This morning I read that the developer of the red Solo cup, Robert Hulseman, had died. The cup was first produced in the 1970’s and is known to generations of students as the cup of choice for keggers. It’s also the preferred growing container for cannabis. I took the photograph at the top of this post… Continue reading A Red Solo Cup
Month: December 2016
My America
Today I waited at Cedar Riverside light rail station for a friend. We were going to walk and chat about our memories of the area. He, and his father before him, had attended the nearby Augsburg College. [See his blog post.] 100 years ago, the Cedar Riverside area of Minneapolis was the first American home… Continue reading My America
Imperfect Gifts for Long-Haul Travelers
The other day I came across an article at wired.com with the click-bait title: 10 Perfect Gifts for your Favorite Long-Haul Traveler. I was skeptical right out of the starting gate: I travel light, a declaration I repeat ad nauseam. Recently I renewed my passport, and opted for the version with more pages as I was running… Continue reading Imperfect Gifts for Long-Haul Travelers
A Carny’s Final Journey
If I die in a distant place, my instructions are simple. No coffin, no embalming, just have me cremated then shipped back in a generic box to Minneapolis. That’s it: one final flight to MSP, then scatter my ashes somewhere. Lakewood Cemetery would be a fine place for The Scattering. It’s beautifully maintained by a… Continue reading A Carny’s Final Journey
Our Personal Kitchen Assistant
This week we welcomed a personal assistant into our home. Or, to be more precise, FedEx delivered a Google Assistant. It’s a stubby, round box you plug into the wall. It listens for our commands and talks to us via surprisingly good speakers. It connects to Google services over WiFi. It sits in a corner… Continue reading Our Personal Kitchen Assistant