Edgar Allen Poe

12-21-2012, bread.  Photo by Michael McKinney.

1-17-2013, bread.  Photo by Michael McKinney.

12-29-2012, bread.  Photo by Michael McKinney.

Man I love Edgar Allen Poe.  I think he's a fantastic American writer.  The first really vital writer of pulp fiction, the first to immerse himself in the language of fantasy, without any recourse to comparisons, metaphors and literary allusions.  Classic macabre tales of fright.  The kind of literature that makes B-Movies and comic books, somehow translated to craftsmanship and excellence sufficient to be studied throughout the world for decades. 
The whole of American Literature could be said to have formed from the writings of seven or eight pivotal writers around Poe's era, including Poe himself.  From Thoreau's writings against government intervention and discourse on our nation's ecological responsibilities to Emerson's demand for self sufficiency, the major literary genres could be elucidated from their contributions.  Surely throughout the nation there were other writers employed at the time, through various means, but those writers one must certainly study in their education can definitively be described as foundations of American writing.
That being said, I can't say strongly enough how certain I was that despite having absolutely no interest in the Lance Armstrong affair, upon hearing that his crime of advanced doping was enabled through the master of macabre, Edgar Allen Poe, I knew that my disinterest had flared from passing contempt to one of misappropriated indignity.  How dare the anal retentive jocks of lycra and aero helmets adopt the writer of such classics as The Raven in order to more successfully cheat?  How incredibly indulgent and pedantic of them.  Truth to be told, I would quaver in fear of daring to upset the ghost of Edgar Allen Poe for one's own ends, despite the sickness one struggles with on their own time.  Which reminds me of my bread recipe.
The cranberry cinnamon wheat oat honey organic flour loaf I've been working on has revealed one sure secret, one proof, that needs more analysis.  After utilizing Red Star Yeast as the rising agent, I've noticed that this recipe has a tendency to just be too heavy to properly rise.  In the future I will attempt to use fewer ingredients and allow a more thorough rise.  As certain as I am that cycling will somehow bypass the convergence of Edgar Allen Poe's influence and competition, I'm certain this bread recipe will pull through with a little work on the rough edges.

Recommended reading, A Dog in A Hat, Joe Parkin.

United Crushers

Last week, I stopped and took a couple of pictures while riding through Minneapolis. I had been wanting an opportunity to take a picture of some buildings near the University of Minnesota, along the InterCampus Connector bike trail, being a bright and cloudless day, it seemed nearly providential.
United Crushers must be the local grain millers union, I can't imagine how or why a graffiti artist would go to the trouble.

Also last week - cleaned the apartment, solved a couple sudoku puzzles, watched some ice climbers and finally read Firestarter, by Stephen King.

Here are my raw, unedited reading notes on Firestarter:

The realist versus Stephen King.

The Shining - Detoxification.
Firestarter - Custody battle.
Cujo - Rabies.
It - Sandusky.
The Stand - AIDS.
Carrie - Harlotry / zealotry / austerity of religion versus hierarchy of society.

As per Firestarter:
- Steig Larson
- Mystic River
- Road to Perdition
- Gladiator
- Jacob's Ladder
- Leon (The Professional)
...continued
- RD Laing and experimental psychology, as per acid.
- Huxley and Doors of Perception.
- Shop as various unethical industries, Charlie as any innocent child whose potential may "...light the world on fire..." and her father's passion to protect her.
- Possible research into The Psychopath Test and history of deprivation experiments designed to trigger psychological madness, psychopathy and undermining of "...acceptable..." human behavior given response and behavior to controlled stimuli - eventually the discussion could obviously revolve around to Nurture Versus Nature and James Kakalios.

Besides the killing of horses, dogs and people, a fictional premise based on fictional military history suburban kids use to demand government accountability for their own drug experimentation, a bad attempt at an old story.

There could also be a Richard Harris / Hannibal / Red Dragon tie in with the anecdote a young Hanibal Lecter relates to somebody, (Clarice?) about a young college student he destructively manipulated into hurting himself, while the undergrad was under the influence of drugs - as a revenge tactic. Relates to Andy's ability to "push", the power of suggestion and "dominant personalities in psychology", which probably ties into the media, PR and sales.

Naturally, the more emphasis placed on validating Andy's psionics, (the ability to "...push..." a person through suggestion), the more non-fiction the story becomes and one may be led into the same pasture as The Shining, wherein a strong argument for alchohol withdrawal induced hallucinations, madness and psychosis converge with cabin fever in the mind of Jack Torrance and bad things happen to good people- slightly more plausible than the devil inhabiting the furnace of the hotel, or the hotel being the devil, (or whatever), though in the case of Firestarter the English Professor, (Torrance was also an educator), is presumably not actually presenting psionic powers but rather massive, undiluted psychosis, narrated through the lens of the same, while undergoing some marital discord...the killing of Vicky is a frequent catalyst throughout the book, utilized before and after its description as well as in and out of chronological order.

The weather has turned, an acceptable snowpack is now melting and re-freezing into icy sidewalks and brown golf courses. Meh.

Crossing to Safety

Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The first time I read this book, the defining chapter was Chapter 13 - The chapter with the Tea Box incident, the discovery of Eden, Sid and Sally and Charity and Larry, all together out in the woods.  My gut reaction was:

I know exactly what Sid is going through. 
I've been there. 
I know that feeling of futility and anger and rage at being told to do something over and over again in order to please somebody else who is WRONG.

Many of the other aspects of the plot, including the Great Depression, the fight for literary principles amidst struggling for tenure, how twenty years can pass between seeing someone you respect and love and it seems like twenty minutes...did not rest in my conscious mind quite like Charity.  The thing that stuck with me, and I remember the impact it had on me each time I read it, is the tension in Larry's narration of Sid and Charity Lang, arguing about the Tea Boxes.  How discomforting it is to others to be witness to the spectacle of discord.  Later in the novel, Charity retains her control over Sid, The theme is played out in almost unnecessary extravagance - Larry is left wandering, half in thought and half in purpose, trying to find Sid.
After being familiar with this novel for the past 17 years, it strikes me now as antiquated, homoerotic, male centric, predisposed to misogyny, heavy handed in its portrayal of men as educators and women as nurturers and not without brilliance.  Wallace Stegner persists mainly as a writer of the way things were - the Wild West of the Civilian Corps of Engineers damming great rivers, building monolithic structures never before and never since seen on Earth.  His depiction of the male in books like Big Rock Candy Mountain and Angle of Repose is constant - bracingly arrogant, given to fits of anger, misunderstood in his vulnerability, strong and capable if given the opportunity to prove his mettle.  His tragic flaw is a wondering spirit that will not be settled as the land around him becomes more and more developed.
These key ingredients are in Crossing To Safety, but toned down to meet Lake Monona rather than Lake Powell.  Larry's capacity for creation is something he administers and controls with a passion, cloistering himself in order to write novels and stories, yet only in Sid's presence does he appreciate the Xanadu they find together while camping in chapter 13, the same chapter Charity makes assertions that are incorrect, the same chapter Sally is stricken with Polio.  The strength of the male characters is juxtaposed with the female character's display of infirmity and the reader is left impressed with Charity's great capacity for error.   
This is still one of my favorite novels, because it keeps teaching me things - the platonic search for friendship in male and female form, while also conforming to the biological imperative of reproduction is something I would appreciate a little help with, but I'm not sure this is the right book for a first date with an attractive feminist. 
More than one review I've read quotes Larry discussing the concept of a novel about nothing, about everyday people, how he and Sid and Charity and Sally are too common and uninteresting for introspection - the striking feature of each is how they learn to adapt to their defining characteristics, even when they can't, in order to find success in their personal lives.  After twenty years of not seeing one another, the tension Larry saw during their camping trip is still evident, as well as an eccentricity from Charity that smacks of neuroses or hysteria.  The conclusion rests on Larry finding Sid, with charity on her deathbed and Sally hobbled by polio; one is left to speculate whether their passion for language will suffice.  



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Cathexis

 

My third pottery class with the Saint Paul Community education program wrapped up this week - I've enjoyed the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of throwing, shaping, trimming, glazing and finishing.  The skill that seems to elude me, and is predominantly important to these others, is the ability to properly center a piece of clay, even before it sits on the wheel.  Of the sixty or so pieces I've finished, I'd say less than a handful demonstrate a well centered, well balanced consistency. 

I guess it's notable because of how often it gets taken for granted, without really understanding the amount of dedication it must take to establish the ability to do so unerringly - likely why at least two different instructors have mentioned the 10,000 vessel theory, (that being true mastery only begins after the first ten thousand pieces of clay have been properly centered, thrown, trimmed, glazed and finished). 

A book I just finished reading, Bounce, mentioned 10,000 hours of directed or deep practice as essential to mastery of a skill:  10,000 hours of service and volley for tennis, 10,000 hours of piano lessons for piano, 10,000 hours of gymnastics routines, the author's premise relied on the 10,000 hours being done with the correct direction from an appropriate source. 

An interesting side note, the author also mentioned a variety of psychological experiments based on encouraging children to participate rather than rewarding them directly for their results - most interesting to me was an experiment wherein a control group was given the same unsolvable math problem as a group of students of the same age who had been told they shared a birthday with a famous mathematician.  The group who had been lied to, the ones working under the premise of sharing a birthday with a fictional character, persevered on the impossible problem for a longer period of time.  Whether or not this demonstrates a propensity for being stubborn or dedication, and whether or not this is a good thing, is up for debate. 

Turned vessel, photo by Michael McKinney

Finished vessel, photo by Michael McKinney

Finished, green and wet vessels, photo by Michael McKinney

Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham, and the Science of Success by Matthew Syed

My rating: 3 of 5 stars






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Swing state

Seventy degrees on Saturday. Below freezing with a nasty wind chill on Monday. From 115 PSI in 700 x 25 tires on 27 inch wheels with 27 gears, to 45 PSI in 29 x 55 tires on 29 inch wheels with one gear.

November tenth bike ride

I got out for three hours on a nice Saturday afternoon, seeking out some elevation in South Saint Paul, West Saint Paul and the Mendota Heighs area.  Kaposia Park hill was definitely the highlight of the ride - today I spent some time getting my front wheel in true, as the friction of having it rubbing on the front brake for three hours detracted from the overall enjoyment of the day. I also listened to some music along the way, here's a playlist -

Porcelain - Moby
My Mind is Rambling - The Black Keys
12 Etudes - Christopher Parkening
Windfall - Son Volt
House Mop - Medeski Martin and Wood
Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones
Bus to Beelzebub - Soul Coughing
Once I had a Woman - Jimi Hendrix
Hear my Train a Coming - Jimi Hendrix
Stop - Jane's Addiction
We're So - Medeski Martin and Wood
Let's Go Crazy - Prince
Shake Your Money Maker - Paul Butterfield
Drown - Son Volt
Statesboro Blues - The Allman Brothers
The Wind Cries Mary - Jimi Hendrix
Synchronicity - The Police
Black Limousine - The Rolling Stones
Outta Mind (Outta Sight) - Wilco
The Lover - Medeski Martin and Wood
Sometimes Truth is Stranger than Fiction - Bad Religion
Walking a Cow - Firehose
Wait Until Tomorrow - Jimi Hendrix
Whatever Happened to Gus - Medeski Martin and Wood

Photo by Michael McKinney

Voulare - The Gypsy Kings
Cult of Personality - Living Colour
I Can't Stand up For Falling Down - Elvis Costello
Estudio Brilliante - Christopher Parkening
I Guess I Planted - Billy Bragg and Wilco
True Dreams of Witchita - Soul Coughing
Flying Saucer - The Wedding Present
Sunspots - Bob Mould
Recuerdos De La Alhambia - The Gypsy Kings
Belleville - Borelli Legrene
All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
No Use in Crying - The Rolling Stones
Moral Kiosk - REM
Nocturne - Medeski Martin and Wood
Prodigal Son - the Rolling Stones
Waiting on a Friend - the Rolling Stones
Let me Take You Home Tonight - Boston
Rock Music - The Pixies
Tree House - Buffalo Tom
St. Charles Shuffle - Peter Lang
Bombs Away - The Police
Catfish Blues - Jimi Hendrix

Matching parts

Rear Derailleur riding the freewheel.  Photo by Michael McKinney

About a month ago, my rear derailleur started showing signs of wear.  It is an Ultegra 600 component I have been using reliably with my current configuration on a daily basis.  Granted, the riding is not extreme in distance or environment, (I'm not riding through front range blizzards, Afghanistan sand storms or Alaskan nights of the Midnight sun or anything), regardless, the derailleur has been running smoothly and without great trouble since resolving this particular issue, about a month ago - here's what happened.
If you notice the picture on the right, you'll see that the chain is slack, the cage of the derailleur is riding on the rear sprocket freewheel and something just seems wrong.  After correctly diagnosing that something was indeed wrong, (a few days of hearing the derailleur riding on the freewheel, locking the crank and chain when shifting and dropping the chain numerous times was enough to convince me something was indeed wrong), I proceeded to remove the chain, the rear derailleur and contact at least three or four better trained, more experienced peoples who might assist me in determining the correct course of action. 

Rear Derailleur.  Photo by Michael McKinney.

After having a couple of discussions with anonymous parties on Craigslist, where I have previously sought assistance in bicycle mechanics, I decided to have a professional look at it.  After a thorough check, he informed me that the derailleur was not actually mounted correctly, and was not functioning because the chain had stretched enough to adequately negate the efficacy of the incorrecly mounted component.  The part may have been working well, but since the chain had stretched enough, the component was now in need of a re-alignment, thankfully not replacement. 

Derailleur, proper.  Photo by Michael McKinney.

Rear Derailleur, improper. Photo by Michael McKinney.

Here are a couple of photos that illustrate what
he was referring to - notice the angle of the writing on
the derailleur.

After also replacing the chain and re-adjusting the derailleur into the correct configuration, which required some skillful manipulation of a tool not specifically suited for that task, the mechanic and I parted ways - myself happy I asked before making the problem worse.










In non-related news, I've gotten to working on a new sourdough recipe, with dried fruit, honey and a levain made from organic flour.  Here are some photos of that -

24 hour levain.  Photo by Michael McKinney

Rising bread.  Photo by Michael McKinney

Finished product.  Photo by Michael McKinney.