About the CovertProfessor
I (the CovertProfessor) am relatively new to Davis, at least as Davisites go, and I'm a professor at UC Davis. I'm no wiki expert, just a garden-variety gnome.
I am on semi-hiatus from the wiki at the moment. Just busy and trying to reduce my overall Internet time.
I try to comment on things from a faculty/community member perspective as I navigate my way through Davis and the campus, although of course my opinions are my own and will differ from other faculty/community members. I am "covert" because I expect to be around here a lot longer than most students, and because I am a relatively private person. I promise not to abuse my anonymity.
I also do reviews of local restaurants, since I like to eat out a lot. I favor restaurants where ![[WWW]](http://wikispot.org/wiki/eggheadbeta/img/sycamore-www.png){kind=small}
well-behaved dogs are welcomed.
A bit more about me: When I'm not teaching or researching or involved in other professor-type activities, I enjoy hiking; walking, especially at the arboretum and the greenbelts; swimming; going to the movies; reading fiction. Of course, I also like to edit the wiki.
After much frustration, I started a page on UCD Email Etiquette. Though of course I can't be responsible for the final form it will take, given the Wiki's group editing process, I do strongly encourage students to read it. On a more positive note, you might also want to check out Q & A for Prospective Academics.
I've been known to get involved in various wiki dramas. Unfortunately, sometimes I get busy right when a good one is happening, and so I have to sit it out.
Internet tics that are annoying me lately:
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When people say things like "Leave a message on my Facebook." "I created a Davis Wiki." No, you have a Facebook page where people can leave messages; you created a Davis Wiki page. You don't have a Facebook; you don't have a Davis Wiki (unless you are PN or MI).
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Using '@', twit-style, to indicate who you are replying to. Am I the only one who feels like they are being talked at? Who wants to be talked at?
@CP: Totally agree. —TomGarberson
Can't believe that took so long. —CovertProfessor
Leave a comment if you wish
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CovertProfessor's Quick Restaurant Picks
Restaurants are listed in order of preference. I've only listed restaurants that I like. If a restaurant is not listed, it usually means I don't like it, but it might just mean that I haven't tried it. See details below.
Best hamburgers: 1. Crepeville (but not Burgers and Brew), 2. Ali Baba
Best pizza: 1. Village Bakery (or if you want sit-down service, Village Pizza & Grill, 2. Symposium, 2. Lamppost Pizza - tie for second
Best Chinese: 1. Davis Noodle City, 2. Wok of Flame, 3. Shanghai Town
Best Thai: 1. Thai Nakorn, 2. Thai Bistro, 3. Sophia's, 4. Thai Recipes
Best Indian/Nepalese: Raja Indian Cuisine, Kathmandu Kitchen, and Namaste Nepal Restaurant — Dammit, they are all good!
Best Japanese/Korean: 1. Zen Toro, 2. Davis Oshio Cafe, 3. DOSiRAK
Best middle eastern: Ali Baba, Sam's Mediterranean, and Café Méditerranée — Ok, I've just named the three middle eastern restaurants in town... but how can I rank them when I like them for different things?
Best Mexican: 1. El Mariachi — as far as I know, the only place in town where you can get a burrito with vegetables in it, 2. Taqueria Guadalajara — especially the one in South Davis with the dog-friendly patio, 3. Taqueria Davis — as good as The Guad but lacks the patio. For a meal with wait service, Tres Hermanas is good.
Best upscale: Little Prague, Osteria Fasulo, Seasons, Tucos - These are unranked and in alpha order because I like them equally well.
Best frozen dessert: 1. Davis Creamery at Sugar Daddies, 2. Icekrimski Cafe, 3. Yolo Berry Yogurt
Best dessert: 1. Konditorei - Others are good, such as The Candy House of Davis or Little Prague, but none really hold a candle to Konditorei.
Best café: 1. Cloud Forest Cafe, 2. Delta of Venus
Best place to get fresh fruits and veggies: 1. CSA, 1. FL Strawberries (tie for first), 2. Farmers' Market, 3. Ikedas
Best other: Sunrise Restaurant (Vietnamese), Farmer's Kitchen Cafe (local, organic), Crepeville, The Hotdogger
CovertProfessor's Restaurant Reviews
American/Californian
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I like the "cafe" (counter service) side better than the "restaurant" (wait service) side. The entrées on the restaurant side just seem uninspired to me. But the cafe side makes a nice breakfast (good toast!) and is a little less claustrophobic. There are better places to get dessert, however (e.g., Ciocolat or Little Prague).
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The Davis Wiki used to have this restaurant classified as "French," but that seemed a bit of a stretch. Other than the crepe, it's hardly French... anyway, I love the "make your own crepe" option here. I start with the basic crepe (cheddar and onion, I believe) and then add: eggplant, spinach, tomato sauce, mushrooms, and artichokes. (I'd love it if this were a regular menu item so I didn't have to ask for all those items!). All dishes seem to come with home-fried potatoes, something that I generally like, but these I'm not crazy about. You can substitute a salad, but you have to pay extra. They do, however, give you a full salad, so it's not totally out of line. I like the fuji salad with the slices of fuji apples and walnuts in it. If you have the crepe I described, plus the salad — boy, you've really consumed a lot of veggies for the day! It's a lot of food, period, so it's nice that take-home boxes are conveniently located by the counter.
Once I tried the eggplant sandwich, with pesto on it (memory may be hazy here). It was greasy, but good. The burgers are good, too. They come with cheese, sauteed onions and mushrooms, mayo, and avocado by default. Again, you can substitute a salad for the potatoes.
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The condescending attitude expressed by the owner on the Davis wiki page almost turned me away from this place, but luckily (for me) I decided to give them a try anyway. I have yet to have a bad meal here. Everything I have tried (salad, tamales, rice and veggies, chicken and potatoes, soup, etc.) has been fresh and flavorful. I should emphasize the "flavorful" — food is nicely spiced, so that even an ordinary dish like chicken and potatoes tastes like something special. So, come here if you believe in the mission of the place, but come here even if you just want a good meal. But definitely don't come here unless you've got time to spare; in general, it won't be a quick meal. Think of it as a nice place to have a long chat with friends and have a nice, healthy, tasty meal.
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I don't even like hot dogs very much, but I like everything about this place. I like that I can get an all beef dog. I like that it's a small hole-in-the-wall with lots of character. I like that I have so many mustards to choose from — the Hawaiian pineapple mustard is really good (sweet and savory). I like the potato wedges that are baked instead of fried, and actually have some potato on them. I might actually become a hot dog person!
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The first time I tried to go here I walked in and walked out — it was a hot day and the menu just seemed overwhelming. I did take a menu to go, and studied it, so I could be ready for the next time. Most people seem to get salads here — we tried the tri-tip as a meal (get it with the BBQ sauce) and the turkey (it's nice to be able to get real turkey when it's not Thanksgiving). Both were quite good, although the portions of the tri-tip were small. We also tried the sides — there were a couple of nice vegetable sides, although the grilled one was a bit better. The stuffing (for the turkey, of course) was really good. Once we had a "knock-you-on-your-ass" lemon bar; sadly, the next time it only teetered us a bit.
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Again, I deviate from the Davis Wiki classification here, which used to have this listed under fast food. (I doubt I'll be visiting the other fast-food places, so there is no point). Also, Redrum is definitely not fast. It usually takes about 30 minutes to get your food.
The joint is not particularly well-run. They need to get a new door-closer, too. I can still hear it in my sleep: SLAM
And yet, the burgers are very good. Optimal bun to burger ratio is achieved with the 1/2 lb burger — but that's a lot of burger. There are lots of topping options (lots of burger options, too), but no pineapple, which is too bad. A chocolate shake with malt rounds out the meal nicely. The onion rings were huge and greasy — never again.
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We've had one really good entrée there, and one so-so entrée. The steak (hold the foie gras butter — ick!) was excellent, and it came with potatoes au gratin and a vegetable (broccoli, I think). But the breaded and baked chicken my partner ordered was boring. (There was some kind of sauce on it, but again: boring). There was a yummy chocolate dessert — I don't remember the details, but it was one of these chocolate w/chocolate and more chocolate desserts — and it was very good. The summer atmosphere seemed a lot more laid-back and comfortable than the crowded winter scene I remember. Service was attentive. It's a bit upscale from most Davis restaurants, but not super fancy, which is fine with me. Salads tend to be good; the patio is nice, but it's not dog-friendly. :-(
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We had a very nice meal here, and true to their word, they were dog-friendly, which is nice to find in an upscale restaurant. :-) Since they change their menu so often, there's probably no point in commenting on specific dishes, so I'll just say that we enjoyed the mix of flavors and the creative menu that tempts you to order too much because so much looks interesting. The location next to the train can be a bit loud at times, although it bothered my partner and my dog more than it bothered me.
Sandwiches
Davis's sandwich scene has been looking up lately, though it still isn't quite what it could be.
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I've tried this place a couple of times, but couldn't seem to find anything I liked. The sandwiches are massive, but the flavors not to my liking. Perhaps there is a magic sandwich there that I would like, but I doubt it.
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This cute little café is a welcome addition to Davis's sandwich scene. The grilled paninis all have nice fresh vegetables included, with a choice of ciabatta or focaccia bread. I quite like the ciabatta, which seemed very fresh; haven't tried the focaccia. The smoothies were also quite good. I get the feeling that this place is emphasizing quality over quantity; there aren't a lot of choices, but all the choices are good. Smart move. One weird little annoyance — passing through the doors (even the door to the restroom) sets short beeping alarm.
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This is the sort of place that I really want to like — it's cute and independently run. But the hours are too short — it closes way too early — and then when I have made it there for lunch, there's been a massive, slow-moving line. And the sandwiches are fine, but they are not amazing. So, between one thing and another, I rarely go here.
Caribbean
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Wonderful laidback hippy atmosphere; nice music, even for an old fart professor. Breakfasts (veggie omelet is outstanding), sandwiches for lunch (the tofu-curry sandwich sounded weird but was deliciously sweet and tangy) and dinner (Carribean food — we tried the jerk chicken and the plum baked chicken — we especially liked the latter). There are so many interesting things on the menu that it's guaranteed we'll be back many times.
Chinese
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I like the kimchee that you get when you sit down, I like the small, comfortable atmosphere and the prompt, accommodating service, I like the homemade noodles that you can get with every dish instead of rice (or, if you're with two people, get both!), I like the fact that the orange beef isn't crispy fried, I like the Hunan tofu (seems similar to what other places call Ma Po tofu, soft tofu with spicy black bean sauce). My one and only complaint is that there aren't more vegetables available, which is not to say that there aren't plenty of vegetarian dishes (there are). But a vegetable mix in a tasty sauce would be a welcome addition. The vegetable curry comes close (and it's really good — in fact, I've yet to have a bad dish here), but it is mostly potatoes and tofu. What I'm looking for is something with lots of broccoli, carrots, snow peas, etc.
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I really want to like this place, but the service is like dying a slow death and a lot of the dishes are overly fried. However, if you choose your dishes carefully and get take-out, you can avoid most of the pain.
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I got some nice takeout here — following suggestions on the page, the garlic eggplant and the general's chicken. I wouldn't say it was amazing, but it was quite good. The sauces were tasty, but we'd prefer white meat chicken to the dark that we were provided. And we wondered about the MSG, given the mixed comments on the entry for this restaurant, but I didn't feel the "MSG coma" that I usually get after consuming MSG, so I don't think they do add MSG. We didn't have a problem with the wait; what was a problem was trying to fight the traffic back north into town. Ugh. If you live in South Davis, I can see going here a lot, but otherwise, a place like Davis Noodle City is going to be more of a draw. Or, go for lunch, I guess.
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I used to like this place as much as Davis Noodle City, which is to say, I liked it quite a lot. (No surprise, since it was the same owners). Now with new ownership, it's terrible; we threw half of our take-out away and never went back. If I hear that it's improved, I'll give it another shot.
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It's hard to know what to say about this restaurant, other than it's reliably good and reliably fresh. The red bean paste pancakes are to die for. I love their eggplant and tofu dish, too. Their menu is more varied than most of the Chinese restaurants in town. Basically, I don't think you can go wrong here.
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I walk in the door, and there they are: the specials. Asparagus with black bean sauce (choice of meat), eggplant with szechuan sauce (choice of meat) — why go any further? (I haven't managed to, myself). The ingredients here are high quality and the sauces are tasty. I wish it were downtown, but nothing to be done about that. And I wish they had more tofu/veggie dishes — there is something to be done about that! Hope they do it.
Frozen Dessert
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Davis Creamery at Sugar Daddies
You can tell you're getting the real stuff here. For example, the chocolate peanut butter ice cream has chunks of peanuts in it, and the banana ice cream — a flavor I don't normally like — actually tastes like bananas. There isn't a huge supply of mix-ins, but they have the standard ones; don't overlook the homemade brownies off to the side. Now I just need to save up some calories for a Cow Pie (hope they bring these back!)
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The gelato here is really good, and refreshing on a hot day. (So, refreshing just about every day??). Try the sorbet — it's intensely flavored and will knock your socks off. (Which you don't need anyway, since it's so darned hot...)
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Cultivé definitely seems like the place for people who are more serious about their yogurt, as compared to Yogurt Shack. That person isn't me, but I can see why some would prefer it. It has more of a "yogurt-y" flavor (a bit more sour) and there is more of an emphasis on healthy toppings — but just as the Shack has a few fruit toppings, Cultivé has a few less-healthy toppings, too (I think there were M & M's?). I tried the "specialty" pomegranate flavor (50 cents extra). Again, I am not ga-ga over frozen yogurt, but it had a nice pomegranate flavor and I vastly preferred it to my partner's green tea flavor, even though I usually love green tea ice cream. I agree with others who say that the toppings are expensive — 80 cents for the first topping, 40 cents for the second, regardless of the size of your cup, and the amount of toppings I received was not a lot for that price. But the raspberries were fresh and quite good, especially considering the time of year.
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If you find yourself near the Oak Tree Plaza, you might just stop in, get a tasty yogurt to eat out outside, and people-watch the Nugget shoppers. Sometimes you will get serenaded with a busker. Not a bad way to pass a half hour.
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It seems like the "real" yogurt lovers prefer Cultivé. But I am not a real yogurt lover, and I prefer Yolo Berry. I also prefer being able to include exactly the amount of yogurt I want and exactly amount the toppings I want (Cultivé used to do that for you, but it gave in and went self-serve like all of the others). Yolo Berry has *lots* of topping choices; more than Yogurt Shack, I think. Otherwise, I'm still undecided which I prefer. One bonus in Yolo Berry's favor is that you have a much nicer place to sit outside than the Shack — hell, you have all of Central Park.
Other Dessert
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Most (or all?) of the truffles are made with liqueur. That might be a "plus" for some, but I didn't like it — although I will say some of the truffles tasted more like liqueur than others, and as there are a lot of truffles, it might be worth doing some testing... In general I have to say that I prefer
See's truffles. However, they did give us some free fudge, and it was really good, so I go back just for that. Try the tri-color (light chocolate, vanilla, dark chocolate) with or without coconut.
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Mousse seems to be the specialty of the house. It's a great mousse, not too light, not too heavy, and just the right amount of sweetness and creaminess. There are many mousse desserts here, so if you like mousse at all, this is your place. The 24K "domes" are amazing — a thin layer of cake topped with chocolate mousse and coated with dark chocolate. Cookies are also great — ginger spice with chocolate chips is a particular standout, maybe because it's unusual. The glorious array of delicious-looking cakes demands further research.
If you hit up their table at the Farmers' Market, you will find a delicious fruit crumble (it looks like a small pie). The top (the "crumble") tastes like a cookie.
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What a lovely place to have a genteel breakfast or lunch (especially on the nice covered patio outside), or skip the meal and go straight to the dessert. It's what they do best in any case, though I do like the quiche — skip the turkey sandwich. For those of you who have only had the Americanized version of a croissant or a danish, you simply have to find out a proper flaky pastry tastes like. It's a whole 'nother creature. But be warned that walking into this café is to be bombarded with one delicacy after another; how to choose when one thing looks better than the next? Take heart, though, one can always return, or splurge on a cake for a special event. Too bad their hours are so few and their location only really convenient for East Davisites.
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See review for Little Prague on this page, whose extensive dessert menu deserves special mention.
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The baked goods here are quite yummy (hearty, tasty, down-to-earth but not boring), e.g., lemon bars, morning bread, oatmeal-apricot cookies...
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Generally, I don't shop much here because of the high prices, with the exception of a few items that I can't get anywhere else. But the bakery items are hard to resist... especially chocolate chip cookies, lemon bars, and éclairs...
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I've had some good doughnuts here — a jelly doughnut with lemon filling and a buttermilk doughnut. Good flavor, not too greasy, not the best doughnuts I've ever had but pretty darn good. I wish, though, that they made doughnuts throughout the day and stayed open into the evenings, perhaps even 24-hour.
Addendum: I agree with others that this place has gone downhill in a very short amount of time. Every time you go in there, the staff seems to be brand new and thus very slow at doing even the simplest tasks. Usually this is a sign of poor management or underpaid workers... can't say whether that is true in this case, but I do wonder. And often you go in to find a very limited selection of items. I hope they turn things around, because when they're "on" they can make delightful desserts.
European
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This is an Italian restaurant. The menu looks very promising here, with lots of choices. But I found myself disappointed. The "greens" in the dinner salad are iceberg lettuce (why do people persist in eating it? It has no nutritional value) and I was sorry that I didn't order the dressing on the side, because the lettuce leaves were dripping with the stuff. I thought the red sauce tasted like a jar of Ragu, which is OK if you like Ragu, but I expect better. (Strings' sauce is much better). I will say, though, that the "lasagna" dessert (I don't recall the exact name, but they do refer to it as a lasagna) was really quite good — a brownie with coconut and walnuts, topped with ice cream and whipped cream, big enough for at least two people.
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This is a Czech restaurant with a nice, elegant-yet-comfortable interior or the option to eat outside. The food here was on the heavy side, but it was quite tasty. It's a good place to go if you're splurging (on calories, that is — dinner entries range from $15-$20, which is more than we usually spend on dinner, but not outrageous). My partner had the vegetarian casserole, which sounded as though it would be very good (potatoes, tomatoes, creamed spinach, and mushrooms, in an Italian spiced egg casserole—oven baked until a browned cheese crust forms), but in fact was sort of boring. I think it's like going to a fish restaurant and ordering steak — it's just not going to be that good! So, this is perhaps not the place for vegetarian food, although there is a nightly vegetarian special that I can't vouch for. Anyway, I had the beef goulash with czech dumplings, which was just wonderfully hearty and tasty. My friend reported the same about her beef stroganoff, although she was surprised that it came with rice rather than noodles. The restaurant offers an amazing array of tempting desserts. We had the chocolate éclair, which I would get again, except that will be hard when there are so many other tempting things to try...
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My review of this restaurant is long overdue, and so I cannot give specifics. Here's the impression that lingers: a relaxed meal on a lovely patio with our dog curled at our feet, slowly working our way through several courses of delectable food, followed by a stroll on the greenbelt. Definitely a place to go for a special occasion or even just a special treat.
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Davis desperately needs a good Italian restaurant. Unfortunately, this isn't it. Several attempts have all been disappointing — even basic stuff like the pizza and spaghetti with meatballs. Perhaps Luigi's will be good.
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This is a Greek restaurant. This place was hit or miss for us. Hits: nice atmosphere (the equivalent of "dressy causal," with a mural on the wall), very tasty moussaka (eggplant, beef, and bechamel sauce, layered like a lasagna), pretty good salad (had some iceberg lettuce, but also some greens and other things) with two choices of dressing, feta or vinaigrette (but it was a creamy vinaigrette, if there is such a thing), big warm rolls, reasonable if not amazing service. Misses: spanoko tiropita, which is spinach and feta in a flaky pasty — I usually love this dish, but this was greasy and not very flavorful; dolmas, which are grape leaves stuffed with flavored rice and, in this case, some sort of meat (although I prefer veggie ones — if that was an option, I didn't know about it) — again, just not really to my liking. We'll be back for the moussaka, no doubt, and then try something else...
Indian/Nepalese
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This restaurant advertises itself as Indian and Nepalese. My partner and I had a lovely dinner here one night awhile back. The food was very good; unfortunately, specifics have been forgotten. As with the one other Nepalese restaurant in our experience, the difference between Indian and Nepalese is subtle, if present at all; it seems to be mainly a difference in the spices used. Oh, but the spices! Definitely worth trying, if you never have. The service was slow, however; definitely the place to go if you're in the mood to linger. Since then, I frequent the stall that the restaurant runs at the Farmers' Market. There is generally a vegetarian combination plate that is very good; typical for the plate would be a spinach dish, a chickpea dish, rice, naan, and pakora.
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*sigh* There's no putting it off any longer. I had to try the new Indian/Nepalese restaurant in town. And it figures. It would have to be as good as Raja or Kathmandu. The food would have to be flavorful and fresh. There would have to be a fun new naan to try with cherries and nuts in it — a dessert naan almost, good even on its own. The butter chicken would have to be as amazing as a previous poster said, with wonderful vegetarian dishes, too. And — how much am I supposed to take? They deliver, and the delivery was prompt (faster than promised) and friendly. Oh, what to do?? What to do?? *tears hair out* How many times a week can I eat Indian food??
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I've had the lunch buffet here many times and a good number of dinners, too. It's quick. It's convenient to campus. The owner is very friendly and seems to want to go out of his way to make sure you are comfortable and happy. When I first started going here, the food was so-so, but it has gotten better over time and now it's my favorite Indian restaurant in town. The sauces are consistently flavorful. Sometimes we go for dosas, too. Yum.
Japanese/Korean
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This restaurant serves Japanese and Korean food. Most of my meals here have been very good (especially the vegetarian items), although one or two were just OK. The miso soup isn't my favorite. Service isn't super-speedy but it's not unreasonable, either, and they are very friendly. The outdoor patio is a nice space — there's an overhang and you're protected from the wind and the street a bit. Overall, I like it quite a bit.
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This is a Japanese restaurant. Apparently, everyone goes here for the "all you can eat" sushi? My partner and I went here for an ordinary meal, but was not impressed by the service (which was terrible; dishes were forgotten, and then forgotten again) or the food. One sushi ordered was clearly premade some time ago. The teriyaki sauce was flavorless; meat was low quality. We are unlikely to return.
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This is a Japanese restaurant. We went here for the midweek "all you can eat" buffet. (Is it really a buffet if the food isn't laid out on a table?? Never mind, it was all you can eat, for around $13/person). I had been told that this was a great place for veggie sushi; this was true. The veggie dragon and veggie rainbow sushi were delish. However, the wonton soup had a weird flavor and teriyaki chicken didn't have a very good sauce. Apparently, if you want miso soup you have to go on the weekend... maybe next time.
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This is a Korean restaurant, and a great place to get a quick (they are super fast with take-out) and healthy meal. We particularly like the japchae and other dishes with noodles.
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This is a Korean restaurant that also serves Japanese food. The bimimbap in a clay pot was excellent, although next time I wouldn't bother with the beef (there wasn't much of it, and it wasn't great quality), and instead would go for the tofu. The vegetable teryaki makes an excellent light and healthy dish: both tofu and veggies are steamed, not fried. Yum!
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We had a very enjoyable meal here. Portions were quite large and the atmosphere was very pleasant. We tried the spicy teriyaki beef over rice, which was a nice change over the usual teriyaki. We also had a vegetable sushi platter; some of the items we liked, and some we didn't, but it was just that some were not to our liking, not that they were prepared poorly. In fact, it was obvious that our dishes were prepared with great care. Next time, we will simply order something else! (I think we would have been better off with the "Vegetarian Delight" sushi, or picking our own sushi, rather than the mixed platter).
Not that I think these two cuisines are the same... but with some of the Davis restaurants offering both, it seems appropriate to group them.
Latin American/Tex-Mex
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Went to the North Davis location, and in short, I doubt I'll go back. First, this was one of those menus with several items slightly different from one another, and you are left to figure out how they are different. (I was looking at the burritos). Not a big deal, but annoying. Second, the place is noisy. Not (necessarily) lots-of-customers-talking noisy, but even without many customers (as there the day I was there), there is a loud hum (some kind of fan?), plus music, plus high ceilings to echo everyone's voices, trying to talk over the other noise. It just wasn't pleasant. Third, the food wasn't bad, but it was mediocre. Really, the salsas were all that I liked; I just kept adding more salsa to my burrito, and thinking, "Why aren't we at El Mariachi?"
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Love the veggie burritos here and the wonderful array of salsas in the salsa bar. The proprietor is very friendly, and the chips tasty. It's my favorite place in town for a burrito.
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It's fun (and very tasty) to get a burrito with egg and potato in it, plus meat, rice, beans, cheese, and salsa.
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I had heard that the Guad in South Davis had put a TV out on the patio, so I was worried that the experience would be ruined, but I was glad to find out that the volume of the TV was turned down and the usual Mexican music was playing. My favorite dish here remains the tostada with their tasty adobada (which is beef at this restaurant). It comes with lots of fresh, green lettuce and a bit of salsa and guac. It's a reasonable light meal, but if I'm hungrier, I can order black beans and rice on the side, which comes to quite a lot of food. It's very pleasant hanging out there on the patio, especially with one's dog, and service is usually pretty fast. I am not gaga over the chips, but that doesn't seem to stop me from consuming a lot of them.
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I went here awhile back and enjoyed myself quite a bit. I expected small portions, given some of the comments on the page, but my dish was not at *all* small, in fact it was quite large. The fajitas were really tasty, maybe the best I've ever had. The mole was very so-so, though (is there a good place in Davis for mole?). Waitstaff was nice, decor was nice. Definitely a nice sit down Mexican meal experience.
Middle Eastern
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The specials!! Oh, the specials! I love the specials, especially the vegetarian one (which is available all the time) and the pomegranate w/chicken one. They are served with rice and yogurt. Since they are specials, they are already prepared and can be served right away, so they make a fantastic "to go" meal. The specials are so good that it is hard for me to order anything else. I tried a dolmas appetizer once, served with a tomato-ey sauce. It was OK. I do like the burgers quite a bit, in part because they are very generous with their mushrooms. I don't like their kabobs or baba ganouj - go to Sam's for the former and Café Méditerranée for the latter.
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This place is a bit tucked away, so it's easy to overlook it — every time I go, I vow to go more often. The falafel is crisp and hearty, the baba ganoush is divine, the hummus has just the right proportion of lemon to garlic. I need to explore more of the menu (one way to do that is to order "five sides"), but so far I've not been disappointed.
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I think this is a good place to get some nice falafel and hummus in a pita. The chicken kabob in a pita is also very flavorful.
Pizza
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It's Sunday, and you've got a hankerin' for pizza. But Village Bakery is closed. Symposium is closed. What to do?? Lamppost Pizza is a fine alternative. While I wouldn't say it was amazing pizza, the bread was good, the sauce was good (the place where a lot of pizzas fail) and the toppings were fresh. I eat this pizza regularly. As a nice bonus, it is prepared quickly. Look for the Facebook specials.
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I've had this pizza at Picnic In The Park and I was unimpressed. It wasn't bad (you have to work really hard to make bad pizza), but the crust was tasteless. It tastes marginally (but only marginally) better at the restaurant.
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Symposium makes great pizza — there's no doubt about it. But it's a rich, dense pizza. Sometimes I'm in the mood for that, sometimes not. When I am, it can't be beat. (See review of other food served by Symposium under European restaurants).
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Uncle Vito, I grew up with N.Y. pizza. I know N.Y Pizza. N.Y. pizza is a friend of mine. Uncle Vito, you’re no N.Y. pizza.
The pie looked pretty, with veggie toppings fresh and nicely arranged, but it was basically flavorless. The crust was overly floury ("dusty," if you know what I mean), the cheese also had no flavor, and the sauce was only marginally better. Even with red peppers and parmesan cheese, it was still barely edible. There are better places to go in Davis for pizza; if you want a slice to go, head to Village Bakery.
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Let's just say that it's very hard to pass anywhere in the general vicinity of this place and not stop in for a quick slice of pizza. Love the vegetable pizza. And now I am starting to think that I prefer the plain (cheese and sauce) pizza — sometimes, nothing hits the spot like the basic food, and VB does it really well. Muffins, etc., are great too. Village Pizza & Grill has the same great pizza with not-so-great service and other menu items.
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The people here seem very nice, and it's great that they will deliver to campus when others won't. But the pizza just isn't very good. Edible in a pinch.
Thai
Ah, Thai food. A well-made Thai sauce is the nectar of gods. Davis is lucky to have so many good Thai restaurants.
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This is the easiest of the Thai restaurants to "fall into" for lunch when you're on campus. I almost never go here for dinner, though, in part because my partner doesn't like the peanut sauce (usually one of our favorite things). It is a bit unusual for peanut sauce, I admit, but I kind of like it.
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They have quality ingredients that taste good. Try the sweet and sour chicken with mango. (Here's a hint: it's not that deep batter fried stuff with gloppy pink sauce). I also like their curries. Service has been uniformly friendly and consistent. And they get extra points for the nice outdoor patio where you can bring your dog.
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Consistently tasty. Some of the menu options here lean more towards Chinese, so if you're not sure what you want (or if you have a mixed party that can't make up its mind), it's a good choice. I also like the choice of meat or tofu for many of the dishes, and the sauces are good. Also gets points for the dog-friendly patio.
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Good food here, and nice atmosphere. I like the way that they always ask if you want your tofu fried or soft (i.e., steamed); most places you have to remember to ask, and sometimes you get funny looks.
Vietnamese
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This place looks like hell from the outside. It looks like hell from the inside. Plates often linger on tables long after their diners have left. And yet, the place has a nice "mom and pop" feel, and the food is surprisingly good. And inexpensive. We're back often. Take-out works well, too.
Out of business
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This is my least favorite of Davis' Thai restaurants. It's not so bad that I'd never go there, but I dislike it enough that I would never choose to go there, and would only go with someone else who for some perverse reason insisted. The sauces are bland and flavorless. And I find the atmosphere off-putting — they seem to be trying very hard to be hip, but they fail miserably.
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This is a Spanish restaurant. Two things I really enjoyed here were: the wide array of vegetarian tapas, especially some little cheesy puffs and the grilled vegetables, and the vegetable paella (which is not something that you see often). The paella is for two, but if you go with a bunch of people you can split a bunch of tapas as well as a paella, and have a nice, varied meal.
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This will sound like an odd comment, but they make a great tuna melt. A great tuna melt is hard to find. Most are soggy or greasy or use dark tuna or put pickles in the tuna.
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I really like this Afghan restaurant quite a bit. They have an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet and regular dinners. The atmosphere is comfortable, the waitstaff is friendly, and, most importantly, the food is delicious — it is wonderfully spiced and flavorful.
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Of course, this is not exactly the healthiest of meals, but the portions were quite large (each piece of fish is pretty darn big, and you get a lot of chips, aka fries for us Americans), especially for the price. And it's as good as battered fried fish can be (personally, I prefer my fried fish dipped in breadcrumbs, but what are you gonna do? you take what you can get). I'd like it if the fish were served with lemon, although it is available. The guy behind the counter was very friendly and helpful.
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This is a Japanese restaurant that also serves Korean food. My partner and I tried the bimimbap and the beef sukiyaki. I liked these well-enough but the CP's partner thought the beef quality was poor, and the dishes a bit greasy. Not that I disagree with that, but I thought it was worth a second try (the flavors were good) — my partner disagrees — maybe we'll be back there eventually.
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I was really excited for this place to open, and it did not disappoint! First thing to notice is that the A/C problems that they apparently had on the second day during lunch were fixed by dinnertime. The restaurant was pleasantly cool on hot Davis evening. I did not find it cramped, either — I guess it depends on what you're used to, but I found it less cramped than, say, Burgers & Brew. I like small-ish (I've also seen smaller), intimate restaurants like this. The decor is also quite nice — good colors with interesting art on the walls. Ok, enough surroundings — the food! was delivered faster than expected (the menu warns you that it might not be fast), by a pleasant waitstaff, and it was *very* good. The flavors in the sauces paired with the enjeera are delightful. We particularly liked the Key Watt (a beef stew), but everything in our combo was good. I look forward to trying other items!
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The food here seems very fresh and healthy, and the sandwiches are all intriguing, the sort of menu where you want to try them all (I'm still working on that). Bread can "make" or "break" a sandwich — this bread definitely falls into the "make" category. It's hearty, fresh, and tasty. Burgers are served on a sourdough roll (and I wasn't sure how I'd like that — but it was good) with enough greens on the burger to make a salad (plus, of course, other options — choice of about 5-6 cheeses, bacons, different types of onion, etc.). I wasn't crazy about the mix of flavors on the avocado sandwich, but that's probably just an issue of my personal taste buds. The curried chicken sandwich was much more up my alley. And you can get a real turkey (not pressed deli turkey) sandwich. Woo hoo! From comments on their wiki page, sounds like they used to have an eggplant sandwich — I wish they'd bring it back (swap out the avocado sandwich??). It's also worth mentioning that everyone here goes out of their way to be extremely friendly and helpful; it's technically counter-service, but it's more like counter-service+.
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This place gets extra points for dealing gracefully with my large, somewhat disorganized group. They have a nice, tasty marinara, which goes pretty far in my book, because it's "make or break" for so many dishes. The artichoke ravioli were quite good. They need to switch to a "greens" salad, though — they're still serving the old-fashioned no-nutrition-here iceberg lettuce salad.
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It's disconcerting to eat Thai food in an American diner, but Californians should know by now not to judge a restaurant by its appearance. This was really quite a treat. They seem to put a particular emphasis on having a variety of fresh vegetables in their food, a big plus in my book. The fresh rolls had sprouts, carrots, cucumber, and avocado inside (shrimp optional) — an unusual combination, but very good — and the peanut sauce had a nice bite to it. Service was a bit slow at points, but they were extremely friendly and so it was hard to be mad. I hope this place does well. We'll definitely be back to try more dishes.
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Ok, I have to say I don't really understand the concept behind this place (and similar places) — you get yogurt, as opposed to ice cream, because it's healthier? less fat? And then you throw a lot of high fat candy on it? Or do some people genuinely prefer frozen yogurt to soft serve ice cream? But even though I can't make sense of it logically, I have to admit it's downright tasty. I tend to go for a yogurt with chocolate in it; black cherry was also good, whereas I couldn't really taste the peanut butter in the peanut butter chocolate. As for toppings, I imagine I'm pretty boring as these things go, but heath bar, brownie, oreos, and coconut make a good combo. $3 gave me a portion that was plenty big enough (easier to achieve if you take the smaller cup — there's definitely a tendency to get more with the larger cup). I saw people walking all over town with cups of this stuff, and so I'm guessing this place will do pretty well. Oh, and if you want to be "virtuous," you can get just the yogurt alone, or yogurt with just fruit.
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2012-01-02 16:08:45 Thanks! :) I got a kick out of the short story you linked to as well. —ScottMeehleib
2012-01-02 17:20:03 Thank you! Glad you liked the photo and page. —EliseKane
2012-01-06 16:25:22 Oops, sorry for leaving off the address info! Just added it to Davis Flea Market. —NicholasBarry
2012-01-06 16:38:11 Yeah, thing is, we don't actually want anyone coming to the flea market... haha, thanks for catching that. By the way, interested in getting together for a Davis edit party to play around with the new Sacwiki code? I just put together a page to suggest this gathering: Edit party to preview Localwiki code. —NicholasBarry
2012-01-09 19:52:18 Orthography != Grammar. /pedant —WilliamLewis
2012-01-10 23:34:56 real mature
If you didn't want your digital information to be used for something (even if stated otherwise), then you shouldn't have joined (cause that possibility always exists anytime you transmit over any medium)
and if you really object to the circumstances in which this slapdickery occurred, go try and kill the wikispot project thru litigation or something productive.
We know something went down and we (the community, and the people with the keys) are apparently trying to rectify it, and if you want to continue to be a killjoy that is your choice to make —StevenDaubert
2012-01-10 23:38:50 you don't seem to understand the back end, which is fine. As far as I can tell Nicholas Barry was granted access inadvertently when his user was elevated when he took on responsibilities for the SacWiki Wikispot switch. Did Nicholas seek out this position of great power with malice in his heart, or was he simply trying to get everyone under the wikispot house on the same page??? Was he wrong in using these great powers for grey area tactics. This seems like a case of a user in a group overstepping his bounds with access, granted that comes attached with the privacy can of worms, but from a technical standpoint (one that Mike and Phillip are apparently going to address tomorrow)
ah **** it I don't really care
Have a pleasant day
2012-01-10 23:50:10 Also you were correct about that Wells Fargo editor earlier that other person had great intentions... just for the SEO business they run and the client who hired them to crawl the web and insert links everywhere. Depends on the POV —StevenDaubert
2012-01-10 23:52:05 don't quote me, unless it comes with the stipulation that is just my theory based on what I gleaned
2012-01-14 21:40:42 Sorry, couldn't fit the explanation in the space provided. I was trying to make the "Corporate Money Talks" image fit the page better, but when I uploaded a saved copy and used the "thumbnail" procedure to reduce it to about 700 pixels, the text wrapped around the right edge. Not really all that important, but thanks for watching out for me. —PhillipFujiyoshi
2012-01-15 14:34:42 Most freeways are not divided and since you're involved with Turkeys, I think most prefer a divided freeway. —BruceHansen
2012-01-22 17:08:23 I have the menu but no scanner =( Sorry, no eggplant parm! —MeggoWaffle
2012-01-22 19:36:37 Romneycare refers specifically to the healthcare system in Massachusetts. Maybe I'm running in the wrong circles, but I've never heard of PPACA referred to as Romneycare. —WilliamLewis
2012-01-22 19:54:56 How the hell is it a loaded term? The president apparently approves of it, even. —WilliamLewis
2012-01-22 20:01:13 It's associating Obama's signature accomplishment with his name. It's only considered derogatory in some circles because it's not the most popular thing in the world. The term itself is neutral. Anyway, you're still associating "Romneycare" with PPACA, which is erroneous. —WilliamLewis
2012-01-25 20:03:06 The actual relevant link from Navigating Campus would be Navigating Davis > Surface Streets > Campus. I was of course suggesting the phrase for that link: Navigating Davis Campus Streets. Just Navigating Davis isn't so relevant. Perhaps you would like another phrase better. —BruceHansen
2012-01-26 09:32:30 I think that may have been a reference to the houses, not the women. My wife and I have an ongoing joke about how she thinks anything that's smaller than usual is cute. Tiny cupcake? Cute. Tiny dog? Cute. Tiny stapler? Cute. Tiny house? .... —TomGarberson
2012-01-26 11:07:40 I'm honestly afraid to make any sort of reply, in light of the recent sexism issue. —TomGarberson
2012-01-30 13:49:17 Hi there! Question for you.....I just noticed zenkids clothing, an online only shop. So does that mean we can all put our webshops here on the daviswiki if we ourselves live in davis, or if we offer a special deal to davis residents? Or only if they are homemade? I sell plastic beads and hair things at www.snapaholics.com, but ain't none of it handmade! I never thought of putting it on the wiki because it's a webshop....but it would be great if my store came up if people put in "beads" in the search field. I sell a ton of plastic beads in lots of shapes, you can't find in stores. Thanks! -StephHolm —StephHolm There is a place for Davisite owned websites, throw yourself on that list and by all means make a page Daubert
2012-01-31 20:14:45 Could you explain to me why you keep reverting the changes to "Island Barber and Spa"? —carrieweinrich
2012-02-01 14:02:37 This was an excellent reply. I'm inclined to incorporate it in some form into WTTW/Business Owner. —TomGarberson
2012-02-03 22:25:25 Thanks CP, they're better, but honestly, his pages are so bad I really can't figure out what to do with them... —Davidlm
2012-02-04 09:38:19 Hello CP,check out the Dpd police log from yesterday, the guy actually filed a complaint. his comment on bistros page, yeah I can understand, but on the bouncers page I don't agree with the remarks. —ndah100
2012-02-04 11:42:41 I 100% agree with you, it's good to see we are on the same page. he could have possibly stated the story about what happened at the bar, but he can't go off in a tangent and make those remarks. Hope the year is going good for you —ndah100
2012-02-05 17:50:31 You're welcome. I haven't tried that brand before, but I hope you enjoy them! :) —ScottMeehleib
2012-02-06 22:43:36 I'm not trying to ignore other editors. I just don't want to look at my user page until I know that the "troll" discussion is moved somewhere else for now, like a directory of my user page (like /Trolling Accusation). As I commented to Ed, I'm not quite ready to finish that discussion and I don't want to see it until I am ready. I'll be glad to use my user page when I know that that is moved. I'm glad to discuss things now, but not in the context of trolling. Thank you. —BruceHansen
2012-02-06 23:26:50 I don't know if my user page still has the trolling discussion — the last time I read it there was a discussion about that with me, JW and MW — and if it's not there, where is it — removed or moved to another page? —BruceHansen
2012-02-07 20:48:50 Thx for the support on working that issue out. —Users/PeterBoulay
2012-02-08 11:32:28 I'm betting you're right. I just find erring on "their side" makes things both more pleasant and puts a spotlight on people who would lie about things for their own advancement. —JabberWokky
2012-02-10 13:18:00 CP.... I just read over his page & it's clear Bruce simply isn't WILLING to work this issue out...it's gone beyond simple non-understanding on his part. I have watched all of you try to work with him to no avail. Maybe it's time for a proposal of a temporary ban? —Users/PeterBoulay
2012-02-11 18:54:35 Cool! I'm glad to hear the red bean buns from Kim's are at least acceptable. I'll give them a shot as well one of these days. If you ever track down the perfect red bean bun or cake somewhere in the Sac/Davis area, let me know! —ScottMeehleib
2012-02-18 14:45:10 Actually, I'd say that the wiki is a place where the many conflicting values can be recorded and found, rather than things like news and formal sources, which are more concerned with facts. The wiki is (ideally) effective at showing both of — and also the difference between — the law of the land and the current cultural sense of what is just. Of course, this makes it even a wider gap between aiming for a purely "factual" presentation and many other people's goals. —JabberWokky
2012-02-18 17:37:57 Yep. Other than a nit-picky bit about objective conclusions that doesn't really affect the practical upshot of things, we're pretty much in agreement. —JabberWokky
2012-02-20 13:56:30 Thanks for checking in with me. I misread the # and thought they were exact. I am wrong here and have retracted the banners. I still have concerns about the similar nature of the comments. —Users/PeterBoulay
2012-02-20 15:41:34 I am removing your comment - it already obvious I am breaking the rules, we have established that and if you know of a safe place to bring a group of dogs without breaking any rules please let me know. —ElizabethBarthel
2012-02-21 12:14:01 I should try and remember to take a photo of my wife's preserved wedding dress. They boxed it up and whatnot for her and it's stashed under the bed. —TomGarberson
2012-02-23 23:39:57 Haha. Honestly, as much as I still feel I was deprived of my opinions there, I not going to reopen the discussion. I did have ideas on BW that I felt were important, and to be fair, there were a few outright deletions at the outset that rubbed me the wrong way. But you're right, 4 people voted a "community process" was put in place to remove it. That's the imperfect nature of this wiki, so for now I'm cool with it. —jefftolentino
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Passive aggressive and bitter is not a good combination. Just let it go. -Megan
2012-02-24 16:41:07 I guess my original comment on the EW page last night was saying the same thing. There have been long standing traditions, and people are always going to find other peoples editing style "unacceptable", etc, but there have been exceptions to the rules in the past, and no matter what you say, it will never be a hard and fast game. Not taking sides on either one of you guys' discussion there, just saying the "rules" are not fixed. —jefftolentino
2012-02-29 18:33:44 I've contemplated commenting to Rhonda as a fellow business owner for quite a while. But some people are not willing to admit that anything could be their fault. It's like bashing your head on a wall. It's just completely useless no matter how good the intentions. —Davidlm
2012-02-29 20:58:24 hope all is well with you CP, happy new year —ndah100
2012-02-29 21:03:23 very true CP, i hope my recent edits on Red 88's page does not stir controversy, i simply wanted to give Wiki'ers a chance to see a reply by Red 88 Management. —ndah100
2012-03-01 09:11:50 The presence of plastic bags in nature is a really weak argument for banning them. Are there really no other, less drastic solutions to that problem? —jsogul
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Is this tongue-in-cheek? Serious question. -M
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Assuming that he is serious... the
article that I linked to was not meant to be a full-scale argument for why plastic bags should be banned. Those arguments have been made elsewhere, including on the Ban Plastic Bags page. Rather, the article was meant to respond to people like Bob Dunning who have claimed that everyone is re-using the bags and that he doesn't see how they could get into the waterways. Obviously, people are not re-using them, or even if they are, they end up in the landfill and then escaping from the landfill — and yes, there they are, in the waterways. They don't have to go to the ocean to be a problem for wildlife. They are costly to clean-up, and for a town that goes out of its way to preserve open space, unsightly and ugly. Sure, we wouldn't need to pass a law if people would just do the right thing and use cloth bags. Obviously, that is not happening, and the pictures in the article demonstrate that very clearly. Again, I don't think I've even given all of the arguments against plastic bags. Another one is that they are simply wasteful — use once or maybe twice, and then throw away. We need to get out of that mentality. —CovertProfessor
2012-03-01 12:35:08 I actually use and reuse plastic bags for a variety of odd reasons, some of which are not bag related (I use them as dropcloths in painting small objects, etc). I find them amazingly handy to have. I'm enough of an oddball in that regard that I'd probably buy them for non-grocery purposes (likely a roll of the veggie style bags). Then again, I don't think my use is really the problem being addressed. I also use packaging peanuts as fill for models. —JabberWokky
2012-03-02 04:47:11 I would reply, but Edgar has sucked away my will to live. —JabberWokky
2012-03-02 12:40:34 I like it. Then again, I like shaking up the comment macro text here and there. —JabberWokky
2012-03-07 09:37:22 my response. —EdWins
2012-03-07 16:07:55 maybe Davis wiki should have a link on front page about the new 'Kony2012' (how we can help/link to the YouTube video) etc etc I am sure someone in davis is affected by it —ndah100
2012-03-07 17:08:31 CovertProfessor, I have a question for you. Ever since seeing you post here on the wiki, I've had the urge to go up to some of my professors and ask them "Are you CovertProfessor?" If such a thing happened to you, would you be honest about your internet identity? —Babhari
2012-03-08 13:00:42 Could be...either way its retracted :) —Users/PeterBoulay
2012-03-10 11:28:15 Thanks for the encouragement. PS sometimes I wonder if I ever had you as a professor... —argyle
2012-03-10 21:43:04 I swore I responded in a similar to your query... Someone at the company looks at it and makes the determination. If a violation occurs they send a photo of the light red with the front tires before the line, and then a photo of the car in the intersection with the light still red, and a close up of plate —StevenDaubert
2012-03-12 15:39:40 Thanks. I'm bummed about it, but life goes on. —TomGarberson
2012-03-15 10:37:33 Sorry about the whitewashing. I was in consolidation mode. Funny thing is, I think I was the one who wrote that comment about HuffPost criticism in the first place. Can't remember, though. Anyway, I'll get back to getting along well again! —justincox22
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Actually,
I wrote the original text and WL added the link. Glad to hear, though, we can continue to move forward. I think your site, and you in particular, have done a lot of good work, particularly with the Occupy movements. But that doesn't mean that there isn't room for criticism. The page should reflect the varying views that the Davis community has of Patch. —cp
2012-03-15 21:43:50 Thanks for the comment CP. Honestly, with all the negativity lately, I've been a bit burned out on contributing, although I've done some work on Sacwiki here and there. Still, my comments tonight are intended to be constructive. sritern's edits were clearly problematic, but I honestly saw a good portion of that edit war unnecessary, especially that last series of rapid reverts. But still, I get your point about the contributions. If you'll make an effort to reduce the fighting, kind sir, I'll happily start actively contributing again. —jefftolentino
2012-03-15 22:01:57 The letter makes it seem like it. "Officially closed" on Feb 28. —MeggoWaffle
2012-03-15 23:31:51 Never mind about the Kony stuff, how are you ? I remember asking you 6months ago if you have tried KetMoRee's food yet, but you said no. I am wondering if that has changed? —ndah100
2012-03-17 12:08:59 Thanks. I put some more comments there, and just summarized them into a post on the Vanguard's bulletin board here: http://davisvanguard.org/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=2&id=534&Itemid=192#534 —DonShor
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Don, re: There is no way a bacterium can insert its genetic material into a plant in nature. They aren’t even in the same category of organism, much less order, family, genus, or species. Absolutely not true, you'd be surprised at how DNA shuffles around. See
horizontal gene transfer. I know several examples of transfer between bacteria and eukaryotes. Excuse a nitpick from a scientist on that sentence, but DNA is pretty amazing, and plants have crazy genomes. Otherwise, I completely agree with your point that it's virtually impossible for it to happen and be selected for, much less isolated by us, in the wild. -ES
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I should have known better than to say "there is no way"! Thanks. DS
2012-03-17 21:32:55 Good point. I was more concerned that somebody with little life experience might think that they couldn't get care without insurance or paperwork. Couple that with the lack of comprehension of the frailty of life found in the same group, and it can lead to tragedy that could have been avoided. It's a good point to make, however: 911 also dispatches the closest EMT on priority transportation to your location; you'll likely see a medical professional (although not a doctor) quicker than you could driving yourself in. —JabberWokky
2012-03-18 12:43:50 Thanks!. I'll try to add some links to it next time I get motivated. —MikeyCrews
2012-03-18 17:21:19 Here's the FAA rule,
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Code of Federal Regulations
Part 91 GENERAL OPERATING AND FLIGHT RULES
Subpart B—Flight Rules
General
Sec. 91.119
Minimum safe altitudes: General.
Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:
(a) Anywhere. An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.
(b) Over congested areas. Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.
(c) Over other than congested areas. An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.
(d) Helicopters, powered parachutes, and weight-shift-control aircraft. If the operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface—
(1) A helicopter may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed in paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, provided each person operating the helicopter complies with any routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the FAA; and
(2) A powered parachute or weight-shift-control aircraft may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed in paragraph (c) of this section.]
(c) would be the appropriate paragraph. I've followed cars on Road 105 while practicing slow flight. The first time I maintained a 600' distance. After thinking about it, I realized that drivers would have no way of knowing the distance and might report me anyway, so I don't do it anymore. —JimStewart
2012-03-20 18:09:57 That's interesting. One of the Amazon warehouses is in Nashville, and I know people who work there and love the environment. I'm forwarding that article to them. —JabberWokky
2012-03-20 22:11:08 Or, TG likes to talk to us —ndah100
2012-03-20 22:14:49 You like dosirak? I once had their spicy chicken, and don't get me wrong I love spicy food, I always eat it, at work, anywhere. But dosiraks spicy chicken, I don't know what's with it, it makes my stomach feel not right every time. I first had it, my stomach was not feeling well. I go back 2 weeks later thinking it wouldn't happen, but I was wrong. I since have never gone back to dosirak. —ndah100
2012-03-22 07:19:55 Are other shops in between shutting down? Maybe they are buying out that whole side to make a larger store? I don't know why Whole Foods would kill em if Pinkberry didn't :-( —OliviaY
2012-03-22 10:12:16 I am pretty sure I read that as "Davis is a...". Pre-coffee editing no-good, no-how. Thanks for the catch. I am now one with the bean. —JabberWokky
2012-03-24 13:15:18 Thanks for helping my profile out. I'm still getting the hang of how to link pages. —AlexHirsch
2012-03-26 15:53:14 Was going to finish that one but I got stuck on a long call...it has been modified —Users/PeterBoulay
2012-03-26 16:35:23 Thanks...sometimes I have to come back and finish edits later due to work. —Users/PeterBoulay
2012-03-29 16:46:51 Why do you say that? —JabberWokky
2012-03-29 16:48:32 Keep in mind that when I disable them, they are able to — as it says in the notice — edit this one entry to seek assistance. —JabberWokky
2012-03-29 16:57:49 I have an urge (with a grin on my face) to also point out that you could read the first sentence on that page. However, instead I'll note that you're far from the first to see an edit pop up on RC from a "disabled account" and jump to the same conclusion. I think at least a couple people have forgotten twice. It's one of those easy to forget exceptions. —JabberWokky
2012-03-29 17:07:08 'hfuhhoijhrljw 98yu423ji24f08u 932kledwlkj eq;lk qwdp[`2]p —JabberWokky
2012-03-29 17:10:00 Boxers or Briefs? —StevenDaubert
2012-03-30 11:26:46 Ohhh, so that was YOU I saw taking a photo of Lamppost!
(kidding) —TomGarberson
2012-04-02 10:44:49 Thanks for catching that. I was stymied in my planned prank by the limits of the software. I had it planned, but I couldn't execute it. Ah, well. —JabberWokky
2012-04-03 15:22:30 You don't think an attack based on the fact that I'm a white male is racist? Please explain. —BrentLaabs
2012-04-03 20:05:39 I don't see all those points as valid in my experience. Maybe it's different for myself because even though I am white, I have encountered some inherent discrimination by being a person with a physical disability. I, however, refuse to blame the entire non-disabled population (even if it's not specifically their fault) for a lack of curb cuts on sidewalks. —Users/PeterBoulay
2012-04-03 20:17:08 Nope. I don't get the irony at all. Irony is usually lost on the target of the irony though, so I'm not surprised. —BrentLaabs
2012-04-03 20:41:03 Actually I'm trying to respond to your other point now by making productive edits.
So I responded to her flippant comment with another flippant comment. Her comment was obviously not intended to actually inform. At that point in time, I was thinking "'check your privilege', what does that even mean?" And her immediate conclusion is that I responded that way because I'm a white male. That is prejudice. She made a judgement about my reactions because she knows I am white and male. You may not understand my reactions because you don't disclose your identity on the wiki, but Megan definitely made a decision based on who I am and not what I said. —BrentLaabs
2012-04-04 01:43:16 It's the fact that she dismissed my comment because I'm white and male, not because I'm a jerkass. The leap in her logic goes from "Those people might need to chill and realize that one can't get everything one asks for" to being put in a group of "white males" who "brush off legitimate concern". The subtext being that I'm just like all of those other white males.
Let's assume that the name "Occupy" is a legitimate concern for the sake of argument. "Might need to chill" is still a pretty weak statement. Her response — not deleting it — not arguing that I'm wrong — not setting it off as an opposing view — no, it was, as I understand now, a statement that I didn't understand because of my privilege. It was dismissive based on who I am. Even flippant, you might say, and based on who I am.
But that's no big deal. It's that she went on to clarify that I can't understand because I'm a white man. That's when I got upset. I am aware that I enjoy special status in this society for being white and being male. There's no question of that. But her tone is so dismissive of my opinion and my status that there's no question it was a racist statement. And I just feel that the wiki should delete harmful words like that, rather than leave it on and incite these long threads.
Amen. —JeffTolentino
2012-04-04 10:59:04 Oh, this is nowhere near the worst thing that could happen to me. In fact, because of my privilege, I can safely ignore this prejudice.
The argument has always been that her statement doesn't belong on the wiki. It still doesn't. —BrentLaabs
2012-04-04 11:13:19 Okay. Can you rewrite the section so that it's no longer an attack on one person? Or an assumption about all white males? —BrentLaabs
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Would removing all the bulleted responses be sufficient? It seems like that would work...—TheDrDonna
2012-04-05 00:07:11 I'm sorry I haven't responded to you. I appreciate the explanations. I really do. It's just... I don't know how far I want to go down the rabbit hole with this. I don't agree with you, and the reasons aren't in your argument — which is sound on its own merits — but in the philosophical assumptions you make in making your argument. I'm sensing you may have the same problems with me. Do you want to continue discussing this anyway, at this time? —BrentLaabs
2012-04-05 14:35:00 I was waiting for the editing to finish, but yes — feature a page. Otherwise it's an event. —JabberWokky
2012-04-05 15:07:16 Will you help me with my comment about the red light camera? You seem to know this town pretty well :) —Suzyjones
2012-04-05 20:05:48 Yes :) —TomGarberson
2012-04-06 02:39:00 I think I only asked you two question: what is "check your privilege", which Meggo sardonically answered for me, and asking you to explain why you didn't see her statement as racist. I think you saw the fact that I wasn't being convinced as asking questions. So I guess it really is time to go into the whole can of worms.
Okay, let's get in to the fundamental reason I don't agree with you. At its very root, it's because I'm a pragmatist. Radically so. When I was in high school, I guess I would have considered myself a romantic. But it came with my experience in the working policy arm of ASUCD. I'd see person after person come through with ideas that I generally believed in, but have no idea how to realize the idea in any kind of rational action, and well, it gets frustrating after a while.
Sure, I agree that people of color are oppressed, that white people have privilege. That's confirmed both by experience and data. And there are actions that we can take to rectify these things. If capital punishment routinely leads to extra and unnecessary punishment against people of color, why not just abolish it? We'd even save money in the process. Or if black people have less capital due to historic consequences of their ancestors servitude and deprivation of voting rights, reparations could be a reasonable possibility. While I have my doubts that it could be implemented pragmatically, at the very least it is an actual action to take that could rectify a documented problem.
But what I don't understand is an attempt to bring about social change using the politics of division. I hate identity politics. I hate identity politics because it a tool that divides people. Don't stop reading: Certainly, recognizing divisions that already exist does not create division. It's how it's applied in practice which creates the divisions.
By creating an ideology around a privileged class that responsible for the oppression of another class, you automatically create an other. Those people who are attacking us. The them that is against the we. It doesn't matter if we white folk deserve the blame. It's the act of affixing blame that intensifies divisions.
So when I turn on the news, I see tales of the liberals' War on Christmas, or the muslims building their "Terror Mosque." TV is pretty conservative. On the campus I heard endless complaints about how the University isn't admitting enough people of color.
It's not fucking helping. All of this complaining doesn't do a damn thing. If there's actual policy to go with it, fine. Or out of the world of public policy, at least something that can improve the lives of people as a whole. But more often than not, it's turns into a game of "everyone beat up the person who said something inappropriate" and "carefully worded apology I don't believe in."
As it turns out, pretty much all white people know that they have privilege in this country. And the ones who don't, well, you can't do anything about idiocy. The way Megan used "check your privilege" in her statement? It implies that I am wrong because I don't understand the life experience of others who are less privileged. That I am the other, and that I am brushing her off because I can't understand the we.
But let me offer a radical alternative to that assumption. Both of you are wrong. Attacking the name "Occupy" is simply a bad idea. The word "occupy" is simply not a tool of oppression. I can't see an evil dictator anywhere saying something akin to "I'm going to occupy you, you occupee bastards." And if you come from an occupied country, where the government routinely tortures you or denies your freedom for being from a certain ethnic group, I genuinely feel sorry for you. But changing the name does virtually nothing to actually nothing to improve the conditions over in said country.
Here's where pragmatism comes back in. If I'm from a disenfranchised group, do I: (1) Join an increasingly popular nationwide movement that wants to improve the conditions of my people along with all others who are disenfranchised, and to diminish the extreme power and wealth of those oppress us; or (2) Complain that the name makes me feel uncomfortable, uncomfortable in a way that no one can understand but one of us, so I can't take part unless they attempt a national rebranding of an established volunteer movement.
Option (2) is simply not pragmatic, not at all. If you think that being privileged makes us exempt from compromise on things we don't agree with, you're wrong. I find many politicians' support for the death penalty, for example, President Obama, morally repugnant. I'm going to vote for him anyway, because, well, that's what I can get for now. That does not mean we should not strive for better. It means that we should take what is best now.
I do not live in a idealistic world where I aim for a huge, romantic world revolution. I look for best available solutions. And I hope that little by little, pragmatically, we finally crack the world's shell, and bring about the world revolution. So, I checked my privilege, and decided that if I was in a similar life to yours, I would still disagree with you. Maybe I would be feel better if the name was changed. Maybe I would think of it as a way to take back the word, and occupy the occupiers. But either way, my pragmatic side would prevail and I'd support the Occupy Movement.
I'm not really clear as to whether the assumption is that because of my white male privilege I cannot understand the situation, or that I brushed off the concerns because as a white male I wouldn't try and comprehend another view. But the thing is, I did try to understand it from another point of view, since walking in another man's shoes is at the basis of morality. And as to the former question, the homeland of my ancestors was occupied by a foreign power for 300 years, and only got independence last century. But, you wouldn't know that about me, because you just assumed an ethnic profile about me based on what you know about white male privilege.
Saying that privilege exists is a fact. Saying that someone is exercising it, like so many other members of their group, is an allegation and a stereotype. Which is where we come back to identity politics. The lines are sometimes vague and indistinct, but they are there. The line between promoting one's own group's standing, and diminishing another group. Which is why I can't stand identity politics in practice.
It turns out that this matter was at the heart of ASUCD's dispute with UCSA, where, through some strange twist of fate, I ended up in the eye of the storm. UCSA, through a feedback relationship with USSA, is primarily an identity politics organization. They really wanted to bring affirmative action back, pass the Dream Act, and spend time accusing the Regents of not caring about students, especially ethnic minority students. You know, issues that Schwarzenegger would veto in a heartbeat. ASUCD even voted to support a graduate student issue because it actually seemed like the only pragmatic goal.
Unfortunately, no one in UCSA wanted to do normal political lobbying. You know, going to assemblymembers, giving them proposals for laws, and sitting down and talking like normal human beings. Because they didn't understand — couldn't understand — and because it was much more fun to yell at people, they organized protest events, which always felt ridiculous and shoestring. And it's not that I hate activists — the tail of the curve is necessary for any real social change. It's that they didn't do the pragmatic things, too. And that was really too bad, because I so, so badly wanted them to succeed. In fact, I still pray for them to succeed, because students so badly need adequate represenation and good ideas at the capitol. But when it comes down to it, I stood virtually alone in supporting UCSA at the end in ASUCD, because so many conservatives in were turned off and wedged out by the identity politics.
I know that's amazingly off-topic, but it means that I've been thinking about these issues for years, and have radically different conclusions than you have. So to me, my comment had nothing at all to do with privilege or brushing off criticism. It is my recommendation as a policy analyst that the people calling for a name change to chill. Because creating a wedge issue here gains them nothing, and in fact weakens a movement that aims to help them. Because asking for this is not pragmatic — they cannot get everything they want from this one movement.
And so, all of the allegations of white privilege are not related to my actions at all. They were assumptions made about my actions based on a profile. A stereotype. A prejudice. I suppose that this is easier to swallow than the other alternative: that she is wrong. Racism is always easier than the truth.
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I wholeheartedly agree with Brent's message here. —JT
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Yes, I get it that people are defending the assertion that MW is a racist, as they have been doing all along. I am appalled, disappointed, and discouraged. —CovertProfessor
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I'll defend the other side... it is trivializing an incredibly serious charge to use it in that situation. It was a racial statement, not racist. I can absolutely see why it would upset: there are two ways to view racism, by individual and by group. People who hold one view tend to think the other view is naive or unaware (and sometimes that is true). Flinging charges when there is a fundamentally different view of racial models means that the gap can never be bridged. And yes, that means there will be implication of racism by group, which people who see it as an individual issue translate to a personal charge of racism. But to disregard the fact that it was not a personal charge is either disingenuous, simply ignorant (not a bad thing), or an act of willful activism. If I may: Brent, do you think M is racist, or that the philosophical view of racial relations that is common and that she subscribes to — due to the way it applies assumptions to groups by skin color — is inherently racist? I do understand that you could commute, but a little abstraction here could go a long way toward reengaging in a meaningful discussion. -jw
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CP, If you don't like the term racist, that's fine. The bottom line is MW made a generalization about BL based on both race and sex. She made assumptions about BL's individual views, based on a racial stereotype about a group, regardless of how privileged that group may or may not be perceived. Sure, BL made a glib remark about "chilling out" but the "typical white male" comment that MW responded with did nothing to improve the situation, let alone defend anyone's fight against oppressive or hurtful language. To me, it’s discouraging that you're defending that sort of attitude at all. —JT
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Wording matters. It's not just that I "don't like" the term racist, it's that it's a very strong accusation that should be used with extreme care. The last time an editor was accused of being a racist, everyone had a fit about it, but suddenly, it's acceptable (as MW pointed out). And what MW said — after two dismissive comments from BL — was "Hmm... another white male who, exercising one of the many luxuries of his privilege, brushes off legitimate concerns. Hilarious." She did not say "typical white male." Again, wording matters. —CovertProfessor
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I would say that reply from M was fairly antagonistic. There are no saints here, especially once it got personal. -jw
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Somewhat antagonistic, yes, which in my view is understandable given the two immediately preceding brush-off comments from BL. But antagonistic ≠ racist (I understand that you weren't saying that they are the same, just trying to return to the point at hand — there is certainly a lot of antagonism to go around in this discussion and others). —cp
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Very true. -jw
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Hey CP, I've actually tried to be pretty careful about using the term "racist." I agree, its a pretty strong word that implies fairly extreme bigotry, and I don't think Meggowaffle really exhibited that. I checked through my edits and I don't think I ever called her a racist outright, (please correct me if I missed something though). I think maybe the closest I got to calling her a racist was saying I called "somebody out on a potentially racial or sexist comment." I did say that MW stereotyped BL and made generalizations about BL based on race and gender, and I still think that is very accurate. That said, if you want to split hairs on the "typical white male" comment, I'll give you that one. Meggo didn't type the word "typical" in her initial comment to Brent, and its my fault for not going back to the original version and checking. She did point out that BL was white and male, however, and in my opinion, she still made assumptions about BL's privilege and capacity for empathy. I still believe it was stereotyping and generalizations based on race and gender, which was the main intent of my last comment. Hope that help clear things up a little. —JT
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Twice, on this very page, you agreed with BL's assertions. BL said, "But her tone is so dismissive of my opinion and my status that there's no question it was a racist statement" and you said, "Amen." BL said, "And so, all of the allegations of white privilege are not related to my actions at all. They were assumptions made about my actions based on a profile. A stereotype. A prejudice. I suppose that this is easier to swallow than the other alternative: that she is wrong. Racism is always easier than the truth." You said, "I wholeheartedly agree with Brent's message here." So, perhaps you need to be more careful about which passages you say that you agree with. By the way, today I came across something that I think we can all agree
is genuinely racist. —cp
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Cool, CP, if you want to split hairs again, sure you win. Yes, Brent said those things, and I made statements supporting him. If you really want to pin me down on his use of the word "racist" I'll agree again, I think its a little over the top. At the same time, I was not the one being stereotyped here, and when I try to see it from his point of view, I can understand being pretty upset about the assumptions MW was making based on him being white and male. To him, I'm sure it feels like a racist statement, and I support his right to be upset about it. I'm choosing not to use the word "racist" myself, but I still support BL. —JT
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Splitting hairs??? No, I am taking your statements at face value. If you want to reinterpret them now, fine. In fact, I am happy to hear you say that you don't think the word "racist" is appropriate for this context. However, the fact remains that when BL first used that term, I was the only one who spoke up to defend MW against this charge (later, a couple of others did as well), whereas you and everyone else supported BL. Again, this contrasts with the last such incident where everyone was outraged when the r-word came out. If you had a problem with the word, you should have said so, not said "amen" and "I wholeheartedly agree." —CovertProfessor
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Ok CP, I think this is getting blown out of proportion. I'm going to just stick to what I said before: I'm personally not choosing to use the term "racist", but I understand why Brent was upset enough to use it, and still support him. —JT
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Ok. I see a difference, but not much of one, especially when you seem to be putting all of the blame on MW and none on BL. —cp
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Professor, you've spent your last few exchanges with me picking apart my comments and wordings now. If you really want to start going into the details of whether or not I put all the blame on MW and none on BL, that's fine, but for now I think you're going to have to have the rest of that conversation without me. You can go back through my edits on your own time and decide for yourself, as I don't think any response I give you on that is going to change your mind. —JT
2012-04-06 23:24:26 I knew someone would ask why I deleted Online Pool Supply from the pool store section. I own both Platinum Pool Care and Online Pool Supply. Platinum Pool Care is our local store for Davis customers only. Online Pool Supply is not tailored for local use. —PatrickNewton
2012-04-11 15:45:52 *sigh*...fixed —Users/PeterBoulay
2012-04-11 15:47:12 Some mornings it's not worth chewing through the leather straps :) —Users/PeterBoulay
2012-04-11 21:45:26 Oh okay thanks! Not sure if this is where Im supposed to reply..still trying to figure this thing out. —MoeHirani
2012-04-19 10:40:36 Thanks CP. I saw the horribly thought out Featured Page and had a kneejerk "revert it" feeling, and decided not to edit. Your edits cleaned it up nicely and pushed it down toward being a decent featured page. Good topic, good intent, just bad (or not well thought out) execution. —JabberWokky
2012-04-19 13:13:58 Police officers can only be disciplined for stuff in their personnel files. There is no way in hell that the Kroll report will make it into those files... the police officers will fight tooth and nail to prevent that. The best we can hope for is that the internal affairs report reaches similar conclusions. As an aside, it is possible that the public will see part or all of the internal affairs report. They are generally considered confidential and exempt from public record act requests, but they can still be subpoenaed. You can bet the ACLU will try to get ahold of as much of the report as possible in their lawsuit against the university. —WilliamLewis
2012-04-19 13:43:59 I was basing my statement on the conclusion reached by the Atlantic in the article I linked to a few edits ago. "So what happens to Lt. Pike? Once placed on administrative leave, he was subject to an internal affairs investigation. The law requires that its findings alone can bear on personnel actions, never mind all the useful evidence collected by the independent consultants, or the analysis performed by the panel of esteemed statesmen." I agree that public pressure generated by the report probably influenced Spicuzza's decision to resign, but I have my reservations about calling the independent investigation anything other than impotent in any official capacity. Given the resistance shown by UC Davis in fully cooperating with the independent review force, my suspicion was that they hoped it would be more of a smokescreen than anything else. —ScottMeehleib
2012-04-19 14:01:04 After thinking it over, I suppose one could come to a less pessimistic conclusion than I did. But it seems to me, that, since both the internal and independent investigations were performed seemingly concurrently and without interaction, the independent one cannot be seen as having an affect on the other in even an unofficial sense. In the best case scenario, UC Davis was actually trying to get out as much truth as possible in the independent review, not because of possible disciplinary measures, but rather to put pressure on responsible parties to resign without the agonizingly long process that firing people apparently takes. So if that is your take on things, I wouldn't mind that being added as a possible interpretation. —ScottMeehleib
2012-04-20 20:47:59 Thanks for really de-bolding Monticello. :) —jsbmeb
2012-04-23 16:25:40 Picnic Day 2012 looks excellent now. It good to see a picnic day picture collage. The last few years it was just bare bones in terms of photos.. —SimonFung
2012-04-23 20:49:46 JW should be aware now —StevenDaubert
2012-04-23 20:53:01 I just killed the account. Thanks for the cleanup. —JabberWokky
2012-04-25 22:23:39 hi CP, hope all is well. If you look at the DPD log(apr20,5am-apr21,5am) on pg7 of 11, you'll see that the unicorn rider was reported to police, but was 'unable to locate', so does that mean the unicorn rider is a fugitive!? —ndah100
2012-04-26 00:15:11 That is the third time somebody has spammed the wiki with links to that group. —JabberWokky
2012-04-28 20:29:04 I've also found the sudden surge of comments on a page I had never heard of interesting. It is also interesting that many of them have similar ip addresses, and a couple are the exact same. Maybe I'm just a conspiracy theorist ;) —LoriOrf
2012-04-28 20:58:13 I wasn't sure if I should do anything or passively let it happen, So I'm patiently watching it unfold. —LoriOrf
2012-05-01 15:21:31 I think making a Wheelchair Accessibility page is a great idea. I also made the same assumption as you; spending a lot of time with a person in a wheelchair has been a real eye-opener. My friend has a giant ADA guidebook full of required sizes and dimensions for tables, and it can really be quite confusing. Unfortunately, you often can't tell if a table is accessible just by looking at it. For example, we rarely consider that most of us lean down slightly every time we take a bite. But my friend is paralyzed immediately from the arms down so unless he can get very close to the surface of the table, eating can be quite a chore. Central supports underneath the tables often block the ability to slide wheelchairs far enough under. Also, sometimes the surfaces themselves are too high.
In any case, I think it would be a good idea to start off with a page that simply lists businesses that make things hard on people with wheelchairs (tables too close together, not enough accessible seating, blocked wheelchair ramps, awkward table surface heights, etc.), and then contrast those with a list of businesses that are unusually accommodating. That would be a good base, and from there we can try to hopefully research which places are actually out of compliance instead of simply inconvenient by citing relevant ADA documents. —ScottMeehleib
2012-05-01 15:42:14 I just noticed that we already have an entry called Mobility Impaired Access. How does that name strike you? I don't feel like I'm very good at naming entries tbh. We may as well keep the content of that page, in any case, and just expand the theme to include the bad as well as the good. —ScottMeehleib
2012-05-09 11:36:05 Hey now! I don't want to be associated with Dunning any more than you do! Hehehehe. —JabberWokky
2012-05-10 15:40:07 I'm a supporter of Ron Paul, but I also think it's weird that he didn't know about the "Incident." If anything, you would have hoped somebody in his campaign would have briefed him on it before he came to Davis! :/ —ScottMeehleib
2012-05-10 18:25:34 Hey, CP (I'm posting the same on Jabberwocky's page). I just reviewed my intern’s recent edits, and saw your comments. I’ve spoken to him directly about his poor judgment in choosing a username.
While acknowledging that the username was inappropriate and mean, I hope that actions speak louder than words. I’m personally a huge supporter of Daviswiki – hell, I contributed $100 to the Localwiki campaign – and I’ve made it a point to put a lot of our info on Daviswiki, even when it doesn’t benefit our organization. A lot of organizations wouldn’t even bother to create a list of places you could use their product – they’d just have that on their website. And the easy thing for us to do would just be to make a plain text list on our page, but we’ve created about 15 of the businesses’ pages, and intend to create more. Sure, 15 is a small number, and it’s not as if we did a lot of journalism on those pages. I’m not trying to claim any medals. But I hope it shows a lot more commitment to the wiki than most businesses or individuals would make.
Also, may I note that one of our other interns used the username “davisrox”? That’s positive, right? (I’m being lighthearted, in case you can’t read the tone ). By the way, I’ve created instructions for all future team members to use their actual names.
I can’t read your tone, by the way – I’m not sure how serious you are when you’re talking about this username creating an impression about the entire organization. I understand that the people who represent an organization inevitably contribute to the organization’s perception, but as I said, I hope you can look past the words to the actions.
And if there are other things that I’ve missed that you think are problematic, or if things come up in the future…you know that you could always drop me a line? A quick “Hey, your intern’s username is kind of jerky” would be fine. One of the things I really like about the wiki is how much editors engage each other in conversation. One of the things that makes that username mean is that it’s an anonymous, unproductive criticism of Daviswiki, without trying to engage in any meaningful conversation. I’m trying to represent the opposite by engaging, with this post, and if you do the same and drop me a line in the future, it will make it easier for me to remedy anything that comes up.
—NicholasBarry
2012-05-11 07:23:40 I agree. Obviously that's something he'll have to decide on his own, since if I told him to do it, it wouldn't reflect a personal commitment to the wiki! Maybe I should start filtering internship applicants by number of wiki edits prior to applying? Hehehehehe... —NicholasBarry
2012-05-12 12:03:51 Thanks for adding a section for former organizations to the Rainbow Community page. Sometimes I completely forget to do that. —ScottMeehleib
2012-05-14 07:51:16 It could be like how some companies devote resources, including staff time, to improving open source projects like PHP or Apache. Davis companies could be expected to devote some time to building on the Wiki - it certainly drives lots of business to Davis companies. —NicholasBarry
2012-05-15 20:05:14 Hey, did anybody put up a good scan of the nasty political mailer? —JabberWokky
2012-05-15 22:08:22 Those mailers say way more about the people who sent them than the subjects. Jon Li and Clint Parish will never hold elected office around here if people remember the disgusting stuff they've published. —WilliamLewis
2012-05-15 22:27:52 While I agree with William, if it's actually a problem, I have no issue with posting it after the election. Documenting it is more important, at least for me. —JabberWokky
2012-05-21 19:20:58 Yeah, I figured an analogy would be a bad idea. —JabberWokky
2012-05-21 20:50:47 So what do you think about ykarmi's changes to Raja's? I took and put up the picture of Harmeet and Taranbir with their blessings and I really don't know what ykarmi's intent was when he/she took them off. It looks like ykarmi built a website for them and figured he could remake the wiki page the way he wanted it to be. I don't quite know what to think. —JimStewart
2012-05-22 14:38:24 Your picture on the Target page is awesome. —JenniferCook
2012-05-22 15:27:57 That Prius photo is an absolute beauty. —justincox22
Thanks for the heads up. Somebody edited the live code and did a typo. I've informed the coders to fix it. -jw
2012-05-22 20:25:32 Should be fixed, oops! Thanks for the report! —PhilipNeustrom
2012-05-25 23:48:27 Those Arboretum pages are nice pages, but severely underlinked. So I might as well throw a ton of links at them, right? The Nav table design is the best I can do with the classes I've been given — I might have liked a font 1px bigger, and maybe a white text header, but I have to make do with the classes we have. I'm wondering if we could do some sort of online tour of the Arboretum on the wiki, but I think we'd need more photos, and that's one thing I can't contribute from far away. —BrentLaabs
