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Archive for October, 2007

Band of the Week

October 18th, 2007 by Ossie

On a completely unrelated note, Repeat Offenders is a great R&B / Latin / Blues group from Pheonix. I recommend the song “Respect.”

Senator Gulley should be recalled

October 18th, 2007 by Ossie

In lieu of the recent comments by Senator Nate Gulley in last night’s Senate Meeting (see thread below) the Commentator would like to highlight this message posted yesterday afternoon on Facebook by Senator Gulley:

Also, it’s a good thing I am going out of town this weekend. Because if some shit goes down, all the evidence is going to point to me. For example, my recent Google searches include:

“Rates of Spontaneous Combustion Among Greek-Americans”

…and…

“Top Ten Most Effective Ways to Throw a Hand Grenade at Targets That Rhyme With Smapailiou”

Alright Nate, calling fellow Senators racist in public is one thing, but suggesting deadly violence against the Senate President, Athan Papailiou, is one of the crudest, most despicable and immoral actions an elected representative of a student body can perform. This is a public threat toward a fellow official. We believe this type of behavior is detrimental to the ASUO Senate and is worthy of a recall. We encourage the entire student body along with the ASUO Senate and the ASUO Executive to hold government representatives accountable for actions that demean and demoralize the ASUO and the student body is serves.

Hey ASUO, could I borrow some money? I swear I’ll pay you back soon…

October 17th, 2007 by Niedermeyer

I think we all knew that this story would come back (the comments are a fun read), but who could have guessed it would have been so gleefully, spectacularly embarassing for everyone involved? That’s right folks, everyone’s favorite former Con Court justice Jerome Roberts promised that he would pay back the $375 he collected in stipends while he was not a student, but he has yet to send a solitary ducat back to the ASUO. According to the Emerald, Roberts was supposed to pay back $50 a month until the sum was redeemed. Let’s see now, the story came to light in May, so you have payments for June through October missing, that’s $250 the ASUO should have back in it’s gullible little mitts by now, instead of a big, fat bupkis. Oh well, it’s not that much money… hell, why doesn’t the Exec just have him work it off over at the Con Court? After all, it’s not like the court could become any more of a joke than it already is…

***UPDATE***

Awesome raging against the unfairness of making Roberts pay the money back here (scroll down), from everyone’s favorite Senator. Of course enforcing rules is the product of “personal bias” Nate… it has nothing to do with the responsibilities of fair play in government. Hell, why don’t you just go straight for your favorite chestnut and call the whole Senate racist again? Damn, just when you think a situation can’t become any more embarassing…

The OC hits your radio dial

October 16th, 2007 by CJ Ciaramella

So, I think I’m going to be on KWVA tomorrow (Wednesday) at six p.m. Somewhere in the middle of the incoherent screaming and babble that is a Commentator staff meeting, Ossie told me I should head down to the radio station for some sort of talk show. He said I would “represent the Commentator well,” meaning no one else wanted to go. Apparently, I will be expressing opinions … about things. This sounds like epic radio in the making, so don’t miss out.

P.S. Why aren’t you here, Ted? Just when we could really use someone opinionated and verbose you’re off in China drinking beer out of plastic bags.

P.S.S. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: we need to start a Commentator podcast.

Pacifica Forum to host holocaust denier

October 15th, 2007 by CJ Ciaramella

On Nov. 2 the Pacifica Forum will host a lecture in 129 Mackenzie entitled “Free Speech vs. Zionist Power” by Mark Weber, “America’s most prominent revisionist historian.”

Weber is the director of the Institute for Historical Review, one of the larger anti-Zionist “institutes” around. This isn’t unusual for the Pacifica Forum, however; they routinely invite tinfoil hats, holocaust deniers and other mixed nuts to speak at their forum. For instance, a while ago they had a lecture on the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, a proven hoax that dumbasses still use as evidence of the Zionists’ plans for world domination.

On a completely unrelated note, the lecture is listed in the events section of the forum of stormfront.org, whose motto is “white pride world wide.”  Finally, something the hippies and white nationalists can agree on: a mutual hate of Israel.

OSPIRG put on ice at PSU

October 15th, 2007 by Ossie

Portland State’s Vanguard reported last week that OSPIRG is no longer considered a student group on campus because its mission statement refers to OSPIRG as a corporation. The PSU chapter of OSPIRG is no longer receiving the benefits that student groups get. As for its budget, the Student Fee Committee will hear opinions from students before decided what to do with the OSPIRG chapter’s $128,000 of student-paid fees.

We hope the SFC will do the right thing here and set a precedent for OSPIRG on the state’s university campuses. Their claims as an on-campus student organization are a bunch of malarky. As Thomas Jefferson said: “To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”

Anime is Destroying America

October 15th, 2007 by Jake

You read that headline correct. It’s not terrorism, the war in Iraq or even Lex Luthor that is destroying America. According to the Ol’ Dirty’s Elon Glucklich, it is Japanese cartoons.

“In a society dominated by excess and two-second attention spans, cartoons play a significant role in preparing us for the world. Each can be thought of as a 30-minute babysitter, instilling the kids who watch them with certain values and life lessons. But the landscape has changed”

Glucklich goes on to cite examples of how Anime has led to America’s downfall.

“So what is Pokemon teaching the next generation of kids? The virtues of capturing exotic animals and making them fight for your amusement? I already learned that from Michael Vick.”

Now, I am no anime defender. I find it annoying and pointless. But, is it any better than American Idol, Survivor or Grey’s Anatomy? The answer is no. TV has long been the medium for cheap, pointless entertainment. Networks only care about shows that bring in advertisers. It’s all as high-minded as that.

Is Anime dumb? Yes. Were the cartoons of our generation better? Of course, they were our cartoons. Please check out the comments section for this editorial. Anime fans unite to defend themselves.

Shake of my fist

October 15th, 2007 by Ossie

So I was walking into the game on Saturday with a student ticket, but I didn’t have my student ID on me. The squirrelly looking ticket person said I cannot go in without my student ID. I stood there for a minute – at this point I probably could have just walked in with the crowd, but I thought it would be fun to see what happens. The ticket person walked over to this lady and I was cordial enough to follow him. Now usually I don’t like to use harsh words when describing people, but because of the way this lady treated me, I will call her swamp donkey. Instead of attempting to converse with me, the swamp donkey walks up to me, snatches my ticket, and starts yelling. My gut reaction was to reach back for my ticket because it was my ticket; I should have been given the chance to take my ticket out, go get my student ID and return.

The swamp donkey instantly grabbed one of my arms and screamed “DPS.” A DPS jerk swooped me from behind, grabbed me with some force, damn near knocked me over and started pushing me forward, yelling “don’t fight me, don’t fight me.” For the record I was not fighting at all, only stabilizing myself while being shoved, nor was I anywhere near blatantly intoxicated at this point (I have witnesses).

We hear week after week all the statistics from Autzen about people getting kicked out. The numbers obviously are helped by over-anxious security who have little skills other than physical force, unable to handle situations any other way. And that is why I’m giving this week’s “Shake of the Fist” to the Autzen Crowd Management Service and the dirty rotten DPS. Way to protect and serve, ya bunch of assholes.

By the way, after being kicked out, I walked and had a couple beers, then bought a ticket for $4 and went into the game, making the whole ordeal that much more asinine.

Dear OLCC, I thought we were supposed to be the greatest country in the world…

October 12th, 2007 by Niedermeyer

Beer is popular in China, but nowhere is it more popular than in China’s beer capital: Qingdao. Home of the best-known Chinese brewery, Tsingtao, beer here is cheaper than anywhere else, and the locals have devised the perfect method for ensuring a happily intoxicated populace… the street keg. (more…)

8-11

October 11th, 2007 by Sean Jin

So I guess today is National Coming Out Day…dammit! Why didn’t anybody tell me? I guess I’ll have to wait until next year.

The ASUO pulls another ASUO

October 11th, 2007 by Ossie

I can’t say I’m surprised by the ruling of the ASUO Con Court to not void the minutes of the June 13 Senate meeting. If you’re just joining us here on As The ASUO Turns, no minutes were taken of the meeting, but were scrapped together in an unorthodox and seemingly illegal fashion. The Con Court beings its opinion by explaining “this Court finds that meeting in question was held in violation of OPML,” then tells why it will allow for it.   (more…)

If you see this House of Representatives rockin’ …

October 10th, 2007 by CJ Ciaramella

I was poking around the Internets today, doing some school work and whatnot, when I made my way to the website of Representative Peter DeFazio (of bike bridge fame). As I scrolled through, I noted a link for something called the House Small Brewers Caucus. Yep, it turns out DeFazio and Greg Walden co-chair a caucus dedicated to the advancement of micro-breweries. Most of the other Oregon representatives (Hooley, Wu and Blumenauer) are there too. The website has information on brewing and even a chart on beer and food pairings, not to mention a sweet logo. Could it be that our state representatives are cooler than we all thought? Should we send them Sudsy t-shirts in hope that they’ll wear them on the floor of Congress?

Nah, but that’s still a pretty sweet logo.

ODE possibly having love affair with DPS

October 10th, 2007 by Ossie

On Monday, the centerpiece feature in the Ol’ Dirty was about the alleged under staffing of public safety on campus. There are 14 DPS officers and four sworn EPD officers – three officers and one sergeant – that cover the University campus. The feature highlights the administrations goal to create an official police department on campus. The article, of course, uses the Virginia Tech shootings for leverage.

The ODE followed this up with a article about rising bike theft on campus. Good. Great. Grand. Nice “unbiased” news reporting. Today, however, the Ol’ Dirty Editorial Board had this to say:

“The state should recognize the importance of providing adequate police on a campus of 20,000 and give the University the right to have a fully-functioning police department on campus.”

Is it too hard to understand that creating a full-fledged police force will increase violence on campus? A good majority of University students feel safe walking on campus at any time of the day or night as it is. Furthermore, most students don’t like police figures.

But hey, I say bring it on. It’s been a while since we’ve had a good ole fashioned riot. Let’s bring in a couple dozen ego-driven, trigger-happy authority figures who will eventually get on a power trip and mishandle a situation – and you know it will eventually happen – leading to serious abuse to a student or a group of students. Then, the students can retaliate by rioting and smashing the windows of the police cars. Then, the EPD can join the campus police to stop the surge with tear gas and rubber bullets. Then, more students will be outraged and join in the carnage. Then, the National Guard can be called in. By the end of it all, the scoreboard will be: 53 students hospitalized; 2 students dead; 2 officers hospitalized; $375,000 of damage; 2,780 broken or chipped teeth; 1 embarrassed University; and one hell of a bar tab at Rennie’s Landing. Trust me, my Magic 8-ball told me so.

Also, check out the illustration. It depicts the University campus as Gotham City. Ridiculous.

Arena may be paid for completely in bonds

October 9th, 2007 by Ossie

The Oregon Athletic Department has thrown a curveball to the slowly-revealed plans of the new Basketball arena. The administration and AD are seeking to pay the arena by taking out $200 million in 30- or 40-year bonds, according to an article in today’s Oregonian. If this is the case, tax payers would not pay for any of the arena. They would, however, bear the loss if the department is unable to pay off the bonds.

Oregon’s current load of XI-F(1) bonds is $178 million, with 3.3 percent of the university’s total annual operating budget being used to pay back those bonds. State guidelines recommend a cap of 7 percent, which Oregon would nearly reach if the current arena financing plan went forward.

That’s before the university launches a planned overhaul of its dormitories, which could require as much as $450 million in debt,” UO senate president Gordon Sayre said.

Kilkenny said the bonds would be paid by arena revenues, and any shortfall would be paid with money from the Duck Athletic Fund. The Legacy Fund, which was just kicked off by Phil and Penny Knight’s $100 million donation, then, would cover the department’s annual operating costs.

Kilkenny estimates the department would need $11.2 million a year to cover 40-year bonds. A 2003 report estimated a new arena would generate revenues of $6 to $8.6 million, but Kilkenny said those numbers are conservative and thinks the new arena could bring in up to $16 million annually.

Oh yea!

October 9th, 2007 by Ossie

The register guard ran a story today that includes an interview with the Medford teacher who is challenging the ban on fire arms in the classroom, which was posted last month by CJ. The woman claims she is afraid that her husband may come to the school and hurt her, but after taking one good look at Gerry Katz, I don’t see how this guy can do any harm.