How Subway Does Cheese

Thanks Digg!

Here’s something we haven’t seen happen much in the past eight years…

People EXCITED to see our president, and not in a bad way!

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are greeted by crowds as they arrive to meet France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy and wife Carla Bruni at Palais Rohan in Strasbourg, France, Friday, April 3, 2009. (Photo: AP)

PICKLEFEST ’09: Sign up today!

Picklefest is Friday March 13, 2009!
Sign up ASAP at Bagel Street Deli:
27 South Court Street, Athens, Ohio 45701. 740-593-3838

Check out this awesome article about Picklefest 2008:

By Maria Varonis
Insider contributor

Local eatery Bagel St. Deli closed up shop a bit early this past Friday to commence its ninth annual Pickle Fest. Highly anticipated by both BSD employees and local pickle lovers alike, the annual pickle-eating contest is an event not for the faint of heart – or stomach.

“I think you have got to be a complete maniac to enter this contest,” said Ohio University sophomore Rob McConnell, who beat out more than 40 competitors to become champion of this year’s contest. McConnell ate 13 full-sized dill pickles in 10 minutes He tied the existing record and gained the coveted title of “Pickle Champ 2008.”

The eating competition has become somewhat of a staple at the bagel shop for everyone involved.

“Pickle Fest is simply a tradition, and traditions are a nice thing to continue,” Megan McElligott, part-owner of the deli, said. “We have established almost a decade of pickle-eating, crazy college students.”

“I think it’s one of the coolest things we do,” Art Oestrike, another BSD part-owner, said. “(The previous owner) wanted to use something in the menu, but who wants to do an all you can eat bagel contest? I mean, think about the repercussions of that. So, hence, the pickle thing.”

For some, this “pickle thing” includes extensive research and vigorous training. For instance, McConnell studied and used the techniques of world-renowned hot dog-eating champion Takeru Kobayashi.

“I just came in prepared, psyched myself up and shoved 13 pickles in my mouth somehow,” he said of his performance. “It felt great until about an hour afterwards, and then it really hurt.”

Many fellow participants commiserated with this downside of competitive eating.

“Pickle Fest was a lot harder than I had anticipated,” contestant Katie Knauff said. “Eating all those pickles makes your teeth feel horrible, and I felt sick for a good couple of hours. I probably won’t do it again. I just don’t like pickles anymore.”

Competitor Michael Swepston used his experience to better prepare for the future.

“Pickle Fest was intense but I have to do it again because this year I sucked,” he said. “I need to do better next year, so I probably won’t eat another pickle until then.”

Although some were less than thrilled with the reality of mass pickle-eating, the event itself seemed to leave a good taste in contestants’ mouths.

“Everyone was so friendly and wearing funny T-shirts. I loved it,” Knauff said.

And though stomachs may suffer, winning the Pickle Fest is not a feat to be taken lightly. Bragging rights and glory aside, winners receive a complimentary Pickle Fest T-shirt, and ultimate Pickle Champs are also invited to invent and name their own bagel sandwich creation to be added to the extensive Bagel Street Deli menu. Past winners have created bagelwich hits such as the Debbie, Debbie, Debbie and Ritter’s Meat.

McConnell already has a bagel creation in mind, though he’s not ready to divulge it just yet.

“I can’t believe I did it,” he said. “And, hey, if I’m around next year, I’ve got to see if I can win it again. It was too much fun.”

The beginning or end of petro-czardom? (or are we stuck in the middle?)

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, seen here in 2003, just won a referendum in his country that ends presidential term limits. Ultimately, he could end up in power longer than Fidel Castro of Cuba has been in power to date.

Click on the above photo to read an article from the Christian Science-Monitor about Chavez’s recent success in shaping the advance the Bolivarian Revolution. Also check out this article from Newsweek about the rise and fall of three “Petro-Czars”— Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, and Vladimir Putin of Russia. It references Daniel Yergin, a highly respected energy expert and author of one of my favorite books, “The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power” available at Amazon.com. It won the Pulitzer Prize and is widely considered THE definitive book on oil and world power!

This man is not my father!

Mike Tomlin, Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers

Marijuana Legalization Poster Child: Michael Phelps, Olympic Champion

14-times Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps caught smoking marijuana out of a bong. Image from NewsOfTheWorld.co.uk

Photography by Yanina Manolova

Everyone check out this website with photography by my VisCom friend Yanina Manolova from Ohio University– she’s a fantastic photographer who has won many awards! Her site has some amazing shots, my favorite is the one featured below…

A 102-year old deaf woman, rests on the balcony of her apartment in Havana, Cuba. Photo by Yanina Manolova.

Mumbai under attack (PHOTOS)

Eye-opening photos of the Mumbai terrorist attacks from Boston.com…

From the Digg front page…

Athens 2008 Halloween Celebration!

Hey everyone, here are some pictures from the 2008 Athens Halloween– click on the images for hi-res versions!
Also check out:
The Post’s article by Jessie Balmert about this year’s Halloween…
…or this one by Elizabeth Lundblad that critiques the celebration!

There were 54 people arrested (12 were Ohio University students). There were 34 arrests last year and 79 in 2006…

Court Street just before the celebration

Court Street in the other direction

Halloween revelers enjoying the celebration from the Courtside Apartments stairway

View from the main stage at Court Street and Union Street

View of the Court Street/State Street intersection