Product Review

So a while back I wrote a brief post on CSN stores and how they sell a huge variety of merchandise from barstools, to furniture, to game room appliances and even UNH specific items.  In return for my review they sent me one of their products. I received the wooden collegiate sign to hang in my room. I must say that I am very pleased with this product and the company's services. The one knock against them is they couldn't ship to my GSS box so I had to have it mailed home and brought up by my parents.

Overall, I am very pleased with this product. It is in great condition and it was very well packaged. It shipped on the lower end of the estimated delivery date and the staff was very helpful. I would definitely check out their various sites and services if you are interested in sprucing up your dorm or apartment. CSN is the third largest home retailer in America so you know that their products are great quality. 

Stay classy, not UMassy. 

Who wants to be a Predator?

To make a long story short, I have an older brother who lives in San Francisco. We are on the same cellphone plan so I have a SF area code. That info is vital for some events that took place last night.

At approximately 10:59 PM I get a call from an 800 number, I decided to pick up because the same number had tried calling a few times over the past week. I knew it would be a telemarketer and I figured if I picked up and humored them, they would stop calling. I pick up and say "Hello! Hello?! What are you up to?" He is already laughing, probably realizing I was drunk, and says "Hi, I am calling for the San Francisco Chronicle..." I tell my friends it's a telemarketer from California and my roommate's girlfriend grabs the phone and says "Hey, you kind of interrupted an intimate moment. We're having a crazy fuck-fest!" This guy immediately replies with "Oh, damn! I need some footage of that!"So she replies "Awe, no doubt babe, I'm a stripper so it's all good. Where you at?" He tells her that he is in Oakland. So then she says, "Oakland? I'm at a party at UNH, in New Hampshire. What's you number?" The guy then gives her his own cell number and I write it down. Remember, he is a telemarketer, supposed to be selling me newspaper subscriptions. I'm pretty sure all their calls are recorded. About 30 minutes later, she calls his cell on another kid's phone and leaves a voicemail asking what his favorite positions are for that footage he so badly wanted. A few minutes later we get a text that says "Hey I'm still at work. I love sex! Period baby. Any and all positions." Needless to say about 25 minutes later this guy calls us. My roommate's girlfriend picks up and he tells her how he is going out to the bars with some coworkers and he wants some footage and to know when she is going to fly out to California to meet him. This fucking guy was ready to go and he meant business. Like what was this guy thinking? That this chick, claiming to be a stripper from New Hampshire, was actually going to fly across the country to meet him. Is that desperate or is that how this guy gets off? Where the fuck is Chris Hanson when you need him! Anyways about an hour later he sends us a picture of himself in a suit (of course telemarketers wear suits) and he was a middle-aged black guy. We never replied back so this guy is probably thinking she didn't like the picture he sent. Perhaps the best part is that the kid's whose phone we used didn't remember it. So he seemed a little puzzled when he checked his texts this morning. After last night I realized how fucked up some people are. This dude sent complete strangers his own number and seriously wanted some footage and pictures. Isn't that was craigslist and internet porn are for?

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Weekend Wars

It is the first full weekend of the semester and it is time to start the weekend wars. It's going to be a cold one in Durham, but don't let that be your excuse to staying in your room all weekend. Bundle up, wear layers and make a difference. With your help UNH can become a top party school once again. I believe in you my fellow UNHers, so let's do this and make a change. I'm keeping this short because I have a few things to do before the night begins, seriously I don't know why you're reading this. It's like 3:30 on a Friday, you better be drunk, or at least on your way. I am a terrible role model. I apologize. Quick question for any engineer or or mechanical science type majors out there: say I have a school bus stop sign in my room. How would be the best way to make it light up and stuff? It has those two red flashers and wires that were cleanly cut by Mr. Takefield himself. Is there a way to connect those wires to something and make it light up? I'm going to get fire coded...

Speaking of Takefield, we have a new weekly addition to the blog. It is called "Professor Takefield's Science Fact of the Week" because I think I should incorporate more education in this college blog. This week's fact is that the largest meteor to hit the earth it was about 6 miles high and hit near the Yucatan Peninsula. Holy fuck that is big. Thanks, science that was enlightening.

Anyways, have a good weekend UNH and party hard. Stay safe, stay smart, stay drunk and most of all
Stay classy, UMassy.

Hometeam calls out UNH Student fans

Mike Mutnansky of New Hampshire's sports talk radio show, The Hometeam, called out UNH student fans today. During his 3-6pm show on WGAM 900 & 1250 Mutnansky was discussing the huge win for the men's basketball team over heavily the favored Vermont last night. After praising the team's effort and the large crowd (over 2,300)  he went on to rip the student section for leaving the game early. I was unable to attend the game due to a meeting, but he described how most of the student section left with several minutes remaining on the game clock. I follow the show on twitter and I always try and listen when they are going to discuss UNH sports. As a UNH blogger and sports fan I felt the need to send them this tweet "Glad to hear you get on the student section! Hope we don't turn into BC superfrauds... Attitude on campus: not hockey..." In a tweet back to me he wrote "Was there any talk about in on campus? I could not believe people were streaming out of there up big late... crazy." They then discussed my tweet on air and even said "UNHblog" so I'm pretty much famous.

Anyways, I think the Hometeam nailed it on the head while saying that students disrespected the team by walking out on what may have been the biggest regular season win under coach Bill Herrion. When it comes to UNH basketball I think that students think the team has something to prove. I think the team made that statement in last year's America East tournament and again last night with a big win. The game was on NESN, they gave out free shirts and the crowd was big. But leaving early is completely disrespectful. Most UNH athletic fans really only attend hockey games, and maybe some football. That's it. I wouldn't call that a true fan. That is because the hockey team is not only a national contender (although maybe not with Umile), but they also play national contenders throughout the season. Usually, UNH hockey doesn't need to win the Hockey East tournament to play in the national tournament. That isn't the case with the basketball team. They are never going to get an at large bid to march madness. That is why every America East game is huge, because the higher seed they get for the tournament, the better chance they have to go dancing. So students, show some respect and support to the basketball team. They may be under .500 but last year they got hot down the stretch. Last night they proved that when they are shooting well there aren't any teams in America East who can beat them.


Sidenote: UNH and UMass will play two football games in the next two years at the Patriots' Gillette Stadium. Hopefully we can get a decent UNH crowd to travel for that game. Although, if the state or school is funding this, I think it could be a mistake. I would much rather see Cowell Stadium get renovated, than UNH have to pay to play at Gillette. UNH's largest crowd last year was 14,000 when we hosted Villanova, but Cowell only holds around 8,000. They count tailgaters in attendance, as well as those walking around and such. I would like to know what the amount is, and who is paying it, for UNH to play at Gillette and if the school gets any of the revenue. Depending on the crowd size, UNH could easily loose money on these games, hopefully that isn't the case.


Stay classy, not UMassy.

The Book Buyin' Blues

I woke up this morning feeling good. I had a little fun last night and I was looking forward to my first classless Thursday of the semester. In the future I plan on spending some at Cannon Mountain to take advantage of their 2 for 1 lift tickets, but not today. I had some errands to take care of, like getting my books. I had originally planned to order all my books ahead of time on amazon or textbooks.com or that new site koofers, but I wasn't able to get book lists for any of my classes. No worries I thought, I'll order them as soon as I find out what I need. Well that day didn't come until yesterday (thanks professors) and not only that but I have assigned readings in three classes for Friday and Monday so there was no way I could order online. So I did what I had to and trekked over to the MUB store and DBE. I did my best to price check ahead of time but I still spent over $270, not cool for an unemployed college student. I know that really isn't too bad, I know kids who spend over $200 on just one book. And over $500 a semester. Damn! The problem I have is that out of the 6 books I needed, only one was used. The rest were brand-fucking-new. Why do professors feel the need to assign the latest edition every fucking semester? Then they always give us that "I picked this book because it is a little cheaper" bullshit.  Is there really a difference between the the 12th and 13th edition of The United States since 1945? It's a fucking modern history book! It's not like it's ancient history and there were new discoveries and it's not like the newer edition ends with Obama's first year or anything, it ends with Bush. Like, fuck, I could find everything in that book online. I think it is safe to say that I got the book buyin' blues. The only thing that can brighten my spirits is the fact that I got a flask just waiting to be opened up... It'll be 12 in about ten minutes... excellent.

Overall I am very excited for this semester, I'm finally taking some real challenging courses that I actually want to be in. Yesterday my history professor said that "wikipedia is garbage." I almost laughed out loud. Wikipedia is one of the best research tools if you are smart about using it. Almost every page on Wikipedia lists a bibliography, sources, related readings and external links at the bottom of the page which are great for further research. A lot of times the bibliography will include the ISBN numbers for each book. I have found those links more helpful than using JStore or one of the blackboard library databases. Using info off wikipedia can be risky (although it scored to be equally accurate as the Britannica encyclopedia in a blind study) but using wikipedia for sources is very helpful. Give it a shot on your next research assignment.

Quick side note, when did UNH start getting ESPN-U, channel 54? We definitely didn't get it last year because I remember not being able to watch the NCAA tournament hockey game verse BU that ESPN-U was broadcasting. Have we had it all year or is this new since break? Or am I just a moron?

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Inspiring UNH Story

I met Radar last year and he was a really nice guy, but this video really blew my mind. This was such an inspiring video. It can really put things into perception.

.

Watching that really made me thankful for my situation and proud to be a Wildcat. He graduated with three minors in just three years!

Stay classy, not UMassy

Drink Of The Week: Svedka

For the first DOTW of the semester I am going with the drink I would say I get the most. Svedka is cheap vodka, but still decent quality. For $20 a handle you get vodka that doesn't taste like complete shit. (See: zhenka.) The quality of Svedka is in between Grey Goose and zhenka, meaning you won't want to sip on it, unless you're straight from Russia, (or Sweden) but it tastes fine with some orange juice, cranberry juice and I'm told, in martinis. At 40% alcohol (80 proof) the price per alcohol content is actually pretty cheap.

My favorite drink with Svedka is a screwdriver, simply orange juice and vodka. I can only handle so much orange juice, plus it's expensive, so if I'm planning on having a few drinks I usually go with some cranberry juice, which is known as a Cape Cod or Cape Coder. Vodka is known to sneak up on you so pay attention to your intake or you'll be puking all night... or the next morning. The thing I like about Svedka is that you are able to mix it with just about anything and it doesn't result in you instantly feeling like shit and waking up with an insane hangover. I can't guarantee that, but every time I've had other cheap vodkas (zhenka) I have bad hangovers. During my freshman year I used to drink Svedka and diet Coke. Don't do that, it tastes absolutely terrible, stick with juices. Vodka can be tough to take as a shot, but if your fridge has a freezer cold vodka is much smoother to drink or take a shot of when it is chilled. I just have a mini dorm fridge with a tiny freezer compartment so I usually poor some vodka into a water bottle or two and let it get real cold. There are hundreds of other mixes with vodka, but those are a few of my personal favorites.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Help Us Help You

Now that classes have started up and Durham is busy once more the blog's page hits are increasing after a slow break. I would like to touch on a few things to save people from having to read back through every post. (Although you should because they really are life changing.) The biggest news is that we have added a new writer known as "Rusty." He won't be writing everyday like me, more just when he has a specific topic of interest. Think of him as a permanent guest writer. Speaking of guest writers, I am also hoping for a few guest submissions. (I have already received some interest so don't be shy.) Guest writers wouldn't get their own ID, but anyone can email posts to the blog (unhblog@yahoo.com)  and I would post them and credit the author however they would like. I was also hoping to add another ID'd contributer. So email me if your interested and include what you would like to write about, how often etc... If your not sure, try submitting a couple guest posts to see what you think. I think this would be a great way to expand the blog and add a little variety. If you're interested there is more info and some guest ideas in this older post.

As you may have noticed there wasn't a newspaper today, the first issue will be Friday. "Like a Pro" will make it's spring semester debut next Tuesday, so stay tuned. Wednesdays on the blog will now feature a "drink of the week" post, we have already featured two and tomorrow will be the third. I have a few in store, but if you have any favorite drinks let us know. Some of the drinks will be common UNH favorites and others will be more rare for the college scene. If you can't tell I am trying to make the blog more reader interactive and appealing so let us know if you have any suggestions.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Special Reserve Sauce: Round One

I hate hot and spicy foods. I have trouble if I eat "medium" salsa. One of my favorite foods on campus are the barbecue wings from Wings Your Way. Last night two "friends" convinced me to try the special reserve wings. They had both ate them before, one of them even likes the hotness. I took the first bite and said, "It's not that bad." 5 seconds later my face was sweeting and my mouth was throbbing. I probably could have managed the wings, but we poured another side cup of the sauce over them. They were both done their two wings before I finished my first. I finally finished, with the help of cranberry vodka and V8, neither of which I could taste. About 3 minute after finishing my mouth and face were still burning and I decided to run outside and shove my face in the snow, and ended up laying down face first in the snow. If I didn't do that I would have puked. I don't know what it is but my mouth can't handle super hot foods. I like the taste, but it is just too much. I highly doubt I will be trying anymore special reserve in the near future. I think my mouth is swollen this morning.

 Left: Death                                Right: Puke prevention.

As the night continued I realized my vaporizer was missing the plug to heat it up, luckily it took the same plug-in as my printer and PS2. One of those double rounded things like this: (O)(O). The more you know...

Stay classy not UMassy.

PS: My roommate's girlfriend (I know she reads this) is the best for buying him a coffee maker. Awesome.

Really Hall Director?

So I'm back for an hour and my hall director is already biting my steeze. Yes, I just said "biting my steeze."

Stay classy UQers, really?

Let's get this semester started right. Cheers!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Back to School...

Dear UNH,
The new semester is upon us and I have one warning: Watch out. If I may quote my friends from Gogol Bordello, "We're coming rougher every time." I promise to uphold that statement by partying, working and blogging harder than ever before. I am very excited for the new semester and I feel that great things are in store for us all. We have a new writer (and hopefully more, or some guest posts at the very least) and I feel that the University of Nonsensical Happenings is heading in the right direction. I spent my break working on a house and reading some journalistic inspiration works from Hunter S Thompson. Let me tell you after spending the last two weeks helping on my dad on my parent's new house and spending time around some crazy motherfuckers I've never been more appreciative of my education at UNH.

Over break I went to New York City, got served at bars, saw one of my favorites bands and did some skiing, but the craziest story of my break happened this morning.  A guy delivering lumber in a huge flatbed-crane-truck was backing out of our driveway and he sideswiped a small granite post for the length of the truck and snapped a 14 foot tree in half. He left without telling us. It turns out he was drunk... at 9AM.

Here is a prime example of someone who doesn't take responsibility or understand moderation. As you can probably tell by reading this blog I am all about having fun, and a good amount of us have been to class  hungover or maybe a bit drunk from the previous night, but there is a fine line between not being able to take notes and not being able to drive. When that line is crossed, people's lives are in danger. So for this up coming semester, please be responsible. Don't worry, I'm not getting soft on you, I still hope to see UNH back on the Princeton Reviews best party school list. UNH may not have a Good Samaritan or Medical Amnesty policy in place yet, but we do have handy programs like safe rides. Also, don't get arrested, that would fucking suck. UNH and Durham cops know how to trip kids up so know your rights. Here is a video that I have posted before, but if you haven't seen it I highly recommend watching it, because it could keep your name out of the ever popular TNH police log:

This is college, meaning that the time and place for "that" is now, so go out, have fun, party and drink if that's your game, but stay smart, stay safe and most of all
Stay classy, not UMassy.

UNH Course Rank

The UNH Student Senate Community Change Council is proud to announce that they have officially launched unh.courserank.com. The website is very similar to ratemyprofessors, but is designed specifically for UNH. (Duh). It is very easy to set up an account, simply use your UNH email as your ID and create a password. You will get a confirmation email and then you are ready to take advantage of the site. Over 3,000 courses have already been added with 230 ratings and counting. The most useful tool is that students can anonymously submit reviews and enter their grades for each class. The more students who join, the better it will become. So please spread the word because it could be very helpful when registration rolls around in the spring. There is also a facebook page for questions and to gain support from the student body. I would personally like to thank and congratulate the student council for getting this done, it should prove to be very helpful immediately and for years to come.  

Stay classy, not UMassy.

I swear I didn't design these...

I'm not that full of myself, but any true reader would buy some...

 

Come on, that last one has to make you laugh. You can get any of those designs (and a few more) on any type of merchandise on cafepress.  I have been thinking a lot about that whole blog t-shirt idea, but I don't see it happening. It just costs too much upfront and I don't want to risk not breaking even. So if you still want some gear check out that stuff, it just won't be blog specific, but people on campus will know. If I see anyone with some sort of New Hampshirite apparel on (even the buttons) I'll be so pumped.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Drink Of The Week: Sangria

Jay-Z says it best in his version of “Young Forever” with the line “So let’s just stay in the moment, smoke some weed, drink some wine, reminisce, talk some shit, forever young is in your mind.”

I’m sure that when he wrote that line he pictured some damn expensive wine. Well, sometimes college students can’t afford that. This is why Carlo Rossi Sangria is a great purchase if you’re looking for some deliciously cheap red wine. Don’t get me wrong, when it comes to alcohol beer is always my first choice. Some Sam Adams seasonal or Newcastle Brown Ale are two of my personal favorites, and when it comes to cheaper beer I argue there is none better than PBR, despite its high carbonation. But as a college student who doesn’t work during school sometimes money is an issue and I also like some variety. (Side note my main alcoholic beverage purchases are cheap 30’s or a handle of Svedka. Lately I’ve been working on my taste for whiskey.)

Carlo Rossi has a bunch of different wines, but their Sangria is the best. Plus you can usually find a jug of it at the DUMP. That’s right, I said a jug. I’m talking about $12 for a 4-fucking-liter jug. At 10% it is more than twice the alcohol content of a light beer and it still goes down easy. Seriously, drink it chilled and it tastes like grape juice. Let me repeat some of that info again: For just 12 bucks you get 4 fucking liters… and probably a killer hangover! Bottom Line: Sangria gets you fucked up without taking a big hit from your wallet.

 Guys, you’re drinking red wine so you will feel like a pimp, which will help your confidence with the ladies. From personal experience, you feel even more like a pimp or a rock star (and the alcoholic you’re slowly turning into) if you drink it straight out of the jug.  If you are more of a heavyweight, or just sexually insecure and afraid to drink “gay-ass” wine because you’re not European, (it’s okay I have friends from Europe) many people like adding a shot of vodka to a glass of sangria. But be warned, even at 10% I always get wrecked after a few glasses. I have seen it get the best of some experienced drinkers who would put 95% of our campus to shame in a game of drink. Cheap wine works in mysterious ways, it can put some people to sleep and others will get a boost of energy. And ladies, you will love it too because of its smooth taste and it is healthier than a beer. Some of my best memories (what I can remember of them that is) involve sitting around a fire on the beach up at Bar Harbor, passing around a jug of Sangria. One of those memories involves me ending up in the freezing ocean water at night with all my clothes on, but this isn’t the time to dive into that one.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

And the winner is...

"Onward State. Easily the most hotly contested award, this category gets a lot of attention. I will say this: If you really want to see sites like the University of Nonsensical Happenings or The Bwog up for awards, then nominate them when we ask for nominations. Otherwise, they don't get on the list. It's that simple. Now, Onward State got 49 percent of the vote, edging out Club Trillion by less than 4 percentage points for its second consecutive victory. Face it, Onward State is to alternative student media outlets what Ohio State football is to the Big Ten." (full story.)


That clip was from USNews.com's Paper Trail blog  yearly awards for various college education news. That is what the author wrote in describing the outcome of the "Alternative Media Outlet of the Year" award. I guess that means I got a few write in votes or someone commented on their poll or something. That probably means if I was officially nominated I probably would have won. So, for the sake of post, I'm claiming The University of Nonsensical Happenings to be the greatest Alternative Media Outlet of All-Time. Because I can. I never heard of USNews, or their blog, until today when I got a bunch of hits from their link. So I guess next year I'll have to be formally nominated and try to take down "Onward State" (who I used as an example when starting this blog). In all seriousness I am a big fan of both Onward State and  "Club Trillion" so it is an honor just to be mentioned with those blogs. 


A big thanks to whoever wrote me in or whatever to make the author mention me in the final results!


Stay classy, not UMassy

UNH Merchandise From CSN Stores

Watch out Hayden Sports, because CSNstores has come out with a bunch of new UNH items that are currently on sale. CSN has several different online sites that will help make your dorm or game room the best on campus. If you're looking to add a new bar to your apartment then check out their stools. If you looking for a few UNH specific items to spruce up your dorm room then this might be the site for you. Their promo team contacted me about doing a review of their products and when I saw some of those UNH merchandise I jumped at the opportunity, so stay tuned for a full review on a specific item and maybe more.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Drink Of The Week: Hard Cider

Alright, I'm not trying to tell you what to do... who am I kidding? I am telling you what to do. Before you know it (hopefully) we will be back on UNH's glorious (can't say that with a straight face) campus, and if you're a guy who doesn't like hard alcohol and is sick of beer, try getting some bottles of hard cider in your greasy underage mitts.

I'm sorry to alienate the female gender here, but you know who drinks hard cider? Men. Lumberjacks drink it, pirates drink it (to prevent scurvy while still getting drunk), and mountain men drink it. No, mountain men are not the same thing as lumberjacks. Don't get into this argument with me, and don't change the subject.

Here's a list of activities that get twice as good when you add hard cider into the mix:

• Eating
• Watching sports
• Partying hard
• Partying softly
• Going to a beach
• Wrestling a bear
• Getting into a fight (hard cider also starts this usually)
• Studying
• Wrestling two bears
  

Even gay men can enjoy hard cider! Don't worry, I didn't leave you guys out! Do you want an appletini but don't feel like going through the effort to make it? Just drink a bottle of hard cider! It's just like it! Disclaimer: I have never tried an appletini and do not know the taste or difficulty of making such a drink.

Hard cider goes great with everything: sandwiches, steaks, pizza, wings... even breakfast! Drinking beer with breakfast just feels gross, but with hard cider, it's just a more relaxing apple juice! That way the first thing your taste buds (after a night of making out with fat girls and smoking cloves in front of your dorm to look cool while you're more drunk than Sean Connery on a Friday) get hit with in the morning isn't nasty-ass Keystone Light, but the delicious fusion of alcohol and apples. It's perfect for those homecoming weekends, or just weekends where you start drinking at 9:00 in the morning. If you do that a lot, though, you should seek help.

Now, here are the few setbacks of hard cider. There are only so many places to get it in Durham or Dover, but it's usually available at the DUMP. I'll admit, I've only tried Woodchuck Hard Cider, in Amber and Granny Smith flavors, brewed in New Hampshire's 69-ing partner Vermont, but I feel like tasting those delicious apple nectars is good enough for me. If it tastes great, why try something else to see if it tastes better? That's called greed, and there's no place for that in the mind of a college student. You have a very limited source of money and no one wants to gamble $10 on something that ends up tasting like that bullshit India Pale Ale. I hate that shit.

The Woodchuck Hard Cider (go to the website and look around, THEY HAVE FUCKING KEGS OF THE STUFF I ALMOST SHIT MYSELF WHEN I FOUND THAT OUT) flavors are great, and I'm not sure if they have any more, but I'll tell you that the Amber one is much more sweeter than the Granny Smith one, which is bitter and tart, but still good. Another drawback is the ridiculous amount of sugar in these things, and the fact that it gives you a bitch of a hangover if you don't drink your water before bed. Now, you're wondering, "Rusty, how much do I have to pay for access to this glorious drink that's manly but doesn't taste like balls at the same time?" Well, they only come in 6-packs, and they're about $7 each, which seems rather expensive. I will tell you this though: the alcohol content in each bottle is usually in the range of 5%, and regular light beers like Bud Light or Keystone Light are about 4.2%. It may not seem like much, but if you're someone who doesn't need a lot to get drunk (like me) you can be set for the night with a 6-pack of this shit. It's fucking gold. GOLD.

If you buy hard cider from the DUMP or any stores around campus, the demand increases, so the supply does too. They'll offer more flavors since people are buying more and also (possibly) lower the price a bit if it gets really popular. Of course, this is my ideal, demented view of what should happen and probably not what will happen. Either way, $7 isn't bad for something that you can get drunk off of while still liking the taste of it. I'm fucking looking at you, Natural Light and Busch Light. Stop drinking that shit and get some respect.

Finally, I just want to say that I'm not in any way related to the Woodchuck marketing agency or anything like that. I wish I was though, so I could get a FUCKING KEG of that stuff. I wouldn't ever leave my room. So when we get back to UNH and you're thinking of something to drink during the Super Bowl (even though the Patriots aren't in it, but I'm not going to talk about that), get a 6-pack of this shit and try to tell me you don't like it. Seriously, if you don't like it, just tell me and I'll take the rest of it off of you for no cost.

If you've tried hard cider and hate it, tried hard cider and loved it, have a different type besides Woodchuck (or a totally different beverage altogether), or want to yell at me because you're angry at something that has nothing to do with the content of this post, send something to unhblog@yahoo.com and I'll get it eventually.

Editors Note: Drink of the week will be a new feature for Wednesdays on the blog. Rusty got it started this week and I have a few in storage. We will feature lesser seen drinks on campus and also throw in a few UNH campus favorites here and there. 

Student Blogs Challenge College Papers

The Chronicle of Higher Education, a newspaper targeting college students and professors, contained an article Sunday that caught my attention. It was about how student blogs are challenging college newspapers across the country. (Read the article by here.) In the article they targeted two major student run blogs. "Onward State" of Penn State (which I have used as a model, although it is much more professional with a full staff) and "NYU Local" of NYU. I'm not surprised that I wasn't asked to be interviewed, not be because this blog isn't legit, but our school paper, TNH, knew they couldn't compete with me so they bribed me to write for them in exchange for my one true vice: milk and cookies. (Just kidding. The TNH staff makes up about 75% of my readers, the other 25% is my mom.) This article focused on how there is a competition between blogs and newspapers, but it argues that most blogs don't survive after the founder's graduation. This is something I have actually been thinking about lately, which is why I was hoping to add a few writers to the staff. What if The University of Nonsensical Happenings could survive ANH? (After New Hampshirite.) That is probably just an unrealistic dream, I'm really just hoping to keep this going until I graduate.
Newspapers will always be the older brother to blogs. (Actually more like a grandfather, cause they're they only people who still read 'em, boom roasted!) Seriously though, newspapers are more sophisticated and reliable, but blogs have the ability to break a news story as it happen.  Blogs can provide constant updates with multimedia  24/7, while newspapers run on a predetermined schedule. What that means is that newspapers and blogs need each other. If it is done correctly (and I feel TNH and I nailed it) student blogs and newspapers can become a symbiotic relationship. I get free advertising, a bigger audience, and slightly more credibility and they get an extra half hour of editing. (Really though, hopefully a strong a opinion with a little humor.) While technically my blog is unaffiliated with TNH, I have the rare opportunity to write for two separate publications (I have to hit "publish post" so I consider this blog a publication), two different types of media and for two different audiences.
Blogs may not be as professional as newspapers, for example, my blog editor is that little read line that pops up when you spell a word wrong, and blogger don't got green lines for grammars mistake. Also, I never name my sources (although I rarely use them), and I discuss (and highly encourage) the use of certain substances in ways that even the most liberal newspapers can't. Newspapers get the glamour and attention by providing actual news and in-depth articles (and for when they get negative attention I get the chance to defend them like when those filthy immature pricks threw away a bunch of the papers.) I also tend to ramble and end a post abruptly with a bullshit  statement that makes the reader think I was actually trying to prove a point throughout a post. You see people, we can't let our country be divided by newspapers and blogs, because if we do then segregation is still a huge part of our society. And that is what is ruining America!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

UNH Study: No correlation between Social Networking and Sleep

Newswise — "How much sleep college students get each night is not affected by how much time they spend using Facebook and other social media, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire.
The study indicates that using social media is hardly what keeps students up at night,” said UNH adjunct professor Chuck Martin, whose marketing research class conducted the study. “Using Facebook, and to a lesser degree YouTube, blogs or Twitter, do not appear to have any impact on how much or how little students sleep.” (Read entire article here.) 


This seems like a pretty interesting study, but I find it strange I was never polled during the research, I mean I am the premier campus blogger. That being said I still agree with the results. I spend a lot of time on various social networking sites (for my personal and blog use) and I still get plenty of sleep. What this study fails to answer is what is keeping these students up all night. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out, and this is college right? There are many different factors that keep students up into the wee morning hours such as studying, homework, reading, drinking, TV, movies, taxi driving and video games. Apart from finals weeks I bet video games are the real kicker. Anyone who has ever played the new Call of Duty games can attest to that. I don't have Xbox 360 or and fancy video game system, but I understand how addicting they can be.


Stay classy, not UMassy.

What's the better UNH remix?

Party at UNH

Next Episode: University of New Hampshire

The Stats:

I also wanted to include Decap's "UNH Pimpin'" (In da Mub) from a few years back but I wasn't able to find a useable version online. Some of you may also approach this deciding which one is worse. I think they both have some pluses and minuses, but they are both cool to hear late at night in a dirty basement in Durham when you're wasted.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

PS: I deleted that last post because I learned that the girl from the video is blind. 

Prepare To Have Your Faces Rocked

Hello everyone. For the purposes of this blog, my name is Rusty, and I am the self-proclaimed Party/Sports Correspondent. The New Hampshirite will cover these fields as well, but I'm specifically focused on those topics, because that's what college (besides academics but fuck that) is all about to a guy, right? Sorry ladies. For you, I guess you'd need a Party/Sweatpants Correspondent. That's not me.

Like The New Hampshirite, I share a hatred for Ke$ha, which is a really fucking stupid name. Your song is dumb, half of your references are from before you were born, and I hope your 15 minutes of fame ends incredibly soon. It's painful.

To cleanse my ears from that song Tik Tok, I have to listen to this so I feel better. Ladies and gentlemen, one of the greatest bands to walk the Earth, KISS.



If you have any suggestions for what you want to hear or if you already hate me and want to tell me to fuck off because you think sweatpants are a comfortable substitute, send something to unhblog@yahoo.com and it'll get to me eventually.

200th Post: Expanding the Blog

For the 200th post of the University of Nonsensical Happenings I have some pretty big news that I am really excited about. I am currently in the process of recruiting a few more writers to join the blog. I already have one confirmation and he is an actual journalism student so you'll get to read some decent writing for a change. I have also contacted a few people but we are still in contract negotiations. 
My ultimate goal is to make this blog a free-from campus super blog or "underground newspaper" that is updated daily (during the semesters) where anything goes. So if you are interested (current students only) in contributing please email me at unhblog@yahoo.com. Be prepared to tell me what type of posts you would be interested in writing and how often. If you have good ideas and are willing to submit a sample post or two there is a decent chance I will invite you to become a writer (meaning you get to make your own account and ID). You can post under your real name if you want, just be aware that this will be around forever. You don't have to write in the same style as me (meaning you don't have to write about doing stupid things, but you can if you want.) I am hoping to get about 3-4 writers, but please let me know if your are interested in just contributing once and a while. Email me if you are interested or have any ideas or questions. I really want to expand and make this blog more appealing to the entire campus.
If you are interested in contributing guests posts, without officially joining, you can email them and I will post them like a "letter to the editor." If you choose to do that include how you want me to give you credit (name, fake name, ID...)


Some quick ideas for guest columns or letters (but definitely not limited to):

• freshman/transfer student adjusting to life at UNH
• senior preparing for the real world
• athletes (life as a student athlete... that would be so awesome)
• movie/music/ reviews
• local band reviews - live music from Portsmouth/Dover/Newmarket...
• UNH event coverage
• funny/interesting stories
• sport game recaps/previews
• big party reviews (which frat really does have the best parties?)
• rants and opinions
• current newspaper writers/english/journalism students looking to write informally 
• photographer for picture/photo of the week posts
• student senate updates
• connections to SCOPE
• student club/activity profiles/summaries- event recaps
• For an Alumnae: life after UNH or how UNH prepared you (was it a success?)

This could be a great way to dip into journalism or try something new and outside your major. I hope this is something that will interest a few of you and please don't be shy.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Mid Break Updates

So we are just about halfway through winter break and I have a feeling these next couple weeks are gonna drag on. I can't wait to get back to Durham and party! (Although I have a feeling Kesha will be so over played this semester I might have to seclude myself in my room.)  I figured I would link up a few Durham updates since I have nothing to do today... until Alabama shows Texas what's up. (I'm picking 'Bama 27-17). Anyways let's see what's been going on back at the old U.

• There was an arrest in the Halloween assault. Eric A. Hunt, 21, of Hudson gets my vote for prick of the semester. He was charged with second degree assault, and tampering with witnesses and informants. Hunt turned himself in after a tip pointed police in his direction.
• There was a drum circle at the campus ministry which has lead to an anthrax scare. Apparently spores from the animal skin drum were an inhaled by a young woman. 
• Jenn Wakefield, a standout on the women's hockey team, is planning to transfer to BU. Wakefield took this season off to play with the Canadian National team... Really, BU? At least it's not Maine or UMass, but still...
• UNH was ranked 83rd in the top 100 most affordable public colleges by Kiplinger's Finance Magazine. I'm not sure if that is good or bad, but I still say tuition is way too high. I mean I would love to get an internship this summer, but I might have to take a job to make more money.

OK, that's all I could find by searching "UNH" in google news. I have been thinking about possibly expanding the blog by adding a couple more writers. I haven't made up my mind yet, but I think it would help broaden the possibilities for the blog. I want this blog to be less about me and more about the campus. Let me know if you think I should keep running it by myself  (which I don't mind) or if I should look into recruiting 2 or 3 more writers. I would still run everything, they would be strictly writers. Another possibility would be adding some guest posts once and a while.

**If you are interested (current students only) in contributing please email me at unhblog@yahoo.com. Even if you just want to write once a week, reviews, UNH sports updates, campus happenings, photo of the week or whatever. Email me if you are interested or have any ideas or questions. I really want to expand and make this blog more appealing to the entire campus.**

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Instantaneous Comminution: The Rebirth of Journalism

This is kinda lengthy for a blog post and it doesn't have too much to do with UNH, but it is something I think anyone interested in journalism might like to read. It's just my some of my rambling ideas on the possible future of journalism.

In the late 1960's and early 70’s Abbie Hoffman, a leader of the yippie generation, wrote a book called “Steal This Book.” It was written to teach people how to survive in America with little to no money. Although many of the tactics are outdated it is still an awesome read to learn about the counterculture of America in the 1960’s and 70’s. (That link contains the entire book if you're interested.) In the introduction Hoffman wrote:

“There is a saying that ‘Freedom of the press belongs to those who own one.’ In past eras, this was probably the case, but now, high-speed methods of typesetting, offset printing and a host of other developments have made substantial reductions in printing costs. Literally anyone is free to print their own works. In even the most repressive society imaginable, you can get away with some form of private publishing… To talk of true freedom of the press, we must talk of the availability of the channels of communication that are designed to reach the entire population, or at least that segment of the population that might participate in such a dialogue. Freedom of the press belongs to those that own the distribution system. Perhaps that has always been the case, but in a mass society where nearly everyone is instantaneously plugged into a variety of national communications systems, widespread dissemination of the information is the crux of the matter.


Keep in mind Hoffman wrote that in 1971. Well before computers, cell phones, the internet, blackberries and iphones. It is pretty crazy to think that in 1971 people thought they were “instantaneously plugged into a variety of national communications systems.” Look what we have now with handheld internet devices that allow instant access to websites like twitter, wikipedia, youtube and various message boards and blogs. Literally anyone can write or read about an incident or event just seconds after it occurs, without publication issues. (For all I know someone could have blogged about this same thing, I wouldn't be surprised at all.) Take a look at this time lapse of the Wikipedia page for the Virginia Tech massacres. This 30 second clip shows how the page grew in the first 12 hours following the shooting.  

I think that is pretty crazy how fast updates can be made and the public can be notified. Students at UNH experience this first hand every time there is an emergency alert text sent out. Is this a good thing? Does it create safety or hostility? Currently, people discussing changes to the alert system because every time we get one of those texts or emails so does WMUR and other local news outlets who relay the message to the public. These outlets then become bombarded with calls from worried parents because the full story is still unknown. Anyways, back to my original point...

Hoffman talks about how new printing presses have created  low cost printing methods, which has allowed for anyone to private publish. Imagine if Hoffman had internet access? What would have become of  this generation in America if they were able to blog and truly have instantaneous communication?
They probably would have never printed that book, but created a blog or website. Maybe something like this: a "Steal This Wiki" page that has taken Hoffman's work and updated and expanded on it.

Hoffman says how the "freedom of the press belongs to those that own the distribution system." The internet completely eliminates the distribution system and while many people are calling this the downfall of journalism, I think it is just a rebirth. In 10 years there may be no more print newspapers and magazines left, but they will all be online with paid both free and priced services. Think about the possibilities for newspapers without having to spend money on printing and distribution. Plus they will be able to make advertising money just like any other website. William Randolph Hearst (the ultimate newspaper mogul and godfather of yellow journalism) will be rolling in his grave! I chose those last two links on purpose because they are prime examples of internet magic: Mini youtube documentaries by "watchmojo.com"... Who?

I just watched a full length piece on Hearst and the guy was crazy. To gain more readers he created his own news by paying people to jump into San Francisco Bay and then he would write the heroic story of their rescue, or how no bystanders helped them, and publish it on the front page! With online journalism propaganda and yellow journalism will be even more blended in with real statistics and research and it will be up to the people to decide who and what to believe. We already have this problem, but when journalism goes completely online it will be even more prevalent. Heck, even Stephenson Billings calls himself an Investigative Journalist!

I am not an expert on the history of journalism, or history or journalism. These are just some of my random and unorganized thoughts and opinions on what the future of journalism might become. With the advances of technology over the past thirty years, who knows what will become available in the years to come, but I want to be apart of it. This is some of the stuff I had to explain to my friends and relatives over the holidays when I told them I plan on switching my major to journalism. They all gave me that "your going to be poor, even if you can find a job" face...

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Talking Dope

Happy New Year my fellow Noncensors, I hope it treats you well. I would like to briefly discuss something that was brought to my attention by a family friend who works in Concord. So this post actually has a legitimate source.

Last October the New Hampshire House of Representatives passed a bill that would have allowed medical marijuana to be prescribed by doctors to severely ill patients. Soon after that Governor Lynch vetoed the bill citing the distribution and growing processes as potential problems. There was still hope for the bill to be overridden by the state senate, but it failed by two votes. So who is to blame for the failure of the medical marijuana bill, which could do wonders to those suffering from terrible diseases? It is easy to point a finger at Lynch. It is easier to blame the senators who failed to see the potential benefits of medical marijuana to aid suffering citizens of our state. But there is also a third party who deserves some of the blame as well.
The third party was a group of UNH students who traveled to Concord and were present at the vote. No, they were not protesting it, but they actually supported the bill. These students actually hurt the bill they were trying to support just by attending the vote. Everyone, including indecisive voters, knew why those students were there and it wasn’t because Aunt Sally has breast cancer. Many people opposed to the medical marijuana bill take that stance because they believe it will make it easier for kids to get their hands on some bud, so when a group of college students show up to the vote it really doesn't do them any good.
 I think that it is great that these students were so enthusiastic about the bill, but they would have been better off staying at campus that day. Sometimes students are so eager to fight for what they believe in they let act without examining the possible outcomes, or reactions by others. The appearance of these students upset many senators who supported the bill because they knew that it would not make a good impression on the undecided voters. It is completely nonsensical that medical marijuana illegal is so many states. Maybe someday we will live in a country whose politicians aren’t so morally corrupted by monetary persuasions. I have faith that one day New Hampshire will legalize medical marijuana as more people become educated on it’s benefits to suffering patients.  As Abe Lincoln once said “prohibition makes crimes of things that are not crimes.”

See you all in a few weeks, well kind of...

Stay classy, not UMassy.