Sunspots (https://sunspots.cornellsun.com/category/blogs/page/5/)
I’m all about appreciating the small things in life. The conversations. The mental pictures. The seemingly insignificant experiences that we’ll remember forever (Can you tell I’m sentimental?). But there are other “small” things in life that I must admit get more attention than they probably should.
I dyed my hair today. For Christmas, I got one of those DIY hair dye packages, which contains dye that comes off after you wash your hair twice and provides the opportunity to change without the fear that comes with the sincere and courageous commitment to change. It’s called Paprika, but I was never really the paprika type myself. My best friend dyed her hair red when we were in high school, and she had this long beautiful hair. One day we met – it was on a Sunday afternoon; it’s always been Sunday afternoon since 8th grade – and her head was blazing red.
2011 saw the release of Woody Allen’s film Midnight in Paris. Viewers follow an American screenwriter Gil (Owen Wilson) as he wanders around Paris drunk one evening, gets transported to the 1920’s and grows infatuated with the famous figures he interacts with. His affair with another time period interferes with the time he tries to spend with his fiancee (Rachel McAdams). One does fantasize about the lives that contributed to a golden age of art, music and literature. In fact, I’ve been testing out this theory of using wine as a vehicle to time travel for a while.
It’s hard, in fiction, to write about writing. It’s hard to write about most creative enterprises, because if you write about a character who is a world-renowned contemporary poet, you’ll probably have to write about some of his or her poems. Maybe even include an excerpt. And then you’re essentially calling yourself a world-renowned poet, because you’re the one writing what the poet is writing. When I read young adult novels about characters whose writing was praised by another character, I was always really skeptical, because the writer was essentially complimenting him or herself. I came to accept, over time, that if you’re an established figure in the industry — if you routinely churn out creative endeavors that critics and consumers deem “good enough” — you have the liberty to write about good writing.
Earlier this week, I was greeted by the recent changes Facebook made to its “Liking” platform. Rather than only seeing the familiar blue thumbs up, I was met with a plethora of options, ranging from like to happy to surprise to angry. Sure, Facebook had warned us about this change, but none of us were entirely prepared for it. Now, as I scroll through my newsfeed, I am presented with a broader range of emotions, each characterized with a simple emoji. This year, I had heard many stories of what Facebook likes mean to the broader public.
With an open mind and two sides of the story, you’re bound to learn something new. Welcome to the zoo! This is a blog where both the Republican and Democrat viewpoints are represented. The blog is not meant to sway you either way necessarily, just present both sides of the story. You may not agree with the whole article, but hey, you’re likely to agree with half!
A big leap forward in the Syrian Civil War arrived this Tuesday with the Syrian Government’s agreement to the ceasefire detailed by America and Russia this past week. The ceasefire agreement should bring the conflict among the Assad Government, Syrian Kurds and moderate Syrian Opposition to a close, while leaving the battlefield open for continued attacks on Isis and al-Nusra. While the Assad regime’s acceptance of this ceasefire is great news, I believe that there still are a plethora of problems to solve in Syria, some of which may be further exacerbated by this peace treaty. 1. Increased ISIS Attacks
With the recent car bombings in Damascus and Homs, which killed 120, ISIS has laid claim to another terrorist attack in Syria in accordance with their plans to escalate the war.
I’m currently sitting in a Starbucks in Edinburgh, Scotland. Before I attract any sass for studying abroad and still going to Starbucks, I would like to say that familiarity can be a blessing and free WiFi is needed at times. Anyway, as I rest here sipping my Chai latte, I’m reminded of healthcare… bear with me. So, in most European cafes, a customer is given the choice to “sit in” or “take away” – I would like to add that the first time this was put to me, in a strong Scottish brogue, I was very confused.
Ailis here — Olivia couldn’t attend last weekend’s concert so I’ll be flying solo this week. Last Friday, Cayuga Lodge hosted yet another concert at their basement venue. Four talented acts played that night. The energy proliferated from an apathetic folk opener to a dance-rock closer, keeping the audience awake throughout the rather late-night show. The bands were Modern Hut of Ithaca, Benjaminto of Ithaca, Izzy True of Ithaca, and Giant Peach of NYC.
GO: It’s weird when someone says to me, “That’s such a Greta outfit!” I think to myself, duh that’s why I am wearing it? But I also think, wait what is a Greta outfit? What is an Eleni outfit? ET: I agree, it’s almost disorienting. As someone who values personal style choices, it is weird to hear someone else define my look.