London Poetry(Election) Night

I came a rookie but left a champ
Dreams fulfilled and passport stamped
Educated to the fullest by you all
So here's my shout out before the Fall
To my British girls Libby and Jo
I'll miss you more than you know
The English gents, Mike, Sam, Jack and Ash
Hilarious and awesome, Football legends and seekers of gash
So before I go and sink my last cup
I swear this whole trip, I couldn't make up
So I dedicate to you all, my poem
To always remind you that London, my second home.
-Jake


Ode to Dream Team by Joanna Wakeling

Balls flying willy nilly
Everyone shouting, screaming silly
Elizabeth Griffin, another shot
Rainwater Jake, getting hot

Pooley House flat four six
Only the best for pre drinks
Now were hooked on this game
Go America! You've brought us fame
-J Wakeling
6.5.10


I love Coldplay
I love Muse
I love Aqua
I love Britney Spears
I love the Beatles
I love Sum 41
I love frankmusik
Fuck you! I'm a classical musician

I can't write poems - seriously
Poetry never came naturally to me
But I think you know what I'm about to say
For ruining my life with pong. You'll pay
You get us chocolate then scorned us for it
Yelled when we had the ball "that you'll hit!"
But seriously, I hate you have to leave
I mean it - I am truly peeved
So when you're flying back
Good memories, I hope you wont lack
We've loved you so
We know that it shows.
P.S. Paul is playing country music, It's shit.
-Libby

Haiku's by Randoms

Hold balls, Down the line
Heating up and rack that shit
Bring it BACK. That's GAME!


I love playing pong
It makes me very happy
In truth I love men


I am a nobed
Handlebar mustache gay lord
My name is Michael


Mile End Station
A central line train arrives
Disembark. You're home


I love British girls
They are super fun and great
Probs better at pong (better shag too)


Ponging symbiotically
A collaborative collective
Hill dog wears a turtle neck
I like Beck
There is some Strongbow and some and some Kronenbourg
Done! I like men as well
It's swell
-Jennie


Minutes of late night hallway conversation

Sarah Palin is Chris' gurl
Jennie does want to vote for Obama
McCain is retarded
Palin is the bane of Jennie's existence
He lost because of Barack Obama
Chris just giggled like a girl
Jake said "she hates me."
Corey would that fucking whore
You don't know what you're talking about
I just don't like God
And Chris hates politics, to which Jake agrees
Ronnie was the one
It's the decent thing to do
Fucking bullshit
Democrat Democrat Democrat
-Jo Wakeling

Opening Series Thoughts

I missed opening day but it seemed that it was everything a Met fan could hope for. I did watch all of the next two games, both losses and came to a few conclusions.

I had high hopes for John Maine this season, hearing that he was finally healthy from arm injuries that derailed him in 2008 and especially 2009. His first start of the season had red flags all over it. Everything about it echos what myself and many other Met fans said throughout the entire off season. Can this team really compete with the staff we have behind Johan Santana. John Maine was mediocre on Wednesday, most concerning was his seemingly lack of confidence in his fastball which was barely touching 90 mph. When Maine was pitching well in 2007, his fastball had a lot of life and was usually around 94 mph. Now i know it was the first start of the season but Maine has never relied on his secondary pitches to pitch well. His bread and butter has been his fastball and it failed him on Wednesday. His change up lacked the control and command needed to be successful and once again, Maine had trouble missing bats. He gave up far too many hits and once again ran up a high pitch count that only saw him throw five innings.

The funny thing about this Mets staff is that there is no 2nd 3rd 4th or 5th starter. THAT'S A PROBLEM. It speaks to the lack of skill and pedigree these guys have. Not one guy, Maine, Niese, Pelfrey or Perez sticks out ahead of the others and this wouldn't be a problem so much if these guys were good. The struggles they showed in 2009 and so far in spring training is a cause for concern. Bottom line, you need your starter to go at least 6 innings. 5 innings of mediocre pitching will not win the Mets many ballgames with the lineup this team has right now.

Again not to overreact after 3 games but nothing has surprised me about this opening series. Our horrible record in rubber match games in 2009 carried over to Thursday night where a lethargic looking Mets team showed little fight in losing to the Marlins 3-1. The offense which was pitiful last night managed only 6 hits, one being for extra bases. While there are key guys missing, certainly more needs to be done against Nate Robertson. It was unfortunate to have to waste a respectable and solid start from Jon Neise who looked pretty impressive for 6 innings. The run in the first could of easily not happened either of the two sharp grounders been played by either Tatis or Wright. I though Niese had great location for most of the night, mixing each side of the plate. The times he got hit was when he left his fastball down the middle, which got hit around the park. Unlike Maine though, Niese kept the ball in the park. As the season goes forth, I see Niese being a solid number 4 or 5 starter for this team.

I'm not overly concerned though. The Mets' most dynamic player Jose Reyes comes back on Saturday which completely changes everything about this team. While Wright is the better hitter, I think Reyes is the most important player in this offense. His prescene at the top of the order, his speed and the pop of his bat is so important in setting the table for this offense. So while the offense against the Marlins didn't really come to life, it will get its heart beat back this Saturday. Looking forward to seeing Reyes back on the field, certainly a game changer that all Met fans will remember immediately

Flexing Your Points

Ok so I am not at Dickinson right now. But I do know how to get a good meal when the caf is serving dog shit or worse...honey dipped fetus. Let's be honest, it cant be chicken caeser pita every night or hot shave roast beef with potato chowder so you need to improvise. And we are still waiting for the day when Miseno's will accept Dickinson ID's so we dont have to spend our valuable Natty money there. So if you cant bring yourself to go to the caf when your entree choices are Thai Chicken Sticks w/Mango Chili BBQ Sauce or Baked White Vegetable Lasagna....try these three grizzly meals. While they may cost you a lot of flex points, its not like you ever run out of them (unless you are a Snar Legend like Tyler Gagnon.)

1. The Rainwater Special - A Spicy Roll (6.75) and Student Meal Deal of 2 White Slices and a Coke (4.00) at the Quarry.

Who would of thought that the combination of pizza and sushi could be so fucking good. Yes there is nothing better then waking up at 2pm after a night of 21 cup and wall punching then stumbling to the Quarry after you have already slept through your 1:30 class. While I hated on Durden for bringing sushi to campus, I must say it was one of the best decisions that has been made at my time at Dickinson. I have tried all the sushi and the spicy roll is definitely the best. And if you are getting pizza from the quarry, it better be white. Also make sure to get that meal deal. I have seen too many rookies get two slices and forget to get the drink. What is this amateur hour? I swear I have seen upper class-men pull this rookie move. And of course...always remember to ask for extra soy sauce. The Quarry workers will be happy to give you more.

Bonus Quarry Tip: Never order a large coffee. Order the small and just take a larger cup when you make your coffee. You will never get caught, even if the place is empty.
Also if you are in a rush to get to class and the line is out the door with people ordering specialty shit drinks, just walk to the cups, make your coffee and leave. There is a little more risk with just taking the coffee and leaving but it has never failed for me. Just remember, only do this when it is really crowded.


2. The Grizzly Snar Special - Chicken Parm (4.75) Turkey Club (4.50) and French Fries (0.90)
NOTE: Chicken Pita Melt (Vagina Melt 3.50) can be substituted for the Chicken Parm.

It brought a smile to my face when I heard they brought back the club sandwiches to the Snar. One of the most underrated meals at Dickinson. Not only declicous but healthy. A little on the pricey side but when you are this hungry who the fuck cares. While you might get a better Parm from Miseno's, the ones from the Snar are surprisingly very good. If you are not a Chicken Parm fan, you cant go wrong with a Vagina Melt. Nate Grefe taught me this after it was realized that 90 percent of the females that go to the Snar will order this menu item. I swear, next time you go just pay attention. Before I graduate, I promised that I would order it by its correct name (I just need to make sure that a male is operating the grill. But how funny would it be if I said "can I get a vagina melt" and he just started making me a chicken pita melt. ) Anyway, this is one of the most filling meals you can get at Dickinson.

Snar Tip: It is a lot harder to steal from the Snar than the Quarry. You might think you can get away with an egg on that sandwich or bacon and not tell the lady but you have a good chance to get caught and that shit is embarrassing. The easiest snag is the water when you first enter.

And while they like to be stingy on drinks, if you are thirsty, make sure to get your drink first and just down it while you are in line ordering. You can keep refilling it while you are there.


3. The Nate Grefe Devil's Den Theft Special - Pack of Red Bulls (Free), Snacks (How ballsy are you)

While this isn't really a meal, it still is very valuable. By far the easiest place to steal food on campus is the Devil's Den. Especially when there is only one worker and it is someone you know (Kali) If you are gonna steal the pack of red bulls, you will need a backpack. Single's can be stuck into pockets. While I may pride myself on my skills, there is no one better than Nate Grefe at stealing red bulls. He once came back with 3 packs of red bulls. That would cost over 20 dollars but it was free. That was like me once stealing 13 cokes from Grab n Go when they still had cans. Or the one time, Jack, Nate and I stole 29 coke cans from Grab n Go with a serious team effort.

The Devil's Den is great for that break during your 3 hour class or late night essay breaks. Suggested snacks include bag of popcorn, sun chips and fruit snacks.

Enjoy!

Side note (I do not endorse stealing, that shit is wrong. But when you are hungry and trying to get grizzly....anything goes. And as long as you are stealing from Dickinson and not someone else, its cool. I mean come on, I am paying over 50 thousand to go there, im not paying the 2.20 for a red bull...fuck that)

Music Review - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists: The Brutalist Bricks

Since their second album The Tyranny of Distance (2001), Ted Leo & The Pharmacists have been playing guitar driven politically motivated lyrical pop sounding jams. Throughout the decade, they have reached musical highs with their 2003 effort Hearts of Oak and one of my personal favorite albums Shake The Sheets (2004). It was songs like "Me & Mia," "Counting Down the Hours," The High Party" and "Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone," that pulsate the ears and immediately attract the listener to Leo's riveting guitar work and songwriting prowess.

At some point, Leo cranked everything out of proportion with the unbalanced and drawn out clunk sounding Living With The Living (2007). Besides a couple songs, Leo seemed to jam pack a million things into one album that is far too long and muddled together with pretentiousness and verbose lyrics. The album closer "C.I.A" is the only true redeeming quality from this lackluster effort.

A new decade might have brought Ted Leo & The Pharmacists most complete and well rounded work. The Brutalist Bricks, released on March 9 puts it all together and is a continuation of what Leo does best. It is sharp sounding pop numbers with a splice of punk from start to finish with Leo delivering on almost every track with some of his best lyrics. Leo strums his signature guitar sound on each track with blistering fury. The opening track "The Mighty Sparrow" lets the listener know whats in store with Leo bursting forth "When the café doors exploded, I reacted to, reacted to you." It is a return of what Leo does best. He is able to bring forth a sense of passion and frenzy while his lyrics remain poignant and evocative.

The albums first half is fast paced that present classic sounding Leo tracks like "Mourning in America and the albums first single "Even Heroes Have to Die." There are the best examples of what Ted Leo, Jersey pride and all, is about. Catchy sounding melodies and bouncy guitars.

It is the middle of the album that Ted Leo takes his music to the next level. The stretch of songs "Bottled in Cork," Woke Up Near Chelsea" and "One Polaroid a Day" are the bread and butter of the album and it presents some of Ted Leo & The Pharmacists finest work. "Bottled in Cork" will immediately become a favorite with Leo repeating the melodious chorus "Tell the bartender I think I'm falling in love."

"One Polaroid a Day" presents a rare gruff sounding Leo substituting his usual falsetto, on a bass driven banger about the fleeting highlights of someones life "But in the time it takes to turn the cameras on, you can keep on clicking but the moments gone." He executes this change of pace flawlessly.

The five songs that conclude Brutalist Bricks are above average sounding works from an accomplished and mature songwriter. The two that really stick out are "Bartolomeo And The Buzzing Of Bees" and the album closer "Last Days."

While I feel this falls just short of Shake The Sheets, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists return to prominence with their most well balanced and musically diverse album. There is a heart and soul in Brutalist Bricks that was absent from his previous album Living With The Living. Leo brings a focus and new energy in delivering his usual pop/rock numbers that he first introduced in 2001. A new decade and an invigorated Ted Leo is just what I needed.

Overall Rating: 3/4

Sunday March 7th

Best day of the year by far. HP Allstarz draft and the Oscars in one day. My picks for the pool are

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker
Best Director: James Cameron
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz
Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique
Animated Feature: Up
Foreign Language Film: A Prophet
Original Screenplay: Hurt Locker
Adapted Screenplay: Up in the Air
Score: Up
Song: Crazy Heart
Cinematography: The Hurt Locker
Documentary: The Cove
Art Direction: Avatar
Film Editing: The Hurt Locker

Taking some gambles but this show should be exciting. The acting races are more or less set which means seeing one upset would be pretty cool. The real decision comes in the Best Picture and Best Director race which has not been this close in a while. Avatar vs. The Hurt Locker make these awards worth watching.

Changing subjects to baseball... (I actually once talked about the Mets here)

I know it's just one game in a Spring Training game but Mets pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia looked impressive in his first appearance of the year. His stuff was electric and showed that he has a chance to make the opening day roster. The final slider he threw to strikeout Cameron Maybin was downright nasty, 95mph on the black. We might have something here. But like I said, it was one spring training appearance in early March.

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100305&content_id=8694714&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym