The O in O State stands for Omaha again

Oregon State 12, Arizona State 6.

'Nuff said.

Beavers headed back to Omaha

Oregon State is going back to the College World Series for the third consecutive season!

I admit I'm not a huge baseball fan. When it comes to professional baseball, I pay no attention at all until maybe late September. But watching the Beavers in the post-season these last few years (or listening over the radio or Internet) has been the highlight of each summer. And I am definitely a Beaver baseball fan.

Those of us who have worn the Orange and Black of Beaver Nation know the underdog role well in many sports. But there there have been some bright spots over the years. Men's basketball in the 1980s and football in recent years including some bowl victories. But the men's baseball team, while not drawing as many spectators or as much money to the university as the blue chip sports, has definitely brought home the prestige by achieving excellence last season. The squad's remarkable come-from-behind all-the-way march to a title is the sort of story from which film screenplays are scripted.

But this year's story has its own special ring to it, whether or not in culminates in winning another championship ring. Oregon State lost the bulk of its championship squad after last season. They only only finished sixth in the eight-team Pac-10 baseball standings. But the team, with many different faces than the 2006 championship squad shows they have the same heart, play well in the clutch and don't give up. That's the hallmark of a champion.

And, with the legacy Pat Casey is building at Oregon state, soon people will be saying that heart that perseverance, is the hallmark of a Beaver. Mighty Casey has hit a home run in Corvallis.

Go Beavs! On to Omaha.

Sopranos die with a whimper

The series finale of "The Sopranos" on HBO was not worth the wait. Fortunately I didn't have anything better to do this evening or I would have been pissed that I set aside time to watch the lame ending to what had been an often-surprising TV drama.

Perhaps the rapid cut-to-black ending was supposed to serve as some sort of a cliff-hanger ending and leave us all in suspense, as we were obviously supposed to think that Tony might be close to being clipped. But if that was the case it didn't work.

It seems that the show's creator, David Chase, who wrote and directed the disappointing final episode, didn't know how to say goodbye to his characters. I've tried to watch the last few episodes of this series which was once a must-see. But frankly, toward the end I didn't really care much for the characters anymore or their problems, large or small. Either they had moved on, or I had, but either way, the show is now gone and I shed no tears in the final frames.

So long Sopranos. Rest in peace and I'll try to remember you fondly for what you once were, not what you became, which was boring TV.

Paris Hilton: The real crime of lack of punishment

Everywhere I turned today was the "big story" about Paris Hilton being released from jail in Southern California. I don't get the fascination with her. She's not even the pretty one of the Hilton sisters. She's actually a bit freakish looking.

But I guess people like a freak show.

Now the Superior Court judge who tossed Hilton into jail is making noise about contempt of court for the L.A. County Sheriff for letting her out?

People are bitching (and here and here, etc.) thinking Hilton is getting special treatment because she's a celebrity. Maybe people should take a look at jail and prison crowding conditions around the country, not just in L.A. or California, and find out just how hard it is, not just to get thrown in jail, but to be kept their once you are in there in in places like Denver.

Hilton was on probation for reckless driving then later got stopped for driving under the influence. She was tossed in jail then for violating probation. But if people looked, really looked, at their local justice systems they would find that jails are letting people out all the time because they have so many people sentenced or waiting for trial they have to let some people out just in order to keep the really hard core people accused of murders and rapes and the most violent of crimes locked up. And you'd be shocked to learn some of the crimes people have been accused or convicted of that still get let out.

Hilton isn't getting special attention from anyone but the media and the celebrity obsessed public who have turned pop culture icons famous for merely being famous into American royalty and made the pathetic reality of "reality" TV something to not only waste their time watching, but dreaming of being "reality" stars themselves for who they date or marry or share a house with or compete in games on an island with or each eat bugs with.

Paris Hilton needs a life outside the public eye and house arrest would be a fine place to start. But it's all the other idiots under self-imposed house arrest in front of their TVs and computers who make moron's like her popular. We are the ones who are in the biggest need of finding something much more important to care about. Like, maybe, how ineffective it is for society to say "lock criminals up and throw away the key" then turn a blind eye to what's happening in jails and prisons. That is unless a celebrity gets tossed into one.

I was tempted to say that people should get a life, but it's more than that. People need to get involved with their communities and care about more than just frivolous celebrity crap. Oh, but that might cause someone to think a little too much made some tough decisions about things.

Oops, got to go. Reruns of "Frasier" are about to start.

Rise of the machines

The machines in my life are turning against me.

There's something wrong with the TV in the bedroom. Every time I turn it on now it turns itself off after about 5 or 10 seconds.

My laptop is showing solidarity with the TV. It sprung a hinge a while back. Now it won't boot up.

My desktop is on its last legs and I expect it to give up the ghost any day now, especially if it learns of the other devices currently on strike in my home.

I'm expecting the cell phone to join the picket line soon.

It's a conspiracy to cut me off from the outside world. I just know it.

O State still ballin'

Oregon State's baseball team begins its defense of its national title today in the NCAA playoffs. The team is a longshot to repeat, but I will certainly be cheer the Beavers on.

I have fond memories of watching the the team play last year in the College World Series. They were the quintacential underdogs, coming up through the loser's bracket, always on the verge of elimination.

It made me proud to be back in Oregon.

The Beavers were a longshot last year too. Sometimes the unlikely does happen. It's the stuff of song and legend. Actually, two songs.

Go Beavs and good luck!