The weekend is over, and it's time to get back to work. So log off from your Facebook/Twitter accounts and hit the books. School is a big deal, and it's time to get down to business.
But if you feel like you need inspiration/need to take a break from all of your important readings, your paper, your JP/Thesis, etc, then click the link. Watch and be amazed by "Apple's" new invention, and reminisce about the times when TV was the only obstacle between you and your work.
Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop with No Keyboard
-Stephanie Lee '11
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Distractions: Keyboardless Laptop
Monday, April 13, 2009
Vive le Luxe!
It is not the expected Paul Poiret or Charles Fredrick Worth gown that opens the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s latest costume collection, “Shopping in Paris: 1850-1925”, but a 1995 Jean-Paul Gaultier lace trumpet dress with an Eiffel Tower print.
An odd choice, certainly, and I spent a large part of my visit on Friday wondering how fashion’s bad-boy, who once sent live turkeys in the mail to critical editors, ends up front-lining a collection of delicate silk gowns trimmed with antique lace and pearls.
This could just be another case of stupid Americans completely misunderstanding the many complex facets of la mode. I mean have you ever seen an American successfully and properly tie a scarf? C’est ridicule!
But instead, I think that the Gaultier stands for something other than simply modernity; it is a symbol of the endurance and the resilience of American overindulgence. And the exhibit manages to save itself from falling into the pathetic American trap of French emulation, by sticking to a subject that every American, from every race, creed, social class, or time period is more than familiar with: shopping.
Ah yes, the true American way; if we can’t actually have the class, glamour, slenderness or that irresistible je ne sais quoi that everything French automatically possesses, then we’ll just have to buy it.
Obviously, that’s a philosophy that’s working out well for us.
If, however, you are interested in a trip down a memory-lane filled with beautiful excesses and fantastically impractical and expensive fashions that will tickle your Seven Jeans-clad bottom, then this exhibit is probably the next best thing to Gossip Girl.
And Gaultier is only the beginning. Silk, lace, tulle, sequins, crystals, fur and pearls pepper what has to be every 5-year old girls dream come true. My favorites, out of the exquisite collection, had to be a House of Worth 1912 green velvet Opera Coat, and a silver 1926 Yteb lamé flapper dress with orange underlay that was as slinky and as dangerously sexy as a shark in mating season.
There are also some interesting tidbits about the designers themselves; Worth, for example, had almost a warehouse set up for producing his supposedly one-of-a-kind creations, which actually were rather poorly made despite their steep price ($300-500 for one, in unconverted 1900 currency).
The worst I can say about the collection is that it’s a bit small. Unlike those exhibitions at the Costume Institute at the Met, or the Museum at FIT, the Philadelphia museum only has a small space. There are no Chanel pieces either, a noticeable absence in a room filled with the biggest names in France during the turn of the century. We can see that fashion changed from 1850 to 1925, but the catalyst herself for that change is missing.
Still maybe that’s part of the point; our vision of French fashion is just as limited as that of those who actually wore the clothes. This isn’t France we’re seeing; it’s Americans’ vision of France. It may seem glamorous, but, ultimately, it’s just a sad imitation of the real thing.
Evening Dress, Designed by Charles Frederick Worth (English, active Paris, 1825 – 1895). Made in Paris, France, c. 1886-87. Silk satin, faille, and brocade with lace and rhinestones. Bodice Waist: 20 inches, Bodice Center Back Length: 13 1/2 inches, Skirt Center Front Length: 38 3/8 inches, Skirt Bottom Circumference: 157 1/4 inches. Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Owen Biddle, 1978
Afternoon Dress and Hat, Designed by Paul Poiret (French, 1879 – 1944). Made in France, 1923. (Dress) Silk crepe de chine and velvet with silk and metallic thread embroidery; (hat) silk with leather appliqué and metallic thread embroidery. Center Back Length: 48 3/4 inches. Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gift of Vera White, 1951
The credit crisis, explained
Check out this cool video from Vimeo.com called "The Crisis of Credit Visualized."
It breaks down an incredibly complicated economic downturn into pretty pictures with stick figures and almost-understandable language. Not bad.
Video comes courtesy of Jonathan Jarvis, a grad student at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, who made the video for his thesis (beats 100 pages on the formation of the International Criminal Court any day).
Free Hug Day
If you're feeling a bit down, just stop by Frist Campus Center today. Members of Sustained Dialogue are giving out free hugs to any passersby. Holding signs, distributing pins, and greeting visitors with open arms, these students are just bringing a little joy to campus.
Huggers will be in front of Frist from 8 am to 7 pm tonight.
At 11 am, Thuy-lan Lite '12 and Michael Collins '11, who also works for the Daily Princetonian, advertised their services while Olaf Sakkers '11 was locked in an embrace.
"It's about spreading the love," Lite said. "Also promoting Sustained Dialogue, but mostly the love."
"Smashcraft Heroes" hits the New York Times
Two months ago, the 'Prince' introduced Princeton's Starcraft team "Smashcraft Heroes" to the campus community.
On Saturday, the New York Times introduced them to the world.
The Times reports that 27 colleges -- including Harvard, Yale and MIT -- are members of Collegiate StarCraft League (StarCraft’s equivalent of the NCAA), like Princeton's 13-member team.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Figures of Speech: This Week is the Reason Why You Came to Princeton
This is one week of lectures you will not want to miss - where else can you see John Nash and Ban Ki Moon in the same week? You know you're at Princeton when....AMAZING people come to give talks to undergraduates.
"Obama's War: Why We Are Stuck in Iraq" - Monday, Apr 13, 8:00 PM in McCosh Hall 10
Thomas Ricks, Pentagon reporter for the Washington Post, argues that the Iraq war is long from over, and that some of its most memorable events may in fact come during the new Obama presidency.
"Ideal Money and Asymptotically Ideal Money" - Tuesday, April 14th, 4:30 PM in Room 101, Sherrerd Hall - John F. Nash (known as the famous Princetonian from "A Beautiful Mind") is giving a talk on money as an artifact of civilization and the comparative natures of monetary systems. Come out if you like John Nash or if you like money. Hey, I'm there!
"Keynote Address: Prosperity or Peril? The Next Phase of Globalization'" - Friday, April 17th, 9:30 AM in McCarter Theater Center- U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is coming to Princeton's campus to speak on whether the increasingly interconnected forces of globalization will result in a more stable and prosperous society. Arrive early to make sure you get the chance to witness this memorable talk and to be in the same room as some of the most influential people on the planet.
Ivy Watch
Ivy Watch - Informative News From Around the Ivy League
Brown:
Many Students Opt Out of Job Market
More than 15 percent of the graduating class at Brown University has decided to not immediately enter the workforce, according to a Herald poll. Many students, about 45 percent, said they “worried” about entering the job market successfully. Only 10.5 percent were “very confident” about their job market prospects post-graduation.
Columbia:
Student Groups Take on Mental Health Issues
In the past few years there have been two suicides at Columbia University. And while Columbia Health Services does offer help to students in need, some students believe there needs to be more outreach to students. One group that is trying to make a difference is Nightline. It is a student group that provides counseling services over the phone for anybody in need. Nightline operates nightly from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Cornell:
‘Congrats’ Emails Sent to Rejected Students
About 25 applicants to Cornell University were sent false congratulatory e-mails from the University’s Financial Aid Office. These students had already received rejection letters. According to Samantha Lo, a recipient of the technological error, the e-mail gave her a “false hope that maybe somewhere along the line there was a mistake, but it just made the disappointment even harsher.”
Dartmouth:
Obama Taps Alum for Natl. Security Post
Obama plans to nominate Rand Beers '64 for the Department of Homeland Security’s under secretary for national protection and programs. Beers served as a Marine Officer in Vietnam. He has served on the National Security Council during the last four presidencies, although he resigned in March of 2003 because of his opposition to the invasion of Iraq.
Harvard:
A.D. Club in Tax Trouble
A.D. is one of Harvard’s eight final clubs which are male-only social organizations. They are no longer part of the University, however. The A.D. Club has reportedly failed to pay $41,000 in taxes. The club is worth $3.6 million, according to the Cambridge Property Database.
University of Pennsylvania:
Wharton Co-Signs Loans for Intl. Students
Wharton has announced that it will start cosigning loans for international students who have trouble finding creditable cosigners. Wharton plans to do so with the Digital Federal Credit Union.
Yale University:
Yale Receives Stem Cell Grants
The Connecticut Department of Health has announced $3.9 million in grants for a dozen Yale researchers. One of the researchers receiving funding is Yibing Qyang; he plans on studying the possibility of heart regeneration with human embryonic stem cells. Obama’s recent lifting of the ban on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research will give researchers access to additional funding from the National Institutes of Health.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Zimmerman Telegram
A round-up of the week's news with Zach Zimmerman '10
Orange and blacked out
In the next installment in a series involving staged photos, terrible puns on "Orange and Black" (see "Black in the Orange Bubble"), and the reduction of a complicated issue to a 500-word article, the Princetonian tackled underage drinking this week. Orange you glad the Prince didn't make a shitty pun about orange and black?
Oh, wait, they did.
Admissions rate sparked heated debate online
Anonymous alums and punny people like "obvious" and "Hi, Mom!" got their undies in a bundle this week about the Admission Office's annual April decisions. After some intense investigative journalism, however, I find out why people were really upset about the 9.79% admissions rate: here.
Important New Change for the Class of 2013
Recognizing the unlucky nature of the class year for incoming freshmen, President Shirley Tilghman announced on Tuesday a bold change. "Just as skyscrapers don't have a 13th floor, and airplanes don't have a 13th row," she wrote, "neither will Princeton have a class of '13." When asked what how the University will differentiate between the '13-turned-'14s and the following year's '14s, she sternly replied, "In this economic situation, we're taking it one day at a time. So hold your horses, Zacho. Don't get your undies in a bundle."
"Tweeting" Tigers
More and more students and professors are using Twitter, so more and more Prince articles are being puvlished that reference one or two tweets. Center for Information Technology Policy associate director David Robinson ’04 provided some brilliant insight into whether professors should be allowed to use the service. “Obviously," he began, "if professors want to use Twitter or blogging or Morse code, the University should be totally fine with that. Even the staff who speak for the University as a whole should have room to experiment.”
Two questions:
1) Who the fuck uses Morse Code? What is this - the Pelican Brief?
2) Also: "experiment"? It's a networking website, not an unexpected encounter with someone outside of one's normal sexual population that may or may not end badly.
The Self-Thesis
The Street section, this week, took a look at students who write their theses on topics right under their nose...well, if there was a mirror under their nose so they could see themselves. Of course, if there's a mirror under your nose, I don't think writing your thesis is high up on your to-do list.
The titles of these theses (wordplay!) include "What I did Over my Summer Vacation" and "Thesis, my Ass!: The Gripping Tale of One Man's Asscheek against the World."
Worst Week Ever
It was a bad week for.... the guy who took this picture. Because he's about to get beat down.
1) Why is this guy (we'll call him Ralph) pouring a drink on top of the course guide? It looks like Ralph's already spilled some, and no one ever spills alcohol. Especially on the course guide.
2) A green sweater? It's mid-spring and it is too nice to be wearing long sleeves. Ralph knows better.
3) Microeconomic theory? Really? Everyone knows Ralph is an English major.
4) Where the fuck did he get that short glass from? The only glasses people use to drink are stolen from Whitman dining hall.
5) What's lurking in that upper right-hand corner of the shot? The all-knowing eye of God? The scornful stare of Public Safety? The enormous eyes of T.J. Eckleburg? Only a poorly positioned light source knows the answer.
AD Walters '67 looks out for Maurer family
Director of Athletics Gary Walters '67 provided tickets to last weekend's Final Four for the boyfriend and family of Lorin Maurer, ESPN.com reported on Friday.
Maurer worked as an athletic friends manager for the Department of Athletics and the Office of Development before she died in the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 in February. Maurer’s boyfriend, Kevin Kuwick, is Butler University’s assistant basketball coach. His team lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament this year. Kuwick and Maurer met last year at the Final Four.
Walters has been a member of the NCAA Selection Committee for the last five years, and chaired the group in 2007. The 10-member group gathers each Spring to determine which 65 men's basketball teams will compete in the NCAA tournament.
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