SU-D1

The Seattle University athletic program moving from Division I to Division II is a landmark event for the small Jesuit school. The transitional period has a cloudy future because there is no telling how the first few years of competition are going to go. So far the university’s basketball team has seen relative success in their first season as a D-I team, winning several games in their conference and playing on the same level as every team they have gone head to head with.
However, now the big test is approaching. On March 3rd the team will be playing the University of Washington Huskies, who has a history of always being a competitive team that always rises well to rivalry, and this year is a complete powerhouse against other Pac-10 teams. The outlook for the game suspects that Seattle U will fall miserably in defeat, and if I had money to bet on the game, I would definitely put my money on the Dawgs.
Despite the outcome of March 3rd though, people need to realize that this is a year for the Redhawks to learn. They are being educated on what it takes to compete at this level, and now is the time to work all of the kinks out and improve as players. Like philosopher Isocrates said, “The root of education is bitter, but sweet are its fruits.” Ie. This young team has to take a couple beatings in order to grow.

MAP Intro

In the battle of who owns the roads, it would appear that cyclists and motorists are frequently at each others' throats. Friction between the two has skyrocketed according to media coverage in periodicals such as the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. There are frequently stories covering current controversy at the monthly bike event, Critical Mass, or tales of bike v. car collisions that stem as a discussion point for safer biking roads and lanes throughout the country.

Such articles have created an ongoing argument not only on the streets of nearly every major city, but online on message boards where the bickering of who is to blame has taken form. Whenever there is a bike related article posted on an online newspaper site, an onslaught of comments follow. At times when users on the websites contribute personal safety tips for cyclists, or leave balanced comments defending motorists, the responses can be very helpful and informative. However, the majority of rhetoric between cyclists and motorists often quickly resorts to caustic squabbling of lopsided points of view and misinformation that generates an incredibly angry discussion.

Anyone who drives a car, rides a bike, or walks on the sidewalk is effected by this controversy because we as individuals can quickly find ourselves mixed into the argument. For a driver, all it takes is some cyclist cutting them off by running a stop sign and then flipping them the finger. For a bike rider, all it takes is a car pulling out of a driveway without looking both ways first. And for pedestrians, two words, collateral damage.

There is undoubtedly a lot of emotions involved in this topic because both groups feel so adamant about their stances and will argue with each other on blogs and miscellaneous forums to no end. Neither side wants to listen to the other, especially since the majority of arguments take the form of personal criticism against each other before any kind of productivity can take place, and in result discussions between cyclists and motorists are lacking.

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.