Today “Linking Plant Genetic Variation to Foliage-and Litter-Based Arthropod Communities“ Greg Crutsinger 122Briggs,12:10to1p.m. Sponsored by the entomology department

After all my huff and puff about world peace last week,I am incrediblydiscouraged to have to write this.I hope a lot of you on campus have heard of Nonie Darwish,the speaker that Davis College Republicans have booked to speak tonight.I’ll keep this simple:She is an Egyptian woman who used to be Muslim,had a bad experience with Islam and now is traveling the country warning people on college campuses about Muslim Student Associations “recruitingterrorists;” jumping on the hater-bandwagon…as I always say.

You might want to consider your brain before knocking back another drink,and not just for fear of a hangover. According to a study by researchers at UC Davis,Wellesley College and Boston University,the more alcohol people consume,the more their brain volume decreases.

Geologists unearth‘dinosaur dance floor‘ Along the Arizona-Utah state line,geologists have found a three-fourths-acre site withprehistoric animal tracks so densely packed together,they’re referring to it as a “dinosaur dance floor.“

At their meetingTuesday,the Yolo County Board of Supervisors received a presentation and report on how the statewide measures on the November ballot will affect the county from a fiscal standpoint. County staff analyzed each measure to determine whether it would have a negative fiscal impact on the county by taking away funding from county programs and services,according to the report. The county has struggled to preserve services in the face of significant cuts coming from the state. “Staff recommends supporting only new programs with a dedicated revenue source,” said deputy county administrator DirkBrazil in a memo to the board. The following is a summary of the staff findings.

Gangs,guns and meth:They’re problems inextricably tied to street crime in California. Backers of Proposition6,also known as the Safe Neighborhoods Act,say the way to combat these problems is to guarantee a certain level of funding for police and prosecutors.Opponentsattack the measure’s lack of an identified funding source.

Teams:No.8UC Davis vs.Cal State Northridge Records:Aggies,11-2-2 (3-1-2); Matadors,6-4-3 (2-0-2) Where:Aggie Soccer Stadium When:Today at3p.m.

Leslie Lyons is no crazy cat lady,although cats are her main focus here at UC Davis.She researches everything feline– from their genes to the little pieces of fur they may leave behind at the scene of a crime. Recently,Lyons and other UC Davis veterinarians assisted in engineering a glow-in-the-dark cloned cat.If that’s not enough to make you purr,her interview withThe California Aggie just might.

TODAY Aggie Football ticket distribution 10a.m.to2:30p.m. Aggie Stadium Ticket Office Go pick up your free ticket to the Oct.25game against North Dakota.The last chance to pick up tickets isWednesday.

After over a year of contentious negotiations,the University of California and the American Federation of State,County and Municipal Employees labor union have tentatively reached an agreement on a new contract for the11,000patient care workers at UC hospitals around the state.

Cell phone use during an exam A professor referred a junior to Student Judicial Affairs for using a cell phone during an exam.The professor noticed the student looking at her cell phone and pushing buttons.The student claimed she was checking the time,but using a cell phone during an exam foranyreason is a violation of theCode of Academic Conduct.Because this was the student’s first offense,she was offered Disciplinary Probation until fall quarter2009,to which sheagreed.

Ah,box-checking day.Nov.4is lurking just around the bend and,as the leaves turn,American voters are preparing themselves to march to their polling places and take that final Pepsi challenge.Another four years are behind us and it’s time again to exercise our privilege aswhite landowning Christians free and equal citizens to make our voices heard in the selection of our representative government.Yessir,you can positivelysmell the Red,White and Blue® inthe air.