Over a welcome beer at our local, Dwight described his time at the greenhouse battling pests and mold on these grapevines. Meanwhile, I’d been caught in a Catch-22, ping-ponging between a vendor and Amex over fraudulent charges. Eventually, Amex took responsibility and issued a refund, leaving me free to enjoy my beer.
Category: Learn
Practical Physics
Downtown had its head in the clouds, it rained pretty much all day: time for LEGO. Instead of relying solely on a solid state gyroscope, I wanted to develop a better intuitive grasp of the physics involved. So, I built a test rig with an actual spinning flywheel. It flew apart, leaving my electronic robot… Continue reading Practical Physics
ELL Training
Completed an online ELL (English Language Learning) training course this afternoon as part of the annual training requirements set by the Minnesota Department of Education.
Temple Plumbing 2022
I hiked to two temples of an 88-temple pilgrimage and photographed the plumbing.
Continuously Variable LEGO Pneumatic Control
In previous LEGO robotic arm builds I’ve used servo motors to move each joint in the arm. However, the weight of the motor and related mechanism meant each arm needed to be reinforced to the point it became too bulky and exhibited excessive inertia. By contrast, pneumatic cylinders are light, and can apply significant force… Continue reading Continuously Variable LEGO Pneumatic Control
No Adult Literacy Services Here
Wrote to each Hennepin County Commissioner asking them to right a wrong. The $67 million (annual budget) county public library system no longer provides GED and ESL adult literacy services. Recent immigrants have lost an important step-up in life, and I now need to go elsewhere for expert assistance with tutoring. Franklin Learning Center (Minneapolis)… Continue reading No Adult Literacy Services Here
Asian Supermarket
The things I wish I’d known when I was young; e.g., there’s so much good stuff in Asian supermarkets. On my walk, popped into my favorite Asian supermarket for chicken parts westerners generally eschew, Chinese broccoli, and (an impulse purchase) frozen pork steamed buns.
Enhanced Gravy
Last Christmas, a bottle of red wine was corked, so I reduced the wine to an excellent syrup. Over the year, it’s added a fruity note to dressings and sauces. Today, a couple tablespoons added a pleasant dimension to the gravy.
An Unfamiliar Task
On the way to a medical appointment the gas light came on. On the way home, decided to fill up, something I haven’t done in maybe two years. The little symbol on the gauge pointed me to the fuel door, but it took me the longest time to figure out how to unlatch the fuel… Continue reading An Unfamiliar Task
Hanging by a Thread
While chasing down a rattle, Dwight discovered we’d probably driven from Up North with an important bolt missing from the roof bike rack. Replaced the bolt, grateful we didn’t do any hard stops followed by my bike running down the windshield. Note to self: check bolts.