Avicci - Levels (Skrillex Remix)

This clip will never get old.

Dylan Owen

get freaked.

The Birth of a FREAKER from freakerusa on Vimeo.

I discovered Freakers on Kickstarter and fell in love with this project and his videos.  I funded the project and it was successful.  I have nine Freakers on the way and other goodies.  I cannot wait to decorate my Nalgenes and anything else I can freak.  Check out their website and blog, they are fun entertaining entrepreneurs.  

Freaker Beach Party - love the song Real Love by Delorean.

Freaker Beach Party from freakerusa on Vimeo.

wilderness downtown

Download google chrome and experience the Wilderness Downtown by Arcade Fire.

To cell phone belt holster wearers:

Your belt holster is an eye sore.  It's like pants genocide – now go write a bill to halt this troubling epidemic that has infiltrated beyond the beltway.  You deserve better. Washington deserves better.  I have Hope. Change?

Unrespectfully,
It's called a purse. Or a pocket. Or your adopted Korean child.

P/s: Droid > Crack?? Well I can dream.

Jack Rogers Jelly Jokes and other Target Shenanigans

Cute Jack Rogers sandal, no?  Nope, these can be bought at Target – a pretty blatant know-off of the classic Navajo sandal.

Merona Enid whipstitch sandals $20

A common trend amongst many big retailers, Target has partnered with Miss Trish for a line of similarly designed sandals.  A few of the pairs are classic preppy, yet a little edgy – I'd pick over Jack Rogers!

Miss Trish for Target Jaguar sandals $25

It's interesting that Target has gone the collaboration and rip-off route at the same time.  So what does Miss Trish have over Jack?  It seems a bit of genuine leather...to be exact: part of the outsole!

optimism

How not to do curves: Exhibit Jessica Simpson

Bare legs and sweaty necks for all! Couldn't have said it better myself....
No comment on the color story or the cheetah MILF bag. JSimp might be auditioning for the Real Housewives of Anywhere in this non-age appropriate ensemble...

Best Week Ever

I love Mac Miller's mixtape, but I was throughly disappointed with his show.  He had awkward stage presence, his posse of guys were in background playing charades to the lyrics, it got very awkward to watch.  Still recommend downloading some of his music.  I loved the opener for his show Tayyib Ali - "Keystone State of Mind", highly recommend downloading his music.  

A Cornell rising star also opened for Mac Miller --- Dylan Owen.  Love him! 

Also, got to see Sam Adams this past week. He was AMAZING.  I am obsessed with his hip-hop dubstep.  He gets so into his performance no matter the size of the crowd. He had fun lights to go along with the dubstep.  I was not crazy about his outfit, he rocked a frat tank at the OSU concert last year way better than the racecar driver shirt thing he was wearing the other night.  Sammy also had a great opener, Kyle Lucas. He has a different style, but I downloaded some of his music after the show and its pretty good. 

Word is, Sammy had a pretty good time with some Cornell sorority girls, let's hope he comes back to Ithaca soon.  

I was suppose to see Nelly and some other people perform on Slope Day, but that never happened..

nutmeg.

Trying to adapt or casually drink black coffee? A few months ago I was raving about cinnamon, but I have a new favorite.  It has become pretty trendy to use spices as coffee flavoring in place of sugar, etc.  Trendy enough, that Starbucks and Panera all provide an assortment of the usual sugars and creams, chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla and my new favorite nutmeg.  A light roast with nutmeg on top is actually amazing, my drink of choice this finals season.  Nutmeg, I think actually enhances the flavor of the coffee, while adding the spice component.  Whereas cinnamon, just floats around and you taste a chunk of it every few sips and it's actually not that great, you just tell yourself it rocks and sip away.  My suggestion, skip the cinnamon, do a light roast with nutmeg.

Pants Please!

Check out Huff Post's chart to determine whether or not you're wearing pants (sometimes a difficult call)...It's an "important style flowchart." Their words, not mine!

Hitler finds out about Slope Day

HA! Hello Slope Day and unfortunately, Nelly. 

Foursquare

I needed to post this months ago.  Get on foursquare, you are missing out. If you do not know what it is, read this, or this. 

Law Students: Read the Fine Print.

In an attempt to lure better students and boost rankings that are largely based on GPA and LSAT scores, law schools are increasingly offering merit based scholarships...but there are strings attached.  To retain the scholarship, students must often maintain a GPA (3.0 or 3.25).  Unfortunately, many law schools aren't being up front about this stipulation and grading policies (like distributing grades on a fixed curve, which can make an easy-sounding 3.0 difficult to achieve)...

Many law students have found themselves owing their law schools money in later semester after not reading the scholarship's fine print.  Sounds like some lawyer tricks to me...

For more, check out this post.

Third grader at heart..

Girls are like

apples on trees. The best

ones are at the top of the tree.

The boys don't want to reach for

the good ones because they are afraid

of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they

just get the rotten apples from the ground

that aren't as good, but easy. So the apples

at the top think something is wrong with

them, when in reality, they're amazing.

They just have to wait for the right

boy to come along, the one

who's brave enough

to climb

all the way

to the top

of the tree.

Because we are all a third grader at heart and miss the myspace/AIM status updates. Just a reminder before the weekend, keep it classy. It will be worth it.  

carpe diem watch

I want this watch soo bad! You could definitely get away wearing this to class with some David Yurman and Swee Lo!

"Live In The Moment"

Sometimes we need to be reminded to live in the present, and not be worried by what is in the past and what lies ahead in the future. Through its clever design, the Past, Present and Future watch by Daniel Will-Harris only displays the present time thus forcing you to only focus on what is happening in the now, in this very moment. Stainless steel and water-resistant to 100 feet. Assembled in Japan and the US.

Check out Uncommon Goods for tons of unique and fun gifts.  Carpe Diem! 

Everyone has problems @Cornell

It was only a matter of time... it started with whitegirlproblems, then sororitygirlproblems, then Cornell welcomed #cornellgirlproblems earlier this semester (see my earlier cic post) to express all the problems us classy sorostitutes face daily in Ithaca.  
Since then, some more Cornell problems have been added.
#CornellGuyProblems (I'm just a typical guy at Cornell...I study in Mann, eat at CTB, and drink at JOs...basically, I'm normal.) 
#CornellSratStar (Because real Cornell Srat Stars can't stand that other bitch's grammar.)
This could get interesting....

Looks like, Cornellguyproblems and Cornellgirlproblems may have hooked up??

Now its sratstar's turn @cornellguyproblems. 

And #dartmouthgirlproblems has started some drama? (please note - created after cornellgirlproblems)

Really? #harshreality

Can't forget #ivygirlproblems or #ivykidproblems, and better yet #postgradproblems.  Another Cornell favorite #Note2Cornell.
It never ends. Is it bad that I can relate to so many of the Cornell tweets? Keep the tweets coming, please keep me occupied when I decide to go to class.  Can't wait to see what crnellgrlprblms I face – Trillium better have egg whites tomorrow. 

mary jane all the time

I know 4/20 was last week, but why not celebrate all the time with some Mary Jane soda?? A California based company is selling a new wave in drinks, anti-energy drink(click for cnn article), also known as relaxation sodas.  

What is Mary Jane Soda? 

"It's the all-natural soft drink that delivers euphoric relaxation and focus to a stress-filled life. Within minutes of drinking, a "calming" sensation can be felt throughout the body and mind. Mary Jane's Relaxing Soda is perfect for stressful, nerve-wracking situations or when you just feel like sitting back and enjoying life. Made from herbal extracts, carbonated water, and all-natural cane sugar, it's good for your body and mind."

Whatt, how does this work?? Kava extract, click the link to learn more.  Basically, it's known for mimicking THC, but it's legal in the U.S., which is surprising because many countries have banned it.  

"KAVA EXTRACT (AWA ROOT)

Kava extract is a powerful herb primarily consumed to relax without disrupting mental clarity. The active ingredients are called kavalactones. Consumers can experience noticeable effects within 10–30 minutes. These effects usually last for one to two hours. Along with relaxation, some users report pronounced mental clarity, patience, and an ease of acceptance. The positive effects of kava are said to mirror those of alcohol without the negative effects. "

I hate soda, but this all sounds amazing, especially to a stressed out, over committed college student. Soo I placed an order for a case.  It was not cheap, especially shipping from California.  I was so excited when they got here, and drank my first Mary Jane.  It tasted like typical soda, nothing different there, but it did have a good taste.  I was more relaxed, not overwhelmingly. I did notice the next day, I got out of bed especially early, had a clear mind and positive attitude - this is reported to be another one of the benefits of Kava and I would have to agree with it. 

Overall, I recommend Mary Jane's soda.  I want to experiment with other Kava based drinks.  Take one to class, the library, wherever, whenever you need it. 

Skip and ganja, order some Mary Jane's soda at http://www.relaxingsoda.com/#/home.

Wise words, Mr. Twain

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

– Mark Twain

Portions

Fun play on portion control. Pick your plate - diet, extra ordinary and supersize.  It's color coded for the types of food you should have on that plate.

Lessons in Social Security

In my American Welfare State course, we're discussing policy changes that can make social security more financially feasible. Our professor asked us to split into groups based on our opinions.

Out of a class of 27, this is how my class divided:

3: other
5: change benefit formula to cut spending
7: raise retirement age
12: increase revenues from payroll taxes

Although this is a crude sample of the the college-aged population, I was surprised to see that close to half of the class chose to raise their own taxes.  I might be more self-interested than the average empathetic student...but it got me wondering why do we advocate raising our own taxes?

chic noise

Every college student struggles with studying.  With so many distractions and constant overstimulation it can make it extremely difficult to study for that big exam.

Next time you cannot focus, try Simply Noise.  Many have heard of white noise, this is commonly known as the sound of static or television without a signal.  There are many types of white noise and many are believed to be beneficial for our brains, especially for focus.  Noise can be helpful for - sleep aid, privacy, block distractions, soothe migraines, increase focus, reduce stress and mask tinnitus.

Simply Noise is a free online color noise generator, that generates not only white, but brown and pink noise. Brown and pink noise are similar/forms of white noise, but known to be more calming and relaxing.

This may all sound silly, but I really recommend using brown noise for studying, I have not used pink noise enough to really comment on it.  Brown noise has worked really well for me and many of my friends, however, I would recommend using headphones.  I have noticed when I take my earphones out from using brown noise, you have a temporary high/very productive/focused period that lasts a few minutes.  It's a great feeling especially if you have to walk back from the library late at night or early in the morning before a big exam.  

Greatness.

We all aspire for some sort of greatness.Everyday I am surround by students on the business /finance track to millions.  Many of them bragging about the thousands they are making this summer or after graduation. (Meanwhile I stress about how I am going to pay for my summer with an unpaid internship in the city,yet again).  This semester, I have been fortunate to have meet a lot of seniors and have had intimate conversations with many of them.  Not surprisingly, many are headed to some big bank in NYC or Europe after graduation.  After they explain their future job and how much money they are going to make, my next question is always, so what are you passionate about and where woud you like to see yourself in 5 years?  Many stare back at me blankly, and lack an interesting or inspiring answer. 


I love talking to people about my passions and things I would like to accomplish by the time I am 25.  I am arrogant or something, no, I am passionate about many things and I love the opportunity to express my passions and possibly enlighten other people.  It amazes me that seniors at Cornell, lack passions or motivations to do other things and simply follow the linear path of banking and simply money.  Money is their passion and daily driver for success and greatness. This saddens me deeply. 


So thank you Simon Sinek for your post on your blog Re:Focus about passion. 

Passion is like bookends to process.

Passion starts things. It inspires us to start a business, take classes or take risks. But without some learning, some structure or some process, that passion can quickly run out of steam or find itself fueling a futile exercise.

Process is what helps us get good at what we're passionate about. It gives us expertise and credibility. It is what gives us the intellectual capacity to solve problems and make advancements. However, if we get stuck in the process, though we can get good at what we do, we can never be great.

Greatness always requires passion.

Advice like this reminds me not to give up and I am doing the right things in college.  Word of advice, have passions, be passionate about something.  People will respect you for it, and like Sinek says - "greatness comes with passion"

The grass is always greener...or is it bluer on Facebook?

Don't compare yourself to others, usually you only see others successes...you know ever part of your own life, but won't necessarily get hung up on others (sometimes unseen) failures.

The same principle applies to Facebook:

First of all, we hand-pick our Facebook statuses and pictures to make us into the best versions of ourselves. (Duh.) Second, looking at the similarly idealized spread of our friends' lives can make us depressed, simply because we tend to think that everyone ismore happy than us. The study's director, Alex Jordan, told Slate, "[The subjects] were convinced that everyone else was leading a perfect life." In the three-part study, participants first reported that they hid their negative emotions more than their positive ones, because they underestimated how distressed their peers were. Though acknowledging they kept their sad feelings at bay, the third study investigated the correlation between how happy a subject perceived her peers to be and how unhappy that made them. Misery, it appears, doesn't like company as much as once thought.

Get off FB. Let others envy you digitally and in real life. Be a little mysterious and not so obviously happy...That's classy.

Brands Brands Brands

Multiple experiments have shown that people are more receptive to people when wearing clothing with recognizable luxury labels. Subjects see label-wearers as wealthier and having a higher status. Check out the article at The Economist.

Boys, better whip out your Lacoste and Burberry.

Registration Woes HiItler Rant

But we know Hitler was a Business student so all this is irrelevant...

Keep Calm and Drink Coffee

Check out the full Coffee vs Tea infographic at Lifehacker, interesting stuff.

shouldnt be at charlotte russe..

if your lipstick and nails match, you probably shouldnt be at a teenager store. another disqualifier: wedding ring.

all this begs the question...wtf am i doing here? oh its friday = no rules

You are what you eat.

While listening to a presentation in class, I kept thinking this girl really sounds like a news anchor. And not in a good way. She kept using the same banal phrases relied on by most news stories. Every time she said "as the disaster unfolds" or "we'll have to wait and see," I cringed a little.

Of course using certain phrases is sometimes unavoidable, but I wondered how much CNN (or pick your poison), this student of all things cable had been watching.  Was she regurgitating what she had recently heard on the news? Or was she digging up wording that had been engrained in her?  Either way, it can't hurt to watch what you put in your ears...It just might come out your mouth.

fro yo lol

Like every other sorostitute, the mass arrival of froyo has ushered in a new line of meal philosophy: eat a big bowl of tart froyo and fruit toppings for the healthiest, tastiest (and a bit sweet) meal. Could the Special K diet become the Froyo diet. YES PLEASE.  At 39 cents an ounce and 100 calories a serving, froyo spells GET THE MEDIUM-SIZED BOWL in any girl's mind. And it has probiotics (good for UTIs)...how yup. I just sold myself. Needless to say, I've been twice in the last two days.

Added bonus: watching the high schoolers congregate and old people marvel at the self-serve setup.

Don't even bother googling calories in tart froyo...Then you'd just be a sorostitute cliche.

You should watch out for the added sugar in other flavors and sugary toppings. But who am I to talk?  I'll leave the wordsmithiness to Her Campus: Is Fro-Yo Making You Flabby?

NEWSFLASH: Too many interns in Northeast

And apparently social media interns. Surprised?

Urban Interns is declaring 2011 the year of the intern...hmmm. Cheers to traveling around Asia this summer!

"fuck the fish in that proverbial sea and instead become one of them."

Just want to put your head underwater and maybe not emerge?  Go read The Man Repeller's Who Wore it Best: Scaling Popularity Under the Sea.  You'll feel better...or at least chuckle while scratching your head.

LOVE her.

Really Kesha?

Some how from the Huffington Post I ended up looking at a slide show of Kesha in Australia and her disaster of a bathing suit.  This has to be one of the ugliest bathing suits I have ever seen.  The bottom and top are so unflattering! I always thought Kesha had a cute body, apparently not.

Ramen Hacked

I love making ramen. Well actually, ramen is really fast and really easy to eat. But sometimes the same type of ramen gets boring.

Serious Eats has some interesting remixes. Some are a bit much for dorm kitchens and some are just kind of gross...Pan-fried spam and pineapple?

Oxford Comma: Shoe Edition

NY trend just hitting Williamsburg: OXFORDS!

Love them paired with straight-leg jeans or dresses and skirts.  They're playful without being garrishly girly.  I've actually been on the lookout for a pair of comfy, not-too-cute Oxfords for years.  I'm sad to say I couldn't fully commit to putting a pair of menswear inspired shoes on my feet until half of the women in NYC were doing the same. LAME. But now that I've committed, so many options:

Joie Louie Louis Oxford
101 sale at Neiman

To lace or to not lace? Haven't come up with a conclusive answer. BUT the mix of suede and leather is interesting (good interesting) and wingtip detailing is rarely a bad thing.

Now that's something Vampire Weekend would readily endorse.

art in science

If I understood chemistry, I would definitely have these...thank you madewithmolecules. Super nerdy.

 Or some base pairs... can I bring them to my genetics prelim?

http://hypem.com/#!/

The Hype Machine.  Newest obsession. 

MP3 & music blog aggregator - the best songs and blog posts of music on the web.  In other words, Pandora, with sick remixes and mash-ups, customizable stations AND did I mention free downloads from 
music blogs??

Maximum length: two sentences

Check out this op-ed in the NYT about the need for shorter writing assignments. I totally agree.

And short isn’t necessarily a shortcut. When you have only a sentence or two, there’s nowhere to hide. I’m not suggesting that colleges eliminate long writing projects from English courses, but maybe we should save them for the second semester. Rewarding concision first will encourage students to be economical and innovative with language. Who knows, we might even start to leave behind text messages and comment threads that our civilization can be proud of.

Practice pithiness...

Beer is fat free...

and many other health benefits...Check out the infographic at Fast Company:

Hold your pee, improve your life!

According to a new study...holding your bladder helps you make better decisions:

In one experiment, participants either drank five cups of water (about 750 milliliters), or took small sips of water from five separate cups. Then, after about 40 minutes—the amount of time it takes for water to reach the bladder—the researchers assessed participants’ self-control. Participants were asked to make eight choices; each was between receiving a small, but immediate, reward and a larger, but delayed, reward. For example, they could choose to receive either $16 tomorrow or $30 in 35 days.
The researchers found that the people with full bladders were better at holding out for the larger reward later. Other experiments reinforced this link; for example, in one, just thinking about words related to urination triggered the same effect.

Shit's real. Don't go to the bathroom tonight for a regret-free morning...happy weekend!

Star Struck, Topshop Flats

Most gem-encrusted shoes have cheap-looking gems/gaudy look/over-designed.  Or they will soon look cheap when the gems fall off your cheap shoes.

Karat Star Pumps, Topshop

I know some people (mostly happy sport) take offense at star struck clothing...but these babies look even better in person!  I'm talking Kate Spade gem-encrusted shoe spiffy. Bonus: day (actually kind of questionable, I'd go out on a limb here...) and night appropriate! I'm tempted to get a pair and pray for all the gems to stay in place.

Waffle House? F&*@(#$!

Feeling discouraged about college? No worries, your degree won't be in vain...

Not long ago, I had a conversation with a regional manager of waffle houses who told me he was looking for new restaurant managers and the only requirement was a college degree in any field. I respect people who run small businesses and I like waffles, but I can’t think of anything my colleagues or I profess that will teach someone to manage a waffle house better than an intelligent, industrious high school graduate.

See original article here.

Just a little nautical love...

Happy Spring!  Now onto summer!

Rep Rope Print Bandeau, 55 at Topshop

I had never been in a Topshop shop (topshop shop, topshop shop!) before my trip to New York a few weeks ago. I had been warned that my mind would be blown. It wasn't. I loved the store and saw many things I wanted to buy, but I'm just not quite convinced that Topshop is worth the price increase from H&M standards. Some things were definitely higher quality (some of the shoes, maybe), while some beaded and detailed pieces were already falling apart on the racks. In an attempt to be less trendy/more timeless, I walked out of Topshop into the rain empty-handed!

Everytime I eat a sandwich from Swem (both times)...

I want to vom all over the library. My body rejects the library and all its subpar food from Mews. And its subpar backwards name.

The Asians are better than us at everything!

Even at catching cheaters...From an article in The Economist:

This software exploits the relentless logic of combinatorial statistics. A correct answer is a correct answer, of course, but unless a candidate answers all questions correctly (itself an event that might at least raise suspicions), the mix of right and wrong answers provides information that can point to collaboration. If two candidates’ patterns of answers are similar or identical, warning flags go up. If more than two, hanky-panky is a racing certainty.

They're probably better at cheating than Americans too...

Harvard Dreams Dashed in Pre-School

A NYC mom is suing her daughter's nursery school because...

Nicole Imprescia is suing the $19,000-a-year York Avenue Preschool, saying her daughter, Lucia, was forced to spend too much time with lesser-minded 2- and 3-year-olds when she should have been focusing on test preparation to get into an elite elementary school.

Woah.  Check out the article here.  I think my mom was happy with my pre-school if my juice boxes were 100% juice and not juice drink!

How Shea Butter Saved My Life

Replace "hip-hop" with shea butter – that's my life story in four minutes.

Over winter break, I started using raw shea butter (thanks, happy sport!) and it made my skin super smooth.  Although it's yellow and pretty solid (needs to be warmed up in your hands), using an unrefined product definitely has its advantages.  Even better, I've maintained my tan like a glowing goddess.

Stop Slacking.

1. sorostitute hoodie
2. black leggings
3. rain boots

I wear all these things.  Wearing them all at once is a cop-out and semi-assault on my eyes. It's not even raining! Sorostitutes, try harder.

One day til St. Patty's! Damn, it feel goods to be Irish.

We speak no Esperanto.

Did you know....


a b c ĉ d e f g ĝ h ĥ i j ĵ k l m n o p r s ŝ t u ŭ v z

Movado means "continuous movement" in Esperanto, which is the supposed international language that  promotes peace because of its simplicity and political neutrality.  It's been around since the late 19th century and was officially recognized during the middle of the 20th century.   With an estimated 2 million worldwide speakers, seems like Esperanto hasn't really caught on...

> Frat Music Study List

I don't have a liking for straight instrumental versions of every top 40 song.
Or the babymaking playlist – really, really? Do they have a plan B playlist too?

NEED: Blouse

I love this look from Equipment on Shopbop. I want a Spring-worthy blouse. Simply classy – look at that large hammered silver ring!

Should I become a science major?

Because paparazzi hounding scientists might be a problem...

Lemon Drop Jello Shots

Classy take on jello shots?

State Pride

While I was stumbling, I came accross these super cute jewelry by Kris Nations. All her jewelry is cut from recycled sheets of metal and most of her jewelry is available in sterling silver or 14k gold(where you get recycled sheet gold?) My favorite thing was these "State Pride" necklaces. I think I would wear it on a longer chain, but for $39.00 you cannot argue. She has a bunch of other cute jewelry and all the prices are appropriate, very trendy/hipster. She also has twitter tags listed on all her product pages, great way to get people talking about her products!

Pondering Ph.D.?

From Inside Higher Ed, in support of getting a PhD...pretty funny article:

To get at the smugness factor we have to reframe the income question. It is true, as the Economist clucks, that people who earn doctorates rarely see their earnings potential increase enough to offset the cost of the degree. But no research has as yet adjusted the data on non-doctorate earnings to account for the amount of income people without doctorates ("nondocs") devote to generating the same level of self-satisfaction that the Ph.D.-holder comes by as a matter of course. She who holds a doctorate might look with envy upon her nondoc neighbor with the car that has working power windows. After all, the doctorate’s car has plastic sheeting duct-taped to the door frame (thanks, $24,000-per-year postdoc!). But that nondoc neighbor has spent some incomprehensible sum — perhaps as much as $20,000 — to buy a car in search of self-approbation. His vehicle is an artificial attempt to show he deserves a full life. So is his seasonally appropriate coat and balanced diet.

Prezi, not Powerpoint

For my last group presentation projects, one group used Prezi.  Prezi replaces linear-based powerpoint with a more map-like zoomable presentation.  Prezi takes the emphasis off text boxes and rectangular slides – instead, the presenter can move around a large map of presentation with many more interactive elements. Check it out, can't wait to use this for my class presentation! Wheee.

Academy: 10 ways to say it with prezi on Prezi

Punyard Pines

Saw this poster in a bathroom stall...

My Spring Break > Pink Chinos

Cheers to a week without 9ams, problem sets or all nighters (the bad kind)!

Can I get a pina colada with a side of prep?

Sometimes spontaneity succeeds?

...Would you want to get kicked out of BYU??

Goodbye plaid. Hello Spring.

I saw these shots a while ago and they've both stuck with me. The girl's timberlands, plaid jacket and red glasses are a killer combo.  I recently saw a girl rocking tattered jeans tucked into her timberland's...I would normally hate the look but she really owned it, even while wearing a North Face. Just a thought before we stash all our coats, plaid or otherwise.

Plaid Femme, TheSartorialist

Plaid Homme, TheSartorialist

Food Corps

Please take us back...

Spotted at Cornell - Kaseflex

I am a huge supporter of entrepreneurs and someday hope to take the plunge. I am always hearing about awesome things students are working on and have decided to start sharing them. I mean what's classier than getting rich on a sweet, creative and innovative ideas while having the guts and passion to make it a reality. Pretty hot and classy. Welcome Kaseflex.

http://kaseflex.com/

I heard about the development of this new product a few weeks ago on campus from the elabs. Kaseflex are conductive pads that allow users to type on touchscreen devices while wearing gloves. Attached to the fingertip of a glove, one small KF Tip enables electric charge to flow from one's bare finger to the screen.

"Kaseflex is a company started by Wendy Cai and Mathew Sevin at Cornell University. Our hope is to make everyone's winter seasons a little more enjoyable. With the touchscreen technology becoming immensely popular, it is essential to keep your hands warm while typing on the go. For some of you this means no more having to take off your gloves while on the ski lift. For others it means you can finally throw away that pair of touchscreen-friendly gloves which forgo comfort, style, and warmth. Kaseflex offers the best solution to make your gloves touchscreen friendly. Our signature tips allow you type while wearing your gloves. Enjoy."

Here is a quick video demonstration of the Kaseflex Tips


The tips are only pre-order right now, but will be available in stores soon. The pre-order price is only $7.99 and will sell retail for $9.99. I am excited to see where this product goes and Go Big Red Entrepreneurs! I think this product could be a hit in the colder parts, especially with students, skiers, and snowboarders.

Cite books, what?

With the Quick Cite app, you take a picture of a book's barcode and the citation is sent to your email!  What a great idea.  It would be convient if they compiled all the citations in one file, similar to Easy Bib's format.  This would be really useful if I used hard copies of books or really even cited books. Womp Womp.  Read the article in Fast Company:

A bit of quick math shows a conservative estimate of something on the order of 11-12 hours spent just on a project of that size, while doing almost nothing else. For larger projects, of course, you'd be spending days or weeks. Indeed, one of Fast Company's trusted sources (okay, our own Kit Eaton), estimates that such an app would have saved him over two weeks on his physics dissertation.

Too many hours sitting at a desk.  The only thing I'll be citing next week is SPRING BREAK.

Lanvin Love

To continue my anti-backpack crusade, this classy Lanvin bag could perch next to your Tory Burch flats (or dare I say...Jack Rogers??) during Comparative Politics.

The upstanding soon-to-be law student's brown leather bag:

Dear Danae Foldover Tote

It can be folded over for use on the weekend as handbag or the clutch can be detached for a casual night.  Check out the contrasting tan on the other side – love all the practical details.

Space Boots

I am dying for a pair of vintage Space Boots.

"An Aptitude for Aptitude"

Ever feel like college is pointless? Like you're regurgitating a bunch of useless stuff and not actually developing any higher brainpower. Or that students are given the wrong incentives and the social culture can overshadow the academic culture?

Read "Lost in the Meritocracy" in The Atlantic and you'll feel the same way.  You'll just wish that you're as good as the author is at taking standardized tests.

Good thing spring break is almost here.

Epigenetics

More evidence to eat healthy? I do not have a problem staying away from certain foods after learning about this in genetics. Epigenetics is the future of medicine and the way we choose to live our lives.

Watch the full episode. See more NOVA scienceNOW.
 

Black Boyfriend Blazer

Need it.

I said I'm on a spending-free semester, but I need a jacket that can complete just about any night look.  I've noticed that most girls who consistently look put together wear jackets to pull together an outfit (sounds like something Stacy and Clinton would say)...

My ideal blazer would be appropriate in most professional settings, but still a bit saucy for later.

I don't know why I don't already have this piece, especially since Lauren Conrad AND Kohl's are trying to sell me one.  AND I basically regurgitated What Not to Wear's most repeated rule.

On a more serious note, hop over to IHOP.

Nothing like free food.

Go to IHOP today and get a free shortstack for free. YES. Guess where I'll be in 7 hours.

In the meantime, I'll review Esquire's best breakfast places.

Export jobs, export values?

My new simplicity binge has gotten me thinking about consumer products and how they're made.  I rarely look at a a thing and visualize the process of how it gained it thing-ness.  To separate a thing from its production process has become the norm.  When I look at my DROID, I don't visualize the factory floor and a working assembling all the different pieces.

Check out this article at Technology Review.  It's almost hypnotizing to watch the process of coloring the silicon (about 6mins in the first linked video clip).

If we export jobs and the processes of making our own goods, should we also export our culturally-held beliefs about workers' rights?  The extension of this argument, which the article didn't cover, is whether exporting jobs would be as economically advantageous under such measures.

Just googled how to write a check...

Time for bed.

Five days til spring break.

This will be my calming, dubstep-ish soundtrack for the next five days:


Two papers, two midterms exxhhalllleeee. Happy almost March!

Paper Bag Waist

I love this look and I am seeing more and more girls wearing it on campus. Girls are wearing them casually to class and I have seen some girls rocking it under professional suits.  Very versatile, I am nervous to order a pair, but I think I am going to go for it.  These are by Vila at Asos for  $62.76 (can you say strategic pricing much). 

You WILL die an immediate, painful death PIZZA STEALER.

Too aggressive? Maybe I should go the passive route: Dear person who ate my pizza, I'm glad you ate my pizza. I didn't actually want the leftovers - that's why I put them in the fridge. So you could eat a whole pizza (minus two slices) between the hours of 5am and 10am. Who's even up that early? Actually, I was saving it for my roommate. And you ate it. Now she's dead from starvation. How's that on your conscience? Xoxo, Domino's Whore

I actually  was planning on giving the pizza to my roommate. I was surprised that someone would take food from a communal fridge, especially with such a short opportunity to strike...Maybe after eating 8/10 of the pizza, the thief (or theives!) decided to leave two small pieces? Crazier things have happened between the hours of 5am and 10am.

Speaking of aggressive notes – and better yet, the passive aggressive ones – check out Passive Aggressive Notes. Upgrade from TFLN!

Ducks in the Rain

When you see a boy in duck boots, you know his mom still buys his clothing. Cutteeeee....but lately I've been seeing them everywhere, which makes me think that some splash happy boys have been perusing the LL Bean site by themselves. Something practical from LL Bean becoming cool, esp among the frat/srat crowd...NOVEL.

LL Bean mens duck boots

LL Bean has been making duck boots for almost 100 yrs – time for this design to move up the food chain. Designers like Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch have taken a nod from the rugged classics company in the past few seasons.  Hers and his duck boots? Yes please!

Tommy Fall 2010

Unlike Timberlands, frat boys aren't pretending to be something they're not when they wear duck boots. So frat stars, ditch the works boots and embrace your preppy WASP-y side self and lace up those duck boots.

Salve omnes!

I'm not a language person. I only liked French class when we got king cake. And I wasn't a Latin person for the 3 years I took Latin...maybe my passive aggressive teacher accusing me of cheating on my homework (one of the times I actually turned in Latin homework...) tampered my enthusiasm for declensions and conjugations. Maybe I didn't feel the need to take a language class to get 10 more points on a standardized test. Maybe the fact there is no such thing as Latin food is a huge turn-off...why learn a language if you can't order food in that language?!

This article from The Spectator made me rethink my seriously unwavering attitude towards Latin:

So keen is [Mark Zuckerburg] on [Latin], he once quoted lines from the Aeneid during a Facebook product conference and now regards Latin as one of the keys to his success.

Julius Caesar said "Veni, vidi, vici" not "Veni, dico, vici." Shakespeare play > The Social Network...Caesar wins!

Another gem:

“If I’m on an EasyJet flight with a group of European nationals, none of whom speak English, I find we can communicate if we speak to each other in Latin,” says Grace Moody-Stuart, a Classics teacher in West London. “Forget about Esperanto. Latin is the real universal language of Europeans.”

Who wants to talk to Europeans when you're in Europe? I much prefer Espearnto. Maybe my ignorance of the language causes my fear of Latin (Timendi causa est nescire).

If it's good enough for Mark Zuckerburg (and Grace Moody-Stuart), then it's definitely not good enough for me!

Carpe diem.

When I'm 70...

I will likely not be in a Paris club DJing. Not so for Ruth Flowers. I had though that she was going to blow up...ageism strikes again? No matter, I've never seen a grandma look so fly in pink lipstick.

Purposeful Purses

These fortune cookie-shaped purses are a bit overdue for the Chinese New Year...it would be cute to give out these out instead of red envelopes. Even better than their Asian appeal (and the fortune printed on the inside of them), they're made from leather leftover from various textile projects. Similar to Whole Foods posting signs for customers to trace how meat and fish were raised, purse buyers can trace the origins of their leather by the stamp on the purse

Off-beat designs meet functionality in Otaat bags. Each bag is smartly designed for a certain purpose. Love how the architect's bag accommodates binders. Where's the college girl's version?