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

Month: August 2008 Page 6 of 9

Update on Alice Swanson and Prabhdeep Ranahawa Investigations

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On August 13, 2008

In Cycling, DC, Virginia

Last month, two cyclists in the greater DC area were killed. The public reactions were very different – Alice Swanson‘s death garnered much attention, while Prabhdeep Ranahawa‘s received almost none. Unfortunately, there was a commonality – there has been little to no information forthcoming from law enforcement authorities about the resulting investigations.

It looks like WABA will be meeting with the DC MPD to push the issue. I just rec’d a press release noting:

On Friday, August 15, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) will meet with the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to express concerns over recent actions by the department that are contributing to the sense that bicyclists and pedestrians are not being adequately protected on Washington, DC’s roadways.  These actions include:

•    the failure to provide information about the investigation into the death of Alice Swanson;
•    an ill-timed enforcement program targeting cyclists; and
•    the failure to cite a driver for fleeing the scene of a crash.

It also notes that the Swanson family is pursuing its own investigation, and is looking for witnesses.

Witnesses are also needed by the police in Prince William County, who are still trying to determine what happened in 13 year old Prabhdeep’s case:

Investigators have spoken with multiple witnesses, but are seeking anyone who can help fill the missing informational gaps in the case, said Officer Brian D. Gardner with the Prince William County Police Department’s crash investigation unit.

“At 6:45 in the evening there’s got to be more witnesses,” Gardner said. “And we’re not concerned that they did not come forward immediately. Some may think what they witnessed is insignificant, but that may not be the case.”

Around 6:45 p.m. July 29, police say a blue 2003 BMW 320i struck the Dale City boy, who was apparently crossing Hoadly Road near Olivewood Drive on his bicycle. He died at the scene.

Investigators have gathered strong physical evidence, Gardner said, but are still trying to determine what direction he was coming from and where he was going.

Gardner said it is believed that at least one man was asked to leave the scene before police arrived and hopes he and anyone else that may have happened to see the accident will come forward.

I hope both of these efforts are successful.

The US *Denied* Military Assistance to Israel?

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On August 13, 2008

In Policy, Politics

From Haaretz:

The American administration has rejected an Israeli request for military equipment and support that would improve Israel’s ability to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.

[ . . . ]

The Americans viewed the request, which was transmitted (and rejected) at the highest level, as a sign that Israel is in the advanced stages of preparations to attack Iran. They therefore warned Israel against attacking, saying such a strike would undermine American interests. They also demanded that Israel give them prior notice if it nevertheless decided to strike Iran.

Shockingly responsible behavior on the Administration’s part.

The Myth of the Free Market

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On August 13, 2008

In Policy, Politics

If you read TPM, you may have occasionally noticed that their TPM Cafe hosts regular book discussions.  Sometimes they interest me, sometimes I gloss right over them.  But the latest – concerning James Galbraith’s The Predator State – has had me reading every word.  Today I picked up the book itself, and if it turns out to be as promising as it seems, I will certainly have a bit to say about it.

And why would I have anything to say about it?  Well, in leading up to the book’s central claim – that “predator” industries have captured and manipulated the government for their own benefit – Galbraith examines the cover by which this goal was achieved.  That is, wholesale acceptance of the good of the “free market.”

The “free market” is one of those things that so many of us educated in the US system (I may have grown up around the world, but I got a solidly American education) take as a fundamental given.  The phrase might as well be “American as mom, apple pie, and the free market.”  Despite the fact that most Americans’ last real conversation about economic theory occured in high school (or maybe a basic macro course in college), our political discourse is saturated with claims and suppositions about the “free market.”  I don’t know how many times I’ve been in a discussion with someone who has no challenge in identifying the problem in excruciating detail, but when it comes to solving it, simply says “we’ll just leave it up to the free market!”  And this just makes my head pop.  Over and over again.  Why?

As I have been saying for years, there is no such thing as a free market.

It simply does not exist outside of theory.  It is as imaginary as philosophy’s Evil Demon (Ed) or perfect efficiency in physics.  And yet it is a fundamental given in our common discussion.  The Predator State examines and – as best I can tell – demolishes that myth.  But first, it asks what the myth accomplished in the first place:

It serves here, as it did there, mainly as a device for corralling the opposition, restricting the flow of thought, shrinking the sphere of admissible debate.  Just as even a lapsed believer kneels in church, respectable opposition demonstrates fealty to the system by asserting allegiance to the governing myth.  This in turn limits the range of presentable ideas, conveniently setting an entire panoply of reasoned discourse beyond the pale of what can be said, at least in public, but reputable people.  There is a process of internalization, of self-censorship.  Once the ruels and boundaries prescribed by the myth are understood, adherence becomes reflexive, and at the end of the day people come to think only what it is permitted to think.  The know when they might be “going too far.”

Indeed.  If this piques your interest (and I really hope it has), start with Galbraith’s own post over at TPM Cafe, and read forward from there.  If you’re feeling a bit cautious about it, that post contains a number of links to reviews of the book, and this article summarizes the aims of the book.

Free Confident City Cycling Classes in Arlington & DC

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On August 12, 2008

In Cycling, DC, Virginia

Have you noticed how many more cyclists we have out on the streets these days?  I’m thrilled to see that, personally, but sometimes I wish that these new cyclists had gotten a little help on the do’s and don’ts of riding in traffic.  Well, I was just reminded that there are a number of free Confident City Cycling classes scheduled to take place in Arlington and DC.  These classes are aimed at teaching you to:

  • Ride your bike safely and skillfully through city traffic;
  • Expand your comfort zone; and
  • Be a confident urban rider.

They do this by covering the rules of the road, avoiding the common causes of crashes, lane positioning, improving pedaling efficiency, useful accessory equipment, basic bike maintenance and repair.  Optional one hour on-road bike session follows in most classes.

These courses are sponsored by DC and Arlington, and run by WABA.  Registration is required.  You can sign up here or call 202-213-1459.

Schedule:

Sat, August 23, 10 am-1 pm Madison CC,
3829 N. Stafford St.
1 hr on-bike session follows

Sat, Sept 6, 1pm-4pm
Turkey Thicket Recreation Center
1100 Michigan Ave., NE
Washington, DC 20017

Sat, Oct 11, 1pm-4pm
Takoma Community Center
300 Van Buren St. NW
Washington, DC 20012

Mon, Oct 20, 6-8:30 pm
Phoenix Bikes
4100 S Four Mile Run Rd

Mon, Sept 22, 4-6:30 pm
Rm 913, Arlington County Offices
2100 Clarendon Blvd
1 hr on-bike session follows

Sat, Nov 8, 10 am-1 pm
Lee CC, 5722 Lee Hwy
1 hr on-bike session follows

Children Are Our Future

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On August 12, 2008

In Society, Virginia

Arlington County Fair, 2008

Before You Get Your War On

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On August 11, 2008

In EU, Policy, Society

I expected that the Russia-Georgia confrontation would bring out some warmongering pronouncements from old men eager to spill young blood, but I didn’t realize that so many would lose all sense of perspective and reality over it.

So try to ignore these fools who seem to so desperately want us back in military confrontation with Russia, and learn a bit about the moving parts yourself. There is no clear and easy answer, and the facts on the ground keep changing. But reading up through the linked articles here and here would be a good start to your understanding of it.

Beer Is A Sin, Don’t You Know?

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On August 11, 2008

In Personal

It just boggles that you can still find more than a couple of people who can do things like this with a straight face:

A gaggle of do-gooders came to my door the other day to solicit support for their efforts to block the Shooting Creek Brewery, a brew pub not far from our home.

Conversation went something like this:

Hi, did you know there is an effort to start a brew pub that will brew and serve beer?

Isn’t that what they do at brew pubs?

Yes, but we don’t think brew pubs belong in Floyd County.

Why not?

Because drinking is a sin.

It is? Didn’t Christ serve wine to his disciples?

That’s not the point. We don’t need a brew pub in Floyd County.

Again, I ask: Why not?

Because it will corrupt our children.

I suspect the children of Floyd County, VA will have bigger problems than beer if folks like this get their way.

Mark Penn Is An Amoral Asshole

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On August 11, 2008

In Personal, Politics

For many reasons, few of which I’ve explained here, I once thought that Hillary Clinton was the best person to carry the Democratic flag in 2008.  But as much as I was comfortable in that decision, I maintained doubts about her candidacy.  And more than a few of those doubts were related to the company she kept:

The Penn memo suggesting that the campaign target Obama’s “lack of American roots” said in part: “All of these articles about his boyhood in Indonesia and his life in Hawaii are geared towards showing his background is diverse, multicultural and putting that in a new light.

“Save it for 2050. … Every speech should contain the line you were born in the middle of America American to the middle class in the middle of the last century. And talk about the basic bargain as about the deeply American values you grew up with, learned as a child and that drive you today. Values of fairness, compassion, responsibility, giving back

“Let’s explicitly own ‘American’ in our programs, the speeches and the values. He doesn’t. Make this a new American Century, the American Strategic Energy Fund. Let’s use our logo to make some flags we can give out. Let’s add flag symbols to the backgrounds.”

Fuck you, Mark Penn.  Fuck you from me and every other American that isn’t interested in your hateful and narrow little heartland view of a county that doesn’t look like you.  Fuck you and your willingness to attack the very things (say, “fairness, compassion, responsibility, giving back”) that makes this country great in service of a petty political victory.

Just Walk On By

By

On August 10, 2008

In Music, Personal

. . .

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XIIivxCtzM[/youtube]

10:15/Saturday Night: Just a Girl (at the Olympics)

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On August 9, 2008

In Cycling, Music

The Olympic women’s road race starts off at 2a EDT tonight (Sunday, actually).  In honor of that, here are some of my favorite tracks from women’s races I’ve hit in the past couple of years.

Tori Amos – Cornflake Girl

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A9PiGyxlhU[/youtube]

The Racontours – Steady, As She Goes

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7aOWIFgIZQ[/youtube]

No Doubt – Just a Girl

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygqew4RxIg8[/youtube]

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