... and we're back ...

After weeks of lounging around, watching movies, eating cheese by the log, fighting brothers for the good couch and driving up and down Oregon's freeways, we have returned to our natural surroundings.

For me, that's Snell Hall. It's my home when the newspaper is in production. In my spacious office, I have a couch, a fridge, a TV, the Internet and the AP Stylebook. Everything I need to survive for several days if something should happen. Such as a massive, class-canceling ice storm (according to AP style, of course, it would be Ice Storm 2007 -- Winter Blast).

But for now we get sunny skies as we all fan out across campus. We sit through the syllabus period. We hear the Geo 102 prof make the pitch we've heard nine times about how science applies to other disciplines, and therefore, we should not skip class, or, we'll die. We wonder if a tree fell through our classroom in December, or if by some fluke, the power is still out in Gilfillan Auditorium.

Instead, class begins in full force. Instead of just reading over the course schedule and reminding you that, no, you cannot cheat, professors begin to launch into the material, using words like "render" and "furthermore." You eye the clock as students begin to put their stuff away. The professor snaps that there are 10 minutes left in class and if you dare make a jolt for the back door, she will personally hunt you down at your home later this evening, where she will steal your beer and flunk you from her class. So you stay for the extra 10 minutes, during which, the professor goes through the syllabus.

* This is the first of what may be many posts that begin in The Daily Barometer news blog.

Vacation ends

It's 2:40 on a Saturday and I'm sitting in bed. Partly because I'm still a little sick and partly because, well, I enjoy sleeping in.

But vacation is over. I'm just a few hours -- less than 48 -- away from returning to school. That means waking up at the crack of 10, rushing to campus for this term's 11 a.m. classes, and then spending the rest of the day, until at least 10 p.m., either in class or in the newsroom.

Breaks are scarce. Occasionally, we muster funding and transport for a mission to Taco Bell. But Corvallis, in a major city planning fiasco, has only one Taco Bell, which often means really long lines.

But I digress. I just wanted to take this moment to note that vacation time is great. Because you can sleep until 3 and not feel guilty about it.

Now what's for lunch?

Our God is an Awesome God

God speaks, Pat listens.

Obama tried cocaine, but he didn't inhale

The Washington Post today brings up the issue of Barack Obama's candor on the subject of drug use. He tried cocaine and marijuana. It's all in his book, "Dreams from my Father," which he wrote when he was in law school and not running for anything, such as president.

Most of time, presidential candidates who write books do not include the parts where they rowdy, drunken college students. Instead, they tend to focus on the parts where they were heroic, thoughtful or really, really great for some reason.

So will Obama's admitted drug use be a campaign issue? Experts weigh in in the Post article.

Let there be voice (and music)

I bought a good quality digital voice recorder today to use for interviews on the job at the newspaper as well as anything else I can think to record. Maybe I can do some "blogcasting." Like, you know, me reading my blog entries. With passion. Or emotion.

Meanwhile, while it's not pro quality when it comes to music, we captured for the first time Brother Chris' Alphabet Song which for you young kids out there, contains explicit lyrics.

Stay tuned for more from this device.

Violet's Journey

You know that female ref I mentioned in the last post? Turns out she's a unique figure in the NBA. As of the writing of this USA Today article, Violet Palmer was the only female official in the NBA.

She also has a Wikipedia page and there are other articles about her when you do a Google search.

I think she would be a really interesting person to hear on NPR's Fresh Air show. Or should write a book. Or something. Maybe a made-for-TV movie or something? I just think there's potential here. Call your neighborhood TV executive.

Go Blazers! Go Blazers! Go Broncos!

The game was coming down to the final seconds, with the local team making a last-ditch offensive effort to get back into contention for a possible win.

And just like that, Boise State ran that really sweet play and scored a touchdown.

Oh, right, and moments earlier, the Blazers had lost to the Celtics. No big deal. The group of fans gathered around the Rose Garden TVs had already moved on. Screw the Blazers. Another loss. Right.

The Fiesta Bowl was almost over, and the undefeated Broncos of Boise State sent the game to overtime on an amazing play that fired up the group of disgruntled Portland fans.

There wasn't much to like about the Portland game, except some sweet plays by ... the Celtics. And there was a female official, who earned a lot of boos for calls that didn't suck, and for at least one that did. The ones who called her out just because she's not a man are obviously idiots. But the guy behind me upped the ante when, instead of booing, he said to his companion, "bless her heart," indicating that she should be held to a lower standard because she's ... a she.

Oh, my.

But back the important stuff.

The first overtime started, and a few fans stayed in the Rose Garden, hoping to watch the game play out. But moments after the Sooners drove into the endzone on the fist play of the overtime, the TVs went black. The crowd was angry. We wondered who to punch. Many of us spun an angry 360 degrees scanning for event staff people, who were softly scurrying away to avoid being caught up in an angry mob.

So Brother Chris and I made for the Max line, where we found ourselves standing right where some birds made a habit of dropping shit. A friendly Portlander noted the error, and everyone had a chuckle and moved a few feet to the left.

On the train, I grabbed my cell phone to follow the game. Boise State 1st and 10. Second down. Third down. Fourth down. Touchdown! Tie game! Time out. They went for two! It's good! It's over! They won! I told Chris and readied to put my Katana phone back in my pocket. Seconds later, a guy further down the train announced the win to everyone. I scooped him, but I failed in my duties as a broadcaster.

We hadn't even made it over the bridge.

Let's go Blazers

Tonight, as the Trail Blazers of Portland host the Celtics of Boston, brother Chris and I will be among the fans at the Rose Garden. Our stepmother's parents gave us their season tickets for the day as a Christmas gift.

I'm not sure when I last saw the Blazers play, but it was a similar arrangement in the very nice season tickets ... section 119 on the home baseline.

More after the game.