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Thursday, December 10, 2015

Finding the problem is ONLY the first step

There's something just not right with this model. I don't know what it is, but ... It niggles at the back of my brain. It doesn't work.  It's missing these properties that I expect, but I don't know how to get them out of it, or bake them into it.  And I should... it's just math.

I fuss and fight with it, and finally, I see what I'm missing. It should have been obvious all along.  I no longer wonder about what is wrong with the model, but now have to go and fix it.  I don't know how to do that yet, but I know where I can go find out.

Sometimes finding out what the problem doesn't immediately lead to a solution, but it's a good first start. Now to go find some more magic smoke.

    -- Keith

P.S. Technology is just like normal stuff this way.  The other day I headed out for an appointment, but the bike wouldn't start (and my eldest had the truck). It's cold out I thought... battery probably needs to be put on the trickle charger these days.  So I was going to roll it down the driveway and start it that way, but it wouldn't roll easily.  Thinking I was in gear, I turned the key on (there was enough juice to operate the controls, just not enough to start it), but was in neutral.  I checked more closely, and sure enough the rear tire was flat.  Must be a slow leak I thought, have to fix that, let's grab the compressor to put air in it.  Picked up the compressor and the handle broke off the plastic hose.  So I cancelled my appointment, fixed the compressor, started to put air in the tire, found that air was leaking out the valve stem.  Tried to find a valve stem online, failed.  Called the shop, they explained that the valve is attached to the tube (not a tubeless tire as I'd though), and so I arranged for them to come get it and replace the tube.  I could do it myself, but I got other stuff people pay me to fix (like the problem above) so that I can pay others to fix my stuff.

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