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Archive for November, 2009

Go Solstice!

November 30th, 2009 by Kiefer

The Emerald Magazine came out today.. as an insert.

I for one am thoroughly outraged at the under representation of one very important part of the holiday season.

Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Korean present wrapping traditions…

Where is winter solstice?

GAP understands me.

The OSPIRG Documents

November 30th, 2009 by D

Below are the three documents we’ve been able to obtain that OSPIRG has turned in: a benchmark memo, a budget packet and their spreadsheet that maps out their entire forecasted budget.

I’m sure all the interested parties will read the documents themselves, but here are the most pertinent bulletpoints that I could find:

  • The budget packet says “OSPIRG is a statewide, student-directed and student funded organization working to engage students in meaningful efforts to address critical social issues and in doing so, fulfill the University’s teaching, research and public service missions.” Unfortunately, that statement directly clashes with the fact that the Budget Packet says (page 23) that $103,579 of the requested $117,000 will be going to mostly non-student organizers and administrators, most of whom will be doing work off-campus.
  • Of the statewide OSPIRG budget of $227,000, the University of Oregon Chapter will be paying a little over 50 percent of that total.

As far as I can tell the budget OSPIRG has requested is much the same as the one that was de-funded a year ago. Indeed, several ASUO Senators and last years ASUO Exec Sam Dotters-Katz have told me that the problem is still with all of that money going off campus.

Looking at their documents it is clear that OSPIRG is still not a campus-centric group, especially when comparing them to organizations like the Emerald, Women’s Center, Rec Center, Health Center etc.

What students want, now more than ever, is a return on their investment. Students want to know that their mandatory tuition and fee money is going towards things they can use directly here on campus, and that their money is being used efficiently.

Unfortunately for OSPIRG, I think the numbers speak for themselves.

Believe It

November 30th, 2009 by D

helpmom

Why the Commentator receives e-mails like this I will never know. But Jesus, I’m glad we do. All I can say is that the world is slowly getting dumber, one rogue at a time. I’ll let the e-mail do the talking:

While the former Governor and Vice Presidential candidate has achieved success with record book sales and support for a 2012 presidential election bid, she has also achieved something else few public figures ever have:   heroine status in a children’s book.

(more…)

Oregon Commentator to appear on KVAL morning news

November 29th, 2009 by D

KVAL

Guy Simmons and I will be appearing on the KVAL morning news, specifically an interview with anchor Shelley Kurtz on Monday, November 30th.

It will be my first time on TV since I appeared on Ramblin’ Rod when I was 7. I’m not sure about Simmons though; he’s from Alaska, I’m not sure if that kind of technology has made its way up there yet.

The story will be about the Oregon Commentator’s book, By the Barrel: 25 Years of the Oregon Commentator. Be sure to wake yourself up and watch us or DVR it or something.

OSPIRG Seeks Funding

November 24th, 2009 by D

According to a Daily Emerald story today by Emily Gillespie, OSPIRG is seeking to refund themselves for the upcoming 2010-11 school year. This should come as no surprise to students, as the group’s entire motives as of late have been to get themselves some sweet student funding (think little yellow flyers).

Jeremy Blanchard, an ASUO senator, apparently has no idea why or how OSPIRG was defunded last year:

Blanchard, whose knowledge of OSPIRG was previously limited to second-hand knowledge, is simply advocating that OSPIRG get fair and unbiased consideration when it comes to refunding it next year.

“Viewpoint neutral. That’s the idea; everyone always strives for that and that’s where our power comes from,” he said.

Of course, OSPIRG wasn’t defunded for any ulterior political motives. Nay, last year’s ASUO executive was fiscally conservative, and in an effort to create effecient spending of student funds (and to lessen the loads on student wallets) they simply asked OSPIRG for transparency on how they spent their money.

When OSPIRG couldn’t prove that they returned all their money to campus (like other fee-funded institutions like the Rec Center, Health Center etc) they were defunded.

What is surprising, however, is the amound of money that OSPIRG is asking for and how they’ve gone about asking for it.

Senator Alex McCafferty summed it up:

“A lot of it has to do with the current budget — it’s tight and isn’t conducive to adding a budget of that magnitude,” McCafferty said.

He added that the group has asked for the exact same budget as last year, seemingly with “no new information.”

“So far what I see is the same argument, the same proposal — the exact same budget request,” McCafferty said. “It didn’t fly last year and I don’t think it’s going to fly this year.”

Of course, what OSPIRG has failed to do is prove, once again, is how their $117,000 budget returns to campus. Apparently they didn’t get the memo that they were defunded last year because of that little fact. Although you’ve got to admire them for submitting the same budget with no added transparency.

It takes some serious balls to be that stupid.

Mandatory Health Care Will Cleanse You, Patrician

November 24th, 2009 by Vincent

Well, “health care reform” is on its way to the Senate floor. When it passes (not if, but when), it will amount to little more than billions of dollars worth of wasted money and one big “WIN” check-mark in Team Blue’s column… and make no mistake, this isn’t about the so-called “right” to health care, looking out for the disadvantaged, making things more “affordable*”, or any of the other noble rhetoric people are deploying — it’s about politicians being able to point to some astoundingly expensive piece of legislation and being able to say, “LOOK!!! WE DID SOMETHING!!” Period. Full stop. Democrats get to crow about their “big win” for the common man and Republicans get to strut around and talk about all that “fiscal responsibility” they forgot about between 2000 and 2008.

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New Issue Out!!

November 23rd, 2009 by Drew Cattermole

Last issue of the term, full of holiday cheer.

Inside

  • Undercover at Powershift
  • Thanksgiving with the O’Sullivans
  • Elves behaving badly
  • Holiday Drinking Game!
  • Shameless Book Promotion
  • What Happens when The OC goes to Texas

On Idiocy

November 23rd, 2009 by Drew Cattermole

With all the fervor surrounding the upcoming Civil War Game, someone forgot how to spell. The new “War of the Roses” shirts  misspelled Pasadena, the shirts read Pasedena.

You can buy the misprint for 50% off at the bookstore or exchange your misprint for a new one.

SDK Quotes Aesop, Again

November 23rd, 2009 by de lancie

Former ASUO President Sam Dottters-Katz is up to something. What it is exactly I am not sure. But I bet it will be good. His opinion piece that was originally printed last Monday the 16th in the ole’ dirty, appears today in The Register-Guard.

Hitting the Big Time

November 22nd, 2009 by Vincent

I’d like to extend our congratulations to OC Editor Emeritus and current editor of the excellent The Truth About Cars blog for getting an op-ed published in no lesser a venue than the New York Times. Anyone who said the OC was nothing but a bunch of drunken bums… err, well… was probably right. But these drunken bums sometimes get published in the Times. I bet you haven’t been published in the Times. Jerk.

Wisdom for the Ages

November 22nd, 2009 by Vincent
"Your iPhone, sir..."

"Your iPhone, sir..."

“I don’t know about you but whenever I read a blog I do not let my eye drop below half the screen in case I accidentally hit the bit where the comments reside. Of all the stinking, sliding, scuttling, weird, entomological creatures that inhabit the floor of the internet those comments on blogs are the most unbearable, almost beyond imagining… Their resentment, their desire to be heard at the most vituperative level, at the most unpleasant and malevolent, genuinely ill-willed malevolent, level is terrifying…”

Stephen Fry, proving once again that he’s pretty much the man.

[via Harry’s Place]

I Smell Roses: Rose Bowl Redux

November 21st, 2009 by D

oregon football

Well the Ducks may get their chance at the Rose Bowl (or at least at Oregon State) after beating Arizona tonight in double overtime.

It looks like we also won our little challenge with the Arizona Desert Lamp, meaning they have to purchase 3 copies of our book, By the Barrel: 25 Years of the Oregon Commentator with “Oregon Owns the State of Arizona” written on the inside cover. I’ll be looking for a check shortly from Evan and the crew at the Desert Lamp.

Overall it was a good game, even if there was some ridiculous moments (the non-facemask) and the Arizona fans got a little antsy for a field-rush. An OC crew enjoyed the victory at Rennie’s Landing as one big family, which is what college football is all about. It was an exciting game, and I’m damn glad the Ducks came out on top.

Now it’s time for the Civil War, and this year’s game could not have higher stakes. I’m ready for the Beavers.

Go Ducks.

/b/tards and Pirates Beware

November 21st, 2009 by D

DaleGribble1

“If you want, I can teach you how to make a bomb out of a toilet paper roll and a stick of dynamite.”

There was an interesting article published yesterday on boingboing.net about Britain’s new Internet laws that I think students (and owners of Utorrent) may be interested in.

The author of the article, Cory Doctrow, highlighted some of the law’s more ridiculous points

It consists almost entirely of penalties for people who do things that upset the entertainment industry (including the “three-strikes” rule that allows your entire family to be cut off from the net if anyone who lives in your house is accused of copyright infringement, without proof or evidence or trial).

Doctrow also describes the strain placed on Internet Service Providers by the law

A duty on ISPs to spy on all their customers in case they find something that would help the record or film industry sue them (ISPs who refuse to cooperate can be fined £250,000).

Of course Internet freedoms, including censorship and file-sharing, has been a popular topic for discussion since its inception into mainstream culture. The question for Americans is now whether or not the law proves to be popular enough for this country’s legislation to run with the idea and respond in kind.

In any case, you know someone out there is trying to figure out a way to “Hoard me up some Internet cause the government’s gonna take it away”

Better head to Costco.

“I Smell Roses” Ruffles Disney Feathers

November 20th, 2009 by Drew Cattermole

The student-produced “I Smell Roses” video has been getting a lot of publicity recently.  Its nationwide attention has garnered positive reviews, however Disney and the UO Athletic Department are not happy.

The Athletic Department has asked the University of Oregon rap group “Supwitchugirl” to take down the video from Youtube. The band has adhered to the demands, but anyone who has been on the internet knows once a video is put on the internet it is almost impossible to remove it.

The problem is that Disney lets the UO have our mascot be in the image of Donald Duck. They are saying that the unauthorized use of the Duck in the popular video may end up in Disney pulling the ability to use Donald’s looks, therefore getting rid of Puddles.

In all likelihood there is no way that Disney will pull the Duck’s mascot due to the excessive backlash that would come from the media. The video is not offensive. It does not portray the Duck in a bad light either – he dances in the background for goodness sakes. The video is what college fandom is all about. Now the corporate bigwigs at Disney and the Athletic Department are drowning the fun. The only thing that will come out of this is more exposure to the video.

Here’s hoping that the Athletic Department and Disney will recognize they are overreacting.

As a former DuckU executive producer I have to say that I am proud of the video’s popularity and exposure for DuckU.

Go Ducks.

Oregon vs Arizona rivalry post now up

November 20th, 2009 by D

PuddlesAndWilbur

In rebuttal to yesterday’s trash-talkin’ courtesy of Evan from the Desert Lamp, Drew’s post has been put up on the Desert Lamp site.

Obviously Drew has won the fight. Now let’s watch the Ducks win the battle on Saturday.

DREW’S POST