Prompted by many things – Vivian’s question about the size of the Democratic Party tent, and commenter James’ objection to my post about the failure of conservatism included – I’ve been thinking about the intersection of party, ideology, and actual results lately. In the midst of that, I checked out this nifty tool. Put out by The Public Whip, a UK non-profit dedicated to improving the civic process, it tries to help citizens understand whether the party that they’re voting for agrees with them on the issues. While I wasn’t really surprised by the result – I didn’t line up with the part that I’ve historically identified with (and still do) – I was certainly surprised by the distance separating me and that party these days.
Month: May 2008 Page 3 of 7
This is a bit of a departure from the usual, but I love George Takei. And guess what? He’s getting married. Congrats, George.
This Google maps mashup, focusing on metro DC trails, bike facilities, and dangerous intersections (among many other things) was posted to a local listserv this morning. Its already garnered a good number of useful improvements and contributions. Maybe you can add your own? If you’ve got a Gmail (or other Google) account, it’s super easy. Just click and go.
South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki has been loathe to use his stature and office to nudge his fellow African leaders into improvements in their own countries. And now he’s paying for it, as his own population starts threatening the refugees from those failing countries:
A wave of violence against foreigners in South Africa has forced 13,000 people to flee their homes, the UN said Tuesday, as President Thabo Mbeki pleaded for an end to a “shameful” show of xenophobia.
South Africa has achieved a measure of practical tolerance and reconciliation that most nations could only dream about. And yet here we are.
Of the many truths that need to be highlighted and examined this election, perhaps the most important is that John McCain is bereft of integrity, and appears to be pretty comfortable with lying about most any subject. That may seem an obvious one to you and I, but there are still an enormous number of people out there who are under a different impression, mostly left over from 2000.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtZlR3zp4c&e[/youtube]
It’s the Joint Services Open House this weekend at Andrews AFB. If you’ve ever wanted to sit in a tank, climb through a helicopter, or see the fighter jets up close, this is the way to do it without enlisting. There are also flyovers by the Blue Angels, parachute jumps by the Golden Knights, and lots of other demonstrations. I’ve been going to these things for most of my life, and there’s always something new and interesting. But if you’re a kid? It’s *really* cool.
It runs from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Saturday and Sunday. Since you’ve already paid for the event with a hefty chunk of your paycheck, there’s no admission charge. Parking for the event is at FedEx Field with shuttle service to Andrews AFB. There is also a shuttle to Branch Ave Metro station. Further details here, at what is one of the more painful sites I’ve come across of late. Note that you’re limited to bringing very small bags.
We were on our way to the Honolulu Zoo – walking through the edge of the concert lawn to get there – when we stopped to listen as we heard a band start its sound check. Meant nothing to me at the time, but for some reason I remember it well. Soon enough I’d recognize those opening notes:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx6t11D99tA[/youtube]
And then there was Ethan Allen Court, where most everything had to do with Star Wars or Haro freestyle bikes with mag rims. All discussed to a soundtrack involving Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky and Mike:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg2pzil1YQQ[/youtube]
When we moved, we stayed in a Waikiki hotel for a while. In the evenings, I could sometimes evade the parental leash and explore a little bit on my own. There is a section between two hotels, where a narrow concrete sidewalk separated the ocean from a poolside bar. I’d sit on that sidewalk at night, with my legs dangling over the edge. And more often than not, the bar would be playing this:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1Aj2yODys0[/youtube]
Today was National Bike to Work Day, and in DC we did it in the rain. 
WABA set up a few meeting points around the metro area, and I stopped by the one in Rosslyn. For some reason, I bothered registering this year (I usually don’t, as I don’t need any more t-shirts), and ended up winning a nice $40 bike lock for my troubles. Turnout was what one might expect for a light-rain day: the usual hardcore group, weekend racers, and the brave friends that didn’t bail on them. A shame that it wasn’t a nicer day – I hope those that bailed will give it a crack next weekend. Really, there’s much to be said for the pleasure you get flying past the barely moving traffic on I-66 or Lee Highway.
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Speaking of biking to work, the best of those that do are currently racing the sixth stage of the Giro d’Italia, one of the “Grand Tours” of pro racing. If you’re interested in following along, Cyclingfans.com is a resource without comparison for online video and audio feeds. You can take one of the video feeds (from, say, Norwegian television) and match up the Eurosport feed in whichever language you choose (I’ve switched between English and Spanish (it really is a good way to learn some new words and whatnot)). If you care enough to talk about it, jump over to the overhauled PodiumCafe (a completely new look, ajax-based commenting, etc.). The Giro stage coverage is generally run between 9 and 11am EDT, Sunday stages are available on Versus, and the race goes through June 1st. Give it a look.
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There’s an interesting article on the efficacy and saftey of bike lanes over at the BikePortland site. I’m a vehicular cyclist – that is, I act like a car on the road – and thus am pretty sympathetic to the article that BikePortland is rather upset with. That said, I realize that not everyone is comfortable going wheel to wheel with multi-ton vehicles, and bike lanes help address that. Anyway, it’s an interesting discussion.
Freewheeling Spirit’s rant on the damage that pushing unnecessary bike bling does is spot on. There’s definitely a price floor under which you’re pretty much assuring yourself a poor experience on a bike, but there is absolutely no reason in the world to spend thousands just for a decent and serviceable bike.
(And if you like what Freewheeling Spirit has to say, check out his most excellent Bikes for the Rest of Us blog (you knew I stole that from somewhere, right?)).