Random Acts of Kindness

Today I met my guardian angel in Kimmel. I had just went out on a limb to try that weird stir-fry thing in the center of the food area, which I haven't had since first semester freshman year, so don't judge. I sauntered over to the cashier, and he was ringing up the order when the girl behind me said that she had a lot of money on her supercard and offered to buy my food. I protested, but she handed over her ID card anyway, and the cashier said I was all set. I was in a state of amazement. Who does something like that? I'm thinking in the cheesiest terms right now and encouraging the readers of this blog to PAY IT FORWARD just like little Haley Joel Osment would. To that girl, wherever you are, you did a truly great deed. The stir-fry was just okay.

In Defense of Old Man Winter

Now that it's December, it's time we took a good hard look at our surroundings. Looking out windows across campus, we are faced with an inevitable white reality. Today I cleared off 2 feet of snow from my car, just to move it to the other side of the street. The futility was never so staggering. Walking to class is now a 30 minute walk as opposed to a 15 minute walk. And it's cold. There is a new style of Uggs being sold at J. Michael's. Moonboots are still being sold at J. Michael's. These are all things we let get us down year after year, but for the first time today I began to think differently and I encourage you to do the same.

Perhaps my mind has become a nice shade of jade after four years or maybe I am subconsciously subscribing to the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" motto, but rather than seeing all the bad things, I could see the good things. Let's first throw out the obvious literary allusions: the snow is a form of purity, a new landscape everyday to be shaped, digested, urinated on for monogramming purposes, a tabula rasa for everyone. Now, let's go deeper. Snow acts a great equalizer of campus status, socioeconomic differences, and even the great divide of man and woman. Before this goes political, hear me out. When a Theta girl slips on the ice, an interesting thing happens. It is precisely the same thing that happens when a brother of TKE, an Asian graduate student, an African-American athlete, a top 5 ranked Halo 3 player, and an old woman fall. Stereotypes aside, the results are always the same: total loss of control of limbs. Instantaneous playing-it-cool demeanor upon rising. Nervous laughter coupled with a rapid over the shoulder look around. No one is above this: it's a knee jerk reaction to an all too common occurrence here, and we've all experienced it. ¡Adios class divisions!

I'll take this a step further. Snow provides us the means to achieve previously unobtainable common ground between people. What better ice breaker than ice itself! When people arrive at various locations around campus, haggard faces are met with other haggard faces, boots of all kinds, scarfs of all colors, jackets of all shapes, and personal creeds of all kinds. College Democrats unknowingly sharing a word with College Republicans between classes? What is this magic powder? There was always something to be said about the group of people you climbed Mt. Everest with, so why should a trip down a wind swept Ackerman be any different? Your nostril hairs are frozen? I hear you, my brother. Your knee is skinned from slipping down your front steps? Amen, my sister. Who can forget that girl or guy, seemingly completely different from you in every conceivable way, that you added as a Facebook friend Freshman year after a heartfelt discussion regarding how terrible the snow really is? I know I haven't.

Best of all, the snow demands nothing from us. It provides us with thousands of opportunities for humility, cooperation, interpersonal connections, self improvement (I got to the Geology building in under 20 mins yesterday!), and most importantly a functioning environment. The next time you find yourself cursing your professor for not canceling class, I implore you, nay, demand that you reconsider your situation. Firstly because it will never happen again, secondly because maybe this class will finally be the one where you work up the courage to talk to that good looking girl/guy that has ignored you all semester (hint: defog your glasses BEFORE approaching). Or maybe you'll catch a glimpse at the latest insulated fashion as promoted by all those trend setting winter warriors, braving the trek to that last Statistics class before the open book final. In the end of the day, you'll be sleeping soundly in your warm, heated bedroom and you will have forgotten about the trouble snow may have caused you. But lucky for you, just when you think you've forgotten, there's always a friendly reminder just one Lake Effect Emergency Weather Warning away in Syracuse.

SCHINE Student Center

We've all read the extensive articles in the DO over the years that highlight all the things that are wrong with our humble student center. I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you that there is some good to it:

Bookstore:
Forget even thinking about buying another jersey for a team you don't play for. Head downstairs and straight to the newsstand. The bookstore's selection of magazines is surprisingly sweet- personal favorites of mine include The Fader and New York Magazine (seriously, read this magazine). Also to my surprise was the addition of VenusZine, a longtime favorite of mine. Pretty sure it arrived in the bookstore because a friendly employee overheard me gushing about it and offered to start carrying it! Look at what influence we have, students! Rise up and request your favorite magazine!

Food Court:
Sal's Birdland scares the crap out of me. But luckily the food court has (recently?) expanded their random foods selection with an "organics" or maybe "all-natural" section, which is set apart from all the other food by a fall-foliage garland. Just think about all the granola you will soon get to eat! Also I noticed huge bottles of hot sauce in a (new?) stand close to the check-out line. The sign adjacent to it suggests that these huge hot sauce bottles are "grab and go!" I would really like to get some facts on how many of these grab and go hot sauce bottles have been sold... and why.

[picture from http://emc.syr.edu/tour/new/images/photos/38-1.jpg thanks, dudez!]

The MOST

Big ups to an article published today by The Post-Standard (URL at end of post). I had no idea that the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST to most) was undergoing serious renovations... and I was just in there. It's about time, too. Maybe it's because I'm in college, but the MOST feels mediocre at best. (Seriously, would it kill the staff of the MOST to change the bubble fluid once in a while? I can't even trap myself in a bubble!) Exceptions include the planetarium, IMAX as well as the sweet light thing that takes a "photo" of your shadow. The planned renovations sound seriously sweet- I can't wait to push toddlers out of the way so I can learn about the topography of Central New York. The only thing that bothers me a little about this is the approach- the renovations are sponsored by CNY businesses- okay- but this is because they think they can attract future employees? At age six? Really? As strange as that seems, we should be thankful that explansions are happening.


Support, Support:

http://www.syracuse.com/articles/news/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1196157568313350.xml&coll=1

Syracuse on Myspace

Myspace can be pretty creepy, and I read an article somewhere that says most of its users are more likely to have found a job after high school then go to college- but don't let that influence you! Myspace is increasingly being utilized by Syracuse people, places and things. Also once you visit these pages, you will be linked to many, many more Syracuse-centric myspaces. Think of this special myspace usage as research.. fun research? It's enriching!


"Syracuse": myspace.com/itsallheresyracuse
Alto Cinco: myspace.com/422mexx
Alto Cinco Late Night: myspace.com/alto_cinco
Second Story Book Store: myspace.com/second_story
Recess Coffee: myspace.com/recesscoffee
Halo Tattoos and Piercing: myspace.com/halotattoo
The Bang Project: myspace.com/thebangproject
Syracuse Experimental: myspace.com/syrfilmworks
Spark Art Space: myspace.com/sparkartspace
Roji Tea Lounge: myspace.com/rojitealounge
Syracuse Public Arts: myspace.com/syracusepublicarts
Real Food Co-Op: myspace.com/syracuserealfoodcoop
Razzbarry Boutique: myspace.com/razzbarrysyracuse
Warehouse Gallery: myspace.com/thewarehousegallery

...and coming soon: myspace.com/syracute!



[photo from http://www.combatsportscentre.co.uk/pictures/Myspace_Logo.jpg, thanks dudez!]

buy your bread here

Pasta's Daily Bread
This place may have the best bread we've ever tasted. If you have eaten at Pastabilities, you are probably familiar with this bread and accompanying spicy tomato dipping sauce. We usually skip eating in the restaurant in lieu of buying a loaf and some sauce and sitting in Armory Square and devouring the whole thing.


Here are our favorite ways to use this bread...

Eggs Florentine
Things you'll need:
Bread
Eggs
Spinach
Hollandaise sauce

1. Fry the eggs. We prefer the yolks to be a little more solid than over-medium.
2. Cook the spinach.
3. Make Hollandaise sauce. We buy the packet-form, but go wild and homemade if you want.
4. Cut bread into as many sections as you want. Slice in half. Toast.
5. Assemble in this order: Bread, egg, spinach, sauce, bread.

Bread and Dips and Stuff
Things you'll need:
Dips
Bread
Cheese
Olives
Whatever else you like to eat

1. Go to Wegmans (or any other grocery store) and buy some of the following items: Basil pesto, sundried tomato pesto, any other sauce that looks appetizing, Boursin cheese spread, any sort of cheese (mozzarella, goat, brie, etc).
2. Buy some olives. We like them stuffed with garlic or gorgonzola.
3. Put all of your purchases in pretty bowls or on pretty plates.
4. Cut bread.
5. Eat whatever looks good.

Point is, this bread is great. We just want you to buy a loaf. If you don't feel like going to Armory, you can buy some from the Co-Op.

Delicious

SAMRAT: A Visual Representation

Ok, Alison and I are in love with Samrat. We happen to believe it offers one of the best buffets in Syracuse. $8.00 for all the spicy and delicious Indian food you can eat? I'd say that is a pretty incredible deal. Plus, the choices are diverse and they change daily. They usually offer three chicken dishes and three vegetarian, one or two specials, a salad bar, rice pudding, mango pudding, gulab jaman (a dessert), and the best naan ever. Basically, it's one of our favorite places to go. Who knew those creepy stairs* on South Crouse could lead somewhere so amazing?



*Aforementioned creepy stairs













Clockwise from left: Navratan Korma, Raa Mah, Sag Paneer, Alu Gobhi, Basmati Rice, Naan, Chicken Makhani

Costume Update

Wow. I am impressed. At the 20 Watts Halloween party, I do not recall seeing anyone dressed super slutty! I was pretty drunk, but I think I would have noticed someone's ass hanging out. Maybe not though. Whatever. Here are a few costumes I particularly enjoyed.

1. Gene (Wet Hot American Summer)
2. Boy as Geisha
3. Captain and Tennille
4. Girl as Alex from A Clockwork Orange
5. 3 Blind Mice

So, my preferences are pretty clear by now. I like good movie and children's story characters and bending gender rules.

Ok so Chucks:

1. McLovin, Evan, Seth (Superbad)
2. Linda Richman (Mike Myers from Coffee Talk)

Those are the only ones I can remember right now.

watch this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4rUiV_Hh74



this video. i love it.

Halloweekend Round-Up

Yee Haw. I'm going to have to jump on the bandwagon and make a quick post about Halloweekend.


Though many were quite convincing, the most surprisingly popular costumes included:
1. Amy Winehouse
2. Margot Tenenbaum (This or any other Wes Anderson creation.. how appropriate given the Oct. 26 release of The Darjeeling Limited in Syracuse)



Some of my Favorite Costumes Included:
1. Spandex Man (completely covered in a spandex contraption... someone had to be the one)
2. Sorority Girls ("I was wondering why sorority girls were here")
3. Homemade Fem-Bot
4. Marshall's Convincing "Transitioning"
5. iPod Commercial
6. Wig + Creepy Mask = Success

Thank god it's only October 29th. Put those thinking caps on, kids. We have until Wednesday (and beyond?) to really celebrate.


Lastly:
Read This:









And go to this:

Are you being ironic?

Speaking of slutty Halloween costumes...



This happens to me every Halloween. I go to a party and I see a girl I have a pseudo-crush on. She is wearing a slutty cosutme, of course. Then I convince myself she is being ironic. She must be making a statement. Right?



Well, here's a hint. You're not.

I know it's difficult.

Listen guys (mostly girls), I know it's difficult to NOT dress slutty on Halloween. The options are endless. Slutty cat, slutty pirate, slutty cop, slutty manatee, slutty any noun imaginable. And every single Halloween store encourages sluttiness. When I was out shopping for a costume, I saw a 15-year-old girl getting a slutty Ms. Muffit costume. Actually, her dad was buying it for her. Wait, what? My dad would KILL ME. Even now! I just don't get it. So, I thought I'd list some costumes I saw that weren't slutty and were awesome.

1. Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction) POST-drug overdose.
2. Dwight Schrute (The Office)
3. Blood
4. Dora the Explorer
5. Ursula (The Little Mermaid)
6. 50s Housewife WITH A TIN OF REAL MUFFINS!!!
7. **Guy from Monty Python who hits his head with bricks
8. German Girl (NOT A BARMAID. She was wearing lederhosen. I always appreciate a good German)
9. Dog Show Mom.

I'm hoping to see more creative/funny/non-slutty costumes tomorrow at the 20 Watts party and also on Halloween. But I predict more boobs, ass, lace, spandex and headband animal ears in the near future.

**I'm not completely sure that's what this dude was going for but that's how I'm going to interpret his costume...because...amazing.

I like turtle pumpkins.

my recently finished halloween pumpkin, inspired by "jonathon"

HELLO AND WELCOME TO MY HOME

Well hello.






Welcome to "Syracute," a blog in its infancy which will ideally be shaped and molded to a well-adjusted older blog. This is a sort of community, for all sorts of people who have anything to do with Syracuse, NY to contribute and do whatever the hell they want.

This is a place to criticize, promote, discuss, talk about whatever is out there.

We are currently seeking contributors in any way, shape or form. Contributors will ultimately shape the way this blog turns out. Think you have something cool or original to say? Email: syracute@gmail.com

Readers are encouraged to leave loads of comments, etc. Think this is stupid? Say it.



I'm Alison, by the way. Hey...