The Agrinautica

   From Wednesday afternoon until early this morning I have been in Davis. The main reason for my visit was that before I filed for graduation I had to file for my minors, and I could only do the latter in person.

   This I was able to quickly accomplish once there, however. I have now officially filed to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with an emphasis on "Peace & Security" and "Russia / Eastern Europe," and minors in Communications, History, and Political Science. Unofficially, thats Communication with an emphasis on conflict resolution and organizational communications, and the pre-law series of poli sci.


Episode 1: Welcome to Crazytown
   Wednesday, I came in on a 1:20pm SouthWest flight and took the Yolobus from the airport to Davis. At the Woodland mall bus stop I had to change busses. While there I saw two people talking about something. I'm not sure what, but one was trying to get the other's contact information and the other was saying he doesn't use a phone because he doesn't trust the phone company not to listen in. I filed them both under crazypeople in my mind.
   Unfortunately, one of them (not the one without a phone) got on the same bus as me and sat across from me. Of course, before the bus even started moving he started tryinng to start a conversation with me. Since I was dressed up, wearing a black tie, and had my briefcase, I thought it might be hilarious to tell him I worked for the government and then answer any further questions with "I'm sorry I can't discuss that," but on the other hand I decided he'd probably get all riled up about that and cause a ruckus.
   After asking my name and what I was doing, and finding me not to be a government agent, he pointed to some construction going on on the mall. "They're being very proactive here. They're building a watchtower on the mall." "Why?" "Oh five judges, the mayor of Davis, and some DAs are accused of kidnapping someone, so everyone is all freaked out." "Really? Who?" "Me!!" I proceeded to refile him under "completely off his rocker."
   Anyway, it turns out this guy was the infamous Crazy Joe Sherman, and basically he lived up to his description on the wiki page. He spent the entire time regailing me about how he is the victim of a vast conspiracy. It seems the more he annoys people, the more he thinks their reactions toward him are part of the conspiracy, and the more he feels like he's a rightious persececuted jesus character. He said he had just recently gotten out of 313 or so days of jail, where the other prisoners isolated and persecuted him on orders from the external religious establishment (because you know middle-class Davis churches have mad prison connections!). He also mentioned that he believes God has indicated to him that his true calling is to become a teacher -- which is somewhat concerning considering that several accounts on his wiki page allude to him having a creepy predilection for the company of young males. In a tangental note, wiki user MikeDurkee apparently thinks we should overlook his many creepy and socially dangerous behaviours because he is a "warrior of god." I would like to officially point at MikeDurkee and say "lol!"


Episode 2: Cover blown!
   Yolobus deposited me at the front of the school (from the student's perspective anyway, not to be confused with the Chancellor's idea of the "front" of the school, aka the back side, where important guests don't have to behold those pesky undergrads which burden down their business of corporate research). I was immediately spotted by ASUCD President Kareem Salem (The first ASUCD President since 2002 not to be sworn in by me). I took care of the Communications and History minors but the IR and Poli Sci offices had closed early that day. Ran into one or two more people. Went home and found the apartment much as a left it.
   Suprised the Court at their Wednesday night meeting, then went with Justice Harney to dollar pint night at Sudwerks, where we ran into Pete Markevich (whom you may recall recently survived a Senate witchhunt), along with Sen. Alexandra Frick.


Episode 3: One More Senate Meeting
   I had been reluctant to go to the Senate meeting, having been to so many in my lifetime that even Brent Laabs probably has yet to catch up to me. However, the Senate was considering a landmark bill to formally give control of the judicial rules to the Court, which is kinda big thing so I decided to go for that.
   Previous to consideration of the bill, a lot of the usual antics were re-enacted for the millionth time. Since budget hearings were this weekend, a lot of organizations came to "show and tell" how awesome they are in hopes of getting fatter budgets. Some guy with a penchant for beating dead horses harangued the whole Senate at length for being vaguely associated with someone who had during their free time expressed the political opinion that current policies are not satisfactory to ensure the safety and documentation of all immigrants. I found it highly ironic that his main point was that he thought the DCR event was immature, but I found it pretty immature that he was rightiously chastising the Senate for something they had no control over.
   Then representatives from the Muslim Student Association pre-emptively began defending the anti-semetic speaker they'd brought to campus, while at the same time attacking Jewish Senator Eric Friedman and the DCR immigration event. In short, business as usual.

   Anyway, eventually the bill came up and passed relatively quickly. I thought it was kind of ironic that they made the change in the obsolete Judicial Codes, which will soon be completely abrogated, rather than the general Bylaws or somewhere else where it'll remain, but it was largely symbolic anyway.

   Quote of the Day: "You're the reason people don't take ASUCD seriously" - Brent Laabs to Commissioner Jill Weinstein after she expressed the opinion that ASUCD is just a glorified student club, rather than possessing any semblance of the legitimacy of a governing body.


Episode 4: Scrabble I
   After the meeting, several Senators, Justice Harney & I went to Sen. Dan Xie's house to drink and play scrabble. Since Joe and I were the ones getting the alcohol I of course brought them steel reserve (though Joe also selected some hard lemonade).


Episode 5: Campus Life
   Friday afternoon there were people with a big sign evangelizing by the flag pole, which is not terribly uncommon. However, in this case they were PASTIFARIANS bringing the glorious messege of the Flying Speghetti Monster to the unsaved! True heroes of faith whom MikeDurkee should have a frank chat with.
   Upon investigation these people were not affiliated with either Campus Crusade for Chaos & Confusion (C4), or AGASA, but were in fact merely persons whom the Flying Speghetti Monster in His sauceness saw fit to reach out and touch with His noodly appendage. Their unaffiliated status is clear evidence of the Truth of the supposition.
   Also there were some people in a bathtub on the quad wearing feathered headdresses. Typical. Eventually I noted that Rob Roy and Elise Kane were over there and said hi to them. (Here's a picture of both the Pastifarians AND the girls in the tub)


Episode 6: Life in the Trees
   Friday evening the internet went out at The Trees, which is just so typical. It didn't come back all weekend. Moreover, the internet connection was still there, it just wasn't recognizing the hardware address (MAC address) of mine or my roommates computers. This has been a frequent problem throughout the time we've had this provider, especially on weekends when the tech support is out, which once one actually gets ahold of the tech support is usually resolved by them simply resetting their system. Notwithstanding, you should rent my room at the Trees!!
   Anyway, Friday evening I took a nap in hopes the internet would come back, as I had no other form of entertainment in the midafternoon. By 7 I was getting desperate and decided to take the bus to campus to use the computer labs.
   I took the 7:18 bus in, only to find the computer labs close at 6 on Fridays! I could have sworn they used to be open till ten on Fridays. Anyway, there was still free wireless on campus but my laptop was at home and the bus I'd just come in on had left already. I waited for the next bus, the 8:10, until 8:20, when another person waiting for it suddently exclaimed that they'd forgotten the busses were no longer running since it was Friday evening. This left me with an hour and a half until I had anywhere to be. I called Justice Wheat to see if I could come over early for his shindig, but no answer. Despite the fact that that location was near campus, I started walking home because I had nothing better to do. It took half an hour to walk home from campus. It being then 9:00, I'd have had to immediately turn around and head back had John not called me at that point and said he could pick me up.


Episode 7: Scrabble II
   When I got to John's place, two of his roommates were trying to punch a second hole into a coconut ("double penetrate it"), and into which they then poured rum to make genuine coconut rum. They didn't like the result terribly much so I ended up drinking from the coconut all night. After I finished the original coconut rum I just poured whatever I was drinking into the coconut because it was funny. This resulted in some comments about my nut being sticky, along with other comments about people handling my nut, writing on my nut, etc.
   Anyway, despite the fact that John aimed to keep it "low key" a good amount of people showed up (but not too many, just enough to be awesome), and it was quite fun. My friend Shemek (who was a campaigne manager for the original Lead slate of the Huerta presidency -- but left ASUCD in disgust over their rampant corruption) joined me there. John Wheat and his fellow English-tutor coworkers from the Learning Skills Center played scrabble, but others were reluctant to engage such English aces in such a game. I thought it was funny that when the ASUD officers played the game, they argued about the rules and what the definitive set of rules was and other governance related questions, while the English majors got into arguments about what parts of speech certain words were.
   Anyway, it was good fun. Good work John Wheat & roommates.


Episode 8: Daytime Ruckus
   On Saturday Shemek and I hit the Hunan's Lunch Special around noon . Then we met up with Miss Rosejean Weller. Since we three were former Davis MUNers, and the Davis MUN Conference was currently ongoing, and especially since fellow former Davis MUNers Akila Radhakrishnan and Nishan Bhaumik, we resolved to crash the conference. Then the idea got better when someone suggested we do it drunk. So it being around 2pm we got some 40s of steel reserve and drank them, along with some jagermeister. And we were good to go!
   After this, the three of us went to woodstocks for more pizza and beer. Finally after a good afternoon of good ruckus causing we parted ways. I then returned to the conference for a little bit and guest spoke as a Russian representative. I may have still been a little inebriated, but that may have been an accurate portrayel of the Russian government. ;)


Episode 9: A Formal End
   Just as I was getting out of MUN, Brittawater Segerstrom called me and said I should come over and go to a volleyball formal with them. Which was pretty random but it was only a $12 formal and I didn't have anything else to do, and happened to already be dressed up for the MUN conference.
   Over at the M Street I joined Brittawater, Julie Parker, Kim Bowles, Sarah Jones, and a number of others.
   Eventually we walked from M Street to the event at the Senior Center. As there were initially more than a dozen of us, this took awhile, and by the time the front of our group got there the back had disappeared completely and some had found a ride somehow.

   Anyway, after being there for a little while the group consensus seemed to shift towards a hankering to go to the bars, so once again the group set out on foot, this time towards Froggys on G Street. This brought the total walking distance up to 2.1 miles, and everyone still had to find their way home again (returning to M St would bring it to 3 miles. I don't envy the girls in heels).
   Eventually I walked with what was left of the group back up to fifth street, where they turned toward M and I turned to start my own 3 mile journey back to the Trees (since the airport shuttle was picking me up there at 5:15, crashing on a couch was not an option). Fortunately I happened to completely coincidently run into one of the girls who'd been with us earlier around Central Park. She had struck off by herself toward the Colleges but had felt very uncomfortable making the journey alone and so had called a guy friend, who happened to show up almost simulteniously with me running into her. As he was giving her a ride I managed to get a ride with him as well, which was quite a relief since I still had a very long way ahead of me.


Episode 10: The End
   Airport shuttle picked me up at 05:15am and my plane departed at 7:35am. Altogether, I had even more fun up in Davis than I thought I would. It was great seeing everyone again. There's so much more going on up there than down here in OC. I can't wait to come up with an excuse to visit again!

   Internet is still down. Today I went into the complex office to talk to the manager about it. When it came up that I'd left the techinican a messege on Friday detailing the problem and never heard back, the manager called first the technician, then his supervisor, and then the company owner, as each didn't answer their phones. She left them all angry / saucy messeges saying things like "this is not how we treat customers around here."
   Despite the fact that I absolutely loathe not having internet access, it made me a bit uncomfortable that she was giving them such a haranguing on my account. I suppose some "customers" might feel more special for that kind of treatment, but it made me want to clam up and not say anything that was going to get the techs in any more trouble. d=


   Anyway, so Sunday, my birthday, Kristy & I went to Rock It at The Grad. As usual it was good times.


Emosnail Fashion Exclusive
   So apparently there is a hideous new fashion trend: belts worn waist high. In my humble opinion, this "style" is a misconceived fashion abomination on a level with mullets, if not worse. Please, if one of your friends appears to be even considering participating in this depraved act of aesthetic barbarism, sock them in the neck. If god forbid you think you yourself might be about to consider securing your belt around your upper torso, I urge you to immediately present yourself to a trusted roommate or other nearby individual and beg that they immediately wallop some sense into you before you commit fashion thoughtcrime.


   In less sordid news, Kristy put a bunch of new pictures up on Flickr. In addition to the usual cute kittens, my grandparentinlaws' dog Daisy is prominently featured.
   Also, here's a picture of that delicious nutella pizza Kristy made the other day.


Picture of the Day

"Dog Myspace Picture?"
(C) Kristy or Daisy

   The good news, is that none of my finals falls later than Tuesday, December 14th. I think I have always previously had a final on the very last day, which in this case I think might be the 18th. The bad news, however, is that all four of my finals are ON THE 14TH.


Electing Principals
   In other news, I find it amusing that the POL179 (special topics) topic next quarter is "electoral law." Here is the course description. I can think of a number of people who probably should take this class. Or maybe the elections committee could at least establish contact with the professor for consultation and advise. Incidently, while we're on the subject, I have in front of me here the business card of the university legal council of UC Davis (well, one of two), Deborah Allison, specializes in electoral law. She's very friendly and has given ASUCD (the Court at least) advise before.. the Elections Committee probably could have / should have consulted her before doing anything unusual.
   Incidently, in the Ukraine, following rampant elections fraud in the recent election, the Ukrainian Supreme Court has ruled the results null and void and ordered a re-run of the election. The outgoing president has also expressed an interest in canning the current 15 member elections committee.
   This is a prime example of the general theory that when elections fraud is so rampant as to be likely to have changed the results of an election, the whole election is declared to have been invalid. The Supreme Court simply orders the issuers of Certificates of Election (the Secretary of State in California's case, the Controller in ASUCD) not to issue them, and the Senate (or other effected body) not to seat anyone from the election. A new election is then embarked upon.
   Also on this subject, two formal complaints regarding the ASUCD Elections Committee will be heard before a Student Judicial Affairs board in the Mee room starting at 1pm on Sunday, December 12th. The hearing is open to the public.


Toxic Relations
   Also, I returned home from UCLA to find several holes in the floor near our kitchen. Apparently it was discovered that the leakage had caused major damage under our floor, AND there was toxic mold under there. I'm told the mold appears to be under control however, dashing my hopes to get moved to one of the apartments in the trees that has a fireplace.
   One of the girls from downstairs came up to tell us to put a towel under the leak the other day. These are the girls that didn't pay for the internet we were sharing with them for half the year last year, were complaining about Chen's motorcycle getting in their way, were probably the ones who thought I was too close to their car for them to open their door (while still entirely in my spot), etc. So anyway, one of them got into an argument with Jason about the nature of the problem and what we should do about it. This was rather hilarious to me because there is nothing Jason loves more than discussing maintanance problems. The length of time the girl continued to maintain that she was correct and Jason was wrong was really quite shocking. After she left however, we all proceeded to "talk mad shit" about how foolish she was, only to hear "WE CAN STILL HEAR YOU!!!" shouted up from the hole...


Wiki Articles of the Day - read wiki - its good for you
"Queen Victoria" - Monarch of ASUCD
Mark Champagne - éminence grise of ASUCD
SGAO - Praetorian Guard of ASUCD
ASUCD Court - Holy Synod of the ASUCD.
   Also, I must say, I think the OMG WTF wiki campaign is one of the most ingenius marketing campaign ideas ever.


Previously on EMOSNAIL
   Year Ago Yesterday: Thai Food, Pirates, & Tom's Social Life - In another of those stunning coincidences, EXACTLY one year later (yesterday), Kristy and I went out for Thai food (to Thai Bistro this time).
   Year Ago Today: Aforementioned Argument - RECENTLY DECLASSIFIED - one from the "Me kicking ass in arguments" file, watch as roxymartini goes through several distinct phases of trying to weasel out of a losing argument without admitting she's wrong. And as an added bonus don't miss THIS comment string which details another recent argument she was foolish enough to get into.


Unrelated
   I. I find THIS to be particularly amusing.
   II. Also I'd like to note my prerogative to make references to one of my very best friends, Aaron Aviv (pretendforkeeps), and consequently I declare a jihad on pygmypeach81.

Blizzards
   So I return from class at noon today to find my apartment a frosty FIFTY-FOUR degrees.

   We get the pilot light fixed and in half an hour it raises 16 degrees to feel toasty at 70.

   Later it turns out that even the new pilot light won't stay lit. Professionals are supposed to come by tomorrow (more than just the complex maintanance man who fixed it today).


Floods
   Then the people from downstairs came up to tell us not to use our faucet because whenever we do, it floods their kitchen.

   Jason later investigated and declared it was a faulty seal on the hot-water pipe or something?


And Parking Nazis
   I accidently left my phone on silent all day and had a million messeges by the time I realized it. Among others, I had a messege from the apartment offices telling me I needed to stop parking my motorcycle behind the car in spot 102. Another was from my mother, informing me "your complex called us, apparently we need to move our motorcycle?" The motorcycle is roommate Chen's. The car in 102 is mine.
   If one were to draw a line from the two endpoints of the lines deliniating parking spot 102, my car and the motorcycle would be wholly contained within it - ie neither vehicle extends beyond what would be considered parking spot 102.
   I have a feeling this may be the work of the owners of the car to the right of my spot (spot 103?), who complained I needed to repark my car because tehy couldn't open their car door, despite the fact that my car was entirely within the white lines.
   The parking spots here in the trees are perhaps narrower than average, and the cul de sac of the complex I live in is hard to navigate, but I think these people need to get over it.


Previously in EMOSNAIL
   Year Ago Today: Definitions - Incidently I've defined several words in the daviswiki glossary, specifically: dormcest, hella, & hecka (the latter has since been edited by someone else as well - last sentence wasn't mine).

   So every time I use an ATM machine I find myself wondering, what language is the "ixvis hmoob" option? Seriously that doesn't look like any language I have ever seen.

   Then it gives you the "quick 40" option. Liquor stores should have that button as well.


   I think I've determined that my apartment is not actually 60 degrees. Well maybe now it is. All I know is its a lot warmer than it was this morning (still feels well below 70 though), and the thermostat still reads at 60. Therefore I think the thermostat is clearly broken as well, and temperatures this morning may have been a more awe inspiring level of cold.


   Also someone anonymous commented to my previous entry, apparently offended that I should mention my heater is broken. I hope they get genital-lobsters.


   Multiple entries that are unusually short -- I must be trying to write a paper! That and everyone's been telling me they don't read my entries because they're too long anyway.

   Just a quick update here:

(A) if anyone wants to see the Plain White T's in SF tomorrow, please tell me and we'll carpool on down or something - especially if you can drive cause I'm not looking forward to driving around SF.


(B) My apartment-mate wdsguy is now employed by the pornography industry. Yesterday he went to a party his boss put on.. there are pictures of it on the web somewhere. Early for a halloween party but apparently there's a huge pornography industry halloween party next weekend and the boss didn't want to conflict with it. Today wdsguy was invited to a shoot in tahoe but he had to study. His boss reports that "there are some perks to working in the industry, for example girls will offer you sex."


This entry rated: R