Despite their reputed fondness for fires and organized crime, Chinatown buses are one of the best things to happen to people with concerts or friends out of state. Every thrifty student worth his or her Safeway Club card knows that a Chinatown bus is the cheapest way to get around the northeast. Not content with ruling the highways, though, Chinatown bus lines are extending their hegemony to blogs.

Apex Bus’s blog offers much more than simple, though still solid, ESL delight. In one post, Apex promises handicapped customers that, after alerting the company of their situation in an email, they’ll have no trouble getting on the bus. “That’s it. We will take care of you from there,” they write.

That’s especially comforting—when you consider that most riders get their help from the other, equally confused customers waiting on the sidewalk.

The best part of the blog, though, is when the writer stops bragging about new bus stops and takes jabs other bus lines. Apparently, some of the other Chinatown bus lines think they can push Apex around:

They cheated our customers and told them our company doesn’t exist(Lier!!!). They ask our customers to pay additional money.

The fact that a rival company can convince customers their rival just doesn’t exist should show those of you who haven’t tried a Chinatown bus what a delightful gamble you’ll be taking when you do.

Next time I leave D.C., I’m using Apex Bus. If they’ve got the time to mess around on Blogger, then they must have the usual Chinatown bus problems like fire and abominable bathrooms settled. Right?
Posted by Will Sommer

Georgetown pulls out the big win to take the top position in the Big East Conference—Sports Editor Tony Francavilla reports court-side …

Posted by Tim Fernholz, Managing Editor

Georgetown’s College Republicans had officer elections earlier this month. Nothing particularly notable happened, which is disappointing considering how much fun College Republicans can be. The platforms varied, but one thing was agreed on: the flow of fuzzy lobbyists into Georgetown will continue uninterrupted.

Ok. Admittedly, this post is a round-about way of pointing you to a dishy article about the National College Republican organization. It ran in The New Republic back in 2005 (link via IvyGate). A writer for the magazine attended the group’s presidential convention and found out that, essentially, when College Republicans don’t have Solidarity to harass, they turn on one another.

The protagonists in the story are two rival candidates for head of the organization. One, Paul Gourley, is the Establishment candidate. The other, Michael Davidson, is a well-funded underdog. They threaten and cajole their way through the convention however they can, including using a congressman who threatens to “ruin” voters who don’t toe the company line.

(The article is hosted on the site of a group the writer mentions, but it was that or buy a New Republic subscription. I know how you feel about the Internet and credit cards.)

-Will Sommer

If you’re sticking with Metro in a tough week, and you want everyone to know it, their gift shop makes it easy. The Metro online store is so detailed, it suggests a subway subculture we’re not even dimly aware of.

Now that rain is the precipitation du jour, you’ll want to consider the Metrobrella. The Metrobrella’s an umbrella with the subway map on it. It’d be hard to read the map folded up, and you wouldn’t want to open it indoors, but that’s all right. In a Metro train you’re underground, so you operate by Morlock rules, and Morlock rules say opening an umbrella indoors is good luck.

There’s also expensive stationery with a picture of the Dupont Circle station, and silver-plated subway token cufflinks. These are nice, but the Metro Store is just making sure you don’t get the awesome bends when you hit the station gear.

The Metro Store lets you pick your favorite station and get T-shirts, coffee mugs, or a mousepad with the station’s name and line color. Soon, everyone will know you use Rosslyn and walk across the Key Bridge for laughs. Remember when Ruben Studdard was on American Idol and wore his town’s area code on shirts? I’m not saying you’ll definitely be more popular than him, but I am saying it’s about time someone updated “Sorry” for 2007.
-Will Sommer

Just when you thought you couldn’t handle mid-terms anymore, here’s a new Voice to get you over the hump.

—The inimitable Mike Bruns spent the last week hanging out with D.C.’s homeless. Find out what he learned in this week’s cover story.

— GU Students are raising big bucks for a cancer cure. Dylan Richmond takes a run at Georgetown’s Relay for Life.

— One of the best strength coaches in the country is in charge of bulking up the Hoyas. Feel the burn with Noreen Malone.

— In a daring week of journalism, young Will Sommer not only takes on the Western Sahara, but pens an insightful column on on-campus STD testing and discovers the military-style training of D.C. bus drivers.

— The Editorial board uncovers a pressing problem with D.C.’s blood supply: there’s not enough of it!

There’s plenty more where that came from, so pick up a paper around campus, or peruse the website. Don’t forget to let us know what you think.

Posted by Tim Fernholz, Managing Editor

When Jeff Green iced Villanova with two clutch free throws this Saturday, the men’s basketball team’s winning streak reached nine games. With that in mind, along with the big game against Pitt this Saturday (and tomorrow’s against the ‘natti), you may frown on the idea of looking ahead to next year’s team.

But that won’t stop us from directing you to an article in today’s Washington Post about Austin Freeman and Chris Wright, the two local standouts who will replace the incomparable Kenny and Sead. The story details the parallel careers of the two, who first met in elementary school. Strangely enough, it lauds the skills of Wright and remains rather quiet in discussing Freeman, who is the higher-ranked recruit.

Almost makes me wish I weren’t graduating this year.

Posted by Austin Richardson, Blog Editor

Whoa! Look out! It’s another book about the lead-up to the Iraq War from an insider!

Well, maybe it’s not really that surprising. But this time, it’s George Tenet (SFS ’76), who you might’ve seen walking around the ICC with that big ol’ cigar, and he’s probably going to try and straighten out this whole mess of a blame game.

(more…)

It’s been three days since the men’s basketball team played a game, and it’ll be two more before they get a chance to avenge January’s loss to Villanova. You’re probably suffering from a mix of anxiety and withdrawal. I know I am.

But cheer up, the Hoyas’ winning streak has gotten them noticed around the country (a little late, I think most of us would say), and a range of commentators are making amends for losing faith in us after those losses to Old Dominion, Duke and Oregon.

Need proof? ESPN’s newest mock bracket has us as a #4 seed in the San Antonio bracket, meaning a possible rematch with Florida in the Sweet 16 (couldn’t that be saved for the final?). We’re a #3 seed in their power 16, where they say, “eight straight wins have [the Hoyas] looking like the team people expected in the preseason.”

Luke Winn, on Sports Illustrated’s website ranks us #9 in the country. His comment: “during their eight-game Big East winning streak the Hoyas’ offense has become a well-oiled machine.” Ken Pomeroy, a statistics guru, lists ours as one of the most efficient offenses in the country.
Remember, though, it’s February, and Georgetown’s been famous for these late-season surges. If this success carries over into March (April, perhaps?), maybe then they’ll stop doubting us.

Either way, all of this press is helping to fill in those lulls in the schedule. Two more days …

Posted by Austin Richardson, Blog Editor

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Voice:

- In our cover story, Chris Norton explores a hidden problem at Georgetown: The University has one of the highest rates of eating disorders among Universities in the U.S.–and the student group dedicated to lowering that number disbanded itself last year.

- The Voice editorial board thinks Georgetown students should bring back Students Ending Eating Disturbances.

- Kate Mays and Michael Keller enjoy the snow day with a feature that includes the one Hoya who didn’t want class cancelled and a campus sledding guide.

- Clare Malone spends some time with Georgetown’s only male cheerleader. And why’s he cheering? Maybe because the Hoyas have won eight in a row!

- Marco Cerna: Language chauvinist.

- And in the Fiction Section, Steve Fry deals with piracy problems head on.

That’s it for this week, folks. Don’t forget to say hello.

Posted by Tim Fernholz, Managing Editor

In an homage to Gawker, the Citizens Association of Georgetown has a Google Maps-based site that shows where each crime in our neighborhood went down.

In January, for example, the “crime reports mapping tool” identified 59 incidents in the area. Unlike a neighborhood newsletter with crime statistics, the map allows you to indulge your voyeuristic pleasures by highlighting apartments where you’ll lose more in burglaries than in rent, or which party just isn’t worth walking to alone. By only letting CAG cronies submit crimes, though, the “Mapping Tool” misses out on faked crime hilarity. For example, I was hoping to report a walrus assault on Prospect. No dice, according to CAG.

The map doesn’t include crimes on campus proper, presumably because CAG hasn’t heard of the Department of Public Safety blotter yet. I think if CAG started including violations of “dry” dorm status and the like, the Mapping Tool would give CAG the edge its wanted for so long over rival groups of concerned citizens.

Posted by Will Sommer