randomduck

Gonna drop off for a weekend, as I’m heading west. I may post from Utah, but there’s no guarantee - sorry.

Popularity: 15% [?]

It’s been five years since George W. Bush and his theocon cronies, with the complicit support of congressional Democrats, brought the United States to war with Iraq.

A needless war.

A senseless war.

A deliberate diversion from the real war on terror and the pursuit of Osama bin Laden.

A war that was more about family honor and potential oil revenue than actual world and regional security.

A war that had cost this country the lives of 3,990 of its own people.

A war that has wounded over 40,000 U.S. soldiers, many severely, and has provided little to no services to them once they return from the theatre of combat.

A war that has killed hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of innocent Iraqi people.

A war that has not achieved any of its purported goals.

A war that was launched with inadequate funding, insufficient troop levels, little strategy, and no exit plan.

A war that, combined with ill-conceived tax cuts and increases in wasteful spending, has destroyed the economy of the United States.

There is no stability in Iraq since the fall of Hussein and the Ba’athists.

The price of oil has not fallen as a result of the “liberation” of the Iraqi oil fields.

The security of the United States has not been improved due to our presence in Iraq - if anything, things are far less secure on a global scale.

In going to war with Iraq, President Bush and his advisers did not remove causes of terror. To do so would have required introspection, something that none of the current occupants of the executive branch seem to be able to do, as it shows them as spineless, rudderless hypocrites.

Our war in Iraq has hastened the development of a civil war in the country. And as was the case in Vietnam, we have no business being involved in a civil war on foreign soil.

It is time to end this war and bring our troops home in an orderly way. At this juncture, as was the case in 2003, we can only cause more harm than good.

Popularity: 58% [?]

… I cried. Really.

Turn down your speakers after the count-in - it’s loud.

Popularity: 17% [?]

This Tuesday, the sole remaining tenant at RFK Stadium - DC United - opens its home season against Jamaica’s Harbour View FC in a CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal match. I’ll be there to see it all.

One of the best aspects of footy games at RFK Stadium is watching the two booster clubs - the Screaming Eagles and Barra Brava - raise a ruckus over in the floating seats on the north side of the pitch. These seats can be moved, depending on the kind of event taking place (handy when RFK hosted football and baseball games, irrelevant now that the Nats have their own, new ballpark), and this mobility makes them particularly springy. Add in the synchronized jumping of hundreds of loud, sometimes drunken fans, and the whole section bounces. It’s fun to watch from across the way.

Add to that the flag, smoke bombs, streamers and chants, and it’s almost like being in a minor league Premiership game. Okay, perhaps not, but it’s DC’s most successful sports franchise of the past 20 years.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Spring is definitely in bloom here in DC. There are flowers on the ground and buds (and even a few flowers) on the trees. The birds are singing songs of joy, and the cats are restless.

And though the ski season isn’t over for me yet - I still have trips planned to Utah and Colorado - the local hills are calling it a season after this Sunday. So it’s time to look forward toward the cycling season ahead.

Right now, there are four big rides that are in the “gonna happen” column:

• July 27: Harlem Valley Rail Ride (Millerton, NY - 100 miles)
• August 3: Shasta Super Century (Mt. Shasta, CA - 133 miles)
• September 21: PPTC Historic Backroads Century (Berryville, VA - 100 miles)
• October 12: Great River Ride (Westfield, MA - 110 miles)

I’m also toying with the idea of riding Mountains of Misery over Memorial Day weekend. It would be quite the ramp in riding to get into riding shape for said ride, but I think it’s totally possible. The ride comes in two flavors - 100 and 124 miles - so there are options, and both routes end with the 1er categorie climb up Snowshoe Mountain. It would certainly make up for my missing Mountain Mama, which falls the same weekend as the Shasta ride.

So I’m pondering. There’s a lot of open space in June and July for some epic rides.

Popularity: 19% [?]

A movie meme, as sprite lifted from one of her knitting folk.

The rules:

1. Pick 10 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. Looking them up is cheating, please don’t.

My quotes:

1. “I know I’ve made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal. I’ve still got the greatest enthusiasm and confidence in the mission. And I want to help you.” (2001: A Space Odyssey, guessed correctly by Willy)
2. “Please sir, sir, can I have one to surge me sir, please sir?” (A Hard Day’s Night, correctly guessed by Adam)
3. “Well, I wouldn’t argue that it wasn’t a no holds barred, adrenaline fueled thrill ride. But, there is no way you can perpetrate that amount of carnage and mayhem and not incur a considerable amount of paperwork.” (Hot Fuzz, correctly guessed by Adam)
4. “I’m coming. That’s what I’m here for. That’s why you had me, Mama, to save you.”
5. “I’m what you would call a teleological, existential atheist. I believe that there’s an intelligence to the universe, with the exception of certain parts of New Jersey.” (Sleeper, correctly guessed by Jenn)
6. “This never happened to the other fellow.” (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, guessed correctly by Willy)
7. “But you have to admit your cat’s dead! He’s deader than a doornail! That cat is colder than a well digger’s ass! Pretty hard to deny that isn’t it, Mr. Smartypants? Yep. Deceased. El morto. No more Mr. Kittycat.” (Rubin & Ed, correctly guessed by sprite)
8. “What is the price of one piano compared to the terrible crime that’s been committed here?” (The Pink Panther Strikes Again, correctly guessed by Karen)
9. “Some parts of my character weren’t what you’d call presidential.” (The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, correctly guessed by Adam)
10. “We are so lucky. We are so lucky to have been raised amongst catalogs.” (Best In Show, correctly guessed by Willy)

Have fun!

Popularity: 24% [?]