David Dykstal

Blather

Books

Flash Fiction

Meta

Music

PKM

Photo

Photography

Places

Programming

Tweet

mbnov

: Does anyone else add columns of numbers this way?

: Bookmarks. I’ve tried raindrop.io, omnivore, and pinboard. Pinboard is still my workhorse. …

: Backing off of Python back to Ruby and Pharo. I know Python is more popular, but having objects …

: I just loaded up KeyboardMaestro a couple of days ago. I have to say it’s slicker than snot.

: Tired of getting up at 5:30 to move the thermostat from 65° to 70° so I installed a new Ecobee …

: Currently reading: The World by Simon Sebag Montefiore 📚. Borrowed this from our local library. At …

: A bit chilly today. Might want to put on a jacket.

: Thinking that 2024 might be the year I try cultivated meat.

: BTW, a shoutout to Shawn King (@KingShawn@mastodon.social) of BC. Professional explainer. Runs …

: One of my project for the next year is to move from SmugMug back to Flickr. Yes I know it’s …

: Loading up on photo apps. Thinking of trying out Luminar Neo since it is in Setapp. Since the mods …

: Pot roast. Cheesy mashed potatoes. Garlicky carrots. Pumpkin cheesecake. What’s not to like?

: Chess with my daughter’s SO. He won. I need to brush up.

: ‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the hall a soft wimpering was heard The OS …

: Currently reading: The Man from the Future by Ananyo Bhattacharya 📚. This is an audiobook. I listen …

: A Quiet Christmas Ann and I can’t be the only ones who celebrate a very quiet Christmas. We’ll go to …

: Currently reading: Tourist Season by Carl Hiaasen 📚. Just started. I pick up a book of his about …

: I should get rid of duplicate apps. Too many do almost the same thing.

: Starting to learn Dutch again. I want to be able to understand the relatives when Ann and I visit. …

: Taken about a month ago just northeast of Grand Marais MN.

: Nearly ready to put the old place up for sale. It’s been a long road.

: Time to broaden my point of view. Following a bunch more folks at random on micro.blog.

: The Crazy Days are coming to an end. Our move out of our old place has taken months with Ann pretty …

: New TVs are too damn "smart" Problem: Our new LG G3 TV was turning off after 15 minutes when the HDMI switch is set to the …

: This upcoming week is move week. Ann and I move from our wooded 2-acre lot back into town. …

: Where Have I Been Following after @manton, @maique, and others. Reminds me a bit of this song: …

: I’m finding that I’m using the BBEdit scratchpad and Tot for almost all my #plaintext …

: New tries in the past 24 hours: Ivory for macOS (good so far), Kagi search trial (not sure yet, …

: What goes? A lot of books donated to our public library. Extra furniture. All the CDs donated as …

: Moving soon. Downsizing from 2300 to 1600 sq ft. Good thing I never bought that 3D printer.

: Grandiflora trillium

: Finally getting around to getting and setting up Yubikeys. Fun times!

: Ann and I saw Hamlet at the Guthrie Theater yesterday. Excellent!

: This week I’m playing with the Zola static site generator. Maybe a new toy will get me …

: The creators of Smalltalk: Alan Kay, Dan Ingalls, Adele Goldberg, et. al. have my admiration. …

: I’ve never played a Mario game in my life but somehow this just seems right. It’s-a-me, …

: How did I not find out about Standard ebooks until a week ago? I’ll be reading forever.

: Why is it that the days you feel too tired to journal are the days when everything happens?

: There is no one true app for handling notes I’m trying to limit the number of apps I have bits and pieces of knowledge stored in, but …

: At DeBine brewery in Palm Harbor next to the Pinellas Trail. Informal survey seems to be Half e-bike …

: Attempting to wrest control of my OmniFocus database from the clutches of entropy.

: Dad had a TAVR surgery yesterday. Looks like it went well. This means he’ll still beat me at …

: My dad is 95. He still beats me in golf. Yes, he’s that good and I’m that bad.

: Found Pins for Pinboard. That should help a bit. I’ve been looking for a better way to get …

: Pinboard or Raindrop? Decided to stay with Pinboard for now, but it desperately needs some …

:

: Now using Omnivore to collect long form posts that need some time to digest. Such as this one: On …

: Ripping through the feeds this morning. Followed a bunch of folks on Mastodon last night. Unfollowed …

: Lattés from 9th Bar coffee in Palm Harbor. Pretty dang good and a much shorter line than the …

: Still on the road. Central Illinois is flatter than North Dakota.

: On the road again … 🎵

: I was thinking of using Chat GPT as a way to break writer’s block – kind of like morning …

: 📚I’m about 2/3 of the way through the audiobook “Faraday, Maxwell, and the …

: I’ve moved from mstdn.plus to universeodon.com. It not only matches my interests a bit more, …

: After eluding traps for two days the pantry-raiding rodent has been finally been dispatched.

: Experimenting again with Linux on my little System76 box. I’ve lost count of how many times …

: One of the perils of living in the country - mice - pantry raiding mice. Grrrr.

: Posting here should crosspost to my mastodon instance. Right?

: I’m happy that Jason Kottke is back publishing at kottke.org.

: Today’s workout: Shoveling snow/slush/ice off the drive. 200+ shovelfulls @ 10-20lbs each. I …

: Starting to record books with Epilogue. Catching up with 2022. Queuing 2023.

: The best part of Thanksgiving is the grazing on leftovers that happens on Friday.

: I tried to make clear ice cubes using the double boil method. They might be just a tad more clear …

: Cold pizza for breakfast is the best but should not repeat this tomorrow!

: I wish I could think of a novel idea for this post but, alas, none occurs. C’est la vie.

: I’m not sure I’d ever tire of the upcoming season. I love the old carols, but you can …

: 📚Just finished the audiobook “Troy” written and narrated by Stephen Fry. Loved the …

: Does every DJ/band at every wedding in Wisconsin play the “Beer Barrel Polka”? Seems …

: I just discovered the short story Franchise by Isaac Asimov. Written in the mid 1950’s about …

: Downsizing? I’m giving up on the hobbies that I haven’t pursued in some time, and …

: We need to leave for Thanksgiving in St. Paul on Wednesday next. All of my sibs and their adult kids …

: The terrific turkey tortas version 2.0 was better than 1.0. Still working on improvements. Will I be …

: I’ve now written a python program to examine my dad’s junk mail folder and immediately …

: My dad gets anywhere from 150 to 250 emails a day. I’ve been appointed his email guardian. All …

: I a few in my office, but my most used display is a 3440x1440 ultra-wide. Love the real estate on …

: Each year at Thanksgiving we have a contest among the Dykstal siblings. This year it’s turkey …

: I liked “Yes, Minister” during my britcom period. It appears that both Stephen Fry and …

: Let’s use the iPhone word picker just for fun. I’m certain that I have to go back in the …

: I’ve been on a few boards for volunteer organizations and am currently on my company’s. Fortunately, …

: I can offer no insight into the minds of others. I can only tell you of my own, and even then I …

: Ann and I saw Sally and Tom at the Guthrie Theater this afternoon. Not an echo of the past. Not …

: I have to admit that I just couldn’t come up with a good idea for today’s prompt so I’ll just have …

: I think admiration implies respect. Can you admire someone but not respect them? I don't believe the …

: Baleen whales have a license to krill.

: I'm not much of a game player, but I broke down and ordered a Playdate from Panic. It's just so dang …

: Our Microblogvember prompt for Nov 2 is appropriate. Today is known as the Feast of All Souls.

: Can I say that we all feast on roast beast? Maybe that’s in another month. I do love my roast beast. …

: I haven’t skated in years. There is no way I could do a figure eight now. Of course, I couldn’t do …

: I wake up and realize that OMG it’s almost Microblogvember!

: Ann has COVID. We think she got it at the Dublin airport, but no way to be sure of course. Could …

: A bit of falconry at Ashford Castle!

: Doonagore castle. View from our vacation rental in Doolin Ireland.

: The Ross-Errilly Friary outside of Headford Ireland.

: A nice lunch stop in Maynooth on the way to our B&B in Kilbeggan.

: Arriving in Ireland on Wednesday. Hope to post from there over the next two weeks.

: Ireland in 18 days. COVID stay away.

: Finished “Simply Gödel”. Brought back memories of studying computability theory in grad school. I …

: Finishing up cardiac rehab today. Feeling great!

: Starting Simply Gödel by Richard Tieszen. It’ll be interesting to see how it works as an audiobook. …

: Finished Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. I had never read it before. Though dated I’m not sure it’s …

: Current reading: Allow Me to Retort (Elie Mystal - hardcover), Hidden Figures (Margot Lee Shetterly …

: Where we are now So here we are. Ann is doing really well. She is heading to PT this week with the goal of getting …

: Heart Attack! The Monday after Easter I had a heart attack. It was just after dinner. Ann and I were watching TV. …

: Knee fracture! The proposed breast cancer treatment was pretty routine and the prognosis was really good. However, …

: Breast Cancer! The day after I was released from the hospital for the heart attack, Ann got a call from our primary …

: I've been absent for quite a while. Although I've been a faithful reader of my timeline, a lot has …

: Ann and I are heading to Seattle to cruise the Inside Passage up to Alaska and back. Hope to post …

: Dead slash pine in the Jay B. Starkey Wilderness west-central Florida.

: 📚 Today’s reading: One chapter of Le Guin’s interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, the …

: If I stopped playing so much iPhone solitaire I’d have finished my plan for world domination …

: I’ve replaced my 7-year-old ebike with a new step-thru model. The ebike is my main commute …

: Climbing onto the weather seesaw here in southern Minnesota.

: Trying Squeak again. This time to finally grok morphic.

: Post more. Reply graciously.

: I had assumed someone was watching the spectrum. Silly me. Boeing and Airbus urge a delay in 5G …

: I cannot believe how fast the coffee disappears from my cup while I’m working. Must be …

: About half done. 😳

: Work in progress 😍

: Cookie time!! 😋

: We got 10” of snow last night.

: An occasional evening ritual.

: Today I tried to find a reason to buy a tricked-out System 76 desktop Linux system, but couldn’t …

: Pulled the trigger on this Diplomat Aero yesterday.

: Giving up on Tinderbox again after a brief fling. I love the concept, but there are just too many …

: Half #sharp #mboct

: #majority #mboct

: #dark #mboct

: #touch #mboct

: Back to basics. Swapping the zoom for the 50mm prime. Zoom with the feet.

: Just downloaded Pharo 9.0. It feels good to be working in Smalltalk again, if only for small things.

: black walnuts a black and green mottled sphere embedded in the grass a long-handled plastic leaf …

: Not getting rid of the Canon 6D ii, but the G3X’s days may be numbered.

: The camera on the iPhone 13 Pro is making me rethink my camera usage.

: Tested negative prior to visiting my dad in Florida next week. Hoping I come back that way. 🤞

: Apple is acquiring Primephonic. Good news: somewhat decent classical music discovery and streaming …

: Woke up at 4:30am again. Third day in a row. I’ll need that nap today. 😎

: Finished reading: Naturalist: A Graphic Adaptation by Edward O. Wilson 📚

: Our little travel group (6 couples) has a trip scheduled to NZ in February/March. I’m …

: I have yet to find a scheme for general stuff that can take the place of Circus Ponies Notebook. It …

: Testing Ulysses This is a test. It is only a test. Don’t get so worked up about it. :) Testing some formatting …

: twitter.com

: Cheboygan Light

: Five minutes before we were able to cross the bridge, the bridge closed due to some sort of security …

: On the road again. Ann Arbor to Manistique. Crossing the Mackinac Bridge on the way.

: Currently reading: From Yao to Mao: 5000 Years of Chinese History by Kenneth J. Hammond 📚

: Currently reading: Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching: A Book about the Way and the Power of the Way by Ursula K. …

: Finished reading: It Can’t Happen Here (Signet Classics) by Sinclair Lewis 📚

: Finished reading: The Case of the Lady in the Luggage by Cheri Baker 📚

: Finished reading: The Case of the Lady in the Luggage by Cheri Baker 📚

: Finished reading: EndTimes by Bryan Walsh 📚 The subject matter is grim, especially on the …

: Finished reading: Figuring by Maria Popova 📚 The funny thing about all of Popova’s writings …

: My three favorite inks at the moment are Iroshizuku kon-peki, Iroshizuku yama-budo, and Colorverse …

: 🖋️ My shimmering ink problems might have been due to a new nib that wasn’t properly cleaned. …

: Fountain pen people – I have a couple of glittering inks, but I’m having difficulty with …

: I’ve been taking a couple of hours each day the past week to play with Mathematica. Just …

: 📚 It’s not all work and no play. I’m also reading The Case of the Lady in the Luggage by …

: Tech Resources I like having tech books around as reference and for ideas (Ruby, Python, Linux, security, style, …

: 📚 I’m reading Popova’s “Figuring”. I do not understand Emily Dickinson. …

: Just finished the audiobook “The Wave in the Mind” by Ursula K. LeGuin, an excellent set of essays …

: Ann bought a new step-through bike today so, of course, that means I had to buy a new bike rack for …

: I just bought two Homepod mini’s and set them up in stereo in our condo. These things are …

: I keep way too many fountain pens inked up (9). But I can cut back anytime I want. 😂

: One thing that is NOT getting a lot of use is the reMarkable 2. I’m a little surprised at that. I’m …

: I’ve been using a new iPad Air while traveling. I’m a little surprised by how much I like using the …

: Just finished the audiobook of “A Dance with Dragons.” Looks like I’ll have to wait quite a while …

: I’m getting tired of having to learn a whole new set of keyboard shortcuts for every …

: I’m off to Florida tomorrow to visit my Dad. I’ll see how he’s doing and do the …

: Back at the gym for a solid week now. Slow going and a bit sore at first. To be expected.

: I don’t post political content here to keep things civil. However, if you are interested, I do …

: I have this love/hate relationship with desktop linux.

: 🎶 ★★★★★

: The only books I’ve read more times than Dune are LOTR and Stranger in a Strange Land.

: Also waddling my way through this. Love the narration. 📚

: Queued

: New furnace installed today. The old one (going on 20 years) would stop with a clogged condensate …

: I’m beginning to shed apps that take too much mental energy: Roam and Workflowy among them. …

: I noticed this artifact on my Big Sur desktop background. Brings new meaning to the phrase “If …

: Our new well parts are in and working: controls, new pressure tank, new pump. It feels great to have …

: The Milky Way is probably full of dead civilizations | Live Science - Very interesting.

: I’m thinking of using a Raspberry Pi Zero to take pics of the backyard from a window at …

: reMarkable 2: first impressions So far I like it. the OCR experience is OK. It is reasonably accurate for my cursive handwriting, …

: Some time ago I posted how I was abandoning wordpress and blot for micro.blog. Well, that …

: Techo entries for Jan 2 & 3. Phenology entries are for sunrise, sunset, weather, unusual weather …

: Our 33 year old 5-party well began acting up on December 23rd. We’ve had to manually start the …

: My New Years gift to myself is a reMarkable 2. I’ve always found e-ink interesting. I think I’m …

: Finally getting around to getting rid of old, obsolete, technical books. I mean, who really needs …

: Science is dynamic. It changes based on evidence. If it did not, it would be religion.

: normal. command. insert. These are vim modes. I tried, I really did, to see the utility folks claim …

: Ann and I walked in Frontenac State Park. This is on the northern side of Lake Pepin – a …

: Another view of Maiden Rock.

: A view of Maiden Rock from Frontenac State Park on Lake Pepin.

: 🎵 > Someone told me it’s all happening at the zoo. I do believe it, I do believe it’s …

: Swans Ann and I took a short road trip yesterday to Brownsville and Weaver Bottoms on the Mississippi …

: I’m finding the Daily Notes section in Roam incredibly useful for collecting references to …

: #adayinthelife I’m going to squeak in under the wire with this pic of my office. I spend a …

: Peak color today.

: Nice. The Guthrie is doing a “Dicken’s Holiday Classic” streaming in December. …

: Lady Ta-Da stretching in the sun.

: Saint Francis contemplating the hosta.

: Computing: The Human Experience – The story of computing is the story of humanity.™

: Up late to watch the Perseids. Was out for 30 minutes. Saw two bright ones and I think I saw some …

: Today I gave my 90th blood donation. I was surprised.

: Latest peeve: Seeing staunch used instead of stanch when describing something that needs to be …

: Ann and I are back to hiking in MN State Parks. Great River Bluffs was the last. We’ll revisit …

: A view of the Mississippi valley from Great River Bluffs State Park just south of Winona MN.

: RIP Fran Allen. IBM Fellow Emerita.

: I’m beginning to really dislike Markdown for technical doc. All of our system’s special values begin …

: History shows again and again how Nature points out the folly of men.

: Listening to Stephen Fry read Mythos. Very entertaining. 📚

: 📚 So Far, So Good Ursula K. LeGuin’s final book of poems. Each one a gem. #mbmay

: 📚If you haven’t read Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac. Read it. Read it now. #mbmay

: Violet(s). #mbmay

: Indigo. #mbmay

: Blue. #mbmay

: Green. #mbmay

: Yellow. #mbmay

: Orange #mbmay

: Red #mbmay

: Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. The White …

: Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all. Henry David Thoreau 💬

: He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else. Benjamin Franklin 💬

: I hate edge tiling of windows.

: I handed my passport to the immigration officer, and he looked at it and looked at me and said, …

: 💬 Groucho Marx: > I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, …

: Chaos is a friend of mine – Bob Dylan 💬

: Machines take me by surprise with great frequency. – Alan Turing 💬

: Life after death?

: Not quite social distancing.

: Lady TaDa

: Leftovers

: New pen! Lamy 2000. Black with EF nib. Colorverse “Map of Mars” ink.

: Daffodils

: Maintain a social distance while Dancing in the Street.:)

: Thinking about a gofundme for local restaurant workers who survive on tips. Is this workable?

: 📚Also finished Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. I should have read this years ago.

: 📚Finished the audiobook of The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas. Loved the narration by Bill Homewood. …

: My nephew has made it home from Denmark where he was studying.

: Archdiocese of Detroit suspends all public Masses

: Local Bookstores - Fair Trade Books in Red Wing, MN I admit that I’ve been getting most of my books from Amazon or from our library as ebooks. …

: More ink! I’m probably set for this life and many after.

: I’ve been journaling regularly now for over a year and sporadically before that: pen, paper, …

: I received three new inks today. Can’t wait to try them out.

: I’ve recovered from my norovirus attack and am now basking in a cool breeze off a Dunedin fishing …

: Today is Sunday, a day of rest. I thought I’d post this peaceful sunset over Lake Superior from last …

: Life today is out of balance. Unwell. Hope to be up to snuff tomorrow. #mbfeb

: It’s 75°F here in Dunedin Florida. These blankets at the downtown market spell even extra warmth. …

: About to rise at MSP. #mbfeb

: We ran across this odd attachment at Quase Café in Lisbon last spring. #mbfeb

: Lake Superior beach. Plain. Simple. #mbfeb

: I found this sign in Dublin this fall when visiting. It was in Merrion Square near the statue of …

: The lull before the Sunday snowblower symphony. #mbfeb

: Sunlit is crashing on my phone on startup. Just started today. Anyone else seeing this?

: Contrast. Too many here to count. #mbfeb

: My Gwen Ifill stamps have arrived!

: Science Hall looms above Park Street on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison WI. #mbfeb

: My dear friend, Craig, wrote this plant book. It’s getting quite a good reception. Craig …

: I’m finding that the photos I’m posting for this February challenge are from my everyday life. …

: This hobonichi techo planner has a cover made from the hide of a goat. #mbfeb

: A spot of tea in the mid-afternoon is just what I need. #mbfeb

: Catching up on the “classics”. Took a break from The Handmaid’s Tale to read On …

: Each morning I reflect on the previous day. #mbfeb

: The rose tinted dawn over our hill was quite a sight. #mbfeb

: My snowblower is looking lonely in the open garage. #mbfeb

: In progress are “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Kindle), a graphic novel that purports to …

: Now starting “On The Road”. Don’t know how long I’ll last through Kerouac, …

: BTW. I just discovered the Libby app for obtaining books from our public library. Easy to use for a …

: First book of the year finished. Nancy McLean’s “Democracy in Chains.” Recommended for US readers. 📚

: Something’s gotta give. I can either continue to fiddle with blot or just go whole hog with …

: Remembering this from a while back. Still true.

: Carmine was awake but knew she was drugged. “Some sort of opiate,” she mused. Breathing …

: The KVM experiment failed. The display emulation doesn’t match the monitor and fools the …

: Fired up the new Intel NUC i3 running an Ubuntu Linux variant yesterday. Not a bad little machine. …

: Mark and Betty joined Lt. Davis for the ride back to the hospital. “Carmine has threads …

: Done. All five systems updated to Catalina. No problems noticed as yet.

: Me: knock knock Grandson: who’s there Me: deciduous GS: deciduous who? Me (as Elvis): 🎶 …

: I have a dedicated Linux box arriving soon. I’m done with the gyrations of living with VMware. …

: Moving from 13” MacBook Pro to 16” MacBook Pro. It’s all about the screen real estate. I can …

: It’s 8:30pm and I can’t keep my eyes open.

: Carmine was waking up. She was in real pain. “She’s breathing on her own now,” she …

: Spent the day sizing and hanging coats for our annual Christmas Anonymous Store Day. Tomorrow, folks …

: Davis continued, “There’s a lot we know about Carmine, but there’s a lot more we …

: Is @blot down? I’m getting time-out and cert errors.

: Davis turned to Mark and Betty, “I’m gonna need details.” Mark told his bit then …

: My ##mbnov story has taken a life of its own. I blame @amit 😁. I’ll continue to post until I …

: An EMT hooked Carmine up to oxygen and continued to work on her. About two minutes later he gave a …

: Betty called 911 while Mark continued CPR. It didn’t take long, perhaps 10 minutes. The EMTs …

: I was considering submitting these flash fiction episodes to the 2020 Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest, …

: Carmine had stopped breathing. Betty checked for a pulse. Nothing. She started CPR. “Wake up! …

: It’s vs its. They’re vs their. You’re vs your. I KNOW THE DIFFERENCE! Why …

: I’ve been using Tower as a git client for a few years. I like it, but it’s time to get …

: Carmine coughed and swallowed. Betty unlocked her phone and handed it to Mark, “Call Lt. …

: “Don’t be an idiot,” Betty hissed at Mark, “of course I’m going to …

: I have been freed from the tyranny of #mbnov words! Actually, it was fun trying to find ways to fit …

: Betty made it to the end of the path. One car. The keys worked. Six vials in the back seat. Grabbing …

: Mark said, “She’s not going to last much longer.” Carmine’s breathing was …

: Carmine was speaking very slowly and deliberately now, but with a touch of pride still in her voice. …

: Betty felt Carmine’s resistance fade but finished tying her hands behind her back with the …

: It’s a good thing MicroBlogVember has been extended. There’s no way I could wrap up this …

: Carmine stiffened. One of the darts in the pouch had pierced her thigh and it was obvious that Mark …

: I’m running icro on Catalina. I didn’t even realize it was the iOS app running under …

: Carmine ran quickly up the path toward the clearing then went sprawling face first into the dirt, …

: There was no way I could integrate today’s word into the story. #mbnov

: Betty began to tease apart the platinum wire from the necklace ending up with two six foot strands. …

: Betty helped Mark up and they stumbled into the nearby brush that covered this section of the …

: Carmine quickened her pace to get back to the car for more darts. “I love that these …

: Updating second of five systems to Catalina. First one went smoothly and some critical VPN software …

: Heading out of town a bit early to avoid the snowstorm. Nearly 10” of heavy wet slop expected …

: Betty was rightfully angry. She hadn’t expected someone as dangerous as Carmine to be in the …

: Mark’s voice was recovering. “Carmine was going to turn double agent. Those plans were …

: Carmine felt a sudden chill of recognition. “Betty Beresford, damn, that’s her name. I …

: Betty stroked Mark’s forehead, “Mark, it’s me, Betty.” Mark calmed down when …

: Carmine was nearly all the way down the path to her car, thinking of a little tune to hum as she …

: Only a few more days left in microblogvember. I need be wrapping this story up. How the heck am I …

: Mark’s vision began to clear. It was no longer like looking down a hollow tube. He felt the …

: Betty approached Mark carefully. His breathing was shallow. Her flashlight showed the scribbled …

: I’m back in May with my “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” backlog. Only 29 more to …

: You could say that some of my microblogvember story posts are a little forced and you’d be …

: Mark could feel his life abate. He thought he heard a soft rustling noise behind him and a short …

: Betty waded through the creek quietly. The noise from the small dam downstream was enough to mask …

: Betty came up to the sulphur spring and wrinkled her nose, “Rotten eggs, phew.” She …

: Mark was face down, but was able to lift his head and scrawl “stump antidote mouth” in …

: Carmine continued, “Just to show that I’m not all bad, here’s the antidote. Just …

: The dart hit Mark in the neck. He slumped to the ground, still conscious but too weak to stand. He …

: Mark was barely able to see, but the note was definitely in Carmine’s handwriting. “The box is 10 …

: @amit Interesting. These flash fiction posts are a little challenging to write and keep a thread. I …

: Betty could stay in the room no longer. She must follow Mark. He could be in danger. Blackmail was …

: Betty’s examination of the room turned up nothing. She remembered the few times where she was …

: Betty rushed upstairs to their room, stowed the sapphire necklace into its case, and quickly changed …

: Betty knew Mark had to be mixed up in something. This note had the smell of blackmail all over it. …

: The writing was very faint in the dark. Mark took out his phone to get some light, but it was nearly …

: Ahhh. I finally have selective cross-posting to twitter working. Thanks to @manton for the advice …

: Mark reached the other side of the creek. The clearing was just ahead. Nothing frightening here. He …

: I always check the “share crash and usage data with developers” box. In Catalina’s case it might be …

: Updating the first of eight systems to Catalina. The first is a non-critical system. Already checked …

: Betty carefully detached the paper from its stick. It was a note addressed to Mark. “Dire …

: Thanks to @amit for the flash fiction idea for #mbnov. I don’t have the time to do NaNoWriMo …

: Betty was puzzled. Mark had said he’d be by the pool but there was no Mark. She walked around …

: Mark hadn’t planned on tracking cross country after he got that note. His shin was bruised …

: Betty adjusted her fancy sapphire necklace, admiring the way the three blue gems showed themselves …

: Mark paused. He sniffed. It was unmistakable, the acrid smell of a sulphur spring nearby. He was …

: I like listening to “Key to the Highway” while eating key lime pie on Key Largo. #mbnov

: Starting a new fitness regimen with app assisted training. Wish me luck!

: Now in Galway for the day!

: Dunsverick Castle. North (Atlantic) coast of Northern Ireland. Near Giant’s Causeway.

: Entering Belfast harbor.

: Had dinner last night at Badger & Co., the restaurant in the home of Kenneth Grahame in …

: The proliferation of markdown editors with syntax extensions and fancy previewers is getting out of …

: 📚 Books in progress Frankenstein, Mary Shelley (ebook) The Poet’s Corner, compiled by John …

: 📚Finished the Audible “Ben Franklin”. Narration was good. The book seemed quite thorough …

: 📚Starting “The Cruel Ever After” by Ellen Hart. Physical paper.

: Anyone here worked with nvUltra beta? I would think it would be out fairly soon. I’m wondering …

: 📚 Finished “Reckless Daughter”. I enjoyed the book, but it kind of leaves you hanging …

: Current Audible Book: “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life”. 📚

: Currently reading “Reckless Daughter: A Portrait Of Joni Mitchell”.📚

: Devil’s Kettle in Judge C. R. Magny State Park on Minnesota’s North Shore. The Brule river splits in …

: Album 10 of 10. “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” 🎵

: “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” is the first Neil Young album I purchased, and marks a …

: Hummingbird.

: Album 9 of 10. “Fragile” 🎵

: “Fragile” didn’t quite get me started on so-called progressive rock but it was a …

: Two angles. North shore of Lake Superior.

: Album 8 of 10. “6 and 12 string guitar” 🎵

: “6 and 12 string guitar” by Leo Kottke was a favorite of a few of my friends in college …

: Saw “Glensheen” at the Minnesota History Theatre in St. Paul this evening. I liked the play and the …

: Album 7 of 10. “Bach - Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin - Shlomo Mintz” 🎵

: 1985 was the tricentennial of the births of both Bach and Handel. That summer I spent ten weeks in …

: My love for David Bowie lasted for three albums. “Ziggy Stardust was the first one I bought. …

: Album 6 of 10. “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” 🎵

: One listen to “Can’t Buy A Thrill” and I was hooked on Steely Dan for the first 6 …

: Album 5 of 10. “Can’t Buy A Thrill”

: Album 4 of 10. “Songs of the American Land”

: “Songs of the American Land” has long been out of print and was never officially issued …

: Jefferson Airplane was a force of nature at their best. They were unlistenable at their worst. …

: Album 3 of 10. “Bless Its Pointed Little Head”

: For some it was “Blue,” for me it was “For the Roses”. The first chords of …

: Album 2 of 10. “For The Roses”

: Disraeli Gears was the first album I remember buying with money I had earned. It think it was at …

: Album 1 of 10. “Disraeli Gears”

: My good friend, Craig Huegel, accepted a Facebook challenge from his friend, Jeff Klinkenberg: Post …

: After about three weeks, I’ve decided to go back to WordPress from @blot. I really liked blot, …

: I have one year to get in good enough shape to tackle Isle Royale for the third time. I was …

: It seems like you can’t even buy a cup of coffee these days without getting a customer …

: Music participation in high school linked to higher scores on English, math and science exams This …

: I’m thinking a bit about what creativity means. Who is a creative person you admire? Can you …

: Mike’s Sushi in Palm Harbor FL. 👍👍

: I’m going all-in on @blot for my long-form blog. I’ve moved from dropbox to git and …

: Pondering how to distance myself from Google’s clutches after this and this. Leaving my phone …

: Whenever I want mellotron death-of-the-universe music there is only one album to turn to: In the …

: After a long and somewhat disjointed six months I’m going to try being a bit more micro.blog …

: I’ve just started Maria Popova’s new book Figuring. I was struck by its more than …

: Watching “The Sound Of Music” on the plane. I love the outfit Maria wears out of the …

: Off to Florida today. Aging parents.

: Back from Lisbon. Pics to follow.

: Flat white at fabrica in Lisbon.

: I graduated with degrees in Math and CS from UW-Madison in 1975 and 1976. I had never heard of …

: U.S. Mathematician Becomes First Woman To Win Abel Prize

: I’ve yet to find a gel pen that doesn’t misbehave in some way on the paper I like to …

: Planning a photo trip to Lisbon. Wishing I could afford this, but taking this.

: I got back to the gym today after a five week break. My exercise during that time has been moving …

: I finally got a lap desk for my favorite chair. Nothing fancy. No lights. No wrist rests. No mouse …

: TIL Always check the white balance setting before a photo tour. 📷🙄

: We’ve had a temperature swing last week from -36ºC to 5ºC. It’s played havoc with my …

: By the way, that John Gorka concert at Crossings in Zumbrota was great. If you don’t know his …

: I haven’t posted much for Micro Monday, but it you like journally stuff (among many other …

: I didn’t watch the Super Bowl. I haven’t for years. I just don’t get off on this …

: At Crossings in Zumbrota getting ready to hear John Gorka.

: Not all the music I listen to is 50 years old. Some is 300 years old. It’s interesting that …

: Taking a bit of time for myself and iTunes. I can’t help but smile when I hear The Band …

: Need to learn python. Converting some ruby scripts to python, learning as I go. First impressions …

: I am thoroughly enjoying Le Guin’s So Far So Good. I’m dipping into it, reading a poem …

: Haiku #47 Sultans of Swing has the best combination of guitars and vocals Fight me. :)

: Just about to dip into Ursula K. LeGuin’s So Far So Good. I’m wondering if writing poetry is a craft …

: No presents under our tree today. We decided to just enjoy each other’s presence. It is indeed a …

: A interesting first game of Ticket to Ride tonight with Ann and daughter Laura. Will play again. 👍🚂

: Since the snow to this point has been somewhat disappointing I’ve decided to post a picture of …

: Off in a bit to see Ann Reed and Joan Griffith at Crossings in Zumbrota.

: Got a bit of time to start tinkering more with @blot and found that I couldn’t log in. Anyone …

: blot.im is just too damn easy.

: I’ve been busy. That’s why.

: 📚Next up on my reading list: Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography, when I can locate it.

: Go ahead. Make my day.

: Bee on echinacea. Glensheen.

: Ann and I had lunch today in the magnificent dining room at Naniboujou Lodge on Minnesota’s …

: Plein air in Grand Marais. This guy was doing a street painting of the front of the Ben Franklin …

: At the end of the Gunflint Trail. Gull Lake. Canada is just a wee bit from here.

: At Gooseberry Falls on Minnesota’s North Shore.

: Interesting coffee cup At Sarah’s Table Chester Creek Cafe. “Democracy must be something more …

: “Death Before DECAF” at the New London Cafe, Duluth MN.

: Lake Superior at Glensheen.

: Canal Park Lake Walk. Ann with “the determined mariner” and a lighthouse for sale.

: It was a beautiful day in Duluth. A welcome change from the rain yesterday in Rochester. Here is a …

: Just made a quick stop at the Higher Grounds Café in North Branch for a “Minty Moose” on the way to …

: 📚 I loved Treasure Island as a kid. Still do. I keep wanting to recommend it to my grandson, but …

: 📚I usually try to keep two books going. One from Audible and one on the Kindle. Currently listening …

: 📚Finished the Audible version of The Three Musketeers a while back. Impressive narration by John Lee …

: 📚Finished N. K. Jemisin’s The Obelisk Gate, and so on to another book. I’ll read The …

: 📚Picked up The Obelisk Gate again after having set it aside for nearly a year. I was getting too …

: I’ll miss you Aretha.