Category Archives: government

no, george, that’s not the way to go

Apparently the Bush administration wants to try and make itself and other U.S. officials immune from war crimes charges, further distancing itself from both the Geneva Conventions and any accountability for its flawed military actions: The Bush administration has drafted amendments to a war crimes law that would eliminate the risk of prosecution for political …

09/08/2006 – 23:43 | By randomduck | Posted in government, insecurity, politics, theocons | Comments (1)

i have no more respect for them

That’s my $0.02 on the government of Israel, given the ongoing military action they are taking against Hizbullah. Israel refuses to honor the UN-brokered truce, stating that it would give their adversaries time to rebuild, regroup, and “build human shields” against attack. For a so-called “peace-loving” nation-state, that’s not exactly a pacifist stance, nor is …

30/07/2006 – 01:21 | By randomduck | Posted in government, politics, random, theocons | Comments (2)

workout log: 18 july 2006

Activity: road cycling Location: Dupont Circle > Potomac/Avenel, MD Distance: 34.7 miles (moderately hilly) Duration: 1:57 Weather: hot and humid, 96 degrees Avg HR: 164 (max 184) Type: aerobic PPTC “Downtown Breakaway” ride. Terrible turnout due to the heat index, which was close to 105. I rode strong, stayed hydrated, all good. Ended up riding …

18/07/2006 – 21:02 | By randomduck | Posted in cycling, government, outdoors, washington, dc, workout | Comments Off

keillor’s wit

I’ve always found the humor of Garrison Keillor to be top notch: subtle, yet biting, reflective upon the quirks (good and bad) about the United States and its overall condition. A Prairie Home Companion (and its short-lived intermi version, American Radio Theatre) has never failed to entertain, and Keillor’s books are fun reads on a …

12/06/2006 – 00:38 | By randomduck | Posted in dems, government, insecurity, politics, random, theocons | Comments Off

taking the constitution to the cleaners – again

Leave it to the completely clueless Bush administration to once again hack into the Constitution it has supposedly sworn to “preserve, protect and defend.” Today, President Bush signed into law the “Respect for America’s Fallen Heroes Act,” which prevents anti-war demonstrations from taking place at or near military or Federal cemetaries. From the CNN.com article: …

29/05/2006 – 18:29 | By randomduck | Posted in government, insecurity, politics, theocons | Comments Off

on my bad side: the u.s. postal service

Normally I’m quite happy with the US Postal Service. Today is not one of those days. You see, one of my birthday presents was shipped via US Postal Service’s Express Mail – not usually a big deal, especially given that I was home for all of yesterday morning (thus fitting a pre-noon delivery perfectly).

17/05/2006 – 14:53 | By randomduck | Posted in cycling, government, random, washington, dc | Comments Off

why cafe standards need to be scrapped

With the increasing prices of sweet light crude oil forcing petrol prices to increase, there’s talk on The Hill about how to “fix” the problem. After all, the United States is built around the automobile – one of the most misguided evolutions in the history of nation building, but I digress. Personally, I believe that …

10/05/2006 – 13:13 | By randomduck | Posted in government, insecurity, politics, tech | Comments Off

ohio 1970

On this day in 1970, four Kent State University students were killed by National Guardsmen while protesting the Vietnam War. The soldiers, whose mission was to protect the United States, instead killed those they were charged with protecting. Krause, Miller, Scheuer and Schroeder died while exercising their right to protest. And I fear that something …

04/05/2006 – 09:38 | By randomduck | Posted in government, insecurity, music, politics | Comments Off

preserve internet neutrality

Yesterday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee defeated an amendment to the the Barton-Rush Act, a bill that will affect the broadband telecommunications industry. This particular amendment requires the internet to be “neutral,” and would prevent phone and cable companies from instituting tolls and pay-as-you-go pricing for internet services. However, after yesterday’s 34-22 vote to …

28/04/2006 – 10:21 | By randomduck | Posted in dems, government, insecurity, mass media, tech | Comments Off

taxes done

Thanks to a bit of a search (thanks, sprite), the tax forms (W-2, 1040 and D-40) were found and filled out. End result: I owe the feds and the District owes me. The totals don’t balance out, but that’s okay by me. At least they’re done.

08/04/2006 – 01:21 | By randomduck | Posted in government, random | Comments (3)