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NEXTopia
Welcome to NEXTopia, a Web diary in which NEXT writers — and readers — share their evolving thoughts on a variety of issues. The opinions you read below are those of the individual writers, not necessarily those representing The Seattle Times.
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November 26, 2003
| The "Huckleberry Finn" debate |
Outraged grandmother Beatrice Clarke has been calling for a ban on Mark Twain’s American classic, "Huckleberry Finn," from her granddaughter, Calista Phair’s 11th-grade English class curriculum at Renton High School, according to today’s front page of The Seattle P-I.
Clarke and Phair ground their argument on Twain’s usage of the derogatory n-word 215 times in his novel.
Clarke and Phair’s feelings toward such a weighted word are valid and appropriate, but the call for a banning of this book is not.
We know that "Huckleberry Finn" is a well-crafted work of literature in part because it evokes such emotion in the reader. Twain paints his narrative in the context of what America really was like in the 1880s. Twain challenges the dehumanization of African-Americans in this absolutely integral and necessarily unforgettable period in American history.
Jim, the character to whom, the “n-word” is most often applied, is painted as a co-hero in the novel, a man of dignity, loyalty, and virtue. In the end, it is the white individual and the black individual who triumph together, as friends.
Yes, the “n-word” itself is culturally scarring and powerful. But shouldn’t this message of equality and working together prove more pervading?
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| Posted by Angela Balinbin at 01:47 PM |
| Bologna: the incredible, edible, moldable meat |
Recipe for smuggling bologna:
1. Buy cheap.
2. Fashion it into the shape of a car seat ( all 756 pounds of it).
3. Have kids sit on it to conceal it while driving over the border.
4. Sell to consumers and spread any number of disgusting diseases throughout
the United States pork industry.
Not that I ever had any culinary attachment to bologna in the first place,
but now I think it ranks all the way under Spam and my shoelaces as things
I would ever consider eating while stranded on a desert island.
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| Posted by Julia Ugarte at 10:09 AM |
November 24, 2003
| Other thoughts on death penalty for Muhammad |
The death penalty debate always runs the risk of turning into a good-vs.-evil, right-vs.-wrong debacle, with each side staking claim to the moral high ground.
However, I believe that Rosie DiManno gets it right by questioning the entire process in today's Toronto Star column.
DiManno writes that even though she is an adamant opponent of the death penalty, she recoiled in hatred from Muhammad, "a person without a shred of humanity in his soul." Still, she says, why did the judge send jurors home over the weekend when they should have spent those long hours taking a close look at whether they could sentence another person to death?
DiManno says that the jurors wanted to know if a hung jury would result in sending Muhammad to prison, without possibility of parole. But the judge told the it was important to reach a unanimous decision...and then, he let them head back to their families, their living rooms, and their private lives.
Whether we believe in the death penalty or not, trivializing it like this is abhorrent.
Moreover, it is clear that the jurors wanted to know whether life without parole was a feasible option. The judge had a responsibility to tell them what that sentence meant.
I've been to prison as a volunteer working with life-term inmates in Monroe. Prisons are walled-in slices of hell, the most dehumanizing and demoralizing institutions we can design. Perhaps we should have placed Muhammad into the very institutions that were designed to hold the cruelest part of our society, to let him stare at the sky beyond the wall as the years slowly ticked by.
Prison is not the picnic that many outsiders describe. It's hell, and jurors should have at least considered sending him there before they decided to flip the switch. Or, as DiManno said, "...this is a Solomonic, unenviable decision for a jury to render. It should not be made in haste. And the jurors shouldn't have been given the weekend off to think of other things."
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| Posted by Megan Matthews at 04:57 PM |
| Muhammad earns death |
Most of us spend the majority of our lives doing all we can to prevent death, both our own and that of others.
For rare individuals, death is instead sought after, such as in the case of John Allen Muhammad, who was given the death sentence by a jury in Virginia today.
The death penalty is a hard thing. On the one hand, it is often impossible to know that an individual committed a crime which carries the possibility of this penalty -- as demonstrated in the multiple occurrences of death row inmates being later exonerated by new crime scene investigation techniques or confessions.
On the other hand, if you have videotape of some individual methodically murdering masses of people, in a deliberate scheme of terrorism, and the individual brazenly admits guilt with the intention to do it again; would you, as a viewer of the tape and confession, think there is any other suitable punishment than death?
I tend to look at it on a more personal level. Raised in the loving family that I was, if a person slowly tortured my siblings and parents to death, and admitted to having done so, I have no doubt in my mind that I would wish death upon that person, if for no other reason than that I would desire their suffering in the afterlife be immediate.
Does this make me a bad or evil person? I don’t think so. Yet I don’t and wouldn’t argue at all with the sentiment that past exonerations have proven that our system is imperfect and essentially unjust.
The application of the death penalty has proven unpredictable in a system where there should be no room for variance.
Should John Allen Muhammad die for his crimes? Yes, if the evidence presented in court and represented in the media is any indication of the surety of his guilt.
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| Posted by Justin Saint Clair at 02:50 PM |
| Words From the "King of Pop" |
A new website has been created for Michael Jackson. On the website is a personal statement from the Jackson himself, complete with an autograph. Jackson tells us that the serious charges are, “predicated on a big lie. This will be shown in court.”
This website allows fans to understand and view Jackson’s reactions. The website also serves, “as a source of official communications on my case. Any statement that does not appear on this website must be considered unauthorized.”
We should not be so quick to judge Jackson; we should leave that up to the courts. But it seems as though the media continues to portray Jackson in a negative light.
I bet many of us have done the Moonwalk or recited a lyric from the King. Who knows if he is guilty or not; but don’t let the media do your thinking.
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| Posted by Leonceo Angsioco at 02:11 PM |
| Which class was that? |
From The New York Times, on a study about the lack of spiritual exploration in college classes: "If we just teach students how to make money or become rich and famous we are not fulfilling our responsibility as educational institutions," said Alexander W. Astin, director of the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles, which conducted the study.
Oh, are educational institutions now teaching students how to become rich and famous? I guess I missed that course. You?
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| Posted by Tracy Cutchlow at 10:23 AM |
| Disappearing kids |
Wow, a couple in Seattle is going to raise their kids downtown.
These people are trailblazers. When my 4-year-old niece comes to visit and we run errands around Queen Anne, boy do I get looks. The looks say: "Excuse me, what is a kid doing here?"
I presume that's because there are no 4-year-olds in Queen Anne. I see kids on school playgrounds, but each day they disappear into thin air. Other than that, it's just quiet tots in jogging strollers.
I feel like I'd better move back to the suburbs if I'm going to have kids and not be shunned. The suburbs are built for kids. The homes going up around my dad's house in Covington -- you couldn't fill the space unless you had four of them.
But that's not us. We bike to work; we have one car. We like Malena's better than Azteca. We like walking to the movie theater or the park. Of course you'd want to share that with your kids.
So a few cheers for this brave family, the Thornhills. They might help save these children from disappearing.
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| Posted by Tracy Cutchlow at 10:19 AM |
| Fundamentals |
My mutual funds are run by crooks. And now I'm thinking the whole thing is a scam.
Jump from motleyfool.com to morningstar.com to thestreet.com to vanguard.com and you will learn that: 80% of mutual funds don't beat the market. The 20% that do are rarely the same companies in the same years. Fees take more of your profit than you notice. And fund managers last an average of four years.
But you're supposed to buy and hold. That all adds up to a pretty big chance of getting screwed. Index funds, anyone?
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| Posted by Tracy Cutchlow at 10:07 AM |
| Spirituality in the college classroom |
In a survey of 46 colleges and universities, a researcher found a high percentage of students longing for spiritual direction from classes and professors.
Obviously, these people have never been to Seattle University or any other Jesuit liberal arts college. At SU, the CORE, or required classes, include two theology courses and three philosophy courses in which professors encourage the discussion and development of "faith" and "wisdom". Granted, once the student is required to take the class it is up to them what they put in or get out of taking the course.
However, take it from me, you couldn't graduate from Seattle U without a healthy dose of dialogue about faith or spirituality, even if you wanted to. In addition, SU already promotes service learning and utilizes it in many classes as a tool of developing "whole" students.
Perhaps Mr. Astin, the researcher, should have looked at a few Jesuit Universities before stating that "most college students searching for the meaning of life are not getting direction from many of their professors."
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| Posted by Julia Ugarte at 09:53 AM |
| Still more on "Pac-10 or Pac-6?" |
I agree with what Leonceo Angsioco said, that paying college athletes is a terrible idea.
If college athletes were paid, the game of recruiting big talent could cost thousands or even (who knows?) millions of dollars. This money might otherwise go towards improving academics, paying well-deserving faculty, or LOWERING TUITION.
Many college athletes already receive scholarships.
Instead of giving more money to athletes, why not help the rest of us starving college students who are forced to pay full tuition, room, and board?
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| Posted by Christina Asavareungchai at 09:27 AM |
November 21, 2003
| More on "Pac-10 or Pac-6?" |
Pay all college athletes or don't pay any. I can agree with that. But how does paying athletes cause them to lose any value they place on academics?
Leonceo Angsioco said, "To me, experiences as a student athlete learning how to balance my life in sports, academics, and discovering my future is just the same as cash."
That sounds sweet and all, but let's get realistic here.
What if you're supporting a small family, hold down two jobs, going to classes and still trying to excel at your chosen sport? The sport you hope to make a career of? I think any student athlete in that position would say that discovering his or her future doesn't pay the rent or buy diapers.
Colleges and universities make millions on the backs of student athletes in these types of situations, it wouldn't hurt to kick down some small change.
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| Posted by Eric Devericks at 02:38 PM |
| Obesity: Funny, sad, does anyone care? |
So I’m confused are diets bad or good? I guess it doesn’t matter, just look to McDonald’s. The article “Americans’ growth in girth creates marketing opportunity,” talks about the unique strategies involving overweight people. It continues with McDonald’s as the leader in the fast food market’s turn to healthier fare.
Doug Wills commenting on the airline industries handling of obese people said, “On the other hand, there are lots of large people out there… and they don’t want to alienate these folks.” Essentially diets are bad, fast food is good, and don’t worry if you're obese, we still love you.
With 62 million people in this country clinically defined as obese, I thought the problem was health. But it appears the concern is where to fit an overweight person and their supersized cups.
Oh and my Extra Value meal number 2 was delicious.
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| Posted by Leonceo Angsioco at 02:05 PM |
| More backyard biotech |
Hmmm...Maura O'Neill, CEO of Explore Life, wants to bring lots of new jobs in Biotech to Seattle in the next ten years.
It sounds like an excellent idea, but where will we put them all? Do we really want Seattle and its surrounding suburbs to become complete blocks of concrete and smog?
I personally like the waterfront as it is, and would not like to see a wash of new high-tech buildings blocking my view of the Sound. As George Howland says in his article, the higher-ups in the program want to do with Biotech what “Boeing did with airplanes, Microsoft did with software, and Starbucks did with coffee.” And while this is all well and good, do we have room for another company with these three behemoths of business already commanding the city?
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| Posted by Julia Ugarte at 09:55 AM |
| Re: Pac-10 or Pac-6? |
In response to Eric Devericks' posting.
I should clarify my point, actually specify my point. First paying California college athletes to play would remove the integrity. Every prep phenom would head to California schools to get paid. In essence, California colleges would become simply a farm system.
As a collegiate athlete, I valued both athletics and academics. I have a fear that if California pays its athletes that the academics would be lost. Other schools outside of California would not only lose athletic talent but also promising student athletes.
"The fact is that college athletics programs have the same problems that professional teams do." True, except that the college level is completely different than the professional, both in physical ability and social influences.
"Paying athletes for all the risks, hard work and dedication doesn't remove integrity; on the contrary, I think the opposite is true." Does payment not come in bleeding school colors and pride after victory? Is a college diploma not payment for the dedication? To me, experiences as a student athlete learning how to balance my life in sports, academics, and discovering my future is just the same as cash.
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| Posted by Leonceo Angsioco at 09:45 AM |
| Stephen King deserves the praise |
The National Book Society in New York is awarding Stephen King the Medal for Contribution to American Letters. As a result, the literary world is abuzz with controversy. Many people in the literary world believe his prose do not measure up to the prestige of the award he is being given, but Lev Grossman makes some excellent arguments in King’s defense in his article in Time Magazine.
Grossman points out that the reading world has divided books into “two exclusive categories” those which qualify as worthy literature, and the rest which is labeled as “trashy.” Grossman goes on to point out that the latter category is substantially larger than the former. He lists a number of respected literary giants such as Dickens, Poe and Tennyson who were “wildly successful” in their day and received little criticism for writing what was “popular” instead of what we would today call “worthwhile literature.”
If a tome is difficult, it does not mean it is literary- though that is at times an excellent indication. However, there is marvelous writing to be read in the sometimes labeled “lesser” novels of J.K. Rowling, Orson Scott Card, and yes, perhaps even Stephen King. I am not much of a King fan, I think the last time I read a book of his was sometime in elementary school. However, I am a great enthusiast of writers like Rowling and Card and believe their writing deserves much more literary credit than they receive. Indeed, the principle which Grossman defends applies to King and a myriad of other authors who have not yet reached the status of “literature.” Just because a book is popular, easy to read and highly entertaining does not discount it from being a worthwhile and rewarding work.
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| Posted by Julia Ugarte at 09:37 AM |
| Re: Krist Novoselic's interest in running for Lt. Governor |
I agree with Eric Deverick's opinion that ex-Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic would likely make a bad Lt. Governor, but definitely not because he is a celebrity, but because of his ideology.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with a celebrity running for some sort of political office. Just like your average Joe Schmoe or politician X, to get one's vote you still have to prove that you know what you're talking about. If they can't prove that to at least some people, they won't get voted in, simple as that. People beg for "outsiders" to run for office because they're not corrupted, but they complain when a celebrity runs. Why? A celebrity has many of the same disadvantages of an "outsider," principally inexperience.
Besides, for everybody who complains about celebrity turned politicians, you can look into the mirror to figure out whom to blame. The current increase in celebrities running for office can largely be attributed to all the restrictive, unnecessary, and wrong campaign finance reform laws (like McCain-Feingold) that have been enacted.
If a candidate can't raise money, then he has to spend his own money. Obviously the rich and those with automatic name recognition (so they don't have to spend as much) benefit from that. The result? Incumbents, the super rich, and celebrities become the most likely candidates to be elected. You want less celebrities in the political system, well then start by taking a long hard look at repealing Senator McCain's "Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act."
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| Posted by Nigel Stark at 09:17 AM |
November 20, 2003
| Re: Pac-10 or Pac-6? |
In Leonceo Angsioco's blog about paying college athletes, he writes, "schools would lose money, affecting students and teachers. Athletes would no doubt be affected. And more so the integrity of college sports, as a whole, would be lost."
Perhaps you're referring to the integrity of University of Washington athletics? Rick Neuheisel? Dr. William J. Scheyer? Barbara Hedges?
No, maybe you were referring to Washington State's coach Mike Price?
Probably not.
The fact is that college athletics programs have the same problems that professional teams do. Paying athletes for all the risks, hard work and dedication doesn't remove integrity; on the contrary, I think the opposite is true.
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| Posted by Eric Devericks at 06:09 PM |
| Pac-10 or Pac-6? It's up to Arnold. |
The reaches of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s flexed forearms are far. Its down right frightening...and I’m a Republican. Those who believed they were safe from his politics because they did not live in California must be afraid.
With his state’s senate passing Senate Bill 193, Governor Schwarzenegger (anyone else cringe at that title?), has the ability to change the face of sports as we know them.
The bill gives college athletes the right to be paid, have agents and transfer without penalty if their coach quits or is fired. If the California state assembly confirms the bill, Gov. Schwarzenegger can sign it into law as early as April. If this law passes, the NCAA would drop all 47 California athletic departments.
Now I know Arnie wants to do good and being a former collegiate athlete I sympathize with the hard-work athletes put into the game. The button of collegiate athletes getting paid is a hot one -- but Schwarzenegger should not press it. If signed, schools would lose money; affecting students and teachers. Athletes would no doubt be affected. And more so the integrity of college sports, as a whole, would be lost.
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| Posted by Leonceo Angsioco at 03:04 PM |
| Treat Michael Jackson like a criminal, not a freakish superstar |
In today’s Seattle Times print version, a photograph shows Santa Barbara District Attorney Thomas Sneddon immediately after he announced that an arrest warrant for Jackson has been issued. In it, Sneddon is grinning from ear-to-ear.
Updated online version of story (different picture used online)
Based on this celebratory smile, I initially thought Sneddon was political figure overjoyed by some meaningful success. But no, he’s just having fun with this whole “let’s arrest Michael Jackson” thing.
During an “oddly jovial” news conference, Sneddon cracked jokes about Jackson. At one point, he “looked sheepish after gesturing so forcefully that he knocked over the organization’s microphone.”
Officials and the media should treat Jackson as a potential criminal, not as another bizarre superstar-gone-wrong. Child molestation is a serious offense. No hyped-up parade should take away from the depravity of the crime.
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| Posted by Christina Asavareungchai at 02:51 PM |
| The Atkins diet is unhealthy? |
Extra, extra! Under the category of "gee, really?" news, word comes out today that following the meat-intensive Atkins diet for prolonged periods may increase your risk of clogged arteries, heart disease and high cholesterol. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine wants the CDC to monitor Atkins followers over time to determine whether a link exists between heart attacks and high-fat diets.
While the caution put out is only preliminary, it makes a lot of sense. Atkins disavows the benefits of a diet that depends upon fruit, vegetables and grains, foregoing these for meat, fat, and more meat. As usual, common sense regarding the benefits of a balanced diet flies out the window as we rush to beat the fat with the latest fad. However, according to the Reuters release, "Many doctors and the American Heart Association have warned that the [Atkins] diet could be dangerous. The American Heart Association advocates a diet based on whole grains, fruits and vegetables."
I'm sorry: am I supposed to be surprised by this? The possible health risks of excess meat consumption is an old story. Positive associations have been found between red meat and colon cancer. High levels of dietary fat are linked to increased risks for a plethora of health problems. Our generation lives in an increasingly overweight society, and the impacts to social health are getting worse. It's time we junked the trendy diets for what really works; better to focus on low fat vegetarian or vegan diets (as PCRM suggests) than scarf the next T-bone in the name of slimming down.
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| Posted by Megan Matthews at 02:43 PM |
| "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?" |
Krist Novoselic's interest in running for Lt. Governor has all the legitimacy of Gary Coleman's bid for Governor of California.
Honestly, who really thinks this is good idea? Are we really so desperate for change in a our local government that a few radical ideas and a recognizable name make you a prime candidate?
Here's a foreign yet radical idea for our state government: LEADERSHIP. And here's another one for all young people looking for change -- vote, and vote often!
Finally, to Krist Novoselic and similarly experienced entertainers looking to break into politics, I'd like to dedicate the 10th song on Nirvana's mega-hit album "Nevermind."
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| Posted by Eric Devericks at 01:37 PM |
November 19, 2003
| FARC still doing dirty |
This past weekend, US citizens were targeted in Bogotá, Colombia.
Men of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, claimed the attacks. FARC constantly stirs violence throughout Colombia. Accoding to the story, FARC is angered at the US because it has provided $2.5 billion to Colombia to help the government battle rebels and drug traffickers.
According to the article, the civil war in Colombia takes the lives of 3,500, mostly civilians, annually. Yet another sign that we don’t have it that bad here in the US, maybe it is the cause of all this violence. As attention to Iraq is decreasing amongst the American public, I feel bad for the country of Colombia for it seems as though they are already forgotten.
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| Posted by Leonceo Angsioco at 01:39 PM |
| Happy for flooding… |
The rhythm of Seattle’s rain brings mystic experiences. I woke up this morning when I realized that we had a plumbing problem... as things once flushed down the toilet sprung up through our downstairs drain.
Now this flooding and smell of who knows what, combined with the gloomy weather, would get someone down. But I realized how lucky I was that these were my only problems. Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times points out the conditions in Iraq.
Kristof also asks for a name for the war in Iraq. How about "Revenge," revenge for the people in Iraq (whatever means they and apparently now can take out) revenge for a country, revenge for a president...and maybe revenge for some future people's that feel they were treated unfairly...
The public needs to know our brothers and sisters are still involved over there. Whether you like it or not, that should be the focal point of everything right now. So many people speak their words, both Democrats and Republicans... however we all know actions speak louder than words. Too bad most of us are deaf!
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| Posted by Leonceo Angsioco at 01:33 PM |
| King of slop: Jackson’s semi-annual freakfest |
It’s that time again: it’s been at least 6 months since we last saw Michael Jackson’s slightly discomforting face plastered all over every major news outlet, more than enough of a rest period between the semi-annual parade of weirdness. If I am recalling correctly, during the last episode we learned that Jackson has sleep-overs with young boys, spends outrageous sums of money on trinkets in Vegas, and makes his kids wear masks in public.
Now that I think about it, I believe that was the episode before the last one, where Jackson battled it out with financial advisors over his alleged debt, and somewhere in between all of this was when a portion of his malleable face collapsed sometime during a trial over missed concerts and, as usual, money. Apparently, this time he has been charged with “multiple counts of lewd or lascivious contact with a child younger than 14,” after a gaggle of police searched his Neverland ranch.
Whether true or not, this will probably result in Jackson again spending millions of dollars and the public being transfixed by his images on television for at least a few months.
The car wreck spectacle that is Jackson’s life epitomizes the tragedy of American celebrity. Everything that can go wrong seems to have gone wrong, creating a sad and twisted cycle: a child missing a childhood, left searching for the lost innocence and the life lessons he missed along the way, resulting in an adulthood as an iconic pariah, doomed to be revered at a distance for past greatness while at the same time serving as a target for the gossip and money seeking masses, and along the way allegedly stealing the innocence of other children.
Money, sex, fame and influence have been poured into the pot of one man's life and simmered with a heavy dosage of abuse mixed in throughout. The result: a recurring story line that will probably never have a happy ending for anyone.
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| Posted by Justin Saint Clair at 01:26 PM |
| 9/11: Keep it in perspective |
While I completely agree with Nigel Stark's comments on 9-11, it is also important to point out that our national tragedy is a very small thing in the history of genocide.
It was monumental to us as we stared at the television because we are young, and 9-11 was a brutal reminder that death is always at the door, whether you are an American or not. However, as horrific as it was, and as deeply as it marked our national consciousness, we still escaped the tremendous, unending woe that other peoples have experienced.
Less than 30 years ago, Cambodia lost 21 percent of its population in four years of bloodshed. Chechens, Armenians, Rwandans, Congolese...murders of thousands or millions by Hitler, Stalin, Milosevic...the list goes on and on. As an American Irish, I lost part of my nation to so-called "passive" genocide. I wouldn't be here today if famine hadn't driven my mother's half of the family away from their homeland in County Roscommon.
The point is that while we should never forget what happened in New York and Washington DC, we must also place it in perspective. Genocide is a recurring thread in the global fabric; for nations who lose thousands each day to drought, famine, disease, and war, 9-11 may feel like a small-scale tragedy. Ours came in the flash-fire of a plane; theirs came over years of steady oppression and violence. We would do well to remember genocides around the world if we want them to remember ours.
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| Posted by Megan Matthews at 11:09 AM |
| Re: "9/11: the message in Portland is wrong" |
I agree with Nigel Stark's opposition to referencing 9/11 as "that thing that affected the East Coast."
Far more than showing our vulnerability, 9/11 demonstrated the nation's strength and unity. The patriotism the attacks generated spread across the entire nation, not just New York.
Furthermore, graphic images on TV impressed the reality of the seemingly unreal attacks here in Seattle, breaking through the barriers of denial and distance.
I will never forget that morning, when an eerie silence hung over the halls of my high school, and when quiet, solemn-eyed teachers put class activities on hold to watch the news. I will never forget the shivers that went up my spine when I heard "Amazing Grace" played over school loudspeakers. 9/11 changed all of us.
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| Posted by Christina Asavareungchai at 11:03 AM |
| More about 14-year-old Freddy Adu |
In response to Leonceo Angsioco's blog on Freddy Adu, "The new king of teen athletes":
Leonceo's dead on. Where is the hype about Freddy Adu's debut on D.C. United, a respected soccer team in Major League Soccer? It's buried underneath the front-page features of spoiled LeBron James.
Adu is a big deal. He has the potential to become, in America, what soccer sensation Pele was to Brazil -- a prodigy child who played in the World Cup at age 16.
Just so everyone knows, us soccer players out there are people, too.
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| Posted by Chris Collins at 09:32 AM |
| Animal testing at UW |
I am sickened and ashamed by the actions of a UW professor.
According to an article in today’s Seattle Times, assistant professor Chen Doug has been banned from animal testing for a year due to several violations.
These include “cutting the tips of mouse tails without anesthesia, withholding food from mice without university approval and failing to euthanize mice that were suffering beyond an acceptable level.”
Doug has conducted experiments to better understand autoimmune diseases. But how can a man care for human life, when he blatantly disregards animal life? How can the university ever entrust him with such responsibility ever again? Lastly, how can he be a respected role model for students in light of his bloody experiments and the suffering he caused innocent animals?
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| Posted by Christina Asavareungchai at 09:25 AM |
| 9/11: the message in Portland is wrong |
This past Monday, I had the pleasure of attending a closed lunch/speech with "guest of honor" Bill Bennett. Bennett made an astounding speech. At one point, he began talking of his recent trip to our neighbors to the south, Portland, Oregon. While there, he had heard on the radio the following comment in regards to September, 11th: "that thing that affected the East Coast." Bennett assured us that this leftist radio host was not joking around, but was serious.
Rightfully so, Bennett, myself, and the entire room of 50 or so were utterly disgusted. Such a comment is exactly what is wrong with many on the political left, but I'm afraid that that feeling of apathy (if thats the right word) may already be spreading across America.
To talk of 9/11 merely as some "thing" is morally horrible. The deliberate murder -- and the linked intentions of complete genocide -- of thousands of completely innocent persons is not a "thing." It is an atrocity, it is war, it is hell. Any remarks like this radio host's that minimize the importance of 9/11 are simply tragic.
Further, the thought that 9/11 only affected "the east coast" is equally as deplorable. When will they get it? September 11th did not only affect the northeast, not even just America. The events of that day affected humanity as a whole, it affected the entire world. Their impact is truly of a historic scale. Such comments from Portland are just sickening.
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| Posted by Nigel Stark at 09:21 AM |
| Massachusetts gay marriage |
The Massachusetts Supreme court has taken a bold step in declaring that same-sex couples have the right to marry under Mass. law.
Massachusetts has found itself in virtually the same situation my home state of Vermont was in four years ago. I have seen how this issue can divide a state,
and what lies ahead for Massachusetts is no picnic.
But an even uglier battle may erupt on the national level as congress is now stepping up efforts to push through a constitutional amendment banning gay
marriage. Congressional conservatives assert that the only way to protect marriage in this country is to limit those allowed to partake in it. This, of course,
is ridiculous. A convincing argument has yet to be made that allowing same-sex couples to marry will make it harder for straight couples to marry.
Generally, constitutional amendments are designed to preserve the rights of Americans. This would be the first-ever amendment to the constitution specifically denying certain rights to a minority group of citizens. This cannot be allowed. The law of the land is in place to protect everyone, regardless of sexual preferance.
Any politician supporting such an unneccessary law needs to "come out" and be exposed. Their fight in the name of "traditional" family values is nothing more
than a thin mask covering their deep-rooted homophobia and ignorance.
Respond to this posting |
| Posted by Daniel Thies at 09:09 AM |
November 18, 2003
| The new king of teen athletes |
ESPN has reported Freddy Adu will play for D.C. United. D.C. United is a soccer team in the US' Major League Soccer. Adu signed a six-year contract with D.C. United, meaning when his contract is up, he only be 20.
Adu’s debut will make him the second youngest athlete to play professional this century, as Fred Chapman made his Major League Baseball start at 14 in 1887.
It is amazing how this is going unnoticed. Especially with all the hype LeBron James is receiving coming straight from high school. When considering the recent youth movement in sports, I would say that Adu’s story is larger than James’. However, it is the marketing. And the amount of money involved in basketball, compared to soccer, draws more media attention.
Will teenagers in professional sports become a trend, or do these kids really posses out of this world talent? Only time will tell. But for the sake of sport and athletes, I hope that these guys keep their heads and actually mature to their fullest potentials.
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| Posted by Leonceo Angsioco at 03:00 PM |
| Marysville School Board: leaders need to listen to the community |
According to an article in the Seattle Times today, the Marysville School Board authorized a hotly-debated contract extension for Superintendent Linda Whitehead last night.
This decision was made without input from parents and community residents who oppose Whitehead’s leadership, blaming her for the strike earlier this year. Outrage erupted at the meeting last night.
Three Board members, defeated in elections early this month, turned deaf ears towards public opinion. Yet they made a decision affecting the community.
School Boards, in the true spirit of democracy, need to listen to the communities they serve.
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| Posted by Christina Asavareungchai at 02:04 PM |
| Getting back into the holiday spirit |
Man alive, it's been a rough year, hasn't it? Job search results are abysmal, scandals and so-called riots have tarnished our beloved UW, and it's cold! And you just know that any day now, the stores are going to bombard us with "Christmas" spirit. Translation: shop your woes away! Charge those credit cards, and give your families more useless stuff like blenders that pulverize concrete.
While it's hard to get into the holiday spirit right now, I'd like to suggest a few ways for you and I to beat our winter blues while we rediscover the real holiday spirit. It has been a tough few months at the UW, but nothing we experience can rival the hardships faced by needy families as Christmas draws closer.
People are hungry. Over 1 million Washingtonians sought help from food banks last year. People are homeless...and tonight, more are curling up on the wet concrete streets than ever before. People are helpless...as always, local children are suffering most from the flagging economy. Those Dow Jones figures we see on television translate into one more King County kid who won't have breakfast tomorrow.
If every single college and high school student gives as little as $10 to a charity this Christmas, imagine how much good we can do. Corporate donations were down last year and are expected to drop again, so it really is up to us. Try donating online to the Seattle Times Fund for the Needy, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Readers Care Fund, or one of the many incredible organizations helping Seattle families, like Childrens Hospital. If you don't have money, donate time. Spend a few of your winter break days working at a food bank or homeless shelter. After all, we're not kids anymore.
Do we really need more stuff for Christmas, or can we embrace what the holidays are supposed to be about by giving gifts of hope to our city?
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| Posted by Megan Matthews at 07:55 AM |
November 17, 2003
| The "stupid American" image? No longer. |
Karen Arenson, in today's New York Times, elucidates the growing popularity of college study abroad programs that run shorter than six months.
Arenson is spreading the word on a growing trend that is just terrific.
It cheers me that my peers in universities across the country are realizing that a diversified comprehension of different cultures, and global competency overall, is absolutely integral to higher education. Shorter programs may not lend students total language proficiency, but even just a glimpse into different everyday lifestyles of other countries is inherently educational, and moreover, sensitizing.
We Americans have such a bad rep. abroad. When I studied in France, I heard over and over again: "oh, you Americans aren't even aware of a world outside of the U.S." And, "you Americans are just so full of yourselves; you don't care about any other culture other than your own."
Until Arenson's article today, I was slightly inclined to concur with my self-righteous French acquaintences. True, a whole lot of my fellow country-people are as ego-centric and gung-ho Americana as they come, but hey! Our institutions of higher learning are clearly growing and transitioning. Thank God. Maybe there's hope for us yet. |
| Posted by Angela Balinbin at 04:06 PM |
| Fund raisers and beer drinkers |
A New York Times article tells of Robert Ford, who said that his divorce from his wife and his daughter going away to college are the reasons he stopped donating to his church.
Many charities depend on repeat donations, but lately the number of those donors has fallen off the wagon and looks like it will continue. Unless… you like beer.
A local organization, named the Beer Church, has combined the sometimes frowned upon act of drinking with the philanthropic acts of fundraising. Beer Church founder Kendall Jones is quoted, “Beer is a unifying factor in our society. It can bring positive social change and positive social interaction.”
Many people -- as they tip the levels of drunkenness -- tend to become more generous. This idea of beer and fund raising may help people get back on a wagon...whether it be the fundraising wagon, or the drinking wagon.
But I guess there is nothing wrong with raising money for a good cause, right?
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| Posted by Leonceo Angsioco at 03:52 PM |
| 'roid rage roars... |
Less then a week after Major League Baseball announced its intentions to test for steroids, the National Football League had to release their two bits. Four NFL players have tested positive for THG, a newly detectable banned steroid.
The most intriguing fact is that all four of the players are on the Oakland Raiders. With so many testing positive on one team, it raises the question: how widespread is steroid use is in the NFL? And will this affect the public image of professional sports?
It appears that the only image that is tarnished is that of the players who test positive -- fans will continue to crave the big hits of the massive players.
In a a New York Times article today, Professor Charles Yesalis, from Penn State University, seems to be in agreement, “It has contributed greatly to making each sport a multibillion-dollar industry. It has done so by making bigger than life people able to do bigger than life things.” |
| Posted by Leonceo Angsioco at 01:33 PM |
| Young lives -- on hold? |
The Associated Press article that ran in The Seattle Times today, “Economy Delays Adult Life for Recent College Graduates,” at initial glance, is pretty depressing.
After four years and tens of thousands of dollars in tuition, we graduate to work at a job we could have acquired as 16-year olds? College grads are having trouble starting their careers and are moving back home? Such a picture definitely doesn’t motivate me to graduate early.
But there’s more to this story than just a bad economy and the supposed dependency of young adults to their parents. After achieving a degree, buying a house or starting a family simply aren’t factors that many recent graduates are ready to jump into these days.
I, like many other younger people, want to explore other aspects of life and learn outside the classroom while I can by traveling, volunteering, etc. After graduation, I see myself traveling around the world –- to see and enjoy life when it’s most practical to do so. Also, we often want to work to save money for graduate school –- to pursue a higher education.
Sometimes, you have to take a step back and pause before you jump forward. Doing so doesn’t mean we’re late developers. Our plans have just changed from previous generations'.
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| Posted by Anne Kim at 01:20 PM |
| Granny D |
Granny D was on NPR's democracy series last week. She's the 93-year-old who walked across America for campaign-finance reform.
She would ask people she met on the way why they didn't vote: lack of connection, they said. Maybe that's why, when I forgot to vote Nov. 4, I felt bad...but not that bad.
Does anyone really feel invested in the process? Or feel like you know these people running for local office? Who else secrets the cheat sheet from Seattle Weekly into the voting booth?
Granny D talked about the good old days when you'd go to a speech in the park and could catch a real live whiff of the candidate's character. Now all you get are canned quotes, and little sense that any of it is important.
Civic duty and the future of our city are notions too vague to move the masses. We need personal connection — best accomplished in person.
Political outreach is going on somewhere out there. You hear about meetups with Howard Dean, or America Coming Together, a liberal group proposing to "mobilize voters in 17 battleground states."
But how about local elections? I'd like to be mobilized for once. Yes, we voters have to do our part, checking the Town Hall calendar for debates and such. But I've never seen an election-event flier or candidate sign in my neighborhood, let alone a candidate. It would be nice.
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| Posted by Tracy Cutchlow at 11:25 AM |
| Mmm… Turkey and Gravy. But in a bottle? |
I am a fan of creativity, especially in marketing.
One of the most innovative companies is the Seattle-based Jones Soda Co. Their bottles are unique in that each label has a different photograph. Even more impressive are Jones’ drink titles such as Fu Cran Fu, D’Peach Mode, Bohemian Raspberry, Berry White, and Strawberry Manilow. If you are not satisfied by Jones’ diverse flavor collection you can create your own
But the main reason Jones Soda has so many fans is the actual taste of the drink. My favorite happens to be Cotton Candy. When I drink it, I suddenly feel like I’m at a carnival or fair, and expect to see a bag filled with pink cotton candy in my hand. Instead I’m handling a bottle packed with explosive flavors.
However, I feel that the latest addition of Turkey and Gravy is a stretch. I’ve tasted many of the different Jones Sodas, but I’m not sure I can stomach a beverage in which the smell is described as “meaty and peppery,” with a “salty, sweet lingering” taste. I know it’s the holidays and I know Jones Soda is creative, but a blend of turkey and gravy together in liquid form…
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| Posted by Leonceo Angsioco at 10:18 AM |
| State of ferries in Washington, not too good... |
Riders who made their commute aboard the Bremerton-Seattle passenger ferries continue to rage about the cancellation of their route. More recent news may make a larger number of ferry passengers to share in that rage. The Seattle Time’s reports that unless a new company is willing to sign a new contract with the Washington State Ferries, after Jan. 1, the galleys may go dark.
So not only do commuters have to shift their daily routine due to route cancellations, a little cup of coffee and a bag of popcorn, that I frequently see people buy on the ferries, will be gone as well. That, and about 130 employees will lose their jobs. The mobile landmarks of Washington are changing, and for many, it is not for the better. |
| Posted by Leonceo Angsioco at 10:06 AM |
| The Juice is Loose! |
With offensive statistics growing and the yearly name change next to the season homerun record, the subject of steroids in the America’s Pastime has been a hot button for many.
League MVP’s Jose Canseco and Ken Caminiti admitted they had “juiced up” near the end of their careers. According to test results from a random sample of MLB players, 5-7% tested positive. This week, Major League Baseball announced that a mandatory program for steroid testing will begin in the spring of 2004.
Now, with such a startling result, it is about time that the MLB is stepping up and doing something about the issue. However, I think the punishment for testing positive is too lenient.
With baseball, one would assume they would create something similar to the “Three strikes you are out” policy. But that is not the case, in fact it is five strikes and you are subject to a year of suspension. Five strikes? If you are caught in an Olympic sport you serve a 2-year suspension, after the first offense.
It makes me wonder to whom do the people in the front office care about? Their athletes who are hurting themselves by taking steroids or the big home run records?
Small monetary fines for athletes making millions doesn’t even classify as a slap on the wrist. If baseball is serious about steroids, why don’t they take a serious stance?
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| Posted by Leonceo Angsioco at 10:01 AM |
| Empowered youth |
It never ceases to amaze me that our society overlooks some of the wisest people who comprise it.
Kids -- yes, kids -- are learning important lessons, and teaching us a few in the process.
On Saturday, the Center for a New American Dream and the World Wildlife Fund organized an "I Buy Different" scavenger hunt at Northgate Mall. For those unfamiliar with "I Buy," it is a national program designed to teach young adults about the power of their purchasing choices, and to encourage them to make socially responsible decisions when they bring their items to the register. Last year, teens spent $170 billion in stores around the country - and marketers are fawning over them, spitting out so many products that it makes your head spin.
But on Saturday, I watched junior high and high school students run around the mall searching for vegan shoes from Zumiez, or looking for Eddie Bauer clothes manufactured under strict labor standards. My old favorite, Bath and Body Works, was one of 10 stores selected to participate in the event--its products are not tested on animals, tend to be from local communities worldwide, and are packaged in recycled plastic. I learned more from reading through "I Buy's" list of stores than I ever have from watching ads on tv.
This is the coolest idea I've heard about in a long time. It could really make a difference, particularly because I Buy recruits diverse groups of teens and teaches them that they do have control over what goes on in our world. Youth Program Director Tracy Fisher, of Center for the American Dream, told me, "It's cool to see kids getting excited about the environment." She's absolutely right, but it's more than cool - it's inspiring. Why don't we college kids learn a little from the high schoolers? If they can do it, we'd better be able to, too. |
| Posted by Megan Matthews at 09:28 AM |
| 50 new emails, only one worth reading. |
It’s happened to everyone. You sign in to your email, and wait impatiently for the screen to announce how many people love you.
Entering your mailbox, you find no less than 50 new messages, hooray! Clicking on the inbox icon, the screen changes, and you come face to face with forty nine advertisements for diet pills, contests to win a million dollars, how to enlarge your penis in four easy steps, and one message from your mother asking how your week went.
Junk email is creeping in as the most annoying aspect of the internet right after pop-ups.
The processes to avoid many of junk emails are so long and arduous, they are often more annoying than the emails themselves. Even junk snail mail somehow seems less offensive because they do not have obscene subject bars on the envelope which must be confronted in email inboxes. In any case, as I am not a computer savvy kind of girl, there must be some solution to prevent such an aggravating side effect when checking my mail. The only solution I have found so far is to change my email address and hope they don’t find me.
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| Posted by Julia Ugarte at 09:21 AM |
November 14, 2003
| Ambitious. Sophisticated. Artistic. Seattle. |
The Nov. 11, 2003 Seattle Times Article, “Fight for future pits city against city; Seattle among magnets for talent” boasts that Seattle is “young, hip, and rich.” According to a recent study, it ranks fifth in the nation in terms of the “percentage of residents with college degrees,” making it a so-called brain-gain city attracting educated college graduates.
Cities engaged in a tooth-and-claw struggle for young talent must look at us enviously. As Seattle-ites reading about the city’s many problems in the newspaper, we sometimes fail to see the big picture – how lucky we are that, unlike cities such as Las Vegas that attract high school dropouts, we attract aspiring youth. Furthermore because of an increase in educated individuals, we live amidst a rich aura of diversity and culture – with theaters, museums, and colorful places like Capitol Hill and the U-District.
Forget St. Louis, Cleveland, and Detroit - Seattle is the place to be! |
| Posted by Christina Asavareungchai at 04:29 PM |
| "Honey, why don't you just go find a decent, nice boy on the internet." |
New York Times Op-Ed columnist, David Brooks, recently took a grandiose effort and tried to construe internet dating as the new most genuine way of meeting other people.
Ha. Internet dating. That's for losers. That's for someone who has no social skills and no life.
Brooks, though, seems to invite the scoffing. He's trying to show that by eradicating the physical element of attraction from the get-go, two people
can more rationally get to know each other. He has a point.
But, really. Pardon me while I swoon. We now seem to have hearts pounding to the rhythm of vigorous finger-tappings on the computer keyboard instead of bars filled with neaderthals grunting "ooooga me want
that HOT guy." Hmm. Like one is different from the other.
Whatever, Brooks. Internet dating is all about the imagination and fantasy.
People are not "dating" other people. They're dating advertisements. In
these carefully worded bios that people put up, folks are just marketing themselves.
And seriously, what kind of feistily worded rhetoric can ever replace the authentic attraction found in on-the-spot, unrehersed dialogue? With internet dating, what else are you doing other than wiggling your fingers and staring at a monitor? When you get down to it, it's like you're dating your computer. Ah, technological progress. Whatever will we evolve to next?
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| Posted by Angela Balinbin at 04:22 PM |
| The Matrix: They should've stuck with one |
I'm still a fan of The Matrix. When The Matrix Reloaded came out, my friends and I were eager to see it opening weekend. After the movie, the interest in the idea of a Matrix Trilogy quickly faded. I still haven’t seen The Matrix Revolutions and honestly, I’m waiting for it to come out on film. But many have seen the movie and all have their critiques, none more so than MovieMistakes.com. On its Web site, it has noted 23 mistakes so far
Jon Sandys, who runs the site, says he doesn't think it reflects on the quality of filmmaking: "Mistake spotting is just a fun thing to do if something leaps out at you when you're watching a film. I'd be stunned if anyone's enjoyment suffered because of a few continuity blunders." Unless of course you suffered enough from the same special effects and lackluster dialogue of The Matrix Reloaded.
At least here in the United States, we can still see the movie. It seems those in Egypt’s government are harsher critics then I am. Egyptian censors have banned The Matrix Reloaded on religious grounds because it is too violent. |
| Posted by Leonceo Angsioco at 04:19 PM |
November 12, 2003
| It's still the economy, stupid |
So up goes the economy and up goes the favorable political forecasts for Bush’s 2004 re-election.
Democrats, already in confusion over who’s going to vie for the presidency next year, have egg on their face, thanks to all the anti-tax cut sound bites they’ve sounded off.
And Bush, after quivering with political fear while his approval ratings hung around the low 50s, gets a sigh of relief.
That’s politics: if the economy’s up, then the president looks good. If the economy’s down, then Bush must have really screwed over the working poor and middle class.
Regardless of how effective this series of tax cuts was, however, Democratic criticism of Bush’s tax cuts only reveals how opportunistic politics can be.
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| Posted by Chris Collins at 02:02 PM |
| Think globally, think locally |
OK, this isn't pretty. While our local millionares build lavish vacation homes on San Juan and Orcas islands, long-time residents are barely eeking by on the crown jewels of Puget Sound.
As an activist, I raise hell about impoverished people in other countries, but it's deceptively easy to forget about the trouble at home.
Is this going to be my parents in 20 years when Snohomish becomes a playground for CEOs who don't want to live in the urban core? How dare we keep demanding tax cuts across the board when our neighbors can't afford to buy homes in their own towns?
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| Posted by Megan Matthews at 02:00 PM |
| Ivory Tower turning to gold |
College presidents are fast becoming millionaires, which may attract the wrong type of leader to campuses. Instead of hiring genuine individuals, colleges may end up with big-shot, money-hungry empty names to boast about on glossy college brochures.
According to the Seattle Time’s Nov. 10 article, “College presidents’ salaries are at a record high,” the highest-paid president is Shirley Ann Jackson, of New York’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Her yearly salary is $891,400!
According to the Seattle Time’s Nov. 10 article, “College presidents’ salaries are at a record high.”
At the University of Washington, the current interim president, Lee Huntsman, makes $296,400; yet experts say that, in order to hire a “superstar” president for the UW, they may need to double that already-astronomical figure.
Shouldn’t passion for improving the university, and a true love for leadership, be enough to attract a new UW President? Do we want a President who cares about students - or who just loves money? |
| Posted by Christina Asavareungchai at 01:57 PM |
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