Starbucks Logo

I guess there are some folks out there who think the Starbucks siren logo is a wee bit naughty – this post details the history of the logo. We’ve come a long way since the 15th century! It’s pretty interesting – and one of the updates includes some comments and images from the guy who designed the green logo.

Escape Pod

Any science fiction fans out there? If so, there’s a good chance you already know about Escape Pod. But in case you don’t, here’s all you need to know. Escape Pod is a weekly science fiction literary podcast. Every episode contains one SF short story as well as commentary by editor Steve Eley. Escape Pod stories run the gamut from life on other planets to superheroes to the dangers and wonders of technology. Most episodes are under an hour and are great to listen to on your daily commute, hanging out at home or while doing an otherwise mundane task. I just started listening to Escape Pod a few months ago but they have episodes on their website (escapepod.org) going back to the launch of the podcast in 2005. Here are some of my favorite episodes to date: The Color of a Brontosaurus – Archeologist tries to travel back in time. Immortal Sin – Man attempts to live forever to avoid paying for his sins. Results – The danger of knowing too much. Impossible Dreams – A must-listen for any movie lover. So if you’re not a fan of Escape Pod yet, I highly recommend checking it out. And if you prefer horror or fantasy fiction, try Escape Pod‘s sister podcasts Pseudo Pod and Pod Castle. And in the words of Steve Eley, Have fun.

Alternative Spring Break Exhibit in the Library!

Now through June 16, Northeastern University Libraries and the Northeastern Center of Community Service invite you to view Break Out to Serve: Alternative Spring Break 2008, in the exhibit showcase on the first floor of Snell Library. During Alternative Spring Break 2008, 92 students and ten staff members from Northeastern volunteered their time to a variety of projects in a number of issue areas. Volunteers dedicated a total of 4,080 hours of service, all providing unique experiences and assistance to communities in need. In Fort Smith, Arkansas, volunteers helped build four homes. Alternative Spring Breakers tutored children at an orphanage in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic, in math and reading. Volunteers worked to repair and restore homes of senior citizens and people with disabilities living in Macon, Georgia. Other students planted trees and worked to restore the environment on a wildlife preserve in Kissimmee, Florida. Volunteers in Mobile, Alabama assisted HIV/AIDS patients with daily living tasks, such as landscaping and housework. In both New Orleans, Louisiana and Biloxi, Mississippi, students served by assisting in the continuing efforts to clean up post-Katrina wreckage. Students built a playground at a primary school and taught forty schoolchildren lessons for the week in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. In Tahlequah, Oklahoma, volunteers helped lay PVC piping on the local waterline project as well as tending to other routine tasks within the Cherokee Nation. Volunteers worked at a camp in Killeen, Texas for children with special needs and chronic illnesses. Take a look at trip pictures and learn more about how you can get involved with Alternative Spring Break at Northeastern. For more information on how to make your next spring break the experience of a lifetime, contact the Center of Community Service at communityservice@neu.edu.

The Dangers of Cell Phones?

I have a few friends who use Bluetooth headsets, and one told me an upsetting story about her sister’s friend, who was a day trader and constantly on her cell phone, and who developed a brain tumor, allegedly due to the radiation.  (According to her, the headset prevents this exposure).  While I still use my cell phone regularly (how can you not?), I do sometimes feel a little nervous about it.  Cell phones are so omnipresent-it’s hard to imagine modern life without them.  I was quite worried when I read this article on the dangers of mobile phones-particularly for pregnant women and children.  It left me wondering, are mobile phones the cigarettes of the future?

Senator Ted Kennedy and Student Financial Aid @ Northeastern University

I am sorry to hear about Senator Ted Kennedy’s ill health.  He’s the subject of a new online exhibit by the NU Libraries Archives on Student Financial Aid at Northeastern University.  The exhibit recounts Kennedy’s strong support of federal financial aid for college students, and his relationship with Northeastern.  He spoke at student rallies, heard personal student testimonies, and held a press conference and a senate committee field hearing at Northeastern whenever student financial aid programs were threatened by presidential or congressional proposals.  The exhibit comprises photographs, articles from Northeastern University’s student and faculty/staff newspapers, official statements, and background information.  I wish Senator Kennedy and his family the best.