>>>>> " " == Mark Sonnier <[log in to unmask]> writes:
 
 > Sorry for the oversight.  I just thought *EVERYONE* knew who Binky
 > was...
 
 > For everyone's benefit, Binky and Nuka were a pair of polar bears
 > who lived at the the Alaska Zoo here in Anchorage for the past 10
 > or 12 years.  Binky gained his 15 minutes of fame after
 > goodnaturedly grabbing a tourist who ventured into his pen for a
 > close up photo.  Shortly thereafter, a drunken local teen climbed
 > into Binky's pool for a midnite swim only to have Binky remove the
 > kid's jeans...
 
 > This summer, both Binky and Nuka succumbed to a still mysterious
 > liver parasite, indeed an ignoble demise for these proud animals.
 > Letters of condolence poured in from around the state and beyond,
 > and the bear's pens were opened up for a public memorial attended
 > by throngs of flower- wielding children and us big kids, too.
 
 > I keep hoping UAF will adopt Binky and Nuka as their official male
 > and female mascot names.  Like many, the photo of Binky with that
 > Aussie gal's shoe in her mouth is indelibly etched in my mind.
 
 > As a Nanook among Seawolves, Binky allows me an outlet to show my
 > true colors without unduly irritating my coworkers :)
 
 > So, in short, long live Binky!
 
In honor of Binky, I'm wearing my "Binky's Catch & Release Club"
T-shirt today.  It sports a likeness of Binky with a tennis shoe
dangling from his mouth.  But I do believe that it should be the
Anchorage campus that adopts Binky as their mascot.
 
 
-Alan Harder
 [log in to unmask]
 Go Blue!
 
The above commentary, which does not *even* represent the opinion of
the American Mathematical Society, is sold by weight, not by volume.
Some settling of the contents may have occurred during shipping.
 
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