Tuesday, August 28, 2007

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It Was Ten Years Ago Today…

Actually, it was ten years ago three days ago. 8/25/97—John Jay 8 as we know it was born. Yes, it was a decade ago that Terrence told us that if we dropped a cotton ball out the window, we would be expelled… Sarah Batterton distributed Blow Pops... Jen Dubrow became intrigued by the guitar strumming of Marie Frisoff… Christy met Leslie… Christian met Kengo… Raju, Matt, Christy, Jon, Ashley, Solomon and I all met—and we probably met Ben, but he didn't start talking until around October… If memory serves, my first night at Columbia I went to Tom's with Van and Pete Steenland… My second night I went to AmCaf… My third was a memorable evening with Christy, Pete, and Lattman… Ten years ago… Holy fuck.

Well, enough ellipses! It's been a decade of friendship, folks!! HERE'S TO TEN MORE AND MORE AND MORE!!!

Love always,

JJ 817

Monday, August 27, 2007

Scorpions v. White Rabbits

First off, I like White Rabbits, I really do. Good music, good people, I look forward to seeing them live when I return someday.

Having said that, I found their first video something of a cock tease. I mean, maybe it's just because the word "plot" was so prominent in the link, but I was expecting some sort of story--y'know, the lead singer has a crush on some chick in Williamsburg, and he sings p to her window from the sidewalk, and in the end they get in an elevator, he gives her flowers, and she tosses them over her shoulder and starts kissing him as the elevator doors close. Instead, the "plot" of the video seemed to be "Someone in White Rabbits has a digital camera." Kte, I think your brother deserves better.

I posted the video of Scorpions "Rock You Like A Hurricane" as an example of the kind of video they should do next. However, after watching it, I realize that the "plot" such as it is is totally unintelligible. So I'd like to invite everyone to watch the video, and post their best guess as to what the fuck is going on.

Here's my thought: The year is 5049. All the men have been replaced my cloth-faced homeless people in big white collars. The women of the future can turn into panthers at will. Also, they have cryogenically frozen the band Scorpions. Once every 666 years, they unfreeze them, and allow them to play "Rock You Like A Hurricane." They are caged during their performance, both to prevent their escape, and to protect them from the frenzied cat women, who haven't seen a real man since the Great Interplanetary Crisis of 3918.

In any case, I hope White Rabbits take a cue from Scorpions for their next video, and create something that makes absolutely no sense, but involves a cage, big cats, a long haired drummer mouthing the words of his own song into the camera, and the treacherous "twisted wrist mic move" the lead singer pulls off toward the end.

Friday, August 24, 2007

White Rabbits video for "The Plot"

here it is:

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/forkcast/45138-white-rabbits-the-plot-video

I don't know how to upload videos straight to the blog. Word.

Even bigger nerds than us....

I thought you all (read: Josh) might enjoy this blog...
Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Blog


In my defense, this was linked from my friend Celia's blog: I did not in fact google middle-english blogs.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Tomorrow

Fellow JJ8 bloggers, I ask you to harken back to those days in early May when bored at work you peered into the not so distant future and thought to yourself this is going to be that summer where I rape & pillage NYC and it's multitude of free cultural offerings. As most you have already noticed summer is done; the weather is getting colder, people are going off to school, and talk turns from drinking kegs to gender. But for those in the mood to rape & pillage we do have a few opportunities left. One of which is Camera Obscura, a band from Scotland that happens to be good and is playing free of charge at the South Street Seaport tomorrow evening. 7PMish.

The Last Word in Sex Poetry

There once was a man from Nantucket
Whose dick was so long he could suck it
He said with a grin,
While wiping his chin,
"If my ear was a cunt I would fuck it!"


Anonymous; I personally attribute it to Shakespeare

Another Poem about Sex

To His Mistress Going to Bed

by John Donne

Come, Madam, come, all rest my powers defy,
Until I labour, I in labour lie.
The foe oft-times, having the foe in sight,
Is tired with standing, though they never fight.
Off with that girdle, like heaven's zone glistering
But a far fairer world encompassing.
Unpin that spangled breast-plate, which you wear
That th'eyes of busy fools may be stopped there:
Unlace yourself, for that harmonious chime
Tells me from you that now 'tis your bed time.
Off with that happy busk, whom I envy
That still can be, and still can stand so nigh.
Your gown's going off such beauteous state reveals
As when from flowery meads th'hills shadow steals.
Off with your wiry coronet and show
The hairy diadem which on you doth grow.
Off with those shoes: and then safely tread
In this love's hallowed temple, this soft bed.
In such white robes heaven's angels used to be
Received by men; thou Angel bring'st with thee
A heaven like Mahomet's Paradise; and though
Ill spirits walk in white, we easily know
By this these Angels from an evil sprite:
They set out hairs, but these the flesh upright.

License my roving hands, and let them go
Behind before, above, between, below.
Oh my America, my new found land,
My kingdom, safeliest when with one man manned,
My mine of precious stones, mu Empery,
How blessed am I in this discovering thee.
To enter in these bonds is to be free,
Then where my hand is set my seal shall be.

Full nakedness, all joys are due to thee.
As souls unbodied, bodies unclothed must be
To taste whole joys. Gems which you women use
Are as Atlanta's balls, cast in men's views,
That when a fool's eye lighteth on a gem
His earthly soul may covet theirs not them.
Like pictures, or like books' gay coverings made
For laymen, are all women thus arrayed;
Themselves are mystic books, which only we
Whom their imputed grace will dignify
Must see revealed. Then since I may know,
As liberally as to a midwife show
Thyself; cast all, yea this white linen hence.
Here is no penance, much less innocence.

To teach thee, I am naked first: why then
What need'st thou have more covering than a man.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Jon needs booze to go with pants


Jon's not-so-secret birthday present (B-Day Friday) is a batch of fine JonnyRocket IPA that's bubbling away in my kitchen, but I just realized I'm short on bottles for it. Any of you have a case or so of brown, non-screw top bottles sitting around?

Channel Island Invasion

The fearless quartet took it's show over sea on Thursday and Friday from mainland California to the backcountry of Santa Cruz Island.


We did a lot of good hiking each of the two days we were out there, somewhere in the vicinity of 10-12 miles each day, spanning the peaks and coastline of the island, as well as everywhere in between.



However, what would an episode with this crew be without a little drama? The minor potential disaster of this venture revolved around the water situation. There is no fresh water on the island, so you have to bring all your drinking water with you. We brought a lot of water, but as Ben pointed out many times, including while we were buying the water, we should have brought more. During the first day's hike we were careful not to drink more than we needed to, and we returned to camp with a fair amount of water left for dinner and the next day. However, our appetites, assisted by some Beam and some blizy, were not as successfully held in check that evening. (BTW, Beam tastes bad...)



What we were left with when we went to sleep that night was one full gallon bottle of water. Yet when we woke up the next morning, the bottle had been cracked open, and someone had taken a healthy swig. Who could be so devious and dumb? The culprit was none other than the man who had been so insistent upon our bringing more water (and who had been so persistent with his "I told you so's"), Ben.


So we had to ration off what was left, but still managed to compound our idiocy by leaving most of our water at the campsite while taking the second day's hike, carrying with us only 16 oz to share. Even after Athas bailed 15 minutes into that day's hike, that was not nearly enough water for the amount of strenuous hiking the other three of us did in the blaring hot sun. Fortunately we were assisted by a couple oranges another couple of guys on ATV's unknowingly allowed us to appropriate. That was a painful day, but we all made it back perfectly intact and healthy, and were able to enjoy our time on the pier as we awaited the ferry to pick us up.



And just cuz he's such a special guy, here are a few more pictures of the Baby SealBear.




And now we would appreciate your opinion on something. Voting may be done in a poll set up to the left.

Who has the best ass?

1) 2)


3) 4)



Tuesday, August 21, 2007

help! i need pants

folks, does anybody have rain pants? or maybe some synthetic, warm-up-y pants? (note: in case you forgot, i'm small)

also if you've got any of the following i could use them:
- unbreakable mug
- unbreakable bowl
- headlamp




med school is a kicking off a little bit differently than i anticipated and we are taking an upstate trip this weekend to practice surgery on bears. thanks!

Interesting Read

Normally I'm not a "TierneyLab" fan, but he linked to this lecture today and I thought it was fascinating. And apparently I'm more cro-magnon than I thought.

http://www.psy.fsu.edu/~baumeistertice/goodaboutmen.htm

Monday, August 20, 2007

JJ8 Invades the Left Coast

The traveling JJ8 minstrel show seen below has just returned from a tour of southern California that included stops in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and the Channel Islands. Unfortunately no gigs were booked, so all of our time was spent relaxing, enjoying ourselves, and getting into trouble.


We hung out at the beach, splashed around in the pool, and spent a lot of time soaking in the hot tub. On Wednesday afternoon we went wine tasting where we got to taste some of Davy Crockett's wine, and we ran into a guy that grew up on the same street that I did in Framingham, MA. It was a fascinating coincidence that rapidly degenerated into an extended one-on-one coversation that became uncomfortably suggestive, a conversation too long to recount here, but suffice to say it was surprising that I (we) didn't get invited back to this guy's hotel room.

Thursday and Friday we spent hiking/camping on the Channel Islands. This gets its own post.

Saturday we played 18 holes of golf. This was the first round of 18 holes played on a full sized golf course by most of us, and as you might expect, we distinguished ourselves magnificently. Things began with us arriving just on time for our tee time (which made us 10 minutes late in their eyes), which was immediately followed by our being questioned about what we were doing loading a cooler on to one of the golf carts. Not to worry, though, as all that beer and ice was successfully transferred to two separate plastic bags...much less conspicuous. Then, as play got underway, we had a little trouble following the not very well marked course from hole to hole. At one point, between holes, one of our carts drove a little astray, and in an attempt to correct the mistake, apparently drove across one of the greens. It turns out that this doesn't sit very well with golfers and golf course managers, so after a late 50's stereotypical golfer guy ratted us out, we got a reprimanding about hunrdeds of thousands of dollars and insurance liabilities, and one of our carts was confiscated. This was then followed a couple holes later by another couple of ho-bag golfers yelling at us for who-knows-what. However, none of this is to say that we didn't have fun. Please enjoy the following (it's even better if you can hear the sound)...








Other highlights include a couple of nervous experiences with a prowling skunk, some fantastically prepared meals and bloody marys, and an amateur check up of the Nissan Axess (Nad, I forget the car's nickname). If that car makes it back, it will be thanks to us. Observe the troupe at work in the kitchen and under the hood.


Monday, August 13, 2007

Costa Rica - "The Switzerland of Central America"

Adz and I just blasted through Costa Rica and are now in Ocotal, Nicaragua. (Note that I am the 4th jayjayate member that has been to this lil village...we tried to meet up with Stephen Fishbach but missed him by a couple hours). Anyhoooo, Adz´s ability to sleep has astounded all of us throughout the years, but none of you have had the extreme pleasure to see her sleep for hours on busted roads in busted vehicles. Amazing...nay...awe-inspiring. Here is a taste...




Other pretty sightings





sorry for the fucked up orientation of the vids, but this posting in itself is already very advanced. We miss you guys!

Better and Better

Love the polls, Sol.

This blog is a force to be reckoned with.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Happy Birthday Gabi!


Only if the bear above was a panda-bear.

Here is wishing you a Happy Birthday Gabi!

Friday, August 10, 2007

Brain Teaser

If me, Ben, Sol, Raju, and Joe had to finish a keg, just between the five of us, how long do you think it would take us? Note that a keg has 125 pint glasses of beer. (Note that I chose these five people as the most likely to be willing to try it. (Also note that I am not suggesting we actually try it.))

I think it would take 12 hours.

It's A Complicated World

I honestly don't know what to say about this. But it's real and it takes doodie.com to a whole new level...

Thursday, August 9, 2007

The New QT

Okay, how is it jj8 has not yet taken over this gem for our own purposes. What's the hold-up?

http://www.floatingpool.org/

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

All About Eve

Thursday evening (tomorrow), free screening at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Anyone interested? We could make a picnic dinner of it. DJ's starting at 6pm, Movie starts at sundown.



I know White Rabbits are playing that night, but I've seen them, this is free, and it's outside.

Monday, August 6, 2007

Cat TRAUMA!!!

Was woken this morning at 7am to Katie screaming, "GET OLIVER!" and a weird barking/crying coming from the window where Oliver was sitting. As i leaped out of bed to get Oliver, it became shockingly and heartbreakingly clear what was happening: he was eating our new kitten. I jumped at the window to save the baby. Oliver, alert, eluded my grasp and bolted down the hall. Stopping on a dime, i spun and was on his tail instantly as we charged into the living room. a quick left through the breakfast nook and i had my chance. Oliver ran under the dinner table and was seemingly trapped against the window with half eaten cat hanging from his mouth. I dove. With full Matrix style Oliver ran up the window and landed on the table above me. Bruised, bloodied and sitting under a table, i turned to find Katie still screaming. "I NEED TO SEE THE KITTY!," as she followed down the hall picking up pieces of dismembered kitten and placing them into a bloody towel. She ran to the front door, "I NEED TO SEE IF THE KITTY IS OUT HERE," and was gone. Moments later as I reached the front door Katie was back, "Oh here she is." Behind me, the kitten is bounding down the hall to see what's happening and to playfully attack my feet.

Huh?

So what really happened:

Katie woke up to a weird barking/crying coming from outside the bedroom window. She became instantly convinced that our new kitten had crawled through a hole in the screen and was now being eaten by a dog on the sidewalk. She screamed: "GET THE KITTEN!" I, startled from a deep sleep and completely blind, totally misread the situation. What followed was exactly as I described, except for the visions of half-eaten and dismembered kitten. I really can't see a thing without my contact lenses.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

White Rabbits Bowery Ballroom ThursAug9th

hey y'all,

white rabbits are playing this week on thursday night at the bowery ballroom. you can buy tickets ahead of time (they sold out the last two times they played at the bowery ballroom) at this site:

http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&pl=&eventId=188379

i believe they will be the second of three bands (playing at approx 9pm?) i'll be there! who else is in?

katie
No Picture. Whether it means anything or not, I just threw up in front of my parents because of alcohol. I'm not even remotely ashamed becase I was forced into a compact car situation before I was ready. But is there even something I should be ashamed of? I don't think so. I almost feel like it's their fault despite the fact that it was my cousin's engagement party. I needed some chillout time....and, yes, my brother and sister who were squeezed into the back seat of the car with me were just fine. I just lost it........Say something...

Friday, August 3, 2007

Useful Tips

Amazingly, there are no JJ8 members in this photo:


Nonetheless, many of us could probably do well to read this excellent set of instructions of "How Not to Do Things". (Some photos are not for those with sensitive stomachs, but if you can take Ben's splintered thigh, you'll do fine.)

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Chlorine, Beer, and a Whole Lotta Poles

This Saturday is the 3rd annual Kipiniak Pool Party BBQ Dance Breakdown Birthday Extravaganza!

Read all about it on Kipiniak.com

If anyone wants to come, all are welcome.

PROS:

Food, beer, pool, Polish people, Minnesotans, and sunshine, all in abundance, all day, all night.

CONS:

You have to get yerself to NJ and back on the Short Line bus.

Contact me if you're down!