Go ahead I dare you

Interested in running for mayor? Have a record? Christine Quinn, Bill de Blasio and Scott Stringer are among the prospective candidates touting their arrest records for civil disobedience. Even former mastermind Bill Clinton knows it’s not always “a question of did he inhale or not” (NYT)

To solve the city’s growing litter problem, the MTA plans to reduce the number of garbage bins in subway stations. That’s almost like trying to stop people from using Starbucks restrooms by self-appointing a serial masturbator—oh, wait. (Huff Po, Gawker)

No matter if the economy’s up or down, Americans seem to at least cherish their fancy beer and cheese. And it’s not just men doing it, either. (Slate)

New York, the city where dreams are made, is now just another place to blow off your life savings. (Gawker)

Gut-wrenching decision via Wikimedia Common

Longing to stray right through the very heart of it...

“Neeew York, New Yooork” is where everyone’s making news of late.

A 23-foot high, bronze teddy bear slumped under a black bedside lamp will be on display for five months in midtown Manhattan from next week. It’s selling for $9 million dollars. (WSJ)

A New York City teacher has been arrested after colleagues complained that she made comments about bringing a gun to school to settle scores. (Fox News)

A resident of the city is expected to go on trial for the death of a reputed drug dealer at Harvard. Both the victim and the accused were from New York City, neither attended Harvard. (Boston Herald)

Elvis Costello spent April Fools performing in at least three different places in New York City. (Jambands)

The Clinton Foundation is moving downtown from West 125th street to 77 Water Street–out of Harlem and into the Financial district. (Spec)

Vagabond Shoes via Wikimedia Commons

Gulati, PrezBill and Landon in happier times. Photo via ohnotheydidnt

That means “a motley assortment of things.” Seatbelts, everyone!

Gulati says the U.S team was “capable of more” in the World Cup.

Columbia is a partner in a jargon-y, confusing government project called the “NYC Media Lab.”

Breaking: James Franco is self-important. He is also an artist.

Joseph Stiglitz makes $109,919 a year is the highest paid B-school professor in the country.

A look at how Columbia B School has changed (by not really changing!) post-crash.

CC alum create the Salsabol, which provides a new and revolutionary way to scoop salsa.

Procrastination o’clock? Watch this footage of Columbia going crazy in 1969 1968, even though it says 1969 for some reason.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Remember how Bill Clinton was going to maybe speak at CC Class Day? Well, he isn’t, but he will be speaking at the Public Health School’s Graduation at New Balance Track & Field Arena on 168th Street. Hubba hubba!

The complete Graduation/Class Day/Commencement hullabaloo calendar has just been released for CC, GS and the School of Mines. Other notable speakers include chef Jacques Pepin for GS, Gail Collins for JSchool, our old friend Eric Holder for Law School, and Meryl Streep for BC.

See the full schedule and speaker list after the jump. Read more…

Eva Suarez attends a plenary session of the Clinton Global Initiative, feels poor.

This week marked the fifth annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative — in other words, what the former President spends his time on when he’s not jetsetting with pretty ladies or hobnobbing with Kim Jong II. Clinton provides a forum for world leaders, major philanthropists, international CEOs, and prominent members of the media to discuss solutions for global problems. Unlike the Davos Convention, the emphasis is less on talking and more on creating “commitments”– explicit promises to give money to a specific plan or cause.  Clinton expects his invites to give money, even without the prospect of taking a catnap in the Lincoln Bedroom, and he strives to make sure they don’t forget it.  This was an event for the best and brightest,  or at least the richest, of Clinton’s honchos.  Before a panel on developing Northern Ireland, Clinton played the schoolyard bully and had the house lights brought up so he could call audience members who had not yet given money out by name.   Sessions seemed like trade fairs; each presenter was out for the crowd’s money as much as their interest. Thursday’s plenary session on infrastructure was no different, with panelists Jeffrey Immelt, the head of GE, Carlos Ghosn, the head of Nissan-Renault, John T. Chambers, the head of Cisco, Kristina Peterson, the head of finance of Suntech America, and Kofi Annan, Columbia Global Fellow. Moderating the panel was Ray Suarez, of the PBS Newshour.

In the green room before the show, Suarez brought the panelists together with Bill Clinton for a warm up discussion. There was continental breakfast, and Usher was also there, maybe to serve as a subtle reminder to Clinton that he’s not the first black president, no matter how many gospel churches he cries in. There was lots of juicy “off the record” conversation, and lots of swag. Repeatable from backstage — Kofi Annan likes orange juice, and Bill Clinton knows a surprising amount about planes. After about 45 minutes of croissants and basking in each other’s glory, the session began.

Read more…

Maybe we’re just better? 

For the world, comedians. For Columbia, ex-Presidents! 

Wednesdays = entirely superfluous.

Ask, Don’t Tell–Columbia administrators riding high

Support the team, not the record

Urinetown! Urinetown! Urinetown!

Seemingly the only Columbia heroes missing from Roone Arledge Auditorium today were Jeffrey Sachs and John Jay — though both were certainly at the Havel/Clinton/PrezBo prestige-aganza in spirit. In an event that vindicated CUArts’ alumni donation siphoning existence, the two former world leaders touched on both fighting TB and the Federalist Papers during their conversation, loosely based on the theme “Challenges of New Democracies.”

Prezes Václav and Bill were certainly in top form, but it was PrezBo‘s thoroughly germane sprezzatura that stole the show. “One more lecture [at CU] and he’d be up for tenure,” he sparkled, welcoming “Professor” Clinton onto the stage. Meanwhile, one student overheard in the audience clearly favored the Czech: “They should make Havel the new dean of SIPA,” he said, “keep him around”.

A few points into the discussion between the world (and “world university”) leaders, Clinton took some time out to give a “pro-mo… for Hav-el,” placing him in the ranks of Gandhi and Mandela. “No one should underestimate what he did in a peaceful way,” he said. Responding in a playful tone, PrezBo asked, “President Havel, do you have anything nice to say about President Clinton?” Applause and diplomatic laughter erupted politely from the packed house (Clinton, however, couldn’t contain himself, turning a vivid scarlet).

Read more…

If you happened to be watching Fox News this morning at 8:15 AM–because that’s how Bwog likes to wake up–you might have seen a group of students with big signs behind the cameras. And if you looked closely enough, you would have seen a couple of  Columbia faces: Dems member Nathan Morgante, CC ’09, and Josh Bolotsky, CC ’07 and this year’s president of the College Democrats of New York. These kids, along with several others
from Fordham and St. John’s college, got up early to protest Chris Wallace’s treatment of Bill Clinton on the most recent edition of Fox News Sunday, which sent blogs buzzing and progressives taking victory laps on behalf of their dear leader.

Careful to appear unthreatening, the Dems shuffled up to their post, stood quietly for a few minutes, and shuffled away. No cries of “Where’s the third plane?”or “Faux News!” Just a good clean way to start the day.