Jeff Hill Sledding Days are Over

I can still remember my very first Athens snow during the wintertime of my freshman year here. Perched at the top of the ominous Jefferson (“Jeff”) Hill (previously deemed one of my “trippiest spots” on campus), I watched as several of my friends zipped down the hill atop blue plastic trays they “borrowed” from the dining hall earlier that day.

Those days will soon be over.

Thanks to the reception of a state grant, Athens will be repaving the infamous Jeff Hill in 2010, turning it into a road that allows for an easier and faster connection between the East Green area and uptown Athens.

According to Monday’s issue of The Post, the grant is valued at about $225,000, which doesn’t quite cover the entire cost of the $300,000 project.

 

So, is this a slip-up or not?

 

There are a few factors to consider in analyzing whether or not this situation should be deemed a slip-up:

·      Pedestrian safety

·      Traffic

·      Ease of navigation

·      Connection of city areas

·      Work vehicles, such as ambulances and delivery cars

·      Costliness

 

Traffic and pedestrians:

 

Jeff Hill is a notoriously tough hill to navigate, as the relatively skinny sidewalk and steep incline sometimes push walkers into the grassy middle section. The transformation of that middle section into a road could pose safety hazards. Not only Jeff Hill, but also the entirety of East Green will be affected in this way. Driving traffic around East Green, a heavy pedestrian area, will increase exponentially with a new road available.

Hannah Senn, an Ohio University freshman who currently resides in Washington Hall, is skeptical about the advantages the project will provide for East Green residents. “I guess it has its benefits, but at the same time, there are so many students that go up that hill that in the winter, if someone lost control and there were students on there, it could be a potential problem,” she said.

However, the traffic would increase because of the community’s need for a better driving connection between the two areas, which would be implemented by the road.

 

Worker vehicles and cost:

 

The road would allow vehicles such as ambulances and delivery cars, both of which thrive on getting from place to place as quickly and efficiently as possible, to navigate the city more easily and therefore the workers would be able to perform their duties more effectively.

Ohio University junior Rue Khalsa lived in Washington Hall on East Green her freshman year, and during that time, needed an ambulance on two different occasions. “On the surface, it looks like a very positive idea. I think that it might ease traffic and allow people who are in emergency situations to get where they’re going more quickly,” she said.

Khalsa also has a few doubts about the project. “I guess it might be a little more unsafe for students who are going up and down the hill, in case someone had a mishap and fell or something like that, and then cars are kind of going very quickly down that hill. But I think that the positives probably outweigh the negatives. Not only would it assist people who are in emergency situations like I was, but it might also ease congestion in general,” she said.

Based solely on the buzz heard around town and opinions of those I’ve come in contact with, the general consensus of many people is that $300,000 is a great deal of the state and city’s money to spend just on Jeff Hill.

Some ominous looks at Jeff Hill.

Cara Miller, an Ohio University junior, is a delivery person for Avalanche Pizza. She has been delivering for nearly two years. “If [Jeff Hill] were a road, I don’t think I would use it very much, just because I don’t like driving in areas that have a high density of students walking home drunk. I feel like it would just be kind of unsafe because there are so many students who walk up and down Jeff Hill. I think there’s other places in Athens where roads could be built that would be more useful,” she said.

 

So…

 

Athens residents have a few remaining months with the grassy hill, as the project is slated to finish in August, just in time for new students to arrive. Perhaps they won’t be so turned off by the “eye sore,” a word used to describe Jeff Hill by Athens City Street Director Andrew Stone to Alex Stuckey for The Post.

Though Jeff Hill sledding days might soon be over, I hear Morton Hill (another one of my trippy spots) is a pretty close second in terms of local inclines.

Thoughts or opinions? Leave a comment.

Until next time, cheers!

Bike Tripper

I thought I found my soulmate the other day.

This is a thought I’ve had before, though it generally involves some sort of long-haired, tattooed creature talking intelligibly about his recent tour behind a concert building. Usually I am wrong in this thought, and this time, though very different, was no exception. I thought I found a fellow tripper.

I will henceforth refer to this fellow slipper-upper as "Bike Tripper.” (Cute, no? Bike Tripper and Brick Tripper? Just go with it.) You’ll see why.

I was walking out of the back doors of Ellis Hall the other day, approaching the ramp that leads from College Green to the backside bricks of Ellis. Here comes Bike Tripper, cruising on down the ramp. I can tell that at the end of the ramp, he needs to make a 180-degree turn to come back the other way on the Ellis bricks. He sees me walking toward it, but doesn’t swing out and around me to avoid cutting me off. Instead, he decides to try to impress onlookers (that decision of which I am still struggling with) by slicing into that corner in a ludicrously sharp and quick fashion to cut right through my walking path to the ramp.

As you can probably tell, this doesn’t end well.

Bike Tripper took a tumble, crashing all over his two-wheeled friend and the bricks beneath. And that was his first slip-up.

Now for the second (and in my opinion, worst) slip-up.

I ran over to the poor guy, completely sympathizing with him, as I could most certainly see myself in the exact same situation. But when I approached him and asked if he was alright, Mr. Bike Tripper turned quickly into Mr. Attitude. He waved me away with his scraped-up hand, barking that he was fine and didn’t need any help. I asked him if he was sure, and he didn’t bother to answer, let alone look me in the face or thank me for offering. Bike Tripper just let his bad attitude do the talking.

MANNERS, PEOPLE! Come on! We all mess up sometimes. A bit of embarrassment is no excuse to treat people poorly or cop a ‘tude. The minute Bike Tripper pushed me away like some irritating nonentity, I lost all of my sympathy and respect for him as a fellow tripper.

Some suggestions? Here are my top three:

1. Laugh it off. There’s nothing more uncomfortable for everyone involved when someone makes a slip-up a bigger deal than it needs to be.

2. Handle it graciously. Look, no one’s asking you to be Mother Teresa right after you slam into a concrete wall. But not being a jerk about it would be to everyone’s benefit.

3. Don’t make it worse. So it happened. There’s nothing anyone can do about it. But as a seasoned tripper, I know that it can always get worse – so do whatever you can to avoid that and nurse the situation back normal (or nearly normal).

Do any of you have other suggestions on how to handle an ugly mistake situation?

Until next time, cheers!

Athens Animania

WHY DID ISSUE 2 PASS??? WHAT WERE OHIOANS THINKING???

Alright, I realize that is a very immature and unprofessional way to start an entry. Fair enough. Let me back it up a bit.

I’ve mentioned before that I am a vegetarian for reasons regarding animal rights. So naturally, the passing of Ohio’s Issue 2 is pretty bothersome.

Unfortunately, I think a lot of voters had big misconceptions about what the passing of this issue would bring to Ohio. And therein, I suppose, lies the slip-up. Well, I guess the entire passing of the issue itself is a slip-up as well, in my opinion.

However, it’s important to note that Athens County actually did reject Issue 2. According to Wednesday's issue of The Post, 7,170 voters voted against Issue 2 and 4,514 voters voted for Issue 2 in Athens County.

Simply by talking to voters or interested residents, I’ve come to realize that many people thought this issue would be good for farm animals. I suppose I can understand where the misunderstanding lies. Issue 2 is meant to create a “Livestock Care Standards Board” to oversee the treatment of animals in farms, including aspects such as caging and treatment regulations. The governor and legislature will appoint the members of the board.

This all seems great, until the facts of the issue are more closely examined.

The passing of Issue 2 is also a disservice to smaller local farms, as shown in this video. Found on YouTube.

The state agriculture director will lead the board, giving it a more profit-oriented focus rather than a more humanity-oriented focus, which is what the issue is meant to be. Also, according to ballotpedia.org, some believe that the industry encouraged the passing of this issue so that there would seem to be no need for more humanity-focused animal rights groups, such as the Humane Society of the United States, to place their own issue on the ballot. And now, such groups should want to place their own issue on the ballots because it seems that the best interests of the animals may not be at heart within the majority of the board.

That being said, I’ve got a lot of opinions on this issue. And I’m thinking you might too. So if you do, feel free to comment and fill me in.

Until next time, cheers!

Not-So-Perky Perk’s

I have the suspicion that there may be a coffee catastrophe a-brewin’ in our beloved Athens.

This potentially large-scale slip-up involves Perk’s Coffee House and Roastery on Court Street uptown, which seems to be one of the more popular java spots here on campus.

I’ve been doing my own bit of investigating the past couple of days and have frankly grown more confused and frustrated than I was when I began looking into all of this. After a few unanswered calls and being spoken to with extreme shortness, I’ve decided that even without all the answers, I’d at least like to fill everyone in on what I did find.

My roommate, Morgan, is working on a group project with a few other students that focuses on different Athens coffee places and gives a somewhat in-depth look at what they sell and what each is about.

The other day, she told me that a girl in her group mentioned that she believed Perk’s to be dishonest about selling fair trade coffee. Morgan spoke to employees of other local coffee shop Donkey Coffee and Espresso, who led on to a similar understanding about Perk’s. They never made any exact accusations or gave solid facts, just mentioned that they had heard similar rumors.

Here's a bit about fair trade coffee. Video from YouTube.

After I heard all this, I got to exploring.

I went down to Perk’s to get a coffee and casually inquire about the shop. I asked the very kind and helpful employee if she knew the name of their distributor and whether or not the shop sold fair trade coffee. A bit unsure, she went to ask who I assumed to be her manager or supervisor for the information. She came back shortly and informed me that the shop does sell fair trade coffee and that their distributor was the Cincinnati-based Wallingford Coffee. I thanked her and went on my way.

When I returned to my apartment, I called Wallingford to see if they would give me any information. I was skeptical about this call because Morgan had told me that her fellow group member called as well, and Wallingford told her that they did not distribute fair trade coffee to Perk’s.

A somewhat irritated man answered the phone. I told him the nature of my call, and he didn’t know the information that I needed. All he told me was that Wallingford sold both fair trade and non-fair trade coffee. He took my name and number and told me that he would pass it along to the retail manager, who would call me later that day and tell me what I wanted to know.

Well, that retail manager never called.

So today, I decided to call Wallingford again and see if I could get the facts. A much nicer lady answered the phone and put me on hold while she spoke with the retail manager. When she returned, she informed me that Wallingford does, in fact, sell fair trade coffee to Perk’s. I found this pretty peculiar, seeing as Morgan’s teammate came into very different results.

Not ready to settle, I called Perk’s immediately after. Again, a cooperative employee answered the phone, but didn’t know the answers. He told me to call back in a few minutes because the general manager was, ironically, speaking with someone else at the time about the shop’s distributor.

Here's a map showing the location of Perk's.

When I called back, the general manager answered the phone. I told him that I was a local blogger and just wanted to ask him a couple of very quick questions about Perk’s. He willingly agreed to talk. I continued to explain that I wanted to ask him about the shop’s distributors and gather a bit of information. At this point, he began to be quite short with me, which would unfortunately last for the remainder of the very brief conversation.

Not surprisingly, after I merely spoke the word “distributor,” he told me that there was a really bad phone connection and that he couldn’t hear me at all. Interestingly enough, I had just made three phone calls from that exact same place in my room (one of which was to Perk’s a few minutes before) without a problem. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I moved to a more central spot in my apartment and spoke louder. I asked him if that helped, and he said he guessed that it did.

I had every intention of putting verbatim quotes from this man in my blog, so I asked him if he minded me recording the call. He said no, that he was very uncomfortable recording a phone call.

Still, I thought, the show must go on.

I softened and complied, then asked him his name and if he could spell it for me. At this point, he said that he really didn’t want to go through with the interview because the shop was very busy and there were only two workers there at the time. He swiftly hung up on me, scarcely allowing me to thank him and say goodbye.

As an Athens resident, I’m extremely frustrated by this controversy. If a shop is going to advertise fair trade coffee, it should be able to back it up. Not be shady. Not refuse to talk about it. And as for Wallingford, I think it’s certainly strange that the employees relayed two different messages to inquisitors. I would have had more faith in the company’s response to me if the retail manager had called back when I was told he would, which would mean that the company would not have had time to potentially align stories with Perk’s or let the shop know that people were asking about their coffee.

If any of you’ve got opinions on this, I wanna hear ‘em! So leave me a comment (or two, or ten) and let me know if you’ve figured out more than I have about this or if you have something to say.

Until next time, cheers!

Totally Trippy

Ever since I arrived at Ohio University a little over two years ago, I have grown terribly clumsy.

That, or this campus just contains an unreasonable amount of trippy spots. And I tend to blame my frequent falls on the latter.

My high school building contained a lot of old carpeting. Cut it some slack; it was built a while ago and was pretty outdated when I was a student there. Anyway, all of the students used to trip over the carpet all the time. ALL THE TIME. It happened so often that students and faculty used to make jokes about “Carpet Monsters” that lived in our floor.

Why don’t we do that in Athens? Couldn’t there be Brick Monsters?

The other day, I started thinking about the title of this blog. I realized that I wanted to point out the inspiration behind the title and subject. So, I thought about all of the places where I have brick tripped in Athens and been a victim of several embarrassing slip-ups myself.

After thinking about it, I walked around a snapped a few photos of my favorite (and least favorite) spots and mapped them out for your pleasure and safety.

Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to get the map to zoom in any more. Just zoom in until you can see all ten markers, and click on each one to learn a little bit more about each spot. Here goes:

View Trippiest Athens Spots in a larger map

So, be warned about these dangerous (and hilarious) Athens spots. And watch your step, because you never know when those Brick Monsters will get you.

Until next time, cheers!

The Veg Bites Back

A few years ago, I ventured into that frequently ridiculed yet very self-satisfying territory of vegetarianism. For me, it was an animal rights thing. And I loved it, so there I have stayed ever since.

The popularity of vegetarianism has grown exponentially over the past couple years, though I have learned through conversation with recent converts that many are doing it just to get skinny. As though there’s nothing else in the world for people to eat besides meat.

But unfortunately, as an Ohio University student who endured the dorms (and thus the dining halls) for two years, I can say that the above statement sometimes felt true. So you can imagine the shock and vexation I felt when I read an article in Thursday’s issue of The Post that held this statement:

“For the second year in a row, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals named Ohio University one of the most vegetarian-friendly campuses in the U.S.”

Just so we’re clear, my frustration is in no way directed toward Caitlin Bowling, who wrote this article. She happens to be a fantastic writer and her coverage of this story was very well done.

But seriously, PETA? Giving OU this undeserving honor AGAIN? That’s just terrible. A definite slip-up, even though the organization may not be aware of it.

I feel as though the OU Dining Services puts up a big front about how vegetarian and vegan friendly the dining halls here are, and I’ve always felt that way. Here’s a clip of a menu from Boyd Dining Hall, the place where I ate the majority of my meals during my first year here:

Vegetarian vegetable soup? Okay, so in OU dining hall terms, that would be a bunch of soggy veggies in warm liquid. Meatless taco salad, a.k.a. lettuce and tomato and cheese in a shell. Vegetarian gumbo soup? Probably the leftovers from the vegetarian vegetable soup with some added spices to make it taste like something different. Vegan chicken parmesan is usually pretty good, but also somewhat rubbery. I’m not sure about the vegetarian three bean soup, as I’ll admit, I haven’t tried it. The tomato and spinach quesadilla is usually soggy and the vegetables taste old. Vegan curried corn rice soup, again, is something I haven’t tried. The “vegetable streudel” is pretty mysterious, but again, not at all impressive, as it is tastes like outdated veggies in a flaky, just-out-of-the-box crust.

And who knows whether or not they’ll actually make (or make enough of) what they offer on the menu.

After years of my parents’ culinary concoctions, believe me, I am not a picky eater. I’m willing to try everything, and usually like most things I try. In becoming a vegetarian, I broadened my tastes in a very big way. That being said, I can assure you that it really is as bad as I’m making it seem.

I just have to wonder how PETA made the decision about which schools would be contending for this title. Surely they only peered at the menus and didn’t attempt to come out and try the food. Otherwise, I think their choice may have been different, at least about their OU nomination.

Here’s a clip I found on PETA2.com that describes OU’s inclusion in the race:

I’m totally disappointed in PETA for the second year in a row. I guess you can’t have it all, but sometimes, it’d be nice to have just a little.

Until next time, cheers!

Model Behavior

The rapidly decreasing average model size has been the topic of much discussion for some time now. Being a fashion superfan (‘til death do us part), I’ve always been pretty disappointed in the portrayal of women – and men – in the fashion world. However, I’ve never necessarily felt the need to stand up about it publicly, that is, until now.

My final straw was pulled when I came across an article (that was entirely too small, by the way) in the Nov. 2, 2009 issue of People magazine. The article went into a bit of detail regarding the recent debate over the overtly Photoshopped Ralph Lauren advertisement featuring supermodel Filippa Hamilton.

Here’s a shot of the ad:

This image was taken from http://www.boingboing.net/2009/09/29/lauren.jpg

Here’s a truer shot of Hamilton’s actual physique:

This image was taken from http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/10/09/article-1219046-06C13444000005DC-547_224x533.jpg

While she is clearly not as emaciated and unhealthy as the first image implies, it’s apparent that Hamilton still has a generally thin body type.

She is a 5’10” model who, weighing in at merely 120 lbs., was recently fired by Ralph Lauren. The reason for her unexpected release?

The company told Hamilton’s agency that she was no longer able to fit into the sample clothing, though representatives claim that they fired her due to her inability to fulfill the agreements set in her contract.

Ralph Lauren spokespeople have said that the release of the advertisement in the first place was a mistake and that it was not meant to be used. Though the advertisement was only displayed in Japan, the image quickly spread like wildfire over the Internet and has now become a widely viewed image.

A revealing news bit:

Hamilton had been modeling for Ralph Lauren for several years, representing the company in an iconic sort of way and, as she says, doing everything she could to abide by her contract’s agreements. She thought of the company as a “second family.”

The model has openly stated her frustrations over the distortion, saying that she doesn’t believe in the negative body image that such an advertisement implants in the minds of women.

This, to me, is an inexcusable and horrifying display of what the fashion and modeling world has come to. I’m sincerely disappointed in the Ralph Lauren brand, as it has been marketed as the “all-American” label for many years. Such a slip-up makes me not so proud to be a supporter of American fashion. Thumbs down, Mr. Lauren.

Until next time, cheers!

Whoa, REWIND!

I think we count on television to be more flawless than it really is.

Just because the people involved in the creation and production of television programs are technically “professionals,” that doesn’t always necessarily mean that the show or segment is executed in the most perfect of ways.

Every time I see a television flaw, I feel like my jaw plummets to the floor and I’m shouting at my roommates, asking them, “AHH did you SEE that?! That news anchor is SUCH an IDIOT! How could they have let that happen???”

But really, humans aren’t perfect. We all know that. Still, it’s terribly hilarious and amusing when such a glaring error occurs for millions of eyes to see and ears to hear.

Recently, a terrible blunder occurred when MSNBC anchor Contessa Brewer mixed up a name in a pretty bad way that got her in some hot water:

Apparently, since the incident, Brewer has been receiving a lot of complaints about being racist and thinking that every black person looks the same. While I think that’s a quick conclusion to jump to, I do agree that she made a pretty grave error in messing up those two names in particular.

Here’s another recent one:

 

I know, I know. Everyone’s had about enough of Balloon Boy. But this is just too good to pass up. I can just feel the “Ohhhh… shit” moment of poor Falcon’s parents seeping throughout the room. After this incident, national television turned from being these parents’ best friend to their worst enemy.

This one’s a little gross. Proceed with caution:

 

Projectile vomiting on live television? Really? Can’t you usually feel that coming? Wouldn’t you run off the set or not even go on air in the first place if you were feeling that a deluge of vomit was going to fountain out of your mouth? The hostess somehow actually remains quite charming after the fact, and it’s difficult to remain charming while you’re wiping your mouth and nose while simultaneously trying to respond to the caller. Props to her.

Another bodily mishap:

 

No matter how old I get, hearing someone let out a wild, unexpected rip will always make me giggle like a preschooler. I’m just glad this lady chose not to ignore it and completely owned up to it in her own, surrender-by-laughter type way. I honestly thought that the fart would come earlier in the clip as she was pulling her knees and her head in. That seems like it would be prime gas time. But she surprised us all!

I love a good soap slip:

 

I was never a big “All My Children” fan (it was all about “General Hospital” for me), but I’m pretty sure this guy is supposed to be one of the show’s hunks. Now, every time I see him, all I can think about is that little black thong sticking out above the top of his jeans like the girls in my middle school’s popular clique. And they let that go on air!

Love those television mess-ups. They just remind me of how much I will appreciate my perfectionism in journalistic fact checking and spell checking later in life. Because seriously, letting some of those things slip? BIG mistake!

Until next time, cheers!

P.S. Sorry about the wait on this post – the delay had something to do with a messed up schedule and Beads & Things on Shafer Street. My apologies.

Home Sweet Home? Not So Much.

My younger brother, Rocco, is a senior in high school and is already starting to look into various colleges of interest, touring and getting the word on the street about each different school.

Tear.

Lately, I’ve been trying to think of different ways I could help him out, obviously being an experienced collegiate girl of ceaseless wisdom. Ha. But when I think of college and what kinds of things he should be researching and also looking forward to, I think of many different aspects – the quality of the school, campus beauty, a new level of classes, extracurricular activities and, of course, living with roommates.

And that’s when a flood of horror stories immediately deluged my thoughts and I became a nervous big sister.

I remember reading a “Letter to the Editor” in The Post at the end of my freshman year, posted to the Web site on May 13, 2008, about another Ohio University freshman, Chris Uihlein, who had a horrifying roommate experience. He decided to take a chance and branch out by being a random roommate in a triple already chosen by two other boys – two other uninviting, homophobic boys.

Through Facebook, these other boys realized that Chris was gay. They asked him to retract his decision to live in the room, but at that point, it was too late for Chris to back out. The boys retorted with cruel messages and nasty, demeaning Facebook statuses that declared their disgust for his sexuality, making it all that much more difficult for Chris to be an openly gay person, which is something that everyone should have the utmost respect for to begin with.

Those boys slipped up that day by being so completely closed-minded that they may have missed out on a respectful, fun roommate and potentially great friendship. They also messed up in assuming that Chris, being gay, would automatically lust after them and rub off on them, or whatever they assumed about him that constituted their inhumanity toward him. It’s sickening, really.

I tend to think that roommate blunders can make some of the most fascinating (and for the people involved, most irritating) blunders. Though I’m willing to talk about some of my favorite – and by favorite, I mean wildest – instances, I do want to keep all names anonymous out of respect for those involved. Therefore, all names used in the following anecdotes have been changed.

A girl I recently met, Rachel, is a freshman here at OU. Her roommate, Megan, is involved in Campus Crusade, an extracurricular activity that focuses on devotion to Christ. While Rachel is supportive of Megan’s activity, Megan disagrees with Rachel’s decision to drink and indulge in some of the new things that college has presented to her. Instead of being mutually supportive, Megan chastises Rachel and makes it known that she disagrees with Rachel’s lifestyle.

A friend of mine, Sarah, an OU junior, had a roommate freshman year who chose not to be cleanly and pick up after herself. It got bad enough to the point that her roommate stuck a dirty pad to the floor – sticky side down, dirty side up. And it sat there for far longer than it should have. Sarah was disgusted at the site of it, not to mention the germs and health hazards that her roommate’s actions caused.

Matt, another OU freshman I recently met, has a roommate with an intriguing issue – porn addiction. Though Matt’s not entirely sure that it’s a clinically diagnosed, actual addiction, from what he has seen, he feels as though it is. Apparently, his roommate watches pornographic films and videos entirely too often.

These situations amaze me. While I understand personality clashes, I also think it’s important to at least try to bend a little, maybe just enough to just meet someone in the middle and coexist peacefully.

My other two roommates, Morgan and Allyson, have been living together since freshman year. I just kind of jumped on that bandwagon this fall. They get along famously, though their personalities are quite different. The two of them have really learned to make it work. The following videos are nice displays of their roommate teamwork. Pay no mind to any other part of each video other than the clips I specifically directed to play, as the other parts of the videos are irrelevant.

Here's a clip from my interview with Morgan about life with Allyson:

Morgan gives a tour of the apartment, showing the difference between her and Allyson:

I wholeheartedly back the phrase: “To each his own.” But when “his own” is affecting another’s “own” or even another’s well being, then I think it’s time to cut the shit and learn to share space.

Until next time, cheers!

Burlington Hoax Factory

I have a chronic shopping problem.

This is something I’m pretty open about, and also something I’ve come to accept. While I’m honest about the self-induced monetary departure from my wallet, another Ohio woman is not quite so honest about her apparently fallacious monetary gain.

While flipping through The Athens Messenger today, I ran across a little blurb that tickled my funny bone. This is a blunder in so many ways, but I’ll let you read and figure that out for yourself:

“A woman being driven around in a rented limousine pulled up at a coat store and announced she’d won the lottery and would pay for everyone’s purchases, police said, but she ended up causing a riot when customers realized it was a hoax. Angry customers threw merchandise around and looted, leaving the store looking as though a hurricane had passed through it, police said. Linda Brown was arrested Tuesday after an hours-long shopping spree that began when she hired a stretch Hummer limousine to drop her off at a Burlington Coat Factory store, police Sgt. Lt. Michael Deakins said.”

That excerpt was taken from the Thursday, October 15, 2009 issue of The Athens Messenger. The incident occurred uncomfortably close to our little Athens – in nearby Columbus, actually.

The actual store of madness in Columbus. Image from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1220622/Woman-causes-riot-Burlington-Coat-Factory-lying-shed-won-lottery-wanted-spend-clothes-there.html

My initial reaction was yet another “WHAT THE *&$%??????” moment (as previously seen on my post about the hot sauce vagina). However, I decided to take a step back on this one and realized that this news bit is probably one of the funniest things I have ever heard about. I’m more amused than astounded.

I can’t wait until Michael K gets his hands on this.

Let’s chit chat about this for a minute. Really? A rented stretch Hummer limousine? But more importantly, Burlington Coat Factory? Again, really?

Alright, alright, I’ll cut her a little slack (but not really), because some other news sources are saying that her mental stability is being questioned by police and investigators. I guess that could maybe justify her outlandish choice of details in executing this plan.

Linda Brown, seen here being taken into custody by police. Image from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1220622/Woman-causes-riot-Burlington-Coat-Factory-lying-shed-won-lottery-wanted-spend-clothes-there.html

But I suppose I’m more concerned about the reaction of other customers in the store. What were they thinking in believing her? That is just another example of a total mess-up in this entire situation. If they really believed that she won $1.5 million like she said she did, why would they think she’d show up at a Burlington Coat Factory (of all places), offering to pay for everyone’s purchases nonetheless? Oh, but only purchases up to $500. That legitimizes it.

On top of that, once customers heard that she’d won the lottery and was willing to share the wealth, they started calling all their friends and family to come into the store and take advantage. News sources say that there were about 500 customers ready to purchase their goodies in the store and an additional 1,000 people waiting outside, trying to get in, only to be stopped by the circa 24 police officers that workers at the Burlington Coat Factory had to call in for backup.

Some of the customers in the store at the time of the hoax. Image from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1220622/Woman-causes-riot-Burlington-Coat-Factory-lying-shed-won-lottery-wanted-spend-clothes-there.html

But when customers became aware of the farce, rather than just laughing it off or rolling their eyes and going on about their business, they went rampant. The store was trashed and apparently, many of them left, desired items in hand, without paying. Since when did the Burlington Coat Factory become a free-for-all? Just because some bizarre lady comes in and riles everyone up doesn’t automatically mean that every item in the store becomes instantaneously free.

It seems like everyone involved in this stunt, not just Ms. Brown, has got a case of the crazies. I realize this must have been a mess for the store and its employees, but this story’s just too hilarious not to love.

Until next time, cheers!

How Much is that Heart Attack in the Window?

A new blogger myself, I always make it a point to read some other blogs on a fairly regular basis. One such blog is my ultimate indulgence and guiltiest of the guilty pleasures, Dlisted. Readers, be warned that this Web site is NOT for the faint of heart or the easily offended. Just sayin’.

One reason why I love Dlisted so very much is that Michael K, the head honcho of posts, goes where no one else will – and does so with incredible panache. Thanks to Michael K and one of his Friday, October 9 Dlisted posts, my eyes have been opened (VERY wide) to this undeniable cuisine catastrophe:

Ladies and gentlemen, the Krispy Kreme bacon cheeseburger. Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/ccaviness/2625223578/.

And here’s a photographer’s attempt at making this look classy:

 

Photo from http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x8490203.

This is a food faux pas if I ever saw one. A true health-endangering slip-up. It’s actually kind of awesome in a totally gruesome and horrifying way. I realize this isn’t quite local. However, I think a lot of Athens college kids could benefit from seeing this embarrassing display of a good old Amurrican 1,000-calorie sandwich. And while I’m not the hugest Fox News fan, I find this video terribly appropriate. That and I just love Shepard Smith’s facial expressions. They say it all.

I know a lot of OU students (myself included) are at the scary and pivotal point in their lives where they are required to decide what they will eat on a day-to-day basis and actually cook it for themselves. This can be quite difficult, and unhealthy microwaveable dinners or fatty fast food can be oh so tempting. Take it from my friend Aimee, who shares her cooking woes on her own blog.

I realize that a lot of readers are students, and a lot of students have that mindset of, “Oh, well, I’m only in college once. I’ll get all healthy and stuff after I graduate.” That’s all good and fine… if you have a ridiculously high metabolism that you’re never at risk of losing. What you are at risk of losing, though, is your good health and a wholesome Athens experience.

There is a way to resist the temptation. Athens has many healthy alternatives to offer. My classmate Steve wrote a really great post on his blog about the Athens Farmer’s Market, where there is plenty of tasty, fresh, locally grown food to choose from. Here are some other places and ideas that are appropriate and present in the Athens locale:

And that's my rant for the day, kiddos. I urge you to take my advice. And perhaps even moreso, I urge you to never, EVER create ANYTHING remotely similar to the Krispy Kreme bacon cheeseburger!

Until next time, cheers!

It’s Gettin’ Hot in Here…

… so take off all your clothes so get that Tabasco sauce out of your vagina!

No, seriously. Yes, that is really what I mean.

Campus has been abuzz with sidewalk chatter regarding the following letter, written by a girl who has chosen to refer to herself as “Unsure” (indeed), which was sent in to the sex column for The Post:

“My boyfriend wants to ‘spice’ things up a bit and try eating hot sauce out of my vagina. Is this safe for me?

 

                        Thanks,

                                    Unsure”

The letter and response were published on the Web site for The Post late at night Wednesday, October 7, and they were published in the paper Thursday, October 8. Kudos to columnist Mallory Long for handling this submission in a professional manner. I, however, will venture to say what everyone else is thinking:

WHAT THE *&$%??????

Here's an appropriate image I found at http://www.pissclear.org/ImageGalleries/fakeads/:

 

For as many years as I’ve been a “Sex and the City” fan, I have not seen the likes of this.

On the other hand, if this submission was meant to be a joke, I’m frankly ashamed that a town so heavily supportive of all types of journalism (including sex columns) would house a person who isn’t taking The Post’s venture into touchy territory seriously. Which could potentially mean that I actually agree with the notorious Ashley Herzog (see her comments below Long’s article) for the first time in my life:

“Posted: Thursday, October 08, 2009

Article comment by: Ashley Herzog

 

This is laughable. (In an embarassing way, not a funny way.) Pretty sure some idiot sent this question in as a joke.

 

The editor should be embarassed that this ran in the paper. Then again, when the Culture Editor had her own column, it consisted of her deep thoughts on Juicy Campus.”

 

However, I only admit to agreeing with Herzog’s bottom comment, not the one on top:

“Posted: Thursday, October 08, 2009

Article comment by: Ashley Herzog

 

Also, just wait til a future employer finds this. ‘Uh ma'am, we see you wrote a column about some dude eating hot sauce out of his girlfriend's vagina...’ That's one step below putting ‘exotic dancer’ on your professional resume.”

 

Really Ashley? Comparing sex columnists to exotic dancers? Tisk tisk.

PLEASE don’t get me wrong. I am in total support of the sexually gutsy and am all for “spicing things up.” Sans the actual spice.

Here’s a healthy alternative: Take a trip to Athens’ own Passionate Kisses. They have a stimulating (pun intended) selection of adventurous sexual playthings. Then you’d be supporting local businesses (yay!) AND you can be sure you’ve got safe products in your hands.

If you ask me, a bit of easy research would have answered Unsure’s question. Then maybe she wouldn’t have had to expose that question to the entire population of The Post’s readers and waste a few inches (again, pun intended) of good sex column.

Then again, what do I know? Here I am, in on a Friday evening, blogging nonetheless. Doesn’t get much more nerdy than that.

However, my friend Emilee has a GREAT sex blog that I highly recommend!

But take it from this Plain Jane, there are PLENTY of ways to be sexually explorative without the burn! (Why do my closing few words sound like an advertisement for Preparation H or a really good alcohol chaser? And how did I find a way to categorize those two items?

Until next time, cheers!

That's What He Said

I am an absolute victim to the verbal blunder.

As much as I try to avoid social discomfort, it is sometimes out of my hands. Perhaps I mention that I disagree with a specific organization, and that organization’s leader is standing next to me. Or I complain about someone in my class that irritates me and that person’s cousin overhears the conversation.

But in each of these instances, I don’t realize that what I’m saying is offensive. Though I have poor luck with social blunders and these situations happen to me unfortunately often, I refuse to say something that I know will be offensive.

I have always wondered why it’s apparently cool to use certain ordinary words in a blatantly offensive manner. For example, I have heard someone deem a couch “retarded.” I was unaware that pieces of furniture had mental capacities.

A good friend of mine told me a story the other day about a blunder that affected her in quite an adverse way.

Here’s the scoop:

Her friends introduced her to a great guy, and she decided that she might be amorously interested in this certain someone. On the other hand, this guy was absolutely certain of his romantic interest in her. Things went pretty well for the first week or two.

After a while, he took her out. Later on in the night, his friends showed up to say hello. Upon their arrival, this guy underwent a bit of a personality turnaround. He changed from sweetheart to total “bro” in a hot minute.

His friends brought with them an energy that sucked this poor guy in, allowing an alternate, testosterone-powered side of his personality to come through. This side was unfortunately not a side that his date, my friend, was very fond of.

He started using terms such as “gay,” “homo” and “faggot” to describe things that were not homosexual. My friend, being a social and political aficionado, was both astonished and disappointed that this guy had so easily fallen into the vicious trap of offensive yet popular verbal blunders because of pressure from his friends.

I asked my friend, Pat Henderson, what he thought about this blunder. Here's what he had to say:

Hearing this anecdote left me thinking about whether or not that word choice was typical of this guy or if he was just nervous and gave in too easily to his friends. Either way, my friend instantly gained a negative perception of the guy she hoped would be different.

Though he (and many others) may not particularly see his poor word choice as a blunder, other people are seriously offended by such references. He, unfortunately, wasn’t even aware of the fact that such a simple slip cost him the respect of a girl he esteems so highly. It’s a sad situation that could easily have been avoided by simply thinking of others when speaking. So often, our words do more than just speak out loud.

Until next time, cheers!

And So It Goes...

How is it that I've found myself doing the very thing I loathe?

Couldn't tell you.

I have never really been a fan of ridicule or laughter at another's expense, nor am I a fan of magnifying mistakes. Yes, they happen. Yes, we are all human. Yes, it is normal to fall on your face in the middle of West Green, crushing your rather messy Grab 'n' Go beneath you. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything...

Yet here I am, blogging about mistakes and misfortunes. Let me be clear: What I write on here is not meant to be a personal attack on any specific person.

Brick Tripper is an opinionated analysis of general slip-ups and trip-ups in the Athens community. Most of the post topics will be local, but that's where this blog gets interesting.

I'd like to take a critical look at the mistakes I get my hands on and apply them in such a way that the lesson and message become universal. Because of course, the sharing and understanding of experience and knowledge is crucial to living your life.

(This picture was taken in my room, by the way.

Brick walls? How appropriate.)

Sometimes, mistakes have a significant ripple effect, spreading to a pool of related people. I would like to think of Brick Tripper as an outlet through which everyone, including myself, is able to laugh at some blunders, understand the result and take that knowledge away to learn and grow. Think of Brick Tripper as a source of entertainment that is beyond skin-deep.

With that in mind, read, enjoy and please feel free to leave comments with other slip-ups you've witnessed, or just comments in general.

Cheers!