Andrew Sullivan

It might be too little too late in this semster, however I will try to more consistently (or in this case, at all) track Andrew Sullivan's blog as assigned in class. Today he made a few very interesting points regarding drug laws. Read it here.

The fact of the matter is that we have legalized drugs that are far more dangerous than marijuana. As a college student, I've seen a great deal of my friends suffer alcohol poison, but none that have suffered from too much marijuana consumption. I think the biggest reason that marijuana is still outlawed is that some view it as immoral. As if there is some cosmic difference between someone polishing off a fifth of scotch and someone sparking up a joint. If there is a difference, I invite you to tell me what it is.

The Wise Mr. Burns

Harry Shearer, best known for his voice acting on The Simpsons (Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, etc) has some very insightful thoughts regarding the MSM (NBC in particular) coverage of the Tech Tragedy.

I share his outrage with the MSM for airing the "multi-media manifesto" of the inhuman cocksucker that was responsible for the carnage. We don't need to see him pointing guns at the camera to understand that he was a crazed individual. And I don't think it's particularly helpful for families that are still grieving over the loss of their loved ones to look into the blackened, soulless eyes of that sociopathic lunatic.

A Conversation with Larissa Mihalisko

Virginia Tech is a very large school that boasts a student population of over 26,000. Since Monday's tragedy, they have come together as a community in mourning, and as a singular strength that will overcome the loss of precious lives.

Ever since news broke about the shooting at Virginia Tech on Monday, the media has had a major presence on campus. From detailing student reactions to publishing photos of the man responsible for the shootings, the media has almost become a part of the story. I was able to speak with Larissa Mihalisko, a junior at Virginia Tech, and personal friend of mine. She is highly critical of the role that the media has played in the wake of the horrific events of April 16th, 2007.

"I was very annoyed with the media at the vigil," Mihalisko said. "I understand that journalists have a job to do and they were trying to tell our story, but the cameramen and the photographers were right up in everyone's face. People were listening to taps and were very upset and we didn't get one moment of peace.

"[Blacksburg] is a very close-knit community - you know how Hokies are, we are very proud. It was disheartening to have so many people in your face that aren't from around here and didn't have friends or family that died. I actually stepped out during the moment of silence and asked the reporters to give us a couple of minutes. I saw President Steger and he had this look of absolute despair on his face. I felt like I could just see beyond the surface. I know that sounds cheesy but I could see that he was dying on the inside.

"I just called out to [the reports] and asked if we could have just a couple minutes of peace without anybody in our face so that people can collect their thoughts. They left for about a minute or two then came back and started snapping [pictures]. A lot of them were very respectful and would ask, you know, if they could take pictures of someone lighting a candle.

"Every part of our campus is full of satellite dishes and cameramen. We're used to cameramen because of football games, but this is beyond anything [we've seen]. I had the Ukranian service from the BBC call me; and reporters have been signing on Facebook and sending me messages like, 'here's my number if you would like to talk', and things like that. Most of them have been very respectful, but it seems strange for them to sue Facebook to reach students. It made everything seem so much more surreal.

"Another thing that I was really disappointed with was the publishing of images and videos of this disturbed kid. You look at Fox News or BBC and you see a picture of this kid with two guns to his head or a gun pointed to the camera. It's only been two days and I might be more sensitive, but I knew five people that died, two of which were very close friends of mine and I wasn't ready to see him with guns pointed at the camera. Even the police expressed disappointment with NBC and a few other stations for releasing the images so quickly. It's all just coming too fast for me.

"If [the shooter] was looking for attention then he got it. I only briefly read a couple of those letters. He compared himself to Jesus Christ and wrote messages about materialism. I don't think that anyone got his message. I think they just look at this kid and think, 'wow, what a nutjob'.

"I'm afraid, and this is happening, that by putting up this kid's pictures and messages the media could possibly create copycats. There have been scares all over the country from copycats. Again, I don't know exactly what [the shooter's] aim was but posting these pictures might be instigating other disturbed kids."

Alternative Art in the Library

Students that are not too lazy to take the stairs have probably noticed by now the murals that line the walls of the stairwells in the library. Each floor is marked by an artistic expression of some sort, whether abstract or just pleasing to the eye.
What interests me more is the spontaneity of art; amateurs that on a whim write the initials of their loved one next to their own with a heart separating the two sets. Bathroom stalls and study desks are littered with unintentional artistic brilliance, which can't help but exemplify the human condition.

I started my search for alternative art in what I felt was the most obvious arena: the bathroom. I don't think I have ever used a public restroom that didn't have some sort of amateur artistic imprint. I've noticed that "FUCK YOU" is the most oft-written phrase. It's almost as if a whole generation of kids that read Catcher in the Rye grew up to write "FUCK YOU" on as many public spaces as possible. Needless to say, that particular epithet has become the "Louie Louie" of bathroom art.

On the stall in the men's room on the 7th floor of the library, somebody wrote "PREVERTS THOMPSON BASEMINT (sic)". Excited to finally meet some professional preverts, I quickly hurried off to the Thompson basement. I looked on the directory next to the elevator. To my dismay, there was no designated office in the basement for preverts. Further adding to my trouble, the door that led to the basement was locked.

I returned to the library and decided to look for some more art in the upper floors of the library. These spot are often vacant, so artists would have plenty of time to practice freely. I walked into a room full of book stacks on the 24th floor. I remembered that as a child and budding artist, I would often write in text books. Being that the books around me were mostly medical books, I looked for the most likely of books that would gave someone inspiration to practice their artistry: breast-feeding instructional books. After ten minutes of closely examining the books, I came across no art...just a whole lot of breasts.



I walked down the the 23rd floor and came across some fine displays of alternative artistry. On one study table, someone wrote, "RO & KM 10/2005". I can imagine what went through this person's mind as they wrote it.

"You know, I'd really like to somehow validate my relationship with KM. I should write something...jeeze I really should. Our namkes should be written in the stars..but fuck it..I'll settle for this study desk I have right in front of me."

The shallow pricks probably broke up after a week.

If Shakespeare said that the world is a stage, then I would argue that the library is a canvas. People drop in to do their work, and many of them choose to leave a statement. Some about fleeting love, others writing weird shit like "LILLIUM". After reviewing the art I found throughout the many floors of the lbirary, I decided to make my own contribution: I wrote "Ryan is a Sex God" on the stall in a women's bathroom.

A UMass Drunkard

Some of my proudest moments have occurred while totally shitfaced. Some of my most shameful moments have occurred while totally shitfaced. But good, bad or indifferent, I firmly believe that there is nothing that can hold the drunken spirit captive.

During the summer after I graduated from high school I took a trip to Europe. While in France, I bought a speedo that looked as thought it was made from the leftover fabric from Joseph's technicolor dreamcoat. This speedo has made several appearences over the past few years, usually after drinking an excess of Wild Turkey.

To me the speedo represents the sense of freedom that one feels when highly intoxicated. It's rather ironic from a male's perspective to think of a speedo as being liberating, but I think it accurately captures the spirit of the drunkard.

My friends and I would be considered heavy drinkers by most. Since the beginning of the year, we've hosted Thirsty Thursday parties at our house just about every week. Since then, our Thursday night tradition has developed its own subcultures. People that would have otherwise never met now know each other courtesy of our parties. It's a group of people 50 strong that gather each week over the common bond that brings us together: alcohol.

In recent weeks, my drinking schedule has expanded to include Wednesday nights. Since my only class on Thursdays is at 3:35 in the afternoon, I have ample recovery time. Just last night I went out to Charlie's with a few friends, not necessarily to get drunk, but just to drink a few pitchers and share as many laughs. Upon my arrival at the bar (the bouncers no longer chekc my ID as they have come to know me as a regular), I came to the realization that I was in need of strong drink and not just beer. I walked up to the bar confidently, slammed my fist on the wooden surface and exclaimed loudly, "JAMESON ON THE ROCKS!"

A few rounds later the devil sunck up on me unexpectedly and I realized I was drunk. So, in true UMass spirit, I drank more. And more. At one point during the evening, my cousin Lindsay, who graduated from UMass last Spring, entered the bar. Last week, our grandfather died and we took a few minutes to reflect on that. We both came to the conclusion that drinking was the best way to honor our grandfather, who was well known for keeping a flask of whiskey in his coat pocket at all times.

After a few minutes of speaking, she returned to her friends, and I returned to mine. I stayed for another hour or so after that, downing Jameson after Jameson. I left the bar shortly before closing time. I don't remember paying my tab, but I was quite relieved the next morning to find my credit card in my wallet.

I can say with total honesty that drinking has never had a major impact on my academic life. Alcohol and schoolwork have managed to coexist peacefully, one occasionally helping the other. College is a time during which work and play dance symbiotically.

The Basement

iPod Mister Ron (Ron Evry) - Mister Ron's Basement #677

Just a point of disclosure before I proceed with the review:

I know Mr. Ron personally. He was my computer teacher in elementary school, and he is also my best friend's father. However he has been a part of the medium since its inception, and I would even consider him an expert in the field.

Mr. Ron's Basement is a daily podcast in which Ron Evry, better known to his listeners as Mr. Ron, reads stories that have long since been relegated to the dark corners of the public domain. Mr. Ron breathes new life into these old stories by presenting them to his audience in the form of a podcast, juxtaposing the archaic with the futuristic.

I've always found this podcast to be pretty interesting. I think that Mr. Ron has done a great job unearthing some gems that might not have otherwise seen the light of day.