As you may or may not know, our 


Fearless Leader recently spent some time at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and while he was there, he said several clever things to his fellow delegates.  The Financial Times Blog found his comments punchy enough to post.  Some of PrezBo’s sagacity:

“All of the discussions over the last several years of an assumed “decoupling” of the rest of the world from the US economy today sound about as quaint as the purring of praise for unmediated free markets. We are in a global recession, and we are all inter-connected in ways that we barely understand or can imagine. Clearly, we need to know much, much more than we do about what is happening in the world, so that we can better act to avert dangers and build successfully on what has been achieved.  That is the basic role of journalism and the press.”

The Columbia University Dance


Marathon is already 3/14 (or 21.4%) done!  Bwog suggests you go on and Electric Slide your way down to Lerner soon, because there are only twenty-two more hours to see all your favorite people shakin’ that thang for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.  In fact, 30 Rock aficionados should hustle a little more, even, because Bwog’s heard a rumor that “actor Judah Friedlander will be appearing around 11 p.m.”

Public Service Announcement:  people unfamiliar with 30 Rock and Mr. Friedlander (are there such people?) may want to absent themselves from CUDM at that hour.

The Columbia men’s basketball team defeated Yale 53-42 Friday night, ending the Bulldog’s five-game winning streak that had them tied for the lead in Ivy League play.

It wasn’t a graceful win, but after whittling away a 9-point halftime deficit, the Lions surged late in the second half on a 14-3 run to keep the Bulldogs at bay. Defense was the key factor in giving the Lions an edge, and combined with a strong presence at the free throw line, Columbia turned Yale’s 23% second-half field goal percentage into the opening it needed to take the win.

Senior Jason Miller led the Lions with 16 points and 11 rebounds, followed by junior Patrick Foley’s 12 points and freshman Noruwa Agho’s 10.

The Lions are now 1-2 in the Ivy League and host Brown tonight at 7:00 in Levien Gym.

“Demon Squirrel Feasts Upon Peanuts” is one of many new campus wildlife photos on the Hawkmadinebwog this month.

 In which we check in on the happenings of the Hawkmadinebwog and its editor, Courtney Dowds, as they start up the new semester.

Welcome back to the neighbirdhood, everyone.

Revisting a grade-school favorite in My Side of the Mountain.

A throng of starlings greets the return of their favorite naturalist.

And she’s back: Hawkma puts in one of her first appearances of the new year.

Now that Netflix streaming movies are available to Mac users, far greater numbers of Columbia students have begun exploring the wonderful “Watch Instantly!” world.

They’re also probably learning — as PC users did months ago — that Netflix’s catalog of streaming content is largely a grab-bag of B-movies and obscure television series sprinkled with the occasional big-budget film. That’s fine if you’re into Ballykissangel marathons, of course, but it’s hardly a replacement for Kim’s or even Blockbuster.

So then what is worth watching on Netflix streaming? Well, some quality films are actually tucked away in the catalog, but you’ll have to spend some time searching them out.

Bwog knows you have a busy weekend, though, so after the jump are three film picks just waiting for you to press the blue “Play” button.

Read more…

Men’s Basketball: Despite a season-high 24 points from freshman Noruwa Agho (who won his second Ivy League player of the week award), Columbia fell again to Cornell, 83-72. Agho and sophomore Asenso Ampim were the only two Columbia players in double figures, despite neither starting the game, while all five of Cornell’s starters scored 10 points or more. The Lions look to rebound from the tough conference start with two home games this weekend, tonight against Yale (7-9 overall, 2-0 in conference play) and tomorrow against Brown (6-10, 0-2). Both are at 7 p.m. in the Levien Gym.

Women’s Basketball: The women’s team were unable to continue their winning streak over the weekend, falling 58-53 to Cornell. Despite leading 29-21 at the half, Columbia let the Big Red storm right back at the start of the second half, letting them take the lead for good with eight minutes to go.  Judie Lomax had yet another double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in the loss. The women’s team goes on another road trip this weekend, playing Yale (8-8, 1-1) tonight in New Haven, and Brown (3-13, 1-1) tomorrow night in Providence. Read more…

The semester just started, but summer internship application deadlines are fast approaching.

To that end, the Center for Career Education is helping sponsor an internship fair this afternoon at 5 o’clock in Earl Hall Auditorium designed to get you on track for your summer plans.

Expect a panel discussion by major city employers and a workshop on internship hunting led by career development author Lindsey Pollak. (Yeah, Bwog hasn’t heard of her either, but she does have Facebook.)

Even more importantly, the event has free food. “Especially cupcakes,” according to CCSC 2011 President Learned Foote.

It’s been a couple of months since Ricky’s shuttered its doors for remodeling, but the store-formerly-known-as-Kim’s appears to have completed its metamorphosis into fabulousness.

Signs posted on the shop’s door this morning inform passers-by that the new (and questionably improved) incarnation of Ricky’s opens today at 2:30 p.m. Workers were laying the finishing touches on the exterior around 11 a.m., and empty boxes by the curb indicate that inventory was delivered sometime earlier in the week.

Updates will be posted if warranted, but for now, Bwog will go ahead and start lining up for first dibs on body glitter.

Today marks the end of the “Change of Program” period, which means it’s the last day you can add and drop classes with no fee, paperwork, or generalized anxiety involved.

But, should you not realize until next month that your 9 a.m. lecture class in Pupin really isn’t working for you, don’t worry. You still have until Feb. 24 to drop a class — don’t expect your money back, though — and a little under two months left (March 26) to switch courses to pass/fail.

More information is on the Registrar’s Web site, or you can try your luck with an adviser. (Walk-in hours were yesterday, by the way.)

Just grin and eBear it.

She has her cupcake and eats it, too.

Every cloud has a silver line of scrimmage.

You can lead a horse to Tokyo Pop, but you can’t make him drink.

Spec hops on the bandwagon.

Mere minutes ago, Bwog received photographic evidence that widely-acclaimed cover artist (oh, and Carman public safety officer-in-chief) Sir Mike brought down the house at Earl Jam tonight.

Sir Mike, informally known as Michael Layne, is widely perceived among first-years to be the only friendly adult on campus.  Tip for freshmen: he has been known to sell you his self-made CD of cover songs if you stay on his good side for long enough, which you will most definitely “enjoy” listening to.

Bigger photo after the jump. Read more…

We’re one month closer to spring!  Celebrate the waning winter season with these fun and entertaining tips:



Friday

Naeem Mohaiemen: Young Man was No Longer A…

Friday 7pm, New Museum of Contemporary Art 235 Bowery (212.219.1222)

Artist, activist, and all around flower child Naeem Mohaiemen delivers a multimedia talk on failed activism during the 1970s and its contemporary implications.  Warrantless wiretapping, anyone?   

Price: $8

Curumin with Money Mark

Friday 10:30pm, Mercury Lounge 217 E Houston St (212.260.4700)

This Brazilian band livens up the Mercury Lounge’s dance floor with a distinctly modern South American sound.  

Price: $14, $12 in advance

Read more…

The Eye Web site is undergoing reconstruction, but Bwog still recommends these articles from the PDF, which will lead you to answer deep questions far too quickly.

Soul-searching for a major? Just read these interviews and you will know your path! (Pg. 8-12)

Is there going to be an apocalypse? No. (Pg. 4)

Do all 3-D movies suck? Yes. (Pg. 11)

Patrons of Avery Cafe are now being treated to a striking new cup-holder featuring Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze. The holders are advertising Swayze’s new cop show The Beast.

Reports say the new holders were selected because they are cheaper. Bwog has decided that the cafe staff is just indulging their love for Ghost.

Columbia economist and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz recently spoke at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland. In interviews at the week-long summit, Stiglitz has called for more government action, labelling current public economic stimulus “totally inadequate.” He advocates a less taxcut-based stimulus plan in the United States. He also predicted a global trend toward social welfare states common in Europe.

“There will be more emphasis on the welfare state,” he said. “But there will also be more emphasis on incentives within the welfare state.”

The conference is normally an opportunity for business titans and world leaders to pat themselves on the back for successful free market growth, but in this year’s gloomy climate, Stiglitz is sure to garner attention.