randomduck

A few things for the late night:

1. Today’s definitely a recovery day. I got home from work and reading for class, plopped into the living room chair, and fell asleep for a 30-minute power nap. After that, I cooked turkey and TVP chili - yum!
2. The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson just had The Wiggles on as the musical guest. That’s right: a group that plays for toddlers was on at 1:25 in the morning - when their target audience is supposed to be asleep. To the show’s credit, the studio audience had many children in attendance.
3. The Tuesday “Downtown Breakaway” ride might be stymied by predicted thunderstorms, which would be a drag. I’m looking forward to a good ride, but it might have to wait a few more days.
4. We have company coming this weekend, and The Burrow needs some more cleaning. But the bathroom is mostly done - the worst parts I tackled last night.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Activity: road cycling
Location: Dupont Circle, DC > Potomac, MD
Distance: 45.9 miles (hilly, then mostly flat)
Duration: 2:08 (first 39.0 miles) & 0:48 (last 6.9 miles)
Weather: sunny, 70 degrees
Avg HR: 158 (max. 183) & 140
Type: aerobic

This was one ride, but in two phases.

The first phase was a hardcore ride: going at a high pace, high-exertion level. This, my heart rate was up quite a bit. But I had an average speed of 17.5 mph. for this part, and I felt good: excellent pace, no muscle cramp, good fluid and electrolyte intake. My prep for metric and English centuries goes quite well.

The second phase was tacked on when sprite called me from her ride, wondering if I’d like to join her for the return leg. She was on the C&O Canal Towpath, so I rode down through Georgetown (I was a mile from home when she called), joined the muddy path, and rode out to meet her at Fletcher’s Boathouse. This ride was a good cool down ride, and also great for working on an even spin and balance (a road bike on a muddy trail is not exactly the most stable of beasts). And we saw geese, ducks, turtles and cormorants, which was simply wonderful.

Popularity: 13% [?]

This past weekend, the Washington Post ran a profile of frequent Daily Kos author Maryscott O’Connor. In “The Left, Online and Outraged”, O’Connor is painted as a loud, extremist nut. Her response, posted on her My Left Wing blog, doesn’t do much to disagree with the Post’s conclusions: that Maryscott - and the majority of the left-wing blogosphere - is angry and militant.

And frankly, from reading her posts over the past few years, I have a hard time believing she’s anything but, or that quite a bit of the liberal and progressive blogosphere doesn’t fall into the same basic description. And they have every right to do what they do, spreading the word, exposing the theocons for the maniupulative thieves that many in power are, and keep the fires burning.

The problem is: they don’t represent the entirety of the liberal and progressive movement in the United States - they’re just the most overtly vocal. And therein lies the rub: as they’re the ones being covered by the media, they’re seen as the de facto spokespeople for all progressives and liberals. And because they come across as (at least) mildly weird and wild, they’re easy pickings for the conservative politicos and media:

“See those Democrats? They’re loony! They’re a bunch of left-wing nuts - how can we trust them?”
Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 18% [?]

Activity: road cycling
Location: Dupont Circle, DC > Potomac/Avenel, MD
Distance: 27.6 miles (moderately hilly)
Duration: 1:41
Weather: sunny, 70 degrees
Avg HR: 136 (max: 165)
Type: aerobic

PPTC “Downtown Breakaway” ride. Each week has a slightly different, slightly longer route, owing to longer daylight hours as summer approaches. Today’s route included the Mountain Gate hill in Avenel: 3/4 mile of steep, unrelenting hill. Basically, you’re stuck in whatever gear you start in at the bottom, so planning is key. It catches new riders by surprise, and the swearing heard among the ranks of fast, new riders as you pass them is quite an experience. But I managed to keep up with the fast BB/slow A riders today, even after their paceline made a break on the ride back along MacArthur Boulevard - my solo spin on moderately flat terrain is getting better. I think they broke away when I developed a tiny cramp in my right calf. It worked its way out as I spun along (higher cadence in a slightly lower gear - about 106 rpm. - allows for the quadriceps to take over for a while). Allergies didn’t do much, with a slightly runny nose that was easily cleared.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Activity: road cycling
Location: Somers, CT > Wilbraham & Hampden, MA
Distance: 21.2 miles (moderately hilly)
Duration: 1:10
Weather: sunny with wind, 78 degrees
Avg HR: 137 (max: 172)
Type: aerobic

Being free of the allergies from down south, my pace benefitted: I averaged 18.6 miles per hour on this ride, despite the presence of some decent hills and a steady headwind/crosswind for over 2/3 of the ride. I felt very energetic throughout, though i fought through a bit of a side-stitch from mile 15 to mile 17 (a bit of diluted iced tea and a fast-but-light spin fixed that). If I have the time tomorrow, I’ll squeeze in another ride for good measure.

Popularity: 11% [?]

For a long time, I’ve been galled at people who use religion as a tool of oppression, fear and political gain. Growing up in Utah, I saw a lot of this first-hand, and the BushCo Republicans and other theocons are constantly using their own twisted interpretations of Christ’s teachings to inspire fear and hatred, bringing the United States back many, many generations and harming the fabric of the nation. They are dangerous, misinformed and tunnel-visioned to the point where they don’t realize the harm they accomplish.

So with that, I give you a link to this wonderful post at Daily Kos. It’s a wonderful reflection on Christ and Christianity from a non-Christian, and seems most appropriate on the eve of Easter, the holiest of holy days in the Christian traditions.

“If I Were Christian”

Popularity: 14% [?]