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

Month: May 2012 Page 1 of 2

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tango dancers in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Galata Bridge, Istanbul

Fishing off the Galata Bridge, Istanbul, Turkey

North River Gorge Trail

North River Gorge Trail, George Washington National Forest, Shenandoah Mountains, Virginia

Hoover Dam

The Hoover Dam & Lake Mead, from Arizona side

ROC-a-Bye, Baby

Sign in Tapei train station.

Grote Markt

The Grote Markt (Grand Place) of Brussels.  17th century guildhouses and more.

Luna Park

Luna Park on Milsons Point in Sydney, Australia

Stone Town, Zanzibar

Pushing a bike along the beach at Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Virginia Fails at Basic Human Decency. Again.

As you’ve certainly heard by now, Bigot Extraordinare Rep. Bob Marshall and the clown show that is the Virginia GOP continued Virginia’s grand tradition of hatefulness when:

[T]he judicial nomination of Mr. Thorne-Begland, a former Navy fighter pilot who is gay, was sabotaged by an ugly campaign of homophobic bigotry led by Virginia Republicans. In a vote at 1 a.m. Tuesday, the GOP-dominated House of Delegates, with an avowed homophobe leading the charge, killed his candidacy, thereby ensuring that Virginia state courts remain free of openly gay judges.

The usual attempts to obfuscate and cast doubt upon the reasons behind the vote have quickly made their appearances, of course.  While Virginia’s got a well established tradition of narrow-mindedness and willingness to use the power of the state to discriminate, one thing it simply cannot stand is actually labeling these actions for what they are.  Waldo Jaquith does a great job of sorting out the vote here.

On Bullying (Mitt’s and Otherwise)

Looks like Mitt Romney participated in some pretty foul acts, in high school.

So, I don’t think any adult should be condemned for an act undertaken in childhood/teenage years. But I don’t think it’s at all unfair to judge him on how he handles looking back at it from adulthood.

I not only witnessed – but participated in – some awful behavior towards other kids. Did it kinda sorta make sense at the time? Sure. But as an adult, I look back, and I’m horrified at what a bunch of little monsters we were. And given the chance, I’d apologize a million times over for it.

So when you’re given a chance, as an adult, to own up to it, and you equivocate?

Screw you. You’re a shitty human being.

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