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PUT YOUR THINKING HELMETS ON ... Stanford University's pedaling geniuses have a new homework assignment: Find a way to prevent or mitigate bicycle-related injury. With a reported 87 percent of the campus community getting around by bike, university officials decided to make bike safety the focus of the 2008 Invention Challenge, which is sponsored by Stanford Biodesign and Parking and Transportation Services in conjunction with the Stanford Entrepreneurship Network's EWeek. According to a university press release, 96 campus accidents involving bikes and motor vehicles have been reported between 2003 and 2007, 87 of which involved injury. Those who find the best solutions for preventing accidents will not only be rewarded with what the school calls "the sheer altruistic joy of technological innovation" but will also win cash prizes ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. Contestants, in teams of up to four, have until Monday to register for the competition at bikechallenge.stanford.edu and will have to submit their proposals by Feb. 6.

COURTING CONDI ... In his quest to win the heart of Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, child-actor-turned-musician Devin Ratray interviewed Rice's friends, conferred with White House insiders and commissioned a power ballad to the object of his affection. But his efforts weren't enough to land the self-proclaimed "musical docu-tragi-comedy" a previously arranged screening at the Stanford Film Society. According to Radar Online, the SFS pulled the plug on the Sebastian Doggart-directed film because the society has "become increasingly alienated by the strong political and personal agenda associated with 'Courting Condi,' " in the words of society co-president Kerry Mahuron. In her reported e-mail to Doggart, she allegedly cited "logistical issues" for cancelling the screening. Doggart attributed the cancellation to "Rice's cronies scaring the [society] into pulling the screening," Radar reported. Ratray <0z2014> best known to many as the bully Buzz in the "Home Alone" movies — isn't the only suitor looking to build a future with Condi. Rice, a former Stanford provost, is expected to join the university's Hoover Institution once her White House tenure expires.

WHAT'S IN A NAME? ... A multi-city agency charged with selecting a plan to reduce flooding from the San Francisquito Creek now has another issue to consider: the name of the new plan. The San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority had so far referred to its near-term efforts to curb flooding as an "Early Implementation Plan," not to be confused with the more comprehensive, long-term plan being cooked up by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. But the problem with the name, as the agency sees it, is that the agency has been considering its options since after the 1998 flood. In that sense, the plan could hardly be considered "early." The JPA board of directors considered several different names at its meeting last week, including the "feasibility study" and the "flood control plan," but ultimately decided that either term would be hard for residents to wrap their arms around. They agreed to think about the name of the plan some more and return to the subject at a future meeting. For now, at least, the plan will simply be known as "The Plan."

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT? ... While Cal Bears fans cheered their team to a 37-16 Big Game victory against the Stanford Cardinal last weekend, one grizzled Bear fan put a decidedly old-school spin on his jeer of the opponents. Referring to the early 20th-century actor Will Rogers' statement of goodwill towards humankind, "I never met a man I didn't like," the fan held aloft a homemade sign: "Will Rogers never met a Stanford man." Ouch!