Narrative

Every morning Lucas Boyle rides his 1989 Bianchi road bike to Seattle University campus in pursuit of his Fine Arts Degree. One morning as he was coasting in the bike lane on 12th Ave, which runs parallel to the University, a forrest green 2007 Range Rover took a right hand turn directly into Lucas' path. The vehicle had not signaled and Lucas had no time to dodge the collision. The impact launched Lucas over his handlebars, ricocheting him off the hood of the car and then down to the pavement, breaking his elbow and splitting his helmet in half. As Lucas lied on the concrete grimacing in pain, the driver of the vehicle stepped out of the car and said, "Why don't you watch where you're going?"

Help Me Wanda!

Referring to something as being "gay," "fruity" or any likeness there of in reference to it being dumb...is dumb. The adcouncil's campaign is very current and necessary, however the choice of spokespersons is, uh, iffy to say the least. Wanda Sykes and Hilary Duff are not A-List stars that hold clout with the majority of the young demographic.

Hilary Duff is not effective. She is an ex-Disney wash-up star that kids don't connect to, especially males, who make up the bulk of individuals that make such references. The stars necessary not only need to be more mainstream, but they need to be cool so that kids see that cool folks don't make such rude references.  

The adcouncil has the right idea by making an interactive campaign using their well styled website and videos to watch. But really, kids don't want to listen to Wanda Sykes or Hilary Duff. I also would think it kinda creepy if Hilary Duff was ease dropping on me and my friends while I was trying on clothes. In her defense, it would also be a bit creepy if I was trying on women's clothes at a fancy boutique, but still, I'd rather have Christian Bale sneak up on me in a clothing store, hell, he's Batman!

Wanda Sykes is also a terrible comedian and actor. Seeing her in a commercial made me talk about how talentless she is instead of focusing on the issue.

Grimy Grimes

Jack Grimes described in a very well written piece the (dare I say) ins and outs of college hooking-up. He explained very clearly that there is more to sexual promiscuity than just physical stimulation, but that individuals still seek and gain from sexual encounters a sense of powerful intimacy that affirms the person through what Grimes describes as "privileged access." He claims that aside from physical pleasure, college students seek the "consent of a partner," because it is the feeling of acceptance that lays at the heart of hooking-up. 

Grimes also states however that hooking-up is all about "holding back," meaning that the more sex you have promiscuously detaches you from sex, and lessens the pleasures that go along with it. He also continues on by targeting woman who commit serial hook-ups, and suggests that they are not liberating themselves, but instead are "in essence, an unpaid prostitute," who in result becomes a sex object for men. First of all, just because there is a hooking up culture in college, that does not mean that it is the practice of all students. Furthermore, Grimes overgeneralizes that most women, particularity in college, want a relationship to stem from a hook-up. That is often not the case. Also, just a woman is promiscuous that does not make her an object for everyone. Believe it or not, there are some males who do not believe in the "Stud vs. Slut" totem pole that makes every women an object of personal gain.

Grimes does a fine job describing the personal interest and acceptance related to hooking-up, but it is still a generalization. There are always exceptions to the rule. He describes one on one encounters, and sometimes, guess what, there more than just two consenting parties, sometimes lots more, and those instance cloud Grimes' argument a little.

Josh Says I Have to Have Title

            The Westboro Baptist church uses its hatred for homosexuals as a catalyst to hate everything they disagree with. Not only are they a disgustingly homophobic group, but also using elementary school logic they are also arbitrarily racist and have the traits of a cult rather than a church. 

 

They despise all other religions, claiming that those of the Jewish faith are “nothing more than typical, impenitent sinners,” that Catholics are a “fag” church in which one third of Catholic priests are practicing homosexuals who according to Westboro Baptists Church suck the semen out of little boy’s testicles like vampires. Reverend Phelps, the leader of the hate group stated that the originator of the Islam faith, Mohammed was a “demon-possessed whoremonger and pedophile who contrived a 300 page work of satanic fiction, The Quran!”

 

The group allegedly attempts to distance itself from racism, but it is clear in their logic that no one is safe from hate. They have depicted an African American political leader as a gorilla with a Nazi swastika armband. The hatred they excrete towards homosexuals trickles down to every race, every religion, every American, and every nationality this world has to offer.

 

They are also commies. Seriously, they live communally, all sharing the same backyard and sharing homes.  Totally commies, which I’m fine with, but I bet if they weren’t in denial and could realize the hypocrisy of that, they’d be pretty pissed at themselves and would probably have to start a website about hating themselves so much.

Bicycle Master Plan...BUWAHAHA!

When it comes to the topic of transportation, most would agree that due to the economic crisis and the unreliable pricing of gas, seeking alternative means of transportation is a liable and responsible way to travel. In the fall of 2007 the Seattle City Council passed a unanimous decision to go forward with the Seattle Bicycle Master Plan (BMP), which is a comprehensive roadmap to make the city of Seattle a more biker-friendly town. The BMP, designed by The Cascade Bicycle Club, proposes a network of bikeways to help Seattle cyclists travel more safely and easily via additional bicycle lanes, shared lanes, signed bike routes, and bicycle boulevards. Altogether, the BMP calls for over 450 miles of new bicycle facilities to be installed over the next 10 years.

In discussion of the BMP, Cycling enthusiasts find the implementing of such a plan a milestone in cycling history. Particularly, members of the Cascade Bicycling club are elated about the application of the BMP because it was their group that vigilantly created and amended the plan and put it in front of the local governments.

Similarly, the Seattle bike messenger community is also pleased with the plans according to blogs and comment sections on the Seattle PI website. Messengers have expressed that the crowded and bustling streets of downtown encroach on their ability to safely maneuver among cars and pedestrians in order to promptly deliver their packages. With the addition of bike lanes couriers hope that hazardous intersection collisions and tension between cyclists and motorists is eliminated.

Motorists however have argued that the introduction of expansive list of bikeways is a possible waste of taxpayer’s money since the population of bicycle riders in Seattle makes up only a small percentage of commuting traffic, and more money needs to go to other divisions of mass transit.

Also, others maintain that cyclists are far too reckless, and often don’t follow the basic rules of the road and therefore should not be granted additional roadway. These people advocate that cyclists should be required to have a license to ride their bike in the street, but since the state of Washington does not mandate that cyclists need a license, according to these individuals bike riders should not be in the streets. This equates then that cyclists should not be given shared lanes or additional bike lanes.

1) The Cascade Bicycle Club wrote an article describing the comprehensive layout of their proposed and later passed Bicycle Master Plan. The posting details the 450 miles of planned bike lane and widened lane expansion and also describes the clubs plans for bike education and safety in coalition with the city council. In the article the author also defines the multi-utility and use of extending cycling roadways and access within the city and lists favorable reasons of why their plan is advantageous to the city for everyone, not just cyclists.

2) The article written by the Cascade Bicycle club detailing the advance of cycling roadways and safety in the Seattle area is a great achievement not only for cyclists, but for the entire city. The advent of the BMP will encourage and possibly inspire exercise, support alternative modes of transportation, relieve congestion, keep the environment clean, decrease tension on the streets between cyclists and motorist, and above all keep the roads safe for cyclists. The number of new cyclists has increased strongly across the country in the past several years due to the price of gas and it is our government’s responsibility to acknowledge the augment of bike riders and ensure that citizens are safe on the roads.

3) It would appear that the real plan according the Cascade Bicycle Club and the BMP is to make driving a motor vehicle in the city harder, if not impossible. People drive cars all year round, whereas from what I can tell cyclists only stick to the fair weather months. This means that in Seattle, where it just so happens to obviously rain a lot, many people don’t commute on their bikes. This plan is not congestion relief and what we need is competent planning, not advocacy, which is all the Cascade Bicycle Club excretes.

4) The author of the article is unnamed, but obviously is a member in some caliber of the Cascade Bicycle Club and has written the article as a bicycle advocate detailing news about the biggest bicycle initiative to ever be passed in Washington State. Considering that the CBC was responsible for the creating and passing of the initiative, the article was basically a news feed explaining that the bike community can have hope for a safer and more eco-friendly city due the passing of the BMP. I am well aware of the Cascade Bicycling Club, and so I know that off hand, the author was going to be very passionate about the passing of the plan, so I of course needed to keep an open mind regarding the circumstances of spending X amount of dollars on additional bikeways.

Inauguration

There is no question that the inauguration of President Obama is a landmark in this nation's history, and that the swearing in of the first African American commander of chief will literally change the face of the United States forever. His approval rating is above and beyond any other President elect, so there is no doubt that the majority of the country is behind him and that there are an unfounded amount of sincere emotions running through the hearts and minds of people who have supported Obama during the arduous and demanding campaign. However, I think that this particular inauguration is shaping out to be too much of a party, when it should be a focus on duty and the rising challenges for the newly elected President during the current economic and military crisis. Obama has given people hope that change is possible within this country, but in the process people seem to have disenfranchised themselves so much that they are not properly dealing with the difficulties this nation faces. 

Assignment #1

Graff and Birkenstein argue that to write academically an individual cannot just simply assert their own ideas, but that they must enter into a conversation by using what others have said as a catalyst for the argument. They also state that disagreeing with other arguments is not a necessity to rhetoric, but that agreeing with others is also a viable launching pad for academic writing, and that all academic writing can succeed through the use of templates. Rhetoric as described in the course description appears to take the shape of being far more studious in premise. There will be a large amount of research and analysis in the course that will strengthen the argument of individuals through various exercises. Between academic writing and the course description of rhetoric there is much overlap pertaining to the process of argument. Research from the class will prove to be incredibly useful in academic writings and will strategically fill in all of the blanks of the templates provided by Graff and Birkenstein. Attending to arguments requires a firm grasp of the material as well as sophisticated thinking and writing that necessitates much practice and instruction.

Michelle Obama DNC Analysis

Michelle Obama did a good job of choosing anecdotes that speak specifically to the demographic that makes up the bulk of the American public. She began her speech referencing her father, a blue-collar worker with disabilities that fought through adversity and still managed to succeed and help her along the way. She connected with the working class, assuring them that the American dream still exists as long as the people are willing to fight “for the world as it should be.” She styled her words with the theme of the campaign, hope, giving an optimistic outlook for the future of the nation, especially for children by saying that they can go as far as the “reach of their dreams.”

Michelle clearly stated that there were needs in the country that have to be dealt with, such as ending the war in Iraq, building a stable and prosperous economy, developing an affordable health care system, and ensuring the greater education of every child from preschool to college. Lastly, she established a value system between her, Barack, and the American people. She spoke of dignity and respect in your actions and your words, and she implored the nation to realize the importance of every individual contribution to the country through service.