A Break from Finals

Ugly Dancers....



Via Genesis Be

emerging from hiatus for a modest proposal

Christina and I were just exposed to this delightful video thanks to facebook.

As you can see, this is a middle school girl's guide to getting a boyfriend. In middle school. Now, this may seem silly, but this prepubescent child has exactly one more boyfriend than either myself or Christina can currently stake a claim to. We are choosing to blame this on NYU.

It seems like this girl has the right idea. She does say "if you're in high school, you probably shouldn't be watching this," but we're not in high school! Fuck! We're in college! This obviously applies to us!!!

We are contemplating setting a challenge for ourselves: follow the advice in this sage video down to the letter. Would it net us a sexy college man (not a middle-schooler)? We're desperate to know.

During our hiatus, one or both of us may act in accordance with the instructions set forth in this video. Maybe not. But if we do, we will write a follow-up post letting you know just how that went. Who knows, maybe we and the other straight females of NYU could profit off of this.

I know that I, being a consummate coward, have never really told someone that I like (LIKE-like, to use middle school parlance) them! There is in fact a good chance that this middle-school chick has balls of steel in comparison to me. As for Christina, well, she's allergic to love. And relationships. Just in general.

What do you think? Should we go for it? This could be the beginning of a new and beautiful era. Let us know what you think.

The 308 will be undergoing a hiatus on Marie's part as well

I should at least pretend to be studying for finals. See you after the worst has passed, kids.

THE 308 (at least by Christina)
WILL BE ON HIATUS UNTIL THE
FROSH-FINAL-POCALYPSE HAS PASSED OVER

HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
except for Kwanzaa because, according to Marie, it's "not a real holiday"

What to do when you're bored-Christina

What do you do online when you're bored? Usually I go to youtube or Facebook. Sometimes, when no one's looking, I might take a peek at fanfiction.net. Recently, though, I've been browsing around Kickstarter.

Kickstarter is an amazing way for smaller businesses and people in general to gather funding for any sort of project. You put up your campaign (very simple) and people can pledge a certain amount of money. People often give out prizes for certain donations (ex. a pony if you donate $10 or more, a jackal if you donate $20 or more, etc.) The best part is that you only actually pay if the project reaches its full funding. That means that you won't donate $10 just to find out that the guy never reached the minimum and used the money for a burger. There is a certain amount of accessibility and accountability that makes Kickstarter amazing for people who want to support great ideas.

I'm thinking about posting Kickstarter projects I find interesting every now and then. Hope you enjoy and hope you support.

Further Holiday gifts for...-Marie

Your boo

Whether it be your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your friends-with-benefits, or a prostitute with a heart of gold, you might be obligated to buy something for the person you're gettin' it on with this holiday season. Unless your relationship is already repellently sweet, avoid gifts that are way too personal, way too expensive, or both (such as a noble bust of your partner cast in gold). Get them something that relates to one or more of their interests, whether those interests include pop culture, clothes, or getting wildly drunk. If they have no interests, check for a pulse.

Bitter single friends

If one or more of your friends has ended up single as the holidays approach (female NYU students, pay close attention), then you may want to handle them with some measure of care.

Do: invite them out for something fun (and not as a third wheel either, unless this category happens to overlap with "people you secretly hate")

Don't: set them up on a blind date with your "nice" friend who will probably get that hygiene thing nailed down any...day..now...

People you secretly hate

Unfortunately, there's probably at least one person you absolutely despise on your gift list. I recommend either passive aggression or shower gel.

People you're secretly in love with

Nothing too creepy. Come on, dude, pull yourself together.

Besties

Well fine, Christina, I see how it is

WHATEVER

Holiday gifts for...-Christina

People you only kinda know

Amazing greeting cards from The Oatmeal with dead Rudolphs and guys crapping out butterflies. I usually hate most greeting cards. Especially the ones that sing. WTF? Crappy. super crappy. fun to take apart though. The Oatmeal greeting cards, however, will horrify people and endear yourself to their immediate enemies. Just kidding, they're hilarious and cute and extremely offensive.

Super feminine pampering people

Something cute and smelly from Lush, the purveyor of all goodcutesmelly things. Just ask Marie. Since buying some Lush shampoo she asks me to smell her hair all the time. Seriously though, get this person a bath bomb or a soap or maybe a massage bar if your friendfriends.

"Geeks" who you're jealous of cause they're super cool :D

Cute T-shirt from Tee Fury, a poster from The Oatmeal or XKCD. How can you resist these designs? And they're so nicely priced! And they help artists who are sad and alone during the holidays because their families have disowned them! It's a winwinwinwinwinwinslightlosewin

Hipster friends

Anything you've heard of they've heard of first. Anything that comes from a rundown store. Vinyl. A poster from Molly Crabapple. Maybe something cool from Kickstarter. The latest Coilhouse is always good (and rare). Handmade gifts are always a good option because they've definitely never seen your Bffl-Blaster (patent-pending) before.

Besties

Nothing. You've wasted all your time and $$ on everyone else. But hey, that's family ;)

Places we enjoy in New York City

1. Pommes Frites
Christina-Amazing delicious heaven god allah yahweh sauces with a lil-crispy chunky belgium fries in a cute cone.
Marie--Let's not beat around the bush here. Some places are popular for a reason. Pommes Frites is pretty consistently packed, and that is because it's really fucking delicious. Get the black truffle mayo or mix the mango and chili sauces. Nnnf.

2. The Strand
Christina-So many books. NO CHAIRS. find a book then go downstairs to the law or criminal section (oddly close...) and sit down and read semi-guilt-free.
Marie--A chair, a chair, my kingdom for a chair. But it's no biggie, because the Strand is pretty dang rad and you can find all of the esoteric and out-of-date history books you'd ever need there, as well as a fine selection of everything else (unless you're looking for a very specific book, for some reason. Then you're screwed)

3. Search and Destroy
Christina-Everything is too expensive but it's nice to be stroll around amidst the porn and leather.
Marie--the prices aren't TOO bad and most things are great. This is the only place I've ever been too that plays Oi! on the sound system, though, so I might be biased in their favor.

4. Caracas
Christina-Yummy arepas full of the best meat and freshest food. A bit pricey but their flan is sweeter than your mama (that is now a phrase).
Marie--Get an arepa. Oh my god. The best. You should also buy a can of Colita, which tastes a little like bubblegum but mostly like falling in love.

5. Veselka
Christina-Pierogi. 24/7. And a surprisingly delicious Beet Salad. The sausages are also deliciously tender and come from the butcher shop across the way. They also have a cookbook!
Marie--Pierogies.

6. Landmark Sunshine Cinema
Christina-This tiny-but-tall theater has all the artsy farts films as well as classics. Tickets are a bit much ($13), but you where else are you gonna get your almadovar fix?
Marie--This place is so cool and I want to make out with it oh my god. Um. They play some incredible classics (term used loosely to encompass every film I enjoy) at midnight, and you should absolutely check those out. They also show new-but-slightly-obscure stuff, if you're into that kinda thing (I am).

7. Housing Works
Christina-It's a great artistic community and location for events. There's a cafe and fashion section as well! It's volunteer-run and goes towards supporting AIDs victims and family.
Marie--Housing Works is really just fantastic. Even if you're not looking for something to read, the events of theirs that I've attended have been insanely great. As Christina mentioned, they promote some insanely good causes, so don't feel bad about blowing all of your money there.

Guilt

So, yes, I haven't posted in a while. This happens a lot in my life. For the first few days I'm like LETS GO LETS DO THIS SUPER AWESOME TIMES FOR EVERYONE and about a week later I avoid all of your text messages about our Bunny World Domination plan and never speak to you again. But I swear The 308 won't be like my previous relationships. Mostly because I live with Marie and her physical being is a constant reminder of my failure to follow through.

So hheeerrreeee IIIIII ammmmmmmm

Another habit I have is that I buy too many books. Powerwalking by the plastic, too-rickety-for-comfort tables full of books on 4th St., I can never resist pausing for a moment (or at least reading the covers as I keep powerwalking). I have two 3-foot long bookshelves at my NYU-provided desk (which is decent if a bit cramped). One is full of my CDs (to sell, I'm not that narcissistic) and tea, the other full of books I haven't read. The books I have read are few and are under my bed (I really can't give you an answer to why). It's a habit I always remember having. I just buy books. I can even research which books to buy through reviews and wikipedia and awards and I'll buy them but rarely do I actually read them. Actually, when I'm looking for something to keep me warm and intelligent all through the night I often just buy another book and read it instead of going back to the BOOKSHELF OF GUILT.

I like to think I buy books to give myself some semblance of intelligence. "Look at all the books I intend to read. I'm so wanna-be-intellectual." But does that count? If you want to get knowledge, by buying books or signing up for classes, does that show the same perseverance as someone who follows through on a few of them?

I'm just wondering, if I get 10 books that I don't read but I know the basics about and one day want to read, does that equal actually reading one book?

I really hope so.
____________________________________________________________

Before watching Treme, the only jazz I truly enjoyed was Charles Mingus. And only Black Saint and Sinner Lady. And really only Track A and Track B. But if I could only listen to a few songs for the rest of my life, those songs would be on the list.

I am tempted to go on a paragraph-long spiel that details the amazing journey of these songs, but I realize that 1) I sound like a douche and 2) it wouldn't do justice to the songs.

Instead, just buy the CD and listen to it, you heathens.

-Christina

p.s. If anyone knows anything about turntables, can you comment some advice? Marie and I are looking to buy one. Our budget is about $50 to $75 total. :D

My adventures in linguistic determinism, or, why I am the equivalent of a Spanish ten-year-old.

(This chunk of whatever is from last year and cross-posted from my other, secret, shitty blog. I still like it, though. It has been mildly edited, mostly because I wrote it at like 2AM on a Wednesday night)

There’s one concept we went over in Psych class this year that really stuck with me: linguistic determinism, or the theory that (loosely worded) the language one speaks affects one’s thoughts. I guess this concept fascinates me so much because most of the things we learned about in Psych were interesting, but so obvious and observable as to be pointless—after all, it’s plain to see that people help those who help them first, or that people will continue behavior that they receive rewards for. However, linguistic determinism is the kind of thing I never would have been able to put into words previous to Psych, despite seeing its effects firsthand.

I’m in a strange place, linguistically speaking. English has been my first language for seventeen years, and I don’t take that as a casual circumstance—throughout my entire life, I’ve been more or less obsessed with the English language, and I’ve never once struggled with the concepts and rules that have always seemed to plague my peers. Speaking and writing and reading in English come as easily to me as breathing, and at this point in my life I’ve grown incapable of understanding the difficulties that others have with these things, simply because not knowing how to employ English seems to me like not knowing how to use one’s limbs.

However, I’ve also been a student of Spanish for six years, and in that time, I’ve become more fluent in the language than is generally expected of a painfully white high-schooler. I can communicate my ideas efficiently, I can read and analyze Spanish literature from pretty much every era, and all in all I would say that I am very capable in the realm of the Spanish language, although my vocabulary sometimes suffers due to not speaking Spanish outside of a classroom environment.

I have one problem that a dictionary cannot really solve, though. I find that in class, when I am assigned an essay or analytic questions for a piece of literature, I struggle with the assignment much more than I would in my regular English class (the coursework of which is basically equivalent to my AP Spanish class).

But this makes sense, you say (possibly)! It’s only natural that I find the assignment more difficult—after all, I am undeniably a more accomplished speaker of English, and that aforementioned dearth of useful vocabulary is surely harmful! Indeed, this accounts for any mechanical difficulties I may experience while writing. I am not focusing on these particular problems, though, which can be overcome quite simply with a tiny dictionary and a cool head.*

The trouble is this: when I am planning out an essay or trying to answer a challenging thematic question, I struggle with the concepts themselves, a difficulty I almost never have in my native language. In English, I am the undisputed master of essay-writing and analysis—in Spanish, I produce work that the English-speaking me would raise an eyebrow at.

It seems to me that my thought processes grow, if not actually simplistic, then certainly more muddled when I am thinking and writing in Spanish. I am so used to having a plethora of very specific, meaningful English words at my disposal when writing essays that when I set pen to paper in Spanish class, the ideas that I connotate with those words might as well have vanished into thin air. I have so many more limits in Spanish, because the thoughts that race through my brain when I am writing in English can only break through that language barrier to a certain extent.

I do wonder if this is the heart of linguistic determinism, or if this is a peculiarity specific to me and any others at my levels of fluency in two separate languages. I deeply suspect that even if I attained perfect fluency in Spanish, I would still encounter similar mental roadblocks. I also suspect that I would start to run up against them in English as well, though—a phenomenon that I can already start to see when I read very capable English translations of my favorite Spanish stories and am left cold.

At the risk of verging on the depressingly obvious, the world is full of different languages because each language is different. If there were one universal language where the thoughts and ideas of every culture could be perfectly conveyed, then we would almost certainly be using that language.

However, there is no such thing, because the little differences in structures and tenses and pronouns have, I think, a vast psychological effect on the individual. There are phrases in Spanish which I can understand perfectly in context but could not translate into English for the life of me, and vice-versa. What does this indicate?

Well, I’m sure it indicates a bunch of different things to a bunch of different people, but to me, this suggests that fluency is not just a matter of understanding a languages, but living it—I can speak Spanish until my throat dries up, but I won’t know Spanish until it, like English, comes as easily to me as breathing.

*and it's a well-known fact that nothing is cooler than a tiny dictionary

Things that I hate for little to no reason: part 1

The 308 is back in business--and apparently, it's up to me to end our brief hiatus with a post!! Oh man!

It was suggested that I post about some of the irrational hatreds that have earned me a strange sort of fame. So, without further ado, enjoy a brief sampling of the long, long list of things I inexplicably loathe!

1. Foosball
2. Popcorn
3. Fingernails/toenails/bellybuttons
4. The Rolling Stones
5. Sandals of any variety

I would post a truly comprehensive list, but I might down a server or something.

The 308 is back, you guys. Tell your friends.

Oh no! An entire day without a post!

I know that this member of the 308, at least, is currently embroiled in the thrilling intricacies of Thanksgiving break. I hope you've all had a lovely day eating with your families or watching football or writing angry tumblr posts about the genocide of the Native Americans.

Business as usual will resume whenever we feel like it.

In the meantime, how about lulling yourself into a turkey-fueled slumber with some Warren Zevon?

The OTHER 308

Yes, people. For those who have already found out, I will re-confirm it.
There is ANOTHER 308 blog.


I now pronounce them our unofficial sister blog (unofficial cause they don't know).
The (other) 308 has provided the world with such scintillating quotes as:

"OH GOD I JUST HAD A RAMPANT FART"

and

"I want to do shrooms, they’re cute!"

The few. the proud.

-The 308

3:24 AM Post

Give us more testimonials so that we may seem popular and rule the world. They can be good, bad, off-topic, on-topic, ironic, stupid, whatever.

COME AT ME BRO

p.s. you should listen to the 5-song playlist in the first post. It's still awesome.

I want to keep up with Christina, posting-wise, but I just spent about a billion hours on an essay and my mind is officially devoid of interesting content.

I suggest allowing this to provide the entertainment for you.

Rest and relaxation

What do you do to relax?

I usually don't need to take very severe anti-stress measures--I'm a teenager, after all, so I'm used to dealing with a constant buzz of low-level anxiety--but occasionally I need to do something to wind down or I will drive myself insane.

This usually manifests in the form of drawing buildings. My own artistic style tends towards the very sketchy and loose, so attempting to recreate something that relies on strict lines and form is the sort of challenge that demands I devote all conscious thought to it.

I had a midterm (our second one!) in Texts and Ideas today and although it wasn't that hard I had managed to spend most of the day panicking. As soon as I came back to the dorm, I took an uncomfortable seat on the radiator, stared out the window at the cathedral, and attempted to draw some portion of it before night made everything indistinct.

It's not particularly good, but I'd say it was satisfying. Like most of my drawings of buildings, some of it is wildly disproportionate and some of it I just made up to fill empty space.

I have a history paper to write now. Hopefully this current feeling of inner peace will last me at least through the first paragraph.

One word of advice: don't be like me. Don't draw in pen.

Yet another 18-year old girl hypothesizing about something she doesn't know shit about.

I'll probably post about life as an intern at a record label later.

Until then, procrastination.

I found this at Marie's personal Tumblr (the URL of which I'm not allowed to share)
From the Beetroot art group

"Ideas that seem impossibe to realise with traditional media, including design software, often trigger concepts for self initiated projects. Using technology not just for the sake of it but as an aid device in order to design with it, we built some custom tools. Those tools allowed us to experiment with the type of Shakespeare’s «Romeo & Juliet». Along this text the word Juliet appears 180 times and the word Romeo another 308 times. We finally brought them together with 55,440 red lines."

It's easy to hate Romeo and Juliet. Disturbingly easy actually. They're young. They don't have time to break apart Revolutionary Road-style ahhhhh I'm so disillusioned never loving anybody silent lone wolf. I'll admit I've said this or thought this before.

But I am optimistic now, and though I probably won't actively search I'll try to keep the option of a relationship open. I don't know about the use of technology though. On one hand there's the whole "self initiated projects" and using technology "as an aid advice" as Beetroot art group does. Technology is the medium of discovery (obviously, considering the above posters), but can that translate over to romance?

I think that technology oversimplifies everything and people. Yes, Facebook gives us all these parameters for self-definition (religion, gender, political views, idols, books), but there's still something lacking. But I admit that these thoughts come from an article about The Social Network I recently read (I'll post the link if I can find it again).

These are all quotes. My own interpretation? No, I don't think we can find someone online. Online/texting/phone things have gotten to the point where even a phone call is too intimate. When was the lasttime you called your friends instead of texting them? And why not call? I'll be honest it's way awkarder by phone because you have awkward pauses and you have to make small talk sometimes, but that's reality. At least, that's my reality. I have no place telling you what's yours. Then again, I've never been in love, so maybe the bond that can cross time (age gaps) and place (long-distance) can go through the A/D D/A transformations of a computer/phone. Hopefully I'll be able to test this out.

I also take comfort in the fact that I can always write a great breakup album if my heart gets broken.

Currently listening to St. Vincent (just discovered her a la Marie from (I need to stop writing that), who is opening my eyes to real music. I am a n00b). Loving "Cheerleader" and "Champagne Year" from Strange Mercy.

I make a living telling people what they want to hear

but I tell you, it's gonna be a champagne year

Good luck everyone,

Christina

Time to judge the books

Christina

I am a Virginian, punk,white chic

Marie

She's a Californian asian musician

Although, the game didn't have an "Asian" option...

Poor Marie. It's hard out there for a pimp.

Just to clarify. Christina is the californian and Marie's the virginian.

No place for ironic fugly sweaters here

For anyone who hasn’t yet been disappointed, Joe’s Pub is a misnomer. “Pub” emanates sweaty man-stink and liquor. But this audience is delicately composed of upper-class and middle-aged statues.
Yet another fullstop in my search for a great all-ages, no-cover jazz venue. (next stop is Fat Cat)

Disappointments keep piling on. In addition to the $40 ticket, there’s a $12 meal minimum. Which is easy considering that’s the price of the hummus appetizer. I puncture the plain, applesauce-textured slush pile and wait for the only reason I’m here: Allen Toussaint.

Allen Toussaint is a legend in the New Orleans jazz scene and he knows it. After an introduction and few apologies from the Joe’s Pub manager, Toussaint emerges from the velvet black curtains.

In a sparkly tuxedo. Sparkly. Tuxedo.
Sparkly.
Tuxedo.

The best part? It doesn’t fucking matter. Yes, he may look like a washed-up 3PM game show host, but I don’t really care. (Although I’m slightly disappointed by the simple setup: no drums or bass. not even a trio Toussaint? a trio?). Because Allen Toussaint is first and foremost a storyteller.

Toussaint’s fingers spread, spring and bounce up and down the piano keys, it’s as if the last 50 years haven’t happened. Rock, hip-hop, rap, dub-step have all been erased and you’re kicked down the well of history to land in the South in all its jazz and blues glory. Toussaint begins with “Southern Nights,” which is a catchy, nostalgic lullaby. He then goes through some of his classic songs, finishing each with a song about the characters. But his masterpiece is his final song.

Toussaint lulls us back in a full circle. We recognize the “Southern Nights” piano riffs, high and lazy, laid back to the point of being out of tempo but it still makes it. Toussaint soothes us with the piano as he begins to tell stories of traveling to visit his Creole relatives, his low baritone voice raspy, he smiles a little between each memory and each riff. He spreads a web around us and we see the Southern Nights as he did as a kid. Houses a shotgun apart and bleached bone-grey. Aunts with funny names and accented tirades who can smother you in too-large bosoms, dying from love and maternal warmth. Lounging safe and warm on a porch engulfed by a blackness and silence unknown in the city. His music becomes a magic act has he conjures up this Southern Night In the middle of the afternoon in the middle of New York City. Its a blackness that covers and soothes everyone in the room. And when you leave the light's a bit too bright and the city a bit too loud.

Song as a story. I'm disappointed that it's a surprise.

Let's talk about webcomics!

Do you know what depresses me? No, no, don't guess; I'm about to tell you. What depresses me is that most of the time, when you hear webcomics mentioned in polite conversation--which is rarely!--the most constructive thing anyone can think to say is "Oh yeah, I read that one webcomic...QPDC, or whatever?"* The subject then tends to be promptly dropped.

(((* XKCD, guys. XKCD. I'm not necessarily recommending that you read it, but how hard is it to remember four letters?)))

This would lead one to suspect that webcomics are an extremely niche form of entertainment, popular with the archetypical "fat male nerd on the internet" crowd and pretty much no one else. And yeah, some webcomics--probably a lot of webcomics--play to those particular cheap seats.

However, dismissing webcomics as a whole as an inconsequential art form with cult appeal at best is a huge mistake. The internet, after all, is a vast place. Thanks to the multitude of people with the means to scan or digitally draw artwork, and the equal multitude of sites that provide some sort of free blogging or image-posting service, there are more active webcomics online than even the most efficient of enthusiasts could enumerate. These comics cover a staggeringly vast spectrum of genres, artistic ability, and whatever else you care to name; in that respect, webcomics resemble any other variety of popular entertainment.

You can find webcomics that cater to pretty much any interest, whether it be angsty postmodernism or, well, disturbing secret fetishes (this is the internet). So obviously, there are more people creating and reading webcomics than the aforementioned fat male nerds on the internet--but that doesn't mean that they aren't still a total niche interest, right?

Wrong! Totally incorrect. I hate you for even asking, okay?

I hate to break it to you, but you've probably encountered--and enjoyed!!--some insanely popular webcomics whilst doing whatever it is people do on the internet (porn and facebook). Webcomics have grown in readership to the point where an impressive amount of creators have been able to quit their day jobs and live solely off of the profits from merchandising and publishing deals.

Wait, you ask, publishing deals? Yes, I reply, stroking my goatee in smug response, publishing deals. Print collections for a bunch of popular webcomics can be found pretty readily at your local bookstore (or library, I guess, but apparently we're killing the libraries so let's just go with "bookstore" for now). You've almost definitely seen 'em around. Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure good old internet stalwart/heaping pile of shit Megatokyo was a big trendsetter in the webcomic-publishing movement--you can even find that shit at Barnes and Noble, yo!

Note: you should never, under any circumstances, buy Megatokyo.

There are thankfully even more options nowadays, and you can buy actually-good-stuff like American Elf in book form at Barnes and Noble AND read it online (if I were a worse person, this is where I would veer off into a discussion of the pros and cons of internet v. physical distribution, but that is a post for another time)!!

The last aspect of webcomics you should take into account is the mainstream success--we're talking beyond even considerable internet popularity, here!--that webcomic creators can sometimes achieve. I'd say that the best example of this is Kate Beaton. Beaton initially gained recognition for Hark! A Vagrant, a historical/literary/occasionally biographical webcomic that managed to attract a sizable fanbase. This internet fame eventually translated into real-world prominence, and today Beaton has published two collections, been interviewed all over the place, done a couple of strips for the New Yorker, and gone on a pretty successful book tour (full disclosure: I went to see her and she was great oh my god).

Obviously--and if it isn't obvious by now, I give up on writing--webcomics have a good deal of influence on popular culture, and not just the parts of popular culture that can be found online. In an era when most people are having a grand old time forecasting the death of the print industry, one could even predict that webcomics, far from being print comics' nerdy bastard brother, are in fact its child (awkward familial metaphor! 10 points!), destined to overtake print as more and more people seek their entertainment in primarily digital forms.

So what can you do to be part of the FUTURE? Well, you can read some awesome webcomics. It turns out you're in luck--I have impeccable taste and lots of recommendations for you all. If you like interesting stories told well, or just disturbing and absurdist humor, then by all means continue reading.

RECOMMENDED GAG-A-DAY WEBCOMICS:

(these are probably the easiest form of webcomic to digest--single, standalone strips, much like those found in newspapers. Primarily humorous, and in my experience tending more towards the "geeky" side of things than some other forms of webcomic)

• Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal--In recent years, this strip has grown in overt nerdiness, but it has remained consistently funny. If you don't like math/science/existentialism jokes, just start reading from the beginning.
• Hark! A Vagrant--mentioned above. Although a lot of the strips center around historical figures or classic literature, the strips are generally pretty funny even if you have no idea what Beaton is talking about.
• Left-Handed Toons--The art is maybe not much to write home about, but if you are a fan of weird, lighthearted humor, then this is your comic right here.
• Pictures for Sad Children--on that note, if you are a fan of extremely weird and not at ALL lighthearted humor, boy have I got a comic for you! It's not completely comprised of standalone strips--there are some short plotlines scattered throughout--but for the most part it fits most effectively into this category. This is totally my favorite webcomic. Fair warning.
• Scenes from a Multiverse--This strip is written by the creator of Goats, a very popular webcomic that I actually don't really like at all. Imagine my surprise when I realized that SfaM is pretty awesome. It can be a little dorky/lowbrow at times, but the art is bright and fun, the concept is cool, and the strips are frequently hilarious! Worth an archive trawl just to find the bunny strips.
• Gunshow--Gunshow is hilarious and frequently horrifying. As with PfSC, there are some independent plotlines within the archives, but unlike PfSC, these plotlines do not make you want to cry (usually). The art is also distinctive and great.

RECOMMENDED SLICE-OF-LIFE WEBCOMICS:

(these comics have established characters and plotlines, but the focus tends to be on character interaction and humor rather than story arc. Frequently, there is at least a bit of an autobiographical edge to these strips)

• Octopus Pie--With an art style that somewhat evokes Scott Pilgrim but is entirely awesome in its own right, Octopus Pie is just plain fun to look at. It is also incredibly fun to read, and at various times will have you laughing hysterically and clutching at your sad, broken heart. It centers around protagonist Eve Ning, her roommate, and their various friends and coworkers, and is divided into short chapters that make the reading process 100 times less likely to give you a headache.
• Johnny Wander--Johnny Wander is a webcomic about webcomic artists, basically, which sounds annoying but is actually really great. Most of the strips concern the two creators (who are totally together--awwww!) and their group of friends/roommates/fellow totally rad artists, and every now and then there will be a small fictional story that is generally gorgeously drawn. Funny, sweet, and low-key.
• Questionable Content--Now, I'm not sure I really recommend QC as such, but it is one of the most popular slice-of-life webcomics, and was definitely pretty good for a couple of years. At the very least you should click between the first and most recent strips and marvel at how much the art has improved. Creator Jeph Jacques also supports himself entirely off of profits from running QC, which is pretty cool! Gosh!

RECOMMENDED PLOT-HEAVY WEBCOMICS:

(Like a cross between mythology-heavy television shows and the serialized comic books of old [and new, for that matter]!!! This is where I should point out that I am a huge nerd and thus most of the ones I read are pretty silly. They are uniformly entertaining, though, so shut up and thank me jeez)

• Gunnerkrigg Court--every time I try to summarize this comic I make it sound like Harry Potter, so I'm not even going to try. Let's just say that it has a very interesting story full of, you know, mystery and stuff, and is currently ongoing. The art is lovely and moody and frequently influenced by some pretty cool mythology!
• Bad Machinery--everything that John Allison writes is perfect. If you really want to challenge yourself, read Scary-Go-Round, the precursor to BM--but you don't have to! BM is a charmingly weird comic about a group of British kids who sometimes solve supernatural mysteries and mostly argue. It is notable both for its art, which is really fantastic but not to the point of distracting one from the actual goings-on of the plot, and its dialogue, which is comparable to that of Joss Whedon in the sense that no children actually talk like the kids in BM do and yet it still seems totally believable.
• Breakfast of the Gods--This is so stupid and so, so epic. In the classical sense. Also it is complete, so no waiting around for updates.
• Doctor McNinja--It took me literally two years to read this comic because I thought the first chapter was stupid. It kind of is, but if you forge onwards, this turns into one of the more hilarious comics in existence, and the art looks like it belongs in a real-people comic book, even! Actually, real-people comic book art is mostly shitty these days, so ignore that. I don't want to spoil any of the plotlines. They are all great.
• Friends With Boys--This is no epic, but it's charming nonetheless. FWB will eventually end up as a legitimate graphic novel, but the author is posting it online first. The art--as is most of these plot-heavy comics, I guess--is superb, and while it's not action-heavy, the characters and the various mysteries lurking in the background should be enough to keep anyone satisfied.
• Monster Pulse--this comic is a pretty new one, but the unique art and concept already guarantee its status as a worthwhile read. It has a pretty simple sensibility, though, so don't come here for scathing wit and convoluted plot machinations.

So happy reading, you guys!! If I forgot to attach a link to anything or made any heinous typing errors, let me know. Also, if you have any awesome comics you think I should add to my recommendations, send me a link and I'll tell you why you're wrong (no, actually, i will probably check them out).

shameless plug of my new radio show-Christina

i designed that.

New Midnight Society is a forum for burgeoning and established writers in the NYU community. Writers will be able to read and showcase their material during this WNYU.org show, which airs every Sunday at 4:30 PM. Please submit a 5-15 min. work to stories@wnyu.org.

it also happens to be hosted and painstakingly edited by Christina Li

SUBMIT YOUR WORK NO POR FAVOR AT STORIES@WNYU.ORG

I hope for it to go on air in December 2011

Up a goddamn mountain.

Hey everybody. Marie and I (Christina) are currently dancing to Professor Longhair. I discovered him while watching Treme which is [warning adult content] fan-fucking-tastic [/warning adult content] so you should watch it too.

'Sup. This is Marie. I don't know why I'm saying "'sup;" it's my least favorite word in the English language. Not that it counts as a word, being a complete bastardization of everything dear to linguistics. Anyway! Yes!! Hi!!!!!!!!!

Nice use of exclamation points. "Now we should talk about what we're going to post"-Marie
thank you marie
"will you keep quoting me if i keep saying things?"Marie
No.
Anyway, what we're going to talk about. Well I'm trying to get more into jazz music and music journalism so I guess I'll be trying that out here. What else what else. I don't do a lot of "commentary" things because my thoughts seem idiotic and banal two days after writing.

Future discussion topics? Alright! So, I am NOT a music journalist (although I like to think my ability to think up satirically pretentious Bon Iver reviews on the fly is unmatched). I will probably be posting, uh...man, Christina, watching me type. Awkward. But anyway, you might see some (mostly unserious) creative writing from me, as well as endless endless endless commentaries/diatribes on whatever topic. I do sometimes write poetry, but it's not the "big words and white person angst" kind of poetry so you can stop hating me now, yay!! I once co-wrote a play about wizards (you can totally hate me for that). I was going to make a C++ joke to go with Christina's html joke but I have forgotten everything I ever learned. Christina, take the keyboard away. I'm just going to keep typing. Stop me. Stop me. Type type type

You shame me. Well I have some ideas for future posts. mainly. 1) thoughts about the Allen Toussaint show I just saw (which will condense into a review for Washington Square News). 2) Ayn Rand "Fountainhead" bashing and 3)books I've read/music listening to. Right now I'm reading The Moviegoer and I'm excited to read Berstein's The East, The West, and Sex. I feel like during that post I will have lots of identity-crisis asian-female-objectification rants so be prepared. Oh and ask Marie to make you a mixtape. They're awesome.

My mixtapes are the literal fucking best. They will rip everything you have ever known away from you and leave you crying, naked and alone, on a windswept plain of painful epiphany. They are also pretty good to dance around to and snap your fingers all funky-like! OH HEY I forgot to mention that I will probably be posting reviews of movies and books and other forms of readily consumable entertainment! As far as my first proper post goes, I think I am going to talk about webcomics, which is. You know. Pretty cool.

Still Marie talkin' here. At Christina's suggestion, I am going to wrap this post up with a tiny playlist (compiled by the both of us!!) because music hey why not. Enjoy!!
If you want some endless fun, try and guess what the alternating order of our song choices is! Did Christina start, or did I? ENDLESS FUN.

1. My Aim is True--Elvis Costello

2. Son of a Gun--The Vaselines

3. Girls! Girls! Girls!--Liz Phair

4. Slow Dog--Belly

5. Black Saint Sinner Lady, Track A--Charles Mingus

Goodbye and goodnight!