Sign in

Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet

@randomduck.bsky.social
873 followers 938 following 1.8K posts

Transpo analyst. Political activist. Cycling advocate. President of Potomac Pedalers. Alpine ski racing coach. All views my own. Mastodon: @randomduck@thepit.social (not there too often) #bikeDC #ClimateChaos #AlpineSkiing #RoadCycling #GravelCycling

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
John Scalzi @scalzi.com · 8h
It's not "super intelligence." It's not even "intelligence." It continues to fuck up easy questions, like to whom I dedicated my most recent book. Also, Mike Johnson is a craven, simpering weasel and none of the people standing near him in this video respect him even the tiniest bit.
"To whom did John Scalzi dedicate The Shattering Peace"

"John Scalzi dedicated his novel The Shattering Peace to his longtime editor and friend Teresa Nielsen Hayden"
3671578
Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet @randomduck.bsky.social · 8h
Let me get this straight: "No Bars" Hegseth wants to further weaken our military leadership because of... ? Because he's finding out that these generals and other leaders swear an oath to defend the Constitution, not a bunch of grifters? The U.S. is a shell after 20 months of MAGA "leadership."
010
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 11h
Generations. Several of them.
2646869
Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet @randomduck.bsky.social · 11h
Something that always irks me about the dockless micro-mobility operators (speaking as an alumnus from one of them): they make little-to-no effort to build racks or subsidize their placement. I've been incensed when racks that typically are there for public use are swamped by Lime, Veo, Spin, etc.
150
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
The Beaverton @thebeaverton.com · 12h
Child's imaginary restaurant acquired, shuttered by private equity
thebeaverton.com
Child's imaginary restaurant acquired, shuttered by private equity
BRANDON, MB - 4-year-old Mikaela Hermer's imaginary restaurant, in which she served invisible hot dogs and ice cream to her parents and friends, has filed for bankruptcy after being acquired by Hedges...
211172288
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
fakesharrows @fakesharrows.bsky.social · 14h
crime is bad. micromobility is good. criminals using micromobility to get away doesn't make it bad. thank you for coming to my ted talk.
0152
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
John Breen @breen.tech · 28/09/2026
Finally, we’re going to find out what is actually in that spoonful of sugar
1151
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Melissa & Chris Bruntlett @modacitylife.com · 28/09/2026
"I want to shift the focus from the technical aspects to the social and political aspects.” The goal isn’t to create more cyclists. It’s to create cities where more people can live full, healthy, connected lives—and where cycling simply becomes one of the most normal ways to do that: bit.ly/4rxF9FE
Cyclists ride across a bridge in Delft.
1355
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 27/09/2026
Democrats vs. Republicans in a nutshell. This absolutely nails it.
6323481058
Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet @randomduck.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
And much of this is because he's losing his mental faculties. I've seen what dementia looks like when it really sets in. One telltale symptom is less verbal filtering and control - and that includes increased swearing in situations where such language wouldn't normally occur - e.g. in public.
041
Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet @randomduck.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
When these Indianans find their roads falling apart, their public utilities getting less reliable, their kids' schools falling apart, and their fire/EMS falling apart, they'll... still blame the Dems because that's the trope. Sigh...
000
Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet @randomduck.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This is something that is seldom talked about in the eastern U.S. because we are falsely led to believe that humid climate + verdant landscape = endless water. The western U.S. is in the midst of an epic water rights and access crisis. The east is not far behind if you're paying attention.
030
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Hawkeye8 @hawkeye8.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
58525
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Tom Flood @tomflood.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
The Discussion poster as seen in Vancouver.
A black-and-white poster on the city pole that says Community can we have a safe route for our kids to walk back to school 
City: no a driver might get mad
222955
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Metro @wmata.com · 27/09/2026
National #WeekWithoutDriving starts in FOUR days! Challenge yourself to swap at least one car trip next week for another mode of transportation. 🚆🚍🚲🚶 Whether you're heading to work, running errands, or meeting friends, this is a simple step you can take to join the challenge from Oct 1 - 8.
Infographic showing a figure walking, a Metro Bus, a Metro Rail car, and a bike in separate colorful squares. Text reads: Walk. Bike. Metro.
0277
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Trump tried to silence the White House press corps this week. Instead, he ended up silencing himself.
652215529
Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet @randomduck.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The road to hell is paved with bronzer and dementia…
010
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Colin Kennedy @ck3po.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
018549
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
bree bird 🇨🇦 @goose.ski · 22/09/2026
reminder to turn off exterior lights and draw curtains and blinds to block interior light! the children of the sky need to be able to see the stars to navigate safely :)
birdcast forecasting 336 million birds on the move tonight
213959
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Ryan @ryansimmons.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
uhh i was digitizing a box of old VHS tapes for my uncle... you guys ever hear of something called "The Mayonnaise Channel"??
2139597
Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet @randomduck.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Once again I'll post this: both POTUS and VPOTUS should have completely open medical records. Same with SecDef, SecState, et al. Yes, *completely* open. These people have their hands on the controls of the war machine and the health and welfare of the citizens. And the citizens deserve to know.
020
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Miranda Yaver @mirandayaver.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I’m sure all the reporters who breathlessly reported on Biden’s decline will be all over this, right? Right??
40918164
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A #WarOnWalking. A war on biking. A war on public transit. A war on any transportation choice other than driving. A war on better cities. But a war on cars? Hardly. Cars still get most of the space, rights, budget, prioritization, etc. And any effort to add more choice is immediately attacked.
5368112
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
NYT has now independently corroborated all the major allegations against Susan Collins in the ProPublica report, including that investigators were prepared to move against her and then Trump intervened to shut it down. This put Trump in a position of exceptional and extortionate leverage over her.
nytimes.com
F.B.I. Shut Down Inquiry Into Top Ally of Senator Susan Collins
The inquiry was closed last year because senior bureau officials questioned the veracity of a campaign donor’s account, according to current and former officials.
24982213340
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Erin Lockwood @erinkaylockwood.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
This is human trafficking on a massive scale.
332304780
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
FilmAlicia @filmalicia.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Thanks to the teachers defending freedom of religion and freedom from religion at the possible cost of their jobs: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Not set in stone: teachers are defying mandates to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms
Some educators are pushing back in class and in court against the display of the religious code in public schools
292
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Hoodlum 🇺🇸 @nothoodlum.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Marco Rubio: “Iranians are radical religious lunatics.” Also: Have you met Paula White, the White House faith advisor?
2521180445896
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 22/09/2026
IT IS TIME. buff.ly/pykYN6f
buff.ly
It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers
For the seventeenth year: Welcome to autumn, fuckheads.
6449188
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Paul Eric @pauleric70.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Walter Cronkite: After liberating execution camps… Germans (who cried) they didn’t know…were as as guilty as Nazis…because they applauded when Hitler shut down (media) and said, ‘We don’t need to know. We trust our government...’ It’s our duty to know.
242209884
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Schrödinger's Sneetch Belly @rtodkelly.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Please know that this is one of my few legitimate areas of actual, high-level professional expertise: Kicking the healthiest people off of a health insurance program will bankrupt it. Not 'could;' not 'might,' not 'probably," but absolutely will, with mathematical certainty.
25768272244
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
TW @twesq.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
this is fantastic and I learned something new
562652403
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Pat Bagley @bagleycartoons.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
It is happening here
213045
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Free DC @freedcproject.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
DoorDash seems to not care that ICE agents are shooting their workers while they on the job. Community members are the ones who have gotten Wilber medical attention in detention and legal support — without a single shred of help from this multibillion dollar corporation profiting off his labor.
An NBC News article reads: “Garcés Perez, who Lincoln-Goldfinch said lives in Austin, is a DoorDash driver. In an email, a company spokesperson confirmed Garcés Perez was making a delivery at the time, adding that DoorDash is investigating and would not release more information “at this time.””
5425170
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
This is one of my biggest pieces of advocacy advice: Less arguing, more agreeing. Accept the premise that people are concerned about emergency access, disability access, deliveries, etc. Then propose simple solutions to all of these things. You'll see how genuine the concern really is.
0548
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Josh Kaplan @josh-kaplan.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Blockbuster story about Susan Collins — a shocking, detailed window into the dark side of money in politics.
13429114
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Ben McAdams (The Resurrection Arc) @purrtah.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
YO WHAT Star Trek Voyager’s Tom Paris is running as a Democrat for a County Council Seat in Utah’s Wasatch County www.parkrecord.com/2026/09/11/w...
parkrecord.com
Wasatch County Council candidate Robert McNeill values transparency, accountability - Park Record
Heber City resident and hopeful political newcomer Robert Duncan McNeill is stepping in as the Democratic candidate for Wasatch County Council at-large Seat A.
1738394
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Mark A. Rayner @markarayner.com · 22/09/2026
This setup really puts the "loo" in ballooning. #prollyAI #balloon #loom #humor #humour
balloon basket with a toilet inside and a roll of toilet paper on the outside.
041
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
PoPville @popville.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Did you know DC now has a professional Volleyball Team? Meet DC Flight. Playing their home games at The Anthem!! - Pretty cool, play begins in January 2027: www.popville.com/2026/09/did-...
popville.com
Did you know DC now has a professional Volleyball Team? Meet DC Flight. Playing their home games at The Anthem!! - PoPville
From a press release: "DC Flight revealed its full brand identity (Thursday) and named The Anthem its home court for the 2027 Major League Volleyball season. The club made both announcements at its in...
0123
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
John Breen @breen.tech · 22/09/2026
This could more accurately be described as fascist state press. You know, like the Nazis had?
2375
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
READ THIS: How Amsterdam became the bicycle capital of the world. In the 1960s, Dutch cities saw cars as the transport of the future. It took the intolerable toll of child traffic deaths —and fierce activism— to turn #Amsterdam into the urban biking nirvana of today. It took vision and leadership.
theguardian.com
How Amsterdam became the bicycle capital of the world
In the 1960s, Dutch cities were increasingly in thrall to motorists, with the car seen as the transport of the future. It took the intolerable toll of child traffic deaths – and fierce activism – to t...
12343124
Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet @randomduck.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Excellent assessment of McConnell’s incapacity. This is basic elder abuse, at the very least. Much like Feinstein’s last years (where she was functionally gone), Mitch has no business being in office right now - hasn’t since his fall.
120
Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet @randomduck.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Exactly this. Frankly, there needs to be a hard age cap on elected office, especially at the federal level. And if an elected official can’t serve in their duties for more than a 2 week period (i.e. the same sick+vacation leave most folks get) they must resign. Simple but needed.
210
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Fietser Brandon @americanfietser.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Earth, welcome to The War on Cars.
614018
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Pat Bagley @bagleycartoons.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
03212
Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet @randomduck.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Agreed. The current administration in Israel is doing abhorrent things out of a seeming lust for revenge. This never ends well, and who suffers? The people - both of Israel and Gaza (and elsewhere). Everyone deserves a right to live in peace, but the Likud government has forgotten this. Shameful.
000
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Brandon Friedman @brandonfriedman.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
That's $4.1 million per DAY he's been making since the election. And remember, he isn't even allowed to have another job while he's president. This is pure corruption. Trump is the most successful white-collar criminal to ever live.
13606176
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Sen. Danica Roem @pwcdanica.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I’m glad Governor @abigailspanberger.com cleaned up her predecessor’s mess by correctly noting an executive agency can’t just issue a rule to override the Code of Virginia (specifically the #Virginia Human Rights Act) to single out & stigmatize trans constituents. #valeg www.wvtf.org/news/2026-09...
wvtf.org
Spanberger quietly kills Youngkin-era transgender rulemaking effort
“There’s no legal authority to move forward with rulemaking and prior administrations may have tried to create lanes and we’re not doing that,” Gov. Abigail Spanberger said.
3270104
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
monkeyrotica @monkeyrotica.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
it bears repeatin
Patton (1970) The Nazis...are the enemy.Wade into them!Spill their blood! Shoot them in the belly!
085
Reposted by Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet
Picard Tips @picardtips.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Picard management tip: Error is the great teacher, memorable and valuable. Embrace it. Let it educate you.
112624
Rudi "Cooler Weather = Better" Riet @randomduck.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
This is basically how most Division 1 universities are: the big-hype athletics programs bring in alumni donations, the hospitals serve the public good, and the academics are... somewhere, probably.
110