Leafter is the best medicine

Eddie sent this to me. Can't imagine why.

Back from Aspen (sadly!)

Thanks to Aaron, an incredible weekend in Aspen. Hiked to Crater Lake at the Maroon Bells and biked the Rio Grande Trail and hiked to Grizzy Lake. Beautiful! Exhilirating! Pictures to come.

Yay

I finally found a setlist from the R.E.M. show last Sundayhere:

Begin The Begin / So Fast, So Numb / These Days / Drive / Animal / Fall On Me / All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star) / Bad Day / The One I Love / Daysleeper / Electrolite / (Don't Go Back To) Rockville / Orange Crush / Losing My Religion / At My Most Beautiful / She Just Wants To Be / Walk Unafraid / Man On The Moon // Life And How To Live It / Exhuming McCarthy / Final Straw / Imitation Of Life / Permanent Vacation / It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

Now if they would just hurry up and release their new album. Harumph.

On the other hand, I love living near Fenway Park

There a bunch of drunken people running down the street. I wonder where they're going? (Postscript: Aaron went and discovered the beginnings of a riot, though he left before things turned ugly.)

Wow, Boston REALLY sucks

So, you, my dear reader, might be wondering, why is Kushal home before bars close in Boston? Well, because Hurricane O'Reilly's decided that it didn't want to let people in after 1. Why? No answer! So stupid! We were following Aaron's cousin to his friend's birthday party, but, alas, the bouncer and manager were far too proud of their power to take our money. This is vaguely analogous to the asshole at the Playwright in New Haven during senior week: "You go to Yale? You should know better than to bring a fake ID to the hottest club in New Haven." I think I would rather be unemployed than be a bouncer. To derive self-worth at the expense of other people's pleasure, that's pathetic.

Climbing sticks

NYTimes: "The study, which included a small number of men, found that both men and women were dissatisifed with their social lives. Instead of formal dates, students attend parties in large groups, followed by "hook-ups," which the study described as fleeting, alcohol-fueled sexual encounters. "

This is reminiscent of an 'article' I found when trying to check what the average age someone loses their viriginity is the other day...


In recent years a new term, "hooking up," has sprouted on American college campuses for what used to be called "quickie" sexual interaction. A hookup may involve a range of intimate activities from kissing to forms of sex and usually involves alcohol. It is sex without commitment or emotional involvement, usually between people who know little if anything about each other and expect nothing more from each other than the gratification of that lone encounter.

According to a survey by the Institute for American Values, "40 percent of college women have hooked up at least once, and 10 percent more than six times" (Christian Century, Aug. 15, 2001). The empty ritual leaves many young women feeling used, disillusioned and burdened with emotional confusion.



(although this was more interesting)

It's enough to leave someone Climbing the Stick. (Good find Scott!)

What I've learned about visiting the Vineyard

Visited the Vineyard Saturday, at Calvin's urging. Awesome! Highly recommended, at least in the off season.

1. If you work for IBM, rent at Enterprise. They waive the (usurious) underage fee. We got a sweet little Volvo. And they're right on Comm Ave.

2. Take 90 (east) to 93 to 24 to 495 to 28 (after the bridge) until you're directed to parking lots near Woods Hole.

3. Try not to barely miss the ferry, although there is a nice bakery near the ferry dock.

4. Ending up at Oak Bluff is good, since that's where the action is. Vineyard Haven is lame, and it's weird that ferries there are more frequent. Oak Bluff has a cool army surplus store and a nice bike rental guy and a hat store and an old ferris wheel and an octagonal church and pretty houses and a little beach.

5. The bike ride to Edgartown is gorgeous, though doing the full loop would be better.

6. Edgartown (or Agerton, as the bike man called it) is supposed to be the center of action, but isn't that exciting, except for the harbor.

7. Black Dog is inexplicable.

8. Try to leave time to visit the cliffs and the nudists. Maybe next time.

9. Taking the ferry back at night is good, because you can see all the stars. And there are tons of them.