Iraq and North Korea are facing off. The Iraqi government has blocked a North Korean plane from passing through its airspace, because it suspects there are weapons onboard. It’s hard to say what the most worrisome part of this is, until you find out that the plane was heading to Syria. (Reuters) Unrest in the […]

Arctic ice shrunk a record 18 percent this year, to the shock and distress of the scientific and environmental community. The fall is said to be unprecedented and the clearest sign yet of climate change. (The Guardian) It looks like Samsung finds the iPhone 5  to violate just as many of their patents as its […]

With the hard decision of choosing a name for their child long past, Beyonce and Jay-Z have turned their attention toward politics. President Obama does some naming of his own, referring to the celebrities as “Jay and Bey.” (Washington Post) Columbia reaffirms its status as a top research university by adding the comic archive of the author of […]

A newly revealed tape shows Romney accusing Obama’s supporters of laziness and dependency, proving that what everyone thought Romney thought people thought about Obama’s policies is true. He doesn’t apologize. (CBS News) To Putin’s delight, and to the dismay of diamond cartels worldwide, Russia has revealed the discovery of trillions of carats worth of diamonds, enough to […]

Tween girls everywhere breath a sigh of relief as Robert Pattinson forgives Kristen Stewart for her cheating “trampire” ways. Faith in true love has been restored once again. (The Sun) Lock your doors and bar your windows! The number of wild wolves in America is on the rise, prompting the government to legalize wolf hunting in multiple sections […]

The ubiquity of nudity (and more nudity) and obscenities in today’s society has led many to wonder if the art world can shock us anymore. (Gawker, CNN, NYT) To launch her new fragrance, FAME, Lady Gaga threw a promotional party at the Guggenheim Museum where mask-sporting attendees could watch her catch some highly premeditated z’s inside […]

Think twice before flashing your new international ID and loading up on Smirnoffs. The Czechs provide Carman Hall with a new role model by shutting down all sales of liquor above 20% ABV after 19 victims died from methanol poisoning. (Reuters) Who knew love could be so enduring? A South Carolinian woman is looking to press charges after finding her […]

As Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago teachers union continue their negotiations over pizza the public school system, one complaint that hasn’t been addressed is the lack of air conditioning in many classrooms. Wait, we’re allowed to protest about that? (HuffPost) Meanwhile, New York reasserts its dominance as the world’s best (and most confused) city, as […]

Apple revealed the new iPhone 5 yesterday and it looks a lot like the iPhone 4. (Reuters) It took Apple three years to figure out a new way to rip off consumers with “EarPods;” in that time, scientists have discovered a new species of monkeys in the DRC in an “exhaustive study.” (Washington Post, CNN) […]

Fox News paints a questionable picture of Obama’s influence on unemployment rates. (NYMag) These berries are literally shinier than any other living thing. And since we can’t eat them, we’ll have to settle for a photo. (NPR) Picture yourself smiling. Now picture yourself frowning. According to the creator of emoticons (yeah, that’s a thing), modern […]

In Chicago, it’s usually the students who skip class, but now the teachers are on strike. (Chicago Tribune) Journals tend to publish well-written and well-thought out pieces, but the Morningside Review is planning to publish UWriting essays. (Spec) Employees (especially young ones) are generally warned not to be full of themselves, but a new Columbia […]

Politicians, long known for bizarre cultural practices, are once again trying to convince voters that they’re human– or at least more so than the other guy. (WaPo, Buzzfeed) This week Lincoln Center is swarming with people that Bwog assumes are dressed for some sort of elaborate mating ritual. (NYMag) In addition to throwing and kicking things, […]

Embracing the ridiculousness of the birther movement, Obama quips about Hawaiian birth certificates. (NYT) Conspiracies about conspiracy theorists launch conspiracy theories. (MSNBC) Someone was preparing for the apocalypse in a Brooklyn housing project… with an exotic animal zoo? (Gothamist) The government actually is watching you. (Engadget) World conspiracy pyramid via Wikimedia Commons

Maybe Mitt Romney should just give up now, because apparently the odds of him becoming president are a wee bit slim. (NYMag) A former Croatian tennis star was forced to give up his net dreams due to injuries, but hey, he’s now a student at Columbia Law School. (NYTimes) Is hookup culture a sign that […]

President Obama concluded the Democratic National Convention last night. (NYT) Check out front page news coverage of the event from around the country. (Newseum via Slate) If you don’t have time to watch a 30+ minute speech, maybe you’ll have to time to “watch” it though the power of gifs? (Atlantic Wire) This morning August […]