jump start

Have you ever been so enthralled by a book that when you finished it, everything else seemed to pale in comparison? I have.  For the past two or three months I have started a few books and not finished a single one.  Normally, I am not so fickle when it comes to reading but I simply cannot get excited about any of my selections.  In late January, I finished an incendiary piece by Christopher Hitchens in which he presents a case against organized religion.  If you have read any of Mr. Hitchens’ work, you know that he might not always be right, but he sure brings his A game in a fight. (Hey, that rhymes!)  I tried to read a book by noted humorist John Hodgman, a piece of popular history about the 6 most historically signicant drinks (beer, wine, tea, coffee, liquor and soda).  I also cracked open some old favorites in hopes of sticking with a book, no luck.  Don’t get me wrong, none of these books were bad, or poorly written, I just couldn’t get interested in any of them.  I can’t take this much more.

Join us for Bringing Human Rights Home: A Panel Discussion on Human Rights in the United States

Maria Green, Assistant Professor at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management will moderate a panel discussion with guests Martha Davis, Northeastern University Law Professor; Wendy Pollack, Director of the Women’s Law & Policy Project for the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law; Eric Tars, Human Rights Attorney for the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty; and Cathy Albisa, Executive Director of the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Noon

333 Curry Student Center

Watch the following video too!

The MFA: A Great Getaway

In the midst of classes coming to an end, I’ve found myself with a lot of unexpected (but fantastic) free time. At first, I did the usual things- watching T.V., playing addicting games online, and even a weak attempt at playing Xbox, but none seemed to quite capture the awesomeness of the “free-ness” of free time. I took a walk over to the MFA (out of complete desperation) and suddenly found what I was looking for- inspiration. I didn’t realize this, but the MFA is FREE to NU students- at any time! And by the way, the newest exhibition, British Prints, is fantastic, especially if you have an interest in screen-printing. After my MFA visit, I headed over to an art supply store and spent the rest of my weekend painting away. I feel like I’ve tapped into creativity I never knew I had. To top everything off, I checked out a few books on my favorite artists from Snell, so that I have inspiration with me at home. In other words, take a trip out to the MFA the next chance you have some free time, you may learn something about yourself you never knew existed.

Road Tripping: A Best Practice

Trekking somewhere cool? Make it cooler by reading a book before you go or bring one for the ride. Say you are going to Las Vegas — a truly vile place by all but Roman standards — what can be done with it? Check the Library and see what pops up…

  • If you’ve seen the movie, feel free to blow by Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: a Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream by Hunter S. Thompson (PN4874.T444 A3 1998) but do check out some of his other stuff: genius, as in does Kerouac better than Jack.
  • However, if you are into smart emo stuff at least scope out the contents, intro, and conclusion to The Postmodern Urban Condition by Michael J. Dear (HT384.U52 L674 2000).
  • Social justice your thing? Try Storming Caesars Palace: How Black Mothers Fought Their Own War on Poverty by Annelise Orleck (HV99.L37 O75 2005).
  • Suppose you are a compu-geek of some sort, why not check out The Theory of Gambling and Statistical Logic by Richard A. Epstein (QA271 .E67 1995)?
  • If business is your business and thus personal, then Jeff Burbank’s License to Steal: Nevada’s Gaming Control System in the Megaresort Era (HV6721.L3 B87 2000) is the place to find insider nuggets.
Knowing a bit about where you find yourself makes for better tripping. Also, road trips are not about a change of scene, but a change of perspective which can begin before you sign on for a killer case of bucket seat butt rot. In fact, you could save gas and fix up the ol’ perspective while right here or of course at the reference desk, virtual or otherwise.