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We’re moving!

packing party 001.jpgpacking party 002.jpg

You should see the office right now – the packing party has begun! We’ve got music going and staff running every which way, packing supplies and materials into boxes to HOPEFULLY make it next door to the new building with as little confusion as possible. Do you think we can do it? Monday and Tuesday of next week, the staff will be transitioning the admin offices into our new home, so keep that in mind if you try calling. Grand Opening is scheduled for Thurs, Dec 17th at 11am and we’ll have an Open House all afternoon.

T.A.A.V Interviews Local Artist Marie Alfred

Marie AlfredAlfred's Wooden Spoons

Marie Alfred is a local artist who has been working in partnership with TWC over the past month. Since October 27, 2009, Alfred has been leading workshops with T.A.A.V every Tuesday on creating “story knives” by instructing them on wood working skills. Alfred’s efforts to work with the teens helps TWC achieve its goal of providing culturally relevant activities to its participants. Below is the interview active T.A.A.V member Maya Morris did with Alfred.

Maya Morris (MM): How long have you been doing wood carving professionally?

Marie Alfred (MA): Since May 2009

MM: Who taught you to do wood carving?

MA: My grandpa Adam Fisher. He passed in 1973. He had a business called Grandfathers Teaching.

MM: Are there other crafts you make?

MA: I do water colors, drawings, and work with ivory.

MM: If someone wanted to see your work, where could they go to look at it?

MA: At the art gallery at the the Yup’iit Piciryarait Cultural Center.

MM: Is any of your stuff for sale?

MA: Some water color paintings and wooden spoons. The water color paintings are around $100 and the wooden spoons are $250- $300.

MM: Do you have any current projects in the works?

MA: I’m making ivory earrings.

If you would like more information about Marie Alfred and her art work please contact T.A.A.V coordinator Abby Smith at TWC or the art gallery at the Yup’iit Piciryarait Cultural Center.

TWC Annual Live Christmas Tree Sale and Fundraiser

Thanksgiving is next week, which means Christmas is just around the corner! We have ordered a load of Christmas trees and they will be in Bethel shortly. We have a limited number of 3-5ft Noble firs for $115, many 6-7ft Grand firs for $135, limited 7-8ft Noble firs for $165 and limited 8-9ft Noble firs for $225. Call 543-3444 now to pre-order. TWC would like to thank Lowe’s Home Improvement for their labor and Northern Air Cargo for their generous donations!

2nd Annual Lead On! For Peace and Equality Conference

October 4th -6th 2009 ** Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska

Teens Acting Against Violence (T.T.A.A.V at Lead On! ConferenceA.A.V) members Kisha Lee, Maya Morris, and Cynthia Andrew attended and served as presenters at the 2nd Annual Lead On! For Peace and Equality conference. Lead On! is a conference that unites youth leaders with community partners to develop projects to promote peace and equality in each of their home communities. At the conference T.A.A.V members participated in numerous workshops involving theatre, art and media to improve their leadership skills. Nationally acclaimed speakers like Courtney Macavinta, Gene Tagaban, Oscar Degruy and Ellen Frankenstein also served as inspiration to create positive change in the world.

One of the highlights of the conference was attending workshops and performances by The Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company (DAYPC). DAYPC is a multicultural teen group from Oakland, California that creates original performance arts pieces using song and rap, hip hop, modern, and aerial dance, martial arts, and theatre. “The Destiny Arts group was my most favorite part of the conference because they were good dancers, had a lot of talent, and taught me the five fingers of non-violence, ” said Cynthia AT.A.A.V at Lead On! Conferencendrew.

During the conference T.A.A.V members also did a 20 minute presentation about conducting violence prevention work in the Yukon-Delta. Presenting proved to be  an empowering experience for T.A.A.V member Maya Morris, “Although I felt nervous to present, afterward I was proud”. Overall Lead On! was a wonderful experience. T.A.A.V is currently integrating their new knowledge and resources gained at the conference into their violence prevention program. Stay tuned for updates!

Funds for furniture!

Our Legal Advocates sitting on air chairs!IMG_4741.jpgIMG_4748TAAV imagines a new table!

The new building is coming together so nicely! Our staff ran through it on Friday afternoon (dodging Michelle and contractors!) to take some pictures of the new office and shelter spaces. The paint is drying and the floors are shiny and flawless. Yet, we’re not quite there yet! We still need to furnish these wonderful spaces. The shelter side needs beds, lamps, light bulbs and play toys etc and the administrative side could use… well everything. Thanks again to everyone who let us play around on Friday, and for all those supporting TWC in this huge project!

Donations Needed

October  29, 2009

Dear  Supporter,

Tundra Women’s Coalition is a shelter and outreach organization serving victims of family and sexual violence in Bethel and the villages of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in southwest Alaska.  As many of you know, this region has some of the highest rates of interpersonal violence in the country.   Many families come to our doors desperately needing a safe place for shelter, food and support when they are forced to flee abuse.

Bethel residents, you have watched our new building rise from the empty, cleared lots in May to a nearly finished building in October.  Out-of-town supporters, we would like you to know that after years of planning and work, this facility was built quickly over a few summer and fall months and is a beautiful addition to our community. This building is designed to house programs and staff who respond to and prevent violence.  We chose to allocate our capital budget for building more square feet so we can maximize the number of people we can help. Now we are asking for community support in our efforts to furnish the building’s interior.

Will you help us create a safe, comfortable living space for families forced to flee violence?  The cost for fully furnishing our new building will be $100,000. Your gift will make a difference.  Many of you know that Bethel is a remote, isolated community where the costs of goods are extremely high.  Please also know that we will spend your cash donation on the critical items we need.  Below are examples of the costs of specific items:

* Light bulbs $25
* Playroom toys $75
* Area rugs $165
* Beds $525
* Outdoor play area equipment $755
* Residential couches $1225
* Dining room table and chairs $8,125

Your gift of any amount is greatly appreciated; no amount is too small or too large to reach our goal of earning $25,000 in cash support from individuals and businesses.  Thank you for your help!

Elizabeth Roll, MD

Tundra Women’s Coalition Board President


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dimanche 11 mai 2014

EU MEETING: Massoud Barzani sets conditions for Kurds' participation in new Iraqi governement

10-5-2014 – Kurdpress – Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani set conditions for the central government to see the Kurds in the new government of the state that is due to be formed after the April 30 elections.  In a meeting with the head of the European Union Delegation to Iraq, Jana Hybaskova, and ambassadors and representatives of a number of EU countries in Iraq, Barzani shed light on Iraq political developments and the political process in the country.

“Before we join the government, we must receive guarantees that a number of key issues will be addressed by the new government and these include: power must lie in the council of ministers, and not in the hands of the prime minister; office of the commander in chief must be abolished, senior military commanders must be approved by the parliament; the army cannot be used for settling internal political disputes; implementation of Article 140 of the Constitution; resolution of the oil and gas dispute; funding for the Peshmarga forces; the holding of a long-overdue census,” said Barzani.

In response to a question from the French Ambassador about the participation of Kurds in the new government in Baghdad, Barzani said that the Kurds would need guarantees that their demands will be addressed.

Asked whether the Kurds will demand the post of Iraq president, Barzani said although the post is mainly ceremonial, but that it should be allocated to a candidate from the Kurdistan Region. The Kurdish president thanked the EU delegation for their visit to Kurdistan and for their endorsement of the election process. He said the EU can play an important role in strengthening the democratic process in the country.

“Your positive assessment of our elections gives us strength to continue in this path. Your support will help us address our shortcomings. The EU can play an important role in Iraq. Its role should be based on the promotion of democracy, upholding of the Constitution, and genuine power-sharing in the country. I believe this election is the last opportunity for the country to have real power-sharing and to enjoy stability. If genuine partnership is not implemented in the new government, our people will go for a referendum on a confederation in Iraq,” he went on to say in the meeting. On behalf of the EU, Ms. Jana Hybaskova thanked the KRG for their support to the more than 240,000 Syrian refugees currently living in Kurdistan and acknowledged that this has created great strain on the KRG resources. For his part, Barzani said that the KRG would continue to do what it can to support the Syrian refugees.

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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Yeats on the art of life vs writing

This excerpt from a poem called "The Choice" by W.B. Yeats is highly interesting, coming from a man of letters in the middle of life:

The intellect of man is forced to choose
Perfection of the life, or of the word
And if it take the second must refuse
A heavenly mansion, raging in the dark

Similarly he wrote this on life vs writing in his diary at some time in 1909:

"To keep these notes natural and useful to me I must keep one note from leading to another, that I may not surrender myself to literature. Every note must come as a casual thought, then it will be my life. Neither Christ nor Buddha nor Socrates wrote a book, for to do that is to exchange life for a logical process. "
I find these thoughts rather soothing as well as disturbing, as I find the balance between writing and living somewhat difficult. Not that I am a writer of any kind, but I recognize Yeats' fear of wrapping one's thoughts or insights into a larger logic, a logic aleady defined and lined up, ready to mould and melt your independent thought into a larger pattern of sorts.
This time I might actually take someone's advise and follow it. I think I will try to be conscious of this while writing in my journal - whenever that will be.

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HandyLinux 1.5.1 Adds Text Mode Installation

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The development team behind the HandyLinux operating system had the pleasure of announcing on June 30 that version 1.5.1 has been released and is now available for download. This build introduces several new features, updated packages, and fixes various bugs.

Read more

More in Tux Machines

Red Hat and Fedora

Linux Kernel News

  • Linux Foundation smushes two smaller projects together to form Open Networking Automation Platform
    The Linux Foundation announced yesterday that it had combined open source ECOMP and the Open Orchestrator Project into ONAP, the Open Networking Automation Platform, with the aim of helping users automate network service delivery, design, and service through a unified standard. Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation, said that ONAP should be a boon to enterprise IT departments, thanks to improved speed and flexibility.
  • Linux Foundation merges Open Source ECOMP, OPEN-O, further harmonizes virtualization group efforts
    Open source ECOMP and the Open Orchestrator Project (OPEN-O) have merged to create the new Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) Project, further harmonizing the ever-growing array of disparate virtualization groups. ONAP will allow end users to automate, design, orchestrate, and manage services and virtual functions.
  • I am a Cranky, White, Male Feminist
    Today, I was re-reading an article from 2014 by Leslie Hawthorne which had been reshared by the Linux Foundation Facebook account yesterday in honor of #GirlDay2017 (which I was regrettably unaware of until it was over). It wasn’t so much the specific content of the article that got me thinking, but instead the level of discourse that it “inspired” on the Facebook thread that pointed me there (I will not link to it as it is unpleasant and reflects poorly on The Linux Foundation, an organization which is in most circumstances largely benevolent).
  • encyclopedia snabb and the case of the foreign drivers
    Peoples of the blogosphere, welcome back to the solipsism! Happy 2017 and all that. Today's missive is about Snabb (formerly Snabb Switch), a high-speed networking project we've been working on at work for some years now. What's Snabb all about you say? Good question and I have a nice answer for you in video and third-party textual form! This year I managed to make it to in lovely Tasmania. Tasmania is amazing, with wild wombats and pademelons and devils and wallabies and all kinds of things, and they let me talk about Snabb.

Security News

  • Security updates for Friday
  • [Older] Microsoft Delays February Patch Tuesday Updates Until Next Month
    It was created by Microsoft as a way to have a standard delivery date/schedule for updates that were being provided for the companies software. This allowed a lot of stability for users and IT Pros so they could be prepared for the monthly distribution oof the updates. Well this month Microsoft has hit a snag with their monthly Patch Tuesday.
  • Watershed SHA1 collision just broke the WebKit repository, others may follow
    The bug resides in Apache SVN, an open source version control system that WebKit and other large software development organizations use to keep track of code submitted by individual members. Often abbreviated as SVN, Subversion uses SHA1 to track and merge duplicate files. Somehow, SVN systems can experience a severe glitch when they encounter the two PDF files published Thursday, proving that real-world collisions on SHA1 are now practical.
  • Cloudflare Reverse Proxies are Dumping Uninitialized Memory
    Thanks to Josh Triplett for sending us this Google Project Zero report about a dump of unitialized memory caused by Cloudflare's reverse proxies. "A while later, we figured out how to reproduce the problem. It looked like that if an html page hosted behind cloudflare had a specific combination of unbalanced tags, the proxy would intersperse pages of uninitialized memory into the output (kinda like heartbleed, but cloudflare specific and worse for reasons I'll explain later). My working theory was that this was related to their "ScrapeShield" feature which parses and obfuscates html - but because reverse proxies are shared between customers, it would affect *all* Cloudflare customers. We fetched a few live samples, and we observed encryption keys, cookies, passwords, chunks of POST data and even HTTPS requests for other major cloudflare-hosted sites from other users. Once we understood what we were seeing and the implications, we immediately stopped and contacted cloudflare security. "
  • Secure your system with SELinux
    SELinux is well known as the most sophisticated Linux Mandatory Access Control (MAC) System. If you install any Fedora or Redhat operating System it is enabled by default and running in enforcing mode. So far so good.

Android Leftovers


text:
Create Now - Video and Adobe Premiere Pro

  • Products Covered:
  • Premiere Pro
  • Prelude
  • Creative Cloud
About This Episode
In this latest instalment of the Create Now online event series, we take you through the latest exciting developments in our video technologies. With video guru Jon Barrie, we take some sneak peeks at the new technologies within Adobe® Premiere® Pro and get a masterclass in creating amazing video content with Adobe Creative Cloud™ tools.

Get the latest tutorials, information and more about any Adobe cloud solution on Adobe Learn.

Copyright © 2017 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Use of this website signifies your agreement to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Cookies


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->''"When news breaks, we fix it!"''

[[LongRunners Long-running]] satirical news program on Creator/ComedyCentral.

Instead of a straight-up NewsParody, a la ''[[Series/SaturdayNightLive Weekend Update]]'', the program merely relates the actual news in a humorous tone, with special attention paid to the antics and gaffes of politicians and public figures, as well as the reactions of major news shows (particularly [[TwentyFourHourNewsNetworks 24-hour news channels]]) which range from the theatrical to the absurd.

The main anchor is currently Trevor Noah (who took over in 2015, replacing [[Creator/JonStewart Jon]] [[Series/TheDailyShowWithJonStewart Stewart]], who in turn took over in 1999, replacing [[ThePeteBest Craig Kilborn]]), but it's launched a few careers among its correspondents. Creator/SteveCarell and Ed Helms are successful alums, and Creator/StephenColbert got his own {{spinoff}} program called ''Series/TheColbertReport'' (a parody of confrontational talk programs such as ''Series/TheOReillyFactor'') which became a runaway success leading him to be picked [[Series/TheLateShowWithStephenColbert to take over]] for Creator/DavidLetterman. Two other ''Daily Show'' alums were given their own Comedy Central shows, Creator/LewisBlack's ''[[Series/RootOfAllEvil Root of All Evil]]'' and the critically acclaimed ''Series/ImportantThingsWithDemetriMartin''. The show's writing staff has also published two books in connection to the show, both parodies of high-school textbooks; they are ''[[Literature/AmericaTheBook America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide To Democracy Inaction]]'' from 2004 and ''[[Literature/EarthTheBook Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide To The Human Race]]'' from 2010.

Before you dismiss it as silliness, the show gets some astonishingly important guests--Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ([[AmericanPoliticalSystem D-NY]]), former Senator Secretary of State UsefulNotes/HillaryRodhamClinton (also D-NY), her husband and former President of the United States UsefulNotes/BillClinton, Representative UsefulNotes/RonPaul (R-TX) (three times, most recently in 2011), former [[UsefulNotes/TheMenOfDowningStreet UK Prime Minister]] UsefulNotes/TonyBlair, Senator UsefulNotes/JohnKerry (D-MA) (when he was running for the U.S. Presidency in 2004), UsefulNotes/BarackObama (2005, and again in 2008 when he was seeking the presidency, and again after being elected 2010 as well as 2012 and 2015 while sitting President), Mayor of London UsefulNotes/BorisJohnson, Senator John [=McCain=] (R-AZ) (many, many times, including 2008), the King of Jordan Abdullah II (twice, in 2010 and 2012), Vice President Joe Biden (in 2009), former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf ''while he was still president'' (who is not even the first sitting head of state to be interviewed)- and none other than current UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, to name a few.

To top it all off, despite being a comedy show, the program has received acclaim for its in-depth reporting, to the point where it is said that its regular viewers are often better informed than those who watch more traditional newscasts. True or not, this notion certainly frustrates Stewart himself to no end. If you glean your news headlines from this show, just remember to never take the "correspondents" at face value.

Current episodes can be watched (for now) free in the US [[http://www.cc.com/shows/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah on Comedy Central's website]] . In Canada, it is available at [[http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca the Comedy Network's site]]. The show is also available on {{Hulu}}.

In March 2013, Stewart announced that [[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/05/jon-stewart-taking-hiatus-from-daily-show-to-direct-film-rosewater-this-summer_n_2812933.html he would be taking a three-month hiatus]] from hosting the show in order to direct his first-ever feature film, ''Film/{{Rosewater}}''. Regular correspondent Creator/JohnOliver filled in as host in June and August of 2013 before Stewart returned on September 3, 2013. The added exposure from hosting the show prompted Creator/{{HBO}} to offer him his own show. Oliver left ''The Daily Show'' (taking some of ''The Daily Show'' writers with him) in late 2013, and his new show, ''Series/LastWeekTonightWithJohnOliver'', premiered in April, 2014.

In May 2014, Comedy Central announced that ''Daily Show'' contributor Creator/LarryWilmore would have his own spinoff titled ''Series/TheNightlyShow'', which premiered in January 2015, taking ''The Colbert Report'''s former spot. Jon Stewart's production company, [=BusBoy=], produces the show, with Rory Albanese, who produced ''The Daily Show'' for many years, executive producing.

In February 2015, Jon Stewart announced that he would retire, although the ''Daily Show'' will go on. In March 2015, Comedy Central announced that Trevor Noah would succeed him as host. Jon's last episode as host aired August 6, 2015, and Trevor's first show as host aired September 28, 2015.

For tropes for specific series, please go to their respective pages:
* ''Series/TheDailyShowWithJonStewart''
* ''Series/TheDailyShowWithTrevorNoah''

Not to be confused with ''WebVideo/TheDalyShow''. While we're at it, Stewart himself is not to be confused with that African-American ComicBook/GreenLantern, or the singer/songwriter best remembered for writing Music/TheMonkees' "DaydreamBeliever".
!!Tropes that apply to the Craig Kilborn years or ''The Daily Show'' as a whole:
* AscendedExtra: All replacement hosts appeared on interview segments before taking the reins or getting a show of their own on whether on Comedy Central or another network:
** Jon Stewart, who guest-starred at least twice during the Craig Kilborn-era, for the interview segments.
** John Oliver was just a correspondent for a time, until taking a host role when Stewart was filming ''Rosewater''. He later gets his own show Series/LastWeekTonight.
** Trevor Noah also acted as a correspondent months before being announced as the new host.
** Stephen Colbert, Larry Wilmore, Dave Attell, Lewis Black and Demetri Martin were all correspondents as well, and every one of them has hosted their own show on Comedy Central.
** Samantha Bee also gets her own show on TBS.
* CanonDiscontinuity: The show's website has virtually every clip of the show since Jon Stewart became host, none from when Craig Kilborn was host. Averted during Stewart's finale, as Kilborn is one of the many people from the show's past who appeared.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The show was completely different when Craig Kilborn was host. It was more of a parody of local news programs, with a focus on entertainment. The field pieces generally set their sights on obscure weirdos rather than public figures or activists, so the mockery came across as much more mean-spirited. The show as a whole had a meaner, more condescending tone, most noticeably in Kilborn's personality and interviewing style. Each episode was also much more standardized, with Kilborn running through the same named segments in each episode and ending each interview with "Five Questions." There was also no audience for the first season of the show, and any laughter heard were offscreen cast and crew. Kilborn's name was also never attached to the show title. Once Jon Stewart took over, he gradually shifted the focus to satire, did away with most of the pre-existing segments, and significantly changed the tone. Stewart's early shows are somewhat jarring, though; they are essentially Stewart doing Kilborn's show, as the series' evolution into political satire didn't really take off until Indecision 2000.
* EveryEpisodeEnding: "Here it is, your moment of zen." During Kilborn's run, the clip was usually a ridiculous or surreal non sequitur, while Jon Stewart and Trevor Noah have both used a funny or ironic news clips that is usually related to something covered previously.

--> Now here it is, your moment of zen:

--> '''Waldorf''': Hey, do you think we could get on this show?
--> '''Statler''': Hm. They only let Muppets on if they're in Guantanamo Bay... or Republicans!
--> '''Waldorf''': Uh... well, [[TakeThat I best start packing for Cuba then]]!
--> '''[[JustForFun/StatlerAndWaldorf Both]]''': [[MemeticMutation Doh-ho-ho-ho-ho!]]


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Video Game / Mr. Bones

Mr. Bones is a multi-genre video game released on the Sega Saturn in 1996. It was developed by Zono Incorporated and was published by Sega. Guitarist Ronnie Montrose composed most of the game's music and appears in one cutscene. Though the game wasn't much of a success during its release, it has since become a Cult Classic due in part to its campy cutscenes, great music, and its genuinely fun and inventive gameplay.

The game's plot is about a man named DaGoulian who wishes to end the conflict between good and evil by creating a world of pure evil. To do this, he uses energy named Skeletism in order to raise an army of undead skeletons that he commands using a set of special drums. However, the title character is re-animated with blue Skeletism rather than red Skeletism, causing him to retain his free will. Being considered an impurity, DaGoulian orders his minions to eliminate him. After escaping, he finds a blind guitarist in the woods who gives him a guitar to help him. Mr. Bones thus sets out to stop DaGoulian once and for all.

Mr. Bones contains examples of:

  • Auto-Scrolling Level: "Grave Escape" and "Rolling Logs" take place in a 2D plane, while "Underwater Ride" and "Hall of Pane" take place in a 3D plane.
  • Beard of Evil: DaGoulian.
  • Big Bad: DaGoulian, a vampire who wishes to cleanse the world in evil using a skeletal army of darkness.
  • Breaking the Fourth Wall:
    • Mr. Bones addresses the players a couple of times in the ending.
    • This also occurs in one of the Easter Eggs, where DaGoulian tells the player to play the game anyway while there's still time left.
  • The Cameo:
    • Ronnie Montrose, the game's composer, appears in a cutscene as the blind man in the cabin.
    • In the "Glass Shards" stage, the man providing the philosophical rant about what it means to have the blues is none other than the late and blind musician Paul Pena.
  • Camera Screw: The stage "From Beneath The Ice", which is Exactly What It Says on the Tin.
  • Chekhov's Gun: The guitar Mr. Bones is given, which magically disappears on a whim and reappears when he's in a pinch.
  • Cue the Sun: Happens in the ending. Since DaGoulian has vampire blood, it kills him.
  • Dem Bones: The main character, as well as DaGoulian's army.
  • Easter Egg: Playing the game in an audio player reveals two tracks: One where DaGoulian goes into a coherent Motive Rant, and one with Mr. Bones reminiscing about what he remembers from his past life.
  • Escape Sequence: "From Beneath The Ice", where Mr. Bones has to outrun the crumbling Icy Lake.
  • Evil Sounds Deep: DaGoulian.
  • The Exile: When Mr. Bones breaks into DaGoulian's lair, the stained glass windows depict the vampire's life, showing he was exiled from his village for his scientific research.
  • Full Motion Video: Although the game uses them for cutscenes, Auto-Scrolling Levels incorporate using video as backgrounds while placing Mr. Bones' model on them.
  • Fun Personified: The affable and easygoing Mr. Bones. For someone who says he's got the blues and for all the weird stuff he goes through, he's always in good spirits and keeps his sense of humor throughout the whole game.
  • Gameplay Roulette: Almost every stage plays differently, with the sole exceptions being five platformer levels.
  • Happily Ever After: In the ending, Mr. Bones summons the portal to Wraith World to (un-)live with the Wraith.
    Mr. Bones: Now she has no body, and I have no skin... Hoho! It could work out! It! Could! Happen! Ha ha ha!
  • Huge Holographic Head: DaGoulian uses one in the intro.
  • Innocent Blue Eyes: Mr. Bones' blue eyes signify that he is not evil. The dinosaur skeleton's eyes also turn blue after you complete the "Dry Moat" level and he becomes good. And intelligent. Same goes after Mr. Bones plays a song for the Wraith.
  • Instant Expert: Mr. Bones goes from not knowing what a guitar is to playing an advanced blues rock solo in seconds. The aforementioned Easter Egg implies this was probably due to banjo-playing experience in his previous life.
  • Large Ham: DaGoulian, especially in the ending.
  • Lilliputians: Mr. Bones encounters a village of these in a cave, which he must protect from being kidnapped by spiders.
    Mr. Bones: Kidnapped by spiders? Oh, the weirdness never stops!
  • Longevity Treatment: DaGoulian used vampire blood in order to prolong his life long enough to complete his evil plan.
  • Living Shadow: In "Shadow Monster", Mr. Bones is attacked by several of these.
  • Mad Scientist: DaGoulian, who discovered Vampirism after he was exiled for studying alchemy, and discovered Skeletism by combining the two. As the Easter Egg reveals, he comes to the conclusion that science trumps all morality. See Well-Intentioned Extremist below.
  • Nice Guy: Mr. Bones doesn't have a single bad bone in his body, and prefers to fight using The Power of Rock and laughter.
  • Nintendo Hard: Mr. Bones only has one life and there are no continues, but fortunately there's a level select available so you can go right back to where you left off. Most stages are unique in their mechanics, controls and objectives, but players are dropped in with no explanation to what they are and they will likely be sent back to the title screen before figuring out what they're supposed to do. The Japanese version remedies this by explaining things during the loading screens and toning down the difficulty.
  • The Power of Rock:
    • Mr. Bones' guitar is used to distract an army of skeletons, serenade a wraith, and absorb and redirect the Final Boss's attacks.
    • DaGoulian has an evil variant, as he uses drums to control his skeletal army of darkness. Mr. Bones accidentally opens a portal to another world with them.
  • Protagonist Title
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning: Skeletons reanimated with Skeletism have red eyes, except for the main character. DaGoulian gets these as well due to his vampirism. The game over sequence shows Mr. Bones succumbing to these.
  • Rhythm Game: The Guitar Solo stage, where the face buttons play different guitar riffs. As long as they're pressed with the beat, the player can cancel them out and get as creative as they please. The stage ends with many skeletons raising candles.
  • Rule of Three: Three consecutive platformer stages: "Night of the Bats", "Dawn of the Bats", and "Day of the Bats".
  • Self-Disposing Villain: DaGoulian. After Mr. Bones nearly ruins his plans, the vampire goes on a rant about good versus evil, not realizing the sun is rising behind him. Mr. Bones even tries warning him repeatedly about his imminent demise, but DaGoulian ignores him and keeps talking. By the time he notices, it's too late and he burns to a crisp.
    Mr. Bones: Not much of a listener, was he?
  • Skeletal Musician: A skeletal blues musician. Our protagonist, Mr. Bones.
  • Slippy-Slidey Ice World: "The Icy Lake" and "From Beneath The Ice".
  • Stock Shticks: The penultimate stage, "Funny Bones", has Mr. Bones give DaGoulian's skeletal army of darkness an attitude adjustment using the power of laughter, requiring the player to string together jokes using the face buttons. Most revolve around Mr. Bones making puns, but he'll also engage in Knock Knock Jokes, "walk into a bar" jokes, anecdotes, Black Comedy, and even ask variants of why the chicken crossed the road. And being a Skeletal Musician, he also takes shots at drummers.
  • Suddenly Voiced: The dinosaur skeleton once he's freed.
  • Top-Down View: "The Icy Lake" and "Skeletism Generator" stages. Inverted with "From Beneath the Ice."
  • Unexpected Shmup Level: "Skeletism Generator"
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: The Easter Egg reveals DaGoulian to be this. Specifically, his plan is to have evil reign over the world for as long as it takes for the seeds of good to sprout and flourish stronger than ever.
    • Motive Decay: When DaGoulian suffers a Villainous Breakdown after his plans are ruined, it's clear by this point that he holds nothing but contempt for the very concept of good.


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Open Internet Explorer without Home Page

Posted in Windows XP by Community Submission

1. Create a shortcut to the Internet Explorer executable and place it on the desktop or quick launch area.

2. Right click the shortcut and select Properties.

3. Change the "target" value to "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE" -nohome

Note: Substitute C:\ for the drive letter Program Files is present on.

Originally posted by simonize

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Lunchhhhhh time....
Lessons in start-up success from @Lord_Sugar and Henry Ford:
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The remaining copies of @BlackSabbath's #TheEnd Tour Exclusive cd now at 10% of every all sales to @StJudeResearch
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I hope you enjoyed tonight's episode as much as i did @DamasJewellery #nancyajram #arabidol #mbc
On March 15th, get a glimpse at #BlackBerry AtHoc in action. Register here to join the webinar:
Brand new @LipsyLondon collection available NOW!!! #LA #hollywood 🎀☀�O3
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Back to the UK this August for Reading & Leeds ’17! Tickets:
Fishing with my bro @DylanEfron and the boys. Life's good
Live tweet with us during the #GlobalSpinAwards hosted by @Tip tonight at 10pm ET!
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Transgender Rights Rally At Stonewall Thursday Night After Trump Revokes Public School Protections…
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Spain won the tournament! (We adopted Matic as he was lonely) and Thibaut Courtois is basically Spanish. We beat Brazil in the final 😎Y
Caramel udah siap banget dateng ke Gala Premiere #LondonLoveStory2 di Plaza Senayan XXI. See Youu..... 😘8
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CIA plan to overthrow Syria by provoking sectarian tensions (1986) Full doc (PDF):… More:…
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.@noisepop's Kevin Arnold takes over our Instagram tomorrow & Friday giving us a backstage pass to SF’s fave indie festival #SkypeTogether
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🗓 February 25, 2007:@theowalcottt's first Arsenal goale
The annual #ParmCrack is today! Check w/ local store for when they'll be cracking (& sampling) The King of #Cheese.
Will Andrew Garfield and Ryan Reynolds recreate their kiss at the #Oscars? We're saying there's no chance...
Batteries are full of energy. Especially if you explode them with a blowtorch.
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News »

Discuss  | Bury | Tagged: interior design home house
With regards to getting home improvements, a lot of people may think that it really is extremely expensive. That there are too many items needed to be done to achieve whatever design they may wish to have for their houses. Having this mindset would avert a lot of people from a minimum of looking to make modifications in their houses and would just settle for mediocre styles. But there are a great deal of methods you can employ to be able to achieve that design you need without having getting to spend a lot. Getting creative, getting the proper resources, and with all the aid of interior design specialists are what you would want in order for this to be feasible. Most of the people wish to get practical today and a practical property interior design would absolutely aid a whole lot for those who've a tight price range.

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Unravel Is Super Cute with Melancholy Undertones

Cute level is over 9000

During EA’s E3 2015 conferece, Martin Sahlin from Coldwood Interacive showed off the super cute Unravel, a puzzle platformer.

The game focuses on Yarny, the super cute character that you’ll be taking control of in Unravel. Yarny will ‘unravel’ himself in order to find the proper path through each of the levels.

The gameplay is all physics based and may have simple solutions such as swinging from one side of a gap to another with the yarn, or it could be a lot more complex than that by creating some bizarre structure. You’ll use yourself (I guess) to find your way through all manner of levels in Unravel, but fear not the scenery and look of the game is incredible and adorable. Regardless of how cute the game looks however, the melancholy music of the game did seem to suggest that the game isn’t as happy and all adorable as it may seem. We’ll just have to wait and see when more details of the game are revealed.

The game had a beautiful look to it and definitely showed off what Sahlin was talking about when he said the game mechanic is focused primarily on the yarn from Yarny. Check out the reveal below.

What do you think of Unravel? Has it peaked your interest? Let us know in the comments below.

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Help is on the way, or is it?

The Twins plan to add eight players to the roster now that the Rochester Red Wings season has ended. The team plans to recall LHP Logan Darnell, RHP Michael Tonkin, C Josmil Pinto, C/OF Chris Herrmann and OF Aaron Hicks. Additionally the Twins will select the contracts of RHP Lester Oliveros, RHP A.J. Achter and INF Doug Bernier.

Also joining the Twins will be Triple-A hitting coach Tim Doherty from September 2-14 while Red Wings Manager Gene Glynn will be with the Twins from September 15-28.

Aaron Hicks

Aaron Hicks

Not much to get excited about here, just think how different things could have been had Byron Buxton. Miguel Sano, and Alex Meyer not been injured this year. Then again maybe we would not have seen Danny Santana and Kennys Vargas step up in the way they have so far this year. It will be interesting to see if Hicks has improved, he did well in New Britain and in Rochester for a while before he cooled off. When Rochester was making a push for a wild-card spot late in the season Hicks was not always a regular in that line-up.

This entry was posted in General Blogging and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.


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000Hart's Stats

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SBHNALLH (@000Hart) Twitter

SBHNALLH Twitter Stats

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اللهم أنت الواهب لاسواك والمعطي لمن دعاك يا من ترانا ولانراك وتعطينا ولانبلغ ثناك، اجعل كل أيامنا في حسن عبادتك واختم لنا بغفرانك

saudi Arabia

  • Worldwide Rank #49,135,269
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SBHNALLH's story

SBHNALLH, also known as @000Hart has a reasonably significant presence on Twitter and is ranked by us in the 30% percentile for account strength. Active on Twitter since August 2012, SBHNALLH made it to having a respectable 232 Twitter followers and to being ranked 49,135,269 for number of followers among all Twitter users.

Uh-oh... seems like someone has fallen asleep while on duty and is dropping in social relevance. The plot thickens when considering SBHNALLH's follower-to-following ratio, which is 2.49.

Tweeting is apparently one of @000Hart's favorite pastimes, with an average of 197 tweet(s) per day in the past 30 days. However this seems to be a big change from a total of 7,172 since @000Hart joined Twitter.

This account is tracked by us Only October 2013. As of February 25 2017 we track 271.152.322 Twitter accounts, so feel free to search for other accounts you're interested in and reveal their Twitter story!

#49M Worldwide Rank
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@000Hart has posted 0 tweets in the last 30 days, which translates to an average of 0 tweets per day.

SBHNALLH Twitter Followers

@000Hart has 232 followers on Twitter.
This account is #49,135,269 in the worldwide rank of the most popular Twitter users.

SBHNALLH Following on Twitter

@000Hart is following 93 Twitter accounts.
Last month this account stopped following 284 users.

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@000Hart will hit 228 followers in the next 3 months, and 215 in one year.

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  • Worldwide Rank #147,126,911
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Sigridsmit, also known as @007sieg has a reasonably significant presence on Twitter and is ranked by us in the 30% percentile for account strength. Active on Twitter since June 2011, Sigridsmit made it to having a respectable 37 Twitter followers and to being ranked 147,126,911 for number of followers among all Twitter users.

The plot thickens when considering Sigridsmit's follower-to-following ratio, which is 0.55.

From a tweeting perspective, @007sieg is a casual user, with an average of 7 tweet(s) per day in the past 30 days. That's pretty consistent with a total of 526 since @007sieg joined Twitter.

This account is tracked by us for quite some time now, actually since January 2012. As of February 25 2017 we track 271.152.322 Twitter accounts, so feel free to search for other accounts you're interested in and reveal their Twitter story!

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Sigridsmit Tweets

@007sieg has posted 0 tweets in the last 11 days, which translates to an average of 0 tweets per day.

Sigridsmit Twitter Followers

@007sieg has 37 followers on Twitter.
This account is #147,126,911 in the worldwide rank of the most popular Twitter users.

Sigridsmit Following on Twitter

@007sieg is following 67 Twitter accounts.
Last month this account followed 13 users.

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半谷 伸雄 (@0118Nobuo) Twitter

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  • Worldwide Rank #240,270,679
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半谷 伸雄's story

半谷 伸雄, also known as @0118Nobuo has a reasonably significant presence on Twitter and is ranked by us in the 40% percentile for account strength. Active on Twitter since June 2014, 半谷 伸雄 made it to having a respectable 0 Twitter followers and to being ranked 240,270,679 for number of followers among all Twitter users.

The plot thickens when considering 半谷 伸雄's follower-to-following ratio, which is 0. Which is not surprising given this account's audience size.

From a tweeting perspective, @0118Nobuo is a casual user, with an average of 16 tweet(s) per day in the past 30 days. That's pretty consistent with a total of 51 since @0118Nobuo joined Twitter.

This account is tracked by us Only June 2014. As of February 25 2017 we track 271.152.322 Twitter accounts, so feel free to search for other accounts you're interested in and reveal their Twitter story!

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@0118Nobuo has posted 0 tweets in the last 3 days, which translates to an average of 0 tweets per day.

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@0118Nobuo has 0 followers on Twitter.
This account is #240,270,679 in the worldwide rank of the most popular Twitter users.

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Last month this account followed no users.

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Twitter Counter is the #1 Twitter stats site powered by Twitter. It all started in June 12, 2008 and we grew rather rapidly because of our Twitter Counter badge. The button is a nice small image that shows your visitors how many followers you have on Twitter. Within a year the button was on many many blogs around the world and we displayed more than 100 million buttons in one month. We track follower stats for over 271.152.322 users now.


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AndrisLagsdin's Stats

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Andris Lagsdin Twitter Stats

@AndrisLagsdin - Tracking Andris Lagsdin Twitter profile since February 1, 2011

creator of the ultra-conductive @bakingsteel & Griddle. pizza, yoga and good vibes. Instagram @andrislagsdin

snapchat: andrislagsdin

  • Worldwide Rank #7,788,185
  • Follower/Following Ratio 2.06
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Andris Lagsdin, also known as @AndrisLagsdin has a reasonably significant presence on Twitter and is ranked by us in the 30% percentile for account strength. Active on Twitter since January 2011, Andris Lagsdin made it to having a respectable 1,444 Twitter followers and to being ranked 7,788,185 for number of followers among all Twitter users.

Good on ya, @AndrisLagsdin for keeping strong! The plot thickens when considering Andris Lagsdin's follower-to-following ratio, which is 2.06.

@AndrisLagsdin doesn't tweet all that much, with an average of 1 tweet(s) per day in the past 30 days. However this seems to be a big change from a total of 4,460 since @AndrisLagsdin joined Twitter.

This account is tracked by us for quite some time now, actually since February 2011. As of February 25 2017 we track 271.152.322 Twitter accounts, so feel free to search for other accounts you're interested in and reveal their Twitter story!

#7M Worldwide Rank
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0.6% Follower
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Daily average: 0 followers, + 1 tweets, 0 following.

Andris Lagsdin Tweets

@AndrisLagsdin has posted 22 tweets in the last 30 days, which translates to an average of 0.7 tweets per day.

Andris Lagsdin Twitter Followers

@AndrisLagsdin has 1,444 followers on Twitter.
This account is #7,788,185 in the worldwide rank of the most popular Twitter users.

Andris Lagsdin Following on Twitter

@AndrisLagsdin is following 700 Twitter accounts.
Last month this account followed 3 users.

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@AndrisLagsdin will hit 1,461 followers in the next 3 months, and 1,513 in one year.

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Why don't you give it a try and compare Andris Lagsdin to yourself ? Or if you are Andris Lagsdin get even more feature rich & up-to-date stats with our premium Twitter Stats.

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[News] Ming Dao Forced to Repay Brother’s Astronomical Debt.

[News] Ming Dao Forced to Repay Brother’s Astronomical Debt.
Cr. - jaynestars

From an outsider’s perspective, Taiwanese actor Ming Dao (明道) appears to be one of the most successful artists in the industry. He was honorably discharged from the Taiwanese military in January, and his period drama Beauties of the Emperor <王的女人> is slated to begin airing in Taiwan on March 6. Moreover, he is so popular in mainland China that filming a 30-episode-long drama can net him a total of 40 million RMB.

However, it was recently revealed that Ming Dao’s elder brother, Michael Lin (林明弘), borrowed up to 6.5 million RMB and then skipped town, leaving Ming Dao to bear the burden of his debt.

Ever since Ming Dao was young, his family has reportedly suffered from substandard financial circumstances. Starting from fifth grade, he had to set up a vendor’s stall in the street to help his family eke out a living. Despite his success in the entertainment industry, Ming Dao’s many accomplishments have been undercut by the financial ineptitude of his family, whose debts he has been helping to repay these past years.

The worst offender in his family is likely his unemployed elder brother, Michael, who racked up a debt of 6.5 million RMB by exploiting Ming Dao’s celebrity status in order to take out loans. To make up for his dabbling in the stock market, Michael had to use his family’s household registration certificate and his vehicle registration as collateral. He even went so far as to say that Ming Dao would be able to repay the debt for him, even though Ming Dao already covers his monthly living expenses. After borrowing 4 million RMB from one creditor, Michael seized the money and fled, forcing his younger brother to shoulder the debt.

Despite this taxing burden, Ming Dao is unwilling to let his family suffer, choosing instead to single-handedly support all six members of his family. In the past, he purchased both a mansion and a car for his parents, and it is suggested that he “evaded” his compulsory military service for so long because he wanted to find a place for his family to settle down before he enlisted. One staff member shared a touching story of how Ming Dao received a bowl of high-quality chicken broth during work, but was reluctant to drink it because he wanted his family members to have a sip as well.

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Thursday, June 27, 2013

Has the Ship Sailed?

Have you found that other social media has usurped the time you used to spend blogging? We all tend to run to Facebook or Twitter or Instagram nowadays before we check our blog feeds. I suppose that's a reflection of the latest trend to absorb life in soundbytes rather than real, long, thoughtful conversation. In the fast-paced, busy-ness, face time with friends and family requires intention. I'm not suggesting that's bad. I'm merely making an observation.

I've found that intention to be much more difficult myself. I would venture to owe most of that to a desire to spend more time at home with the little one & the hubby. I certainly don't blow & go as much as I used to and it's not rocket science that some of my friendships have suffered greatly for it. I'm sad about that, but at the same time, I'm also very glad for the quality family time. I can say that I'm making a more consorted effort to make those connections now that M is older.

All of this is to say that my dedication, should you wish to go so far as to call it that, to blogging has fallen by the wayside. I have stories to tell. Oh yes. I'm merely debating whether I want them told or whether this storytelling venue, if you will, has run its course. Does anyone still check in here? Do you want to continue to see content? Or am I going to stick to two-second snippets on Facebook & Instagram? The choice is yours. I can be swayed either way.

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Formerly called UAForver

NEWS 2007

(some inks may not work anymore)

The new version of Dungeon Craft, .914 has been released. It contains bugfixes, new features and a lot of new default art. See the Release Notes for full details.

The winners of the second DC Media contest have been announce. Congratulations to Dinonykos, Telwyn, Sigrid Elias and manikus! The winning entries, along with the winning entries from the first Art contest, are available in a single download at in a file called Please read the included text file for full credits for each included art file and for instructions on use.

The first of many planned DC Art Add-ons has been uploaded to This add-on is called and contains 50 PC icons covering both female and male characters for all default races and default allowable classes. Credit for the icons goes to manikus, Dan Autery, hans and Jorg Weber. To use these icons, please read the included PC_icons.txt file.

The DC art base for the 1024x768 resolution is now available for download from It contains new art for the 1024x768 resoltion in all of the types of graphics for Dungeon Craft, including 6 character portrait small pics, 1 big pic, 2 sprites, 1 overland map, frames, default camp and treasure pics, title image, 6 backdrops, and 6 walls with 3 door overlays.

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United Academics of the University of Oregon

AAUP/AFT Local 3209, AFL-CIO

Who are we?
United Academics represents the 1700 teaching and research faculty at the University of Oregon.

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Read the union newsletter. We keep it live, local, and late breaking, so check back frequently.

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Join the union!
The majority of faculty in all classifications join the union as full members.

Learn about union membership

We completed bargaining with the university in August 2015. We start bargaining again in winter 2018.

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Elections for all union positions are now underway. Nominate, run, vote.

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Academic Freedom
Academic Freedom is complicated in concept and practice. We've drafted a primer on the current state of legal thinking about academic freedom and how it impacts our faculty.

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UA has adopted a strategic plan to improve social justice and equity on our campus.

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We stay active in local, state, and national politics.

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Lauren Mulholland

Lauren MulhollandAs IU senior Lauren Mulholland, a fashion merchandising major with minors in business and graphic design, explains it, “My dad always told me that if I did my homework and gave my all, then the rest is up to God.”

Mulholland has been doing her homework and giving her all, and by securing a summer internship with Urban Outfitters, the parent company of Anthropologie, a women’s apparel store headquartered in Philadelphia, she feels that she is definitely on the right track.

“When I went for the interview I was not expecting the competition to be so stiff,” Mulholland said. “Some of the other applicants were coming from prestigious fashion schools from all across the country and had never before heard of Immaculata. I firmly believe that the education and values that Immaculata and my supportive parents instilled in me is what gave me the strength and confidence to stand out among the others.”

Mulholland developed a passion for Anthropologie while studying the brand during a semester spent abroad at the London College of Fashion. “Anthropologie has such a unique feel,” she said. “Their visual displays are so incredible; you feel as though you’re on some sort of global retreat, and the merchandise has an eclectic, worldly feel—it looks like something you could never find anywhere else. The Urban Corporation promotes both creativity and individuality in a corporate environment, which is so rare to find.”

Mulholland’s fashion degree will equip her to handle the duties of the internship, which include buying apparel that will increase the profitability of the retailer and support corporate initiatives.

“What I find most interesting about buying,” said Mulholland, “is that buyers have to determine what customers will like before they even know they like it. They must really know the target customer and exactly what they like while still incorporating the trends of the season. The buyers are ultimately the ones who determine the profitability of the company.”

The travel involved in working as a buyer also appeals to Mulholland, who visited Paris, Italy, Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands during her semester in London. “If I hadn’t studied abroad,” she said, “I would not have been exposed to some incredible places.”

Mulholland’s independent and adventurous spirit was apparent very early on. “By the age of three I was dressing myself,” she said. “By the time I was in preschool my outfit choices had become so elaborate that I often made my mom late for work because I spent so much time perfecting my look. And I was always the queen of accessories.

“My mother told me that I inherited my sense of style from my great Aunt Mary who lived during the 1920s,” said Mulholland. “I only knew her when I was very young, but I recall her having such a glamorous essence whenever she entered a room. When she passed, she left me rhinestone jewelry that she had made herself, vintage accessories and, of course, that sense of style.”

As a child, Mulholland was involved in dance and theater, but admitted that as much as she enjoyed performing, what she really loved were the costumes. “My favorite part of each show was getting to wear and see all of the different costumes,” she said. “I was drawn to different colors, textures and fabrics, and I found it fascinating how much of an impact the costumes made on the performance.”

Though Mulholland is “more into the business aspect of fashion” than sewing or designing, her trained and discriminating eye can zero in on what makes a clothing line popular. “One of my favorite designers is Jason Wu,” she said. “He uses clean, classic lines when creating his elegant garments, and his collections flow so cohesively down the runway.”

Stella McCartney is another of Mulholland’s favorites. “She uses fun prints, interesting silhouettes, and always evokes a feminine feel.”

Mulholland now looks forward to bringing all of her native fashion sensibilities, education and skills to bear on her exciting life beyond graduation. “I have been taught the importance of hard work and dedication,” she said. “When I interned at an Anthropologie store prior to applying for the buying internship, I showed up early, stayed late, and gave my all to any assignment I was given.”

Her advice to any fashion merchandising major is simple and straightforward: “Be open to different aspects of the industry until you find the right fit. Take advantage of any opportunity to work with industry professionals, and if you can study abroad, do it. Even though you may hit some speed bumps along the way, never lose sight of your goals.”

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Author: Cesar Molina

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Symphony Youth Concert

The Immaculata Symphony, a university-community organization, held its annual Youth Concert entitled The Composer is Dead, on Sunday, February 10, 2013, at 3 p.m. in Alumnae Hall.   Joseph Gehring conducted and Daniel Williams served as narrator.

The Composer is Dead is an exciting and perplexing murder mystery.  Based on the book by Lemony Snicket and composed by Nathaniel Stookey, participants helped solve the mystery by joining the inspector (played by narrator, Daniel Williams) as he interrogated all the unusual suspects.  Since each section of the orchestra seemed to have a motive or alibi, The Composer is Dead kept the audience guessing who was responsible until the very end.  Also on the program was the Internet Symphony No. 1 “Eroica” composed by Tan Dun (composer for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).

For information on upcoming concerts, visit

Immaculata University is a Catholic, comprehensive, coeducational institution of higher education, located on the Main Line between Malvern and Exton, 20 miles west of Philadelphia.

Author: lszyjka

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Thursday, September 29, 2011

An Aggie Makes The Postseason

After shooting Wednesday's men's soccer game against Cal State Northridge, I decided to give myself the evening off, head to the Davis Graduate and watch some baseball.

Anyone remotely interested in the MLB season knows how the playoff picture shook out, so I don't need to go into too much detail about it. For you folks, September 28, 2011 will go down as one of the most dramatic single days in baseball history. Thus, you may skip the next segment.

For those who don't follow it, here's the short version: Tampa Bay and Boston were tied heading into the regular-season finale for the wild card spot. This is the same Boston team that some had considered the favorite for the World Series earlier in the summer, that led the AL East for 56 days during the season, and that had held a nine-game cushion to make the playoffs to start the month. (Of course, this is the same Boston team whose penchant for coming up just shy of glory hogged up an inordinate portion of Ken Burns' 10-volume documentary, which means we Red Sox fans braced ourselves for a September collapse sometime during Spring Training.) A Boston loss combined with a Tampa Bay win would push the Red Sox out of the postseason.

Meanwhile, in the senior circuit, the Cardinals looked to complete an equally improbable task as the Rays: overcoming what had been a 10.5-game deficit to snipe a postseason spot from Atlanta. St. Louis had won 23 of 30 games heading into the final day. A Cardinal win combined with a Braves loss would finish this amazing comeback, putting St. Louis in the postseason for a 24th year.

So Boston-Baltimore played on the south end of the Grad, along the wall that contains the front door and the patio access. New York-Tampa Bay appeared on three screens at the bar. St. Louis-Houston played on two screens near the restrooms, and Atlanta-Philly took up the two screens closest to the grill. The dance floor is the middle of all this, which allowed me to pace back and forth between the two American League games.

And in my pacing, I'm pretty sure I burned off the entire Grad burger and pitcher of Aggie Lager.

Ah, so there IS a UC Davis connection to this blog post.

In a place only partially occupied by dinner guests, bar regulars and a smattering of actual sports fans, a trio of young women watching the Cardinals-Astros made more noise than anyone else. (Given that a Red Wings-Blackhawks preseason NHL game held the attention of yet another group, that is no easy feat.) I peeked in on the two NL games on occasion, mostly to see if UC Davis alum Daniel Descalso was playing.

Hey, another connection!

When Boston-Baltimore went into a rain delay, I directed my attention to Tropicana Field. New York's seven-run lead had diminished to one, thanks in large part to a three-run home run by Evan Longoria, the Long Beach State alumnus who once played against UC Davis at our own Dobbins Stadium.

Now you're reaching, Honbo.

The Cardinals made relatively easy work of the Astros, behind their steady hitting and Chris Carpenter's right arm. The women made even more noise when Descalso entered the game as a defensive sub. He hauled in a harmless pop-up in the eighth then drove a single through the middle in the ninth. I caught both moments on replay, alerted from my post at the bar by the cheers and squeals from the center table.

By the time play resumed at Camden Yards, the three Cards fans had relocated to become ad hoc Phillies fans. At this point, Philadelphia had tied Atlanta with a run off Braves stopper Craig Kimbrel. Even more rowdiness and cheering.

During a break, I finally went over to the table and asked, "Do you all know Descalso or are you just big Cardinal fans?"

Two of them motioned to the apparent table captain, who replied, "I'm his sister."

I explained my interest: I work for the athletics department, I saw Daniel play for UC Davis, I wrote the UC Davis magazine article on Descalso and Cardinal quantitative analyst Sig Mejdal, etc.

The younger Descalso continued to exchange text messages with her brother, who sat in the Minute Maid Park visitors' clubhouse with the rest of the Birds. Two thousand miles apart, they hung on every pitch of the same broadcast together, the way two friends might remotely enjoy the same episode of Glee. On the next screen was the shot of the visiting locker room in Houston, readying for the potential Cardinal celebration.

When Philadelphia took down the win in the 13th, thus locking up a playoff spot for St. Louis, Stephanie and her friends erupted in celebration. On the screen above them, Daniel and his friends erupted in celebration. From my seat, they might as well have been in the same room (only we had better beer).

Three college-aged men sat an adjacent table, startled by this scene. Sensing their confusion, I explained: "Her brother is a rookie on the Cardinals. He just made the playoffs. She's pretty happy about it." Impressed by this connection, they each went up to offer their congratulations. I'm not sure they were baseball enthusiasts, or if I'd inadvertently given an opening to introduce themselves to three young women, but they gave their wishes either way.

But here's the thing: I grew up thinking major leaguers were larger than life, almost superhuman, as if they existed in an alternate universe that doesn't connect with the rest of us. The older generation probably doesn't share that feeling; we've heard the stories of New Yorkers who remember chit-chatting with Whitey Ford or Billy Martin on the subway car to Yankee Stadium. The salaries of professional athletes had not separated the players from the fans to the degree they have since. The younger fans might not feel the same way, given how social media like Twitter and tell-all media outlets provide glimpses into athletes' personal lives in a way only Jim Bouton's Ball Four could do. But for me, major leaguers seem to exist in their own little world, one that hashtags and high-definition fail to bring closer.

Even now, at an age at which I'm older than 95 percent of current MLB players, and having worked my 12th season with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats – one step away from the big clubs – I still feel those guys extricate themselves from the "normal" world the moment they earn their major league calls. I distinctly remember sitting next to Nick Swisher in the Raley Field press box, talking to him about his father (also a major leaguer). Now he's married to Joanna Garcia from my beloved Freaks And Geeks TV series. Hardly seems like the same guy, even though he is.

Seeing Stephanie on the phone with her brother, then celebrating the moment as it both transpired in front of my eyes and as it took place on Fox Sports, blurred that distinction and quite literally brought the game and its players back home. This was not some fan, celebrating a win by throwing drunken high fives to strangers on the rail. This a genuine moment between a sister and a brother, one who followed in the other's footsteps by attending this very university. At least one major leaguer became quite human, with one very proud family.

And, for what it's worth, Daniel... your Aggie family is quite proud of you, too.

-Mark Honbo, assistant athletics communications director, got so caught up in the scene described above that he missed Robert Andino's game-winning single to beat his Red Sox. So Slaughter outrunning Pesky's throw, Gibson besting a fatigued Lonborg, Perez' shot off the Spaceman, Dent vs. Torrez, Mookie's elusive ground ball, Clemens' ejection and Boone vs. Wake -- these moments collectively gained a new housemate.

He is further glad that the NCAA will not allow him to gamble on sports: watching those games was nerve-wracking enough that having to follow them on a daily basis with money on the line could only cause a rare medical condition known as "brain boilage."

Friday, September 23, 2011

Fan Of The Week

UC Davis women's volleyball has launched its own promotion on the team's Facebook page. Essentially, fans who follow the page should keep an eye out for a call for Fan of the Week. Then the coaching staff keeps track of who "Likes" or comments on the post. They have a randomly chosen secret number for which response is the winner -- you know, sort of like radio shows that award prizes to the 13th caller. The Fan of the Week gets a free admission to that week's upcoming match, a shout on the Facebook site and (I would imagine) some recognition at the match.

The first winner of this promotion turned out to be Tori Hooper, who played middle blocker and outside hitter for UC Davis from 2006-09. I wrote a Spotlight Aggie feature on Tori for the football game program two years ago, since her upbringing in Cameron Park helped instill a love for a flight. We reposted the article on the athletics website here.

By the way, as stated in the Spotlight feature, Tori has begun training at nearby Travis AFB on the KC-10 Extender, a craft best known for refueling other planes while in flight. I know in-air fueling has existed for a while, but it still blows me away. In my college days, some friends and I took two cars on a little road trip to Santa Cruz. Somewhere along I-80, I positioned my car such that one of my passengers could lean out a side window and pass a plate of cookies to the other vehicle. That was nerve-wracking enough: I can't imagine doing the same thing in mid-air, replacing baked goods with highly flammable jet fuel. Kids, don't try either at home.

For what it's worth, though, back then I drove a Cadillac Fleetwood -- roughly the same size as a KC-10.

Anyway, congrats to Tori, good luck to the volleyball tomorrow night and here's to hoping the Aggie coaching staff has to set its secret number high because of the onslaught of fans who hope to become the next winner.

- Mark Honbo, assistant athletics communications director, already has a courtside seat for Aggie volleyball. But that didn't stop him from vying for the Fan of the Week title.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Fall Quarter

Tomorrow is the first day of instruction for the UC Davis undergraduates. Yep, a Thursday. Not many schools start a term on a Thursday, but we do. We're talking 25,000-plus people suddenly populating the campus. A third of them are new and relatively unfamiliar to the university's geography. The other two-thirds haven't seen each other in months, which means they'll stop in inopportune locations to greet each other.

In other words, I'll steer clear of the Coffee House for a few days.

But for me, the fall quarter has been going for the better part of a month. And my 2011-12 school year is off to a fine start, mostly because the two fall teams for which I serve as the primary media contact -- men's water polo and women's volleyball -- are on track to enjoy their best-ever seasons.

Men's water polo holds an 8-3 overall record and a 5-0 mark against its leaguemates in the Western Water Polo Association. Oddly, two games from the loss column may be more impressive than any of the eight Ws: the Aggies fell to then-No. 5 Pacific in an 8-7 squeaker on September 3, and battled No. 6 Pepperdine to a 14-10 loss last weekend at the NorCal Invitational.

Every year, the top four teams in the CWPA Men's Varsity Poll comprises some order of Cal, Stanford, USC and UCLA, the four schools that traditionally play in the Pac-12. In the last four years, only two of the other 39 NCAA programs have managed to break up that superfecta. They were -- oh yes -- Pepperdine and Pacific.

Pacific did it during November of 2010, leapfrogging from sixth to fourth and pushing Stanford down to No. 5 for two weeks. For Pepperdine, it's a more distant memory -- the Waves finished the 2008 season at No. 2, with Cal nudged down to No. 6. Yet in the 2009 preseason poll, the regular crew ruled the perch: USC, Stanford, UCLA and Cal, in order.

Bottom line: cracking the top four is a rare achievement. Pepperdine and Pacific have done it, and appear in position to challenge again this year, holding No. 5 and No. 6. That UC Davis has played two of its best games against those teams -- even though the final outcome might not have been favorable -- speaks volumes about what this year's team can do.

Head coach Steve Doten set two goals for the 2011 team. One is to crack into the top 10, which his program last did in 2007. The other is to win the WWPA title, which earns a trip to the NCAA Championship.  He now has accomplished the first, with the Aggies moving up to No. 9 in Wednesday's poll. The second? Check back in November.

Fans can catch a glimpse of this team this weekend, with UC Davis hosting the eight-team Aggie Shootout tournament at Schaal Aquatics Center., starting with Friday's contest against 17th-ranked Cal Baptist. First sprint is 6 p.m.

* * * * *

Aggie fans, go check out a women's volleyball match this year. There simply is no other way to say it.

Some brief history: UC Davis went 11-72 during the final three years of the Division I transition period (the Aggies still played a mostly D-II schedule during the first), then went 4-24 with a 1-15 conference mark in 2007. By many accounts, volleyball arguably had the toughest path to success -- the Big West has long been a highly successful conference in the sport, boasting six national champions and 14 Final Four participants in its history. When the Aggies began facing Division I teams in 2004, six members of the conference had made the NCAA tournament the year before. (To illustrate, consider that four members of the ACC made the NCAA basketball tournament in 2011.)

Enter Jamie Holmes, now in her fourth year as head coach.

UC Davis went 12-16 in Holmes' rookie season of 2008, a seemingly miraculous jump. The following year, the Aggies went 20-10 – the first 20-win season since 1996 - and finished second in the conference. Last year's team challenged for the conference title until an injury bug struck in the final weeks.

This year, UC Davis enters conference play with a 14-1 mark, setting a record for the best start in program history, and has received votes toward the AVCA Top 25 poll first the first time in the Division I era. Among the 14 victories: Tulsa, which went 31-2 and won the Conference USA title in 2010; Missouri, which advanced to the Sweet Sixteen last year; and Northern Colorado, tabbed to win the Big Sky Conference championship this season.

The next great challenge will be the Big West, a league that fielded three 20-match winners last year. Leading contenders Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara and Pacific compare quite favorably overall with the vanquished Tulsa and Mizzou on the Rich Kern RPI and Pablo Rankings (two empirical ranking systems followed by volleyball's more astute followers).

But alas, the matches are not played on paper, as the saying goes. The Aggies will use the next eight weeks to show whether or not they truly belong with the conference's elite and, by extension, in the NCAA tournament. Can they do it? Is this the year UC Davis women's volleyball achieves something that seemed almost impossible just five years ago?

The Big West slate starts with a road match at Pacific within hours after this post, written Wednesday, Sept. 21. If you catch this too late, or you don't want to drive down to Stockton, come out to the Pavilion on Saturday. UC Davis takes on UC Irvine, a program that ranked in the Top 25 last than two years ago (before getting knocked out by your very own Aggies).

So there it is... check out a women's volleyball match this year. There simply is no other way to say it.

* * * * *

On a serious note, it was with great regret that I could not attend the memorial service for John Hardie, an event held last Saturday at the Davis Community Church. I feel a double kinship to Hardie, who passed away on Sept. 1 and who earned a touching mention in Mike Robles' last blog entry for his contributions as a timekeeper at UC Davis football games.

For starters, he once was effectively an SID for the athletics department during his early days of service on campus. Before Jim Doan became the first full-time "sports publicist" for the Aggies, the position reported to ASUCD, not the athletics director. Hardie, among many other duties in his role as business manager, wrote press releases and compiled records for UC Davis athletics.

On a more personal note, John's son Doug is one of my best friends in the world. We both graduated from Davis High 21 years ago and have remained close ever since. In the week following John's passing, Doug enlisted my photographic skills to capture an image of the Weier Redwood Grove in the UC Davis Arboretum, one of his father's treasured locations on campus. The photo would adorn the cover of the program at John's service.

I took several shots, all using a technique called "long exposure," in which the camera shutter is held open for unusually long durations. If the shutter speed is too fast, the image will be too dark and you lose detail. If it's too slow, brighter details like the sky or the sunlit foliage get washed out. Thus, getting the final image comes down to finding just the correct number of seconds to hold the shutter doors open.

Ah yes, 'twas as if John himself insisted that my timekeeping was as precise as his.

- Mark Honbo, Assistant Athletics Communications Director

Once An Aggie, Always An Aggie

While we get media requests from all over the country, our ears do perk up when the caller says "Hi, I'm calling from Sports Illustrated and need some assistance." That was the case about a month ago when a photo editor at the magazine asked if we had some photos for a piece they were planning on TCU head football coach Gary Patterson.

The UC Davis connection? Patterson coached the Aggie linebackers in 1986, another in the long line of football coaches during the Jim Sochor era that have gone on to build amazing resumès coaching college programs. Patterson, like the others, still holds our program in high regard. We sent SI several black-and-white photos, mostly the kind of posed team shots that parents purchase as keepsakes.

I didn't know what kind of story SI was working on, let alone how big it would be, until I opened my Sept. 12 issue and saw an eight-page spread chronicling Patterson's career written by S.L. Price. Price is a writer for the magazine and was his roommate in Davis. There is prominent mention of the UC Davis football program, its influence on Patterson and its uniqueness during its Division II era.

And our photo? It's right there on pages 62-63. Pretty cool. We even got our obiligatory "Courtesy of Athletic Communications" in about 1-point type right there on the spine below the photo. A high-powered telescope is all I need to see it.

An interesting sidenote is the issue's cover which features Boise State. The coach of the Broncos, as Aggie fans are aware, is Chris Petersen, the quarterback on the 1986 team that also featured Patterson.

As for the story, you can read it here.

Several staff members and coaches met for lunch on Tuesday to bid a fond farewell to Byron Talley whose last day as director of the track and field and cross country programs is today. Byron and his family are moving to Dallas, Texas, and will be closer to both of their families. He's a quality coach who I've had the chance see evolve from a talented student-athlete to an assistant coach to - most recently - the programs' director.

Byron is a pretty reserved guy but his passion for UC Davis - particularly his student-athletes - has always been evident and is what I'll miss the most. Even as he said his goodbyes yesterday it was pretty clear he's someone who will never be too far from the Aggie Athletics program.

He was given a lot of responsibility as an assistant coach in organizing home meets and that's how he and I interacted the most. It's no easy task because mixing hundreds of student-athletes, a few dozen officials and tons of races is a recipe for disaster if it's not done right. He and I worked closely with entries and seeding in the week leading up to a meet. But I was able to hand off my share on Saturdays to the timers while Byron had to help make sure the meet was run properly and smoothly - and he succeeded.

Ask any track coach and they'll say any meet that finishes on time is a good meet, and our meets always finished on time due in large part to Byron.

Oh yeah, during meets he also had to try and coach his team, a mostly secondary role to being the meet director. But he succeeded in that area as well. He had the difficult task of filling the enormous footprint left by legendary coaches Jon and Dee Vochatzer who retired in 2010. But he did so admirably and led the Aggie teams to their best combined finish at the Big West Championships last May.

Drew Wartenburg, the head cross country coach, is the new director of track and field and cross country and will do a great job as well. And I know our meets will still finish on time.

We're barely a month into this year's Causeway Cup race but the Aggies are already off to a great start thanks to wins by women's soccer (1-0 on Aug. 21) and women's volleyball (3-2 on Sept. 13). They've given us a great 15-0 lead but more points are on the line this weekend and some of the competition takes place on campus.

UC Davis is already making noise in the race and men's soccer wants fans to make some on its behalf when it hosts Sacramento State on Friday at 4 p.m. at Aggie Soccer Field. That's right, bring your noisemakers - just not airhorns or whistles - and help the Aggies try to keep the early momentum going.

This is the last year this will be a nonconference game, by the way. Next year, Sac State joins the Big West but only in the sport of men's soccer.

Here's a plea from men's soccer for you to come out on Friday.

Ten more points will be up for grabs on Saturday at the Stanford Invitational as the men's and women's cross country teams from both schools square off. The teams have already met twice this year but Stanford is when teams traditionally put their best lineups, well, on the line and the local rivals have decided to designate that meet as the Causeway Cup showdown.

Lots of points hanging in the balance this weekend and lots of Aggie student-athletes ready to put them in the bag.

- Mike Robles, Assistant Athletics Director
  Athletics Communications

Friday, September 16, 2011

Looking Back

It's not always the games at UC Davis that stand out, it's the people behind the scenes that often make the most impact and the Aggie family has lost a couple of great ones recently with the passing of John Hardie and Brian Thompson.

John passed away on Sept. 1 and is being remembered by many people for his contributions to the community and to UC Davis - especially starting almost 50 years ago when the campus really began to grow. But I'll remember him as the official timekeeper at Aggie football games. He and I combined for more than 50 years of service at Toomey Field, although his 46 years are a big chunk of that. I kept stats on the top floor and John ran the clock, directly to my left. We both had prime seats, not so much for the games, but for the sideshow of having two sets of coaches barking instructions - and other "fun" words - from each side of us.

I didn't know John in his campus roles. I mainly knew him as our timekeeper and the friendly face he brought to every game and his love of the Aggies. I'm always amazed how many former administrators have volunteered their time to run our clocks, serve on the chain crew or help in any variety of ways at our games. They are one of a kind and John is at the top of the list.

Brian, who passed away on Thursday, was someone I got to know a lot better, mainly because I saw him at just about every Aggie game and event that we had on campus. And a lot that were on the road too. It was always fun to be on some far away roadtrip and see B.T. in the hotel ready to chat and talk about whatever game was coming up. He and his wife Audrey were Aggie loyalists through and through. That's funny in itself because while his kids, Tip and Pam, are UC Davis alums, B.T. went to UC Berkeley. You'd never know it by his allegiance though. Heck, he even played in the UC Davis alumni band.

How strong was his devotion to UC Davis Athletics? He'd constantly make the drive from Castroville so that he could see the Aggies. Then he'd go home and the next thing you know, he'd be back on campus for another game. I can barely make it from Natomas sometimes.

John and B.T. were both honored with Special Recognition Awards at UC Davis for the longtime volunteer service to Aggie Athletics. B.T. even received the College Division Volunteer of the Year in 2000 from the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). Both men were well-deserving recipients of their honors.

Again, it's not the games you remember, it's the people, and John and B.T. will be missed.

I started following college women's volleyball in the mid-1980's when I was at Cal Poly. We had pretty good teams when I was there and it was a given that we'd be ranked in the top 20.  But in those days, unless your school resided on the west coast - or Hawaii - you could forget about getting any kind of respect in the volleyball world. It was the west coast and then everyone else. But then Texas won it all in 1988 and the rest of the country started catching up.

Nebraska and Penn State became mainstays at the NCAA Final Four, other schools like Wisconsin and Minnesota made appearances, and while the west coast still dominated the titles, it was clear the power was being distributed throughout the country. Recently, it's been Penn State that's been the dominant program with four straight NCAA titles.

So when you think about how competitive college volleyball currently is, getting mentioned among the country's best is a great accomplishment. Kudos to the Aggie team which has already beaten two NCAA Tournament teams from last year - including Missouri which went to the Sweet 16 - and as of Friday afternoon was off to an amazing 11-1 start.

And a Causeway Classic win over Sacramento State on Tuesday has already sweetened a great start to the season.

UC Davis is home this weekend with the Aggie Invitational so take some time and check out their great play.

I was getting set to write the recap this week of the women's golf team triumphant start to their season and I was trying to figure the most notable part of their win at the Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic at Colorado State. Was it winning by two shots over Colorado and Illinois? Maybe it was Demi Runas taking medalist honors by three strokes? Or perhaps it was that UC Davis took down 18 other teams with a lineup that featured two players who haven't stepped in their first college classroom.

That's what they call a "good problem to have."

I didn't know what to expect when the Aggies took off for their trip. Three returners - Runas, Amy Simanton and Jessica Chulya - formed the core but I really didn't know what to expect from the freshmen Blair Lewis and Beverly Vatananugulkit. It didn't help that I kept misspelling Vatana, Vatananag, um, it didn't help that I kept misspelling Beverly's name. But they came through, as coach Anne Walker said, like veterans, both with top-30 placings

All five players contributed and UC Davis opened the season the best way possible. The Aggies will return to Colorado in a few days for the Golfweek Challenge and look to do it all over again.

- Mike Robles, Assistant Athletics Director
  Athletics Communications

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

The Name Game

Among my memories from the Aggies' last football trip to Montana State in 2006 - besides a 45-0 win - was finding the No. 1 ranking on my unofficial "incorrect UC Davis reference" list. I'm not sure it will ever be dethroned.

That's right, please say hello to "U.C.-David".

There is so much wrong with that that I still cringe when I see it. Periods and hyphens that shouldn't even exist. And don't even get me started on the use of "David"... "David"?

I'm not sure who exactly put the name into use but it was on a luggage tag after my bags arrived in Bozeman a day after me. I'm guessing either a baggage handler not familiar with our school or someone involved with some Causeway Classic trickery was the source.

Either way, the moniker automatically vaulted to the top of my list and has held onto its position for five years now. I can't imagine a more incorrect way to refer to UC Davis so I'm sure it's going to be there for a while.

While the reference was surprising, the fact that it was incorrect wasn't. For years my staff and I have been vigilantes when it comes to how the media and other schools refer, and even spell, "UC Davis." It's like trying to kill an ant though. You get rid of one of them but more just take its place.

We see "Cal-Davis" a lot. That hurts to say, let alone read. "U.C. Davis", "UC-Davis", "Davis State" and "Cal State Davis" are also on my list - in more ways than one.

We'll play schools and tell their media relations folks that "It's 'UC Davis'. You spell that 'U', 'C', space, then 'Davis'. There are no hyphens, there are no periods." In fact, I tell them, we're anti-hyphen and periods aren't far behind.

For that instance and for that game, it's solved. Then we start over again the next week. More ants to kill.

I hope someday our name carries the same recognition of, say, UCLA. Do you think anyone calls it "UC-Los Angeles" or "Cal-Los Angeles"? Some people have never even heard of our campus but gain some familiarity when I say we're in the same university system as UCLA.

My favorite memory on this topic occured at the 1997 NCAA Div. II Women's Basketball Elite Eight in Fargo, N.D. as I peered at the scoreboard long before tipoff and saw "Cal-Davis" in digital lights.

ME: "Umm, excuse me. But can I get that name fixed on the scoreboard so that it says 'UC Davis.' 'Cal-Davis' is incorrect and we're kind of pretentious about our name."

Upon returning to the floor a few minutes later, I see "U.C.-Davis".

ME: "Umm, I'm sorry to be a pest, but it's still not right. It's just 'UC Davis'. No hyphens, no periods."

WMSO: "Ah geez. Gotcha. I'm really sorry. I'll get right on that."

A quick visit to the media room and back out to the floor to see 'U C Davis' now glaring down at me.

ME: "Excuse me. Again, I really, really hate to bother you but it's still not exactly correct. You see, it's just 'U', 'C' with no space between them but then a space before 'Davis' "

WMSO: "Oh wow. I really apologize. Let me fix it again."

The third time was the charm because the problem was solved after that. At least for that instance and for that game.

We're still on patrol and still see bad references plenty of times. When we play out of state, a quick walk through a pressbox talking to radio and tv announcers, a mention in our game notes, and a few emails to the host school has really helped reduce the instances.

It's going to happen and I'm sure you see it. Most times we notice it too and if we do, rest assured we're on it. It'll just keep on coming.

There's always ants to be dealt with.

- Mike Robles, Assistant Athletics Director