Bike Project Updates - 4/29/12

eBaby - Took the first successful longer ride. Eleven miles in under an hour with only minor technical issues. It won't stay in the two lowest rear gears without me holding the shifter level. Should be an easy fix. The good news is that those two low gears make steep hills much easier. The only other issue was my aching back. Apparently the handlebars are just too low. Fortunately I was able to find a high-rise stem for cheap on eBay. It should be here next week.

Twins - So it seems that the twins will be more work than expected. I thought it odd the way that the paint came off in big chips. A little research revealed that they are probably covered in lead paint. Now I have to build a virtual hazmat suit to work on the things. I'll strip off the old paint an cover them with something safer.


Collie - I found a Columbia 10-speed frame and fork on the sidewalk. I don't need another project but I had a columbia when I was a kid so I have a soft spot.

100 Words - Adab

Adab ruled the darkness. They say that in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king, but that argument falls apart when the sun goes down. Adab moved swiftly and fearlessly through the familiar landscape. The one-eyed man stumbled and fell and was dispatched with a silent stroke of Adab's blade. She tasted his blood and laughed into the night. The travelers found the headless corpse propped up against the tree at the crossroads. Even the dullest among them understood and wished to head the warning. After much discussion they went back the way they came. Wise move.

100 words - Max's Revenge

Max stepped out of the store into the evening mist. Half rain, half fog, all discomforting. The clerk hesitated at the door. She replayed the scene in her head searching for the moment of offense but found none. Why had he suddenly scowled, turned and walked out the door?

A limo pulled up and Max got in. On the floor, wrapped in bloody rags, was the man who sold his nephew the heroin. Carlson, the driver, turned to Max smiling the smile that Max so disliked but so depended upon. They left the city in search of some place dark.

Writing update

Last night I actually finally started rewriting my second novel, UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS. It needs tons-o-work but it doesn't suck, which is a good start.

100 Words - Man Enough

Noise and light. Power and glory. Wheel and road. Nightmare visions. Doom is coming for your daughters. Hide them in the basement, no the attic. Get your weapons. Stand your ground. Be the hero of your dreams. Protect the loved ones. Be worthy of their faith. None of your failures matter now. All or nothing. Sainthood or damnation. The razor's edge of fate. The book of life waits to be written. Will children sing your name? Will old women spit on your grave? Only failure can lift this burden from you. What is your comfort worth? Are you man enough?

A Book Worth Reading

A MIND NOT WORTH CONTROLLING, by Joshua Price

OK, I need to say it, this is a stupid book, and I mean that in the best possible way. I don't think there's a humor writer who didn't write at least one story featuring a silly, incompetent but somehow successful crime fighter. My own attempts featured the oddly-named Captain Calypso who I say humbly never had the gusto or outrageousness of A MIND NOT WORTH CONTROLLING's hero Captain Rescue.

"Where are the bad guys?!" Captain Rescue bellowed. "I will kill them!"

To a fan of stupid heroes, as I am, this is poetry. The plot, the characters and especially the conclusion are audacious and ridiculous. For people unfamiliar with the stupid hero genre, forget it, you won't get it. Though the story may be short enough to survive the average reader's suspension of expectation of seriousness.

Book Review: 101 Puzzle Quizes

This book is very frustrating. Not because the puzzles are too easy or too difficult, but because many of the puzzles have multiple correct answers and only the author's intended answer is accepted. This shows a lack of attention to detail, or at least a lack of imagination.

For example: Puzzle number 25 shows three unfolded shapes made up of attached triangles and asks which does not belong. There are four correct answers.

Shape A is the only one where the triangles laid flat form a larger triangle.

Shape A is also the only one where one triangle is completely surrounded by other triangles.

Shape B is the only parallelogram.

Shape C, when folded, does not form a solid object. (the "correct" answer)

This lack of a singular correct answer is a shame because the book contains a nice variety of difficulty and puzzle types.