Last night we watched the first three acts of Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet (1996), tonight the final acts. It’s quite a marathon (4 hours) and uses the full original text, which makes it tough going at times, but the performances and settings (and subtitles) hold our attention sufficiently.
Category: Living
A Self-Balancing LEGO Bike
Introducing my first LEGO bike, based on a clever design I found via a Web search. A computer program maintains balance by making subtle adjustments to the steering by running data from an electronic gyroscope and three servo motors through an algorithm. The bike happily drives across a room, often without falling over. Next, I’ll… Continue reading A Self-Balancing LEGO Bike
Teacher Appreciation
At Coastal Seafoods, I pointed at a slab of fatty Atlantic salmon and asked for a piece to be cut from the thicker part then deboned. The cashier asked if I was a teacher, as they were offering a 20% discount to teachers. I replied that I was a volunteer English Language teacher, which she… Continue reading Teacher Appreciation
Katydid’s Camouflage Fail
I’ve lived in the Twin Cities for 45 years and only today saw one of these cleverly camouflaged creatures on our window presumably sheltering from rain. It looked like a folded leaf! Its body was about two inches long, and it was walking vertically on its six legs, which seemed to have suction cups at… Continue reading Katydid’s Camouflage Fail
The Hidden Question
Spotted this parked in the Seward neighborhood. A quick Google search revealed that ‘Yhw’ is a vowel-deficient Hebrew deity. Looking closer, I noticed a compartment labeled ‘chalk.’ The orientation of the label suggested I was viewing the piece incorrectly. A photo search revealed it was by local artist Tom Saunders, who invites viewers to write… Continue reading The Hidden Question
A Rising Star in STEM
Boarded an elevator in our building with a mother and her daughter, maybe nine, who was clutching a certificate. Curious, I asked her what it was for. She told me she’d completed the LEGO robotics part of summer camp. Impressed, I mentioned I build with LEGO MINDSTORMS. The mother beamed and agreed we needed more… Continue reading A Rising Star in STEM
Cycling Beyond the Cities
Cycled the Mississippi River Trail upriver from our home to Anoka, my farthest point yet. After a leisurely lunch, I explored the scenic Rum River Trail (view shown here), along a tributary of the Mississippi. The Northstar train brought me back to Minneapolis, right into the heart of a Def Leppard concert crowd at Target… Continue reading Cycling Beyond the Cities
Mushrooms: My Two Cents’ Worth
Yesterday Dwight picked up Shiitake and (new to us) Trumpet mushrooms at the farmers market. Tonight I’ll put them in a risotto. Many suggest not washing mushrooms, but I prefer to run them through a bowl of water, then dry them. Shiitake stems are full of umami, but sadly they’re tough and stringy, so they… Continue reading Mushrooms: My Two Cents’ Worth
Forgotten Bridal Veil Falls
It was raining, so I decided to walk. From East River Road, near the Franklin Avenue Bridge, I heard the sound of rushing water. Peering over a wall, I stumbled upon a hidden gem: Bridal Veil Falls. The stream has been tamed by a culvert, and the Falls diminished by development, and it lacks even a name sign. I later found photos of its untamed beauty. Click through for a glimpse of its past.
Maintaining Balance
It was a drippy morning, so a walk was in order. I stopped for coffee at Downtown’s Spyhouse, a place I usually associate with winter. At various points today, including while sipping my coffee, I continued my research on bicycle balance. So far, I’ve seen enough convincing evidence that a bicycle can maintain equilibrium without… Continue reading Maintaining Balance