It's hard knock life for bicyclists in Iowa City... or more accurately, just a confusing one.
Here are a few (common sense) etiquette rules for both bikers and drivers in Iowa City:
1) DO NOT RIDE YOUR BIKE ON THE SIDEWALK! Not only is this illegal, but it is completely disorienting for pedestrians and fellow bikers alike. You sidewalk bikers also create a bad rap for law abiding street bicyclists, causing automobile drivers to point you out when complaining about our inconsiderate asses taking up precious street space.
3) FOR SENSIBLE STREET CYCLING, STAY IN THE BIKE LANE Iowa City traffic is relatively light, unlike Chicago, where a constant flow of tight-packed traffic deems haphazard interweaving of automobiles acceptable. The streets are big, there's plenty of room for everyone to stay on their sides!
2) DRIVERS: DO NOT IMPATIENTLY TRAIL BEHIND CYCLISTS This is creepy, annoying, and rude, especially when said cyclists are following rules number one and two. Bikers are (hopefully) aware of your presence-- drive around, not behind us.
3) DO NOT LISTEN TO YOUR IPOD WHILE RIDING Just because you're on a bicycle does not make you invincible.
4) LOCK YOUR BIKE And not with a dinky, barbed wire lock: People totally like, steal things...
5) USE YOUR HAND SIGNALS Or... smash?
6) BIKING UP HILLS SUCKS Not really a rule, but definitely a fact.
Phew! Now that the citizens of Iowa City have been properly informed, the streets are finally safe.
This guy is totally not following the rules, giving an improper turn signal.
Recently Activision announced that Cobain's virtual likeness will be making an appearance in Guitar Hero 5 as a playable character. While I have never been a huge fan of the band that started the grunge movement, I have a strong feeling that this is not the kind of post-death treatment the musician would have wanted.
Cobain died because of all the fame and fortune that was getting to his head. He never wanted Nirvana to be a household name and the fact that Courtney Love and Dave Grohl agreed to this seems ridiculous, since they were both close to the singer/guitarist.
I sense that someone related to the Cobain estate must be running into financial troubles...
Heidi Montag cannot sing. Everyone knows that. So why are we still giving her publicity? Not only is she riding on the coat-tails of other people riding on coat-tails (i.e. Lauren Conrad, The Hills), no one besides Anderson Cooper (that's my boy!) seems to have said anything about it. It pains me to see the downhill slope the entertainment industry has been on for such a long time. Whatever happened to the Triple Threat: Singing, Dancing, Acting? When did having talent become a co-requisite or no-requisite to becoming famous? I want to know who authorized this. Oh wait, I already know the answer to that. It's American culture. As a society one hundred percent consumed with all that is superficial, we have allowed either consciously or sub-consciously, ourselves to become suckers for whatever sells the tabloids. Honestly, do we not have anything more important to think about? How about our country going to hell in hand basket? Evidently that's not as important as what Speidi just tweeted about. It honestly sickens me to think that our society holds people who probably don't even know the correct forms of to and too up to such a high level of importance. I admit that I'm guilty of sometimes watching TMZ or scanning the gossip section of the MSN homepage, but you would never catch me surfing through PerezHilton.com. I have better things to do and I bet you do, too. Try watching the news and learning about something that's actually important instead of wasting your time on talentless hacks who didn't get the memo that their fifteen minutes of fame are up. Ok. I'm done now. I swear I'm normally a very cheerful person.
The LA County coroner has ruled Michael Jackson's death a homicide, and with Dr. Conrad Murray under investigation, people have got lots to say. Millions are outraged, dizzy with despair, even losing sleep over this development. And is it just me, or this all getting to be a little too much?
What I find most interesting about this whole ordeal is what die-hard MJ fans have to say. Throwing around language like, "kill Conrad Murray and then we can all get some peace" seems a little intense. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan just like the rest and will be first one up on that karaoke stage belting out "Man in the Mirror" in pure tribute. But I'm not part of this creepy breed of Michael-lovers who camped outside of the Neverland Ranch in hopes of getting a glimpse of MJ's body before the burial. One camper made a sign that said, "We R Waiting for U Michael!" That's the kind of stuff that nightmares are made of.
I took the liberty of quickly browsing (three hours and 45 minutes later) the many comments that Michael supporters were willing to share. Here are a few of my favorites:
In this article on the fab life blog, my favorite commenter is Diamond, who surely has something important to say, though I can't quite decipher the words. That's what real agony does to you, people. It makes you illiterate. I also like how Britt refers to Michael as Mike, because, you know, they were on a nickname basis. And lets not overlook Renee's ALL-IN-CAPS-HEART-WRENCHING- ENTRY. Caps lock has never looked so good.
Next, we move to this TMZ comment thread. I think #3 really nails it when they say that Dr. Murray will be going to the "pokey" (really, who uses that word) and then quotes his favorite cartoon character for additional support. "That's, that's, that's all folks!" Well put, Porky Pig.
Move to page two and you'll see that commenter #20 feels it's never too soon to start casting a major Hollywood movie, with Will Smith as Michael Jackson and Robin Williams as Dr. Conrad Murray. Now #20, you had me at a shameless movie re-creation--which will most definitely happen--but you lost me at your casting decisions. Will Smith as MJ? Really? I'm pretty sure one of the Jonas Brothers would do a better job as the King of Pop. And did you hear that Robin Williams, quite unlike Dr. Murray, is white? I think I read that somewhere...
# 23-25 seem to think this whole MJ homicide movie is a real kick. Oh, you think this is funny #25? Because some people are crying themselves to sleep over this! You should be ashamed for ROTFLMAO!!!!
As a black man, Big Jon on this comment thread on the LA Times blog thinks the homicide is a direct result of a racist-driven conspiracy that's been brewing against African American superstars for years. It all comes back to Tupac, doesn't it Big Jon? I also like how Ronny E. Antelo is all of a sudden the authority on "Addiction Disease" (huh?) and spells Elvis' last name as 'Praysley.'
And while we're at it, might I insert a little irrationally-involved comment of my own, addressed to Dr. Conrad Murray:
Dear Dr. Murray, I wouldn't mind an opportunity to formally kick your ass. Now I'm not here to speculate whether or not you're innocent, but your video message really pissed me off.
First of all, how dare you ambush me with that strange accent! And might I ask who, exactly, are your supporters? You think every tabloid-loving-alleged-pop-icon-murderer automatically gets a fan base?
Now with my blood pressure sky-high, I don't know quite where I was going with all this. But what I do know is that Michael Jackson's memorial service cost the city of Los Angeles approximately $1.4 million of tax-payer money, and if I'm going to be losing sleep over any of this hullabaloo, it's that fact that will haunt me.
One beautiful young woman has been causing quite a stir recently in the magazine world. The September issue of Glamour Magazine features a nude photo of 20-year-old Lizzi Miller, tastefully posed, smile beaming. Miller, as size 12, is what most average people would consider normal. In the realm of high fashion, however, double-digit sizes are rarely looked highly upon, and immediately placed in the "plus-size" file (with few exceptions). Anyone looking at this photo will most likely have one of three different reactions:
Love it - "Finally, a real woman in a fashion magazine!" Hate it - "She does not belong in the pages of Glamour." Indifferent - "It's just a picture, folks."
Having done a bit of perusing other blogs and news stories regarding this photo (which, by the way, is rather small and buried on page 194), it is clear that the overwhelming response has been extremely positive. This most recent issue seems to finally begin to understand the concept of "real," featuring Miller in their pages. Here, we see a woman who, seemingly, is not only comfortable with herself, but also laughing at those who think she shouldn't be.
Watching this video, there is really no way you can't love this girl for what she is saying, and how she represents herself. Recognizing the fact that she, among millions of other American women, have some sort of issue with the way they look. Part of this, as many of us know, stems from what the mass media generally portrays as the ideal form of beauty, which is a lot thinner than most.
Miller also made a great point near the end of the video, saying that sure, a size 2 may be natural for some females, but it's just not for everyone. To the few nay-sayers who think this portrayal of "real women" will only further excuse being overweight, Miller advocates a healthy lifestyle, and that the body she has is the result. She offers no excuses, and everything she says is what most women are thinking.
The only problem is, this type of positive attitude toward accepting and being oneself is not marketed nearly as much as it should be. We do have publications like Self that are taking things in a healthier direction--aside from that whole Kelly Clarkson debacle. One can only hope that Glamour and others will begin to follow suit. While a total upheaval of beauty and fashion may never happen, one can only hope that baby steps like these will only help women find solace in embracing what they were born with.
I, like many on campus, are new timers to the residential hall experience. And to put it frankly, the last time I slept on a bunk bed I was 10 years old. A lot has changed in these 8 wonderful years, most notably, my height. Within the past couple days of my new college experience, I have managed to crack my forehead against the boards underneath my loft a dozen times almost to the point of tears. Not only being below the loft is a problem, but above. Like many victims of allergies, I am prone to being a bit sniffly in the middle of the night. Kleenex box at the ready, I sit up in bed, and what do you know, I clap my head against the ceiling with such a force that I actually wake up my roommate. Since these incidents, I have noticed I felt a strain on my neck as I involuntarily cower whenever I am around my loft.
Therefore -
Hit a tuning fork and the dog will salivate.
Place a student underneath a loft and he/she will cringe.
I don't know about everyone else, but I've had October 16th circled on my calendar since spring — the day Where The Wild Things Are finally hits theaters and makes the little boy inside of me cry with happiness.
If you haven't heard, Karen O from Yeah Yeah Yeahs is headlining and co-producing the movie's soundtrack. The first single "All is Love" dropped today digitally, but you can listen to it for free on their myspace! Driven by bouncy acoustic guitars and children's voices, the song just screams happiness.
On another joyous note about Where The Wild Things Are, a new trailer released earlier this month! You can watch it below.
Hunting man, it has been said, is the most dangerous game. The most "Wicked Game," even, if you're Chris Isaak.
People are squishy, but also resourceful when necessary. This is definitely true if you find yourself stuckon a desert island with a bunch of hungry-looking strangers and a cache of weapons or being offered a large sum of a money by an overzealous millionaire with a high-powered rifle and forty acres of forest in his backyard like John Leguizamo in The Pest. But it's also true if you're just looking for pics of your favorite celeb on the Internet, at least according to anti-virus software giant McAfee.
Today, McAfee released their annual list of the most dangerous celebrities in cyberspace. Last year, the winner of this dubious distinction was Brad Pitt. This makes perfect sense. He's one of the hottest stars in Hollywood, and one stare from those steely eyes or a glance at those abs could kill most lesser mortals. This year he dropped to number 10 on the list. Apparently Hackers are upset that he took Angelina Jolie away from them and couldn't stand to associate their work with his name any longer.
At #5 is Jessica Simpson, someone who, according to McAfee's release, "is as dangerous to search online as she is famous."
Though Cowboys fans would have surely agreed when she was dating Tony Romo, I take this to mean that websites devoted to Jessica Simpson are getting safer and safer every day. Speaking of quarterbacks, #4 is ball-slinging stud-muffin extraodinaire Tom Brady. His girlfriend, Gisele Bundchen, is #6. If McAfee is to be believed, their child is going to come with spyware and a Trojan virus pre-installed. Probably Windows Vista, too.
#3 is Jennifer Aniston. McAfee notes that searches for her turned up many viruses, including one called the "FunLove" virus. Brad Pitt and John Mayer disagree.
Beyonce is McAfee's perennial #2, now appearing at the spot for the second year in a row. Somewhere, Kelly Rowland's solo career is chuckling, filled with a sense of justice.
That brings us to this year's #1. Who could be more famous, and thus an easier mark for hackers looking to foist their wares (ad-, spy-, and mal-) on unsuspecting victims than Brad Pitt, Miley Cyrus (#7) or Megan Fox (tied with Angelina Jolie at #8)? Barack Obama, perhaps? No. Obama didn't even make McAfee's Top-15, appearing on the list at #34. It appears that even hackers are filled with a sense of Hope this year.
Coming in at #1 on the list is Jessica Biel.
I know what you're thinking: "Not Mary Camden!" I know, I know. It's a tough pill to swallow, but even a tougher one to search for, with McAfee reporting a one-in-five chance of reaching a dangerous site when searching for the starlet online. How is she, star of such Oscar contenders as Stealth and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, is the most volatile celebrity on the web? I can't say. But underneath those piercing hazel eyes and that winning smile lies evil of the highest order. When you try to download a picture of them, that is.
We all know the Internet can be a dangerous place. It's full of creeps, thugs, and infected Kim Kardashian (#15) screensavers. But, as McAfee warns, even fans of celebrities (and bloggers looking for photos to accompany posts) need to be hyper-aware of their cyber-surroundings. It seems that nowhere is safe. So remember, when hunting the most dangerous game, do it the old-fashioned way: with a musket and a head start.
You may not be able to tell when I inconspicuously just stop walking and act like I am taking something out of my bag. The truth is that I have realized that I am going in the wrong direction and need to turn around.
You may not be able to tell when I am leading my friends along to class. The truth is that I just saw the map and lucked out.
You may not be able to tell when I am running confidently around campus for a tough work out. The truth is that I had no idea where I was going, and I felt sick afterwards. Note to self: running in new settings means you run longer.
You may not be able to tell when I walk around the mall pretending to window shop. The truth is that I could not find Beat the Bookstore and was in a desperate search.
You may not be able to tell when I casually step in a really long line to Panchero's. The truth is that I just wanted to know what all the fuss was about. I eventually learned that there were $1 burritos. I do not like burritos.
I know it is hard to believe that I am a freshman with my crafty techniques. Or maybe, you can easily spot me? Maybe I just look like an idiot trying to cover it up? I guess I won't know until I am a senior.
-Sarah Larson
I’ll admit it—I am (or used to be) a religious Hills viewer. Like most girls who watch the show, Lauren is my favorite. Who doesn’t love watching her hook up with hot guys (Brody Jenner, to be more specifically) while still trying to work at People's Revolution and keep up her “good girl image?” A side note: What was she thinking getting Stephanie hired there? That may have been her biggest mistake on the show—with exception to Jason. Now back to The Hills cast. Lauren has left, and really, who can blame her? So who’s left with an exciting story to tell? Enter Speidi. With the worthlessness that is Spencer, we could probably just say Heidi. And it all begins with her Playboy cover. Please don’t let this get to your head, Heidi; you’re the only sane one left in the relationship and we all know what this is doing to Spencer….
The producers of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! made a mistake by not allowing Speidi to return to the show. They should have left them in the jungle and saved the work some annoyance. Heidi, you’re not a sex symbol like some other Playboy models are. Maybe to your husband, but no one really takes him seriously. And since you’re not sex symbol, please don’t try to imitate one either… Cough Britney Spears cough. Good luck becoming the next pop star, Heidi. And good luck to The Hills during season 6…
