ROSE (roz) n. One of the most beautiful of all flowers, a symbol of fragrance and loveliness. Often given as a sign of appreciation.

RASPBERRY (raz'ber'e) n. A sharp, scornful comment, criticism or rebuke; a derisive, splatting noise, often called the Bronx cheer.

We hereby deliver:

• ROSES to the Olympians from Oregon State University and elsewhere in Oregon for their valiant efforts - medal-winning or not - at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

At the top of the list, of course, is former OSU rower Josh Inman, whose 8-man team on Sunday took home the bronze medal.

OSU wrestler Heinrich Barnes' 2008 Olympics quest ended Wednesday when he was defeated by a wrestler from Mongolia, 9-2 in the qualifying round in the 145-pound class.

Pole vaulter Erica Bartolina, a Corvallis native and 1998 Philomath High graduate, didn't advance in the women's pole vault competition on Saturday. She missed all three jumps at 4.30 meters, but we hope that will not end her Olympic aspirations.

We have to say the same for almost the entire U.S. Track and Field team, which seemed to be under some sort of jinx in Beijing.

A few examples: Tuesday, hurdler LoLo Jones was streaking to victory in the 100-meter hurdles final when she stepped onto the ninth hurdle, knocking it down. In the few stumbling steps it took to regain her stride, Jones went from being within sight of a gold medal to a seventh-place finish.

Nick Symmonds, formerly of Willamette University, was the only one to make it past the 800-meter preliminaries Wednesday and into the Olympic semifinals. Olympic teammates Christian Smith and Andrew Wheating from the University of Oregon have to wait for another race.

What we found the most mind-boggling was Thursday's back-to-back disasters in the preliminaries for the 400-meter relay:

First, the baton was dropped during the pass from Darvis Patton to Tyson Gay. Then it happened again during the women's 400-meter relay pass between Torri Edwards and Lauryn Williams.

After the thrilling exhibition of these athletes' talents in Eugene just six weeks ago, we can't deny our disappointment. But we also accept that these turns of outrageous fortune are what make us appreciate the victories - and test our loyalties.

We're hoping that when all of the Olympians return, our community will bring them roses.

• RASPBERRIES to congressional candidate Mike Erickson, for breaking the first rule of campaigning: Preserve your credible denyability. In English, this means the Republican businessman who wants to win Oregon's Fifth Congressional District seat, soon to be vacated by the retirement of Rep. Darlene Hooley, already had serious electability issues left over from the primary.

But Erickson may simply be too dim to serve in Congress. To wit: He claimed that a 2004 six-day visit to Cuba was a "humanitarian trip" to deliver medical supplies to a Cuban medical center. Others who went on the trip told The Oregonian that Erickson picked up some boxes of cheap supplies in Mexico to make the trip "humanitarian" because it otherwise would have been illegal.

Also, the medical center where Erickson supposedly delivered the supplies simply doesn't exist.

His opponent, state Sen. Kurt Schrader of Canby, hasn't said much about the report. Of course. When your opponent is doing all the work for you, it's wise to let him.

• ROSES to an act of awe-inspiring courage:

Earlier this week, in Sachkhere, Georgia, 250 residents put their bodies in front of an invading force of Russian soldiers and said they would not be allowed into the small city in the Caucasus Mountains.

Amazingly, the Russians did not mow down the brave townspeople - as had happened in other nearby cities that had been sacked and burned.

To quote a story from The Associated Press: "I was really surprised they didn't break through,"' said Andro Kaprin-dashvili, an official at Sachkhere's military training school, which locals believe was the Russian troops' reason for demanding entry. "It was also surprising that they paid attention to the civil protests, because they usually aren't fazed by that … But our strength now is just our people. That's all we have."

We would like to believe the gesture - perhaps short-lived - represents a small moment of humanity in what has been a gut-wrenching display of ruthlessness. And that it is repeated.

• RASPBERRIES to evidence that the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing is glitzy window dressing for a government still very much in control of repressing dissent.

None of the 77 applications filed by groups wishing to protest during the games was approved. All the applications were reportedly withdrawn, suspended or rejected. But what's more chilling is that some of those who filed for the applications were promptly hauled away by officials, according to reports out of China. It seems that the process of dangling applications to protest was simply a way of flushing out the potential dissenters.

• ROSES to surprising relief from last week's searing heat: The record-breaking rains that started with a surprise series of thunderstorms on Saturday night not only cooled last weekend's 100-degree heat before it was forecast, but it soaked the gardens and lawns of Western Oregon while bringing much-needed help to firefighters battling four blazes in Central Oregon.

Also welcome: A forecast for sunny weather in the 80s this weekend.