I used to do competitive debate in college. It was a great way to constantly learn about new things and keep your mind sharp.

One of my favorite rounds of all time was a show-debate we (Portland State) did against several schools from Seattle, in which I was able to unleash a lifetime of frustration with our northern neighbors. I was able to do that because the topic was: when forced to choose, Washington is better than Oregon. At that point, being a lifelong Oregonian, I had a lot to say on the subject, including how the whole damned state of Washington is infested with volcanoes and serial killers. And then there’s the Seattle drivers on top of that.

The result was one of my favorite speeches of all time. It hit a lot of major points, both economic and cultural. Maybe it wasn’t the most solid academic work I’ve ever done, but it was damned funny, and the all-Washingtonian panel of judges awarded us unanimous victory in the round, which, for my purposes anyhow, establishes firmly that Oregon is in point of fact, better, than Washington.