That Burning Smell is Me Thinking…

We don’t have a TV, so we watch many of our favorite shows on Hulu. We noticed this little cryptic commercial that popped up in the last week on Hulu that has a green background, then a little animated plug, then the number 3 pops up to the left of the plug, then the number two pops up to the left of the 3.

So I read it as 23Plug. Great, what’s a 23Plug? Well, we noticed something that looks like a date under “23Plug” so we had to wait until 8/11 to find out. Today is 8/11 and I see that some General Mismanagement executive held a press conference about how the upcoming Chevy Volt will get 230 miles to the gallon. The 23Plug was behind him, I guess the plug is supposed to be a zero.

This goes to show just how terrible GM is. They put up a cryptic commercial about their miracle product that we wont see for another 2 years. They knew that oil is a finite resource, yet they abandoned their hybrid car project years ago and kept producing giant SUVs. Back in the 90s when the “Big Three” American automakers were required to share technology, Toyota wanted to be a part of it. But the Americans wouldn’t let them because they weren’t American. So Toyota went on to develop the Prius (which is now in its 3rd generation) and we won’t be able to buy a Volt for another two years. No wonder GM went bankrupt, they ended up giving us what we want instead of what we need. Also, during the past ten years Toyota has surpassed GM to become the world’s largest automaker.

The Volt better be the best car GM has ever produced. They have been saying that it will save the company, but the company has already died and been revived.

I like to touch my surroundings; It’s an odd behavior to many people. but I feel a need to do it. When I am riding my bike, I like to tap leaves on trees as I am riding past. When I walk down a hall, I like to touch the walls as I am walking. I like to tap on tables, or on my legs. When I am riding the bus or train, I tap out poly-rhythmic patterns with my hands and feet to a song in my head.

I found out that this behavior is not “normal.” But I have to ask, “What is normal?” I like to feel my surroundings; it makes me more comfortable. I like to play along to my “mental song playlist.,” or whatever is playing on my iPod. Is this so bad?

I used to think that being odd was a bad thing, but I have learned that my differences can be an asset. I found out fairly recently that I can channel my obsessions into something productive, instead of of making them trivial. I have always been interested in politics, economics, and history. “They” have a name for those things in academia, Social Science.

I have developed a talent for seeing the “big picture” while still being able to delve into details. This talent has led me to ponder unifying theories. Quantum physicists and social scientists have been grasping for a unifying theory in their respective fields. I can see a unifying theory in Social Sciences, but I am having a hard time expressing it. As I study political science, math, economics and history, I am seeing a big picture develop based on my knowledge of the arts; I am coming closer to unifying things. I may be completely wrong, but it sure is fun trying!

I have been snapping a lot of pictures on my phone. I am growing to like the crappy quality of the camera, it challenges me.

Someone posted a message on a bulletin board asking anyone to explain the appeal of fixed gear bikes. The following is my response (slightly edited):

Fixed gear bikes are not for everyone, they are for people who want to experience being one with the bicycle, it’s a very pure form of riding. It is one of those things that has to be experienced to be understood.

I rode bikes regularly for several years before trying one. At first it was scary but as I got used to it, I came to prefer it. I ended up selling all my other bikes.

The fixed gear bike is elegant in its simplicity. There are no extra bits on it to distract from pure and simple riding; it is basically two wheels, a frame, pedals, chain, cogs, a seat and handlebars; nothing more (I added a front brake for emergency stops).

I liked it because there are fewer things to break, so maintenance is quick and simple. I called my fixie my Maintenance Free Bike. I also found that the flywheel effect of the pedals moving with the drive train made it easier to ride in strong headwinds. I also had an incredible amount of control due to being directly connected to the back wheel.

There is also the challenge of learning to ride a fixie well. The goal is not speed as much as it is grace and flow. One challenge I had was to make a trip across town without putting my foot down. I learned how to anticipate traffic, how to slow down for an intersection, and how to anticipate the changing of the traffic lights. I became more aware of my surroundings and I even felt safer on my fixie.

I recently sold my fixie, and I am currently riding an old English 3 speed (built like a tank and ugly). I will probably get another fixie before the year is over because I am starting to miss it already, but it was a little hard on the knees. Writing this makes me want to get another one!

Some people ride fixies to be a part of a crowd, kind of an elitist thing for some, but I rode one because I like simplicity.

The old farm seems like a dream, so long ago. Sometimes I feel like it never happened, but I see these old pictures and I start to remember, it was real. There was something wrong with the camera (or maybe the photographer), and the pictures turned out overexposed. After some fiddling around in Photoshop and iPhoto, I have been able to make them look like the fuzzy memories in my head.