried to get Ben's attention. This was an emo/pop punk sort of band, predictably dark and noisy, and we danced in the middle of the crowd for most of their set. Finally, we got to the front of the crowd and Alex G came out and rocked our collective worlds. These guys are for real. (Check out "DSU" on Bandcamp for a taste of excellence.) I was fighting the crowd for nearly the entire set; the guy next to me was in "encircle and defend girlfriend mode" which was just irritating to observe, and I did my best not to knock Alanna on her head. Near the end, or more accurately during Alex G's second encore, I was nearly thrown to the ground and kicked my way out. We made our way home exhausted, but I was in too weird of a mood to sleep. I picked up A Dance With Dragons and read through the night.
Quote of the day:
"What is this place?" - Alanna
"High school! High school!" - Alanna
...
Jennifer: "Did you hear that one?"
Julia: "My body heard it."
. . . . .
I've had a lot of people say a lot of hurtful things to me over the years but being told you were someone's second choice is up there with the worst ones. This is magnified when followed by an awkward half-apology because that person knows they blew it.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Goodbye Cool World
This morning, I fell asleep while reading for Foreign Policy and missed the class for the second day in a row. I was slightly late for International Political Economy, but my panic over the quiz on the syllabus was unfounded because it was simply posted online. This meant I could sleep in there again, which seems inevitable at this point. (Aside: It's still snowing.)
In the evening, I went to Julia's for the first time in a long while. I picked up alcohol at an unfamiliar liquor store and over the course of the night, the two of us somehow killed an entire fifth of strawberry vodka. We tried and failed to watch The Aviator, quickly being overwhelmed by distractions; next up was a long spate of conversation with Jennifer, some browsing through a great tumblr called asylum-art, and a crossword puzzle easy as tic-tac-toe when we combined forces. Later, quite drunk, I won a hard-fought battle with a timed quiz for International Political Economy. I ended up sleeping there; while working on the last of the fifth, Julia and I watched the original version of The Hills Have Eyes on her sister's recommendation. It was creepy for sure, but heavily dated (~1970s) and true to trope. The ending was almost textbook save for its abruptness. This was what I was mulling as I went to sleep.
Quotes of the day:
"I feel like most Julias are bitches." - Julia
"'Bosom' is one thing. That's wrong!" - Julia
"Yeah, we need to cut his balls off." - Julia
"Why aren't we talking about me?" - Jennifer
"He doesn't freak out like a cat should! That's the point of having a cat. So you can scare him." - Julia
"You shoulda thought of that before you were born to him, bitch." - Jennifer
...
Jennifer: "The most stolen food is cheddar cheese."
Cara: "Gotta get that chedda."
In the evening, I went to Julia's for the first time in a long while. I picked up alcohol at an unfamiliar liquor store and over the course of the night, the two of us somehow killed an entire fifth of strawberry vodka. We tried and failed to watch The Aviator, quickly being overwhelmed by distractions; next up was a long spate of conversation with Jennifer, some browsing through a great tumblr called asylum-art, and a crossword puzzle easy as tic-tac-toe when we combined forces. Later, quite drunk, I won a hard-fought battle with a timed quiz for International Political Economy. I ended up sleeping there; while working on the last of the fifth, Julia and I watched the original version of The Hills Have Eyes on her sister's recommendation. It was creepy for sure, but heavily dated (~1970s) and true to trope. The ending was almost textbook save for its abruptness. This was what I was mulling as I went to sleep.
Quotes of the day:
"I feel like most Julias are bitches." - Julia
"'Bosom' is one thing. That's wrong!" - Julia
"Yeah, we need to cut his balls off." - Julia
"Why aren't we talking about me?" - Jennifer
"He doesn't freak out like a cat should! That's the point of having a cat. So you can scare him." - Julia
"You shoulda thought of that before you were born to him, bitch." - Jennifer
...
Jennifer: "The most stolen food is cheddar cheese."
Cara: "Gotta get that chedda."
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
No Country For Told Men
I skipped Foreign Policy outright due to getting practically no sleep, but my scheduling confusion worked to my advantage this time. I made it through the rest of the school day without incident. After a brief break at home, I was off to campus again for a men's basketball game vs. Towson. The Huskies built a commanding 15-point lead early on, very nearly blew it (within 4 points!), and then capped off the game with some precise foul shooting. We never trailed, but once again, it was closer than it should have been. Walker and Eatherton were brilliant again, and other players like T.J. Williams chipped in as well. Anti-highlights: nearly losing; having the band's new GoPro stuck in my face. Highlights: a new distraction cheer for opponent's free throws wherein everyone mimics the "mine!" gulls from Finding Nemo; convincing Elizabeth C to run for events coordinator. Andy is graduating and Erika is stepping down due to being fed up, so there's going to be an intriguing shuffle within council.
After the basketball game, I went home to relax and smoke with Steph, Alaric, Nathan and Sean. We watched the Rangers defeat the Bruins 3-2 for their third straight win. It's too bad for Boston that you can't deflate hockey pucks... heh heh. This is an appropriate time to memorialize Iris's recent ball-busting efforts, which we've been tracking along with the NHL standings. It seems that deflated balls aren't limited to the New England Patriots...
Quotes of the day:
"If I don't eat a quesadilla, there's gonna be issues." - Jenny
...
Steph: "I used to eat ramen raw."
Alaric: "Ramen-Ra: the Egyptian god of uncooked pasta."
After the basketball game, I went home to relax and smoke with Steph, Alaric, Nathan and Sean. We watched the Rangers defeat the Bruins 3-2 for their third straight win. It's too bad for Boston that you can't deflate hockey pucks... heh heh. This is an appropriate time to memorialize Iris's recent ball-busting efforts, which we've been tracking along with the NHL standings. It seems that deflated balls aren't limited to the New England Patriots...
Quotes of the day:
"If I don't eat a quesadilla, there's gonna be issues." - Jenny
...
Steph: "I used to eat ramen raw."
Alaric: "Ramen-Ra: the Egyptian god of uncooked pasta."
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Jack of Clubs
I slept in a bit, then got up to work at the last minute before our reluctant return to school. I met Alanna in the ballroom to snatch some international food and then moved shop to the office, where Jules appeared as well. We took a radio show clearance class in the WRBB studio, so we're on the cusp of running our own; all that remains is to shadow an e-board member's show and sign up. All the different inputs and controls make my head spin, but I'm sure a little practice will clear that up. Soon, it was time to pregame and apply face paint for the first round of the Beanpot. I covered half my face in red, the other half in black, and drew a slantwise line across my face in reversed colors.
When we arrived at TD Garden, I was feverishly doling out the paint, but it turned out that we had a while to wait. The Harvard/Boston University game went into triple overtime before BU won cleanly, 4-3. Our semifinal opponent, of course, was Boston College. These guys have kicked us around every year and this year could make six Beanpots in a row for them, a chance to match BU's record streak. The first period ended tensely at 0-0; the Huskies scored on the power play at the beginning of the second, but BC soon tied the score on what I still deem to be a bullshit kick-in. We got ahead again, BC tied it again, and it looked like it was heading to overtime until Darou scored with only 90 seconds to go. With the Huskies now leading 3-2, the action was frenetic, but Witt held on tight for the win! The streak is broken! We're back in the finals, now matched against Boston University, the #1 team in Hockey East this year.
I loved the way the Huskies played tonight. There was unusual discipline to their game, and Boston College committed a series of penalties trying to rile things up and take advantage of our weak penalty kill. There were some bad offsides calls and at least two late icing calls; the final Husky goal was preceded by what looked to be a high, dirty hit on one of our players. The refs somehow missed that one, but the win more than made up for it. Someone had to take these guys down a peg. The cheers/fights were interesting, too: "Safety school!" "Sunday school!" "Jesus loves us!" "We've got jobs!" "We've got futures!" "Thank you Daddy!" And, of course, a personal favorite: "God can't save you!" Nor could he. At home, I drank, smoked and partied with Peter, Sabrina, Malcolm, Alaric, and Nathan. Given my schedule, this was the worst possible night to do so, but how often do you win like this? Jules remained and we stayed awake into the morning, discussing veganism and mankind's stewardship of nature. (I really hope "mankind" is still a politically correct alternative to "humankind" because it is a far more electric word.)
Quotes of the day:
"Demko is ugly crying right now." - Jules
"NU drift." - Justin
When we arrived at TD Garden, I was feverishly doling out the paint, but it turned out that we had a while to wait. The Harvard/Boston University game went into triple overtime before BU won cleanly, 4-3. Our semifinal opponent, of course, was Boston College. These guys have kicked us around every year and this year could make six Beanpots in a row for them, a chance to match BU's record streak. The first period ended tensely at 0-0; the Huskies scored on the power play at the beginning of the second, but BC soon tied the score on what I still deem to be a bullshit kick-in. We got ahead again, BC tied it again, and it looked like it was heading to overtime until Darou scored with only 90 seconds to go. With the Huskies now leading 3-2, the action was frenetic, but Witt held on tight for the win! The streak is broken! We're back in the finals, now matched against Boston University, the #1 team in Hockey East this year.
I loved the way the Huskies played tonight. There was unusual discipline to their game, and Boston College committed a series of penalties trying to rile things up and take advantage of our weak penalty kill. There were some bad offsides calls and at least two late icing calls; the final Husky goal was preceded by what looked to be a high, dirty hit on one of our players. The refs somehow missed that one, but the win more than made up for it. Someone had to take these guys down a peg. The cheers/fights were interesting, too: "Safety school!" "Sunday school!" "Jesus loves us!" "We've got jobs!" "We've got futures!" "Thank you Daddy!" And, of course, a personal favorite: "God can't save you!" Nor could he. At home, I drank, smoked and partied with Peter, Sabrina, Malcolm, Alaric, and Nathan. Given my schedule, this was the worst possible night to do so, but how often do you win like this? Jules remained and we stayed awake into the morning, discussing veganism and mankind's stewardship of nature. (I really hope "mankind" is still a politically correct alternative to "humankind" because it is a far more electric word.)
Quotes of the day:
"Demko is ugly crying right now." - Jules
"NU drift." - Justin
Monday, February 2, 2015
The Wire Was Filmed In Baltimore
The heavy snowfall continued and class was canceled again, just as predicted. Jules and I went to Rod Dee 2 for a hearty lunch. (I mean that literally, a piece of chicken in my pad thai was unsettlingly heart-shaped.) Alaric joined us to enjoy a Coca-Cola product, after which Jules and I started The Wire. The unrealistic plan is to finish the entire show before the Baltimore trip. We watched the first two episodes, which definitely feel rougher than other HBO shows I'm familiar with, but are fascinating in their own way. There are lots of characters -- including another couple of unlikeable protagonists -- and interesting use of black & white photography to highlight each one. So far, detective work is portrayed as a largely thankless diversion from a corrosive office environment and the insular culture of the "thin blue line," still so topical today. This is heavy stuff, and I was ready to catch up on The Flash and Arrow once we'd watched our fill.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Finish the Job
We threw a semi-planned Super Bowl party with Michelle, Sabrina and her friend Sarah (sp?), Molly, Lauren F, Iris, Alaric, Nathan, and Peter -- the lone guy rooting against the Patriots. Calzones were eaten and chips demolished, and I found myself drunker than expected on that sarsaparilla whiskey. I can't claim to be a real football fan, but it was cool watching the Seahawks ensure the Patriots' victory with that extremely boneheaded throw, a yard away from victory. We built and tested a new, cruder gravity device to supplement Truman, to awe-inspiring effect. Non-sportsball highlight: the Walter White pharmaceutical commercial.
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