Science, bitches.

Lori and I went to see Neil deGrasse Tyson at the Overture Center last night. What an amazing presentation. Neil has an uncanny way of showing you what the world looks like through the eyes of an astrophysicist by demystifying the correlation between politics, economics, religion and scientific discoveries and how they effect modern society. Through all of that, he keeps you entertained while you hang on his every word. If you have the opportunity to see him, I highly encourage you to do so. It was something that I will never forget. Thank you, Lori!!

Dan and I are still in the process of restoring a 1964 Ducati Monza Jr. We inspected the replacement 250 engine that we will be using, and we found that the clutch housing is busted. That's one problem. Another, is that we aren't getting any movement from the bevel drive or piston. We'll find more that needs to be replaced as we go, but I am confident that we can get this bad boy running at some point. We're shooting for getting it going by the SCR in spring, but I'm not that optimistic. I think the SCR in October is more likely.

Lori and I also attended a "salon party" on Sunday. I had never been to one before, and I actually had to Wiki it before we went. It's really just a fancy way to say "a party where current events are discussed". We had a great time, and it was fun to connect with Niki outside of her work setting. I even was able to exercise my chess skills -- but Gabriel checkmated me in the end. It's always good to have a worthy opponent, so I will take him on again soon. :-)

Looks like Lori is moving ahead with her business plan. She'll be opening an olive oil retail store (infused olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars), and we think it will be in the Sun Prairie area. We still need to really nail down a location, but from what we've observed, that looks like a good spot. More on all of that soon.

Not much else is cooking, so I will keep this to one page. Happy Tuesday, folks!

Failure Pile in a Sadness Bowl

Watched the movie "Codebreaker" on Netflix last night. Fantastic. If you're at all interested in how the age of computing commenced, then you might be fascinated by this film. It's about a British man named Alan Turing, and it begins with his breaking the code for the German Enigma machines during WWII. Without this advantage, Hitler's Luftwaffe and U-boat forces would likely have poured into Great Britain and D-Day might have been a failure in Normandy. This guy was a mathematical genius, and he literally gave us the construct for modern computing back in 1936. Every smartphone, every computer, tablet, laptop, mainframe, etc, still employs these very basic principles. Without this highly intelligent Brit's phenomenal work, history could have taken a much darker path.

There is a shameful element in the story of Alan Turing, however. The British government treated this hero horrifically, due to his sexual orientation. I commend them for eventually apologizing to the man after his death, but they literally wasted an unbelievable asset to mankind. Very sad.

I've been feeling the itch to get back on the motorcycle lately. There are 56 more days until spring, and it can't come soon enough. I need my 2-wheeled therapy.

After work yesterday, I decided to get a long-overdue oil change. My sexy 2005 Ford Freestyle with sheepskin seat covers had been neglected. Not only was I a couple thousand miles past the limit, the heater in my car was not working very well ever since this last cold snap. Sure, it would get a little warm  when I was cruising at about 72mph, but in the city, I was freezing my balls off. My feet would feel like two throbbing ice blocks by the time I reached downtown Madison from Columbus. I went to Super-Lube in Sun Prairie for the service. I got the usual upsell shit that they always try to pull, but then the technician came over to me with my air filter to show me how filthy it was. It was covered in hair and leaves, and it looked like something was nesting in the air intake. No mention of that was made, but they did recommend replacing it. I agreed, and they proceeded to put in my new air filter. They guy then reaches into the air intake, and pulls out THE REST of the nest. Yes, I had a mouse nesting in my engine's air intake chamber. Fantastic. Low and behold, my fucking heat works again. Woot-woot!

Lori and I have been stalking a mid-century modern home that was built in 1950. We're in the process of getting all of our ducks in a row so we can make a formal low-ball offer. I. must. have. this. house. It just needs a little love and care, and it would be one sexy mutherfucker of a home. We've started referring to it as "cool ranch". Here's a picture of the back of this Frank Lloyd Wright inspired property:

We'll see how things pan out, but I really want to bring this property back to its proper condition. The exterior is gorgeous, and the interior has great bones. We will do it justice....I promise.

I think that's all I have time for today, folks. I should really start earning my paycheck. I will leave you with this little nugget that left Lori and I giggling last night. Patton Oswalt is my new all-time favorite comic right now. Enjoy:

So -- here we are, folks.

Only a handful of you have this address. I am hoping that you check in daily, as I will be writing a post first thing in the morning over a cup of coffee. If you like what you read, tell a friend about it. You've been given the address because you have been supportive during my failed Facebook experiment, and I need an outlet to write. Writing isn't any fun if there isn't a reader, and that's where you come in.

Understand what you're getting into, as this will not be politically correct. This will, at times, be a raw extension of the conversations I have in my head.

I have no delusions of grandeur. I simply want to write.

I hope you stick around, man.

-Clark

The Facebook post that led me here:

I've really begun to question the value Facebook brings to my life. I used to think it was a fantastic way to bring people closer together, but how one utilizes the tool has a direct correlation to how much value it actually brings.

I've found over the years that I use FB differently than other people. For me, it's a way to have a dialog with people. Through that dialog, it can be a way to view very complex issues from many different angles. It doesn't matter to me how "sensitive" or personal an issue is -- if I feel like I need to get something out, I post it here. One thing I will never do, however, is air out my family's dirty laundry in public. I might give a 50,000 foot view of an issue, otherwise known as "vaguebooking" (posts are written in such a way that only the people with additional information will actually "get" the post), but never specific. Facebook shouldn't be used as a tool to bludgeon your family members.

Here's the thing that I have found with FB and social media as a whole -- at the end of the day, the people closest to you are still your real friends. You may acquire new friendships through the tool, but how deep can those relationships really be if you've never sat across from them? Old friendships, however, do seem to strengthen despite the amount of distance that may lie between you and the other person. I have many examples of that within my friend list (you listening Tom Kelsall?)

There does seem to be some constants about Facebook, however. For one, it's completely ego-driven. We post things to look for support...to get attention....to share a moment....and I've even seen it used in such a way that is the most superficial of all -- the online brochure of "what my life is like". The reason I call that one the most superficial of all is because the brochure rarely resembles reality. I don't really see the point of employing FB in this fashion. Who benefits? The reader? You? Anybody? The ego is a very interesting beast, and Facebook seems to feed off of it and churn relentlessly upon it.

I've been criticized many times over the years about the way I use this particular form of social media. I've also been praised many times and have received very generous compliments on my writing style. For me, that's what it really boils down to. I love to write. My ego is fed by creating something and having someone consume it. It's further fed if I have provoked thought within the reader. I get great joy and satisfaction out of taking an idea, expressing it as best I can, and getting the full brunt of whatever reaction I have stirred within "my audience".

It's all ego, folks.

I'm considering what action to take next. I've lost friends, I have lost intimate relationships, found old friends, and have reunited with old colleagues through Facebook. I do see some value in it. I also see it for the cesspool that it is. I'm considering leaving the account up...but blank, as it has been over the past week or so, and starting a blog. For me, I think that better suits my "need". If nobody reads it, that's fine. It will at least allow me to journal the things I need to get out.

Thanks for listening, peeps. More to come.