The Daily Ross

The Daily Ross has Moved!

2010-01-10T17:39:00.001-08:00

Ordering the Bar Pack

2010-01-05T20:02:00.001-08:00

Qnty Item Description Price Extended
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 app0710ground July 2010 Bar Exam $55.00 $55.00
Application GROUND SHIPPING
Sub Total: $55.00
Taxes: $0.00
No Shipping Required (Seminar Reg/Admissions/Etc.) Shipping: $0.00
Total: $55.00

It's official.

Politics Monday: Quick Hits - Welcome 2010

2010-01-04T21:25:00.000-08:00

Fox News gets all preachy and says Tiger should become a Christian. Because that has really worked out for Ensign, Vitter, and Gibbons?

Remember the second terrorist attack under Bush? The white powder, etc. It's back, but fake.

Sandoval is looking to make a Heller-like rebirth to right wing nuttery by calling Gibbons prudent.

Look at this chart. Just do it.

Moving and Construction

2009-12-31T15:52:00.000-08:00

The Daily Ross is moving soon after the new year. Once the new site is constructed, there will be a link here. Until then, posting will be light.

New Year's Resolution: Move Your Money

2009-12-31T14:57:00.000-08:00

Huffington Post is pushing people to move their money to local banks. It is an interesting idea that deserves some thought.

Travel by Train: Part 4 - The Final Leg

2009-12-31T13:10:00.000-08:00

The last part of the trip was the part I was most excited about. The historic trip from Sacramento, over the Sierra Nevadas into Reno. Learning that the observation car is much more fun than a seat and because I was surrounded by a family that could use the extra leg room of my seat, as soon as I turned in my ticket, I made my way to the observation car.

Because the trip is historic, they narrate the trip. About every half hour or so, a new factoid is discussed over the sound system. Some interesting factoids included how the City of Roseville got its name (named after the most popular girl in town), how they engineered the path from the mountains into Truckee, and the location of the first Union Pacific robber (Verdi).

The trip was incredible. The Sierras were covered in snow and although I've made the trip probably a thousand times, the new perspective from the train was awesome. We passed Auburn, Colfax, Sugar Bowl ski resort, Truckee, and winded our way through the canyon to Reno. It took approximately 3 hours longer than by car but the view and experience were worth it; worth the whole trip up to that point.

I had lunch in the dining car. I had a hamburger and chips with a beer. A raspberry chocolate cheesecake finished me off. My eating partners included an Australian woman on her way to New York to visit her daughter and a young couple from Denver. The Australian woman was confused about American tipping so we set her straight.

I spent most of my time after lunch back in the observation car watching the rest of the Sierra pass by. I made my way back to my seat about at the time we were passing the famous cabin in the canyon. I began to get a little restless around Verdi and started making sure all my stuff was packed up.

At the station, they brought the checked bags over on a little cart. It took about 10 minutes to wait as opposed to the 20 at the airport (the Reno Airport is way slow). Reno had a nice blanket of snow on it and it was good to be back home.

Any questions about train travel?

Travel By Train Part 3: A Stop in Sacramento

2009-12-26T11:34:00.000-08:00

The Coast Starlight pulled into Sacramento at about seven in the morning and I although it was an hour late, I still have 4 or so hours of waiting before hopping on the train to Reno. I grabbed a coffee and muffin in the station and ate breakfast, regathering my land legs and reading. After about an hour, I decided to check out the neighborhood (or at least venture out to see if it was an ok place to walk around - it didn't seem like it from inside the train station). I found a Starbucks down the street and shelled out the 3 bucks or whatever for internet. I was able to check email, and for about an hour and half, just relax in a non-train/travel environment. It was refreshing.

As the time of my departure to Reno approached, I walked back to the train station where an elderly volunteer directed me to the appropriate track to wait for the California Zephyr. It was foggy but it was now about 11 and the air was starting to warm up a bit. It was nice to think that this train ride was going to be mostly during the day.

Travel by Train: Part 2 - Burning the Midnight Oil

2009-12-22T14:21:00.000-08:00

Because the train was late getting into Salem, it was already about 6:30 by the time we got to Eugene. I had made my way to the dining car for dinner. I sat next to these grandparents from Montana and their granddaughter. They were on their way to San Diego for the holidays and the train was more convenient because of the long drive to the airport from their home and the likelihood that this time of year, the quickest route in shut down because of weather. Dinner came with salad and a roll. I had the crab cakes with red pepper sauce, rice pilaf and vegetables. A coffee and Bailey's was my drink of choice.

After dinner I decided to check out the arcade (the Coast Starlight has one car with an arcade on the lower level) before it closed. It had a few pretty old arcade games and only one (a racing game) looked any fun. It was not an arcade that would work well for kids; the racing game was the stand up type where someone would have to push the pedal and hold the kid the steering wheel if the kid wasn't tall enough.

I then cranked up the ipod and sat in the observation car to listen to more Beethoven symphonies. It was dark and the only thing to really look at were lights dotting the distance and the occasional Christmas lights of small towns we passed through. I went back to my seat and laid it down to catch a quick nap, I sat there for an hour or so before realizing it was still really early. I grabbed my book, An Empire of Wealth, and went back to the observation car. After I ordered a double scotch (the train's bartender really got into his role as a train bar tender and kept remarking on the wonderful evening on the Coast Starlight), I found a seat and read for a few hours. At about midnight I was finally tired and went back to my seat to attempt to sleep.

The Amtrak seats go further back than airline seats and there is a leg rest that rises from the chair (like a recliner) and then a footrest so you can pretty much extend all the way out without feeling cramped. I shut my eyes and lightly slept. Then, maybe an hour or so past Klamath Falls the train came to an abrupt stop and all the power went out. It turns out there were boulders blocking the tracks. After about a half hour or so, the path was clear and we started moving again. Around Redding, the sun started to come up over the Sierras and I remained in and out of sleep until Chico. At Chico I was pretty awake and decided to read some more, the next stop was Sacramento, where I would have to change trains. The surrounding air was foggy as we made our way to California's capitol. We passed the Diamond Nuts factory on the way in. I packed up my carry on and prepared to leave the Coast Starlight.

Travel by Train: Part 1 - Patience Required

2009-12-21T12:53:00.000-08:00

Traveling by train requires patience. If you can hardly handle a four hour flight because you just want to be where you are going already, trains are not for you. Taking the train makes the actual traveling as important as the destination.

So, taking that into consideration, I was not surprised when the train was two hours late getting to the Salem train station. It helped that Amtrak told me from the start is was going to be a 25 hour journey from point A to point B. In addition, the train plods along at about 40 miles per hour (at least it seems, haven't looked it up). The slow speed is great for looking at the scenery but not that spectacular for helping the time pass.

One the train finally arrived in Salem at about 5:30pm , I went to one of the cars where I was assigned an aisle seat. I had checked two bags (one of which is my first bag moving home) and had a backpack as a carry on. My plan was to listen to all the Beethoven symphonies in order and so as the train pulled away from Salem, I pressed play and got comfortable, knowing it was going to be quite a while before I made it to Reno.

Back in Reno

2009-12-19T11:28:00.001-08:00

I'm back in Reno. I will have a series of posts about my train trip starting tomorrow.

Re-entry to Work

2009-12-15T19:38:00.000-08:00

There is always a little re-entry that needs to happen with work after finals. Having the two week of nothing but studying and tests and more studying and more tests, one gets use to sleeping in and not really putting on clothes for public or shaving all that often.

But...I'm back. Working on administrative rules and retailer contract process stuff. Today, we had the $10 Million Megabucks winners come get their prize. They were young so it was nice to see them get so much money in pretty crappy financial times.

The best part? The guy was wearing a Tiger Woods hat. I'm not sure anyone else at the lottery noticed it but lets just say the logo has turned from golf nerd to badass player and so it was appropriate to be hanging out with your millions and a Tiger hat. One more day of work and then I head to Reno.

Politics Monday: Quick Hits

2009-12-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

No time for a lengthy politics post today so here are some headlines.

Joe Lieberman continues to be evil.

Houston gives the gay community a reprieve from recent electoral losses.

Missing Bush emails found.

Professor Rankings - Fall 2009

2009-12-13T12:23:00.000-08:00

Here are the professor rankings after this past semester. Some professors have moved quite a bit based on ability to teach a variety of classes and some have dropped. I have fewer and fewer new professors so its getting a little more difficult to judge.

1. Diller
2. KCP
3. Judge Landau
4. Livingston
5. Runkel
6. Hagedorn
7. Morris Collins
8. Green
9. Friedman
10. Standen
11. Wise
12. Jacobson
13. Dobbins
14. Harri
15. Appleman
16. Vollmar
17. Marbut
18. Tamayo
19. Richardson
20. Smith
21. Williams

Finals Ritual

2009-12-10T18:28:00.000-08:00

I finally have a pretty consistent finals ritual down.

Sybils for food
Bike to school
Find test room
Buy a PepsiMax
Take pens and PepsiMax into the test room; pick a good seat
Walk a few laps around the school listening to music I listened to during studying
Walk in the front door
Put everything away in my locker
Wait for the exam packet
Go to the test room
Remove test, read first page, wait for administrator to start the exam

Take the exam

Final Final: Remedies

2009-12-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

Final: Trusts and Estates

2009-12-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

Final: Sales

2009-12-04T10:11:00.001-08:00

It is explicit.

Final: Water Law

2009-12-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

Final: State and Local Government

2009-11-30T08:30:00.000-08:00

Friday Video: Plane Stupid

2009-11-25T08:09:00.000-08:00

Hunkering Down for Finals

2009-11-24T19:38:00.000-08:00

As usually, I will be hunkering down for finals. I will post a Friday video tomorrow and then a video each day of a final. If you have questions about finals, place them here and maybe someone will answer them for you.

Politics Monday: The Primary Double Edged Sword

2009-11-23T20:52:00.000-08:00

Party primaries are the best chance for the party faithful to declare which candidate best matches their values and often which one they think can likely win in a general election. However, they serve as a sharp doubled edge sword. If primary votes take into account a mix of positions on issues with electability, a future policy maker can emerge. However, if they turn a blind eye to either the candidate's positions or electability, general election disaster is likely the result.

Good Primary (issue focused with an eye on the general election): A healthy primary pits a few legitimate candidates against each other with some fringe voices sometimes thrown in for good measure. As a primary voter one looks for the candidate that inspires support (both in money and time), performs well on the stage for the position, and seems to have a winning message and strategy. The idea is that if the party members have an opportunity to see would-be candidates perform in a mini-battle for the hearts and minds of the party, it is a preview for the main event. This works for both open seats and primaries against incumbents. The additional bonus of primary races against incumbents is that it can help pull a moderate officer holder back into the values of the party. For example, the best thing that happened for the Dems in the Senate is Congressman's Sestak's primary campaign against Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania. Specter had switched parties to be a Democrat because re-elecction would be easier that way but in the first few weeks of his switch he wasn't being very progressive. Sestak announces he'll run against Specter and all of a sudden Specter makes a left turn toward supporting health care and labor issues. Many think a primary of Blanche Lincoln would move her from public option blocker to happy progressive warrior. And it has given a Colorado Senator some testicles for the health care fight.

Bad Primary (horribly personal attack, purity pledges, and ignoring November): The primary that is not so good for parties are the types likely to pop up on the right side of the aisle next year. In Florida, the Republicans are throwing a likeable electable candidate under the bus because he supported the stimulus bill and are backing (with the help of big-monied ideologues like the Club for Growth) the more conservative candidate (who happens to oppose amnesty even though amnesty is the only reason his parents are here illegally). Good for conservatives? Sure, but they have lost sight of the electability portion of the primary race. Another example of primaries gone wrong is the 2006 primary for Nevada's CD2. It was between now Congressman Heller, right-wing nutcase Sharron Angle and Dawn Gibbons. The Republican voters in CD made the right choice in going with Heller. He was more electable and was with them on many of their issues. However, the primary was so close and the battle was so fierce that it poisoned a likable moderate Republican leader and turned him into Congressman who has taken his marching orders directly from the far right of his party (including voting against health care for children in 2007ish). If you think of the NY-23 race like a quasi-party, Republicans took the more pure ideologue over the moderate Republican and ended up losing a Congressional seat they had held since the Civil War. It even looks like the national GOP might go for this type of screening as a basis for their strategy in 2009 as conservative members of the party are demanding a "purity pledge" for their candidates. Their argument is that if Republican candidates don't
- hate stimulus or other Obama spending
- rail against health care reform
- attack cap and trade (market) strategies to fight global warming
- strap the hands of labor unions
- personally deport illegal immigrants
- push for more war everywhere (ignoring cost of both life and treasure)
- push for even more war (like in Iran and N. Korea)
- prevent more people from getting married
- demand back-alley wire hanger abortions
and
- give a gun to everyone
If Republican candidate don't do ALL of the list, this portion of the GOP wants to make sure those types of candidates don't get any conservative party money.

An establishment, political machine barrier is no way to have a healthy primary. Your party's primary voters should be able to decide for themselves who represents their values and has the greatest chance of winning. The worst part of this ugly side of the primary sword is that good people are afraid to run if they think they'll be personally torn apart by the organization they belong to.

Friday Video: Going Rogue

2009-11-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

Gray with a Chance of Wet

2009-11-19T09:33:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big fan of Oregon winters. They are soggy and gray without anything usually too notable. The rain doesn't even come with thunder or lightening. I was spoiled with true winters growing up. Waking up to a new blanket of snow, sub-freezing temperatures and an ice blue ski. In Oregon it is day after of gray 50 degree moist weather. Its not nice enough to enjoy the outdoors and not extreme enough to need to hunker down and protect yourself from the elements.Soggy. Gray. Windy sometimes. It's more of a winter than one would get in Phoenix or LA but far from a full blown winter wonderland.

1/3 of the Way to Graduation

2009-11-18T08:35:00.001-08:00

Now just wait one damn minute here, I thought law school was only 3 years long so how is it that I am just now only 1/3 of the way to graduation? There are three actual requirements to graduate with a law degree from Willamette.

1. 90 credits while meeting the GPA requirements
2. Research Writing Requirement
3. Practical Writing Requirement

Last night I received an email from the ever-lovely Phom Chao in Student Services

"Ross,
Your graduation writing requirement has been recorded to your transcript. Should you need an updated unofficial transcript, please stop by Student Services.
Phom"

My paper was an argument against the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and for a return to state control of gaming regulations. I wrote it in conjunction with my gaming law class last semester but had to make some edits and put it in a fancy notebook (which of course took almost all this semester as it sat on my desk mocking me). So there, one of the three requirements is complete; I'm a third of the way to graduation.

Politics Monday: Bowing is for Pussies

2009-11-16T20:09:00.001-08:00

Obama is in Asia and he bowed when he met the Japanese Emperor. This, for some reason sparked a riot in the conservative media (Drudge, Fox, etc) because, you know, an American President shouldn't ever show courtesy to another nation's head of state or government or anyone ever. Why? Because Conservatives like America The International Douchebag much better.

They argue it shows weakness to bow (he got the same thing at the very start of his presidency) when you could just shove people around like an immature asshole. Bush was perfect at it and it is how it should be done damn it. Why on earth would we, as savior of the world (except of course for you Jesus - you're the best) show any international tact? It is OUR world after all. Obama is clearly erroding the kick-ass reputation W worked to hard to gain after 8 years of the international pussy who got the blow job in the oval office. So what if it says we have a more grown up approach to international relations and understand that diplomacy has more options than bribe, sanction, and bomb.

On top of the sissy gesture of bowing, did you notice that it was the Emperor of JAPAN. They totally bombed us back in WWII. Bowing to them is like saying, "hey, all the Americans who died in WWII were stupid, can you please bomb us again." Once again, Obama shows why its obvious he wasn't born in American, he just doesn't get it. Who elected this chump anyway? There can only be a few reasons why Obama would be such a wussy nerd

1) Japan is hiding his real birth certificate for him so he must submit to their ways

2) Obama rooted for Hitler and the Japanese in WWII and is apologizing for us winning

or

3) He has entered into a secret pact with Japan, Osama bin Laden, all Muslims, all Blacks, and George Soros to place Republicans in internment camps.

Which do you think it is?

Friday Video: The Decade

2009-11-13T11:19:00.000-08:00

No So Much 24 Hour Bug

2009-11-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I had thought for sure i had a 24 hour bug. I felt really crappy on Wednesday afternoon and night but woke up refreshed on Thursday. As Thursday plugged along I deteriorated again, barely making it through my last class.

So, I got home and took a bunch of stuff to help my body fight whatever I have and decided to take today completely off. You'll have to wait a little longer for new posts, although I have topics I think you'll find interesting.

Down and Out

2009-11-12T11:55:00.000-08:00

I'm still alive, just got hit with the 24 hour bug yesterday. On my way back to 100%, hoping to do a good post tonight.

Politics Monday: Health Care Inching Forward

2009-11-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I posted letting everyone know that all the talk of health care reform at the time was interesting but what you were really going to have to watch was the conference committee and which bills found their way there.

With the House passing a bill Saturday night, it is getting to be the point where it gets interesting.

The House: Although the House bill sucks (weak public option, promotion of wire hanger abortions, etc), it is passed and that is the big hurdle they had to come over. Who the house sends to conference is Pelosi's next big decision.

The Senate: This is where there is still room for failure. If all 59 Dems plus the Lieberdouche agree that the bill deserves an up or down vote, then we'll really be in business. However, the danger is still lurking in a few Senate offices. TPM has a good run down of the "Deep Six" today.

Bottom line: We have to watch the Senate very closely and then see who gets sent to conference by each chamber. We are still a long way from real health care reform but the weekends event dominate this week's political climate.

Friday Video: Sleeping Beauty

2009-11-06T08:43:00.000-08:00

I'm going to the ballet tonight to see Sleeping Beauty, so here's a clip of probably the only song I'll recognize all night.

Daily Ross Changes...

2009-11-05T16:28:00.001-08:00

I'm thinking of making some changes to the The Daily Ross. Suggestions?

Election 2009 Recap

2009-11-04T15:17:00.000-08:00

On my election night liveblogging, there was a call for a summary/recap/etc. So, here it goes.

Governorships go the GOP: Why did the Dems lose both races for governor? If you answered everyone hates Obama, you are wrong. However, Obama and the Democrats in Washington DC are partly responsible. First off, Virginia has gone for the party NOT in the White House every time since the 70s; it is just their contrarian nature. The Republican candidate did a very good job highlighting his support among female voters (especially after his anti-woman/gay thesis got out) and was just a plain better candidate than the Democrat. In New Jersey, a former investment executive who hadn't done a very good job as Governor lost. The real surprise of the season was that Corzine came back to have a fighting chance. All year long he was lots of polling points behind the GOP candidate. The false hope created by the polls collapsed as the those surging to support the Independent candidate decided it was more important to oust Corzine than vote with their favorite candidate. Those local factors combined with what we can squarely blame Obama and the Dems in Congress on. Democrats who were "fired up and ready to go" last year stayed home. Why? Because they asked for sweeping change and Obama and Dems haven't had the balls to do it. Bring the troops home, pass real health care reform, take on Wall Street, and invest in combating climate change. Had the Dems not been afraid to bring about quick, sweeping change, progressive voters would still be fired up and ready to go. Bottom line: Local candidate problems + no real change yet = GOP Governors.

Congressional Races: Not much can be said about the California 10 race except the swing/moderate district went to the Democrat. Had last night truly been about rejecting Obama and Democratic control of Congress, he would have lost. The New York race is far more interesting as it previews the potential for trouble for the GOP next year. As primary voters select candidates in the vein of Palin/Limbaugh/RedState.com who offer nothing but anti-government rhetoric and wingnut campaign donation, they will lose their grip on seats. Anyone else notice the GOP candidate had more votes than the difference between the Democratic winner and Conservative candidate? If the GOP can keep the bloodsport within the party, they may come out stronger and better but if they get a primary result they don't like and shift to third parties, the future of the party may be in real danger. Again, if the election was truly about saying no the meek Obama/Reid/Pelosi changes, the Conservative would have won.

Equality Loses: The defeat for equality in Maine was disappointing because it looked like voters would finally approve gay marriage. Alas, the repeal barely passed and once more a state has created three classes of citizens for itself. Although the Washington ballot measure looks like it will pass, it is still a defeat for equality as Washingtonians approve "everything but marriage" because, you know, gays can't be trusted with such a sacred word. The take away from these races is that marriage equality is probably still a few years away. The other thing that crosses my mind is that perhaps there is a gay polling/result discrepancy as there used to be for African American candidates. People aren't willing to admit they are bigots when asked by pollsters but when they walk into the voting booth, they have no problem voting against equality.

Election Day Liveblogging

2009-11-03T16:07:00.000-08:00

Today is election today, check the comments thread to view instantaneous thoughts on the election coverage.

Politics Monday: Postponed Until Tomorrow

2009-11-02T17:11:00.000-08:00

Because tomorrow is election day, politics talk with be postponed until tomorrow. I can say that I hope the Yankees lose and the Phillies win because everyone loves an underdog. Hold on to your hats because tomorrow is going to be crazy.

Friday Video: Nevada Day

2009-10-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

Short on Time

2009-10-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

Halloween costume + homework + class = no time for a real post today.

Lottery Rule Announcement

2009-10-27T15:35:00.000-07:00

The Lottery contract Administrative law thing I've been talking about has finally been released by the Director.

Media stories:

The Oregonian
The Statesman Journal
Willamette Week

The two big things to notice is that the Director is suggesting the rates stay the same (disappointed both education advocates who wanted commissions lower and retailers who wanted commissions higher) and that the contract is 6 years long. The decision is likely to be made on Friday whether to go with the Director's recommendation or do something different.

Politics Monday: The Conservative Civil War

2009-10-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

It's time to check up on the Conservative Civil War as the Republican Party wanders in the wilderness. I'm not sure wandering is exactly the correct term as they seem to be running as fast as they can...into each other. It is all part of the process of climbing out of the pit they have dug for themselves at the shovel of Bush, Rove, and company. To see how the war is going, here are a few exhibits to watch:

Exhibit A: "Going Outside the Party"

There is a race in for New York's 23rd Congressional District next week. The Congressman who was there left to become Obama's Secretary of the Army. The race has three main candidates: the Democrat, the Republican and the Conservative party's candidate. Prominent Republicans like Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh have endorsed the Conservative candidate over the Republican and now it appears that the Conservative candidate may come in second (to the Democrat) or actually win. The conservative base has been pushing this race and funneling funds to the Conservative candidate over the Republican primary winner. Why is it important to watch? If the Conservative pulls off a win, it will give the right wing additional enthusiasm to continue to purge the party of moderates and may push the Republican party to the right. If the Democrat takes what should be an easy district to win for Republicans, the argument that a broad based party is a winner may give the deeply partisan and crazy conservative base a wake-up call that going outside the party isn't a winning strategy.

Exhibit B: "Primary Battles"

The other strategy is to fight within the party for the nomination (in my opinion, the much wiser choice). Two interesting races to watch will be the Florida Senate GOP nomination and the Nevada State Senate District 4. The Florida Senate race is between popular Governor Charlie Crist and the right-wing's boy Marco Rubio. Crist was ok with taking stimulus funds and even (wait for this description of a horribly unamerican act) hugged President Obama at a rally. With moderate Florida repulicans pegging their hopes on Crist and the angry right propping up Marco Rubio, the Florida Senate primary will be ugly. The other race is the example on a more local level. Nevada State Senate District 4 has two Republican canidates of note. The first is Ty Cobb; the other is Ben Kieckhefer. Cobb is a fire-breathing, teabagging, true and red Republican and Kieckhefer is a moderate already endorsed by Nevada's GOP Senate Caucus. It's going to be a local battle between the moderate (let's actually govern than have blind faith in "values") wing and the radical (all taxes are bad, global warming is fake, Jesus should be our president) base of the republican party.

Generally, I would say that Exhibit B is the more likely way the Republican party will be able to regain its footing, find a better soul and move forward. However, currently only 1 in 5 registered voters in the United States even admit to being a Republican and Republican registration (even in the midst of deep teabagging brewed up anger) is still abymsally low.

Quick Thoughts: Wine

2009-10-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged much about my recent wine tasting happenings or such so here are some quick thoughts for a gray Sunday afternoon.

- Amity Vineyard's Gamay Noir is excellent, I guess you usually don't see this grape alone because apparently it is most often used in Chianti. The Gamay Noir alone just tastes like the pure fruit flavor sometimes hidden in a Chianti.

- Remember when the wine snob movie Sideways dropped Merlot sales by 2%? Well, Eola Hills's 2007 Reserve "LaCreole" Merlot is an argument to bring the once-bashed wine back.

- Speaking of Sideways, rumor has it they are going to be filming a sequel in Oregon.

- I recently went to Bethel Heights Vineyard for some tasting and found most of their pretty good but a bit pricey for what is was. With the exception of their 2006 Justice Pinot Noir, not much to write home about.

- Last but not least, I finally hit true wine snob fashion when I saw this Yellow Tail commercial. Spilling a bottle of Yellow Tail is only a tragedy because someone was tasteless enough to buy it for a romantic dinner in the first place. Look under the couch for some spare change and go buy another bottle or better yet, get some Welches grape juice, it's just as good.

Friday Video: Dynasty

2009-10-23T14:40:00.001-07:00

Parishioners um... Rant?

2009-10-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

Football column is back, but instead of talking about football, I’m going to rant. Here goes: What the f*** is wrong with everyone this time of year? I don’t get it. “I love the colors,” “Lets watch the leaves change,” “How ‘bout some cider?” Has no one else noticed that it is considerably colder? Or how it gets dark after lunch now? Likewise, I get up for class or work and its pitch black. How is this a good time of year? How is anyone enjoying themselves? Have you looked outside today? Its miserable. I should have stayed in bed. Everyone should stay in bed.

Further, does pumpkin have to reach into every facet of our lives? I mean, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin bread, etc. Is there anything we can’t put pumpkin in? “New at Taco Bell, Double Decker Pumpkin Tacos, limited time only.” “For a limited time at your local Papa Murphy’s, try our new Deep Dish Pumpkin Pizza!” And seriously, who really likes the way pumpkin tastes? When’s the last time you picked up a pumpkin at the store and planned on preparing a meal around it? What is a pumpkin anyways? Vegetable? Fruit? The seeds taste awful, the insides make me want to gag, and I’d rather get maced than smell anything close to this meaningless melon. Yet somehow, we are subjected to this pumpkin propaganda two months out of every year. You know what I say? FUP CUPKINS! FUMPKINS! In all seriousness, I hate pumpkins. I don’t know what their good for other than to provide us with another hideous shade of orange. Henceforth, we shall refer to pumpkins as “Ginger Squash.”

I could run down my picks, but no one cares. The Cardinals play in New York Sunday night against the Giants. The Giants are giving them 7, I say take the Cardinals and the over. New York’s secondary is beat like Falcon Heene after giving up the ghost on mom and dad, and we all know how much Kurt likes to throw. Pay attention to the wind: I heard they cook both Eli and Kurt’s arm to al dente before games.

Midterm? I thought this was law school

2009-10-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

So, I have a midterm tomorrow which is crazy because who knew there were midterms in law school? It is in Water law and I'm a bit nervous that it will be somewhat trivial (so much so that I've made a little Water Trivia sheet to take with me).

Back to the books...

Politics Monday: Why The Left Has Trouble with Marching Orders

2009-10-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

Lots of people have asked me recently why the Democrats can't get anything done when they control the House, the Senate and the White House. The reason is in their brains. I remember once hearing about the difference between Conservative and Liberal thinking and how the Conservatives are much more comfortable with an authoritarian leader whereas Liberals prefer authoritative control. The basic concept is this:

Authoritative(liberal/progressive): better being controlled by rule of law, rules of society, collective agreement of direction.

Authoritarian(conservative/regressive): put someone in charge, do as they say, don't question authority, once someone is in charge, they can't be wrong, they are in charge so I don't have to think about it.

Just because there are these generalities, doesn't mean that the thinking of one can't creep into the supposed electorate of another.

This topic was recently brought up on FiveThirtyEight.com. The blog post had an interesting breakdown of traits of those with Authoritarian points of view (click the link to see the full breakdown). In general, those who are rural, religious Christians, and less educated agree more with the authoritarian perspective. Those categories also describe the Republican party.

Democrats are more likely to challenge authority of a person (Pelosi, Reid, Obama) and search for the collective consensus. This is partly why the Democrats seems to have a difficult time marching in step to orders from on high. This can be good (Progressive caucus standing up to the House leadership to say they won't pass a bill without a public option) or bad (rogue conservative Democrats unsure if they will vote to end a Republican filibuster of heath care reform) for the sake policy making in DC.

So, although there are several factors as to why the Democrats seem and are less organized than the GOP was when they controlled DC, one large reason is the wiring of their brains.

Friday Video: Balloon Boy

2009-10-16T20:21:00.001-07:00

From Hearing Update to Rule/Contract Watch

2009-10-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

As you may have read, the Lottery is currently conducting the process by which it determines its next contract. My last update was here . Since then, thing have really started to heat up.

Commission Meeting: At a Lottery Commission meeting in September both the Oregon Restaurant Association and Stand for Children presented testimony. Stand for Children regurgitated their standard arguments and then submitted their proposal for the new rates while the ORA had a Economics Professor from OSU come in and present some findings. At the meeting, the Commissioners were also given updated information on the public comments and press coverage since the last meeting.

Legislature: The Legislature held a hearing on the subject inviting the Lottery, ORA, and Stand for Children. All sides presented their point of view on the process and the committee used the opportunity as an information session.

Public Comment Closes: The public comment period closes on Monday at 5PM. At that point, the Director will review the information gathered and will work toward likely discussion and approval of the new contract on October 30. Thus, hearing updates will now shift to Rule/Contract watch and the process moves forward.

Politics Monday: Health Insurance Reform - When To Watch

2009-10-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

Many people are all in a tizzy over the health insurance bills. Some have a public option, one doesn't. Will it have insurance exchanges? A real public option? Mandates? Taxes on insurance benefits? Fines for not getting insurance?

All these questions are a bit premature at least in saying whether or not you like the bill that will be signed. That is because the real action in this debate is going to happen in the conference committee. Here is the wiki page on how the Conference Committee works. Probably the most important thing to watch is who gets sent to the conference committee. The different houses and parties have different methods on who they select. The list of conferees will give us a preview of what the final bill will look like. If the committee looks like the Senate Finance Committee (rural conservative Democrats) then the public option will not likely survive or if it does, it will be weak. If, on the other hand, liberal Dems are selected, the public option will survive.

Only when the committee comes back to the house is the debate going to matter enough to watch closely. That, along with the success or failure of the passage will set the boundaries for next year's elections. A successful passage of the bill with a strong public option will mean the Democrats stand on better footing. Failure or a sham reform bill will mean the Democrats will have to outlast the rage and disappointment of the left.

Friday Video: Peace

2009-10-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

Parishioner's Picks: Week 5

2009-10-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

Back by little to no demand is the football picks column by your’s truly. Sorry about last week, I took a break from life, apparently, because I have no idea what happened from Thursday to Sunday. Apparently I went to work Thursday and Friday, but outside of those two things, I can’t recall one damn thing that happened. In any event, we’re here now, I’m in Community Property, and this is the perfect time to write about the upcoming week of football. By the way, kudos to baseball for becoming relevant again. The playoffs officially saved the sport from hockey like depths. Since the Diamondbacks decided they’d rather enjoy their October playing golf (actually totally acceptable in Arizona), I’ve officially adopted which ever team is playing the Red Sox. That’s right, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, drag John Lackey and Bobby Abreu’s corpse out, we got a series to win.

Back to more important things, I have to admit, I’ve been pretty lax in watching these teams play this year. Truthfully, I can say I’ve seen three games, and two have involved the Cardinals, so really, you shouldn’t listen to these picks or my ramblings at all. I can’t tell you if the Denver Broncos are for real, or if the Cleveland Browns are the worst team in football, or if JaMarcus Russell bought a Wendy’s franchise and put it in his basement over the off-season. I just don’t know. I do know that I’ve been reading, and if there is one thing I can tell you, it is that John Clayton really doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground. Seriously, incredibly disappointed in ESPN football writers. However, the division blogs are where to go if you’re looking for some solid news about your favorite team. Mike Sando does a wonderful job with the NFC West.

Finally, damn each and every fast food chain ever. I mean, watching television is ridiculous when you have commercial after commercial with things like the Baconator and Volcano Nacho Burritos flying across your screen. How is America not obese? These things look delicious and taste even better, I promise. So my idea to stop obesity is to give everyone DVR so they fast forward through commercials and not be tempted by the Orange Chicken lurking down the street at your local Panda Express. Here are my picks real quick so I can get to Sonic before it closes…

BUFFALO -6 over Cleveland: Both teams are terrible, I can’t believe I trusted Trent Edwards in fantasy last week.

DETROIT +10.5 over Pittsburgh: Well, Vegas hasn’t caught on that Detroit isn’t that bad. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, needs to start playing a bit better if they want to sniff the playoffs.

Dallas -9 over KANSAS CITY: I’m officially in the Tony Romo fan club. I feel bad for the guy and I think he’s about to have a big game.

CAROLINA -3.5 over Washington: Washington is the only 2-2 team that should be 0-4, and Jake Delhomme is playing better.

Cincinnati +9 over BALTIMORE: I think everyone is banking on Baltimore coming back strong after their last loss, however, laying 9 to any team as good as Cinci is a mistake.

Tampa Bay +14.5 over PHILADELPHIA: No NFL team, including Tampa and Cleveland, should ever get two touchdowns. Ridiculous…

NY GIANTS -15 over Oakland: errr…Oakland is bad. I heard JaMarcus Russell eats the entire McDonald’s Dollar Menu for midnight snack.

Minnesota -10 over ST. LOUIS: St. Louis will trot out either (a) Mark Bulger or (b) Kyle Boller…enough said.

Atlanta +2.5 over SAN FRANCISCO: Still not buying Shaun “One Tree” Hill, or One Tree Hill dvds, and I look like Matt Ryan if Matt Ryan was a lot prettier.

ARIZONA -5.5 over Houston: Pray to God the Cardinals come out with their game faces on this week. Fitzy tells me they’re practicing well this week. We need to get back to .500. LETS DO THIS!!!

New England -3 over DENVER: Wow, good game, but Tom Brady resumes his prior role as Tom Brady and shreds this newly vaunted Denver defense.

Indianapolis -3.5 over TENNESSEE: Peyton Manning giving just 3.5 is just unfair.

MIAMI +1 over NY Jets: I like the Miami Wildcats, and I think they have a shot against this over-hyped Jets team.

That’s it. I’m so hungry.

October = Thinking About Getting Serious

2009-10-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

It's October and that means it is time to buckle down and really get serious about thinking about finals. At about this time in the semester I can get an idea of what is likely going to be on the final exam and can start framing both reviewing previous stuff and looking at new stuff through that perspective. Within a few short weeks, the color pencils will come out for picture drawing time and the hunt for plenty of practice exams will begin. Until then, it's just a steady sputtering start to getting serious.

Fall Break Pictures Part 1

2009-10-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

Here is a series of pictures from my visitors' trip to Salem for fall break. You may have to scroll down a ways to get to my last post.The Whale Watching Charter

Ready to hit the oceanFirst whale we spotted
Doing some beer tasting
Playing at the aquariumDrinking and running

Politics Monday: The Right Rooting Against the US

2009-10-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

If you didn't think the right put themselves before country, you will after you seem them applaud the Olympic Committee's decision not to put the 2016 Olympics in Chicago.

One Republican blogger noted that criticism of the right's response is moronic because as he put it "I root for America, therefore I root against Barack Obama". So when Barack Obama's troops are killed in Afghanistan or thousands of Americans are laid off or the stock market tumbles, the right cheers. The Olympic loss cheering highlights the extent of the right's hate for one man and our country.

Fall Is Here

2009-09-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

It is only a week late which is pretty good as far as timing goes but fall definitely arrived this week. The gray and wet has come to say hello and will stay awhile. I finally had to put a sweater on to be not cold. There may be a day or two left of sunny warmth but those days will be regular again for another nine or so months.

Laying in bed will be more desirable than laying on the grass outside. A bike ride means the threat of getting really wet from rain rather than sweat. Warm food and drink sounds better and better. The t-shirts will be hidden under hoodies and vests and long sleeve shirts.

Fall is here and for now, I'm ok with that.

A Day of Mourning

2009-09-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

After several months of the fates conspiring against my getting my Jeep officially registered in the State of Oregon, I finally got it done today. The Jeep that was in joint ownership is now solely mine and just moments ago I slowly unscrewed the Nevada plates and put on the Oregon ones.

I now can drive around without having a panic attack if I see a police officer and have finally paid what I owe Oregon for allowing me to drive on their roads (despite Oregonian's lack of ability to drive on them). A sad day for a Nevada Jeep - at least it is only temporary.

Politics Monday: Run Sheila Run!

2009-09-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

This past week, the Nevada Republican Senate Caucus decided to endorse some candidates for Nevada Senate Races. Although the picks are somewhat predictable (as was the anti-RINO response from Chuck Muth), what I didn't know is that Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie was only considering a run for a Senate seat (I thought she was in for sure but I've been detached from the inside lane of Nevada politics for a bit now). So I joined the Facebook Group encouraging her to run.

Set aside the fact that Leslie is an incredibly gifted legislator who has become a champion of progressive policies, and her GOP endorsed competitor is a TV reality show kid lawyer who was suspended for steroid use. Sheila Leslie running for the Senate would be the first Nevada 2010 race worth getting excited about. Now that Buckley has dropped out of the Governor's race, it's likely going to be Rory Reid and it's hard for me to get excited about that thought. Then we have Harry Reid running for re-election; another race that is not that exciting either (except it might make him legislate to the left). Other races are still up in the air. A Sheila for Senate campaign would bring out the best in Washoe County Democratic excitement. The needed funds would come rolling in and there would be a grassroots army ready to go door to door, neighborhood to neighborhood and explain why Northern Nevada (and all of Nevada for that matter) would be better off.

So Sheila, if you're in, you've got my vote and my army. Let's do it.

Friday Video: Dancing Baby

2009-09-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

Because everyone once and awhile, you just need to see a dancing baby.

Parishioner's Picks: Week 3

2009-09-24T16:14:00.001-07:00

Another unbelievable week of football. Another completely believable week of me losing my a**. So glad I don’t have any money to gamble and ultimately lose more money. On top of that, I missed an entire Sunday and Monday night of football, albeit for a good reason. Shout out to my little man Pickles and his mom and dad, Kat and Jake, and congratulations on the family addition. Kat just gave birth Saturday to Parker Anderson Coulter and I spent my Sunday chilling with the little big guy, who I know is going to be a football player. Kid’s wearing size 6’s on his feet out of the womb!

Despite my lack of viewing, I caught up on all the news Monday and am confident things will get better. My Cards looked pretty good against a Jacksonville team that I thought would be tough but has been relegated to an also-ran in the NFC South. Yes, after Week 2, its safe to start assuming some teams are completely lost and will not play a factor in the push toward the playoffs. Jacksonville is one of those teams. Going 0-2 is a deep hole in a season with only 16 games, with only 14% of teams that have ever gone 0-2 making the playoffs. The only current 0-2 team with a shot is Tennessee, and that’s because Chris Johnson is a fantasy robot.

Other big stories include two quarterbacks in turmoil: Tony Romo and Michael Vick. Cowboy great Tony Dorsett finds Tony a bit overrated…perhaps true. The guy was a third stringer and played at You-Never-Heard-Of-Us State before he was anointed the starter over the shell that was Drew Bledsoe. However, the guy’s got a quick release and an ability to go out and sling after tossing three interceptions, making me believe he’s either incredibly courageous or just stupid…after all, he did date Jessica Simpson, and we have to assume they conversed, right? Right? I also like this trend of former franchise stars coming out of the woodwork to criticize their team and its players. Where’s Steve Largent questioning the Sea***ks? What about Lincoln Kennedy? How ‘bout Rick Mirer? I could go on, but then someone will start bringing up Cards greats, and I don’t think I can stand someone smearing Jake Plummer, Neil Lomax, or Aeneas Williams.

Micheal Vick comes back this week. Its only been 34 months since he last played in an NFL game. Apparently he spent some time in jail, not completely sure. This Wildcat noise has got to stop. He needs to start, that’s right, over Donovan McNabb. The guy’s throwing motion makes me sweat, and the ball spirals so tight on a frozen rope to guys with the other team’s jerseys on. I really think I like interceptions more than anything else in football, except when Kurt throws them. Its just funny to see these deified prima donas that are NFL quarterbacks make mistakes that cost games. By the way, Jay Cutler didn’t throw any Sunday, but I’m still confident and we’re well on track for our 20! Lets make some picks!!!

PHILADELPHIA -9 over Kansas City: Is Andy Reid losing weight? Was last week’s KC loss to Oakland the worst coached game ever? Why’s the alphabet in that order? What do battery’s run on?

Tennessee +1 over NY JETS: Watching how pissed Jeff Fisher was on YouTube during the Titans-Texans debacle left me with the feeling that Tennessee, who is a lot better than 0-2, is going to come out blazing. And the thought of freshman…er, rookie quarterback throwing to Cortland Finnegan repeatedly seems very plausible.

Washington +6 over DETROIT: Matt Stafford’s teasing everyone into believing he’s good all ready. Don’t buy it. Washington is going to break out this week.

HOUSTON -3.5 over Jacksonville: Bye bye Jack Del Rio, too bad, you made those leather Jacksonville jackets look so tasteless.

Cleveland +13 over BALTIMORE: I’m sorry, someone said Baltimore is the best team in the AFC. Cleveland might be the worst. I see this working out.

NEW ENGLAND -4 over Atlanta: I hope Gisele put Tom on the couch for the way he’s played over these first few weeks.

MINNESOTA -7 over San Francisco: Shaun Hill is waiting to break out with a 3 or 4 pick game, one a pick-6, I promise.

TAMPA BAY +6.5 over NY Giants: This seems like a stupid pick, and you’re right, but I got a feeling, and its nothing like that terrible song.

Green Bay -6.5 over ST. LOUIS: I see Aaron Rodgers and that vaunted Green Bay offense bagging themselves to a road win.

Chicago -1 over SEATTLE: Oh those poor Sea***ks. Matty’s out for a spell, and Seneca Wallace steps in. Not looking good for those boys in sea blue. How confident was everyone after Week 1. I don’t think Seattle could beat the Huskies right now.

BUFFALO +6 over N.O.: I actually think Buffalo can hang with New Orleans and Drew Brees-hair. They better… Lee Evans, I’m talking to you.

SAN DIEGO -6 over Miami: The Dolphins showed me one thing the other night: Indy isn’t as good as they look. Other than that, San Diego doesn’t lose two games in a row at home.

Denver -1 over OAKLAND: The donkeys travel to the black hole to beat up on the listless Raiders.

CINCINNATI +4 over Pittsburgh: The Steelers are good and will be a force this year. However, I can see the Bengals hanging in this game, at home, and staking their claim as a decent AFC team.

ARIZONA -2.5 over Indianapolis: This is exactly the game the Cardinals need right now: an AFC powerhouse that will test them defensively. If all three Cardinal wide receivers are playing, its going to be a long night for that weak Colts secondary.

DALLAS -9 over Carolina: Exactly what Tony Romo needs. He’s going to look like Roger Staubach compared to Jake Delhomme.

There you have it, one and all! Have a nice weekend and I’ll see you next Thursday.

Hearing Update: Copy, Paste, Send

2009-09-23T18:40:00.001-07:00

I've been keeping you posted on the new contract rates hearing and decision for the Oregon Lottery to give a bit of an inside view of the process. Since my last post we have been diligently receiving and filing comments from interested parties on all sides of the debate.

The advocates for education started a whole webpage where their followers could take action including singing a petition, sending an email, etc. Although they should be applauded for their use of technology in motivating grass roots action, a lot of those using the site aren't taking full advantage of the help. Their email function lets you take different canned talking points and fill in information that is important to you; the problem? people are not filling in the blanks so we've received a bunch of canned email with big gaping holes in them. If you don't have the time to complete the form, do you really care about education?

This Friday is another Commission meeting and to start it off the Stand for Children folks and the Oregon Restaurant Association are each getting 20 minutes. My guess is that the education folks will deliver their petition; they also plan on bringing about 50-100 people which should be fun to watch as the Lottery Headquarters doesn't have much parking (maybe parking for a dozen or so visitors). The ORA has been fairly quiet, instead going with a low key "retailers tell your sob story" strategy that so far has elicited more genuine public comment even if they are much smaller in quantity.

Friday's meeting is about taking the temperature of two big power players while keeping an eye on October's meeting where the rates will likely be announced and approved (whatever they may be).

Desert Wedding

2009-09-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

I spent last weekend in near Reno for a wedding. It was in Genoa, Neavda's first settlement, just south of Reno. It was a beautiful day outside and the ceremony was well done. However, the wind made hearing the couple a little difficult. The ring bearer was a complete ham. For the past few wedding the ring bearer has been terrified of his duty but this past weekend, the little fellow just waved and smiled all the way down the aisle.

The reception was in a awesome Nevadaesque room and we definitely sat at the cool kids table. After dinner was dancing and of course cake (the bride's mom makes the best cake), I had a taste of all four flavors. Variety is good but it certainly did me in as far as a sugar rush.

After the ceremony, my sister and I went with my friend Mara and her husband Mike to Nevada's oldest bar and listened to some live music (Grateful Dead played with a banjo, bass, and guitar) and a last drink before heading back to the hotel. At the hotel, games of the social type were played in the recreation room with only a slight interruption from Perry the Security Guard. We awoke mostly to screams of kids and other rooms' tvs because the walls of the hotel were so thin. After a quick shower and packing up we ate breakfast at the deli at the hotel and then spent about an hour at the hot springs soaking up the sun and just relaxing.

Wedding #3 of the year - complete
One more left (as far as I know)

Politics Monday: The 2009 Races

2009-09-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

The year after the Presidential election, Virginia and New Jersey generally elect Governors from the party who isn't in control of the White House. As of now, it looks like that trend will continue in 2010. The first race in New Jersey where we have "speedy mcCorzine" (the unpopular incumbent Governor) and "don't you know who I am officer? Christie". Christie currently has the lead as Corzine has taken the blame for the bad economy and a rash of corruption stings. Meanwhile, Christie has been tanking after reports that he got out of a ticket by letting the officer know who he was. The polling below shows a tightening race but in a way that more and more people aren't decided, not good news for either candidate.

The other big election is for the Governor's post in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The race was looking like a safe GOP pick up until McDonnell opened his big 1950s mouth back in the 1989. In his thesis he basically said women should stay at home and in the kitchen, that contraception is evil, and basically everything else he could say to tarnish the moderate image he had crafted to do well in Northern Virginia. As the polling below shows, the race is now neck and neck, most likely from women thinking twice about having a Governor who want them to be obedient servants.

Thats a quick look at the 2009 races for Governor, the ones that political pundits love to take up time between the POTUS race and midterms as well as trying to read the tea leaves for 2010. HINT: Lack of tea leaves this year.

Friday Video: Sneeze Properly Pleeze

2009-09-18T14:01:00.001-07:00

Parishioner's Picks: Week 2

2009-09-17T13:52:00.001-07:00

Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme has 11 turnovers in his past two games, including last year’s 5 interception performance against the Cardinals in the NFC Divisional Playoff game (Thanks Jake!). Before the game, I had joked that exceptionally bad performances shall henceforth be known as “Jake Delhommes,” therefore, my Week 1 picks qualify as me Jake Delhomme-ing all over the NFL scoreboard. Sperry is up 6 after week one, and I’m left pondering the true meaning of my existence.

The good news is Jay Cutler is only 16 interceptions from my prediction that he throws 20! One of my favorite past-times is running across Bears blogs after soul-crushing losses as well as seeing what four-letter expletives dot the gmail IM away messages on Monday morning from my Chicago based friends. Keep it up, Cut-Piece! The guy has fallen in love with his own arm…and I love it. Meanwhile, the Cardinals were handed a home loss by the lowly San Francisco 49ers, throwing my entire week into an unanticipated tailspin, which, knowing the Cardinals, should have been COMPLETELY anticipated. Sperry thinks its time to replace Kurt Warner, I think its time to start drinking. Heavily. Big shout to Marty, his lovely wife, and Marshall for making it out to Top Dog, as well as some renegade Niner fans who couldn’t help but give us some guff. Week 2, here I come!

Arizona +3 over JACKSONVILLE: Dare I say must win for Cardinals? I don’t like it, not with the Cards playing on the East Coast at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Such conditions lead to the Jets and New England blowouts last year. However, I was very impressed with the run defense, which we’ll need for Maurice Jones-Drew, and away teams were 10-6 against the spread last week, which has been the trend for the past two years or so.

SAN FRANCISCO -1 over Seattle: The Niners, coming off a big win, hosting the Sea**cks and only giving one? Did anyone else see the Niners beat a Super Bowl contender and the boys in “sea” blue kill the impotent Rams? I hate both of these teams, but Seattle so much more.

DENVER -3 over Cleveland: Hopefully Kyle Orton’s finger is healed and he can throw more tipped passes that Brandon Stokley can miraculously grab and take to the house. Unbelievable play, one of the best ever, so sad it came against my favorite trainwreck, the Cincinnati Striped Cats.

Pittsburgh -3 over CHICAGO: Too bad Polamalu isn’t playing, we could chalk him up for a few more of those INT’s from the Artist Formerly Known as the Cut-Piece. I really, really hope the Bears get lit up for a ton; the Steelers offense looks pretty good, if fantasy killer Willie Parker can put it together and stop running like Shaun Alexander.

NY Giants +3 over DALLAS: Both teams looked good, NY just beats teams up though. Dallas is more finesse. “America’s Team” is leaving their house-warming party with a black eye and a few bruises.

Have a good weekend watching football everyone! Hope to see you out at Oktoberfest Friday night! Next week, I’ll reveal my vaunted chicken salad slider recipe, Paula Deen be damned!!!

Like A Turtle

2009-09-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

This week is taking forever.

Back to High School ~ Judicial Board

2009-09-15T18:46:00.000-07:00

For three years during my time at McQueen High School in Reno, I served on the Judicial Board. The purpose of the Judicial Board was to help interpret the student government's constitution, run impeachment trials of class and student body officers and most importantly conduct elections.

As the 3L President at Willamette, I'm responsible for running elections. Believe it or not, the run down is pretty similar. Campaign signs and rules about where they can go; paper ballots to be printed and counted; and an official announcement at some point in time.

Of course, handling an election for a law school of about 450 is a lot simpler than the high school of 2,000 but it is still kind of nice to have the flashback.

Politics Monday: Teabaggers

2009-09-14T18:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a picture is worth 1,000 words. These were pictures from the TeaParty/9-12 Project/wingnut event. Take from it what you will. Click the picture to visit The Daily Kos.

Friday Video: Sept. 11

2009-09-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Parishioner's Picks: Week 1

2009-09-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

All I know about the NFL is that it ends with a Super Bowl and something like 1 in 3 of their players have been convicted of crime. However, to add a splash of entertainment to The Daily Ross, I've decided to include a weekly outlook on the NFL. Because I can not do this intelligently myself, guest blogger "The Faithful Parishioner" will be posting here on a regular basis.

---------------------------------

When Ross approached me to write a guest spot on the blog, I had no idea what to write about.[1] As a long time reader, I was always so impressed how Ross wrote about topics ranging from Nevada politics to Nevada politics. However, I always wondered what was missing? What could I post that possibly no one but myself could appreciate? Don’t sweat, soon to be former friends, the answer is simple: football. Apparently, I am signed up to write a short football post every week, and I’m leaving it up to you, Ross, and my questionable work ethic to decide whether this happens again. Lets get started.

Its going to be another crazy season in the National Football League. Plotlines abound, including the literally never-ending Brett Favre saga, Jay Cutler’s quest to throw 20 interceptions and disappoint each and every Bears fan, and the $64,000 question: Who is going to grace the microphone on those witty Coors Light commercials? My friend Sperry and I will be discussing lines all season, so I thought I’d present some of the bigger picks and the thoughts that go into making those selections. The selection of the games I pick come down to my interest in the games in general.

PITTSBURGH -6 over Tennessee: The Steelers made me cry, but they’re a good team, and they brought Ken Whisenhunt into my life. Oh, and they’re playing a team whose jerseys are bathed in teal.

CINCINNATI -4 over Denver: I want to see the Broncos play well, but I really enjoy them playing poorly…I mean really enjoy them playing poorly. Chris Henry will have an amazing year if he can keep his picture exclusively in the program.

Dallas -6 over TAMPA BAY: Tampa coach Raheem Morris fires his quarterback a week before the opener? Dallas doesn’t have to worry about T.O. anymore and Felix Jones is back? Easy selection. On a side note, Dallas is such a wonderful train-wreck, I can’t look away.

ARIZONA -6.5 over San Francisco: I must confess I’m an unabashed Cards fan. I’ve been with the team since their Phoenix Cardinal days and through each and every terrible year conceivable. Your football team hasn’t suffered as much as mine, so their recent rise to prominence is just unbelievable. We need a big game this Sunday. Period.

Rams +9 over SEATTLE: A few dark blue kool-aid drinkers think Seattle is going to shock everyone this year. They’ve risen as much as 15 spots in some power polls. I’m definitely not buying it. TJ Houshmandzadeh doesn’t fix offensive lines or bald, oft-injured quarterbacks. Sorry, Seahawk fans.

If you made it this far, I thank you for reading my feeble attempt at being interesting. If you want to take a break from studying Sunday, roll over to Top Dawg in Salem. We can share a refreshment while watching the beginning of another wonderful year of football.

[1] Complete lie, I asked Ross if I can write on his blog.

Quick Thoughts: Health Care Speech

2009-09-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some quick thoughts on the health care speech.

Form and delivery were great. The ending was especially good as President Obama spoke of American character.
The guy who yelled out "liar" is pretty much a douche; we should find a good candidate to make him unemployed
I can't believe Republicans don't want to shape America's future - did you see them stay seated for that part? shame.
Nevada's congressional delegation are the three most goofy looking folks in the room. Cranky Dean was prominent with glass - his eyesight must have gone with his brain; Dina Titus was monochromatic from hair to skin to suit; Shelley Berkeley looked like a hot pink pinata bouncing up and down in the front row.
Talk is cheap; I'm still waiting for action

Class of 2012 - Keep Doing What You're Doing

2009-09-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

Remember all the problems with the class of 2011? They were afraid to have any fun, wouldn't run for student government, and just were kinda dull altogether. Well, they have thawed out a little bit but are still a little less active and fun as say... the class of 2010.

"There only seems to be one potential asshole in my class" -Anonymous Professor

Enough time has now passed to make an initial assessment of the class of 2012. They are showing up to bar review in great numbers. The first bar review had Magoos packed from wall to wall with mostly first year law students - someone got the memo on how to survive law school. In addition, with class elections just around the corner, it is clear there is already going to be competition to see who becomes a class officer. Moot court has enough volunteers for the Don Turner competition and the class of 2012 seems to have a good grasp on how to mix the social aspect of law school with the academics. The most promising news is from a professor who spoke on the condition of anonymity. He said, "There only seems to be one potential asshole in my class" Congrats to the class of 2012, you've started out well; make sure to stay on course and you will all do fine.

Politics Monday: Oregon's Rerun

2009-09-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

Last week looked at Nevada's gubernatorial political landscape, this week focuses on Oregon with former Governor Kitzhaber's announcement that he's running for Governor, again. Oregon's constitution allows for a governor to run for more than two terms as long as they aren't consecutive. His announcement was somewhat expected and has even knocked a few potential candidates out of the running. Polls have him with better numbers than the current governor and his ads have been all over Facebook. Overall, it's been a fairly successful opening week.

The basic question I have in this race is, is Oregon ready for a rerun? From the few people I've spoken with, the answer is yes, at least for the Democratic nomination. As the prohibitive favorite, it looks as though it is Dr. No's race to loose. The only possible other big name contender is Congressman DeFazio (who seems to be the more liberal of the two). He's thinking about hopping in but the decision for Kitz to hop in might have changed his plans. Oregon has gone through a rough economic patch much like Nevada and although the current Governor's favorable numbers are still above 30 (whereas Nevada's Governors numbers are close to single digits), he hasn't really been a presence at the capitol. You hear about him when he does one or two vetoes but it sure seemed like the Legislature took the bull by the horns in this last round and got stuff done.

The danger with a rerun is that the GOP will be able to highlight all the negatives of Kitz's last time in office and it seems that with so many new people engaged in the process, Oregonians might not want to look back. How can a rerun work? If a rerun can highlight the good times of his or her last reign as well as articulate a new and bold agenda for tomorrow, a strong case can be made for experience and vision. However, I still think people today are looking for new and fresh faces (see Obama/Clinton race 2008). Right now, for Oregon, the question is "will there be a new good show on next season, or is it better to watch a classic?"

Friday Video: Reaction to the New Justice

2009-09-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

Why Don't You Want My Money

2009-09-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

WARNING: This post might mentally frustrate business majors or those with common sense.

There has been an incredible rash of people not wanting to make money surrounding me lately. I can classify my recent experiences into three categories:

The Early Closer: I love Magoo's Sports Bar and Grill in Salem. It has shuffleboard and billiard and a relaxed atmosphere with comfortable chairs. Mostly for that reason, I can't understand why they close so early. No matter how busy the bar is, it seems to shut down at midnight. On Cinco de Mayo they closed at 9ish because it was a weeknight. I'm sitting here, drinking and eating and having much merriment, wanting to continue to hand over my cash and yet you close. Although I come from the warped world in which there is no last call and closing time is a foreign language, other here from normal places marvel at Salem's ability to send away cash and close up shop.

The You Need to Call Someone Else: I'm going to a wedding in Reno next month and well, in order to make a reservation it took about 3 days work. I called Sunday afternoon to secure a room. I called the Nevada number because it would make sense to call the location where you are going to check in to make a reservation right? Wrong. I had to call some 866 number during the business day. Apparently, at the hotel, they don't have to power to make a reservation. My next frustration came when I tried to call during a break in class yesterday at four in the afternoon. You want to give us your money? Sorry, we operate on wacky East Cost time. So, in order to make a reservation in Reno I have to remember what time an East Coast call center is open. Today, I can declare victory. However, when I called the call center on its east coast hours, I sat there for 10 minutes on hold waiting to talk to a human.

The Cheap Technology Purchaser: Much like Magoo's, I love Sandwhich Express in Salem. Its pretty good at a decent price and a convenient location. However, on more than a few occasions I've pulled up to the drive thru only to be told they couldn't take my money. The problem? The guy who is in charge must have bought some crappy credit card machine that goes out about every other week. I hardly ever carry cash and so when told they can't take a card, I'm forced to keep my money in my pocket long enough to find some other food source living in the 21st Century. If the Muchas Gracias hut next to my house can take a credit card 24/7, then surely so can Sandwhich Express. My hunch is they cost cutting has led to profit cutting. Not a good idea.

Teabagger/Wingnut Law Contest

2009-09-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

A lovely video of teabagger/wingnuts is below. How many errors in law and logic can you point out? Whoever correctly names the most get something, not sure yet, but something.

New Fish - Stare Decisis

2009-09-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

Stare Decisis is not that new but after Habeas dies last winter break and I replaced him, I couldn't figure out what to call my new fish. So, for a long time he was just the fish. People would call him Habeas and I would say, sorry that's not Habeas. They would ask his name and I would say "I haven't named him yet."

Well, this summer while in Reno I gained some inspiration from the Justice Sotomayor confirmation hearings because, like any good court nominee, she dropped stare decisis in all over the place. The down and dirty of the legal term can be read at Wikipedia here.

Basically, it means you uphold precedent, follow the past, etc. What a perfect name; everyone thinks the new fish is Habeas and he better damn well stay true to Habeas high level of distinction and honor. So...the new fish shall now be known as Stare Decisis. Please don't die.

Politics Monday: The Sandoval Factor

2009-08-31T17:18:00.000-07:00

Because no one was using the open thread, I'm going to scrap just posting a cool picture and will turn Monday's post into a politics focused post.

Down in the Silver State, the political landscape for next year is still as unclear as Harry Reid's position on the public option. (follow the link to read how he wants a public option as long as it is private). While I've briefly touched on the Governor's race next year, there has been a development that looks to shake things up. A few weeks ago, a Federal Judge (one of those guys in the black robe that has a job secured for life at a 6 figure salary) announced he would resign effective September 15. Was he old and ready to retire? No. Upon reading the headline, I thought to myself, "well shit". Who was this Judge? The Honorable Brian Sandoval. And now, it looks as though he's prepping himself for a gubantorial run.

Why the instant response from me? I don't remember too much about Brian Sandoval's previous service except that he was an extremely popular figure. He served as Attorney General before being selected for the federal bench at the request of Senator Reid (mostly so Reid could clear any 2010 competition because no one ever resigns from the federal bench). Before the announcement, the Nevada GOP was hopeless. Their gubantorial hopes rested on a governor with single digit popularity (Gibbons), a former state senator who lost re-election and thinks it is too dangerous to let students vote early (Heck), and a no-name mayor from down south whose campaign kick off followed the Allen Alley campaign plan of physical exercise for shameless free media (Montandon). The only other high profile Nevada Republican was Senator Ensign and well, he deciced to sleep around with the political help. The Nevada GOP was burning to the ground and then Sandoval had to rip off his robe and rise from the ashes.

So what? What does it all mean? I don't know, it depends on what his actual positions on issues are. Nevada now has 100,000 more Democrats registered than Republicans and recent polls have Democrats trusted more with everything from health care to foreign policy. The two Dem candidates for governor will keep their focus on each other while the GOP candidates now how to deal with an instant frontrunner. Mayor Montandon already took a shot calling Sandoval a quitter. WHAT?! He left Attorney General for the federal bench, a good promotion, and now he's resigning his huge salary to run for a position with considerably more work and less pay; it's not like he's pulling a Palin and being a jobless leach on American society. Of course, all the Governor talk could be a smart head fake before announcing his run for Senate. Reid would have a hard time discounting a man he pushed for the federal bench. Through all the dust, one thing is clear, September 16th is going to be a hell of a news day.

Friday Video: We Need Health Care Reform

2009-08-28T08:24:00.001-07:00

Class Lineup

2009-08-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

I was going to do a class photo array but I decided this would probably be a lot easier. (If you got that joke, you might be a 2L).

The classes I'm taking this semester and how many hours I spend in class for each.

State and Local Government (BizOrg for Government) - 3
Trusts and Estates - 4
Sales - 2
Remedies - 3
Water Law - 2
Contract Drafting - 2

I have some new professor this go around so they will be added to the rankings at the end of the semester.

Oh, and the loan finally came in.

Kennedy Gone

2009-08-26T22:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Senator Reid:

Every day you fail to move Democrats toward health reform with a public option, you betray Senator Kennedy's memory. Please find the fighter you use to be and get to work.

Sincerely,

Ross Armstrong

UPDATE - Both emails sent this morning

Senator Ensign:

Every day you fail to pass health care reform with a strong public option, you betray the memory of Senator Ted Kennedy. Please put down your partisan blinders and get to work.

Sincerely,
Ross Armstrong

Loan and Book Issues

2009-08-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

So, my loan is late (hopefully it arrives tomorrow) which makes life interesting considering payday isn't until next Tuesday and I still have quite a bit of books to purchase. Willamette's financial aid system is pretty poor as the student accounts people (people who write checks) and the financial aid people (people who give the thumbs up) don't share any information. So you have to walk to student accounts who can only look in the file and say yes or no check, then head to financial aid to figure out what the problem is. It seems like a lot more people are having loan issues this year and I wonder if someone at the financial office fell down on the job sometime in the last 6 months because before this, it was pretty smooth sailing.

Books are an issue because I don't have them in time for class. Luckily I can borrow some old ones until I can pay to get my own. The other issue? The bookstore at Willamette is so bad, many professors are now encouraging their students to boycott it. They don't have books in on time (this is the second semester the bookstore has screwed up one of my classes) and then sometime they even get the wrong book. Anyway, first week of actual class going pretty well; extra things are a bit bumpy.

No Open Thread

2009-08-24T18:37:00.002-07:00

So, no one really used the open thread part of "Open Thread" I need to replace it with something.

Any ideas?

No Open Thread

2009-08-24T18:37:00.000-07:00

So, no one really used the open thread part of "Open Thread" I need to replace it with something.

Any ideas?

After Camp IV: The Death Zone

2009-08-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

A site that explains a climb similar to mine says now:

"The wall towards the summit is steep and dark, you are in the death zone and you can't help thinking that within the next 48 hours, there is a very real risk that you might not live."

So, I enter the death zone. The steep climb to the peak of this mountain. The climb began two years ago. At that point, the trail before me seemed ominous; a struggle against internal and external forces. Yet, with a simple single step forward the journey began. The end is in sight, the peak is just within reach. My climbing legs are use to what is about to occur and although the last stretch will not be easy, the stress of the climb has started to turn. It's less about how I will make it to the summit but what I will happen when I reach it. What happens when it comes time to come down for the mountain? That, and that alone is the question that clouds my mind as I enter the death zone.

More Hearing Followup

2009-08-22T13:10:00.001-07:00

The Oregonian says cut the rates but wait a few years before doing it. They also incorrectly state the Oregon Lottery was created for education, parks, etc. It was created for economic development, the other stuff didn't come later.

The Mail Tribune pretty much agrees with the Oregonian (of course the Mail Tribune was out with their opinion first so I guess the Oregonian is following) but add that the new rates should have a sliding scale to deter Oregon's infamous "deli's".

The media seems to be eating up the idea that cutting rates is the smartest way to get more money to economic development, education, etc. They have not pointed out that increased sales would do the same.

At work, emails continue to come in and are being carefully recorded and filed so that a full report can be delivered to the Commissioners before their October meeting.

Oh, and I forgot to share this story with everyone. A Nevada man won Megabucks a few weeks back. Nice to see the Silver State get some Oregon Lottery love.

Friday Video: Guess Who's Back

2009-08-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Hartzell (or advice to a 1L),

2009-08-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

You either have just started or are about to start you're first year of law school. You'll hear lots of tips from everyone so I'll try to keep mine fairly simple. They can be broken down into two sections although both really interrelate.

Class Success:
- Read for class. You'll hear some upper level students talk about not reading. That is silly, especially your first year. You need the practice of hunting down what is important. After each case or set of cases, ask yourself "Why in the hell did the professor assign this?" Write down the answer and you probably have the beginnings of an outline. Hint: Table of Contents are really great places to look.
- Pay attention in class. Again, this is important especially for your first year. What you wrote down as an answer to the why did the professor assign this case has a pretty good chance of being wrong - listening in class is the only way to know if you're right or not. Learn to listen to fellow students but be able to ignore what they said if the professor says they aren't quite right (thats a nice way of saying they are wrong).
- Don't worry about finals yet. Just focus on the day to day class stuff for the first two months, then try to put the big picture together.
- When you prepare for finals, don't panic. Know it is going to be challenging but look at it more as a game, hunting for points in every sentence of the test. Find your best way to memorize, then take as many practice tests as you can. Find friends, study with them. Double check the syllabus and textbook table of contents to make sure you aren't missing anything.

Self Success:
- Find other law students who are cool like you and hang out. Take time for a beer or movie or whatever to get your mind off of school. The dual purpose is to let your brain rest as well as develop a network to study for finals or ask about missed classes.
- Explore where you are. You had to leave Reno in order to get to law school, take some time to get to know the place where you are. Plus time away from the library and you books will help keep you fresh when you have to study.
- Find stress relief. Exercise, read a book, watch movies, find something again that helps take away from the absolute craziness of school.
- Don't worry about what you are going to do next summer. Get through your first semester and then prepare job stuff during winter break.

Thats about it. I'm here all year long, just shoot me an email or post a comment on the blog and I'll try to help or at least find someone who can.

-Ross

The Hearing, My Report

2009-08-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick report about the lottery hearing from my point of view. It should be noted that this is not the opinion of the Oregon Lottery and anyone within the organization.

The hearing went off better than anticipated. There were less hostilities than reported in the past. Why? I think it is because rather than establish new rates, announce the new rates and hold a hearing where people can attack those rates, this year we decided to hold the public hearing first and let the public opinion help guide us toward the new rates.

The security we planned was unnecessary but it was nice to know they were prepared for potential chaos.

The hearing itself was interesting. The "cut the rates" groups spoke first and basically laid out an argument of "we need more money, bars have more than enough". The tavern owners mostly argued that the current tiers "disincentivized" selling more lottery and that cuts in the rates would cause them to reduce hours or go out of business completely. I think the education advocates made a mistake by leaving in mass after their speech; they didn't even wait to hear the other side. Also, they kept claiming the Oregon Lottery was voted in to fund education which is completely incorrect and eroded their credibility on the issue. The Oregon Lottery was created to fund economic development projects; Oregonians voted to allow the leftovers to go to education a decade after the Lottery first came into being. The best testimony was given by the Elmer's guys as they laid out numbers and stats that made real dollars make sense. Lesson? Research before testifying before a public hearing would be a good idea.

It was nice to see the Lottery Commissioners there. They did a good job of taking notes and paying close attention to the different arguments. They are going to get a lot of information over the next two months to help make their decision about the new rates in the contracts.

With the hearing kicking off our public comment process, we're going to be getting a lot more public opinion. My days will include printing, sorting, and summarizing mailed and emailed comments from all over Oregon.

I'm sure I'll post more about the process as it goes on. As it hits the press I'll try to post links.

A Hearing - Quick Links

2009-08-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

I'm exhausted from work today plus helping Kelly move plus just getting ready for the next semester. What did I do at work? Here are a few news stories that tell part of the story:

Front Page Oregonian Today

Bar Owners Fight off Cuts

Can you spot me in this video?

Battle Brewing

Last Weekend before the Last Year of my Last School

2009-08-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

This was the last real weekend before school starts. Although we have another week until classes begin, you have to read during next weekend to be prepared for Monday so this was it.

I left work a little early on Friday and then headed to the coast with Owens. We met some of his friends in a KOA knock-off in Seaside which meant for a little less outdoorsy camping experience than we planned but campfires and food and drink are sometimes better with neighbors. We crashed around midnight mostly because there was a no fires after midnight rule. At 9ish we woke up, put away the tent (which was huge - it looked like a blue whale in the middle of a field) and went into town for some breakfast.

From breakfast we drove the short ways down to Ecola State Park and went on a hike to a beach. The beach was quiet because you had to hike in, there was no parking lot or any other easy way to get there. We soaked in the Oregon clouds and then made our way back to the cars. Lunch was our next task and we decided on Cranky Sue's in Cannon Beach. It was amazing. I had clam chowder and catfish fish and chips. Also, and this was what really makes the lunch stick out, I had an incredible Bloody Mary made by Cranky Sue herself. After a quick walk on Cannon Beach proper we loaded up the car and made our way back to Salem.

Last night, after showering, having a little food and just lounging for a bit, I fell asleep. I'm thinking the 12 hours I slept was a sign that I needed some rest and I'm pretty glad I got it. Today, after sleeping in, I cleaned up my car because it's going to the mechanic tomorrow so it will move again and then I cleaned my room so that I can actually use my desk to study.

Hearing Preparation

2009-08-12T17:44:00.000-07:00

At work we are getting ready for the public hearing for the video lottery compensation rates for the new 2010 contracts. There has been quite a bit of preparation involved as this is our biggest hearing and only happens every 6 years or so.

Here are just a few things that are being juggled at the moment.

- figuring out who is going to invited testimony and who is going to present during public comment
- materials needs including chairs, tables, etc
- logistics of the room, security, message management, etc
- preparing the script, sample testimony for the public, and time management
- responding to public records requests, media requests, and internal questions

The hearing is next Tuesday at the Salem Armory (where Obama spoke when he came to town) and we anticipate a whole bunch of people.

Scheduling Appointments

2009-08-11T18:07:00.001-07:00

I managed to schedule an appointment to get my Jeep fixed. I will have it towed to the auto shop on Monday and the work should take a few days. It will be nice to have the Jeep back but I'm going to be doing so serious evaluation about exploring other future options for an automobile.

On the appointments note, I need to make a trip to the dentist and to the barber.

Weekend on the River

2009-08-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was spent in Central Oregon near Madras. Friday started with the MPRE Exam (the ethics portion of the bar that you are allowed to take early), lunch and then packing up the truck to head to the Nygaard ranch. We made really good time over the Santiam pass, picked up some few odds and ends (including dinner) in Madras and then made our way passed Ashwood to the ranch.

When we arrived, we prepared the cabins for the soon to be large group including getting rid of a rancid fridge, turning on the power, and making sure all the beer was cool. Friday night included some introductions, beer pong and flip cup. The next morning we woke up and I took a quick morning hike to a nearby peak. When I returned it was time to make sandwhiches for lunch and prepare to head toward the river.

Our group arrived in Maupin at about noon and after the shuttle took us to the put-in point, we were finally on the river. We took up two big rafts (9 people in one; 10 in the other). We meandered through the canyon on the Deschutes. We stopped an hour in to eat some lunch and then continued on, through the town of Maupin and through a few last sweet rapids. One was called the elevator where you actually get out at the end and then run up to the start, jump in and just swim down it - sweetness.

Once off the river, we drove the long way back to the ranch. Along the way we saw deer and antelope. Back at the ranch we relaxed a bit then cooked up some spaghetti and garlic bread. The river and dinner tuckered everyone out so it was a little earlier night for everyone. This morning we cleaned up, cooked some breakfast and then made our way back to Salem. It was a good final outdoors hoorah before the next semester.

I Missed NOAC, Kind Of

2009-08-06T18:11:00.000-07:00

For the first time since the 2000 National Order of the Arrow Conference, I missed a NOAC. The main reason for not attending was primarily financial and timing and so forth. I certainly missed it. The people, the friend and brothers, the events, the excitement; all of it is always a blast. It would have been great to see close friends receive the DSA and Del Loder's speech for his lifetime acheivement award.

It is the people in the OA that makes it so hard to see myself growing more and more displeased with the BSA's political positions, so much so that I know some of the rhetoric at the conference (as it always has) would have made my stomach churn. There are great people in the organization working to change the status quo, but having seen the inside and knowing how long it will take for the Boy Scouts to catch up with modernity, I must say I don't foresee my participation returning any time soon. I shall write more about this sometime down the road but suffice it to say I missed NOAC, the people and the good times, not the associated messages.

Book List

2009-08-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

The book list is out for the next semester and although I appreciate the advanced notice, it is still looking like I'll be hauling around quite a bit of books. Most of my classes have two required texts and then a bunch of optional stuff. Just another reminder the semester is starting soon.

A New Wheel

2009-08-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

Well, today on my way home from work my bike's back wheel totally went to hell. Which is great because I can just use my - oh yeah, my Jeep is totally incapacitated at the moment as well. Good thing I have hiking boots - no, wait, those are still in Nevada. Good thing for roommates with trucks. I took my bike to Santiam Cycle in Salem and they first thought they could just replace a bearing but that wasn't going to quite do it so they slapped on a whole new wheel. I dodged a bullet this time but I better get my Jeep fixed sometime soon because I think only while it is out of commission will my bike give me problems. Got to love Mondays.

A Restful Weekend

2009-08-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

I rested a lot, and I mean A LOT this weekend. I watched tons of West Wing which usually indicated my mind and body need someone to push the reset button. I tried to think about why I was so exhausted and then it hit me that I didn't really get to relax that much in Reno.

A combination of not having my own car plus not having my own space/place plus not making any money plus all around craziness meant that although the experience in Reno was good, it certainly wasn't a vacation.

So, time for some more rest.

Settling Back In

2009-07-30T19:10:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to settle back in. I got new water in the fishbowl, some things unpacked and have figured out the food situation.

The MPRE is next week so I have to get into study mode later tonight.

Things are going well at the Oregon Lottery (that one is for you Jerry) although my boss broke his arm and has not been in since Monday so not quite 100% up to speed at work but getting there.

2010 Election: Reid's Biggest Threat

2009-07-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

Harry Reid (D-NV) is running for re-election in 2010 and although the voting booths don't open for more than a year, his biggest threats are starting to become clear. So, in a first hard look at the race, here comes some analysis.

GOP Opposition?
The surprising news is that it isn't a strong Republican challenger. Nevada's Lt. Governor Krolicki was set to run until he got indicted and the GOP has yet to find or at least announce a any other viable challenger. Sharron Angle is running but she's too right-wing nutty for Nevada's new general election electorate and some East Coast lawyer is coming in to pose a carpetbag challenge (see Jack Carter for success of that type of campaign). So far, the GOP opposition is not Harry's biggest threat.

Weak Poll Numbers?
Reid has horrible approval ratings. So bad that they've received national attention and worry among some that the possibility of getting Daschled is real. However, the poll numbers are a not really a threat so much as they are warning sign that something is fundamentally wrong with Reid's presence in the state.

Money Raising Trouble?
Reid raised 3.2 Million dollars last quarter, money is not going to be an issue.

Ground Soldiers?
Take a moment to remember the low poll numbers. How can they be so low? Unhappy progressive grass roots. The truth is lots of Nevada Democrats are frustrated at Reid and the Senate's cautious pace of change. Bailouts, a likely weak public option for Health Care reform, dangerously sustaining Don't Ask Don't Tell, a stimulus package light on the green funding and other instances of attempts at silly bipartisanship have us frustrated. So much so that Reid may likely find himself with plenty of money for an air war but no foot soldiers to go door to door. In fact, the state Democratic Party, realizing frustration and anger from base, sent out an email to partymembers today reminding them of Reid's roll in bringing great healthcare reform (which would be good if he hadn't let the Finance Committee water down any real change).

What's the big deal if Reid can't amass ground troops? It allows a less-than-spectacular GOP candidate to work the ground game, soak in the national Reid-hater money and capitalize on the weak poll numbers.

The good news for Reid is that his biggest weakness can't be eliminated. All he has to do is grow a spine, show some of the fight from his boxing days and push the Senate to bring the progressive change we all voted for in 2008.

Some Notes from the Summer

2009-07-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some things I learned from my time down in Nevada:

- I prefer a 5 minute bike ride over a 45 minute drive
- No preference on old vs. new buildings
- I like walking to lunch/going out to lunch
- Both transactional and litigation type law is fun
- Criminal law is definitely a possibility
- Returning to Nevada is a must

The Ross Relay

2009-07-27T17:30:00.001-07:00

I'm back in Salem after what could be called the Ross Relay with me acting as the baton. Because of my less than ideal car situation, I needed a way to get from Reno to Salem. Of the several options (plane, train, car, etc) one was most ideal because of cost / opportunity for good times.

Thanks to Travis who was able to pile my stuff in his jeep and drive me from Reno to just north of Jenner, California. We hopped in his jeep Saturday morning an made quick time over the hill (despite construction that includes lanes ending without notice). We stopped in Davis for fuel; after eating some In-n-Out we filled up the gas tank and made our way to a wedding. Wine country went quickly compared to the curvy coastal highway. We finally got to our destination: The student formally known as Rachmeyer's wedding.

(Ricky, Kelly, Ross, Rach, Eric, Tricia)

The wedding was a wonderful backyard wedding with great food, drink and atmosphere. We camped on the ranch and woke to a foggy cove. Time to pass the baton.

I packed up and shifted my gear into Eric's car. Eric, Elizabeth, Ricky and I hopped in the car and made our long way to Salem. It took about 11 hours (with an ungodly confusion trap named Healdsburg - HEALDSBURG!!!!!) but I finally rolled into Salem around 9. Pass the baton again.

Sperry picked me up at Eric's house in South Salem for the finally 15 minutes of driving home. So, now I'm back and ready to get back into the roll of things.

Reno Toyota is Full of Douches

2009-07-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

My sister decided it's time to sell her car and get a new one. She saw a great leasing deal from Subaru so we went browsing yesterday. We went to three different dealerships and they all were very distinct in their personalities. Here is a review:

Subaru:
The salesman was really nice. Realized that it was sister leasing the car and focused on her. We went for a test drive and he explained how the lease works and what the average reduction in monthly payments is to down payment amount. He didn't push too hard until we were at the end but thats because as he explained, only 1 out of 18 people who leave the lot and say they'll be back actually come back. Major kudos to Subaru.

Toyota:
It is fairly well known that if you want to get a Toyota in Northern Nevada AND be treated like a human being by the salesman then you drive to Carson. We didn't have the time so we went to Reno Toyota. It was typical. There was a pack of salesman at the front door like wolves and when we got out one came running over to see what we needed. My sister informed that she spoke with Larry on the phone - the dejected salesman said "damn it" and told us to go inside to find him. Once there Larry - and we'll call him Larry the douche from this point on - Larry the douche sat us down to talk about leasing. On the way he made some anti-government spending comment - guess he doesn't know liberals live in Nevada and then got the name of my sisters place of work wrong by mentioning the competitor. As we sat at the table Larry the douche never once looked at my sister because, well, you know, she's a girl. He went through all the complicated leasing info that we didn't really care about. When my sister said she wanted to but a few thousand down and have monthly payment between 150 and 200 he said he couldn't help her and then got pissed at us for wasting his time - telling us we could go online to get the info.

Honda:
The last dealership was Honda and they were short handed but after a little wait and apologies the guy was able to help my sister (he realized she was the buyer) and even though it didn't sound like they had what she was looking for, offered to walk us out to the lot to look at what they had. He was low pressure and when my sister asked him a question about trading in her car or selling it for cash, he honestly told her it would be better to sell privately and get cash. He knew he didn't have what we were looking for but still treated us well.