Jamie Thingelstad https://www.thingelstad.com/ en Mon, 18 Mar 2024 22:31:55 -0500 https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/18/we-watched-dungeons.html Mon, 18 Mar 2024 22:31:55 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/18/we-watched-dungeons.html <p>We watched <a href="https://m.imdb.com/title/tt2906216/">Dungeons &amp; Dragons: Honor Among Thieves</a> tonight. Good story and fun D&amp;D vibes.</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/fe0c0809b6.jpg" width="405" height="600" alt=""> https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/15/picked-up-new.html Fri, 15 Mar 2024 17:49:03 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/15/picked-up-new.html <p>Picked up new Tesla Model Y today.</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/cee9a33567.jpg" width="600" height="450" alt=""> <p><em>Also see <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/lists/vehicles/">list of vehicles</a>.</em></p> https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/14/pi-day-cocktail.html Thu, 14 Mar 2024 21:59:02 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/14/pi-day-cocktail.html <p>Pi Day 2024 cocktail: <a href="https://www.onesweetmess.com/2015/09/10/cherry-pie-cocktail/">Shut Your Pie Hole</a>.</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/dae5f44598.jpg" width="600" height="600" alt=""> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/9416705bc3.jpg" width="600" height="600" alt=""> <p><em>See <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/collections/pi-day/">Pi Day Collection</a>.</em></p> https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/14/tammys-day-creations.html Thu, 14 Mar 2024 21:56:46 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/14/tammys-day-creations.html <p>Tammy’s π Day 2024 creations: Bumble Berry, Bailey’s Irish Cream Pie, Spinach Pie, Broccoli Cheddar Pie.</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/b93b07b366.jpg" width="600" height="600" alt=""> <p><em>See <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/collections/pi-day/">Pi Day Collection</a>.</em></p> https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/14/we-had-a.html Thu, 14 Mar 2024 16:13:27 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/14/we-had-a.html <p>We had a great π day celebration with TeamSPS today! Many pies and some great Pi Day shirts too!</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/c03b67b80a.jpg" width="600" height="600" alt=""> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/3731600d71.jpg" width="600" height="600" alt=""> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/e7c1c75db8.jpg" width="600" height="600" alt=""> <p><em>See <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/collections/pi-day/">Pi Day Collection</a>.</em></p> Lead With Influence: A Proven Process To Lead Without Authority https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/11/lead-with-influence.html Mon, 11 Mar 2024 21:31:17 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/11/lead-with-influence.html <p>I&rsquo;ve met <a href="https://www.mattnorman.com/">Matt Norman</a> a few times. He is an incredibly outgoing, generous, and nice person that happily shares his insights with others. When he asked me if I would like an early read of his new book <strong><a href="https://www.mattnorman.com/influence/">Lead With Influence</a></strong> I said yes right away.</p> <p>Influence is an important topic, particularly in modern organizations that go far beyond a simple hierarchal view of the organization. To get things done, regardless of title and position, you need to influence people and sell them on your ideas. Knowledge work doesn&rsquo;t happen because you tell someone to do it. Cross-functional teams are the norm and require influence to align around their objectives and achieve success. So, how do you achieve this influence?</p> <p>This is where Norman&rsquo;s book comes in. He walks the reader through all of the components of creating influence. He includes many resources in the form of different checklists and mental models to help the reader work through creating influence on their own. This is a book that could easily come with worksheets (or make your own) to help you create a strong case for what you are working to influence in any given situation.</p> <p>I would recommend this book to knowledge workers that find themselves working in cross-functional teams toward a goal (isn&rsquo;t this all knowledge workers?). The book is approachable by anyone in business even if you have very little training or experience in these topics.</p> <p>Here is the table of contents so you can get a feel for the book.</p> <p>PART ONE — Position: Setting the Table for Influence</p> <ol> <li>Prioritize Availability over Productivity</li> <li>Build both Predictive and Vulnerability-Based Trust</li> <li>Pay Attention to the Little Things</li> <li>Be like a Salmon</li> <li>Use Value Language</li> <li>Talk like a Palace Builder</li> </ol> <p>PART TWO — Probe: Facilitating New Ways of Thinking</p> <ol start="7"> <li>Explore the Four Parts of Human Thinking That Drive Influence</li> <li>Develop the Art of Facilitation</li> <li>Summarize Regularly</li> </ol> <p>PART THREE — Propose: Making Your Ideas Known</p> <ol start="10"> <li>Explain in a Way That Will Resonate</li> <li>It&rsquo;s Not Just What You Say, but How You Say It</li> </ol> <p>PART FOUR — Persuade: Managing Resistance and Tension</p> <ol start="12"> <li>Be a Nonanxious Presence</li> <li>Respond instead of Reacting</li> <li>Persuade through Pushback</li> <li>Consider Whom You&rsquo;re Trying to Change</li> </ol> <p>PART FIVE — Institutionalizing Leadership Influence</p> <ol start="16"> <li>Coaching for Improved Performance</li> <li>Reinforcing Thought and Communication Patterns</li> <li>The Culture of Influence</li> <li>Conclusions About Leading With Influence</li> </ol> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/img-0756.jpeg" width="600" height="600" alt=""> https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/11/today-bitcoin-finally.html Mon, 11 Mar 2024 19:41:02 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/11/today-bitcoin-finally.html <p>Today Bitcoin finally broke through the $70,000 resistance it had been bouncing off of for days now and immediately jumped past setting a new all-time high. Ethereum had also been bouncing against $4,000 resistance and went through that. The run-up in price over recent weeks is wild.</p> <p><img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/97e740acaf.png" width="600" height="311" alt=""><img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/6534e06e59.png" width="600" height="304" alt=""></p> https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/11/today-gnosis-chain.html Mon, 11 Mar 2024 19:36:23 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/11/today-gnosis-chain.html <p>Today <a href="https://www.gnosis.io">Gnosis Chain</a> activated the Dencun upgrade <strong>before</strong> Ethereum. I run a validator on Gnosis and POAP tokens are also issued on Gnosis. Gnosis vision of a multi-chain Ethereum ecosystem makes sense to me.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Dencun upgrade has been activated on the <a href="https://twitter.com/gnosischain?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gnosischain</a> mainnet! <br><br>🐡🦉🐡<br><br>Next ➡️ Ethereum Mainnet <a href="https://t.co/S6GKhfe3TX">pic.twitter.com/S6GKhfe3TX</a></p>&mdash; Gnosis Chain 🦉 (@gnosischain) <a href="https://twitter.com/gnosischain/status/1767259776101052684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Grandpa and Grandma https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/10/grandpa-and-grandma.html Sun, 10 Mar 2024 13:51:25 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/10/grandpa-and-grandma.html <p>Hanging out with my Cousin Josh the last couple of days brought many stories and remembrances of <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/2005/09/05/the-farm.html">the farm</a>. Many stories of Grandpa Ardell and Grandma Rose. Typically the stories of Grandpa ended with boisterous laughter and those of Grandma reflected on how kind and generous she was.</p> <p>They have both been gone for a bit now but their memories are strong in the hearts of their kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids.</p> <blockquote> <p>&ldquo;I mean, they say you die twice. One time when you stop breathing and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time.&rdquo; — Banksy (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/339261-i-mean-they-say-you-die-twice-one-time-when">link</a>)</p> </blockquote> <p>Grandpa and Grandma, your names will be spoken for several decades to come. We miss you.</p> <p>This picture of Grandpa having lunch in the field over a pickup with my Uncle Tim has been showing up on my Aura Frame lately. It makes me smile. I remember Grandpa out in the fields. His overalls dirty. He was a John Deere man. His personality was as big as those fields he farmed.</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/grandpa-ardell.jpg" width="600" height="431" alt=""> <p><em>Related: <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/2001/07/03/ardell-rose-chrests.html">Ardell &amp; Rose Chrest&rsquo;s 50th Anniversary</a>.</em></p> Micro.blog Uploads Wish List https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/10/microblog-uploads-wish.html Sun, 10 Mar 2024 13:29:37 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/10/microblog-uploads-wish.html <p>I’m a fan of <a href="https://micro.blog">Micro.blog</a> for hosting my website. For me it is a great mix of ease-of-use and powerful capabilities. <a href="https://www.manton.org">Manton</a> and team have done a great job enhancing and improving it over the years. However, <strong>Uploads</strong> is one part of the service that I stumble with and routinely wish it had additional capabilities.</p> <p>Here is my wish list for Uploads:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Search by Name</strong>: very simply I want to be able to search my uploaded files by name. The use case here is an upload that I found in a blog post and no longer am using. I want to search for it and delete it. Nothing fancy, just basic search by the filename.</li> <li><strong>Navigate by Folders</strong>: Micro.blog stores uploads in a folder structure using dates. I&rsquo;d like to be able to navigate via that structure instead of just seeing one massive tile group in chronological order.</li> <li><strong>Replace Upload</strong>: This would be a big one. Sometimes I want to tweak a photo and replace it. Or I find an old blog post with a small image and I&rsquo;d like to update it with a better picture. I&rsquo;d love to easily replace the image without changing the URL.</li> <li><strong>Orphaned Uploads</strong>: This is an intensive task on the server for sure, but for a variety of reasons related to how importing worked, I realized my blog has hundreds of uploads that are not used. I&rsquo;d love for Micro.blog to find these orphaned uploads and offer me the ability to delete them individual or in bulk.</li> </ul> <p>I can&rsquo;t decide if <strong>Duplicate Uploads</strong> would be a win too. It feels similar to Orphaned Uploads as a bulk task that would run weekly or monthly and prompt the user to do some cleaning up.</p> <p>These features aren&rsquo;t gaps for normal day-to-day posting. They mostly show up when I’m doing <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/09/04/blog-gardening.html">blog gardening</a>. But having them would be a great add to Micro.blog.</p> https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/09/we-watched-jumanji.html Sat, 09 Mar 2024 23:12:26 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/09/we-watched-jumanji.html <p>We watched <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7975244/">Jumanji: The Next Level</a> tonight — almost a year after <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/2023/03/25/we-watched-jumanji.html">we watched Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle</a>. It was a fun family movie night. Tyler likes <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwayne_Johnson">Dwayne Johnson</a> movies. 🍿</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/3d3c056e73.jpg" width="404" height="600" alt=""> https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/08/enjoying-cigars-around.html Fri, 08 Mar 2024 21:30:00 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/08/enjoying-cigars-around.html <p>Enjoying cigars around the fire with my cousins Josh and Quinn along with Kurt and Dylan.</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/521cbb4cb3.jpg" width="600" height="449" alt=""> https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/08/made-my-first.html Fri, 08 Mar 2024 14:30:00 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/08/made-my-first.html <p>Made my first visit to <a href="http://stogiesongrand.com">Stogies on Grand</a> in St. Paul to get some cigars for tonight. Great selection and a nice walk-in-humidor. They have a lounge where you can stay and smoke if you purchase the cigar there.</p> <p><img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/e002bdb909.jpg" width="600" height="450" alt=""><img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/8802c0a19b.jpg" width="600" height="450" alt=""></p> https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/08/in-recognition-of.html Fri, 08 Mar 2024 12:11:43 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/08/in-recognition-of.html <p>In recognition of <a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day">International Women’s Day</a> continuing my commitment to empowering all women, particularly in technology and leadership. #IWD2024 #InspireInclusion</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/b6392f9d0c.jpg" width="600" height="600" alt=""> <p>See IWD <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/08/in-recognition-of.html">2024</a>, <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/03/08/recognizing-international-womens.html">2021</a>, <a href="https://micro.thingelstad.com/2020/03/08/celebrating-international-womens.html">2020</a>, <a href="https://micro.thingelstad.com/2020/03/05/international-womens-day.html">2020 @ SPS</a>, and <a href="http://micro.thingelstad.com/2018/03/08/173845.html">2018</a>.</p> https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/07/fun-night-out.html Thu, 07 Mar 2024 22:01:50 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/07/fun-night-out.html <p>Fun night out seeing <a href="https://www.gaelicstorm.com">Gaelic Storm</a> and <a href="https://www.thehighkings.com">The High Kings</a> at the <a href="https://hennepintheatretrust.org/theatres/pantages-theatre/">Pantages</a> with my cousin Josh and his wife Dawn. Dinner at <a href="https://the-local.com">The Local</a> before. Full Irish experience. 🇮🇪</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/44e9d7381f.jpg" width="450" height="600" alt=""> Bee Lab at University of Minnesota https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/06/bee-lab-at.html Wed, 06 Mar 2024 19:30:00 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/06/bee-lab-at.html <p>When Tammy&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/01/21/don-olson-obituary.html">Dad passed away</a> one of the organizations that he supported was the <a href="https://beelab.umn.edu/">Bee Lab at the University of Minnesota</a>. As a thank you from the Bee Lab Tammy and I were able to visit today, meet <a href="https://entomology.umn.edu/people/marla-spivak">Dr. Marla Spivak</a>, and get a tour of the facility.</p> <p>It was cool to see how Dr. Spivak had designed the lab and to see some of the work they are doing with the incredible variety of bee species in Minnesota and elsewhere.</p> <p>For more about Dr. Spivak and her work with bees watch her TED Talk on <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/marla_spivak_why_bees_are_disappearing">why bees are disappearing</a> and an interview about her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBSdvBj_phk">research on Propolis and Honey Bees</a>.</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/26b5f2905c.jpg" width="600" height="450" alt=""> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/26f7921d34.jpg" width="600" height="450" alt=""> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/4394048a21.jpg" width="600" height="450" alt=""> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/f5669cdac3.jpg" width="600" height="450" alt=""> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/1f3b04049d.jpg" width="600" height="450" alt=""> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/996ef44a5f.jpg" width="600" height="450" alt=""> https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/05/power-has-been.html Tue, 05 Mar 2024 12:00:55 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/05/power-has-been.html <p>Power has been shut off to the entire hose now for nearly an hour for the <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/04/home-electric-upgrade.html">electrical upgrades</a>. Happy to see that the combination of UPS batteries and PoE for infrastructure has left the network and fiber connection online! ⚡️</p> https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/04/my-friend-jim.html Mon, 04 Mar 2024 23:29:08 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/04/my-friend-jim.html <p>My friend Jim and I had a great time watching the Timberwolves beat the Trail Blazers tonight! 119 - 114 🏀</p> <p><img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/e17c7425bf.jpg" width="600" height="450" alt=""><img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/9205599bc7.jpg" width="600" height="450" alt=""><img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/86483cf329.jpg" width="600" height="450" alt=""></p> https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/04/bitcoin-near-or.html Mon, 04 Mar 2024 23:19:00 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/04/bitcoin-near-or.html <p>Bitcoin near or at new all-time highs today.</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/a7e70fe6d5.png" width="600" height="303" alt=""> Home Electric Upgrade https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/04/home-electric-upgrade.html Mon, 04 Mar 2024 18:27:24 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/04/home-electric-upgrade.html <p>We&rsquo;ve had a crew from <a href="https://advantageelectricmn.com">Advantage Electric</a> at our house for the last couple days and hopefully we&rsquo;ll be wrapped up tomorrow. A wide variety of improvements. They put a number of the Lutron Caseta switches in today and I&rsquo;m already realizing how nice it is when <strong>all the lighting</strong> is in that system. I&rsquo;m excited about all of these things. ⚡️</p> <ul> <li>Hang 7 replacement light fixtures.</li> <li><strike>Replace halogen puck light with LED.</strike></li> <li>Install recessed electric receptacle for TV.</li> <li>Replace 2 under-cabinet halogen lights with LED.</li> <li>Replace 4 under-cabinet halogen lights with LED.</li> <li>Replace 6 fluorescent lights with LED.</li> <li>Replace 3 fluorescent closet lights with LED.</li> <li>Replace 2 fluorescent utility lights with LED.</li> <li>Remediate 2 dangerous electric receptacles.</li> <li>Replace exhaust fan that doesn&rsquo;t shut off.</li> <li>Install 5 electric receptacles with USB C power.</li> <li>Modernize electric receptacles on main floor and basement.</li> <li>Install <a href="https://www.casetawireless.com/us/en">Lutron Caseta</a> light switches on main floor and basement.</li> <li>Remount electric meter to exterior wall, add emergency disconnect.</li> <li>Replace main electric panel, add whole home surge protection.</li> </ul> Dune: Part Two https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/03/dune-part-two.html Sun, 03 Mar 2024 10:27:23 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/03/dune-part-two.html <p>After multiple delays <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15239678/">Dune: Part Two</a> arrived in theaters! Tammy got us all tickets for last night&rsquo;s sold-out showing at <a href="https://manntheatres.com/theatre/89/Edina-4">Edina 4</a>. I&rsquo;m the Dune fan in the family, but since we <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/10/21/we-went-to.html">saw the first one</a> as a family we decided to all go again.</p> <p><strong>I thought it was breathtaking.</strong> It would be difficult for me to pull out one specific area to highlight. The movie was 2h 46m but I never once took note of the time. I was completely there, engaged in this epic story. I read all six books of the Dune series in college and just like that last movie this makes me want to read them all again. The complex world of Dune and all of the interconnections is incredible.</p> <p>Now, the rest of the family? This will be their last Dune movie. Tammy just doesn&rsquo;t vibe with this kind of epic sci-fi story. Tyler found it just too long and slow. The violence was much more than Mazie wanted. Overall the Harkonnen&rsquo;s were super-creepy, dark, and violent for all of us really. I keep thinking that having read the book maybe I experience the movies different than the rest of the family. I also do think feel that Villeneuve&rsquo;s interpretations of Dune have a lot more violence than the original story, but I would need to re-read the books to see if that is really the case.</p> <p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31378509">Dune: Part Three</a> is in development now. I can&rsquo;t wait to see it!</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/40b781aa4d.jpg" width="479" height="600" alt=""> Getting Tesla Model Y https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/03/03/getting-tesla-model.html Sun, 03 Mar 2024 10:10:15 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/03/03/getting-tesla-model.html <p>Yesterday we purchased a <strong>2024 Tesla Model Y</strong>! This will be my primary car <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/2021/07/24/mazda-cx-carbon.html">replacing the Mazda CX-9</a>. <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/2018/10/01/picked-up-my.html">Our Model 3</a> has become Tammy&rsquo;s primary car since the pandemic when she started driving it more. Before then the Model 3 was always with me at the office. 😊</p> <p>We test drove the Model Y, Model S, and Model X. I find the Model 3 to be uncomfortable to get in and out of and the Model S was nearly identical. We all loved the Model X but the price jump is huge — you can buy two Model Y&rsquo;s for the price. Additionally, with our small South Minneapolis garage I was very doubtful the Model X doors would work.</p> <p>We did consider the idea of getting a non-Tesla EV, but the infrastructure upgrades to add another model of charger into our garage was going to be very difficult. We would have had to jump from 200A to 400A service for the house, install an additional main panel, have utility work done in the yard. The dollars add up quick on that stuff. The benefit of using the same charging setup at home was a big win. If we had a bigger garage and the power wasn&rsquo;t an issue we would have looked hard at the <a href="https://rivian.com">Rivian</a>. ⚡️</p> <p>I decided to get the Stealth Grey and the standard 19&quot; wheels. I also went for the Black and White interior which is very white. It looks great, and I&rsquo;m hoping I&rsquo;ll still think it looks great after three or four years of wear. Fingers crossed on that. Dual Motor and long range battery. Tow hitch for bike rack. I also opted into Enhanced Autopilot so it has the same capability as the Model 3 does. I continue to view Full Self Driving as a better monthly &ldquo;add on&rdquo; for trips. The Model 3 computer would need an upgrade to use it, so the Model Y will be our first time to try it.</p> <p>I continue to be blown away by Tesla&rsquo;s purchasing process. It took 5 minutes at the dealership after I did the test drive to put down the deposit. Within seconds of that transaction completing I loaded the Tesla app on my phone and it already showed the second car in my profile. I completed the purchase process while I was brewing my coffee at home this morning. The comparison to the buying process for the Mazda where I sat at the dealership for 90 minutes is shocking.</p> <p>The Model Y is on the way and I will pick it up next week! 🤩</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/818c2ec825.jpg" width="600" height="333" alt=""> Winter Along the Gunflint Photography Workshop https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/02/29/winter-on-the.html Thu, 29 Feb 2024 19:55:07 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/02/29/winter-on-the.html <p>Last weekend I drove up to Grand Marais to take <a href="https://www.bryanhansel.com/shop/lake-superior-winter-photography-workshop-late/">Winter Along the Gunflint Photography Workshop</a> with <a href="https://www.bryanhansel.com">Bryan Hansel</a>. It has been a decade since I took a workshop and Tammy decided it was time for me to get out in the field and shoot for a weekend so she got me this great workshop for my birthday. I was eager to go, and also a little anxious since I hadn&rsquo;t done more serious photography for a few years. I was rusty for sure.</p> <p>Our workshop started on Friday with some classroom learning, and then we shot sunset from the Campground Beach in Grand Marais. The winter part of the workshop was tested with the lack of any snow to speak of in Grand Marais. Hansel adapted with it though and still got us plenty of great spots to capture beautiful images.</p> <p>That first night I got this sunset view of the last rays along the Campground Beach.</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/20240223-173329.jpg" width="600" height="899" alt=""> <p>We were up early to get the sunrise the next morning. We drove a short distance to Cascade River State Park and captured the first rays that morning.</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/20240224-064917.jpg" width="600" height="899" alt=""> <p>We did find some snow when we went in to Elbow Lake. We setup these classic snowshoes on the lake.</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/20240224-153509.jpg" width="600" height="947" alt=""> <p>That afternoon the winds were going pretty good and I was hopeful that we would get some big waves coming in on the Lighthouse in Grand Marais.</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/20240224-163351.jpg" width="600" height="371" alt=""> <p>The wind continued and the waves were steady as the sun set.</p> <img src="https://www.thingelstad.com/uploads/2024/20240224-174230.jpg" width="600" height="400" alt=""> <p>Hansel led a great workshop and I learned a number of new things from him. His Lightroom skills were top notch and he showed us some processing techniques that were incredible. I also liked the fresh perspective he brought to composition.</p> <p><em>See <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/lists/photography-workshops/">list of Photography Workshops</a>.</em></p> How I burned $10,000 https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/02/29/how-i-burned.html Thu, 29 Feb 2024 19:29:14 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/02/29/how-i-burned.html <p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme_coin">Meme coins</a> are one of the parts of the crypto ecosystem that I have no interest in. They are pure speculation. I’m fine if folks want to do that, but it’s not my thing. I&rsquo;ve never owned any Dogecoin. A little over a year ago when <a href="https://bonkcoin.com">BONK</a> launched as a Solana version of Dogecoin I didn’t pay any attention. 🪙</p> <p>I received alerts of incoming transfers of BONK tokens into my Solana wallet. It turns out as an owner of Famous Fox NFTs I received special airdrops of BONK tokens. A lot actually. I was annoyed by the clutter and without thinking much about it <a href="https://solscan.io/tx/3Gfas4ZYe5r36WtHmXKfeex5twMKEM6iBQVzM5za8PstqyHqHVBpVfWEHruwfnfX3JaeqbwqydFjCpfBm2HLyKUo">burned 394,305,096 Bonk tokens</a> that were cluttering up my wallet. 🔥</p> <p>Well, as it turns out BONK has traded actively. My nearly 400M burned tokens were worth as little as $70 at the 1-year low of $0.0000001763… and $10,000 at current price the current price of $0.00002536. 😳</p> <p>I guess &ldquo;easy come, easy go&rdquo; as they say. On the bright side I don&rsquo;t have to bother with the tax treatment of the air drop. 🤷‍♂️</p> <p><em>Posting this on leap day means I&rsquo;ll only revisit this mistake once every four years in my <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/on-this-day/">On This Day</a> page.</em></p> https://www.thingelstad.com/2024/02/29/reviewing-my-on.html Thu, 29 Feb 2024 19:28:37 -0500 http://jthingelstad.micro.blog/2024/02/29/reviewing-my-on.html <p>Reviewing my <a href="https://www.thingelstad.com/on-this-day/">On This Day</a> page today made me do a double take — so few posts. Then I remembered it is leap day, and February 29, 2024 is only the <strong>6th leap day</strong> since my blog was started. 😁</p>