UO Reputation Swooshed Away

UO big wigs have been taking a lot of hits in the media recently for kowtowing to the almighty swoosh. On April 16 the Oregonian reported that the UO had evaded state anti-corruption laws to hand the contract for the basketball arena—the most expensive public building in state history—to a Nike subsidiary and Nike related contractor and architect without a competitive or public bidding process. Continue reading 

Portland: You’re Failing Me

So, yes, I strongly dislike the book Twilight, even though I couldn’t be spoken to while I read it; it’s one of those Pringles books that’s terrible for you (does the world need any more impossibly-perfect heroines who can’t do a damn thing for themselves?) and impossible to stop reading. BUT. I have a weakness for poor doomed (please, we are so out of spoiler territory on this one) Hogwarts student Cedric Diggory. Continue reading 

Déjà vu

Here’s an old Herblock cartoon from 1970 when tricky Dick Nixon was escalating the Vietnam war despite campaign promises to end it. Déjà vu? So what would the caption be now? How about: “You see the reason we’re dying in vain here in Iraq is so dying in Iraq will have some purpose.” Any other suggestions? Continue reading 

OH EM GEE: Pop-Punk Edition

So a few weeks ago I confided in the pages of the EW that I have a weakness for pop punk. Then, oddly, the show I was previewing was canceled. But no matter! A better, sleeker, poppier and, well, gothier show has risen to take its place in my heart: Alkaline Trio at the Indigo District Continue reading 

I Couldn’t Eat Another Bite

The saddest thing about Chef’s Night Out, FOOD for Lane County’s annual fundraiser of deliciousness, is that it’s pretty much impossible to enjoy all of it. I ate until I was stuffed, then ate a little more, and felt like I’d only scratched the surface of what the 50+ booths in the Hult Center had to offer. Continue reading 

Whoops: The Forgetting of Vital Information

In tomorrow’s paper, I review — in a roundabout, bowled over kind of way — Ursula K. Le Guin’s new novel, Lavinia. I had to write swiftly, and I kept thinking how, given about 1200 words, I’d have a million things to say — things that have since flown out of my head. But, er, the point is, I left out one very pertinent thing: the book doesn’t officially come out until Monday, April 21. Continue reading