Cabinet Magazine is sponsoring two events next week in New York, and both are on the subject of hypochondria. The first, a panel entitled "The Art of Hypochondria," with Princeton University professor of history D. Graham Burnett, author and Cabinet UK editor Brian Dillon, and Bard College professor of French and comparative literature Marina van Zuylen, will take place from 7-9pm on Tuesday, February 9th, at The Kitchen (512 West 19th Street). The second, a performance/talk entitled "Taking to Our Beds: On Hypochondria," with the New School's Department of Philosophy chair Simon Critchley, Brian Dillon, and psychoanalyst Peter Dunn, will be at the same time the following evening and will go down at Cabinet's own space (300 Nevins Street) in Brooklyn. Both events are free and seats are available on a first come, first served basis. [02.04.2010 06:00 am]

"Do It Yourself! Do It Together!" That is the motto of the All-ages Movement Project, a group recently nominated by Good Magazine as an entrant in the Refresh Everything contest. The Pepsi-sponsored contest provides funding for innovative ideas in the form of $50,000. In the case of the All-ages Movement Project, the innovative idea is "to provide people with resources to start all-ages venues and youth music organizations all over the nation." The contest runs for the duration of February, and supporters can vote every day of the month by visiting the All-ages page at the Refresh Everything sight. "We know that different communities have widely varying perspectives on this issue," the group says of the Pepsi sponsorship that some fervent all-ages supporters might find controversial. "We just want your help taking their money and using it for something good." [02.03.2010 12:00 pm]

"Urban ecosystems sometimes have the ideal measures. When you get an infectious agent like rabies, it tends to have these untoward effects, meaning an outbreak." Raccoons in New York's storied Central Park are on a rabid rampage, with a 93,000% increase in reported rabies cases last month. RELATED: "Some of the scariest stories happen when fluffy, innocent creatures turn murderously evil. This American Life producer Alex Blumberg tells one such story, about a raccoon gone bad." AND: "City folk have come to terms with intruders before. Raccoons raid our garbage cans in the night as does their nocturnal fellow the skunk, who periodically raises a stink. Both have sharp teeth and can be prone to rabies. They can be remarkably bold." [02.01.2010 05:00 am]