kelis - milkshake has got to be THE WORST SONG EVER... how do ppl even like this crap? but more importantly, how did this crap even become mainstream?

in other news, big dismal - rainy day is one of my favorite christian rock songs at the moment; it's the song on the passion of the christ soundtrack(i don't have the cd, it's just that if you wanna buy it, it's on that cd)... i thought kutless was the one who wrote the song, but i was wrong... and i think the lyrics are great...

www.bigdismal.com

i love the chorus; very good definitions of love and faith:

love- it keeps us hanging on/ even when all hope is gone/ i believe that your love rains down on me/ faith- it carries us away/ and takes us to a place/ far above this world/ i can see you in the clouds/ like a rainbow shining down/ on a rainy day

i keep asking jerm if he wants to play 3rd strike w/me, and he keeps telling me he's gotta practice(aka i don't wanna play you cause i'm hooked on world of warcraft)... my response is always to imitate ai and come right back with "PRACTICE!?!??! we're talking about PRACTICE here! we're talking about PRACTICE here!"

i know every1 in davis has seen these 2 emails, but for the rest of you:

December 15, 2004

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

By now you may have seen or heard initial news media reports of the
tragic shooting death of a young man on campus late yesterday afternoon
after he fired first at UC Davis police officers. It is the first
officer-involved shooting death to occur on our campus.

I write to provide you with as much information as can be shared at this
point in the investigation, to convey our police department's belief
that this was an isolated incident and that the campus is secure, and to
advise you of support services that are available to those in need.

Here is what we understand to have happened: Three UC Davis police
officers responded at 5:06 p.m. yesterday to a report of a suspicious
person outside the student housing office. The man was reported to be
acting in a bizarre manner, using irrational language and reportedly
threatening a student. When the officers approached him, he brandished
a handgun and fired at them, causing the officers to return fire. Paramedics
responded, but the man died at the scene.

The three officers have been placed on administrative leave while an
investigation is conducted -- a routine action in cases when an officer
fires his or her weapon. I know from conversations with Police Chief
Calvin Handy at the scene last night that these officers have been
deeply affected.

A three-tiered investigation is now under way, involving the UC Davis
Police Department, the Yolo County District Attorney's Office and the
Yolo County Critical Incident Response Team. Also, the California
Department of Justice is assisting our police in reconstructing the
scene.

As I write, we are not yet able to release the identity of the man or a
possible motive, but we have confirmed that he is not a student. We
will provide updates on the campus's Web page, www.ucdavis.edu, as
information becomes available to us.

Such tragic incidents -- thankfully rare on this campus -- are shocking
and cause profound sadness. Should you find counseling support helpful,
please seek our counselors' assistance. Students should contact
Counseling and Psychological Services at 752-0871. Faculty and staff
should contact the Academic and Staff Assistance Program, 752-ASAP.

Students who may be experiencing difficulties in completing exams this
week because of this incident are encouraged to contact Interim Vice
Provost for Undergraduate Studies Fred Wood at 752-6068.

Sincerely,

Larry N. Vanderhoef
Chancellor

January 5, 2005

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

When I wrote to you just before the holiday break about the first
officer-involved shooting on this campus, I promised to provide you with
more information when it became available.

As we start the new quarter, we are still awaiting investigation results,
but we have a bit more information we can share.

The man who was shot and killed Dec. 14 near the student housing office
in the vicinity of Regan Hall has been identified as 26-year-old Martin
Louie Castro Soriano of Antioch. He was not a UC Davis student but is
thought to have been distraught over a breakup with a former girlfriend
and to have come to campus to contact her.

Three of our veteran police officers responded to calls for help that day
from students who reported that Mr. Soriano was acting in a bizarre and
threatening manner. Our officers tried unsuccessfully to subdue him with
Taser stun guns. After he fired several shots at them with a
semiautomatic gun, one of the officers returned fire. Paramedics
responded but the man died at the scene from a gunshot wound to the
chest.

I know this was a very difficult circumstance for our officers and that
they are deeply concerned over the taking of a life. But I know, as
well, they were trying to protect the lives of others who were nearby.

We expect investigation results in February from the Yolo County District
Attorney's office, the Yolo County Critical Incident Response Team and
the UC Davis Police Department. The coroner's office is also expected to
have completed its pathology report next month. In the meantime, tips
are still sought on the police hotline, 752-9944.

Such tragic incidents, thankfully, are rare on this campus but are
shocking and cause profound sadness. Without a doubt this holiday season
has been marked by an unusual measure of sorrow -- from the massive loss
of life in South Asia to the tragic loss of two of our students here at
home, the heartwrenching deaths of an employee's remaining two children
in a Christmas Day car crash and the unexpected death of one of our most
beloved elected officials, Congressman Robert Matsui.

As a family, we share those losses, seeking both to find and to give
comfort. If it'd be helpful, please take advantage of our counseling
services. Students should contact Counseling and Psychological Services
at 752-0871. Faculty and staff should contact the Academic and Staff
Assistance Program at 752-ASAP.

Sincerely,

Larry N. Vanderhoef
Chancellor