So this semester I’m taking my senior capstone classes. The seminar focuses on literature itself and the reflective tutorial focuses on literary theory and literary criticism. They’re supposed to be the culmination of everything we’ve ever learned as English majors. They’re supposed to extremely challenging, hardcore courses that push our limits. And they are extremely challenging and they do push my limits.

But they’re also really, really annoying.

Because the over-analyzing and the hardcore literary theory and the pages upon pages of papers making a point no one even really cares about is all well and good when you’re spending your life in the world of academia, but when you’re outside of that world, what’s the point, really? Because I’ve been sitting in class these past few weeks listening to people deconstruct these novels I was never really all that into to begin with, and that’s all I’ve been asking myself. What is the point? I’m graduating in four months and I’m never going to think about this again.

For the first day of class, we had to read these New York Times articles, a collection of pieces called “Why Criticism Matters.” My favorite in the bunch was written by Sam Anderson, a New York Times Magazine critic, and a man who apparently fully embraces the art of Twitter. The piece discusses the fact that the rise of technology, the creation of the iPad, and the world’s obsession with social networking is not the end of literary theory or the end of literature. But it is changing the way people access their literature, providing readers with a vast array of options, and challenging writers to get the attention of readers.

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I’m not a vegetarian, but I have a vegetarian boyfriend (and an aversion to all things Thanksgiving). I’m going to his parents’ house for the holidays this year and, luckily, they’re tolerant of nontraditional main dishes, so we’re going to experiment a little.

The stereotypical veg main dish for Thanksgiving is, of course, Tofurky, but this has always seemed like one of the most disgusting foods on the planet to me. If you’re a vegetarian, the object is to refrain from eating meat, correct? So why exactly would you want to scarf down something that’s supposed to imitate the texture and taste of a plump, perfectly roasted turkey? I get that some vegetarians don’t mind the taste of meat and went veg for other reasons, but still. Tofurky will remain a bizarre mystery to me, and I’m fine enjoying a meal without it, thankyouverymuch.

So if you’re not going to bake up a delicious vat of Tofurky, then what?

Well, you have zillions of options. You could make a fancier-than-usual veg stir-fry featuring a killer marinade and sautéed pieces of tofu, textured soy protein, or nuts and legumes. Personally, though, I prefer the casserole route—this might be because I’m from the Midwest, but I just find casseroles so comforting and perfect for chilly weather. Ratatouille, vegetable lasagna, baked pasta with butternut squash, spanakopita, veggie gratin, and veggie chili are all excellent choices that I guarantee will make the meat-eaters at your table drool. Read More »

While most people’s gym routines differ – I, for one, have always been an elliptical girl and hate the stationary bike – it’s safe to assume that almost everyone incorporates a “cool down” into their cardio program. After running for 30 minutes at 7 miles per hour, you’ll knock your speed down to 3 and spend five minutes jogging or walking before you hop off the machine. Many pieces of gym equipment even include a 5-minute cool down automatically, tacking it on to the end of your desired workout. All of this is supposed to prevent soreness or muscle damage and relieve strain on the heart.

According to University of Texas physiologist Hirofumi Tanaka, however, there’s no proof that a cool down has any positive benefits on the body. “Everyone thinks it’s an established fact, so they don’t study it,” he said in a recent New York Times article. The article notes the ambiguity of the concept as a whole, noting that it’s not even clear what a cool down is supposed to be or how long it should last.

Apparently, the cool down became standard gym practice after it was reported that muscles become sore after exercising due to the accumulation of lactic acid. This theory has been reported false, leading people to believe that reducing the intensity at the end of a workout (which was supposed to let the lactic acid dissipate slowly) is unnecessary. The article does note, however, that blood can build up in your legs and feet if you stop running (or biking or ellipti-cizing) shortly, making dizziness or even fainting a possibility. Read More »

The New York Times is a journalistic institution, arguably the best newspaper in the world. So to see it scraping at the bottom of the barrel for stories – especially in the always over-hyped Education section – is disconcerting, to say the very least.

The Times recently published an article about colleges remaking the college tour. You know, rattling off facts and figures while walking backward (and skillfully avoiding tree root death-traps). However, the article focuses not so much on the content of the tours as the way the tour guides walk – backwards, as is traditional, or forward, the direction in which many colleges are now heading (no pun intended).

The article does explain how colleges are abandoning the fact-based approach in favor of anecdotes and personal experiences, but the bulk of the story is about the merits of walking forward on a college tour versus walking backwards. Isn’t this the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever read (well, besides the Times’s investigative report on hugging)? Read More »

Scientists these days must be bored out of their minds, because many of the health studies that have been cropping up lately are painfully uninteresting. The results are so obvious that they might as well skip the experiment and just use their common sense. These “duh” stories really make you question the direction in which science is headed. Don’t these scientists have more important (and more shocking) discoveries to make?

Obese Americans Spend Far More on Health Care
The New York Times
According to a recent study, obese Americans spend 42% more on health care than Americans of normal weight. Although this is a serious issue, did we really need a formal study to tell us this? Who needs one to see that obesity (and the many health problems that result from it) is costly?

As Speed Limits Rise, So Do Death Tolls
The New York Times
A study of highway fatality rates has found that road deaths increased 3% after 1995, following the federal government’s repeal of the 55 mile-per-hour speed limit. Higher speed limits = more highway fatalities? I never would’ve imagined that. Read More »

After reading an article in The New York Times regarding the inequality of gender roles in the work place, I got to thinking. After having some corporate (and not so corporate…hellloo retail?!) jobs, I can see where Ms. Seligson (the author of the NYT article) comes from when she airs her frustration about the fact that women have progressed so much in the college and educational world, but when we get to the workforce, it seems like we take a few steps backwards.

From my personal experience, here’s how it goes: men are respected off the bat, women (especially young, attractive ones), need to earn it after due course at a company. Men also aren’t afraid to go after what they want; the article states that when men want a raise, they simply ask for it, but with women, we lack the courage and words to get what we want. Why is this?

I have had both male and female bosses and I will say this: women are threatened by other women. Many women, rather than lending a hand to a female colleague, go behind her back and undermine not only her authority, but her professional aptitude and capability. I had a female boss who once told me I only get dressed up for work because I feel like I need to prove something to everyone. Puh-lease woman. I dress nice because I dress nice — in and out of work (Fast forward to me quitting on the spot and telling said boss how unprofessional she was…talk about wanting to knock me down instead of help me rise!  Surprise, surprise, the woman is no longer with that company).

Girl against girl is the nature of the game and, while I feel like I am one of those individuals who is set apart from the social norm, I’m sure I fall victim to some of these behaviors.  But my biggest question is: WHY?! Read More »

The infamous Modern Love column in The New York Times is looking to the college demographic to find out what love and relationships are like in this age bracket. They’re sponsoring a contest with an end result of being published in the paper, as well as $1,000!

I’m sure that many of you have stories to tell in response to the question that the NY Times is posing, “What is love now, in this age of 24/7 communication, blurred gender roles and new attitudes about sex and dating?” There’s no one better to address this complex and ever-changing question than someone in our generation.

How can you enter? Read More »

Why on earth anyone watches beauty pageants other than to tune in and pray that the contestants fall on their asses is beyond me.

But to actually be in a beauty pageant? Nooo, but thank you.

The NYTimes reports that these contests are much more superficial than you think, and that’s not saying a whole lot. It turns out that many of these girls are duped into thinking they’re gonna win a ton of money and scholarships of some sort, but they never reap the educational or financial benefits.

Ashley Wood, a pissed-off ex Miss USA who never got the money she actually won, said,

“You are talking about an organization that is promoting itself as the largest scholarship provider for women in the world….When contestants try to collect their funds, they encounter one obstacle after another.”

These problems have something to do with all of the local and state pageants that are scattered around the country being tied under the national pageants, and apparently, local pageant winners hardly ever collect – the states could take these local pageants to court, but they have limited control over them in the first place, and to even do that would cost more than what these girls are actually owed.

One girl was even told after winning a pageant that instead of the scholarship she was promised, she could just take home some gowns!! Are you kidding me? Read More »

Prepare to have your heart broken: “As she put him into his cage for the night last Thursday, Dr. Pepperberg said, Alex looked at her and said: “You be good, see you tomorrow. I love you.” He was found dead in his cage the next morning…” (New York Times)

Does every art teacher have to be a hippie? I mean, c’mon! That’s like saying all female gym teachers are lesbians… (Chicago Tribune)

What if universities called your house every time you missed class? What if they called your entire school? For some reason I don’t think my mom would have done what these moms did. (tampabays10.com)

$160 = a 5-year supply of Ben and Jerry’s. You just have to find a criminal. Wasn’t this a Nancy Drew book? (local6.com)

Just in case you’re like, the one person who doesn’t check PerezHilton everyday and haven’t seen his own ads on his own site, his show is on tonight. So, you might as well watch so you know what the hell he’s going to be talking about all day tomorrow. (VH1.com)

Have you ever heard of aSmallWorld? Um, probably not, unless you own your own island in Fiji and drive an Aston Martin.

Ever since the launch of our dear old Facebook, there have been many similar social networking sites popping up, and this recent one that I have learned about is probably the most pretentious of them all.

Apparently, aSmallWorld.net, is a very exclusive, members only networking site for ridiculousslllyy rich people. According to the New York Times, it was “founded four years ago, and promoted as a Facebook for the social elite…it has grown from about 500 members to about 150,000 registered users.”

Sound like something you are interested in? Well, don’t even think about attempting to join, it’s an invitation only membership.

“The site functions much like an inscrutable co-op board: its members, who pay no fee, induct newcomers on the basis of education, profession and most important, their network of personal contacts.” Now do you understand where the UGH factor comes in to play?

And, don’t worry, there is one more truly disgusting part of this whole shenanigan:

Users are mostly young– 32 on average. What freaking business are these 32 year olds and younger in where they are able to comment on the website’s forums with inquiries such as this: “If anyone is looking for a private island, I now have one available for purchase in Fiji.” Seriously. That is a direct quote from one of the members. Read More »