Quote of the Day
October 31st, 2008 by Vincent“[…] Barack Obama isn’t only a presidential candidate — he’s a class marker, an item of conspicuous consumption.”
– Kevin Williamson, National Review Online
Nowhere is this more true than in Eugene.
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Archive for October, 2008Quote of the DayOctober 31st, 2008 by Vincent“[…] Barack Obama isn’t only a presidential candidate — he’s a class marker, an item of conspicuous consumption.” – Kevin Williamson, National Review Online Nowhere is this more true than in Eugene. Attention Ghouls and GoblinsOctober 31st, 2008 by CJ CiaramellaIt’s Halloween – the most riot-tastic time o’ the year in Eugene! Unfortunately, some people are trying to poop on everyone’s party:
We, too, advise you to consider the choices you’re making. Here’s a couple of tips to make sure you have a safe and happy holiday:
The Oregon Commentator Approves This Development; Can’t Afford ItOctober 30th, 2008 by VincentSam Adams has come out with a beer, “Utopia“, boasting 25% alcohol content by volume:
Alas, it’s $300 a bottle. Anyone want to buy 30 or so Sudsy shirts so the Commentator staff can pay for a bottle? Senate NotesOctober 30th, 2008 by AmyCJ was unable to cover tonight’s senate meeting due to a previous engagement involving some Geology students, and an alcoholic beverage or two. So, I tried for my first time, to act as a journalist. Instead of summarizing the meeting, I feel like it will be more interesting to post my notes, verbatim, so it’s like you too were at the meeting. I’ve also included a head shots of the senators, because I call them by first name, and don’t want to confuse anymore. Enjoy! P.S. Happy 21st Birthday Senator Jordan Schenck! Our Reputation Proceeds UsOctober 30th, 2008 by CJ CiaramellaFrom the inbox:
I don’t have a car, so the beer docks have eluded me as well. Can anyone else answer this young man’s question? As Seen On TV!October 29th, 2008 by TylerApparently, there was some sort of Still, OC alum Mark Hemingway has a rundown of the stirring imagery, mellifluous speechifying and Vaseline-lensed cinematography for the National Review’s blog, The Corner.
This is a nice point! Shadowy Forces as manipulative rhetorical device is bad! Portraits of Downtrodden Victims are trite! Surely, the McCain/Palin campaign would never sink to such tactics. I-Fee UpdateOctober 28th, 2008 by CJ CiaramellaHere’s the Ol’ Dirty’s story on the proposed cut to the I-Fee. Notable for this quote:
Ah, the ol’ bait and switch. I find the proposed changes doubly enjoyable because Sen. Jones and the rest of the spend-happy crew on the Senate are getting hosed. I-Fee Could Be Significantly Lowered Spring TermOctober 27th, 2008 by CJ CiaramellaUO students can look forward to a much lower Incidental Fee spring term, and every spring term to follow, if several proposed changes to the Clark Document are approved. Thanks to a new modeling system, the University can now more accurately project spring term enrollment numbers. ASUO Executive Sam Dotters-Katz is proposing that, with the newly available information, the I-fee be lowered as much as possible every spring term to avoid excess money rolling into the over-realized fund. Current rough estimates place the adjusted spring term I-fee at $84. The proposed changes will have to pass the desk of President Frohnmayer, who must authorize any change to the Clark Document. “I’ve talked to President Frohnmayer and other administrators,” said Dotters-Katz, “and they are all very supportive of it.” Furthermore, another change to the Clark Document is being pushed that will not allow over-realized monies to be spent during fall and winter term. This would, in essence, take a huge chunk out of the over-realized fund that accrues each year, as well as end the spending frenzy that accompanies it. The ASUO Senate doled out $800,000 in over-realized funds at the end of last school year. There is $775,000 in this year’s O-R fund already. According to Dotters-Katz, future O-R funds would be as low as 25k-75k a year with the proposed changes. It would also be the first time that the I-Fee has been significantly lowered, well, pretty much ever. “I wrestled with what to do about this issue all summer,” said Dotters-Katz. “For me, the crux of the matter was to define the over-realized Fund for what it is: the unfair over-taxation of the student body.” Couldn’t say it better myself. In terms of fiscal responsiblility, this would be a giant leap forward in the way the ASUO collects student money. Why Vote For The Lesser Evil?October 24th, 2008 by TimothyI participated in “democracy” today by going down to the court house and writing in the greatest elder evil for president. I’m not sure taking a picture of my ballot was kosher, but I don’t particularly care. I also voted against extending mayoral term limits. And I voted in the Judicial races – for the LP candidates despite thinking the LP is a bunch of blue druid weirdos. At least they’re not Team Red and Team Blue, and more than one judicial race was Team Red vs LP. Truly, an electoral special Olympics. The Oregon Commentator Approves This DevelopmentOctober 23rd, 2008 by VincentResearchers at Rice University in Houston are working to develop a beer that has the same health benefits as wine:
Faster, please? Mandatory Fees Lead to Potential Political Abuse? Gasp!October 23rd, 2008 by CJ CiaramellaThis is a bit old but still pretty awesome. A professor at University of Wisconsin, Madison wrote an essay over at Minding the Campus about the nature of mandatory fees. He outlines some of the criticisms and problems with mandatory fees – violation of conscience, using the money for overt political action, potential for excess and corruption. He concludes:
I have a post up at the CAMPUS Magazine Online blog about the essay. Read it. Even the mormon press is endorsing ObamaOctober 22nd, 2008 by OssieColin Powell’s endorsement of Obama for president has been big news, but isn’t that surprising. An endorsement of Obama from the editorial board of The Chicago Tribune, the paper’s first endorsement of a Democrat in its history (it had endorsed one independent, Horace Greeley, 1872, and a candidate from the Progressive Party, Theodore Roosevelt, 1912) is a bit more surprising, but makes sense.
An LA Times blog takes note of an endorsement from The Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board, which is upset Palin was chosen over Romney for VP. The LA Times made its first presidential endorsement since Nixon, for Obama. Up in my neck of the woods, the very conservative Columbian of Vancouver, Wash., endorsed Obama, resulting in a hilarious comment thread. The Record of Stockton, Cali., endorsed a Democrat for the first time since 1936. An Obama-endorsement by The News-Register of Rich Lowry, Editor of The National Review, won’t say if his publication will make an endorsement, but former publisher Wick Allison endorsed Obama. So did Christopher Buckley, who argues his father would have done the same. According to editorandpublisher.com, as of yesterday, Obama/Biden has about a 3-to-1 lead over McCain/Palin in endorsements from dailies, 121-42. In 1994, Kerry merely defeated Bush, 213-205, in the category.
Looks like that damn liberal media is passing out that crazy Kool-Aid to conservative journalists nationwide. Kids, Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid! We’re All the Rag(e) These Days!October 21st, 2008 by VincentSometimes, the Commentator gets mail. Often, it’s pissy. Occasionally, it’s funny. Other times — like today — it’s just plain bizarre. Jump below the fold to see what I found in our mailbox when I came to the office this afternoon. The End of Capitalism?October 21st, 2008 by Vincent
Etc., ad nauseam, and all that. The stick that poked the hornet’s nest is laying over here. Oh, and unrepentant Marxist and grudgingly repentant Stalinist historian Eric Hobsbawm has criticized capitalism. I guess the verdict is in, then, huh? Does the Bradley Effect Apply to Fish?October 21st, 2008 by VincentWith ACORN making sure Mickey Mouse isn’t denied his right to vote and dead goldfish getting voter registration cards, maybe it’s time to stop maintaining that requiring ID to vote isn’t a villainous racist tactic designed to suppress the minority vote by hearkening back to the days of Jim Crow? Doubly so, in fact, since many of the voter ID laws in question are at this point several years old — more than enough time by any standard to go out and get some legitimate form of identification. For their part, Obama supporters maintain that there’s nothing to worry about because vote fraud is extraordinarily rare and voter-registration fraud isn’t really a big deal anyways — an interesting about-face from the days when Diebold was stealing elections.* * Diebold is, in fact, horrible. |