Going under the knife

Today, I had the chance to observe a total knee replacement, a surgical procedure typically seen amongst the elderly, where titanium pieces are inserted into the femoral and tibial condyles, to create an artificial knee joint. Also, the cartilage on the patella's (knee cap) posterior aspect is replaced with a plastic surface. Now it was time for action, so Ben and I had to get properly prepped.

The entire procedure, performed by Dr. Dickhaut of Nacogdoces Medical Center, typically takes about one hour. Ben and I arrived at 7:15am, prepared with the medical team (which consist of small talk, shaking hands, Q & A, etc), observed the surgery from 8:20 to 9:05am, and was home just before 10:00am. The patient was a seventy year old woman, large build, mostly inactive, and had been experiencing related pain for the previous five years. Other people in attendace was Billy Bobo, who is our Program Director's husband, and he was largely responsible for what we learned because he explained a lot of the procedure while the physician, assistants, and nurses were all busy on the patient. Something special to point out about the patient is her medial femoral condyle had been recieving a majority of the brunt forces from rubbing with the tibial plateau, which in turn, caused an excessive build-up of bone along that tibiofemoral junction. This may me known to some as Wolff's Law. From the anterior view of the x-ray, there was definitely some medial angulation of her femur, and the cause of the anomaly is unknown; whether it was a result of her poor posture, her weight, a prior incident, etc. but it definitely contributed to the complications she'd been experiencing.

As soon as the drilling began, the smell of the room was immediately filled with diseased bone, and bodily fluids. It wasn't that bad, but it was definitely strong. The room was also freezing cold. It was at 55 degrees. I asked the nurse, "is it normal to have the rooms' temperature so low?" She replied the room was kept very cool at the Physician's discretion, but normally, a lot of operating rooms are probably kept cool to prevent the proliferation of unwanted germs, which warm temperatures could contribute to.

Another interesting observation about this operation room is there was music blaring throughout the procedure. At first I didn't notice it, but then I caught a glimpse of the nurses in the corner jamming out, and then it dawned on me, that there had been music playing the entire time! Now, I'm not the biggest country music fan, but I believe it was either George Strait, and Ben, who is a country music enthusiast, believes there was some Garth Brooks, too! Nevertheless, we went through the whole CD, and the nurse again told me, this particular quirk was also the Physician's request.

And finally, the typical bedside conversation was not what I expected it to be. The topics discussed could not be anything further from anything medical related. The topic of the day, was the BCS!!! Yes, college footballl; which seems appropriate since our football team is on the verge of winning a National Championship, as well as all the recent action in college football nationally.

In the end, the procedure was a success, and there were no complications. To my suprise, the patient is expected to be up and walking with no ambulatory aid as early as tomorrow! I thought that was incredible, seeing how she was just being banged, and drilled on not too long ago. But the explanation was that her bones weren't being broken, nor were there any repairs of any sorts taking place - simply a replacement, a total knee, that is!

I just hope I never have to undergo this procedure.

Happy Birthday 40-something, Mom!

*That's actually San Francisco we're overlooking, not NY =)

Chicken fried steak - Texas style!

This is the type of work I do! This is the reason I moved to Texas in the first place! This shot was taken at Goodson's Cafe in Tomball, TX, and I have a review of the restaurant on my Yelp.



Do work, son!

Service Learning Grant - Magnolia West High School

As a part of a Service Learning Grant our program received, we collectively decided to do a presentation at Magnolia West High School and discuss Sports Nutrition related topics to high school athletes. Between the seven of us, the topics ranged from fast food consumption, dietary supplements, energy drinks, and I gave my presentation on water hydration. Each presentation was about ten minutes long, and mainly given lecture-style, with some audience participation, and questions. Overall, I feel the presentation went smooth, and although the delivery could have been better, I do not think anyone had a problem with the outcome.

I was the second presenter, which I personally prefer, because my style of speech-giving allows for a more "loose" feel, and I like to feel as if I am casually speaking to my audience; so I appreciate AJ and Josh for loosening up the crowd for me. Their topic covered nutritional supplements, and for most part, they gave a straightforward fact-based speech about the choices out there, and if you decide, how to properly combine supplements with regular dieting.

Appropriately enough, after they just finished speaking about what not to put in your body, I race up to the front of the room, with a jar full of candy and chocolate in tow. The first line from my mouth was, "I know they told you guys not to eat sugar and candy, but I brought you some anyway," and all I see it excitement across their faces. The fact that I was studying to become a teacher prior to athletic training really helped because the "candy" jar is a little trick I picked up from a course I took on class management and public speaking. Yes, it is a gimmick, but it is a slam-dunk tactic within this age group, and especially if you are unfamiliar with them. There is always a positive reaction to candy.

Knowing I had a limited amount of time, I decided to make it as interactive and visual as possible. I began with an original brief game where everyone in the room stood up, and as I read off facts about hydration; if those statements pertained to you, then you would sit. The last person, or in this case the last few persons, would receive a treat. The type of statements read were phrased such as, remain standing if you ate breakfast this morning. After each statement, the next question would be a follow up of the previous. The second was, remain standing if that breakfast included an 8oz. glass of water, and so forth. Another thing I learned about public speaking is to add humor where possible, which makes it all the more comfortable for the person doing the talking - especially if the audience laughs when they are supposed to. So, I had a few statements that read, remain standing if you had to leave your class today because you were thirsty, and Andi Tate, our host, immediately replied with, "and not to send a text message to your friend," in which everyone laughed, which was my intention.

Each statement I read was to emphasize a specific point, for example leaving class to get a drink because you were thirsty, which I would later mention, at that point where the onset of thirst occurs, you are already dehydrated. The visual element in my presentation included our Women's Soccer Hydration chart from Summer two-a-days, and I gave an example of how quickly an athlete can lose weight from practicing hard, and what the general rules and requirements are for rehydrating to maintain a given weight. With this activity, I took a volunteer's weight (a guy, of course), and drew on the whiteboard an example of what the chart looks like, and gave an imaginary, yet real life, scenario of what he would do in day-to-day hydration management.

As you can imagine, the time flew by and the next thing I know, I was getting the signal to get off stage. I did not get a chance to cover everything I wanted and I did not get a chance to hand out the examples I brought of our Hydration Chart, but I figure they would have lost them anyway, so that gives me comfort in knowing I did all that I could have done. And of course, as I left the stage, the kids wanted more candy and chocolate - and even while I was sitting along the side, they continued to try and get my attention =)

DIY - Front Fender painting

This is a Do-It-Yourself for any one who is thinking of painting their motorcycle's front fender. I didn't do anything elaborate; all simple stuff any one can do with an afternoon to spare. Let me just say this off the top; I did not sand, primer, or in any way seriously prep the fender to be painted. I pretty much thoroughly cleaned it, and applied paint. You be the judge.


Step 1.
This is a shot of the lower screws that are easy to remove, as well as the fork reflectors that have screws behind them that also need to removed. This requires an allen wrench, but the reflectors can be twisted off with just your hand.


Step 2.
Pictured here is the second set of screws that must be removed in order to get the fender off. This shot was taken above the fork, through the upper fairing. It looks like a tight fit, but it's actually quite easy to get in there. You may have to reach underneath the side fairing in order to get to it.

A shot of the fender's bottom side.

Side shot of fender fully removed

Looks like something was living underneath my motorcycle

Shot of the bike with the fender gone. Doesn't look too bad, I'd say

Step 3.
Find a place to keep the screws. Do not lose them. Even though you'd probably be okay if one set were to suddenly become missing, I'd just keep them anyway. Once removed, I cleaned the fender thoroughly with just water and soap, and dried completely, and set it on the ground. Some folks advise to suspend it from the ceiling or some fixture, which is probably a better method than mine, because as you will soon see, I was unable to paint underneath the fender. Having it suspended will allow you to get every corner and crevice.

Step 4.
Paint it! I just used light strokes vertically, about 2-3 coats, initially. The paint I used went right on. After about 5 mins, the paint began to separate so I had to re-coat it, against my convictions, because that decision to add an additional coat, cost me big time; as you will see in the upcoming shots.

Here is where I took the biggest hit. Like I mentioned above, the paint began to sort of disperse along the top, so I had to repaint it, and the paint ended up going on quite thick on the side.

I continued to keep an eye on this ruined side of the fender, and the paint just continued to dry extra thick. I thought it would eventually even out, or I even considered repainting it, but I figured this was the best it would get. And if I were to repaint, it would only get worse. So I left it alone

Overall, I think the process was quite simple, but I would recommend anyone considering this to seriously follow instructions on coats, dry times, and maybe sanding, and primering. All of which I did not do. I just threw the paint on.

R is for rehab - Journal 3

The following is a tracking of a collegiate female soccer player's syndesmotic ankle sprain, or more commonly known as the high ankle sprain. The date of injury was September 29. Her mechanism of injury invovled forced ankle eversion combined with dorsiflexion, while attempting to block multiple goals during a drill in practice. Her position is goalkeeper. The player presented with all the same signs and symptoms of a lateral ankle sprain, in addition to the location of pain being approximately two inches superior to lateral malleolus. Athlete was unable to support own weight, and was immediately removed from play, and remained on the sideline where ice, compression, and elevation was applied. Player was fitted with crutches, and instructed on use.

The following day, player was set up with ice and stim to aid in removing the moderate swelling that resulted. Ankle girth measurements, and goniometric measurements were taken. By day 3, which was a Thursday, the team generally holds light practices in preparation for Friday games, so player repeated ice/stim treatment to aid in reducing edema, given a compression wrap which consist of Power Flex tape wrapped distal-to-proximal without any figure 8's. Figure 8's can be done to help with angles, but I prefer not to do them when the goal is to aid in flushing edema from ankle. The upcoming Friday game was Away, so player was not scheduled to travel with the team, however unbeknownst to the Training staff, she did decide to drive herself three hours to the opposing school to watch the game. Player came in the next day (Saturday), which is when information of her travels were revealed, and was given ice/stim treatment, repeat of measurements, and a good-humored lecture! Player was given the remainder of Saturday off, as well as Sunday, and told to stay off ankle.

With the team playing on Sundays, Mondays are "off" days except for those requiring treatment, so player arrived with significantly less swelling and bruising, so we continued ice/stim treatment, and began range of motion (ROM) and mobility exercises. Although the swelling had subsided, player reported increased tenderness along anterior tibiofibular syndesmosis. Even though progress was being made, the Head Athletic Trainer scheduled her an appointment to have x-rays of her ankle the upcoming Tuesday; seven days post-injury. Player and I traveled to Dr. D's office where we waited 2 hours to be seen, and another 45 mins. to be evaluated. We recieved some good information, especially from the Physician's Assistant about taping techniques, but player was really upset over the whole "waiting" ordeal, only to be told what we already knew. But, this is when I had to explain to player the need for the x-ray; in order to diagnose/rule out any other serious problem.

The following day (8 days post-injury), we began a semi-aggressive rehab program, which I arranged in stages, that was to be combined with her continuing to practice with the team, scheduled workouts with the team, and rehab exercises with myself. By day 10, she was able to suit up and participate in most team drills, and individual position drills, with relatively little pain during activity. Most of her discomfort came after practice, where she would recieve additional treatment.

Her rehab would consist of a combination of up to 3-5 exercises under each category. Often, I would allow her to choose. The exercises with the asterisks are original ideas of mine, or alterations of existing ones.

Warm Up - 10 mins.

• Bike
• Warm whirlpool
• Light field jog
• Elevated sports massage

Manual Therapy - 10 mins.

• Lateral glides +inversion
• Medial glides +eversion
• Posterior glides +dorsiflexion
• Anterior glides +plantarflexion
• Traction
• MMT
• Achilles tendon stretch

Balance Activities - 15 mins.

• 1/2 foot balance x 30sec-1min
• Star drill
• Med-ball toss, w/o rebounder
• Body Blade
• Heel raise w/ lateral force *
• Crossover lunge

Strength & Mobility - 15 mins.

• Penny heel raises *
• Tubing
• Lateral shuffles
• Single leg heel touches
• Total gym
• Marbles

Balance/Reaction - 10mins.

• Wall ball
• Cones (plyo's)
• Hurdles (rope tied to UBE) *
• Circle Hops *
• Four square

Proprioception - 10 mins.

• X Factor *
• BAPS w/o ball
• Reach & 'round *
• Single leg body blade

Treatment - 15 mins.

• E-stim
• Sports massage

These are just a sample of the exercises we performed. There were other variations to these exercises that I would come up with, and adjustments I would make midway through the execution. Each day, we did something different, but remained within the different stages of difficulty. By the fourth week, she was at an advanced level and many of the activities were aimed at soccer-style movements.

Working with her, I learned a lot about the pysche of an injured athlete, motivation, how the body responds to different activities, the importance of clear instructions, being creative, and overall, caring and showing interest. In the beginning, I would sort of instruct her on what to do because I knew what the exercises were in my head, but I think she appreciated it when I began to write out what the planned course was for that particular day. Also, after every session, I would reassess her functionality and I think she appreciated that as well, because she would tell me what was different from yesterday, and how things have either progressed or regressed.

I really like the approach I took in regard to her rehab design. With the help from ideas we've learned in lectures, I chose to begin sessions with specific goals and give her an idea of where my expectations were aimed, and also, it gave her a chance to respond and share her goals.

Being the backup goalkeeper, there was no true measurement of her recovery; only what she reported. For instance, her returning to game form wasn't measured by her performance because she did not play. I believe she continues to have lingering discomfort, but she understands that this particular type of sprain, takes longer than usual.

They just don't make 'em like they used to

Came across this gem at a garage sale today. An Emerson Cassette/TV boombox, detachable speakers, AM/FM radio, equalizer, and recording capabilities. I had to see if this baby still had some juice left, so I plugged it up, and impressively, it still works. Now, you can breakdance while watching Three's Company!

The sky is having some technical difficulties

It's days like this I wish I was back in California where it never rains. This is the football practice field; if not for it's crowned design, it would be under water. And the wildest thing of all, we actually have to play a soccer game tomorrow, and you can imagine how brutal the field conditions will be.

oh, I love it...

DIY HMF Racing slip-on exhaust installation

For some reason I feel I have to do a disclaimer beforehand, because I have a feeling somebody's going to follow my step-by-step instructions on how to install their new exhaust. But, by all means, use this method if you like...afterall, it did work! And the bottom line is....it's just a slip-on!

But this is mainly for people interested in doing business with HMF Racing, or considering a new exhaust; I pretty much want to detail all the questions I had going into this, and where I found, or didn't find, the answers, and how this process went. Before purchasing, I did all this research to seek out answers and granted I did find most from searching forums, a lot of people weren't as detailed with their answers.

Dealing with HMF Racing
Let me start by saying I ordered direct from HMF Racing on Tuesday October 13th, and it was in my hands that Monday October 19th. Talk about fast shipping!!! They weren't kidding. And I live out in rural Texas (albeit, it's a college campus), so I imagine if you live near a major city center, then it would arrive even faster than that. On the other hand, they are absolutely BRUTAL with answering email! There is no lighter way to put it. Like I mentioned above, I found a lot of the information from message boards, and forums, but just for piece of mind, I kind of wanted to hear it directly from the dealer. But I know as a consumer, nothing is like a well-written, honest, unbiased, user review! I first heard of this brand of exhaust from reading http://kawiforums.com/, and decided to check it out, and browse their site. I was lurking the HMF site for over 1 month, and then I suddenly noticed they were having a sale, so I jumped on it. I compared prices to all the other Exhaust makers, and it seems like HMF was the right way to go considering my budget. My price was $227 -- which included the exhaust can, and the end-cap; arguably the best deal on any slip-on exhaust out there! Do the research... With that said, I have to give them a 8/10 just because they are horrible with email (some of my questions still have yet to be responded to), but they get extra clout because of the outstanding price, and unbelievable shipping time.

Benito and I with the goods, fresh out the box

Picture of the stock exhaust

Removing Stock Exhaust

Close-up of the stock exhaust. FYI, taking off the stock parts are a cinch. It comes off in two parts; the heat shield, and the exhaust can itself. All you have to do is literally twist/pull it off. Comes off fairly easy with little-moderate effort.

The HMF cans' lead pipe goes over the bike's exhaust, up until the point with it is ridged in the picture. That is approximate 3-4 inches before it reaches its endpoint.

I'd truly say the hardest part about removing the stock exhaust was twisting my semi-but-not-quite-dull Allen wrench on the two (2) smaller screws Lauren is holding. You may have a better experience than I did. They are positioned atop of eachother, and I removed the top one - no problem, but I nearly stripped the second of the screws. That is when I called in Benito, and luckily, he didn't care and just poweredrove that bitch off. No second guessing! I was all careful and ish because I didn't want to strip the screw, and then have the sh*t stuck on there.

Close up of heatshield and the screws that come off the heatshield, also the longer bolt that attaches at the rear footpeg, which is the mount for the stock exhaust. According to HMF, you can use the original parts with the new exhaust, and it will work just fine. I agree, the new parts they send, are identical and may be desired over the old ones, because they look newer and shinier.

Installation of HMF can

Naked. No can. This was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I'll be honest, I had the WD-40 all ready to go because I had a feeling it wasn't going to cooperate; and I learned that from reading others and their experience with this part. Initially, the HMF can goes on, so you feel good about yourself, then it hits a wall. We brought in the WD-40, sprayed lightly around the edges, and inside the can, and after about 3 trial-and errors, switching positions, and using knees and elbows, arms, etc. to try and get it on, we gave it a 3rd coat of WD-40 and Ben got that b!tch on! Whew, I was relieved. I knew it would eventually get on, but it took a good effort to get it there.

In that process, I think we may have threw off the angle of the exhaust pipe because once hte HMF can was on, nothing was aligned right, and we have to "force" the can back into an acceptable position so it would sit where it could be attached to the rearpegs where the stock exhaust sat. This process too a little over 20 minutes alone; mainly because we couldn't really figure out which part went where and so forth.

At this point, I went back online and looked at how other guys mounted their cans, and how they attached their heatshields. Nothing they did seemed to be working with mine. So, Ben and I got creative, and improvised. This is point where I say, you can either "do as I did, or not!" You will be able to see in the following two pictures, we didn't install the heat shield, which nullified the need for a lot of the screws/parts. In the shots, you can see the actualy pipe is exposed. Installation 5/10 because the instructions weren't helpful at all, but in actuality, you don't need them, however, at some points you may have questions but the instructions pretty much say, "remove old exhaust, twist on new one. May require some effort."

Exposed pipe

Ready for a test run.

In the video, you can hear the finished product. Yes, it blows me away how different the bike sounds from the stock exhaust. The sound is incredibly deep and full, and shakes the entire parking garage!

Overall, I am more than satisfied with the product and how the outcome. It was difficult at first, but I truly think anyone can perform this modification. it just takes patience, and a little over 1 hour for the complete process. HMF supplies you with everything you need, except a wrench/pliers, slightly larger allen wrench to remove stock exhaust, and maybe some WD-40 to assist with the twisting and pushing of the new can onto the pipe. If you're not sure what type of company you're going to go with, just keep researching until you know.

And for the most requested question I had, and what you probably have, is "did I rejet the carbs, or shim the carb needles?" and the answer is, "No." Do I plan to? The answer is "No." HMF doesn't require it, although I think they recommend it. But most people, I find, fall into the convincing tone of everyone saying to jet your carbs, or whatnot. The problem I find with that is, most people are complaining of backfire when slowing from high RPMs to low RPMs. I am not experiencing the backfire, as a lot of other folks aren't, but if you are the unfortunate one who had TOO MUCH backfire, and want to get rid of it, then rejetting is suggested for that. From doing my research and reading up on that subject, some backfire isn't bad, therefore, a lot of people are oversenstizing this issue, and spending additional money on jetkits that they don't necessarily have to.

Hope this helps, and feel free to leave questions

Notes from the Field - Journal 2

Time has gone by so fast! When looking at the schedule, I see there is only three more weeks in the season. We are currently 4-1, which is good enough for sole possession of 3rd place in the Southland Conference, and if we beat Texas State (5-0-1), then SFA will be lonely atop of the conference. I haven't started fitting the size of my conference championship ring just yet, but I'm saving a finger, all the while keeping them crossed. I am really excited about the possibilities of winning the Conference, and that is why this weekend (24th & 25th) are so important.


But, back to the Athletic Training perspective. Up to this point, the sort of injuries we've seen are as follows;

• Tear of posterior horn of the meniscus, partial ACL tear, LCL tear
• Syndesmotic ankle sprain
• Peroneal tendon irritation
• Wrist UCL sprain
• Hamstring strain
• Grade I-II quadriceps strains
• among other general illnesses!
  

For most part, I have had the sole responsibilty of deciding treatment options and designing rehabilitation programs for each injury, of course with the consideration of the ACI. The entire process of determining the best options for each athlete, and progressing them through varying levels of intensity has been very exciting. The athletes have responded well to the types of exercises we have been doing, and with the help of Trey, they have stronger confidence in me, and even look to me for advice and opinion.

At this point, I am convinced that Eddie Beltran and I were a good match to work together. He and I gel nicely in the work environment, and have developed a functional understanding of eachother's approaches. I believe our natural working relationship has positively affected the team in regards to the girls being more relaxed and playful around us. Definetely the girls know I'm the more serious one, and I like being viewed that way, with Eddie being the more joking of us two. The girls really feed off him a lot. It is a really good dynamic. Nonetheless, I think it benefits the entire team psychologically when they see the staff as relaxed as we are

There is a huge difference between Year 1 and Year 2 of the program. Being with a specific team for longer than two weeks, obviously, allows for a lot more time for interaction and getting to know athletes personally. Also, I think the best part is being able to work with an athlete throughout their entire injury, and seeing them return to play. In Year 1, one would get a taste of this very feeling, with either being there for the beginning of the injury or while they're returing, but rarely be able witness the entire process.

Regardless of how we finish the season, I have enjoyed my time here tremendously!

Wooden Glasses

Nice! I'd rock these in the winter-time



I don't know what I was Googling, but I came across these during an image search

Pulling the plug on KDNZ? Well, I have something to say

As former General Manager (03-06), I feel sad about this whole ordeal, too, but I also feel angry. So I apologize if this sounds more like a rant, than a comment.

In my heart, I love USF and wouldn't trade my time there for anything, but I don't think the people in positions of power are doing enough to save KDNZ. Period.

There was a ton of work and sweat that went into making KDNZ what it became, at what I believe was its highest point. Not taking away what those accomplished before me, because you all set us up to be successful, but it is frustrating to read that this place is sinking so soon after it was handed over so well off.

When I left, there was a steady LIVE stream of online music, not just a preset playlist that people could click and download. The Mobile DJ Service was very prosperous, often being booked months in advance, and was by far the most visible attribute of the station. I remember presenting the information of doing 54 events in a year, as means to justify our Executive Board stipend raises. Those 54 events were FREE of charge, by the way. We had former students (Jimmy can support this) who would return, and be wowed by what we had accomplished. I remember one Friday we sat in the station and an old student/member came in and reminisced about his old days there, and how the equipment still hadn't changed! But he was amazed to see how far we had advanced.
Also, there were DJ's audtioning to be able to spin in the Harney Plaza during our weekly concert series. There were artists calling in about getting interviews, doing shows, live in-studio performances, etc.

And I know Jimmy P., Tri V., and George E. will remember USF Senate and others, controversial decision not to finance the station's antenna repair proposal. The repair would have costs around $3,700 while the replacement would have been in the $9,000 range. Those were the figures we were quoted, and presented to either ASUSF, SuperFund, or Senate; one of those bodies. We were ultimately denied. As well as Jimmy's personal campaign to bring KDNZ Channel 3 back, once it was shut off-air still for no sufficient reason. Then, mysteriously, some members of Senate (James K. and Casey F.) created the idea for USFTv, which sounded a lot like what we already had in place, but was shut down without any clear explanation. Coincidentally, the creator behind USFTv was a part of those governing organizations. I just think it is "fishy" how the guy heading the A/V Dept. all of a suddent takes our channel off-air, then is unable to provide a reason why. I can't remember his name but he was a red/brown hair guy, and I remember specifically Jimmy and I NOT confronting him because we had gotten word that his wife had recently passed. So we decided to take the heat off for a while. But prior to that, we were hounding his Dept. for answers, and demanding to meet with him, but he was never available.

I'm not suggesting this was a conspiracy to rid KDNZ, but I'm saying I don't think there was enough done to make sure KDNZ was saved. I didn't get the impression then, and certainly not after I left. There were people who definitely had our backs, especially Marci T. finding us multiple advisors, and even arranging lunches with the Jesuits, but we never really felt like we had the University's full support.

After Jason V. aka "Trackademicks" graduated, he handed me a station that was unorganized and chaotic, yet underneath the stacks of papers everywhere and unopened envelopes, was a functional and revenue-generating on-campus club. Next to Campus Activities Board (CAB) and perhaps College Players, KDNZ was second-highest profiting organization. As an Exercise & Sports Science major, not even related to Music/Business/Media in any way, I took the station and dedicated three full years of my life. My Summers were spent in there cleaning, reading old emails, letters from people I didn't know named Howcrio Burley, Patrick Lagreid, etc. which I found to be former GM's like myself. All I'm saying is, I took the station and made it my personal goal to see it succeed, and left it with a worthy successor as dedicated as I was, and I'm sure he did the same after he left, but although I hate to believe it, I just don't think the University has done enough to ensure KDNZ's future existence.

Sad day....

Custom Ninja decals

I had these logos custom made by Chris at DrippinWet.com, just trying to make my Ninja stand out a little more. It was a &!#@ trying to put these things on. You really have to know what you're doing, but if you're careful, anyone can do it. It just takes patience. If you can imagine, of course, the stickers were flat, or in one piece. So, I had to figure a way to get it to adhere to the bike's lower fairings, where there are air vents, without tearing the decals apart. It was a tricky manuever, but I used a box-cutter blade and got it on the first, and only, try. I'll take some close ups so you can see exactly what I am talking about.

Sorry, no how-to with this, but I could post it up anyway. There just won't be any pictures of the process.