Re-Reading Ringworld

You know how it goes.  Or you should – in which case you should remedy this deficiency ASAP.  In any case, here's a graphic from Larry Niven's site, and encouragement to re-read it yourself.

Sometimes, you've just got to get there fast.

More on the Over-Biking Trend

The trails got smoother and the bikes got burlier.  Something has to give. over at Singletracks mag.  A little long and ramble-ish, but the problems with bike bloat are real.  Most bike customers have absolutely no use for what in a previous decade would have been considered a downhill race bike.  My 2024 thoughts on this matter.

And now in 2026, you can add an electric motor.

FWIW, it's not all that different in the computer industry:

Think I'll venture forth on my rigid chromoly under-bike now, before this fine July day heats up.  There are few things worth doing that you can't do with a bike like that and a PDP-11.

Crashlander: Some Things Are Better Left Untold

I just finished reading Larry Niven's short story collection Crashlander, a compilation of his

Known Space tales centering on ace star pilot Beowulf Shaeffer.  The collection serves as a sort of biography of one of the main characters in Niven's future history series, and knits these stand-alone shorts together with brief bridge chapters.  It also adds a new (well, 1994) Shaeffer short story, Procrustes, and somewhat ambiguously wraps it all up with a "happily ever after – maybe" epilogue, which is frustrating in and of itself.

The original set of stories dating from the 60's and 70's are all great.  The new short story is not, and neither are the bridge chapters.  The older stories are sleek tales, where Shaeffer figures out the key puzzle piece and with a narrow margin moves on in one piece himself.  Procrustes and its surrounding bridge stories are more of a wheels-within-wheels slog of tale, with several unsavory characters that a smart guy like the Shaeffer of the earlier stories would have automatically avoided.  Not worth the small price of the new collection, not worth the reading time.

All of the good stuff can be found in the earlier collections Neutron Star and Tales of Known Space, along with many other excellent short stories Niven produced in the same era.  Give Crashlander a pass, buy and read those two other collections.  Then use your leftover time to read (or re-read) Protector.

Deep Thought for Today

 

First though, a nap.  Then coffee.  Whisky... somewhat later, if at all.

More, later in the week.  These two weeks have been... special.

Bike Wisdom

Busy day today, so here's this morning's dose of bike lore from 2011: 

Some Answers to Just About Any Bike Forum Post I've Read

Heh, remember forums?  (fora? never took Latin)  So much more civilized than today's antisocial media platforms, all optimized for engagement (read: what we used to call flame wars).

Look, that's about all I got for today.  Broke a spoke on the Straggler yesterday; finished the ride and then Kevin had it all fixed before noon (Skunk Monkeys, 41 Market St., Apalach; recommended).  One silver spoke on a wheel of black spokes, the bike is beginning to show some lived-in character.  The new clothes washer will be here shortly today, and brother do I ever have a pile of shorts and jerseys to wash.  Life is good.

Graphic?  Oh OK, here's one sort of relating to bikes, broken spokes, and dental implants.

Well, maybe be a little stupid.  At least, enough to have some fun.

"Strategic Visioning" Meeting Results

Last month I sat on a 20-ish citizen panel to hammer out directions Apalachicola should be taking.  Results were presented at this Tuesday's City Commission meeting, and are also included in the agenda packet – a 24 MB beast, perhaps not to be downloaded lightly.  Anyway, results start on page 4.  If you dare.

Overall a success, but with a meeting name like that it sounds like there'd be psychedelics in the coffee pot.  Now that would have been interesting.  (not that I'm advocating...)  Who names these things?

Thoughts on In-Town Fencing

Stockade fencing discussed over at Jim Kunstler's substack, under his "Eyesore of the Month" column.

Speaking of which, that column is a hoot nearly every month.  Here's the permalink.  Anyway, it's one for the P&Z-interested people to consider.