I intended to go to the beach today, but it didn’t work out. I grew up on the rainy part of O’ahu, but I’ve gone to visit my dad, who has moved to Kīhei, where it is not supposed to rain. So inevitably, there was a thunderstorm today. So in lieu of the beach, here I am, posting this. Merry Crimbo. Don’t count on one tomorrow.

He started it.

Public affairs:

• Privacy: FERPA, the UO’s public records officer says, prevents the school from revealing information about the NCAA’s investigation of Oregon Basketball (M), for which the Guard asked. FERPA is the federal statute that prevents schools from releasing your Social Security number, academic records, and so forth, so it seems conceivable to me (Register-Guard).
• Allegiances: White House goon Robert Gibbs has Hated Tigers memorabilia on his desk, and trots out a joke we’ve all heard before: he’ll be going to a Chinese restaurant for dinner the day of the Glendale, Ariz., nonesuch for some … Golly, how clever! … duck! Gibbs, for past comments about former OC editor Ted Niedermeyer, and generally comporting himself as would a big, credulous, hysterical numpty, is already not the most popular White House staffer among us OC types. (Birmingham News)
• Gongs: A UO alumna has at least $30,000 worth of writing talent, the gongs say (Oregonian).
• Pocket-lining: University-logo wrapping paper? That started at the UO (Oregonian, KVAL, which calls one UO opponent “Standford”); The UO Bike program is also making money off a grant (webikeeugene.org)

Opinion:

• Blathering Fat Joe tribute act Phil Knight has a lot of money. Some of it he gives to the University of Oregon. This is unpopular with some. Phil Knight should bankroll the Haitian government. Which of the preceding sentences seems a little funny? This is a question the Huffington Post’s Byron Williams, who made this concept the centerpiece of a recent column. Presumably, a presidential palace with an Xbox 360 and flatscreen at every desk and a cubic, glass members-of-parliament–only study center will cure what ails Haiti.
• The Guard’s Bob Welch remembers his best Crimbo present ever: his mom had survived a horrific car accident. But it’s nothing like as smarmy as that makes it sound.
• Letters: One woman writing to the Guard’s mailbag wants the UO’s sports teams and business dealings off the front page in favor of, among others, a story about “Bernie Sanders’ 8.5-hour speech.”
• Editorials: The Guard gives the Don’t-Ask-Don’t-Tell Repeal a thumbs up, but wants the goverment to hurry up with it, and is also pro-“New Start.”
• Eugene schools superintendent George Russell says American schoolchildren probably aren’t that much worse than Chinese ones.

Sports:

• The Oregonian’s Ken Goe is optimistic about Oregon Football’s defense against thunderbolt-slinging, zephyr-heeled fraud god Cam Newton, but pessimistic about the Jan. 10 “yellow-out.” “Too much of the national championship gear that has been on sale for the past three weeks in the Duck Shop is black — at least, that is the way it looked to me.” Addicted to Quack has angry sex with uninvited funeral guest Chip Kelly’s sense of propriety.
• Oregon football: spare part Brian Jackson isn’t a Hated Tigers fan anymore, honest, and he has the hidden sweaters he couldn’t stand to burn to prove it (Portland Tribune); is loved by all, including “football people,” and should “win the day,” Ted Miller says (ESPN);  isn’t all klaxon-voiced gill-net Cliff Harris in special teams, you know (Register-Guard); whelp Boseko Lokombo’s hometown is proud of him (Abbotsford News); has a “fan of the day” feature recurring in the Oregonian.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 24th, 2010 at 07:00 by Alex Tomchak Scott and is filed under Miscellaneous. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.