The Agrinautica

   So we survived our adventure in Porto Nueva, Mexico. Our 12 person expeditionary force consisted of C-Bunch (entries, pics), his cousin SirPsychoSexy, their friends Byron Tyrone Tyrel Tyrice Bison Tyson & Branch, Kim Bowles (entries pics), Little Colleen (entries), Colleen Milton (entries, pics), C.Milton's cousin Elise, Lyrakeet (entries, pics), Sashakeet (entries, pics), Kristykeet (entries, pics), & myself (entries, pics). We stayed in two six-person suites, which were built in a vertically oriented manner, not-unlike a cat-tower. A narrow spiral staircase led up to the highest rooms, which being the highest parts of the buildings were quite tower-like.
   In the nearby lobster-oriented village, every restaurant seemed to have the exact same $12-16 lobster special (of corresponding amounts of lobster). It was really difficult to distinquish between the restaurants... and not only that they need to learn how to come up with more creative names, there was Porto Nueva Lobster Restaurant I, II & III, and Restuarant Del Mar I, II & III, etc etc!


Meanwhile Elsewheree
   Elsewhere apparently, Saddam Hussein had a rather unpleasant end to his New Years eve countdown . In Somalia, the Ethiopian and Transitional Government forces crushed the final Islamic Courts Union (ICU) stronghold between the evening of New Years Eve and the early hours of New Years Day. Local clan elders asked the ICU to leave the city (Kismayo) to prevent the city from being destroyed in the fighting, when the ICU refused, fighting broke out behind the front lines between the ICU and local clan militias. ICU commander Sheikh Yusuf Hassan stated "are not going to surrender. We will fight to defend Jilib and Kismayo until we die," shortly before there was a mutiny within the ICU forces and they began a disorganized flight from the battle area. Kenyan forces were seen moving towards the nearby Kenyan border to prevent ICU forces from crossing over, and the United States fifth fleet patrolled the coast to prevent ICU forces from escaping by sea. This appears to be the end of the ICU. The transitional government has announced weapons collections and amnesty programmes for former fighters.

   Thursday at lunch I signed a petition for Yes on Measure L (Choice Voting in Davis!), and then I was talking to the guy for a little bit, and then, he glanced down at the petition and saw my name and was like "YOU'RE Kris Fricke!!"


   Yesterday, Friday, when I showed up at this party, this girl was like "I know you! You rode the train back from So Cal with my roommate freshman year." That counts as knowing? But to be fair I had come by their room once and met the roommate who now IDed me, and I guess she just has a really good memory.
   So I was at this gothic prom themed party. I didn't dress up other than specifically selecting my necromantix shirt with a coffin on it.
   From there I caught up with C-Bunch & co at Woodstocks. Some guy had just ordered a pizza and then his friends left, so he shared it with us which was cool.


   On the note of the ASUC Berkeley situation -- if Oren Gabriel gets his legal fees covered by ASUC Berkeley, then the ASUC B would be paying for the lawyers on BOTH sides of the case, which I think really highlights how its an internal matter.
   Also, one of the Berkeley bloggers covering the scandal linked back to the entry here! (And my pointing this out makes the whole situation very recursive) Clearly we are Internet Famous. (=


Picture of the Day

My roommate Jason tries unsuccessfully to protect his masterpeice
demonstrates how he'd react if his student fees were used by our president to sue the association

   Okay now I have a pileup of ideas for entries again, and lots of debaucherous pictures from last night, but unfortunately it took longer than I'd thought editing them (since I took 165 pictures last night and all...). So I'm running really late for to rock out at Rock It, so I'm just gonna have to jam together the fastest entry ever.

Here are some teasers:









Now see the rest here.

That is all.


...

(if I knew how I'd animate these two pictures together...)

   As mentioned, the weekend before last I went on an epic expedition down to Las Vegas. This shall be that story, or at least, what I remember of it a week later.

   Kristy Sashie, C-Bunch and I left Davis on Friday morning and drove down the Five to the remote village of Fireball (167 miles, 3 hours).
   Now the town of Fireball, it has two stop-lights, a "Latino Market," a grocery store / police station, lions, and our friend Lyrakeet's house (turn right at the glowing pile of radioactive sand). There we transfered our stuffage into Lyrakeet's car, as it was bigger, & continued on our journey with her.
   From Fireball to Vegas is a distance of appx 436 miles (8.5 hours). We made a pit stop in Bakersfield, which is shockingly ghetto, watched in wonderment as the strange sights of the Mojave Spaceport passed by, and stopped at some gas station town that probably doesn't have a name, but does have a restaurant called The Mad Greek (or something) which is advertised for more than a 100 miles in either direction. There was also a Subway Sandwiches there at which we ate, which had telephones at every table.

   Arriving in Vegas we occupied our hotelrooms and commenced the merrymaking forthwith. We then went out to the strip with the people from the other car and marauded.
   At one point early on, apparently, Brittawater Segerstrom & Julie Parker went to get coffee, saying they'd be right back (as people always do in horror movies). Someone else told them we'd wait for them right there. Then the whole group moved on and left them (I was not aware of this). Later, when we got to the other end of the Strip, Olivia informed Colleen that she "didn't like [her]." The personnel from our car, + Colleen, then headed back towards the hotel.
   Back at the hotel several of us got in the hot tub, despite our lack of towels. C-Bunch & I had to resort to more innovative ways of getting warm afterwords. Eventually Brittawater & Julie returned.

   During the ensuing days we set off for adventure regularly and without such dramatic results. We visited the cultural sites, admired the art, observed the flora & fauna, picked up some souviniers, and found more lions.

   On Monday morning we embarked upon the epic drive back. We stopped to eat at the Mad Greek restaurant -- and the employees there couldn't even pronounce "gyro" correctly!! wtf. Exchanged cars in Fireball, took a detour to Pleasanton to pick up Bailey, & returned to Davis. (Worked the next day, & the day after that school resumed & I flew to Los Angeles for my next adventures)

Picture of the Day

In the spirit of Spring Break

   In Fall 2005, ASUCD Senate Candidate Michael "Kongo" Aguilera stated that he saw "no role" for the Court in ASUCD during a candidates forum. On 02/16, in Winter 2006, Michael "Kongo" Aguilera was appointed to the ASUCD Supreme Court. One Ora Sraboyants was also appointed to the Court today, bringing the Court up to 7 justices, with two vacancies.


   On Valentines Day Kristy & I went to Thai Bistro. Later we stopped by Sashie's place (also Lyric & Lisa's place), where a valentines day potluck was going on. There were quite a number of people there.
   Apparently Chris Bunch had everyone serenade Sashie, and presented her with poem and a teddy bear. Sashie then retreated into her room, and, as they're both prominent members of the same circle of friends, some awkwardness ensued.

   On Wednesday Kristy & I stopped by dollar pint 12oz cup night at Sudwerks. Most of the circle from the V-day potluck were there to celebrate Dave's birthday.


WikiDrama Today: Much as ASUCD politics fuels edit wars on Daviswiki (and Daviswiki fuels ASUCD drama), apparently Wikipedia causes drama in the US Capitol and congresspersons cause Wikipedia drama. (credit: former ASUCD sen. Adam Barr for bringing this to my attention)

Backlog index: There are currently 1147 emails in my inbox, 626 of which are unread. I think I posted awhile ago saying I was going to try to do something about this back when there were only 500 unread emails.


Picture of the Day

Of the pictures from the Anything-but-Clothes Party, this one so far
has the most hits (32 compared with an average of around 12)
so I'm guessing its interesting of something.

   Someone stole the security camera from the computer lab in our complex! WTF.

Responding to Laughable Charges - Literally
   Also, I'd like to speak some more about my expected fourth impeachment this upcoming Thursday. I would like to issue the following statement: LOL
   I think I'll put that on a press release. The claims are so misplaced that I haven't got an ounce of fear about facing them. I'd bet money that I'm going to come out of this looking better than I went in, and it will have an inverse effect on those who called it. I'd say I'd actually be disappointed if it didn't occur, but it really is a lot of unnecessary drama and someone or other is going to unnecessarily look bad because of it (And as a matter of policy I am still going to exert the maximum pressure to prevent it from happening so don't expect my ambivalence to make it easy for you). I suppose scheduling an examination of the situation under "presentations," would still be acceptable to me and may spare Birdsall some of the shame of being utterly refuted during impeachment.
   But seriously, LOL impeachment. LOL Kristen Birdsall (this is not to be taken to imply any feelings on any matters unrelated to my impeachment; I by no means intend to imply Birdsall is lollable out of this context)


The Duality Bias
   Actually I think my biggest obstacle here is overcoming the media duality bias -- the urge to present both sides of a contention equally even if they're not equally valid. For example, as my media effects professor last quarter explained it, 99% of scientists agree that global warming is a fact and caused by people, but because the media feels they need to present "both sides," of the issue, the 1% of scientists (mostly on the payroll of the Evil industry) who contend global warming doesn't take place are given equal airtime.
   And so, I say to the campus media, considering that she hasn't given any reason to believe the Court ever had a closed meeting on the evening of the 12th, and that there are numerous witnesses that entry to the conference room was never interrupted, that Birdsall in this case is like the argument that global warming isn't taking place. Yes some people make the assertion, but the media would be more professional not to lend imagined credibility to fanciful ideas that fly in the face of overwhelming evidence.


In other news: Saturday night Chris Bunch had another party. I brought my new flatmate Vishal as well as Jason. We ended up staying until nearly 3am, at which point we rushed Jason's sickly ass back home, then raided Jack in the Box for season fries and stuffed jalepenos.

Picture of the Day

From the archives: Just North of the Grapevine. Yeah my camera is still broken. )=