MLK
Photo courtesy of dunechaser. Licensed under the Creative Commons.
Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., and I wrote nothing in here about it. From that, you could infer that this factoid is meaningless to me. That inference would be wrong, despite my being born four years (and change) after his death.
I could go on and on about how the world is a much better place for his having been here, and how much poorer we are since his passing, but that would be just repeating the words of others. There's not much I could say that would add value to the conversation.
Leaders like Dr. King are a rarity. Using only the power of rhetoric, they can make you sit up and take notice of a situation that's wrong, despite hundreds of years as a practice. They can create change by the force of those words and their willpower. And they can make the world a better place, simply by manipulating the language that binds all of us together and forming it into a mirror that forces us to see ourselves and the world around us not only as we are, but as we should be.
And as a writer, that's something that inspires the hell out of me.
R.I.P., Arthur C. Clarke
While Clarke wasn't my first foray into sci-fi, he was the first author I really devoured, back in my early teens. The library was well-stocked with his works, and I tore into them: 2001, 2010, the Rama series, Childhood's End...you get the idea. He really helped hook me on science fiction.
I'm still hooked, really. Writing it now, too. I've kept a little mental list of authors I'll be sending copies of my first published work to, with a little note of thanks for nudging me to that point. The list really focuses on the authors that I enjoyed in my teens, and Clarke was at the top of the list.
This posting will have to serve as my thank-you, and my send-off to a guy who was, by all accounts, as classy a human being as you could hope for. Thanks, Mr. Clarke, for starting me down this strange little path.
First Surreal Call
Photo courtesy of givepeasachance. Licensed under the Creative Commons.
I got my first surreal phone call of the year at the bike shop this weekend. It was way after hours, and a guy who sounded like he was in his forties and moderately drunk and/or high, called to ask about books covering training for track cycling. I told him that I couldn't think of any track-specific books (and I still can't), but I referred him to Joe Friel's Cyclist's Training Bible
"That's that computer thing, right?" he slurred.
R.I.P. Sheldon Brown
The cycling community lost a great individual last night -- apparently, Sheldon Brown died of a massive heart attack, and that has been confirmed from the Harris Cyclery's website, and other sources.
Among the people at my shop, Sheldon's website is a regular go-to for information -- I've referred to his wheel-building articles repeatedly over the past few years, and two of my three current rigs have wheels that I laced-up while reading his materials. I've learned more from his site than at some shops I've worked for in the past.
It's strange how someone you never knew could impact your life positively, and how their passing could feel like a loss.
So long, Sheldon. Ride easy. There's a little bit of you in every wheel out there that's been built up with the guidance from your website.
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I'm at Don Pablo's - Roseville (2700 Lincoln Dr, Roseville). [fontosaurus]
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Checked in at Don Pablo's - Roseville
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I favorited a YouTube video -- Cycles http://youtu.be/-0Xa4bHcJu8?a [fontosaurus]
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have my Friday off, so here's my Follow Thursday: @mightywombat, @veloveggies, @Scoutwell_Cat, @kilgette, @actualmiles, @DoWhatITellYou #ff [fontosaurus]
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Checked in at 3M Center- Building 225
