The Dickinson Caf Series - (Part 1: The Hot Shave)

So I am currently writing my senior thesis on the memory of James Wilson. Pretty disappointing stuff right there since I had always planned on writing it on the greatest and most magical place on campus (maybe Earth), that's right...the Caf! Anyone who disagrees with me is just plain wrong and kind of lame. My best memories and time spent at Dickinson College have been in the Caf. From one bites to Jello races to range discussions to awkward sex position napkin drawings to same siding, my bonds of friendship with Jive have grown through the Caf. The Jive Table has been a staple of my college career and the times spent there after practice, delaying trips to the lib, sobering up on a weekend morning or just simply procrastinating from doing anything were truly special.

Now while the Caf offers good and bad, there is no other place that is so important to your Dickinson College career. Over my 4 years I have sat and learned from some of the biggest caf legends Jive has ever seen. Starting back during Freshman year with Chappers and DJ. These guys were still on traditional and never turned down a great Weekend morning caf sit. Chappers even had to take a dump twice during one of these. Fast forward to today with The Fish, who still has the record for chicken tenders in one sitting. Tell me a time you were in the caf and this kid wasn't. Doesn't exist. The guy had 4 bowls of potato soup and 4 cokes and it wasn't even 11: AM yet! Coffee black, none of that weak shit.

I have always loved the caf and it is about time that it has been broken down. I want to explore the ins and outs, the good and bad and all the rest. The secrets, the cycles, the meals and everything in between. Because nothing pisses me off more than freshman coming back with plates that look like puke. So in this 10 part series, I will dissect everything that comes to mind about the best place on campus!

As Martin Luther King Jr famously said: "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than a sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity of your own Cafeteria!"

Part 1: The Hot Shave

Any veteran Caf student already knows that on average, lunch is better than dinner. A big reason for this are the Hot Shave sandwiches. No matter what that menu may bring and trust me, sometimes it can be bad, the hot shave will consistently deliver satisfaction. Whether you are getting two of them to make your meal or just one as a nice side dish to your plate of chicken nugs, the Hot Shave is a simple warm deli meat sandwich that gets the job done. Now lets remember, all hot shaves were not created equally. The Caf offers seven varieties of the sandwich, 4 regular weekly sandwich's and 3 special hot shaves that cycle every week. Lets break these down.

The Usual Suspects

Roast Beef: Statistically the most popular Hot Shave. One of the big reasons for this Hot Shave being so popular is the Au Jus that accompanies it. The Roast beef is the most tender of the Shave's and dipped in Au Jus gives you your own French Dip for lunch. Combine that with it's popular cheese compliment Pepper Jack, and you have one delicious sandwich for lunch. For those who want more, some put tiger sauce on their Roast beef, while others will either grill or microwave their sandwiches to either melt the cheese more and get the bread nice and toasty. While there are times bad batches of beef that are dry and fatty, A good Hot Shave Roast Beef sandwich is hard to beat.
Ranking: 9/10

Roast Turkey: The first of three turkey options and probably my favorite. While some complain that the Turkey is too dry, I often find the Roast Turkey surprisingly moist and flavorful. While this sandwich won't save you from a crappy lunch, it is a great compliment to a chicken dish. My favorite paring for this sandwich would be on Cycle 1 Monday lunch when the Buffalo Chicken Penne Stir Fry with Blue Cheese is on the grill. You could even eat this sandwich while you wait in line!
Ranking: 7/10

Smoked Turkey: The second of the turkey options and probably the worst. Honestly do you know what smoked turkey means in the Caf.....dry turkey. The smoked turkey doesn't actually add any smoky flavor, it is just a dry version of the roast turkey. While in the past I have elected for one of these, today I don't even bother. Who the fuck wants dry turkey! Not even melted cheese or cream of mushroom soup can save this one.
Ranking: 3/10

Baked Ham/Pork Tenderloin: Maybe the least popular sandwich because of the large Jewish population. Neeeeeeeever. Seriously though, while I like Ham, there are probably less than 10 percent of lunchers that get this menu item. And for some reason, baked ham is always on days with the worst menus. For example: Cycle 3 Wednesday -Baked Ham paired with 3 foot cheese steak grinder and baked macaroni and cheese. O yea and the grill: Marsala chicken salad with grapes. These are the days where you just say fuck it and get grab and go. The Ham is consistent and salty and goes well with a little melted Swiss. Not ideal but what is these days. Note: Pork Tenderloin sometimes subs but it is honestly just dry thick ham.
Ranking: 5/10 (Pork Tenderloin 4/10)

Specialty Shaves.

Corned Beef: One of the special shaves and one of my favorites. Again it is because I am actually Jewish. Seriously though, the corned beef is a fantastic hot shave. You can never get a bad batch of this meat. Always tender and flavorful with a hint of spice, the Corned beef can save a lunch with its perfection. A very consistent hot shave. Note: They serve it on shitty rye bread. The best way to eat beef is to hit up the deli for a potato bun and grill it. I like it I like it a lot. Ranking: 9/10

Pastrami: If you ask me, I can't tell the difference between the two meats. Both however are delicious. T Gags rates it number 1 on it with swiss on rye. Moonshine also prefers the Pastrami. Again, I like to avoid getting it on the rye bread. It honestly ruins the sandwich for me. Anytime they offer the Corned Beef or the Pastrami, i am getting two of these bad boys.
Ranking: 8/10

Pepper Turkey: The last of the Turkey's and probably the most polarizing hot shave. Of the three speciality hot shaves, this one can either be amazing or disappoint like no other. Just ask Nate Grefe aka Sir Bitch a Lot, "Pepper Turkey on a good day. With pepper jack cheese, it's tender and very flavorful and all the spices are great together. Other times it is dry and tastes like dog shit." I am not a huge fan of the Pepper Turkey but it can hold its own. Ranking: 5/10

Overall, the Hot Shave is the heart and soul of lunch. I get it 90 percent of the time I am there and am constantly satisfied with them. Before I reveal my favorite, lets take a look at what some other Hot Shave veterans have to say.

The Fish: "Roast Beef for the delicate interplay of flavor between beef and the spices of pepper jack; a meaty yet spicy combo."

Who? Dan Jones: "Roast Beef because it is served with tiger sauce and you can get it with double pepper jack. Probably top 5 caf dishes period!"

Voodoo: "Depends on the day but I'm a huge fan of ham but only with cheddar. It's delicious, doesn't need any condiments, and is always consistent.

Schachter: Roast Beef with pepper jack but only if its good. The new roast beef last year was pretty shit. I'd probably say roast turkey with provolone because of all the fixings you can do with it. Consistently good!

So as you can see, there is no consensus. But what is important is more than just the meat. The cheese, bread, sauce and other fixings are just as essential to a great Hot shave. For me, I am going with the Corned Beef with double American cheese grilled on a potato bun to a nice brown finish. Give me two of these and some waffle fries and I am good to go. So what is your favorite hot shave?

Check back next time for Part 2 of the Caf

His Name? Number 2

Imagine this situation: You are walking out of class heading to the caf and BOOM; you need to take a monster dump. While you have time to decide where to go, you need to make a decision quickly. So what do you do? Where is the best place to take a dump on campus? Sure some people may have private bathrooms in their homes but some people aren't fortunate enough to have that privilege and still live where they did as freshman. So for all you incoming freshman who never get the actual guidance and lowdown needed during a tour or orientation, here are some important notes and places to take a dump on campus.

Top 3

1. Library 1st Floor Bathroom -Ok we all knew this one.....or did we? While it may not smell great, the 1st floor library bathroom offers what others can't: full privacy. Located in the center of campus, this bathroom is a single toilet in a lockable room (which some people forget to use....come on people! I'm not trying to walk in on you). There is nothing better than taking care of business in private. No need to rush or worry about other people hearing you in action. Great for that lib study break and the guy in the temple hat who always sits next to it. I feel ya buddy.

2. Althouse Basement - What is the first thing you check out in a brand new or renovated building, yep....the bathrooms. While they do offer a private unisex bathroom in the basement, the men's bathroom in the basement is beautiful. In near pristine condition, the bathroom features two stalls that seem nearly untouched. Because of it's location, it is rare that you will be disturbed. The cleanliness and smell is unbeatable and the high tech hand warmer is something out of a sci-fi movie.

3. Stern Basement - Similar to the above entry with some slight changes. Very little traffic flows through the Stern basement so again, you are unlikely to be disturbed. The bathroom is slightly larger than Althouse and almost reminds me of a 4 star hotel lobby bathroom with its dim lights and beautiful floor tile pattern.

Some other notes:

-Avoid Denny Bathroom if you can. Not only is the smell awful, you are bound to walk into one of your professors in there. Trust me, nothing is more awkward than the conversations that happen there

-If you ever need to go in the HUB, always use the basement of the HUB. Always less crowded. Try to avoid taking a deuce during meals there. Always people coming in and out.

-Some would think Rector is nice but I disagree. First of all, every time the handwarmer goes off I get a heart attack for how loud the thing is. Secondly, the automatic flush always goes off even when you are still taking a shit. These things are supposed to save water? How is that possible when the toilet flushes 5 times during 1 shitting. Idiots!

-If you are ever in the Kline, never use the locker rooms. Always go to the bathroom behind the wall climbing area.

-And remember: dropping a deuce should be a relaxing and reliving experience. When you are going, you want to find a peaceful and clean spot to maximize the enjoyment. Nothing is worse than an un-enjoyable shit or having to rush etc. Catch your breath and think, find the right spot, take time out of that boring lecture or to avoid being called on and enjoy.

PS: keeping a magazine or Dickinsonian handy in your backpack never hurts. Having enjoyable reading material for a deuce is always nice.

Also get pumped for Justin Bieber: Never Say Never movie. Trailor is on IMDB. It's gonna be in 3D!

Mindless and Random

It happened last year. There is simply no way to contribute to this blog during school. Any real free time I have I usually waste. Writing requires time and patience, well good writing anyway. Over winter break and when I am jobless, maybe this blog will thrive again. Ok you got me, it never really was thriving but you could check this every week when ESPN, Facebook or Porn got repetitive and maybe find something that was somewhat interesting to read. Anyway just to shake off the rust: here are some of my mindless and random thoughts.

-I love when a great artist comes out with a new and good album. It allows me to not only listen to some new tracks but to simply put that artist in my Itunes search and enjoy their entire catalogue. Spoon's Transference, Arcade Fire's The Suburbs, Jack Johnson's To The Sea and now Kanye West's My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy. The album is good, not pitchfork good but a great addition to his music library. Favorite song right now is "Gorgeous." Awesome beat with some great lyrics and of course a really catchy hook from Kid Cudi.

-Vassar weekend in September easily goes down as a top 3 weekend in my college career. A fantastic frisbee tournament in all aspects. Beautiful weather and fields, great Jive crew, some good competition as well as some fun teams that provided some hilarious and awesome frisbee. A great party that features some fantastic stories and of course we won the tournament in a fantastic come from behind victory against Vassar. This post will come out soon.

-The fall Jive season ended in Princeton where we won with relative ease. There were some good teams here but we were clearly better. CUFF would of been a better test but the weekend in Jersey was awesome and the weather for a mid-November tournament was unbelievable. Jive beat Princeton 13-6 in the final and I am now incredibly stoked for the Spring semester

-There was a second trip to Nationals that was occurred. I thought about blogging about this, I am had a Pre-Nationals thoughts blog written but I never typed it up. Southpaw ended with us reaching the quarterfinals and finishing in 7th place, something that is incredible for a first time open team. It was an awesome accomplishment that I unfortunately did not feel like I contributed too. Regionals and Nationals was spent mostly on the sideline for me watching our team making awesome plays and win some incredible games. While I am so happy for my teammates that carried us to where we got, I couldn't help but feel frustrated at times that I was watching most of this happen. Everyone who played over me did a fantastic job. Special props to Tim Gaulton and Greg Owens who played out of their minds as they anchored our D-line guarding some of the best players in the country. I just wish I got more of a chance to join them on the field to make plays.

As a D-player, it is incredibly hard to get a D at this level. Most of the time, you have done your job if your player doesn't touch the disc. Since I wasn't playing much, I couldn't get into a rhythm was unable to make any plays that would warrant me more playing time. I was the youngest player on the team and I missed my fair share of practices while I was at college. Most people in my situation would be happy just to be a part of this team and see the field once or twice. But after last year, I wanted more. I am extremely confident in my abilities and believed that if I had more playing time, I would of contributed. However, I squandered chances by falling into some bad habits and when it was time to play my best ultimate, I simply didn't. Not getting position and trying to simply jump over my guy, getting turned around a couple time on some deep hucks, not moving my feet fast enough on some marks, a couple fluke plays that didnt go my way and finally getting beat deep in the Doublewide game on my first time seeing the field sealed my fate.

To sum up, I am proud of Southpaw and I loved all the guys on the team. Our 7th place finish is a testament to our talent and work ethic. It was a fantastic season that I just wished I contributed more too. There is no doubt I became a better player over the course of the year and in the end, that is what matters the most.

- With that, have I mentioned that I am so pumped for our Jive team in the spring. While we absolutely need to stay healthy, the team is well constructed to succeed in ways never even thinkable for Dickinson say 5 years ago. Our senior class consists of a core of 4 players that are regional level club players. We will only go as far as those 4 take us. Tracky is one of the best all around players I have ever played with and would be a valuable addition to any college and most club D-lines in the country. Matt has evolved into our best deep option which I would never actually admit if it wasn't true. The kid was always athletically gifted and he has demonstrated that if you are dedicated to playing the sport and are already fast and athletic, you can be an absolute beast and dominate the game at certain levels. While I give Griffles a ton of crap for various aspects of his game, he is invaluable to our team and has proved that he is not only one of our best handlers but also one of our best cutters. If he can stay healthy and really put in the work this spring, he will be the one that will quietly win us games by isolating him against favorable match ups and coming up with some critical D's in various ways.

Again it is hard for me to not sound so positive. I truly believe that we are better than a lot of teams. Spring semester is our chance to prove it. The huge improvements that our Juniors and Sophomores have made must continue into the spring. Timber, Shaman and Moonshine, who I honestly thought during their freshman year that they would never contribute have come a long way. I cannot be more happy to be proven wrong as they have become some of our most steady players on our O-line. It is a testament to their commitment to the team. They never miss a chance to play and are good examples for some of the freshman just starting and feel overwhelmed at times. I still remember when Shaman wrote me a message after Cuff exactly one year ago, wondering if he should just give up after a frustrating tournament where he wasn't getting playing time. What a difference a year and some confidence will give you. But for Jive to win, these 3 must work as hard as anyone to get in better shape for the tougher match ups that will present themselves in the Spring. Hall and Bowman need to first and foremost get and stay healthy. Their role on the team will be crucial for Jive.

The sophomores show promise and continue to improve at a faster rate than I expected. Most of it is just playing more and becoming more comfortable on the field and understanding the flow of the game. Mittens has benefited the most and has shown the most improvement in the grade because he has played the most out of anyone. There are others that can reach their potential but must commit to it. And finally Jive has the deepest and most talented Freshman class ever. If these kids stay with it and commit, Jive will continue to thrive over the next couple of years even with the loss of one of the best classes next year. So much rambling but that's the mood I am in.

-The loss of Hakeen Nicks further puts the magnifying glass on Eli Manning as he must rise to the challenge and get the Giants to the playoffs. His test to prove his elite status and contract are simple: get to the playoffs anyway possible. The loss to the Eagles this Sunday was one of the more painful losses in recent memory.

-I should be working on my proposal for my senior Thesis so rather than continue this later, I'll just fucking post the damn thing. I jsut wasted three hours. This is why the lib needs to be open all night.

Someday, top 4 rap albums

My Ten Favorite Rap Albums (Part 1)

I never actually put this list together but I think it needed to be done. My rap knowledge comes from my brother who taught me everything I know and I thank him for that. I was instantly cooler at school for knowing some serious rap bangers before most kids. I still remember in 4th grade when my brother played me "1st of the Month" and I was hooked. I was soon addicted to Bone Thugs and then moved to the greatest rapper of all time 2pac. While some things caught on later than others, I consider my feel for good rap music better than most people I come across. So I give you my top 10 rap albums. The rule is one per artist to make things more interesting. And while all these albums may seem mainstream, they are classics that contain numerous bangers.

10. Outkast - Aquemini (1998)

Outkast was all over the radio with their 2000 release Stankonia but Aquemini still remains my personal favorite. It contains one of my earliest favorite songs "Slump" which is classic Outkast. The rest of the album is loaded with greatness. The true opening track "Return of the G" sets the tone with that hard bass line. "Rosa Parks" was the first single and maybe the most well known track from the album. The three tracks that really stick out is the slow groove jam "West Savannah," the final single "Da Art of Storytellin' Pt. 1" and the 7 minute classic horn blastin' "SpottieOttieDopalicious." This album is Outkast at their best. And as Big Boi says "You might call us country, but we's only southern."


9. Dr. Dre - The Chronic (1992)

I may be a little young to fully appreciate this album in its entirety but there are a couple tracks that are genre defining. Some call it the birth of gangsta rap and the west coast scene and no doubt it is one of the most influential rap albums of all time. I'll start with "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" which is one of the greatest rap songs of all time. Everyone knows this classic banger and while you may have heard it a million times, its flawless. Snoop and Dre establish a lyrical prowess and sound that is unmatched. Plus the video is legendary. The following track "Deez Nuuuts" is one of my personal favorites and the opening to the song is hilarious. Daz is on point in his verse and maybe the best part of the song is the chorus from Nate Dogg, "I can't be faded, I'm a nigga from the mother fuckin streets." The other legendary banger is the opener "Fuck Wit Dre Day" which is the one of the best album openers and rap diss songs of all time.

8. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (1996)

I may not be the biggest Jay-Z fan out there but there are so many great tracks on this album I can't ignore it. Hard to argue what Jay-Z has accomplished and his newest album The Blueprint 3 is awesome but doesn't quite compare to his debut album. The first single off the album "Dead Presidents" accurately highlights what he brings on every track. My favorite track off the album is probably "Feelin' It" which I can still remember my brother playing on repeat when he would take a shower in the morning before school. (Shit i was like 10 back then!) Incredible song. The album opener "Can't Knock the Hustle" featuring Mary J. Blige is classic 90s rap. My other favorites off the album are the DJ Premier produced "D'evils" and "Friend or Foe." The other bangers off the album are "Brooklyn's Finest with Biggie, "Can I Live" and "22 Two's"

7. Kanye West - Late Registration (2005)

The most recent album on my list and the one that was big during my generation. Just beat out The College Dropout for a place on the list. Late Registration is my favorite Kanye West album and it contains some of my favorite Kanye songs, more of the slower variety. The first three tracks off the album "Heard Em Say" featuring Adam Levine, "Touch the Sky" featuring Lupe and "Gold Digger" featuring Jamie Foxx are incredibly popular and lead off the album in powerful fashion. All three are great songs and I wouldn't even call them my favorites off the album. My favorite hands down is "Hey Mama" which is a touching tribute to Donda West. My other favorite is the grieving plea to doctors about his sick grandmother on "Roses." Both songs display Kanye's raw emotion in his raps and his ability to produce great tracks. He really is one of the best producers of all time. Another great track lost in the album is "Celebration" which is a light-hearted whimsy sounding banger. The album has a range that you don't find on a lot of rap albums out there. "Diamonds From Sierra Leone Remix" featuring Jay-Z is another highlight and another personal favorite. Other bangers include "Crack Music" featuring The Game and "Drive Slow" featuring Paul Wall and GLC. "Drive Slow" features the sample "Wildflowers" by Hank Crawford which was also featured on the 2pac track "Shorty Wanna Be a Thug" so of course it's a great song.

6. NaS - Illmatic (1994)

In many regards, this is the high water mark for the East Coast hip hop scene. Some call it the best rap album ever and you could make a viable defense which would be hard to deny. NaS was another rapper I didn't get into until I was older but he is one of the all time greats and his debut album is his best. Capturing the urban jungle that is Queensbridge, New York, NaS has a lyrical gift and a style that is unprecedented. Recently featured on Rainwater Classics, "N.Y. State of Mind" is one of the greatest rap songs of all time. I could put down any lyric here but everyone knows "I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death." The track is produced by none other than DJ Premier and is a knockout blow to open the album. Illmatic is only ten tracks long but nothing is wasted. The heart of this album lies right in the middle. "The World is Yours" is a more upbeat sounding NaS and one of the best tracks you can bump to on a hot summer day crusin' through Gunswick. NaS is at his best over a light piano in the background. The scratching on the track is top notch and of course "I'm out for presidents to represent me." Next is "Halftime" which is just pure genius from Nasty NaS. He flat out kills it on that track. And then there is Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park.) Amazing poetry from one of the best in the game.

5. Mobb Deep - The Infamous (1995)

Lets stay in Queensbridge and pay homage to one of the greatest rap duos of all time. Prodigy and Havoc give us one of the greatest rap albums of all time and the answer to the question of what my favorite rap song of all time is. An almost impossible question but "Shook Ones Pt. II" is unparalleled, a hood anthem and their signature song. Those 8 notes where Prodigy says "Check it out now" is a rap staple.
The whole album follows a pattern, wrapped in a haunting, dark and sullen tone. It represents the rough, dangerous and often sinister lifestyle of urban NYC with crime and poverty sewn into the streets. The lyrics are resentful and sulky and the beats are chilling featuring spectral sounding melodies. The production and grittiness defined east coast hard core hip hop. Some of the he best examples of this on the album are the opener "The Start of Your Ending (41st Side)" and "Eye for a Eye (Your Beef is Mines.)" Tenacious and vivid narratives, both are classics featuring melodic and embittered lyrics. "I might crack a smile but aint a damn thing funny" Prodigy laments on "Eye for a Eye" defining the kind of world that surrounds him.
The Queensbridge scene is well represented on The Infamous as Nas blesses the previous mentioned track. Members of Wu-Tang, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah are featured on a couple tracks including "Right Back at You" which is another favorite off the album. Big Noyd acts as an honorary member of Mobb Deep as he is featured heavily in all of their work. Q-Tip from Tribe is also involved in more ways then one with this album. A true hip hop classic. Cant end this without mentioning the legendary banger "Survival of the Fittest."

Check Back for the Top 4

Top 5 Weezer Songs on the (Blue Album)

Love them or hate them, Weezer has been around for a long time and are still cranking out good music. With an 8th album coming out this September, one can lose track of what they have accomplished over 16 years. So to rewind the clock, we look back at their 1994 debut and arguably their best album, the Blue Album. We gathered four expert panelists to take the ten tracks off the album and rank their top 5. On such a loaded album, to try and pick five and rank them would prove challenging. But never fear, these four are the best of the best. Each one has listened to each song on this album over 100 hundred times so whatever they say is definitely 100 percent true.

Eddie Small (He writes a lot.)

5. Surf Wax America - I like this one for the same reasons I like “Holiday”: it’s fun and it’s catchy. Also, it’s about surfing, so it reminds me of The Beach Boys. We get a little dose of neurotic Weezer with the repeated lines “I never thought it would come to this/Now I can never go home,” but the carefree lines about surfing are too dominant for those to turn the song into a downer. For more reasons about why I like this one, simply reread the entry for “Holiday.”

4. Holiday - Basically, I just really enjoy listening to this song. If you want me to come up with a more detailed reason for choosing it, I think it shows that even when Weezer was at its dysfunctional anxious prime the band could still write a fun song about having fun. I know that is exactly what a lot of people don’t like about the band now, but there’s no denying this is a great song with a great hook. I would also argue that it’s impossible to hate on anything that rhymes “Kerouac” with “Bivouac.”

3. In The Garage - Even for a nerdy band’s nerdiest album, this song is refreshingly upfront and blatant in its nerdiness. Before the first chorus hits, we’ve already heard references to Dungeons and Dragons, X-Men and KISS, and the later lines about writing and loving stupid lyrics to stupid songs are a nice glimpse into the personal neuroses of Rivers. Overall, this is just a great jam about not being entirely comfortable with how uncool you are but taking solace in the fact that you’ll always have that one spot where it doesn’t matter.

2. Buddy Holly - I’ll go ahead and say that anyone who left this song off of their lists did so in a misguided attempt to seem cool by ignoring the most obvious choice. The thing is, it’s the most obvious choice for good reason. It manages to combines a playfully self-aware reference to Rivers looking like Buddy Holly with the endearingly nerdy sensibility of being too happy to have found a girl willing to be with you to care what anyone else thinks. Also, the video features a young Barry Zuckerkorn. Throw in the fact that it’s catchy as hell, and what more could you ask for?

1. Undone (The Sweater Song) - Not only do the mumbled interludes between the verses make this the most creative song on the album, but they also do a great job expressing what it feels like to be uncomfortable in a social setting, something I would assume Rivers and hardcore Weezer fans are extremely familiar with. It’s painfully evident one of the people in the conversation does not want to be where he is, and the other person just seems to be feigning enthusiasm through a drug induced haze. This culminates very nicely with the “I’ve come undone” line in the chorus. It’s a great example of how a song can be emo but be subtle and thus more realistic about it. Yes I’m unhappy, but I’m not going to screech about killing myself; I’m just going to mutter apathetically around other people until I get over it.


Jeff Feldman

5. In the Garage - The album's nerdiest sing-a-long, and the only possible song that could come on after "Say It Ain't So" and successfully prevent you from going back a track.

4. Buddy Holly - Not much that needs to be said about this one. It's a great tune, but it's the video that ensured it's immortality.

3. No One Else - This oft-forgotten gem, by far the most under-appreciated song on the album, is both incredibly catchy and the first introduction to Cuomo's pretty amusing relationship neurosis. I guess this is what Pinkerton haters wanted that album to sound like, and I can't really blame them. One of the best Weezer songs, period.

2. The World Has Turned and Left Me Here - The first song I really liked on this album. What really sets it apart is just how tremendously huge it is, with chugging guitars and a solid backbeat complementing the overblown mopiness. I can't ever hear those first drumbeats with staying for the whole song.

1. Say It Ain't So - This seems to be pretty much the consensus nowadays, and for good reason. It's certainly aged the best out of any song on the album. The feedback swells leading into the chorus make for some of the best single-second sounds in the history of rock, up there with David Byrne's first shout in "Born Under Punches" and the "ch-ch"s of Radiohead's "Creep".


George Mazzoli: The Blue Album is to me the essence of what the band strives to be. Their later albums may be more complex and sweeping, but it’s tough to beat the simple chords and lyrics that this young group of guys put out midway through the 90s. I could listen to this record all day and be happy, and in the end, that’s really what it comes down to.

5. Surf Wax America - This is a great feel-good track off the album. If I surfed at all, this would remind me of summer. The band does a good job of mixing upbeat, simple guitar with a great breakdown, keeping the track interesting throughout.

4. In The Garage - In The Garage is, in my opinion, one of the more underrated tracks on the Blue Album. Apart from the fact that it made me feel better about being such a loser growing up, the track keeps tight riffs, solos, and goddamn harmonica working together to make a great track.

3. Buddy Holly - Widely considered to one of Weezer’s best, Buddy Holly’s driving pace and self-depreciating lyrics make it a great example of the band’s early 90’s material. Raditude evolves from this song. After all, don’t we always wonder why these homies dissin’ my girl? Why do they gotta front? Questions for the ages.

2. Say It Ain’t So - Classic Weezer. It’s almost impossible not to like this song, and is always a great choice for some drunken sing-along at parties. I’ve covered this in a band, and was one of my favorites to both play and sing. Can’t beat the guitar solo near the end. Amazing.

1. The World Has Turned And Left Me Here - Another I feel is fairly underrated on the album. It’s become one of my favorites of their entire library. The track is little more complex than other tracks on the album, and not a bad indicator of what’s to come in two years on Pinkerton.


Jack Colicchio

5. Surf Wax America - Another awesome summer song. Really catchy and good lyrically like most every song on this album. Rivers is sooo right in this song talking about how once you get settled in to the summer/partying life style it is really hard to go back to living in the real world.

4. Only In Dreams - Maybe slightly too long for my taste (8 minutes), but a truly beautiful, powerful song. Probably my favorite chorus out of any song. Everyone knows the feeling that this song is conveying, that feeling of hopeless romanticism where you know no matter how hard you try you won’t be able to resist someone. And for whatever reason both parties might know it’s stupid, leaving the whole relationship to only be played out in dreams.

3. Holiday - Love it, great summer song, great song about escaping from day to day life and just taking in everything around you. Always makes me feel happy and free….what more can you ask of a song?

2. My Name Is Jonas - “Come sit next to me. Pour yourself some tea. Just like Grandma made, when we couldn’t find some sleep. Things were better then, once but never again.” Love the lyrics to this song, love the emotion, classic Weezer.

1. Undone (The Sweater Song) - Conversation intro sets the tone for a beautifully unraveling song. The song builds from a well kept, clean pop-song to a chaotic masterpiece. Only song I could ever play on guitar, and probably my favorite Weezer song of all time.

First Official Rain Delay leads to Sloppy 8-4 Victory

In the biggest game of the year, Kessler's short sided squad took advantage of some wildness from Rainwater's team and held off for the 8-4 victory. Kessler took Dan Breslauer with the first pick and rounded out the squad with Neil Rames and Jeff Feldman. Rainwater took T Marks, newcomer Ian Hall, Abe Kim and Tom Montor. With high humidity and the threat of storms, Bres dialed up in the first inning and worked out of an early jam to strikeout Monte. Abe followed suit and made quick work of Kessler and Breslauer. In the second, Feldman took the mound and stood tall with another scoreless inning.

The bottom of the second saw Kessler take Monte deep with one out but Rainwater made a running catch robbing Kessler and keeping the score knotted at zero. Kessler got two quick outs in the top while Rainwater pitched the bottom of the third and refused to yield in the scoreless battle. It wouldn't be till the 4th when the skies opened and the runs started to pour in. Ramer made two uncharacteristic errors on two grounders that he couldn't come up with cleanly. One led to a run while some clutch hitting by Marks and Rainwater kept the inning going. With Hall up and runners on 1st and 3rd and a full count, the game was called because of rain to make it the first official rain delay in Wiffle history. After a quick shower, play resumed and Breslauer got out of the jam with a huge strikeout of Rainwater and got Monte for the final out.

Hall pitched the bottom of the 4th and worked around some walks and got Breslauer to line out to Rainwater in left for what was a definite double. Kessler pitched the 5th and also had trouble with control and gave up an RBI to Marks to fall behind 4-0. Signs of trouble for Rainwater's squad began in the 5th when Abe came on and walked 4 consecutive batters, finding it hard to keep his footing with the wet ground. Rainwater came in with the bases loaded and worked a full count to Ramer before making a great play on a comebacker to the mound. He then got Feldman to strikeout on a full count to keep the score 4-1. Feldman got two quick outs on the mound to keep the momentum on his side. The bottom of the sixth saw it come undone. Kessler led off with a single off Monte and then the wetness and wildness took over. Monte struggled with control as the batters were in straight take mode. By the time it was over, the score was tied, all coming off walks. Hall came in and got a big strikeout before walking two more. By the time the second out was gotten, Kessler had taken the lead 6-4. In the top of the 7th, Kessler was showing great control and got two quick outs after Rainwater skied a pop up that Breslauer camped under for the easy out.

The game would be effectively over after Rainwater came in and after getting an out, Kessler turned on an inside fastball, a pitch that Rainwater rarely throws to make it an 8-4 game. Unfazed but angry, Rainwater struck out Breslauer on a hard slider but knew the big hit was going to end up costing him the game. In the top of the 8th, Monte walked and Hall singled to keep some life infused in Rainwater's team. Kim swung at a 3-0 ball and grounded out for a huge out. Marks made a final bid to keep it a game with a deep fly to right that was about to be a 3 run homer until Breslauer made the play of the day and caught the ball of the trees holding on after bobbling the ball. The game was over. Hall pitched a scoreless 8th and after Rainwater led off with a single, Kessler retired Monte and Hall to give him the 8-4 victory.

W: Kessler

L: Monte

HR: Kessler (1)

Rain Delay: 8 minutes

Summer 2010 Lists

Life is all about comparisons. Maybe that's why I love lists so much. People relate almost everything in life to something they are familiar with. Anyway the Summer of 2010 has had its share of ups and downs, but at the end of it, it's Summer. Can you really complain? So i give you my top 10 and bottom 10 in no particular order. (A phrase I rarely use)

Top 10

1. MARS Bangers - Probably my favorite weekend of the Summer. Ke$ha's Killaz was a fantastic group of people and MARS was an awesome tournament. I will definitely be going next year. The drive there and back, seeing a Pirates game on a beautiful night in Pittsburgh, hanging out and drinking with the team, the Piano Bar, The car Cd. We also played some great frisbee and won more games than we lost. I couldn't of asked for a better group of people to spend my 4th of July weekend with.

2. Wiffle Ball - Another highlight of the summer is playing some wiffle ball at night in the CB lot. Always a good time with people to play at night when a lot of time there is nothing else to do. Fun Fact: The tax on a wiffle ball in new jersey is 14 cents. Wiffle, truly the game of kings.

3. Inception - Have not been blown away by a movie in a long time. I have always been a huge Chris Nolan fan and this just might have been his best movie. It is an idea that I have never seen before and cant even begin to explain. If you think too much, it loses something. Just an enjoyable experience throughout. Shout out to Toy Story 3 as well.

4. Back Porch at 347 W. North St. - One of the chillest spots in Carlisle. Great place to hang out and listen to some tunes while drinking with some serious crews. Things were rolled, lists were made and sometimes people just passed out in the coolest room in the house. "Feelin' lit Feelin' light 2 A.M summer night."

5. Arcade Fire and Spoon at MSG - I wrote something about this at some point

6. Wildwood - Yes it was too hot. But after that.......most ridiculous weekend ever. I mean what else would you expect from a weekend at the Jersey Shore. The most serious crews you can find will be found. It's nice to see hundreds of people you know just wandering the beaches and boardwalk.

7. Dewey Beach - Got two beautiful beach days in when I missed my family vacation in Cape May. Lieberman Beach House was all it was cracked up to be. When 90 Minute is on tap, you know you are in the right place. Couple nights of ridiculousness and all you can eat crab legs at the Rusty Rudder.

8. Jack Johnson - The other concert I went too. A perfect night outside of Philadelphia to see Jack for the first time and see him play his new album, which is awesome. Perfect summer music.

9. Harrisburg Summer League - I spent the past few years playing in MCUDL and CUFA. Since I was working at school, I got to spend the summer playing for the Forest team in Harrisburg. We took the number 1 seed and won our semi final game on universe point in ridiculous fashion. Unfortunately, I probably wont make it to finals. Regardless, Summer League is always a good time. Also, the Underdog is a great spot to hit up after games. Especially when Jeff is buying you really expensive Beers.

10. Chesapeake Open - Ok this didn't happen yet but this is probably the most excited I have been for a tournament and that is saying a lot. (There is a blog post idea!) Southpaw is the best team I have played for and we have a shot of doing something big. First test of the year. You only get so many. Check back for the recap.......maybe.

Because life is far from perfect. As it read above the white board in Ms. Havas' room, La vie n'est pas juste.

1. New York Mets - Another summer of irrelevancy from one of the most poorly run and disappointing franchises in sports. They have become the NY Knicks of Baseball. Instead of it just being one bad year, you look to the future and see a bleak picture. The people at the top are oblivious to the problems and the players just don't seem to care. Emphasize the F in effort.

2. Driving Alone - The amount of driving I had to do this summer did wonders for the environment. I love a solid crew when driving and I don't mind driving by myself with some good music but after a while, it gets to you. Route 76, 78, 81: I hate all of you. I have listened to my entire CD collection 100 times so that I have started to hate my favorite music. And god help me when there is traffic. I cant even tell you how many miles I put on my car this summer. It's best not to think about it.
"But I've been driving all night, wondering what to do
cause I've got miles of county lines before I'm through."

3. Blazar Car Cd - Mis-labeled and just flat out dog shit. Sorry buddy but come on!

4. Southpaw Practice - We talking about practice! The lack of tournaments this summer has made me loathe the amount of practice we have. I usually like practice but you want to see results. We went two months this Summer without a tournament. And one of these practices almost made me quit frisbee. Cant we just play already? People keep asking me how we are going to be. I wont have an answer for another two weeks.

5. Dickinson College - I won't go on about this but by far the gayest handling of a situation ever. Could of been avoided but people are stupid and cant keep quiet.....including myself. But at the end of the day......fuck it. I better get some Karma out of this

6. Lack of London - The longer I am away the more I miss it. I would kill for a lamb doner right now. Missed opportunities to see friends back in the states. Missing the kids across the pond.

7. Summer Job - I guess this is unfair to be put on this list. Nobody truly enjoys working....I mean, look at Carlos Beltran. He gets paid 20 million dollars a year to look absolutely miserable when he plays. The job was good, the money was ok and the experience was good but the amount of work was a killer. And the fact that I missed out on my family vacation in Cape May was not cool.

8. Money - Spent too much of it. Nothing much to show for it. Not enough of it. Want more of it. With the frisbee school budget non existent, everything will cost a lot. Have fun being in charge!

9. Summer Workouts - With practice, summer league, work and my penchant for laziness, my workout routine faded as the summer progressed. Good thing I'm taking strength training for a gym credit this fall because I went there once this summer.

10. Reading - Once again I had a list of books to read this summer and once again I failed. You think that if I liked writing, I would read more but no. I am a lazy piece of shit unfortunately.

Ok so I cant end the post on a negative. That would be so un-summer like so here are 5 more things that were either awesome or I am looking forward to.

1. Senior Year - One more year at Dicking Games. Back on the meal plan. Leading Jive to glory. Any doubters??? Come and see me on the field.

2. Rob's 22nd Birthday - This would of made the list if I remembered more of it and didnt pass out like a bitch at midnight in someones car

3. My Fantasy Baseball squad - O man I promised I wouldn't mention this on the blog but my team is finally good after two years of mediocrity.

4. The New York Football Giants - I love this team and I love the NFL. The defense is much improved and we are in the right position to have a very impressive year. Were an after thought to most people, and that's just how I like it. Also: I like how the Jets have one great year and all of a sudden they are New York's team. I am not trying to talk shit but this is just ridiculous. In the end......who the fuck cares. All that matters is getting to the playoffs and as the man Rex Ryan said.....all I care about is wins. And that is something I can agree with. The goal is Super Bowl. Bring on the haters.

5. Just cause it needs repeating....Jive Turkeys! See you at Regionals!

Merge Fest: Arcade Fire and Spoon at the Garden

I'll be honest, I only started getting into Arcade Fire this year. When they were starting to get (big) in 2004 and 2005 with their debut album Funeral, I still probably had no idea they existed. At some point they caught on with me but I still wasn't impressed. It took tickets to their show to get me latched on but once I was gearing up for the show, I was already hooked. Their new album The Suburbs leaked and I really liked what I heard. So August 5th came and I finally got my chance to see the indie darlings on one of the biggest stages: Madison Square Garden. Oh and some band named Spoon was opening for them. Deeeecent.

I got to the city around 5pm and waited to meet General Ducks Mazzoli who had recently returned from the battlefield with a broken shoulder blade (what the fuck.) Despite the injury, Ducks was just as pumped as I was for what was going to be a legendary show. We had dinner at one of New York City's finest eating establishments, Chipotle, although Ducks was unsatisfied with his burrito from the god like amount of rice that was thrown into the thing.

After being sent off by Pavement fanatic Jeff Feldman, Ducks and I hit up a bar for a few drinks before the show. We finally met up with Eddie Small and his friend Jim who were also attending the show but were too cool to meet up with us for dinner and drinks. (Actually Eddie got lost, what an idiot.) Ducks and I found our seats fairly easy and while we weren't in the pit up front, we were still on the ground floor with some great seats that were only 50 bucks. (Well worth it for an Arcade Fire and Spoon show.) Some Canadian named Owen Pallett opened at 8 as we were walking in. He wasn't terrible but I wont be downloading his music anytime soon.

I would say it was a little after 9 when the Garden got dark for Spoon to come on. So for the record, this would be my sixth time seeing Spoon and the first time they would not be the headline and the first time I was seeing them in a huge venue. They started the show with just lead singer Britt Daniel coming on to do an acoustic performance of "Me and the Bean" followed by the rest of the band coming on to do a cover of The Dammed song, "Love Song." An interesting start to say the least.

Here is the deal with Spoon. I thought they were very good but it just wasn't the same. Spoon is a band meant for a smaller club like venue and when you see them, you want to be near the front to watch Britt Daniel go crazy on stage and just spaze out like a mad man on his guitar while wailing out his lyrics. At the Garden on Thursday, he was very toned down with his performance and the lights were very bland. Now you have to understand that they were not the main performers so a lot of this toned down act is expected. Still, I feel that this is a chance to reach out to people who have never seen the band play and they were kind of boring on stage. For a band as talented as Spoon, it was a bit of a disappointment. Nothing like the other 5 times I had seen them. So just remember, if you are going to see Spoon: smaller venue, get close and enjoy!

And before I forget, while I thought Spoon was still great, the set list was not. First of all, I'm sorry but "The Ghost of You Lingers" is just not a good song. There are so many other legendary Spoon tracks to choose from. And while I may have been disappointed by their new album Transference, to not include "Written in Reverse" and "The Mystery Zone," the two best songs off the album and your lead single is an outrage. I did like the inclusion of the fan favorite "I Turn My Camera On" and "I Summon You" and "They Never Got You" was a nice surprise but again, on that ending guitar part, Britt Daniel kept it very tame instead of going nuts like he usually does.

(For Jeff and Eddie: Remember when the opened with this at Prospect Park: Unbelievable!)

Anyway, while Spoon was good, they were not the reason I was there. It was more like an added bonus to see them opening up for the headline: Arcade Fire!

What should you expect from a band with 9 members filling up a giant venue and playing from a new album that was released 2 days ago? Pure Fucking Insanity would be correct. Arcade Fire hit the ground running and never stopped. They opened the show with the perfectly titled "Ready to Start" from their new album which got the crowd humming. Things really got going with their second song of the show and second song off their breakthrough debut Funeral, the accordion driven banger "Neighborhood #2 (Laika.) The lights blared while everyone joined along screaming the lyrics. Definitely one of my favorite Arcade Fire songs. (By the way, my opinions deviate little from popular opinion. What usually happens when you have just started liking a band.)

They followed with "No Cars Go," a hit from their second album Neon Bible. The thing that stood out on this song was the almost Méliès like image of the two women on the big screen. Very trippy and weird, especially at the end of the song when their faces matched the songs ending of "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." Next was "Haiti" which was another show highlight for me. Régine Chassagne, the wife of lead singer Win Butler, came to the front of the stage to belt out the homage to her home land and the band seemed to put some extra life into this one. She stayed on the mic to lead "Empty Room" which is one of my favorites from the new album. Again, the energy was top notch for this song.

Arcade Fire came back with their new single "The Suburbs" which I really enjoyed although the crowd seemed like they were taking a break. I guess it is kind of a mellow song so I wouldn't expect the crowd to be jumping around. This was followed with "Crown of Love" which I probably enjoyed the least out of the entire show. They went back to their new album with "Rococo" which was funny because as they announced they were going to play this, some guy near us just screamed out "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES." Definitely a highlight from their new album. The next two songs were "Intervention" and "We Used to Wait." The latter saw lead singer Win Butler entering the crowd and trying to balance on the railing. This all seemed to be a set up for their four song medley that would send the crowd into a frenzy and close out their first set in epic fashion.

Win Butler chimed on about the people who ask politely for the people next to them to stop dancing and how those people need to shut the fuck up cause this is a rock concert. Everybody started screaming and red lights drowned the stage with the opening chords of "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out), an absolute show stopper. Except they didn't stop and went straight into my favorite Arcade Fire song "Rebellion (Lies)." These songs back to back was definitely the best part of the show. The place was in complete euphoria the entire time. Can I go back now?

While everyone was catching their breath, Arcade Fire went into the fast paced "Month of May" off their new album which was filled with energy but failed in comparison to the two songs prior. They closed the set with "Keep the Car Running," one of the better songs from their lesser second album Neon Bible.

For the encore they could not have chosen three better songs. They opened with their classic opener "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels), the song that started it all. It was simply fantastic. Another favorite from the concert. Second was "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) which is definitely my favorite from the new album so I was very happy they played it. And although the drum machine faltered, Butler said that the song was too good not to start over. They got it right the second time and while it was great, I pictured this song to be so much better live and it failed to live up to my expectations. To no ones surprise, Arcade Fire thanked the crowd and dived into their most popular and arguably best song "Wake Up." The crowd sang along to every word as the Garden was actually shaking. I cant remember a better ending to any concert. A truly fantastic experience. The walk home from the train station......not so much.

CockDoc Tips For Maximizing Your Grizzly Potential

The following blog post was written by Eric Blazar, former Dickinson Student and Jive Legend. This post is by far the most useful thing you will read on my blog....enjoy!


As a medical student and future physician, we are taught to manage and monitor a patient’s weight and encourage them to maintain a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a statistical comparison of height and weight across a population, to establish a norm (20-24), obese (29+) and underweight values (< 20). As a perpetual spectator and one-time participator in “getting grizzly”, I fully endorse everything that “getting grizzly” represents, no matter how fat Jake Rainwater will become once his freakish metabolism slows down.

Grizzlyness requires the gorging and consumption of considerably unhealthy foods both in substance and in quantity. From a scientific standpoint, “getting grizzly” can become a science rather than an art. First, we’ll start with the physiology of eating. It all begins when that first bit of fried/refried scrumptious morsel reaches your stomach. Your stomach is equipped with stretch receptors that relay information to your brain. The more you eat, the more your stomach stretches and the more rapid your stretch receptors fire to your brain. The main regulator of hunger in the brain is the hypothalamus. With many subsections within it, mainly the ventromedial and the lateral areas of the hypothalamus are responsible for hunger. When the information from the stomach reaches the brain, the brain creates a hormone called lecithin. Lecithin then in turn stimulates the ventromedial hypothalamus stimulating hunger and inhibits the lateral hypothalamus, which is responsible for satiety (fullness). This is about as basic as hunger physiology can be.

It can be infinitely more complex, but now we’ll get to the reason for reading this post, how to maximize your grizzliness in a scientific fashion.

I’m not claiming with this knowledge you will be as grizzly as the legends, but with this knowledge you may be able to at least compete with them and hold their eating jockstrap. For those that are wholeheartedly dedicated to getting grizzly, the simple way to fix your “fullness” problem would be to remove your lateral hypothalamus, which can most effectively be done by beating your head against a brick/ cement wall until you are always hungry (side effects may include major brain injury, inability to think, compute or function as a human-being). For those less dedicated, but still interested in improving on your grizzly state here are some recommendations from the Cockdoc.

1) Don’t fill your stomach with anything that day except water and some juices. Reason: Not eating will make you ultimately hungry (which is great), however, not filling your stomach with anything for as little as 8 hours will shrink and ultimately inhibit your stomach’s ability to stretch. So, consume lots of liquids and little to no food day of and by the time your set to get grizzly, you’ll be eating like a champ.

2) Eat as much as you can, as quickly as you can. Reason: This seems to be a generally well known principle. However, the 20 minutes that you are claimed to have before your brain computes you are full is vastly overestimated as the receptors from your stomach travel a bit quicker than that. Alternatively, for those readers attempting to lose weight, eat slower, you’ll feel full in the same amount of time and have consumed less calories.

3) When getting grizzly, DO NOT drink anything but water, and drink minimal amounts of it. Reason: While liquids will help keep your stomach expanded throughout the day when prepping for a grizzly sesh, consuming beer and coke during is just a rookie mistake. Both beer and coke will dry out your mouth leaving you more thirsty and causing you to waste more time and more stomach space on unmeasurable liquids that will not contribute to your grizzly conquest.

4) Finally, protein LAST. Reason: Proteins are undigested until the last part of the stomach and early small intestine, thus it remains the same sized chewable bites throughout the stomach not allowing it to take the shape of the stomach as well as emulsified fats and carbohydrates.

A. For weight losers: eat lots of protein, you’ll feel fuller faster and longer.

So there you have it, Cockdoc’s tips for getting grizzly. I can’t say that I am very grizzly or ever will be, but the above principles should help you in your quest for always improving on your path to grizzly nirvana.

*the scientific information in this article is still being debated by the greatest minds in our society; thus, things may be true, or may not be true.

CB Wiffle Resumes Play

On a perfect summer night with the moonlight flushed and the wind taking an off night, Dan Breslauer and Tom Monte squared off in a tightly contested game featuring some fantastic play from both teams. Monte selected Jake Rainwater and Tom Marks while Bres chose Jeff Feldman and Andrew Smith.

In the top of the first, Bres worked around a one out walk and retired Monte on a little bloop back to the pitcher. Already in the first inning, Bres was showing great life with his fastball pounding it inside on the hitters. Monte took the mound in the bottom of the first and made quick work of the hitters, striking out Bres and getting Feld on a sharp grounder right at Rain. Feldman took the mound in the top of the second and was greeted rudely by a leadoff double from Rain. Feldman composed himself and got both Tom's out to escape the inning unscathed. Rainwater having fully recovered from the shoulder injury from one year ago, fired bb's at the batters and finished both off with sliders to strike out the side.

Bres pitched the top of the third and found early trouble when he walked the leadoff hitter and gave up a double to Marks making it 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. Seemingly unfazed, Bres reached back and froze Monte with three fastballs and got Rain to chase a dirty cut fastball to strike out the side and keep the score knotted at zero. Marks worked around 2 singles in the bottom of the third, getting Feldman twice on hot shot ground balls that were fielded cleanly for the out. With Feldman on the mound in the top of the fourth, he got both batters to ground out to Breslauer who was showing some superb "glove" work in the field.

The game shifted in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Monte gave up the goods to Bres on a big fly to left field that reached the streets for a solo home run. The inning would continue with a single and a walk bringing up Breslauer again who doubled home another run to make it 2-0. Feldman would follow with an RBI single to make it 3-0. Smith kept it going with a ground ball to Rainwater who made a critical error to allow another run to score. The inning ended with Bres' squad sitting on top 4-0. Rainwater led off and looked to make amends from the error and sat dead read on a Bres fastball and pounded the first pitch he saw to dead center for a solo shot to cut the lead. Bres took his lumps and kept firing, striking out Marks and Monte with some serious heat to keep the score at 4-1.

In the bottom of the 5th, Rain worked around a lead off walk to Smith and got Breslauer and Feldman on two filthy sliders to strikeout the side. Feldman took the mound in the top of the 6th and ran into a hot hitting Rain who led off with another first pitch double. Feldman escaped further trouble when Breslauer made a great catch off a deep fly from Marks just in front of the right field wall. Feld finished the inning by striking out Monte to keep the score at 4-1. Marks pitched the bottom of the 6th and worked around a single and a walk to get out of the inning while demonstrating impeccable control with his over the top lefty fastball. Bres worked the top of the seventh and Rainwater led off with another single to keep his consecutive at bat hitting streak alive at 4. Bres came back and struck out Marks and got Monte on a come backer. Monte took the mound in the bottom of the seventh and found himself in early trouble with a leadoff single and walk. Smith came up and crushed a pitch to deep left that hung in the air long enough for Rainwater to run back and make a spectacular one handed catch to save three runs. Monte then froze Bres on a full count change up that nicked the outside corner.

Feldman would pitch the top of the 8th, holding on to a 4-1 lead. He walked Rain to lead off the inning but followed by getting Marks. With one out and one on, Feldman fell behind the count 3-1 to Monte before the game was called on an unofficial Rain Delay. The game will be picked up tonight at 11pm eastern time.

Both teams vented frustration as the game that was far from over was called early. An especially heated Breslauer wanted to finish what he had started.

"We really had a great rhythm last night. I thought Feld pitched about as well as I've seen him all summer. He definitely justified me picking him with my first slot. Smith was smart as usual at the plate and kept some good banter going on there. Obviously to have it be PPD in the 8th is disheartening but we were plying very confident wiffle."

Bres was on his way to game MVP with a home run, 2 rbi's and 5 k's. He also set himself up for the save situation. "I've been in the right mindset for a good chunk of the summer. Hitting has really been there for me especially to left field and I cam make plays. I was disappointed with the knuckle yesterday but the fastball and location. This game will be, no, must be continued. It was too well played not to be. It'd be an injustice to both squads not to have a resolution."

Rainwater looked extremely dejected after the game and could only offer his Verbal Kint reply...."fucking cops!"

My 10 Grizzly Challenges

For those of you unfortunate enough to have never participated in a Grizzly Challenge, I seriously feel bad for you. You think the World Cup is exciting? You thought Game 7 of the NBA finals was entertainment? Well I have news for you! None of these events compare to the spectacle and competitive nature of a Grizzly Challenge. You will never learn more about yourself when you sit in front of a ridiculous amount of food with the one goal of downing it all. Adam Richman would agree.

This year I have taken on two Grizzly Challenges. The first in London which consisted of a large Lamb Doner and Dixie Chicken Meal 8 (Footage to come soon!) and the second in Bremen at the famous Ismet III Doner Stand. Both were successful victories and huge character building moments for myself. Anyone who has participated in one challenge can say the same for themselves.

While I am still young, healthy and in the prime of my eating career, here are ten challenges that I hope to complete before my first heart attack.

And if you have not seen Grizzly Nation: get on that!

1. The Ben Morales Special: 10 Mcdonalds hamburgers/cheeseburgers

When Ben was challenged, he only had 30 minutes to accomplish this brave feat. And he did it outside on the street in front of over 15 screaming fans. This is a true test of endurance as I hear the first 4 to 5 burgers go down without any pain. By the time you begin unwrapping that 8th one, you begin to think that Super Size Me might have been on to something.
Degree of Difficulty: High

2. Fudds or Dudds: 1 Pound Chili Cheese Burger with fries from Fudruckers

I have only conquered the 1 pound burger before and it was a slow and painful process. Throw in the chili cheese and fries and you have something worth talking about. Some strategies include the "John Rametta" which is cutting the burger into quadrants and using precision chewing to take down your food.
Degree of Difficulty: Moderate

3. White Rose System: 3 Breakfast sandwiches from White Rose

Ok so I have actually managed this one during my senior year of high school. While White Rose may be known for those delicious Cali Burgers, one can never underestimate the amazingness of their breakfast sandwiches. My go-to has to be the Bacon Egg and Cheese. The scene was Rob's basement and after pounding through the first two, I could feel my chest caving in as it became nearly impossible to breath. Needless to say, I got all 3 down in about twenty minutes while only shaving off a few years of my life. Hey, I'll take it!
Degree of Difficulty: Moderate

4. The Tandem: 5 Guys Burger and Fries and a Chipotle Burrito

Serious eaters like myself might have noticed that these two restaurants can usually be found in the same complex. The reason: because they are both fucking delicious. To do this, you have to finish one of the items at that restaurant then move on to the next eating establishment and finish off the challenge. I'm sure the walk would be good. The perfect combination one could say.
Degree of Difficulty: High

5. Morning Glory: 5 McGriddles Sandwiches

When McDonalds introduced this sandwich, one might have been skeptical. But come on, who doesn't remember their first McGriddle. In theory you have the perfect breakfast sandwich, now you just have to eat 5 of them. I once had 2 of these plus a breakfast bagel sandwich and I swear that I felt nothing. 5 of these should be no problem (famous last words?)
Degree of Difficulty: Moderate

6. Value Challenge: Take down the Wendy's Super Value Menu

Remember when everything on these menus used to be 1 dollar. Yea neither do I but that's the world we live in. For this, a smorgasbord of cheap Wendy's items or really on any fast food value menu would do. For this one, you would need:
-5 Piece Nuggets
-Crispy Chicken Sandwich
-Double Stack
-Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger
-Value Fries
-One Go Wrap
-Chili
-Value Soda (Yea Refills)

It's funny. This might be one of the more expensive challenges on the list. I'll spare you the Mandarin Oranges
Degree of Difficulty: Moderate

7. These Hallowed Grounds: 3 Grease Truck Sandwiches

I have been able to take down 2 once. But to ingest a third would be the true kicker. Yes we saw Man vs. Food legend Adam Richmond take down 4 and a half in an impressive 45 minutes but we all saw his mistake. His veggie fat cat at the end would doom anyone. I have heard of people talk about doing three, and while this is very possible, this challenge might have the highest probability of immediate death. They need to do something about those awful fries
Degree of Difficulty: High

8. Seafood Special: 3 Fish sandwiches from the 3 giants of Fast Food

This is hard for a couple of reasons. First, you need to locate a Mcdonalds, Wendy's and Burger King in a general vicinity of each other which is tough. Wait nevermind, this is America. Drive for like 5 minutes and you should be good. And while you might have to only eat 3 sandwiches, they might be 3 of the last things you would order at these places. You have the BK Big Fish, the Premium Fish Fillet Sandwich and the classic Filet-O-Fish. Mmmmmm delicious. Ok now this is a fun game: Match the description of each sandwich to its restaurant. Ready....GO!

Hand-cut fillets of North Pacific cod in a crisp Panko crumb breading, served with crisp lettuce and creamy tartar sauce on a warm bun. Now that's a great-tasting catch!

Dive right in. Don’t hesitate, cuz it’s made with light, flaky filet of white fish from the deep, cold waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Bering, Baltic and North Seas. Topped with tangy tartar sauce in a lightly steamed bun. Down you go!

Crisp, golden breaded 4.3-ounce filet, tangy tartar sauce, and fresh lettuce all served on a corn-dusted bun. This sandwich commands attention, and delivers satisfaction. Who are you to resist?
Answers at the bottom.
Degree of Difficulty: Easy/Impossible

9. Thinking Outside the Bun: The Taco's at the Bell

The original Gettin' Grizzly spot. To be honest, there are a million challenges that you could do at this legendary eating establishment but I will leave you with one: The Taco Medley. This consists of downing 5 Tacos (sooooo easy)............in 5 minutes. You have the Crunchy Taco, Soft Taco, Taco Supreme, Soft Taco Supreme and the kicker...the rare Crispy Potato Soft Taco.
Degree of Difficulty: Moderate (Had to put some speed challenges in here.)

10. The Final Domino: Conquer the 5-5-5 deal.

One of the greatest deals ever: 3 medium pizza's with one topping for 5 dollars each from Domino's. If you can take down one of these, you can think about taking on some of these challenges. Anyone who can do the impossible and eat all 3 is a true legend in my book. You think it cant be done? You are probably right.
Degree of Difficulty: High

Good Eats!!!






Answer to disgusting fish challenge

1. Wendy's
2. McDonalds
3. BK

Finer Feelings on London

So this is where I tell you that studying abroad has changed my life and it was the greatest experience ever. This is where I tell you that studying abroad has made me a new person, more mature, cultured and open minded to the world. This is where I tell you that I had the most amazing time ever and I can’t imagine having to go back to America. This is where I tell you that I have been to the most amazing places and that I have made the best friends a person could have. Of course right? Well let me start with an emphatic no and then let me finish with a bittersweet and resounding yes.

Looking back at all of it, what did I get out of this experience? Then I realized that that is a trivial question. Someone might ask me “What did studying abroad mean to you?” It’s a hackneyed interrogation, another practice essay question for a college application. I don’t really have an answer to that and to try to quip back with one, it just wouldn’t be true.

Wait…this is starting to sound negative. So let me change that. While there is so much I miss about being “home,” the decision to study abroad in London was one of the best decisions of my life. A few weeks in summer wouldn’t be enough. It is something that I recommend to everyone. If you are unsure about it, that means you should. And a semester is the perfect amount of time. A year is too long; I love Dickinson too much. But no matter what, everyone must get away from Carlisle for a time. Studying abroad has just made me that much more excited to come back to Dickinson for my senior year.

Regrets are a nasty thing and I unfortunately have too many of them. But thank god that I came to London for a semester. And yes there are far too many things I didn’t do but who cares? That’s not important. So maybe I didn’t make it to all the amazing places that London offers, I had some of best and most unique months of my life. And the friends that I made, the people I met was ultimately the best part of studying abroad. I miss you all!

So where do I begin…or rather where do I end? Without sounding too sentimental here is my abbreviated rundown.

I went to Glasgow to play in the Indoor Nationals Tournament with Dickinson buddy Matt Hartwig and his university St. Andrews. Met some great people and made quite the impression. Note: Don’t play Kings with just a bottle of liquor. I moved to Paris, shot some heroin and fucked with the stars. Ok so I didn’t move there but I visited the City of Light, watched seasons 1 through 5 of the Wire (again) and listened to a lot of MGMT. I saw three great concerts in a city that offers millions. Got grizzly on Dixie Chicken and Lamb Doner enough times to feed all of East London. Played in a beer pong tournament in Rome then wandered around in some random park in the pouring rain only to return to our hostel where a mysterious bakery sometimes existed. I played in a Frisbee tournament with only 6 people and won more games than lost.

I smashed glasses while listening to live cover bands in American filled bars. I turned 21, created a beer pong tournament then proceeded to lose in the first round to the last place team. I barely went to my Tuesday morning lecture because my school sponsored alcoholism every Monday night. I played Frisbee on the beaches of Rimini, Italy while partaking in the occasional Jagerbomb. Went to the ummm Beer Festival in Munich…climbed to Neuschwanstein in the rain. I ran up a down escalator only to puke and return to the New Globe. I ate Lamb Doner…..again. I went to Amsterdam on 420. Was stranded by a Volcano and got pick pocketed in Prague. I returned to Germany to brush up on my Nazi history in Berlin while averaging 3 Lamb Doner’s a day.

I returned to the net as a goalie for my uni soccer team. Went to Chipotle 4 times in its brand new international location in the heart of London. Saw Churchill’s War room and the Abbey all atop an eye. Windsor and the Tower while crusing down the Thames. Ate too many Brick Lane bagels and not enough lunch specials at the BBQ Base. Swore off Dixie then pledged my allegiance the following day. Day drinking and night bowling. I consumed whole animals and stole gigantic mugs. I got my mix tour on and slept in a tent without a sleeping bag. There was Knipp and Schnitzel. I saw Brazil v. Ireland at the Emirates. I ate the occasional bangers and mash and if I was lucky enough, the full English breakfast. I went to class (sometimes.) I went to a club that had shots for under 1 pound. I got lost in Cockfosters at 3:30am. I still haven’t lost a best of 7 and the Dream Team left London with a ridiculously high winning percentage.


And of course: the shout outs!

To flat 46: I know some of you may hate me and yes I am partly responsible for making the kitchen inhabitable, but we were by far the coolest kids and had the most ridiculous nights in that place.

The original bro: Pauly D aka Paul Wall. Hotel roommate and seeker of Dixie. Still remember coming home from Germany and spotting you in Dixie sober. Why cant we all be so lucky

The Bryant Duo: Lieutenant Dengel and Chill 5. Two true legends from the RI. Always down for anything. Too much to say, but lets keep this PG. Pretty much amazing!!

Low Cost: How much money did I fucking spend there

He is not from Arcadia: Marky Mark Avery Battles. Not only found the BBQ Base but soccer allstar and potential Frisbee stud, (You should of came.) Still remember that night where we went to Dixie and played a best of 7. Bad news bears

J Weez Jibbles J Sauce: Original Hotel Bro and classmate in the greatest module ever: Age of James I. While the wall climbing might of sucked, the golden fryer was always a good time. One of the few to understand the Doner culture.

Adam “the Rager” Rogers: Two legendary trips to Rome and Prague. Still unhappy that you did not partake in the Grizzly Challenge. You too Paul! The original Kid Cudi legend.

Brian Bri Guy McGoo BK Anderson: Had some of the best nicknames ever and I have not met a bigger Twins fan in my life. Unfortunately they still suck. Legend of the Underground London Baseball league. Also a big fan of the Base.

Nick Kipley: Actually the biggest legend in London. Everyone would agree. Also opened the doors in the flat which was awesome.

Daniel “Schlieffen plan” Schuf: Shared the same love I had with Von Hodenburg. Also down for anything…. especially getting drunk off cider. Went to the Ted Show and played on Bloody Mary, even if you didn’t make it on the second day. Too much sushi and amber jack

Golden Fryer: I will return

To all the American girls: I think some of our best memories might of came at Drapers…..and I mean might. Some of the highlights include two legendary games of twister in flat 46. Lauren’s birthday which was a ridiculous night. My birthday which I don’t think was as ridiculous but Jennie and I did lose in the first round of my tournament. Also big ups to Jennie for competing and finishing in the Grizzly Challenge. Hillary for putting up with me in Rome. (Where is my movie?) Robin and Tasha always playing horrible music in Robin’s room. (Not enough Ke$ha!) Paige and Blair’s flat was always a good time (especially when there are weird 19 year old London bros trying to hit on Blair.) My arch nemesis Jill in pong. I still cant believe we never played on the same team. Would have been domination. The legend of Paris herself: Liza! Honorary flat mate Kristen, (I’m sorry if I had to pay that book fine but the QM library is lying. They suck!

Then the British Bros: Cant say enough great things about Ash, Mike, Sam and Jack. Some of the funniest people I have ever met. True legends of the Uni life and I wish you would all come and study abroad at Dickinson College in America. You would tear this place up. I expect your pong game to surpass me by the next time I see you. Don’t let Dixie get the best of you.

And of course the Dream Team. I don’t know what I would of done in London without you. Best flatmates ever (Yes Libby you kinda lived in 46.) You honestly have no idea how much I want to visit you guys in Chicago but there will be a next time. I just wish it were sooner. Miss you guys so much. The taste of chocolate and cheese toasties still lingers sweet in my mouth. The taste of cider and that awful grape juice has me cringing months after I finally didn’t have to drink it anymore.


London City we love you, that's who made it for!!!! I will be back.