Blacknell.net

Politics, open government, and safe streets. And the constant incursion of cycling.

Month: April 2007

Live in Williamsburg or Richmond? Check this out.

By

On April 6, 2007

In Cycling, Virginia

I don’t know what the local coverage is like, but in case you haven’t heard:

In what is being billed as the “true North American Championship,” the inaugural U.S. Open Cycling Championships are set for Saturday, April 7, in Richmond, Virginia. The 112-mile men’s race, a stop on the international UCI Americas Tour and the national USA Cycling Pro Tour, will begin in colonial Williamsburg, Virginia and follow the route along the historic Jamestown Plantations and Civil War battlefields, ending with eight 5.5-mile circuits in downtown Richmond including a brutal cobblestone climb up Libby Hill.

The best point for seeing it in person is probably downtown Richmond. The end of the race involves an eight lap loop:

Entering Richmond on Dock Street at about 10:30 a.m., the racers will begin an arduous 5.5-mile circuit that they’ll traverse eight times. The circuit includes a steep climb over cobblestones in Libby Hill Park, and passage through both Jackson Ward and Shockoe Bottom. Along the way, the athletes will pass close to many Richmond landmarks, including the Bill “Bojangles” Robinson statue, the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument and the newly unveiled Reconciliation Memorial. The men will finish around noon in front of The Library of Virginia

I don’t know enough about Richmond to recommend vantage points from there, but if any readers do, please share in the comments.  If you can’t make it, but are still interested, it’ll be on NBC Sports from 2:30 to 5:00.

An Elected Republican Does Something Decent

By

On April 6, 2007

In Politics, Society

Every once in a while, I’m pleasantly surprised by an elected Republican. Rep. Tom Davis on DC voting rights, or Gov. George Ryan on the death penalty, come to mind. This time, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is delivering:

Florida officials will automatically begin the [voting] rights-restoration process for felons when they finish their sentences.

[ . . . ]

The change was urged by Republican Gov. Charlie Crist. His predecessor, Jeb Bush, had long opposed changing the ban.

“I believe in simple human justice and that, when somebody has paid their debt to society, it is paid in full,” Crist said Thursday. “There’s a time to move on, a time to give them an opportunity to have redemption, to have a chance to become productive citizens again.”

Good job, Governor.

An Encounter on the Lawn

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On April 5, 2007

In Personal, Society

Michael Bérubé shares a long ago conversation he had on the lawn at UVA:

And your soul, he said.  You don’t care if you lose your immortal soul in that belief.

Right, here’s the way I look at it, I said.  If you’re right about this and I’m wrong, then you and I agree that we have the obligation to treat others as we would have them treat us, but because I believe that we humans just made that up one day, I’m going to Hell for an eternity, and you’re pretty much in the clear.  Whereas if I’m right about this and you’re wrong, my beliefs don’t visit any punishments on you.  We live, we act as best we can, we die, end of story, except that we hope that maybe some of the good we do on earth will live after us for a little while.  And that’s it.

Yep.  That’s pretty much it.

Arlington: County-wide WiFi

By

On April 5, 2007

In Distribution, Tech, Virginia

It seems that Arlington County has provisionally tapped Earthlink to build, operate, and own a county-wide WiFi network. Arlington already provides free WiFi (near the Courthhouse complex, in the Quincy Park library, and probably most other libraries), but that still leaves most of this small county uncovered. Details are sketchy, but based upon other Earthink municipal network deal, it will probably look something like this:

The network, once fully installed, will cover 26 square miles and provide wireless broadband for residents and visitors, as well as connections for on-the-move county employees. Yet-to-be-determined nonprofit partners of the county would likely get free access, and free hotspot service will be provided in parks, libraries and community centers.

I’ve seen no coverage of this before today, so I’m reserving judgment until I get more details. I’m quite familiar with the pro and con arguments for municipal networks, and I hope this will turn out to be a good deal for Arlington residents. That’s not a safe assumption, though, so it’s worth some closer scrutiny. The deal is going to the County Board on April 28th for approval. I’ll see what I can find before then, and share it here.

Update: Arlington’s Cable Television and Information Technology Advisory Commission describes it thusly:

The terms of the agreement provide significant public benefit to the County to include free wireless access in designated community centers, county parks, recreation centers, and public school facilities.  Earthlink will offer competitive monthly and short-term subscription rates to residents, businesses, and visitors for the broadband wireless service.

Also, there will be a public hearing on the proposed agreement (of which I’ve yet to find a copy) on April 10, 2007, in room 311 of the Courthouse Plaza Government Center at 2100 Clarendon Blvd, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

5, 4, 3 . . .

By

On April 4, 2007

In Society

How long till this blows up on the cable networks?

Three Yale University students were arrested early Tuesday morning for burning an American flag on a pole attached to a house in New Haven, the Yale Daily News reported today.

[ . . . ]

Mr. Anklesaria was identified as a British subject and Mr. Angelopoulos as a citizen of Greece. Mr. Akbar was born in Pakistan and is a naturalized American citizen, the newspaper said.

I expect it will provide fodder for days . . .

It is *so* hard to be a white American Christian male.

By

On April 3, 2007

In Society

Glenn Beck, bless his deprived and underappreciated soul, shares his plight with us:

On the April 2 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Glenn Beck claimed that “[c]onservatives get no respect” and asserted that he “can’t win” because he is “American[],” “white,” “Christian,” and “conservative.” He said: “[I]f you are a white human that loves America and happens to be a Christian, forget about it, Jack. You are the only one that doesn’t have a political action committee for you.” He also said: “I mean, I was talking about it with my family yesterday. I said, ‘I’m tired of being the least popular person in the world[.]’

Awww.

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