At the beginning of the season, it was thought by many that the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals would finish one-two in the National League. At this point of the season, the top-two doesn’t currently consist of either of those teams. Instead, the very surprising San Diego Padres and the always-contending

The Summer Issue, Part 2, will be on stands monday. Get a full color sneak peek here.

Last Saturday was a rare one on the Stage. I always try to work new acts into the schedule, and this past Saturday there were three in a row! Though in this "negative two degrees of separation" community, it's hard to find folks with no Market connections to start with...

Public Television Offers Film-Making Classes, Access to Equipment In 1997, Crohn’s disease decided it’d be fun to hitch a wild ride in my gut and live with me, permanently. Since then I thought about making a documentary film about Crohn’s – an inflammatory bowel disease. Being a video game designer and not a d

We at the Oregon Commentator love to poke fun at our fellow campus publications, but sometimes you have to give credit where credit is due. In the latest issue of the Oregon Voice, which is downloadable in PDF form at their website, they have included some worthwhile gems. Most importantly, this: Way to remain relevant, OV

Moolaadé (2004) 8/10 This is a beautiful, moving, and entertaining story of the clash of tradition and modernity in the form of women in an African village standing up against female genital mutilation. Clip: "In this clip Collé Ardo, the Burkinabe woman who has granted protection to four young girls who d

1.Whenever I talk or think about Kazuo Ishiguro, I find myself wanting to say or think "Ishiguro Kazuo." That is, I find myself doing the mental thing I do when I read an English translation of a Japanese writer, which is to flip their names back into Japanese order. Thus I may read "Haruki Murakami," but I've

Trout Unlimited at the State Council Level has been involved in lobbying our state legislators in Salem to ban felt sole wading boots in the 2011 legislature. The following info is from Dave Kumlien, Executive Director of the Whirling Disease Foundation and Trout Unlimited: It is a very good idea on reaching out to fly shop

A vegan friend of mine visited from the Bay Area last weekend.  Up for a challenge, I decided to go undercover as a fellow vegan, vegging out on vegetables, while she was here. The plan was to hit up the plethora of new vegan food carts around town, since I don’t find them particularly appealing [...]

As many of you might know, this week is the annual cocktail geek gathering in New Orleans known as Tales of the Cocktail. Every year, bartenders, brand ambassadors, and cocktail enthusiasts from all over the world come together to celebrate, learn about, and embrace the cocktail renaissance. Coincidentally, Tales falls alm

The final two patterns in Jay’s Lagartun Mini Flat Braid Series. Summer Steelhead fishing is looking great locally with over 22,000 fish over Willamette Falls. The Deschutes had a record year last and is again looking good this year. Decent reports from the North Umpqua have been trickling in. Shorter days and more sh

• Just in case you're not getting excited about returning to Autzen Stadium in September this video should bring back some memories. YouTube member keeerrrttt1 did a great job compiling the scenes that make it so special.

Fifty years is a long time. Half a century -- long enough for me.

Mrs. Sgt. T took some photos of Mission Dolores, and she gave me a few to post.First, here's the exterior. The old mission chapel is on the left, the new basilica on the right.

Robin's Commentary --Would you work in an office when it's 137° outside with no air conditioning?How about sleeping in those conditions?More than likely not. Most people are unaware or even care that for the over the road truck driver, these are the type of unhealthy living and sleeping conditions that the driver must endu

Last weekend was Chris' Bachelor Party. We wrecked go karts, trashed talked tweens/teens at laser tag then we got drunk while playing video games at Ground Kontrol. I'm pretty sure everyone had a good to great time (on a...

Our pal Warren Moran sent us this report from the Madison River. This is my ninth trip to the Madison River in the last ten years. The good news is that things haven’t changed much up here. Just a few more trophy homes and maybe a few more “sports” on the water. The Madison, also [...]

Cuthbert Ampitheatre, Eugene Symphony in the Park, July 17, 2010 Photo Credit: Steve Nordby - http://flic.kr/p/6HdJQh The geese stole the show, but the orchestra played on. Partway through the opening piece, Rossini's Barber of Seville "Overture", 5 geese flew out...

Cuthbert Ampitheatre, Eugene Symphony in the Park, July 17, 2010 Photo Credit: Steve Nordby - http://flic.kr/p/6HdJQh The geese stole the show, but the orchestra played on. Partway through the opening piece, Rossini's Barber of Seville "Overture", 5 geese flew out...

ASUO President Amelie Rousseau was published in the Register-Guard this week, along with a UO alum and a grad student, with an opinion on the UO’s proposed riverfront development. As is the general student opinion on the riverfront, they’re not too pleased: More than two years has passed since the University of

I was more of a white dope on punk...

This is a poem by Hafiz of Shiraz, an Islamic mystic from the 14th century, translated by Daniel Ladinsky. (I found it on the website of Gina Cenciose, a teacher of empathy and mindfulness practices based on NVC.) I know the way you can get by Hafiz I know the way you can get, When you have not had [...]

Robin's commentary --As I'm checking some of the headlines just before going to work this morning one of the headlines that caught my attention was the following... "AP- PHOENIX – Seven other Latin American countries want to join Mexico in supporting a lawsuit challenging Arizona's immigration enforcement law.Bolivi

• Bob Rickert reports that Tyler Johnstone, a 6' 6", 260lb. tackle out from Chandler, Arizona. Johnstone and carries a 4.0 GPA has verbally committed to Oregon. Here is a highlight reel from last year

[edited repost from July 2008]A July dinner for one.For the following Risa stripped the better leaves f

That up there pretty much sums it up. Can't wait to make this place sparkle and shine :))

Mrs. Sgt. T and I like church architecture. Someday we're going to make it to Europe together and see some of the great cathedrals; she's seen a lot of them, but I haven't. In the meantime, whenever we travel in the US we try to see famous church

The DOJ has released their opinion on the OLCC homebrew issue from a couple weeks ago, and if you were looking forward to a beer or wine competition at this year’s state fair, you are sure to be disappointed: In a legal opinion made public today, the Oregon Department of Justice has concluded that amateur home [...]

The second annual Century Bank Bite of Eugene will be held on Saturday, July 24, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Alton Baker Park in Eugene. The Bite of Eugene – a fundraiser for Willamette Farm & Food Coalition – is a celebration of the Eugene area’s local food scene and culinary culture with [...]

Jeff Mishler has posted some amazing videos of the forthcoming Skagit Master 2 featuring Scott Howell. Check out the videos — a 2 minute intruder and North Umpqua fish porn. Pebble Mine opponents scored a court victory. Environmentalists oppose the huge copper and gold mine being developed in Alaska near some of th

In this video Jay Nicholas ties another one of his favorite Steelhead patterns in the Summer Steelhead Lagartun Mini Flat Braid Series. Steelhead and Salmon love blue! Lagartun Mini Flat Braid Fluorescent Blue is a material that almost glows in the water. Swing this pattern on a floating line or sink tip for Steelhead at [

We visited mad scientists at work this weekend at the Lewis-Brown Research farm in Corvallis.  Inspired by last year’s trip, when I sampled new blackberry varieties, I thought I’d see what was now in development.  The cherries were in full, glorious fruit under the special experimental tents, marked by colorfu

Bug Launcher Classic The Reel McCoys’ Place July 24th & 25th What: BBQ and casting challenge on the N. Umpqua River Where: 9624 South Bank Dr. Roseburg, OR [...]

• Fun little video that's new on YouTube yesterday, The Ten Duck Commandments.• Bud Withers at the Seattle Times takes a look at the upcoming Pac-10 meetings in Pasadena wher

So I was going to do a post bout the Afghan soldier evacuation and the $500 million in planned aid to Pakistan. Then I saw this, an ad from Apple touting another use for their titular iPad. Ignoring the fact that the iPad is pretty much a glorified, expanded iPhone–a less sophisticated computer with a touch [...]

This post discusses human sexuality in graphic terms (no pictures though). It may not be safe for work; it definitely isn't safe for children or prudes. It's a post for grownups. Don't read it if you aren't one. I'm not kidding. Over the years, a problem has gradually come to my attention. It's a rather delicate matter, a

Worked 5-9 tonight. Watching Sion Sono's Noriko's Dinner Table and oddly compelled so far.Tata for now.

Vladimir Guerrero is a Hall of Famer. First ballot, no question. He was a few years ago, but if there was any doubt from potential voters, his extraordinary first season with the American League West-leading Texas Rangers puts to bed any question regarding his candidacy. Coming off a injury-riddled final season with the Ana

Major road construction in the Eugene area continues this week with the following activities, which were shared in a report from Lane County officials: Goodpasture Island Road: Construction has begun on installing a major culvert crossing under Goodpasture Island Road. The road is closed now through August 12 near the Delta

Washington Post --in Shanghai China, $1475 can buy you a US passport and citizenship for your new baby. "Zhou and Chao, a husband and wife from Taiwan who now live in Shanghai, run one of China's oldest and most successful consultancies helping well-heeled expectant Chinese mothers travel to the United States to give b

• Phil Steele has

Talking Heads was a New Wave band that formed in the late 1970s. They were a little different from most of the bands I listened to during the '80s in that they were pretty popular in the US. All their albums after their first one made it into the Top 30, and they had several singles that charted as well. They were actually

I still get it, every day. It starts slow, and it builds. Some days I can't believe how bad it gets. It is truly hard to deal with. I have started to build some legacy though. Integrity is what it is all about.My good friend Michelle and her husband/fiance are in town. I can't wait to see them. I am bless

The first of four different steelhead flies tied by Jay Nicholas from his Steelhead Mini Flat Braid Series. Fluorescent Orange Lagartun Mini Flat Braid over-body and a silver Lagartun Mini Flat Braid under-body give this pattern a subtle glow in the water. Add some trilobal dubbing and a Krystal Flash wing and you have a

We made it hard on ourselves, taking off for the North Umpqua Thursday night after last call. How many days ago, two? We left with no sleep, straight for the fly water. When I popped out of the truck that first morning, I’d felt like a million bucks, swinging good water, casting my switch rod. [...]

This is turning into a what-I-did-on-my-summer-working-vacation blog, but I guess that's okay. After a hectic couple of weeks in Japan we came back to the States, to Eugene via San Francisco. Our first visit there. We didn't do much in SF that falls under the

The final two of eight Summer Steelhead Chenille Series flies from Jay Nicholas. Jay discusses hook size, proportions and flash. The next series of low water patterns is on the way!–CD Summer Steelhead Chenille Series Hook: TMC 700 2-6 Thread: Lagartun 95D Black Rib: Lagartun Oval Tinsel Body: Medium Black Chenill