Today’s cover story in the Eugene Weekly is about the UO Veterans and Family Student Association and their new play Telling. Friend and contributor to the OC Sean Jin is quoted and even has a nice mugshot. (But why so pouty looking, Sean?)

The play consists of veterans telling their stories on stage – life, bootcamp, combat, coming home, etc. Performances run 8 pm Friday, Feb. 8, and Saturday, Feb. 9, and 2 pm Sunday, Feb. 10, at the Veterans’ Memorial Hall, 1626 Willamette. The VFSA is doing a lot of great stuff for veterans on campus, so go check it out.

The most talked about football recruit in the nation, Terrelle Pryor, held a press conference today, which is national signing day, saying he will wait to decide what school he will attend. His top four schools are Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Oregon. Pryor said he will visit Eugene.

The Duck’s offense seems to be the best fit for Pryor, a 6’6″ 227-pound QB from Jeannette, PA, but the long distance from Oregon to his home has been reported as a major factor.

The list of commits thus far includes six 4-star recruits and one 5-star.

Last Friday, as I was reading the ODE’s editorial and interview with Sue Jakabosky, Co-Chair of the Fairmount Neighborhood Association, regarding the construction of the new basketball arena near the Fairmount neighborhood. THe article made me a little upset. For I have lived amongst the Fairmount neighborhood for two years, enjoying the pleasant geography, citizens, and fellow Fairmount brethren.

It’s a fact that doesn’t sit well with some neighborhood residents, who have voiced displeasure over feeling left out of the negotiation process. Fairmount Neighborhood Association Co-chair Sue Jakabosky has been especially vocal. Throughout the negotiation process, she has cited land value concerns, adverse traffic conditions, litter and disorderly conduct as problems that will arise in the wake of the arena’s construction.

I do not know Ms. Sue Jakabosky, my so-called “voice” in the community as it pertains to the new basketball arena. However, one thing that was overlooked in the editorial, as well as Sue’s complaints, is that everything being complained about already exists! Every game day, whether it be football or men’s basketball, there is grandiose flaunting of automobile traffic, public drinking, trash, noise, and good ol’ fashion carrying on. Moving the arena a few blocks east of where it currently sits will barely change the logistical dynamics of a bunch of people getting together to cheer on Oregon sports. If anything, moving the arena closer to the new EMX will create less traffic. The use of the public transport system will likely increase substantially during events at the arena.

From one neighbor to another, “Keep it Down Out There!”

The Oregon Commentator isn’t known for its superb copy editing, but I am sure we would never print the opening line to an opinion by Matt Petryni in today’s ODE. (This was caught by my functional alcoholic roommate.)

So recently I was in a bar, which shall remain nameless for its own defense, and I ordered one of the standard gin cocktails (think: the “martini” or the “Manhattan,” for example).

Bourbon, Matt, a Manhattan is made with whiskey and/or bourbon.

I’ll be updating this thread with primary results and other information as it comes in over my teletype.

• First results of the day: West Virginia goes to … Mike Huckabee? That’s 18 delegates for the Huckster. UPDATE: Reason is reporting that the Huckabee and Paul camps cut a deal to keep Romney from winning the state.
• Rush Limbaugh weighs in (and he has a lot to throw around) against McCain.
• What’s left of the Grateful Dead endorse Obama, giving him an edge in the critical “50 year-old burnouts who will probably forget to vote” demographic. The Dead also gave Obama some campaign trail advice, saying he’d better “watch his speed” and “sometimes the cards ain’t worth a dime if you don’t you lay ’em down.”
• Political markets show Clinton and Obama in a statistical dead heat.
• From Politico.com: Clinton is the projected winner in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Obama takes Georgia and Illinois. Romney wins Massachusetts and … nothing else so far. Huckabee projected winner in three states. McCain currently leading the Republicans with four. I’m going to the bar. Full write up tomorrow.

The Oregon Commentator staff will be at Rennie’s Landing tomorrow to keep track of the Super Tuesday proceedings (or at least that’s our excuse). We should be arriving en masse after our staff meeting, sometime around six or seven p.m.

Any predictions? I’m calling all the states for Jesus, who will appear tomorrow in a cloud of glory and announce his candidacy/thousand-year reign. Except for New York. New York will go to McCain.

UPDATE: I just remembered tomorrow is Fat Tuesday as well, so we’ll be celebrating Super Fat Tuesday – the best combination of debauchery and politics since Grover Cleveland’s infamous “oval office ho’s and CEO’s” inauguration bash!

Apparently, the folks over at the Oregon Voice are all flustered about our making fun of them in the latest issue. (Apparently, the Oregon Voice also has a blog). Here’s Editor-in-Chief of the OV, Tuula Rebhahn:

I’ve always done fairly well with the philosophy of, “Ignore it; it’ll go away.” […] It works for unwanted attentions on the Indigo District dance floor. It works for the mysterious bruises that appear on my knees after said fun-filled nights at Indigo. But it’s not working for the Oregon Commentator, the illustrious campus “Conservative Journal of Opinion” […] [N]ow, we’ve got a whole page and a half in the new OC issue dedicated us, so here I am.

First, the Indigo District? Lame. Second, they just realized this? C’mon, we’ve been making fun of the OV for, like, fifteen years. Third, we make fun of the Daily Emerald on an almost daily basis; in fact, we make fun of everyone, including ourselves. No need to get butthurt, guys. (more…)

This is just coming over the wire, via The Oregonian:

 A federal judge this afternoon threw out a lawsuit against Oregon’s domestic partnership law, allowing the legislation to go into effect about 4:20 p.m.

Of course, opponents of Oregon’s new domestic partnership law plan to appeal, but for now you can civil unionize to your heart’s content. Well, actually you’ll have to wait until Monday; the county offices are closed on weekends.

The Oregon Commentator presents its first issue of 2008. Read on for excerpts, or click on the cover at the top right to view the PDF. (more…)