DBD 2.25.10. Your California: Imperial County
by Spazzy Mcgee on Feb 25, 2010 2:53 AM PST
Email
Print*grzzz. Grzzzzzzzz. GRZZZZZZZZZZZ* it was 4:30am and my phone alarm, set to vibrate, was buzzing atop some spare change on the small table next to my foldout couch. I had it set thus, because the noise it produces makes me want to eat my own ears. At the very least, it forces me to get up and turn it off. I sat blearily on my bed, eyes crackly with sleep and a hangover, debating whether I could summon the strength to heave myself into action or collapse back onto the mattress. I actually had a pool party to attend later that morning, and I could really use the sleep. But when would I be this far south in California again? The decision was made.
I had two hundred miles to drive, six miles to hike, and 6 hours to do it in. The key was soon in the ignition, and I was off, heading east into the sunrise over the parched, dusty big toe of Your California: Imperial County.
Imperial
Vital stats:
Population: 163,972
Major Towns: El Centro, Brawley, Calexico
Highpoint: Blue Angels Peak, 4548 ft
Major Landmarks: The Salton Sea, the Colorado River.
San Diego is a fine city. I found myself in and around it for a week not too long ago for a good friend’s wedding. The sun shone hot while fog stayed just off the coast. People were generally pleasant. The Rock Bottom Brewery next to UCSD was solid, as usual. In fact I’ve found that San Diegans are some of the finer people you can meet: diverse, with the California can-do spirit and Midwestern friendliness, without the Bay Area’s intellectual elitism or LA’s center-of-the-world superficiality. However, San Diegans love to let people know how other areas compare to San Diego (worse, in their estimation), and going outside in temperatures below 75 or above 82 degrees causes them to become completely inert, like reptiles. And if it rains they curl into a ball, scream in terror at what is surely, in their estimation, The Rapture, then whimper quietly until once more becoming completely inert. Basically San Diegans are complete weather pussies. But in other regards they’re fine, so I’ll let it slide. …This time.
or "Camp"
In either case that morning I found myself speeding east, out of San Diego and into one of California’s most extreme and most controversial counties. Baking desert on the border with Mexico and Arizona comprises the bulk of Imperial County. The Salton Sea, a saline lake below sea level formed when the Colorado River flooded for two years in 1905, sits in the middle.
Slow for the cone zone. And drug sniffing dogs.
So close to the border, Imperial County has much influence from Mexico; there are 3rd and 4th generation Mexican immigrants, and 3/4 of its citizens speak Spanish as their first language. The deep catholic faith of Hispanic immigrants combined with the generally conservative-leaning white farmer population of Imperial County skews the population towards social conservatism. In a highly controversial move, the Imperial County Board of Supervisors offered their support of the sponsors of Proposition 8, the only county in California to do so.
"I swear this wasn't here yesterday"
Perhaps more curious is that despite being one the driest counties in the nation, almost all of Imperial County’s economy is based on water, specifically that from the Colorado River. When fields further north lie unplanted, the constant sunshine allows the fields of the Imperial Valley to flourish with irrigation water from the All-American Canal. The county is so sunny, in fact, the Blue Angels practice at NAF El Centro because the weather is clear nearly year-round.
Fortunately for me, the high that day was predicted to be only 95 degrees. As I-8 veered south, I knew I was near my destination as I slowed for a cone zone manned by the USBP. They waved me through after ascertaining that I was little threat, and proceeded to the In-Ko-Pah Park exit and onto a well-graded, but dusty, dirt road. As with most of these county adventures, it seems that the closer one gets to a county highpoint, the more insane people one encounters. Close to the trailhead, there was a series of high voltage towers that buzzed overhead as I drove past. Underneath these towers was a trailer home with a beat up car out front. It’s hard to tell in this picture, but there were dozens of boxes next to the trailer home. Inside the boxes appeared to be hundreds and hundreds of parakeets.
Moral of story: Living under high voltage wires turns you into a parakeet.
After another few hundred yards on the 4x4 road I’d decided the GTI had had enough and pulled off to park. Although it wasn’t much past 7:30 am, it was already 70 degrees out. I’d read reports of encounters with USBP on this very hike, so I left a note in my windshield detailing how long I’d be out and my cell #.
The dirt road wound up a dry, rocky hillside. Brush and cacti clung to life in crevices. I had read reports that this area was very active with migrants crossing the border, and this would soon become amply evident. I assumed that since I was out in broad daylight in the middle of summer, no one would pay me no bother as it seemed an unlikely time for a border crossing. Then, as I neared a spur towards a communications tower outpost, I heard the faint but steadly increasing thwub-thwub-thwub of helicopter blades. Ten seconds later a USBP helicopter rose over a hillside to the northeast. Where was it going? To check out a report of some Salvadorians in a crate in Mexicali? Some drug runners in a tunnel in Tijuana? No. It slowly came to a standstill in midair…over my GTI. It descended downward in a circle to a height of a few dozen yards, then hightailed it back over the hillside. Watching the scene, I did not have time to take out my camera and take pictures. I continued walking.
Not five minutes later, two USBP Suburbans came down the trail. The lead truck rolled down his window and a very overweight version of Dale from King of the Hill said "that yer car?" "Uh, yes." He mumbled something into his radio, probably about the bogie in sector 12 he had cleared, then turned back to me "good to know. Where you headed?" "Blue Angels Peak." "Alright then. You be real careful out there." "Okay, thanks!" "No…real careful. I’m serious." I paused, nodded, and continue onward. When I got down to my car later that morning, another fine gentleman greeted me...
"Is that an automatic weapon in your pocket or are you just excited to see--oh."
It seemed folly for me to be too concerned. I did not know it at the time, but two nights before, in a similarly remote area near Campo, one of that border guard’s compatriots was shot in the head and killed while on duty by a border-crosser or drug runner. But to me it was just a beautiful day out on a fine desert trail. Ignorance is bliss sometimes.
Bullet use is limited to the amount you can fire before your finger freezes like that.
As I marched southward towards the peak, an ever increasing amount of trash presented itself.
Scene from "Stalking the wild Rishi."
While there was typical 4x4 trail junk of empty shotgun cartridges and beer remnants, there were also much plastic bags, articles of torn and tattered clothing, empty, broken water jugs, and, arrestingly, a single child’s shoe. This made me pause. It wasn’t a fancy crosstrainer or Nike anything, it was just hard black material on top and a thick rubber sole. How did it come to pass that only one was left? A dozen scenarios, none pleasant, ran through my head as I pictured the shoe’s owner when the shoe fell to its final resting place. I continued on. The trail disappeared in a small gully, and, only a few hundred yards from the summit, I struck out cross country.
The preponderance of places a human could easily hide, was striking.
If I needed to cross from Mexico to the US, surely this would be my route. Shortly before 9am, I found myself on the summit. Looking west, a thin line of border fence in the flatlands, interrupted by a mountainous ridgeline, struck off towards the Pacific, and the horizon. South, the Mexican border followed by endless dry hills. To the east…not much. There was no border fence or other demarcation between Mexico and the US. Honestly, I couldn’t tell where one began and the other ended. The sky everywhere was dusty and hazy from the agriculture of the Imperial Valley.
While I’d love to be able to go on about the desert beauty and wonder and opportunity about this special county, I really can’t. With perpetual 20%+ unemployment, a single-track economy, and run by bigots, Imperial County is truly a terrible place, and I do apologize to you, Mike Mohamed, if you ever read this, for saying that, but it’s true. Surrounded by the trash of illegal immigrants, in the middle of a bone-dry desert choked with cactus and rattlesnakes, looking up at a polluted sky, not 1/8th of a mile from Border Mile Marker 231, and a few dozen miles from a hypersaline, dying lake, I thought about the oddity of the situation.
Migrants used this area to get from Mexico to the US. Why? They were going from one bleached desert hellscape to another bleached desert hellscape. From a drug war to a culture war. From unemployment to back breaking labor, if they’re lucky enough to get a job. And not only did immigrants do this, they did it by the thousand. And they would lose their clothing, they would be parched of water, they would walk for miles without a shoe over cactus and broken glass, they would do anything to reach Imperial County. Why?
Boundary Marker 231
Because there is opportunity far beyond the place I was walking. Immigrants have held a special place in the American economy and the American way of life, and the people crossing knew this. Long past the dry heat of the Coachella Valley lay a new life, a wonderful life, that maybe the migrant would never live, or only his child would live, years from now. So maybe Imperial County is a fitting metaphor for the United States’ crusty, hard exterior. For all the United States’ outward-facing problems, it still has a young, growing population, the world’s largest economy, the world’s 2nd most competitive economy, and the best higher-education system in the world. And this, surely, will open the portals of future opportunity.
Even for those living in Imperial County.
via brianpetersonphotography.com
GO CALIFORNIA! GO MIKE MOHAMED! GO BEARS!
The opinions expressed in a FanPost are, in every way, reflective of the opinions of every California Golden Blogs Marshawnthusiast. Moreover, they are reflective of every employee of SBNation, including Tyler "Blez" Bleszinski.
798 comments
|
13 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I do love these series.
I would conjecture that the best place to cross, however, is Big Bend National Park in Texas. No fences! And the Rio Grande is a few feet deep, and about 25 feet wide. We threw rocks across the border at Mexico, and while there 4 or 5 random Mexicans came by selling drinks or petrified snakes or other tourist crap. Which was weird because Big Bend completely empty, and then 1km is a Mexican border town.
Ah, see the problem there is that you end up in Texas.
HYDROTECH FOR DC
by Spazzy Mcgee on Feb 25, 2010 10:05 AM PST up reply actions
I imagine Big Bend, is better patrolled than a lot of other places, given that it is a National Park. Its not like once you cross the border, you can’t be stopped.
by Tedfordisgod on Feb 25, 2010 10:50 AM PST up reply actions
Per YO: The Prophet will chat with us
Live chat with Mike Mohamed on March 4
I’m happy to report that Cal linebacker Mike Mohamed has agreed to participate in a live chat on Thursday, March 4 from 1-2 p.m. The chat will be exactly one week before the beginning of spring practice, so Mohamed will be able to look ahead to the spring and answer any other questions on your mind.
Here’s the plan:
1. Dust off your dinosaur names
2. Think of some questions
3. ???
4. Prophet!
I am a Vereenian.
Huge basketball game tonight
Faraudo’s preview of Arizona game
Let’s face it, this is a new experience for the Golden Bears: They are playing this weekend for a Pac-10 championship.
The one that has eluded Cal for nearly 50 years.
Will they be nervous? Tight? Anxious?
"I don’t think so," Theo Robertson said. "It’s just basketball. All the other stuff that comes with these games is something we’ve worked for. I don’t know why we should be afraid of it."
Added Jerome Randle: "I don’t understand how anyone can get nervous. The crowd doesn’t bother me. I’ve been playing basketball so long."
Jamal Boykin said he’s more than OK with playing in front of a national TV audience.
"I love playing on ESPN. You get a sense the whole world is watching," he said, "Everyone gets very excited to play on ESPN."
The fact is, this isn’t a do-or-die night for the Bears. They could could lose tonight against Arizona and still win the conference crown. And they could sweep the Wildcats and Saturday afternoon’s matchup with second-place Arizona State and still not clinch the conference title outright.
I am a Vereenian.
Rec'd.
Fantastic work Spazzy. Amazing to think about what these immigrants will brave in search of a better life, and on a side note, if you really want to stop illegal immigration, fix Mexico.
There are also some interesting nuances here about how not all immigrants realize the backbreaking labor that they’re limited to in the US, i.e., farm work and slaughterhouses.
don’t be a ==>
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Indian Batsman Sachin Tendulkar breaks an "impossible record"
India’s Sachin Tendulkar scored a double-hundred against South Africa in a one-day match on Feb. 24, 2010. For the 1.5 billion people who follow cricket — making it, by some reckoning, the world’s second most popular sport after soccer — it was a moment to match Roger Bannister’s 4-min. mile in 1954.
To understand why the mark was long thought impossible, consider the odds against it happening. In a one-day game, each side gets to bat 50 six-ball overs — that’s 300 balls or, in American baseball terms, “pitches.” It’s rare that a single batsman gets more than 150 pitches, so the batsman would need a hit rate higher than 100% to get to 200 runs. Tendulkar got his 200 runs in 147 pitches, a hitting rate of 136.5. Very few players have scored at a faster rate, and none had the combination of patience and skill to score fast and stay on the pitch long enough to get to 200. Only one other time in the past 10 years has a batsman gotten to 190. In a career spanning 21 years, Tendulkar himself had just three scores in excess of 150 before today’s feat. The closest he had scored was 186, against New Zealand in 1999.
7
I don’t know that a double century is an impossible record, considering that Tendulkar was only 14 runs away in 1999.
Hasn’t Don Bradman done it as well?
Now, averaging 99.94 over a career . .. that’s a cricket achievement.
While I agree that Don Bradman is probably the greatest batsman in cricket history, he has not reached the double century mark in a single day before.
7
Actually my knowledge of cricket stops at a general idea of how the game is played, Bradman and Tendulkar. I can’t continue this conversation, as I fall outside the usual CGB Venn Diagram.
My parents don’t have grapefruits, since they’re both on cholesterol medicine. I learned when I was home over Christmas that my 4th favorite fruit (the pomelo) is considered close enough to a Grapefruit that I had to eat all 5 that I had purchased from Costco by myself.
I really wish it were easier to get fresh fruit in downtown SF. You can get an apple or banana anywhere, but other than that, it’s impossible.
Except for Crocker Galleria’s farmer’s market today!
7
Dude, there’s a cool blue building at the end of the street called the Ferry Building. Lots of fresh fruit there 7 days a week. Even when there’s no farmers’ market.
I know, but that’s still a good ten minute walk. Which is tough. I’m talking about being able to run downstairs and pick up fresh fruit to bring back to your desk.
7
Pics or you live in Kern County and there is plentiful fruit everywhere
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
I don’t see any fruit there.
Goodbye Bob Gregory. I am soooooo 6 dimensional now!
by Fire Starkey on Feb 25, 2010 11:23 AM PST up reply actions
Really???? You don’t see ANY fruit in that overhead picture of San Francisco? OK…….
Things to Remember: Girls usually don't like it when you yell out "Beast Mode!" when switching to doggy style. - TFLN
by CruzinBears on Feb 25, 2010 11:39 AM PST up reply actions
In my stupidity, I may have stumbled upon something here.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
nope
Costs STILL assessed against Twist
by CALumbus Bear on Feb 25, 2010 11:49 AM PST up reply actions
Embarcadero Center Safeway?
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
Bengie Molina: "I don't understand why they didn't want to commit to another year, with my numbers and my experience and things like that." Brain Sabean: "He's certainly welcomed back with open arms".
Mychael Urban: Wow. Probably Dye at this point. Good outfielder, could adapt to RF at AT&T, good RBI guy.
by natteringnabob on Feb 25, 2010 9:16 PM PST up reply actions
Cricket is boring to watch, fun to play. I was toads stroking hella dongs last time I played it, but then the dudes told me I was holding the bat like an American style baseball bat instead of a cricket bat. I did much more poorly after that.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Cricket is a snooze-fest (five days! no winner! yay!), but I do feel baseball could be improved with a tea interval.
Don’t they do 1-day test matches now?
by atomsareenough on Feb 25, 2010 10:29 AM PST up reply actions
The longest version is 5 days. Then there is a one-day version which is 8 hours and now there is a newer version which is only 4 hours (so about the length of a baseball or football game)
In other words, Go Bears!
it’s called the 7th inning stretch?
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
No, but they serve $8 watered-down Budweiser’s.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
by carp on Feb 25, 2010 11:06 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
nice post
Will you be travelogueing Del Norte County next?
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
Bengie Molina: "I don't understand why they didn't want to commit to another year, with my numbers and my experience and things like that." Brain Sabean: "He's certainly welcomed back with open arms".
Mychael Urban: Wow. Probably Dye at this point. Good outfielder, could adapt to RF at AT&T, good RBI guy.
Not next, but eventually.
HYDROTECH FOR DC
by Spazzy Mcgee on Feb 25, 2010 12:44 PM PST up reply actions
GTFO TO THE GAMES:
Cal Fans,
This week, we host two of the most important games in the recent history of Cal Basketball, as we are on the cusp of our first conference championship in 50 years. We are also going to be celebrating the careers of five decorated seniors.
We need every seat in Haas Pavilion to be full for these two games. If you have tickets for the game, we need you to use them. If you don’t have tickets for the game, I encourage you to purchase yours today at CalBears.com. If you have tickets, but are unable to use them, I ask that you pass them off to someone who can be there. (click here to transfer your tickets)
I know that both of these games have start times earlier than we are used to, but we need to have Haas filled before the tip-off to help us create a home-court advantage.
Thursday’s game tips-off at 6 p.m. and is featured as a national broadcast by ESPN. We had a great crowd for College Gameday last year, and we need to show the country Haas Pavilion can host the best atmosphere in college basketball.
Saturday’s game against Arizona State tips off at 12 noon and is our last home game of the season. Before the game starts, we will be honoring our five seniors for all of their hard work and dedication to Cal Basketball, so make sure to arrive early.
Please help us close out the season on a strong note and help us bring home a conference championship for the first time in 50 years.
We hope to see you all out there on Thursday and Saturday and GO BEARS!
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Fifth-ranked California posted its fastest times of the season in the 200-yard medley relay and 800-yard freestyle relay and stands in fourth place after the first day of the Pac-10 Women’s Swimming Championships on Wednesday at the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool. The defending conference and NCAA champions, the Golden Bears have 108 points and trails third-place Stanford (112 points) as well as co-first place teams Arizona and USC (116 each).
Cal’s foursome of junior Sara Isakovic, junior Erica Dagg, sophomore Liv Jensen and junior Hannah Wilson posted an automatic NCAA qualifying time of 7:01.16 in the 800-yard freestyle relay. It was the second race of the night for Jensen. The Cal quartet of sophomore Colleen Fotsch, freshman Caitlin Leverenz, junior Amanda Sims and Jensen swam an NCAA consideration time of 1:38.08 to finish third in the 200-yard medley relay.
“We got off to a solid start tonight,” Cal head coach Teri McKeever said. “We had some new people in new positions compared to last year, and I think they’re doing a nice job with that. Everybody got to swim tonight and both relays are going to get invited to NCAAs; that was the goal. I thought Liv Jensen did a really, really nice job. We just have to get ready for tomorrow and see what happens.”
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
BERKELEY – California jumped out to an early lead and scored five tries by match’s end, holding the University of British Columbia scoreless until the final minutes in a particularly physical match to open the “World Cup” series Wednesday on Witter Rugby Field as the Golden Bears won, 39-7.
The Bears (17-0) will carry a 32-point advantage into the second and final match of the series on March 24 in Vancouver.
“We took a bit of a thumping today but maybe my guys learned something,” said UBC head coach Spence McTavish. “We’ll find out in a month, won’t we?”
“What we try to do against the Thunderbirds is match their intensity level and make our tackles. We didn’t let them break our lines inside,” said winger Dustin Muhn.
Brothers Danny and Neill Barrett scored Cal’s first two tries as the Bears leaped out of the gate quickly in characteristic 2010 fashion.
“There were 13 other guys out there putting us in position to score,” said Danny. Asked why the Bears appeared to relish the physical style of the match, the sophomore said, “Everyone knows that the Canadians come to play and we had to stand up for ourselves and put a shoulder on them.”
The T-Birds spent more time in Cal’s end of the field during the second half and finally found the try zone when UBC outside center Jon Anthony cut inside to score a try before injury time. Connor Fuller’s conversion rounded out the scoring for the visitors.
“We still have some room to reach higher toward our potential, but I liked how we came out in the second half and kept battling even though we left some tries unscored,” said inside center Sean Gallinger.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Baseball loses to UC Davis, fuck you carp:
The California baseball team (3-1), after a successful weekend winning three straight over Southern Utah, struggled Wednesday versus UC Davis, falling 8-0 in a non-league contest Feb. 24 at Evans Diamond. The Golden Bears, who had outscored Southern Utah 46-0, was limited to five hits and gave up 17 hits to the Aggies (3-1). Sophomore catcher Chadd Krist had two of Cal’s five hits, including a double in the fifth inning to raise his batting average to .533 (8-for-15) with three doubles, a triple and a home run on the year.
The winning pitcher for UC Davis was sophomore left-hander Nathan Slater (1-0), who threw 6.0 innings with four hits, one walk and four strikeouts. The losing pitcher for the Bears was junior right-hander Kevin Miller (3.2 innings, nine hits, four runs, two walks, three strikeouts). Three freshman pitchers – left-hander Joe Kurrasch and right-handers Michael Lowden and Trevor Hildenberger – threw the completion of the game for Cal, with Lowden performing the best allowing two hits, no runs with a strikeout in 2.0 innings of relief.
Besides Krist’s double, sophomore shortstop Marcus Semien had the other extra base hit for the Bears with a double in the third inning. Sophomore right fielder Danny Oh and freshman center fielder Darrel Matthews had the other two hits for Cal. Daniel Cepin went 5-for-5 with three RBI for the Aggies.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
High school coaches clinic set for 4.2-4.3
BERKELEY – The 2010 Cal Football High School Coaches Clinic will be held April 2-3 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Emeryville. The clinic is now open for registration and will serve as as a great opportunity for coaches to network with each other as well as listen to and learn from the Cal football coaching staff and featured guests. San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator and former Cal All-American linebacker Ron Rivera will serve as the event’s key note speaker. Cal football head coach Jeff Tedford will also be featured.
For more information or to pre-register for the clinic, call the Cal football office at 510-642-3857. Pre-registration fees are $30 per person if received by March 26 with a five dollar discounted $25 per person pre-registration rate available to coaching staffs with five or more clinic attendees. Registration at the door is $35 per person and available at the Hilton Garden Inn beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 2. The Hilton Garden Inn is located at 1800 Powell Street in Emeryville. Mention the “Cal Football Clinic” to receive a discounted rate of $109.00. Room reservations can be made by calling 510-658-9300.
Rivera and Tedford will be featured on the first day of the clinic Friday, along with Cal offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig and defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. An evening social will follow. The remainder of the Cal coach staffing and additional guest speakers to be announced soon will highlight Saturday’s second day of the clinic. There will also be an opportunity for clinic attendees to take in a Cal football spring practice Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
Rivera has been the defensive coordinator with San Diego since October of 2008 after spending a year and a half as the Chargers’ linebackers coach. He was previously the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears from 2004-06, producing a 2005 squad that set an NFL record by allowing only 61 points in eight home games, led the NFL in scoring defense (12.6 ppg) and ranked second in total defense (281.8 ypg). In 2006, his unit paced the NFL in takeaways (44), while ranking third in scoring defense (15.9 ppg) and fifth in total defense (294.1 ypg) en route to the NFC title and an appearance in Super Bowl XLI. Rivera was the linebackers coach with the Philadelphia Eagles for five seasons (1998-2003) after beginning his coaching career with the Bears as a defensive quality control coach from 1997-98. As a player, Rivera was a member of Chicago’s 1985 Super Bowl champions and spent nine NFL seasons with the Bears (1984-92) after his All-American collegiate career at Cal from 1980-83. He is still ranked among Cal’s all-time leaders in tackles (No. 4, 336), sacks (No. 6T, 22.0) and tackles for loss (No. 8, 47.5).
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
fjirst nice post! love the comentary! off topic....
what?
so ok. yesterday i was at officemax as getting a bunch of office crap….and saw the most awesome useless absolutely esential piece of office equipment i had seen in years….
a pen….
a pen that includes a laser pointer built into the end….
a pen that includes a laser pointer built into the end and an led flashlight….
and ! a 1Gig flash drive.
so awesomely useless i had to get one.
Go Bears Go
How much was this James Bond (if he were an office worker) pen?
Costs STILL assessed against Twist
by CALumbus Bear on Feb 25, 2010 8:23 AM PST up reply actions
like $25.
about the cost of a decent pen, cheap lazer pointer, and flash drive combined….
Go Bears Go
by Rocksanddirt on Feb 25, 2010 8:24 AM PST up reply actions
I’m now sort of expecting an e-mail from your mom asking me if you’d like this as a brithday or Christmas gift.
I am a Vereenian.
i say yes. it's cute. and useless.
perfect for an attourney.
Go Bears Go
by Rocksanddirt on Feb 25, 2010 8:30 AM PST up reply actions
I have instructed you in how you are to reply: “CALumbus Bear doesn’t want shit unless it has a big script Cal on it, like a game worn helmet, a custom jersey of #96 with Oski Bear as the name, or Cal curtains for his Cal den.” Please stick to the script.
Costs STILL assessed against Twist
by CALumbus Bear on Feb 25, 2010 8:31 AM PST up reply actions
By e-mail. Very rarely. Most recent communication was seeking Christmas gift advice for CALumbus.
I am a Vereenian.
Good move. You’re maturing. At least that’s what your mom said to me last night.
Costs STILL assessed against Twist
by CALumbus Bear on Feb 25, 2010 9:08 AM PST up reply actions
Oh dang, penicillin will do nothing for that huge BURN!!!
Costs STILL assessed against Twist
by CALumbus Bear on Feb 25, 2010 9:36 AM PST up reply actions
Have you read the “SkyMall” catelogue that’s in airplanes? They have pens that have audio recorders and even mini cameras, so you can record meetings while the pen stays in your jacket pocket.
Downside is — what if someone asks to borrow it?
7
Then you hope she’s hot and wearing something low-cut.
HYDROTECH FOR DC
by Spazzy Mcgee on Feb 25, 2010 12:45 PM PST up reply actions
Here we go:
http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/dvr-pen.html
Uses For The Hidden Pen Camera Video Recorder:
Sting operations
Law enforcement
Journalists
Office meetings
Conversations
Home / Office security
7
careful
using this feature in California…
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
Bengie Molina: "I don't understand why they didn't want to commit to another year, with my numbers and my experience and things like that." Brain Sabean: "He's certainly welcomed back with open arms".
Mychael Urban: Wow. Probably Dye at this point. Good outfielder, could adapt to RF at AT&T, good RBI guy.
by natteringnabob on Feb 25, 2010 9:18 PM PST up reply actions
Recording a conversation without the consent of all parties to the conversation is illegal in California. In some other states, only the consent of one party to the conversation is required.
Snobby Chick - Senior Division
Actual legal question:
If I were in a meeting with that pen in my pocket and someone in the room, on video, admitted guilt to something (I dunno, let’s call it embezzlement or something)… because that video was taken without consent, is the evidence inadmissable in court or is it admissable, but I’m also guilty of a crime?
7
The confession should be admissible in court, because the exclusionary rule, which suppresses evidence obtained illegally, applies only to illegal actions by the government. The Bill of Rights only restrains governmental action, not action by individuals. So as long as you were not a government agent or acting at the request of the government, the confession (or any other material that you obtained illegally and then turned over to the government) would be admissible. You, however, could be prosecuted for a crime.
Snobby Chick - Senior Division
As far as I can tell, it would be admissible
There’s no general exclusion for evidence obtained through corrupt means. The exclusionary rule normally only applies to evidence gotten by the police through illegal searches and interrogations.
Now, if you wanted to sue the guy for embezzling YOUR money, then I suppose it might be excluded on equitable grounds.
Shawn Spencer: "I’m receiving a transmission from your husband. Really more of a voicemail, if I'm being honest. A status update. Perhaps a twitter."
Burton Guster: "I believe it’s called a tweet."
Shawn Spencer: "There’s no way I’m saying that."
my single best investment…
was a green laser pointer, military grade. Some folks complained at how bright it was.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Were you that asshat that laser pointed me in the eyes last week from the building across the street? You made me paranoid for about two hours and disrupted a perfectly good internet po…. youtube session.
Remind me never to consult you for stock tips.
by atomsareenough on Feb 25, 2010 10:14 AM PST up reply actions
the green is much brighter even at only 5mw due to the eye receptivity
though you can get em at substantially higher power ratings.
Go Bears Go
by Rocksanddirt on Feb 25, 2010 10:23 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Yeah, it says <5 mW, but it so badass. I think it emits at 510 nm? Almost as badass as football coaches named Clancy.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
I just wanted to say hey, what an awesome DBD. Imperial is one of the two counties in California I’ve never been to (Alpine is the other, talk about extremes), and seeing this story made me want to get down there at least once, even if it might be sort of a dump.
So anyway, thanks. (And now I’d better go get ready for work.)
-kat
Member of the Lost Tribe of Mooch
The Salton Sea is the single most depressing place I’ve ever been, and I’ve been to Ohio, Iowa, AND West Virginia! When I was there it was the lake was lined in 2 ft of dead fish.
On behalf of Iowa & West Virgina I must protest, these two states are quite beautiful in their own right, no comment about Ohio though.
Am I known as Cugel the Clever for nothing?
Beautiful rolling hills with picturesque farms, cornfields – what’s wrong with that? Covered bridges etc. I know its nothing compared to California, but still.
Am I known as Cugel the Clever for nothing?
It does have a Americana purity about it that can’t be matched, although the Field of Dreams site was FUBAR.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
It sucks. It might be usable for T-ball, the grass sucks, and there’s no mound whatsoever. Definitely not worth the 20 min drive from the highway.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Hey not that I would recommend anyone visit Iowa as a tourist destination, no real reason to go there, but its not as bad as many of the other parts of the country that I’ve been in.
Am I known as Cugel the Clever for nothing?
Agreed. It’s way better than Nevada.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
i like Nevada....no vegetation to get in teh way of the rocks.
Go Bears Go
by Rocksanddirt on Feb 25, 2010 11:45 AM PST up reply actions
I have this running argument with my wife about trees getting in the way of scenery. Having grown up in Western Europe (all trees cut down for industrial revolution and WWI) and southern California, I find large quantities of trees to be an impediment to scenery. They also make a lot of interstate drives very dull indeed on the east coast, when you’re going through a tree tunnel for hours.
The missus thinks I am insane about this. The only time I’ve ever has someone agree with me, much to her horror, was when we were in Iceland (no trees) and got to talking to an older Icelandic couple who had one kid living in DC and another in Boston. They said they had flown to DC and decided to drive to Boston so they could see some of the east coast, but “mostly all we could see was trees, it was a bit boring.”
So, plainly, I have to move to Iceland.
Well, a lot of the time if the trees weren’t there, it would only be rolling hills. Not exactly “scenery” you would be excited about. I think you can take enjoyment from the trees—but I’m from rural Oregon, so what do I know.
I guess you could argue that California and Iceland have much more interesting hills than say New England, inasmuch as they are geologically younger? Certainly more dramatic to look at.
As for trees, this is just a personal preference. I’m generally in favor of them, but the differences need to be pretty pronounced for me to be able to actually identify one from another… e.g., I could just about pick out a giant redwood from a Japanese maple. My wife despairs of my disconnect from the natural world, but let’s see her pick out an old BMW M1 on the highway based on the right rear light.
I would definitely argue that the hills in New England are less interesting because the are older/more eroded. (No one tell KenCraw about geological time!) Newness is one of the reasons Hawaii’s landscape is so novel and beautiful.
(No one tell KenCraw about geological time!)
Come on now, that wasn’t necessary.
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
It was completely unnecessary, but whenever I read conversations nitpicking religious arguments like the one below… I am always thinking, “Heehee, that religion thinks the universe was created in seven days.” Kind of ruins any sort of subtlety in the other arguments.
by paleodan on Feb 26, 2010 1:33 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
If it’s germane to the discussion, that’s one thing. Outside the context of a related discussion, I think we should all be more tolerant of others’ belief systems, whether we agree with them or not.
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
WHAT?!?!/ SOMETHING UNRELATED TO THE DISCUSSION!!???!! AND IN THE DBD, TOO!?!?
PS Great post on rugby
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
In that post, I was sort of explaining why I didn’t post anything in that Prop 8 discussion. Because no one was ever going to convince KenCraw he was wrong—and he is terribly wrong—because his opinion was based entirely in his religious beliefs.
I am of the opinion that religion serves no positive purpose, and is actually detrimental to the human race. So I play it all for laffs.
by paleodan on Feb 26, 2010 11:47 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
I find this view to be rather ignorant of the positive power that religion can and has had in certain instances throughout history.
AndBears does not agree with me.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
by ragnarok on Feb 27, 2010 6:00 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Do you want to borrow my copy of The God Delusion? I was of your opinion (the good outweighs the bad) before I read that book. Dawkins did a very thorough job convincing me I was wrong.
I’ve read The God Delusion. Religion as a social construct has had its uses, though I’d agree that it has been abused many, many times over the centuries (as any other social construct has). Religion on a personal level, however, has helped a lot of people through a lot of tough times.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
by ragnarok on Feb 28, 2010 11:39 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
i would also have to add that the art, both musical and visual, and architecture that came out of religion is really worthwhile. a lot of it, anyways
Remember, the enemy's end zone is DOWN!
by GoldBlooded on Feb 28, 2010 11:48 AM PST up reply actions
But we would have art and music anyways…the only reason that religious-themed stuff exists is because The Church paid for it.
And The Church has all its wealth because of the money of its members. Artists are able to find funding nowadays without church support.
right, they get the RIAA to sue people for them. i definitely enjoyed the monuments to excess when i was in europe last summer. i doubt they’d exist in the same fashion that they do to this day, but nobody can say for sure except doc brown.
Remember, the enemy's end zone is DOWN!
I also enjoyed seeing the giant buildings that God apparently needed instead of food for his people when I was in Europe. They were so big and ever so delightfully not food for his people.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
I don’t know that this is entirely fair. The poor get stiffed whether by secular or ecclesiastical authorities. Whether you’re looking at a castle or the Vatican, either way it’s designed to keep people down.
There’s an inverse relationship between the money on the table and the odds that an organization allegedly for the people will actually be doing anything for the people.
True enough, but churches purports to be acting in the name of God, and to be following the teachings Jesus about giving all you have to the poor.
Snobby Chick - Senior Division
Perhaps I am the only one here who thinks this, I don’t know, but it would seem to me that if you need help getting through a lot of tough times, well, basically, you just gotta Go Bears!
Fuck this God shit!
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
My theory has always been that religion causes tons of problems, but that if religion didn’t exist these same problems would still exist. Human beings have found idiotic reasons to kill each other for thousands of years. If religion isn’t the cause, then we’re killing each other over class, or race, or nationality, or politics, or soccer team allegiance, and so on and so forth.
It’s like the one south park episode with the otters and illogical humans who refuse to eat their food off of their bellies.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
humans who refuse to eat their food off of their bellies
Their society must not yet have developed the concept of a recliner and a TV set.
Snobby Chick - Senior Division
do yourself a favor and watch every south park episode, already!
Remember, the enemy's end zone is DOWN!
But all of those other problems (besides soccer team allegiance) can reach some sort of resolution. Religious (and soccer team) beliefs, are irreconcilable. There is no sort of end-game to reach, the fight will just continue forever.
Right now we have wars over religion and water and class and race. If religion didn’t exist there would be one less permanent reason to fight. (Race isn’t even as immutable as religion.)
Here I fixed it for you:
Religion on a personal level, however, has helped a lot of peoplethrough a lot of tough timescompartmentalize their fear and rage in an unhealthy way.
I think it would be better—well it would definitely be more reasonable—if people just let shit happen. No need to blame Poseidon for the earthquake, that was just an inevitable movement of the earth. And with the correct, rationale, maybe they will build a sturdier house, instead of making a bigger goat sacrifice.
And I think it would be better if people all shared what they didn’t need and only took what they did. Doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.
I think it’s important to understand people’s personal beliefs and why they hold them, rather than to simply (and arrogantly) dismiss them as some sort of personality defect. I understand where you’re coming from on this subject, but I think it’s the sort of narrow dogmatism that just as easily turns off those who don’t immediately agree with you as religious fundamentalism does on the other end of the spectrum.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
by ragnarok on Mar 1, 2010 8:35 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Maybe if you pray hard enough to Jesus, he’ll buy you one for his birthday.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
There are a number of churches hereabouts – many but by no means all with predominantly African American congregations – who seem to think that this works… The preponderance of Lexus ES 350s from PG County with messages about being blessed being one indicator.
If those people were TRULY blessed, wouldn’t they have a higher-end Lexus than an ES 350? If Jesus really loved them, they’d have at least an LS 400.
by atomsareenough on Mar 1, 2010 7:03 PM PST up reply actions
I’d like to bring your attention to Janice Joplin’s Song “Mercedes Benz”…
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
Ragnarok: Great Man or Greatest Man?
You’re right. I try to empathize with people religious beliefs, and I hope I don’t come off too judgemental in real life. But when I see someone whose house burned down say, “Well such-and-such god must have wanted me to learn such-and-such lesson,” I want to yell, “NO, you just needed to stop using space heaters in the middle of the night!”
What if the lesson their god wanted them to learn was not to use space heaters in the middle of the night?
Snobby Chick - Senior Division
God is really a micro-manager, isn’t he?
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Well check this out…..religion is (as far as we know) unique to the human race, which may make it a species marker. Surely it has contributed to our social success and survival somehow. Seriously, Patton Oswalt fucking nails it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55h1FO8V_3w
CGB: Preventing the rest of the Cal blogosphere from getting press passes since 2006.
by Spazzy Mcgee on Feb 28, 2010 9:11 PM PST up reply actions
A few places like that are nice. An entire state with that same landscape = Boring.
by atomsareenough on Feb 25, 2010 10:30 AM PST up reply actions
Nevada? Nebraska?
Things to Remember: Girls usually don't like it when you yell out "Beast Mode!" when switching to doggy style. - TFLN
by CruzinBears on Feb 25, 2010 10:53 AM PST up reply actions
Nevada?? There are the Sierra Nevada mountains in the west, the Great Basin in the north, and Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Hoover Dam besides. Nebraska is boring.
by atomsareenough on Feb 25, 2010 10:57 AM PST up reply actions
Nebraska does have the College Baseball World Series in Omaha, a rite of passage for us seamheads.
Truth or cougar: carp will make it there before Cal baseball does.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Pretty sure that is entirely up to you…
Things to Remember: Girls usually don't like it when you yell out "Beast Mode!" when switching to doggy style. - TFLN
by CruzinBears on Feb 25, 2010 11:02 AM PST up reply actions
Flag'd
I’d somehow have to get The Warden to approve an off-grounds trip.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
True that, I forgot about the ankle bracelet around your ring finger…
Things to Remember: Girls usually don't like it when you yell out "Beast Mode!" when switching to doggy style. - TFLN
by CruzinBears on Feb 25, 2010 11:10 AM PST up reply actions
Omaha actually seems like a cool little city. That doesn’t mean the whole of Nebraska isn’t boring though.
by atomsareenough on Feb 25, 2010 11:06 AM PST up reply actions
ok I’ll agree on the borders of it (Las Vegas is not interesting landscape btw) but once you get 30mi into Nevada its snore-city till you get to the other side
Things to Remember: Girls usually don't like it when you yell out "Beast Mode!" when switching to doggy style. - TFLN
by CruzinBears on Feb 25, 2010 11:01 AM PST up reply actions
No, but Vegas is more interesting than Des Moines. I’m not actually a fan of going to Vegas, but you have to admit it’s interesting.
by atomsareenough on Feb 25, 2010 11:07 AM PST up reply actions
Pyramid Lake
very eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerie
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
Bengie Molina: "I don't understand why they didn't want to commit to another year, with my numbers and my experience and things like that." Brain Sabean: "He's certainly welcomed back with open arms".
Mychael Urban: Wow. Probably Dye at this point. Good outfielder, could adapt to RF at AT&T, good RBI guy.
by natteringnabob on Feb 25, 2010 9:19 PM PST up reply actions
Granted West Virginia can have its moments, but how in the world is Iowa beautiful?
Wow, corn! Oooohhh! More corn! This city is HUGE, how do I pronounce Des Moines again?
I was born in Indiana, I don’t claim its beautiful, or interesting because that would lying, and lying is rude.
Yeah, but Indiana is boring, hell of flat. Only Western Kansas/ Eastern Colorado is as bad.
Am I known as Cugel the Clever for nothing?
He’s hella from Iowa give him a break
Things to Remember: Girls usually don't like it when you yell out "Beast Mode!" when switching to doggy style. - TFLN
by CruzinBears on Feb 25, 2010 10:54 AM PST up reply actions
Kansas is probably high in the running for most boring state. I drove through it coming from the west, and coming from Colorado, it’s hard not to feel bad for Kansas for having such a boring landscape. It was a tough day of driving.
by atomsareenough on Feb 25, 2010 10:59 AM PST up reply actions
somehow I feel N. and S. Dakota shouldn’t be exempt from this convo, although I’ve never been there.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Don’t they have some sort of mountains going on somewhere though? (shows how much I know about the Dakotas)
Things to Remember: Girls usually don't like it when you yell out "Beast Mode!" when switching to doggy style. - TFLN
by CruzinBears on Feb 25, 2010 11:03 AM PST up reply actions
South Dakota has Mt. Rushmore. So it must be better than Kansas, which has nothing.
I am a Vereenian.
what about N. Dakota, which has more old people than young people?
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
My sister-in-law is from Minot, North Dakota. She tells me that North Dakota has temperatures of – 54 F, floods that bring out sewer rats the size of cats, mosquitos the size of helicopters, bowling leagues, a cabin that Theodore Roosevelt once lived in, a fort that George Armstrong Custer once commanded, and a city motto in Minot of: “Why Not Minot?”
Snobby Chick - Senior Division
HOW COULD YOU FORGET THE INTERNATIONAL PEACE GARDEN????
Costs STILL assessed against Twist
by CALumbus Bear on Feb 25, 2010 11:32 AM PST up reply actions
My sister-in-law has never been there. Apparently, that’s not something North Dakotans do.
Snobby Chick - Senior Division
Does she hate peace or just international peace?
Costs STILL assessed against Twist
by CALumbus Bear on Feb 25, 2010 11:36 AM PST up reply actions
I took a PACS class at Cal. Biggest mistake of my Cal life.
Costs STILL assessed against Twist
by CALumbus Bear on Feb 25, 2010 11:58 AM PST up reply actions
I have embarrassed myself, yet again.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Failure to know the location of Wall Drug is a pretty serious offense.
Snobby Chick - Senior Division
The only thing worse?
Actually knowing the location of Wall Drug
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
…I’ve been to Wall Drug. They have cheap coffee. Their “free ice water” is disgusting though.
by atomsareenough on Feb 25, 2010 1:31 PM PST up reply actions
I went to Sturgis once. Mistake.
Costs STILL assessed against Twist
by CALumbus Bear on Feb 25, 2010 11:08 AM PST up reply actions
No, it was biker week, and I was there with my Toyota Celica.
Costs STILL assessed against Twist
by CALumbus Bear on Feb 25, 2010 11:09 AM PST up reply actions
I was also there, which was also a mistake.
Costs STILL assessed against Twist
by CALumbus Bear on Feb 25, 2010 11:36 AM PST up reply actions
Consider yourself lucky.
Costs STILL assessed against Twist
by CALumbus Bear on Feb 25, 2010 1:50 PM PST up reply actions
To be fair, he posts at CGB. So, hes already very lucky to be part of this elite group.
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Yeah, it’s not like just anybody can sign up for a screen name and make posts!
by atomsareenough on Feb 25, 2010 1:53 PM PST up reply actions
WHAT!!!!
how did i get in then?
Go Bears Go
by Rocksanddirt on Feb 25, 2010 2:41 PM PST up reply actions
Rockchalk Jayhawk? I hear Lawrence is nice in a Davis, CA-way kind of nice.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Yeah, they’ve got Lawrence. But like, Kansas doesn’t even have the real Kansas City.
by atomsareenough on Feb 25, 2010 11:10 AM PST up reply actions
It has a Kansas City. The locals refer to KC-K and KC-MO so that everyone’s clear what they’re talking about.
Yeah, but KC-K sucks. Hence my referring to KC-MO as the “real” Kansas City.
I actually like KC-MO a lot. I could see myself retiring there or something.
by atomsareenough on Feb 26, 2010 8:51 AM PST up reply actions
Lawrence is nice, I can attest, and that part of the State isn’t totally flat.
Am I known as Cugel the Clever for nothing?
Lawrence is nice, I can attest, and that part of the State isn’t totally flat
Larry Eustachy, the current So Miss BB coach and former partygoing Iowa State coach, agrees.
School: Kansas
Larry says: "Here’s a story that sums it up: Last season, I met this hottie at K-State at a party after we lost and I was talking to her and I was like, ‘What are you doing here? Why aren’t you going to KU? The girls down there are much hotter. You belong there.’ "
I am a Vereenian.
is that where they find all the dinos? If so, I agree and N. Dakota is exempt from such a discussion.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
South Dakota is amazing.
Utah is pretty sweet too.
I’ve driven cross country 2×.
by 33SwisherSweet on Feb 25, 2010 11:21 AM PST up reply actions
I was blown away by Zion National Park. Drove through it at sunset with wildfires 30 miles away. Pretty intense
Goodbye Bob Gregory. I am soooooo 6 dimensional now!
by Fire Starkey on Feb 25, 2010 11:22 AM PST up reply actions
I’ve been to Zion too. A fantastic visit even without local wildfires.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
Zion is fantastic. They have so many great parks in Utah.
by atomsareenough on Feb 25, 2010 1:32 PM PST up reply actions
Mount Rushmore is waaay more amazing in person than when you see in pictures.
Also, they have the Crazy Horse Monument – which is simply unbelievable… the world’s largest mountain carving!
CGB: Wasting Your Potential, Your Time, & Your Life Since 2006.
They can suck my caucus. We need to reform the primary system so badly.
by atomsareenough on Feb 25, 2010 11:13 AM PST up reply actions
I agree; it would be a great first step in helping reduce or eliminate corn subsidies.
I don’t understand the problem with EVERYONE VOTING AT THE SAME TIME
7
India stages its elections, so instead of having 1 bil people voting at once, it happens over a month or so.
So, the country you love, ironically, does not follow the voting pattern you desire
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
But what does that have to do with anything here? I never pointed to India as some sort of ideal example…
7
Dude, you love India. Youd marry India if you could. Youd fuck India so hard, right in its Tamil Nadu! Don’t deny it! DON’T DENY IT!
President Emperor Warlord Of The Sun!
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
While I am not offended, I am greatly disturbed that you took the time to picture how to engage in sexual intercourse with a country and where you would have to put your penis in order to have sex with it.
7
Worst places I have ever been
Ft Hays, Kansas (actually anywhere in Kansas except Lawrence)
Needles, California
Anywhere in southwestern New Mexico
Ft. Stockton, Texas
Abilene, Texas
Significant portions of rural Louisiana and Mississippi
Goodbye Bob Gregory. I am soooooo 6 dimensional now!
by Fire Starkey on Feb 25, 2010 2:28 PM PST up reply actions
Anywhere in southwestern New Mexico
SW NM is great!
HYDROTECH FOR DC
by Spazzy Mcgee on Feb 25, 2010 2:30 PM PST up reply actions
Uhhhhhhhhhhhh, no.
Goodbye Bob Gregory. I am soooooo 6 dimensional now!
by Fire Starkey on Feb 25, 2010 2:42 PM PST up reply actions
Okay I take that back. SW NM is full of scenic beauty.
HYDROTECH FOR DC
by Spazzy Mcgee on Feb 25, 2010 2:44 PM PST up reply actions
dude just drag a box of Pyramid Hef into the wilderness yourself…
HYDROTECH FOR DC
by Spazzy Mcgee on Feb 25, 2010 3:01 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
I might have to disagree with you because Needles, SW New Mexico, and rural Mississippi are just remote and poor places without a lot of people. But doesn’t nature count for something? I think the worst places are terrible cities, where all the nature is ruined, and the city is close to worthless—with unhappy people and ugly architecture. I’m thinking specifically in my experience of Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma has to be pretty much the worst place in the US, otherwise we wouldn’t have given it to the Native Americans.
by atomsareenough on Feb 26, 2010 11:47 AM PST up reply actions
Cal FB Junior Day and Schollie Offer
Auburn (Wash.) defensive tackle Danny Shelton fits the mold of a prototypical nose tackle. California, the first school to offer him, runs the defense he likes. Five more schools have offered since the Bears did, including two early favorites. The 6-foot-3, 285-pounder won’t make it to Berkeley this weekend for Junior Day, but he says he is far from making a decision…
Aaron Green, RB (San Antonio, TX)
Aaron Green, a 5-foot-9, 175-pounder from SA Madison High is a complete back. With the exception of his size, Green is everything you look for in an elite back. He has excellent acceleration, maintains good top end speed, has the ability to shift gears and change direction at the drop of a dime. And because of his low center of gravity he has phenomenal balance. He has struggled with some recent injuries and had a better sophomore season than he did as a junior, but he is one of the most highly sought after recruits in the country regardless of position.
We got no shot
Goodbye Bob Gregory. I am soooooo 6 dimensional now!
by Fire Starkey on Feb 25, 2010 11:08 AM PST up reply actions
UT guy?
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
He’s going to be a national recruit but if he gets away from UT, I’ll be shocked. Of course, a lot can change.
See Seastrunk, Lache.
Goodbye Bob Gregory. I am soooooo 6 dimensional now!
by Fire Starkey on Feb 25, 2010 11:19 AM PST up reply actions
I was thinking of postponing the recruiting threads until start of March
But damn man, I might have to start it up again now.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Feb 25, 2010 8:34 AM PST up reply actions
Tyson Alualu
Pat Kirwan from nfl.com mentions Tyson Alualu as one of his top 10 players to be watched at the combine.
Tyson Alualu, DL, California
Some would say I am reaching for this guy when I only list 10 players. And sure, there are a number of other guys I can’t wait to watch. But I just got done watching Alualu play three games on tape, and I just couldn’t exclude him from this list. The guy can play anywhere on the defensive line because he’s an athlete with a great motor. Alualu will excel in the running events at the combine and while he sits somewhere near the No. 7 defensive tackle on most boards, he should move up after this weekend. I saw the effort at Senior Bowl practices, and we will all see it again in the drills at the combine.
Competing against $C on recruiting
George Farmer, WR (Gardena, CA)
This 6′2″, 197 lb., 4.38 forty speedy wide receiver has long been thought to be a slam dunk for the Trojans. But not so fast. The receiving mate of 2010 Trojan recruit, Robert Woods (Both played at Serra high school) has recently gone on record as saying he is open to all suitors. While the Trojans remain "high" on his list, don’t look for a verbal commitment any time soon.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE (Gig Harbor, Washington)
With three tight ends from the 2009-2010 prep class already in USC’s fold, it would appear that the Trojans don’t have a pressing need at the position. However, Seferian-Jenkins, who goes 6′7″ and 245 lbs, has the size and athleticism that intrigues the Trojans (and almost all of the premier national programs). Of greater importance is that Seferian-Jenkins lists USC, along with UCLA as "high" on his list.
Greg Townsend Jr., (Beverly Hills, CA)
Son of the former Raider linebacker, Greg Jr., has all the traits of a great defensive end. 6′4″, 240 lbs, with a nose for the ball, Townsend had 10.5 sacks in his freshman and sophomore years. Townsend lists the Trojans as "medium," but has camped at USC, which should help the Trojans cause.
Rivals has Florida and Oklahoma “High” on Seferian-Jenkins’ list.
Silver jerseys
As previously posted, Cal will be wearing these tonight. Just saw this picture on uni watch:
