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Obama’s recent endorsement of same-sex marriage may have come at a “risky” time for the administration given the upcoming election and risk of losing conservative Democrats, so why did he do it?

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Did Biden’s comments of acceptance pressure Obama? Was it the constitutional ban of same-sex marriage in North Carolina? Was it just time to stand up for equality despite possibly losing votes?

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The Las Angeles Times suggests that fundraising may have contributed to the decision, “Gay and lesbian support has overwhelmingly benefited Democratic candidates — an alliance bolstered by presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney’s reiteration last week that he opposes same-sex marriage.”

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Less than a half century ago, gay and lesbian donors were turned away from large campaigns as “gay money” was seen as undesirable. Now, as public acceptance for same-sex couples has risen considerably and continues to do so, The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has become one of Obama’s largest campaign -finance operations.

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The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund works primarily to put openly gay and lesbian lawmakers into office, they have also been notorious for aiding Democrat presidential nominees.
“The LGBT community is sophisticated and organized,” said Perlman, a Los Angeles attorney to the LA Times, “We’re more deliberate in what we’re doing.”

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Washington’s Governor Christine Gregoire, as well as Washington Congressmen Jamie Peterson and Ed Murray have all come forward and thanked Obama for taking a stand for marriage equality.

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Overall, Obama hasn’t received much heat for the decision or timing. It is presumed that due to Romney’s moderate leanings and failure of the Republican Party to remain modern and appealing in terms of social issues, specifically same-sex marriage, that Republican strategists suggested staying away from social issues all together and instead focusing on the economy.

Colleen Fontana

Effort to create awareness around homelessness is spiraling out of control.

But it’s a good thing.

This time it’s a spiral of hope.

Urban Art Concept is partnering with Seattle Parks and Recreation and Seattle University’s Project on Family Homelessness to create a large spiral sculpture in Lake Union Park constructed primarily out of tree branches. Built by volunteers, community members and families who have been affected by homelessness, the project will continue until June 17^th.

According to their website, Urban Art Concept believes the project to be a potential avenue of discussion among communities as well as an opportunity to engage with one another on a different level. It will also provide a unique art attraction to Lake Union Park that will inspire conversation. The 300-foot long spiral will offer a labyrinth-like pathway for quiet contemplation.

“I like the spiral because it’s kind of a universal symbol in the same way a lot of geometric shapes are like the square or pyramid,” said Brian Ohno of Urban Art Concept on the UAC website. “No one owns those shapes and they’ve been showing up in art for centuries.”

At the middle of the spiral of tree branches is a single living tree, a symbol of the life and hope that lies at the center of all things.

Funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, the Spiral Project will hopefully inspire conversation and awareness throughout the Seattle community.

A dumping ground behind the Imperial House

The Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA) plans to implement a program that will rid the neighborhood’s alleys of trash in hopes of converting the spaces into popular business centers.

Behind the Imperial House, an apartment complex on Main Street, sit 10 or more dumpsters. One of several “dumpster paloozas” in the area, the location has attracted a multitude of illegal dumpings from people both inside and outside of the International District. Overflowing with trash, each dumpster is garnished with a sticker: “Dumping of trash, scavenging and vandalism are illegal and WILL BE PROSECUTED.”

Such signs have done little to ease the neighborhood’s sanitation problem.

“This neighborhood has been a dumping ground for a long time,” said CIDBIA Executive Director Don Blakeney.

To combat this, the CIDBIA plans to implement a mandatory “clear alley program” that will force residents and business owners to keep their trash inside their homes or place of work until a designated pick-up time. He hopes that the program will restore waste-ridden alleys, like Canton Alley, to their former glory as business hubs and focal points within the district.

According to Blakeney, the sanitation problem is largely caused by the fact that many businesses and residents have no where to legally put their trash. Those who do often neglect to lock their dumpsters. As a result, people leave their trash in and around the alleys’ dumpsters–tossing it from their apartments onto the mounds of garbage below or toting their load from blocks away–and the alleys become unusable.

For a neighborhood with over 80 restaurants producing considerable amounts of waste daily, the build up is quite a concern.

In the past, the neighborhood enacted measures to discourage people and businesses from dumping illegally, but many have been inadequate. A shared dumpster program led to a free-rider system in which some businesses paid to legally dispose of their trash while others benefitted from the same dumpsters without contributing a penny to the cost.

A CIDBIA employee also attributed the dumpings to a lack of sanitation education amongst the neighborhood’s elderly population.

At the Imperial House, much of the trash is left by outsiders driving through. A large number of “orphan bags”–small grocery bags filled with trash–as well as items indicative of other Seattle districts suggest that people living and working within the district are not the only ones illegally discarding their waste in the alleys. CIDBIA once found mail addressed to Renton when examining the waste.

Currently, CleanScapes, a Seattle maintenance company and waste collector, picks up litter in the International District, as well as several other city neighborhoods, four days a week. CleanScapes also responds to requests for emergency cleanings within 24 hours.

In terms of human waste, urinating in the streets is a “fact of urban life.” While such actions affect the district, human waste is not a pressing issue. Public restrooms, when unmanned, attracted drug dealing and prostitution, which was ultimately more problematic than public urination.

Click here to view the embedded video.

She first tweeted about the online sensation,”Oh my goodness y’all have to see this! It’s beautiful! I can’t wait to visit these kids and nurses! It’s Seattle Children’s Hospital, I believe. God bless y’all!”

The American Idol Season 1 winner later released a video message to the children, their parents, nurses and doctors at Seattle Children’s.

“That was amazing. It made my day. I know it’s making everybody else’s day online,” said Clarkson in the video. “I just can’t wait to meet you!”

The video is part of Not Now, a creative arts program with cancer patients at Seattle Children’s. Chris Rumble, 22, a patient who was diagnosed with leukemia in April, came up with the idea.

“I’m everyone’s big brother and I have a lot of friends here at Seattle Children’s,” Rumble said on the hospital’s blog.

A little over a month ago, Rumble was playing hockey and making movies. At first, he thought it was just mono. Little did he know that leukemia had effected 95 percent of his white blood cells.

“It was kind of like in a movie when you are sitting there and it is kind of like the tunnel feeling,” Rumble said. “You can’t really hear anything or see anything around you.”

Though the news hit harder than a body check in hockey, Rumble remained strong. While undergoing treatment, he thought that the patients and staff could use a boost. He also wanted to share his experience with his old hockey team in Wenatchee, Wash.

Thus was born his video of “Stronger,” released on May 6.

The hospital’s artist-in-residence John Blalock, video producer Mike Attie, and Seattle University film students Ben Anderson, Sawyer Purman and Lael Rogers also helped with the filming.

In the video, young patients hold signs that read “Hope” and “Fighter.”

For Rumble, his spirits are high not only for Clarkson’s response but also for his future plans to attend Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y., on a hockey scholarship. Following his recent diagnosis, doctors have told Rumble that he can beat the odds with four rounds of chemotherapy.

Rumble is hopeful for the promising future ahead of him. There is always hope, and patients at Seattle Children’s continue to fight for it each day.

If you’re feeling down, then just turn up the music to “Stronger,” and let the words give you strength.

On May 8th, Josh Hamilton became the 16th player in Major League Baseball history to hit four home runs in one game, and the first since Carlos Beltran in 2003. Two games later against Baltimore, Hamilton hit another. And then last night Hamilton hit two against the Angels, followed by one today, bringing his total to a league leading 18 home runs through 34 games. On top of that, Hamilton is batting a league leading .402, has 41 RBI’s and has an on base plus slugging rate of 1.336. To put that in perspective, throughout the entire season last year, the most RBI’s that anyone brought in was 126. At the current pace that Hamilton is hitting at, he is on track to hit 81 home runs and 196 RBI’s. While that is not necessarily reasonable, it does shine a light on the impressive start that Hamilton is having this year. One must wonder though, given that Hamilton has made strong contributions in the past, but not put up numbers like this, why Hamilton is having such a strong start. The first, and most obvious answer is that Hamilton is in a contract year. Negotiations were halted when Hamilton, who has a checkered past of drug addiction and alcoholism, relapsed with alcohol in February. Since then, negotiations have reopened, but little is known about what Hamilton’s worth will be to Texas, but estimates range from between 20-30 million dollars, with time ranges around the 5 year guarantee mark. This compares with the offers for other game-changing sluggers Prince Fielder, 9 years roughly 24 million per year, and Albert Pujols, 10 years, 240 million. While Hamilton compares in terms of individual production, team results, and leadership, the uncertainty about his past and future may hold Texas back from locking him up long term. But, with back-to-back trips to the World Series, young pitching talent in Yu Darvish, and two of the games best hitters in Michael Young and Hamilton, Texas can hardly afford to let him go. Hamilton insists that he is not producing based on it being a contract year, and frankly I believe him. With a past like his, and a present that has been a joy to watch, I can’t help but want Hamilton to succeed just to succeed. That being said, I believe that Hamilton will have a career season this year, especially if he can manage to stay healthy for the majority of the regular season. The past two years, Hamilton has missed a combined 70 games the past two seasons, as well as nearly half in 2009. Despite the amount of time Hamilton spent out of the lineup, he brought in just 5 RBI’s less than Albert Pujols. In his first season with the Rangers, Hamilton played in 156 games, batted .304 with 32 homeruns and 130 RBI’s. Comparing that to his 2010 production with 32 home runs as well as 100 RBI’s, there is no telling what the limit could be to his success this year. He already has half of those season totals in home runs, and is batting .395 on the year. Hamilton has proven that when he is hot, he is really dangerous, evidenced by his 28 home run first round in the 2008 home run derby. While it may be a streak to start the season, and Hamilton likely can’t keep this production up, it will be interesting to see when he does finally slow down, where he ends up, and how much pressure it puts on Texas to keep him in blue.

For more insight check out the vid:
No Stopping Him

It’s finally springtime! What better way than to brighten up your room by displaying the different flowers in bloom? Below, I will show you how to make hanging vases out of light bulbs.

What you will need:

• Lightbulb (Any shape or size works, but I bought mine from The Cave in Campion Hall on campus!)
• Pliers
• Hammer
• Screwdriver
• Salt
• String/Wire

Step one: Using the pliers, peel the silver layer at the bottom of the lightbulb off.

Step two: Crack the remaining black cap off with the hammer. Be sure to wear safety glasses for this part since it is glass, and tiny pieces will fly! I would also suggest working on a towel or brown paper bag to collect the cracked pieces for easy clean up.

Step three: Once you remove the black cap, it’s time to clean out the inside of the light bulb. Use the screwdriver to break up the glass tube and wiring inside, and dump them out. Be careful that you don’t crack and break the light bulb in the process.

Step four: Now that the inside is empty, it’s time to get rid of the white film on the inside of the light bulb. Pour some salt inside the light bulb. Then cover the top hole with your thumb and shake the salt around inside until the white film disappears, and empty out the contents in the trash. I also rinse the light bulb at least once with water after.

Step five: Simply tie a piece of string or wire around the silver part of the bulb so that you can hang it. Now all your light bulb needs are some freshly picked flowers.

And there you have it! Your own hanging light bulb vases. It matches with any room décor and adds a unique touch to any room. To take this project further, you can wrap thick ribbon around the silver part of the light bulb or add any of your own personal touches to them.

Happy decorating!

John J. Overly's gorgeous cover to Dog Shredder's new EP, Brass Tactics.

“Prog” and “metal” are two words I rarely like seeing paired together. It conjures images of clean-shaven dudes with Dream Theater t-shirts talking about “sick time-signature changes”. I’ve always found that technicality in metal doesn’t produce the same effect as simply having good riffs. So it’s nice when a band like Dog Shredder comes around and slaps me in the face with progressively minded music that also makes me want to kick doors down and punch authority figures.

Hailing from Bellingham, Dog Shredder have released their second EP, entitled ‘Brass Tactics,’ on Good to Die records, the brain-child of Seattle’s own Nik Cristofferson and home to an increasing number of amazing heavy bands in Seattle. Three songs are served up in a timely fashion here, coming in at just under 15 minutes. The opening track, Battle Toads, conjures images of a herd of pissed-off bulls let loose in a Cost-Co sized china-shop. It doesn’t get any calmer from there. ‘Battle Snake’ continues the chaos, building to an excellent pay-off around the 3- minute mark where vocalist/guitarist Josh Holland’s wails sound downright triumphant. I’ve read a lot of negative remarks about Holland’s vocals, and I’ll admit they weren’t what I was expecting going into this EP. But damned if they haven’t grown on me, and they give Dog Shredder just one more shade of uniqueness.

If Dog Shredder had released those two songs as a 7” I’d still be impressed, but what leaves me interested is the final track, Battle 07. Holland turns up the soul on both his vocals and his synths, while bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer Noah Burns prove that not only are they capable of playing at regular human tempos, they know how to make damn good church music. I’m not sure if this track was meant as a simple outro or if Dog Shredder wanted to show that they could do more than just, well, shred. Either way, I hope they find a way to incorporate the sound on Battle 07 with the utter face-meltage of Toads and Snake, both of which sound like Dog Shredder had about 8 half-done songs and threw them into a blender with enough coherency to make the constant change-ups feel more like a roller coaster ride than a mere display of technical chops. Because while these dudes have chops out the wazzoo, they also make songs that are actually fun to listen to. It’s a fact they seem to be acutely aware of, and one that keeps their music from diving off the deep end into the progressive abyss.

LISTEN: http://dogshredder.bandcamp.com/

Brass Tactics is available on 12” vinyl and digitally via Bandcamp from Good to Die Records.

Maybe it’s the excitement of Spring, the impending relaxation, or the promise of sunshine (unless you, like me, live in the Seattle area year-round – in which case you now have incredibly low standards for good weather anyway), but the stress and lack of motivation seems to be weighing particularly heavily on Seattle U’s students this May.

If you’re anything like me, de-stressing tends to take a backseat to multitasking and powering through gallons of coffee. However, this could easily leave you more frazzled than before. So what are some healthy and effective ways to de-stress?

Meditation: Meditation may seem counterproductive when trying to relieve stress. If I have a lot to do, why would I take time away from that to essentially do nothing? For plenty of reasons, it turns out. Psychology Today reports that meditation can make you happier and calmer. It can improve overall mental health. Also, meditation clears your mind and allows you to focus more wholly on the task at hand. Web MD points out that meditation does not  necessarily mean doing nothing –any repetitive activity such as walking, swimming, painting, or knitting can be meditative. Find something that works for you and take five to ten minutes to do it whenever you feel overwhelmed.

Turn off Netflix: This one is hard for me. When I think de-stressing, I think Mad Men. But sometimes a bit of silence and disconnection can be centering and relaxing. Try reading a book, talking a walk, or even a short nap to recharge.

Remember to breathe: Breathing may seem obvious and automatic. When we become overwhelmed we tend to take shallow, ineffective breaths. Be mindful of your breathing and take deep stomach breaths when you feel the tension rising.

Exercise: Exercise is key to relieve stress. Even though you have less time, it’s especially important to go to the gym or get some kind of exercise during midterms and finals. Exercise has an energizing effect and clears the head. Also, if you have never tried yoga before, do so. A good pose for stress relief is the lower back stretch: sit cross-legged on the floor close to a wall. Walk your fingers up the wall as far as they can go, being sure to stretch from the lower back and keep the shoulders relaxed.

Cut out caffeine: It may be tempting to OD on coffee during midterms, but that can leave you even more tense than before by raising cortisol, which causes stress. Try switching to green tea, which is full of antioxidants, speeds metabolism, and tastes awesome. Tazo’s China Green Tips, which is normally carried in C Street, is tasty. Chamomile also has a relaxing effect – just don’t drink it before class!

1. Basset Hound - Basset Hounds usually grow to be about 12 to 15 inches tall and can weigh up to 65 pounds. They’re great family dogs and tend to be very affectionate. Some may develop health problems as they age, so it’s very important not to overfeed them and to take them on daily walks. Bassets live between 10 and 12 years on average.

2. Bulldog (English/French) – Bulldogs grow to be between 12 and 16 inches in height and usually weigh around 55 pounds when fully grown. They are very gentle with their owners while also serving as great guard dogs. The Bulldog lives best as an indoor dog as they struggle with maintaining a healthy body heat in extreme temperatures. Bulldogs need daily walks and usually live up to eight years.

3. Pug – Pugs are usually between 10 and 14 inches tall and weigh up to 20 pounds. Pugs are very playful, intelligent, and loyal to their owners. They need to be taken on daily walks but survive more comfortably indoors at moderate temperatures.

4.  Miniature Pinscher – Commonly referred to as a “Min Pin,” these dogs can weigh up to 12 pounds and can grow to be about a foot tall. They’re typically courageous for their size, very loyal, and energetic. The Min Pin doesn’t usually have many health issues, but should live primarily indoors where it is protected from the cold. Miniature Pinschers can live 15 years or more.

5. Shih-Tzu – Shih-Tzus typically grow to be about 11 inches in height and can weigh up to 16 pounds. They are generally playful and happy, but tend to develop health problems later in life. Shih-Tzus should be keep indoors and away from extreme heat. These dogs have an average life span of 15 years or more.

Remember, its always a good idea to consider adopting a pet before heading strait for the pet stores. Researching different breeds, as well as the cost of general upkeep and possible health-care expenses is extremely important when deciding upon a pet. Good luck!

In a place like Seattle, it is common to see bikers riding around all the time. This month, the Seattle University Cycling Club has put together a series of events to help celebrate National Bike Month on campus.

The club has set up a number of movie nights, set to occur in the Connolly Center spinning room every Monday for the rest of the month (excluding Memorial Day), as well as a bike maintenance party, a lecture on urban riding, and an OAR bike ride to Discovery Park.

Now, bicycling has a special place in my heart. My bicycle was my only means of transportation (other than my own two legs) in my vast city in California. For almost two years, I biked seven to nine miles per day. While that may seem like a lot- and sometimes felt like a lot- I really love biking. It’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life.

You may be asking yourself why I’m writing in the past tense. Well, this past May, I was in a bike accident. Sure, everyone gets into accidents- I’ve been in a few benders before- but this accident stopped my biking days.

On May 11, 2011, I hit a garbage bin in the bike lane after being distracted for two seconds. It’s scary to think how so little time can influence your life is such a drastic way.

I ended up flying from my bike into the bike lane five feet ahead. I woke up in the bike lane, not realizing that what had just happened was real. I lost my two front teeth and had some scratches and bruises on my face and body, but other than that, I was perfectly fine (thanks to my helmet as well).

Well, not “perfectly” fine. I had to have my teeth basically secured into my head for six weeks with wire; the teeth I have now are still composites. My parents have spent over $14,000 to repair my teeth from this accident, and they still aren’t fixed- and I honestly don’t know if they ever will be.

My point is, I still love bicycling. But every second that you’re on that bike counts. I haven’t been able to get back on an actual bike since my accident; I want to, of course, but I don’t know how I feel about the rights I have been given as a bicyclist.

My mom told me when I was in E.R. after the accident that the city wanted to fine me for “damaging public property.” Our dental insurance still believes that me having my teeth put back into my mouth was “cosmetic surgery”- a.k.a., they won’t pay for it.

From this accident, I learned how important it is to be cognizant of your surroundings. In a place like Seattle where bike lanes aren’t always prevalent and – surprise – it rains here, I hope that you bikers out there are especially careful so that this type of incident doesn’t happen to you. Because honestly? It’s not worth it to be in this type of uncertainty.

I’m not saying you all should go buy gas-guzzling cars right away. I’m just saying that being careful should be your number own priority. I will continue to fight for bicycle rights as long as I need to- and you should continue to enjoy the different perspective of a biker. I promise I’ll be out there in the bike lane with you again soon.

To check out one of the movies hosted by the Seattle U Cycling Club, go to Connolly Center spinning room tonight at 8 to see “With My Own Two Wheels.”

UC Berkeley freshman Derek Low has it figured out.

The engineering student decided to automate his average dorm room into a futurist smart home with automatic window shades and voice-activated lights using a smartphone app to control the settings. He even has a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, ready to spin its metallic pattern with a click of a button, or by the sound of his voice.

Another cool feature that Low programmed is being able to alter his curtain lighting to “sleep mode,” “homework mode,” and even “romantic mode,” which dims the lights and activates a softly lit disco ball.

There’s even a morning alarm that wakes him up without ever getting out of his bed.

“A morning alarm with the BRAD system typically begins with all the lights turning on, followed by the curtains being drawn apart automatically,” he said. “If that fails, I programmed Justin Bieber to start playing through my speakers and subwoofer for added insurance. There’s simply no way you can sleep through that without your ears bleeding.”

Saving the best feature for last is Low’s “emergency party button,” which activates music, a strobe light, laster light, and UV light for a dance party… Simply awesome. Hey Derek, can you please pimp my dorm room?

Many of you probably have the same request and are wondering: “So how the heck did he do all this?”

I mean, electrical engineering students are great and all, but this guy is the be-all and end-all in his field.

For those who are interested in making their dorm room into a smart room, Low’s project “Berkeley Ridiculously Automated Dorm” (BRAD) can be seen online where he provides the overview, materials, construction, and operation.

Though Low’s video demo of his room has stirred up much of a media frenzy, it has earned him a notice from resident hall officials to appear at a judicial hearing for a violation of housing policies and creating a potential fire hazard.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Opening half a month after its original opening date, set for April 18, has left Neumo’s bookers scrambling to reschedule those Barboza acts that had to be cancelled.

Seattle’s own Dude York was one of those bands set to rock out on Barboza’s opening night, along with other local favorites My Goodness and The Young Evils.

Dude York singer and guitarist, Peter Richards, let me in on the inside scoop (of what he had heard happened to cause the delay). His rendition, in short, was the construction of Barboza had not been finished yet and the interior still needed to be worked on.

Luckily, many of Barboza’s postponed shows are being carried over to be performed in Neumo’s Crystal Ball Reading Room. These shows will be honoring the tickets that had been purchased previously for the Barboza venue.

As for the plans of the grand opening of Barboza this time around, Willis Earl Beal will be performing his soulful sounds for attendees.

“Beal managed to create warm, visceral and moving music seemingly out of nothing, just a little bit of imagination — it’s practically magic done without any fancy gadgetry,” says the Barboza’s website description on the singer.

Doors open at 7pm and tickets are priced at $12 if purchased in advance.

After Beal’s show, Neumo’s (and now Barboza’s) resident DJ, Tigerbeat, will be taking over the basement venue at 10:30pm for his Hollyhood set that will be happening every Friday.

“Hollyhood will be a lot of hood and rap music,” said TigerBeat, in a previous article with the Spectator. “There will also be a lot of music like Lady Gaga and Waka Flaka, just the music that everyone gets down to on the weekends.”

Hollyhood will be free of cover for the first two weeks, and Tigerbeat will be on the tables spinning the latest favorites until 3am (even though you can still only drink till 2am).

So stop by Barboza’s events tomorrow to check out the opening and see if the venue lives up to all the postponed hype, and go see My Goodness, Young Evils and Dude York’s rescheduled show on June 16 in the Crystal Ball Reading Room.

Check the venue’s website (http://thebarboza.com/) for other upcoming shows.

In the early afternoon, a group of 50 protestors wearing all black began smashing windows with 5-foot poles in the downtown area of concentrated retail stores.

Police groups came to the scene on bikes and in riot gear. Though they tried to create a cluster of the protestors by using chemical sprays and batons, they quickly split up. Mayor Mike McGuinn said they protestors eventually formed into clusters again, but this time, they took off their black clothing.

Due to the violence, McGuinn authorized and ordered the police to seize items that could be used as weapons. He also gave the police the right to take away those 5-foot poles. McGuinn wanted the police to act quickly and aggressively if violence broke out.

In one march, there was vandalism and smashing of windows from a group that walked from Westlake Park. They also set sound bombs and fireworks, even shooting paintballs and set a small fire at the U.S. Court of Appeals on Fifth Avenue and Seneca Street.

The group migrated to Sixth Avenue, breaking even more windows at Wells Fargo, HSBC, Home Street Bank and US Bank. Then they vandalized NikeTown and other retail stores.

However surprising, the violence was expected. The Seattle police had been warned that protestors could be trained to hide weapons and even target police officers on horseback. The Seattle police also got a report saying that anarchists could use gasoline-filled light bulbs. The District courthouse on 700 Stewart St. upped its security, though there were no vandalization that took place.

This anti-capitalist march was supposed to coincide with the citywide general strike. This ended with speeches and hip-hop performances at Westlake Park. This protest could also be seen in Detroit, New York and Portland.

Four individuals who claimed that Mortenson had lied in his works brought the lawsuit to U.S. District Judge Sam Haddon, who has been practicing law in Montana since 1966. The two novels brought into question, “Three Cups of Tea” and “Stones Into Schools,” were said to be raising tens of millions of dollars the Central Asia Institute, a charity which Mortenson co-founded.

The website for the organization states that its main mission is to “empower communities of Central Asia through literacy and education, especially for girls, to promote peace through education and convey the importance of these activities globally.”

Yet, both the organization and Mortenson have been called into question by various agencies. In April 2011, CBS’s 60 Minutes ran a story about what the Central Asia Institute is actually doing in the world over.

The report focused on a central anecdote of the novel that would cause readers to give support to Mortenson’s cause. In 1993, Mortenson writes that he stumbled into the small village of Korphe in Pakistan while lost and dehydrated. Once the villagers had nursed him back to health, he vowed to return and build a school.

Because the novel was set in remote parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, it is difficult for any fact checking to occur by any publisher. Literary agent David Black told the New York Times that it is truly “the responsibility of the author to write the truth.”

In the 60 Minutes report, the reporters visited almost 30 of the schools built by the Central Asia Institute- finding that roughly half were empty, built by other organizations or not receiving support.

Author Jon Krakauer, one of Mortenson’s earliest backers, told 60 Minutes that withdrew his support after questions over the charity being mismanaged. “I have spoken to one of his companions, a close friend, who hiked out from K2 (mountain) with him,” said Krakauer. “He said, Greg never head of Korphe till a year later.”

The plaintiffs who issued the lawsuit laid out claims of racketeering, fraud and deceit by Mortenson, co-author David Oliver Relin, Penguin Group USA, and the Central Asia Institute, stating that these groups conspired to build Mortenson into a false hero to raise money.

Haddon wrote in his ruling that the lawsuit fell short because it failed to identify each defendant’s role in the alleged fraud and did not identify the racketeering activity.

The ruling is good news for the defendants after the Montana attorney general announced earlier this month a $1 million agreement to settle claims that Mortenson mismanaged the institute and misspent its funds. This agreement will not take into question the legitimacy of the book’s contents.

“Three Cups of Tea” has sold almost four million copies since being published in 2006.  The book and the promotion of the Central Asia Institute has resulted in tens of millions of dollars in donations, including donations from President Barack Obama.

The LCWR said they were “stunned” by the Vatican’s decision and hope to approach the situation with dialogue and prayer. According to the Seattle P-I the Vatican has ordered the nuns to “revise their statutes, reform their programs and possibly change their affiliations to be in line with ‘the teachings and discipline of the Church.’”

The nuns have been accused of being more concerned with social justice issues than following the doctrine of the church, specifically in cases regarding abortion and contraception.

Catholic bishops in the United States have opposed the Affordable Health Care Act which would ultimately allow for women employed through universities and hospitals associated with the church to receive birth control via health insurance; LCWR nuns have pushed for such legislation to pass.

Sartain declined to comment on any specifics regarding what exactly sparked Pope Benedict XVI’s decision, stating instead his “personal appreciation for the role of religious women in the United States and all the extraordinary things they have done.”

Sartain is set to meet with a large group of LCWR representatives and said that he wants them to know that “[the Catholic Church] is all in this together.”

At one point, though, these house-hold names were relying on tourists visiting Pike Place market and popularity among locals to sponsor their music.

Last weekend, during the 50th anniversary of the World’s Fair, Pike Place Market hosted Whitney Monge.

Monge entertained the long line of tourists waiting for their latte from the first Starbucks with her powerful, raspy voice, smile, and guitar.

She quickly sold out of CD’s has her guitar case filled with $1, $5, $10 and $20 bills. The nice weather and Seattle sunshine was not enough to combat the chills each listener acquired as Monge hit those high and strong notes.

“I play all over Seattle,” Monge said, “I usually book shows way in advance.” Considering her immense talent, easy going personality, and graciousness, Monge’s busy schedule doesn’t surprise.

watch?v=8bHAFmeaOmg&feature=related

Will she be Seattle’s next legacy?

The Seattle-based retail giant has been keeping a low-key test trial of the new mortgage program for the past year.

Costco has partnered with the New Jersey-based First Choice Bank along with 10 other lenders to provide a full-service home loan program.

Costco members can choose from a group of top national lenders that call for lower fees, competitive rates, and excellent service. These loaners have also already written more than 10,000 mortgages for Costco members.

Costco’s manager of financial services Lauren Kutschka expects that number to grow as it begins to market the service more aggressively to members in its stores.

One Georgia shopper told CNNMoney that he was able to refinance his mortgage and save hundreds of dollars on his monthly payment. He found rates from four lenders, which ended up being a third of the fee other lenders were charging.

Costco, which already offers health and auto insurance among stock brokerage services, plans to further expand its deals.

What’s next? Auto loans and student loans.

“We’ve always known that our members wanted more financial services,” said Lauren Kutschka, Costco’s manager of financial services. “Right now, we offer recreational vehicle and boat loans and we’re going to add auto loans to that. We’re also looking to offer student loans.”

Costco members may view the new mortgage program at costcofinance.com which allows the borrower’s identity to remain anonymous until after they officially select the lender.

The way it works is simple. The consumer first fills out an application, and then any lender can make an offer and begin sending marketing messages to the applicant without any restrictions.

First Choice guarantees that it will make sure other lenders comply with Costco’s policies, which include offering accurate rates. Lenders must also follow up quickly on questions and requests.

Though Costco takes no profit on the lending itself, it gets paid to market the service.

Rose went down with 1:22 left in the 4th quarter after putting in 23 points while adding 9 points and 9 rebounds. Medical personnel immediately rushed onto the court to help the point guard who was writhing in pain.

The immediate thoughts of commentators and analysts were that if the injury was severe, the Bulls’ hopes of a championship run were all but over. Despite garnering the number one seed in the playoffs, the bulls were without Derrick Rose for 27 games of the shortened season, only winning 18 of those games.

When Rose was in the lineup, the teams record improved to 32-7. Rose was averaging 21.8 points per game, 7.9 assists per game and 3.4 rebounds, and bolstered a player efficiency rating of 23.10, 9th in the league.

Without Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls turn to point guard John Lucas to fill his position. However, contributions will have to come from other places for the Bulls to be successful. Small forward Luol Deng and shooting guard Rip Hamilton will each have to play larger roles than normal, alongside posts Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah.

Even if the Bulls can see large production increases from their other starters, the team will struggle without the attention that the explosive Derrick Rose draws. A constant penetration threat, losing Derrick Rose will make finding openings much harder as teams will not have to sag off in defense.

The Bulls road gets even harder when you consider that across the bracket from the Bulls are the Miami Heat, led by LeBron James and co. Already a stellar defensive team, a matchup with the Bulls will become infinitely simpler without the addition of Derrick Rose.

The Bulls split the games with the Heat, each team winning twice this year. One caveat for Bulls fans is that against the Heat this year the Bulls were as successful without rose as they were with. Even with a 34 point effort from Rose on January 29, the Heat topped the Bulls by 4 behind a 35 point night from LeBron James. Without Rose on March 14th, the Bulls were able to top the heat behind 24 points from backup point guard John Lucas.

In the end, the Bulls can’t be counted out until they are out of the playoffs, despite the road to the Finals getting infinitely harder. Miami will be licking their chops, their road to a second consecutive finals just getting much easier. Eyes are on the Western Conference now to see who will be joining the Heat in hopes of stymieing LeBron’s first championship.

For footage and insight into the reactions across the league, follow the link to ESPN’s coverage of the injury.

Bulls\' Derrick Rose tears ACL

By Darwin Bell

Those dreaded plastic placards on all of the C Street tables. Imploring you to fill up half of your plate with vegetables, eat a low-carbon diet, and lower your meat intake. Sitting there innocuously, waiting to be picked up and read in an awkward, silent moment, waiting to judge you and your taco salad.

These reminders are everywhere around campus, popping up everywhere from the Bistro to the Byte to (most ironically) the Cave. Yet the options seem somehow limited. We’re asked to eat more produce and limit fats and refined carbs, yet they seem all but unavoidable. Though Seattle U is undoubtedly in a better place than most colleges, healthy options tend to lurk, unappreciated, on the outskirts of its menus, presented as the exception to the high-carbon, highly-refined rule. But they are there… if you know where to look.

The Byte, The Sidebar, The Bottom Line, et al.

Need I even say it? Tea or black coffee is your best bet here. Out of the standard options, I particularly recommend Barnes and Watson’s Star Spangled Herbal and Tazo’s China Green Tips. For breakfast on-the-go, ask for oatmeal with walnuts and a bit of brown sugar. Filling and divine. Also, do your best to avoid Naked juices. They’re delicious once in a while, but can be deceptive and trick you into thinking you’re consuming more fruits and veggies than you actually are. Though they contain a fair amount of fruit, it is mostly in the form of fruit juices, which are highly processed and lack the nutrients of whole fruit. In addition, as reported by nutrition blog The Fresh Baked Freak, the “green” ingredients bragged about on the Green Machine smoothie wrapper – such as broccoli, spirulina, and blue-green algae – only add up to 2.25 grams. A gram weighs about as much as a paper clip. Needless to say, you’re better off getting water and a salad.

The Cave

Let’s face it – this section is practically useless. Chances are, if you’re going to The Cave, it’s not because you’re looking for something healthy. However, if it’s your only option, head towards the back coolers, which hold fresh fruit. If you’re in the mood for something fizzy, opt for a DRY Soda – they’re refreshing, low in calories, and an infinitely better option than traditional soda. I recommend vanilla bean, lemongrass, and lavender.

Cherry Street Market

The obvious answer is to fill up at the salad bar. But heaven knows that this gets old fast. The chicken breast at the Grill is a good alternative – paired with grains (try quinoa or wild rice) and vegetables (the mushrooms, jicama, and Brussels sprouts  are great) from  the salad bar, you should end up with a plate that looks something like the diagram on those judgmental little placards.

For a light dinner, go with the rice and black beans at La Cocina. Difficult as it will be to pass up all of the tortilla goodness, this classic combination  is about as simple as you can get while still remaining relatively nutritionally complete. Especially if it’s piled on a crunchy bed of lettuce. Yum.

If you need something to go, try a veggie wrap at the sandwich station. Ask for a wheat tortilla, and for a healthy, flavorful spread, go with the hummus (Be warned: C Street’s is particularly salty, so ask that they use a light touch). Then pile on as many fresh vegetables as your sanity can take, grab a hand fruit, and be on your merry way.

That leaves the most treacherous area of all – the dessert table. Oh, how hard it is to ignore. Though it’ll never quite hit the same spot as Milkshake Monday, Silk chocolate soymilk is an effective substitute. Zoi honey Greek yogurt over strawberries is also a tasty and protein-packed alternative – though try to be sparing, as Seattle U doesn’t seem to stock a low-fat version of the honey flavor.

The Hawk’s Nest Bistro

Oh, Bistro. Cheese-stro. Grease-stro. You were made for subverting all health and common sense. You were made to fulfill one purpose and one purpose only: those days when you simply don’t care. My best advice is to live it up and get something tasty. It won’t kill you. That said, the best option on the menu is probably the hummus plate, followed by the pesto-lentil meatballs with a side of vegetables.

But seriously, you’re at the Bistro. Order a freaking pizza.

Bradley Whitford, Richard Jenkins and Amy Acker provide an interesting take on horror movies in 'The Cabin in the Woods' (Photo: Lionsgate, Diyah Pera / AP)

Movies like ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ are kind of hard to review, because it is so crucial that you know as little as possible before seeing the film. Here is what the trailers will tell you. Five teenagers leave their college-town to spend a weekend at, wait for it, a cabin located in the woods. The scenario is made to seem as familiar to anyone who has seen a horror film as possible, except for the two white-collared engineers who, in some way, are involved from afar, watching the teenagers every actions through cameras. Anything more than that, and I’d have said too much.

Some people have gotten in a kerfuffle over the film’s marketing, saying that it already spoils too much. They’re wrong, you get what the trailer gives you in the first 5 minutes of the film and that is only the tiniest morsel of what this movie has to offer. Every time you think you’ve figured ‘Cabin in the Woods’ out, it takes a left turn into new territory. Once the third act kicks in and all is revealed, I could not stop smiling. It was physically impossible for me to not express joy at this movie. That’s because The ‘Cabin in the Woods’ is as much of a comedy as it is a horror film. I don’t think I’m spoiling much by saying that the film crucially self-aware, and plays off of many standard horror movie tropes in a way that will make you cackle at the on-screen violence. If you love horror movies, you’ll appreciate the nods. If you hate horror movies, you may just love how this movie dismantles and criticizes the genre.

While Cabin in the Woods has several good twists, ones that would probably make it an interesting movie on its own, what it has beyond those twists is heart. ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ wasn’t a product of some executive saying “WE NEED [INSERT MOVIE TROPE HERE] BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT THE KIDS WANT.” It was the product of two men who love horror movies writing a fantastic script. It’s the product of actors who enjoy their craft contributing genuinely fantastic performances. ‘Cabin’ is greater than the sum of its very, very good parts. This probably explains why the film languished in Hollywood limbo for 3 years after it was made. No one really knows what to do with a movie made purely for the love of making movies anymore.

Luckily ‘Cabin’ found an audience anyway. It’s done incredibly well off of word-of-mouth, it’s made its money back and turned a profit. By all means it is a success, and the fact that a movie like ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ can still be a success makes me hopeful for the future of cinema. Give up eleven dollars (nine if you’re going to a matinee!) and go see this movie. You won’t regret it, you’ll just leave the theater with a giant grin on your face.

Directed by Drew Goddard
Written by Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon.
Starring: Kristen Connoly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutcison, Fran Kranz, Jessie Williams, Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford.