It’s Friday—which seat can you take?
My talks in Davis are over now, and went well, I think. It was bittersweet to me that yesterday I gave what was almost certainly the last pure research talk of my career, but at least it was at Davis before many of my old friends. I have one more day of one-on-one meetings with scientists, and then tomorrow I’ll be free in Davis for Picnic Day, a renowned and annual campus celebration that includes something I love: the dachshund races. The sight of a pack of wiener d*gs racing at top speed down a track, tiny legs a blur, and, finally, bashing into hay bales, is hilarious:
There are many other demonstrations and events. When I was here as a postdoc in the early 80s, they used to display a “vegetarian cat” in a cage: a sad-looking tabby whose diet included no meat, as well as a fistulated cow whose innards you could inspect through a hole. I suspect those exhibits are long gone.
But on to Hili, who wouldn’t appreciate such shenanigans:
A: This is my armchair!
Hili: So what?
Ja: To jest mój fotel!
Hili: No to co?
Nice to see some dogs! Digging thru several layers from the Picnic Day link, I find:
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Doxie Derby is a 30+ year tradition that is hosted annually during Picnic Day by the second year veterinary students.
I wonder how it got started?
OMG those dachshunds look so cute! We have family friends in NZ that always has a couple long haired dachsunds and they will sneak into the guest room to see me in the morning. 🙂
I hope that wasn’t your last research talk, Professor. 🙂
At Cornell the vet school, too, had a fistulated cow and a day on which she was open for viewing. I think that tradition of a viewing still persists.
Mayhem has the same attitude about my chair
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 13:31:48 +0000 To: t_aid@hotmail.com
“last pure research talk of my career” sounds awfully final. Don’t want to pry, but have you announced something?
Yes, I was wondering about that too. But I have a lot of posts to catch up on…I’ve probably missed something.
and sub…
Jerry mentioned in passing a week or so ago that he was nearing retirement.
Well, “emeritus” has a distinguished ring to it. And we’ll still keep him busy here!
Isn’t Dawkins also officially retired? Just more time for everything else on their full plates.
Jerry, you like d-gs races? 😀
We had a mini dachshund and that little bugger was absolutely fearless — about what you’d expect from a d*g bred to crawl into tunnels to attack *badgers* — IN THEIR OWN HOMES!
Watching him leap over mighty three inch high mounds of dirt was always a highlight of any walk with Willie.