The Kingsmen followed their annual tradition yesterday by interrupting classes with song-o-grams.  After sneaking into a class to catch one of their performances, Bwog stalked the group to more serenades, really learning the power of large groups of people in brightly colored jackets.  They explained that friends or members suggest people to serenade and provide a time and place to do it.  The main motivation is to embarrass the receiver, but the Kingsmen admitted they probably have more fun that the person being serenaded or the person who set it up.  Decide for yourself by checking out the scene:

And for another view, check this out.

V-Day drinkin but not in a sad way

Bwog firmly believes that being single on Valentine’s Day is only as depressing as you make it (i.e., as depressing as it is for the entire rest of the year). But there’s no reason not to take advantage of the day of love to treat yourself to a good Thursday night of drunkenness. For those of you with no significant other, Bwog invites you to be our valentine with a V-Day drinking game to send you stumbling up the stairs in whatever building you happen to be celebrating in.

Take a sip:

• Whenever you eat a Valentine’s candy. Everything is better with chocolate.
• When you have to assure another single friend, “Being single is actually better!!”
• If you tell an overly persistent flirt at the bar, “Sorry, I already have a Valentine.”

Take a shot:

• When you finish all the candy within reach of your seat.
• If you give up and ask your best friend to be your valentine.
• Every time someone in a committed relationship pisses you off.

Finish your drink:

• Every time two people near you who weren’t previously in a relationship start making out. Then get another drink.
• When the person you’re secretly in love with shows up to your singles pity party.
• If you end the night consoling a friend who actually is in a relationship.

Gettin shwasty via Shutterstock

A holiday that definitely needs some defending

This Valentine’s Day, Bwog wants you to stop grumbling and be happy.  We enlisted Alexander Pines and Alexandra Svokos to cover both sides of the argument—Alexander has barely been single since he was 14, while Alexandra has avoided relationships since she was 14.  Will you please stop posting Adele gifs, please?

Alexander:

Sure you like love, but only in a Jason Schwartzman/Wes Anderson kind of way. Valentine’s Day is too commercialized; some bullshit holiday invented by greeting card companies and florists and the patriarchy to sell heteronormative ideals of romance, bad Ashton Kutcher movies, and the idea that women are “as nonsensical as a Japanese game show.”  Which is bullshit, I agree.

I’ll admit, I haven’t been single since 2008—but guess what? Valentine’s Day is an equal opportunity shitfest regardless of relationship status. First, if you’re lucky enough to get laid, unless the sex is the best sex you’ve ever had, it’s bound to be a letdown. Same goes for dinner. Not only will you shell out at least $50 a plate for a limited menu, but you’ll spend the entire evening staring at people who are not only much better dressed than you, but whose food seems to taste so much better. Didn’t manage to get a reservation in time? That “romantic dinner” in your McBain double at home will almost always turn into a kitchen disaster. One year, I managed to let spaghetti and meatballs turn my kitchen into the Battle of Qarqar, and “hey baby, you’ve got spaghetti on your leg” isn’t exactly top-notch seduction.

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This could be you

While the New York Times is reporting that traditional dating has been unceremoniously tossed out the window, this Valentine’s Day we asked our buddies over at DateMySchool to set the story straight.

According to their data, courtship is very much alive and thriving.  This year, 54% of Ivy Leaguers say their ideal first date is traditional dinner, with 71% of men offering to pay the whole bill.  Not to be outdone, 68% of women were willing to split it.  Meanwhile, on the “being a decent human being” and heartbreak side of things, 96% of Ivy Leaguers would break up in person and only 4% would update their Facebook status to “single” or send a text to signify the end of a relationship.

Over at Columbia, things look fairly optimistic if you want a date this weekend.  About half of men and women want a first date at a casual restaurant, with another 41% hoping for someplace extremely unique.  Only 23% of CU women would expect the dude to pay for the whole bill, but 71% of men would expect to regardless.  A majority of women plan to pay for half the check.  Again, Columbia managed to land on the “decent human being” side of things, with 95% saying they’d break up in person–and 0% of men said they’d do it over Facebook.

So stop writing that CUAdmirers post and get out there, you crazy kids!  The odds are in your favor!

Your potential future via Shutterstock

At least you don't look like this!

Did you kick back with a favorite salty snack? At least you didn’t spend 2.7 billion on it.  (CNN)

Did Valentine’s with your sweetie fall short of expectations? At least you’re not being charged with disorderly conduct to the second degree. (LA Times)

Did you seek love in wildlife? At least—unlike Shakira—you probably had the sense not to pet a sea lion. (Facebook, NY Daily News)

Did you hit the books? At least you weren’t featured on Huffington Post’s slideshow of “depressing” college Valentine’s plans. Nor were you a “Lin-sane” Harvard student featured for–GASP!–”skipping reading” to watch the NBA. (HuffPo)

Unfriendly ‘pet’ via Wikimedia Commons

It’s that season again, when savvy organizations try to use your warm and fuzzy emotions to rake in some cold hard cash. There’s a strong showing this year– but who does it best?

A valentine from science

It’s that season when you can almost smell the love in the recycled-air hood—or maybe that’s acetone. In any case, BunsenBwog has you covered with a selection of new science happenings flimsily connected by the theme of Valentine’s day, lovingly collected by Zach Kagan.

• Sometimes forbidden love is the most passionate, and no one knows that more than the humpback whales of the Indian Ocean. It turns out that the Indian Ocean is home to two very distinct “whale cultures,” one in the south and one in the north, complete with their own different whale songs. Scientists don’t know why these communities are so separate, but the whole set up is just begging for another re-imagining of “Westside Story.” Come on, Pixar, this is gold!

• As Valentine’s Day approaches, communication is at the forefront of discussion. It is, after all, the most important part of a relationship. Unfortunately, it’s also the key to the relationship between certain diseased neural cells for inspiration, according to Columbia researchers. They’ve found that Alzheimer’s laden neurons share information by passing the debilitating disease down the line to connected cells like an intracranial daisy-chain.

• For some of us Valentine’s Day is forever ruined since we realized we were born in early November and did the math. However, if Feb. 14th is your baby-makin’ day then you’re in luck! A new Columbia study has found that a new technique called chromosomal microarray (CMA) more reliably finds genetic abnormalities in fetus DNA that the current method of visually comparing chromosomes (karyotyping). Once CMA becomes more widely practiced it could be an instrumental new tool in prenatal health.

• If you’ve been drinking lots of diet soda to fit in your fancy Valentine’s duds then you might want to skip this one. A study from the Columbia Medical School found that regular diet soda drinkers have a higher risk for vascular problems like strokes and heart attacks. So ease off the Diet Coke: hearts should be aflutter this season, not experiencing infarction.

Media in category "Kisses in film"

Go on a Benjamin-Button-style trip through relationships, from lifelong soulmates to first loves. (Slate)

Still looking for love on Valentine’s Day? Definitely check out Bwog personals! And if you’re willing to venture beyond Morningside Heights for romance, take a look at this breakdown of NYC’s love life by zip code. (NY Mag)

Fed up with Valentine’s Day and looking to commiserate (anonymously, on the internet)? Here’s a handful of Valentine’s Days gone wrong. (City Room)

Nancy Rosin takes Valentine’s Day seriously. So seriously that she collects Valentines written for other people. That’s right, she has over 10,000, and some of them date back more than 300 years. (ABC)

The Google Doodle is really cute today.

And don’t forget, if you’re still scrambling to find something for that special someone, there are plenty of last minute gifts within a few blocks of your dorm!

ResLife is giving away free candygrams and Momofuku cookies today at 2:00 in the lobby of Broadway Residence Hall! For those looking for more than just a sugar-high, there will also be a sex toy info session presented by Babeland.

Be Glen Coco.

Update: Photos of sex toy spread below!

All of Morningside Heights seems to be in love this week. Check out the boringest of the neighborhood’s Valentine’s Day-themed decor.

Are you a lazy lover? Minimum effort produces maximum results with these great Morningside Heights finds. You can even pay with Flex! Katheryn Thayer keeps you in the know!

For the Cuddly
Breakfast in bed! Bonus points if you serve with John Jay trays.

For the Alcoholic
Check out these cute love-themed ice cube trays at University Housewares!

Read on for more gift ideas!

Love is in the air, and it’s making Bwog feel all warm and fuzzy. Cuddle up with a loved one (or just a pillow, we know times are tough), and enjoy the ‘toons!

Cartoons by Jody Zellman

Wave bye!

Murmurs of a Syrian revolution are beginning, though it remains unclear how many of them are coming from within the country itself. (Al Jazeera)

The City Council approved a bill yesterday that prohibits smoking in a bunch of city-run public places. So basically, there’s nowhere left. Poor, poor grad students.  (Gothamist)

Apparently, exercise is leading to marital problems. Guess we’ll just have to watch 30 Rock re-runs instead. (WSJ)

The NY Schools Chancellor announced a decision to close 10 schools. People booed. Bloomberg announced a proposal to reform (and reduce) pensions for municipal workers. People really booed. (NYT, CityRoom)

Think slush was the worst of your problems? 2/3 of America shivers this morning, in some parts under as much as 20 inches of snow! As our own snow-fall comes to an end, snow-play is getting uglier. Please play nicely. (NY Post)

Could this be the last Valentine’s Day for candy hearts? Quite possibly, since a 6th grader found one that said… um… look for yourself. (Gawker)

Photo via Wikimedia.

Bwog’s Chief Romantic Messaging Tipster Jon Hill caught the following snow inscription on the benches outside of Low yesterday:

You know the drill: you wear things we like, we take pictures of you! As Seen on College Walk marches on, despite frigid temperatures and slush.

Zhuoxi Lu, BC ’09, Barnard Gates

So you graduated a couple of years ago. What brings you back? I’m meeting up with a friend.

What was your major? Biology and psychology.

What do you miss most about Barnard/Columbia? I don’t know. I guess. . . nice professors!

What are you doing now? I go to Parsons for fashion marketing.

What will you be wearing this Valentine’s Day? Red shoes – red heels.

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