Basement Fridge

Presidential Election Prediction from a Guy with No Party

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 19:37:00 -0400

Jaded about the constant politics of politics? Yeah, well me too. I want to like Barack Obama and the Democratic party because I’m a college student, and that’s what we’re supposed to do right? Support the Democratic initiative, raise taxes on the wealthy, yada yada yada. And you can’t not swing left here in New England, the liberal’s stomping grounds.

But my political history is one filled with lots of gray, and not a whole lot of black and white. Now, I’m a middle-class, Caucasian, Catholic guy who was raised in what people might define as a suburban household. The first time I was asked if I was a Democrat or a Republican was in my Catholic elementary school during the 2000 Presidential Election. Funnily enough it was a nun who asked a few of my friends and me. I never before thought what I was, only what I was raised as: a Republican. So I answered the nun, and wasn’t received the way I had thought. She said she was a Democrat and I remember feeling slightly shocked and confused.

Growing up the way I did, through no fault of anyone in particular, I just assumed that the only people who were Democrats were gay, proponents of abortion, or really poor. Anyone who goes around making that assumption as an educated adult gets chastised for their ignorance, but hey…I was 8. It never struck me as odd that the Catholic Church was a vocal supporter of the poor, but not of homosexuals or abortions. Maybe my tiny mind just couldn’t process that much. But when the nun asked me why I was Republican, I thought of those three issues.

“Because of abortion,” I said innocently like a child who answers a question and doesn’t know if what he said is right. I almost expected her to say, “That’s correct, Gregory John. I was testing you,” because of everything I had learned in religion class and our Fully Alive books. But she didn’t. She processed my response and said, very un-Catholic nun-like, that abortion was just one of the issues to consider when choosing a political party. I actually remember thinking, “Is this a rebel nun or something?” It was, and sadly still is, the most moving political discussion I’ve ever been a part of.

Today, the 2012 Presidential Election is nipping at our heels, and although it may not be as close as the 2000 Election, it’s still going to be a doozy for those who really care about its outcome. Unfortunately for my Republican parents and Democratic classmates, I don’t.

I’m not going to vote in this election, not because I don’t think my vote will matter, but because I don’t feel strongly for either one of these candidates to lead the country. It’s often said that 25% of the country will vote Democrat regardless of who’s running and another 25% will vote Republican regardless of who’s running, leaving a 50% population who would sway one way or the other depending on a bevy of reasons that have little or nothing to do with the intrinsic values of the respective parties. Some of this 50%, for example, will vote solely on the color of the President’s skin during this election (white supremacists and black supremacists alike). Some others will wait for the debates and chose based on who “wins” in their mind or the media’s mind. Some still will simply go with their gut and vote for the man they believe will better this country during the next four years.

And although I won’t be voting in this election, I think I know who will win. We live in a country that prefers stability over variability and assurance over risk. I don’t think as a country that we have the balls to pick a newcomer over an incumbent president anymore. Therefore, pending any royal fuck-ups, President Obama will be reelected for a second term.

As seen on Fancy

Sun, 26 Aug 2012 14:30:04 -0400

As seen on Fancy

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Sun, 26 Aug 2012 14:27:05 -0400

Over the Party Rock?

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:45:56 -0400

For a while, it was pretty fun. It was nice to jump into a situation where no one knew me, where my inhibitions had been extinguished by alcohol, and where I could do most everything pretty anonymously. I ended up with some cool stories, and had a couple pretty memorable experiences. But after a while, my opinion about it all started to change, beginning the internal dialogue that I’m going to outline here.

Since I wasn’t much a partier in high school, I didn’t have any experience with it going into college, so it was naturally an environment that I didn’t feel very comfortable in. I do think that it’s almost incumbent upon a person to feel comfortable in any given environment before he/she can accurately assess it, but there’s also something to be said for never really feeling comfortable in an environment. Partying was something that from the start, I had issues with, but early on I could ignore those issues and have a reasonably good time. But the more and more I went out, the more I started stepping back and looking at each component of the night, and ultimately, the more and more pathetic it all seemed to me.

If you say you’re going out, generally, it really means this: “I’m going to get very drunk and look for someone to have sex with.” There’s definitely nothing intrinsically wrong with that, as having sex is a natural impulse that people definitely feel a need to fulfill on a day-to-day basis. But because of various religious, societal, and parental attitudes, as well as a general self-induced fear of the unknown, when you haven’t had sex, it becomes almost a crime to think about, much less actually do. It is built into people to feel shame about thinking about/having sex when they’re young. Thus, the only way people will have sex at this point is as anonymously as possible. This means limiting eye contact, looking away when the lights turn on, undressing only when it’s totally dark, and leaving as soon as the act is through. The next day, it’s often the case that one or both parties feels bad about what happened the night before, as well as probably hung over.

And yet, the next weekend will probably go the same exact way. Same drinking, same dancing, same desire for anonymity, same dark removal of clothing, same sex, same feeling of shame afterwards.

It is a microcosm of humans’ desire for sense pleasures. These pleasures are characterized by a brief sensation of happiness followed by a longer period of either sadness that the pleasure is over or regret that it happened in the first place. The interesting thing, too, is that if you ask the best writer in the world whether he gets more joy out of his writing or out of casual sex, he will absolutely say his writing. If you ask the best horse rider in the world whether she’d give up her horse riding life for random sex every weekend, she’d absolutely say no. The things that we dedicate ourselves to, the things that give us sustained pleasure for potentially our whole lives, these are the things that we truly enjoy. But since we only live in the present, and since certain things that are put in front of us in the present seem so immediately attractive, it’s all too easy to get distracted from those things that we really love and that will reward us in the future in favor of a shot of alcohol or a half hour of random sex.

It can get taken to an exponential degree, too. People will end up planning their entire days/weeks/months around what they’re going to do next weekend. People drop upwards of $1,000 a year on alcohol. Then, at the end of it, what has been gained? Another sense pleasure, another notch in the belt, another story to tell, that’s about it.

I want to be clear that I’m not going to chastise anybody for pursuing casual sex, or making it an important part of their life, or anything like that. Everyone’s got their own preferences and everyone wants what they think is best for them. I’m really chastising myself with all of this. I have things I do that I love. I love to read, write, draw, and build deep relationships, and at this point, it seems to me that letting too many sense pleasures get in the way of those things would be only detrimental to me in the long run. Plus, having had both casual sex and sex with someone I love, I know there is absolutely no comparison. When you’re in love with the other person, you don’t have to be drunk, there’s no shame in undressing, and there’s no bad feeling that comes afterwards. It’s so much more than a sense pleasure, it’s the deepest, most intimate connection that you can experience with another person on a physical level.

So is this a farewell to partying? Probably not. I don’t want to make it a big part of my life, but now and again it’s something that I’ll likely do. What this is, is an assessment of feeling and position, and a general set of goals for the future. Sense pleasures will come and go but the love of something or someone lasts a very long time.

I’d much rather be comfortably in love than look away when the lights turn on.

Kate Upton being even tangentially related to the ‘Cac...

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:32:28 -0400

Kate Upton being even tangentially related to the ‘Cac means that I feel no guilt for posting pictures of her. It’s my civic duty, if anything.

oxfordcommaforever: “Declarations of Independece” Jack Daniel’s...

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:30:26 -0400

oxfordcommaforever:

“Declarations of Independece” Jack Daniel’s campaing.

I’m not too much of a fan of Jack Daniel’s, but I like this campaign.

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Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:29:58 -0400

GQ's Sexiest Women of 2012 (So Far)

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:29:33 -0400

GQ's Sexiest Women of 2012 (So Far):

chitops:

I’m not even going to front like Kate Upton isn’t number one.

But this was really educational. Now I’m familiar with the names attached to the faces of such beautiful ladies as Paula Patton, Joan Smalls, Jessica Paré, and Bérénice Marlohe — not to mention, reminded that Brooklyn Decker is still a wonder of the world.

Avicii - Superlove feat. Lenny Kravitz Official music...

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:19:00 -0400

Avicii - Superlove feat. Lenny Kravitz

Official music video

Trippy beyond trippy.

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Wed, 22 Aug 2012 23:43:04 -0400

2012-2013 NFL Season Preview: Prospective Winners & Losers

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 23:42:54 -0400

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the postseason has shown me that the good teams from last year are going to be better, and the bad teams are going to be worse. Everyone knows that preseason standings are useless, but that doesn’t mean the games themselves are. The first half is the most telling sample of your team’s first string (starters), and the second half illustrates your depth.

In a regular season game, you might need some decent depth on defense, but on offense, a normal team limits their substitutions. If your o-line is in shape and not winded, they stay in for a whole drive; if your RB is consistent and in shape, he stays in for at least 75% percent of the game’s carries; and if you’re regularly looking to your backup QB and WRs, then you have serious issues offensively, and it will show on the scoreboard.

So, for the sake of not stating the obvious, I am not going to talk about the teams who finished in the top or bottom three in their conference last season.

Winners: 1) Houston Texans 2) Denver Broncos 3) Carolina Panthers

1) The Houston Texans are moving in the right direction. Last year they finished with a 10-6 record, winning the AFC South Division, and ranked second in the NFL in total defense. Wade Phillips has the Texans defense looking as good as ever. As the newest team in the NFL (starting in 2002), the Texans struggled through their formative years, but have since come along well. As of late, they’ve been able to add key components to an otherwise sterile offense: QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson (despite his injury) have solidified their air assault and RB Arian Foster remains one of the elite ball carriers in the league. Look for them to repeat their division title and advance further in the playoffs.

Key players - Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, Brian Cushing

2) Anytime your QB goes down with an injury and your team goes from being 10-6 to 2-14, he IS your team. I am talking of course about the Indianapolis Colts losing Peyton Manning to injury last season. Now that he is with the Denver Broncos, a team that managed to win their division last season with Tim Tebow at the helm, Manning will only bolster his career numbers. He loses Reggie Wayne, but gains Demaryius Thomas, an arguably better athlete. The defense in Denver has always been solid, and Willis McGahee has great run blockers to secure the ground game.

Key players - Peyton Manning, Von Miller, Tracy Porter

3) Now, I won’t go as far to say the Carolina Panthers are going to take the NFL by storm, but they will certainly turn some heads. With the recent debacle in New Orleans, the omnipresent problems in Tampa, and the impressive insurgence of QB Cam Newton, the Panthers have a real chance at winning the NFC South this season. Their only obstacle appears to be QB Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons; but an aging RB Michael Turner and the loss of WR Eric Weems might open the door for the upcoming Panthers. In addition, their defense will be dramatically improved from last year thanks to players coming back from injury like LB Thomas Davis, DT Ron Edwards, and LB Jon Beason, and exciting draft picks like LB Luke Kuechly).

Key players: Cam Newton, Jon Beason, Mike Tolbert

Losers: 1) Arizona Cardinals 2) Kansas City Chiefs 3) New York Jets

1) The Arizona Cardinals‘ QB job is as sad as they get. When your choices are Kevin Kolb or John Skelton, there’s not much light at the end of the tunnel. It’s quite sad to know that the league’s best WR, Larry Fitzgerald, has these two BUMS to throw passes to him. Arizona has always been infamous for having shoddy defenses, and that’s not going to change this season (they lost LB Joey Porter and DB Richard Marshall). As if this weren’t enough, recent news of season-ending surgery on LT Levi Brown has just surfaced. Sadder still is that Brown was widely considered one of the worst LT in the league…and now he has to be replaced. If he was your best option at the position, God only knows who will replace him!

Key problems: defensive inconsistency (especially against the run), no starting quarterback, no offensive line depth

2) How bad did the Kansas City Chiefs look in their second preseason game compared to their opener? As meltdowns go, it couldn’t have gone any worse. The St. Louis Rams’ QB Sam Bradford absolutely carved up the Chiefs’ defense, scoring two touchdowns on 11 plays. Their suspect defense failed to stop the run as well, essentially letting RB Stephen Jackson run down their throats. Head coach and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel should take full responsibility for all this. Inconsistency is a sign of a bad team, and Kansas City has a lot of it. Although QB Matt Cassel is one of the NFL’s best stories in recent memory, he can’t make up for the horrendous play of his teammates and has limited options downfield. In addition, the Chiefs are in the AFC West, where Broncos’ Peyton Manning and Chargers’ Phillip Rivers will inflict major damage on suspect defenses.

Key problems: no depth in secondary, inconsistent tackling, a coach who sports a 26-41 lifetime record

3) Despite rumors, I am convinced that the New York Jets’ QB Matt Sanchez will start every game this season. Sorry to those living in la-la-land, but teammate Tim Tebow is not an NFL QB. He might improve the teams’ morale, but not their record. The fact is that whoever starts for the Jets is headed for a losing season. Head coach Rex Ryan has no offensive threats whatsoever and a once-dominating defense is losing the war with father time. Sanchez maintains that “there’s no reason to hit the panic button right now,” but if I’m in the Jets’ front office, I’m hitting the shit out of it. I wouldn’t be able to sit still, knowing my team may not be able to score an offensive touchdown in the preseason.

Key problems: limited offensive options, shaky offensive line, aging defensive core

- G.J. Vitale

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Wed, 22 Aug 2012 04:43:00 -0400

The Bright Side - Aer Album Review

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 23:57:47 -0400

It’s that time of year again. Summer is ending, and you and all your friends are preparing to move back to school. Despite the looming start to the next school year, I am trying to soak up the last couple weeks of summer. Aer’s new album, The Bright Side, is the perfect album to listen to this time of year.

Aer is a relatively new rap duo from Massachussets. Their last album, The Reach, and their EP, What You Need, both had a uniquely summerish vibe to them. I first heard their song “Feel I Bring,” around this time last year, and have been enjoying their music ever since. What I enjoy most about Aer’s music is their smooth guitar riffs and reggae-rap style. The Bright Side continues with the precedent set by their past albums.

Some of my favorite songs from The Bright Side are “Floats My Boat”, “Like the Way”, and “Songbird”. Aer’s “Floats My Boat” is a laidback song that I would bump in my car with the windows down. It has been a hit ever since the album came out. “Songbird” has a smooth guitar riff that starts as soon as you press play and continues for the entire song. I really enjoyed “Songbird” for its more reflective tone and mellow vibe.

If you’re looking for a soundtrack for what’s left of your summer, take a listen to The Bright Side.

LEGO ice cube trays

Sat, 18 Aug 2012 22:12:52 -0400

LEGO ice cube trays

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Sat, 18 Aug 2012 19:42:20 -0400

10 Memorable Olympic Moments From The London Games

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 11:09:00 -0400

1) Gabby Wins Gold….Twice:

The 16-year-old Olympic gymnast made history and became a household name by becoming the first African American woman and first woman of color to win the “Individual All-Around” in woman’s gymnastics. Gabby created an early lead for herself by earning a 15.966 on the vault. She was able to hold her lead throughout the event, earning another high score (15.500) on the balance beam, and managed to score competitively on floor and uneven bars. Gabby, dubbed the “Flying Squirrel”, also took home a gold in the “Women’s Team Final”. Though Gabby struggled in her Balance Beam and Uneven Bars Event finals, Gabby will leave London a double gold medalist and a very wealthy young lady, since companies will be flocking to her with endorsements.

2) Oscar Pistorious Makes His Olympic Debut:

If you haven’t been keeping up Track and Field, then you probably are not familiar with the name Oscar Pistorious. This year, Pistorious became the first double amputee to compete in an Olympics among able-bodied runners. Hailing from South Africa, Pistorious came into this year’s Olympics as the underdog, with critics and commentators wondering how he would hold up on such a large stage against other able-bodied runners. Though Pistorious is a very decorated Paralympic sprinter, many did not know how he would fare against his competition in the Men’s 400m and the Men’s 4x400 relay.

Dubbed the “Blade Runner”, Pistorious ran hard and fought to make history once again, by becoming the first double amputee to make it to a Sprinting final. Though he did not achieve this goal and was robbed of a chance to run in the 4x400m relay, due to a collision between two runners during the event, Pistorious served as an inspiration for able-bodied and handicapped athletes alike. After London, he will be competing in the Paralympics, where he is the defending champion in the 100, 200, and 400 meters. Pistorious is also expected to lead the 4x 400m relay.

3) Serena Williams C-walking to a Golden Slam:

After handedly defeating Maria Sharapova in the Gold Medal Women’s Singles match, beating her 6-0 6-1, Williams added insult to injury by doing a “Crip Walking” victory dance in front of a packed stadium at the All England Club, where she won the Wimbledon title just a few weeks ago. This moment was memorable for me not only because she made the record books again, but because of the irony of where she decided to do this dance which has been performed by the likes of Snoop Dogg, or rather “Snoop Lion”, and has been featured in many other Hip-Hop music videos. The All England Club is known for its proper decorum and preppy atmosphere, and it was great to see Serena, who has never fit into the traditional mold of what a female tennis player should be, shake things up.

After spending over a year off the court do to an injury and a health scare, Serena proved to all the critics that she still has what it takes, even at the age of 31, to compete at the high level of tennis that has made her famous. Though she has competed in many Olympics, this is the first gold medal in singles for Williams. This makes Williams the second women to achieve a “Golden Slam”, winning all four major single titles and an Olympic gold medal. Williams will leave London with two gold medals this year, one for singles and one for doubles.

4) Usain Bolt:

As expected, Usain Bolt crushed his competition in both the 100m and 200m dashes, and was the anchor for Team Jamaica’s 4x 100 relay. The Jamaican runner and fastest man in the world blew past his competition and became the first man since Carl Lewis in 1988 to defend an Olympic sprinting title. He topped his dominating times in Beijing, picking up three gold medals in the meantime.

Known for his cocky persona and comedic antics, Bolt had to put his money where his mouth was, which he definitely did. Setting the Olympic Record in the 100-meter final with a time of 9.63 seconds and becoming the most decorated Jamaican Athlete of all-time, Bolt has definitely solidified his place in the history books and has been a source of entertainment and anticipation throughout the Olympics. Seemingly undefeatable, it’s no wonder why Bolt dubbed himself “the greatest athlete of all time”.

5) McKayla Maroney’s insane Vault:

As the American women’s gymnastics team, nicknamed the “Fabulous Five”, competed this year, many people anticipated Gabby Douglass, Jordan Weieber, and Aly Raisman stealing the show and bringing the team to gold. What many people did not expect was for one of the other girls on the team to shine and ultimately become a household name. So when McKayla Maroney stepped up to compete in her only event, the vault, spectators did not know what to expect from her. Spectators and judges were wowed when Maroney executed a near perfect vault. It was one of the awesome moments that kind that makes you wish you could do what she had just done. I mean, how cool would it be to run, jump a little trampoline, hit a vault, and go spinning and flipping through the air? Not only was Maroney’s form through the air incredible, but she also she stuck her landing so firmly and with ease, earning her a massive 16.233. Her performance circulated around the Internet, going viral almost instantly, and even made a judge’s jaw drop. Unfortunately for Maroney, she was unable to repeat this glorious moment in the Vault Event finals, where a fall cost her a second gold medal.

6) The Williams Sisters Take Home Another Gold

As expected Venus and Serena Williams took home another gold medal in Women’s Doubles. They sisters really came to play this year and steamrolled through their competition, overpowering every team they played. This win gave each sister a record four gold medals, and makes Venus the second female tennis player to win medals in three Olympics. The win also represents something more symbolic for the pair. In a way, it represents a comeback. Both sisters have battled health issues since the last Olympics. Most recently, Venus was diagnosed with the Sjögren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that causes fatigue. After watching the Williams sisters play, it was clear that they deserved this momentous win.

7) Andy Murray Wins a Gold Medal for the Brits:

You can call it home court advantage, pressure, or redemption, but a win is a win, and a gold medal is a gold medal. Andy Murray proved that he can be the champion that everyone has hoped for him to be. Though he still holds no grand slam titles. His decisive, straight sets (6-1, 6-2, 6-4) win over “King of Centre Court”, Roger Federer, could mean a turn around for Murray, who has often struggled in the finals and the semi-finals of big events; Murray has made it to four grand slam finals, but has never proven to be victorious.

Throughout the match, Murray made sure to hammer away at every shot that came his way, overpowering and outplaying Federer, the current world number one. Federer made 31 unforced errors and Murray capitalized on this, winning nine consecutive games and breaking Federer’s serve four times in a row. With the crowd roaring behind his every move, Murray did not let up and didn’t lose any momentum. He fought hard to the end and was met with a standing ovation upon winning match point.

8) Allyson Felix Finally Gets Her Golden Moment

It always seemed as though Allyson Felix of the USA Track and Field team would always be a bridesmaid but never a bride, in the Olympics Women’s 200m sprint. It seemed as though no matter how hard she tried in last two games, she always came up short, by less than .25 of a second each time. Not only did she come in second twice, but she was beat by the same woman, Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica. Now, there is nothing wrong with a Silver medal; in reality, most athletes do not even come close to medalling at the Olympics. But for Felix, to come so close and to lose by such a small margin must’ve hurt.

This year’s Olympics was a shot at redemption for Felix, who had trained hard and really pushed herself since Beijing. Felix came into London confident, as if she knew that this was her chance to shine. All her hard work proved to pay off. Felix finally took home a gold in the 200m, defeating her longtime rival, Veronica Campbell-Brown and beating the 100m gold medalist, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. So how did Allyson Felix do it? Felix was able to drop her time .04 seconds from 2008 and .25 seconds from 2004. Felix’s gold streak didn’t stop there.

Felix managed to pick up two more gold medals, while in London. She competed in the 4x100m relay, where her team set a new world record (40.82s), and the 4x400m relay. Felix’s gold medals make her the first American woman since 1988 to win three Olympic gold medals.

9) Misty and Kerri three-peat

Beach Volleyball fans were crushed and somewhat blindsided when they heard that the London Olympics would be last time beach volleyball’s dominating duo, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings would be playing together. The pair confirmed reports that they would not be competing in the 2016 Olympics together, upon the announcement of Misty May-Treanor’s retirement after London. The duo, who have been dominating forces in beach volleyball, since teaming up after the 2000 games in Sydney, were playing as reigning champions and playing for their third consecutive gold medal.

Coming into this year’s Olympics the duo had not lost a set in any of their previous matches and hoped to extend their Olympic winning streak. Though they lost their first set against the Czech Republic, ending their 32 consecutive Olympics sets record, the two came back to dominate the rest of the match. In the Gold medal finals match, the two squared off against fellow Americans April Ross and Jennifer Kessy. May-Treanor and Walsh-Jennings decisively won the match and a third consecutive gold medal in straight sets 21-16, 21-16, proving why they have been called the “the greatest beach volleyball team of all-time”.

10) Phelps, Phelps, Phelps

What kind of review would this be if I didn’t talk about Michael Phelps? The American poster boy of the Olympics, proved why he is loved and respected so much and why he is an Olympic hero. After announcing that this would be his last Olympic games, Phelps went on to win his 22^nd Olympic medal this year. In addition, Phelps takes home the honor of being the most decorated Olympian of all-time. Taking home six Olympic medals, four of which were gold, Phelps propelled himself to the record books once again, and made everyone realize why this guy is a sport’s legend. I mean, how often does someone win 22 Olympic medals, 18 of which are gold? Phelps will be able to relish in his retirement knowing that for the third time in a row he earned the most medals at an Olympic games and holds the record for most Olympic gold medals won.

~Darien Headen

Brent Mayne (dot com)

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 10:13:46 -0400

Brent Mayne (dot com)

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Mon, 13 Aug 2012 10:11:00 -0400

fueledbycoffee: ‘Martha’s Vineyard Modern’ for Dwell magazine,...

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 10:10:19 -0400

fueledbycoffee:

‘Martha’s Vineyard Modern’ for Dwell magazine, July/August 2012.

inthecac: A perfect Amherst header captured by our resident...

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 09:57:02 -0400

inthecac:

A perfect Amherst header captured by our resident photographer Miss Elodie Reed