Bwog’s very own Christ-fearing cinephile Mark Hay is back (or resurrected, you might say) with this week’s film recommendations.

Bwog did not get a chance to talk with the Westboro Baptist protestors this Thursday – the police would not allow that simple liberty. Neither, one would expect, would these protestors have been willing or able to articulate themselves without some reference to Bwog as a godless heathen. Which is absolutely true, but one need not remind us constantly. It is in light of this inability to communicate with our dear Kansan friends that Bwog offers up three movies on religious extremism – one through the eyes of the believer, another the manipulator, and the last from the confused and out of place (just like us).

Jesus Camp (2006)

An astounding documentary by directors Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing in which the zealots get to speak their peace uninterrupted and unperturbed, “Jesus Camp” follows three devout Pentecostal evangelical children on their journey to and stay at Becky Fischer’s “Kids on Fire School and Ministry” in Devil’s Lake, ND. Read more…

Not one, but two separate bridal parties were assembled on Low Step this afternoon.

Bwog sends its best wishes to both couples. Let’s hope these “Love[s] at CU” turn out more successful than that other kind.

More photos after the jump.

Read more…

 
Bwog extends its heartfelt congratulations to Dr. John D. Clarke, MD, FAAFP, and (evidently) badass MC, whose anti-H1N1 rap beat out over 200 competitors to win Flu.gov’s 2009 Flu Prevention PSA Contest.

Looks like Clarke, who graduated from Columbia’s very own medical school, returned to Alma Mater to earn his MC as well: his swine-bashing video is filmed on the overpass between EC and the rest of the world, with the law school, Amsterdam Avenue, and assorted academic buildings in the background.

In the minute-long PSA, a lab-coat clad Clarke spits lyrics such as “Hand sanitizer I advise ya get it, why?/it makes germs die when you rub and let it dry” over an impressively catchy beat. Check it out- this just may be the best informational music video since back in ’86, when another doctor taught us all to stroke.

Image via Daily Intel

Eco-friendly Bwogger Mark Hay explains why he has a massive crush on Bharrat Jagdeo- and why you should too!

Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo had just finished his speech, “What’s Greener than a Rainforest: Economic Transformation and Forest Conservation in Guyana,” this past Friday when a member of the audience eagerly sprang towards the microphone to boldly declare: “My favorite president in the western hemisphere was named Barack; now it looks like I’ll add Bharrat.” Columbia has fallen madly in love with Mr. Jagdeo, and it is easy to understand why. Jagdeo entered Guyanese politics at the age of 26 and ascended to the presidency just nine years later making him, in 1999, one of the world’s youngest leaders. He has maintained his position, and an unimaginable level of popularity at home and abroad, for a decade now- and seems to have done it all with an unflagging idealism tempered by optimistic pragmatism (almost a contradiction in terms, but somehow he pulls it off).

And he’s green to boot. In June of this year, Jagdeo launched a “Low Carbon Development Strategy” for Guyana – one of the largest and most practical applications of sustainable development ever implemented. It was this milestone program that had the entire audience, including Interschool Committee for Sustainable Development Co-Chair and moderator Ruth DeFries batting butterfly kisses at him for an hour.  DeFries, though, gave a moment’s pause in her adoration when Jagdeo seized upon her reference to Columbia and Yale’s cooperative Environmental Performance Index to lambast the metrics used in the index’s compilation, lament Guyana’s placement on the list, and suggest methods for better reflecting reality in such widely-read resources. Read more…

Bwog hears rumor of free Dinosaur Barbecue outside of EC at noon today. No word yet on why, or who we have to thank for this fatty, saucy benevolence, but go! Leave your Butler carrels and grab some before it becomes, er… extinct.

Update: Ever intrepid, Bwog braved gusty autumn winds in pajamas and flip-flops to get to the place where the barbecue sauce flows like water and the pineapple shakes never dry up… only to be informed by an RA that the food is for East Campus and Wien residents only. There’s a decent sized line, but it was moving quickly and supplies seemed to be holding out. EC and Wien residents, don your slippers and shuffle out there- as for everyone else, depending on how hungry and/or broke you are, it may still be worth it to don your best lonely-Wien-kid costume and see what you can get.

Foiled New York terror plot was scheduled for September 11 of this year, says prosecutor in the case of alleged terrorist. (AP)

A Columbia Econ professor claims that good signs from the stock market don’t necessarily mean improvement in the economy. All the suited would-be analysts swarming yesterday’s career fair beg to differ. (Reuters)

Because skinny jeans and ironic T’s clothed the whore of Babylon: “equal opportunity haters” from Westboro Baptist take the love to Brooklyn, meet with similar level of success. (Gothamist, NYT)

 U2 plays at Giant’s Stadium, backs up the subway, draws larger crowds than the Pope did. Bwog advises Benedict to take up the “perpetual sunglasses” look if he wants remain a serious contender. (NYT)

Want your own little piece of presidential residue? Psh, is that even a question? Theater seats warmed by America’s first couple (for around 2.5 hours) to be auctioned off, starting at $500. Well, in terms of presidential merchandise, it could be much, much worse. (NYT)

 Image via Oprah.com

Football: After the season-opening win over Fordham, the football team has its home opener against Central Connecticut State (12:30, Baker Field). Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week Millicent Olawale looks to continue his strong start to the year, while the defense hopes to stop Central Connecticut running back James Mallory. Students get in free (and the game is the first part of the Lions Den program, in which loyal fans who go to certain games during the year can win enter a drawing to win prizes), while those who can’t make it can listen to the game on gocolumbialions.com or WKCR.

Fencing: Columbia senior Daria Schneider got into a swordfight with the leader of the free world earlier this week, though only as part of a promotion for Chicago’s 2016 Olympics bid. Video from CBS’s website can be found here, and Schneider and teammate Kurt Getz will be competing in the 2009 World Fencing Championships (aired on Universal Sports, one of NBC’s digital channels) at the beginning of October.

Soccer: The men’s soccer team rebounded from a close loss on Sunday to nationally-ranked Boston University to claim their first home victory of the season, 2-1 in overtime on Friday over Bryant. Junior Bayo Adafin scored both goals for the Lions, including the game-winner less than three minutes into overtime. The women’s team similarly rebounded from a Sunday loss (2-1 to St. John’s) to beat Central Connecticut State 3-2 midweek on 2 goals from Melissa Schultz and 1 from Kelly Hostetler. The men do not play again until Tuesday against Fordham, but the women open their Ivy League play against Cornell tonight before facing Colgate on Sunday. Read more…

Drop those Jello shots, folks—the Columbia Bartending Agency has officially reopened after a several-month hiatus.  Though the School of Mixology has offered its signature five-course, real-alcohol training programs for the past three seasons, the Agency, responsible for hiring out bartenders to private events, was asked to shut down temporarily after sending several students to an unlicensed warehouse party last fall.

Having conducted a rigorous internal review, the Agency has finally begun to re-train employees under a newly revised protocol.  Managing director Bryan Wesley Reid believes the Agency to be far more comprehensive and organized than its previous incarnation, and newly instated administrative and pricing changes should help its services remain accessible to prospective clients.  In addition, the School will run four evening courses as planned this October, and will continue to donate a portion of each student’s $200 tuition to the America Reads and Community Lunch organizations through Community Impact.

Your days of drinking Schnapps straight from the bottle may be over.  But then again, probably not.

Housing & Dining has thrown up some cheap-looking plastic signage around the Empti Lounge vending machines that reads “Market Central.”  How exactly a few standard vending machines qualifies as a “market” Bwog has yet to understand, but one thing we do know is that nothing says classy like fake plastic torchieres.

According to culinary anthropologist Jonathan Hill, “the vending machines are caught in some kind of arms race of gaudiness.  For years, the drink/snack machines were the only game in town; then the hot dog machine rolled into the neighborhood and destabilized the balance of tacky, so the drink/snack machine bloc responded by tarting itself up with plastic frippery. Now it’s the hot dog machine’s move, and I’m betting it’s going to be BIG.”

Though the administration’s next upgrade to the glorified meat locker remains to be announced, Bwog suspects that they might just be ready to plug the machine in.  Baby steps, H&D – baby steps.

One would be hard-pressed to find a world leader more appropriately named than Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal of Nepal. And it is a shame that nothing more positive may be said of the man or his speech, entitled “Post-Conflict Challenges and Development,” at Low Rotunda Thursday afternoon than that his name is easy to remember.

Since the end of its no-party rule in 1991, Nepal has endured a bloody and protracted civil war waged by Maoist militants, along with a violent massacre of its royal family; as recently as May 2008, it has seen the abolition of its 240-year-old monarchy in favor of Maoist power, and the expedient deposition of said power in favor of a Democratic-Marxist alliance.  Even in summary, the last two decades of Nepali politics are an ideological mouthful, and it is only natural to expect Prime Minister Nepal—active in politics since 1969 and a crafter of both the 1991 and current constitutions—to have at least one insightful comment on his nation’s democratic trajectory, violent snafus, and questionable political gambits.  Surely it is not out of order to expect a speech full of interest and insight from the leader of one of the world’s most underrated danger zones.

But alas—Prime Minister Nepal, who was selected as a speaker at the World Leaders Forum before assuming the high office in May 2009, offered no such thing.  For all his years of leadership, it would appear that Nepal lacks a great deal of political acumen, although he has mastered one dance move: the sidestep. The initial minutes of his address were wasted on a series of increasingly absurd and sycophantic platitudes towards America and Columbia University. A degree of humble thanks and praise for one’s host is to be expected and appreciated, but this lackluster speaker’s droning seemed less of a civility than a prelude to a long plea for assistance and clemency. Read more…

Open the G-20 economic summit a la President Obama, denouncing Iran for harboring a secret nuclear facility and “breaking rules that all nations must follow.” (NY Daily News)

Guide to the Weekend returns, in the one post where you’ll ever find both burlesque and food trucks together.

Friday – Sunday

New York Film Festival

Alice Tully Hall

1941 Broadway

$7 for students

“In the past, the festival has showcased the likes of Jean-Luc Godard, Pedro Almodóvar and Martin Scorsese. Adventurous cineastes will especially want to check out the Views from the Avant-Garde series.” 

D.U.M.B.O Art Under the Bridge Festival

Various neighborhood locations

Free

Artists turn the area around DUMBO into a series of temporary projects, using a variety of mediums. Read more…

A longtime (and very articulate) professor reflects on the institution prior to retirement.  Turns out that we were right- they don’t like undergrads here!

Pass the time watching the few film shoots allowed inside the gates.

What do you do with your MFA in writing?

Should you choose to live abroad, be aware that it’s not like not living abroad.

The limitation of the medium never discouraged pre-teen YouTubers.

Westboro Baptist Church members, purveyors of, well, controversial ideas, were protesting at the Jewish Theological Seminary at 122nd Street today.

Their chants were protested by members of the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, silently holding signs.

The whole awkward affair was watched over by several police officers, who kindly told Bwog to “move along” before they pounced on an onlooker who shouted “Can’t hear you, brah” at the protesters.

Update, 4:42 PM: David Fine, CC ’13, sent in his pictures and video of the protest.

More uncomfortable photos after the jump.

Photos by Anish Bramhandkar

Read more…

While retrieving packages from Carman and carrying a large sign disassociating himself from that vomit-strewn hell hole, one Bwogger came across the following sign on the stairwell door to the Mezzanine:

“NOT the Mail floor.  To collect your packages, go to the male floor up the next flight of stairs.  Much obliged.” (emphasis added)

What would initially appear to be a misspelling turned out to be accurate.  A quick perusal of the name tags confirmed that the second floor is, once again, an all-male floor.

Freshmen are cleverer than they let on.