It's Midnight, What Are We Going To Do For The Next Three Hours?

The Stockholm syndrome is a psychological response sometimes seen in a hostage, in which the hostage exhibits seeming loyalty to the hostage-taker, in spite of the danger (or at least risk) the hostage has been put in. It is also the end result of undermining Matt's sleep cycle with a demanding nightly regimen of hanging out until three in the morning. As you can see, he sports this "beard" - a harbinger of his subsequent mental state, or perhaps a symptom of a dermatological condition.

When it actually came time to sleep, the blanket Matt gave me was the very same one he used to sleep in as a college freshman. It looked a little worse for wear, but is still very comfortable.

Matt appears to be doing well. I highly recommend that everyone apply for a Ph.D. in sociology at Columbia University, because the sociologists there like to throw parties and have dinners at fancy restaurants, which seems a bearable way to spend five years of your life. There were, not one, but two sociologist parties during my stay in New York, and half of them involved dinner at 107 West, where I had a magnificently-executed blackened catfish.

His life is also somewhat cyclical in nature - within a twenty-four hour period, he took me to a bookstore, an Italian restaurant, and a bar, presenting all of these venues to me as if they were novel and unprecedented experiences, when in fact he had taken me to every last one of them during my previous visit. These places were quite nice, so I didn't mind.



One new place we visited was St. John's Cathedral, where we sat in order to eat some roti in the scupture garden. We attempted to surmise the subject matter of the garden's fountain, and Matt floated a guess: was it a apocalyptic depiction of the book of Revelations? Alas, no. It was a tribute to the friendly power of a child's imagination, a power which will apparently unleash a terrifying doom of giant crabs upon us all.



We also visited the new Apple Store on Fifth Avenue, which is notable for both its architecture and its hours: twenty four hours a day, 365 days a year. Matt and I decided to mosey down to the store at midnight in order to exchange a defective Macbook for a new one, a decision which garnered a serious WTF from his girlfriend. Surprisingly, the Apple store at one in the morning looks pretty much the same as the Apple store at four in the afternoon: crowded and busy.

Matt also taught me this bachelor's recipe for Black Beans and Rice, which is to be celebrated for its frugality, ease of preparation, and taste. I question its nutritional value, but as an individual who is about to embark on a workout consisting of yoga five days a week and weight training for three (a workout I will christen "The Bruce Wayne"), I must consume all the convenient servings of protein I can. I am a aficionado of Heating and Stirring Random Ingredients In A Pot, a culinary taxonomy which includes risotto, and this recipe is one of the sterling examples of the form.



Matt's Black Beans And Rice

2 Cans Black Beans
1 Can Corn
1 Can Diced Tomatoes With Peppers
1 Can Long Grain White Rice
1 Can Water
2 Teaspoons Cumin
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
White (Non-Yellow) Cheddar Cheese
Sea Salt

Rinse the black beans, and dump them in a pot.

Add the diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, and olive oil.

Measure 2 cans of water and add to pot.

Bring to a boil on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

Salt to taste.

Measure 1 can of rice and add to pot.

Then simmer for 20 minutes. Do not stir.

Rice may or may not rise to the surface. Leave it. Again, do NOT stir or Matt will have an epileptic seizure and/or grow a ridiculous beard.

Serve with a few slices of cheddar and stir. The cheese is crucial.