Earlier today, I felt a brief rumbling that was a little deeper than usual. I paused and considered, for a second, but then a helicopter (I’m in one of the primary flightpaths for Air Force One and other Pentagon helicopters) passed overhead, and I dismissed it.
Turns out there was a more interesting explanation. Huh.
The news of Deborah Palfrey’s suicide struck me as terribly sad, last week.  I couldn’t quite describe why, but a recent article by Susannah Breslin captures it well. From one of the women she interviewed for the story:
“The first thing I thought about was the incredible isolation that both of them probably felt,” she said. “Because you’re doing something that’s perceived to be so morally wrong that you’re immediately outside society, as a prostitute or a madam. You’ve got this secret life or a compartmentalized life, and then to be pushed out there and villainized — I can only imagine the incredible isolation they must have felt.”
While the body of Deborah Palfrey was hanging from the rafters (her 76 year old mother was too frail to take her down), Palfrey client David Vitter was enjoying life as a United States Senator, having recently headlined a fundraiser with President Bush.
What the hell is wrong with us?
When I saw the reports over the weekend, that state radio was saying 3,000 dead, I thought that it was probably underreporting. But I had no idea that it would get this bad:
Myanmar state radio says the cyclone death toll has risen above 22,000.
A news broadcast on government-run radio said Tuesday that 22,464 people have now been confirmed dead and thousands more are missing.
Cyclone Nargis tore through the country’s heartland and largest city, Yangon, early Saturday.
I don’t know where the most effective aid is coming from right now, but if I do find an appropriate place for contributions, I’ll be posting about it.
Saul Raisin raises a water bottle in salute to the members of the Armed Forces who have sustained traumatic brain injury in the course of their service. Saul’s Rasin Hope Foundation is dedicated to traumatic brain injury research and support.
Photos from the U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic Crystal Ride (a charity ride benefiting the Raisin Hope Foundation) are up. You can see select shots here, and a raw stream of (generally) unedited photos here.
(I’m trying something new with the select shots, using a flash gallery I’ve exported straight from Lightroom. Not sure if I like it or not.)
Sebastian Haedo of Colavita-Sutter Home won the 2008 U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic in a sprint with the help of teammate (and 2007 winner) Kyle Wamsley. 
Alex Candelario of Kelly Benefit Strategies took third. The 150km circuit race saw a few breakaway attempts, but all were shut down quickly, with Symmetrics’ Andrew Randell earning the Most Aggressive rider jersey for an all-out flyer on the final lap, getting caught only in the last 400 or so meters. This was the first UCI rated (Cat 1.2) race in the DC area within (my) memory. Hit the jump for the race-winning sprint.
If you’re in the area, and want to check out some pro racing, make some time to come down to Crystal City for the U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic (previously the Crystal City Classic). Pro race starts at 11:45a, and finishes somewhere around 2:30p. The course will take the riders around the U.S. Air Force Memorial and through Crystal City on a 12.5km circuit. Free. Details (including maps of course) here.
(If you were out there for the charity ride benefiting the Raisin Hope Foundation, and are looking for pictures, please check back soon. Thanks.)
Update: So, if you go to the race website, you’ll see a list of “media sponsors” on the right hand side. Washington Times, News Channel 8, Cyclingnews.com, etc. But if you search “U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic”, who comes up well before any of them? I do. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Update II: For pictures of the finishing sprint of the race, check here.
An interesting case study of an American manufacturing firm where solid profitability and millions in the CEO/owner’s pocket still isn’t enough to keep him from threatening to shut the whole thing down and taking it to a cheaper labor market.
The comments section to this Boing Boing post about pint glasses provides a short & useful cultural primer. Personally, I’d like to see more Imperial pints in the U.S. One (U.S.) beer is rarely enough, and a(n Imperial) pint often is.
You’ve got the stupidest bike lane in America!
(NB: Personally, I’m not a fan of bike lanes. To me, roads are bike lanes. But I do understand that bike lanes can encourage the less brave (stupid?) among us to use their bikes for transport, so I reluctantly support bike lanes . . .)
Greg Anrig, Jr. is dead-on when he says that Democrats ought to aggressively attack conservatism as a failed ideology. They got everything they ever wanted during this administration, and look where that’s gotten us.  A broken government, house-of-cards financial sector, and a war that never should have been started. All courtesy of near-complete control of the Federal government by conservatives.
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