Just a few things that have crossed my mind in the past few days:

  • aloo gobi is really, really good and really, really simple to prepare.
  • before my next really long bike ride, I need to use some Body Glide or Chamois Butt’r on my… posterior.
  • the video iPod is a wonderful piece of technology.
  • tourists in DC seem to leave all common sense at the door when it comes to using our Metro system.
  • I’m getting more accustomed to the “triple-H” weather here in DC – never thought it would happen, not that I particularly like it.
  • there’s only one race in the upcoming DC Democratic primary that has me truly interested: At-Large Council (I’m backing Phil Mendelson, in case you’re curious – that means you, Ward 2 Dems!).
  • I have a mosquito bite right where my watch band’s ends meet – it itches a lot, very bothersome.
  • the Tour de France is much more interesting this year, thanks to Lance’s retirement and the decimation of the field with the Spanish doping inquiry.
  • it was cool to see pictures of all of the Beatles’ family and friends at the premiere of Love, their new Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas.

Like I said, it’s random.

And one more thing: I think that Joe Lieberman has finally given up on the Democratic party, as he’s launching a petition campaign to get on the November ballot regardless of the outcome of the August 8 primary against Ned Lamont. And even though he wants to, he can’t run as an “independent petitioning Democrat” per Connecticut election laws:

Sec. 9-453u. (Formerly Sec. 9-378m). Reservation of party designation.

(a) An application to reserve a party designation with the Secretary of the State and to form a party designation committee may be made at any time after November 3, 1981, by filing in the office of the secretary a written statement signed by at least twenty-five electors who desire to be members of such committee.

(b) The statement shall include the offices for which candidates may petition for nomination under the party designation to be reserved but shall not include an office if no elector who has signed the application is entitled to vote at an election for such office.

(c) The statement shall include the party designation to be reserved which (1) shall consist of not more than three words and not more than twenty-five letters; (2) shall not incorporate the name of any major party; (3) shall not incorporate the name of any minor party which is entitled to nominate candidates for any office which will appear on the same ballot with any office included in the statement; (4) shall not be the same as any party designation for which a reservation with the secretary is currently in effect for any office included in the statement; and (5) shall not be the word “none”, or incorporate the words “unaffiliated” or “unenrolled” or any similarly antonymous form of the words “affiliated” or “enrolled”.

The emphasis in section C is my own.

Joe is worried that he’ll lose to an upstart candidate. He’s also afraid that the Connecticut Democratic machine can’t control the primary. And frankly, this petition drive shows that Joe is no longer a party player: he’s in this for himself. He’s not willing to accept that the voting electorate in his own party wants a change.

It’s very, very sad – the man is addicted to his office, and can’t stand the fact that it’s the people that choose whether he stays or goes. He’s afraid of his own people.

Now let’s see what the DSCC has to say. Sen. Hillary Clinton has already promised to support the Democratic candidate, “whoever that is,” yet Sen. Shumer (head of the DSCC) has stated that he’s going to back Lieberman, regardless of the outcome of the primary. I sense that this could lead to a bit of a schism within the party (like it needs another one). I just hope that the DSCC supports the winner of the primary, whether it’s Lieberman or Lamont.

And I, for one, hope it’s Lamont.