Being A Failed Creative Is Much Less Expensive, Nowadays

My social world is widening, nowadays, and with it, an awareness that I could get back into writing slush-pile work by PDF publishing. My gaming group is now playing a sci-fi campaign, after a very long run of medieval fantasy. As the unofficial space/aviation lead geek, I've been tasked with making starship, vehicle, and construction designs. It's worked out better than expected. I've been learning a great deal about Roman history, for example, because one adventure required getting a road built. So, some low-quality, generic game aids could be written, and sold for $0.99 each. If it flops, no great loss. No longer do you have to spend your inheritance to get one bad game published (two kids in New Jersey did just that, with Gareth Micheal Skarka running the project). The bar can be raised for John Wick (remember that enfant terrible?) at an incredibly low cost, essentially just time spent. You'll love how I intend to do illustrations, artwork being what it is...

Not Getting Back In The Airplane...

One of the things that is most painful in life, is realizing new limitations. Tripped out as I am over my bicycle, I must reluctantly admit that I have no business getting back into a cockpit. I'm too old. The baseball statisticians, called sabermetricians, track player stats, and note when a player is past his prime. Albert Pujols is beginning his descent. I used to be a pretty good stick-and-rudder guy, but my reflexes and eyesight just won't cut it anymore. Additionally, with all the new restrictions, I can't go buzzing around VFR anymore without interrupting someones fundraiser. It is very hard to pull over at the next convenience store, to hit the latrine, in a small piston single. Arthur C. Clarke famously said that he would wait for the passenger space service to start, and I wholeheartedly agree with him. :)

7.8 MPH!

My average speed. That's 3.48 meters per second, a little over 0.01 Mach. Not the number I used to read, but it feels like Warp 7.8, all the same. The bike shop wizard fixed EVERYTHING. It rides magnificently. GREAT brakes. SMOOTH shifting. My action radius is now over 3 km. Hard to stop saying combat radius. The feeling of liberation on the bicycle is amazing. Additionally, I am now averaging 16 days between filling my gas tank. Problem: My reflexes are not what they used to be. I now have a Vne, Vs, and other limiting airspeeds. There is definitely a yellow range arc on the ASI. Anything above 20 statute, IAS, is redline on the ASI. Fortunately, this is a very forgiving bicycle, and my Vs is quite slow. That makes for a huge white arc on the ASI. Saddlebags are next.

Made It To The Next Target!

Made it both ways to the convenience store, today. That's about 1400 meters, round-trip. The rear brake is fixed. The front derailleur till won't go to 3. The bike is geared in three groups on the front, and seven on the rear. 21 gears possible. Fortunately, the 3 band isn't needed, except at long, flat stretches. At 1-1, just about everything is climbable...2-7 handles most of the short to medium range work. Now, for a shower.

Happy Independance Day, Indeed!

I rode my bike today. Got her out of the shed, a little washdown, inflate the tires, adjust the seat. The rear brake has issue, as does the front derailleur, but I patched up enough to work. The old horn has to go. A new speedometer is required. The bike shop is the next stop. Tire pressures held throughout the ride. I rode around the park, and, up back the hill AND driveway under my own power, without dismounting! On a hot July afternoon! I drank water instead of soda on the return. Fortunately, I did not over exert, nor was there any sign of respiratory or cardiac strain. I can now ride daily. This will improve my outlook in so many ways. All it took was the initial effort to get the bike out of the shed.

Observations 12 MAY 2013

I'm back. And, I got outside, today. I've lost touch with the outside world, in more ways than one. It's been a strange year. The weather has not co-operated, leaving me with mot much to do but sit inside, and save cash. I have successfully EBayed off a fair amount of my stuff, but more remains. Today, I took the remains of a table, and dead lamps, etc. to the curb for collection. Still employed. Feeling a little down, as the Great Recession is still exerting itself on the job market. As part of the involuntary austerity program, I'm not traveling out of the house much, and it takes an effort just to do ordinary grocery shopping. I should have got out on the bike this weekend, but did not. I'm starting to take the stairs down at work. Seven floors is a reasonable distance, and getting crushed by the stampede floors 5&6 at the end of the day is no fun. I have also discovered that they tend to throw themselves down the out-ramp of the garage, in minivans and SUV's, in kamikaze waves. The garage elevators open onto traffic lanes as well, very dangerous. Never seen a garage like it. Madness. It can take twenty minutes to exit. Stadium East Garage was paradise, compared to this. Classical music is back on the air at 107.3 FM. The Radio Arts Foundation, risen from the ashes of Classic 99, has a 250 watt signal coming off the Maplewood tower. I'm one of the rare listeners with HD in the car, so 96.3-2 FM carrying the same stream is also available. Life got so much better. Traveling in dead silence, had been the somber norm for too long. The BBC just announced a six part Poldark remake, nearly a year after Angharad Rees died. Symbolic? The ISS is in trouble. Politics is a mess. Taking a nap has been a too-attractive alternative. Must get out more.

Internet Political Board Poster Meets Real Life

http://www.strangebeaver.com/2012/09/smart-ass-learns-not-to-run-his-mouth-at-the-court-house/

http://video.kxly.com/watch.php?id=31357

Snark Can Kill

http://lifehacker.com/5921655/the-snarky-voice-in-your-head-is-killing-your-productivity-heres-how-to-stop-it

"Snark/sarcasm/contempt is always an indicator that something else is going on in a given situation. When it's appropriate, it tells people that you're not going to let others push you around. When it's inappropriate it shows that you feel the need to make yourself "bigger" than others. That need to put one's self above others can be a symptom of depression or some personality disorders (of course, there would have to be other symptoms present to justify a diagnosis). That being said, perpetually putting others down can be indicative of insecurity, narcissism, negative thought patterns, or jealousy. If those things are present, then you definitely want to address it because it's likely to affect your relationships negatively."

The Old Neighborhood Is Getting Worse.

Just had a lurk at the old political board. Some of the posters over there are threatening to "out" opposing poster's personal information. That pretty much cools any nostalgia for said board. The mods have not acted. I, however, remain the banned Anti-Christ.

Thank you, God, for keeping me out of there.

Odds And Ends

Labrooke's has Obama at 4/11 (73%, 11 chances to win out of 15), Romney at 2/1 (33%, one chance to win out of three) odds. These are winner take all for the final win.

Here in MO they have McCaskill at 4/7, Akin at 5/4

Intrade: Obama 56.8%/Romney 43.2%, McCaskill 63.3%/Akin 36.7%

Iowa Electronic Markets (winner-take-all, raw popular votes): Obama 64.4%, Romney 35.6%

Literally putting your money where your mouth is. Personally, I think outstate MO *is* crazy enough to put Akin into the Senate.

Observations Friday 24 AUG 2012

Busy, busy, busy.

More tubs have gone out to recycle or donations. More interviews.

With Todd Akin and Hurricane Isaac, late August is just a little bit less boring. Most amusing, in fact.

Eating fruit, now, for snacking. Drinking fruit juices and water. The End Is Nigh.

Geese Heading South- In August

In the last week I noted geese headed south, a month or so early.

The critters know more than we do about the weather...